An athletic mouthguard adapted for use by athletes and other persons engaged in physical activities which might result in occlusal or craniofacial stress. In one embodiment, the athletic mouthguard is a unitary structure which comprises a mouthpiece and an elongated strap adapted for attachment to the face mask of a helmet or the like. The mouthpiece, which is designed for use over the upper set of teeth of the wearer, includes an inner peripheral wall, an outer peripheral wall, and a connecting wall, the inner surfaces of which define a channel. The occlusal surface of the channel is more narrow in the anterior region and becomes more broad as one moves posteriorly so as to accommodate the non-uniform widths of the various teeth. In addition, the occlusal surface of the channel becomes progressively more concavely-shaped as one moves posteriorly from the first bicuspid tooth to accommodate the increasing convexity of the posterior teeth. The buccal surface of the channel is shaped to a pair of retention bars, which serve to retain the mouthpiece against the upper set of teeth. The inner peripheral wall and the outer peripheral wall of the mouthpiece curve and taper in the vestibule and palatal areas to conform to the shape of the upper jaw. The connecting wall is thicker in the posterior regions than in the anterior regions so that an upwardly directed blow is delivered more to the posterior teeth than to the anterior teeth.

The present invention relates generally to mouthguards intended to be worn by athletes and other persons engaged in physical activities which might result in occlusal or craniofacial stress and more particularly to a new and improved athletic mouthguard.
Typically, athletic mouthguards serve two purposes: First, they reduce the possibility and/or severity of tooth damage by dispersing over a relatively large surface area the impact of a blow delivered to a relatively small surface area. Second, they reduce the possibility and/or severity of cranial injury, e.g. concussions, by cushioning the impact of an upwardly directed blow administered to the upper set of teeth by the lower set of teeth. As can readily be appreciated, either one or both of the above-stated objectives may be adversely affected by the use of an ill-fitting and/or uncomfortable mouthguard.
Many different types of athletic mouthguards are presently in use. One type of mouthguard, which is available generally only from a dentist, is made by having the dentist take an impression of the dental arch and upper teeth of the individual, prepare from the impression a plaster cast corresponding to the dental arch and upper teeth, and then mold a mouthguard from rubber or plastic against the plaster cast. While such mouthguards have generally good comfort, protective and retentive characteristics, they are frequently expensive and time-consuming to fabricate and require the services of skilled dental personnel.
A second type of mouthguard presently in use is a universal mouthguard, which is intended to be worn as received without any form of adaptation to the mouth of the individual user. Such mouthguards are typically made of rubber or plastic and are formed generally to the shape of the upper dental arch and teeth. While these mouthguards are less expensive to fabricate than the first type of mouthguard, they tend to fit loosely and are not retained easily by the user, frequently being dislodged by the same blows they were intended to resist.
A third type of mouthguard presently in use is a universal blank mouthguard, which is typically made of a thermoplastic material capable of being molded and shaped to conform to the dental arch and upper teeth of the individual user. In use, the blank is usually warmed, such as by immersion in hot water, inserted into the mouth of the individual, and then fitted against the dental arch and teeth of the individual. While these in-situ custom-fitted mouthguards are also typically less expensive than the first type of mouthguard, they are also typically not nearly as retentive or comfortable as such mouthguards.
The following patents, all of which are incorporated by reference, may be of interest to the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,393, which issued on Sep. 11, 1990 to Adell, relates to a mouthguard that has a body having upper and lower troughs conforming generally to the upper and lower arches. Liners of impression material are disposed in the respective troughs for conformance to the actual impressions of the teeth of the arches. The body has an occlusal wall that contains a series of spaced-apart air/saliva ducts extending in a lingual/buccal fluid communication. The liners are mechanically interlocked to the mouthguard body by interlocking material that extends along the edges of the respective troughs and also by integral connections which extend through the occlusal wall between the two troughs in bridging portions of the occlusal wall that separate the air/saliva ducts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,365, which issued on Jul. 18, 1989 to Guarlotti et al., relates to an improved protective mouthguard blank, which is adapted for in situ custom-fitting by an athlete/patient, and to a method for in situ custom-fitting said mouthguard blank. The protective mouthguard blank has a generally V-shaped channel corresponding to a normal dental arch and is formed from thermoplastic substances which have a softening, moldable temperature in the range of 120-160 degrees F. The protective mouthguard blank has outer side walls which are longer than the labial vestibule and the buccal vestibules of the athlete/patient. The resulting in situ custom-formed protective mouthguard consequently has an outer side wall which substantially entirely fills the athlete/patient's buccal vestibules and labial vestibule.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,941, which issued on Dec. 20, 1988 to Schaefer, relates to an athletic mouthguard useful in contact sports for protecting an athlete's teeth. The mouthguard comprises a U-shaped double trough mouthpiece secured to a connecting strap adapted to be attached to the faceguard on a helmet. The distal end of the connecting strap contains an oblong opening whereby a looped connection can be made with a bar on the face guard by passing the mouthpiece through the oblong opening and pulling the loop into tight engagement with the bar on the faceguard.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,465, which issued on Oct. 30, 1973 to Helmer, relates to an apparatus for protecting the mouth area of athletes engaged in contact sports. The apparatus includes a thermo-plastic base member that is heated to receive a bite from the user whereby his dental impressions are applied to such base member. The base member is formed with breathing orifices. Plugs are removably disposed within the breathing orifices to prevent collapse of such orifices while the bite takes place.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,501, which issued on Nov. 19, 1968 to Greenberg, relates to a saddle for use in making a mouthpiece comprised of a substantially U-shaped member of channel cross-section including an outer flange, a lingual flange and a web joining them and made of a plastic such that at a pre-determined temperature range below that of boiling water the saddle will retain its essential shape but will be soft enough to take teeth impressions and to retain the teeth impressions below the softening range; a method by which the saddle is used to take teeth impressions in the mouth so that impressions of one set of teeth will be formed on the inside thereof and the impressions of the bite surface of the opposite set of teeth will be formed in the outside surface of the web to thus form a mouthguard which protects both sets of teeth; and the provision of means whereby a strap for attachment to a face or chin guard is removably attached to the mouthguard so that a strong pull thereon will separate the strap from the mouthguard and allow the latter to remain in place over the teeth for continued protection.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,809, which issued on Oct. 29, 1968 to Ross, relates to a protective mouthpiece comprising a deformable trough adapted for engagement therein of a natural denture and defined by a base and a pair of inner and outer walls extending away from said base, an elongated bendable strap having an inner end portion connected to said outer wall and an outer end portion releasably securable in adjusted position longitudinally of said strap, and fastener means slidably adjustable longitudinally of said strap to which said outer end portion is connected, said fastener means being a snap fastener having a male component secured to the outer end portion of said strap and a belt arranged and proportioned for yielding frictional engagement about said strap, said belt having a portion with an eye adapted for projection therethrough of said male component, said portion spaced from said strap to define a pocket for releasable reception of said male component when projected through said eye.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,272, which issued on May 10, 1966 to Greenberg, relates to a saddle for use in making a mouthpiece comprising a substantially U-shaped member of channel cross-section made of a thermoplastic resin which is fixed in form and resilient up to the temperature range of 185-230 degrees F. but sufficiently soft to take tooth impressions under pressure below said range down to about 130 degrees F. without losing its essential shape and fix them below said temperature, said resin being selected from the class consisting of vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer having 20-35% by weight of ethyl acrylate, remainder ethylene, said member having inner and outer flanges joined by a web which tapers in thickness downwardly from said inner to said outer flange, so that impressions of one set of teeth may be made on the inside of said channel and impression of the bite surface of the opposite set of teeth may be made in the outer surface of the web without sacrificing thickness of the web as required for proper protection.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,192,558, which issued on Mar. 5, 1940 to Poindexter, relates to a tooth guard and jaw protector comprising a substantially U-shaped body member adapted to fit in the mouth between the teeth of the upper and the lower jaws and having the end portions thereof of substantially rigid material and of substantially H-shaped form in cross section and thus presenting spaced flanges on the upper and the lower sides adapted to engage against the inner and the outer faces of the upper rear and lower rear teeth thereby interlocking the teeth and restraining relative lateral movement of the jaws, said substantially U-shaped body member being adapted to fit and be held within the mouth with the looped portion presented forwardly and being provided on the outer side of the looped portion with flanges of cushion material adapted to cushion between the lips and the front teeth of the wearer.


An apparatus for adjustably supporting and positioning a foot and leg to be cast that can be sterilized for use in a surgical environment. The apparatus including a foot support structure that in combination with a stand can be used to support and suspend the foot and also adjustably position the foot for applying cast material.

This invention relates to an apparatus used to simultaneously position and support both the leg and foot of a patient during application of a cast, and more particularly the invention relates to an apparatus, usable in a sterile environment, that can be adjusted to position the supported leg and foot at any feasible orientation by movement of the leg and foot and maintain the selected leg/foot joint alignment during the time casting material is applied and allowed to set. The applied cast can be easily detached from the apparatus without structural degradation.
Human knee, ankle and foot joints permit a very wide range of devise positioning of the foot with respect to the leg. When set in casts to promote bone mending, however, it is necessary to select specific leg/foot joint orientations and then maintain the selected positioning while the cast material is both applied and allowed to set. The difficulties of adjusting leg/foot orientation and maintaining the selected positioning during casting are exasperated if the patient has additionally been or is treated surgically and is anesthetized. Accordingly, devices to adjustably position and support legs and feet during casting have been known for a long time. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 743,663, issued Nov. 10, 1903, describes a device for setting fractured legs during surgery. The described device is supposed to effect a linear stretching of the patient's leg to reposition fractured bones. Linear stretching is described as resulting from positioning a rod under the length of the leg and attaching an end of that first rod by a strap to the thigh of the patient. A second rod is then attached to a bandage buckled or laced to the foot. This second rod is further attached to the first rod with a threaded bolt structure so the second rod can pull the attached foot with respect to the leg as the threaded bolt structure is turned. Cast material is then supposed to be applied to the foot and leg while the foot is so pulled. After the cast is set, the first rod and other associated structures have to be removed through holes in the cast some of which must be bored and then later filled. Not addressed in any fashion because it cannot be in the U.S. Pat. No. 743,663 is how to orient a patient's leg/foot arrangement to different configurations other than a stretched one with the foot positioned in a stretched relationship to the leg and the sole of the foot oriented at an essentially ninety degree angle to the stretched longitudinal axis of the leg. Further restricting utility of the apparatus described in the U.S. Pat. No. 743,663 are the facts that after applied cast materials have set, it is necessary to remove rods, curved metal bars, and structural cross pieces from under the set cast through holes left in the cast or bored through the set cast. Unavoidably, such manipulations of a cast set on a patient's leg and foot risk further injury to the patient by removal of structures from under the cast, and also decrease the structural strength of the cast as a result, for example, of boring holes through the cast or applying the cast material so sizable that there are holes in the set cast. Attempting to later fill sizable holes in the cast or otherwise patch the cast can seal large openings needed to remove structural devices so as to prevent moisture and dirt from getting under the cast, but such repairs unavoidably cannot always restore the structural strength that a complete cast, without large bored or constructed openings, would have provided.
More recent attempts to design adjustable stands for positioning and supporting feet and legs to be cast have also failed to recognize and address the need to permit casting while supporting a foot and leg in such a manner that substantial openings in the cast are not required to remove sizable support stand structures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,110, issued Mar. 1, 1962, describes a foot holder device for a cast table. The described foot holder device includes both a structure to support the heel area of a foot and a sole plate, identified for a preferred embodiment as being made of a flat metal plate, that is slidably attached to the heel support structure. According to the description provided in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,110, a cast is formed about a foot supported by such a foot holder device so that after the cast is set the sole plate is supposed to be slid out from the cast through a hole provided in the toe area and the heel support structure as an integral unit is supposed to be removed from an opening left in the cast as applied that extends about the entire heel area. In other words, the cast has to be formed so that the heel of the cast foot is not supported in the cast. As with the earlier patented device, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,110 admits in its disclosures that after the cast is set and the holder device is removed, additional cast material can be coated over the pare portions of the heel and toes of the foot. Such patching cannot restore the structural strength that a complete cast, without constructed openings, would have provided. Additionally, as with the earlier patent, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,110 describes the foot holder device as only providing a single fixed angle for the sole of the supported foot to the longitudinal axis of the leg.


A power steering system for an automotive vehicle having a rotary steering valve comprising an inner valve member and a surrounding valve sleeve member, the valve members having cooperating valve lands that control pressure distribution to a fluid motor that effects a steering assist, the valve sleeve being connected mechanically to the fluid motor and a driver controlled steering shaft being connected to driven portions of the steering system, fluid pressure reaction pistons in the steering gear assembly providing a reaction force that opposes relative motion of the steering valve members, pressure regulator valve means and vehicle speed sensitive valve means for tailoring the reaction forces to provide an optimum steering assist at all vehicle speeds, and means for providing a detent force that produces a threshold value of steering torque before the onset of power assist.

It is common practice in the power steering art to provide steering gear mechanisms with a power assist for controlling turning maneuvers of a vehicle. The power assist is achieved by a fluid pressure motor that responds to the rotary motion of a rotary steering valve that is actuated by the vehicle operator. Differing steering characteristics can be achieved depending upon the calibration of the rotary valve mechanism.
It is known practice also to provide a steering system wherein the degree of power assist can be changed depending upon the vehicle speed. It is desirable to provide a high degree of power assist during parking maneuvers of the vehicle and during steering maneuvers at low speeds, whereas the steering assist that is desirable for high speeds is relatively reduced.
The steering valve of such known designs may be a rotary valve mechanism in which a sleeve valve member is connected through a rack and pinion mechanism to steering gear linkages for the vehicle and an inner rotary valve member is connected to the steering shaft. The valve members are provided with registering valve lands. The steering shaft is connected to the rack and pinion mechanism by means of a torsion member which permits relative angular movement of one valve member with respect to the other thereby controlling pressure distribution to the fluid motor. Torque applied to the steering shaft in one direction will develop a pressure differential in the motor in one direction for a turning maneuver in one direction and the steering torque applied to the steering shaft in the opposite direction will achieve a pressure differential in the opposite direction.
The steering gear mechanism of such known designs is powered by a power steering pump driven by the vehicle engine. The pump comprises a flow control valve that achieves a constant flow regardless of pump speed. Relative angular adjustment of the valve members then will create a steering pressure depending upon the degree of relative movement, which in turn depends upon the steering torque applied to the steering shaft.
In my co-pending patent application Ser. No. 811,963, filed Dec. 23, 1991, entitled Electronic Power Assist Control, I have disclosed a steering system in which the relationship between steering torque and steering pressure within a low torque range is different than the corresponding relationship within a high torque range. Upon a given change in torque in a torque range greater than a so-called breakpoint value, the change in steering pressure is greater than the change in steering pressure that occurs for the same torque change in a torque range below the breakpoint.
The steering gear mechanism of my co-pending application includes reaction pistons which are subjected to steering pressure so that a reaction force opposes relative movement of the valve members, one with respect to the other. A modulator valve mechanism modifies the steering pressure applied to each reaction piston to establish one or more breakpoints in the relationship between steering pressure and torque.

Hydraulic reaction variable assist power steering control hydraulic "detent"


A self-propelled machine has an internal chamber having a conveyor mechanism extending through an opening in a wall. A buoyancy control allows admission of pressurized air into the chamber to allow adjustment of the buoyancy of the machine. A series of conveyors within the chamber convey material into the chamber which is washed to leave behind sediment and other materials. Washed nodules are conveyed to a transport machine and are stacked in the transport machine. The transport machine may be disconnected from the self-propelled machine to allow nodules to be brought to the surface. Sensors are provided in the self-propelled machine to control attitude, direction, and movement.

The present invention relates to a self-propelled undersea nodule mining system. In the prior art, it is known to mine nodules from the surface of the ocean floor. However, Applicant is unaware of any prior art teaching all of the features and aspects of the present invention.
The following prior art is known to Applicant:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,061 to Obolensky discloses a method and apparatus for collecting mineral aggregates from sea beds. The Obolensky device is dragged or self-propelled over the ocean floor to dislodge nodules from the sea bed and to separate them from silt and sediment. The present invention differs from the teachings of Obolensky as contemplating a buoyancy control allowing the present invention to hover slightly above the ocean floor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,468 to Funk discloses a method and apparatus for recovering mineral nodules from the ocean floor. The Funk device includes means for pumping a continuous flow of ocean water along a first confined path through an exchange position within the vicinity of the ocean floor where mineral nodules to be recovered are deposited. The method further includes confining ocean water within a second path within the same vicinity to continuously move a mixture of deposit mineral nodules and smaller particles. Funk also contemplates separating the minerals from other particles and conveying the nodules to the surface. The present invention differs from the teachings of Funk as contemplating buoyancy control, a separate transport vessel and a conveyor system for 30 separating the nodules from the associated silt.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,526 to Delacour et al. discloses a process for recovering polymetal compounds discharged from a submarine hydrothermal source and devices for carrying out the same. The Delacour et al. device is designed to sit on the ocean floor through the use of a bell-shaped collector member. The present invention differs from the teachings of Delacour et al. as contemplating a system having a self-propelled machine with buoyancy control and a separate transport machine to transport nodules to the surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,055 to Amann et al. discloses a device for collecting manganese nodules on the ocean floor, which device is towed over the ocean floor. The present invention differs from the teachings of Amann et al. as contemplating a self-propelled machine having buoyancy control and a separate transport machine to transport nodules to the surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,742 to Moreau discloses equipment for extracting ores from sea beds, which device includes a plurality of self-propelled devices each of which picks up ore, washes and treats the ore and conveys the ore to a central relay unit designed to store ore and convey it with a mixture of sea water through a conduit to a surface ship. The present invention differs from the teachings of Moreau as contemplating a single self-propelled machine having buoyancy control and which may be coupled to a transport machine to be movable therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,711 to Vinot et al. discloses a method and apparatus for mining of ocean floors which includes an elongated tube to mine and convey nodules. The present invention differs from the teachings of Vinot et al. as contemplating a self-propelled machine which may be coupled to a transport machine with the self-propelled machine having buoyancy control and other sensors and controls.
As should be understood from discussion of the above-listed prior art, several problems exist with undersea mining devices as they are now known. The January, 1991 issue of "The Mining Engineering Journal" published an article by A. R. Bath which discussed many technical problems which exist in presently known undersea mining apparatuses as follows:
(1) Lifting of great amounts of sediment from the ocean floor to the surface wears out machine components, wastes energy and causes release of sediment at the ocean surface which may create environmental problems with sea life.
(2) Under most circumstances, the ocean floor where mineral nodules may be found is under at least 16,000 feet of water. Lifting materials through a vertical pipeline of this height presents many expensive and complicated technological problems.
(3) Most systems collect too much sediment with the nodules.
(4) It is difficult to convey a non-self-propelled mining machine from the surface of the ocean.
(5) Nodule mining systems operate under extremely harsh environments and complicated systems are disadvantageous.
(6) Self-propelled systems must be capable of negotiating obstacles which may not be detected by sonar forward scanning.
(7) Undersea mining systems must be capable of operating where the ocean floor includes very soft, deep sediments.
(8) Undersea mining systems must be able to traverse undersea hills and valleys.
It is with the problems and complications listed above in mind that the present invention was developed.

Self-propelled undersea nodule mining system


The present invention relates to a spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages so as to enable easy and convenient drinking of liquid beverages contained in the container through an associated straw and easily dispense the liquid beverages into another container. The spout assembly includes a main body coupled on a top of a container, a fluid spout assembly having a first fluid passage through which the liquid beverage can flow out of the container in a state where the container is inclined and a second fluid passage through which the liquid beverage can be socked in a state where the container vertically stands; and a cap coupled to the fluid spouting assembly. The fluid spout assembly can be folded on a folding portion or be elected so that the user can drink or dispense the liquid beverages.

Generally, many kinds of beverage containers are used for a liquid beverage. The beverage container is composed of a cap and a container and the user can open the cap and then suck the beverage with a straw or drink it. However, it is unsanitary because the contact portion with human mouse can easily polluted. Though the user can use a straw, it is not convenient to provide when it is needed.
Korean Utility Model Registration Nos. 20-176923 and 20-193549 disclose a container having a straw. As the container of the prior art is designed for sucking the beverage, it is impossible or is not convenient to dispense the beverage of the container to another container like a cup. The disclosed beverage container is designed such that the upper end of the straw is exposed to the atmosphere.

Spout assembly having a plurality of fluid passages


A seatbelt-adjusting device includes a belt-holding piece that is mounted slidably on a frame unit, and that is slidable on the frame unit between front and rear positions. A positioning member has left and right end portions and a bridge portion interconnecting the left and right end portions. The left and right end portions of the positioning member are respectively pivoted to left and right sides of the frame unit so as to be pivotable between a first position, in which, the bridge portion of the positioning member is spaced apart from the belt-holding piece, and a second position, in which, the bridge portion of the positioning member abuts against the belt-holding piece when the belt-holding piece is disposed at the front position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seatbelt-adjusting device that is adapted to be easily operated and that is adapted to firmly retain a belt thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional seatbelt-adjusting device 100 is shown to include a base member 10, an elongated belt-holding piece 12, a positioning member 14, and a seatbelt 18.
As illustrated, the base member 10 has top and bottom surfaces, and left and right sides extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, and defines an opening 101 that extends between the left and right sides and that has left and right ends disposed respectively adjacent to the left and right sides of the base member 10, and front and rear ends.
The elongated belt-holding piece 12 is mounted slidably on the top surface of the base member 10, spans the left and right ends of the opening 101, and is slidable on the top surface of the base member 10 between a rear position, in which, the belt-holding piece 12 is disposed adjacent to the rear end of the opening 101, as best shown in FIG. 1, and a front position, in which, the belt-holding piece 12 is disposed adjacent to the front end of the opening 101, as shown in FIG. 2.
The seatbelt 18 has a looped portion inserted from the bottom surface of the base member 10 into the opening 101, and is sleeved on the belt-holding piece 12.
The positioning member 14 is mounted rotatably on the base member 10, is rotatable about a vertical axis perpendicular to the top surface of the base member 10 between a first position, in which, the positioning member 14 is spaced apart from the seatbelt-holding piece 12, as shown in FIG. 1, so as to permit adjustment of the seatbelt 18 thereon, and a second position, in which, the positioning member 14 abuts against the seatbelt 18 and the seatbelt-holding piece 12, as best shown in FIG. 2, when the seatbelt-holding piece 12 is moved to the front position.
One disadvantage of the aforesaid conventional seatbelt-adjusting device resides in that the seatbelt-holding piece 12 together with the belt 18 is not firmly retained by the positioning member 14 since the abutting area of the positioning member 14 relative to the seatbelt-holding piece 12 is relatively small.


A cold worked stainless steel bezel for a portable electronic device is provided. The bezel is secured flush to a housing to form part of the case of the portable electronic device. A brace that includes a slot for receiving a wall extending from the bezel is fixed to the housing. When the bezel engages the housing, the wall of the bezel is inserted in the slot of the brace and releasably held by a spring that engages both the brace and the wall. The bezel can be released by disengaging the spring, (e.g., using a special tool or a magnetic field). Because the bezel is manufactured from cold worked stainless steel, it is hard and resistant to impacts. Cold worked steel also facilitates manufacturing within design constraints and tolerances, and requires very little machining after manufacturing to comply with those constraints. The portable electronic device may include a personal media device, a mobile telephone, or any other suitable device or combination thereof.

This invention is directed to a cold worked stainless steel bezel for a portable electronic device.
By their very nature, portable electronic devices (e.g., MP3 players, cellular telephones) are carried around and subject to impacts and inadvertent blows to which static electronic devices (e.g., desk-top computers, televisions) are not subject. To protect the electronic systems of these portable devices, manufacturers have constructed impact resistant cases.
Existing cases, however, are not always easily manufactured, aesthetically pleasing, or sufficiently resistant to impacts. Accordingly, there is a need for a hard, easily manufactured and aesthetically pleasing case for portable electronic devices.

Cold worked metal housing for a portable electronic device


In a system and method for enhancing organic oxidation reactions, an orga reactant is brought in contact with a stable, non-soluble, porous, electronically non-conductive, inorganic solid (reaction enhancer) in a fluidic medium to form a reaction mixture of low ionic strength. The reaction mixture so formed is then subjected to an electrifying force thereby enhancing the chemical reaction. Oxidation reaction products are then collected.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for organic oxidation electrochemical reactions and more particularly to catalysis of said reactions in heterogeneous media containing a dispersed solid and a liquid phase of low ionic strength and in the presence of a low electrifying force.
In general, chemical reactions can by enhanced by manipulation of relevant local environmental conditions. The rate of the reaction might increase. This might also increase selectivity.
Catalysts and enzymes substantially increase the rate of a reaction even if present in small concentrations. The mechanism for this enhancement is usually expressed in terms of reducing the activation energy of the reaction. Not all chemical reactions can be so enhanced and they are often enhanced only under a limited set of conditions.
Reactions may be enhanced by increasing the temperature or pressure. The mechanism for this enhancement is usually expressed in terms of increasing the likelihood of overcoming the activation energy. However, such enhancement may have undesirable aspects.
Externally applied electric fields affect physical processes in electrorheological fluids, such as slurries, and are used in electrophoresis and field-flow fractionation to separate phases. Reaction rates of many chemical processes are known to be affected by the presence of an electric field, as in Friedel-Crafts, decomposition, proton-transfer reactions, and field-induced effects at surfaces. However, these applications all involve high electric field strengths of at least 1000 V/cm or even as high as several V/.ANG.. It is undesirable to use such high fields because they might result in unwanted ionization (such as hydrolysis) or cause unwanted reactions to occur.
In electrolysis, electron transfer is a critical reaction step. Electrons are provided or removed at appropriate electrodes. Conventional electrolysis is typically carried out in media with high ionic strength, usually provided by electrolytic solutions or molten salts and with low applied voltages, typically under 2 volts. The concentration of ions and salts might be higher than that of reactants, thereby limiting desired reaction paths (or providing additional unwanted reaction paths). Furthermore, the limited voltage window in electrolysis due to the high ion and salt concentration could block desired reaction paths which might prefer lower currents. In other words, certain reactions are unreachable with conventional electrolysis.
In dispersion electrolysis, metal spheres or supported-metal particles are suspended in a high-impedance medium between feeder electrodes. Due to the small size of the metal spheres and supported metal clusters, the unique properties of microelectrodes apply--electrolysis of small amounts of material in the absence of supporting electrolyte salt. However, the suspension provides for a large number of particles so that the resulting macroscopic electrode area is large; this makes it possible to electrolyze relatively large quantities of material at the ensemble of microelectrodes. Since dispersion electrolysis is a form of electrolysis, electron transfer is a critical reaction step. Dispersion electrolysis has thus far not been demonstrated for reactions other than water decomposition, hydrogen oxidation, and oxygen reduction.

Oxidation of organic materials by electrified microheterogeneous catalysis

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A reinforced concrete floor structure having reinforced concrete beams and girders supporting a metal subfloor and a monolithic concrete layer. The metal subfloor comprises alternating first and second flooring units wherein the first flooring units span across a plurality of the beams and thereby enhance the load carrying capacity of the floor structure. In one embodiment, the first flooring units comprise cellular flooring units that provide for the distribution of wiring throughout the floor structure. In alternative embodiments, the first and second flooring units each comprise cellular flooring units or each comprise non-cellular flooring units. The metal subfloor presents openings in the region of the beams and girders so that the monolithic concrete may comprise the concrete of the beams and girders and the layer of concrete covering the metal subfloor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to reinforced concrete floor structures, and more particularly to reinforced concrete floor structures incorporating an underfloor wire distributing system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Concrete-framed buildings, particularly those which are cast-in-situ, utilizing wire distributing raceway systems are known. Such systems incorporate single cell ducts or multi-celled units embedded in the concrete floor slabs, to distribute the wiring of various services, such as, power, telephone and computer, to each office building workstation. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,453,791 (FORK), 3,751,567 (KLINKMAN ET AL), 4,030,259 (MECKLER), and 4,194,322 (FORK). The multi-celled units (also known as cellular flooring units) and the ducts (also called underfloor ducts) are non-structural elements, that is, they do not assist in carrying vertical loads.
The use of single skin profiled metal units as a support structure for the reinforced concrete layer is know. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,957 (BASTGEN). Such support structures do not provide for the distribution of electrical wiring.
Other methods of providing a wire distributing function in concrete-framed buildings are either uneconomical or present structural problems. For example, an access or pedestal floor arrangement performs no role other than to create a wiring plenum above the floor slab. The access or pedestal floor is an expensive system requiring extra building height. Poke through wiring systems and other ceiling plenum systems have limited capacity and require core drilling through the concrete slab to access the wiring from the ceiling plenum below the slab.

Underfloor wire distributing reinforced concrete floor structure


A camera to include mounting within a rifle simulation is provided, wherein actuation of the trigger of the rifle simulation effects actuation of the camera whose lens is oriented parallel to an associated rifle barrel. The camera is releasably mounted through the rifle simulation and optionally includes use of one of a plurality of viewing lenses mounted within a rotatably mounted disc forwardly of the camera structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to camera and rifle structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved camera rifle organization wherein the same is arranged to simulate a rifle construction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Camera members mounted to an associated rifle are available in the prior art and exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,262 wherein a camera member is retrofitted relative to an associated rifle.
Telescopic camera structure is set forth in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,099,191; 4,530,580; and 4,949,107.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by utilizing a simulation rifle structure arranged to permit utilization of a rifle-type configuration without recourse to damage to an associated wild-life target to provide for the entertainment and amusement of individuals in its use and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


The monitoring device includes: a load specifying information storage unit which stores, for each type of the load, information including typical energy consumption and a usage time slot of the load; and a recommended consumption information storage unit which stores recommended consumption of energy for each type of the load. Once consumption information is received from the measurement instrument, a load specification unit refers to the load specifying information storage unit and specifies a type of the load used. Then, a determination processing unit refers to the recommended consumption information storage unit and determines whether or not the energy consumption of the load falls within a range of the recommended consumption. An instruction to transmit a report signal is given to the measurement instrument when it is determined as a result of the determination that the energy consumption of the load exceeds the range of the recommended consumption.

In recent years, power consumption and a resource use state are collected through a network in managing the consumption of electrical power or the like or managing an operating state.
The information collected in the aforementioned manner can be applied to a variety of uses.
For example, the information can be applied to determine whether various apparatuses are in normal operation from a usage state of energy such as electrical power, determine living conditions of a customer who uses energy to promote energy saving, or quickly sense an abnormal event in one's life such as a solitary death.
In this respect, in Patent Literature 1, an operating state monitoring device is installed in each power consuming apparatus as a system which collects information used for the efficient management/operation of a power consuming apparatus group including a plurality of the power consuming apparatuses. Patent Literature 1 proposes such system including: fixed-cycle data collecting means which collects, from each power consuming apparatus through a network in a predetermined cycle, a power consumption value and an apparatus' operating state value indicating the operation result of an apparatus using electrical power; and data display controlling means which creates a display graph including an axis representing power consumption and an axis representing an apparatus' operating state, plots a dot indicating the power consumption and the apparatus' operating state of each power consuming apparatus at a position corresponding to the power consumption value and the apparatus' operating state value on the display graph, and displays the operating state of each power consuming apparatus.

Energy consumption monitoring system, method, and computer program


A releasable connector assembly comprising a socket body 2 and a plug body 3. The socket body 2 has a set of channels 15 formed therein and the plug body 3 having a corresponding set of radial tabs 7 formed thereon, the channels 15 forming a keyway for the tabs 7 such that load bearing projections 5, 14 on the bodies are releasably engageable in the manner of a bayonet coupling. The assembly is characterised in that a set of locking pins are provided on the socket member that are extendable into the channels 15 so as, in use, to trap the tabs 7 in undercuts 15k of the channels 15, thereby preventing unintentional release of the plug 3 from the socket 2, and retractable from the channels 15 so as to enable release of the plug 3 from the socket 2.

GB2178101 discloses a tether anchor arrangement comprising a socket body and an plug body, as shown in FIG. 1, wherein each body is provided with radially extending, load bearing projections. In use, as the plug body is inserted into the socket body, radially extending tabs provided on the socket body engage into guide channels recessed in the plug body which effect relative rotation between the bodies as they are interengaged so as to bring the radially extending projections into axial alignment in the manner of a bayonet coupling. Subsequently, upon tensioning of the tether, the plug body is raised in the socket body, whereupon the tabs and channels co-operate to guide the axially aligned projections into abutment such that the plug is locked in the body. Upon release of tension the plug body drops back into the socket body, whereupon the followers and cams co-operate again to rotate the bodies relative to each other, this time such that the radially extending projections on the bodies can once more pass between each other, thus facilitating disconnection.
Such known connector assemblies have a drawback, however, in that, in use, they can become disconnected upon a temporary drop in the tension in the tether. In particular, this is widely known to be problematic in applications such as connecting tendon strings to anchor templates in tether systems for tethered leg platforms, wherein members can occasionally become un-tensioned during use due to alternating sea water forces acting thereon.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector assembly that, in use, cannot become undesirably disconnected upon an incidental release in tension.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a releasable connector assembly comprising:
a socket member having a substantially cylindrical receptacle formed therein which includes at least one load bearing projection; and
a plug member including at least one load bearing projection;
one of the socket member and the plug member having at least one channel formed therein and the other of the socket member and the plug member having at least one radial tab formed thereon, the or each channel forming a keyway for the or each tab, and the or each load bearing projection of the members being releasably engageable in the manner of a bayonet coupling such that, in a first angular position, they are axially misaligned to allow insertion or removal of the plug from the socket, and in a second angular position, they are axially aligned to prevent removal of the plug from the socket;the or each channel including a first and second passageway, a first camming surface which extends circumferentially and axially, a second camming surface which extends axially in the opposite direction to and circumferentially away from the first camming surface to a blind undercut, and a third camming surface which extends axially in the same direction as the first camming surface and circumferentially away from the second camming surface;wherein, upon insertion of the plug member into the socket member with the or each load bearing projection of the members arranged in the first angular position, the at least one tab enters the at least one channel via the first passageway and, engages with the first camming surface, the camming action thereof causing relative rotation between the members as the plug is inserted into the socket so that when the plug is fully inserted into the socket, the tab underlies the second camming surface;upon subsequent raising of the plug from the socket, the tab engages with the second camming surface, the resulting camming action continuing the plug further to rotate relative to the socket, guiding the tab into the undercut such that the or each load bearing projection of the members are arranged in the second angular position so as to prevent removal of the plug from the socket with any tension on the plug member being transmitted to the socket through the or each projection;and wherein re-lowering of the plug into the socket brings the tab into engagement with the third camming surface, the resulting camming action continuing the relative rotation between the plug and socket so as to bring the tab into alignment with the second passageway and to move the or each load bearing projection of the members back towards their first angular position, whereupon the plug may be completely removed from the socket;characterised in that at least one moveable locking pin is provided in the one of the socket member and the plug member, the or each pin being extendable into the or each channel so as, in use, to trap the tab in the undercut, thereby preventing unintentional release of the plug from the socket, and being retractable from the or each channel so as to enable release of the plug from the socket.
In an alternative aspect, the or each channel forms a keyway for at least one pair of tabs, wherein:
upon insertion of the plug member into the socket member with the or each load bearing projection of the members arranged in the first angular position, a first and second tab of the or each pair of tabs enter the or each channel, via the first and second passageways respectively, such that the second tab of the or each pair engages with the first camming surface, the camming action thereof causing relative rotation between the members as the plug is inserted into the socket so that when the plug is fully inserted into the socket, the first tab of the or each pair underlies the second camming surface;upon subsequent raising of the plug from the socket, the first tab of the or each pair engages with the second camming surface, the resulting camming action continuing the plug to rotate further relative to the socket, guiding said first tab of the or each pair into the undercut such that the or each load bearing projection of the members are arranged in the second angular position;and wherein re-lowering of the plug into the socket brings the first tab of the or each pair of tabs into engagement with the third camming surface, the resulting camming action continuing the relative rotation between the plug and socket so as to bring said first tab into alignment with the second passageway and the second tab of the at least one pair into alignment with a further passageway, and to move the or each load bearing projection of the members back towards their first angular position, whereupon the plug may be completely removed from the socket.
A connector assembly in accordance with the present invention has the advantage that the locking pin prevents the plug from dropping back into the socket, thereby preventing unintentional release of the connector, whilst any upward load applied to the plug is carried by the load bearing projections. As a result, the pin only carries the weight of the plug and any tether attached thereto and hence does not need to be especially strong, and the resulting system is therefore very reliable and robust. Furthermore, it also provides a particularly cost effective construction.
Desirably, the or each locking pin and the or each channel are provided on the socket member whilst the or each tab is provided on the plug member. However, the opposite configuration is also possible.
Preferably, the or each axially extending undercut, tab and locking pin are arranged such that, in use, there is axial play between the or each tab and the or each locking pin. In this way, the plug member can advantageously drop down slightly before contacting the or each locking pin. Desirably, the axial play is substantially 1.0 m.
In an advantageous development, the or each locking pin, in a first position, extends from the other said member via at least one vent hole provided therein. Furthermore, the first position of the at least one locking pin is such that it advantageously directly traps the tab in the undercut, preferably by extending into the mouth of the undercut. Alternatively, however, the first position of the at least one locking pin is such that it indirectly traps the tab in the undercut, desirably by blocking the movement of a base on which the at least one tab is mounted.
Preferably, the or each locking pin, or alternatively an activation means thereof, is accessible from an outer surface of the one of the socket member and plug member such that it is remotely operable between its extended and retracted positions. In particular, the or each locking pin is desirably operable via remotely operated vehicle (ROV). However, it will be appreciated that the or each locking pin could alternatively be operable via a server motor or any other known means.
Advantageously, the socket body is provided with a plurality of equally angularly spaced load bearing projections that co-operate with complementary load bearing projections provided on the plug body. Furthermore, a plurality of equally angularly spaced channels are likewise preferably provided on one of the bodies, which desirably co-operate with a complementary number of tabs, whereby the channels are preferably linked together such that the tabs rotate from one channel to another as the connector is engaged and disengaged, each entry portion for one channel also operating as the exit portion for the preceding channel. A locking pin is then advantageously associated with the blind undercut of each channel, although it will be understood that the number of locking pins and channels provided may be varied depending on the particular circumstances and design of the connector assembly.
In one development, the or each channel comprises first, second and third camming surfaces only. Accordingly, during engagement, the or each locking pin is desirably retracted from the or each channel so as to allow the or each tab to rise into the or each undercut, the or each locking pin subsequently being extended into the or each channel ready for use. In this way, the tab is advantageously guided into the undercut via a simple camming system. However, during engagement, the or each locking pin is alternatively biased to extend into the or each channel by at least one spring and is provided with a camming surface such that it automatically retracts when engaged by the or each associated tab as it rises into the or each undercut. In this way, effective locking of the plug in the socket is ensured without the need to actively operate the or each locking pin. Either way, the pin has to be actively retracted to allow release.
In an alternative development, the or each channel includes at least one further camming surface such that the or each locking pin can advantageously be extended during engagement. In particular, a the or each fourth camming surface preferably extends axially in the same direction and circumferentially towards the or each first camming surface such that, whilst the plug is being raised from the socket during engagement, the or each second camming surface guides the or each tab under the or each locking pin and undercut and into engagement with the or each fourth camming surface, the resulting camming action rotating the plug relative to the socket in a reverse sense and guiding the or each tab over the or each locking pin and into the or each undercut. In this way, effective locking of the plug in the socket is again ensured without the need to actively operate the or each locking pin, although it does have to be actively retracted to allow release.

Connector assemblies for connecting members under tension


An anti-theft cosmetic tester display stand. The device has a support member and a cover member which sits over the support member. Openings are provided in the cover member, through which the upper portion of containers of cosmetic testers pass. Permanently affixed to the bottom of the containers of testers are base members which are oversized relative to the opening. The oversized base members prevent the containers of cosmetic testers from being shoplifted.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of display stands, particularly locking display stands for use with cosmetic tester samples.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the retail merchandise setting, shoplifting remains a major problem. Great efforts are expended to secure items from shoplifting, such as by the use of electronic triggering devices, the use of oversized and difficult to open packaging, and devices to physically restrain merchandise.
In the field of cosmetic retailing, it is customary that cosmetic tester samples be provided for sample use by customers. However, such testers are frequently shoplifted, thereby requiring frequent restocking of these testers.

Anti-theft cosmetic tester display stand and the like


A security system design supporting tool and method are disclosed, in which security requirements (PP) and security specifications (ST) used for designing a product or a system (TOE) based on CC requirements can be prepared efficiently and uniformly even by ordinary designers other than specialists. In a security system design supporting method, registered PPs and past PP/ST generation cases are so structured as to reuse and/or reference as templates, a draft is automatically generated, and the draft thus generated is additionally modified or corrected by partial automatic generation utilizing a database of past generation cases and partial case accumulated in the generation process thereof.

The present invention relates to a security system design supporting method for designing the security measures for an information system or a product in its planning or design stage and a design supporting tool based on the same method.
The common criteria for security evaluation (hereinafter referred to as CC) internationally standardized stipulates the basic functional requirements for security, the assurance requirements for the functional quality and seven stages of evaluation assurance levels necessary for an information system or a product.
The person in charge of the user information, the product developer and the system engineer (SE) for designing and constructing a system selects the factors required for the product or system involved from the CC requirements thereby to prepare security requirements (protection profile, hereinafter called the PP) and security specifications (security target, hereinafter referred to as ST) to carry out the development and construction.
Also, an evaluation and certification scheme based on this standard is established, so that the evaluation and certification are acquired from designated evaluation and certification bodies.
After the standardization, the construction, the acquired evaluation and certification based on the CC are utilized for all information-related products and systems as purchase requirements for customers, requirements for network connection, a condition for system operation, a legal system and a business system. Thus the acquisition of the certification becomes an essential condition.
In view of this, a guide and a support tool for supporting the work of preparing the PP/ST essential in the planning/design stage for acquisition of the certification have been developed.
A technique for supporting the documentation of the PP/ST by proposing the items to be described in each chapter of the PP or ST specification, a format of expression and case samples is described in "ISO/SC27 N2333 Guide for Production of Protection Profiles and Security Targets Version 0.8, July, 1999" and the reference "Information Technology security evaluation standards", pp. 26–33, ISO/IEC 15408 Seminar Materials (Sep. 8, 1999, sponsored by Information Promotion Agency, Security Center in Japan).
The aforementioned conventional CC-based security design supporting technique basically supports only the matching of the format of the PP/ST specifications, and the technique for introduction of the specific information and the definition support are required to be prepared from the very beginning each time for each product or system involved.
Therefore, although the format adjustment of the PP/ST and the extraction and definition of the contents of description are possible as a procedure, the problem is that the person in charge of preparation is required to be equipped with the special knowledge of CC, security threats and countermeasures and the special technique for risk assessment. As a result, a vast amount and steps of labor are imposed and the quality of the prepared PP/ST which depends on the knowledge and ability of the person in charge of preparation lacks uniformity.
Further, the PP should inherently be reused and shared by product/system designs of the same type, and the prepared PP granted a successful evaluation by a designated evaluation body and registered in a designated PP registration body is basically required to be utilized for designing products or systems of the same type to which the registered PP is applied.
The conventional CC-based security design supporting technique described above, however, fails to support the reuse of the registered PP or the past cases of preparation as a supporting tool.

Security system design supporting method


A dry analytical element has been prepared for the assay of prostatic acid phosphatase at a pH of from about 3 to about 6.5. The element can be a single porous spreading zone or a multilayer structure. Within the element is a relatively nonhygroscopic aromatic phosphate substrate for the analyte which produces a phenol reaction product. This product is reacted with a diazonium or tetrazolium salt, also in the element, to produce a chromophore for detection. A buffer in the element maintains it at the proper pH during the assay.

Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) is also known as orthophosphoric monoester phosphohydrolase, acid optimum, E.C. 126.96.36.199., and is a glycoprotein of about 100,000 daltons molecular weight normally found in the prostate gland. It is a major constituent of semen. It is also present in serum at low levels, and is normally a mixture of enzymes contributed by various tissues in the human body.
Assays for PAP began to be important several decades ago when it was discovered that serum acid phosphatase activity becomes elevated when metastatic cancer of the prostate or prostatomegaly is present. Thus, a determination of the amount of PAP in body fluids can be useful for the diagnosis of such diseases and for the observation of their progress or remission. Various spectrophotometric assays have been developed using immunological and non-immunological techniques and various enzyme substrates and dyes. Typically, PAP is evaluated from the amount or rate of formation of a chromophore (such as a dye). The chromophore is a coupled product of a phenol, resulting from the enzymatic hydrolysis of phospho monoester with, for example, a diazonium dye in an acidic environment.
A representative early assay for PAP is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,002,893 (Babson). Another described by Babson et al in Am.J.Clin.Pathol., 32, pages 88-91 (1959) suffers from a number of disadvantages such as the need for a blank to be run, lack of kinetic results and difficulty in formulating a dry assay.
Other assays using various phosphate substrates have been developed, but suffer from insensitivity, reagent instability or nonspecificity for the analyte. The most difficult problem is the instability of various reagents which, in a dry element, are stored for lengthy periods of time prior to their use. For example, sodium salts of the PAP substrate are unstable when stored for a period of time.
It would be highly desirable to have an assay for PAP which can be carried out in a dry analytical element which would provide a number of important advantages. To achieve this result, however, requires that a number of technical problems (noted above) be overcome.

Dry analytical element and method for the detection of prostatic acid phosphatase

Johnson & Johnson Clinical Diagnostic Systems, Inc.


An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display includes at least one shield electrode between a cathode layer and an OLED drive circuit. The OLED drive circuit has at least one thin-film transistor (TFT), and the shield electrode is disposed to correspond to the thin-film transistor and closer to the cathode layer, covering an entire region between the source and drain of the thin-film transistor. The shield electrode is either grounded or tied to the gate of the thin-film transistor, to thereby minimize parasitic capacitances in the pixels of the display to enhance the display performance. The presented architecture enables high density drive circuit integration in amorphous silicon or other technologies, yet preserving a high display aperture ratio.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to an organic light emitting diode display having shield electrodes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The polymeric or organic light emitting diodes (OLEDS) are electroluminescent(EL) layers that emit light generated by radiative recombination of injected electrons and holes within one or more organic EL layers or an organic EL region thereof.
The OLED displays employing the OLED have been attracting more attention because of their various advantages including simple structures, fast response times and wide viewing angles.
FIG. 1A is a top view of a general active matrix OLED(AMOLED) display device. In FIG. 1A, a reference numeral 10 denotes an OLED display device. The OLED display device 10 has an OLED display 12, a gate multiplexer 16, and a driver 18. The OLED display 12 consists of a plurality of pixels 14 in a matrix array form for displaying images, for example. A reference numeral C denotes a portion of the OLED display 12 in store for enlargement of pixels
FIG. 1B is a partially enlarged view of the OLED display of FIG. 1A, taken from the portion C of FIG. 1A. As shown in FIG. 1B, each of the pixels 14 has an OLED 22 and a thin-film (TFT) drive circuit 24. Address and data lines in FIG. 1B are connected to the gate multiplexer 16 and the driver 18, respectively, as shown in FIG. 1A.
FIG. 1C is a cross-sectioned view for one pixel, taken along lines A–A′ of FIG. 1B, showing that the OLED 22 and the TFT drive circuit 24 are formed on a glass substrate 32.
The substrate 32 may be transparent or opaque. Thus, the OLED display may be configured to emit light through the substrate 32 or through the cathode layer. FIG. 1C shows such a pixel emitting light through the substrate 32.
In the OLED 22, the anode layer is typically made of a transparent conducting material, while the cathode layer is typically made of a conducting metal with a low work function.
The anode layer is formed as a transparent bottom electrode, while the cathode layer is formed as a continuous top electrode over the OLED layer.
In a general AMOLED display, it is important to ensure that the aperture ratio or fill factor, which is defined as the ratio of light emitting display area to the total pixel area, should be high enough to ensure display quality.
The AMOLED display 10 in FIG. 1A is based on light emission through an aperture on the glass substrate 32 where the backplane electronics is integrated. Increasing the on-pixel density of TFT integration for stable drive current reduces the size of the aperture. The same problem happens when pixel sizes are scaled down.
The solution to having an aperture ratio that is invariant on scaling or on-pixel integration density is to vertically stack the OLED layer on the backplane electronics or the TFT drive circuit, along with a transparent top electrode. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectioned view for a pixel formed with an OLED vertically stacked on the backplane electronics. In FIG. 2, a reference number 14 denotes the pixel. The pixel 14 has the OLED 31 and the backplane electronics 24 which are vertically stacked on the substrate 32. Reference numerals T1 and T2 denote thin-film transistors respectively. A more description of FIG. 2 can be found, later, when FIG. 3 is described.
The operations of the AMOLED display device 10 having the above structure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1A–1D.
FIG. 1D is a view for showing an equivalent circuit of FIG. 1C. A 2-transistor driver circuit realized, for example, in polysilicon technology is illustrated for the equivalent circuit. The equivalent circuit can be applied to the AMLOED display as shown in FIG. 2 using amorphous silicon technology but with variation in TFT type and OLED location.
When a voltage Vaddress from the gate multiplexer 16 activates one of the address lines, a thin-film transistor T1 is turned on so that a voltage Vdata from the driver 18 starts charging a capacitor Cs through one of the data lines. At this time, the voltage Vdata also causes a gate capacitance of a driver thin-film transistor T2. Depending on the voltage Vdata on the data line, the capacitor Cs charges up to turn the driver transistor T2 on, which then starts conducting to drive the OLED 22 with an appropriate level of current. When the address line is turned off, the transistor T1 is turned off, and a voltage at the gate of the driver transistor T2 remains almost the same. Hence, the current through the OLED remains unchanged after the turn-off of the transistor T1. The current of the OLED changes only the next time around when a different voltage is written into the pixel.
However, the continuous back electrode can give rise to parasitic capacitance causing the leakage current of the transistor T1, whose effects can become significant enough to affect the operation of the driver transistor T2 when the continuous back electrode runs over the switching and other thin film transistors. That is, the presence of the continuous back electrode can induce a parasitic channel in thin-film transistors giving rise to high leakage current. The leakage current is the current that flows between the source and drain of the thin-film transistor T1 when the gate of the thin-film transistor T1 is in its OFF state.
The leakage current could drain away the charge on the gate of the driver thin-film transistor T2 by discharging the capacitance that keeps it continuously in its ON state. Accordingly, it adds to the total power consumption of the display.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Organic light emitting diode display having shield electrodes


A sampling assembly for simultaneously testing a liquid biological sample for a plurality of hormones and method thereof are described. A sampling membrane includes a dry porous carrier having a proximal end narrower than a distal end and forming a unidirectional liquid flow channel. The distal end includes a plurality of tines arranged and separated by substantially regular spacing. Each tine defines a dye zone including a dye-tagged antigen-specific antibody at a distal end. The sampling membrane further defines a set of focusing recesses along each side of the unidirectional flow channel end and a set of dispersal recesses between and adjacent to each tine. A plurality of test strips each include a dry porous carrier communicatively attached to the distal end of one such tine. Each test strip forms a unidirectional liquid flow channel and includes a testing zone comprising an antigen-specific antibody located distally from the dye zone.

The female ovulation, or menstrual, cycle occurs every 28 to 30 days on average, measured from the onset of menstruation. Three significant events can occur in conjunction with the menstrual cycle: ovulation, pregnancy, and menopause. Ovulation marks the beginning of a period of fertility while pregnancy follows from the fertilization of an ovum. Menopause marks the final menstrual event. Determining and monitoring ovulation, pregnancy and menopause is important.
Conception in a human female can only occur during periods of fertility, typically in the 24 through 36 hours following ovulation. For couples desiring conception, accurately determining the time of ovulation is critical. Conversely, certain religious, ethnic and social groups prohibit the use of active forms of contraception and rely on abstinence during periods of female fertility as the sole means of birth control. At around age 50, most women begin to experience a number of endocrinal changes as menopause approaches due to a loss of ovarian follicular activity. A period of hormonal changes can last up to four years, during which time many women experience adverse symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, sleeplessness, vaginal dryness and mood swings. Hormone replacement therapy, providing estrogen and progestin in combination, or estrogen replacement therapy, providing estrogen alone, can be prescribed to treat and counter potential undesired side effects arising from menopause or premature ovarian failure. Hormone replacement therapy will be used herein to refer to both therapies involving combined estrogen and progestin treatment as well as estrogen treatment alone.
Presently, up to 20% of menopausal women use some form of hormone replacement therapy in the United States. Recent studies on hormone replacement therapy suggest an increase in the risk for cancer and heart disease and recommend that the levels of hormones dosed be closely monitored and adjusted on an individual basis. Safely providing appropriate hormone replacement therapy requires an accurate historical record of menstrual cycle-related hormonal levels to provide an accurate basis for initial and ongoing dosing levels.
The menstrual cycle begins at menarche and ends at menopause, and proceeds in four stages. The first stage, menstruation, lasts four to five days and is characterized by the shedding of the endometrial lining of the uterus and menstrual discharge. The second stage, pre-ovulation, or the estrogenic phase, lasts from 10 to 16 days, during which time a follicle (egg sac) containing an ovum forms inside one of the ovaries. The third stage, ovulation, lasts from 24 to 36 hours, occurring about Day 14 in a 28-day cycle, and takes place when the follicle ruptures, releasing a mature ovum into a Fallopian tube and thence into the uterus. The last stage, the luteal or progestational phase, takes about 11 to 14 days following ovulation, during which time the ruptured follicle, or corpus luteum, withers and is reabsorbed by the body if fertilization has not occurred. If pregnancy occurred, the level of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) increases six to ten days following ovulation.
The menstrual cycle is controlled primarily by an interplay of four hormones: estrogen, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH). About mid-cycle, just prior to ovulation, the level of estrogen rises, triggering a surge in LH, accompanied by a transient rise in basal body temperature. These events signal that ovulation is imminent. Thus, LH level and basal body temperature are most often monitored to determine fertility.
Similarly, the onset of menopause is characterized by significant endocrinal changes, including a decrease in the production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, followed by a measurable increase in FSH at the cessation of ovarian follicular activity. Generally, a woman has reached menopause when FSH blood level rises above 30 to 40 MIU/ml. Estrogen, as estradiol or estrone, is also sometimes measured in determining whether menopause has occurred.
Reliance on a single factor, particularly a specific hormone, is misplaced. Hormone levels, and therefore the menstrual cycle, and menopause, can be affected heavily by external and physiological factors and can be erratic and difficult to predict. These factors include physiological stress, health and well-being, drugs, ovarian cysts, sexually transmitted diseases, and others. Thus, the menstrual cycle and menopause are best monitored by observing the interplay of all four hormones, rather than just LH or basal body temperature.
Measuring multiple hormones, though, is time-consuming and difficult in a non-clinical environment. Individual tests are required to detect the level of each hormone and the presence of each will depend on the point in the menstrual cycle at which measurement occurs. In addition, a single battery of hormone tests represents at best a snapshot of hormonal levels and is meaningless without applying a historical perspective of previous hormone levels over the present and past menstrual cycles.
In the prior art, historical menstrual cycle data has been used for determining and monitoring reproductive physiological stages based on a lay understanding of ovulation. The calendar or rhythm method of family planning relies on pinpointing the time of ovulation based on past menstrual cycles to increase the chances of, or to avoid, conception. Due to the variance inherent in menstrual cycles, though, the calendar method is marginal at best and often unreliable.
Similarly, the basal body temperature method attempts to identify the time of ovulation based on the transient body temperature increase which generally precedes ovulation, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,762 to Coley et al, issued Aug. 19, 1997, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. However, basal body temperature can be skewed by other, non-ovulation related events, rendering basal body temperature measurements an unreliable indicator. As well, the shift in body temperature can be out of synchrony with ovulation by as much as three to six days instead of the expected 24 to 36 hours.
Ferning tests are also used to detect the period of ovulation, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,159 to Canter et al, issued Dec. 12, 2000, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. Ferning occurs in dried saliva observed four to six days prior to ovulation and is roughly correlated to increases in chloride content. Determining the presence of ferning requires a low-magnification lens and is qualitative. The basis of the ferning test has not been scientifically proven and the subjectivity of the ferning test undermines the reliability of determining ovulation using this method.
Analogously, the onset of menopause can be tested at home using a blood test that measures circulating FSH levels. Menopause onset can also be tested based on FSH levels in the urine, typically read at a level of 25 IU/L, which corresponds directly with blood serum levels. However, FSH level alone can only serve at best as a general guide to the onset of menopause.
Presently, numerous devices are available commercially for testing hormone levels in a non-clinical environment, particularly at home. These devices typically perform an assay of a readily-obtainable sample of biological material, such as urine, blood or saliva, and provide a result probative of a relative hormone level. However, at best, each test results in a qualitative indicator based a subjective reading. Single result outcomes, such as provided by such at-home tests, provide limited information. Moreover, aberrations between single reading tests are common and multiple tests must be performed to obtain a more comprehensive picture of overall hormonal levels.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,602,040 to May et al., issued Feb. 11, 1997, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, describes an analytical test device useful in pregnancy testing. A dry porous carrier protrudes from an enclosing hollow casing to receive a liquid biological sample. A labeled specific binding reagent becomes freely mobile within the porous carrier when moistened and a liquid sample permeates into a second zone comprising an unlabeled specific binding reagent for the same analyte, thereby enabling the extent to which the labeled reagent becomes bound in the second zone to be observed. In addition, a device arranging multiple discrete bodies of porous solid phase material in parallel to obtain multiple analytical results from a single sample simultaneously is described. However, the May device fails to disclose providing unidirectional liquid flow channels facilitating uniform sample distribution and deposition.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach to monitoring multiple hormones on a preferably regular basis throughout the menstrual cycle to determine fertility through ovulation, pregnancy and the onset of menopause. Preferably, such an approach would be easily used in a non-clinical environment and avoid a reliance on test results from a single hormone.
There is a further need for an approach to maintaining a historical data bank of hormone levels throughout one or more menstrual cycles. Preferably, such an approach would provide an accurate weighing of the various factors relating to a menstrual cycle and for use in determining and monitoring reproductive physiological stages, in medical diagnoses, and in hormone or estrogen replacement therapy during menopause.
Therefore, there is a need for a testing approach for providing accurate readings of a plurality of hormones obtained from a single liquid biological sample, preferably configurable as a lay test for use in a non-clinical at-home environment. Preferably, such an approach would facilitate historical tracking of multiple hormone levels recorded over one or more menstrual cycles.

Sampling assembly for simultaneously testing a liquid biological sample for a plurality of hormones and method thereof


A susceptor including a substrate support and a conductor is provided. The substrate support includes a conductive element, a contact bonded to the conductive element, and a bushing. The conductor is disposed through the bushing and is bonded to the contact. The substrate support can also include a conductive spreader between the contact and the conductive element. A method for fabricating a susceptor is also provided. The method comprises forming a plate including a bushing preform, sintering or hot-pressing a conductive element and a contact between a ceramic layer and the plate to produce a substrate support, forming a conductor opening into the substrate support and through the bushing preform to the contact, and bonding a conductor into the conductor opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of semiconductor fabrication, and more particularly to a susceptor for securing a wafer in a processing chamber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Semiconductor processing and similar manufacturing processes typically employ thin film deposition techniques such as Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). In CVD processing, as well as in similar manufacturing techniques, a substrate such as a silicon wafer is secured within a processing chamber by a susceptor and exposed to the particular processing conditions of the process. The susceptor is essentially a pedestal that, in addition to securing the substrate, can in some instances also be used to heat the substrate.
FIGS. 1–3 illustrate a representative series of fabrication steps for forming a susceptor according to the prior art. In FIG. 1, conductive elements 102 are set between layers 104 of a ceramic material, such as AlN. The conductive elements 102 can be, for example, a heating element and a static plate for maintaining an electrostatic field. Conductive elements 102 have to be electrically connected to, for example, power supplies and voltage sources, and towards this end, each conductive element 102 includes an electrical contact 106. Once the conductive elements 102 with their respective electrical contacts 106 have been set between layers 104 of the ceramic material, the entire assembly is sintered or hot-pressed to form a substrate support 108.
Once the substrate support 108 has been sintered, a hole 202 is machined into the substrate support 108 to create access to the electrical contact 106 of each conductive element 102. Typically, the hole 202 includes a threaded surface. Next, as shown in FIG. 3, a contact 302 is threaded into the hole 202 and brazed to the electrical contact 106. A support shaft 304 is also coupled to a bottom surface of the substrate support 108. The support shaft 304 serves to both elevate the substrate within a processing chamber as well as to act as a conduit for electrical connectors such as the contact 302. Accordingly, an extension rod 306 of the contact 302 extends through the support shaft 304 to electrically connect to a voltage or power supply (not shown) of the processing chamber.
Through extended use, deficiencies in the connection of the contact 302 to the conductive element 102 have come to light. In particular, a braze material 310 that connects the contact 302 to the electrical contact 106 is a weak point that is prone to fail. Two common failure mechanisms include mechanical failure and corrosive failure. Mechanical failure can occur due to various sources of stress. For example, repeated coupling and decoupling of the extension rod 306 to the voltage or power supply of the processing chamber can transfer stresses to the braze material 310. Additional stresses are created by repeated heating and cooling cycles. Corrosive failure occurs when corrosive process gases, such as chlorine, fluorine, and oxygen, migrate between the contact 302 and an interior wall of the hole 202 and corrode the braze material 310. It will be appreciated that in many instances both failure mechanisms contribute to the ultimate failure.
Therefore, what is needed is a susceptor with internal electrical connections that are better able to withstand mechanical stresses and corrosive environments.

System and method for an improved susceptor


A composition for reducing a copper oxide layer to metallic copper so as to facilitate bonding a resin to the metallic copper is disclosed. The composition is an aqueous reducing solution containing a cyclic borane compound. Examples of such cyclic borane compounds include those having nitrogen or sulfur as a ring-forming member, such as morpholine borane, piperidine borane, pyridine borane, piperazine borane, 2,6-Iutidine borane, 4-methylmorpholine borane, and 1,4-oxathiane borane, and also N,N-diethylaniline borane.

Successful fabrication of multilayer printed circuit boards requires bonding together of copper and resin layers. However, direct bonding of copper and resin layers does not provide sufficient bonding strength. Therefore, it is common to improve copper-resin bonding strength by depositing on the copper surface an oxide layer, such as cuprous oxide, cupric oxide, or the like. Formation of the oxide layer, which turns the pink copper surface a black-brown color, creates minute unevennesses on the copper surface which provide an interlocking effect between the copper surface and resin, thus improving bonding strength.
However, copper oxides are readily hydrolyzed and dissolved upon contact with acid. Because various acid treatments are used in later stages of fabrication of multilayer circuit boards, oxide layer deposition has been problematic at best. Acid attack on the oxide layer is commonly referred to in the industry as "pink ring", because as acid strips the black-brown oxide layer from the surface, a ring of bare pink copper becomes evident.
The problem of vulnerability of the oxide layer to acid was solved by the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,161 to Akahoshi et al., herein incorporated by reference in its entirety; the Akahoshi et al. patent has been assigned to Hitachi, Ltd. The Akahoshi et al. method is also described in Akahoshi et al., Circuit World 14(1) (1987), and in the Hitachi, Ltd. technical publication "The Chemical Reduction Treatment of Copper Oxide, DMAB Method (Technology for the Elimination of Pink Ring", both of which references are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.
In the Akahoshi et al. method, the copper oxide layer is reduced to metallic copper by means of a reducing solution containing an amine borane compound as the active reducing agent. The minute unevennesses created on the copper surface from oxidation remain following reduction, so that the metallic copper surface produced as a result of the reduction process will form a sufficiently strong bond with a resin. In contrast to cupric oxide and cuprous oxide, which are both soluble in acid, the metallic copper surface resulting from the reduction process, which is the same black-brown color as the oxide layer, has good acid resistance. Therefore by reducing the copper oxide to metallic copper, the acid resistance of the surface or panel is increased, and there is a reduced likelihood of the appearance of "pink ring".
The presently known reducing agents which are capable of reducing cupric oxide to metallic copper are amine boranes represented by the general formula: BH.sub.3 NHRR' (wherein R and R' are each a member selected from the group consisting of H, CH.sub.3, and CH.sub.2 CH.sub.3), such as dimethylamine borane (DMAB) and ammonia borane. Because amine boranes are costly to manufacture, they are quite expensive, which results in high operating costs for the reduction process.
Thus, it is clearly desirable to develop an alternative reducing agent which is less expensive than the amine boranes, while ensuring that the metallic copper layer resulting from such an alternative reducing agent has good bonding properties and acid resistance.

Composition and method for reducing copper oxide to metallic copper


Disclosed are methods for sterilizing a female mammal wherein a composition comprising a biocompatible polymer and a biocompatible solvent is delivered to the fallopian tube of the female mammal.

Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to methods for sterilizing female mammals generally and female humans in particular.
In the methods of this invention, a composition comprising a biocompatible polymer, a biocompatible solvent and a contrast agent is delivered to the fallopian tube of the female mammal. The biocompatible polymer is selected to be soluble in the biocompatible solvent, but insoluble in the aqueous fluid of the fallopian tube. The biocompatible solvent is miscible or soluble in this aqueous fluid and, upon contact with this fluid, the biocompatible solvent quickly diffuses away whereupon the biocompatible polymer precipitates to form an occlusion in the fallopian tube which blocks the passage of eggs from the ovary.
A significant advantage of the methods of this invention is that the sterilization can be reversed merely by dissolving the biocompatible polymer forming the occlusion with the biocompatible solvent.


Disclosed is a system for supporting sales and maintenance activities of steam traps by a seller of the traps to a customer. The system utilizes an aggregating system which effects a step of inputting stored diagnostic result data and model confirmation result data from a diagnostic device which has diagnosed a working condition of each of a plurality of existing steam traps installed in a customer's plant. Based on the diagnostic result data, a first total steam loss amount due to malfunction of steam traps is calculated, the first total steam loss amount comprising aggregation of steam leak amounts of all the existing steam traps. Based on the model confirmation result data, a second total steam loss amount is calculated, which comprises aggregation of differences between inherent steam leak amounts of the existing steam traps under their normal working conditions and inherent steam leak amounts of recommended steam traps under their normal working conditions. A monetary conversion value of an integrated value of a sum of the first total steam loss amount and the second total steam loss amount integrated for a predetermined period is calculated. Comparison data is generated allowing comparison between the monetary converted value and a replacement cost required for lump-sum replacement of all the existing steam traps by the recommended steam traps. The comparison data is outputted for presentation to the customer in sales and/or maintenance activities of the recommended steam traps.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of supporting sales and maintenance of steam traps. The invention relates also to an aggregating system for use in the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
For maintenance of a great number of steam traps installed in a factory or plant, there has been proposed a system in which a working condition of each steam trap is diagnosed by a diagnostic device and based on the diagnostic result data obtained for all the steam traps, a host computer calculates a total steam leakage amount relating to total steam loss due to malfunction of the defective steam traps and a monetary converted value of the loss (Japanese published patent gazette No. Hei. 6-14381).
There has been also proposed a system for predicting a replacement/repair fining of each steam trap. In this system, based on diagnostic result data obtained by a diagnostic device for each steam trap, a monetary converted value of a steam leakage amount due to malfunction of the steam trap is calculated and this calculated monetary converted value is stored for each day of diagnosis. Then, this stored monetary converted value is subjected to a statistical regression operation to obtain regression data, which data is subsequently compared with a cost required for replacement/repair of the steam trap, whereby the replacement/repair timing of the steam trap is predicted (Japanese laid-open patent gazette No. Hei. 9-54841).
Conventionally, although the total steam loss due to malfunction of the defective steam trap(s) and a monetary converted value of the loss are calculated and the replacement/repair timing of each steam trap is predicted by using the systems described above, in actually replacing the steam trap, it would be the conventional practice to replace only the steam trap(s) diagnosed as being defective.
Further, even if the replacement timing of the steam trap is predicted by the latter-described system, this prediction would be made based only on comparison between the monetary converted value of the total steam loss due to the malfunction and the cost required for the replacement.
However, steam leak occurs even with a steam trap which is functioning properly and the amount of steam leak (i.e. the steam leak which inevitably occurs when the tap is functioning properly due to certain technical principle of the trap) significantly varies, depending on the particular type or model of the steam trap. For this reason, if only defective steam traps are replaced among numerous steam traps presently installed, the existing steam traps of those types with inherently large leak amounts will be in use continuously. So that, it is not possible to effectively reduce the economic loss suffered by the entire plant due to the steam loss. In this regard, the conventional systems did not allow effective use of significant costs invested on the maintenance of the steam traps of the entire plant.
Further, even if replacement is to be made, when the timing of such replacement is determined based on the simple comparison between the monetary converted value of the total steam loss amount due to malfunction and the cost required for the replacement, the timing of replacement thus determined will be only after the portion of the loss due to the model difference has become too large. So that, the merit of replacement cannot be fully utilized. In this respect too, the significant replacement costs to be invested on the maintenance and replacement of the steam traps of the entire plant cannot be effectively utilized.
The causes of these problems will lie mostly in the contents of the services proposed by the seller of the steam traps to the customer of the plant and also in how the seller proposes and presents such contents to the customer.

Method of supporting sales and maintenance of steam traps and aggregating system for use in the method