A utensil having wall elements, separate baskets for insertion therein and associated serving plates, into which the baskets can also be inserted. The wall elements have a top handling edge and a bottom edge with an indentation all round the outside so that the wall elements can be stacked together with other identical wall elements. In the vicinity of the bottom edge there is a rim on the inside of the wall elements. The associated baskets have a perforated or slotted bottom, are made from chromium-nickel steel and have a perpendicular edge with a horizontal rim. The baskets can be inserted by this edge onto a rim inside the wall elements. The baskets have two folding handle attachments for this purpose. In the separate serving plates there is a recess into which the baskets made of chromium-nickel steel can be snugly inserted.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a utensil for steam-cooking and serving food.
2. Description of Prior Art
Gentle steam-cooking enhances the flavour of the food, preserves the vitamins and nutrients in the food, and reduces cooking times. But despite the fact that cooking in rising steam is very easy and beneficial, it is a technique that is usually only used by very well equipped kitchen chefs. There are, however, a number of prior art systems designed to allow the use of this healthy cooking method in private households, too. The systems in question are steam cookers including an electric evaporator and several chromium-nickel steel baskets for assembly on top of it. The flat bottom of each chromium-nickel steel basket is perforated so that the steam can rise up through the baskets. The baskets, which are round or oval in a plan view, have an approximately perpendicular side wall which is formed into a horizontal, outwardly directed edge at the top which serves for grasping the basket. The bottom edge of the basket, i.e. where the side wall runs into the flat, perforated bottom, has an indentation all round the outside so that several identical baskets can be stacked on top of each other. The evaporator unit itself has a die-cast aluminium liquid reservoir which is open at the top and an electric heating device. These elements of the evaporator are accommodated in a housing made from a thermoplastic, for example. One or several chromium-nickel steel baskets is or are then placed on top of this housing, with the topmost basket being closed by a lid. The lid is advantageously made from glass or a transparent, shock-resistant plastic so that the food in the top basket is visible. To operate the steam cooker, the liquid reservoir, which can hold about 1 to 2 litres of water, is filled and the electric heating device is then turned on. The water then evaporates slowly and the steam rises upwards through the perforated bottoms of the baskets containing the food to be cooked. A buzzer built into the evaporator emits an acoustic signal when the water boils dry and the electric heating device is switched off. As soon as the food is cooked, the baskets are removed from the evaporator and the food can then be served.
A prior art fish cooker also exists, with an additional insertable perforated bottom on which the fish is cooked. The fish cooker forms an elongated pan with a lid, and the additional bottom can be lifted in and out of the pan by means of two pivoting handling attachments. Before serving, the fish is lifted off the additional bottom and arranged on a serving plate.
One problem of the systems described above is that before serving, the food always has to be lifted out of the hot baskets and arranged on a separate serving plate, or on dinner plates. This is a delicate process because the cooked food tends to disintegrate. It also takes up valuable time, during which the food inevitably loses heat.

Kitchen and table-ware for steam cooking


A toilet seat structure including a toilet seat, a link, a pedal and a fixing plate can be lifted up through the pedal. The toilet seat is connected to one end of the link. The other end of the link is pivoted on the pedal. A middle of a bottom surface of the pedal is mounted with the fixing plate. Stamping the pedal can raise the other end to move the link and push the toilet seat to rotate upward according to the connection structure. When the pedal is loosened, the toilet seat automatically restores to be horizontally placed on a toilet bowl to make the link and the pedal restore. Thus, the cleanliness and sanitation of the toilet seat can be kept, and the position of the toilet seat can be conveniently changed by the stamping foot.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a toilet seat structure, and more particularly to a toilet seat structure capable of being lifted to an upright position stably and automatically restoring to a horizontal position without using a hand to touch the toilet seat so that the convenience, cleanliness, sanitation, and usage effectiveness can be achieved.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Toilet seats have been widely used in cleanliness sanitation apparatuses at home, wherein males and females share only one toilet seat. Due to the difference in the physiological structures, the following condition may occur. The urine tends to remain on the toilet seat if it is not lifted when the male is urinating. So, the subsequent user has to wipe and clean the seat in order to use the seat in a worriless manner. Thus, it is troublesome and inconvenient to the subsequent user.
So, it is therefore an object of the present inventor to provide a toilet seat structure that can be lifted up through a pedal to facilitate the usage in the society.

Toilet seat structure that can be lifted up through a pedal


A fine-bubble mixed liquid producing apparatus 1 includes a reservoir 4 and a bubble feeding means 6 for feeding bubbles to a liquid L stored in the reservoir 4, wherein the bubble feeding means 6 includes a rotary cylinder 20 having an emitting part 22 on the outer circumferential surface, the emitting part 22 for being rotationally driven by a drive means 10, a circulating means 40 for drawing out the liquid L stored in the reservoir 4 and feeding the liquid L from the emitting part 22 to the reservoir 4, and a gas-liquid mixing part 50 for mixing bubbles with the liquid L circulated by the circulating means 40. This apparatus enables a fine-bubble mixed liquid to be efficiently produced.

To date, apparatuses are known that reduce the size of bubbles and mix such bubbles with a liquid in order to promote, for example, dissolution of a gas. A nozzle is a known means for producing fine bubbles, but since there is a limit to reducing the bubble size by way of reducing the nozzle diameter, for example, in Patent Literature 1, the size of bubbles to be fed to a liquid is reduced by compressing the bubbles by rotating rotary blades.

Apparatus and method for producing fine air bubble mixed liquid


Methods and systems for forming accelerometers include forming a load beam supported at one end having an input interdigital transducer (IDT) and an output IDT. The load-beam has a cross section varying in the longitudinal direction effective to cause the load beam to deflect radially in response to an applied load. The cross section varies in width, height, or both.

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices are a well known sensing means with many applications including use as accelerometers. A typical SAW device operates by measuring changes in the speed of acoustic waves propagating through the surface of a structure. Speed is measured by exciting a wave at one point on a structure and sensing its arrival at another point. Speed is also measured by measuring a resonating frequency at which a standing wave arises in a structure.
In one common SAW device, one or more interdigital transducers (IDT) are attached to a structure formed of a piezoelectric material, such as quartz, spaced apart from one another. An electrical signal is input into the transducers, which causes a surface acoustic wave due to the piezoelectric properties of the structure. A standing wave is created within the structure, the frequency of which varies with the strain in the structure. The resonating frequency is measured by an oscillator connected to the transducer and is used to calculate the force exerted on the structure.
An IDT is typically formed by two conductive patterns each having a series of fingers extending perpendicular to the direction of travel of the measured wave. The fingers of the two conductive patterns are interlaced, such that any locally excited voltage will result in a voltage difference between the two patterns.
SAW accelerometers detect strains in a load beam that result from inertial forces exerted on a load beam by a proof mass, or the mass of the load beam itself. In some materials, such as quartz, the speed of waves within the material increases with increasing strain on the material. Accordingly, increases in the speed of surface waves or increases in a resonating frequency of surface waves can be mapped to increases in acceleration.
Constant cross section beams as used in prior systems typically deflect parabolically such that the amount of strain in the load beam varies with position along the load beam. This results in unequal changes in the distance between the fingers of the IDT. The unequal spread of the fingers results in the detection of a wide band of frequencies, rather a single frequency, or narrower band of frequencies.
Unequal strain also causes unequal changes in propagating speed along the load beam. This in turn widens the band of frequencies at which standing waves will develop in the load beam. The resonating frequency in the load beam is measured by an oscillator that will tend to jump among the frequencies present in the IDT resulting in noise. Where a wide band of frequencies is present, the magnitude of the noise is greater.
The output of SAW accelerometers is often integrated to calculate the velocity and position of a vehicle. Any noise or inaccuracies in the output of an accelerometer will therefore be compounded by the integration calculation resulting in erroneous navigational data. It would therefore be an advancement in the art to provide a means for improving the accuracy of SAW accelerometers.

Load beam for surface acoustic wave accelerometer


The present invention provides a method for creating uniform pressure at a nip comprising the acts of providing a stationary inner core, pivotally mounting a plurality of shoes to the stationary inner core, creating a plurality of annular chambers wherein each of the shoes occupies one of the chambers. In addition, the method further provides filling each of the chambers with a magneto-rheological fluid, surrounding the plurality of chambers, shoes, and stationary inner core with a thin, metal, rotatable shell; detecting a deformation in the shell and changing a magnetic field in at least one of the chambers to change a viscosity of the magneto-rheological fluid to correct the deformation.

In preparing certain substrates it is important that at least one surface have a smooth finish. Often this smooth finish requires very high tolerances. Prior art solutions to the problem of creating a smooth finish have not been completely satisfactory. One prior art solution has been to use elastomeric rollers. Elastomeric rollers, however, cannot be ground to the same high tolerance as metallic rollers.
Another prior art solution has used carrier webs having a smooth surface finish as a backing material for the substrate as it passes through the nip. A problem with this solution is that the carrier web usually must be discarded or recycled adding to the cost of the manufacturing process. Another problem is that the carrier web often wrinkles.
Using a roller having a metal sleeve with a smooth surface finish over an elastomeric backing is a possibility. This solution, however, also has drawbacks. The thin metal sleeve is subject to cracking after repeated use, especially along the margins.
One prior art solution is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,664 (Biondetti). The solution proposed is a series of hydraulic pistons. These hydraulic pistons, however, operate on a thick outer shell to correct for beam deflections in the roller. An apparatus as disclosed would be expensive and not suitable for all applications.
For a patterned roller, a rapid pressure rise at a nip is important to force material to the pattern. Metallic shells of small diameter inherently will create a small nip footprint, for a given nip load, which results in a higher pressure. In the formation of extrusion cast web materials the nip action improves the replication of the polished or patterned roller surfaces.
In an ideal situation, rollers would be perfectly cylindrical and the molten resin would be uniformly distributed. In practice, neither condition is achieved. An ability to locally adjust roller shape is desirable to improve cross width nip loading. Consequently the web material will have more consistent thickness and surface uniformity. Self adjusting rollers are utilized in paper manufacturing or web calendaring operations which require high nip loads, but they have minimal heat transfer capabilities.
It is desirable to have a roller capable of creating a smooth finish, with a small nip footprint, having an improved heat transfer capability, and capable of adjustment.

Method for creating a uniform nip pressure utilizing a compliant pressure roller


A medical device and method for treatment in which the device has a portion for use within the body that exhibits enhanced properties such as radiopacity for viewing by x-ray fluoroscopy. The portion includes an extended metal outer member having, e.g., a predetermined density and an exposed outer surface and a core, including a metal having, e.g., a density greater than the outer member to enhance radiopacity, substantially enclosed by the outer member.

This invention relates to metal medical components to be used inside the body.
Noninvasive medical procedures reduce the risk of surgery by introducing medical devices to a body cavity through small incisions or body orifices. The devices are carefully designed so that they may be controlled from the proximal end remaining outside the body to carry out the required treatment at the desired location inside the body. In one of the most common noninvasive techniques, angiography, a device, such as a guidewire, balloon angioplasty catheter or the like, is advanced and torqued at its proximal end to steer the device through a blood vessel to the position of an occlusion at which point a medical procedure such as balloon angioplasty and/or positioning of an endoprosthesis is carried out.
Typically, X-ray fluoroscopy is used to view the medical device within the body cavity to monitor placement and operation. The device may also be viewed by X-ray film after placement. To use these techniques, particularly with small devices which may be difficult to view, the medical device must include some radiopaque material, more dense than the surrounding tissue, to provide sufficient contrast on an X-ray image. A highly dense, and therefore particularly radiopaque, metal is usually incorporated with the portion of the medical device used inside the body for this purpose.
In interventional medicine, wires can be used for a variety of purposes such as tracking, stenting, filtering, conducting (electric current, ultrasound energy, etc.) and marking. Desirable attributes of these wires vary with application, but include properties such as stiffness, tensile strength, elasticity, radiopacity, weldability, flexural life, conductivity, etc. These properties are hard to find in single-material constructions. It is possible to achieve optimum properties by creating a multiple material coaxial construction. In medical wires, for example, it can be very desirable to have high radiopacity along with elasticity and strength. This may be accomplished by combining a radiopaque material with an elastic material. Although it is possible to put either material on the inside or outside, it would be preferable to put the dense radiopaque material (e.g., tantalum) on the inside (core) since dense materials are generally less elastic and the elastic material (e.g., titanium or nickel-titanium alloy) on the outside (clad). The clad or xe2x80x9cskinxe2x80x9d of the wire will undergo more deformation in bending than the core, so the elastic component is best positioned at the skin. In another medical application, it is desirable to have an elastic core (nitinol) for conducting axial vibrations (sonic or ultrasonic) and a thin stiff cladding (stainless steel) in order to minimize traverse vibrations which result in loss of energy.
An aspect of the invention is a metal medical device with at least a portion to be used within the body with properties that can be tailored to a particular application. The portion is formed of preferably two or more dissimilar metals joined together to form a unitary member. Typically, each metal contributes a desirable property to the device which is not substantially impaired by the presence of the other metal. In particularly preferred devices, one metal provides enhanced radiopacity. In these embodiments, the medical device comprises a metal outer member having a predetermined density and an exposed outer surface and a core including a metal having a density greater than the outer member to enhance radiopacity. The core is secured within and substantially enclosed by the outer member. Preferably, the medical component is in the form of a wire configured such that the mechanical properties, for example, the elastic properties, of the metal forming the outer member are affected by the core to a desired degree so that the wire has a desired overall performance suitable for its intended use. Preferably, the mechanical properties of the outer longitudinal member dominate the properties of the wire yet the radiopacity is substantially enhanced by the denser core. The invention also allows increased radiopacity of a metal medical device without adversely affecting and in some cases improving other important properties such as the biocompatibility, size or other performance characteristics. These performance advantages can be realized by proper selection of the material of the outer member and core, their relative size, and geometrical configuration. The performance characteristics of the component may be dictated by the medical device into which the radiopaque medical component is to be incorporated.
The term xe2x80x9cmetalxe2x80x9d as used herein includes electropositive chemical elements characterized by ductility, malleability, luster, and conductivity of heat and electricity, which can replace the hydrogen of an acid and forms bases with the hydroxyl radical and including mixtures including these elements and alloys. Many examples are given below.
In one aspect, the invention features a medical device having at least a portion for use within the body. The portion includes an extended metal outer member having an exposed outer surface and a core within the outer member formed of a metal different than the metal of the outer member. The core is secured within and substantially enclosed by the outer member.
Various preferred embodiments may include one or more of the following features. The extended metal outer member is comprised of a metal of predetermined density and the core is comprised of a metal having a density substantially greater than the outer member to enhance radiopacity of the device. The portion is in the form of a medical wire, wherein the metal outer member is a longitudinal member and the radiopaque core is positioned along the axis of the longitudinal member. The radiopaque core has a density of about 9.9 g/cc or greater. The core is selected from the group consisting of tungsten, tantalum, rhenium, iridium, silver, gold, bismuth, platinum and alloys thereof. The core has a modulus of elasticity of about 550 GPa or less. The core has a modulus of elasticity of about 200 GPa or less. The outer member is selected from the group consisting of superelastic alloys, precursor alloys of superelastic alloys, stainless steel, and titanium and its alloys.
The superelastical alloy is nitinol. The core is about 1 to 40% of the cross-sectional dimension of the component. The core is about 25% or more of the cross-sectional dimension of the component. The core is about 28% or less of the cross-sectional dimension of the component. The cross-sectional dimension of the component is less than about 0.025 inch. The outer member has a cross-section of about 0.0045 to 0.008 inch and the core member has a cross-section of about 0.0014 to 0.00195 inch inner diameter. The core is a solid metallic member. The outer member has portions of varying dimension. The outer member has a taper portion. The core has a constant inner dimension in portions corresponding to the varying outer dimension of the outer member. The portion is in the form of a medical guidewire. The portion is in the form of elastic leg members of a vascular filter. The outer member and core are of circular cross-sectional configuration. The portion is in the form of an ultrasonic probe. The probe is an elastic probe having a titanium core and nitinol outer member. The probe and core are constructed of materials of substantially different acoustic impedance. The acoustic energy is provided by axial excitation.
In another aspect, the invention features a medical wire device having at least a portion for use within the body. The portion includes an extended longitudinal metal outer member having a predetermined density and an exposed outer surface and a continuous solid core positioned along the axis of the outer member including a metal having a density of about 9.9 g/cc or greater and greater than the density of the outer member for enhancing radiopacity of the wire. The core is secured within and substantially enclosed by the outer member and is about 10 to 50% of the cross-sectional dimension of the portion for use within the body.
In various preferred embodiments, the core material is tantalum, the outer material is nitinol, and the cross-sectional dimension of the portion is about 0.025 inch or less. The outer member has a cross-section of about 0.0045 to 0.008 inch and the core member has a cross-section of about 0.0014 to 0.00195 inch inner diameter. The wire is in the form of a guidewire. The outer member has portions of varying dimension such as a taper portion. The core has a constant inner dimension in portions corresponding to the varying outer dimension of the outer member. The cross-sectional dimension of the portion is about 0.035 to 0.037 inch. The core is about 0.005 inch in diameter. The component is in the form of elastic leg members of a vascular filter.
In another aspect, the invention features a method for medical treatment by providing a medical device for performing a desired treatment, incorporating on at least a portion of the device a radiopaque medical component, formed of a metal outer member having a predetermined density and exposed outer surface and a core including a metal having a density substantially greater than the outer member to enhance radiopacity, the core being secured within and substantially enclosed by the outer member, and introducing the portion including the radiopaque medical component into the body, and observing the medical component by x-ray fluoroscopy.
In various preferred embodiments, the medical device is a guidewire and the medical component is a portion of the guidewire, the method further including steering the guidewire through the body from the proximal end. The medical device is a vascular filter.
In another aspect, the invention features a medical device capable of placement or manipulation in the body by means external of the body under guidance of a fluoroscope. The device is formed at least in part of an elongated wire-form metal member adapted to be subjected to elastic deformation to enable the device to be forced into a characteristic deformed configuration during a stage of use and to elastically self-recover from the deformation when deformation forces are relieved. The wire-form metal member is formed of a core of a first metal of a first selected thickness and an intimately surrounding sheath of a second selected metal of a second thickness, the first metal being a high density metal that demonstrates characteristic relatively high radiopacity and the second metal being a lower density metal having substantially more elasticity than the first metal, the combined effect of the selected thicknesses of the first and second metals in the wire-form member serving to enhance the radio-opacity of the wire-form member to provide improved fluoroscopic or x-ray visualization of the wire-form member in the body while imparting sufficient elasticity to enable the wire-form member to elastically self-recover from its characteristic deformed configuration.
In various preferred embodiments, the wire-form metal member comprises a draw-form. The second metal is nitinol. The high density metal is tantalum. The wire-form member comprises the main body of a medical guidewire.


A method of controlling an electrical machine. The electrical machine includes a stator having a core and a plurality of windings, and a rotor disposed adjacent to the stator to interact with the stator. The method includes configuring an amplitude value and frequency values of a three-phase alternating current (AC) voltage startup signal having an amplitude and a frequency, providing the three-phase alternating current (AC) voltage startup signal to the plurality of windings, and altering the frequency of the three-phase AC voltage startup signal according to a preprogrammed frequency ramp function defined by the frequency values. The method further includes discontinuing the three-phase AC voltage startup signal after the frequency ramp function has completed, and switching to a back electromotive force (BEMF) control mode after discontinuing the three-phase AC voltage startup signal.

BLDC motors (also known as electronically commutated or "ECM" motors) are becoming more prevalent in industries that typically did not use BLDC motors. For example, the need for increased efficiency in the heating and air conditioning market has led to the use of BLDC motors for powering the blower in heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning systems (referred to herein as HVAC systems). An HVAC system is one example of an air-movement system. Other example air-movement systems include refrigerators, furnaces, heat pumps, blowers for gas-fired appliances (e.g., a gas water heater), etc.
Generally, BLDC motors are synchronous electric motors powered by direct-current ("DC") electricity and have electronic commutation, rather than mechanical commutators and brushes. Further, BLDC motors include a rotor having a plurality of magnetic poles (e.g., a plurality of poles produced with permanent magnets) of alternating polarity disposed on a surface of a rotor core, and a stator that receives electrical power and produces a magnetic field in response thereto. The magnetic field of the stator interacts with a magnetic field of the rotor to cause movement of the rotor.
BLDC motors use a means for determining the position of the rotor in order to commutate the motor. One method of commutating the motor is referred to as "sensorless" motor commutation. Sensorless motor commutation is often performed by sensing the back electromotive force (BEMF) produced by the motor. Typically, the BEMF signal produced in the stator windings is not large enough for sensorless motor commutation until the speed of the rotor reaches about ten percent of the rated motor speed. As a result, a means of starting the motor without using the BEMF signal may be necessary.
One method of starting a three-phase motor is described in U.S. Publication No. 2009/0160384, which is incorporated herein by reference. Typically, to start the BLDC motor, a controller aligns the rotor of the motor to a known position and then accelerates the rotor (e.g., by using the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,084,970). Once the rotor reaches a sufficient speed, the rotor is allowed to coast for a short time (e.g., 20-200 ms) while the controller synchronizes the rotor to engage a normal running mode. During this startup process the air-movement system can generate ramp up noise. In particular, the power signal provided to the rotor can generate torsional torque ripple that excites system vibration modes and results in an audible noise for a short period during ramp up.
Improved methods for starting brushless electrical machines and BLDC motors (e.g., the method described in U.S. Publication No. 2012/0274249, which is incorporated herein by reference) avoid ramp up noise during the startup of the motor by generating a three-phase alternating current (AC) voltage signal by all phases of the motor. However, this method still allows the rotor to coast while the controller synchronizes the rotor to engage a normal running mode. Some motors, such as small motors with low inertia, do not coast well. Therefore, there is a need for a further improved method for starting brushless electrical machines and BLDC motors, where the rotor does not need to coast before engaging in normal running mode.

Method of controlling an electrical machine


An image forming apparatus includes an environment obtaining portion, a storage portion, an environment determination portion, a firmware selection portion, and a firmware rewriting portion. The environment obtaining portion obtains environment information from an environmental sensor. In the storage portion, an environmental condition table and a firmware table are stored. In the environmental condition table, in association with registered environment information indicating a specific environment, identification information for identifying the specific environment is stored. In the firmware table, in association with the identification information, firmware that corresponds to an environmental condition indicated by the identification information is stored.

The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus.
Conventionally, there are technologies for appropriately downloading firmware to image forming apparatuses such as multifunction peripherals, copying machines, and printers.
For example, a technology is known in which in the case where an image processing apparatus connected to a network is to rewrite firmware, if an administrator obtains information regarding the latest version thereof from a website, the image processing apparatus downloads the latest firmware based on the information, to update the firmware for the image forming apparatus.
However, the technology described above can download only the latest firmware. In addition, the above technology cannot download appropriate firmware in accordance with the environmental condition of the image forming apparatus.
Since the image forming apparatus is very sensitive to the influence of the ambient environmental condition during operation, the performance of the image forming apparatus greatly changes depending on the installation environment and the seasonal condition. Therefore, the image forming apparatus has incorporated a correction control function therein so as to be able to ensure constant quality under an environment within a specific condition range even if some change has occurred in the environmental condition.
However, if the environment is within the specific condition range, the above-described correction control can be performed by use of regular firmware, but the environment is outside the specific condition range, the correction control cannot be performed by use of the regular firmware. Thus, there are cases where the manufacturer creates firmware that is dedicated to such specific environment and that includes the correction control function, and releases the dedicated firmware on the website.

Firmware-rewritable image forming apparatus

Abstract: The environment determination portion determines whether the obtained environment information corresponds to the registered environment information. Based on the firmware table and on the identification information, the firmware selection portion selects firmware that corresponds to the identification information. The firmware rewriting portion rewrites currently-used firmware with the selected firmware.


A merchandising device comprises a display shelf including a plurality of elongate parallel tracks arranged side by side with a gap between adjacent tracks. Each track is designed to support a row of articles in such a manner that the articles are suspended from each track for movement along a path defined by that track and are removable from that track through its front end. The device further comprises a mask for providing the display shelf with an appearance of a unitary structure. The mask comprises an elongate mounting member extending along the front edge of the display shelf to fixedly position the mask relative to the display shelf, and a plurality of covering members arranged in a row along the mounting member. Each covering member spans the respective gap to provide a billboard surface extending between adjacent tracks.

This invention relates to merchandising devices for articles such as soft drink bottles, and particularly to a suspension-type display device in which articles are suspended from a plurality of spaced parallel tracks.
Suspension-type display devices have been used in the merchandising of soft drink bottles such as PET bottles having outwardly projecting annular neck flanges. These devices have a plurality of elongate tracks supported on a rack wherein the tracks are arranged side by side in a spaced parallel relationship. Each track has a pair of parallel rails extending along that track. The necks of flanged bottles are received between the rails of each track so that the bottles are engaged at their neck flanges with the rails and thus suspended from the respective track. The bottles received in each track are automatically arranged in a tidy row along the respective track and presented for removal by customers through the front end of the respective track. The distance between adjacent tracks are great enough to prevent interference between the bottles suspended from the adjacent tracks. To assure such a distance, it is typical that a certain gap or space is defined between adjacent tracks.
Conventional merchandising devices of the type described above are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,318,485; 4,367,818; 4,401,221; 5,586,687 which are owned by the assignee of the present invention and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,665 and French Published Application No. 2,647,328.

Merchandising track device having front mask


The present invention provides combustible compositions utilizing water clusters characterized by high oxygen reactivity due to protruding, delocalized p.pi. orbitals. In preferred embodiments, the compositions include one or more surfactants having molecular orbitals that interact with and participate in the delocalized p.pi. orbitals. The invention also provides methods of designing, producing, and using the compositions.

Due to its critical importance in processes ranging from heat transfer to solvation and biological reactions, water has been extensively studied. However, the microscopic structure of water is still poorly understood. Only recently have systematic studies been undertaken to evaluate complex water structures (see, for example, Pugliano et al., Science 257:1937, 1992). None of the studies performed to date, all of which focus on hydrogen bonding capabilities, has provided a full picture of the structure and properties of water. Accordingly, there remains a need for development of a more accurate understanding of water structure and characteristics. Moreover, mechanisms for harnessing water's extraordinary properties for practical applications are required.
One particular application for which water use has been explored is in the area of fuel combustion. In the past, water has been dispersed in fuels in order to i) decrease fuel flammability; ii) decrease the temperature of combustion; iii) reduce particulate emissions resulting from combustion; and/or iv) reduce levels of NOx emissions resulting from combustion (see, for example Donnelly et al., DOE/CS/50286-4, published September 1985; Compere et al., ORNL TM-9603, published March 1985 by A. L. Compere et al.; Griffith et al., U.S. DOE ORNL TM-11248 DE89 017779). However, no stable, combustible water/fuel dispersion has made it to market. Several problems that have been encountered in the preparation of such compositions. There remains a need for a stable, inexpensive water/fuel composition that has improved combustion properties.

Stabilized water nanocluster-fuel emulsions designed through quantum chemistry


A method and a device for analyzing a sensor element are described, which allow a temperature dependence of the sensor element to be considered without an additional temperature sensor in particular. The sensor element outputs a signal as a function of a measured variable. The signal of the sensor element is analyzed in a first analysis operating mode to detect the measured variable. The signal of the sensor element is analyzed in a second analysis operating mode to detect a characteristic variable of the sensor element which is different from the measured variable.

Methods and devices for analyzing a sensor element are available, the sensor element outputting a signal as a function of a measured variable.
It has been suggested that for controlling internal combustion engines, the combustion chamber pressure is determined, in addition to other measured variables. Multiple publications describe technical approaches for detecting the combustion chamber pressure.
Measuring sensors or sensor elements which operate according to the piezoelectric principle appear particularly attractive. A suitable material, such as quartz or a sintered ceramic material, is subjected to the combustion chamber pressure. The material is, for example, installed as a disk in a suitable housing and mounted in a conventional way in a cylinder head as a combustion chamber pressure sensor. Furthermore, integration into an already existing component, such as a spark plug or glow plug, is conventional. A charge, which is proportional to the pressure, arises in the material of the sensor element subjected to the combustion chamber pressure, which may be converted into a voltage signal using a suitable electronic circuit, e.g., a charge amplifier or impedance transformer. This voltage is processed further in an engine control unit and incorporated into different closed-loop and open-loop controls of the engine. The combustion chamber pressure of each cylinder of the internal combustion engine is typically sampled synchronously with a crankshaft angle, for example, at a resolution of 1° crankshaft angle.
If a piezoceramic material, such as the sintered ceramic material, is used for the measuring sensor or the sensor element, it is distinguished by a comparatively high sensitivity, i.e., it generates a greater charge at a given pressure than quartz. A disadvantage in this case is the pronounced temperature dependence of the sensitivity in such piezoceramic materials. Therefore, determining the temperature of the sensor element would be advantageous, in order to be able to suitably compensate for the temperature error in subsequent signal processing.
Conventional approaches include mounting a temperature sensor in the proximity of the sensor element to detect the combustion chamber pressure, also referred to in the following as a combustion chamber pressure sensor. Alternatively, the temperature error may also be compensated for using a capacitive charge divider, the corresponding capacitor of the capacitive charge divider having to have the same temperature as the combustion chamber pressure sensor. This is described in "A. Peterson, Temperaturkompensation piezokeramischer Sensoren [Temperature Compensation of Piezoceramic Sensors], Elektronikindustrie 12-1988." Both of these methods have the disadvantage of requiring that still further components be housed in the already restricted installation space of the combustion chamber pressure sensor.

Method and device for analyzing a sensor element


An external frame backpack (10) includes a frame (14), a hip belt (32), two flexible stays (50, 52), a back panel (38), and a lower panel (40). The frame is external and substantially rigid. It includes upper, middle, and lower frame members (22, 24, 26) secured between frame siderails (18, 20). The hip belt is attached to the frame adjacent the lower frame member. The flexible stays are elongate with upper and lower ends. The upper ends attach to the upper frame member. The lower ends attach to the sides of the hip belt. The stays are flexible to allow movement of the hip belt as the stays bend while transmitting at least a portion of the weight held on the frame to the lower end of the stays. The back panel is vertically and horizontally tensioned and secured to the frame. The lower panel is secured between the siderails of the frame. The lower panel includes a support sheet (66) to maintain the shape thereof when tensioned between the siderails. In another aspect disclosed herein the back panel secures to the frame vertically with upper and lower sleeves that taper to fit onto tapered upper and lower ends of the backpack siderails. Vertical adjustability of the back panel is provided by adjustment fasteners securing the back panel to the sleeves.

External frame backpacks are particularly well suited for carrying heavy, bulky loads by backpackers. The load is carried a small distance away from the back of the user and is secured to a rigid frame that can transmit the load primarily to the hip belt. However, with conventional frames and hip belts, the load is not effectively transferred to the sides of the hips, the location most comfortable over a long haul. Instead the load is mainly carried on the small of the back as the hip belt sags and pulls from behind.
Some attempts at overcoming this loading have been made by the use of straps and other equipment. For example, one attempted solution employs T-shaped arms rigidly secured to the frame rails and extending forwardly to an attachment with the sides of the hip belt. This arrangement will transfer the load to the sides of the user's hips, but may also cause the pack to shift or swing side to side with every natural hip movement of the user. The connection is kept somewhat rigid for effective transfer of the load to the user's hips.
Other problems with external frame pack harnesses involve the back and lower panels that are used to suspend the pack frame away from direct contact with the user's back. These panels are strapped to the siderails of the pack and held in tension horizontally. They may, therefore, develop horizontal wrinkles or folds that feel uncomfortable on the back of the user. Furthermore, the load may not be effectively and evenly distributed across these panels for a comfortable carry.
Owing to the limitations of the current external frame packs, the advantages of these packs as effective big-load haulers is overshadowed. Therefore, a need exists for a rigid external frame pack with a flexible harness system that effectively carries a load comfortably on the user's back with the bulk of the downward force transferred to the sides of the hips of the user without pack instabilities being created when hiking.


When creating a storage pool with external volumes, it is not possible to put together the volumes that have the same level of reliability if consideration is only given to the physical attributes of such volumes. Further, the reliability demanded between a host computer and a storage apparatus does not necessarily match the reliability between storage apparatuses. When creating a storage pool in the data processing system of this invention, not only is consideration given to the characteristics of the physical disks themselves, consideration is also given to the connection status of the backend network between a storage apparatus and a switch loaded with external storage function, and an external storage apparatus. What is more, volumes are allocated to a host machine after said system considers both the redundancy of a backend network of between storage apparatuses and that of a network path between the host machine and storage apparatus.

The present invention generally relates to a data processing system and its storage area allocation method, and in particular can be suitably applied to a data processing system and its storage area allocation method that allocates a storage area of an externally connected storage apparatus.
In recent years, the amount of data used by corporations and individuals has increased drastically. Thus, storage systems using technology such as SAN (Storage Area Network) and NAS (Network Attached Storage) that enable flexible data management by connecting storage apparatuses and host computers via a switch or a hub are being used extensively.
When allocating a storage area (hereinafter referred to as "volume") of a storage apparatus to be used by a host computer from the storage apparatus to the host computer under a SAN environment, there is standard technology for putting together a plurality of volumes into a group (this group is hereinafter referred to as a "storage pool" and a volume registered in the storage pool is referred to as a "pool volume"), and allocating a volume having the capacity requested by the host computer from the storage pool. Further, in order to make the volume allocation to the host computer more efficiently and easily, technology is disclosed for creating a storage pool by classifying the storage areas based on the demand characteristics, required performance and reliability of each application from the attributes of the physical disk itself, and presenting the candidate of the storage pool to be used to the user (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-334561).
Meanwhile, as technology for reducing the management cost of storage apparatuses, technology referred to as thin provisioning is disclosed for allocating a virtual volume (hereinafter referred to as a "virtual volume") to a host computer, and allocating the actual storage area according to the I/O from the host computer to the virtual volume (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-15915).
When using this technology, the administrator of the storage apparatus registers in advance one or more storage areas in a logical group referred to as a thin provisioning pool (this is hereinafter referred to as a "TP pool" and a volume registered in the TP pool is also referred to as a "pool volume"). Here, the administrator sets a threshold value for warning the capacity depletion of the TP pool. The administrator thereafter creates a virtual volume, and associates it with the TP pool and the host computer.
When data is written from the host computer into the virtual volume, the written data is actually stored in the storage area of the pool volume. When the capacity that is actually being used by the TP pool approaches the threshold value as a result of data being written into the virtual volume, the management server warns the administrator. Based on this warning, the administrator takes measures such as adding a physical disk to the storage apparatus.
In a case where volumes having different attributes such as the disk type or RAID level coexist in the TP pool, in order to guarantee the reliability of the virtual volume used by the host computer, disclosed is technology that continues to store data in a volume having the same property as the pool volume to which the data was first written (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-66259).
In addition, there is technology for treating a plurality of storage apparatuses as though they are a single storage apparatus for the purpose of unifying the connection relation between a host computer and a storage apparatus, or using a high capacity storage resource (such as a cache memory) in an inexpensive storage apparatus. This is disclosed as technology (hereinafter referred to as the "external storage function") which enables the use of a volume of a separate storage apparatus as the external storage area of the self-storage apparatus (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-011277). When using this technology, the storage apparatus loaded with the external storage function and the storage apparatus to be used as the external storage area are connected via a network.

Data processing system and storage area allocation method thereof


A motion control system of spraying machine based on FPGA, includes a motion controller. The motion controller includes an information analysis module, a speed control module and an interpolation module. The information analysis module is used for decoding the motion information to obtain the action information of the lance in a three-dimensional direction, and the rotation information of the clamp and the lance. The speed control module is used for driving the lance to a target position through the first motors according to the action information, and changing the speed of the interpolation movement of the lance in the three-dimensional direction into a trapezoid acceleration and deceleration. The interpolation module includes a first interpolation unit, a second interpolation unit and a control unit. The motion control system has high processing accuracy, fast reaction speed and good real-time performance.

In the manufacturing industry, almost all electromechanical products need to be painted on the surface. Spraying is a surface treatment technique in which covers the surface of an applied object a lance, and makes it adhere firmly to the coating. For example, some common metal and plastic products, and even many equipment in military and aerospace fields, need to be sprayed for decorating, marking and protecting the products. The performance of a spraying machine has a significant impact on product quality and output.
The spraying machine needs precise motion control, and the motion control needs to be realized through a good motion control system. However, the existing motion control system is mainly controlled by the microprocessor or motion control chip, and its processing accuracy is not high enough, the speed is slow and the real-time performance is poor.

Motion control system of spraying machine based on FPGA and motion control method thereof


The invention relates to a rotary press having height-staggered ram tips for carrying out at least two pressing operations, which preferably build on one another. Furthermore, the invention relates particularly to rotary presses and methods for producing multi-layer and coating-core tablets and for pressing tablets into cups during a rotation.

The invention relates to the field of rotary presses, which are used in the pharmaceutical, technical, or chemical industries or in the food industry to produce large numbers of tablets or pellets from powdery materials. Such rotary presses are known, for example, from patent specifications DE 102 12959 A1 or DE 202 20 440 U1.
In the known prior art, rotary presses preferably perform one pressing operation during one rotation to produce one type of tablets or pellets. Known rotary tablet presses include a top and a bottom ram, which interact to compress the powdery material in die cavities of a die table. A large number of applications, however require carrying out of different pressing operations sequentially one after the other, particularly to produce pellets from multiple components.
For example, rotary presses are used in the chemical engineering sector to produce batteries, particularly button cells. State-of-the-art button cells are typically structured as follows. A button cell typically consists of a cup into which a tablet made of metal oxide powder, the so-called cathode, is placed and pressed. In the subsequent assembly of the button cell, a separator is deposited on the pressed-in metal oxide, a gasket with the diaphragm sheet is inserted in the cup, the zinc powder (the anode) is dispensed onto a diaphragm sheet, and the lid (the negative pole) is placed on top. The opening of the cup can then be crimped inwards with a tool, wherein the lid is pressed down through the pressure of the gasket, and the button cell is sealed gastight.
This means that at least the following steps are needed for producing a cathode for a button cell using a rotary press: i) Pressing a tablet from metal oxide powder, ii) placing a cup into the die, iii) placing a tablet into the cup, and iv) pressing the tablet to the bottom of the cup.
It is known from prior art to use a first rotary press to produce the tablets from metal oxide powder. Then the tablets are fed into an assembly machine in which the tablets can be inserted into cups. The cup and the inserted tablets are then conveyed to a second rotary press. In this machine, the cups with the tablets are inserted into dies one after the other. In the subsequent pressing operation, the tablet is once again compressed by the rams, which makes the tablet flatter, while its diameter increases. The pressed-in tablet is now on the bottom of the cup and bearing against the cup edge without a gap. In this known method, three machines, that is, two rotary presses and an assembly machine, are mechanically coupled. The production workflow therefore is expensive, complex, and susceptible to disruption.
It is also known from prior art to use a production method which uses just two rotary presses, which are not mechanically connected. In this method, the tablet is pressed from metal oxide powder in a first rotary press, and the tablets are inserted into the cups and pressed down to the cup bottom in a second, separate rotary press. Each of these production steps requires one full rotation of the rotor. It would therefore be advantageous to provide a single rotary press which can carry out these sequential steps during one rotation.
Another sample application which requires sequential carrying out of various pressing operations is the production of multi-layer tablets or coating-core tablets (tablet in a tablet). Coating-core tablets consist of various materials and comprise a core, which is encompassed by a coating material. For example, the core can contain an active ingredient which is released in the body at a later point in time, i.e. after the coating material has dissolved.
In the known prior art of producing a coating-core tablet, first the core or core tablet is produced on a first rotary press. The cores are then inserted into dies on a separate rotary press. In this process, a powder for the coating is supplied to the dies after the cores have been inserted therein, such that the coat and the core are compressed into a coating-core tablet. Multiple rotary presses are therefore needed in the known prior art for the steps of producing the core and pressing the core with the coating. This results in increased costs and an increased space requirement. In addition, the production process is susceptible to disruptions due to the required coordination between the rotary presses.
US 2003/0072799 A1 discloses a method for producing multi-layer compressed dosage forms in which various modules and transfer systems are used. This method is characterized by an increased effort as well and cannot produce multi-layer tablets during a single rotation of a rotary press.
It is further known from EP 1 440 790 A1 and EP 1 437 116 A1 that multi-layer molded products can be produced by means of rotary presses having inner and outer top and bottom rams which can be moved relative to one another. Both the inner and the outer top and bottom rams each comprise at least two ram tips, such that a respective pair of inner or outer top ram tips can interact with a pair of inner or outer bottom ram tips in a single die bore. The shape and dimensions of the die bore depend on the outer ram tips. In these rotary presses, the inner top and bottom rams are connected to the inner ram shaft including a mushroom head, while the outer top and bottom rams interact with roller-guided guide parts. A control cam is provided for driving the mushroom head of the inner shaft for the inner rams and for driving the roller-guided guide-parts for the outer rams, respectively, in the upper and lower cam tracks of the rotary press. Since the inner and outer rams can be controlled separately, more complex molded products having various shapes can be produced on a pitch circle in a die bore. The disadvantage of this press is that it needs a complex and precisely adjusted control process by means of two upper and lower cam tracks with very long upper and lower die holders, wherein the main station includes two pairs of pressure rollers arranged on top of one another.
It would therefore be advantageous for many fields of application if sequential production steps, which can optionally build upon one another, could be carried out in a single rotary press using simple constructive means.

Rotary press having rams with at least two height-staggered ram tips for carrying out a plurality of pressing operations during a rotation


A seal for pipe couplings and a method of connecting pipe elements. The seal has an elastic ring surrounding a rigid ring. The elastic ring has side portions connected by a recessed center portion. The recessed center portion has a diameter no greater than the final diameter of the elastic ring in its deformed shape which effects a fluid tight joint. The seal is positioned between segments of a pipe coupling. Pipe elements are inserted into the elastic ring against the rigid ring from opposite sides of the coupling. The segments are drawn toward one another by fasteners, compressing the side portions and effecting the fluid tight joint.

Mechanical couplings for joining pipe elements together end-to-end comprise interconnectable segments that are positionable circumferentially surrounding the end portions of pipe elements. The term "pipe element" is used herein to describe any pipe-like item or component having a pipe like form. Pipe elements include pipe stock, pipe fittings such as elbows, caps and tees as well as fluid control components such as valves, reducers, strainers, restrictors, pressure regulators and the like.
Each mechanical coupling segment comprises a housing having arcuate surfaces which project radially inwardly from the housing and engage plain end pipe elements, shoulder end pipe elements, or circumferential grooves that extend around each of the pipe elements to be joined. Engagement between the arcuate surfaces and the pipe elements provides mechanical restraint to the joint and ensures that the pipe elements remain coupled even under high internal pressure and external forces. The housings define an annular channel that receives a gasket or seal, typically an elastomeric ring which engages the ends of each pipe element and cooperates with the segments to provide a fluid tight joint. The segments have connection members, typically in the form of lugs which project outwardly from the housings. The lugs are adapted to receive fasteners, such as nuts and bolts, which are adjustably tightenable to draw the segments toward one another.
For installation ready couplings of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,131 to Gibb et al., the coupling segments are preassembled at the factory, i.e., bolted together, but supported on the seal in spaced apart relation, one of the features which allow the pipe elements to be inserted into the coupling without first disassembling it. To facilitate positioning of the pipe elements within the coupling so that their arcuate surfaces align with circumferential grooves in the pipe elements the seal will have a stop comprising a circumferential ring. The stop ring is positioned concentric with the seal between the sealing surfaces which engage the pipe elements. The stop ring projects radially inwardly toward the center of the seal. Pipe elements are inserted into the seal between the segments until they contact the stop ring. The bolts holding the segments together are then tightened, drawing the segments toward one another to compress the seal against the pipe elements and engage the arcuate surfaces with the grooves to effect a fluid tight mechanical joint.
Typically, the stop ring is made of the same flexible, resilient material as the seal. One disadvantage to such a construction is that a stop ring made of a soft, flexible material such as an elastomer can be damaged when pinched between the ends of the pipe elements, for example, during a bending test of the pipe joint or a major seismic event, where the pipe elements held by the coupling are substantially angularly displaced relative to the coupling. The pinched portion of the stop may become deformed, which is considered unacceptable for some applications. There is clearly a need for a stop ring which does not suffer the disadvantages described above to promote safety in critical fire protection systems while allowing for the economic advantages permitted by the use of installation ready couplings.


A liquid crystal display apparatus that includes a liquid crystal display panel having a liquid crystal layer held between a pair of substrates, a light source whose brightness is controllable, and a normalization processing circuit that converts an image signal to a normalized signal and to a normalization coefficient. In addition, the display apparatus includes an LCD driving circuit that converts the normalized signal to an LCD driving signal for driving the liquid crystal display panel, and a light source driving circuit that converts the normalization coefficient to a light source driving signal for driving the light source. The normalization coefficient is used to set pixel values in a blanking interval of a display screen, and the normalized signal is used to set pixel values in a display area of the display screen.

The present invention relates to the transmission method of the driving signal of a liquid crystal display apparatus.
Recently, a technology has been developed for use on a display apparatus, configured by a liquid crystal panel and a backlight, where LEDs (Light-Emitting Diode) are used on the backlight. An LED that reflects or guides light can be used as a surface light emitter of any shape and, due to its steep emission spectrum, can reproduce high-saturation colors. Another advantage is a high-speed driving control ability that allows the backlight brightness to be adjusted with the display on the liquid crystal panel.
A technology for controlling both video signals and the light source brightness is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3430998. For use on a liquid crystal display, this patent discloses an apparatus configuration and a method in which, with signal amplitude control unit and light source control unit, the video signals and light source brightness are controlled to maintain the average brightness for improving the contrast.
The apparatus further comprises a unit for calculating the maximum value, minimum value, and average value in a frame of received image data and a unit for measuring a change in the signals between frames in order to reduce the deterioration of signals such as flickering.
The technology disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3430998 measures the maximum value and the minimum value of the signals in a screen, calculates the gain and the offset, and corrects the amplitude range of the input signals to use the signals as display data and to adjust the brightness of the backlight of the liquid crystal display. To do so, it is necessary to detect the maximum value and the minimum value of the signals in the screen. According to the processing procedure of the disclosed technology, all signals in a screen must be received to give the measurement result. One of the problems with the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3430998 is that the time at which the signals are measured in a screen, the time at which the signals are corrected based on the measured result, and the time at which the corrected result is output are not well synchronized. In the configuration of the apparatus shown by the drawings and the description, the screen in which the signals are measured is not the screen in which the measurement result is reflected. Because a moving image signal in the screen varies from frame to frame, the dynamic range correction according to the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3430998 is inconsistent in principle.


A pacifier is arranged to include a base disc mounting a base plug, wherein the base plug is directed through the base disc mounting a nipple head. The nipple head defines an annular groove between the nipple head and the base plug at a front wall of the base disc to enhance grasping of the nipple by an infant, wherein the nipple head includes a first inwardly tapered base portion extending from the annular base directed to a second outwardly tapered base portion, in turn directed to a third inwardly tapered base portion that in turn is directed into a nipple head tip, wherein the nipple head is canted from the annular base towards the nipple head tip defining an undulating outer surface for enhanced grasping by an infant in use. The nipple head is arranged to include a cavity to contain a fluid or freezable gel to enhance soothing use by the infant. A modification of the invention is directed to the fluid accessed to the infant and replenished through an access plug directed through the base plug.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to pacifier construction, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved infant pacifier construction arranged to a simulate human breast portion for efficient and soothing use by an infant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pacifier construction of various types have been utilized throughout the prior art such as typified in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,909,253; 4,796,628; 4,697,589; and 4,898,171.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for a pacifier construction arranged to simulate a human breast in use and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A form, fill and seal packaging machine having at least one multi-channel former therein for forming a pair of streams of three side sealed pouches. The at least one multi-channel former includes a shaped top and an open central forming area in which a strip of material brought to the former by a drive means from a roller is bent over and is then folded into a unique figure 8 or infinity sign, tubular configuration as it exits from the bottom. The unique configuration is then side sealed and cut into two tubular elements, which are then bottom sealed, filled, top sealed and cut-off in the machine to form two separate streams of three side sealed pouches. The machine may have a number of separate forming areas therein and the unique tubular configuration from which the pouches are formed is provided by the unique shaped top, open central and exit configurations of the formers, over and through, which the strip of material is bent and folded.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to pouches, and more particularly, to a packaging machine for forming, filling and sealing three-sided, flexible pouches, and a method of making the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Because of the technical advances in film pouch forming, filling and sealing machines, more and more food and other products, are being packaged in flexible film pouches for ease in shipping, handling and dispensing, or for sale, as well as for health and sanitary reasons. Known form, fill and seal pouch forming machines are usually referred to as horizontal or vertical machines, and form pouches of various configurations utilizing one or more continuous webs of heat-sealable plastic film, taken off of rolls. The plastic film can also be provided with other layers of material, as needed or required. The finished pouches from such machines are generally sealed on four sides, after being formed in continuous streams from the roll or rolls of film, filled with a product, sealed, and then cut off in a continuous process.
The known machines also include packaging machines which form a single stream of three-sided pouches, and in particular, machines which form such single stream of pouches vertically, i.e., in which the material from which the pouches being are formed, filled and sealed travels from the top of the machine down toward the bottom thereof.
Known machines for forming three-sided packages or pouches include a former, generally made from sheet metal or other easily bendable material. The former takes the material, which is unwound from a supply roller, and folds the same into a tubular configuration around a mandrel and/or a pouch filling tube. A lap seal is then formed between the overlapping ends of the formed tubular material. The formed tubular material is then indexed through the machine, so as to first form a bottom cross seal, then to fill a partially formed package with material, and to then form a top seal, and to finally cut off the finally formed package or pouch. Sometimes, in an attempt to avoid the expense of shipping too much material, after some of the seals are formed on a pouch, the seals are trimmed off, to lower the weight thereof.
Examples of known single channel, vertical three-sided sealed pouch packaging machines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,482,373, 3,861,121, 4,117,647, 4,485,613, 4,676,051, 4,947,621, 4,964,263 and 5,231,817.
An example of a machines which forms four-sided pouches, but which utilizes formers to form tubular preforms for filling sealed thermoplastic bags with a fragile, low-density product, such as potato chips, corn chips, tortilla chips, etc., is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,794. In this machine, one or two continuous thermal plastic sheets of material are unrolled from rollers and advanced and formed into a plurality of vertical, tubular, preforms having vertical side seals on opposing sides thereof. The side seals are then cut and formed with bottom seals, and filled, provided with a top seal and cut off, as disclosed therein.
Still other machines, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,256,673 and 4,552,613, disclose a machine which forms two channels or streams of three-sided pouch packages, from two, side-by-side tube shaping devices. In these machines however, each channel or stream of pouches being formed is formed separately from the other, with identical formers, sealing mechanisms and cut-off mechanisms thereon.
Although existing packaging machines work well, they have numerous drawbacks and/or problems, such as the need for duplication of complex components and elements, and when forming three-sided packages or pouches, are incapable of quickly and simultaneously forming such pouches in a multichannel machine.
Furthermore, in today's highly competitive business environment, there is a constant need to lower costs and reduce materials usage, as well as the need for saving energy and the forming of pouches with more appealing, eye-catching appearances. Therefore, packages or pouches with only three sealed side edges are in demand, since they provide savings in energy and material, by, inter alia, decreasing the need to form a fourth sealed side. Additionally, three-sided pouches enable front and back graphics to be printed on the pouches and across the unsealed side, and to be more easily maintained in registration in the machine.
Therefore, there exists a need in the package and dispensing art for a machine and method for making a plurality of channels of three-side sealed pouches in a fast, economical and efficient manner, and which overcomes the known problems, while offering cost and energy savings over and above those known from prior art machines.

Three-sided pouches, machine and method of making


The present invention provides tweezers with a guage for holding and affixing the bracket accurately and precisely to the patient's tooth. Also, the present invention provides tweezers with a guage suitable for minimizing the operator's working time and difficulty. Therefore, there are provided tweezers comprising a pair of generally flat elongated members placed in an adjacent lengthwise relationship with one another, each member having a first end part and a second end part, the second end forming a gripping jaw which has a groove at the central section of its front surface; means for adjusting the bracket positioned between the members and extending along the longitudinal direction of the tweezers, said means for adjusting the bracket, including one end portion connected with the first end parts of the members and the other end portion formed as an adjustment plate extending along the groove of the gripping jaw, for accurately adjusting the position of the bracket and forming a reference point to measure distance when the adjustment plate is inserted into a slot of the bracket; and means for measuring distance between the end of tooth and a slot of the bracket, including a pivoting shaft and a number of plates which are stacked on each other and associated with at least one surface of the means for adjusting the bracket by the pivoting shaft.

The present invention relates to orthodontic tweezers used for affixing brackets to a patient's tooth, and more particularly to orthodontic tweezers with a gauge used for affixing and holding brackets precisely and accurately to the attaching position of the patient's tooth.
There are two types of orthodontic brackets. The first is an anterior bracket, designed for attachment to front teeth and the second is a posterior bracket, designed for attachment to back teeth. Generally, as can be seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2A, an orthodontic bracket is comprised of a base 31, a slot 32a, an identification mark 34, and a stem 36 having tie wing 32b.
The base 31 is slightly larger than the center section of the bracket 103 and is concave to conform to the surface of the patient's tooth. The chamfered slot 32a is slightly angled to the horizontal center line of the bracket 103 to receive an archwire 33 which makes an ideal dentition. The tie wing 32b, being of rhomboidal construction, is used for securing the labial tooth surface's not coming in contact with a ligature wire 35. The identification mark allows an orthodontist quicker identification when rebonding a loose bracket. The ligature wire 35 holds the archwire 33 which will make the ideal dentition after the bracket 103 is glued to the patient's tooth. The stem 36 is integrally formed on the base 31 in order to receive the ligature wire 35 or an elastic ligature.
To make a functional dentition, the orthodontist must glue the bracket 103 accurately 3.5 mm.about.5 mm away from the end of the tooth and rapidly onto the surface of the tooth, because orthodontic bonding materials are congealed within 30 seconds. Simultaneously, the orthodontist must glue the bracket 103 parallel to the vertical axis of the tooth, referring to a vertical scribe line (not shown) of the bracket 103.
Orthodontic tweezers in accordance with the prior art are generally either of the pretentioned or cross-over type, or the non-tensioned type as can be seen in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B. The non-tensioned tweezer has a gripping jaw which is not normally in the closed position, but rather must be closed by its user. The cross-over type, on the other hand, has a gripping jaw which is held in the closed position by tension formed by the shape of the tweezer. The user must apply pressure to the members to open the jaw, align the object upon which the tweezers are to be used with, and then reduce the pressure on the members so that the object is held by the gripping area.
The cross-over type is preferred over other designs for work requiring the object to be held securely and accurately, as the amount of force used to hold the object does not depend on the amount of pressure applied by the user. This is especially crucial in the orthodontics field and in the placement of brackets on the patient's teeth, because such brackets are very small and must be held securely and located precisely. Therefore, the preferred embodiment of the tweezers in accordance with this invention uses the cross-over design. However, this invention is not limited to such tweezers, and could also embody tweezers which are not the cross-over type.
On the other hand, to attach the bracket to the patient's tooth, the orthodontist generally uses various conventional tweezers for gripping the bracket. Also, to measure distance between the end of tooth and the bracket the orthodontist generally uses a gauge comprising four different measurement parts which allow the dentist to select the right height for any tooth or uses the naked eye. Using one or both of these methods, the orthodontist ascertains whether or not the bracket is in an accurate position.
However, the prior art system for attaching brackets discussed has limitations in that the bracket is sometimes not in an accurate and precise position and it takes the orthodontist a lot of time to attach the bracket.
The present invention provides tweezers with a guage which overcomes the above mentioned limitations of the prior art system for attaching the bracket. Tweezers with a guage according to the present invention can help the user attach the brackets more accurately and precisely to the patient's tooth and will serve well in the orthodontic field. Also, the user, using the tweezers according to its designated purpose, can more quickly attach the bracket to the patient's tooth with greater comfort.


A rotary coupling for communicating a pneumatic signal from a stationary pneumatic source to an apparatus. The rotary coupling has a housing and a rotating portion that rotates with respect thereto. The housing has at least two inlets in fluid communication with the pneumatic source. The rotating portion has at least two outlets in fluid communication with the apparatus. Inlet and outlet pairs are aligned radially relative to an axis of rotation of the rotating portion so that they are in fluid communication when the rotating portion is at an angular orientation at which the inlet and outlet pair are coincident. More than one inlet may be paired with an outlet, and vice versa. Channels can be formed to allow the inlet and outlet pairs to be in fluid communication when they are not coincident. Inlets and outlets can also be radially spaced different distances from the axis of rotation such that fluid communication between these inlets and outlets are blocked at all angular orientations of the rotating portion.

The present invention relates to a coupling connecting an article handler to a source of pneumatic signals, and particularly to a rotary coupling for selectively blocking and restoring fluid communication between a rotating article handler and the stationary pneumatic signal source. More particularly, the present invention relates to a rotary coupling that couples a rotating article handler associated with a heat seal machine to the stationary source of pneumatic signals and that controls the communication of the pneumatic signals therebetween.
Food processing equipment is frequently complex equipment having various translating or rotating moving parts. In addition, food processing equipment can employ pneumatic flow such as vacuum or forced air to either hold an article against an article handler or to separate the article from the article handler. What is needed is a rotary coupling that can couple a stationary source of pneumatic signals to a rotating portion of an article handler to allow fluid communication therebetween. Equipment manufacturers and operators of food processing equipment would appreciate food processing equipment having such a rotary coupling that is capable of communicating pneumatic flow through multiple channels and conduits, that is capable of restricting the communication of the pneumatic flow so that the pneumatic flow is available only during selected portions of the rotation cycle of the article handler, and that is capable of communicating both vacuum and forced air signals.
According to the present invention, a rotary coupling is provided. The rotary coupling controls the communication of pneumatic signals from a stationary pneumatic signal source to an apparatus. The rotary coupling comprises a housing having an inlet in fluid communication with the pneumatic signal source and a rotating portion received in the housing for rotation with respect thereto. The rotating portion has an outlet in fluid communication with the apparatus. The inlet and the outlet are radially aligned relative to an axis of rotation of the rotating portion so that the inlet and the outlet are in fluid communication when the rotating portion is at an angular orientation at which the inlet and the outlet are coincident.
In preferred embodiments, the rotary coupling connects a rotating article handler associated, for example, with a heat seal machine to the source of pneumatic signals. The pneumatic signal source can illustratively include a vacuum source or a source of pressurized air. A rotating shaft, including a conduit in fluid communication with both the article handler and the rotary coupling, rotates the article handler. As the shaft rotates, the rotating article handler alternately lifts articles using suction force when the rotary coupling connects the article handler to the vacuum source and releases the articles when the rotary coupling removes the suction by disconnecting the article handler from the vacuum source and connecting the article handle to the source of pressurized air.
The rotary coupling in accordance with the present invention controls and "programs" the communication of pneumatic signals from the pneumatic signal source to the article handler. The rotary coupling establishes the sequencing of the pneumatic signals as well as the timing and duration of the signals. As the shaft rotates, the coupling selectively blocks and restores fluid communication between the article handler and the pneumatic signal source to communicate the pre-programmed pneumatic signals at each portion of the rotation cycle of the article handler. In addition, the coupling can be readily and easily adjusted to retard or advance the timing of the pneumatic signals. Also, the sequencing of signals can be changed entirely simply by changing a stationary pad inside of the coupling, completely "reprogramming" the sequence of pneumatic signals.
The rotary coupling includes a housing defining a cavity. The housing includes an end cap and the stationary pad which is supported by the end cap inside the cavity in a radially fixed orientation relative to the end cap for slight axial movement relative to the end cap. The stationary pad has an opening extending through the pad that is in fluid communication with an opening in the end cap. The opening in the end cap is in fluid communication with the source of pneumatic signals.
The rotary coupling also includes the shaft having a first end coupled to the rotating article handler of the equipment and a second end having an end portion rotatably received by the housing. The end portion includes a rotating pad supported in the cavity for slight axial movement relative to the shaft but in a radially fixed orientation relative to the shaft. The rotating pad thus rotates relative to the stationary pad.
The stationary pad has a first sealing face that is preferably very finely machined, ground flat, and then lapped to near perfect flatness. Likewise, the rotating pad has a second sealing face that is preferably very finely machined, ground flat, and then lapped to near perfect flatness. The shaft is received in the housing so that the first sealing face sealingly engages the second sealing face.
Sealing engagement of the first and second sealing faces is achieved in part by providing the first and second sealing faces with near perfect flatness as described above. In addition, the stationary and rotating pads are mounted so that the pads axially "float" between the end cap and the end portion of the main shaft. This float is achieved by providing the axially slidable connections between the stationary pad and the end cap and between the rotating pad and the end portion of the main shaft and by yieldably biasing the stationary pad away from the end cap and yieldably biasing the rotating pad away from the end portion of the main shaft so that the stationary and rotating pads are biased toward one another.
The stationary pad is yieldably biased away from the end cap by o-rings made from a resilient material positioned to lie between the stationary pad and the end cap. Likewise, the rotating pad is yieldably biased away from the end portion of the main shaft by o-rings made from a resilient material positioned to lie between the rotating pad and the end portion of the main shaft. These o-rings allow the stationary pad to move sightly in an axial direction relative to the end cap and the rotating pad to move slightly in the axial direction relative to the main shaft. The o-rings also allow the pads to adjust so that pads are not necessarily precisely parallel to the end cap or the end portion of the shaft, thus ensuring the sealing engagement between the sealing faces when opposing faces of the end portion and the end cap are not precisely parallel.
The rotating pad is formed to include an opening that extends through the rotating pad. The opening in the rotating pad is in fluid communication with the article handler through the conduit of the shaft.
The opening in the rotating pad and the opening in the stationary pad are radially aligned so that the openings coincide during a predetermined portion of each rotation cycle of the shaft and the rotating pad relative to the housing and the stationary pad. When the openings in the stationary and rotating pads are coincident, the openings are in fluid communication so that the article handler is in fluid communication with the pneumatic signal source. When the openings in the stationary and rotating pads are not coincident, the sealing engagement between the first and second sealing faces blocks the fluid communication between the openings in the rotating and stationary pads, blocking the fluid communication between the pneumatic signal source and the article handler. Thus, the positioning of the openings in the stationary and rotating pads operates to program the rotary coupling to communicate the pneumatic signal from the pneumatic signal source to the article handler when the article handler is at a predetermined angular orientation.
The rotating and stationary pads can additionally cooperate to define an arcuate channel in fluid communication with the openings in the rotating and stationary pads at selected portions of the rotation cycle. The channel operates to maintain the fluid communication between the openings in the rotating and stationary pads during portions of the rotation cycle at which the openings are not coincident. The channel, in effect, lengthens the portion of the rotation cycle of the shaft during which the openings in the rotating and stationary pads are in fluid communication, thereby lengthening the duration of the communication of the pneumatic signal from the pneumatic signal source to the article handler.
Lengthening the channel lengthens the portion of the rotation cycle during which the openings are in fluid communication. In addition, the channels can be formed so that the openings are not centered within the channel. Instead, the channel can be formed, for example, so that the fluid communication starts earlier in the rotation cycle and ends earlier in the rotation cycle than would occur if the opening was centered in the channel. Likewise, the channel can be formed so that the fluid communication is restored later and is blocked later in the cycle than would occur if the opening were centered in the channel. It can be seen, then, that the channel can be used to alter both the orientation of the shaft at which the openings in the rotating and stationary pads are in fluid communication and the extent of the rotation cycle during which the openings in the rotating and stationary pads are in fluid communication, thus varying the timing and duration of the communication of pneumatic signals between the pneumatic signal source and the article handler.
It is preferred that the channel is formed in the stationary pad, however channels can be formed in both the stationary and rotating pads or in only the rotating pad without altering the scope of the invention as presently perceived. It can be seen that if the channel is formed on the stationary pad, for example, the sequencing and duration of the communication of pneumatic signals between the article handler and the pneumatic signal source can be easily changed by replacing the stationary pad with a different stationary pad having a channel with a different configuration than the channel on the replaced stationary pad.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.


An adhesive tape for electronic parts, comprising. (a) a heat resistant base film, and PA1 (b) an adhesive layer laminated on at least one surface of said base film, said adhesive layer comprising. (i) a resol type phenol resin, and PA2 (ii) an acrylonitrile/butadiene copolymer,. in a proportion of from 100 to 500 parts by weight of said resol type phenol resin per 100 parts by weight of said acrylonitrile/butadiene copolymer,. said resol type phenol resin being selected from the group consisting of bisphenol A type resins, alkylphenol type resins, phenol type resins and their co-condensed type phenol resins which contain as the phenol component at least one member selected from the group consisting of bisphenol A, alkylphenols and phenol.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to adhesive tapes for electronic parts, for example resin-sealed-type semiconductor devices, in particular, those used for fixing inner lead pins for lead frames in resin-sealed-type semiconductor devices.
2. Description of Prior Art
Adhesive tapes used in resin sealed semiconductor devices include tapes for fixing lead frames, die pad tapes, tab tapes and the like. In the case of, for example, adhesive tapes for fixing lead frames, the adhesive tapes are used for fixing inner lead pins and for increasing the yield and productivity of the lead frames themselves and of whole assembly procedures for the manufacture of the semiconductor devices, therefore they are generally attached on the lead frames by the manufacturer of the lead frames and conveyed to the manufacturer of semiconductor devices where they are sealed with a resin after mounting integrated circuits (IC's). In other words, the adhesive tapes are incorporated in the package of the semiconductor devices. Therefore, adhesive tapes, for example, those for fixing the lead frames, are required to have adhesion strength high enough not only at room temperature immediately after the taping but also after heating in IC assembly procedures as well as have general reliability for the level of semiconductors and operability or ease of handling at the time of taping.
Heretofore, there have been used as the adhesive tapes for fixing inner lead pins of the lead frames various adhesive tapes including, for example, those composed of a base film such as polyimide film on which an adhesive is coated which comprises polyacrylonitrile resin, polyacrylate resin or synthetic rubber resins such as acrylonitrile/butadiene copolymers alone or modified or mixed with other resins, and converted to the B stage.
As is well known, semiconductor devices are subjected to reliability tests under severe conditions such as in pressure cooker test (hereafter, "PCT"). Naturally, the adhesive tapes for fixing the lead frames in the resin molded package must surely have enough reliability under the same conditions. Among various reliabilities which the materials used in the semiconductor devices must have, particularly important for adhesive tapes for fixing lead frames is electric current leak characteristics. This corresponds to a phenomenon that electric current flows through the tape portion where the adhesive tape for fixing lead frame is attached, and smaller quantity of the electric current means better electric current leak characteristics.
On the other hand, the degree of integrity of semiconductor elements is recently improving remarkably and also miniaturization of semiconductors has been proceeding rapidly, resulting in that the number of lead frame pins has increased and the respective inner lead pins of the lead frames have become thinner. There is a tendency for the distance between the pins to become shorter. This leads to more severe requirement for accuracy of the positioning of the respective pins.
Under the circumstances, the semiconductor devices with the conventional adhesive tapes for fixing the lead frames do not show sufficient insulation properties between the inner lead pins and thus their electric current leak characteristics are poor. Moreover, it has been quite unclear which factors the electric current leak characteristics of the conventional adhesive tapes depend upon and how they can be improved.


This application provides wireless communications configuration methods and apparatuses. One method includes: receiving, by a service node of a server, a first packet sent by a client device, wherein a destination address of the first packet is an internet protocol (IP) address of the server; sending, by the service node, a second packet to the client device, wherein the second packet comprises the IP address of the service node; and receiving, by the service node, a third packet sent by the client device, wherein a destination address of the third packet is the IP address of the service node that is different from the destination address of the first packet.

Before accessing a server (such as a data center), a client first needs to establish a connection to the server. In a conventional technology, a transport layer connection is bound to a 5-tuple. Once the connection between the client and the server is successfully established, a 5-tuple used in a connection establishment process is not allowed to be changed; otherwise, the connection is disconnected.
In an actual communication process, the client usually initiates a connection establishment request by using an internet protocol (internet protocol, IP) address of the server (which may be, for example, an IP address of a front-end server of the server) as a destination IP address. Once the connection between the client and the server is successfully established, the IP address of the server that is used as the destination IP address of the client is bound to the connection, and is not allowed to be changed.
The server usually includes at least one service node, and a target service node configured to serve the client is one of the at least one network node (such as a topologically nearest node of the client). The IP address of the server is used as the destination address for all packets sent by the client, and the packets usually cannot be routed to the target service node based only on the IP address of the server. Therefore, in the conventional technology, the server needs to record a large amount of binding relationship information (which may be used to indicate the target service node corresponding to the client), so as to correctly route the packets sent by the client to the target service node. Continuous scale expansion of the server is accompanied with an increasing quantity of service nodes included in the server, and consequently the server needs to record an increasing amount of binding relationship information, causing high network overheads by recording a large amount of binding relationship information.

Packet sending method, network device, and computer-readable storage medium