A bottom frame for a liquid crystal display device includes a bottom surface, four side surfaces attached to the bottom surface, the four side surfaces along with the bottom surface define a space, first and second holes in two side surfaces, the first and second holes opposite to each other in two opposite side surfaces, and affixing structures at the bottom surface and spaced apart from each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to backlighting a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to a bottom frame for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, backlight assembly and LCD device using the same. Although the present invention is suitable for a wide scope of applications, it is particularly suitable for providing a space in a backlight assembly to improve durability, assembling characteristics and protection against heat.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A related art liquid crystal display (LCD) device uses optical anisotropy and polarization properties of liquid crystal molecules. The liquid crystal molecules have a definite alignment direction as a result of their thin and long shapes. The alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules can be controlled by applying an electric field across the liquid crystal molecules. In other words, as the intensity or direction of the electric field is changed, the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules also changes. Since incident light is refracted based on the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules due to the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal molecules, images can be displayed by controlling light transmissivity.
The LCD device includes a liquid crystal panel and a backlight assembly. The liquid crystal panel includes two substrates spaced apart and facing each other, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the two substrates. Each of the substrates has a transparent electrode, and the backlight assembly provides light into the liquid crystal panel from a rear side of the liquid crystal panel. Voltage is applied to each of the transparent electrodes such that an electric field is induced between the transparent electrodes. The alignment of the liquid crystal molecules and transmittance of the light emitted from the backlight assembly are changed by varying the intensity or direction of the electric field. Thus, the LCD device displays images by varying the intensity or direction of the induced electric field.
An active matrix LCD device has been widely used, because the active matrix LCD device has sufficient switching speed to display moving color images. The pixels of an active matrix LCD device are arranged in a matrix. Each of the pixel units include a switching element, such as a thin film transistor. The active matrix LCD device uses the thin film transistor in each of the pixel units as a controller for the pixel unit. The active matrix LCD device can have a backlight assembly that includes a cold cathode fluorescent lamp or an exterior electrode fluorescent lamp as a light source.
Generally, the backlights for LCD devices are divided into side type and direct type depending on the location of the light source relative to the liquid crystal panel. In the side type, a light guide plate is disposed at a rear side of the liquid crystal panel and light is emitted from a light source at a side surface of the liquid crystal panel that is redirected into the liquid crystal panel by the light guide plate. In the direct type, light from a backlight assembly, which is disposed at a rear side of the liquid crystal panel, is supplied directly into the liquid crystal panel from the rear side of the liquid crystal panel. An LCD device having a direct type backlight is widely used in large-sized TVs, computer monitors and so on, because the LCD device having a direct type backlight displays bright images.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a liquid crystal display device having a direct type backlight according to the related art. The LCD device includes several elements such as a liquid crystal panel 10, a backlight assembly 20 and mechanical elements. The mechanical elements modularize the LCD device. The liquid crystal panel 10 and the backlight assembly 20 are spaced apart and face each other. A main frame 40, such as a rectangular frame, wraps the side surfaces of the liquid crystal panel 10 and the backlight assembly 20. A bottom frame 50 is combined with the main frame 40 from underneath the backlight assembly 20 so that an exterior of the LCD device is supported and a light loss is prevented. A top frame 60, which wraps around front edge portions of the liquid crystal panel 10, is combined with the main frame 40 and the bottom frame 50 so that the LCD device is packaged as module.
A printed circuit board 12 is disposed on at least one side edge of the liquid crystal panel 10. A driving integrated circuit (not shown) is connected to the printed circuit board 12. The backlight assembly 20 includes a reflecting sheet 22, a plurality of fluorescent lamps 24, a couple of side supports 26 and a plurality of optical sheets 28. The reflecting sheet 22 covers inner sides of the bottom frame 50. The fluorescent lamps 24 are disposed parallel to each other within the reflecting sheet 22. A pair of side supports 26 are provided on opposite sides of the bottom frame 50 to affix the reflecting sheet 22 and the fluorescent lamps 24 to the bottom frame 50. The plurality of optical sheets 28 is disposed at an uppermost portion of the backlight assembly 20. Thus, light emitted from the fluorescent lamps 24 is treated to have a uniform brightness after passing through the plurality of optical sheets 28 such that a planar light is supplied to the liquid crystal panel 10.
A backlight assembly and LCD device using light emitting diode (LED) lamps instead of fluorescent lamps as a light source have been introduced, and the use of LED lamps has several advantages. When an LCD device uses LED lamps as a light source, the LCD device has greater brightness than an LCD device using fluorescent lamps. Thus an LCD device using LED lamps can easily display moving images. Also, because an inverter is not necessary, a driving integrated circuit of a backlight assembly using LED lamps has a simpler structure than a driving integrated circuit for fluorescent lamps.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a liquid crystal display device using LED lamps in a backlight according to the related art. A backlight assembly 30 includes LED lamps 33, metal core printed circuit boards (MCPCBs) 32, a reflecting sheet 34, a transparent window 36, and optical sheets 38. The backlight assembly 30 uses the LED lamps 33 as a light source.
The LED lamps 33 are disposed on each of the plurality of MCPCBs 32. The MCPCBs 32 are arranged on an inner surface of a bottom frame 50 and have a stripe shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the MCPCBs 32 are connected together via wires 39 between the MCPCBs 32.
A reflecting sheet 34 covers the plurality of MCPCBs 32 and the inner surfaces of the bottom frame 50. The reflecting sheet 34 has through-holes 35, each of which corresponds to one of the LED lamps 33, respectively. Thus, the LED lamps 33 protrude through the through-holes 35 in the reflecting sheet 34, respectively. The MCPCBs 32 are typically attached to the inner surface of the bottom frame 50 to hold the MCPCBs 32 in position such that the LED lamps 33 are properly positioned to protrude through the reflecting sheet 34.
Optical sheets 38 are disposed over the reflecting sheet 34 and the transparent window 36 is interposed between the optical sheets 38 and the reflecting sheet 34. The transparent window 36 has reflecting dots 37 corresponding to the LED lamps 33, respectively. Light, which is directly emitted from the plurality of LED lamps 33 or reflected by the reflecting sheet 34, is dispersed by the reflecting dots 37 of the transparent window 36 and changed into a planar light source for the liquid crystal panel 10. The LED lamps have outstanding optical properties and structural characteristics. Further, the backlight assembly using LED lamps includes similar mechanical elements as those in the backlight assembly using fluorescent lamps.
In FIG. 1, for example, a couple of side supports 26 not only affix the fluorescent lamps 24 to the bottom frame 50 but also protect a clip socket or a soldering portion by covering the clip socket or the soldering portion, which is a connection between electrodes at the edges of the fluorescent lamps 24 and the driving integrated circuit of the backlight assembly. However, as shown in FIG. 2, the couple of side supports 26 only aid in defining a space, in which the LED lamps are disposed on the bottom frame 50. Although the LED lamps radiate heat during operation, the bottom frame according to the related art in FIG. 2 does not have a provision for heat release or heat removal. Further, the MCPCBs 32 in the related art shown in FIG. 2 are difficult to replace because a defective MCPCB 32 has to be detached from the inner surface of the bottom frame 50 and the wires 39, and then a new MCPCB 32 has to be properly positioned, attached to the inner surface of the bottom frame 50 and rewired. Further, since the additional element of a transparent window interposed between the LED lamps and the plurality of optical sheets is required, the process of fabricating an LCD device with a backlight using LED lamps is more complicated than a LCD device with a backlight using fluorescent lamps.

Bottom frame for liquid crystal display device, backlight assembly and liquid crystal display device using the same


Bioavailable iron-containing parenteral nutrition compositions are provided that are physico-chemically stable. Iron is present in the form of soluble ferric pyrophosphate. Methods of preparation and use of the compositions are provide, as well as kits.

Parenteral nutrition (PN), also known as parenteral hyperalimentation, is a medical treatment that supplies nutrition-maintaining compositions intravenously, and is indicated for a variety of mammalian disorders, such as cancer, gastrointestinal diseases, major body burns, extensive wounds, and AIDS. Partial parenteral nutrition supplies only part of daily nutritional requirements, supplementing oral intake. Many hospitalized patients receive dextrose or amino acid solutions by this method. Total parenteral nutrition treatment (TPN) supplies all daily nutritional requirements intravenously, circumventing the gut. TPN may be employed following surgery, when feeding by mouth or using the gut is not possible, when a patient's digestive system cannot absorb nutrients due to chronic disease, or, if nutrition cannot be met by enteral feeding and supplementation. Premature and sick infants often require extended periods of TPN.
Compositions for parenteral nutrition generally contain at least water, glucose, amino acids, and optionally emulsified fats. They may be aseptically compounded from amino acid solutions, dextrose solutions, and/or lipid emulsions. PN compositions may further contain vitamins, electrolytes and essential trace elements.
PN compositions generally contain only negligible amounts of iron. Because of concerns about incompatibility and toxicity, iron is not routinely added to PN admixtures.
Patients who require TPN may develop iron deficient anemia despite administration of hematopoietic nutrients (e.g., folate, vitamin B12, pyridoxine, ascorbic acid, copper, zinc, and amino acids). Iron deficiency is a primary cause of anemia in patients receiving TPN and reflects a patient's inability to compensate for blood losses associated with underlying disease, multiple surgeries, or frequent phlebotomies.
Iron deficiency is corrected by the administration of iron-containing compounds. In general, healthy subjects who suffer from iron deficiency ingest oral preparations containing iron salts as a safe, cheap and effective means of replenishing iron stores. Patients, however, are frequently non-compliant with oral iron supplements due to associated gastrointestinal side-effects, e.g., nausea, vomiting, bloating, discomfort, indigestion, heartburn, and constipation. In patients receiving TPN, administration of oral iron may not be feasible either because the mechanical factors that preclude use of enteral nutrition also preclude the use of oral and/or enteral iron, or patients may not be able to absorb oral iron, such as patients with malabsorption syndrome. Furthermore, oral iron administration is commonly associated with unpleasant and/or deleterious gastrointestinal side effects thereby resulting in poor compliance.
Various forms of iron have been suggested for intravenous administration, including, by way of example, low molecular weight ferrous iron compounds, such as ferrous citrate or ferrous gluconate, and iron bound to polymeric materials, such as iron dextran and iron saccharates. Formulations containing simple iron salts, such as iron chloride, sulfate or ascorbate, are considered too toxic for parenteral administration, since transfer of these iron salts to the patient's blood liberates free iron, i.e., iron that is not bound to a natural or synthetic ligand, such as transferrin, or ferritin. Free iron, whether in its +2 (ferrous) or +3 (ferric) oxidation state, is a transition element capable of catalyzing free radical generation and lipid peroxidation. The ferrous (Fe(II)) ion is reactive, and by a series of cyclic redox reactions, leads to the production of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals by the Fenton reaction, or alkoxyl and peroxyl radicals from the breakdown of lipid peroxides. Likewise, the highly charged ferric (Fe(III)) aquo ion will tend to precipitate at physiological pH due to hydrolysis reactions to form insoluble hydroxides, and its interactions with plasma proteins may result in their denaturation and partial precipitation. All of these actions are toxicities with serious adverse effects and have prevented clinical use of conventional ferrous or ferric iron salts in formulations that are administered intravenously.
Colloidal iron compounds that are iron-carbohydrate complexes are currently formulated for parenteral administration of iron. In the United States, colloidal iron compounds approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for i.v. administration include iron dextran (INFeD®, Watson Pharma, Inc.; Dexferrum®, American Regent, Inc.), iron gluconate (Ferrlecit®, Watson Pharma, Inc.), or iron sucrose (Venofer®, American Regent, Inc.). Intravenous administration of colloidal iron compounds such as these is known to cause serious adverse effects, including pain, severe and/or life-threatening anaphylactoid reactions, organ toxicity, release of catalytically active iron that is associated with higher risk of or exacerbation of infection and possibly cancer, and oxidative stress and chronic inflammation that is causatively associated with atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and strokes (Physicians' Desk Reference, 58th Ed., pages 568-570, 3319-3322 (2004)). Furthermore, parenteral formulations containing conventional colloidal iron preparations have potent, but highly variable, cytotoxic potentials (Zager et al., 2004, Kidney Intl. 66: 144-156). Zager et al. concluded that parenteral formulations of colloidal iron complexes have potent cytotoxic potentials that can be exhibited at clinically relevant iron concentrations. The persistence of polymeric iron complexes in the circulation for several days following i.v. infusion may allow uptake by microorganisms and thereby promote microbial growth. Recent studies have also shown that i.v. administration of colloidal iron compounds may be associated with an increased morbidity and mortality from infections (Collins et al., 1998, J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 9: 205A). Therefore, the use of i.v. colloidal iron requires close monitoring for adverse patient responses with each administration.
It has been proposed that maintenance parenteral nutrition patients receive intravenous polymeric iron supplements. A prospective study to evaluate the intravenous iron dextran (Imferon®, Merrill National Laboratories, Cincinnati, Ohio, US) dosage needed to restore serum iron levels in patients receiving TPN showed that 87.5-175 mg/week iron effectively raised serum iron levels over a 3 week period (Norton et al, 1983, Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 7:457-461). For ease of administration polymeric iron dextran has been administered as an additive to parenteral nutrition mixtures (Porter et al, 1988, Journal of American College of Nutrition 7(2): 107-110).
The compatibility of iron with parenteral nutrition admixtures, however, has not been clearly established. One study has shown 1-day compatibility of ferrous citrate, a monomeric ferrous salt, with a single parenteral nutrition component, amino acid solution (Sayers et al., 1983, J. Parenter. Enteral Nutr. 7(2): 117-120). A second study has shown compatibility of iron dextran with amino acid-dextrose parenteral admixtures (Wan et. al., 1980, Am. J. Hosp. Pharm. 37: 206-210.) In contrast, several studies found that iron dextran added to TPN formulation caused breakdown of the admixture, coalescence of lipid droplets, and cracking and creaming of the lipid component (Driscoll et al., 1995, Am. J. Health-Syst. Pharm. 52:623-634; Vaughan et al., 1990, Am. J. Hosp. Pharm. 47:1745-1748). The effect of colloidal iron dextran on the stability of parenteral nutritional (PN) emulsions has been analyzed (Driscoll et al., 1995, supra). Driscoll et al. (1995, supra) determined that the trivalent cation content derived from colloidal iron dextran was the only variable that affected the stability of nutritional emulsions, accounting for approximately 60% of a potentially dangerous increase in fat particle sizes observed. In addition, a percentage of large fat particles (i.e., fat particles greater than 5 μm in diameter; PFAT5) that was greater than 0.4% was observed to be associated with unstable PN emulsions and disruption of their integrity.
Product labeling for each of the conventional colloidal iron-containing formulations warns specifically that the formulation is not to be added to parenteral nutrition solutions for intravenous administration (Physicians' Desk Reference, 58th Ed., pages 568-570, 3319-3322 (2004)). There is also concern that prolonged iron administration in parenteral nutrition may have undesirable adverse effects. Iron overload has been reported in children receiving prolonged iron supplementation in TPN (Ben Hariz et al., 1993, J Pediatr. 123: 238-241)
Consequently, there is a need for an alternative and more physiologic method of administering bioavailable iron intravenously as a component of a parenteral nutrition composition. The present invention addresses that need.

Parenteral nutrition composition containing iron


A combination of a mechanically driven chock and a truck trailer including a wheel chock having a bottom face, a top face, a slanted front face, and an arcuate rear face, the front face having a plurality of threaded bores formed therein, wherein a width of the wheel chock is equal to that of two wheels of the truck trailer in side-by-side relationship; and an air cylinder having a fixed portion coupled to an outer face of the mounting plate via a pair of brackets and situated at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal and a movable portion having a length equal to that of the fixed portion and an inboard end slidably situated within the fixed portion and extendible rearwardly and downwardly only upon the actuation thereof, the movable portion of the air cylinder further including a square planar plate coupled at a central extent thereof to an outboard end thereof in perpendicular relationship therewith, the plate being screwably coupled to the front face of the chock, wherein a portion of the movable portion of the air cylinder extends through the plate and is inserted within a central bore of the wheel chock, wherein the air cylinder is adapted to be actuated by a user within a cab of the truck thereby engaging the wheel chock with the frontmost wheel of the truck trailer such that the bottom face of the wheel chock resides in abutment with the ground.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to chocks and more particularly pertains to a new air cylinder-driven wheel chock for automatically inserting a wheel chock into position when desired.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of chocks is known in the prior art. More specifically, chocks heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art chocks include U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,158; U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,121; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 316,243; U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,170; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 348,966; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,905.
In these respects, the air cylinder-driven wheel chock according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of automatically inserting a wheel chock into position when desired.


An insulated cooler with a submersible internal circulating pump is provided. The insulated cooler includes a base, a plurality of sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom, and an open upper end defining an interior volume. The insulated cooler further includes a lid that is removably secured over the open upper end, wherein the lid includes multiple recessed cup holders with sidewalls that extend downwardly into the interior volume of the insulated cooler. The insulated cooler includes a submersible internal circulating pump operably connected to a system of copper tubing that winds around the sidewall of the recessed cup holders. When activated, the submersible internal circulating pump transports melted ice water through the tubing, which cools the sidewall of the recessed cup holders. In this way, the insulated cooler can cool objects within the interior volume and can cool beverages that are supported within the exterior cup holders.

The present invention relates to an insulated cooler. More specifically, the present invention provides an insulated cooler with a submersible internal circulating pump that is operably connected to a copper tubing that coils about multiple recessed cup holders. In this manner, the copper tubing delivers cooled liquid to coils to keep beverages placed within the recessed cup holder cold via a heat transfer process.
Coolers are commonly used by individuals during recreational activities. The cooler allows the individual to easily transport food and beverages to the desired locations. Specifically, the individual may fill the cooler with ice to keep the food and beverages cold throughout the duration of the transportation and the recreational activities. During the consumption of a beverage, the beverage can gradually become warm, especially when the individual is consuming the beverage outside in warm temperatures. This can leave the consumer having to drink a beverage at an undesirable temperature.
Many standard coolers include recessed cup holders molded into the lid. The cup holders in the standard coolers allow an individual to keep an active beverage within reach while they are near the cooler. While the beverages are placed outside of the interior of the cooler, the beverage will fail to maintain the desired consumption temperature. This will leave the beverage at an undesirable consumption temperature for the individual. An individual might prematurely discard of the beverage because the temperature of the beverage often affects the quality of the beverage.
Within the standard coolers, individuals must place ice into the interior volume of the cooler in order to ensure the contents of the cooler remain cold. While within the standard coolers, the ice may begin to melt resulting in the creation of excess water within the interior volume of the cooler. Often that water provides no additional function for the individual. This water created from the melted ice is usually discarded. Moreover, the individual will drain the water from the interior volume of the cooler to prevent the contents of the cooler from becoming oversaturated with the water. Providing an alternative use of that water will limit the wastefulness of discarding of the water.
Therefore, there is a defined need amongst the known prior art references for a cooler with a submersible internal circulating pump that transports water resulting from the melting ice within the cooler into copper tubing that coils about multiple recessed cup holders In this way, a beverage placed into a recessed cup holder may be maintained at a consumable temperature.

Insulated cooler with a submersible internal circulating pump


A system and method include receiving an input signal; transmitting high-frequency components of the input signal to a first converter; attenuating low-frequency components of the input signal to a predetermined level such that the low-frequency components of dither can be used to correct non-linearity errors introduced by the first converter; transmitting the low-frequency components of the input signal to a second converter; attenuating the high-frequency components of the input signal to a predetermined level such that the high-frequency components of linearization correction and dither can be used to correct non-linearity errors introduced by the second converter; converting the high-frequency components to form a first converted signal; converting the low-frequency components to form a second converted signal; and combining the first and second converted signals to form the output signal.

A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) converts a digital input code to an analog output signal. The output of a DAC may deviate from the ideal output due to variations in the manufacturing process and due to various sources of inaccuracy in the digital-to-analog conversion process. The transfer function of a DAC is a plot of the signal generated at the DAC output as function of the input code. Such a plot is not continuous but is a plot of 2N steps, where N is the resolution of the DAC in bits. For an ideal DAC, a single straight line can be drawn through the points at each code-transition boundary, beginning at the origin of the plot.
FIG. 1 shows a plot 10 an example of an ideal transfer function 12 for a 3-bit DAC with reference points at code transition boundaries. The DAC in this example produces a total of eight steps that each represents a value of a digital input code. The output signal reaches a minimum at code zero (000) and a maximum at code (111). Thus, the transition to the maximum output does not occur at voltage reference, Vref. The transition occurs at one code width, which is equal to a least significant bit (LSB). An LSB is Vref/2N.
Limitations in the materials used in fabrication and inaccuracies inherent in the conversion process itself cause the actual transfer function of a DAC to deviate from the ideal transfer function.
The deviation of a DAC's transfer function from a straight line is referred to as non-linearity. FIG. 2 illustrates a plot 20 of non-linear deviation between the ideal 12 transfer function and the actual transfer function 22 the exemplary 3-bit DAC. The differences between the ideal voltage levels at which code transitions occur and the actual voltage are referred to as non-linear errors. Non-linear errors may be expressed in LSBs (e.g., 1.3 LSB).
Nonlinearity affects performance, which is often characterized using parameters obtained via frequency-domain analysis and is typically measured by performing a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the analog output of the DAC. FIG. 3 shows a plot 30 of the DAC output in the frequency domain. The fundamental frequency is equal to the frequency of the digital input (i.e., the signal measured with the DAC). All other frequency components are unwanted signals that result from harmonic distortion, thermal noise, 1/f noise, and quantization noise. Some sources of noise may not originate from the DAC itself. For example, distortion and thermal noise originate from the external circuit at the input to the DAC.
Nonlinearity in the data converter results in harmonic distortion when analyzed in the frequency domain. Such distortion is observed as "spurs" in the FFT at harmonics of the measured signal as illustrated in FIG. 3. Nonlinearity also produces spurs within the Nyquist frequency of the DAC at frequencies that are not harmonics of the fundamental frequency. The ratio between the magnitude of the measured signal and its highest spur peak is referred to as "spurious-free dynamic range" (SFDR), and is often expressed in decibels (dB). The highest spur could be a harmonic of the measured signal or non-harmonic component, depending on the application. SFDR depends on the fundamental frequency of the input signal. As the fundamental frequency increases, the SFDR tends to decrease.

Low-spur low-distortion digital-to-analog converter


A fuel system for an engine is disclosed. The fuel system has a first source configured to pressurized fuel to a first pressure, and a second source configured to pressurized fuel to a second pressure. The fuel system also has a fuel injector configured to receive fuel at the first pressure and the second pressure, and a valve disposed between the fuel injector and the first and second sources. The valve is configured to modify the pressure of fuel from the first source based on a pressure of fuel from the second source.

Common rail fuel systems provide a way to introduce fuel into the combustion chambers of an engine. Typical common rail fuel systems include an injector having an actuating solenoid that opens a fuel nozzle when the solenoid is energized. Fuel is then injected into the combustion chamber as a function of the time period during which the solenoid remains energized and the pressure of fuel supplied to the fuel injector nozzle during that time period.
To optimize engine performance and exhaust emissions, engine manufacturers may vary the pressure of the fuel supplied to the fuel injector nozzle. One such example is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0168673 (the '673 publication) by Shinogle published Sep. 2, 2004. The '673 publication describes a fuel system having a fuel injector fluidly connectable to a first common rail holding a supply of fuel, and a second common rail holding a supply of actuation fluid (e.g., oil). Each fuel injector of the '673 patent is equipped with an intensifier piston movable by the actuation fluid to increase the pressure of the fuel. By fluidly connecting the fuel injector to the first common rail, fuel can be injected at a first pressure. By fluidly connecting the fuel injector to the first and second common rails, fuel can be injected at a second pressure that is higher than the first pressure.
Although the fuel injection system of the '673 publication may adequately supply fuel to an engine at different pressures, it may be limited and problematic. Specifically, because the fuel injection system of the '673 publication can inject fuel at only two different pressures, it may be limited from some applications. In addition, because the system utilizes two different fluids, namely fuel and oil, care must be take not to contaminate one fluid with the other. If contamination does occur, the engine may not operate as desired and could possibly suffer damage.
The fuel system of the present disclosure solves one or more of the problems set forth above.

Multi-source fuel system for variable pressure injection


In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a mobile communication terminal comprises a first display and a second display and a user interface for allowing a user to select one or more images to be displayed on either of the first and second displays, wherein images displayed on both the first and the second display are viewable from a first viewing angle.

Recently, the developments in mobile terminal fabrication techniques and mobile communication technology and the trend of digital convergence have resulted in mobile terminals being combined with various digital devices For example, an MP3 player, a digital camera, a TV receiver, or the like, may be combined in a mobile communication terminal for providing diverse supplementary functions such as video, music, games, banking transactions, image capturing, broadcasting, etc.
In particular, mobile terminals that can provide various display functions are receiving much attention. Accordingly, many mobile terminals on the market today include a camera module to provide a digital camera function, and more advanced mobile terminals include a camera module with performance of about 3 to 7 million pixels which is similar to typical digital cameras.
However, the related art mobile terminals include only a single camera and a single main display unit and provide simple functions similar to a basic digital camera, without taking advantage of other mobile terminals functionality.

Image capturing and displaying method and system


A portion of an AMF ball return system is disclosed wherein the ball lift belt is shown with two humps thereon, and when the belt is rotated, a bowling ball is compressed between a hump on the belt and the adjoining lift rail. A ball placed thereon rolls up the lift ramp and down the engaging hump while moving the ball.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to bowling ball return systems for bowling alleys, and particularly to an improved ball lift assembly for such a system and the ball lift belt thereof.
2. Description of Prior Art
This ball lift assembly is for use as a replacement for the original equipment ball lift assembly in AMF's (American Machine and Foundry's) ball return systems identified by AMF as their earlier KICKER ROLLER SYSTEM and their current P.B.L. (Positive Ball Lift System). Both these systems are currently in use.
In the Kicker Roller System, applicant's improved assembly replaces the ball return belt, and also the following items are eliminated: the ball door exit and the kicker roller assembly. In this system, kicker wheels spin around rubbing against the ball to force the ball up the track to the wedge position between a belt and the track. Once wedged, the belt's friction and movement carries the ball to the top of the lift. However, oil on the bowling lane is picked up by the ball as it rolls down the lane. Some of this oil gets deposited on the kicker wheels, creating slipping between the ball and the wheels, and the ball never reaches the wedge position resulting in a stuck ball. When this system was first introduced by AMF, it worked satisfactorily because there was much less oil used on the bowling lane. In recent years, with the much improved bowling balls, bowling lanes place much more oil on the lanes to control the ball's curving. This additional oil has created the problem that exists today, for this additional oil causes the additional deposits on the kicker wheels.
The newer system (P.B.L.) does not use kickers. This system allows the ball to free-fall into the ball exit opening and under the ball lift belt, onto a pressure plate referred to as the lift arm assembly. The ball pressure on the track rail assembly activates a ratchet assembly which raises the plate that the ball landed on. This raising pushes the ball up between the ball lift belt and the lift rail, creating the wedge of the ball between these items needed to lift the ball up the lift rail. The P.B.L. system pushes the ball up only a matter of inches, creating a weak partial wedge. Oil on the ball allows slippage and the ball falls back down, causing reactivation of the pressure plate to go up and come down again repeatedly, creating a yo-yo effect and a stuck ball.

Ball lift assembly for ball return system of a bowling alley


Aspects of the present invention disclose a method for deploying an application in a computing environment receiving an application module, determining values of a first set of metadata for the received application module, determining a classification of the received application module based at least in part on the values of the first set of metadata, and determining whether the received application is deployable in at least an off-premise system based at least in part on the classification.

The disclosure relates generally to the field of digital computer systems. The disclosure relates particularly to deploying an application in an environment comprising an on-premises system and off-premises system.
One of the most important imperatives for organizations may be to be able to move workloads from one environment to another as requirements change. For example, a workload might initially reside in a data center. However, if the application begins to require more compute and storage resources, the organization may decide to move application to a public cloud rather than acquiring more on-premises resources. In the journey to the cloud, organizations have to typically assess and decide for each and every business application, which may be intensive resource consuming.

Machine learning based application deployment

International Business Machines Corporation


An apparatus receives printing structured document data relating to data broadcasting, that has been described in a markup language. The received printing structured document data is parsed, and layout information for printing is extracted. The descriptions relating to printing that are included in the printing structured document data are changed into descriptions which can be parsed by a browser application capable of displaying contents described in a markup language, using the layout information. Thus, when printing data broadcast data in digital broadcasting, a suitable preview display can be made of printing data which has been generated from printing structured document data described in a markup language, using browser functions of a digital TV, before performing printing output of printing data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus (e.g., printer), a control method for the information processing apparatus, a display apparatus (e.g., digital TV broadcasting receiver), and a control method for display apparatus, for previewing print data generated from printing structured document data described in a markup language, before printout of the print data.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been known information processing apparatus which generate print data based on printing structured document data described in a markup language. A well-known example of such an information processing apparatus is a printing apparatus configured to handle digital TV broadcasting (hereafter referred to simply as "printer").
Japanese digital TV broadcasting includes so-called data broadcasting. The ARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Businesses) has stipulated that printing services should be able to be provided using this data broadcasting framework (hereafter referred to as data broadcasting printing).
Two general types of data broadcasting printing exist. The first method involves a digital TV broadcasting receiver receiving the actual printing contents included in data broadcasting data multiplexed with the broadcast waves, and transferring the printing contents to a printer. The printer uses the actual printing contents received and generates print data. Hereinafter, this method will be referred to as the "print file method".
The second method involves a digital TV broadcasting receiver receiving address information indicating where the printing contents are stored, and transferring the address information to the printer. The printer which has received the address information obtains the actual printing contents based on the address information, and generates printing data. Hereinafter, this method will be referred to as the "print URI method".
Standards for Japanese data broadcasting stipulate using a page description language (markup language) for data broadcasting called BML (Broadcast Markup Language). BML has been formulated based on XML (extensible Markup Language). The ARIB stipulates that data broadcasting printing is to conform to XHTML (extensible HyperText Markup Language)-Print and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) Print Profile. XHTML-Print stipulates elements and attributes of print data. Also, CSS Print Profile (hereafter abbreviated to "CSSPP") stipulates the layout, font size, and so forth of print data. That is to say, the printing contents data includes printing structured document data such as XHTML files and CSS files. Also, depending on the contents, MonoMedia data such as JPEG files or PNG files regarding which a path is described in the XHTML file is included. Hereinafter, description will be made with the understanding that printing contents data includes at least printing structured document data.
With both the above described print file method and print URI method, the printer generates the final print data. This is also as stipulated. That is to say, the printer parses XHTML files and CSS files, and performs rendering to generate bitmap data. Accordingly, digital TV broadcasting receivers such as digital TV sets basically are not provided with functions to parse printing contents and generate image data. Accordingly, in the event that the user desires to display an outline of the print data on the screen of the digital TV as a preview, a conceivable arrangement would be for the printer to generate printing image data, and transmit the printing image data to the digital TV. This method has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-112691.
BML browser applications and HTML browser applications (hereafter referred to simply as "browser") implemented in current digital TV broadcasting receivers are capable of displaying BML contents in normal data broadcasting and HTML contents ordinarily on the Internet, respectively. However, it has been difficult for such browsers to display printing structured document data encoded with XHTML-Print or CSSPP.
One reason is that parsing and rendering XHTML files for previewing requires a great amount of memory and CPU power. While digital TV broadcasting receivers do have memory and CPUs, previewing would require additional memory capacity and CPU power, increasing of which may not be feasible.
A second reason is that even if one attempted to display printing structured document data encoded with XHTML-Print or CSSPP using a BML browser or HTML browser, these browsers cannot suitably parse elements and attributes dependent on printing processing. Consequently, the display would be of a different layout and display from the actual print data, meaning that the preview does not work.
Further, with the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-112691, even in cases of just performing a preview, the printer has to first generate the print data, and then generate image data such as a BMP image or JPEG image. This leads to an increase in both processing time and processing load, and further, the printer needs an encoder and memory for generating data.

Information processing apparatus, control method for information processing apparatus, display apparatus, and control method for display apparatus


A probe assembly for use in electrical measurement of a device under test. The probe assembly comprises a plate-like probe base plate with bending deformation produced in a free state without load, and a plurality of probes formed on one face of the probe base plate to project from the face. All the tips of the probes are positioned on the same plane parallel to an imaginary reference plane of the probe base plate.

As a conventional electrical connecting apparatus of this kind, an electrical connecting apparatus having a probe assembly in which a probe base plate as well as a plurality of probes extending from the probe base plate are provided has been proposed (See Patent Document 1). This conventional electrical connecting apparatus can act pressure or tensile force from a supporting member supporting the probe base plate on a part of the probe base plate. Even if a bend is produced in the probe base plate of the probe assembly, the bending deformation of the probe base plate can be modified by the adjustment of this action, thereby maintaining the flatness of the probe base plate.
In producing a probe assembly, therefore, even if a bending deformation is produced in the probe base plate where probes are to be provided, the above-mentioned adjusting work after assembling the probe assembly into the electrical connecting apparatus enables to keep the probe base plate flat, so that the multiple probe tips extending from the probe base plate can be maintained on the same plane. This enables all the probe tips to surely contact an electrical connecting terminal corresponding to each of the above-mentioned probes of the electric circuit of the device under test, thereby obtaining a favorable electrical contact therebetween.
According to the conventional art described in Patent Document 1, however, it is necessary, at the time of assembling the probe card assembly into the electrical connecting apparatus, to adjust so that all the probe tips may be positioned on the same plane according to the bending deformation introduced into each probe base plate every time the probe card assembly is assembled into the electrical connecting apparatus. The work of adjusting to make all the probe tips contact properly with each corresponding electrical connecting terminal of the device under test is complicated and requires skill. Particularly, in testing of numerous integrated circuits formed on a semiconductor wafer, since the number of probes of the probe assembly remarkably increases, it is not easy to adjust to make such numerous probes contact properly each corresponding pad on the semiconductor wafer. Moreover, since such adjustment is necessitated every time probe assemblies are exchanged, there has been a strong desire to dispense with such adjustment.
[Patent Document 1] National Patent Public Disclosure No. 2003-528459 Official Gazette

Probe assembly, method of producing it and electrical connecting apparatus


An analysis method by which a surface impurity in a very small region can be specified, wherein an electron beam is accelerated with an acceleration voltage and irradiated upon a very small region of a specimen and a mass spectrometry of neutral surface impurity molecules desorbed from the very small region is performed. The acceleration voltage for accelerating the electron beam is set to a voltage with which desorption of the neutral surface impurity molecules by an electron stimulated desorption (ESD) effect occurs.

A failure in operation of an electronic circuit part, a relay contacting surface, an integrated circuit device such as an IC or an LSI or any other very small electronic part is caused in most cases by a contaminating impurity sticking to the surface.
Contaminating impurities can be roughly divided into the following three:
(1) organic molecules including negative atoms such as oxygen, chlorine or sulfur;
(2) hydrocarbon molecules; and
(3) organic molecules which include both of nitrogen and oxygen.
Since the cause of a failure in operation which takes place is different depending upon the type of the contaminating impurity, it is important and necessary to specify what the contaminating impurity is.
As methods of analyzing a contaminating impurity sticking to the surface of an object, a reflection type infrared absorption method, an ion irradiation mass spectrometry method and a slow electron energy loss analysis method are practically used. However, while those analysis methods are all applied where the analysis surface area for which it is required to perform an analysis is approximately (0.1 mm).sup.2 to (several mm).sup.2, in order to analyze the surface of a chip of a semiconductor device at present, the analysis surface area is required to be on the order lower than (.mu.m).sup.2. Accordingly, any of the analysis methods described above is not suitably used to analyze the surface of an electronic part.
Also a different method is available wherein an electron beam is irradiated upon the surface of a specimen and desorbed molecules are analyzed using a mass spectrograph. In this instance, it is possible to concentrate energy upon a very small region on the order lower than (.mu.m).sup.2 from a relationship of an electron wavelength, and it is possible to analyze the very small region.
From among the conventional analysis methods described above, the reflection type infrared absorption method, the ion irradiation mass spectrometry method and the slow electron energy loss analysis method are not suitable to analyze the surface of an electronic part since the area required for the analysis is large.
The method wherein an electron beam is irradiated and desorbed molecules are analyzed using a mass spectrograph allows an analysis of a very small region. However, the method has a problem in that, where different molecules have an equal mass number (for example, CH.sub.4 and O, CH.sub.4 OH and O.sub.2, and so forth), it cannot be specified what the contaminating impurity is.

Apparatus and method for analysis of surface impurities in a very small region


The invention relates to an improved mixing arrangement for, primarily, moving bitumen in steam from sources of such bitumen and steam to a reactor or coker for further processing of the bitumen into petroleum products. The invention provides a main conduit connected to an atomizing nozzle mounted in a wall of the reactor and first and second conduits for flowing bitumen and steam respectively into the main conduit. The first conduit is angled relative to the main conduit at an acute angle of about 45° and the second conduit is angled relative to the main conduit at an acute angle of about 30°. The second conduit is positioned upstream of the first conduit by a short distance of about 23 mm and may be angled radially relative to the first conduit by any angle, although a 90° angle is preferred. A flow accelerating nozzle is located in the second conduit adjacent the entrance therefrom into the main conduit The arrangement of the invention improves the flow characteristics of 2-phase material flowing to the atomizing nozzle, reducing pulsations in the main conduit and improving the resulting atomization of the bitumen in the reactor.

When bitumen or heavy oil is extracted from tar sands it is not initially in condition for further processing into usable petroleum products. Usually the bitumen is processed in a reactor or a coker, in which atomized droplets of the bitumen in a carrier such as steam are heated to produce low-boiling petroleum products. The efficiency of the coking process is enhanced if the bitumen droplets are of a uniform small diameter, of the order of 300 μm. In a typical installation the bitumen is introduced into a flowing stream of high pressure steam and preferably is broken down into bubbles or particles as the 2-phase mixture of bitumen and steam flows along a mixing apparatus which then pass through an atomizing nozzle into the interior of the reactor or coker for further processing therein.
One installation for achieving atomized bitumen in steam is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,789. It uses a mixing assembly or apparatus as is illustrated in FIG. 1 therein, wherein an atomizing nozzle 20 is mounted in the wall of the reactor, a cylindrical conduit 24 is attached to the nozzle and a pair of parallel conduits 25 and 26 are provided for introducing steam and bitumen respectively into the main conduit 24, conduit 26 being downstream of conduit 25. It will be noted that the conduits 25 and 26 meet the conduit 24 generally at right angles with respect thereto. A flow-accelerating nozzle 22 is provided in the conduit 24 between the junctures of the steam and bitumen conduits 25 and 26 with the conduit 24. The nozzle 22 is intended to increase the flow velocity of the steam to improve break-up of the bitumen into bubbles or droplets. A valve is shown at the end of the conduit 24 opposite the atomizing nozzle 20 and upstream of the steam conduit 25, for use in introducing a cleaning rod into the conduit 24. The rod is used to clear blockages within the conduit 24 and the atomizing nozzle 20. It will be apparent that the minimum orifice size of the nozzle 22 cannot be less than the diameter of the cleaning rod, since the nozzle 22 is located within the main conduit 24. Otherwise, the cleaning rod could not pass along the full length of the main conduit. This places a limitation on the efficiency of the entire apparatus.
The above installation is an improvement over previous installations but it is not without its faults, occasioned primarily by the manner in which the conduits 24, 25 and 26 are arranged relative to each other. There are problems with flows because of the 90° relation between the conduit 24 and each of the conduits 25 and 26. Furthermore, there are problems in arranging the conduits in and around the reactor due to the relative positioning of the various conduits.

Mixing arrangement for atomizing nozzle in multi-phase flow


A complete Outdoor Kitchen. A modular and connected array of kitchen cabinets; BBQ; kitchen sink with running water; powered standard household appliances; refrigerator, coffee maker, juicer, toaster, microwave. This system allows the Outdoor Kitchen the ability to greatly improve the organization of food preparation, allows for improved food storage, improved health and safety of food and cleaning. The Outdoor Kitchen collapses and hinges closed into a compact rain tight box approximately the size of a pick-up tool box. This kitchen unit can be used as a commercial vending unit for tailgate parties, camping or on your patio at home. This kitchen unit can be fitted for use in a pick-up truck bed, rear bumper of a car, rear bumper of a van, or rear bumper of an RV. It can also be built into the side of an RV.

1) Field of the Invention
An invention that addresses the need for improved health and safety of outdoor cooking, i.e.
a) Safety in the storage of fresh foods for long periods of time that must be refrigerated or kept frozen.
b) Safety in storing other types of foods away from germ carrying insects.
c) Provides built in sink and running water for sanitary dish washing.
d) Provides enhanced clean, organized, convenient storage for non refrigerated foods.
e) Provides enhanced clean, organized, convenient storage for cooking utensils, just like in your kitchen at home.
The invention, in addition is a complete kitchen that is portable, collapsible for easy transportation and storage, rain tight when closed for storage, and is self contained with:
a) A small generator, inverter, solar or battery powered electrical supply.
b) Its own water supply.
The Kitchen can be fitted to be transported by a pick-up truck, a van, on the rear of a car, on the rear of an RV or built into the side of an RV cargo area on slides.
The Kitchen can optionally be used as a free standing unit on a rolling stand that can be used all year long on your back yard deck or patio.
2) Description of the Background Art
Conventional outdoor cooking, whether out camping, at tailgate parties, special events or commercial street vending is a disorganized and sometimes unsanitary process. It consists of a collection of ice chests, shopping bags, BBQ's, pots, pans, and utensils. All of this is to be able to cook meals in the open air.
Several camping box designs have been developed in an attempt to solve some of the universal health, safety and storage problems with cooking outdoors. None, however, have disclosed a collapsible, complete kitchen array with improved dry storage, cold storage, utensil storage, sanitary food preparation areas, water supply and electrical power supply as provided in this invention.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,944 B1, issued on Feb. 20, 2001 reveals a food service kiosk in the shape of a vehicle.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,599, issued on Dec. 14, 1993 reveals a cabinet designed for the storage of basic kitchen utensils, cookware and food stuffs designed for use by campers and work crews in remote locations.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,270 issued Jun. 22, 1999 reveals a portable modular field kitchen including a horizontal work surface and main frame for supporting and stabilizing a work surface.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,157, issued on Nov. 4, 1997 reveals a portable kitchen for storing and preparing food products comprising a main box having a table, a sink and front panel.    U.S. Pat. No. 376,933 issued Dec. 31, 1996 reveals a portable kitchen cabinet.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,708 issued Sep. 27, 1994 reveals a foldable kitchen sink suitable for use as either an outdoor sink or outdoor table with an attachable outdoor grille and/or outdoor dishwater bucket.    U.S. Pat. No. 311,114 issued Oct. 9, 1990 reveals a tailgater portable kitchen w/cabinets.    U.S. Pat. No. 291,047 issued Jul. 28, 1987 reveals a portable outdoor kitchen with deep fat fryer on rollers.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,327 issued Dec. 26, 1978 reveals a portable picnic and camping cabinet table for storing picnic and camping supplies.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,817, issued Nov. 17, 1987 reveals a portable food holding device comprising a table section with foldable legs and cover adapted to maintain food in chilled or heated condition.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,234 issued Feb. 23, 1993 reveals a kit comprising a lunchbox and carrying pouch.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,509 issued Nov. 2, 1993 reveals a container converting between a briefcase, a food and beverage carriage, and mini cooler.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,560 issued Nov. 16, 1993 reveals a receptacle for a spoon and fork.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,545 B1 issued Feb. 5, 2002 reveals a grill or kitchen unit for outdoor use and includes a cooking unit which is translatable between a position over a heat source and a position laterally adjacent to the heat source.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,914, issued Dec. 3, 1996 reveals a camping kitchen caddy comprising a carrying case having first and second pivotally connectable case members, a chopping board, and a compartment form fitted to receive a frying pan and a coffee pot.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,540, issued Jan. 26, 1999 reveals a portable kitchen, toilet and shower unit including a sink bowl, a sink tap, a work top, a cupboard, and a water container.


Salts with formula X−M+ wherein M+ is Li, Na, K, an ammonium, a phosphonium, an imidazolium, a pyridinium, or a pyrazolium and X− is an anion formed from covalent linking of two negative moieties to a positive onium-type core are provided. Also provided are electrolytes and batteries produced from these salts.

In solvents, either a non-protogenic, often referred to as "aprotic", liquid or polymers bearing polar groups such as ethers, esters or nitriles, there is no solvation of the negative X− charge when attempting to induce ion conduction, i.e. forming an electrolyte, by dissolving a salt X−M+ in such media. Solubility then dissociation of the ion pair X−M+ is thus only effective when the anion X− does not require stabilization by forming hydrogen bonds, as in water, alcohols or amides RCONHR′ where R or R′═H, an organic radical. Thus the main anions used in practice are ClO4−, BF4−, PF6−, AsF6−, SbF6−, RfSO3−, [(RfSO2)2N]−, and (RfBF3)− where Rf═CnF2n+1, (0≧n≧8). Another family of anions are the so-called "Hückel anions", such as 2-trifluoromethyl-4,5-dicyano-imidazole.
A main driving force for designing new anions is in the field of lithium batteries, in particular for highly conductive electrolytes where the polarizing lithium M+=Li is the countercation. The electrolyte in lithium batteries is subjected to extreme oxidizing conditions on the positive electrode side and extreme reducing conditions on the negative electrode side. ClO4− leads to explosive mixtures with organic solvents and polymers; BF4− and RfSO3− lead to a poorly conductive solution due to ion pairing; and AsF6− and SbF6− have as a core a heavy, highly toxic element. [(RfSO2)2N]− or its higher homologues {CF3SO2N[S(O)(CF3)N]nSO2CF3}− are resistant to oxidation, but they do not passivate aluminum which is the only affordable positive electrode current collector. Most lithium batteries use LiPF6 as a solute, which is far from satisfactory mainly since the salt has a propensity to equilibrate as LiPF6⇄LiF+PF5, the latter being a highly reactive Lewis acid, progressively destroying the solvent undergoing carbocationic chemistry. Another problem with all the salts containing fluorine is the release of highly toxic HF in the case of fire, an incident that occurs presently at a rate of a few ppm/cell, unacceptable for large scale applications, like electric road transportations. Presently, it has been impossible to avoid using fluorine, the most electronegative element, to impart resistance to oxidation to the anions. For instance the Bis(oxalatoborate) anion {[(C2O4)2]B}− evolves CO2 above 4 Volts vs. Li+:Li°.

Anions and derived salts with high dissociation in non-protogenic solvents


The present invention relates to a system and method (“Bid System”) for topologically subdividing and defining the detail scope of work and for inter-linking construction plans and specifications to construction contracts and subcontracts. The Bid System permits full, clear and unambiguous definition of the scope of work under each subcontract, so as to eliminates errors and uncertainty relating to contract performance. The Bid System establishes a series of electronic overlays to the digitized construction plans corresponding to different trades or categories of work, in which each overlay may be divided into a series of optimized topological subdivisions or “boxes” which uniquely identify and locate on the plans a portion of the work to be performed. The system includes linkage of the overlays and boxes to the subcontracts whereby the scope of work to be bid is accurately associated or “mapped” to corresponding regions and overlay category on the architectural drawings or construction plans. This mapping of overlays to plans constitutes a system of almost-orthogonal equations having the property of progressively increasing transparency as the typical size of the subdivisions is reduced. The system and method also permits a bi-directional flow of information from the various entities involved in the bid process so as to enhance the clarity and detail of work description of both the contracts and the plans and specifications, thus permitting more efficient and effective monitoring and management of contract performance. Internet-based embodiments of the Bid System of the invention are described, including a central-server remote host Internet embodiment in which the transmittal of data, including plans, overlays, contracts, bids, comments, edits, changes and the like are via the Internet, the Bid System being operated principally on a central remote host operated by a Bid System Service Provider (BSSP). Distributed host Internet embodiments are also disclosed.

The construction industry is one of the cornerstones of the US and world economy. For example, in 1997 the construction industry in the US for more than 500 billion dollars of GNP. More than 200 billion dollars are spent on the construction of new dwellings each year.
A substantial portion of the cost of construction is due to the expenses of cost estimation, the administration of the bidding process, contract and sub-contract management, generating documentation needed for financing, and allowances for contingencies. In addition, major cost increments are frequently experienced due to errors in cost estimation, mistakes in bidding, and in dispute resolution with respect to contract obligations, performance responsibility and change orders. Indeed, it can be said that major cost overruns are more typical than not. It has been estimated that such contingencies and problems add 30% or more to the overall cost of the work, and resultant schedule delays cause further consequential losses. Given the enormous size of this sector of the economy, the cumulative inefficiencies, errors and uncertainties in the construction bidding process and in the administration of construction contracts represent a very important source of lost economic value to society.
A particular problem in the traditional approach to construction contract bidding, cost estimation, and management of contingencies stems from the inability to sufficiently detail the work description. In the existing approach to bidding, the plans and specifications are circulated with a description of the work to be bid to the respective subcontractors to price a portion of the work. Each subcontractor then estimates labor, material and administrative costs and profit based on the scope of work required. Each subcontractor's estimation of the scope of work is influenced by the subcontractor's own interpretation of the plans and specifications, and is based also on each subcontractor's assumptions as to the respective performance responsibilities of the general contractor and the many other subcontractors. Mistakes and inconsistencies of interpretation of the plans and the scope of each bid are difficult, if not impossible, to avoid in traditional bidding.
Experience has taught contractors and subcontractors to add very substantial allowances to the bid price for the resulting contingencies, uncertainty, delays and dispute resolution costs. Likewise, owners and lenders of necessity also must allow for these contingencies and uncertainties, increasing the cost of capital and loan administration. In addition, the traditional bidding process does not provide an effective opportunity to correct errors, omissions and ambiguities in the plans and specifications prior to submission of the bids and awarding of contracts. Further, and of increasing significance, is the slow, by-hand and by-phone process of exchange of bid and contract management documentation and information.
These problems are manifest in spite of architect-prepared plans and sound engineering practice. Even where computer assisted design ("CAD") drawing and specification systems are employed, experience shows that there remains real uncertainty as to exactly what aspects of the project work are the responsibility of which subcontractor, and exactly how much labor and exactly what materials will be required for which subcontractor's performance. Likewise, portions of the scope of work which are inadvertently excluded form the subcontracting bids create additional contingencies and uncertainties for the general contractor, and controversies, often expensive and protracted, sorting out responsibility and liability for work and payment of costs.
If each bidding contractor and subcontractor could know that the work bid could be completed at a given bid price, there would be little need for contingency bidding. Likewise, an accurate and completely detailed description of the work being bid or constructed would assist in preventing or quickly resolving disputes concerning contract obligations and performance.
If information generated during the bidding process could be interactively channeled back and forth between the general contractors, architects and owners before the finalization of the contracts, many mistakes and ambiguities in the plans and specifications could be corrected in time, e.g., prior to contract let, to avoid change orders and disputes. When post-contract changes to the plans or specification are required due to circumstances which are unforeseeable at the time of bidding, a completely detailed description of the change of scope of work, and of the extent of needed modification of the general contract and each subcontract would allow such change orders to be managed quickly and fairly.
What is needed, and is not present in the prior art, is an interactive, computerized system and method, preferably communication enabled via the Internet, LANs or WANs, for controlling the construction bidding and contracting process to provide a certain and complete description of the scope of work required under each contract and subcontract so as to avoid inconsistencies, omissions, ambiguities and mistakes in the interpretation of plans and specifications, and for the ongoing management of the financing, and construction management phases of the project. What is also needed, and not present in the prior art is a means and method for systematically linking the construction plans and specifications to the bid and contract generation process so as to provide an interactive, bi-directional flow of information to increase the accuracy, completeness and clarity of both the contracts and the plans.

Building construction bid and contract management system, internet-based method and computer program therefor


An electrically neutral composition in the form of a water-in-oil or an oil-in-water emulsion is imparted with a unipolar electrostatic charge on spraying from an aerosol spray device by incorporating into the composition a non-ionic surfactant and at least one polar or ionic or aromatic or linearly conjugated compound. The amount of the polar or ionic or aromatic or linearly conjugated compound included in the composition is about 0.01 to about 80% w/w based on the non-ionic surfactant, but is such that the theoretical conductivity of the emulsion is less than the bulk conductivity of the emulsion.

The present invention relates to aerosol compositions and, in particular, compositions in which the droplets are imparted with an electrostatic charge on spraying from an aerosol spray device and in which the electrostatic charge on the droplets is maximized through the inclusion in the compositions of certain selected components.
Aerosol spray devices are a convenient form in which a variety of useful products, such as insecticides, air fresheners, antiperspirants, hair sprays, horticultural products, waxes and polishes, oven cleaners, starches and fabric finishes, shoe and leather care products, glass cleaners and various other household, institutional, professional or industrial products, can be dispensed.
The utility of aerosol spray devices resides in the ability to readily deliver the composition contained within the device in the form of fine droplets to the target area, for example the spraying of an insecticide onto target insects.
In International Patent Publication No. WO 97/28883 there is described a method of precipitating airborne particles from air in a domestic environment containing such particles in which the air to be treated is sprayed with liquid droplets from an aerosol spray device with a unipolar charge being imparted to the droplets during the spraying of the liquid droplets by the aerosol spray device, the unipolar charge being at a level such that the droplets have a charge to mass ratio of at least +/−1×10−4 C/kg.
In International Patent Publication No. WO 99/01227 there is described a method of killing flying insects by spraying into the air in which the insects are flying liquid droplets of an insecticidal composition, a unipolar charge being imparted to the liquid droplets by double layer charging and charge separation during spraying, the unipolar charge being at a level such that the said liquid droplets have a charge to mass ratio of at least +/−1×10−4 C/kg. An apparatus for imparting the unipolar charge of this magnitude to a liquid composition is also described.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Limited


Disclosed is a modular circuit system for use in a wiring system. The modular circuit system includes a circuit box and a fitting. The circuit box includes fitting prong receptacles that are in electrical communication with ground, neutral and hot wires from the wiring system. The fitting includes a plurality of prongs configured for insertion into the fitting prong receptacles of the circuit box. The insertion of the fitting prongs into the fitting prong receptacles places the fitting in electrical communication with circuit box. The modularity of the circuit box and fitting permit the exchange of various fittings into the circuit box.

Electrical circuit boxes are used to provide connections within an electrical conduit wiring system. Prior art circuit boxes provide the space behind electrical fittings, such as power outlet sockets and light switches, which is necessary to make the electrical connections between the fitting and the wiring system. Circuit boxes of this type may be referred to as a "pattress" or "pattress box." These circuit boxes are typically installed inside a wall and concealed from view by a cover plate connected to the fitting.
In the past, electrical cables were manually pulled through the circuit box and manually connected to the fitting. This is usually accomplished by connecting the wires directly to the fitting with screws or lugs, or by connecting lead wires to the circuit with wire nuts. In many cases, wires are spliced, stripped and looped in the limited space behind the fitting to make the necessary connections. The connection of the wires in this manner increases the risk that an electrical short will occur as the wires and fitting are placed into the box after connection. Additionally, the placement of the connection behind the fitting frustrates the inspection of the electrical circuit after installation. Utilizing the prior art connection method also makes it more difficult to exchange fittings after the initial installation. For these and other reasons, there is a need for an improved method and mechanism for connecting switches, outlets and other fittings to the electrical wiring system in a building.

Modular circuit boxes and associated components


Embodiments of a transmitter and methods for puncturing bits are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, a multicarrier transmitter performs bit puncturing for pilot subcarriers in two operations. The first operation may uniformly removes bits from an encoded bit stream to achieve a predetermined code rate reserving space for pilot subcarriers of a predetermined number of antennas. The second operation may remove bits from each spatial data stream after interleaving in a manner to achieve approximately equal spacing between the punctured bits before interleaving. In this way, a conventional interleaver may be used. The second operation reserves space for pilot subcarriers when a greater number of antennas than the predetermined number are used.

Some multicarrier communication systems, including Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) systems, use symbol modulated subcarriers to communicate data through a communication channel. Data is transmitted on data subcarriers and most of the training values are transmitted on pilot subcarriers. The training values in the pilot subcarriers allow a receiver to obtain channel state information and synchronize with the transmissions. In some communication systems, the transmitter creates space for pilot subcarriers by puncturing bits at the symbol level before transmission. One problem with puncturing at the symbol level is that the code bits in the punctured symbols are not uniformly distributed at the bit level resulting in an increased packet error rate and reduced receiver performance.

Multicarrier transmitter for multiple-input multiple-output communication systems and methods for puncturing bits for pilot tones


A method for predicting motion compensation for determining of an input image based on a motion vector of the input image from this input image to a reference image which has been sampled at a first set time, and the method includes calculating a motion vector of the input image based on a move, at a second set time, of a block unit which is a part of the input image and consists of a plurality of pixels, and calculating a motion vector of the reference image based on a move, at the first set time, of a block unit which is a part of the reference image and consists of a plurality of pixels. Move compensation of the input image is calculated both from the motion vector of the input image and from the motion vector of the reference image, to thereby realize a method for determining motion compensation with high precision.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for determining motion compensation of a moving image to be utilized in an apparatus which requires a prediction of a moving image such as an image transmission apparatus and an image apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the progress of semiconductor technologies, methods for determining motion compensation to be utilized for a transmission of an image and a compression of an image have been widely used in many fields in recent years. Among such conventional methods for compensating for motion of a moving image, there is one method for compensating for motion of a moving image based on one piece of a reference image.
FIG. 6 is a diagram for showing the concept of the conventional method for compensating for motion of an image. Referring to FIG. 6, a moving image signal is a set of images which are sampled with an equal time interval tO on the time axis. For example, an NTSC signal that has images sampled at every 1/60 second for each field and a PAL signal has images sampled at every 1/50 second for each field. When a certain object of which images are to be picked up is moving, for example, the spatial position of an object A in an M-th image is deviated from the spatial position of an object A′ in an (M−1)-th image by a portion of a move of the object during a period of tO. Now, consider a case for predicting the M-th image from the (M−1)-th image. In order to make a determination of the M-th image with a high level of precision by compensating for motion of the object from an input image to a reference image during a time difference of tO, the M-th image is divided into blocks including at least one pixel, and a move of each block from the (M−1)-th image to the M-th image is detected so that a pixel value of the image at a position deviated by the portion of this move is set as a determined value. This will be explained with reference to FIG. 6. To obtain a determined value of a pixel X of the M-th image, a pixel X′ at the same spatial position as the spatial position of the pixel X in the (M−1)-th image is deviated by a detected move MV of a block unit including the pixel X′, so that a pixel X″ is obtained. This pixel X″ is then used as a determined value of the pixel X. In FIG. 6 the block is assumed to have a size of 3×3.
When a signal is an interlace sisal, there are many alternative cases considered for predicting compensation for motion of an image. For example, either a frame or a field is used for the image, and a frame is used for a reference image and a field is used for an input image, etc. The basic principle is as explained with reference to FIG. 6 above. As one of the examples of the above method for predicting motion compensation, there is Recommendation 723, "Transmission of component-coded digital television signals for contribution-quality at the third hierarchical level of CCITT Recommendation G.702" which was standardized by the CMTT (Commission Mixte CCIR/CCITT pour les Transmissions Televisuelles et Sonores 3). In this recommendation, a determination of motion compensation between frames and a determination of motion compensation between fields are suitably changed over between the two cases. As described above, according to the conventional method for determining motion compensation of an image, a determination is made by compensating for motion of the image based on detected motion of the image. Therefore, the conventional predicting method can predict motion compensation with a high level of precision even if an image is a moving image including movement.
The above-described conventional method for determining motion compensation, however, has problems that it is not possible to accurately determine motion compensation and that, even if it is possible to correctly determination of motion compensation, the image density of an image to be referred to becomes the image density of a reference image, which makes it impossible to make prediction at a higher level of precision.
For example, in the case of determining motion compensation by using an interlace signal as a frame and generating a block from this frame, frames are combined together to compensate motion of an image by disregarding a difference in sampling positions, due to a time difference, between two fields within a frame. Accordingly, when correct sampling positions of the fields are considered, there is such a case that motion compensated in the first field and motion compensated in the second field do not coincide with each other. An example of this case is shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C. Referring to FIGS. 7A to 7C, an input signal is an interlace signal (FIG. 7A). Interlace signals are combined together in a frame to determine motion compensation. When a vertical component of a motion detected now is 1, the first field of the M-th frame is predicted from the second field of the (M−1)-th frame and the second field of the M-th frame is predicted from the first field of the (M−1)-th frame, as shown in FIG. 7B. Moves in the correct field positions is shown in FIG. 7C. As is clear from FIG. 7C, the motion for effecting compensation in the first field of the M-th frame do not coincide with the moves for effecting compensation in the second field of the M-th frame. As explained above, when motion compensation of an image is made by handling an interlace image as a frame, the motion for effecting compensation are different between the first field and the second field. In a vector in which this phenomenon occurs, there is a problem that the precision of the level of prediction is deteriorated.
Next, consider a case of determining motion compensation of an image as an image of n correct position without disregarding a time difference of sampling between images as described above. As examples of this case, there is a case where motion compensation is determined for an interlace signal by generating a block from a field, and a case where motion compensation is determined for a noninterlacing signal. In the above cases, motion compensation is predicted by using an image at a position of a correct time. Therefore, there arises no such problem which occurs in the case of determined motion compensation by generating a block from a frame of the interlace signal as described above. However, in this case, motion compensation is determined from one piece of reference image and the pixel density of an image to be referred to becomes the pixel density of the reference image, so that there is a limit to carrying out a determination of motion compensation at a higher level of precision. FIG. 8 shows a case of determined move compensation by generating a block from a field for an input of an interlace signal. In this case, determination of motion compensation is carried out by using a field image as a reference image. Therefore, when a motion vector is O there is no sampling point at a position necessary for making a determination on the reference image and, accordingly, a pixel value, or a determined value, must be calculated by interpolation within the field, as shown in FIG. 8, for example. As compared with the care for compensating motion by generating a block based on a pixel value within a frame, the case for compensating motion based on the field has a pixel density in a vertical direction which is half of the pixel density in the case of compensating a moved based on a frame. Thus, there is a limit to carrying out a determination of motion compensation at a high level of precision when motion compensation is carried out based on a field. This problem also arises when motion compensation is carried out by using a non-interlace signal as an input. In both cases, the pixel density of the image to be referred to becomes the pixel density of the reference image, and there is a limit to carrying out a determination of motion compensation at a higher level of precision.

Method for determining motion compensation

Matsushita Electrical Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method and system of testing an overspeed protection system of a turbomachine may include providing an overspeed protection system on a turbomachine having at least one shaft. The method may: determine whether a permissive or permissive(s) is satisfied; initiate an overspeed test; automatically adjusting the speed of a shaft; determining if the speed exceeds an overspeed trip value; and automatically disabling the automatic adjustment of the speed after the test is complete.

The present invention relates to a protection system of a turbomachine; and more particularly to a method and system for electronic overspeed protection on a turbomachine.
An overspeed condition occurs after the speed of a shaft on a turbomachine exceeds a specified range. During the overspeed condition, a turbomachine typically experiences severe mechanical and thermal stresses that can cause a catastrophic failure. Generally, the turbomachine is equipped protection systems, which attempt to minimize the effects of an overspeed condition. The governor system of the turbomachine generally serves as the primary line of protection system. Upon detecting an overspeed condition, the governor attempts to decrease the speed of the turbomachine. There may also be, generally, two independent secondary lines of protection: a) an overspeed protection system trip, typically set around 110% of operating shaft speed; and b) a emergency protection system trip, typically set around of operating shaft 113% speed. Typically, an overspeed protection system incorporates mechanical, electrical, and software components to safeguard the turbomachine.
Turbomachine operators periodically test the overspeed protection system to determine whether or not the system is functioning properly. There are a few common methods of testing an overspeed protection system.
One method utilizes a multi-channel frequency generator to simulate the speed of the turbomachine. Here, a simulated speed signal, on a single channel, is injected into the control system of the turbomachine. This simulated signal replaces the actual speed signal of the turbomachine. The simulated signal is raised to a speed where the overspeed protection system would trip the turbine. The aforementioned process is repeated with the remaining frequency generator channels.
Another method involves a turbomachine operator manually adjusting the actual turbine speed while the unit is operating. Here, prior to testing, the turbomachine is customarily operating in a full-speed-no-load (FSNL) condition. FSNL is a condition where the turbomachine is at a normal operating speed and not exporting energy to a load such as a generator, compressor, or the like. This method typically involves manually raising the speed until the unit trips. For example, during testing some turbomachine operators raise the speed to 110% of the normal operating speed; thereafter the overspeed system should trip the turbine on overspeed. Typically, the 110% overspeed trip set point may be changed at the direction of a turbine machine operator.
There are a few problems with the current methods of overspeed testing. Regarding the method that utilizes a multi-channel frequency generator, the overspeed protection system is not fully tested. As mentioned, that method only simulates the shaft speed. Hence, the actual shaft speed is not used during the testing. Thus, the method does not determine whether or not some of the mechanical and electrical components of the overspeed system are functioning correctly.
Regarding the method that involves manually adjusting the shaft speed, this method has a few problems. Manually adjusting the shaft speed introduces random and high thermal transients. Also, the method ends in a high-speed trip. Moreover, a trip at a speed well above the normal operating speed, such as 110%, can introduce large mechanical, electrical, and thermal stresses on the turbomachine components, which decreases the maintenance interval. After the trip, a re-start of a turbomachine is required. A re-start delays the export of energy, such as electricity to a utility grid, and a re-start also consumes fuel and other resources. These effects from the trip and subsequent re-start increase the operating expenses of the turbomachine. To avoid the potential problems associated with a high-speed trip, some turbomachine operators lower the overspeed trip set point. For example, the 110% set point is lowered to 100%, in order to reduce the high-speed trip effects. Here, however, the overspeed protection system is not fully tested since the turbomachine is not tripped at the default overspeed trip set point.
These problems, as discussed above, drive turbomachine operators to avoid overspeed testing.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a method and system for testing an overspeed protection system that does not utilize a device that simulates the shaft speed nor cause a trip. The method should automatically adjust the shaft speed and not require a re-start.

Method and system for testing the overspeed protection system of a turbomachine


A process and apparatus for controlling the moisture content of soil deposited in a furrow during seed planting comprises tilling the soil to an adjustable depth to expose soil corresponding to a reference soil moisture setting, selecting covering soil from the exposed soil having a moisture content that matches the moisture content of the reference soil moisture setting, and depositing the covering soil over the seed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to implements for use in agriculture and more particularly to implements for planting seed crops.
2. Background of the Invention and Description of the Prior Art
Motorized or mobile implements for planting seed are known in the prior art. One example is the "Vacumeter" planter implement manufactured by Deere & Company under the John Deere brand name. Each unit is a single chassis that includes devices for surface preparation, discs for forming a furrow, a seed dispenser for depositing the seeds into the furrow, closing wheels to close the furrow over the seeds, and a press wheel for "firming" the soil into the furrow so that the seeds are in close contact with the soil. The chassis, which is equipped with wheels, is typically towed by a tractor to provide preparation of the furrow, planting the seeds, and closing the furrow all by a single machine. Multiple planter units of this type may be ganged together to plant seed in multiple parallel rows. A disadvantage of this type of planter is that it offers no provision for planting the seed in soil having a specified moisture content that is favorable for seed germination.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,560 issued to Carter describes a "System for Controlling Vertical Displacement of Agricultural Implements into the Soil." The system operates to "maintain the depth of a planter (or tiller) at a soil depth of optimal moisture content" in response to the output of a soil resistivity sensor. The system eschews the use of planter structures as electrodes, but includes other structural features said to improve the accuracy of the soil resistivity measurement. It is limited to using the soil resistivity measurement to control the vertical displacement of the tiller implement corresponding to the moisture content indicated by the resistivity measurement. A disadvantage of this system is that it lacks the ability to control the moisture content of the soil used to cover the seed deposited into a furrow. Further, the system of Carter seeks a moisture level regardless of the depth it must go to reach soil having a suitable moisture content. Thus, the depth into which the seed is deposited may be the wrong depth for that type of seed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,282 issued to Christy et al., a "Device for Measuring Soil Conductivity" is disclosed that develops a soil conductivity measurement from voltage and current measurements taken by first and second pairs of coulters used as electrodes. The system is adapted to provide data on topsoil texture and depth, and also soil conductivity at two or more soil depths. The system is used to gather and map accurate data about soil properties but does not apply the measurements directly during its operation to optimize planting in response to parameters such as soil moisture content.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,204,689, also issued to Christy et al., for a "Mobile Soil Mapping System for Collecting Reflectance Measurements" describes optical apparatus for collecting spectroscopic measurements of soil properties in a field, specifically to determine soil carbon levels and other related properties. Again, the disclosed system is a data gathering and mapping system that is not adapted to directly using such data to control the planting of seeds in a field.
In the planting of particular types of seed it is desired to plant the seed so that it is placed in soil having the optimum moisture content for germination. Planting the seeds at some depth corresponding to a desired moisture content is only an approximation, and may not be a desirable depth for other reasons. Different types of seed thrive during the germination phase at differing depths and differing moisture content, often depending on the particular variety of seeds and the type of soil. It would be preferred that seeds could be planted at their recommended depth for the seed variety under local conditions and be provided soil at that depth that had the preferred moisture content. The foregoing systems are unable to accomplish this in real time during the planting operation.

Method and apparatus for planting seed crops


The occurrence of micro-crack is prevented at the root of a thermally sealed area of casing materials even if a thick electric device element is sealed. Film covered battery 10 has cell element 13 to which leads 12a, 12b are connected, and casing films 11 for sealing cell element 13 with leads 12a, 12b extended therefrom. Casing films 11 are thermally sealed along the periphery to seal cell element 13. Thermally sealed area 13 of casing films 11 is positioned between both surfaces of cell element 13 in the thickness direction of cell element 13. On a side of casing films 11 from which leads 12a, 12b are not extended, close contact zone 15, in which casing films 11 are not thermally sealed to each other but are in close contact with each other, is formed continuously to a space which receives cell element 13. Close contact zone 15 has a length of one-half or more of the distance from one end to the other end of an inner edge of thermally sealed area 14.

Conventionally, as a film covered battery which uses a thermally sealable film as a casing material, there is known one which has a structure in which a cell element is covered with a laminate film, and open edges of the laminate film are thermally sealed, with lead ends of a positive pole and a negative pole connected to the cell element protruded from the laminate film, thereby hermetically sealing (hereinafter simply called "seal" in some cases) the cell element. The laminate film used herein is made up of a metal layer and a thermally sealable resin layer laminated to each other. This type of film covered battery has the advantage of being readily reduced in thickness, and most of conventional film covered batteries have flat shapes.
Like those using other casing materials, a battery which uses a film for a casing material is also required to ensure the sealing reliability in a sealed portion so as to prevent introduction of external air into the battery and leakage of an electrolytic solution in the battery. Particularly, for a battery which includes a nonaqueous electrolytic solution (hereinafter sometimes called the "nonaqueous electrolytic battery"), the sealing reliability is critical. Defective sealing, if any, would cause the electrolytic solution to deteriorate due to components of external air, so that the battery performance significantly deteriorates.
Also, in a battery which uses a film for a casing material, particularly when a cell element has a certain degree of thickness, the film is generally deep-draw molded in the shape of a cup in conformity to the outside shape of the cell. This is intended to improve a cell element containment efficiency and to improve the outer appearance of the battery.
As such a conventional film covered battery, JP-A-2000-133216 discloses a battery in which a casing material made of an aluminum laminate film is formed with a cup area conformal to the outside shape of a cell element through deep-draw molding, and the casing materials are thermally sealed near the cell element. According to this document, by forming the casing material with the cup area conformal to the outside shape of the cell element, the occurrence of wrinkles is prevented even if the casing materials are thermally sealed to each other quite near the cell element for sealing, thus providing a volumetrically efficient battery.

Film covered electric device and method of manufacturing the same