A method for cryogenic air separation wherein at least a portion of the feed air to the cryogenic air separation plant is partially condensed and the resulting two-phase feed air stream is turboexpanded to produce refrigeration and a resulting two-phase feed air stream, which has a liquid portion less than that of the input two-phase feed air stream to the turboexpander, prior to being passed into the cryogenic air separation plant.

This invention relates generally to cryogenic air separation and, more particularly, to the provision of refrigeration for the cryogenic air separation by the turboexpansion of feed air.
One important aspect in the cryogenic rectification of feed air to produce one or more products such as oxygen and nitrogen, is the provision of refrigeration to the process to drive the rectification. One method for providing such refrigeration is the turboexpansion of a compressed gaseous process stream to generate refrigeration which is then provided into the cryogenic air separation plant. Often the turboexpanded process stream is a feed air stream and the refrigeration is passed into the cryogenic air separation plant for the rectification with the turboexpanded feed air.
The turboexpansion of feed air to generate refrigeration for cryogenic air separation is energy intensive. Any improvement to such turboexpansion operation would be highly desirable.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved method for carrying out cryogenic air separation wherein refrigeration is provided by the turboexpansion of a feed air stream with reduced power requirements over conventional systems.
The above and other objects, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure, are attained by the present invention which is:
A method for producing at least one product by the cryogenic rectification of feed air comprising:
(A) partially condensing a flow of feed air to produce a first two-phase flow of feed air having a liquid phase portion which is not more than 99 percent of said first two-phase flow of feed air;
(B) passing said first two-phase flow of feed air to a turboexpander, and turboexpanding the said first two-phase flow of feed air in the turboexpander to produce a second two-phase flow of feed air having a liquid phase portion which is less than the liquid phase portion of the first two-phase flow of feed air;
(C) passing the second two-phase flow of feed air to a cryogenic air separation plant comprising at least one column; and
(D) separating the feed air by cryogenic rectification in the cryogenic air separation plant to produce at least one product.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ctwo-phase flowxe2x80x9d means a fluid having both a liquid phase and a vapor phase.
As used herein, the terms xe2x80x9cturboexpansionxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cturboexpanderxe2x80x9d mean respectively method and apparatus for the flow of high pressure fluid through a turbine to reduce the pressure and the temperature of the fluid thereby generating refrigeration.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ccolumnxe2x80x9d means a distillation or fractionation column or zone, i.e. a contacting column or zone wherein liquid and vapor phases are countercurrently contacted to effect separation of a fluid mixture, as for example, by contacting the vapor and liquid phases on a series of vertically spaced trays or plates mounted within the column and/or on packing elements which may be structured packing and/or random packing elements. For a further discussion of distillation columns, see the Chemical Engineers"" Handbook fifth edition, edited by R. H. Perry and C. H. Chilton, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, Section 13, The Continuous Distillation Process. The term, double column, is used to mean a higher pressure column having its upper end in heat exchange relation with the lower end of a lower pressure column. A further discussion of double columns appears in Ruheman xe2x80x9cThe Separation of Gasesxe2x80x9d, Oxford University Press 1949, Chapter VII, Commercial Air Separation.
Vapor and liquid contacting separation processes depend on the difference in vapor pressures for the components. The high vapor pressure (or more volatile or low boiling) component will tend to concentrate in the vapor phase whereas the low vapor pressure (or less volatile or high boiling) component will tend to concentrate in the liquid phase. Partial condensation is the separation process whereby cooling of a vapor mixture can be used to concentrate the more volatile component(s) in the vapor phase and thereby the less volatile component(s) in the liquid phase. Rectification, or continuous distillation, is the separation process that combines successive partial vaporizations and condensations as obtained by a countercurrent treatment of the vapor and liquid phases. The countercurrent contacting of the vapor and liquid phases is adiabatic and can include integral or differential contact between the phases. Separation process arrangements that utilize the principles of rectification to separate mixtures are often interchangeably termed rectification columns, distillation columns, or fractionation columns. Cryogenic rectification is a rectification process carried out, at least in part, at temperatures at or below 150 degrees Kelvin (K).
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cindirect heat exchangexe2x80x9d means the bringing of two fluid streams into heat exchange relation without any physical contact or intermixing of the fluids with each other.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ccryogenic air separation plantxe2x80x9d means the column or columns wherein feed air is separated by cryogenic rectification, as well as interconnecting piping, valves, heat exchangers and the like.
As used herein, the terms xe2x80x9cupper portionxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clower portionxe2x80x9d of a column means those portions respectively above and below the midpoint of the column.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cproduct oxygenxe2x80x9d means a fluid having an oxygen concentration equal to or greater than 80 mole percent.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cproduct nitrogenxe2x80x9d means a fluid having a nitrogen concentration equal to or greater than 97 mole percent.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cfeed airxe2x80x9d means a mixture comprising primarily nitrogen and oxygen, such as ambient air.

Cryogenic air separation with two phase feed air turboexpansion


A non-volatile memory system may include a non-volatile memory die storing a requested data set that a host requests to be read. In response to the host request, a copy of a data set may be retrieved from the non-volatile memory die without performing error correction on an entry identifying a physical address where the data set is stored. If the data set copy matches the requested data set, the data set copy may be sent to the host. If the data set copy does not match the requested data set, then error correction may be performed on a copy of the entry to identify the correct physical address where the requested data set is stored. A copy of the requested data set may then be retrieved and sent to the host.

A non-volatile memory system may receive a host read request from a host that requests the non-volatile memory system to read a data set. Upon receipt of the host read request, the non-volatile memory system may determine a physical address that identifies where in a non-volatile memory array of the non-volatile memory system the data set is stored. The host read request may identify the data set by identifying a logical address in the host read request. A controller of the non-volatile memory system may be configured to translate the logical address to the physical address by maintaining a directory system that maps logical addresses to physical addresses. The directory system itself may be stored in the non-volatile memory array along with other data that the host has requested to be stored. When the host read request is received, if the controller needs to access the directory system in the non-volatile memory array to obtain a mapping of the logical address and physical address, the controller may need to determine where in the non-volatile memory array the mapping is stored, retrieve the mapping, and perform error correction on the mapping before the controller retrieves the data set from the non-volatile memory array. Such actions consume time and other read operations with improved read efficiency may be desirable.


There is provided a solid-state image sensor which can optimize the I-V characteristics of MOS transistors on drive side and load side, and which can improve the sensitivity by maximizing the small-signal AC gain of a source follower amplifier. According to one embodiment of the invention, a CCD solid-state image sensor has a floating diffusion type charge detecting amplifier composed of at least one drive side MOS transistor and at least one load side MOS transistor. In a substrate of one conductivity type, there are formed two wells of the opposite conductivity type independently. The drive side MOS transistor is formed in the first well which is deeper from the top surface of the semiconductor substrate. The load side MOS transistor is formed in the shallower second well. It is possible to further improve the AC gain by depleting or neutralizing the first well for the drive MOS transistor, and at the same time neutralizing the second well for the load MOS transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state image sensor, and more specifically to a solid-state image sensor having a floating diffusion type charge detecting amplifier in an output circuit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 schematically shows one conventional CCD imager of an interline transfer mode. This imager includes a two-dimensional (area) array of photosensors 1 and vertical registers 3. Each of the photosensors 1 constitutes one pixel element and accumulates signal charge corresponding to incident light flux. Each of the vertical shift registers 3 is provided for a unique one of vertical columns of the array. The accumulated charge is transferred instantaneously through a readout gate (or transfer gate) 2 into the associated vertical shift register 3 during a part of the vertical blanking interval, and the signal charge is shifted downwards in the vertical shift register 3. The photosensor array and the vertical shift registers 3 constitute a photosensitive imaging section (or area) 4. In this example, the photosensors 1 are photodiodes, and the vertical shift registers 3 are CCD (Charge Coupled Device) shift registers.
Then, the signal charges are transferred from the vertical shift registers 3 to a horizontal shift register 5 sequentially during a part of the horizontal blanking interval. The horizontal register 5 receives a series of signal charges corresponding to one scanning line at each time. From the horizontal shift register 5, the signal charges are transferred one after another to a floating diffusion (FD) 6 in the horizontal scanning interval of a television signal. The floating diffusion 6 is connected to an amplifier 7 for detecting signal charges. The amplifier 7 of this example is a two-state source-follower amplifier. The source-follower amplifier 7 generates an electric signal (such as a voltage signal) corresponding to the signal charge. The source-follower amplifier 7 has at least one drive side MOS transistor 8 and at least one load side MOS transistor 9.
FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional structure of the conventional source-follower amplifier 7. As shown in FIG. 2, the drive side MOS transistor 8 and the load side MOS transistor 9 are formed through a P well (P type region) 12 in and on a substrate of the CCD image sensor. The substrate of this example is an N type substrate 11. The P well 12 functions to achieve electrical isolation of active regions including the regions of the MOS transistors 8 and 9 from the backside of the substrate 11.
In the conventional source follower amplifier 7, however, the drive side MOS transistor 8 and the load side MOS transistor 9 are both formed in the single well 12 having a uniform structure. Therefore, the I-V characteristics of both transistors 8 and 9 are substantially the same, and it is not possible to optimize the characteristics of both transistors at the same time. The conventional source-follower amplifier 7 is, therefore, fabricated at the expense of the I-V characteristic of the load side MOS transistor 9 so that a short-channel effect (a greater drain conductance) remains. As a result, the gain of the amplifier is considerably limited as explained later.

Solid-state image sensor output MOSFET amplifier with MOSFET load


A dump body for use on an off-highway rubber-tired haulage vehicle includes a floor, a pair of sidewalls, and a front wall. The floor includes a forward edge, a pair of side edges, and a rear edge generally defining a spillway. A plurality of load bearing beams are mounted to a bottom surface of the floor and are disposed generally parallel to and straddling a longitudinal axis of the floor. Each of the sidewalls includes a lower edge mounted to a corresponding one of the side edges of the floor, each sidewall further including a forward edge, a rearward edge, and a top edge. The front wall includes a bottom edge, a top edge, and a pair of side edges, with the bottom edge mounted to the forward edge of the floor. Each of the side edges of the front wall is mounted to the forward edge of one of the sidewalls. The floor, the pair of sidewalls, and the front wall defining a payload space, and the rear edge of the floor, the top edge of each of the sidewalls, and the top edge of the front wall cooperate to define a perimeter generally surrounding the payload space. A perimeter beam is mounted to and extends along the perimeter.

The present invention relates generally to off-highway rubber tired haulage vehicles, such as dump trucks. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved dump body for use on such dump trucks.
Dump bodies for off-highway rubber tired haulage vehicles are typically constructed from a plurality of flat plates that have been welded together. According to common practice, dump bodies include a flat floor, flat sidewalls, and a flat front wall. Many times a cab protector, which is also flat, is attached to the top edge of the front wall in order to protect the truck cab during loading operations. A typical known prior art dump body is shown in FIG. 1.
It is known that flat plates are generally not well suited for carrying loads perpendicular to their surface. Although flat plates can be stiffened somewhat by increasing the thickness of the plates, in dump body applications merely thickening the plates is not a desirable option, as such an approach increases the weight of the dump body, thus lowering the hauling capacity of the haulage vehicle.
Accordingly, most dump bodies for the aforementioned haulage vehicles are constructed with flat plates which have been stiffened using a system of criss-crossing stiffeners on the external surfaces of each of the bottom wall, the sidewalls, the front wall and the cab protector. These stiffeners are designed to help distribute the loads carried by the dump body more evenly across the dump body structure. However, the multitude of stiffeners required again increases the weight of the dump body, and thus exacts the aforementioned haulage capacity penalty. Further, the many interconnecting stiffeners are costly and labor intensive to fabricate and weld in place, and many of the resulting connections may be subject to metal fatigue, thus shortening the effective service life of the dump body.
Accordingly, there exists a continuing need for improvements in dump body design.

Dump body having a perimeter beam for use on an off-highway rubber-tired haulage vehicle


An electronic chip package includes a base defining a fluid inlet opening for receiving pressurized fluid from a fluid source and a fluid outlet opening. A dielectric body is arranged on the base and configured to support an electronic device. The dielectric body comprises a coolant flow chamber formed in a first surface thereof, and a plurality of impingement openings formed within the coolant flow chamber. The plurality of impingement openings are in communication with the fluid inlet opening of the base for generating a plurality of fluid streams to be expelled into the coolant flow chamber. The body further comprises a coolant return port formed within the coolant flow chamber and in communication with the fluid outlet opening of the base.

The performance of many commercial and military electronic systems, including digital, power and microwave systems, is constrained by the cooling capabilities of conventional thermal management systems and methods. Heat flux within devices continues to increase as new technologies are developed. For example, enhanced performance capabilities of digital processors and associated memory devices are accompanied by increased heat generation. Likewise, power devices such as amplifiers, regulators and power converters continue to provide increased capability despite smaller packaging, resulting in higher dissipated power densities.
In the microwave field, the introduction of Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors in place of traditional gallium arsenide (GaAs) devices has resulted in heat flux increases of at least one order of magnitude. For example, field effect transistors (FETs) produced in GaN can dissipate about 10 watts per millimeter (W/mm) of gate width compared to 1 W/mm in GaAs FETs. Microwave amplifiers, often embodied as monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs), are built by grouping these FETs side by side and in multiple stages to realize a desired or target gain and RF power of a given device. The resulting power density in these MMIC amplifiers has increased from approximately 100 watts per square centimeter (W/cm2) in GaAs applications, to approximately 30K W/cm2 in GaN configurations. In addition, GaN devices can withstand higher temperatures compared to GaAs devices, and thus are operated at higher drive levels which leads to even higher power densities. These high power GaN microwave amplifiers are used in applications ranging from cellular systems (e.g. cellular phones) to radars, target illuminators, communication devices and electronic warfare equipment for the defense industry. The performance of these devices has become limited by the abilities of conventional cooling techniques to efficiently remove the increased heat generated by these systems.
Referring generally to FIG. 1, there is shown a typical "remote cooling" thermal management system 10 for use with small-scale electronics, including integrated circuit packages. Heat generated by a source, embodied herein as a circuit die 12, is transferred through multiple intermediate material layers arranged between die 12 and a heat sink, such as a liquid-cooled cold plate 19. These layers may include, for example, a solder layer 13, a heat sink or heat spreading layer 14, a first epoxy layer 15, a module package including ceramic layer 16 (e.g. a transmitter/receiver module package), and a second epoxy layer 17 for attaching the module package to cold plate 19. As illustrated, each material presents a thermal resistance (Rth) to heat flow and adds to the overall thermal rise from the coolant to the device junction. While such assemblies provide some level of effectiveness, increases in device power and density resulting from packaging multiple devices together, have created systems with even greater cooling requirements. These systems, in many cases, exceed the capability of the present remote cooling approaches to maintain acceptable junction temperatures.
Alternate thermal management systems and techniques are needed.

Integration of chip level micro-fluidic cooling in chip packages for heat flux removal


A pen includes a reservoir tube holding a reservoir tube and a writing tip at one end for writing, a barrel fastened to one end of the reservoir tube remote from the writing tip by a connector to hold a barrel, a top cap capped on the barrel and adapted to hold a spare writing tip, a spring holder fixedly provided inside the barrel to hold a spring holder, and a movable stopper supported on a spring at the spring holder and adapted to open an air passage hole between the atmosphere and the inside space of the reservoir tube subject to the level of ink in the reservoir tube.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to writing implements and, more particularly, to a pen that automatically guides in outside air pressure subject to the level of ink in the reservoir tube to smoothen the writing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A regular pen A1, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a penholder A2 and an ink cartridge and writing tip assembly A3 provided in the penholder A2. This design of pen is not satisfactory in function because of the following drawbacks.
1. When the ink in the ink cartridge and writing tip assembly A3 used up, the whole ink cartridge and writing tip assembly A3 becomes useless and must be thrown away.
2. When the writing tip of the ink cartridge and writing tip assembly A3 is damaged by an accident, the writing tip cannot be replaced with a new one, and the ink cartridge and writing tip assembly A3 becomes useless and must be thrown away.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a pen, which enables the user to refill the desired color of ink. It is another object of the present invention to provide a pen, which uses a replaceable writing tip. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a pen, which is provided with a spare writing tip for replacing the main writing tip when the main writing tip damaged accidentally. It is still another object of the present invention toprovide a pen, which is suitable for industrial use. To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the pen comprises a reservoir tube holding a reservoir tube and a writing tip at one end for writing, a barrel fastened to one end of the reservoir tube remote from the writing tip by a connector to hold a barrel, a top cap capped on the barrel and adapted to hold a spare writing tip, a spring holder fixedly provided inside the barrel to hold a spring holder, and a movable stopper supported on a spring at the spring holder and adapted to open an air passage hole between the atmosphere and the inside space of the reservoir tube subject to the level of ink in the reservoir tube.


A portable electronic device including a housing, a retractable antenna rod, and a camera. The housing includes an opening on a side of the housing and a longitudinal axis. The retractable antenna rod extends out from the opening and is coupled to the housing at a first end of the retractable antenna rod. The retractable antenna rod is movable along the longitudinal axis of the housing. The camera is coupled to a second end of the retractable antenna rod. The camera is positionable within the opening of the housing when the retractable antenna rod is retracted into the housing.

Portable electronic devices (such as mobile phones) include cameras to capture pictures and video. The cameras in most portable electronic devices are fixed to the devices such that they are limited to capturing pictures and video in a single direction. Many portable electronic devices include a second camera positioned on an opposite side from the first camera in order to capture pictures and video in more than one direction.

Portable electronic device with retractable antenna rod for a camera


A lens driving system configured to be mounted on a lens device has: a variable power lens driving section moves a variable power lens group in an optical axis direction; a focus lens driving section moves a focal lens group in the optical axis direction; a receiving section that receives an operation signal for remotely operating the variable power lens driving section and the focus lens driving section; a control section that generates a control signal for controlling the variable power lens driving section and the focus lens driving section based on the operation signal, and a power section that is charged with at least a part of the operation power supplied to a drive section from a camera device and supplies the charged power to the variable power lens driving section, the focus lens driving section, the receiving section, and the control section as operation power.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a lens driving system, and more particularly, to a lens driving system that is mounted on a lens device having a variable power lens moving mechanism for moving a variable power lens group and/or a focus lens moving mechanism for moving a focus lens group and a driving section to which operation power is supplied from a camera device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, in banking branches or retail stores, monitoring cameras constituted by CCDs and the like are often used. In this type of the monitoring cameras, a varifocal lens of which angle of view and focus are manually adjustable is used as an alternative of a fixed focus lens or a zoom lens.
When the fixed focus lens is used, focus adjustment can be made but the angle of view cannot be adjusted. Therefore it is required to prepare a plurality of lens and select a lens that provides a desired photographing condition, from among the plurality of lens. When the zoom lens is used, the angle of view can be adjusted and its focus does not change even if the angle of view is adjusted. Therefore, when the focus is adjusted once during the installation, a desired photographing condition can be easily achieved by adjusting the angle of view only. On the other hand, when the varifocal lens is used, the angle of view can be adjusted. However, the varifocal lens does not have the configuration that the focus does not change even if the angle of view is adjusted. Therefore, it is required to readjust its focus again each time the angle of view is adjusted during the installation. However, since the configuration of the varifocal lens is less complex than that of the zoom lens, the manufacturing cost can be relatively reduced. Thus, the varifocal lens is often used for the purpose of monitoring cameras.
The monitoring cameras are installed on ceils, wall faces, or the like of the stores, the optical axes of the lenses are set in a certain direction, and then, the angles of field and focuses are appropriately adjusted, for completing the installation of the monitoring cameras. Here, generally, the angle of view and the focus of the varifocal lens have been adjusted by adjusting a manual adjustment section provided in a lens main body. However, recently, an electrical adjustment based on a remote operation is demanded for the following reasons.
Generally, the focus of the varifocal lens is adjusted by temporarily connecting a monitor to the camera and checking an image displayed on the monitor. Thus, it is difficult to manually adjust the focus while checking the monitor, particularly, in the case where the camera is installed to a high location. In addition, since a delicate adjustment is required as resolution of the camera increases, there is the case where it is difficult to manually adjust the focus. In addition, when a dome-type monitoring camera is used, a dome is installed after the angle of view and focus are adjusted. However, a light path length may change due to installment of the dome. As a result, the adjusted focus is misaligned. In such a case, it becomes necessary to repeat manual adjustment of the focus and attachment/detachment of the dome in a trial-and-error manner. Accordingly, it may be difficult to install the monitoring camera.
Accordingly, JP 2001-21785 A discloses an electrically driven varifocal lens that enables an operation switch to adjust its angle of view and focus and automatically adjusts a photographing condition by setting predetermined adjustment condition in advance.
A varifocal lens requires that its focus is adjusted each time every time its angle of view is adjusted. However, this adjustment is required only at a time of installation. An expensive system that has a zoom lens only for the purpose of the adjustment is less-needed. Thus, if an electrical adjustment based on a remote operation using an infrared ray, a weak electric wave, or the like is applied to a varifocal lens, an inexpensive system can be built although the efficiency of an adjustment operation is lower than that of the zoom lens.
However, generally, operation power supplied from a camera is supplied for the purpose of driving an iris, an infrared ray cut-off filter, and the like and is not supplied for the purpose of controlling driving the angle of view and focus. Thus, when electrical adjustment based on a remote operation is applied, there is a need for a dedicated camera, instead of a general camera, that enables the angle of view and focus to be driven and controlled driven to be controlled. However, if the dedicated camera is used, versatility of system integration is reduced and the effect of reduction in the manufacturing cost achieved by using the varifocal lens becomes meaningless.


The present invention discloses a system for management of X-ray imaging facilities and services including at least one digital X-ray imaging facility operative to provide digital images in response to X-ray exposures; a metering system associated with each of said at least one digital X-ray imaging facilities for metering the number of digital images produced thereby; and a service center, generating a billing output for each of the at least one digital X-ray imaging facilities in respect of the number of X-ray exposures provided thereby.

Conventionally, analog film-based X-ray imaging facilities involve initial relatively low equipment costs, particularly when amortized over the fairly long lifetime of the equipment, combined with ongoing significant expenditures per image. Per image expenses include the cost of film, processing, handling, archiving and labor.
Digital X-ray imaging facilities, which are now coming into use, involve equipment costs which are significantly greater than conventional systems and have equipment lifetime that may be shorter than that of a conventional system. The high entry cost of digital X-ray imaging facilities is generally perceived as limiting the widespread use of digital technologies for X-ray imaging. Following initial high equipment costs, digital X-ray facilities are able to offer many benefits including improving diagnostics, savings of time and cost savings by eliminating the film and phosphor screen that are associated with analog imaging, thus significantly streamlining the work flow, enhancing productivity and replacing space-intensive film archives with more easily accessible electronic archives. Moreover, the reduced usage of film and chemicals used for developing and processing of film is expected to offer ecological benefits.
Digital X-ray imaging systems that offer system costs which are competitive with conventional film/screen imaging systems combined with per image costs that are lower than the per image cost of non-digital film/screen systems could lead to widespread penetration of digital X-ray imaging systems to the marketplace, thus accelerating migration of conventional X-ray, the last non-digital medical imaging modality, to digital X-ray imaging.

System and method for management of X-ray imaging facilities


A catalyst which comprises a carrier and silver deposited on the carrier, which carrier has a surface area of at least 1.3 m2/g, a median pore diameter of more than 0.8 μm, and a pore size distribution wherein at least 80% of the total pore volume is contained in pores with diameters in the range of from 0.1 to 10 μm and at least 80% of the pore volume contained in the pores with diameters in the range of from 0.1 to 10 μm is contained in pores with diameters in the range of from 0.3 to 10 μm; process for the preparation of a catalyst which process comprises depositing silver on a carrier, wherein the carrier has been obtained by a method which comprises forming a mixture comprising: a) from 50 to 95 weight percent of a first particulate a-alumina having a median particle size (d50) of from 5 to 100 μm; b) from 5 to 50 weight percent of a second particulate a-alumina having a d50 which is less than the d50 of the first particulate a-alumina and which is in the range of from 1 to 10 μm; and c) an alkaline earth metal silicate bond material; weight percent being based on the total weight of a-alumina in the mixture; and firing the mixture to form the carrier; a process for the epoxidation of an olefin, which process comprises reacting a feed comprising an olefin and oxygen in the presence of a said catalyst; and a process for preparing a 1,2-diol, a 1,2-diol ether or an alkanolamine.

In olefin epoxidation, a feed containing an olefin and an oxygen source is contacted with a catalyst under epoxidation conditions. The olefin is reacted with oxygen to form an olefin oxide. A product mix results that contains olefin oxide and typically unreacted feed and combustion products.
The olefin oxide may be reacted with water to form a 1,2-diol, with an alcohol to form a 1,2-diol ether, or with an amine to form an alkanolamine. Thus, 1,2-diols, 1,2-diol ethers, and alkanolamines may be produced in a multi-step process initially comprising olefin epoxidation and then the conversion of the formed olefin oxide with water, an alcohol, or an amine.
Olefin epoxidation catalysts comprise a silver component, usually with one or more additional elements deposited therewith, on a carrier. Carriers are typically formed of a refractory material, such as alpha-alumina. In general, higher purity alpha-alumina has been found to correlate with better performance. It has also been found for example that the presence of minor amounts of impurities in the carrier such as alkali and/or alkaline earth metals and some forms of silica can have a beneficial effect.
Intuitively it might also be considered that the higher the surface area of the carrier, the greater the area available for deposition of the silver and therefore the more effective the silver deposited thereon. However, this is generally found not to be the case and in modern catalysts the tendency is to use a carrier with a relatively low surface area, for example a surface area of less than 1.3 m2/g, or even less than 1 m2/g.
US 2003/0162984 A1 discloses carriers which have a surface area of at least 1 m2/g. The working examples given show improved initial selectivity and activity of epoxidation catalysts based on carriers having at least 70% of the total pore volume represented by pores with diameters in the range of from 0.2 to 10 μm.
The catalyst performance may be assessed on the basis of selectivity, activity and stability of operation. The selectivity is the fraction of the converted olefin yielding the desired olefin oxide. As the catalyst ages, the fraction of the olefin converted normally decreases with time and to maintain a constant level of olefin oxide production the temperature of the reaction is increased. However this adversely affects the selectivity of the conversion to the desired olefin oxide. In addition, the equipment used can tolerate temperatures only up to a certain level so that it is necessary to terminate the reaction when the reaction temperature would reach a level inappropriate for the reactor. Thus the longer the selectivity can be maintained at a high level and the epoxidation can be performed at an acceptably low temperature, the longer the catalyst charge can be kept in the reactor and the more product is obtained. Quite modest improvements in the maintenance of selectivity over long periods yields huge dividends in terms of process efficiency.

Catalyst, a process for preparing the catalyst and a process for the production of an olefin oxide, a 1,2-diol, a 1,2 diol ether, or an alkanolamine


A method of and an apparatus for the high-resolution sea bottom prospecting, in which an electroacoustic paraboloidal transducer is placed into water, the electrodes of which are near the focus of the paraboloid and are connected both to a capacitor bank the capacitance of which may be varied at will and to a supply circuit for the generation of an electroacoustic discharge between said electrodes. As the capacitance varies the delay time between the primary pulse or underwater prospecting pulse and the cavitation pulse is recorded at any discharge, and at the same time dominant frequency of the prospecting signal spectrum is determined. Afterwards capacitance values are set so as to provide both cavitation pulses the contribution of which to the resulting pulse is minimum and a dominant frequency spectrum as broad as possible. The preset capacitance values are assigned to a capacitor array connected each to an electroacoustic paraboloidal transducer dipped in water, the electrodes of which are supplied so as to generate the underwater prospecting pulse.

This invention relates to a method of sea bottom prospecting through the generation of submarine acoustic pulses having time characteristic and spectrum adapted to a high-resolution prospecting, and a tuned array of paraboloidal electroacoustic transducers to carry out such method.
The described apparatus can be advantageously used for the prospecting of the sea bottom structure and the subsurface of the sea bottom both in civil engineering and archaeological research and in geophysical applications as well. Furthermore, it can be used for the prospecting of lakes or in any natural body of water. Generally the apparatus of this invention can be advantageously used in all of applications of submarine acoustics in which a high acoustic power with high resolution is needed in the low and medium frequency range (0.1 to 15 kHz) not covered by the traditional acoustic devices like SONAR.
Most of the traditional sources for the sea prospecting have only a few of the necessary requirements to generate high-resolution prospecting pulses because the frequency band thereof is rather limited and the high frequency harmonic content is poor. Moreover the cavitation pulse associated to the primary pulse further reduces the feasibility of a good performance of the sources. The criteria for judging of the quality of a seismic sea-source are essentially based upon the duration of the acoustic pulse, the frequency content and the repeatability thereof, and the primary/cavitation pulse ratio (see G. Parkes and L. Hatton, The Marime Seismic Source, D. Reidel edition 1986, Dordrecht, Holland).
As for the first two characteristics, i.e. duration of the acoustic pulse and frequency content, the ideal signal would be a socalled "spike" or pulsed signal which can be represented by a Dirac delta function, i.e. a very short pulse in which all frequencies are contained (see M. B. Dobrin, Introduction to Geophysical Prospecting, Mc Graw-Hill, 1960, New York). The cavitation pulse (see A. Prosperetti, Physics of Acoustic Cavitation, Rendiconti Societa Italiana Fisica, 1984, Varenna), is a drawback always present in seismic underwater prospecting which, however, can be eliminated in a digital signal processing, for example, by deconvolution techniques (see E. A. Robinson and S. Treitel, Geopnysical Signal Analysis, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1980, Englewood Cliffs). Nevertheless a prospecting pulse is desired which is similar as far as possible to the ideal signal before any digital processing of the seismic signal. This is the necessary condition to obtain high-resolution "acoustic images", thus minimizing cost and waste of time during the signal processing.

Method of high-resolution sea bottom prospecting and tuned array of paraboloidal, electroacoustic transducers to carry out such method


In the joining structure of the solid electrolytic element, terminals connected to the heating element and the electrodes are attached through metallic oxide layers onto the solid electrolytic layer. The thermal conductivity coefficient of the metallic oxide layers is larger than that of the solid electrolytic layer. The thermal expansion coefficient of the metallic oxide layers is the same as or smaller than that of the solid electrolytic layer. Consequently, when the lead wires are soldered to the terminals, heat is quickly conducted to the terminals, enhancing the fluidity and the solderability of the soldering material. Since excess heating is not required for soldering, the solid electrolytic layer is prevented from deteriorating due to heat. Since a low-melting solder is not used, the joining structure has high heat resistance. Moreover, during soldering, the metallic oxide layers do not detach from the solid electrolytic layer due to heat.

This invention relates to a joining structure of a solid electrolytic element, especially of a solid electrolytic element used for an oxygen sensor.
Conventionally, a solid electrolytic detecting element is applied to an oxygen sensor for detecting the concentration of oxygen in gas. The solid electrolytic element is composed of a solid electrolytic panel which generates electromotive force due to its difference in oxygen concentration from that of the ambient atmosphere. A measuring electrode is provided on the surface of the solid electrolytic panel that faces the gas to be measured. A reference electrode is provided opposite to the measuring electrode. The measuring and the reference electrodes are connected, respectively, via electron conducting layers to output terminals on the end of the solid electrolytic panel. Around the electrodes there are heating elements which stabilize output by heating the solid electrolytic panel. The heating element is connected via electron conducting layers to heating terminals.
Lead wires, generally made of stainless or tin-plated copper, are connected respectively to the output terminals and the heating terminals so as to deliver output or to apply voltage.
Various joining structures of the solid electrolytic element have been proposed. The platinum lead wires are fixed to the terminals, for example, by using platinum paste or high-temperature solder, by sintering the platinum wires together with ceramic, or by plug engagement. However, these related-art joining methods cannot assure high reliability.
Another joining structure has been proposed in which the lead wires are directly soldered to the terminals on the surface of the solid electrolytic panel. This structure has high joining strength as well as high heat resistance. However, since the solid electrolytic panel has a small coefficient of thermal conductivity, it is hard to lower the gradient of the temperature of the terminals uniformly. When the temperature of the terminals lowers, the fluidity of soldering material is impaired, reducing the joining strength of the terminals and the lead wires. On the other hand, when the soldering temperature is raised to improve the fluidity of the soldering material, heat adversely affects the solid electrolytic panel because the reducing gas resulting in soldering disperses oxygen ions from solid electrolyte, which makes the solid electrolytic panel dark. When soldering material with a low melting temperature is applied to avoid the deterioration of the solid electrolyte due to high temperature, the heat resistance of the joining structure is deteriorated.

Structure for joining a wire to a solid electrolytic element


The hot water extraction process for recovering bitumen from tar sand produces a large volume of solids-laden aqueous tailings as a waste product. The solids in the tailings stream may be flocculated by the addition of time and the components of the stream then separated into a water-free solids phase and a clarified water phase. During flocculation, the zeta potential of the stream is monitored. It rises from an initial negative zeta potential, as the lime is added. Flocculation is terminated when the zeta potential is about zero. At this point, the tailings are in optimum condition for separation into the water-free solids phase and the clarified water phase. Separation is preferably effected by vacuum filtration.

This invention relates to an improvement in the treatment of whole tailings produced by the hot water extraction process for recovering bitumen from tar sands.
The urgent need for alternative sources of hydrocarbons, especially for use as fuels, is increasingly apparent as reserves of convential crude oil becomes used up. An extensive source of hydrocarbons is in the bituminous sands found in various parts of the world. Particularly useful deposits of bituminous sands are in Western Canada, where they are commonly known as tar sands.
Such tar sands are often found near ground surface; thus they can be mined and transported to an extraction plant for recovery of the heavy oil (bitumen).
The only commercially used process for recovery of bitumen from mined tar sand is the hot water extraction process. In accordance with this process, the tar sand is fed into a rotating conditioning vessel, known as a tumbler, and mixed with hot water, steam, and small amounts of process aid. The most common process aid is sodium hydroxide; its purpose is to assist in causing the bitumen to be released from the other constituents of the tar sand mass. The process is run so that tar sand takes less than 10 minutes to pass through the tumbler. A slurry emerges from the tumbler. This slurry is screened to remove oversize matter, such as rocks or undigested lumps of tar sand, and then is diluted with additional hot water. The screened, diluted slurry is then advanced to quiescent zone known as the primary separation vessel (PSV). Because the components of the slurry are in only loose association (as a result of the conditioning in the tumbler), they are able to separate in the PSV under the influence of gravity. Hence the sand, which has a gravity of about 2.65, sinks to the bottom of the PSV, and may be pumped out in the form of an aqueous mixture. The bitumen has a density of around 1.00, that is, close to that of water. Left to itself, it tends therefore neither to sink nor to float. But a considerable number of air bubbles have been introduced into the slurry in the tumbler and these attach themselves to the bitumen globules. In this way the bitumen, in an aerated state, rises to the top of the PSV and may be collected in the form of a froth. Some bitumen fails to so rise because the size of the globules is too small or because of failure to get aerated. This unaffected bitumen remains in the central region of the PSV and helps make up a portion known as the "middlings". To increase the efficiency of the process, a middlings stream is continuously withdrawn from the PSV and advanced to induced air flotation cells where, by vigorous agitation and the addition of external air, a second yield of bitumen is obtained in the form of a secondary froth. The froths are then combined and the bitumen is separated from the contaminating water and mineral solids. This is done by diluting the combined froths with a hydrocarbon diluent and separating the diluted bitumen using separatory means such as centrifuges. The diluent may then be distilled out of the hydrocarbon product phase to leave pure isolated bitumen that may then be upgraded by processes known in the heavy oil art.
The hot water process is efficient and has the advantage of operating under mild conditions. A disadvantage is the production of a large volume of solids-laden, aqueous tailings. Provision must be made for storing these tailings and, at least as an intermediate step, they must, according to present practice, be impounded within dykes that must be constructed near the mine area. Such tailings ponds bring undesirable environmental effects, and cover tar sand that is thereby rendered unavailable to mining.
One extraction operation, producing 120,000 bbl. synthetic crude per day will, over the 25 year life of the project, create a tailings pond of around 10 square miles in area. If, as other extraction facilities are built, the same area of tar sand is covered, the whole deposit is significantly reduced in size.
In the tailings pond, the solids are supposed to settle to leave a layer of clear water which can be re-cycled to the extraction process. Once enough fresh water has been taken on board, an extraction plant which is self-sufficient in clarified water may be obtained by this recycle process.
In practice, the coarse solids (i.e. the sand grains) do settle rapidly, but the fine solids (i.e. -44 micron fraction) settle only slowly over a period of several years. It would be a great advantage to the tar sand industry if a feasible, rapid water clarification process could be devised.
Workers in the field have turned for guidance to the water clarification art, where large volumes of water are purified for consumption as domestic water. As a result, it has been proposed that coarse solids be first settled out and the fine matter subsequently flocculated by conventional flocculating agents. The flocculated solids could then be removed from the water by centrifuging or filtering. Typical examples of this approach are given in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,487,003 and 3,502,575, issued to Baillie et al and Hepp et al, respectively.
A new process is the subject of patent application Canadian Ser. No. 311,696, in U.S. Ser. No. 947,996, filed by J. K. Liu et al whose assignees are the same as for the instant invention. The Liu process is based on the discovery that, when flocculant(s) are added to whole tailings (i.e. with the solids unremoved), the coarse particles from nuclei to which the fine particles can adhere. What is produced is a precipitate of aggregates of coarse and fine solids. In this state, the mineral matter can be filtered out without the need for a filter aid. There results a filter cake, small in volume and with little water, and a filtrate sufficiently clear for immediate recycle to extraction. The cake is easy to dispose of because it can be compacted to form a base for reclaimed land. Thus the cake can be disposed of in the mined-out area.
The preferred flocculant in the invention of Liu et al is lime. This is readily available in tar sand regions and does not leave dissolved residues that could be harmful when recycled to extraction. The products of decomposed lime are an insoluble carbonate, and one molecule of water for every reacted molecule of lime. The present invention, that is now summarized, teaches how to optimize the level of flocculant needed.

Method for controlling flocculant addition to tar sand tailings

Her Majesty the Queen in right of the Province of Alberta, Government of the Province of Alberta, Department of Energy and Natural Resources, Alberta Syncrude Equity


The present embodiments disclose methods for estimating PrPSc concentration in fluids and tissues by quantitative PMCA.

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), also known as prion diseases, are a group of neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans and animals. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), kuru, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheiker diseases (GSS), and fatal familial insomnia (FFI) in humans, as well as scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in animals, are examples of TSE diseases.
It is known that a key characteristic and marker of prion diseases is the formation of an abnormally shaped protein named PrPSc. However, prion diseases are characterized by an extremely long incubation period. Thus, concentrations of PrPSc are at low levels for a long period of time. As such, one important objective of prion research has been to detect small amounts of PrPSc in diverse samples.
PrPSc is a post-translationally modified version of a normal protein, termed PrPC. PrPC is found naturally on the membranes of animal and human cells. The infective unit of PrPSc is understood to be a β-sheet rich oligomeric structure, which converts PrPC to PrPSc by integrating PrPC into a growing aggregate (FIG. 1). In light of this replication model, it has been found that PrPSc can be detected with high sensitivity by protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). See U.S. Pat. No. 7,351,526 and U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2006/0263767, each of which is incorporated by reference herein it its entirety. In the context of prion diseases, PMCA-based PrPSc detection typically involves: (i) contacting a sample with PrPC (e.g., by contacting a suspected diseased sample with a tissue homogenate containing PrPC); (ia) incubating the sample/PrPC mixture; (ii) disagreggating any aggregates formed during step (ia) (e.g., by sonication); (iii) repeating steps (ia) and (ii) a plurality of times; and (iv) detecting the presence of PrPSc within the sample (e.g., by western blotting). See FIG. 2.
What is still needed in the art, however, is a quantitative procedure for determining the concentration—rather than merely detecting the presence—of PrPSc in fluids and tissues. The present embodiments disclose such a procedure.

Methods for estimating prion concentration in fluids and tissue by quantitative PMCA

BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM


A forming mold of a light-emitting member includes a frame, an upper mold and a lower mold, and the frame is provided with carriers, pins and supporting portions. The upper and lower molds match with each other to provide a forming space for the base of the light-emitting member. The forming space contains the carriers and a part of the supporting portions. One or more projections are disposed at the position where the brinks of the upper and lower molds contact the supporting portions. After injection molding, the burrs formed by a plastic material along the supporting portions can be concealed in the recesses that are formed corresponding to each of the projections, thereby reducing the influence of the burrs on the external size of the base.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light-emitting member and its forming mold, and more particularly to a light-emitting member capable of reducing the influence of the burrs on the external size of the entire base and its forming mold.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Due to the properties such as compact size, low power consumption, low emission of heat, long lifetime, and the like of light-emitting components, they have been gradually used to substitute traditional tungsten filament lamps with similar functions in commercial products such as Christmas lights, torch lights, signal lights for vehicles, traffic signs, etc. Furthermore, the fundamental construction of a general light-emitting component comprises electrically conducting terminals with different polarities and a carrier disposed within a transparent package, wherein a die is fixedly disposed on the carrier, connections through gold wires are provided between the electrode layers of the die and the electrically conducting terminals, and each of the electrically conducting terminals are extended out of the transparent package to form power contacts.
The light source generated by the die causes the light-emitting effect under the condition that the electrically conducting terminals are energized. It is understood that a fluorescent material can be disposed at the periphery of the die. When the light source generated by the die passes through the fluorescent material, it is combined with the wavelength excited by the fluorescent material to produce a desired color light. Therefore, in comparison with the fixed specifications for traditional light sources, highly customized light-emitting components can be manufactured by means of the material design and formulation with the improvement of the related manufacturing processes and technology, thereby further soon expanding the market of light-emitting components.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, there are a plan view and a side view of a semi-finished frame of a general conventional light-emitting diode. Wherein the frame 10 is made by stamping a flat metal strip to form two carriers 12 which are corresponding to each other but whose corresponding ends are not connected with each other in a stamping operation. Next, a plastic body 13 is formed in the region between the two carriers 12 during an injection operation, followed by stamping the section of the carriers 12 that protrudes out of the plastic body 13 into the section of pins 14 of a given shape in a stamping operation. Then, the section of pins 14 is bent towards the given position with respect to the plastic body 13 through at least one stamping action to form a complete structure of the pins 14. Accordingly, the finishing process of an entire frame is completed so as to obtain a frame structure for a light-emitting diode in which light-emitting dies are fixedly disposed on the carriers 12 and a related fluorescent material or a related packaging material is filled into the plastic body 13.
In general, for the purpose of ensuring that the plastic body 13 does not deviate during the finishing process, the frame 10 can be further formed with supporting portions 15 for fastening the plastic body, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. The supporting portions 15 are not connected with the carriers 12. When injection molding is performed, the upper and lower molds 161, 162 match with each other, as illustrated in FIG. 4, between which a forming space 163 for the plastic body is provided. The supporting portions 15 are located between the upper and lower molds 161, 162. When a plastic material is injected is into the forming space 163, the plastic material may bleed along the contact surfaces between the brinks of the forming space 163 and the supporting portions 15 to form burrs 17, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5. The burrs 17 would cause errors in the overall dimensions after the plastic body is formed such that the light-emitting diode performs poorly and easily deviates from its original position when in use.

Light-emitting member and its forming mold


A chain link device to remove a cap from a container, comprising a chain having a series of links interconnected at pivot locations; the chain having a first looping portion sized to grip a bottle cap; and the chain having a second handle portion projecting away from the looping portion for grasping to exert prying leverage on the first portion.

This invention relates generally to devices to remove caps from containers, and more particularly to a novel chain type device configured to grip and remove standard bottle type caps from bottles.
There is need for a single, rugged, easily used device manually operable to grip and apply leverage to bottle caps, for easily removing them from containers such as bottles.


A covering and enclosure assembly for coupling a blanket to a back of a chair includes a shell defining an internal space. The shell is configured to couple to a back of a chair. A closure is coupled to and positioned in a front of the shell. A blanket is positioned in the internal space of the shell. The shell is configured to couple to a back of a chair. The closure is positioned in the front, such that the closure is configured for opening and closing. The blanket is configured to be accessed by a user through the closure.

(1) Field of the Invention.
(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
The disclosure and prior art relates to covering and enclosure assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new covering and enclosure assembly for coupling a blanket to a back of a chair.


Provided is a pill dispensing apparatus that automatically dispenses pills to patients. Also provided is a method of automatically dispensing pills to patients.

Published statistics show that approximately 98,000 people die and 770,000 are injured due to mistakes made in hospital and care facilities in the United States each year. U.S. government agencies are presently in the process of working on legislation to force change and put safeguards in place in this industry. Presently, there is no pill dispensing apparatus that solves these problems.
Published U.S. patent application 2001/0028308-A1 FIGS. 2-17 shows a pill container or vial hooked to a personal home computer or hospital or nursing home computer that alerts the patient when to take the medication but has no control over how many pills the patient takes. With open access to as many as you want the record keeping is of no use if the patient is dead. Also, the patient must have a personal computer. FIGS. 18-25 show a device that cannot handle a packaged pill and the personal computer can be reprogrammed at any time for more pills at the wrong time and combination. FIGS. 26-27 show access to a series of vials with the same results as FIGS. 2-17. FIG. 29 shows vials upside down on a dispensing unit with a slide (#885 Sheet 15). This device will not work or handle different size pills or packaged pills. FIGS. 31-34 show a tape tear off by hand hooked to the personal computer which can be reprogrammed for more and anytime delivery. FIGS. 35-39 show a small device on a pill container that when open the patient can take as many pills as they want. FIG. 41 shows a liquid dispenser that can be programmed as the patient wishes. FIG. 4-46 shows a small processor which gives access to the vial/container for consumption to as many pills as the patient wants FIGS. 51-70 all give access to any amount of pills left in the vial. Must have a software program to transfer information to computer. The memory strip in these device, does count and record, when the vial is out, but the patient can take as many pills as desired. This device will not work on odd shape or different size pills. The contacts on the device can count the number of times the vial is opened but has no control over how many pills are taken. Patient can change time of pill dose forward or backward. Separate machine to be portable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,606 discloses a device in which the patient preloads the twelve storage compartments for the upcoming 24 hour period. Patient loading errors on amount and type of dispensed pills is a real problem. The cartridge can be manually rotated (5-35) to take any amount any time. The dispensing time is not flexible. Settings are: Every Two Hours, Every Four Hours, Every six Hours, Every Twelve Hours. This device cannot handle packaged pills.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,560 discloses a device that holds only one week of pills. All pill containers can be removed at will when desired by the patient. There is no overdose protection and the device will not handle packaged pills.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,711 discloses a device is basically a hand carry day planner with a small compartment to hold four types of pills for a single day. This device has no safe guards to insure the correct pill is taken at the correct time. The timer has limited settings of on the hour or ½ hour not both or anything in between. It cannot skip a day or days and is good for one day only.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,581 discloses a device in which the patient must reach into a small compartment to retrieve the pill (FIG. 1). The device holds 1 week supply of pills only and is microprocessor limited to four times a day. The device provides a difficult and clumsy way to reset base plates (FIGS. 8 & 9). The device will not handle packaged pills.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,952 discloses a device designed for home setting only. To take a pill the patient must push the dispense button. The description of portable to this device is to drop all pills for the day in a single portable container, which may be taken all at one time, any sequence, all at wrong time, with or without food if directed. The program must be loaded into the controller serial port #238 by external computer, external keyboard or keypad #220, card reader #222, phone port #232, or signal transmitter to remote receiver. This device has no safety guards against taking the wrong pill at the wrong time. The patient may change time and quantity at will. The device will not handle packaged pills.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,646,912 discloses a device that stores only one type of pill in the dispenser (FIG. 2). The pill dispensers are all the same shape and size, whereas pills come in hundreds of shapes and sizes. They do not stack or align themselves for single or multiple pill delivery. Even if some non-existing method of separating the pills was available the arthritic fingers of the patient could not open the door and retrieve the pills. This device will not handle packaged pills.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,551 discloses a medication monitoring system that can only be used with a computer central monitoring system. The system holds only one week's supply of pills. pills are available from a container with a hinged or removable lid with no control of how many pills can be taken. The device will not handle packaged pills.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,661 discloses a device that fits on the cap of the pill container and measures the time between the openings of the cap. There are no safe guards to prevent the patient from taking the wrong pill, wrong amount, at the wrong time. In the case of a habit-forming drug the patient can take them as often as they like. This device will not handle packaged pills.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,384 B1 discloses a portable reminding unit and the patient must have a pc type computer to operate it. This device will not handle packaged pills.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,100 B1 discloses a medication dispensing system in which the patient must press a button within a prescribed time to dispense a canister or canisters. Then the patient must open the canisters to retrieve the pills. (FIG. 3) The system holds only one week of medication. The patient can take as many pills as are in the canister and, thus, overdose is easy. This device will not handle packaged pills.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,962 B1 discloses a device having a 24 cavity storage wheel. The electronic system actuates two vanes at each signal so the system is only good for 12 days. The patient can manually advance the wheel any time desired to take additional pills. This device will not handle packaged pills.
My U.S. Pat. No. 8,453,874 discloses a pill dispensing device, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The prior art devices do not prevent overdose or wrong medication. There is a great need to provide a pill dispensing device that prevents patient overdose or wrong medication.

Pill dispensing apparatus and method for automatically dispensing pills


An electric discharge machine for machining a workpiece (2a) made of insulating material or other materials comprises: a first comparison member (17) for comparing voltage (V) between the electrodes of the electrode (1) and the workpiece (2a) with the first reference voltage (V1) which is set at a value close to electric power source voltage (V0) not higher than electric power source voltage (V0); a second comparison member (18) for comparing voltage (V) between the electrodes with the second reference voltage (V2) which is set at a value lower than the first reference voltage (V1); and a control member (19) for setting a short electric discharge pulse width (TP1) in the case where voltage (V) between the electrodes is lower than the second reference voltage (V2) according to the result of comparison conducted by the second comparison member (18) at a point of time when a predetermined period of time (T0) has passed from the time when voltage (V) between the electrodes becomes lower than the first reference voltage (V1) according to the result of comparison conducted by the first comparison member (17), and for setting a long electric discharge pulse width (TP2) in the case where the voltage between the electrodes is higher than the second reference voltage (V2). This electric discharge machine is capable of stabilizing the machining of the workpiece (2a) made of insulating material or other materials and also capable of enhancing quality of a machined face.

FIGS. 8A to 8E are schematic illustrations showing a mechanism of electric discharge machining. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 is an electrode, reference numeral 2 is a workpiece, reference numeral 3 is an arc column, reference numeral 4 is a working solution, and reference numeral 5 represents chips produced in the process of electric discharge machining. The workpiece 2 is being machined by electric discharge machining through the cycle from the following items (a) to (e) which correspond to FIG. 8A to FIG. 8E. Each item is described as follows. Item (a) is a process in which the arc column 3 is formed by the generation of electric discharge, item (b) is a process in which the workpiece 2 is locally melted and the working solution 4 is vaporized by thermal energy generated by electric discharge, item (c) is a process in which the working solution 4 is vaporized and an explosive force is generated by the vaporization of the working solution 4, item (d) is a process in which a melted portion (chips 5 generated in the process of machining) of the workpiece 2 is scattered, and item (e) is a process in which the workpiece is cooled by the working solution 4 and solidified so that insulation between the electrodes are recovered. When this cycle is repeated highly frequently, the workpiece 2 can be machined.
The above electric discharge machining acquires a firm position as a technique of machining metallic dies and is put into practical use in the fields of automobile industry, electric appliance industry, semiconductor industry and so forth. However, since electric discharge machining is a method of machining in which the phenomenon of electric discharge is utilized as shown by the cycle illustrated in FIGS. 8A to 8E, it is common that electric discharge machining is applied when the workpiece 2 made of conductive material such as material of iron is machined.
Concerning the method of conducting electric discharge machining on the workpiece 2 made of insulating material, there is provided a method disclosed in the official gazette of the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho63-150109. According to the method, a conductive film is coated onto a surface of insulating material by means of flame coating or vapor deposition, and then electric discharge is conducted on insulating material in a working solution containing carbon. For the object of abolishing a specific processing device for applying the above conductive film onto the surface of insulating material, the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. Hei7-136849 and Hei9-253935 disclose a technique in which a workpiece made of insulating material or high resistance material is made to directly come into contact with conductive material and subjected to electric discharge machining in a working solution containing carbon.
FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration showing a composition of a wire electric discharge machine disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei9-253935. In the drawing, reference numeral 1a is a wire electrode, reference numeral 2a is a workpiece made of insulating material or high resistance material, reference numeral 4a is a working solution containing carbon, reference numeral 6 is a table on which the workpiece 2a is put, reference numeral 7 is a fixing jig, reference numerals 8a, 8b are working solution nozzles, reference numerals 9a, 9b are wire guides, reference numeral 10 is a feeder piece, reference numeral 11 is a working solution supplying pump which is a member for supplying a working solution, reference numeral 12 is conductive material, and reference numeral 13 is a machining electric power supplying member. The workpiece 2a and conductive material 12 are fixed being joined to each other by the fixing jig 7. The wire electrode 1a is positioned at a joining portion of the workpiece 2a and the conductive material 12 by a positioning member not shown in the drawing. When machining electric power is supplied between the wire electrode 1a and the workpiece 2a and also between the wire electrode 1a and conductive material 12 by the machining electric power supply member 13, first, electric discharge is generated only in a portion of the conductive material 12, and then machining is conducted by thermal energy and a component of the electrode is transferred to the workpiece in a portion of the workpiece 2a closest to the conductive material 12. After that, electric discharge is also generated in the transferred portion of the workpiece 2a. In this way, machining of the workpiece 2a proceeds by a shock of electric discharge and thermal energy generated by electric discharge. According to the progress of electric discharge machining, the component of the electrode is transferred onto the surface of the workpiece 2a to be machined, and the working solution 4a is thermally decomposed. Therefore, carbon contained in the working solution 4a attaches to the workpiece 2a in the form of crystalline carbon, the electric resistance of which is relatively low, so that a conductive film can be formed. Electric discharge is generated on the conductive film formed in this way, and the workpiece 2a is machined.
As described above, the principle of the conventional electric discharge machining technique in which a workpiece made of insulating material or high resistance material is machined by electric discharge is that the workpiece is machined through a conductive film formed on the workpiece.
However, when the above conventional electric discharge machining technique is adopted, machining can not be stably conducted and further quality of a machined surface is not high. For the above reasons, the above conventional electric discharge technique has not been put into practical use on a full scale.

Method and system for electric discharge machining insulating material or high resistance material


A method is disclosed providing ground fault circuit interruption protection for a pump motor which includes determining a current difference between at least two leads located on a load side of an electromechanical device, wherein the electromechanical device is configured to mechanically drive a road, and wherein the method further comprises interrupting a flow of current in response to the current difference exceeding a threshold current difference.

The technical field generally relates to circuits including ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). Various applications, such as submersible well pumps and the like, require that a motor be operated in or near water. However, the use of art electric device in or near water, or any other conductive fluid, can create a shock hazard. Typical circuit breakers do not provide adequate protection from shock hazards.
GFCI circuit breakers provide adequate protection from shock hazards but have many drawbacks. A GFCI detects a difference in current, typically at an outlet or other line in, and interrupts the circuit if a variation between conductors of approximately 5 milliamps is detected. The current difference which will trigger a GFCI fault can be very small relative to a current difference which will trip a circuit breaker. Furthermore, a GFCI can often interrupt the circuit in less than one fortieth of a second. However, GFCIs are not suitable for many applications. Induction motors, for example, can cause nuisance tripping due to current leakage during motor startup. This nuisance tripping is especially prevalent with three phase motors. Once a GFCI is tripped, motor operation is prevented until the GFCI is reset. In the case of a well pump this nuisance tripping can cause great inconvenience; however, in the case of a sump pump this can cause catastrophic results such as flooding. Many applications involving induction motors presently do not require the use of a GFCI. However, in these applications there is still a risk of shock hazard. Therefore, further technological developments are desirable in this area.

Load side ground fault circuit interruption protection for fluid pump motor


A secondary surveillance radar system combines a mechanical scanning type of mode-S sensor using a mechanical rotation type of antenna and an electronic scanning type of mode-S sensor using an electronic scanning type of antenna. The mechanical scanning type of mode-S sensor performs at least mode-A/C general inquiry/response with aircraft targets and create a file of surveillance data obtained by the general inquiry/response. This allows circumvention of problems, which would be encountered in performing the same processing by using the electronic scanning system, such as the deterioration of accuracy of monopulse angular measurement, the increasing probability that unwanted responses will be received, etc., which are due to the elevation dependence of horizontal beamwidths. The electronic scanning type of mode-S sensor performs at least mode-S individual inquiry/response, reducing the time interval allotted for the general inquiry/response, thereby permitting an increase in data link communications capacity, and real-time communications.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a secondary surveillance radar system which has operating functions of the mode A/C and the mode S, and performs surveillance of aircraft and air-to-ground data link communications.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of the secondary surveillance radar (SSR), the mode S has been developed recently as a next-generation operating mode. The mode S provides a function of performing air-to-ground data communications in addition to a function of performing selective addressing of an aircraft for individual inquiry/response to the aircraft. Particularly, the SSR that has the mode-S function in addition to the conventional mode A/C function dedicated to surveillance is called a mode-S sensor.
A typical way of implementing the mode-S sensor is to, as with the conventional SSR dedicated to the mode A/C, form an antenna beam in a horizontal plane by using an antenna system mechanically rotating at constant speed, and to divide a time that the antenna beam illuminates an aircraft target (called a beam dwell time) into respective periods allotted for general inquiry/response in the mode A/C and the mode S and individual inquiry/response in the mode S.
The mechanical rotation type of mode-S sensor is excellent in surveillance capability because it permits an antenna beam to make circular scanning. However, it takes a relatively long time for an aircraft target to enter the illuminating range of the antenna beam because of constant-speed rotation, and thus data must be stored until communications have been made possible. For this reason, the limitations on data communications capacity and the time difference between the occurrence of a request for communications and the completion of the communications become great problems.
To solve the problems, an electronic scanning system has been devised. With this system, antenna arrays are arranged in the shape of a cylinder to form an electronic scanning antenna. The electronic scanning antenna permits a beam to be directed to a desired aircraft target at any point of time to thereby perform general, individual inquiry/response with the aircraft target. The system is discussed in detail in a research report on electronic scanning version of radar antennas, published by Japan Civil Aviation Promotion Foundation, March 1986.
It will be expected that the electronic scanning type of mode-S sensor offers significant improvements in the data communications capacity and the delay time characteristic. However, horizontal beamwidths are not uniform in angle of elevation because the antenna arrays are arranged in the shape of a cylinder. Thus, depending on angles of elevation, unwanted responses increase, and monopulse angular measurement characteristics that are requirements of the mode S may deteriorate.
Such problems could be eliminated by making the diameter of the cylindrical array large, say, more than ten and several meters, and using a large number of arrays to narrow the array spacing. Such is almost impossible to realize physically and economically.


A new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant named ‘Balmibred’, characterized by its medium red-purple colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, compact-upright growth habit, is disclosed.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant botanically known as Penstemon hybrid and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'Balmibred'.
The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Hem, the Netherlands during August 2014. The objective of the breeding program was the development of Penstemon cultivars having a long flowering season with a compact-upright growth habit.
The new Penstemon cultivar is the result of cross-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Penstemon hybrid breeding selection coded G3003-01, not patented, characterized by its medium rose-colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Penstemon hybrid breeding selection coded G3003-02, not patented, characterized by its medium red-colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, and vigorous, semi-upright growth habit. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination during July 2015 in a controlled environment in Hem, the Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since July 2015 in Hem, the Netherlands and Elburn, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.


An interior rear seat for a motor vehicle includes a main seat located in a vehicle rear cabin portion that has opposed two end side portions, and a first rear interior side panel connected to a first inner vehicle skin surface and located adjacent an inwardly projecting wheel arch of the vehicle. The first side panel has a first seating portion that is continuous with one of the end side portions to extend the main seat adjacent the wheel arch. The rear seat with increased comfort is typically part of a production vehicle converted into a taxi vehicle. The invention also concerns a method for modifying a production vehicle with the rear seat.

The industry of taxi vehicles has always been present in most modern cities. Such taxi vehicles have different designs, sizes depending on the region they provide service for and/or local regulations. Despite the fact that many companies proposed different vehicle designs, such vehicles were generally expensive (due to the relatively low demand compared to private vehicles found on the market) and not always well suited for the transportation of small groups of people, with their belongings when applicable.
In most cities, although taxi vehicles need to meet some standards and are subject to basic regulations, they are often owned by individuals, usually the respective taxi driver. Accordingly, the proposed levels relating to the size (room) of the vehicle, the comfort, the practicality, the safety, the ability to carry handicapped people (with personal transport aids) and the like found at a specific location may significantly vary from vehicle to vehicle, thus rendering the taxi service not too attractive to people, in general.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved motor vehicle that could become a standard vehicle well suited for taxiing people with a minimum expected service quality and an improved seat with minimum expected seating comfort level, also adapted to the future needs.


A system and method for identifying infection of unwanted software on an electronic device is disclosed. A software agent configured to generate a bait and is installed on the electronic device. The bait can simulate a situation in which the user performs a login session and submits personal information or it may just contain artificial sensitive information. Parameters may be inserted into the bait such as the identity of the electronic device that the bait is installed upon. The output of the electronic device is monitored and analyzed for attempts of transmitting the bait. The output is analyzed by correlating the output with the bait and can be done by comparing information about the bait with the traffic over a computer network in order to decide about the existence and the location of unwanted software. Furthermore, it is possible to store information about the bait in a database and then compare information about a user with the information in the database in order to determine if the electronic device that transmitted the bait contains unwanted software.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of information leak prevention. More specifically but not exclusively, the present invention deals with methods for an efficient identification of attempts to steal private and confidential information using information stealing software and phishing.
2. Description of the Related Technology
The information and knowledge created and accumulated by organizations and businesses are among their most valuable assets. As such, keeping the information and the knowledge inside the organization and restricting its distribution outside of it is of paramount importance for almost any organization, government entity or business, and provides a significant leverage of its value. Unauthorized dissemination of intellectual property, financial information and other confidential or sensitive information can significantly damage a company's reputation and competitive advantage. In addition, the private information of individuals inside organizations, as well as the private information of the clients, customers and business partners includes sensitive details that can be abused by a user with criminal intentions.
Another aspect of the problem is compliance with regulations with respect to information: Regulations within the United States of America, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley act (GLBA) and the Sarbanes Oxley act (SOX) mandate that the information assets within organizations be monitored and subjected to an information management policy, in order to protect clients privacy and to mitigate the risks of potential misuse and fraud. Information and data leakage therefore poses a severe risk from both business and legal perspectives.
One of the emerging threats regarding the privacy and the confidentiality of digital information is Information Stealing Software, such as Trojan Horses and "Spyware". Such software may be installed on the computer by malicious users that gained an access to the user's computer or by "infection" e.g., from a web-site, an email or shared files in a file-sharing network. The Information Stealing Software can then detect sensitive or confidential information—e.g., by employing a "keylogger" that logs keystrokes, or by searching for confidential information within the user's computer and sending it to a predefined destination.
Current attempts to deal with Information Stealing Software are based mainly on detection of their existence in the host—e.g., by looking at their signatures. However, as these types of software are carefully designed to avoid such detection, the effectiveness of this approach is limited
Another aspect of information stealing is known as "phishing & pharming". In phishing attempts users are solicited, usually by officially-looking e-mails, to post their sensitive details to web-sites designed for stealing this information. There have been many attempts to mitigate phishing risks, such as helping users identify legitimate sites, alerting users to fraudulent websites, augmenting password logins and eliminating phishing mail. Yet, effective phishing attacks remain very common.
Pharming attacks aim to redirect a website's traffic to another, bogus website. Pharming can be conducted either by changing the hosts file on a victim's computer or by exploitation of a vulnerability in DNS server software. Current attempts to mitigate risks of pharming, such as DNS protection and web browser add-ins such as toolbars are of limited value.

Method and system for protection against information stealing software


An apparatus for adjusting the impression of an impression cylinder, equipped with a tube that can be slipped on, in a rotary press, the mounting of which apparatus has an eccentric bush equipped with a gearing, which is engaged in the operating state by an eccentric adjustment, which can be shifted out of the region of an opening enabling an exchange of tubes and is equipped with a gearing. A toothed quadrant, engaging the gearing of the eccentric bush, and a working cylinder, which is operated by a pressure medium and linked to the toothed quadrant, are pivotably connected with a rocking lever, which is mounted in the supporting frame and engaged by a two-membered driven toggle joint, which is pivotably connected at the other end with the supporting frame.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for turning on and off the pressure of a cylinder, such as an impression cylinder, equipped with a slipped-on tube or sleeve in a rotary printing mechanism. The mounting of the apparatus has an eccentric bush equipped with a gearing which is engaged in an operating state by an eccentric adjustment. The mounting can be shifted out of the region of an opening so as to enable an exchange of tubes and is equipped with a gearing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An apparatus is known (German Offenlegungsschrift 37 02 889), in which the supporting frames are equipped with jaws for exchanging the tube of the impression cylinder. The jaws can be moved apart sideways and serve as a mounting for the impression cylinder. In each case, one of the jaws has an electric motor with a gear wheel for making eccentric adjustments. In the operating state, the gear wheel engages an eccentric bush equipped with gearing for adjusting the impression cylinder.
The jaws, which can be moved apart, require relatively large space, which can be realized only with difficulty, particularly in the case of a multicylinder arrangement. Moreover, the guides for the jaws are difficult to manufacture with regard to accuracy requirements that have to be met.

Apparatus for adjusting the impression of an impression cylinder equipped with a tube which can be slipped on