A system and kit of components for winterizing plants and trees, where the invention comprises a skeletal frame formed by plural first tubular members, each having an upper end and a lower end. When assembled, the respective lower ends are spaced apart and positioned vertically and anchored within the ground surrounding the plant or tree. Joined between adjacent first tubular members are plural second tubular, horizontally oriented, members to form a generally square skeletal frame. About the skeletal frame is a light-transmitting plastic wrap. Overriding the skeletal frame is a top frame, preferably pivotal about a pair of upper ends, to allow access to the protected plant or tree. Additionally, the invention contemplates a cover, such as a plastic wrap or canvas-like material over the top frame to ensure complete protection of the plant or tree. Finally, and most significantly, the invention includes a hydro heat transfer system that extracts the inherent heat from the ground and the heated air within the skeletal frame to provide additional protection against sub-freezing temperatures.

The present invention relates to a system to protect plants and trees, especially fruit trees, such as orange trees, with a goal hereof to expand the growing areas to those subject to freezing temperatures. Typically, orange groves, at least in the southeastern states of the U.S., have been restricted to the midstate regions of Florida, where freezing temperatures are seldom encountered. Northern Florida, and neighboring states, too often experience occasional freezing temperatures for sufficient times that may severely damage or destroy orange trees, particularly at the early stages in the growing process.
Freeze damage to trunked plants, especially orange trees, is a problem for which a multitude of solutions have been proposed over the years. For example, it has been proposed to cover the trees with tents, canvas, for instance, to protect them from the freezing cold. This practice has proven to be generally impractical. It has also been proposed to use wind machines to stir up the air and mix the lower stratified cold air with warmer air at higher levels. This method is very expensive and has had mixed results. Another practice proposed is to heat the groves of orange trees to avoid frost damage. Heating has most often been done by the use of smudge pots which form a heavy screen of dense black smoke to protect the trees. However, smudge pots are expensive to operate, ecologically offensive and often ineffective, especially in the presence of even mild winds. Attempts have also been made to protect the trees by spraying heated or unheated water on the trees during periods of low temperatures, another method proven to be highly ineffective.
The prior art, as generally reviewed above, has long recognized the need for protecting orange trees, particularly new and young plants and trees, in certain cold environments. Certain solutions for protecting individual plants and trees, in the form of heat conducting devices and covering enclosures, for such needs, are reflected in the following U.S. Patents:
a.) U.S. Pat. No. 2,014,175, to Hart, discloses a flexible covering system including a pair of crossing U-shaped members, the free ends of which are anchored in the ground about the plant, an encircling ring holding the U-shaped members together, and a flexible cover positioned over the assembly to provide protection to the plant.
b.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,055, to Day, teaches a system for servicing trunked plants, such as citrus trees, in which water, in heated or unheated form is delivered by a manifold system to the base of each tree, conducted upwardly in a hose helically upwardly encircling the tree to a collar encircling the tree at an intermediate location on the trunk. The water is discharged from a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings in the collar and allowed to flow by gravity back down the trunk. In unheated form, the water irrigates and nourishes the tree trunk. In heated form, the water warms the tree trunk and protects the tree trunk from frost damage. The heated tree trunk and heated water will also heat the air next to the tree trunk. This heated air will rise upward and outward to heat some major branches and foliage beyond the tree trunk area.
c.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,465, to Lilly, is directed to a device for protecting plants, especially citrus trees, from damage resulting from freezing temperatures. A heat conducting device, which derives its heat from circulating water, is placed adjacent a tree trunk. The heat conducting device and the tree trunk are placed within a thermal barrier and the top of the thermal barrier is sealed around the tree trunk to define an air space thereabout. Water is circulated through the heat conducting device and heat is supplied to the air space. Water leaving the heat conducting device may be poured onto the ground or sprayed over the tree to provide additional protection to the plants during a freeze.
d.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,229, to Thomasson et al., relates to a self-supporting thermally-protective plant enclosure that includes a plurality of elongated hollow closure bodies each having a pair of outer and inner transparent walls. The outer and inner wall are each peripherally interconnected by a base, a top and a pair of opposite sides extending upwardly from the base to the top. Each closure body is closed along the opposite sides and base and is open at least through a portion of the top, defining an internal cavity in the closure body capable of receiving and holding a quantity of fluid therein. The closure bodies are positioned in side-by-side relation and are coupled one closure body to the next along the opposite sides thereof so as to form the plant enclosure with an open top and bottom, and an annular configuration surrounding a protective plant growth chamber. The plant enclosure also includes features for releasably coupling the closure bodies together along adjacent pairs of opposite sides of closure bodies so as to permit opening and closing of the plant enclosure at the opposite sides of the closure bodies of the plant enclosure.
e.) U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,953, to Morgan, discloses a collapsible protective plant cover comprising a pair of vertically spaced and coaxial support rings of spring steel. A tubular wall made of highly flexible sheeting is connected between the rings for protection from weather and animals. The tubular wall is sized for surrounding a plant with sufficient spacing therefrom. The top ring is spanned by a flexible top sheet. A small handle is attached across a small central hole on the top sheet. A stake is inserted into the ground near the center of the plant. The handle is supported on a hook positioned above the plant on the stake. The cover is entirely supported by the stake. The cover is easily removed from the plant and collapsed by twisting and coiling the rings on themselves.
The foregoing prior art recognize two approaches to providing winterizing protection to plants and trees, specifically in the form of an enclosure, or in intimate flowing water, but none offer an economic solution with a system that effectively protects such plants and trees during freezing spells. The manner by which the present invention achieves the goals of the invention will become clearer in the description which follows.

System and kit of components for winterizing trees


A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus successively photographs one short exposure image and a plurality of long exposure images. A global motion of each of the long exposure images is compensated based on the one short exposure image. A Point Spread Function (PSF) of each of the one short exposure image and the long exposure images are extracted. A shake correction image is extracted through a repeat estimation by determining an initial value of the repeat estimation based on the one short exposure image and the long exposure images and using each PSF.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments relate to a device and a method for correcting a shake, and more particularly, to a digital photographing apparatus having a shake correction function, a method of controlling the same, and a computer-readable storage medium for performing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital photographing apparatus photographs a subject by converting an optical signal, which is input through an optical unit such as a lens and a diaphragm, into an electrical signal at an image pickup device. The image pickup device receives the optical signal from the subject while a shutter is opened, thereby exposing the image pickup device. If the digital photographing apparatus is shaken due to hand trembling of a user or the like while the shutter is opened, there occurs a shake on a photographed image. The digital photographing apparatus may provide a function of correcting the shake generated due to the hand trembling of the user.

Digital photographing apparatus, method for controlling the same, and computer-readable medium


Azeotrope and azeotropic-like compositions of the following are provided:. (a) Chlorotetrafluorethane with an effective amount of polybutene; PA1 (b) Chlorohexafluoropane with an effective amount of perfluoro(alkane or alkene), wherein the alkane and alkene contains 5 carbon atoms; and PA1 (c) Octafluorobutane, optionally mono-chloro substituted, with an effective amount of perfluoro(alkane or alkene), wherein the alkane and alkene contains 5 carbon atoms,. the effective amount in each case being sufficient to form said azeotropic or azeotrope-like composition.

Chemical processes for the production of fluorocarbons typically produce a number of impurities along with the desired product or products, which are then isolated by fractional distillation. The knowledge that any azeotropes exist, along with their composition and formation conditions, are vitally important for the efficient operation of these isolation processes. Such azeotropic compositions may also be valuable as products.
The fluorocarbon compositions described in this invention can occur as part of certain manufacturing processes and are believed to be useful as cleaning agents, expansion agents for polyolefins and polyurethanes, refrigerants, aerosol propellants, heat transfer media, gaseous dielectrics, fire extinguishing agents, powercycle working fluids, polymerization media, particulate working fluids, carrier fluids, buffing abrasive agents and displacement drying fluids.
One of the important uses of fluorocarbons is as a cleaning agent or solvent to clean, for example, electronic circuit boards. Electronic components are soldered to circuit boards by coating the entire circuit side of the of the board with flux and thereafter passing the flux-coated board over preheaters and through molten solder. The flux cleans the conductive metal parts and promotes solder fusion, but leaves residues on the circuit boards that must be removed with a cleaning agent. Preferably, cleaning agents should have a low boiling point, non-flammability, low toxicity, and high solvency power so that flux and flux-residues can be removed without damaging the substrate being cleaned. Further, it is desirable that cleaning agents that include a fluorocarbon be azeotropic or azeotrope-like so that they do not tend to fractionate upon boiling or evaporation. If the cleaning agent were not azeotropic or azeotrope-like, the more volatile components of the cleaning agent would preferentially evaporate, and the cleaning agent could become flammable or have less desirable solvency properties, such as lower flux solvency and lower inertness toward the electrical components being cleaned. The azeotropic property is also desirable in vapor degreasing operations because the cleaning agent is generally redistilled and reused for final rinse cleaning.
Fluorocarbons may also be used as refrigerants. In refrigeration applications, a refrigerant is often lost during operation through leaks in shaft seals, hose connections, solder joints and broken lines. In addition, the refrigerant may be released to the atmosphere during maintenance operations on refrigeration equipment. Accordingly it is desirable to use a single fluorocarbon or an azeotrope or azeotrope-like composition that includes one or more fluorocarbons as a refrigerant. Nonazeotropic compositions have the disadvantage of changing composition, or fractionating, when a portion of the refrigerant charge is leaked or discharged to the atmosphere. Refrigeration equipment operation could be adversely affected due to the change in composition and vapor pressure that results from fractionation.
Azeotropic or azeotrope-like compositions of fluorocarbons are also useful as blowing agents in the manufacture of close-cell polyurethane, phenolic and thermoplastic foams. Insulating foams require blowing agents not only to foam the polymer, but more importantly to utilize the low vapor thermal conductivity of the blowing agents, which is an important characteristic for insulation value.
Aerosol products employ both single component fluorocarbons and azeotropic or azeotrope-like compositions of fluorocarbons as propellant vapor pressure attenuators in aerosol systems. Azeotropic or azeotrope-like compositions, with their substantially constant compositions and vapor pressures, are useful as solvents and propellants in aerosols.
Azeotropic or azeotrope-like compositions that include fluorocarbons are also useful as heat transfer media, gaseous dielectrics, fire extinguishing agents, power cycle working fluids such as for heat pumps, inert media for polymerization reactions, fluids for removing particulates from metal surfaces, and as carrier fluids that may be used, for example, to place a fine film of lubricants on metal parts.
Azeotropic or azeotrope-like compositions that include fluorocarbons are further useful as buffing abrasive detergents to remove buffing abrasive compounds from polished surfaces such as metal, as displacement drying agents for removing water such as from jewelry or metal parts, as resist-developers in conventional circuit manufacturing techniques employing chlorine-type developing agents, and as strippers for photoresists when used with, for example, a chlorohydrocarbon such as 1,1,1-trichloroethane or trichloroethylene.
Some of the fluorocarbons that are currently used in these applications have been linked to depletion of the earth's ozone layer and to global warming. What is needed, therefore, are azeotropic or azeotrope-like substitutes for such fluorocarbons that have low ozone depletion potentials and low global warming potentials.
Production of certain fluorocarbons can result in the inadvertant production of azeotropes, as for example when hydrogenating an unsaturated perfluorinated compound, or partially fluorinating a chlorofluorocarbon species. The recovery of azeotropes or azeotrope-like mixtures from the waste streams of existing chemical manufacturing processes makes it feasible to turn a waste product into a useful one, benefitting the environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,872 discloses that mixtures of difluoromethane (HFC-32) and perfluoropropane (PFC-218) have a nearly constant boiling point through the range of perfluoropropane content ranging from about 10 to 62 mol %.
From the open chemical literature (Horseley, L. H., "Azeotropic Data-III", Advances in Chemistry Series #116, American Chemical Society, Washington DC, (1973)), it is known that minimum boiling azeotropes are formed by binary mixtures of: 1-chloro-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (HCFC-124a) and perfluorocyclobutane (PFC-C318), chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22) and perfluoropropane (PFC-218), and chlorodifluoromethane and hexafluoropropylene (PFC-1216).

Azeotrope (like) compositions with octafluorobutane, optionally chlorinated, and either perfluorodimethylcyclobutane or perfluorohexane


An organic light emitting diode display including a first electrode disposed in a display area of a display panel, and electrically connected to a transistor connected to a gate wiring and a data wiring; a pixel definition film provided on the display panel, and having an opening through which the first electrode is exposed; organic emission layers disposed on the first electrode; column spacers disposed on non-display areas of the display panel, and disposed on the pixel definition layer; a second electrode disposed on the organic emission layers and the column spacers; and signal blocking metal wirings disposed on both side edges of the organic emission layers, and disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to an organic light emitting diode display.
2. Discussion of the Background
An organic light emitting diode display includes two electrodes, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) interposed therebetween. Electrons injected from a cathode, which is one electrode, and holes injected from an anode, which is the other electrode, are combined in an organic light emitting member to form excitons, and light is emitted while the excitons discharge energy.
The cathode and the anode are generally formed of metal, and a display panel having the organic light emitting diode, a sealing member opposed to the display panel to protect the organic light emitting diode of the display panel, and a sealant bonding and sealing the display panel and the sealing member are provided between the cathode and the anode. The cathode is formed on an entire surface of an emission portion (pixel area) and a non-emission portion (spacer formed area) of the display panel, and the anode is formed to correspond to the emission portion. A spacer forming a gap is disposed between the cathode and the anode.
A short circuit may be generated by contact between the cathode and the anode due to pressing, cracking, and the like by pressure from outside of the display panel. Such a short circuit may induce local burning of the display, thereby causing a defect of the display.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


A stethoscope having a chest-piece which is composed of a base member fixed to flexible tubes, a pickup mounting member rotatable about a first axis relative to the base member, and a plurality of pickups carried by the pickup mounting member. The plurality of pickups consist of one diaphragm and one bell; the diaphragm and the bell extend in diametrically opposite directions perpendicular to the first axis and extend along a common axis of symmetry; the bell has an outer end which lies in a first plane remote from the first axis, an inner end between the outer end and the first axis and a curved wall between the outer and inner ends; and the outer end has an external diameter less than 30 mm.

The present invention relates to stethoscopes, and particularly stethoscopes having a plurality of input devices.
A stethoscope is a primary diagnostic tool utilized by physicians and is composed essentially of two ear pieces, an input unit, commonly known as a chest-piece, and two flexible hollow tubes which connect the chest-piece to the ear pieces. The tubes constitute, essentially, acoustic wave guides that confine acoustic pressure waves and transmit these waves from the chest-piece to the ear pieces.
The chest-piece of a stethoscope may be constituted by a single input device, or sound pickup, or by a plurality of such devices. When a plurality of devices are provided, the chest-piece will be composed of a coupler, or support, member connected to the flexible tubes and a turret which carries the sound pickups. The turret is rotatable to bring a selected pickup into a position for use, in which that pickup is in acoustic communication with the flexible tubes.
There are two basic types of pickup: those which are provided with a diaphragm; and those which are commonly referred to as bells. In the type provided with a diaphragm, the diaphragm is placed in contact with a region of the patient's body. Vibrations at the surface of the body are conveyed to the diaphragm and from there to an air space in communication with the diaphragm. The acoustic vibrations induced in the air space are then transmitted to the ear pieces via the hollow tubes. The pickups of the bell type have, as the name implies, a bell shape which is open at both ends. The larger diameter end of the bell is intended to be placed in contact with the patient's body, while the smaller diameter end is provided with an opening which communicates with the flexible tubes. Each type of pickup is suited to be used on certain parts of a patient's body to detect certain types of body sounds.
Known chest-pieces provided with a plurality of pickups include: chest-pieces provided with three pickups angularly offset from one another by 120.degree. about an axis of rotation of the turret on which the pickups are mounted, as shown, for example, in FIG. 4; chest-pieces having two pickups, one aligned with the longitudinal axis of the chest-piece and one oriented perpendicular to that longitudinal axis; and chest-pieces having two pickups spaced 180.degree. apart about the longitudinal axis of the turret, as shown, for example, in FIG. 5.
In the case of known chest-pieces of the first-mentioned type, one of the pickups is a bell having a relatively small maximum diameter and a relatively high ratio of depth to maximum diameter. This bell is well suited for monitoring heart sounds because it is able to fit completely between two adjacent ribs of an average patient and can thus be positioned so that the transmission of sounds to the bell is not obstructed by a rib. Known chest-pieces of the second- and third-mentioned types do not include the a bell having the form described above, but rather a comparatively larger diameter element which functions in the manner of a bell but which is too large to fit completely between the ribs of an average adult patient.
When a diaphragm type pickup is to be employed for listening to body sounds, sound detection can frequently be improved if the pickup is applied to a body surface with a firm, steady pressure. It is difficult for a user to apply such pressure with the known stethoscopes, either because there is no suitable pressure-applying surface located diametrically opposite the diaphragm, as in the prior art device shown in FIG. 4, or because the pickup located diametrically opposite the diaphragm has a shape which does not allow accurate and comfortable positioning of the user's finger to produce the requisite firm and steady pressure, as in the prior art device shown in FIG. 5.


A method and apparatus are disclosed for testing a dual airbag passive restraint system of the type having two firing circuits, each with a series connection of several circuit components including at least two inertia sensors connected in series with a squib across a source of electrical energy, each inertia sensor having a normally open switch and an associated parallel connected resistor. The apparatus comprises a series connected diode and two switching circuits for each firing circuit for isolating at least one of the inertia sensors in each of the firing circuits from other circuit components of its associated firing circuit. A microcontroller monitors at least one voltage value at a component connection while at least one inertia sensor in each firing circuit is isolated. The microcontroller determines a value functionally related to the resistance of at least one circuit component in each firing circuit while at least one inertia sensor is isolated. The microcontroller compares the determined value against predetermined limits. If the determined value is not within the predetermined limits, an error indication is provided.

Airbag passive restraint systems for passenger vehicles are known. These systems typically include a firing circuit having a squib and two normally open inertia switches, all connected in series across a source of electrical energy. The two inertia switches are know in the art as the safing sensor and the front sensor. The safing sensor is located in the passenger compartment and the front sensor is located near the front of the vehicle. Upon closure of the two inertia switches, as occurs during a vehicle crash, electrical current of sufficient magnitude and duration passes through the squib so as to ignite the squib. The squib, when ignited, ignites a combustible gas generating composition or pierces a container of pressurized gas which results in inflation of the airbag.
If the firing circuit in an airbag restraint system is non-operative, the airbag would not be deployed upon the occurrence of a crash condition. Such non-operative conditions, for example, include (i) an open circuit in the series connection of the squib and the two inertia switches, or (ii) a short circuited squib. Also, a non-operative condition exists if excessive impedance exists in connections between firing circuit components so that upon closure of the inertia switches, the squib does not draw enough current to fire the squib.
Diagnostic test circuits have been developed to monitor the operativeness of the firing circuit portion of the airbag passive restraint system. If a non-operative condition is detected in the firing circuit, the diagnostic circuits alert the vehicle operator by lighting a warning lamp. Such diagnostic test circuits are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,513 to McCurdy et al., and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,148 to McCurdy et al., both assigned to the assignee of the present invention, both of which are hereby fully incorporated herein by reference. Both the '513 patent and the '148 patent are directed to vehicle restraint systems having only one airbag, preferably on the driver side.
These known diagnostic circuits separately monitor certain parameters of various components in the firing circuit, including the two inertia switches, the squib, and the storage capacitor. The diagnostic circuits monitor for both snort and open circuits in the firing circuit and perform tests to determine if resistance or capacitance values of firing circuit components are within predetermined limits. Upon detection of an unacceptable condition in the firing circuit, the circuit alerts the vehicle operator by lighting an indicator lamp located in the passenger compartment. Also, the diagnostic circuits disclosed in the '513 and the '148 patents provide for recording a detected out-of-tolerance condition in an electrically erasable programmable read only memory ("EEPROM") for later analysis by a service technician.
In a passive restraint system having both driver's side and passenger's side airbags, two firing circuits are typically used. In a dual airbag arrangement, it is contemplated that two firing circuits will be used in which certain firing circuit components are shared or connected in parallel. Such an arrangement improves the overall reliability of a dual airbag system. For example, it is contemplated that the front sensors in a dual airbag system can be connected in parallel so as to provide a redundant circuit path between the squibs and the power supply. Even though certain parallel connections are present in the two firing circuits, it is desirable to separately monitor the circuit elements of the two firing circuits as much a possible for diagnostic testing purposes.

Method and apparatus for testing a dual airbag passive restraint system


A method may include monitoring a sensor associated with a first location of an automobile seat, where the first location corresponds to a first transducer embedded within the automobile seat, and the automobile seat includes a second transducer at a second location within the automobile seat. The first and the second transducers may be configured to generate tactile feedback upon receiving an activating signal. The method may also include detecting an event triggering the activating signal to be sent to the first transducer, and based on a reading from the sensor indicating that an occupant of the automobile seat is not in contact with the first location, modifying the activating signal such that the first transducer primarily produces an audible sound rather than tactile feedback.

For hundreds of years, people have enjoyed music, both playing music and listening to music. In recent years, the types of music available for listening has expanded exponentially, as has the equipment by which the user may listen to music. Often, the equipment by which a user may hear, or listen to, music may be located in the same room where the user is located and the playback of music may be controlled by the user.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.


A face seal comprising an annular carbon stator having a flat sealing surface in rubbing contact with a flat sealing surface of an annular metallic rotor. The rotor has a head portion connected to a base portion by a neck portion, that is disposed on the same side of the rotor as the rotor's flat sealing surface. The neck portion has two straight radial surfaces, and is disposed on the same side of the rotor as the rotor's flat sealing surface. The formation of adverse thermal gradients within the rotor can be avoided by adjusting the axial thickness of the neck portion, thereby preventing coning of the rotor.

Face seals are used in gas turbine engines to prevent the leakage of fluid along rotating shafts where the shaft extends through a stationary structure such as a wall or partition. Referring to FIG. 1, a typical face seal is comprised of a stationary stator 22, having a flat surface that rubs against a flat surface of a rotating rotor 20. The rubbing of these surfaces generates significant amounts of heat and as a result thermal gradients within the rotor 20 form. These gradient must be properly managed to prevent leakage. A problem that can arise with rotors having the shape of rotor 20 is that under adverse thermal gradients rotor 20 will deform or cone. When this occurs the flat surface of the rotor 20 swings away from the flat surface of the stator 22 resulting in leakage.
One approach to this problem has been is to provide external or internal cooling of the rotor in the form of oil jets, cooling fins, or cooling passages. However, these approaches add significant complexity to the design of the rotor and are expensive. Another approach has been to make the rotor from a ceramic. A disadvantage to ceramics is their brittleness.
Accordingly, there is a need for a face seal having a rotor configured to be resistant to deformation when subjected to adverse thermal gradients.

Coning resistant face seal having a "U" shape


A concrete surfacing machine has a carriage mounting a concrete surfacing means, such as a rotary cutter, between front and rear wheels of the carriage which are independently adjustable in both the lengthwise and vertical directions of the carriage to accommodate surfacing of both flat and curved concrete surfaces and to effect both vertical adjustment and leveling of the surfacing means. The machine is equipped with a winch for propelling the carriage upwardly along an inclined surface and braking the carrriage during downward movement along such a surface and with a novel trolley suspension arrangement for restraining the carriage laterally on a surface which slopes laterally of the carriage.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to concrete working machines and more particularly to a novel concrete surfacing machine.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the context of this invention, concrete surfacing refers in a broad sense to performing some type of machining operation on a concrete surface by movement of an appropriate concrete machining tool along the surface. In a more limited sense, concrete surfacing refers to smoothing or planing a concrete surface by movement of a powered rotary surfacing or planing cutter along the surface. A present useful application of the invention, for example, involves surfacing or planing the floors of concrete dam spillways.
In this regard, it has found that high velocity water flow over even small bumps and the like on the floor of a concrete dam spillway causes damage to the spillway in the form of cracking, chipping and other erosion of the concrete. It is thought that this is due to low pressure or vacuum regions and impact forces which are created by the water flowing at high velocity over the bumps. In any event, if this problem is not corrected by removing the bumps, the spillway can suffer irreparable damage and become totally unusable in a relatively short period of time.
Spillway surfacing involves certain unique problems to which this invention is addressed. One problem resides in the fact that some spillway surfaces which require surfacing are inclined often quite steeply, lengthwise and/or laterally of the spillway. As a consequence, a surfacing machine must be capable of operating on steep slopes and hence must have a propulsion or drive system capable of effecting controlled and safe movement of the machine up and down such slopes. Moreover, if the surface slopes laterally of the machine, the latter must be restrained against slipping sideways.
In spillway surfacing operations, a surfacing machine may be required to move back and forth along or across the spillway without turning around at the end of each pass. Accordingly, a spillway surfacing machine should be reversible, that is capable of propulsion in either direction of movement. In addition a dam spillway may have both relatively flat concrete surfaces and curved concrete surfaces which require surfacing. A spillway surfacing machine must thus be capable of operating on, i.e. surfacing, both flat and curved surfaces. As will appear from the later description, each pass of a surfacng machine may involve movement of the machine along both flat and curved surfaces. Accordingly, a spillway surfacing machine must not only be capable of operating on both flat and curved surfaces but, further, must be capable of rapid transition from one shape of surface to another without time consuming adjustment of the machine.
At this point, it is significant to note that while the present invention is concerned primarily with dam spillway surfacing, it is not to be construed as limited to this particular application. In this regard, it will be recognized that the above discussed concrete surfacing problems are not limited to spillway surfacing.


A detecting and alarming system includes a main alarm circuit provided in a headquarter control center, at least a terminal alarm circuit provided at a local station, and at least a connecting loop conecting the main alarm circuit and each terminal alarm circuit, whereby upon a cutting or a shortcircuiting of the connecting loop between the headquarter control center and the local station, an alarm will be actuated for warning the breaking or shortcircuiting situation.

A conventional alarm circuit such as connected between a security company and a client may be cut once intruded by a thief or robber, thereby losing its alarming effect or chance for asking help.
It is therefore expected to disclose a detecting and alarming system capable of producing alarm signal once the alarming circuit has been broken or shortcircuited for security purpose.

Detecting and alarming system for detecting shortcircuited or broken circuit

c/o Hung Hsing Patent Service Center, P.O. Box 55-1670


A pet strap formed of a transparent material, such as plastic or synthetic rubber, with photoluminescent or phosphorescent colored pigment homogeneously dispersed within and incorporated into the elastometric material. The preferred photoluminescent is strontium oxide aluminate or strontium barium aluminate, which emit a yellow-green light. The strap may be disposed to encircle the neck of the pet as a conventional collar with a buckle and strap end retainers. The strap may also be made in various dimensions suitable for pets of all sizes, and may be configured to be trimmed to the desired size. Another embodiment of the pet strap includes a light reversion strip and an underlying or encased fabric reinforcing strip encased within the elastomeric strap adjacent the bottom side of the strap that contacts the pet. The light reversion strip will allow available light to charge the luminescents more proficiently for better performance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of pet straps, and more particularly to a pet collar that glows in the dark.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,871,336, 4,909,189, 5,140,946, 5,370,082, 6,055,942 and 6,494,040, these prior art pet collar constructions are adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, but they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical pet strap that glows in the dark.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved pet strap and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.


An orthodontic bracket having a base with a front face and spaced tie wings, with a generally central recess provided between the tie wings. With non-metal brackets, a separate jig or insert may be positioned between the tie wings. The jig or insert includes a central recess. The orthodontic brackets are designed to be positioned on an individual's tooth with the aid of a conventional bracket positioning gauge having a guide which is received in the recess of a bracket or the recess of a jig or insert. In alternate embodiments, one or more grooves may be provided between the tie wings to both assist in bracket positioning and to reduce friction between a bracket and the archwire which extends between brackets.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of orthodontics, and, more particularly, to orthodontic brackets that can be consistently, precisely positioned at predetermined locations on teeth with the aid of a conventional bracket positioning gauge. The brackets of the present invention include a central recess for receiving the tip of the positioning gauge. In an alternate embodiment, separate jigs or inserts having a recess therein are placed between the tie wings of a bracket.
In further embodiments, one or more grooves may be provided in the face of a bracket between the tie wings to both assist in bracket positioning and to reduce friction between the bracket and an archwire.
2. History of the Related Art
The goal of orthodontic treatments is to achieve the correct alignment of all of the teeth and a proper occlusion so that the opposing surfaces of the upper and lower teeth properly contact each other when an individual bites. When this goal is realized, an individual is assured of having more uniform tooth wear, healthier teeth and gums, and an attractive smile.
It has not been heretofore possible, however, to achieve a correct teeth alignment and occlusion for all individuals because of the great difficulty experienced by orthodontists attempting to precisely position orthodontic brackets on patients' teeth even with the aid of bracket positioning guides. Consequently, misalignments of the teeth and malocclusions have resulted despite individuals having endured oftentimes lengthy and painful orthodontic treatments.
Precise positioning of orthodontic brackets at proper locations on the teeth avoids a number of problems that otherwise would occur. Orthodontic brackets and their associated archwires control the ultimate arrangement of the teeth. Thus, proper placement of the orthodontic brackets is critical for achieving a successful orthodontic treatment.
Regarding orthodontic bracket positioning, if a bracket is positioned too high on a tooth relative to its bottom (incisal or occlusal) surface, the force exerted by the attached archwire will pull the tooth too far downward and produce an excessive tooth length. Consequently, a malocclusion will result and the individual's bite will be unsatisfactory.
Similarly, if an orthodontic bracket is positioned too low on a tooth, the tooth will be pushed too far upward by the archwire and the resulting tooth length will be inadequate, also causing a malocclusion. Accordingly, correct vertical placement of orthodontic brackets is mandatory to achieve a proper occlusion.
It is also necessary to correctly horizontally position orthodontic brackets on the teeth to achieve a successful orthodontic treatment. That is, if an orthodontic bracket is located excessively horizontally off-center, the associated tooth is twisted by the forces imparted on the bracket by the archwire. Consequently, the teeth are misaligned.
Improper orthodontic bracket placement on the teeth causes the orthodontic treatment to be unnecessarily prolonged. This is because brackets which are improperly positioned must be subsequently repositioned. Alternatively, instead of repositioning improperly positioned brackets, bends are sometimes formed in the archwire to compensate for any misalignment which would otherwise occur. Such measures are unsatisfactory, however, because additional stresses are placed on the brackets that may cause the bracket to become loose or even separate from the teeth, not to mention the additional pain and suffering to a patient.
Accordingly, proper orthodontic bracket placement reduces treatment costs because the need for bracket repositioning and replacement is eliminated.
Also, proper bracket placement reduces patient discomfort as the number of oftentimes painful and traumatic visits to the orthodontist are minimized because the teeth reach their ultimate proper arrangement in a shorter period of time.
In addition to proper bracket placement, improper archwire control between an archwire and a bracket can often increase the period of patient treatment. During the early stages of treatment, it is preferred to permit a somewhat free movement between an archwire and a bracket so that the teeth are not restrained from corrective movement. Therefore, if too much friction is created between brackets and archwires, a resistance to tooth realignment is created. Thus, the decreased resistance results in a more rapid and less painful orthodontic treatment.
In view of the undesirable problems associated with improper orthodontic bracket placement, there has been a need for an orthodontic bracket which can be consistently, precisely positioned on the teeth so as to avoid the problems of misalignment and malocclusion that are associated with the known orthodontic brackets.
Further, there exists a need to selectively control the resistance created between orthodontic brackets and archwires to permit rapid tooth alignment during early stages of treatment and more controlled alignment during latter stages of treatment.


A device for collecting excrements of pet animals, more particularly a so-called litter box for cats, of the type which at least consists of a receptacle (2) in which a filling material (3) can be provided, a carrying element (4) which can be moved through the receptacle (2) in order to remove waste substances (5-6) from the filling material, and wherein the device (1) is equipped with a removal unit (29) which cooperates with the carrying element (4) and removes waste substances (6) from the carrying element (4).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for collecting excrements of pet animals, more particularly a so-called litter box for cats, as well as to an auxiliary element which can be applied therewith.
2. Related Art
It is known that such devices substantially consist of a receptacle in which a filling material can be provided. It is also known that hereby a filling material, such as grains of an absorbing material, for example, based on bentonite, can be applied which, when coming into contact with a liquid, such as the urine of the animal, clumps to a larger substance.
In such a receptacle, waste substances are found, on one hand, in the form of solid or semi-solid excrements and, on the other hand, in the form of substances which, as aforementioned, have been formed as a consequence of the fact that a certain quantity of the filling material has come into contact with the liquid excrements, more particularly, the urine, of the animal.
It is known that such devices can be equipped with a carrying element which can be moved through the receptacle in order to automatically remove the aforementioned waste substances from the filling material. An example of such a device is commercialized, amongst others, by the Windmere company, and is traded under the trade name of LitterMaid. Hereby, the carrying element consists of a comb which is moved through the filling material like a rake. This comb has teeth which are situated at mutual distances which are larger than the diameter of the grains, in such a manner that the comb can move freely through the grains, whereas larger waste substances are carried off with the comb to an extremity of the receptacle, where a receiving container is situated.
The present invention aims at an improved device for collecting the excrements of pet animals, more particularly an improved device of the aforementioned automatic type.

Device for collecting excrements of pet animals and auxiliary element applied therewith


An assembly for jetting droplets of a viscous medium. The assembly is releasably mountable in a machine using the assembly for providing a substrate with deposits. The assembly comprises an assembly holder having first holding means mating with an assembly support of a docking device of the machine, a nozzle, an eject mechanism connected to the nozzle, a viscous medium container connected to the eject mechanism, and signal interface means. Thus, the assembly is to be regarded as a separate, exchangeable unit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an assembly for jetting, also known as non-contact dispensing, which is separate from and provides for different requirements on the assembly than contact dispensing such as screening.
2. Description of the Background Art
A prior art jetting machine is disclosed in copending patent application U.S. Ser. No. 09/719,237. Said patent application is focused on a certain part of the machine, which part is a new device for jetting droplets. The device comprises an eject chamber (37; 137) for containing a small volume of a viscous medium prior to the ejection thereof, an eject nozzle (36; 136) communicating with the eject chamber, eject means (22, 25; 122, 135) for rapidly ejecting said viscous medium from the eject chamber through said nozzle, and supply means for feeding said medium into the eject chamber. The supply means comprises a rotatably driven feed screw receiving the medium from a syringe containing the medium and forcing the medium towards the eject chamber. The medium contained within the syringe in turn is pressurised in order to force it out of the outlet of the syringe.
This prior art device works well. However, there is a problem involved in exchanging syringes in the device, particularly when the new syringe contains a different type of medium than the one to be exchanged. In the last mentioned case the operator of the machine has to rinse the portions of the device containing the medium. These portions are, inter alia, the eject chamber, the eject nozzle, and the feed screw. In the case of a non-contact dispensing machine, the rinse of the nozzle and the associated ejection parts is particularly important in order to achieve a good operation. While the rinse operation is performed the machine is stopped.
Another problem arising when exchanging syringes is that before resuming the production several dispensing operations must be performed, in order to refill the nozzle and the associated ejection parts with the new medium. Some extra ejections should be performed in order to guarantee that the medium is free from air bubbles. An attempt to reduce the exchange time is disclosed in JP-10294557. The time reduction is obtained by arranging a separate syringe holder at the machine. At the holder, a syringe which later on is to be substituted for the one presently used, is pressurised in that an amount of the medium is dispensed into a container. Thereby it is secured that the medium at the outlet of the syringe is free from air bubbles. Consequently, when replacing the syringe presently at use with the new one the application of medium onto a circuit board can be resumed immediately. However, this prior art solution is only useful in machines using the syringe for direct dispensing, and does not improve a machine of the jetting type to the same extent. Since such a machine has a separate ejecting mechanism, which receives the medium from the syringe, this ejecting mechanism still has to be refilled with the new medium before the application operation is resumed.
Consequently, the exchange of syringes causes an undesired fall in production. Additionally, the waste medium is generally environmentally hazardous and has to be carefully taken care of.
The object of this invention is to provide a solution to the above mentioned problems.
The invention, in one aspect thereof, provides for an assembly for jetting droplets of a viscous medium, said assembly being releasably mountable in a machine using the assembly for providing a substrate with deposits, and comprising a nozzle, an eject mechanism connected with the nozzle, a viscous medium container connected with the eject mechanism, and signal interface means.
By being releasably mountable the assembly is usable as a separate unit easily exchangeable and containing the medium. Consequently, the operator is relieved from the problem of handling the syringes and rinsing parts of the assembly. Additionally, the problem of handling the waste medium is eliminated. The assembly provides for a recycling system where the whole assembly, when empty of medium, is sent back to the supplier who originally delivered it.
For the purposes of this application, it is to be noted that the term xe2x80x9cdepositsxe2x80x9d should be interpreted as single or groups of viscous medium dots deposited on the substrate; the term xe2x80x9cviscous mediumxe2x80x9d should be interpreted as solder paste, flux, adhesive, conductive adhesive or any other kind of medium used for fastening components on the substrate; and that the term xe2x80x9csubstratexe2x80x9d should be interpreted as a printed circuit board (PCB), a substrate for ball grid arrays (BGA), chip scale packages (CSP), quad flat packages (QFP), and flip-chips or the like.
In another aspect thereof the invention provides for a machine for providing a substrate with deposits by jetting droplets of a viscous medium onto the substrate, comprising a docking device for receiving an assembly of the above described type, said docking device comprising an assembly support and complementary signal interface means.
In a further aspect thereof the invention provides for a docking device for receiving an assembly of the above described type, said docking device comprising an assembly support and complementary signal interface means.
The docking device facilitates the mounting/dismounting of the assembly at the machine by providing specific means, such as the assembly support and the interface means, simplifying the docking of the assembly. The mounting/dismounting is further facilitated by the assembly support comprising pneumatically operable assembly locking means, enabling a fast mounting/dismounting.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, there is provided an exchange assembly support for supporting at least one exchange assembly. By means of this support the invention is additionally improved by providing for an automatic exchange of assemblies at the docking device. Further, change over times are reduced due to the possibility of, while the machine is running, providing the exchange assembly support with new full assemblies, assemblies holding different types of paste, assemblies having different types of nozzles, etc., to be used later on by the machine.
In yet another aspect thereof, the invention provides for a method of exchanging and calibrating an assembly for jetting droplets of a viscous medium, said assembly being releasably mounted in a machine using the assembly for providing a substrate with deposits, and comprising an assembly holder having first holding means mating with an assembly support of a docking device of the machine, comprising the steps of:
exchanging the assembly for an exchange assembly;
moving the assembly to a calibration surface;
depositing a plurality of deposits on the calibration surface;
determining the position of said plurality of deposits by viewing it with a vision device comprised in the machine; and
determining an offset of the position from an expected position.
This method, which is possible to perform by means of inventive constructions according to the invention, that is the separate jetting assembly releasably mountable in a dispensing machine arranged for receiving such an assembly, is advantageous in that the operator of the machine does not have to deal with the assembly exchanges online. The steps of calibration assure that the new assembly is correctly mounted and that the accuracy of the dispensing process will be high.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be discussed below by means of exemplary embodiments.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modification within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.


The present invention relates to compositions and methods of inducing the self-renewal of stem/progenitor supporting cells, including inducing the stem/progenitor cells to proliferate while maintaining, in the daughter cells, the capacity to differentiate into hair cells.

Poloxamers are nonionic triblock copolymers composed of a central hydrophobic chain of polyoxypropylene (poly(propylene oxide)) flanked by two hydrophilic chains of polyoxyethylene (poly(ethylene oxide)). Poloxamers are often considered "functional excipients" because they are essential components and play an important role in a formulation.
Poloxamers are synthetic triblock co-polymers with the following general structure formula:
wherein a=2-130 and b=15-67
Non-limiting examples of poloxamers include: poloxamer 124, poloxamer 184, poloxamer 185, poloxamer 188, poloxamer 237, poloxamer 338, and poloxamer 407. The chemical characteristics of each poloxamer are determined by the chain length of the polyethylene (EO) units and the polyoxypropylene (PO) units, molecular weight and degree of hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity. Some poloxamers are liquid at room temperature (124) whereas others are a solid (184, 185, 188, 237, 338, and 407). Poloxamers have a variety of uses including as emulsifying agents, solubilizing agents and stabilizing agents. For example, poloxamer 188 has been used as an emulsifying agent for fluorocarbons used as artificial blood substitutes and in the preparation of solid-dispersions. They are also used as wetting agents in ointments, suppository bases, and gels, as well as tablet binders and coatings. In some cases, poloxamers have been used for solubilizing formulations containing otic therapeutic agents and their delivering. In some cases, a poloxamer formulation is created containing active agents that is liquid when at 4° C. which gels when heated at or above room temperature. This enables the formulation to be injected through a small needle and gel when it hits the middle ear. In these cases the amounts of poloxamer used for solubilization was about 15-17 wt %. At concentrations above 15-17 wt %, poloxamers will typically form gels that are not flowable even with cooled to 4° C., making them unsuitable for injection. There is a need for injectable formulations of therapeutic agents containing a poloxamer with gelation temperatures of at least 10 degrees or at least body temperature, where the poloxamer is at concentrations higher than about 15-17 wt %.

Thermoreversible compositions for administration of therapeutic agents


A T square shaped guide has a cutting device movable along its tongue section which is clamped at a desired distance from the head of the T square. Cutting is accomplished by movement of the T square with its clamped cutter along an edge of the material to be cut to a desired width. The cutting device employs cutting wheels arranged parallel to the T square head.

I. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to devices used for cutting long sections of sheet material. Particularly material such as gypsum wall board which is relatively stiff and supplied usually in sections four feet wide and up to sixteen feet long. It is often necessary to cut sheets of this type into narrower sections for use in building construction. This is commonly accomplished by marking the boards using rulers, squares and other straight edges. It involves marking at several points down from the edge of the sheet, drawing straight lines along the material from marker to marker and then scoring the material with a knife along the lines. Lastly the desired panel is broken loose. The task requires using several "tools" consecutively picking up one, placing it down, then the other etc. The tools must be kept in hand and delays can be encountered when one of the several tools is missing or moved a distance away from the last.
II. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,439,426 granted to R. Wilson Apr. 22, 1969 discloses a glass-cutting tool employing a T square. The tongue of the T square is bifurcated and a cutter head is slidable along the tongue to score the upper surface of a sheet of glass. In use the starting point of the score is located by use of a ruled head of the T square. The T square then is positioned with its head at the proper point and the cutter is slid along the tongue of the T square. This device does not provide a means for scoring an elongated sheet parallel to its edge as is needed for use in construction with material such as gypsum wallboard. It provides only for scoring laterally inwardly from an edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,195 granted June 21, 1977 to Thomas Insolio discloses a scoring device which is adapted for scoring sheets which rest on a table and wherein the tool has access to the table top surface on which the material lies. The tool comprises a cam plate which is a quadrilateral having four sides of unequal lengths. The cam is adapted to be slid along the table while it also slides along against the side edge of the sheet to be cut. A rod extends perpendicularly to the cam and carries a cutting tool which extends downwardly to cut the material as the tool is slid along. The height of the cutting tool above the surface of the table can be adjusted by rotating the cam. Since there are four edges to the cam i.e. four sides, there are four different heights at which the tool can be placed thus limiting the use of the tool. In Insolio a rod is positioned a substantial distance above the sheet to be scored and the cam-like block must be held against one edge of the material while it is also pressed down against the table at the same time in order to prevent canting of the cutting tool. The tool is likely to prove unstable particularly as the distance between the cutting edge and the cam block increases. The cutter depends downwardly from the elongated rod. In addition to the tendency of the rod to flex and the cam to sway the cutter does not provide stability longitudinally transverse of the single rod support. Thus flexing, bending and twisting leading to inaccuracies are a constant danger.


A filter for spray ducts of dental or surgical handpieces, wherein transfer of media from a coupling hose to the handpiece takes place through a plurality of small openings in an essentially cylindrical portion of the coupling hose of the handpiece, wherein the size of the openings determines the filtering properties. The essentially cylindrical portion has a collection duct located radially outside of the filter openings, wherein the collection duct is connected with a spray line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter for spray ducts of dental or surgical handpieces.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dental or surgical handpieces have extremely thin ducts through which the spray water and/or spray air is conducted to the tip of the instrument where the medium is applied usually in the form of a spray to the work area for cooling and for removing removed tooth or bone material.
Because of the extremely small diameters of the spray ducts in the instrument, the ducts sometimes become clogged.
The most obvious solution of this problem, which is to provide an appropriate fine filter in the supply unit, is not used for various reasons. One reason is the fact that a not insignificant portion of the impurities emanate from the O-ring seals between the supply hose and the handpiece. These O-rings are subjected to shearing loads when they are mounted or when the handpieces are removed, which together with the geometry of the coupling leads to the abrasion of small rubber particles.
It must additionally be pointed out that the manufacturers of the supply units, in which also various control and regulating devices for the dental or surgical handpieces are provided, usually are not the manufacturers of the handpieces; rather, the supply units are manufactured by separate manufacturers who specialize in producing hospital and medical supplies.
However, since the users of the handpieces are to be protected as much as possible from these problems and since the repairs in the case of clogging of the lines must be carried out by the maintenance service of the manufacturers of the handpieces, there is an increasing demand for providing filters which protect the handpiece.
For example, EP 0 591 953 A provides a solution in which cylindrical filter cartridges are mounted in the area between the supply hose and the headpiece head; however, this requires a large amount of space and additionally makes it necessary to periodically replace the cartridges. Even though this activity is to be preferred over a repair, it is still an unpleasant fine-mechanical activity which has to be carried out by the physician or his or her assistant; this means that the replacement will be delayed as long as possible and the device is still operated when the filter is actually already unduly clogged and leads to a pressure drop.
Another solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,210. A filter piece is inserted between the handpiece and the supply hose, wherein the filter piece is provided with corresponding connections for the supply hose and the handpiece. This solution has the advantage that the filter piece can be easily replaced; the disadvantages are the high costs of such an intermediate filter piece and the mechanical problems which always occur when all releasable connections are doubled, and of course the fact that the filter piece is located upstream of the O-ring seals of the handpiece.
In addition, the filters themselves are so small that in many cases a large portion of their pores are clogged already after filtering out a few particles and are no longer capable of operating. This is primarily due to the fact that the filter surface must be located within the cross-section of the spray duct and, therefore, leads already in the empty state to a considerable reduction of the available cross-section.

Filter for spray ducts of dental or surgical handpieces


A billboard advertising apparatus and installation method include an under-layer base and an overlying image layer. The under-layer provides an opaque white surface to a billboard panel as well as protection for the overlying image layer. The image layer is a thin translucent color layer with advertising or message copy. With the presence of a base or under-layer, the cost to make the image layer may be significantly reduced.

In the past, traditional roadside billboards have been covered with printed paper or printed plastic sheeting. Current plastic sheeting is either polyester scrim coated with a compounded PVC or woven polyethylene which may or may not require a printable coating layer commonly composed of inorganic powders such as antimony oxide, titanium oxide and/or calcium carbonate.
These types of plastic sheeting are then printed with an advertisement or message using solvent, water and UV-based inkjet digital printing technology.
These prints are used to cover over 400,000 billboard faces in the US which can be changed frequently, resulting in an estimated several hundred million square feet of material annually which must be printed, shipped, installed, removed, discarded and replaced.
Because billboards are located outside, they are subject to varying and, at times, extreme weather conditions, including sun, wind, rain, snow, ice, tornadoes, hurricanes. Older billboard structures may be made of wood and new billboard structures made of metal. These structures are also subject to wear and tear from the repeated attaching and removing of advertisements. As a result, the billboard structure may experience damage over time which can, in turn, impart physical damage to an installed advertisement. Such damage may lessen the life of an advertisement requiring the billboard owner to replace the advertisement at its cost or compelling the owner to use more robust, heavy duty material for the advertisement which adds additional cost.

Billboard print material and installation method


An artificial soil composition and a method of growing vegetation on a sloped surface, especially a cut rock surface are disclosed. The artificial soil composition includes peat, granular soil, sewage sediment formed by the treatment of urban waste for example and pulp sludge formed by the de-watering of fibrous material and is a byproduct of the manufacture of paper from wood pulp. The artificial soil composition is applied over a meshing which is secured over a sloped cut rock surface. Plants are grown in the layer of artificial soil. Experimentally, the artificial soil is shown to have an increased adhesion to the inclined surface compared to natural soil, promotes plant growth and retains water to a greater extent than natural soil but does not cause an environmental hazard resulting from the leaching of compounds in the run-off water.. The preferred concentrations of the constituents by weight are: peat (10-30%) granular soil (10-30%) sewage sediment (40-60%) and pulp sludge (25-44%).

On the surface of a slope of cut earth or rock where the environment for growing vegetation is poor, applying soil of a suitable thickness onto the slope will improve the ability of vegetation to be grown thereon. For landscaping a sloped rock area, latticed block has generally been used. Soil fills the compartments of the latticed block and then lawn is planted in the soil. This conventional method can only be used on a sloped surface having a small incline and is generally not suitable for use on a steep slope having a particularly irregular surface of cut rock. Also, transportation and installation of the latticed block to the sloped surface is very difficult. After installation, the latticed block may slide down under gravity.
Installation of a wire mesh with a soil layer over the cut rock surface has also been tried. However the moisture retaining capacity of the soil is very limited and therefore the soil layer generally must be greater than 30 cm to retain moisture therein. Accordingly, a large amount of soil is required. Heavy equipment for high pressure spraying . . . is also required. After application of the layer of soil, the soil has a tendency to erode as a result of insufficient adhesion between the surface of the cut rock and the soil.

Artificial soil composition and a method of growing vegetation on a sloped surface


Various examples are directed to systems and methods for utilizing a memory-mapped I/O channel. A first application may request that a message be sent to a channel counterparty. A message driver may receive from the first application the request to send the message, where the request comprises payload data from the message. The message driver may write a work request to a send queue of a first queue pair at the first memory location. An emulated channel adapter may poll a physical address at a memory device corresponding to the first memory location; determine that the work request is present at the send queue, and send the payload data to the channel counterparty.

Communication between computing devices and applications executing at computing devices is a recurring technological challenge. Traditionally, computing device communication has utilized a bus I/O structure. Applications send communication requests to an operating system. The operating system then communicates with hardware via an Input/Output (I/O) bus, such as a Peripheral Component Interconnected (PCI) bus, to implement the communication request.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Memory-mapped input/output (I/O) channel


A rear bicycle sprocket for use with a multi-gear rear cassette is provided. The sprocket includes a chain engaging portion and a mounting portion having generally annular shape about a central axis and a plurality of support arms, integrally formed with the chain engaging portion and with the mounting portion. The sprocket further includes a plurality of space maintaining protrusions, each space maintaining protrusion extending axially forwardly from an axially forward surface of a corresponding support arm and integrally formed therewith. A multi-gear rear cassette having a plurality of sprockets coaxially mounted together wherein the plurality of sprockets includes the rear bicycle sprocket mounted axially rearmost and a bicycle including the multi-gear rear cassette are further provided.

In a conventional bicycle multi-gear rear cassette, a plurality of sprockets of variable diameter are axially distributed along and co-axially mounted to a freehub body. Each sprocket has a plurality of teeth about its perimeter for engaging a bicycle chain. For example, a mountain bicycle rear cassette with ten sprockets, S1-S10, could have sprockets with the following teeth (T) profiles: 11T, 13T, 15T, 17T, 19T, 21T, 24T, 28T, 32T, and 36T (i.e., 11T to 36T). When a shift control device is actuated by a bicyclist, a rear derailleur transfers the chain from the teeth of one sprocket to another.
To reduce the weight of the cassette, a sprocket carrier has been used to support a plurality of sprockets. A relatively low density metal such as aluminum is typically used for the carrier, while various types of steel materials provide the sprockets with adequate strength. The carrier comprises a plurality of radially extending mounting arms. Each mounting arm includes a sprocket mounting portion. Fasteners, such as bolts, mating threads, coupling projections, rivets, and the like, are used to fasten the sprockets to the sprocket mounting portion of the carrier. These mechanical connections not only require additional materials making the sprocket assembly heavier, but also weaken the mating parts and provide possible fatigue and fracture failure points on both the sprockets and carrier. Further, such mechanical connections introduce additional unwanted flexibility as they twist and deform under loading.
It may be desirable to increase the number of sprockets available in a bicycle multi-gear rear cassette to provide the bicyclist with a greater choice of gears. In relatively recent years, the number of sprockets in a typical mountain bicycle multi-gear rear cassette has increased from nine to ten sprockets. Even more recently, the number of sprockets has increased from ten to eleven. By increasing the number of sprockets, the bicyclist may be able to increase the range of the multi-gear rear cassette (i.e., the ratio derived from dividing the teeth profile of the sprocket having the largest diameter by the teeth profile of the sprocket having the smallest diameter) thereby providing the bicyclist with a greater range of gears to choose from. Thus, the range of a typical mountain bicycle multi-gear rear cassette having ten sprockets ranging from 11T to 36T has a range of 327%, which is greater than the range of a typical mountain bicycle multi-gear cassette having nine sprockets ranging from 11T to 34T (i.e., a 309% range). The range of a typical mountain bicycle multi-gear cassette having eleven sprockets ranging from 10T to 42T is greater still (i.e., 420%).
While a drivetrain having an eleven sprocket rear cassette is advantageous to bicyclists due to the enhanced range, an eleven sprocket rear cassette is incompatible with drivetrains designed for use with nine or ten sprocket rear cassettes. For a bicyclist to install an eleven sprocket rear cassette on a bicycle having a drivetrain using a nine or ten sprocket cassette, the bicyclist must purchase and install a new bicycle chain, rear derailleur, shift control device, and/or front chain rings. This can be prohibitively expensive.
There is a general desire to increase the range of gears available to a bicyclist without the bicyclist having to make substantial changes to the drivetrain and/or considerably increasing the weight of the bicycle.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related thereto are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Bicycle sprocket for use with a multi-gear rear cassette


A refrigerant cycle device includes a first refrigerant passage for guiding refrigerant from a refrigerant radiator to an inlet side of an outdoor heat exchanger, a first throttle part capable of varying an opening area of the first refrigerant passage, a second refrigerant passage for guiding the refrigerant from the outdoor heat exchanger to a compressor-suction side, a first opening/closing part for opening/closing the second refrigerant passage, a third refrigerant passage for guiding the refrigerant from the outdoor heat exchanger to the compressor-suction side via an evaporator, a second throttle part capable of varying an opening area of the third refrigerant passage, a bypass passage for guiding the refrigerant flowing between the refrigerant radiator and the first throttle part to a position between the outdoor heat exchanger and the second throttle part in the third refrigerant passage, and a second opening/closing part for opening/closing the bypass passage.

There has been known an air conditioner that has an indoor evaporator and an indoor condenser arranged in a chamber and that cools and dehumidifies air to be blown into the chamber by the indoor evaporator and that reheats the air, which has been dehumidified by the indoor evaporator, by the indoor condenser and that blows off the air into the chamber to thereby dehumidify the interior of the chamber (see, for example, patent document 1 (JP-B1-3645324), patent document 2 (JP-6-341732A)).
In an air conditioner described in the patent document 1, a heating and dehumidifying operation of dehumidifying feed air at the time of heating the interior of the chamber and a moderate cooling and dehumidifying operation of dehumidifying feed air at the time of cooling the interior of the chamber can be performed by switching a refrigerant, passage of a refrigerant cycle of a vapor compression type.
Specifically, at the time of performing the heating and dehumidifying operation, the refrigerant passage of the refrigerant cycle is switched to a refrigerant passage of coupling the indoor evaporator to an outdoor heat exchanger, which makes a refrigerant exchange heat with an outdoor air, in parallel on the downstream side of the indoor condenser to thereby make the outdoor heat exchanger function as a heat absorbing device. In this case, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the feed air in the indoor evaporator, and the refrigerant absorbs heat from the outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger, whereby an amount of heat radiated by the refrigerant in the indoor condenser can be ensured. In this way, the feed air having a high temperature can be blown off into the chamber.
On the other hand, at the time of performing the moderate cooling and humidifying operation, the refrigerant passage of the refrigerant cycle device is switched to a refrigerant passage of coupling the indoor condenser to the outdoor heat exchanger in parallel on the downstream side of a compressor to thereby make the outdoor heat exchanger function as a refrigerant radiator. In this case, the refrigerant radiates heat to the feed air in the indoor condenser, and the refrigerant radiates heat to the outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger, whereby an amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the indoor evaporator can be ensured. In this way, the feed air having a low temperature can be blown off into the chamber.
In an air conditioner described in the patent document 2, at the time of performing the heating and dehumidifying operation, the refrigerant passage of the refrigerant cycle is switched to the same refrigerant passage as in the patent document 1, whereas at the time of performing the moderate cooling and dehumidifying operation, the refrigerant passage of the refrigerant cycle is switched to a refrigerant passage of coupling the indoor condenser, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the indoor evaporator in series on the downstream side of the compressor to thereby make the outdoor heat exchanger function as a refrigerant radiator. Also in this case, the refrigerant radiates heat in both of the indoor condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger, whereby an amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the indoor evaporator can be ensured.
Here, in the case where the refrigerant passage of the refrigerant cycle is switched to the refrigerant passage of coupling the indoor evaporator to the outdoor heat exchanger in parallel to thereby make the outdoor heat exchanger function as the heat absorbing device, as in the case of the heating and dehumidifying operation in the patent documents 1, 2, even if an attempt to vary an amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the indoor evaporator is made so as to vary the temperature of the air blown off into the chamber; the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant from the outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger cannot be adequately adjusted. As a result, the temperature adjustment range of the air blown off into the chamber is limited.
This is because in the refrigerant passage of coupling the indoor evaporator to the outdoor heat exchanger in parallel as described in the patent documents 1, 2, a refrigerant evaporation temperature in the indoor evaporator is equal to a refrigerant evaporation temperature in the outdoor heat exchanger.
For example, in order to increase the temperature of the air blown off into the chamber, it is only necessary to decrease the refrigerant evaporation temperature in the outdoor heat exchanger to thereby increase the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger. However, when the refrigerant evaporation temperature in the outdoor heat exchanger is decreased, the refrigerant evaporation temperature in the indoor evaporator is also decreased, so that frost can be formed on the indoor evaporator.
On the other hand, in order to decrease the temperature of the air blown off into the chamber; it is only necessary to increase the refrigerant evaporation temperature in the outdoor heat exchanger to thereby decrease the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger. However, when the refrigerant evaporation temperature in the outdoor heat exchanger is increased, the refrigerant evaporation temperature in the indoor evaporator is also increased, so that the feed air cannot be sufficiently dehumidified.
Further, even in the case where the refrigerant passage of the refrigerant cycle is switched to the refrigerant passage of coupling the indoor condenser to the outdoor heat exchanger in parallel as in the case of the moderate cooling and heating operation of the patent document 1, or even in the case where the refrigerant passage of the refrigerant cycle is switched to the refrigerant passage of coupling the indoor condenser to the outdoor heat exchanger in series as in the case of the moderate cooling and heating operation of the patent document 2, in the case where the outdoor heat exchanger is made to function as the refrigerant radiator, even if an attempt to increase the amount of heat radiated by the refrigerant in the indoor condenser is made in order to increase the temperature of the air blown off into the chamber, if the amount of heat radiated by the refrigerant to the outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger cannot be adequately decreased, to expand the temperature adjustment range of the air blown off into the chamber to a higher temperature side is limited.
In other words, in the air conditioners described in the patent documents 1, 2, at the time of performing the dehumidifying operation, the capacity (heat radiating capacity and heat absorbing capacity) of the outdoor heat exchange cannot be adequately adjusted, so that as shown in FIG. 25, there exists a range in which the temperature of the air blown off into the chamber cannot be adjusted. FIG. 25 is an illustrative drawing to illustrate a temperature adjustment range of the air blown off into a chamber in a conventional an air conditioner. In FIG. 25, R1 designates a region in which a blowoff temperature cannot be controlled, R2 designates a temperature adjustable range at the time of performing a heating and dehumidifying operation, R3 designates a region in which the blowoff temperature cannot be controlled in a middle temperature range, R4 designates a temperature adjustable range at the time of performing a moderate cooling and dehumidifying operation, and RT designates a refrigerant evaporation temperature in the indoor evaporator.
In this way, in the air conditioners described in the patent documents 1, 2, the temperature adjustment range of the air blown off into the chamber at the time of performing the dehumidifying operation can be limited in some cases, and in some cases, a comfortable air conditioning of the chamber cannot be realized.
Further, there is provided a refrigerant cycle device used for an air conditioner that cannot utilize the waste heat of an engine of an electric automobile or the like. This refrigerant cycle device is provided with: a compressor for sucking, compressing, and discharging a refrigerant; a condenser for radiating heat of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to an external fluid; an expansion valve for reducing pressure of the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser to expand the refrigerant; and an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant reduced in pressure by the expansion valve to thereby absorb heat from the external fluid. The evaporator and the condenser are arranged in an air-conditioning duct and the evaporator is made a heat exchanger for cooling and dehumidifying air for air conditioning and the condenser is made a heat exchanger for heating the air for air conditioning. In this way, the air-conditioned air dehumidifies and heats the interior of a vehicle compartment (patent document 3 (JP-A-2000-16072)).
However, in the refrigerant cycle device of the patent document 3, there is a case where, for example, in order to prevent frost from being formed on the evaporator for absorbing heat from the air, a lower limit is set to the pressure of the refrigerant in the evaporator. When the lower limit is set to the pressure of the refrigerant in the evaporator, a heat absorbing capacity of the evaporator is limited and hence the load of the evaporator is made low, which makes the evaporator unable to sufficiently exert its heat absorbing capacity. Hence, there is also presented a problem that an air heating capacity (capacity of heating an external fluid) of the condenser that is a refrigerant radiator will be deficient.


The present disclosure relates to the field of multicast/broadcast transmission of content data. A method embodiment for controlling transmission of a PTM service from a content source 102 to a plurality of recipients 120, 122, 124 in a service area, wherein the service area is arranged at a higher hierarchy level and comprises a plurality of local areas arranged at a lower hierarchy level, comprises receiving location information indicating a location in the service area; determining an input traffic load of the PTM service to be transmitted to the service area; selecting the service area or a subset of one or more of the local areas contained in the service area as a destination area for the PTM service, wherein the selection is based on the received location information and the input traffic load; and controlling transmission of the PTM service to the selected destination area.

Telephony, messaging and on-demand streaming services are examples for Point-to-Point (PTP) or unicast communication services. Broadcast and multicast services, on the other hand, are based on Point-to-Multipoint (PTM) communication. Using PTM communication, content (such as voice, text, graphics or multimedia data) is transmitted from typically a single source to multiple destinations. PTM services include for example streaming services or file delivery services.
A broadcast PTM service of a broadcast-enabled network, for example a mobile communication network, broadcasts content data into a predetermined geographical area, i.e. a broadcast service area. The users do not need to register or join a group prior to receiving the content.
A multicast PTM service delivers content to a group of users in a particular area, i.e. a multicast service area. Prior to receiving the content, the users have to subscribe to a particular multicast group, e.g. a Multicast Subscription Group. Usually, a multicast group includes a plurality of users interested in a particular content, for example news in the field of sports, economics, politics, etc.
The 3GPP (3rd-Generation Partnership Project) has specified broadcast and multicast services for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) networks, namely the Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Service (MBMS) feature. The feature is documented for example in the 3GPP TS (Technical Specification) 23.246 and in the TS 26.346. MBMS adds a plurality of broadcast/multicast-related techniques to conventional GSM or UMTS networks. For performing these techniques, a functional entity is specified that controls the broadcast multicast delivery of services, which is called the Broadcast/Multicast Service Center (BM-SC).
Within MBMS, the BM-SC is responsible for providing and delivering broadcast/multicast services originating from any kind of content provider (broadcast/multicast content source), for example a video clip distribution server, automotive warning server, news server, etc. The BM-SC serves as an entry point for content-delivery services, sets up and controls MBMS transport bearers, and can additionally be used to initiate MBMS transmissions. For example, the BM-SC may provide the service announcements that signal an upcoming multicast transmission to a User Equipment (UE) being member of the related group. These announcements include all necessary information such as multicast service identifier, Internet Protocol (IP) multicast addresses, time of transmission, and media descriptions that a UE needs to join a multicast session.
Each broadcast/multicast service is related to a service area (broadcast/multicast service area), which is the geographical area or zone within which the content can be broadcasted/multicasted or transmitted. The service area may comprise the whole PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) of an MNO (Mobile Network Operator) or may even comprise several PLMNs, if agreed upon in a service level agreement. On the other hand, a service area may be configured to be as small as a single radio cell of a network or a plurality of radio cells. In general, a service area comprises a reasonable part of a PLMN.
Downstream of a PTM data source, each node in the network has a list of further downstream nodes to determine to which nodes it should forward MBMS content. Thus, a hierarchically organized content distribution is created with the base transceiver stations/Node B stations (e-Node B stations) serving a single radio cell each and thus forming the leaves of the distribution tree.
In many networks, the service area is allocated statically, i.e. the content is distributed to the same (fixed) destination area. For example, today's broadcast services (e.g. FM or AM broadcasts) are de-facto static. Some other, like MBMS, allow limited update capabilities for the service area allocation. In MBMS, a service area is configured individually for each multicast service, but the service area configured for this service is then not adjusted during transmission.
That is, in these existing broadcasting/multicasting solutions, it is not possible to modify the destination area for the content of the same broadcast/multicast service dynamically during a day. However, for each broadcast/multicast session, some services and applications of a broadcast/multicast service, like mobile TV, multimedia podcasting, localized news or automotive warning applications, may only be important for some of the recipients in a broadcast/multicast service area. Others may be of value for all of these recipients.

Method for controlling PTM service transmission


The invention is a semiconductor memory structure having an electrically conductive substrate interconnect formed to provide electrical continuity between a buried contact region and a source/drain region of a transistor without overlap of the buried contact region with the source/drain region. The electrically conductive substrate interconnect is formed during an ion bombardment of the substrate wherein the ions enter the substrate at an oblique angle and underlie at least a portion of a region utilized to control the amount of ions entering the substrate.

Static random access memory (SRAM) devices are electronic memory devices that store digital information or data in an arrangement of memory cells. Unlike ordinary, volatile memory devices, static memory devices retain their contents without a refresh cycle. It is interesting to note that a trickle of electrical current, such as the amount of current that would not significantly affect the battery life of a conventional battery, is enough current to maintain the contents of a memory cell of an SRAM.
NMOS and PMOS transistors are formed in SRAM devices. Typically the gates of these transistors overly a substrate and the source/drain regions of the transistors are formed in the substrate. It is necessary to provide an electrical potential to the source/region in order for the transistor to operate. In SRAM fabrication a buried contact region is formed in the substrate. A conductive layer is deposited on the buried contact region. The conductive layer is connectable to an electrical potential. Therefore in order to connect the electrical potential to the source/drain region through the buried contact region there must be an electrical connection between the buried contact region and the source/drain region. In the related art, shown in FIG. 1, the source/drain region 1 and the buried contact region 2 overlap thereby providing the electrical connection in area 3. There are several disadvantages inherent in the structure formed by this process. First the conductive layer 4 is etched to expose the substrate in order to form the source/drain region 1. Since the etch is not selective over silicon, a typical substrate material, the substrate 5 is inadvertently etched forming a small trench 6. The formation of the trench 6 necessitates careful manipulation of the process to ensure that the trench 6 does not isolate the buried contact region 2 from the source/drain region 1 or result in side effects such as junction leakage from damage in the silicon substrate. If indeed the trench isolates the two regions the substrate will provide a high resistance path between the two regions. Without proper trench control, yield problems increase and more parts fail. As in any competitive industry, there exists a need to increase yield thereby decreasing costs.

Electrically conductive substrate interconnect continuity region and method of forming same with an angled implant


A vinyl acetylsalicylate-vinyl alcohol based copolymer which comprises a structural unit having the following formula (1): ##STR1## and a structural unit having the following formula (2): ##STR2## optionally with at least one member selected from the group consisting of a structural unit having the following formula (3): ##STR3## and a structural unit having the following formula (4): ##STR4## In the copolymer, the amounts of vinyl acetylsalicylate units and vinyl alcohol units, degree of polymerization and the like can be controlled, whereby the efficacy of acetylsalicylic acid can be easily controlled as desired. Therefore, the copolymer is expected to be widely applicable as medicament.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vinyl acetylsalicylate-vinyl alcohol based copolymer suitable for use as medicament and to a copolymeric precursor thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Acetylsalicylic acid is widely used as a medicament, called aspirin, for producing antipyretic and analgesic medicines. There have been many investigations on acetylsalicylic acid, and it has recently been reported that acetylsalicylic acid has some newly found effects such as antithrombotic effect in addition to the antipyretic and analgesic effects.
For broadening the scope of application of acetylsalicylic acid as medicament, attempts have been made to control as desired or stabilize the efficacy of the acid. For instance, conversion of acetylsalicylic acid to its sodium salt, aluminum salt, etc., incorporation of acetylsalicylic acid in tablets, capsules, etc. and the like methods have been attempted for the purpose of controlling and stabilizing the efficacy of acetylsalicylic acid. These methods, however, are not yet satisfactory for enlarging the application area of acetylsalicylic acid as medicament.
As another means for broadening the scope of application of acetylsalicylic acid as medicament, a vinyl acetylsalicylate polymer obtained by polymerizing vinyl acetylsalicylate has been proposed. The polymer upon hydrolysis yields acetylsalicylic acid. The hydrolysis is regulated to control the amount of acetylsalicylic acid formed, thereby controlling the efficacy of the acid, or the way the effects of the acid are exerted.
A further attempt has been made in which the vinyl acetylsalicylate is regulated in degree of polymerization or saponification, whereby the amount of acetylsalicylic acid groups in the polymer can be varied, in order to control the efficacy of acetylsalicylic acid.
However, the vinyl acetylsalicylate polymer is a homopolymer and its saponification reaction proceeds with difficulty. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve the intended control of saponification degree of the polymer, namely, to accomplish a desired control of the efficacy of acetylsalicylic acid.

Vinyl acetylsalicylate-vinyl alcohol based copolymer