Disclosed is a hot melt ink composition comprising (a) an ink vehicle, said ink vehicle being a solid at about 25.degree. C. and having a viscosity of from about 1 to about 20 centipoise at a temperature suitable for hot melt ink jet printing, said temperature being greater than about 45.degree. C., (b) a photochromic material, (c) an optional colorant, and (d) an optional propellant.

The present invention is directed to hot melt ink compositions. More specifically, the present invention is directed to ink compositions that are solid at room temperature and that are suitable for ink jet printing processes, particularly thermal ink jet printing processes. One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a hot melt ink composition comprising (a) an ink vehicle, said ink vehicle being a solid at about 25.degree. C. and having a viscosity of from about 1 to about 20 centipoise at a temperature suitable for hot melt ink jet printing, said temperature being greater than about 45.degree. C., (b) a photochromic material, (c) an optional colorant, and (d) an optional propellant.
Ink jet printing systems generally are of two types: continuous stream and drop-on-demand. In continuous stream ink jet systems, ink is emitted in a continuous stream under pressure through at least one orifice or nozzle. The stream is perturbed, causing it to break up into droplets at a fixed distance from the orifice. At the break-up point, the droplets are charged in accordance with digital data signals and passed through an electrostatic field which adjusts the trajectory of each droplet in order to direct it to a gutter for recirculation or a specific location on a recording medium. In drop-on-demand systems, a droplet is expelled from an orifice directly to a position on a recording medium in accordance with digital data signals. A droplet is not formed or expelled unless it is to be placed on the recording medium.
Since drop-on-demand systems require no ink recovery, charging, or deflection, they are much simpler than the continuous stream type. There are two types of drop-on-demand ink jet systems. One type of drop-on-demand system has as its major components an ink filled channel or passageway having a nozzle on one end and a piezoelectric transducer near the other end to produce pressure pulses. The second type of drop-on-demand system is known as thermal ink jet, or bubble jet, and produces high velocity droplets and allows very close spacing of nozzles. The major components of this type of drop-on-demand system are an ink-filled channel having a nozzle on one end and a heat generating resistor near the nozzle. Printing signals representing digital information originate an electric current pulse in a resistive layer within each ink passageway near the orifice or nozzle causing the ink in the immediate vicinity to evaporate almost instantaneously and create a bubble. The ink at the orifice is forced out as a propelled droplet as the bubble expands. When the hydrodynamic motion of the ink stops, the process is ready to start all over again. With the introduction of a droplet ejection system based upon thermally generated bubbles, commonly referred to as the "bubble jet" system, the drop-on-demand ink jet printers provide simpler, lower cost devices than their continuous stream counterparts, and yet have substantially the same high speed printing capability.
The operating sequence of the bubble jet system begins with a current pulse through the resistive layer in the ink filled channel, the resistive layer being in close proximity to the orifice or nozzle for that channel. Heat is transferred from the resistor to the ink. The ink becomes superheated far above its normal boiling point, and for water based ink, finally reaches the critical temperature for bubble formation or nucleation of around 280.degree. C. Once nucleated, the bubble or water vapor thermally isolates the ink from the heater and no further heat can be applied to the ink. This bubble expands until all the heat stored in the ink in excess of the normal boiling point diffuses away or is used to convert liquid to vapor, which removes heat due to heat of vaporization. The expansion of the bubble forces a droplet of ink out of the nozzle, and once the excess heat is removed, the bubble collapses on the resistor. At this point, the resistor is no longer being heated because the current pulse has passed and, concurrently with the bubble collapse, the droplet is propelled at a high rate of speed in a direction towards a recording medium. The resistive layer encounters a severe cavitational force by the collapse of the bubble, which tends to erode it. Subsequently, the ink channel refills by capillary action. This entire bubble formation and collapse sequence occurs in about 10 microseconds. The channel can be retired after 100 to 500 microseconds minimum dwell time to enable the channel to be refilled and to enable the dynamic refilling factors to become somewhat dampened. Thermal ink jet processes are well known and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,601,777; 4,251,824; 4,410,899; 4,412,224; and 4,532,530, the disclosures of each of which are totally incorporated herein by reference.
Ink jet printing processes may also employ inks that are solid at room temperature and liquid at elevated temperatures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,731, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an apparatus for dispensing solid ink for printing on a substrate such as paper. The ink dye vehicle is chosen to have a melting point above room temperature, so that the ink which is melted in the apparatus will not be subject to evaporation or spillage during periods of nonprinting. The vehicle is also chosen to have a low critical temperature to permit the use of the solid ink in a thermal ink jet printer. In thermal ink jet printing processes employing hot melt inks, the solid ink is melted by the heater in the printing apparatus and utilized as a liquid in a manner similar to that of conventional thermal ink jet printing. Upon contact with the printing substrate, the molten ink solidifies rapidly, enabling the dye to remain on the surface instead of being carried into the paper by capillary action, thereby enabling higher print density than is generally obtained with liquid inks. Advantages of a hot melt ink in ink jet printing are elimination of potential spillage of the ink during handling, a wide range of print density and quality, minimal paper cockle or distortion, and enablement of indefinite periods of nonprinting without the danger of nozzle clogging, even without capping the nozzles.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,528, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a hot melt ink jet system which includes a temperature-controlled platen provided with a heater and a thermoelectric cooler electrically connected to a heat pump and a temperature control unit for controlling the operation of the heater and the heat pump to maintain the platen temperature at a desired level. The apparatus also includes a second thermoelectric cooler to solidify hot melt ink in a selected zone more rapidly to avoid offset by a pinch roll coming in contact with the surface of the substrate to which hot melt ink has been applied. An airtight enclosure surrounding the platen is connected to a vacuum pump and has slits adjacent to the platen to hold the substrate in thermal contact with the platen.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,439, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated by reference, discloses an apparatus for use with hot melt inks having an integrally connected ink jet head and reservoir system, the reservoir system including a highly efficient heat conducting plate inserted within an essentially non-heat conducting reservoir housing. The reservoir system has a sloping flow path between an inlet position and a sump from which ink is drawn to the head, and includes a plurality of vanes situated upon the plate for rapid heat transfer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,170 (Schwarz) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,187 (Marchessault et al.), the disclosures of each of which are totally incorporated herein by reference, disclose hot melt ink compositions suitable for ink jet printing which comprise a colorant, a binder, and a propellant selected from the group consisting of hydrazine; cyclic amines; ureas; carboxylic acids; sulfonic acids; aldehydes; ketones; hydrocarbons; esters; phenols; amides; imides; halocarbons; urethanes; ethers; sulfones; sulfamides; sulfonamides; phosphites; phosphonates; phosphates; alkyl sulfides; alkyl acetates; and sulfur dioxide. Also disclosed are hot melt ink compositions suitable for ink jet printing which comprise a colorant, a propellant, and a binder selected from the group consisting of rosin esters; polyamides; dimer acid amides; fatty acid amides; epoxy resins; fluid paraffin waxes; fluid microcrystalline waxes; Fischer-Tropsch waxes; polyvinyl alcohol resins; polyols; cellulose esters; cellulose ethers; polyvinyl pyridine resins; fatty acids; fatty acid esters; poly sulfonamides; benzoate esters; long chain alcohols; phthalate plasticizers; citrate plasticizers; maleate plasticizers; sulfones; polyvinyl -pyrrolidinone copolymers; polyvinyl pyrrolidone/polyvinyl acetate copolymers; novalac resins; natural product waxes; mixtures of linear primary alcohols and linear long chain amides; and mixtures of linear primary alcohols and fatty acid amides. In one embodiment, the binder comprises a liquid crystalline material.
Photochromism in general is a reversible change of a single chemical species between two states having distinguishably different absorption spectra, wherein the change is induced in at least one direction by the action of electromagnetic radiation. The inducing radiation, as well as the changes in the absorption spectra, are usually in the ultraviolet, visible, or infrared regions. In some instances, the change in one direction is thermally induced. The single chemical species can be a molecule or an ion, and the reversible change in states may be a conversion between two molecules or ions, or the dissociation of a single molecule or ion into two or more species, with the reverse change being a recombination of the two or more species thus formed into the original molecule or ion. Photochromic phenomena are observed in both organic compounds, such as anils, disulfoxides, hydrazones, osazones, semicarbazones, stilbene derivatives, o-nitrobenzyl derivatives, spiro compounds, and the like, and in inorganic compounds, such as metal oxides, alkaline earth metal sulfides, titanates, mercury compounds, copper compounds, minerals, transition metal compounds such as carbonyls, and the like. Photochromic materials are known in applications such as photochromic glasses, which are useful as, for example, ophthalmic lenses.
Methods for encoding machine-readable information on documents, packages, machine parts, and the like, are known. One-dimensional symbologles, such as those employed in bar codes, are known. Two-dimensional symbologles generally are of two types--matrix codes and stacked bar codes. Matrix codes typically consist of a random checker board of black and white squares. Alignment features such as borders, bullseyes, start and stop bits, and the like, are included in the matrix to orient the matrix during scanning. Stacked bar codes consist of several one-dimensional bar codes stacked together. Two-dimensional symbologles have an advantage over one-dimensional symbologles of enabling greater data density. For example, a typical bar code can contain from about 9 to about 20 characters per inch, while a typical two-dimensional symbology can contain from about 100 to about 800 characters per square inch. Many two-dimensional symbologles also utilize error correction codes to increase their robustness. Examples of two-dimensional symbologles include PDF417, developed by Symbol Technologies, Inc., Data Matrix, developed by International Data Matrix, Vericode, developed by Veritec, Inc., CP Code, developed by Teiryo, Inc. and Integrated Motions, Inc., Maxicode, developed by the United Parcel Service, Softstrip, developed by Softstrip, Inc., Code One, developed by Laserlight Systems, Supercode, developed by Metanetics Inc., DataGlyph, developed by Xerox Corporation, and the like. One-dimensional and two-dimensional symbologles can be read with laser scanners or with video cameras. The scanners typically consist of an imaging detector coupled to a microprocessor for decoding. Scanners can be packaged into pen-like pointing devices or guns. Bar-like codes and methods and apparatus for coding and decoding information contained therein are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,603, U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,004, U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,984, U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,783, U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,127, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,221, the disclosures of each of which are totally incorporated herein by reference.
European Patent Application 469,864-A2 (Bloomberg et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses self-clocking glyph shape codes for encoding digital data in the shapes of glyphs that are suitable for printing on hardcopy recording media. Advantageously, the glyphs are selected so that they tend not to degrade into each other when they are degraded and/or distorted as a result, for example, of being photocopied, transmitted via facsimile, and/or scanned into an electronic document processing system. Moreover, for at least some applications, the glyphs desirably are composed of printed pixel patterns containing nearly the same number of on pixels and nearly the same number of off pixels, such that the code that is rendered by printing such glyphs on substantially uniformly spaced centers appears to have a generally uniform texture. In the case of codes printed at higher spatial densities, this texture is likely to be perceived as a generally uniform gray tone. Binary image processing and convolution filtering techniques for decoding such codes are also disclosed.
European Patent Application 459,792-A2 (Zdybel et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses the provision in electronic document processing systems for printing unfiltered or filtered machine-readable digital representations of electronic documents, and human-readable renderings of them on the same record medium using the same printing process. The integration of machine-readable digital representations of electronic documents with the human-readable hardcopy renderings of them may be employed, for example, not only to enhance the precision with which the structure and content of such electronic documents can be recovered by scanning such hardcopies into electronic document processing systems, but also as a mechanism for enabling recipients of scanned-in versions of such documents to identify and process annotations that were added to the hardcopies after they were printed and/or for alerting the recipients of the scanned-in documents to alterations that may have been made to the original human-readable content of the hardcopy renderings. In addition to storage of the electronic representation of the document, provision is made for encoding information about the electronic representation of the document itself, such as file name, creation and modification dates, access and security information, and printing histories. Provision is also made for encoding information which is computed from the content of the document and other information, for purposes of authentication and verification of document integrity. Provision is also made for the encoding of information which relates to operations which are to be performed depending on handwritten marks made upon a hardcopy rendering of the document; for example, encoding instructions of what action is to be taken when a box on a document is checked. Provision is also made for encoding in the hardcopy another class of information: information about the rendering of the document specific to that hardcopy, which can include a numbered copy of that print, the identification of the machine which performed that print, the reproduction characteristics of the printer, and the screen frequency and rotation used by the printer in rendering halftones. Provision is also made for encoding information about the digital encoding mechanism itself, such as information given in standard-encoded headers about subsequently compressed or encrypted digital information.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,525 (Stearns et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses weighted and unweighted convolution filtering processes for decoding bitmap image space representations of self-clocking glyph shape codes and for tracking the number and locations of the ambiguities or "errors" that are encountered during the decoding. This error detection may be linked to or compared against the error statistics from an alternative decoding process, such as the binary image processing techniques that are described to increase the reliability of the decoding that is obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,243 (Heckman et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a system for printing security documents which have copy detection or tamper resistance in plural colors with a single pass electronic printer printing an integrated image controlled by an image generation system which electronically generates a safety background image pattern with first and second interposed color patterns which is electronically merged with alphanumeric information and a protected signature into an integrated electronic image for the printer. The single pass printer preferably has an imaging surface upon which two latent images thereof are interposed, developed with two differently colored developer materials, and simultaneously transferred to the substrate in a single pass. The color patterns are preferably oppositely varying density patterns of electronically generated pixel dot images with varying spaces therebetween. Preferably a portion of the alphanumeric information is formed by a special secure font, such as a low density shadow copy. The validating signature also preferably has two intermixed color halftone patterns with halftone density gradients varying across the signature in opposite directions, but differently from the background. Also electronically superimposed in the safety background pattern may be substantially invisible latent image pixel patterns which become visible when copied, and/or are machine readable even in copies.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,147 (Bloomberg), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses binary image processing techniques for decoding bitmap image space representations of self-clocking glyph shape codes of various types (e.g., codes presented as original or degraded images, with one or a plurality of bits encoded in each glyph, while preserving the discriminability of glyphs that encode different bit values) and for tracking the number and locations of the ambiguities (sometimes referred to herein as "errors") that are encountered during the decoding of such codes. A substantial portion of the image processing that is performed in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is carried out through the use of morphological filtering operations because of the parallelism that is offered by such operations. Moreover, the error detection that is performed in accordance with this invention may be linked to or compared against the error statistics from one or more alternative decoding process, such as the convolution filtering process that is disclosed herein, to increase the reliability of the decoding that is obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,966 (Bloomberg et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses weighted and unweighted convolution filtering processes for decoding bitmap image space representations of self-clocking glyph shape codes and for tracking the number and locations of the ambiguities or "errors" that are encountered during the decoding. This error detection may be linked to or compared against the error statistics from an alternative decoding process, such as the binary image processing techniques that are described to increase the reliability of the decoding that is obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,779 (Hikawa), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an image processing system which specifies input image information on the basis of existence of a special mark or patterns printed on a job control sheet. Selected one of various image processings is executed in accordance with the existence of the special mark or patterns to thereby obtain output image information. Each of the special marks or patterns are line drawings, each drawn so as to have a certain low correlative angle to the longitudinal and transverse directions of an image provided with the special mark or patterns.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,361 (Wang et al.), the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a record which contains a graphic image and an information area which are interrelated to discourage misuse of the record. The information area can overlay the graphic image and include information encoded in an error-correctable, machine-readable format which allows recovery of the information despite distortion due to the underlying graphic image. The record may also represent the image by words similar in form to words in the information area. Both the information and graphic words can then be altered when an action regarding the record takes place.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/567,786, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Method for Embedding and Recovering Machine-Readable Information," with the named inventors Trevor I. Martin and John F. Oliver, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a method of embedding and recovering machine readable information on a substrate which comprises (a) writing data in a predetermined machine readable code format on the substrate with a photochromic marking material having a first state corresponding to a first absorption spectrum and a second state corresponding to a second absorption spectrum; and (b) thereafter effecting a photochromic change in the photochromic marking material from the first state to the second state.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/567,637, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Ink Compositions With Liposomes Containing Photochromic Compounds," with the named inventors Carol A. Jennings, Marcel P. Breton, Mary A. Isabella, Eric G. Johnson, Trevor I. Martin, and John F. Oliver, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ink composition which comprises an aqueous liquid vehicle, a photochromic material, and a vesicle-forming lipid, wherein vesicles of the lipid are present in the ink.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/567,456, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,973, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Photochromic Microemulsion Ink Compositions," with the named inventors John F. Oliver, Trevor I. Martin, Carol A. Jennings, Eric G. Johnson, and Marcel P. Breton, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ink composition which comprises an aqueous phase, an oil phase, a photochromic material, and a surfactant, said ink exhibiting a liquid crystalline gel phase at a first temperature and a liquid microemulsion phase at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 08/567,589, filed concurrently herewith, entitled "Photochromic Electrostatic Toner Compositions," with the named inventors Trevor I. Martin, Carol A. Jennings, Eric G. Johnson, and John F. Oliver, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses a toner composition for the development of electrostatic latent images which comprises particles comprising a mixture of a resin and a photochromic material. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a liquid developer composition for the development of electrostatic latent images which comprises a nonaqueous liquid vehicle and a photochromic material, wherein the liquid developer has a resistivity of from about 10.sup.8 to about 10.sup.11 ohm-cm and a viscosity of from about 25 to about 500 centipoise. Yet another embodiment of the invention is directed to a liquid developer composition for the development of electrostatic latent images which comprises a nonaqueous liquid vehicle, a charge control agent, and toner particles comprising a mixture of a resin and a photochromic material.
The present invention is directed to hot melt ink compositions suitable for ink jet printing. In one embodiment, the inks are particularly suitable for thermal ink jet printing. A need exists for hot melt inks that result in images needing no further fixing or fusing treatment, such as drying or heating. There is also a need for hot melt inks with photochromic characteristics. In addition, there is a need for processes for preparing documents with images having photochromic characteristics. Further, there is a need for processes and materials which enable the placement of encoded information on documents which is not detectable to the reader but which is machine readable.


The present invention provides a method of treating, ameliorating or inhibiting sirtuin-associated disorders and/or conditions in a subject in need thereof, by administering to the subject an effective amount of an ANXA1 peptide.

Emerging evidence indicates that a crucial post-translational lysine deacetylation has been identified as an important regulator of gene expression as well as enzyme activities that are involved in various biological functions, including mitochondrial function. Sirtuins (SIRTs) are NAD+-dependent protein deacetylases that mediate this post-translational modification by removing the acetyl groups from a wide range of proteins that have been demonstrated to be important in longevity pathways, DNA repair, antioxidant enzyme activity, and control of metabolic enzymes.
Seven members of the SIRT family have been identified in mammals. All share the same highly conserved NAD+-binding site and a Sir2 catalytic core domain with variable amino and carboxyl residues. SIRT1-3 and SIRT5-7 catalyze NAD+-dependent substrate-specific protein deacetylation, whereas SIRT4 acts as a NAD+-dependent mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase. SIRT6 has both deacetylase and auto-ADP-ribosyltransferase properties.
Annexin-A1 (ANXA1), a 37 kDa protein, is a member of the annexin superfamily, which includes 13 calcium and phospholipid binding proteins with a significant degree of biological and structural homology (40-60%). ANXA1, originally identified as a mediator of the anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids, has diverse biological functions including the regulation of inflammatory pathways, cell proliferation machinery, cell death signaling, and the process of carcinogenesis. Altering the expression or the localization of this protein can contribute to the pathogenesis of human diseases including inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
It is an object of the present invention to provide new compositions comprising ANXA1 peptides, and methods of using such compositions, to treat diseases and disorders associated with reduced and/or aberrant SIRT amount and/or activity.

Methods and compositions for activation of sirtuins with Annexin A1 peptides


A mechanical assist for raising and lowering food in baskets or trays in a deep fat fryer is described. The mechanical assist in lifting the food to be cooked is provided by opposed springs and cam members on a main axle whereby when an operator raises and lowers a handle, the rotational movement of the handle is translated into vertical linear motion and the tension in the springs together with the cams are used to maintain baskets or trays of food in the desired position until the operator moves the handle again.

This invention relates to deep fat fryers and in particular to a mechanical lifting assembly for commercial deep fat fryers to permit an operator to raise and lower a basket rack containing food in the fryer.
A commercial deep fat fryer typically has a tank which holds melted shortening or oil and heat tubes extending through the lower portion of the tank which heat the oil to the cooking temperature. When the oil is at a proper temperature an operator must lower the food into the tank until it is cooked and then retrieve it. Foods typically cooked in a commercial situation with a deep fat fryer include battered coated chicken, fish and non-battered coated items such a french fries. In a commercial situation it is desirable to cook large quantities of such foods, but the problem of lowering the food into the tank, and retrieving the cooked food from the tank should require only a minimum involvement of an operator. Most importantly, great physical exertion from the operator should not be required as the size and stature of such individuals will very widely from commercial establishment to establishment.
Certain commercial deep fat fryers are intended to be pressure cookers also and therefore, a heavy lid is provided. Typically the baskets of food are suspended from the lid. In such a situation as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,402,712; 6,009,795; and 6,322,831 due to the weight involved, a motorized assembly is used to raise and lower the lid and depending baskets of food. The presence of a motorized assembly will involve maintenance, and the possibility of breakdowns. In the above patents, the motors are disposed in the rear part of the fryer assembly which would normally be adjacent a wall and a flue for the heat tubes. In a typical fast food establishment space is at a premium, and the back of the fryer would normally be disposed abutting a wall. Maintenance of a motor then could be difficult and time consuming. However, if the lid is very heavy, there may be no choice but the use of a motorized assembly.
In other commercial deep fat fryers the fryer itself is not a pressure cooker and the tank remains open to the atmosphere. In such fryers typically the food is disposed in baskets or on a stack of mutually spaced trays which when lowered into the fryer will occupy substantially the cooking area available. Even though a heavy lid is not involved, raising and lowering such a quantity of food could require considerable physical strength without a mechanical assist.
There is a need then for a reliable mechanical assist for raising and lowering food containing trays from a deep fat fryer which requires only average physical strength and can be operated by virtually any kitchen employee in a commercial fast food establishment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,408 describes a mechanical assist wherein although a lid is utilized, the lid with a tray carriage suspended from the lower surface is mounted on a pair of arms which are secured to a vertically moveable carriage mounted at the rear of the cooker. The vertically moveable carriage is connected by cables and pulleys to a counter balancing weight which counter balances the weight of the lid. The combination of pulleys and cables is described as providing a three to one mechanical advantage. Therefore, even though when the lid is physically lowered the counter balancing weights must be raised, there is a three to one mechanical advantage to achieve the same. It is further described that two cables are provided, one active and one passive as a back up in case of failure of the active cable and/or its pulley system. This patent, however, does not describe the structure which would be optimal in the case of a mechanical lifting assembly which did not involve a heavy lid.
It has been discovered that a dependable lift assembly with a mechanical assist can be provided for deep fat fryers wherein ordinary physical strength only is required, and a basket or tray can be maintained in the raised position or in the lowered position without regard for the weight of the food therein. In other words the basket or trays would be maintained in a raised position even though it is loaded with food or in a lowered position even if it is empty. Furthermore, the mechanical assist lift assembly of this invention does not involve cables and pulleys with counter weights.
The lift assembly of this invention is designed to translate rotary motion into linear vertical motion whereby raising or lowering a lifter arm causes rotary motion about a fixed arm support coupling. The lifter arm is U-shaped with opposing ends being rotatably coupled to a support. A long axle is disposed between the rotatable couplings so that rotational movement of the handle and coupling will result in rotational movement of the long axle. A short axle is fixed above and below the long axle.
Cam members are fixed to the long axle, and extend outwardly therefrom with arms disposed in a common plane perpendicular to the axis of the long axle. Springs are attached at the ends of the cam members with one spring affixed to the upper short axle, and the opposite spring affixed to the lower short axle. Upper and lower stops are also provided for the rotational movement of the cam members.
In operation then when the basket is lowered, the springs will be placed in tension to counter act the weight of the food on the carrier and when the carrier is raised the tension will be relieved. Furthermore, spring tension and the cam action design will keep the basket in a lowered position; by equalizing the tension, at a midpoint position, or in the upper position against a stop.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a mechanical lift assembly for a deep fat fryer to assist an operator in raising and lowering food relative to the cooking tank.
It is another object of this invention to provide a mechanical assist which uses a cam and spring action to translate rotational motion into linear motion.
It is another object of this invention to provide a cam actuated mechanical assist assembly which will maintain a food carrier in a raised position, in a midpoint position, or in a lowered position by the action of raising and lowering a lifter assembly handle.
It is further object of this invention to provide a mechanical lift assembly which utilizes springs mounted on a cam mechanism mounted on a rotatable axle to use spring tension to assist in raising and lowering a food carrier assembly.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a spring actuated cam mechanism in combination with a rotatable stop for a lifter assembly wherein when the assembly is lowered the springs will be placed in tension and at the lowest point the cam mechanism will lock the springs in maximum tension whereby when the assembly is raised at a midpoint the springs will be in balanced tension, and at the upper point the springs will still be in tension, against a rotational stop to counter act the force of gravity on the lifter assembly.


A threaded closure and container arrangement having complementary annular surfaces on the closure and container which engage each other during threading and unthreading to guide the closure and container into axial alignment and to shape the relatively flexible neck opening of the container into an accurate circular shape so that complementary sealing surfaces are brought into accurate engagement with each other and so that the complementary surfaces maintain an axial force tending to maintain the closure and container in sealing relationship during at least initial unthreading movement of the closure from a fully closed position on the container

This invention relates to a threaded closure and container package and in particular to sealing means between the container and closure.
In the packaging industry, plastic containers are produced in which the threaded neck opening is not accurately sized or is out-of-round so that the closure does not property and accurately seal on its complementary sealing surface on the container. Also the closure and container may be manufactured by different entities and the dimensional tolerances may vary greatly In addition to facilitate threading of the closure relative to the container, ample thread tolerances are used which result in axial and radial displacement sufficient to cause misalignment of sealing surfaces. All of these variables and dimensional tolerances make it difficult to insure a good seal.
In the case of child resistant closures in which a lock interferes with the unthreading operation of the closure relative to the container a certain amount of rotation is permitted between the fully closed position and the position at which the locks engage to prevent further opening movement. This is necessary to insure orientation of the closure to one side of the lock in the fully closed position. However with the wide variance in dimensional tolerances and dimensional stability of the mating parts, it often is possible to rotate a closure in an opening direction sufficiently to break the seal before the child resistant lock engages to prevent further rotation or opening movement. In other words, it is possible to have a condition in which a child can rotate a closure sufficiently to cause leakage without overcoming the child resistant feature. This of course is a condition which cannot be tolerated.

Apparatus for sealing a container and closure


The invention deals with the use of hemocyanin, other than keyhole-limpet hemocyanin, arylphorin, or a combination thereof to influence the immune system and for the treatment of tumors.

Hemocyanins are the principal serum proteins of many mollusks and arthropods. Hemocyanin is a blue copper protein responsible for the transport of oxygen. Its concentration in the blood is 20-120 mg/ml. It occurs among mollusks in snails (class of Gastropoda), inkfishes (class of Cephalopoda), chitons (class of Polyplacophora), elephant tooth snails (class of Scaphopoda) and mussels (class of Bivalvia). It has been found among arthropods in scorpions and spiders (class of Arachnida), horseshoe crabs (class of Xiphosura), shrimps, lobsters, crabs and crayfishes (class of Crustacea) and centipedes (class of Myriopoda).
Arylphorin is a principal protein of insects (class of Hexapoda) and is characterized by its high phenylalanine and tyrosine content. A concentration of up to 60 mg/ml is found in the larvae and pupae of holometabolic insects and in lower concentrations also in adult Holometabola and Hemimetabola. There is a special name for the arylphorins of each animal species (drosophilin, calliphorin, etc.). Arylphorins do not bind oxygen. Various functions as transporters of substances and cuticular components have been discussed. It was recently found, for example, in the course of studies on monoclonal antibodies, that arylphorins are structurally homologous with the hemocyanins of arthropods and are probably derivatives thereof.
Hemocyanins and arylphorins are synthesized in special cells. These cells, at least during their biogenesis, do not float freely in the blood circulation, but are associated with certain tissues that are in contact with the blood (cardiac muscle septa, intestinal gland, fat body, sinus of the eye, etc.). Hemocyanins and arylphorins are concentrated in these cells and released into the blood. Native snail hemocyanin is cylindrical, and with 35 nm has the volume of a polio virus. The other mollusk hemocyanins are half this size. Arthropod hemocyanins and arylphorins are structurally based on a cube with a side length of 10 nm. This cube may be halved in arylphorins, while in hemocyanins it is often oligomerized. The largest arthropod hemocyanin (Limulus) consists of 8 cubes and has a side length of 25 nm, which roughly corresponds to the size of a ribosome.
Arthropod hemocyanins and arylphorins consist of up to 8 immunologically different subunits having a molecular weight of around 70-80,000. The 10 nm basic cube is a hexamer made up of such subunits. Each type of subunit plays a specific structural part in oligohexameric hemocyanins. There are several complete sequence analyses in existence, as well as a detailed roentgen structural model. Many details of the genetic structure of arylphorins are known.
Hemocyanins and arylphorins can be broken down into subunits by dialysis against an alkaline pH and removal of divalent cations. In mollusks, this subunit consists of 7-8 globular domains, each of which has a molecular weight of around 55,000. The domains are immunologically very different. One of them has been completely sequenced. Each has an active, oxygen-binding center, consisting of 2 copper atoms. Up to 160 such domains are present in the native molecule. Their arrangement in the 35 nm particle is known in detail.
Based on the structural heterogeneity described, and its completely xenogeneic nature, since mollusks and arthropods have been separated from vertebrates as protostomia for at least 600 million years, hemocyanin is one of the strongest antigens known. In mammalians it leads to the formation of a very powerful antiserum, moves the T4/T8 ratio in favor of the T4 helper cells and at the site of application leads to local erythema and invasion by macrophages. This has been used for many years in immunologic research with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH).
It is known that KLH gives rise to cytotoxic T-cells and has distinct antitumor effects in vitro and in various animal models in vivo. This quality of KLH has been repeatedly demonstrated. Clinical treatment with KLH leads to a significant drop in the rate of recurrence in cases of superficial bladder carcinoma, while unpleasant side effects have never been observed, and other types of tumors have also been positively affected (C. D. Jurincic et al. Uroscope, Information u. Fortbildung i.d. Urologie, issue 1, 1986). The exact mechanism of action of KLH on bladder carcinoma cells is not as yet entirely clear. It has been found, however, that the site of action is completely different from existing chemotherapeutic sites. The results of chemotherapy are partially contradictory. While cytotoxic drugs attack all urothelial cells, KLH stimulates the macrophages of the entire organism (J. E. Curtis et al. "Antigen dose in human immune response relationships in the human immune response to keyhole-limpet hemocyanin." Journal of Laboratory in Clin. Med., 78:61 1971). Curtis has shown that KLH brings about both a primary cell-mediated, delayed hypersensitivity and a primary antibody response in humans.
This potent antigen thus acts as a nonspecific stimulant that activates T-lymphocytes and lymphokine-producing macrophages.
It was the task of this invention to make available additional powerful antigens of the same class of substances with an equal or stronger effect.
The task is solved by use of hemocyanin, other than keyhole-limpet hemocyanin, and/or arylphorin, to influence the immune system and for the treatment of tumors.

Use of hemocyanins and arylphorins to influence the immune system and for the treatment of tumors


A high efficiency power supply for producing two regulated output voltages (i.e. 3.3 and 5 volts) from an unregulated input voltage. The supply includes a 4-15 volt battery pack, a first (5.0 volt) output, a second (3.3 volt) output, and a ground. The positive terminal of the battery is connected directly to the second output. The 3.3 volt differential with ground is maintained by a voltage regulator that couples the negative terminal of the battery pack to ground (i.e. ground floats relative to the battery). A second voltage regulator couples the positive terminal of the battery pack to the first output, and maintains this first output at 5.0 volts relative to ground. This latter regulator is capable of boost operation, permitting a 5.0 volt output to be maintained even if the battery pack voltage is less than this value. Neither regulator includes a transformer, making the supply particularly well suited for use in miniaturized equipment, such as palmtop computers.

A primary objective of microelectronic circuit design is to develop compact components that consume minimal power. As integrated circuit chips shrink in size, it is imperative that the power supplies that provide power for these chips also become compact, yet achieve high efficiencies. With the advent of hand held computers, the need for compact and efficient power supply topologies is acute because these computers are very compact and run on batteries whose useful lifetimes are relatively short.
To reduce power consumption, integrated circuit manufacturers have developed components that require 3.3 volts rather than the typical 5 volt input supply voltage. However, because not all components are available with 3.3 volt operation, some systems require both a 3.3 and 5 volt power supply. The power supply must, therefore, provide two regulated outputs.
Certain applications, such as portable computer systems, require a power supply that can provide two regulated output voltages from an input voltage source that varies from voltages above the higher regulated output to voltages between the regulated outputs. Typically, portable computer systems have battery packs that provide D.C. voltages ranging from 4 to 15 volts. To provide a 3.3 and 5 volt regulated output, the power supply must be capable of converting the input voltage to both a higher and a lower voltage.
Existing power supplies that meet the desired performance characteristics typically use transformers to provide regulated outputs. Such power supplies, however, suffer from several drawbacks. For example, in power supplies that use transformers, it is very difficult to turn off one of the regulated outputs to save power consumption (as is sometimes desired in 3.3/5 volt systems). Further, transformers impair efficiency because energy is lost in the transfer of energy between the primary and secondary windings. Finally, transformers require more space and therefore are less desirable in compact circuit layouts.
Power supplies without transformers do exist, yet these power supplies are relatively inefficient and generally do not provide two regulated outputs. For example Linear Technology Corporation has published an application note regarding a switching regulator that provides a constant 5 volt output from a 3.5 to 40 volt input without using transformers. This particular regulator requires two inductors and employs capacitive coupling to produce a single 5 volt output. Because of the losses in the circuit elements and the use of capacitive coupling, the efficiency of this regulator is below 80%. Producing only one regulated output, this regulator is unsuitable for applications requiring two regulated outputs.
It is desirable, therefore, to have a power supply without transformers that is capable of efficiently providing two regulating outputs from a varying input voltage.
In accordance with the present invention, a high efficiency power supply produces two regulated voltage outputs (such as 3.3 and 5.0 volts) from an unregulated input voltage. The preferred circuit features an efficiency greater than 80% and is well adapted for miniaturized implementation.
In greater detail, the preferred embodiment includes a 4-15 volt battery pack, a first (5.0 volt) output, a second (3.3 volt) output, and a ground. The positive terminal of the battery is connected directly to the second output. The 3.3 volt differential with ground is maintained by a voltage regulator that couples the negative terminal of the battery pack to ground (i.e. ground floats relative to the battery). Another voltage regulator couples the positive terminal of the battery pack to the first output, and maintains this first output at 5.0 volts relative to ground. This latter regulator is capable of boost operation, permitting a 5.0 volt output to be maintained even if the battery pack voltage is less than this value.
The foregoing and other advantages and features will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.


A reinforced ceramic structure is provided utilizing a composite reinforcing member embedded in a ceramic casting. The reinforcing member is optimally unidirectional composite rope, preferably of graphite epoxy or silicon carbide. By virtue of the thermal expansion rate of the reinforcing member being substantially the same as the ceramic material, the reinforcement member remains integral with the ceramic casting material though subjected to thermal cycles and provides an increase in the tensile strength of ceramic casting heretofore unobtained.

The present invention generally relates to a reinforced ceramic structure. More particularly, the invention is directed to a reinforced ceramic casting using composite rope. The addition of composite rope has now been found to provide a reinforced ceramic casting having substantially increased tensile strength. By virtue of the thermal expansion rate of the composite rope being substantially the same as the ceramic material, the reinforced ceramic casting with increased tensile strength remains integral at elevated temperatures.
In general, ceramic castings are low in cost, non-shrinking, and temperature tolerant. Ceramic castings have been used for years in the metal forming and glass forming fields and are presently being used for tooling and dies where composite parts and assemblies are fabricated for subsequent curing in an autoclave or oven and where metal parts are superplastically formed or diffusion bonded. Ceramic castings have tremendous strength in compression, but are weak in tension and prone toward breakage. In the prior art, to overcome this deficiency, the ceramic cast tool was usually formed very thick which makes the tool heavy and difficult to handle and uses excess material.
Other techniques have been tried in the past to increase the tensile strength of the ceramic castings. Some of these were addition of metal rods, metal needles, chopped fiberglass, and chopped graphite fiber. However, for various reasons these approaches have not been successful. Ceramic castings containing metal rods were subject to detached bonds at elevated temperatures due to the difference in thermal expansion between the metal rods and the ceramic casting material. Castings containing metal needles were prone to warp when subjected to thermal cycles and the tensile strength was not significantly improved. Chopped fiberglass and graphite fibers did not significantly improve the tensile strength because of the lack of a bond between the fiber and the surrounding ceramic material.


The platemaking system is a system that produces a printing plate by using an exposure device 8 to print on original film that has imposition data consisting of multiple page data imposed on photosensitive film. The system is equipped with page data layout device 2 and exposure device 8. Page data layout device 2 indicates page layout data that contains positioning information and size information of each page data for the purpose of impositioning multiple page data on photosensitive film. Based on that page layout data, each page data is laid out at the imposition position of the photosensitive film, imposition data is created and the indicated page layout data is output to exposure device 8. Exposure device 8 receives the page layout data via network line NL and moves the original film to the corresponding position in accordance with the received page layout data after which the exposure process is carried out. The device is equipped with keyboard 14 to indicate page layout data for the purpose of impositioning multiple page data on original film. Page data layout device 2 lays out corresponding page data in response to page layout data when the page data corresponding to the page number specified by page layout data is prepared and then creates imposition data. Further, when the page data is not prepared, page data layout device 2 lays out dummy page data in response to page layout data in place of page data and then creates imposition data.

The invention relates to method and apparatus for creation of imposition data, original film creation, and platemaking, where printing plates produced are to be used in a printing process. In particular the system and method relate to an imposition data creation device that creates imposition data of multiple pages of data where one or more of the pages of subsequently printed matter may not be available yet. The system lays out dummy page data for the missing page or pages. Further, the device uses the method for laying out each page of page data onto an original film and transfers the images on each original film to determined positions on a printing plate.

Method and apparatus for electronically creating imposition data, including dummy data for original film and platemaking

Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that is communicably connected to other control devices so that controller area network (CAN) communication can be performed through a communication bus and a diagnostic method thereof. The vehicle control device includes a CAN data transmission unit that can generate and transmit CAN data, a transmission stop unit that stops transmission of the CAN data transmitted from the CAN data transmission unit to the communication bus when a transmission stop signal is inputted, an abnormality detection unit that outputs the transmission stop signal to the transmission stop unit when detecting an abnormality in the vehicle control device, and a diagnostic unit that causes the abnormality detection unit to output the transmission stop signal regardless of the detection of abnormality, causes the CAN data transmission unit to transmit the CAN data, and diagnoses a transmission stop function that stops the transmission of the CAN data to the communication bus on the basis of a result of comparison between the transmitted CAN data and data on the communication bus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle control device and to a diagnostic method therefor, and especially relates to a vehicle control device that is communicably connected to other control devices so that CAN (Controller Area Network) communication can be performed through a communication bus and a diagnostic method therefor.
2. Description of Related Art
It was known that, in a vehicle control device that uses CAN communication, the vehicle control device includes a main control means and a sub control means and stops a transmission output of control information from the main control means to other control devices through a CAN communication line when the sub control means detects an abnormality of the main control means (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-122942).
However, the above conventional vehicle control device is based on the assumption that its transmission stop function that stops the transmission output of the control information operates properly, and a case in which the transmission stop function has an abnormality is not considered. Therefore, a response may be delayed when an abnormality occurs in the transmission stop function. As a result, even when the transmission output of control information is tried to be stopped, there may be a risk that the control information is actually transmitted to other control devices.

Vehicle control device capable of controller area network communication and diagnostic method therefor


A mixing apparatus including a frame, a housing, and a pair of thrust generators are disclosed. The housing is pivotably mounted to the frame and is movable between a retracted position substantially parallel with the frame and an extended position substantially perpendicular to the frame. The thrust generators are opposingly mounted to the housing and face opposite directions both when the housing is in the retracted position and when the housing is in the extended position. Various mixing and disposal methods are also described.

This invention generally relates to a mixing apparatus and a related mixing method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mixing apparatus for mixing liquid and solid constituents of a substance to a homogenous liquid/solids mixture and to a related method of mixing a substance including liquid and solid constituents.
Many industrial processes require raw materials in the form of solids and liquid mixtures that tend to separate into solids and liquid constituents when stored or transported. For example, mixtures, such as calcium carbonate in water or clay water slurries, are extremely difficult to transport and store because dense solid materials settle on the bottom of storage containers during transportation and/or storage. When the container is drained, the liquid portion of the mixture is readily removed, but a portion of the solid sediment remains in the storage container. Thus, it is difficult to completely unload all of the solid material.
Calcium carbonate exemplifies a substance used as a component in the manufacture of many common household and medical products from antacids to toothpaste. Additionally, the paper industry uses this material as a substitute for wood pulp paper filler to eliminate the need for unnecessary destruction of forestry. Calcium carbonate is a fine powder substance that is normally mixed with water to create a solid and liquid suspension that is relatively easy to handle for transport in railroad tank cars or tank trucks. Because of the great demand for the end products produced by these industries, extremely large quantities of calcium carbonate must be transported.
While the liquid/solids mixture is within the tank of a transportation or storage device, the solids settle in the liquid and gradually form sediment on the bottom of the tank. This solid sediment is extremely difficult to remove from the tank when the tank is unloaded. The retention of solids in the bottom of the tank poses numerous disadvantages. First, the solids/liquid ratio of the removed mixture is reduced by the retained solids. Secondly, the backhaul of a mobile tank to pick up another load requires unnecessary rehauling of the solids back to the original pickup point, making the tank heavier and wasting fuel. Additionally, the build-up of solids reduces the capacity of the tank so that each subsequent refill of the tank includes less and less volume. Therefore it is desirous to remove substantially all of the settled solid material along with the liquid when the mixture is unloaded. This removal process can be extremely time consuming and expensive.
By way of another example, the invention may be used in the waste industry for mixing solid and liquid constituents of waste products. The invention can be used for example, to blend organic waste having a BTU value (such as K-waste, paint waste, coal tar, or other burnable materials) before it is off-load and burned at an incinerator or cement kiln.


A traffic signal head uses a plurality of LED light sources mounted in one or more containment volumes in a housing. One version uses identical three-color LED light sources distributed through the containment volume: each source having a red light generating element, a yellow light generating element, and a green light generating element. A second version uses identical two-color LED light sources distributed through the containment volume, each source having a red LED light generating element and a green LED light generating element. For the second version, activation circuitry enables individual activation of the red LED elements to produce red signals, individual activation of the green LED elements to produce green signals, and concurrent activation of both types of LED elements to produce yellow signals. Both versions can be electrically configured to display any of the three colors, as well as special symbols-such as directional arrows.

This invention relates to traffic signal control equipment in general, and in particular to an improved traffic signal head.
Traffic signal heads are known and are used to help control the flow of vehicular traffic through a controlled intersection. A conventional signal head has three vertically disposed lamps with colored lensesxe2x80x94one red (usually positioned at an upper position of the signal head), one green (usually positioned at a lower position of the signal head) and one yellow or amber (usually positioned between the red and the green). The state of each lamp is controlled by auxiliary control circuits in accordance with a control algorithm to provide drivers with visual control directives regarding the passage of vehicles through the intersection. Illumination of the red lamp signals the driver to stop at the intersection, while illumination of the green lamp signals the driver t hat passage through the intersection is permitted. Illumination of the yellow or amber lamp signals the driver that the red lamp is about to be illuminated and cautions the driver to be prepared to stop.
Traffic signal heads of the above type have been known and used for decades and have achieved a virtually universal standard status. More recently, variations of the standard three lamp vertical configuration of signal heads have appeared. For example, signal heads have been designed with three lamps arranged in a horizontal row; and with additional lamps of each color to provide greater illumination or noticeability to the driver. All such variations use conventional incandescent lamps as the illumination source.
Even more recently, signal heads have been designed with a different light source. Due to recent improvements in the field of light emitting diode (LED) technology, LEDs have been proposed for use and have actually been implemented in signal heads as the illumination source. Compared to incandescent lamps, LEDs possess some properties which are superior to ordinary lamps. An LED is less fragile than a glass enclosed lamp, and is thus more suited to a signal head application in which the light source is exposed to potential mechanical and environmental damage. Also, an LED has a longer average life time than a conventional incandescent lamp and thus on average requires replacement less frequently. Further, an LED is more light efficient than a conventional incandescent lamp, consuming less electrical power. In addition, an LED can be manufactured to radiate light of a particular color, so that a colored or tinted lens is not required to provide the colors red, green and yellow. For these reasons, LEDs promise to become the illumination source of choice for traffic signal heads in the future.
In known traffic signal heads using LEDs as the illumination source, each single color illumination source is comprised of several monochromatic LEDs clustered together as a unit. This is necessary due to the fact that a single LED does not generate sufficient luminance to function effectively as the illumination source. All LEDs in a given monochromatic cluster are driven in parallel by the appropriate control signal in order to provide the proper visual directives to drivers. Thus, in known signal heads using LEDs, the single incandescent lamp corresponding to a given control color is replaced with a cluster of monochromatic LEDs all operated in parallel or series-parallel, and at least three clusters (one for each control color) are used to replace the at least three incandescent lamps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,381, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses an improvement over the basic type of LED based signal head. In this patent, each cluster of monochromatic LEDs is arranged in the shape of a traffic symbol conventionally used with the associated color. For example, the cluster of red LEDs is arranged in an octagonal shape to simulate a conventional stop sign, the cluster of yellow LEDs is arranged in a triangular shape, and the cluster of green LEDs is arranged in a circular shape. In addition, other traffic symbols are represented by clusters of appropriately colored LEDs, such as a green or red arrow. Further, this patent discloses an additional improvement of positioning all signal head LED clusters in a single compartment, with individual LEDs of different colors being mutually interspersed throughout the compartment, so that the bulk and excessive weight of conventional signal heads is substantially reduced without sacrificing the visible functionality of such devices.
While the improvements in the art of signal head technology disclosed in the ""381 patent are significant, the need still exists for further improvements in ease of implementation, flexibility of operation, power consumption and cost.
The invention comprises a signal head which incorporates multiple LED light sources into one or more light source compartments at lowered cost and with lowered power consumption, while still providing visually distinctive multiple color driver advisory signals and symbols.
In a first apparatus aspect, the invention comprises a traffic signal head having a housing and a plurality of LED light sources mounted in the housing for providing red, yellow, and green driver advisory light signals, with each of the LED light sources comprising a first LED light element having a red light generation characteristic and a second LED light element having a green light generation characteristic. The traffic signal head includes activation circuitry for enabling individual activation of the first and second LED light elements and concurrent activation of the first and second LED light elements so that individual activation of the first LED light element produces red light, individual activation of the second LED light element produces green light, and concurrent activation of the first and second LED light elements produces yellow light.
Each of the first and second LED light elements has an anode, a cathode, an anode terminal and a cathode terminal, the cathode terminals of the first and second LED light elements being coupled together to a source of electrical power. The activation circuitry includes first and second power switching devices each having first and second power transfer terminals and a control input terminal. The first power transfer terminal of the first and second power switching devices is coupled to the source of electrical power. The second power transfer terminal of the first power switching device is coupled to the anode terminal of the first LED light element. The second power transfer terminal of the second power switching device is coupled to the anode terminal of the second LED light element. The control input terminal of the first power switching device is coupled to a source of red control signals, the control input terminal of the second power switching device is coupled to a source of green control signals, and the control input terminals of the first and second power switching devices are coupled to a source of yellow control signals. The first and second power switching devices are preferably transistors.
In an alternate embodiment of the invention, each of the LED light sources comprises an encapsulation package containing a first LED light element having a red light generation characteristic, a second LED light element having a yellow light generation characteristic, and a third LED light element having a green light generation characteristic. The traffic signal head includes activation circuitry for enabling individual activation of the first, second, and third LED light elements.
Both embodiments can serve as standard modules in a conventional three compartment signal head, or can be combined in a single compartment to provide a more compact signal head with all three color functions.
From a process standpoint, the invention comprises a method of producing driver advisory signals of different colors, the method comprising the steps of providing a traffic signal head with a plurality of LED light sources each comprising a first LED light element having a red light generation characteristic and a second LED light element having a green light generation characteristic; activating the first LED light element of the plurality of LED light sources to generate red driver advisory signals; activating the second LED light element of the plurality of LED light sources to generate green driver advisory signals; and concurrently activating the first and second LED light elements of the plurality of LED light sources to generate yellow driver advisory signals.
From an alternate process standpoint, the invention comprises a method of producing driver advisory signals of different colors, the method comprising the steps of providing a traffic signal head with a plurality of LED light sources each comprising an encapsulation package containing a first LED light element having a red light generation characteristic, a second LED light element having a yellow light generation characteristic, and a third LED light element having a green light generation characteristic; activating the first LED light element of the plurality of LED light sources to generate red driver advisory signals; activating the second LED light element of the plurality of LED light sources to generate yellow driver advisory signals; and activating the third LED light element of the plurality of LED light sources to generate green driver advisory signals.
The invention provides a traffic signal head which occupies substantially less physical volume than conventional signal heads without sacrificing any operational functionality. In addition, the embodiment of the invention employing only two-color LED light elements requires a substantially reduced number of individual LED light sources, with a commensurate reduction in cost and power consumption, while providing the same driver advisory capability as conventional signal heads. Further, both embodiments of the apparatus can serve as programmable standard modules for a traffic control system, and can be electrically configured to function as red, yellow, or green light generating devices for both the ordinary color advisory signals and special color advisory symbols, such as right or left-pointing red, yellow, or green arrows. Thus, only a single type of standard unit need be inventoried to serve the entire light source requirements of a traffic control system.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Traffic signal head with multiple LED illumination sources


An actuator assembly includes a housing, and a clamp disposed within the housing. The clamp is configured to attach the actuator assembly to a damper jackshaft or valve stem or valve linkage shaft. The jackshaft is operable to control the position of one or more damper blades. The valve stem and valve linkage shaft control the position of the valve plug. The clamp is accessible via a slotted opening which is unobstructed at one end. A motor is configured to rotate the clamping device within the housing. A control module is coupled to the motor and configured to control the damper or valve actuator assembly. In embodiments, a communications module facilitates communications to and from the damper actuator assembly over a network, and allows both remote monitoring of the damper and remote control of the damper actuator assembly or of the valve and remote control of the valve actuator assembly.

Ventilation and fluid control systems are increasingly used in buildings, including residential, office, commercial, and industrial buildings, sometimes combined with fire or smoke protection equipment for occupant comfort and safety and also for manufacturing processes. Dampers and valves are used to control the volume of flow of air and fluids from no flow to full maximum flow. These damper/valve air and fluid control systems include, but are not limited to, those used in electrical power stations, chemical manufacturing operations, food and beverage processing, liquid gas supply and disposal, water supply and disposal, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, etc.
The air flow in HVAC and manufacturing process ducts are typically controlled by damper assemblies, or dampers. Dampers are used for the control of airflow to maintain temperatures in air-carrying ducts. Dampers are produced in a variety of sizes, shapes, and styles for installation in rectangular or round ducts. Dampers generally have a connecting rod or shaft, often called a jackshaft, which is connected to the vanes, or blades, of the damper. The damper may have a single blade or multiple interconnected blades that move in unison. Depending on the damper configuration, the jackshaft connecting rod may be connected such that linear movement of the connecting rod causes the damper blades to open or close. In other embodiments, dampers equipped with a shaft, or jackshaft, are arranged such that rotary movement of the jackshaft causes the damper blades to open or close, but an alternate, older technology, approach is to connect a crank arm to the shaft, or jackshaft and use a linear movement to open or shut the damper blades. Round dampers are usually of the butterfly type having a single round disk connected to a rotating shaft.
Control valves throttle the flow of a fluid by having their plugs move in their valve bodies to block the fluid flow at one end of movement and open the flow at the other end of movement. The valve plug may have a variety of shapes, either symmetrical or asymmetrical, and may be connected to a stem and seal that exits the valve body to allow an actuator located outside the valve to position the valve stem and plug. Typically, the seal is designed to have secure contact with the valve body stem and the valve body stem outlet such that it prevents fluid from leaking out of the valve while the valve is operating at its rated static and differential pressure ratings. Some control valves, such as globe and gate valves, require linear stem movement to fully open and close the fluid flow, and other types, such as ball, butterfly, and shoe valves, require rotary movement to fully open and close the fluid flow.
In a typical HVAC or process control application, the damper jackshaft or valve stem is operated by an actuator. The actuator is an assembly that generally includes a motor with some type of coupling apparatus, driven by the motor, which can be attached to the jackshaft or valve stem for the movement thereof.
Embodiments of the present invention represent an advancement over the state of the art with respect to damper and valve actuator assemblies. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.

Fast attachment open end direct mount damper and valve actuator


A shielded cable interface module having cable receiving grooves extending laterally to an edge of the board, each including a center conductor groove, an insulator groove, and a shield groove. A center conductor via and a shield via extend through the board. A conductor plane on the cable termination side surrounds the cable receiving grooves. The conductor plane includes a non-conductor region within the conductor plane adjacent to each of the conductor center conductor grooves. Ground vias associated with the cable receiving grooves are spaced apart from and partially surround the center conductor via outside and adjacent to the non-conductor region, the ground vias extend through the printed circuit board from the cable termination side to the system interface side.

Sophisticated electronic assemblies often employ dense arrays of electrical conductors to deliver signals from one area to another. Routing large groups of conductors in an efficient and organized manner often proves problematic for a variety of reasons. The overall assembly cost, form factor (size), conductor pitch, and complexity all typically must be taken into account to determine a suitable routing method.
For high performance semiconductor testers, sometimes referred to as automated test equipment or ATE, tester signals up to several gigahertz are funneled and delivered from relatively large circuit boards known as channel cards or instrument boards, to the leads of a very compact device under test or DUT. Often, several thousand signal paths provide the signal delivery scheme between the DUT and the tester electronics. In order to preserve fidelity for such high-frequency signals, the signal paths are constructed to provide a closely matched impedance (normally fifty ohms). Providing a closely matched impedance with a large number of signal paths is difficult.
Further, in the past, connectors such as a SMA coaxial connectors (Subminiature A originally designed by Bendix Scintilla Corporation and commonly produced by companies such as Tyco Electronics Corporation, Berwyn, Pa.) are connected between each cable and the large circuit boards. The mechanical coaxial connectors are expensive and require individual assembly by a skilled technician.
What is needed is a coaxial cable to PCB attachment means that is capable of delivering high frequency, high fidelity signals at low cost. Further, what is needed are methods of fabrication and assembly of coaxial cable to PCB attachment means that are capable of providing higher signal density with higher frequency and high fidelity at low cost.

Shielded cable interface module and method of fabrication


A foldable chair includes a chair frame and a seat frame. The chair frame includes two spaced apart front legs, two spaced apart rear legs pivotally connected to the two front legs respectively, and a supporting member transversely extended between the two rear legs and having a bottom inclined engaging side. The chair frame is adapted to pivotally fold between an unfolded position and a folded position. The seat frame includes two seat arms pivotally connected to the front legs respectively, a seat platform provided between the two seat arms, and a retention arm which is transversely extended between two seat arms and has a corresponding upper inclined retention side.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a chair, and more particularly to a foldable chair which facilitates a more optimal folding operation with enhanced structural strength and stability so as to impart maximum convenience and comfort to a user of the present invention.
2. Description of Related Arts
Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 2 of the drawings, a conventional foldable chair usually comprises a front leg frame 10P, a rear leg frame 20P pivotally connected with the front leg frame 10P, and a seat frame 30P foldably supported by the front and the rear leg frame 10P, 20P in such a manner that it is capable of moving between a folded position and an unfolded position, wherein in the unfolded position, the front and the rear leg frames 10P, 20P are pivotally extended to support the seat frame 30P in a horizontal manner and to securely stand on a ground surface, wherein in the folded position, the front leg frame 10P, the rear leg frame 20P and the seat frame 30P are pivotally and overlappedly folded towards each other to form a compact structure.
The rear leg frame 20P comprises two spacedly apart rear legs 21P for standing on the ground surface, and a reinforcing bar 22P transversely extended between the two rear legs 21P. On the other hand, the seat frame 30P comprises a rear stacking lip 31P, having an engaging surface 311P, outwardly extended therefrom to form a substantially right angle shape, wherein when the seat frame 30P is in the unfolded position, the rear stacking lip 31P is pivotally moved such that the engaging surface 311P engages and interlocks with the reinforcing bar 22P so as to securely retain the seat frame 30P in position. When a user is sitting on the foldable chair, the reinforcing bar 22P is arranged to provide reinforcing support to the downward force applied to the seat frame 30P, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings.
Moreover, when the seat frame 30P is in the folded position, it is pivotally folded in an upright manner such that the rear stacking lip 31P is outwardly and transversely extended from the seat frame 30P. Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, when the seat frame 30P is in the folded position, the rear stacking lip 31P is adapted to fittedly stack with another foldable chair so as to facilitate convenient and easy storage. It is worth noting that such a conventional foldable chair is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,182 of Noor. Furthermore, the seat frame 30P may comprise a stacking guider 33P protruded from a bottom side thereof to receive in the cavity formed between the seat frame 30P and the rear leg frame 20P of another foldable chair so as to prevent lateral movement of the two chairs in question.
Such a conventional foldable chair has several disadvantages. First of all, when the rear stacking lip 31P is interlocked with the reinforcing bar 22P of the rear leg frame 30P, i.e. when the seat frame 30P is in the unfolded position, the engagement between the engaging surface 311P and the reinforcing bar 22P may not be fittedly accomplished such that there exist a substantial gap between the reinforcing bar 22P and the rear stacking lip 31P which may cause uncomfortableness to the user. Specifically, the pant and the clothes of the user may be accidentally trapped within the gap, and when the user stands up from the foldable chair, his/her clothes/pant may be stretched.
In order to securely support the seat frame 30P on the front and the rear leg frame 10P, 20P, the seat frame further comprises a pivot rod 32P transversely extended across two opposite side edges underneath the seat frame 30P for pivotally connecting the seat frame 30P with the front leg frame 10P. This has a disadvantage that the pivot rod 32P would usually be seriously deflected after a prolonged use of the foldable chair, so that the pivotal folding and folding movement of the seat frame 30P may be affected, and that the overall stability and rigidity of the foldable chair would be deteriorated. When the deflection is too serious, the user may even needs replacement of the chair for safety reason.


Sperm mobility and impregnation of an oocyte is enhanced by placing sperm in an aqueous solution of phospholipids prior to in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination. The aqueous phospholipid solution can also be used during storage or cryopreservation of the sperm. Also, the motility of sperm produced or ejaculated and the environment into which it is placed is enhanced my ingestion of the phospholipid composition by the male or female, or a vaginal placement of compositions containing the phospholipids.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for maintaining or enhancing sperm motility, counteracting the effects of aging and exposure to environmental factors that can reduce sperm motility, and providing a more friendly environment in the womb or in vitro and in turn increase the likelihood of fertilization of oocytes through vaginal or in vitro insemination. It also relates to preservation of mammalian sperm for human and animal insemination, for example in livestock breeding.
Description of the Related Art
Sperm motility is a crucial factor for successful fertilization of oocytes (i.e., conception). The composition of the plasma membrane of the sperm is one the factors influencing sperm motility. The effects of aging, exposure to oxidative entities and changes in membrane lipid composition are important factors affecting male fertility. It has also been shown that changes in sperm membrane lipid composition are important factors resulting in a reduction in motility and the likelihood of fertilization. Peroxidation of the membrane lipids is also an important factor affecting for sperm health in adult life and as an individual ages.
The sperm cell has a unique structure and function. The sperm cell is viable in a body different from its origin, namely a female body, and is capable of navigating through the vagina and uterus to fertilize an egg released from the ovaries. The plasma membrane of the sperm cell also has a lipid composition different from most other cell membranes. It contains high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), particularly diPUFA (phospholipids esterified with two PUFA). PUFA are known to contribute to membrane fluidity and flexibility. The specific membrane lipid composition of the sperm cell has been found to be important for specific sperm functions promoting the creation of microdomains with different fluidity, fusogenicity, and permeability characteristics required for the sperm to navigate to, and to penetrate and fuse with the oocyte.
Phospholipids are key constituents of the lipid fraction of the sperm cell membranes, with phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and sphingomyelin being the major components. The lipid and fatty acid composition of sperm cells differ for different animals and different species as well as for fertile and subfertile population of the same species. Therefore, published data on non-human sperm viability may not be translatable to the performance or viability of human sperm.
It is known that cryopreservation can affect the sperm membrane of non-human sperm. Further, freezing and thawing results in lipid modifications and domains of the sperm head plasma membrane react differently to cryopreservation. Furthermore, some studies investigated the ability of sperm cells in boar and bull semen to take up lipid components or fatty acids from the surrounding environment during incubation in vitro.
(Vasquez and Roldan, 1997) and, furthermore, Buhr et al. (1999) suggested a link between successful cryopreservation of boar semen and a given mixture of lipids and fatty acids in the original diluent. Once again, a specific role for the lipids present in the diluent or exchanges with spermatozoa are indicated. The present data also indicate that there was not only an uptake of lipid by sperm cells but also that this uptake was related to the quality of fresh semen. Phospholipase activities may mediate this lipid metabolism, totally or in part (for review, see Roldan, 1998). Buhr et al. (1994) reported an increase in the content of phospholipids, and in particular of phosphatidylcholine, during the cryopreservation of boar spermatozoa in the presence of egg yolk. The exact role of yolk components has not yet been clarified. Phosphatidylcholine (also called lecithin) has been proposed as the protective component during freezing (Quinn et al., 1980) since it prevented ultrastructural damage and favoured the maintenance of motility and respiration (Simpson et al., 1987). In contrast, studies have shown that phosphatidylcholine had no effect on boar sperm damage (Purse) et al., 1973) and did not prevent motility loss during cold shock and storage at −58 C (Watson, 1981). Phosphatidylserine has also been proposed as a protective agent in the boar (Butler and Roberts, 1975; Foulkes, 1977). Cationic low density lipoprotein (LDL) of egg yolk, characterized by a specific lipid:protein ratio of 2.7, was found to be the most efficient in protecting bull spermatozoa against cold shock. The cationic protein moiety of the LDL complex bound strongly to the sperm plasma membrane, which is negatively charged, and the lipid moiety was responsible for the protective action." (Vishwanath et al., 1992). "Changes In Sperm Quality And Lipid Composition During Cryopreservation Of Boar Semen" S Cerolini, A Maldjian, F Pizzi, T M Gliozzi—Reproduction, 2001—Soc Reprod Fertility.
The major problem associated with cryopreservation of sperm cells is the loss of viability as a result of the freezing and thawing process. Loss of viability is related to membrane leakiness which is induced by sperm phospholipids peroxidation.
Infertility issues impact approximately 15% of all couples trying-to-conceive. Male infertility is a contributing factor in about half of these cases and high concentrations of oxidative-stress-causing agents have been identified in 30-80% of infertile men. Studies on the delivery of vitamin supplements and amino acids show an enhancement of specific sperm parameters (count, morphology, motility). Some antioxidants such as these vitamin C, selenium, vitamin E, L carnitine, Vitamin A, zinc and grapeseed extract have been shown to promote healthy sperm count, sperm morphology, and sperm motility, while reducing oxidative damage from agents, free radicals, or biological interactions that causes oxidative stress. (Dawson E B et al. Effects of ascorbic acid on male fertility. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1987; 498: 312-23).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Phospholipid compositions and use thereof to enhance spermatozoa motility and viability


A diamond core drill using a sealed core bit is fastened centrally by means of a hollow shaft with a slanted cut at one end, that is used in a wedging manner to secure the tool against the work surface. This eliminates the need for an exterior frame and thus permits the use of large hole saws up to 48", held by a simple and economical tool. The tool feed towards the surface is controled via an advance control nut that screws on the filleted part of the shaft. The tool has a water feed system that entraps the water in a chamber formed by the barrel of the saw and the surface to be cut, that forces the water to seep along the sawing gap thus facilitating lubrification of the core bit. The resulting configuration is such as to allow for a single tool operator.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the field of diamond drilling equipment, especially diamond core drilling in concrete with a tool which can operate at different angles. The diamond core drilling equipment of the invention is employed to drill holes in concrete surfaces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A prior art patent search was conducted and a list of patents which appeared to us to be most pertinent to the invention follows.
WO 89/1081 Nov. 16, 1989 Depres shows a hole saw guided by a pilot drill. When the motion of the drill is reversed and the hole saw prevented to rotate, the hole saw pulls back, thus freeing the carrot. Though this system has the potential to be used to drill larger holes in concrete, it provides no means to bring cutting fluid to the surface, because all parts are rotating simultaneously. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,823 Nov. 4, 1986 Hillestad illustrates a portable milling tool using a collet at the end of a shaft as a wedging means to secure and centre the tool. Although the advance of the cutting tool is commanded by a nut moving along a threaded shaft, the system is quite complex due to internal gear mechanism and would prove costly and cumbersome for larger applications such as diamond core drilling in concrete. Also no means are provided to bring cutting fluid to the work surface. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,253 Mar. 27, 1990 Cliche describes a core water and mud collector tool for use by a carrotting drill. Though the system provides water to the cutting area, it needs external means to do so. At least a second operator with a hose is needed to spray water on the core bit. Also there is no means for precisely centering the hole on the concrete surface and controlling the rate of advance of the bit. PA0 BE 493209 May 2, 1950 Victor Products illustrates a system in which the advance of the drill is controlled by threads engaging the bit's spiral wall. An implant, in which the bit screws itself, must be installed on the surface in which the hole is to pierced. The implant must first be inserted in a shallow hole where ears are pushed outwardly to restrain any retrieving movement while piercing. This system has three drawbacks: first the advance rate is dependent upon the rotation rate of the bit; secondly, the size of the hole is limited by the size of the implant, meaning that a different implant is needed for each hole size; finally, no means of feeding the cutting area with fluid is provided. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,174 Feb. 20, 1990 Thompson describes a system in which an external collar is used to secure and centre the piercing apparatus. A collar system of this type is impossible on flat surfaces. PA0 WO 83/02728 Aug. 18, 1983 TRI-TOOL describes a portable machine tool for preparing pipe ends as illustrated on front page of patent document. This system uses expandable wedging mandrel means for radially gripping the interior of a pipe; the tool feed drive is once again composed of a nut that pushes the tool 70 towards the work. In this case the nut 82 is turned via a gear mechanism which is practical for small scale such as pipe end applications, but which would be cumbersome for twelve inch diameter and over diamond core drilling. Also the twin horizontal ball bearing support would be costly to reproduce in large diameter applications. In such cross shaped tool arrangement, the use of central water feeding would be impractical. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,825,362 Jul. 23, 1974 Hougen shows a cup shaped annular cutter for forming circular hole. The tool provides spring loaded means to center the carrotting bit, but none to support it. Still, there is no means of spraying cutting fluid. PA0 DE 3724-232-A Feb. 2, 1989 Fein shows a diamond core drill mounted on a pillar fixed to a base. Typical drilling equipment for this application employs an external support system for the hole saw. However this kind of system comprises many cantilever supports which make the system unstable and limited in power. Moreover, when tilted to be used at a certain angle --FIG. 5--, the fixation of the barrel forms a second cantilever, limitating even more the use of the capacities of the drill. Finally, the barrel diameter is limited to 12 inches. PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 306,477 Fuller, Oct. 14, 1884 provides central support for core bit via a bridge structure which could permit large diameter drilling but with large dimension arrangement. This method nowadays illustrated in FIG. 6 makes use of an external support bridge that supports the diamond bit. This arrangement permits the use of larger diamond bits but requires much larger working space, much larger than the drill bit diameter. PA0 WO 88/02290 Apr. 7, 1988 TRI-TOOL illustrates a mandrel assembly for a portable lathe. A blocking system 62 is used at the end of a shaft assembly 50 to secure and center the tool onto the work piece 38. The tool feed mechanism is comprised of a threaded shaft 32 for milling feeding 34 by turning handle 44. A manually tightened nut 90 pulls end 80 towards the block piece 62. The system does not have any capability to provide cutting fluid to the cutting apparatus, other than by external means.
While study of the prior art shows several inventions using means which could prove useful in diamond core drilling, none has a combination of means or capabilities of the invention herein described.