A spindle drive unit includes a spindle having a spindle axis and an external circumferential surface and a nut embracing the spindle and being in threaded engagement with the spindle. In an axial end portion of the nut a wiper assembly is removably fixed to the nut. The wiper assembly has at least one sealing ring in wiping engagement with the external circumferential surface of the spindle. The wiper assembly is removably connected to an adapter in a rotationally fixed manner, the adapter in turn being directly and removably connected to the nut in an axially and rotationally fixed manner. The use of the adapter enables the wiper assemblies of various constructions or with different numbers of sealing rings to be attached to a conventional nut.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a spindle drive unit comprising a spindle having a spindle axis and an external circumferential surface, a nut embracing said spindle and being in threaded engagement with said spindle and at least one wiper assembly comprising at least one wiper member in wiping engagement with said external circumferential surface of said spindle, said wiper assembly being removably fastened to said nut in an axial end portion thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A spindle drive unit like this is known from the DE 28 22 560 A1. In this known solution the wiper assembly comprises a sealing ring attached to the internal circumference of a sleeve. The sealing ring sealingly abuts on the back of an external thread of the spindle. The sealing ring is permanently riveted to the sleeve. The wiper assembly consisting of the sealing ring and the sleeve may be fixed to the nut when the nut is mounted on the spindle. For this purpose an axially projecting tubular socket is welded on the nut. The sleeve of the wiper assembly supporting the sealing ring is pushed on said tubular socket. Then the wiper assembly is manually adjusted in the axial direction with respect to the tubular socket until the sealing ring is optimally positioned on the back of the external thread of the spindle. After adjusting the wiper assembly, it is axially and circumferentially fixed to the tubular socket by means of pins and a clamp strap.
For this known solution an adaptation of the nut is necessary to be able to mount the wiper assembly. The nut has to be subjected to a welding process to attach the tubular socket to it. If a conventional nut, which can be obtained as a component of mass production, is to be used, it is often completely impossible to weld a tubular socket from the outside on the nut. Often the material of the nut or the components connected therewith do not allow welding of a tubular socket, for example due to high sensitivity to heat, great danger of deformation or poor welding properties. This especially applies to precision spindle drive units, which are used in machine tools or measuring devices. Moreover, welding is a comparatively extensive and difficult process as the tubular socket has to be positioned exactly in the radial direction in order to guarantee uniform abutment relations of the sealing ring at the back of the spindle thread across the entire circumference. Even in conventional nuts often no suitable place for welding the tubular socket is found for reasons of design or space. Finally, the tubular socket is no longer removable from the nut after welding so that the nut is assigned to a certain purpose of application and can no longer be used for other applications in which a wiper assembly axially attached from the outside is under certain circumstances not necessary anymore. In this case the welded tubular socket would be disturbing and require unnecessary space.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,521 there is known a further spindle drive unit having a spindle and a nut being in threaded engagement with the spindle. In a mounted state of the nut a sealing ring can be attached to the nut from axially outside. The sealing ring engages with a threaded groove in the external circumferential surface of the spindle and is screwed on the spindle from one end of the spindle. A plurality of axially oriented peg receiving holes are provided in an axial end face of the nut distributed along the circumference. Similar peg receiving holes are also provided in the sealing ring. If the sealing ring, when mounted on, is turned into its desired axial position relative to the nut, the peg receiving holes in the sealing ring and the nut are aligned and then equipped with pegs which keep the sealing ring to the nut without being able to be turned. By means of a pretensioning member supported on the nut the sealing ring is axially biased away from the nut against the turn of the spindle thread.
Even in the solution according to DT 20 01 558 a conventional and commercially available nut cannot readily be used to attach the sealing ring. It is rather that the nut has to be purposefully machined to create the preconditons for mounting the sealing ring. For the peg receiving holes have to be drilled which causes an additional expenditure of work. Moreover the mounting of the sealing ring is extraordinarily laborious since the sealing ring has to be held against the action of the pretensioning member relative to the nut to be able to insert the individual pegs into the peg receiving holes which have been brought in alignment.


To control neuropathic pain produced by various mechanisms. Disclosed is a composition for elimination, relief or reduction of neuropathic pain comprising, as an active ingredient, at least one substance selected from the group consisting of D-allose, a derivative of D-allose, D-psicose and a derivative of D-psicose preferably in an amount of 0.01 to 90% by weight. The composition may comprise a mixture of D-allose and/or a derivative thereof and D-psicose and/or a derivative thereof at a ratio of 1:1 to 10:1. The neuropathic pain may be one induced by a disease selected from the group consisting of trigeminal neuralgia, postoperative pain, periodontitis, gingivitis, gingivostomatitis, oral ulcer, herpes zoster, postherpetic neuralgia, diabetic neuritis, causalgia, phantom limb pain and malignant tumor. Also disclosed is use of the composition for elimination, relief or reduction of neuropathic pain by administering the composition to a patient with neuropathic pain in such an amount that 0.01 to 100 g of the at least one substance can be taken by the patient per day.

Rare sugars are monosaccharides existing at very slight amounts in the natural kingdom. Rare sugars are grouped in aldoses, ketoses and alcohols, depending on the chemical structures. The aldoses include for example D-allose; the ketoses include for example D-psicose; and the alcohols include for example allitol.
Because most of such sugars were hardly available since the mass production thereof was not achieved, almost no research works about the physiological activities and pharmacological activities thereof were done. A method for producing the sugars at a mass scale has been developed recently by Izumori, et al., in the Agricultural Department, the National University Corporation Kagawa University, so that research works about the biological activities thereof are now under way. In vitro experiments with leukocyte, an action of suppressing active oxygen generation has been found in D-allose, while in D-psicose, an active oxygen-scavenging action and MCP-1 secretion-suppressing action have been found at similar experiments (patent reference 1).
Neuropathic pain is a pain without any stimulation of peripheral sensory receptors and is a chronic pain caused by the direct damages and pressurization of nerve tissues as induction factors. Pain induced by malignant tumor, diabetic neuralgia, herpes zoster and the like is a typical neuropathic pain. Additionally, pain occurring one to 6 months after the incidence of bone fracture, injuries, and burn is also classified as neuropathic pain. The symptoms are spontaneous pains sustaining or emerging spontaneously, involving abnormal sensations such as numbness, electric current shock, minced-up feeling and biting, hyper-sensitivity against algesthesia and allodynia. The mechanism of the occurrence is not known. As hypotheses, there are suggested for example the disorders of the blood nerve barrier, abnormal synapse formation in lumber spinal dorsal horn cells, the abnormal regeneration of demyelinated fiber, the increase of receptor sensitivity, and the abnormal distribution of sympathetic nerve fiber. Specific diseases with neuropathic pain include for example trigeminal neuralgia, postherpeutic neuralgia, pain after traumatic peripheral nerve damages, painful diabetic neuropathy, and pain after arm neuroplexus is pulled out and damaged, and additionally include for example phantom limb pain, and pains due to spinal diseases, injuries, multiple-sclerosis, syringomyelia, spinal cord tumor, and brain cancer, and still more additionally include cancer pain for which analgesic effects with narcotic analgesics such as morphine are insufficiently effective.
Therapeutic treatment (amelioration) represents the effect of suppressing pain emerging in a neuropathic fashion, through the administration of a drug after nerve damages, and also represents the effect of mitigating pain or eliminating pain by allowing the abnormalized pain threshold to be back around the normal level.
Therapeutic treatment (amelioration) represents the effect of suppressing pain emerging in a neuropathic fashion, through the administration of a drug after nerve damages, and also represents the effect of mitigating pain or eliminating pain by allowing the abnormalized pain threshold to be back around the normal level.
The countermeasure against neuropathic pain at clinical practice is insufficient, unfortunately. A therapeutic method for such diseases includes a nerve blocking therapy using local anesthesia. However, such therapeutic method is almost never effective for cases with the diseases sustained for a long period of time. Additionally, the therapeutic treatment itself should disadvantageously be continued for a prolonged period of time. Further, various analgesics have been attempted. However, almost not any effective analgesics have been developed. In recent years, meanwhile, attention has been focused on pharmaceutical therapies, so that examinations about tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, imipramine, and nortriptyline), gabapentin, mexiletine, clonidine, ketamine, opioide (morphine, fentanyl) and drugs for local administration such as capsaicin are made for their actions of mitigating the pain of neuropathic pain. It has been shown that thalidomide mitigates neuropathic pain by preventing the damage of the blood nerve barrier. Therefore, an outcome in future will be expected. However, these drugs are now held at experimental stages, so some clinically verified effect cannot be expected. Further, it has been known that analgesics effective for general noniceptive pain, particularly narcotic analgesics are hardly effective for neuropathic pain. For example, morphine has a strong analgesic action for noniceptive pain but morphine is hardly effective for neuropathic pain (non-patent reference 1).    Non-patent reference 1: The Lancet 353, 1959-1966, 1999    Patent reference 1: International Patent Publication No. WO 03/097820

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Utilization of anti-neuropathic pain effect of D-allose and D-psicose


A plate fin heat exchanger has a group of fins arranged at predetermined intervals so that an air current flows between the respective fins and a group of tubes respectively inserted into and joined to the cylindrical fin collars which are formed in the fin group with a predetermined longitudinal pitch and lateral pitch. Elliptical seats each having a longitudinally extending short axis are respectively provided around the fin collars on the surface of each of the fins, and seat-side ridge portions are respectively formed along the outer peripheries of the seats. A plurality of fin-side ridge portions, each having a longitudinally linearly extending ridge and substantially the same height as that of each of the seat-side ridge portions, are formed in each line of the fin collars outside the seat-side ridge portions on each of the fins. The turbulence promoting effect of the fin-side ridge portions, each having a longitudinally linearly extending ridge, improves the heat transfer efficiency. In addition, the highest portions of the seat-side ridge portions formed between the fin-side ridge portions cause the air current to be controlled by the wake in the tubes so as to decrease the stagnation region, thereby increasing the heat transfer effective area and improving the heat transfer efficiency.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fin-tube heat exchanger which can be used for a heat pump type air conditioner using air as a heat source and, particularly, which can also be used outdoors.
2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
A conventional fin-tube heat exchanger is described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, a fin-tube heat exchanger generally comprises a group of fins 2 (2A, 2B) which are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals so that an air current 1 flows between the respective fins 2, cylindrical fin collars 3 (3A, 3B) which are formed in the fin group 2 with a predetermined longitudinal pitch and lateral pitch, and a group of tubes 4 which are respectively inserted into the fin collars 3 and then joined to the fin collars 3.
The fin 2A of a first example of conventional fin-tube heat exchangers shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 has circular seat portions 6 respectively provided concentrically with the fin collars 3A on the surface of the fin 2A, and a plurality of ridge portions 7 which are formed in each line of the fin collars 3A outside the fin collars 3A of the seat portion 6, and each of which has a ridge linearly extending in the longitudinal direction of the fin 2A. When the air current 1 flows between the respective fins 2A, heat transfer can thus be promoted due to the turbulence promoting effect.
The fin 2B of a second example of conventional fin-tube heat exchangers shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 has a plurality of raised portions 8 which are provided between the adjacent two fin collars 3B on the surface of the fin 2B in the longitudinal direction thereof, whereby heat transfer can be promoted by the boundary layer leading-edge effect when the air current 1 flows between the respective fins 2B.
However, when a heat exchanger which uses the fin 2B shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is used outdoors for a heat-pump air conditioner and is operated for heating, if the outside air temperature is decreased, frost adheres to the leading edges of the raised portions having a high efficiency of heat transfer, and the leading edges of the raised portions are closed after a while. The heat exchanger thus has the problem that the heat transfer efficiency is abruptly decreased, and the heat exchanger cannot be continuously operated over heating for a long time period.
When a heat exchanger having the fins 2A shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is used outdoors for a heat pump-type air conditioner and operated for heating, since the fins 2A have no raised portion, even if the outside air temperature is decreased, the exchanger can be continuously operated for heating over a longer time, than the heat exchanger having the fins 2B shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. However, the heat exchanger has the problems that (1) because heat transfer is promoted by the turbulence promoting effect, the heat transfer efficiency is not so high, as compared with the heat exchanger having the fins 2B shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 in which heat transfer is promoted by the boundary layer leading edge effect, and (2) it is impossible to significantly enhance the performance of a heat pump-type air conditioner and decrease the size thereof.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A fiber optic cable includes one or more optical fibers, a jacket, strength members, and water-swellable powder. The jacket is formed from a polymer and has a cavity defined therein. The one or more optical fibers extend through the cavity. Further, the jacket is non-round in cross-section and the strength members are encapsulated in the jacket on opposite sides of the cavity. The water-swellable powder is at least partially mechanically attached to an inner surface of the cavity, where the mechanical attachment of the water-swellable powder allows a portion of particles of the water-swellable powder to protrude beyond the surface and not be completely embedded therein.

Communications networks are used to transport a variety of signals such as voice, video, data and the like. As communications applications required greater bandwidth, communication networks switched to cables having optical fibers since they are capable of transmitting an extremely large amount of bandwidth compared with a copper conductor. Moreover, a fiber optic cable is much smaller and lighter compared with a copper cable having the same bandwidth capacity.
In certain applications, fiber optic cables are exposed to moisture that over time may enter the fiber optic cable. To address this moisture issue, fiber optic cables intended for these applications include one or more components for blocking the migration of water along the fiber optic cable. By way of example, conventional fiber optic cables block water migration using a filling and/or a flooding material such as gel or grease within the fiber optic cable. Filling material refers to gel or grease that is inside a tube or cavity with the optical fibers, whereas flooding material refers to gel or grease within the cable that is outside of the cavity that houses the optical fibers. The gel or grease works by filling the spaces (i.e., the voids) so that the water does not have a path to follow within the fiber optic cable. Additionally, the gel or grease filling material has other advantages besides water blocking, such as cushioning and coupling of the optical fibers which assists in maintaining optical performance during mechanical or environmental events affecting the fiber optic cable. Simply stated, the gel or grease filling material is multi-functional.
However, gel or grease filling materials also have disadvantages. For instance, the gel or grease is messy and may drip from an end of the fiber optic cable. Another disadvantage is that the filling material must be cleaned from the optical fibers when being prepared for an optical connection, which adds time and complexity for the craft. Moreover, cleaning the gel or grease requires the craft to carry the cleaning materials into the field for removing the gel or grease. Thus, there has been a long-felt need for fiber optic cables that eliminate the gel or grease materials while still providing all of the benefits associated therewith.
Early fiber optic cable designs eliminated the flooding material by using dry water-blocking components such as tapes or yarn outside the buffer tubes for inhibiting the migration of water along the cable. Unlike the gel or grease, the dry water-blocking components are not messy and do not leave a residue that requires cleaning. These dry water-blocking components typically include super absorbent polymers (SAPs) that absorb water and swell as a result, thereby blocking the water path for inhibiting the migration of water along the fiber optic cable. Generally speaking, the water-swellable components used a yarn or tape as a carrier for the SAP. Since the water-swellable yarns and tapes were first used outside the cavity housing the optical fibers, the other functions besides water-blocking such as coupling and optical attenuation did not need to be addressed.
Eventually, fiber optic cables used water-swellable yarns, tapes, or super-absorbent polymers (SAPs) within the tubes that housed the optical fibers for replacing the gel or grease filling materials. Generally speaking, the water-swellable yarns or tapes had sufficient water-blocking capabilities, but did not provide all of the functions of the gel or grease filling materials such as cushioning and coupling. For instance, the water-swellable tape and yarns are bulky since they are relatively large compared with a typical optical fiber and/or can have a relatively rough surface. As a result, water-swellable yarns or tapes may cause problems if the optical fiber is pressed against the optical fibers. Likewise, the SAPs may cause problems if pressed against the optical fibers. Stated another way, optical fibers pressed against the conventional water-swellable yarn, tapes, and/or SAPs may experience microbending which can cause undesirable levels of optical attenuation and/or cause other issues. Moreover, the desired level of coupling for the optical fibers with the tube may be an issue if the fiber optic cable is not a stranded design since the stranding provides coupling.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,592 discloses conventional water swellable components used within a buffer tube having optical fibers. But, including conventional water-swellable components within the buffer tube can still cause issues with fiber optic cable performance that requires limitations on use and/or other design alterations. For instance, fiber optic cables using conventional water-swellable yarns within the buffer tube required larger buffer tubes to minimize the interaction of conventional water swellable yarns and optical fibers and/or limiting the environment where the cable is used.
Other early fiber optic cable designs used tubes assemblies that were highly-filled with SAPs as a loose powder for blocking the migration of water within the fiber optic cable. However, using a loose SAP powder within the fiber optic cable created problems since the SAPs powders could accumulate/migrate at positions within the fiber optic cable since it was not attached to a carrier such as a yarn or tape (i.e., SAPs powders would accumulate at the low points when wound on a reel due to gravity and/or vibration), thereby causing inconsistent water blocking within the fiber optic cable. Also, the loose SAP powder was free to fall out of the end of the tube. FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively depict a cross-sectional view and a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conventional dry fiber optic assembly 10 having a plurality of optical fibers 1 along with a loose water-swellable powder 3 as schematically represented disposed within a tube 5. As shown, conventional dry fiber optic assembly 10 uses a relatively large quantity of SAP powder 3 within tube 5 for blocking the migration of water therein. Other conventional fiber optic cable components used embedded SAP powder in the outer surface of a tube such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,175. However, embedding the SAP in the outer surfaces greatly reduced the effectiveness of the same since water can not reached the particles that are embedded.
The present invention addresses the long-felt need for dry fiber optic assemblies that provide suitable optical and mechanical performance while being acceptable to the craft.

Optical fiber assemblies having a powder or powder blend at least partially mechanically attached


Provided is a technique that allows oxidation of Cu wires to be effectively prevented during plasma processing when forming a passivation film for a display device that utilizes an oxide semiconductor layer. This wiring structure comprises a semiconductor layer (oxide semiconductor) for a thin film transistor, a Cu alloy film (laminated structure comprising a first layer (X) and a second layer (Z)), and a passivation film that are formed on a substrate, starting from the substrate side. The first layer (X) is made of an element that exhibits low electrical resistivity, such as pure Cu; and the second layer contains a plasma-oxidation-resistance improving element. The second layer (Z) is directly connected, at least partially, to the passivation film.

In recent years, in the field of display devices, the market of 3D display devices and organic EL display devices has been expanding. As a demand for an increase in definition and image quality increases, Cu wiring materials of low resistance and oxide semiconductors which are high-mobility semiconductor materials are receiving much attention. The oxide semiconductors are expected to be about ten times higher in mobility than conventional a-Si. Copper is lower in resistivity than Al. The electrical resistivity of Al is 2.5×10−6 Ω·cm, whereas the electrical resistivity of Cu is low, 1.6×10−6 Ω·cm.
By the way, for a thin-film transistors (TFT) for use in display devices, it is necessary to form a passivation film (passivation layer) made of an insulating oxide such as SiNx, SiON, or AlOx on the channel region of the TFT in order to suppress the time-dependent deterioration of TFT properties. The passivation film is usually formed (deposited) by a plasma-enhanced CVD process, a sputtering process, or the like. An example of a method for forming an SiNx passivation film by a plasma CVD process is a method in which SiNx is formed by allowing a gas mixture of SiH4 and N2O to react in high-frequency plasma with an industrial frequency of 13.56 MHz and is deposited on an oxide semiconductor film. The following method has been proposed: a method for forming an Al2O3 passivation film by a reactive sputtering process using oxygen.
However, when a passivation film is formed, radicals or molecules sped up by plasma collide with the surface of an oxide semiconductor to apply plasma damage to an oxide semiconductor layer or hydrogen diffuses from the passivation film to make the oxide semiconductor layer conductive in some cases. Therefore, in order to prevent the reduction of TFT properties due to surface defects (damage) of the oxide semiconductor during the formation of the passivation film, for example, Non-patent Literature 1 proposes a method in which an oxide semiconductor layer is rendered non-conductive in such a way that the surface of an oxide semiconductor is excessively oxidized in advance by irradiating the oxide semiconductor surface with N2O plasma just before a passivation film is formed (plasma treatment prior to the formation of the passivation film).
In a display device including such an oxide semiconductor layer, plasma treatment (the formation of a film or the removal of a surface layer in a plasma environment) is performed in a step of forming a passivation layer or prior thereto. In this operation, the surface of a Cu wiring line used for source-drain electrodes is exposed to plasma containing oxygen atoms, thereby causing a problem that the surface of the Cu wiring line is oxidized. The surface oxidation of the Cu wiring line makes the adhesion of the Cu wiring line to a passivation film placed thereon insufficient; hence, a wiring failure such as the uplift of the passivation film may possibly occur and a problem such as an increase or variation in contact resistance with a transparent conductive film may possibly occur. If an oxide layer is formed by the surface oxidation of the Cu wiring line, then the surface roughness of the Cu wiring line increases and therefore the coverage of the passivation film becomes insufficient. This allows the entry of water from outside. Therefore, the primary role of the passivation film, that is, the effect of suppressing the time-dependent deterioration of TFT properties is not sufficiently obtained or failures due to the oxidation or corrosion of wiring lines may possibly occur.
Techniques for preventing the oxidation of Cu wiring lines used in integrated circuits or the like for semiconductor devices have been proposed as described in Patent Literatures 1 to 4 below.
Patent Literatures 1 and 2 each disclose a method in which an oxide film with excellent oxidation resistance is formed in such a way that Al or Si is diffusively concentrated near the surface of a wiring line by oxidizing a Cu alloy containing Al or Si. In particular, this method is as follows: a predetermined oxide film is formed by making use of annealing (heat treatment) at about 300° C. to 500° C. in the course of fabricating TFTs or by performing oxidative heat treatment at 500° C. or lower separately from annealing. Patent Literature 3 discloses a method in which an Al—Cu alloy film is formed so as to entirely cover the surface of a Cu wiring line. Patent Literature 4 discloses a technique in which the oxidation of a Cu wiring line by an etching agent or a photoresist stripper is suppressed in such a way that a copper compound layer made of copper phosphide, copper boride, copper bromide, or copper nitride on the surface of the Cu wiring line.


A process for producing heteropolysaccharide S-156 by bacterial fermentation of an organism deposited with the American Type Culture Collection under Accession No. ATCC 31646.

It is known that heteropolysaccharides can be produced by certain microorganisms. Some of such heteropolysaccharides function as hydrophilic colloids and because of their viscosity properties and rheology have been used as thickening agents for aqueous systems.
A polysaccharide of composition similar to S-156 has been described as Klebsiella pneumoniae K-type 63 (Carb. Res. (1979) 77, pp 183-190). Another is E. coli serotype K-42 (op. cit.).

Preparation of heteropolysaccharide S-156


A board game apparatus for learning about occupational trivia in a game setting. The board game apparatus includes a game board. The game board is subdivided into compartments, the compartments each being in the form of a path to be followed by participants in the game. The compartments have associated therewith a reference to a respective occupation. The occupation is chosen from the group consisting of professions, industry, tourism and public service. A plurality of cards having indicia thereon wherein the indicia indicates questions corresponding to an occupation. At least one die and a counter for keeping score. A participant landing on a compartment is required to answer a question on a card that corresponds to the compartment. The participant acquires points as a result of correct answers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to board games and more particularly pertains to a new board game apparatus for learning about occupational trivia in a game setting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of board games is known in the prior art. More specifically, board games heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,399; U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,589; U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,153; U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,934; U.S. Pat. No. 2,693,961; and U.S. Pat. Des. No. 356,343.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new board game apparatus. The inventive device includes a game board with an upper side, a bottom side, a left side and a right side. The game board is subdivided into compartments, the compartments each being in the form of a path to be followed by participants in the game. The compartments have associated therewith a reference to a respective occupation. The occupation is chosen from the group consisting of professions, industry, tourism and public service. A plurality of cards having indicia thereon wherein the indicia indicates questions corresponding to an occupation. At least one die and a counter for keeping score. A participant landing on a compartment is required to answer a question on a card that corresponds to the compartment. The participant acquires points as a result of correct answers.
In these respects, the board game apparatus according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of learning about occupational trivia in a game setting.


A guard assembly for a saw or other cutting device includes fixed and movable guards relatively pivotal by way of a linkage assembly having two links pivotally interconnected coaxially with a cam roller engageable with a cam surface for controlling relative guard movement. Other preferred features include a torsional coil guard return spring and spring enclosure that minimizes interference with workpiece cutting depth, an arbor shaft cover retention fastener that doubles, along with another caliper member, as a blade caliper set that prevents guard damage in the event of a bent or deflected blade or cutter, a drive assembly hold-down assembly for storage, and a horizontally-extending handle centered horizontally relative to the blade or cutter.

Saws and other apparatuses designed for cutting or performing other working operations on a workpiece typically include mechanisms for setting the saw blade or cutting tool in selected angular relationships with the workpiece when performing various cutting operations. Examples include chop-type compound miter saws adapted for allowing the user to selectively set the saw blade at any of a number of positions or modes for square cutting, miter cutting, bevel cutting, or even compound miter cutting in which combination miter angle and bevel angle cutting operations are performed on the workpiece. In addition, some operations, such as dado cutting, groove cutting, or shaping operations, for example, require the use of saw blades or other cutting or working devices of different shapes or sizes to be substituted for one another in order to perform the desired operation on the workpiece. In these instances, the saw or cutting device must be capable of cross-cutting or sliding movement of the blade or cutting tool in lieu of, or in addition to, chop-type engagement with the workpiece.
In order to allow for the setting of miter and bevel angles, the saw blade, cutter or other working device is angularly adjustable with respect to both a horizontal base and a vertical fence against which the workpiece is positioned. The miter adjustment allows the saw blade, cutter or other working device to be angularly positioned with respect to the vertical fence while maintaining perpendicularity with the horizontal base. The bevel adjustment allows the saw blade, cutter or other working device to be angularly positioned with respect to the horizontal base while maintaining perpendicularity with the vertical fence. Various combinations of miter angles and bevel angles are accomplished by simultaneously adjusting the angularity of the blade with respect to both the horizontal base and the vertical fence.
In any of these cutting operations whether they are performed on chop-type, cross-cut, or combination type devices, a blade guard mechanism must be capable of exposing a sufficient portion of the blade to perform the desired cutting operation, while at the same time adequately protecting the operator during cutting and when the blade is in an at-rest position. Such a guard mechanism also should preferably protect the guard from damage in the event of a bent or deflected blade or cutter during such operations, should prevent the blade or cutter from vibrating loose from or on its arbor shaft during such operations, and should allow for maximum user comfort and control when performing such operations. Preferably, undesired operation of the saw or other such device should be prevented when in a storage or inoperative state.
Unfortunately, many conventional devices have proved to be deficient in meeting some or all of these objectives, or have required burdensome multiplicities of parts or components in order to achieve them. Thus, many of such conventional devices have also often been found to be heavy and overly complex, difficult and expensive to design, manufacture and maintain, as well as requiring large spaces in which to operate them. In some cases, meeting these objectives has also resulted in unduly limiting cutting capacities.
In accordance with the present invention, a blade or cutter guard mechanism preferably includes an upper guard that is fixed relative to a drive assembly for the arbor shaft of the blade or cutter and a lower guard that is pivotally movable relative to the fixed upper guard. Preferably, a guard-actuating linkage assembly includes a first link having an inner end pivotally interconnected with a housing assembly upon which the drive assembly is pivotally mounted in order to move the blade and drive assembly into engagement with the workpiece. An opposite intermediate end of the first link is pivotally interconnected with an intermediate end of yet another, second link whose opposite outer end is pivotally and drivingly interconnected with the movable guard. An intermediate roller or roller assembly is rotatably interconnected with the interconnected intermediate ends of the links and is engageable with a cam surface at a fixed location formed on the drive assembly and thus fixed relative to the fixed guard. The shape and position of the cam surfaces are pre-designed to control the rate of movement of movable guard as the saw blade or cutter is moved between non-cutting and cutting positions. In a preferred form of this guard arrangement, the moveable guard can be manually moved for overriding pivotal movement irrespectively and independently of the position of the blade and drive assembly relative to the workpiece.
A return spring can be advantageously included in the guard linkage assembly for resiliently biasing the movable guard toward a normally closed position covering a maximum portion of the cutting periphery of the blade or cutter. Such return spring is preferably a torsional coil spring with one anchoring end or leg interconnected with the fixed guard or drive assembly (at a fixed location thereon) and an opposite end or leg interconnected with the movable guard (also at a fixed location thereon). An off-center spring enclosure, which is radially offset relative to the arbor shaft, is preferably included for restricting radial expansion of the torsional spring to directions away from the workpiece (on opposite sides of the arbor shaft from the workpiece) in order to maximize the workpiece cutting depth capacity of the saw blade or cutter.
Another optional but preferred feature of the invention is an arbor shaft cover that is pivotally interconnected with the fixed guard and that substantially prevents or minimizes any tendency of the arbor shaft nut, screw or other blade-securing fastener to work loose on, or free of, the arbor shaft. Such arbor cover can be pivoted out of the way to allow blade removal or blade changing by way of a releasable cover retaining fastener at one end of the pivotal cover, with such retaining fastener also optionally being configured to extend axially inside the fixed guard when tightened so as to act as one of a pair of blade calipers axially spaced from opposite sides of the blade or cutter. Such calipers thereby prevent or substantially minimize damage to the fixed guard in the event of a bent or deflected blade or cutter.
A hold-down strap member can also be included and be can pivotally interconnected with the saw's base for movement between a storage position and a hold-down position in releasable engagement with the saw's drive assembly in order to releasably secure the drive assembly in a lowered storage position relative to the base.
Also, the operator handle of the saw preferably includes a horizontally extending gripping portion that is generally centered laterally with respect to the plane of the blade or cutter. This contributes advantageously to workpiece visibility, ease of use, and operator control of the saw or other cutting device so equipped.
Other advantages, objects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the subsequent detailed description, appended claims and accompanying drawings.

Guard and control apparatuses for sliding compound miter saw


An auxiliary battery which is a main power supply is used as power source electric power supplying means for supplying power source electric power to a control device, and an auxiliary power supply is further provided. When an abnormality occurs in the auxiliary battery, the power supply for supplying power source electric power to the control device is switched from the auxiliary battery to the auxiliary power supply by a power supply switching device, to operate the control device stably and perform discharging of a battery. Thus, the discharging can be stopped before the battery is overdischarged.

Conventionally, vehicles have a battery for temporarily storing electric energy generated by a power generator, which is connected to an internal combustion engine by a belt or the like. Thereby, it is possible to supply electric power that is necessary for the electrical equipment in the vehicle even under the condition where the internal combustion engine is not rotating and the power generator cannot generate electric power.
In addition, vehicles incorporating a plurality of batteries have emerged in recent years in order to charge the batteries by efficiently converting the energy of the vehicle during deceleration to electric energy. There is a case in which the plurality of batteries include a battery for efficiently storing the electric energy of the vehicle and a battery for use in, for example, starting the vehicle.
In an on-vehicle electrical storage apparatus provided with such batteries as described above, the wiring lines in or around the batteries are usually insulated so that an occupant, service persons, and so forth cannot directly touch them. However, when the vehicle experiences a collision, the insulated portion may be broken, and the possibility of electric shocks arises.
In view of this, PTL 1, for example, provides a control device of a vehicle including an engine starting device supplied with electric power from a battery, wherein when a vehicle collision is predicted, electric power supply to the battery is stopped and the battery is forcibly discharged to a minimum voltage that is necessary to start the engine by the engine starting device. Such a configuration makes it possible to start the engine while taking a measure to prevent electric shocks.


A method to collect 3D measurement data regarding a working fluid in a system, e.g., a turbo-machine, including: arranging sources of beams proximate to a passage of the working fluid in or downstream of the turbo-machine such that beams from the sources are projected through the working fluid; detecting intensities of the beams after they pass through the working fluid, and generating at least a two dimensional (2D) representation of the working fluid based on the detected intensities of the beams.

The present invention relates to three dimensional (3D) directional velocity measurements of gases flowing through a passage of a system such as at an inlet or exhaust of a gas turbine via arrays of laser beams and detectors set up in two parallel planes with a distance. A method and the set up of arrays of laser beams and detectors are also presented. 3D measurements are important in improving performance, diagnostics, and modeling of the system.
Turbo-machine systems include a rotary component that is driven by a working fluid, such as a gas. For example, gas turbine engines generate power by compressing atmospheric air, adding fuel to the compressed air, combusting the mixture of fuel and air, and driving a turbine with the mixture of combusted gases. The working fluid continuously passes through the compressor, combustor and turbine, and is discharged as it passes turbine.
The working fluid flowing through a gas turbine engine holds information about the operation and performance of the engine. The velocity and direction of the working fluid, the temperature and distribution of temperatures in the working fluid, and the chemical composition of the working fluid reflect the condition and performance of the engine. For example, the exhaust gas provides information regarding the combustion temperature in the combustor, the performance and efficiencies of gas turbine, the constituents of the combusted gases flowing through turbine, and other performance parameters of the system. The 3D characteristic of velocity, flow directions, temperature and components of the working fluid across and cross-section of the flow passage of the working fluid and over time can be particularly telling of the condition and performance of the engine. 3D characteristic of fluid may also be used improving the mathematical modeling of the overall system, e.g., gas turbine.
The characteristics of working fluid are difficult to measure due to the extreme temperatures, pressures and other flow conditions in a gas turbine engine. Temperatures of the exhaust gases from a typical industrial gas turbine engine may be, for example, 900 to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit (° F.) (482 to 649 degrees Celsius ° C.). The mass flow of the exhaust gases may be, for example, 300 to 975 pounds per second (lb/sec) (136 to 442 kg/sec). Swirl in the exhaust creates difficulties in measuring and analyzing the working fluid. Conventional temperature probes, such as thermocouples, and arrays of probes have not been capable of measuring the temperature distribution of exhaust gases over an extended period of operation of the gas turbine engine.
The conditions of the working fluid at the turbine exit and in the exhaust are conventionally not directly measured but are calculated. The calculated conditions are used to control a gas turbine engine. The calculations of the conditions of the working fluid are generally based on engine parameters such as power output, pressure ratio of the compressor, fuel flow to the combustor and ambient conditions. The calculations of the working fluid are based on assumptions and approximations that may not accurately model the actual flow conditions.
The conventional calculations of the conditions of the working fluid do not provide detailed information regarding actual operating conditions in specific locations in the engine, such as a poorly performing combustion can, or instantaneous conditions of the working fluid. Further, the calculations do not provide information regarding distribution of the flows passing through a turbo-machine, such in the exhaust of a gas turbine engine. There is a long felt need to directly measure the flow of a working fluid in or from a turbo-machine in two-dimensions (2D) or in three dimensions (3D) to provide 2D and 3D maps showing the flow and particularly the distribution of the flow in cross-section and over time.

System and method to measure 3D flow characteristics of a gas


A staple remover device having first and second opposed, elongated jaws extending from a lower end of the remover toward an upper end of the remover. The jaws are pivoted to the remover at the upper end. With the remover in a substantially perpendicular orientation above a horizontal work surface, the first jaw moves toward the second jaw, actuated by a user's finger pressure. A handle extends along the remover device, the handle being normally operationally fixed to a jaw by a link including a latch, and at a pre-determined position of the first jaw to the second jaw, a release rib of at least one jaw causes the latch to suddenly de-link the handle from the jaw, wherein the de-linked handle moves in relation to the jaw and moving the handle in relation to the jaw causes the other jaw to rise, lifting out the staple.

The present invention relates to staple removers. More precisely, the present invention relates to a reduced effort, cam action, one hand actuated staple remover.
Staples are used to fasten items together. For example, a piece of paper or like sheet material may be attached to a wood or cork substrate with a staple gun or other tacker device. Or a stack of papers may be fastened together with a desktop stapler or similar office appliance. When used to fasten papers together, a staple normally has folded legs that bind and confine the papers between a top wire and the legs. Staple removers are used to ease and simplify the task of unbinding the stack of papers or removing the staple from the substrate.
Staple removers are often complementary to staplers. An edge, surface or other element of the remover extends under the top wire of the staple during or after which the staple is pulled from an object to which it was previously fixed. Two general categories of staple removers are commonly found. One type employs a lever action to slide from one direction under the wire; continued sliding or leveraging then pulls the staple out. Another type uses opposed claws or ends to press under the top wire from opposed sides. This second type may be called a claw type staple remover.
In a leveraging type remover, a net lateral force is created against the staple since the lever is normally forced in from one side only. When used on a lightweight object such as a stack of papers, a user's second hand must hold the paper from sliding or moving laterally. In the claw type remover, the device includes a normal vertical orientation substantially perpendicular to a working surface such as a stack papers. Opposed and substantially equal forces act upon the staple wire to cause minimal net lateral force on the papers or object to which the staple is attached. The claws are generally pivoted to each other at or near a top end of the device, with the jaws at a bottom of the device, and a pressing area for a user's fingers above the jaws, between the jaws and the pivot.
A variation of a leveraging type staple remover has a pliers action whereby the remover is inserted under the staple as with a simple leveraging type, and the tool extends laterally. Squeezing behind a pivot causes the pliers action to spread at the staple. This device remains long and clumsy, and still requires a second hand to stabilize the papers.
The claw type staple remover may be more compact than the leveraging type, but they are inherently inefficient. Jaws of the remover force the staple out by wedging teeth of the jaws under the staple from both sides. The action proceeds via the jaws substantially, entirely sliding against the staple wire through the entire actuation stroke. The action combines sliding with lifting as one action and thus includes substantial friction between the jaws and the staple wire. The excess friction also tends to deform the staple, which may further to add to the force required to remove the staple. Once the jaws are wedged under the staple, the friction and other inefficiencies can limit the ability to fully pull out the staple. A user then must pull the staple directly out of the paper; and such action tends to tear the paper.
Some claw removers may combine sliding and lifting as partially separate operations. But the two functions include substantial overlap and are thus not efficient. Or the functions may be separate, but require distinct types of actions from a user to complete a removing operation.
The deformation and friction from the conventional claws against the staple often cause one staple leg to pull out before the other leg, leaving one leg still hooked in the paper. This requires another step in the removal process where the user must use his or her fingers or a set of pliers to pluck out the staple. The deformation of the staple wire can also cause the staple to get wedged in between the two respective jaws of the remover. This then requires a further operational step to detach the staple from the remover. This final step to separate the staple from the remover can be more difficult than removing the staple from the paper.
It would be desirable to be able to consistently grab and pull a staple from the paper in one, low force squeezing motion using a simple, efficient, compact, and low cost remover device.


A low voltage drop, high current electrical connector which can be releasably mated with associated contacts is disclosed. The connector makes use of elongate contact arms cantilevered in a housing. Each contact arm is made up of at least two beams one of which has relatively high electrical conductivity but relatively poor mechanical spring characteristics. The other has relatively low electrical conductivity but relatively good mechanical spring characteristics. In this way the mechanical and electrical characteristics such as contact force and conductivity may be controlled, balanced and optimized. As one possibility there could be a single spring steel beam backing a stack of sheets of high conductivity copper. As another possibility, there could be sheets of high conductivity copper alternating in a stack with sheets of copper spring which is about half as conductive as pure copper. Instead of a cantilevered spring a coil spring located at the contact surface could be used.

This invention relates to electrical connectors which can be releasably mated with associated contacts and, in particular, to such connectors intended to carry low voltage (1-10 volts) and high current (hundreds of amps).
One type of conventional connector for connecting a power supply to bus bars is the semi-permanent type in which the connection is made by a nut and bolt, for example. Separable connectors, using for example a pin and socket connection, are also available but, to date, these have suffered from a high contact resistance giving rise to a high voltage drop and high heat generation. As a consequence, the current rating of such available separable connectors has to be limited to a value considerably below the desired value for the power supply. Additionally, separate connectors have to be used for both bus bars.

High current, low voltage drop, separable connector


The disclosure discloses a preparation method of outer core octasaccharide of Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide, and belongs to the field of carbohydrate chemistry. The structure of the outer core octasaccharide of Helicobacter pylori is (α-D-Glc-(1-3)-α-D-Glc-(1-4)-β-D-Gal-(1-7)-D-α-D-Hep[α-D-Glc-(1-6)-α-D-Glc-(1-6)-α-D-Glc-(1-2)-D-α-D-Hep]-Linker. The structure consists of three monosaccharides: glucose, galactose and heptose. It contains five α-glycosidic bonds of glucose, one β-glycosidic bond of galactose and two α-glycosidic bonds of heptose. The disclosure prepares the octasaccharide by the synergistic action of remote neighboring group participation effect, solvent effect, temperature effect, additives and leaving groups. The reducing end of the octasaccharide may also be linked with a linker for future attachment to the protein to form a glycoconjugate for immunological studies.

Helicobacter Pylori (H.P.) was classified as a Class I carcinogen by the World Health Organization in 1994. It is a Gram-negative bacterium that inhabits the surface of epithelial cells and is covered by mucus on the surface of the gastric mucosa. More than 50% of the world's population has Helicobacter Pylori infection in the upper gastrointestinal tract with up to 70% of infected people in developing countries, and 20% to 30% in developed countries. In acute infections, 20% of patients develop ulcers, and 1% of infected person may even develop gastric cancer or mucosa-associated lymphoma. In 2005, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to two Australian scientists, Warren and Mashall, for their important role in discovering the effect of H. Pylori on digestive tract diseases and gastric cancer. The most common method for treating H. pylori is "triple therapy", which uses a proton pump inhibitor and two antibiotics to remove H. pylori. However, patients are prone to relapse after administration, and often have adverse reactions such as nausea, diarrhea, and pseudomembranous colitis. Along with the frequent use of antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant strains of H. pylori have been continuously discovered, which has led to a gradual decrease in the efficiency of antibiotic treatment of H. pylori. Therefore, the development of H. pylori vaccine has always been a hot spot for scientists.
There are no vaccines on the market that prevent H. pylori infection or treat H. pylori currently. As a new target molecule for vaccine development, carbohydrate vaccines attract more and more attention by scientists. The polysaccharide structure on the surface of bacteria often plays an important role in the pathogenicity of bacteria and immune recognition in human body. Therefore, chemical synthesis of H. pylori surface oligosaccharides is of great significance to the development of H. pylori vaccine.
The oligosaccharide on the surface of H. pylori cells is Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This LPS consists of O-antigen, core structure, and lipid A. There are a total of 6 serotypes for H. pylori, O1-O6, and the difference between them is mainly the difference in the O-antigen sugar moiety. The core structure of LPS for different serotypes of H. pylori is relatively conservative, so it is a good choice to chemically synthesize its core structure for use as a carbohydrate vaccine for the prevention and treatment of H. pylori infection. The core structure of H. pylori includes the inner core and the outer core. The latter is more likely to be exposed to the environment, and plays a very important role in the in vivo immune response caused by H. pylori infection.
The core structure of H. pylori lipopolysaccharide currently studied is mainly extracted from inactivated bacteria by biological methods. The defect is that the amount of product obtained by one extraction is usually small, the molecular structures obtained from extraction are not uniform, and the experimental repeatability is poor. Therefore, we selected the outer core octasaccharide of H. pylori as our target molecules for the chemical total synthesis. Through chemical synthesis, we can obtain a large number of target molecules with uniform and defined structures.

Preparation method of outer core octasaccharide of Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide


In one embodiment, an image sensor includes a linear pixel array and array readout lines, wherein the linear pixel array includes a group of pixels arranged in a row, and each array readout line is selectively coupled to an output of at least one pixel included in the group of pixels. In another embodiment, an image sensor includes a linear pixel array and an array readout line, wherein the linear pixel array includes a first group of pixels, sensitive to a first color of light, arranged in a first row, and a second group of pixels, sensitive to a second color of light, arranged in a second row, and the array readout line is selectively coupled to outputs of pixels included in the first group of pixels and outputs of pixels included in the second group of pixels. In another embodiment, an image sensor includes array readout lines and a pixel, wherein an output of the pixel is selectively coupled to each of the array readout lines such that the contents of the pixel may be provided to any one of the array readout lines without being provided to any other of the array readout lines. In another embodiment, an image sensor includes a linear pixel array and array readout lines, wherein the pixel array includes a group of pixels, sensitive to a particular color of light, arranged in a row, and each array readout line is selectively coupled to an output of at least one pixel included in the group of pixels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to image sensors and, more particularly, to systems for reading out the contents of pixels in image sensors.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Image sensors are used to generate images based upon the outputs of a large number of light-sensitive pixels arranged in an array. Each pixel in such an array generates an output signal that is proportional to an amount of light that is incident on that pixel during a so-called xe2x80x9cintegration period.xe2x80x9d All of the pixels in an array generally are permitted to xe2x80x9cintegratexe2x80x9d for a predetermined amount of time during an integration period and the contents of the pixels are individually xe2x80x9cread outxe2x80x9d during a so-called xe2x80x9cread out period.xe2x80x9d
Pixels may be arranged in a linear array of xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d pixels (a linear sensor). Such a linear (one-dimensional) array of pixels may be moved in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the array is oriented to a number of equi-spaced positions, integrating and reading out the contents of the pixels at each position, in order to measure the light incident on a two-dimensional area.
In a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) linear sensor, a single array readout line generally is used to read out the contents of the pixels in the sensor""s linear array, and outputs of each of the pixels in the array are sequentially provided to the array readout line (e.g., via switches). A certain period of time is required to allow the signal on the array readout line to settle before using external circuitry to measure the signal on the line. The speed at which the contents of pixels may be read out of the array therefore is limited by the settling time of the readout line. This settling time is determined primarily by the capacitance of the array readout line.
The switches that selectively provide the contents of the pixels to the array readout line generally are implemented using metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors. Each of these MOS transistors has a gate-to-source or gate-to-drain capacitance associated with it that, when connected to the array readout line, incrementally increases the readout line""s overall capacitance. The capacitance added by each of these switches therefore limits the rate at which the outputs of the pixels can be selectively provided to the array readout line.
Similarly, because each of the switches is connected to the array readout line via a circuit trace having a particular length, each such circuit trace incrementally increases the overall capacitance of the array readout line. The capacitance added by each of these circuit traces to the array readout line also limits the rate at which the outputs of the pixels may be selectively provided to the array readout line.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved pixel readout scheme for image sensors.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an image sensor includes a linear pixel array and array readout lines. The linear pixel array includes a group of pixels arranged in a row. Each array readout line is selectively coupled to an output of at least one pixel included in group of pixels.
According to another aspect of the invention, an image sensor includes a linear pixel array and an array readout line. The linear pixel array includes a first group of pixels, sensitive to a first color of light, arranged in a first row, and a second group of pixels, sensitive to a second color of light, arranged in a second row. The array readout line is selectively coupled to outputs of pixels included in the first group of pixels and outputs of pixels included in the second group of pixels.
According to another aspect, an image sensor includes array readout lines and a pixel. An output of the pixel is selectively coupled to each of the array readout lines such that the contents of the pixel may be provided to any one of the array readout lines without being provided to any other of the array readout lines.
According to yet another aspect, an image sensor includes a linear pixel array and array readout lines. The linear pixel array includes a group of pixels, sensitive to a particular color of light, arranged in a row. Each array readout line is selectively coupled to an output of at least one pixel included in the first group of pixels.


A lensless optical system comprises identical tubes that can be made and molded out of a plastic material. Each of the tubes includes an opening at the end that faces a scanning object. When the scanning object is illuminated and passes through the image sensing module, openings of all the tubes capture incident light reflected from the scanning object and the captured light passes the tubes and subsequently impinges onto the image sensor. An image of the scanning object is produced when the image sensor is activated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to image sensing systems and more particularly relates to an image sensing module using a lensless optical system to produce digital images.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is not uncommon to see a whiteboard in every meeting room of a corporate in America. The whiteboard provides an informal medium for meeting attendees to communicate effectively and interactively. Like a scratch paper but more presentable, a whiteboard allows a speaker to use colorful markers to write, erase, draw, and modify what is being discussed and agreed upon among meeting attendees.
Whiteboards offer several advantages over chalkboards including a clean white surface which provides for greater contrast over the traditional green background of chalkboards. In addition, writing on a whiteboard is easier for many than on the traditional chalkboard. For example, the smooth writing surface of the whiteboard allows easy use of the erasable felt tip markers used on whiteboards, whereas the chalkboard surface provides a somewhat scratchy surface to hold the chalk used for writing on such surfaces. In addition, many users prefer a whiteboard to a chalkboard simply because the marker may be gripped easier than the chalk and does not mark the user's hand when gripped.
Recently, whiteboards have been developed to allow the user writings and notations entered upon the whiteboard to be printed or stored to a digital computer for storage, display and manipulation. A whiteboard, called Plus Boardfax, from Plus Corporation is designed to provide the capabilities to capture the information presented in the whiteboard. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary whiteboard 100. It includes a frame 102 and a rotatable canvas or writing surface (sheet) 104 for writing. When a page of writing is done, sheet 104 is caused to rotate towards an image scanning module 106 that is typically concealed in frame 102. As sheet 104 moves across image scanning module 106, marks or anything in writing are scanned by image scanning module 106 that subsequently generates an image thereof. The image can be then printed on a sheet of paper 108 by a concealed thermal printer for distribution or permanent record.
The basic principles of whiteboard 100 are the use of an image scanning module or system that comprises an image sensor, an optical lens and an illumination system. The image sensor comprises an array of photodetectors responsive to reflected light focused by the lens and from writing sheet 102. Each of the photodetectors produces an electronic signal representing the intensity of the reflected light. The electronic signals from all the photodetectors are then readout for printout or processing.
It can be perceived that the cost of the image scanning system goes up dramatically as the size of scanning width (i.e. the height of sheet 102) increases, so as the whiteboard 100. One of the factors in the cost is the complicated design of the optical system that must linearly focus light from sheet 102 onto the image sensor in the image scanning system. To reduce the cost of designing such optical system, multiple image scanning modules are sometimes used, namely each of the image scanning modules is responsible for a predefined area of sheet 102, signals from all the image scanning modules are then stitched together to form a complete signal for subsequent processing and output. Nevertheless, the use of multiple image scanning modules introduces a complicated process of aligning all the multiple image scanning modules, namely image scanning modules must be aligned precisely to avoid overlapping between two adjacent image scanning modules so as to alleviate data analysis and processing due to the overlapping. There is, therefore, a desire to have a cost-effective optical system in an image scanning system so that there would be no need for multiple image scanning modules.
One of the benefits and advantages of the whiteboard over the traditional chalkboard is the use of powderless markers, and the whiteboard has begun to appear in education facilities and even in many families for children's educational activities. Further the whiteboard can potentially be used for discussion between two people and generates images to be reviewed by a third party in a remote site through the Internet. With the increased applications and popularity of the whiteboard, there is indeed a great demand for a low-cost image scanning system that can be used in applications like the whiteboard.

Lensless optical system in imaging sensing module


A method and apparatus for machining pipe collars having internally tapered coaxial threads is accomplished by providing spaced sets of threading teeth on one side of a tool support bar of the numerically controlled machine with the spaced sets of threading teeth being oriented in generally parallel relation with the longitudinal axis of the tool support bar. The spaced sets of threaded teeth are then moved through the rotating collar by the tool support bar, following the desired internal taper with the orientation of the sets of thread forming teeth remaining substantially parallel with the axis of the tool support bar and the tool support bar being maintained in substantially parallel relation with the axis of the collar being formed. The sets of threading teeth form respective ones of the threaded tapers while the opposite set of thread forming teeth trace but remain clear of the thread being formed.

In the manufacture of internally threaded, tapered pipe collars such as are typically utilized in the petroleum industry for pipe or tubing strings that are suspended within petroleum producing wells, it is necessary that the pipe collars be of quite accurate manufacture. For example, the opposed internally tapered threads must be coaxial within very close tolerances in order that the pipe sections joined by the coupling will be coaxial and can be readily suspended within the well without interference with other pipe structures. It is also mandatory that the opposed internally tapered thread forms have a high degree of coincidence and registry one with the other. The taper, pitches and thread forms must be accurately maintained within very close tolerance limits because it is necessary that the threaded pipe joints form a positive, leak proof seal to prevent escape of gas or liquid petroleum products from the tubing string into other portions of the well being produced. Where such tubing or pipe is employed in conventional surface supported or buried service for pipeline operations, obviously, it is desirable that the threads of the couplings and pipe joints be machined with sufficient accuracy that positive leak free type joints will be developed simply by joining pipe sections by means of couplings.
The machining of pipe couplings is a highly competitive commercial operation and machine time, labor and material savings are given careful consideration. Moreover, the complexity and productivity of the machining operation itself can quite easily enhance or materially interfere with commercially acceptable manufacture of pipe collars.

Method and apparatus for machining pipe collars


An irrigation solution re-circulating system comprises a reservoir of irrigation solution, a solution supply line for joining the reservoir in fluid communication with a surgery site for delivering a controlled volume, pressure, and temperature of the irrigation solution to the surgery site, and a return line for further joining the surgery site in fluid communication with the reservoir. A pump, which is preferably non-hemolyzing, is connected to the return line for returning a controlled volume of the irrigation solution from the surgery site to the reservoir. The system further comprises at least one filter connected to the return line for removing contaminants from the irrigation solution prior to return to the reservoir to permit re-circulation of the solution without impairing endoscopic visualization of the surgery site, while providing solution for expanding the surgery site to permit performance of the attendant surgical procedure.

Some surgical procedures, such as knee, elbow, and shoulder arthroscopic surgeries, involve the inflation of a surgery site with irrigation solution, typically a saline-like solution, to facilitate performance of the particular surgical procedure while permitting visualization through an endoscope which is inserted into the surgery site.
Current irrigation solution management systems generally include an input connection from a reservoir or supply of the irrigation solution (typically multiple flexible containers or "bags" of solution) to a surgery site, and an output connection from the surgery site to a collector of irrigation solution drainage.
Such conventional fluid flow systems have several disadvantages. Since they are, in essence, single-pass systems, a very substantial volume of irrigation solution is ordinarily required. In addition to flushing the surgery site, the solution inevitably leaks from the site. As such, use of as much as 45 liters of irrigation solution during a two and one-half hour surgical procedure is not uncommon. Naturally, use of such significant volumes of irrigation solution requires frequent and regular replenishment of the solution supply. In the event of unforeseen delays during the surgery, there is a risk that the supply of the irrigation solution will be depleted. Furthermore, the used irrigation solution is considered to be medical waste which complicates disposal of the solution.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an irrigation solution re-circulation system to promote effective use of solution, facilitating both solution supply and disposal.

Irrigation solution re-circulating system


Disclosed is a planar test bed comprising a planar surface and further comprising mechanical couplings in mechanical communication with the planar table and the supporting legs. The mechanical couplings are translatable to provide three degrees of freedom for orientation of the planar surface. A processor receives position and velocity information describing an object on the planar surface, and calculates a relative acceleration typically using a function aR=f(t,xR,vR,μt). The processor communicates with the mechanical couplings to establish an orientation where a local gravity vector projects onto the planar surface and generates acceleration with magnitude and direction substantially equal to the desired acceleration aR The operations occur in cyclic fashion so the desired accelerations and planar orientations are updated as an object transits over the planar surface.

Floating spacecraft simulators (also known as planar air bearing test beds) are extensively utilized to conduct spacecraft dynamic model and guidance and control systems development, validation, and verification in a dynamically representative environment. In a floating spacecraft simulator, one or more robotic test vehicles, each of them representing a spacecraft, operate on top of a smooth, flat, and horizontally leveled surface. Planar air bearings are used to create a low friction loadbearing interface between the test vehicle and the flat surface. Given the smoothness and horizontally of the flat surface, the test vehicles experience a quasi-frictionless and weightless motion in two dimensions. This dynamic environment recreates the drag-free and weightless motion experienced by orbiting spacecraft (commonly referred to as reduced gravity or microgravity) on a plane.
The planar air bearings, which can be mounted either on the test vehicles or on the flat surface, use pressurized air to establish a thin film of air between themselves and their opposing surface. The air film acts as a lubricant and supports the weight of the test vehicle. The reduced gravity level attained on the test bed depends on the air bearings performance as well as on the flatness, smoothness, and horizontality of the operating surface. Epoxy-coated floors, glass panes, and granite tables are commonly used as operating surfaces. Granite tables are usually the preferred option as they can be accurately leveled and machined to a high planarity and smoothness level, while offering excellent stiffness and thermal stability.
Surveys on the technology and applications of air-bearing test beds are available. See e.g., Schwartz et al., "Historical review of air-bearing spacecraft simulators," Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics 26 (4) (2003); see also Rybus et al., "Planar air-bearing microgravity simulators: Review of applications, existing solutions and design parameters," Acta Astronautica 120 (2016). See also, Wilde et al., "Experimental Characterization of Inverse Dynamics Guidance and Control in Docking with a Rotating Target," Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics 39(6) (2016); see also Ciarcia et al., "Near-optimal guidance for cooperative docking maneuvers," Acta Astronautica 102 (2014); see also Curti et al., "Lyapunov-based Thrusters' Selection for Spacecraft Rotational and Translational Control: Analysis: Simulations and Experiments," Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics 33(4) (2010); see also Romano et al., "Laboratory Experimentation of Autonomous Spacecraft Approach and Docking to a Collaborative Target," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets 44(1) (2007). In addition to air-bearing facilities, neutral buoyancy, free-falling (either with parabolic flights or drop towers), and suspension apparatus for gravity compensation are also used in an attempt to recreate a reduced gravity environment. See e.g. Menon et al., "Issues and solutions for testing free-flying robots," Acta Astronautica 60 (12) (2007); and see Xu et al., "Survey of modeling, planning, and ground verification of space robotic systems," Acta Astronautica 68 (11-12) (2011).
Having ground-based facilities where the dynamics of orbiting spacecraft can be recreated is exceptionally valuable to develop, test, and validate spacecraft dynamic model and guidance and control systems. In particular, these test-beds are mainly used to recreate spacecraft docking and short duration close proximity maneuvers. Other potential applications, that would greatly expand the applicability of the test bed, include, for example, recreating spacecraft rendezvous, longer duration proximity maneuvers, and planetary landings. In these other applications, the dynamic environment to be recreated includes non-inertial, gravitational or other environmental accelerations that cannot be neglected. In principle, the test vehicle's actuators could be used to recreate these accelerations, but using the test vehicle's actuators interferes with the dynamic behavior of the test vehicle, reducing the dynamic fidelity of the test bed. See e.g. Ciarcia et al., "Emulating Scaled Clohessy-Wiltshire Dynamics on an Air-bearing Spacecraft Simulation Testbed," AIAA SciTech Forum, Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, 9-13 Jan. 2017, Grapevine, Tex.
By tilting the test bed operating surface away from its nominal horizontally leveled state a gravitational acceleration is imparted to the test vehicles. This gravitational acceleration, if carefully controlled, can be used to recreate non-inertial, gravitational or other environmental accelerations. For example, the recreation of the surface gravity of a planetary body (e.g., asteroid) may be obtained to experimentally evaluate spacecraft landing maneuvers. By statically tilting the operating surface, a constant acceleration in a particular direction will be imparted to the test vehicle, thus recreating the planetary body's surface gravity. When recreating the relative motion of the two orbiting spacecraft in close proximity the resulting non-inertial acceleration is time varying and depends on the relative state between the two vehicles, thus requiring a time-varying operating surface tilt. Other environmental accelerations (e.g., solar radiation pressure, aerodynamic drag, gravitational acceleration while orbiting an irregular central body) are also be time-varying and require a time-varying operating surface tilt.
In current air bearing test bed setups, the orientation of the operating surface with respect to the local horizontal may, in some instances, be manually adjustable. Tilting the operating surface is then a manual, discrete operation, and the acceleration provided by gravity acts with constant direction and magnitude regardless of changing spatial and kinematic conditions among the test vehicle or vehicles present.
It would be advantageous to provide a floating spacecraft simulator comprising a flat table that dynamically and automatically changes its orientation with respect to the local gravity to impart a desired time-varying acceleration to the test vehicles. This capability could be used to impart time-varying accelerations to the test vehicles without using their actuators, thus allowing to recreate, for example, rendezvous, proximity maneuvers, and planetary landings, greatly extending the applicability of planar air bearing test beds.
These and other objects, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the accompanying description and claims.

Dynamically tilting flat table to impart a time-varying gravity-induced acceleration on a floating spacecraft simulator

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


Embodiments of the invention are related to oxidative opening switches and related methods, amongst other things. In an embodiment, the invention includes a switch assembly including a first terminal, a second terminal, and an oxidative switch element in electrical communication with the first terminal and the second terminal, the switch element comprising a conductive material and an oxidizer, the switch element configured to interrupt electrical communication between the first terminal and the second terminal as a result of an oxidation reaction between the conductive material and the oxidizer. In an embodiment, the invention includes a fast opening switch for pulse power applications. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.

Opening switches are components of electrical systems designed to open a circuit as is functionally desired. One common type of opening switch is a plasma opening switch (POS). In general, opening switches start out closed, shorting a transmission line carrying power from a power source, such as a homopolar generator. The opening switch causes energy to be stored in the circuit, such as inductively or capacitively, at a higher energy density than in the power source. After a certain time, depending on the parameters of the particular opening switch, resistance increases sharply (the switch opens), allowing the stored energy to flow to a load as a pulse of energy. By releasing the stored energy over a very short interval (a process that is called pulse compression), a huge amount of peak power can be delivered to a load. As such, the use of an opening switch between a generator and a load results in improving the rise-time of the load voltage and current, and in voltage and power multiplication.
Opening switches have many different pulsed power applications. For example opening switches can be used in light ion beam inertial confinement fusion experiments, electron beam diodes, Z-pinches, radiation generators, and other pulsed power devices.
However, many known types of opening switches have various practical or functional issues. By way of example, in radiation simulation systems plasma opening switches are generally large arrays of devices that require expensive and complex plasma generators.

Oxidative opening switch assembly and methods


A multi-layer downhole drilling tool designed for drilling a wellbore including a plurality of formations includes a bit body and a plurality of primary blades and secondary blades with respective leading surfaces on exterior portions of the bit body. The drilling tool further includes a plurality of first layer cutting elements and second layer cutting elements located on the leading surfaces of the primary blades and secondary blades, respectively. Each second layer cutting element is under-exposed with respect to the corresponding first layer cutting element. The amount of under-exposure is selected according to each second layer cutting element having an initial critical depth of cut greater than an actual depth of cut for a first drilling distance and a critical depth of cut equal to zero at a target drilling depth.

Various types of downhole drilling tools including, but not limited to, rotary drill bits, reamers, core bits, and other downhole tools have been used to form wellbores in associated downhole formations. Examples of such rotary drill bits include, but are not limited to, fixed cutter drill bits, drag bits, polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drill bits, and matrix drill bits associated with forming oil and gas wells extending through one or more downhole formations. Fixed cutter drill bits such as PDC bits may include multiple blades that each include multiple cutting elements.
In typical drilling applications, a PDC bit may be used to drill through various levels or types of geological formations with longer bit life than non-PDC bits. Typical formations may generally have a relatively low compressive strength in the upper portions (e.g., lesser drilling depths) of the formation and a relatively high compressive strength in the lower portions (e.g., greater drilling depths) of the formation. Thus, it typically becomes increasingly more difficult to drill at increasingly greater depths. Additionally, cutting elements on the drill bit may experience increased wear as drilling depth increases.

Rotary drill bit including multi-layer cutting elements


Novel .alpha.-amino-phenylacetic acid derivatives, said phenyl having at least one substituent other than hydrogen, are useful as herbicidal, algicidal and plant growth regulatng agents.

In C.A., 76, 69037 d (1972), in U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,922 and in Jap. Pat. No. 7002 199-R there are described a number of .alpha.-amino-phenylacetic acid derivatives, wherein said phenyl is unsubstituted, said compounds having herbicidal and fungicidal activities. The compounds of this invention differ therefrom essentially by the presence of at least one substituent on the phenylmoiety. As a result of the presence of said substituent, the compounds of the present invention show, quite unexpectedly, far better herbicidal, algicidal and growth regulating properties than the prior art compounds.
In Japanese Kokai 15325/78 there are described a member of compounds which display antiphlogistic activities and which have a similar structure as the compounds of the present invention.


Aloe vera juice containing pellets are formed by a dispersion of aloe vera juice in a matrix, principally comprising a skeleton builder namely collagen, gelatin, fractionated gelatin, a collagen hydrolysate, gelatin derivative, plant proteins, or plant protein hydrolysates. They are shelf stable and their cosmetic as well as pharmacological properties are substantially unchanged in comparison to the native extracts. They may be produced by a simple process in which a solution of the skeleton former is mixed with aloe vera juice extract, the dispersion of the skeleton former and the aloe vera juice into a very cold inert fluid, suitably liquid nitrogen, to form the pellets and the thus formed pellets dried.

Aloe vera (Aloe Barbadensis Miller); Synonym: Aloe Vera Tournefort ex Linne, Aloe Vulgaris Lammarck) has, since ancient times, been known as a traditional folk medicine in those regions in which this plant, belonging to the family Liliaceae, grows wild.
Used topically the gel-like plant juice has, for example, the properties of accelerating wound healing, having antibiotic action or a softening effect on the skin.
With respect to internal use, aloe vera juice has been utilized in the treatment of stomach ailments and disturbances of the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, there are reports of anti-inflammatory properties.
The original knowledge led thereto that aloe vera is today planted in large plantations in Central, South and parts of North America. The juice contained in the leaves is extracted on location in a very work-intensive process and subsequently concentrated under the mildest available conditions. The concentration of the content material in the freshly obtained juice lies in the region of 0.3 to about 1%. The trade recognizes fresh aloe vera fillet, aqueous concentrate, as well as spray or freeze dried product. The quality differences in commercially available product depend substantially, with respect to stability and composition upon the production technology utilized.
Aqueous concentrates or juice from the leaves are today successfully utilized for skin problems (for example burns, occasioned by the action of heat, ultraviolet, or x-rays) scratches, wounds, stomach illnesses or periodontoses. It would appear that the pharmacological action requires the totality of all the components. At present, there are intensive researches into activity of the individual components.
Since heretofore, no undesirable side effects of aloe vera juice have been noted. For several years this natural product has been offered in creams, moisturizing emulsions, suntan lotions and for internal use.
Basic difficulties are present with respect to the storability or shelf life of the aqueous plant gel. The fluid product is, despite preservatives, heat and pH unstable, oxygen sensitive and furthermore, subject to microbial attack.
The transport of fresh aloe vera juice is difficult and expensive by reason of the large fluid volume--one is utilizing 90-99% water--and the known instabilities. Furthermore, prior to production steps, it is essential that the juice be kept cool. The production methods, which include the steps of initially washing the leaves, obtaining the fillet, homogenization, cleaning the fillet, concentration and drying can, by using an improper technique, lead to changes in the content of the components and bacterial contamination of the end product.
Aloe vera powder obtained by spray or freeze drying suffers from the danger of lumping, because of a low level cross-linkability, and thus may only be redissolved in cold water with considerable difficulty. Furthermore, spray dried products are hygroscopic which, in unsuitable storage, can easily lead to stickiness. Conventional products which dissolve readily in water often have solvating agents added thereto which is undesired in cosmetics.
It is therefore the task of the present invention to provide an unpreserved, shelf stable, concentrated, solid or semi-solid form of aloe vera juice which is readily redissolved without problems and whose pharmacological and cosmetic properties are preserved unchanged in comparison to the native plant juice.

Aloe vera juice containing pellets process for production thereof and the use thereof as pharmaceutical, cosmetic and peroral agents


A liquid crystal display (LCD) includes an array of pixels over a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate. The TFT substrate includes a TFT that has a first metal layer to form a gate electrode and a second metal layer to form a source electrode and a drain electrode for each pixel. The LCD also includes an organic insulation layer disposed over the TFT substrate, where the organic insulator layer has trenches on a top surface. The LCD further includes a third metal layer disposed over the organic insulation layer in the trenches, the trenches having a trench depth at least equal to the thickness of the third metal layer. The LCD also includes a passivation layer over the third metal layer, and a pixel electrode for each pixel over the passivation layer. The LCD further includes a polymer layer over the pixel electrode, and liquid molecules on the polymer layer.

Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) generally display images by transmitting or blocking light through the action of liquid crystals. An LCD includes an array of pixels for displaying images. LCDs have been used in a variety of computing displays and devices, including notebook computers, desktop computers, tablet computing devices, mobile phones (including smart phones) automobile in-cabin displays, on appliances, as televisions, and so on. LCDs often use an active matrix to drive liquid crystals in a pixel region. In some LCDs, a thin-film transistor (TFT) is used as a switching element in the active matrix.
Certain LCDs operate in a fringe field switching (FFS) mode. FFS mode LCDs may have better aperture ratios and transmittances than in-plane switching (IPS) mode LCD devices. IPS LCDs generally use thin film transistor (TFT) technology to improve image quality. By contrast, in a FFS LCD, a common electrode and a pixel electrode are formed of transparent conductors, and the distance between the common electrode and the pixel electrode is maintained at a relatively narrow range to drive liquid crystal molecules by using a fringe field formed between the common electrode and the pixel electrode. FFS LCDs may deliver brighter picture and have better color consistency than IPS LCDs, and may deliver these qualities at relatively wide viewing angles.
Typically, display pixels are addressed in rows and columns, which may reduce the connection count from millions for each individual pixel to thousands, when compared to a display having pixels addressed only by rows and/or columns. The column and row wires attach to transistor switches; one transistor is present for each pixel. The one-way current passing characteristic of the transistor prevents the charge applied to the pixel from draining between refreshes of the display image.
Stability of the common electrode voltage (Vcom) may become more important as the resolution of the LCD increases, since the Vcom voltage level directly affects the luminescence and luminescence uniformity of the LCD. For example, pixel coupling may cause a ripple in Vcom voltage, which in turn may cause a perceptible color shift in the display. For example, the display may have a greenish tint or hue.
Effective methods for stabilizing Vcom include decreasing parasitic coupling capacitances between a common electrode and a pixel electrode and reducing a resistance of the common electrode. The common electrode is normally formed of a transparent conductive material, such as indium-tin oxide (ITO). One way of reducing the resistance of the common electrode is to increase the ITO film thickness. Another way of reducing the resistance of the common electrode is to add a metal layer to the ITO film. The metal layer usually forms a gate electrode. Alternatively, the metal layer may also be formed by a different metal layer referred to as a "third metal layer," to decrease Vcom resistance and increase aperture ratio, where a gate electrode of the TFT is formed of a first metal layer and the source/drain electrodes of the TFT are formed of a second metal layer. However, the addition of the third metal layer may produce rubbing mura, which may impact performance of an LCD. Generally, "rubbing mura" is an unevenness or irregularity in alignment of liquid crystal molecules, which may cause uneven changes in luminance across the surface of the display.
Therefore, there remains a need for developing techniques for improving stability of the common electrode and producing a rubbing mura-free third metal layer in FFS TFT for LCDs.

Third metal layer for thin film transistor with reduced defects in liquid crystal display