In one example, a network device is configured as a leaf node of an interconnected topology that defines a plurality of network paths from the network device to each of a plurality of other leaf nodes of the interconnected topology. The network device includes one or more processing units configured to forward a first packet of a packet flow along a first network path of the plurality of network paths, after receiving a second packet of the packet flow, determine an inactivity interval for the packet flow that represents an amount of time between receipt of the first packet and receipt of the second packet, compare the inactivity interval to a threshold, and when the inactivity interval is greater than the threshold, forward the second packet along a second network path of the plurality of network paths, wherein the second network path is different than the first network path.

In a typical cloud-based data center, a large collection of interconnected servers provides computing and/or storage capacity for execution of various applications. For example, a data center may comprise a facility that hosts applications and services for subscribers, i.e., customers of data center. The data center may, for example, host all of the infrastructure equipment, such as networking and storage systems, redundant power supplies, and environmental controls. In most data centers, clusters of storage systems and application servers are interconnected via high-speed switch fabric provided by one or more tiers of physical network switches and routers. More sophisticated data centers provide infrastructure spread throughout the world with subscriber support equipment located in various physical hosting facilities.
Packet flows in a data center are often made up of one or more "flowlets," where one flowlet is a burst of packets sent in rapid succession, and the flowlets may be separated by relatively long periods of time with no traffic for the packet flow. Accordingly, when a packet flow is originally assigned to a path through the switch fabric, the path may appear to have a low utilization only because the time at which the utilization of the path is measured represents a time between flowlets of a corresponding packet flow. Thus, if a new packet flow is assigned to the same path, and if flowlets of the two packet flows occur at the same time, the bandwidth for the path may be exceeded, resulting in dropped packets.

Moving packet flows between network paths


A pressure compensated pump has a pressure compensator valve connected to a stroking piston. When the discharge pressure exceeds a set maximum the compensator valve connects pressure fluid to the stroking piston to reduce the displacement of the pump. The flow of pressure fluid to the stroking piston is accompanied by a concurrent flow of fluid to case.

This invention relates to a flow control valve for a variable displacement pressure compensated piston pump.
A variable displacement piston pump includes a rotatably mounted pump barrel having a plurality of longitudinal bores in which a piston is mounted. Each piston has a shoe pivotally attached to a head end which projects from the barrel. The shoes are retained against a swash plate formed on one surface of a hanger which is pivotally mounted in the pump housing. A prime mover rotates the barrel and the pistons reciprocate as the piston shoes slide over the swash plate. The angle of the swash plate determines the displacement of the pump. If the hanger is centered, i.e. off-stroke, the swash plate is parallel to the ends of the shoes and the pistons do not reciprocate. If the hanger is not centered, i.e. on-stroke, the swash plate is angled with respect to the ends of the shoes and the pistons reciprocate as the barrel is rotated.
The pump can be put on-stroke by a spring which biases the hanger to a full on-stroke position. Maximum displacement of the pump is set by a stop which limits the maximum angle of the hanger.
A pressure compensator valve is used to sense the pressure of the discharge fluid from the pump and supply pressure fluid to a stroking piston which moves the hanger from the on-stroke position towards the centered position when the pressure of the discharge fluid exceeds a set limit. The stroking piston moves the hanger until it reaches a displacement setting at which the discharge pressure is at the set limit.
A common problem with a pressure compensated pump is instability or hunting. One reason instability occurs is that, when the setting of the pressure compensator valve is exceeded, it directs high pressure discharge fluid to the stroking piston. The inrush of high pressure fluid causes rapid movement of the piston which results in rapid movement of the hanger. A small change in the angle of the hanger results in a large change in pump displacement and the rapid movement of the stroking piston causes the displacement to be reduced very quickly. By the time the compensator valve senses that the discharge pressure has fallen to the set amount and moves to block the flow of fluid to the stroking piston the piston has reduced the hanger angle beyond what is necessary to maintain the set pressure of the discharge fluid. Consequently, the compensator spool must move to drain fluid from the stroking piston to allow the spring to put the pump more on-stroke. If too much fluid is drained from the stroking piston, the hanger is too far on-stroke, the pressure of the discharge fluid is above the setting of the compensator valve, and the cycle repeats itself.
This problem is aggravated by the fact that typically a light spring biases the hanger on-stroke and a relatively small stroking piston is used in order to satisfy the requirement that the pump be compact.
If the large inrush of high pressure fluid to the stroling piston when the pressure of the discharge fluid exceeds the setting of the valve could be avoided, the large initial drop in discharge fluid pressure caused by too much hanger movement could be eliminated, and the pump output would stabilize more quickly. Therefore, it is desirable to find a means of damping the response of the stroking piston when it is connected to the discharge pressure fluid.
One method to reduce the sensitivity of the system is to require a greater flow of fluid from the pressure compensator valve to provide a given amount of travel of the stroking piston. This could be accomplished by having a larger stroking piston. However, this increases the size of the package which is undesirable.


A mobile concreting apparatus and method which may be used, in particular, for on-site construction of swimming pools. It includes a vehicle supporting a plurality of containers, each adapted to contain one of the ingredients of concrete. Each container is provided with its own ingredient feeder which feeds the ingredients to a mixing device mounted on the vehicle to create a concrete slurry. The slurry is transferred from the mixing device to the surface to be coated by a structure including a slurry pump, a hose and a nozzle. Each ingredient feeder can be individually varied in the rate at which it feeds its ingredient so that the relative composition of the slurry, and the flow rate of the slurry, can be rapidly and selectively varied on the job site to meet the particular requirements for each job. In addition, feed rate settings which provide a desirable composition and overall feed rate can be noted and reproduced on subsequent occasions when the same composition and feed rate are desired.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for transporting, metering, mixing, and applying the solid and liquid ingredients for concrete at a job site.
In the construction of certain concrete structures such as swimming pools, it is necessary to apply concrete to the sides and bottoms of the swimming pool. Conventional practice is to mix the basic ingredients of concrete to form a slurry and then to spray the slurry from a hose under sufficient pressure against the surface to be covered. An accelerator agent is injected as the concrete leaves the spray nozzle to cause it to harden almost immediately. The concrete spray product produced is sometimes termed "gunite."
Because swimming pools and similar structures requiring the use of this gunite approach are usually constructed at sites remote from conventional concrete plants, the logistics of concrete preparation are important both for economic and technical reasons. A variety of machines have been developed to aid in remote-site application of gunite. While generally satisfactory for their intended purposes, problems remain in the application of gunite to swimming pool construction applications.
A principal problem has been the operator's lack of control over the composition of the gunite mixture during the application process. In some cases, the basic concrete mixture was mixed at a central plant, trucked to the remote site, and then loaded into an applicator unit. The use of a slurry premixed at the central plant deprived the operator of the applicator unit of the ability to vary the composition of the concrete on the job site to match its consistency, hardening rate and other characteristics to the different requirements of different application situations found on-site in constructing a swimming pool.
In other cases, the ingredients were trucked to the remote site unmixed and then added to a mixer by laborers working at the direction of the operator. Here the mixture could be varied on-site, but imprecisely and with considerable lag in the composition of the applied gunite. In yet other cases, there has been an attempt to provide automated mixing of the ingredients, as where separate bins are filled with controlled amounts of the ingredients and then mixed. This approach has the inherent limitation of producing batches rather than a continuous flow of mixed concrete, with the result that the operator cannot readily alter the composition on short notice and for short periods.
Another problem with previous on-site application methods has been initial set up of the equipment and adjustment of the different proportions of the ingredients to obtain the mix necessary for a concrete slurry having the properties desired. This can result in initial production of unsatisfactory slurry which cannot be used and must be wasted before the proportions have been adjusted to obtain a mix of the desired characteristics.
An associated problem is the need for an economical, self-contained vehicle upon which all storage, mixing, pumping, and spraying functions can be centralized. Other machines for applying gunite have often required a variety of separate pieces of apparatus, including mixing trucks, central plant, applicator units, and power sources. This approach is uneconomical in that capital costs are high and several operators may be required for the separate pieces of machinery. It is also inconvenient and unsightly when operations are conducted in a residential neighborhood.


A high-temperature gasket suitable for use in automobile engine or the like is comprised of particular amounts of ceramic inorganic fiber, wollastonite, organic elastomeric substance and inorganic binder, and exhibits excellent sealability and thermal resistance even at a temperature above 950.degree. C. without using asbestos.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a high-temperature gasket, and more particularly to a gasket exhibiting improved sealability and heat resistance under temperature condition exceeding 950.degree. C. for using in an engine of an automobile or the like and consisting mainly of ceramic instead of asbestos.
2. Related Art Statement
In general, the high-temperature gasket used in the above application is composed mainly of asbestos and contains an elastic substance for giving an elasticity such as natural rubber (NR), acrylonitrilebutadiene rubber (NBR), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) or the like and an additive such as a vulcanizing agent or the like, if necessary.
As such a gasket, there were "joint sheet" like gasket obtained by heating and shaping the asbestos and the elastic substance, and "beater sheet" like gasket obtained by shaping an emulsion of asbestos and elastic substance or a latex-like slurry.
Since 60-95% by weight of asbestos fiber is included in these known gaskets, such asbestos fibers are scattered not only at the production step of the gasket but also from the working equipment to cause a fear of health impediment, so that it is demanded to improve the handling of asbestos.
In Japan, the handling of asbestos is regulated by various laws accompanied with the signing of Occupational Cancer Convention on 1974 up to the present. For ins,tance, there are "Rule for Prevention of Impediment through Specified Chemical Substances" enacted on Apr. 1, 1976, and "Lung Cancer or Skin Tumor through Works exposed to Asbestos Atmosphere" in a part of the Labor Standard Rules revised on Mar. 30, 1978 and on cancer origin substance, cancer origin factor or diseases through works at cancer origin step, and the like.
Further, EPA (Environment Protection Agency) in USA proposed the prohibition on the use of asbestos articles on January, 1983, and the use prohibition on building materials on January, 1988 after the comprehension at OMB (Office of Management and Budget), and proposes the complete prohibition on use from 1991.
In this connection, three big gasket makers in USA declared to stepwisedly receive such a proposal on July, 1986.
Besides the above two contries, "Treaty and Recommendation on Safety in Utilization of Asbestos" are internationally discussed and considered in accordance with the proposal of ILO (International Labor Organization) on June, 1986.
Under such an international situation, it is recently attempted to produce gaskets by using inorganic fibers such as sepiolite fiber, glass fiber, carbon fiber, stainless fiber and the like, or organic fibers such as aromatic polyamide fiber, phenolic fiber, polyethylene fiber and the like instead of asbestos fiber.
As mentioned above, the gaskets using the asbestos fiber not only hold pollution problem but also have a drawback that the degradation of strength is caused by dehydration of crystal water at a high temperature of, for example, not lower than 950.degree. C. though good properties are maintained near to 600.degree. C.
On the other hand, the gaskets using the inorganic or organic fibers instead of the asbestos fiber have the following drawbacks.
That is, the inorganic fiber such as sepiolite or the like has crystal water, so that the degradation of strength is caused in a high temperature region likewise the asbestos. Furthermore, when the gasket is produced from the inorganic fiber alone, there is a problem that the tensile strength and the like are poor likewise the gasket using the asbestos fiber. Particularly, the carbon fiber among the inorganic fibers and the organic fibers such as aromatic polyamide fiber, phenolic fiber, polyethylene fiber and the like considerably degrade the fiber properties from about 200.degree. C. and completely carbonize or burn above 400.degree. C. to cause the bonding degradiation, so that they can not be used at a high temperature above 400.degree. C.


Disclosed is a glove that alleviates the biasing force associated with opening or closing the hand and fingers. In some aspects the glove may have preformed angled portions at one or more joints or locations on the hand to enable the hand to flex between the open and closed position.

Gloves, including work gloves, are known in the art. The gloves are usually manufactured from cloth, leather or rubber and are suited to protect the hand to some degree. Most gloves are formed in a shape approximately the same as a hand when pressed flat on a surface or extended to be essentially flat or straight, such as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. In that position, the fingers extend outward, essentially straight from the palm (in this context "straight" means there is essentially no bend at any of the joints). In this position, the thumb is oriented in a flat plane or is slightly abducted away from the palm. A problem with the standard glove shape is that the relaxed hand is not naturally in a flat position with the fingers essentially straight. As shown in FIGS. 3-4, 21 and 30A-30B, when in its normal, relaxed position, which is also called the normal hand cascade position, the joints of the fingers (the fingers and thumb also collectively referred to herein as "digits") are naturally in a flexed position, with the thumb in a different plane than the fingers. This normal position does not match the shape of a standard surgical glove.
If a person wears gloves for a long period, his/her fingers and hands can become tired or fatigued because of constantly overcoming the biasing forces of the gloves in order to flex the fingers and hands (either to a closed position, open position, or both).
Consequently, when a standard work glove is placed on a hand, the material of the glove tends to hold the fingers from the normal, relaxed position to the less natural straight position. When a worker then uses his/her hand, in order to flex the fingers, the biasing force of the glove material must be overcome. For example, FIG. 5 shows a hand 500 grasping a dental instrument 502, FIG. 33 shows a hand grasping a screw in a three-point chuck pinch, and FIG. 34 shows a hand grasping a device using the three ulnar digits and thumb. In FIG. 5, fingers 504-510 are flexed to grasp the instrument 502, and to do so, any resistance by glove 512 must be overcome. The same is true when moving the hand to the positions in FIG. 33 or 34.
In addition to standard gloves being formed in essentially a straight position, they have no structure to permit the expansion or contraction of the dimensions of portions of the hand when the hand is moved to a closed or open position. For example, the circumference of a flexed finger (such as when the fingers are flexed towards the palm of the hand) is greater than its circumference when relaxed or in the straight position. This concept is illustrated in FIGS. 22 and 37, showing a 20% increase in circumference in a female index finger and a 22% increase in circumference in a male index finger. If gloves are designed so they tightly fit fingers that are in the straight position, and then the fingers are flexed, the fingers must also overcome the biasing force of the glove material that restricts digital expansion. Consequently, there is a need for extra material during flexion of the fingers so the portion of the glove covering the portion of the finger that expands can (1) permit expansion when the finger is flexed, and (2) contract back into shape and is not used when the finger is not flexed. The biasing force of gloves also includes adduction of the fingers, a force tending to keep the fingers together in line rather than in their natural cascading position. This is another biasing force that must be overcome when using standard gloves.
Glove designs with baggy, or loose-fitting portions, at one or more areas are known, but such gloves are not optimal for a worker performing procedures that require fine, precise work. Further, baggy gloves may become caught in pinch points or machinery. FIG. 31 depicts an oversized glove on a hand and shows how the excess material can create problems with manual dexterity, slippage, and getting caught in pinch points or machinery.
Glove designs are also known that have ribs at some areas, but while the ribs may help to some degree, they do not overcome the problems described herein.
It would be beneficial to have gloves that minimize biasing forces, that include a minimal amount of excess, loose or baggy material, and that are relatively simple to manufacture, so they are cost effective.


A pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly for supporting a plurality of articles incorporating defined slots and enabling only one article at a time to be removed therefrom is formed of a peg hook and a flipper. The peg hook has a pair of opposed ends and a body connecting the same. One of the hook ends is configured and dimensioned to maintain the hook body substantially horizontal when mounted on an appropriate surface, and the other of the hook ends is a free end. The hook body is configured and dimensioned to be received in the slots of the articles and defines a vertically extending bump adjacent to but spaced from the free end. The flipper is pivotably secured adjacent the free end and is movable between an enabling orientation enabling at least partial passage of an article along the book body and onto the flipper as the article moves towards the free end, and a blocking orientation precluding passage of an article onto the flipper as the article moves towards the free end. The flipper is cammed into the blocking orientation by an article passing over the bump.

The present invention relates to a peg hook for supporting a plurality of articles incorporating defined slots, and more particularly to a pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly enabling only one article at a time to be removed therefrom.
Blister packages and other carded articles offered for sale typically incorporate a defined slot which enables the articles to be mounted on a peg hook. The slots may be circular or elongate in the horizontal or vertical directions. The peg hooks serve the function of compactly storing the articles for sale and at the same time providing the prospective purchaser with a clear view of the front thereof. The peg hooks may be mounted at one end to an appropriate peg board, wall or stand (whether rotatable or stationary).
Unfortunately, the conventional peg hook permits the easy removal of not just the forward or leading article, but a plurality or series of the following articles as well. Thus, hit-and-run thieves frequently enter a retail establishment, grab with two hands a whole series of the articles on a peg hook, and, with a single movement, remove the entire series of articles from the peg hook in a fairly rapid operation. The thief may then either simply run away with the loot or rapidly conceal the articles and slowly withdraw from the retail establishment.
Clearly this type of hit-and-run operation can be prevented if the peg hook enables only the forward or leading article of the series to be removed from the peg hook one at a time. Thus, the thief must stand in front of the peg hook, making repeated hand motions in order to obtain a sufficient number of articles to justify the risks involved in the theft. The longer he must stand there removing the articles one-by-one from the peg hook, the greater the likelihood of his being noticed and apprehended.
The problem of pilfering from peg hood mounted displays is well recognized in the prior art as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,501 (a coin-operated system), U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,300 (a key-operated system), U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,334 (using a close-fitting cage about the front of the peg hook) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,949 (using an undulating peg hook). Unfortunately, each of these approaches to solving the problem of pilferage has in one way or another defeated the very purposes for which the peg hook display is intended. Thus, the simple, generally horizontal movement of even the forward or leading article is no longer sufficient, and, in the worst cases, extraneous elements such as coins or keys are necessary to enable removal of article from the peg hook. For example, for undulations of the peg hook to be sufficient to impede pilferage the undulations must be so exaggerated that the removal of even the forward or leading article becomes more of an up-and-down motion then a generally horizontal motion on the part of the potential customer. Furthermore, if a series of the articles are loosely held by the thief, several articles can be forced past the undulations (with the several articles moving up and down as necessary to accommodate the undulations), although the number of articles which can thus be removed by a thief in a single swipe is minimized.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly which enables the removal of only one article at a time therefrom.
Another object is to provide such a peg hook assembly which enables a rapid and easy removal of the forward or leading article by a simple, substantially horizontal motion.
A further object is to provide such a peg hook assembly which is easy and convenient for the prospective purchaser to use and does not require the use of extraneous articles such as coins or keys.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a peg hook assembly which is simple and economical to manufacture, maintain and use.


A treatment for male erectile dysfunction comprising separately storing a lyophilized composition of vasoactive agents and a carrier gel, mixing said lyophilized composition of vasoactive agents and said carrier gel creating a homogeneous mixture and applying said homogeneous mixture to the meatus of the glans penis. A system for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction comprising a syringe coupling system for the storage, mixing and application of therapeutic compounds for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, said system further comprising a first syringe and a second syringe. The first and second syringes are filled with a lyophilized composition of vasoactive agents or a carrier gel. The system includes a locking device coupling said syringes to facilitate the transfer of said lyophilized composition of vasoactive agents and carrier gel between the syringes and a penile adapter for applying the therapeutic compounds for the treatment of erectile dysfunction to the meatus of the glans penis.

As used herein, the term "erectile dysfunction" (ED) refers to certain disorders of the cavernous tissue of the penis and the associated facia which produce the inability to attain a sexually functional erection, priapism, the persistent and often painful erection of the penis, and Peyronie's syndrome, a condition characterized by fibrosis of the cavernous tissue and associated painful and distorted erection of the penis. Erectile dysfunction affects a substantial number of patients. ED can result from any of numerous physiological or psychological factors which cause the blood flow to and from the penis to remain in balance thereby preventing retention of sufficient blood to cause an erection. As used herein, the term "erectile dysfunction" is used in its broadest sense as the inability to attain a sexually functional erection when desired.
Millions of men suffer from ED and have sought an effective and pain free cure that can be sustained and presents no dangerous side effects. To that end, several therapies have become available, including penile implants, penile injection of vasoactive compounds, vacuum-constriction devices, PDE5 inhibiting pills and topical and intra-urethral vasoactive compounds. The penile implant was the first effective therapeutic method used for the treatment of ED (see Wilson S K and Delk J R II. Int J Imp Res. 4:S101-07, 2000). Over the years, implant designs have generally remained as either semi-rigid or inflatable. Additionally, due to the fact that they require surgery and have led to complications such as infection, rejection and mechanical failure, implants have usually remained as the method of last resort for most men. As a result, despite their effectiveness, only about 10-12,000 are placed each year in the United States. Therefore most men suffering from ED have searched for other alternatives to treat their condition.
The next effective therapy method used for the treatment of ED was penile injection with vasoactive drugs. Although this approach has been successful for many men, the drop out rate has proven to be high because most men are reluctant to self-inject the drugs and many have experienced pain and scarring as a result of the injections. Furthermore, the long-term stability of the compounds used for this method requires that they be refrigerated or maintained under special conditions for transport by the patients. Several patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,927,197 and 5,741,523, have been issued for the development of chemical formulations utilizing vasoactive compounds to reduce pain and improve stability.
Another method for treating ED, which has proven effective for many users, is vacuum erection devices with constriction rings. Some current systems, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,381, have achieved FDA approval because they have been engineered with safety features such as pressure governors, quick release valves and safe constriction rings. Like the use of vasoactive gels, these systems can also be used in combination with other therapies. However, the use of vacuum devices with constriction rings is unattractive to many prospective users because the mechanical apparatus can be intimidating and the method is not conducive to spontaneous use.
The availability of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors has made a great impact on the treatment of ED. These drugs, available in tablet form, have been taken by millions of men and they have also been used for men with comorbidities. However, these tablets present some major negative drawbacks. For instance, PDE5 inhibitors cannot be used for men using nitroglycerine products or that have a history of retinal problems. In addition, PDE5 inhibitors have also been shown to cause headaches and nasal congestion. For these reasons, there are many dropouts associated with these medications; leading to a search for alternative treatments for ED (see Rupesh R et al. J Androl. 26:757-60, 2005).
Recently, the use of topical and intra-urethral products has received attention because they are readily transportable, minimally invasive and have the potential for use with combination therapy. Several patents have been granted to inventors who described topical products and delivery systems related to the treatment of ED. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,587 describes a gel containing a combination of vasodilators. The product is placed topically on the penis, and then into the urethra using a catheter. The urethra was chosen for application because, unlike the penile skin, the urethral mucosa is not keratinized and contains specific receptor sites and many other drug products have been placed there for absorption (see Holstein A F et al. Cell Tiss. Res. 264:23-32, 1991, Pudney J and Anderson D J. Amer. J. Path. 147:155-165, 1995 and DeBenedictis T J et al. J Urol. 118:767-769, 1977). U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,391 discloses an invention of a coated pellet containing Prostaglandin Subgroup 1 (PGE1) and a dispenser for insertion into the urethra. This product has been sold and used in clinical practice under the trade name MUSE. Although this product has had positive responses among a variety of ED patients, many reports also suggest that users have experienced pain from insertion of the dispenser and a throbbing pain as a direct result of the PGE1 product in 35-60% of the cases (see Linet et al. NEJM 334:873, 1996).
For this reason, alternative solutions of ED treatment using pre-mixed PGE1 based compositions have been sought. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,241 discloses an invention of a PGE1 gel with several chemical ingredients including penetration enhancers and a buffer system to maintain a final pH in the range of 3-7.4. While this product was reported to have a 73.1% satisfaction rate, 14.6% of the patients complained of pain (see Zhao D et al. Zhonghua Nan Ke Xue 9:48-50, 2003).
It has been suggested that there is a relation to the pain caused by topical methods and the PH level of the pre-mixed product. Some studies have shown that higher pH levels have reduced the amount of pain associated with the use of PGE1 (see Moriel E Z and Rajfer J. J Urol. 149 1299-300, 1993). However, it is difficult to maintain the pH level of pre-mixed PGE1 based products because the ingredients may precipitate upon standing at a higher pH. Further disadvantages of pre-mixed PGE1 compositions include a short shelf life that requires products to be used immediately to achieve the desired results and the requirement for special additives that adds to the cost and complexity of the system.
All of the therapies mentioned above have been used for the definitive treatment of ED, but each has been shown to have limitations. As a result, many men are reluctant to try some of these methods and those who have used one or more of these methods have discontinued use because of side effects or a failure to consistently achieve desired results. Therefore, there is an on-going need for improved methods of treatment for men with ED. In accordance, the present system represents a simplified approach to the storage, mixing and intra meatal delivery of a vasoactive gel.

System and method for treating erectile dysfunction


A semiconductor structure includes a first dielectric layer, a first conductive via, a second conductive via and an etch stop layer. The first conductive via and the second conductive via are respectively disposed in the first dielectric layer. The etch stop layer is disposed on the first dielectric layer and contacts the first and second conductive vias. The etch stop layer includes nitrogen-and-oxygen-doped silicon carbide (NODC).

Performance improvements of integrated circuits (ICs) are typically achieved by device miniaturization, and the device miniaturization concurrently results in increasing packaging density of the formed ICs. Methods and materials applied for interconnecting ICs are therefore becoming an increasingly more important part of forming packaged semiconductor devices.
The selection of materials (e.g. dielectrics and/or metals) used for the formation of the interconnect structure continue to be explored as a part of a continuing effort to improve device performance. An etch stop layer is usually disposed overlying conductive features (e.g. a conductive via) in a semiconductor structure such as the interconnect structure. However, the conventional material used to form the etch stop layer is not suitable for various conductive features due to poor adhesion between the etch stop layer and some of the materials (e.g. copper) of the conductive features. Therefore, there is a need to develop a semiconductor structure having an etch stop layer and a method of forming the same to tackle the problems.

Semiconductor structure having etch stop layer and method of forming the same

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


System for message delivery to field personnel. The system includes a method for operating a server in a message delivery system. The method includes receiving a message for transmission to a recipient, and determining a message characteristic associated with the message. The method also includes obtaining contact information associated with the recipient based on the message characteristic, and transmitting the message to the recipient using a communication method indicated by the contact information.

I. Field
The present invention relates generally to messaging systems, and more particularly, to a system for message delivery to field personnel.
II. Description of the Related Art
Advances in technology have provided for increased automation in many industries. For example, in the shipping industry, technology has allowed for the automatic tracking of delivery vehicles as they carry and deliver cargo virtually around the clock. Delivery vehicles now carry and deliver cargo to all parts of the country. For example, in the trucking industry, cargo-carrying tractor-trailers may be driven hundreds or thousands of miles to reach a delivery site. In some cases, the delivery vehicle must make one or more intermediate stops before it reaches its final destination.
Delivery vehicles in the field may communicate with a central dispatch station to receive various types of information. For example, the information may comprise basic information, such as daily status information, or the information may comprise important information, such as critical pick-up, routing, or delivery information.
Typically, vehicles in the field communicate with a dispatch station using a wireless communication system, such as a satellite communication system. These systems allow dispatchers to send text messages to a vehicle display system so that basic and important information can be communicated to the vehicle operator. However, when a text message is received at the vehicle display system, the vehicle operator generally must stop the vehicle to read the message. Stopping the vehicle is recommended for safety reasons, so that the vehicle operator does not lose control of the vehicle while reading the incoming text message.
Unfortunately, having to pull off the road to read an incoming text message is inconvenient for the vehicle operator and may lead to delivery delays. For example, the driver may not want to pull over just to read basic information received from the dispatch center. On the other hand, the vehicle may be at a location where it is not possible to immediately pull over to read the message. In this case, the receipt of the information is delayed because the vehicle operator must wait until it is possible to stop the vehicle before reading the message. Another problem occurs if the operator is away from the vehicle and is unable to receive the message. For example, the operator may be away from the vehicle at an over-night stopping point and therefore unable to receive the incoming message. Thus, current systems have several drawbacks since the vehicle operator must stop to receive both basic and important messages, and must be physically at the vehicle to receive any message.
Therefore, what is needed is a message delivery system that provides fast and reliable delivery of messages to field personnel. The system should operate to allow administrators or field personnel to define how messages are transmitted so that these messages can be reliably received. The system should also operate to alert a vehicle operator to the arrival of an important message so that the vehicle operator can decide whether or not to stop the vehicle to receive the message, or to return to the vehicle if the operator happens to be away from the vehicle when the important message arrives.


The herringbone harness has multiple branches leading off from a trunk divided into segments by the forks at which the branches start. The harness is exclusively shielded firstly by first braids made over the individual branches, each first braid having a first enlarged tab over at least one of the segments on either side of the branch in question, and secondly by second braids made over the individual segments, each second braid having a second enlarged tab over that adjacent segment which is of smaller diameter than the segment in question. The application is a shielded harness serving multiple points from a common point of origin.

This type of harness is used to serve a plurality of different destinations from a common point referred to as the "point of origin". Such a harness is used in particular for supplying power and/or data/dialog to the various members of a system from the point of origin. The harness has a network of conductors co-operating together to define both a trunk starting from the point of origin and various branches leading off from the trunk. The branches correspond to the different destinations, and they are connected to the different members of the system. They define forks along the trunk, and may in turn have bifurcations for the purposes of connecting them to the various members.
The structure of this type of harness is such that it has a trunk and thin branches leading off from the trunk, the diameter of the trunk being large where it starts from the point of origin, and decreasing going away from the point of origin at each branch. The forks at which the branches lead off from the trunk define successive segments therealong, the end segment at the opposite end from the point of origin forming the last branch of the harness.
The ratio between the diameters of the two end segments is often high, and frequently greater than 20. The branches may in turn have different numbers of conductors from one another, and therefore have different diameters. Their diameters are much smaller than the diameters of the respective segments from which they start.
In a good many applications, such harnesses need to have high-performance protection against electromagnetic interference, and need to be strong enough to withstand considerable shocks, vibrations, and heat and/or chemical attack, in particular. This is particularly important when they are used in land, air, or sea mobiles.
Independently from the problem of providing high-performance electromagnetic protection, the use of braiding is known for covering a network of conductors, mainly to provide cohesion therefor or to improve the overall strength thereof. Such braiding leaves the network relatively easy to handle so as to facilitate laying it and inserting it to the various points at which its branches are connected in the mobile in which it is used.
The overall-strength braiding is often a textile fabric, or is sometimes made of metal. In general, it provides the network with good mechanical properties, but cannot per se directly provide high electromagnetic protection, in particular at the forks.
To obtain high electromagnetic protection for the harness, two possible techniques are known for shielding the substantially linear portions, and for providing continuity in the protection at the forks.
A first one of those techniques consists in using segments of cable which correspond to the segments and to the branches of the network, and which are initially independent and shielded individually by means of metal braiding, and in connecting them together by means of shielded splice boxes. The network is thus made up at the same time as the forks are shielded, by means of the splice boxes.
The shielded network obtained by using the first technique offers excellent electromagnetic performance levels, due both to the uniformity of the initial shielded segments of cable, and to the low transfer impedance due to the splice boxes. The network also has generally satisfactory mechanical properties. However, it is heavy, expensive, bulky, complex, and inflexible, due to it being made up from shielded cables which are different from one other, and from splice boxes which are also different from one another.
The second technique consists in using a network of conductors defining the harness directly, in shielding the branches and the various segments of the trunk by means of metal shielding braids made previously and threaded over each of them, and in threading heat-shrinkable metal-plated sleeves over the various forks to provide continuity in the shielding with the above-mentioned braids.
The shielded harness made by using the second technique is lighter in weight, less expensive, more compact, simpler, and more flexible than the harness made by using the first technique. However, with the second technique, the electromagnetic performance levels of the harness are poor and often insufficient, as are its mechanical properties, in particular its ability to withstand vibration which, as a result, reduces the electromagnetic protection provided.
The shielding method used in the second technique is difficult to perform, and even almost impossible when the herringbone harness has a large number of branches, and therefore has very large ratios between the diameters of the different segments, or between the diameters of the segments closest to the point of origin and the corresponding branches.
Furthermore, independently from the electromagnetic shielding of the network of conductors, and from the continuity in shielding over the forks, those two techniques require end connectors to be connected subsequently to the harness, at the ends of the various branches, and at the known common point of origin, and electromagnetic protection to be provided at the rear connection ends of the connectors. Mounting and electromagnetically protecting the connectors involves handling the shielding braids of the branches and of the starting trunk roughly, so as to thread them over the rear end of each corresponding connector, and then to lock them thereon.
Such rough handling irretrievably degrades the shape of the braids, and does not enable satisfactory continuity in shielding to be obtained between the connectors and the network of conductors, at least for some uses of the harnesses.
An object of the present invention is to avoid the drawbacks of those known techniques, so as to provide a shielded "herringbone" harness having high electromagnetic performance levels and high mechanical strength.


A voltage-controlled filter circuit has a cutoff frequency directly proportional to a ratio of two current values. The filter circuit comprises a variable conductance circuit having two bipolar junction input transistors supplied with an input voltage signal at the bases thereof and a first variable current source at each emitter thereof. The collectors supply the bases of a pair of differential transistors. A second variable current supply is coupled to common emitters of the pair of differential transistors. Externally supplied control signals set the two current values of the variable current sources. The filter circuit may be manufactured as a semiconductor integrated circuit device for signal processing for use in processing a recorded signal read from a recording medium. The recorded signal is supplied to a semiconductor integrated circuit for signal processing to remove unwanted signal and noise components. Specific unwanted signal components may be removed and noise components whose frequencies exceed a cutoff frequency of a low-pass filter provided in a semiconductor integrated circuit are removed.

The present invention relates to a voltage-controlled filter such as an active filter circuit and, more particularly, to a technology effectively used for an active filter circuit utilizing the mutual conductance of a differential amplifier. Further, the present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device for signal processing for use in processing a recording signal read from a recording medium (or a magnetic disk) for example and to a technology effectively applied to a disk reading system such as a hard disk drive (or a hard disk memory) utilizing the above-mentioned semiconductor integrated circuit.
Disk reading systems such as a hard disk drive (hereinafter referred to also as a hard disk memory device or an HDD), a floppy disk drive (hereinafter referred to also as an FDD), a CDROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory) drive, and an MO (Magneto-Optical) disk drive are used as external storage devices for data processors such as a small workstation and a personal computer. The hard disk drive or a floppy disk drive uses a magnetic disk (or a magnetic recording medium) for information recording medium. The CDROM drive uses an optical disk on which information is stored optically. The MO drive uses an optical disk on which information can be rewritten.
In the hard disk drive or the floppy disk drive, data is written through a magnetic head to a track on the magnetic disk rotated by a spindle motor or read from a track through the magnetic head. A recorded signal read through the magnetic head from the magnetic disk is supplied to a semiconductor integrated circuit for signal processing contained in an external storage device to be removed of an unwanted signal component and a noise component for example. The removal is aimed at those unwanted signal component and noise component whose frequencies exceed a cutoff frequency of a low-pass filter provided in a semiconductor integrated circuit for read channel.
To cope with the ever-increasing processing speed of data processors and the ever-increasing scale of application software, attempts are being made to increase the data recording density (or the surface recording density) of disks and the data transfer rates of hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, CDROM drives, and MO drives.
For a technique to increase the recording density, multi-zone recording is known. In the multi-zone recording, the frequency of a signal to be recorded on a track on the outer periphery side is made relatively greater than the frequency of a signal to be recorded on track on the inner periphery side with the rotational speed (or the angular velocity) of the magnetic disk kept constant. This increases the recording density of the tracks on the outer periphery side, thereby increasing the recording density of the magnetic disk in its entirety. As a result, in the multi-zone recording, the recording density is uniform over all the tracks on the magnetic disk.
Consequently, when reading the data recorded on the magnetic disk by the multi-zone recording, the above-mentioned semiconductor integrated circuit device for signal processing handles the read signal whose frequency changes from low to high. That is, the cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter provided in the semiconductor integrated circuit device is variably controlled according to the frequency of the signal read from the magnetic disk. In other words, when reading the signal from a track on the inner periphery side of the magnetic disk, the cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter is made relatively low, while, when reading the signal from a track on the outer periphery side, the cutoff frequency is made relatively high.
For the low-pass filter provided in the above-mentioned signal-processing semiconductor integrated circuit device, an active filter circuit (or a voltage-controlled filter) utilizing the mutual conductance gm of a differential amplifier is available. For example, such an active filter circuit is described in "Introduction to Analog IC Functional Circuit Design," CQ Publishing Company, p. 151. The active filter circuit comprises a variable conductance circuit having a pair of input transistors whose bases are supplied with an input voltage signal and emitters each provided with a constant current source, a load means commonly attached to the pair of transistors at their collectors via unidirectional devices, a pair of differential transistors whose bases are supplied respectively with the outputs of the collectors of the pair of input transistors, a variable current supply attached to the common emitters of the pair of differential transistors, and current source loads attached respectively to the collectors of the pair of differential transistors so that a half of the current value of the variable current source flows through each of the load, the above-mentioned variable conductance circuit being combined with capacitors. In the active filter circuit thus constituted, the mutual conductance gm of the differential amplifier composed of the pair of differential transistors, current source loads, and the variable current source can be varied by varying, as desired, a value of the current flowing to the pair of differential transistors. Thus, constituting a low-pass filter by using the above-mentioned active filter allows to obtain a desired cutoff frequency.

Voltage-controlled filter circuit, a semiconductor integrated circuit device for signal processing, and a signal reading apparatus using the circuit and the apparatus


A liquid crystal display is provided. The liquid crystal display includes: a first substrate, a first electric field generating electrode which is located on the first substrate and which has a plurality of cut portions, a direction control electrode located on the first substrate and overlapping at least one of the cut portions, a second substrate facing the first substrate, a second electric field generating electrode located on the second substrate and opposite to the first electric field generating electrode. The liquid crystal display further includes a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first electric field generating electrode and the second electric field generating electrode, and a slope member located on one of the first and second substrate and having a ridge and a slope. The ridge corresponds to the direction control electrode.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs), are one of the most widely used flat panel displays. An LCD includes two panels having electric field generating electrodes such as e.g., pixel electrodes and a common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. The liquid crystal display displays an image by applying a voltage to the electric field generating electrodes, which in turn generate an electric field in the liquid crystal layer. The electric field generated in the liquid crystal layer in turn determines the alignment of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer to control polarization of incident light.
One known liquid crystal display, is the liquid crystal display with a vertical alignment modein which the liquid crystal molecules are arranged such that major axes of the liquid crystal molecules are perpendicular to the upper and lower panels in a state in which no electric field is generated. The vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display provides a high contrast ratio and a wide reference viewing angle.
Conventional methods of embodying a wide viewing angle in the liquid crystal display with a vertical alignment mode, include methods of forming cut portions in the electric field generating electrodes, and methods of forming protrusions on the electric field generating electrodes. Cut portions and protrusions are used in conjunction with the vertical alignment mode type liquid crystal displays because the direction in which the liquid crystal molecules are tilted can be determined by the use of these cut portions and protrusions, and thus the reference viewing angle can be widened by arranging the cut portions and the protrusions to distribute the tilt direction of the liquid crystal molecules.
However, with the conventional method of forming the cut portions, a particular mask is required for patterning a common electrode. Additionally, an overcoat layer should be formed on a color filter to prevent pigments of the color filter from leaking and contaminating the liquid crystal layer through the cut portions of the common electrode.
In addition, the liquid crystal display with a vertical alignment mode having the protrusions or the cut portions has a slow response speed. This is partially because the cut portions or the protrusions strongly regulate the liquid crystal molecules close thereto, but weakly regulate the liquid crystal molecules apart therefrom.
Thus, there is a need for a liquid crystal display which has both a wide reference viewing angle as well an improved response speed for its liquid crystal molecules in comparison to conventional liquid crystal displays.


A method of forming a nano-supported sponge catalyst (10) on a substrate (12) is comprised of depositing an active catalytic metallic element (16) on the substrate (12) and depositing a structural metallic element (18) with the active catalytic metallic element (16) to form a mixed metal alloy layer (14). The method is further comprised of etching the mixed metal alloy layer (14) with an etchant to oxidize the active catalytic metallic element (16) and the structural metallic element (18) and to remove at least a portion of the structural metallic element (18) from a first sub-layer of the mixed metal alloy layer (14). The first sub-layer of the mixed metal alloy layer (14) is porous and comprised of nano-particles of the active catalytic metallic element (16) that are supported by a metal oxide structure derived from the structural metallic element (18).

The present invention generally relates to a nano-supported sponge catalyst on a substrate, and more particularly to a nano-supported sponge catalyst on a substrate for nanotube growth.
A nanotube, and more specifically a carbon nanotube, is known to be useful for providing electron emission in a vacuum device, such as a field emission display. The use of a carbon nanotube as an electron emitter has reduced the cost of vacuum devices, including the cost of a field emission display. The reduction in cost of the field emission display has been obtained with the carbon nanotube replacing other electron emitters (e.g., a Spindt tip), which generally have higher fabrication costs as compared to a carbon nanotube based electron emitter.
The manufacturing costs for vacuum devices (e.g., a field emission display) that use a carbon nanotube can be further reduced if the carbon nanotube is grown on the field emission substrate from a catalytic surface using chemical vapor deposition or other film deposition techniques. Nanotube growth can be conducted as a last deposition process preventing the degradation of the electron emitter properties by other device processing techniques or steps (e.g., wet processes). To further reduce costs for vacuum devices, it is also desirable to construct the field emission substrate from materials such as borosilicate glass or sodalime glass. However, borosilicate glass and sodalime glass cannot generally tolerate temperatures above about sixty hundred and fifty degrees Celsius (650xc2x0 C.). In addition, the tolerance of borosilicate glass and sodalime glass is further reduced if the borosilicate glass or sodalime glass is subjected to temperatures above about sixty hundred and fifty degrees Celsius (650xc2x0 C.) for an extended period or forces are applied to the borosilicate glass or sodalime glass at such temperatures.
In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a nano-supported sponge catalyst on a field emission substrate for carbon nanotube growth that allows such a carbon nanotube to be grown on the field emission substrate that has a deformation temperature below about six hundred and fifty degrees Celsius (650xc2x0 C.). Furthermore, additional desirable features will become apparent to one skilled in the art from the drawings, foregoing background of the invention and following detailed description of a preferred exemplary embodiment, and appended claims.

Method of forming a nano-supported sponge catalyst on a substrate for nanotube growth


Hybrid connectors that may transfer power and data with a variety of electronic devices having different types of connector interfaces, may consume a minimal amount of surface area, depth, and volume in an electronic device, and may be readily manufactured.

The number of types of electronic devices that are commercially available has increased tremendously the past few years and the rate of introduction of new devices shows no signs of abating. Devices such as tablets, laptops, netbooks, desktops, and all-in-one computers, smart phones, storage devices, portable media players, wearable computing devices, navigation systems, monitors, and others, have become ubiquitous.
Power and data may be provided from one device to another over cables that may include one or more wire conductors, fiber optic cables, or other conductors. Connector inserts may be located at each end of these cables and may be inserted into connector receptacles in the communicating or power transferring devices. In other systems, contacts on the devices may come into direct contact with each other without the need for intervening cables.
In systems where contacts on two electronic devices come into contact with each other, the contacts may be located in a connector at a surface of an electronic device. These connectors may include surface contacts that may be very efficient at transferring power and data between the two electronic devices. But it may be undesirable to not include contacts on some devices, particularly smaller accessories that may be handled often by users. Accordingly, it may be desirable to be able to transfer power and data with a variety of electronic devices having different types of connectors.
These surface contacts may often have a large surface area, a substantial depth, and consume a relatively large volume of space in the electronic device. The loss of this space may mean that the electronic device is either larger, includes a reduced set of functionality, or both. Also, these electronic devices may be manufactured in large numbers. A corresponding number of connectors may be manufactured for use in these devices. Any simplification in the manufacturing process of these connectors may yield tremendous savings in the manufacturing of these electronic devices.
Thus, what is needed are connectors that may transfer power and data with a variety of electronic devices having different types of connector interfaces, may consume a minimal amount of surface area, depth, and volume in an electronic device, and may be readily manufactured.


A shock absorbing collar assembly mountable in projecting relation to instrumentation supported from a stand. In one construction, a resilient, annular cushion member and mating rigid cover protect the instrumentation upon stand collapse or tip over. In other constructions, tip detection means release latches secured to various caged spring and pneumatic constructions which resiliently expand to raise a second resilient collar and encase the instrument.

The present invention relates to safety equipment and, in particular, to a collar for protecting stand supported instrumentation, for example, transits, theodolites, levels, cameras or the like, upon collapse or tip over of the stand.
Surveyors and other individuals involved in large construction projects, commonly are required to transport and portably support rather sophisticated and expensive instrumentation about a construction site. Due to uneven terrain and the general nature of such working conditions, a problem experienced by such individuals is that of periodically having support stands (i.e. tripods) collapse or tip over, with consequent damage to the instrumentation. Often times, rather expensive repair or replacement costs are incurred from such mishaps.
Traditionally, the tripod type stands which are most frequently used to support such instrumentation do not provide a mechanism for minimizing tippage or protecting the supported instrumentation. Except possibly for a ruggedized shock proof housing, the instrumentation also does not provide such protection. The only available alternative therefore to protecting the instrumentation when moving it about a construction site and making multiple measurements is to remove and store the instrumentation in provided carrying cases, with each repositioning. This however can become rather time consuming and tedious.
Most individuals consequently attempt to cut-corners and merely take efforts not to tip the instrumentation. Regardless of such precautions, oftentimes the instrument will still be damaged. For example, even though the user may exert care, other individuals working about the site, may not, which most often is the case and the cause for damage.
With the exception of the foregoing, packing/unpacking and attempts at personal care, Applicant is unaware of any particular device which is transportable with the tripod and assembled instrumentation to protect the instrumentation in the event of the tipping or collapse of the tripod stand.


A decorative reflective stopper cover has a flat, round, disc like shape. The disc has a top surface of a constant radius and an opposite bottom surface beneath. The top surface has an outer edge generally upon its perimeter and visible to users. The outer edge spans from the top surface to the bottom surface and denotes the maximum radius of the invention. The outer edge has a perpendicular orientation to the top surface and the bottom surface. The disc has multiple layers with a smooth transparent layer at the top surface upon an ink layer and then below that a substrate with an adhesive layer where the adhesive releasably connects to a sink surface. The transparent layer has a high gloss. Alternatively, the adhesive layer has a concave shape and the release layer has grooves upon it.

The decorative reflective stopper cover generally relates to bathroom accoutrements and more specifically to a layered device placed upon a cap of a sink stopper visible to a user of the sink. More particularly, the invention attaches a stacked, curved combination of round layers for placement centered upon a cap of a sink stopper so that a user has a pleasing view of the stopper. People use sinks in many places at work, at home, when travelling, and elsewhere. Sinks allow for delivery of water in a convenient location without the water running over the location, excepting a drain blockage. Sinks can be in a bathroom, a kitchen, a laundry room, a wet bar, an entertainment room, an entertainment area, and the like. In those locations, people may use water to perform various functions as commonly known.
Some sinks though may see less use than others. In homes, select bathrooms may remain in a heightened state of preparedness for guests or other visitors. In other homes, the homeowner may select a bathroom for heightened decoration because of personal preference. In other locations, the sink may see little use as people rarely visit the location. Public areas, such as hotels, convention centers, airport terminals, restaurants, and the like, also have sinks. These preceding sinks provide the opportunity for decorating each sink and its surroundings.
People enjoy many items as decorations. Painting and wall paper may decorate a room, such as a bathroom, to make it a bright and inviting place. Plants and sculptures break up the linear outlines in a bathroom and bring an element of the natural into the room. Even with those decorations, the humble sink retains its functional use for delivering and collecting water.
Over the years, sinks have received some decoration through coloration and pigments added to the constituents of the sink material. These forms of decoration occur at the time of manufacturing and remain through the life of the sink. Very rarely do people add decorations to a sink as those decorations must resist the intermittent or occasional use of the sink. At the bottom of the sink, the drain stands ready to release any collected water into the wastewater system. The drain may have a closure from a stopper as desired by the homeowner or other person using the sink. Most drains have their closures last for a short time or on an intermittent basis. Opening and closing a drain with a stopper involves raising and lowering the stopper using levers and pivoting rods as presently done. Because stoppers move and drains encounter water and other substances placed into them, decorating of drains and stoppers has lagged far behind the rest of the decorations in a bathroom or other setting.
People enjoy many kinds of advertisements. Advertisers also produce advertising in many creative ways. People also tire of advertisements after a time which spurs advertising companies to create new ads. Advertisements placed near sink drains also require changing from time to time. Advertisements near drains would break up the functional and boring appearance of a drain, perhaps to the delight of the user. Even with those advertisements, the humble sink drain retains its functional use discharging water from the sink into the wastewater system, unimpeded.
Meanwhile, sinks and their drains, particularly in public areas, have developed into a pleasing though rugged appearance. The sinks generally have a nearly flat bottom with the drain towards the center of the bottom. The drain often has a planar form with nineteen holes through it in a three, four, five, four, three pattern arranged in a compact hexagon. The nineteen hole pattern occupies the center of the drain with a solid border outside of the holes to the edge of the drain. The nineteen hole pattern appears often in bathrooms however other hole patterns may exist. Because drains encounter water and other substances placed into them, along with various forms of abuse, placement of advertisements on drains has lagged far behind the rest of the decorations in a bathroom or other setting.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A bumper for a motor vehicle includes a cross member which is disposed transversely to a side rail of a motor vehicle frame. A crash box is incorporated between the cross member and the side rail, with set bolts being provided to join the crash box to the cross member in the absence of prepunching.

The present invention relates, in general, to a bumper of a motor vehicle.
The following discussion of related art is provided to assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention, and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is prior art to this invention.
Bumpers for motor vehicles are typically arranged across the front and rear of a motor vehicle to absorb energy caused by an impact and thus to minimize damage to the actual support structure of the motor vehicle. A bumper typically includes a cross member which can be fixed transversely to the side rails of the motor vehicle frame, with crash boxes being placed in-between. The cross member is provided to deflect the energy, generated in the event of an impact, into the crash boxes which convert the impact energy into deformation work.
A multiplicity of differently arranged bumpers is well-known. Bumpers must meet official regulations as well as the demands established by consumer protection agencies to protect passengers. In addition, insurers have established classification tests (RCAR Research Council for Automobile Repairs, GDV Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft [Association of German Insurers]), which must also be met.
There is increasingly a desire to build bumpers from components that are best suited to one another in order to realize a defined energy absorption. Moreover, there is also increasingly a demand for reducing CO2 emission by providing a lightweight construction when designing vehicles. It is hereby important to effect a good crash behavior while still constructing the bumper lightweight.
Cross members and crash boxes are joined together to date through material union or by using screws, bolts or rivets. When accessibility to the components is from one side, the cross members and crash boxes can be joined together through direct bolting or blind riveting. Common to all these joining techniques is the need for prepunching of holes in the components. This is complex, expensive, and the connection elements are comparably heavy. Another approach, disclosed in international publications WO 2007/082714 A1 or WO 2008/125312 A1, involves the use of nails to join the cross members and crash boxes to one another.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved bumper to obviate prior art shortcomings and to improve its behavior in the event of a crash while being lightweight and simple in structure and allowing application of various material pair combinations to optimize energy absorption capability.


The invention relates to a method for extracting high-quality polyisoprene by grinding plants via rotary shearing using a device comprising at least one rotor and at least one stator, into particles of size smaller than 1 mm, or grinding at a pH higher than 3 and lower than 8. This method is implemented in aqueous phase and allows the preparation of a dispersion of polyisoprene in water having a weight average molecular weight (MW) higher than 800 000 g/mol. The polyisoprene is extracted from plants and in particular from guayule (Parthenium argentatum). It is a method that is particularly heedful of the environment.

Polyisoprene of natural origin is a material useful for the manufacture of items for which it is desired to take advantage of the material's mechanical properties.
In particular, polyisoprene derived from plants differing from the rubber tree (Hevea) is increasingly being sought after, particularly to overcome the allergy problems encountered by users of items manufactured from Hevea-derived polyisoprene.
Polyisoprene extracted from plants differing from Hevea, particularly from guayule, is of particular advantage for preparing gloves e.g. medical or surgical gloves, or for condom production. After coagulation of the guayule latex, the polyisoprene obtained can also be used to produce items in rubber, in particular to manufacture tyres.
Methods are known for extracting polyisoprene from plants. In general, these methods use organic solvents.
For health and environmental reasons, the use of organic solvents must be restricted or else avoided.
The production of polyisoprene via aqueous phase extraction is also particularly advantageous from an economical viewpoint.
Methods are known for extracting polyisoprene in aqueous phase. However, these known methods do not allow high-quality polyisoprene to be obtained, in particular polyisoprene have a weight-average molecular weight (MW) possibly reaching 2 500 000 g/mol. Patent application US-2012/0063969 describes a method whereby guayule plants are milled under intense compression. The quality of the extracted polyisoprene may then be degraded. The amount of polyisoprene extracted from a given plant quantity and having satisfactory quality and weight-average molecular weight, (MW) is then reduced
In addition, known polyisoprene extraction methods do not always lead to obtaining polyisoprene in the form of a dispersion in water or in latex form.
Known aqueous phase extraction methods are generally implemented over particular pH ranges that are limited, generally strictly higher than 7 and in particular higher than 9, 10 or 11. Such pH values generally require the presence of a base substance which may lead to safety problems or which may lead to deterioration of the equipment used. Environmental pollution is also to be feared.

Extraction of polyisoprene with high molar mass

Association pour les Transferts de Technologies du Mans

Centre de cooperation internationale en recherche afronomique pour le developpement (CIRAD)


A device for securing USB or Firewire port interconnections includes a microcontroller comprising a processor; a first connector/lead in communication with the microcontroller and configured to be coupled with a USB or Firewire external device; and a second connector/lead in communication with the microcontroller and configured to be coupled with a protected host. An optional user interface communicates with the microcontroller. When the microcontroller detects that the external device is coupled to the first connector/lead, the processor is configured to display a prompt on the user interface for a user to initiate inputs prior to the external device being allowed to connect with the protected host; or is configured to automatically prevent the external device from being connected with the protected host if the external device is on a blacklist of devices known to have device handlers in the protected host at a BIOS level, without modifying the protected host.

A universal serial bus (USB) port is architecturally configured to communicate directly to the underlying firmware that operates a computer. When a USB device is connected to a computer, protocols are run at a level below any computer firewalls or other anti-malware software shields that can be placed on the computer. As a result, USB devices have become a common mechanism for propagation of malicious software, making it possible to infect a computer that is not even connected to the Internet. For example, USB thumb drives are inherently insecure, and as such, malicious code and/or attacks can be inserted into a computer before any kind of anti-virus protection can detect such attacks. There are currently no available ways to detect a malicious USB device before it has done damage, and often, it is impossible to tell that the damage has been done.
The USB port has become a ubiquitous mechanism for interfacing a device to a computer. As such, simply removing the USB port can cripple the usefulness of a computer. While USB drivers on a computer can be removed, this would also cripple the computer in many ways, as modern operating systems rely on USB drivers to provide boot and operating system load paths. Removing USB drivers would also present the danger that a USB port that has been so diminished will be restored during an update or repair.
Accordingly, a technique of defending against malicious devices as a part of the basic computer/server hardware architecture is needed.

Systems and methods for USB/firewire port monitoring, filtering, and security


A method includes displaying via a processor a user interface on a display screen of a computing device, detecting a selection of a portion of the first user interface, generating a clip configured to include the selected portion of the user interface as content. The method further includes displaying the generated clip on the display screen to enable a user of the mobile device to review the content, and maintaining the display of the generated clip on the display screen even after the user interface is no longer displayed on the display screen.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in the present application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
With the recent development of digital technology, mobile devices such as a smart phone, a Personal Computer (PC), and the like, each capable of processing communication and launching applications regardless of whether or not a user is moving, have been introduced. As known, smartphone users typically rely on their phones as a primary tool for many types of data collection activities. For example, users commonly utilize applications and browsers when seeking particular information about a product. This may create several scenarios requiring multi-tasking, especially juggling between applications and Web pages, to seek desirable contents.
However, due to the limited size of the display screen of a touch-screen device, the user may not be able to display as many applications or/and web pages on the touch-screen device as desired in order to keep viewing information needed to perform a particular task. Therefore, the user may not be able to easily perform the particular task.
Hence, a need exists for a method and apparatus that allow a user of a computing device to achieve a particular task on the display screen using information collected from many applications and web pages displayed thereon separately.

User-selectable quasi-permanent partial overlap of user interface display


A plurality of terminals, each responsive to RR (receive ready) and RNR (receive not ready) messages for respectively enabling and inhibiting the transmission of data packets by the terminal, are coupled to a packet handler via a multiplexed path. In order to limit each terminal to an allocated bandwidth, for each terminal a number is stored representing a number of data bytes which the respective terminal is permitted to transmit within a timed period at its allocated bandwidth, and in each timed period a counter counts down from this number in accordance with the number of data bytes transmitted by the terminal. An RNR message is transmitted to the terminal if and when a zero count is reached, and following such an RNR message na RR message is transmitted to the terminal to enable it for the next time period. The arrangement provides a relatively instantaneous limiting of the bandwidth of each terminal to its allocated bandwidth, and can be applied independently for each direction of transmission.

It is known to provide ISDN services to subscribers of a digital communications network. Such services generally comprise a combination of so-called B-channels and D-channels, which provide for data transmission rates of 64 kb/s (kilobits per second) and 16 kb/s respectively. For example, standard combinations of two B-channels and one D-channel (2B+D) and 23 B-channels and one D-channel (23B+D) are being adopted.
Each ISDN subscriber may have several terminals (for example a voice/data terminal, a personal computer, a printer, a facsimile machine, etc.) which it is desired be connected to an ISDN subscriber line for access to the D-channel, which terminals may have various different data communication bit rates up to the 16 kb/s bit rate which can be accommodated by the D-channel. It is desirable to permit such terminals to communicate simultaneously via the D-channel to the extent that its capacity is not exceeded.
In addition, it is known to multiplex the D-channel data from a plurality of subscribers for communication of such data via a link between an exchange termination, to which the individual ISDN subscriber lines are connected, and a packet handler or switch for handling the packetized data of the D-channels. For example, such a link may provide a 64 kb/s data channel to communicate this data between the exchange termination and the packet switch. With statistical multiplexing, such a 64 kb/s data channel may conveniently be intended for handling the D-channel data for a total of, for example, 64 subscriber terminals, each of which is allocated a bandwidth or data rate of 300 b/s (bits per second) to 16 kb/s.
A problem with such an arrangement is that there is currently no effective method of limiting the individual terminals to their allocated data rates. This can lead to a loss of revenues for the provider of the ISDN services, in that a subscriber may pay for only a low data rate (e.g. 300 b/s) while using a terminal with a higher data rate (e.g. 16 kb/s). In addition, such use of terminals with data rates higher than those which have been allocated can result in excessive data traffic on the packet data link between the exchange termination and the packet switch, resulting in excessive loss of data packets for all subscribers and disruption of the operation of the packet network. This is of particular concern for subscribers who subscribe to a high data rate or grade of service.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,316, issued Jan. 23, 1990 to Lespagnol et al. and entitled "Method and System of Control of Flow of Data Packets", there is described a data packet flow control arrangement in which a number representing an allocated average packet flow rate for each virtual circuit is stored in a register. A counter is incremented at a fixed rate, and with each packet of the respective virtual circuit the stored number is subtracted from the count of the counter. A positive result is translated into an authorization to transmit, and a negative result is translated into a refusal of authorization to transmit, packets via the virtual circuit.
In this prior art arrangement, therefore, for each terminal using a virtual circuit, packet transmission rights are accumulated in the counter when the actual data flow rate is less than the allocated flow rate. In consequence, if a terminal is idle (transmits no packets) for a while, it can accumulate sufficient transmission rights to saturate the packet data link when it resumes transmitting packets. Thus although this prior art would limit an average data flow rate from each terminal, it fails to limit the instantaneous data flow rate of each terminal. This failure to limit the instantaneous flow rate of each terminal leaves a potential for the operation of one terminal to seriously degrade the bandwidth allocated for other terminals. Obviously, such degradation of allocated bandwidth should be avoided.
It is also known, for example from the discussion of prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,891 issued Jun. 13, 1989 to Kobayashi et al. and entitled "Method for Controlling Data Flow", to use RR (receive ready) and RNR (receive not ready) signalling to control the flow of data packets between terminals having different operating speeds, thereby to avoid overflow of a receive buffer in which received packets are stored. However, this prior art is concerned with avoiding undesired loss of data packets, and is not concerned with limiting the use by terminals, connected to a statistically multiplexed data link, of transmission rates higher than authorized.
An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved method of and apparatus for controlling the flow of data, in particular on an ISDN D-channel which may be used in a multiplexed manner by a plurality of terminals.

Packet data flow control for an isdn D-channel


The overcurrent protection circuit for a dc-to-dc converter which inputs an input voltage through a power input line, converts the voltage into another voltage to output as an output voltage to a load through a power output line. The overcurrent protection circuit outputs a first connection signal for a predetermined period from the time the input voltage is turned on; detects an overcurrent caused in the load and outputs a second connection signal from the time tile input voltage is turned on until the overcurrent is detected; and closes the power input line while receiving at least one of the first and second connection signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an overcurrent protection circuit for a dc-to-dc converter.
Such power supply devices as convert one direct-current voltage (hereinafter called an input voltage) into another direct-current voltage (hereinafter called an output voltage), which are called generally as a dc-to-dc converter, are divided broadly into a switching regulator and a series regulator. In order to obtain a required level of output voltage, the switching regulator switches the input voltage on and off by using a transistor, for example; and the series regulator drops the input voltage by using a resistor, for example.
The switching regulator-is divided further into what uses a high-frequency transformer and what directly switches the input voltage. Further, from the standpoint of input voltage-to-output voltage relationship, the switching regulator is classified into a voltage-step-up type and a voltage-step-down type, which convert the input voltage into higher and lower levels of output voltage, respectively.
Of those various types of dc-to-dc converters as mentioned above, it is known that a dc-to-dc converter which directly switches the input voltage on and off (called a ripple-control method) provides the highest conversion efficiency, if limited to a voltage-step-down type. Therefore, the dc-to-dc converter of the ripple control method is most suited for a power supply device for driving a light load, which power supply device requires especially high conversion efficiency.
In the field of information processing and communication, as demand increases for a highly reliable equipment, the same demand is also increasing for a power supply device in recent years. Accordingly, an overcurrent protection circuit for protecting a dc-to-dc converter from an overcurrent due to a short circuit caused in a load, is in great demand.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1A-1C are circuit diagrams of prior-art overcurrent protection circuits for voltage-step-down type dc-to-dc converters of the ripple-control type.
In the dc-to-dc converter 210 shown throughout FIGS. 1A-1C, a field effect transistor (hereinafter abbreviated to FET) 211 is turned on and off according to the output of a comparator 212 so as to output a ripple voltage to a smoothing circuit. The smoothing circuit consisting of a zener diode 213, a choke coil 214 and a capacitor 215, smooths (or reduces the ripple of) the ripple voltage to provide a direct-current output voltage.
Resistor pairs R1 and R2 connected in series are grounded in parallel with the capacitor 215. The comparator 212 compares voltage Vd at the junction between the resistors R1 and R2 with reference voltage Vs and outputs a comparison result signal through a resistor R3 to the FET 211 gate, to which the input voltage is applied through a resistor R4. Thus, depending on whether or not the voltage Vd is lower than the reference voltage Vs, the comparator 212 provides the FET 211 gate with a low voltage level corresponding to logical "0" or an open-circuited state, respectively, thereby turning the FET 211 on and off and causing the FET 211 to output a ripple voltage. The ripple voltage is then smoothed by the smoothing circuit to provide stabilized output voltage.
In the dc-to-dc converter 210 which directly switches the input voltage with the FET 211 as explained above, if a load which is connected to the output of the dc-to-dc converter 210 is short-circuited, for example, causing an overcurrent, the overcurrent might flow into the FET 211, eventually damaging the dc-to-dc converter 210. To prevent this, the following method was conventionally used:
As shown in FIG. 1A, the overcurrent protection circuit has a fuse 501 inserted in the power input line 10 (line which supplies the input voltage to the dc-to-dc converter 210). When an overcurrent occurs,and flows through the fuse 501, the fuse 501 fuses and disconnects the power input line 10, thus preventing the overcurrent from flowing into the FET 211.
The overcurrent protection circuit shown in FIG. 1B has a current monitoring circuit 504 inserted in the power output line 20 (line through which the dc-to-dc converter 210 outputs the output voltage). The current monitoring circuit 504 includes a resistor RL and a comparator 502. The comparator 502 compares the voltage Vc across the resistor RL with the predetermined threshold voltage (not shown) and provides the comparison result signal to the comparator 212 so that the comparator 212 causes the FET 211 to turn off when the voltage Vc exceeds the threshold voltage due to a short circuit caused in the load, for example.
The overcurrent protection circuit shown in FIG. 1C has a voltage monitoring circuit 604 connected to the output of the dc-to-dc converter 210. The voltage monitoring circuit 604 includes resistors R5 and R6 and a comparator 601. The comparator 601 compares voltage at the junction between the resistors R5 and R6 with the predetermined reference voltage Vt and provides the comparison result signal the comparator 212 so that the comparator 212 causes the FET 211 to turn off when the former voltage becomes lower than the reference voltage Vt due to a short circuit in the load.
FIG. 2A is a circuit diagram of a prior-art overcurrent protection circuit for a series-regulator type dc-to-dc converter.
The series regulator 310 measures the output voltage with a voltage meter 311 and varies the resistance of a variable resistor 312 according to the measured voltage so as to drop the input voltage to a required level of output voltage. The overcurrent protection circuit has a fuse 501 inserted in the power input line 10 of the thus-constructed dc-to-dc converter. The fuse 501 fuses and disconnects the power input line 10 when an overcurrent occurs, thus protecting the series regulator 310 from the overcurrent.
FIG. 2B is a circuit diagram of a prior-art overcurrent protection circuit for a a voltage-step-up chopper type dc-to-dc converter.
The dc-to-dc converter 410 of a voltage-step-up chopper type which does not use a high frequency transformer, includes a choke coil 411, a smoothing circuit 412, a control circuit 414 and a switching circuit 503. The control circuit (CONT) 414 is responsive to the output of the smoothing circuit 412 for turning the switching element 413 on and off to provide a required level of output voltage.
As shown in FIG. 2B, the overcurrent protection circuit has a switching circuit 503 and the current monitoring circuit 504 as explained with FIG. 1B, inserted in the power input line 10 and power output line 20, respectively. The comparator 502 detects an output voltage drop resulting from a short circuit caused in the load, in the same way as explained with FIG. 1B and causes the switching circuit 503 to disconnect the power input line 10 so as to protect dc-to-dc converter from an overcurrent due to the short circuit.
However, as for the overcurrent protection circuit using the fuse 501 (see FIGS. 1A and 2A), a problem is that an overcurrent due to a short circuit caused in the load may not be able to fuse the fuse 501, if the dc power supply (not shown in the figures), which supplies the input voltage to the dc-to-dc converter, has a current limitation characteristics. That is, the dc power supply limits a current flowing therefrom to the dc-to-dc converter through the fuse 501, allowing the overcurrent to flow through the dc-to-dc converter, eventually destroying it.
As for the overcurrent protection circuit using the current monitoring circuit 504 for monitoring an output current with the resistor RL (see FIGS. 1B and 2B), it may surely detect a short circuit in the load and protect the dc-to-dc converter from destruction. However, a problem is that voltage drop caused by the resistor RL decreases the voltage conversion efficiency.
As for the overcurrent protection circuit shown in FIG. 1C, it is difficult to discriminate a so-called start-up state from a real load short-circuited state because the output voltage is low in either state. Hereinafter, the start-up state is defined as the state which occurs for the period from the time the input voltage is supplied to the dc-to-dc converter 210 until it starts a normal conversion operation to provide the normal output voltage. The load short-circuited state occurs after the start-up state (or start-up period) when a short circuit occurs in the load, causing a drop in the output voltage. Since the output of the dc-to-dc converter 210 has not yet reached the normal voltage level in the start-up period, a problem is that the comparator 601 will signal the comparator 212 to turn off the FET 211, eventually prohibiting the dc-to-dc converter 210 from performing the normal conversion operation.

Overcurrent protection circuit for a dc-to-dc converter


A device comprising a laminate (2) comprising at least two layers (31, 32, 33, 34, 35) and a plurality of electronic components (5, 6, 7, 8) disposed between two layers. At least one of the layers (31, 34) supports conductive tracks (10, 11) arranged to connect electronic components.

Electronic components are increasingly being incorporated into printed articles, such as books, posters and greeting cards, to allow printed articles to become more interactive. Examples of interactive printed articles are described in GB 2 464 537 A, WO 2004 077286 A, WO 2007 035115 A and DE 1993 4312672 A.


A portable suction system comprises a vacuum valve subassembly. The subassembly has a body, upper and lower ball valves, and an actuating linkage. The body has a mounting portion for a tank and a valve housing portion. The mounting portion has a threaded diameter. The tank mounting portion has venturi and feed passageways. The valve housing portions have a cylindrical configurations. The body has a venturi blow-through line passageway intersecting. The ball valves are located within the passageways of the valve body. The ball valves are coupled to the actuating linkage with a trigger which rotates the ball valves into one of the positions from the category. The category includes the venturi ball valve open and feed ball valve open, and neither ball valve open. The linkage is coupled to and held in position on the outside surface of the valve body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable suction system and more particularly pertains to allowing a user to safely and efficiently create negative pressure within a container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of suction systems of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, suction systems of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of creating a negative pressure through known methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,07,803 to DiVito et al discloses an air operated vacuum pump. U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,622 to Clark II discloses a fluid change system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,402 to Goodman discloses a pre-charged vacuum fluid change/disposal apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,247 to Goodman discloses a pre-charged vacuum fluid charge-disposal apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,602 to Cagle discloses a vacuum producing device. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,716,307 to Hansen discloses a venturi head for vacuum systems.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a portable suction system that allows allowing a user to safely and efficiently create negative pressure within a container.
In this respect, the portable suction system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing a user to safely and efficiently create negative pressure within a container.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved portable suction system which can be used for allowing a user to safely and efficiently create negative pressure within a container. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.