Various aspects of the present invention provide compositions and implantable devices including a water-insoluble therapeutic agent solubilized in a matrix of a gallate-containing compound. Other aspects provide methods of manufacturing and using such compositions and devices

Local delivery of a therapeutic agent can be useful in the treatment of many medical conditions. Illustratively, local delivery of a therapeutic agent within a body vessel or to a selected portion of internal body tissue can eliminate or reduce the need for systemic delivery of the therapeutic agent thus minimizing any potential adverse effect of the therapeutic agent on areas of the body not needing treatment.
Minimally invasive implantable medical devices, such as balloons, catheters and stents, can provide a platform for delivering therapeutic agents to internal body tissue. For example, balloon catheters or stents may be used to deliver a therapeutic agent directly to the target site within a body vessel such as an artery or vein.
One example of a condition that can be beneficially treated by local administration of a therapeutic agent with a balloon catheter is the delivery of a therapeutic agent in combination with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), a technique used to dilate stenotic portions of blood vessels. In such cases, a catheter balloon coated with the therapeutic agent can be positioned at a blocked lumen or target site during PTCA, and the balloon is inflated causing dilation of the vessel lumen. The catheter balloon is pressed against the vessel wall for delivery of the therapeutic agent to the vessel wall. The balloon is deflated and the catheter is then removed from the target site and the patient's lumen thereby allowing blood to more freely flow through the now less restricted lumen.
Although PTCA and related procedures aid in alleviating intraluminal constrictions, such constrictions or blockages may reoccur in many cases. The cause of these recurring obstructions, termed restenosis, may be due to the body responding to the surgical procedure. Restenosis of the vessel may develop over several months after the procedure, and may require another angioplasty procedure or a surgical bypass operation to correct. Proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells (SMC) from the media layer of the lumen to the intimal layer cause an excessive production of extracellular matrices (ECM), which is believed to be one of the leading contributors to the development of restenosis. The extensive thickening of tissues narrows the lumen of the blood vessel, constricting or blocking the blood flow through the vessel. Therapeutic agents that inhibit restenosis may be locally delivered during PTCA from a catheter or by placement of a stent configured to continue to release the therapeutic agent after the PTCA procedure.
The delivery of the therapeutic agent from coatings in these and other minimally invasive procedures can be complicated by the need both to have a coating that is durable during delivery, but which effectively delivers the therapeutic agent when implanted in the region where local treatment is desired. Furthermore, numerous therapeutic agents are not freely soluble in an aqueous environment. Because natural biological environments are aqueous, it can occur that a coating containing a water-insoluble therapeutic agent is sufficiently durable during travel to the intended delivery site, but then fails to optimally deliver the therapeutic agent at the site. Needs thus exist for compositions, coatings, and coated implantable medical devices which enable the beneficial delivery of a water-insoluble therapeutic agent locally to a site intended for treatment.

Compositions and devices incorporating water-insoluble therapeutic agents and methods of the use thereof


The present invention relates to polyurethane/ureas wherein the polyurethane/ureas contain 0.5 to 6% by weight, based on the weight of the polyurethane/ureas, of alkoxysilane groups (calculated as Si, MW 28), which have been incorporated by the reaction of isocyanate groups with a dihydroxy compound containing urea and alkoxysilane groups, and wherein the polyurethane/ureas optionally contain hydrophilic groups and are optionally dispersed in an aqueous medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to polyurethane/ureas, in particular, aqueous polyurethane/urea dispersions wherein the polyurethane/ureas contain pendant alkoxysilane groups.
2. Description of Related Art
The production of linear or cross-linked solvent-based polyurethane/ureas and aqueous polyurethane/urea dispersions are well known. The solvent-based polyurethane/ureas and the aqueous polyurethane/urea dispersions may be used for a wide range of commercial applications such as adhesives or coatings for various substrates including textile fabrics, plastic, wood, glass fibers and metals. Chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, toughness, tensile strength, elasticity and durability are among the many desirable properties of these coatings.
Regardless of the property level which may be obtained for coatings prepared from commercial polyurethane/ureas, there is a continuing need to improve these properties, in particular water resistance, solvent resistance, weather resistance and physical properties such as abrasion resistance.
It is an object of the present invention to provide polyurethane/ureas, in particular, aqueous polyurethane/urea dispersions, which can be used to prepare coatings that possess these properties and still retain the other valuable properties of the polyurethane ureas.
This object may be achieved in accordance with the present invention by preparing the polyurethane/ureas, in particular, the polyurethane/urea dispersions containing pendant alkoxysilane groups from dihydroxy compounds containing urea and alkoxysilane groups.
Aqueous polyurethane dispersions containing pendant alkoxysilane groups are known and disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,567,228, 4,582,873 and 5,041,494 and Published Application No. WO 03/11937. However, in these applications the alkoxysilane groups are incorporated through mixed primary/secondary diamines containing alkoxysilane groups instead of dihydroxy compounds containing urea and alkoxysilane groups as required by the present invention. An advantage of incorporating the alkoxysilane groups in accordance with the present invention is that the alkoxysilane groups are incorporated by the formation of urethane groups instead of urea groups as in the prior art. The presence of urethane groups generally results in a product having a lower viscosity than a similar product containing more urea groups.

Polyurethane/urea containing pendant alkoxysilane groups

Abstract: The present invention also relates to a process for preparing these polyurethane/urea and to their use for preparing coatings.


A method of forming a capacitor includes forming a first capacitor electrode over a semiconductor substrate. A capacitor dielectric region is formed onto the first capacitor electrode. The capacitor dielectric region has an exposed oxide containing surface. The exposed oxide containing surface of the capacitor dielectric region is treated with at least one of a borane or a silane. A second capacitor electrode is deposited over the treated oxide containing surface. The second capacitor electrode has an inner metal surface contacting against the treated oxide containing surface. Other aspects and implementations are contemplated.

Capacitors are commonly-used electrical components in semiconductor circuitry, for example memory circuitry such as DRAM separated by a non-conducting capacitor dielectric region. As integrated circuit density increases, there is a continuing challenge to maintain sufficiently high storage capacitance despite decreasing capacitor area. One way of increasing cell capacitance is through cell structure techniques. Such techniques include three-dimensional cell capacitors, such as trenched and stacked capacitors. Other ways of increasing cell capacitance include the development and utilization of new materials for one or both of the electrodes and the capacitor dielectric region.
One type of capacitor utilizes a semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor (SIS) construction. Capacitance increase can result for the same capacitor dielectric region by making one or both of the electrodes metallic, for example forming semiconductor-insulator-metal (SIM), metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) or metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors. However, capacitance increase from such constructions can also cause increased undesired leakage current across the capacitor. Further, the deposition of oxide containing capacitor dielectric regions, as well as deposition of certain metal containing capacitor electrode materials, can be problematic in the fabrication of metal containing capacitor electrodes.
While the invention was motivated in addressing the above described issues, it is in no way so limited. The invention is only limited by the accompanying claims as literally worded, without interpretative or other limiting reference to the specification, and in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.


A display device includes a pixel section that includes a plurality of pixels each of which has a display element and which are disposed in a two-dimensional manner, and a driving circuit section that drives the plurality of pixels in order to perform display, in which a first floor including the driving circuit section and a second floor including the pixel section are laminated.

The present disclosure relates to a display device including, for example, an organic electro luminescent (EL) element, and an electronic apparatus using the display device.
In recent years, narrowing of a frame has progressed in a display device including a mobile use. However, in a small or medium-sized display device, there is a restriction in a layout of peripheral driving circuits, and thus it is difficult to realize a narrow frame. Therefore, a method has been proposed in which a frame portion is bent by using a stainless steel substrate or a plastic substrate (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-128006).


The invention includes a method and device for determining the in-situ density of a porous material. A resistivity measuring device applies an electrical current through an electrode array to measure the resistivity of the porous material. The resistivity measuring device may also be used to measure the resistivity of a pore filling fluid. A formation factor and in-situ density constants of the porous material are determined using empirical methods. In-situ moisture content of the porous material is determined. The above data is applied to a general geophysical in-situ density equation to calculate the in-situ density of the porous material.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to electrical geophysical methods and apparatus for determining the in-situ density of homogeneous porous materials.
2. Description of Related Art
In-situ density calculations using electrical geophysics were developed by Anderson and Ehni in 1996, using resistivity measurements and porosity calculations as developed by G. E. Archie, combined with a formation factor or constant. These formation and/or solution factors are empirically derived through experimentation and testing for repeatability.
The invention involves a process and apparatus requiring specific measurements using equipment consisting of a resistivity meter and a series of electrodes (in groups of four) set up in an array which directly measures the electrical resistivity of a homogenous porous medium, such as compacted fill for the roadbase of a highway or foundations for building construction. The testing process is non-destructive, fast, and can be conducted during and/or after the material has been installed. Electrical resistivity data are collected in the field and are used to calculate the in-situ density of the construction site at the time of field investigation. The test methodology includes a set of standard operational techniques for acquiring the electrical resistivity data which is used to quantify the porosity of the earthen material and qualitatively calculate the in-situ density the earthen material.
Development of an electrical geophysical method and apparatus for determining the in-situ density of porous materials at the earths surface utilizes two primary principles of applied geophysics. Both of the geophysical principals had their origin in the petroleum industry and were not considered, assessed, examined, or adapted for use for geotechnical engineering until Anderson and Ehni recognized their potential, conducted research to assess adaption of the principals, and developed the invention that is presented herein.
The first geophysical principal is based on work by Conrad and Marcel Schlumberger (1930) who developed a system of measuring the resistivity of surface rocks with electrodes deployed on the surface. They used the subsurface zone variations in resistivity to interpret gross geologic structural phenomena. They later applied this technology to evaluating the lithology of well bores that were drilled for petroleum exploration.
The second geophysical principal uses G. E. Archie's 1941 work. Archie presented his work in 1942 in a paper entitled The Electrical Resistivity Log as an Aid in Determining Some Reservoir Characteristics. Archie determined porosities of various materials using resistivity measurements. Mathematical formulas that G. E. Archie derived, and other relevant mathematical formulas that have been adapted for use in the invention.
By adapting these two petroleum exploration and production industries principles for use with modified geotechnical engineering equations for earthen material density, a new, accurate method has been developed for determining the in-situ density of porous materials at the near surface.
The following prior art reflects the state of art of which the applicant is aware and is included herewith to discharge applicant's duty to disclose relevant prior art. However, that none of these references teach singly nor render obvious when considered in any conceivable combination the nexus of the instant invention as disclosed in greater detail hereinafter and as particularly claimed.
Anderson, D. M. and Ehni, W. J., Geophysical Methods and Apparatus for Determining the Hydraulic Conductivity of Porous Materials, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/370,102 filed on Jan. 9, 1995. Continuation In Part, filed Apr. 15, 1997 by Patent Agent, Ian Burns, Esq., Attorney Docket No. :1273.01 PA1 Archie, G. E., The Electrical Resistivity Log as an Aid in Determining Some Reservoir Characteristics, Transaction of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, Vol. 146, 1942 PA1 American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), ASTM D 1557-78 or 698-78 Standard Test Methods for Moisture-Density Relations of Soil and Soil Aggregate Mixtures, 1988 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, 4 Construction, Philadelphia, Pa., 1988 PA1 Bowles, J. E., Engineering Properties of Soils and Their Properties, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1992 PA1 Cernica, John N., Geotechnical Engineering: Soil Mechanics, Wiley, N.Y., 1995 PA1 Hunt, Roy E., Geotechnical Engineering Investigation Manual, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1984 PA1 Parasnis, D. S., Principles of Applied Geophysics, Fourth Edition, Chapman & Hall, New York, N.Y., 1986 PA1 Schlumberger C., and Schlumberger M.; Depth of investigation attainable by potential methods of electrical exploration . . . ; AIME Technical Publication No. 315; 1930 PA1 Schlumberger C., Schlumberger M., Leonardon E. D.; Electrical Coriing: a Method of Determining Bottom-hole data by Electrical Measurements.; Transactions of the AIME; Technical Publication No. 462; 1932 PA1 Wyllie, M. R. J. and Rose, Walter D., Some theoretical Considerations Related to the Quantitative Evaluation of the Physical characteristics of Reservoir Rock from Electrical Log Data, Gulf Research and Development Co., AIME Petroleum Branch, 1949 PA1 "After the materials have been satisfactory mixed, the mixture shall be bladed and compacted to a ninety-five (95) percent relative maximum density as determined by Test Method No. Nev. T101. Test Method No. Nev. T102 or T103 may be used to determine the in-place density. Test method to be determined by the Engineer."
Related patent applications
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/370,102 with filing date Jan. 9, 1995, and Continuation In Part, filed Apr. 15, 1997 by Patent Agent, Ian F. Burns, Esq., Attorney Docket No. :1273.01; and Patent Cooperation Treaty Application No. PCT/US96/00355 with international filing date 11 JAN 96 are related to this patent application. The title of the above mentioned applications is: Geophysical Methods and Apparatus for Determining the Hydraulic Conductivity of Porous Materials. D. M. Anderson and W. J. Ehni are co-inventors and co-applicants for the above mentioned patent applications. The apparatus and method of acquiring the electrical resistivity field data for determining relative in-situ density of porous material uses portions of the prior art. However, in the invention disclosed herein the data digest and integration of different mathematical equations and expressions produces a relative density result from the measured resistivity data.
Provisional Patent Application with Ser. No. 60/017,660 filed with the US Patent and Trademarks Office on May 14, 1996, titled Electrical Geophysical Methods and Apparatus for Determining the Percent (%) Moisture of Porous Materials was filed by D. M. Anderson and W. J. Ehni.

Electrical geophysical methods and apparatus for determining the in-situ density of porous material


A bicycle disc brake hub is provided with a brake rotor attachment portion having an external surface with an external spline section and an annular internal surface with internal threads, and a locking ring having a center tubular section with external threads and an abutment flange extending outwardly from the center tubular section to form an axially facing retaining surface. The external threads of the center tubular section mates with the internal threads of the brake rotor attachment portion to secure a rotor mounting boss and a brake rotor thereto. In one embodiment, the brake rotor is held between the locking ring and the rotor mounting boss, while in a another embodiment, the brake rotor is riveted to the rotor mounting boss.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a bicycle disc brake hub. More specifically, the present invention relates a bicycle disc brake hub in which the brake rotor mounted on a splined section of the hub shell.
2. Background Information
Bicycling is becoming an increasingly popular form of recreation as well as a means of transportation. Moreover, bicycling has become a very popular competitive sport. Whether the bicycle is used for recreation, transportation or competition, the bicycle industry is constantly improving their components. One particular component of the bicycle which has been extensively redesigned over the past years is the bicycle braking system.
There are several types of bicycle brake devices, which are currently available on the market. Examples of some types of common bicycle brake devices include rim brakes, caliper brakes and disc brakes. If a rider wants a very high performance brake system, then the rider typically wants a disc brake system. Disc brake systems provide a substantial braking power in relationship to the amount of braking force applied to the brake lever. Moreover, disc brake systems typically provide a high level of consistency in all types of weather and riding conditions.
Typically, a brake disc assembly for a bicycle includes a caliper mounted on the bicycle frame and operatively coupled to a brake lever, and a disc brake rotor fixedly coupled to the hub of the wheel of the bicycle. The disc brake rotor has been coupled to the hub of the wheel in several different ways. For example, a brake rotor attachment flange is often provided for bolting the disc brake rotor to the hub. Alternatively, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,144 to Di Bella, the hub has splines at one end that a boss part is non-rotatably mounted thereon and secured by a locking ring. One problem with the latter method of attaching the disc brake rotor to the hub is that the external seat may become damaged such that the locking ring cannot be installed thereon. One problem with this type of mounting method is that the brake rotor attachment portion can often be difficult to manufacture and/or install the brake rotor thereon.
In view of the above, there exists a need for an improved bicycle disc brake hub which overcomes the above mentioned problems in the prior art. This invention addresses this need in the prior art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.


A method including casting a ray from a point toward a point-based three dimensional scene. The scene includes memory resident objects with object surfaces and a first splat and a second splat associated with the object surfaces. The first splat and the second splat have a position and a normal vector. The method also includes forming an event line through the first splat and the second splat. The event line intersects the first splat and the second splat. The method further includes determining whether a visibility conflict exists between the first splat and the second splat. The method also includes separating the first splat and the second splat to different object surfaces if the visibility conflict exists, otherwise merging the first splat and the second splat to a single object surface.

In image rendering in computer graphics system, it is often desirable to render point-based geometry directly, e.g. without triangulation. However, a challenge exists in that unlike in triangle-based graphics, both the exact position and color of a surface within a scene are defined as a weighted average of nearby point samples. This makes it difficult to determine which surface, if any, a query ray may hit. Additionally, it is difficult to determine the visibility relationships among the point samples. Current solutions to these problems choose to ignore this difficulty and limit themselves to simple scenarios where point density is almost uniform and the scenes consist of a few simple objects. Unfortunately, these solutions fail in more complex scenes or when point density varies rapidly. However, a well-known solution is Räsänen's method. While Räsänen's method works well in a majority of cases, it is often too eager to merge point samples to the same surface and causes unpredictable light leaks between surfaces which may cause unwanted image artifacts.

Surface classification for point-based rendering within graphics display system


Provided is a pressing device for toroidal continuously variable transmission capable of reducing hysteresis that occurs between torque and pressing force. An intermediate sliding member 27 is provided in at least one location of a portion between an end surface on the outside in the radial direction of the retainer 13 of the roller 14 arranged on the outermost side in the radial direction and an inside surface of the pocket 25 on the outside in the radial direction, and a portion between an end surface on the outside in the radial direction of the retainer 13 of one roller 14 of adjoining rollers 14 in the radial direction and an end surface on the inside in the radial direction of the retainer 13 of another roller 14. As a result, the contact area of a sliding contact portion 32 is made smaller than in a case where an intermediate sliding member 27 is not provided.

A toroidal continuously variable transmission comprises an input-side disk and an output-side disk that are coaxially arranged to each other and that rotate relative to each other, and a plurality of power rollers that are held between these disks, and the toroidal continuously variable transmission is configured so that power is transmitted from the input-side disk to the output-side disk via the power rollers. In a toroidal continuously variable transmission, it is possible to adjust the transmission ratio between the input-side disk and the output-side disk by changing the inclination angle of the power rollers.
During operation of a toroidal continuously variable transmission, an oil film of traction oil is formed on traction portions that are portions of rolling contact between a side surface in the axial direction of the input-side disk and a peripheral surface of the respective power rollers and between a side surface in the axial direction of the output-side disk and the peripheral surface of the respective power rollers. Power is transmitted from the input-side disk to the output-side disk via this oil film. In a toroidal continuously variable transmission, a pressing device is provided for pressing the input-side disk and the output-side disk in directions toward each other so that the transmission of power via the oil film of traction oil can be reliably performed.
As a pressing device for a toroidal continuously variable transmission, JP H11-201251(A) discloses a loading cam type pressing device for mechanically generating a pressing force that is proportional to the magnitude of the transmission torque. The loading cam type pressing device includes a first cam surface that is formed on the side surface in the axial direction of a disk-shaped cam plate, a second cam surface that is provided on the side surface in the axial direction of a disk that faces the first cam surface in the axial direction, and a plurality of rollers held between the first cam surface and the second cam surface. The plurality of rollers are rotatably held inside a plurality of rectangular-shaped pockets located at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction of a retainer, with two or more rollers of the plurality of rollers being arranged in a row in the radial direction of the cam plate inside each of the pockets. The rollers are made of steel such as bearing steel or the like, and the retainer is made of steel such as carbonitriding steel.
During operation of a loading cam type pressing device, the rollers ride up on convex portions of the first cam surface and the second cam surface, whereby the space in the axial direction between the first cam surface and the second cam surface increases. As a result, the first disk on which the second cam surface is provided (for example, the input-side disk) is pressed toward the second disk (for example, the output-side disk) that faces the first disk, and the surface pressure of the traction portions is maintained.
In the loading cam type pressing device, it is desirable that the characteristics of the magnitude of the transmission torque and the generated pressing force have a linearity, or in other words, a proportional relationship. However, during operation of the toroidal continuously variable transmission, a centrifugal force acts on the roller as the retainer rotates, so a large frictional force is easily generated at the sliding contact portions between the end surfaces in the axial direction of the rollers, and at the sliding contact portions between the outside surfaces in the radial direction of the pockets and the end surfaces in the axial direction of the rollers that face the outside surfaces in the radial direction of the pockets. Therefore, as described in JP 2006-038131(A), hysteresis based on the frictional force is generated, so the relationship between the torque and the generated pressing force is no longer linear.
FIG. 17 illustrates an image of torque and generated pressing force. The solid lines in FIG. 17 shows the relationship between the torque and the generated pressing force when hysteresis occurs, the arrows X and Y attached along the line indicate the direction of change in torque and pressing force, and the line segments a indicated by a dash-dot line shows a theoretical relationship (theoretical value) between the torque and the pressing force, which corresponds to the target characteristic. As can be seen from FIG. 17, as indicated by the arrow X, when increasing the torque, a pressing force smaller than the theoretical value may be generated, whereas as indicated by the arrow Y, when reducing the torque, a pressing force larger than the theoretical value may be generated.
For this reason, when determining the dimensions of the loading cam type pressing device, it is necessary to consider the loss due to the hysteresis so that the required pressing force may always be ensured. More specifically, even when increasing the torque, in order to generate a pressing force that is equal to or larger than the theoretical value, it is necessary to determine the dimensions at which characteristics such as indicated by the dashed lines in FIG. 17 may be obtained. As a result, when reducing the torque, it is easy for a pressing force higher than the desired pressing force to be generated. When the generated pressing force of the pressing device becomes excessively large, not only does it become necessary to increase the dimensions and thus the weight of the pressing device, but also those of the overall toroidal continuously variable transmission in which the pressing device is installed. Therefore, with regard to a loading cam type pressing device, it is important to reduce the hysteresis in order to prevent excessive pressing while ensuring the necessary pressing force.
JP H01-299358(A) describes construction in which, as illustrated in FIG. 18, a contact portion 44 having a surface area that is much smaller than the surface area of the end surface of the roller 14 is formed in the center portion of one end surface of the roller 14 (upper end surface in FIG. 18) on the outside in the radial direction of the retainer 13, and this contact portion 44 is made to come in contact with the inside surface of the outside of the pocket 25 in the radial direction of the retainer 13, or is made to come in contact with the end surface of an adjacent roller 14 on the inside in the radial direction of the retainer 13. With this construction, the contact portion 44 has a surface area that is smaller than the surface area of the end surface of the roller 14, so it is possible to reduce the frictional force generated at the contact portion 44 due to the pressing force by a centrifugal force.

Pressing device for toroidal continuously variable transmission


A rotation transmitting device includes: an inner member; a cylindrical outer member disposed around the inner member; and a one-way clutch. Also provided is a pair of support bearings between the outer peripheral surface of the inner member and the inner peripheral surface of the outer member. The one-way clutch has a cylindrical clutch outer ring; and a cylindrical clutch inner ring that is fixedly fitted externally to an axially middle portion of the outer peripheral surface of the inner member and that has the outer peripheral surface formed to be a cam surface with wedge-shaped spaces provided at predetermined pitches in a circumferential direction. Rollers are disposed in the respective wedge-shaped spaces and spring members are disposed in the wedge-shaped spaces such that they urge the rollers toward portions with smaller radial widths of the wedge-shaped spaces. A clutch retainer made of metal supports the rollers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotation transmitting device incorporating a one-way clutch that can be used as a driven pulley secured to an end of a rotating shaft of an alternator, which is, for example, an automotive generator, or as a pinion or the like secured to an end of a rotating shaft constituting a starter motor of an automotive starting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a conventional alternator disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-139550.
Referring to FIG. 10, a rotating shaft 3 is rotatably supported by a pair of ball-and-roller bearings 4 in a housing 2. A rotor 5 and a commutator 6 are provided at a middle portion of the rotating shaft 3. A driven pulley 7 is secured to an end of the rotating shaft 3 extending out from one end (the right end in FIG. 10) of the housing 2.
When the alternator 1 configured as described above has been installed to an engine, an endless belt (not shown) is installed on the driven pulley 7. Motive power of a crankshaft of the engine is transmitted via an endless belt to the rotating shaft 3 to rotatably drive the rotating shaft, thereby generating power necessary for an automobile.
Hitherto, in general, the driven pulley 7 is simply secured to the rotating shaft 3. In recent years, however, a pulley device incorporating a one-way clutch has been proposed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 56-101353, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-317807, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-61443, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-226462, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-22753, and Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. 7-72585. The pulley device is a rotation transmitting device with a built-in one-way clutch in which motive power is freely transmitted from an endless belt to a rotating shaft if a running speed of the endless belt is fixed or increasing, while relative rotation of the driven pulley and the rotating shaft is allowed if the running speed of the endless belt is decreasing.
FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an essential section of a conventional pulley device including a one-way clutch, FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at the line XIIxe2x80x94XII of FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an essential section of a retaining frame employed with the conventional pulley device including the one-way clutch.
Referring to FIG. 11 through FIG. 13, the pulley device with the built-in one-way clutch has a sleeve 8, which is an inner member that can be fixedly and externally fitted to the rotating shaft 3 of the alternator 1. A driven pulley 7a, which is a cylindrical outer member, is disposed concentrically with the sleeve 8. A pair of support bearings 9 and a roller clutch 10, which is the one-way clutch, are provided between an outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 8 and an inner peripheral surface of the driven pulley 7a.
The entire sleeve 8 is formed to be cylindrical, fixedly and externally fitted to an end of the rotating shaft 3 of the alternator 1, and can be rotated together with the rotating shaft 3. Hence, as shown in FIG. 11, a tapped hole 11 is formed in a middle portion of the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve 8, and the tapped hole 11 and an external thread formed on an external peripheral surface of a distal end portion of the rotating shaft 3 can be screwed with one another. A distal end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve 8 (the left end portion in FIG. 11) is provided with a locking hole 12 having a hexagonal section, so that a distal end of a tool, such as a hexagonal wrench, can be locked in the locking hole 12. A proximal end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve 8 (the right end portion in FIG. 11) is provided with a round hole 13 that fit, without a play, in a portion closer to the middle in the distal end portion of the rotating shaft 3.
To combine the sleeve 8 and the rotating shaft 3 so that they do not relatively rotate, other structure, such as a spline engagement structure, a noncircular fitting structure, or a key engagement may be employed. A central portion of the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 8 has a large-diameter portion 14 that has a larger diameter than the rest thereof.
A half distal end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the driven pulley 7a is formed so that its section passing through an axis is serrated to hold a part of an endless belt called a poly-V belt. The roller clutch 10 is disposed at an axially middle portion in a space formed between the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 8 and the inner peripheral surface of the driven pulley 7a, and the pair of bearings 9 are disposed at portions closer to both axial ends of the space so that the bearings axially clamp the roller clutch 10 from both ends.
The support bearings 9 support a radial load applied to the driven pulley 7a, while allowing relative rotation of the driven pulley 7a and the sleeve 8. The bearings 9 use, for example, deep-groove ball bearings.
The roller clutch 10 allows the transmission of torque between the driven pulley 7a and the sleeve 8 only if the driven pulley 7a attempts to relatively rotate in a predetermined direction with respect to the sleeve 8.
To construct the roller clutch 10 as described above, a clutch inner ring 21 is externally fitted and secured to the large-diameter portion 14 of the sleeve 8 by tightening. The clutch inner ring 21 is formed by subjecting a steel sheet made of cement steel or the like to plastic working, such as press working, to form the entire body into a cylindrical shape, a cam surface 22 being formed on its outer peripheral surface. More specifically, a plurality of recessed sections 23 like ramps are equidistantly formed in the circumferential direction in the outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner ring 21 thereby to form the cam surface 22. A chamfered portion 24 shaped like a conical recessed surface is formed on one end portion (the left end portion in FIG. 11) of the inner peripheral surface of the clutch inner ring 21. The chamfered portion 24 serves as a guiding surface for press-fitting the clutch inner ring 21 onto the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion 14.
Furthermore, a clutch outer ring 25 is internally fitted and secured to a middle portion of the inner peripheral surface of the driven pulley 7a by tightening. In the inner peripheral surface of the clutch outer ring 25, at least an axially middle portion abutting against rollers 26, which will be discussed hereinafter, is shaped simply as a cylindrical surface. The clutch outer ring 25 is formed by subjecting a steel sheet made of cement steel or the like to plastic working, such as press working, to form the entire body into a cylindrical shape, and inward flange-shaped jaws 27a and 27b, which provide a circular portion, are formed on both axial ends thereof. Of the two jaws 27a and 27b, the jaw 27a has the same thickness as the cylindrical portion of the clutch outer ring 25 because it is formed beforehand in the manufacture of the clutch outer ring 25. On the other hand, the jaw 27b is made thinner because it is formed across the diameter inside the clutch outer ring 25 after the rollers 26, which will be discussed later, and a clutch retainer 28 are installed.
A plurality of rollers 26 constructing the roller clutch 10, together with the clutch inner ring 21 and the clutch outer ring 25, are supported by the clutch inner ring 21 by the externally fitted clutch retainer 28, which is prohibited from rotating in relation to the clutch inner ring 21, such that they are allowed to roll and to be slightly displaced in the circumferential direction. The clutch retainer 28 is formed of a synthetic resin (e.g. a mixture made by adding about 20% of glass fiber to a synthetic resin, such as polyamide 66, polyamide 46, or polyphenylene sulfide) into a cage-like cylindrical shape. Each segment of the clutch retainer 28 has a pair of annular rims 29 and a plurality of pillars 30 connecting the paired rims 29.
A square space surrounded by the inner side surfaces of the rims 29 and the circumferential side surfaces of the pillars 30 constitutes a pocket 31. Each of the rollers 26 is supported in each of the pockets 31 such that it rolls and is slightly displaced in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, an arc-shaped protuberances 32 are formed on a plurality of locations on the inner peripheral surface of each rim 29, and the clutch retainer 28 is loosely fitted to the clutch inner ring 21. The protuberances 32 are engaged with the recessed sections 23 formed in the outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner ring 21 so as to prohibit the relative rotation with respect to the clutch inner ring 21.
Furthermore, a leaf spring 33 is held by a retaining section 30a provided on a circumferential side surface of the pillar 30, and disposed in each of the pockets 31. The leaf spring 33 faces a portion, which becomes narrower across the diameter, of a cylindrical gap formed between the outer peripheral surface of the cam surface 22 and the inner peripheral surface (cylindrical surface) of the middle portion of the clutch outer ring 25, and elastically presses the roller 26 in the circumferential direction of the clutch retainer 28. Both axial end surfaces of the clutch retainer 28 closely oppose the inner side surfaces of the two jaws 27a and 27b of the clutch outer ring 25 so as to prevent axial displacement of the clutch retainer 28.
In the pulley device incorporating the one-way clutch constructed as described above, if the driven pulley 7a and the sleeve 8 attempt to relatively rotate in a predetermined direction, then the rollers 26 move into the portion, which becomes narrower across the diameter, of the cylindrical gap formed between the outer peripheral surface of the cam surface 22 and the inner peripheral surface (cylindrical surface) of the middle portion of the clutch outer ring 25 to lock the driven pulley 7a and the sleeve 8 so that they cannot relatively rotate. On the other hand, when the driven pulley 7a and the sleeve 8 relatively rotate in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction, the rollers 26 withdraw to a portion, which becomes wider across the diameter, of the cylindrical gap formed between the outer peripheral surface of the cam surface 22 and the inner peripheral surface of the middle portion of the clutch outer ring 25, allowing the driven pulley 7a and the sleeve 8 to perform relative rotation (overrun).
The following will describe advantages obtained by applying the pulley device with the built-in one-way clutch to an alternator.
If a drive engine is a diesel engine, fluctuations in the rotational angular velocity of a crankshaft increase during low-speed revolution, such as in an idling mode. As a result, the running speed of an endless belt installed on a drive pulley finely fluctuates accordingly. On the other hand, changes in the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 3 rotatably driven by the endless belt via a driven pulley are not very sudden because of inertial mass of the rotating shaft 3 and a rotor secured to the rotating shaft 3.
As a result, if the driven pulley is simply secured to the rotating shaft 3, then the endless belt and the driven pulley tend to rub each other in both directions as the rotational angular velocity of the crankshaft changes. This causes stress to be repeatedly applied in different directions to the driven pulley and the endless belt rubbing each other, leading to slippage taking place between the endless belt and the driven pulley or a shortened service life of the endless belt.
When the pulley device with the built-in one-way clutch is used as the driven pulley, if the running speed of the endless belt is fixed or increasing, then the torque is transmitted from the driven pulley 7a to the rotating shaft 3. Conversely, if the running speed of the endless belt is decreasing, then the driven pulley 7a and the rotating shaft 3 perform relative rotation. Hence, if the running speed of the endless belt is decreasing, then the rotational angular velocity of the driven pulley 7a is set to be lower than the rotational angular velocity of the rotating shaft 3 to prevent severe rubbing between the endless belt and a contacting portion of the driven pulley 7a. With this arrangement, the direction of the stress applied to the rubbing portions of the driven pulley 7a and the endless belt can be fixed, thereby preventing the slippage between the endless belt and the driven pulley 7a and also preventing the shortening of the service life of the endless belt.
Furthermore, if the driven pulley is just secured to the rotating shaft 3, and if the rotational speed of the drive engine suddenly drops, then the rotational speed of the rotor secured to the rotating shaft 3 accordingly drops, resulting in a sudden drop in the amount of power generated by the alternator. In contrast to this, when the pulley device incorporating the one-way clutch is used as the driven pulley, even if the rotational speed of the driven engine suddenly drops, the rotational speed of the rotor slowly drops due to an inertial force, allowing power generation to be continued during the slow drop in the rotational speed of the rotor. With this arrangement, kinetic energies of the rotating shaft and the rotor can be effectively utilized with a resultant increased power generated by the alternator, as compared with a case where a fixed driven pulley is used.
When this type of pulley device incorporating the one-way clutch is mounted on an alternator or a starter motor, if the rotational speed of an engine considerably fluctuates, then the clutch is constantly overrun, leading to constant slippage between the rollers and the outer ring with resultant generation of considerable amount of heat. Thus, the frictional heat heats the pulley device incorporating the one-way clutch to a high temperature. In the conventional pulley device incorporating the one-way clutch, the clutch retainer 28 is made of a synthetic resin, so that the frictional heat deteriorates the rigidity of the clutch retainer 28. This has been presenting a problem in that the clutch retainer 28 may deform and interfere with an operation of the clutch or the clutch retainer 28 may incur thermal deterioration, failing to provide stable operation or satisfactory durability.
There has also been a problem in that the clutch retainer 28 has a complicated cage-like cylindrical shape, so that the productivity is poor, preventing a reduction in cost.
There has been another problem in that, since the clutch retainer 28 and the leaf spring 33 are made as separate components, meaning more components, and careless skipping of the installation of the leaf spring 33 tends to happen with resultant poor assembly efficiency.
There has been yet another problem in that the clutch retainer 28 is axially positioned by being held between the two jaws 17a and 17b of the clutch outer ring 25, so that the clutch retainer 28 is required to have highly accurate dimensions, leading to poor productivity.
The present invention has been made with a view toward solving the problems described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a rotation transmitting device incorporating a one-way clutch that has a metallic clutch retainer to improve its resistance to heat so as to provide high durability and stable operation.
In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotation transmitting device incorporating a one-way clutch, including: an inner member secured to an end of a rotating shaft; a cylindrical outer member disposed around the inner member so that it is concentric with the inner member; a one-way clutch that is provided between an axially middle portion of an outer peripheral surface of the inner member and an axially middle portion of an inner peripheral surface of the outer member, and allows torque to be transmitted between the outer member and the inner member only if the outer member attempts to perform relative rotation in a predetermined direction in relation to the inner member; and a pair of support bearings that are provided between the outer peripheral surface of the inner member and the inner peripheral surface of the outer member so as to hold the one-way clutch from both axial ends, and allow the inner member and the outer member to relatively rotate while supporting a radial load applied to the outer member, wherein the one-way clutch has a cylindrical clutch outer ring fixedly fitted externally to an axially middle portion of the inner peripheral surface of the outer member, a cylindrical clutch inner ring that is fixedly fitted externally to an axially middle portion of the outer peripheral surface of the inner member and that has its outer peripheral surface formed to be a cam surface with wedge-shaped spaces provided at predetermined pitches in a circumferential direction, the wedge-shaped spaces being defined by gaps that are formed between the outer peripheral surface thereof and the inner peripheral surface of the clutch outer ring and that gradually become narrower in one circumferential direction, rollers disposed in the respective wedge-shaped spaces, spring members disposed in the wedge-shaped spaces such that they urge the rollers toward portions with smaller radial widths of the wedge-shaped spaces, and a clutch retainer that is disposed such that it cannot perform relative rotation with respect to the clutch inner ring and supports the rollers such that the rollers may roll and be displaced in a circumferential direction, and wherein the clutch retainer is made of metal.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotation transmitting device incorporating a one-way clutch, including: an inner member secured to an end of a rotating shaft; a cylindrical outer member disposed around the inner member so that it is concentric with the inner member; a one-way clutch that is provided between an axially middle portion of an outer peripheral surface of the inner member and an axially middle portion of an inner peripheral surface of the outer member, and allows torque to be transmitted between the outer member and the inner member only if the outer member attempts to perform relative rotation in a predetermined direction in relation to the inner member; and a pair of support bearings that are provided between the outer peripheral surface of the inner member and the inner peripheral surface of the outer member so as to hold the one-way clutch from both axial ends, and allow the inner member and the outer member to relatively rotate while supporting a radial load applied to the outer member, wherein the one-way clutch has a cylindrical clutch outer ring fixedly fitted internally to an axially middle portion of the inner peripheral surface of the outer member, a large-diameter portion of the inner member that is formed on an axially middle portion of the outer peripheral surface of the inner member and that has its outer peripheral surface formed to be a cam surface with wedge-shaped spaces provided at predetermined pitches in a circumferential direction, the wedge-shaped spaces being defined by gaps that are formed between the outer peripheral surface thereof and the inner peripheral surface of the clutch outer ring and that gradually become narrower in one circumferential direction, rollers disposed in the respective wedge-shaped spaces, spring members disposed in the wedge-shaped spaces such that they urge the rollers toward portions with smaller radial widths of the wedge-shaped spaces, and a clutch retainer that is disposed such that it cannot perform relative rotation with respect to the inner member and supports the rollers such that the rollers may roll and be displaced in a circumferential direction, and wherein the clutch retainer is made of metal.

Rotation transmitting device incorporating one-way clutch


The present application pertains to the use of bromelain preparing a medicament for increasing the IL-(8) level in an individual so as to reduce or prevent inflammation in said individual and as an adjuvant therapy during wound healing processes.

The present invention relates to the use of bromelain and components thereof for the manufacture of a medicament for increasing the IL-8 level in an individual so as to reduce or prevent inflammatory diseases in said individual and to use it as an adjuvant therapy to promote wound healing processes.
Inflammation, or the inflammatory process, respectively involves several biological reactions, proceeding in three successive phases: the degenerative phase, the vascular phase, and the healing phase.
In the degenerative phase, the affected cells become swollen. The cytoplasma of affected cells becomes vacuolized and an enlargement and fragmentation of cell nuclei can be observed. As some of the platelets in the damaged blood vessels disintegrate, mediators acting on sympathetic nerve endings are released.
Subsequently, in the vascular phase changes in the blood vessels can be observed. In particular, an extensive migration and activity of so-called inflammatory cells (granulocytes, particularly neutrophils, lymphocytes, macrophages and monocytes) and clearing of cellular debris and degenerated cells occur during this phase. As the capillary network and the postcapillary venules become flooded, congested and engorged by blood in active hyperemia and as a number of capillaries proliferate, a reddish appearance of inflamed tissue results.
In the last phase, the healing phase, the inflammation begins to subside and repair of wound starts.
Often inflammatory processes result in the formation of oedema, an accumulation of liquid in inter-tissue spaces, as the transport activity with respect to osmotic active compounds is locally decreased in the inflamed areas. Closely related to this phenomenon are swellings observed after operations or traumata, often causing considerable pain to the patient.
On a molecular basis, a plethora of active mediators are involved in the development of inflammation, such as e.g. cytokines and in particular interleukin 1-α, interleukin 1-β, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor α and β, interleukin 8 (IL-8).
In particular, IL-8 has been found to attract granulocytes and neutrophils towards an inflamed area and to activate the functional capacities of granulocytes, such as phagocytosis, cytotoxicity, chemotaxis etc. IL-8 is a non-glycosylated protein of 8 kDa having 72 amino acids and is also known as ANAP (anionic neutrophil activating peptide), GCP (granulocyte chemotactic peptide), LCF (lymphocyte chemotactic factor) and LIF (leukocyte inhibitory factor). IL-8 is produced in various cells e.g. monocytes/macrophages, granulocytes, T-cells, fibroblasts or endothelium cells as response to proinflammatory stimuli, such as IL-1, TNF, LPS and viruses.
Conventionally, the treatment of inflammatory conditions and oedema utilized an oral administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as e.g. acetylsalicylic acid, phenylbutazone, diclofenac or indometacine. However, these agents exhibit several, sometimes severe secondary effects, e.g. gastrointestinal problems and adverse effects on gastro-enteric mucosa.
To overcome these drawbacks the art provided additional agents for treating inflammation. In this respect the WO 98/13057 discloses the use of a composition containing a Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F root preparation that has anti-inflammatory properties. Yet, since this composition also exhibits immunosuppressive activity the effect thereof in treating inflammation was rather poor. Further, in EP 100 94 04 the use of pADPRT (poly-ADP ribose polymerase) inhibitory compounds are proposed for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. However, also in this case unwanted secondary effects occur upon administration.
Therefore, there is a need in art for additional, well tolerated agents for treating inflammatory diseases and/or inflammatory diseases that do not show unwanted side effects.

Use of bromelain for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and for adjuvant therapy during wound healing processes


A thermoelectric material comprises core-shell particles having a core formed from a core material and a shell formed from a shell material. In representative examples, the shell material is a material showing an appreciable thermoelectric effect in bulk. The core material preferably has a lower thermal conductivity than the shell material. In representative examples, the core material is an inorganic oxide such as silica or alumina, and the shell material is a chalcogenide semiconductor such as a telluride, for example bismuth telluride. A thermoelectric material including such core-shell particles may have an improved thermoelectric figure of merit compared with a bulk sample of the shell material alone. Embodiments of the invention further include thermoelectric devices using such thermoelectric materials, and preparation techniques. The use of core-shell nanoparticles allows highly uniform nanocomposites to be formed, and embodiments of the invention also includes other materials and devices using core-shell particles.

Nanostructured materials may be difficult and/or expensive to manufacture, and it may be difficult to obtain uniform properties in a composite material. In particular, improved approaches to obtaining homogeneous nanostructured thermoelectric materials with controlled structure will help commercial applications to be achieved.
Further, nanostructured materials have numerous applications, and improved control of homogeneity or other material parameters would be very useful.

Homogeneous thermoelectric nanocomposite using core-shell nanoparticles

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

The Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund


A method for privacy management includes providing a linked collection of interactive resources through which a user is able to exchange information with an enterprise that provides the resources, and assigning respective, non-uniform privacy policies to at least some of the resources regarding use of the information that is exchanged through the resources. The user, accessing a given one of the resources, is provided with the respective privacy policy for that resource. At least a portion of the information that is associated with the given one of the resources is exchanged with the user subject to the provided privacy policy.

Data privacy is a problem of growing concern in exchanges of information over the World Wide Web, and particularly in electronic commerce (e-commerce) conducted over the Web. Enterprise Web sites prompt users to input various items of personal information as a prerequisite to providing information or supplying goods to the users. Needless to say, uncontrolled use of this information can subject the user to unwanted consequences, ranging from nuisance e-mail to fraud.
In response to the need to protect private information, Web sites have begun to establish and post their own privacy policies. Visitors to such sites are invited to check the privacy policies upon entering the site, in order to know in advance how the private information that they disclose will be treated. To facilitate this process, the World Wide Web Consortium has undertaken the Platform for Privacy Preferences Project (P3P), which is described at www.w3.org/P3P. P3P is envisioned as an industry standard for providing a simple, automated way for users to gain more control over the use of personal information on Web sites they visit. It provides a standardized set of multiple-choice questions, covering major aspects of a Web site's privacy policies, in order to give a "snapshot" of how a site handles personal information about its users. P3P-enabled Web sites make this information available in a standard, machine-readable format using Extensible Markup Language (XML) and the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). P3P-enabled browsers can read the policy snapshot automatically and compare it to the consumer's own set of privacy preferences. If there is a mismatch between the site's privacy policy and the user's preferences, the user then has the option of not conducting further business with the site.
While P3P specifies a convenient way for Web site operators to inform visitors of their privacy policies, it is not meant to address the questions of how such policies are to be managed and enforced within the enterprise that operates the Web site. Existing tools for privacy policy management provide only rudimentary functionality. The most advanced tool for this purpose of which the inventors are aware is the Tivoli® SecureWay® Privacy Manager, which is described at www.tivoli.com/products/index/secureway_privacy_mgr/index.html. The SecureWay Privacy Manager is an extension to the access control capabilities of the Tivoli SecureWay Policy Director for electronic business (e-business), which is offered by IBM Corporation (Armonk, N.Y.). The SecureWay Privacy Manager provides the following capabilities:                It centralizes administration of enterprise privacy policies to help enforce access to personal data.        It defines and allows modification of privacy roles and categories of data for e-commerce, for use in implementing and administering access controls.        It supports "dynamic roles," enabling access decisions to be made based on the relationship between the person requesting the data and the type or subject of the data.        It uses authorization services provided by the SecureWay Policy Director to keep access control consistent across the entire enterprise.Neither Tivoli nor any other privacy management tool known in the art, however, offers a structured solution to managing variations in privacy policy that may be implemented in different parts of a single enterprise or changes in privacy policy that may occur over time.

International Business Machine Corporation


The handling of quoted material in an electronic environment is enhanced by using one or more quote bars. Quote bars permit quoted material to be treated as a single object and permit information about the source of a quote to be displayed. They also permit connection to a network address from which a quote may have originated. Using quote bars, the removal of copyright notices can be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the presentation of electronic text and, more particularly, to the use of quote bars which can be activated to display information about the origin of the text and about its copyright status.
2. Description of Related Art
The digital transfer of information between individuals, whether by electronic mail, the World Wide Web, or other Internet services such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP), can easily lead to confusion about the original author of such material. The problem is especially acute when individuals use the cut and paste functionality of text editors to selectively copy portions of a second document into their own. Although one individual may be careful to give credit where credit is due, others may not. Even when explicit credit is given to the original author, such as in a footnote, it may be hard to discern that credit has been given while reading the document on a computer.
Electronic mail is one area where this problem is clearly demonstrable. When text from an earlier electronic mail message is copied by a user of current electronic mail systems, the fact that it has been copied is indicated to the recipient in one of three ways. Dashed lines above and below the quoted material, with an appropriate caption is one method. Another is to place greater than (xe2x80x9c greater than xe2x80x9d) sign at the left of each line of quoted text. Finally, some systems provide no automatic means to indicate quoted material, relying solely upon the user to insert a caption indicating the original source.
A problem encountered by recipients of electronic mail containing quoted material indicated by the dashed-line method noted above, when reading a quote that occupies more than one screen, is that the recipient often no longer is able to see the dotted lines due to the length of the quoted material.
Difficulties also exist with electronic mail that has used the greater than symbol (xe2x80x9c greater than xe2x80x9d) quotation method. If the recipient wishes to quote the material in a more standard way, by using quotation marks or indentation, he is faced with the task of removing each xe2x80x9c greater than xe2x80x9d from each line, a process that can be especially tedious if the text editor employed does not support global search and replace functions. Although the xe2x80x9c greater than xe2x80x9d method does provide a consistent way of quoting material and does reveal the source of the quotation it does so in a way that is clumsy and confusing.
Additionally, none of the quotation methods provide a way for the user to access the source of the original material. For example, a quotation taken from a document published on the World Wide Web may indicate the author and title of the document, but it rarely indicates the Universal Resource Locator (URL) that the user would need to view the source document.
The use of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) and its subset Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is well known. The standards allow software enabled readers and browsers to format and display a document in the same way, regardless of the computing device being used. Standards such as SGML and HTML allow for device and operating system independence which is critical in the heterogeneous environment of the Internet. The use of SGML and HTML is widespread, well-understood and the standards are validated, maintained and extended by formally constituted bodies of individuals from government, industry and academia.
Readers and browsers are known which recognize a particular file format and activate the appropriate software module to view the file. This technology allows a single reader or browser to display a wide variety of files, such as graphic images, hypertext documents, and ASCII text, within the same user interface in a way that is transparent to the user.
The present invention provides apparatus, systems, processes and computer program products which will allow individuals to both easily quote textual information and to easily view the citation and source of quoted textual material they receive. Additionally, the system provides techniques to ensure that the citation for quoted material cannot be removed and for providing the user access to the original source of the material in a convenient and standard way.
Instead of using the prior art methods of quotation, the present system employs xe2x80x9cquote-barsxe2x80x9d. Quote-bars have distinct advantages over the prior art in that they provide a unique and superior method of identifying quoted text. Instead of columns of individual xe2x80x9c greater than xe2x80x9ds, a quote-bar is a single object. As an object, quote-bars respond to events initiated by the user in a standard way. Selecting the quote-bar, via a pointing device or keyboard of a computing device, allows the user to manipulate the quote-bar and the text associated with it in a manner familiar to users of graphical user interfaces. Additionally, if the quote-bar is selected in a manner equivalent to the commonly used double-click, then the source of the quoted material is displayed in a dialog box for the user""s inspection.
Quote-bars may be created by the user when manually entering text. Such a quote-bar may be made to be persistent; that is, the quote-bar cannot be removed without removing the associated text. The text that is controlled by the quote-bar can also have attributes that prevent the entire quote or a portion of it from being changed or modified by subsequent users.
Quote-bars may also contain, depending upon the source of the textual material, hypertext links to the source of the material, which may be the electronic mail address of the sender or author, the URL of the original document, or the FTP site from which the original document may be accessed.
The present system also allows for the conversion of the prior art""s quotation format into quote-bars for documents that are received by the user and the conversion of quote-bar information into the prior art""s format for transmission to readers or browsers that do not support quote-bars.
The invention relates to apparatus for displaying text information including a display, a keyboard, and a computer, connected to the keyboard and the display. The computer is configured to display quoted or derived text material as an object including a quote bar. The apparatus can be implemented, inter alia, as a browser, a text editor or an e-mail editor. A mouse can be used to displays information about a source of the quoted or derived text material by clicking on the quote bar. The quoted or derived text material can be repositioned using the mouse to drag and drop the quote bar to a different location.
Information about the quoted or derived text material can be displayed using the mouse to click on the quote bar. That information can include information about origin of the text material, a network address where the text material originated or information about the copyright status of the quoted or derived text material.
The invention is also directed to a method of displaying information about a source of quoted or derived text material by associating the text material with a quote bar, and associating the information about a source with the quote bar so that when the quote bar is selected, the information about the source is displayed. Separation or deletion of the copyright information from the text material can be prevented.
The invention is also directed to a method of converting a document containing embedded quote bar information into a document displayable by a reader unequipped to handle quote bar information, by, for each line of text marked as encompassed by a quote bar, prefacing the line with an one or more ASCII characters.
The invention is also directed to a method of converting a document containing an ASCII character representing a quoted or derived information into a quote bar representation of that quoted or derived information, by, for each consecutive line of text marked with the same number of the one or more ASCII characters, replacing at least one of the ASCII characters with a quote bar.
The invention is also directed to a system for communicating textual information, including a network and a plurality of computers connected to the network, at least one of the computers configured to group quoted or derived information together with a quote bar.
The invention also relates to computer program products implementing these techniques.
The novel features of this invention solve important problems with the creation and manipulation of quoted text, whether that text is contained within electronic mail or is a stand-alone document available for electronic retrieval. User are presented with a simple and intuitive method for manipulating quoted text and viewing its source. Creators of text are provided with additional protection by ensuring that whenever that text is copied, the source information about the text is also copied.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein only the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawing and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

Techniques for identifying and manipulating quoted or reproduced material using a quote bar


A head-up display system including an image source with a projection lens where the lens projects an intermediate image on a diffuser, forming an intermediate image on the diffuser matt surface. A first planar semi-transparent mirror is arranged to reflect the intermediate image towards a head-up semi-transparent collimating mirror. The collimating mirror also combines the image with the background.

Head-up displays and sights available on the market today present a large size and an expensive price tag. This makes them unsuitable for small aeroplanes and helicopters. The sights are normally also provided with some angular magnification and a corresponding smaller field of view, which limits their use to aiming of weapons.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,879 disclose an airborne display system for viewing high-definition collimated images. The system includes a high-key image generator, a head-down collimating assembly, an optical relay device, and an optical mixing device. The system is devised to display images from two image sources.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,171 disclose a head mounted display for entering an image into the eye of a viewer along a viewing axis. The display includes polarizers and a concave mirror.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,451 disclose an assembly for producing a visual display including a light-reflecting type spatial light modulator and illumination arrangement for providing a particular source of light.
WO 95/10106 disclose a binocular head mounted display unit.
There is a need for low-price, non-bulky head-up displays suitable for use in small vehicles such as small aeroplanes and helicopters.
One object of the present invention is therefore to provide a head-up display system that is compact in size. It is also a further objective of the present invention to provide a head-up display system that comes with a low cost.
The image that is to be shown to the pilot may comprise symbols and aiming marks, generated by an accompanying computer and electronics. Further objectives include that the direction accuracy and stability of these symbols and marks must be good enough for views for sighting. An image from a thermal imaging device should also be possible to superimpose on the pilot's view of the terrain and/or the runway issuing the angular magnification of 1, to make it possible to achieve a safe landing even during bad weather and sight conditions. Another object of the present invention is therefore to provide equipment with an image resolution corresponding to SXGA or better (1400×1050).
The image that is to be shown for the pilot have to be collimated, (appear to be at a large distance), which implies that the pilot can move his head without affecting the direction (free of parallax), and there is no need for accommodation of the pilots eyes as he shift his view from the terrain to the symbols/thermal image.


A method for implementing a hierarchy of component object model interfaces. A hierarchy of component object model interfaces is defined in which an interface at a lowest level of the hierarchy inherits from an interface at the highest level of the hierarchy. A class is defined that includes a first template class that is associated with the highest level of the hierarchy. A second template class inherits from the first template class and is associated with the lowest level of the hierarchy. The second template class is instantiated with an interface as a template parameter. Thus, the instantiation of an object of the most specialized class provides the base interface from which the most generalized class derives.

The Component Object Model (COM) is a software architecture that supports reuse of software components between different application programs written in different languages. Reusing software components, where appropriate, reduces the cost of creating a new application as compared to creating an application from scratch. COM addresses the issues of interoperability where reuse is desirable for binary executables that are created by different entities in different languages.
In COM, a "component" is a piece of compiled code that provides one or more services. It will be appreciated that even though a component is also an object in object oriented programming (OOP) terms, the term "component" will be used herein to avoid confusion with other objects in general. An "interface" is the mechanism through which components interact and through which software in general accesses the services of a component. The interface defines the behavior and responsibilities of the component. In other words, the interface is a group of related functions and forms the binary standard or contract through which the component is accessed.
A COM interface is not a class and cannot be instantiated by itself. A COM component must implement the interface, and the component must be instantiated for the interface to exist. It will be appreciated that the same interface can be implemented in different ways by different components with the restriction that each component must satisfy the interface's behavior and responsibilities. The information presented above, along with a more detailed explanation, is found in "Dr. Dobbs Journal", December 1994.
Sometimes it is desirable to implement a hierarchy of interfaces, which is often accompanied by a parallel class hierarchy, for example in C++. In implementing the component(s) behind the interfaces, ambiguity may result between certain method calls. Delegation is generally the method used to resolve ambiguity.
The problem is illustrated with the following example COM interface hierarchy:
interface IAnimal : IUnknown{HRESULT eat( );};interface IPerson : IAnimal{HRESULT talk( );};interface IEmployee : IPerson{HRESULT work( );};
The hierarchy includes three interfaces: IAnimal, IPerson, and IEmployee. Interface IAnimal is a type of the base interface, IUnknown, which is provided by COM; interface IPerson is a type of the IAnimal interface; and interface IEmployee is a type of IPerson interface. Interface IAnimal has a member method, eat( ); interface IPerson has a member method, talk( ); and interface IEmployee has a member method, work( ).
A parallel class hierarchy is often desirable when implementing such an interface hierarchy. Such a design allows the implementation of a given interface to be totally encapsulated by a single class. Initially consideration of implementing the above interface hierarchy in C++ leads to the following parallel class hierarchy:
typedef someType TStatus;class CAnimal{virtual TStatus eat( ){ . . . }};class CPerson : public CAnimal{virtual TStatus talk( ){ . . . }};class CEmployee : public CPerson{virtual TStatus work( ){ . . . }};The C++ access specifications (public, private, and protected) have been omitted to enhance readability. It can be seen that the classes CAnimal, CPerson, and CEmployee parallel the interfaces IAnimal, IPerson, and IEmployee in terms of inheritance and method definitions. The virtual methods eat( ), talk( ), and work( ) are included in the classes CAnimal, CPerson, and CEmployee, respectively.
To implement the interface hierarchy along with the COM components, a C++ implementation begins with incorporation of the COM interface. Thus, the IAnimal interface may be implemented as:
class CComAnimal: public IAnimal{STDMETHOD( eat ) ( ){ . . . }};
At this juncture, IAnimal defines an abstract method eat( ), which has a concrete implementation in CComAnimal. It will be appreciated that STDMETHOD is a commonly used C++ preprocessor macro within the Microsoft C++ environment. The STDMETHOD( ) macro defines the standard calling convention and return type for a COM interface method.
The following code shows analogous concrete implementations of the IPerson and IEmployee interfaces:
class CComPerson: public IPerson, public CComAnimal{STDMETHOD( talk ) ( ){ . . . }};class CComEmployee: public IEmployee, public CComPerson{STDMETHOD( work ) ( ){ . . . }};It will be appreciated that if the foregoing code is left as is, the multiple inheritance introduced from both IPerson and CComAnimal makes referencing the method CComPerson::eat( )ambiguous. That is, CComPerson::eat( ) may be in reference to eat( ) of interface IAnimal (by virtue of inheritance from IPerson) or in reference to eat( ) of class CComAnimal. A similar ambiguity exists between eat( ) and talk( ) as defined in CComPerson and eat( ) and talk( ) as declared in IEmployee. Thus, using delegation, the ambiguity is resolved with the following example code:
class CComPerson: public IPerson, public CComAnimal{STDMETHOD( eat ) ( ){ return CComAnimal::eat( ); }STDMETHOD( talk ) ( ){ . . . }};class CComEmployee: public IEmployee, public CComPerson{STDMETHOD( eat ) ( ){ return CComPerson::eat( ); }STDMETHOD( talk ) ( ){ return CComPerson::talk( ); }STDMETHOD ( work ) ( ){ . . . }};
At this point, a C++ class implementation hierarchy has been defined that parallels the COM interface hierarchy. If the interfaces IAnimal, IPerson, and IEmployee had additional methods, then additional delegation code would be required. Furthermore, if the interface hierarchy had been deeper, more delegation code would be needed. While the delegation code provides a functioning implementation, understanding the implementation from a developer's point of view may be difficult because of the complex inheritance relationships and the representation in an object diagram.
FIG. 1 is an object model diagram that illustrates the class relationships of the class definitions set forth in the preceding code. It can be seen from the diagram that some of the classes inherit from two classes. For example, the CComEmployee class inherits from the CComPerson class and IEmployee interface. In addition, the IEmployee interface inherits from the CComAnimal class and the IPerson interface.
A method that addresses the aforementioned problems, as well as other related problems, is therefore desirable.

Method for implementing component object model interfaces


The invention is directed to an unsintered spherical adsorbent particle composition having high mechanical strength and controlled pore size distribution, comprising finely divided silica hydrogel particles bonded together with a silica or metal oxide sol.

Metal oxide adsorbents, particularly silica-based adsorbents, are widely used in both domestic and industrial applications. For example, they are used in process and analytical chromatography to conduct very difficult separations and to produce products having very high levels of purity. Such materials are also used in food processing, for example, to decolorize and purify sugars. They are also frequently used as catalysts supports. Most of these applications involve separations and in all cases the relevant adsorbent characteristic, such as pore size, pore volume, surface area, etc., are very important.
Such materials have been made by spray drying silica sols, followed by sintering of the particles to adjust the pore volume. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,542 to Bergna et al. discloses a method for making low cost silica packing by spray drying an aqueous silica sol to form porous micrograms, acid washing the micrograms and then sintering the acid-washed grains to reduce surface area by 5-20%.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,114 to Schwartz discloses making high-strength uniform porous silica microspheres by spray drying a mixture of silica hydrosol and ammonium nitrate or urea and then sintering the particles without fusing the microspheres into agglomerates.
The foregoing prior art methods have in common that particle sphericity can be obtained by spray drying and that sintering is required to adjust parameters such as pore volume and pore size.
In addition, Japanese Kokai 61-174103 discloses a method for making porous spherical fine powders by mixing a colloidal solution of inorganic oxides and an inorganic oxide hydrogel or xerogel to form a slurry and spray drying the slurry in a stream of hot gas. Upon sintering the spray dried particles at 600.degree. C. for 3 hours, particles in the range of 1-20 micrometers having a pore volume of 0.1-0.8 cc/g are produced. While the use of hydrogels is disclosed, only the use of xerogels is exemplified.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,242 to Iler et al. involves making uniform porous silica microspheres by coacervating a solution of silica hydrosol and urea-formaldehyde or melamine-formaldehyde polymer under polymerizing conditions to form microspheres, oxidizing the microspheres to burn off the polymer and then sintering the oxidized microspheres to reduce surface area.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,413 to Stout et al. discloses making uniform porous silica microspheres by coacervating a solution of silica hydrosol and urea-formaldehyde or melamine-formaldehyde polymer under polymerizing conditions to form microspheres and removing the polymer by solvent extraction, after which the particles are dried without sintering.
While the prior art methods of producing spherical particles of this type are effective in particular respects, many require extraction of organic adjuvants. Moreover, it is difficult to adjust the process parameters of these prior processes in such fashion that critical properties such as pore volume, sphericity, microporosity, etc., can be controlled reliably.

Method for making spherical adsorbent particles


An oil distribution and cooling system for diesel engines of the design represented by the 6.4L POWER STROKE® engine. The stock oil cooler and cover are removed and a manifold is positioned in place of the removed stock oil cooler and cover. The block has oil in, oil out, coolant in and coolant out ports which align with those on the engine. Coolant is directed to an adapter plate and a relocated oil cooler which may be the removed cooler or a replacement, preferably of the oil-to-air type. Oil to be filtered and cooled is directed through the manifold to a filter and then to the cooler. Cool, clean oil is returned to the manifold for distribution to various engine locations.

Diesel or compression ignition engines are widely used in both light and heavy duty trucks. The well known FORD® F Series and E Series vehicles may utilize diesel engines, such as the 6.0 L and 6.4 L POWER STROKE® engines. These type diesel engine designs may have an oil cooler that is mounted in the bed, or valley, on the top of the engine, beneath an oil filter which is typically a canister-style filter.
Oil is drawn from the oil pan or reservoir through a pick up tube and directed by an oil generated rotor ("gerotor") pump, or its equivalent, to the top mounted oil cooler and then to the oil filter. Oil to be cooled is routed to the oil cooler by passageways in the oil filter base. The stock oil cooler is a plate-style, liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger or cooler in which the oil to be cooled is in heat exchange relationship with engine coolant. The coolant from the engine cooling system passes through the oil cooler to extract heat from the oil. After exiting the cooler, the cooled and filtered oil is directed to various engine locations requiring lubrication and other locations such as the oil reservoir for the high pressure pump, the injection galleries, EOT and EOP sensors and to the turbo charger, if the engine is so equipped.
The oil distribution and cooling and filtration systems of conventional automotive diesel engines often present problems, as the oil cooler is top mounted in the engine valley on an oil filter base. The oil filter base includes an oil drain, to drain oil from the filter base during an oil change. If the oil drain becomes clogged, the result may be oil spillage during an oil change once the filter is removed. A faulty drain valve can also result in a critical and potentially damaging loss of lubricating oil.
Another problem with conventional oil cooler and filter systems is that these systems are expensive to repair and service. Space limitations present difficulty and obstruction to modifying the oil and cooling systems to enhance performance and engine durability.
As mentioned, diesel engines similar in construction to those described above, are widely used in automotive or highway applications. Diesel engines also have broad application and are used for marine, industrial, power generation and other mobile and fixed applications. These types of diesel engines often encounter the same or similar problems with lubrication systems as described with reference to automotive applications.

Oil filtering and cooling system for compression ignition engines


A remote-control manipulator system which includes a manipulator, a slave arm installed in a workspace and configured to perform a series of works comprised of a plurality of processes, a situation information acquisition device configured to acquire situation information indicating a situation of the slave arm, an environment reproducing device configured to reproduce, in a space where the manipulator is installed, environment information relating to an environment in the workspace, and a control device. The control device is configured to cause the environment reproducing device to reproduce the environment information corresponding to the situation information outputted from the situation information acquisition device.

A master-slave type remote manipulation device which causes operation of a master arm manipulated by an operator to follow operation of a slave arm is known (e.g., see Patent Document 1).
The remote manipulation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 displays an actual image of a work target and a slave hand part and also content of a current work item on a screen of a television monitor. Thus, in manual operation, a control by a human is prompted, an operator is able to understand the content of the operation to be carried out and proceed the operation smoothly.

Remote-control manipulator system and method of operating the same


A recliner, comprising: (a) a stationary base frame; (b) a cushion frame slidably engaged to the base frame; and (c) a backrest frame pivotally engaged to the cushion frame via a pair of opposing recliner mechanisms mounted to the base frame, wherein, as the cushion frame extends in an extension direction, the cushion frame engages the pair of opposing recliner mechanisms so that the backrest frame pivots in a reclining direction simultaneously with the extension of the cushion frame.

Reclining furniture is common in a variety of applications to provide users with a multi-functional seating unit that may extend from an upright position, where a user can generally sit in a more upright seated position, to a reclined position, where a user can extend in a substantially more prone position relative to the upright position. Reclining furniture may include a variety of configurations, such as chairs, loveseats, sofas, futons, couches, beds, gliders, rockers, or a combination thereof. Frequently, the reclining furniture may include one or more recliner mechanisms that movably join any combination of sections of the reclining furniture such as a backrest, a seat, and a leg extension section. In this manner, the recliner mechanisms may allow for, based on user interaction, movement of the backrest, the base, the leg extension, or a combination thereof.
The recliner mechanisms may be a pair of matching mechanisms positioned on opposing sides of a frame of the reclining furniture. Often a user may engage a lever or latch that results in the recliner mechanisms being manually engaged to extend or retract the backrest, the base, the leg extension, or a combination thereof. However, frequently as the backrest moves to a reclined position, the backrest is pivoted relative to the seat of the reclining furniture. As a result, typically the reclining furniture cannot be positioned near a wall to ensure that the wall is not damaged from the reclining movement.
In an attempt to alleviate some of the problems arising from use of the conventional recliner mechanisms, some recliner mechanisms may allow for reclining of the backrest free of the backrest pivoting rearward relative to a base position of the furniture (often referred to as a "wall-proximity" recliner mechanism). To prevent the backrest from pivoting rearward relative to the base, the recliner mechanisms may move the seat of the chair forward relative to the base (i.e., in a direction opposite of the backrest reclining direction). However, such recliner mechanisms may require a large footprint for the furniture to allow for the forward movement relative to the base. Additionally, the "wall-proximity" recliner mechanisms may only allow for a partial reclining of the backrest relative to the seat so that the backrest is unable to reach a position substantially flush with the seat. Furthermore, the "wall-proximity" recliner mechanisms may frequently be restricted to movement where the backrest and the seat must move simultaneously (e.g., as the backrest reclines the seat simultaneously moves forward).
Examples of recliner mechanisms and reclining furniture are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,072,342; 4,108,491; 4,402,096; 5,147,108; 5,682,629, 5,772,278; 5,779,310; 6,588,837; 7,083,235; 7,261,367; 7,547,072; 7,850,232; 9,386,857; 9,403,597; and 9,433,295; and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2007/0252422; 2011/0304193; and 2015/0076891, all of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. It would be attractive to have a recliner mechanism that is configured to recline a backrest relative to a seat of a seating unit within close proximity to a wall or object. What is needed is a recliner mechanism that may recline a backrest relative to the seat and simultaneously or sequentially extend the backrest away from a wall or object. It would be attractive to have a recliner mechanism that may recline a backrest of a seating unit without movement of a seat of the seating unit. What is needed is a recliner mechanism that independently moves the backrest relative to the seat, vice versa, or both. It would be attractive to have a recliner mechanism that allows for a user to move from a seated position to a lying position. What is needed is a recliner mechanism that may recline the backrest to a substantially flush position with the seat of the seating unit. It would be attractive to have a recliner mechanism that allows for a user to automatically recline a backrest relative to a seat of the seating unit anywhere between an upright position and a reclined position. What is needed is a motorized recliner mechanism that may be driven by one or more spindles to support a position of the backrest in an upright position, a reclined position, one or more intermediate positions, or a combination thereof.

Power reclining furniture and reclining mechanism thereof


The present invention is a hybrid diesel fuel and method of manufacture. The fuel composes a petroleum diesel fuel mixed into a biosynthetic waste or virgin oil and further containing a stabilizer. The hybrid fuel consists essentially of about 10% to 50% of Diesel Number 1, Diesel Number 2, or Farm Diesel petroleum fuels, and up to 90% filtered and polished biosynthetic oil, measured by volume. The biosynthetic oil can contain all levels of common commercial vegetable and animal fats in any ratio. The hybrid fuel also contains up to about 0.17% stabilizer, which further contains cetane boosters, cleaning agents to remove deposits from the fuel system, a lubricant, demulsifiers, and anti-gelling agents. The invention functions as biocide to inhibit bacterial growth. The invention is substantially equivalent to Diesel Number 2 in terms of power and engine speed, but is cleaner burning and considerably less costly.

The present invention generally relates to the field of engine fuels. More specifically, the present invention relates to a composition of blended engine fuel made from petroleum diesel fuel in minor part combined with waste vegetable or animal oils in major part, and further modified with an admixture of stabilizing chemical agents. The resultant hybrid fuel is particularly suitable for applications powered by diesel engines, but is additionally useful for other fueling and heating applications. The invention is further suitable as an internal mechanical lubricant. The present invention also pertains to the obligatory method for producing this hybrid fuel.


The invention relates to a control device (1) for controlling airflows in motor vehicles, comprised of a frame having at least one passage opening (4) and at least one controlling means, which is provided in the form of a roller louver (5) and which serves to modify the passage cross-section for the air flowing through the passage opening (4). The frame comprises a housing (2) with at least two hollow bodies (8) that are open along the longitudinal sides. These hollow bodies (8) accommodate the drive shaft (6) or the return shaft (7) for the roller louver (5), and each have a pivotal cover (8.3) for opening the respective hollow body (8). The control device (1) can be mounted inside airflow ducts of a heating and/or air-conditioning system for motor vehicles.

The invention relates to a control device, in particular for a heating and/or air conditioning system, for controlling air flows in motor vehicles.
DE 44 42 000 A1 relates to a control device of this type for a heating and/or air conditioning system which is designed as a louver cassette and is inserted into air ducts of a heating and/or air conditioning system for a motor vehicle. The control device regulates the amount and also the direction of the air flow passing through it. The control device is formed by a frame in which a multiplicity of pivotable slats which form a flap-type louver is arranged. Pivoting of the slats in a range of from 0 to 90° enables the passage cross section for the air flow to be completely closed, completely opened or partially opened up, the direction of the air flow also being influenced by the position of the slats. This louver cassette has a multiplicity of parts, caused by the slat design and the activating means associated therewith. In the case of narrow air gaps, whistling noises and possibly also rattling noises may occur. In addition, a louver cassette of this type has a relatively high air resistance, i.e. decrease of pressure.
DE 35 14 385 A1 has already disclosed replacing conventional flaps for controlling the air flows in a heating and/or air conditioning system by a "roller-type louver". The latter comprises a roller band which is partially provided with cutouts and closes or partially or completely opens up the passage openings of air flow ducts. The roller band is wound up and unwound in a manner guided via individual rollers, and is brought by means of a servomotor via a drive roller into a closing, opening or intermediate position.

Control device comprising a roller band cassette