A technique for testing an electronic system (e.g., a computer system) involves intercepting an initial signal of the electronic system, modifying the initial signal with a distortion to form a distorted signal, and introducing the distorted signal into the electronic system in place of the initial signal. The technique further involves obtaining, from the electronic system, a result having one of (i) a first value indicating that the electronic system handled the distorted signal in a normal operating mode, and (ii) a second value indicating that the electronic system handled the distorted signal in an error handling mode which is different than the normal operating mode.

Computer system manufacturers typically perform system level tests for a variety of reasons, e.g., to verify correct operation, to confirm that the computer systems operate under certain worst case scenarios, to debug known or potential problems, etc. Accordingly, there are a variety of conventional approaches to testing a computer system.
One conventional approach to testing a computer system (hereinafter referred to as the "conventional static bit pattern approach") involves the manufacturer replacing one of the components of the computer system with hardware that is configured to inject static bit patterns into the system. For example, suppose that a manufacturer has a computer system which connects a circuit board and an array of disk drives together using a Fibre Channel-Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL), and wishes to determine how much margin exists within the FC-AL. There exists conventional off-the-shelf electronic equipment that will enable the manufacturer to mimic one of the original FC-AL devices (e.g., the circuit board or one of the disk drives). Along these lines, the manufacturer removes the original FC-AL device, and replaces it with the off-the-shelf electronic equipment. The manufacturer then stores a static bit pattern in the off-the-shelf electronic equipment and plays the static bit pattern into the FC-AL. The remaining FC-AL devices then respond to the static bit pattern as if the off-the-shelf electronic equipment was the original FC-AL device. The manufacturer is capable of re-playing the static bit pattern slightly differently such as by speeding up or slowing down the output to determine whether the remaining FC-AL devices are still capable of correctly processing the static bit pattern. Accordingly, the manufacturer has the ability to determine whether portions of the computer system can operate under certain worst case conditions.
Another conventional approach to testing a computer system (hereinafter referred to as the "conventional marginal device approach") involves the manufacturer replacing one of the components of the computer system with another component that is known to be on the verge of unacceptability. In the above-described FC-AL situation, the manufacturer replaces an original FC-AL device with a marginal FC-AL device such as an FC-AL device with a Fibre Channel (FC) transmitter that the manufacturer knows is extremely weak and almost at the point of being faulty. The manufacturer runs the computer system with the marginal FC-AL device to see whether any of the remaining FC-AL devices fail, e.g., an adjacent FC-AL device downstream may fail due to tolerance stack-up if that device has a marginal FC receiver. Accordingly, the manufacturer again has the ability to determine whether portions of the computer system can operate under certain worst case conditions.

Techniques for testing an electronic system using in-line signal distortion


A heat producing device is placed in contact with a heat exchanger that is fluidically coupled to a fluid pump. The fluid pump operates to pumps fluid through a closed fluidic system between the heat exchanger and a spot where the heat can be dissipated. In an aspect, an actuator forces fluid to be pumped without passing through a wall of the pump. One aspect uses an impedance pump as the pumping element.

Chip based devices often require cooling. Modern microprocessors and other type devices may have a specific hot spot that gets hotter than other locations. For example, in a microprocessor, this hotspot may be the location of a high density circuitry portion that does arithmetic calculations or signal processing, or may be the location of the processor core itself. Other spots on the chip may be less sensitive to heating effects and/or may produce less heat. Other devices may include analogous hotspot locations. For example, there are hotspots on memory chips, cell phone electronics, and others.


Despite the disadvantage of reflexing a windshield, and consuming a multiple of the time taken with a single viscosity resin repair; it is generally accepted that most windshield repairs should utilize multiple viscosity resins. The multiple injection head not only eliminates the disadvantages associated with using resins of different viscosities, but additionally produces a smoother and stronger repair. The multiple injection head for injection of resins having different viscosities into a chip/crack comprises: a) a plunger housing having two upright cylindrical openings therethrough, each opening having an upper internally threaded portion and a lower chamber portion; and, b) two generally cylindrical plungers each having an upper portion adapted to be hand turned, and an intermediate portion matingly threaded with the openings. When the resins having different viscosities respectively fill the chamber portions, the plungers can be turned into the threaded portions of the openings controllably and selectively forcing the resins through the openings into a crack/chip therebelow on the windshield.

This invention relates to the repair of stone chips and related cracks in automotive windshields. More particularly this invention relates to a repair resin head which consecutively injects resins having different viscosities.
Automotive windshields frequently chip when they deflect small stones thrown off or up by moving vehicles immediately ahead on a roadway. Road vibration and temperature changes cause cracks first to diverge from these chips, and then spread across the windshield. After a crack has grown excessively, the windshield must be replaced.
Because the substantial replacement and labor cost of installing a new windshield can be saved by repairing the stone chip and small crack extending therefrom, many tools have been devised to inject resin into a stone chip and the crack extending therefrom. Most all of these tools have a resin injection head on one end portion, a suction hold down cup on a central portion, and a head pressure adjusting screw on the opposite end portion; so the tool, spaced from the windshield by the suction cup, and the injection head seated above the crack or chip, may be dragged along the crack injecting resin therein.
Many repair procedures comprise injecting resins of different viscosities into a chip and crack. It is difficult to fill a deep and wide chip with a relatively thin resin having a low viscosity. The resin runs out of the chip. Similarly it is difficult to penetrate a deep tight crack with a relatively thick resin having a high viscosity. Intermediate open portions of the crack can be filled first with thick resin and then finished with thin resin to ensure optimal bonding between the thick resin and the top edges of the crack. Secondary use of a thin resin also fills in voids and bubble openings in the thicker resin resulting in a stronger bond and smoother finish. Alternatively, bonding may be improved when the crack is first wetted with thinner resin, and then filled with thicker resin.
In all of these procedures which utilize resins of different viscosities it is necessary to set up, drag along, and remove the repair tool from the windshield more than once. In addition to being time consuming, it is particularly disadvantageous to flex the windshield along the crack any more than necessary because this flexing frequently causes cracks to grow.
It is an object of this invention to disclose a multi-injection head which facilitates injection of resins having differing viscosities into a chip and related crack. It is an object of this invention to disclose a multi-injection head which allows a chip and extending crack to be repaired with a single set up and pass of a repair tool thereby minimizing windshield flexing. It is yet a further object of this invention to disclose a multi-injection head which can be utilized in almost any existing windshield repair tool to better repair chips and related cracks. Cracks typically have variable width and stress therealong. For example, a crack may be closed, partially open, then open and closed again where it turns. The multi-injection head accommodates varying widths in cracks. The viscosity of the resin can be varied as the head is dragged along a crack having a variable width. Additionally, the head can be twisted to vary the order of injection of the thicker and thinner resins, as well as to more closely follow a turning crack.
One aspect of this invention provides for a multiple injection head for injection of resins having different viscosities into a chip/crack on an automotive windshield. The multiple injection head comprises: a) a plunger housing having a top side portion, a bottom side portion, and two cylindrical openings each extending from the top side portion through to the bottom side portion thereof, said openings each having an upper internally threaded portion and a lower chamber portion; and, b) two generally cylindrical plungers each having an upper portion adapted to be hand turned, an intermediate portion matingly threaded with respect to the housing, and a lower portion. When the resins having different viscosities respectively fill the chamber portions, the plungers can be turned into the threaded portions of the openings controllably and selectively forcing the resins through the openings out of the bottom side portion of the housing into a chip/crack therebelow on the windshield. As the head is dragged along the chip/crack first one viscosity resin is injected, and then the other different viscosity resin is immediately injected into the crack/chip producing an unusually smooth and strongly bonded crack in a single pass.
Within this specification chip/crack is defined to mean a chip and a related crack extending from the chip, or a crack alone, or a chip alone.
In a preferred aspect of the multi-injection head is adapted for use with a repair tool having an internally threaded head opening therein. Then the housing is generally cylindrical and a lower portion of the housing has a mating external thread therearound so that the head can screw into the repair tool; and subsequently, the head can be rotated for height adjustment, and be minimally rotated in the tool to facilitate following a curved crack in the windshield.
Various other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Multi-injection head for windshield chip and crack repair


A floating power generating device that includes a support frame having a pair of buoyant pontoons, a power generator mounted to the support frame between the pontoons, an electrical cable in electrical communication with the power generator, and means for maintaining the floating power generating device in a substantially fixed position within the flow of water.

The wealth of the United States has been created largely through the exploitation of cheap energy provided by the past abundance of fossil fuels. Because of the increasing shortages of natural gas in North America and the approaching worldwide shortages of oil, and because of the growing danger of global warming caused by the combustion of fossil fuels, reliable sources of renewable energy are needed.
A growing percentage of the efforts to utilize renewable sources of energy have been concentrated in the creation of wind farms. Although wind powered generating systems should be encouraged, they do have a problem: wind energy is inherently intermittent. Wind speeds can fluctuate hourly and have marked seasonal and diurnal patterns. They also frequently produce the most power when the demand for that power is at its lowest. This is known in the electricity trade as a low capacity factor. Low capacity factors, and still lower dependable on-peak capacity factors, are the major source of wind power's problem.
Because of the steadiness of the Coriolis force driven ocean currents, submersible generators can have capacity factors equal to those of many fossil fuel plants. The fact that these ocean currents can produce a steady supply of electricity makes that power much more valuable than the intermittent power produced by the wind-driven turbines. For submersible turbines to achieve high capacity factors, however, proper placement is very important.
Ocean currents flow at all depths in the ocean, but the strongest usually occur in the upper layer, which is shallow compared to the depth of the oceans. The main cause of surface currents in the open ocean is the action of the wind on the sea surface. A wind of high constancy, blowing over great stretches of an ocean, have the greatest effect on producing current. It is for this reason that the north-west and south-east trade winds of the two hemispheres are the mainspring of the oceans surface current circulation. In the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the two trade winds drive an immense body of water westward over a width of some 50 degrees of latitude, broken only by the narrow belt of the east-going Equatorial Counter-current, which is found a few degrees north of the equator in both of these oceans. A similar westward flow of water occurs in the South Indian Ocean, driven by the south-east trade wind. These westward surface currents produce giant eddies that are centered in latitudes of approximately 30° N. and S. that rotate clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Currents of over 3.5 mph are confined to very restricted regions. They have been recorded in the equatorial regions of the oceans, and in the warm currents flowing to higher latitudes in the western sides of the oceans, with the exception of the Brazil current. The book, Ocean Passages of the World (published by the Hydrographic Department of the British Admiralty, 1950), lists fourteen currents that exceed 3 knots (3.45 mph), a few of which are in the open ocean. The Gulf Stream and the Kuro Shio are the only two currents the book lists having velocities above 3 knots that flow throughout the year. Both of these currents are driven by the Coriolis force that is caused by the Earth's eastward rotation acting upon the ocean currents produced by the trade winds. Because these currents are caused by the Earth's rotation, they will continue flowing as long as our planet continues to turn on its axis.
The Gulf Stream starts roughly in the area where the Gulf of Mexico narrows to form a channel between Cuba and the Florida Keys. From there the current flows northeast through the Straits of Florida, between the mainland and the Bahamas, flowing at a substantial speed forsome 400 miles. It hits its peak velocity off Miami, where the Gulf Stream is about 45 miles wide and 1,500 feet deep. There the current reaches speeds of as much as 6.9 mph in its narrow central axis, which is located less than 18 miles from shore between Key Largo and North Palm Beach. Farther along it is joined by the Antilles Current, coming up &om the southeast, and the merging flow, broader and moving more slowly, continues northward and then northeastward, where it roughly parallels the 100-fathom curve as far as Cape Hatteras.
The Kuro Shio is the Pacific Ocean's equivalent to the Gulf Stream. A large part of the water of the North Equatorial current turns northeastward cast of Luzon and passes the cast coast of Taiwan to form this current. South of Japan, the Kuro Shio flows in a northeasterly direction, parallel to the Japanese islands, of Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu. According to Ocean Passages of the World, the top speed of the Kuro Shio is about the same as that of the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream's top flow rate is 156.5 statute miles per day (6.52 mph) and the Kuro Shio's is 153 statute miles per thy (6.375 mph). Other possible sites for the underwater generators are the East Australian Coast current, which flows at a top rate of 110.47 statute miles per day (4.6 mph), and the Agulhas current off the southern tip of South Africa, which flows at a top rate 01139.2 statute miles per day (5.8 mph). Another possible site for these generators is the Strait of Messina, the narrow opening that separates the island of Sicily from Italy, where the current's steady counter-clockwise rotation is produced—not by the wind—but by changing water densities produced by evaporation in the Mediterranean. Oceanographic current data will suggest other potential sites where such generators would be best placed. Therefore, there is a need for still further means of producing electricity in an efficient, non-fossil fuel manner yet which is usable in a variety of locations utilizing currents at the surface of the ocean.
Running water from rivers has long been used to power machinery and, more recently, to generate electricity. The majority, if not all, of the electricity produced by running water is produced by high efficiency hydroelectric power plants located in dams. Due to ecological, economical, and/or topological factors, there are relatively few sites that are suitable for dam construction. There are, however, numerous rivers that have sufficient current to produce sufficient quantities of electricity, if they can be properly tapped. There have been various proposals in the past to tap the energy available in river current without the use of dams. To the knowledge of the inventor of the present invention, none of these proposals has successfully put waterpower to use to produce energy in sufficient quantities. Therefore, there is a need for a means for producing electricity from the flow of water in a river that does not require that the river be dammed.
Finally, many states have passed laws requiring power companies to purchase surplus electricity from private generation facilities. As this is the case, there is an incentive for people who have the ability to generate power, such as those living on fast moving rivers, to install generation systems. However, the cost of such systems has, heretofore, been too high to justify such an investment. Therefore, there is a need for a relatively low cost power plant that may be installed by consumers living on fast moving rivers.
As can be seen from the foregoing, there is a need for means of producing electricity without the use of fossil fuels that is efficient, that is usable in a variety of locations, that may be adapted to utilize currents at the surface of the ocean, that may produce electricity from the flow of water in a river without requiring that the river be dammed, and that may be manufactured at a relatively low cost so as to allow it to be installed by consumers living on fast moving rivers.

Floating power generation device and system


A grating coupler couples a waveguide to a beam and is formed of patterned shapes in a first and second layer of planar material, the shapes embedded in background material, the layers separated by less than one wavelength. The shapes are organized as a plurality of adjacent unit cells arranged along a direction of propagation of light with each unit cell including a shape of the first material and a shape of the second material, each unit cell having design parameters including a period, a width wb of the shape of first planar material, a width wt of the shape of second planar material, and an offset between the shapes. The coupler has a directivity ratio D is at least 10 dB between “up” and “down” radiation; and unit cells differ in at least one parameter selected from period, wb, wt, and offset to provide a predetermined beam shape.

There are many applications, including cameras, optical data transmitters, and optical data receivers, where electronic circuitry and optical devices are combined on a single integrated circuit.
It is also widely known that a significant limitation of modern processors and system-on-a-chip design is data transfer between functional units on a very large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuit; where distributed resistance and capacitance of interconnect may significantly limit data rates. An electro-optical interconnect may help solve this limitation on data rates. Further, many VLSI-based system designs suffer limitations on data rate due to the resistance of bondpad drivers and capacitance of chip-to-chip interconnect; electro-optical interconnects may prove a solution to this problem also. Furthermore, the energy per bit transferred of electronic interconnects may place a power budget limitation on the operation of an electronic microchip. Electro-optical interconnects may enable lower energy per bit interconnects. Finally, electrical interconnects may incur electrical cross-talk between adjacent wire lines that limits the spatial bandwidth density of interconnection to/from a chip. Optical interconnects may employ dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) to achieve orders of magnitude higher bandwidth density without incurring significant cross-talk penalties.
Integrated photonics, including silicon photonics, has potential to enable electronic-photonic circuits with advanced optical signal processing functions and capabilities. One important area of application is energy-efficient photonic links for processor to memory chip communication, as well as chip-to-chip and on-chip interconnects. Other applications include active optical cables for rack-to-rack interconnects, transmitters and receivers for 100 Gbps Ethernet and beyond, as well as applications such as sensing, imaging (e.g. optical coherence tomography, etc.) and image/video projection applications, beam steering, and visible light biophotonic chips for high throughput biotechnology applications.
Integrated and silicon photonics typically employ customized fabrication processes. For silicon photonics, this typically means using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers with a thick-oxide thickness of 2-3 microns, and materials and/or lithography and process steps that are tailored to photonics, these process modifications are not compatible with high density microelectronics.
Microelectronics, on the other hand, relies on carefully optimized complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes, such as those used for microprocessors and dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips. Key potential applications for photonic integrated circuits include communications between state of the art CMOS logic chips including microprocessors and DRAM memory chips; optical interfaces to network processing chips, as well as other aspects of communications systems and mixed electronic-optical signal processing chips. CMOS-SOI (CMOS processes using silicon on insulator substrates) processes that include transistors usually are also optimized for microelectronics. Exceptions are SOI silicon photonics processes which usually do not support transistor integration, especially not advanced-node (e.g. sub 65 nm) transistors.
Efficient optical fiber to on-chip waveguide coupling, and photonic vias for chip to chip, die to die, or layer to layer communication within a chip/die, are also desirable in photonic chips with applications in communications, cameras, and other devices fabricated using CMOS and CMOS-SOI electronics processes (examples including GlobalFoundries GFUS 45RFSOI and 12SOI 45 nm and 32SOI 32 nm SOI processes, and e.g. 10LPe 65 nm bulk CMOS (all formerly IBM)), as well as custom photonics (e.g. IMEC ISIPP50G, LETI and IHP as accessible e.g. through the Europractice IC portal; AIM Photonics Institute (Albany, N.Y.) Passives and Actives silicon photonics processes as of this writing, IME Singapore, and others), and custom electronics-photonics processes (such as processes co-developed by Luxtera, Inc. and Freescale).
Three-dimensional (3D) die stacking results in chips having multiple die bonded together. An example is the Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC) (Trademark of Hybrid Memory Cube Consortium, Beaverton, Oreg.) technology for stacked memory chips. Electrical power and communication between dies in the stack may be done off-chip via wire bonding, or using through silicon vias (TSVs). Optical interconnection between device layers of several stacked die chips may prove an alternative to electrical interconnections.

Method and apparatus for optical waveguide-to-semiconductor coupling for integrated photonic circuits

The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate


Provided is a method and system for TCP SYN cookie validation. The method includes receiving a session SYN packet by a TCP session setup module of a host server, generating a transition cookie including a time value representing the actual time, sending a session SYN/ACK packet, including the transition cookie, in response to the received session SYN packet, receiving a session ACK packet, and determining whether a candidate transition cookie in the received session ACK packet comprises a time value representing a time within a predetermined time interval from the time the session ACK packet is received.

When a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) connection starts, a destination host receives a SYN (synchronize/start) packet from a source host and sends back a SYN ACK (synchronize acknowledge). The destination host normally then waits to receiver an ACK (acknowledge) of the SYN ACK before the connection is established. This is referred to as the TCP "three-way handshake."
While waiting for the ACK to the SYN ACK, a connection queue of finite size on the destination host keeps track of connections waiting to be completed. This queue typically empties quickly since the ACK is expected to arrive a few milliseconds after the SYN ACK is sent.
A TCP SYN flood attack is a well known denial of service attack that exploits the TCP three-way handshake design by having an attacking source host generate TCP SYN packets with random source addresses toward a victim host. The victim destination host sends a SYN ACK back to the random source address and adds an entry to the connection queue, or otherwise allocates server resources. Since the SYN ACK is destined for an incorrect or non-existent host, the last part of the "three-way handshake" is never completed and the entry remains in the connection queue until a timer expires, typically, for example, for about one minute. By generating phony TCP SYN packets from random IP addresses at a rapid rate, it is possible to fill up the connection queue and deny TCP services (such as e-mail, file transfer, or WWW) to legitimate users. In most instances, there is no easy way to trace the originator of the attack because the IP address of the source is forged. The external manifestations of the problem may include inability to get e-mail, inability to accept connections to WWW or FTP services, or a large number of TCP connections on your host in the state SYN_RCVD.
A malicious client sending high volume of TCP SYN packets without sending the subsequent ACK packets can deplete server resources and severely impact the server's ability to serve its legitimate clients.
Newer operating systems or platforms implement various solutions to minimize the impact of TCP SYN flood attacks. The solutions include better resource management, and the use of a "SYN cookie".
In an exemplary solution, instead of allocating server resource at the time of receiving a TCP SYN packet, the server sends back a SYN/ACK packet with a specially constructed sequence number known as a SYN cookie. When the server then receives an ACK packet in response to the SYN/ACK packet, the server recovers a SYN cookie from the ACK packet, and validates the recovered SYN cookie before further allocating server resources.
The effectiveness of a solution using a SYN cookie depends on the method with which the SYN cookie is constructed. However, existing solutions using a SYN cookie typically employ a hash function to construct the SYN cookie, which can lead to a high percentage of false validations of the SYN cookie, resulting in less than satisfactory protection again TCP SYN flood attack.
Therefore, there is a need for a better system and method for constructing and validating SYN cookies.

System and method for an adaptive TCP SYN cookie with time validation


A chip card holder for a portable electronic device includes a body member and a cover member pivotally connected thereto. The body member defines a receiving groove for a chip card. The cover member includes a contact portion, a latching portion, and a connecting portion. The contact portion is pivotally connected to the body member and contacts the chip card. The latching portion latches to the body member. The connecting portion includes a first sheet portion and a second sheet portion. The first sheet portion connects to the second sheet portion, forming a gap therebetween. The contact portion connects to the first sheet portion, outside the gap. The latching portion connects to the second sheet portion, inside the gap.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to chip cards and, particularly, to a chip card holder used in a portable electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
Portable electronic devices such as mobile phones typically employ chip cards such as SIM cards for storing useful information. Chip card holders hold/secure the chip cards within the portable electronic devices.
A typical chip card holder includes a body member and a cover member pivotally connected thereto. The body member defines a receiving cavity receiving the chip card. The cover member includes a contact portion, a connecting portion and a latching portion. The connecting portion connects the contact portion to the latching portion. The latching portion has a first latching section. The body member has a second latching section corresponding to the first latching section. The cover member can be pivoted towards the body member until the first latching section interlocks with the second latching section. At this time, the contact portion presses and holds the chip card within the receiving cavity and the chip card is electrically connected to a chip card connector on a printed circuit board.
However, during installation and removal of the chip card, the connecting portion can generate surface stress due to deformation. Thus, the connecting portion may be damaged with frequent usage.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd.


An intermittent computing system state and intermittent computing module is described for a power-constrained personal computer. In the intermittent computing system state, the power-constrained personal computer may transition between sub-states of the intermittent computing system state according to an intermittent computing schedule. Each intermittent computing sub-state may be associated with hardware power sets and software power sets. Altering power supply to hardware components referenced by hardware power sets may alter power consumed in associated intermittent computing sub-states. A caching mechanism may be configured to make it likely that software components referenced by software power sets are loaded into powered storage types during associated intermittent computing sub-states. In the intermittent computing system state, periods of high functionality may be available over extended periods without the high power consumption associated with a continuous working system state. Average power consumption may be adjusted by varying the intermittent computing schedule.

The personal computer (PC) has become a common feature of everyday business and domestic life. From document creation and sharing to scheduling and messaging; personal computers have become part of the way people communicate and interact. As personal computers have become more useful, personal computer users have come to demand that their computers be available whenever and wherever they are.
Mobile personal computers have the potential to make personal computing more available than ever before but typically, the availability of a mobile personal computer is constrained by its limited mobile power supply. If the power supply runs out, the computer becomes unavailable. As a result, a mobile personal computer user seeking to maximize availability may need to monitor and conserve the mobile power supply. At times, for example, when power consumption associated with a task is high, maintaining even modest availability may require significant effort.
Power conservation schemes for conventional mobile personal computers typically involve the computer user manually switching the computer to a working state with relatively high power consumption when attentively working with the computer and then switching the computer to a sleeping or off state with relatively low power consumption otherwise. There are variations on this theme, for example, the computer may determine (at times mistakenly) that the computer user is not attentive enough to justify the high power consumption of the working state and then automatically switch to the sleeping or off state. A problem with such schemes is that they leave the computer effectively unavailable whenever the computer user is not attentively working with the computer. For example, events and alerts that occur during this period of unavailability may not be brought timely to the attention of the computer user and useful background work may be delayed thus lowering efficiency.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An external fixation system for connecting one or more bone segments together to facilitate healing of bone. The system may include one or more rings and/or ring segments. One or more linear distractors and/or angular distractors may connect the rings to each other so as to allow for distraction and/or reduction/compression of a bone. Linear distractors may enable an operator to move the rings towards and away from each other, while angular distractors may enable an operator to angle the rings relative to each other. In an embodiment using angular distractors, one or more angular separation assemblies may be positioned between the rings. These separation assemblies may have joints which may two portions which may be angled relative to each other and connected directly or indirectly to the rings. Various fasteners (e.g., nuts) and/or tightening members may configured for quick movement along and selective tightening to various components. Moreover, clamps may be attached to the rings and may engage pins, wire, rods, which may be inserted into bone to hold bone segments to each other. The components of the external fixation system may be provided in sets or kits so that the a surgeon may select various combinations of components to create an external fixation system which is configured specifically for the particular needs of a patient and the bone fracture/deformity.

External fixation devices are used to stabilize bone segments and to facilitate the healing of bones at a bone repair site. As used herein "bone repair site" refers to any bone region which is bounded on at least one side by a relatively healthy bone region to which orthopedic devices can be secured, such as an osteotomy defect or a fracture. Distraction and reduction/compression devices may be incorporated into an external fixation device and may be used to gradually adjust the relative orientation and spacing of the bone parts on opposing sides of a bone repair site.
External fixation devices traditionally include a bar(s), rod(s) and/or arcuate ring(s) as well as transcutaneous pins, screws and/or wires, which are inserted into bone on either side of the bone repair site. Clamps are used to attach the pins, screws and/or wires to the bar(s), rod(s) and/or arcuate ring(s). These clamps may be used to adjust the relative positions of the pins, screws or wires relative to each other as well as the bar(s), rod(s) and/or arcuate ring(s) so that bone segments may be aligned at the bone repair site. When the desired alignment is achieved, the clamps are locked in place to maintain the alignment of bone segments.
Distraction and reduction/compression devices may allow for adjustment of the distance between components attached on opposing sides of a bone repair site. A typical distraction procedure involves at most an osteotomy completely separating the bone into two segments, or at least an incision of the cortical portion of the bone. A distraction device moves components of the fixation device in order to gradually separate the bone segments on either side of the osteotomy (or the medullary or cancellous portion of the bone on either side of the incision). This gradual separation allows new bone to form in the osteotomy void. In other cases, reduction or compression across a bone repair site to hold bone portions together is desired to facilitate healing. Such adjustments, whether distraction or reduction/compression, typically follow a prescribed protocol. After each adjustment, the distraction/reduction/compression device is held fixed and the new bone growth gains strength. After the bone repair site has healed, the external fixation device is removed from the patient.
Existing distraction/reduction/compression devices employ adjustment mechanisms which may be awkward, slow and difficult to adjust in an incremental and reliable fashion. For example, hex nuts or similar conventional fasteners engaged with a threaded bolt or rod are often used to secure components of an external fixation device. These fasteners are assembled and adjusted using a wrench or other tool. Patients and their non-physician caregivers are often tasked with adjusting an external fixation device according to a specific treatment protocol. However, the complexity of existing systems can often lead to improper adjustments, non-compliance or deviation from the prescribed protocol, and/or undue discomfort for the patient.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide external fixation devices, methods and kits having improved distraction and connection assemblies for stabilizing bone segments and for providing simple and reliable incremental adjustments.

External fixation system and method of use


A stator (10) for an induction machine for a vehicle has a cylindrical core (12) with inner and outer slots (26, 28) extending longitudinally along the inner and outer peripheries between the end faces (22, 24). Each outer slot is associated with several adjacent inner slots. A plurality of toroidal coils (14) are wound about the core and laid in the inner and outer slots. Each coil occupies a single inner slot and is laid in the associated outer slot thereby minimizing the distance the coil extends from the end faces and minimizing the length of the induction machine. The toroidal coils are configured for an arbitrary pole phase modulation wherein the coils are configured with variable numbers of phases and poles for providing maximum torque for cranking and switchable to a another phase and pole configuration for alternator operation. An adaptor ring (36) circumferentially positioned about the stator improves mechanical strength, and provides a coolant channel manifold (34) for removing heat produced in stator windings during operation.

In vehicle manufacture, space is budgeted for the transmission system and packaging. Induction machine stators with toroidal windings offer a space savings over stators with conventional lap windings. Lap windings require end space which increase the length of the machine. End space is needed to route a coil from one stator slot to another stator slot which is several slots away according to the pitch or spacing of the coils. The end turn, the length of coil that extends from between the slots from one coil side to the other coil side, extends beyond the stator laminations thereby increasing the length of the stator by the distance required for the coil to make the turn from the slot for one side of the coil to the corresponding slot for the other side of the coil. Toroidal windings conserve space because a large turning area for end turns is not required. Toroidal coils are wound about the core with one side of the coil laid in the slot on the interior of the laminations, and the other side of the coil being laid on the outer periphery of the laminations. However, even with toroidal windings, there are end turns that extend beyond the laminations because of the space required for the coil to make the turn to go from one side of the laminations to the other side of the laminations.
In a vehicle, the alternator is subjected to constant operation generating heat which must be dissipated. Conventional toroidal windings have coils surrounding the core compounding the problem of heat dissipation because the core can not be used to dissipate coil heat as is the case with lap windings. Hot spots can exist where the coil is not in uniform contact with the core laminations. Further, toroidal coils are layered placing one layer closer to a heat sink so that heat is not transferred uniformly. Another problem with some toroidal windings is that the inner diameter of the core is smaller than the outer diameter so that spacers must be hand positioned when assembling the coils to prevent coil movement. Adding spacers during assembly complicates the assembly process and slows production.
It is desirable to have a stator with toroidal coils that have minimal end turn and promote heat dissipation.

Pole-phase modulated toroidal winding for an induction machine


Compositions and methods for combinatorial drug discovery in nanoliter droplets are described. Novel synergistic agents that increase efficacy of antibiotic agents to treat bacterial infection are disclosed.

Many human diseases are increasingly recognized as multifactorial in origin and therapeutic strategies increasingly leverage combination therapy or polytherapy. Combination therapy is a therapy that uses more than one therapeutic agent or medication or modality. This is in contrast to a monotherapy that uses only a single therapeutic agent or medication or modality. In general, a combination therapy refers to the use of more than one therapeutic agent or medication to treat a single disease. Combination therapies are currently used to treat a variety of indications (e.g., cancer, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, leprosy, and the like).
Despite their utility, identification of novel drug combinations for use in combination therapy has been slowed by the complexity, cost, and high compound consumption of the combinatorics of tests required. For example, testing all pairs of drugs from a modest library of 2000 drugs (e.g., FDA approved drugs) requires 2 million pairwise combinations, and many more combinations if the compounds are titrated during the screening process. As another example, testing 2000 drugs in combination with 2000 antibiotics at four concentrations would require 32 million pairwise combinations. Experiments of this scale are restricted to specialized labs and facilities, often with prohibitive costs and complexity (e.g., total liquid handling steps, plate layout, workflow design, and the like). Additionally, since such combinatorial screens test each compound in pairwise combinations with thousands of other compounds, thousands-fold more compound is consumed relative to a typical single-compound screen. Unfortunately, this means that a combinatorial screen has the potential to deplete an entire compound inventory in a single experiment. Current methods for combinatorial drug discovery work around these issues by either leveraging computational predictions of drug synergies to reduce screening scale, or combining multiple tests in pools with subsequent deconvolution of hits from high-scoring pools. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for compositions and methods for identifying combinations of therapeutic agents or medications in a scalable, cost-efficient manner.


Systems and methods for data synchronization are provided. The system may include a first Hadoop service cluster, a second Hadoop service cluster and a third service cluster. The first Hadoop service cluster may store the file metadata from a client. The second Hadoop service cluster connects to the first Hadoop service cluster. The third service cluster may back up updated data block of the first Hadoop service cluster to the second Hadoop service cluster.

The Hadoop distributed file system (HDFS) has been applied to various fields, such as, big data analysis. The HDFS may be used to store massive amounts of data. In some cases, if the Hadoop cluster is suddenly down, the data services of the HDFS may shut down, resulting in inaccessibility of the data stored in the HDFS to clients. Therefore, it is desirable to develop systems and methods for data synchronization in order to provide the data services reliably.

BEIJING DIDI INFINITY TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.


The present invention relates to a method of transferring a graphene film comprising the steps of (A) providing a carrier, wherein the carrier has a first surface, and a second surface, and a first graphene film is formed on the first surface; (B) disposing a patterned protection layer on the second surface of the carrier; (C) patternin carrier with the first graphene film on a target substrate; (E) removing the the carrier to expose the first graphene film; (D) disposing the patterned carrier to transfer the first graphene film on the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for transferring a carbon film, including graphene, particularly relates to an efficient method for transferring a graphene film with low chemical and mechanical damages.
2. Description of Related Art
Carbon coatings ranging from sp3-bonded diamond films, diamond-like films with mixed sp3-bonding and sp2-bonding, to sp2-bonded graphene films and many others are of great interest and useful for many practical applications. Among them, the thinnest and most difficult to be handled or transferred from one substrate to the other is graphene films of only one atom or few atoms thick. Although the present invention relates to a method for transferring such a graphene film with low chemical and mechanical damage. The method is applicable to other carbon films including diamond films, diamond-like films, and other composite carbon films with or without metals of relevant dopants or additives.
The structure of a monolayer graphene film is formed by hexagonal rings of sp2-bonded carbon atoms that are tightly packed into a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice. The general term of graphene includes one layer of monolayer graphene, multiple layers of monolayer graphene of different sizes stacking in a variety of stacking orders, and graphene structures with one or more layers of monolayer graphene deposited horizontally on a substrate or growing vertically from a substrate as a standing graphene.
Graphene has excellent optical, electronic, and mechanical properties, and is applicable to transparent conductive layers, conductive composites, or flexible electronics due to its transparent nature. Also, it may be applied in a capacitor, a lithium electrode, or a mechanical reinforced composite.
Many graphene products are formed by transferring graphene from where it is synthesized to a application substrate. Furthermore, some products require stacking a plurality of graphene films in a manner of layer-by-layer transferring. Currently, a preferable method for synthesizing a graphene film is the thermal chemical vapor deposition, wherein the graphene film is formed on a catalytic metal and then adhered with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Therefore, using an etching process, the catalytic metal is separated from the graphene film adhered thereon, thereby transferring the graphene film onto PMMA. Next, a target substrate is laminated with the PMMA adhered with the graphene film, and then the PMMA is removed by heat, ultraviolet (UV) light, gas (H2 and N2), or acetone, to transfer the graphene film onto the target substrate, thus achieving transferring of the graphene film.
The above-mentioned method for transferring a graphene film may work efficiently. However, during the transferring of the graphene film from the catalytic metal to the target substrate, several chemical solution etching and mechanical impression processes are required, causing the graphene film to crack. Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a method for transferring a graphene film with efficiency, high yield, and low stress to exploit more applications of the graphene film.


An image processing device includes an image data generator generating static part data, image data of static part common to plural pages, and variable part data for each page, image data of variable part varying for each page, at specified resolution based on variable printing data, a static part data storage unit storing static part data, and a data merge unit combining static part data stored in the static part data storage unit and variable part data, and the image data generator generates, when the amount of the static part data at specified resolution exceeds the capacity of the static part data storage unit, static part data having at least part of resolution changed from the specified resolution so that the data amount does not exceed the capacity of the static part data storage unit and causes the static part data storage unit to store the generated static part data.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image processing device that performs image processing for variable printing and a host data generating device.
2. Background Arts
Conventional image processing devices perform rasterization to transfer a page description language (PDL) into bitmap image data and also perform predetermined processing on the bitmap image data to generate image data for printing.
Such an image processing device sometimes performs image processing for variable printing. In variable printing, variable parts that vary from page to page are replaced with other and then printed while a static part common to a plurality of pages is printed as it is. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-22878 discloses an image processing device such that, at the time of image processing for variable printing, as to a static part, processing such as rasterization is not performed each time and image data of the static part (static part data) obtained at first is saved in a dedicated region of a memory and this data is reused. Due to this, image processing is performed efficiently and variable printing is performed at a high speed.

Image processing device that performs image processing for variable printing and host data generating device


An apparatus for, and method of, replacing conventional antennas which transmit radio frequency energy from radio frequency transmitters. The invention provides for the use of any conductive surface as a transmitting antenna by taking advantage of the fact that any electrical conductor or surface that is 0.1 wavelengths or longer will radiate RF energy when injected with sufficient current. The RF current injecting antenna device, employing the principles of an instrument transformer, couples RF energy from a transmitter to a linear conductive element or a conductive surface. The useful frequency range that has been demonstrated for the device is 2 MHz to 1 GHz.

This invention relates to an apparatus for coupling radio frequency energy to conductive surfaces for radiation and, more specifically, providing the coupling by current injection.
A conventional antenna utilizes current being developed on its structure to generate a radiated radio frequency electric field. Conventional antennas are available in many forms and sizes. The lower the frequency of transmission, the longer the antenna required to properly develop a usable radiated power. Therefore, in some low frequency applications, the antenna becomes large, perhaps difficult to mount to a nearby structure, and may require a significant outlay of funds for the purchase of a proper antenna and its mounting hardware.
One type of antenna is a form of wire or conductor arranged in a linear configuration, such as a metallic rod. If the current distribution on such a conductor is known, then the radiation pattern and radiated power can be determined. This determination is based upon the integration of the effects from each differential element of current along the conductor.
A commonly-accepted expression for the electric field generated at large distances from a relatively short (less than a quarter wave length of the radiated signal) vertically polarized antenna is,                               E          θ                =                  j                                xe2x80x83                                                        60                                            xe2x80x83                                          π                                            xe2x80x83                                          sin                                            xe2x80x83                                          θ                                      r                                            xe2x80x83                                          λ                                                      I            0                                          L            e                                          ⅇ                                          -                j                                                          xe2x80x83                                          β                                            xe2x80x83                                          r                                                          (        1        )
where:
Le=effective length of antenna
I0=Current at center of antenna in amperes (RMS)
r=distance in meters to the observation point
xcex=wavelength (meters)
xcex2=2xcfx80/xcex
Excex8=volts/meter
xcex8=angular position of the observation point
j={square root over (xe2x88x921)}
This expression demonstrates that any conductor developing an RF current can be considered an antenna and the field generated by a conductor of any length is a function of the current generated in the conductor.
The ability of an antenna or metallic structure to radiate is a function of its radiation resistance. The radiation resistance, along with the current on the antenna, is responsible for generating RF power radiating outward from the antenna.
The radiation resistance for a monopole-type antenna, such as a linear metal conductor, that is less than a quarter wavelength is commonly given by:                               R          r                =                  40                                xe2x80x83                                                                        π                2                                                          (                                                      L                    e                                    λ                                )                                      2                                              (        2        )
where, as in equation 1, Le is the effective height of the antenna or one half the physical length of the antenna. For example, a 0.1 wavelength monopole antenna will have a radiation resistance of at least 5 ohms, and 0.35 wavelength monopole will have a radiation resistance of approximately 50 ohms. Note that the radiation efficiency of a monopole antenna can be improved by xe2x80x9ctop-loadingxe2x80x9d the antenna, or placing a disk of metal or radial wires at one end of the antenna. The disk or wires add capacitance, and therefore impedance matches the antenna to a lower frequency than if the disk or wires were not present. This permits a greater current over a longer length of the antenna, thus improving the radiation efficiency.
The power radiated by a monopole type of antenna is given by
Pr=I2Rrxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(3)
where I=current in amperes.
The vertical electric field developed by an isotropic antenna, in terms of radiated power is commonly given by:                               E          θ                =                                                            30                                                  xe2x80x83                                                                  P                  r                                            r                                                      xe2x80x83                                          volts/meter at the observation point                                              (        4        )
From the above model, a monopole metallic structure 0.1 wavelengths long at 10 MHz, in theory, is physically 3 meters in length. The electrical effective height is approximately one half its physical length or 1.5 meters. Many metallic structures in today""s environment, not initially intended to be used as antennas, will meet this physical requirement. Such structures may include portions of a vehicle, a building, or a ship.
Direct coupling of RF energy to structures like those cited above is generally not feasible. Serious safety concerns arise when sources of large amounts of current are directly connected to metallic structures that may come into contact with human beings. Also, impedance mismatches between the source of the RF energy and the metallic structures are likely to result in most of the RF energy being reflected back to the source. In extreme cases, the reflected energy may damage the RF source.
Coupling of RF energy to conductors can also be accomplished by using a series capacitor. As is known in the art, this technique has been used to couple RF energy to an electrical power wire (such as electrical wiring in a house), which then acts as an antenna. The series capacitor presents a high impedance to the frequency of the electrical power carried by the wire, but presents a low impedance to the higher frequency RF energy. Thus, the RF energy can be coupled to the electrical power wire. This technique still requires a direct connection to the conductor, therefore retaining the safety and direct physical connection concerns.
In another field of technology, related only in the environment involving RF energy and associated RF electrical signals, are instrument transformers, or devices commonly referred to as RF current injection probes, which are well known. These devices are designed to be used in laboratory instrumentation applications for purposes of making measurements; that is, RF injection probes have been typically used to couple RF currents into the wires of a device under test. Such testing is typically required during electromagnetic interference susceptibility testing required by civil regulatory agencies like the Federal Communications Commission, the European Economic Union, and the Military when certifying a piece of equipment or confirming conformance to electromagnetic compatibility standards.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,648, issued May 27, 1997, to the Applicant, an apparatus for utilizing instrument transformers, or RF current probes, for receipt of RF energy is disclosed. However, these instrument transformers are constructed so as to operate at lower currents than instrument transformers used for current injection. Furthermore, losses induced by instrument transformers used for receipt of RF energy are of less concern, since circuitry within the RF receiver coupled to the instrument transformer can be used to amplify the RF signal to an acceptable level for further processing. Therefore, instrument transformers constructed for use as RF current injection probes are constructed with limitation of transformer induced losses as a primary concern.
Known RF current injection probes generate RF current in any metallic wire, rod, or surface. Such RF current injection probes may be constructed in many different embodiments well known in the art. Two exemplary embodiments are described below.
A first embodiment of an RF current injection probe comprises a toroidal magnetic core and winding, which provide the primary winding of a transformer, and a single metallic wire, rod or other conductor passing through the aperture of the toroid, acting as a secondary winding. In this embodiment, the primary winding, when connected to an RF current source, will cause RF current flow to be induced in the secondary winding.
A second embodiment of an RF current injection probe is one half of a toroidal or rectangular magnetic core and a winding, representing the primary winding of a transformer. The end surface faces of the toroid core or rectangular core are electrically insulated and placed close to a metallic surface. The metallic surface acts as the secondary winding. When RF current is applied to the primary winding, the metallic surface will have RF current flow induced within it.
A need exists in the art for coupling RF energy to existing metallic structures, so as to allow the structures to be used as RF radiating surfaces. The RF energy must be coupled in a safe and efficient manner so as to maximize the radiation of RF power while minimizing the risk to people in the vicinity and the RF energy source.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method that combine RF transmission antenna technology with RF current injection probe technology in a heretofore unknown manner to eliminate conventional antennas by utilizing existing wires or surfaces of metallic structures. It is a further object of the present invention to provide for coupling of RF energy in a manner that maximizes the RF power radiated while minimizing the risks associated with such RF energy coupling.
The present invention eliminates the use of conventional antennas by taking advantage of the fact that any electrical conductor or surface being 0.1 wavelengths long or longer, when injected with significant current will radiate power.
The present invention accomplishes this goal by providing a transformer capable of effectively coupling transmitter power to a wire filament or surface, and creating current that will cause radiated power to emanate from the wire or surface.
The useful frequency range of some embodiments of the present invention has been demonstrated to be from 2 MHz to 1 GHz.
One of the preferred embodiments of the invention is a toroidal transformer with the primary connected to a transmitter, and the secondary consisting of any wire or metallic structure at least 0.1 wavelengths long. The secondary wire or metallic structure can be connected directly to a fastener located in the earth or to a metallic structure. No impedance termination or special treatment of the secondary is required. The primary is a winding wound around the toroidal magnetic core. This embodiment of the present invention provides the capability to use metallic structures, such as guy wires, flag poles, metal pipe, and architectural steel rebar, as transmitting antennas. The metallic structure must merely be positioned within the center of the toroidal transformer and RF energy will be coupled from the primary to the metallic structure.
Another preferred embodiment is that of a magnetic core, consisting of a half toroid or straight rectangular bar of magnetic material with its primary winding wound around the magnetic core (in a solenoid fashion). The secondary winding consists of a metallic surface, which can be a portion of a vehicle, ship superstructure, sail boat stay or mast or other metallic architectural structure. These surfaces, when injected with a current, will radiate an RF field directly proportional to the current injected. The source of the RF currents, originates from an RF transmitter output being connected and impedance matched to the primary winding of the transformer. When the ends of the toroidal core half or rectangular bar are placed in close proximity to the surface, the coupling efficiency is increased, generating more current in the surface. This embodiment of the present invention allows for nearly any conductive surface, such as metal surfaces present on a vehicle, ship, or building, to be used as a transmitting antenna. The magnetic core must be placed adjacent the conductive surface and oriented appropriately, and RF energy will be coupled from the primary to the conductive surface.


A golf club head comprising at least one weight port and a cam weight sized to reversibly lock into the weight port is disclosed herein. The weight port includes a floor, a wall, a first seating tab extending from the wall, and a second seating tab extending from the wall, but no openings communicating with an interior of the golf club head. The cam weight, which preferably is composed of a single material, includes a cylindrical body, a first helical wing, a second helical wing, and a tool engagement feature. The helical wings give the cam weight a keyed shape, which matches the shape of the weight port when the seating tabs are taken into account.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a weight feature for use with sporting goods such as golf clubs. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cam weight for a golf club head that has a lockable, interference fit structure.
Description of the Related Art
The ability to adjust center of gravity location and weight in the head of driving clubs is useful for controlling performance of the golf club. The prior art includes several different solutions for adjustable weighting, including removable weight screws, which were provided with the Callaway RAZR Fit driver, for example. Other prior art weight screw configurations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,773,360, and 7,452,285. While these weighting solutions are easy to use, they are not ideal because they include through-holes that extend into the interior of the golf club heads and must be covered when not in use to conform to USGA regulations. Similarly, the weight plugs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,744,484 require covers, which add weight that could be used elsewhere in the club head to optimize center of gravity (CG) and moment of inertia (MOI). Therefore, there is a need for a weighting mechanism that allows for simple and flexible CG and MOI optimization and adjustability.


A new and distinct cultivar of Kalanchoe plant named xe2x80x98Gelaixe2x80x99, characterized by its numerous yellow-colored flowers; upright and uniform plant habit; freely branching growth habit; dark green glossy leaves; early flowering; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Gelai.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Kalanchoe plant, botanically known as Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Gelaixe2x80x99.
The new Kalanchoe is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new freely-branching and freely-flowering Kalanchoe cultivars with attractive foliage and flower coloration.
The new Kalanchoe originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1998 of the Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Gede, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Alexandra, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,262, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Gelai was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in De Lier, The Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new Kalanchoe by terminal vegetative cuttings taken at De Lier, The Netherlands, since 1998 has shown that the unique features of this new Kalanchoe are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Gelai has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Gelaixe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Gelaixe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Numerous yellow-colored flowers.
2. Upright and uniform plant habit.
3. Freely branching growth habit.
4. Dark green glossy leaves.
5. Early flowering.
6. Excellent postproduction longevity.
Plants of the new Kalanchoe can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Gede. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Kalanchoe differed from plants of the cultivar Gede in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were more compact and less vigorous than plants of the cultivar Gede.
2. Plants of the new Kalanchoe had smaller and glossier leaves than plants of the cultivar Gede.
3. Flower color of plants of the new Kalanchoe was darker yellow than flower color of plants of the cultivar Gede.
4. Plants of the new Kalanchoe flowered earlier than plants of the cultivar Gede.
Plants of the new Kalanchoe can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Alexandra. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Kalanchoe differed from plants of the cultivar Alexandra in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe had glossier leaves than plants of the cultivar Alexandra.
2. Plants of the new Kalanchoe flowered earlier than plants of the cultivar Alexandra.
Plants of the new Kalanchoe can also be compared to plants of the Kalanchoe cultivar Goldstrike, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,632. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Kalanchoe differed from plants of the cultivar Goldstrike in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Goldstrike.
2. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were more freely branching than plants of the cultivar Goldstrike.
3. Plants of the new Kalanchoe had glossier leaves than plants of the cultivar Goldstrike.
4. Flower color of plants of the new Kalanchoe was yellow whereas flower color of plants of the cultivar Goldstrike was yellow orange.
5. Plants of the new Kalanchoe flowered earlier than plants of the cultivar Goldstrike.


A sheet feeding apparatus includes: a sheet feeding table on which sheets are stacked, the sheet feeding table being vertically movable; a sheet feeding roller mechanism provided in a vertical movement path of the sheet feeding table, the sheet feeding roller mechanism having a roller for feeding the sheets from the sheet feeding table one at a time, the roller being vertically displaceable; a spring for urging the sheet feeding roller mechanism in a direction of downward movement of the sheet feeding table; a detector for detecting when, during the upward movement of the sheet feeding table, the sheet feeding roller mechanism is lifted to a predetermined position against the spring, to stop the upward movement of the sheet feeding table; and a movable member movable and lockable for operating a change-over mechanism for changing the raised position of the sheet feeding roller mechanism which is obtained when the sheet feeding roller mechanism is detected by the detector.

This invention relates to a sheet feeding apparatus adapted to feed sheets to an image forming machine such as a printer, and more particularly to a sheet feeding apparatus which are able to stably feed different kinds of sheets which is different in paper quality such as thickness and hardness.
FIG. 9 is a side view showing the arrangement of a conventional sheet feeding apparatus 50 which is adapted to feed a number of sheets P to an image forming section (not shown) one after another. The unit 50 has a sheet feeding table 51 on which sheets are stacked. The table 51 is a conventional one which is vertically moved by driving means (not shown).
In the operation of the image forming machine, first the sheet feeding table 51 is moved downwardly, and sheets P are stacked on it. Under this condition, the sheet feeding table 51 is moved upwardly. The stop position where the sheet feeding table 51 thus moved is stopped is detected by a sensor 52 adapted to detect the position of a sheet feeding roller mechanism 53.
The sheet feeding roller mechanism 53 is swingable about a shaft 53a. Hence, as the sheet feeding table 51 is moved upwardly, the sheet feeding roller mechanism 53 is lifted through the stack of sheets P, so as to activate the sensor 52 thereby to stop the upward movement of the sheet feeding table 51.
Thus, the sheets P are supplied into the machine one after another by means of a scraper roller 54a and a pick-up roller 54b in the sheet feeding roller mechanism.
However, the above-described sheet feeding apparatus suffers from a difficulty that it is difficult for the unit to accurately feed sheets which are different in thickness or in hardness; more specifically, sometimes no sheet is supplied to the machine or more than one sheet are supplied to it at the same time.
In the case of FIG. 9, the sheet feeding apparatus is so set that the positional relationship between a stack of hard sheets P1 and the sheet feeding roller mechanism 53; that is, the top of the stack of sheets P1 is in contact with the scraper roller 54a under a predetermined pressure, while it is spaced a certain distance from the pick-up roller 54b.
However, the sheet feeding apparatus in this state is not applicable for feeding soft sheets P2; that is, it is difficult for the sheet feeding apparatus under this condition to suitably feed the soft sheets P2.
A stack of soft sheets P2 are flexible when compared with a stack of hard sheets, and therefore as shown in FIG. 10 the scraper roller 54a of the sheet feeding roller mechanism 53 sinks in the stack of soft sheets P2 as much, and accordingly when the sheet feeding table 51 is moved above the stop position shown in FIG. 9, the sensor is activated. That is, in the case of FIG. 10, the stop position is located above the stop position in the case of FIG. 9.
Hence, the top of the stack of the soft sheets P2 is brought into contact with the pickup roller 54b under a pressure, too, as a result of which more than one sheet P2 may be often supplied into the image forming machine at the same time.
On the other hand, if hard sheets P1 are supplied under the same conditions as the soft sheets P2 have been supplied, that is, with the sheet feeding roller mechanism set in the same manner, then another difficulty is involved. The hard sheets P1 are not flexible, and therefore before the sheet feeding table 51, being lifted, reaches the stop position determined for the feeding of soft sheets P2, the sensor 52 is activated, so that the sheet feeding table 51 is stopped below the most suitable position (or the stop position for the feeding of hard sheets).
In this case, the top of the stack of the hard sheets P1 is spaced from the pickup roller 54b of the sheet feeding roller mechanism 53. On the other hand, the scraper roller 54a tries to move (feed) the hard sheet P1, but cannot give it to the pickup roller 54b, merely pushing the end of the hard sheet P1 against the side board 56a of the guide board 56; that is, no hard sheet is supplied into the image forming machine.
In general, a hard sheet P1 is large in thickness, while the soft sheet P2 is small in thickness. Hence, if those two kinds of sheets, namely, hard sheets and soft sheets are supplied into the machine with one and the same sheet feeding apparatus 50, the above-described difficulty occurs with the feeding of hard sheets or with the feeding of soft sheets.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to eliminate the above-described difficulties accompanying a conventional sheet feeding apparatus. More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a sheet feeding apparatus which can handle both hard sheets and soft sheets and is free from difficulties that no sheets is supplied into an image forming machine and more than one sheet is supplied thereinto at the same time.


According to the invention, a starter includes a motor and an electromagnetic switch. The electromagnetic switch includes a switch case, a movable contact, a fixed contact, a contact cover, an excitation coil, an excitation coil terminal, a motor terminal, and a protective cover. The excitation coil terminal has a first end, which is located inside the contact cover and electrically connected to the excitation coil, and a second end that protrudes outside the contact cover so as to be electrically connected to a power source. The motor terminal has a first end, which is located inside the contact cover and electrically connected to the fixed contact, and a second end that protrudes outside the contact cover and is electrically connected to the motor. The protective cover covers both the second end of the excitation coil terminal and the second end of the motor terminal, thereby protecting both the second ends.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to starters for staring engines. More particularly, the invention relates to a starter for starting an engine, which includes an electromagnetic switch that has a protective cover for protecting terminals of the electromagnetic switch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-286258, an English equivalent of which is U.S. Pat. No. 7,116,196 B1, discloses a starter electromagnetic switch that includes a movable contact, a pair of fixed contacts, a switch cover (or contact cover), a switch coil (or excitation coil), a switch terminal bolt, and a motor terminal. The switch cover covers the movable contact and has the fixed contacts fixed thereto facing the movable contact. The switch terminal bolt is fixed to the switch cover to supply electric power to the switch coil. The switch terminal bolt has a head portion insert-molded in the switch cover and a shaft portion that protrudes outside the switch cover so as to be electrically connected to a battery. The motor terminal is also fixed to the switch cover to supply electric power to a starter motor via the movable and fixed contacts. The motor terminal has a head portion, which is integrally formed with one of the fixed contacts, and a shaft portion that protrudes outside the switch cover and is electrically connected to the starter motor.
With the above configuration, it is possible to make electrical connection between the shaft portion of the switch terminal bolt and the battery and between the shaft portion of the motor terminal and the starter motor by using low-cost versatile round terminals. However, at the same time, since both the shaft portions of the switch terminal bolt and motor terminal are exposed to external, the shaft portions are vulnerable to water damage. Consequently, it is difficult to secure reliable electric connection between the shaft portion of the switch terminal bolt and the battery and between the shaft portion of the motor terminal and the starter motor.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-208840, an English equivalent of which is U.S. Pat. No. 6,930,576 B1, discloses a starter electromagnetic switch that includes a movable contact, a pair of fixed contacts, a molded-cap (or contact cover), an excitation coil, a current-supply terminal (or excitation coil terminal), and a motor terminal. The molded cap covers the movable contact and has the fixed contacts fixed thereto facing the movable contact. The current-supply terminal is fixed to the molded cap to supply electric current to the excitation coil. The current-supply terminal has one end, which is located inside the molded cap and electrically connected to the excitation coil, and the other end that protrudes outside the molded cap and is held in a connector portion of the molded cap. The motor terminal is also fixed to the molded cap to supply electric power to a starter motor via the movable and fixed contacts. The motor terminal has a head portion, which is integrally formed with one of the fixed contacts, and a shaft portion that protrudes outside the molded cap and is electrically connected to the starter motor.
With the above configuration, since the shaft portion of the current-supply terminal is enclosed by the connector portion of the molded cap, it can be protected from water damage. However, at the same time, different users of engine starters have different requirements for the shapes and sizes of the connector portion and current-supply terminal. Accordingly, the connector portion and current-supply terminal cannot be standardized, thus making it difficult to minimize the manufacturing cost. Moreover, since the shaft portion of the motor terminal is exposed to external, it cannot be protected from water damage.

Starter including electromagnetic switch with protective cover for protecting terminals