An optical disk system is presented which stores disk- and user-specific settings, along with an associated method. The optical disk system includes a disk drive unit for retrieving identification data and encoded video data stored upon an optical disk, an input device for inputting user settings, and a microprocessor memory unit having a non-volatile portion for storing the identification data and the user settings. Information specific to optical disks (e.g., DVDs) and users is stored within the non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit. The user settings may include, for example, spoken language, video display format, audio volume setting, and subtitle language. The user settings may be retrieved and invoked, conveniently allowing a user to view a presentation (e.g., a movie), or to continue viewing an interrupted presentation, without having to reselect viewing and listening preferences. The identification data may include a portion of a title of the optical disk. A value corresponding to the identification data (e.g., a checksum) may be stored in order to minimize storage requirements. The non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit may include, for example, flash memory or electrically erasable programmable random access memory (EEPROM) which maintains stored contents even in the absence of applied electrical power. A sleep timer function may be activated which requires periodic user input to continue playback and to save a current playback location.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to optical disk systems, and in particular to optical disk systems which allow users to choose among a variety of playback viewing and listening options.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical disks are recording media typically containing long strings of microscopic pits representing digitally encoded data. Each string of pits is called a xe2x80x9ctrackxe2x80x9d. The tracks are formed end to end in a spiral pattern around the center of one or both major surfaces of the disk. Reflected laser light is used to xe2x80x9creadxe2x80x9d the data encoded in the pits. Common types of optical disks available today include compact disks (CDs), laser video disks, and digital versatile disks (DVDs). Various optical disk players are available which read data from optical disks.
The current DVD standard is a compromise format agreed upon by several major consumer electronic and entertainment companies. Under the current DVD standard, the capacity of a single side, single layer DVD with a diameter of 4.7 inches is 4.7 gigabytes, enough to store about 135 minutes of video data. This capacity is sufficient for about 95% of all full length movies. The current DVD standard also provides for up to eight different sound tracks in different languages, each with up to eight different audio channels to create a three-dimensional acoustic effect. In addition, up to 32 different sets of subtitles (i.e., translation text) may be stored on a DVD for display during playback.
By virtue of the numerous capabilities afforded by the DVD standard, a typical DVD player allows a user to select among a wide variety of viewing and listening options. The user typically makes these selections by navigating through several layers of menus displayed upon a television (TV) screen. For example, viewing options include display format, camera angle, and subtitles. A standard TV has a width-to-height (i.e., aspect) ratio of 4:3, while a widescreen TV has an aspect ratio of 16:9. Video data can be stored on a DVD for standard TV (4:3 display data) or widescreen TV (16:9 display data). DVD player display format options include full frame (4:3 format from 4:3 display data), letterbox (4:3 format from 16:9 display data), pan and scan (4:3 format from 16:9 display data), and widescreen (16:9 format from 16:9 display data). In letterbox format, a wide black stripe is added across the tops and bottoms of the 16:9 display data images such that proper proportions are maintained when the images are displayed upon a 4:3 screen. In pan and scan format, only 4:3 portions of the 16:9 display data images are displayed. Images xe2x80x9cshotxe2x80x9d from several different camera angles may be recorded on the disk, and the user may select any one of these camera angles for viewing. Subtitles in any one of up to 32 different languages may be superimposed upon portions of the images.
Audio options include language, number of channels, dynamic range, and volume. The user may select one of up to 8 different languages for playback. The user may also select desired values for number of audio channels, dynamic range, and volume. As described above, each of the up to 8 sound tracks in different languages may have up to 8 audio channels. Audio data encoded using Dolby(copyright) AC-3(trademark) may have 1 to 5.1 channels. Audio data encoded using MPEG-2 audio may have 1 to 5.1 or 7.1 channels. Audio data encoded using pulse code modulation (PCM) may have 1 to 8 channels. A user may select from the various audio options present on a disk.
Users may have different viewing and listening preferences. Each user""s preferences, however, would not be expected to change significantly over time. As a result, a typical user will most likely grow tired of having to reselect the same viewing and listening preferences each time a presentation (e.g., a movie) is viewed. It would thus be beneficial to have an optical disk system which stores information specific to each optical disk and/or user. Such a system would conveniently allow a user to view a presentation, or to continue viewing an interrupted presentation, without having to reselect viewing and listening preferences.
The problems outlined above are in large part solved by an optical disk system and method for storing disk- and user-specific settings. One embodiment of the optical disk system includes a disk drive unit for retrieving identification data and encoded video data stored upon an optical disk, an input device for inputting user settings, and a microprocessor memory unit operably coupled to the disk drive unit and the input device and including a non-volatile portion for storing the identification data and the user settings. Information specific to optical disks (e.g., DVDs) and users is stored within the non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit. Such information may be retrieved and invoked, conveniently allowing a user to view a presentation, or to continue viewing an interrupted presentation, without having to reselect viewing and listening preferences.
The identification data may include a portion of a title of the optical disk. A value corresponding to the identification data may be stored within the non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit in order to minimize storage requirements. The value may be, for example, an error detection code (e.g., checksum) computed from the identification data stored upon the optical disk.
The non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit may include, for example, flash memory or electrically erasable programmable random access memory (EEPROM) which maintains stored contents even in the absence of applied electrical power.
The input device may include a keypad having multiple electrical pushbutton switches or xe2x80x9ckeysxe2x80x9d. The input device may be a xe2x80x9cremotexe2x80x9d control unit in wireless communication with the microprocessor (e.g., via an infrared light beam). A user may input user settings by pressing one or more of the keys of the keypad. The user settings may include, for example, spoken language, video display format, audio volume setting, and subtitle language.
The optical disk system may also include a microprocessor and an audio/video decoder. The microprocessor may be coupled to the disk drive unit and the microprocessor memory unit, and may be operably coupled to the input device. The microprocessor may receive the identification data from the disk drive unit and the user settings. The user settings may be retrieved from the non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit. Alternately, the user input may be received via the input device.
The microprocessor may be configured to: (i) store the identification data and the user settings within the non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit, and (ii) provide the identification data and the user settings. The audio/video decoder may be coupled to the disk drive unit and the microprocessor. The audio/video decoder may receive the encoded video data from the disk drive unit and the identification data and user settings from the microprocessor. The audio/video decoder may decode the encoded video data thereby producing decoded video data, and may produce image data (e.g., bit-mapped textual data) which reflects the identification data and the user settings. The audio/video decoder may produce a video output signal which includes the image data superimposed upon the decoded video data.
The microprocessor may maintain a table including disk identification data and disk specific settings (e.g., user settings and last stop playback location information) within the non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit. The table may have multiple entry locations, wherein each entry location corresponds to a specific disk and has a disk identification field and a specific settings field. The specific settings field may be used to store the user settings and last stop playback information associated with the disk identified by the data within the disk identification field.
The microprocessor may also maintain a table including user specific settings within the non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit. The table may have multiple entry locations, wherein each entry location corresponds to a specific user and has a user identification field and a specific settings field. The specific settings field may be used to store the user settings associated with the user identified by the data within the user identification field.
When an optical disk is inserted into the disk drive unit, the microprocessor receives the disk identification data (e.g., textual title) from the disk drive unit. The microprocessor may search the table for an entry with matching identification data in the identification field. If an entry with matching identification data is not found, the user may be given the option of using settings stored within the table of user specific settings. If the table of user specific information is empty, or the user chooses not to use settings stored within the table of user specific settings, the microprocessor may prompt the user to enter viewing and listening preferences via the input device. If the user settings are entered via the input device, the settings may be stored within the table of user specific information. After the user settings are obtained, the microprocessor may initialize the last stop playback location to a beginning location. The microprocessor may select an entry location for the disk within the table of disk specific information, and store the identification data, the current calendar date, the last stop playback location, and the user settings within the entry location.
If an entry location with matching disk identification data is found, the microprocessor may retrieve the calendar date, the last stop playback location, and the user settings from the specific settings field of the entry location. The microprocessor may then provide the identification data, the calendar date, the last stop playback location, and the user settings to an on-screen display unit of the audio/video decoder. The on-screen display unit may produce the image data reflecting the disk identification data the calendar date, the last stop playback location, and the user settings. The identification data, the calendar date, the last stop playback location, and the user settings may then be displayed upon the display screen of the display device, and the user may be given the option of resuming playback from the last stop playback location and with the previously selected user settings. Resuming playback from the last stop playback location keeps the user from having to xe2x80x9chuntxe2x80x9d through the presentation to determine a suitable location to resume playback. Allowing the user to resume playback with the previously selected user settings saves the user the time and trouble of reselecting viewing and listening preferences.
The present method for controlling the operation of the optical disk system includes obtaining identification data from the optical disk when the optical disk is inserted into the disk drive unit, obtaining user settings, and storing the identification data and the user settings within the non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit. The disk drive unit may be used to scan the optical disk to obtain the identification data. The microprocessor may receive the identification data, and may search the table of disk specific information in order to determining if the optical disk has been inserted into the disk drive unit before. If the optical disk has been inserted into the disk drive unit before, the last stop playback location and the user settings may be retrieved and invoked. If the optical disk has not been inserted into the disk drive unit before, the user settings associated with the optical disk may be obtained from the table of user specific settings. Alternately, the user settings may be obtained via the input device. If the user settings are obtained using the input device, the user settings may be stored within the table of user specific settings. Once the user settings are obtained, retrieval of presentation data (i.e., encoded audio and video data) from the optical disk may be initiated.
If playback of the presentation data is stopped before an end of the encoded video and audio data on the optical disk is reached, the optical disk system may store the identification data, the user settings, and last stop playback location within the non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit. The next time the optical disk is inserted into the disk drive unit, the information data, the user settings, and the last stop playback location may be displayed, and the user may be asked if playback should be restarted from the last stop point and with the previous audio and video settings.
A sleep timer function may also be employed to detect when a user falls asleep during playback. During playback, a visual signal (e.g., an icon) may be periodically displayed (e.g., every 30 minutes) within a portion of the display screen of the display device. The user may be required to respond to the visual signal (e.g., by pressing one or more keys of the keypad of the input device) within a predetermined amount of time (e.g., 5 minutes) in order for playback to continue. The visual signal may be displayed in, for example, a corner of the display screen. The time interval between displays of the visual signal may be determined by a first timer. Display of the visual signal may start a second timer which determines the required response time.
When a sleep timer mode is activated, the first and second timers may be enabled. The first timer may be activated when playback is initiated. When the first timer indicates a first predetermined period of time has elapsed (e.g., 30 minutes), the visual signal may be displayed and the second timer activated. The microprocessor may initiate display of the visual signal by providing data pertaining to the visual signal to the on-screen display unit. The on-screen display unit may produce image data and store the image data within an audio/video memory unit. The audio/video decoder may retrieve the image data from the audio/video memory unit, incorporate the image data into the output signal, and provide the output signal to the display device via a video signal encoder.
Each time the user responds to the visual signal via the input device within the predetermined time period of the second timer (e.g., 5 minutes), the microprocessor may store the identification data, the user settings, and the current playback location as the last stop playback location within the non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit. The microprocessor may direct the on-screen display unit to stop producing image data. The visual signal disappears from the display screen of the display device, and playback continues.
If the user fails to respond to the visual signal via the input device within the predetermined time period of the second timer, the optical disk system assumes the user is asleep. The microprocessor stops playback and interrupts the supply of electrical power to the other components (i.e., shuts down the optical disk system). The non-volatile portion of the microprocessor memory unit holds the disk identification data, the user settings, and the last stop playback location stored the last time the user responded to the visual signal. The next time the disk is inserted into the disk drive unit, the user will be asked if playback should be continued from the location corresponding to the last time the user responded to the visual signal (i.e., just before the user fell asleep).

Optical disk system and method for storing disk- and user-specific settings


A household appliance includes appliance walls which delimit a space. A covering plate is arranged on an outer face of at least one of the appliance walls so as to leave free a gap. The gap is sealed in an edge region of the covering plate by an acoustic sealing frame.

The invention relates to a household appliance with a space, present in particular in its interior, surrounded by appliance walls, in particular a dishwasher with a dishwasher interior. The appliance walls often have, by way of example for processing, shaping and/or cost reasons, only a low thickness, so noises which are produced in the space easily penetrate to the outside, and this is undesirable. Apart from an anti-drumming mat optionally attached to the outside of the outer face of the respective appliance wall, such as a bitumen mat for preventing or at least damping vibrations of the appliance wall which lead to thudding noises, for noise insulation there is often an all-over acoustic insulating layer preferably on the outside of the respective appliance wall overlaid with a bitumen mat, and this layer is made from a noise-absorbing and/or noise-reflecting material, made by way of example from an absorbent fleece. To ensure sufficient noise insulation of the space surrounded by device walls, a relatively thick insulating layer of, by way of example, 2 cm or more is often required, and this necessitates a correspondingly large installation space which is then no longer available for other purposes, by way of example to increase the washing tank of a dishwasher.
Taking this as a starting point, it is an object of the invention to propose a household appliance, in particular a dishwasher, of the type mentioned in the introduction with noise insulation which is improved with respect to its space requirement.

Household appliance, in particular dishwasher, with an acoustic sealing frame for noise reduction


In a process reactor and a method for the electro-dynamic fragmentation of lumpy mineral materials by pulsed high voltage discharges, including a reaction chamber with a funnel-like bottom having a central outlet, an axially movable high-voltage electrode extending from the top into the reaction chamber and having a front end disposed opposite the central outlet where another electrode which is at an electric reference potential is disposed, the outlet converges into a tailback tube below which a transport unit for the controlled removal of the processed fragmented material sinking down through the tailback tube is disposed, a material supply arrangement extends to an opening in the wall of the reaction chamber and a material flow blocking structure is disposed in the reaction in front of the material inlet opening for controlling the material admission to, and the fill level in, the reaction chamber.

The invention relates to a process reactor for the electro-dynamic fragmentation of particulate mineral materials immersed in a processing fluid by pulsed high-voltage discharges and a method for operating the process reactor.
In its basic design, such a process reactor comprises: A closed reaction chamber with a funnel-like bottom including a central outlet. An electrode to which a high voltage can be applied, that is a high voltage electrode, extends from the top into the reaction chamber. This electrode is surrounded by an electrical insulation except for a free end area thereof. The high voltage electrode is movable along the axis thereof so that its end is disposed opposite the central outlet at the funnel-like bottom of the reaction chamber which outlet has a circumferential metallic edge that forms the opposite electrode which is at an electrical reference potential. Material is supplied to the reaction chamber for fractioning continuously or batch-wise by way of an opening in the wall of the reaction chamber.
The majority of the known fragmentation devices are operated batch-wise, or, in the language as used by the persons skilled in the art, in a batch-mode, that is, a small amount in the order of several kilograms of the material to be treated is introduced into the process space usually by hand and deposited above the reference electrode, generally on a perforated bottom wall (sieve) and is fragmented there by high voltage discharges. When the desired number of discharges has been reached, the materials that have passed through the sieve and the material remaining on the sieve can be discharged separately. A typical representative of the mode of operation is the Franka-O-plant of DE 195 34 232 C2 (FIGS. 5, 6) or, respectively, similar plants as they are described for example in publication [1].
For industrially relevant throughputs a batch-mode however is not particularly suitable. The apparatus disclosed in [2] is for a continuous supply of material but, because of the sieve used, it is not suitable for relatively large mass-throughputs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,274 (FIG. 1) also discloses a continuous material flow in connection with a sieve or, respectively, a vibration sieve; however, there are unsolved points, that is, the throughput, the treatment duration and the life of the sieve.
The continuously operating processes patented in DE 197 27 534 C2 and GB 1 284 426 are based on the use of the electro-hydraulic principle, that is, the effects of the shock waves resulting from an underwater HV-discharge. Generally, it can be said that an important weak point of all apparatus concerns the sieve bottom in the process chamber which allows only a relatively small throughput volume and the largest added component which is allowed to leave the process area is always smaller than the mesh width of the sieve. In praxis, the conditions are even less favorable: If a component part is freed from the material and if that part is not disposed above an opening in the sieve bottom but reaches that location only after several more discharges it can be subjected to one or more additional fragmentation actions. This effect however is not desirable if, in addition to the basic requirement for fragmentation, the components should maintain a certain size which, in a heterogeneous material, may play an important role. As an example, the segregation of concrete into its constituents is referred to where the operation over a sieve electrode will inevitably result in an undesirable shift of the gram size distribution curve (grading curve) of the regained aggregate (gravel) towards smaller particle size. A direct mixing of new concrete on the basis of this recycled aggregate is therefore not possible. If such a grading curve shift or the undesirable fractioning procedure is to be avoided, a sieve with a larger number of openings and larger diameter openings must be used. However, with sieves having a larger number of openings, the probability of sieve failure or fractures increases and, with sieves having larger openings not only the material components of the desired size, but also smaller components with residual attachments of the cement matrix and matrix conglomerates pass through the openings. This again is contrary to the requirement for a separation of the components which is to be as complete as possible.
Sieves, furthermore, have the important disadvantage that they all have a tendency to clog as a result of foreign materials in the concrete waste, such as nails or reinforcement residues which detrimentally affect the operability of a technical plant.
It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a process reactor for a preferably continuous and efficient electro-dynamic fragmentation of brittle particulate mineral materials for industrial relevant mass throughputs.

Process reactor and method for the electrodynamic fragmentation


Methods, systems, and apparatuses for providing power to devices that are part of RFID systems are described. Energy is harvested at portable/mobile devices, stored and conditioned to provide on-going power as needed for various circuits/components. The energy may be generated in a variety of ways, including using a vibratory energy harvesting device, a magnetic energy harvesting device, and an optical energy harvesting devices.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to radio frequency identification (RFID) systems, and in particular, to harvesting energy in an RFID systems environment.
2. Background Art
Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are electronic devices that may be affixed to items whose presence is to be detected and/or monitored. The presence of an RFID tag, and therefore the presence of the item to which the tag is affixed, may be checked and monitored wirelessly by devices known as "readers." Readers typically have one or more antennas transmitting radio frequency signals to which tags respond. Because the reader "interrogates" RFID tags, and receives signals back from the tags in response to the interrogation, the reader is sometimes termed a "reader interrogator" or simply "interrogator."
With the maturation of RFID technology, efficient communication between tags and interrogators has become a key enabler in supply chain management, especially in manufacturing, shipping, and retail industries, as well as in building security installations, healthcare facilities, libraries, airports, warehouses etc.
With the increased use of peripheral devices in RFID systems, it is becoming increasingly important to devise new ways to provide power to such devices. For example, a mobile computer with an integrated RFID interrogator may be used by an operator wearing a headset to communicate with the computer or a central communications point. A reader interrogator may be remote from a conventional power source, etc.
Thus, what is needed are improved ways of providing power to various devices included in RFID systems.


The present invention relates to compact, low noise, ultra-short pulse sources based on fiber amplifiers, and various applications thereof. At least one implementation includes an optical amplification system having a fiber laser seed source producing seed pulses at a repetition rate corresponding to the fiber laser cavity round trip time. A nonlinear pulse transformer, comprising a fiber length greater than about 10 m, receives a seed pulse at its input and produces a spectrally broadened output pulse at its output, the output pulse having a spectral bandwidth which is more than 1.5 times a spectral bandwidth of a seed pulse. A fiber power amplifier receives and amplifies spectrally broadened output pulses. A pulse compressor is configured to temporally compress spectrally broadened pulses amplified by said power amplifier. Applications include micro-machining, ophthalmology, molecular desorption or ionization, mass-spectroscopy, and/or laser-based, biological tissue processing.

Ultra-short pulse sources have had a major impact on laser-based technology during the last decade. Applications include imaging, micro-machining and ophthalmology. Because of their unique stability, compactness and ease of construction, fiber laser based ultra-short pulse sources have started to dominate the ultra-short pulse source market segment. Exemplary ultra-short pulse sources are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,031,396; 7,688,499; 7,167,300; 6,885,683 and 5,696,782. In order to be able to address many industrial applications, pulse sources producing pulse widths ranging from sub picosecond to 10 ns are highly desirable, where in order to minimize cost, preferably, these systems are based on the same technology platform.
Modelocked fiber lasers are an attractive source for producing pulses in the fs to ns range, where further amplification in fiber amplifiers can be implemented to reach pulse energies up to the mJ level. Thus, an all-fiber system construction can be achieved.
One limitation of all-fiber systems is the relatively low pulse energies of mode-locked fiber oscillators. Several fiber amplification stages may be required to reach high pulse energies. Another limitation arises from the requirement of linear amplification stages as, for example, encountered when implementing chirped pulse amplification systems, which limit the achievable peak power from fiber amplifiers. As the pulse energy and/or peak power is increased, chirped pulse amplification further requires complex schemes for pulse stretching and compression with precisely matched values of dispersion. On the other hand, when nonlinear fiber amplifiers are employed, the pulse quality can be detrimentally affected when implementing pulse compression stages after the nonlinear fiber amplifiers.
Gain-switched diode-based laser systems or micro-chip lasers have been implemented as front ends to fiber amplifiers to circumvent the limitation of all fiber systems, but so far with limited success. For example, it is generally very difficult to generate bandwidth-limited pulses from gain-switched diode lasers in the pulse width range from 10 ps-1 ns, and also the generation of pulse width tunable systems with pulse widths around 100 ps is relatively complex. As other examples, continuous wave emitting diode lasers have been suggested as a solution to pulse width tunable short pulse laser systems (U.S. Pat. No. 7,330,301 to D. J. Harter et al.). Arrangements of pulse shortening stages implemented in conjunction with micro-chip lasers can require relatively complex schemes to minimize pulse jitter. For example, see A. Steinmetz et al., Sub-5-ps, multimegawatt peak-power pulses from a fiber-amplified and optically compressed passively Q-switched microchip laser, Optics Letters, Vol. 37, Issue 13, pp. 2550 (2012).

Compact ultra-short pulse source amplifiers


A touch panel including a liquid crystal panel, a first polarizer, touch units, and a second polarizer is provided. The liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, an active array, and a liquid crystal layer. Each of the touch units includes a first electrode extending along a first extending direction and a second electrode extending along a second extending direction. The first electrode includes two of first touch electrodes electrically connected to each other. Each of the first touch electrodes has a first deviation amount in the second extending direction. The second electrode includes two of second touch electrodes electrically connected to each other. Each of the second touch electrodes has a second deviation amount in the first extending direction. The two of the second touch electrodes and the two of the first touch electrodes have four overlapping points.

With the advancement of technology, the appearance rate of touch panels in the market has gradually increased, and various related technologies have also emerged in an endless stream. In certain electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones, tablet computers, and smart watches), a touch panel and a display panel are often combined together to improve the convenience of the electronic devices in use.
In general, a touch substrate with touch function is additionally attached on a surface of the display panel so that the electronic device can provide both touch and display functions. For instance, an adhesive layer is used for bonding the display panel with the touch substrate. However, the electronic devices manufactured in this way will have thicker and heavier modules, and the overall module mechanism strength will be weaker.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present disclosure is directed to an animal food product for promoting dental efficacy including a hydrolyzed protein including one or more amino groups, and a high amylopectin content starch including one or more reducing sugars; wherein the one or more amino groups in the hydrolyzed protein are covalently bonded to the one or more reducing sugars in the high amylopectin content starch. Methods of preparing the animal food product and using the animal food product to promote dental efficacy, such as teeth-cleaning efficacy in an animal are also provided.

Many animals, particularly companion animals such as cats and dogs, suffer from dental health problems. A primary factor in the development of these problems is the formation of plaque on the surface of the teeth. Plaque contains bacteria and other components that adhere to the surface of the teeth, accumulating both above and below the gum line leading to inflammation, gingivitis, and/or malodors in the dental cavity.
Contributing to the problem is the formation of tartar or dental calculus (mineralized plaque). Dental calculus forms on the tooth surface at or above the gum line and serves as a substrate for additional accumulation of plaque. Apart from causing gum irritation and eventually periodontal disease if left untreated, the calculus has an unsightly appearance.
Animals in the wild are less susceptible than pets, for example, to the formation of plaque and calculus due to the types of food they eat. Many of these natural foods mechanically abrade plaque and calculus from the teeth. However, pets, farm animals and zoo animals, for example, are often fed commercially available foods. While commercially available foods are usually much better for an animal from a nutritional point of view, they generally do not subject the teeth of the animals to abrasive forces sufficient to clean the teeth. Even dried kibble is able to abrade the teeth only to a very limited extent. This is because dried kibble typically crumbles almost immediately when chewed by the animal.
There have been various attempts to deal with this problem. One approach has been to incorporate oral care agents into certain animal foods. For example, baked dog biscuits that contain vegetable fibers for abrading the teeth of a dog are known in the art. However, the biscuits almost immediately crumble upon being bitten. Hence, the dog is unable to chew the product in a manner that is adequate to clean teeth. Accordingly, little abrasion occurs and the dental efficacy (e.g. the teeth-cleaning efficacy), of the product is reduced. In addition, such products are not readily suitable for many varieties of animals such as cats, for example.
A dried animal food product has also been formulated that contains aligned fibers. When chewed, the product fractures along striations rather than crumbles. Accordingly, the product is able to be in contact with the animal's teeth for a longer period of time, and consequently, the abrasive effect of the product is enhanced. However, the product must be produced using a specially coated die which permits laminar flow conditions within the die. The laminar flow conditions are reported to cause alignment of the fibers within the product leading to the striated fracturing of the product when bitten. The use of the special die, however, may unnecessarily complicate production of the product and increase the cost of production. Accordingly, there remains a desire in the art for animal food products having dental efficacy, which may be simply and cheaply manufactured and readily used in a variety of food items.

Animal food product for dental efficacy, methods of manufacture and use


A fluid coupling device of the type including an external bimetal coil (45) operable to move a valve arm (41) from a closed position (FIG. 4) toward an open position (FIG. 5) as the external temperature increases. An internal bimetal coil (61) is provided within the fluid reservoir chamber (35), having an inner end (65) fixed to a disc-like member (63) which rotates with the valve shaft (39), and an outer end (67) fixed to the valve arm (41). The internal coil (61) is preloaded such that, when the internal fluid temperature increases, the preload is relieved, and the valve arm (41) rotates from its open position (FIG. 5) back toward a closed position (FIG. 6), thus protecting the fluid from overheating and being damaged.

The present invention relates to fluid coupling devices, and more particularly, to such devices which are capable of changing between the engaged and disengaged conditions, in response to variations in a predetermined temperature condition.
A fluid coupling device of the type to which the present invention relates typically includes an input coupling member and an output coupling member which cooperate with each other to define a viscous shear space such that torque may be transmitted from the input member to the output member in the presence of a viscous shear fluid. The output coupling member typically defines a fluid chamber and a valve plate separates the chamber into a reservoir and an operating chamber, with the input coupling member being disposed in the operating chamber.
In conventional fluid coupling devices ("fan drives") which are used to drive radiator cooling fans on vehicles, the valve plate includes a valving arrangement operable in response to changes in ambient air temperature to permit fluid to flow from the reservoir into the operating chamber. Typical fan drives include a discharge port defined near the outer periphery of the operating chamber with some form of pumping element, such that a small quantity of fluid is continually pumped from the operating chamber back to the reservoir chamber during normal operation.
There is the potential for the temperature of the fluid in the fan drive to exceed a predetermined maximum temperature. The potential for this to occur increases as the speed differential ("slip speed") increases between the input coupling member and the output coupling member. In other words, excessive shearing of the fluid can cause the fluid to exceed the predetermined maximum temperature. When this occurs, the fluid (typically a silicone fluid) undergoes a process in which the fluid first "droops", i.e., there is a physical breakdown of the polymer chains such that the fluid viscosity decreases, and the torque transmitting capability of the coupling decreases substantially. Then, with continued excess fluid temperature, the fluid again begins to cross-link, but does so excessively, and eventually the fluid "gels" or becomes nearly solid. If the fluid reaches this latter condition, the coupling device operates as if it were solid, with little or no slip speed in the engaged mode, and no capability of operating in the disengaged mode.
One attempt to overcome the above-described problem is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,018, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. In the device of the cited patent, the valve arm is generally Y-shaped, having two fill port covering portions, the first of which covers the fill port at low ambient temperatures. As ambient temperature increases, the valve arm rotates to a position in which the valve covering portions of the valve arm are on either side of the fill port, thus permitting filling. As internal fluid temperature increases as a result of high slip speeds, heat is dissipated from the fluid through the cover, further increasing the temperature of the ambient air around the external bimetal coil. As a result, the valve arm continues to rotate in the same direction until the fill port is covered by the second port covering portion. Once the fill port is covered, and the fluid in the operating chamber is pumped back to the reservoir, the fluid coupling operates in the disengaged mode, with the fluid thus being protected from the overheating condition described above.
Unfortunately, it has been found that the arrangement of the cited patent is most likely to be satisfactory on fan drives having relatively thin, stamped steel covers, as is typically the case on the relatively smaller, automotive fan drives. However, on the relatively larger, higher torque fan drives typically utilized on light trucks, and having cast aluminum covers, the heat transfer from the fluid to the external bimetal coil is generally insufficient to heat the bimetal coil enough to achieve the desired protection of the viscous fluid.

Temperature sensitive decoupling method for viscous fan drives


There is provided a piezoelectric resonant element having excellent electrical characteristics in which spurious is suppressed. The piezoelectric resonant element (10) is constituted by sticking a pair of oscillatory electrodes (12, 13), respectively, to both major surfaces of a rectangular piezoelectric substrate (11). In the nonopposing regions of both the oscillatory electrodes (12, 13), extending portions (12c, 13c) are provided to extend in the opposite directions outward from the center X of the opposing region.

Piezoelectric resonant elements utilizing thickness-longitudinal vibrations of piezoelectric bodies, thickness sliding vibrations, and so on have high Q values as resonators, and are widely used for oscillating circuits, filter circuits, and so on.
The piezoelectric resonant elements have a large number of resonant peaks having different frequencies based on vibration modes different in their electrical characteristics.
When piezoelectric resonant elements in which spuriouses (frequency responses due to vibrations other than desired vibrations) are not suppressed are used for oscillating circuits, oscillatory frequencies are liable to be shifted into frequencies at which spuriouses exist against the intentions. On the other hand, when the piezoelectric resonant elements are used for filter circuits, out-of-band attenuations are liable to be insufficient.
Accordingly, in the piezoelectric resonant elements, the point of improving electrical characteristics is how to suppress spuriouses. Therefore, various considerations have been conventionally made.
As conventional piezoelectric resonant elements devised for suppression of spuriouses, one having a configuration shown in FIG. 13 has been known, for example.
A piezoelectric resonant element 101 has a piezoelectric substrate 102 polarized in a thickness direction (corresponding to a direction perpendicular to the paper surface), has circular oscillatory electrodes 103 and 104 formed at central parts on upper and lower surfaces of the piezoelectric substrate 102 (FIG. 13 shows the upper surface) such that they are opposed to each other with the piezoelectric substrate 102 sandwiched therebetween, and utilizes a third harmonic wave of thickness-longitudinal vibration. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned piezoelectric resonant element 101, the diameter of the oscillatory electrode 103 on the upper surface and the diameter of the oscillatory electrode 104 on the lower surface are made to differ from each other. This causes a fundamental wave of thickness-longitudinal vibration to leak out to thereby suppress spurious caused by the vibration.    [Patent document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-134060

Piezoelectric resonant element and piezoelectric resonator using the same


A folding collapsible golf cart includes a U-shaped base frame, a U-shaped upright frame pivoted to the base frame and turned between a horizontal position and a vertical position, a brace member pivoted to the base frame for supporting the upright frame in the vertical position, a U-shaped handle pivoted to the upright frame and turned between a first position where the handle and the upright frame are longitudinally aligned, and a second position where the handle is collapsed and closely attached to the upright frame, two front wheels and two rear wheels respectively mounted on the base frame and the upright for supporting the folding collapsible golf cart on the ground, a bottom golf bag cradle and a top golf bag cradle respectively mounted on the base frame and the upright frame for holding a golf cart.

The present invention relates to a golf cart carrying a golf bag, and more particularly to a folding collapsible golf cart that can be folded up to minimize space occupation when not in use.
A conventional golf cart, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises an upper golf bag cradle and a lower golf bag cradle fixedly mounted on the main shaft thereof for holding a golf bag therebetween. The upper golf bag cradle and the lower golf bag cradle are equipped with a respective cradle strap for securing the golf bag to the cradles. When in use, the cradle straps must be unfastened so that the golf bag can be rested on the cradles. After loading, the cradle straps are respectively fastened up to firmly secure the golf bag in place. This golf bag installation procedure in complicated.
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a folding collapsible golf cart which eliminates the aforesaid drawback. According to one aspect of the present invention, the folding collapsible golf cart is comprised of a U-shaped base frame, a U-shaped upright frame pivoted to the base frame and turned between a horizontal position and a vertical position, a brace member pivoted to the base frame for supporting the upright frame in the vertical position, a U-shaped handle pivoted to the upright frame and turned between a first position where the handle and the upright frame are longitudinally aligned, and a second position where the handle is collapsed and closely attached to the upright frame, two front wheels and two rear wheels respectively mounted on the base frame and the upright for supporting the folding collapsible golf cart on the ground, a bottom golf bag cradle and a top golf bag cradle respectively mounted on the base frame and the upright frame for holding a golf bag. According to another aspect of the present invention, the bottom golf bag cradle has a bottom sloping downwardly backwards for holding the loaded golf bag in a tilted position; the top golf bag cradle comprises two mounting frames respectively fastened to two ends of the upright frame, two supporting frames respectively pivoted to the mounting frames, the supporting frames each having a smoothly curved supporting face for supporting the loaded golf bag in place, and a connecting device connected between the supporting frames and the mounting frames, the connecting device comprising a front elastic belt and a rear resilient belt connected in parallel between the supporting frames. The supporting frames are forwards outwards by the golf bag when the golf bag is put on the bottom golf bag cradle and the top golf bag cradle. After the golf bag has been set into position, the supporting frames are forced inwards by the connecting device to hold the loaded golf bag firmly in place.


In accordance with the invention, an LED packaged for high temperature operation comprises a metal base including an underlying thermal connection pad and a pair of electrical connection pads, an overlying ceramic layer, and a LED die mounted overlying the metal base. The LED is thermally coupled through the metal base to the thermal connection pad, and the electrodes are electrically connected to the underlying electrical connection pads. A low thermal resistance insulating layer can electrically insulate other areas of die from the base while permitting heat passage. Heat flow can be enhanced by thermal vias to the thermal connector pad. Ceramic layers formed overlying the base can add circuitry and assist in distributing emitted light. The novel package can operate at temperatures as high as 250° C.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are being used as light sources in an increasing variety of applications extending from communications and instrumentation to household, automotive and visual display. Many of these applications require higher levels of power or subject the LEDs to higher temperature operating environments. In response, LED manufacturers have improved the purity of the semiconductor materials in order to keep the LED output intensity high as temperature increases. As a result, desired applications of LEDs are now constrained by the thermal limits of their packaging.
The currently prevalent plastic LED packages have an operational temperature limit of about 80° C. Some LED die, however, will operate at 120° C., and industry preference is for an operational temperature of about 200° C. Accordingly there is a need for an improved light emitting diode packaged for high temperature operation.

Light emitting diodes packaged for high temperature operation


A spark generator suitable for use in an optical emission spectrometer, and capable of generating a spark in a spark gap formed between an electrode and a sample to be analyzed, comprises a generator for generating a current of programmable amplitude in the spark gap in each of a series of discrete time intervals. The spark generator according to the invention is advantageous when compared with conventional spark generators in that it enables a higher degree of choice and control in the form of the spark. In particular, it enables the amplitudes of various portions of the spark to be independently varied, thus permitting the shape of the spark to be tailored to the particular analysis being performed. Also described are methods of optical emission spectroscopy which make use of the advantageous properties of the spark generator.

Optical emission spectroscopy involves exciting the chemical elements in a sample to emit light of one or more specific wavelengths (spectral light). The spectral light is generally produced by a short spark produced by a spark generator. Using conventional spark generators, in which sparks are generated by discharging a capacitor through a resistance and an inductance into the analytical gap, it is not possible to exercise a high degree of control over the waveform of the spark. This is due inter alia to the fact that the form of the spark is determined by the values of the capacitor C, resistance R and inductance L and also by the voltage V to which the capacitor is charged. In practice, therefore, the sparks which can be generated are limited by the availability of only fixed values of C, L, R and V.

Apparatus and methods for optical emission spectroscopy


Provided are methods and compositions for treating cancers in patients carrying an IDH1 mutation using an inhibitor of a mutant IDH1 enzyme.

Isocitrate dehydrogenases (IDHs) catalyze the oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate to 2-oxoglutarate (i.e., α-ketoglutarate). These enzymes belong to two distinct subclasses, one of which utilizes NAD(+) as the electron acceptor and the other NADP(+). Five isocitrate dehydrogenases have been reported: three NAD(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenases, which localize to the mitochondrial matrix, and two NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenases, one of which is mitochondrial and the other predominantly cytosolic. Each NADP(+)-dependent isozyme is a homodimer.
IDH1 (isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (NADP+), cytosolic) is also known as IDH; IDP; IDCD; IDPC or PICD. The protein encoded by this gene is the NADP(+)-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase found in the cytoplasm and peroxisomes. It contains the PTS-1 peroxisomal targeting signal sequence. The presence of this enzyme in peroxisomes suggests roles in the regeneration of NADPH for intraperoxisomal reductions, such as the conversion of 2, 4-dienoyl-CoAs to 3-enoyl-CoAs, as well as in peroxisomal reactions that consume 2-oxoglutarate, namely the alpha-hydroxylation of phytanic acid. The cytoplasmic enzyme serves a significant role in cytoplasmic NADPH production.
The human IDH1 gene encodes a protein of 414 amino acids. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences for human IDH1 can be found as GenBank entries NM_005896.2 and NP_005887.2 respectively. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences for IDH1 are also described in, e.g., Nekrutenko et al., Mol. Biol. Evol. 15:1674-1684 (1998); Geisbrecht et al., J. Biol. Chem. 274:30527-30533 (1999); Wiemann et al., Genome Res. 11:422-435 (2001); The MGC Project Team, Genome Res. 14:2121-2127 (2004); Lubec et al., Submitted (December 2008) to UniProtKB; Kullmann et al., Submitted (June 1996) to the EMBL/GenBank/DDBJ databases; and Sjoeblom et al., Science 314:268-274 (2006).
Non-mutant, e.g., wild type, IDH1 catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of isocitrate to α-ketoglutarate thereby reducing NAD+ (NADP+) to NADH (NADPH), e.g., in the forward reaction:Isocitrate+NAD+(NADP+)→α-KG+CO2+NADH(NADPH)+H+.
It has been discovered that mutations of IDH1 present in certain cancer cells result in a new ability of the enzyme to catalyze the NADPH-dependent reduction of α-ketoglutarate to R(−)-2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG). The production of 2HG is believed to contribute to the formation and progression of cancer (Dang, L et al, Nature 2009, 462:739-44).
The development of selective inhibitors of IDH1 mutant enzymes has provided the possibility of therapeutic benefit to cancer patients carrying the IDH1 mutations. COMPOUND 1, an inhibitor of IDH1 mutant enzymes described herein is a therapeutic agent for the treatment of malignancies characterized by the presence of a mutant allele of IDH1, e.g., hematologic malignancies (e.g., acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)), e.g., solid tumors (e.g., cholangiocarcinoma, glioma and chondrosarcoma). Although therapeutic agents can be administered via many routes of administration, the oral route is often preferred due to its convenience. Bioavailability after oral administration of therapeutic agents can be affected by a myriad of issues, including food effects, poor absorption or susceptibility to first pass metabolism. In order for COMPOUND 1 to be administered orally as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of malignancies characterized by the presence of a mutant allele of IDH1, a favorable bioavailability profile must be achieved.


A synchronous change data capture system and methodology are described in which, for each statement of a transaction, a transaction identifier that uniquely identifies each transaction is recorded along with the change data. When the transaction is committed, the transaction identifier and a system change number for the commit is recorded in a transaction table. To identify the commit system change number for each statement in the change data, the transaction identifier in the change data is used to fetch the commit system change number from the transaction table.

Many businesses and other large organizations today use relational database management systems known as on-line transaction processing (OLTP) systems to execute and keep track of business transactions. For example, a company that sells products or services over the Internet may use an OLTP system to record pricing information about each product for sale, billing and shipping information for each purchaser, and sales information for each order made by a purchaser. Other examples of businesses that use OLTP systems include airlines, banks, mail-order companies, supermarkets, and manufacturers.
The data generated and recorded in OLTP systems are valuable to most businesses, because the businesses can aggregate and analyze the data to ascertain the product sales for a particular month, forecast changing trends in product popularity and identify profitable or unprofitable product lines, or otherwise evaluate the businesses' affairs. Aggregating and analyzing this data, however, is computationally expensive and, if performed on the OLTP system itself, would decrease the performance of the OLTP system. Accordingly, it has become common for businesses with OLTP systems to set up a separate computer system, generally known as a "data warehouse," for the purpose of collecting, aggregating, and analyzing the information contained in the OLTP databases. Data warehouses can grow very large, ranging from gigabytes to many terabytes of data (trillions of bytes). The task of moving data from its original source in OLTP systems to the data warehouse is commonly referred to as data extraction, transport, and loading (ETL).
Synchronous change data capture is one approach for data extraction, transport, and loading, in which the changes are captured in the very same transaction that is updating the tables on the OLTP system. Thus, as new data arrives in the data warehouse, the changes made to one or more tables on the OLTP system are captured synchronously and stored in corresponding change tables in the data warehouse, such that for every table that is updated on the OLTP system, there is a corresponding change table that contains those changes.
For each transaction in a relational database management system, there is a unique system change number (SCN) that is associated with each modification made to a table in the relational database management system. Typically, each modification is characterized by an individual Data Manipulation Language (DML) statement such as an INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statement in the SQL language. The system change number is a monotonically increasing serial number, so that each new DML statement is assigned a new system change number that is greater than any system change number that has been assigned beforehand. A transaction may comprise a plurality of DML statements each having a corresponding system change number. Moreover, when the transaction commits there is a final system change number, referred to here as the "commit system change number" (CSCN) that applies to the transaction as a whole. In a relational database management system, changes to the contents of the database are actually applied at commit time; thus, the CSCN stands for all the DML operations that have occurred in that transaction. Moreover, if the change table were to record the CSCN for each change, then it would be possible to determine the precise order in which changes occurred on the relational database management system. An application could then use the change table to segregate the changes that happened within a particular transaction, and moreover to view each change in the order that it committed in the relational database management system.
Conventional systems have used triggers for synchronous change data capture, either by using the CREATE TRIGGER statement or by using an internal mechanism with equivalent functionality. A trigger is an object that specifies a series of actions to be automatically performed when a specific event occurs, and, according to industry standards, the events that cause triggers to be activated (or "fired") are DML statements. For synchronous change data capture, triggers have been designed to fire when a row of a database table is updated, inserted, or deleted. Each of these modifications is associated with its own system change number (SCN), which is recorded by the trigger. The true commit system change number (CSCN) for the transaction cannot be recorded at this time because the commit has not yet occurred. Thus, existing trigger-based mechanisms do not capture the CSCN, which is a serious technical flaw that greatly limits their usefulness. Without the CSCN for each record, it is not possible to identify changes that occurred within a particular transaction nor to consider the effects of each transaction in turn, in the precise order in which the changes were committed to the relational database management system.
For example, suppose there is a plurality of users on the OLTP system, and the OLTP system assigns system change numbers for each statement executed by the users. Suppose further that user X begins transaction X at SCN 1 and commits transaction X at SCN 20. However, suppose transaction Y is begun by another user at SCN 16 and commits at CSCN of 18. This example illustrates that the assignment of system change numbers is shared across all transactions. Therefore, a given transaction X is not guaranteed to have an exclusive, unbroken range of system change numbers, not allocated to any other transaction; in fact, the opposite is usually true. Even though transaction X started first, transaction Y in fact committed first. Insofar as the data integrity of the relational database management system is concerned, and specifically with respect to the change table, transaction Y is considered to have occurred prior to transaction X because transaction Y committed before transaction X, despite the fact that the first statement of transaction X had an earlier system change number than the first statement of transaction Y.
Thus, prior attempts at synchronous change capture have not been transactionally consistent due to their failure to record the CSCN. These attempts have, at best, been able to implement a partial ordering of the changes based on the system change numbers of the individual statements and to consider changes in the approximate order in which they occurred. To use the change data there was often a costly post-processing phase that requires each and every row of the change table to be updated, so that a partial ordering could be applied to the changes. This requirement for post-processing greatly limits the practical size of a change table, in as much as each row would have to be updated in order to apply a partial transaction ordering.
Therefore, there is a need for a synchronous change data capture system that can be transactionally consistent without a costly post-processing phase.

Synchronous change data capture in a relational database


Multi-layer seals are provided that find advantageous use for reducing leakage of gases between adjacent components of electrochemical devices. Multi-layer seals of the invention include a gasket body defining first and second opposing surfaces and a compliant interlayer positioned adjacent each of the first and second surfaces. Also provided are methods for making and using the multi-layer seals, and electrochemical devices including said seals.

The present invention relates to electrochemical devices that function by maintaining separate gaseous streams and causing reactions to occur at the surfaces of conductive layers of adjacent components.
Electrochemical devices having multiple components, such as, for example, solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks, syngas membrane reactors, oxygen generators and the like require a critical seal technology to separate gas streams (e.g., H2 and O2) and to prevent the streams from mixing with each other. Mixing of the gas streams has a variety of negative consequences, depending upon the type of device and the composition of the gaseous streams. One major problem that results from mixing of such gases is the possibility of thermal combustion of the gases and the resulting failure of the device.
One type of electrochemical device that has received, and continues to receive, significant attention is a fuel cell device. Fuel cell devices are known and used for the direct production of electricity from standard fuel materials including fossil fuels, hydrogen, and the like by converting chemical energy of a fuel directly to electrical energy. This conversion is accomplished by oxidizing the fuel without an intermediate thermal energy stage. Fuel cells typically include a porous anode, a porous cathode, and a solid or liquid electrolyte therebetween. Fuel (e.g., hydrogen) is fed to the anode where it is oxidized and electrons are released to the external circuit. Oxidant (e.g., oxygen) is fed to the cathode where it is reduced and electrons are accepted from the external circuit. The electron flow through the external circuit produces direct-current electricity. The electrolyte conducts ions between the two electrodes.
Fuel cells are classified into several types according to the electrolyte used to accommodate ion transfer during operation. Examples of electrolytes include aqueous potassium hydroxide, concentrated phosphoric acid, fused alkali carbonate, solid polymers, e.g., a solid polymer ion exchange membrane, and solid oxides, e.g., a stabilized zirconium oxide. Solid oxide fuel cell ("SOFC") devices have attracted considerable attention as the fuel cells of the third generation following phosphoric acid fuel cells and molten carbonate fuel cells of the first and second generations, respectively. SOFC devices have an advantage in enhancing efficiency of generation of electricity, including waste heat management, with their operation at high temperatures, typically above about 650° C.
Those involved in research and development of SOFC technology consider SOFC power generation as an emerging viable alternative to the use of internal combustion engines. Contrary to internal combustion, the oxygen is transported in a SOFC device via the vacancy mechanism through a dense ceramic electrolyte, and then reacted with the hydrogen electrochemically. Because the SOFC converts the chemical energy to electrical energy without the intermediate thermal energy step, its conversion efficiency is not subject to the Carnot Limit. Compared to conventional power generation, SOFC technology offers several advantages, including, for example, substantially higher efficiency, modular construction, minimal site restriction, and much lower air pollution.
In a typical SOFC, a solid electrolyte, made of dense yttria-stabllized zirconia (YSZ) ceramic, separates a porous ceramic anode from a porous ceramic cathode. The anode typically is made of nickel/YSZ cermet, and the cathode is typically made of doped lanthanum manganite. In such a fuel cell, an example of which is shown schematically in FIG. 1, the fuel flowing to the anode reacts with oxide ions to produce electrons and water. The water is removed in the fuel flow stream. The electrons flow from the anode through an external circuit and thence to the cathode. The oxygen reacts with the electrons on the cathode surface to form oxide ions that diffuse through the electrolyte to the anode. The electrolyte is a ceramic material that is a nonconductor of electrons, ensuring that the electrons must pass through the external circuit to do useful work. However, the electrolyte permits the oxygen ions to pass through from the cathode to the anode.
When fuel is supplied to the anode and oxidant is supplied to the cathode, a useable electric current is electrochemically generated by the flow of electrons through the external circuit from the anode to the cathode. As an example, the chemical reaction for a fuel cell using hydrogen as the fuel and oxygen as the oxidant is shown in equation (1).H2+½O2→H2O  (Eq. 1)
This process occurs through two redox or separate half-reactions which occur at the electrodes as follows:
Anode ReactionH2+O2−→H2O+2e−  (Eq. 2)
Cathode Reaction½O2+2e−→O2−  (Eq. 3)
In the anode half-reaction, the hydrogen fuel is oxidized by oxygen ions from the electrolyte, thereby releasing electrons (e−) to the external circuit as shown in equation (2) and as shown schematically in FIG. 1. The oxygen ions migrate through the fuel cell electrolyte from the cathode to the anode. In the cathode half-reaction, oxygen is fed to the cathode, where it supplies the oxygen ions (O2−) to the electrolyte by accepting electrons from the external circuit. The movement of oxygen ions through the electrolyte maintains overall electrical charge balance, and the flow of electrons in the external circuit provides useful power. As alternatives to hydrogen, useful fuels for fuel cell power generation include, for example, carbon monoxide and methane.
Because each individual electrochemical cell, made of a single anode, a single electrolyte, and a single cathode, generates an open circuit voltage of about one volt, and each cell is subject to electrode activation polarization losses, electrical resistance losses, and ion mobility resistant losses which reduce its output to even lower voltages at a useful current, a fuel cell assembly comprising a plurality of fuel cell units electrically connected to each other is required to produce the desired voltage or current to generate commercially useful quantities of power.
Currently, there are two basic designs for SOFC applications: tubular and planar. With respect to planar SOFC designs, the individual electrochemical cells are typically connected together in series to form a stack. For example, planar solid oxide fuel cell stacks typically comprise a plurality of stacked cathode-electrolyte-anode-interconnect repeat units, and the fuel cell stack includes an electrical interconnect between the cathode and the anode of adjacent cells. The fuel cell assembly also includes ducts or manifolding to conduct the fuel and oxidant into and out of the stack. Channels for gas flow, either in a cross-flow or a co-flow or a counterflow configuration, are usually incorporated into the cathode, anode and/or interconnect. Planar designs are believed to potentially offer lower cost and higher power density per unit volume compared to tubular designs; however, planar designs face many challenges that must be overcome.
In addition to the challenges in materials development for electrolytes, anodes, and cathodes, planar SOFC designs require seals between each individual cell to prevent (or at least sufficiently minimize) leaking of gases from the stack as well as mixing of fuel and oxidant gases. Low fuel leak rates are required if SOFC stacks are to operate safely and economically. Furthermore, the seal needs to have long-term stability at the elevated temperatures and harsh (oxidizing, reducing and humid) environments typical of SOFCs during operation. Also, the seals should not cause corrosion or other degradation of the materials with which they are in contact (e.g., stabilized zirconia, interconnect, and electrodes). Perhaps most significantly, the seal needs to be suitably durable to acceptably perform its sealing function under repetitive thermal cycling.
A variety of features of a SOFC stack add to the difficulty of obtaining a good seal. For one, both the cell (including anode, electrolyte and cathode layers) and the interconnect, whether of ceramic or metallic material, are rigid. As a result, to achieve an effective seal, the mating surfaces between the cell and the interconnect must be flat and parallel. Nevertheless, because all of the components are rigid, even with good flatness, it is necessary to seal the surfaces in some manner to prevent leakage of the gases.
Another feature of electrochemical devices, such as SOFCs, that lends to the difficulty of obtaining a good seal relates to the fact that diverse compositions are used as the components of a SOFC device, and the diverse compositions have differing thermal expansion characteristics. In this regard, in various types of fuel cell assemblies adapted for use at high operating temperatures, a monolithic design is used in which the entire structure is made of ceramics. In other designs, individual components are rigidly and hermetically sealed using, for example, glass seals, glass-ceramic seals, cermet seals or metallic braze. While such monolithic or rigidly formed fuel cells are well equipped to prevent gas leakage, ceramics have the inherent material characteristic of low ductility and low toughness. Consequently, they are susceptible to damage by mechanical vibrations and shocks. Furthermore, and perhaps more problematic, such assemblies are extremely susceptible to thermal shocks and to thermally induced mechanical stresses due to the different thermal expansion characteristics of the components.
A wide variety of applications for which SOFC devices can be used to advantage involve intermittent power demands, and thus involve intermittent usage and nonusage, and thus repeated heating and cooling cycles. Given the variety of materials used to make a single cell, and the difficulty of selecting suitable materials that have precisely matched coefficients of thermal expansion, it is readily seen that the use of rigid seals presents significant problems. Furthermore, where the fuel cell is designed to be used at lower temperatures with a low-temperature ceramic electrolyte, some components of the fuel cell may be made of metals, which are generally less expensive to fabricate than ceramic components and have the advantage of improved ductility and fracture toughness, making them more resistant to mechanical and thermal shock damage than ceramics. However, in a fuel cell using metals for at least some components and ceramics for at least some components, rigid sealing is perhaps an even greater problem because most alloys potentially suitable for the SOFC interconnect application have much higher coefficients of thermal expansion than do ceramics, resulting in large thermal stresses and strains produced during operation of such a fuel cell. When a metal/ceramic fuel cell is heated and cooled, the dimensions of the metal components change more than the dimensions of the ceramic components, leading to thermal strains within the structure. These thermal strains produce thermal stresses that can lead to failure of the ceramic components or the rigid seals between the ceramic and metal components.
Another type of seal that has been considered for use in connection with SOFC devices is a compressive seal. In a device designed to utilize a compressive seal, a layer of inert material is placed between components of the SOFC and a compressive force is applied to the components and the material therebetween in an attempt to block leakage between the components. In comparison to rigid ceramic, glass or metallic seals, compressive seals potentially offer several advantages. Since they are not rigidly bonded to the cells, the need for matching coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of all stack components is reduced or eliminated. The cells and interconnects are allowed to expand and contract more freely during thermal cycling and operation, thereby reducing structural degradation during thermal cycling and routine operation. Elimination of the need for matching CTE greatly expands the list of candidate interconnect materials, whether ceramic or metallic. The compressive seals also have two unique advantages over rigid seals. One is that cells in stacks may be reusable since they are not bonded with one another. Secondly, it allows non-destructive post-service analysis
Research in the area of the compressive seals is still in its early stages and very little data is available. One group discussed the use of compressed mica in a single-cell SOFC set-up; however the effectiveness was not discussed. (Kim and Virkar, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC VI) Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium, edited by S.C. Sighal and M. Dokiya, The Electrochemical Society, Proceedings Volume 99-19, 830 (1999)). A recent publication discusses work relating to micas in paper form and cleaved single crystal micas as compressive seals for SOFC applications. (Simner et al. "Compressive mica seals for SOFC applications," J. Power Sources, 102 [1–2], 310–316, (2001)). The results showed that cleaved natural mica sheets were far superior compared to mica papers. For the mica sheets, leak rates of about 0.33–0.65 sccm/cm at 800° C. and 100 psi were measured on small test coupons simulating a single interconnect/seal/cell/seal/interconnect unit. A coupon leak rate of 0.33–0.65 sccm/cm, however, is believed to translate to unacceptably high leak rates for actual SOFC stacks, in which multiple, full size components would be stacked together with the gaskets between each component.
In view of the above background, it is apparent that one important challenge in the development of SOFC assemblies and other electrochemical devices is the development of sealing technology offering suitably low leak rates. There is a continuing need for further developments in the field of seals for such electrochemical devices. The present invention addresses this need, and further provides related advantages.

Methods for making a multi-layer seal for electrochemical devices


A printer is provided in which even if short sheets are fed therethrough, these sheets are properly fed and are prevented from twisting during a sheet feed operation. Thus a paper jam caused by a defective sheet feed operation can be prevented. The printer includes sheet feed rollers, a hopper that is retractable with respect to the sheet feed rollers 21, the hopper urging a sheet to be printed upon toward the sheet feed rollers 21, and a link that insures the hopper moves in parallel with the sheet feed rollers when retracted, and when even short sheets are placed within the hopper.

1. Field of the intention
This invention is related generally to a printer, and more particularly to the improvement of a sheet feed section thereof.
2. Related art
One known sheet feeder used for a conventional printer is disclosed in unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 3-272921 as shown in FIG. 10. The sheet feeder has a hopper table 1 for maintaining a plurality of sheets thereon and three sheet feed rollers 4 for feeding each of the plurality of sheets maintained on hopper table 1. A bottom plate 3, serves as a hopper and is supported by a plurality of springs 2 disposed between bottom plate 3 and hopper table 1, serving as resilient members. Bottom plate 3 is arranged at a portion of hopper table 1 confronting sheet feed rollers 4.
A plurality of sheets S are held on hopper table 1 and are urged toward sheet feed rollers 4 by bottom plate 3, which is itself urged toward sheet feed rollers 4 by the biasing force of springs 2. Each of sheets S is fed toward a print section of a printer (not shown) through the force exerted thereon by the rotation of sheet feed rollers 4.
Since bottom plate 3 supported by springs 2 is arranged at the portion of hopper table 1 confronting sheet feed rollers 4, an edge portion of sheets S confronting and parallel to sheet feed rollers 4 is elevated and urged toward sheet feed rollers 4, so as to extend along sheet feed rollers 4, as shown in FIG. 11. As a result, even if hopper table 1 is not maintained precisely parallel with respect to sheet feed rollers 4, the upper surface of each of sheets S can be maintained in parallel with sheet feed rollers 4. This prevents each of sheets S from contacting less than all of sheet feed rollers 4, and therefore insures that each of sheets S is fed straight and properly by all of sheet feed rollers 4.
While this conventional sheet feeder for a printer has been satisfactory, the following inconvenience has been encountered when sheets S1 whose width is narrower than that of bottom plate 3 are placed on hopper table 1. As shown in FIG. 12, when sheets S1 such as postcards or envelopes or the like whose width is narrower than that of hopper table 1 are placed on hopper table 1 , a side H1 of hopper table 1, holding sheets S1, is maintained at a lower level with respect to a side H2 where no sheets SE are held because sheets S1 force side H1 of hopper table 1 against the bias force of springs 4 while side H2 of hopper table 1 is not so urged. That is, side H2 which holds no sheets S1 rises to a higher level than side H1 which holds sheets S1. Thus, sheet feed rollers 4 come into contact with sheets S1 on an angle with respect to the plane of the sheet S1. As a result, sheets S1 are susceptible to being fed improperly and twisting when being fed. This in turn tends to cause a paper jam because of this defective sheet feed operation.
Thus, it is desired to provide a printer in which even a narrow sheet will be properly fed and will not twist during a sheet feed operation, and in which a paper jam or the like due to this defective sheet feed operation can be prevented.


A speed-variable field winding type of synchronous rotary electric machine is provided, where a rotor with plural-phase windings faces a rotor with a field winding. A field current is limited to flow through the field winding in one direction thereof. A fundamental component of armature current, which corresponds to a synchronizing current for producing a rotating magnetic field rotating in sync with the rotation of the rotor, is supplied to the armature windings. The synchronizing current is adjusted in frequency to change a rotor rotation speed. A pulsed rotor exciting current is supplied to the armature windings. The exciting current causes the field winding to induce the field current only during a specified current-supply duration shorter than a one cycle of the synchronizing current. The number of current-supply times for the exciting current, per electrical angle 2π and per phase, has a positive correlation with the cycle of the synchronizing current.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field winding type of synchronous rotary electric machine, and more particularly, to the improvement of field winding types of synchronous rotary electric machines which perform power supply by passing field current to a field winding (also referred to as "short-circuit winding") from armature winding(s) in a non-contact manner using electromagnetic induction.
2. Related Art
Various types of rotary electric machines are known. As one type of such rotary electric machines, synchronous rotary electric machines are known. Such a synchronous rotary electric machine serves as a rotary electric machine by having its rotor rotated in synchronization with a rotating magnetic field formed by armature current, i.e. alternating current which flows through stator coils. Synchronous rotary electric machines are generally known to possess relatively high efficiency.
Rotors known to be used for such synchronous rotary electric machines include magnet type rotors, field winding type rotors, reluctance type rotors and rotors of the type having mixed properties of the foregoing rotors. The field winding type of synchronous rotary electric machines require neither to install expensive permanent magnets on the rotor cores, nor to consider resistance to centrifugal force of magnets. In addition, the field winding type of synchronous rotary electric machines can easily control torque or generated (induced) voltage by controlling field magnetic flux. Accordingly, the field winding type of synchronous rotary electric machines can exert good practicality when they are used as speed-variable rotary electric machines that generate motive power for vehicles to travel. However, the field winding type of synchronous rotary electric machines have suffered from an issue that they require to install and maintain a brush and slip-ring mechanism in order to supply field current to the field winding.
To address the issue mentioned above, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 7-095790, for example, suggests a field winding type of synchronous rotary electric machine which is configured to effect PWM (pulse width modulation) control to armature current to the supply rotor-exciting current to the armature winding, the rotor-exciting current having frequency different from that of the rotor-synchronizing current. As a result, the alternating current induced to the field winding is rectified to serve as field current.
However, in the field current supply method of the type disclosed in this literature, fundamental components of armature current (hereinafter also referred to as "synchronizing current") that synchronizes with the rotation of the rotor are superposed with the rotor exciting current for generating field current. For this reason, the efficiency of using field current corresponding to the amplitude of the fundamental components of the armature current becomes less relative to the amplitude of the DC power voltage. This issue of less efficiency has caused another issue of large torque ripple. Because of these issues, the field current supply method disclosed in the above literature has been prevented from being put into practical use.
To address for the issues mentioned above, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-185082 discloses a field winding type of synchronous rotary electric machine using a field current supply method, in which pulsed rotor-exciting current is superposed on the fundamental components of armature current forming the rotating field (hereinafter referred to as "pulsed rotor-exciting current superposing method").
In the pulsed rotor-exciting current superposing method, pulsed rotor-exciting current having a cycle shorter than that of synchronizing current is superposed on the synchronizing current of one phase, for one or more number of times in one cycle of the synchronizing current. The advantage of superposing such pulsed rotor-exciting current is that the pulsed rotor-exciting current can be supplied during a favorable phase period of the synchronizing current of each phase. For example, in the case where the synchronizing current of a certain phase has a large amplitude in the positive direction, the reduction in the efficiency of using the DC power supply can be effectively avoided by passing pulsed rotor-exciting current in the negative direction.
As explained above, the pulsed rotor-exciting current superposing method can easily effect control by using PWM (pulse-width modulation) to control the voltage when supplying rotor-exciting current to three-phase PWM voltage for generating torque. In addition, this method can supply pulsed rotor-exciting current in the direction which is the reverse of the direction for supplying synchronizing current. Accordingly, comparing with a method using the rotor-exciting current having a continuous wave, the pulsed rotor-exciting current superposing method has an advantage of enhancing the efficiency of using DC power supply voltage. For example, in the case where the synchronizing current of a certain phase has large amplitude in the positive direction, the reduction in the efficiency of using DC power supply can be well avoided by supplying the pulsed rotor-exciting current in the negative direction.
However, supplying such pulsed rotor-exciting current has raised an issue that adjusting the required magnetic flux is difficult.
For example, when the duration of time for supplying the pulsed rotor-exciting current is increased, the field current passing through the rotor coils can be increased accordingly. However, the increased duration of time has caused larger strain in the waveform of phase current.
In particular, a speed-variable field winding type of synchronous rotary electric machine, when installed in a hybrid car or electric car, is required to frequently change the rate of rotations (rotation speed). In this case, the duration of time corresponding to one cycle of the synchronizing current in each phase is shortened in inverse proportion to the increase in the rate of rotations. For this reason, in a high-speed rotation region, the duration of time for supplying the pulsed rotor-exciting current having a constant time interval is relatively increased in one cycle of the synchronizing current of each phase. In response to the increase in the duration of time, the field current passing through the rotor coils is unavoidably increased, to also increase torque strain and torque ripple.
On the other hand, in a low-speed rotation region, the duration of time for supplying the pulsed rotor-exciting current having a constant time interval is relatively decreased in one cycle of the synchronizing current of each phase. Thus, in response to the decrease in the duration of time, the field current passing through the rotor coils is unavoidably decreased.

Field winding type of synchronous rotary electric machine


A method adjusting a user interface experience for a device that includes providing a user interface to retrieve a user input, providing a tactile interface layer that defines a surface and includes a volume of fluid and a displacement device 10 that manipulates the volume of fluid to deform a particular region of the surface into a tactilely distinguishable formation retrieving a user preference between a first type, location, and/or timing and a second embodiment, location, and/or timing through the user interface, and manipulating the volume of fluid to deform a particular region of the surface into a tactilely distinguishable formation of one of the first and second type, location, and/or timing is disclosed.

The user interface system of U.S. application Ser. Nos. 11/969,848 and 12/319,334 is preferably used as the user interface for an electronic device, more specifically, in an electronic device that benefits from an adaptive user interface. The user interface system functions to provide a tactile guide and/or feedback to the user. Because of the variety of devices and uses that the user interface system may be used for, for example, an automotive console, a tablet computer, a smartphone, a personal navigation device, a personal media player, a watch, a remote control, a trackpad, or a keyboard, the user interface system must accommodate to each application to provide the user with the kind of tactile guide and/or feedback that facilitates the user in the operation of the device 10. In addition, each user may have a different preference for the kind of tactile guide and/or feedback that is most useful to them in facilitating the operation of the device. For example, while some users may prefer a larger surface area of tactile guidance, others may prefer a larger degree of deformation of the surface area of tactile guidance. Because of the large range of usage scenarios, determining an average user interface system setting that may accommodate to a relatively large range of user preferences for each usage scenario requires a substantial amount of time and research. In addition, because of the large range of user preferences, configuring one set of settings for each use scenario may not provide a user with their preferred tactile guidance and/or feedback. This invention allows the user to adjust the characteristics of the user interface system in order to allow the user interface system to efficiently accommodate to both the usage scenario and the user in a large range of devices and usage scenarios.

Method for adjusting the user interface of a device


A process of dissolving solid waste material in packed beds comprises the addition to the packed bed of a solvent for the solid waste and a material which releases a gas on contact with the solvent which forms channels in the packed bed allowing more rapid access of the solvent to the bed.

In certain operations the product is in solution and an unwanted solid is dispersed in that solution. The unwanted material can be removed by filtration. This often result in a deep bed of solids. In most cases the solid is mechanically removed and the filter washed and cleaned. Mechanical removal is a problem because it requires manual shoveling of the material and the need to dispose of solid waste. This problem can be solved by using a solvent for the solid and dissolving it away. During the dissolution process the deep bed of solids has a tendency to collapse as it dissolves plugging the pores in the bed and impeding the dissolution time.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,101,639 teaches that a filter with the bulk of the solids removed can be cleaned by a liquid solvent for the material left caked on the filter.
Several patents (U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,418; U.S. Pat, No. 4,894,167; U.S. Pat, No. 4,172,185; and U.S. Pat, No. 4,448,693 describe using a gas mixed with a liquid to form a weak acid for regenerating ion exchange beds. In this case the bed is not dissolved but the ionic species are renewed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,388 uses air pressure from externally introduced air to force water through the pores of an ion exchange bed to clean it out. The bed remains intact throughout the process and dissolution does not occur.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,857,211 and 2,937,069 describe the cleaning of the surface of a filter by dissolving the deposits thereon with a solvent formed from a gaseous reaction external to the bed. The majority of the material in the bed is removed by mechanical means before the treatment begins.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,629 involves a filter that has the bulk solids removed from catalyst particles. The insoluble catalyst particles remaining in the filter react with hydrogen peroxide to liberate oxygen bubbles that blow the filter pores clean of insoluble catalyst. The patent does not mention a deep bed of particles nor the internal opening of pores to solvent action to dissolve the deep bed efficiently.
A problem in the art is to increase the dissolution rate of a packed bed in such a way as to decrease the time required for dissolution.

Method of accelerating the dissolution rate of accumulated filter cake by channeling gas bubbles through the cake


A suction nozzle of a vacuum cleaner enables to reduce the noise produced by air friction and whirlpool in the suction flow route. A suction nozzle of a vacuum cleaner has a soft brush body provided with a front roller and a rear roller, thereby being moved by the front and rear roller, and formed the plurality of hole along a suction flow route. A brush cover is formed at an upper side of the soft brush body. A brush holder provided with a connection flow route connected with the suction flow route formed at the soft brush body through the brush cover. A noise absorbing material is formed at oppsite side of the suction flow route to closely adhere on the hole.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a suction nozzle of a vacuum cleaner which enables to reduction in the noise produced by air friction and whirlpools in the suction flow route.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various styles of vacuum cleaners are suggested of which the general function is to suck dust and other materials by the suction force of the motor, equipped in the main body of the cleaner, to conduct the cleaning.
As illustrated in the FIG. 1, a suction nozzle 10 is connected to a suction pipe 20. The above mentioned suction nozzle 10 consists of a soft brush body 13 that is moved back and forth using a front roller 11 and rear roller 12, a brush cover 14 fixed in the top of the soft brush body 13, and a connection holder 15 with a connection flow route 151 which fits onto a suction flow route 131 which is made on the soft brush body 13 in connection with the brush cover 14.
Among these, the suction flow route 131, connection flow route 151, soft brush body 13, and connection holder 15 are made entirely of plastic.
Accordingly when power is supplied to the vacuum cleaner and the suction pressure is generated by the motor, dust and other debris are sucked through the above mentioned suction flow route 131 and connection flow route 151 and collected into a paper bag which is equipped in the main body.
During the above procedure, by moving the soft brush body 13 using the front/rear rollers 11 and 12 back and forth, large areas can be easily cleaned by the vacuum cleaner.
Howerver, the soft brush body 13 and the connection holder 15 equipped with the suction flow route 131 and the connection flow route 151 are made entirely of plastic, thus, there is a defect in that much noise is produced by air friction and whirlpools during the cleaning.