A method of forming an alignment layer for a liquid crystal display device including: attaching a transfer film on a printing roll, the transfer film including a convex portion having first-sized halftone dots and second-sized halftone dots; positioning a substrate on a printing table; providing aligning solution on an anilox roll using a doctor roll; and transferring the aligning solution on the anilox roll to the transfer film while moving the printing table and rotating the printing roll, and then coating the aligning solution on the substrate to thereby form an alignment layer on the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and more particularly, to a method of forming an alignment layer for the liquid crystal display device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes two substrates that are spaced apart and face each other with a liquid crystal material layer interposed between the two substrates. Each of the substrates includes electrodes that face each other. Voltages applied to each of theses electrode induces an electric field between the electrodes and within the liquid crystal material layer.
The liquid crystal material layer includes a dielectric anisotropic material having spontaneous polarization properties. Accordingly, when an electric field is induced in the liquid crystal material layer, the liquid crystal molecules form a dipole due to the spontaneous polarization characteristic of the liquid crystal material. Thus, the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal material layer are arranged to correspond with the direction of the applied electric field. Optical modulation of the liquid crystal material layer occurs in accordance with to the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules. Therefore, images are produced on the LCD device by controlling light transmittance of the liquid crystal material layer using optical modulation.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device according to the related art. In FIG. 1, an LCD device 11 has upper and lower substrates 5 and 10, which are spaced apart from and facing each other. A liquid crystal material layer 9 is interposed between the upper and lower substrates 5 and 10.
The upper substrate 5 includes a black matrix 6, a color filter layer 7, and a transparent common electrode 18 disposed on a surface of the upper substrate 5 that faces the lower substrate 10. The black matrix 6 has openings such that the color filter layer 7 is in each of the openings of the black matrix 6. Each opening of the black matrix 6 has a color filter layer 7 including one of the three sub-color filters of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). Accordingly, the upper substrate 5 can be referred to as the color filter substrate.
A gate line 14 and a data line 22 are formed on a surface of the lower substrate 10 facing the upper substrate 5. The gate line 14 and the date line 22 cross each other to define a pixel area P. A thin film transistor T is formed adjacent to the crossing of the gate line 14 and the data line 22. The thin film transistor T has a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. A pixel electrode 36, which is connected to the thin film transistor T, is formed within the pixel area P and corresponds to one of the sub-color filters. The pixel electrode 36 is made of a transparent conductive material, such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO). The lower substrate 22 can be referred to as an array substrate.
In the LCD device of the related art, the array substrate is fabricated by forming a plurality of switching elements, such as thin film transistors, a plurality of pixel electrodes corresponding to the plurality of switching elements, the gate and data lines crossing each other and connected to the switching elements, and pads disposed at ends of the gate and data lines through deposition, photolithography, and etching processes. The color filter substrate is manufactured by sequentially forming the black matrix, the color filter layer and the common electrode on a surface facing the array substrate. The array substrate and the color filter substrate are then attached to each other. The LCD device is completed by injecting liquid crystal material into a space between the array substrate and the color filter substrate.
The LCD device utilizes electro-optical effect of the liquid crystal material, which are determined by anisotropies of the liquid crystal material and the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal material. Therefore, controlling the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules has a large effect on imaging properties of an LCD device. To make an initial arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules uniform, an aligning process is performed. The aligning process may be accomplished by a rubbing method, for example. An alignment layer of a predetermined thickness may be formed on the array substrate and then hardened. In addition or in the alternative, the alignment layer can be formed on the color substrate. To arrange the surface of the alignment layer in a specified direction, the hardened alignment layer is rubbed with a particular cloth, which is referred to as a rubbing fabric. Thus, polymer chains in the alignment layer are arranged in the specified direction, so that the initial arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules may be made uniform.
The alignment layer makes the liquid crystal molecules possess the order and uniformity of single crystal. An alignment layer can be categorized as an inorganic alignment layer and an organic alignment layer. Polyimide (PI) is an organic alignment layer that is widely used.
The alignment layer may be generally formed by a roll coating method, which uses a printing apparatus including a plurality of rolls and a printing table and a transfer film attached to the printing apparatus. Formation of the alignment layer will be explained in detail with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a process of printing an alignment layer using a roll coating method according to the related art.
In FIG. 2, a printing apparatus 1 includes a printing table 2 that reciprocates in a plane, a printing roll 5 that rotates in correspondence with a reciprocation of the printing table 2, a transfer film 15 attached on the printing roll 5, an anilox roll 8 that transfers aligning solution to the transfer film 15, and a doctor roll 10 for uniformly coating the anilox roll 8 with the aligning solution. A substrate 13 is positioned on the printing table 2, and then the printing table 2 is moved toward the printing roll at a constant speed. When the printing roll 5 engages with the substrate 13, the printing roll rotates and the transfer film 15 attached on the printing roll 5 contacts the substrate 13 on the printing table 2 so that the aligning solution on the transfer film 15 is transferred to the substrate 13. Thus, an alignment layer (not shown) is formed on the substrate 13. The alignment layer is dried to remove moisture therein and then cured to be hardened. Next, the hardened alignment layer is rubbed by a rubbing fabric under constant pressure so that polymer chains in the alignment layer are arranged in a specified direction.
FIG. 3A is a plan view of a related art transfer film and FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the region M of FIG. 3A. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the related art transfer film and FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of the region N of FIG. 4A. As shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B, the transfer film 15 includes convex portions 17 and a ground portion 19. Each convex portion 17 possesses the aligning solution and transfers the aligning solution to the substrate 13 of FIG. 2. The ground portion 19 surrounding the convex portions 17 does not contact the substrate 13 of FIG. 2. In general, the convex portion 17 has an average thickness T1 within a range of about 2.24 mm to about 2.84 mm, and the ground portion 19 has an average thickness T2 within a range of about 1.4 mm to about 2.0 mm.
The convex portion 17 includes a plurality of halftone dots 21, each of which has a shape of a truncated cone for containing the aligning solution of uniform quantity, and grooves 23, in which the aligning solution resides therein, are formed between the halftone dots 21. The plurality of halftone dots 21 has substantially the same height and the same size and spaces between the halftone dots 21 are also equal. That is, the grooves 23 have substantially the same depth and the same width. In addition, the halftone dots 21 of the convex portion 17 have sides inclined with respect to the lower surface of the transfer film 15. The convex portion 17 may includes the halftone dots of about 400 meshes.
FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of showing an alignment layer formed on a substrate according to the related art, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of the region E1 FIG. 5A. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, an alignment layer 32 is coated on a substrate 30, which may be either an upper substrate or a lower substrate of a liquid crystal display device, and is then cured. The alignment layer 32 has a thickness within a range of about 700 Å to about 1,100 Å. However, the alignment layer 32, which is formed by the transfer film 15 illustrated in FIGS. 3A to 4B, may have a non-uniform thickness. That is, although the alignment layer 32 should have the thickness within a range of about 700 Å to about 1,100 Å, the alignment layer 32 may have a thickness within a range of about 1,400 Å to about 3,300 Å at edges thereof. Therefore, the alignment layer 32 at the edges has a thickness that is about two to about three times greater as compared with the central portion thereof. This problem causes a non-uniform gap between the color substrate and the array substrate in the liquid crystal display device. Thus, spots having different degrees of brightness occur in the displayed images when signal voltages are applied.
This problem of the alignment layer having a thicker thickness at the edges than at the central portion may be caused by a marginal phenomenon. The marginal phenomenon is as follows. In the printing apparatus of the alignment layer, the transfer film having halftone dots of the same size is attached on the printing roll, and the printing roll rotates with the attached transfer film while the table having the substrate thereon moves at a constant speed along with the surface of the transfer roll. As the convex portion of the transfer film including the halftone dots contacts the substrate, the aligning solution filled in the grooves of the convex portion of the transfer film is transferred to the substrate by the anilox roll. The aligning solution is gathered at the edges of the convex portion by the anilox roll as the printing roll rotates. Thus, the aligning solution is thicker at the grooves about leading and wayward edges of the convex portion. This phenomenon can be referred to as the marginal phenomenon.

Method of forming alignment layer for liquid crystal display device


Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, identifying user preferences for an XR application executing at an XR user system, wherein the user preferences are associated with an XR application user, accessing a historical profile associated with the XR application user, receiving local environment information from a sensor array of the XR user system, selecting an XR object for presentation on an XR display of the XR user system based on the local environment information, the user preferences, and the historical profile, and allocating compute resources to facilitate a rendering of the XR object, wherein the allocated compute resources are selected from a compute resource pool comprising local compute resources of the XR user system and edge compute resources of a network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

In general terms, an XR application presents an alternate reality to a user by incorporating simulated objects/elements into the user's real-life environment. This may be achieved by generating visual effects on an XR display via which the user perceives the real-life environment and visual effects in combination. The computational demands associated with implementing XR objects/elements may vary, and may depend on the complexities of those objects/elements and/or the quality with which they are to be rendered.

Techniques for real-time object creation in extended reality environments


A medical device for endoscopically deploying a hemostatic clip adapted to compress tissue. The hemostatic clip comprises a ring portion adapted to fit on a distal end of an endoscope and a plurality of legs attached to the ring portion, each of the legs being movable between an open position and a closed position to compress tissue. The device may include an actuator mechanism to move each of the legs from the open position to the closed position. The device may include a releasable attachment connecting the clip to the endoscope. The clip may include a hinge connecting the ring portion to each of the legs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for compressing body tissue to prevent hemorrhaging at a surgical site within a patient's body. More specifically, the invention provides a clip and a system for delivering the clip to the surgical site. The present invention could be utilized for any of a variety of procedures, including to close an organ perforation from inside a lumen by approximating and compressing the wound edges of the perforated tissue.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bleeding Peptic Ulcer Disease can be a critical event since there is internal hemorrhaging associated with the ulcer. Patients that are suspected of having bleeding peptic ulcer disease can be diagnosed and treated endoscopically in emergency rooms of medical centers, intensive care units, or, in a Gastro-Intestinal (GI) suite, although personnel and equipment may need to be transported to the patient. Surgery, either laparoscopic or open, is an option. For example, if the diseased tissue is beyond repair, a surgical gastric resection may have to be performed. However, surgery is not preferred unless there is no endoscopic alternative or if previous endoscopic efforts have not succeeded. Surgical intervention is not preferred for at least the reasons that it has associated with it greater morbidity and mortality, and also, significantly higher costs than other procedures.
Ulcers are classified from clean ulcer to active spurting bleeding. The most worrisome are active bleeders and visible vessels. Untreated visible vessels are likely to bleed. For the GI endoscopist, hemorrhaging is the most worrisome procedure. It is his/her only unplanned, emergency procedure where time is critical in determining the success or failure of the procedure. It is the one problem the endoscopist faces that is generally not an outpatient procedure.
The endoscopist generally has a primary success rate of about 90% in treating bleeding ulcers; the balance are usually referred to surgery. All identified ulcers may re-bleed at a later time, whether endoscopically treated or untreated, but the re-bleed rate for endoscopically treated active bleeds and visible vessels is generally 10-30%. These rates have not improved significantly in decades.
The long-term probability of success of surgery in treating a bleeding ulcer, i.e., no re-bleed of the ulcer or permanent hemostasis, is virtually 100%. The reason that surgery has a higher success rate is because the bleeding site is compressed mechanically. Using either sutures or staples, the bleeding vessel is ligated, or tissue around the bleed site is compressed, ligating all of the surrounding vessels.
At present, the endoscopist has two widely used, and some lesser used (or experimental) therapeutic modalities for hemostasis. The most widely used are thermal and injection therapy. Some of the lesser used options are a mechanical clip, a loop, lasers and argon plasma cautery. However, drawbacks exist with these known procedures for the endoscopist. A brief description of these procedures are provided below.
In thermal therapy, a catheter with a rigid, heating element tip is passed through a working channel of an endoscope after the bleed is visualized and diagnosed. After the rigid catheter tip has exited the endoscope, the endoscope is manipulated to press the tip against the bleed site. Thermal power is then applied which desiccates and cauterizes the tissue. The combination of the tip compressing the tissue/vessel during thermal application essentially (theoretically) welds the vessel closed. Thermal generation is accomplished by either a resistive element within the tip or by applying RF energy through the tissue. However, both methods require a specialized power generator.
For injection therapy, a catheter with a distally extendible hypo-needle is passed through a working channel of an endoscope after the bleed is visualized and diagnosed. After the catheter tip has exited the endoscope, the endoscope is manipulated to the bleed site, the needle is extended remotely and inserted into the bleed site. A "vasoconstricting", liquefied drug is remotely injected through the needle. The drug constricts the vessels to stop the bleeding. The most common drug is saline diluted epinephrine; alcohol is another option. This procedure usually requires that multiple injections be performed in, and peripherally around, the bleeding site until hemostasis is observed.
Of the above two modalities, the preferred modality is dependent, generally, upon the geographic region in which it is performed. Different modalities are preferred in different geographic regions. In some areas and institutions, both therapies are combined in an attempt to improve the outcome of the procedure.
For mechanical compression, loops and mechanical clips are known for use, however, problems exist with each. A known loop is a snare-like loop that is passed through an endoscope's working channel via a flexible delivery catheter. The loop is placed around the bleeding site and retracted into the delivery catheter similar to the closing of a snare. The loop has a sliding member with a friction interface against the loop that acts like a draw string lock. After the loop is closed and locked around the site, the assembly is unattached from the delivery catheter. Whereas the loop is an endoscopically delivered compression device, its primary use is for bleeding polyp stalks, and thus, it is not designed for, nor appropriate for use in, ulcer treatment procedures. Specifically, the physical characteristics of an ulcer bed, such as its relatively flat geometry and the type of tissue comprising the ulcer bed, differ from those of a polyp such that the use of an endoscopically delivered loop for compression is inappropriate.
A mechanical clip is known, however, the known mechanical clip has drawbacks. The known clip is a two legged clip that is passed through an endoscope's working channel via a flexible delivery catheter. The jaws of the clip are remotely opened, pushed into the bleeding site, closed and detached. Because of the requirement to pass the clip through the endoscope, the clip's size must be limited which prevents the clip from being able to clamp off all of the vessels in the tissue around the wound. Additionally, the clip is not able to provide sufficient clamping force because of its structural design. Thus, these clips require multiple applications and are not effective for definitive hemostasis. An additional problem with these clips is that when delivering these clips to the wound site, good visualization of the bleeding vessel cannot be obtained. The endoscopist may be required to blindly attach the clip, resulting in an imprecisely performed procedure that may require guess work on the part of the endoscopist.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an improved system and method for endoscopically treating bleeding ulcers which could bring the initial hemostasis success rate for the endoscopic procedure in-line with the success rate achievable in surgical procedures. This system and method would provide for an improved capability to mechanically compress the bleeding site to achieve an effect which is commensurate with that obtainable in a surgical procedure.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An external catheter for a male urinary incontinence collection system is disclosed, the catheter taking the form of a tubular sheath of soft elastic material having a thin-walled cylindrical section, a reduced drainage tube section, and an intermediate section merging with both the drainage tube and cylindrical sections. The sheath also includes a thin elastic annular flap extending inwardly from the sheath's inner surface where the intermediate and cylindrical sections merge. The flap has an inner end defining a generally circular opening of a critical size in relation to the inside diameter of cylindrical section and the length of the intermediate section.

Co-owned Pat. Nos. 4,581,026, 4,626,250, and 4,932,948 disclose male external catheters intended for use with urinary drainage systems. Each such catheter is in the form of a sheath having a cylindrical body section, an intermediate neck section, and a reduced drainage tube section, with the entire catheter being formed of a soft elastic material such as latex or silicone rubber. In addition, the catheters disclosed in each of these patents have tubular elongated inner sleeves of soft elastic material designed to fit over the glans of a wearer's penis. Such a sleeve is intended to make sealing contact with the glans and is maintained in stretched condition over the glans by adhesive means adhering the cylindrical section to the penile shaft.
As shown in these patents, the tubular sleeves are relatively long, so as to cover as much of the glans as possible, and terminate in small distal openings so that urine may be discharged into the intermediate neck portions of the sheaths. For sealing effectiveness, it has been considered important to insure that the thin elastic sleeves are stretched over the glans and are maintained in such stretched condition when the catheters are worn. That requires the caregiver or the patient (if a catheter is self-applied) to hold the penis in position as the sleeve is stretched over the glans. While devices have been developed to make the task easier (see, for example, the applicator of co-owned Pat. No. 4,589,874), it is still necessary for the user to use both hands in the application of such a catheter, one for unrolling the sheath over the penis and the other for holding the penis, with the sleeve in stretched condition over the glans, at least at the commencement of that operation.
While an adhesively-attached catheter with an inner sleeve operates effectively if it is applied carefully with the sleeve stretched over the glans, instances have occurred where nurses (or other caregivers) have failed to perform such procedures completely, or with sufficient patience and care, because they are concerned about possible discomfort or injury to the patient, or are rushing to perform other healthcare duties, or simply because they find themselves uncomfortable making such direct and extended contact with the limp penis of an incontinent patient. If such an external catheter is improperly or incompletely applied, it may cause considerable patient discomfort and produce other serious consequences such as rendering the device ineffective or inoperative and causing leakage of urine when the drainage system is in use.
Other problems may also arise. If the stretched inner sleeve is to cover the glans, it is important that it be relatively long and that its distal opening be small. However, such a device obviously will fail to operate properly if the small distal opening of the stretched sleeve is not in register with the urethral opening of the patient, so care must be taken to assure that proper alignment exists. Also, in fitting such a sheath upon a patient, it is important that the sleeve be stretched, but not stretched excessively, because excessive stretching might cause the distal end of the sleeve to be positioned near the backside of the glans, or even behind the glans, applying a clearly undesirable constrictive force on the patient.
Recent developments in catheter-applying techniques involve the use of catheters that are similar to those described above but may or may not supplied or applied in rolled form and may or may not have inner sleeves. Reference may be had to co-owned Pat. Nos. 5,423,784, 5,336,211, 4,586,974, 4,540,409, and Des. No. 358,882. In each, a catheter is supported by an open-ended applicator tube with the neck and drainage tube portions of the catheter located within the tube and the cylindrical portion of the catheter reverted or turned backwardly over the outside of the tube. Such a system generally allows the user to apply a catheter to a patient without gripping the penis between the fingers, but some gripping may still be necessary if the catheter has an inner sleeve that should be stretched over the glans during application. In such a case, the ease of application may be decreased rather than increased because operation of the applicator tube in releasing and applying a catheter is itself a two-handed operation, making it difficult for the user to also hold the penis and stretch the sleeve over the glans.
An important aspect of this invention therefore lies in the discovery that the advantages of sleeve-equipped catheter may be realized without encountering the difficulties indicated above if such a sleeve is shortened, its opening is greatly enlarged, and it is positioned so that it may make sealing contact with the penile shaft rather than the glans. Unlike the inner sleeves of the catheters disclosed in the aforementioned patents, the sleeve of the present catheter must be relatively short, taking the form of a narrow annular flap, and its opening must be relatively large. Specifically, the opening must be large enough so that the annular flap slides easily over the glans (or the foreskin covering the glans in an uncircumcised patient) and will sealingly engage the penile shaft or the proximal portion of the glans (or foreskin) immediately adjacent the shaft. The flap should be dimensioned so that its opening has a diameter in the general range of 75 to 92% of the inside diameter of the cylindrical portion of the sheath, with the preferred range being 78 to 89% and the optimum range being about 81 to 87%. The length of the flap depends partly on the size of the catheter but, in general, the flap should have a length within the range of about 0.25 to 0.65 inches and should not in any case exceed 35% of the length of the sheath's intermediate section. A flap length of 0.5 inches has been found particularly effective for adult-size catheters, whereas 0.3 inches has been found suitable for a pediatric-size catheter.
Other features, objects and advantages will become apparent from the specification and drawings.

Male external catheter with short annular sealing flap


A sealing arrangement includes a housing including a bore and a shaft extending through the bore in the housing. An inner annular sealing member includes an inner surface press fit on the shaft and having a plurality of radially outwardly projecting fins on an outer surface. An outer annular sealing member is press fit in the bore and includes a first end supporting a seal lip that sealingly engages an outer surface of the inner annular sealing member. The outer annular sealing member includes a second end that is disposed directly radially outward of and spaced from the radially outwardly projecting fins of the inner annular sealing member. When the shaft rotates, the radially outwardly projecting fins pro-actively/dynamically move air, contamination, particles, fluids etc. axially away from the sealing area.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Automotive vehicles and other industrial machines often include rotary shafts that are at least partially received in and rotate relative to a stationary housing. Examples of such arrangements are found in conventional transmissions and axle assemblies. It is necessary to provide a seal at the interface between the shaft and the housing. Sealing the interface is necessary because under many driving conditions, especially during rain, large amounts of contaminants are present that could enter into the interface between the shaft and the housing and cause eventual problems. Conventional sealing arrangements typically include a rubber lip seal to prevent contaminants from entering into the system. Further, the rubber lip seals are used to keep lubricant from exiting the system.
There are several problems with conventional rubber lip seals. First, rubber lip seals tend to wear out in an undesirable fashion. The rotary shafts on most vehicles rotate at very high speeds and the constant contact between the rotating shaft and the rubber lip seal causes the seal to wear. Furthermore, the presence of contaminants along the contact area between the shaft and the rubber lip seal often cause significant wear on the seal, which results in a short seal life.
A further problem exists in that the rotary shafts have some radial and axial movement relative to the housing. With conventional lip seals, such movement is not compensated for and, a proper seal is not maintained. Under these conditions, it is more likely that outside contaminants will enter into the shaft and housing interface, and, moreover, become lodged between the lip seal and the shaft which results in faster wear-out of the seal.

Radial shaft seal with dynamic exclusion of contamination


A substantially smooth, seamless managed friction material surface and apparatus for placement on a support surface between the support surface and a living being for preventing abrasion or decubitus ulcers in a living being. The managed friction material surface comprises a plurality of plies having a smooth side and a first, high friction zone and second, low friction zone. At least one adhesive ply is interposed partially between adjacent plies; and the plies are selectively bonded to form adjacent frictional zones of high and low friction. Unbonded plies are allowed to move substantially freely with respect to one another thus providing a lower friction zone. The apparatus comprises the managed friction material surface such that the bonded zone is configured for positioning remote the bony prominence and the unbonded zone for positioning proximate the bony prominence, seamlessly occupying different areas on the same side of the material surface.

Typically, paraplegics, amputees and others with disabilities or who are otherwise bedridden or require permanent or prolonged use of wheel chairs or other support surfaces often have compromised skin integrity. Their skin is subject to long periods of interface with support surfaces such as beds, head rests, wheelchairs or artificial limbs, and is extremely sensitive to the surface qualities of these supports, and specifically the portions that contact their body.
Abrasion and ulceration of skin is commonly caused, and exacerbated, by this prolonged contact. The general population is also susceptible to skin conditions from temporary and prolonged contact with certain fabric materials, but abrasion and ulceration are especially troublesome to susceptible populations. These and similar skin conditions cause pain and discomfort and can also lead to infection and other complications.
Persons who are susceptible to skin damage are aware of the risk rough materials cause with respect to chafing, abrasion and decubitus ulcers. These aware populations often select material surfaces that are as smooth as possible and free from abrasion causing items such as sewn seams, especially proximate areas of vulnerable skin. For example many paraplegics avoid wheelchair cushion covers with sewn seams that could cause abrasion and ulceration.
Sewn seams can lead to chafing by their roughness acting directly upon the skin. However, sewn seams can also increase the coefficient of friction of a surface, in effect gripping the skin. The sewn seam and associated increase in friction causes skin and the tissue below to experience shear stresses that would not be present in a more smoothly constructed seam. These shear stresses can lead to tissue damage such as decubitus ulcers. It should be understood chafing, abrasion, ulceration and skin damage are all risks associated with sewn seams.
Presently, various fabrics, materials, coatings and/or cushions are used to cover support surfaces as required by injury or illness. Many of these items are formed by sewing materials or otherwise stitching such that seams are formed. The seams are generally rough, abrasive or otherwise not smooth. Many users believe that stitching, and the resulting seam, can threaten skin integrity by abrasion and thus would prefer a lack of stitched seams in contact with their body. This aversion to stitching is especially relevant in areas of high contact pressure between the user's body and a support surface.
It is problematic that sewn seams are used to join multiple panels or plies of these materials. However these seams are necessary in the construction of cushion covers, bedding, medical devices, garments and other items, having multiple panels or plies of material. The seams described above can be beneficial by supporting the use of multiple panels or plies to create a material surface with zones of high and low friction. A material surface with zones of low friction and high friction has the potential to decrease the likelihood of discomfort, abrasion and ulceration in many users. Unfortunately the use of sewn seams on these material surfaces often forms a surface that is rough or abrasive and causes discomfort for users and may result ultimately in ulcers or abrasions.
The costs of treating pressure ulcers in the United States alone are staggering. More than 2.5 million pressure ulcers are treated each year in the United States with treatment costs as high as $11 billion. Prevention of pressure ulcers would not only reduce pain and suffering but also medical costs and lost work hours.
Presently, it is difficult to sew plies of fabric that are extremely low in friction, and thus feed poorly through a sewing machine. Such low friction plies tend to slide around in the sewing machine and cause wrinkling and uneven sewn seams in the final product. These very low friction materials are hard to sew properly even using the best sewing machine feeding mechanisms such a walking foot or upper feed dog used in combination with a lower feed dog.
Some aspects of bonding fabrics or dissolving certain materials to aid sewing are known in the prior art. One prior art technique is the use of dissolvable paper to stiffen light materials before sewing. The paper is then dissolved in water after sewing is complete. Unfortunately this technique is not suitable for many situations as fibers are left behind, such as the case where fibers are trapped under stitching or between material. Prior art dissolvable adhesives are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,912 (where an acrylic adhesive is dissolved using a 2% aqueous soda solution), EP 2031032B1, WO2001/046329A1, EP2120228A2, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,361,616 B2.
Unfortunately sewn seams that contact a user's anatomy, either directly or through intervening layers, are often perceived by the user as rough and posing a risk of causing abrasion or ulceration. Many prior art material surfaces that are commonly part of the construction of cushion covers, bedding, garments and medical devices, have sewn seams proximate critical areas of a user's anatomy. For example, prior art shorts often require a sewn seam proximate the ischial tuberosities to assure that the garment fits a user appropriately. Material surfaces wishing to incorporate zones of low friction often have sewn seams on the perimeter of the high and/or low friction zones. These seams detract from the smooth and abrasion free surface desired by users.

Multiple ply managed friction material surface with smooth bonded seams

TAMARACK HABILITATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.


A working vehicle is configured so that interference does not occur even if an attachment is exchanged and so that a reduction in work efficiency caused by the exchange of an attachment is minimized. A backhoe comprises: a working machine body; a working device which is connected to the working machine body, has joints, and allows an attachment to be removably mounted to the front end of the working device; and a control device in which stop positions are set, the stop positions being those at which the working device is stopped in order to avoid the interference of the working device. The control device has connected thereto: a position sensor which detects the position of the working device; an input means by which the stop positions are set in advance and by which the stop positions are adjusted independently of each other; and a screen operation section which allows selection among the stop positions.

Conventionally, a working vehicle such as a backhoe is configured so that an operation lever device is operated so as to make a working device provided in the working vehicle perform predetermined action and work. With respect to various operations of the operation lever device of the working vehicle, various attachments such as a bucket attached to a tip of the working device may interfere a revolving device or an object within a movable range. Accordingly, the working vehicle is known in which the movable range of the working device can be restricted to an optional range with respect to the various operations of the operation lever device. For example, see the Patent Literature 1.
For example, as shown in the Patent Literature 1, when the bucket is exchanged with a breaker, an arm is moved actually to a raking side so as to realize a state in which the breaker is quite close to a boom cylinder. When a memorizing command is ordered at this state, henceforth, the arm raking movement is stopped at a state separated from the quite close state to an arm extension side for a set angle, and the arm is not moved to a boom side.
However, concerning the working vehicle with the above configuration, complicated work is required for treating various attachments, whereby working efficiency may be reduced.


The apparatus includes a removal arm which is provided at its front with two cooperating rollers to grip a printed product and with a movable flap in front of the rollers. A cylinder-piston unit can move the two cooperating rollers in the same plane and linearly to the first conveyor path. The cylinder-piston unit is controlled in such a manner that at least the extraction speed of the two cooperating rollers is proportional to the transporting speed of the first conveyor path. The apparatus is provided to serve as a turnout switch or to separate an overlapping stream of laterally offset, folded together printed products.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring printed products supplied on a first conveyor path in an overlapping stream to a second conveyor path that is coplanar with the first conveyor path, with the first conveyor path including a shoulder. The device for gripping a printed product includes a removal arm equipped with two cooperating rollers that are movable between a first and a second position. A movable flap that is pivotal in the region of the shoulder between a position above the overlapping stream and a position below the overlapping stream precedes the rollers.
A device of this type is disclosed in Swiss Patent CH-A 659,053 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,582. In this apparatus, the removal arm is pivotal about a vertical pivot axis between a first position and a second position. In the first position, a printed product from the overlapping stream of the first conveyor path is gripped essentially at one point between the two rollers and is transferred to the second conveyor path with a flinging movement. The drawback is here that the rollers must be aligned precisely in the diagonal of the printed product to be transferred and therefore readjustment work would be necessary for every change of format. It has also been found that the point-like gripping of the printed products makes the transfer unstable and the printed products are frequently turned sideways which may lead to jamming in the overlapping stream and quite generally to malfunctions. Moreover, the apparatus cannot be used as a turnout switch which would often be desirable in such systems. The device is also not suitable for removal of single copies for manufacturing of key bundles and for the separation of folded together printed products. This device has therefore never found acceptance in practice.
Swiss Patent CH-A 617,636 discloses a similar device in which, however, printed products to be taken out of the conveying stream are brought out of the plane of the first conveyor path in an obliquely upward direction. It has been found that the necessary reversal of the direction of the printed products to be separated is unfavorable since the overlapping stream is often interfered with. In order for a printed product to be removed from the overlapping stream, the movable component of the removal arm must be greatly accelerated at high conveying speeds. However, the result of such accelerations is that the printed product to be transferred is not gripped or is ejected again.

Apparatus for transferring printed products conveyed in an overlapping stream


A method to enable a user mode process to operate in a privileged execution mode is disclosed. Applicants' method provides an operating system comprising a privileged execution mode and a non-privileged execution mode, and a plurality of user mode strings operating in the non-privileged execution mode. The computing device receives a request from a first user mode string to operate in the privileged execution mode to perform one or more designated tasks. Applicants' method authorizes the first user mode string to operate in the privileged execution mode, and the first user mode string performs those one or more designated tasks using the privileged execution mode. Applicants' method continues to permit the first user mode string to operate in the privileged execution mode after completion of the one or more designated tasks.

It is common for a computer processor and associated operating system to have two different levels of resources and protection. One level, referred to as a non-privileged mode or user mode, is used by various operating system components, application programs, and other so-called "user" processes or programs. At this level, an execution thread is prevented by the operating system and by the computer processor from performing certain security-critical operations. The thread is also prevented from directly accessing many system resources. The purpose of the non-privileged execution mode is to isolate a user process as much as possible so that it cannot interfere with other user processes or with operating system functions.
User-mode drivers run in the nonprivileged processor mode in which other application code, including protected subsystem code, executes. User-mode drivers cannot gain access to system data except by making a syscall which, in turn, calls system services. While a user process may itself crash, it should not be able to crash other programs or the operating system.
The other level of execution is referred to as privileged mode, system mode, or kernel mode. Critical operating system components are implemented in kernel mode. Kernel-mode components are responsible for things like virtual memory management, responding to interrupts and exceptions, scheduling execution threads, synchronizing the activities of multiple processors, and other critical or sensitive functions. Such components, which execute from system mode, are generally referred to collectively as "the kernel."
Kernel-mode drivers run as part of the operating system's executive, the underlying operating system component that supports one or more protected subsystems. User-mode and kernel-mode drivers have different structures, different entry points, and different system interfaces. Whether a device requires a user-mode or kernel-mode driver depends on the type of device and the support already provided for it in the operating system. Some device drivers can run wholly or partially in user mode. User-mode drivers have unlimited stack space, access to one or more APIs, and easier debugging.
Most device drivers run in kernel mode. Kernel-mode drivers can perform certain protected operations and can access system structures that user-mode drivers cannot access. The increased access comes at the price, however, of more difficult debugging and a greater chance of system corruption. When code runs in the privileged kernel-mode environment, the operating system, by design, performs fewer checks on data integrity and the validity of requests.

Method to enable user mode process to operate in a privileged execution mode

International Business Machines Corporation


A strut-type suspension apparatus for a vehicle has a lower arm composed of a lateral arm (31) and a compression arm (60). One end of the lateral arm is swingably connected to a hub carrier that supports the wheel (1), and the other end thereof is swingably connected to a vehicle body (2). One end of the compression arm is swingably connected to the lateral arm at a first junction (50, 54) at the hub-carrier-side end portion of the lateral arm, and the other end thereof is swingably connected to the vehicle body at a second junction (70) separated from the other end of the lateral arm in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. When an external force acts on the wheel, the other end of the compression arm is displaced along a straight line connecting the first and second junctions. The suspension apparatus is compact and highly durable.

Nowadays, strut-type suspensions, each composed of a strut and a lower arm are frequently used as suspension apparatuses for vehicles. In general, a strut-type suspension is used for a steered wheel, taking advantage of its structural superiority, in particular. Usually, an A-shaped lower arm, composed of two integral arms is used as a lower link of the strut-type suspension of this kind. One arm of the lower arm is located on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the body of a vehicle, and extends outward from the vehicle body in the transverse direction of the vehicle body. The other arm is located on the rear side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and extends obliquely to the vehicle body from the outer end of the front arm in the transverse direction of the vehicle body. The wheel is attached to the junction (outer end of the lower arm) between the front and rear arms.
As shown in FIG. 26, front and rear junctions 205 and 206 are respectively provided at the respective inner ends, with respect to the transverse direction of the body of a vehicle, of the front and rear arms of an integral-type A-shaped lower arm 200. The rear junction 206 extends along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body. The front junction 205 is swingably connected to a pair of brackets 203, 203 that protrude from the vehicle body 202, while the rear junction 206 is supported on the vehicle body 202 by means of a bush 207. Thus, the lower arm 200 is swingable in the vertical direction of the vehicle.
The lower arm 200 can never rotate around both the junctions 205 and 206 at a time. When an external force F.sub.W that acts in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is applied to the wheel 201, as shown in FIG. 27, therefore, a turning moment acts on the lower arm 200, so that the lower arm 200 rotates around an imaginary pivot or imaginary center of rotation P between the junctions 205 and 206. Forces F.sub.A1 and F.sub.B1 that originate in this tuning moment act on the junctions 205 and 206, respectively, in the directions indicated by the arrows (vectors) in FIG. 27.
At this time, the forces F.sub.A1 and F.sub.B1 act obliquely to the respective axes of the front and rear arms of the lower arm 200. As for the force F.sub.B1, in particular, the force F.sub.B1 acts substantially at right angles to the axis of the rear junction 206, so that it acts to bend the rear arm. The pivot P of the lower arm 200 is situated inside the junctions 205 and 206 in the transverse direction of the vehicle body. In other words, an arm length concerned with the turning moment is greater than the length of the lower arm 200. Accordingly, the turning moment caused by the external force F.sub.W has a large value, and correspondingly, the forces F.sub.A1 and F.sub.B1 are considerably great. Thus, the lower arm 200 is subjected to a very heavy load, which is not desirable.
According to the A-shaped lower arm 200, the transmission of the external force F.sub.W to the vehicle body is eased by utilizing the deflection of the arm. If the arm is too flexible, however, the deflection of the arm becomes excessive when the external force F.sub.W increases as the vehicle turns, for example. This results in a problem that the wheel 201 becomes shaky or the alignment of the toe angle or the like changes unexpectedly, so that the traveling stability of the vehicle is lowered. If the arm is too stiff, on the other hand, the application of the external force F.sub.W causes vibration of the vehicle body.
Proposed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 5-270221, etc., therefore, is a split-type A-shaped lower arm 200 that is constructed in the manner shown in FIG. 28, in order to ease the transmission of the external force F.sub.W to the vehicle body satisfactorily and give suitable magnitudes and directions to the forces F.sub.A1 and F.sub.B1. In FIG. 28, the lower arm 200 is composed of a front arm 210 and a rear arm 212 provided separately therefrom. The two arms 210 and 212 are swingably connected to each other. The arms 210 and 212 are connected to the vehicle body 202 at junctions 205 and 206, respectively. The front junction 205 is attached to the brackets 203, 203 of the vehicle body 202 through an elastic bush (not shown). A bush 207, interposed between the rear junction 206 and the vehicle body 202, is formed of a highly elastic material.
According to this split-type lower arm, when the external force F.sub.W acts on the wheel 201, the external force F.sub.W is absorbed satisfactorily by the elastic bushes that are interposed between the vehicle body 202 and the junctions 205 and 206, individually. When the external force F.sub.W acts on the wheel 201, moreover, the front arm 210 is subjected to a force F.sub.A1 that acts substantially in the axial direction of the front arm. Thus, the direction of action of the force F.sub.A1 acting on the front arm 210 is made appropriate.
Even in the split-type A-shaped lower arm 200, however, a force (corresponding to the force F.sub.B1 in FIG. 24), acting on the rear end portion (junction 206) of the rear arm 212 when the external force F.sub.W is applied, acts substantially at right angles to the arm axis at the rear end portion of the rear arm, that is, in the direction in which the arm bends. Accordingly, it cannot be concluded that the load on the lower arm 200 is reduced very much. It is not easy, moreover, to set the rigidity of the junction 206 properly.
In the case where a joint connecting the front and rear arms 210 and 212 is provided on the axis of the front arm 210, as shown in FIG. 28, this joint easily bends when a great external force acts on the wheel 201, especially when the external force acts in the axial direction of the front arm 210, that is, in the transverse direction of the vehicle. If the joint bends, the wheel alignment changes unfavorably.
Described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 5-270221 is a tie rod (not shown in FIG. 28), one end of which is connected to the wheel 201 and the other end to the steering. In association with the front arm 210, this tie rod is so designed that the wheel 201 toes out to some extent when the external force F.sub.W acts on the wheel 201 from the front of the vehicle, thereby preventing a tuck-in while the vehicle is turning or being braked. Accordingly, there is also a problem that the traveling stability of the vehicle worsens when the force F.sub.W acts on the vehicle that is traveling ordinarily.
Thus, even the technique disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 5-270221 cannot solve the problems described above in connection with the integral-type lower arm.

Strut-type suspension apparatus for a vehicle

Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha


The present invention relates to a forecarriage of a rolling motor vehicle with three or four wheels, comprising: a forecarriage frame (16); at least one pair of front wheels (10′), (10″) kinematically connected to each other and to the forecarriage frame by a kinematic roll mechanism (20) which enables the same to roll in a synchronous and specular manner; an anti-roll system (100) comprising a rod (110) having a first (111) and a second end (112) opposite each other which connect by means of hinging means (101′, 101″; 102′, 102″) a first (60) and a second anchoring portion (60) of forecarriage 8 directly to each other. At least one of said first and second anchoring portions is subject to roll movements of said two front wheels. The hinging means are configured to passively follow the movements of the two anchoring portions. The hinging means (101′, 101″) at the first end of the rod comprise at least a first roll hinge (101′) which has its hinge axis substantially orthogonal to a rolling plane of the two front wheels and is connected to the first anchoring portion. The anti-roll system comprises a first blocking device suitable to reversibly block a rotation angle a of the rod with respect to the first roll hinge at the first end (111).

In the field of motor vehicles there is a growing supply of "hybrid" vehicles that combine the characteristics of motorcycles, in terms of handling, with the stability of four-wheeled vehicles.
These "hybrid" vehicles are represented, for example, by three-wheeled motor vehicles provided with two front steering wheels and, by four-wheeled motor vehicles known as QUAD.
More specifically, the above three-wheeled motor vehicles are provided with two steering and rolling (i.e. tilting) wheels at the front and a rear drive wheel with fixed axle at the rear. The rear wheel is intended to provide the drive torque and thus allow traction while the front wheels, paired, are intended to provide the directionality of the vehicle. The paired wheels at the forecarriage in addition to steering can tilt and roll. Due to this solution, compared to three-wheeled motor vehicles of which two at the rear, the motor vehicles with two wheels at the forecarriage are equivalent to an actual motorcycle since, just like a motorcycle, the motor vehicle can tilt on bends. Compared to a two-wheeled motor vehicle, such vehicles with two paired wheels at the forecarriage have, however, increased stability ensured by the double support on the ground of the front wheels, similar to that provided by a car.
The front wheels are kinematically connected together by means of kinematic mechanisms that enable the same to roll in a synchronous and specular manner, for example through the interposition of articulated quadrilaterals. These vehicles are further provided with two independent suspensions, one for each of the two front wheels, provided with dampers, also independent.
Three-wheel rolling motor vehicles are therefore designed to provide the handling of a two-wheeled motorcycle and, at the same time, the stability and safety of a motor vehicle with four wheels.
A three-wheeled rolling motor vehicle of this type is described, for example, in the Italian patent application no. IT2003MIA001108 by the same Applicant.
Due to the structural features of this type of vehicles, it is possible that under certain conditions, for example at very low speeds or during stops, the motor vehicle may fall as a result of an accidental and/or uncontrolled roll movement.
This problem has been addressed by providing the above vehicles with rolling block systems, operated by the user manually and/or by an automatic control system.
The roll block can be obtained in a variety of ways, but all substantially sharing the reversible block of a component that is configured to follow the rolling movements of one or both rolling wheels. The blocking of the rolling movements of such a component determines kinematically, directly or indirectly, the blocking of the rolling of the two front wheels of the motor vehicle.
The component to be reversibly blocked can be an element that is already present in the rolling structure of the motor vehicle. For example, according to a very popular solution, the component to be blocked can be an element of the articulated quadrilateral that defines the rolling kinematic mechanism, preferably one of the two uprights. The blocking of the movement of an upright of the quadrilateral prevents the latter from varying its configuration and, therefore, indirectly the two wheels from rolling. If the articulated quadrilateral is connected to the axle journals of the two rolling wheel through the interposition of the suspensions, the roll movements due to asymmetric spring movements of the dampers are excluded from such a block and they will need to be managed independently.
Such a system is described, for example, in the Italian patent application no. IT2004A000171 by the same Applicant. The anti-roll system is described in relation to a rolling motor vehicle provided with a steering system with articulated quadrilateral structure and two independent front suspensions. The anti-roll system comprises: a mechanical clamp adapted to block the rotation of the upper upright of the articulated quadrilateral around the hinge connecting the upright to the frame; two hydraulic clamps operated simultaneously by an electric motor acting on rods placed in parallel to the dampers to also prevent the roll due to an asymmetrical spring movement of two wheels.
Alternatively, the component to be reversibly blocked to block the roll can consist of an element that is added to the rolling structure of the motor vehicle and is specifically designed for this purpose.
In particular, this additional element may be associated with the articulated quadrilateral, as a reversible blocking element on the configuration of the quadrilateral itself. This solution is described, for example, in the European patent application EP2810861A1, in the French patent FR2953184 and in the European patent EP2345576B1.
Alternatively, this additional element may consist of a direct interconnection element between the axle journals of two rolling wheels, mechanically released from the frame of the motor vehicle. "Axle journal" of a wheel is the mechanical part of the motor vehicle intended to support the rotation pin of the wheel itself and interconnected it kinematically to the suspensions, the steering device and, in the specific case, to the kinematic roll mechanism. The axle journal has no degrees of freedom with respect to the wheel pin and is therefore kinematically integral with the latter. The axle journal may be made integral with the wheel pin or be mechanically constrained thereto to form one piece. This technical solution of roll blocking—as kinematically released from the effects induced by the suspensions—allows blocking all the roll movements by acting only on such an additional element, thus including the roll movements generated by an asymmetrical spring movement of two rolling wheels. Such a technical solution is the object of the Italian patent application no. 102015000088087 by the same Applicant. A particular anti-roll system described in that application consists of an extensible rod that connects at the two ends thereof the two axle journals of the front wheels directly to each other by hinging means equivalent to a ball joint. The roll blocking is achieved by blocking the angle of rotation of the rod on the rolling plane at at least one end thereof by means of a dedicated actuator, such as a band brake or a drum brake. The rod so blocked prevents the rolling movements of the two wheels. "Rolling plane" means a plane transverse to the longitudinal direction or direction of travel of the motor vehicle, and thus incident the centre line plane of the motor vehicle.
Alternatively, the above additional element may consist of a direct interconnection element between the axle journal of one of the two rolling wheels and the frame of the motor vehicle. Such a technical solution is described in the Italian patent application no. 102015000088091 by the same Applicant. In particular, the anti-roll system consists of an extensible rod that connects at the two ends thereof the axle journal of one of the wheels directly to the frame by hinging means equivalent to a ball joint. The roll blocking is achieved by blocking the angle of rotation of the rod with respect to the rolling plane at at least one of the two ends thereof by means of a dedicated actuator, such as a band brake or a drum brake. The rod so blocked prevents the rolling movements of the two wheels. In this case, the rolling movements caused by the asymmetrical spring suspension of both wheels are not blocked, since the springing of the wheel not connected to the frame by the rod is not affected by the rod block itself.
In general, an anti-roll system, based on an interconnection rod that is hinged at its ends by hinging means equivalent to a ball joint and whose angle of rotation on the rolling plane is blockable a at least one end thereof by means of a dedicated actuator has the great advantage compared to other solutions to be easily installed on motor vehicles, and to require per se a limited footprint.
Moreover, such a rod can be extensible or not in length, depending on whether it connects points the distance whereof varies or not during the movements of the motor vehicle (in particular, roll, steering or asymmetric spring suspension). The system can therefore also be easily configured in such a way as to be substantially transparent when driving.
The adoption of belt or drum brakes also allows integrating the actuators directly on the hinging means of the rod, with advantages in terms of ease of installation.
Such a technical solution, however, has the limit of requiring the use of power actuators, having a size sufficient to provide sufficient torque not only to maintain balance in the motor vehicle by blocking the rolling movements thereof, but also to prevent such a balance from being modified by moving all the weight of the motor vehicle on one side. A single actuator must be able to provide torques in the range of 30 kgm. This requires the installation of belt or drum brakes of large size, which effectively annul the space-saving advantage given by the rod. A similar situation would occur also if disc brakes are used.
This limit is also greatly accentuated in case one wants to block the rotation of the rod at both ends to symmetrise the blocking of the roll on the two rolling wheels. In such a case, it would therefore be necessary to install not one, but two actuators, with a doubling of the overall dimensions and costs. A symmetric blocking of the roll is not in itself essential because the two wheels are connected to each other by the kinematic roll mechanism, but it may be suitable to annul the chain of tolerances and elasticity of the components.
A possible alternative to the belt brake or drum brake consists of an extensible strut which in the vicinity of the hinging area diagonally connects the rod to the element to which it is hinged, as described in the already cited Italian patent application no. 102015000088087. The extensible strut is provided with means adapted to block the extension in length thereof. When blocked in length, the strut prevents the rod from rotating. This technical solution, however, requires more complicated installation and does not allow significantly reducing the problem of the overall dimensions.
There is therefore the need to develop a rolling motor vehicle provided with an anti-roll system which, while adopting a rod blockable at one end as a roll blocking element, allows overcoming in whole or in part the limits set forth above.

Forecarriage of a rolling motor vehicle with rolling block


A method and system for mitigating direct coupling. A method of mitigating direct coupling may comprise disposing an electromagnetic sensor system in a wellbore. The electromagnetic sensor system may include a receiver disposed on a conductive body and a gap sub disposed at another location on the conductive body. Exciting an electromagnetic source to inject an electrical current into a formation. Exciting the gap sub to achieve a small current condition at the selected point. Performing a first measurement at a receiver. Interpreting the first measurement to calculate a formation or pipe parameter and using the formation or pipe parameter to adjust at least one parameter of a well operation. A system of mitigating direct coupling may include a conductive body may comprise a gap sub, a controller, a voltage source, a receiver, and an information handling system. The information handling system may be operable to cancel current.

Wellbores drilled into subterranean formations may enable recovery of desirable fluids (e.g., hydrocarbons) using a number of different techniques. Knowing the location of a target wellbore may be important while drilling a second wellbore. For example, in the case of a target wellbore that may be blown out, the target wellbore may need to be intersected precisely by the second (or relief) wellbore in order to stop the blow out. Another application may be where a second wellbore may need to be drilled parallel to the target wellbore, for example, in a steam-assisted gravity drainage ("SAGD") operation, wherein the second wellbore may be an injection wellbore while the target wellbore may be a production wellbore. Yet another application may be where knowledge of the target wellbore's location may be needed to avoid collision during drilling of the second wellbore.
Electromagnetic ranging tools disposed on a conductive body may be employed in subterranean operations to determine direction and distance between two wellbores. Electromagnetic ranging tools may use different techniques to obtain current on a conductive member in the target wellbore. Without limitation, approaches may include directly injecting a current into the conductive member and/or inducing a current on a conductive member by transmitting electromagnetic fields by coil antennas positioned in a second wellbore. The injection of current from the electromagnetic ranging tools may induce a current along the conductive body, which may create a direct signal. The direct signal may be sensed and recorded by a receiver disposed on the conductive body. Recording the direct signal may hinder and/or overshadow secondary signals recorded from a formation and/or target wellbore. Gap subs may be implemented to prevent the propagation of direct signals along the conductive body. Specifically, gap subs may prevent current from flowing through a section of the conductive body. In examples, controls may be implemented to control the movement of voltage and/or current through the gap sub, which may allow an operator to cancel out current at any position along the conductive body.


A shock absorber has a tubular housing, a bearing sealingly mounted to the front end of the tubular housing, a piston mounted within the tubular housing for a reciprocal sliding movement, which defines within the tubular housing a working chamber and an accumulator chamber. A stem is connected to the piston and projects from the tubular housing through the bearing. At least one fluid pathway connects the working chamber to the accumulator chamber. A compensation diaphragm facing on the accumulator chamber includes a sleeve made of a deformable material mounted between the ends of the bearing. The compensation diaphragm has a rear end folded backwards such as to envelope the cup-shaped rear end of the bearing, and is provided with a shaped edge to provide a sealing between the bearing and the piston stem.

The present invention relates to a shock absorber, comprising:                a tubular housing having a front end and a rear end;        a bearing sealingly mounted on the front end of the tubular housing, said bearing being constituted by a bush having a flanged front end which closes the tubular housing and a cup-shaped rear end which is disposed within the tubular housing;        a piston assembly comprising a piston mounted for reciprocal sliding movement in the tubular housing, said piston defining within the tubular housing a working chamber and an accumulator chamber disposed on the rear side and on the front side of the piston, respectively, and a stem connected to the piston and extending out of the front end of the tubular housing through the bearing;        at least one fluid pathway for connecting the working chamber to the accumulator chamber; and        a compensation diaphragm facing on the accumulator chamber, which is constituted by a sleeve of deformable material mounted between the ends of the bearing.
A shock absorber of this type is known for example from US 2006/163016 A1.

Linear shock absorber having a compensation diaphragm with integral seals


A touch panel and display device including the same are disclosed. In one aspect, the touch panel includes a substrate, at least one first signal line formed over the substrate and extending in a first direction, and at least one second signal line formed over the substrate and extending in a second direction that crosses the first direction. A plurality of identification patterns are formed in areas corresponding to at least one of the first and second signal lines.

Field
The described technology generally relates to a touch panel, and more particularly, to a capacitive touch panel and a display device including the same.
Description of the Related Technology
Touch panels are input devices that recognize the touch input of a pen or a user's finger. Touch panels have been used as input devices for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays and liquid crystal displays (LCDs).
When a capacitive touch sensor is included in a touch panel to receive touch input, the touch panel measures a change in capacitance of the touch sensor to detect the position of the touch input.

Touch panel and display device including the same


Methods and apparatus for weighing an article, such as a mail piece, while the article is moving, for example along a transport path (FIG. 2). In one embodiment, a weigh station comprises a servo motor 110 driven by a servo feed back loop (126, 128) to maintain a selected speed setting 130. When an article is introduced, an impulse is applied to the article sufficient to change its state of motion from its initial state to the selected speed setting. That impulse is applied by the servo motor 110, and the system captures data indicative of the applied impulse, by monitoring the motor current (140, 142). A processor 140 or software converts the captured data to determine a weight of the article, based on stored calibration data 148.

Many weighing systems are known, some dating back to biblical times. More recently, weighing systems have been developed for weighing each one of a stream of articles, such as mail pieces or parcels moving through a transport or mail sorting system. Prior art systems of that type are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,096,152 and 3,648,839.
Some known systems rely on back-EMF or "Electro Magnetic Force Restoration" principles. According to one vendor, "an applied load is compensated for by an electromagnetically produced counterforce. A precision position control (optical) keeps the system stable. The slightest movement is detected, initiates a feedback circuit to run current through a coil and causes the load to be returned to its original position. The coil current, which is proportional to the weight, is transmitted to an internal A/D converter then processed in the microprocessor." See http://www.industrialcontroller.com/wipotec/operation.htm (Wipotec principles of operation).
The need remains for improvements in accuracy, speed (throughput), reduced cost, and reducing the need for frequent re-calibration of weighing systems. The present application achieves these and other goals by applying a dramatically different approach to the problem as further explained below.


An optical disk player has a clamping device which includes a substrate, a support frame that is pivotably coupled to the substrate, a gripping plate carried on the support frame and extending into the opening, and a slider coupled for slidable movement on the substrate. The slider has a block with an angled surface along which a projecting tab on the support frame travels when the slider is moved. The slider also has a pressing tab that presses the gripping plate through the opening to fix a disk on to a turntable of the disk player.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk player, and in particular, to a clamping device for an optical disk player. In particular, the present invention relates to a clamping device that uses a pressing tab of a sliding mechanism to limit the rotation of a pivoting support frame to ensure the gripping operation of the gripping plate and to increase the stability of the gripping plate when the optical disk rotates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, with the continuous development of peripheral equipment for computers and the gradual drop in prices, optical disk players have become standard equipment in personal computers (PCs), and have become an indispensable part of an audio system.
Since an optical disk player is a device that reads the data stored on an optical disk in an optical manner, the optical disk must be positioned accurately on the turntable so that the optical head can read the data at any time. The position of an optical disk can be fixed in two ways: by positioning the optical disk downwards with an upper clamp, or by positioning the optical disk upwards with a lower clamp. In the conventional suction type of optical disk player that is currently available on the market, the clamping device uses an upper clamp to fix the position of an optical disk downwardly. However, there is no mechanism in the conventional technology that can effectively fix the position of the pivoting support frame of the clamping device. Therefore, when the pivoting support frame is in operation, unnecessary vibration may occur during the process of clamping the optical disk. As a result, the gripping plate of the clamping device might be separated from the optical disk by an external force. Consequently, the clamping device would not be able to fix the optical disk on the turntable.

Clamping device for an optical disk player


A vehicle fuel delivery apparatus, having: a surge chamber configured to store fuel; a fuel filter distally positioned with respect to and connected to the chamber; and a fuel level sender positioned between the filter and surge chamber.

Fuel containers for modern vehicles include a surge chamber that is at least partially responsible for distributing fuel from a fuel tank (or container) to an internal combustion engine. Surge chamber designs can vary but the fuel travelling between the fuel tank and the internal combustion engine is typically filtered to some degree. With an increasing awareness of fuel economy it can be desirable to have larger volume filters included in the fuel tanks or have easily exchangeable filters disposed therein. The larger filters can, however, restrict packaging space for other items or present challenges for removal. Specifically, as taught in German Patent No. DE 10160567 A1 titled "Fuel pump module land procedure for its installation" a larger filter linked to the surge chamber can restrict the range or scope of a fuel level sensor. Especially, where a fuel tank has a varied bottom surface, it can be beneficial to have fuel level sensors with wide operating ranges used with larger filters.
Therefore it is desirable to have a fuel delivery module with fuel filter that accommodates the use of larger fuel filters but does not limit the packaging space for other items in the fuel system, e.g., fuel level sensors.


The present invention is an apparatus for monocular head displays, which enables a compact, light in weight, sturdy apparatus that has a wide angle of viewing, a bright and sharp image display that operates on low voltage in a wide range of temperatures. The image is bright and high in contrast. Due to the compactiveness and wide viewing angle, it is readily useable inside helmets and goggles and visors. The signals that can be used include data, maps, graphics or video images including infrared or other images. Because of the wide viewing angle, the module may be placed and adjusted for multiple users and field installation.

The invention relates to a novel mountable monocular display that gives durability and stability of its structure, compactness and flexibility in its installations and use over a wide range of environmental conditions and physical needs and wide visual field quality in image and data viewability all with low power consumption.
The general use of small display apparatus inside helmets, and head mounted, are well known. They are used in piloting of aircraft, weapons targeting and for tasks that are more common.
There are known various head mounted viewing systems for viewing a plurality of displays. Some of these prior art display units are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,003,300; 5,162,828; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 371,549 and PCT International Publication No. WO95/11473 published Apr. 27, 1995 and Kuba (U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,604), Togino (U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,578), Iba (U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,654), and Ellis (U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,116). Each of the systems described involve a head mounted display connected to a remote or other signal source for providing the subject matter to be displayed. All of these require precise installation in order to be useable. Thus, they are not field installable and can easily be damaged or misadjusted if handled roughly.
In Wells the U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,300 a head mounted display is disclosed which is connected to a remote signal source which may be a computer, pocket calculator or a radio wave transmitter which provides power, timing information and drawing signals necessary for driving the display. The Wells disclosure includes separate elements of display, optical enlargement and mirrors to initiate a virtual image and movement of the mirror to create a raster image. The drawbacks are the need for precise installation for optics and the raster display, which is not suitable for rough usage or field installation.
The Furness patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,828 discloses a display system for conventional eyewear using a transparency. The display system of Furness includes a light transmissive display mounted on the frame of the eyewear and optics for collimating light to project an image of the displayed information at a distance from the user in the periphery of the field of view defined by the transparency. It is important to the Furness head mounted display that there be included a mirror means for collimating light to project the image. Furness also provides automatic adjustment of the optics for various users. Again, the drawbacks are the need for precise and nonrugged installation. Additionally, to raster display has more complexity than the within invention.
The WO95/11473 publication (Kopen) dated Apr. 27, 1995 discloses a multitude of head mounted display configurations. In some of the embodiments disclosed by Kopen the display is connected to a video or information source such that the user can view information or images shown on the display. In one of Kopin""s embodiments, the display can be mounted to a frame so that the user can move the display in and out of the user""s field of view.
Other patents are directed toward head mounted image display apparatus including: Kuba, U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,604, involving a reflection system to project the image to an observation region. This necessarily requires stability and precise adjustments. Togino, U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,578, discloses an image display apparatus designed to give a wide angle of view using mirrors, to display a virtual image. Mirrors as the transmitter system lacks ruggedness, compactness, and ease of use.
Iba, U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,654, is a compact image device using a prism and a mirror to mount in front of the viewer to display the image. Thus, the direct view of the user is of the displayed image without the ability to view the physical environment.
Togino, U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,765, details an apparatus to obtain a 40xc2x0 field angle of the view but incorporates a display, an optical relay system comprised of at least two lenses, and a concave mirror to project the image. The lack of ruggedness, compactness, and adjustability are important shortcomings.
In Takahashi, U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,202, the Olympus curvilinear prism is disclosed for general purposes of monocular head displays, but it does not disclose the particulars of the within invention.
The use of displays inside helmets is disclosed in Ellis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,116, but requires two collimating reflective eyepieces, and a projector to a reflection surfaces.
Other devices make use of opaque view screens, which prevents visibility or reflections on visors in helmets and headgear, but lack the clarity, the compactness, and the lower power concentration and durability of the within invention.
All mirror based, reflective, projective, or similar structure have major short comings in environments where ruggedness is important, where quick change and adjustment is needed and where 10 compactness, and ease of viewing is essential. Also, many prevent the user from easily viewing his surrounding, necessary for safety and avoidance of dangers in real environments.
There is a need for a rugged and compact display device that can be moveably and readily installed for users to have available an accessible image of data, viewing of a remote location or enhanced or special views of designated image, such as infrared views to detect heat or other selected criteria.
Therefore it is the object of this invention to provide a display devise that can display signals and information in a peripheral viewing location, thus allowing the user to have a clear view of his actual environment while still having access to display information.
It is another object of the invention to have the display apparatus to have a unitized combination of the display light source, and optics for bending and directing the light for the user.
It is another object of the display apparatus to have it be compact and light enough to fit inside a variety of helmets or masks with a shield or visor, such as firemen wear. For a head band it should not, by it own weight and distance from the eye, create an unwieldy extension. Thus, by being compact and very light it allows the user to move in cramped quarters with quick movements as needed in emergencies in a variety of environments, such as heat, fires, weather, wind, rescue situations or in environmental suits used in toxic emergencies.
It is another object of the invention to have the display with a bright and wide viewing angle, to thus allow for easy placement in one user""s helmet in the field and thus, not require precise and permanent installation in order to be used. The wide angle allows for field installation and for easy adjustment or changing of helmets or users for the display.
The invention has further objects consistent with its design and the above advantage over the head mounted displays that are known.
These objects are accomplished by a novel combination of elements. The display, in order to have a high quality image with low power consumption is an active matrix electro luminescent (AMEL) display chip mounted in an epoxy and glass sandwich. The circuit connections are attached to a digital or analog controller through appropriate ribbon or other connectors. The image or data signal to the controller may be by hard wire or wireless.
The sandwich is fixed to one surface of an Olympus curvilinear prism, also known as free form prism.
The combination assembly of the prism and display is very compact and lightweight thus allowing for close viewing and can be moved and mounted in various locations on headbands, inside helmets, and inside visors, or face shields.
By use of the prism, the image is reflected and refracted inside the prism to the exit in a viewing cone with a wide viewing angle for the user""s eye.
This wide angle and compactness allows it to be located in an approximate location without the necessity of precise focus and placement. This allows field installation, field adjustment such as moving it to the right or left side of the head as desired or moving into a different location of the peripheral view are as desired.
This wide latitude for useful installation also allows a display module to be easily and quickly changed to a different helmet or to a different user, without any precise tools, checks or adjustments on normal installation hardware.
The object of ruggedness is met by the unitized construction of the display and prism. There are no mirrors, collimators, lens or other separate optical elements to align, or orient. The module is moved as one unit.
The module, because of the bright image from the AMEL and the very high quality of clarity and image transmission through the prism, allows for easy viewing, even in bright backlight conditions.
Due to the unitized construction, and use of the AMEL chip, the module is very stable and usable under extreme temperatures and environmental conditions.
These advantages combined with the wide latitude of viewing and easy field adjustment creates a device that is ideal for fire, rescue, environmental hazard and similar field uses.
A further use is the super position of data images from the display chips and simultaneous transmission of images through the prism of the environment beyond the prism. This allows the placement of the module in locations that with other options would block a view that maybe critical. This use would allow the data view to be simultaneously visible by the user. The free form prism, as the single optical element, allows for simultaneous and easily adjusted viewing of the data or AMEL image, as well as a pass through transmission of the immediate environment at the same time.


A method of calibrating a device for measuring the concentration of creatinine in a sample including one or more enzyme modulators, the device comprising an enzyme layer, the method comprising: determining sensitivities of the device for each of one or more calibration solutions; determining a degree of modulation for the sample to be measured, determining a degree of modulation for each calibration solution; wherein said determining of each of the degrees of modulation comprises estimating the concentration of an enzyme modulator in the enzyme layer of the device; and calculating the sensitivity of the device for the sample, wherein the said calculating comprises adjusting the sensitivity of the device for each calibration solution by a factor comprising the determined degrees of modulation of the sample and the calibration solution.

Techniques for measuring the concentration of creatinine (Crn) and creatine (Cr) have uses in medicine, for example in monitoring renal disease and in monitoring performance athletes. The concentration of Cr (cCr) and the concentration of Crn (cCrn) in an aqueous solution can be determined by amperometric measurement. Two sensors can be used in the measurement of cCrn: the Crea A sensor, which detects Cr; and the Crea B sensor, which detects both Cr and Crn. The cCrn is based on the difference between the Crea A and Crea B sensor measurements.
Sensors typically use enzymes to convert Crn and Cr into measurable products, such as hydrogen peroxide which can be detected in an amperometric system. In order to determine cCrn and cCr in unknown samples with sufficient accuracy, the Crea A and Crea B sensors must be calibrated in order to determine their actual sensitivities.
However, the presence of enzyme modulators in a sample can modulate (i.e. increase or decrease) the activity of the enzymes in the sensor and thereby its sensitivity. Therefore, a sensor calibrated with a calibration solution that has a different amount or type of enzyme modulator than the sample being measured may yield inaccurate results.
Enzyme modulators can occur naturally in samples being measured, and may occur in unpredictable amounts. For example, calcium (Ca2+) and bicarbonate (HCO3−) are enzyme inhibitors and are endogenous to blood, and different people will have different concentrations of these modulators in their blood. Therefore, the presence of these modulators may affect the measurements made.
Furthermore, some modulators such as Ca2+ diffuse very slowly into the sensor. As such, when performing a measurement on a new sample, the effects of the residual Ca2+ from an earlier sample may also affect the results. Given the slow rate of diffusion, a long rinse would be required to remove any residual modulator from a previous sample, which would increase the cycle time between samples.
There is, therefore, an unmet need for an efficient method of calibrating Cr and/or Crn sensors to take into account different levels of enzyme modulation in the sensors, while keeping the cycle times as short as possible.

Method for correcting Crea sensor for calcium inhibition


A liquid ejection head includes a recording element substrate for ejecting liquid in response to an externally supplied electrical signal; an electrical wiring board having a first and second part mutually joined via a bent portion, the first part having an electrical joint portion for supplying the signal to the substrate, the second part having an electrical signal input portion into which the signal is input and to which the joint portion is connected; and a housing having first and second surfaces mutually adjoining, the first and second surfaces respectively supporting the first and second parts. The second part is fixed to the second surface at plural first fixing positions around the input portion. The second surface has a depressed portion formed closer to the bent portion than the first fixing positions. The second part is fixed to the housing at a second fixing position inside the depressed portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid ejection head to be used in a liquid ejection apparatus for ejecting liquid such as ink to form an image or perform recording, and to a method of producing the liquid ejection head.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid ejection head forms an image by ejecting liquid droplets. The liquid droplets are ejected by heating the liquid by an energy-generating element including a heat generating resistor, thereby causing film boiling in the liquid. Alternatively, a piezoelectric element may be used sometimes to eject the liquid droplets, or a method involving irradiating the liquid with an electromagnetic wave generated by a laser or the like is also sometimes employed. Such a liquid ejection head is generally mounted on a recording apparatus main body. The liquid ejection head is controlled and driven by an electrical signal supplied from the recording apparatus main body to form an image. Therefore, in order to form an image by the liquid ejection head, electrical communication is necessary between the recording apparatus main body and the liquid ejection head.
In order to achieve the electrical communication, the liquid ejection head includes an electrical wiring board for electrically connecting the energy-generating element and the recording apparatus main body. The electrical wiring board includes an electrical signal input portion including conductive contact pads, and the recording apparatus main body includes contact pins to be electrically connected to the contact pads, respectively. The contact between the contact pad and the contact pin enables the electrical communication. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-320229, the electrical wiring board is formed of a flexible wiring board in which a plurality of electrical wiring lines are arranged in a single layer, and the contact pads are provided directly on the flexible wiring board. In order to reduce the size of the electrical signal input portion, a multilayer wiring board in which a plurality of electrical wiring lines are arranged in a plurality of layers is sometimes connected to the flexible wiring board, and the contact pads are formed on the multilayer wiring board. The electrical wiring board is bent along two surfaces of a housing of the liquid ejection head at the stage of producing the liquid ejection head, and is crimped around the electrical signal input portion (for example, at four positions).
The main portion of the electrical wiring board, in particular, a bent portion is made of a flexible material such as a flexible wiring board, but it is difficult to bend the electrical wiring board completely along the shape of the housing. Therefore, when the electrical wiring board is bent, lifting may occur near the bent portion. FIG. 12A is a perspective view illustrating the relationship between a liquid ejection head 1 and a sheet P on which an image is to be recorded, and FIG. 12B is a sectional view taken along the line 12B-12B of FIG. 12A. An electrical wiring board 5 is first bonded to a first surface 33 of a housing 6, which is located on the same side as ejection orifices, and is then bent by about 90° along the corner of the housing 6 to be fixed along a second surface 34 of the housing 6. At this time, lifting C occurs near a bent portion 21 due to the bending rigidity of the electrical wiring board. This tendency is remarkable in an electrical wiring board having a large area in a region other than the electrical signal input portion or in a wide electrical wiring board. The lifting of the electrical wiring board occurs not only during production but also due to heat after usage and change over the years. Such lifting near the bent portion 21 leads to increase in dimension of the liquid ejection head in the traveling direction (hereinafter referred to as "Y direction") of the sheet P (hereinafter referred to as "Y direction dimension Dy") as illustrated in FIG. 12B.
The increase in the Y direction dimension Dy causes the following problems. As illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 12B, on both sides of the liquid ejection head 1 in the Y direction, sheet pressing rollers 61a and 61b are respectively provided. The sheet pressing rollers 61a and 61b are located near the housing 6 of the liquid ejection head 1 in order to satisfactorily press the sheet P in the vicinity of the ejection orifices. Therefore, the sheet pressing roller 61a on the side of the second surface 34 of the housing 6 of the liquid ejection head 1 may interfere with the electrical wiring board 5 protruding due to the lifting. In order to avoid this interference, it is necessary to separate the sheet pressing roller 61a away from the second surface 34 as indicated by the broken lines. In this case, an interval L between the two sheet pressing rollers 61a and 61b increases. The increase in the interval L causes problems such as printing failure and paper jam due to reduction of the effect to press the sheet by the sheet pressing rollers 61a and 61b. The paper jam often occurs if the sheet is unsatisfactorily pressed particularly when the sheet enters the space below the liquid ejection head 1 during sheet feeding. Further, in a general small-sized recording apparatus, with increasing printing speed in recent years, the longitudinal direction (Y direction) dimension of the ejection orifice array tends to increase. In such a recording apparatus, as the Y direction dimension of the liquid ejection head increases, accordingly, the interval between the sheet pressing rollers also tends to increase, and hence the interval between the sheet pressing rollers further increases due to the occurrence of the above-mentioned lifting.
In order to reduce the height of the lifting, it is also conceivable to crimp and fix the electrical wiring board while strongly pulling the electrical wiring board. In this case, however, the electrical wiring board is fixed under a tensioned state, and hence a crimped part of the electrical wiring board may be cracked after the tension is released, or another part thereof may be wrinkled. Therefore, the above-mentioned problems cannot be solved.

Liquid ejection head and method of producing the same