A hydraulic device for an internal combustion engine or a gearing system, the hydraulic device including a housing featuring a chamber wall structure which delineates a pressure chamber for a pressurised hydraulic fluid; an actuating member which can be adjusted in the housing relative to the chamber wall structure in an actuating direction and in an actuating counter direction opposite to the actuating direction in order to adjust the delivery volume or phase position; and a sealing element including a sealing structure and a spring structure which is supported or moulded on one of the chamber wall structure and the actuating member, preferably the actuating member, and presses the sealing structure into sealing contact with the other of the chamber wall structure and the actuating member with a spring force in order to seal off the pressure chamber. The sealing structure and the spring structure are moulded in one piece.

In adjustable hydraulic pumps—for example, lubricating oil pumps and gear pumps—of internal combustion engines and gearing systems, as well as in hydraulic cam shaft phase setters, functional components which can be moved hydraulically relative to each other have to be sealed from each other in order to seal off one or more pressure chambers. In cam shaft phase setters which are widely used today, which operate in accordance with the principle of a hydraulic pivoting motor, this relates above all to the sealing gaps which extend parallel to the rotational axis between the rotor and the stator. Usually, a sliding gap is formed by the rotor on an outer circumference and by the stator on an inner circumference which lies opposite the outer circumference of the rotor. Due to thermal expansion which occurs when the phase setter is in operation, and also due to manufacturing tolerances, a sufficient seal can often be achieved only with the aid of a sealing element which seals off the sliding gap. Comparable problems occur in hydraulic pumps which can be adjusted in terms of their delivery volume. Such pumps comprise an actuating member which can be adjusted back and forth in order to adjust the delivery volume and to which a hydraulic fluid can be applied in a pressure chamber. The pressure chamber is sealed off by means of a sealing element which is arranged between the actuating member and a chamber wall structure which delineates the pressure chamber. The sealing element reduces the leakage between the components of the cam shaft phase setter or hydraulic pump which are moved relative to each other and thus improves its effectiveness.
A cam shaft phase setter such as the invention relates to is known for example from EP 2 365 193 B1, which is incorporated by reference.
DE 10 2011 086 175 B3, which is incorporated by reference, discloses a hydraulic rotary pump comprising an actuating member which serves to adjust the delivery volume and to which a hydraulic fluid is applied in a pressure chamber. The actuating member, and a chamber wall structure which delineates the pressure chamber, form a sliding gap which is sealed off by a sealing element in the form of a beam-shaped sealing strip which is rigid in its own right. The sealing element is arranged in a cavity of the actuating member, and the hydraulic fluid is applied to the sealing element at a rear side in the cavity when the pump is in operation, thus pressing the sealing element into a sealing contact with the opposing chamber wall structure. A sufficient pressure of the hydraulic fluid ensures that the sealing gap is effectively sealed off. In operational states in which a sufficient hydraulic pressure is not yet available, for example when the pump is being started, this can cause an unintended and in particular undefined leakage across the sealing gap and therefore delayed suctioning by the pump. If the hydraulic fluid can be applied to the actuating member in each of the two directions in which it can be adjusted, a pressure difference across the sealing gap which changes direction can cause increased leakage with each change of direction.
In order to improve the sealing function of a sealing element, it is possible to provide—in addition to a sealing strip—a spring element which presses the sealing strip into the sealing contact. An arc-shaped leaf spring element made of spring steel, or a cylindrical segment made of an elastomer material, can for example be arranged, as the spring element, at the rear side of the sealing strip, in order to press the sealing strip into the sealing contact with a spring force. Using a separate spring element does however increase the costs incurred by the seal. In addition, the sealing strip and the spring element have to be positioned individually and correctly with respect to each other when fitted in series production and together pushed into a cavity which is typically provided on the actuating member. Aside from the higher manufacturing and fitting costs, a two-part sealing design also proves disadvantageous in comparison with an unmodified sealing element with regard to the error rate during fitting. A drop-in-pressure test may not detect that a spring element is incorrectly fitted or is missing. The plurality of parts also increases the likelihood that a spring element which is imperfectly fitted enters the pump or phase setter in the course of operations, causing malfunction or failure.

Hydraulic device comprising a sealing element


An MRI system uses a Cartesian-radial hybrid k-space trajectory to capture three-dimensional k-space data and reconstruct an image of an area of interest of a subject. The MRI system performs a series of k-space acquisitions to collect the data. A first k-space acquisition includes acquiring a two-dimensional EPI projection in a first plane parallel to a frequency-encoding direction and acquiring additional two-dimensional EPI projections in planes that are radially shifted about a center axis parallel to the frequency-encoding direction with respect to the first plane, until a selected number of projections are acquired. Each subsequent k-space acquisition includes acquiring an additional set of two-dimensional EPI projections in all of the planes in which an EPI projection was acquired during the first k-space acquisition, each additional set of EPI projections being shifted along a respective plane in a direction perpendicular to the frequency-encoding direction.

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has become a common diagnostic technique with many applications. For example, MR imaging provides excellent soft tissue contrast when used to guide focused ultrasound (FUS) thermal therapy procedures, providing the ability to localize, plan, monitor and verify treatments. FUS has been used to non-invasively treat uterine fibroids as well as breast, prostate, liver and brain cancer.
As FUS can deliver large amounts of energy over a short time interval, temperature monitoring of treatments requires an MRI process with a high temporal resolution. Also, because the energy is delivered from a large transducer aperture to a small focus, a large field of view is required to monitor any possible energy deposition. The FUS beam will likely travel through several different tissue types during treatment where a portion of the beam will be reflected and transmitted at each tissue interface depending on the impedance difference between the tissues. Therefore, for temperature monitoring during thermal therapy, as with other MRI applications, the chosen MR system and method should be designed to satisfy certain characteristics that enable the procedure to be medically reliable.
For instance, temperature monitoring can be done using 2D or 3D MRI sequences where the method chosen is often governed by the trade-off between the needed temporal and spatial resolution and required field of view. MRI temperature imaging limitations are more apparent when using 2D imaging. Partial volume effects may cause an underestimation of the actual temperature, which will increase with voxel size. It can also be difficult to properly position a single 2D slice to capture the entire focus. Multiple 2D slices will have a gap between each slice, meaning any temperature increase in the gap will not be measured. Respiration and motion artifacts will also introduce errors to the temperature monitoring.
3D MR thermometry can overcome many of the field of view, partial volume, and coverage gap limitations, which are inherent in 2D imaging. For example, a segmented 3D Echo Planar Imaging (EPI) sequence has shown to be a reliable method for various MRI applications, including thermal monitoring, functional MRI (fMRI), etc. The 3D EPI sequence is a volumetric imaging method that can be used to cover the entire underlying organ such as brain, prostate, breast, or liver, in order to create images, monitor temperature changes as a consequence of proton resonance frequency shift, perform fMRI, etc.
Many of the variables in MR imaging, including temporal resolution, are related to the k-space trajectory used to capture data during the procedure. In the segmented 3D EPI procedure mentioned above, k-space is captured using Cartesian trajectories in three dimensions that are segmented in order to provide T2*-weighting (the segmenting of the trajectories allows the time to echo (TE) to be on the order of T2*-weighting). T2*-weighted imaging has become an essential clinical tool in the neuro domain to visualize blood vessels, hemorrhage, calcifications, and iron deposits in the brains of people with neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). The segmented 3D EPI approach with all Cartesian trajectories has produced effective results, including maintaining T2*-weighting, in some applications, but may be less than ideal in certain situations, especially with respect to thermometry. For example, temporal resolution may be lacking using this approach because the k-space is traversed across (e.g., side to side) the volume in all directions.
The present disclosure is directed to modified MRI processes and associated systems that overcome some of the drawbacks of the current options and provide a more efficient imaging and thermal monitoring solution.

Cartesian-radial hybrid k-space trajectory for volumetric imaging


A phosphor for light emitting device of an embodiment includes: a phosphor particle composed of at least one selected from an alkaline earth silicate phosphor, a lanthanum oxysulfide phosphor, and a zinc sulfide phosphor; and a surface treatment agent, provided to cover a surface of the phosphor particle, of at least one selected from a silane coupling agent and an acrylic emulsion. A luminance maintenance ratio of the phosphor represented by a formula: luminance B/luminance A×100(%), is 98% or more, wherein the luminance A is a luminance of the phosphor made to emit under a condition of temperature: 23° C., humidity: 40%, and the luminance B is a luminance of the phosphor made to emit under a condition of temperature: 23° C., humidity: 40% after leaving the phosphor under a condition of temperature: 60° C., humidity: 90% for 12 hours.

A light emitting device using a light emitting diode (LED) is broadly used for a lighting system such as a backlight of a liquid crystal display apparatus, a signal apparatus, switches, a lamp for vehicle, or a general lighting. In particular, a white light emitting type LED lamp (white LED lamp) made by combining an LED and a phosphor attracts attention, in addition to as a backlight of a liquid crystal display apparatus or a lamp for vehicle, as a substitute of a lighting system using a white lamp, a fluorescent lamp, or the like and its practical application as a white lighting system is being proceeded.
As the white LED lamp, there are known an LED lamp made by combining an LED chip emitting blue light and a yellow phosphor, an LED lamp made by combining an LED chip emitting blue light, a green to yellow phosphor, and a red phosphor, an LED lamp made by combining an LED chip emitting ultraviolet to violet light with an emission wavelength of about 360 to 440 nm and a mixture (BGR or BYR phosphor) of respective blue, green to yellow, and red phosphors, and so on. As the green to yellow phosphor used for the white LED lamp, there is known an europium (Eu) and manganese (Mn)-activated alkaline earth silicate phosphor such as (Sr, Ba, Mg)2SiO4:Eu, Mn.
Though the white LED lamp made by combining the LED chip emitting blue light, the green to yellow phosphor, and the red phosphor is superior to the white LED lamp made by combining the LED chip emitting blue light and the yellow phosphor in a light emission efficiency and a color rendering property, but has a flaw of being inferior in a weather resistance. In particular, under a high-temperature/high-humidity environment, deterioration of a luminance of the white LED lamp becomes notable. The above is considered to be derived from Eu and Mn-activated alkaline earth silicate phosphor used as the green to yellow phosphor. Also in the white LED lamp made by combining the LED chip emitting ultraviolet to violet light and the BGR or BYR phosphor, reduction of a weather resistance becomes a problem when the Eu and Mn-activated alkaline earth silicate phosphor is used as the green to yellow phosphor.
Also inferior in the weather resistance are an europium (Eu) and samarium (Sm)-activated lanthanum oxysulfide phosphor such as La2O2S:Eu,Sm used as a red phosphor, a copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al)-activated zinc sulfide phosphor such as ZnS:Cu,Al used as a green phosphor, and a silver (Ag) and aluminum (Al)-activated zinc sulfide phosphor such as ZnS:Ag, Al used as a blue phosphor. Luminance deterioration of the white LED lamps becomes a problem also in a case that the above phosphors are used. In order to improve a luminance maintenance ratio under a high-temperature/high-humidity environment of a light emitting device such as a white LED lamp, it is required to heighten weather resistance of an alkaline earth silicate phosphor used as a green to yellow phosphor, a lanthanum oxysulfide phosphor used as a red phosphor, and a zinc sulfide phosphor used as a green phosphor or a blue phosphor.

Phosphor for light emitting device and method for manufacturing the same, and light emitting device using the same


A demonstrative package for rack mounted electronic equipment enclosure hardware includes a package corresponding to the size and shape of an electronic equipment enclosure that is to be mounted in a rack and mounting hardware attached to the package. The mounting hardware is attached to the package in a location on the package corresponding to where the hardware is attached to the electronic equipment enclosure, thereby providing a clear example of how an enclosure or component is supposed to be mounted into a rack. The demonstrative package can be attached to a rack.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic equipment enclosures, particularly, computer equipment enclosures, and more specifically to packaging and distributing hardware to mount computer equipment enclosures in a rack.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rack is a compartment that can contain a number of electronic equipment or computer equipment enclosures. Electronic equipment enclosures include, for example, disk system enclosures that are capable of receiving disk drives, and electronic components that contain electronic equipment within the enclosure, such as computer systems and redundant array of inexpensive disk (RAID) systems. Electronic components and a rack for mounting the electronic components can be selected by a user and purchased from a single source, or a user may choose electronic components with the intention of mounting them in a rack already owned by the user or a rack to be acquired from another source. In either case, rack mounting an electronic component usually requires a hardware kit which can include rails, slides, angled sheetmetal brackets, retractable cable arms, and miscellaneous hardware (e.g. screws).
In the case where the user selects a rack and electronic components at the same time, it is desirable to install as much mounting hardware into the rack as possible to decrease the amount of additional packaging required to ship the hardware. Installing as much mounting hardware as possible is also desirable because it minimizes the amount of hardware that must be installed by the user. However, with many components only a limited amount of the required hardware can be pre-mounted into the rack without mounting the actual component. In this situation, all other hardware must be placed into a kit and shipped to the user with instructions that show how the hardware is to be mounted to the component and how it is to be mounted to the rack.
If the user already owns a rack, or intends to acquire a rack from a source other than the source of the electronic components, the user must purchase a rack kit in order to attach the component to the rack. In this case, none of the mounting hardware can be pre-mounted to the rack, and the rack kit must include instructions for the installation of all of the mounting hardware to both the component and the rack.
Thus, in either of the situations above, clearly presenting assembly instructions that show how the equipment is to be assembled is important as some or all of the mounting hardware is distributed to and installed by the user.
Present assembly instructions use written and pictorial directions, or provide video and/or software to explain to the user how to assemble the rack hardware. Additionally, when the rack and components are selected together, hardware kits are shipped separately from the equipment rack because the hardware cannot be installed without installing the components.

Demonstrative packaging for rack mount hardware


Compositions comprising extracellular matrix (ECM) materials and methods of use thereof are disclosed. The compositions may comprise two or more ECM materials derived from different types of tissues, such as, e.g., lung tissue and spleen tissue, formulated for administration to a patient or configured as a medical device for implantation in or application to the patient. The compositions may combine complementary properties of different types of ECM materials for customized patient-specific and/or site-specific tissue repair and/or regeneration.

Biomaterials have been used in a variety of medical applications as alternative to, or in conjunction with, conventional materials in order to assist with healing, tissue repair, and other forms of medical treatment. Such biomaterials include ECM, a complex structural material found within tissues that surround and support cells. The ECM is generally made up of three major classes of biomolecules: structural proteins such as collagen and elastin; other proteins such as laminin, fibronectin, and various growth factors; and proteoglycans. ECM is derived from collageneous tissue and processed for application at the site of bodily injury. While ECM materials can be used for certain medical applications, current ECM materials often fail to provide sufficient structural integrity and bioactivity.


An image forming apparatus including first and second image forming cartridges. Both of the first and second image forming cartridges has at least one handle. The handle of the first image forming cartridge is formed at a different position in line with the handle of the second image forming cartridge.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image forming cartridge and an image forming apparatus using the same, and more particularly to an image forming cartridge for forming images in a copying apparatus, a facsimile apparatus, a printer or the like, by an electrostatic image transfer process or an ink jet type image forming process, and to an image forming apparatus which uses such a image forming cartridge.
2. Description of the Background Art
An image forming apparatus of the type using an electrostatic image transfer system or an ink jet type image forming system is conventional and configured to form an image on a recording medium, e.g. a paper, a sheet or any recording medium. Such image forming apparatuses utilize an image forming cartridge, which collectively may have a photoconductive drum, a charging device, a developing device, a cleaning device, or the like, and which is detachably mounted in the image forming apparatus.
By using an image forming cartridge as above, it is easy to maintain the image forming apparatus because the image forming cartridge can be replaced with a new one if maintenance is required. Also, a user or a service person can maintain it.
In general, an image forming cartridge is made of parts having similar life cycles, e.g. a developing cartridge collectively mounting a toner accommodating portion and a developing device, a photoconductive drum cartridge collectively mounting a photoconductive drum, a charging device, and a cleaning device.
Particularly, a current trend in the imaging art is toward a tandem image forming apparatus that assigns a particular image carrier to each color in order to meet the increasing demand for high-speed color image formation. The tandem image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming cartridges each with a photoconductive drum, e.g. in a vertical or horizontal direction.
Another current trend is an increase in demand to reuse an image forming cartridge after the image forming cartridge is used up so that environmental disposal problems are prevented.
In a tandem image forming apparatus as above, a plurality of image forming cartridges are mounted inside an image forming apparatus. Therefore there is also a strong demand towards downsizing the image forming cartridge as much as possible so that a size of the image forming apparatus is small.
To solve the problem stated above, Japanese Laid-open publication No. 09-171338 describes a cartridge with a handle for which a user can easily grasp the cartridge for maintenance.
Also, Japanese Laid-open publication No. 2003-84646 describes an image forming apparatus having a plurality of process cartridges each with a handle in line.
Further, Japanese Laid-open publication No. 06-332304 describes a process cartridge with a handle, which is detachably installed on the process cartridge. The same handle can be installed in a developing unit, a cartridge, or a front cover.
FIG. 8 is an example showing a drawing of a related art image forming apparatus 150, and FIG. 9 is a top view of the image forming apparatus 150. The image forming apparatus 150 has a plurality of image forming cartridges, i.e. an image forming cartridge 100BK for black, an image forming cartridge 100C for cyan, an image forming cartridge 100M for magenta, and an image forming cartridge 100Y for yellow. These image forming cartridges 100BK, 100C, 100M, and 100Y are horizontally mounted in an image forming portion 151 of image forming apparatus 150. Also, FIG. 10 is another example showing a side view of an image forming apparatus 160, having a plurality of image forming cartridges 100BK, 100C, 100M, and 100Y in a vertical direction, in an image forming portion 161 of image forming apparatus 160.
In both of the image forming apparatuses shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, each image forming cartridge 100BK, 100C, 100M, and 100Y has handles positioned at both sides in a width of a paper path outside of each image forming cartridge. These handles are formed a line in a horizontal or vertical direction. Therefore, when an image forming cartridge is replaced with a new one, it may be hard for a user to grasp handles of the image forming cartridge.

Image forming cartridge and image forming apparatus


A sealing segment for sealingly connecting two structural components parts which are movable relative to one another, with two sealing bodies which are connected to one another by a web and which can be arranged in recesses of the structural component parts in an articulated manner, and a sealing segment arrangement with a plurality of sealing segments of this type, and a flow machine with a sealing segment arrangement of this type.

Sealing segments for sealingly connecting adjacent structural component parts are known per se. A sealing segment allowing a relative movement of adjacent structural component parts with respect to one another is disclosed, for example, in DE 2453645. This sealing segment comprises a plurality of metal rings and plastic rings in a sandwich-type construction and should be able to sustain rotational loading while retaining the sealing action. One of the disadvantages of this sealing segment is the costly sandwich construction. It is further disadvantageous that this sealing segment only allows a rotational relative movement between the two structural component parts. The maximum relative movement of the two structural component parts with respect to one another is limited by the shear strength of the sealing segment. Therefore, with every relative movement the sealing segment is subjected to material fatigue which has a lasting negative impact on the life of the sealing segment.

Sealing segment and sealing-segment arrangement


The invention relates to a manufacturing method of an image recording medium wherein during the process of cutting a long roll body of the medium into sheet like product the curl tendency, a cause of poor printer feedability, is removed, and at the same time the generation of cracking in a recording layer is suppressed. In the manufacturing method a web of a long roll body, a sheet like material of a paper substrate with thermoplastic resin layers formed on both surfaces one of which also has a recording layer with the long roll body wound such that this recording layer surface is on the outside, is unwound into a cutting device whilst at the same time a straightening element of a roller of diameter between 8 mm and 16 mm is pressed against the side of the recording layer with a wrap angle that is less than 60 degrees.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a high quality image recording medium manufacturing method, and in particular to a process for cutting a long roll body to give sheets with no curl.
2. Description of Related Art
With the rapid progress of the information technology industry of recent years, various information processing systems have been developed. Recording methods and recording devices suitable for these information processing systems have also been developed and put to practical use in many fields. As a practical recording method, as well as silver photographic methods there are electrophotographic methods, inkjet recording methods, thermal sensitive recording methods, sublimation transfer imaging, thermal transfer imaging and the like. With all of the above methods there is the same requirement to obtain high quality images which are sharp, and have vivid coloring.
Inkjet recording methods have become widely used, not only in the office but also in the home, since the inkjet recording method enables recording to be performed on various recording materials, the hardware (device) is relatively inexpensive and compact, and operation is quiet. Moreover, with the higher resolution of inkjet printers in recent years, it is also possible to obtain high quality photo-like printed materials. Progress made in such hardware (devices) has also led to various kinds of inkjet recording sheets being developed.
However, inkjet recording media are manufactured by taking a support body, coating with an ink receptive layer, drying and then winding up the length into a long roll. These rolls of semi-finished product are generally jumbo rolls of 0.5 to 2.5 meters in width, and about 500 to 5000 meters in length, and they are finished by slitting and cutting to form the final roll or sheet product. One of the problems which can be cited with this manufacturing process is that during storage, at the jumbo roll stage, a tendency to curl can develop. In particular when a jumbo roll is processed into sheet product, the curl tendency of the jumbo roll can transfer directly to become sheet curl. This problem becomes marked, particularly for the support body, when the stiffness is high. Sheet curl results in the occurrence of problems when printing such as poor feeding and skew. Also, when printing without a border, the curl on the trailing edge can damage a print head.
In order to address the above occurrences of curl methods for improving the coating layer have been proposed (see, for example, publications JP-A 5-28622, JP-A 8-310111, JP-A 11-291616). Also, methods for improving the support body have been proposed (see, for example, publication JP-A 2000-85343). Further still, methods of adding moisture or heat have been proposed (see, for example, publications JP-A 8-269900). However, these are not sufficient counter measures against curl.
A decurling treating process is also proposed for a recording medium where the ink receiving layer is wound up on the inside of the roll length. However, the problem of the occurrence of cracks in the ink receiving coating had not been completely solved, (see, for example JPA 2000-356051).

Image recording medium manufacturing method


A system for automatically creating and maintaining a database of information utilizing user opinions about subjects, particularly exceptional experiences. Described is an Internet system assisting/motivating a population of users interested in information about certain categories of subjects to automatically maintain the database content and to improve the usefulness and quality of the database information without any substantial management by the website owner-manager. The user opinions are primarily in the form of both comments and ratings about which natural-language terms best describe a particular subject, enabling user searches of the subject database to be by way of preferred such descriptive natural-language terms, which terms are further preferred to be evaluative and approving.

This invention relates generally to systems for creating, maintaining and using database information. More particularly, it relates to a system for automatically creating and maintaining a database of information utilizing user opinions. Even more particularly, it relates to an Internet system assisting a population of users to automatically maintain the database content and to improve the usefulness and quality of the database information without any substantial management by the website owner-manager.
Recently, a wide range of interactive devices has been developed to provide information to consumers via communications networks. These interactive devices include, for example, computers connected to various computer on-line services, interactive kiosks, interactive television systems and the like. In particular, the popularity of computer on-line services has grown immensely in popularity over the last decade. Computer on-line services are provided by a wide variety of different companies. In general, most computer on-line services are accessed via the Internet. The Internet is a global network of computers. One popular part of the Internet is the World Wide Web, or the "Web." The World Wide Web contains computers that display graphical and textual information. Computers that provide information on the World Wide Web are typically called "Web sites." A Web site is defined by an Internet address that has an associated electronic page, often called a "home page." Generally, a home page is an electronic document that organizes the presentation of text, graphical images, audio and video into a desired display. These Web sites are operated by a wide variety of entities, which are typically called "providers."
A user may access the Internet via a dedicated high-speed line or by using a personal computer (PC) equipped with a conventional modem. Special interface software, called "browser" software, is installed within the PC. When the user wishes to access the Internet by normal telephone line, an attached modem is automatically instructed to dial the telephone number associated with the local Internet host server. The user can then access information at any address accessible over the Internet. Two well-known web browsers, for example, are the Netscape Navigator browser marketed by Netscape Communications Corporation and the Internet Explorer browser marketed by Microsoft Corporation.
Information exchanged over the Internet is typically encoded in HyperText Mark-up Language (HTML) format. The HTML format is a scripting language that is used to generate the home pages for different content providers. In this setting, a content provider is an individual or company that places information (content) on the Internet so that others can access it. As is well known in the art, the HTML format is a set of conventions for marking different portions of a document so that each portion appears in a distinctive format. For example, the HTML format identifies or "tags" portions of a document to identify different categories of text (e.g., the title, header, body text, etc.). When a web browser accesses an HTML document, the web browser reads the embedded tags in the document so it appears formatted in the specified manner.
An HTML document can also include hyperlinks, which allow a user to move from one document to another document on the Internet. A hyperlink is an underlined or otherwise emphasized portion of text that, when selected using an input device such as a mouse, activates a software connection module which allows the user to jump between documents or pages (i.e., within the same Web site or to other Web sites). Hyperlinks are well known in the art, and have been sometimes referred to as anchors. The act of selecting the hyperlink is often referred to as "clicking on" the hyperlink.

System for creating and maintaining a database of information utilizing user options


An embodiment of the invention provides a flexible bandwidth advertisement method that can reduce the number of routing updates that are sent in a network. In an embodiment of the invention, a method of reducing available bandwidth updates in a link in a communication system is provided. The method includes setting a range of threshold values. An actual available bandwidth in the link is then changed. If the actual available bandwidth changes from a first value within the range of threshold values to a second value within the range of threshold values, then a transmission of an available bandwidth update on the link is then prevented.

Large computer networks, such as Wide Area Networks (WAN) or Internet backbone systems often incorporate various types of network devices (nodes) and network protocols. The SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) system is a high bit-rate fiber-optic based transport system that has become a well established standard for linking low and high-speed devices such as switches and multiplexers in wide-scale networks. The SONET standard uses a 51.84 megabits per second (Mbps) signal as a building block to extend the digital transmission hierarchy into the multi-gigabit range.
The network devices or nodes in a SONET system may support a signaling protocol and a routing protocol such as, for example, the Optical Signaling & Routing Protocol (OSRP). Currently, for any link that is based upon OSRP, any and every change in the actual available bandwidth in the link will result in the transmission of a routing update across the link. This routing update will advertise the actual available bandwidth information in the link. However, the frequent transmission of routing updates prevents improvements in the scalability of the network.
Therefore, the current technology is limited in its capabilities and suffers from at least the above constraints and deficiencies.


The invention features an improved interface between a microfluid chip and a mass spectrometer. It has been found that by connecting a very fine tube (or "interface tip") to an outlet port of a microfluid chip, the sensitivity of the mass spectroscopy analysis of materials exiting the outlet port of a microfluid chip is greatly enhanced.

The desirability of conducting high throughput analysis of very small samples, e.g., biological samples, has led to the development of microfluid chip devices. These devices, constructed using techniques such as photolithography, wet chemical etching, and thin film deposition, that are commonly used in the production of electronic chips, allow one to perform separation and analysis of samples as small as a few picoliters or less. Sophisticated microfluid chip devices enable precise mixing, separation, and reaction of samples in a integrated system. Generally, microfluid chip have a number of micrometer width channels connecting various reservoirs. Materials are manipulated through the channels and reservoirs using electrokinetic forces or other means.
Microfluid chips have been interfaced to electrospray ionization mass spectrometers (Xue et al., Anal. Chem. 69:426, 1997; Ramsey and Ramsey, Anal. Chem. 69:1174, 1997).
Electrospray ionization is used to produce ions for mass spectrometry analysis from large, complex molecules, for example, proteins and nucleic acid molecules. In electrospray ionization, a sample solution enters an electrospray chamber through a hollow needle which is maintained at a few kilovolts relative to the walls of the electrospray chamber. The electrical field charges the surface of the liquid emerging from the needle, dispersing it by Coulomb forces into a spray of fine, charged droplets. At this point the droplets become unstable and break into daughter droplets. This process is repeated as solvent continues to evaporate from each daughter droplet. Eventually, the droplets become small enough for the surface charge density to desorb ions from the droplets into the abient gas. These ions, which include cations or anions attached to solvent or solute species which are not themselves ions, are suitable for analysis by a mass spectrometer.
Xue et al. (supra) reported that a stable electrospray could be generated directly from a multichannel microfluid chip channel outlet port which opened at the flat edge of the microfluid chip. The voltage for electrospray ionization was applied from a buffer reservoir at the sample side with the mass spectrometer orifice grounded. Xue et al. reported that, because the electrospray plume was unstable when there was insufficient liquid flow at the channel outlet port, a syringe pump was required to provide adequate liquid flow.
Ramsey and Ramsey (supra) reported that a stable electrospray could be generated directly from a channel outlet port which ended in an opening at the flat edge of a microfluid chip using electroosmotic pumping. Ramsey and Ramsey obtained a mass spectrum from a 10 .mu.M solution of tetrabutylammonium iodide, reportedly consuming 30 fmol of sample.
The results reported by Xue et al. and Ramsey and Ramsey suggest that electrospray directly from the outlet port of a microfluid chip has relatively poor sensitivity compared to that required for the analysis of minute quantities of biological macromolecules.
The poor sensitivity of the Ramsey and Ramsey and Xue et al. flow cells is likely caused by a number of factors. First, because the outlet port is in a flat edge of the microfluid chip, ionization of droplets leaving the chip causes the spray to spread out prior to entering the injection port. Second, because the edge cut channel is very large, a stable electrospray does not form efficiently, resulting in inefficient ionization. In addition, the Xue et al. flow cell requires a pump to generate a driving force and the Ramsey and Ramsey flow cell requires a side-arm channel to generate a driving force. These features reduce sensitivity and make it difficult to conduct high throughput analysis of minute samples.

Microfluid chip mass spectrometer interface


Alert systems provide increased functionality and interactive operation by use of subsystems (240, 250, 260) that are coupled between the GUI/rules engine (220, 210) and the alert devices (248, 258, 268), wherein the subsystems (240, 250, 260,) provide for bidirectional flow of information. Therefore, in one aspect, the GUI (220) displays functional and operational parameters of associated alert devices (248, 258, 268) in real time and thus allows an administrator rule building without knowledge of installed devices. In another aspect, as the alert system displays and controls all associated alert devices (248, 258, 268) via the GUI (220), contemplated alert systems allows activation of multiple and distinct alert devices (248, 258, 268) using a single user interface. Viewed from another perspective, contingency and area specific alerts can be triggered from the GUI (220) using only point and click action.

Currently known alert systems typically include various subsystems to provide effective notification to first responders and a potentially affected population in an area hit by a disaster or other contingency. For example, where an alert system is in the same jurisdiction as a chemical plant processing hazardous materials, subsystems may include pager systems to alert one or more hazmat teams, physicians, hospitals, public sirens to warn the potentially affected population, highway display boards to reroute traffic, and control circuitry that shuts off air intake ducts in shopping malls and other public buildings.
Proper selection and coordination of alert activities is often problematic, especially where the central operator is inexperienced and/or where the emergency fails to conform to a previously established pattern. To alleviate such difficulties, contingency plans can be designed that allow for at least some degree of flexibility. However, even in a relatively sophisticated contingency plan, proper subsystems need to be separately and individually identified, accessed, and operated by the central operator as each of the subsystems typically has individual modes and routes of activation. A typical known alert system is depicted in Prior Art FIG. 1A. Here, a contingency plan (typically handbook or manual) is consulted by an operator that then interacts via several and distinct operator interfaces (e.g., siren network using switchboard, pager notification using telephone, etc.) to provide notification. Cleary, such system is time-consuming, error-prone, and will typically be delayed or even fail where two or more types of notification require the same communication channel (e.g., where paging and fax transmission of an action plan employs the same dialer).
Upon notification of a particular incident, the operator enters appropriate information into the computer and is prompted by the rules engine to take certain specific actions (most typically, an administrator has oversight over the implementation and/or design of the rules engine). For example, the operator will be prompted to activate the public siren subsystem, then to page the first responders using specific text messages, and then to display warnings and reroute traffic using the highway display board system. While such notification systems provide at least some guidance to the operator, several difficulties remain.
Among other things, currently known systems require multiple independent activation activities for the respective subsystems. Moreover, and especially where a component of a subsystem is inoperable or otherwise unavailable, the operator typically needs to request alternative routes or modes from the rules engine (if available at all), which is time consuming and error prone. Moreover, system upgrades to add or modify a subsystem will require a modification of the rules engine, which needs to be implemented as soon as possible, or the subsystem will perform in an undesirable manner. Still further, where a subsequent contingency evolved from the first emergency (e.g., earthquake followed by fire, followed by aftershocks that block roadways), coordination and activation of subsystems quickly becomes a daunting task using currently known alert systems.
Such problems are typically, compounded where the contingency event spans across multiple jurisdictions. In such an event, it can be almost expected that the subsystems of the individual jurisdictions will not be responsive to an activation attempt from another jurisdiction. Moreover, even if the subsystems would be compatible to at least some degree, rules engines in different jurisdictions will often reflect economic, geographic, and political characteristics of the particular jurisdiction and therefore dictate inconsistent use of subsystems that are available. As a consequence, synergistic interaction among different jurisdictions is often not achieved as depicted in Prior Art FIG. 1B.
Therefore, while numerous configurations and methods for alert systems are known in the art, all or almost all of them suffer from one or more disadvantages. Consequently, there is still a need to provide improved configurations and methods for alert systems, and especially integrated alert systems that facilitate activation and coordination of multiple subsystems.


An inexpensive electromagnetic relay with a simple configuration is provided which does not require a sliding core to attain the desired operating characteristics. The electromagnetic relay includes a movable component which is supported on an upper end of a coil block in a way that the movable component can freely rotate. The movable component further comprises a movable contact element and a movable iron member. The movable contact element and the movable iron member are isolated from each other by a retainer. The movable contact element, movable iron member and retainer all form a single piece. The retainer further comprises a first retainer portion for retaining the movable contact element, and a second retainer portion for retaining the movable iron member. The first and second retainer portions are also formed into a single piece.

An example of a prior art electromagnetic relay is shown in FIG. 9. Movable component 3 is supported by an upper end of coil block 2 in a way that it is free to rotate; coil block 2 is set on base 1. Movable component 3 comprises movable contact element 4 and movable iron member 5, which are held together and isolated from each other by resin retainer 6. Movable component 3 has several parallel movable contact elements 4, which are formed integrally to retainer 6 by an insert molding process. Movable iron member 5 is securely attached so as to be integral to the same retainer 6.
In the absence of magnetic excitation, the restoring force of spring 7 in FIG. 9 causes coil block 2 of this electromagnetic relay to rotate counterclockwise. Movable contact 4a on the lower end of movable contact element 4 comes in contact with fixed contact 8a on fixed terminal 8, which is pressed into base 1. When a current is applied to coil block 2, the movable iron member 5 is drawn toward core 9, which projects from the end of the coil block 2. Movable component 3 then rotates clockwise, and the movable contact 4a comes in contact with the other fixed contact, contact 10a on fixed terminal 10.
With the electromagnetic relay described above, the limitations of precision inherent in the pressing process result in variations in the thickness of both the sheet used for movable iron member 5 and its plating (on the order of .+-.0.05 mm). These variations adversely affect the distance between surface 5a of movable iron member 5 and movable contact element 4 when member 5 is directly attracted to core 9, and consequently they adversely affect the positional relationship between the surface 5a and movable contact 4a. In other words, imprecision in the thickness of member 5 may lead to variations in the distance between movable contact 4a and fixed contact 10a or in the force of contact between the two. For at least this reason, it is necessary in the prior art to adjust the relay manually in an afterprocess in order to attain the desired operating characteristics.
To ensure that movable contact element 4 and movable iron member 5 are properly isolated from each other, it is necessary to create a specified gap g between the two, as shown ir FIG. 10(b). Thus if the mold used to form the retainer 6 is moved in the direction shown by arrow b--b, it would not be possible to achieve the gap g. It is thus necessary to use a thin sliding core (not pictured) which could move in direction a--a shown in FIG. 10(a). This would make it more complex to construct the molds and, therefore, drive up the cost.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an inexpensive electromagnetic relay with a simple configuration which does not require a sliding core to attain the desired operating characteristics.


A light emitting diode device includes a substrate, a reflector cup on the substrate and defining cavity, a light-emitting chip on the substrate and in the cavity, fluorescent glue filling the cavity and covering the light-emitting chip, and a phosphor film on a side of the reflector cup away from the substrate. The light-emitting chip is surrounded by the reflector cup. The fluorescent glue includes fluorescent powder and transparent glue.

A liquid crystal display device usually includes a display module and a backlight module configured for providing backlight for the display module. The backlight module usually uses light-emitting diodes as a light source. A conventional light emitting diode packaging structure includes a blue chip, a packaging glue covering the blue chip, and a red-green phosphor film on the packaging glue. However, the packaging efficiency of the light-emitting diode packaging structure is only 80%, and a concentration of the red-green phosphor film is at least three times that of the general packaging components, which increases the cost of the light-emitting diode packaging structure.

Light emitting diode device, backlight module, and liquid crystal display device having same

ADVANCED OPTOELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY, INC.


A set-up voltage generating circuit for a plasma display panel (PDP) is disclosed. The circuit is capable of generating a set-up voltage by way of a method of charging a predetermined capacitor using a sustain voltage Vs without recourse to a DC/DC converter in forming a set-up voltage necessary for a set-up period of the PDP. As a result, the circuit is simple in its structure and a manufacturing cost thereof can be reduced because there is no need for a DC/DC converter for supplying a set-up voltage.

This description relates to a set-up voltage generating circuit and a plasma display panel (PDP) driving circuit using same configured to generate a set-up voltage by way of a method of charging a predetermined capacitor using a sustain voltage Vs without recourse to a DC/DC converter in forming a set-up voltage necessary for a set-up period of the PDP.
Recently, Plasma Display Panels (PDPs) have gained popularity as the next generation flat display devices. The PDPs are applied to various fields such as wall hanging televisions, displays for home theaters and monitors for work stations because they can be excellently implemented with a large dimension screen and a thin profile.
A driving apparatus for a color three-electrode Alternating Current (AC) surface discharge PDP will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, the three-electrode AC surface discharge PDP 11 in the related art includes Y electrodes Y1 through Ym, Z electrodes Z1 through Zm, each alternatively arranged one at a time and in parallel. The Y electrodes (Y1˜Ym) and the Z electrodes (Z1˜Zm) are respectively referred to as scan electrodes and common electrodes.
Furthermore, address electrodes A1 through Ak are arranged, being orthogonal to the respective Y electrodes and the Z electrodes with a predetermined space formed therebetween.
A cell is formed at every intersection between Y electrodes Y1 through Ym and the address electrodes A1 through Ak. Through the structure thus mentioned, a screen is constructed in such a manner that the cells are formed displaying any one of R (red), G (green) and B (blue) at each intersection arranged in a matrix.
Referring again to FIG. 1, a Y driving unit 12 supplies sustain pulses and scan pulses to each Y electrode Y1 through Ym, each corresponding to the Y electrodes of the PDP 11.
A Z driving unit 13 supplies sustain pulses and scan pulses to each Z electrodes Z1 through Zm, each corresponding to the Z electrodes of the PDP 11. An address driving unit 14 supplies writing pulses to each address electrode A1 through Ak, each corresponding to the address electrodes A1 through Ak of the PDP 11.
A controller 15 serves to digitalize an analog image inputted from outside, outputting a digital image, and generates various control signals in response to control signals inputted from outside including clocks, horizontal synchronous signals (HS) and vertical synchronous signals (VS) to thereby control the Y driving unit 12, the Z driving unit 13 and the address driving unit 14.
FIG. 2 is a driving circuit diagram of a Y driving unit according to the prior art and FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram illustrating each terminal voltage of a PDP.
Now, a driving circuit 200 of a Y driving unit of the PDP according to the prior art will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 3.
First, a graph Y denotes an output of the Y driving unit 12, a graph Z represents an output of the Z driving unit 13, and a graph X shows an output of the address driving unit 14. The driving circuit 200 is included in the Y driving unit 12, and description will be centered on the graph Y out of the graphs of FIG. 3.
Transistor Q5 and Q3 are turned on during a setup period (a) in FIG. 3, and a sustain voltage Vs is supplied from an energy retrieve circuit 23.
The sustain voltage Vs supplied from the energy retrieve circuit 23 is supplied to each Y electrode Y1 through Ym via an internal diode of the transistor Q3, a transistor Q4 and a transistor Q9 of a scan integral circuit (IC) 22. As a result, the voltage of the Y electrodes Y1 through Ym abruptly rises to the sustain voltage Vs, as shown in a setup period (a) of FIG. 3. At this time, the scan IC 22 functions to directly apply a wave voltage generated in response to an operation of the driving circuit 200 to any one electrode of the Y electrodes Y1 through Ym of the panel 11.
Meanwhile, a drain terminal of the transistor Q5 is applied with a set-up voltage Vsetup. The transistor Q5 whose channel width is adjusted by a variable resistor VR1 increases a voltage of a node N1 to a predetermined slope to raise the voltage to the set-up voltage Vsetup. Consequently, the driving circuit 200 supplies the set-up voltage during the set-up period (a). The set-up voltage is supplied to each Y electrodes Y1 through Ym via the transistor Q9 of the scan IC 22 and the transistor Q4. The Y electrodes Y1 through Ym are applied with a rising ramp waveform ramp-up.
After each Y electrode Y1 through Ym is applied with a rising ramp waveform ramp-up, the transistor Q5 is turned off. Once the transistor Q5 is turned off, only the sustain voltage Vs supplied to the energy retrieve circuit 23 is applied to the node N1, and as a result, each Y electrode Y1 through Ym abruptly falls to the sustain voltage Vs.
Henceforth, the transistor Q4 is turned off at a set-down period (b) illustrated in FIG. 3, and a transistor Q6 is simultaneously turned on. The transistor Q6 is adjusted at a channel width thereof by a variable resistor VR2 and the voltage of node N2 falls by a predetermined slope up to a set-down voltage −Vy. At this time, a falling ramp waveform Ramp-down is applied to each Y electrode Y1 through Ym.
The transistor Q4 is disposed with an internal diode having a direction different from that of the transistor Q3 to prevent the voltage applied to the node N2 from being supplied to a base potential GND via the internal diode of the transistor Q3 and the internal diode of a transistor Q2.
Transistors Q10 and Q11 supplies a scan reference voltage Vsc to the Y electrodes Y1 through Ym (not scanned in the scan process) in an address period.
Meanwhile, the set-up voltage Vsetup is generally higher than the sustain voltage Vs. In order to generate the sustain voltage Vs, a DC/DC converter 21 was used with a sustain voltage Vs at the primary side. In other words, the set-up voltage Vsetup is always higher than the sustain voltage Vs, such that the DC/DC converter 21 was used to generate the set-up voltage Vsetup by way of the sustain voltage Vs.

Set-up voltage generating circuit and plasma display panel driving circuit using same


The invention is defined by systems, methods and applications for establishing a short-range communication link between digital devices for the purpose of transferring data between the devices. The first device generates and displays a visual code that encodes the address of the first device and the location of data element desired to be transferred. A second device, which implements image capture capability, captures the visual code and decodes such to determine the address of the first device and the location of the data element. Upon decoding, the second device will automatically initiate the short-range communication link between the first and second digital devices and the transfer of the data element from the first device to the second device will ensue.

The rapid growth of digital communication has made it possible for all kinds of digital data elements to be communicated amongst various types of wireless and wire line communication devices. For instance, the cellular or mobile telephone is no longer limited to telephonic voice communication and may include other means of digital communication, such as digital networking (i.e., Internet communication, text messaging, and the like). In addition, an increasing number of cellular telephones and other mobile wireless communication devices, such as portable computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and the like, are being integrated with other means of capturing or producing digital media, such as digital cameras, digital audio recorders, digital video recorders and the like. Technological advances have made it possible for other digital devices, such as digital cameras, digital video recorders, digital audio devices and the like to be equipped with means for digital communication. As more and more digital devices possess the capability to digitally communicate with one another, the amount of digital data elements that will be communicated amongst these devices will increase at an alarming rate. Included amongst the category of data elements are all forms of data, such as text files, audio files, image files, executable applications in the form of software or video games and the like.
Wireless digital communication and, in particular short-range wireless communication, has recently experienced a growth due to the onset of new technologies, such as Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi (also known as 802.11) and other wireless local area networks (WLANs). These new technologies have provided an alternative in wireless networking over the previous fixed long-range microwave transmitter based delivery of network connections.
Bluetooth® is a wireless specification delivering short-range radio communication between electronic devices that are equipped with specialized Bluetooth-enabled semiconductor chips. It lets nearly all devices talk to one another by creating a common language between them. All electronic device such as cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, and any other device equipped with the Bluetooth-enabled chip can communicate and connect using Bluetooth® technology to form a private, personal area network (PAN). The devices carrying Bluetooth-enabled chips can easily transfer data at a rate of about 720 Kbps (kilobits per second) within 10 meters (33 feet) of range through walls, clothing and other objects. The interaction between devices occurs by itself without direct human intervention whenever they are within each other's range. In this process, the software technology embedded in the Bluetooth® transceiver chip, referred to as link controller, triggers an automatic connection to deliver and accept the data flow.
Whenever devices carrying Bluetooth® technology are within each other's range, they may create an automatic ad hoc PAN (personal area network) called a piconet. In this arrangement, one device acts as the "master", while other devices function as "slaves". A piconet normally carries up to eight devices. The master device decides if a particular communication service is needed from a slave device. At the time when a connection is made between Bluetooth® devices, an exchange of unique Bluetooth identity called global ID takes place. A device global ID indicates its profile along with capability functions. Upon matching of the device profile a connection is made and as the devices exchange data, the Bluetooth® transceiver chip hops back and forth among frequencies.
Bluetooth's key features are robustness, low complexity, low power and low cost. Designed to operate in noisy frequency environments, the Bluetooth-enabled devices use a fast acknowledgement and frequency-hopping scheme to make the link robust. Because Bluetooth-enabled devices operate in the unlicensed ISM band at 2.4 GHz, they avoid interference from other signals by hopping to a new frequency after transmitting or receiving a packet.
Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) is used to describe products that follow the 802.11 set of standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). The most popular of these is 802.11b, which operates in the 2.4 GHz band and transfers data at 11 megabits per second (Mbps). The emerging 802.11a standard operates in the 5 GHz band and can transfer data up to 54 Mbps. These technologies have a range of about 300 feet. Wi-Fi enabled devices can send and receive data wirelessly from any location equipped with Wi-Fi access. Wi-Fi access is provided through access points, installed within a Wi-Fi location, that transmit an RF signal to Wi-Fi enabled devices that are within range of the access point, which is about 300 feet. The speed of the transmission is governed by the speed of the pipeline fed into the access point.
These advanced wireless communication mediums make it possible for digital communication devices to communicate and transfer information between devices within the wireless local area network (WLAN). However, typically for devices to be included within a WLAN and/or to communicate using a short-range communication medium such as Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or the like the devices need to discover one another and need to exchange information in order to establish the communication link. In certain technologies, such as Bluetooth®, the discovery process tends to be inefficient and results in time-consuming connection establishment. In addition, even after devices have been discovered, typically the exchange of required communication settings between the devices is conducted manually and requires users to manually input and transmit the communication settings. This type of manual input of data is inefficient and is prone to human error. In addition to manual input of communication settings, the data that is being transferred between the devices will typically be inputted manually, thus, further exacerbate the inefficiency of the data transfer process.
An additional security concern exists in the wireless environment concerning the wireless transmission of codes and settings needed to establish the communication link. Over-the-air transmission of such data is susceptible to being eavesdropped and intercepted by potential hackers. While currently, public key information (PKI) and similar encryption coding of data address the concerns related to exchange of data through untrusted communication medium, it is unknown as to what the future holds in regards to the hackers ability to circumvent these current PKI and similar techniques.
Thus, the need exists to develop a system for establishing short-range communication between digital devices and furthering the transfer of data once the communication link is established. The desired system should obviate the need for manual inputs, thus eliminating human error situations and making for a more efficient means of establishing short-range communication and data transfer. A further need exists to develop a system for establishing short-range communication between digital devices and furthering the transfer of data that is secure and insures that only desired data is transferred and that the transfer is limited to the targeted transfer device.

Visual encoding of a content address to facilitate data transfer in digital devices


A drive device for a current-generating unit suitable for use in motor vehicles has a freewheel, between a driving part and a driven part, for the purpose of damping out rotational oscillations, as a result of which load peaks are reduced and service life is increased.

This invention relates generally to a drive device for current-generating units, as might be used for example in motor vehicles.
In practice, the driving part connected to a motor vehicle engine was previously rigidly connected to the current-generating unit. The driving part is in particular a belt pulley driven from the motor vehicle engine. At low rotational speed and/or in the case of spasmodic operation of the motor vehicle engine, in particular in the case of a diesel engine, rotational oscillations are transmitted from the latter to the driving part and/or to the belt pulley and thus directly to the current-generating unit. As a result of the severe accelerations and decelerations which are produced in this way, a very severe load is placed not only on the drive belts between the motor vehicle engine and the driving part to of the current-generating unit, but also on the bearings of this unit, so that the drive belts and/or the bearings of the current-generating unit have only a relatively short service life. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a drive device in which such rotational oscillations and the loadings brought about thereby are eliminated or at least greatly reduced, in order to increase the operating service life of the drive device.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present devices and methods. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.

Drive device for current-generating units for motor vehicles


A discharge chute having at least one discharge station for receiving items from a single feed source. The chutes can have a receiving trough or upper flipper door for initially receiving the items. The items are then fed to a pivotable flipper door which discharges the items to a selected delivery lane. At least one delivery lane is accessible by the flipper door. Each delivery lane will have a discharge station from which the operator can remove and package the selected items.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chute for feeding one or more articles to a plurality of delivery lanes. This chute can receive items from a sorter or other input device. Forward travel momentum of items fed to the chute can be slowed in two ways. Either a trough with an upwardly curved wall or an upwardly inclined flipper door can be used as will be described. Downstream from the trough or upper flipper door portion, a lower flipper door can be provided for delivering the articles to one of a plurality of delivery lanes. These delivery lanes are vertically arranged one above the other with the final discharge station being located at the end of each lane.
2. Description of the Background Art
Various chutes are known for receiving articles. For example, a spiral chute can be used for receiving an article from a sorter. Such chutes, however, have limited capacity in that only one discharge location is provided per chute and handling of some objects is not appropriate for all applications.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a chute which will handle objects without damaging them. In addition, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a chute with increased capacity.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.


A portable, free-standing dryer device with generally tapered portions formed about a generally central axis facilitating insertion into clothing items to be dried from inside, for example gloves, mittens, socks and other substantially tubular items. The device has a connector temporarily fastening it to a forced air vent. The dryer device comprises at least first and second drier portions joined by an intermediate shoulder portion, each of which defines multiple air passages widening from inner to outer surfaces of the portions to define an expansion volume fostering air flow. A larger substantially open end in the first portion receives air from the vent. The air flows from within the drier outwardly through the passages. An angular relationship of outer surfaces of the first, second and intermediate portions relative to the device central axis ensures that the second drier portion has an extended, narrowing configuration facilitating its insertion into clothing items.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to drying items such as gloves, mittens, and other garments or parts thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for holding such items in a substantially open position whereby drying can occur by the flow of air therethrough.
2. Description of Related Art
Thorough drying of wet or damp articles of clothing subsequent to exposure of the articles to wet weather conditions, incidental emersion, or simply following routine laundering of the articles is important to comfort and health of the wearer. Incomplete drying can bring discomfort and chills to those individuals who must wear the articles during work or recreation.
Further, allowing damp articles of clothing to lie around for extended periods of may result in an unwelcome experience for the individual who must then wear such clothing into the cold outdoors. Items of clothing left damp and dormant for a significant period, particularly woolens or leather, quickly develop a musty scent usually found difficult to eradicate. This scent may signal the growth of mildew which ultimately may damage the clothing fabric and/or introduce allergens and/or pathogens. Examples of clothing articles most adversely impacted might include leather or woolen gloves, mittens, socks, stockings, shoes, boots or portions of jackets, slacks, caps, shirts and similar items.
A significant problem is that timely, thorough drying of such items too often is inconvenient or even impossible. Placing the items into an electric or gas heated dryer of the standard type and capacity typically assigned to handling large volumes of clothing takes considerable time and attention, and can be a waste of energy expense. Also, such treatment may result in damage (e.g., shrinkage or parching) to the items themselves. Lack of an effective alternative has driven some to desperate and even dangerous measures.
Fire department authorities repeatedly report damaging fires resulting from placement of mittens, socks or similar items in a microwave oven or their suspension from a mantel of an open fireplace. Injuries have been reported as the result of insertion of hot curling irons or other heating implements such as glowing light bulbs into the fabric of wearing apparel.
Though not usually hazardous, placement of damp clothing items on a hot radiator or against a vented outlet of a forced-air heating system can be discouragingly slow and bring disappointingly inadequate results. Heat radiated or blown against the outer surfaces of the items may tend to over-dry the surface of an item while under-drying its interior confines. Typically, this results in parched, heat-damaged surface areas while stubborn dampness continues to dwell within. Faced with the choice of wearing damp gloves, mittens or other items into the cold morning air, many elect to leave them behind. In extreme climates this can, of course, be a regrettable choice.
Over the years, a great number of devices and solutions have been proposed for facilitating the drying of damp clothing items. Each falls considerably short of expectations in a number of ways. The devices or solutions either are too expensively complex in structural design to be economically manufactured, or they simply are ineffective in application. The present invention represents a solution which is a significant step forward with respect to the prior art.
For example, Benjamin's U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,756 presents a device for drying wet gloves or mittens, or portions of other wet clothing. Benjamin's device is formed as a hollow cylinder or is slightly tapered from cylindrical to slightly conically shape. The main portion of Benjamin's dryer includes a grid of multiple ventilation holes that are square or diamond shaped to facilitate evaporation of moisture.
Benjamin's dryer device can be made of flexible plastic material and molded into its final shape (and also into such a shape that a number of said dryers can be "nested" inside each other). Alternatively, Benjamin's dryer device can be molded in an essentially planar condition and then forced by the user into its shape described above, by slight exertion of hand pressure.
The shape of Benjamin's device is such that it may be inserted into a glove or mitten so as to allow air to circulate to remove the moisture and thus dry the glove and/or its lining. At its larger end, a tab with a through-hole or S-hook is provided for hanging the dryer unit during a drying process. This device is complex in its design to the point of being difficult to fabricate economically, and results in a surface texture and shape that resists efforts to place it within damp items to be dried.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,518 issued to Ellenburg, a glove drying device is described as comprising a slightly tapered shell for holding the glove, and a clamp for attaching the tapered shell to a golf cart. As the golf cart is driven, movement of the device through the surrounding air serves to dry the glove. Alternatively, the shell may be attached to a golf bag and includes a battery powered fan for drying a glove placed thereon. Applicant notes that golf carts hardly move at great speeds to effect rapid drying; wind around a golf bag will do little if any drying. Besides, the Ellenburg device is not adaptable to use by people arriving home on a cold wet night with gloves that must be dried by morning.
Auckerman's U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,993 introduces another golf glove dryer. This device includes a perforated hollow drying form in the shape of a hand. A tube is mounted to the inside of the drying form in order to improve air flow into the interior of the form. A heater is provided for mounting inside the tube in order to heat the air which flows into the drying form and to enhance the air flow. This, of course, is a single-use device requiring very specific manufacturing specifications.
Disclosed in Dofka's U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,717 is a compact drying rack for gloves. Dofka's invention includes a drain basin for fluid drip collection. Two pylons are situated within the drain basin and serve as bases for vertical, hollow support rods on which are mounted spread ring discs which engage the inside of glove surfaces to facilitate drying.
Positioning the utility gloves on Dofka's drying rack permits air drying of utility gloves thereby destroying pathogens present on wet gloves, preserves the quality of the glove material, avoids contamination to the work site by eliminating pooling of fluids on wet gloves deposited on counter tops.
Bader's U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,169 offers a relatively complex glove drying apparatus and method wherein an internal sliding mechanism includes fingers movable from retracted position to expanded position. When the fingers are in retracted position the sliding mechanism may be inserted into the glove and then expanded into glove drying position. A non-constant cross-section configuration of the fingers allows for air circulation within the gloves thus promoting drying thereof.
Like Bader's device discussed above, the Willenbacher, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,565 illustrates a glove drying frame configured as a human hand. In this instance the drying frame is formed of a wire mesh hollow body to accommodate a glove thereon, with the hollow body mounting a support clip to a wrist portion of the hollow body to permit suspension of the hollow body permitting free-flow of drying air to be directed interiorly of the hollow body. The Willenbacher, Jr. invention further includes a mounting framework for support of a plurality of hollow bodies permitting directing of a drying medium within the hollow bodies.
Appelt's U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,622 presents a glove dryer comprising a structure simulating a hand, and which may be folded flat during non-use. Mechaneck's U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,142 discloses a glove drying stand which may be configured to dry multiple gloves. The Mechaneck dryer may stand upright on its own or be attached laterally for its support.
In Published U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0181963, Morris shows an insert disposed in a glove to open up the glove and allow the flow of drying air to the inner surfaces of the glove. A cruciform shaped opening is provided in a central portion of the insert. The opening is adapted to interlock with a mating cruciform member on a drying tree for drying in ambient air. Alternatively, the insert with glove mounted thereon can be disposed in a gas or electric dryer.
DuRapau's U.S. Pat. No. 7,121,017 and No. 6,962,004 present drying apparatuses for boots and gloves including a body portion with an upwardly extending drying member. The member includes an upper portion for holding an item of apparel, and a platform coupled to the body portion. The platform can be moved into a first generally horizontal position over the drying member and can be moved into a second, non-horizontal position not over the drying member such that a user has access to the upper portion of the drying member. The drying apparatus can include an air freshener.
While a great number of dryers and drying methods presently exist within the prior art, all are burdened by complexity or manufacture and ineffectiveness in application. None holds the advantages of the present invention, particularly in terms of ease of placement of the dryer unit within items to be dried. Further advantages of the present invention are its simplicity and economy of manufacture, and enhanced results from its application.


A device may include an applicator including an applicator element that is at least partially elastically deformable and a receptacle configured to contain a substance to be applied and configured to house the applicator element when not in use. The receptacle may include an opening through which the applicator element passes while the applicator element is being removed from the receptacle. The applicator element may include at least one inner cavity that is defined, at least in part, between at least two branches that are at least partially flocked. An outside cross-section of the applicator element may be large enough for the applicator element to deform while passing through the opening of the receptacle, the deformation resulting in a shape of the cavity being modified.

The present invention relates to packaging and applicator devices for applying a cosmetic or other care products.
French patent application FR 2 771 077 describes a packaging and applicator device including an applicator having an applicator element that is suitable for being loaded with substance by being inserted in a receptacle through a wiper member that is constituted, at least in part, by an elastically-deformable porous material.
European patent EP 1 053 695 B1 discloses an applicator including an applicator element that is capable of deforming while passing through the wiper member.
Other applicators are described in, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0005209 A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,120,202 and 6,305,861 B1, and European Patents Nos. EP 0 693 261 A1 and EP 0 875 169.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,411,282 and 5,826,600 disclose mascara applicators including stacked disks that deform while the applicator is being removed from the receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,417 describes a mascara brush having bristles that bend while passing through the opening of the receptacle.

Packaging and applicator device for applying a cosmetic or another care product


In accordance with the teachings described herein, a method and apparatus for handling a charging state in a mobile device is provided. A universal serial bus (USB) interface may be used for connecting the mobile device to a USB host. A processing device may be used to execute programs and to control operation of the mobile device, the processing device may be further operable to receive an enumeration acknowledgement signal from the USB host via the USB interface. A rechargeable battery may be used for powering the processing device. A voltage regulator may be coupled to the USB interface and operable to receive a USB bus voltage from the USB interface and use the USB bus voltage to power the processing device. A timing circuitry may be used to disable the voltage regulator from powering the processing device after a pre-determined amount of time has expired, the timing circuitry being operable to measure the passage of the pre-determined amount of time upon detecting the USB bus voltage. A battery charger may be used to receive the USB bus voltage from the USB interface and use the USB bus voltage to power the processing device and to charge the rechargeable battery. The processing device may enable the battery charger to power the processing device and to charge the rechargeable battery when the enumeration acknowledgement signal is received from the USB host.

Portable systems, such as mobile electronic devices, which are powered by rechargeable batteries have a problem supporting both USB (Universal Serial Bus) charging state and suspend state functions.
When a rechargeable battery is dead or not present, the mobile electronic device can not operate since it does not have any power. In order for the mobile electronic device to operate, the mobile electronic device is connected to a USB host in order to draw power from the host to both power up the device and recharge the battery. However, when the mobile electronic device is connected to the USB host, USB specifications require that the device initiate enumeration within 100 msec, hereon referred to as "VBUS detection". Enumeration is the process whereby the device requests permission from the USB host to access the host. In this case, the enumeration request is directed to a request for the mobile electronic device to draw a current/voltage from the USB host in order to power up the mobile electronic device as well as to recharge the dead or non-present battery.
In most cases, it is desired that a battery charger within the mobile electronic device turn on once it receives power from the USB host upon VBUS detection. This causes the battery charger to be enabled so that the current/voltage supplied by the USB host is used for operation of the device and recharging of the battery. This may be referred to as a device charging state. Therefore, when the voltage via the VBUS is applied, the battery charger is enabled and acts as a power source to power up the mobile electronic device and to recharge the battery.
Another common state for the mobile electronic device is a device suspend state. USB specifications require that the total current supplied by the USB host to the mobile electronic device does not exceed 500 μA in the device suspend state. With many mobile electronic devices, 500 μA is not enough current for the processor or CPU in the mobile electronic device to operate and therefore the device is generally powered down. Powering down of the CPU in the mobile electronic device causes all the control signals to default to a low state signal, which causes the battery charger to be enabled. However, since 500 μA is not enough current for operation of the device, it is not desirable for the battery charger to be enabled during the device suspend state. In some other prior art devices, support for the device suspend state is not recognized and the battery charger remains enabled during the device suspend state. In this manner, the 500 μA current limit is not recognized or acknowledged by the mobile electronic device even though it is required by USB specifications.
Furthermore, in some prior art devices, two separate signals to control the device charging state and the device suspend state are used.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a method and apparatus for handling a charging state and a device suspend state in a mobile electronic device.

Method and apparatus for controlling a charging state in a mobile electronic device


A linear motion guide unit makes application of lubricant around rolling elements at the turnaround passage to accomplish securely the maintenance-free lubrication over a prolonged period of time. A lubricant reservoir plate of porous compact is composed of a lubricant reservoir major body impregnated with lubricant and an applicator nose which is different in the molded density from the lubricant reservoir major body. The lubricant reservoir plate impregnated with lubricant is composed of the lubricant reservoir major body installed in a recess made in the end cap and the applicator nose extends through a slot of the turnaround passage to expose itself to the turnaround passage to make application of lubricant around the rolling elements.

Conventionally, the linear motion guide units are composed of an elongated guide rail or guide shaft, and a slider which fits over or conforms to the guide rail or guide shaft for sliding movement relative to the guide rail or guide shaft through more than one rolling element of balls or rollers which are allowed to circulate in an endless manner through an endless circuit made up of a load-carrying race defined between the guide rail and the slider, a return passage extending in the slider and turnaround passages lying at opposite ends of the slider. With the prior linear motion guide units with lubricating members, while lubrication between the race and the rolling elements has been ensured with periodic application or resupply of lubricant, advanced linear motion guide units recently become required to meet needs of maintenance-free operation for lubrication over a prolonged interval of time for cost savings of maintenance for lubrication in the machinery and/or installation.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2007-100 951 which is a commonly-assigned senior application, there is disclosed a linear motion guide unit having lubricant resupply means in which application of lubricant around the rolling elements is done at the turnaround passage to make the lubrication system simpler than ever in construction, along with maintenance-free for steady and positive lubrication. With the prior linear motion guide unit constructed as stated earlier, the end cap has an opening extending from a recess on the outward end surface to the turnaround passage and a lubricant reservoir plate of porous compact impregnated with lubricant fits into the recess on the outward end surface of the end cap. The lubricant reservoir plate has an applicator nose extending through the opening in the end cap to form at the extremity thereof in part the circular wall of the turnaround passage to expose itself to come into engagement with the rollers rolling through the turnaround passage to feed the rolling elements with lubricant through the applicator noses of the lubricant reservoir plate, thereby making application of lubricant around the rollers while rolling through the turnaround passage.
We has developed a linear motion guide unit with a lubricating plate which can be easily attached and/or removed without making an alternation in basic specifications disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. H 10-205 534 which is also a commonly-assigned senior application. With the linear motion guide unit recited earlier, the lubricating plate is disposed between a spacer and an end seal and attached to a carriage of a slider to travel relative to a guide rail in a way making sliding contact with raceway grooves on the guide rail. The lubricating plate is made of sintered resinous material of porous compact impregnated with oily lubricant. The sintered resinous material is produced after finely powdery synthetic resin has been compacted in a mold under pressure together with the application of heat. The lubricating plate is divided into a denser part and a coarse part which are bound together with a covering.
In another Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2012-154 438 which is a commonly-assigned senior application, there is disclosed a linear motion guide unit in which lubrication for the rolling elements is carried out in a turnaround passage in an end cap and an applicator nose to come into contact with the rolling elements has a molded density greater than in a lubricant reservoir plate to ensure a longer lubrication-life for proper and steady lubrication, with accompanying sustainable maintenance-free condition for lubrication. The lubricant reservoir plate of porous compact impregnated with lubricant fits in a recess on the end cap to expose the applicator nose integral with the lubricant reservoir plate to the turnaround passage through an opening cut in the turnaround passage to make application of lubricant around the rolling elements by use of the applicator nose. With the lubricant reservoir plate, the applicator nose of the porous compact has the molded density of from 0.60 g/cm3 to 0.70 g/cm3, and the lubricant reservoir plate of the porous compact has the molded density of from 0.40 g/cm3 to 0.60 g/cm3.
With the prior linear motion guide unit constructed as stated earlier, application of lubricant around the rolling elements is carried out in the turnaround passage in the end cap. More especially, the rolling elements while rolling through the turnaround passage in the end cap come into engagement or contact with the applicator nose of the lubricant reservoir plate and in doing so the lubricant is fed around the rolling elements by means of applicator nose of the lubricant reservoir plate. With the linear motion guide unit constructed as stated earlier, more lubricant than a required and sufficient amount for rolling contact of the rolling elements and the races continues to be applied around the rolling elements in the beginning phase of operation. However, after lubricant contained in the lubricant reservoir plate has diminished down to a preselected level, the lubricant continues reducing with a substantially fixed reduction rate per unit distance. This means that lubricant contained in the lubricant reservoir plate, because more consumed at the beginning phase of operation, gets less as compared with an ideal phase where lubricant would continue to decrease from the beginning with the fixed reduction rate per unit. As a result, the maintenance-free interval is reduced.
Advanced linear motion guide units recently have become required to provide maintenance-free operation for lubrication over a prolonged interval of time for reduction in number of maintenance-free steps and reduction in consumed amount of lubricant aiming at saving of resources and environmental impacts. With the linear motion guide units in which the application of lubricant around rolling elements is carried out in the turnaround passage, accordingly, there has been required development of the maintenance-free construction in which the lubricating member is allowed to store lubricant as much as possible as well as lubricant rids itself of more application at the beginning phase of operation to make sure of smooth application of adequate amount of lubricant around the rolling elements application over a prolong period of time.

Linear motion guide unit with lubricating member


A wind power installation for producing a sinusoidal ac voltage is disclosed. Briefly described, one embodiment comprises a generator having a generator rotor and a generator stator; a rotor unit with rotor blades which are connected to the generator rotor; and a power transmission means for the transmission of electrical power from the non-rotating part of the wind power installation to the rotor unit, the power transmission means having an asynchronous machine whose stator is arranged at the non-rotating part of the wind power installation and whose rotor is arranged at the rotor unit for contactless transmission of electrical power to the rotor unit, and arranged in the non-rotating part of the wind power installation is an inverter for producing an ac voltage having a periodic voltage pulse for feeding the stator of the asynchronous machine.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a wind power installation for producing a sinusoidal ac voltage comprising a generator having a generator rotor and a generator stator, a rotor unit with rotor blades which is connected to the generator rotor, and power transmission means for the transmission of electrical power from the non-rotating part of the wind power installation to the rotor unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the case of wind power installations it is necessary for power to be transmitted from the non-rotating part to the rotating part, for various purposes. For example, in the case of an electromagnetically excited synchronous generator, a direct current is required as the exciter current for the pole wheel, and for rotor blade adjustment by means of suitable electric motors that also requires electrical power. At the present time that power is transmitted from the non-rotating part of the wind power installation to the rotating part by means of slip rings. Slip rings however basically suffer from the disadvantage that losses occur by virtue of the friction involved, that is to say the level of efficiency is reduced, a large amount of noise is generated, and in particular they suffer from a high level of wear, and therefore need to be repaired or have to be replaced from time to time. In addition electrical flash-overs can occur at such slip rings. They are even further promoted with increasing operating time, due to the abrasion of particles.
DE 198 01 803 A1 discloses an electrical rotational machine with a stationary stator and a rotatable rotor. In that case they have a stator transformer winding and a rotor transformer winding respectively, wherein the transformer windings form an electrical transformer and are each designed for operation with alternating current. By means of the transformer windings a three-phase current which is fed in from a supply network can be transmitted to the rotating part of the wind power installation, and is then fed to the three-phase current, generator winding disposed in the stator of the generator of the wind power installation, for excitation purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,770,909 describes a synchronous machine for electrically operated vehicles, with which the power of the generator is to be optimised for all travel conditions, in particular over a rotary speed range of from zero to several thousand revolutions per minute.

Wind power installation with contactless power transmitter