In a preferred embodiment, a snap switch which employs a conical contact mounted at the free end of a spring blade. The contact completes an electrical circuit by contacting and electrically joining two, round, spaced apart terminals. The resulting dual radii contact provides high unit pressure and a minimum of polymer-forming wiping action. The switch introduces little resistance into the electrical circuit, since the spring blade carries no current. The terminal wires are of nickel with sleeves of oxidized nickel bonded thereto in the region where the wires pass through the base of the switch. The oxide provides a tenacious surface for the adherence thereto of sealing glass to insulatively bond the wires to the base.

1Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical switches of the snap-action type and, more particularly to a novel snap switch which operates satisfactorily at very low current and voltage levels and which includes a contact which has a self-cleaning action.
2. Background Art
Snap switches are well known devices for switching the flow of electricity and are manufactured, for example by Westport Development & Manufacturing Company, Inc. The type of such switches to which the present invention relates have a one-piece spring blade with a contact carrying free end which is selectively moved between electrical terminals. The blade is of the snap-acting, over center type and has an operation point which, if sufficiently linearly moved beyond a prescribed limit, distorts the blade to effect the snap-action and a subsequent movement of the free contact end from one terminal to another. The movement of the blade is maintained within a range by two spaced apart stop members. The amount of movement of the operation point from one stop member until the blade shifts from one contact to the other is precisely determined and is generally maintained constant throughout a wide range of operating temperatures.
Such type of snap switches is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,278,700; 3,609,269; and 4,017,699, issued to Robert R. Hellman, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosures of all of which patents are hereby made a part hereof by reference. The first of the patents describes a snap switch having a bracket for preloading the blade and certain features for temperature compensation. The second of the patents describes such a switch disposed in a hermetically sealed housing and actuatable by means of the distortion of a sidewall of a tube forming part of the housing. The third of the patents describes a snap switch employing two snap switches mounted together so that both are actuated simultaneously.
While the switches described above have provided satisfactory service, they are somewhat limited in that there are lower limits of voltage and current below which they cannot be used, due to fouling of the flat surfaces contacted by the round contact ball at the free end of the blade. This fouling is due, in part, to the creation of polymer from ambient impurities by the contact ball as it only slightly wipes the surfaces. This slight wiping action is insufficient to clean the polymer thus formed from the surfaces. In addition, when the contact ball contacts a spherical surface on a terminal, there is a flattening of the contacting surfaces because of the wiping action. The lower limits of known such switches are about 10 milliamperes and 10 volts.
Another factor contributing to the limitations of the prior snap switches is that the blade itself is in the electrical circuit between two terminals, since the fixed end of the blade is mounted on a common terminal. This introduces additional resistance into the total circuit, since desirable spring materials are relatively poor electrical conductors. The lowest total switch resistance obtained with conventional switches has been on the order of about 60-80 milli-Ohms.
Furthermore, it is desirable that the current carrying components of such switches have the most efficient electrical characteristics, but that these be combined with lower cost materials for other components requiring other characteristics such as weldability and suitability for high temperature service.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a snap switch that is capable of use at lower voltage and current levels than previously known such switches.
An additional object of the invention is to provide such a switch that employs a self-cleaning contact.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a switch in which the blade thereof does not become part of the electrical circuit being switched.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a switch which is usable at higher temperatures than previously known such switches.
Yet an additional object of the invention is to provide such a switch that may be economically constructed.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a switch which has lower total electrical resistance than previously known such switches.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.


A fastener with multiple thread characteristics includes a shank and head. The shank has a penetrating tip distal most from the head. The shank includes a first, conventional thread formation formed therein adjacent the penetrating tip and a second, anti-back-out thread formation adjacent the conventional thread formation, between the conventional thread formation and the head.

The present invention relates generally to threaded screw fasteners, and more particularly to a new and improved threaded screw fastener which has multiple thread structures. More particularly, the present invention a new and improved threaded screw fastener that has enhanced pull-out and back-out resistance characteristics and is readily manufactured.
Threaded fasteners well known in the art. In one application, threaded fasteners are used to fasten or secure waterproof or environmental membranes to underlying roof decking assemblies. A typical fastener includes a shank portion upon which a plurality of buttress-type threads are formed. The conventional buttress-type threads are formed from a slightly inclined rearward flank surface and a significantly inclined forward flank surface. The threads are formed having a predetermined thread pitch, as measured between the same points of successive thread crest portions, and a predetermined spacing as determined between the root region of the rearward flank surface of a particular thread and the root region of the forward flank surface of the next or successive thread.
It is well-known in the art that the rear flank surface, as well as the pitch, play critical roles in, or effectively determine, the pull-out resistance and anti-back-out characteristics of the fastener, while the forward flank surface, and the spacing, likewise play critical roles in, or effectively determine, the installation or insertion torque characteristics of the fastener.
In order to increase the pull-out and back-out resistant characteristics of the fasteners, a thread structure has been used in which each thread of the fastener includes rearward and forward flank surfaces which effectively serve to enhance the pull-out resistance characteristics or properties of the threaded screw fastener.
While this back-out resistant fastener works well for its intended purpose, it has been found to be quite difficult to manufacture. That is, the cutting die that is used to cut the threads in the shank are quickly worn, requiring frequent replacement and maintenance. As such, the quantity of fasteners that can be fabricated limits the useful life of the cutting die and further limits the efficiency of the manufacturing process.
Accordingly, there is a need for a fastener having high back-out resistant characteristics and is readily manufactured. Desirably, such a fastener has enhanced pull-out resistance and increased manufacturability without adversely impacting the installation characteristics of the fastener.

Threaded screw fastener with multiple characteristic threads


Disclosed is a technique to provide a handover method that can improve the communication efficiency by reducing tunnel overhead between a mobile node and a home agent. When the mobile node (UE) (107) performs handover (HO) from a first access router (104) to a second access router (105) and if the IP versions supported by the networks before and after the HO are different, the UE transmits a first message including an allocation request for a home address of the HO target to the home agent (HA) and a second message including an address allocation request. The HA transmits to the UE, a third message including the home address of the HO target based on the allocation request and transmits to the UE, a fourth message including the home address based on the address allocation request.

In a conventional mobile communication system, Mobile IPv4 (MIPv4) and Mobile IPv6 (MIPv6) are available as mobility management protocols for mobile nodes performing Internet protocol communication (IP communication). These techniques are disclosed in detail in the following Non-Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 2. In order to make MIPv6, which originally operates only in an access network supporting IPv6, operable in an access network supporting IPv4 only as well, Dual Stack Mobile IP (DSMIP) is available, the detailed technique of which is disclosed in Non-Patent Document 3.
Using the MIPv6 protocol based on Non-Patent Document 2, a mobile node registers an IPv6 home address (HoAv6) and an IPv6 care-of address (CoAv6) with a home agent (location management server) and the home agent manages a relationship (binding) between these addresses. Herein, all messages are based on the IPv6 protocol and can be used only from an access network supporting IPv6. The DSMIP is obtained by extending MIPv6, and when a mobile node connects with an access network supporting IPv4 only, an IPv4 care-of address (CoAv4) acquired from the access network is bound with HoAv6, thus enabling communication using HoAv6 from the access network supporting IPv4 only as well.
Provided that the home agent has an IPv4 address, the DSMIP further enables the exchange of a binding control message (Binding Update (BU) or Binding Acknowledge (BA)) based on MIPv6 by encapsulation with an IPv4 header including an address field with CoAv4 and an IPv4 address of the home agent described therein or enables the communication with a correspondent node (CN) having an IPv4 address only by allocating the IPv4 home address (HoAv4) to a mobile node.
The following Patent Document 1 also discloses another method enabling binding management based on MIPv6 for a mobile node connecting with an access network supporting IPv4 only. A handover method using a similar technique is under review in a mobile communication system using mobile phones as well. In the following Non-Patent Document 4, a handover method is disclosed using DSMIP from a 3GPP access network (e.g., LTE) to a non-3GPP access network (e.g., wireless LAN network system, WiMAX network system or a 3GPP2 network system).

Handover method and mobile terminal and home agent used in the method

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COPORATION OF AMERICA


According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided methods of optimizing contact forces between transfer and photoreceptor belts in image forming devices. The method acquires initial and operational set point data for the photoreceptor and transfer belt at different stages of engagement. Yaw motion is applied to reduce any misalignment between the belts based on the acquired data. A processor is used to determine misalignment between the photoreceptor belt and the transfer belt, and an actuator can be used to apply yaw motion. The yaw motion can return the transfer belt and the photoreceptor belt to their initial set position, or return a steering subsystem actuator to its setting prior to engagement of the belts. Set point data can be from the respective transfer steering subsystem for the photoreceptor and the transfer belts.

The disclosure is directed to an image forming devices and, more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for correcting transfer and photoreceptor belt misalignment in an image forming device.
Apparatuses that form images on a sheet, such as electro-photographic reproduction machine and printers are equipped with mechanisms to rotate a continuous belt at various locations inside the apparatus. The continuous belts used in conjunction with such mechanisms include a photoreceptor belt and transfer belt. Flexible electrostatographic belt imaging members are well known in the art. Typical electrostatographic flexible belt imaging members include, for example, photoreceptors for electrophotographic imaging systems; electroreceptors or flexible ionographic imaging members for electrographic imaging systems; and flexible intermediate transfer belts for transferring toner images in electrophotographic and electrographic imaging systems.
To insure proper operation of the flexible electrostatographic belt imaging members it is important to limit shifts along the axes of rotation and lateral position as it rotates. Shifts in lateral position results in imaging degradation and damage, with repeated operations, to the belt itself. A source of shifting in lateral position can arise when the photoreceptor belt and transfer belt interact. This belt interaction creates a meandering force or contact force that leads to misalignment or shifting of the belt in a lateral position. The misalignment causes the edge portions of the respective belts to be damaged by the meandering belts. Another source is differences in speed of the belts, too much velocity variation or misalignment can cause belt ripple, image distortion, or abrasive degradation.

Transfer belt module steering to optimize contact forces at transfer belt and photoreceptor belt interface


A lightweight rotary engine is provided that comprises a structurally efficient, lightweight rotor housing. Disposed in the wall of the rotor housing is a combustion zone thermal barrier insert. The thermal barrier insert is comprised of a material with low thermal conductivity. The use of the insert allows the rotor housing to be constructed from higher strength material such as steel or titanium.

This invention relates to a Wankel type rotary engine and more specifically relates to an improved rotary engine which exhibits superior thermal performance which may result in a lightweight, more efficient rotary engine.
The Wankel rotary engine is a type of internal combustion engine, invented by German engineer Felix Wankel, which uses a rotor instead of reciprocating pistons. This design delivers smooth high-rpm power from a compact, lightweight engine.
Referring to FIGS. 1A through 1D, in the Wankel engine 10, the four strokes of a typical Otto cycle occur in the space between a rotor 22, which is roughly triangular, having faces denoted 'a', 'b' and 'c', and the inside of a rotor housing 12. In the basic single-rotor Wankel engine, the oval-like epitrochoid-shaped inner surface 11 surrounds the three-sided rotor 22. Due to thermal requirements of the housing 12, most housings of the prior art are made from heavy sections of high strength aluminum. This typically results in a large, heavy and structurally inefficient housing 12. The central drive shaft 24, also called an eccentric shaft or E-shaft, passes through the center of the rotor and is supported by bearings (not shown). The rotor 22 both rotates around an offset lobe (crank) on the shaft 24 and makes orbital revolutions around the shaft 24. Apex seals 15 at the corners of the rotor 22 seal against the inner surface 11 of the housing, dividing it into three moving combustion chambers. As the rotor 22 rotates and orbitally revolves, each face 'a', 'b', and 'c' of the rotor 22 gets closer and farther from the surface 11 of the housing, compressing and expanding the combustion chamber similarly to the strokes of a piston in a reciprocating engine. The power vector of the combustion stage goes through the center of the offset lobe.
While a four-stroke piston engine makes one combustion stroke per cylinder for every two rotations of the crankshaft (that is, one half power stroke per crankshaft rotation per cylinder), each combustion chamber in the Wankel rotary engine generates one combustion stroke per each driveshaft rotation, i.e. one power stroke per rotor orbital revolution and three power strokes per rotor rotation. Thus, power output of a Wankel engine is generally higher than that of a four-stroke piston engine of similar engine displacement in a similar state of tune and higher than that of a four-stroke piston engine of similar physical dimensions and weight. Wankel engines also generally can operate at a higher RPM than a reciprocating engine of similar size since the strokes are completed with a rotary motion as opposed to a reciprocating engine which must use connecting rods and a crankshaft to convert reciprocating motion into rotary motion.
One well known drawback associated with the Wankel rotary engine is due to the fact that unlike a piston engine, where the cylinder is cooled by the incoming charge after being heated by combustion, Wankel rotor housings are constantly heated on one side and cooled on the other, leading to high local temperatures and unequal thermal expansion. This places high demands on the materials used, usually resulting in a rotor housing that is designed primarily to withstand the thermal environment which results in a heavy, structurally inefficient rotor housing.
As can be seen, there is a need for an improved rotary engine housing that provides for a more structurally efficient design while maintaining the advantages of the rotary engine.


A cartridge-type cosmetic container includes: a main body outer tube to which a cartridge body is attached; a driver body that is rotatable relative to the main body outer tube; a push rod that is propelled by relative rotations of the main body outer tube and the driver body; and a screw spring that is housed in the main body outer tube, and contracts as a result of attaching the cartridge body. The screw spring includes: a first flat plate part whose position is defined in the main body outer tube; a second flat plate part that approaches the first flat plate part by the cartridge body attached; plate spring parts that join both of the flat plate part each other; and a female thread protuberance that is provided on the plate spring parts, and interlocks with a male thread of the push rod as the plate spring parts curve.

Conventionally, a cartridge-type propellant container has been used that causes a cosmetic substance in a cartridge body to come out little by little from a distal end open hole of the cartridge body. There is a cartridge-type propellant container in which a cartridge body does not have a propellant mechanism, that is to say, the propellant mechanism is provided in complete separation and independence from the cartridge body.
JP 03-049611 B2 discloses a cartridge-type airtight container in which, upon detachment of a cartridge body from a threaded part of a distal tube, a spring causes a slide shaft to move to a backward propelling limit in an outer tube, thereby allowing a new cartridge body to be mounted. In this container, once a cartridge body has been attached, a sleeve with a tapered surface closes a chuck jaw of a threaded chuck, and a thread on the inner surface of the chuck jaw and a thread on the slide shaft are screwed together. When the cartridge body is detached, the sleeve is separated from the threaded chuck due to the resilient force of the spring between the sleeve and the chuck, and the chuck jaw of the threaded chuck that was restrained on the tapered surface of the sleeve is opened due to the elasticity thereof. Consequently, the thread on the inner surface of the chuck jaw and the thread on the slide shaft are unscrewed.


The present disclosure provides a power integrated circuit (IC) for a switching power supply device that generates an output voltage based on an input voltage. The circuit includes: a high-side transistor, disposed between an input terminal applied with the input voltage and a switch terminal; and a low-side transistor, disposed between the switch terminal and a ground terminal. A feedback control for turning on or off the transistor is performed based on a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage. A protection circuit is capable of performing a protection operation for turning on the high-side transistor or the low-side transistor regardless of the feedback control based on a switch voltage at the switch terminal and the input voltage, based on a backflow current from the ground terminal to the switch terminal, or based on the input voltage and a predetermined determination voltage.

A certain type of switching power supply device has a series circuit having a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor, and a direct-current (DC) input voltage is applied to the series circuit. The input voltage is maintained by an input capacitor. Moreover, a voltage having a rectangular waveform obtained by alternately turning on and turning off the high-side transistor and the low-side transistor is rectified and smoothed using a coil and an output capacitor. Accordingly, a DC output voltage stepped down from the input voltage can be obtained.

Circuit for switching power supply and switching power supply device


A fill tube and sensor assembly has a single electronic sensor to detect the level of product in a hopper of an agricultural implement relative to a fill line. The electronic sensor can be positioned at various heights relative to the fill tube to provide variability in the height of the fill line. The sensor provides a full level signal until product is drawn from the fill tube. Once the product is dispensed from the fill tube and into the general interior volume of the hopper, the single sensor provides an empty level signal that can be used to alert an operator of a diminished product supply or control operation of the farm implement.

Seed and fertilizer planting farm implements typically have a seed and/or fertilizer storage container that is mounted to the farm implement. As the farm implement is traversed across a field, a product metering assembly dispenses product from the container along a seedbed in a metered fashion.
Generally, it is desirable to provide a product fill status to an operator regarding the fill level of product in the container. Typically, two separate sensors will be associated with the container. One sensor is mounted near the inlet of the container and the other sensor is mounted near the outlet of the container. The inlet sensor is used to determine when the container is full of product and the outlet sensor is used to determine when the container is empty of product. In this regard, conventional fill level detection systems have relied upon two separate sensors to provide separate full and empty signals.

Bin level sensor for use with a product dispensing agricultural implement


Various techniques are disclosed for testing and/or calibrating infrared imaging modules. For example, a method of calibrating an infrared imaging module may include providing a plurality of temperature controlled environments. The method may also include transporting the infrared imaging module through the environments. The method may also include performing a measurement in each environment using an infrared sensor assembly of the infrared imaging module and determining a plurality of calibration values for the infrared imaging module based on the measurements.

Existing infrared imaging devices, such as infrared cameras, are often tested for performance and to perform calibration under different conditions. Typically, such testing involves placing the infrared imaging devices in a stationary, fixed environment and slowly varying the test conditions of the environment over periods of time.
Such testing may take extended periods of time as environmental conditions such as temperature are changed and the infrared imaging devices slowly change in response thereto until a final steady state is reached. Such time constraints can significantly limit the number of infrared imaging devices that may be tested and thus manufactured. In particular, such limitations can impede the ability to mass produce large numbers of infrared imaging devices.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved approach to infrared imaging device testing that more easily permits mass production of such devices.


One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for transmitting data in a frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) wireless communication system. A multi-channel receiver is configured to receive data from one or more channels simultaneously. The multi-channel receiver enables efficient implementation of a transmission protocol in which multiple candidate nodes within a wireless mesh network are polled for availability to receive a packet of data. The packet of data is transmitted to one or more available nodes based on prevailing link conditions, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful delivery. Data flooding may be selectively implemented to further increase the likelihood of successful delivery.

Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to wireless digital communication systems and methods and, more specifically, to a system and method for multi-channel frequency hopping spread spectrum communication.
Description of the Related Art
A conventional wireless mesh network includes a plurality of nodes, each incorporating a digital radio transceiver. A given node may transmit payload data to one or more other nodes via the digital radio transceiver. The node may originate the payload data or forward the payload data on behalf of another node. Similarly, a given node may receive the payload data from a different node to be processed or forwarded by the node. The wireless mesh network may include an arbitrary number of nodes and may include certain access points, configured to bridge data communications within the mesh network to a related service system, such as a wire line or optical communications network.
The digital radio transceiver may implement specific modulation and spectral utilization techniques to satisfy a particular set of technical requirements. For example, frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) may be implemented to avoid potentially excessive interference among nodes that are attempting to transmit on a common radio frequency channel in an arbitrary window of time. FHSS involves transmitting data on one radio frequency channel for up to a specified maximum time duration and subsequently transmitting on a different radio frequency channel for up to another specified maximum time duration. FHSS systems typically follow a specific channel hop sequence, which both the transmitter and receiver need to follow to maintain a reliable communications channel. The transmitter reduces average radio frequency energy associated with a given channel by hopping to a different channel after a specified maximum time duration, thereby reducing a probability of interference among nodes attempting to transmit on the same channel.
FHSS systems conventionally require the transmitter and receiver pair to be synchronized, which is typically accomplished via a synchronization procedure conducted between the transmitter and receiver. Overhead associated with the synchronization procedure and related transmission latencies can substantially reduce overall transmission efficiency and network throughput.
One challenge in implementing a wireless mesh network is achieving sufficient overall throughput and latency specifications. Overall throughput and latency are generally a function of overall utilization, link error rates, link bandwidth, and link transmission latency. As utilization increases, channel collision probabilities increase, leading to multiple dropped packets, which in turn result in additional overall utilization from transmission retry mechanisms. FHSS in wireless mesh networks offers certain benefits, including regulatory compliance in certain scenarios. However, inefficiencies associated with FHSS, such as transmission latency and synchronization overhead can significantly diminish overall network throughput and increase average link transmission latencies. In certain wireless mesh network applications, FHSS is required by prevailing regulations and overall network throughput and average latencies suffer from the above described inefficiencies.
As the foregoing illustrates, what is needed in the art is a more efficient technique for transmission in an FHSS wireless mesh network environment.

System and method for multi-channel frequency hopping spread spectrum communication


This invention relates to a new zeolite from the class of mazzite, containing a fraction of non-exchangeable potassium cations, and also to a process for its synthesis. The crystallinity and the adsorption capacity of the protonated form of this zeolite are maintained after a prolonged hydrothermal treatment.

The zeolite known under the name mazzite was discovered in 1972 (GALLI et al. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol 45 99 (1974)) in the basalts of Mount Semiol, Loire, France. The structure of the mazzite (Rinaldi et al. Acta Cryst. B31 1603 (1975)) is described by an assembly of six columns of gmelinite cages, which corresponds to two hexagonal faces, 9 square faces and three octogonal faces joined together with a displacement of .+-.1/4.
The three-dimensional lattice is characterized by a system of three channels which are parallel to the crystallographic axis c:
a--quasi-cylindrical channels bordered by 12-tetrahedral rings whose free diameter is between 0.75 and 0.8 nm. The walls of these channels are lined with ladders consisting of alternating rings made up of 4 tetrahedrons of gmelinite cages and of rings made up of 5 tetrahedrons, which are the result of joining the columns;
b--secondary channels, located between the columns of gmelinite cages and consisting of rings made up of 8 tetrahedrons forming a highly distorted chair conformation, and
c--channels inside the columns made up of cages, accessible via the rings consisting of 6 tetrahedrons.
The zeolites of the mazzite type are characterized by a unique X-ray diffraction pattern.
The best-known and best-characterized examples of this type of zeolite are the zeolites omega and ZSM-4. They are solids which are of interest for adsorption and catalysis.
The synthesis of the zeolite omega is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,036 (UNION CARBIDE) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,007 (MOBIL OIL). French Patent 2,074,007 (MOBIL OIL) and British Patent 1,297,256 (MOBIL OIL) describe the synthesis of ZSM-4. A solid which is isostructural with zeolite omega and called LZ 202 is described in Patent Application PCT WO 87/00,158 (UNION CARBIDE).
The synthesis of the zeolites omega and ZSM-4 is likewise described in the scientific literature by Aiello et al. (J. Chem Soc. A 1970 1470), Dwyer et al. (J. Catal 59 263 (1979)), Cole et al. (Adv. Chem. Ser. 121 583 (1973)), Perrotta et al. (J. Catal. 55 240 (1978)), Araya et al. (Zeolites 4 263 (1984)), Fajula et al. (Zeolites 7 203 (1987) ) and Nicolas et al. (Stud. Surf. Sci. Catal. 37 115 (1987)).
Zeolite omega and zeolite ZSM-4 are prepared by hydrothermal crystallization of reactive alkaline gels of aluminosilicates. With the exception of the one described in Patent Application WO 87/00,158, all syntheses are carried out in the presence of an organic reagent, such as tetramethylammonium (TMA), pyrrolidine, choline, diazobicyclooctane or triethylenediamine. TMA is the most common and most selective organic reagent. These organic compounds are used as such or in the form of hydroxide or in salt form. The addition of inorganic bases is necessary to obtain the required level of alkalinity. For the synthesis of zeolite omega and zeolite ZSM-4, the inorganic base used is sodium hydroxide. The reaction medium can contain lithium but does not tolerate potassium or tolerates only a small amount of it (Aiello et al. J. Chem. Soc. A 1970 1470 and Cole et al. Adv. Chem. Ser. 121 583 (1973)). In the presence of potassium, offretite is in general obtained.
The general formula of the synthetic zeolites of the mazzite type in their form as synthesized can be written in terms of moles of oxides: ##EQU1## where m is an n-valent cation, in general sodium, and A is an organic reagent carrying m positive charges.
According to a particular feature of the aluminosilicate, such as the zeolites, the cations and the organic compounds incorporated in the course of the synthesis can be removed and replaced by other cations. These operations are even necessary for freeing the pores of the zeolite and generate catalytic activity.
The organic reagents are more conventionally removed by oxidative calcination. The cations M are exchangeable for other cations in aqueous medium by well-known methods. The most useful cations for catalysis are the proton or cations belonging to the class of rare earths.
However, these exchange treatments induce an embrittlement of the zeolitic skeleton, especially during the operations which require the application of elevated temperatures in the presence of water vapour. The phenomenon of embrittlement is well known; it is caused by reactions which hydrolyze the Al-O-T bonds, where T is a cation of the lattice, in general silicon, the reactions being catalysed by the protons which are present in the lattice to neutralize the excess negative charge associated with the presence of aluminium. In the course of prolonged hydrothermal treatments, the zeolite structure gradually decomposes and finally becomes amorphous.

Zeolite from the class of mazzite, process for its synthesis, and its use as a catalyst


A method for validating warranty compliance for compatible fluid use of a printing system entails fluidly engaging a replaceable fluid container with a print station. The container includes a smart card adapted to track volumetric credits. Through use, the print station requests that fluid be added to a reservoir from the container. The method continues by ascertaining the presence of the smart card in the reader/writer and reading the smart card to obtain information related to the fluid. The print station operates per the information from the smart card. The method ends by ascertaining the amount of fluid amount removed from the container and writing the withdrawn amount to the smart card as a debit, thereby maintaining printhead operation under warranty.

Current ink jet printing systems consist of a fluid system supporting one or more printheads. Typical ink jet printheads operate by forcing fluid through a droplet generator that contains an array of orifices, forming droplets of ink. The type of ink used in the printhead is important; the type of ink used will enhance overall reliability of the system or cause the printhead to fail.
In continuous ink jet printing systems, ink parameters are finely tuned to work in conjunction with the printhead portion of the system. The use of an ink that is not certified to work with a particular system can adversely affect the quality of printing, the frequency of print systems errors, and/or the longevity of print system components.
Since a printhead may be considered a high cost consumable element in the printing system, it is often warranted by the manufacturer to meet certain reliability criteria and, therefore, the manufacturer often ends up absorbing the large cost of a customer's use of non-approved ink in a print system. This is an expense that manufactures desire to avoid.
Typically, the customer purchases the system with the agreement that the customer must use approved ink. For various reason (i.e., low cost, better short term performance at the expense of reduced printhead life, availability of a specific color, and the like) a customer may be tempted to use non-approved ink.
A need exists for a method to track the consumption of ink or other fluids by an ink jet printing system. If non-approved ink is being used by the customer, a need exists for a method to let the manufacturer know that the conditions of the warranty have been violated.
Hillmann U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,312 discloses a technique for tracking the use of replaceable ink reservoirs, toner cartridges, and ribbon cassettes by permanently modifying the electronic memory associated with these devices. A drop counting technique is used to determine usage and misusage of ink.
Other system for detecting ink cartridge status are known in the art, as exampled by Hilton U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,837, Lefebvre U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,715; Lee U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,669. The prior art listed herein is hereby incorporated by reference.
A need exists for a method that allows the customer to continue to operate while alerting the printhead manufacturer that non-approved ink is being used.
The embodied methods herein are designed to meet these needs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for validating warranty compliance and ink compatibility assurance


A water treatment apparatus in which the various components that constitute the apparatus (prefilters, osmotic membrane filters, pump, et cetera) are contained in an enclosure. The enclosure includes a body provided with compartments that accommodate the components of the apparatus and at least one cap provided internally with channels for conveying the water in output from one compartment to the next. In this manner, the components of the apparatus are mutually connected without the need to use piping.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water treatment apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Water supplied by the water mains, simply termed "tap water", often contains large quantities of dissolved substances that reduce its quality, accordingly making it scarcely suitable for domestic use.
This is true both when using the water to wash clothes and, most importantly, when the water is used for drinking, not to mention the fact that a high concentration of salts dissolved in the water produces limescale deposits in the piping, in the faucets and in the water circuits of many electrical household appliances (washing machines, irons, et cetera).
It is not uncommon to find, in mains water, traces of heavy metals and chlorine: the hardness of the water is very often higher than the optimum values and sometimes, mainly in large cities, there is a high concentration of polluting salts, such as nitrates, silicates and phosphates.
For all these reasons, very often home users prefer to equip themselves with water purifiers, which are used to restore the values of hardness, pH et cetera of the tap water to optimum levels.
The most effective and currently most widely used method for treating and demineralizing tap water is certainly the use of a reverse-osmosis apparatus.
A reverse-osmosis purifier is a device essentially constituted by one or more semipermeable membrane filters and one or more prefilters (of the mechanical and/or activated-carbon type).
The purifier, connected to the home water mains, is capable of producing water that is almost entirely free from dissolved substances.
The pressurized tap water is first passed through the prefilters; the activated-carbon filter in practice acts as a dechlorinating agent; the mechanical filter, which can be installed before or after the activated carbon, is substantially constituted by a cartridge of wound cotton thread and is designed to retain the larger impurities (up to 5 microns) that might end up in the semipermeable membrane and block it (for example the particles of the activated carbon itself).
The prefiltered water is then conveyed, usually propelled by a pump, into the osmotic-membrane filters, which eliminate 80 to 98% of all other substances (salts, ions of heavy metals, organic compounds, but also any pesticides, bacteria, et cetera).
In output there are two types of water: the demineralized water, known as permeate, which is meant for users, and the waste water, termed concentrate, which is rich in extracted substances and can instead be eliminated.
The quality and quantity of water produced is determined by various factors, first of all by the size and type of membrane.
There are mainly two types of membrane: CTA (cellulose acetate) membranes, which are cheaper but short-lived because they can be attacked easily by the bacteria that settle especially during periods of inactivity, and TFC (Thin Film Composite) (aromatic polyamide) membranes, which are slightly more expensive but absolutely more reliable.
In conventional systems, the various components of the purifier (membrane filters, prefilters, pump, et cetera) consist of independent modules that are mutually connected by means of pipes, elbows, unions, et cetera.
The presence of these last parts entails drawbacks, the main of which is linked to the leaks that can occur at the joints of the piping.
Another drawback of conventional purifiers is that they are bulky.
The aim of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that overcomes the drawbacks of the cited prior art.
An object of the invention is to provide a water treatment apparatus in which the various components of the apparatus are mutually connected without using pipes, conduits, et cetera, minimizing the risk of leaks.
A further object of the invention is to provide a water purifier that is modular, miniaturized, extremely compact and not bulky.
A further object of the invention is to provide a purifier that integrates multiple functions simultaneously (carbonation, refrigeration, syruping).


The invention relates to a method and device for controlling a physical parameter of an optical signal. According to the invention, a portion of the initial optical signal (SE) having passed through an optical waveguide from the input (24.1) to the output (24.2) thereof, is returned into said optical waveguide (24) using a sequential circulator (25) and an optical amplifier (28), in order to at least partially form the optical control signal (SE2), which counter-propagates relative to said initial optical signal (SE), so as to stabilize, or at the very least control, the physical parameter of said initial optical signal when the latter exits said optical waveguide (24) via the output (24.2) thereof.

The present invention relates to a method and a device for controlling at least one physical parameter of an optical signal.
Such a method and such a device may be used, though not exclusively, to stabilise or at least to control the polarisation state—or any other physical parameter such as a spatial propagation mode or a wavelength—of an optical signal.
A plurality of fundamental physical parameters of an optical signal, such as the polarisation state, the spatial modes and the wavelengths, are capable of varying during the propagation thereof. This is because, when the optical signal is propagated, for example, over several kilometers of optical fibre, the birefringence—even slight birefringence—thereof is sufficient to randomly modify the polarisation state of the signal, which makes it impossible to predict it.
In order to stabilise or at least to control the polarisation state of an optical signal, it is already known to use a dissipation system, such as a Glan polariser, which allows an optical signal having constant polarisation to be obtained at the output. However, this stabilisation is brought about to the detriment of the level of intensity of the signal in that the level of intensity then depends on the polarisation state and therefore fluctuates at the same time as the polarisation fluctuates.
Furthermore, it is also known to use an electronic retrocontrol system which comprises a first control element, an optical control element, which allows any polarisation state to be converted into another polarisation state without any loss. A second element, an electronic element, allows the resultant polarisation state to be measured and analysed in order subsequently to transmit to the first optical element instructions in order to stabilise the final polarisation state at a predetermined state.
Owing to the high response time of the second electronic element, however, the use of this type of electronic prior retrocontrol system is limited to controlling optical signals whose polarisation varies at a low rate.
In order to stabilise, without any random loss of light intensity, an optical signal whose polarisation state varies at any rate, the document of patent FR 2 950 164 has proposed a completely optical control system (therefore, without any electronic components) for the polarisation state of an optical signal. In this document, the optical signal is propagated in an optical waveguide which has Kerr type non-linearity and a weak dispersion of the polarisation modes. Furthermore, there is transmitted into this optical waveguide, on the one hand, via its input, the initial optical signal and, on the other hand, via its output, an optical control signal which is counter-propagated relative to the initial optical signal whose polarisation state is constant and whose spectrum is adapted to minimise the Brillouin scattering in the optical waveguide. In this manner, the non-linear interaction which is produced in the guide between the initial optical signal and the counter-propagating optical signal whose polarisation state is constant allows the constant polarisation state of the output optical signal to be imposed on the initial optical signal when the optical signal is discharged from the optical waveguide via its output.
However, this prior technique has the disadvantage of requiring a source which is capable of generating the counter-propagating optical signal which involves, at the same time, a complex configuration and a high cost. Furthermore, it has been found that, with this prior technique using a counter-propagating optical signal, the control of the polarisation state of the optical signal, after it is introduced into the optical waveguide, is sensitive to the local stresses to which the optical waveguide is subjected, which impairs the stabilisation of the polarisation state.
Furthermore, the document US 2007/103684 A1 describes a completely optical method for controlling a physical parameter of an initial optical signal, in accordance with which there is transmitted into an optical waveguide, via its input, the initial optical signal and, via its output, an optical control signal which is counter-propagated relative to the initial optical signal in order to stabilise or at least to control the physical parameter of the initial optical signal when it is discharged from the optical waveguide via its output, this method being remarkable in that the initial optical signal which has passed through the optical waveguide from the input as far as the output thereof is at least partially returned into the optical waveguide in order to form at least partially the optical control signal.
In this manner, the counter-propagating optical signal is obtained directly from the initial optical signal which has passed through the optical waveguide at least once, which prevents introduction of an independent counter-propagating optical signal by means of a source which is specifically provided for that purpose. A simple optical return element may be sufficient to take a portion of the initial optical signal which has passed through the optical waveguide and to return it into the guide, the remainder of the initial optical signal being recovered at the output of the control device which the guide and the optical return element form.
In this instance, it has been found that, with regard to the polarisation state of an optical signal, the fact of using a portion of the initial optical signal which has passed through the optical waveguide as a counter-propagating optical signal produces a stabilising effect for the polarisation state similar to the effect produced by a counter-propagating signal having a constant polarisation state which is generated by an independent light source. Consequently, in the absence of a constant polarisation state which is intended to be imposed on the initial optical signal, the signal is progressively stabilised towards a particular, specific stable state of the optical waveguide and the initial polarisation state of the initial optical signal. More specifically, it has been found that, in the region of the output of the optical waveguide (located downstream in relation to the propagation direction of the initial optical signal), the optical signal rapidly converges towards one polarisation state from two possible states. In an isotropic optical fibre, those two states correspond to the left-hand and right-hand circular polarisations whilst, in a non-isotropic optical fibre having weak residual birefringence, they remain orthogonal but the precise values thereof depend on multiple parameters of the fibre, in particular the winding, the linear and circular residual birefringences thereof, etc. The optical signal converges towards the state of the two polarisation states that is nearest its initial polarisation state.
Furthermore, the stabilisation of the desired physical parameter—for example, the polarisation state—is not very sensitive to the local stresses to which the waveguide is subjected, which allows even more reliable stabilisation.
According to the method of the document US 2007/103684 A1, the initial optical signal which has passed through the optical waveguide from the input as far as the output thereof is partially returned into the optical waveguide by means of a reflective element which may be, for example, a mirror which is arranged at the output of the optical waveguide, or a reflective treatment which is applied to the output face of the optical waveguide. Therefore, the light intensity of the returned portion of the signal is less than that of the initial optical signal, which does not allow the linear interactions between those signals to be optimised. For example, the transmission coefficient of the mirror is in the order of 5%, which allows substantially equal intensities (95%) to be maintained between the counter-propagating signals in the optical waveguide to the detriment of the light intensity of the stabilised optical signal which has passed through the mirror (5%).

Method and device for controlling a physical parameter of an optical signal

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE—CNRS


A catheter flushing device includes a chamber covered with a movable member (e.g., a flexible diaphragm) that can be compressed by exertion of pressure on the diaphragm; and a valve having a first position allowing fluid from a fluid source to fill the chamber, and a second position allowing fluid from the chamber to flow through the catheter when pressure is exerted on the movable member. In particular, the catheter flushing device includes a housing having a cylindrical valve opening, an inlet port for connection with the fluid source, and an outlet port for connection with the catheter. The chamber is defined by a flexible diaphragm sealed about a region of the housing. The chamber can be compressed by manually exerting pressure on the diaphragm by means of a thumb or finger. A passageway extends through the housing from the chamber to the valve opening. A rotatable valve member within the valve opening has a channel directing fluid from the inlet port into the chamber in the first position, and a channel directing fluid from the chamber to the outlet port in the second position. The device can also be equipped with a KVO flow path through the housing between the inlet and outlet ports to maintain a substantially constant, minimal flow from the fluid source to the catheter that bypasses the valve assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of devices for flushing catheters. More specifically, the present invention discloses a thumb-powered flushing device for intravenous catheters.
2. Statement of the Problem
Intravenous catheters have been widely used for many years to administer medications and other fluids to patients. In some instances, medication is administered through the catheter on a continuous basis. However, in other instances, doses of medication are administered on a periodic basis. Patients undergoing long-term drug therapies (i.e., a few to several weeks) will typically have a catheter or xe2x80x9cportxe2x80x9d surgically installed to facilitate multiple infusions or injections. One of the biological reactions of the body to an implanted catheter is a growth of dendrites or filaments into the end of the catheter. Thus, an important aspect of this process is maintaining an open, free-flowing catheter.
When administering periodic doses of medication, one conventional approach has been to maintain a low-volume, constant flow of saline solution or other fluid (typically in the range of approximately 0.1 to 5.0 ml/hr) through the catheter between doses of medication. This small continual flow, also known as the KVO (keep vein open) flow, helps to keep the catheter and the patient""s vein open. The KVO infusion can be provided by an electronic pump, disposable infuser, or an IV drip. The IV line attached to the KVO device typically terminates in an injection site (e.g., a Y-site as illustrated in FIG. 1) at the patient. In the case of a conventional Y-site, one branch of the Y-site has a rubber seal that permits medication or other fluids to be injected from a syringe through the rubber seal and into the catheter, without the need to disconnect the KVO flow.
The KVO flow is sometimes insufficient to maintain patency of the catheter. Therefore, many healthcare professionals inject a quantity of saline solution (about 3 ml) via syringe through the rubber seal of the Y-site to ensure patency of the catheter prior to administering each dose of medication. Several of these flushes may be required each day, usually just prior to injections of medication. This approach is effective, but adds time and expense to the procedure.
The prior art in the field also includes the following flushing devices for catheters:
Cole et al. disclose a catheter flushing device with a valve plunger having a capillary passage that provides a first low-flow path. When the plunger is moved from its seat, a second high-flow path is established that flushes the apparatus. Stevens discloses a similar device.
Reynolds et al. disclose a flush device for an intravenous blood pressure monitoring system that includes a continuous flow channel and a fast flush channel. In particular, the flush device has a generally tubular housing containing a plunger surrounded by an elastomeric member. When the plunger is in its raised position, the elastomeric member is relaxed and restricts flow through the housing to a small capillary channel. When the plunger is depressed, the elastomeric member stretches and creates a larger channel for fluid flow between the elastomeric member and the interior surface of the housing, which permits a fast flush flow through the device.
Steigerwald, Hubbard et al., and Le disclose other examples of catheter flushing devices with push-button valve mechanisms that provide both slow flow and fast flush modes.
Bryant et al. disclose an ambulatory infusion system having a gas-pressurized bladder to discharge solution from an adjacent bag. Internal gas pressure is developed within the bladder by a chemical reaction. The tubing set leading from the solution bag includes a flow restrictor that can be sized to provide minimal flow rates.
3. Solution to the Problem
None of the prior art references uncovered in the search show a catheter flushing device using a thumb-powered movable member (e.g., a flexible diaphragm) to propel fluid through the catheter, and a valve that regulates flow into and out of the chamber beneath the movable member. This configuration has significant safety advantages in that it prevents accidental backflow or uncontrolled forward flow through the device to the patient. The present device can be used to deliver a small quantity of fluid to flush a catheter, or alternatively can be used to deliver a bolus of medication. The present device can also be used to provide a continuous low-volume flow (i.e., a KVO flow) to the catheter between doses.
This invention provides a catheter flushing device that includes a chamber covered with a movable member (e.g., a flexible diaphragm) that can be compressed by exertion of pressure on the movable member; and a valve having a first position allowing fluid from a fluid source to fill the chamber, and a second position allowing fluid from the chamber to flow through the catheter when pressure is exerted on the movable member. In particular, the catheter flushing device includes a housing having a cylindrical valve opening, an inlet port for connection with the fluid source, and an outlet port for connection with the catheter. The chamber is defined by a movable member sealed to a region of the housing. The chamber can be compressed by manually exerting pressure on the movable member by means of a thumb or finger. A passageway extends through the housing from the chamber to the valve opening. A rotatable valve member within the valve opening has a channel directing fluid from the inlet port into the chamber in the first position, and a channel directing fluid from the chamber to the outlet port in the second position. The device can also be equipped with a KVO flow path through the housing between the inlet and outlet ports to maintain a substantially constant, minimal flow from the fluid source to the catheter that bypasses the valve assembly.
These and other advantages, features, and objects of the present invention will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description and the drawings.

Thumb-powered flushing device for catheters


A transfer method includes the steps of placing a donor substrate including a support base and a transfer layer provided on the support base onto a receptor substrate such that the transfer layer faces the receptor substrate, evacuating a space between the receptor substrate and the donor substrate that are placed one on the other, and transferring the transfer layer onto the receptor substrate by applying a radiant ray onto the donor substrate in an evacuated atmosphere.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transfer method and a transfer apparatus used in the method, and more particularly, to a transfer method and a transfer apparatus for thermally transferring a luminescent layer of an organic electroluminescence (EL) device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a full-color display device, organic electroluminescent devices corresponding to colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) are arranged on a substrate. In this display device, it is necessary at least to pattern luminescent layers corresponding to the colors in each organic electroluminescent device.
One method for patterning luminescent layers is a transfer method using an energy source (heat source) (thermal transfer method). As a thermal transfer method, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-200170 discloses a contact method in which transfer is performed while a donor substrate and a receptor substrate are in tight contact with each other with a transfer layer therebetween, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-79540 discloses a separate method in which transfer is performed while a donor substrate and a receptor substrate are separate from each other.
A transfer apparatus used in the thermal transfer method generally includes a vacuum chamber in which transfer operation is performed, and a radiation source that applies a radiant ray so as to apply heat to a donor substrate placed in the vacuum chamber. For example, movable holding members are provided in the vacuum chamber to respectively hold and vertically move a donor substrate and a receptor substrate. The holding member for the donor substrate is disposed above the holding member for the receptor substrate in the vacuum chamber such that the donor substrate and the receptor substrate face each other.
An opening that is one size smaller than the donor substrate is provided at the top of the vacuum chamber, and an airtight seal is provided on the periphery of the opening and on an upper inner wall of the vacuum chamber. The donor substrate closes the opening with the airtight seal therebetween, thereby keeping the vacuum chamber airtight.
The radiation source is disposed above the vacuum chamber to apply heat to the donor substrate. For example, a laser light source is used as a heat source. The laser light source is moved by an XY scanner so that a spot of laser light is scanned.
In order to form a luminescent layer of an organic electroluminescent device in a contact thermal transfer method using the above-described transfer apparatus, a receptor substrate and a donor substrate are put in the vacuum chamber, and are respectively mounted on the corresponding holding members so that an organic layer of the receptor substrate faces a transfer layer of the donor substrate.
Subsequently, the vacuum chamber is closed by blocking the top opening thereof by means of a gate valve from the outside, and the pressure in the vacuum chamber is reduced to that of a vacuum. Then, the holding member for the donor substrate is moved upward so that the donor substrate closes the opening from the inside, and the holding member for the receptor substrate is pushed up to bring the receptor substrate into contact with the donor substrate. When the gate valve is then opened, the upper portion of the vacuum chamber including the donor substrate is pushed from above by the atmospheric pressure, and therefore, the donor substrate is brought into tight contact with the receptor substrate. By scanning a spot of laser light over the donor substrate in this state, the transfer layer is transferred onto a predetermined region of the receptor substrate.
The basic configuration of a transfer apparatus that performs transfer in a separate thermal transfer method is the same as that of the above-described contact thermal transfer apparatus. A donor substrate and a receptor substrate are put in a vacuum chamber so as to face each other with some space therebetween. Then, the interior of the vacuum chamber is evacuated, and laser light is applied onto the donor substrate to transfer a transfer layer from the donor substrate onto the receptor substrate.


A method for sorting tablets at a rotary press for making tablets, comprising the following steps: the individual tablets are monitored with regard to at least one property of their condition during the pressing process, and a bad-signal is generated, if a tablet does not fulfill the property, and tablets which do not generate a bad-signal being good-tablets; the good-tablets are directed from a die plate of the rotary press into a good-channel; after a bad-signal has been generated, a bad-tablet is directed into a bad-channel by means of an air blast; by means of a further air stream, which is directed into the bad-channel, the bad-tablet is accelerated into the bad-channel whereby a returning to the die plate is avoided.

A rotary press for making tablets of the mentioned type has become known from GB 705 000A1. From U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,693 it has also become known to measure the compression force exerted on the tablets during the production in the machine, and to single out the bad-tablets, which do not fulfill the desired requirements. It is to be understood that other parameters can be monitored as well in order to separate good tablets from bad tablets.
From EP 1 247 640 it has also become known to sort out bad-tablets by means of a nozzle. A control unit gets a bad-signal from the monitoring device and opens the nozzle, which is connected to a source of compressed air, for a short period of time, so that a bad-tablet can be directed into a bad-channel. Such an air blast is generated only within a few milliseconds, and it is naturally required to generate this air blast at a point in time in which the bad-tablet is disposed in front of the entry of the bad-channel. Moreover, the ejection of bad-tablets by means of an air blast has become known from DE 36 399 18 A1.
After the pressing process, the tablets are ejected towards the upper side of the die plate by means of the lower punches, so that a stationary wiper, in form of a wiper sheet, can pick up the tablets and direct them into a good-channel. It is to be understood, that the bad-tablets have to be sorted out before they reach the good-channel.
It is a prerequisite for a safe sorting-out of the bad-tablet, that the tablet is disposed in a stable position in front of the nozzle, because—as mentioned before—the blasting process occurs only within a few milliseconds. As a result of different characteristics of the material of the tablets and of different shapes of the tablets, tablets may queue up in the region of the tablet wiper or in the good-channel, so that the position of the tablets in front of the ejection nozzle may be altered. Thereby, a safe sorting-out process is not achieved. A congestion of tablets may even cause damage of parts of the tablet press.
It may further happen that bad-tablets blown into the bad-channel hit the wall of the bad-channel and get reflected, thereby getting into the good-channel or at least impeding the successive tablets in being conveyed. The trajectories of the blown and reflected tablets are determined to the largest extent by the air pressure, the shape, weight and thickness of the tablets.
The invention is based on the object to provide a method for sorting out bad-tablets in a rotary press for making tablets, which allows for higher reliability in sorting out the bad-tablets, without negatively affecting the conveying of the good-tablets into the good-channel.

Method and apparatus for sorting tablets at a rotary press for making tablets


An excavation device (1) and profile analysis of the excavation includes a device (1) realizing excavations of prismatic shape and having a frame (3) and a plurality of excavation wheels (2). The frame (3) includes a first upper section (3c), a second intermediate section (3b) and a third lower section (3a. The excavation wheels (2) are positioned at least within said third section (3a). Sensors (4) carry out the measurement of the section and/or the shape of said excavation; the sensors of measure (4) are directed towards the walls of said excavation and measure the profile of said excavation on at least two opposite walls. A method of analysis of a shape and/or a section of an excavation of prismatic shape in the soil includes excavation of the soil through a device (1) having a frame (3) and a plurality of excavation wheels (2). The method includes a phase of measurement of the section and/or shape of said excavation by sensors (4) positioned on the frame (3) and directed towards the walls of said excavation, measuring the profile of the excavation on at least two opposite walls.

The present invention relates to the field of the data acquisition systems, and in detail refers to an excavation device and profile analysis of the excavation itself and associated method.
In the field of industrial building, it is known the use of machines for the excavation of diaphragms; these machines use a tool provided with two or more rotating drums—typically the one in opposite direction with respect to the other—provided with teeth for the excavation in the soil and in the rock.
On the machines of known kind, are arranged sensors (such as for instance accelerometers, gyroscopes, inclinometers, depth gauges) which permit to detect the position of the excavation tool during the continuation of the work.
Furthermore, there are also rotating machines known for the excavation of holes in the soil which integrate in the tool or in the cutter head or one or more sensor for measuring the excavation size.
For example, from the document WO 02068796 it is known a device for circular section excavation comprising a plurality of sensors for the determination of the parameters of a hole. The device is adapted to rotate during the penetration in the soil and the sensors mounted upon it permit to detect the rotation of the tool and the ellipticity of the excavated hole.
For measuring the parameters abovementioned, the device shown in figure requires a plurality of sensors arranged on different heights of the excavation tool; the presence of sensors upon different heights represents a disadvantage, as it sets structural constraints for the positioning of sensors in the excavation tool and increases the number of required wirings and the power of the required supply.
The device shown in WO 02068796 is not efficient in case of excavation of prismatic section diaphragms, where the tool does not rotate. In particular, it does not permit to measure the transversal section of the excavation by means of a sensor which rotates together with the head. It should be needed to provide for carrying out a counter-rotation of the sensor, using devices particularly complex from the mechanical point of view, surely subject to possible breakings and therefore not efficient for operating in critical environments such as the one of the underground excavation.

Excavation device and profile analyses of the excavation itself and associated method


Provided herein are compositions, kits, methods and devices for cyanide detection, particularly for cyanide detection in biological samples such as whole blood. The method comprises (1) contacting a sample with a cobinamide conjugate comprising a cobinamide moiety and a carrier; and (2) measuring the absorbance of light by the cobinamide conjugate. The present disclosure provides field-deployable cyanide detection methods, compositions, kits and devices, which provide rapid, accurate readout at the point of contact. Further provided herein is a method for determining exposure of a subject to cyanide.

Hydrogen cyanide gas is an important toxin in smoke from industrial and residential fires, industrial accidents and release through acts of terrorism. Cyanide acts extremely rapidly and can cause death within minutes. In the United States, there are approximately 5,000-10,000 deaths due to smoke inhalation annually. Cyanide may be responsible for many of these deaths, because it is released from the combustion of plastics, wool, and other nitrogen-containing materials.
Combustion of synthetic products that contain carbon and nitrogen, such as plastics and synthetic fibers, releases cyanide. There have been numerous studies of fire victims to assess the lethal levels of cyanide. Fire survivors have been found to have <20 μM cyanide in blood, while victims were found to have levels greater than 20-30 μM and in some cases as much as 100 μM cyanide in blood (Baud et al., 1991, N. Engl. J. Med., 325: 1761-1766). Cigarette smoke also contains cyanide. The nonsmoker typically averages about 0.06 μg/mL (2.31 μM) of cyanide in blood, whereas a smoker typically averages 0.17 μg/mL (6.5 μM) (Clark et al., 1981, Lancet: 1332-1335).
Cyanide is also readily used in industry in the making of plastics, in the recovery of gold and silver from ores, and in the electroplating of metals, such as silver, gold, platinum and copper (Baskin and Brewer, In Medical Aspects of Chemical and Biological Warfare, Eds. Sidell, Takafuji and Franz, TMM publications, Washington, 1997, Chapter 10, pages 271-286). Cassava root, which is used to make tapioca and is a major food source in tropical regions, releases cyanide when improperly prepared, and chronic cyanide exposure leads to konzo or tropical ataxic neuropathy. The drug sodium nitroprusside, a nitric oxide releasing agent used to treat patients with acute hypertension, releases five cyanide ions for every nitric oxide molecule and is limited by cyanide toxicity. Due to its toxicity when inhaled or ingested, cyanide could also be used as a terrorist weapon.
Therefore, there exists a need to frequently and efficiently monitor cyanide amount in the environment and in the human body to evaluate cyanide exposure and its associated risks. In cases of cyanide poisoning or suspected cyanide poisoning, there exists a need to rapidly measure cyanide amount for treatment decisions.
A variety of methods exist for measuring cyanide levels. These include a variety of chemical approaches and expensive techniques, including spectrophotometry, fluorometry, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry, HPLC-mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography. Spectrophotometric assays can analyze multiple samples relatively quickly, but lack sensitivity and specificity, while gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and HPLC require expensive equipment and allow only limited sample throughput. Several existing methods require laborious multistep sample pre-treatment are not amenable for use in the field. Neither does there exist an integrated device which processes the sample, induces and controls the chemical reactions and provides an objective measure of cyanide within the sample. Thus, a field-deployable device for rapid cyanide detection is clearly needed.


A knee airbag device includes a knee airbag that is disposed in a folded state inside a steering column cover. When the knee airbag receives gas, the knee airbag is inflated and deployed from an inside of the steering column cover toward knees of an occupant. The thickness of outer portions of the knee airbag, which are positioned outside centers of the knees when the knee airbag is deployed, is set to be larger than the thickness of a general portion of the knee airbag, which is positioned in front of the knees when the knee airbag is deployed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a knee airbag device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-37003 (JP-A-2002-37003) describes a knee airbag device in which a knee airbag module is disposed inside a steering column cover that covers a steering column.
However, in the above-described knee airbag device, when a knee airbag is deployed between an instrument panel and knees of an occupant, the knee airbag is likely to enter an area between the knees in a vehicle-width direction. Therefore, it is difficult to suppress the widening of the distance between the knees.


An electrical resistance heated oven is used to heat a crucible to melt a sample and to simultaneously heat a casting dish into which the molten sample can be poured. The oven is cooled with the crucible and casting dish within the oven in order to prepare a sample bead for analysis. In another embodiment of the invention the sample is again melted in a crucible and after melting the crucible is moved out of the oven and turned to pour the molten sample into an acid solution positioned external to the oven. The crucible and sample can be moved while in the oven to mix the sample. The method of preparing an analytical sample using the electrical resistance heated oven is also disclosed.

The present invention pertains to an apparatus and a method for the preparation of a sample bead for use in X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy or other analytical methods such as atomic absorption or inductively coupled plasma.
Several machines are commercially available which provide for the fusion and mixing of a powdered sample together with a flux to provide a solid glass-like sample bead or button for analysis by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy or other analytical methods Samples to be analyzed include materials such as silicon dioxide, cement, aluminum dioxide, calcium dioxide, magnesium oxide and slag, which are analyzed for the content of their active elements. To provide a sample in a form which can be used in connection with such analysis technique, it must be formed into solid smooth-surfaced shape.
In the prior art systems, high melting temperatures are obtained utilizing a mixture of oxygen and propane which create an oxidizing environment which, at the high temperature, can seriously damage the platinum crucibles holding the sample. Further, with the use of pure oxygen and propane, excessive temperatures can be reached which actually can melt the platinum crucible.
Also, in the prior art systems, the devices poured the mixed molten sample or melt into a casting dish for subsequent cooling into the desired sample shape. However, the dishes typically are positioned adjacent the melting crucible and therefore the temperature of the dishes does not correspond closely to that of the crucible and during the pour step, a sample can cool in an uneven manner thereby crystallizing improperly and possibly cracking rendering the sample unusable.
Furthermore, with gas heating, the crucible was not heated evenly with the bottom becoming hotter than the top. The uneven heating resulting in longer fusion times to melt the flux on the upper edge of the crucible which, in turn, caused the bottom of the crucible to be heated to an unnecessarily high temperature. The heat gradient also tended to cause the flux to stick to the upper portion of the crucible when pouring the molten sample into a casting dish or acid solution.
Finally, in the existent machines used for preparation of X-ray fluorescence samples, it is desired to controllably cool the sample melt once poured into the casting dish. This has been accomplished in the past by utilizing a separate fan or air control delivery system which directs air over the casting dish for cooling. It would be far better if the thermal mass of the environment could be reduced to speed the cooling process.

Resistively heated sample preparation apparatus


A method of driving an electro-optical device that has a plurality of pixel circuits provided so as to correspond to intersections of a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of data lines, a first scanning line driving circuit for selecting odd-numbered scanning lines, a second scanning line driving circuit for selecting even-numbered scanning lines, and a data line driving circuit for supplying data signals corresponding to the selected scanning line through the data lines. The method includes, in a first mode, supplying enable signals having different phases to the first and second scanning line driving circuits, respectively, so as to alternately select odd-numbered and even-numbered scanning lines, and, in a second mode different from the first mode, supplying enable signals having the same phase to the first and second scanning line driving circuits, respectively, so as to simultaneously select adjacent odd-numbered and even-numbered scanning lines two by two.

The present invention relates to an electro-optical device that can change a display resolution.
In an electronic apparatus, such as a cellular phone, with an increase of the information amount, it is necessary to display an image with a high density. Accordingly, a resolution of a display device has been increasing every year. On the other hand, since the information transfer rate in a communication apparatus is insufficient and thus it is difficult to distribute high-resolution moving pictures, there are cases in which low-resolution images are distributed.
When the low-resolution images are displayed on a high-resolution display device, the display is made using only a portion of a screen, and thus a resolution conversion device is required. As the resolution conversion device, generally, a digital signal processor (DSP) or the like has been used. In this case, however, an increase in cost, a delay of the conversion process, or the like may occur.
For this reason, a technique has been suggested, in which a modulated clock signal is used as a clock signal to a shift register in order to select scanning lines and the scanning lines are sequentially selected two by two, such that the resolution in a scanning direction becomes a half (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-249639 (FIG. 4)).
However, in the above-described configuration, the modulated clock signal, which is used to display the low-resolution image, needs to have a different duty ratio from a reference clock signal, which is used to display a normal high-resolution image. For this reason, actually, the modulated clock signal needs to be generated from the reference clock signal or needs to be separately generated from the reference clock signal. As a result, the configuration is complicated.

Electro-optical device, method of driving electro-optical device, and electronic apparatus


In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an exhaust gas sensor which comprises an oxygen pump cell made of solid electrolyte having an oxygen ion conductivity, an oxygen sensor cell made of solid electrolyte having an oxygen ion conductivity and disposed in opposition to the pump cell in such a manner as to define therebetween a detection space, and a semiconductor detection element made of oxide semiconductor and disposed in the detection space for detecting a predetermined detected substance in the exhaust gas introduced to the detection space. The concentration of oxygen in the detection space is regulated so as to be included within a predetermined range through control of charge or discharge of oxygen into or from the detection space by means of the oxygen pump cell on the basis of the concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gas, which is detected by the oxygen sensor cell.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exhaust gas sensor or analyzer for detecting contaminants in exhaust gas, such as hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NO.sub.x) and the like. The present invention further relates to a method of producing such an exhaust gas sensor. Still further, the present invention relates to a sensor system using such an exhaust gas sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to use a resistive type sensor as an analyzer or sensor for detecting the above described contaminants in exhaust gas. In such a sensor, an oxide semiconductor such as a semiconductor made of SnO.sub.2 or the like is used as a detection element for detecting the content of contaminants in exhaust gas depending upon a variation in resistance of the oxide semiconductor in proportion to its absorption of contaminants.
The resistive type sensor has such a characteristic that the output of the detection element made of oxide semiconductor varies depending upon a variation of the concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gas. Due to this, there is caused a problem in that the output for detection of the same concentration of contaminants varies depending upon a variation of the concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gas. Thus, as disclosed in Japanese patent provisional publication No. 5-180794, it has been proposed to send oxygen into the exhaust gas by means of a pump cell made of solid electrolyte and make higher the concentration of oxygen therein for thereby making smaller the relative variation in the concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gas and making higher the detection accuracy. However, there still exists a problem in that if the concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gas varies largely, a sufficient restraining effect on restraint of the relative variation in the concentration of oxygen by the effect of introduction of oxygen from the pump cell cannot be obtained and therefore satisfactory detection accuracy cannot be obtained.


In an electronic component placement method in which electronic components are picked up from a plurality of component supply sections which supply electronic components using a plurality of mounting heads which are provided corresponding to the respective component supply sections, and the electronic components are transferred and mounted on a substrate in a same placing stage, in performing the component transferring and mounting operations, head interference areas which constitute exclusive operating regions to which only the specified mounting heads are allowed to access are set for every placing turn. Due to such a constitution, in the component placement operation, it is possible to rationally set the accessible region without causing the interference of one mounting head with another mounting head thus shortening a placing tact time by excluding wasteful standby times of the mounting heads.

In an electronic component placement device which places electronic components on a substrate, electronic components which are stored in a component supply section are picked up by a mounting head which is provided with a suction nozzle, and are transferred to a position above the substrate and are mounted on predetermined placement points. As a type of such an electronic component placement device, there has been known an electronic component placement device which is configured such that component supply sections are arranged on both sides of a placing stage which positions a substrate, and electronic components from the respective component supply sections are picked up using a plurality of mounting heads which are independently operable and are transferred and mounted to the substrate (for example, see patent document 1), for example. By adopting such a constitution, the mounting operation can be performed in parallel simultaneously using the plurality of mounting heads and hence, it is possible to obtain an advantageous effect that the placing efficiency is enhanced.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-open H08-97595


A multilayer interconnection structure of a semiconductor device includes a first guard ring extending continuously along a periphery of a substrate and a second guard ring extending continuously in the multilayer interconnection structure along the periphery so as to be encircled by the first guard ring and so as to encircle an interconnection pattern inside the multilayer interconnection structure, wherein the first and second guard rings are connected with each other mechanically and continuously by a bridging conductor pattern extending continuously in a band form along a region including the first and second guard rings when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the substrate.

The present invention generally relates to semiconductor devices and more particularly to a semiconductor device having a multilayer interconnection structure.
Conventionally, increase of operational speed has been attempted in semiconductor devices by way of device miniaturization according to the scaling law. On the other hand, in recent semiconductor integrated circuits of high integration density, it is insufficient to use a single interconnection layer for wiring semiconductor devices of enormous numbers formed on the substrate, and thus, a multilayer interconnection structure in which a number of interconnection layers are stacked with intervening insulation films is used generally for providing the necessary interconnection.
In the semiconductor integrated circuit having such a multilayer interconnection structure, on the other hand, it is practiced to provide an anti-moisture guard ring (referred to hereinafter simply as "guard ring") along a periphery of a chip so as to block penetration of moisture or gas. Such a guard ring extends in the multilayer interconnection structure continuously along the periphery of the chip and interrupts the penetration path of moisture or gas, which may be formed at the interface between an interlayer insulation film and an interconnection layer.
FIGS. 1A and 1B show the construction of a semiconductor integrated circuit 10 having such a conventional guard ring, wherein FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the foregoing semiconductor integrated circuit 10 including a guard ring 1, while FIG. 1B is a plane view showing the entirety of the chip of the semiconductor integrated circuit 10.
Referring to FIG. 1A, the semiconductor integrated circuit 10 is formed on a device region 11A defined on a Si substrate 11 by a device isolation structure 11B and includes active devices such as a MOS transistor formed on the device region 11A.
The semiconductor integrated circuit 10 includes a first multilayer interconnection structure 12 formed on the substrate and includes therein interconnection layers L1-L4 and via-plugs P1-P6 and a second multilayer interconnection structure 13 formed on the first multilayer interconnection structure 12, wherein the second multilayer interconnection structure 13 includes therein interconnection layers L5-L7 and via-plugs P7 and P8. In FIG. 1, it should be noted that illustration of the interlayer insulation films in the multilayer interconnection structures 12 and 13 is omitted.
Further, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 1B, a guard ring 14 is formed on the substrate 11 continuously along the periphery of the chip.
Referring to FIG. 1A again, the guard ring 14 is formed by stacking conductor patterns C1-C7 extending continuously along the periphery of the chip respectively in correspondence to the interconnection layers L1-L7 and conductor walls W1-W7 also extending continuously along the periphery of the chip respectively in correspondence to plugs P1a and P1b and also the plugs P2-P7.
Such a guard ring 14 has a layered structure corresponding to the multilayer interconnection structures 12 and 13 and thus can be formed at the time of formation of the multilayer interconnection structure by a common process.

Semiconductor device having a guard ring


A one-hand clip of the present invention is composed of a main body, a pair of semicircular hooks a pair of rotating pins and a pair of elastic bodies. The hooks each fixed by a rotating pin and an elastic body at each bottom end of the main body pinches an inserted object by the power created by the spring of the elastic bodies as well as by the weight of the inserted object to be hung. Inserting or detaching operation is accomplished by an upward movement of the inserted object thus requiring little power or skill of the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clip mainly used for pinching and fastening hanging objects such as laundry or the like and provides a clip capable of hanging and releasing the objects by simple one-handed operation which requires minimum power or skill of a user.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, clothespins or other similar implements are commonly used for hanging the laundry or the like. These conventional clothespins and other implements require both hands of a user to hang or release the laundry or other objects. Fingers of a user strong enough to operate these conventional implements are also required. For the benefit of the handicapped and the elderly citizens, there exist needs to develop a clip easy to handle, requiring less power or skill for hanging and releasing operation, and pinching the hanging objects tightly.

One-hand clip capable of preventing hanging object from dropping


Novel benzylphosphonate compounds of the general formula I: ##STR1## are disclosed as useful in treating bone wasting diseases including postmenopausal osteoporosis in increasing in mammals bone formation and bone mass.

Osteoporosis is a bone-wasting disease in which there is an imbalance or uncoupling between the rate of bone formation and resorption resulting in a decrease in total bone mass. As a result of this decrease in bone mass the skeleton becomes weakened and unable to bear the normal weight-bearing stresses. The effects of osteoporosis are generally seen in the weight-bearing part of the skeleton, especially the spine and hips, which can fracture in the absence of trauma. Osteoporosis affects about 24 million people in the United States and 200 million worldwide and is blamed for 2.5 million fractures a year in elderly women. The American Medical Association estimates that 25% of white women will suffer fractures of the hip or spine in their lifetime as a result of osteoporosis.
The current therapies for postmenopausal osteoporosis consist of treatments which are for the most part preventative; estrogen replacement, bisphosphonates, vitamin D metabolites and calcium supplements act to inhibit bone resorption associated with the onset of menopause. Estrogen replacement in these patients is quite effective in reducing further loss of bone mass but it does not induce an increase in bone mass which is needed to reduce fracture risk and pain. These treatments have little utility in the treatment of those patients with existing osteoporosis-induced loss of bone mass who have a high fracture risk and back/joint pain. Post-menopausal women with vertebral bone mass of less than 100 mg/cc would be considered below the "fracture threshold" and would be candidates for treatment with an agent which would increase bone mass and thereby restore lost bone. The present invention focuses on agents which are useful in treating bone wasting diseases by increasing an individuals bone mass and thus reducing or eliminating fracture risk. The therapeutic need for this type of agent is clearly present, especially when one considers the poor patient compliance associated with estrogen replacement therapies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,807 disclosed diethyl 3-trifluoromethylbenzylphosphonate. The compound is not specifically claimed or characterized in the patent but apparently is used in situ as a crude synthetic intermediate towards unrelated compounds with non-medicinal use (fabric whitener). Acids were neither disclosed nor claimed in this reference. Isomeric ortho and para trifluoromethylbenzylphosphonates are similarly disclosed as the esters.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,917,533 discloses several substituted benzylphosphonic acids and esters with utility claims of antihistaminic, antibacterial and herbicidal or plant growth regulatory activity. No 3-CF.sub.3 analog is described.

Trifluoromethylbenzylphosphonates useful in treating osteoporosis


The present invention provides a novel extension apparatus and method for providing a selectively adjustable conveying path for sheet articles between sheet processing apparatuses. The extension apparatus includes a base bracket with a pair of rotatably movable spring-loaded bracket arms attached to a shaft extending therethrough. A pair of bracket arm rollers are attached to each of the bracket arms. An extension plate is positioned above and slidably movable on the base bracket, and a pair of rotatable extension rollers are rotatably attached to a shaft extending through the extension plate such that slidable movement of the extension plate simultaneously and identically moves the extension rollers. A pair of rear rollers are utilized and are operatively aligned with an extension roller and a pair of the bracket arm rollers. A pair of belts extend at least partially around and operatively engage one of the rear rollers, one of the extension rollers, and a pair of the bracket arm rollers of one of the bracket arms. The belts have an upper reach section and a lower reach section between the rear rollers and the extension rollers, and the upper reach section of the belts form a conveying path for advancement of sheet articles while the bracket arm rollers engage each belt in the lower reach section.

As is well-recognized in the art of sheet processing, a need commonly exists for providing a conveying path of various lengths between an end of one sheet processing apparatus and another downstream sheet processing apparatus in order to advance sheet articles on the conveying path from the first apparatus to the second. This task can be difficult since space restrictions usually exist when operatively configuring sheet processing components.
To provide a conveying path of various lengths between the delivery end of one sheet processing apparatus and another downstream sheet processing apparatus, it has been common in the past to utilize an adjustably extendable and retractable extension table with a plurality of belts thereon for advancing sheet articles. The extension table utilizes a translational method of extension and includes a sliding belt and pulley mechanism that fixedly protrudes in a direction toward the downstream sheet processing apparatus in order for the extension table to be extendable. One disadvantage to such an extension table is that it can only be placed as close to a downstream sheet processing apparatus as the fixedly protruding sliding mechanism will allow. It has therefore not heretofore been possible to position such an extension table in a completely abutting manner to a downstream sheet processing apparatus since doing so would require the protruding sliding mechanism to protrude into the abutting downstream sheet processing apparatus. Another disadvantage suffered by such an extension table is that tension in the belts thereof typically has to be adjusted manually by adjustment of hardware associated therewith for the extension table to be extended to various lengths.
In light of the prior art extension table as discussed hereinabove, there remains much room for improvement in the art for an extension apparatus and method providing a selectively adjustable conveying path for sheet articles between the delivery end of one sheet processing apparatus and another downstream sheet processing apparatus where the extension apparatus can abut a downstream sheet processing apparatus and wherein tension on the belts of the extension apparatus can remain constant when the extension apparatus is extended or retracted without manual adjustment thereof.