A chewing gum formulation to fight cavities comprises sufficient erythrose to give the chewing gum anti-caries properties. Also disclosed is a method of reducing or preventing dental caries by inhibiting the growth of Streptococcus mutans in the presence of fermentable carbohydrates in the mouth. This method comprises contacting the teeth with chewing gum containing erythrose, wherein the erythrose is present in sufficient quantity to give the chewing gum anti-caries properties.

This invention relates to a method for preventing or reducing dental caries wherein the carbohydrate erythrose is employed in chewing gum to inhibit growth of Streptococcus mutans ("S. mutans") in the mouth. The present invention also relates to chewing gum formulations containing erythrose.
Foods containing natural sugars such as sucrose and dextrose have long been recognized as a major contributing cause of dental caries. The sugars are easily utilizable sources of nutrition for bacteria, specifically S. mutans found in the mouth. This bacteria is also responsible for the formation of plaque. S. mutans ferments residual sugar, thereby producing acids that dissolve the minerals of the teeth.
In recent years, certain anti-cariogenic substances have been incorporated into chewing gum and other orally-usable products. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,523, issued Jun. 28, 1983, to Huchette et al., teaches the substitution of sorbose for sucrose as a sweetener in chewing gum in order to reduce the production of fermentation acids in the mouth.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,457,921, issued Jul. 3, 1984, and 4,508,713 issued Apr. 2, 1985, both to Stroz et al., teach a method for treating teeth with hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, in conjunction with sucrose, in a chewing gum composition, in order to reduce dental caries.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,122, issued Feb. 15, 1983, also to Stroz et al., teaches the use of a compound comprising 3,4-dihydro-6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazine-4-one-2,2-dioxide, or the sodium, ammonium, potassium or calcium salts thereof, in an orally-usable carrier, including chewing gum, in order to reduce dental caries.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,581, issued May 21, 1985, to Miyake et al., teaches the use of a substance selected from the group consisting of isomaltosyl mono-, di- and tri-glucoses, and reduction products thereof, in orally-usable products including chewing gum in order to reduce dental caries.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,612, issued Dec. 22, 1987, to Nakamura et al., teaches the use of .gamma.-globulin in chewing gum to combat Bacteroides gingivalis from colonizing in the mouth.
European Patent Application 0 342 369 A2, filed by Lembke et al. and published November 23, 1989, in the name of Biodyn AG, teaches the use of galactose in numerous orally-usable products, including chewing gum, in order to protect against dental caries.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,429,716, issued Feb. 25, 1969, to Andrews, erythrose is used to retard the oxidation of food and stabilize anhydrous food products including chewing gum. However, the erythrose concentration is well below the levels mentioned herein, and there is no teaching in the Andrews patent regarding anti-cariogenic properties.
In an effort to reduce dental caries, artificial sweeteners and non-fermentable carbohydrates such as polyols have been used in place of the sugars which are used to give bulk to chewing gum. However, all polyols have the disadvantage of causing gastrointestinal disturbances if consumed in too great a quantity. It would be advantageous to be able to use a carbohydrate or carbohydrate-like compound as a bulking agent in chewing gum that would not contribute to dental caries or cause gastrointestinal disturbances.

Composition of anti-cavity chewing gum and method of fighting tooth decay by using erythrose as anticaries agent


An improved turbine spring clip seal for directing gases to be mixed with fuel in a combustor basket. The turbine spring clip seal is composed of inner and outer housings and a center sealing member disposed between the inner and outer housings. The center sealing member is flexible and prevents a fluid, such as air, from leaking through the seal. In operation, the center sealing member flexes and is sealed against the outer housing by a pressure differential that is created by the relatively higher pressure on the inner housing side and the relatively lower pressure on the outer housing side.

There exists a plethora of variables that affect performance of a turbine engine. One such variable that has been identified in dry-low NOx combustor design turbines is the air flow distribution between the combustor zone and the leakage air flows. Typically, a spring clip seal is used in such a turbine engine to direct gases, such as common air, into a combustor basket where the air mixes with fuel. Conventional spring clip seals direct air through center apertures in the seals and are formed from outer and inner housings. The seals are generally cylindrical cones that taper from a first diameter to a second, smaller diameter. The first diameter is often placed in contact with a transition inlet ring, and the second, smaller diameter is often fixedly attached to a combustor basket. The inner and outer housings include a plurality of slots around the perimeter of the housings which form leaves in the housing. The leaves are capable of flexing and thereby imparting spring properties to the spring clip seal. This spring force assists in at least partially sealing the inner housing to the outer housing.
Conventional spring clips allow up to 8% of the total air flow distribution flowing through a center aperture of a spring clip seal to leak through the seal. Such leakage can often cause undesirable outcomes. For instance, air leakage at this level can cause high engine performance variability, which is characterized by high NOx emissions, high dynamics or flashback, or any combination thereof.
Turbine spring clip seals have attempted to reduce leakage across the seal by configuring the inner housing and the outer housings to correspond to each other, thereby reducing leakage across the seal. However, each hundredth of an inch that separates the inner housing from the outer housing results in air leakage of about 2% of the total air flow through the center aperture of the spring clip seal. Thus, for a separation of about 3/100s of an inch between the inner and outer housings, which is common, the spring clip seal yields leakage of about 6% of the total air flow through the center aperture in the seal.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved turbine spring clip seal that reduces the amount of air leaking between an inner housing and an outer housing of the seal.


A self-balancing golf putter. The self-balancing golf putter includes a club head. The club head includes a clubface configured to make contact with a golf ball. The self-balancing golf putter also includes a shaft attached to the club head. The shaft includes a center axis, wherein the center axis converges with a balance point configured to make the club face seek square when making contact with the golf ball.

When a putter is not self-balancing, the golfer must balance the club in his/her stroke. That is, the golfer must put torque on the shaft in order to keep the face of the putter square to the arc. This puts strain on the hands and arms of the golfer and makes it more difficult for the golfer to putt successfully. Further, it means that the golfer must adjust to each putter independently, because the amount and direction of torque required to square the putter will vary depending on the putter.
In order to be self-balancing a putter must satisfy two conditions. It must "seek" square to the arc during a normal swing and it must do so when the shaft includes a forward lean. Many putters claim to be self-balancing, however, they do so only when the shaft does not include forward lean. Since most golfers have forward lean in the shaft of their putters, whether the putter self-balances is irrelevant because it does not do so when in actual use.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a putter that will seek square even with forward lean. Further, there is a need for the putter to avoid putting torque or strain on the user.


A system and method for providing an enhanced second screen experience is provided includes a content-rich second screen user interface with information relative to an event and event participants as well as social media aspects relative to the event and event participants.

Generally, during or relative to an event, such as a sporting event, if a person desires additional information about the event or players in an event, the user would utilize a laptop or other device along with a search engine to find the desired information. Further, if that person wishes to reach out to a second person, e.g. to talk about a particular play, to talk about statistics, etc., the person would have to directly reach out to that person via email, personal message, etc.
There is a need in the art for an improved system and method for providing a second screen event that provides comprehensive information about an event and also integrates social media aspects into the second screen system in parallel with or relative to the event.

System and method for enhanced second screen experience


A durable electrospray needle uses a capillary having a substantially large outside diameter. Provision of a porous bead at the spray tip advantageously allows a fine electrospray to be formed without the need for finely machining a needle tip and orifice, which allows for economical construction. Further, because the bead itself may serve as the anode in an electrospray field circuit, costs associated with electrode placement are eliminated.

Electrospray is a known process by which small charged droplets are formed from liquid ejected from a capillary orifice, or jet. By subjecting the liquid emerging from the jet to a strong electric field, the ejected particles become charged. If the charge imposed on the liquid surface is strong enough to overcome the surface tension of the liquid, the liquid will break up into smaller particles in an attempt to disperse the charge and return to a lower energy state.
Electrospray apparatus are useful for producing very fine nebulized particles of an analyte. The liquid subjected to electrospray techniques might be, for example, a liquid stream effluent from a liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation step. This effluent is passed through an electrospray needle and subject to a strong electric field, which forms a very fine electrospray. The electrospray in this example could be subsequently analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS), which can advantageously provide molecular weight and structural information about the separated species as they emerge from the liquid chromatograph. MS is commonly used to determine molecular weight, identify chemical structures, and accurately determine the composition of mixtures. MS is becoming increasingly important in biological research to determine the structure of organic molecules based on the ion fragmentation pattern formed when sample molecules are ionized by electrospray techniques.
As an added advantage, the electrospray needle can be configured with a lumen that contains a packing material for adsorbing selected chemicals in the liquid solution before the electrospray is discharged from the spray needle. Further known configurations can include pneumatic, thermal, or ultrasonic assist, or the addition of arc suppression gases so that higher voltages can be applied during electrospray formation.
The prior art teaches several electrospray apparatus. Typically, these apparatus comprise a needle which is essentially a very fine capillary that can be as thin as 1-20 .mu.m. The analyte is fed through the capillary and thereafter exposed to an electric field as discussed hereinabove. Needles of similar construction are also utilized in an ion spray process, which is an electrospray process in which the liquid is nebulized by a turbulent flow of gas such as nitrogen. Typically, the field strength required to produce an electrospray requires a voltage bias of about 2.0 to 2.5 kilovolts (kv), usually applied directly to the needle, or to electrodes placed on either side of the needle's orifice.
One serious drawback in prior art electrospray processes is the fragility of the electrospray needle capillary. Because the outlet of the needle is typically around 1-2 .mu.m, the capillary is extremely sensitive to physical disruption and is subject to very easy breakage. This is particularly problematic due to the expense of the capillary. Another serious drawback resides in the fact that the opening of the capillary must be proximate to the electrodes for creating the electric field necessary for electrospray formation. The prior art devices in many instances fix the anode of the field circuit on the needle body itself, which requires the formation of the capillary or its encasement in a conductive material, for example stainless steel. Such constructions are typically expensive. The expensive nature of the construction of the electrospray needles in combination with their fragility makes replacement costs a recurring expense for users of electrospray technologies.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a typical prior art electrospray needle apparatus 10 is depicted. The capillary needle 12 is configured with a tip 14. The needle apparatus 10 includes a plenum 16 for an incoming liquid sample, an upstream inlet 18 and a downstream liquid outlet 20 in the tip 14. The plenum 16 may be electrically conductive so that a voltage applied to the plenum will allow for the transfer of charge into the liquid stream. Alternatively another upstream electrode can be provided, or charge can be imposed on the capillary needle 12. A voltage is applied and the electrical field thereby produced is arranged to be at its highest at downstream outlet 20. The charge is generally conducted from the plenum 16 or capillary 12, to the liquid sample at the downstream outlet 20 in the tip 14 such that the charge and field at the outlet are high enough to cause the exiting liquid sample to break up into charged droplets to form the electrospray.
As illustrated, the tip 14 is formed having an outlet with a very small diameter. For nano electrospray, a 1-2 .mu.m spraying orifice is required and flow rates of approximately 20 nL/min are not uncommon. Needle tips used for nano electrospray, tend to be even less durable and less likely to withstand handling and the rigors of use in a laboratory setting, without breaking.

Use of porous beads as a tip for nano-electrospray


The system describes a collaborative machine social network system with several elements. There is at least one system participant which communicates with the network. The participant's communications include short bursts of information not directed to a particular recipient but rather the network as a whole. The network further includes propagator nodes and integrator nodes to process communications from participants.

Real Time Adaptive Behavior:
There is a plethora of Internet and GPS aware mobile devices used to estimate travel routes and Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA). The objective of several embodiments of this invention is to leverage that real-time information to dynamically estimate, to a high level of accuracy, the arrival time of a customer at a destination, such as a store. In one embodiment, the store has been notified of arrival a priori and advance purchase for product/service made. On arrival, said product/service is delivered to customer. The tedium of waiting in line, paying and other time wasting chores is thus avoided.
Managing Customer Satisfaction:
Customer Satisfaction (CS) is monitored and managed by a process control model that attempts just in time delivery e.g. the product is fresh ("Quality") and the average wait time is low ("Agility"). It does so by estimating (predicting) customer arrival time and current store performance. These two estimates drive the alignment between demand and supply through a process of autonomous negotiations between demand expectations and supply constraints. The alignments are driven by mutual benefit to both parties at multiple levels of the value chain.
The alignment methods taught in this invention are applicable to multiple application domains including: scheduling meeting times for people on the go, providing timed promotions to mobile prospects, based on their ETA near the store, optimizing delivery schedules for packages, shifting schedules to deal with resource constraints, etc.
Scalable Cloud centric Framework
The invention teaches methods salient to providing a comprehensive, scalable, generic yet customizable cloud centric framework, to address proactive routing, dispatching, prioritized scheduling of orders placed in advance, or expected to be placed soon, to a supplier, employing but not limited to:                Software on GPS equipped mobile device preferably with internet access, used to place orders to the system, provide Arrival estimates (ETA) for system self correction.        A generic, scalable, cloud centric scheduler, database and software, which communicates with multiple mobile devices and multiple store locations for multiple service providers.        A customizable prioritized schedule display and input device (e.g. touch screen), at supplier location, which communicates with scheduler and is used to monitor and maintain Customer Satisfaction, based on current store performance and inferred trends.        A generic and extensible framework to support modeling and simulation of viable scheduling alternatives. The methods taught are especially relevant to dealing with bursts/spikes in customer demand and/or where store resources are under provisioned.
Dynamic Process Control Model
The Process controller and Scheduler relays notifications from store to mobile device, suggests scheduling task start time or just in time order pick up, based on a process control model of the store, its operations, current and historical performance. It requests mobile device updates for estimating accurate arrival times. Frequency distributions of salient events at the store, affecting overall Customer Satisfaction are collected, and analyzed. The entire system is framed as a process control model and salient parameters periodically adjusted to ensure stable performance. Example application indicates web page, and/or mobile app interface which, referring to FIG. 1, performs the following functions:    1. Enables user to select a service provider from a library of categories (see dialog box 160)    2. Choose a preferred service provider from that category listing    3. Select a store location    4. Create/Edit an order, 130, from a store supplied menu dialog (not shown)    5. Place the order (for pick up) by one click 120    6. Customer payment is seamlessly integrated.    7. Saving the order specifics (Store location, item, etc) with a user friendly name, see 160    8. Review order history, 140, including past orders, time of arrival, pick up time, store load characteristics, if provided.    9. Review account settings, 150 which include editable identification information, either photo or security questions,    10. Specify preferred alternate store locations, if default selection is not able to provide timely delivery. This would be an editable entry under account settings, 150    10. Receive Text based messages, if requested, on selected store backlog, either provided by the store or inferred based on current increases/decreases in historical backlog for this time period, day of the week etc, under account settings.    11. Change arrival time, by Editing Order, 130.    12. On arrival, the customer picks up the coffee. Customer Satisfaction feedback is obtained, either from the store or from the customer phone regarding whether the coffee was delivered on time and expected quality. A representative dialog box is shown 170.
When the order is placed, the system scheduler receives request and updates ETA and store displays. After placing order, proactive scheduler ensures that orders are completed, preferably just in time for pick up. Work load variance, changes to estimate time of arrival (ETA) etc is monitored. The data is analyzed to dynamically and proactively change priorities to avoid:    1. Customer arrives "early" due to incorrect ETA and has to wait for delivery    2. Customer arrives per ETA computed, but delivery delayed: task execution time (TET) is in variance with current work load    3. The converse of items 1, 2: the coffee is cold; task started too soon, incorrect ETA and/or TET time estimates.
Intended benefits include:                Reducing time wasted waiting in queues, repeating custom preferences each time an order is placed (e.g. soymilk, no sugar)        Seamless payment activated when order is placed: time to pay eliminated.        Visibility into store backlog, enabling load balancing at the store.        Modeling what-if scenarios to identify bottlenecks, explore alternative delivery options        Inter store collaboration: when stores cannot deliver in time, rerouting to other less busy store locations, convenient to customer, thus maintaining Customer Satisfaction (measured by wait, in this case), despite hiccups in the delivery process.        Intuitive online interfaces so Customer and Stores can monitor and adjust control parameters.        Provide the ability to run simulations so experts (human and software) can tune the system.
Just in time coffee delivery is chosen as the use case to teach methods broadly applicable to multiple application domains, Components of a "generic" system include:                An aggregate reference signal generator. For example, GPS equipped mobile devices can provide Arrival estimates (ETA). This represents the reference signal in this example. Other reference signals include fuzzy data and external data feeds from other customers/stores etc.        An aggregate control signal generator. This, in response to the reference signals, attempts to "close the loop" and align supply and demand change current behavior. Both quantitative and qualitative data sources are employed.        An adaptive control system that closes the feedback loop, changing its strategies and/or sampling frequencies to minimize the control error (between reference and control systems). The control system must be agile. It may also be back drivable, as in Demand Shaping.        A customizable Alignment Dashboard, which communicates with scheduler and is used to monitor and maintain both demand and supply performance indicators.        A Hierarchical, distributed control system that monitors and tunes overall system behavior. All control systems within it are also designed to support extensibility and scalable performance.        Alignment strategies to support dynamic alignments at multiple levels. The framework also supports simulation and machine learning in both forward and backward control directions.        A collaborative community of such control systems to extend Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Demand Shaping and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionality. The control systems are dynamic, distributed (e.g. cloud centric) scalable and autonomously proactive.

Collaborative logistics ecosystem: an extensible framework for collaborative logistics


A tennis garment of fabric material and sewn construction has a front panel sewn to a rear panel with a waistband encircling the garment. A ball securing sleeve is aligned with, and joined to, the rear waistband portion at left, central, and right mutual locations, thereby establishing two ball securing sleeves into which a tennis ball may be inserted from above or below the sleeve. Once inserted, the ball is held in place by opposing upper and lower elastic bands within upper and lower hems of the sleeves. When desired, the ball may be withdrawn from the sleeves by upward or downward movement relative to the sleeves.

1. Field of the Present Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to garments that are used to secure and carry balls such as in the games of tennis and golf wherein the balls should be readily accessible and yet not protrude in a manner that might limit the necessary motions of the player. Especially in the game of tennis, while serving, it is desirable to carry at least two balls in addition to a first ball held by hand. Frequently, a service may use two balls, but often may require three when considering "net," "out," and "let" balls. Of course more than three balls may be needed in a given service, but this is less common. It is therefore desirable to maintain concentration by having additional balls immediately handy. Therefore, the balls should be carried by the garment and yet remain accessible but not physically intrusive on body and arm motions during play. Such garments may include tennis clothing, belts, vests and other solutions.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Previdi, U.S. Pat. No. 2,508,190, discloses a belt having an outer pocket formed of adjacent front and rear walls with the front wall formed with a horizontal elongated pocket opening closed by a slide fastener, an inner pocket for golf balls within the outer pocket, comprising a back piece of material secured along its top edge to the inside face of the front wall of the outer pocket above the pocket opening to depend across the pocket opening with the outer pocket, and a front piece of material secured along its side and bottom edges to the face of the back piece of material adjacent the inner face of the front wall of the outer pocket, the front piece of material being of less height than the back piece of material and secured to the back piece so as to have its top edge normally below the pocket opening of the outer pocket, the inner pocket being of a width less than the length of the pocket opening and secured to the inside face of the front wall of the outer pocket midway of the length of the pocket opening, whereby when the pocket opening is open the inner pocket while containing golf balls may be drawn through the pocket opening to depend along the out face of the front wall of the outer pocket facilitating insertion and removal of the golf balls from the inner pocket.
Green, U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,030, discloses a woman's tennis panty which is provided with quick access pockets adjacent the leg passages in the panty, each pocket constructed to securely hold an object, such as a tennis ball, in such a manner that it will not impede the movement of the wearer, nor be ejected by body movements of the wearer of the garment.
Sica, U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,871, discloses a belt-type garment for carrying tennis balls and the like. A belt portion has front and rear surfaces and devices thereon for removably fastening the belt portion around the waist of a wearer. A longitudinally extending pocket portion is provided for carrying at least one of the balls and has front and rear sections joined at the bottoms and sides thereof to define a generally U-shaped, transverse, cross-sectional configuration. The top of the rear section is secured to the rear surface of the belt portion in a pleated arrangement for defining a plurality of successive pleats extending downwardly therefrom. An elongate elastic strip is secured in the stretched condition to the top of the front section of the pocket portion for defining, when the elastic strip is relaxed, a plurality of successive gathers extending downwardly from the top of the front section. The pleats in the rear section of the pocket portion will reduce the bulk of the pocket portion between the rear surface of the belt portion and the wearer. The gathers in the front section of the pocket portion and the elastic strip secured to the top thereof will allow an evenly distributed expansion of the top of the front section of the pocket portion for ease in insertion and removal of the ball and for holding the ball in the pocket portion. The pleats in the rear section and the gathers in the front section of the pocket portion will provide for expansion thereof for containing the ball.
Carini, U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,762, discloses a game ball holder for holding a ball, such as a tennis ball, on a garment. The holder includes two elongate strips of elastic material arranged side by side with one lateral edge of one strip adjacent to one lateral edge of the other. The adjacent lateral edges are joined together along a prescribed length from each end and un-joined for a prescribed length midway between the ends. The strips are either attached directly to a garment or attached to a base of cloth material which, in turn, is attached to the garment.
Daniels, U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,404, discloses a belt type garment for carrying tennis balls and the like that comprises a belt portion having on one extremity devices thereon for removably fastening the belt portion around the waist of the wearer. A tubular section for carrying at least one of the balls has its longitudinal seam secured to the rear surface of the belt such that the belt passes through the tubular section longitudinally at the inner circumference. At opposite extremities of the tubular section, symmetrical orifices with throats constricted transversely to the tubular axis by elongate elastic strips which are secured to the inner circumference at each throat station in the stretched condition such that when the elastic is relaxed, a plurality of successive gathers extends circumferentially at each throat forming between them the storage compartment and adjacently an infundibuliform orifice with a forward facing semi-elliptical perimeter. The elastically constricted throats allow for ease of insertion and removal of the balls while at the same time providing a secure compartment for retaining the balls during play.
Liberboim, U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,803, discloses a tennis ball holder belt having suitable fasteners to connect the belt on a tennis player and the belt having at least two ball holder panels attached thereto. The panels can be either permanently sewn to the belt or be temporarily affixed by means of snaps or other fasteners. Each panel has pockets for holding at least six tennis balls. In the conventional pocket arrangement, each panel has three upwardly facing pockets and three downwardly facing pockets. Alternatively, elastic strips attached to the panels are used as pockets, preferably with reticulated polymer surface therein to assist in retaining the tennis balls within the elastic pocket.
Richter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,441, discloses a sport garment for women that has an outer side and an inner side and comprises a fabric piece having a maximum dimension perpendicular to a centerline, an upper edge extending both ways therefrom from a first garment end to a second garment end, a lower edge including a curved central portion defining a central garment portion symmetrical with respect to the centerline and having a center of curvature above the lower edge and first and second end portions extending from the central portion to the first and second garment ends and defining first and second garment end portions, respectively, first and second pockets, each sized to receive a plurality of tennis balls, on the central portion on the outer side of the garment and symmetrical with respect to the centerline. Each pocket has an opening facing the upper edge. The garment end portions are releasably joinable about a wearer's waist with the inner side confronting the wearer's body. The garment may be worn with the central portion on that hip of the wearer selected by the wearer so that one of the pockets is on the front of the wearer's body and accessible to the hand of the wearer selected by the wearer.
Ascarrunz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,107, discloses a device that can be carried by a tennis player, which allows the player to easily store and receive tennis balls. The device includes a substantially rigid tubular member whose inside closely surrounds a standard size tennis ball, and which has a wide slot at one side through which a tennis ball can pass when resiliently deformed. With the tubular member at the player's back at waist level, the player can place a ball anywhere against the slot and press the ball through the slot into the tubular member, or reach through the slot to grasp a ball and pull it out through the slot or through an open end of the tubular member.
Salamone, U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,386, discloses a tennis skirt having a pocket hidden within a pleated, partially tacked down, knife edge tennis skirt. The pocket is hidden within the upper, tacked down portion of the pleat. Due to the unique manufacturing process of the present invention, the resulting tennis skirt provides a hidden pocket which is rugged in construction and can attractively hold tennis balls, keys and other items, without detracting from the continuous cascading pleated look of the tennis skirt. In addition a step-by-step method of manufacturing a garment, specifically a tennis skirt having a tacked down knife edge pleats with a hidden pocket is also disclosed.
Hans, U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,679, discloses a pair of athletic pants having a front panel, a back panel attached to the front panel and a pocket attached to the back panel. The pocket has an inner layer and an outer layer, the inner layer being composed of mesh. In a preferred embodiment, the outer layer is also composed of mesh.
Hans, U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,777, discloses a single layer pocket in which left edge portion and right edge portion of the single layer are spaced apart from the left edge portion and right edge portion of the back panel. The pocket is equipped with a flexibly rigid curvilinear shaped rib element affixed vertically to the pocket, and a similar rib element that extends laterally across the pocket.
Davitt, U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,445, discloses an adaptive undergarment for persons with specialized urological needs. The adaptive undergarment provides an elongate pocket for storing specialized urological articles. The elongate pocket is located preferably in a parallel spaced relationship with the waistband of the user's undergarment. The adaptive undergarment may have an additional pocket elsewhere on the undergarment for storing items such as antibacterial wipes. Each pocket is open at one edge to receive and provide access to the stored items. Any type of undergarment conforming to any user's specialized urological needs is adaptable into this adaptive undergarment.
Black, U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,446, discloses a women's undergarment that includes a fabric body having a back, a front, side portions connecting the front and the back, a top, a bottom and a crotch. A waistband is secured to the top of the fabric body, and leg openings are provided at the bottom of the fabric body separated by the crotch. Pocket structure is connected to and coextensive with the side portions of the fabric body. The pocket structure has side edges attached to a bottom edge and a top edge. Either the top edge or the bottom edge is open. The pocket structure is sized and shaped to receive a women's sanitary pad through the open edge.
Rabinowicz et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,940, discloses a tennis vest that is formed from a circularly knit fabric tube having an extended turned welt at a bottom region of the vest to form outer and inner plies. The plies are sewn together along longitudinal lines to form two pockets. A pair of openings are knitted into the outer ply, each opening associated with one pocket. The pockets and openings are sized to accommodate a tennis ball in each pocket. The pockets are preferably located on a rear side of the garment.
The related art described above discloses several solutions to the need for carrying more than one ball in the game of tennis. Several approaches are suggested. One approach is to provide a belt with pockets that may be strapped around the waist. This solutions is bulky and unsightly. A second approach is to provide pockets in standard garments worn during play. Liberboim U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,803 teaches the use of pockets that may be loaded from above, and also pockets that may be loaded from below; both pockets having an elastic pocket opening that prevents a ball from leaving the pocket until manually removed. However, standard pockets suffer from the problem that the ball must be retrieved from the pocket's one opening, and this may be difficult when the pocket is located behind the back; for instance, in trying to lift a ball up and out of the pocket by bending the arm behind the back with bent elbow and arm extending across the back. Frequently there is aggressive engagement between the fabric of the pocket and the fuzzy cover of the ball so that upon attempting to retrieve the ball, the pocket may attempt to hold the ball back or turn inside-out. Of particular interest is Carini U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,762 which teaches the use of dual elastic straps for capturing a tennis ball. However, Carini fails to teach how the ball may be absolutely secured since the positions of the straps are critical to the balls' securement. With one of the straps positioned too high or too low, the ball may be easily jarred loose. With the straps spread too far apart, the ball may squeeze through them. The present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art providing heretofore unknown advantages as described in the following summary.


A method for calibrating a printhead includes printing a test pattern, scanning the test pattern to obtain calibration data, performing an ink drop velocity optimization for the printhead using the calibration data, and determining a bi-directional offset based on the calibration data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for calibrating a printhead.
2. Description of the Related Art
In ink-jet printer systems, calibrations are required in order to ensure that the ejected drops of ink land at the desired location on the print medium. In one aspect of calibration, it is desirable that the appropriate amount of energy is used in order to eject the ink drops. The use of too little firing energy may result in variations in the amount and location of the ejected ink drops, resulting in unacceptable printed results. Too much firing energy may result in a reduced life of the printhead. The ink drop velocity can vary due to differences in the printhead, for example, different heater chip resistances or piezo electric crystal characteristics, changes in voltage level of power supply, and ink chemistry.
In addition, in order to perform bi-directional printing, e.g., printing while the printhead is moving across the page in a first direction and also printing as it is moving back in the opposite direction, it is necessary to compensate for the different printing directions so that the ink is deposited in the desired location.
What is needed in the art is an apparatus and method for calibrating a printhead.

Method and apparatus for calibrating a printhead


A method of producing an image comprising processing an imagewise exposed silver halide photosensitive material comprising a support having thereon a silver halide emulsion layer containing a silver halide sensitized with a selenium sensitizer in a black-and-white developer which contains a chelate complex salt of a transition metal. In a preferred embodiment, an electric current is passed through the developer to remove halide ions therefrom and to regenerate (reduce) the metal complex. A protective layer may be provided on the silver halide emulsion layer having a thickness of 0.6 .mu.m or less.

Black-and-white photosensitive materials are processed after exposure in processes such as black-and-white development, fixing and water washing. A black-and-white developer is used for black-and-white development, a fixer is used for fixing and town water or ion exchanged water is used for water washing and a stabilizer is used for a stabilizing process. Each processing bath is generally adjusted to a temperature of 20.degree. to 50.degree. C. and the photosensitive material is processed by immersion in these processing baths.
Of these processes, the developing process is a process wherein a developing agent which is a reducing agent acts on silver halide grains which have been sensitive by exposure to light in a photographic emulsion and the Ag.sup.+ is reduced to Ag. The silver image in a black-and-white photograph is formed in this way.
At this time, organic compounds such as 3-pyrazolidones and hydroquinones can be used as developing agents and alkaline aqueous solutions of these compounds are generally used as developers. However, it is known that metal compounds which have reducing properties with respect to silver halide grains which have been exposed to light can be used as developing agents as well as organic compounds of this type. The metal compounds in this case include salts and complexes of transition metals such as those based on vanadium, titanium, iron, and chromium for example (in practice, when listed in terms of their atomic symbols, they include Ti, Zr, Hf; V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W; Mn, Tc, Re; Fe, Ru, Os; Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pb, Pt and the like) [Nippon Shashin Zasshi, 20 (2), 62 (1957); ibid 19, 40 (1956); Nippon Shashin Zasshi, 29, 31 (1966); ibid 45(1), 33 (1982); Shashin Kogyo, March, 67 (1967); Nippon Kagaku Zasshi, No.9, 1321 (1980); PSE, 19, 283 (1975); JP-B-54-41899; Chiba University Engineering Department Research Reports, 14, 1 (1962); ibid 21(40), 169 (1970); ibid, 18, 39 (1967); ibid 21(39), 11 (1970); JP-A-50-51731; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,942,985 and 3,938,998; British Patent 1,462,972, JP-A-57-78534; PSE, 12(6), 288 (1968); PSE, 14(6), 391 (1970) etc.]. (The term "JP-A" as used herein signifies an "unexamined published Japanese patent application", and the term "JP-B" as used herein signifies an "examined Japanese patent publication".)
When compared with the organic developing agents which inevitably react with preservatives in the developer and form compounds which cannot be regenerated, these metal compounds can be regenerated by carrying out reduction electrically after development processing. Further, whereas the organic developing agents are used as alkaline liquids, the metal compounds can be used as acidic or neutral aqueous solutions with the result that the swelling of the gelatin film of the photographic photosensitive material is minimized and satisfactory processing can be achieved even when the gelating film strength of the photosensitive material is low. Moreover, the developing agent readily enters the gelatin film and development is rapid and, since the carry-over of the processing bath to the next bath is also reduced, deterioration of the next bath can also be prevented with these metal compounds. Moreover, the metal compounds have an advantage for example in that they can be used as developing agents at high concentrations, but they have disadvantages because the oxidation/reduction potential of the developer changes as the developing reaction proceeds, the activity level cannot be maintained in a stable manner, the image obtained is sometimes poor when compared to that obtained with an organic developing agent and development is slow.
Methods in which development processing is carried out while electrolytically reducing the compounds comprising metal ions of which the oxidation number is increased which are generated by the development reaction and methods in which large amounts of replenisher are used can be cited for example and methods of dealing with the problems such as those indicated above. The former electrolytic reduction method has disadvantages in respect of equipment and costs in that the electrolysis equipment is large and in that a certain amount of replenisher must be added since it is impossible to prevent accumulation of the halide ions which results in an inhibition of development. Furthermore, the latter methods in which the rate of replenishment is increased not only have a cost disadvantage but should also be avoided from the viewpoint of environmental protection. Furthermore, there are also methods wherein the developer is activated by the inclusion of a metal of the same species as the metal complex or metal ion in the developer (JP-B-54-41899) for example, but it is difficult to control the amount of metal added and the procedure is complicated.
The process for reducing a metal complex as well as removing a halide compound during treatment of the light-sensitive material is disclosed in JP-A-4-250449 and JP-A-4-243253.
Said process, however, is liable to cause disadvantages such that developing fog is liable to be caused, and in some occasion maximum density is still insufficient, and film hardness is deficient. In particular, the drawback is found that a developing process is rather slow comparing with a process using a conventional hydroquinone type developing solution.
Hence, a method where the processing performance can be maintained easily, and moreover raising the photographic speed of the image obtained by processing with the developer, reducing the fog level and, in particular, speeding up development are desirable for developers in which the developing agent is a metal compound.

Method of processing a silver halide photosensitive material containing a silver halide sensitized with a selenium sensitizer using a black-and-white developer containing a chelate complex salt of a transition metal


In a method for data processing in a multiple-database system, a fixed number of logical partitions are mapped to a number of physical databases. When a user of such system initiates a data query request, only one physical database is searched for data related to the user, even if the data is scattered among multiple databases.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to data processing in a multi-database system. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and a family of methods that provide for partitioning, storing, and searching data in a multi-database system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Managing data in a single-database system is rather simple and straightforward. However, such database systems lack database scalability when demand for a higher database capacity arises. One solution to this problem has been adopting multiple databases. But, such systems suffer from speed degradation during data query processing. Specifically, when a user of such systems initiates a data query request, each database has to be searched even if the target data is in only one database. This data query processing is slow and inefficient.
For example, in prior electronic invitation systems, where each user may create invitation data, the invitation data is generally scattered among multiple-databases. When a user wishes to view an invitation he or she has received, a query for such information requires searching each one of the multiple databases. This data query technique is slow and inefficient. In addition, like single database systems, prior multiple-database systems lack scalability.
There is a need, therefore, for efficient multiple-database management and data query processing system and method that solve the above problems.

Method and system for processing data in a multi-database system


The invention relates to a crane comprising bogie structures (3) in the corners of the crane, a tandem drive wheel and idle wheel (8, 9) arranged in each bogie structure and provided to turn in the bogie structure offset from their vertical axes, and a turning device arrangement (15, 16) provided between each wheel pair for turning the wheel pair in cooperation to a selected position, the turning device arrangement comprising at least two turning rods (15, 16) connecting the wheels, which turning rods are connected to counterparts (17, 18, 19, 20) provided for each turning position or function in load-bearing structures (10, 11) of the wheels (8, 9) and turning along therewith, whereby at one wheel the position of the turning rods or the counterparts in the load-bearing structure is slidable around the load-bearing structure, yet the one of the counterparts or turning rods that corresponds to the selected turning position may be locked with a locking mechanism (21, 22, 23, 24) immobile with respect to the load-bearing structure for enabling wheel turning.

The invention relates to turning tandem bogie wheels of a rubber-tyred crane by means of one drive mechanism. More precisely, the invention relates to a crane comprising bogie structures in the corners of the crane, two wheels arranged in tandem in each bogie structure, the wheels being arranged in the bogie structure to be turnable about the vertical axis, the wheels being offset from the vertical axis, one wheel being a drive wheel and the other an idle wheel, a mechanism that drives and turns each drive wheel, and a turning device arrangement provided between each wheel pair for turning the wheel pair in co-operation to a selected position.
A gantry crane type that is generally used in container freight terminals is a powered rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) crane. Cranes come in a variety of types and sizes; generally, the classification is based on the number of wheels in the crane, i.e. 4-, 8- or 16-wheeled cranes. The crane has various operating modes, i.e. directions of movement: normal, lateral and circling. In the normal, common operating mode, the crane wheels are perpendicular to the driving direction of the hoist carriage of the crane. This mode enables the crane to move in the direction of a container stack. In the lateral mode the crane wheels are turned to be in parallel with the driving direction of the hoist carriage, and consequently it is possible to move the crane between the container stacks. In the circling mode the crane wheels are turned tangentially to the crane's centre (radius of turn). In this mode it is possible to rotate the crane horizontally about its central axis.
There are various wheel turning arrangements and two basic principles apply in the most commonly used ones. In the arrangement in accordance with the first basic principle, crane wheels are turned with a separate turning mechanism, typically a hydraulic cylinder or a separate turning apparatus. The wheels are placed in a centralized manner with respect to the radius of turn and the wheel is turned on the spot. It is known that the arrangement concerned requires great force and wears the wheel considerably. According to the second basic principle, the driving mechanism of the crane is used for turning the wheels, and in that case the wheel is offset from the turning centre and turns rolling.
To turn crane wheels by means of the drive mechanism is known, for instance, from publications FI 101957 B and JP 2001-213587 A and JP 2002-137887 A.
Publication FI 101957 B discloses a bogie wheel arrangement, in which one bogie comprises two wheels side by side, one of the wheels being a drive wheel and the other an idle wheel. Each bogie comprises a specific drive mechanism and consequently a specific turning mechanism.
Publications JP 2001-213587 A and JP 2002-137887 A disclose a bogie arrangement, in which there are two bogies, both having two wheels side by side. The drive mechanism is only arranged in one bogie, and for turning the bogies are interconnected with a turning rod or the like and a mechanism providing a turning motion, generally a hydraulic cylinder.
Now, it is desired that the corresponding turning principle be applied to an 8-wheel crane, for instance, in which one bogie comprises two tandem wheels. The arrangement concerned poses a problem, however, that in order to provide all three operating modes the position of the wheels in different modes is not viable or optimal. If the connecting bar between the wheels is cross-coupled on different sides of the turning centre of the wheels, the wheels can be turned in a transverse mode symmetrically at the bogie ends, whereby loading will be evenly distributed on both wheels. However, this does not allow a circling mode arrangement, because the wheels cannot be turned in the same direction. If the connecting rod is coupled on the same side of the turning centres, a circling mode will work, but in a transverse position the wheels are asymmetrical with respect to the bogie centre. For instance, the solution of the above-mentioned JP-publications does not provide any help in turning two tandem wheels placed asymmetrically with respect to the turning centre in the bogie, because in the arrangement of the JP publications the wheels of each bogie are placed symmetrically with respect to the turning centre, and thus the above-mentioned symmetry-related problem does not occur.


An electrode assembly includes a positive electrode including a positive active material layer on each of first and second surfaces of a positive electrode current collector, a negative electrode including a negative active material layer on each of first and second surfaces of a negative electrode current collector, and an inner separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein each of the positive electrode and the negative electrode includes a side end uncoated region at respective side ends of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, the side end uncoated regions of each of the positive and negative electrodes including no active material layers on respective electrode current collectors, and wherein at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode has an inner uncoated region positioned at a center of the electrode assembly, the inner uncoated region including no active material layer thereon.

1. Field
The described technology relates generally to an electrode assembly and a rechargeable battery, and more particularly, the described technology relates generally to an electrode assembly with an improved structure of an uncoated region, and a rechargeable battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rechargeable batteries are batteries that can be repeatedly charged and discharged, e.g., as opposed to primary batteries that are incapable of being recharged. Small-capacitance rechargeable batteries may be used for small portable electronic devices, e.g., a mobile phone, a laptop computer, and a camcorder, and large-capacitance batteries may be used to supply power, e.g., for driving a motor in hybrid vehicles.
Recently, a high power rechargeable battery using a non-aqueous electrolyte with high energy density has been developed. The high power rechargeable battery is configured as a large-capacitance battery module by connecting a plurality of rechargeable batteries in series to be used for driving a motor in a machine requiring large power, e.g., an electric vehicle. Further, the rechargeable battery may be formed in a cylindrical shape, a polygonal shape, or a pouch shape.
In the rechargeable battery, the positive electrode includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive active material layer disposed on both sides of the positive electrode current collector, and the negative electrode includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative active material layer disposed on both sides of the negative electrode. The positive electrode and the negative electrode are wound with a separator therebetween to define an electrode assembly.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Electrode assembly and rechargeable battery having the same


A recording apparatus including: recording modules each having a first conveyance path; a first common tray having a support surface; and a second conveyance path connecting each first conveyance path and the first common tray, wherein the recording modules are disposed such that the first conveyance paths are parallel to and are spaced apart from each other in a direction orthogonal to the first conveyance paths, and wherein an angle formed by any continuous two path portions in the second conveyance path, an angle formed by the second conveyance path and the support surface of the first common tray, and an angle formed by the second conveyance path and each first conveyance path are made larger than 90° and are not larger than 180°, such that a maximum bending angle of a recording medium that is conveyed between the first common tray and each recording module is less than 90°.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus configured to record an image.
2. Description of Related Art
There is known a printer (recording apparatus) having a plurality of printing units disposed in parallel. When a large amount of printed matter is produced, for instance, the printing units are operated in parallel, so as to achieve high-speed printing. The printer has a plurality of printing units stacked on each other in the height direction of the printer, a sheet-supply unit, and a discharged-sheet collection unit. The sheet-supply unit has a main sheet-supply hopper and a connection guide path. The sheet-supply unit is configured to supply recording sheets to the printing units. Each printing unit has a printing portion for recording an image on the recording sheet. Further, each printing unit has paths (a sheet-supply guide path and a branch path) for conveying the recording sheet from the sheet-supply unit and paths (a connection guide path and a sheet-discharge guide path) for conveying the recording sheet on which an image has been recorded. The discharged-sheet collection unit has a receiving guide path and a discharged-sheet receiving tray. The recording sheets conveyed from the printing units are discharged to discharged-sheet receiving tray.


The present invention includes a method of maintaining rumen health in ruminants. The method includes providing to a ruminant a low-moisture block made of molasses and having a buffer. The low-moisture buffer block is specifically designed such that licking rather than chewing consumes the block. The licking action of the cows increases salivation, which acts as a natural buffer for the maintenance of the overall rumen health.

Efficient rumen fermentation in ruminants is important to maximizing feed intake, feed efficiency, production of milk, meat, or other animal products, and maintaining acceptable levels of milk components. A healthy rumen environment reduces the risk and incidence of metabolic disorders that can occur with improper feeding management or abrupt feed intake changes, such as acidosis.
Current cattle industry practices incorporate the genetic selection of certain characteristics such as feed efficiency or maximized milk production. Genetic selection can result in animals that gain weight efficiently and/or produce large volumes of high quality milk. Genetically selected cattle are fed energy dense rations to maximize milk production. Energy dense rations can inhibit fiber fermentation and increase the difficulty of maintaining an optimal rumen environment. The feeding of high concentrate diets for cattle has increased awareness of problems associated with ruminal acidosis and the implications it has on feed consumption, feed efficiency, production of milk, meat, or other animal products, and animal health.
Current practices also include self-feeding for certain animals, which may include finishing beef and finishing dairy beef cattle. Self-fed nutrition management programs provide all or part of an animal's complete diet in feeder equipment that allows free access for the animal to this diet at all times of the day over the entire feeding period. Self-feeding often occurs in dry lot environments, but can occur in other environments as well. Typically, self-fed programs are designed for feeding beef and dairy cattle to the appropriate weight and fatness level whereby the resulting meat satisfies the standards of the meat industry. Self-fed programs can also be provided at any time during the growing and development periods for animals to achieve their desired weight and maturity. Because animals lack the nutritional wisdom to regulate their feed consumption to optimize health, growth, and beneficial rumen microbial growth, acute and subacute digestive disorders can result in these self-fed environments.
A substantial drop in ruminal pH can damage the rumen wall, decrease blood pH, cause dehydration, laminitis, or erratic feed consumption patterns, and severely depress feed intake and feed efficiency. During acidosis and the recovery period, females may also experience decreased milk production. Maintaining a healthy rumen pH and preventing disorders such as acidosis can therefore improve feed intake, feed efficiency, productive milk output, milk quality indices, and feedlot animal performance, including meat production.
One form of acidosis, subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), is likely the most economically important disorder of dairy cattle in the United States. Economic losses due to SARA result from decreased feed intake, erratic feed consumption, decreased feed efficiencies, decreased milk production, decreased efficiency of milk production, premature culling, reduced animal health, and increased death loss. Severely affected herds commonly encounter extreme financial difficulties and often are forced to exit the beef or dairy industries.
SARA is defined as periods of moderately depressed ruminal pH (about 5.0 to 5.5) that are between acute and chronic in duration. The most consistent and immediate clinical sign of SARA is depressed feed intake. This is a normal, physiological effort by the animal to restore its ruminal pH to 5.5 or greater by reducing the supply of carbohydrates available for fermentation in the rumen. Fibrolytic bacteria are inhibited during periods of depressed ruminal pH, which decreases digestive efficiency. These factors combine to reduce such vital production variables as feed efficiency, milk yield, profitability, and impair animal comfort and health.
Health problems due to SARA may follow an initial drop in feed intake, weight gain, milk production and milk production efficiency. Clinical signs from SARA are delayed in onset from the time of the low ruminal pH insult. These signs are the result of a pathophysiological cascade of events that begins with rumenitis. Once the ruminal epithelium is inflamed, bacteria may colonize the papillae and leak into portal circulation. These bacteria may cause liver abscesses, which sometimes cause peritonitis around the site of the abscess. If the ruminal bacteria clear the liver (or if bacteria from liver infections are released into circulation), they may colonize in the lungs, heart valves, kidneys, or joints. The resulting pneumonia, endocarditis, pyelonephritis, and arthritis are all chronic inflammatory diseases that are difficult to diagnose ante-mortem. SARA may also be associated with laminitis and subsequent hoof overgrowth, sole abscesses, and sole ulcers. These foot problems generally do not appear until weeks or months after the bout of ruminal acidosis that caused them. Herds affected with SARA typically have high involuntary cull rates and high death losses.
Lactate accumulates transiently in the rumen of animals affected with SARA. This lactate is eventually absorbed as lactic acid or converted to less harmful organic acids. However, any lactate accumulation in ruminal fluid is undesirable because it has the potential to dramatically lower ruminal pH due to the very low pKa of lactate (3.9) compared to acetate, propionate, and butyrate (pKa of about 4.8).
Thus, there is a need in the art for a system and method for maintaining rumen health, including improving ruminal pH, in ruminants.

Supplement for maintaining rumen health in ruminants


A dental device, in particular a dental implant, including an outer body made of ceramic or metal; and an inner body made of metal or ceramic, provided that when the outer body is made of metal the inner body is made of ceramic and when the outer body is made of ceramic the inner body is made of metal, wherein the metal body is produced by metal injection molding and the ceramic body is produced by ceramic injection molding as well as to a method for manufacturing the same.

Dental devices in general and dental implants in particular are nowadays made basically of two classes of materials: metals and ceramics.
With regards to metal, several metals are used for forming implants. Each metal has its own characteristic which renders the metal a possible suitable choice for the dental implants. For example, Ti (titanium) or titanium alloy are generally used. Titanium dental implants are relatively light, have high strength, and they have excellent corrosion resistance and bio-compatibility.
Alternatively ceramic materials such as zirconia-based, alumina-based and/or sapphire-based ceramics have been used for manufacturing dental implants or dental devices.
Dental devices, in general, and dental implants, in particular, formed from ceramic materials have the disadvantage that the material is more brittle as shown by a low value for the notched bar impact test. Ceramic materials are also susceptible to uncontrolled internal and external micro-cracks, and therefore they are prone to fail catastrophically. Moreover, artificial ceramic dental devices are rather expensive. However, the ceramic dental devices in general and the visible section of dental implants in particular, have a better aesthetic impact with respect to the metal implant and therefore enjoy a higher acceptance with the dental device bearer.
Furthermore, in some instances, a dental implant which is made of metal only may come into contact with an abutment/crown which is also made of a metal like for instance titanium, titanium alloy, gold or a gold alloy. Alternatively the abutment/crown is made of ceramic such as zirconia-based, alumina-based (for instance in-ceram®) and/or sapphire-based ceramics, or a ceramic glass composite. In the first metal to metal case, saliva or tissue fluid, acting as an electrolyte, may cause a galvanic electric current to flow which in extreme cases may have unpleasant effects for the dental prosthesis bearer. Also the metal, in particular if metals other than titanium are used in contact with a titanium implant, may cause inflammation and irritation of the soft tissue which it contacts.
In view of the above, there is the need of a dental device that combines the advantages of the metal made dental devices with those of the ceramic made dental devices and which can be easily manufactured.
Furthermore, in view of the foregoing, there is the particular need for a dental implant that combines the advantages of the metal made dental implants with those of the ceramic made dental implants and which can be easily manufactured.

Dental device and method to manufacture the same


A hydrodynamic treatment device comprises a vessel (2) within which is disposed an inner partition (24). The inner partition (24) divides the interior of the vessel (2) into outer and inner regions (22, 28). Flow enters the vessel (2) through a tangentially oriented inlet (14) and establishes a complex circulating flow within the vessel (2). Settleable solids migrate to the bottom of the vessel (2) and are deposited in a sump (20) through a solids outlet opening (18). Flow enters the inner region (28) through apertures (34) in the inner partition (24), and is discharged through an outlet duct (8). The inner region (28) is closed at its lower end by a frusto-conical, downwardly diverging lower wall (30) which projects outwardly from a central cylindrical wall (26).

The material to be separated may be settleable solids such as grit, sediments and fine particulates, or liquids having a lower density than the main liquid flow (which may be oils and hydrocarbons if the main liquid is water), or gross solids that may be neutrally buoyant, such as street debris including bottles, crisp packets, cigarette ends, leaves, etc.
Hydrodynamic treatment vessels or vortex separators are well known and are based on initial research work carried out in the 1950's and 1960's (Design, Construction and performance of vortex overflows, Bernard Smisson, Symposium on Storm Sewage Overflows, Institution of Civil Engineers, 1967, pages 99-110). They have found application as combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and as grit separators.
Separators known as "Hydro-Dynamic" separators are low energy devices which operate by causing a liquid containing suspended solid material to rotate in a cylindrical vessel so that the solid material falls under gravity and inertial forces to the base and once there is swept to a central lower outlet by an inward sweeping effect caused by complex flow patterns in the device. It is known that the device is suitable for providing enhanced settlement of solids material from a liquid/solid mixture. Thus, such devices have been used in sewage treatment for separating hard grit from the incoming raw sewage, with the resultant degritted sewage then being passed to a conventional sewage treatment plant. They are also used as "storm water overflows" upstream of conventional sewage treatment works to ensure that gross contamination is separated from liquid waste discharged to watercourses during storm conditions when the sewage treatment works is unable to cope with the high flow. "Hydro-Dynamic" separators of this type are described and claimed in, for instance, our British Patent Specifications Nos. 2082941 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,366) and 2158741 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,962).
The known hydro-dynamic separator is a simple device with no moving parts. The simple geometry of the device however, hides an internal complexity of flow structure. The mean flow pattern observed is a downward helical flow in the outer region and an upward helical flow near the central region of the separator. These two spiral flow regimes are separated by a shear zone region. The combination of underflow and overflow leads to a non-uniform axial flow profile. The effects of fluid viscosity, boundary layers and momentum transfer between adjacent zones of flow moving at different velocities, cause velocity gradients and vorticity (rotation) to be present. These result in a secondary flow, superimposed on the primary flow, which in turn results in solids being swept towards a lower outlet, and thence to a solids collection trough or hopper. The hydraulic regime in the separator ensures very little short-circuiting with a near plug-flow type flow regime.
The effectiveness of a hydrodynamic separator can be expressed quantitatively in terms of removal efficiency and retention efficiency. Removal efficiency represents the percentage of particles in the incoming flow which are removed from within the separator. Retention efficiency represents the percentage of particles or other contaminants in the incoming flow which are retained within the device and do not reach the clean water outlet. Both the removal efficiency and retention efficiency will vary according to the characteristics of particle concerned, such as its size, density and shape, but the objective is to maximise the percentage of particles either removed from the flow or retained within the treatment device, particularly for smaller particle sizes, such as those below 400 microns.
Optimising the performance of hydrodynamic separators is extremely difficult. Small changes in geometry can have major effects on removal and retention efficiencies, and consequently the optimisation process requires the construction of many prototypes. This is both expensive and time consuming, and does not lead to a guaranteed improvement in performance.
Computational fluid dynamics enables computer modelling of treatment vessels, and of the flow regimes which are created within them. However, the complex nature of the flow and, as mentioned above, the effect on performance of small changes in geometry mean that even computational fluid dynamics is not completely reliable in optimising the performance of hydrodynamic treatment devices in a practical environment.
A development of the separators disclosed in GB 2082941 and GB 2158741 is disclosed in WO00/62888. The separator disclosed in that document comprises a cylindrical vessel containing a hollow column which terminates at its lower end at a downwardly diverging conical member. Shortly above the conical member, the hollow column has openings which permit flow from the main body of the vessel into the column. There is an outlet for such flow at the top of the column.
A dip plate surrounds the column, and acts to stabilise flow patterns within the vessel. In operation, flow can take place around the dip plate to the openings in the column, and thence up the column to the outlet.
The present invention arises from a desire to increase the removal and retention efficiencies of separators of the type disclosed in GB 2082941, GB 2158741 and WO00/62888.


A power sensing regenerator includes a pair of displacers (24 and 26) connected in tandem for dividing a flow of fluid from a pump (12) into predetermined proportions for servicing one or more loads (42). Flow control valves (32 and 34) regulate respective flows from the displacers (24 and 26) to the one or more loads (42). A control system, which includes differential pressure regulators of the flow control valves (32 and 34), responds to a difference between discharge pressures of the displacers (24 and 26) for reducing discharge pressure of the pump (12).

The design of fluid power systems often reflects a compromise between efficiency and the combination of complexity and response time. For example, increased efficiency is often gained at a cost of both increased complexity and decreased response time.
Some of the least complex and fastest responding fluid power systems generate fluid power with fixed displacement pumps that are sized to satisfy a demand for a given flow rate at a system pressure. Any excess flow that is not required to sustain the system pressure is exhausted by a relief valve but is otherwise available at the system pressure to satisfy a demand for additional flow. Energy losses are calculated as a product of the volume of exhausted fluid and its drop in pressure. Additional losses are associated with throttling that may be required to satisfy a demand for reduced pressure by a load.
Efficiency can be improved by adding a so-called "priority unloading" valve that maintains a predetermined compensating differential pressure across a restrictor between the fixed displacement pump and a load. The compensating differential pressure across the restrictor is maintained by exhausting any excess flow before it reaches the restrictor. Output pressure of the pump is limited to the sum of the compensating differential pressure across the restrictor and an instant load pressure demand.
Any excess flow that is not required to sustain the compensating differential pressure across the restrictor is exhausted at the output pressure of the pump, which may be significantly less than the system pressure limit maintained by the relief valve. Throttling losses are also limited by the compensating differential pressure. Although the excess flow is available to satisfy a demand for additional flow, response time may be decreased by the reduced pressure at which the excess flow is available.
A further improvement in efficiency can be made by replacing the fixed displacement pump and priority unloading valve with a pressure compensated variable displacement pump. The output capacity of the variable displacement pump is varied to sustain the system pressure. Although no excess flow is produced, considerable throttling may be necessary to satisfy a demand for a reduced pressure by a load. Instant demands for increased pressure are satisfied by reduced throttling, but the output capacity of the pump must be varied to sustain the pressure increase.
Generally, the highest efficiencies are exhibited by so-called "load sensing" systems in which the output capacity of a variable displacement pump is controlled to maintain a predetermined operating differential pressure across a flow control valve. No excess flow is produced and throttling losses across the flow control valve are limited by the operating differential pressure. However, neither additional flow nor additional pressure is available to significantly reduce response time over the time required to vary the output capacity of the variable displacement pump.
Nonetheless, even the most efficient load sensing systems waste considerable energy in branch lines that convey fluid to separate loads having unequal pressure demands. Although load sensing systems can limit throttling losses in the highest pressure branch to the operating differential pressure, all of the other branches are supplied at the same output pressure of the variable displacement pump and require additional throttling. Such energy losses are increased by either reduced pressure or increased flow demands in the lower pressure branches.
Similar energy losses also occur in branches supplied by fixed displacement pumps. Typically, all of the branches are supplied at the predetermined output pressure of the fixed displacement pump, and throttling losses in each branch depend upon the amount of flow in each branch and upon the difference between the predetermined output pressure of the pump and the individual load pressure demands of each branch. Significant disparities in flow rate and pressure between branches produce considerable energy losses.
Flow dividers have been used in branch circuits to apportion different amounts of flow between the branches. Some flow dividers are made up of pressure compensated restrictors that divide the flow into fixed proportions independently of inlet pressure. Although throttling losses at flow control valves in the branch circuits are reduced, the total losses in each branch, combining the throttling losses at the flow control valves with the throttling losses at the pressure compensated restrictors, remain the same.
However, gangs of fixed size displacers (e.g., gear pump/motor devices) have also been used to divide flow between branches in proportion to the respective capacities of the displacers. Although the displacers maintain flows in fixed proportions, a reduction in outlet pressure of one displacer, so operating as a motor, is converted into an increase in outlet pressure of another displacer, so operating as a pump. The variation in outlet pressures distributes fluid power in different proportions to the branches, but the total power delivered to all of the branches remains constant. Any reduction in the total power demand of the branches with respect to a constant power delivered to the displacers is lost as wasted energy.


An output circuit for a semiconductor memory device includes at least an output transistor and a level conversion circuit. In this case, the level conversion circuit is connected to the output transistor. The output transistor is connected to a ground terminal and an output terminal. In this condition, the level conversion circuit converts an input signal in level and supplies the converted input signal to the output transistor as drive signal. With such a structure, a predetermined booster voltage is given to the level conversion circuit. Consequently, the ground potential appears at the output terminal without an access delay when the output transistor is turned on by the drive signal.

This invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and in particular, to a semiconductor memory device having output circuits for supplying output signals to outside.
Recently, a high integration and a high density have been realized in this kind of semiconductor memory device. Such a highly integrated circuit often has such a structure that a plurality of memory cells are divided into a plurality of memory arrays. In this case, an output circuit for amplifying a signal read from each memory cell is connected to each memory array because the read signal is excessively low in level. The output circuit amplifies the read signal to a level acceptable in a peripheral circuit such as an output device.
Such an output circuit generally receives two input signals which are complementary to each other and supplies an output signal corresponding to the input signals through an output terminal. More specifically, the output circuit has a pair of transistors which are connected in series between a first terminal and a second terminal. In this case, the first terminal is given a power supply voltage, while the second terminal is grounded. With such a structure, an output terminal is taken out from a point of connection common to both transistors. Further, drive signals corresponding to the two complementary input signals are given to input terminals (gates) of the transistors.
In this structure, the power supply voltage is given to the output terminal as the output signal when the transistor at the side of the first terminal which is given the power supply voltage is turned on in response to the two complementary input signals. On the other hand, the output terminal is grounded when the transistor at the side of the grounded second terminal is turned on in response to the two input signals.
Conventionally, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. S62-239496 (reference 1) discloses such an output circuit that an output signal of a high level which is given to an output terminal is sufficiently raised up and further, the output signal is outputted at a high speed. To this end, suggestion has been made about the output circuit which has a booster circuit at an input side of a transistor of a power supply terminal side in the reference 1. In this event, the booster circuit raises an input signal to supply a raised-up voltage to the transistor.
On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. S59-140689 (reference 2) discloses an output circuit having a pair of output transistor and bootstrap drive circuits which are connected to gates of the transistors. In this case, the output transistors are structured by connecting a pair of MOS transistors to each other in series. With such a structure, consumption of a current continuously given can be remarkably saved by the use of the bootstrap drive circuit. This shows that a large capacity load can be driven by the gate of the output transistor. In other words, the output circuit dispenses with an amplifier, such a preamplifier, which is to be connected in front of the bootstrap drive circuit. In addition, the circuit can be simplified by connecting the bootstrap drive circuits to the input sides of the output transistors. In this event, the bootstrap circuit in the reference 2 is driven the same voltage as the power supply voltage of the output circuit.
None of the references 1 and 2 point out about a problem which occurs when an output circuit is arranged for each of a plurality of memory arrays and the ground terminals of all output circuits are commonly connected to a ground pad. More specifically, distances between the ground side output transistors in the output circuit and the ground pad are different from each other for each memory array. Consequently, an output potential of each output terminal is different for each memory array when the ground side output transistor is turned on so that the output terminal is electrically connected to the ground pad.
Taking the above into consideration, the output signal which is supplied to the output terminal quickly makes a transition to the high level when the booster circuit is connected to the transistor of the power supply terminal side, like in the reference 1. However, the output signal slowly makes a transition to the low level on the ground side as compared to the transition to the high level on the power supply terminal side. Consequently, an access delay of the output signal occurs in the transition to the low level. In addition, a noise becomes large with a fluctuation of the ground potential of each memory cell in the structure of the reference 1.
Further, the access delay on the transition to the low level of the output signal can not be prevented even when the bootstrap drive circuit is given the same voltage as the power supply voltage and is connected on the input side of each output transistor.