This invention relates to a method to compensate by a server a clock deviation of a card i by maintaining a time base Tbase (i) synchronized with card i, the method comprising the steps of: receiving at a time TS a dynamic card verification dCVV code value generated by card i; providing a set of at least two dCVV code corresponding to two successive dCVV time periods; if the dCVV code received from card i corresponds to one of the dCVV codes of the provided set but is different from the reference dCVV code, determine the minimum possible timing drift Min_td between the time base maintained by the server for the card and the time base Tbase(i) of the card; updating time base Tbase(i) by addition of a time drift correction equal to the minimum possible time drift Min_td.

Currently, solutions exist already for making bank cards that can secure transactions by means of simple identification of the card by its number, date of validity and holder by telephone or via the Internet.
A banking card is generally implemented as a smartcard. Smartcards are plastic cards having at least an embedded smartcard chip. A smartcard chip is an integrated microcontroller generally comprising a central processing unit, a random access memory, a ROM memory and an EEPROM memory. A dual interface smartcard is a smartcard provided with a contact and a contactless communication interfaces. The integrated microcontroller is connected to both communication interfaces to perform transactions. Such a smartcard can carry out a transaction through its contact interface when it is hosted in a smartcard reader. Such a smartcard can carry out a transaction through its contactless interface when a contactless reader is located in near-field area. Smartcards are widely used to store sensitive information such as cryptographic keys or software routines that implement valuable algorithms or know-how.
A simple means of securing a transaction is the three-digit security code, also called CSC (Card Security Code), CVV (Card Verification Value), CVC (Card Verification Code) or V-code. The authors of this application use the widespread acronym that is known to those skilled in the art, CVV.
One of the problems of this means of securing is that the code is displayed statically on one of the sides of the card. As a result, the code can be read easily by a third party and be used jointly with the other information collected on the card.
To improve the security of such transactions using bank cards, making the CVV dynamic is known. The dynamic CVV, also noted dCVV, is a code that varies over time, which is displayed on the card. The variable code is supplied by a generator of the synchronized pseudo-random type with a server that makes it possible to verify the authenticity of the code depending on the date and time of the transaction.
During a banking transaction using the dCVV mechanism, a banking server needs to calculate the current dCVV for the given card at the current time, thanks to secrets and algorithm, and checks the card dCVV, displayed on card and read by the cardholder, by comparison to the calculated value. If the dCVV calculated by the card and the one calculated by the banking server have the same value, the banking transaction can be proceeded. On the contrary, the banking transaction fails in case of incorrect dCVV comparison.
As the dCVV mechanism is based on time, a Real Time Clock (RTC) using a 32.768 KHz crystal embedded in the card. Despite all the precaution taken during the manufacturing of the card, the crystal frequency is not exactly adjusted to 32.768 KHz and can vary due to external parameters such as temperature, ageing or load capacitance variation. So, a possible frequency deviation of a few ppm (parts per million) causes time deviation with the consequence of an advanced or delayed generation of the dCVV by the card compared to the one that is calculated by the banking server for verification purpose. Indeed, the server generally uses an accurate time base synchronized with the TAI (International Atomic Time).
In order to cope with this problem, several technologies belonging to the state of the art can be implemented in the card and/or in the server.
A time window can be defined and used during the verification process handled by the server. When a dCVV code is generated by the card and then received by the verification server, it is compared to all the dCVV codes generated by the verification server for the aforementioned time window. The drawback of this mechanism is that the system security is impacted. A dCVV code is generally represented using three digit allowing one thousand different code values. If the time window corresponds to five successive generated dCVV codes, a hacker transmitting a dCVV code chosen randomly will have one chance in two hundreds to find one allowing to proceed with the transaction. Therefore, this timing window should be as small as possible in order to reach an acceptable level of security.
A well-known mechanism can also be implemented by the card to mitigate at least partly the time drift due to the temperature variations. For that purpose, a sensor measuring periodically the temperature is implemented in the card. Based on the detected temperature variations, the card clock is then corrected. However, this mechanism is not sufficient to efficiently correct the whole timing drift as it is also due to other factors.

Method to compensate by a server a clock deviation of a card


An electron beam trajectory controlling device includes a main deflection section having a first main coil and defining a first path and being configured to control a trajectory of an electron traveling along the first path. The main deflection section includes a first auxiliary coil provided proximate the first main coil. A minor deflection section is provided adjacent to the main deflection section and has a first minor coil that is coupled to the first auxiliary coil. The minor deflection section defines a second electron path that is aligned to the first path. The minor deflection section cooperates with the main deflection section to control the trajectory of the electron.

The present invention relates to a display device, and particularly to a cathode ray tube including a deflection yoke and a display device thereof.
In one conventional technique, a horizontal auxiliary coil and a vertical auxiliary coil are wound toroidally about a main core, and a horizontal auxiliary transformer or a vertical auxiliary transformer is provided to cancel a voltage induced from a main deflection yoke (see, FIGS. 3 to 5 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-129846). The main core defines the sole deflection yoke in this art.
In another conventional technique, a portion of a coil of a main deflection yoke is wound about a minor core (see, FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-21330). Accordingly, the portion of the coil wound about the minor yoke cooperates with a portion of the coil wound about the main core to more finely control the trajectory of electrons passing through the main and minor cores, i.e., increase the deflection sensitivity.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Deflection yoke and cathode ray tube device


An insole for insertion into an article of footwear, comprising flexible upper sheet, lower sheet, insulating dielectric sheet, capacitive force sensors with upper electrodes and lower electrodes and networks of upper conductive leads and lower conductive leads. The insole comprises a chip support member and control and transmit electronics comprising a control electronic and a wireless transceiver.

In medical fields or sport training, it is often desirable to know the distribution of pressure forces exerted by the feet of a person, in a static or dynamic manner.
For instance, in the medical field, foot pressure monitoring could find applications as sole diagnostic podiatry or orthopaedics. By allowing a continuous monitoring of abnormal foot pressures, a system for monitoring foot pressure could also improve the prevention of foot lesions for diabetic patient with neuropathy.
In sports, a foot pressure monitoring insole, worn by a sportsman and connected to a remote server, could allow the athlete to quantify his or her moves and improve his or her performances.
Several systems and insoles for monitoring foot pressure are known.
For instance, WO 2009/070782 describes a force sensing system that can be used to sense pressure at a plurality of points of a user's foot and that comprise several transducers, processing means for processing the data acquired by the sensors and transmission means for transmitting the data to a remote server.
Document WO 2009/089406 also describes an insole including an array of pressure sensors together with signal processing means and a wireless transmitter able to relay the acquired signals to a remote.
However, these systems and insole present several drawbacks.
Under regular use, the insoles suffer strong stresses and structural constraints arising from the numerous bending cycles. Consequently, the connection between the electronic modules and the sensors quickly deteriorate and lead to malfunctions of the insole.
Moreover, the thicknesses of such insoles prevent an easy integration in various articles of footwear.
Processing modules, and in particular the connection means between electronic modules and sensors, are also often a source of discomfort for the user that hinders the adoption of such systems and insoles.
There are thus needs for systems and insoles for monitoring foot pressure that would be reliable in the long time, that would provide the user with a comfortable experience, could be easily switched between several articles of footwear, would have a low profile and/or a low cost.
There is also a need for insoles that can easily communicate with remote servers in order to quantify and analyse acquired data.
The instant invention has thus notably for object to improve this situation.

Insoles for insertion into an article of footwear and system for monitoring a foot pressure

Abstract: An upper contacting tab of the upper sheet is in surface contact with the chip support member and comprises conductive leads connected to the upper electrodes. A lower contacting tab of the lower sheet is in surface contact with the chip support member and comprises conductive leads connected to the lower electrodes.


An automated casino gaming system includes a central game controller to which a number of automated writer stations are connected. In the keno playing embodiment disclosed, the automated writer stations each have a keypad with two colored LEDs mounted under each key. To play a game, patrons first insert a card into the automated writer station to identify their account maintained on the central game controller. The patron then enters a wager on the automated writer station. As the patron picks the desired numbers, LEDs of one color associated with the keys for the numbers will light. The patron presses a PLAY key to transmit an electronic "ticket" to the central game controller. When the period for entering wagers has ended, the central game controller requests a random draw from a separate, secure random number generator. The central game controller credits the accounts of winning players according to a preconfigured pay table before transmitting the results to the automated writer stations, where the draw is displayed on the keypad one number at a time using a second color of LED. The system can be configured with a cutoff level, with wins above the cutoff level being flagged for handpayment or for the automatic generation of tax forms. Cashier workstations connected to the central game controller implement a total cash management system which tracks all transactions and determines the amount of cash that should be at each cashier station.

Many state governments sponsor lotteries in which players choose a set of numbers and purchase a ticket containing these numbers. A daily or weekly drawing is then conducted using a mechanical device which randomly dispenses numbered balls, and players win money depending on the quantity of balls matching their ticket numbers. The tickets are purchased for a standard cash price at sales locations which may in some cases be connected to a central computer, and payments to winners are made in cash at these outlets or at a lottery office. Such lotteries are sometimes automated, using equipment such as that shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,494,197 and 4,689,742 to Troy et al. and 4,323,770 to Dieulot et al. Such a lottery system will not perform satisfactorily in a casino, since profits will depend on the number of drawings that can be conducted in a given accounting period and the time required to print tickets, collect wagers, and make manual payments limits the speed at which games can be conducted. To maximize profits, drawings should be continual and the personnel needed for accepting wagers, paying out winnings, and securing the area should be minimized. In addition, slow-paced, fixed-wager drawings are less satisfying to players, who generally prefer faster-paced, more exciting games and who may wish to bet larger amounts in anticipation of a larger payoff. Therefore, in certain regions, keno parlors have been provided where such drawings are conducted at frequent intervals, such as every 5-10 minutes. Keno is a social game, rather than an individualized game of chance such as a slot machine. In keno parlors, players pick a desired group of numbers. Then, 15-20 numbers out of 80 possible are randomly selected, one at a time, in a central location in the parlor as players watch. All players compare their "picks" to the same set of chosen numbers. While freestanding automated keno games which draw numbers for a single player have been developed, these games do not provide the desired social aspects and group excitement of keno since players at individual machines are not affected by the same drawing.
Manual keno games are very popular, but are costly to operate since a large number of personnel are needed to accept bets before each draw, conduct the draw, and make payoffs after a draw. In a typical gaming jurisdiction, regulators will permit casinos to set odds for keno such that the casino's gross profit is about 28 cents of each dollar wagered. However, because of high personnel costs, the typical net profit for keno games is only a few cents for each dollar wagered.
Efforts have been made in the past to automate such keno games. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,786,234 to Trent et al. and 4,033,588 to Watts show systems for expediting and automating customer transactions in a centrally-drawn keno game. U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,424 to Hedges et al. shows a remote gaming system with terminals which can be used to play keno and several other games after account ID data is entered. In one disclosed embodiment, a matrix of transparent conductors is mounted over a screen and the player touches the matrix at indicated points to place bets. The area touched is "blinked" to acknowledge an input. U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,164 to Monfort shows a processing system for a gambling game which stores game data on a card.
A number of systems have been developed which automate portions of other games of chance. U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,798 to Siekierski et al. shows a gaming system incorporating a random number generator which takes wagers on game outcomes and pays off winners. U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,612 to Lange shows a system for taking horse race wagers in which manually-completed tickets are scanned at a terminal. The wager data from the tickets is transmitted to a central processing unit which keeps track of bets and maintains a user credit balance. Other gaming systems in which a central computer services a number of terminals are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,810,627 and 3,909,002 to Levy, 4,283,709 to Lucero et al., 4,206,920 to Weatherford et al., 4,815,741 to Small, 4,775,937 to Bell, 4,636,951 to Harlick, 4,880,237 to Kishishita, 4,669,730, and 4,335,809 to Wain.
Systems have been developed which permit arcade games to be played on account. U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,622 to Pellegrini shows an electronic access control system for coin-operated games in which magnetic account cards are used to identify an account maintained on a central computer. The computer activates arcade games and deducts money from the appropriate account to pay for the game. Punched cards have been used for other purposes such as to activate hotel room door locks, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,447 to Crafton.
Finally, certain techniques have been developed in an attempt to make gaming systems fail-safe or tamper-proof, although none of the prior art systems has been entirely satisfactory in this regard. Such systems are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,782,468 to Jones et al., 4,108,364 to Tanaka et al., 4,275,456 to Tanaka et al., and 4,727,544 to Brunner et al.
Prior systems have not achieved acceptance in the casino industry in large part because they do not offer adequate security and tracking functions. In addition, previous designs have incorporated expensive individual terminals. Because a large number of individual gaming terminals are needed in a full-scale casino operation, high per-terminal costs quickly multiply the total system installation and maintenance costs, so that the systems cannot be cost-justified. Thus, none of the previous systems have been satisfactory for use in a casino environment where reliability, simplicity of operation, and high levels of game security are required. Therefore, there is a need for a secure, reliable, low cost gaming system that conducts a series of exciting, fast-paced matching games, will meet regulatory requirements, and which also provides complete accounting and tracking information relative to the game.

Secure automated electronic casino gaming system


Some embodiments provide a method that identifies a first physical design solution for positioning several configurable operations on several reconfigurable circuits of an integrated circuit (IC). The method identifies a second physical design solution for positioning the configurable operations on the configurable circuits. One of the identified physical design solutions has one reconfigurable circuit perform a particular configurable operation in at least two reconfiguration cycles while the other identified solution does not have one reconfigurable circuit perform the particular configurable operation in two reconfiguration cycles. The method costs the first and second physical design solutions. The method selects one of the two physical design solutions based on the costs.

The use of configurable integrated circuits ("IC's") has dramatically increased in recent years. One example of a configurable IC is a field programmable gate array ("FPGA"). An FPGA is a field programmable IC that often has logic circuits, interconnect circuits, and input/output (I/O) circuits. The logic circuits (also called logic blocks) are typically arranged as an internal array of circuits. These logic circuits are connected together through numerous interconnect circuits (also called interconnects). The logic and interconnect circuits are often surrounded by the I/O circuits.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a configurable logic circuit 100. This logic circuit can be configured to perform a number of different functions. As shown in FIG. 1, the logic circuit 100 receives a set of input data 105 and a set of configuration data 110. The configuration data set is stored in a set of SRAM cells 115. From the set of functions that the logic circuit 100 can perform, the configuration data set specifies a particular function that this circuit has to perform on the input data set. Once the logic circuit performs its function on the input data set, it provides the output of this function on a set of output lines 120. The logic circuit 100 is said to be configurable, as the configuration data set "configures" the logic circuit to perform a particular function, and this configuration data set can be modified by writing new data in the SRAM cells. Multiplexers and look-up tables are two examples of configurable logic circuits.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a configurable interconnect circuit 200. This interconnect circuit 200 connects a set of input data 205 to a set of output data 210. This circuit receives configuration data bits 215 that are stored in a set of SRAM cells 220. The configuration bits specify how the interconnect circuit should connect the input data set to the output data set. The interconnect circuit 200 is said to be configurable, as the configuration data set "configures" the interconnect circuit to use a particular connection scheme that connects the input data set to the output data set in a desired manner. Moreover, this configuration data set can be modified by writing new data in the SRAM cells. Multiplexers are one example of interconnect circuits.
FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of a prior art configurable IC 300. As shown in this figure, the IC 300 includes an array of configurable logic circuits 305 and configurable interconnect circuits 310. The IC 300 has two types of interconnect circuits 310a and 310b. Interconnect circuits 310a connect interconnect circuits 310b and logic circuits 305, while interconnect circuits 310b connect interconnect circuits 310a to other interconnect circuits 310a. In some cases, the IC 300 includes hundreds or thousands of logic circuits 305 and interconnect circuits 310.
Some have recently suggested configurable IC's that are reconfigurable at runtime. The development of reconfigurable IC technology is relatively in its early stages. One area of this technology that has not yet been fully developed is how to assign different operations that the reconfigurable IC performs to different configuration periods during runtime. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of designing reconfigurable IC's that uses novel techniques to assign different operations performed by the reconfigurable IC to different configuration periods during runtime.

Timing operations in an IC with configurable circuits


A developing apparatus includes a developing roller for developing an image with a developer; a non-rotary magnet roll inside the roller; a blade; and an abutting member abutting against the roller, wherein the following expressions are satisfied: |Vs|>|Vdev|, |Br|/|B|≦0.5, and L/(BH×R)≧0.1, where |Vdev|: a DC component Vdev of a voltage applied to the roller, |Vs|: a DC component Vs of a voltage applied to the member, B(G): the magnetic flux density formed on the surface of the roller at the abutting position by the magnet roll, Br(G): the component of the magnetic flux density B(G) perpendicular to the surface of the roller, and L(mm): the abutting width between the roller and the member, BH(rad): the half value width of the component Bθ(G) horizontal to the surface of the roller, and R(mm): the radius of the roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a developing apparatus for developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with a developer, and more particularly to a developing apparatus using a mono-component developer and having a developer carrying member urged against an image bearing member.
Also, as the image bearing member, use can be made, for example, of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, an electrostatic recording dielectric member or the like, and the developing apparatus can be provided in a cartridge detachably mountable on an image reading apparatus (image forming apparatus) such as, for example, a copying machine or a printer, or the main body of the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of Related Background Art
For example, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, (1) a nonmagnetic contact developing method and (2) a magnetic non-contact developing method are widely used as conventional mono-component developing methods of developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a mono-component developer (Toner).
(1) Nonmagnetic Contact Developing Method
There has been proposed a method of carrying a nonmagnetic developer on a developing roller (developer carrying member) having a dielectric material layer, and bringing the developing roller into contact with the surface of a photosensitive member to thereby effect development (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-92201). The developer is a developing apparatus is supplied to the developing roller by a mechanical agitating mechanism or gravity. An elastic roller contacting with the developing roller is provided to thereby effect the conveyance and supply of the developer. This elastic roller also has the function of once removing any developer not shifted to the photosensitive member but residual on the developing roller, for the purpose of making the developer on the developing roller uniform. A DC bias is applied to between the base material of the photosensitive member and the developing roller.
(2) Magnetic Non-contact Developing Method
This method (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S54-43027 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S55-18656) uses a mono-component magnetic developer (magnetic mono-component developer), carries the developer on a developing sleeve (developer carrying member) containing a magnet therein, opposes the developing sleeve to a photosensitive member with a predetermined minute gap kept from the surface of the developing sleeve, and develops with the developer flying in this gap. The developer in a developing apparatus is conveyed to the developing sleeve by a mechanical agitating mechanism or gravity and also, the developer receives a contact magnetic force by the magnet and is supplied to the developing sleeve. Then, a predetermined developer layer is formed on the developing sleeve by regulating means, and is used for development. The force acting on the developer by the magnet is used not only for the conveyance of the developer, but also is positively used in a developing portion. In the developing portion, the developer is prevented from shifting to a non-image portion to thereby cause an image fault such as fog. That is, during development, the developer travels toward the magnet contained in the developing sleeve and receives the magnetic force thereof. For the flight of the developer, use is made of a bias comprising a DC bias and an AC bias superimposed thereon. The DC bias voltage is adjusted to a value between the image portion potential and non-image portion potential of the photosensitive member. Further, the AC voltage is superimposed and the developer is reciprocally moved to the image portion and the non-image portion, whereby the image portion is developed with the developer.
(3) Cleaner-Less (Toner Recycle) System
From the viewpoints of the simplification of an apparatus constructions and the elimination of waste, there has been proposed in an image forming apparatus of the transfer type an electrophotographic process of disusing an exclusive drum cleaner which is surface cleaning means for use after the transferring step of the photosensitive member, and recycling a developer in the apparatus. For example, there has been proposed an image forming apparatus which uses the aforedescribed nonmagnetic developing method to collect any developer not transferred and residual during development simultaneously with the development (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H03-4276).
There has also been proposed an image forming apparatus which uses the aforedescribed magnetic non-contact developing method to collect any developer untransferred and residual during development simultaneously with the development (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-307455) In the aforedescribed conventional nonmagnetic contact developing method mentioned under item (1) above, a reduction in fog performance has been a problem. The characteristic of the developer is reduced while the mechanical stripping-off by the elastic roller is repeated, and fog is sometimes aggravated by a reduction in the frictional charging characteristic of the developer or the like. Fog refers to an image fault in which the developer is slightly used for development in a white portion (unexposed portion) originally not printed and apparatus like a ground stain. For the prevention of the reduction in the characteristic of the developer, it is also possible to weaken the frictional contact force of the elastic roller, but the compatibility thereof with a ghost image fault is difficult. Here, the ghost image is the phenomenon that the hysteresis of a developer component used for development in the precious round of the developing roller apparatus as uneven density in a uniform halftone image with the phase difference of the outer periphery of the developing roller during the next and subsequent rounds. Also, the presence of a ghost means that there is some toner not stripped off but staying on the developing roller. That is, the toner is continuously subjected to the frictional contact by the elastic roller, and this is not preferable also form the viewpoint of the reduction in the characteristic of the developer. The adjustment of the frictional contact force is not only against the viewpoints of fog and ghost, but also is against the viewpoint of fog singly. Also, there has arisen the problem that when the characteristic of the developer is reduced, the developer is liable to be affected by the circulation thereof in the developing apparatus. Specifically, in a circulation using a mechanical force or gravity, there is formed an area in which particularly around the developing roller, the developer hardly changes places and is not circulated. On the other hand, the circulating developer suffers from a constant reduction in characteristic. Thus, the two kinds of developers, if mixed together when the developer in a container is decreased, has caused condensation or the like and has given use to a problem such as fog. Further, there is an image fault attributable to the elastic roller itself. As the elastic roller, use is made of one in the form of a sponge, form the viewpoint of the stripping-off and supplying performance for the developer, but the developer is compressed by the cells of this sponge and forms condensed lumps, and when these come out of the sponge to the surface, an image fault occurs particularly in a halftone.
On the other hand, in the magnetic non-contact developing method described under item (2) above, there is an image fault due to a magnetic ear. There is the problem that the uniformity of hair line differs between lengthwise and breadthwise. When the magnetic ear develops while moving in parallel to the movement direction of the photosensitive member (photosensitive drum), the uniformity of hair line is good, but in a direction orthogonal thereto, it becomes liable to break. Also, an image edge fault occurs. The edge of the high density portion, and particularly the downstream side of the process is darkly developed, and the edge of a halftone portion adjacent to the high density portion is lightly developed. The factor is expected to reside in developing while the developer is reciprocally moved in non-contact by an AC electric field. In a developing portion, the toner moves toward a surface, and the developer stagnates particularly downstream of an edge portion and conversely, the developer is drawn near from the exterior of the edge, thus causing such an image fault as described above.

Developing apparatus for preventing ghost images and uneven image density


A column selection circuit is disclosed, in which a layout area is minimized by reducing the number of data bus lines and sensing speed characteristic is improved by reducing sensing time of a bit line. In a memory for transmitting data stored in a memory cell to a main sensing amplifier through a bit line and a bit bar line and storing the data output from the main sensing amplifier in the memory cell through the bit line and the bit bar line, the column selection circuit includes an equalizer for equalizing the bit line and the bit bar line, a bit line sensing amplifier for compensating signal voltage levels of the bit line and the bit bar line as a word line is selected, first and second enable signal output portions for outputting enable signals to operate the bit line sensing amplifier, a data bus line and a data bus bar line for transmitting the data transmitted to the bit line and the bit bar line from the memory cell to the main sensing amplifier, and transmitting the data output from the main sensing amplifier to the bit line and the bit bar line, a data transmission portion for selectively transmitting the data of the data bus line and data bus bar line and the data of the bit line and bit bar line between the respective lines in response to a column selection signal, a control signal for reading and a write enable signal, and a precharge level adjusting portion for adjusting precharge level of the data bus line and the data bus bar line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory, and more particularly, to a column selection circuit of a DRAM.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A conventional column selection circuit will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a conventional column selection circuit.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional column selection circuit includes a memory cell 11, a bit line sensing amplifier 13, a read bus line RI, a read bus bar line RI, a write bus line WI, a write bus bar line WI, a first data transmission portion 15, a second data transmission portion 17, a first enable signal output portion 19, a second enable signal output portion 19a, an equalizer 21, and a precharge level adjusting portion 23. The memory cell 11 stores data. The bit line sensing amplifier 13 senses the data of the memory cell 11. The read bus line RI and the read bus bar line RI transmit the data output from the bit line sensing amplifier 13 to a main sensing amplifier (not shown). The write bus line WI and the write bus bar line WI transmit the data output from the main sensing amplifier to the bit line sensing amplifier 13. The first data transmission portion 15 transmits the data output from the bit line sensing amplifier 13 to the read bus line RI and read bus bar line RI. The second data transmission portion 17 transmits the data of the write bus line WI and the write bus bar line WI to the bit line sensing amplifier 13. The first and second enable signal output portions 19 and 19a output enable signals to the bit line amplifier 13. The equalizer 21 equalizes a bit line BL and a bit bar line BL. The precharge level adjusting portion 23 adjusts precharge level of the read bus line RI and read bus bar line RI.
The first data transmission portion 15 includes first, second, third and fourth transistors TR1, TR2, TR3, and TR4. A gate of the first transistor TR1 is connected to the bit line BL and its drain is connected to the read bus line RI. A gate of the second transistor TR2 is connected to the bit bar line BL and its drain is connected to the read bus bar line RI. A source of the third transistor TR3 is connected to a ground voltage terminal Vss and its drain is connected to a source of the first transistor TR1. A column selection signal Y is applied to a gate of the third transistor TR3. A source of the fourth transistor TR4 is connected to the ground voltage terminal Vss and its drain is connected to the source of the second transistor TR2. The column selection signal Y is applied to a gate of the fourth transistor TR4.
The second data transmission portion 17 includes fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth transistors TR5, TR6, TR7, and TR8. A drain of the fifth transistor TR5 is connected to the write bus line WI. A write enable signal WE is applied to a gate of the fifth transistor TR5. A drain of the sixth transistor TR6 is connected to the write bus bar line WI and its gate is in common connected with the gate of the fifth transistor TR5. A source of the seventh transistor TR7 is connected to the bit line BL and its drain is connected to the source of the fifth transistor TR5. The column selection signal Y is applied to a gate of the seventh transistor TR7. A source of the eighth transistor TR8 is connected to the bit bar line BL and its drain is connected to the source of the sixth transistor TR6. A gate of the eighth transistor TR8 is in common connected with the gate of the seventh transistor TR7.
The first enable signal output portion 19 outputs the enable signal to the bit line sensing amplifier 13 to maintain the bit line BL at high level completely. The first enable signal output portion 19 includes a ninth transistor TR9 which is operated by a gate input signal S0. A source of the ninth transistor TR9 is connected to the ground voltage terminal Vss.
The second enable signal output portion 19a outputs the enable signal to the bit line sensing amplifier 13 to maintain the bit line BL at low level completely. The second enable signal output portion 19a includes a tenth transistor TR10 which is operated by a gate input signal S0. A drain of the tenth transistor TR10 is connected to a power source voltage terminal Vcc.
The operation of the aforementioned conventional column selection circuit will be described below.
FIG. 2 are waveforms illustrating the operation of the conventional column selection circuit.
First, the step of transmitting data of a cell C1 to the read bus line RI and the read bus bar line RI will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, if an equalizing signal EQ is changed from high level to low level (T1), the bit line BL and the bit bar line BL depart from equalizing state and a word line WL is changed from low level to high level (T2).
If the word line WL becomes high level, the data stored in the cell C1 are transmitted to the bit line BL as shown in FIG. 1. As a result, some voltage difference occurs between the bit line BL and the bit bar line BL.
Thereafter, a high signal is applied to the gate of the ninth transistor TR9 of the first enable signal output portion 19 (T4) (S0=high) and a low signal is applied to the gate of the tenth transistor TR10 of the second enable signal output portion 19a (T4) (S0=low). Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the bit line BL is compensated to high level completely and the bit bar line BL is compensated to low level completely. As a result, the data stored in the memory cell 11 is loaded to the bit line BL.
Voltage difference between the read bus line RI and the read bus bar line RI depending on the column selection signal is as follows.
As shown in FIG. 2, if the column selection signal Y is changed from low level to high level (T3), the third and fourth transistors TR3 and TR4 are turned on. The seventh and eighth transistors TR7 and TR8 are turned on, too.
At this time, the first transistor TR1 whose gate is connected to the bit line BL is turned on and the second transistor TR2 whose gate is connected to the bit bar line BL is turned off. This is the reason why the bit line BL is maintained at high level and the bit bar line BL is maintained at low level as the data of the cell C1 are transmitted to the bit line BL by the word line WL having high level.
Therefore, the data of the bit line BL and bit bar line BL are transmitted to the read bus line RI and read bus bar line RI.
However, if the column selection signal becomes high at the state that the bit line BL and the bit bar line BL are not completely maintained at high level and low level, respectively, the first, second, third and fourth transistors TR1, TR2, TR3 and TR4 are all turned on so that the ground voltage is applied to the read bus line RI and the read bus bar line RI.
As a result, the voltage level of the read bus line RI and read bus bar line RI becomes low.
The step of transmitting the data of the memory cell to the write bus line WI and write bus bar line WI will now be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, if the write enable signal WE and the column selection signal Y become high, the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth transistors TR5, TR6, TR7 and TR8 are all turned on. Thus, the data of the write bus line WI and write bus bar line WI are transmitted to the bit line BL and the bit bar line BL through the turned on transistors TR5, TR6, TR7 and TR8.
At this time, since the first and second transistors TR1 and TR2 are connected to the bit line BL and the bit bar line BL, respectively, at least one of the first and second transistors TR1 and TR2 is turned on.
If the bit line BL is high level and the bit bar line BL is low level, the first transistor TR1 and the third transistor TR3 are turned on. In that case, a current path which is unnecessary is formed between the ground voltage terminal Vss and the read bus line RI. In other words, the read bus line RI is unnecessarily selected during writing the data in the memory cell.
The aforementioned conventional column selection circuit has several problems.
Since the read bus line and the write bus line are separated from each other, a layout area increases and thus the size of a chip increases. In addition, an unnecessary current path is formed by the column selection circuit for reading during data writing.


A process for preparing cyclododecene by selective gas-phase hydrogenation of at least one starting material selected from cyclododecatriene, cyclododecadiene and mixtures thereof, wherein the starting material present in the gas phase is hydrogenated in the presence of a catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor and the Bodenstein number for the process is greater than 100.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the gas-phase hydrogenation of cyclododecatriene and/or cyclododecadiene to cyclododecene over a solid catalyst comprising a catalytically active metal of group VIII of the Periodic Table of the Elements.
2. Description of the Invention
The selective hydrogenation of cyclododecatriene to cyclododecene has frequently been described in the literature, and numerous attempts have been made to carry out selective hydrogenation with a high degree of conversion and high selectivity.
According to prevailing opinion, the hydrogenation of cyclododecatriene (hereinafter referred to as CDT), which is predominantly in the form of cis,trans,trans-1,5,9-cyclododecatriene, occurs stepwise via dienes, predominantly trans,trans-1,5-cyclododecadiene and cis,trans-1,5-cyclododecadiene (both hereinafter referred to as CDD) and the isomer mixture of trans- and cis-cyclododecene (hereinafter referred to as CDEN) corresponding virtually to the equilibrium to cyclododecane (hereinafter referred to as CDAN).
Since doubly unsaturated compounds such as CDD lead to formation of relatively high-boiling fractions in subsequent reactions such as hydroformylations or hydrations, the degree of conversion of CDD and CDT to CDEN is desirably greater than 99.0%. The selectivity of CDEN formation relative to all products should be above 90% so that the space-time yield in subsequent reactions of CDEN is not reduced by the amount of inert CDAN formed.
One possible way of achieving a high yield of CDEN is homogeneous selective hydrogenation using Ru complexes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,870 describes the homogeneous hydrogenation of CDT using Ru complexes. Here, sterically hindered amines and free triarylphosphine are added in order to partially poison the catalyst. Separation of the CDEN from the catalyst and the amines is difficult and leads to potential contamination of the CDEN product with amines. In the patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,278, U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,914, U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,349, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,296, solvents are added to the homogeneous hydrogenation of CDT with Ru complexes. This leads to low space-time yields and problems in the separation of catalyst and solvent from the reaction product. U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,624 describes homogeneous hydrogenation likewise using a ruthenium catalyst with addition of carbon monoxide and carboxylic acids such as acetic acid or propionic acid. Here too, the separation of the CDEN from the homogeneous catalyst and the carboxylic acid is problematical.
Processes for the heterogeneously catalyzed preparation of CDEN have also been described in the literature. Palladium catalysts are particularly suitable for this heterogeneous catalysis.
In addition, studies using activated copper on an oxidic support have also been reported. The results obtained using copper catalysts which have been presented by Castro et al. in Stud. Surf. Sci. Catal. (1991), 63 (Prep. Catal. V), 95–102 show a notable selectivity to CDEN but only a very low activity. Furthermore, both the selectivity and the activity are dependent to a considerable degree on the preparation and quality of the catalyst system. Industrial use of these catalysts is therefore very difficult since reproducibility of the results is not guaranteed.
The heterogeneous preparation of CDEN may be carried out by, for example, batchwise hydrogenation in the liquid phase using a suspended catalyst, continuous three-phase hydrogenation in a fixed bed (CDT in the liquid phase) and continuous gas-phase hydrogenation over a fixed bed (CDT in the gas phase).
U.S. Pat. No. 3,400,164 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,400,166 and GB 19680712 describe a batchwise hydrogenation in the liquid phase using a suspended catalyst and show that a CDEN selectivity of about 94% can be achieved at a high CDT/CDD conversion when using a palladium catalyst on a support (5% Pd on activated carbon). 1.4 g of this catalyst are used per 100 g of CDT. The reaction is carried out at 160° C. The hydrogen pressure is maintained at 2.07 bar until 75% of the total hydrogen used has been consumed, then at 0.69 bar to a hydrogen consumption of 90% and finally at 0.345 bar. The hydrogenation is then complete after about one hour. Based on the mass of palladium used, the average throughput is 71 g (CDT)/g (Pd)·h.
A disadvantage of this slurry variant of a batch process is the removal of the catalyst, particularly when it has been abraded after some time. A subsequent filtration step complicates the process and inevitably leads to losses in yield.
In addition, the patents U.S. Pat. No. 3,400,164 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,400,166 indicate that aromatic cyclic compounds are formed to an increased extent as by-products at elevated temperatures above 160° C. The patent documents U.S. Pat. No. 3,400,165 and DE 1 678 829 state that these aromatic compounds are formed from CDT. These aromatic by-products are difficult to separate from the desired product and require an increased outlay for purification. For this reason, a process is carried out at 160° C. to provide a very high conversion of CDT and the further conversion of the resulting CDD is carried out at a significantly higher temperature. These aromatic by-products are difficult to separate off and require an increased outlay for purification.
Furthermore, batch processes are generally not suitable for large-scale industrial production and only acceptable when there is no economically viable alternative. Adopting a hydrogenation using a suspended catalyst into a continuous process would raise considerable difficulties and would also be complicated since the characteristics of a plug flow reactor are desirable for subsequent reactions and formation of the intermediate target product. This would require a reactor cascade having a relatively large number of stirred vessels. After each stirred vessel, the catalyst would have to be separated from the outflowing product and returned to the stirred vessel. Such a procedure is therefore difficult to carry out on an industrial scale.
Alternatives may include a trickle-bed reactor in which CDT in liquid form is passed over a fixed bed of palladium-coated pellets in the presence of hydrogen and a fixed-bed process where the liquid and gas are introduced from the bottom. Experiments using such reactors/procedures are described in Catal. Today (F. Stueber et al., 1995, 24(1–2), 95–101) and in Chemical Engineering Science (R. V. Chaudhari, 2001, 65(2), 557–564). In the experiments described in Catal. Today, a coated catalyst having a palladium-containing coating thickness of 240 μm and a hydrogen pressure of 1.5–12 bar were employed. When the reactants were introduced from the bottom, a CDEN yield of only 70% at a (CDT+CDD) conversion of 85% was achieved. It was found in this case that activity problems arise because of diffusion and transport phenomena which are due to the choice of a three-phase system of solid/liquid/gas. The authors identified liquid/solid mass transfer as the limiting factor.
Furthermore, the experiments using a fixed-bed or trickle-bed catalyst displayed a low selectivity with regard to the simultaneous formation of CDAN, as indicated by the significant formation of CDAN occuring at the maximum CDEN formation.
In addition, the downflow and upflow modes are compared in the article in Chemical Engineering Science, with a somewhat higher selectivity being found in the case of the latter. The hydrogen pressure was 12 bar. The yields of CDEN reported were not above 35%. The low yields show that industrial implementation of this process may not be viable.
Gas-phase hydrogenation of cyclododecatriene is known from Wieβmeier (Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. (1996), 35(12), 4412–4416) where a specially produced monolithic microstructure reactor having microchannels and uniform mesopore systems is employed. This reactor is produced by generating a uniform oxidic layer having a thickness of 20–50 μm, depending on the electrolysis time, on structured aluminum wire by anodic oxidation. This layer has pores of uniform length, uniform diameter and uniform spacing aligned perpendicular to the surface in a hexagonal pattern (i.e. the layer thickness is constant). The pores are closed at one end at the oxide/aluminum interface. The pores are repeatedly impregnated with the solution of a Pd compound, dried, calcined and finally reduced so that these pores become uniformly coated with Pd crystallites (degree of dispersion about 0.2–0.3).
Use of this reactor makes it possible to achieve a conversion of more than 96% and a selectivity to cyclododecene of 88%. At the same time, 8% of CDAN was formed and the throughput per amount of catalyst was 36 g (CDT)/g(Pd)·h.
This reactor system is disadvantaged in that the production of the catalyst is very complicated and such a system is therefore unsuitable for industrial production of cyclododecene.
Furthermore, this article states that commercial catalysts comprising a support material with very fine noble metal particles dispersed therein cannot be used for the gas-phase hydrogenation of cyclododecatriene. The nonuniform distribution of the pores on the surface of these conventional supports and the associated nonuniformity of the active metal species on the surface increase the mass transfer problems which are primarily responsible for the poor activity of the catalyst in the article. The authors rule out the industrial use of commercial catalysts.

Selective hydrogenation of cyclododecatriene to cyclododecene


According to one embodiment, a commodity has information code located on the commodity. A pasted object is pasted on a commodity. The pasted object comprises an image and additional information displayed on the pasted object. The image may include a direction presenting portion. The direction presenting portion can be an extended portion that extends in the direction of the information code. The additional information can indicate a content of a service to be provided to a customer purchasing the commodity. The additional information can be read by a device and a user.

In the past, an information reading apparatus is known that reads, from photographed image data, an information code given to a commodity and information such as price-cut information. In the information reading apparatus of this type, it is desired to more accurately grasp the association between the information code and the information.

Information reading apparatus, commodity sales information processing apparatus, and pasted object


An alarm system sensor (10) monitoring movement of an object (D) and placing the system into alarm when the object moves more than a predetermined distance from a predetermined position. First and second reed switches (16, 18) are located in a predetermined orientation relative to each other and in tandem to the object. Bias magnets (24, 26) are used with the reed switches. A magnet (20) is movable with the object and produces a force simultaneously sensed by both reed switches. This force maintains both reed switches in a state keeping the alarm system in a non-alarm condition so long as the object substantially remains in its predetermined position. The object, when it moves, moves toward one of the reed switches and away from the other reed switch. Movement of the object more than the predetermined distance results in the force sensed by one of the reed switches increasing and the force sensed by the other reed switch decreasing. Either change in sensed force activates the appropriate reed switch causing the alarm system to go into alarm.

This invention relates to sensors for monitoring the position of a door or the like; and, more particularly, to a tandem sensor for use in such monitoring and which cannot be readily defeated.
In security systems for monitoring a premises, a sensor is often used with a door or window to provide an indication when the door, for example, is open when it shouldn't be. One type of sensor used for this purpose utilizes a reed switch. As shown in FIG. 1A, a door D is monitored by a sensor S comprised of a first element E1 attached to the door and moving with the door as it opens and closes, and a second element E2 which is permanently affixed to a door frame or jamb F. In FIG. 1B, element E1 is shown to include a magnet M1 which is installed in a housing mounted on the door. Element E2 is shown to include both a magnet M2 and a reed switch RS both of which are installed in a housing mounted to the frame. When the sensor is installed, the elements E1 and E2 are positioned relative to each other so when door D is closed, the magnetic fields produced by magnets M1 and M2 cancel each other out at the location of reed switch RS and switch RS is in a null field. In this position, switch RS is deactivated as shown in FIG. 1B. When door D is opened, element E1 moves relative to element E2 and the magnitude of the magnetic fields to which switch RS is subjected change. Now, the switch is no longer in a null field, but rather, the net magnetic field to which it is subjected will cause the switch to activate. If an alarm system in which the sensor is incorporated is activated, this action will cause the system to go into alarm.
While this sensor configuration is commonly in use, it is possible, although extremely difficult, to defeat the sensor. Referring again to FIG. 1B, assuming door D opens in the direction of the arrow, if a third magnet M3 is introduced and if this third magnet is appropriately positioned as the door opens, the net magnetic field to which switch RS is subjected will remain essentially the same as that when the door is closed; i.e., a null field. In a null field, the reed switch will not activate, and the system will not go into alarm, even though door D is opened. Accordingly, the security of the premises can be breached and no one will know it while it is happening.


Disclosed is a system for remote controlling and monitoring of at least one instrument, for example a bioprocessing instrument, said system comprising: at least one instrument to be controlled and/or monitored; at least one instrument server connected to the at least one instrument, said instrument server comprising an instrument control software; at least one gateway connected to the at least one instrument server; a transferring means provided in the at least one instrument server, said transferring means being arranged to receive information from the at least one connected instrument and forward said information to the at least one gateway; a first self-hosted web server containing a web application provided in the at least one instrument server for providing possibility to control the at least one instrument via a web browser in an instrument control web page; a publishing means provided in the at least one gateway, said publishing means being arranged to receive information from at least one instrument server and publish said information in an instrument monitoring web page; a second self-hosted web server containing a web application provided in the at least one gateway for providing possibility to monitor the at least one instrument in the instrument monitoring web page via a web browser.

Monitoring and control of analytical and bioprocess instruments, such as for example chromatography systems, filtration systems and bioreactors is usually done from an instrument server comprising a specifically designed monitoring and control program for each instrument separately.
Problems with these conventional systems are that they lack a central monitoring point. Typically large installations containing several instruments and types of instruments are monitored manually where each instrument needs a manual inspection. These inspections are of great importance since critical operations might be in action where it is of importance to know about any failure as soon as possible.

Method and system for monitoring and controlling instruments


An integrated circuit includes a polysilicon resistor having a plurality of segments, including first, second and third segments, the second segment located between and running about parallel to the first and third segments. A first header connects the first and second segments, and a second header connects the second and third segments. A first metal silicide layer located over the first header extends over the first and second segments toward the second header. A second metal silicide layer located over the second header extends over the second and third segments toward the first header. A dielectric layer is located over and contacts the first, second and third segments between the first and second metal silicide layers.

Polysilicon resistors are used in a wide variety of integrated circuit applications. Such resistors may be used to implement various circuits, such as amplifiers, oscillators, and filters. Variation of the value of a design resistor in different locations of a semiconductor wafer may result in some devices on the wafer being unusable, resulting is yield loss. Therefore improvement of resistor uniformity is a continuing critical need in semiconductor manufacturing.


An exercise machine includes a desk connected to a frame of the exercise machine. The desk has a first control module on a first side of the desk. The exercise machine also has a second control module located off of a first side of the desk.

Aerobic exercise is a popular form of exercise that improves one's cardiovascular health by reducing blood pressure and providing other benefits to the human body. Aerobic exercise generally involves low intensity physical exertion over a long duration of time. Typically, the human body can adequately supply enough oxygen to meet the body's demands at the intensity levels involved with aerobic exercise. Popular forms of aerobic exercise include running, jogging, swimming, cycling, among others. In contrast, anaerobic exercise typically involves high intensity exercises over a short duration of time. Popular forms of anaerobic exercise include strength training and short distance running
Many choose to perform aerobic exercises indoors, such as in a gym or their home. Often, a user will use an aerobic exercise machine to have an aerobic workout indoors. One such type of aerobic exercise machine is a treadmill, which is a machine that has a running deck attached to a support frame. The running deck can support the weight of a person using the machine. The running deck incorporates a conveyor belt that is driven by a motor. A user can run or walk in place on the conveyor belt by running or walking at the conveyor belt's speed. The speed and other operations of the treadmill are generally controlled through a control module that is also attached to the support frame and within a convenient reach of the user. The control module can include a display, buttons for increasing or decreasing a speed of the conveyor belt, controls for adjusting a tilt angle of the running deck, or other controls. Other popular exercise machines that allow a user to perform aerobic exercises indoors include elliptical machines, rowing machines, stepper machines, and stationary bikes to name a few.
One type of treadmill is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,928 issued to Ralph Odgen, et al. In this reference, a treadmill apparatus has hand hold railings on either side between which the treadmill user exercises, with one of the hand rails having mounted on and connected with the treadmill drive motor assembly. Further, the hand rail includes a control mechanism that is adapted for hand actuation by the treadmill user when using the treadmill for changing of the tensioning of the pulley belt and the adjustment of the variable speed pulley for convenient infinitely variable speed changing of this treadmill belt between its maximum and minimum speeds provided by the treadmill apparatus involved and protection of the drive equipment against damage. Another type of treadmill is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,558 issued to Hai Kuo. Each of these references is herein incorporated by reference for all that they contain.

Exercise machine with multiple control modules


A pneumatic tire (1010) has a circumferential groove (1020) that extends in the tire circumferential direction (Tc), and a land part (1040) that is adjacent to the circumferential groove (1020) and extends in the tire circumferential direction (Tc). Formed in the circumferential groove (1020) is an inner groove (1110) on the bottom (1020b) of the circumferential groove (1020) and recessed more in the tire radial inward direction than the bottom (1020b). The inner groove (1110) includes an inclined part (1120) that extends so as to be inclined in the tire circumferential direction (Tc). The land part (1040) has a hook-like groove portion (1210) formed along the direction (A11) in which the inclined part (1120) extends. The extension direction ends (1210a, 1210b) of the hook-like groove portion (1210) end within the land part.

Conventionally, to ensure water evacuation performance on a wet road surface, a method in which multiple circumferential grooves are formed in a tread has been widely used for a pneumatic tire (hereinafter referred to as tire) mounted on a passenger car or the like.
In addition, a tire is known in which, for active evacuation of rainwater entering such circumferential grooves, multiple protrusions inclined relative to the tire circumferential direction are provided on groove bottoms of the circumferential grooves (for example, Patent Document 1). It is said that such a tire facilitates the creation of helical flews of rainwater entering the circumferential grooves, so that the water evacuation performance is improved.


A fuel tapping device for an engine-independent, auxiliary motor vehicle heater is provided which taps fuel from a fuel storage tank of a motor vehicle fuel supply unit and feeds the fuel to the motor vehicle heater by a connecting pipe. This fuel tapping device has a flexible pipe which has a smallest possible cross section and which is placed in a fuel pipe part that projects into the fuel storage tank so that its free end extends to near the bottom of the fuel storage tank. The fuel tapping device can comprise an intermediate piece, which can be Y-shaped, and uses a branch leg for catheter-like insertion of the flexible pipe. As an alternative, the fuel tapping device can also be designed so that the flexible pipe is fixed in the intermediate piece and forms a preassembled unit with it.

The invention relates to a fuel tapping device for a motor vehicle heater which taps fuel from a fuel storage tank of a motor vehicle's fuel supply unit and feeds the fuel to the motor vehicle heater by a connecting pipe.
To tap fuel from the motor vehicle's fuel supply unit for an auxiliary motor vehicle heater that is able to be operated independently of the vehicle engine, there are several possibilities. Devices designed as so-called tank taps for tapping fuel can be gathered from the bibliographic reference of Webasto "Short Installation Proposal for Air Heaters" with identification number 770941, printed in the year 1991. In cases of fuel storage tanks made of plastic, of a motor vehicle's fuel supply unit, the tapping of fuel takes place by a hollow screw with a circular tube piece, which is replaced by the usually present drain plug on the underside of the fuel storage tank. Such a tapping of fuel is subject to risks with respect to safety since fuel can run out into the motor vehicle heater in the case of damage to the fuel pipe. Further, for installation, the fuel storage tank has to be completely emptied. As a result, the installation of such a fuel tap is expensive.
In the situation where the fuel storage tank of a motor vehicle's fuel supply unit is formed of metal, an additional opening can be drilled in the tanks, into which a corresponding tank tap can be inserted which serves to supply the motor vehicle heater with fuel. When the bore is drilled in the fuel storage tank, chips can drop into the tank, and these chips can cause the fuel supply to be interrupted. There is also the danger of a sparking during drilling, so that such an installation involves a certain safety risk when installation is performed after a vehicle has been put into use (i.e., retrofit installation instead of assembly line installation). Further, there is also the fact that, depending on the design of the motor vehicle, as in platform vehicles, the fuel storage tank can be difficult to access from above, so that in the extreme case, even the entire fuel storage tank has to be removed.
Further, in bibliographic reference "Installation Instructions" of Webasto with identification number 238224, published in the year 1989, a fuel tap is described on page 9 which is designed as a T-piece and is placed in the fuel feed pipe leading from the fuel storage tank to the internal combustion engine to create a branch to a metering pump for the auxiliary heater. But, in such a fuel tap, the fuel supply of the auxiliary motor vehicle heater is exposed to pressure fluctuations, which unavoidably occur in the motor vehicle's fuel supply unit. As a result, trouble disconnections of the auxiliary motor vehicle heater can occur, and further, a fuel metering pump has to be used with the auxiliary motor vehicle heater to assure as reliable and uniform as possible a fuel supply.

Fuel tapping device for a motor vehicle heater


A securing mechanism for coupling an exit device to a door. The securing mechanism comprises a bracket coupled to the exit device and a shaft having a first end and a second end and defining a longitudinal axis. The bracket defines a first aperture and a second aperture. The first end of the shaft extends through the first aperture and the second end of the shaft extends through the second aperture. The securing mechanism also comprises a first anchor slideably coupled to the shaft and moveable along the longitudinal axis between a first locked position and a first unlocked position and a second anchor slideably coupled to the shaft and moveable along the longitudinal axis between a second locked position and a second unlocked position. The first anchor frictionally engages the door in the first locked position and the second anchor frictionally engages the door in the second locked position.

A variety of exit devices are commonly used for operating and opening doors. Generally, exit devices include a latching mechanism having a bolt or bolts, which secure the door to a doorframe to lock the door in a closed position. By activating the exit device, a user can retract the bolt from the doorframe and open the door. Commonly, exit devices are installed in doors located in commercial and public buildings and therefore are designed to be operated by a large number and variety of people, including children, the elderly, and the disabled. Therefore, exit devices that are easy to operate and require minimal strength and skill to operate are highly desirable. Additionally, exit devices are often designed to facilitate rapid building egress, such as, for example, during a fire, a natural disaster, or other similar emergency. Exit devices commonly include readily accessible actuators for use in an emergency by panicked or scared people.
Moreover, exit devices are often located on the fronts of buildings and in business entryways. It is therefore desirable that the exit devices be aesthetically pleasing and not detract from the appearance of the door or the building. Typically, exit devices are secured to doors using fasteners, including bolts, nuts, screws, and the like. Additionally, custom designed mounting brackets, rails, and the like are often installed on the doors. In some cases, the fasteners and mounting brackets can be unsightly. It is therefore desirable to minimize the number of fasteners and mounting brackets used and to locate the fasteners and mounting brackets in unobtrusive places on the door and the exit device.
Generally, exit devices are purchased separately from the doors and are installed in doors as the doors are being mounted in their respective doorframes. During installation, holes are generally drilled in the door and in the exit device to accommodate the fasteners. To properly mount the exit devices, the holes must be precisely located and threaded. The fasteners and mounting brackets are typically separate from the exit device and consequently are easily misplaced or lost during the installation and shipping processes. Moreover, in some cases the doors must be at least partially disassembled before the exit device can be properly installed.
In addition to the above mentioned design considerations, exit devices that are durable, easy to manufacture, easy to assemble, and inexpensive are highly desirable for obvious reasons.

Apparatus and method for securing an exit device to a door


The present invention provides a portal for subcutaneous implantation, where the portal includes a housing having a first end, a second end, an inner wall, and a lumen between the first and second open ends. In one preferred embodiment, the first open end of the housing is sealed by a elastomeric septum, which has been injection molding into place. The elastomeric septum is bonded to the inner wall of the housing adjacent the first open end. The second open end is sealed to define a reservoir accessible through the septum.

Access portals provide a convenient method to repeatedly deliver medicants to remote areas of the body without utilizing surgical procedures. Portals are totally implantable within the body, i.e. subcutaneous, and permit the infusion of medicants, parenteral solutions, blood products, and other fluids. Portals may also be used for blood sampling.
A typical portal generally includes a housing assembly, a septum, and an outlet. The housing assembly and septum define a reservoir which is accessible through the septum. The outlet includes or is attached to a catheter which accesses a vein. The catheter delivers fluid from the portal to a remote location in the body, for example the superior vena cava. The outlet may be an integral catheter as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,885 to Weeks, or a separate metallic outlet tube assembly as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,574 to Tucker. In the case of a portal with an outlet tube assembly, a catheter will be attached thereto.
In common practice, the portal is implanted within the body and the catheter is routed to a remote area were fluid is desired to be delivered. To deliver the fluid, a caregiver locates the septum of the portal by palpation of the patient's skin. Portal access is accomplished by percutaneously inserting a needle, typically a non-coring needle, perpendicularly through the septum of the portal and into the reservoir. The drug or medicant is then administered by bolus injection or continuous infusion. Ordinarily, the fluid flows through the reservoir into the catheter and finally to the site were the fluid is desired.
Portals generally come in two different types, surgical and cosmetic. Surgical portals are used to deliver medicants, including chemotherapy drugs which may be harmful to surrounding tissue, as well as sampling blood. Cosmetic portals, on the other hand, are utilized to deliver saline or some other non-reactive substance to a prosthesis which supplements a body feature. An example of a surgical portal is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,574, while an example of a cosmetic portal is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,885.
A concern for all portals, and especially portals used for surgical procedures, is blowout. Blowout describes the catastrophic failure of a portal when the pressure inside the reservoir is great enough to disengage the septum from the housing of the portal. Disengagement of the septum may injure the patient, and release medication contained in the portal. The released medicant will often be harmful to the surrounding tissue. Blowouts have a variety of causes. For example, a blowout may be caused if the catheter downstream of the portal is occluded and a bolus injection is attempted. When the bolus injection is attempted the injected fluid cannot travel through the catheter and as fluid is continually injected into the reservoir of the portal the pressure increases until the septum is disengaged.
Blowouts are of a much greater concern for surgical portals than for cosmetic portals. A primary reason for this is that the reservoirs of surgical portals often contain caustic medicants while the reservoirs of cosmetic portals do not. To prevent blowout, surgical portals typically hold the septum in the housing of the portal under great compression. For example, the SIMS Deltec PORT-A-CATH brand portal uses an interference fit to both radially and axially compress the septum to hold it in place.
In contrast, some cosmetic portals, for example, the portal shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,885, are sealed to the housing by compressing only a preformed ridge around the septum with, for example, a threaded ring. The threaded ring of U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,885 does not provide as much compressive force as the PORT-A-CATH portal.
Another concern with portals, and more importantly with surgical portals, is puncture life. Puncture life describes the number of punctures a septum can resist and still provide a fluid tight seal. If the septum does not reseal after an injection is made, the injected medicant may leak out of the reservoir and possibly harm the surrounding tissue. Once again, septum life is of greater importance in surgical portals than cosmetic portals because of the nature of the medicant being injected. Commercially successful prior art surgical portals have also utilized a compressed septum to increase puncture life.
Typical portals are manufactured with preformed or discrete septums. The portal is assembled by inserting the septum into the housing and then compressing the septum. The septum can be compressed either with separate components or by "shoehorning" a larger septum into a housing having an aperture with a smaller diameter. An example of a portal with a "shoehorned" septum is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,060 to Melsky et al. A disadvantage of any portal having a preformed septum is increased cost of manufacture. The increased cost is caused, in part, by the fact that the components used to seal the septum require precise tolerances in their dimensions.
Another concern with preformed septums compressively sealed against the portal is a decrease in the target area, provided by the septum, to the caregiver. The target area describes the exposed portion of the septum, through which a needle can access the reservoir. Some prior art portals have attempted to increase the "target area" of the septum available to the caregiver without much success. For example, some of these prior art devices have attempted to increase the target area by providing integrally molded elastomeric domes accessible from a plurality of directions. However, the integrally molded domes of the prior art have at least two significant problems. The first problem is that the caregiver is never completely sure when the needle is in the reservoir. For example, the caregiver may push the needle through a side wall and out into the body cavity, believing the needle to be in the reservoir. Second, when pushing the needle into the reservoir the elastomeric dome may collapse, thereby inhibiting injection of any medicant into the reservoir.
Solutions to the problems with domed portals have been proposed by the prior art. An example is an OMEGAPORT brand portal manufactured by Norfolk Medical of Skokie, Ill. The OMEGAPORT brand portal includes an elastomeric dome which is reinforced by an internal wire cage. The wire cage solves the problem of the dome collapsing upon insertion of the needle, but provides no indication to the caregiver of when the needle is in the reservoir. Further, the wire cage presents its own problems. These problems include needles deflecting off of the cage and away from the reservoir.
Therefore, a need has arisen to provide a portal and a method of manufacture which effectively increases the target area of the portal, yet achieves all of the benefits of traditional portals which utilize compressed septums. Additionally there is a need to decrease the cost of manufacturing portals, including making portals easier to manufacture. The portal of the present invention solves these and other problems of the prior art.


An ear tip is adapted to deliver sound to an ear canal. The ear tip includes a first section, a second section and a third section. The first section is connectable to a sound-transmitting device. The second section has a first end, a second end and walls defining a bulbous section. The first end is connected to and in open communication with the first section. The second end is connected to and in open communication with the third section. The third section includes walls defining a flume and an outlet port adapted for open communication with the ear canal. The outlet port has a maximum outer diameter of about 11 millimeters. In a relaxed state, a ratio of a maximum outer diameter of the second section to a maximum diameter of the third section is between about 1.25 and about 2.5.

Among the myriad devices employing ear tips, stethoscopes and audio headsets are among the most common. Some stethoscopes may employ a spring-loaded means for forcing the ear tips into the user's ears in an attempt to create a sound-proof seal that maximizes the wearer's ability to hear only the desired sound free of ambient interference. This general design creates two related problems for the user. First, the exterior ear canal is rather sensitive to pressure and second, the ear canal varies in size and shape from person to person. Thus, hard conventional ear tips can cause serious discomfort by applying high pressure to the irregular surface of the user's ear canal. Furthermore, such hard ear tips form a poor acoustic seal with the ear, allowing ambient sound to infiltrate the ear canal and obscure the sound delivered by the device.
These problems of comfort and sound exclusion have been addressed in a number of ways, both as to ear tips and as to ear plugs. For example, soft, malleable materials such as air encased in a plastic bladder (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,895,627, 3,768,470, and 4,089,332), a mushroom shaped soft rubber head (U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,600), malleable plastic (U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,137), and closed-cell foam encased in a plastic shell (U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,794) are described in the patent literature.
Design variations such as a flared, horn-shaped ear tip designed to fit over, rather than into, the ear canal (U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,902), various shapes with skirt-like flanges that insert into the ear canal (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,564,009 and 3,896,801, G.B. patent No. 2,173,110 A), and soft mushroom-shaped ear tips (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,055,233 and 3,539,031) have appeared as well. All such inventions rely upon pressure to create a good acoustic seal.
A further design, appearing in U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,137, teaches a solution where a tight fit is attained not by pressure but by a layer of adhesive on the ear tip's surface.