The present invention relates to a cleaning wipe which is a composite of bottom layer of fibers, a center detergent film layer and a top layer of fibers.

The present invention relates to an antibacterial dishwashing cleaning wipe which is a multi layer fabric composite.
The patent literature describes numerous wipes for both body cleaning and cleaning of hard surfaces but none describe wipes for cleaning dishware flatware, pots and pans. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,980,931, 6,063,397 and 6,074,655 teach a substantially dry disposable personal cleansing product useful for both cleansing and conditioning the skin and hair. U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,149 teaches a disposable wiping article having a substrate comprising multiple layers.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,756,612; 5,763,332; 5,908,707; 5,914,177; 5,980,922 and 6,168,852 teach cleaning compositions which are inverse emulsions.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,183,315 and 6,183,763 teach cleaning compositions containing a proton donating agent and having an acidic pH. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,863,663; 5,952,043; 6,063,746 and 6,121,165 teaches cleaning compositions which are oil in water emulsions.
A single use cleaning wipe for dishwashing application comprises a composite of a preferably top smooth layer of a fine fiber needlepunched polyester layer, a center layer of a detergent film and a bottom layer of preferably a coarse fiber of a needlepunched polypropylene.
The present invention relates to a cleaning wipe for dishware, flatware, pots, pans and hard surfaces which comprises approximately by weight:
(a) 20% to 80% of a top layer of fine or coarse fibers;
(b) 20% to 80% of a bottom layer of fine or coarse fibers;
(c) 5% to 40% of a center layer of detergent film, wherein the three layers are bonded together into a composite cleaning wipe, wherein the detergent film comprises approximately by weight:
(i) 2% to 18% of a water soluble polymer selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, poly(vinyl) alcohol, poly(vinyl) pyrrolidone, polyacrylic acid salts, polyacrylic/polymaleic copolymer and polyaspartic acid;
(ii) 25% to 50% of at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkali metal salts of a fatty acids, ethoxylated nonionic surfactants, amine oxide surfactants, alkyl polyglucoside surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, anionic surfactants and C12-C14 fatty acid monoalkanol amides and mixtures thereof;
(iii) 0 to 2%, more preferably 0.1% to 1.5% of a perfume, essential oil or a water insoluble organic compound such as a hydrocarbon and mixtures thereof;
(iv) 0 to 15%, more preferably 0.1% to 10% of a cosurfactant selected from the group consisting of glycol ethers and short chain amphiphiles, and mixtures thereof;
(v) 0 to 15%, more preferably 0.1% to 10% of at least one solubilizing agent;
(vi) 0 to 7%, more preferably 0.1% to 5%, of an antibacterial agent;
(vii) 0 to 2.5%, more preferably 0.1% to 2% of a proton donating agent;
(viii) 0 to 6%, more preferably 0.05% to 3% of a perfume, wherein the unit dose detergent film contains less than 5 wt. % of water.
The water soluble nonionic surfactants which is utilized in this invention are commercially well known and include the primary aliphatic alcohol ethoxylates, secondary aliphatic alcohol ethoxylates, alkylphenol ethoxylates and ethylene-oxide-propylene oxide condensates on primary alkanols, such a Plurafacs (BASF) and condensates of ethylene oxide with sorbitan fatty acid esters such as the Tweens (ICl). The nonionic synthetic organic detergents generally are the condensation products of an organic aliphatic or alkyl aromatic hydrophobic compound and hydrophilic ethylene oxide groups. Practically any hydrophobic compound having a carboxy, hydroxy, amido, or amino group with a free hydrogen attached to the nitrogen can be condensed with ethylene oxide or with the polyhydration product thereof, polyethylene glycol, to form a water-soluble nonionic detergent. Further, the length of the polyethenoxy chain can be adjusted to achieve the desired balance between the hydrophobic and hydrophilic elements.
The nonionic detergent class includes the condensation products of a higher alcohol (e.g., an alkanol containing 8 to 18 carbon atoms in a straight or branched chain configuration) condensed with 5 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide, for example, lauryl or myristyl alcohol condensed with 16 moles of ethylene oxide (EO), tridecanol condensed with 6 to moles of EO, myristyl alcohol condensed with about 10 moles of EO per mole of myristyl alcohol, the condensation product of EO with a cut of coconut fatty alcohol containing a mixture of fatty alcohols with alkyl chains varying from 10 to 14 carbon atoms in length and wherein the condensate contains either 6 moles of EO per mole of total alcohol or 9 moles of EO per mole of alcohol and tallow alcohol ethoxylates containing 6 EO to 11 EO per mole of alcohol.
A preferred group of the foregoing nonionic surfactants are the Neodol ethoxylates (Shell Co.), which are higher aliphatic, primary alcohols containing about 9-15 carbon atoms, such as C9-C11 alkanol condensed with 8 moles of ethylene oxide (Neodol 91-8), C12-13 alkanol condensed with 6.5 moles ethylene oxide (Neodol 23-6.5), C12-15 alkanol condensed with 12 moles ethylene oxide (Neodol 25-12), C14-15 alkanol condensed with 13 moles ethylene oxide (Neodol 45-13), and the like. Such ethoxamers have an HLB (hydrophobic lipophilic balance) value of 8-15 and give good/W emulsification, whereas ethoxamers with HLB values below 8 contain less than 5 ethyleneoxy groups and tend to be poor emulsifiers and poor detergents.
Additional satisfactory water soluble alcohol ethylene oxide condensates are the condensation products of a secondary aliphatic alcohol containing 8 to 18 carbon atoms in a straight or branched chain configuration condensed with 5 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide. Examples of commercially available nonionic surfactants of the foregoing type are C11-15 secondary alkanol condensed with either 9 EO (Tergitol 15-S-9) or 12 EO (Tergitol 15-S-12) marketed by Union Carbide.
Other suitable nonionic surfactants include the polyethylene oxide condensates of one mole of alkyl phenol containing from 8 to 18 carbon atoms in a straight- or branched chain alkyl group with 5 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide. Specific examples of alkyl phenol ethoxylates include nonyl condensed with 9.5 moles of EO per mole of nonyl phenol, dinonyl phenol condensed with 12 moles of EO per mole of phenol, dinonyl phenol condensed with 15 moles of EO per mole of phenol and di-isoctylphenol condensed with 15 moles of EO per mole of phenol. Commercially available nonionic surfactants of this type include Igepal CO-630 (nonyl phenol ethoxylate) marketed by GAF Corporation.
Also among the satisfactory nonionic surfactants are the water-soluble condensation products of a C8-C20 alkanol with a heteric mixture of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide wherein the weight ratio of ethylene oxide to propylene oxide is from 2.5:1 to 4:1, preferably 2.8:1-3.3:1, with the total of the ethylene oxide and propylene oxide (including the terminal ethanol or propanol group) being from 60-85%, preferably 70-80%, by weight. Such surfactants are commercially available from BASF-Wyandotte and a particularly preferred detergent is a C10-C16 alkanol condensate with ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, the weight ratio of ethylene oxide to propylene oxide being 3:1 and the total alkoxy content being 75% by weight.
Other suitable water-soluble nonionic surfactants which are less preferred are marketed under the trade name xe2x80x9cPluronics.xe2x80x9d The compounds are formed by condensing ethylene oxide with a hydrophobic base formed by the condensation of propylene oxide with propylene glycol. The molecular weight of the hydrophobic portion of the molecule is of the order of 950 to 4000 and preferably 200 to 2,500. The addition of polyoxyethylene radicals to the hydrophobic portion tends to increase the solubility of the molecule as a whole so as to make the surfactant water-soluble. The molecular weight of the block polymers varies from 1,000 to 15,000 and the polyethylene oxide content may comprise 20% to 80% by weight. Preferably, these surfactants will be in liquid form and satisfactory surfactants are available as grades L62 and L64.
The anionic surfactants which may be used in the detergent film of this invention are water soluble such as triethanolamine and include the sodium, potassium, ammonium and ethanolammonium salts of C8-C18 alkyl sulfates such as lauryl sulfate, myristyl sulfate and the like; linear C8-C16 alkyl benzene sulfonates; C10-C20 paraffin sulfonates; alpha olefin sulfonates containing about 10-24 carbon atoms; C8-C18 alkyl sulfoacetates; C8-C18 alkyl sulfosuccinate esters; C8-C18 acyl isethionates; and C8-C1 8 acyl taurates. Preferred anionic surfactants are the water soluble C12-C16 alkyl sulfates, C12-C16 alkyl ethoxylated sulfates, the C10-C15 alkylbenzene sulfonates, the C13-C17 paraffin sulfonates and the alpha C12-C18 olefin sulfonates.
The higher alkyl mononuclear aromatic sulfonates, such as the higher alkylbenzene sulfonates containing 9 to 18 or preferably 9 to 16 carbon atoms in the higher alkyl group in a straight or branched chain. A preferred alkylbenzene sulfonate is a linear alkylbenzene sulfonate having a higher content of 3-phenyl (or higher) isomers and a correspondingly lower content (well below 50%) of 2-phenyl (or lower) isomers, such as those sulfonates wherein the benzene ring is attached mostly at the 3 or higher (for example 4, 5, 6 or 7) position of the alkyl group and the content of the isomers in which the benzene ring is attached in the 2 or 1 position is correspondingly low. Preferred materials are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,174, especially those in which the alkyls are of 10 to 13 carbon atoms.
Examples of suitable other sulfonated anionic surfactants are the well known. The paraffin sulfonates may be monosulfonates or di-sulfonates and usually are mixtures thereof, obtained by sulfonating paraffins of 10 to 20 carbon atoms. Preferred paraffin sulfonates are those of C12-18 carbon atoms chains, and more preferably they are of C14-17 chains. Paraffin sulfonates that have the sulfonate group(s) distributed along the paraffin chain are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,503,280; 2,507,088; 3,260,744; and 3,372,188; and also in German Patent 735,096. Such compounds may be made to specifications and desirably the content of paraffin sulfonates outside the C14-17 range will be minor and will be minimized, as will be any contents of di- or poly-sulfonates.
The C8-18 ethoxylated alkyl ether sulfate surfactants have the structure
Rxe2x80x94(OCHCH2)nOSO3xe2x88x92M+
wherein n is about 1 to about 22 more preferably 1 to 3 and R is an alkyl group having about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms, more preferably 12 to 15 and natural cuts, for example, C12-14 or C12-16 and M is an ammonium cation or a metal cation, most preferably sodium.
The ethoxylated alkyl ether sulfate may be made by sulfating the condensation product of ethylene oxide and C8-10 alkanol, and neutralizing the resultant product. The ethoxylated alkyl ether sulfates differ from one another in the number of carbon atoms in the alcohols and in the number of moles of ethylene oxide reacted with one mole of such alcohol. Preferred ethoxylated alkyl ether polyethenoxy sulfates contain 12 to 15 carbon atoms in the alcohols and in the alkyl groups thereof, e.g., sodium myristyl (3 EO) sulfate.
Ethoxylated C8-18 alkylphenyl ether sulfates containing from 2 to 6 moles of ethylene oxide in the molecule are also suitable for use in the invention compositions. These detergents can be prepared by reacting an alkyl phenol with 2 to 6 moles of ethylene oxide and sulfating and neutralizing the resultant ethoxylated alkylphenol.
The C12-C20 paraffin sulfonates may be monosulfonates or di-sulfonates and usually are mixtures thereof, obtained by sulfonating paraffins of 10 to 20 carbon atoms. Preferred paraffin sulfonates are those of C12-18 carbon atoms chains, and more preferably they are of C14-17 chains. Paraffin sulfonates that have the sulfonate group(s) distributed along the paraffin chain are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,503,280; 2,507,088; 3,260,744 and 3,372,188 and also in German Patent 735,096. Such compounds may be made to specifications and desirably the content of paraffin sulfonates outside the C14-17 range will be minor and will be minimized, as will be any contents of di- or poly-sulfonates.
The present invention can also contain alpha olefin sulfonates, including long-chain alkene sulfonates, long-chain hydroxyalkane sulfonates or mixtures of alkene sulfonates and hydroxyalkane sulfonates. These alpha olefin sulfonate surfactants may be prepared in a known manner by the reaction of sulfur trioxide (SO3) with long-chain olefins containing 8 to 25, preferably 12 to 21 carbon atoms and having the formula RCHxe2x95x90CHR1 where R is a higher alkyl group of 6 to 23 carbons and R1 is an alkyl group of 1 to 17 carbons or hydrogen to form a mixture of sultones and alkene sulfonic acids which is then treated to convert the sultones to sulfonates. Preferred alpha olefin sulfonates contain from 14 to 16 carbon atoms in the R alkyl group and are obtained by sulfonating an a-olefin.
The long chain fatty acids are the higher aliphatic fatty acids having from about 8 to 22 carbon atoms, more preferably from about 10 to 20 carbon atoms, and especially preferably from about 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and especially preferably from 12 to 18 carbon atoms, inclusive of the carbon atom of the carboxyl group of the fatty acid. The aliphatic radical may be saturated or unsaturated and may be straight or branched. Straight chain saturated fatty acids are preferred. Mixtures of fatty acids may be used, such as those derived from natural sources, such as tallow fatty acid, coco fatty acid, soya fatty acid, mixtures of these acids, etc. Stearic acid and mixed fatty acids, e.g. stearic acid/palmitic acid, are preferred.
Thus, examples of the fatty acids include, for example, decanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, palmitic acid, myristic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, oleic acid, eicosanoic acid, tallow fatty acid, coco fatty acid, soya fatty acid, mixtures of these acids, etc. Stearic acid and mixed fatty acids, e.g. stearic acid/palmitic acid, are preferred.
The water-soluble zwitterionic surfactant, which can also be used provides good foaming properties and mildness. The zwitterionic surfactant is a water soluble betaine having the general formula:
wherein R1 is an alkyl group having 10 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably 12 to 16 carbon atoms, or the amido radical:
wherein R is an alkyl group having 9 to 19 carbon atoms and a is the integer 1 to 4; R2 and R3 are each alkyl groups having 1 to 3 carbons and preferably 1 carbon; R4 is an alkylene or hydroxyalkylene group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and, optionally, one hydroxyl group. Typical alkyldimethyl betaines include decyl dimethyl betaine or 2-(N-decyl-N,N-dimethyl-ammonia) acetate, coco dimethyl betaine or 2-(N-coco N,N-dimethylammonio) acetate, myristyl dimethyl betaine, palmityl dimethyl betaine, lauryl diemethyl betaine, cetyl dimethyl betaine, stearyl dimethyl betaine, etc. The amidobetaines similarly include cocoamidoethylbetaine, cocoamidopropyl betaine and the like. A preferred betaine is coco (C8-C18) amidopropyl dimethyl betaine.
Amine oxide semi-polar nonionic surfactants comprise compounds and mixtures of compounds having the formula:
wherein R1 is an alkyl, 2-hydroxyalkyl, 3-hydroxyalkyl, or 3-alkoxy-2-hydroxypropyl radical in which the alkyl and alkoxy, respectively, contain from 8 to 18 carbon atoms, R2 and R3 are each methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, 2-hydroxypropyl, or 3-hydroxypropyl, and n is from 0 to 10. Particularly preferred are amine oxides of the formula:
wherein R1 is a C12-16 alkyl and R2 and R3 are methyl or ethyl. The above ethylene oxide condensates, amides, and amine oxides are more fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,824 which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The alkyl polysaccharides surfactants, which can be used have a hydrophobic group containing from about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms, preferably from about 10 to about 16 carbon atoms, most preferably from about 12 to about 14 carbon atoms, and polysaccharide hydrophilic group containing from about 1.5 to about 10, preferably from about 1.5 to about 4, most preferably from about 1.6 to about 2.7 saccharide units (e.g., galactoside, glucoside, fructoside, glucosyl, fructosyl; and/or galactosyl units). Mixtures of saccharide moieties may be used in the alkyl polysaccharide surfactants. The number x indicates the number of saccharide units in a particular alkyl polysaccharide surfactant. For a particular alkyl polysaccharide molecule x can only assume integral values. In any physical sample of alkyl polysaccharide surfactants there will be in general molecules having different x values. The physical sample can be characterized by the average value of x and this average value can assume non-integral values. In this specification the values of x are to be understood to be average values. The hydrophobic group (R) can be attached at the 2-, 3-, or 4-positions rather than at the 1-position, (thus giving e.g. a glucosyl or galactosyl as opposed to a glucoside or galactoside). However, attachment through the 1-position, i.e., glucosides, galactoside, fructosides, etc., is preferred. In the preferred product the additional saccharide units are predominately attached to the previous saccharide units 2-position. Attachment through the 3-, 4-, and 6-positions can also occur. Optionally and less desirably there can be a polyalkoxide chain joining the hydrophobic moiety (R) and the polysaccharide chain. The preferred alkoxide moiety is ethoxide.
Typical hydrophobic groups include alkyl groups, either saturated or unsaturated, branched or unbranched containing from about 8 to about 20, preferably from about 10 to about 18 carbon atoms. Preferably, the alkyl group is a straight chain saturated alkyl group. The alkyl group can contain up to 3 hydroxy groups and/or the polyalkoxide chain can contain up to about 30, preferably less than about 10, alkoxide moieties.
Suitable alkyl polysaccharides are decyl, dodecyl, tetradecyl, pentadecyl, hexadecyl, and octadecyl, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexaglucosides, galactosides, lactosides, fructosides, fructosyls, lactosyls, glucosyls and/or galactosyls and mixtures thereof.
The alkyl monosaccharides are relatively less soluble in water than the higher alkyl polysaccharides. When used in admixture with alkyl polysaccharides, the alkyl monosaccharides are solubilized to some extent. The use of alkyl monosaccharides in admixture with alkyl polysaccharides is a preferred mode of carrying out the invention. Suitable mixtures include coconut alkyl, di-, tri-, tetra-, and pentaglucosides and tallow alkyl tetra-, penta-, and hexaglucosides.
The preferred alkyl polysaccharides are alkyl polyglucosides having the formula
R2O(CnH2nO)r(Z)x
wherein Z is derived from glucose, R is a hydrophobic group selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkylphenyl, hydroxyalkylphenyl, and mixtures thereof in which said alkyl groups contain from about 10 to about 18, preferably from about 12 to about 14 carbon atoms; n is 2 or 3 preferably 2, r is from 0 to 10, preferable 0; and x is from 1.5 to 8, preferably from 1.5 to 4, most preferably from 1.6 to 2.7. To prepare these compounds a long chain alcohol (R2OH) can be reacted with glucose, in the presence of an acid catalyst to form the desired glucoside. Alternatively the alkyl polyglucosides can be prepared by a two step procedure in which a short chain alcohol (R1OH) can be reacted with glucose, in the presence of an acid catalyst to form the desired glucoside. Alternatively the alkyl polyglucosides can be prepared by a two step procedure in which a short chain alcohol (C1-6) is reacted with glucose or a polyglucoside (x=2 to 4) to yield a short chain alkyl glucoside (x=1 to 4) which can in turn be reacted with a longer chain alcohol (R2OH) to displace the short chain alcohol and obtain the desired alkyl polyglucoside. If this two step procedure is used, the short chain alkylglucosde content of the final alkyl polyglucoside material should be less than 50%, preferably less than 10%, more preferably less than about 5%, most preferably 0% of the alkyl polyglucoside.
The amount of unreacted alcohol (the free fatty alcohol content) in the desired alkyl polysaccharide surfactant is preferably less than about 2%, more preferably less than about 0.5% by weight of the total of the alkyl polysaccharide. For some uses it is desirable to have the alkyl monosaccharide content less than about 10%.
The used herein, xe2x80x9calkyl polysaccharide surfactantxe2x80x9d is intended to represent both the preferred glucose and galactose derived surfactants and the less preferred alkyl polysaccharide surfactants. Throughout this specification, xe2x80x9calkyl polyglucosidexe2x80x9d is used to include alkyl polyglycosides because the stereochemistry of the saccharide moiety is changed during the preparation reaction.
An especially preferred APG glycoside surfactant is APG 625 glycoside manufactured by the Henkel Corporation of Ambler, Pa. APG25 is a nonionic alkyl polyglycoside characterized by the formula:
CnH2n+1O(C6H10O5)xH
wherein n=10 (2%); n=122 (65%); n=14 (21-28%); n=16 (4-8%) and n=18 (0.5%) and x (degree of polymerization)=1.6. APG 625 has: a pH of 6 to 10 (10% of APG 625 in distilled water); a specific gravity at 2500 of 1.1 g/ml; a density at 25xc2x0 C. of 9.1 lbs/gallon; a calculated HLB of 12.1 and a Brookfield viscosity at 35xc2x0 C., 21 spindle, 5-10 RPM of 3,000 to 7,000 cps.
The instant detergent film can also contain a mixture of a C12-14 alkyl monoalkanol amide such as lauryl monoalkanol amide and a C12-14 alkyl dialkanol amide such as lauryl diethanol amide or coco diethanol amide.
As used herein and in the appended claims the term xe2x80x9cperfumexe2x80x9d is used in its ordinary sense to refer to and include any non-water soluble fragrant substance or mixture of substances including natural (i.e., obtained by extraction of flower, herb, blossom or plant), artificial (i.e., mixture of natural oils or oil constituents) and synthetically produced substance) odoriferous substances. Typically, perfumes are complex mixtures of blends of various organic compounds such as alcohols, aldehydes, ethers, aromatic compounds and varying amounts of essential oils (e.g., terpenes) such as from 0% to 80%, usually from 10% to 70% by weight, the essential oils themselves being volatile odoriferous compounds and also serving to dissolve the other components of the perfume.
In the present invention the precise composition of the perfume is of no particular consequence to cleaning performance so long as it meets the criteria of water immiscibility and having a pleasing odor. Naturally, of course, especially for cleaning compositions intended for use in the home, the perfume, as well as all other ingredients, should be cosmetically acceptable, i.e., non-toxic, hypoallergenic, etc. The instant compositions show a marked improvement in ecotoxocity as compared to existing commercial products.
In place of the perfume one can employ an essential oil or a water insoluble hydrocarbon having 6 to 18 carbon such as a paraffin or isoparaffin.
Suitable essential oils are selected from the group consisting of: Anethole 20/21 natural, Aniseed oil china star, Aniseed oil globe brand, Balsam (Peru), Basil oil (India), Black pepper oil, Black pepper oleoresin 40/20, Bois de Rose (Brazil) FOB, Borneol Flakes (China), Camphor oil, White, Camphor powder synthetic technical, Cananga oil (Java), Cardamom oil, Cassia oil (China), Cedarwood oil (China) BP, Cinnamon bark oil, Cinnamon leaf oil, Citronella oil, Clove bud oil, Clove leaf, Coriander (Russia), Coumarin 69xc2x0 C. (China), Cyclamen Aldehyde, Diphenyl oxide, Ethyl vanilin, Eucalyptol, Eucalyptus oil, Eucalyptus citriodora, Fennel oil, Geranium oil, Ginger oil, Ginger oleoresin (India), White grapefruit oil, Guaiacwood oil, Gurjun balsam, Heliotropin, Isobornyl acetate, Isolongifolene, Juniper berry oil, L-methyl acetate, Lavender oil, Lemon oil, Lemongrass oil, Lime oil distilled, Litsea Cubeba oil, Longifolene, Menthol crystals, Methyl cedryl ketone, Methyl chavicol, Methyl salicylate, Musk ambrette, Musk ketone, Musk xylol, Nutmeg oil, Orange oil, Patchouli oil, Peppermint oil, Phenyl ethyl alcohol, Pimento berry oil, Pimento leaf oil, Rosalin, Sandalwood oil, Sandenol, Sage oil, Clary sage, Sassafras oil, Spearmint oil, Spike lavender, Tagetes, Tea tree oil, Vanilin, Vetyver oil (Java), Wintergreen, Allocimene, Arbanex(trademark), Arbanol(copyright), Bergamot oils, Camphene, Alpha-Campholenic aldehyde, I-Carvone, Cineoles, Citral, Citronellol Terpenes, Alpha-Citronellol, Citronellyl Acetate, Citronellyl Nitrile, Para-Cymene, Dihydroanethole, Dihydrocarveol, d-Dihydrocarvone, Dihydrolinalool, Dihydromyrcene, Dihydromyrcenol, Dihydromyrcenyl Acetate, Dihydroterpineol, Dimethyloctanal, Dimethyloctanol, Dimethyloctanyl Acetate, Estragole, Ethyl-2 Methylbutyrate, Fenchol, Fernlol(trademark), Florilys(trademark), Geraniol, Geranyl Acetate, Geranyl Nitrile, Glidmint(trademark) Mint oils, Glidox(trademark), Grapefruit oils, trans-2-Hexenal, trans-2-Hexenol, cis-3-Hexenyl Isovalerate, cis-3-Hexanyl-2-methylbutyrate, Hexyl Isovalerate, Hexyl-2-methylbutyrate, Hydroxycitronellal, Ionone, Isobornyl Methylether, Linalool, Linalool Oxide, Linalyl Acetate, Menthane Hydroperoxide, 1-Methyl Acetate, Methyl Hexyl Ether, Methyl-2-methylbutyrate, 2-Methylbutyl Isovalerate, Myrcene, Nerol, Neryl Acetate, 3-Octanol, 3-Octyl Acetate, Phenyl Ethyl-2-methylbutyrate, Petitgrain oil, cis-Pinane, Pinane Hydroperoxide, Pinanol, Pine Ester, Pine Needle oils, Pine oil, alpha-Pinene, beta-Pinene, alpha-Pinene Oxide, Plinol, Plinyl Acetate, Pseudo Ionone, Rhodinol, Rhodinyl Acetate, Spice oils, alpha-Terpinene, gamma-Terpinene, Terpinene-4-OL, Terpineol, Terpinolene, Terpinyl Acetate, Tetrahydrolinalool, Tetrahydrolinalyl Acetate, Tetrahydromyrcenol, Tetralol(copyright), Tomato oils, Vitalizair, Zestoral(trademark).
The cosurfactants used in the instant inventions are glycerol, ethylene glycol, water-soluble polyethylene glycols having a molecular weight of 300 to 1000, polypropylene glycol of the formula HO(CH3CHCH2O)nH wherein n is a number from 2 to 18, mixtures of polyethylene glycol and polypropyl glycol (Synalox) and mono C1-C6 alkyl ethers of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol having the structural formula R(X)nOH wherein R is C1-C6 alkyl group, X is (OCH2CH2) or (OCH2(CH3)CH) and n is a number from 1 to 4, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1methoxy-2-propanol, 1methoxy-3-propanol, and 1methoxy 2-, 3- or 4-butanol, and triethyl phosphate. Additionally, mixtures of two or more of the three classes of cosurfactant compounds may be employed where specific pH""s are desired.
Representative members of the polypropylene glycol include dipropylene glycol and polypropylene glycol having a molecular weight of 200 to 1000, e.g., polypropylene glycol 400. Other satisfactory glycol ethers are ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (butyl cellosolve), diethylene glycol monobutyl ether (butyl carbitol), triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, mono, di, tri propylene glycol monobutyl ether, tetraethylene glycol monobutyl ether, mono, di, tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monohexyl ether, diethylene glycol monohexyl ether, propylene glycol tertiary butyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monopentyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monopropyl ether, diethylene glycol monopentyl ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, triethylene glycol monoethyl ether, triethylene glycol monopropyl ether, triethylene glycol monopentyl ether, triethylene glycol monohexyl ether, mono, di, tripropylene glycol monoethyl ether, mono, di tripropylene glycol monopropyl ether, mono, di, tripropylene glycol monopentyl ether, mono, di, tripropylene glycol monohexyl ether, mono, di, tributylene glycol mono methyl ether, mono, di, tributylene glycol monoethyl ether, mono, di, tributylene glycol monopropyl ether, mono, di, tributylene glycol monobutyl ether, mono, di, tributylene glycol monopentyl ether and mono, di, tributylene glycol monohexyl ether, ethylene glycol phenyl ether and 1-phenoxy-2-propanol, ethylene glycol monoacetate and dipropylene glycol propionate.
The instant detergent film can contain at least one solubilizing agent selected from the group consisting of a C2-5 mono, dihydroxy or polyhydroxy alkanols such as ethanol, isopropanol, glycerol ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and hexylene glycol and mixtures thereof, urea, and alkali metal cumene or xylene sulfonates such as sodium cumene sulfonate and sodium xylene sulfonate.
The detergent film can contain polyethylene glycol which is depicted by the formula:
HOxe2x80x94(CH2xe2x80x94CH2O)nxe2x80x94H
wherein n is about 8 to about 225, more preferably about 10 to about 100,000, wherein the polyethylene glycol has a molecular weight of about 200 to about 1,000. One preferred polyethylene glycerol is PEG1000 which is a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of about 1000.
The proton donating agent which can be used is selected from the group consisting of inorganic acids such as sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid and hydroxy containing organic acid, preferably a hydroxy aliphatic acid, wherein the hydroxy containing organic acid is selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, citric acid, salicylic acid, orthohydroxy benzoic acid or glycolic acid and mixtures thereof.
The antibacterial agents which can be used are selected from the group consisting of 3,4,4-trichloro-canbanlide,2,4,4xe2x80x2-trichloro-2xe2x80x2hydroxydiphenyl ether, C8-C16 alkyl amines, C8-C16 alkyl benzyl dimethyl ammonium chlorides, benzalkonium chloride, C8-C16 dialkyl dimethyl ammonium chlorides, C8-C16 alkyl, C8-C14 alkyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and chlorohexidine and mixtures thereof. Some typical antibacterial agent useful in the instant compositions are manufactured by Lonza, S. A. They are: Bardac 2180 (or 2170) which is N-decyl-N-isonoxyl-N,N-dimethyl ammonium chloride; Bardac 22 which is didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride; Bardac LF which is N,Ndioctyl-N,N-dimethyl ammonium chloride; Bardac 114 which is a mixture in a ratio of 1:1:1 of N-alkyl-N,N-didecyl-N,N-dimethyl ammonium chloride/N-alkyl-N,Ndimethyl-N-ethyl ammonium chloride; and Barquat MB-50 which is N-alkyl-N,N-dimethyl-N-benzyl ammonium chloride. The preferred disinfecting agent is a C8-C16 alkyl benzyl dimethyl ammonium chloride.
Another antibacterial agent is a cationic polymer selected from the group consisting of poly (hexamethylene biguanide) hydrochloride having the structure of:
where the average n=4 to 6 and a quaternized cationic polymer having the structure of
The detergent film of this invention may, if desired, also contain other components either to provide additional effect or to make the product more attractive to the consumer. The following are mentioned by way of example: Colors or dyes in amounts up to 0.5% by weight; pH adjusting agents, such as sulfuric acid or sodium hydroxide, can be used as needed. Protease enzymes, amylase enzymes, and chlorine bleach compounds at a concentration of 0.1 wt. % to 10 wt. % can be used.
Preservatives which can be used in the instant compositions at a concentration of 0.005 wt. % to 3 wt. %, more preferably 0.01 wt. % to 2.5 wt. % are: benzalkonium chloride; benzethonium chloride,5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3dioxane; 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol; alkyl trimethyl ammonium bromide; N-(hydroxymethyl)-N-(1,3-dihydroxy methyl-2,5-dioxo-4-imidaxolidinyl-Nxe2x80x2-(hydroxy methyl) urea; 1-3-dimethyol-5,5-dimethyl hydantoin; formaldehyde; iodopropynl butyl carbamata, butyl paraben; ethyl paraben; methyl paraben; propyl paraben, mixture of methyl isothiazolinone/methyl-chloroisothiazoline in a 1:3 wt. ratio; mixture of phenoxythanol/butyl paraben/methyl paraben/propylparaben; 2-phenoxyethanol; tris-hydroxyethyl-hexahydrotriazine; methylisothiazolinone; 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one; 1,2-dibromo-2,4-dicyanobutane; 1-(3-chloroalkyl)-3,5,7-triaza-azoniaadamantane chloride; and sodium benzoate. PH adjusting agents such as sulfuric acid or sodium hydroxide can be used as needed.
The cellulosic polymer which is used in forming the detergent film is selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose and hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose Dow Chemical manufactures these cellulosic polymers under the tradename Methocel. The following chart set forth suitable Methocel polymer useful in the instant invention.
The detergent film is made by preparing aqueous cleaning solution of the cleaning composition and a second aqueous polymeric solution of the water soluble polymer at a 4 wt. % to 18 wt. %. The cleaning composition solution and the polymeric solution are mixed by simple mixing at room temperature in a 4:1 to 1:4 weight ratio to form a casting solution. The casting solution is cast onto a support film such as PET silicone or siliconized paper and allowed to dry by evaporation at about room temperature to form the unit dose detergent film having a thickness of about 1.0 mls. to about 12 mls.
The bottom and top layers may have different textures and abrasiveness. Differing textures can result from the use of different combinations of materials or from the use of different manufacturing processes or a combination thereof. A dual texture substrate can be made to provide the advantage of a more abrasive side for cleaning difficult to remove soils. A softer side can be used for fine dishware and flatware. The substrate should not dissolve or break apart in water. It is the vehicle for delivering the cleaning composition to dishware, flatware, pots and pans. Use of the substrate enhances lathering, cleaning and grease removal.
A wide variety of materials can be used as for both the top and bottom layers. It should have sufficient wet strength, abrasivity, loft and porosity. Examples include, non woven materials, wovens materials, and hydroentangled materials.
Examples of suitable non woven materials include, 100% cellulose Wadding Grade 1804 from Little Rapids Corporation, 100% polypropylene needlepunch material NB 701-2.8-W/R from American Non-wovens Corporation, a blend of cellulosic and synthetic fibres-Hydraspun 8579 from Ahistrom Fibre Composites, and and0% Viscose/30% PES Code 9881 from PGI Nonwovens Polymer Corp.
Another useful material is manufactured by Jacob Holm-Lidro Rough. It is a composition material comprising a 65/35 viscose rayon/polyester hydroentangled spuniace layer with a hydroenlongated bonded polyeser scribbly layer.
The product of the present invention comprising mutliple layers may be ultrasonically bonded. Alternatively layers may be bonded together by needlepunch, thermal bonding, mechnical bonding, chemical bonding, or sonic bonding prior to applying the coating.
The following examples illustrate liquid cleaning compositions of the described invention. Unless otherwise specified, all percentages are by weight. The exemplified compositions are illustrative only and do not limit the scope of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, the proportions in the examples and elsewhere in the specification are by weight.
The detergent thin film is made by blending a detergent composition with a solution of the film-forming polymer selected from the group consisting of methyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose and mixtures thereof; at a given ratio and casting the resulting solution into a suitable non water soluble support film and allowed to dry. The support film can be PET, siliconized paper or any non-water soluble film that does not stick to the finished product after drying. The ratio of the detergent composition to the film forming polymer solution can be varied in order to control the thickness, flexibility, strength (e.g. brittleness) and rate of dissolution. Once the polymer/detergent mixture is cast on a non water soluble substrate, allow the product to air dry or by passing through a hot-air drying station. After drying the polymer/detergent based thin film, the product can be stripped/released from the non water soluble substrate and cut to a desired size and shape.


A method and system for detecting eye disease. A pattern is displayed on a screen to an individual, who is made to fixate his vision on a point in the pattern. The pattern is then hidden and a second pattern is displayed. The individual then compares the second pattern, as perceived by him, with a pre-defined pattern. These steps are then repeated several times. It is then determined whether the individual has an eye disease based on the comparisons.

This invention relates to systems and methods for detecting eye disease.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among people over the age of 50 in the western world. It is a bilateral, although asymmetric disease, and comes in two forms:
Dry or non-neovascular AMD is the more common and milder form of AMD, accounting for 85-90% of all AMD. The key identifier for dry AMD is small, round, white-yellow lesions in the macula. Vision loss associated with dry AMD is far less dramatic than in the case of wet AMD. There is currently no treatment available for dry AMD. It is estimated that as many as 14 million people suffer from dry AMD in the United States alone.
Wet AMD is less prevalent than the dry form, accounting for about 10-15% of AMD cases. The term wet denotes choroidal neovascularization (CNV), in which abnormal blood vessels develop beneath the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer of the retina. Wet AMD is characterized by the development of choroidal angiogenesis which causes severe, and potentially rapid, visual deterioration. The visual distortion typically consists of perceiving straight lines as curved due to deformation of the retina in a region overlying the choroidal angiogenesis. The wet form accounts for about 60% of all cases of adult blindness in the United States. In the US alone there are 200,000 new cases of wet AMD every year and a total of 1.7 million blind people from AMD.
Treatment modalities for wet AMD include conventional treatments such as laser photocoagulation and newer treatment modalities such as PhotoDynamic therapy (PDT). Experimental treatments that are under current investigation include feeder vessel coagulation and Trans-pupillary ThermoTherapy (TTT). All these proven or experimental therapies may halt or slow progression of the disease only if detected at an early stage and will not reverse existing retinal damage. Therefore, early detection is crucial to prevent severe visual loss.
Since approximately 12% of dry AMD cases develop wet AMD and subsequent blindness within 10 years, a patient diagnosed with dry AMD must be routinely examined by an ophthalmologist once or twice a year, depending on the severity of his condition. The patient is usually also given a so-called xe2x80x9cAmsler gridxe2x80x9d for weekly self-examination at home for symptoms of wet AMD. The patient is advised to consult an ophthalmologist immediately in the event that symptoms are noticed. The Amsler grid and its modifications (such as the xe2x80x9cthreshold Amslerxe2x80x9d or the xe2x80x9cred Amslerxe2x80x9d) have been displayed to be poor detectors of early changes associated with wet AMD for several reasons. One is the phenomenon of xe2x80x9cfilling-inxe2x80x9d whereby the brain fills in missing parts in the pattern or corrects defects in the pattern. The subject thus fails to perceive a distorted pattern as being distorted. Another problem with the Amsler grid is the inability of patients to adequately fixate their vision on a fixed point while taking the test. The Amsler test also suffers from low compliance stemming from the non-interactive nature of the test.
The degree of visual deterioration is a function of the size of the lesion and its proximity to the fovea at the time of diagnosis. Although most lesions probably start outside the foveal area, 70% are already foveal and large ( greater than 1500 microns) at the time of diagnosis. It is therefore crucial to identify the lesions at the earliest possible stage, while they are still small and have not reached the fovea. It is known that 70% of lesions diagnosed as treatable become untreatable within less than three months, which indicates that the progression of the disease is relatively rapid. As many as 70-80% of patients with wet AMD are already ineligible for treatment when they first consult their ophthalmologist because the disease has progressed considerably. This is due to the poor validity of existing self-assessment methods for detecting an AMD-related lesion at an early stage, and the time lapsed between noticing the symptoms and seeing an ophthalmologist.
A reliable method for diagnosing wet AMD at the earliest possible stage, in conjunction with a referral system aimed at lowering the incidence of visual deterioration in this devastating disease, are imperative. If detected early, laser therapy to destroy the abnormal blood vessels may prevent additional vision loss. It is therefore crucial to detect the transition from dry to wet AMD as early as possible.
The present invention provides an eye test for detecting retinal lesions such as those associated with AMD or diabetes. The method involves showing a subject a first pattern displayed on a surface. The pattern may be, for example, one or more lines. The subject then fixates his vision on a point on the surface. The first pattern is hidden and a second pattern is displayed at a different location on the surface. The second pattern may be substantially identical to the first pattern, or the two patterns may be different. The subject is then asked to compare the second pattern and a predefined pattern. If the second pattern and the predefined pattern were identical, but the subject has perceived them to be different, this is indicative of a lesion of the retina. The subject indicates a region in the second pattern that appears to him to be different from the same region in the predefined pattern. The location of the lesion on the retina is determined from the location of the region in the second pattern on the surface relative to the point where the subject""s vision was fixated. If the second pattern and the predefined pattern were not identical, but the subject reports that the two patterns were identical, this would indicate that he is not responding reliably to the test. Thus, the second pattern may be obtained by modifying the predefined pattern to simulate the predefined pattern as perceived by a person with an eye disease. For example, the second pattern may be obtained from the predefined pattern by displacing a component of the predefined pattern, removing a component of the predefined pattern, blurring a component, or altering an optical property of a component of the predefined pattern, such as color or intensity. Such modified patterns may also be used to demonstrate to subjects various types of visual disturbances associated with retinal lesions.
Since the subject will spontaneously shift his vision to the second pattern within about 200 msec after it appears, the subject may additionally or alternatively be asked to indicate whether any motion occurred of part of the second pattern relative to other parts of the second pattern as he shifted his vision, and if so, where in the second pattern the motion occurred. For example, a segment of a line that appears curved when in the periphery of the subject""s field of vision may appear to straighten as the subject shifts his vision and brings the pattern into the center of his field of vision. This apparent movement at the particular location in the pattern as the subject shifts his vision is indicative of a retinal abnormality in the corresponding region of the retina.
The test is repeated several times, each time presenting the second pattern in a different region in the subject""s field of view. This allows a retinal abnormality to be mapped on the retina.
In a preferred embodiment, the method is performed by displaying the patterns on a monitor screen such as a computer monitor, television, or stand-alone device. In this embodiment, the subject can be made to fixate his vision on a point of the screen by having him bring a cursor to the point on the screen using any computer input device such as a computer mouse, a keyboard, joystick or touch-screen. This causes the first pattern to disappear from the screen and for the second pattern to appear. The patterns may consist of one or more broken lines consisting of a plurality of segments. The subject indicates a segment in the second pattern that appears different to him than the corresponding segment in the first pattern by bringing the cursor to the point and clicking the mouse. For example, if the first and second patterns are broken lines, and the subject perceives the first pattern as being straight, but perceives the second pattern as having one or more unaligned segments, the subject would click the unaligned segments with the mouse.
The results of the test are typically transmitted in real time over a communications network to a processor. The network may be a computer network such as the Internet, local and wide are networks such as LAN, WAN, or PAN. The network may also be a telephone network using a modem and TCP/IP connection. The processor that analyzes the subjects responses and generates a diagnosis of the subject""s condition. The diagnosis and a recommendation for follow-up or referral for prompt examination are then transmitted over the communication system to the subject and to his care provider. The subject""s compliance may be monitored regularly by the processor by storing in a memory the dates that the subject is to perform the test. Failure to perform the test on schedule results in a reminder being sent to the subject over the communication network or by telephone to perform the test. A notice may also be sent to the health care provider.
Thus, in its first aspect the invention provides a method for detecting eye disease in an individual, comprising steps of:
displaying to the individual a first pattern at a first location on a surface, the first pattern consisting of at least one point;
fixating the individual""s vision on a point in the first pattern;
hiding at least a portion of the first pattern;
displaying a second pattern to the individual at a second location on the surface so as to allow the individual to form a perceived image of the second pattern;
obtaining a comparison of the perceived image and a predefined pattern;
repeating the first step of displaying, the step of fixating, the step of hiding, the second step of displaying, and the step of obtaining a number of times; and
determining whether the individual has an eye disease based on the comparisons.
In its second aspect, the invention provides a system for detecting eye disease in an individual, comprising;
(a) a surface configured to display a first pattern to the individual, the pattern consisting of at least one point;
(b) a device for fixating the individual""s vision on a point in a pattern displayed on the surface and hiding the pattern after the individual""s vision has been fixated on the point; and
(c) a device for selecting a portion of a pattern displayed on the surface.
In its third aspect, the invention provides a program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for detecting eye disease in an individual, comprising steps of:
displaying to the individual a first pattern at a first location on a surface, the first pattern consisting of at least one point;
determining when the individual""s vision is fixated on a point in the pattern;
hiding at least a portion of the first pattern upon the individual fixating his vision on a point in the first pattern;
displaying a second pattern to the individual at a second location on the surface so as to allow the individual to form a perceived image; and
obtaining a comparison of the perceived image and a predefined pattern;
In its fourth aspect, the invention provides a computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for detecting eye disease in an individual, the computer program product comprising:
computer readable program code for causing the computer to display a first pattern to the individual at a first location on a surface;
computer readable program code for causing the computer to determine when the individual""s vision is fixated on a point on the surface and for hiding at least a portion of the first pattern when the individual""s vision is fixated on the point;
computer readable program code for causing the computer to display a second pattern to the individual at a second location on the surface so as to allow the individual to form a perceived image of the second pattern and;
computer readable program code for causing the computer to obtain a comparison of the perceived image and the predefined pattern.

Method and system for detecting eye disease


A hinged utility rack disposed on and external to a vehicle having a temporary top or roof. The utility rack has a bed that supports objects especially for transportation. First and second support bars are attached to the vehicle and support the bed. The second support bar is releasably connected to the bed, supporting the bed when connected. A hinge pivotally connects the first support bar to the bed, enabling the bed to pivot about the first support bar. The bed pivots between (a) a closed position in which the bed covers the vehicle top and the second support bar is connected to the bed, and (b) an open position in which the second support bar is disconnected from the bed and the bed is disposed away from the second support bar thereby rendering the top accessible for removal or retraction.

The present invention relates generally to a vehicle utility rack and, more particularly, to a hinged utility rack that allows the temporary roof of a vehicle to be removed without disengaging the utility rack from the vehicle.
Even as vehicles become larger and provide increased storage space, the desire to carry more cargo in or on the vehicle remains. One response to that desire is a cargo rack, which is placed on the vehicle outside the passenger compartment. Cargo racks generally are adapted to carry skis, bicycles, storage units, and other items.
The art is replete with different designs and styles of cargo racks. One common feature of these racks is that they are typically secured to the vehicle roof. More specifically, they are rigidly mounted in a fixed position to the roof of the vehicle. The advantages of roof racks are many: they maintain sight lines, minimize aesthetic drawbacks, avoid interference with doors and windows, and allow maximum use of passenger space inside the vehicle.
In basic form, the roof rack has a pair of spaced parallel rails or load bars, fixedly attached to the roof and aligned parallel to the centerline of the roof or transversely to it. The rails are elevated a slight distance from the roof surface, generally three to five inches. The ends of the rails have end brackets which attach to the roof by sheet metal screws or the like and hold the rails at the predetermined height. In a common configuration, the brackets for the two transverse rails are adjustably mounted in fixed linear tracks along each side edge of the roof, allowing the user to set the spacing between the two rails. After-market versions of these generalized or multipurpose roof racks are provided that can be installed and removed from the vehicle and may include end brackets that screw into the roof gutters of the vehicle or clamp into the top of the side door openings.
Each particular type of cargo roof rack addresses a specific problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,873 issued to Won et al. teaches a roof rack assembly that enhances and improves the overall appearance and aerodynamics of a vehicle with the roof rack. The roof of the vehicle contains grooves making it possible to retract the roof rack to a stored position when not in use. Although aesthetically and aerodynamically improved, this roof rack requires extensive modifications to the vehicle roof.
Another problem presented by roof racks is the difficulty experienced by users when securing or storing cargo to or in the rack. Most vehicles are sufficiently tall that the roof is inaccessible to individuals of normal height. U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,874 issued to Kim et al. provides a roof rack that slides down the rear of the vehicle to allow a user to access the stowed cargo while standing on ground level. This rack eliminates the need for an elevation mechanism such as a step stool. The portion of the rack which does not slide must still be securely mounted to the vehicle roof.
The roof is a stable structure, and can support a conventional roof rack, in most vehicles. In some vehicles, however, the roof is removable, is not structurally sound, or both. Most vehicles having removable roofs are designed to allow open-air enjoyment. Such roofs can be either removable xe2x80x9chardxe2x80x9d tops (i.e., temporary shells) or xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d tops made of fabric, coated canvas, tarps, and the like. By removing the soft or hard top roofs, the enclosed vehicle is converted into an open-air vehicle.
Among the various types of convertible vehicles, sport-utility vehicles (SUV""s) and all-terrain vehicles (ATV""s) have gained widespread popularity in recent years. Generally, these vehicles have a box-shaped cab and include various features such as four-wheel drive and heavy-duty suspensions which allow them to be used in most environments including the off-road environment. Therefore, vehicles of these types are particularly well suited for transporting passengers to remote locations for participation in outdoor sports. Examples of such outdoor sports include skiing, snowboarding, canoeing, bicycling, fishing, and camping.
Many of these sports require specialized equipment for their participants. Among other bulky equipment, bicycling requires a bicycle; fishing requires fishing poles; canoeing requires a canoe; skiing requires the skis, poles, and boots; snowboarding requires a snowboard; and camping requires a tent. Such specialized equipment must be carried along with the user to the remote outdoor location.
A major disadvantage of such SUV""s and ATV""s is their relative lack of cargo space. Space within the passenger compartment is limited. For situations where large items are desired to be transported, the interior space of most SUV""s and ATV""s is inadequate. Given both the limited interior space and the size and shape of the equipment which owners of SUV""s and ATV""s desire to transport, such equipment is most effectively carried outside the vehicle on roof-mounted racks. Thus, roof racks are common on SUV""s and on ATV""s.
As outlined above, the art is replete with different designs and styles of roof racks. Nevertheless, relatively few solutions exist for convertible SUV""s and ATV""s. This shortage exists because most vehicle roof racks must be mounted to the roof of a hardtop vehicle for support. Convertible SUV""s and ATV""s do not have hard tops and, therefore, most conventional roof racks cannot be used with these vehicles. A fixed roof rack that requires mounting the rack to the vehicle roof is simply impractical with removable soft or hard top roofs. Although these difficulties are inherent for vehicle types known as SUV""s and ATV""s, the same problems exist with convertible automobiles and with vans and pickup trucks having caps or removable hardtops installed over their cargo decks.
Roof racks that do not require mounting to the roof do exist. Such roof racks present their own set of problems. The roof rack may be affixed to the vehicle through longitudinal support bars as taught, for example, by U.S. Design Pat. No. 415,718 issued to Aghaci. The longitudinal support bars are affixed to the front, sides, or back of the vehicle and travel up the vehicle frame to the vehicle roof. The roof rack bed is mounted to the longitudinal support bars with secure fixtures. The roof rack bed is not affixed to the vehicle roof and, therefore, the roof rack bed and longitudinal support bar connections are critical load-bearing, structural joints. As a consequence, the roof rack bed and longitudinal bars are commonly a continuous structure welded together for maximum strength. Once affixed to the vehicle, these roof racks are tedious to remove and are impractical for use with vehicles having soft or hard top roofs because opening, closing, removal, and replacement of the roof is difficult.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,168 issued to Kreisler discloses a vehicle rack assembly for mounting on a vehicle having a rollbar. The assembly offers a unitary rack member having side walls and a floor and bracket members for mounting the floor of the rack to the rollbar of the vehicle. For use with a convertible SUV or ATV having a roof, the assembly can further have grommet assemblies with seals for mounting around holes formed in the roof of the vehicle for receiving a portion of the bracket members so that the roof of the vehicle passes between the rollbar and the unitary rack member. Thus, modification of the roof (holes and seals must be provided) is required for the rack assembly to engage the rollbar.
None of these conventional solutions permits a removable soft top to be raised and lowered easily or a removable hard top to be removed and replaced easily. To overcome these shortcomings of a roof rack that requires modifications to the vehicle in order to mount the roof rack or a roof rack that impedes removal of a soft or hard top roof, a new hinged utility rack is provided. A principal object of the invention is to provide a hinged utility rack that can be raised and lowered thereby facilitating operation of the removable roof of the vehicle. A related object of the present invention is to provide an improved utility rack assembly that allows the temporary hard or soft top roof of a vehicle to be removed without having to remove the utility rack assembly. Another object is to provide a utility rack assembly that is designed so as not to impinge upon the vehicle roof.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a utility rack assembly that is attractive and does not require any aesthetically undesirable supports. A further object is to provide a utility rack assembly constructed of substantially rust-proof, durable, light-weight material able to support weight from cargo. Still yet a further object is to provide a utility rack assembly designed in component parts for ease of shipping and installation. Another object of the invention is to provide a utility rack assembly which is relatively inexpensive to construct and maintain.
The invention also seeks to provide a utility rack which can accommodate one or more lights. An additional object of the present invention is to provide a utility rack which may be manually lowered or raised and locked. A related object is to provide such a device which may be electromechanically lowered or raised and locked. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a utility rack which can be fitted to a variety of vehicle roof sizes and shapes.
To achieve these and other objects and in view of its purposes, the present invention provides a utility rack for a vehicle having a temporary (i.e., a removable or retractable hard or soft) top or roof and holes for mounting conventional vehicle components. The utility rack is adapted to be disposed on and external to the vehicle. Included in the utility rack is a bed for holding and transporting cargo and for supporting objects and people. A first support bar includes a first horizontal support section and two first vertical mounting sections attached to the vehicle by first mounting plate assemblies using the existing holes of the vehicle, and supports the bed. A second support bar includes a second horizontal support section and two second vertical mounting sections attached to the vehicle by second mounting plate assemblies using the existing holes of the vehicle, and supports the bed when connected to the bed.
A hinge pivotally connects the first horizontal support section of the first support bar to the bed, enabling the bed to pivot about the first horizontal support section of the first support bar. A clamping knob assembly releasably connects the second horizontal support section of the second support bar to the bed. Thus, the bed pivots between (a) a closed position in which the bed covers the roof or top of the vehicle and the clamping knob assembly connects the second horizontal support section of the second support bar to the bed, and (b) an open position in which the clamping knob assembly is disconnected and the bed is disposed away from the second horizontal support section of the second support bar thereby rendering the roof or top accessible for removal or retraction.
The two first vertical mounting sections and the two second vertical mounting sections are bent to position the utility rack with respect to the vehicle. A gas spring assembly is attached to the bed and to the first support bar for facilitating pivot of the bed between the open and closed positions. An additional and optional component of the utility rack is at least one floodlight mounted to the second support bar. Of import is that the utility rack nowhere contacts the roof or top of the vehicle but permits removal or retraction of the roof or top when the bed is in the open position.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, but are not restrictive, of the invention.


A live video feed is seamlessly inserted into a static background image while maintaining the proper positioning and scaling of the combined image. The current frame of the live video feed is first texturized onto a surface. The surface is a set of points that are translated to the location, e.g., latitude/longitude coordinates, of the live video source. A series of matrix transformations of the texturized surface coordinates is performed. First, the texturized surface is rotated to be tangential to the earth at the location of the live video source. Next, the texturized surface is rotated again to reflect the heading of the live video source. Lastly, the texturized surface is scaled to conform to the background image. The transformed live image is then inserted into the larger background image in its proper position and displayed.

There are many uses for live video that include military applications, search and rescue, and general surveillance among others. While receiving a live video feed certainly provides much useful information for the task at hand, often it is difficult to interpret the data without having a broader perspective. For instance, consider a search and rescue mission that is utilizing aerial video to assist in finding a lost person. The field of view of the camera is limited. The ability to dynamically insert the live video into a broader background image greatly enhances the useful information. With a larger background, anything of interest that is spotted by the live video can instantly be correlated to any number of landmarks that are outside the view of the camera. This can allow for more efficient rescue operations if, for instance, the location can be immediately put into a larger perspective that includes the roads that will lead to the person the quickest.
Current existing products for displaying a video feed over another image are not nearly robust enough to allow for a dynamic repositioning of the camera providing the video feed.
What has not yet been achieved is a system or method that displays a background image that contains a smaller live image placed over a portion of the larger background image such that the live image is correctly positioned and scaled with respect to the background image.
Thus, what is needed is a system and method that can display an image of a live picture that is placed correctly relative to a background image. Moreover, the system should be dynamic in nature allowing the live picture to be moved around the background image in real-time.

System and method of integrating live video into a contextual background


A method for producing a structural unit with a prestressed piezoelectric actuator includes the steps of inserting a front end of the actuator into a hollow body, form-lockingly or force-lockingly connecting the inserted front end of the actuator to the hollow body, pressing the actuator into the hollow body with a defined force establishing a prestress of the actuator, and force-lockingly or form-lockingly connecting the actuator to the hollow body in the vicinity of a rear end of the actuator, for fixing the prestress of the actuator.

The invention relates to a piezoelectric assembly including a piezoelectric actuator prestressed and inserted into an elastic hollow body in an extension direction between a top and a bottom cover plate connected to the hollow body. The invention also relates to a method for producing a structural unit with a prestressed piezoelectric actuator and to a method for producing a hollow body used to prestress a piezoelectric actuator.
Piezoelectric actuators are used, for example, in motor-vehicle technology to control an injection valve of an internal combustion engine. German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 196 53 555 A1 describes a piezoelectric actuator which is preloaded by a spring device against a cover plate of a housing. The cover plate is screwed through the use of a screw joint to the housing, in which the spring device and the piezoelectric actuator are situated.
German Patent DE 38 44 134 C2 has disclosed an injection valve which has a piezoelectric actuator as a final control element. The actuator is inserted into a hollow-cylindrical spring and is preloaded against a housing of the injection valve by the spring. The injection valve has a complex construction and, moreover, the preloading of the actuator is dependent on manufacturing tolerances of the housing.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a piezoelectric assembly, a method for producing a structural unit with a prestressed piezoelectric actuator and a method for producing a hollow body for prestressing the piezoelectric actuator, which overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type, in which the assembly has a simple construction and is optimized in terms of installation space and in which the methods are simple and economical.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a piezoelectric assembly, comprising an elastic hollow body; a top cover plate connected to the hollow body by one of welding and flanging, and a bottom cover plate connected to the hollow body; and a piezoelectric actuator having an extension direction, the actuator inserted into the hollow body in the extension direction between the cover plates for prestressing the actuator.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the hollow body has a given length, two butting edges and at least one connecting seam connecting the two butting edges to one another and extending entirely over the given length.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the hollow body has a longitudinal direction and two butting edges associated with one another and disposed in the longitudinal direction, the butting edges not being connected to one another.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the hollow body has apertures at least partially determining an elasticity of the hollow body.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the hollow body is made of at least one plate formed into the hollow body and then fixed by at least one connecting seam.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a method for producing a piezoelectric structural unit, which comprises inserting a front end of a piezoelectric actuator into a hollow body; force-lockingly or form-lockingly connecting the inserted front end of the actuator to the hollow body; pressing the actuator into the hollow body with a defined force establishing a prestress of the actuator; and force-lockingly or form-lockingly connecting the actuator to the hollow body in the vicinity of a rear end of the actuator, for fixing the prestress of the actuator.
In accordance with another mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises force-lockingly or form-lockingly connecting an open end of the hollow body to a first cover plate for closing the open end, before the step of inserting the actuator; placing a second top plate on the inserted actuator and pressing the second top plate into the hollow body with a given force; and force-lockingly or form-lockingly connecting the second cover plate to the hollow body while maintaining the given force, for permanently prestressing the actuator with the hollow body.
In accordance with a further mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises elastically elongating the hollow body during the prestressing of the actuator with the given force.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is additionally provided a method for the production of a hollow body, which comprises producing a plate with a defined area; forming apertures in the plate for affecting an elasticity of the plate; forming the plate into a hollow body to be used to prestress a piezoelectric actuator; and fixing a shape of the formed plate.
In accordance with a concomitant mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises at least partially compacting an edge bounding at least one of the apertures.
A significant advantage of the invention is that the piezoelectric actuator is surrounded by a hollow body, and the hollow body forms a single structural unit with the prestressed piezoelectric actuator. The prestress of the actuator is permanently fixed during the production of the structural unit. The actuator thus does not need to be prestressed again every time it is removed and installed. The structural unit is therefore easy to install, requires little maintenance and is economical in terms of cost.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a piezoelectric assembly, a method for producing a structural unit with a prestressed piezoelectric actuator and a method for producing a hollow body for prestressing the piezoelectric actuator, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

Method for producing a piezoelectric structural unit