US07826109B2
A multifunction device includes an image scanning unit and an image printing unit. The multifunction device further includes au operation panel which is positioned on a front side of the image scanning unit. The operation panel includes a display portion. Each of the display portion and the operation panel has a horizontal center line and a vertical center line which is perpendicular to the horizontal center line. A length of the vertical center line of the display portion is about equal to a length of the vertical center line of the operation panel. A ratio of a length of the horizontal center line of the display portion to the length of the vertical center line of the display portion is greater than 4/3.
US07826099B2
A method for enabling a program that communicates a document description from a composition system to a printing system to manage variable-dot halftones for use with variable-dot printing devices, comprising the steps of creating a set of strings, each string defining a halftone cell intensity value and comprising at least one pixel imbution value, wherein said pixel imbution value is in the range of 0 to P, wherein P is the number of physical appearances that a painted pixel can have; using a selected halftone cell intensity value to directly choose a string from said set of strings; and painting at least one pixel within a halftone cell according to a pixel imbution value within the chosen string.
US07826097B2
A method for adjusting dot-gain for a halftone binary bitmap file comprises inputting a halftone binary bitmap file consisting of binary pixels (400) to an asymmetric digital filter (500). The binary pixels are filtered with the asymmetric digital filter and generates multi-level pixels (506). The multi-level pixel are compared to a preset level (408) and generates a binary pixel output (410). The binary pixel output is collected and forms an adjusted halftone binary bitmap file (270).
US07826090B2
A first printer is calibrated to a universal aim and the result of calibration is measured. The result of the measurement is used to produce a new aim which lies between the first printer's achieved result and the original aim. A second printer is calibrated to the new aim. Additional printers may be calibrated to aims which lie at a weighted average of a selected aim and the mean achieved behavior.
US07826085B2
An image-forming system includes an image-forming apparatus, and a terminal device capable of communicating with the image-forming apparatus. The terminal device comprises a signal-transmitting unit. The image-forming apparatus comprises an image-forming unit; a signal-receiving unit; a first storage unit for storing a starting condition of a preparing action for image formation in the image-forming unit; a first determining unit for determining whether the starting condition is satisfied at the time the signal-receiving unit receives the signal from the terminal device; and an instruction unit for providing an instruction to start the preparing action in the image-forming unit when the first determining unit determines that the starting condition is satisfied.
US07826070B2
As a light beam of a scanning optical system unit is adjusted in the state where the scanning optical system unit is assembled, its adjustment work and the assembly work of the scanning optical system are prevented from being useless. Thus, a scanning optical system adjusting device which can adjust the scanning optical system quickly and at a low cost is to be provided. A scanning optical system adjusting device according to the invention includes a static angle control unit configured to maintain a rotation angle of a rotary polygon mirror in the assembly unit of the scanning optical system at a predetermined angle and make the rotary polygon mirror static there, and a light beam parameter measuring unit configured to measure a predetermined parameter of a light beam reflected by the rotary polygon mirror maintained at the predetermined angle by the static angle control unit.
US07826057B2
Disclosed is an electro-optic modulator assembly capable of determining whether each process is being carried out normally during a fabricating process of a flat panel display by performing a contactless testing across the flat panel display, an apparatus and a method for contactless test of flat panel display using the electro-optic modulator assembly, and a method for manufacturing a flat panel display using the method for contactless test of the flat panel display.
US07826051B2
A method and system (10) are presented for producing exciting radiation (P′) to be used in producing an output coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering (CARS) signal of a medium (12). An input spectral phase coherent optical pulse (P), carrying a pump, a Stokes and a probe photon, is optically processed by adjusting spectral phase and polarization of wavelength components of the input pulse to produce a unitary optical exciting pulse (P′) that carries the pump photon, the Stokes photon and multiple probe photons and is capable of inducing interference between contributions from at least some of vibrational levels in the CARS signal.
US07826036B2
A scanning exposure apparatus according to this invention has a light source which can change the central wavelength of exposure light to undergo pulsed oscillation, and scan-exposes a substrate with slit-like exposure light while periodically changing the central wavelength in synchronism with the pulsed oscillation of the exposure light. The scanning exposure apparatus includes a controller which controls the light source so that integrated values Sws and Swl obtained by integrating the intensity of the exposure light for each wavelength in the scanning direction in a short-wavelength range and long-wavelength range, respectively, assuming a target central wavelength as a reference satisfy: |(Sws−Swl)/(Sws +Swl)|≦0.1.
US07826033B2
Methods of fabricating a photomask, methods of treating a chemically amplified resist-coated photomask blank, a photomask blank resulting from the methods, and systems for fabricating a photomask are provided. The method is useful for recovering the exposure sensitivity of a chemically amplified resist disposed on a photomask blank from a post-coat delay effect.
US07826026B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate having a step difference part; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a column spacer between the first substrate and the second substrate, a contact surface of the column spacer with the step difference part of the first substrate including a plurality of protrusions; and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate.
US07826000B2
An array substrate includes a base substrate, a dummy circuit section, a dummy pixel portion, an extended line, a common voltage line, and an overlap portion. Pixel portions are formed in a display area. The dummy circuit section is formed in a peripheral area to protect the pixel portions from static electricity. The dummy pixel portion is adjacent to the dummy circuit section. The dummy circuit section is in an electrically floating state. The extended line is extended from the dummy circuit section and electrically open with respect to the dummy pixel portion. The common voltage line is overlapped with the extended line of the dummy circuit section, the extended line being electrically open with respect to the display area, and thus the display area may be protected from the static electricity which flows into the dummy circuit section.
US07825996B2
An apparatus is disclosed which projects light onto a retina of a viewer, to thereby allow the viewer to perceive a display object via a virtual image. The apparatus includes: an emitter emitting light; a modulator modulating the light; a display unit outputting the modulated light to the retina of the viewer through an exit of the display unit, to thereby display in an image display region an image representative of the display object in the form of a virtual image; and a controller controlling the emitter and the modulator so that the image is displayed in the image display region. The controller detects a relative motion of the viewer with respect to a position of the viewer, and performs at least one of control of a display/non-display status of the image, and control of a display position of the image, in accordance with the detected relative motion.
US07825994B2
A pre-processor pre-processes enhanced data packets by coding the enhanced data packets for forward error correction (FEC) and expanding the FEC-coded data packets. A data formatter adds first null data into first place holders within each pre-processed enhanced data packet. A first multiplexer multiplexes the main data packets with the enhanced data packets having the first null data. A holder inserter inserts second null data into second place holders within an enhanced data packet outputted from the first multiplexer. A data interleaver replaces the second null data with parity data. A data generator generates at least one known data sequence. A symbol processor replaces the first null data included in an output of the data interleaver with the known data sequence(s). A non-systematic RS encoder generates the parity data by performing non-systematic RS-coding on an output of the symbol processor, and provides the parity data to the data interleaver.
US07825986B2
Integrated processing of multimedia signals can eliminate unnecessary signal processors and converters without losing the functionality of typical home entertainment system components. The integrated system includes a main player that captures and processes signals digitally, a dummy display, and a dummy speaker. The dummy display may only have a display panel and a panel driver. The dummy speaker may only have a driving unit and no crossover logic. The main player may have a PC architecture and process all signals digitally for outputting signals tailored for the display device and the individual driving units of the dummy speaker. The integrated system may generate parameters for optimizing display of a video source. These parameters can be shared among users over a network connection.
US07825985B2
The present invention relates to methods of manufacturing ultra-compact camera modules, adjusting them, post production, to precise focal point settings, and sealing the precisely aligned assembly to maintain the focal point. Also, the invention specifically relates to ultra-compact camera module apparatuses.
US07825980B2
An electronic device for allowing a viewer to view still pictures according to the intention of a photographer or drafter of the still pictures when the still pictures are successively displayed, a display method thereof, and a storage medium storing a program for executing the method. The electronic device includes an estimation unit that estimates a level of adaptation of a viewer caused by a first picture displayed and a picture adjustment unit adjusting a second picture based on the estimated level of adaptation when the second picture is displayed subsequently to the first picture.
US07825977B2
An image pickup method of picking up images at a frame rate changeably set out of a plurality of frame rates is provided. The method includes the steps of: setting a vertical synchronization cycle in accordance with a set frame rate and adding an image pickup signal that does not include a valid image pickup region in accordance with the set vertical synchronization cycle while keeping a horizontal synchronization cycle of each image pickup signal constant, when obtaining an image pickup signal from an image sensor; and correcting a time axis of an obtained image pickup signal that includes a valid image pickup region, correspondingly to the set frame rate and deleting an obtained image pickup signal that does not include the valid image pickup region.
US07825969B2
The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for image stabilization of an image taken with a fixed (i.e., pre-selected) multi-exposure pattern for at least one color channel by an image sensor of a camera, wherein a plurality of groups of pixels of the image sensor have different pre-selected exposure times for said at least one color channel. The camera can be a part of, e.g., an electronic device such as mobile phone or a portable electronic device.
US07825965B2
A method, of interpolating missing colors in a color filter array comprising red, green and blue photosites comprises determining and interpolation direction for each red and each blue photosite based on local edge information and interpolating a green color for each red and each blue photosite in the determined interpolation direction for that photosite. For each green photosite, red and blue colors are interpolated. For each red photosite, a blue color is interpolated in the determined interpolation direction for that photosite and for each blue photosite, a red color is interpolated in the determined interpolation direction for that photosite.
US07825962B2
The technique of the present invention ensures flexible image processing that is performed integrally on a plurality of image data.In accordance with the present invention, an image output system enables output of the image data, which is generated in a digital still camera DSC 12, with a color printer 20. The DSC 12 generates an image file, in which the image data, image processing control data and an additional data are stored. The image processing control data, which is preset by the manufacturer, may be specified regarding each image. The additional data is the user-configurable data, which is stored into the DSC. The color printer 20 performs image processing based on the image processing control data and the additional data, which is included in the image file, and outputs the resulting image.
US07825948B2
A 3D video conferencing station includes a video camera for capturing video signals and a depth map calculator for creating a depth map of a user of the 3D video conferencing station. The video signals together with the depth map are transmitted as 3D video data. A stereoscopic display device displays stereo images, which are calculated on the basis of received 3D video data. The depth map which is generated by the depth map calculator is also used for estimating the position of the user in order to control the calculation of the stereo images.
US07825947B2
An optical scanning device in which an optical deflector scanningly deflects a light beam emitted from a light source and in which an imaging optical system images the scanningly deflected light beam onto a scan surface. The imaging optical system includes a transmission type imaging optical element and a reflection type optical element, which are disposed in this order from the optical deflector. The reflection type optical element reflects the scanningly deflected light beam in an off-normal light path towards the scan surface. To avoid interference with the off-normal path, a contour central line of the transmission type imaging optical element is positioned at one side of a principal ray of the light beam incident on the transmission type imaging optical element, which side is remote from the off-normal light path reflected by the reflection type optical element.
US07825946B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive body which is moved in a movement direction; an exposing unit which exposes the photosensitive body, and which includes a guide roller configured to contact with the photosensitive body and rotate with a movement of the photosensitive body and configured to regulate a positional relationship with the photosensitive body, the guider roller being disposed such that a rotation direction of the guide roller is inclined with respect to the movement direction so as to generate a force for urging the exposing unit to one end thereof in an orthogonal direction when the guide roller rotates, the orthogonal direction being orthogonal to the movement direction and to an optical axis direction of a light emitted from the exposing unit; and a regulating member configured to contact with the one end of the exposing unit to regulate a position of the exposing unit.
US07825942B2
A method for processing a frame of image data, wherein the image data is amplified by a gain factor determined in dependence of a number of sub-pixels within said frame of image data having a luminance above a first threshold value. The resulting gain factor allows for optimal amplification of the image data without loss of local detail. This leads to a better perceived image quality. In a preferred embodiment, the gain factor is simultaneously used for reducing the backlight intensity in a backlit LCD device. Thereby, the perceived image quality is similar to that of the unprocessed image data, however the power consumption of the LCD backlight is reduced substantially.
US07825938B2
A method and apparatus for processing a digital image to be displayed on a display panel illuminated with a backlight module. The backlight module is set to a specific backlight duty according to a luminance statistic of the digital image. The digital image is remapped through a tone mapping function formed according to the specific backlight duty and the luminance statistic.
US07825936B1
A method and system for optimizing graphics program execution by allowing the sharing of shader resources is disclosed. The method includes accessing a graphics program using a shader pipeline. If a texture projective instruction is included in the graphics program, a determination is made as to whether a texture projective parameter q indicates a non-projective texture. If the texture projective parameter indicates a non-projective texture, the texture projective instruction is demoted and a resulting demoted texture instruction is executed using a plurality of interpolators of the shader pipeline, which requires fewer shader resources.
US07825934B2
A system, medium, and method to automatically create a dynamic image object, which can create content in image unit groups of dynamic image objects. The system may include a template selection module that selects a template from an image unit group corresponding to a desired content group that includes content, a content-arrangement module that arranges the content in the selected template, and a dynamic image object supply module that supplies a dynamic image object in which the content is arranged.
US07825933B1
Systems and methods for compiling high-level primitive programs are used to generate primitive program micro-code for execution by a primitive processor. A compiler is configured to produce micro-code for a specific target primitive processor based on the target primitive processor's capabilities. The compiler supports features of the high-level primitive program by providing conversions for different applications programming interface conventions, determining output primitive types, initializing attribute arrays based on primitive input profile modifiers, and determining vertex set lengths from specified primitive input types.
US07825930B2
A signal processing device, signal processing method, and program and recording medium, whereby images and the like closer approximating real world signals can be obtained. The signal processing device includes a processing region setting unit, a movement vector setting unit, and a real world estimating unit.
US07825928B2
An image processing apparatus capable of efficient rendering is provided. In an image processing apparatus which renders, in a screen coordinate system, unit figures each constituting the surface of a three-dimensional object to be rendered, a rasterizing unit divides a rendering area corresponding to a screen into multiple unit areas, while a first unit figure is projected onto a screen coordinate system, and outputs the unit areas. A similar process is applied to second and subsequent unit figures so that the multiple unit areas constituting each unit figure are sequentially output. An area divider divides each of the unit areas sequentially output from the rasterizing unit into multiple subareas. An area discarder discards as necessary a subarea obtained by the division by the area divider according to a predetermined rule. An area writer re-merges subareas that survived the discarding process by the area discarder and writes merged areas obtained by re-merge in the memory.
US07825915B2
A method and system for a software driver of a graphics controller to work with a display codec. The software driver may be configured to work with different display codecs at different periods of time while using a default configuration. Other embodiments are also described.
US07825911B2
A touch sensor includes a contact sensor and a pressure sensor. The contact sensor includes a first electrode and a first switching element connected to the first electrode, and detects a change in an electric potential when an object contacts a surface. The pressure sensor includes a second electrode and a second switching element connected to the second electrode, and detects a change in a pressure when an object depresses the surface. The touch sensor includes a plurality of the contact sensors and a plurality of the pressure sensors disposed regularly in an array.
US07825887B2
A gate driver includes a plurality of stage groups, a gate driving circuit, and an output controller. The gate driving circuit supplies the plurality of stage groups with a plurality of clock pulses. The plurality of stage groups supply the input clock pulses to associated gate lines of a liquid crystal panel. The output controller generates a plurality of control voltage signals that control which of the plurality of stage groups generate an output signal.
US07825881B2
An organic light emitting display device includes data lines, selection scan lines, and emission scan lines for transmitting data signals, selection signals, and emission signals, respectively. Pixel circuits are arranged at regions defined by the data lines and the selection scan lines. A first scan driving unit outputs the emission signals. The first scan driving unit includes conversion circuits, each of the conversion circuits including conversion circuit transistors of an identical channel type. Each of the conversion circuits receives a first signal, a second signal, a third signal and a conversion circuit clock signal, and outputs a conversion output signal as a respective emission signal of the emission signals.
US07825878B2
A display device includes an array having a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in a matrix, each pixel circuit includes a optoelectronic element and a plurality of thin-film transistors for controlling the optoelectronic element; data lines arranged to correspond to columns of pixel circuits for providing data signals to the pixel circuits; a data driver for driving the data lines; select lines for providing select signals for controlling the capture of data signals from the data lines to pixel circuits; and a select driver for driving the select lines including a shift register for sequentially shifting a line select signal, enable circuits for enabling outputs of the shift register, and n (where n is an integer of two or more) enable control lines for controlling the enable circuits, and the enable circuits are connected to the same one of the enable control lines every n lines.
US07825876B2
A plasma display panel brightness correction circuit, a brightness correction method, a video display, and a video display method are provided. One embodiment includes a continuity detector that receives video signals and detects those of the video signals having signal level values which are greater than or less than a predetermined value. A video signal corrector is also provided for applying correction factors. The correction factors are calculated according to the ratio of pixels with signal level values greater than the predetermined value to the pixels with signal level values less than the predetermined value. The video signal corrector then corrects the levels of the video signals.
US07825875B2
Disclosed is a method for driving a plasma display panel in which a plurality of first electrodes and second electrodes are arranged parallel to each other, a plurality of third electrodes are arranged to cross the first and second electrodes, and discharge cells defined with areas in which the electrodes cross mutually are arranged in the form of a matrix.According to the driving method, a reset period is a period during which the distribution of wall charges in the plurality of discharge cells is uniformed. An addressing period is a period during which wall charges are produced in the discharge cells according to display data. A sustain discharge period is a period during which sustain discharge is induced in the discharge cells in which wall charges are produced during the addressing period. The driving method in accordance with the present invention comprises a step of applying a first pulse in which an applied voltage varies with time so as to induce first discharge in the lines defined by the first and second electrodes, and a step of applying a second pulse in which an applied voltage varies with time so as to induce second discharge as erase discharge in the lines defined by the first and second electrodes. These steps are carried out during the reset period.
US07825870B2
A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing and circuit board carried by the housing and having RF circuitry comprising at least one RF component and plurality of other components mounted on the circuit board. An RF metal shield is secured to the circuit board and surrounds and isolates the at least one RF component and plurality of other components within the RF metal shield. An RF absorber is positioned adjacent an area of the RF component that radiates energy to aid in reducing energy radiated from the RF component into the RF metal shield.
US07825868B2
An antenna assembly that has particular application for a hand held reader that interrogates sensors embedded within a vehicle tire, such as RFID sensors and tire pressure sensors. In one embodiment, the antenna assembly includes a first antenna operating in the 432-435 MHz range that employs a meander-line slot that provides increased antenna cross-polarization so that the sensor can be interrogated regardless of the antenna orientation and polarization. The antenna assembly also includes two RFID antennas that operate in the 902-928 MHz range that are planar antenna that make the antenna bi-directional, polarization free and a wide enough bandwidth for the RFID interrogation.
US07825860B2
An antenna assembly may include a printed wiring board (PWB) and a dielectric substrate including a first antenna pattern, the dielectric substrate being configured to be mounted on the PWB. The antenna assembly may include a second antenna pattern that may be configured to be used as a radiating element of an FM Tx antenna or a Near Field Communication (NFC) antenna. The second antenna pattern may be provided a) on/in the dielectric substrate, or b) on the PWB at the interface between the dielectric substrate and the PWB, or c) partly on a surface of the dielectric substrate and partly on a surface of said PWB.
US07825857B2
An adaptive antenna array control system and associated method is provided for continuously and automatically assigning resources to either protect against strong interferers or to shade a spatial region, reducing gain in that spatial region, to protect against potential low power interference, thus providing improved adaptive interference cancellation system performance with limited resources. The Array biasing system is provided as an element of an adaptive antenna array control loop.
US07825856B2
Techniques are provided to compute beamforming weights at a communication device, e.g., a first communication device, based on transmissions received at a plurality of antennas from another communication device, e.g., a second communication device. A plurality of transmissions are received at the plurality of antennas of the first communication device from the second communication device. A covariance matrix associated with reception of a plurality of transmissions at the plurality of antennas of the first communication device is computed. Corresponding elements (e.g., all the rows or all the columns) of the covariance matrix are combined to produce a weighted channel signature vector. A receive beamforming weight vector is computed from the weighted channel signature vector.
US07825843B2
In a current steering D/A converter, a 1LSB current source 1 and a 2LSB current source 2 are binary code current sources for outputting currents with current values weighted by ½, and a 4LSB current source 3 is one of a large number of current sources designed as thermometer code current source with the same structure. In first circuits A1, A2 and A4 for respectively determining constant current values of the current sources 1 through 3, a plurality of MOS transistors with a channel length L3 and a channel width W3 are cascode-connected to one another with gate terminals thereof shared. In second circuits B1, B2 and B4 respectively used for setting high output impedance of the current sources 1 through 3, a plurality of MOS transistors with a channel length L4 and a channel width W4 are cascode-connected to one another with gate terminals thereof shared. Accordingly, the current characteristics of the current sources can be made more uniform while reducing their circuit areas, resulting in improving the linearity of the D/A conversion characteristic.
US07825841B2
The invention relates to adjusting an input signal level of a Sigma-Delta converter. A control signal indicative of an input signal level to said Sigma-Delta converter is generated, and the input signal level to said Sigma-Delta converter is adjusted in dependence of said control signal. The control signal is generated as a signal indicating an operating condition of said Sigma-Delta converter. In this way, internal signals from the Sigma-Delta converter can be used to determine the state of the Sigma-Delta converter, i.e. whether it is operating within its operational input range or not, and whether it is close to the limits of the operational input range. This provides a simple, but accurate guidance of an automatic gain control upstream of the Sigma-Delta converter.
US07825833B2
A keyboard for one-handed data input is disclosed. The keyboard includes a primary keypad including a first set of keys. The primary keypad is defined by a first side and an opposed second side. The keyboard also includes an auxiliary keypad including a second set of keys, as well as an input selection pad with a multiple position switch. The switch is used to selectively map the keyboard to various input value sets. The auxiliary keypad is attached to the first side, while the input selection pad is attached to the second side. There is also a rest pad centrally mounted to the primary keypad.
US07825831B2
A display image for use in an aircraft is produced in response to receiving aircraft location, heading, altitude, and pitch data. The location and heading data are employed to access a topographical database and obtain terrain information for a region on the earth's surface ahead of the aircraft. A terrain image is produced from the terrain information and a non-linear pitch scale is superimposed over the terrain image. The non-linear pitch scale corresponds to the relationship of the aircraft pitch and the terrain image. Additional data designating other aircraft operational parameters, such as speed and altitude, are depicted by graphical objects. The terrain image, the non-linear pitch scale, and the graphical objects are combined into the display image. The terrain image and the non-linear pitch scale move in the display image in response to changes in the pitch of the aircraft.
US07825826B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems for identifying overstay of a vehicle (624, 644) in a parking space (610, 620, 630, 640, 650, 660) are disclosed herein. The method comprises the steps of detecting presence of a vehicle in a parking space using a detection apparatus (612, 622, 632, 642, 652, 662), processing and storing data relating to presence of the vehicle in the detection apparatus, wirelessly (672, 674) waking-up the detection apparatus, wirelessly retrieving at least a portion of the data from the detection apparatus, and identifying overstay of the vehicle in the parking space based on the retrieved data. Wireless wake-up of a detection apparatus may be irregularly performed by an occasionally present data collection apparatus (680). Apparatuses and systems are disclosed for performing the foregoing method.
US07825825B2
A terminal and computer program product for receiving traffic information, a method of providing traffic light information, and a method of guiding a signal are provided. The method of providing traffic light information includes receiving a message comprising traffic light information and having a hierarchical structure; acquiring the traffic light information by decoding the message; and displaying signal information of a specific traffic light in a display based on the traffic light information.
US07825821B2
A holding rack (101, 201, 301, 401) has individual positions or compartments for dosage units (102, 102′, 202, 302). Each of the dosage units has a supply receptacle (104, 104′, 204, 304) and a dispensing head (103, 103′, 203, 303) that are connected to each other. The holding rack (101, 201, 301, 401) is equipped with a means for active user guidance (105, 105′, 210, 305) which, in a process of dispensing measured substance quantities from the different dosage units into a receiving container (411), directs the user in taking out and returning the different dosage units that are seated in the holding rack.
US07825817B2
A sensor and alarm system having a power-on sequence. The system has a power supply permanently-like connected to a power line of a facility. There may be a power interrupt to the power supply, which may initiate a power-on sequence of alarms. The sequence of alarms may indicate whether the system is wired properly and operating normally. If the sequence does not occur in a pattern as expected, then there may be a problem with the system. Also, the sensor portion of the system may set off an alarm pattern if a sensed gas has a concentration greater than a first magnitude. The system may set off another alarm pattern if a sensed gas has a concentration greater than a second magnitude. If a sensing element of the sensor portion goes out of calibration, then the system may set off still another alarm pattern.
US07825812B2
Systems and methods for hand hygiene compliance management include a hand-held personal liquid dispenser including a pump and pump plunger that dispenses liquid from a reservoir inside the dispenser when depressed. The dispenser includes circuitry that detects and records each depression of the plunger, and a port for connection to an external computer to transfer data such as identifiers for the dispenser and its user, and time and date of dispenser usage. A compliance system includes scheduling, training and education in the use of such dispensers, and data collection to track compliance with desired dispenser usage standards. The system may include receivers, transmitters and transceivers to detect and record hand hygiene opportunities, as in patient-occupied areas in a hospital, and transmit personal dispenser usage and other data to a computer.
US07825810B2
A RFID tag read equipment includes a read device and an antenna system including first to third antennas. The read device outputs the question wave as a high-frequency current, and reads the predetermined data by demodulating the answer wave when the answer wave is inputted therein as a high-frequency current. The first to third antennas output the high-frequency current when they receive the electromagnetic wave, and radiate the electromagnetic wave when the high-frequency current is inputted therein. Here, the first antenna is connected to the read device via a feeder wire, the second antenna being located such that its radiation direction is made parallel and opposite to radiation direction of the first antenna, the third antenna being connected to the second antenna via a feeder wire.
US07825808B2
Disclosed is a tablet packaging controller of an automatic tablet packaging machine for recognizing information of tablets accommodated in tablet cassettes and tracking positions of the tablet cassettes. The controller includes RF tags recording tablet information, and tablet information access units receiving the tablet information via a wireless line, to transmit tablet information and identification information of cartridges to a host terminal, or to record new tablet information in the RF tags. The host terminal creates and stores position arrangement information of the tablet cassettes, estimates a quantity of remaining tablets, controls tablets to be discharged in a certain order of tablet cassettes, and controls the tablet information access units to package only the accommodated tablets when the remaining tablets are short, and displays the short tablet on an LCD, and controls the tablet information access units to package the remaining tablets when the short tablets are supplemented.
US07825806B2
The duty cycle of a portable battery-powered RFID tag reader is reduced during time periods when it is less likely to produce a “read” in order to preserve battery life. The reader operates with an aggressive duty cycle during periods of a high probability of a tag read and reduces duty cycle during periods of a low probability of a tag read. In this manner a user does not perceive the reader to be sluggish. An alternative embodiment reduces peak operating power during time periods when a tag is less likely to produce a “read” in order to preserve battery life.
US07825803B2
The system of the invention includes a method for monitoring changes in the status or condition of a Container using one or more monitoring units mounted to the Container. The monitoring units preferably include a power supply, sensors using reflective energy with programmable parameters, globally-unique sensor identification, recording capability on a timeline, long term memory and the ability to rebroadcast information on RFID radio technology. Programmable monitoring hardware in the monitoring unit detects significant changes in the sensor outputs as a triggering event. The programmable monitoring hardware includes memory for storing identification information for the Container. The sensors which can include conventional devices that detect various forms of energy including visible light, infrared light, magnetic fields, radio frequency energy and sound. In one embodiment, a monitoring unit is mounted inside a shipping Container suitable for long distance transport. The triggering event can be used for tamper detection security.
US07825798B2
A security and tracking system to prevent the unauthorized use or access to machinery having hydraulic components whereby the system has a rerouting device housed in a tamperproof casing. The rerouting device might have a selective re-directional valve that can be remotely activated and monitored using wireless signal technology to direct hydraulic fluid to at least two hydraulic circuits, a control center that communicates via wireless signal technology to the rerouting device, a first hydraulic circuit that has a source of fluid, a fluid pumping means, the rerouting device, and a power take off device (PTO) and a second hydraulic circuit that has the source of fluid, the fluid pumping means, and the rerouting device. In operation the rerouting device selectively routs hydraulic fluid about the hydraulic circuit that includes the PTO, thereby rendering the hydraulic equipment functionally operable until the hydraulic fluid is rerouted to the second hydraulic circuit.
US07825797B2
A proximity sensor device and method is provided that facilitates improved usability. Specifically, the proximity sensor device and method provides the ability for a user to easily select the type of adjustment inputted by the proximity sensor device. In one embodiment, the proximity sensor device includes an adjustment region and one or more start tabs adjacent to the adjustment region. The proximity sensor also includes a processor adapted to indicate adjustment of a first type responsive to sensed object motion originating in a first start tab and continuing in the adjustment region. Thus, a user can cause an adjustment of the first type by introducing an object proximate the first start tab, and moving the object from the first start tab and into the adjustment region.
US07825796B1
A system and methods for enabling a client terminal to simultaneously access a plurality of remote building security panels are disclosed. The system enables a building operator to remotely login to a server and to monitor and control the sensors of the security systems of a plurality of secured buildings. The system in one embodiment includes a database controller, an interface provider, and an alarm receiver. The alarm receiver sends and receives data to and from each building security system. The database controller stores data received by the alarm receiver from each building security system in a database and stores a plurality of command requests for causing remote security panels to execute a plurality of commands, and the interface module enables a remote operator to input commands and requests to query the database, monitor each building security system, and control individual sensors or actuatable security devices.
US07825795B2
Shipping containers are networked for transferring data between the shipping containers. The shipping containers include sensors for detecting hazardous conditions associated with the shipping containers. The hazardous condition sensed by any shipping container on a ship is transmitted through the network to a satellite transmitter and/or a radio transmitter for reporting to a central database.
US07825791B2
Provided is a distributional alert system using a ubiquitous sensor network (USN). When a disaster occurs, the distributional alert system detects it in a sensor node, informs the area where the disaster occurs of danger through an actuator, such as siren, or informs a management system of the danger through a wired/wireless network. The distributional alert system includes: a first sensor node for generating sense data by sensing surroundings with a sensor therein, determining whether a disaster occurs by analyzing the sense data, and creating and transmitting emergency data based on the determination result, while forming a sensor network; and an alerting node for receiving emergency data from the first sensor node on the sensor network, and outputting disaster circumstantial information to a sensor field of the sensor network upon receipt of the emergency data.
US07825788B2
An apparatus for detecting positions of wheels of a vehicle is provided. In the apparatus, a triggering signal is transmitted from the body side to each transceiver mounted at each wheel. In each transceiver, the strength of the received triggering signal is measured and formatted into a frame of data to be transmitted to a receiver mounted to the vehicle body. The strength of the triggering signal is used to detect wheel positions by determining that each transceiver is disposed at which wheel. The receiver determines if there is a reply of the frame of data containing the strength when the triggering device transmits the triggering signal. When no reply comes from the transceiver, the strength of noise is measured in the transceiver in response to a command from the receiver. When the noise strength is less than a threshold, the receiver commands an alarm member to issue an alarm.
US07825785B2
A vehicle backup detector that indicates a distance from an obstruction comprises multiple ultrasonic transducers, a central processing unit, memory, a video camera, a graphics superimposing module and a display device. The ultrasonic transducers emit and receive ultrasonic waves. The central processing unit defines multiple sensing coordinates in a sensing area in which ultrasonic waves are transmitted and calculates a position of the obstruction. The memory is divided into multiple storing fields corresponding to the sensing coordinates to store obstruction data based on the position of the obstruction. A video camera records images behind the vehicle. A graphics superimposing module superimposes graphical images representing ultrasonic waves on the images recorded by the video camera based on the storing fields where no obstruction data are stored. The display device displays images behind the vehicle with the ultrasonic wave images.
US07825780B2
A cellular alarm notification signal is received wirelessly from an alarming vehicle, and a position of a cellular transceiver of the alarming vehicle is requested and provided to police, security, emergency personnel, and/or surveillance cameras. A vehicle alarm notification is sent directly to the owner of a particular vehicle immediately upon alarm, or to the police, or to building security to dispatch an investigative team, or to a building surveillance company to activate or monitor a relevant security camera. In addition to the alarming status of the vehicle, the cellular alarm notification cellular call may provide a position of the alarming vehicle to the notified party, obtained through appropriate location services provided in a wireless system to satisfy requirements for responding in a personal emergency to a requesting public safety access point (PSAP).
US07825776B2
Various embodiments of the invention may use a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag with a writable non-volatile storage element to receive and store configuration parameters for a device connected to the RFID tag, even if the device itself is powered off. Upon power-up and startup of the device, the device may read the configuration parameters from the RFID tag and install them for its subsequent operation. Some embodiments may work in the opposite direction, by allowing the powered device to write its configuration data into the RFID tag's storage element, whose contents may subsequently be transmitted by the RFID tag to an RFID reader, even if the device is unpowered at the time of transmission.
US07825773B2
A mobile radio frequency identification (mRFID) reader having a receiving circuit is provided. The receiving circuit includes a local oscillator which generates a carrier signal at a predetermined frequency band; a mixer which mixes a tag signal received from a tag with the carrier signal, to lower a frequency of the tag signal; a phase adjusting block which adjusts a phase of the carrier signal by determining a phase of the tag signal; and a control block which processes the tag signal through a series of operations, and controls an operation of the phase adjusting block to compensate for a phase delay of the tag signal according to an output of the processed tag signal. Because the mRFID reader can be provided as small as a half size of a related art reader, a mobile communication terminal accommodating the mRFID reader can be compact-sized. Additionally, because the number of components for the receiving circuit decreases, not only the power consumption but also the unit price can be reduced.
US07825760B2
An electromagnet having a conical bore. The conical bore is created by wrapping a conductor around a conically-offset helix. The cross sectional area of the conductor can be varied in order to maintain a desired current carrying capacity along the helix. A single element can be used as the conductor. The conductor can also be created by stacking a series of specially-shaped plates analogous to prior art Bitter-disks.
US07825752B2
A dielectric filter having a dielectric block disposed on a mount board. The dielectric block includes inner conductor holes having open ends on the front surface of the dielectric block. Input/output electrodes are disposed on the undersurface of the dielectric block. Each of the input/output electrodes extends from the boundary between a side surface and the undersurface of the dielectric block to the boundary between the front surface and the undersurface of the dielectric block. An outer conductor includes undersurface electrode corner portions and an undersurface electrode main portion. Each of the undersurface electrode corner portions is disposed at a corner formed by the front surface and one of the side surfaces of the dielectric block.
US07825742B2
A package device, such as an oscillator, includes a package module, a circuit module, a plurality of conductive pins, and a plurality of conductive arms. The package module defines an airtight space therein. The circuit module is disposed in the airtight space in the package module. Each of the conductive pins extends into the airtight space in the package module. Each of the conductive arms is disposed in the airtight space, and has a first end that is connected to the circuit module, a second end that is connected to a respective one of the conductive pins, and an intermediate portion that extends between the first and second ends thereof and that has a length longer than the shortest distance between the first and second ends thereof.
US07825741B2
A method of generating an output signal from an input signal includes a step of generating a set of n signals, n being an integer greater than or equal to 3, by generating a signal for each integer i such that 0≦i≦(n−1), each signal within the set having the same frequency and approximately equal amplitude and a phase equal to (360/n)i degrees. The method also includes a step of inputting each of the set of n signals to a gate terminal of a corresponding one of a set of n transistors. Each of the transistors has a source terminal electrically connected to a common voltage drain and each of the transistors has a drain terminal electrically connected to a coupling. The coupling is electrically connected to a common voltage source. The output signal at the coupling has a frequency equal to the frequency of the input signal multiplied by n.
US07825733B2
The present invention discloses a circuit providing a power for a sense amplifier that stabilizes a power voltage supplied to the sense amplifier by compensating a noise generated in the power voltage when the sense amplifier operates with an selectively generated decoupling noise. The circuit providing a power for a sense amplifier includes a sense amplifying circuit sensing and amplifying data loaded on a bit line with a first power. A power supplying unit provides the first power to the sense amplifying circuit. A decoupling unit generates a decoupling noise with a second power and provides the decoupling noise to the first power voltage. The decoupling noise is maintained for a period including a time point of an operation of the sense amplifying circuit and a predetermined time thereafter.
US07825724B2
A method and apparatus for direct conversion of digital data to high power RF signals, known as DDRF. The method and apparatus receive a digital signal, create a digital modulated signal therefrom, and amplify the modulated signal with an H-bridge Power Amplifier for transmission. DDRF uses a multi-level H-bridge amplification circuit to establish a more power efficient digital transmitter.
US07825719B2
A power generator system and apparatus that uses a frequency synthesizer in conjunction with an oscillator to lock both frequency of a drive signal with a reference signal. The oscillator center frequency is different from the nominal generator frequency, and as a consequence a variety of reference frequencies may be supported. By using a frequency synthesizer, the oscillator frequency can be locked onto a frequency that is a ratio of the reference frequency. Then, the frequency synthesizer may generate a drive signal that is closely matched to the reference frequency.
US07825716B1
In a mixer circuit, addition of analog signals by capacitive coupling is used and square-law characteristics of the drain current of a MOS transistor operating in a saturated region are used. With this configuration, the voltage and power of the mixer circuit can be reduced.
US07825712B2
A multi-phase clock signal generating circuit includes a phase correction block configured to receive multi-phase clock signals and produce a plurality of interpolated phase clock signal groups in which the phases of the multi-phase clock signals are differently controlled. The multi-phase clock signals are out of phase with each other. A clock control block is configured to produce output multi-clock signals by selectively outputting one among the interpolated phase clock signal groups using a digital control signal having a plurality of bits which are produced based on phase differences of the multi-phase clock signals.
US07825711B2
Clock circuits, memories and methods for generating a clock signal are described. One such clock circuit includes a delay locked loop (DLL) configured to receive a reference clock signal and generate an output clock signal having an adjustable phase relationship relative to the reference clock signal, and further includes a clock jitter feedback circuit coupled to a clock tree and the DLL. The clock jitter feedback circuit is configured to synchronize a clock jitter feedback signal and a DLL feedback signal that is based on the output clock signal. The clock jitter feedback circuit is further configured to provide the clock jitter feedback signal to the DLL for synchronization with a buffered reference clock signal. The clock jitter feedback signal is based on and generated in response to receiving a distributed output clock signal from the clock tree circuit and the buffered reference signal is based on the reference clock signal.
US07825705B2
A reset signal generating circuit outputs a reset signal having a sufficient pulse width even when the power supply voltage is fluctuated. A node B reaches a high level during a power-on reset and is at a low level during operation. When a power supply (Vcc) fluctuates during operation and as soon as a node C reaches a high level, a switch element MN50 turns on, the node B is decreased to a low level, and a stable low-level reset signal RST1 is outputted. When the node B reaches a low level, a switch element MN51 turns off with a delay and capacitors 104 and 105 are gradually charged by a charging circuit 112. When the potential at the node B exceeds a threshold level of an inverter circuit 106, the reset signal RST1 is brought back to a high level, the reset is cancelled, the switch element MN50 is turned off, and the switch element MN51 is brought to be in an on-state again (FIG. 1).
US07825704B2
A threshold personalization circuit for a reset or supervisor chip includes personalization fuses, which shift a resistor divider to provide a variety of selectable voltage thresholds. The personalization fuses may provide hundreds of millivolts of adjustment. The threshold personalization circuit further includes trim fuses to fine tune the threshold to within a few millivolts of the target threshold voltage. The threshold personalization circuit includes a test mode to cycle through to a particular personalization trim, such that at prelaser testing the personalized value is found (the fuse blow for personalization is emulated) and then the trim fuse amount can be based on the actual final personalized voltage. This results in very accurate threshold voltages for all personalized values.
US07825695B2
First and second devices may simultaneously communicate bidirectionally with each other using only a single pair of LVDS signal paths. Each device includes an input circuit and a differential output driver connected to the single pair of LVDS signal paths. An input to the input circuit is also connected to the input of the driver. The input circuit may also receive an offset voltage. In response to its inputs, the input circuit in each device can use comparators, gates and a multiplexer to determine the logic state being transmitted over the pair of LVDS signal paths from the other device. This advantageously reduces the number of required interconnects between the first and second devices by one half.
US07825689B1
An exemplary functional input sequential circuit for reducing the setup time of input signals. The functional sequential circuit includes a tri-state inverter having an input signal and two control signals. The transmission circuit receives a control signal from a combinational logic circuit that performs a logical operation on a second input signal and a clock signal. The output of the transmission circuit is coupled to a digital storage element. Further, a control circuit is coupled to the digital storage element in order to force a value on the digital storage element when no input signal is received from the transmission circuit. The control circuit is also controlled by the second input signal and a clock signal.
US07825671B2
The invention relates to electrophoretic immersion lacquering of objects, e.g. the bodies of automotive vehicles, wherein the object which is to be lacquered is immersed into lacquer immersion basin containing a lacquer fluid. An electric field is produced by the object in its capacity as an electrode with at least one counter electrode. In order to determine the thickness of the lacquer layer applied in said manner, the electric charge flowing through the object during the immersion lacquering process and the surface of the object exposed to the lacquer fluid are determined in order to determine the thickness of the lacquer layer therefrom. The thickness of the lacquer coating can thus be determined during the immersion lacquering process, resulting in fewer rejects.
US07825669B2
A microwave position sensing system includes a plurality of target components that each move between multiple positions. A microwave generator produces a microwave frequency signal. A divider receives the microwave frequency signal and splits the microwave frequency signal into a plurality of position sensing signals. The position sensing signals are respectively sent to the plurality of target components to determine a position of each of the target components. Each position sensing signal may also be calibrated. In one example, first and second frequencies are transmitted through a common wave guide. The first frequency is reflected prior to reaching the target component to produce a calibration signal. The second signal, which is used to detect the position of the target component, is calibrated using the first frequency.
US07825648B2
This invention relates to a method and system for remote detection of a targeted substance by the appropriate application of a probing signal that induces molecular resonance in the target substance to create an identifiable signature or response. In the preferred embodiment, signals transmitted are an Infrared laser beam, amplitude modulated in the range of 100 kHz frequency. The probing signal stimulates molecular resonance of the target substance which produces characteristic electron signal responses that are detected by IR detectors. A software program is used to process the electrical response signals and to compare them with electrical response signals stored in a database of known substances, thus allowing the target substance to be identified. The system may also be used to locate targeted substances. Also disclosed is an artificial ground device that provides a positive ground that provides consistent responses.
US07825645B2
The invention concerns a circuit for detecting an overload in a load supplied by a switched-mode power supply, comprising: a first comparator of a first voltage based on the supply voltage of the load relative to a first threshold, supplying a regulating signal to a pulse generator controlling the switched-mode power supply; a second comparator of a second voltage relative to a second threshold, supplying a signal indicating the presence of an overload; and means for automatically controlling said second voltage by a third threshold lower than the second and higher than the first, and for deactivating the second comparator as long as said automatic control is maintained.
US07825644B1
A system and method are disclosed for providing a pulsating current output having ultra fast rise and fall times. A linear constant current controller is provided that comprises an operational amplifier. A compensation capacitor is connected to an output of the operational amplifier through a switch circuit. The switch circuit closes to initially charge up the compensation capacitor. The switch circuit then opens to isolate the compensation capacitor when the output of the operational amplifier is connected to ground. A value of voltage is maintained on the compensation capacitor so that the compensation capacitor does not need to be recharged for each subsequent cycle of the pulsating current output. The linear constant current controller is capable of generating a pulsating output current that has rise and fall times in the tens of nanoseconds.
US07825641B2
A hybrid voltage regulator controls the voltage of three phases of alternating electricity produced by an alternator. A digital voltage regulator produces an average of the RMS voltage for each phase and produces an error value based on a ratio of the voltage to the frequency of the alternating electricity. The RMS voltage average and the error value are used to modify a voltage command designating a desired voltage level. The modified voltage command is processed by an analog voltage regulator that rectifies the alternator output voltage which then is averaged over an period of time. The resultant average voltage value is utilized to modify the voltage command to produce a regulated voltage command that determines a level of current to apply to excite the alternator.
US07825635B2
A computer system, including a system unit having at least one device; a battery unit which supplies power to the system unit; a charging unit which charges the battery unit at a predetermined charging speed; a user input unit which receives a user input related to a charging speed of the battery unit; and a controller which controls the charging unit to charge the battery unit at the charging speed according to the user input.
US07825633B2
An apparatus is capable of charging a battery mounted aboard a robot while avoiding an unstable posture of the robot caused by a power feeding connector coming into contact to a power receiving connector of the robot. A battery charger of the present invention performs control to move the power feeding connecter to connect with the power receiving connector of the robot in a standing posture, so that a moment generated about a target zero moment point (ZMP) of the robot falls within a range of the moment of floor reaction force generatable about the target ZMP.
US07825622B2
A load driving device controls two motors by PWM signals. When a standard duty ratio of the PWM signals is 50% and a level of a drive instruction is the standard duty ratio, the standard duty ratio are output to the respective motors to provide a reverse phase relationship that the PWM signal of the standard duty ratio does not overlap. A continuous off-period and the standard PWM signal output when the level of the drive instruction is lower than the standard, and the continuous on-period and the standard PWM signal output when the level of the drive instruction is higher than the standard are changed over at the ratios corresponding to the level of the drive instruction.
US07825619B2
A method for controlling stopping of a vibration generating stepping motor is a method for controlling the stopping of an vibration generating stepping motor by a control unit, characterized in that the method includes: stopping a supply of a driving pulse to the vibration generating stepping motor while applying a driving voltage to the vibration generating stepping motor; applying the driving voltage to the stepping motor, which does not completely stop, for an optimum braking time according to a motor configuration of the stepping motor, so as to brake the stepping motor; and stopping the applying of the driving voltage to the stepping motor which is rotating under inertia after the elapse of the optimum braking time.
US07825611B2
An illumination adjusting device for receiving power from a power supply and supplying output voltage to a lighting unit is provided herein. The illumination adjusting device includes a detector for detecting ambient illumination intensity and generating an ambient illumination value according to the ambient illumination intensity; a comparator for comparing the ambient illumination value with a predetermined value, the comparator outputting a first power signal when the ambient illumination value is lower than a predetermined value; an adjustor for adjusting the output voltage according to the first power signal, as a result, light emitted by the lighting unit is controlled within a predetermined illumination intensity range. A related illumination adjusting method is also provided.
US07825600B2
A system and method of automatically controlling exterior vehicle lights includes an image sensor and a controller to generate control signals. The control signals are derived based on information obtained from the image sensor as well as other detected parameters pertaining to the detected light source(s), the vehicle having the inventive control system, and the ambient environment. The control circuit may simply turn certain exterior lights on or off, or change the brightness, aim, focus, etc. to produce various beam patterns that maximize the illuminated area in front of the vehicle without causing excessive glare in the eyes of other drivers.
US07825594B2
Disclosed are an organic light emitting display and a fabricating method of the same, which form a bracket by at least one material selected from the group consisting of a plastic, a reinforcement plastic, or a high elastic and high molecular organic material in order to enhance an adhesive strength and an elasticity of a substrate and a bracket adhered to each other by means of an adhesive. A first substrate includes a pixel region and a non-pixel region. At least one organic light emitting diode is formed at the pixel region and having a first electrode, an organic layer, and a second electrode. The non-pixel region is formed beside pixel region. A second substrate is bonded to a first side of the first substrate to seal the pixel region. A frit is disposed between the non-pixel region of the first substrate and the second substrate and adheres the first and second substrates to each other. A bracket is formed by at least one material selected from the group consisting of a plastic, a reinforcement plastic, or a high elastic and high molecular organic material. An adhesive is formed by at least one resin selected from the group consisting of epoxy, acrylate, urethane acrylate, and acrylate cyanide, and for adhering the bracket to the first substrate.
US07825592B2
An organic EL element has a capping layer formed on a cathode layer. The capping layer contains a pigment that absorbs light that has a wavelength that is different from a wavelength of the light emitted from a light emitting layer, and has a reflectance that is higher at interface in multi-layered structure than a reflectance of the light emitted from the light emitting layer. The capping layer prevents incident light from outside from returning to the outside of the organic EL element.
US07825591B2
An electron beam emitted from a field-emission electron source array passes through a plurality of through holes formed in a mesh structure and reaches a target. Each of the plurality of through holes in the mesh structure has an opening on a side of the field-emission electron source array and an electron beam passageway that continues from the opening. The mesh structure is formed of a silicon-containing material doped with a N-type or P-type material. In this way, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the amount of the electron beam reaching the target while securing a mechanical strength of an electrode provided with a large number of through holes, and suppress expansion of the electron beam on the target.
US07825587B2
Organic devices comprising an organic layer, wherein the organic layer comprises: (a) a host material formed of a covalently cross-linked matrix comprising an organic charge transport material, and (b) a dopant. The charge transport material has reactive groups for forming cross-links. The cross-linked matrix may allow the organic layer to be solvent resistant. The dopant may protect the cross-linked matrix from electrochemical degradation. The dopant may be a charge acceptor and/or capable of forming covalent bonds with free reactive groups on the cross-linked charge transport material.
US07825576B2
A pixel structure and an organic light emitting device including the pixel structure has at least one electronic material layer arranged between a lower electrode and an upper electrode. The pixel structure includes the lower electrode arranged in a desired pattern on a substrate and a bank covering the substrate on which the lower electrode is arranged, and defining an opening portion to expose at least a portion of the lower electrode. The area of the opening portion is greater than that of the exposed portion of the lower electrode. The pixel structure further includes an electronic material layer arranged in the opening portion and covering an upper surface of the lower electrode, and the upper electrode arranged on the electronic material layer.
US07825567B2
A plurality of micro three-dimensional structure elements each having a movable structure fixed on a sacrifice layer, and fixation portions of the micro three-dimensional structure elements for the sacrifice layer are arranged into a film-like elastic body, and then the sacrifice layer is removed. Thus, a three-dimensional structure in which the individual micro three-dimensional structure elements are arranged independently of one another within the elastic body is manufactured.
US07825557B2
The invention relates to a spindle motor having a fluid dynamic bearing system that contains a rotor component taking the form of an integrated hub/bearing bush arrangement which encloses a straight, stationary shaft, which in turn is connected at both its ends to axially aligned bearing components, formed in such a way that they seal the fluid dynamic bearing system formed between the shaft and the rotor component and open at both ends. The open ends of the bearing gap are sealed by capillary seals or pumping seals or a combination of capillary and pumping seal.
US07825555B2
A surface mount-type vibration motor and an installation structure for a surface mount-type vibration motor, where soldered portions are prevented from separating from a circuit board without requiring any design change in a vibration motor body. A section where a motor holding section of a motor holder and motor support sections of the motor holder are connected is bent in an arc shape having elasticity to form the motor holder, the motor holding section holding a vibration motor body to which an elastic holder is attached, the motor support sections being arranged along a circuit board. First contact sections and second contact sections are formed in the connection section such that distal ends of the first and second contact sections are of a band-like shape projecting toward the inside of the vibration motor body. The motor holder reduces a load applied to portions where the surface mount-type vibration motor is soldered to the circuit board and also improves bonding strength.
US07825554B2
A power source for a vehicle includes at least one toroidal ring positioned in a housing. The toroidal ring includes magnetic material such as permanent magnets. The toroidal ring is magnetically levitated in the housing. A propulsion winding is coupled with the housing and energizable via a power signal to move the toroidal ring. Once moving, the magnetic material and the propulsion winding cooperate to produce electrical power and/or provide a stabilizing effect for the vehicle. In some applications, such as in an aircraft application, two or more toroidal rings may be used and rotated at counter directions so as to produce a predetermined net angular momentum.
US07825546B2
An electrical receptacle to prevent injuries deduced by misoperation is provided in the present invention. The electrical receptacle includes a power socket, a direct current (DC) power supply, a detecting switch, a controller, and a relay form a circuit loop for detecting whether a power plug is inserted into the power socket. The detecting switch is placed under the power socket without any electrical connection with the power socket. A live wire is connected to the power socket via a switch of the relay and a neutral wire is connected to the power socket directly. The switch of the relay closes on condition of the relay is electrified by the DC power supply.
US07825534B2
A relay assembly for a fog light is disclosed which comprises a relay housing having a first terminal adapted to being connected to a switch for operating another light and operation of the switch for illuminating a fog light.
US07825527B2
A wirebond package configured to reduce wirebond return loss is presented. An integrated circuit of interest with rows of bonding pads is bonded to a surface of the wirebond package. The surface of wirebond package has columns of bonding pads, which are configured to transmit or receive signals, power, and ground to and/or from the wirebond package to the integrated circuit. Corresponding die pads on the integrated circuit and bonding pads of the wirebond package are coupled using conductive lines. The conductive lines carrying the active signal has coplanar adjacent ground lines on opposing sides of active signal line and the distance between active signal line and the coplanar adjacent ground lines is tapered.
US07825525B2
An integrated circuit and method for fabrication includes first and second structures, each including a set of sub-lithographic lines, and contact landing segments connected to at least one of the sub-lithographic lines at an end portion. The first and second structures are nested such that the sub-lithographic lines are disposed in a parallel manner within a width, and the contact landing segments of the first structure are disposed on an opposite side of a length of the sub-lithographic lines relative to the contact landing segments of the second structure. The contact landing segments for the first and second structures are included within the width dimension, wherein the width includes a dimension four times a minimum feature size achievable by lithography.
US07825523B2
A semiconductor package includes a semiconductor substrate having integrated circuits formed on a cell region and a peripheral circuit region adjacent to each other. A bond pad-wiring pattern is formed on the semiconductor substrate. A pad-rearrangement pattern is electrically connected to the bond pad-wiring pattern, The pad-rearrangement pattern includes a bond pad disposed over at least a part of the cell region.
US07825517B2
An integrated circuit structure is provided. The integrated circuit structure includes a die and an anisotropic conducing film (ACF) adjoining the back surface of the die. The die includes a front surface; a back surface on an opposite side of the die than the front surface; and a through-silicon via (TSV) exposed through the back surface of the die.
US07825516B2
In integrated circuit technology; an electromigration and diffusion sensitive conductor of a metal such as copper and processing procedure therefore is provided, wherein, at a planarized chemical mechanical processed interfacing surface, the conductor metal is positioned in a region of a selectable low K eff dielectric material surrounded by a material selected to be protection from outdiffusion and a source of a film thickness cap that is to form over the conductor metal and/or serve as a catalytic layer for electroless selective deposition of a CoWP capping .
US07825512B2
An electronic device comprises a device substrate, a plurality of compliant electrically-conductive balls, and a plurality of solder joints that couple the compliant electrically-conductive balls to the device substrate by a reflow process.
US07825509B1
A surface mountable transducer package is provided, the design of which allows a thin package profile to be achieved. An encapsulation layer bonds to a surface of each of the terminal pads and encapsulates a portion of the transducer and at least a portion of the signal processing IC.
US07825508B2
A DC-DC buck converter in multi-die package is proposed having an output inductor, a low-side Schottky diode and a high-side vertical MOSFET controlled by a power regulating controller (PRC). The multi-die package includes a first die pad with the Schottky diode placed there on side by side with the vertical MOSFET. The PRC die is attached atop the first die pad via an insulating die bond. Alternatively, the first die pad is grounded. The vertical MOSFET is a top drain N-channel FET, the substrate of Schottky diode die is its anode. The Schottky diode and the vertical MOSFET are stacked atop the first die pad. The PRC is attached atop the first die pad via a conductive die bond. The Schottky diode die can be supplied in a flip-chip configuration with cathode being its substrate. Alternatively, the Schottky diode is supplied with anode being its substrate without the flip-chip configuration.
US07825505B2
In one embodiment, a semiconductor package is formed to include a tamper barrier that is positioned between at least a portion of the connection terminals of the semiconductor package and an edge of the semiconductor package.
US07825497B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including forming two first gate electrodes along a first direction on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate and source/drain areas sandwiching a channel region under each of the first gate electrodes, forming a first interlayer insulating layer to fill a region between the first gate electrodes, lowering a top of the first interlayer insulating layer, depositing a second interlayer insulating layer on the first interlayer insulating layer and the first gate electrodes, planarizing a surface of the second interlayer insulating layer, and forming an interconnect layer in the second interlayer insulating layer and a contact plug in the first interlayer insulating layer and the second interlayer insulating layer so that the contact plug is in contact with the interconnect layer and one of the source/drain areas.
US07825491B2
A voltage switchable dielectric material (VSD) material as part of a light-emitting component, including LEDs and OLEDs.
US07825486B2
A programmable magnetoresistive memory cell. The memory cell has a magnetic element that includes a first and a second ferromagnetic layer. The first and second ferromagnetic layers are separated by a non-ferromagnetic and preferably electrically insulating spacer layer. The data bit is read out by measuring the electrical resistance across the magnetic element. The memory cell further includes: a third ferromagnetic layer having a well-defined magnetization direction and a resistance switching material having a carrier density. The carrier density can be altered by causing an ion concentration to become altered by means of an applied electrical voltage signal. Thus, the carrier density can be switched between a first and second state.
US07825478B2
Polarity dependent switches for resistive sense memory are described. A memory unit includes a resistive sense memory cell configured to switch between a high resistance state and a low resistance state upon passing a current through the resistive sense memory cell and a semiconductor transistor in electrical connection with the resistive sense memory cell. The semiconductor transistor includes a gate element formed on a substrate. The semiconductor transistor includes a source contact and a bit contact. The gate element electrically connects the source contact and the bit contact. The resistive sense memory cell electrically connects to the bit contact. The source contact and the bit contact are asymmetrically implanted with dopant material.
US07825477B2
A semiconductor device, such as a PMOS transistor, having localized stressors is provided. Recesses are formed on opposing sides of gate electrodes such that the recesses are offset from the gate electrode by dummy spacers. The recesses are filled with a stress-inducing layer. The dummy recesses are removed and lightly-doped drains are formed. Thereafter, new spacers are formed and the stress-inducing layer is recessed. One or more additional implants may be performed to complete source/drain regions. In an embodiment, the PMOS transistor may be formed on the same substrate as one or more NMOS transistors. Dual etch stop layers may also be formed over the PMOS and/or the NMOS transistors.
US07825476B2
A method of fabricating a polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) layer includes providing a substrate, forming an amorphous silicon (a-Si) layer on the substrate, forming a thermal oxide layer to a thickness of about 10 to 50 Å on the a-Si layer, forming a metal catalyst layer on the thermal oxide layer, and annealing the substrate to crystallize the a-Si layer into the poly-Si layer using a metal catalyst of the metal catalyst layer. Thus, the a-Si layer can be crystallized into a poly-Si layer by a super grain silicon (SGS) crystallization method. Also, the thermal oxide layer may be formed during the dehydrogenation of the a-Si layer so that an additional process of forming a capping layer required for the SGS crystallization method can be omitted, thereby simplifying the fabrication process.
US07825467B2
A description is given of a normally on semiconductor component having a drift zone, a drift control zone and a drift control zone dielectric arranged between the drift zone and the drift control zone.
US07825465B2
A trench-gate field effect transistor includes trenches extending into a silicon region of a first conductivity type, and a gate electrodes in each trench. Body regions of second conductivity type extend over the silicon region between adjacent trenches. Each body region forms a first PN junction with the silicon region, and each body region includes a silicon-germanium layer of the second conductivity type laterally extending between adjacent trenches. Source regions of the first conductivity flank the trenches, and each source region forms a second PN junction with one of the body regions. Channel regions extend in the body regions along sidewalls of the trenches between the source regions and a bottom surface of the body regions. The silicon-germanium layers extend into corresponding channel regions to thereby reduce the channel resistance.
US07825459B2
A silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory device includes a memory type transistor including a gate with a SONOS structure on a semiconductor substrate. The gate is formed by sequentially stacking a tunneling oxide layer, a memory node structure including a trap site having nano-sized trap elements in which charges passing through the tunneling oxide layer are trapped, and a gate electrode. The nano-sized trap elements may be a crystal layer composed of nanocrystals that are separated from one another to trap the charges. The memory node structure may include additional memory node layers which are isolated from the nano-sized trap elements.
US07825456B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and a method for manufacturing the same that may include forming an isolation pattern in a substrate, and then etching a portion of the isolation pattern to expose a portion of an active region of the substrate, and then forming high-density second-type ion implantation regions spaced apart at both edges of the active region by performing a tilted ion implantation process, and then forming a high-density first-type ion implantation region as a bit line in the active region, and then forming an insulating layer on the substrate including the high-density first-type ion implantation region, the high-density second-type ion implantation regions and the isolation pattern, and then forming a metal interconnection as a word line on the insulating layer pattern and extending in a direction perpendicular to bit line.
US07825455B2
There is provided a monolithic three dimensional array of charge storage devices which includes a plurality of device levels, wherein at least one surface between two successive device levels is planarized by chemical mechanical polishing.
US07825451B2
The invention includes methods and integrated circuitry. Pillars project outwardly from openings in a first material over individual capacitor storage node locations. Insulative material is deposited over the first material laterally about sidewalls of the projecting pillars, and is anisotropically etched effective to expose underlying first material and leave electrically insulative material received laterally about the sidewalls of the projecting pillars. Openings are formed within a second material to the pillars. The pillars are etched from the substrate through the openings in the second material, and individual capacitor electrodes are formed within the openings in electrical connection with the storage node locations. The individual capacitor electrodes have the anisotropically etched insulative material received laterally about their outer sidewalls. The individual capacitor electrodes are incorporated into a plurality of capacitors. Other implementations and aspects are contemplated.
US07825449B2
An SiC semiconductor device and a related manufacturing method are disclosed having a structure provided with a p+-type deep layer formed in a depth equal to or greater than that of a trench to cause a depletion layer between at a PN junction between the p+-type deep layer and an n−-type drift layer to extend into the n−-type drift layer in a remarkable length, making it difficult for a high voltage, resulting from an adverse affect arising from a drain voltage, to enter a gate oxide film. This results in a capability of minimizing an electric field concentration in the gate oxide film, i.e., an electric field concentration occurring at the gate oxide film at a bottom wall of the trench.
US07825443B2
In one aspect, the invention includes a semiconductor processing method. An antireflective material layer is formed over a substrate. At least a portion of the antireflective material layer is annealed at a temperature of greater than about 400° C. A layer of photoresist is formed over the annealed antireflective material layer. The layer of photoresist is patterned. A portion of the antireflective material layer unmasked by the patterned layer of photoresist is removed. In another aspect, the invention includes the following semiconductor processing. An antireflective material layer is formed over a substrate. The antireflective material layer is annealed at a temperature of greater than about 400° C. A layer of photoresist is formed over the annealed antireflective material layer. Portions of the layer of photoresist are exposed to radiation waves. Some of the radiation waves are absorbed by the antireflective material during the exposing.
US07825439B2
A semiconductor memory according to an example of the invention includes active areas, and element isolation areas which isolate the active areas. The active areas and the element isolation areas are arranged alternately in a first direction. An n-th (n is odd number) active area from an endmost portion in the first direction and an (n+1)-th active area are coupled to each other at an endmost portion in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
US07825438B2
A CMOS image sensor cell includes a semiconductor active region of first conductivity type having a surface thereon and a P-N junction photodiode in the active region. A drive transistor is also provided in the semiconductor active region. The drive transistor has a gate electrode that is configured to receive charge generated in the P-N junction photodiode during an image capture operation (i.e., during capture of photons received from an image). This drive transistor has a gate electrode and a contoured channel region extending underneath the gate electrode. The contoured channel region has an effective channel length greater than a length of the gate electrode.
US07825437B2
In general, in one aspect, a method includes forming N-diffusion and P-diffusion fins in a semiconductor substrate. A P-diffusion gate layer is formed over the semiconductor substrate and removed from the N-diffusion fins. A pass-gate N-diffusion gate layer is formed over the semiconductor substrate and removed from the P-diffusion fins and pull-down N-diffusion fins. A pull-down N-diffusion layer is formed over the semiconductor substrate.
US07825435B2
A silicon-made low-forward-voltage Schottky barrier diode is serially combined with a high-antivoltage-strength high-electron-mobility transistor made from a nitride semiconductor that is wider in bandgap than silicon. The Schottky barrier diode has its anode connected to the gate, and its cathode to the source, of the HEMT. This HEMT is normally on. The reverse voltage withstanding capability of the complete device depends upon that between the drain and gate of the HEMT.
US07825431B2
A semiconductor power device supported on a semiconductor substrate includes an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit disposed on a first portion of patterned ESD polysilicon layer on top of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor power device further includes a second portion of the patterned ESD polysilicon layer constituting a body implant ion block layer for blocking implanting body ions to enter into the semiconductor substrate below the body implant ion block layer. In an exemplary embodiment, the electrostatic discharge (ESD) polysilicon layer on top of the semiconductor substrate further covering a scribe line on an edge of the semiconductor device whereby a passivation layer is no longer required manufacturing the semiconductor device for reducing a mask required for patterning the passivation layer.
US07825428B2
There is provided a GaN-based semiconductor light emitting device including: a substrate; and an n-type GaN-based semiconductor layer, an active layer and a p-type GaN-based semiconductor layer sequentially deposited on the substrate, wherein the active layer includes: a first barrier layer including AlxInyGa1−x−yN, where 0
US07825421B2
A semiconductor light emitting device comprises an element that emits light and a substrate on a main surface of which the element is mounted. The main surface of the substrate composed of two areas, (i) a mount area which is rectangle and on which the element is mounted, and (ii) a pad area that is equipped with a pad for wire bonding. The pad area is contiguous to the mount area on one side of the mount area, and the pad area decreases in width continuously or stepwise in a direction away from the one side.
US07825418B2
A light emitting diode (LED) includes a transparent substrate, a first type cladding layer, an active layer, a second type cladding layer, and first and second electrodes. The first type cladding layer is disposed on the transparent substrate. The active layer and the second electrode are juxtaposed on the first type cladding layer. The second type cladding layer is disposed on the active layer. The second electrode is disposed on the second type cladding layer. The first and second type cladding layers are doped with nanoparticles.
US07825416B2
An interconnect layout, an image sensor including the interconnect layout and a method for fabricating the image sensor each use a first electrically active physical interconnect layout pattern within an active pixel region and a second electrically active physical interconnect layout pattern spatially different than the first electrically active physical interconnect layout pattern within a dark pixel region. The second electrically active physical interconnect layout pattern includes at least one electrically active interconnect layer interposed between a light shield layer and a photosensor region aligned therebeneath, thus generally providing a higher wiring density. The higher wiring density within the second layout pattern provides that that the image sensor may be fabricated with enhanced manufacturing efficiency and a reduction of metallization levels.
US07825414B2
A method of forming a thin film transistor relative to a substrate includes, a) providing a thin film transistor layer of polycrystalline material on a substrate, the polycrystalline material comprising grain boundaries; b) providing a fluorine containing layer adjacent the polycrystalline thin film layer; c) annealing the fluorine containing layer at a temperature and for a time period which in combination are effective to drive fluorine from the fluorine containing layer into the polycrystalline thin film layer and incorporate fluorine within the grain boundaries to passivate said grain boundaries; and d) providing a transistor gate operatively adjacent the thin film transistor layer. The thin film transistor can be fabricated to be bottom gated or top gated. A buffering layer can be provided intermediate the thin film transistor layer and the fluorine containing layer, with the buffering layer being transmissive of fluorine from the fluorine containing layer during the annealing. Preferably, the annealing temperature is both sufficiently high to drive fluorine from the fluorine containing layer into the polycrystalline thin film layer and incorporate fluorine within the grain boundaries to passivate said grain boundaries, but sufficiently low to prevent chemical reaction of the fluorine containing layer with the polycrystalline thin film layer.
US07825410B2
A semiconductor device, includes a package substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a semiconductor element installed in the first surface of the package substrate. The package substrate includes a plurality of first land pads disposed in the first surface, second land pads disposed in the second surface and a second testing-dedicated pad disposed in the second surface. The semiconductor element is electrically coupled to the first land pads, an inter-pad distance for the second land pads is larger than an inter-pad distance for the first land pads, the first land pad contains a first testing-dedicated pad electrically coupled to the semiconductor element, the first testing-dedicated pad and the second testing-dedicated pad each include a dedicated terminal, which is essential for applying a specified electrical signal from an LSI tester, when an LSI testing is conducted for a semiconductor wafer and the first testing-dedicated pad is electrically coupled to only the second testing-dedicated pad through a wiring.
US07825409B2
A GaN crystal substrate has a crystal growth surface on which a crystal is grown, and a rear surface opposite to the crystal growth surface. The crystal growth surface has a roughness Ra(C)of at most 10 nm, and the rear surface has a roughness Ra(R) of at least 0.5 μm and at most 10 μm. A ratio Ra(R)/Ra(C) of the surface roughness Ra(R) to the surface roughness Ra(C) is at least 50. Thus, a GaN crystal substrate of which front and rear surfaces are distinguishable from each other is provided, without impairing the morphology of a semiconductor layer grown on the GaN crystal substrate.
US07825403B2
A circuit board includes: a substrate; source and drain electrodes formed on the substrate; an organic semiconductor layer formed on the source and drain electrodes; a gate insulating layer formed on the organic semiconductor layer; and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating layer, wherein: the substrate includes a first part, a second part, and a third part interposed between the first and second parts and a thickness of the first part or a thickness of the second part is greater than that of the third part; the source electrode is formed on the first part; the drain electrode is formed on the second part; a part of the organic semiconductor layer is formed on the third part; and a thickness of the gate insulating layer disposed on the first and second parts is smaller than that of the gate insulating layer disposed on the third part.
US07825399B2
An optical device comprising: a first active stack of layers comprising an optical cavity, at least one quantum dot located in said cavity; an upper contact provided above said optical cavity; a lower contact provided below said cavity, wherein an abrupt material interface defines the whole lateral boundary of said cavity and said cavity is patterned such that it provides two dimensional lateral confinement of photon modes, said upper an lower contacts being arranged such that current can flow vertically across the cavity between the two contacts.
US07825398B2
Memory cells are described along with methods for manufacturing. A memory cell described herein includes a bottom electrode comprising a base portion and a pillar portion on the base portion, the pillar portion and the base portion having respective outer surfaces and the pillar portion having a width less than that of the base portion. A memory element is on a top surface of the pillar portion of the bottom electrode, and a top electrode is on the memory element. A dielectric spacer contacts the outer surface of the pillar portion, the outer surface of the base portion of the bottom electrode self-aligned with an outer surface of the dielectric spacer.
US07825396B2
A method is described for self-aligning a bottom electrode in a phase change random access memory PCRAM device where a top electrode serves as a mask for self-aligning etching of the bottom electrode. The bottom electrode has a top surface that is planarized by chemical mechanical polishing. The top electrode also has a top surface that is planarized by chemical mechanical polishing. A bottom electrode layer like TiN is formed over a substrate and prior to the formation of a via during subsequent process steps. A first dielectric layer is formed over the bottom electrode layer, and a second dielectric layer is formed over the first dielectric layer. A via is formed at a selected section that extends through the first and second dielectric layers.
US07825395B2
A method reads out X-ray information stored in a storage phosphor layer where an X-ray picture is obtained and made up from a number of pixels. The method includes the steps of: irradiating the storage phosphor layer with a stimulation light beam which is moved along a line over the storage phosphor layer to stimulate the storage phosphor layer into emitting emission light; collecting emission light emitted from the storage phosphor layer, and converting the emission light collected into a corresponding detector signal S; deducing a number of detector signal values D from the detector signal S, where the number of deduced detector signal values D is greater then a predetermined number of pixels of the X-ray picture along the line; and deducing a picture signal value B for each pixel of the X-ray picture along the line from at least two of the detector signal values D.
US07825383B2
A mobile detector system for use in the detection of radiation photons. The detector system includes an exterior casing, having an internal area. The internal area has an interior periphery and an exterior periphery, at least one rail, at least one mobile camera, that is movably mounted on the at least one rail, and at least one motor. The motor drives at least one mobile camera, and the at least one mobile camera is movable along at least one rail within the exterior casing, to a plurality of radiation receiving positions.
US07825371B2
The invention provides a multichannel analyzer for use in a multichannel spectrometer, which comprises a standard spectrum calibrator for obtaining energy calibration parameters of said multichannel spectrometer; an environment background spectrum calibrator for obtaining parameters of a current and a previous environment background spectrum; a peak shift detector for analyzing the parameters of the current and previous environment background spectrum to determine whether a peak shift occurs between them and to determine a correction coefficient of the peak shift; and a parameter corrector for correcting the energy calibration parameters of said multichannel spectrometer using said peak shift correction coefficient. The invention also provides a method for correcting a peak shift of a multichannel spectrometer adapted in the multichannel analyzer. The method for correcting and the multichannel analyzer can correct and monitor the peak shift of the multichannel spectrometer in real time.
US07825370B2
Methods and systems for calibrating a Computed Tomography (CT) system are provided. The method includes selectively activating each of a plurality of elements of a detector in the CT system. The method further includes determining for each of the selectively activated elements, a crosstalk effect on elements adjacent to the activated elements, to calibrate the CT system.
US07825362B2
A projection device includes a light source emitting light beams, a display element displaying images according to video signals, an adjustable collimator arranged between the light source and the display element, and a condensing lens unit arranged between the adjustable collimator and the display element. The adjustable collimator collimates the light beams of the light source to parallel beams. The condensing lens projects the parallel beams to the display element. A driving unit is used for adjusting a distance between the light source and the adjustable collimator. A lens adjusting unit is used for adjusting a focus of the adjustable collimator according to the distance between the light source and the adjustable collimator. The projection device can reduce light loss and achieve a projection image with high contrast and high brightness.
US07825361B2
In a light sensor test unit, a test circuit is built in a display panel and connected to an output node of a light sensor which senses an intensity of an external light. When external light having a predetermined intensity is provided to the light sensor, the test circuit outputs a driving signal in response to a sensing signal output from the output node. A test pixel part includes pixels selected from a plurality of pixels arranged in the display panel and receives the driving signal from the test circuit to display a gray-scale corresponding to the driving signal. A brightness measurer measures a brightness corresponding to the gray-scale displayed in the test pixel part to compare the measured brightness with a predetermined brightness, thereby testing whether the light sensor built in the display panel is normally operated.
US07825358B2
A cooking apparatus is provided. The cooking apparatus includes a cooking cavity, an upper space formed above the cooking cavity, lateral side spaces formed to at opposite lateral sides of the cooking cavity, a rear space formed behind the cooking cavity, and a lower space formed below the cooking cavity. A fan provided in the rear space generates a cooling flow that cools components housed in the rear space. A cooling flow path extends from the rear space and into the upper space and lateral side spaces. Flow from the upper space enters the door to cool the door and is exhausted through a lower portion of the door. Flow from the lateral side spaces, which includes an exhaust flow from the cooking cavity, is guided to the lower space and exhausted. In this manner, the cooking apparatus can be completely cooled and cooking odors and heat appropriately exhausted by the cooling fan positioned in the rear space.
US07825357B2
This invention provides a power supply which supplies an AC electric current to the coil of a heating unit employing the electromagnetic induced heating method via a connector connecting a plurality of wires, and a method for the power supply. The method includes the steps of supplying electric currents to the coil via 1st and 2nd wires from 1st and 2nd electric current supply units and detecting feedback electric currents via 3rd and 4th wires through the coil. Whether an electric current is abnormally supplied to the coil is monitored on the basis of these detected electric currents. It is controlled in accordance with the monitoring result to stop driving the 1st and 2nd electric current supply units and supply an electric current to the coil.
US07825337B2
Several one-piece unitary easily manufactured and economical products that both facilitate the routing of cable and the storage of extra lengths of cable are provided wherein a cable management apparatus includes a centrally disposed first cable confinement portion mountable to a surface, a second cable confinement portion extending from a first side of the first cable confinement portion, and a third cable confinement portion extending from a second side of the first cable confinement portion opposite the first side such that the first, second, and third cable confinement portions are substantially aligned. Another cable management apparatus includes a stepped mounting member, a first confinement member extending from the stepped mounting member forming a first confinement channel, and a second confinement member extending from the stepped mounting member forming a second confinement channel.
US07825335B2
An in-floor electrical floor-box assembly includes a rectangular or nearly square metallic housing and a non-metallic riser with integral flange assembly having a rectangular flange that mates with the rectangular housing and an integral cylindrical riser for providing access to the electrical components through a round cover and finish flange. A low-voltage divider assembly separates cables carrying different voltages within the riser to reduce interference between the cables and any one of a variety of sub-plates having different configurations for accommodating a variety of multi-service or single service electrical functionality can be incorporated with the box.
US07825334B2
The present invention discloses a socket with power supply, comprising a housing having a upper cover and a lower cover which are connected together to form a receiving space; a transformer connected with an alternate current source through a plug protruding out of the first opening; at least a socket capable of outputting the alternate current; a rectifying circuit capable of rectifying the alternate current to direct current; and an output power plug coupled with the rectifying circuit and protruding out of the second opening through a power cord to output the direct current to an electronic device.
US07825331B2
An electrical bushing (1) for connecting a superconducting device to a device located at ambient temperature, the bushing (1) having an electrical conductor (9) and an insulating layer (10) surrounding the electrical conductor (9). An interlayer (15) is provided between the electrical conductor (9) and the insulating layer (10) and makes it possible for the electrical conductor (9) to slide in the insulating layer (10) within a temperature range of from 70 kelvin to the ambient temperature. A field control layer (11) is also applied to the insulating layer (10).
US07825319B2
Disclosed is a system and method that allows users to customize audible and visible signals, such as music or video, to maintain a pre-determined or specified pace or to achieve a new pace in repetitive motion activities such as, but not limited to, running, walking, swimming, cycling, aerobics, and the like. Other applications of the system and method include, but are not limited to, enhancing the results of medical rehabilitation programs, physical therapy, weight loss programs, disc jockey services, and industries or manufacturing settings where repetitive motion is common and where audible cues designed to help users maintain a consistent pace are useful.
US07825307B1
A novel maize variety designated PHCD4 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PHCD4 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PHCD4 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PHCD4 or a trait conversion of PHCD4 with another maize variety. Inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PHCD4, methods for producing other inbred maize varieties derived from maize variety PHCD4 and the inbred maize varieties and their parts derived by the use of those methods.
US07825299B1
According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean variety designated XB18U09. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean variety XB18U09, to the plants of soybean XB18U09 to plant parts of soybean variety XB18U09 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing plants of the soybean variety XB18U09 with another soybean plant, using XB18U09 as either the male or the female parent.
US07825297B2
DNA constructions that provide for production of potent antifungal proteins in transgenic plants and transformed yeast cells are described. Methods of using the DNA constructs to produce transgenic plants that inhibit growth of plant pathogenic fungi are also disclosed. The use of transformed yeast cells containing the DNA constructs to produce the antifungal proteins and methods of isolating the antifungal proteins are also described.
US07825295B2
Method and means for modulating plant cell cycle proteins and their use in plant cell growth control
The present invention provides a method for modulating endoreduplication in a plant, plant part, or plant cell. The method comprises the steps of introduction and expression of a nucleotide sequence encoding the CDC2bAt cyclin dependent kinase gene disclosed in database accession number X57840 or said CDC2bAt cyclin dependent kinase gene having the Asp residue at position 161 replaced with an Asn residue, under the control of a promoter which functions in a plant.
US07825292B1
The present invention is intended to elucidate the cause of severe cardiomyopathy in subline (T) not manifesting the macroscopic cardiac hypertrophy, which has been separated from a hamster (B) with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and clarify the pathogenic cause of dilated cardiomyopathy, thereby establishing a method of detecting and identifying dilated cardiomyopathy and a method of preventing and treating the same. The present invention relates to a desmin gene having a point mutation at the site corresponding to the 571-position of the base sequence in the cDNA translation region of Syrian hamster; a polypeptide thereof; and an oligonucleotide consisting of 5 to 250 bases including the point mutation site or an oligonucleotide having a sequence complementary thereto. Moreover, the present invention relates to a method of detecting and identifying the point mutation at the site corresponding to the 571-position of the base sequence in the cDNA translation region of Syrian hamster to judge whether or not it is a gene causative of hereditary cardiomyopathy.
US07825289B2
An apparatus for promoting the healing of a wound includes a pressure-sensitive adhesive disposed around a periphery of the wound, and a membrane layer in positioned over the wound with a lower surface in contact with the pressure-sensitive adhesive to form a substantially fluid-tight seal to define reservoir over the wound in which a negative pressure may be maintained. In fluid communication with the reservoir is a vacuum source suitable for providing an appropriate negative pressure to the reservoir to stimulate healing of the wound. A resilient member is placed over an upper surface of the membrane layer, and a compression member is configured to apply a compressive force to the resilient member. The resilient member distributes the compressive force to the membrane layer to reinforce the fluid tight-seal.
US07825285B2
A process and an apparatus for the separation of a homogeneous catalyst solution from crude monoethylene glycol (MEG) and for purifying MEG is disclosed. The process comprises separating catalyst solution by evaporating crude MEG and feeding crude MEG to a rectification section, a stripping section, and thence to a pasteurisation section, each section operated at subatmospheric pressure of 0.5×105 Nm−2 or less, the rectification and pasteurisation sections being at pressure less than that of the catalyst separation section, wherein the process provides a pressure differential across the catalyst separation and rectification sections and wherein vapour phase crude MEG from the catalyst separation section is fed as substantially vapour phase feed to the rectification section. The apparatus comprises a catalyst separation section, an MEG rectification section, a stripping section and a pasteurisation section, wherein the MEG rectification and pasteurisation sections are located within a MEG purification column, and the catalyst separation section is either located in the MEG purification column or in a separate upstream vessel, and wherein the separation section provides a crude MEG feed inlet to the MEG rectification section and an outlet for separated catalyst, wherein the crude MEG feed inlet to the MEG rectification section is a vapour feed inlet.
US07825279B2
Novel fused ring dicationic anti-protozoan compounds. Representative protozoan species include but are not limited to Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (T.b.r.) and Plasmodium falciparum. Prodrugs of these compounds can be used as an oral treatment for malaria and human African trypanosomiasis.
US07825261B2
This invention relates to indazole compounds of formula (I) or (II) shown below. Each variable in formula (I) or (II) is defined in the specification. These compounds can be used to treat cancer.
US07825251B2
The present invention provides a process for producing carbostyril derivatives (I) which are known to be useful as medical drug such as antithrombotic agent, cerebral circulation improver, anti-inflammatory agent, antiulcer agent, etc. in a high yield and a high purity. The carbostyril derivatives (I) can be produced by reacting a carbostyril derivative (II) with a tetrazole derivative (III) in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst.
US07825246B2
The invention provides biaryl meta-pyrimidine compounds having the general structure (A). The pyrimidine compounds of the invention are capable of inhibiting kinases, such as members of the Jak kinase family, and various other specific receptor and non-receptor kinases.
US07825243B2
A process is provided for the production of isocyanatosilane from silylorganocarbamate in a cracking zone with a predetermined portion of purged reaction medium undergoing conversion in a trimerization zone to silylisocyanurate.
US07825241B2
7-[2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-(methylcarbonyloxyimino)acetamido]-3-vinyl-cephem-4-carboxylic acid of formula (I), in the form of a crystalline salt and use thereof, e.g. in the preparation of pure cefdinir. In another aspect this invention relates to the compound of formula (I) in the form of a salt, optionally in crystalline form, wherein the salt is selected from the group consisting of phosphate, hydrogen phosphate, mesylate, tosylate, sulfate, hydrogen sulfate and sulfamate.
US07825225B2
The invention relates to a vaccine for the treatment of disease caused by Neisseria, the vaccine including one or more immunogenic components for Neisseria serogroups, as well as antibodies to the immunogenic components and methods of preventing and treating Neisseria infections. The immunogens are based on elements of the inner core lipopolysaccharide.
US07825222B2
A molecule comprising at least one antigen binding site, comprising in sequence the hypervariable regions CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3, said CDR1 having the amino acid sequence Asn-Tyr-Ile-Ile-His (NYIIH), said CDR2 having the amino acid sequence Tyr-Phe-Asn-Pro-Tyr-Asn-His-Gly-Thr-Lys-Tyr-Asn-Glu-Lys-Phe-Lys-Gly (YFNPYNHGTKYNEKFKG) and said CDR3 having the amino acid sequence Ser-Gly-Pro-Tyr-Ala-Trp-Phe-Asp-Thr (SGPYAWFDT); e.g. further comprising in sequence the hypervariable regions CDR1′, CDR2′ and CDR3′, CDR1′ having the amino acid sequence Arg-Ala-Ser-Gln-Asn-Ile-Gly-Thr-Ser-Ile-Gln (RASQNIGTSIQ), CDR2′ having the amino acid sequence Ser-Ser-Ser-Glu-Ser-Ile-Ser (SSSESIS) and CDR3′ having the amino acid sequence Gln-Gln-Ser-Asn-Thr-Trp-Pro-Phe-Thr (QQSNTWPFT), e.g. a chimeric or humanised antibody, useful as a pharmaceutical.
US07825221B2
The invention provides methods and compositions for modulating hepatocyte growth factor activator function.
US07825220B2
A full-length cDNA encoding novel proteins involved in the control of cell proliferation (human Gros1-L and S) was successfully isolated from the human testis cDNA libraries. A full-length cDNA encoding the mouse homologues of the human Gros1 (mouse Gros1-L and S) was also isolated. The colony forming activity of cells exogenously expressing Gros1-L was significantly reduced, while that of cells expressing Gros1 antisense RNA was significantly increased.
US07825196B2
Polyethylene modified by using radical initiators such as oxygen and peroxides sometimes has a yellow color which may be reduced or eliminated by incorporating additives such as polyethylene glycol, and/or neutralizing species such as alkali metal stearates, particularly calcium stearate, and zinc oxide.
US07825193B2
The present invention relates to dithiocarbamic esters, their preparation and their use for regulating the degree of polymerization during the polymerization of monomers, such as during the polymerization of chloroprene to give polychloroprene, and during the polymerization of 2,3-dichlorobutadiene to give poly-2,3-dichlorobutadiene, and during the copolymerization of chloroprene with 2,3-dichlorobutadiene. The present invention further relates to polymers which are obtainable via the polymerization of monomers in the presence of the dithiocarbamic esters of the invention. The present invention also relates to polymers which contain end groups derived from the dithiocarbamic esters of the present invention.
US07825188B2
The present invention provides curatives for thermosetting adhesive compositions, methods of preparation and uses thereof. In particular, the present invention relates to elastomeric epoxy curative compounds that can be used in thermosetting compounds, methods for preparing the curative compounds and epoxy compositions containing the curative compounds.
US07825185B2
The present invention provides natural rubber latex in which glucans being polysaccharides contained in the latex are decomposed by treating the natural rubber latex with an α- and/or β-glucan decomposing enzyme such as amylase and cellulose and in which non-rubber components are subjected to suited enzyme treatment, and it provides natural rubber which is maintained in physical properties such as revelation of strain induced crystallization, an accelerating effect, an antioxidant effect and a vulcanization-accelerating effect and which is improved particularly in an abrasion resistance and a low hysteresis loss property, a production process for the same and a rubber composition and a tire using such natural rubber.
US07825179B2
A biodegradable resin composition is provided, which is highly transparent with little agglomeration. The biodegradable resin composition comprises a biodegradable polyester resin, a phyllosilicate, and at least one of a polyether phosphate compound, a polar wax and jojoba oil.
US07825176B2
A high flow polyester composition is disclosed, which comprises at least one polyester and at least one flow enhancing ingredient of structure, I, where, R1=NH2 or CH2OH; R2=CH3, CH3CH2 or CH2OH or any of C1-C20 alkyl group which may have one or more hydroxy group substituent, C3-C20 cycloalkyl group, C6-C20 aryl group, C1-C20 alkoxy group which may have one or more hydroxy group substituent or C6-C20 aryloxy group. A good balance of flowability and mechanical properties is obtained by controlling the amount of the said flow-enhancing ingredient. The composition further comprises reinforcing fillers, impact modifiers, a property-enhancing thermoplastic such as polycarbonate and flame retardant chemicals. The compositions are suitable for making automotive, electric and electronic parts.
US07825175B2
The natural rubber latex of the present invention in which phospholipid contained in the latex is decomposed, particularly the natural rubber latex in which it is decomposed by enzyme treatment with lipase and/or phospholipase at a temperature of 70° C. or lower is excellent in a processability, and in the natural rubber thereof and the rubber composition using the same, the physical properties such as an anti-aging characteristic, a tensile strength and an abrasion resistance are sufficiently maintained. Accordingly, the natural rubber of the present invention can be used as an excellent member for a tire.
US07825174B2
Described are melt-spun strands having a modulus of elasticity of from 8 to 14 GPa and an elastic extension of up to 1.5%, comprising a) a thermoplastic polyester, b) a thermoplastic elastomeric block copolymer, and c) carbon black and/or graphite particles in the form of aggregates aligned along the longitudinal axis of the strand which form electrically conductive paths along the longitudinal axis of the strand. The strands exhibit very high electrical conductivity and are useful for forming screens, wires, sieves or other technical/industrial wovens.
US07825163B2
A process for making a biodegradable composition involving: (a) providing from about 20 to 80% by weight of C8-22 fatty alcohol; (b) providing from about 20 to 80% by weight of a ring opening product of a C8-18 1,2-epoxyalkane with ethylene glycol; (c) combining (a) and (b) to form a reaction mixture; and (d) reacting the reaction mixture with ethylene oxide, with the proviso that the ethylene oxide is used in an amount of from about 5 to 100 mol ethylene oxide per mol of free OH groups present in the reaction mixture.
US07825162B2
A method for treating cardiovascular disease, including hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis, using abietane diterpenoid compound or terpenoid compound isolated from Torreya nucifera as an effective ingredient. The abietane diterpenoid compound or terpenoid compound isolated from Torreya nucifera not only excellently inhibits oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), but also effectively inhibits acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) activity.
US07825161B2
Chemically functionalized fullerenes are useful in various applications as radical scavengers. These chemically functionalized fullerenes offer the advantages of preservation of the high innate radical scavenging efficiency of the fullerene cage and ease of synthesis of fullerene derivatives of desirably altered chemical and physical properties and single isomers. Further, they are based on a common intermediate chemistry and intermediates can be easily functionalized and tailored to various requirements.
US07825154B2
Disclosed herein are methods of inhibiting the activity of Botulinum neurotoxin A metalloprotease with the compounds disclosed herein. Also disclosed are methods of treating, inhibiting or preventing intoxication caused by bacteria of at least one bacterial strain in a subject, and pharmaceutical and cosmetic compositions comprising the compounds disclosed herein.
US07825149B2
This invention relates to a range of alpha substituted 2-benzyl substituted imidazole compounds and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates thereof, to compositions comprising such compounds, processes for their synthesis and their use as parasiticides.
US07825141B2
Epothilone derivatives of Formula (I) and their use as a pharmaceutical.
US07825140B2
The invention provides compounds of the formula (0) or salts or tautomers or N-oxides or solvates thereof for use in the prophylaxis or treatment of disease states and conditions such as cancers mediated by cyclin-dependent kinase and glycogen synthase kinase-3. In formula (0): X is a group R1-A-NR4— or a 5- or 6-membered carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring; A is a bond, SO2, C═O, NRg(C═O) or O(C═O) wherein Rg is hydrogen or C1-4 hydrocarbyl optionally substituted by hydroxy or C1-4 alkoxy; Y is a bond or an alkylene chain of 1, 2 or 3 carbon atoms in length; R1 is hydrogen; a carbocyclic or heterocyclic group having from 3 to 12 ring members; or a C1-8 hydrocarbyl group optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from halogen (e.g. fluorine), hydroxy, C1-4 hydrocarbyloxy, amino, mono- or di-C1-4 hydrocarbylamino, and carbocyclic or heterocyclic groups having from 3 to 12 ring members, and wherein 1 or 2 of the carbon atoms of the hydrocarbyl group may optionally be replaced by an atom or group selected from O, S, NH, SO, SO2; R2 is hydrogen; halogen; C1-4 alkoxy (e.g. methoxy); or a C1-4 hydrocarbyl group optionally substituted by halogen (e.g. fluorine), hydroxyl or C1-4 alkoxy (e.g. methoxy); R3 is selected from hydrogen and carbocyclic and heterocyclic groups having from 3 to 12 ring members; and R4 is hydrogen or a C1-4 hydrocarbyl group optionally substituted by halogen (e.g. fluorine), hydroxyl or C1-4 alkoxy (e.g. methoxy).
US07825137B2
The present invention relates to the use of (R)-3-[1-(2,6-Dichloro-3-fluoro-phenyl)-ethoxy]-5-(1-piperidin-4-yl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-pyridin-2-ylamine, a novel c-Met/HGFR inhibitor, for treating abnormal cell growth in mammals. In particular, the invention provides methods of treating mammals suffering from cancer.
US07825136B2
The present invention relates to compounds that potentiate the activity of antibacterials. The present invention also relates to compositions useful in treating bacterial infection in mammals, and methods therewith. The present invention also relates to a method of inhibiting bacterial efflux of an antibiotic, thereby increasing the efficacy of the antibiotic.
US07825132B2
Methods of inhibiting fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 and treating various conditions mediated by fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 are provided that include administering to a subject a compound of Structure I, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, a tautomer thereof, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the tautomer. Compounds having the Structure I have the following structure where and have the variables described herein. Such compounds may be used to prepare medicaments for use in inhibiting fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 and for use in treating conditions mediated by fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 such as multiple myeloma.
US07825123B2
The present invention provides compounds of formula I, having affinity and selectivity for the dopamine D3 receptors, their manufacture, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use for the therapeutic and/or prophylactic treatment of cognitive disorders.
US07825121B2
The use of CCR5 antagonists of the formula or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R is optionally substituted phenyl, pyridyl, thiophenyl or naphthyl; R1 is hydrogen or alkyl; R2 is substituted phenyl, substituted heteroaryl, naphthyl, fluorenyl, diphenylmethyl or optionally substituted phenyl- or heteroaryl-alkyl; R3 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, or optionally substituted phenyl, phenylalkyl, naphthyl, naphthylalkyl, heteroaryl or heteroarylalkyl; R4, R5 and R7 are hydrogen or alkyl; R6 is hydrogen, alkyl or alkenyl; for the treatment of HIV, solid organ transplant rejection, graft v. host disease, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, asthma, allergies or multiple sclerosis is disclosed, as well as novel compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising them, and the combination of CCR5 antagonists of the invention in combination with antiviral agents useful in the treatment of HIV or agents useful in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
US07825119B2
A subject of the invention is the compounds of formula (I): in which R1, R2, R3, R4 and R have the meanings indicated in the description, their preparation process, their use as medicaments having an antagonist activity on the vitronectin receptor and the pharmaceutical compositions containing them.
US07825117B2
The present invention relates to prokineticin 1 receptor antagonists and methods of using the same to modulate intestine epithelial functions and to treat inflammation in the intestine in a mammal.
US07825104B2
Phenylboronic acid and water soluble derivatives thereof and related boronic acid compounds are used for treating fungal and bacterial infections.
US07825103B2
Provided is a pyrimidine nucleoside compound represented by the following formula (1): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein one of X and Y represents a cyano group, and the other represents a hydrogen atom; one of R1 and R2 represents a hydrogen atom, a carbonyl group having a C1-C6 alkyl group which has been mono-substituted by an amino group, or a group represented by (R3)(R4)(R5)Si—, and the other represents a group represented by (R6)(R7)(R8)Si—, or R1 and R2 together form a 6-membered cyclic group represented by —Si(R9)(R10)—; R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 each represent a C1-C10 linear or branched alkyl group which may have a substituent, a C3-C6 cycloalkyl group which may have a substituent, a C6-C14 aryl group which may have a substituent, or a C1-C6 alkyl group which has been substituted by one or two C6-C14 aryl groups and which may have a substituent; and R9 and R10 each represent a C1-C6 linear or branched alkyl group which may have a substituent. The pyrimidine nucleoside compound of formula (1) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof exhibits a potent antitumor effect and is therefore useful as a therapeutic agent for preventing or treating a tumor.
US07825098B2
Described herein are methods for identifying and using inhibitors of Necdin function to promote brown adipose tissue (BAT) differentiation, thereby treating obesity.
US07825097B2
Nucleotide vector comprising at least one gene or one complementary DNA coding for at least a portion of a virus, and a promoter providing for the expression of such gene in muscle cells. The gene may be the S gene of the hepatitis B virus.A vaccine preparation containing said bare DNA is injected into the host previously treated with a substance capable of inducing a coagulating necrosis of the muscle fibres.
US07825079B2
The invention relates to compositions and methods for cleaning integrated circuit substrates. The compositions are in the form of an aqueous solution and include a quaternary ammonium hydroxide compound and a chelating compound. The chelating compound includes either boric acid or at least one N-substituted aminocarboxylate selected from the group consisting of N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)glycine(bicine), N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl glycine (tricine) and mixtures thereof, and can optionally include glycine, Iminodiacetic acid (IDA), Nitrilo trizacetic acid (NTA), Ethylenediammine Tetraacetic acid (EDTA), or mixtures thereof.
US07825070B2
A novel method for two-dimensionally arraying ferritin on a substrate is provided which obviates the need for a metal ion that permits linking between adjacent two ferritin particles. In a method of two-dimensionally arraying ferritin on a substrate, the surface of the substrate is hydrophilic, and the method includes the steps of: developing a solution containing a solvent and the ferritin on the substrate; and removing the solvent from the solution developed on the substrate, while the ferritin has an amino acid sequence set out in SEQ ID NO: 1 modified at its N-terminus.
US07825063B2
An exhaust gas-purifying catalyst includes Nd and/or Pr as an active ingredient that suppresses generation of hydrogen sulfide.
US07825055B2
A process for regenerating a used acidic ionic liquid catalyst comprising contacting the used ionic liquid catalyst with at least one ‘regeneration’ metal in a regeneration zone in the presence of added hydrogen under regeneration conditions for a time sufficient to increase the activity of the ionic liquid catalyst is described. In one embodiment, regeneration is conducted in the presence of a hydrocarbon solvent.
US07825054B2
The invention intends to provide, in BaTiO3 semiconductor porcelain composition, a semiconductor porcelain composition that, without using Pb, can shift the Curie temperature to a positive direction and can significantly reduce the resistivity at room temperature. According to the invention, when Ba is partially substituted by an A1 element (at least one kind of Na, K and Li) and an A2 element (Bi) and Ba is further substituted by a specific amount of a Q element, or when Ba is partially substituted by an A1 element (at least one kind of Na, K and Li) and an A2 element (Bi) and Ti is partially substituted by a specific amount of an M element, the optimal valence control can be applied and whereby the resistivity at room temperature can be significantly reduced. Accordingly, it is optimal for applications in a PTC thermistor, a PTC heater, a PTC switch, a temperature detector and the like, and particularly preferably in an automobile heater.
US07825053B2
Sintered, spherical composite pellets or particles comprising alumina fines, at least one of clay and bauxite and optionally a sintering aid, are described, along with a process for their manufacture. The use of such pellets in hydraulic fracturing of subterranean formations and in grinding is also described.
US07825046B2
An article includes a microporous membrane. A porous fabric is laminated to the microporous membrane to form a laminate with a membrane side and a fabric side. A treatment material is applied to the laminate to form a treated laminate. The treated laminate having an oil resistance of at least a number 7 determined by AATCC 118 testing on both the membrane side and the fabric side. The treated laminate also has an air permeability through the treated laminate of at least 0.01 CFM per square foot determined by ASTM D737 testing.
US07825035B2
A semiconductor manufacturing method includes purging a growth chamber including a reaction product, a treatment chamber, and a glove box hermetically surrounding the growth chamber, with an inert gas atmosphere. The method also includes transferring the reaction product from the growth chamber to the treatment chamber, followed by moistening the reaction product in the treatment chamber, and extracting the moistened reaction product into the atmosphere.
US07825029B2
A method for the patterned coating of a substrate with at least one surface is provided. The method is suitable for the rapid and inexpensive production of precise patterns. The method includes the steps of: producing at least one negatively patterned first coating on the at least one surface, depositing at least one second layer, which includes a material with a vitreous structure, on the surface, and at least partially removing the first coating.
US07825025B2
According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for nickel silicidation includes providing a substrate having a source region, a gate region, and a drain region, forming a source in the source region and a drain in the drain region, annealing the source and the drain, implanting, after the annealing the source and the drain, a heavy ion in the source region and the drain region, depositing a nickel layer in each of the source and drain regions, and heating the substrate to form a nickel silicide region in each of the source and drain regions by heating the substrate.
US07825003B2
A method for fabricating a FET transistor for an integrated circuit by the steps of forming recesses in a substrate on both sides of a gate on the substrate, halo/extension ion implanting into the recesses, and filling the recesses with embedded strained layers comprising dopants for in-situ doping of the source and drain of the transistor. The stress/strain relaxation of the resulting transistor is reduced.
US07824997B2
A method for micro-machining a varactor that is part of a membrane suspended MEMS tunable filter. In one non-limiting embodiment, the method includes providing a main substrate; depositing a membrane on the main substrate; depositing and patterning a plurality of sacrificial photoresist layers at predetermined times during the fabrication of the varactor; depositing metal layers that define a fabricated varactor structure enclosed within photoresist; coupling a carrier substrate to the fabricated structure opposite to the main substrate using a release layer; etching a central portion of the main substrate to expose the membrane; removing the carrier substrate by dissolving the release layer in a material that attacks the release layer but does not dissolve the photoresist; and removing the photoresist layers to provide a released varactor.
US07824994B2
Disclosed is a method of forming memory devices employing halogen ion implantation and diffusion processes. In one illustrative embodiment, the method includes forming a plurality of word line structures above a semiconducting substrate, each of the word line structures comprising a gate insulation layer, performing an LDD ion implantation process to form LDD doped regions in the substrate between the word line structures, performing a halogen ion implantation process to implant atoms of halogen into the semiconducting substrate between the word line structures, and performing at least one anneal process to cause at least some of the atoms of halogen to diffuse into the gate insulation layers on adjacent word line structures.
US07824992B2
A method of fabricating a non-volatile memory device includes: forming a tunnel insulation layer pattern and a floating gate electrode layer pattern over a semiconductor substrate; forming an isolation trench by etching an exposed portion of the semiconductor substrate so that the isolation trench is aligned with the tunnel insulation layer pattern and the floating gate electrode layer pattern; forming an isolation layer by filling the isolation trench with a filling insulation layer; forming a hafnium-rich hafnium silicon oxide layer over the isolation layer and the floating gate electrode layer pattern; forming a hafnium-rich hafnium silicon oxynitride layer by carrying out a first nitridation on the hafnium-rich hafnium silicon oxide layer; forming a silicon-rich hafnium silicon oxide layer over the hafnium-rich hafnium silicon oxynitride layer; forming a silicon-rich hafnium silicon oxynitride layer by carrying out a second nitridation on the silicon-rich hafnium silicon oxide layer; and forming a control gate electrode layer over the silicon-rich hafnium silicon oxynitride layer.
US07824984B2
Disclosed is a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method can include forming a gate material layer on an inner surface of a trench which extends into a part of a semiconductor substrate by passing through an insulating layer formed on the semiconductor substrate, etching the gate material layer to an initial height in the trench above a top surface of the semiconductor substrate, etching the insulating layer such that the thickness of the insulating layer is reduced, forming a gate electrode in the trench by secondarily etching the etched gate material layer, and removing the insulating layer having the reduced thickness.
US07824981B2
A method comprises providing a first conductive region, arranging a second conductive region adjacent to and insulated from the first conductive region by a dielectric region, arranging a third region adjacent to and insulated from the second conductive region, and adjusting mechanical stress to at least one of the first conductive region and the second conductive region.
US07824975B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a gate spacer layer with a uniform thickness wherein a gate electrode layer pattern is formed on a substrate and ion implantation processes of respectively different doses are formed on side walls of the gate electrode layer patterns in respective first and second regions of the substrate. A first gate spacer layer is formed on the gate electrode layer pattern where the ion implantation process is performed. A second gate spacer layer is formed on the first gate spacer layer.
US07824968B2
First example embodiments comprise forming a stress layer over a MOS transistor (such as a LDMOS Tx) comprised of a channel and first, second and third junction regions. The stress layer creates a stress in the channel and the second junction region of the Tx. Second example embodiments comprises forming a MOS FET and at least a dummy gate over a substrate. The MOS is comprised of a gate, channel, source, drain and offset drain. At least one dummy gate is over the offset drain. A stress layer is formed over the MOS and the dummy gate. The stress layer and the dummy gate improve the stress in the channel and offset drain region.
US07824948B2
Provided is a method of fabricating an image sensor device. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a back side, forming a first isolation structure at the front side of the semiconductor substrate, thinning the semiconductor substrate from the back side, and forming a second isolation structure at the back side of the semiconductor substrate. The first and second isolation structures are shifted with respect to each other.
US07824947B2
A thin film solar cell including a Group IBIIIAVIA absorber layer on a defect free base including a stainless steel substrate is provided. The stainless steel substrate of the base is surface treated to remove the surface roughness such as protrusions that cause shunts. Before removing the protrusions, a thin protective ruthenium film is first deposited on the recessed surface portions of the substrate to protect these portions during the following protrusion removal. The protrusions on the surface receives very little or no ruthenium during the deposition. After the ruthenium film is formed, the protrusions are etched and removed by an etchant which only attacks the stainless steel but neutral to the ruthenium film. A contact layer is formed over the ruthenium layer and the exposed portions of the substrate to complete the base.
US07824946B1
The present invention is directed to structures and methods of fabricating electromechanical memory cells having nanotube crossbar elements. Such memory cells include a substrate having transistor with a contact that electrically contacts with the transistor. A first support layer is formed over the substrate with an opening that defines a lower chamber above the electrical contact. A nanotube crossbar element is arranged to span the lower chamber. A second support layer is formed with an opening that defines a top chamber above the lower chamber, the top chamber including an extension region that extends beyond an edge of the lower chamber to expose a portion of the top surface of the first support layer. A roof layer covers the top of the top chamber and includes an aperture that exposes a portion of the extension region of the top chamber and includes a plug that extends into the aperture in the roof layer to seal the top and bottom chambers. The memory cell further includes an electrode that overlies the crossbar element such that electrical signals can activate the electrode to attract or repel the crossbar element to set a memory state for the transistor.
US07824932B2
A technique is provided which can exactly recognize a chip to be picked up when picking up the chip from a wafer sheet in a process of die bonding a thin chip. A camera is coupled to one end of a lens barrel, an objective lens is attached to an opposite end of the lens barrel, and an image of a main surface of a chip is photographed through the objective lens. A surface-emitting lighting unit, a diffusing plate and a half mirror are internally provided between the lens barrel and the chip. Further, another lens barrel having a coaxial drop lighting function of radiating light to the main surface of the chip along the same optical axis as that of the camera is disposed.
US07824926B1
The present invention provides a new class of Raman-active reagents for use in biological and other applications, as well as methods and kits for their use and manufacture. Each reagent includes a Raman-active reporter molecule, a binding molecule, and a surface enhancing particle capable of causing surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The Raman-active reporter molecule and the binding molecule are affixed to the particle to give both a strong SERS signal and to provide biological functionality, i.e. antigen or drug recognition. The Raman-active reagents can function as an alternative to fluorescence-labeled reagents, with advantages in detection including signal stability, sensitivity, and the ability to simultaneously detect several biological materials. The Raman-active reagents also have a wide range of applications, especially in clinical fields (e.g., immunoassays, imaging, and drug screening).
US07824924B2
The invention relates to an analytical measuring and evaluation method for determining the interaction parameters between an analyte and a ligand, preferably in a biosensor. According to the inventive method, the concentration of the analyte is gradually changed at defined intervals ti and the initial association or dissociation rates or association and dissociation rate constants are determined. The invention further relates to a device for carrying out the inventive method.
US07824923B2
The invention relates to novel neuregulin-β isoforms associated with neuronal processes.
US07824921B1
A urine sample is taken by providing to the person a container having a removable cap with an initially unbroken elastomeric septum puncturable by a blunt tipped pipette and self-resealing following withdrawal of the pipette from the septum. The urine specimen is deposited in the container and the cap replaced. The container with the specimen is conveyed to a laboratory location for analysis where the septum is punctured by manually pressing the blunt tip of a plastic pipette against the septum with sufficient force to puncture through the septum and into the container with the tip. A sample of the urine specimen is drawn into the pipette and the pipette tip withdrawn to allow the septum to self-reseal, such that the urine specimen is sampled for analysis without reopening the container cap following replacement of the cap at the specimen collection site.
US07824920B2
This application relates to a process for controllably placing two or more microspots on a target substrate in close proximity to one another. The microspots may then be simultaneously irradiated and the resulting ions detected by mass spectrometry, such as time of flight mass spectrometry. In one embodiment the size and spacing of the microspots on the substrate may be controlled by using an electrodynamic balance during the deposition step. The deposition procedure ensures that at least some of the microspots are spaced-apart on the substrate a distance less than the focused output of a single laser. Simultaneous irradiation of the adjacent microspots may cause desorption plumes of the microspots to interact in a gas phase, such as by ion-molecule reactions. The microspots may be configured to improve the ionization yield of the sample material in the gas phase and/or to increase the frequency of ion-molecule collisions in the gas phase. This allows for desorption of particular classes of compounds to be optimized independently of ionization. Different microspots could include different amounts or types of matrix compounds to enable simultaneously detection of compounds of varied physical and chemical properties within the same sample. One or more of the microspots may include calibrants or other additives for improving detecting accuracy or quantitation. Organized array of closely packed microspots may be created for use as standard reference materials or analyte detectors.
US07824915B2
The invention provides a small-sized automatic analyzer being compact, enabling a large number of analysis items to be carried out, and having a high processing speed. The automatic analyzer is particularly suitably applied to a medical analyzer used for qualitative/quantitative analysis of living body samples, such as urine and blood. A plurality of sample dispensing mechanism s capable of being operated independently of each other are provided to suck a sample from any one of a plurality of sample suction positions and to discharge the sucked sample to any one of a plurality of positions on a reaction disk. The automatic analyzer having a high processing capability can be thus realized without increasing the system size.
US07824913B2
Cultured tissue constructs comprising cultured cells and endogenously produced extracellular matrix components without the requirement of exogenous matrix components or network support or scaffold members. Some tissue constructs of the invention are comprised of multiple cell layers or more than one cell type. The tissue constructs of the invention have morphological features and functions similar to tissues their cells are derived and their strength makes them easily handleable. Preferred cultured tissue constructs of the invention are prepared in defined media, that is, without the addition of chemically undefined components.
US07824907B2
The invention relates to an expression vector comprising the promoter of the mCMV-IE2 gene, or a functional expression promoting fragment thereof, and/or an enhancer of the mCMV-IE2 gene, or a functional expression enhancing fragment thereof, wherein expression vector does not contain any complete gene of the mCMV.
US07824906B2
The present invention is an anaerobic reactor and preferably a vertically oriented plug flow anaerobic reactor for producing methane from various organic materials. The organic materials preferably have a high organic content. The reactor includes cutting members for cutting bridged or agglomerated material within the reactor. The present invention also includes a process for producing methane from an organic feed stock by continuously charging an organic material into the top portion of a vertically oriented vessel and rotating one or more cutting members at a sufficiently slow rate so that the cutting members cut through bridged or agglomerated material but do not substantially mix contents within the reactor, anaerobically digesting the organic material under mesophilic or thermophilic conditions to produce methane while allowing the organic material to propagate downward through the vessel in a plug flow-like manner and collecting methane gas produced from the anaerobic digestion of the organic material.
US07824905B2
A biological reactor for growing a biological mass has a tank with an interior for growing the biological mass, a plate movable in a substantially vertical direction and an interior of the tank, and a valve means provided with the plate and configured so that in a lower position of the plate the valve means are open, so that during displacement of the plate upwardly and downwardly, a solution in the interior of the tank is thoroughly fixed, while an upper position of the plate, the valve means are closed and the plate during movement downwardly provides a collection of a concentrated solution to be removed from the tank.
US07824891B2
The invention relates to an improved method for producing D-pantothenic acid and/or salts thereof and to the use thereof as an additive for animal feed.
US07824885B2
The present invention is directed to the identification of a protease prodomain that is capable of binding a corresponding protease with high affinity. The protease prodomain of the present invention is fused to a second protein to form a protease prodomain fusion protein. The presence of a protease prodomain protein in a fusion protein allows for easy and selective purification of the second protein by incubation with the corresponding protease.
US07824880B2
The present invention provides assays for detecting ADP, GDP and inorganic phosphate. These assays can be used directly to detect the presence of ADP, GDP and inorganic phosphate or can be used as part of a number of methods for identifying candidate agents that bind to a target protein or serve as modulators of the biological activity of a target protein.
US07824862B2
The present invention relates to methods and compositions for analyzing nucleic acids. In particular, the present invention provides methods and compositions for the detection and characterization of nucleic acid sequences and sequence changes. The methods of the present invention permit the detection and/or identification of genetic polymorphism such as those associated with human disease and permit the identification of pathogens (e.g., viral and bacterial strain identification).
US07824851B2
The present invention discloses a method for the treatment of Flaviviridae infection that includes the administration of a 2′-branched nucleoside, or a pharmaceutically acceptable prodrug and/or salt thereof, to a human in need of therapy in combination or alternation with a drug that directly or indirectly induces a mutation in the viral genome at a location other than a mutation of a nucleotide that results in a change from seine to a different amino acid in the highly conserved consensus sequence, XRXSGXXXT (Sequence ID No. 63), of domain B of the RNA polymerase region, or is associated with such a mutation. The invention also includes a method to detect a mutant strain of Flaviviridae and a method for its treatment.
US07824836B2
A photosensitive composition contains: a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with actinic rays or radiation; a basic compound represented by the formula (I-a) as defined herein; a basic compound represented by the formula (I-b) as defined herein; and a surfactant represented by the formula (II) as defined herein.
US07824829B2
The present disclosure is directed to a method for monitoring focus of a photolithography system. The method comprises providing a substrate and depositing a photoresist layer on the substrate. At least one photomask is provided comprising one or more forbidden pitch photomask patterns formed thereon. The forbidden pitch patterns are imaged in the photoresist layer by exposing the photoresist layer to radiation through the at least one photomask. The imaged forbidden pitch patterns are developed in the photoresist. Focus error information regarding the imaging process can be determined using the developed forbidden pitch patterns.
US07824828B2
A method and system for dose correction of a particle beam writer is disclosed. The method and system includes reading a file of writing objects that includes dose intensity, calculating a rate of dose intensity change between adjacent writing objects, selecting a writing object that may need accuracy improvement of dose correction based on the rate of dose intensity change, and improving accuracy of the dose correction of the writing object that is selected and its adjacent objects.
US07824824B2
The formation of a lithographic mask (100) is disclosed, where the mask (100) can be used in forming integrated circuits onto a semiconductor substrate. A layer of etch stop material (106) is sandwiched between first (102) and second (108) layers of transmissive material that are substantially transparent to lithographic light. The layer of etch stop material (106) serves as an etch stop when a circuit pattern is etched into the second layer of transmissive material (108). This allows the second layer of etch stop material (108) to be etched to a more precise depth thereby providing a desired phase shift and concurrently controlling critical dimension width.
US07824823B2
This invention relates to a mask, a method of fabricating the same, and a method of fabricating organic electro-luminescence device using the same that is capable of minimizing a difference of a rigidity coefficient value of both an open part and a blocking part. The mask includes: an open part formed in a hole type to pass an organic material for forming a first organic layer on a substrate; and a blocking part having a plurality of grooves formed at other areas except for the open part.
US07824818B2
In a fuel cell stack that is made by stacking unit cells in alternation with separators, lower edges of collector members that are in contact with oxygen electrodes of the unit cells project downward, providing projecting portions that project below lower edges of frames. Water-repellent regions are provided on lower edges of the projecting portions, facilitating shedding of water from the projecting portions.
US07824816B2
Provided is a fuel cell system including: a fuel cell unit; a fuel cartridge; and a fuel actuator that is disposed between the fuel cartridge and the fuel cell unit, to control the fuel supply from the fuel cartridge to the fuel cell unit. The fuel cell unit comprises: a stack including unit cells oriented in parallel to one another; a phase change layer disposed adjacent to the stack and having a length perpendicular to the parallel orientation of the unit cells; a fuel diffusion layer disposed on the phase change layer.
US07824809B2
In a rechargeable non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using positive electrodes, negative electrodes and a non-aqueous electrolytic solution, additives to the electrolytic solution are used in combination, preferably in combination of at least two compounds selected from o-terphenyl, triphenylene, cyclohexylbenzene and biphenyl, and thus there are provided batteries excellent in safety and storage characteristics.
US07824808B2
The present invention relates to Lithium Metal batteries. In particular, it is related to lithium metal batteries containing a polyimide-based electrolyte. The present invention concerns a new concept of polyimide-based electrolytic component having an electrolyte comprising of at least one solvent and at least one alkali metal salt, with specific amounts of solvents, to optimize the properties of conductivity of the polyimide-based electrolyte and the mechanical properties of the polyimide-based electrolyte separator towards metallic lithium anode to prevent dendrites growths.
US07824807B2
A positive electrode material for lithium secondary battery having high electron conductivity even at very low temperatures and a lithium secondary battery with the use of the positive electrode material are provided. The positive electrode material for lithium secondary battery has secondary particles formed of primary particles made of lithium complex oxides composited with ultrathin carbon fibers having lengths equal to or smaller than the diameters of the secondary particles of the positive electrode active material. The ultrathin carbon fibers have opposite ends from which an electrolytic solution moves in and out.
US07824805B2
A battery cell in an implantable medical device is presented. The battery cell includes an anode, a cathode, an insulator therebetween, and an electrolyte. The cathode includes silver vanadium oxide and fluorinated carbon (CFx). The CFx includes fluorine at greater than or equal to 61 percentage (%) by weight.
US07824792B2
A battery cover assembly for a portable electronic device (100), the battery cover assembly includes a housing (10), a cover (10) and a locking mechanism (30). The cover defines a latching groove (242). The cover is hinged to the housing. The locking mechanism latches the cover to the housing. The locking mechanism includes a button (42) and a spring (44). The button slidably engages with the cover. The spring is disposed between the button and the cover, and the spring provides an elastic force to the button configured for allowing the button to lock with the latching groove.
US07824791B2
An electronic apparatus includes an outer housing; a battery storage compartment provided in the outer housing and having a height and a width and depth larger than the height; a cover for opening and closing an opening of the battery storage compartment; and a battery ejecting spring disposed in a deep portion of the battery storage compartment and for urging a battery being stored in the battery storage compartment along a direction of ejection of the battery from the opening. The battery ejecting spring includes a pivot shaft, an anchor shaft, and an urging shaft. The pivot shaft extends along the width direction. The anchor shaft stops the rotation of the one end portion of the pivot shaft. The urging shaft includes a tip end engaging with an end face of the battery, thereby to perform a pivotal movement about the pivot shaft working as a fulcrum.
US07824788B2
CCM formed of a membrane having on one of the two surfaces a first electrocatalytic layer containing a catalyst and on the other one a second electrocatalytic layer containing a catalyst, said electrocatalytic layers and said membrane containing (per)fluorinated ionomers, said CCM having the following characteristics: size variations, for both the orthogonal directions of the plane xy, lower than 15%, by dipping the CCM, after drying at 105° C. under vacuum for one hour in demineralized water at 100° C. for 30 minutes; the CCM remains substantially unchanged after having been subjected to treatments of 60 cycles by dipping in water at 80° C. for 8 hours and then in water at the temperature of 25° C. for 16 hours.
US07824775B2
An autogenously welded structure is provided that includes a first face sheet, a plurality of individual stiffener elements, and a second face sheet. The stiffener elements each have a first edge disposed against the first face sheet and an opposed second edge. Each stiffener element has a central portion extending between the opposed edges. The central portion is disposed at an angle to the first face sheet. The stiffener elements include at least some stiffener elements that are disposed at an angle to at least some of the other stiffener elements. The second face sheet is disposed against the second edges of the stiffener elements and the first and second face sheets are autogenously welded to the edges of the stiffener elements.
US07824772B2
A scratch resistant coated article is provided which is also resistant to attacks by at least some fluoride-based etchant(s) for at least a period of time. In certain example embodiments, an anti-etch layer(s) is provided on a glass substrate in order to protect the glass substrate from attacks by fluoride-based etchant(s), and an underlayer(s) deposited by flame pyrolysis may be provided under at least the anti-etch layer(s).
US07824768B2
Disclosed is a carbon fibrous structure which comprises a granular part and 2-20 pieces of carbon fibers each of which has an outside diameter of 15-100 nm and which are extend outwardly from the granular part, wherein the granular part is produced in a growth process of the carbon fibers, wherein the size of granular part is 1.3 or more of times larger than the outside diameter of the carbon fibers, and wherein the mean length of the carbon fibers is not more than 20 μm. The carbon fibrous structure improves the physical properties of the matrix, such as electric, mechanical, or thermal properties, while maintaining the other properties of the matrix, even when added at a small amount.
US07824767B2
The present invention provides a thin-film fluorescent material in which semiconductor nanoparticles in a stable condition maintain a high fluorescence quantum yield and can be held at a high concentration in a glass matrix. The present invention also provides optical devices using the thin-film fluorescent material, such as high-brightness displays and lighting systems. The present invention relates to a fluorescent material, in which semiconductor nanoparticles with a fluorescence quantum yield of 15% or more and a diameter of 2 to 5 nanometers are dispersed in a glass matrix at a concentration of 5×10−4 mol/l or more and a method for manufacturing the same.
US07824764B2
Described are antimicrobial strands comprising a) thermoplastic elastomer, b) polymer having a melting point of at least 10° C. below the melting point of the thermoplastic elastomer and c) halogenated phenol.These strands are notable for an excellent antimicrobial effect, which survives repeated washing.
US07824761B2
A metal structure capable of significantly increasing wavelength selectivity and polarization electivity for an incident light, and a production method thereof. First, a solid transparent substrate (glass substrate) (10) is cleaned and dried (S100). The surface of the substrate (10) is spin-coated with a positive electron lithography-use resist solution and then baked, and the resist solution is removed to form a resist thin film (20) on the substrate (10) (S200). A specified pattern is drawn on the resist thin film (20) with an electron beam, and the film is developed, rinsed and dried (S300). Then, metals such as chromium and then gold are formed sequentially on the substrate (10) by sputtering (S400). And, excessive resist materials are removed from the surface of the substrate (10) (S500), whereby metal nano-rod array (40) is completed. The metal nano-rod array (40) has a structure in which many metal nano-rods having their sizes precisely controlled are integrated on the substrate (10) at constant fine intervals and with their directions aligned in one axial direction.
US07824758B2
A filter for a display device and a method for fabricating the filter are provided. The filter includes a base including a transparent polymer resin and a color compensation colorant mixed in the transparent polymer resin, an external light blocking pattern formed at the base, and an electromagnetic wave blocking layer formed on the base.
US07824755B2
A coating composition comprising a fluorinated leveling agent and a film-forming organic polymer is described.
US07824751B2
A structural reinforcement system for a tubular member, comprising: a carbon fiber shell attached to the tubular member with adhesive, wherein the carbon fiber shell comprises a carbon fiber fabric sandwiched between non-carbon bidirectional fabric, wherein the carbon fiber fabric is largely unidirectional along the y-axis along the tubular member; a unidirectional or biaxial fiber reinforced polymer hoop or helical wrap connected to the carbon fiber shell, wherein the fibers of the hoop wrap are largely unidirectionally oriented in the hoop direction; and optionally a protective wrap or coating around the system is provided.
US07824749B2
A heat-sealable peelable multi-layer laminated polymeric film comprising a polymeric substrate layer having on one side thereof a polymeric heat-sealable peelable layer and having on the opposite side thereof a polymeric shrinkable layer, wherein said shrinkable layer has a degree of shrinkage in a first dimension of about 10-80% over the temperature range 55 to 100° C., a ratio of shrinkage at 100° C. said first dimension relative to a second, orthogonal dimension in the range of 1:1 to 10:1, and further comprising one or two intermediate layer(s) wherein an intermediate layer is disposed between the substrate layer and the shrinkable layer and/or between the substrate layer and the heat-sealable peelable layer, and one or more layer(s) of an electrically conductive material; and use thereof as packaging for ovenable meals or as a lid on an ovenable container wherein the packaging is self-peeling and self-venturing during a cooking cycle.
US07824742B2
Conveyor belt bodies having a plastic material or having an upper plastic layer that typically has an elasticity module of between approximately 200 and approximately 900 N/mm2 , the bodies being coated by means of a plasma coating, especially in a plasma produced by microwaves or high frequency, whereby conveyor belts with covering layers are obtained. The covering layer provides the conveyor belts, for example, with increased chemical or scratch resistance or reduces the abrasion thereof. Suitable monomers for the plasma coating are, for example, tetrafluorethylene, 1, 2-difluorethylene, acetylene or hexamethyldisiloxane.
US07824741B2
A method includes forming ionic clusters of carbon-containing molecules, which molecules have carbon-carbon sp2 bonds, and accelerating the clusters. A surface of a substrate is irradiated with the clusters. A material is formed on the surface using the carbon from the molecules. The material includes carbon and may optionally include hydrogen. The material may include graphene. The material may form a monolayer. The molecules may include one or more material selected from the group consisting of graphene, carbon allotropes, ethylene, and hydrocarbon molecules containing ethylenic moieties. A fused region may be formed in the substrate as an interface between the substrate and the material. The clusters may have diameters of at least 20 nanometer s and may be accelerated to an energy of at least 0.5 keV.
US07824736B2
A micro patch coating device includes a coating die with a micro channel structure. A coating fluid is supplied through a coating fluid inlet and an auxiliary fluid is supplied through an auxiliary fluid inlet. After a segment of a predetermined length of the coating fluid is formed at a two-phase fluid output section, the coating fluid flow is intercepted. In turn, a segment of predetermined length of the auxiliary fluid is formed at the two-phase fluid output section, and then the auxiliary fluid flow is intercepted. A two-phase fluid is formed and flows out of the coating die to the substrate to form micro patches thereon.
US07824732B2
A method of making encapsulated chromonic nanoparticles includes exposing crosslinked chromonic nanoparticles to an acid selected from the group consisting of carbonic acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, citric acid, boric acid, sulfuric acid, and mixtures thereof in the presence of water to encapsulate the crosslinked nanoparticles in a shell comprising a complex comprising the chromonic material, the multivalent cations, and the acid anions.
US07824717B2
The present invention relates to the use of licochalcone A for the treatment of rosacea.
US07824716B1
The herbal women's health formula includes a large variety of herbs that are useful in substantially reducing, if not altogether eliminating, a wide range of symptoms specifically related to women.
US07824712B2
Compositions, kits and methods for the prevention of, for example, spontaneous abortion, preeclampsia, preterm labor or implantation failure during assisted reproduction are provided. The compositions, kits and methods provide an effective amount of granulocyte colony stimulating factor to prevent, for example, spontaneous abortion, preeclampsia, preterm labor or implantation failure of an embryo.
US07824711B2
The present invention is directed to compositions having at least one neocartilage particle, juvenile cartilage particle or a combination thereof and a matrix, and methods and devices that include the compositions.
US07824710B2
Described is a new crystalline Form A of Andolast disodium salt, triclinic, displaying a thermal event at 98-112° C. and melting with decomposition at about 400° C. (DSC). Andolast disodium Form A is a not hygroscopic solid, surprisingly stable to several humidity conditions in a temperature range acceptable for ordinary storage conditions. In addition its stability allows both chemical manufacturing and pharmaceutical manufacturing process consistency and reproducibility under conditions more viable and less expensive when compared to those used for highly hygroscopic solids.
US07824708B2
Disclosed herein is a composition comprising a liposome, a cardiolipin, and at least one antioxidant, wherein the composition is useful for improving, maintaining, or restoring a mitochondrial membrane and/or mitochondrial function. In one example, the liposome is primarily composed of phosphatidylcholine, the cardiolipin is tetraoleoyl-cardiolipin, and the at least one antioxidant is methylgentisate, l-carnosine, or both. The composition may be topically administered, orally administered, or parenterally administered, for example administered by injection. If topically administered, the composition may be administered for example, as a cream, lotion, gel, paste, spray, tonic, or other suitable form and may contain various additives, for example, one or more of an emollient, a humectant, a penetration enhancer, a vitamin, a fragrance, a pigment, and a moisturizer.
US07824704B2
The invention provides retrievable devices for sustained delivery of bioactive agent to a site within a patient, the devices including a body member having a direction of extension, a longitudinal axis along the direction of extension, and a proximal end and a distal end, wherein at least a portion of the body member deviates from the direction of extension; a cap at the proximal end of the body member; and a polymeric coated composition in contact with a surface of the body member, the polymeric coated composition including a first polymer, a second polymer, and a bioactive agent.
US07824694B2
The present invention relates to methods for enhancing the therapeutic effects of a neurotoxin, e.g., a botulinum toxin, where the methods comprise a “wash-down” (e.g., a decreased intake) of a current pain medication and an administration of a neurotoxin. In some embodiments, the present inventions relates to methods for enhancing the therapeutic effects of a neurotoxin for treating pain, e.g., headache pain.
US07824687B2
The present invention provides novel clustered multi-antigenic constructs having the structure: and methods for the synthesis thereof. In still another aspect, the present invention provides methods for the treatment of cancer, preferably for the prevention of recurrence of cancer, and methods for inducing antibodies in a subject, comprising administering to a subject in need, an effective amount of any of the inventive constructs as disclosed herein, either in conjugated form or unconjugated and in combination with a suitable immunogenic carrier.
US07824680B2
The invention provides methods for detecting and inhibiting angiogenesis, endothelial cell adhesion, and endothelial cell migration using agents which inhibit the specific binding of integrin α4β1 to one or more of its ligands. The invention further provides methods for screening test compounds for their ability to inhibit angiogenesis, endothelial cell adhesion, or endothelial cell migration by employing agents which inhibit the specific binding of integrin α4β1 to one or more of its ligands. The invention additionally relates to methods for isolating endothelial progenitor cells which express integrin α4β1. The methods of the invention are useful in, for example, diagnosing and inhibiting pathological conditions that are associated with angiogenesis, endothelial cell adhesion, and/or endothelial cell migration. The invention's methods are also useful in isolating endothelial progenitor cells, and in determining the mechanisms that underlie angiogenesis, development, wound healing, and the function of the female reproductive system.
US07824675B2
The present invention relates to novel members of the Tumor Necrosis Factor family of receptors. The invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding a human TR2 receptor and two splice variants thereof. TR2 polypeptides are also provided as are vectors, host cells and recombinant methods for producing the same. The invention further relates to screening methods for identifying agonists and antagonists of TR2 receptor activity. Also provided are diagnostic methods for detecting disease states related to the aberrant expression of TR2 receptors. Further provided are therapeutic methods for treating disease states related to aberrant proliferation and differentiation of cells which express the TR2 receptors.
US07824671B2
The present invention relates to a composition for implantation in the subretinal space of an eye, the composition including amniotic membrane, which may be cryopreserved human amniotic membrane, and a plurality of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells or RPE equivalent cells present at the amniotic membrane. The amniotic membrane may be intact, epithelially denuded, or otherwise treated. The invention includes the use of amniotic membrane for the culturing of RPE cells thereon, forming a surgical graft for replacement of Bruch's membrane as a substrate, and for the transplanting of RPE cells to the subretinal space. The composition does not elicit immunological reactions to alloantigens or to RPE specific autoantigens; and exerts anti-inflammatory, and angiogentic, and anti-scarring effects. The invention includes methods and kits for making or using composites including amniotic membrane and RPE cells. Also disclosed is a device for harvesting RPE cells.
US07824668B2
The invention provides compositions for attracting stink bugs, which include at least one pheromone and at least one synergist. The synergist is a naturally-occurring phytochemical compound. The pheromone is preferably methyl (2E,4Z)-decadienoate, ethyl (2E,4Z)-decadienoate, methyl (2Z,4E)-decadienoate, or methyl (2E,4E)-decadienoate and the synergist is preferably geraniol. The invention also provides traps containing the composition for attracting stink bugs, and methods for attracting, capturing, killing or sterilizing stink bugs using the composition.
US07824665B2
The invention provides a quick-drying disinfectant gel for hands that spreads well in rubbing into hands, spreads easily over the hands, forms no scum, and is not sticky before and after drying. The disinfectant gel for hands of the invention contains 0.01 to 2.0 wt % of a maleic anhydride polymer, 0.01 to 5.0 wt % of polysaccharides, 40 to 95 wt % of a lower alcohol, and water, with the total being 100 wt %.
US07824663B2
The present invention provides a lip gloss composition having appropriate adhesion, spreadability, durability, practical properties such as gloss on the applied surface, storage stability, and safety to skin.A lip gloss composition, comprising (A) 20 to 60 parts by mass of polyglyceryl-2 dimer dilinoleate isostearate and/or hydrogenated polyisobutene; (B) 0.5 to 1.0 part by mass of a polamide resin with an amide terminal group and/or a polyamide resin with an ester terminal group; (C) 1.75 to 7.0 parts by mass of a dextrin ester of an aliphatic: (D) 20 to 55 parts by mass of at least one hydroxy compound selected from the group consisting of diisostearyl malate, polyglyceryl-2 diisostearate polyglyceryl-2 triisostearate, dipentaerythrityl diisostearate and dipentaerylthrityl trisostearate; and (E) 15 to 40 parts by mass of a liquid oil having a viscosity of 5 to 400 mPa·s at 25 degrees C., wherein a total amount of (A) to (E) is 100 parts by mass and the ratio by mass (C)/(B) is 3.5 to 7.0.
US07824655B2
In a process for producing a hydrogen-containing gas, a hydrocarbon feed gas and steam are introduced into a reaction vessel containing a complex metal oxide and steam-hydrocarbon reforming catalyst thereby forming a combustible gas mixture comprising hydrogen. A regeneration gas comprising greater than 0.1 volume % oxygen up to and including 2 volume % oxygen is introduced into the reaction vessel to displace at least a portion of the combustible gas mixture from the reaction vessel. Subsequently, additional regeneration gases may be introduced into the reaction vessel. Numerous means for providing various regeneration gases are presented.
US07824649B2
This apparatus and method facilitate the synthesis of a single-wall carbon nanotube array. The apparatus includes a reactor, a local heating device, a gaseous carbon supplier, and a reactant gas supplier. The reactor is configured for receiving a catalyst in a reaction zone thereof. The local heating device is configured for selectively heating the reaction zone and/or the catalyst received thereat. The gaseous carbon supplier is configured for introducing gaseous carbon into the reactor from an upstream position of the reaction zone. The reactant gas supplier is configured for introducing a reactant gas containing a carbon source gas into the reactor. A densely aligned, single-wall carbon nanotube array can be achieved due to the proximity to the catalyst of the heating device and due to the gaseous carbon supplier.
US07824645B2
A high density carbon material produced from coal is described. The carbon material may have a density ranging from about 1.0 g/cc to about 1.6 g/cc and may have a crush strength of up to about 20,000 psi. The high density carbon material is produced by slowly heating comminuted swelling bituminous coal particles under pressures of 400 psi to about 500 psi to a first temperature at about the initial plastic temperature of the coal. The material is held at this temperature for a period of time sufficient to provide for a uniform temperature throughout the coal. The material is then heated to a second temperature for a period of time sufficient to provide for the coal achieving an essentially uniform temperature. The resulting product is a three-dimensional, self-supporting carbon that has a substantially continuous carbon matrix defining grain boundaries within the carbon matrix. The characteristics of the carbon material may be altered by further heating to carbonize or graphitize the high density carbon material.
US07824637B2
Apparatus for treating a gas stream comprises a plurality of cylindrical proton conducting membranes. The gas stream is conveyed through the bore of each cylindrical membrane, and a hydrogen-containing gas is conveyed about the external surface of each cylindrical membrane. A catalyst provided on the inner side of each membrane catalyses a reaction between a halogen-containing component of the gas stream, such as CF4, adsorbed on the surface of the catalyst and protons conducted through the membrane.
US07824632B1
A dumpster disinfecting and deodorizing projectile may include a mobile external body, a disinfecting agent contained inside the external body, and a deodorizing agent contained inside the external body. The device may further include a mechanism for automatically releasing the disinfecting and deodorizing agents from the external body after the outer surface is separated to the disengaged particulates and thereby effectively eradicating bacteria and odor over an extended period of time in the existing dumpster. Such an automatic disinfecting agent and deodorizing agent releasing mechanism preferably includes a permeable absorbent pad contiguously lining an inner surface of the external body, and a hollow nucleus that has a cavity formed therein.
US07824630B2
A DNA probe synthesis system may include a target holder for holding a target chip, an ejector array chip, a wash and dry station, and conveyance means for moving the target holder and the chip between the ejector array chip and the wash and dry station. The ejector array chip may include ejectors, reservoirs for containing DNA bases, and microchannels all on the same substrate. The ejectors may be Self Focusing Acoustic Transducers (SFATs).
US07824624B2
A closed flow-through microplate is described herein that can be used to perform high-throughput kinetic flow-through assays to detect biomolecular interactions like material bindings, adsorptions etc. . . that is helpful for example with testing new drugs. A method for manufacturing the closed flow-through microplate is also described herein.
US07824610B2
Disclosed is a plasma treatment module-equipped sterilization apparatus which can easily sterilize thin, long lumens without the aid of boosters. The sterilization apparatus comprises a sterilization chamber, a sterilizing agent feeding line, hydrogen peroxide solution acting as a sterilizing agent, an injection heater, a mass flow controller, a vacuum pump, and an exhaust line. A plasma treatment module is provided on the exhaust line to decompose the hydrogen peroxide vapor exhausted from the sterilization chamber with plasma. Also, disclosed is the sterilization method using the plasma treatment module-equipped sterilization apparatus.
US07824602B2
The present invention relates to methods for the formation of ceramic bodies. Methods of the invention involve processing ceramic-forming compositions to form an integrally self-supporting or stabilized structure, which may then be sintered to give the full-density ceramic product. Methods of the invention may also involve densification of the ceramic body. In one set of embodiments, the volume of the integrally self-supporting structure is reduced by at least 20%. The present invention may produce ceramic bodies having greater strength and durability, since the ceramic-forming compositions may be low in viscosity and may be homogeneously blended, decreasing the possibility for defects.
US07824596B2
Method whereby coinjection molding shooting pot actuation structure is configured to be installed in a coinjection hot runner with a coinjection nozzle, the coinjection nozzle having at least two melt channels ending at the same gate. The shooting pot is preferably disposed in one of a mold cavity half and a mold core half. A shooting pot piston is configured to discharge a melt from the shooting pot. A transmission structure is configured to (i) extend through one of the mold cavity half and the mold core half, and (ii) to transmit a force to the shooting pot piston. Actuation structure is disposed on the opposite side of the mold cavity half from the coinjection hot runner, and is configured to provide the force to the transmission structure. This configuration conserves space in the mold.
US07824595B2
A system and method for insulating an outer surface of a fluid conduit is provided. A portion of the circumference of the outer surface of a conduit is surrounded in a film, thereby forming a generally annular pocket between the outer surface of the conduit and the inner surface of the film. Insulation is deposited into this pocket between the outer surface of the conduit and an inner surface of the film, molded to a substantially uniform radial thickness, and cured to form a cast molded conduit.
US07824593B2
A belt splicing apparatus includes: a mold including a cavity into which connecting end portions of a resin-made belt are inserted, opposing each other, to connect the end portions by using a bonding resin; a heating unit that heats a bonding resin to more than a flow starting temperature of the bonding resin; and a pressure maintaining unit. The pressure maintaining unit includes: a reservoir communicating with the cavity and maintaining the bonding resin in a fluid state; a pressure transmitting member that transmits pressure to the bonding resin in the fluid state; an urging unit that urges the pressure transmitting member; and an urging force adjusting unit that adjusts an urging force applied by the urging unit.
US07824592B2
A method for forming a bond between a first and a second shell of a blade is provided. The method comprises the steps of forming a cavity between said first and second blade shells and filling an adhesive into said cavity to form a bond line between said first and second blade shells.
US07824588B2
The invention relates to film products containing desired levels of active components and methods of their preparation. Desirably, the films disintegrate in water and may be formed by a controlled drying process, or other process that maintains the required uniformity of the film. Desirably, the films may be exposed to temperatures above that at which the active components typically degrade without concern for loss of the desired activity.
US07824584B2
A stamper manufacturing method comprises: forming a stamper body so as to have a concave/convex pattern on one surface and a crystalline structure on at least a side toward the other surface; forming a layer having an amorphous structure on the other surface side of the stamper body; and polishing a surface of the layer having the amorphous structure. A resin molded article manufacturing method includes an injection molding process using the stamper as a prototype so as to transfer the concave/convex pattern of the stamper to a resin material. A stamper comprises a stamper body which is formed so as to have a concave/convex pattern on one surface and have a crystalline structure on at least a side toward the other surface. In the stamper, a layer having an amorphous structure and a surface of which is polished is formed on the other surface side of the stamper body.
US07824577B2
The invention provides a polyaniline dopant which has small environmental load and from which an electrically conductive polyaniline having better processability on polyaniline can be obtained. A phenol derivative of lignin having a bis(aryl)propane unit in which a carbon atom on an ortho-position and/or a para-position relative to a phenolic hydroxy group of a phenol compound is bound to a carbon atom on a C1-position of an aryl propane unit of lignin is used as a polyaniline dopant. Since a phenol derivative of lignin is derived from a source that can be recycled, the dopant is a polyaniline dopant having small environmental load.
US07824569B2
Modifications to the extracellular polymeric substance, predominantly extracellular polysaccharide, of a biopolymer produced by Rhizobium tropici ATCC 49672 yield a stable dry salt transported more easily than a fluid or gel and more stable than either. The salt may be re-constituted with water on-site. Embodiments may be employed as a soil amendment for soil strengthening, reducing hydraulic conductivity, erosion control and dust control as well as a metal chelator for contaminant remediation. Based on comparison with dextran standards, an embodiment demonstrated a molecular weight over 511,000 D. Embodiments include a day salt that is precipitated from solution and in use is re-hydrated back to original form. When added to a sandy soil at 0.1% by dry weight, an embodiment decreased the hydraulic conductivity by three orders of magnitude. These properties make embodiments of the present invention an attractive, “green” alternative to petroleum-based synthetic polymers for such applications as rapid roadway construction and soil erosion prevention.
US07824568B2
A solution for forming a polishing slurry, the polishing slurry and related methods are disclosed. The solution for forming a polishing slurry may include 1H-benzotriazole (BTA) dissolved in an ionic surfactant such as a sodium alkyl sulfate solution, and perhaps a polyacrylic acid (PAA) solution. The solution can be filtered and used in a polishing slurry. This approach to solubilizing BTA results in a high BTA concentration in a polishing slurry without addition of foreign components to the slurry or increased safety hazard. In addition, the solution is easier to ship because it is very stable (e.g., can be frozen and thawed) and has less volume compared to conventional approaches. Further, the polishing slurry performance is vastly improved due to the removal of particles that can cause scratching.
US07824563B2
The present invention relates to a novel etching medium for the structuring of transparent, conductive layers, as are used, for example, in the production of liquid-crystal displays (LCDS) using flat-panel screens or of organic light-emitting displays (OLEDs) or in thin-film solar cells. Specifically, it relates to particle-free compositions by means of which fine structures can be etched selectively in oxidic, transparent and conductive layers without damaging or attacking adjacent areas. The novel liquid etching medium can advantageously be applied by means of printing processes to the oxidic, transparent, conductive layers to be structured. Subsequent heat treatment accelerates or initiates the etching process.
US07824562B2
A method of fabricating a bit patterned storage medium includes obtaining a substrate having a magnetic layer and forming a mask over the magnetic layer. The magnetic layer is etched through the mask using a reactive ion etch. The etch rate of the mask is reduced by introducing a gas into the reactive ion etch.
US07824551B2
Materials, compositions, substances and methods and systems for stormwater treatment in wet ponds, dry ponds and a green roof system. A first embodiment provides in-situ treatment unit within the retention pond by withdrawing the stored stormwater to circulate the stored stormwater into the in-situ treatment unit to sorb nitrogen from the stored stormwater. A second embodiment provides uses a riprap apron, a perforated riser located at the bottom of the riprap apron and a geotextile media encased in a sorption media jacket around the perforated riser. A third embodiment provides a green roof stormwater treatment system that includes protection for waterproofing and insulating the roof, a pollution control media layer for filtration and sorption of solids and dissolved materials found in stormwater, a growing media for growing vegetation, and a cistern to store the runoff stormwater between irrigation events. The green roof system includes recycling runoff stormwater by irrigating the green roof with the stored stormwater.
US07824545B2
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a fluid supply assembly fluidly connectable to a source of fluid is provided. The fluid supply assembly includes a housing (702); a hydraulic assembly (710) supported within the housing (702), wherein the hydraulic assembly (710) is configured and adapted to pressurize the fluid which is supplied to a solenoid shut-off valve (724); a tank assembly (714) supported within the housing (702) for retaining a quantity of pre-conditioned fluid therein; and a filter assembly (720) supported within the housing (702) and in fluid communication with the hydraulic assembly (710).
US07824538B2
The present invention relates to a process for purifying a recycle base solution waste stream of a composition comprising a quaternary ammonium hydroxide comprising the steps of (a) providing an electrolysis cell which comprises an anolyte compartment containing an anode, a catholyte compartment containing a cathode, and a cation-selective membrane separating the anolyte and catholyte compartments, (b) charging the recycle base solution waste stream comprising the quaternary ammonium hydroxide to be purified to the anolyte compartment and charging water, optionally containing a quaternary ammonium hydroxide, to the catholyte compartment, (c) passing a current through the electrolysis cell to produce a purified aqueous quaternary ammonium hydroxide solution in the catholyte compartment, (d) recovering the purified aqueous quaternary ammonium hydroxide solution from the catholyte compartment, (e) washing the anolyte compartment with a suitable solvent, and (f) repeating steps (b)-(e). The process is particularly suitable for improving the purity of an aqueous solution comprising tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide, which was used in the production of 4-aminodiphenylamine for a number of reaction cycles.
US07824529B2
A chip-carrier module known from smart card technology is adapted as an electrode array for use in disposable sensing or separation devices containing electrodes. The electrodes are manufactured directly onto chip-carrier module. The preferred electrode module includes a chip-carrier module and at least one electrode formed thereon, the chip-carrier module being a laminate of a metal foil and an insulator foil, which metal foil is divided into at least two conductor regions, the insulator foil having a perforation over each conductor region, and the at least one electrode being formed by a membrane layer applied to the insulating foil to extend through one of the perforations for electrical contact with the conductor region associated therewith, the membrane layer imparting chemical sensitivity to the electrode. The result is an electrode module for use in disposable sensing or separation devices containing electrodes, whose unit cost of manufacture is low even at modest manufacturing volume.
US07824528B2
An end-block for electrically energising a rotatable tubular target in a vacuum coating installation is disclosed. The end-block has a rotary electrical contact that reduces the joule heating effects when operating in alternating current mode. When compared to known end-blocks, this is achieved by increasing the number of contact areas between a contacting ring and a series of circumferentially mounted contacting shoes. Also the contact shoes are being pressed radially outwardly by means of resilient elements against the contacting ring.
US07824525B2
A processing solution tank of forming an agitating flow by flowing and circulating a processing solution in directions opposite to each other between the side of a liquid surface and the side of a tank bottom, in which a guide plate substantially of an arcuate shape is formed to an end of the tank situated at least to the downstream on the side of the liquid surface or the downstream on the side of the tank bottom in the agitating flow for reversing the flow downward to the tank bottom or upward to the liquid surface, and a swirl chamber having a swirl generating portion of a substantially arcuate face for capturing dusts is provided at the bottom of the tank, whereby high quality surface treatment, for example, electrodeposition coating can be conducted by uniformly stirring the processing solution so as not to cause backflow or turbulence in the processing solution tank while dipping a work on a conveyor in the processing solution.
US07824524B2
A highly protonated, supercharged, low pH, non-corrosive composition and process for making the composition wherein the composition has a milli-volt charge between 400 and 1400, a proton count between 8×10^≧and 14×10^≧, and a pH level at 1 part composition with 99 parts water between 0.9 and 1.8.
US07824522B2
An apparatus for the repair or maintenance of a papermaking headbox has two devices, one of which is used on the tending side and one of which is used on the drive side of the headbox. Each device has three parts, a lower bracket mounted to the headbox frame, an upper bracket mounted to the headbox slice beam, and a carriage which moves on a track formed on the lower bracket. The carriage is adjustably mounted to the upper bracket, and supports the slice beam which is attached to the upper bracket, and allows the slice beam to be precisely raised and lowered with respect to the headbox, so as to disconnect the slice beam from the headbox. Once separated, the slice beam is moved on the track, displacing it in the machine direction from the head box.
US07824518B2
In order to manufacture an ink-jet head, a head body and a reservoir unit are formed first. Then, UV-cured resin is applied on the lower surface of the reservoir unit. Then, the head body is placed on a plane of a jig so that the plane abuts against the ink discharge surface. Then, the reservoir unit is positioned with respect to the head body and the jig so that an ink reservoir of the reservoir unit and ink flow channels of a flow channel unit are brought into communication and the both ends in the longitudinal direction of a reservoir base plate and the upper surfaces of walls oppose to each other, and the reservoir unit is laminated on upper surface of the flow channel unit via the UV-cured resin. Subsequently, the UV-cured resin is cured in a state in which the lower surface of the reservoir base plate abuts against the upper surfaces of the walls.
US07824515B2
This invention provides a method for image formation, which can produce a thermally transferred image possessing excellent heat resistance and various fastness properties even under severe service conditions, and an intermediate transfer recording medium and an image formed object.
US07824479B2
An apparatus for sampling air in an aircraft cabin comprises: a sensor 2 for detecting air contaminants, a processor 4, a data logger 6, means 8 for detecting when the apparatus is airborne, a control unit 10, a manual trigger 12, at least one adsorbent tube 18, valves 14, 16 or other means for isolating the adsorbent tube from contamination and a pump 20 for drawing air through the adsorbent tube. An alternative apparatus uses a Tedlar® bag. Methods of sampling air and uses of the apparatus are also disclosed.
US07824476B2
A tunnel fan with an electrostatic filter is disclosed. The tunnel fan includes: a cylindrical shaped tunnel fan; and an electrostatic filter including a pipe assembly, the pipe assembly including a plurality of pipes arranged in parallel to form a cylindrical shape, each pipe having an electrostatic induction means for causing tiny dust to be collected by an induction voltage, wherein the electrostatic filter is coupled to a front or a rear of the tunnel fan.
US07824473B2
Disclosed herein are metal-organic frameworks of metals and boron rich ligands, such as carboranes and icosahedral boranes. Methods of synthesizing and using these materials in gas uptake are disclosed.
US07824469B2
A catalytic system (10) for fluid purification, the system (10) comprising: at least one photon source (2) to substantially break down at least two types of target molecules in the fluid to create short lived intermediates; and a ceramic core (5) including at least one type of micropore to adsorb the short lived intermediates for the propagation reactions and termination reactions of the short lived intermediates.
US07824466B2
Processes for the production of metal nanoparticles. In one aspect, the invention is to a process comprising the steps of mixing a heated first solution comprising a base and/or a reducing agent (e.g., a non-polyol reducing agent), a polyol, and a polymer of vinyl pyrrolidone with a second solution comprising a metal precursor that is capable of being reduced to a metal by the polyol. In another aspect, the invention is to a process that includes the steps of heating a powder of a polymer of vinyl pyrrolidone; forming a first solution comprising the powder and a polyol; and mixing the first solution with a second solution comprising a metal precursor capable of being reduced to a metal by the polyol.
US07824465B2
A method for producing a metal powder product involves: Providing a supply of a precursor metal powder; combining the precursor metal powder with a liquid to form a slurry; feeding the slurry into a pulsating stream of hot gas; and recovering the metal powder product.
US07824460B2
A filter assembly is disclosed herein the filter assembly comprising: a plurality of stackable elements each comprising a frame defining a perimeter surrounding a filter media disposed within the frame, the filter media being configured for use as a diesel particulate filter and capable of being regenerated at a temperature greater than 350 degrees Celsius, each frame being configured to have either a first feature on a first surface of the frame or a second feature on a second surface of the frame or both a first feature on a first surface of the frame and a second feature on a second surface of the frame, the first feature being configured to mate with the second feature; and the first surface of each of the plurality of stackable elements further comprises an inlet opening on one end of the frame configured to align with an inlet opening on the second surface of each of the plurality of stackable elements such that a plurality of openings are defined on only one side of the filter assembly, the plurality of openings providing fluid communication to the filter media.
US07824459B2
In a centrifugal separator for cleaning a gas containing liquid impurities, a stationary casing encloses a separation space having an inner wall surface. An inlet is provided. A rotating member is provided in the separation space downstream the inlet rotates in a direction of rotation around an axis of rotation. The rotating member brings the gas to rotation in the direction of rotation for separation of liquid impurities from the gas. A gas outlet is provided downstream the rotating member for discharge of the cleaned gas. A first liquid outlet is provided upstream the gas outlet and downstream the rotating member for discharge of separated liquid impurities and comprises an outlet hole. A surrounding ring groove extends outwardly from the inner wall surface in the stationary casing and has a surrounding bottom surface, wherein the outlet hole extends outwardly from the bottom surface.
US07824456B1
An extractor that may have a diffuser located a vacuum chamber to which a vacuum is applied by a vacuum pump. The diffuser has cavity and at least one diffuser aperture, and receives a mixture of waste cleaning liquid and aspirated air. The diffuser and the vacuum chamber separate the waste cleaning liquid from the aspirated air. A suction hose and pump may remove the separated waste cleaning liquid from the vacuum chamber.
US07824432B2
An anterior cervical plating system includes moveable plate segments to vary the overall length of the plate and allow and/or cause intersegmental compression of vertebral bodies. The plating system is capable of both passive and active dynamization and has the ability to produce the former from the latter.
US07824430B2
The present application discloses methods for treating a multi-level spinal deformity. The methods may include inserting a tether in a minimally-invasive manner through an entrance incision. The tether is moved along the spine and positioned to reduce and/or eliminate the deformity. Once the tether is positioned along the spine, the tether may be secured to the vertebral members. In one embodiment, the tether includes a rigid section and a flexible section. The tether may be positioned within the spine with the rigid section extending along a first length of the spine and the flexible section extending along a second length of the spine. The different sections provide different corrective forces to the spine to reduce and/or eliminate the spinal deformity. In one embodiment, the rigid section extends along an apex of the spinal deformity.
US07824428B2
The present invention relates a system to be used with an implanting tool having a tip part. The system has a longitudinal axis and comprises a polymeric screw (31) having a head (11) and an adapter between the screw (31) and the implanting tool. The adapter comprises a first part (32) which fits the tip part of the implanting tool. The first part comprises a first element and the system comprises a second element. The first element and the second element are connected to each other with a torque limiting junction having a first maximum torque when the screw is screwed in and a second maximum torque when the screw is screwed off. The shape of the first element and the second element is such that the second maximum torque of the torque limiting junction is greater than the first maximum torque, thus allowing the removal of the polymeric screw (31) from its position.
US07824425B2
An ambidextrous locking clamp system for providing a user the ability to alter the configuration of a hand operated device allowing a right or left handed user to operate the device. The device has a hingedly connected first and second elongated member each with a finger engaging member, a working head, and an indicator for identifying if the clamp is setup for left or right handed operation. At least two inter-engaging latching members are removably attachable to the first and the second elongated members. The latching members are symmetrical, interchangeable, and reversible, allowing a user to change the configuration of the ambidextrous device. The latching members can be retained to the elongated members by a rotatably lever, a removable retaining cap, or a removable retaining pin. Additionally, the latching members can be incorporated into removable finger engaging members, thereby allowing the entire finger engaging member and latching member to be removed, interchanged or reversed.
US07824422B2
The invention relates to a gastroplasty ring formed by a flexible band (2) which comprises a first end part (5) and a second end part (6) and which is intended to be closed around the stomach toward its two end parts by a closure system in order to reduce the diameter of the opening of the stoma by forming a loop, the band comprising an adjustable-volume annular compression chamber (3) connected, at the first end part, by an adjusting catheter (7) to a device for adjusting the internal pressure of said chamber, so as to adjust its diametral expansion, the ring comprising at least one grab tab (11, 12, 13) which projects toward the outside of the loop to make it easier for the two end parts to be brought together and parted.Gastric implant for treating obesity.
US07824419B2
A laparoscopic trocar and facial closure system. A trocar having a shaft member and a pointed tip, a telescoping cannular assembly having a pair of sleeve members, a needle receptor assembly having another sleeve member that is positioned over the shaft member, a needle actuation mechanism with a needle actuation rod having a handle, a needle assembly, and a needle release mechanism. Also, embodiments include a body member, a C-shaped portion, a pair of wings and a pivotal deployment mechanism for deploying the wings.
US07824416B2
A medical retrieval device, and related method, for removing material, such as calculi, from a patient's body. In one embodiment, the device includes a handle, a sheath, and a retrieval assembly located at the distal end of the retrieval device. The retrieval assembly includes a plurality of legs, each of which includes a lumen for receiving fluid. The legs are made of an expandable material that will allow the legs to inflate when the lumen receives a fluid. In another embodiment, the device includes a core element wound to form a helical coil. The helical coil has a lumen for receiving a fluid. The core element is made of an expandable material that allows it to inflate when the lumen within the helical coil receives a fluid.
US07824414B2
A system for repairing a vertebral disc defect, such as hernia or bulge, a full or partial tear in the annulus, or a weakened annulus wall as a result of an excision procedure. The system introduces a treatment device arranged to repair the defect, and may prevent the leakage of fluid from the nucleus. The components of the device may be resorbable materials, and may induce the ingrowth of cellular material into the components. The system may feature a locating device to ensure proper placement of the treatment device.
US07824411B2
An instrument for engaging a bone anchor may include a first implant engaging member having a proximal end and a distal end and a second implant engaging member having a proximal end and a distal end. The second implant engaging member may be pivotally connected to the first implant engaging member about a pivot point located proximate the distal ends of the first and second implant engaging members. Manipulation of the proximal ends of the first and second implant engaging member can cause each of the distal ends to rotate about the pivot point to engage at least a portion of a bone anchor. A rod adjusting tool may be connectable to the bone anchor engaging tool and may be axially adjustable relative to the bone anchor tool to adjust a spinal rod relative to the bone anchor.
US07824409B2
Methods for impaction grafting an intramedullary canal of a bone including a first canal portion and a second canal portion spaced along a canal axis. A first tamp may be moved axially within the canal to impaction graft the first canal portion. A second tamp may be mounted to the first tamp in axial sliding relationship and moved axially within the canal relative to the first tamp to impaction graft the second canal portion. The first and second tamps may be locked together in fixed axial relationship to prevent relative axial movement between the first tamp and the second tamp while the first tamp is moved to impaction graft the first canal portion before impaction grafting the first canal portion. The first and second tamps may be unlocked to permit relative axial sliding of the first and second tamps before impaction grafting the second canal portion.
US07824403B2
An ablating device has a cover which holds an interface material such as a gel. The cover contains the interface material during initial placement of the device. The ablating device may also have a removable tip or a membrane filled with fluid. In still another aspect, the ablating device may be submerged in liquid during operation.
US07824398B2
The present invention provides systems, apparatus and methods for selectively applying electrical energy to body tissue in order to, ablate, contract, coagulate, or otherwise modify a tissue or organ of a patient. An electrosurgical apparatus includes an electrode support bearing an active electrode in the form of a plasma blade or hook having an active edge and first and second blade sides. The active edge is adapted for severing a target tissue via localized molecular dissociation of tissue components. The first and second blade sides are adapted for engaging against, and coagulating, the severed tissue. s. A method of the present invention comprises positioning an electrosurgical probe adjacent to the target tissue so that a blade- or hook-like active electrode is brought into at least close proximity to the target tissue in the presence of an electrically conductive fluid. A high frequency voltage is applied between the active electrode and a return electrode to effect cool ablation or other modification of the target tissue. During application of the high frequency voltage, the electrosurgical apparatus may be translated, reciprocated, or otherwise manipulated such that the active edge is moved with respect to the tissue. The present invention volumetrically ablates or otherwise modifies the target tissue with minimal or no damage to surrounding, non-target tissue.
US07824396B2
A method for delivering electromagnetic radiation onto tissue to be ‘treated with the radiation includes delivering the radiation onto the tissue in a treatment-spot having a polygonal shape such as a rectangle or a hexagon. The polygonal shape is selected such that a region of the tissue to be treated’ can be completely covered by a plurality of such shapes essentially without overlapping the shapes. The radiation to be delivered is passed through a lightguide having a cross-section of the polygonal shape. Radiation exiting the lightguide is projected onto the tissue via a plurality of optical elements to provide the treatment-spot.
US07824382B2
A needle for medical uses, for example for inserting a dialysis membrane into human or animal tissue, wherein the needle has an end portion made of solid material and provided with at least two areas which intersect a longitudinal axis of the needle and each other whereby at least one line or point of intersection is formed between the at least two areas, the line or point of intersection in a needle region adjacent to the end portion.
US07824380B2
A gasket 7 used for a prefilled syringe 1 in which liquid 3 is filled, having a constriction 8 on its circumferential side face in contact with an inner surface of a syringe barrel 2 and having a bottom face 7c which is not in contact with the liquid 3 whose circumference is formed in a tapered shape.
US07824379B2
The present invention provides for an injection device including a syringe with a proximal end, a distal end, a needle extending from the distal end, and a plunger inserted into the proximal end. A guard is slidable on the syringe, has a proximal end, a distal end, and is biased from a first position wherein the needle is exposed towards a second position wherein the guard covers the needle. The injection device includes first and second sets of cooperating detents for retaining the guard and syringe in the first and second positions, respectively. A latch member extends proximally from the guard that is engageable by the plunger as the plunger is depressed to release the first set of cooperating detents. Upon release, a spring element biases the guard towards the second position until the second set of cooperating detents engage and secure the guard in the second position.
US07824378B2
A needle safety device is provided having a housing, a needle assembly movably mounted within the housing and a spring for biasing the needle assembly within the housing. The needle assembly is movable along a first axis and the spring is movable along the second axis different from the first. There is also provided a lens for enhancing visualization of the flow of fluid through the needle safety device. There is further provided a safety sheath for covering a needle of the needle assembly and restraining the needle assembly against movement due to the bias of the spring.
US07824367B2
A drainage catheter hub for use in connection with a drainage catheter to receive and secure a suture therein, wherein the hub includes: (i) a housing having a channel to accommodate the suture therein; (ii) a bistable locking mechanism positioned in the housing and being adapted to provide selective securement of the suture; and (iii) a resilient outer layer utilized in connection with the bistable locking mechanism and coupled to the housing. The bistable locking mechanism is configured to: (i) allow movement of the suture when the bistable locking mechanism is in a first position; and (ii) minimize axial movement of the suture when the bistable locking mechanism is in a second position. The resilient outer layer is adapted to allow a user to actuate the bistable locking mechanism between the first and second positions to selectively secure and release the suture.
US07824358B2
A heart assist device connection system comprises an inflow connector in fluid-tight communication with an inflow section of a heart assist device. The connector is configured to be releasably connected to an inlet extension inserted into a patient's ventricle. The connector has one or more recesses configured to match a protrusion on the inlet extension. The system also comprises an outflow connector in fluid communication with an outflow section of the heart assist device. The outflow connector is configured to be releasably connected to a conduit attached-to the patient's vasculature.
US07824350B2
A towel structure is configured with a plurality of energy bodies mounted on the surface of the towel to form a geometrical pattern with creation and artistry. Due to the energy bodies project from the surface, the energy bodies rub against the skin of the user when using to improve the blood circulation. Additional, the energy bodies mix with energy elements to promote the health of the user.
US07824333B2
The present invention relates to methods and systems for monitoring the effectiveness of diabetes treatment. Methods and systems in accordance with the present invention provide information relating to variability of glucose levels and hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Such information is based on time-stamped blood glucose data obtained from a meter or the like and actual measurements of HbA1c levels are not required.
US07824329B2
A control system for supplying fluid medium to an endoscopic apparatus which comprises an operation handle and an insertion tube provided with an insufflation channel, an irrigation channel and a suction channel extending therealong. The control system is provided with a system control unit with at least one source of a first fluid medium, with a source of a second fluid medium, with a source of vacuum and with a multifunctional connector for bringing the operation handle in fluid and electrical communication with the system control unit. The source of the first fluid medium and the source of the second fluid medium are simultaneously connectable to and disconnectable from the insufflation channel and the irrigation channel.
US07824326B2
The invention provides a surgical sling assembly for implanting in tissue to provide anatomical support in a patient. The surgical sling assembly includes a sling and a biocompatible casing enclosing at least a portion of the sling. The biocompatible casing is absorbed by the patient's tissues after the surgical sling assembly is positioned within the patient's tissue to provide anatomical support.
US07824325B2
The present invention provides an anatomically-compatible and physiologically-compatible in vivo device for improving diastolic function of either the left or right ventricle of the heart, comprising at least one air-impermeable sheet that is capable of being operatively connected to the external ventricular surface of the heart using one or more connecting elements, such that said at least one air-impermeable sheet is capable of creating a sub-atmospheric pressure within said closed empty space as a consequence of changes in the volume of said space during the course of the cardiac cycle, thereby exerting an outward and normally directed force on the external ventricular surface of the heart.
US07824323B2
In a blood flow controlling apparatus using a magnetic field for controlling blood flow within a living body, and methods therefor, the blood flow controlling apparatus includes a magnetic field applying unit for supplying the magnetic field and applying the magnetic field to the living body, a blood flow measuring unit for measuring a blood flow signal including information about blood flow, and a blood flow controlling unit for controlling the blood flow according to the measured blood flow signal.
US07824316B2
A punching bag is provided. The punching bag is positioned on a fixed pillar, and comprises a supporting frame, a foam layer, a force-bearing plate, and a punch pad. The supporting frame is attached and fastened to the fixed pillar. The foam layer is disposed on the supporting frame, and at least a sensing element is positioned on a surface of the foam layer for measuring an external punch force. The force-bearing plate is disposed on the foam layer and utilized for covering the foam layer, wherein at least an elastic element correspondingly attached to the at least a sensing element is positioned on an inner side of the force-bearing plate. The punch pad is utilized for covering and attaching to the force-bearing plate to bear the external punch force.
US07824315B2
An exercise apparatus includes a housing, a pair of pivoting foot treadles and a pair of reciprocating bellows that support the foot treadles. A sealed air system including a conduit interconnects the bellows and is operable for reciprocating transfer of air from bellow to bellow. Each of the foot treadles is pivotably movable between upper and lower positions, and has a resting position between the upper and lower positions. The resting position of the foot treadles defines a resting position of the bellows while the upper and lower positions of the foot treadles respectively define elongated and compressed positions of the bellows. In use, the elongated and compressed positions of the bellows are each no more than 5 degrees off the center resting position thereby reducing stress on the bellows.
US07824314B2
An exercise apparatus includes a frame for residing on a horizontal surface, a pair of arm-supporting members for supporting the user's arms and a pair of leg-supporting members for supporting the user's legs. A linkage assembly couples the arm-supporting members and leg-supporting members to the frame and moves the arm-supporting members and leg-supporting members in closed paths relative to the frame in response to user forces applied to the arm-supporting members and leg-supporting members. The linkage assembly includes actuators for adjusting dimensions of the closed paths in response to control signal inputs. Sensors mounted on the linkage assembly generate force-indicating signals representing one or more of the user force. A user interface receives and processes the force-indicating signals and supplies the control signal inputs to the actuators, wherein a dimension of at least one of the closed paths is a function of at least one of the forces applied to the leg and arm-supporting members.
US07824309B1
A method and apparatus for pacing human exercises includes a sequence of pre-recorded, repetitive humanly perceptible signals in which a first, accented signal pulse, such as the first beat in a four-four measure of musical time, establishes a repetitive rhythmic tempo to thus provide timing track signal for synchronizing various phases of an exercise. The rhythmic pulses, which are preferably provided by a percussion instrument such as a drum and accompanied by musical tones, are accompanied by instructions verbalized by an exercise trainer in synchronization with the timing track signal. The perceptible signals are preferably audible and are optionally accompanied by or replaced by visibly perceptible signals such as flashing lights.
US07824302B2
A transmission having gearsets (RS1-RS4), shafts (1-8) and shifting elements (A-E). A carrier of gearset (RS4) and an input shaft forming shaft (1), a carrier of gearset (RS3) and an output shaft form shaft (2), sun gears of gearsets (RS3, RS4) form shaft (3). A ring gear of gearset (RS1) forms shaft (4). Ring and sun gears respectively of gearsets (RS2, RS1) couple as shaft (5), a carrier of gearset (RS1) and a ring gear of gearset (RS3) form shaft (6), sun and ring gears respectively of gearsets (RS2, RS4) couple as shaft (7). A carrier of gearset (RS2) forms shaft (8). Located in the flow of power: elements (A, B) are respectively between shafts (3, 4) and a housing, element (C) between shafts (5, 1), element (D) between shafts (8, 2) or (8, 6) and element (E) between two of shafts (5, 7, 8).
US07824294B2
A vehicle comprises a drive source that drives the wheels via a transmission system. The transmission system has an epicyclic gearing with three rotational members a first rotational member connected to the drive source, a second rotational member connected to the wheels via a first reduction and a final reduction and a third rotational member connected to a brake. The brake constitutes reaction means for balancing torque. The transmission system also includes a transmission parallel to the epicyclic gearing and a transmission in series with the epicyclic gearing. Moreover, the transmission system has a lock-up clutch capable of connecting the first rotational member to the second rotational member. This transmission system enables shifting between various transmission ratios without torque interruption, using only one brake. The transmission in series with the epicyclic gearing can directly be connected to the load via the lock-up clutch or via the ‘braked ’ planetary set.
US07824293B2
A transmission includes a first gear, and a second gear is fixed to one end of a shaft with the second gear engaging the first gear. A bevel gear is rotatably supported on the shaft and engages a power input gear. A hub is fixed to the bevel gear for concentric rotation about the shaft; the hub having a splined outer section. A planetary gear set including a sun gear and a carrier are arranged concentrically about the splined outer section of the hub. A splined section is fixed to an opposite end of the shaft. A collar assembly includes first and second collars, each having internal teeth and external teeth. The first collar and the second collar are axially coupled together and independently rotatable relative to one another, and the collar assembly slidably engages the splined section and the splined outer section.
US07824289B2
The differential steering drive for a tracked vehicle includes a drive differential interconnecting the drive shafts for the tracks and a steering differential for superimposing additive and subtractive rotations to the tracks for steering and pivot turning. In the preferred embodiment for high speed tracked vehicles, the drive differential is an all-gear no-clutch type limited-slip differential, and the steering differential is an unlimited-slip differential. The differentials are arranged to provide no-slip track operation traveling in straight paths or when steering so long as at least one track has traction. In another embodiment for pivot-turning slow-moving off-road vehicles, both the drive differential and the steering differential are all-gear no-clutch type limited-slip differentials. Further, both embodiments preferably include an additional left-side and an additional right-side all-gear no-clutch type limited-slip differential for dividing the torque delivered to a respective pair of drive axles associated with each track.
US07824285B2
A bicycle rear derailleur includes a base member, a movable member movably coupled to the base member and a chain guide coupled to the movable member. The base member is configured to be mounted to a bicycle portion. The base member includes a metal plate that is a one-piece member forming a stroke adjustment mounting structure, an angular position adjustment mounting structure and an outer casing adjustment mounting structure.
US07824278B2
In order to solve a problem of a shift of a rebounding direction due to a contact of a golf ball and a ball contact surface of a putter face, while attaining an initial velocity, a striking touch, and a sense of distance, each of which are compared favorably to a metal face, a putter face is arranged including hexagonal posts (4) each made of material having a higher rigidity than a ball (7), the hexagonal posts (4) having a contact surface (41) which has contact with the ball (7), and impact-absorbing rings (5) made of material having a lower rigidity than that of the hexagonal posts (4), so as to elastically support the hexagonal posts (4) in a normal direction of the contact surfaces (41), wherein the plurality of hexagonal posts (4) are juxtaposed in an in-plane direction of the contact surfaces (41) and the contact surfaces (41) constitute a single surface when the ball (7) is not in contact with the contact surfaces (41).
US07824277B2
A golf club head is provided with a body that has an address position with a zero degree bounce portion on the sole and a center sole position with a multi-relief surface of the sole having a negative bounce portion. The negative bounce portion may comprise a negative 0.5 to a negative 4.0 degree surface. In one embodiment, the multi-relief surface may comprise the negative bounce portion and a cutaway portion extending to the back of the sole, which may have a depth of about 0.05 to 0.5 inch from a regular sole surface. In another embodiment, the golf club head includes a weight system to adjust the center of gravity. In one embodiment, the weight system is a tube having a weight at one end that may be inserted into the golf club head to move the center of gravity at least forward and backward within 6 mm and up and down within 6 mm. Preferably, the tube is angled downward toward the face by at least 3 degrees.
US07824276B2
A golf practicing apparatus is provided which includes a club with a latch member. A target is provided which is held by a mount. When the golf club is swung in a predetermined manner, the target is released from the mount and is connected with the golf club.
US07824268B2
A live-hosted multiplayer online gaming system includes a plurality of game clients, a game controller, and a live-operator input. The game controller includes logic to operate a live-hosted multiplayer online game, logic to couple the game controller to the plurality of game clients via a network, and logic to receive inputs from and to send outputs to the plurality of game clients. The live operator console further includes logic to couple the live operator input to the game server to enable communication between the live operator input and the game controller, logic to synchronize the live operator input to the current game state, and logic to send messages to the game controller that cause the game controller to create events that control at least in part the execution of the live hosted multiplayer online game.
US07824251B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for processing a carcass part of slaughtered poultry, which carcass part comprises at least part of a rib cage, meat which is naturally present on said rib cage, a neck opening, and a wing joint, the carcass part having an interior which method comprises the following steps: applying and fixing the carcass part to a product carrier, which product carrier is moveable and which product carrier engages the interior of the carcass part, moving a wing-joint positioning member via said neck opening into the interior of the carcass part, the wing-joint positioning member being provided with one or more wing-joint positioning surfaces, which are arranged in such a manner that, in a defined position of the first wishbone blade with respect to the carcass part, the wing-joint positioning surfaces hold said wing joint into a predetermined position, exerting an internal pressure on the carcass part, in such a manner that said one wing joint is supported in the predetermined position by a wing-joint positioning surface of the first wishbone blade.
US07824250B2
A magazine for storage rods for receiving sausage-shaped products, comprising one or a plurality of vertically extending shafts 2 in which the storage rods 3 are to be arranged one above the other, wherein a separation means is provided at the bottom end of the respective shafts 2, said separation means having retention devices 4, 5 which can be moved into the interior of the shaft for successive operating positions for releasing the bottommost storage rods 7.
US07824245B2
At least one wafer is suspended on a respective jig shaft above a polishing platen. The degree of parallelism between the wafer and the polishing platen is controlled using a three-point suspension, which allows for planar pitch adjustments using vertical actuation algorithms. As the wafer is lowered into contact against the polishing platen, a load cell senses how much of the weight of the jig shaft, wafer mount and wafer continues to be supported by the jig. The vertical displacement of the wafer is controlled using a linear actuator responsive to a signal from the load cell. Vertical actuation of the wafer serves to increase or decrease this amount of supported weight, in turn decreasing or increasing the amount of applied downforce exerted between the wafer and the platen. A compression spring is used to increase the resolution of the pressure control. Finally, system components exposed to the work environment are encapsulated by chemically resistive components to prevent corrosion of system components.
US07824239B2
A. rescue harness including an inflatable bladder coupled with the harness near a harness upper back portion. The inflatable bladder is held in a stored position on the harness. In one example, the inflatable bladder includes at least first and second folds in the stored position. The first fold is configured to direct inflation of the inflatable bladder along a first direction away from a harness neck area. The second fold is configured to direct inflation of the inflatable bladder along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The first and second folds are sized and shaped to direct inflation along the first direction and afterward direct inflation along the second direction. In another example, the rescue harness includes a deflector configured to direct the inflatable bladder away from the harness neck area during inflation and after inflation of the inflatable bladder.
US07824238B1
A self-setting marker buoy comprising a floatation unit (20), including a hollow upper member (22), a separable end cap closure lower member (36) with a line storage spool (38) having a uniquely shaped line-trapping element (52) on its lower flange (50), anchor line (44), and anchor (68). The upper member (22) can be tapered inwardly toward the top to allow multiple upper members (22) to nest together for storage. Lower members (36) can also stack together. The line-trapping element (52) is in the shape of a disk having alternating slots (54) and spokes (56) at the perimeter thereof. When tossed onto the water, the weight of the anchor (68) causes the floatation unit (20) to tilt sufficiently to allow the release of anchor line (44) as the anchor (68) descends to the bottom of the water body. When the anchor (68) reaches the bottom, ballast (62) in the lower member (36) rights the floatation unit (20), and the line-trapping element (52) comes into effect to prevent any further release of anchor line (44).
US07824229B1
An audio plug connector for mating with an audio jack connector, includes a main member of substantially cylindrical shape with a plurality of contacts exposed along an axis direction thereof. A subsidiary member is extended from a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the main member and defines at least one terminal groove at a side surface thereof. The terminal groove extends substantially parallel with the axis direction of the main member. A front end of the terminal groove is hooked into an inside of the subsidiary member to form a fixing cavity. At least one conductive terminal is received in the corresponding terminal groove with a rear end thereof extending out of a rear end of the terminal groove. A front end of the conductive terminal is bent rearward to form a hook portion hooked into the corresponding fixing cavity.
US07824226B1
An electrical terminal integrated with an insulating housing by means of insert molding includes a long and narrow base plate embedded in the insulating housing, a soldering portion extended from one end of the base plate and a contact portion connected with the other end of the base plate. The base plate defines at least one fixing hole passing therethrough at a portion thereof. Portions of two opposite sides of the base plate are recessed inward to form at least one pair of opposite openings. A pair of opposite buckling tabs is extended outwardly from inmost edges of the pair of opening, slanted and bent downward. During molding, the fluent plastic material flows into the fixing hole and the openings, the buckling tabs are buckled and embedded in the insulating housing.
US07824225B1
An electrical connector includes an insulating body and a row of terminals formed by cutting a metal sheet. The insulating body has a base board defining a row of terminal cavities. Each of the terminal cavities includes a fixing cavity. A plurality of exit cavities each is formed between two adjacent fixing cavities. The terminals are insert molded to the base board and have respective plate-shaped fixed portions spaced from each other. Each adjacent two fixed portions have two pairs of inner connecting arms protruded from the fixed portions towards each other and spaced with each other. The fixed portions and the inner connecting arms are embedded in the corresponding fixing cavities. Each adjacent two pairs of the inner connecting arms are formed by cutting out a middle part of an inner connecting portion which connects corresponding portions of each adjacent two fixed portions from the corresponding exit cavity.
US07824215B2
A coaxial connector with a connector body is provided with a connector body bore, an annular ramp surface proximate the cable end of the connector body and a connector body mounting surface proximate the cable end of the connector body. A back body is provided with a back body bore and a back body mounting surface proximate the connector end of the back body, the back body mounting surface dimensioned to couple with the connector body mounting surface via axial compression. A surface grip on an outer conductor section of the back body bore is dimensioned to grip an outer diameter of the outer conductor, whereby the outer conductor is retained within the back body bore during the axial compression. The surface grip may be applied, for example, as a helical burr or a grip ring with a gripping feature.
US07824214B2
A coupling nut for an electrical connector connectable to an electrical cable having an outer conductor surrounded by a jacket. The coupling nut formed as a cylindrical body with a bore extending between a cable end and a connector end. An annular wedge groove in the bore sidewall proximate the cable end with an angled wedge surface extending from the bore sidewall at a cable end side to a bottom diameter within the wedge groove. A snap ring retained in the wedge groove, an inner surface of the snap ring provided with a gripping feature.
US07824213B1
A cable connector is provided for connecting a cable to an electrical box. The cable connector has a body with an axial passage for receiving the cable where the body has a first end and a second end. The first end of the body is connected to the electrical box by a coupling member. Two spaced apart spring arms extend from the second end of the body and are angled inwardly to engage the cable and couple the cable to the connector. In one embodiment, the spring arms extend from a top portion of the body inwardly toward the axial center of the body. The first end of the connector includes a coupling tab for coupling to the electrical box and attaching the connector to the electrical box. In one embodiment, the coupling tab is formed with the front end of the body. In a second embodiment, the coupling tab is formed with the forward end of the coupling spring.
US07824207B2
A plug-in connector is provided that can be released easily and reliably from an assigned mating connector, and has increased lifetime. The plug-in connector includes a plug head and a sliding sleeve. The plug head has a hollow body with at least one cable connector, and at least two locks located on at least one surface of the body. The locks are connected by a bridge, and extend in a sliding direction. Each lock includes at least one free end. The sliding sleeve includes an opening to receive the plug head in a sliding direction and is movable in an axial direction relative to the plug head. An unlocking element is located on an inner side of the opening and positioned to contact the bridge of the plug head. The unlocking element pushes against the locks when the sliding sleeve moves in the sliding direction.
US07824184B2
An orthopedic simulator is provided with an integral central manifold that provides internal routing of pressurized hydraulic fluid, compressed air, or electrical power to the actuators of the orthopedic simulator. The integral manifold is structurally coupled to support elements and resist and transfer bending and shear forces to the support elements.
US07824173B2
First and second semi-finished molded articles and a third semi-finished molded article are molded simultaneously so as to have joint end faces by using a slide die, a fixed die, and first and second slide cores fitted to the fixed die. The slide die with the third semi-finished molded article remaining thereon is moved toward the first and second slide cores, and their respective joint end faces are registered. Heating surfaces are inserted between the joint end faces. After melting the joint end faces, the heating surfaces are retracted, and the molding device is closed to weld the joint end faces.
US07824172B2
A food portioning system to efficiently output portion food material, the system including a hopper, a mold plate, air knockout assembly, and air and hydraulic cylinders. Flowable food material is put into the hopper where it is pushed into the mold cavity of the mold plate. By the action of the air and hydraulic cylinders, the mold plate is driven to a knockout position where the air knockout assembly releases compressed air onto the mold cavity to knock out the portioned food from the mold cavity.
US07824171B2
An inflatable compaction tool for consolidating a composite material inside a faceted hollow or tubular mold for a composite part is made from an elastic material. The compaction tool includes relatively flat wall segments conjoined by corner segments that define a sealed chamber. The wall segments curve away from the mold surface toward the midpoint of each wall segment, so that as a pressurized fluid is introduced into the compaction tool, a component of the force exerted on the tool interior surface is transmitted through the wall segments toward the corner segments. Thus, during initial inflation, the corner segments are forced toward the corner regions of the mold before the wall segments contact the composite material, firmly compressing the composite material into the corner regions of the mold before the friction of the wall segments against the composite material inhibits expansion of the corner segments into the mold corner regions.
US07824168B2
A mold clamping apparatus for a die casting machine is provided. The apparatus can include a base, a fixed die plate standing fixedly on an end of an injection side of the base and defining a cavity therein, and a moving die plate arranged so as to proceed and retract on the base facing the fixed die plate and defining a cavity therein. A first versatile main mold can be disposed in the cavity of the fixed die plate and adapted to receive an insert die. Further, a second versatile main mold can be disposed in the cavity of the moving die plate and adapted to receive an insert die.
US07824167B2
A new clamping machine is disclosed, which can perform a straight-hydraulic mold clamping and a tie-bar drawing-out operation in a reduced working space, and enables a shortened mold exchanging time, by effecting retraction of a movable die plate and a tie-bar drawing-out operation simultaneously. In order to draw out tie bars 18 from a fixed die plate 10 only when molds are exchanged, annular pistons 36, which construct mold clamping cylinders in the fixed die plate, are provided. Abutting each piston, a pair of half nuts 48A, 48B are arranged and driven to engage with an engagement portion 18A provided at one end of each tie bar on the side of the fixed die plate, usually, other than during the drawing out operation. A relative position of each tie bar to the half nuts is set to be able to engage with the half nuts when a right end face of the tie bar contacts with the stopper plate 46. When pressure for clamping molds is increased during such engagement, the annular pistons are driven to transmit a force, for performing an initial operation, to the tie bars.
US07824165B2
Among other things, there is disclosed a system for curing a resin in a composite structure having one or more interconnected cure volumes, the cure volumes having one or more heatable surface zones. The system comprises a mould comprising a mould base portion adapted to support the composite structure and a mould closure portion adapted to overlie the mould base portion in sealable relation to define a mould chamber containing the composite structure within. The system further comprises a plurality of heating units each selectively positionable about the mould. The heating units transmit heat to the mould by radiation, and the mould heats the one or more surface zones of the cure volumes.
US07824163B2
An injection molding system includes a mold having a hot half and a cold half, the hot half including a hot runner. A bus transceiver is located in the mold. At least one electrical device associated with the operation of the mold is located in the mold and electrically coupled to the bus transceiver. A controller for controlling the mold is located outside the mold. A bus line electrically couples the controller to the bus transceiver of the electrical device apparatus includes an injection manifold having an inlet and a melt channel.
US07824162B2
A vacuum pump includes a rotor assembly mounted on a driven shaft, and a motor for rotating a drive shaft in forward and reverse directions. A drive member on the drive shaft engages a driven member on the driven shaft. Each member has first and second impact surfaces. The members are configured to permit at least one quarter of a revolution of the drive member relative to the driven member in either the forward or the reverse direction before one of the impact surfaces of the drive member impacts upon a corresponding impact surface of the driven member. This enables the drive member to acquire sufficient angular momentum before it impacts the driven member such that the amount of energy transferred to the driven shaft upon impact can be sufficient to free a pump that has become locked by process deposits.
US07824161B2
A centrifugal pumps secondary seal is disposed between the pump housing cover (130) in the seal chamber and includes a rotatable annular slinger (440) axially disposed on the pump motor shaft for slinging water away from the motor shaft and a flange protector (300) with a drain (400, 430) for diverting and directing free liquid from the seal chamber and outside the motor and pump housing (130, 230), thereby preventing corrosion of the seal chamber components, such as the motor flange (230), drive shaft and other motor components, due to exposure to water.
US07824152B2
A mounting arrangement (10) for a multivane segment (12) of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) composition positioned between outer and inner metallic rings (14, 16). Selected ones of the vanes (18a) of the multivane segment surround internal struts (24) joining the outer and inner rings. Spring members (26, 28) accommodate differential thermal growth between the multivane segment and the outer and inner rings, and a compliant material (30) seals against gas leakage around the segments.
US07824151B2
A turbine engine includes an engine housing enclosing: a centrifugal compressor having a rotor; at least one centrifugal compressor bore mounted to the rotor; at least one blade mounted to each of the at least one centrifugal bore and disposed proximate to at least one static wall; a turbine disposed in connection with the centrifugal compressor; a thrust bearing disposed in connection with the rotor; and means for moving said rotor with reference to the at least one static wall attached to the thrust bearing.
US07824138B2
A low elevational profile of each of a pair of first and second wheel chocks for restraining a current “low-drag” motor vehicle in a carrier, such as a railway car, is derived from each wheel chock having an internally webbed, elongated stepped-box body terminated with a relatively short rectangular box having its inner wall integrally formed with the stepped-box body. The body of the first chock is essentially a mirror-image of the second chock body. The low profile of a wheel chock allows each to be positioned under a vehicle the rocker panel of which has its lower edge only 148 mm (5.82 inches) above the surface upon which the vehicle's tire rests, so that the installed chock height is reduced to 47.6 mm (1.87″) under the components of the vehicle's body. The assembly may include a pair of “active” chocks; or, one active chock and one anchor chock. A single window in the upper portion of the stepped-box provides access for a strap of a wheel harness, which strap is wrapped around a torque tube in an active chock. The torque tube in one chock is rotatable in a direction opposite to that of the torque tube of the other chock. With a pair of active chocks, hooks on straps of a prior art harness are eliminated because it is difficult and time-consuming to manipulate a tire harness with its straps and hooks to secure the tire between the wheel chocks. When one chock is an anchor chock, one end of the strap is provided with a hook which is anchored to a rod or tube which is substituted for the rotatable torque tube.
US07824136B2
A power tool with a tool portion and at least one attachment. The tool portion has a tool body and a drill chuck. The drill chuck includes a rotatable spindle, a plurality of jaws that are coupled to the rotatable spindle and a cover that is disposed about the jaws and which is not coupled for rotation with the rotatable spindle. The attachment is coupled the cover of the drill chuck.
US07824118B2
A printer according to the present invention includes a sheet holder, a feed/print mechanism, an RFID reader/writer, and a flexible member including electrically conductive metal. The sheet holder holds a sheet of label paper wound into a roll. The sheet of label paper includes a mount and RFID labels stuck on the mount. Each of the labels includes an IC chip and an antenna connected to the chip. The feed/print mechanism for unwinds the held sheet of label paper, feeds the unwound sheet along the sheet path, and makes prints on the RFID labels of the sheet being fed. The RFID reader/writer writes information on the IC chips of the RFID labels of the sheet being fed along the sheet path. The flexible member extends over the antennas of the RFID labels of the held sheet of label paper and curves in contact with the outer periphery of the held sheet.
US07824113B2
A small form factor pluggable (SFP) optical transceiver module and method for performing optical communications are provided. The SFP optical transceiver module has a housing to which a duplex receptacle is secured. The duplex receptacle has a C-shaped opening, the upper and lower portions of which are defined by upper and lower flexible retaining elements for receiving and retaining a duplex optical connector therein. An electrical assembly of the module is secured within the transceiver module housing. The electrical assembly comprises a PCB, the back end of which is configured as a plug end for removably plugging the PCB into a receptacle of an external communications management system.
US07824102B2
A thermometer quick linkage apparatus comprises an elastic member, a button, a probe, and a chamber having one end provided with an opening for receiving the end portion of the probe, and the other end also provided with an opening for receiving the button. Within the chamber, one end of the elastic member connects with the button, and the other end thereof connects with the probe. The elastic member is configured such that, when the button is pressed to compress the elastic member to a certain degree, the end portion of the button comes into contact with the end portion of the probe, and when the button is pressed further down, the probe is pushed away from the chamber. The apparatus is simplified in structure, and allows quick replacement of the probe jacket, and therefore is cost-efficient.
US07824100B2
A temperature measurement device includes a first thermocouple mounted on a tubular body that is shielded from the effects of radiation by a radiation shield, and a second, unshielded thermocouple. A difference in the measured temperatures from the first and second thermocouples is compared with calculated temperatures using an iterative process to determine a corrected temperature of the gas stream that estimates and compensates for incident radiation.
US07824087B2
A headlamp adjuster includes an output shaft driven by a co-rotatable gear. Threads on the shaft engage splines in a thin wall boss, the splines having limited circumferential engagement with the screw. The thin wall boss deflects outwardly in response to forces that build in the engagement of the shaft and splines, to release driving engagement between the splines and the shaft.
US07824081B2
The disclosure herein describes a helicoidal system for securing a recessed light fixture assembly into an opening in a ceiling, wall or the like; the assembly comprises a light reflector having an upper collar and a light reflector support for mounting the light reflector into the opening of the ceiling, wall or the like. The light reflector support has an upper member that engages the upper part of the light reflector and has a helicoidal bearing surface to receive lugs provided on the light reflector whereby rotation of the light reflector, once received in the light reflector support, enables engagement in one rotational direction, and disengagement in an opposite rotational direction, of the light reflector to and from the reflector support.
US07824069B2
The present invention provides a light source module for using in a backlight module which includes a frame, a light source and a lid. The frame has two opposite side walls, and each of the side walls includes an inner side surface, a top surface and a cave. The cave has a first opening and a second opening connected with each other on the inner surface and the top surface respectively. Each of the inner surfaces is facing the other side wall, and the top surface intersects the inner surface with an angle. A light source has two opposite ends, and each of ends includes a positioning block. The positioning block engages with the cave through the second opening, and the light source extends along a first direction perpendicular to the inner surface, through the first opening and towards the opposite side wall of the frame. The lid covers the second opening and restricts the positioning block from moving relatively to the cave from the second opening.
US07824067B2
A reflector includes a first concave surface, a second concave surface and a third concave surface. The first concave surface has a first axis and a first opening to receive a first light source. The first concave surface is configured to reflect first light rays of the first light source from the first concave surface across the first axis and not to reflect second light rays of the first light source from the first concave surface. The second concave surface has a second axis and a second opening to receive a second light source. The second concave surface is configured to reflect first light rays of the second light source from the second concave surface across the second axis and not to reflect second light rays of the second light source from the second concave surface. The third concave surface translates along a substantially straight line to intersect the first concave surface and the second concave surface such that the first light rays of the first and second light sources contribute to an interior lighted portion of a lighted pathway that is defined by a combination of the first and second light rays of the first and second light sources.
US07824066B2
A prism member, a backlight assembly having the same, and a display device having the same, wherein the prism member includes a plate-type body portion having a thickness, and a plurality of unit light-concentrating portions formed on the body portion and arranged along a first direction and in a second direction crossing the first direction.
US07824065B2
A system and method for providing multi-functional lighting in a lighting system in an environment is disclosed. The system uses high-efficiency lighting elements for providing multi-functional lighting in the environment. The types and quantity of high-efficiency lighting elements is determined based upon information entered provided to the system by a user according to their functional desires for the environment. Among the functions provided to the environment include: lighting, bacteriological control, biological control, pest control, and pollution control. In one embodiment of the high-efficiency lighting elements are light emitting diodes (LEDs). In one embodiment of the multi-functional lighting system, the system further determines location of the lighting elements to be used within the environment based on the information provided by a user.
US07824062B2
An illuminative device, offers an optical device that is regulated by one hand and a LED circuit board that is sealed in waterproof and quick cooling structure. The illuminator, comprises a main body included a tube container for at least a battery and a narrow tube in the front end, a switch device set in rear end of the main body, which includes a battery cover, a screw thread portion for screwing to the main body, a switch board that sets a trigger on one end and a spring pole on the other end for a connection to the battery, and a elastic switch button that sets on the switch board, an emitting device included a LED circuit board and a tube base as a radiator, and a optical device included a sleeve with an inside circular stop flange at the rear end and an inside screw thread at the front end, a lens that holds at the front end of the sleeve, and a fastening ring with an outside screw thread for fixing the lens into the sleeve.In according assembly, the illuminative device can switch on/off the power by the switch device at the rear end, and regulates the optical device by one hand to project from a narrow to a wide light spot.
US07824060B2
A turbine generator having one or more wind turbines for generating energy and a series of plates located above and below each turbine for focusing and converging the wind inwardly. The plates are aerodynamically-designed to converge the wind onto the turbine and provide a strong wind current. The turbine generator is incorporated into a light fixture to provide self-sustaining light energy. Solar panels may be provided in conjunction with the turbine generator to provide an additional source of energy.
US07824058B2
In a wake-up apparatus for waking up a sleeper by light stimulus, it wakes the sleeper comfortably without feeling glare. A lighting device has a first lighting unit at a position that a light emitting face cannot be observed directly by the sleeper, and a second lighting unit at a position that a light emitting face can be observed directly by the sleeper. A control device activates the lighting device a predetermined time before a preset wake-up time so as to vary illuminance of light emitted from the lighting device in an order of low illuminance, middle illuminance and high illuminance, to light only the first lighting unit in a low illuminance condition and a middle illuminance condition, and to light both of the first lighting unit and the second lighting unit in a high illuminance condition, and quickly varies from the middle illuminance condition to the high illuminance condition.
US07824046B2
An emergency lighting system comprising a housing further comprising a flat cover, wherein the flat cover automatically opens during an emergency condition; a removable light source located inside the housing further comprising a rechargeable battery and a wide angle LED light bulb, wherein the removable light source remains off under a normal condition and the light source automatically turns on in response to an emergency condition. The emergency lighting system may further comprise a fixed light source for continuous illumination during an emergency condition. Furthermore, the emergency lighting system may further comprise an electrical outlet for use during normal conditions.
US07824042B2
A projector has a disassembling lock for preventing the lamp cover from being disassembled when the projector is secured to a ceiling. The disassembling lock includes a sleeve, a latching rod, a stop block, and a coil spring. The sleeve is secured in the projector and has a first sleeve portion and a second sleeve portion. The latching rod has a first rod portion, a second rod portion, and a flange formed between the first rod portion and the second rod portion, the flange is slidable inside the first sleeve portion. The stop block is fixed in a distal end of the first sleeve portion away from the second sleeve portion, the stop block defines a hole for the first rod portion sliding to the lamp cover. The coil spring is coiled around the first rod portion and held between the flange and the stop block.
US07824040B2
A light source assembly employed in a projector includes a light source, a power device, a light energy storage device, and a selection switch. The light source is configured for providing light beams for the projector. The selection switch is electrically connected to the light source, the light energy storage device and the power device and is configured for selecting one of the light energy storage device and the power device to provide power for the light source. The light energy storage device can absorb heat from the light source and convert the heat into electricity. Therefore, energy is saved and heat produced by the light source is reduced via the light energy storage device compared to the conventional light source assembly.
US07824039B2
There is provided a projector having a projecting unit, a projecting system which projects video onto a projection surface by use of the projecting unit, a projecting direction judgment system which judges a projecting direction of the projecting system, and a menu image generating system which generates a menu image, as video generated in the projector as the video to be projected by the projecting system, so that the menu image suits the projecting direction judged by the projecting direction judgment system.
US07824036B2
An ophthalmic ultrasonic measurement apparatus capable of narrowing differences in measurement results obtained by the apparatus which are made because of differences among examiners who operate the apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe arranged to be brought into contact with a cornea of an examinee's eye, a calculation unit arranged to obtain a measured value of a length from the cornea to a given section inside the eye based on an echo from the eye by an ultrasonic wave which is emitted from the probe, and a memory arranged to store information on examiners and adjustment information for narrowing differences in measured values of the length which are made because of differences among the examiners while the adjustment information is associated with the examiners' information, wherein the calculation unit corrects the obtained measured value using the stored adjustment information.
US07824035B2
An ophthalmic photographing apparatus comprising a photographing optical system for obtaining a regional image of an examinee's eye, comprising a light source, a focusing optical element movable in an optical-axis direction by a driving mechanism, and a photodetector, and a control unit controlling driving of the mechanism and obtain the image based on a signal from the photodetector, wherein the control unit further moves the optical element in predetermined steps/continuously to obtain the image at each position, calculates frequency distribution of luminance of each of the images to detect a change characteristic of luminance values having frequencies equal or exceeding a threshold value in the frequency distribution with respect to the optical element position, and detects a focus position of the optical element based on the change characteristics to move the optical element to a position corresponding to the detected focus position.
US07824029B2
The present invention relates to assembling identification documents in an over-the-counter issuing environment. In one implementation of the present invention, an ink jet printer-based assembling system is provided. An identification document substrate receives ink jet printed information. The printed substrate is laminated. In another implementation, a carrier web carries lamination pieces. Both the carrier web and the document substrate include form feed holes or other registration notches. The holes or notches are used to align the substrate with the lamination pieces, and to align a laminated document substrate for final cutting.
US07824017B2
An apparatus and method for controlling temperature profiles in ejection mechanisms is provided. A heater includes a first resistor segment having an electrical resistivity, a second resistor segment; and a coupling segment positioned between the first resistor segment and the second resistor segment. The coupling segment has an electrical resistivity, wherein the ratio of the resistivity of the coupling segment to the resistivity of the first resistor segment is substantially zero. Alternatively, the first resistor segment has an electrical conductivity and the coupling segment has an electrical conductivity, wherein the electrical conductivity of the coupling segment is greater than the electrical conductivity of the first resistor segment.
US07824014B2
The purpose of this invention is to provide a head substrate capable of increasing layout efficiency. To achieve this purpose, an ink supply channel is arranged, and a plurality of printing element arrays are arranged on at least one side of the ink supply channel, and a plurality of driving element arrays are arranged adjacent to the plurality of printing element arrays. A plurality of power supply pads and a plurality of ground pads are arranged in areas between the plurality of driving element arrays.
US07824012B2
An ink jet recording head includes: an actuator including: a plurality of energy generators; and a plurality of terminals arranged in arrays; and a wiring material superimposed on a surface of the actuator, and including a plurality of lands which are arranged in arrays; and a plurality of wiring patterns which are connected to the plurality of lands respectively and are led out in a lead out direction, wherein: lands of the plurality of lands in adjacent arrays are arranged staggered with respect to each other; a distance between at least two adjacent land arrays on a led out side is greater than a distance between adjacent ones of the other arrays of lands; and the wiring pattern has a bend portion, which extended at an angle to the led out direction, at a position between two adjacent discrete lands in the at least two adjacent land arrays.
US07824007B2
A liquid ejection device includes: a conveyance mechanism which conveys a recording medium in one direction; a plurality of liquid ejection heads each having an ejection face which has a plurality of ejection openings for ejecting liquid and faces the conveyance mechanism, the liquid ejection heads being arranged along the one direction; a plurality of wipers which respectively wipe the ejection faces; a holder which holds the wipers; a support which supports the holder; and a movement mechanism which moves the holder in a direction perpendicular to the one direction. The holder is displaceable in the one direction relative to the support. The holder has an intruder which intrudes into a gap between two liquid ejection heads adjacent to each other.
US07824004B2
A liquid discharging device includes a liquid discharging head and a maintenance-recovery mechanism. In the liquid discharging head, a row of discharge openings is formed on a discharge opening surface. In the maintenance-recovery mechanism, a blade wipes the discharge opening surface. A belt carries the blade in a direction of rotation along the row of discharge openings. A pressing member presses an inner circumferential surface of the belt to move a portion of the belt opposing the liquid discharging head toward the liquid discharging head to maintain a substantially constant gap between the blade and the discharge opening surface. The gap has a length in the direction of rotation of the belt not smaller than a length of the row of discharge openings and not greater than a length of the liquid discharging head.
US07823992B2
A drawer interlock mechanism includes at least two drawers, a fixture, a linking frame, locking members and guiding members. The drawers may be pulled in and out. The drawers are lined straight with each other. The fixture is disposed at one side the drawers, and is formed with slots corresponding in position and in number to the guiding members. The linking frame is disposed on the fixture. Each guiding member is secured to the side of each drawer. When one of the drawers is open, the guiding member of the open drawer will link the relative locking member to move the linking frame, which then links the other locking members. The guiding member of the open drawer triggers the relative locking member to lock the linking frame temporarily, and the other locking members block their relative guiding members so that the other drawers are unable to slide.
US07823960B2
Described is a cubby hole device for vehicles which includes a cubby hole, a first holder , a second holder , a lock and a carrier. The carrier is connected, on the one hand, to an outer frame, on the other hand, to one of the two holders. The cubby hole is connected to the other of the two holders. The first holder and the second holder are mounted rotatably against each other. The lock locks the first holder and the second holder against each other. The cubby hole is displaced against the outer frame by high pressure produced in particular by impact of a vehicle occupant on the cubby hole as a result of which the carrier is deformed plastically by the high pressure and/or the first holder is deformed plastically and/or the first holder is rotated against the second holder. This displacement of the cubby hole by only the constructional elements which are related to the cubby hole.
US07823941B2
A Bernoulli Effect pick-up device (1) for the handling of products (20) comprises a surface (4) adapted such that gaseous fluid flow across said surface (4) provides a pick-up force to be generated, by the Bernoulli Effect, in a direction towards said surface (4), and a conduit (2) for the supply of the gaseous fluid. The conduit (2) has an outlet opening (5) at the surface (4) and is adapted to supply gaseous fluid in a direction opposed to the pick-up direction. The outlet (5) of the conduit (2) is associated with a deflector (9) for directing gaseous fluid across the surface (4) and preventing direct impingement of the fluid on a product (2) that has been picked-up by the device (1). The product (20) may for example be a slice of a foodstuff, e.g. tomato or hard-boiled egg.
US07823936B2
A vending machine (10) is provided for storing items. The vending machine (10) includes a lock (18) to control access to the interior of the vending machine (10).
US07823931B2
A tubular threaded joint which has excellent resistance to compression and which permits easy tightening operation in the field in a vertical state comprises a pin having a male threaded zone and a box having a female threaded zone. The pin or the box has an end shoulder surface on its end, and the other member has a shoulder surface which abuts against the end shoulder surface. The screw threads of the male threaded zone and the female threaded zone are trapezoidal threads having a crest, a load flank, and a stabbing flank. The lip length, which is the distance in the axial direction of a member having an end shoulder surface between the end shoulder surface and the closest engaged thread to that surface, is at least 140 times the stabbing flank clearance, which is the distance in the axial direction between the stabbing flanks of the male thread and the female thread when the load flanks of the male and female threads contact each other. The stabbing flank of the male thread is preferably chamfered.
US07823929B2
The present invention relates to a radial rotary transmission leadthrough with a rotating shaft which has at least two substantially axially running channels (4, 4′) which have radial transition openings (5) open to the periphery of the shaft, and with at least one guide bush (2, 2a) tightly surrounding the shaft (1) in the area of the transition openings (5) which has at least one radial feed bore each (6) for every one of the channels (4, 4′) to be connected via the bush (2, 2a), wherein the different channels (4, 4′) have their radial transition openings (5) at different axial positions of the shaft (1). In order to create a radial rotary transmission leadthrough of the type named at the outset which has a small axial length and by which, despite small friction, the leakage rates can be reduced and accordingly the risk of the shaft jamming in the bush can be minimized, it is proposed according to the invention that the rotary transmission leadthrough has at least two bushes (2, 2a) which encompass the shaft (1) for the connection with different channels (4, 4′) at axially different positions, and which are housed independently of each other in a common bush holder (10), wherein at least one of the bushes has several radial feed bores (6, 6a, 6′).
US07823923B2
A method of establishing belt pullout in an occupant restraint system for vehicles with a safety belt includes the steps: detecting the vehicle acceleration, and establishing the belt pullout in dependence on the detected vehicle acceleration.
US07823915B2
In an occupant restraining device having a bag whose opposite ends are fixed to a seat pan, an inflated state of a gas chamber of the bag is specified. Both ends of a bag 12 in a left-right direction thereof are provided with stationary sections 12a and 12a that are fixed to a seat pan 8. The stationary sections 12a and 12a have therebetween a gas chamber 15 that is inflated as a result of gas entering from an inflator 13. Regarding the bag 12, a value of L2/L1, which is the ratio between a maximum width L2 of the gas chamber 15 in the left-right direction and a distance L1 between bolt through-holes 12b and 12b in the respective stationary sections 12a and 12a, is within a range of 0.6 to 0.9. Moreover, a value of L3/L2, which is the ratio between a maximum width L3 of the gas chamber 15 in a front-back direction and L2, is within a range of 0.4 to 0.85. Furthermore, a value of L1/L3, which is the ratio between L1 and L3, is less than or equal to 2.1.
US07823900B2
A retractable peg system for a motorcycle including a bracket operatively attachable the motorcycle and a peg rotatably coupled to the bracket and rotatable between a retracted safe storage orientation and an extended use orientation. In the extended orientation, the peg is disposed such that a rider may rest a foot on the peg while seated. The retractable peg system further includes a biasing member to substantially maintain the orientation of the peg in its presently retracted or extended orientation absent application of an external force acting on the peg. The components of the retractable peg system may be configured to provide a visually integrated appearance in relation to the motorcycle.
US07823888B2
A gasket having a cross sectional shape longer than it is wide and is prevented from falling over and buckling. The gasket is installed in an installation groove formed in either of two opposite surfaces and having a cross sectional shape that is longer in the depth direction of the groove than it is wide. The gasket has a meandering section meandering in the width direction of the installation groove and also has a rib provided projecting from the inner periphery and/or the outer periphery of the meandering section.
US07823876B2
A sheet feeding device includes a sheet accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet stack. A sheet carrying plate carries the sheet stack and has an upstream end supported in the sheet accommodating portion for rotation. A pickup roller contacts an upper face of the sheet stack and dispatches an uppermost sheet. An elevator displaces the sheet carrying plate between a feeding position where the upper face of the sheet stack contacts the pickup roller and a separating position where the upper face of the sheet stack is separated from the pickup roller. A first warm air mechanism blows warm air toward a side of the sheet stack in the sheet accommodating portion, the side being parallel to the sheet feeding direction. A controller controls the elevator so that the sheet carrying plate is displaced between the feeding position and the separating position during a warm air blowing operation.
US07823875B2
There is provided a sheet feeding device in which a sheet is discriminated at preliminary loosening before feeding, and is set to be controlled according to the type of the sheet by a simple configuration without requiring a special configuration. In the sheet feeding device in which air is blown onto a sheet stack, and a sheet floating at the uppermost level by the blowing is absorbed and conveyed, a sheet type is discriminated, based on a moving amount of the tray, at preliminary loosening before sheet feeding after setting the sheet in a tray.
US07823863B2
A spare tire hoist may be provided. A retention cable may be used to retain a spare tire against a surface of a motor vehicle. A tensioning spring may be used to tension the retention cable when the spare tire is in a storage position. A wheel plate engages the spare tire and cooperates with the retention cable and the tensioning spring to maintain the spare tire in the storage position. The wheel plate may include an insert portion that engages a center aperture of a wheel rim of the spare tire. A flange portion that substantially surrounds the insert portion and engages a peripheral surface of the wheel rim may also be provided. A reinforcement ring may be included in the wheel plate, substantially coextensive with the insert portion and extending within a substantially hollow region of the flange portion. The reinforcement ring may provide mechanical reinforcement to the wheel plate.
US07823856B2
An apparatus for displaying cards and papers in the workplace includes a central shaft portion having a pair of ends, with each end including a generally semicircular ring portion adapted to capture the slots of one or more cards. The central shaft portion may be releasably captured in a channel of a universal mount or a single- or double swing arm portion. Removal of the shaft portion from the channel permits the shaft portion to be split open along a break, thereby opening the rings along breaks in the manner of a split-ring binder. Alternatively, the shaft portion may be used alone (without a mount or swing arms) to hold a quantity of cards. The swing arms may be hinged upon a base portion and attached to the chassis or peripheral surface surrounding a computer video monitor, so that the swing arms and shaft portion can swing forward and around to fit the user's viewing preferences. When affixed to a monitor, the semicircular rings facilitate easy installation and flipping of slotted cards and/or papers.
US07823843B2
The invention relates to a surgical armrest, comprising an arm support and a carrying structure for the arm support. The carrying structure has a base and at least one pivot arm which at one end is articulated on the base so as to pivot about an at least approximately horizontal pivot axis and at the other end is connected to the arm support, such that a pivoting of the at least one pivot arm about the pivot axis causes a height adjustment of the arm support. The at least one pivot arm is assigned a control mechanism which alternately permits a fixing and pivoting of the at least one pivot arm in the downward direction and in the upward direction. The control mechanism has at least one bar which is movable, at least in its longitudinal direction, upon pivoting of the at least one pivot arm. The bar interacts with a freewheel coupling comprising a first coupling element and a second coupling element, wherein the first coupling element is driven by the bar and is freely movable relative to the second coupling element upon an upward movement of the at least one pivot arm, and, upon a downward movement of the at least one pivot arm, drives the second coupling element along with it, the second coupling element being braked by means of at least one brake element.
US07823842B2
An apparatus for determining the direction of travel of an electrically driven model train through a model railroad track layout having track segments with rails of opposite polarity is disclosed. A diode and transistor are operatively coupled to at least one rail of a powered track segment, such that passage of an electrically driven model train over the powered track segment in a first direction enables a flow of electrical current through the transistor to a signal or control circuit, while passage of the electrically driven model train over the powered track segment in a second direction does not. The polarity of the rails is determined by a circuit driven by a control circuit attached to an adjacent track segment.
US07823840B2
Coanda Effect and lift produced along a surface of an airfoil are increased by ducting compressed fluid from the engine to the surface of the airfoil. An engine produces exhaust gases that are predominantly directed toward an aft end of the aircraft by a cowling or other structure as an exhaust plume. One or more internal ducts extend from the engine to the surface of the airfoil to thereby transmit a compressed fluid from the engine to the surface in order to suppress flow separation along the surface, thereby causing the engine exhaust flow to remain attached to the surface over a wider span. Such structures and techniques may find particular use in aircraft designed to exploit upper surface blowing (USB) techniques and structures for short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance.
US07823838B1
An aircraft has a wing 10 supporting at its underside a gas turbine engine 13. A jet pipe 14 of the engine has an exhaust nozzle 15 of rectangular flow area defined by upper and lower panels 16,17 and end walls 18. The upper panel, which is a part common to the nozzle and to a trailing edge portion of the wing, comprises a pair of flaps 20,21 which are pivotal between a position of alignment with the wing 10 and a position in which they are inclined to the wing. A part of the gas flowing through the jet pipe is diverted through a passage 25 into a passage 26 defined between the flaps 20,21 so as to entrain and accelerate air 26A flowing over the wing 10. This increases the lift of the wing at the rear thereof and also increases the thrust developed at the nozzle 15. This in turn helps to compensate for a nose-up moment on the aircraft arising from the thrust 13D2 of the engine passing forward of the centre of gravity 9A of the aircraft.
US07823835B2
A door pod assembly includes a housing that defines a cavity for emergency equipment, a pod door, and a latch retaining the pod door in a closed position relative to the housing. The assembly is configured such that the latches, upon activation free the release door thereby exposing the emergency equipment and allowing it to be deployed. The door pod assembly maybe coupled to an interior surface of a baggage compartment door and is configured so that the baggage compartment may continue to be used for its originally intended purpose.
US07823818B2
A system and a method for producing a quantified defined portions of powder from at least one biological material at cryotemperature is shown, comprising means for grinding the biological material deposited in at least one first vessel to the powder; means for loosening the powder resulting from grinding the biological material in the first vessel; means for positioning at least one first opening in the first vessel, and means for transferring the quantified defined portions of powder in a plurality of second vessels by using the first opening as a transfer way.
US07823806B2
A connector part (3) for connecting a material supply device (10) to a spray gun (20) that includes a hollow cylindrical connection piece (5); a threaded wedge element (8) with a lower starting point (8a) and an upper end (8b) running around the outer circumference of connection piece (5) and serving to produce a threaded wedge connection to a counter-element (15) arranged on gun base (19) of spray gun (20); and a stop element (14) that forms a limit stop during the production of the threaded wedge connection. In order to prevent the counter-element on the spray gun from digging into the soft connection pipe made of plastic and removing plastic chips there, it is provided in the connector part according to the invention that stop element (14) is arranged at a distance in the circumferential direction from upper end (8b) of threaded wedge element (8), whereby a gap (11) is formed between stop element (14) and upper end (8b) of the threaded wedge element. In additional embodiments of the invention it is provided that the inclination of threaded wedge element (8) runs more steeply at lower starting point (8a) than in the other area, or that threaded wedge element (8) has a smaller cross section in the axial direction at lower starting point (8a) or at upper end (8b) than in its central area.
US07823805B2
A spray gun capable of mixing detergent includes a detergent tube having a water guiding tube passing through its upper cover, an interior tube fixedly connected to its bottom having a horizontal water inlet communicating with the detergent tube; a separate tube fixedly put between the interior tube and the adjustment tube for connection, an upper end of the separate tube connected to the water guiding tube, an inside of the separate tube partitioned by a partition wall to form an upper tube hole and a lower tube hole, an upper end of the upper tube hole having a detergent guiding inlet, a bottom of the upper tube hole having a water guiding inlet, the lower tube hole connected to a water source, an upper end of the lower tube hole having a water outlet; and an adjustment tube having an upper extension tube for putting the interior tub.
US07823795B2
A system, method and program product that utilizes flat pattern based L3GO elaboration in a hierarchical environment to create a nested conventional layout. A system is provide for processing a glyph layout to generate shapes for use in a VLSI (very large scale integrated circuit) design process, including: a hierarchical pattern search system that matches patterns from a pattern library to a set of glyph data, wherein the patterns have dependencies that cross hierarchical design boundaries; and a target shape generation system that selects patterns from a set of matching patterns and generates associated shapes.
US07823788B2
An anti-fake identification (14) includes a light-emitting layer (144) and a pattern layer (142). The light-emitting layer includes ultraviolet radiation photo initiator. The pattern layer has some through holes defined therein so as to form a pattern. Under ultraviolet radiation, the light-emitting layer emits light and the light passes through the pattern layer so as to show a pattern.
US07823782B2
A dental optical coherence tomography apparatus for measuring tissue in a stomatognathic region of a living body or an artificial composition in the stomatognathic region as a measured object includes: a variable wavelength light source (15); a light splitting portion (19) that splits light-source light emitted from the variable wavelength light source (15) into reference light (29) and measuring light (28); an interference portion (19) that causes the measuring light (28) and the reference light (29) to interfere with each other, thereby generating interference light; a photodetection portion (41) that measures the interference light; and an arithmetic portion (27b) that generates an image of a measured object (22) by Fourier transforming or inverse Fourier transforming the intensity of the interference light, whose wavelength changes with time, that has been detected by the photodetection portion for each of the wavelengths. Accordingly, an optical coherence tomography apparatus applicable to dental measurement can be provided.
US07823778B1
A system for inventory scanning includes scanning devices for scanning information representing inventory items to produce input data for uploading to an inventory management system over a radio-access network, such as a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless network. A scanner adapter, such as a web service adapter, is coupled to the inventory management system for transferring the input data from the scanning devices to the inventory management system. The adapter also receives control information from the inventory management system for delivery to the scanning devices. The control information is transferred to the scanning devices to manage inventory operations performed by the scanning devices, for example, operations that may be performed by and/or data that may be accessed by an identified individual user.
US07823777B2
A method of making a transaction card comprising cutting a first sheet of metal to create a card body, cutting a second sheet of metal to create a back panel, applying an adhesive to said back panel and bonding said back panel to said card body.
US07823767B2
A system method for determining whether a location on a patient's body is available for an attachment is provided. A patient identifier is received and the patient's electronic medical record is accessed. An interactive graphical representation of at least a portion of a human body is displayed. A selection of a location of the patient's body from the interactive graphical human body representation is received and it is determined whether the location is available for an attachment.
US07823760B2
The present disclosure provides for a surgical instrument which includes a housing and an endoscopic portion extending distally from the housing and defining a first longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument also includes an end effector disposed adjacent a distal portion of the endoscopic portion. The end effector includes an anvil assembly and a cartridge assembly. The anvil assembly is pivotally coupled to the cartridge assembly to be movable from a first actuation position to at least one other second actuation position. The surgical instrument further includes a firing rod having a shaft defining a second longitudinal axis, the shaft having a cam member which is in mechanical cooperation with the anvil assembly and is configured to move the anvil assembly from the first actuation position to the at least one other second actuation position upon rotation of the firing rod about the second longitudinal axis.
US07823759B2
This invention provides a spring powered stapler comprising a power spring having a front and a rear end, the rear end of the power spring being limited from moving frontward, a middle section between the front and rear end of the power spring being bent down while the front and rear end of the power spring maintaining in upper positions for storing energy in the power spring, and the front end of the power spring moving rearward as a result of the middle section of the power spring being bent down, and a lock plate, while not moving, holding up the front end of the power spring before the rearward movement of the front end of the power spring exceeding a predetermined distance and releasing the front end of the power spring after the rearward movement of the front end of the power spring exceeding the predetermined distance.
US07823756B2
A container using a flexible membrane integrated into the throat or egress passageway of a bottle. The membrane forms a portion of the passageway's sidewall. The membrane flexes inward when an external force is applied causing the inner walls of the passageway to frictionally mate together and restrict the flow of a fluid or non-fluid through the passageway and flexes outward when the force is removed allowing the inner walls of the passageway to move away from one another and allow the flow of the fluid through the passageway.
US07823754B1
A saw blade lubricating apparatus has a barrel with an outlet at one end thereof, a drive cooperative with the barrel for extruding wax outwardly of the outlet of the barrel, a dispenser block connected by a conduit to the barrel and having a wax inlet and a wax outlet, and a valve positioned in or on the dispenser block. The valve is selectively movable between a first position allowing wax flow between the wax inlet and the wax outlet and a second position blocking wax flow between the wax inlet and the wax outlet. A saw blade can be positioned adjacent to the wax outlet of the dispenser block.
US07823750B2
This invention is a vending machine and components parts that include a sophisticated product retrieval and delivery system. Following product selection, the positioning system quickly transports a retrieval device to the front of a tray queue where a product container is retrieved. The positioning system transports the gripper carrying the product container to a delivery port. The product is released and slides down a specially designed chute into a specially designed delivery bucket that is then tilted outward for customer pick up. Sensors associated with the bucket detect the delivery and removal of the product container. Related methods are also disclosed.
US07823746B1
A container for carry out heated food items, such as rotisserie chicken, has a base which is connected to a lid by a mating peripheral closure which defines a liquid tight seal. The closure has an encircling inclined wall on the base, which helps to direct the lid into engagement with the base, and which also defines a cavity within the closure which can retain liquid. The base may be provided with two fold up straps which are retained by structure in the lid to lie generally flat to serve as a convenient carrying handle above the lid. The base has rib structure allowing it to distend downwardly when loaded with food to space the heated food from the customer's hand while engaged with the handle.
US07823744B2
A storage container for water-endangering liquids comprises a leakage detection and restraint system. The storage container provides a container that allows for a short-notice alarm system and that minimizes the collection volume, that is to ensure that the water-endangering liquid spreads as little as possible, as well as to reduce construction and maintenance costs. The storage container is characterized by the following features: a gutter (4) surrounding the tank (13) that is directly contiguous with the outer wall (2) of the storage container and that collects leaked liquid, at least one gutter outlet (14), at least one liquid collection container (6), and at least one detection system (12) for the water-endangering liquids. The gutter outlet (14) is adapted to guide the liquid collected in the gutter (4) to the liquid collection container (6) that is provided with the detection system (12).
US07823735B2
A handle rack includes a frame having first and second side edges and front and rear crossbars. A plurality of bar extend between portions of the frame. A handle cross-member is disposed rearwardly of the front crossbar and has a first end secured to the first side edge of the frame and a second end secured to the second side edge of the frame. At least one strengthening bar is provided which has a first portion coupled to the front crossbar and a second portion coupled to the handle cross-member.
US07823734B2
A product management display system for merchandising product on a shelf includes using a trackless pusher mechanism that travels along a surface on which product is placed. The pusher mechanism of the invention also includes a pusher paddle and a floor that extends forward of the pusher paddle. A flat coiled spring or other biasing element may be operatively connected behind the pusher paddle and extend across the floor of the pusher mechanism and to the front of the shelf. In use, the product to be merchandised may be placed on the coiled spring and on the floor of the pusher mechanism. With this configuration, the pusher paddle is prevented from tipping or bending backwards during operation. The invention may be used with the merchandising of product on horizontal or non-inclined shelves or surfaces, as well as with gravity-fed systems, or systems that use gravity as a mechanism to urge product toward the front of the shelf.
US07823733B2
An article display tray is provided with a movement guide device, wherein cylindrical articles can move more smoothly in a communication portion of the article display tray, via which the pair of storage chambers are communicatively connected to each other, and further wherein an increase in size of the article display tray can be avoided. A pair of left-right force-applied portions and an arraying guide surface positioned between the pair of force-applied portions are formed on a rocking member positioned inside the rear-end communication portion of an article display tray. When one of the pair of force-applied portions is pushed rearward by a cylindrical article that is placed in one of a pair of left-right storage chambers, the other force-applied portion pushes forward a cylindrical article that is placed in the other storage chamber. When the aforementioned one cylindrical article that pushes the aforementioned one force-applied portion rearward comes into engagement with the arraying guide surface after pushing the aforementioned one force-applied portion rearward, the arraying guide surface returns the rocking member to a neutral position where the pair of left-right storage rooms are aligned in a leftward/rightward direction.
US07823731B2
A cigarette package, in some embodiments, can comprise a tray, a cover coupled to the tray, and a cigarette holder secured to the tray and adapted to move between a first position substantially inside the tray and a second position substantially outside the tray. In some embodiments, a cigarette package can comprise a tray, a cover adapted to slide on the tray between a closed position and an open position, and a cigarette holder coupled to a first wall of the tray and adapted to move between a first position and a second position as the cover slides on the tray. In some embodiments, a consumer can operate a cigarette package of the present application with one hand to dispense at least one cigarette.
US07823727B2
A system for assisting in communication of the state of a patient's condition is disclosed. In an embodiment, a plastic container of washcloths includes two labels. The first label is mounted on the container and occludes an entry into the container. The second label also is mounted on the container via attachment to the first label. The second label includes a template that is mounted face down. In operation, the second label may be removed and observations regarding the patient's skin condition that are made during use of the washcloth can be marked on the template provided on the second label. The second label then may be communicated from one care provider to another care provider.
US07823720B2
A belt transport device includes: a drive roller which is driven by a power source; a driven roller which is held in a rotatable manner; an endless belt which is wound on the drive roller and the driven roller; a band-like detecting section which is arranged on the endless belt in a circumferential direction of the endless belt; a sensor which detects the band-like detecting section; a displacement unit which displaces a relative positional relationship between the band-like detecting section and the sensor in a width direction of the endless belt.
US07823717B2
A rotary conveyor (1) utilized in equipment (1a) for filling containers (2) with liquid or powder products includes a supporting shaft (8) aligned on a longitudinal axis (X) and coupled to relative drive components (10) associated with the shaft (8), by which the shaft is set in rotation about the axis (X). A support element (11) is keyed to the shaft (8), presenting a peripheral rim (12) with a plurality of slots (13) each designed to accommodate a container (2) transferred from a transport and/or processing device (3) forming part of the equipment (1a). The slots (13) incorporate restraining components (14) having grippers (15) movable between a position of engagement, in which the containers (2) are locked to the support element (11), and a position of disengagement in which no restraining force is applied to the containers (2).
US07823716B2
A product stabilizing conveyor system for a continuous, segmented lane curvilinear conveyor having linear and curvilinear sections. The conveyor is configured to transport small products, e.g. 0.46 diameter glass vials, in circular fashion. Wedged-shaped diverter elements are positioned at the juncture between a linear section and curvilinear section of the conveyor, after the registry and outfeed area. The diverter elements serve to direct the minute vials away from the larger interstices which form on the outbound paths of travel of the curvilinear section and towards the smaller sized interstices on the inboard paths of travel. Diverting the vials in this manner ensures they do not cross over the edges of the larger sized interstices and fall over onto the conveyor surface. Instead they remain upright as they travel around the curvilinear section and hence around the entire conveyor.
US07823707B2
A guide device for an elevator car has a guide shoe that is displaceable by a linear guide that is arranged on the elevator car. Should the elevator car in an extreme situation travel beyond the uppermost floor, the guide shoe is arrested by a projecting console, and the elevator car travels past the console. The linear guide permits the guide shoe to execute a movement relative to the elevator car. Thus, the elevator car, or parts thereof, utilizes the hoistway headroom that is provided for the drive unit or other hoistway equipment. The counterweight can be provided with the displaceable guide shoe for utilizing the hoistway pit in a similar manner.
US07823705B2
An elevator apparatus is equipped with an elevator component that is operated during operation of an elevator, a detector for measuring a change in a physical quantity other than temperature as to the elevator component, and a control device for controlling the operation of the elevator based on information from the detector. The elevator component is, for example, a hoisting machine for moving a car of the elevator. The hoisting machine has a motor, and a driving sheave that is rotated by the motor. The detector measures a strain of a frame of the motor as the physical quantity other than temperature. The control device determines based on the strain of the frame of the motor whether or not there is an abnormality in the operation of the elevator, and controls the operation of the elevator. It is therefore possible to determine easily and more reliably whether or not there is an abnormality in the operation of the elevator, without the need to directly measure the temperature of the motor (6).
US07823704B2
In an image monitoring apparatus for an elevator, an image recording unit records an image in a car photographed by a camera, and monitors, based on the image in the car, whether or not there is a violent behavior of a passenger in the car. The image recording unit makes a recording density of the image in the car higher than usual when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected. The operation control unit homes the car to a predetermined floor when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected by the image recording unit.
US07823698B2
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for raising and lowering a three-stage forklift mast assembly having a reduced overall lowered height. A first linkage system on the outer and middle masts creates a 2:1 movement ratio of the middle mast with respect to movement of a piston arm in the first linkage system. A second linkage system on the middle and inner masts creates a 2:1 movement ratio of the inner mast with respect to the movement of the middle mast and an overall 4:1 movement ratio with respect to the movement of the piston arm in the first linkage system. A third linkage system on the inner mast creates a 2:1 movement ratio of a set of forks on the inner mast with respect to the movement of a piston arm in the third linkage system, allowing free lift of the forks.
US07823695B2
The present invention relates to a seal system for plastic moldings and to the use of the seal system in the engine fluid sector.
US07823694B2
A motorized, climbing tree stand ideal for hunting has a rigid elongated, track constructed from multiple, axially aligned sections attached to a tree trunk. A carriage supporting a seat and footrest is coupled to a shuttle assembly that engages the track. The shuttle assembly mounts a battery-powered motor and a motor-driven gear that engages a toothed rack on the elongated track, moving the carriage vertically upwardly or downwardly in response to motor operation. A hand switch controls a reversing relay to control motor direction. Each track section comprises a rigid, elongated flange with an elongated, tubular sleeve terminating in a reduced diameter coupling tube that coaxially mates with the base of the sleeve in the neighboring section. Alignment rods near the upper ends of each sleeve reinforce the assembly. Adjustable, L-brackets contact the tree for bracing. Track flanges are slidably constrained between suitable rollers secured to shuttle side walls.
US07823684B2
A power unit for a motorcycle includes an internal combustion engine having a crankcase rotatably supporting a crankshaft with an axis located on a split face between an upper case half body and a lower case half body and a continuously variable transmission having a belt. Two types of respective different oils for an internal combustion engine and for a continuously variable transmission are used while the rigidity of the crankcase is enhanced. A crankcase is provided with a partition wall that separates between a crank chamber housing a crankshaft and a continuously variable transmission chamber housing a continuously variable transmission. An axial line of the crankshaft and respective axial lines of the drive pulley and the driven pulley are each located at a corresponding one of apexes of an imaginary triangle on a view projected on a plane perpendicular to the axial line of the crankshaft.
US07823681B2
An interlock system using biometrics scans to identify in real-time an individual who seeks to operate a mechanical device, such as an automobile. Biometrics features that uniquely identify an individual are selected. If a real-time biometrics scan of the individual does not match a stored image of an authorized operator, the interlock system will lock the mechanical device to prevent operation. The interlock system may be used in conjunction with a breath alcohol analyzer to determine impairment. If the biometrics testing indicates that the individual is required to be tested for impairment, the mechanical device will not operate until the testing is completed. If the biometrics testing automatically indicates that the operator of the mechanical apparatus and the individual exhaling into the breath alcohol analyzer component of the ignition interlock is not the same person, the ignition system of the mechanical apparatus, which operates in conjunction with the ignition interlock of the present invention, provides a programmable software option to prevent the apparatus from starting. If the test indicates that the individual is impaired the interlock system will lock the mechanical device to prevent operation.
US07823676B2
The present invention provides, in connection with a coaxial two-wheeled inverted pendulum type moving vehicle, a technique which allows sudden braking without making a vehicle body to tilt significantly backward. The coaxial two-wheeled inverted pendulum type moving vehicle of the present invention comprises a pair of wheels, a chassis for supporting the pair of wheels coaxially and rotatably, wheel actuators for rotating the wheels with respect to the chassis, a vehicle body supported by the chassis, and an inverted pendulum control unit for controlling the wheel actuators so as to maintain the balanced state of the chassis. In this moving vehicle, the vehicle body is shiftable supported by the chassis in a manner that the vehicle body may shift in a direction parallel to the moving direction of the moving vehicle with respect to the chassis. The traveling body further comprises an attitude actuator for shifting the vehicle body along the moving direction of the moving vehicle with respect to the chassis, and a braking attitude control unit for controlling the attitude actuator so as to shift the vehicle body to a direction opposite to the moving direction of the moving vehicle with respect to the chassis when braking is commenced while the moving vehicle is in motion.
US07823666B2
A drawbar unit for a drawbar governed floor conveyor, in which a drawbar head is coupled to a vertical steering shaft, which optionally co-operates with a swiveling angle transmitter for an electronic steeling of the floor conveyor, wherein the steering shaft can be rotatably and axially fixedly mounted in a stationary bearing arrangement of the floor conveyor, wherein the drawbar head is connected to the upper end of a longitudinal guiding member, on which an upper portion of the steering shaft is axially guided, a lever is pivotably mounted on the guiding member, which engages with one arm into an axis parallel guiding channel on the steeling shaft such that a rotary union is produced, and an adjustment means mechanism acts on the lever in order to selectively bring the arm into clamping engagement with the steering shaft and to couple guiding member and steering shaft even axially.
US07823661B2
To limit the growth of errors of an inertial navigation system for measurement-while-drilling, in-drilling alignment methods can be used. A pneumatics-based design of an apparatus for an in-drilling alignment method and its implementation downhole are described.
US07823659B2
A method of drilling and lining a wellbore includes operably coupling a support member to a drilling device, an expansion cone configured to expand a tubular member, an actuator configured to pull the expansion cone through the tubular member, a releasable locking device configured to limit displacement of the tubular member relative to the actuator during actuation. The drilling device is disposed below the expansion cone and the expansion cone is disposed at a lower end of the tubular member. The method further includes locking the locking device. After locking the locking device, a wellbore is drilled to have a diameter greater than an outside diameter of the tubular member. After the drilling, the actuator is actuated to pull the expansion cone towards the locking device to expand at least a portion of the tubular member into contact with the drilled wellbore. The method further includes releasing the locking device and removing the drilling device through the expanded tubular member.
US07823652B2
A portable powered tool having an elongate housing with a central axis, a working component on the elongate housing, a drive for the working component on the elongate housing and having different states, and a control with a grip that is configured to be grasped by a user by extending a user's one hand at least partially around the grip and thereby the central axis of the elongate housing to thereby situate the user's one hand in an operating position. The user's one hand, grasping the grip in the operating position, is usable to: a) support and reposition the portable powered tool; and b) move the grip around the central axis of the elongate housing to change the state of the drive.
US07823648B2
The application discloses a valve, which may include either a safety valve or a storm surge choke valve or the like, to isolate a zone below a valve from a string of production tubing. Preferably, the valve includes a flow interruption surface assembly, such as a flapper valve or a ball valve, displaced by an operating conduit extending from a surface location to the valve through the inside of the production tubing. The application also discloses a bypass-conduit inside the production tubing to allow communication from a surface location to the production zone when the valve is in either an open or a closed location.
US07823646B2
A tensioner for an offshore structure has inner and outer barrels engaging each other for movement between retracted and extended positions. The barrels are filled with gas pressure. A primary seal is located between the inner and outer barrels at the open end of the inner barrel. An annular lubricant reservoir is mounted to an interior wall surface of the inner barrel at the open end of the inner barrel. A lubricant port extends from the lubricant reservoir through the inner barrel to a high pressure side of the primary seal for dispensing lubricant between the inner and outer barrels. A fill tube leads from the reservoir to the exterior of the inner barrel for replenishing lubricant.
US07823642B2
A treatment fluid that can be used for treating a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore is prepared from a primary treatment fluid component and an emulsion component mixed with the primary treatment fluid component. The emulsion component has an oil phase and an aqueous phase. The emulsion component comprising a source of insoluble silica particles and a source of calcium hydroxide, wherein the source of calcium hydroxide is present in the oil phase, and the source of insoluble silica particles are contained in the aqueous phase. The method is carried out by contacting at least a portion of the formation with the treatment fluid.
US07823639B2
A structure for wired drill pipe includes a pipe joint having a pin end and a box end. The pin end and box end each have threads for engagement with corresponding threads on a respective box and pin of an adjacent pipe joint. A longitudinal end of the threads on the pin and on the box include at least in an internal shoulder for engagement with a corresponding internal shoulder on an adjacent box or pin. The internal shoulder of each of the pin and the box includes a groove around a circumference thereof for retaining a communication device therein. An external flank of the groove on the pin, and a corresponding surface of the box include deflection resistance feature.
US07823638B2
The present invention relates to a sound source for the stimulation of an oil reservoir or an oil well for enhanced oil recovery or for seismic logging of the reservoir. The sound source is operated by a pressurized gas from a compressor or a pressure tank on the surface, and the gas is transported to an in the sound source situated cylinder with an accumulator, via a feed line.
US07823634B2
An isolation sleeve extends from an adapter into the bore of a tubing head to isolate high pressure frac fluid from the body of the tubing head. The isolation sleeve may be moved into and out of the bore by a hydraulic transfer piston or it may be installed and retrieved by a running tool. The isolation sleeve has a seal carrier on its lower end. The seal of the seal carrier may seal to a secondary packoff in the tubing head, on the outer diameter of the conduit, or to the rim of the conduit. The seal carrier may be movable relative to the sleeve to energize the seal.
US07823629B2
A capillary assisted loop thermosiphon apparatus (100) has at least one evaporator (102) connected by a vapor line (104) to a condenser (106); a liquid line (108) connects the condenser (106) and the evaporator (102), the evaporator (102) is in the direction of gravity from the condenser (106) for the condenser (106) to supply liquid under gravity induced pressure to the evaporator (102), and the evaporator (102) has a vertical capillary wick (102a) in which liquid wicks in the direction of gravity.
US07823619B2
An adhesive tape situated near an edge of a glass board with a protection film pasted on both surfaces thereof, and a stripping head that presses an adhesive surface of the adhesive tape toward the glass board, are provided. An actuator is provided that separates the adhesive tape adhering to the edge of protection film from the surface of the glass board and that strips a part of the protection film from the glass board. A film chuck device is provided that holds the stripped edge of the protection film, and the protection film held by the film chuck device is pulled off by driving the glass board by a roller conveyor.
US07823617B2
A drywall tape or trim dispensing tool of the type similar to those sold under the name BAZOOKA with an elongated handle and a tape or trim dispensing head. The head can contain a blade coupled to a power mechanism such as a spring, hydraulic or electric energy source where the blade can be placed into a cocked position by a cocking mechanism and then triggered by a pull on a remote trigger located on the handle. After the device is cocked, the user can dispense tape or trim to a desired length and then cut it exactly by a simple trigger pull.
US07823614B2
This invention relates to a pneumatic tire wherein at least one of a carcass (4) and a belt (6) comprises a layer of steel cords covered with a coating rubber, and as the coating rubber covering the steel cords in at least one of the carcass (4) and the belt (6) is used a rubber composition comprising a rubber component (A), 1-10 parts by mass of sulfur (B) and 0.1-10 parts by mass of a compound (C) including a substituted benzene ring, a compound (D1) having a particular structure or a composition (D2) consisting essentially of such a compound based on 100 parts by mass of the rubber component, and as the steel cord is used a steel cord formed by twisting a plurality of steel wires each plated on its peripheral face with a brass and having an amount of phosphorus as an oxide in a surface layer region from a surface of the plated brass to a depth of 5 nm inward in a radial direction of the wire controlled to not more than 1.5 atomic %.
US07823606B2
A device for adjusting and throttling the flow-rate of a fluid, particularly medical oxygen and compressed gases in general, which comprises a valve body which defines an input port and an output port for a fluid at high pressure; the input port is controlled by a high-pressure flow control element; an input duct is also provided for a low-pressure fluid which is connected to a rotating body with a control port which can be arranged at the calibrated holes provided in an adjustment disk and connected to at least one output duct; a single actuation handwheel is further provided which drives the high-pressure flow control element and the rotating body.
US07823603B2
A mixer valve includes a rotational assembly for selecting a temperature of the water up to a maximum temperature. The rotational assembly includes a selectable “comfort” temperature indicator, that can be set independently of the maximum temperature, and does not affect the maximum temperature. The valve also includes check valves for preventing cross flow between the hot and cold pipes. A check valve insert is provided which includes a shutoff for the water flow when removing the check valve for service. The shutoff and removal of the check valve can be effected with a single tool.
US07823597B2
DIW is supplied toward a surface of a substrate to form a lower layer liquid film, which is then frozen to form a lower layer frozen film. Further, DIW cooled down to a temperature at which the lower layer frozen film will not melt is supplied toward a surface of the lower layer frozen film to form an upper layer liquid film, which is then frozen to form an upper layer frozen film in a layered structure. DIW which is at room temperature is thereafter supplied, thereby melting the entirety of the lower layer frozen film and the upper layer frozen film to remove these films together with particles off from the surface of the substrate.
US07823582B2
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for a solar collector having intergral control of the maximum temperature that it can reach, thereby avoiding excessive stagnation temperatures in the collector. In one embodiment, a solar collector comprises a top portion comprising glazing, a bottom portion; an absorber disposed between said top portion and said bottom portion for absorbing solar energy received through said glazing, said absorber in a spaced relationship above said bottom portion such that a channel is defined between a lower surface of said absorber and an upper surface of said bottom portion; an inlet and an outlet associated with and at substantially opposite ends of said channel between said absorber and said bottom portion, for ventilating said channel; and a damper for opening said outlet at a temperature equal to or above a first selected temperature and for closing said outlet at a temperature equal to or below a second selected temperature; wherein said first and second selected temperatures are below a stagnation temperature of the solar collector.
US07823580B2
Method and apparatus for a range hood. The apparatus can include a housing and a lighting and control unit moveably coupled to the housing. The lighting and control unit can include a user interface and one or more lights. The lighting and control unit can be coupled to a motor that can move a first face of the lighting and control unit outward during use and can move the first face of the lighting and control unit inward when not in use. Some embodiments of the invention provide a fan mounted within the housing and a louver assembly coupled to the housing. The louver assembly can include one or more rotating louvers. In some embodiments, the louver assembly can be rotated downward to access at least one of a filter, a motor, and user interface electronics.
US07823578B2
A biomass stove includes a housing enclosing a firebox that defines a ceiling portion opposite a bottom, a firepot disposed within the firebox, an air intake assembly coupled to the firebox, and at least one duct disposed entirely inside the firebox and extending between the ceiling portion of the firebox and the air intake assembly. The duct(s) provide a heat exchanging flow path for ambient air entering the air intake assembly, where the ambient air is heated within the duct(s) prior to exiting through the ceiling portion of the biomass stove.
US07823572B2
A novel embodiment of a crossbow (10) includes an elongated draw length and a rifle-type stock (134) with a tubular barrel (106) designed to shoot standard three-fletch arrows (120) with a three-blade hunting tip. When the main string (105) of the crossbow (10) is fully drawn and cocked, the string compression levers (110) that are pivoted so that the pulleys (113) on levers (110) engage the string (105) and deflect the string (105) toward the barrel (106) until the string compression levers 110 rest against the side of the barrel (106). The crossbow (10) has a draw length significantly longer than the draw length of a conventional crossbow of the same overall size, thereby providing a larger power stroke with less draw weight. In the other embodiments, the crossbow (20, 30) may include a barrel (106) with rectangular cross section for shooting shot filled sabots for bird hunting, small game hunting or trap shooting or a barrel (106) with a circular cross section for shooting paint-ball filled sabots for paint ball games.
US07823570B2
A process for operating a compression ignition internal combustion engine in combination with a catalytic partial oxidation reformer and, optionally, an exhaust gas aftertreater, wherein: (a) a mixture of a first fuel and air, wherein the first fuel comprises Fischer-Tropsch derived fuel, is introduced in the combustion chamber of the engine; (b) exhaust gas is discharged from the engine and optionally partly recirculated to the combustion chamber of the engine; (c) a second fuel and oxygen and/or steam are supplied to the catalytic partial oxidation reformer to produce synthesis gas, wherein the second fuel comprises Fischer-Tropsch derived fuel; (d) at least part of the synthesis gas is supplied to: (i) the exhaust gas aftertreater; (ii) the combustion chamber of the engine; or to both.
US07823567B2
A combination dynamic balancer and fuel pump for an internal combustion engine includes a common housing having at least one balancer shaft and a fuel pump, with the fuel pump having the pumping element mounted directly within a working chamber formed within the housing for the balancer shaft and fuel pump. A pumping element may include a reciprocating or a rotary pumping element.
US07823544B2
A steam boiler (15) comprising a fuel burning device (16) disposed in a combustion chamber and adapted to burn a fuel to form combustion gases (19), a passage (30) extending between a water inlet (20) and a steam outlet (23), the passage having a water space (31) and a steam space (32), a flue passage (33) extending between the combustion chamber and a flue outlet (24) and having a gas heat transfer space (34), a heat exchange element (43) between the gas heat transfer space and the water and steam spaces, the heat exchange element having a gas-side surface (35) that absorbs heat from the combustion gases and an opposed water-side surface (38) that radiates heat, the water-side surface having a first portion (39) adjacent to the water space and a second portion (40) adjacent to the steam space, the gas-side surface having a first portion (36) opposite the water-side first portion and a second portion (37) opposite the water-side second portion, the water-side first portion having a surface area and the water side second portion having a surface area, the gas-side first portion having a surface area and the gas-side second portion having a surface area, and a heat shield (41, 42, 45, 48) covering at least some of the surface area of the gas-side second portion. The surface area of the gas-side first portion may be greater than the surface area of the water-side first portion and the surface area of the gas-side second portion may be less than or approximately equal to the surface area of the water-side second portion.
US07823542B2
Disclosed is a pet toy made of stretchable fabric. The toy includes a loop, a body portion attached to the loop and a bottom with a plurality of cords, called nubbies. The pet toy is made from a variety of fabrics, wherein different sections of the toy are braided, while other sections of the toy are formed into knots and patterned into twirls. The braids and patterns are formed into different patterns and lengths to be used as recreational tools for dogs, cats and even birds, additionally, the braided sections provide an improved gripping surface. Use of the pet tool may also improve gums and teeth of puppies.
US07823538B1
A water hydration system for providing clean, fresh drinking water for animals and emptying the old water from which the animals had been drinking on a predetermined sequence and schedule.
US07823536B2
An automatic waxing apparatus and a method thereof are provided. The automatic waxing apparatus includes a movable door-shaped module, at least a waxing module and a controlling module. The movable door-shaped module includes a door-shaped structure capable of moving with respect to the vehicle. The waxing module disposed on the door-shaped structure includes a wax-supplying unit and a wax-polishing unit. The controlling module is coupled to the door-shaped structure, the wax-supplying unit and the wax-polishing unit. The controlling module, according to the information of the vehicle, determines a moving path of the door-shaped structure, a waxing path of the wax-supplying unit, and a polishing path of the wax-polishing unit with respect to the vehicle.
US07823532B2
The die as provided is a die in which an upper block is placed on an upper surface of a lower block with a lower surface of the upper block in contact with the upper surface, wherein the lower block includes a manifold and a slit serving as a path for discharging paint from the manifold to the outside, constituted respectively from between the lower block and the lower surface of the upper block by forming a cavity and a space which communicates with the outside from this cavity along a columnar direction, respectively, from one end face of a columnar body with a trapezoidal shape of cross section to the other end face, a paint supply path which communicates with the manifold is formed from an outer side located between the one end face and the other end face of the lower block, a slit space dimension of the slit between front end portions in a paint discharge direction of the lower block and the upper block in a discharge port serving as an open end to the outside is smallest on the one end face side and increases toward the other end face side, and a slit length which is a dimension along the paint discharge direction of a space forming surface of the lower block constituting the slit is largest on at least one of the one end face side and the other end face side and is smallest in a position between both the end faces.
US07823524B2
A vessel with drilling and workover capability is constructed rapidly in a shipyard or dry dock by using an existing vessel that has most of the required hull. Bow and stern sections of the existing vessel are separated to leave them at opposite ends of a shipyard space, and a mid hull section is built in that shipyard space in the usual manner by welding together steel plates. The bow and stern sections are moved against opposite ends of the mid hull section and welded to it. Topside equipment is already on the bow and stern sections, and is added to the new mid hull section.
US07823518B2
A desk for use in supporting a computer and/or computer-related devices includes a base adapted to rest on a support surface such as a floor, in combination with an upwardly extending support that defines a lower end interconnected with the base and an upper end spaced vertically above the lower end. A desk top member is secured to the upper end of the support. The upwardly extending support and the desk top member are configured and arranged such that the desk top member is located forwardly of the rear area of the base, and to define an open area below the desk top member between the desk top member and the base. The base can be moved on the support surface to position the desk top member over a user's lap when the user is in a seated position. The desk may include a base pivot connection between the base and the upwardly extending support, and a desk top pivot connection between the desk top and the upwardly extending support. The pivot connections enable the desk to be placed in a collapsed condition for storage. The upwardly extending support includes a height adjustment arrangement for adjusting the height of the desk top member relative to the base.
US07823513B2
A rail road freight car truck has a truck bolster and a pair of side frames, the truck bolster being mounted transversely relative to the side frames. The mounting interface between the ends of the axles and the sideframe pedestals allows lateral rocking motion of the sideframes in the manner of a swing motion truck. The lateral swinging motion is combined with a longitudinal self steering capability. The self steering capability may be obtained by use of a longitudinally oriented rocker that may tend to permit resistance to self steering that is proportional to the weight carried across the interface. The trucks may have auxiliary centering elements mounted in the pedestal seats, and those auxiliary centering elements may be made of resilient elastomeric material. The truck may also have friction dampers that have a disinclination to stick-slip behavior. The friction dampers may be provided with brake linings, or similar features, on the face engaging the sideframe columns, on the slope face, or both.
US07823510B1
A projectile and method of extending the range of the projectile. The projectile includes a storage tank operable to release a working fluid through an exhaust manifold to at least partially fill a wake aft of the projectile during projectile flight.
US07823501B2
A coffee maker with a drip tray (9) which serves for receiving coffee droplets falling from an outlet member of the coffee maker when a path between the outlet member and the drip tray (9) is free from interruptions such as a coffee cup. The drip tray (9) comprises a tray portion (91) and a cover (92) in which a convex droplet landing surface (93) for receiving droplets falling from the outlet member of the coffee maker is arranged. A coffee droplet dropping on this surface (93) breaks apart, gently flows off this surface (93), and is discharged to the tray portion (91) through a hole (95) arranged in the cover (92). In this way, a situation in which coffee splashes out of the tray portion (91) as a result of the direct impact of a coffee droplet is avoided, and the cleanliness of the coffee maker is enhanced.
US07823497B2
A countermass for use in a weapon to balance the forces arising when a launch able unit is launched from a launcher tube of the weapon. The countermass includes a first container enclosing a liquid. A countermass weapon includes a launcher tube open or openable in both ends. The launcher tube houses a launch able unit, a countermass including a first container enclosing a liquid, a pressure chamber, and a propellant charge that upon firing and combustion of the charge in cooperation with the pressure chamber and the countermass accelerates the launch able unit forwards in the tube at the same time as the countermass accelerates backwards in the tube. The first container is made of a non-rigid material. A second container is provided to cover or almost cover the first container. The second container is designed with damping characteristics.
US07823494B2
A sheet hole-punching device includes a punch member having a leading end with a hole-punching blade, a base frame for movably supporting the punch member in a hole-punching direction, a drive motor for driving the punch member, and a transmission device for transmitting rotational force of the drive motor to the punch member so as to rotate the punch member. The transmission device is disposed between the drive motor and the punch member. A cam device is disposed between the base frame and punch member, and converts a rotational movement of the punch member into a hole-punching direction movement so as to move the punch member in the hole-punching direction while rotating the punch member.
US07823490B2
To generate a bevel in an uncured composite layup, an edge of part cut through the composite layup is performed at about 90° relative to the composite layup and a bevel cut is performed on the edge of part.
US07823488B2
The invention discloses a device and a method for producing microstructures with a spindle, which is adapted to be driven for rotation about its longitudinal axis and which is provided with a fixture for clamping a workpiece, having an actuator provided with a fast drive, in particular a piezo drive, adapted to produce fast movement of a tool in a direction substantially perpendicular to the workpiece surface, which actuator can be positioned along a workpiece surface to be worked with the aid of an additional drive adapted to produce a linear feed motion in a first direction, the fast drive being coupled with the tool via guide means that allow feeding of the tool in axial direction of the fast drive, against the action of a restoring force, and that is highly rigid in a plane perpendicular to that direction. The control technology used permits microstructures to be produced precisely and reproducibly utilizing the dynamic properties of the system.
US07823486B2
A cordless motor assisted torque wrench. In an example embodiment, the torque wrench includes an elongated housing adapted to enclose an elongated battery pack, a drive head pivotably connected to a first end of the elongated housing at a pivot connection, an electronic torque setting device operable to receive a desired torque setting from a user, a torque sensing device for sensing a level of torque applied by the wrench to a workpiece, a motor disposed within the head, and a torque limiter configured to limit the torque applied by the wrench to a workpiece based on the desired torque setting and the level of torque sensed by the torque sensing device. The elongated housing preferably includes a first segment and a second segment slidably coupled to form a telescopic elongated housing that is configurable into at least two lengths.
US07823476B2
A single direction coupling device, including a first transmission member (10) fitted with a first saw-like contrate toothing (13), mobile in rotation about an axis XX and axially positioned by an elastic member (11), and a second transmission member (14) fitted with a second saw-like toothing (17), mobile in rotation about an axis YY, meshed with the first transmission member (10), characterized in that the XX axis is perpendicular to the YY axis.
US07823474B2
A gear including a pinion being integral with a rotatably mounted shaft in a support by a cleavable element arranged to disengage the pinion from the shaft in case of an overcouple between the pinion and the shaft is disclosed. A guiding bearing, pending between the pinion and the shaft, is arranged to rotatably guide the pinion around the shaft, in case of a disengagement of the pinion from the shaft. In a turbomachine, a gear box including such a gear allows the driving of auxiliary machines in case of a breakdown of a shaft in the gear box.
US07823464B2
A joystick apparatus employs a hermetically sealed load cell having strain gauges placed on flexible beams formed on the load cell. All of the strain gauges are on the same surface of the load cell and therefore wiring is performed on a single side of the load cell. The strain gauges are enclosed in hermetically sealed cavity. The sensing diaphragm consists of a concentric thick inner and outer section joined by thinner diametrically opposed beam elements. The thin beam elements are compliant members which can deflect. Each beam includes strain gauges or sensor elements and the load cell is coupled to a joystick which when moved causes the beams to deflect to cause the sensor elements to produce an electrical output proportional to the force and direction of the joystick. The sensor can yield an output proportional to any angle over the 360° movement of the joystick to provide outputs proportional to the X and Y positions of said joystick. Thus, the joystick arrangement can resolve any angle or force into X and Y components for full directional control.
US07823457B2
A pressure gauge is composed of two separate components adapted to be assembled and disassembled by hand. The one component is a pressure-motion conversion element (3, 6) for receiving a pressure and effecting a movement of a movable portion (3c, 6c) thereof in response thereto, and the other component is a force measuring element (5) for measuring a force caused due to the movement of the movable portion (3c, 6c). The pressure-motion conversion element (3, 69) is constructed as a disposable component, whereas the force measuring element (5) is intended for re-use.
