US07948811B2
A memory includes memory cells arranged as a matrix of rows and columns between word lines and bit lines, and a set of differential read/write amplifiers for reading and writing of the memory cells and for communicating with local bit lines common to at least some of the memory cells. A read/write circuit is common to the set of differential read/write amplifiers, and a set of selection gateways selectively transfer data between the common read/write circuit and a selected differential read/write amplifier.
US07948801B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes a trimming cell array storing trimming data for a plurality of operating modes, a trimming cell sense amplifier sensing the trimming data and a trimming cell latch storing the sensed trimming data. A plurality of trimming circuits performs trimming operations in response to a trimming control signals derived from trimming data. A single temporary trimming control logic unit receives externally provided control data and controls operation of a single summation circuit. The summation circuit controls the operation of the trimming circuits by respectively and selectively varying the trimming control signal provided to each one of the plurality of trimming circuits in response to the externally provided control data.
US07948799B2
A bandgap engineered SONOS device structure for design with various AND architectures. The BE-SONOS device structure comprises a spacer oxide disposed between a control gate overlaying an oxide-nitride-oxide-nitride-oxide stack and a sub-gate overlaying a gate oxide. In one example, a BE-SONOS sub-gate-AND array architecture has multiple strings of SONONOS devices with sub-gate lines and diffusion bit lines. In another example, a BE-SONOS sub-gate-AND architecture has multiple strings of SONONOS devices with sub-gate lines, relying on the sub-gate lines that create inversions to substitute for the diffusion bit lines.
US07948792B1
There are provided methods and devices for providing overdrive voltages to address lines to help prevent leakage current in semiconductor memories, such as configuration memories used with programmable logic devices. Specifically, for example, there is provided a memory that includes an array of memory cells. Each memory cell includes a retainer circuit. An access transistor is coupled to the retainer circuit. An overdrive voltage level may be applied to the access transistor.
US07948774B2
A resonant DC/DC converter for supplying an output power comprises a switching device (18) for supplying a switched voltage (UWR) to a resonant circuit (20) having a transformer (T). The switched voltage (UWR) is derived from an intermediate circuit voltage (Uz) having a fixed pulse width and frequency so that the zero crossings of the resonant current (Ires) generated in the resonant current are defined. The switching configuration of an inverter circuit (18) is selected by a control device (31) to either increase, decrease or maintain at a substantially constant level the resonant current according to the polarity of the switched voltage, so as to control the output power as required.
US07948768B2
A tape circuit substrate includes a base film with first wiring and second wiring disposed on the base film. The first wiring extends into a chip mount portion through a first side and bends within the chip mount portion toward a second side. The second wiring extends into the chip mount portion through a third side and bends within the chip mount portion toward the second side. The first, second, and third sides are different sides of the chip mount portion. Thus, size and in turn cost of the base film are minimized by arranging wirings within the chip mount portion for further miniaturization of electronic devices, such as a display panel assembly, using the tape circuit substrate.
US07948766B2
A method is for making a structural printed wiring board panel that includes a multilayer printed wiring board having opposing, outer faces and interlayer interconnects that route RF, power and control signals. Connection areas are formed in or on at least on one face for connecting the interlayer interconnects and any electrical components. A metallic face sheet is secured onto at least one outer face, adding structural rigidity to the multilayer printed wiring board. A metallic face sheet can have apertures positioned to allow access to connection areas. RF components can be carried by a face sheet and operatively connected to connection areas. Antenna elements can be positioned on the same or an opposing face sheet and operatively connected to RF components to form a phased array printed wiring board (PWB) panel.
US07948762B2
Wiring system which comprises: a flexible printed circuit board (1) with a surface (2) in turn comprising one or more electrical circuits formed by conductive strips (4) and a plurality of electronic components (5) connected to said conductive strips (4) and with at least one extension or branch (6) extending directly from said surface (2) and also comprising conductive strips (7); characterized in that it further comprised: at least one flexible flat cable (8) joined to said at least one extension or branch (6), such that an electrical connection is formed between said flexible flat cable (8) and said extension or branch (6). A vehicle door which internally comprises this wiring system.
US07948761B2
The present invention provides a technique which can decrease the number of folding times of a flexible printed circuit board in a display device having the structure which can fold the flexible printed circuit board in a compact form by folding the flexible printed circuit board plural times. The display device includes a display panel having substrates, and a flexible printed circuit board having one end thereof fixed to a peripheral portion of a first side of the substrate, wherein the flexible printed circuit board forms an I/F portion on which a plurality of input terminals is formed in the inside thereof in a state that the flexible printed circuit board is developed.
US07948760B2
A transmission/reception optical module has an optical transmission subassembly 182, an optical reception subassembly 183, and a circuit board 1 wherein the circuit board 1 is formed into one member by a rigid/flexible substrate. Circuit board main bodies 2a, 2b, and an optical reception subassembly fixation region 4 are formed by rigid regions 5A, 5b, and 5P. An area provided between the circuit board main body 2a and the optical reception subassembly 4 is composed of a flexible region 6P. A part of the circuit board main body 2 is composed of a flexible region 6.
US07948753B2
A portable electronic device includes a main body and a handle. The main body defines two receiving cavities therein. An anti-rotation groove is defined in a sidewall of each receiving cavity. The handle includes a holding portion and two support portions extending from opposite ends of the holding portion. A latch protrusion is formed on each support portion. The latch protrusions are substantially cylindrical and two flat resisting surfaces are formed on each latch protrusion. Each latch protrusion is movably received in one corresponding receiving cavity and able to slide from the corresponding receiving cavity into the corresponding anti-rotation groove so that the resisting surfaces of the latch protrusions resist sidewalls of the anti-rotation grooves, such that the handle supports the main body.
US07948747B2
A rail apparatus includes first plate formed of a synthetic material having a first face and a second face opposite the first face, the first plate having a plurality of rows of spaced apart rail protrusions in a first pattern protruding from the second face of the first plate. A second metal plate includes a first face and a second face opposite the first face, the second plate having a plurality of rows of spaced apart slots in a second pattern matching the first pattern and extending through the first and second faces of the second plate. The second face of the first plate abutting the second face of the second plate, whereby the rows of rail protrusions extend through the slots and extend from the first face of the second plate.
US07948745B2
A computer housing includes a main body, a panel, a latch piece, and a release member. The main body defines a latch hole. The panel has a hook on a first side thereof. The latch piece is positioned on a second side of the panel and defines a receiving hole therein. The release member is positioned on the main body and forms a latch protrusion. The hook is received in the latch hole of the main body. The latch protrusion engages with the receiving hole such that the panel is locked to the main body. The release member is deformable so that the latch protrusion disengages from the receiving hole.
US07948742B2
A planar display device whose display panel main body can be easily separated from a chassis member upon disposal without preparing large equipment and a special tool. In the planar display device wherein the PDP panel main body (1) and the chassis member (2) are adhered by a two-sided tape (3), a wire (4) is previously incorporated for separating the PDP panel main body (1) from the chassis member (2) by cutting and peeling the double-sided tape.
US07948735B2
The electrostatic chuck includes a base including an aluminum nitride-containing member; a dielectric layer formed on the base including a member having a volume resistivity of at least 1×1015 Ω·cm at a temperature range of about 25° C. to about 300° C. and including 2 to 5% by mass of yttrium oxide, 2 to 5% by mass of ytterbium oxide, and a balance of aluminum nitride based on the total mass of the dielectric layer; and an electrode embedded under the dielectric layer so as to be positioned between the dielectric layer and the base, configured to generate an electrostatic absorption force.
US07948723B2
An exemplary ground fault detection device is capable of detecting a ground fault on multiple phases. The ground fault detection device includes a monitoring module that monitors the phases and determines if there is a non-zero electrical energy value sum for a selected interval on each phase. An output module provides a ground fault indication when all of the phases have a non-zero electrical energy sum for the selected interval.
US07948711B2
A system, a method, and article of manufacture are employed to clean the input/output transducers on tape drives, verified by the tape drives reading alphanumeric information from data tracks and servo tracks of a cleaner tape. An aggressive cleaning frontcoat section of the cleaner tape can be used to provide additional cleaning action, and the cleanliness of the data read elements, data write elements, and the servo heads. A less-abrasive cleaning section may be used to clean less difficult types of contaminants. In this manner, the cleanliness of the data read elements, the data write elements, and the servo heads can be verified. A cleaning section may also be used as a leader section of a self-characterization section. Alternatively, a magnetic data tape section may be included for self-characterization.
US07948709B2
The thin-film magnetic head comprises a lower magnetic pole layer, an upper magnetic pole layer and a first thin-film coil. A resist film made of an organic insulating material is interposed between turns adjacent to each other in the lead constituting the first thin-film coil. The first thin-film coil has a minimum width part and a maximum width part. The minimum width part is arranged closer to an air bearing surface than is a second upper magnetic pole part, while the whole upper face of the minimum width part is covered with the resist film. The maximum width part is arranged on the side farther from the air bearing surface than is the second upper magnetic pole part, while the upper face of the maximum width part is formed with a resist-uncoated area free of the resist film.
US07948706B2
A method to adjust the orientation of a read head comprising a first read element and a second read element, wherein the first read element and the second read element are separated by a distance, wherein the method moves a sequential information storage medium adjacent to the read head, determines a skew angle for the sequential information storage medium with respect to the read head using the first read element and the second read element, and encodes that skew angle in a computer readable medium.
US07948703B1
Apparatuses and methods are provided for adaptively updating a target for a recording channel, such as a magnetic recording channel. In some embodiments, a read channel apparatus is provided which includes data path modules and adaptive path modules. The data path modules estimate user information from a recording channel, and the adaptive path modules adaptively update the target taps of the recording channel. The adaptive path modules may use a linearly constrained least-mean square (LC-LMS) algorithm to determine the amount and direction of each tap update, where the linear constraint may be a maximum phase or a mixed phase constraint. The adaptive path modules may operate independently of and be decoupled from the data path modules.
US07948702B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for performing data equalization. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide data equalization circuits that include an equalization circuit and a transition adjustment circuit. The equalization circuit receives a series of at least two original data bits and replaces at least one of the two original data bits with an equalization pattern including two or more equalization bits. The original data bits correspond to an original data clock, and the two or more equalization bits correspond to an equalization data clock. The transition adjustment circuit is operable to modify an occurrence of a transition from one logic state to another logic state within the equalization pattern on a sub-equalization data clock basis.
US07948700B2
Provided is a bit patterned medium including bridges which induce exchange coupling between adjacent bits in order to reduce a switching field difference resulting from different magnetization directions of bits. The bridges and the bits are integrally formed with each other. The bits are locally connected by the bridges. A magnetostatic force for each bit is reduced due to an exchange coupling between adjacent bits, thereby reducing a switching field distribution of the bits.
US07948693B2
An exemplary aperture apparatus includes a transparent substrate, a number of EAP sheets supported by the substrate and spaced apart from each other, a first electrode, a second electrode and an aperture sheet. Each of the EAP members includes a fixed first end and an opposite second end movable relative to the substrate. The first electrode and the second electrode contact the first surface at the first end of each of the EAP members. The aperture sheet is made of black rubber and is positioned on the second surface of the EAP members. The second ends of the EAP members are fixed to inner wall of the aperture sheet. The EAP members are deformable in response to a voltage applied between the first and second electrodes so as to vary the size of the aperture.
US07948692B2
This invention provides a photographing optical lens assembly including, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with positive refractive power; a second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface, the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric; and a third lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface, a concave image-side surface and at least one inflection point formed on the third lens element, the object-side and image-side surfaces thereof being aspheric. The first lens element may be a bi-convex lens element or a convex-concave meniscus lens element. When the first lens element is a bi-convex lens element, the refractive power thereof may be significantly enhanced to shorten the total track length of the optical system. When the first lens element is a meniscus lens element, the astigmatism of the optical system may be better corrected. Such an arrangement of optical elements can effectively correct the aberrations of the optical system, improving image quality and enabling the optical lens assembly to maintain a compact form.
US07948688B2
The lens apparatus which includes a lens system, a cam barrel including a cam surface, and a moving barrel provided with a cam follower in contact with the cam surface and configured to be moved in a direction of an optical axis of the lens system by rotation of the cam barrel around the optical axis. The cam surface is parallel to a direction orthogonal to the optical axis. The cam barrel includes a tapered surface inclining with respect to the direction orthogonal to the optical axis. The moving barrel is provided with a tapered follower in contact with the tapered surface and a pressing mechanism configured to bias the tapered follower in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis so as to press the tapered follower against the tapered surface to thereby press the cam follower against the cam surface in the direction of the optical axis.
US07948679B2
A screen includes a plurality of structures arrayed in parallel in at least one direction of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on a reference surface parallel to the first direction and the second direction. The structures are arrayed such that at least one of a distance between central positions of the structures adjacent to each other and a size of the structure changes irregularly in at least one direction, in which the structures are arrayed in parallel, of the first and second directions.
US07948675B2
Multilayer-film reflective mirrors are disclosed that exhibit desired optical characteristics and resistance to reflective-surface degradation. An exemplary multilayer-film mirror includes a base and a multilayer film on the base. The multilayer film is made of first and second layers alternatingly laminated at a prescribed period length. The surface of the multilayer film has an irregular surface profile, relative to the surface profile of the base. The multilayer film reflects incident extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light. A third layer, situated on and covering the surface of the multilayer film, is formed of a substance having substantially the same refractive index to EUV light as the refractive index of a vacuum. The third layer has a surface profile substantially the same as the surface contour of the base. The third layer is covered with a protective layer.
US07948672B2
A plurality of reflective spatial light modulator arrays combined together to form a larger display. Each array can include a plurality of light modulating elements disposed on a substrate. Dead space may exist between active areas and/or at a perimeter of the light modulating elements. A plurality of optical elements each having an input aperture and an output aperture can be used to reduce the effect of the dead space. The input apertures are disposed distally and the output apertures are disposed proximally respectively to the light modulating elements such that light received propagates exits the output apertures to the light modulating elements. The input apertures are larger than the output apertures thereby reducing the amount of dead space between active areas of light modulating elements seen be a viewer. Display drive circuitry can be disposed away from dead space at the perimeter of the arrays and electrically connected to the light modulating elements at locations between the light modulating elements on a substrate. The plurality of arrays can be arranged in a larger array to create a large display. The light modulating elements can include microelectromechanical systems such as interferometric modulators.
US07948671B2
A support structure within an interferometric modulator device may contact various other structures within the device. Increased bond strengths between the support structure and the other structures may be achieved in various ways, such as by providing roughened surfaces and/or adhesive materials at the interfaces between the support structures and the other structures. In an embodiment, increased adhesion is achieved between a support structure and a substrate layer. In another embodiment, increased adhesion is achieved between a support structure and a moveable layer. Increased adhesion may reduce undesirable slippage between the support structures and the other structures to which they are attached within the interferometric modulator.
US07948670B2
An optical attenuator includes a first reflection portion reflecting a light incoming from an optical input portion in a direction different from incoming axis, a second reflection portion reflecting the light from the first reflection portion, an optical output portion outputting the light that is reflected by the first reflection portion after being reflected by the second reflection portion, and an optical-intensity-attenuation filter that is arranged on an optical path between the first reflection portion and the second reflection portion, optical transmittance being shifted in stages according to a position thereof. The first reflection portion is capable of turning to shift an incoming position at the optical-intensity-attenuation filter.
US07948669B1
Exemplary methods of maximizing a spur-free dynamic range (SFDR) or a gain of an electro-absorption modulator (EAM) are disclosed. At least one parameter in a set of design parameters for an EAM is varied. An SFDR of the EAM is determined in part by a first set of design parameters. A gain of the EAM is determined in part by a second set of design parameters. An output versus bias voltage transfer curve of the EAM is generated. An optimal SFDR bias voltage at which a maximum SFDR occurs for a given optical input power or an optimal gain bias voltage at which a maximum gain occurs for a given optical input power is programmatically determined based at least in part on the transfer curve.
US07948663B2
A motor configured to selectively drive a carriage and document transport. A single imaging element is used to provide a dual function of detecting conveying sheet as it approaches platen and to perform imaging of the sheet.
US07948658B2
A marking device is controlled to mark a media sheet with halftone dots selected from a set of image halftone dot representations. The marking device is controlled to mark a monitored surface with halftone dots selected from a set of control halftone dot representations to form test patches of different nominal marking densities. Measured marking densities are acquired using a density sensor for the test patches marked on the monitored surface. The set of control halftone dot representations is updated based on the measured marking densities and the nominal marking densities.
US07948652B2
Provided are a data processing method and a data processor for ink jet printing, which are capable of achieving uniform and high-quality images while stabilizing density and color development in each of pixels. To this end, a mask pattern for setting permission and non-permission to print dots in each area is arranged non-periodically by using an integral multiple of m×n areas as one unit. The m×n areas allow one pixel to be expressed in half-tone. Thereby, density in the pixel is stable since a plurality of dots printed in the same pixel are printed approximately in the same event. Moreover, since each of the units (clusters) is non-periodically arranged, a uniform image can be obtained.
US07948651B2
In a PDF direct printing method, an intelligent parser is provided on the client computer to parse out and transfer to the printer blocks of PDF data in an order in which the data will be used by the PDF rendering process of the printer. The directory information block of the PDF file is transferred first, and the printer can start the rendering process soon after the directory information block is received, before the entire PDF file is transferred to the printer. The blocks of PDF data are stored on the printer, and the memory locations of the blocks of data stored on the printer are recorded in a memory allocation database. The PDF rendering process of the printer accesses the memory allocation database to obtain the memory location of the block of PDF data it will need next for rendering, and retrieves that block of data for processing.
US07948649B2
An image-forming apparatus connectable to an external memory and an executed job-storing method thereof, which checks a stored data size of a job and an available memory size of the external memory, and proposes alternative options if the available memory size is insufficient, enabling a user to rapidly execute the job suitable for the user's purpose without any need to secure more memory space.
US07948647B2
A production workflow integration system for a print shop includes multiple workstations, a printing device and a computer in communication with at least one of the workstations and the printing device. Each workstation includes a data collection module having at least one of an electronic data storage device reader. The printing device prepares a job ticket for each print job to be produced by the print shop. The computer stores print job instructions for the print job on an electronic data storage device attached to the job ticket and stores the identification information of the electronic data storage device in a field of a print job record in a database stored in the computer.
US07948633B2
An optical device under test (DUT) is interferometrically measured. The DUT can include one or more of an optical fiber, an optical component, or an optical system. First interference pattern data for the DUT is obtained for a first path to the DUT, and second interference pattern data for the DUT is obtained for a second somewhat longer path to the DUT. Because of that longer length, the second interference pattern data is delayed in time from the first interference pattern data. A time varying component of the DUT interference pattern data is then identified from the first and second interference pattern data. The identified time varying component is used to modify the first or the second interference pattern data to compensate for the time-varying phase caused by vibrations, etc. One or more optical characteristics of the DUT may then be determined based on the modified interference pattern data.
US07948624B2
A photocatalysis testing device includes a reaction chamber, a light source, and a spectrophotometer. Reactants including a methylene blue (MB) solution and a photocatalyst can be added to the reaction chamber and illuminated by the light source. Color vanishing rate of the MB solution can be measured by the spectrophotometer. Further, the photocatalysis testing device also includes a light-tight chamber and a temperature stabilizer. The reaction chamber and the light source are received in the light-tight chamber to avoid ambient light effecting on the photocatalysis test. The spectrophotometer is positioned outside the light-tight chamber and optically coupled to the reaction chamber. The temperature stabilizer is configured for stabilizing temperature of the MB solution.
US07948623B2
A method of evaluating a color filter including a substrate, and at least three color pixels disposed thereon, the method includes determining an oblique visibility of a liquid crystal display device equipped with the color filter on the basis of value ξ1 obtained from the equation (1): ξ1=∫abΔ(λ)·T(λ)dλ (1) wherein “a” and “b” are values respectively representing a wavelength range of a continuous wavelength light and satisfying conditions of 380≦a, b≦780 and a
US07948620B2
An analysis system, tool, and method for performing downhole fluid analysis, such as within a wellbore. The analysis system, tool, and method provide for a tool including a spectroscope for use in downhole fluid analysis which utilizes an adaptive optical element such as a Micro Mirror Array (MMA) and two distinct light channels and detectors to provide real-time scaling or normalization.
US07948616B2
An image of an aperture pattern that includes an L/S pattern having a linewidth that exceeds the measurement resolution of a measurement device is generated in each of divided areas on a wafer via an optical system. A part of each of the divided areas on the wafer exposed via a projection optical system, and an image of the aperture pattern after removal of a part of the image of the L/S pattern is formed in each of the divided areas. An image of the pattern that is obtained by removing a part of the pattern is formed in each of the divided areas after the wafer is developed. Measurement is performed by a measurement device using the wafer as a sample, and the optical characteristics of the projection optical system (such as a best focus position, field of curvature, or astigmatism) are obtained.
US07948610B2
A long range eye-safe laser radar (LADAR) system for use in an environment where real-time non-cooperative identification of an object is required. In particular, a laser beam is aimed at an object, the laser energy reflected from the object is collected by a detector array for use in generating a composite of both a high resolution 3-Dimensional (3D) shape of the object and the object's high resolution micro-Doppler vibration spectrum, a characteristic of the object as unique as a fingerprint. The composite is then used to automatically identify the object by comparison to a database of similar composite sets of 3D shape and vibration spectrum information with the results of the identification conveyed to the user.
US07948609B2
In an embodiment, a lithographic apparatus includes a stage system including a movable stage, and a stage control system to control a position of the stage in response to a setpoint signal. The stage control system includes a feedback control loop to control the position in a feedback manner, the feedback control loop having a setpoint input, and an acceleration feedforward to generate a feedforward signal to be forwardly fed into the feedback control loop. The feedforward signal is derived from the setpoint signal. The stage control system is arranged to modify the position setpoint signal into a modified position setpoint signal, the setpoint input of the feedback control loop to receive the modified position setpoint signal, the modified position setpoint signal to take account of a non rigid body behavior of the stage.
US07948608B2
An exposure apparatus that: projects pattern images onto a substrate via liquid and a projection optical system, the liquid forming a liquid immersion region between the projection optical system and the substrate; and exposes the substrate. The apparatus has: a liquid-supplying-section that supplies the liquid onto the substrate; a first pipe section that introduces the liquid to the liquid-supplying-section; and a second pipe section, connected to the first pipe section, that collects the liquid not being supplied to the liquid-supplying-section from the first pipe section. By doing this, it is possible to provide a liquid-immersion exposure apparatus having a liquid-supplying-mechanism, exposure method, and a method for manufacturing devices so as to: restrict the temperature of the liquid, supplied between the projection optical system and the substrate, from varying; and prevent contaminants from invading into the liquid.
US07948601B2
A tiling mode display device is disclosed. The display device includes a first substrate having at least two lower substrates connected to each other at a boundary region between the lower substrates using a first adhesion member; a first seal pattern formed at peripheries of the lower substrates, and a second seal pattern formed at the boundary region between the lower substrates; and a second substrate attached to the first substrate by the first and second seal patterns.
US07948596B2
A liquid crystal display device comprising: (i) a first substrate and a second substrate positioned apart to define a cell gap, (ii) a liquid crystal layer positioned in the cell gap, and (iii) a plurality of gate lines arranged in a first direction and a plurality of data lines arranged in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction to define a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a first portion and a second portion, and comprising: (a) a first dielectric layer formed on the first substrate, (b) a first pixel electrode formed on the first dielectric layer, (c) a second dielectric layer formed to at least partially cover the first pixel electrode, (d) a second pixel electrode formed on the second dielectric layer such that the second pixel electrode is connectable to the first pixel electrode, and (e) a common electrode formed on the second dielectric layer.
US07948595B2
The invention discloses a liquid crystal display panel, comprising pixel electrodes, common electrode lines, data lines and scanning lines, wherein at least two of the scanning lines are electrically connected to each other. The liquid crystal display panel has a plurality of conductive sections are disposed above at least part of each of the scanning lines other than said at least two scanning lines and electrically connected to the common electrode lines. The liquid crystal display panel of the invention can use Dot Inversion Driving with low power consumption. Meanwhile, the invention improves consistency of the RC delays on the individual scanning lines, decreases the difference among the RC delays of scanning signals on all of the scanning lines, and thereby achieves uniformity of a display frame on the liquid crystal display panel.
US07948594B2
A display substrate includes a transparent insulating substrate, a transparent common electrode, a dummy pattern and a key pattern. The transparent insulating substrate has a display area and a non-display area. Images are displayed in the display area, and the non-display area surrounds the display area. The transparent common electrode is formed in the display area of the insulating substrate. The dummy pattern is formed in the non-display area of the insulating substrate. The dummy pattern is formed from the same material as the common electrode. The key pattern is formed on the dummy pattern. The key pattern may include a metal or an opaque photoresist. Therefore, a process of manufacturing the display substrate may be simplified.
US07948574B2
An exemplary bezel includes two generally L-shaped bezel parts and two generally I-shaped bezel parts. All the bezel parts are joined end-to-end to cooperatively define a window therebetween, and this assembly is configured to accommodate a display panel. A minimum area of a rectangular region that can be occupied by the two generally L-shaped bezel parts alone includes a central unoccupied portion sufficient in size to accommodate the two generally I-shaped bezel parts.
US07948570B2
A thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate for a liquid crystal display comprises a gate line and a data line formed in a display region, a gate connecting line and a data connecting line formed in a PAD region, and a TFT formed at an intersection between the gate line and the data line. The TFT comprises a gate electrode on a base substrate, a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode, a semiconductor layer on the gate insulating layer, a doped semiconductor layer on the semiconductor layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode that are on the doped semiconductor layer, and a TFT channel is defined in the semiconductor layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode. The array substrate further comprises a passivation layer that is formed on the source electrode and the drain electrode and a pixel electrode, a portion of which is formed under the drain electrode and connected with the drain electrode.
US07948568B2
A display substrate includes a pixel electrode including a main electrode and a sub-electrode disposed apart from the main electrode and including an opening part. The display substrate includes a first switching device and a second switching device. The first switching device is connected to the main electrode. An extension electrode extends from the second switching device and overlaps the opening part. The extension electrode is connected to the sub-electrode via a contact part. According to the present invention, after a defective pixel is repaired, the repaired pixel operates normally.
US07948567B2
An optically writable display medium includes an optical switching element and a display element. The optical switching element includes a charge transport layer sandwiched between an upper charge generating layer and a lower charge generating layer. The display element includes a display layer having memory properties and is provided on the optical switching element. The absorption wavelength region of the upper charge generating layer and the absorption wavelength region of the lower charge generating layer are substantially different from each other.
US07948557B2
An apparatus for generating a control signal for a film event system is described for synchronizing film events with an image reproduction, wherein a film comprises film information applied in a time sequence, and the apparatus comprises a means for storing the film information, wherein a time scale is associated to the stored film information, a means for receiving a section read from the film, a means for comparing the read section to the stored film information and a means for determining the control signal based on the comparison and the time scale.
US07948555B2
A camera module includes an image sensor chip, a lens structure, a transparent substrate, an adhesive portion, and a light blocking layer. The image sensor chip includes a light receiving area and a circuit area. The lens structure is positioned on the image sensor chip and configured to allow light to enter the image sensor chip. The transparent substrate is positioned between the image sensor chip and the lens structure, the transparent substrate allowing light from the lens structure to enter the light receiving area. The adhesive portion attaches the image sensor chip and the transparent substrate, and covers the circuit area. The light blocking layer is attached to the transparent substrate to block light from entering the circuit area.
US07948554B2
The present invention relates to a portable terminal in which the orientation of the displayed subject is the same as the actual orientation of the subject. The reference attitude when taking a picture is shown in FIG. 5, with the lid 12 being rotated substantially about 90 degrees about the X-axis with respect to the main body, and a perpendicular of the display 32 is in the same orientation as the optical axis of the CCD 41. In this attitude, the image captured by the CCD 41 is displayed as it is in the display 32. On the other hand, when the angle detector 51 detects that the lid 12 is rotated by a further 90 degrees with respect to the main body 11 from the attitude of FIG. 5 and the lid 12 and the main body 11 are opened by about 180 degrees, the image captured by the CCD 41 is rotated by 90 degrees, and the rotated image is displayed in the display 32. The present invention can be applied to portable type terminals such as mobile phones having a two axially rotatable structure, PDA, personal computers.
US07948551B2
A filed sequential color camera system includes a color camera, and an illumination unit. The color camera includes a separation optical system to separate an optical image of a subject incident from a lens in two directions; two solid-state imaging devices to convert into electric signals the respective optical images separated in the two directions; an electronic shutter control device to apply sequential exposure control to the two solid-state imaging devices within a time corresponding to a ½ frame for each one frame and at a non-overlapping interval; and a light-emitting sync signal output device to produce a light-emitting sync signal in sync with the sequential exposure control by the electronic shutter control device. The illumination unit receives the light-emitting sync signal from the color camera to emit multicolor light having different wavelength ranges in sync with exposure control of the solid-state imaging devices and in a sequential switch mode.
US07948545B2
A solid-state imaging device as defined herein, in which each of the signal reading circuits for reading the detection signals of the first-color pixels includes three transistors which are a reset transistor, a row selection transistor, and an output transistor; and each of the signal reading circuits for reading the detection signals of the second-color pixels and each of the signal reading circuits for reading the detection signals of the third-color pixels include four transistors which are a read transistor, a reset transistor, a row selection transistor, and an output transistor.
US07948535B2
A pixel sensor cell of improved dynamic range and a design structure including the pixel sensor cell embodied in a machine readable medium are provided. The pixel cell comprises a coupling transistor that couples a capacitor device to a photosensing region (e.g., photodiode) of the pixel cell, the photodiode being coupled to a transfer gate and one terminal of the coupling transistor. In operation, the additional capacitance is coupled to the pixel cell photodiode when the voltage on the photodiode is drawn down to the substrate potential. Thus, the added capacitance is only connected to the imager cell when the cell is nearing its charge capacity. Otherwise, the cell has a low capacitance and low leakage. In an additional embodiment, a terminal of the capacitor is coupled to a “pulsed” supply voltage signal that enables substantially full depletion of stored charge from the capacitor to the photosensing region during a read out operation of the pixel sensor cell. In various embodiments, the locations of the added capacitance and photodiode may be interchanged with respect to the coupling transistor. In addition, the added capacitor of the pixel sensor cell allows for a global shutter operation.
US07948533B2
A solid-state image sensor includes a pixel array unit including a plurality of pixels arranged in the form of an array, column signal lines adapted to transmit pixel signals output from pixels in respective columns, a noise adding unit adapted to add temporally constant and two-dimensional spatially random noise to the pixel signals transmitted via the column signal lines, and an analog-to-digital converter adapted to convert a signal level and a reference level of each pixel signal including the noise added thereto by the noise adding unit.
US07948527B2
A method of transferring a deferred vertical synchronous signal and an image signal processor executing the method thereof are disclosed. Once the vertical synchronous signal for an mth frame is inputted from an encoding unit, the method monitors whether image data columns in the quantity of n corresponding to a predetermined process block have been stored, using a count value inputted from the encoding unit, and outputs a corresponding vertical synchronous signal to a receiving part in case the image data columns in the quantity of n have been stored. Therefore, it becomes possible to increase the process efficiency of the back-end chip and to reduce the power consumption.
US07948524B2
An image processor is provided, which has the capability of detecting an object such as a human face from an image taken against the sun with high accuracy. An image signal provided from an image pickup unit is adjusted at an analog gain by an image adjuster. An out of the image adjuster is converted into a digital, and store in a memory. A feature of the object is extracted from this digital image data to detect an object area in the image. When the object area is not detected, an analog-gain controller sends that the image signal provided from the image pickup unit is adjusted at a different analog gain. Thus, the treatment of detecting the object area is repeated at different analog gains.
US07948522B2
Method for processing film images extracted from a film recording beam path of a moving image camera
A method for processing film images which are extracted from a recording beam path of a moving image camera and which are converted into digital assist signals by an optoelectronic transducer arranged in an assist beam path of the moving image camera is provided. Said assist beam path being interrupted periodically depending on the image recording frequency of the moving image camera, which digital assist signals are output to a processing unit with an image frequency matching the image recording frequency of the moving image camera or with an assist image frequency, to which processing unit recording, control and/or status signals of the moving image camera or of devices connected to the moving image camera are fed as metadata. The processing unit contains image conditioning functions and/or image analysis functions.
US07948515B1
A dual-camera 3-D rig has a support, a first camera with a first lens mounted to the support in a stationary position, a structural member with a curve affixed to the support adjustable over a range of positions to cause the curve to rotate relative to the axis of the structural member, and a second camera with a second lens slidably mounted to the structural member so it is free to move along the curve to vary interaxial spacing between the two cameras while the convergence distance between the two cameras is varied by adjustment of the curved structural member over a range of positions. Pinhole lenses are used and a mirror is positioned along an axis of the first lens in a position such that a reflected image of a first camera entrance pupil is at the height and longitudinal position of the second camera entrance pupil.
US07948500B2
A multi-threaded graphics processor is configured to use to extrapolate low resolution mipmaps stored in physical memory to produce extrapolated texture values while high resolution nonresident mipmaps are retrieved from a high latency storage resource and converted into resident mipmaps. The extrapolated texture values provide an improved image that appears sharper compared with using the low resolution mipmap level texture data in place of the temporarily unavailable high resolution mipmap level texture data. An extrapolation threshold LOD is used to determine when extrapolated magnification or minification texture filtering is used. The extrapolation threshold LOD may be used to smoothly transition from using extrapolated filtering to using interpolated filtering when a nonresident mipmap is converted to a resident mipmap.
US07948499B2
A color control algorithm compensates variations in the display system so as to maintain color consistency in the projected images on the screen by constructing a color mapping table of the display system to include effects due to the variations and during image display applications, generating inputs of the color mapping table to include the effects due to the variations in the display system.
US07948483B2
A photo detection circuit includes a photodiode whose cathode is connected to a high-potential-side power supply and whose anode is connected to a connection point; a capacitor element provided between the connection point and a low-potential-side power supply; and a switching element, provided between the connection point and the low-potential-side power supply, that switches on and off with a predetermined period. A voltage signal of the connection point is extracted as an output signal.
US07948479B2
The invention provides a system for distinguishing multiple touch points. The system comprises a panel, a first image capturing unit, a second image capturing unit, at least one third image capturing unit, and a processing unit. N touch points are indicated on the panel. A first image and a second image related to the N touch points are captured by the first image capturing unit and the second image capturing unit. At least one third image related to the N touch points is captured by the at least one third image capturing unit. N sets of coordinates corresponding to the N touch points are calculated by the processing unit according to the first image and the second image. And, a set of real coordinates corresponding to the N touch points is determined from the N sets of coordinates according to the at least one third image.
US07948478B2
An electrical touch pad includes a touch sensor for detecting operational inputs, and generating analog signals according to the operational inputs; a touch detection unit for receiving analog signals, amplifying the analog signals by a controllable gain to generate amplified analog signals, converting the amplified analog signals to generate digital signals, and sending the digital signals to a processor to determine a touched location; a humidity detection unit for detecting ambient humidity and determining a humidity level; and a humidity compensation unit for receiving the humidity level, generating a gain regulation signal to control the touch detection unit to regulate the controllable gain according to the humidity level. Thereby, in erratic behavior of the electrical touch pad can be prevented and stability of the touch pad is enhanced. A related method for regulating sensitivity of the electrical touch pad is also provided.
US07948477B2
A space-efficient substantially transparent mutual capacitance touch sensor panel can be created by forming columns made of a substantially transparent conductive material on one side of a first substantially transparent substrate, forming rows made of the substantially transparent conductive material on one side of a second substantially transparent substrate, adhering the two substrates together with a substantially transparent adhesive, bringing column connections down to the second substrate using vias, and routing both the column and row connections to a single connection area on the second substrate. In addition, in some embodiments some of the row connections can be routed to a second connection area on the second substrate to minimize the size of the sensor panel.
US07948475B2
A key control apparatus for a portable terminal including a first housing with first and second display units and a second housing with first and second key input units is provided. The key control apparatus includes a first key input unit, a second key input unit and a control unit. The first key input unit includes a plurality of touch-sensitive touch keys for implementing given functions, one or more mechanical keys, and a plurality of sensors for sensing the touching of the touch keys and implementing a scroll function. The second key input unit includes a plurality of mechanical keys for implementing given functions or functions corresponding to the keys arranged on the first key input unit. The control unit controls the apparatus so that when a touch key in the first key input unit is touched, a function given to the touch key is implemented.
US07948472B2
A scroll function is performed by a horizontally rotating disk-shaped or ring-shaped scroll plate. when the peripheral portion is pressed down, the scroll plate is inclined such that the pressure portion becomes the lowest level and it is possible to assign a fixed function at a position to be pressed down. A left click button is provided in the middle of the scroll plate.
US07948471B2
A liquid crystal device and method for displaying and sensing images are provided. According to one embodiment, the liquid crystal device includes a sensing part to sense an image in a scan mode of the liquid crystal device, the sensing part including at least one charging element which is charged at a start of the scan mode with a reset voltage, so as to reset the at least one charging element for the scan mode; and a display part to display an image corresponding to a data signal according to a scan signal in a display mode of the liquid crystal device.
US07948469B2
An image display device and an image display system which can establish visible light communication without interfering with an image displayed at a predetermined frame rate are provided. A controller controls a spatial light modulator in accordance with an image signal to display the image, and also modulates an intensity of a visible light output from a backlight with a frequency higher than the frame rate of the image signal to have the visible light output from the backlight carry additional information. A light receiver receives the visible light and demodulates to extract the additional information. An additional information generator outputs the additional information.
US07948467B2
A gate driver structure of TFT-LCD display, comprising: a plurality of first level shifters, each input terminal of which being connected with an input signal; a plurality of output buffers with a plurality of output terminals, each input terminal of the output buffers being connected with each output terminal of the first level shifters; a second level shifter, the input terminal of which being connected with a low voltage signal and the first output terminal of which being connected with a plurality of first level shifters. In addition, the connecting wires between each output terminal of the plurality of first level shifters and each input terminal of the plurality of output buffers are in parallel with a pair of first MOS and second MOS daisy-chained together. The gate of each first MOS is connected with the output terminal of output buffer of the previous cell, and the gate of each second MOS is connected with the second output terminal of the second level shifter.
US07948466B2
A dual resolution circuit for supporting normal resolution display mode and half resolution display mode is disclosed. In the dual resolution circuit, cascaded shift registers are controlled by a group of clock signals to generate intermediate scan signals in response to a start pulse. A normal/reverse scan switch, controlling a normal scan mode and a reverse scan mode, feeds back the intermediate scan signal from one shift register to another shift register. A dual resolution switch switches signal paths of the intermediate scan signals to logic gates. The logic gates perform logic operation on an enablement signal and the intermediate scan signals to generate final scan signals used in dual resolution display modes.
US07948463B2
The vertical scan period of the input video signal is divided into at least two sub-frames. In each of the sub-frames, a display signal voltage is written into each pixel. Two vertical scan periods in which the input video signals are continuous contain a sequence of two continuous sub-frames where a display signal voltage is written with the same polarity and a sub-frame where the polarity of the display signal voltage is inversed. The auxiliary capacity opposing voltage includes, in each of the sub-frames, a first waveform vibrating with a first cycle of the horizontal scan period multiplied by an integer not smaller than 2 and a second waveform in which an effective value of the auxiliary capacity opposing voltage is set to a predetermined constant value for each vertical scan period of a predetermined number of continuous input video signals.
US07948444B2
In a method and system for configuring an antenna for line of sight (LOS) communication procedures are implemented for providing low error rates at moderate transmission power. The antenna is configured for a particular communications distance over line of sight links providing multiple-input multiple-output communication links, including radio links and optical wireless communications links.
US07948443B2
A structural phased array antenna and method for manufacturing are disclosed. An integrated structural antenna aperture can be used to reduce net weight, cost, and volume where an array of antenna elements are incorporated into a structural member, e.g. in a spacecraft. A structural material layer, such as a structural foam, may be used with the array of individual antenna element cavities machined into the layer. The antenna element cavities are lined with a conductive material, such as plated aluminum. Facesheets may be bonded to the front and/or backside of the structural material layer in order to increase strength and/or stiffness using an RF transparent material. The array of antenna elements may be coupled to filters at the back side of structural material layer.
US07948438B1
In a system for determining the angle of arrival of a target signal received by an array of antenna elements, a receiver obtains observations of a received target signal from an array of antenna elements; and a computer processes the obtained observations of the target signal with estimates of a target signal for different angles of arrival of a target signal received by the array of antenna elements to determine that the angle of arrival of the target signal is an angle of arrival at which dissimilarity between the observations of target signal and the estimates of the target signal for the different angles of arrival is minimized.
US07948427B2
A method for detecting radar signal comprises the steps of: sampling a received signal so as to obtain a plurality of sampling values; taking an absolute value of the sampling values so as to obtain at least two parameters; and determining whether the received signal includes radar signals in accordance with the at least two parameters.
US07948423B2
A system, apparatus and method for continuous synchronization of multiple ADC circuits is described. The ADC circuits can be arranged in a master-slave configuration within the system so that the converter clock is subdivided into slower speeds for the data output clock or for the control of de-multiplexing the outputs onto a wider bus, while maintaining ADC-to-ADC synchronization resilient to perturbations from noise and other upset sources. The configuration of the ADCs in the master-slave configuration can be varied according to overall system requirements in any one of a sequential configuration, a parallel configuration or a tree type of configuration, as well as others. Digital and/or analog timing adjustments can be made to each of the ADC circuits. The master clocking signals can be generated by a master clock generator circuit, which is either internally implemented in an ADC circuit, or externally implemented as a separate master clock generator circuit.
US07948422B2
The invention relates to a method for converting a voltage identification code includes the steps as follows. A special binary code range is obtained, and N special voltage identification codes corresponding to a special command are converted to N special binary codes under a converting relation, and the N special binary codes are used as the special binary code range. A first voltage identification code is converted to a corresponding first binary code under the converting relation. In addition, the first binary code and a first preset value are used to compute to obtain a second binary code, and the second binary code is not in the special binary code range.
US07948417B2
A digital data harness, uses a signal specific conditioning circuit to interface with analog sensors. The signal specific conditioning circuits convert data signals from analog to digital and thereby allow the signals to be transmitted over a digital data harness.
US07948413B2
Analog to digital conversion characterized in that the square wave (z(t)) obtained as a result of modulation in an asynchronous Sigma-Delta modulator (ASDM) is subjected to conversion by counting the periods (T0) of the reference clock (RG) during subsequent pulses of the square wave by means of the counting module (CTM), and then each word obtained representing the number of periods of the reference clock counted during each given pulse of the square wave is recorded and stored in the intermediate buffer (TBUF). The duration of the serial transmission of the digital word obtained as a result of counting the periods of the reference clock during previous pulse of the square wave is simultaneously controlled by the control module (CM), and as soon as this transmission is completed, the content of the intermediate buffer (TBUF) is transferred to the transmitting buffer (TDR) of the apparatus.
US07948406B2
A method for encoding a sequence of integers includes identifying a contiguous sub-sequence in the sequence of integers wherein the sub-sequence includes interrelated integers having a same prefix when being variable length encoded and an independent last integer. A code for the contiguous sub-sequence is formed using a code for an indication of the number of interrelated integers in the contiguous subsequence, a code of a prefix indication, and the suffixes of variable length codes of the integers in the contiguous sub-sequence. In doing so, a single prefix is sufficient instead of n individual prefixes.
US07948403B2
An apparatus for aligning an aircraft with an area on the ground is provided. The apparatus includes an aircraft having an on-board landing system, the on-board landing system configured to record an image of an area on the ground. The apparatus also includes a location marker on the area of the ground, and a stored image showing at least a portion of the area of the recorded image. The on-board landing system is configured to obtain information from the location marker and use the information to align the recorded image with the stored image.
US07948402B2
The present invention relates to an object oriented architecture that includes a plurality of host aircraft interface objects that enable a plurality of different host aircraft or variants to be attached or interfaced to an associated store, such as a targeting pod or a weapon system. The union of all aircraft hosts and variants are packaged and maintained as one executable capable of adapting to the predetermined suite of identified hosts and host variants. At least one or more interface objects provide a virtual translation layer which is dynamically determined and allocated during instantiation. Auto detection of the host aircraft/host aircraft variant provides the specific interface protocol by which the store can process and provide status via a predetermined signal format.
US07948398B2
A traffic signal is provided for controlling vehicular traffic. The traffic signal includes a light source (10) having a light emitting diode (LED) array (D1, D2, D3, D4). A power regulator (14) is associated with the light source and is constructed and arranged to control input current to the light source. A traffic signal controller (16) is remote from the light source and the power regulator. The traffic signal controller is constructed and arranged to provide an input voltage signal to the power regulator, with the input current being based on the input voltage signal.
US07948393B2
A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load, the load control device comprising a bidirectional semiconductor switch operable to be coupled in series electrical connection between the source and the load, the semiconductor switch having a control input; a controller operatively coupled to the control input of the semiconductor switch for controlling the amount of power delivered to the load; an actuator operatively coupled to the controller such that the controller is operable to determine a desired amount of power to be delivered to the load in response to actuations of the actuator; and a visual display responsive to the controller; wherein the controller is operable to illuminate the visual display to a first intensity upon actuation of the actuator and to subsequently illuminate the visual display to a second intensity less than the first intensity after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the actuation of the actuator.
US07948391B2
A signaling device for a safety circuit has an input part for receiving an external state variable, at least one switching element and a control part. The control part controls the at least one switching element as a function of the external state variable, such that a signal applied to the input is communicated to the output. According to one aspect of the invention, the input of the switching element is internally connected to a fixed potential, preferably a fixed High potential. In a safety circuit for turning off a hazardous installation, such signaling devices are connected in series with one another to a safety controller. In such an arrangement, the control part of the downstream second signaling device also controls its switching elements as a function of the output of the first signaling device.
US07948390B2
A system and method for continual cable thermal monitoring using cable characteristic considerations in Power over Ethernet (PoE) applications. Cable heating in PoE applications is detected through changes in electrical characteristics of the cable itself. By periodically monitoring the electrical characteristics such as insertion loss or cross talk of the cable, it can be determined whether the cable has exceeded certain thermal operating thresholds.
US07948381B2
Reversibly activating or deactivating a radio frequency identification (RFID) data tag comprising a circuit responsive to an environmental factor. An RFID tag includes an RFID chip for storing an RFID code, an antenna for communicating a radio frequency (RF) signal, and an environmentally sensitive switch.
US07948378B2
A non-defeatable magnetically actuatable switch device is shown and described for restricting access to industrial controls. The non-contact switch device employs one or more non-contact access switches, and an access key removably disposed in close proximity to each access switch. Removal or installation of an access key alters the electrical state of a corresponding access switch. A connected control unit determines a mode of operation, or grants permissions, based on the combination of access keys that are present or absent from the device. A lockable or sealable cover is provided over the access keys to limit unauthorized access. A tamper detection switch is also provided for the sole purpose of identifying foreign magnetic sources in the vicinity of the access switches to ensure that the device is non-defeatable. Furthermore, all access and tamper detection switches are magnetically actuatable and thus provide a completely contact-free means of securing and restricting access to sensitive controls and parameters.
US07948377B2
To monitor the functioning of the services of a first infrastructure (CI1) upon which the functioning of the critical services of a second infrastructure (CI2) depend, a server (SS) capable of communicating with both infrastructures receives, upon the detection of a failure of a service of the first infrastructure by a first terminal (CT1) included within the first infrastructure, an identifier (SI) for the faulty service sent from the first terminal. The server transmits a request to the first terminal in order to retrieve the characteristics settings values of the faulty service, and apply correlation rules to the retrieved values in order to produce information relevant to the functioning of the faulty service. The server transmits a message (SPM) containing the produced information to a second terminal (CT2) included within the second infrastructure, so that the second infrastructure can react to the failure of a service of the first infrastructure.
US07948374B2
A two-way remote control unit includes at least one two-way remote controller provided with remotely calling and locating functions, so that a user can save the money that is otherwise needed for purchasing an additional calling device or a finder for calling or locating the remote controller, and needs not to troublesomely carry the calling device and finder around. Users can use two-way remote controllers of the same type to call or locate one another, and the two-way remote controller can be conveniently used as a finder, too.
US07948369B2
Methods and apparatus for providing multi-stage signal amplification in a medical telemetry system are provided.
US07948368B2
A method, evacuation system and hazard warning center for the evacuation of a building divided into sections by the hazard warning center, which is connected to at least one hazard warning unit detecting a hazard. The hazard warning center produces an evacuation plan for the sections of the building on the basis of the location of the hazard detected by the hazard warning unit, the data received in connection with the hazard and at least one stored condition, and at least one alarm signaling unit in a section is sent at least one request to emit either a warning signal or an evacuation signal on the basis of the evacuation plan.
US07948364B2
A method for identifying tire location including the steps of transmitting a low frequency signal at different power levels and receiving radio frequency identification signals. Tire identification and location based on low frequency power level for two tire transmitters is determined. Radio frequency signals from two different tire transmitters are received and tire identification and location are determined based on radio frequency signal strength.
US07948361B2
Systems and methods for employing histological and physiological biometric markers that are substantially unique to an individual in order to activate a device, participate in a transaction, or identify himself or herself, wherein at least one biometric marker is obtained by one or more electrical contacts on the surface of the skin. A biometric identification of an individual is obtained by a heartbeat waveform, which is acquired by one or more direct electrical contacts. A mechanism for biometric authentication is used that includes one or more electrodes, an electrical signal receiver, a memory module, and a processing module.
US07948349B2
A magnetic coupler having higher response is provided. The magnetic coupler includes a thin film coil wound in a first layer; a first MR element being disposed in a second layer, and detecting an induced magnetic field generated by a signal current flowing through the thin film coil; and yokes being disposed close to the first MR element, and including a soft magnetic material. The first MR element is disposed in a position corresponding to a linear region of the thin film coil in a stacking direction. The yokes are disposed at both of an inner turn side and an outer turn side of the thin film coil in a manner of interposing the first MR element in the second layer. Thus, reduction in intensity of the induced magnetic field is suppressed, and intensity distribution of the induced magnetic field becomes flatter.
US07948344B2
A coil bobbin has a cylindrical portion around which a coil winding is wound. The coil winding is comprised of coil members of an end-defined ring shape, the coil members have indentations indented outwardly in part of their inner periphery, and circumferential positions of the indentations are coincident with those of the indentations. Claws and flanges protruding outwardly are integrally provided at both ends of the cylindrical portion, and the cylindrical portion is inserted into openings of the coil members so that the claws pass through the indentations. In a state in which the claws are located out of the coil member, the cylindrical portion is rotated whereby the coil winding is interposed between the claws and the flanges.
US07948341B2
A coil for an inductive sensor, such as a coil which is used in a sensor that operates according to the principle of electromagnetic force compensation for converting an amount of force generated by a load applied to a force-measuring cell into an electrical signal, is provided with protection against the penetration of moisture. The protection includes a protective covering with a surface-smoothing undercoating applied to the coil, on which a second level of coverage is applied as a protective coating against the penetration of moisture.
US07948332B2
A radio frequency (RF) channelizer includes a first four-port balun, a second four part balun and a pair of filters coupled between the first and second four port baluns. The filters operate such that RF signals having a frequency within a desired frequency band (so-called “in-band” signals) can propagate between the first and second baluns (e.g. from the first balun to the second balun) while signals having a frequency outside the desired frequency band (so-called “out-of-band signals”) are reflected back to the first balun. One filter reflects out-of-band signals while maintaining the magnitude and phase of the signal (i.e. with a 0 degree phase shift), while the other filter reflects out-of-band signals with a phase-reversal (i.e. with a 180 degree phase shift). With this approach, the reflected signals propagate to a sum port (or even mode port) of the first balun. In this way, the balun-filter combination results in a channelizer which separates signals into different frequency bands.
US07948325B2
A gain compensator compensates for the gain variation of a varactor-tuned voltage tuned oscillator (VCO) in a phase lock loop (PLL). The VCO includes a parallel LC circuit having multiple fixed capacitors that can be switched-in or switched-out of the LC circuit according to a capacitor control signal to perform band-select tuning of the VCO. The gain compensator compensates for the variable VCO gain by generating a charge pump reference current that is based on the same capacitor control signal that controls the fixed capacitors in the LC circuit. The gain compensator generates the charge pump reference current by replicating a reference scale current using unit current sources. The number of times the reference scale current is replicated is based on the fixed capacitance that is switched-in to the LC circuit and therefore the frequency band of the PLL. The reference scale current is generated based on a PLL control that specifics certain PLL characteristics such as reference frequency, loop bandwidth, and loop damping. Therefore, the reference pump current can be efficiently optimized for-changing PLL operating conditions, in addition to compensating for variable VCO gain.
US07948323B2
Various amplifier configurations having increased bandwidth, linearity, dynamic range, and less distortion are shown and disclosed. To increase bandwidth in a transimpedance amplifier, a replica circuit is created to replicate a degeneration resistance, or the resistance or value that relates to a feedback resistance. From the replica circuit, the replicated values are mirrored and processed to control a FET switch which modifies a degeneration resistance. The FET switch control signal is related to the feedback resistance and modifies the degeneration resistance to thereby maintain the product of the feedback resistance and the degeneration resistance as a constant. In another embodiment, a second switch controlled by an automatic gain control signal is established between a first stage amplifier and a second stage amplifier to improve dynamic range and bandwidth without degrading other amplifier specifications.
US07948322B2
A balun amplifier is provided, which includes two input terminals, two output terminals and two modules. The first and the second input terminals receive a single-ended input signal, respectively. The first and the second output terminals provide a differential output signal. The first module is coupled to the first input terminal, the first output terminal, and the second output terminal. The second module is coupled to the second input terminal, the first output terminal, and the second output terminal. The first and the second modules receive the single-ended input signal through the first and the second input terminals respectively, amplify the single-ended input signal respectively, and convert the single-ended input signal into the differential output signal. The circuit topologies of the first and the second modules are symmetric except that types of transistors in the first and the second modules are different.
US07948319B2
One embodiment of the invention includes a current-mirror system. The system includes a current-mirror circuit configured to conduct an input current through a first current path that includes a first degeneration resistance device and to generate an output current that flows through a second current path that includes a second degeneration resistance device. The output current can be substantially proportional to the input current. The system also includes a degeneration control circuit configured to maintain a substantially constant degeneration voltage across each of the first and second degeneration resistance devices.
US07948315B2
A low noise variable gain amplifier and method for processing received signals in an ultrasound medical imaging system is disclosed. Unlike solutions known from the prior art, the signals are amplified by a binary-coded gain amplifier having its amplification factor progressively increased during the penetration of the transmitted pulse into a patient's body. This allows enhancing both the system dynamic range and Signal to Noise Ratio.
US07948314B2
A tunable, linear operational transconductance amplifier includes a differential voltage to current conversion unit adapted to generate first and second output signals at respective first and second output nodes responsive to first and second differential input signals. A first current amplification unit is adapted to generate a third output signal responsive to the first output signal and first and second control signals. A second current amplification unit is adapted to generate a fourth output signal responsive to the second output signal and the first and second control signals.
US07948312B2
Techniques for designing an efficient power amplifier are described. In one aspect, multiple single unit instance class-D power amplifiers with coupled outputs are utilized to increase efficiency and reduce quantization noise. In another aspect, multiple groups of single unit instance class-D power amplifiers are coupled at the outputs thereof with each group of power amplifiers configured to resonate at unique frequency. This results in increased efficiency and reduction of quantization noise at multiple frequencies bands.
US07948309B2
An amplifier circuit includes a transconductance amplifier at an input side of the amplifier circuit, a transimpedance amplifier connected to an output of the transconductance amplifier, and a voltage amplifier connected to an output of the transimpedance amplifier. The transconductance amplifier and the transimpedance amplifier form a low-impedance node at an interface thereof. A feedback circuit is connected between an output of the voltage amplifier and the low-impedance node between the transconductance amplifier and the transimpedance amplifier. The transconductance amplifier, the transimpedance amplifier, and the voltage amplifier form a main amplifier stage. The feedback circuit senses an imbalance in an output of the main amplifier stage, whereby a correction signal is integrated and negatively fed back to the low-impedance node between the transconductance amplifier and the transimpedance amplifier.
US07948307B2
A dual dielectric tri-gate field effect transistor, a method of fabricating a dual dielectric tri-gate field effect transistor, and a method of operating a dual dielectric tri-gate effect transistor are disclosed. In one embodiment, the dual dielectric tri-gate transistor comprises a substrate, an insulating layer on the substrate, and at least one semiconductor fin. A first dielectric having a first dielectric constant extends over sidewalls of the fin, and a metal layer extends over the first dielectric, and a second dielectric having a second dielectric constant is on a top surface of the fin. A gate electrode extends over the fin and the first and second dielectrics. The gate electrode and the first dielectric layer form first and second gates having a threshold voltage Vt1, and the gate electrode and the second dielectric layer form a third gate having a threshold voltage Vt2 different than Vt1.
US07948306B2
This disclosure provides active power filter methods and apparatus to control the PF, harmonics and/or ripple current associated with powering electrical devices. According to one exemplary aspect, an active power filter is configured to measure the momentary ac line output current, measure the momentary ac line input current and switch an energy buffer to provide additional current to the ac line output or draw current from the ac line input to control the PF associated with the device.
US07948288B2
A phase determination section determines the quantity of first fixed delay elements for delaying a clock signal by one cycle and generates a selection signal indicating the determination result. A phase adjustment section determines, based on the selection signal, the quantity of second fixed delay elements for delaying an input signal and generates the output signal by delaying the input signal by a certain phase amount. The phase adjustment section includes a variable delay unit which generates, based on the selection signal, a variable delay time allowing the delay time of the output signal to be adjusted in steps of ½n the delay time of one of the second fixed delay elements.
US07948286B2
A loop bandwidth control apparatus applied to a phase locked loop (PLL) includes a first loop filter module, a second loop filter module, a control module, a first switching module, and a second switching module. The first filter module and the second loop filter module output a first voltage and a second voltage, respectively. The second loop filter module has a bandwidth different from that of the first loop filter module. According to one of the first voltage and the second voltage, the control module generates a bandwidth control signal. According to the bandwidth control signal, the first switching module forms a path between a charge pump and one of the first loop filter module and the second loop filter module, and the second switching module forms a path between a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and one of the first loop filter module and the second loop filter module.
US07948284B2
Provided is a power-on reset circuit suitable for a semiconductor device that operates at a low supply voltage. When a supply voltage (VDD) becomes higher than a first output circuit reversal threshold voltage (Vz) after a reset signal is output, a first control circuit (51) operates so that the reset signal is not output. With an appropriate circuit design in which the first output circuit reversal threshold voltage (Vz) is low, the output and stop of the reset signal is enabled at the low supply voltage (VDD).
US07948283B2
An apparatus is used to awake an electronic device to an active mode from a standby mode in case of change in the voltage of a power supply of the electronic device. The apparatus includes a power supply for supplying electricity, a switch connected to the power supply, a low-voltage reset unit connected to the switch, a micro-controller unit connected to the switch and a monitoring and awaking unit. The monitoring and awaking unit includes an actuator connected to the switch, a bias generator and the actuator through a comparator connected to the micro-processing unit. The control over the power supply by the switch causes change in the voltage of the actuator which cooperates with the bias generator and the comparator to generate an awaking signal to awake the micro-processing unit.
US07948282B2
A first comparator compares an output voltage Vout appearing at a capacitor with a maximum threshold voltage Vmax. A second comparator compares the output voltage Vout with a minimum threshold voltage Vmin. An edge detection circuit detects an edge of a synchronization signal SYNC having approximately ½ of frequency of the output voltage Vout and outputs an edge detection signal SE. A charge-discharge control unit refers to the first and the second comparison signal, and sets the charge-discharge circuit to a discharging state when the output voltage Vout becomes higher than the maximum threshold voltage Vmax and sets the charge-discharge circuit to a charging state when the output voltage Vout becomes lower than the minimum threshold voltage Vmin. When the edge signal SE becomes the predetermined level, the charge-discharge control unit switches the charging state and the discharging state of the charge-discharge circuit.
US07948279B2
There is provided a true single phase logic clock divider that is configured to selectively divide a clock signal by increments of two, three, four, or six. Because the true single phase logic clock divider is based on true single phase logic instead of static logic, the true single phase logic clock divider is able to reliably divide clock signals that could not reliably be divided by clock dividers based on static logic gates. The true single phase logic clock divider is capable of reliably operating at frequencies of greater than or equal to two gigahertz.
US07948275B2
A fault tolerant driver circuit includes a data output driver that receives an enable input and that includes a transistor formed on an isolation well. A well bias circuit provides a first well bias to the isolation well. The well bias circuit includes voltage-controlled impedances that are controlled by a voltage of the data output line, the enable input and a supply voltage. The voltage-controlled impedances connect the first well bias alternatively to: a common conductor through a first impedance when the supply voltage is ON and the enable input is ON; and a second impedance when the supply voltage is on and enable is OFF.
US07948274B2
A method includes generating a plurality of reference phases of a reference signal and selecting a sub-phase from each of the plurality of reference phases to form a set of selected sub-phases. In the method selecting operates in response to synchronized outputs of a multi-phase phase accumulator that operates synchronously in accordance with one of the sub-phases of the set of sub-phases, and where the outputs of the multi-phase phase accumulator may be synchronized using at least one additional sub-phase.
US07948267B1
A specialized processing block for a configurable integrated circuit device includes circuitry for performing multiplications and sums thereof, as well as circuitry for rounding the result. The rounding circuitry reuses an adder that is also available, in other configurations, for accumulation of the result. Rounding is performed by adding a constant to the result and then truncating at the bit position at which rounding is desired. The constant may be entered by a user, or may be derived based on a desired rounding method from mask data entered by the user to identify the rounding bit position.
US07948258B2
A semiconductor arrangement has a semiconductor body (CP), comprising a semiconductor layer (HL) with a first (AB11, AB12) and at least one second (AB21, AB22) conducting terminal areas, respectively made in two parts, and with a first (TAB1) and a second (TAB2) test terminals; a first (KI1, KU1) and at least one second (KI2, KU2) contact areas, located on the semiconductor body (CP) and made of two parts, which are connected with the respective terminal areas (AB11, AB12; AB21, AB22), and a first (TK1) and a second (TK2) test contact areas that are connected with the respective test terminal areas (TAB1, TAB2); a first terminal (10) that can be arranged on the semiconductor body (CP) and that contacts both parts of the two-part first contact areas (KI1, KU1), and at least one second terminal (20) that can be placed on the semiconductor body (CP) and that contacts both parts of the at least one second two-part contact area (KI2, KU2), and a first (30) and a second (40) test terminals, which can be arranged on the semiconductor body (CP). Moreover, a method is provided for the measurement of a resistance.
US07948251B2
The present invention relates to a guide device comprising a baseplate unit having formed therein a guide channel for guiding electronic devices, wherein at least two portions of the baseplate unit are spatially fixed, said guide device being characterized in that means for compensating the thermal expansion of the baseplate unit are provided. The invention additionally relates to a test apparatus which comprises the guide device according to the present invention.
US07948246B2
A device and method for identifying an accessory device connected to a first port and a second port of an electronic device by determining an impedance of the accessory device across the first port and the second port is provided. The electronic device generally includes a first port (e.g. a universal serial bus) configured to receive a first connector from an associated accessory device and a second port (e.g. an audio port) configured to receive a second connector from the associated accessory device. The electronic device includes circuitry coupled to the first port and the second port for determining an impedance associated with the accessory device as measured across the first port and the second port. An identification of the accessory device is then made based on the impedance of the electronic device.
US07948239B1
In one aspect of the present invention, an induction resistivity tool includes an induction transmitter and an induction receiver located along the length of the tool. The transmitter is located adjacent at least one induction bucking coils of the tool. When activated the bucking coils are configured to direct a field transmitted by the induction transmitter away from the tool at an angle from the central axis of the tool.
US07948233B2
Omnidirectional eddy current array probes for detecting flaws in a conductive test object generally includes semi-circular wave shaped continuous drive lines in two rows disposed in two layers that are multiplexed for omnidirectional inspection without blind spots. The semicircular wave shaped continuous drive lines are superimposed to form pseudo-circular drive lines, wherein each row of drive lines is offset laterally by a distance preferably equal to a quarter wavelength of the wave pattern. For only parallel and perpendicular flaws, the drive multiplexing is not needed and each row will have only one set of drive lines. In alternate embodiments, there can be square-shaped, oval shaped, rectangular-shaped or other shaped wave patterns as well. Also disclosed are methods for sensing surface flaws and compensating their response.
US07948229B2
A system and method for sensing the periodic proximity of one or more objects, such as the rotating blades of a gas turbine. The system includes a passive eddy current sensing unit having first and second magnets and first and second coil-wound cores coupled to generate and detect first and second magnetic fields. The sensing unit is positioned relative to the object such that the first and second coil-wound cores produce outputs in response to the object periodically passing through the first and second magnetic fields, respectively. Circuitry electronically combines the outputs of the first and second coil-wound cores to produce output signals corresponding to the proximity and timing of the object as it periodically passes through the first and second magnetic fields. Electromagnetic interference noise present in the outputs of the first and second coil-wound cores is eliminated from the output signals of the circuitry.
US07948222B2
Techniques for performing DC to DC power conversion in switch-mode converter circuits include combinations of dynamic switch shedding, phase shedding, symmetric phase circuit topologies, and asymmetric phase circuit topologies. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a method of operating a power converter circuit includes operating a first phase switch circuit portion using a first number of switch devices when the power converter circuit is configured in a first mode of operation. The first number is greater than zero. The method includes operating the first phase switch circuit portion using the first number of switch devices when the power converter circuit is configured in a second mode of operation. The method includes operating a second phase switch circuit portion using a second number of switch devices when the power converter circuit is configured in the second mode of operation. The second number is greater than the first number.
US07948218B2
The voltage regulator receives power in A.C. from a permanent magnet voltage generator, having phase windings with a configurable connection, to supply power in D.C. to a battery. The voltage regulator comprises a plurality of semi-bridge rectifiers connected between the terminals of the phase windings of the voltage generator, and a battery power supply terminal; it also comprises a control circuit designed to change over the connection of the phase windings between two different configurations, for example star and delta, in relation to the charging voltage of the battery upon exceeding a threshold value of the phase frequency of the voltage generator.
US07948217B2
A distributed generation system that can suppress a voltage fluctuation caused by a distributed generation by an apparatus of a small power capacity in the distributed generation itself and stabilize the power system voltage without inserting interharmonic voltage or current into the power system and without interference among a plurality of distributed generations. Parameter α(t) varying with time is estimated based on fluctuating component ΔP of the active power P generated by the distributed generation and the voltage fluctuating component ΔV attributable to the distributed generation developed at the point of connection between the distributed generation and power system. The distributed generation produces reactive power Q=−αP or Q=−αΔP, to thereby suppresses only the voltage fluctuation of the power system attributable to the distributed generation.
US07948204B2
According to one disclosed embodiment, a gate driver circuit for sensorless speed detection and driving a switching stage includes high side and low side switches series connected across a DC bus and having a switching node between the series switches, the gate driver having a bootstrap power supply for powering a high side driver driving the high side switch of the switching stage and a low side driver power supply, and further includes a comparator circuit to periodically compare the voltage between the bootstrap and low side driver power supplies with a threshold and to output a first signal, wherein the first signal indicates current sign and frequency.
US07948199B2
An electrical apparatus comprising an amplifier having a first input, a second input, and an output. The apparatus further comprises a first electrical path coupled to the first input and having a first resistance and a first electrical path coupled to the second input and having a second resistance. The apparatus further comprises a second electrical path coupled to the second input and having a third resistance and a second electrical path, comprising an electrically-controllable resistance, coupled between the output and the first input. Further, the apparatus comprises circuitry for controlling the electrically-controllable resistance for adjusting a ratio between the electrically-controllable resistance and the third resistance to approximate a ratio between the first resistance and the second resistance.
US07948196B2
A system comprising a chassis that includes a plurality of modules and a fan assembly disposed in a distal end of the chassis for drawing air in parallel pathways through the plurality of modules. At least one of the modules is a compute module having a thermal sensor disposed to sense the temperature of air flowing across a processor mounted on a motherboard. The system further comprises a fan controller receiving output from the thermal sensor, wherein the fan controller operates the fan assembly to cool the plurality of modules and maintain the thermal sensor output within an operating temperature range. The fan controller controls the fan speed according to predetermined thermal profile settings associated with one of the compute modules received in the chassis. For example, the predetermined thermal profile settings may include a minimum fan speed, a maximum fan speed, and control loop feedback settings.
US07948194B2
An apparatus for monitoring current for a motor drive including at least high-side and low-side switching transistors includes a driver circuit for driving a gate of the low-side switching transistor. First circuitry measures a drain to source voltage across the low-side switching transistor and generates a voltage output responsive thereto. Second circuitry has a first state of operation that samples the voltage output of the first circuitry when the low-side switching transistor is turned on and has a second state of operation to sample the voltage output of the first circuitry when the low-side switching transistor is turned off. The second circuitry further generates a monitored output current responsive to the sampled voltage output.
US07948189B2
An arrangement includes a plurality of microsystems and a controller. Each of the plurality of wireless microsystems is operable to measure at least one parameter of a space, and to transmit the at least one parameter wirelessly. The controller is operably coupled to receive the information corresponding to the at least one parameter directly or indirectly. The controller is operable to cause a change in a lighting control level based at least in part on the information. The wireless microsystems may suitably measure light levels and/or occupancy regarding the space.
US07948181B2
A plasma display panel includes a front substrate having a first color, a rear substrate facing the front substrate, barrier ribs disposed between the front and rear substrates and defining discharge cells, the barrier ribs having a second color, phosphor layers disposed in the discharge cells, display electrodes arranged on the front substrate and extending in a first direction, the discharge electrodes corresponding to the discharge cells, a dielectric layer disposed on the front substrate and covering the display electrodes, the dielectric layer having a third color, address electrodes arranged on the rear substrate and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, the address electrodes corresponding to the discharge cells, and a filter disposed on the front substrate and having a fourth color. The first through fourth colors realize a subtractive color mixture through a complementary coloring with each other.
US07948177B2
A display device includes a first substrate dividing into a pixel region including a pixel and a non-pixel region other than the pixel region, a second substrate opposed to a predetermined region including the pixel region on the first substrate, and a frit seal formed between the first substrate and the second substrate to encapsulate the first substrate and the second substrate. On the non-pixel region of the first substrate, a buffer layer is formed. An insulating film is formed on the buffer layer and a predetermined region of the insulating layer is etched. A portion of a first metal film is exposed by etching. A second metal film is formed to overlap the exposed portion of the first metal film. A protective film is formed on the insulating film and the second metal film.
US07948173B2
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting diode display and a method for manufacturing the same, including: a substrate; first signal lines formed on the substrate and including first pad units; second signal lines that intersect the first signal lines and include second pad units; first thin film transistors that are electrically connected to the first signal lines and the second signal lines; second thin film transistors that are electrically connected to the first thin film transistors; pixel electrodes that are electrically connected to the second thin film transistors; common electrodes facing the pixel electrodes; light emitting members that are formed between the pixel electrodes and the common electrodes; contact assistants that are formed on the first pad units and the second pad units; and protective partitions that enclose circumferences of the contact assistants.
US07948164B2
An organic electro luminescence device includes: a display region and a non-display region defined in first and second substrates, sub-pixels defined in the display region; an array element including at least one TFT in the display region of the first substrate in each sub-pixel; a first electrode in an inner surface of the second substrate; a buffer in a predetermined region to partition an emission region of each sub-pixel on the first electrode, and an electrode separator on the buffer; an insulating layer in the emission region of each sub-pixel, and a spacer formed on the insulating layer; an organic electro luminescent layer in the emission region of each sub-pixel, the emission region including the insulating layer and the spacer; and a second electrode on the second substrate where the organic electro luminescent layer is formed.
US07948156B2
A piezoelectric resonator device comprises a piezoelectric resonator plate, a base for holding the piezoelectric resonator plate, a lid for hermetically enclosing the piezoelectric resonator plate held on the base, and a support member made of a brittle material for reducing external stress to the piezoelectric resonator plate. The piezoelectric resonator plate is held on the base via a support member. In this case, the base, the piezoelectric resonator plate, and the support member are bonded with each other using a base bonding member and a piezoelectric resonator plate bonding member (connection bumps) by FCB using ultrasonic waves. The base is electrically and mechanically bonded with the support member via the base bonding member in a plurality of areas of the support member using ultrasonic waves. Also, the piezoelectric resonator plate is electrically and mechanically bonded with the support member via the piezoelectric resonator plate bonding member in an area of the piezoelectric resonator plate using ultrasonic waves.
US07948147B2
A sensor network is described which includes a stretchable silicon substrate, and a plurality of nodes fabricated on the stretchable silicon substrate. The nodes include at least one of an energy harvesting and storage element, a communication device, a sensing device, and a processor. The nodes are interconnected via interconnecting conductors formed in the substrate.
US07948142B2
A rotor provided in rotary electric machines comprises a stator core having a radial direction and slots provided with bottomed openings directed in the radial direction. The rotor also comprises a stator coil comprising slot accommodation portions being accommodated in the slots of the stator core and coil end portions each connecting mutually adjacent slot accommodation portions among the slot accommodation portions and respectively protruding from both end faces of the stator core. The stator coil is pre-formed into a cylindrical shape before the slot accommodation portions are accommodated into the slots of the stator core. The slot accommodation portions are formed to respectively have convex parts each protruding toward an opposite way to the slot openings, before the slot accommodation portions are accommodated into the slots. The convex parts are pressed by the stator core toward the openings during accommodation of the slot accommodation portions into the slots.
US07948135B2
A radial anisotropic sintered magnet formed into a cylindrical shape includes a portion oriented in directions tilted at an angle of 30° or more from radial directions, the portion being contained in the magnet at a volume ratio in a range of 2% or more and 50% or less, and a portion oriented in radial directions or in directions tilted at an angle less than 30° from radial directions, the portion being the rest of the total volume of the magnet. The radial anisotropic sintered magnet has excellent magnet characteristics without occurrence of cracks in the steps of sintering and cooling for aging, even if the magnet has a shape of a small ratio between an inner diameter and an outer diameter.
US07948129B2
A conductive connecting member is connected to electric wire with insulating coating by a fusing process so that electric continuity therebetween is ensured. The conductive connecting member includes a connecting section and a groove portion. The connecting section is formed by being bent so as to have an inner surface including a bottom surface and both side surfaces to be bonded to the electric wire. The groove portion is formed in the inner surface of the connecting section. The groove portion has a longitudinal groove extending in a direction of the inner surface intersecting with a longitudinal direction of the electric wire. The groove portion is positioned substantially at a center of the longitudinal direction of the electric wire. The groove portion may further have an inclined groove obliquely extending from the longitudinal groove or a transverse groove extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal groove.
US07948126B2
Disclosed is a liquid cooling system for an electric machine including a frame heat conductively attachable to a stator of an electric machine. The liquid cooling system further includes a cover mechanically attached to the frame and fluidly sealed to the frame, the cover and frame defining a cavity therebetween. The cover includes at least one protrusion extending substantially a distance between the cover and the frame. A method for constructing a liquid is also provided. The method includes forming at least one protrusion in the cover and structurally affixing the cover to the frame. The cover is fluidly sealed to the frame.
US07948124B1
An energy harvesting apparatus comprising: a substrate; two magnets coupled to the substrate in close proximity to each other with like magnetic poles facing each other creating a flux gap; a coil coupled to the substrate and disposed within the flux gap, wherein the coil and the magnets are coupled to the substrate such that substrate acceleration causes relative motion between the magnets and the coil thereby exposing the coil to a changing magnetic flux.
US07948123B2
The invention relates to a primary part (2) for an electrical machine (1), with the primary part (2) being formed at least from a laminated core (3) and having at least one element (11) for reduction of the force ripple adjacent to one or both of its respective end faces (S1, S2), with the element (11) being electrically conductive (κel>0) and having negligibly low magnetic permeability (μr≅1).
US07948116B2
Method and apparatus for controlling a supply current for a circuit or a plurality of circuit blocks
A method for controlling a supply current for a circuit comprises setting a target value of a quantity related to a supply current, said target value being different from a presently established value of the quantity, and adjusting the quantity until a value of the quantity corresponds to the target value. A method for controlling a supply current to a plurality of circuit blocks comprises providing a plurality of partial supply currents to the plurality of circuit blocks, setting at least one target value of a quantity related to at least one of the partial supply currents, checking whether a predetermined condition which depends on the at least one set target value is achieved, and if the predetermined condition is not achieved, changing at least one among the at least one target values and the at least one partial supply currents to achieve the predetermined condition.
US07948114B2
An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing a power switch array with adjustable current rating power switches. A plurality of current rating power switches is provided that connects a power supply unit to a plurality of device ports. A power switch array controller is provided that adjusts an adjustable current rating in each of the plurality of adjustable current rating power switches. Each of the plurality of adjustable current rating power switches is adjustable to a selected number of current values. The power switch array controller dynamically adjusts the current ratings in the adjustable current power switches as required by the current requirements of the device ports.
US07948106B2
A power generating apparatus and a power generating method capable of reducing a power generating price by generating a power by high head turbines and a generator used in a dam type or conduit type power plant even if the head of water is small. The power generating apparatus comprises first water wheels (2) driven by the flow of water (W1), pumps (3) connected to the first water wheels (2) and pumping up a part of the water (W1), a pressure control valve (7) raising the pressure of the water (W1) discharged from the pumps (3) to a predetermined pressure, a second water wheel (4) installed on the ground and driven by the water (W1) from the pressure control valve (7), and a generator (5) installed on the ground and driven by the second water wheel (4).
US07948104B2
Method of operating a wind turbine with pitch control, a wind turbine and a cluster of wind turbines
A method of operating a wind turbine with pitch control, in which values of the generated power and the operating speed of the rotor are established at a discrete number of secure ranges for wind speeds above a critical wind velocity. A wind turbine and a cluster of wind turbines employing such a method are also contemplated.
US07948103B2
A wind turbine verification system is described that includes a wind turbine controller having a plurality of wind turbine operating parameters stored therein and a verification device that includes a processor, memory device, and user input mechanism. The verification device is configured to communicatively couple to the wind turbine controller via a data link. The verification device is also configured to receive at least one parameter from the wind turbine controller and execute a verification program on the wind turbine controller, wherein the verification program is configured to iterate through a plurality of predefined tasks. The verification device is configured to verify at least one operating condition of a wind turbine based on the executed verification program.
US07948097B2
In an apparatus, for example key (25) or locking cylinder (26), for actuating a locking element (14), having a converter (13) for converting mechanical into electrical energy, comprising a magnetic circuit (5) and an induction coil (1) through which the magnetic flux from the magnetic circuit passes, wherein the magnetic circuit (5) or the induction coil (1) is in the form of a movable component and the respective other part is in the form of a fixed component, the movable component is held by a leaf spring (7) and is arranged such that it can be deflected so as to carry out oscillating movements in only one plane.
US07948094B2
The semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor layer, an interlayer dielectric film formed on the semiconductor layer, a wire formed on the interlayer dielectric film with a metallic material to have a width of not more than 0.4 μm, and a broad portion integrally formed on the wire to extend from the wire in the width direction thereof.
US07948093B2
Disclosed is a low cost memory IC package assembly having a first metal layer bonded to the die and a dielectric insulating layer with circuits and with apertures to expose the first metal layer bonded thereto.
US07948092B2
A method of manufacturing an electronic component includes the steps of: a) forming via holes penetrating through a first semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor substrate which are bonded together by way of a connection layer; b) pattern-etching the second semiconductor substrate using the connection layer as an etch-stop layer to form trenches communicated with the via holes; and c) integrally forming first via plugs buried in the via holes and pattern wirings buried in the trenches through plating.
US07948082B2
Nanowire articles and methods of making the same are disclosed. A conductive article includes a plurality of inter-contacting nanowire segments that define a plurality of conductive pathways along the article. The nanowire segments may be semiconducting nanowires, metallic nanowires, nanotubes, single walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, or nanowires entangled with nanotubes. The various segments may have different lengths and may include segments having a length shorter than the length of the article. A strapping material may be positioned to contact a portion of the plurality of nanowire segments. The strapping material may be patterned to create the shape of a frame with an opening that exposes an area of the nanowire fabric. Such a strapping layer may also be used for making electrical contact to the nanowire fabric especially for electrical stitching to lower the overall resistance of the fabric.
US07948080B2
A display device includes a drive circuit chip, and a substrate on which the drive circuit chip is mounted. The drive circuit chip includes a semiconductor substrate, an insulation layer, a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer formed of metal between the semiconductor substrate and the insulation layer, and a first bump and a second bump formed over the insulation layer. The first bump is superposed with the first conductive layer, and a profile of the first bump in plan view is within a profile of the first conductive layer in plan view. The second bump is superposed with the second conductive layer, and a profile of the second pump in plan view is beyond a profile of the second conductive layer in plan view.
US07948078B2
A semiconductor device has a package structure provided with leads that are external connection terminals. A base substance is an island, and at least the surface thereof is formed of a conductive material. A semiconductor substrate is mounted on the surface of the base substance, and a ground potential is supplied from the surface of the base substance. A shunt capacitor is provided with an electrode pair of a first electrode and a second electrode formed in parallel, and mounted with the first electrode being electrically connected to the surface of the base substance. An internal bonding wire connects a pad provided on the semiconductor substrate for external connection, to the second electrode of the shunt capacitor. The lead is the external connection terminal of the semiconductor device. An external bonding wire connects the lead to the second electrode of the shunt capacitor.
US07948077B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for integrating microchannel cooling modules within high-density electronic modules (e.g., chip packages, system-on-a-package modules, etc.,) comprising multiple high-performance IC chips. Electronic modules are designed such that high-performance (high power) IC chips are disposed in close proximity to the integrated cooling module (or cooling plate) for effective heat extraction. Moreover, electronic modules which comprise large surface area silicon carriers with multiple chips face mounted thereon are designed such that integrated silicon cooling modules are rigidly bonded to the back surfaces of such chips to increase the structural integrity of the silicon carriers.
US07948076B2
A semiconductor chip assembly includes a semiconductor device, a heat spreader, a substrate and an adhesive. The semiconductor device is electrically connected to the substrate and thermally connected to the heat spreader. The heat spreader includes a post and a base. The post extends upwardly through an opening in the adhesive into an aperture in the substrate, and the base extends laterally and supports the substrate. The adhesive extends between the post and the substrate and between the base and the substrate. The substrate includes first and second conductive layers and a dielectric layer therebetween, and the assembly provides vertical signal routing between a pad at the first conductive layer and a terminal below the adhesive.
US07948073B2
A three-dimensional package includes a carrier, a first die mounted on a first surface of the carrier, and a second die stacked on the first die. The first die includes first bond pads and second bond pads juxtaposed in separate two rows within a central region of the first die. The package further includes first bond fingers disposed on the first surface along a first side of the carrier, and second bond fingers along a second side opposite to the first side. A first bond wire is bonded to one of the first bond pads and extends to one the first bond fingers. The first bond wire overlies the row of the second bond pads. A second bond wire is bonded to one of the second bond pads and extends to one the second bond fingers. The second bond wire overlies the row of the first bond pads.
US07948068B2
According to the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a lead frame is provided wherein the thickness of a tab-side end portion of a silver plating for wire connection formed on each suspending lead 1e is smaller than that of a silver plating formed on each lead. Thereafter, a semiconductor chip is mounted onto a tab. In this case, since the entire surface of the silver plating on the suspending lead 1e is in a crushed state, it is possible to prevent contact of the semiconductor chip with the silver plating when mounting the chip onto the tab. Consequently, in a die bonding process, the semiconductor chip can slide on the tab without contacting the silver plating and thereby making it possible to diminish damage to the semiconductor chip when mounted onto the tab and hence to possibly prevent cracking or chipping of the chip when assembling the semiconductor device.
US07948054B2
A two terminal memory device includes first and second conductive terminals and a nanotube article. The article has at least one nanotube, and overlaps at least a portion of each of the first and second terminals. The device also includes stimulus circuitry in electrical communication with at least one of the first and second terminals. The circuit is capable of applying first and second electrical stimuli to at least one of the first and second terminal(s) to change the relative resistance of the device between the first and second terminals between a relatively high resistance and a relatively low resistance. The relatively high resistance between the first and second terminals corresponds to a first state of the device, and the relatively low resistance between the first and second terminals corresponds to a second state of the device.
US07948052B2
A dual-bit memory device is provided which includes trench isolation material disposed near bit line contact areas. For example, in one implementation a semiconductor memory device is provided in which each memory cell can store two bits of information. The memory device comprises a substrate, first and second buried bit lines in the substrate, a first bit line contact on the first buried bit line, a second bit line contact on the second buried bit line, and an insulator region disposed in the substrate between the first buried bit line and the second buried bit line. The insulator region prevents a current from flowing between the first buried bit line and the second buried bit line.
US07948046B2
An optoelectronic component having a basic housing or frame and at least one semiconductor chip, specifically a radiation-emitting or-receiving semiconductor chip, in a cavity of the basic housing. In order to increase the efficiency of the optoelectronic component, reflectors are provided in the cavity in the region around the semiconductor chip. These reflectors are formed by virtue of the fact that a filling compound filled at least partly into the cavity is provided, the material and the quantity of the filling compound being chosen in such a way that the filling compound, on account of the adhesion force between the filling compound and the basic housing, assumes a form which widens essentially conically from bottom to top in the cavity, and the conical inner areas of the filling compound serve as reflector.
US07948039B2
A seal ring structure is formed through a multilayer structure of a plurality of dielectric films in a peripheral part of a chip region to surround the chip region. A dual damascene interconnect in which an interconnect and a plug connected to the interconnect are integrated is formed in at least one of the dielectric films in the chip region. Part of the seal ring structure formed in the dielectric film in which the dual damascene interconnect is formed is continuous. A protection film formed on the multilayer structure has an opening on the seal ring. A cap layer connected to the seal ring is formed in the opening.
US07948037B2
A multiple-gate transistor structure which includes a substrate, source and drain islands formed in a portion of the substrate, a fin formed of a semi-conducting material that has a top surface and two sidewall surfaces, a gate dielectric layer overlying the fin, and a gate electrode wrapping around the fin on the top surface and the two sidewall surfaces separating source and drain islands. In an alternate embodiment, a substrate that has a depression of an undercut or a notch in a top surface of the substrate is utilized.
US07948033B2
In one embodiment, a device is formed in a region of semiconductor material. The device includes active cell trenches and termination trenches each having doped sidewall surfaces that compensate the region of semiconductor material during reverse bias conditions to form a superjunction structure. The termination trenches include a trench fill material that enhances depletion region spread during reverse bias conditions.
US07948030B2
Some embodiments include methods of recessing multiple materials to a common depth utilizing etchant comprising C4F6 and C4F3. The recessed materials may be within isolation regions, and the recessing may be utilized to form trenches for receiving gatelines. Some embodiments include structures having an island of semiconductor material laterally surrounded by electrically insulative material. Two gatelines extend across the insulative material and across the island of semiconductor material. One of the gatelines is recessed deeper into the electrically insulative material than the other.
US07948024B2
A nonvolatile memory device is provided that includes; a first semiconductor layer extending in a first direction, a second semiconductor layer extending in parallel with and separated from the first semiconductor layer, an isolation layer between the first semiconductor layer and second semiconductor layer, a first control gate electrode between the first semiconductor layer and the isolation layer, a second control gate electrode between the second semiconductor layer and the isolation layer, wherein the second control gate electrode and first control gate electrode are respectively disposed at opposite sides of the isolation layer, a first charge storing layer between the first control gate electrode and the first semiconductor layer, and a second charge storing layer between the second control gate electrode and the second semiconductor layer.
US07948013B2
A layout of a cell of a semiconductor device is disclosed to include a diffusion level layout including a plurality of diffusion region layout shapes to be formed within a portion of a substrate, including a p-type diffusion region layout shape and an n-type diffusion region layout shape separated by a central inactive region. The layout of the cell also includes a gate electrode level layout defined to include a number of linear-shaped layout features placed to extend in only a first parallel direction. Each of the number of the linear-shaped layout features within the gate electrode level layout of the restricted layout region is rectangular-shaped. The gate electrode level layout includes linear-shaped layout features defined along at least four different lines of extent in the first parallel direction. The gate electrode level layout corresponds to an entire gate electrode level of the cell.
US07948008B2
In one embodiment, a floating body field-effect transistor includes a pair of source/drain regions having a floating body channel region received therebetween. The source/drain regions and the floating body channel region are received over an insulator. A gate electrode is proximate the floating body channel region. A gate dielectric is received between the gate electrode and the floating body channel region. The floating body channel region has a semiconductor SixGe(1-x)-comprising region. The floating body channel region has a semiconductor silicon-comprising region received between the semiconductor SixGe(1-x)-comprising region and the gate dielectric. The semiconductor SixGe(1-x)-comprising region has greater quantity of Ge than any quantity of Ge within the semiconductor silicon-comprising region. Other embodiments are contemplated, including methods of forming floating body field-effect transistors.
US07948003B2
In order to emit a light from an electrode side, in semiconductor light emitting devices such as LED and the like, and liquid crystal, the electrode is formed of a transparent material so as to transmit a light through the transparent electrode and exit the light. A ZnO, which constitutes a material for the transparent electrode, is subject to erosion by acid and alkali, thus, as the case may cause loss of a reliability of the electrode under the influence of ion-containing moisture. In order to solve such a problem, this invention has as its aim a transparent electrode film provided with stability capable of preventing any degradation under the influence of any ion-containing moisture, while being kept acid-proof and alkali-proof. In order to accomplish the above-mentioned aim, this invention provides a transparent electrode made up of a ZnO as its main material, wherein its surface is covered with a Mg-doped ZnO film.
US07947996B2
It is an important factor in application to the illumination field and the like to obtain a characteristic excellent in power efficiency in a light emitting element. The present invention provides a semiconductor light emitting element including: first and second conductive type semiconductor layers; first and second electrodes respectively provided on the same plane sides as the first and second conductive type semiconductor layers; and a light emitting structure, provided with the second electrode and including the first and second conductive type semiconductor layers, wherein the first electrode provided on an exposed surface of the first conductive type semiconductor layer at least has a translucent first layer and a reflective second layer, and the first layer has projecting portions projected from both sides of the second layer in a cross section of the element crossing over the light emitting structure and the first electrode.
US07947992B2
A light-emitting element includes a cathode, an anode, a first light-emitting layer disposed between the cathode and the anode, a second light-emitting layer disposed between the first light-emitting layer and the cathode, a third light-emitting layer disposed between the second light-emitting layer and the cathode, a first interlayer disposed between the first and second light-emitting layers that has a function of preventing energy transfer of an exciton between the first and second light-emitting layers, and a second interlayer disposed between the second and third light-emitting layers that has a function of preventing energy transfer of an exciton between the second and third light-emitting layers, wherein the first interlayer has a hole-transporting property higher than that of the second interlayer, and the second interlayer has a electron-transporting property higher than that of the first interlayer.
US07947986B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a thin film transistor substrate, comprising: an insulating substrate; a gate wire formed on the insulating substrate; a first gate insulating layer made of an inorganic material, formed on the gate wire and having a first insulating layer contact hole for exposing at least a part of the gate wire; a second gate insulating layer made of an organic material, formed on the first gate insulating film and having a second insulating layer contact hole corresponding to the first insulating layer contact hole; a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on the second gate insulating layer and being aparted from each other to be defining a channel area; and an organic semiconductor layer formed on the channel area.Accordingly, the present invention provides an organic TFT substrate in which a characteristic of a TFT is improved.
US07947984B2
An LCD device is disclosed, to minimize the signal distortion by decreasing the instability of voltage in a—Si:H TFT of a gate driving signal output unit, which includes a signal controller for outputting first and second control signals Q and /Q; a pull-up transistor between a clock signal terminal CLK and a gate driving signal output terminal for receiving the first control signal Q, the pull-up transistor having a first gate electrode, a first source electrode and a first drain electrode, wherein the pull-up transistor has an asymmetric structure in a first area of the first source electrode overlapped with the first gate electrode and a second area of the first drain electrode overlapped with the first gate electrode; and a pull-down transistor connected between the gate driving signal output terminal and a ground voltage terminal, wherein the pull-down transistor receives the second control signal.
US07947980B1
An MOS transistor is programmed in a non-volatile memory cell. A storage capacitor in the non-volatile memory cell is used to enhance programming efficiency by providing additional charge to the programming terminal of the MOS transistor during breakdown of the gate dielectric, thus avoiding soft programming faults. In a particular embodiment the storage capacitor is a second MOS transistor having a thicker gate dielectric layer than the dielectric layer of the programmable MOS transistor.
US07947977B2
A thin film transistor includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, a semiconducting layer, and a gate electrode. The drain electrode is spaced from the source electrode. The semiconducting layer is electrically connected to the source electrode and the drain electrode. The gate electrode is insulated from the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the semiconducting layer by an insulating layer. The at least one of the source electrode, drain electrode, and the gate electrode includes a metallic carbon nanotube layer. The metallic carbon nanotube layer includes a plurality of metallic carbon nanotubes.
US07947974B2
An OLED device including an anode, a hole transporting layer (HTL), a light-emitting layer (LEL) comprising a host molecule and a light-emitting molecule, an electron transporting layer (ETL) and an cathode and wherein: (i) the HTL comprises a hole transporting material (HTM) having an oxidation potential that is at least 0.2 V less positive than the oxidation potential of the predominant material in the ETL and does not contain any bonds having an energy less than 105 kcal/mol; and (ii) the ETL comprises an electron transporting material (ETM) having a reduction potential (RPetm) relative to the reduction potential of the predominant material in the HTL (RPhtm) that meets the requirement of RPetm>(RPhtm−0.05). The OLED Device provides improvements in features including efficiency.
US07947964B2
The present invention relates to an orbit correction method for a charged particle beam, and aims to solve problems inherent in conventional aberration correction systems and to provide a low-cost, high-precision, high-resolution optical converging system for a charged particle beam. To this end, employed is a configuration in which a beam orbit is limited in ring zone form to form a distribution of electromagnetic field converging toward the center of a beam orbit axis. Consequently, a nonlinear action outwardly augmented, typified by spherical aberration of an electron lens, can be cancelled out. Specifically, this effect can be achieved by an electron disposed on the axis and subjected to a voltage to facilitate the occurrence of electrostatic focusing. For a magnetic field, this effect can be achieved by forming a coil radially distributed-wound on a surface equiangularly divided in the direction of rotation to control convergence of a magnetic flux density.
US07947961B2
An innovative readout circuit for a pixel detector, for example a solid-state X-ray pixel array, The invention includes a bank of successive approximation ADCs with a DAC in a feedback path. The integral non-linearity of the DACs and of the ADC is reduced to very low levels by providing a common resistive ladder for all the channels. In this way, the conversion law is sensibly the same for all the ADC, thus avoiding stripes or artefacts on the acquired image.
US07947959B2
A solid state radiation detector comprises a substrate having a sensing element thereon and at least one heavy metal plug formed in at least one insulation layer above the substrate. The at least one heavy metal plug is located directly above the sensing element and is electrically isolated from the sensing element. The at least one heavy metal plug reacts with a plurality of initial radiation particles to produce a plurality of secondary particles, the plurality of secondary particles having a lower level of energy than the plurality of initial radiation particles; wherein the number of secondary particles produced is greater than the number of initial radiation particles with which the at least one heavy metal plug reacts; and wherein the sensing element is operable to produce an electrical signal in reaction to the secondary particles.
US07947924B2
A heating cooking device includes a top plate, a heating unit, a touch key including a first electrode and a second electrode, an input unit for applying an alternating current (AC) voltage to the second electrode and for outputting a voltage changing according to a change of the AC voltage when the first electrode is pushed, a detector for outputting a first signal if the voltage output from the input unit changes from the reference value to the first value, an operation judging unit for outputting a second signal according to a rate of change of the voltage output from the input unit, and a controller operable to perform control of the heating unit based on the first and second signals. The controller is operable to perform control of energization of the heating unit if the controller does not receive the second signal after receiving the first signal, and not to perform the control of the energization of the heating unit if the controller receives the second signal after receiving the first signal.
US07947920B2
The present invention is directed to an arrangement for forming one or more separated scores in a surface of a substrate. The arrangement comprises a laser for providing a laser beam, optical guiding means for guiding said laser beam to said surface of said substrate, means for moving said substrate relative to said laser beam in at least one cutting direction for forming said scores, and primary splitting means for splitting said laser beam into a plurality of primary cutting beams for forming said scores parallel to each other. Said primary splitting means are arranged for moving said primary cutting beams relative to each other for adjusting the separation between said parallel scores. The invention is further related to a method for forming one or more separated scores in a surface of a substrate.
US07947912B2
The invention discloses a weighing sensor and an electronic scale provided with the same. The weighing sensor comprises a flat plate formed into helical shape, including successively a load-supporting portion, a strain portion and a bearing portion from the center to the outer of this plate, with the load-supporting portion situated between and surrounded by the bearing portion and the strain portion; wherein the load-supporting portion and the bearing portion are respectively used to bear the acting force and the reaction force in opposite directions, and a strain gauge is mounted on the strain portion. The electronic scale comprises at least three weighing sensors, wherein the bearing portion of the sensor is mounted on the scale body, the load-supporting portion directly contacts the supporting leg of the scale, which contacts the plane on which the scale is positioned. The present invention has small thickness, simple structure and low manufacturing cost.
US07947910B2
A printed circuit board includes a first signal layer, a second signal layer, a plurality of transmission lines respectively including first segments laid in parallel on the first signal layer and second segments laid in parallel on the second signal layer, and a plurality of vias, each via connecting the first segment with the second segment of a corresponding transmission line. One of the plurality of transmission lines has the first segment positioned in the middle of an array defined by the first segments of the plurality of transmission lines, and a second segment positioned in an outmost position of an array defined by the second segments of the plurality of transmission lines. The printed circuit board reduces the possibility of false action of electronic components coupled to transmission lines, which is caused by the crosstalk between transmission lines.
US07947907B2
An electronic structure including a substrate having a having a dielectric layer with at least one metallic interconnect structure within and a dielectric barrier layer above the dielectric layer, and a multi-layer hardmask stack coated with a self-assembled layer, where the self-assembled layer is a pattern of nanoscale and/or microscale voids which are generated into the dielectric barrier layer and into the dielectric layer next to the metallic interconnect structure to create columns in the dielectric barrier layer and dielectric layer therein. Electronics structures prepared with the process are useful to prepare electronics devices, such as computers and the like.
US07947889B2
An ensemble system enabling easy, flexible assignment of performance parts to the facilitator and the performers. In “setting” field, performance terminals (facilitator and piano (1 to 5)) are displayed. A pull-down menu for selecting presence/absence of each performance terminal and radio buttons for assigning performance parts are displayed. According to the presence/absence of each student, the selection of a presence/absence menu is inputted. When song title data is selected, a controller (1) reads a part assignment table of the song data and assigns a performance part to each performance terminal for which presence is selected. A performance part can be manually assigned to each performance terminal.
US07947885B2
A music string (1), in particular for bowing and/or plucking instruments, having at least a first play area (2), wherein the first play area is provided for the musician to induce tone-generating vibrations. To provide a sound character that is particularly balanced and open over the entire frequency range that can be used for playing and to provide particularly balanced handling characteristics, it is proposed that the first play area (2) has, under identical test conditions that can be predefined, at least a first area (3) having a first vibration behavior and a second area (4) having a second vibration behavior, and that the first vibration behavior is different from the second vibration area.
US07947862B2
An intraoperative leg stabilizing system has a platform with a slidable brace received in a longitudinal groove. The slidable brace supports the patient's foot. The platform also has an outrigger that pivots about a base in the platform. The outrigger can pivot up to a desired orientation. The longitudinal position of the slidable brace and the orientation of the outrigger can be fixed through locking mechanisms. The system includes a support belt that can be wrapped around the patient's thigh and then connected to the outrigger. The combination of components allows the patient's leg to be stabilized in a desired position and degree of flexion during knee arthroplasty, and to be easily released when desired for evaluation of the patient's leg in extension.
US07947860B2
Processing schemes and arrangements for application of a dividing wall separation column in the processing of an effluent resulting from FCC processing modified for increased light olefin production. The dividing wall separation column desirably splits a naphtha feedstock produced or resulting from such modified FCC processing to produce or form a light fraction containing C5-C6 compounds, an intermediate fraction containing C7-C8 compounds and a heavy fraction containing C9+ compounds.
US07947857B2
Provided are compositions and methods for increasing the stability and gas content of gas hydrates.
US07947852B2
Compounds of formula (I): wherein: R1 represents alkyl, alkenyl, haloalkyl, polyhaloalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl or heteroarylalkyl, X represents a group N—OR2 wherein R2 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group. Medicinal products containing the same which are useful in treating disorders of the melatoninergic system.
US07947851B2
The present invention is related to carboxylic acids of Formula (I) and use thereof for the treatment and/or prevention of obesity and/or metabolic disorders mediated by insulin resistance or hyperglycemia, comprising diabetes type I and/or II, inadequate glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In particular, the present invention is related to the use of carboxylic acids of Formula (I) to modulate, notably to inhibit the activity of PTPs.
US07947848B2
The invention relates tp dye-functionalized silsesquioxane clusters, a process for their manufacture and their use as colorants, wherein the compounds (functionalized clusters or nano-particles) are characterized by the general formula (I) wherein CAGE is a moiety of the formula (IA) D is a chromophoric moiety, and the other symbols have the meanings as defined in the specification, or salts thereof.
US07947844B2
A method of effecting a one-pot conversion of a tetrahydronaphthalic anhydride of formula (I): to a nitrate salt of a benzisoindolenine of formula (II): The method comprises heating the tetrahydronaphthalic anhydride of formula (I) with a reagent mixture comprising ammonium nitrate so as to effecting concomitant dehydrogenation during the conversion.
US07947838B2
Fluoroalkoxybenzamide compounds which selectively bind Sigma-2 receptors are disclosed. These compounds, when labelled with 18F, can be used as radiotracers for imaging of tumors by positron emission tomography (PET). In addition, these compounds, when labelled with 123I, can be used as radiotracers for imaging of tumors by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Methods for synthesis of these compounds are also disclosed.
US07947836B2
The invention relates biosensor comprising a conductive or semi-conductive support and an intercalator polymer, wherein the intercalator polymer comprises monomer units of formula (I) wherein P is an electropolymerizable moiety selected among the group consisting in pyrrole, acetylene, phenol, aniline, thiophene, carbazole and azulene; Sp is a spacer, and Im is an intercalator. The invention also relates to a method for the detection of a DNA sequence with the biosensor, comprising the steps of: hybridizing the DNA sequence with a DNA probe for forming a dsDNA incubating the biosensor with the dsDNA for anchoring the dsDNA to the intercalator detecting the quantity of dsDNA on the biosensor.
US07947825B2
Processes for making organic pigments useful in imaging members, specifically for pigments that after further polymorphic conversion may be used in a charge generating layer of an imaging member. More specifically, there are described processes for producing titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) in high yields using tetrahydronaphthalene as reaction solvent, such as TiOPc Type I. This pigment can be successfully converted to a high sensitivity crystal form useful as charge generating pigment in an imaging member.
US07947804B1
The invention provides three human vesicle trafficking proteins (VTP) and polynucleotides which identify and encode VTP. The invention also provides expression vectors, host cells, agonists, antibodies and antagonists. The invention also provides methods for preventing and treating disorders associated with expression of VTP.
US07947803B2
The present invention provides an apparatus for recovering a polymer from polymer solution, and a method of recovering a polymer using the apparatus. The apparatus includes a polymer solution-storage tank for storing a polymer solution; a polymer solution feeding pump for pumping the polymer solution from the polymer solution storage tank; an antisolvent storage tank for storing an antisolvent; an antisolvent feeding pump for pumping the antisolvent from the antisolvent storage tank; a reaction chamber to which the polymer solution pumped by the polymer solution feeding pump and the antisolvent pumped by the antisolvent feeding pump are supplied; a high-speed mixer that is rotated in the reaction chamber at a speed range of 1000 to 30000 rpm, mixes the polymer solution with the antisolvent under a shearing force corresponding to a tip speed of 5 to 30 m/sec, and precipitates a polymer; and a precipitate storage tank for storing the precipitation mixture of the polymer and the solvent/antisolvent.
US07947802B2
Benzoxazine monomers comprising at least one pendant group are described. (Co)Polymers comprising at least one benzoxazine monomer having at least one pendant group are also described. In a preferred embodiment, the pendant group is located in a side chain of the benzoxazine monomer or polymer. Methods for preparing the benzoxazine monomers and polymers are described. Compositions comprising the benzoxazine monomers and polymers have numerous uses including optical materials, and in electronic materials as electrically insulating materials, and as fireproof materials.
US07947800B2
A sulfonated poly(aryl ether) (SPAE) having a poly(aryl ether) (PAE) main chain and a sulfonated phenyl group pendent from the main chain are useful in proton exchange membranes (PEMs), particularly for fuel cells. The pendent phenyl group can provide an easily sulfonable site that may be sulfonated under mild conditions, providing the ability to precisely control the sulfonic acid content of the SPAE.
US07947797B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to operating a gas-phase reactor at or near maximum production rates and to measuring and controlling polymer stickiness in a gas phase reactor polymerization. In particular, embodiments relate to monitoring acoustic emissions in a reactor during gas phase polymerization to determine the onset of reactor stickiness and possibly discontinuity events such as chunking and sheeting resulting from that stickiness. Embodiments also relate to monitoring acoustic emissions to determine the need for effective control of parameters that minimize reactor stickiness and thereby preventing discontinuity events. The emissions are processed by arithmetic averaging.
US07947792B2
A polymerization initiator, a first polymerizable compound, and a second polymerizable compound are poured into a hollow of a first member (12). The first and second polymerizable compounds are copolymerized to produce a second member (16). The second member (16) is produced by forming a first layer (21) on an inner wall of the first member (12) and sequentially forming a layer over a precedingly formed layer. To form each layer, the first and second polymerizable compounds are put in the hollow of the first member (12), satisfying 1/99≦W2/(W1+W2)≦⅔ when W1 is a weight of the first polymerizable compound, and W2 is a weight of the second polymerizable compound. The first and second polymerizable compounds are mixed such that the value of W2/(W1+W2) increases from the first layer (21) toward an nth layer.
US07947791B2
The present invention provides a fluorinated polymer excellent in the crosslinking reactivity, crosslinked rubber physical properties and chemical resistance, and its crosslinked rubber. A fluorinated polymer comprising repeating units (a) based on at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of ethylenic unsaturated compounds each having a hydroxyphenyl group, repeating units (b) based on at least one fluoromonomer selected from the group consisting of tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, vinylidene fluoride, 3,3,3-trifluoropropene, 1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, 1,1,2-trifluoroethylene, vinyl fluoride, 1,2-difluoroethylene and CF2═CF—O—Rf (wherein Rf is a C1-8 saturated perfluoroalkyl group or a perfluoro(alkoxyalkyl) group) and, if necessary, repeating units (c) based on at least one hydrocarbon monomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene and CH2═CH—O—R1.
US07947787B2
Control of polymer architecture and molecular weight distribution via multi-centered shuttling agent
A process for the polymerization of one or more addition polymerizable monomers and the resulting polymer composition, said process comprising contacting an addition polymerizable monomer or mixture of monomers in a reactor or reactor zone with a composition comprising at least one polymerization catalyst and a cocatalyst under polymerization conditions, characterized in that at least a portion of said polymerization is conducted in the presence of a multi-centered shuttling agent thereby causing the composition to have a bimodal molecular weight distribution.
US07947783B2
The present invention relates to a polyethylene composition wherein (i) the composition has an MFR2 of 0.05 to 100 g/10 min, (ii) the environmental stress crack resistance ESCR measured in hours according to ASTM 1693, condition B and E-modulus EM measured according to ISO 527-2: 1993 in MPa satisfy the following relation: ESCR>−EM h/MPa+1150 h.
US07947781B2
Polymer mixture consisting of an impact-resistance modified poly (meth) acrylate and a fluoropolymer
The invention relates to a molded body consisting of plastic with a material thickness of at least 150 $g(m)m at any point. Said body contains a polymer mixture of an impact-resistance modified poly(meth)acrylate plastic, a polymethyl methacrylate matrix, elastomer particles contained in said matrix and a fluoropolymer. According to the invention, the fraction of the fluoropolymer in the mixture is between 30 and 95 wt. % and the polymer mixture of the impact-resistance modified poly(meth)acrylate plastic and the fluoropolymer is present in an outer layer with a continuous material thickness of at least 10 $g(m)m. The invention is characterized in that the impact-resistance modified poly(meth)acrylate plastic consists of between 20 and 70 wt. % poly(meth)acrylate matrix and between 30 and 80 wt. % elastomer particles.
US07947767B2
Disclosed are electret materials with outstanding thermal and charge stability. The electret materials comprise a melt blend of a thermoplastic polymer and one or more hindered hydroxylamine ester compounds that comprise at least one moiety of the formula I where Ra′ is a monoacyl or diacyl radical; R1-R4 are each C1-C6alkyl; and R5 and R6 are each, independently of one another, hydrogen, C1-C6alkyl or C6-C10aryl; or R5 and R6 are together oxygen. The melt blends are subjected to an electet treatment, for example a corona treatment. The electret materials are for example nonwoven polyolefin webs and are employed as filter materials, wipes, absorbent materials, filter masks, acoustic materials, printing substrates, measuring devices or contactless switches. The present electret materials may also comprise a further additive selected from the group consisting of the hindered amine light stabilizers, the hydroxyphenylalkylphosphonic esters or monoesters and the aromatic trisamide nucleating agents.
US07947761B2
The present invention relates to an inkjet ink composition comprising a liquid vehicle, a pigment, and a polymeric dispersant. In one embodiment, the pigment comprises a colorant having the formula A-(B)x or is a carbon black pigment and the polymeric dispersant comprises a polymeric group and at least one group having the formula -A′-(B)y(C)z, wherein A and A′ are organic chromophore groups. In a second embodiment, the polymeric dispersant comprises a polymeric group and an organic chromophore group capable of interacting with the pigment.
US07947759B2
Disclosed are cement products, methods of forming cement using the cement product, and methods of using the cement product in orthopedic and dental applications. Generally, the disclosed cement product includes a first component comprising a polymerizable resin comprising ethylenic unsaturated double bond, a second component comprising a compound comprising more than one type of amine selected from the group consisting of primary amines, secondary amines, tertiary amines and quaternary amines, and, optionally, the cement product includes a bioactive component to promote bone formation.
US07947755B2
The invention provides a polyurethane foam manufactured from a polyisocyanate and a polycarbonate polyol. Moreover, the invention provides a method of manufacturing the polyurethane foam manufactured from a polyisocyanate and a polycarbonate polyol, comprising mixing the polyisocyanate and polycarbonate polyol together and foaming same.
US07947750B2
Color is removed from polymeric material by a method which comprises contacting a dyed or pigmented polymer composition with a non-aqueous extraction solvent comprising a nitrogen containing organic base, an ammonium salt and an alkanol. The present method is readily applied to a process for recycling colored polyamide substrates such as dyed nylon fiber.
US07947748B2
A method for preparing monodisperse crosslinked bead polymers by introducing droplets having a harmonic mean size from 50 to 1500 microns and comprising at least one monomer, at least one crosslinker and a free-radical polymerization initiator into an aqueous medium through orifices to produce an aqueous suspension of droplets having a volume fraction of droplets from 35 to 64%; wherein the droplets are not encapsulated; causing the aqueous suspension of droplets to flow in a downward direction in a pipe in which the temperature is maintained at least 20° C. below the temperature at which the polymerization initiator has a half-life of 1 hour; and polymerizing the droplets in a reactor.
US07947747B2
A joint process for preparing alcohol/ether mixtures, alcohol/hydrocarbon mixtures and synthesizing ammonia is disclosed. In particular, a process of converting CO and CO2 present in the feed gas of ammonia synthesis, comprising H2 and N2 as major components, into useful co-products is disclosed. The process is characterized in that the alcohol/ether forming reaction is firstly carried out by using a copper series catalyst, then the alcohol/hydrocarbon forming reaction is carried out by using an iron series catalyst, the individually formed alcohol/ether and alcohol/hydrocarbon products are separated by water cooling and condensing, and discharged into corresponding storage tanks, and the remaining gas, in which the amount of CO and CO2 is less than or equal to 10 ppm, is fed into the ammonia synthesis system. Since the alcohol/hydrocarbon can be used as liquid fuel, the product composition of the ammonia plant is improved, and the amount of CH4 fed into the ammonia synthesis system is decreased, and the amount of venting is thus reduced.
US07947741B2
This invention provides for efflux pump inhibitors to be co-administered with antimicrobial agents for the treatment of infections caused by drug resistant pathogens, novel efflux pump inhibitors, combined dosage forms of efflux pump inhibitors with an antimicrobial, and novel medical methods.
US07947740B2
The invention provides a novel polymorphic form I of crystalline bimatoprost, method for preparation thereof and new crystalline intermediates in the preparation. This form I of crystalline bimatoprost is used in purification of crude bimatoprost and in storage of bimatoprost as active pharmaceutical intermediate. Use of the physical form of bimatoprost in the manufacture of a medicament is also disclosed.
US07947739B2
Disclosed are modified release oral tranexamic acid formulations and methods of treatment therewith.
US07947737B1
This invention relates to a method of treating hypertension and reducing serum lipase activity by dietary supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid. The method comprises administering a safe and effective amount of conjugated linoleic acid to a human. The conjugated linoleic acid may be provided in the form of a free fatty acid or chemical derivatives thereof in a pill, or as a component of a prepared food product.
US07947731B2
The present invention provides methods of therapy of cognitive deficits associated with a central nervous system disorder or condition, methods of enhancing cognitive performance and methods for repeated stimulation of neuronal activity or a pattern of neuronal activity, such as that underlying a specific neuronal circuit(s). The methods comprise combining cognitive training protocols and a general administration of CREB pathway-enhancing agents.
US07947727B2
The present invention provides compounds of formula (I): a process for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds and the preparation of said compositions, intermediates and use of the compounds for the manufacture of a medicament for therapeutic treatment, particularly for the treatment of inflammation, allergy and/or skin disease.
US07947720B2
There are disclosed compounds of the formula or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof which are useful for the treatment of chemokine-mediated diseases such as acute and chronic inflammatory disorders and cancer.
US07947717B2
The invention provides compounds that can efficiently and specifically inhibit bacterial toxins, such as inhibit the lethal factor (LF) protease activity of anthrax toxin and/or botulinum neurotoxin type A. The invention also provides methods for inhibiting proteases, such as lethal factor protease, as well as methods for treating bacterial infections, such as anthrax and botulinum.
US07947705B2
The invention relates to substituted 7-azaindoles, process for their preparation, pharmaceutical preparations which comprise these compounds, and the pharmaceutical use of these compounds, which are inhibitors of phosphodiesterase 4, as active ingredients for the treatment of disorders which can be influenced by inhibition of phosphodiesterase 4 activity in particular in immunocompetent cells (e.g. macrophages and lymphocytes) by the compounds of the invention.
US07947701B2
The invention relates to dual molecule compounds containing a peroxide derivative, to processes for the synthesis of such compounds, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and to methods of treatment and prevention of malaria comprising administering such compounds and such pharmaceutical compositions.
US07947697B1
8-(3-pentylamino)-2-methyl-3-(2-chloro-4-methoxyphenyl)-6,7-dihydro-5H-cyclopenta[d]pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine methanesulfonate of the structural formula (I) has Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF) antagonist activity and is useful in treating neuropsychiatric and digestive system diseases.
US07947680B2
The present invention provides adamantyl-diamide derivatives of formula (I): wherein R1 and R2 are as defined herein, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; and pharmaceutical compositions and methods using the same.
US07947672B2
The invention provides anionic water-soluble tetracyclic and pentacyclic bacteriochlorophyll derivatives (Bchls) containing at least one, preferably two or three, negatively charged groups and/or acidic groups that are converted to negatively charged groups at the physiological pH, preferably Bchls having a group COO<−>, COS<−>, SO3<−>, PO3<2−>, COOH, COSH, SO3H, and/or PO3H2 bound through an ester or amide bond to one or more of the positions 17<3>, 13<3>, and 3<2> of the tetracyclic or pentacyclic Bchl molecule, for photodynamic therapy and diagnosis.
US07947668B2
Sterol derivatives of formula (I) and a method for the production of the compounds, a medicament using one of the compounds and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the medicament.
US07947667B2
A process for preparing an intermediate compound of formula (II) where X is as defined in the specification, R1 is haloalkyl, alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, carboxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, aryl or arylalkyl; R2, R3, R4 and R5 are organic groups as defined in the specification, which process comprises aromatisation of a compound of formula (III) where R1, R2, R3, n, X and R5 are as defined in relation to formula (II) and R4′ is a group R4 or a precursor group thereof, and thereafter if necessary or desired, carrying out one or more of the following steps: (i) removing any hydroxy-protecting groups R; (ii) converting a precursor group R4′ to a group R4, or where R4′ is a group R4, converting it to a different such group. Compounds obtained are useful intermediates for example in the preparation of fulvestrant. Novel intermediates are also claimed.
US07947666B2
This invention discloses 2-methylene-(20S,25S)-19,26-dinor-vitamin D analogs, and specifically 2-methylene-(20S,25S)-19,26-dinor-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and pharmaceutical uses therefor. This compound exhibits pronounced activity in arresting the proliferation of undifferentiated cells and inducing their differentiation to the monocyte thus evidencing use as an anti-cancer agent and for the treatment of skin diseases such as psoriasis as well as skin conditions such as wrinkles, slack skin, dry skin and insufficient sebum secretion. This compound also has little, if any, calcemic activity and therefore may be used to treat autoimmune disorders or inflammatory diseases in humans as well as renal osteodystrophy. This compound may also be used for the treatment or prevention of obesity.
US07947665B2
Disclosed are compounds according to formula (I) as well as pharmaceutical compositions which include those compounds. Also disclosed are methods of using such compounds, which have activity as agonists or as antagonists of LPA receptors; such methods including inhibiting LPA activity on an LPA receptor, modulating LPA receptor activity, treating cancer, enhancing cell proliferation, treating a wound, treating apoptosis or preserving or restoring function in a cell, tissue, or organ, culturing cells, preserving organ or tissue function, and treating a dermatological condition.
US07947663B2
The present invention provide compounds, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof, encompassed by the formulae (I), (II) or (III). The present invention also provides methods for treating an FAAH mediated disease, disorder or condition by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a provided compound of the formulae (I), (II) or (III), or a pharmaceutical composition thereof, to a patient in need thereof. Additionally, the present invention provides methods for inhibiting FAAH in a patient by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of the formulae (I), (II) or (III), or a pharmaceutical composition thereof, to a patient in need thereof.
US07947661B2
The invention provides methods for treating or suppressing marihuana usage, withdrawal, or dependence involving administration of a therapeutically-effective amount of a cytosine-containing or cytidine-containing compound, uridine-containing compound, creatine-containing compound, adenosine-containing, or adenosine-elevating compound to a mammal.
US07947653B1
Cancer treatment with a combination of an Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor and an Interleukin-6 inhibitor.
US07947648B2
The present invention relates generally to methods and compounds for treating pulmonary disorders, and more specifically to the inhalation administration and use of hIL-4 mutant proteins to treat asthma.
US07947642B2
The present invention relates to a spray-drying process for the preparation of a spray-dried detergent powder having a bulk density of 426 g/l or less, wherein the spray-dried detergent powder comprises an anionic detersive surfactant and from 0 wt % to 10 wt % zeolite builder and from 0 wt % to 10 wt % phosphate builder, and wherein the process comprises the step of: (a) preparing an aqueous slurry suitable for spray-drying comprising from 30 wt % to 60 wt % water and from 40 wt % to 70 wt % non-aqueous material, wherein the non-aqueous material comprises an inorganic component and an organic component, wherein the weight ratio of the inorganic component to organic component is in the range of from 0.3:1 to 5:1; and (b) spraying the slurry into a spray-drying tower, wherein the temperature of the slurry as it enters the spray-drying tower is in the range of from 65° C. to 140° C., and wherein the outlet air temperature of the spray-drying tower is in the range of from 70° C. to 120° C.
US07947641B2
The invention relates to a concentrate for the effective, environmentally friendly treatment of oil-polluted stretches of ground and the cleaning of oil-contaminated surfaces, said concentrate containing an emulsifier, a vegetable oil and ethanol. The emulsifier is preferably a non-ionic surfactant with an HLB value between 7 and 8. The vegetable oil is preferably selected so that it is liquid at temperatures above 5 DEG C. Oils containing unsaturated fatty acids, in particular germ oils are especially suitable. For its application as a treatment for stretches of ground, the inventive concentrate is diluted with water to form a cleaning solution and is applied to the oil-contaminated surface that is to be treated. The oil is emulsified in the inventive cleaning solution and is detached from the particles of the ground. The oil degrades in a significantly easier manner in the emulsified state. To clean oil-contaminated surfaces, the cleaning solution is sprayed onto the latter. In an advantageous embodiment of the inventive cleaning method, a powder-like adsorption agent is added to the oil emulsion that is formed during the cleaning of oil-tank interiors, said agent adsorbing the emulsified oil and forming a sediment with the latter.
US07947636B2
A power transmission fluid composition having improved characteristics. The fluid may include a base oil and an additive composition, wherein the additive composition includes an ashless dispersant and an oil-soluble aliphatic tertiary amine. The resulting fluid may have improved durability characteristics.
US07947635B2
A hydrodynamic bearing device being low in torque, low in power consumption, high in reliability and best suited for miniaturization and a spindle motor using the same.The hydrodynamic bearing device in accordance with the present invention, dynamic pressure generation grooves being provided on at least one of a shaft or a sleeve, and a lubricant being present in a clearance where the above-mentioned shaft and the above-mentioned sleeve are opposed to each other, is characterized in that the above-mentioned lubricant contains diesters obtained from a divalent alcohol having 4 to 8 carbon atoms and having no alkyl side chain at the β position and one or more kinds of saturated monovalent fatty acids having 9 to 13 carbon atoms.
US07947634B2
A process to make a lubricant, comprising: blending together: a) about 0.001 to about 2 wt % of a mixture of amine phosphates; b) about 0.001 to about 0.5 wt % of an alkenyl succinic compound selected from the group consisting of an acid half ester, an anhydride, an acid, and mixtures thereof; c) about 0.10 to about 20 wt % of a solubility improver having an aniline point less than 20° C.; and d) about 60 to about 98.5 wt % of a lubricating base oil selected from the group consisting of an API Group II or Group III base oil having greater than 65% paraffinic chain carbons by ASTM D 3238, an API Group IV base oil, a polyinternal olefin base oil, a hydroisomerized Fischer-Tropsch wax, a Fischer-Tropsch oligomerized olefin base oil, and mixtures thereof; wherein the lubricant passes the 4 hour TORT B rust test.
US07947629B2
An acidizing fluid for sandstone formations is provided, along with methods of acidizing a sandstone formation penetrated by a wellbore. The aqueous acid treatment is a mixture of an aqueous liquid, a fluoride source, and an effective amount of at least one homopolymer or copolymer of a polycarboxylic acid, salt thereof or derivative thereof, which is introduced into the wellbore, and allowed to acidize the formation and concurrently inhibit calcium fluoride formation and impart calcium tolerance to the fluid.
US07947627B2
A fluid loss control pill or solution includes a polymer having a functional group that can be hydrolyzed by a base or a nucleophile. A method for fluid loss control in a subterranean formation includes placing a fluid loss control pill or solution in a wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation, wherein the fluid loss control pill or solution comprises a polymer having a functional group that can be hydrolyzed by a base or a nucleophile; and converting the polymer into a soluble form by hydrolyzing the functional group with a base or a nucleophile, when fluid loss control is no longer needed.
US07947625B2
An ink sheet for heat-sensitive transfer recording material comprising an azo dye represented by the following formula (1): wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 represent a hydrogen atom or substituent; and Het represents a heterocyclic group which may have substituents or a condensed ring.
US07947622B2
Nanohybrid sol-gel materials, based on silica organically modified (ormosil) and doped with the ruthenium species tetra-n-propylammonium perruthenate (TPAP) are highly efficient catalysts for the selective oxidation of alcohols to carbonyls with oxygen at low pressure, in organic solvents as well as in carbon dioxide in supercritical state. Novel, highly active and stable materials are the fluorinated ormosils. Optimal conditions for the preparation and use thereof in liquid-phase as well as in supercritical CO2 were set by studying the structure-activity relationships of the materials, with particular reference to the surface hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties and to the textural ones.
US07947618B2
An optical glass contains, based on a total weight of the optical glass: 12 to 30 weight percent of P2O5; 1 to 5 weight percent of B2O3; 1 to 8 weight percent of Li2O; 0.5 to weight percent of Na2O; 0.5 to 15 weight percent of K2O; 1 to 5 weight percent of CaO; 0 to 20 weight percent of BaO; 0 to 5 weight percent of SrO; 1 to 10 weight percent of TiO2; 1 to 20 weight percent of Bi2O3; 3 to 35 weight percent of Nb2O5; 13 to 60 weight percent of WO3; and 0 to 1 weight percent of Sb2O3, wherein a total weight of Na2O and K2O is in a range of 3 to 20 weight percent based on the total weight of the optical glass.
US07947617B2
To provide a high-refractivity high-dispersion optical glass having excellent stabilityAn optical glass which is formed of an oxide glass containing 30 to 70 cationic % of Bi3+ and has a liquidus temperature of 800° C. or lower.
US07947615B2
An interior building system which includes a curved, acoustical, self-supporting composite panel which differentiates and accents the interior building space, and, at the same time, provides substantial sound absorbing capabilities. The composite panel is composed of two or more layers of non self-supporting soft fiber material and a discontinuous layer of adhesive interposed between each of the soft fiber layers. The system further includes mounting hardware for attaching the panel to the building structure. The mounting hardware has a perforated plate which is embedded in the panel which minimizes the visibility of the hardware, and, at the same time, provides enhanced load bearing capabilities.
US07947612B2
A method of producing an array of electronic devices, the method including the steps of: forming one or more first conductive elements of a first electronic device on a substrate and one or more second conductive elements of a second electronic device on said substrate; and forming a layer of channel material over the substrate and the first and second conductive elements to provide a first channel for, in use, the movement of charge carriers between conductive elements of said first electronic device and a second channel for, in use, the movement of charge carriers between conductive elements of said second electronic device; wherein the method also includes the step (a) of using an irradiative technique to decrease in a single step the conductivity of one or more selected portions of the layer of channel material in one or more regions between the first and second conductive elements.
US07947610B2
Claimed and disclosed is a semiconductor device including a transistor having a gate insulating film structure containing nitrogen or fluorine in a compound, such as metal silicate, containing metal, silicon and oxygen, a gate insulating film structure having a laminated structure of an amorphous metal oxide film and metal silicate film, or a gate insulating film structure having a first gate insulating film including an oxide film of a first metal element and a second gate insulating film including a metal silicate film of a second metal element.
US07947608B2
Methods of imprint lithography are described. Generally, the methods include imprinting, via a patterned mold, a pattern into a polymerizable fluid composition on a substrate to form a patterned imprinting layer. A conformal layer is overlayed on the patterned imprinting layer. A portion of the conformal layer is used as a hard mask for subsequent processing. The imprinted pattern may be transferred to the substrate by a plurality of etches.
US07947602B2
The objective of the present invention is to offer a method for forming a conductive pattern on a substrate and solder protrusions on the conductive pattern. The pitch of the conductive pattern corresponds to the pitch of electrodes on a semiconductor chip.
US07947582B2
A method of preparing a floating trap type device on a substrate is described. The method comprises forming a trap layer structure on a substrate, and modifying a composition of one or more layers in the trap layer structure by exposing the trap layer structure to a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB).
US07947579B2
Barrier layers and methods for forming barrier layers on a porous layer are provided. The methods can include chemically adsorbing a plurality of first molecules on a surface of the porous layer in a chamber and forming a first layer of the first molecules on the surface of the porous layer. A plasma can then be used to react a plurality of second molecules with the first layer of first molecules to form a first layer of a barrier layer. The barrier layers can seal the pores of the porous material, function as a diffusion barrier, be conformal, and/or have a negligible impact on the overall ILD k value of the porous material.
US07947574B2
A laser processing method is provided, which, even when a substrate formed with a laminate part including a plurality of functional devices is thick, can cut the substrate and laminate part with a high precision.This laser processing method irradiates a substrate 4 with laser light L while using a rear face 21 as a laser light entrance surface and locating a light-converging point P within the substrate 4, so as to form modified regions 71, 72, 73 within the substrate 4. Here, the quality modified region 71 is formed at a position where the distance between the front face 3 of the substrate 4 and the end part of the quality modified region 71 on the front face side is 5 μm to 15 μm. When the quality modified region 71 is formed at such a position, a laminate part 16 (constituted by interlayer insulating films 17a, 17b here) formed on the front face 3 of the substrate 4 is also cut along a line to cut with a high precision together with the substrate 4.
US07947571B2
The invention relates to a method for fabricating a semiconductor on insulator substrate, in particular a silicon on insulator substrate by providing a source substrate, providing a predetermined splitting area inside the source substrate by implanting atomic species, bonding the source substrate to a handle substrate, detaching a remainder of the source substrate from the source-handle component at the predetermined splitting area to thereby transfer a device layer of the source substrate onto the handle substrate, and thinning of the device layer. To obtain semiconductor on insulator substrates with a reduced Secco defect density of less than 100 per cm2 the implanting is carried out with a dose of less than 2.3×106 atoms per cm2 and the thinning is an oxidation step conducted at a temperature of less than 925° C.
US07947542B2
A method for making a thin film transistor, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a carbon nanotube array and an insulating substrate; (b) pulling out a carbon nanotube film from the carbon nanotube array by using a tool; (c) placing at least one carbon nanotube film on a surface of the insulating substrate, to form a carbon nanotube layer thereon; (d) forming a source electrode and a drain electrode; wherein the source electrode and the drain electrode being spaced therebetween, and electrically connected to the carbon nanotube layer; and (e) covering the carbon nanotube layer with an insulating layer, and a gate electrode being located on the insulating layer.
US07947541B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises: forming a gate pattern over a silicon active region and an insulating layer, which form a semiconductor substrate; removing the silicon active region exposed between the gate patterns; and filling a space between the gate patterns to form a plug.
US07947540B2
A multi-level semiconductor device includes a first transistor on a semiconductor substrate, the first transistor including a first source/drain region, a semiconductor layer on the semiconductor substrate, a second transistor on the semiconductor layer, the second transistor including a second source/drain region in a first portion of the semiconductor layer, and a contact pattern extending from the first source/drain region and contacting a second portion of the semiconductor layer, wherein the second portion of the semiconductor layer has an impurity concentration that is greater than that of the second source/drain region.
US07947537B2
A method of manufacturing a metal oxide semiconductor comprising the step of: conducting a transformation treatment on a semiconductor precursor layer containing a metal salt to form the metal oxide semiconductor, wherein the metal salt comprises one or more metal salts selected from the group consisting of a nitrate, a sulfate, a phosphate, a carbonate, an acetate and an oxalate of a metal; and the semiconductor precursor layer is formed by coating a solution of the metal salt.
US07947536B2
There is provided herein a process for forming an encapsulated electronic device. The device has active areas and sealing areas on a substrate. The process includes providing the substrate; forming a discontinuous pattern of a material having a first surface energy on at least a portion of the sealing areas; forming multiple active layers, where at least one active layer is formed by liquid deposition from a liquid medium having a surface energy greater than the first surface energy; providing an encapsulation assembly; and bonding the encapsulation assembly to the substrate in the sealing areas. Also provided are devices formed by the disclosed processes.
US07947533B2
Methods for attaching the wafer scale semiconductor chip, up to 4 square inch (2.times.2 inchs), are comprises of following steps. Stack assembles following materials from bottom to top. First lower integrated heat spreader (IHS). Second thermal interface material (TIM). Third semiconductor chip with backside metallization deposit. Forth polyimide film. Fifth the dummy upper IHS. Then put the stack-assembled set into the metal box and fix in place. Then the metal box and stack-assembled set in it are heated to wetting temperature of TIM. During cool down, the environment temperature must be set at a few degrees lower than the melting point of TIM, to soak the stack-assembled set at melting point of TIM until the TIM completely become solid, then cool down to room temperature. After de-assemble and remove upper IHS and polyimide film, we will get the void free soldering of semiconductor chip on lower IHS.
US07947531B1
Combinatorial evaluation of dry semiconductor processes is described, including rotating a mask comprising a plurality of apertures, wherein the mask is positioned between a dry semiconductor processing source and the substrate, and performing a dry semiconductor process through the apertures of the mask at a plurality of intervals during the rotating the mask to combinatorially create a plurality of processed regions on the substrate, wherein the apertures of the mask are arranged in such a way that the plurality of processed regions have different geometries relative to the processing source, and analyzing the processed regions to determine effects of time and geometry on the processed regions.
US07947527B2
A method for metallization of a semiconductor device. This method includes a) metallizing a set of collection fingers with a low-temperature serigraphy paste on at least a front surface of the semiconductor device, b) sintering, at a temperature below a temperature that would damage the semiconductor device, the serigraphy paste forming the set of metallized collection fingers, by performing a pressing operation on the collection fingers with a press, and c) metallizing at least one collection bus on the set of metallized collection fingers, electrically connecting the collection fingers to one another, with a low-temperature serigraphy paste.
US07947514B2
A semiconductor device production process includes forming, on a prepared SOI wafer, semiconductor functional devices and substrate contacts. The substrate contacts connect to a support substrate of the SOI wafer. The semiconductor device production process also includes forming a pattern that connects the substrate contacts to external connection pads formed on the semiconductor functional devices such that the external connection pads are not connected to each other. The semiconductor device production process also includes measuring conductivity between the external connection pads.
US07947510B2
The present invention provides novel methods and devices for detecting hybridization of nucleic acids using liquid crystals and cationic surfactants.
US07947498B2
The present invention provides undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells, methods of cultivation and propagation and production of differentiated cells. In particular it relates to the production of human ES cells capable of yielding somatic differentiated cells in vitro, and committed progenitor cells such as neural progenitor cells capable of giving rise to mature somatic cells including neural cells and/or glial cells and uses thereof. The invention also provides methods that generate in vitro and in vivo models of controlled differentiation of ES cells towards the neural lineage. The model, and the cells that are generated along the pathway of neural differentiation may be used for the study of the cellular and molecular biology of human neural development, for the discovery of genes, growth factors, and differentiation factors that play a role in neural differentiation and regeneration, for drug discovery and for the development of screening assays for teratogenic, toxic and neuroprotective effects.
US07947495B2
Disclosed are mammalian expression vectors for expressing simultaneous expression of immunoglobulins as both a secreted and cell surface bound form.
US07947492B2
A device and method is disclosed for improving the detection of a ligand by a receptor by concentrating microbes by removing particulates from fluid-borne samples and/or causing selective aggregation of concentrated microbes. The device may be configured as a multipath valve capable purifying/concentrating a sample in one orientation and delivering the concentrated sample in another orientation. In one embodiment, the device includes a body that defines a plurality of chambers and pathways and supports a pathogen capture unit that houses a receptor that exhibits specificity for a ligand. In another embodiment, the capture unit houses a plurality of antibody coated generally spherical particles capable of binding to a ligand.
US07947480B2
This invention is directed to nucleic acids which encode the proteins that direct the synthesis of the orthosomycin everninomicin and to use of the nucleic acids and proteins to produce compounds exhibiting antibiotic activity based on the everninomycin structure. The DNA sequence for the gene clusters responsible for encoding everninomicin biosynthetic genes, which provide the machinery for producing everninomicin, are provided. Thus, this invention provides the nucleic acid sequences needed to synthesize novel everninomicin-related compounds based on everninomicin, arising from modifications of the DNA sequence designed to change glycosyl and modified orsellinic acid groups contained in everninomicin. A Micromonospora site-specific integrase gene is also provided, which can be incorporated in a vector for integration into any actinomycete, and, particularly into Monospora. Thus, the invention further provides methods for introducing heterologous genes into an actinomycete chromosome using this particular vector.
US07947479B2
The present invention relates to the identification of a gene, now designated negevin (ngvn), that is involved in the genetic disease Bardet Biedl Syndrome (BBS), which is characterized by such diverse symptoms as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, mental retardation, renal cancer and other abnormalities, retinopathy and hypogonadism. The human NGVN protein disclosed herein is 731 amino acids in length and is coded for by a gene spanning 17 exons. Homologs have been identified in mouse, rat, zebrafish. Methods of use for the gene, for example in diagnosis and therapy of BBS and in drug screening, also are described.
US07947476B2
An analytical kit using RNA probes for the detection or analysis of nucleic acid sequences is described. These probes are contacted with a sample suspected of containing the nucleic acid sequence and if they form duplexes, they are hydrolysed. This may be done, for example, during an amplification reaction. AMP generated as a result of the hydrolysis is converted to ATP. The ATP may then be detected using bioluminescent reagents.
US07947475B2
The present invention relates to modified variant Bowman Birk Protease Inhibitor proteins (BBPIs) that comprise peptides that bind target proteins, and that are further modified to have greater protease inhibitory activity and/or be produced at greater yields than the unmodified BBPIs. The invention encompasses polynucleotide constructs and expression vectors containing polynucleotide sequences that encode the modified variant BBPIs, the transformed host cells that express and produce the modified variant BBPIs, the modified variant BBPI proteins, the compositions comprising the modified variant BBPIs, and the methods for making and using the modified variant BBPIs in personal care.
US07947472B2
This invention relates to expression vectors comprising VEGF-D and its biologically active derivatives, cell lines stably expressing VEGF-D and its biologically active derivatives, and to a method of making a polypeptide using these expression vectors and host cells. The invention also relates to a method for treating and alleviating melanomas or tumors expressing VEGF-D and various diseases.
US07947470B2
Novel genes significantly homologous to organic cation transporters OCT1 and OCT2 have been successfully isolated by screening a fetal gene library by random sequencing. Proteins encoded by these genes function as transporters of various organic cations.
US07947468B2
A method for identifying a compound expected to be useful in modulating a LRRK2 protein kinase activity, the method comprising the steps of (1) determining whether a test compound modulates the protein kinase activity of a LRRK2 polypeptide on a substrate Ezrin/Radixin/moesin (ERM) family polypeptide and (2) selecting a compound which modulates the LRRK2 polypeptide protein kinase activity. Such a compound may be useful in treating Parkinson's Disease or Parkinsonism. A catalytically active fragment of LRRK2 is identified, requiring the GTPase, COR and kinase domains as well as the WD_40-like motif and C-terminal tail.
US07947462B2
The present invention relates to a composition useful for the diagnosis and therapy of diseases associated with aberrant expression of the gene encoding the receptor Kremen 1 and/or Kremen 2 e.g. tumors or diseases of the kidneys, bones and eyes, lipid and glucose metabolism and obesity. The present invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition containing a compound which is capable of modifying (a) the expression of the gene encoding Kremen 1 and/or Kremen 2 or (b) the activity of the Kremen 1 and/or Kremen 2 receptor.
US07947458B1
Methods of diagnosing pregnancy induced hypertension or pre-eclampsia by the measurement of the production of neurokinin B, its precursor and fragments thereof are provided, as are kits for use in the methods. Treatments of the conditions and methods of preparing suitable medicaments are also provided as are antibodies and useful antigenic materials.
US07947454B2
Systems and methods for analysis of polymers, e.g., polynucleotides, are provided. The systems are capable of analyzing a polymer at a specified rate. One such analysis system includes a structure having a nanopore aperture and a molecular motor, e.g., a polymerase, adjacent the nanopore aperture.
US07947451B2
The present invention is based on the discovery of genetic polymorphisms that are associated with psoriasis and related pathologies. In particular, the present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules containing the polymorphisms, including groups of nucleic acid molecules that may be used as a signature marker set, such as a haplotype, a diplotype, variant proteins encoded by such nucleic acid molecules, reagents for detecting the polymorphic nucleic acid molecules and proteins, and methods of using the nucleic acid and proteins as well as methods of using reagents for their detection.
US07947447B2
The present disclosure describes improved SELEX methods for producing aptamers that are capable of binding to target molecules and improved photoSELEX methods for producing photoreactive aptamers that are capable of both binding and covalently crosslinking to target molecules. Specifically, the present disclosure describes methods for producing aptamers and photoaptamers having slower dissociation rate constants than are obtained using prior SELEX and photoSELEX methods. The disclosure further describes aptamers and photoaptamers having slower dissociation rate constants than those obtained using prior methods. In addition, the disclosure describes aptamer constructs that include a variety of functionalities, including a cleavable element, a detection element, and a capture or immobilization element.
US07947445B2
A probe, a set of probes, and a probe carrier on which the probe or the set of probes is immobilized, are provided for classification of fungus species. The probe or the set of probes is capable of collectively detecting fungus of the same species and distinguishingly detecting those fungus from fungus of other species. The probe is an oligonucleotide probe for detecting a pathogenic fungus DNA and includes at least one of base sequences of SEQ ID NOS. 1 to 4 and mutated sequences thereof.
US07947437B2
The present disclosure provides systems for the rapid and sensitive detection of organisms and molecules in samples. Reactants that produce Raman-active products are used in combination with Raman light scattering. The present disclosure can also be used to measure enzyme-kinetics.
US07947435B2
The present invention relates to a neuronal regeneration material screening method using ex vivo models, more precisely a neuronal regeneration material screening method using an organotypic spinal cord slice culture. The neuronal regeneration material screening method using spinal cord slices of living bodies of the present invention can be effectively applied for the development of a novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, such as spinal cord injury.
US07947428B2
The present invention provides a method for forming a photosensitive polyimide pattern 38 on a metal conductor 32, comprising carrying out the following steps (A) to (E) in this order: (A) a step of forming an ester bond type photosensitive polyimide precursor layer 33 by applying an ester bond type photosensitive polyimide precursor composition onto the metal conductor 32; (B) a step of forming an ion bond type photosensitive polyimide precursor layer 34 by applying an ion bond type photosensitive polyimide precursor composition onto the precursor layer 33 until the thickness of the precursor layer 34 reaches a desired thickness; (C) a step of exposing through a mask 35 and transferring the mask pattern as a latent image 36 onto the precursor layers 33 and 34; (D) a step of developing; and (E) a step of forming a polyimide pattern 38 by curing the developed precursor layers 33 and 34.
US07947426B2
Laser-engraveable flexographic printing plate precursors have a laser-engraveable elastomeric layer that comprises a non-free radical crosslinked polymeric binder, an infrared radiation absorbing compound, and a compound that remains stable in the precursor but upon imaging thermally degrades to produce gaseous products. The thermally degradable compounds can generate or liberate one or more gases such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
US07947423B2
A photosensitive compound whose size is smaller than conventional polymer for photoresist, and which has well-defined (uniform) structure, and a photoresist composition including the same are disclosed. The photosensitive compound represented by the following formula 1. Also, the photoresist composition comprises 1 to 85 wt % (weight %) of the photosensitive compound; 0.05 to 15 weight parts of a photo-acid generator with respect to 100 weight parts of the photosensitive compound; and 200 to 5000 weight parts of an organic solvent. In the formula 1, x is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, y is 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, and R and R′ are independently a chain type or a ring type of aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon group of 1 to 30 carbon atoms.
US07947421B2
A positive resist composition for immersion exposure comprising: (A) a resin having an alicyclic hydrocarbon structure, wherein the resin is capable of increasing a solubility of the resin (A) in an alkaline developer by an action of an acid; and (B) a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with one of an actinic ray and radiation, wherein the resin (A) includes a component having a molecular weight of 1,000 or less in an area ration of 20% or less to an entire area in a pattern area by gel permeation chromatography, and a pattern-forming method using the same.
US07947419B2
A toner including a binder resin including a polyester resin, a colorant, and a release agent including a polyglycerin ester having a melt viscosity of from 1.0 to 40 mPa·sec at 120° C. and a hydroxyl value of from 0 to 100 mgKOH/g is provided. The polyglycerin ester is an ester of a polyglycerin having an average polymerization degree of from 2 to 10 and an aliphatic acid having 16 to 24 carbon atoms in average.
US07947418B1
A photoconductor that includes, for example, a substrate, an undercoat layer thereover wherein the undercoat layer contains a metal oxide dispersed in a mixture of a sulfonamide formaldehyde resin and a phenolic formaldehyde resin; a photogenerating layer, and at least one charge transport layer.
US07947400B2
An electrochemical conversion assembly (10) is provided comprising a plurality of electrochemical conversion cells arranged in a conductively coupled fuel cell stack (20), a condition sensor (30, 40) operatively coupled to the fuel cell stack (20), and a programmable controller operatively coupled to the condition sensor and the fuel cell stack. The condition sensor is configured to measure a rate of change of hydration in the proton exchange membrane and either the condition sensor or the programmable controller is configured to generate a signal indicative of the measured rate of change of hydration. The programmable controller is configured to facilitate control of at least one operating parameter of the electrochemical conversion assembly by monitoring the signal indicative of the measured rate of change of hydration. The condition sensor can be configured to detect a dimensional change or a change in compression of the conductively coupled fuel cell stack as the membrane hydration changes. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US07947399B2
This invention relates to a non-aqueous electrolyte for a battery having an excellent safety and a non-aqueous electrolyte battery comprising such a non-aqueous electrolyte and having a high safety, and more particularly to a non-aqueous electrolyte for a battery comprising a phosphine oxide compound having P—F bond and/or P—NH2 bond in its molecule and a support salt, as well as a non-aqueous electrolyte battery comprising such a non-aqueous electrolyte for the battery, a positive electrode and a negative electrode.
US07947393B2
An alkaline electrochemical cell capable of providing optimum run times at both high drain rates and low drain rates is disclosed. In one embodiment, the cell's gelled anode incorporates a limited quantity of zinc powder having specific physical characteristics that enable it to discharge efficiently over a wide range of electrical discharge conditions. The anode may also include an electrolyte that is selected to improve the zinc's discharge efficiency.
US07947389B2
Disclosed herein is a battery cartridge for middle- or large-sized battery packs, which has one or more unit cells mounted therein. The battery cartridge is generally constructed in a plate-shaped structure for easy stacking, and connecting members for electrical connection between cartridges are constructed in a coupling structure in which the connecting members are coupled with each other during the stacking of the cartridges. When a plurality of cartridges are stacked one on another so as to construct a middle- or large-sized battery pack, the mechanical coupling between the cartridges is accomplished, and, at the same time, the electrical connection between the cartridges is also accomplished, whereby the assembly of the cartridges is easily accomplished, and the risk of short circuits is prevented during the assembly or the use of the cartridges. Furthermore, a middle- or large-sized battery pack manufactured using the battery cartridge according to the present invention has a stable compact structure. Consequently, the middle- or large-sized battery pack is preferably used as a power source for electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles.
US07947380B2
A sheet of cold rolled material having on both of its surfaces rows of projections and rows of depressions, the projections on one surface corresponding with the depressions on the other surface, the relative positions of the projections and depressions being such that lines drawn on a surface of the sheet between adjacent rows of projections are non-rectilinear, the sheet having a base gauge G, wherein each projection has a substantially continuous region of peak plastic strain at, toward or about its apex and/or is thinned by no more than 25% of its base gauge G. Methods of forming the sheet material and tools for forming the sheet material are disclosed.
US07947377B2
A powder mixture to be made into an evaporation source material for use in ion plating, and an evaporation source material useful for ion plating and a method of producing it, and a gas barrier sheet and a method of producing it. The powder mixture comprises 100 parts by weight of silicon oxide powder and 5 to 100 parts by weight of a conductive material powder. Preferably, both the silicon oxide powder and the conductive material powder have a mean particle diameter of 5 μm or less. The conductive material powder is preferably a powder of at least one material selected from metals and electrically conductive metallic oxides, nitrides and acid nitrides. The evaporation source material for use in ion plating is in the form of agglomerates having a mean particle diameter of 2 mm or more, or a block, obtained by granulating or compression-molding the powder mixture.
US07947374B2
Certain example embodiments relate to sputter-deposited transparent conductive coatings (TCCs) that are capable of surviving the harsh environments of ovens so that they can be included, for example, in oven door applications. In certain example embodiments, zirconium oxide (e.g., ZrO2 or other suitable stoichiometry) may be used as a protective overcoat to protect an underlying Ag layer from corrosion in the atmosphere. In three lite oven door example embodiments, surface 1 has a TCC pyrolytically disposed thereon, surface 2 has a TCC sputter-deposited thereon and, optionally, surface 3 has a TCC sputter-deposited thereon. In two lite oven door example embodiments, surface 1 has a TCC pyrolytically disposed or sputter-deposited thereon, and surface 2 has a TCC sputter-deposited thereon.
US07947369B2
Fine spherical thermoplastic resin particles are produced by preparing a resin composition including a matrix of a water-soluble material, and fine particles of a water-insoluble thermoplastic resin dispersed in the matrix, the fine particles and the matrix each being melted or softened in the resin composition; cooling and solidifying the resin composition under such conditions that the resin composition does not undergo deformation due to stress; and removing the water-soluble material by washing with water to thereby yield fine spherical particles containing the water-insoluble thermoplastic resin. This method has wide applicability, applies less loads on the environment, does not require special devices, can be easily conducted, and can efficiently produce such particles. The resulting particles are highly spherical.
US07947365B2
An electroconductive porous film high in the porosity and strong in the mechanical strength is provided.A mesoporous thin film of the invention, in which a crosslinking structure having a metal phosphate (M—POx) skeleton is arranged so as to surround periodically arranged pores, is formed by use of a process that includes: a step of preparing a precursor solution containing phosphoric acid and a surfactant; a step of supplying the precursor solution to a substrate to form a precursor thin film; a step of bringing vapor containing a metal into contact with the precursor thin film obtained in the forming the thin film; a step of reacting the vapor containing a metal and phosphoric acid to form a self-organized thin film; and a step of removing the surfactant from the self-organized thin film.
US07947363B2
A coated article that includes a substrate and a wear-resistant coating scheme. The coated article may be a cutting insert shown to improve performance in chip-forming material removal operations or a wear-resistant component used in chipless forming operations. The wear-resistant coating scheme has an underlayer and top layer containing aluminum, chromium, and nitrogen. The coating scheme also includes a mediate multi-periodicity nanolayer coating scheme containing titanium, aluminum, chromium and nitrogen. The mediate multi-periodicity nanolayer coating scheme includes a plurality of sets of alternating layer arrangements. Each one of the alternating layer arrangements has a base layer comprising titanium, aluminum and nitrogen and a nanolayer region having a plurality of sets of alternating nanolayers. Each set of alternating nanolayers has one nanolayer having aluminum, chromium, titanium and nitrogen and another nanolayer having aluminum, chromium, titanium and nitrogen. The base layer has a base layer thickness and the nanolayer region has a nanolayer region thickness. The base layer thickness is smaller than the nanolayer region thickness.
US07947361B2
A film having an antistatic releasing agent layer comprising fiber-shaped carbon and disposed on at least one of the faces of a substrate film, a release film having a releasing agent layer disposed on one face of a substrate and an antistatic layer which comprises a cured product of a resin composition of the active energy ray curing type comprising fiber-shaped carbon or a combination of fiber-shaped carbon and an electrically conductive macromolecular compound and is disposed on the other face of the substrate film, and processes for producing the films. The release films have a relatively small thickness of the antistatic layer, exhibit the stable antistatic function, are excellent in smoothness, do not adversely affect hardening of the resin releasing agent, exhibit the excellent releasing function and provide the excellent productivity.
US07947360B2
This invention relates to thermoplastic molding compositions with improved flowabilty based on a thermoplastic polyamide and on a copolymer composed of at least one olefin with at least one methacrylic ester or acrylic ester of an aliphatic alcohol, the MFI of the copolymer being not less than 50 g/10 min, and to a process for preparation of these molding compositions, and also to the use of the these molding compositions, for production of moldings for the electrical, electronics, telecommunications, motor vehicle, or computer industry, in sports, in medicine, in the household or in the entertainment industry.
US07947358B2
A method of producing basic starting material for the manufacture of fastener tabs intended for joining the side portions of the front and rear parts of an absorbent article. The method includes stretching a first sheet of elastic material in a first direction; applying a second and third sheet of material onto respective opposite sides of the first sheet; fastening the three material sheets together in at least two mutually separated zones that extend parallel with each other in one direction perpendicular to the first direction; dividing the first sheet in each region between two zones along a line lying therebetween, whereby the first sheet contracts to a non-stretched state, and thereafter fastening the sheets together in each region between two zones. The invention also relates to an arrangement for carrying out the method, to starting material for producing fastener tabs, and to such a tab.
US07947355B2
A thermally shock resistant ceramic body, such as a porous ceramic honeycomb structure for a wall flow diesel engine exhaust filter or a flow-through ceramic catalyst support, is formed of a composite ceramic material comprising a major first ceramic phase exhibiting good thermal shock resistance and a minor second phase material that substantially reduces the elastic modulus of the composite ceramic material at elevated temperatures.
US07947352B2
A Flexible VCD Having Domed Center and Method of Making Thereof is disclosed. The disc will has a flat data storage section of its substrate that is less than 0.7 millimeters thick, while the central region of the disc is defined by a dome structure adjacent to the spindle aperture that is of standard digital disc thickness. The disc is thin enough such that its substrate is flexible. The dome structure is shaped to provide the widest compatibility with player/recorders, as well as with disc printing systems. Disc versions are available that provide conical dome structures, as well as slivered dome structures of both conical and rectangular cross-section. The method for manufacturing the discs simply requires the replacement of the conventional stamper holder with a stamper holding having a non-flat face.
US07947349B2
In order to save material and/or for an easy assembly in a mould bottom of a bottom mould, a moulded piece forming a negative mould of at least a part of a chute of a shaft bottom which moulded piece is formed from a material forming a dead core and, optionally being assembled with at least one further moulded piece, forms the negative mould of a chute of a shaft bottom in the form of a moulded body, wherein the moulded piece(s) is (are) designed for being placed onto a mould bottom of a bottom mould for a shaft bottom and has (have) linear and/or an arcuate longitudinal extension, is characterized in that the moulded piece has at least one hollow space open toward the base which can be placed onto the mould bottom of the bottom mould and is designed as basically closed on the end faces lying opposite each other in the longitudinal extension of the moulded piece.
US07947348B2
Polypropylene compositions, particularly suited for preparation of stretched/oriented articles, especially for injection stretch blow moulded bottles, comprising: A) one or more propylene homopolymers or propylene copolymers or their mixtures; B) from 500 to about 1500 ppm by weight of talc in form of particles having average particle diameter of equal to or less than 1.5 μm. Said compositions display higher crystallization temperature with respect to the same polyolefin (A) without addition of (B), while keeping good levels of transparency, particularly when (A) is or comprises a random polymer.
US07947347B2
The present invention provides a heat insulator that is extremely low in environmental load during production and recycling, is superior in handleability and workability, and shows favorable heat-insulating properties over an extended period of time.The present invention relates to vacuum heat insulator, comprising at least a core member and an external packaging member that stores the core member and can keep inside under reduced pressure, wherein the core member is a sheet-shaped fiber aggregate containing a polyester fiber having fiber size of 1 to 6 deniers in an amount of 50 wt % or more.
US07947344B2
An artificial banana apparatus includes a plurality of artificial banana bodies, each artificial banana body being elongate and curved, each artificial banana body having a stem end and an opposed tip, and each stem end having a channel. The banana apparatus including a plurality of elongate stems, each stem having a first end telescopically received in a respective channel to allow a length of the stem outside said artificial banana body to be adjusted, each stem having a second end with a magnetic element. The apparatus includes a stem hub having at least one magnetic element complementary to the stem magnetic elements to removably couple the stems to the stem hub, the stem hub having at least two rows of sockets complementary to the stem second ends to receive the stem second ends in at least two rows.
US07947340B2
A polymeric light emitting substance having a polystyrene reduced number-average molecular weight of from 103 to 108wherein this light emitting substance has in the main chain or side chain a metal complex structure showing light emission from the triplet excited state, and said substance can form a light emitting layer by industrially simple application methods such as a spin coat method, inkjet method, printing method and the like.
US07947338B2
In a method of forming an interlayer insulating film by plasma CVD, an organic siloxane compound including one or more silicon atoms each having at least three or more units each represented by a general formula, —O—Si(R1R2)—OR3 (wherein R1 and R2 are the same as or different from each other and are a methyl group, an ethyl group or a propyl group, and R3 is the same as or different from R1 and R2 and is a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group or a phenyl group) is used as a raw material.
US07947337B2
A method and apparatus for coating substrates by means of plasma enhanced vapor deposition are provided, in which at least part of the surroundings of the substrate surface of a substrate to be coated is evacuated and a process gas with a starting substance for the coating is admitted, wherein the coating is deposited by a plasma being ignited by radiating in electromagnetic energy in the surroundings of the substrate surface filled with the process gas. The electromagnetic energy is radiated in by a multiplicity of pulse sequences, preferably microwave or radiofrequency pulses, with a multiplicity of pulses spaced apart temporally by first intermissions, wherein the electromagnetic energy radiated in is turned off in the intermissions, and wherein the intermissions between the pulse sequences are at least a factor of 3, preferably at least a factor of 5, longer than the first intermissions between the pulses within a pulse sequence.
US07947336B2
An epoxy resin composition, including: an epoxy resin (A) represented by Formula (1); an epoxy resin (B) having an epoxy equivalent of 220 or less and having twice or more epoxy groups in a molecule than epoxy groups of the epoxy resin (A); and a photocationic polymerization initiator (C), in which: the epoxy resins (A) and (B) constitute main components; and a weight of the epoxy resin (A) is 40% or more and a weight of the epoxy resin (B) is 30% or more with respect to a total weight of the epoxy resins (A) and (B): where: R represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, or a t-butyl group; n represents an integer of 0 or more and 4 or less; and m represents an integer of 1 or more and 3 or less.
US07947325B2
In a flexible transfer body employing curable resin as a transfer material, thickness unevenness in a substrate and a transfer layer is reduced and the thickness of the transfer layer is made to be uniform. Liquid curable resin is coated onto a rotation center or the vicinity of the rotation center of a mold, which is a rotator having a functional form on a surface thereof. A flexible film is brought into contact with a surface of the coated curable resin in a liquid state and the curable resin is spread to the circumferential edge of the mold by a centrifugal force. And the curable resin is cured by supplying chemical or thermal energy thereto and the curable resin is separated from the mold, thereby obtaining a flexible transfer body in which the curable resin is transferred to the film.
US07947323B2
The present invention relates to a process for the production of a fat composition for confectionery or baking applications. According to this process, a starting fat composition containing palm oil or a palm oil fraction and having the following composition: (1) a glyceride composition with—a S2U content between 47 and 75 wt. %, —a SU2+U3 content <40 wt. %, —a S3 content between 1 and 15 wt. %, —a diglyceride content of 3 to 12 wt. %, the glyceride contents being expressed as wt. % with respect to the total amount of di- and triglycerides in which S means a saturated fatty acid with A hydrocarbon chain length of 14-24 carbon atoms and U means unsaturated fatty acid with a hydrocarbon chain length of 14-24 carbon atoms and (2) a total content of unsaturated fatty acids of less than 55 wt. %, preferably less than 50 wt. %, more preferably less than 48 wt. %, is subjected to a catalytic hydrogenation so as to obtain a first fat with a trans fatty acid content
US07947322B2
An edible emulsion with insoluble fiber is described. The edible emulsion is suitable for use as a base for making reduced oil food products. The reduced oil food products made with the edible emulsion having insoluble fiber have consumer acceptable viscosities and texture and sensorial properties consistent with full fat food products.
US07947320B2
The present invention discloses a method for making a multi-grain, whole grain baked snack food product with a soft, crunchy texture similar to a cracker. Ingredient formula ranges have been determined that maximize the amount and number of nutritious whole grains present in the snack food, while still keeping the texture soft and crunchy, and the color and flavor acceptable. The ingredients are combined with water to make a dough, which is then sheeted and cut into pieces. The pieces are baked to produce a multi-grain, whole grain baked snack food.
US07947310B2
A method for treating a patient comprising: (a) injecting into the bloodstream of a patient is breathing a gas mixture having greater than 25% oxygen an aqueous solution comprising: 0.1 to 0.8 M Mg++ and having an osmolarlity less than about 1500 mOSm/l; and (b) increasing the rate of injection at least until the patient feels a sensation of warmth is described.
US07947304B2
The invention encompasses a transdermal patch formulation comprising hGH, at least one sugar, one amino acid or polyol, and a buffer, wherein the buffer maintains the pH of the formulation in the range of about 5 to about 9 and the formulation does not contain both glycine and mannitol.
US07947301B2
Anti-infective articles capable of preventing infection associated with implantation of medical devices include low levels of anti-infective agents, may cover only a fraction of the portion of the medical device and be effective, or may rapidly elute anti-infective agent, without sustained elution, and still be effective.
US07947298B2
An animal repellent composition is disclosed that comprises a carrier base and a repellent material. The carrier base and the repellent material are mixed together in a resulting formulation that is used to provide a natural means of deterring unwanted pests and animals from the area in which the composition is used. The composition may also be used as an animal attractant depending on the formulation of the mixed materials. The formulation of the composition can be varied to produce mixtures with different consistencies and properties.
US07947297B2
Plastic films, fibers and articles are provided long-term antimicrobial activity with a combination of certain phenolic and inorganic antimicrobial agents. The plastic films, fibers and articles with antimicrobial activity exhibit superior resistance to discoloration, may be processed at high temperature, and maintain physical properties upon weathering, especially upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
US07947292B2
The invention concerns the use of a fiber modified with functions capable of interacting with microbial cell wall proteins for immobilizing micro-organisms in hygiene products. Those functions are particularly capable of interacting with anionic groups and amine groups, and are especially cationic groups and aldehydes, respectively. The fibers may be synthetic or cellulosic. Also hygiene products containing these fibers are described.
US07947288B2
The present invention relates to a novel fusion protein with the formula X-Y, or Y-X, wherein X represents a first immunoregulating polypeptide and Y represents a second immunoregulating polypeptide different from X. The present invention also relates to a nucleic acid molecule encoding such a fusion protein and a vector comprising such a nucleic acid molecule. The present invention also provides infectious viral particles and host cells comprising such a nucleic acid molecule or such a vector as well as a process for producing such infectious viral particles. The present invention also relates to a method for recombinantly producing such a fusion protein. Finally, the present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising such a fusion protein, a nucleic acid molecule, a vector, infectious viral particles and a host cell as well as the therapeutic use thereof.
US07947277B2
The present invention provides for chimeric Wnt antagonists comprising a Frz domain component derived from a Frizzled protein, a secreted Frizzled related protein or Ror protein and an Fc immunoglobulin component, and their use in the treatment and diagnostic detection of cellular Wnt signaling and Wnt-mediated disorders, including cancer.
US07947269B2
The present invention relates to a novel mite composition comprising a population of a phytoseiid predatory mite species and a factitious host population, which may be employed for rearing said phytoseiid predatory mite species or for releasing the pyrltoseiid predatory mite species in a crop. According to further aspects the invention relates to a method for rearing a phytoseiid predatory mite species, to the use of the mite composition and to a method for biological pest control in a crop, which employ the mite composition.
US07947264B2
The invention provides TGF-β3s, or fragments or derivatives thereof, wherein the alpha-helix-forming domain between amino acid residues (58) and (67) of full-length wild type TGF-β3 comprises at least one alpha-helix-stabilizing substitution. The invention also provides TGF-β3s, or fragments or derivatives thereof, wherein the Glycine residue at position (63) of full-length wild type TGF-β3 is replaced with Proline. Further still, the invention provides TGF-β3s, or fragments or derivatives thereof, comprising a substitution of the Glutamic acid residue at position (12) of full-length wild type TGF-β3 and/or the Arginine residue at position (52) of full-length wild type TGF-β3. The invention also provides medicaments and methods of treatment using such TGF-β3s.
US07947258B2
An aqueous hair cleansing agent containing the following components (A), (B) and (C): (A): an anionic surfactant; (B): a cationized tara gum; and (C): an amino-modified silicone represented by a specific formula.
US07947254B2
The present invention provides for methods and materials for diagnosing and treating neuromyelitis optica (NMO).
US07947248B2
A pyrolysis process is provided. The process includes the steps of: depositing a quantity of waste into a porous container, the porous container adapted to allow a convective stream of substantially anaerobic gas to flow therethrough; inserting the porous container into a pyrolysis thermal processor; sealing the thermal processor; circulating the convective stream of gas through the pyrolysis thermal processor; heating the waste according to a first time-temperature profile to pyrolyze the waste and form a carbonaceous char; and cooling the carbonaceous char by circulating the convective stream of gas through a cooler. An oil product and a gaseous hydrocarbon product are produced during the pyrolysis. The carbonaceous char is further processed to form a carbon black product and a recyclable metal product.
US07947243B2
Based on designs concerning boron nitride thin-films each including boron nitride crystals in acute-ended shapes excellent in field electron emission properties, and designs of emitters adopting such thin-films, it is aimed at appropriately controlling a distribution state of such crystals to thereby provide an emitter having an excellent efficiency and thus requiring only a lower threshold electric field for electron emission.In a design of a boron nitride thin-film emitter comprising crystals that are each represented by a general formula BN, that each include sp3 bonded boron nitride, sp2 bonded boron nitride, or a mixture thereof, and that each exhibit an acute-ended shape excellent in field electron emission property; there is controlled an angle of a substrate relative to a reaction gas flow upon deposition of the emitter from a vapor phase, thereby controlling a distribution state of the crystals over a surface of the thin-film.
US07947228B2
An ultraviolet wastewater or water treatment system is described and comprises a plurality of ultraviolet lamps where each lamp includes a protective cladding and where the ultraviolet lamps are disposed in vertical modules that form a bank of ultraviolet lamps. A series of beams are disposed over the ultraviolet lamps with each beam supporting a carriage thereon. Each carriage supports a scraper that extends downwardly therefrom for engaging and cleaning a module of ultraviolet lamps. A common drive source is operatively connected to the respective carriages for driving the carriages back and forth on the respective beams such that as the common drive source drives the carriages back and forth, the respective scrapers move back and forth cleaning the protective cladding extending around the respective ultraviolet lamps.
US07947213B2
According to one aspect of the present invention the fuel cell device includes an electrolyte sheet. The electrolyte sheet has a substantially non-porous body of a varied thickness, a relatively smooth surface and a more textured surface with multiple indentations therein, wherein the thickest part of the electrolyte sheet is at least 0.5 micrometers greater than the thinnest part of said electrolyte sheet. The side of the electrolyte sheet with a relatively smooth surface is subjected to the predominately tensile force and the other, more textured surface subjected to predominately compressive force. According to one embodiment, the fuel cell also includes one cathode disposed on the more textured side of said electrolyte sheet at least at least one anode disposed opposite the cathode on the relatively smooth side of aid electrolyte sheet. According to one embodiment, the relatively smooth side of the electrolyte sheet is the fuel facing side and the more textured side is the air-facing side.
US07947208B2
An injection-molding method made up of a step of preparing a first die (41), a second die (46) and a third die (47), a step of sandwiching a separator proper (16) with the first die (41) and the second die (46), a step of molding a front side molded layer (32) by injecting silicone rubber (59) into the front side cavity (50) through a gate (52), a step of replacing the second die (46) with a third die (47) while the front side molded layer (32) is still soft, and a step of molding a rear side molded layer (34) by piercing the front side molded layer (32) with an injection pressure injecting the silicone rubber (59) through the gate (52) and filling a rear side cavity (63) with silicone rubber (59) through the through hole (30).
US07947194B2
The invention relates to a powdery snow-clearing, de-icing and antiskid composition, characterised in that it comprises a mixture of calcium salts containing from 70 to 90 wt % of calcium chloride and from 10 to 30 wt % of calcium carbonate. The invention also relates to a method for producing the same and to the use thereof as a snow-clearing agent.
US07947178B2
The present invention relates to a process for the purification of waste water, in particular for the continuous purification of waste water in papermaking, where waste water to be purified is fed to an anaerobic reactor (12), the waste water is contacted, in the anaerobic reactor (12), with anaerobic microorganisms in order to degrade contaminants present in the waste water, and the purified waste water is discharged from the anaerobic reactor (12), where at least some of the waste water is subjected to a pressure-release flotation step (30) before being supplied to the anaerobic reactor or after being discharged from the anaerobic reactor, in order to delime the water to at least some extent. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a device which is suitable for carrying out the process according to the invention.
US07947177B2
A tubular pressure vessel for cross-flow filtration having two centrally located side ports that penetrate the sidewall and communicate with a central chamber that divides the pressure vessel bore into two axially separated sections that each contain a plurality of cylindrical, cross-flow filtration cartridges. The pair of diametrically opposed, central side ports are provided through the use of a short length of tubing that provides structural stability to the overall pressure vessel arrangement. A feedstream may enter the pressure vessel centrally and flow in both axial directions, creating two permeate streams and two concentrate streams, the latter of which might exit through horizontal side ports located near each end of the pressure vessel. Interconnecting such tubular side port structures in adjacent pressure vessels in a vertical stack provides a load-bearing vertical column and allows a single feed line to supply multiple pressure vessels. When an array of such vertical stacks is used, horizontal side outlet ports for the concentrate streams can be likewise interconnected to provide combined concentrate outlet streams. Alternatively, two feed substreams may be pumped into each vessel through side ports near each end, and a combined concentrate stream removed through the central tubular side port structures.
US07947174B2
A method of preparing a sol-gel monolithic column includes the step of forming a separation bed (14) from a sol-gel solution in a single process step. This column has improved characteristics for CEC based on its incorporated surface charge and ease of operation due to a lack of or need for end frits. Also, a second type of column includes an optical window (30) for on-column detection.
US07947173B2
A seawater filter is disclosed. A driving unit is disposed on a main body and penetrates into the accommodating space thereof with a rotating axis. The rotating axis is provided with pumping fans, centrifugal fans, and pressurizing fans. A floating object is interposed between the driving unit and the main body. The main body has fresh water inlets, seawater inlets, and seawater outlets.
US07947171B2
A cartridge-type ion removal filter 15 to remove ions from the cooling liquid in the cooling liquid circulation passage 20 is disposed in the middle of a cooling liquid circulation passage 20 to circulate the cooling liquid between a fuel cell stack 11 and a radiator 12. The ion removal filter 15 is disposed in the cooling liquid circulation passage so that an opening 26b of a vessel main body 26 is in a higher position than the highest level “H” of the cooling liquid in the reservoir tank 14.
US07947168B2
A method for recovering NH3 present in a sour water stream containing odiferous compounds such as pyridines, indoles, ketones and mercaptans produced during an upgrading process for upgrading bitumen from oil sands into synthetic crude comprising treating the sour water stream in a sour water treatment unit to produce a NH3-rich stream and a H2S-rich stream; and hydrotreating the NH3-rich stream in a hydrotreater in the presence of hydrogen to remove the odiferous compounds such as pyridines, indoles, ketones and mercaptans and produce a treated NH3-rich stream.
US07947167B2
A method for removing metals from fuel containing vanadium or nickel including intimately mixing an adsorbent with the fuel and isolating the treated fuel. The treated fuel has reduced levels of vanadium, nickel and other metals. Systems for fuel treatment are also provided.
US07947153B2
A tissue paper winding and cutting apparatus includes a first winding roll, at least one core support plate, a pinch roller, and at least one arm. A channel is formed between the core support plate and the first winding roll. A tissue paper is attached to a lower half of the first winding roll for winding around a first core. The pinch roller is arranged below the first winding roll to partially project into the channel, and the arm is extended to a lower side of the first winding roll and has a bottom protuberance facing the pinch roller, so that a narrowed passage is formed in the channel. A second core rolling to and hindered by the narrowed passage holds the tissue paper thereto, and the tissue paper is pulled broken by a pulling force from a rolled tissue formed on the first core.
US07947151B2
A paper softening composition that is capable of providing paper with excellent flexibility while suppressing decrease in paper strength. The paper softening composition contains a specific diamide diamine compound or a salt thereof and a specific amide amine compound or a salt thereof in a mass ratio of 5/95 to 90/10.
US07947144B1
A paper attachment system and method includes providing a plurality of flexible panels. Each of the flexible panels has a first side, a second side and a peripheral edge. A plurality of adhesive patches is provided. Each of the panels has one of the adhesive patches attached thereto. The adhesive patches are positioned on the first sides of the panels. A plurality of coverings is provided. Each of the coverings is positioned on and removably attached to one of the adhesive patches so that each of the adhesive patches is covered by one of the coverings. A plurality of the panels is positioned on top of each other to define a stack of the panels. The coverings are then removed from the stack of the panels. Pressure is then applied to the stack of panels to releasably secure the panels together with the adhesive patches.
US07947143B2
An apparatus for providing uniform axial load distribution for laminate layers of multilayer ceramic chip carriers includes a base plate configured to support a plurality of green sheet layers thereon, the base plate having at least one resiliently mounted load support bar disposed adjacent outer edges of the base plate. The load support bar is mounted on one or more biasing members such that the top surface of the support bar extends above the top surface of the base plate by a selected distance.
US07947136B2
An austenitic, substantially ferrite-free steel alloy and a process for producing components therefrom. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.
US07947134B2
Methods and compositions for a novel metal-to-metal or material-to-material joining technique using bulk metallic glasses are provided. The method of the current invention relies on the superior mechanical properties of bulk metallic glasses and/or softening behavior of metallic glasses in the undercooled liquid region of temperature-time process space, enabling joining of a variety of materials at a much lower temperature than typical ranges used for soldering, brazing or welding.
US07947129B2
An ion source apparatus includes a rare gas supply source supplying rare gas instead of ion source gas to a plasma chamber, means to determine time and timing for cleaning electrodes in consideration of a collecting amount of insulation layers accreting to the electrodes of an extraction electrode system. Based on the above, the ion source apparatus removes the insulation layers by sputtering with ion beam of the rare gas while adjusting extraction or accelerate voltage and supply amount of the rare gas as a setting parameter. Moreover, by adjusting the setting parameter which changes a diameter of ion beam based on the rare gas when the ion beam collides onto each electrode surface of the extraction electrode system, the beam diameter is focused within an effective range in which intension of the sputtering of the insulation layers is maximized thus evenly removing the insulation layers.
US07947127B2
A cement retarder system for use in underground wells included a borate compound, an organophosphonate salt, and a copolymer formed from AMPS and a monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, acrylamide and mixtures thereof. A method of using the retarder system in an underground well having a borehole drilled therein with a borehole wall, and further including a casing disposed in said borehole, such that an annulus exists between said casing and said borehole wall, comprising the steps of providing a cement composition and a liquid carrier, providing a retarder system for said cement composition comprising a borate compound, an organophosphonate salt, and a copolymer formed from AMPS and a monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, acrylamide, and mixtures thereof, mixing a sufficient amount of said retarder system to create a desired induction period with said cement composition and said liquid carrier to form a cement slurry, pumping the cement slurry from the surface down the casing, and causing said slurry to return to the surface in the annulus between the casing and the borehole wall.
US07947117B2
This invention describes a new hydrogen purification process that employs a combination of at least three membrane separation units. This process allows non-stationary operations and is particularly suitable for the production of hydrogen for the purpose of its use in a fuel cell.
US07947100B1
A compact suction and separation device is shown and described. The suction and separation device includes a pump and a separator. The pump includes a vertically oriented rotary vane pump comprising a suction inlet and an exhaust outlet. The separator includes a collector configured to receive combinations of solids, liquids and air. The separator separates solids and/or liquids from the air. Air from the separator is routed from an air discharge into the suction inlet of the pump. Solids and/or liquids are drained from a liquids/solids discharge of the separator. The separator may be gravity-based or centrifuge-type separator driven by the pump motor.
US07947092B1
A battery includes an electrolyte activating one or more anodes and one or more cathodes. The electrolyte includes one or more salts in a solvent. One or more of the cathodes has a cathode medium that includes a lithium transition metal oxide as a cathode active material. The cathode medium also includes an inactive material that reacts with the electrolyte to form a passivation layer on the cathode medium. The passivation layer can include LiF. In some instances, the inactive material includes or consists of Li2CO3.
US07947089B2
The present disclosure relates to a method of coloring or lightening of human keratin fibers in the presence of an oxidizing agent, comprising the application of an anhydrous cosmetic composition comprising at least one fat, and at least one surfactant, an oxidizing composition, a composition comprising at least one inorganic base. It also relates to a kit with several compartments, in which a first compartment comprises the aforementioned anhydrous cosmetic composition, a second compartment comprises an oxidizing composition and a third compartment comprises a composition comprising at least one inorganic base and optionally at least one dye.
US07947086B2
Premoistened wipes for household use. The wipes are disposable. The wipes may be used to treat household surfaces including fabric-based surfaces. The wipes may include microencapsulated materials such as perfume and/or other benefit agents. The present invention also relates to a method for treating household surfaces utilizing the wipes of the present invention.
US07947083B2
A component, e.g. a prosthetic ball and socket joint like an acetabular cup (11) of a prosthetic joint, having a male or female location feature (15) in a surface thereof for mutual interfit with a fixing member (12) of a fixing assembly for securing the fixing member to the surface of the component and optionally for securing the component to a second component by means of a fixing screw (13).
US07947076B2
A method and apparatus for treating a nasal valve condition including surgically forming an access path to create a pocket on a side of the patient's nose. The pocket is positioned between a soft tissue layer and opposing surfaces of upper and lower cartilages of the nose. The pocket spans a junction between the upper and lower cartilages. An implant is placed through the access path into the pocket with a length oriented to span the junction. A delivery system for placement of the implant includes a surgical tool for forming the access path and for delivering the implant into the access path.
US07947075B2
A replacement valve for implantation centrally within the orifice of a malfunctioning native heart valve. The valve is designed for minimally invasive entry through an intercostal opening in the chest of a patient and an opening in the apex of the human heart. The replacement valve includes either a separate anchor (11, 87, 111) or a combined anchor (67) that folds around the malfunctioning native valve leaflets, sandwiching them in a manner so as to securely anchor the replacement valve in a precise, desired location.
US07947074B2
An implantable prosthetic valve for regulating fluid flow through a body vessel is provided. The prosthetic valve comprises an anchoring member, at least one leaflet, and a restraining member capable of temporarily preventing substantial movement of the leaflet between and open and closed position so as to allow fluid flow in the antegrade and retrograde directions. In various embodiments, the prosthetic valve reduces the risk of thrombosis. In various embodiments, the prosthetic valve reduces the appearance of potentially thrombogenic abnormal flow patterns at the site of implantation immediately following the implantation, allows cell deposition making the valve more biocompatible, less thrombogenic before flow changes resulting from valving action set in and allows tissue growth so that a partially or completely biological functioning valve may form on the scaffold provided by the implant.
US07947069B2
In one aspect the present invention provides medical devices 10 that each include a plurality of fibers 22, substantially all of the plurality of fibers 22 each including a portion having a maximum diameter of at least five micrometers, wherein substantially all of fibers 22 form a layer on at least one external surface of medical device 10. In another aspect, the present invention provides methods of manufacturing medical devices 10, the methods including the steps of: (a) applying a layer comprising a plurality of fibers 22 to at least one surface of medical device 10; and (b) matching the value of the Young's modulus of the layer to +/−35% (in some embodiments to +/−20%) of the value of the Young's modulus of an animal tissue.
US07947067B2
This invention is a scanning laser device with a universal carriage that holds any type of optical element. The carriage rotates about an axis that is substantially co-axial to the incident laser beam, thereby causing the laser energy passing through the optical element to sweep through a 360° circle. The preferred embodiment uses a rod lens as the optical element, resulting in a large circular beam spot. The device may utilize laser sources of various wavelengths and pulse frequencies, and multiple devices may be combined to scan an even larger area.
US07947061B1
A ratcheting tourniquet apparatus having a quick adjustment mechanism for initial tourniquet strap approximation, and a ratcheting assembly for fine, stringent strap adjustment about a limb of a patient. The apparatus provides for quick and easy use, even to the uninitiated. The apparatus provides for sufficient leverage via the ratcheting assembly such that severe tightening of the strap is possible as needed. The apparatus quick adjustment mechanism further provides instant tourniquet release.
US07947060B2
Medical devices for filtering fluids flowing through a lumen and a method of forming medical devices. The devices can be used in vascular channels, urinary tracts, biliary ducts and the like, and filter emboli and other debris generated at a treatment site.
US07947057B2
Lancet device including a first housing. A first guide wall is disposed within the first housing. The first guide wall includes an opening. A cap removably mounted to the first housing. A needle holding member for holding a lancet. At least a portion of the needle holding member being able to move within the opening. A first spring for biasing the needle holding member toward an extended position. The first spring surrounding a portion of the needle holding member and being disposed between the first guide wall and a shoulder of the needle holding member. A movable trigger having a first position and a second position. A movable second housing including a proximal end, a distal end and a second guide wall arranged at the proximal end. The second guide wall including an opening. A portion of the needle holding member being able to move within the opening of the second guide wall. The second housing being configured to move the needle holding member to the retracted position when the second housing is moved away from the first housing. The proximal end of the second housing being configured to move axially within the distal end of the first housing. A second spring for biasing the second housing towards the first housing. The second spring surrounding a portion of the needle holding member and being disposed between the second guide wall and another shoulder of the needle holding member. At least a portion of the needle holding member is always retained within the first housing.
US07947053B2
A suturing device includes a body member having proximal and distal ends and a longitudinal axis and comprising a slide and trigger slide; a tip assembly attached to the distal end and comprising: a hollow sheath having a window at its distal end; a pushrod in the hollow sheath and in mechanical communication with the slide and moveable along the axis; and a heating element sheath containing a heating element and adjacent to the hollow sheath, the heating element in mechanical and electrical communication with the trigger slide and moveable within the heating element sheath along the axis and over the window; and circuitry in electrical communication between the trigger slide and the heating element. The trigger slide activates the circuitry to heat the heating element and moves the heating element along the axis and over the window to contact a suture and thereby create a bloom of suture material.
US07947052B2
A suturing apparatus for the continuous application of a suture includes a suturing head shaped and dimensioned for attachment to a distal end of a support member. The suturing head includes a track shaped and dimensioned for receiving a needle for movement about the track. A support arm includes first and second lateral arms connected by a central connecting member supporting the track. The support arm includes a longitudinal axis and the track lies in a transverse plane. Angular orientation of the support arm relative to the track is achieved by positioning the transverse plane of the track at an oblique angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the support arm such that operators are provided with improved access to the surgical site. A drive assembly is coupled to the needle for controlled movement about the track.
US07947044B2
The present invention relates to surgical instruments particularly suitable for preparing vertebral endplates during spinal interbody surgical procedures. Methods of using such instruments are also disclosed.
US07947041B2
A bipolar electrosurgical instrument for clamping, grasping, manipulating, and sealing tissue includes first and second shafts each having a jaw member extending from a distal end thereof and a handle disposed at a proximal end thereof. The handle being operable to effect movement of the jaw members relative to one another from a first position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a second position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. The bipolar instrument is connectable to a source of electrical energy having a first electrical potential connected to one of the jaw members and a second electrical potential connected to the other of the jaw members such that the jaw members are capable of selectively conducting energy though tissue held therebetween to effect a seal. Both the first and second electrical potentials are transmitted to the jaw members through the first shaft.
US07947039B2
A system and apparatus for irrigating a surgical site during an electrosurgical procedure are disclosed. The system includes a hand piece having an elongated housing connected to a multilumen tube extending proximally from the housing and having an irrigation tube for delivering irrigation fluid, a suction tube for withdrawing irrigation fluid, and electrical wiring, a first controls for adjusting flow of irrigation fluid within the irrigation tube and second controls for adjusting flow of irrigation fluid within the suction tube. A valve cassette is connected to the multilumen tube, which includes an irrigation valve configured to control the flow within the irrigation tube and a suction valve configured to control the flow within the suction tube. A hardware control module controls the irrigation valve and the suction valve based on control signals from the first and second controls.
US07947034B2
An extender for use in an electro-mechanical surgical system that includes a surgical attachment that may be detachably coupled to an electro-mechanical driver device via a flexible shaft. The extender is a substantially rigid extender that includes a proximal end that may be detachably coupled to a distal end of the flexible shaft. The extender also includes a distal end that may be detachably coupled to the surgical attachment. The extender also includes at least one rotatable drive shaft configured to engage and be secured with a respective rotatable drive shaft of the flexible shaft such that rotation of the respective rotatable drive shaft of the flexible shaft by the electro-mechanical driver device causes the at least one rotatable drive shaft of the extender to rotate, thereby rotating a complementary connector of the surgical attachment so as to operate the surgical attachment. The extender may include a memory unit and a data cable that transfers data from the memory unit to an electro-mechanical driver device. Additionally or alternatively, the extender may include a data cable that transfers data from a memory unit in the surgical attachment to the electro-mechanical driver device. Advantageously, the extender is autoclavable.
US07947030B2
A system and method permit monitoring and location of a route in vivo and a visible image of that route for retrograde perfusion of a tumor with a therapeutic agent. Once the route is located, the path for flow of therapeutic agent to the tumor is confirmed as being a closed loop. The therapeutic agent is then introduced into the closed loop through retrograde perfusion to treat the tumor. The number of types and amounts of treating agents may be adjusted and observed as the treatment is in progress.
US07947022B2
An access port for subcutaneous implantation is disclosed. Such an access port may comprise a body for capturing a septum for repeatedly inserting a needle into a cavity defined within the body. Further, the access port may include at least one feature structured and configured for identification of the access port subsequent to subcutaneous implantation. Methods of identifying a subcutaneously implanted access port are also disclosed. For example, a subcutaneously implanted access port may be provided and at least one feature of the subcutaneously implanted access port may be perceived. Further, the subcutaneously implanted access port may be identified in response to perceiving the at least one feature. In one embodiment, an identification feature is engraved or otherwise defined by the access port, so as to be visible after implantation via x-ray imaging technology.
US07947021B2
An entry port cuff for providing antimicrobial properties to a medical device having a portion that is insertable into the body of a patient is disclosed. The cuff, which is charged with an antimicrobial agent, is removably attached to the medical device immediately prior to or immediately after insertion of said medical device into the body. The cuff is attached to the medical device in a manner such that the cuff is located outside of the body and in the proximity of the point of entry of the medical device into the body. Also, the cuff is substantially free of an adhesive for adhering the cuff to the body. Methods for using and making the entry port cuff are also described.
US07947011B2
A surgical fastening system for implantable devices is disclosed. The implantable device may contain a plurality of fasteners in pre-deployment position, may have a housing fitted over or around it which contains a plurality of fasteners in pre-deployment position, or may be a part of a two-part system into which it fits. Accordingly, the present invention also encompasses a deployment system or tool that optionally positions the implantable device, and which causes the fasteners to move into post-deployment position. The fasteners may be staples, metal loops, coils, springs or hooks formed of biocompatible materials, including shape memory alloys such as NiTi.
US07947004B2
A lower extremity exoskeleton, configurable to be coupled to a person, comprises two leg supports configurable to be coupled to the person's lower limbs and configured to rest on the ground during their stance phases. Each leg support comprises a thigh link, a shank link, and two knee joints. Each knee joint is configured to allow flexion and extension between the respective shank link and the respective thigh link. The lower extremity exoskeleton also comprises an exoskeleton trunk configurable to be coupled to the person's upper body. The exoskeleton trunk is rotatably connectable to the thigh links of the leg supports allowing for the flexion and extension between the leg supports and the exoskeleton trunk. In this exemplary embodiment, the energy required for flexion and extension movement between the shank link and the respective thigh link of a leg support over a cyclic knee motion is provided by the person.
US07946993B2
An ultrasonic endoscope comprises an insertion portion including: an angle portion; a hard distal portion; an endoscopic observation unit comprising a lighting portion and an observation portion; and an ultrasonic test unit comprising an ultrasonic transducer constituting an ultrasonic test unit, wherein the hard distal portion includes: a distal end main body including an entire portion whereat the ultrasonic transducer is attached; an observation portion block that includes a portion whereat the observation portion is attached and that is separably coupled with the distal end main body; and an elevator block that is securely held between the distal end main body and the observation portion block by engaging the distal end main body and the observation portion block, and that comprises the elevator, and wherein the distal end main body, the observation portion block and the elevator block are assembled so as to be capable of being disassembled.
US07946989B2
A technique for displaying an ultrasonic three-dimensional image and its tomographic image at the same time is disclosed. According to the technique, it is provided with: a transmitting/receiving circuit 111 for carrying out a transmitting/receiving control of ultrasonic waves; a three-dimensional processing unit 120 for forming a three-dimensional image from an ultrasonic reception signal received by the transmitting/receiving circuit; an image processing circuit 115 for converting the tomographic image and the three-dimensional image into a display format; and the like. The three-dimensional processing unit is composed of: an angle detecting circuit 121 for generating an angle information of a high resolution from two encoder signals of a rotation and an oscillation; and a high speed operation processing circuit 122 for carrying out processes of generation, treatment and cut of a three-dimensional image data, and the like.
US07946976B2
Disclosed are devices and systems which to sense parameters related to the mechanical forces imposed on devices implanted in the stomach. The parameters of the system are further translated into patient feedback systems to create satiety inducing pathways in the stomach.
US07946972B2
A seating is provided that is adapted for imparting at least partial body support to a user in multiple positions. The seating apparatus has a support structure holding a body supporting assembly that includes one member defining a seating surface and another member that can be configured to form an auxiliary body support surface essentially parallel to and at a different level than the seating surface. The different level preferably includes at least one level that is below that of the seating surface.
US07946970B2
A kit is provided so a person can exercise anywhere the person may be located. Body rockers have a handle to grip, which body rockers alone may be used by a user for many exercises. Elastic cords of varying lengths and strength may be attached to the body rockers with carabiners. By securing a part of the elastic cord to a stationary object, the limbs of the body can be exercised as well as abs and upper body. Door stops may be used to secure the elastic cords between a door and door frame. A rocker cover can be used for back and forth rocking motion of the user. All of these items may be loaded in a workout bag and carried with the user to exercise wherever the user may be located.
US07946969B1
A portable exercise platform having at least two platform sections connected by a mechanism for connecting them in an open condition and in a closed condition. Preferred embodiments include a split longitudinal resistance mechanism and an interwoven latitudinal resistance mechanism. The split longitudinal resistance mechanism includes first and second parts, each part being attached to at least one platform section and having a plurality of resistance bands. The interwoven latitudinal resistance mechanism includes first and second parts, each part being attached to at least one platform section and having a plurality of resistance bands. Preferred embodiments include retractable handgrips, each handgrip having an extendable-retractable strap, each of the plurality of resistance bands suitable for directly or indirectly (via a spreader attachment device) attaching to the extendable-retractable strap.
US07946968B2
The present invention relates to an exercise apparatus comprising a weight stack for opposing a given exercise motion through a cable and pulley system. The weight stack comprises a set of weights vertically stacked on each other. The weights have a central aperture formed therein through which a lifting stem is downwardly insertable. Each weight is provided with weight selector means, which are pivotally engagable with said lifting stem for connecting and locking a selectable number of weights to the central lifting stem.
US07946957B2
A motor needs to provide a first torque at the time of releasing a shift range from a parking range and needs to provide a second torque smaller than the first torque at the time of placing the shift range into the parking range. Also, the motor needs to provide a third torque smaller than the second torque at the time of changing the shift range from one non-parking range to another non-parking range and needs to provide a fourth torque smaller than the third torque at the time of executing the parking range wall abutment learning. When the parking range wall abutment learning is executed from the parking range, a motor control apparatus controls the torque to the third or fourth torque. When the parking range wall abutment learning is executed from any non-parking range, the motor control apparatus controls the torque to the first or second torque.
US07946948B2
The transmission has a plurality of members that can be utilized in powertrains to provide nine forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio. The transmission includes four planetary gear sets having six torque-transmitting devices and four fixed interconnections. The powertrain includes an engine and torque converter that is continuously connected to at least one of the planetary gear members, and an output member that is continuously connected with another one of the planetary gear members. The six torque-transmitting devices provide interconnections between various gear members, the transmission housing and with the input member, and are operated in combinations to establish at least nine forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio.
US07946947B2
In single pinion planetary gear mechanisms, a second sun gear is linked to an input shaft in a power-transmissible manner, a first sun gear is linked to a third control brake, and a first carrier and a second ring gear which are linked to each other are linked to a first control brake. In single pinion planetary gear mechanisms, a third sun gear and a fourth sun gear which are linked to each other are linked to the input shaft disengageably by a first control clutch, and a third ring gear and a fourth ring gear are linked to a second control brake and a fourth control brake, respectively. Furthermore, in the single pinion planetary gear mechanisms, a third carrier is linked to the input shaft disengageably by a second control clutch and a fourth carrier is linked to an output shaft.
US07946944B2
An electric continuously variable transmission comprises a first rotating plate (110) which is mounted to a first shaft and provided with a sun gear (112), a second rotating plate (120) to which a planetary gear unit (121) is mounted, and a third rotating plate (130) which is mounted to a second shaft, with a ring gear (132) provided on a circumferential inner surface of the third rotating plate. The transmission further includes a field unit (140) which has a first coil (114) wound around a plurality of cores (113) provided on the first rotating plate. The transmission further includes a generation coil unit (150) which has a second coil (124) wound around a plurality of cores (123) provided on the second rotating plate.
US07946940B2
The invention is directed to a drive belt of rubber or rubber-like plastic having a surface protection (5) which includes polyamide-containing textile reinforcement and/or polyester-containing textile reinforcement. On the outer side, a surface coating (6) of a friction-reducing material in a matrix of at least one elastic addition polymer is provided. For improved heat resistance with good protection against wear, the elastic addition polymer has less than 2% by weight based on the polymer of structural components —O—CxRy—O— with x=1-3 and y=0-6. The R in a structural component can be the same or can be different and is selected from hydrogen and/or carbon-containing groups.
US07946939B2
A sprocket (3A, 3B) is fixed onto a crank shaft (2) projecting outward from a cylinder block (1) of an internal combustion engine (100). A timing chain (7A, 7B) is looped around the sprocket (3A, 3B). A slippage prevention mechanism (10) which prevents slippage of the timing chain (7A, 7B) with respect to the sprocket (3A, 3B) comprises an arm (10C) extending from a base portion (10A) fixed to the cylinder block. A slippage prevention rail (10B) in the form of an arc-shaped recess is formed on the arm (10C) so as to face the engaging part between the sprocket (3A, 3B) and the timing chain (7A, 7B) with a clearance smaller than the height of a tooth of the sprocket (3A, 3B) therebetween. The slippage prevention rail (10B) thus constructed does not interfere with other members fixed onto the crank shaft (2).
US07946938B2
A tensioner comprising a base, an arm engaged with the base for oscillatory movement, a torsion spring engaged with the base and the arm, the torsion spring exerting a force on the arm, a damping mechanism exerting a frictional damping force between the base and the arm for damping an arm oscillation, the damping mechanism comprising a Belleville spring, the frictional damping force instantaneously adjustable by changing a Belleville spring force.
US07946937B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, an article that generally consists of a silicone material in combination with a fastening member, such as an adhesive backing, is provided and configured for easy application to a surface, including those associated with a variety of racquet sports, sporting goods, etc. The combination of the silicone material with the fastening member is hereby referred to as a “silicone adhesive product” that, as described below, overcomes the deficiencies of conventional sports equipment accessories, protects the sports equipment, reduces vibration; and can offer the degree of customization desired by some sports participants.
US07946932B2
The present invention encompasses a golf ball having a diameter and being comprised of a core and a cover, wherein the core is further comprised of a fluid mass at the center of the ball, and a first, solid, non-wound mantle layer surrounding the fluid mass, wherein the first mantle layer comprises a copolymer or terpolymer of ethylene and an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid, the acid being neutralized at least 80% by a salt of an organic acid, a cation source, or a suitable base of the organic acid, and wherein the cover comprises polyurethane, polyurea, or a polyurea/polyurethane hybrid. Preferably, the rate of spin decay is at least 10% of an initial spin rate of the golf ball over the entire ball flight.
US07946931B2
In a golf club head, a horizontal direction oriented from the toe side toward the heel side is defined as an X direction, while a vertical upward direction is defined as a Y direction; and the coordinate of the center of the hit face is defined as (0, 0); the coordinate of the sweet spot is defined as (x1, y1); and the coordinate of the maximum resilience point on the hit face is defined as (x2, y2). In this golf club head, x1 is +3 mm or greater and +8 mm or less, and x2 is −5 mm or greater and +2 mm or less. Preferably, the shortest distance D1 between the axis line of the shaft hole and the center of gravity G of the head is 33 mm or greater and 44 mm or less. Preferably, when the face member is divided into a toe portion and a heel portion by a plane that passes the center of the hit face along the Y direction, the area mean thickness Tt of the toe portion is smaller than the area mean thickness Th of the heel portion.
US07946927B2
The present invention is for a golf training aid designed to teach a golfer the correct path to swing a golf club from the set up position to the top of the swing to impact and follow through. Specifically, this invention includes a golf training aid in the form of a tubular frame with adjustable poles, preferably made of light weight aluminum or PVC (polyvinyl chloride). The golf training aid trains a golfer by using a swing board which is set up at the correct shaft angle plane which guides the shaft of the club back approximately 18 inches. As a result of the slight friction between the swing board and the golf club shaft, the golfer will feel the correct path of their swing going back. Two shaft plane guides are provided at the waist height of the golfer. The shaft plane guides are adjustable and permit the golfer to identify their correct backswing and downswing. On the downswing, the golfer keeps the club below the shoulder plane guide and above the shaft plane guide and the swing board, thus putting the club into the correct downswing position. The club will return slightly above the swing board to impact and stay outside the follow through guide (shaft plane guide).
US07946924B2
A telescopable shaft assembly has at least two shaft elements capable of sliding in one another as an internal shaft element and an outer shaft element connected to one another in torque transmitting manner via at least one sliding splined portion. An axial fixation defines predetermined breaking point between the shaft elements. The axial fixation becomes ineffective once a predetermined impact force acting in a telescoping direction is reached. The shaft elements are movable relative to one another, once the axial fixation has become ineffective, in low-friction manner along the sliding splined portion under the action of the impact force. When the axial fixation is effective, an annular gap is formed between a splined portion runout on a free end of the outer shaft element and an unsplined portion of the inner shaft element. The annular gap, at least in the area of the free end of the outer shaft element, is at least partially filled with a sealant.
US07946921B2
In an exemplary embodiment, an on-board camera is used as a controller for a hand-held game device. Control information is provided to a game application via video captured by the camera. As the hand-held device is moved, features of the captured video are tracked. The relative motion between the tracked features and the hand-held device is translated into control information for the game application. Aspects of the game application are rendered on a display of the hand-held game device in accordance with the control information. For example, from a third person perspective, viewing a game character from overhead, rotation of the hand-held game device can be translated into rotation of the character. From a first person perspective, seeing the game through the eyes of the game character, rotation of the hand-held game device can be translated into observing various challenges coming from different directions.
US07946920B2
The video game terminal uses a center pedestal and two column members either side of the center pedestal for supporting a touch screen. The center pedestal holds the working components of the terminal including the CPU and payment acceptors. The center pedestal supports the touch screen at a raised position and the columns provide edge support of the touch screen. Preferably, an ambient light arrangement is provided either side of the terminal.
US07946919B2
A method of location-based gaming includes the steps of engaging a program to play a game, determining the location of a target object, providing the location of the target object to a central location, obtaining a data file pertaining to an object at the location of the target object, and generating gaming object data relative to the location of the target object.
US07946905B2
Disclosed in the present application is a sharpening apparatus and method for sharpening a cutting bit. The apparatus comprises a sharpening member and a laser for accurately positioning the cutting bit surface to be sharpened with respect to the sharpening member. The apparatus and method are particularly useful for sharpening a router or shaper bit.Also disclosed is a sharpening apparatus for a cutting bit having a flat face comprising grinding wheel having a shaft and a flat annular grinding surface perpendicular to said shaft; a bit holder adapted to hold said cutting bit and to orient the bit flat face into a plane that is parallel to the plane of the grinding wheel grinding surface; a carriage supporting the bit holder; advancing means for advancing said carriage in a motion parallel to the grinding wheel shaft so that the bit is against the grinding wheel grinding surface; means for side-to-side movement of said carriage in a motion perpendicular to the grinding wheel shaft; said advancing means further comprising a gear train for further advancing the bit flat face against the grinding wheel grinding surface in small increments to remove small layers of material from said bit cutting face during said side-to-side movement.
US07946897B2
An organic electroluminescent device includes first and second substrates spaced apart from each other, the first and second substrates including a first region and a second region, the second region outside the first region and including a concave portion, an array element on an inner surface of the first substrate, the array element including a switching element, an organic electroluminescent diode on an inner surface of the second substrate, a connection electrode electrically connecting the array element and the organic electroluminescent diode, the connection electrode between the first and second substrates, and a bar-type desiccant in the concave portion of the second region between the first and second substrates.
US07946880B2
An electronic connector assembly includes a first connector, a second connector, and a handle. The first connector includes a main portion and two shoulders. Each shoulder defines a groove. The main portion forms at least one wedge thereon. The second connector defines at least one securing hole, which receives the at least one wedge positioned therein. The handle includes a cord and two securing portions formed on opposite ends of the cord. The two securing portions are secured in the grooves of the two shoulders of the first connector to mount the handle on the first connector. The handle is capable of being pulled to disengage the first connector from the second connector.
US07946877B2
A hook structure of the compact flash card has a supporting part and an extension part. The hook part extended from the extension part holds the compact flash card. The supporting part supports the compact flash card. It enables one to quickly and conveniently insert or withdraw the compact flash card on an industry computer. This solves the problems in the prior art that the compact flash card cannot be conveniently inserted into or removed from an industry computer and that the compact flash card easily gets loose, resulting in the industry computer system crash. The hook structure enables convenient replacement of compact flash cards and ensures the stable operation of the industry computer.
US07946875B2
A card edge connector (100) for use with an electronic card (100) includes an elongated housing (1) having a pair of opposited side walls (10), a central slot (11) between the side walls (10), and a holding portion (12) at one end thereof. The holding portion (12) defining at least one leading hole (126) extending along a length direction of the housing (1). A retainer (3) is movably retained in the holding portion (12). The retainer (3) has a body portion (31) with a positioning post (315) received in the leading hole (126), a latch projection (12) protruding inwardly from the body portion (31) for locking the electronic card (200). Wherein the positioning post (315) is movable in the leading hole (126) along the length direction so as to prevent the retainer (3) from being separated from the holding portion (12).
US07946871B1
An electrical connector in accordance with the present invention includes an insulative housing defining a mating direction and at least one contact-receiving passage extending along a mating direction, at least one conductive contact received in the at least one contact-receiving passage for electrically connecting with a conductive contact of a complementary connector, and a protection element. The at least one conductive contact includes a retention section interferentially received in the at least one contact-receiving passage, and a mating section extending from the retention section for electrically connecting with corresponding conductive contact of the complementary connector, and a mounting section extending from the retention section. The mating section forms a tip end at a free end thereof. The protection element is integrally formed with the tip end of the mating section of the at least one conductive contact and wraps the tip end.
US07946869B2
The present disclosure is directed to conductive connector attachments for use in electrically connecting printed circuit boards to absorbent products such as diapers, training pants, incontinence products, feminine hygiene products, and the like. Specifically, various configurations and methods of securely attaching conventional conductive hook and loop attachments to printed circuit boards are disclosed.
US07946864B1
A retractable outdoor electrical power receptacle that has a top surface plate over a mechanism vault, and a telescoping arm with an electrical power outlet box rigidly mounted on it. The mechanism vault containing the hardware and components of the device is buried in the ground. The top surface plate sits atop the mechanism vault at the ground level with an access hole for accessing the mechanism vault. A protective cover plate covers the access hole, fitting within the top surface. The protective cover plate can be rotated 180 degrees to reveal a gap through which the telescoping arm can extend when the electrical outlets are raised and in use.
US07946862B2
A grounding or bonding assembly comprising a strap or wire having multiple ends, with at least one end electrically connected to a clamp. The clamp includes a clamping means such as a screw and a penetrating means such as a spike. When the clamp is mounted on a structure and pressure is applied by means of the screw, the spike digs into the structure's surface and creates a low impedance electrical connection.
US07946848B2
A dispenser made of a pliable material having a slit therein for dispensing primarily low viscosity materials. A block made of pliable foam contains a low viscosity material within a slit. Dental instruments or dental material applicators having an applicating end are inserted into the slit of the block, coating the applicator end with the low viscosity material. The resilient nature of the block material also helps to keep the dental instrument clean by wiping the instrument against the interior sides of the pocket formed by the slit. The present invention is particularly well suited for dispensing a lubricating material, such as a resin, on dental instruments used in working, shaping, or contouring a relatively viscous composite restorative material on a patient's tooth.
US07946846B2
A dental instrument and method for imaging the three-dimensional topography of one or more teeth in the oral cavity of an individual is provided. The instrument includes a probe insertable into the oral cavity to receive the image of these surfaces which can then be processed. Combined with the probe is an auxiliary which projects an air stream toward the surface to be imaged by the probe and acts to evaporate and remove from these surfaces a liquid film coating formed by saliva and other fluids present in the or cavity, to render these surfaces dry and enhance their reflectivity and in doing so, provide clearer images.
US07946838B2
A mold includes a plurality of inserts, a molding board, a base board, a plurality of fastening members, and a plurality of washers. The inserts each has a molding surface. The molding board includes a plurality of cavities for accommodating of the respective inserts. The base board for mounting the molding board thereto has a plurality of receiving holes. The fastening members are respectively received in the corresponding receiving holes for securing the corresponding inserts in the corresponding cavities of the molding board. The washers are sandwiched between the respective fastening members and an opposite ends of the inserts to the molding surfaces.
US07946833B2
The present invention provides a vane pump having variable displacement and high efficiency. The variable displacement vane pump includes a plurality of elongate, axially extending inserts disposed in the rotor. One of the inserts is disposed between every adjacent vane pair. The inserts are received within axially extending pockets in the rotor and are coupled to the rotor by springs. At lower rotational speeds, the inserts are retracted and the displacement of the pump chambers is at maximum. At higher rotational speeds, the inserts are advanced into the pump chambers, effectively reducing their displacement. Thus, the variable displacement pump compensates for the varying drive speed and achieves improved uniformity of fluid flow by providing maximum displacement at low speeds and reduced displacement at higher speeds.
US07946831B2
To improve a compressor for refrigerant, comprising an outer casing, a scroll compressor disposed in the outer casing, a drive unit, disposed in the outer casing, for the second compressor body, having an eccentric drive, a drive shaft running in lying arrangement or approximately horizontally in the outer casing and a drive motor, which includes a stator and a rotor seated on the drive shaft, as well as a lubricant supply, in such a manner that the minimum possible quantity of lubricant is required, it is proposed that a lubricant collection space is disposed in the outer casing, that the lubricant supply has a delivery wheel which delivers lubricant from a delivery sump into a feed space for the drive shaft, and that a lower pressure prevails in a lubricant delivery space accommodating the delivery sump than in the lubricant collection space, so that the lubricant which collects in the lubricant space, on account of the pressure difference, passes into the delivery sump.
US07946824B2
In an axial flow fan, a line extending from a center axis and passing a corner where a following edge and a radially outer edge of a blade of an impeller meet is arranged forwardly in a rotational direction from an another corner where a leading edge of the blade and a radially outer surface of a hub meet. Furthermore, a camber ratio of the blade, which is minimum at a joint with the hub across the blade, monotonically increases to be maximum at the radially outer edge of the blade.
US07946822B2
A rotating blade for a steam turbine includes a root section and an airfoil section contiguous with the root section. The airfoil section is shaped to optimize aerodynamic performance while providing optimized flow distribution and minimal centrifugal and bending stresses. The blade also includes a tip section continuous with the airfoil section, and a cover formed as part of the tip section. The cover defines a radial seal that serves to minimize tip losses. The rotating blade is capable of running at operating speeds between 5626 and 11250 rotations per minute.
US07946818B2
The lifetime of plural shock absorbing resilient inserts of an adjustable pitch propeller with feathering blades may be increased. According to an embodiment, stops are implemented between metal surfaces that may be reached only in the event of shocks of great violence and following a certain elastic deformation of the shock absorbing inserts, which remain partially compressed. At the bottom of each circular cavity housing a respective annular insert of elastomer of the flange of a first cylindrical sleeve directly keyed on the drive shaft of the propeller a hole coaxial and of greater diameter than the diameter of a central hole of the annular insert and of the relative engaging pin is formed. Pins projecting from the face of the terminal flange of a second circular sleeve extend through the coaxially formed holes at the bottom of the respective circular cavities of the flange of the first sleeve.
US07946809B2
The exhaust-gas turbine comprises a turbine casing, a shaft rotatably mounted in a bearing housing, a turbine wheel arranged on the shaft, and a heat-protection wall, the heat-protection wall defining with the turbine casing an inflow passage leading to the turbine wheel. The heat-protection wall has two seatings, the first seating resting on the bearing housing and the second seating resting on the turbine casing. If the heat-protection wall becomes hot, the two seatings are pressed against the bearing housing and the turbine casing. The turbine casing is pressed outward in the radial direction. Centering of the heat-protection wall and thus also of the turbine casing is ensured by the radially inner seating of the heat-protection wall.
US07946807B2
A turbine stator of a gas turbine engine includes a turbine casing, a turbine shroud ring and a shroud ring support connecting the shroud ring to the casing. The stator is one wherein the support is provided with a heat shield positioned on the turbine side. This assembly makes it possible to reduce the take-up of play during transient operating phases.
US07946805B2
An axial fan unit includes two or more impellers which rotate about a center axis in opposite directions relative to each other to create an axial airflow. Each impeller includes a hub and a plurality of blades disposed around the hub. The impellers are surrounded by a housing in a radial direction that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the center axis. On a cross-sectional plane of the axial fan unit including the center axis, a distance between the hubs of the impellers and the housing decreases from an upstream side to a downstream side in a direction of the axial airflow.
US07946799B2
A transfer apparatus includes a fixed base, a swivel, a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the swivel relative to the fixed base, a swivel mechanism for turning the swivel about a vertical swivel axis, a linear movement mechanism supported by the swivel, and a hand supported by the linear movement mechanism for transportation of a work along a linear horizontal travel stroke. The lift mechanism includes N (N is an integer equal to or greater than 2) lift members arranged for telescopic expansion and retraction relative to the fixed base. The lift mechanism also includes N lift drive mechanisms each for raising and lowering one of the lift members relative to an immediate lower-stage lift member. The swivel is supported by an uppermost one of the lift members. (FIG. 5)
US07946798B2
A casing pipe and drill rod handler for joining the drill rod in a casing pipe. A pipe sled is provided on a drilling rig, the pipe sled comprising an elongated track with a cart slidably mounted on the track to accommodate the casing pipe. A drill rod guide is provided at one end of the track to guide a drill rod as it is positioned and then inserted into the casing pipe.
US07946792B2
An uncoated cutting tool that comprises a body containing a pocket. A polycrystalline cubic boron nitride blank has a cutting tip. The blank is brazed into the pocket using a braze alloy whereby there is a braze joint between the body and the polycrystalline cubic boron nitride blank. The braze alloy has a liquidus temperature of at least about 900 degrees Centigrade wherein the braze alloy is selected from the group comprising a nickel-gold braze alloy containing nickel and gold, a copper-gold braze alloy containing copper and gold, a silver-titanium braze alloy containing silver and titanium, and a silver-palladium braze alloy containing silver and palladium.
US07946787B2
A paving system includes a machine having a frame with a plurality of ground-engaging elements coupled with the frame, and a height adjustable screed coupled with the frame. The paving system may also include a paving control system having a receiver configured to receive screed control data indicative of a position of the height adjustable screed relative to a reference position. The paving control system may further include a computer readable memory storing a control algorithm, which may include a smoothness estimating algorithm and a screed adjusting algorithm. An electronic control unit is coupled with the computer readable memory and is configured via the control algorithm to determine a smoothness value for a region of a mat of material which corresponds with an irregular pattern of screed position, in response to screed control data received via the receiver.
US07946785B2
A blocking system or blocking body (1) is provided that is composed of at least four means or members (2) that have a common base (3) and in the transport state are pivoted upwards so that the tips (2.1) of all means (2) lie in one plane, wherein the means (2) in the active state are orientated in such a way that at least three tips (2.1) form contact points (9) on a surface (8) and at least the fourth means (2) pointing upwards penetrates one of the wheels when it is run over. This type of crow's foot (blocking body (1)) can be delivered by means of a thrower or by depositing it into the terrain in which the vehicles are situated, and whose continued travel is to be prevented.
US07946772B2
Provided is a monitoring camera including a base which is fixable and installable on a structure; a housing which is attachable to and detachable from the base; a hooking member which is disposed on the base so as to fix the housing with the base; a button member of which one end is exposed outside the housing and the other end is hinge-combinable with the housing in the housing; and a mounting unit which is fixedly attached to the hooking member so as to attach the housing to the base. The housing may be detached from the base by manipulating the button member which may detach the hooking member from the mounting unit.
US07946771B2
A camera support comprises a baseplate on which first and second engaging means are formed for releasably engaging first and second portions of a camera body displaced along the baseplate in an engaging direction. The first engaging means defines an abutment position for the first portion of the camera body, and the second engaging means defines a space between two sidewalls for slidably receiving a web of second portion of the camera body, and wherein one of said sidewalls is displaceable towards the other and is coupled to a trigger of the first engaging means so as to clamp the web between the sidewalls when the trigger is operated by the first portion reaching the abutment position. A camera support of this kind can be used advantageously for a respective camera assembly, for example a superexpander.
US07946765B2
A retaining element for use with elastic sheet material is disclosed. In one form, the sheet material can be provided as a bag (100) having first and second sidewalls (102,104). The retaining element can be in the form of an elastic strip attached to one of the sidewalls. The retaining strip (120) can comprise a heat-unstable activatable material such that it can be applied to the bag in a deadened condition wherein the strip is set and subsequently heated to transition to an activated condition wherein the retaining element is elasticized to provide an elasticized article which can have a shirred appearance. The retaining element can have various configurations and can be activated by various methods.
US07946759B2
A method and apparatus for measuring a substrate temperature during a thermal process are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus for measuring a substrate temperature during a thermal process includes an evacutable chamber, a substrate heater positioned to heat a substrate disposed in the chamber, and a sensor positioned to receive energy transmitted through the substrate while the substrate is heated by the substrate heater, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a metric indicative of transmittance. In another embodiment, a method for measuring a substrate temperature includes heating a substrate disposed in a chamber, detecting a change in transmittance of the substrate while heating, and determining a temperature of the substrate based on the change in transmittance.
US07946758B2
A portable device comprising a modular movement is disclosed. The modular movement has a body housing a plurality of layers that include a top layer of glass, and a movement subassembly for displaying information, including time, wherein the modular movement includes all parts necessary for power and operation, including the displaying of the information, such that the modular movement is fully functional standalone. The portable device further includes a case, which includes a receptacle for removably receiving the modular movement without need for a tool, such that the modular movement is user-interchangeable with another case of another portable device.
US07946757B2
The invention concerns a base module comprising a barrel device, a display device, and a power reserve indicator, all the components of the module being placed vertically relative to the flanks of the case, and the adjusting member being arranged visibly and directly accessible on the flank of the case.
US07946756B2
The oscillating weight (2) is for automatically winding a timepiece movement; it pivots off-center relative to the center of the movement and is made of a single heavy material. The weight (2) is carried by a shock absorber (1) that takes the form of a plate (4), one end of which is secured to the weight and the other end of which is secured to a tube (5) arranged to rotate about an arbour (6) forming the axis of rotation of the weight.
US07946746B2
A surface light source device includes a plurality of light guide plates spliced together side by side and forming a plurality of jointing interfaces. A plurality of LEDs is attached to a side face of each of the light guide plates. The LEDs are arranged in a linear LED array along the side face of each of the light guide plates. At most one linear LED array is arranged at the jointing interface between each two neighboring light guide plates.
US07946744B2
Light generated at a specific wavelength corresponding to a particular color or color range that is distracting or disruptive to a driver during a normal operation is blocked through an inexpensive construction without blocking light in a required range of wavelengths. A projector is constructed such that a plurality of LEDs are arranged in an array configuration. The LEDs can include a tinge of red reduction LED and near-infrared LEDs. The projector can be installed in a vehicle and disposed in proximity to the camera. In some embodiments, the projector can be controlled by a control circuit to be turned on in conjunction with the shutter of a camera.
US07946736B1
A cover that may be attached directly to the ceiling around a recessed down-light fixture to change the appearance of the recessed light fixture to an external light fixture without losing access to the fixture. The cover includes a first lens with an outer dome, a flange lying in a plane extending from a first periphery of the first lens and a central circular hole through the outer dome. Notches are arranged about the periphery of the central circular hole. A second lens includes an cup which has a circular periphery with a diameter of noninterference fit with the central circular hole. Tabs extend radially outwardly from the circular periphery and are configured and arranged to fit through the notches.
US07946725B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for grouping at least three lamps (1) and for assigning the lamps (1) to at least one operating unit. It is time-intensive to equip one or a plurality of rooms or halls within a building with lamps (1), particularly a grouping of lamps (1), and assigning lamps (1) to at least one operating unit. Therefore, grouping of lamps (1) and assigning the lamps (1) to at least one operating unit should be simplified. In accordance with the invention, a lamp (1) emits light and the other lamps (1) measure light, and distances between the lamps (1) are determined in dependence upon at least one light value and the lamps (1) are assigned to at least one operating unit in dependence upon the distances.
US07946724B2
There is provided a surface light source using white light emitting diodes including: a plurality of white light emitting diodes arranged at a predetermined distance from one another, wherein the white light emitting diodes are arranged such that a light emitting diode unit defined by each of the white light emitting diodes and corresponding ones of the white light emitting diodes disposed at a closest distance from the each white light emitting diode has a central light amount ranging from 80% to 120% with respect to an average light amount of the white light emitting diodes.
US07946720B2
A light shielding part includes a slit provided between a first light guide body and a second light guide body, and an attenuation part which has unevenness formed by print and is additionally provided near end sides of the first light guide body and the second light guide body. The light shielding part can prevent light from being transmitted between the first light guide body and the second light guide body. With this configuration, when illumination parts of the first and second light guide bodies are illuminated, it is possible to illuminate the illumination parts of the first and second light guide bodies at different timings without the illumination part of one light guide body being illuminated with light leaked from the other light guide body.
US07946718B2
The disclosed embodiments relate to a system and method for optical calibration of a picture modulator. More specifically, there is provided a video unit (10) comprising a modulator (18) configured to modulate a projection lens assembly (16) between a first position and a second position, a photodiode assembly (22) configured to produce a first voltage corresponding to a first pixel pattern generated when the projection lens assembly (16) is in the first position and to produce a second voltage corresponding to a second pixel pattern when the projection lens assembly (16) is the second position, and a video control system (26) configured to adjust the location of the second position based on the first and second voltages.
US07946704B2
A spring hinge between a bow cheek and a bow of a pair of spectacles is described, having two hinge parts (3, 4), which are each associated with one of these spectacle parts (1, 2), one of which forms a bearing fork (6) having a hinge axis (5) for receiving the other hinge part (4), which is guided so it is displaceable in a housing (9) with the aid of a U-shaped sliding part (7), and having a coiled spring (12) situated between the two legs (11) of the sliding part (7), which is supported on one side on a web (13) of the sliding part (7) connecting the two legs (11) and on the other side on a buttress (14), which engages through a through opening (16) of the associated hinge part (4), which runs coaxially to the coiled spring (12), in a nut thread (15) of the housing (9) which is coaxial to the coiled spring (12). In order to provide advantageous construction and installation conditions, it is proposed that the hinge part (3) forming the bearing fork (6) forms an insert which is inserted so it is removable in a laterally closed receptacle pocket (17) of the associated spectacle part (1).
US07946702B2
A printer is provided which has a housing having an upper cover, a lower cover, a first side wall and a second, opposed side wall; a print engine housed within the housing, the print engine having two pairs of print heads arranged in opposed relationship across a print media feed path, each of the print heads having an arcuate portion in the vicinity of the print media feed path; an inlet roller assembly for feeding media into the housing; and an exit roller assembly for feeding the media out of the housing. The arcuate portion of each print head has a radius of curvature approximating that of the inlet roller.
US07946698B2
An ink jet recording method comprising: applying an undercoating liquid containing a monomer represented by the formulae (I) or (II) onto a recording medium; partially curing the undercoating liquid that has been applied onto the recording medium; and recording an image by ejecting an ink that is curable by irradiation with actinic energy onto the partially cured undercoating liquid. In formulae (I) and (II), R1 represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, or alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; X1 represents a divalent linking group; R2 and R3 represent a substituent; n represents an atom group that is necessary for formation of a cyclic hydrocarbon structure that may contain —C(O)— and/or —C(O)O— together with a hydrocarbon linkage; k represents an integer of from 1 to 6; and q and r represent an integer of from 0 to 5, and wherein k, q and/or r are 2 or more, two or more of R1, X1, R2 and/or R3 may be the same as or different from each other.
US07946693B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for producing and deflecting ink drops in a continuous ink-jet printer in which a continuous cohesive ink jet exits from a nozzle of a pressure chamber, and in which at least one acoustic pulse (140, 142, 142a) strikes the cohesive ink jet (9) transversely to the propagation direction, and one segment of the ink jet (9) upon which the acoustic pulse (140, 142, 142a) acts is separated from the cohesive ink jet (9) and deflected from its original propagation direction (100), the separated segment forming an ink drop (11) during its travel due to cohesion forces.
US07946691B2
A method of printing and a printhead are provided. The printhead includes a nozzle array having a width; a gas flow source; and a gas flow duct in fluid communication with the gas flow source. The gas flow duct includes an expansion region and a compression region. The expansion region of the gas flow duct gradually expands along its cross sectional length to at least the width of the nozzle array. The compression region of the gas flow duct gradually contracts along its cross sectional length.
US07946682B2
A method for producing an elastic plate for a liquid jet head, which includes etching a rolled metal plate based on a rolling direction of the rolled metal plate, to form an etched portion and a non-etched portion on the rolled metal plate. The thickness of the etched portion is thinner than the thickness of the non-etched portion and the rolling direction is substantially perpendicular to a long side of the rolled metal plate.
US07946669B2
An apparatus to align a substrate and a print head having a plurality of orifices so as to perform a printing operation by ejecting ink on the substrate comprises a camera unit provided between the substrate and the print head to photograph the plurality of orifices of the print head and the substrate so as to align the print head and the substrate, and a camera moving part to movably support the camera unit and to move the camera unit between the substrate and the print head. Thus, the aligning apparatus has a simple configuration that may be easily installed and may be controlled precisely. The aligning apparatus may also be used with opaque substrates.
US07946650B2
An infant bouncer includes a seat, a support frame, a flexible part, and a positioning structure. The support frame is used for supporting the seat. The flexible part is disposed on the support frame. The positioning structure connects the seat and the flexible part so as to position the seat relative to the support frame.
US07946646B2
A wheel house structure for a vehicle, in which a wheel house is assembled with a rear floor assembly. The wheel house of the wheel house structure includes a front wheel house having a first convex portion at one end thereof, and a rear wheel house having a second convex portion at one end thereof, wherein the first and second convex portions are coupled to be overlapped each other to form a beam between the front wheel house and the second wheel house inward the wheel house.
US07946642B1
A motorcycle windshield assembly includes two frame units coupled to a windshield. Each frame unit includes a pair of corresponding adjusting elements jointly enclosing an end of an installation rod. Each pair of the adjusting elements are fitted into receiving spaces of a corresponding pair of left and right covers such that teeth formed on each pair of the adjusting elements mesh with teeth formed in the corresponding pair of left and right covers. Each pair of the left and right covers have a side provided with guide grooves for receiving a sliding element coupled to the windshield. Thus, the windshield coupled to the frame units can be conveniently raised, lowered, or tilted to provide the desired shielding effect. The motorcycle windshield assembly is flexibly adjustable in height and tilt angle and is collapsible when not in use.
US07946631B2
Disclosed herein are embodiments of devices and kits for making knotted string accessories. One embodiment of a device comprises a base having a substantially planar surface with a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a longitudinal axis. A securing member is connected to the substantially planar surface proximate to the first end and is configured to secure a first end of the plurality of individual strings. An elongated holder is connected to the substantially planar surface proximate the second end and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and comprises a plurality of raised portions positioned along the elongated holder and extending outward from the substantially planar surface in close proximity to one another, wherein adjacent raised portions are configured to retain individual strings. An embodiment of a kit comprises the device and a plurality of string for use with the device.
US07946624B2
The present invention includes a mounting structure having a flange and a plurality of hook portions formed integrally with a piping member. The flange can contact a first surface of an element having a through-hole formed therein. The hook portions extend from the flange for inserting into the through-hole and can resiliently deform in a radial direction with respect to the axis of the flange. Each hook portion has a hooking end that can engage a second surface of the element opposite to the first surface.
US07946621B2
An airbag device for a vehicle including an inflator that generates high-pressure gas upon receiving an impact; and an airbag that deploys between an occupant and a vehicle body side portion from a folded state upon receiving the high-pressure gas from the inflator, wherein the airbag has a deployment restriction member that restricts the height of the airbag in the vehicle body vertical direction during deployment.
US07946612B2
A safety arrangement in the form of an air-bag module (1) to be mounted to the steering wheel of a motor vehicle. The air-bag module (1) comprises a housing (2) and a cover (3). The cover (3) is moveably mounted to the housing (2). A wire (25) is clipped to the cover (3) and the wire (25) is configured to engage contact members (16) provided on the housing (2) when the cover (3) is moved relative to the housing (2). The wire (25) and the contacts (16) together act as a switch arrangement which may be connected to an electrical circuit in the vehicle which controls the vehicle's horn.
US07946596B2
A motor vehicle is provided. The motor vehicle comprises a vehicle body, a front wheel, a rear wheel and a tilting mechanism. The front wheel, the rear wheel and the tilting mechanism are disposed on the vehicle body. The tilting mechanism comprises a first compensation unit, a first arm, a first wheel, a second compensation unit, a second arm, a second wheel, at least one pipe and a fluid. The first arm is connected to the first compensation unit, and the first wheel. The second arm is connected to the second compensation unit, and the second wheel. The pipe connects the first compensation unit to the second compensation unit. The fluid flows in the first compensation unit, the second compensation unit and the pipe, wherein when the motor vehicle tilts, an extension length of the first compensation unit equals to a compression length of the second compensation unit.
US07946593B2
A seal is provided for sealing a hollow shaft, where the hollow shaft has an inner surface that may be uneven due to shot peening. The seal includes an axially extending ring section having a first end, a second end, an inner surface, and a disk section disposed substantially perpendicular to the ring section inner surface between the ring section first and second ends. The seal conforms to the shaft inner surface to stop oil leakage.
US07946580B2
A sheet material feeding apparatus capable of favorably guiding a sheet material to perform smooth feeding comprises a pair of rolls and first and second guide members and permits a sheet material to pass between the first guide member and the second guide member. One of the rolls has a plurality of circumferential grooves arranged between both ends of a sheet material feeding surface in an axial direction and spaced from one another in the axial direction, and the first guide member includes guide portions passing through the respective circumferential grooves and extending continuously to a downstream side from an upstream side between the pair of rolls in a sheet-material conveyance direction.
US07946576B2
Techniques include sensing electric signals from an actuator during a document stacking operation and determining whether an abnormal event has occurred based on the sensed signals. The techniques may find particular applicability, for example, to document acceptors that include piston-type stackers driven by a direct current motor.
US07946574B2
A sheet stacking apparatus for storing a plurality of sheets is disclosed having a storage chamber having a first transverse dimension, a platform located within the storage chamber for storing a plurality of sheets in a substantially vertical stack thereon, a feeder for feeding a top sheet from the stack, and means for moving the platform upwards to hold the stack in operative contact with the feeder, wherein the platform comprises a support portion having a second transverse dimension which is less than the first transverse dimension, for allowing sheets stacked on the platform to droop below the support portion in at least one overhanging region.
US07946571B2
A method for controlling the feed of sheets to a sheet-fed printing press is provided for a sheet feeder unit comprising an individual drive assigned to each of a plurality of components provided for supplying the sheets in a stack, separating the sheets from a stack and supplying the sheets to the press. The method includes stopping at least two of the individual drives in a predefined position in a targeted manner when shutting down the feeder unit. The individual drives are operated in synchronization with one another during printing operation. The synchronization between the at least two individual drives is canceled when the sheet feeder unit is shut down. These drives are shut down individually and synchronized with one another when the sheet feeder unit is started up again such that in shutdown, each individual drive assumes a predefinable position.
US07946569B2
A sheet aligning device includes a transport path, a movable fence, a tapping tab, and jogger fences. The transport path transports a sheet stack. The movable fence and the tapping tab align the sheet stack in a first direction in which the sheet stack is transported on the transport path. The jogger fences align the sheet stack in a direction perpendicular to the first direction on the transport path. The movable fence, the tapping tab, and the jogger fences align the sheet stack according to a plurality of aligning modes.
US07946567B2
A console unit recognizes an operation schedule of a punch unit and a saddle unit based on an operation instruction received from an MFP. Further, the console unit determines, based on a result of the recognition, whether start timings of motors and solenoids in the respective units overlap with each other between the respective units. When the result of the determination is affirmative, the console unit controls execution timings of operations of the respective units corresponding to the operation instruction to prevent the start timings of the motors and the solenoids in the respective units from overlapping with each other between the respective units.
US07946559B2
A dismantable hoist for storing and transporting wire rope and for lowering and raising the wire rope from a building roof site including a lightweight frame having a base, lightweight reel, for storing the wire rope, having a central drum and a pair of spaced-apart peripheral rings attached to the drum forming opposed side flanges rotatably mounted in the frame, drive means removably attached to the drum for rotating the drum for lowering and raising the wire rope, and brake means operatively connected to the spaced-apart peripheral rings and normally biased into braking engagement with the peripheral rings to stop lowering of the wire rope upon release of the brake means. The brake means include a pair of opposed brake shoes pivotably mounted in the frame to engage each of the peripheral rings, biasing means for normally urging each pair of opposed brake shoes towards each other for engaging and braking the peripheral ring therebetween, and a lever pivotably mounted in the frame to operatively engage the brake shoes for disengaging the brake shoes from the peripheral rings upon manually actuating the lever, whereby the drum is released for lowering or raising the wire rope.
US07946556B1
A resilient seat seal for a valve. The seal has a closed liquid-filled void therewithin, and the liquid redistributes within the seal as a portion of the seal is compressed, thereby causing effective sealing by all portions of the seal. Examples are shown with the seal used in a knife gate valve, a ball valve, and a butterfly valve. Preferably the seal is made of elastomer or polymer material such as GFLT (“good for low temperature”) FKM. The liquid within the void of the seal is preferably an antifreeze liquid such as ethylene glycol.
US07946554B2
An apparatus and method suitable for supporting a cylindrical component. The apparatus includes a pedestal having an upper surface with a semispherical concave shape, and a carriage supported on the upper surface of the pedestal. The carriage has a lower surface and an oppositely-disposed upper surface with elements for contacting and rotatably supporting the cylindrical component. The lower surface of the carriage engages the upper surface of the pedestal and has a semispherical convex shape complementary to the semispherical concave shape of the upper surface of the pedestal. The apparatus further includes a reservoir at and recessed in the upper surface of the pedestal, and a feature for delivering a lubricant to the lubricant reservoir. The lower surface of the carriage and the upper surface of the pedestal define an enclosure around the reservoir.
US07946549B2
An example hanger hook assembly for a wire shelf includes a rod end portion and a hanging rod extending from the rod end portion. A hanger end portion mounts to a wire shelf, and the hanger end portion aligns with a wire shelf storage surface. A hook portion extends from the hanger end portion to the rod end portion. The hook portion is concave between the hanger end portion and the hook end portion.
US07946540B2
A coupling bracket having a back wall, first and second side walls extending from the back wall to a pair of edges, an open side opposite the back wall, a pair of opposing open ends and a passage extending between the opposing open ends. Each side wall has an open slot extending from the edge to a closed end or base. The bases of the open slots are correspondingly located and aligned and adapted to receive a rod extending through and substantially perpendicular to the side walls. The passage is adapted to receive an elongate rail.
US07946531B2
A debris deflector includes a bracket and a horizontal blade assembly. The bracket is to secure the debris deflector to an aft side of a landing gear assembly. The horizontal blade assembly is secured to the bracket. The horizontal blade assembly includes a blade and flap. The blade has a forward blade edge, blade body, and trailing blade edge. The forward blade edge is configured for placement aft of a tire for the landing gear assembly. The blade body extends outward from the forward blade edge substantially parallel to a road surface. The flap is secured to the trailing blade edge and extends from the trailing blade edge generally rearward and downward from the trailing edge.
US07946526B2
A rotary-wing apparatus that is aeronautically stable, easy to fly with a multidimensional control, small size, and safe to fly and low cost to produce. The rotary-wing apparatus includes a coaxial, counter rotating rotor drive providing lifting power with an inherent aeronautical stability; auxiliary propellers that face the direction of flight and are located on opposite sides of said coaxial rotary-wing apparatus and enable flying forwards, backwards and perform yawing. The rotary-wing coaxial helicopter toy is remotely controlled and safe to fly in doors and out doors, while performing exciting maneuvers even by untrained kids.
US07946522B2
An electronic dispenser for dispensing a measured sheet from a roll of web material includes a passive, self-discharging static charge dissipating material configured with at least one component of the dispenser that stores static charge generated by operation of the dispenser.
US07946520B2
A hose reel includes a support casing, a drum rotatably fitted inside the casing and connected to it by an elastic rewinding element. The drum provides a flange integral with it and couplable in rotation with a locking disc equipped with teeth engageable with opposing teeth capable of stopping its rotation. An elastic separator is provided between the flange and the locking disc to keep the latter in a first position axially distanced from the flange, teeth and counter-teeth mutually engaged to allow the flange to draw the locking disc into integral rotation with it, and cam and counter-cam which, in the event of the flange exceeding a predetermined threshold speed cause the axial displacement of the locking disc into a second position adjoining the flange in which its teeth engage with the opposing teeth to produce the consequent stopping of the rotation of said drum.
US07946519B2
Seat belt retractors for spooling seat belts (webbings) include multiple independent torque transmission or absorbing systems. The seatbelt retractor comprises a webbing, a spool, a pinion, a pretensioner, at least one coupler pawl, and a locking mechanism including a lock base and a lock pawl. The at least one coupler pawl is positioned in a cavity in the spool. During a predetermined low acceleration event, the at least one coupler pawl pivots so that a portion of the at least one coupler pawl leaves the cavity and engages the lock base to load the lock base which is then prevented from rotating in a spool extracting direction by the locking pawl. When the pretensioner activates during a predetermined higher acceleration event, the pretensioner rotates the pinion in the webbing retraction direction to rotate the spool in the webbing retraction direction.
US07946516B1
The invention relates to a roller mill for grinding solid material such as cement raw materials and similar materials, said roller mill comprising a substantially horizontal grinding table and at least two rollers which are configured for interactive operation with said grinding table. The roller mill also comprises a feed chute for delivering solid material to be ground by gravity to said grinding table that is a conveyor that fluidizes the material as it is being delivered to the grinding table.
US07946512B2
A shower head for a hand-held shower attachment contains, in the center of its jet disc, an insert with three individual nozzle bodies. Each individual nozzle body is designed for discharging an individual jet. To this end, it has a continuous jet opening. Each of these in individual nozzle bodies is mounted in a manner that enables it to move relative to the shower head and to the jet disc, and is placed in rotation by a water-driven rotor. Said continuous jet opening extends at an angle to the rotation axis of the individual nozzle body. When the individual nozzle body rotates, the jet exiting there from moves on an envelope of a cone. Each individual nozzle body, contains an aerating device that aspirates the air immediately next to the outlet opening and, inside the individual nozzle body, mixes the air with the water entering this individual nozzle body. As a result, the individual nozzle body discharges an aerated jet.
US07946509B2
The invention relates to an injector for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The injector is actuated by an actuator and is connected to a fuel supply line via which fuel is supplied under system pressure. At least one injection opening can be opened or closed off by an injection valve member, which is activated by a control piston via a control chamber to which the control piston and a piston section of the injection valve member are exposed with respective pressure faces. The control piston is a valve piston of a control valve. The pressure face of the control piston and the pressure face of the piston section of the injection valve member are exposed to the control chamber at the same side. The control piston and the piston section of the injection valve member also enclose a further control chamber which is connected to a fuel return line when the control valve is open and to the fuel supply line when the control valve is closed.
US07946494B2
A cover is adapted to form part of a housing of a laser scanning unit. The cover comprises a main body having walls for defining at least one opening adjacent a lens located in a base of a laser scanning unit housing. At least one of the walls comprising seal structure formed integral with an adjacent portion of the one wall. The seal structure is adapted to engage a side portion of the lens so as to seal a gap between the lens side portion and the one wall.
US07946491B2
An apparatus for providing a camera barcode reader includes a processing element configured to process an input image for an attempt to decode the input image using a current barcode reading method, to determine whether the processing of the input image is successful, to switch to one of a different barcode reading method or processing a new frame of the input image using the current barcode reading method in response to the processing of the input image being unsuccessful, to attempt a decode of the input image using the current barcode reading method in response to the processing of the input image being successful, and to perform a switch to the different barcode reading method in response to a failure of the attempt to decode the input image using the first barcode reading method.
US07946488B2
A glazing unit including at least one marking element visible from the outside thereof and including a string of characters. The marking element can be visually identified by whomsoever and can be communicated remotely to an identification device. The identification device incorporates, for a given marking element, characteristics relating to the glazing unit that are intended to be at least partly accessible to the public in exchange for the identity of the marking element.
US07946480B2
An automated banking machine operates to cause financial transfers responsive to data read from data bearing records. The machine includes a card reader that reads card data from a card of a machine user. The card data is linked in a data store to both a customer's financial account and a cell phone assigned to that customer. In response to the user's transaction request, contact data for the assigned cell phone is determined from the data store using the read card data. A transaction security code is then sent to that cell phone. The transaction is allowed to proceed only if the user inputs the sent security code to the machine within a predetermined amount of time. Transaction allowance may also be based on a real time determination that the assigned cell phone is physically located proximate the machine.
US07946475B2
A credit card 8 is an IC card, and a PIN is authenticated between a card terminal 3 and the credit card 8. The card terminal 3 transmits to a credit company server 4 an authentication result, amount information indicating an amount to charge up, and a credit card number of the credit card 8. After billing, the credit company server 4 transmits the amount information and the credit card number to an electronic money server 5. The electronic money server 5 identifies an electronic money card 9 based on the credit card number. The electronic money server 5 generates amount change information for adding the amount with which to charge up to “VALUE”, and transmits it to the card terminal 3. Based on the amount change information, the electronic money card 9 updates the amount of “VALUE” stored therein to an amount specified by the amount change information.
US07946470B2
A method for accurately depositing a required volume of solder material on a specific area of a lead frame, substrate or other part of an electronic component to be bonded by reflow of solder material to another part into a reliable, void-free connection during a subsequent assembly step comprises the following steps. Minute particles of solder material whose cumulative volume corresponds to the total volume to be deposited are loaded into a cavity cut into a fixture made from a material such as graphite. The cavity delineates the specific area of deposit. The part is then laid upon the fixture and immobilized thereon by a cover made from a material such as graphite. The fixture and its enclosed part are then subjected to solder material melting temperature under a controlled atmosphere in a furnace. The cavity is patterned and dimensioned to accommodate the right number of uniformly dimensioned particles necessary to precisely create the desired deposit of solder material.
US07946468B2
Expanded structural assemblies and preforms and methods therefor are provided. Each preform can include at least two structural members in a stacked relationship, defining cells that can be inflated to expand the preform. Elongate members can be disposed between the structural members along the cells to define passages through which fluid can be received during expanding. Further, the structural members of the preform can be connected by friction stir weld joints, some of which can extend only partially through the preform so that the preform defines cells that can be expanded. More than one adjacent friction stir weld joint can be disposed between adjacent cells of the preform to define multiple-pass friction stir weld joints.
US07946461B2
An ampoule opener having a receiving body sized to accommodate a cap portion of an ampoule and a shield extending from the receiving body and being configured to lie adjacent a medicament storing portion of the ampoule when the cap portion of the ampoule is accommodated within the receiving body. The shield is rigidly related to the receiving body so as to be more resistive to bending relative to the receiving body in a direction away from a longitudinal axis of the receiving body than toward the longitudinal axis of the receiving body.
US07946458B2
A cargo rack assembly is provided for a vehicle. The cargo rack assembly defines an inner region and includes a restraint assembly disposed at least partially within the inner region. The restraint assembly includes a belt and a carrier. The belt extends between a first end portion and a second end portion. The second end portion of the belt is attached to the carrier. The carrier is configured to facilitate selective dispensation of the first end portion of the belt between a stored position in which the first end portion is adjacent to the cargo rack assembly, and an extended position in which the first end portion is spaced from the cargo rack assembly. A vehicle including a cargo rack assembly is also provided.
US07946457B2
A truck rack (10) for a bed (14) of a pickup truck (12) in which a pair of opposing front supports (18) and a pair of opposing rear supports (20) attach at respective lower ends to the bed of the pickup truck, with the rear supports (18) each having a leading edge and a trailing edge defined by opposing surfaces that taper from a transverse spacing to the respective leading and trailing edges and the front supports (20) each have a trailing edge defined by opposing surfaces that taper from a transverse spacing to the trailing edge of the front support, with a pair of opposing side rails (22) that attach to respective front and rear supports, and interconnect by forward, intermediate, and rear transverse members (28) extending between and attached to the opposing side rails.
US07946454B2
A system and method that portably stores, refrigerates, and dispenses a viscous, semi-solid food product. Cannoli cream is held in an open-top hopper with a lower outlet tube that is removably received inside an insulated and cooled portion of the dispenser housing through a door with an opening for the lower outlet tube. A horizontal dispensing nozzle is attached to the lower outlet tube from outside the door. The hopper is positioned under a piston assembly that moves a piston plate through the top of the hopper with a screw-jack. The piston assembly functions to pump cannoli cream from the hopper through the dispenser nozzle.
US07946451B2
A carton with an improved dispenser at one of the carton which preserves the integrity of the carton when the carton is opened by permitting a bottom end flap attached to the bottom panel to remain in place and also a portion of each side end flap that is adjacent to the bottom end flap. This dispenser may also provide a safety net for the first container that is automatically dispensed when the carton is opened.
US07946447B2
The invention features a method of selling dosage forms without a prescription. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the dosage forms are sold in a container displayed on a retail shelf without outer secondary packaging. The container preferably is made of a material through which the dosage forms are visible. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the container has at least one substantially flat side wall and is laid on a retail display shelf on its substantially flat side wall. The container may be formed to have only one plane of symmetry. At least one of the side walls of the container may be formed to facilitate gripping of the container.
US07946438B2
The invention is directed to a closing device for a closure lid made of sheet metal suitable for opening by twisting, as well as a support device on or for such closure lid, as well as the closure lid itself and a process of making such closure lid. The closing device includes a lid panel; a skirt portion on an edge of the lid panel; a seal extending from a circumferential section of the lid panel into the skirt portion. In addition, the closing device has a non-metallic safety ring that includes two circumferentially extending sections, configured as a safety section with a strip section, shaped to project radially inwards and axially upwards, as well as a connecting section for attaching the safety section on an axially lower end of the skirt portion. The skirt portion has a lower end rolled up from radial outside to radial inside by more than 180° to form a roll-up portion, the roll-up portion being at least partly clasped, or is claspable, by the connecting section from an inner side of the skirt portion.
US07946436B2
A molded plastic drinking sleeve for push-on assembly to a neck portion of a container according to a typical embodiment includes an annular body formed by an annular sidewall having a uniform taper from a first open end to an opposite second open end, the annular sidewall defining an open interior. The annular sidewall further includes a series of external threads and a roller abutment at the base of the threads for stopping the roller equipment used to help fabricate a metal closing cap that is designed to thread onto the plastic drinking sleeve. The cooperating metal container that receives the drinking sleeve includes a portion that is curled over the upper edge of the drinking sleeve. A free edge of the curled portion is embedded into the plastic of the drinking sleeve.
US07946432B1
A bicycle parking system includes a frame having a number of lower supports and a number of upper supports, each support being constructed to receive a bicycle. The frame includes a slide bar operatively engaged with each of the upper supports. Each slide bar includes a curved end to allow the attached upper support to rotate relative to the slide bar for loading and unloading of the upper support. A spring assembly biases each upper support toward a stored position.
US07946430B2
A fuel filtration apparatus for use in an internal combustion engine comprises an interrupter valve in a flow path from an inlet port of a filter head to a compliant filter. The interrupter valve has an open state and a closed state. In the open state a protruding member of the filter depresses a bottom end of the valve and opens the flow path when the compliant filter is connected to the filter head. The interrupter valve also has a closed state wherein the flow path is closed in the absence of the protruding member of the filter (as with a non-compliant filter).
US07946422B1
A dispensing and disposing container system is disclosed that includes a primary container having an upper opening and defining a primary compartment, and with a top and a bottom. The system also includes a secondary container having an upper opening and defining a secondary compartment. The system further includes a mounting structure on the primary container that mounts the primary container on the secondary container in a first mounting mode and a second mounting mode. The first mounting mode is characterized by the primary container closing the upper opening of the secondary container and the secondary container supports the primary container. The second mounting mode is characterized by the secondary compartment of the secondary container being accessible through the upper opening of the secondary container is maintained while the primary container is supported on the secondary container.
US07946416B2
A transfer conveyor comprises a transfer tube supporting a transfer auger rotatably therein and a transfer drive mechanism arranged to drive rotation of the transfer auger so as to convey material from the inlet opening to the outlet opening of the transfer tube. A collector housing, typically in the form of a hopper, is supported for relative sliding movement along the transfer tube between an extended position in which the collector housing communicates with the outlet opening of the transfer tube and a retracted position in which the collector housing is closer to the inlet end of the transfer tube than in the extended position. Mounting of the collector housing on the inlet end of an implement, for example an agricultural conveyor, permits the inlet end of the transfer conveyor to be extended and retracted relative to the implement.
US07946415B2
A convertible track system for providing additional support to a conveyor belt. The system includes convertible track sections which may be added/removed from the conveyor belt apparatus without disassembly of the existing track supporting structure.
US07946412B2
A conveyor for moving objects along a path is comprised of a plurality of spaced-apart rollers that define the path of the conveyor. The upper edges of the rollers are aligned to define the surface of the path. Two spaced-apart side rails having inward-facing surfaces define two side boundaries of the path. A barrier assembly is disposed within a gap in one of the side rails for facilitating loading and unloading of objects onto the conveyor from one side of the conveyor. The barrier assembly is comprised of a mounting plate mounted to the conveyor and a barrier pivotally mounted to the mounting plate. The barrier has a wall section generally aligned with the inward-facing surface on one of the side rails. The barrier is movable between a first position wherein the wall section is elevated relative to the upper edges of the roller and a second position wherein the wall section is disposed below the upper edge of the rollers.
US07946410B2
A hitch apparatus is provided for use on a first mobile machine such as a conveyor vehicle to be used with a second mobile machine connected to the first machine. The apparatus includes a track member adapted for mounting at an end of the first machine, this member providing a track having two opposite sides and bent to form a circular arc having a center of curvature. A hitch unit is mounted for rolling movement on the track and can pivotably connect the end of the first machine to the second machine. The hitch unit includes rollers for engaging both of the opposite sides so that the track is captured between the rollers. The first machine is able to pivot about a substantially vertical axis extending through the center of curvature relative to the second machine and is connected to the second machine for movement therewith.
US07946408B2
An acceptor for money items, comprises sensor circuitry (S1-S4) to provide individual money items signals (Rs) depending on items of money under test, and a processor configuration (11) to develop for each of the money items under test, a transformed money item signal (Tnew) as a function of the value of the money item signal and at least one variable parameter (A) that is a function of a fraud criterion such as history data (AVG Dn & MAX Dn) relating to the values of the money item signals for previously tested money items, to make a comparison of the values of the transformed money item signals (Tnew) with a fixed window limit value (W2, L3) and to accept each money item if it falls within the window limit.
US07946407B2
A value medium processing apparatus includes a common rolling path on which the IC coin and the coin roll, a coin characteristic detector provided on a side portion of the common rolling path, an IC coin characteristic detector configured to detect IC coin rolling on the common rolling path; an inlet to a coin path on which the coin rolls and an inlet to an IC coin path on which the IC coin rolls, a medium sorter provided upstream of the coin inlet and the IC coin inlet; a communicator provided on a side of the IC coin path and communicating with the IC coin; and a controller actuating the medium sorter based on one of characteristic information from the coin characteristic detector and information from the IC coin characteristic detector, and switching the common rolling path to one of the IC coin path and the coin path.
