US08057892B2
A wood adhesive having a) 100 weight parts of water; b) between 3 and 45 weight parts of a proteinaceous material; c) between 0.01 and 15 weight parts of an acidity regulator; d) between 0.01 and 15 weight parts of an aromatic compound; e) between 0.01 and 15 weight parts of a curing agent; f) between 0.01 and 15 weight parts of a preservative; g) between 0 and 15 weight parts of a viscosity modifier; h) between 0 and 10 weight parts of a filler; and i) between 0 and 15 weight parts of a drier. The wood adhesive can be used for preparation of plywood, blockboard, oriented strand board (OSB), flakeboard, fiberboard, veneer plywood, middle density fiberboard, high density fiberboard, hardboard, flooring substrate, LVL, and so on. A method for preparing the wood adhesive is also provided.
US08057891B2
A thermo-reversible dry adhesive, having shape memory polymer characteristics, introduces one or more particles of micro- or nano-particles to at least one layer of the at least one layer of shape memory polymer. These particles may be remotely activated to induct heat sufficient to transform the dry adhesive material from its temporary shape to its permanent shape in the absence of load, which allows the dry adhesive to be reversibly coupled to one or more substrates, wherein the degree of adhesion is greater when the dry adhesive is in the temporary shape than in the permanent shape.
US08057874B2
A transparent article includes a continuous polyester matrix having at least one incompatible filler dispersed therein. The incompatible filler provides domains in the polyester matrix, each domain having a particular dimension, thus providing a range of dimensions for the domains in the article. To create haze, the dimensions are within the range of from about 380 nm to about 720 nm. Once the range of dimensions is determined, a light absorbent composition can be found which absorbs light at a range of wavelengths that at least substantially covers the range of dimensions of the domains. In doing so, it has been found that the haze of the article can be substantially masked. Method for producing the article and for masking the haze are also provided.
US08057873B2
Injection molded articles having large, thin sections are prepared by injection molding of a composition that includes specific amounts of poly(arylene ether) and a rubber-modified polystyrene. The specific component amounts provide the composition with a shear thinning index of 6 to 17 measured at a temperature of 260 to 300° C. and shear rates of 100 and 10,000 second−1.
US08057871B2
This invention provides an improved anti-theft label and its assembly method. It uses paper box and paper sealing gasket to replace PVC box and PET sealing gasket. The anti-theft label applying the technical scheme of this invention is nontoxic and does no harm to human health. It can be used safely, and is the new generation of anti-theft label that is good for environment protection and represents the main developing trend of future anti-theft labels. Moreover, in the improved anti-theft label in this invention, we use double-sided gummed paper that can easily get from market to replace self-adhesive glues which needs to be sprayed. The assembling techniques are simpler; consequently the production efficiency can be significantly improved.
US08057869B2
A plastic film comprising a multi-layer structure obtained by co-casting film formation or sequential-casting film formation of two or more layers of polyarylate having a glass transition temperature of 250° C. or higher and having a chemical structure represented by the following formula: wherein X represents a linking group having a naphthalene or biphenyl structure and A is represented by the following formula: wherein R1 and R2 represent an alkyl group or aryl group, j and k are an integer of from 0 to 4.
US08057868B2
The present invention provides: a composition for forming a liquid crystal alignment film capable of forming a liquid crystal alignment film excellent in evenness; and a liquid crystal display device. The present invention provides a composition for forming a liquid crystal alignment film, wherein the composition comprises: a material for forming a liquid crystal alignment film; diethylene glycol diethyl ether; diisobutyl ketone; and at least one of γ-butyrolactone and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as solvents.
US08057867B2
SubjectThe subject is to provide a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one of characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a suitable optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a large elastic constant ratio, a small temperature dependence of the threshold voltage, a small frequency dependence of the dielectric anisotropy and a short helical pitch, or that is suitably balanced regarding at least two of the characteristics. The subject is to provide a STN device that has a short response time, a large contrast ratio, a low threshold voltage, a small electric power consumption, a steep voltage-transmission curve and a small light leak.Means for Solving the SubjectThe invention provides a nematic liquid crystal composition that include a specific optically active compound as a first component and a specific compound having a positively large dielectric anisotropy as a second component, and that optionally may include a specific compound having a high maximum temperature or a small viscosity as a third component and a specific compound having a positively large dielectric anisotropy as a fourth component, and provides a liquid crystal display device containing this composition.
US08057866B2
The invention provides a liquid crystal composition that satisfies at least one characteristic among the characteristics such as a high maximum temperature of a nematic phase, a low minimum temperature of a nematic phase, a small viscosity, a large optical anisotropy, a large dielectric anisotropy, a large specific resistance, a high stability to ultraviolet light, and a high stability to heat, or provides a liquid crystal composition that is properly balanced regarding at least two characteristics. The invention provides an AM device that has a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, a large contrast ratio, a long service life and so forth. A liquid crystal display device contains the liquid crystal composition having a nematic phase that includes two components, wherein the first component is a specific compound having a large optical anisotropy and a large dielectric anisotropy and the second component is a specific compound having a small viscosity or a large maximum temperature. The liquid crystal display device contains the composition.
US08057864B2
The bottom of a cement fiberboard article is coated by conveying the article across a gap between a first conveyor and second conveyer and applying a liquid radiation-curable coating system to at least the bottom surface of the article while the article passes over the gap. The coating system is radiation-cured to at least a reduced tack state before the coated surface contacts the second conveyor.
US08057862B2
A method for jetting color ink includes determining an initial voltage value of a nozzle, wherein the initial voltage value corresponds to a predetermined jetting volume of the nozzle; determining a maximum adjusting voltage value of the nozzle, wherein the maximum adjusting voltage value may correspond to an allowable error value of the predetermined jetting volume; combining the initial voltage value with an adjusting voltage value to obtain a jetting voltage, wherein the adjusting voltage value may be randomly selected between zero to the maximum adjusting voltage value; and jetting the color ink from the nozzle according to the jetting voltage onto a sub-pixel in a pixel.
US08057849B2
A method of forming conductive features on a substrate, the method includes reacting a metal compound with a reducing agent in the presence of a stabilizer in a reaction mixture comprising the metal compound, the reducing agent, and the stabilizer, wherein the reaction mixture is substantially free of solvent, to form a plurality of metal nanoparticles with molecules of the stabilizer on the surface of the metal nanoparticles. After isolating the plurality of metal nanoparticles, a liquid composition that includes a polymeric binder, a liquid and the plurality of metal nanoparticles with molecules of the stabilizer on the surface of the metal nanoparticles is deposited on a substrate by a liquid deposition technique to form a deposited composition. The deposited composition is then heated to form conductive features on the substrate.
US08057843B2
A metal implant, in particular a dental implant, with a hydrophilic surface for at least partial insertion into a bone, and a method for the production of said implant are described. A particularly advantageous hydrophilic surface for improved osteointegration properties is made available if it is briefly treated, at least in some areas, in a weakly alkaline solution. These excellent osteointegration properties can be achieved in a method in which, optionally after a preceding mechanical surface modification by material removal and/or chemical surface modification, at least the areas exposed of this surface exposed to bone and/or soft tissue are chemically modified in an alkaline solution.
US08057838B2
The present invention relates to a moist pet treat and a method of making the pet treat. More particularly, the invention relates to a moist pet treat comprising an animal by-product selected from the group consisting of a snout, ear, lung, heart, brain, cartilage, organ tissue, muscle tissue, and bone tissue and a humectant.
US08057837B2
Disclosed are microwave popcorn articles including a thickened liquid (at room temperature) oil and their methods of preparation. The microwave popcorn articles comprise any conventional microwave popcorn bag or container, and a food charge disposed therein comprising kernel popcorn and/or puffable pellets; 1% to 45% liquid (at room temperature) oil; and, 0% to 4% salt. The oil ingredient has a melting point of ≦25° C. The oil ingredient includes an oil thickening ingredient especially a starch based oil thickening ingredient such as a cyclodextrin in amounts sufficient to dimensionally stabilize the oil. By avoiding hydrogenation to solidify the oil into a solid fat at room temperatures, finished popcorn products can be provided that are desirably low in trans fatty acid content. The methods of preparation include preparing a heated oil thickened with cyclodextrin complexed with the oil and adding the thickened oil to the microwave container.
US08057833B2
Whole grain baked products and mixes having milled whole grain durum wheat are provided. Whole grain durum baked products and mixes utilize milled whole grain durum flour having a generally white-like color wherein durum particulate matter is visually indistinguishable from durum fines by the unassisted eye. Through the use of milled whole grain durum flour, white-like whole grain durum products including white-like whole grain durum breads can be prepared that satisfy generally accepted color and baking performance characteristics for traditional white breads.
US08057828B2
The present invention provides compositions and methods for improving stool quality of a puppy by adjusting the balance of metabolizable cations to metabolizable anions consumed by the puppy.
US08057826B2
The present invention provides isolated pluri-differentiated human mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs), which simultaneously express a plurality of genes that are markers for multiple cell lineages, wherein the multiple cell lineages comprise at least four different mesenchymal cell lineages (e.g., adipocyte, osteoblast, fibroblast, and muscle cell) and wherein each of the markers is specific for a single cell lineage. The present invention also method for isolating and purifying human mesenchymal progenitor cells from Dexter-type cultures for characterization of and uses, particularly therapeutic uses for such cells. Specifically, isolated MPCs can be used for diagnostic purposes, to enhance the engraftment of hematopoietic progenitor cells, enhance bone marrow transplantation, or aid in the treatment or prevention of graft versus host disease.
US08057825B2
The present invention relates to a method of treatment and/or prevention of cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, skin cancer, premenstrual syndrome, diabetes and transdermal transport enhancement. The method comprises the administration of a therapeutically effective amount of krill and/or marine oil to a patient. The present invention also relates to a composition for the treatment and/or prevention of these diseases.
US08057820B2
The invention relates to a tablet capable of being chewed or disintegrated in the oral cavity, which comprises an enteric coated granule comprising an intimate mixture of an aspirin active ingredient and at least one binder capable of preferentially absorbing ambient moisture.
US08057816B2
Systems and compositions comprising paclitaxel and a second drug, such as rapamycin, analogs, derivatives, salts and esters thereof are disclosed, as well as methods of delivery wherein the drugs have effects that complement each other. Medical devices comprising supporting structures capable of including or supporting a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient, which carrier or excipient can contain one or more therapeutic agents or substances, with the carrier preferably including a coating on the surface thereof, and the coating including the therapeutic substances, such as, for example, drugs. Supporting structures for the medical devices that are suitable for use in this invention include coronary stents, peripheral stents, catheters, arterio-venous grafts, by-pass grafts, and drug delivery balloons used in the vasculature. These compositions and systems can be used in combination with other drugs, including anti-proliferative agents, anti-platelet agents, anti-inflammatory agents, anti-thrombotic agents, cytotoxic drugs, agents that inhibit cytokine or chemokine binding, cell de-differentiation inhibitors, anti-lipaedemic agents, matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors, cytostatic drugs, or combinations of these and other drugs.
US08057815B2
The present invention provides novel compositions and methods for inhibiting restenosis, thrombosis, and/or inflammation in a patient undergoing a vascular intervention. More particularly, the present invention provides intravascular devices coated with one or more spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitors. Methods for inhibiting restenosis, thrombosis, and/or inflammation in a patient by treatment with such intravascular devices are also provided. In addition, the present invention provides methods for treating sickle cell disease using Syk inhibitors.
US08057814B2
An intravascular stent has a coat comprising a crosslinked amphiphilic polymer and a sparingly water soluble matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor (MMPI). Preferably the polymer is formed from 2-methacryloyloxy-2′-ethyltrimethylammonium phosphate inner salt, C4-18 alkyl methacrylate and reactive and/or crosslinking monomer and the MMPI is a hydroxamic acid, more preferably batimastat. Preclinical and clinical results are reported, showing good luminal areas and reduced intimal thickening.
US08057810B2
Disclosed is a pharmaceutical composition for the prevention and correction of age-related disorders of cellular and humoral immunity and having an immunogeroprotective effect. The pharmaceutical composition includes a peptide glutamyl-aspartyl-proline with general formula H-Glu-Asp-Pro-OH sequence 1 [SEQ ID NO:1]. The pharmaceutical composition can be in the form suitable for parenteral administration. Also disclosed is a method of prevention and/or correction of age-related disorders of cellular and humoral immunity by stimulating the processes of lymphocytes proliferation and differentiation, such method consisting in the administration to a patient of a pharmaceutical composition containing an effective amount of peptide glutamyl-aspartyl-proline with general formula: H-Glu-Asp-Pro-OH sequence 1 [SEQ ID NO:1] in the dose of 0.01-100 μg/kg of body weight as an active base at least once a day during a period necessary for attaining a therapeutic effect.
US08057808B2
Methods for treating obsessions and compulsions by local administration of a Clostridial toxin. The obsessions or compulsions can be eye poking, body rocking, finger biting, counting, checking and related disorders treated by low dose, intramuscular administration of a botulinum toxin.
US08057806B2
A method to prepare viruses lacking ion channel activity is provided.
US08057804B2
This invention provides vaccines comprising two or more recombinant Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) proteins selected from a gD protein, a gC protein and a gE protein; and methods of impeding immune evasion by HSV thereby vaccinating a subject against HSV and treating, suppressing, inhibiting, and/or reducing an incidence of an HSV infection or a symptom or manifestation thereof, comprising administration of a vaccine of the present invention.
US08057800B2
The present invention relates generally to molecules such as peptides, polypeptides and proteins which interact immunologically with T lymphocytes in subjects having peanut allergy, or allergy to other tree nuts, and genetic sequences encoding same. These molecules are preferentially immunointeractive with T cells in subjects having an allergy to the Ara h 2 allergen. The molecules of the present invention are useful in the development of diagnostic, therapeutic and prophylactic agents for conditions characterized by an aberrant, inappropriate or otherwise unwanted immune response to Ara h 2 or derivative or homologue thereof.
US08057798B2
The present invention includes compositions and methods for increasing the effectiveness of antigen presentation using a DCIR-specific antibody or fragment thereof to which an antigen is attached that forms an antibody-antigen complex, wherein the antigen is processed and presented by a dendritic cell that has been contacted with the antibody-antigen complex.
US08057796B2
The present invention provides novel human anti-influenza antibodies and related compositions and methods. These antibodies are used in the diagnosis and treatment of influenza infection.
US08057791B2
The invention provides an antibodies that bind to KDR with an affinity comparable to or higher than human VEGF, and that neutralizes activation of KDR. Antibodies include whole immunoglobulins, monovalent Fabs and single chain antibodies, multivalent single chain antibodies, diabodies, triabodies, and single domain antibodies. The invention further provides nucleic acids and host cells that encode and express these antibodies. The invention further provides a method of neutralizing the activation of KDR, a method of inhibiting angiogenesis in a mammal and a method of inhibiting tumor growth in a mammal.
US08057790B2
This invention relates to methods for inhibiting growth of anaerobic bacteria, particularly halitosis causing bacteria. The methods use BLIS-producing Streptococcus salivarius strains, extracts thereof, and compositions comprising same in the prevention or treatment of halitosis.
US08057787B2
Protease resistant modified interferon-beta polypeptides, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment administering the compositions are provided. The modified interferon-beta polypeptides are orally available; hence pharmaceutical compositions formulated for oral administration also are provided.
US08057786B2
The present invention relates to cosmetic and/or dermatological compositions for the treatment of keratin containing substrates, comprising synergistic mixtures of modified starch polymers with defined molecular weights and cationic charges in a cosmetically acceptable medium. The synergistic mixtures of modified starches employed to manufacture compositions according to the present invention exhibit significant benefits over the existing modified starches employed according to the state-of-the-art in the treatment of keratin-containing substrates like human or animal hair, skin and nails. Another aspect of the present invention is the stabilization of the modified starch solutions used to manufacture the cosmetic and/or dermatological compositions according to the present invention against the growth of micro-organisms without traditional preservatives.
US08057755B2
The present application is about a new construction disposition applied to sample collector for the purposes of feces parasitological exams, more precisely to one new construction form which is manufactured with a reduced number of parts, helping with its low cost, since it is a product discharged after its utilization; collector which includes a container which receives the attachment of a cover which contemplates a central conic sector from whose top a cylindrical duct is developed which can be closed by an over-cover or cap; it is predicted a concave filtering element, formed by polyester net or mesh in the order of 220 to 280μ, preferably 266μ, which represents the same radius of internal bending of the conic portion of the cover, affixed to it by means of fitting or another equivalent mean.
US08057754B2
Apparatuses and methods of aligning at least one tip of a tip manifold with a plurality of wells of a multiwell plate. The tip manifold includes a plate, at least one tip depending from the plate, a first tip alignment pin depending from the plate, and a second tip alignment pin depending from the plate. The second tip alignment pin opposes the first tip alignment pin. The multiwell plate includes a body defining a plurality of non-porous wells for holding biological material, a first alignment hole, and a second alignment hole. The second alignment hole opposes the first alignment hole.
US08057744B2
According to an exemplary embodiment, a bubble column-type slurry bed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction process can be provided, in which synthesis gas supplied continuously from the bottom of a reactor contacts suspended catalyst particles to form liquid hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons and water. Additionally, a slurry of suspended liquid products and catalyst particles can move from the reactor to the lower portion of a separation vessel to separate the catalyst particles and gaseous products. Further, a process can be provided in which the liquid products formed are sent to the separation vessel a process in which liquid products can be derived. Additionally, a process can be provided in which a slurry in which catalyst particles are concentrated is derived from the bottom of the separation vessel and circulated to the bottom of the reactor, are driven by the driving force of synthesis gas without using an external drive power source.
US08057742B2
A nitric oxide delivery system, which includes a gas bottle having nitrogen dioxide in air, converts nitrogen dioxide to nitric oxide and employs a surface-active material, such as silica gel, coated with an aqueous solution of antioxidant, such as ascorbic acid. A nitric oxide delivery system may be used to generate therapeutic gas including nitric oxide for use in delivering the therapeutic gas to a mammal.
US08057741B2
A gas sensor assembly may include a housing defining a chamber. A gas sensor may be mounted in the chamber. An inlet tube may be secured to the housing and extend into the chamber of the housing. The inlet tube may define a passage providing fluid communication between outside the housing and the chamber of the housing.
US08057740B2
Medical biosensor by means of which biological liquids are analyzed, having at least three layers; a functional layer to which a contact adhesive strip, adhesive on both sided, is applied, and a structural film applied to the contact adhesive strip.
US08057738B2
Methods for inhibiting corrosion in aqueous evaporative systems where soluble silica (SiO2) is maintained at residuals between 10 Mg/L and saturation, but more preferably maintained at greater than 300 mg/L as SiO2, to provide corrosion inhibiting silica films that protect system metals. Silica is provided by evaporation of water and subsequent concentration and transformation of silica naturally contained in source water. The methods of the present invention provide highly effective inhibition of corrosion for mild steel, copper, stainless steel, aluminum, zinc, galvanized steel and various alloys of such metals. The methods of the present invention comprise pretreatment removal of polyvalent metal ions from the makeup source water, maintenance of concentration of monovalent metal ions, and controlling pH at a minimum of 7.0 in the presence of an elevated temperature aqueous environment. Thereafter, specified water chemistry residual ranges are maintained in the aqueous system to achieve inhibition of scale and corrosion.
US08057737B2
A forging steel has a dissolved Mg concentration within the range of 0.04-5 ppm by mass and a dissolved Al concentration within the range of 50-500 ppm.
US08057733B2
A dosing bottle is made by injection molding a synthetic resin preform with a threaded neck finish portion and a body portion. The neck finish has an internal collar adjacent said lower end thereof. The preform is removed from the injection mold and inserted into the mold of a blow molding machine. The mold has a cavity with a body portion conforming to the desired configuration and dimensions for the body of the bottle and a neck portion closely conforming to the configuration and dimensioning of the neck portion of the preform. The preform is heated and inserted into the blow mold cavity with the neck finish portion of the preform being sealed from the body portion of the cavity. Air is introduced into the body portion of the preform to blow the body portion of the preform into conformity with the body cavity while precluding any distortion of the collar and of the neck finish.
US08057721B2
A resin infusion mold tool system for use in a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding process with a subsequent pressure bleed step. The mold tool system includes a mold assembly having an outer mold line tool connected to resin supply lines and supplying resin to the preform. A plurality of inner mold line tools form a hard interface with the inner mold line of the fiber preform and are held to within tight tolerances by an external locating fixture. Excess resin is drawn out of the fiber preform using a vacuum bag connected to vacuum lines and disposed over the inner mold line tools but not between the tools and the fiber preform. The mold assembly is placed in an autoclave, the resin supply lines are detached and the autoclave pressurized to bleed additional resin out of the preform to raise the fiber volume of the composite structure.
US08057720B2
An injection molding machine to prevent a molded piece from being separated from a mold after molds are disassembled from each other includes a first mold, a second mold assembled with the first mold to form a cavity, and a binding device or a pressing device to get a molded piece held in the first mold when the first mold and the second mold are disassembled from each other.
US08057719B2
A housing case for a small electric device and communication device includes a flat plate having a dimension substantially the same as that of the front portion of the housing case and comprising at least a glass plate, and a resin frame integrated with the flat plate to support the backside periphery of the flat plate.
US08057718B2
Disclosed herein is a microporous polyethylene film for a battery separator and a method of producing the same. The microporous polyethylene film is made from a resin composition. The resin composition comprises 100 parts by weight of a polyethylene composition including 10-50 wt % polyethylene having a weight average molecular weight of from 2×105 to less than 5×105 (component I) and 90-50 wt % diluent (component II), and 0-150 parts by weight of inorganic powder (component III). The film has a puncture strength of 0.20 N/μm or more and a gas permeability (Darcy's permeability constant) of 1×10−5 Darcy or more. The microporous polyethylene film has excellent physical properties, thus improving the performance and stability of a battery.
US08057715B2
The present invention relates to a method of making an optical device for contrast enhancement of a viewing display, such as a plasma display panel, a liquid crystal display panel, an inorganic light emitting diode display panel, or an organic light emitting diode display panel.
US08057714B2
The present invention relates to a synthesis method of metal cyclopentadienide by direct reaction of dicyclopentadiene with a group 1 metal in the presence of an aprotic solvent. Unlike the conventional method depending on retro Diels-Alder reaction of dicyclopentadiene to generate indirectly cyclopentadiene, the method of the present invention favors generation of cyclopentadiene and metal cyclopentadienide as well by adding dicyclopentadiene directly when the reaction temperature reaches to the boiling point of a reaction solvent.
US08057702B2
The present invention is directed to a Gd2O2S:M fluorescent ceramic material with a very short afterglow, wherein M represents at least one element selected from the group Pr, Th, Yb, Dy, Sm and/or Ho and the Gd2O2S:M fluorescent ceramic material comprises further: europium of ≦1 wt. ppm based on Gd2O2S, and cerium of ≧0.1 wt. ppm to ≦100 wt. ppm based on Gd2O2S, wherein the content of cerium is in excess of the content of europium with a ratio of europium to cerium of 1:10 to 1:150.
US08057700B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a liquid crystal photo-alignment agent that includes a polyamic acid copolymer including a repeating unit having the following Formula 1 and a repeating unit having the following Formula 2; a polyimide copolymer including a repeating unit having the following Formula 3 and a repeating unit having the following Formula 4; or a combination thereof: wherein the definition of R1 to R8 are the same as in the specification. The liquid crystal photo-alignment agent can have improved liquid crystal alignment properties, electrical characteristics such as voltage holding ratio, pretilt angle, residual DC, and the like, printability, cleaning stability, and spot stability, and is capable of unidirectionally aligning liquid crystals by ultraviolet (UV) exposure.
US08057695B2
A toxicological friendly antifreeze composition having improved thermal stability is provided. In one embodiment, the antifreeze composition comprises from 5 to 80 wt. % of an aqueous freezing point depressant selected from alkali metal salts of acetates, formates, proprionates, adipiates, and succinates, and mixtures thereof; 0.1 to 10 wt. % of at least one of a 2-ethylhexanoic acid, isononanoic acid and 3,5,5-trimethylhexanoic acid; and 0.1 to 10 wt. % of at least one of octanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, undecanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, neodecanoic acid, benzoic acid, 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-terbutylbenzoic acid, and mixtures thereof. In one embodiment, the composition is employed as a concentrate in admixture with 10 to 90 wt. % water. The composition may be totally free of glycol, or, in an alternate embodiment, possess a glycol:non-glycol base ratio of 1:2 to 1:20.
US08057689B2
According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium includes forming a first hard mask, a second hard mask and a resist on a magnetic recording layer, imprinting a stamper to the resist to transfer patterns of protrusions and recesses to the resist, removing residues remaining in the recesses of the patterned resist by means of a first etching gas, etching the second hard mask by means of the first etching gas using the patterned resist as a mask to transfer the patterns to the second hard mask, etching the first hard mask by means of a second etching gas different from the first etching gas using the second hard mask as a mask to transfer the patterns to the first hard mask, and performing ion beam etching in order to deactivate the magnetic recording layer exposed in the recesses and to remove the second hard mask.
US08057688B2
A filtration appliance for wastewater purification, preferably for a sewage treatment plant, in particular for a small sewage treatment plant, including at least one ceramic-based membrane for separating off microorganisms, to a sewage treatment plant having such a filtration appliance, a method of purifying wastewater, in particular in a sewage treatment plant, wherein microorganisms present in the wastewater are separated off by means of at least one ceramic-based membrane, and also to the use of a ceramic-based membrane as filter for separating off microorganisms and, if appropriate, fine solids, from wastewaters.
US08057684B2
Installation for flocculation of water or sludge loaded with suspended matter comprising in succession: a polymer storage hopper, a polymer grinding device, and a line, pipe or other conveyor for transferring the polymer solution to the water or the sludge to be treated. The grinder device includes a wetting cone in which the polymer is poured, and at the bottom end of the cone: a chamber for grinding and removing the dispersed polymer comprising: a rotor, a stator, and a ring fed by a secondary water circuit. A method implementing the installation is also provided.
US08057682B2
The present invention relates to methods of making and using and compositions of metal nanoparticles formed by green chemistry synthetic techniques. For example, the present invention relates to metal nanoparticles formed with solutions of plant extracts and use of these metal nanoparticles in removing contaminants from soil and groundwater and other contaminated sites. In some embodiments, the invention comprises methods of making and using compositions of metal nanoparticles formed using green chemistry techniques.
US08057681B2
A part washing apparatus includes a centrifugal filter and an ultra filter provided as a single base unit. A washing chamber is provided to enclose one or more industrial parts for cleaning with a washing solution, which is collected in a washer bath. The washing solution is then pumped through a centrifugal filter to remove contaminants from the washing solution and subsequently pumped through an ultra filter a filter configured to remove further contaminants from the washing solution.
US08057680B2
The scope of the invention is to apply an electric current or to use a kind of iontophoresis system with the hemodialysis cartridge and system (the proposed method is also applicable to peritoneal dialysis or other similar methods) to remove unwanted molecules from blood, plasma or serum or other body fluids and to increase the effectiveness of the process. This cartridge can be used for patients with uremia and cartridge fixed to the conventional hemodialysis machine and additionally the electric current applied to the electrodes placed in to the cartridge or electrode connectors placed to the conventional cartridge. When the system activated, the molecules in the blood or other body fluid migrates to the hemodialysis solution. Charged ions or uncharged molecules move together with electroosmotic flow. The sterilized electrodes preferably made by Ag/AgCl to prevent pH changing effect. Other apparatus can also be used for providing an electropotential gradient.
US08057677B2
A process is described for the extraction of one or more substances from a fluid starting material with an appropriate extraction agent by use of a static micromixer for mixing the starting material with the extraction agent. The static micromixer is provided with disk-shaped components, the disk (1) being provided with at least one inlet opening (2) for introducing at least one fluid stream into a linking channel (3) disposed in the plane of the disk and at least one outlet opening (4) for removing the fluid stream into a mixing zone (5) disposed in the plane of the disk, the inlet opening (2) being connected with the outlet opening (4) in a communicating manner through a linking channel (3) disposed in the plane of the disk, and the linking channel (3) before opening into the mixing zone (5) being divided by microstructure units (6) into two or more part channels (7), and the widths of the part channels being in the millimeter to submillimeter range and being smaller than the width of the mixing zone (5).
US08057675B2
Methods for bioremediation of contaminants in water using soapstock, an acid oil of soapstock, a neutralized acid oil of soapstock or combinations thereof are described. Systems for bioremediation are also disclosed.
US08057668B2
The invention provides extraction columns for the purification of an analyte (e.g., a biological macromolecule, such as a peptide, protein or nucleic acid) from a sample solution, as well as methods for making and using such columns. The columns typically include a bed of extraction media positioned in the column between two frits. In some embodiments, the extraction columns employ modified pipette tips as column bodies. In some embodiments, the invention provides columns characterized by low backpressure.
US08057664B2
The present invention relates to a process for reducing the Bromine Index of a hydrocarbon feedstock having at least 50 wt. % of C8 aromatics, comprising the step of contacting the hydrocarbon feedstock with a catalyst at conversion conditions, wherein the catalyst includes a molecular sieve having a zeolite structure type of MWW.
US08057659B2
Determination of an analyte such as glucose in a sample is done making use of a plurality of electron transfer reagents, for example two electron transfer reagents, that work together to transfer electrons between the enzyme and the electrodes. The first electron transfer agent is a mediator that interacts with the enzyme after it has acted on the analyte to regenerate enzyme in its active form. The second electron transfer agent is a shuttle that interacts with the electrodes and optionally the mediator. The oxidation and reduction of the shuttle serves as the major source of current that is measured as an indication of analyte.
US08057658B2
In an electrolytic method for producing nano-scale carbon products, such as carbon nanotubes, first and second graphite electrodes contact a fused-salt electrolyte. A power supply is coupled to the electrodes and first and second voltages are alternately applied to the electrodes. The first voltage is applied such that the first electrode is at a cathodic potential relative to the second electrode, and the second voltage is applied such that the second electrode is at a cathodic potential relative to the first electrode. The method thus advantageously converts the carbon of both electrodes to nano-scale carbon products.
US08057652B2
A compact oxygen sensor is provided, comprising a mixture of metal and metal oxide an enclosure containing said mixture, said enclosure capable of isolating said mixture from an environment external of said enclosure, and a first wire having a first end residing within the enclosure and having a second end exposed to the environment. Also provided is a method for the fabrication of an oxygen sensor, the method comprising confining a metal-metal oxide solid mixture to a container which consists of a single material permeable to oxygen ions, supplying an electrical conductor having a first end and a second end, whereby the first end resides inside the container as a reference (PO2)ref, and the second end resides outside the container in the atmosphere where oxygen partial pressure (PO2)ext is to be measured, and sealing the container with additional single material such that grain boundary sliding occurs between grains of the single material and grains of the additional single material.
US08057642B2
This invention relates to a process for reducing the corrosion rate of iron-containing vessels within an ethylene glycol distillation system. The inventive process includes the addition of an additive component of sodium nitrite and sodium hypophosphite into such iron-containing vessels, to thereby react with iron of the inside walls and form a protective coating thereon. This process reduces the corrosion rate in iron-containing vessels of the apparatus, and reduces the catalytic effects of iron corrosion products within the system. Thus, not only is the on-stream time of the vessels extended, but also product quality is improved by reducing the aldehyde content of the final ethylene glycol product.
US08057637B2
The present invention relates to a sizing composition that, when applied to paper substrate, creates a substrate, preferably suitable for inkjet printing, having increased print density, enhanced print mottle, as well as print sharpness, low HST, and/or image dry time, the substrate preferably having high brightness and reduced color-to-color bleed as well. In addition, the present invention relates to a method of reducing the HST of a paper substrate by applying the sizing composition to at least one surface thereof. Further, the application relates to methods of making and using the sizing composition, as well as methods of making and using the paper containing the sizing composition.
US08057628B2
The invention relates to a complex section (1) consisting of a metal section (2) covered with a metal foil (3). It is characterized in that the foil (3) has a higher surface hardness than the section (2) and in that the foil (3) adheres to the section (2) at all points on one of its faces. It also relates to a method of coating sections (2), which consists in conveying them, one after another, in successively applying to them, after shaping, a continuous strip (5) of a material (3) for bonding it to each section, in order to cover it, characterized in that these sections (2) are conveyed with a gap between them, in that, after adhesion, the respective downstream (6 A) and upstream (7B) ends of two successive sections (2A, 2B) are identified and in that two separate cutting operations, according to their spacing, are carried out thereon.
US08057626B2
A process for making a noise absorber carpet including a fabric layer portion and a resinous backing layer portion including the substantially concurrent steps of continuously feeding a softened resinous backing material from a backing resin feeder onto a backing roll to form a continuous resinous backing sheet thereon, and continuously feeding a heated continuous fabric sheet via a fabric roll onto the backing sheet continuously formed on the backing roll, wherein the backing roll includes spike depressions and perforation pins on its surface, and wherein the fabric roll is located close to the backing roll to press the fabric sheet against the backing sheet as the sheets proceed between the rolls and mold spikes and perforations on the backing sheet, the backing roll being cooled to a temperature range between 10 degrees Celsius and 50 degrees Celsius with a cooling medium to harden said spikes and perforations and provide bonding between the fabric sheet and the backing sheet.
US08057620B2
Multilayer absorbent pads for nappy/diaper pants are manufactured on a unit (1) comprising a first device (3a) and a second device (3b) by which respective first and second layers (4a, 4b) of absorbent material (5) are taken up from two infeed stations, shaped, and transferred to two release stations. The devices (3a, 3b) are synchronized in operation, and associated by way of a transfer station (8) at which the first layer (4a) of absorbent material is joined directly to the second layer (4b), positioned selectively and with the second layer still retained by suction on the second device (3b); the two layers are thereupon compressed simultaneously to form an absorbent pad (2) that emerges from the unit as a stable, one-piece core.
US08057616B2
An apparatus for fabricating a unique nonwoven fabric which has the appearance of a woven fabric includes a supply station for parallel warp yarns, a support structure for orienting the parallel warp yarns into a cylindrical orientation, a weft yarn applicator for wrapping weft yarns around the cylindrically oriented warp yarns after an adhesive scrim has been overlaid onto the warp yarns, a heating station for activating the adhesive and a cooling station for setting the adhesive, and a cutter for severing the cylindrically formed fabric laminate so that it can be flattened and wrapped onto a take-up roller. The weft yarn applicator including a rotating drum wherein a plurality of spools of weft yarn material are mounted in circumferentially spaced relationship and a tensioner is provided for applying the weft yarn material around the warp yarns in a predetermined tension which may be the same as, greater than, or less than the tension in the warp yarns.
US08057615B2
Disclosed is a process for adhering a flexible film to a substrate by interpositioning between the film and the substrate of a sufficient amount of a liquid, so that no bubbles are trapped between the film and the substrate after the film has been applied to the substrate using a scraper and where the liquid does not freeze at a substrate temperature below 0° C.
US08057608B1
An extraction device for a filter element containing collected particles of target material and an extraction fluid, wherein the device may have a piston and a vibration apparatus for vibrating the filter element to cause particles to move from the filter element and into the extraction fluid. The piston may first create compressed air to urge a first amount of extraction fluid and particles out of the filter element, and may then compress the filter element to urge a second amount of extraction fluid and particles out of the filter element.
US08057599B2
A CVD device has a reaction furnace (39) for processing a wafer (1); a seal cap (20) for sealing the reaction furnace (39) hermetically; an isolation flange (42) opposite to the seal cap (20); a small chamber (43) formed by the seal cap (20), the isolation flange (42), and the wall surface in the reaction furnace (39); a feed pipe (19b) for supplying a first gas to the small chamber (43); an outflow passage (42a) provided in the small chamber (43) for allowing the first gas to flow into the reaction furnace (39); and a feed pipe (19a) provided downstream from the outflow passage (42a) for supplying a second gas into the reaction furnace (39). Byproducts such as NH4Cl are prevented from adhering to low temperature sections such as the furnace opening and therefore the semiconductor device production yield is therefore increased.
US08057585B2
A compressor unit for an air suspension system of a motor vehicle, having a compressor, an air dryer and a compressed-air port for delivering compressed air from the compressor to the air suspension system and for introducing compressed air from the air suspension system into the air dryer. A ventilation line is provided from the air dryer to the environment of the compressor. The ventilation line has an upwardly convex bend when the compressor unit is in installed position.
US08057583B2
A method of improving filtration efficiency of a fibrous nonwoven filter media comprises providing a filter media and incorporating in the filter media one or more additives selected from the group consisting of silicone additives, wax additives, and mixtures thereof. The filter media comprises glass fibers, polymer fibers, and optionally binder. Inclusion of silicone and/or wax additive(s) in a filter media has surprisingly been found to increase filtration efficiency, for example, by 10-15%.
US08057575B2
Hydrogen-producing fuel processing systems, hydrogen purification membranes, hydrogen purification devices, fuel processing and fuel cell systems that include hydrogen purification devices, and methods for operating the same. In some embodiments, operation of the fuel processing system is initiated by heating at least the reforming region of the fuel processing system to at least a selected hydrogen-producing operating temperature. In some embodiments, an electric heater is utilized to perform this initial heating. In some embodiments, use of the electric heater is discontinued after startup, and a burner or other combustion-based heating assembly combusts a fuel to heat at least the hydrogen producing region, such as due to the reforming region utilizing an endothermic catalytic reaction to produce hydrogen gas.
US08057565B2
An air conditioning apparatus is disposed above an air conditioned space. The air conditioning apparatus includes a case, a bottom surface panel, a filter, and a filter support part. The bottom surface of the case is open. The bottom surface panel covers part of the open portion of the bottom surface of the case. The filter is accommodated within the case. The filter support part detachably supports the filter such that the filter is separated upward from the bottom surface panel by a predetermined gap.
US08057559B2
The efficiency of dehydrogenation and that of hydrogenation are improved. A hydrogen generator for generating hydrogen by dehydrogenation of organic hydrides in the presence of a catalyst is characterized by comprising a reactor vessel (10) of a multi-tubular structure having a region (12) for supplying fuel to generate heat necessary for dehydrogenation, the region containing a combustion catalyst for combusting fuel, and a region (11) containing a dehydrogenation catalyst necessary for dehydrogenation, the regions being arranged radially side by side with a wall separating them. A hydrogenation apparatus which synthesizes organic hydrides by way of hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons in the presence of a catalyst is characterized by comprising a reactor vessel (10) of a multi-tubular structure having a region (12) for removing the heat generated by hydrogenation and a region (11) containing a hydrogenation catalyst necessary for hydrogenation, the regions being arranged radially side by side with a wall separating them.
US08057554B2
Described is a lithium-ion battery spacer having a spacer board with two operably coupled apertures disposed therethrough. The operably coupled apertures can be tapered to further facilitate smooth passage of a cathode or anode tab therethrough and secure such tab thereby minimizing tilting or shorting of the tab. Accordingly, the spacer leads to safer and more efficient production of the lithium-ion battery.
US08057553B2
A method for manufacturing a solid electrolytic capacitor having a solid electrolyte layer containing an electrically conductive polymer layer formed by electrolytic oxidative polymerization, comprising: forming a dielectric layer on a surface of an anode element containing a valve metal; forming an electrically conductive precoat layer on the dielectric layer; and performing electrolytic oxidative polymerization in an electrolytic polymerization solution containing a monomer, a dopant agent and a chelating agent to form the electrically conductive polymer layer on the electrically conductive precoat layer.
US08057552B2
A system, method and apparatus is disclosed for coloring a substantially wicking substrate comprising applying to a substantially wicking substrate an ink comprising a first dye and a second dye applying a first solvent to the substantially wicking substrate to move the first dye and or the second dye in a defined direction coloring at least a portion of the substantially wicking substrate by allowing the first solvent to move through a portion of the first dye for a first distance from the point of origin of the ink and the second dye a second distance from the point of origin of the ink wherein the first distance is sufficiently different from the second distance to visualize a separation between the first dye and the second dye shaping a portion of the colored wicking substrate into a form and affixing the form onto a support for display.
US08057546B2
An intervertebral disk prosthesis or the intervertebral implant has a cavity-like middle part with a longitudinal axis, an upper end, a lower end, an upper apposition plate, and a lower apposition plate. The upper apposition plate is placed on the upper end of the middle part such that it is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The upper apposition plate is suited for resting against the base plate of a vertebral body. The lower apposition plate is placed on the lower end of the middle part such that it is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The lower apposition plate is suited for resting against the cover plate of a vertebral body. The middle part has at least two coaxially arranged plate springs, which gives the middle part a progressive spring characteristic.
US08057535B2
The invention provides an implantable medical device comprising a fibrous polymer body comprising a plurality of electrospun poly(urethane) fibers, a support filament wrapped around the body, an outer layer around the filament for adhering the filament to the body, the outer layer comprising a plurality of electrospun poly(urethane) fibers, and a polymer primer coating at least the fibers of the body. The polymer primer comprises poly(lactide) and is attached to a heparin residue through a link.
US08057533B2
An apparatus for use by an operator in a cavity of a mammalian body with a scope having a distal face providing a field of view. The apparatus includes a flexible elongate member having a distal extremity adapted for extending into the cavity and a proximal extremity accessible from outside of the mammalian body when the distal extremity is disposed in the cavity. An expandable prosthesis is releaseably secured to the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member. A visual marker capable of being seen by the operator in the field of view is secured to one of the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member and the prosthesis for facilitating placement of the prosthesis in the mammalian body.
US08057524B2
A method and apparatus for reattaching soft tissue to a selected boney structure using a rivet. Generally, a rivet having first portion and a second portion is provided to fully secure a soft tissue in the boney structure. The first portion of the rivet retains the soft tissue via a suture which is threaded through the first portion. The second portion of the rivet has at least one expanding member which engages the boney structure upon contact with the first portion of the rivet. Thus, the soft tissue is fully secured to the boney structure, ensuring proper healing.
US08057521B2
The present invention discloses a device and method to establish and maintain bone stabilization and enhance post-operative healing in a surgical site, such as the cervical spine of a patient, with reduced risk of erosion or other injury to adjacent anatomic structures from extrusion of surgical fasteners, such as bone screws. The surgical stabilization system according to the present invention provides for the secure plating of structures such as adjacent vertebral bodies with allowance for selective postoperative motion of the surgical fasteners used to secure the plate. Such motion imparts benefit from increased translational response and remodeling in the course of bone healing, thus resulting in strengthened fusion.
US08057520B2
The present invention is a fully contoured calcaneal plate having substantially no planar surfaces except at the origin. The contoured plate includes radiused sections, one extending inferior to superior is curved inferior to superior in a shape which is close to cylindrical and which approximates the shape of the cuboid bone. The second radiused section is curved in the vicinity of the anterior strut, and in particular at the inferior portion of the plate, to accommodate the peroneal tubercle. The plate has a rectangular or modified ovoid body section and a dog boned shaped tail with triangular placed holes for fixation.
US08057507B2
A vascular filter includes a proximal support hoop, a plurality of support struts, and a plurality of capture arms. The proximal support hoop extends around the internal wall of the inferior vena cava in a wave pattern having six distal peaks and six proximal peaks. The proximal support hoop includes an enlarged end element at each peak. The support struts extend longitudinally along the internal wall of the inferior vena cava in a curve. Two capture arms are connected to the proximal support hoop at each distal peak. Each capture arm extends from the distal peak to an apex in a curve. The concave portion of the first curve faces inwardly towards the concave portion of the second curve.
US08057502B2
In a surgical obturator for piercing a body wall, comprising a tubular housing that at one end forms an introduction tip with a continuously decreasing diameter, and comprising a blade projecting from the introduction tip for making an incision in the body wall, in order to reduce the risk of injury during piercing of the body wall it is proposed that the introduction tip comprises a central protective cap, which is displaceable in longitudinal direction relative to the introduction tip between an advanced inoperative position and a retracted working position, that the blade in the housing is displaceable in longitudinal direction between an advanced cutting position and a retracted protected position, that disposed in the housing is a retraction device that displaces the blade from the cutting position into the protected position, and that the retraction device may be activated by a displacement of the protective cap from the working position into the inoperative position.
US08057497B1
A thrombectomy removal kit having: (a) a catheter balloon assembly having proximal and distal ends including a first catheter carrying a remotely inflatable occlusion balloon and a second catheter carrying a mechanical device for removing a clot; (b) a balloon-collared sheath having a collar sheath with proximal and distal ends, the collar sheath having an open interior, and a sealing valve for sealing the interior of the collar sheath, and inflatable collar balloon, disposed on the exterior distal end of said collar sheath; and (c) a suction module, having a suction sheath attachable to a suction device, the suction sheath having proximal and distal ends, the suction sheath having an open interior, and sized to be inserted in a vein.
US08057495B2
A system and method for occluding an aneurysm formed in a dilatation area of a body vessel are disclosed. The system comprises a wire guide, a core wire, and an occlusion device. The wire guide comprises a proximal end and a distal end, and has a passageway that extends from the proximal end to the distal end. The core wire comprises a distal end and a proximal end, and is disposed through the passageway so that the proximal end of the core wire proximally extends beyond the proximal end of the wire guide. The occlusion device comprises a distal end and a proximal end, and has a deployed state and an undeployed state. The occlusion device has a pre-set spiraled coil shape when in the deployed state in the vessel. The occlusion device is disposed distally from the core wire in the passageway.
US08057487B2
A needle is guided to a target along a pre-determined needle insertion trajectory. A method that utilizes a fluoroscope can be used to locate the target. The target can be an internal structure within the human body. A device can be used with the fluoroscope to aim and insert a needle or sharp probe along the pre-determined trajectory to the target. By using the device with the fluoroscope, a user can receive real time visual confirmation of contact between the needle and the target.
US08057473B2
An orthopedic device for fixating bone parts includes a set of one or more bone fixation pins for engaging a bone piece, an elongated fixator body having an internally threaded bore extending longitudinally therethrough, a pair of opposed longitudinally extending slots in the fixator body, and a pin-holder received within the fixator body and configured to removably hold the set of one or more bone fixation pins. The pin-holder is longitudinally movable within the fixator body for controlling the position of the set of bone fixation pins within the fixator body. The fixator body also can be configured to removably hold a second set of one or more bone fixation pins at a location fixed along the fixator body.
US08057471B2
A surgical device has an integral first tip having pair of electrodes configured to ablate tissue using electric energy. A second tip has a pair of electrodes configured to provide pacing signals to a heart and/or to sense electrical signals passing through heart tissue. The second tip is configured to snap onto the first tip, such that the same device may be used for ablation, pacing, and sensing. Alternatively, the second tip may be integral with the device and the first tip configured to snap onto the second tip. Alternatively, a single integral tip of the surgical device may be used for ablation, pacing, and sensing. Such a multipurpose tip may comprise a plurality of electrode pairs or an array of electrodes. A user interface on the device or elsewhere may be operable to provide selectable modes for selectively varying properties of signals communicated to the electrodes.
US08057467B2
An ultrasonic clamp coagulator assembly that is configured to permit selective cutting, coagulation and clamping of tissue during surgical procedures. An elongated portion of the instrument can be configured for endoscopic applications and has an outside diameter of less than 6 mm. The construction includes a clamping mechanism, including a clamp arm pivotally mounted at the distal portion of the instrument, which is specifically configured to create a desired level of tissue clamping forces, exceeding 4 pounds when the trigger is fully closed. The clamping mechanism includes a two-piece pad design and pad material that enables the higher tissue clamping forces and a force-limiting mechanism that effectively smoothes out abusive tissue forces. The assembly also features hand activation configured to provide an ergonomical grip and operation for the surgeon. Hand switches are placed in the range of the natural swing of the surgeon's thumb, whether gripping the surgical instrument right-handed or left handed.
US08057456B2
To prevent a paper diaper reliably from slipping down at a body liquid absorbing time, and to bring the paper diaper into close contact along the line of a body thereby to improve the wearing comfortableness. An armoring sheet includes: waist portion elastic members, and so on; hip surrounding elastic member groups, and so on arranged at the front F and the back B; and a plurality of curved elastic member groups extending, at each of the front F and the back B, from one side jointing edge to the crotch side, reaching the other side jointing edge while passing over the crotch side, and arranged at a spacing without intersecting with each other. The curved elastic member groups have their starting/trailing ends connected at a predetermined spacing substantially over the range from the upper portion to the lower portion of the side portion jointing edge. Moreover, the curved elastic member groups, as arranged on the side of the front F, are given the arrangement pattern, in which the intersection angle on the acute side with the side edge of the absorbent body is 30 degrees or less, and the curved elastic member groups, as arranged on the side of the front B, are given the arrangement pattern, in which the intersection angle on the acute side with the side edge of the absorbent body is 35 degrees or more.
US08057455B2
An outer packaging sheet in a paper diaper is provided with: hip elastic bands including a plurality of hip elastic members arranged from one joint end portion individually at a front and at a back to the other joint end portion; curved elastic bands including a plurality of curved elastic members extending from one of the joint end portions individually at the front and at the back to the side of a crotch portion and arranged over the other joint end portion while bypassing that crotch portion; and an absorbent body arranged in the crotch portion. The curved elastic bands are formed to cover such areas of the outer packaging sheet substantially as are enclosed by the edge portions of the outer packaging sheet, the absorbent body and the hip elastic bands.
US08057445B2
An applicator directly delivers one or more active ingredients, such as flea, tick, or insect repellant to an animal's skin. The applicator comprises an applicator base connected to an applicator head having at least on prong member constructed with an internal channel therein in communication with a delivery aperture. A separately presented cartridge having a solution tube is appointed to be removably received within the applicator's base which, in turn is uniquely sized and shaped to receive a preselected one of those cartridges currently sold under recognized medicament brands. As the cartridge is squeezed, the solution traverses from the cartridge and applicator base into the applicator head and through the internal channels of the prong members, exiting through the delivery apertures onto the animal. Improved delivery owing to the prong members with channels therein terminating at fine delivery apertures is provided to yield direct delivery of the solution onto the animal's skin local to the fur shafts for a clean application and accurate dispersion of solution onto the animal.
US08057444B2
A device for holding a cannula and for the releasable arrangement on an injection pen, with a basic body, wherein the cannula is arranged in the basic body in a manner such that it is substantially non-displaceable along the central axis thereof. Latching provisions are arranged on the circumferential surface of the basic body. The latching provisions are designed in order to be engaged behind by mating latching provisions of a release mechanism of a storage or disposal container for the device.
US08057434B2
An apparatus for delivering a pharmaceutical liquid to a patient includes an outer casing; a needle cassette housed in the casing and containing a plurality of mutually parallel drug injection needles; a drug cartridge housed in the casing, containing a liquid and including a sealable aperture for accessing the liquid; a direct drive assembly housed in the casing and engageable with the drug cartridge to expel a measured dose of the liquid through the aperture; a lifter assembly housed in the casing and engageable with the needle cassette to drive one of the plurality of needles partially out of the casing and into a patient while also accessing the liquid in the drug cartridge through the scalable aperture, and thereafter to withdraw the needle from the patient while halting access of the liquid through the sealable aperture after the measured dose of the liquid has been administered through the needle; motor means in the casing for driving the direct drive assembly and the lifter assembly; computer means for activating the direct drive assembly and the lifter assembly; and a control panel for enabling a user to activate the apparatus.
US08057428B2
A balloon dilation catheter comprising a tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end. An inflatable balloon is disposed at the distal end of the tubular member. A first lumen is disposed in the tubular member and in is communication with an interior of the inflatable balloon. A second lumen is disposed in the tubular member for receiving a guidewire substantially along a portion of its length. The second lumen has a first opening in the proximal region of the tubular member and a second opening at the distal region of the tubular member. A first slit is disposed longitudinally in the tubular member and extends along at least a portion of the tubular member, the first slit comprising a first pair of longitudinal edges in a side by side relationship. The tubular member is constructed of a resilient material such that, as the guidewire is separated from the second lumen, the longitudinal edges are biassed open from a first position to a second position having a gap greater than or equal a diameter of the guidewire. The subject balloon dilation catheter provides improved rapid exchange advantages of either the catheter or the guidewire used in a catheterization technique.
US08057424B2
A hemodialysis catheter, including an elongate body with an outer wall enclosing an arterial lumen and a venous lumen, and a method of making same. A loop extends from a distal end of the body and defines an enclosed opening. An arterial inlet in fluid communication with the arterial lumen, and a venous outlet in fluid communication with the venous lumen, are positioned on the loop.
US08057415B2
Trauma cervical stability devices for use by ambulatory personnel arriving at the scene of an injured patient are disclosed. The trauma cervical stability devices comprise a cap element, releasable and adjustable head straps, a shoulder harness, and at least one adjustable member operatively connected to the cap element and the shoulder harness. The trauma cervical stability devices are compact, easy to use, inexpensive to manufacture, and can be placed on a patient with little or no movement of the patient. The trauma cervical stability devices are also useful in diagnosing the severity of damage to a neck and the stability of the patient's neck by applying forces to the patient's head using the trauma cervical stability device. In another embodiment of the devices the devices comprise head straps 210, shoulder harnesses 220, lateral head elements 212, and adjustable pressure fixation elements 214. The fixation elements may be vacuum pillows.
US08057414B2
A polycentric hinge is positioned on one side of the patient's knee and a unicentric hinge is positioned on a second side of the knee. A lower portion of the polycentric and unicentric hinge is attached to a knee cuff about a lower leg of the patient. An upper arm of the polycentric and unicentric hinge is attached to a thigh cuff, the upper arm of the unicentric hinge being longer than the upper arm of the polycentric hinge. The upper arm of the unicentric hinge has a 15° to 20° set back angle when the patient's leg is straight. The polycentric hinge has a slotted central plate with star gears engaging a back portion and multiple movable blocks mounted in screw holes on a front edge of the slotted plate supporting an elastic band having a fulcrum point on the polycentric hinge at a lower and upper end.
US08057411B2
A method and device for treating wounds 10 of tissue 11 is disclosed. The method has the steps of applying a porous pad 12 upon the treatment surface of the tissue 11; covering the treatment surface and the porous pad 12 with a foil or sealing cover 14 for isolating the treatment surface and the porous pad 12 from the atmosphere; filling the volume under the foil or sealing cover 14 with fluid 100 and purging air from the volume under the foil or sealing cover 14 thereby fluid 100 saturating said porous pad 12: applying an acoustic shock wave treatment through the foil or sealing cover 14 or surrounding tissue 11 or a combination thereof sending acoustic shock waves 200 through the volume to the treatment surface and underlying tissue 11 and thereafter pulling a vacuum to create a sub-atmospheric pressure under the foil or sealing cover 14 wherein the combination of the applied acoustic shock waves 200 and sub-atmospheric conditions stimulates healing of the treatment surface and underlying tissue 11. Preferably the acoustic shock waves 200 are unfocused or a wide area focused shock wave pattern. More preferably the shock waves 200 are sufficiently low energy or amplitude to avoid the sensation of pain during the treatment process thereby eliminating the need for anesthesia or localized numbing of the treatment area.
US08057408B2
Therapy methods using pulsed cavitational ultrasound therapy can include the subprocesses of initiation, maintenance, therapy, and feedback of the histotripsy process, which involves the creation and maintenance of ensembles of microbubbles and the use of feedback in order to optimize the process based on observed spatial-temporal bubble cloud dynamics. The methods provide for the subdivision or erosion of tissue, liquification of tissue, and/or the enhanced delivery of therapeutic agents. Various feedback mechanisms allow variation of ultrasound parameters and provide control over the pulsed cavitational process, permitting the process to be tuned for a number of applications. Such applications can include specific tissue erosion, bulk tissue homogenization, and delivery of therapeutic agents across barriers.
US08057407B2
An integrated surgical anchor/localization sensor is disclosed. The anchor is adapted to be secured to an anatomical structure and contains a sensor housing. A receiver is located within the sensor housing and is adapted to sense reference signals generated by a surgical guidance system. A transmitter, connected to the receiver, conveys to a processor signals received by the receiver, so that the signals transmitted by the receiver are indicative of a current position of the anchor. Various other structures and methods are also disclosed.
US08057401B2
A system for measuring and converting to an observer intelligible form an internal physiological parameter of a medical patient. The invention allows transcutaneous telemetry of the measured information intracranial pressure via a system which includes a patient implanted sensor module and a processing and display module which is external of the patient and optically coupled to the sensor module via an external coupling module. A sensor within the implanted module transduces the measured information and a near infrared (NIR) emitter transmits this telemetry information when interrogated by the complementary external coupling module. Alternately, a set of tuned inductor-crystal circuits versus inductor-crystal comprised in part of a cylindrical crystal oscillator whose resonant frequency is sensed by a dipper circuit arrangement is provided. Power for the sensor module is derived inductively through rectification of a transcutaneously-applied high-frequency alternating electromagnetic field which is generated by a power source within the external coupling module, in concept much like a conventional electrical transformer. A computer within the processing and display module calculates the parameter value from the telemetry signal and represents this data either in numerical, graphical, or analog format.
US08057394B2
Methods for processing two-dimensional ultrasound images from an intracardiac ultrasound imaging catheter provide improved image quality and enable generating three-dimensional composite images of the heart. Two-dimensional ultrasound images are obtained and stored in conjunction with correlating information, such as time or an electrocardiogram. Images related to particular conditions or configurations of the heart can be processed in combination to reduce image noise and increase resolution. Images may be processed to recognize structure edges, and the location of structure edges used to generate cartoon rendered images of the structure. Structure locations may be averaged over several images to remove noise, distortions and blurring from movement.
US08057382B2
An implantable article and method are disclosed for treating pelvic floor disorders such as vaginal vault prolase. A surgical kit useful for performing a surgical procedure such as a sacral colpopexy is also described.
US08057378B2
A method for the decontamination and solidification of dredged material is described. The method includes, in the following order, (a) adding a lime-based binder to dredged material to form a mixture; (b) letting the mixture cool to about ambient temperature; and (c) adding to the mixture a chelating agent. The order of the steps may not be reversed without affecting the effectiveness of the treatment of the dredged material. A method for producing filler containing decontaminated and solidified dredged material is also described. The method includes treating dredged material with a lime-based binder and a chelating agent and adding the resulting mixture to concrete.
US08057372B2
A resistance chair with wheels assists users with performing correct abdominal crunches by guiding the user's effort. The resistance chair includes a seat connected to a hinged back with back support that extends to support the user's back and assist in the crunch recovery following the crunch extension.
US08057370B2
A resistance apparatus includes a track adapted to be secured in a vertical position on a support. A vertical slide is mounted and slideable and has on the track a spring loaded plunger near a first end thereof. A hook is mounted on the slide and has a pair of spaced apart legs, with upper and lower end portions, with the lower end portions of the legs connected by an upwardly extending U-shape portion. The upper end portion of the second leg has a downwardly extending curved portion which is laterally spaced from the upper end portion of the first leg to form therewith an entrance opening into the interior of the hook. A resistance band has an intermediate portion which is received in the interior of the hook through the entrance opening to permit a person to grasp the ends of the resistance band and to perform various resistance exercises.
US08057361B2
A portable workout apparatus comprising a bar, a frame, and a padded structured secured to the frame. The bar is held at an adjustable bar height. The frame supports the bar at the adjustable bar height. The padded structure is secured to the frame, and has a first portion and a second portion. The first and second portions have a deployed position forming a substantially horizontal surface that forms an opening with the bar and the frame that is adapted to accommodate a user. The first portion is further capable of pivoting, relative to the second portion, to a substantially vertical position for storage.
US08057357B2
An object oil temperature is determined by adopting a gradual change process for an oil temperature of a cooling lubricant oil, which is used to lubricate and cool down a motor and a transmission constructed to cause an output power of the motor to be subjected to speed change and to be transmitted to a driveshaft. A load factor of the motor is subsequently set based on the set object oil temperature and a motor coil temperature. A motor torque command is set with the load factor, and the motor is then driven and controlled to ensure output of a torque equivalent to the set motor torque command. This arrangement drives and controls the motor with consideration of the oil temperature of the cooling lubricant oil and thus ensures more adequate actuation of the motor, compared with a conventional drive control without consideration of the oil temperature of the cooling lubricant oil.
US08057350B2
The transmission has a plurality of members that can be utilized in powertrains to provide eight forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio. The transmission includes four planetary gear sets having five torque-transmitting mechanisms, two fixed interconnections and two grounded members. 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 five torque-transmitting mechanisms provide interconnections between various gear members, and are operated in combinations of three to establish at least eight forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio.
US08057346B2
An automatic stepless transmission includes a driving shaft, a driving disk rotatable by the driving shaft, and a clutch assembly rotatable by the driving disk. Two parallel guiding slots are provided on the driving shaft. An eccentric plate with a notch is sleeved onto the driving shaft. A compressible resilient regulation mechanism is disposed between the notch and the driving shaft. The driving disk is installed on the eccentric plate via a bearing. The eccentric plate offsets in relation to the axis of the driving shaft, and at the same time the eccentric plate drives the driving disk offset. The automatic stepless transmission can compress or release the resilient regulation mechanism according to loads. The eccentricity between the eccentric plate and the driving shaft can therefore be adjusted, and the eccentric plate can drive the driving disk to move. Thus, the eccentricity of the driving disk can be regulated without manual work. The transmission has a simple structure and can be operated easily. It can adjust the transmission ratio automatically. Therefore the cost and the failure rate can be reduced efficiently.
US08057342B2
A plate-link chain for a motor vehicle drive system. The chain includes a plurality of link plates hingedly connected with each other by rocker members that extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the plate-link chain and are positioned in openings of the link plates. The rocker members and link plates each have curved contact surfaces. The rocker members also have curved rolling surfaces along which the rocker members roll against each other. The rocker members are shaped asymmetrically in the height direction, and the contact surfaces are provided on upper and lower contact surface regions. The rocker members also have at least two regions with different curvatures in the regions of their rolling surfaces.
US08057332B2
A bicycle derailler is basically provided with a base member, a movable member, a coupling member and a cable actuation ratio control mechanism. The movable member supports a chain guide. The coupling member movably couples the movable member to the base member. The cable actuation ratio control mechanism includes first and second link members. The first link member has a pivoting portion, a cable connection portion and a second link coupling portion. The pivoting portion is pivotally mounted to one of the coupling member and the base member. The cable connection portion is located on one side of the pivoting portion, while the second link coupling portion is located on the other side of the pivoting portion. The second link member is coupled to the first link member at the second link coupling portion and pivotally mounted to one of the movable member and the coupling member.
US08057322B2
A golf club head according to one or more aspects of the present invention may include a strike face, a rear wall behind the strike face, and a perimeter-weighting element at least partially surrounding the rear wall. The club head may further include a preload spacer associated with the rear wall and a resilient component associated with the perimeter-weighting element. The preload spacer engages the resilient component to provide positive reinforcement of the coupling between the resilient component and the perimeter-weighting element.
US08057317B2
An amusement park attraction comprises an array of cells, the array including cells being arranged at various horizontal positions and various vertical positions. A movable passenger assembly, preferably a seat assembly, is provided for one or more passengers, which passenger assembly is at least movable in vertical direction. The passenger assembly and/or the array of cells is movable in horizontal direction.A cell is defined by a boundary and has a viewing opening. Mmultiple cells of said array each contain a discrete scene to be viewed by the one or more passengers.A programmable actuating system is provided, which actuating system provides a programmed route of said passenger assembly along the viewing openings of said scene containing cells, so that the one or more passengers are presented a predetermined sequence of scenes and at least experience a vertical motion along said route.Preferably the passenger assembly is movable in vertical direction and at least in one other direction, preferably multiple other directions, said other directions preferably including at least one rotational direction, if desired a composite motion in multiple directions simultaneously.Preferably the array of cells is stationary and the actuating system is associated with said passenger assembly to impart motions at least in vertical as well as horizontal direction to said passenger assembly.
US08057312B2
A needle bearing functioning as a rolling element comprises a uniform-diameter body part and bottom surfaces shaped in flat surfaces. A tapered reduced-diameter part and a chamfered part are interposed between the body part and the bottom surface. A gentle reduction in diameter is first made by the tapered reduced-diameter part, and then a relatively sharp reduction in diameter is made by the chamfered part. Consequently, in the needle bearings adjacent to each other, their tapered reduced-diameter parts are separated from each other.
US08057308B2
A gaming device system in which a plurality of gaming devices are linked by a common bonus event is provided. In one embodiment, the linked gaming device system includes a shared symbol generation display that is positioned adjacent to each of a plurality of associated gaming devices and has a plurality of sections and values displayed at each section. Upon a triggering of the bonus event, any player eligible to participate in the bonus may achieve an outcome generated from the bonus event including the shared display. When the shared display is activated, it simultaneously generates a separate or individual outcome associated with each of the gaming devices. The outcomes are spatially related to one another so that a random generation of an outcome associated with one gaming device automatically generates random outcomes associated with each gaming device. Each gaming device however receives the outcome only if it has participated in the random generation.
US08057307B2
The disclosed massive multi-player on-line gaming environment and method eliminate the coordination and synchronization problems between servers by assigning each game user to a specific client proxy server for game duration and utilizing a space information distribution center to indicate client specific changes in game space. Such configuration eliminates the need to use “grey” areas around partitioning boundaries and servers having to “own” client objects thereby improving massive multi-player on-line gaming scalability.
US08057282B2
The invention provides a method for polishing at least one of a magnetic, optical and semiconductor substrate in the presence of a polishing medium with a polishing pad. The substrate is fixed within a carrier fixture having a channel-free surface. The method comprises securing the substrate in the carrier fixture with the channel-free surface adjacent and parallel to a polishing surface of the polishing pad. The polishing pad has multiple grooves with high-rate paths. The method includes applying polishing medium to the polishing pad adjacent the carrier fixture; and rotating the polishing pad and carrier fixture to polish the substrate with the polishing pad and the polishing medium wherein the channel-free surface of the carrier fixture presses against the polishing pad to impede flow of the polishing medium into the substrate and the high-rate groove paths traverse the carrier fixture to promote flow of the polishing medium to the substrate.
US08057279B2
A particulate blasting apparatus includes a blast vessel having an interior for storing abrasive particulate. The blast vessel has an inlet for introducing a pressurized gas into the interior of the blast vessel and an outlet for allowing the passage of the pressurized gas and particulate. A flexible blast hose is coupled at one end to the outlet for directing particulate flow from the outlet and a blast nozzle is coupled to an opposite end of the blast hose. A metering valve regulates different amounts of particulate flow from the blast vessel through the outlet. A flow actuator is coupled to the metering valve for actuating the metering valve. A controller associated with the blast nozzle in communication with the actuator controls the actuator from the blast nozzle during blasting operations. The blasting apparatus may be used as part of a blasting system that includes a compressor unit for providing the pressurized gas. A method of blasting an area is achieved by controlling the amount of particulate provided to the blast nozzle from the blast nozzle through the controller associated with the blast nozzle while pressurized gas is flowing through the blast nozzle and directing a particulate flow from the blast nozzle to the area.
US08057278B2
A lightweight, substantially unpadded, comfortable, push-in, wire-free bra has, when worn by a female wearer, a front including a pair of cups. Each cup defines upper inner and outer portions, lower inner and outer portions, a top, and a bottom, and is configured and dimensioned to hold substantially one breast of a female wearer. Each cup includes a sling portion that is designed to provide lateral support to the respective breast. In this manner, the sling portions bias the cup upper outer portions inwardly to provide push-in cleavage on the wearer's breasts. Straps are secured to the front for releasably supporting it on a female wearer with the breasts of the female wearer substantially within the cups.
US08057277B2
The present invention provides a toy car wheel with an adjustable center of gravity. The middle of the toy car wheel defines a through hole. At least one spoke is distributed between the rim of the toy car wheel and the through hole. At least one channel is defined in each spoke. At least one spherical body is disposed in each channel. When a toy car decelerates, a momentum of the toy car decreases, the at least one spherical body descends in a corresponding channel, and the center of gravity of the toy car wheel descends.
US08057276B2
Disclosed herein is a toy including a figure and a launcher for launching objects at the figure. The figure has an upper portion and a lower portion wherein the upper portion is movably secured to the lower portion and at least one appendage is movably secured to the upper portion, the at least one appendage having a distal end with an item rotatably secured thereto. An actuator is disposed on an exterior surface of the upper portion of the figure and movement of the actuator causes the upper portion to move from a first configuration to a second configuration with respect to the lower portion.
US08057275B2
A toy employing a simple yet unique pivoting mechanism to provide back and forth and side to side pivoting movements and operable to wiggle, twist back and forth, and roll the toy over numerous times imitating a playing, cuddling and rolling over puppy or the like. The toy includes a body portion, a first pivoting portion, and a first linkage coupling the body portion to the first pivoting portion at an angled pivot point offset from a vertical axis intersecting the point at which the body and the first pivoting portions are coupled. An angled surface is included at the first pivoting portion and a gear mechanism is coupled to the body portion and operable to pivot the first pivoting portion with respect to the body portion driving the pivoting action at the angled surface of the first pivoting portion providing back and forth and side to side pivoting movements.
US08057269B2
A contact element (10) comprises a spring-elastic carrier strip (11) extending in a longitudinal direction, and a plurality of web elements (17) having deformable feet (18), (19) that are disposed on the carrier strip (11) in the longitudinal carrier strip direction behind each other perpendicular to the carrier strip plane in a resilient manner in order to establish the electric contact between two opposing surfaces. A more compact design is achieved in that the web elements (17) are configured asymmetrically in relation to a center plane (M1) extending in the longitudinal carrier strip direction.
US08057268B2
The invention relates to a holding arrangement for at least two electrical connection elements, such as cable lugs, for example, which each have an electrical connection section and a line section, with a base part and a cover part, which can be connected to the base part to form the holding device, the connection sections being inserted axially one on top of the other in the holding device and being fixed axially, and the line sections extending in the radial direction from radial openings of the holding device, the radial openings being designed in such a way that the connection sections cannot be withdrawn from the radial openings, in addition an axial opening being formed on the base part and/or the cover part, via which axial opening electrical contact can be made with at least one connection section of the inserted connection sections, the holding device having centering means for centering the connection sections in the holding device, and the centering means acting on the outer circumference of the connection sections.
US08057267B2
An electrically-conductive contact for an electrical connector is disclosed. Such a contact may include a lead portion, an offset portion extending from an end of the lead portion, and a mounting portion that may extend from a distal end of the offset portion. The lead portion and the distal end of the offset portion may each define an imaginary plane that may intersect at a non-zero, acute angle. An electrical connector that is suitable for orthogonal connector applications may include a connector housing securing two such electrical contacts. The distance between the respective mounting portions of the two such contacts may be defined independently of the contact pitch.
US08057259B2
A receptacle connector prevents a plug from being obliquely inserted with a simple configuration. Receptacle connector 100 has: a hollow rectangular shape shield case (120) which is made by machining a metal plate and which includes fitting slot 101; and a housing (110) which is covered by the shield case (120) and in which contacts (130) to be connected with terminal parts (230) of an inserted plug (200) are disposed. In the shield case (120), a projecting part (124) is formed extending along one side of the fitting slot (101) by denting an upper plate part (122), which defines the accommodating part (104) accommodating the plug (200), to project toward an accommodating region (104). An end surface (124a) of this projecting part (124) on the fitting slot (101) side is closer to the fitting slot (101) side than the contacts (130) and forms a plane orthogonal to the upper plate part (122).
US08057253B2
A contact used in a cable assembly for connecting to cables includes a flat portion extending along a horizontal direction, a flat connecting portion forward extending from the flat portion, a pair of fastening arms respectively extending from two sides of the flat portion along a vertical direction and a mating portion formed by two curving pieces and respectively forwardly extending from the fastening arms; wherein said cables are soldered on the contacts.
US08057251B2
A stay-tight mechanism for a plug to be fixed with a union nut to a socket is provided. The mechanism has a first securing part having a flat engagement contour which engages with a flat of the union nut and having at least one recess. The mechanism has a second securing part having at least one recess and having an engagement contour which engages with an element on the connector when the first securing part is connected to the second securing part.
US08057250B2
A cable organizer for use with an electrical connector terminated to an electrical cable includes a monolithic insulative housing including a base portion and a cover portion hingedly secured to and extending from the base portion. The base portion includes a bottom wall and opposing first side walls extending from the bottom wall. The cover portion includes a top wall and opposing second side walls extending from the top wall. The bottom wall, top wall, and first side walls cooperatively define a channel configured to retain the electrical cable when the cable organizer is assembled to the terminated electrical connector. The cable organizer may include a spring clip disposed in the channel and configured to assist in retaining the electrical cable.
US08057243B2
An in-wall mounted receptacle device includes a body and an electrical outlet box, wherein the body has an accommodating section. The electrical outlet box has a junction surface and is disposed inside the body. When the electrical outlet box rotates, a perpendicular direction of the junction surface varies and points outwardly or inwardly. Whereby, the in-wall mounted receptacle device of the present invention is capable of receiving both an electrical plug which is connected with the junction surface and an electric wire coupled to the electrical plug into the accommodating section, thereby preventing the electrical plug from exposure outside and further reducing the occupied space of the electrical plug. Moreover, the orientation of the junction surface is capable of changing directions so as to alter the direction of the electric wire adjacent to the electrical plug, thereby minimizing the possibility of bending or damaging the electric wire exposed outside.
US08057240B2
An electrical connector assembly includes an electrical connector having a mounting face and signal terminals extending from the mounting face. The electrical connector assembly also includes a circuit board having an upper surface and a lower surface with vias extending at least partially through the circuit board along parallel via axes. The vias are at least partially filled with conductive material to create signal columns, wherein the signal terminals are set in corresponding signal columns. The signal terminals are electrically connected to the signal columns.
US08057236B2
A phantom manufacturing method is disclosed, which comprises the steps of: disposing an exudate network with interconnecting first channel and second channel in a container in a manner that the first channel is transversely disposed for an exudate to flow laterally in the container and the top portion of the second channel is longitudinally disposed for the exudate to flow vertically in the container; forming a plurality of stacking solid layers while arranging the first channel at the bottommost solid layer and the top of the second channel at either inside the topmost solid layer or to be exposed outside the top of the topmost solid layer as the bottom of the second channel is connected to the first channel and extending therefrom upward to the topmost solid layer; and forming a recess in the topmost solid layer while connecting the bottom thereof to the second channel.
US08057230B1
A dental implant having a hollow ceramic cylinder compressed between two metal components of the implant. A principal embodiment comprises a hollow ceramic cylinder, a hollow abutment with an anti-rotational feature, a metallic tip with a hollow metal core, and a screw. The metal core is press-fit into the ceramic cylinder providing a metallic tip at the apical or bottom end of the ceramic cylinder. The screw is inserted into the hollow abutment and extends into and screws into the metal core. By tightening the screw, the ceramic cylinder can be compressed to improve its strength, and the abutment is thereby reversibly attached to the hollow ceramic cylinder. The hollow ceramic cylinder is implantable in both bone and soft tissue, extends through the interface between the bone and soft tissue, maintains the normal appearance of gum tissue after implantation, and has a maximum diameter between 1.8 to 6 mm.
US08057223B2
A burner assembly for a gas powered cooking appliance is provided. The burner assembly may include a burner body including a central region and a plurality of radiating extensions extending radially outward from the central region. The burner assembly may include a burner cap with a central region and a plurality of radiating extensions extending radially outward from the central region. The burner cap is positioned on top of the burner body when the burner is assembled. The burner cap may include at least one overhang positioned on the outer perimeter of the central region and between an adjacent pair of radiating extensions. The at least one overhang forms a gap between the exterior wall of the burner body and the interior wall of the overhang. This gap, or flame stabilization chamber, provides for collection of gases and flame that aid in maintaining the flame during low temperature operation.
US08057216B2
Disclosed herein is an ejector for an injection molding machine used to extract a molded product formed inside a die, the ejector including: a first ejector plate which is movably installed in a moving plate for fixing the die; a second ejector plate which is separably connected to the first ejector plate; and an ejector pin which is installed in at least one of the first and second ejector plates so as to push outward the molded product.
US08057213B2
An apparatus for molding and proving dough, including a pair of sheet rollers for providing a dough strip to a dough molder, a means for engaging and disengaging a retractable dough divider, the retractable dough divider when engaged separates the dough into dough portions as its exits the dough molder and a prover for recovering the dough portions. Also disclosed is a dough molder for a strip of dough including a conveyor having a first run spaced below a curling mat to curl the dough strip; the curling mat resting on at least the first run of the conveyor, the curling mat having a raised section which does not contact the first run.
US08057205B2
The invention provides a method for manufacturing spun-bonded nonwoven fabrics that can reduce the diameter of a filament without decreasing productivity and can stably produce nonwoven fabrics, comprising: quenching a multiple number of continuous melt-spun filaments through spinning nozzles with quench air fed to a quenching chamber, drawing the filaments, and depositing the filaments on a moving collector surface, wherein the quench air fed to the quenching chamber is divided into at least 2 streams in vertical direction, and an air velocity of the quench air in the lowermost stream is set higher than that of the 50 quench air in the uppermost stream. The invention also provides an apparatus for manufacturing spun-bonded nonwoven fabrics, wherein quench air fed to the quenching chamber is divided into at least 2 streams in the vertical direction, wherein the velocities of the quench air are independently controllable in the respective streams.
US08057202B2
A scroll compressor including a non-orbiting and an orbiting scroll member having mating involute wraps extending therefrom. In one exemplary embodiment, at least one of the non-orbiting and orbiting scroll members includes an inner wall forming a groove in an end of the involute wrap and extending substantially entirely along the length thereof. Positioned within the groove is a tip seal having outwardly extending projections configured to engage the inner walls of the involute wrap along at least a portion thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, the tip seal has a length that is less than the length of the groove. As a result, a gap is formed at the innermost portion of the involute wrap between the end of the groove and the end of the tip seal.
US08057192B2
A condensate pump includes a condensate reservoir, a liquid level float sensor operable to sense a liquid level within the condensate reservoir, and a pressure/vent valve including a pressure source, a pressure vent, and a primary piston slidably supported in a primary cylinder and sliding in the primary cylinder responsive to the liquid level sensor. A secondary piston is slidably supported in a secondary cylinder and moves responsive to a movement of the primary piston between a first secondary-piston position wherein the pressure source is in communication with a gas space of the condensate reservoir and the pressure vent is isolated from the gas space, and a second secondary-piston position wherein the pressure source is isolated from the gas space and the pressure vent is in communication with the gas space. An aperture in the primary piston and passages may also be provided to prevent build-up of gas pressures and maintain pressures in preselected regions within the pump at atmospheric pressures.
US08057190B2
A control unit for a linear compressor comprises a current sensor for detecting the current consumption of the linear compressor, a deflection sensor for detecting the deflection of the linear compressor and a control circuit for controlling the movement and detecting an overload state of the linear compressor using the current consumption which is detected by the current sensor and the deflection which is detected by the deflection sensor.
US08057179B1
A film cooling hole for a turbine airfoil used in a gas turbine engine, where the film cooling hole includes an expansion section with a downstream side wall having a first expansion in the middle section and a second expansion greater than the first expansion in the two corners of the downstream side wall. The corners with a greater expansion seal off hot gas ingestion between the film flow and the airfoil surface immediately downstream from the hole opening which minimize the vortices' formation and thus improve the film effectiveness level. The film cooling hole includes two side walls with an expansion of around 10 degrees and an upstream side wall with no expansion. An inlet to the diffusion section includes a metering section of constant diameter to meter cooling air flow.
US08057177B2
A turbine blade that may include a tip shroud, the tip shroud having one or more cooling cavities defined therein, an airfoil, the airfoil having at least one coolant passage defined therein, and a plurality of exit apertures defined through an outer wall of at least one of the cooling cavities that, in use, may allow a pressurized coolant to exit at least one of the cooling cavities. The coolant passage may extend through the airfoil such that the coolant passage is in fluid communication with the cooling cavity. And, the plurality of exit apertures may include at least one round exit aperture and at least one non-round exit aperture.
US08057175B2
A method and system for increasing power production of a wind turbine including a rotor, at least one rotor blade coupled to the rotor, at least one sensor, and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor. A flow parameter of the rotor blade is detected, and operation of the wind turbine is controlled to reduce a flow separation at the rotor blade based at least partially on the flow parameter of the rotor blade.
US08057171B2
A fan assembly for a gas turbine, the assembly comprising: a fan surrounded by a fan casing; a resilient, radially flexible containment material wrapped around the outside of the fan casing for containing a fan blade which has breached the casing during a fan blade-off event, and a retaining cable arrangement for resisting separation of a first portion of the casing from a second portion of the casing as a result of said breach occurring between the first and second portion; wherein the cable arrangement comprises: a retaining cable on the outside of the containment material, secured between the first and second portion of the casing, the retaining cable being sufficiently radially compliant for radial deflection to accommodate radial flexing of the containment material caused by impact of said fan blade in between the first and second portion; and a locking arrangement operable to subsequently lock the retaining cable between the front and rear portions of the casing whereby separation of the front and rear portions is resisted by tension in the locked cable.
US08057159B2
This invention relates to a novel twin wind turbine power system. More particularly, this invention pertains to a twin wind turbine power system which has adjustable width blades, adjustable width wind deflectors and a telescoping erection capability. A twin wind turbine electrical power generating system comprising: (a) a first rotatable wind turbine with vertical radially extending blades around its axis; (b) a second rotatable wind turbine deployed parallel to the first turbine with vertical radially extending blades around its axis; (c) a vertical windshield positioned windwardly between the first and second wind turbines; (d) a wind direction member associated with the first and second wind turbines and directing the first and second wind turbines and windshield to face windward; (e) a rotational support upon which items (a), (b), (c) and (d) are mounted; (f) an alternator connected to the first and second wind turbines and generating electricity as the first and second wind turbines rotate.
US08057158B2
The invention relates to a wind turbine and a method for operating the wind turbine planted in the floor of a body of water. The wind turbine includes a support structure and a rotor, which is arranged on the support structure. The rotor has a rotor blade. The wind turbine operates in a trundle mode in order to reduce the oscillations in the support structure created through mechanical impacts on the support structure.
US08057155B2
The deck for lifting a layer of products (2) onto a pallet (10) is constituted by a sole plate (26) of reduced thickness carried by a frame defined by crosspieces (22) and (23) also of reduced thickness and by side pieces (21). The side pieces (21) are of square-shaped cross-section with at least the horizontal wing (40) thereof being provided so as to receive and enable the locking of a piece of equipment forming said sole plate (26) and which is adapted to the nature of said products (2) constituting the layer to be loaded onto a pallet, said piece of equipment being in the form of tabular components (27) of small diameter, about 30 mm, placed between and parallel to said crosspieces (22), (23), said components (27) being able to constitute fully or partially free rolls (28), or able to be locked.
US08057148B2
A roofing material fastener comprises a shank having a length dimension and a point. The shank is adapted to enable it to be driven through at least a first course of roofing material and into a roof deck. A fastener head is positioned in a region of the shank distal from the point. A spike protrusion projects from the distal region of the shank to a terminus. The length of the spike protrusion is less than one half the length of the shank, measured from the point to the fastener head. The spike protrusion is adapted to penetrate a depth less than the full depth of a second course of roofing material installed above the first course. The spike protrusion is shaped to inhibit sawing through the second course of roofing material by the spike protrusion.
US08057138B2
Embodiments comprise a stackable vehicle which may be supported from, or serve as support to, another like vehicle. The vehicle includes a frame and a body supported from the frame. The body includes a weight bearing roof Wheel assemblies are mounted for rotation on the frame. The body includes recesses from the roof of the body to accommodate location of wheel assemblies of a like vehicle supported on the roof Support and mounting points are located on the roof and on the frame respectively to fix location of a vehicle to be carried on top of a supporting vehicle.
US08057137B2
An apparatus for aligning a machine tool with a target location on a structure. A machine plate positionable on the structure has a plate bushing providing a hole through the plate. The apparatus also includes a nosepiece for guiding a distal end of the tool through the plate bushing to the target location. The nosepiece has a collet configured to be moved at least partly through and sideward in the plate bushing to center the nosepiece on an element projecting from the structure at the target location. The nosepiece can be attached to the plate bushing to establish normality of the tool relative to the projecting element.
US08057136B2
A power tool combination includes a power driving device having a chuck device attached to a barrel for engaging with a driven tool member, a control ferrule engaged onto the barrel, and a non-circular member, and a tool device includes a housing having a bore for receiving the driven tool member, and having a compartment for receiving the barrel, and having a non-circular engaging member for engaging with the non-circular member and for allowing the housing to be rotated by the power driving device. The tool device includes a tool element attached to the housing, and a securing device for detachably attaching the tool element to the housing.
US08057135B2
An auger bit includes a shaft having a central axis, a cutting insert mounted to said shaft, and a feed screw that is separate from the cutting insert and which is mounted to the shaft. The cutting insert and the feed screw are engaged with each other. A single locking member, such as a set screw, secures the feed screw member to the shaft, and thereby secures the cutting insert to the shaft. If the feed screw or the cutting insert become worn, feed screw or the cutting insert can be replaced.
US08057134B2
A chuck assembly configured to provide a shorter longitudinal profile. The chuck assembly includes a chuck body with a support bearing mounted to a rear portion of the chuck body and mounted to a portion of a housing such that a cavity is defined axially rearward of the support bearing and is configured to receive the jaws when the rear portion of the jaws extend axially rearward.
US08057132B2
An indexable milling insert, including an upperside, an underside parallel to an imaginary reference plane, and two cutting edges. Each cutting edge includes a cutting edge line and is formed between a chip surface included in the upperside and a first clearance surface extending between the upperside and the underside, the first clearance surface forming an acute, nominal first clearance angle (α) with a normal to the reference plane. Each cutting edge includes a main edge, which is at least partly convexly curved as viewed in plane elevation from above, and which extends from an initial end, which determines the maximal cutting depth of the milling insert, to a corner edge having a radius of curvature that is smaller than the radius of curvature of the main edge, the main edge rising in the direction from the initial end toward the corner edge such that the distance thereof to the underside successively increases in the direction. A second clearance surface is formed between the cutting edge line and the first clearance surface, the second clearance surface having a width of at most 0.3 mm and a nominal second clearance angle (λ) that is smaller than the first clearance angle. The second clearance surface is of uniform width and the second clearance angle decreases successively in the direction from the initial end toward the corner edge.
US08057131B2
A clamping tool holder includes a tool holder body and a clamp for clamping a cutting insert. The clamp causes the cutting insert to press against the bottom and the side walls of an insert-receiving pocket of the tool holder body. The tool holder body has an inclined surface sloping inward in a direction away from the insert-receiving pocket. The clamp has an inclined surface that acts as a ramp with the inclined surface of the tool holder body. When a clamp screw is tightened, a nub of the clamp engages only an inside rearward surface of a mounting bore of the insert along a line of contact and exerts a force downward and rearward on the insert. In addition, only a forward lower face of a head portion the clamp screw engages a top surface of the clamp.
US08057126B2
A connector means (10; 20) for tie-in and connecting of a first pipeline and a second pipeline on the seabed is shown. The connector means comprises a first connector part (1; 1′) retaining a first end of the first pipeline. The first connector part and the first pipeline are designed to be lowered and deployed on the seabed in advance of the connecting operation. A submersible second connector part (2; 2′) that retains a second end of the second pipeline (4) is also included. The second connector part and the second pipeline are designed to be lowered from the surface of the water toward the first connector part (1; 1′). The connector parts (1, 2; 1′, 2′) comprises means (6, 11; 21, 22) that cooperate during relative motion between said connector parts, and is hinged tilting the second connector part (2, 2′) by means of forced motion, and thus aligning the second pipe end (4e, 4′e) in the direction toward the first pipe end (8e, 8′e) such that the first and second pipelines are brought to be in line with each other on the seabed. In addition a connector (3, 3′) is arranged between the connector parts for final connection between the pipeline ends.
US08057118B2
A dispenser has a barrel which is closed at one end by a base and has a plurality of apertures at the other end through which a viscous material such as a gel or lotion is dispensed. In one aspect, the invention can be a dispenser for a viscous substance comprising: a barrel having a base at a first end and an upper wall area having a plurality of apertures at a second end; a seal unit having a bottom surface with a plurality of projections depending from the bottom surface; and the seal unit positioned so that the bottom surface of the seal unit is in contact with the upper wall area of the barrel and the plurality of projections enter into the plurality of apertures.
US08057116B1
A user interface with a keypad having a reduced form factor is provided. The keypad includes a plurality of multi-position keys, each of which has a plurality of toggle positions for making a plurality of data selections. The user interface may also include a plurality of function keys and a screen for displaying the data. The user interface reduces the number of keys needed on a keypad and minimizes the number of finger movements, thereby reducing the number of errors made when using the user interface.
US08057114B2
A wet-processing apparatus includes module groups each including plural processing modules and a shared nozzle device to be used in common by the processing module of the module group. The wet-processing apparatus includes plural processing modules not less than four processing modules, for example, six processing modules. The six processing modules are divided into two module groups, namely, first and second module groups each of the three processing modules. Each of the first and the second module group is provided with a nozzle device for pouring a processing solution onto a wafer. The first wafer is delivered to the first processing module, the second wafer is delivered to the processing module of the second module group, the third wafer is delivered to the processing module of the first module group. Thus the successive wafers are delivered alternately to the first and the second module groups.
US08057094B2
A power semiconductor module with temperature measurement is disclosed. One embodiment provides a conductor having a first end and a second end. The second end is thermally coupled at a substrate. A device including temperature sensor is thermally coupled at the first end and configured to determine a temperature at the second end using the temperature sensor.
US08057093B2
A double temperature sensor with a receiving element for measuring a near-surface temperature of the ambient air and the skin surface. The double temperature sensor with a receiving element includes an insulating block, two temperature sensors and a receiving element. At least the receiving element (8) and/or the insulating block (4) are designed in terms of the material structure such that the horizontal heat conduction is low compared to the vertical heat conduction.
US08057087B2
An exemplary light source module includes a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), a number of light emitting diodes (LEDs), and a light guide plate (LGP). The LEDs are mounted on the PCB, which is capable of switching each of the LEDs on and off. The LGP includes a light input surface and a number of light output surfaces. The light input surface is opposite to the LEDs. The LEDs face the light input surfaces, and at least one light guide structure is defined at the light input surface so that a majority of light beams from each LED pass substantially perpendicularly through a corresponding portion of the at least one light guide structure and exit from a corresponding light output surface.
US08057083B2
A fiber bundle confocal microscope or endoscope (200), comprising a light source (142) for providing a beam of light (160), a coherent fiber bundle of optical fibers (152), a scanner (202) for receiving the beam and scanning the beam over a proximal end of the bundle (162), so that the beam is launched into a plurality of the fibers sequentially, a plurality of the fibers thereby acting sequentially as an at least one delivery fiber (204), a spatial filter (172), and a photodetector (174) operatively associated with the spatial filter to receive return light from one or more of the fibers. The return light from the delivery fiber is excluded from the photodetector by the spatial filter.
US08057078B1
The present invention relates to an environmentally friendly beacon or light for illuminating a pole-mounted flag, banner, pennant or the like that has a luminous source located in a laterally extending cover, is mounted on top of the pole, and is capable of continuously directing an umbrella shaped illumination toward the flag, banner, pennant or the like as the wind blows the same to rotate about the flagpole. The flagpole light of the present invention is designed to be installed as a retrofit in existing flagpoles having a shaft supported knob or sphere located a short distance above a rotatable cap.
US08057077B2
A support device for supporting a light fixture includes an anchor portion for anchoring the light fixture to a ceiling location, a wing arrangement coupled to the anchor portion, the wing arrangement including a central base portion and a pair of wing portions extending outwardly therefrom, each wing portion including a body having a distal edge region and a proximal flange portion joined to the central base portion, a first passage in each body and a second passage in each proximal flange, the first and second passages to form a path to receive one or more cable members to be suspended therefrom to support a light fixture thereon.
US08057070B2
A lighting device, comprising a light engine housing, a light engine comprising one or more solid state light emitters, a diffuser and an energy forwarding element which receives AC voltage and supplies power to the light engine. The light engine housing comprises an electrical connection region which is engageable with an electricity supply device. The light engine housing comprises a first compartment, in which the light engine is positioned and a second compartment. The light engine housing comprises a flange region. The first compartment has an opening which is covered by the diffuser. The lighting device can be mounted such the only elements which are visible from a room are the flange region, a front side of the diffuser and any portion of the first compartment which is between the opening and the open end of the light engine housing. The light engine housing can comprise heat-dissipating fins.
US08057068B2
An artificial light source generator includes at least one luminescent set and a projection plane. The luminescent set includes a light source, a parabolic mirror, a supporting seat, a first lens array, and a second lens array. The light source is disposed at the focus of the parabolic mirror, so that light beams generated by the light source are transmitted in a parallel direction through the parabolic mirror. The supporting seat is for supporting the light source. The first lens array has a plurality of first lens units, and each of the first lens units has a first focal distance. The second lens array has a plurality of second lens units. The distance between the second lens array and the first lens array is 0.5 to 1.5 times the first focal distance. A suitable distance exists between the projection plane and the luminescent set, so that the light beams passing through each of the second lens units cover the entire projection plane. Therefore, the projection plane has excellent illumination uniformity.
US08057067B2
A lamp unit is provided having polymer electrical conductors adhered to a non-conductive substrate in which adjacent conductors present a gap therebetween for securing a light radiating device within the gap the conductors of one embodiment having raised abutments formed in the conductors at the gap for capture of a light radiating device therebetween, such as an LED in said gap to hold the light device between the abutments to secure the light device in the lamp and power the light device.
US08057062B2
A portable electronic device includes a housing and battery. The housing is formed with a battery-receiving compartment that has positive and negative electrodes. The battery is mounted in the battery-receiving compartment, and includes: a casing having positive and negative electrodes that are electrically and respectively connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the housing; a power storage unit having positive and negative electrodes that are electrically and respectively connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the casing; a switch having one end electrically coupled to one of the electrodes of the power storage unit; and a light-emitting element having two ends coupled respectively with another end of the switch and the other electrode of the power storage unit. The power storage unit is controllable through the switch for supplying power to the light-emitting element.
US08057051B2
A light source device includes a plurality of light emitting elements for emitting light beams, a resonant mirror functioning as a resonator for selectively reflecting the light beams emitted respectively from the light emitting elements, towards the light emitting elements, a wavelength selection element disposed on light paths between the light emitting elements and the resonant mirror, having a plurality of light selection areas for executing selection respectively on the light beams emitted respectively from the light emitting elements, transmitting light beams each having a part of a wavelength band of corresponding one of the light beams emitted respectively from the light emitting elements, and having a narrower width of a wavelength band of the light beam to be transmitted than a width of wavelength band of the light beam to be reflected by the resonant mirror, and a state changing section that changes a state of the plurality of light selection areas, and the state changing section changes the state of the light selection areas so that wavelengths of the light beams selected respectively by the light selection areas become different from each other.
US08057050B2
A height adjustment apparatus for a projection device comprises a socket, an engaging member, and a lifting member. The projection device comprises a housing having a front and bottom plate perpendicular to each other, the bottom and front plate defining a first and second opening therein, respectively. The socket comprising a locating portion is located on an inner surface of the bottom plate, covers the first opening and defines a third opening therein. The engaging member comprises a main portion, an engaging portion and a deformable portion. The main portion is inserted through the second opening. The engaging portion connecting the main portion defines a fourth opening aligning with the third opening. The deformable portion has a movable portion located in the locating portion. The lifting member comprises an upright lifting portion passing through the third opening and having a toothed face engaged by the engaging portion.
US08057047B2
A heat radiation structure for a portable micro projector that enables efficient radiation of heat generated therein. A projector module irradiates light of high intensity using a lamp to project an image to an external screen. A thermally conductive plate having a plate-like shape, the projector module being attached to one surface of the thermally conductive plate to transfer heat generated in the projector module. A heat radiation case to which the thermally conductive plate to which the projector module is attached is coupled therein to emit the heat transferred through the thermally conductive plate outside.
US08057038B2
Methods and systems for obtaining an ocular aberration measurement of an eye of a patient are provided. Exemplary techniques involve obtaining a first induced metric for the eye that corresponds to a first accommodation state of the eye, obtaining a second induced metric for the eye that corresponds to a second accommodation state of the eye, and determining a natural metric of the eye based on the first and second induced metrics. An induced metric may include a pupil size or a spherical aberration. Techniques can also include determining a target metric for the eye base on the natural metric, determining whether an actual metric of the eye meets the target metric, obtaining an ocular aberration measurement of the eye if the actual metric meets the target metric, and determining a treatment for the eye based on the ocular aberration measurement.
US08057036B2
An information difference between a left eye image and a right eye image is adjustable to achieve binocular vision in a patient having a deficiency of binocular vision. A source of image pairs is used along with a dichoptic display system to present a selected one of the image pairs as a right eye image to a patient's right eye and a left eye image to a patient's left eye. The difference at which a patients achieves binocular vision is a measure of a level binocular vision health or function, and continued exposure to the image pairs is therapeutic. The difference can be adjusted during therapy, and restoration of regular binocular vision is possible.
US08057026B2
Liquid packs provided with the liquid leading members are stored in a container case that is constituted by fitting a case main body portion and a lid case in fitting portions, support portions, which positions the liquid leading members so as to be opposed to liquid introducing members attached to a cartridge inserting portion, are provided on a front surface of the container case, the fitting portions traverses the support portions, and space portions having a gap larger than a gap formed in the fitting portions are formed near the support portions in the fitting portions due to the capillarity is retained by the space portions and never flows to the fitting portions further extending from the space portions.
US08057024B2
A printhead assembly comprises an elongate casing defining a longitudinally extending printhead channel, a static pagewidth printhead received within the printhead channel, the static pagewidth printhead comprising a plurality of printhead tiles each bearing a printhead integrated circuit, the tiles being shaped to serially engage together so that adjacent printhead integrated circuits overlap, and an elongate fluid channel member defining a plurality of ducts for storing respective types of ink, the elongate fluid channel extending substantially the length of the static pagewidth printhead. The fluid channel member comprises an elongate body portion defining parallel open channels, and a lid portion which is fastened to the body portion so that the open channels form the ducts, the lid portion defining a plurality of protruding ridges which can be received in respective open channels. The lid portion comprises a plurality of groups of outlet ports, each group including a number of outlet ports equal to the number of parallel open channels.
US08057023B2
Provided is an ink cartridge unit for an inkjet printer. The cartridge unit includes a main body defining a number of ink reservoirs, each reservoir having a layered stack of absorbent material forming a micro-capillary array for suspending ink inside said reservoir. The unit also includes a lid assembly covering the main body to seal ink inside the ink reservoirs, and a printhead assembly operatively fed with ink from the ink reservoirs in the main body. The unit further includes a capper assembly for operatively capping the printhead assembly to prevent damage to micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangements defined on a printing surface of the printhead assembly. The lid assembly includes a refill facility whereby the ink reservoirs are refillable with ink from a suitable ink refill unit.
US08056998B2
An image-forming apparatus is capable of performing a non-margin recording operation without a margin on a recording medium and providing a waiting time between a moment of termination of a movement of a carriage in one of opposite directions and a moment of initiation of a subsequent movement of the carriage in the other direction, if the non-margin recording operation is performed during the movement of the carriage in the above-indicated one direction. The carriage is moved in the other direction (returned) at a speed lower than that of the movement in the above-indicated one direction, so that the back surface of an edge portion (e.g., leading end portion) of the recording medium is protected from contamination with an ink mist produced from the ink droplets. The waiting time and the return speed of the carriage can be manually selected or changed by using an operator's control panel, so that the non-margin recording operation can be performed in a desired manner (in a high-image-quality mode or a high-speed mode).
US08056993B2
A switchgear cabinet including covering parts and at least one cabinet door mounted on a cabinet carcass by hinges and having a door frame including two vertical profiled elements and two horizontal profiled elements as well as corner pieces joining the profiled elements. In order to simplify the structure and assembly of the switchgear cabinet, hinge receptacles on which the hinges are mounted are supplied on or in the corner pieces of the same side of the door frame.
US08056989B2
A latch is provided for engagement between the closure member of an enclosure and the frame of the enclosure, the latch comprising a member with a first portion, including a hook portion to engage the frame and prevent the closure member frame from fully opening. The first portion and a complementary second portion each may include buttressing wall sections, one of which must be deflected from alignment with the other to allow the hook portion to be deflected and clear the frame. The latch may be useful as a childproof device to prevent unwanted entry into the enclosure. In addition, a pin may extend from the hook portion and engage a hole in the frame to provide a third feature which must be actuated in order to fully open the closure member.
US08056985B2
A vibratory milling machine has a vibratory housing confined to substantially linear reciprocating motion relative to a base, causing a tool carried by the housing to impact a mineral formation or other work piece substantially in a primary milling direction. The vibratory motion may be generated by two or more eccentrically-weighted rotors rotated by a common drive mechanism. The rotors may be arranged in pairs with the rotors of each pair rotating in opposite directions about parallel axes so that lateral oscillations cancel and longitudinal vibrations in the milling direction reinforce one another. In one embodiment, a hydrostatic fluid bearing is provided between the outer surface of each rotor and the housing.
US08056982B2
A collapsible, compactable chair or seating apparatus having a pair of rigid frames hingedly connected to one another to form an A-frame configuration. Both frames may be collapsed so that the frame dimensions of the chair in an operational, deployed configuration may be reduced in two dimensions (i.e., height, length) when collapsed into a compacted configuration for storage or transport. The novel chair may be compacted into a thin bundle that may be rolled up in and contained within fabric forming a portion of the chair. In its compacted, rolled up state, the novel chair is suitable for transportation within a backpack or other such enclosure.
US08056981B2
A seat apparatus includes a reclining device and a power assist mechanism coupled to the reclining device through a coupling rod. The power assist mechanism includes a motor; a seat back-side bracket which is tiltably provided to move the seat back; an operational gear which is turnable depending on a rotational direction of the motor; a rod gear provided integrally with the coupling rod; and a lever gear having a gear part capable of being engaged with the rod gear and an engaging part capable of being engaged with the operational gear. The lever gear transmits the turning of the operational gear to the rod gear.
US08056980B2
A vehicle seat assembly comprises a base; a seat mounted to swivel relative to the base; and a console having first and second segments, the first segment mounted to swivel with the seat relative to the base and the second segment being mounted to remain in fixed position as the seat and first console segment swivel. The console's two segments lie in a generally common horizontal plane and are separated by an arcuate spacing so that the first segment is located proximate the operator and the second segment is located distally of the operator. This arrangement of the seat assembly components allows the seated operator to rotate in the seat through a substantial arc, with the first console segment rotating as well while the second console segment remains stationary. In a second embodiment, the first and second console segments move with the seat as it swivels through a first rotational increment, but the second console segment remains stationary while the seat and first console segment swivel through a second rotational increment.
US08056978B2
A convertible seating unit for a motor vehicle is provided. The convertible seating unit comprises a seat having an upper surface, a front edge and a rear edge. The convertible seating unit further includes a back support comprising a first back support panel and a second back support panel. Each of the first and second back support panels has a first edge and a second edge, and an upper surface and a lower surface. The second edge of the first back panel is hingeably connected to the first edge of the second back panel to define a first hinge axis. The first edge of the first back panel is hingeably connected to the seat proximate the rear edge of the seat to define a second hinge axis.
US08056976B1
A chair apparatus is provided with multiple pivot axis for improving core strength, posture, and circulation of the user. The chair apparatus includes a seat portion that is capable of pivotal movement about multiple pivot axes and along a surface. The chair apparatus further includes a frame coupled to the seat portion, wherein the frame limits the pivotal movement of the seat portion only when the chair apparatus is placed in a supported orientation.
US08056973B2
A vehicle seat is provided comprising a seat back frame having right and left side frames, a headrest for supporting a head of a seat occupant, and a back-and-forth movable body provided inside a backrest that is positioned at a rear of the seat occupant, wherein a backward movement of the back-and-forth movable body forwardly moves the headrest to support the head of the seat occupant. The back-and-forth movable body is attached to each side frame through a link member and is provided with a backward protrusion protruding backward, and the backward protrusion extends laterally.
US08056972B2
A child restraint includes a juvenile vehicle seat and an energy-absorption apparatus coupled to the juvenile vehicle seat. The energy-absorption apparatus is configured to absorb external energy associated with an external impact force applied to the energy-absorption apparatus.
US08056965B2
A stop arrangement for forming an adjustable stop between a first component and a second component that are movable in relation to each other, in particular between a vehicle body and a flap hinge-connected to it, including a fastening element which is connected to the first component and has a first threaded portion, and including a stop part, which serves as a stop for the second component and has a second threaded portion, which can be brought into engagement with the first threaded portion in such a way that, by turning the stop part, the distance of the latter from the first component can be set.
US08056951B2
Disclosed is an interior fitting part for a vehicle, comprising a wall part (12) that has a first side (21) facing the interior (IR) in the properly mounted state thereof, an opposite second side (22), and an edge (23) that extends between the sides. The interior fitting part further comprises a decorative layer (30) that is arranged on the wall part (12). An edge section of the decorative layer (30) is folded onto the second side (22). The second side (22) of the wall part (12) is provided with at least two elevations (41, 42), at least some sections of which extend next to one another along the edge (23), from the perspective of the edge (23). The decorative layer (30) is folded from the first side (21) to the second side (22) via the edge (23) while an edge section (31) of the decorative layer (30) extends between two elevations (41, 42) on the second side (22). Also disclosed are a motor vehicle door comprising an interior fitting part as well as a method for producing an interior fitting part.
US08056943B2
A latching overlay for a tool storage unit drawer includes a drawer pull with a substantially horizontal flange portion perpendicular to a front face of the drawer and extending across at least a portion of the drawer width. In a preferred embodiment, the latching overlay includes a trim channel having a first surface for engaging a top face of the horizontal flange portion of the drawer pull, a second surface for engaging a bottom face of the horizontal flange portion of the drawer pull, and a release connected between the first surface and the second surface such that the trim channel is capable of pivoting about the horizontal flange portion. At least one drawer latch hook connected to the trim channel is provided, wherein the drawer latch hook engages and disengages from a latching component of the tool storage unit in response to the pivoting movement of the trim channel.
US08056939B2
A plug connector for pipelines, in particular pipelines made of plastic, having a housing part comprising, in two-part form, a receiving part for a retaining element and fluid seal; and a coupling part for coupling the housing part to an assembly, and can be sealed with respect to the assembly, characterized in that the housing part is divided in such a way that the receiving part can be sealed directly with respect to the assembly.
US08056937B2
A tube coupling includes a coupling body having a stem with an end to engage in a tube and an encircling head spaced from said end. A cap is mounted on the head having an open end encircling the stem to receive a tube inserted into the cap over the stem, the cap having an internal tapered cam surface. A tube locking collet is located in the open end of the cap and includes an annular member having a plurality of resilient fingers which engage the tapered cam surface. The cap includes a sleeve having a cylindrical main portion which encircles and is mounted on the head of the coupling body. The main portion projects along the stem and a portion of reducing diameter which provides said internal tapered cam surface with which the collet engages and the cap has locking elements which engage the head of the coupling body.
US08056931B2
A multi-part form includes a wristband with related tags and labels. The tags are configured for mounting on the wristband after the wristband has been secured to a person of object to be identified. The multi-part form is also configured with a wristband portion separate from a plurality of utility groups, each of which is separate from the other, by a street devoid of media layer. The layers that comprise the multi-part form are preferably solvent resistant so as to make the identification products more durable and longer lasting.
US08056920B2
Cover panel for a drawbar-controlled ground conveyor on the side facing the drawbar, which has a mainly U-shaped skirt formed from a blank section in the lower area, with a bar section facing the drawbar and lateral leg sections, which covers a drive unit of the ground conveyor on the side and in the back and can be welded to a frame of the ground conveyor, wherein the upper edge of the skirt runs within the surface area of the skirt, an approximately middle upper section of the bar section is embossed with respect to the neighboring outer surfaces of the bar section, and the embossed section projects upwards into a centering section.
US08056918B2
A saddle riding type vehicle includes a vehicle body frame, a head pipe, a steering shaft, and a steering damper. The head pipe is attached to the front end of the vehicle body frame. The steering shaft is inserted rotatably in the head pipe. The steering damper includes an electromagnet, a magnetic member, and a magnetic fluid. The electromagnet is provided around the steering shaft and has a first surface. The magnetic member is provided around the steering shaft and has a second surface opposed to the first surface. The magnetic fluid is stored in a gap formed between the first and second surfaces. One of the electromagnet and the magnetic member is attached to the steering shaft and the other is attached to the head pipe.
US08056914B2
A wheel, such as a traction wheel, with a momentum enhancing apparatus. The momentum enhancing apparatus may selectively enhance the wheel's ability to maintain its angular velocity at relatively high speeds, while having a reduced effect on the angular velocity of the wheel at relatively slow speeds. The momentum enhancing apparatus may include one or more bodies that either translate radially between the hub and the rim of the wheel to change the mass moment of inertia of the wheel, or rotate with the wheel and transfer the momentum of the bodies to the wheel under increasing loads. Methods of using such apparati and vehicles equipped with such apparati are also enclosed.
US08056909B2
A shopping cart includes a frame, a number of front wheel assemblies and a number of rear wheel assemblies that are coupled to and support the frame, and a main container coupled to the frame. The main container includes a base, a front panel, a rear panel, and a pair of opposing side panels each having a tope edge. The front panel and the pair of opposing side panels are coupled together and extend upward from the base. The rear panel is pivotally coupled to the frame. A portion of the main container is structured to engage each of the corresponding top edges of the opposing side panels of another similarly constructed cart as the other cart is nested into the shopping cart. The engagement causes the number of rear wheel assemblies of the shopping cart to be moved from a first position to a second position generally above the first position.
US08056908B2
The mechanic's creeper has a lower body support, an upper body support and dual wheel assemblies mounted to the frame in a triangular array. The triangular positioning of the dual wheel assemblies provides for exceptional mobility when a person is working in a reclined position underneath a motor vehicle. The mechanic's creeper may have trays for holding small tools and parts attached to the frame near the lower body support.
US08056903B2
In a rod sealing system, which comprises a buffer ring, a rod seal, and a dust seal, provided successively in this order from a fluid hydraulic side toward the outside in an annular clearance between two members in reciprocating motion, the buffer ring is made up of a thermoplastic polyurethane molding product obtained by subjecting a thermoplastic polyurethane molding product prepared by reaction of (A) a high molecular weight polycarbonatediol having a number average molecular weight Mn of 500-6,000, (B) an aromatic diisocyanate, and (C) a low molecular weight diol as a chain elongation agent in an NCO/OH ratio of 0.95-1.20, to heat treatment under conditions that a glass transition point (Tg) of hard phases becomes 170° C. or higher, preferably 170-230° C., and an endothermic peak area (ΔH) at Tg becomes 5 J/g or more, by differential scanning calorimetry. The buffer ring made up of the thermoplastic polyurethane molding product has a distinguished heat resistance capable of withstanding the service environmental temperature, particularly maximum 120° C., compression set characteristics, follow-up to eccentricity, etc.
US08056901B2
A system includes software for customization of one or more game boards or elements, and/or for educational game play. An example embodiment includes a plurality of polygonal game-board segments, which can be assembled into a game-board, where each game-board segment presents spots upon which a player may “land.” The spots for each game-board segment may be logically connected to form a path of the game. Additional accessories may include: player pieces, a timer token, game cards, game metric identifiers (e.g., points, money, etc.), and a randomized movement indicator (e.g., dice). The software may be used for selection of educational categories, sub-categories, and elements for construction of game segments of the game-board, and may also be used for constructing, administrating, grading, and storing results of quizzes (which may be used for construction and/or playing of the game using the game board) and a played game, and/or for otherwise facilitating game play.
US08056898B2
A pin conveyor for printed sheet material has a chain, a plurality of pins extending from the chain to push printed sheet material, and a receipt area for the printed sheet material, the chain and pins passing through the receipt area. The receipt area has at least one of the following a non-linear cross-section with the chain and pins passing through the receipt area, an inclined transport section of the chain, or a belt contacting the printed sheet material and running at or slower than a speed of the chain. A transfer unit with an overhead conveying unit and a method for delivering printed sheet material is also provided.
US08056896B2
In an image scanning apparatus, documents on a document tray are transferred one by one, and an upper surface height of the documents is lowered to turn off a height detection sensor. Different kinds of control modes are performed according to a document scanning mode. In an image-quality-priority scanning mode, a transfer unit suspends transfer of the document, the document tray is elevated until the upper surface height reaches a target height that is higher by a predetermined distance after the height detection sensor is turned on, and the transfer unit resumes the transfer of the document. In a speed-priority scanning mode, while the transfer of the document is continued by the transfer unit, the document tray is elevated until the document tray reaches the target height.
US08056889B2
Disclosed is a multi-axis workpiece manipulator or positioning device (10) having movement along two rectilinear axes (L1 and L2), two pivotable or tilt axes (T1 and T2) and two rotational axes (R1 and R2). The positioning device (10) includes a support base (12), a first member (18) attached to the support base (12) extending axially therefrom and a carriage (24) adjustably connected to the first member (18). The support base (12) is movable in a longitudinal path along a first rectilinear axis (L1) and the carriage is movable along the first member (18) in a vertical path along a second rectilinear axis (L2). A second member (30) is pivotably and rotatably attached to the carriage (24) and extends axially away from the carriage (24). The second member (30) can pivotably move along a first tilt axis (T1) with respect to the carriage (24) and can rotate in a circular path along a first rotational axis (R1). A third member (40) is pivotably and rotatably attached to an end of the second member (30), wherein the third member (40) can pivotably move along a second tilt axis (T2) with respect to the second member (30) and can rotate in a circular path along a second rotational axis (R2). A drive mechanism (D) operates the positioning device (10) for selectively positioning a workpiece (W) to be processed. This device (10) is particularly useful in fabricating compressor impellers.
US08056886B2
An aspirator includes a plurality aspirator tubes, each preferably extending at approximately 70 degrees from a central axis and including a fin extending a limited distance below the aspirator tube outlet. The design improves mixing and gas contact, yet has reduced power requirements, by using a plurality of debris-shedding, finned aspirator tubes to inject approximately 35% more air than the best prior art designs at the same rotational speed. Further, the aspirator of the present invention improves motor life by reducing the average current draw on the motor. The aspirator is useful in many applications, including sewage and wastewater treatment, oxygenation, fermentation, aeration, hydrogenation, oxidation, and oil-sand separation.
US08056885B2
A railing system includes a set of vertically disposed baluster assemblies and a plurality of railing members. The baluster assemblies include a lower base member receiving a pair of opposing vertical plates. Each of the pairs of plates have opposing aligned pairs of throughbores, each pair movably holding therein one of a set of insert members. Railing members each slide through adjacent pairs of insert members to form a wall of spaced apart railing members. Each railing member passes through the insert members in each of the baluster assemblies and the insert members holding the railing member pivot to align member throughbores at an angle from horizontal that is dependent upon a vertical difference of adjacent ones of the fixed base members.
US08056883B1
A manual storage lift system for efficiently hoisting articles to a raised position for providing temporary or permanent storage for the articles. The manual storage lift system generally includes a drive unit including a mounting plate mounted on a vertical surface, a shaft rotatably connected to the mounting plate, a spool coaxially positioned along the shaft, wherein the spool rotates independently of the shaft, at least one elongated member wound upon the spool, a hand crank connected to the shaft for winding or unwinding the at least one elongated member upon the spool and a brake assembly mounted to the drive unit, wherein the brake assembly includes a torsion spring. A first force applied with the hand crank in a rotational direction upon the torsion spring lessens a tension of the torsion spring allowing the torsion spring and the spool to rotate. A second force applied with the spool in the rotational direction upon the torsion spring increases a tension of the torsion spring preventing the torsion spring and the spool from rotating. The elongated members connect to a platform through a series of pulleys mounted on an overhead horizontal surface to raise and lower the platform through operation of the hand crank.
US08056882B2
A gate valve includes a pair of opposing housing members, a gate, primary sealing sleeves and a secondary sealing member. The primary sealing sleeves are disposed in each of the housing members. The gate is configured to slidably pass through a transverse gate chamber defined when the housing members are joined together. The secondary sealing member is secured between the housing members and includes at least one passage or aperture configured to allow lubricating fluid to be applied through at least one of the housing members through the secondary sealing member and onto the gate.
US08056880B2
An electronic apparatus including: a supported body; a support member provided with a through hole extended in an substantially horizontal direction; a fixture that fixes the supported body and the support member to each other in an approximately horizontal direction through the through hole of the support member; a buffer member that is disposed between the fixture and the support member and has a first portion that is supported by an inner circumferential face of the through hole of the support member and a second portion that is not supported by the inner circumferential face of the through hole of the support member; and a support body that is disposed in the support member so as to support the second portion of the buffer member.
US08056873B1
A curtain rod assembly for a window having a window casement is disclosed. The curtain rod assembly includes left and right brackets. Each bracket has a curtain rod support extending therefrom. An adjustable support rod is coupled to the left and right brackets. The adjustable support rod is configured and arranged to brace the left bracket and the right bracket against the window casement. A decorative curtain rod is suspended between the curtain rod supports.
US08056862B1
A thermal protection system for use upon an air or space vehicle includes a plurality of thermal protection panels formed of a suitable ceramic matrix composition or other thermally protective material each panel having a continuous outer surface free of penetrations or apertures. A plurality of cooperating fasteners are secured between the outer surface of a host vehicle and the undersurface of the thermal protection panels. The fasteners utilize a latching mechanism to secure the panels to the surface of the host air or space vehicle without requiring penetrations or irregularities in the panel surfaces.
US08056858B2
An extendable device for providing radiation occlusion and/or aero-thermal protection is disclosed. In various representative aspects, the present invention generally includes an extendable collar and a flexure configured to provide elastic properties (e.g., to facilitate stowage and/or deployment with respect to conformational disposition of the flexure). The flexure is coupled to a collar and is also coupled to the housing of an optical device.
US08056853B2
A reconfigurable air vehicle wing may be selectively reconfigured to increase its chord. The wing has a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion that are moved relative to one another to change the chord of the wing. The wing may be reconfigured from a compact configuration with a smaller chord, to and expanded configuration with a larger chord. The wing may include a foam material that forms part of the outer surface of the wing when the wing is in the expanded configuration. The foam may be a shape memory foam. Alternatively the leading edge section and the trailing edge section may be composed substantially fully of rigid materials. In either case the trailing edge section may be hingedly coupled to the leading edge section.
US08056843B2
A machine for distributing blowing wool from a bag of compressed blowing wool is provided. The machine includes a chute configured to receive the compressed blowing wool and a shredding chamber connected to the chute. The shredding chamber includes a plurality of shredders configured to shred the blowing wool. A discharge mechanism is mounted to receive the shredded and picked apart blowing wool and configured to distribute the blowing wool into an airstream. An outlet plate assembly is mounted to the discharge mechanism and includes an outlet pipe configured to connect a distribution hose to the discharge mechanism. The outlet pipe has a plurality of inner diameters each having an inner surface. A blower is configured to provide the airstream flowing through the discharge mechanism. In an installed position, an outer surface of the distribution hose contacts the inner surface of one of the inner diameters of the outlet pipe.
US08056841B2
A method for individualizing a trichome from an epidermis of a non-seed portion of a trichome-bearing plant is provided. The method includes the step of contacting the trichome-bearing plant with a device such that the trichome is separated from the epidermis of the trichome-bearing plant. The device can be a mill device.
US08056837B2
A nozzle for use with a pressure washer, and the nozzle includes a body portion that defines a longitudinal axis and a head portion coupled to the body portion and in fluid communication with the body portion. The head portion includes a face substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body portion. An elongated first slot is disposed upon the face of the head portion, and an elongated second slot is disposed upon the face of the head portion and in a nonparallel orientation with respect to the first slot. A fluid outlet aperture extends through the face and is at least partially located within at least one of the first and second slots to allow a fluid flow from within the body portion to exit the nozzle from the head portion.
US08056836B2
The present invention includes a swinging switching structure of outlet device fixed below a shower body, a water-dividing body sealed and fixed above an outlet device; said water-dividing body having at least two water-dividing bores so as to connect to the water cavities with different function of said outlet device having a movable switching device in the shower, and by the co-operation of shower and water-supply pipe-joint, when flapped, the shower will swing and inclined, then the movable switching device will control the water to spray out through different bores of water-diving body, thus achieving the switching of function. This water switching function of the shower is more efficient and flexible.
US08056835B2
A self-priming nozzle device (20) comprising a nozzle sleeve (9), a nozzle body (1) comprising a nozzle body aperture (16), a sleeve portion (15) and an attachment portion (14), wherein the sleeve portion (15) attached to said attachment portion (14), and the sleeve portion (15) of the nozzle body (1) fits in the nozzle sleeve (9), a nozzle stem (3) comprising a stopper (21), an O-ring (4), and a rod portion (23), wherein said stopper (21) attached to said rod portion (23), and said O-ring (4) is positioned around said rod portion (23) near about said stopper (21), and said nozzle stem (3) is placed inside said nozzle sleeve (9) and said nozzle body aperture (16), and said stopper (21) located within said nozzle sleeve (9), a spring loaded component (25) comprising a plurality of washers (2a, 2b), a compression spring (6) and a compression element (5), and said spring loaded component (25) positioned on said rod portion (23) of nozzle stem (3), and said compression element (5) is attached to said rod portion (23) of nozzle stem (3).
US08056821B2
A system for generating a security mark includes a data reception component that receives information. A security mark generation component in communication with the data reception component generates at least one security mark configuration based at least in part upon the received information. The at least one security mark configuration includes at least one simulation mark which resembles a natural feature. An application component applies one configuration of the at least one security mark configurations to a recipient. The applied security mark configuration obeys at least one rule whereby the security mark is distinguishable from the natural feature which it resembles by a system for detection of security marks.
US08056820B2
The present invention concerns a security structure intended to be at least partially incorporated into or affixed to an article, particularly a security document and/or a valuable document, the structure comprising a substrate, at least one electronic device carried by the substrate, at least one non-electronic security and/or decorative element visible to the naked eye, carried by the substrate, covering only a portion of one side of the substrate and having no effect on the operation of the electronic device, and/or at least one amplifying antenna coupled with the electronic device and carried by the substrate, electronic device being at least partially visible so as to form with the security and/or decorative element a design chosen from among a geometric shape, particularly an ellipse, circle or polygon, a written symbol, particularly an alphanumeric character, and an image of a recognizable object, particularly a logo, a plant, an animal or a person.
US08056819B2
A near field apparatus comprises a Radio Frequency (RF) coil including at least one of a shorting bridge from a first point to a second point along an electrical path of the RF coil and/or a discontinuity in the electrical path of the RF coil.
US08056815B2
An RFID transponder comprises an electronic assembly and an antenna assembly. The electronic assembly is a multi-layer film body having one or more electrically conducting functional layers and one or more electrically semiconducting functional layers. The antenna assembly has one or more electrically conducting functional layers, of which one is an antenna coil. In a first region and a second region of the body a respective one of the one or more electrically conducting functional layers forms respective first and second capacitor plates. In addition, in the first region and the second region of the body a respective one of the one or more electrically conducting functional layers of the antenna assembly is formed as a third and a fourth capacitor plate so that the electronic assembly and the antenna assembly are electrically coupled by capacitors formed respectively by the first and third and by the second and fourth capacitor plates.
US08056806B2
An optoelectronic reader for reading machine-readable symbol such as barcode symbols employs a detection subsystem having an RX concentrator. The detection subsystem may include an N-tuple RX concentrator. The RX concentrator may define an optical path for light to illuminate the machine-readable symbol.
US08056803B2
The ticket processing system utilizes RFID technique to record and access data in the parking tickets. The ticket processing system mainly contains at least a ticket reader positioned at the entry of the parking lot. A first antenna in the ticket reader writes data into a ticket having RFID chip and a second antenna at a ticket retrieval opening of the ticket reader erases data from the ticket. The ticket processing system further contains a number of third antenna at the various parking spots which records a spot number into the ticket to facilitate the later locating the whereabouts of the parked vehicle.
US08056793B2
A friction surfacing apparatus and method for depositing one or more metals, metal alloys, or other materials is disclosed. The friction surfacing apparatus includes a pin tool holder, a non-consumable shoulder having an inside diameter and an outside diameter, the inside diameter terminating at an end wall and includes an angled side wall that forms a substantially frustoconical opening at one end, and a consumable pin tool coupled to the pin tool holder and at least partially protruding from the end wall of the shoulder. The shoulder is maintained at a predetermined distance from a surface of a workpiece such that the consumable pin tool deposits pin tool material onto the surface of the workpiece during a friction surfacing operation.
US08056788B2
A surgical device is described herein that can be used to fire different types and sizes of disposable loading units. In a preferred embodiment, the device applies parallel rows of surgical fasteners to body tissue and concomitantly forms an incision between the rows of staples during an endoscopic or laparoscopic surgical procedure. The device can be utilized with disposable loading units configured to apply linear rows of staples measuring from about 15 mm in length to about 60 mm in length and can be used to fire disposable loading units containing surgical clips and individual staples.
US08056786B2
A surgical device that includes a first jaw having a distal end and a second jaw having a distal end. The second jaw is disposed in opposed correspondence with the first jaw. The first jaw is pivotably coupled to the second jaw. The surgical device also includes a biasing element, such as a spring, that biases the distal end of the first jaw towards the distal end of the second jaw. The device may also include a first driver disposed in the second jaw and coupled to the first jaw. The first driver is configured to cause separation of the first jaw and the second jaw when the first driver is actuated for opening the jaws and to close the first jaw and the second jaw when the first driver is actuated for closing the jaws. The device may also include at least one of a cutting element and a stapling element disposed within the second jaw, preferably a blade rotatably mounted on a wedge. A second driver is configured to move the cutting element and/or the stapling element proximally from a distal end toward the proximal end of the second jaw to at least one of cut and staple a section of tissue disposed between the first and second jaws. By biasing the distal ends of the first and second jaws towards each other, the surgical device may prevent a section of tissue which is disposed between the first and second jaws from escaping out from between the distal ends of the first and second jaws.
US08056771B2
A triggering and dispensing head to be mounted on a pump for a liquid product dispenser provided with an exhaust conduit wherein the head has a body provided with an ejection channel closable by a flap which has a center punch translationally displaceable in the channel and hingeable about a drive billet connected to an axial rod sliding in the exhaust conduit.
US08056770B2
The invention relates to a pump intended to be mounted on a bottle so as to enable a liquid contained in said bottle to be dispensed, said pump including a pump body, an atomizer secured to a push button, a means for the elastic return of the translatory motion of said atomizer in said body, and a plunger mounted in frictional contact against the internal surface of said body so as to define a dosing chamber which is in communication with the liquid by means of a clack valve, wherein the plunger is mounted coaxially around the atomizer in an association zone, said association zone being arranged so as to enable sealed swiveling between the plunger and the atomizer.
US08056764B2
A hand-operated device that can be actuated to dispense a predetermined volume of liquid food product (LFP) for use in food preparation and food consumption is provided. The device includes an actuator, an opening, a reservoir for storing the food product, and a liquid metering device for controlling a volume of LFP dispensed at the opening. The device may include a heater that functions to heat and/or liquefy the food product. The device may also include a volume adjuster that allows a user to vary the predetermined volume of LFP dispensed with each actuation of the device.
US08056762B2
A hand-held dispenser for dispensing a pharmaceutical product is disclosed. The dispenser has a housing providing a duct. A frangible membrane is provided in the duct. A probe with a piercing tip is mounted in the duct and arranged such that, in use the piercing tip pierces the frangible membrane. An air compression device is provided to compress air for expelling a pharmaceutical product through the probe and a channel is provided to substantially equalise the pressure in the air compression device and the pressure above the frangible membrane. The ability to substantially equalise the pressure in the bellows and the pressure above the frangible membrane on the sheath provides for a mote consistent release of pharmaceutical product when the frangible membrane is pierced. This is because the compressed air from the bellows which expels the pharmaceutical product through the probe does not encounter a sudden change in pressure as it passes the pierced frangible membrane with the entrained pharmaceutical product. In use, when compressed air is used to expel a pharmaceutical product through the probe, the air path through the probe has a lower resistance than the channel to substantially equalise the pressure in the air compression device and the pressure above the frangible membrane. This ensures that the majority of the compressed air is used to expel the pharmaceutical product. The piercing tip preferably comprises a generally annular cutting edge on an end portion of the probe with an interruption in the generally annular cutting edge.
US08056761B2
A pouring device for a liquid filled container that fits into the neck of a container opening. The pouring device has a buoyant hollow ball valve that when the container or bottle is seated in its normal vertical storage position is pressed against an inner lip of the pouring device to form a seal by a spring that is seated on a distal inner lip of the pouring device. The valve opens when the container is inverted as the hollow ball valve is so buoyant that it overcomes the spring bias, thereby allowing the container's fluid contents to pour out. The hollow ball valve's movement is controlled by at least one vertical projection along the length of the pouring device.
US08056760B2
An apparatus for dispensing disk-shaped objects (such as caps for pharmaceutical vials) of two different sizes comprises: first and second dispensers, the first dispenser containing objects of a first size, and the second dispenser containing objects of a second size, each of the dispensers configured to dispense the objects one at a time through an outlet in a predetermined orientation; a first outlet channel having an inlet disposed adjacent the outlet of the first dispenser; a second outlet channel having an inlet disposed adjacent the outlet of the second dispenser; and a common chute fed by the first and second outlet channels. In this configuration, the apparatus can provide objects of two different sizes to a common location (such as a closure securing station).
US08056758B2
A rectangular container and cover are disclosed. The container and cover have complimentary latching feature. An inner cover skirt is offset inward toward the cover interior at each corner. The offset is sufficient to permit use of a moveable mold tooling to form each of the corners of the cover. This allows full formation of latching hooks extending around the entire interior of the skirt, such that when the cover is placed on the container the cover latching hooks engage with container latching ribs to secure the cover on the container. A tear strip is also disclosed, the removal of which leaves residual flaps at each sidewall intersection and at about the lateral center of each sidewall. A portion of the cover skirt remains affixed to the container when the tear strip is removed.
US08056739B2
A system for installation of multiple panels for shelving and the like, wherein the geometry of the junction between panels provides a cavity adapted to receive the anchoring portion of shelf support brackets, or the like.
US08056736B2
A golf club holder and display adaptable to the desired configuration of the user. The display includes a support member and a cradle, with the cradle being adjustably removable relative to the support member. The support member may accept different numbers and types of cradles, and the user can select the cradles based on the desired display configuration. The golf club holder and display is also adaptable to supporting both right-handed and left-handed golf clubs.
US08056731B2
A membrane structure is provided. The membrane structure includes a polymer layer having a plurality of pores; and a ceramic layer disposed on the polymer layer. The ceramic layer has a plurality of substantially unconnected pores. Each of the substantially unconnected pores is in fluid communication with at least one of the pores of the polymer layer. A method of manufacturing a membrane structure is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a polymer layer having a plurality of pores; and disposing a ceramic layer on the polymer layer. Disposing a ceramic layer includes depositing a metal layer on the polymer layer; and anodizing the metal layer to convert the metal layer into a porous layer. At least one of the depositing step and the anodizing step is performed as a continuous process. Alternatively, at least one of the depositing and the anodizing step is performed as a batch process.
US08056723B2
A container includes a plurality of walls extending upward from a base. At least one support is movable between a retracted position and a support position. The base includes projections downwardly from each corner of the base for interlocking with a larger container stacked thereunder.
US08056719B2
The invention concerns a package (2) for sterilized products or products to be sterilized comprising a plastic box (4) and a lid (16) fixed on the box (4) to seal the latter with a tight sealing zone. The invention is characterized in that the lid (16) comprises: a plastic cover sheet (20) transparent for electronic irradiation and for light radiation; at least a window (22) provided in the cover sheet (20); at least a sheet of selectively sealing material (24) integral with said cover sheet (20) and closing the window (22); and an opaque screen (26, 126) for at least an electronic irradiation passing through the cover sheet or the selectively sealing material, said screen extending inside the package (2), proximate to the cover sheet (20), so as to allow through a sterilizing gas, for example ethylene oxide (ETO) or water vapor, through the selectively sealing material (24).
US08056717B2
An overwrap provides cushioning and protection for an object, stored in a bag or other container, during transport and/or storage. The overwrap has a generally smooth exterior surface and textured interior surface that is pliable for conforming to bumps or other raised portions of the object thereby providing a generally smooth exterior covering that minimizes frictional forces with the bag. The overwrap may include one or more folding scores that allow the body of the overwrap to bend into a channel. A plurality of material discontinuities may also be included that allow the overwrap of conform to the object without bunching.
US08056716B2
The present invention relates to a tamper-evident push-through packaging secured against fraudulent reuse comprising: —a polymer base web (1) comprising at least one pocket; —a multilayer lidding film (2) covering said pocket, said multilayer lidding film (2) comprising on its seal side a coextruded polymer film, said coextruded polymer film comprising a push-through polymer layer (3) sealed on the base web by a permanent seal and a peelable protective polymer layer (4), the polymers of both layers (3,4) being incompatible and in direct contact with each other, without interlayer, the adhesion between said push-through polymer layer (3) and said peelable protective polymer layer (4) being lower than the seal strength between said polymer base web (1) and said push-through polymer layer (3), wherein, in use, the push-trough layer leaves a seal seam (6), after removing the part of the push-trough layer (3) covering the pocket and wherein said protective layer (4) cannot be resealed by a heat sealing process on said seal seam (6).
US08056712B2
The present invention relates generally to job bags for use in the processing, handling, storage and/or transportation of lenses. In several embodiments, the job bags are used in combination with lens bags to transport lenses between various stations in a facility, where processes are applied to the lenses. One embodiment of the invention includes a front panel secured to a back panel, where the front and back panels are joined at least along a bottom edge and form a pocket configured to receive a document, and two vertical pockets formed on the front panel, where each vertical pocket is configured to receive a lens and to retain the lens in the vertical pocket when the job bag rests on its bottom edge.
US08056704B2
A method for controlling the transfer of a product stack in a packaging machine is provided, wherein the product stack is built up from a products during a work cycle and is subsequently transferred by means of a transfer apparatus (12) into a cell (18) of a continuously moved conveyor (16) during a transfer cycle. The product stack which is situated in the transfer apparatus and the cell of the conveyor assume a predefined relative position at least at the end of the transfer cycle. There is provision here for the movement speed of the conveyor to be changed in the event of an operationally caused lengthening of the work cycle and a resulting delayed start of the transfer cycle, in such a way that the cell or a following cell of the conveyor assumes the predefined relative position with respect to the product stack at the end of the transfer cycle.
US08056702B2
There is equipped with a forward and reverse winder (31), a forwardly winding liner body (51), a reversely winding liner body (61) and a reciprocating body (71). The forwardly winding linear body (51) and the reversely winding linear body (61) are connected to the reciprocating body (71). The amounts of winding and rewinding the forwardly and reversely winding linear bodies (51) (61) by the winding drum (37) of the forward and reverse winder are equal to each other. The winding drum (37) of the forward and reverse winder (51) when the forwardly winding linear body (51) is forwardly wound axially moves corresponding to the winding and rewinding pitches of the linear bodies whereby a high precision based on a quiet stabilization of an operation state, durability and miniaturization of construction and a high precision based on proper winding and rewinding of the linear bodies and durability can be improved.
US08056691B2
The invention relates to a device for axially positioning a clutch device, especially a dual-clutch device, on a rotary drive, wherein the clutch device is mounted so as to rotate about a rotational axis of said rotary drive. A retaining nut is coaxially screwed with the rotary drive, and the clutch device is indirectly or directly supported on said nut in an axial direction.
US08056669B2
In a motorcycle-use power unit in which a clutch device arranged in a power transmission path between a crankshaft and a drive wheel is housed in a clutch chamber which is defined between a crankcase and a clutch cover joined to a side surface of the crankcase, the maintenance of the clutch control device can be easily performed while preventing a lowering of oil-pressure transmission efficiency between the clutch device and the clutch control device and preventing an increase in the weight of the motorcycle. A clutch control device performs a changeover of engagement and disengagement of a clutch device by controlling the oil pressure applied to the clutch device. Oil passages for connecting the clutch control device and the clutch device with each other are mounted on a clutch cover.
US08056664B2
A system to prevent hot air from entering an intake cover is disclosed. The system includes overlapping extended portions disposed on the intake cover and a battery cover. The extended portions are configured to prevent hot air from entering the intake cover and allow water to drain from the intake cover.
US08056656B2
This invention relates to a traction assembly for a vehicle which uses an endless traction band and a plurality of wheels for propulsion. More particularly, the traction assembly comprises a sprocket wheel which has a different size and number of sprocket teeth depending on whether the traction kit replaces the front wheels or the rear wheels of the vehicle. The sprocket wheel of the traction kit can also be configured such that its sprocket teeth are laterally offset. The traction kit can also comprise an anti-torque system that prevent physical contact between the traction kit and the vehicle and that can bias the position of the traction kit in order to improve the steering performance. Finally, the traction assembly can comprise a pivotable extension which lengthens the traction assembly and improves its traction capabilities.
US08056653B2
A hybrid utility vehicle includes a tool-supporting frame and an electrical power source driven by an engine. Right and left rear wheels independently driven by permanent magnet electric motors and front wheels electrically steerable over a range of approximately 180 degrees operate under the control of a vehicle controller responsive to steering and speed input controls to provide zero turn radius operation with minimum slippage and tire scuffing. Space efficiency provided by the electric steering and an electrically driven tool deck facilitate a variety of tool mounting configurations including a rear discharge deck with a chute passing under the vehicle frame between the driven wheels. An inverter connected to the electrical power source provides 110/220 volt output. The power source also functions as a high powered, high rpm, low noise starter motor.
US08056652B2
A hardfacing composition for a drill bit that includes an abrasive phase comprising a plurality of abrasive particles having a barrier coating deposited by atomic layer deposition disposed thereon; and a binder alloy is disclosed. Drill bits having hardfacing compositions that include an abrasive phase comprising a plurality of abrasive particles having a barrier coating deposited by atomic layer deposition disposed thereon; and a binder alloy are also disclosed.
US08056646B2
A device for making holes in the ground for easy insertion and planting of garden plants which are rooted in small containers. The tool has a least one frustro-conical or frustro-pyramidal shaped projection forming a cone extending down projecting downward from a base of a stirrup having a means for attaching a handle defining a cylinder formed at the top of the stirrup. A long handle may project up from the tool body with a large aperture just above the tool body into which the user's foot may be placed to help in pushing the projections into the ground to make holes sized for planting garden plants. The tool body can be connected to the handle rigidly or may swivel if desired. In one embodiment a plurality of frustro-conical shaped projections extend from a tool body. The projections are assembled onto a tool body in such a way that the distance between each of the projections is easy adjustable.
US08056641B2
A method for radially expanding a tubular element in a wellbore and providing a control line that extends along the tubular element comprises (a) inducing the wall of the tubular element to bend radially outward and in axially reverse direction so as to form an expanded tubular section extending around a remaining tubular section of the tubular element, wherein said bending occurs in a bending zone of the tubular element, (b) increasing the length of the expanded tubular section by inducing the bending zone to move in axial direction relative to the remaining tubular section, wherein said wall includes a material that is plastically deformed in the bending zone during the bending process so that the expanded tubular section retains an expanded shape as a result of said plastic deformation, and (c) extending the control line along the tubular element.
US08056638B2
A method of removing a downhole tool from a wellbore comprising contacting the tool with a heat source wherein the tool comprises at least one load-bearing component comprising a thermally degradable material. A method of reducing the structural integrity of a downhole tool comprising fabricating the load-bearing components of the tool from a thermally degradable material. A method of removing a downhole tool comprising mechanically milling and/or drilling the tool from a wellbore wherein the tool comprises at least one load bearing component comprising a phenolic resin wherein the phenolic resin comprises a rosole, a novalac or combinations thereof.
US08056634B2
A running tool for lowering a christmas tree to a subsea wellhead. The running tool includes an off center adjustment to compensate for asymmetric weight distribution in the christmas tree. The running tool comprises a main body, latches for coupling the body to the christmas tree, an offset arm connected to the body, and a lift arm (drill pipe adaptor) connected to the lift arm and selectively positioned on the lift arm to offset and compensate for the christmas tree asymmetric weight distribution.
US08056633B2
An apparatus and method for removing a subsea structure wherein a housing defining a subsea structure receiving space and having a jetting system attached at or near the bottom of the housing is used to form an excavation around the subsea structure to the desired depth and a frame attached to or mounted in the housing carries a cutter assembly which is movable from a first position on the frame to a second position on the frame, the first position being on one side of the subsea structure, the second position being on the opposite side of the subsea structure.
US08056625B2
An apparatus comprising a fluid communication device configured to extend from a drill string and establish fluid communication with a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore in which the drill string is positioned, wherein the drill string comprises a passage configured to conduct drilling mud and an opening extending through an outer surface thereof and into a cavity. A sample chamber is coupled within the cavity and is in selectable fluid communication with the formation via the fluid communication device.
US08056619B2
An apparatus that is usable with a well includes a first equipment section that includes a first inductive coupler and a second equipment section that includes a second inductive coupler. The second equipment section is adapted to be run downhole into the well after the first equipment section is run downhole into the well to engage the first equipment section. A mechanism of the apparatus indicates when the first inductive coupler is substantially aligned with the second inductive coupler.
US08056617B2
An HVAC system for work vehicle having an operator compartment for an operator is disclosed. The HVAC system includes a pressurizer blower and an air-conditioning system coupled to an electronic circuit. The electronic circuit is configured to reduce the output of the pressurizer blower when the operator selects a high output from the air-conditioning system. The HVAC system is also configured to provide defog operation in both a manual mode and an automatic mode of operation. The HVAC system is configured to reset the defog operation when the vehicle ignition is turned off or turned back on. The HVAC system is also configured not to reset the defog operation when the operator switches rapidly between the automatic mode and the manual mode of operation.
US08056614B2
A modular heat sink including a first heat sink and a second heat sink is disclosed. The first heat sink includes a first base having a female connecting part and a first fin assembly disposed on the first base. The second heat sink is connected to the first heat sink and includes a second base having a male connecting part for coupling the female connecting part and a second fin assembly disposed on the second base. The male connecting part is coupled with the female connecting part.
US08056604B2
A test casting is useful for predicting the severity of skin that will form when compacted graphite iron or ductile iron is cast using a selected foundry mix. The mold is made from the foundry mix and has a gating system with at least two ingates, and with a hollow cylindrical shape associated with each ingate. The hollow cylindrical shapes are substantially the same height, but the diameter of each varies by at least 20% from the diameter of any of the other cylindrical shapes. Molten metal poured into the gating system fills each of the hollow cylindrical shapes. When the metal cools and solidifies, a solid cylinder of the metal is produced in each hollow cylindrical shape. The solid metal cylinders, each with a distinct diameter, are cut and inspected to measure the skin formed thereon.
US08056592B2
A lightweight truck and passenger vehicle tire having an improved tread design that provides numerous biting edges for increased grip in mud, snow, loose debris, and when climbing rocks as well as providing increased protection from punctures and cuts to the tire's shoulder and upper sidewall regions.
US08056583B2
The present invention relates to sealing means made of a plastically deformable material for mechanical sealing of hollow hoses (2) of elastic material by means of an appliance having at least two jaws, at least one of which is movable towards and away from the other and which, when moving towards each other, crimp the sealing means against the hose (2) for contamination-tight sealing of the same, the sealing means (20) comprises at least one sealing member (4, 4′; 44, 44′; 64, 64′; 74, 74′; 84), which has two opposite ends and an opening (40, 40′) that extends between said ends to allow the at least one sealing member to be slipped onto the hose (2) to be sealed.The present invention also relates to a kit comprising a sealing means and an appliance for sealing of hollow hoses and to a method for mechanical sealing of hollow hoses.
US08056571B2
Aspects of the inventive technology include, in various embodiments, novel ambulation assistance apparatus with upper and lower force absorbers, perhaps with different displacement per force rates, novel crutches or canes that are convertable and/or foldable, and novel axilla area force receivers that may conform to part of a user's thorax, for use as part of a crutch.
US08056562B2
A system for supporting a breathing passage of a patient may include a cannula and an insertion apparatus. The cannula may be configured to be at least partially inserted into a breathing passage of a patient for supporting the breathing passage during sleep. The cannula may include an insertion end configured to be inserted through a nasal passageway portion of the breathing passage. The insertion apparatus may include a nasal applicator operable to guide the cannula through the nasal applicator and into the nasal passageway, and a support frame coupled to the nasal applicator and configured to be releasably coupled to the patient to position the nasal applicator proximate to the nasal passageway.
US08056554B2
A man-made island adaptable for land-based operation holds solar energy collection facilities and is rotatable to optimize the angular orientation thereof relative to the position of the sun. A platform includes a large outer ring that floats on a fluid and a flexible cover is attached to the ring to define an airtight volume below the cover. A plurality of rows of solar radiation collector modules are located above the cover and carry steam generating heat pipes. The rows of modules are supported laterally above the cover by an upper support structure, either a space frame, a plurality of cables, or a honeycomb. A compressor creates an over-pressure within the enclosed volume to vertically support the cover and the other components mounted thereabove.
US08056547B2
A paintball feeding device of a paintball gun includes a container, in which paintballs are received, mounted on the paintball gun. A transporting member is received in the container. The transporting member has ball carrying portions to hold the paintballs. The paintball gun has a frame with a chamber therein, and the frame is provided with an inlet and an outlet on opposite sides thereof to be communicated with the chamber respectively. A driving member is connected to the transporting member for driving the transporting member to have the ball carrying portions entering the chamber via the inlet in sequence and leaving the chamber via the outlet.
US08056543B2
A supercharger has an inner wall defining an inner cavity for receiving lobed rotors for rotation therein, a low-pressure inlet and a high-pressure outlet. A sound attenuator is associated with the housing and located adjacent to the high-pressure outlet. The sound attenuator has a tuner chamber and circumferentially spaced tuner ports fluidly connecting the tuner chamber with the internal cavity of the housing to define a Helmholtz resonator. A land is defined between the circumferentially spaced tuner ports such that the high-pressure outlet and low-pressure inner chambers defined between the rotor lobes and the inner wall are fluidly connected when the rotor lobes are in alignment with the land to reduce the pressure differential between the high-pressure outlet and the low-pressure inner chambers.
US08056540B2
A method and system for fuel vapor control in a hybrid vehicle (HEV). The HEV fuel vapor recovery system includes a fuel tank isolation valve, which is normally closed to isolate storage of refueling from storage of diurnal vapors. The method for fuel vapor control includes selectively actuating the fuel tank isolation valve during interrelated routines for refueling, fuel vapor purging, and emission system leak detection diagnostics to improve regulation of pressure and vacuum the HEV fuel vapor recovery system.
US08056537B2
An internal combustion engine, such as a direct injection compression ignition diesel engine, includes an engine housing having a plurality of cylinders and a plurality of fuel injectors associated one with each of the cylinders. The fuel injectors each include a first fuel inlet and a second fuel inlet, and an actuator subassembly which is configured to actuate a control valve assembly positioned within the fuel injector. The engine further includes a fuel system having a fuel supply circuit, and a cooling system for the actuator subassembly having a cooling circuit with a segment in common with a segment of the fuel system. The cooling system is configured to pass cooling fuel across a heat exchange interface of the actuator subassembly to exchange heat therewith. The actuator subassembly may include a piezoelectric actuator and a preloading spring, which are each fluidly sealed within a casing of the actuator subassembly.
US08056531B2
A combustion system for a direct-injection, spark-ignition engine is disclosed. A side-mounted fuel injector located outboard the intake valves directs multiple fuel jets into a shallow, spherical bowl formed in a domed piston. Both good mixing to facilitate good air utilization with early injection and an ignitable mixture at the spark plug with late injection to facilitate cold start are provided with such a combustion system. Because the bowl is smooth and shallow, the surface area of the combustion chamber is less than with a deeper bowl of complicated shape. Lowering surface area in the combustion chamber leads to improved fuel economy.
US08056528B2
A rotary machine which can be either a pump or an internal combustion engine has a housing enclosing a plurality of rotor spindles lying on the surface of an imaginary cone for driving an output shaft positioned at the vertex of the imaginary cone. The spindles have a beveled gear on one end and engaging an output shaft and a conical bearing on the other end. Angled eccentric rotors are mounted to each spindle shaped to maintain tangential sliding contact with two adjacent rotors to form a compression or combustion chamber. A spherical version of a compressor or an engine uses a plurality of rotary pistons each of which is eccentrically mounted and forms a spherical segment. Each rotary piston is mounted for tangential sliding contact with at least two other rotary pistons to form a displacement chamber therebetween. The rotary pistons use a generally “tear drop” shape. A rotary pump has a housing having a manifold for distributing intake and exhaust air. The pump has a plurality of lobe shafts, each having an eccentrically mounted rotor attached thereto mounted in the housing to form a compression chamber in the middle of the rotor when the rotor are all in contact with each other during rotation.
US08056524B2
A return spring is formed using a compression coil spring that is installed so that its axial direction is an up-down direction. The return spring is provided in a high-pressure chamber, and powers a plunger in an upwards direction. A coil diameter of the return spring varies along the axial direction. When the return spring is in a maximally compressed state, an axial direction dimension (up-down direction dimension) is smaller than a dimension that is a thickness of a spring wire multiplied by the number of coil turns. Hence, an overall height of a lash adjuster A can be reduced in comparison to when a return spring with a constant coil diameter over an entire length is used.
US08056522B1
An exemplary embodiment includes a valve cover for automotive engines with convenient holes for adjusting the valves without removing the valve cover from the engine. Rubber plugs close the holes in the valve cover.
US08056516B2
A system for controlling a variable valve lift system of an engine comprises a delay module that estimates a total delay based on at least one of a measured and an estimated delay of the variable valve lift system. A variable valve control module commands one of a first transition from a variable valve low-lift profile to a variable valve high-lift profile and a second transition from a variable valve high-lift profile to a variable valve low-lift profile based on the total delay.
US08056507B2
A squirrel-proof sunflower seed bird feeder is provided which denies feeding access to squirrels by way of a unique connection system between an inner housing member and an outer housing member of the bird feeder.
US08056506B2
A control assembly for use in a feed delivery assembly comprises a housing having an inlet, an outlet, and a chamber between said inlet and outlet. The chamber is opened in a plane parallel, but radially offset from, an axis of the inlet and outlet. A tube member is removably receivable in the chamber. The removable tube member includes a tube having a length sufficient to span a distance between the inlet and outlet tubes. At least one infrared emitter and at least one infrared receiver are mounted on the tube member tube and are positioned to be opposed to each other such that the receiver will receive and detect light from the emitter. The emitter and receiver are operatively connected to a controller. The controller emits a signal when it is determined that the light from the emitter to the receiver is interrupted.
US08056503B2
An etching chamber 1 incorporates a focus ring 9 so as to surround a semiconductor wafer W provided on a lower electrode 4. The plasma processor is provided with an electric potential control DC power supply 33 to control the electric potential of this focus ring 9, and so constituted that the lower electrode 4 is supplied with a DC voltage of, e.g., −400 to −600 V to control the electric potential of the focus ring 9. This constitution prevents surface arcing from developing along the surface of a substrate to be processed.
US08056498B2
An indicator is disclosed that detects the presence of a chemical residue. The indicator includes a substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface and a first portion and a second portion joined at a fold line. The first portion is smaller in area than the second portion. An adhesive coats the upper surface of at least the second portion of the substrate. A first reactant is adhered to the upper surface of the first portion of the substrate. When the second portion is contacted with a surface containing the chemical residue, the residue adheres to the adhesive and when the first portion is subsequently folded along the fold line so that the upper surfaces of the substrate contact each other, a portion of the adhesive on the second portion remains exposed and the first reactant and chemical residue react to provide the color indicia indicating the presence of the chemical residue.
US08056497B1
A boat coverable by a flexible cover has a hull, a deck, and a tower movably connected to the deck. The tower has a central structure. The tower is movable between a first position and a second position. The deck is coverable by the flexible cover when the tower is in the second position such that the flexible cover is associated with at least a portion of the central structure. The portion of the central structure is movable to a third position vertically intermediate positions of the central structure in the first and second positions of the tower to tension the cover. A boat having a flexible cover connected to the central structure of the tower and a method of a method of installing a flexible cover on a boat are also disclosed.
US08056487B2
A tilting table device includes a first rotary member which is rotated by a rotation amount equivalent to that of a tilt shaft when rotation of the tilt shaft is transmitted; a second rotary member which has an axis parallel to that of the first rotary member and is rotated by a rotation amount equivalent to or substantially equivalent to that of the first rotary member in a direction opposite to that of the first rotary member when the rotation of the first rotary member is transmitted; two retaining members respectively provided at the first and second rotary members, in which when the center of gravity of a table is located at an uppermost position or a lowermost position, the retaining members are located on or near a line connecting rotation centers of the first and second rotary members, the retaining members are located at equivalent or substantially equivalent distances respectively from the rotation centers, both the retaining members are provided inside or outside the two rotation centers; and an urging device which causes a constant urging force to be applied between the two retaining members so as to reduce a torque applied to the tilt shaft by movement of the center of gravity from the uppermost position or the lowermost position as a result of the rotation of the tilt shaft.
US08056484B2
A vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, having a longitudinal axis, at least one first vehicle component which is supported via at least one first spring device on at least one first wheel unit and at least one second spring device on at least one second wheel unit, and having at least one first anti-roll device and a second anti-roll device which are coupled to one another via a coupling device, are each connected to the first vehicle component and counteract rolling motions of the first vehicle component. The first anti-roll device and the second anti-roll device are articulated to the coupling device at first and second articulation points, respectively. The coupling device is configured such that, caused by a counterforce-free first displacement of the first anti-roll device via the first and second articulation points, an opposing second displacement is introduced into the second anti-roll device.
US08056470B2
A tempering channel (1) for tempering confectioneries (4) includes a tempering tunnel (2) and a conveyor belt (5) having an upper part (11) and a lower part (12). A transfer location (8) is located at the conveyor belt (5). The confectioneries (4) arrive at the transfer location (8) to be placed on the upper part (11) of the conveyor belt (5). The conveyor belt (5) transports the confectioneries (4) through the tempering tunnel (2). A first tempering apparatus (6) tempers the confectioneries (4) while they are transported through the tempering tunnel (2). The tempering channel (1) includes a control unit (16) and at least one sensor (15) sensing the temperature of the lower part (12) of the conveyor belt (5). The sensor (15) is connected to the control unit (16) to transmit a signal to the control unit (16) depending on the sensed temperature. A second tempering apparatus (14) is connected to the control unit (16). The second tempering apparatus (14) directly act upon the lower part (12) of the conveyor belt (5) in a way that the conveyor belt (5) is tempered to attain a specific temperature in response to a signal of the control unit (16) derived from the signal of the sensor (15).
US08056469B2
Coffee machine, comprising at least one steam generator for producing steam and an apparatus for producing the coffee with associated dispensing device, a storage tank containing a ready prepared liquid chocolate product with a density suitable for being a conventional chocolate beverage, a heating device provided with an inlet and an outlet for the product to be heated and an inlet for introducing the steam, a line between said storage tank and the inlet of said heating device, a metering pump arranged along said line for conveying a predetermined amount of chocolate-based product from said storage tank to said heating device and for circulating it inside it, a line for the steam, connecting said steam generator to said inlet for the steam of the heating device, an intercept valve arranged along the said steam line as well as a beverage dispensing device connected to the outlet of the said heating device.The machine allows the dispensing of various types of beverages, such as chocolate, coffee, milk and cappuccino and owing to the presence of said intercept valve, said metering pump may dispense the chocolate beverage in hot condition or in cold condition.
US08056467B2
A fluid pressure apparatus for a bicycle comprises a piston, a housing with a chamber dimensioned to receive the piston therein so that the piston can move axially, and first and second fluid ports in fluid communication with the chamber. The first and second fluid ports are located so that the piston is disposed between the first and second fluid ports when the piston is disposed in a piston home position. A first positioning element moves from a first home position towards a first direction, and a first biasing element biases the first positioning element towards the first home position. A first coupling element couples the first positioning element to move with the piston in the first direction, but the first positioning element and the piston move relative to each other when the piston moves in an opposite second direction.
US08056465B2
A line connects the tractor hydraulic power beyond supply to the pressure reduction valve that is connected to the implement cylinder ends and automatically controls implement down pressure. Fluid under pressure is supplied from a line independently of the tractor selective control valve during automatic down pressure mode operation, the selective control valve can be positioned in a float mode when the down force circuit is controlling implement down pressure. The circuit eliminates a stall signal from the selective control valve to the hydraulic pump that otherwise would cause the pump to rise to the high, heat-producing stall pressure if the selective control valve operated in an active pressure mode.
US08056458B2
A knife assembly (10) particularly adapted for coupling with an extruder barrel (26) is provided having a knife shaft (16) supporting a knife unit (14), with the knife shaft (16) axially rotatable and axially shiftable through fore and aft limits. The assembly (10) may be adjusted during operation without interrupting the axially rotation of shaft (16), using adjustment mechanism (24) located in a safely remote position from knife unit (14). The preferred assembly (10) includes axial shift limiting structure (114, 116, 124) serving to limit the extent of fore and aft axial movement of shaft (16). The mechanism (24) allows fine adjustment of the position of knife unit (14) relative to the extruder barrel (26), and also permits monitoring of the wear of knife unit (14).
US08056449B2
The present invention provides a wrenching tool having a polygonal fitting hole formed of a first equilateral polygonal hole and a second equilateral polygonal hole with the same configuration. The two polygonal holes are concentrically arranged to provide two fitting positions for fitting to threaded members. The first polygonal hole has multiple first internal angles each having two sides. A first small internal angle is further disposed on one side of each first internal angle of at least the first polygonal hole. The first small internal angles provide another fitting position for fitting to another size of threaded member. Accordingly, the wrenching tool is applicable to various sizes of threaded members.
US08056447B2
A ratchet wrench has a through cavity in which a reversing lever is disposed. The reversing lever has a pair of protruding lips formed thereon opposite from one another. A cooperating ledge is formed on the head in the cavity and on the pawl which is adjacent to the reversing lever. A spring-loaded pusher is disposed longitudinally in a blind bore in the reversing lever and the pusher engages a pocket in the pawl. A cover plate is disposed on a shelf recessed on the bottom of the wrench and spaced apart from the reversing lever.
US08056443B2
A hammer that that reduces vibration and provides advantageous balance and mass distribution having a handle portion comprising an I-shape sectional profile and a head comprising a cavity formed therethrough. The hammer may further comprise various nail or other fastener removal structures, such as a claw, slots, notches, or the like. The hammer may further include a nail-starter with magnetic nail retention.
US08056442B2
An all-wheel drivetrain for a motor vehicle, which has at least two driven axles, comprising a characteristic torque converter transmission of longitudinal construction. To the input side of the transmission drive power is fed and the transmission serves for converting a characteristic of a drive engine. The output side of the transmission is connected to a transfer device, by means of which the drive power can be distributed to the two axles. The transmission has an output shaft which is connected to a first drive shaft for the first axle, and a countershaft parallel thereto. The output shaft and the countershaft are connected to one another by means of a first constant transmission ratio. The countershaft is connected by means of a second constant transmission ratio to a second drive shaft for the second axle. The transfer device is arranged coaxially with the second drive shaft.
US08056426B2
In a method for controlling a hydraulic power wrench with a pivotable lever pivoted by a piston-cylinder unit and a ratchet arrangement for stepwise rotation of a ratchet bushing by advancing and return strokes, parameters such as nominal torque or pre-load or screw parameters are entered into an electronic input unit. Nominal pressure corresponding to the parameters is determined by an electronic evaluation unit and generated by the pump. The piston-cylinder unit is pressure-loaded for performing a pre-stroke until the nominal pressure is reached followed immediately by a return stroke. A time interval from beginning of pressure loading until reaching nominal pressure or until reaching an initial pressure after pressure relief is measured. Pressure loading and measuring are repeated. The measured time intervals are compared. Pressure loading cycles are stopped when at least the last measured time interval is shorter than at least the penultimate measured time interval.
US08056425B2
The invention relates to a device for detecting an amount while receiving and/or discharging a fluid having a gas portion comprising a measurement line for conducting the fluid, a flow measuring unit for the fluid, which is in fluid connection with the measurement line, a degree of filling measuring unit for the fluid, which is in fluid connection with the measurement line and which comprises an electrode arrangement for determining electrical properties of the fluid present in the measurement line, and an evaluation unit for determining the fluid amount conveyed which is in a signal connection with the degree of filling measuring unit and the flow measuring unit. According to the invention it is provided that the electrode arrangement of the degree of filling measuring unit has a plurality of electrode plates which form a plate stack in the region of the measurement line.
US08056420B2
A self-powered sensor is provided for fatigue monitoring and other low power requirement applications. The self-powered sensor is comprised of: a piezoelectric transducer; a non-volatile memory comprised of at least one floating gate transistor; and a current reference circuit adapted to receive a voltage signal from the piezoelectric transducer and operable to output an injection current into the non-volatile memory. The current reference circuit may employ a floating gate transistor operating in a weak-inversion mode.
US08056414B2
An angular velocity sensor of a horizontally located type, in which influence of a translational acceleration applied thereto from a lateral direction is readily removed and a fixed portion thereof is easily fixed, is provided. It includes a fixed portion fixed to the top surface of a sensor element supporting portion of a casing, an upper detection arm portion and a lower detection arm portion respectively connected to the fixed portion on sides opposite to each other and extending along a plane parallel to the top surface of the sensor element supporting portion, and a pair of upper vibration arms connected to the fixed portion with the upper detection arm portion in between. The fixed portion includes one or more slits extending at least in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the upper detection arm portion.
US08056411B2
A shaft assembly has a shaft body, a first universal joint coupled to a first end of the shaft body, and a second universal joint coupled to a second end of the shaft body. A method for dynamically balancing the shaft assembly includes rotating the shaft assembly at a predetermined speed, determining a level of imbalance of the shaft assembly while rotating the shaft assembly at the predetermined speed, iteratively adjusting the position of the shaft body with respect to the first and second universal joints in response to the level of imbalance to determine an optimal level of imbalance while rotating the shaft assembly, and securely positioning the first and second universal joints with respect to the shaft body.
US08056407B2
A method of assessing the degradation of an oxide-forming coating on a component after a period of operational use of the component, said degradation of the coating being caused by depletion of the oxide-forming element within a remnant coating layer due to inter-diffusion of said element between the remnant coating and both an outer oxide layer and an inner, secondary diffusion layer, wherein a depletion parameter indicative of the depletion of the oxide-forming element in the remnant coating layer varies as a function of the surface roughness of the coated component, the method comprising the steps of: carrying out a non-destructive, quantitative measurement of the surface roughness of the component after said period of operational use; and, based on an estimation of the functional relationship between the surface roughness and the depletion parameter, using the result of said measurement of surface roughness to quantitatively assess the degradation of the coating.
US08056398B2
A nanoliter rheometer is capable of operating over a wide range of temperatures and permits visual observation of extremely small amounts of various often complex and/or expensive small nanoliter size fluids over a wide viscoelastic regime. The nanoliter rheometer comprises two very thin fibers, the ends of which are in close proximity to one another and desirably parallel to one another with one fiber being moved by a drive system and the remaining fiber desirably being stationary and capable of measuring a force transferred through a nanoliter size fluid located between the two fibers ends. The transferred force can be measured either by an LCR meter or a piezoelectric crystal and recorded as by a lock-in amplifier.
US08056384B2
A method and a device for shaping sheet metal to form a main structure is described, minor structures being created in the planar sheet metal before shaping to form the main structure, which is rotationally symmetrical, for example. This method and device are particularly advantageous because they make it possible to inexpensively and precisely design shell-shaped parts for torque converters, such as a pump shell, a turbine shell or the inner ring of a pump or the inner ring of a turbine.
US08056381B2
A device for producing a pattern onto a work piece includes a die, an electromagnetic actuator and a base. The die includes a patterned surface, and the patterned surface includes a pattern. The electromagnetic actuator includes an plate body, a convex part and a strip unit connected to the plate body. The electromagnetic actuator is disposed in the base. When the electromagnetic actuator is activated while a work piece is being positioned between the patterned surface and the electromagnetic actuator, an inductive current is generated on the work piece by the electromagnetic actuator, and then a repulsive force is generated between the electromagnetic actuator and the work piece. The repulsive force causes the work piece to adhere to the patterned surface, forcing the work piece to deform against the patterned surface and to take on the shape of the pattern.
US08056370B2
Methods of melt spinning to make amorphous and ceramic materials.
US08056369B2
Device intended for an installation for forming fibrous felts, the fibers being formed from a material that can be attenuated by internal centrifugation and by attenuation by means of a gas stream, the flow of fibers being in the form of a tubular veil, the device including air blowing means that expel air tangentially to the tubular veil so as to impress a rotational movement on the veil, wherein the blowing means deliver air in a direction perpendicular to the main direction of the flow of the tubular veil.
US08056365B2
One embodiment of the present invention is an improved sheet glass forming apparatus. In another embodiment, a precise thermal control system redistributes the flow of molten glass at the weirs to counteract the degradation of the sheet forming apparatus which inevitably occurs during manufacturing. In yet another embodiment, the invention introduces a counteracting force to the stresses on the trough in a manner such that the thermal creep which inevitably occurs has a minimum impact on the glass flow characteristics of the forming trough. Another embodiment creates a variable external cross-section which provides hydraulic stresses that are in opposition to the surface tension and body force stresses and thus, reduces the influence of surface tension and body forces. In an alternative embodiment, the glass is preferentially cooled across its width to create forming stresses during solidification, which ensures that the glass sheet drawn is inherently flat. In an additional embodiment, the internal pressure is adjusted in each of the major components of the forming apparatus such that the pressure difference across any leakage path to the forming zone is essentially zero. Therefore, air leakage in the apparatus is minimized even though the cracks and openings exist during initial operation and develop during manufacturing.
US08056359B2
A refrigeration appliance includes an insulated cabinet forming an interior cavity and a refrigeration system for cooling the interior cavity. A thermally conductive shelf forms a support surface within the interior cavity, and a thermal sink is operatively coupled to the conductive shelf. The thermal sink is adapted to facilitate the transfer of thermal energy from the thermally conductive shelf. In one example, the thermal sink includes a plurality of thermal sinks operatively coupled to the conductive shelf. In another example, the thermal sink is removable from the interior cavity.
US08056346B2
A combustor includes a first wall, a second wall, an injector grommet, a combustor longitudinal axis, and a connection assembly indirectly connecting the first wall to the second wall. A portion of the injector grommet is disposed within a groove of the connection assembly.
US08056345B2
A hybrid cooling system for a gas turbine engine includes a vapor cooling assembly and a cooling air cooling assembly. The cooling air cooling assembly is configured to remove thermal energy from cooling air used to cool a first component of the gas turbine engine. The vapor cooling assembly configured to transport thermal energy from a vaporization section to a condenser section through cyclical evaporation and condensation of a working medium sealed within the vapor cooling assembly. The vaporization section is located at least partially within a second component of the gas turbine engine, and the condenser section is located outside the second component.
US08056339B2
A method for providing intake air to an engine in a vehicle comprises delivering compressed fresh air and EGR to the engine via first and second throttle valves coupled to an intake manifold of the engine. During a higher engine-load condition, an EGR exhaust flow is cooled in a heat exchanger and the cooled EGR exhaust flow is admitting to the intake manifold. During a lower engine-load condition, fresh air is warmed in the heat exchanger, and the warmed fresh air is admitted to the intake manifold.
US08056335B1
A shape memory alloy actuated device is provided for engaging a movable object. The device may include a first movable component, a shape memory alloy for moving the first component from a first position to a second position, a biasing element configured to expand the shape memory alloy object and apply a continual tensile force to the shape memory alloy object. The device may be configured to allow the first component move between the first position and the second position other than by transferring force to the shape memory alloy object. The device may also be configured to allow the shape memory alloy object to expand and contract when the first component is retained in the first position.
US08056323B2
In an exhaust gas purification system provided with an exhaust gas purification device in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine, and at the same time, provided with a reductant supply means for supplying a reductant to the upstream side of this exhaust gas purification device, two or more of the oxygen concentration, the CO concentration, and the HC concentration of the exhaust gas detected by an exhaust gas component concentration detecting means are used as control parameters during the reductant supply control when the reductant is supplied into the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust gas purification device. With this, the supply period and supply amount of the reductant can be optimized, and a decrease of fuel efficiency deterioration and suppression of deterioration of the quality of the components of the exhaust gas flowing into the atmosphere are attempted.
US08056320B2
A cold-start control system includes an air pump control module that controls an air pump and an engine starting module that starts an engine. The air pump control module activates the air pump to supply oxygen to a catalytic converter based on a temperature of the catalytic converter. The engine starting module starts the engine based on the temperature of the catalytic converter.
US08056318B2
A portion of the exhaust generated by a turbomachine is recirculated through an inlet portion by an exhaust gas recirculation system. The system reduces the level of Sulfur Oxides and other constituents within the exhaust before the exhaust is recirculated. The system may utilize sea water, fresh water, or combinations thereof; as part of a scrubbing process to reduce the Sulfur Oxides and other constituents.
US08056317B2
Methods and systems for controlling a dynamic response in a gas turbine fuel control system are provided. The control system includes a component model adapted to regulate a fuel supply pressure for a gas turbine, a pressure sensor adapted to sense a pressure of fuel supplied to the gas turbine, and a feedback module including integral plus state feedback, the feedback module adapted to provide a positive feedback reference signal to the component model such that a response time of the gas turbine fuel control system to changes in fuel pressure is facilitated being reduced.
US08056315B2
The invention relates to a chain connecting link, which has two link brackets (4, 5) coupled via their limbs (6, 9), and a bar (14a-14c) that is inserted transversely between the limbs (6, 9) of the link brackets (4, 5). One limb (6) of each link bracket (4, 5) comprises a neck section (7) and a pin (8) thicker than the neck section, and a neck recess (10) and a pin recess (11) are provided in a matching fashion at the other limb (9) of the link bracket (4, 5). According to the invention, conically configured flank surfaces (12) with respect to the vertical central longitudinal plane (MLE) are provided at each pin (8) and at each pin recess (11).
US08056313B1
A mobile harvesting unit which utilizes a high volume fan to separate crops from foreign matter, has a dust suppression system which substantially reduces particulates which are discharged with the fan exhaust. The dust suppression system has two stages. The first stage separates larger particles of foreign matter by deploying an air stream cleaning chain upstream of the fan. The second stage is contained within a air stream discharge duct. Within the air stream discharge duct, a liquid, such as water, is sprayed into the dust entrained air stream. The moistened air stream flows through a plurality of collection members which extend radially from a brush drum, where the moistened dust particles are accumulated on the collection members, such that the volume of dust particles contained within the air discharged from the harvesting unit is substantially reduced.
US08056309B2
A system to control the position of one or more feed rolls in a forage harvester. The system includes at least one fixed feed roll arranged to rotate around a rotation axis which is fixed with respect to a chassis of the harvester, and in cooperation with the at least one fixed feed roll, a movable feed roll arranged to rotate around a rotation axis which is movable towards or away from the corresponding fixed roll. The system determines various parameters, including input data for the driving force exerted on the rolls, position of the movable feed roll, and rotational speed of the drive shaft, and inputs the data to a control unit, which provides commands to one or more valves and to one or more throttles to control the movable feed roll via the hydraulic piston/cylinder arrangements.
US08056302B2
A door panel that is capable of maintaining the adhering strength of the adhesive is provided. An outer panel and an inner panel are joined together by an adhesive. Adhesive retaining portions, each of which includes an adhesive retaining channel for retaining the adhesive, are provided in adhering portions of the inner panel. Each adhering portion includes vertically extending portions, and the adhesive retaining portions of the inner panel are formed in the shape of an extended raised portion and extend vertically in the respective vertically extending portions of the adhering portions, along ventilation openings, which are formed at locations corresponding to groups of ventilation holes of the outer panel. Each adhesive retaining portion is provided at the middle of each vertically extending portion of the adhering portions so as to be flanked by adhesion margins of identical width.
US08056287B2
A pile weatherstrip has a pile of yarn ultrasonically welded to a backing strip inside a channel defined by flanges, called pile directors, which direct the pile perpendicularly with respect to the backing. A film provides a covering for the pile and is releasably attached to the flanges on the outside thereof. The covering film may have perforations therein which are located adjacent to the flanges near the upper ends of the flanges. Alternatively, a weak ultrasonic weld of the covering to the flanges, such as made at much lower energy than used to weld the pile and the backing together, provides a releasable attachment for the covering. The covering protects the pile, for example during installation in a frame which may be painted after the weatherstrip is installed. The covering can be released by being pulled off the pile director flanges after installation and painting.
US08056276B2
A backlash vibration structure for toy rifle (air soft rifle, BB-rifle) formed of a receiver extension, a weight, a reaction spring and a buttcap spacer is disclosed. The weight has a front extension inserted through the lower receiver of the toy riffle and connected to the rear end of the piston spring at the rear side of the piston so that the component parts of the backlash vibration structure doe not touch the piston during movement of the piston. An adjustment knob is provided at the buttcap spacer for adjustment of the reaction spring to adjust the level of the backlash vibration.
US08056275B2
An apparatus for creating a water disk effect without water. The apparatus includes first and second disks, each having a first side with a substantially planar surface and a second side with a surface textured with a three dimensional (3D) pattern or topography including raised, arcuate ridges in a whirlpool or spiral arrangement. The apparatus includes a housing that supports the first and second disks for independent rotation about a common axis. The disks are positioned such that the first sides are proximate but spaced apart to avoid contact, such that the 3D patterns face outward toward viewers of the apparatus. The apparatus includes a drive assembly rotating the first disk in a first direction and concurrently rotating the second disk in a second direction opposite the first direction. A water disk effect is created during counter rotation when light from the Sun or other source strikes the disks.
US08056274B2
A dioramic apparatus includes a vessel having an inferior portion and a superior portion. The vessel includes a shell and defines an interior space. The interior space is partially filled by a liquid medium. At least one dioramic scene is disposed in the interior space. A reservoir is in fluid communication with the interior space. The reservoir includes a flow plate defining at least one liquid intake and at least one liquid output port. The at least one liquid intake is configured and arranged for receiving at least a portion of the liquid medium from the interior space when the dioramic apparatus is at least partially inverted. The at least one liquid output port is configured and arranged to output at least a portion of the liquid medium from the reservoir when the vessel is placed in an upright position.
US08056271B2
The present invention is a compact earth leveling and moving apparatus including a handle assembly, a blade assembly, a blade coupled to the blade assembly, a basket, and two wheel assemblies. The handle assembly is connected to the blade assembly which is coupled to the blade. The blade may be removable and may have a straight edge or a ripper edge with teeth for cutting through hard surfaces. The basket is coupled to the handle assembly and to two wheel assemblies. The blade height is determined by adjusting the wheel assemblies and varying the force used on the handle assembly. The basket may have materials for weight in order to aid in applying a downward force to cut or gouge the land and level the land as the user desires. The basket may also be used to move debris and materials around the worksite.
US08056269B2
An article of footwear with a lighting system is disclosed. The lighting system includes three lighting devices disposed on the article of footwear. The lighting system is also associated with an automatic fastening system.
US08056265B2
A shoe can be tied using only one hand if provided with a tying aid in the form of a generally T-shaped unit comprising a leg having two laterally extending ears. The leg is secured between rows of eyelets on the opposed flaps of the shoe by one or more of the lengths of lace extending across the gap between the flaps. The lengths of shoelace that would otherwise be tied in a bow are instead wrapped around the ears of the tying aid in alternating fashion, preferably twice around each ear, in a manner similar to the manner in which a mooring line is secured to the cleat of a boat.
US08056264B2
An upper structure for a shoe improves a fit of the heel portion during heel contact with the ground to the push off motion of a foot. The upper structure includes an upper body 30, and an outside upper member 31 that overlaps the lateral side of the upper body 30 to cover the talus T of the foot, and that has a bottom edge portion 31a fixedly attached to the bottom surface of the upper body 30. The rear end portion A of the bottom edge portion 31a is located rearwardly of the load centerline C of the calcaneus. A rear edge portion 31c of the outside upper member 31 is provided separately from the upper body 30 rearwardly of the talus T of the foot. An instep edge portion 31b of the outside upper member 31 is connected to the shoelace 4. On the lateral side of the heel portion of the upper body 30, there is a region 10 that is expandable and contractible in the longitudinal direction. The top end of the region 10 extends to the opening of the upper body 30 and the bottom end B of the region 10 is disposed in front of the load centerline C of the calcaneus and below a height h that corresponds to 55% of the lateral ankle height H of the foot.
US08056261B2
A sole construction having a heel carrier and an upwardly-arched heel pad. The heel pad is fitted into and supported by the heel carrier so that the heel pad provides a spring-like bending reaction to a load. The sole construction may further include a support element disposed above the heel pad and fitted into heel carrier. The support element may be upwardly-arching so that, like the heel pad, it provides spring-like bending reaction in response to a load. The support element and heel pad may be integrally formed, for example, by molding the heel pad directly onto the support element. The heel pad and/or support element may be fitted into slots in the lateral and medial sidewalls of the heel carrier to interconnect the heel pad, support element and heel carrier. The support element may have a forward extension to function as a shank.
US08056258B2
A cord drying apparatus dries cords for forming cord-inserted bands, such as belts and components of tires, such as carcasses. A plurality of cords C unwound from a plurality of reels 1a held in a wheeled creel 1 are passed through guide holes formed in a guide plate 21 and are extended to an insulation head 6. Vertically movable rollers 4 are moved down from their home positions above the cords C to cause the cords C to extend along curved heating surfaces of heating boards 5. The cords C are moved along the heating surfaces of the heating boards 5 to dry the cords C. The cords C can be easily extended along and pressed against the heating surfaces of the heating boards 5. Thus cords C can be changed in a short time and the efficiency of operations for drying cords C by a drying process can be improved.
US08056256B2
A method for reconditioning Fire Control Radar APG-68 tactical radar systems (FCR) utilized in military aircraft and returning them to operation with extended useful life expectancies equivalent to or better than new of the FCR APG-68 unit high frequency, high voltage dual mode radar transmitters that are deployed in over 1000 state-of-the-art military aircraft such as the F-15, F-16 and F-18 fighter aircraft, and B-1 bombers. The novel method extends the mean lifetime of previously repaired and repairable FCR APG-68 tactical radar units and radar units and ageing transmitters from about 100 to a few hundred hours to about five hundred or more hours by the step of removing embedded moisture and absorbed moisture from the heterogeneous electronic components in the FCR APG-68 tactical radar unit.
US08056254B2
A tumble dryer is provided having a heat exchanger through which a process-air stream flows in a first direction and a first duct which is arranged in fluid communication with the heat exchanger through which a process-air stream flows in a second direction and in which a lint filter is disposed. A tray having its own lint filter is removably attached to the heat exchanger and arranged between the duct and the heat exchanger.
US08056253B2
A system of drying a surface of a substrate is provided. The system includes a rotary support for supporting a substrate; and an assembly comprising a first dispenser, a second dispenser, and a third dispenser, the assembly positioned above the surface of the substrate, the second and third dispensers positioned on the assembly adjacent to and in contact with one another and spaced from the first dispenser, the second dispenser having an opening that is larger than an opening of the third dispenser, and the second dispenser being located between the first and third dispensers; and means for translating the assembly generally parallel to the surface of the substrate.
US08056248B2
A digit level device that is attachable with a digit and that includes a spirit level with a length that is longer than it is wide that measures the relative vertical and horizontal angle of the length of a finger of thumb. A digit level device that includes a level that is configured to be attachable with at least one of the distal phalanx section or the middle phalanx section of at least one digit of the user. A digit level device that includes at least one laser level or digital level that is configured to attach to at least one finger of a user. A method for cutting hair. The method includes attaching a digit level device to a digit, and using the level to determine the angle of the cut in relation to the horizontal and vertical plane.
US08056243B2
A power tool comprising a housing displaceably mounted to a foot plate, a blade, a motor, an electric switch and an interlock for controlling movement of the housing with respect to the foot plate. The interlock has a control button mounted to one of the housing or foot plate which cooperates with a channel fixed in relation to the other of the housing or foot plate. The control button can select between a plunge cut mode wherein the blade can protrude below the foot plate, or a blade change mode wherein the blade is prepared for a blade change operation. The channel comprises a major leg in communication with a minor leg. Cooperation between the button and the major leg selects the plunge cut mode. Cooperation between the button and the minor leg selects the blade change mode. The interlock may also comprise a housing lock and a spindle lock.
US08056230B2
A method for manufacturing plate stacks for the production of coolers, cooler elements or heat sinks made of at least one plate stack for cooling electric or opto-electric components. The process includes the manufacture of plates or boards of metal, stacking the plates to form a plate stack, joining of the plates with the application of heat and pressure to form a stack, and post-treatment of the plate stack.
US08056229B2
A method and apparatus particularly suited to the manufacture and assembly of cage-like, substantially cylindrical structures made of long, slender tubular components which, by themselves, are not self-supporting, employs an exo-skeleton structure to assemble cage-like, tubular structures in pie-shaped, longitudinal segments while in a horizontal or vertical position utilizing longitudinal or circumferential attachments. The apparatus comprises at least two segments which permit construction of subassemblies of the cage-like, tubular structure and their transportation, if necessary, to a remote site where they may be finally assembled.
US08056227B2
A turbine blade including a root section at an end of the turbine blade, a first airfoil section adjacent to the root section, and a tip section adjacent to the airfoil section and including a material block that is incongruous with the airfoil section. A midspan section may also include a material block. Each material block can be selectively machined to customize the length of the turbine blade and the position of a tip shroud connection or midspan connection. The turbine blade can be sized for retrofitting last stage blades of older turbines. A radial position of the root mounts for the turbine blade may also be adjusted to provide further customization.
US08056224B2
A method for manufacturing a network jack is provided. The method includes steps of: a) providing a circuit board having a first side, plural first contacting areas along the first side, plural second contacting areas and an upper and a lower surfaces; (b) forming first bendable contacts on the plural first contacting areas by using a first riveting process; (c) forming second bendable contacts on the plural second contacting areas by using a second riveting process; and (d) bending each of the second bendable contacts by assembling an acting portion on the circuit board to make the second bendable contacts have at least two arranged directions, wherein the first bendable contacts and the second bendable contacts contact with an external plug and are fixed to the circuit board of the network jack by the first and the second riveting processes.
US08056206B2
In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a face plate for a golf club head comprises providing a label for the face plate of the golf club head, providing a mold apparatus, positioning the label in the mold apparatus, providing a mold compound in a non-solid form, positioning the mold compound over the label and in the mold apparatus, and changing the mold compound to a solid form defining the face plate after positioning the mold compound over the label and in the mold apparatus. Other examples, methods, and related apparatuses are disclosed herein.
US08056202B2
A system is provided for refitting a tire system on a compact tractor which typically comes equipped with a set of industrial tires mounted on standard industrial size wheels. A set of replacement agricultural tires or turf tires is provided. The replacement tires are sized to fit on the standard industrial size wheels while having rolling circumferences substantially equal to rolling circumferences of standard agricultural tires or turf tires, respectively, for the compact tractor in question. The industrial tires are replaced with the replacement agricultural tires or turf tires without changing at least the front wheels on the compact tractor.
US08056200B2
A manufacturing apparatus (2) for components (3), which has at least one movable loading station (20) designed as a tool magazine (13) and having reception points (39) with different tools (4, 5, 6, 7) for different component types A-I. The loading station (20) is connected to one or more machining stations (20, 22′) at which at least one machining device (23) and at least one handling device (24) for handling and releasing the components (3) from the tool (4, 5, 6, 7, 8) are arranged. The selected Figure is FIG. 5.
US08056190B2
A buckle device includes a female member having a chamber for receiving a strap, a male member having two tabs for engaging into the chamber of the female member and for detachably coupling the female member and the male member together, and a pressing device engaged into the chamber of the female member and having one end pivotally coupled to the female member with a pivot axle, and having the other end for engaging with the strap and for limiting the strap to move relative to the female member, and the tabs of the male member are engageable with the pressing device for forcing the pressing device to engage with the strap when the tabs of the male member are engaged into the chamber of the female member.
US08056188B2
A door assembly for a vehicle includes a door panel, a primary assist handle, a secondary assist handle, and a first and second extension. The primary assist handle and the secondary assist handles are configured for being grasped by the user of the vehicle. A first extension extends from the door panel. A second extension extends from a second mounting portion of the secondary assist handle, in spaced relationship to the first extension. The extensions pivotally support ends of the primary assist handle. The primary assist handle pivots relative to each of the extensions and the door of the vehicle, between a retracted position and an extended position. A first mounting portion of the secondary assist handle pivotally extends from the door panel.
US08056179B2
A centrifugal water separator for mop includes a bucket including a first chamber and a second chamber respectively defined therein. The first chamber and the second chamber are separated from each other. A separating trough is rotatably mounted in the second chamber in the bucket. A driving device is mounted in the first chamber in the bucket for driving the separating trough. A handle is pivotally mounted to the bucket. An indentation is defined in the handle and co-axially corresponding to the separating trough for holding the mop during separating water.
US08056174B2
A method of selectively closing off a loading dock opening defined by a loading dock pit recessed within a floor of a building and a doorway into the building, the method comprising: (a) repositioning a pit seal panel having a substantially incompressible height and width to a barrier position where the pit seal panel closes off a rectangular area substantially spanning an entire vertical dimension and an entire widthwise dimension of the loading dock pit; and (b) lowering an overhead door to concurrently contact the pit seal panel and the floor of the building to close off the loading dock opening.
US08056171B2
A control system for a laundry machine provides a system and method to automatically monitor the results of the drain or pump operation during normal operation of machine cycles, during unattended idle states as well as through specific diagnostic tests. By automatically monitoring the results of the drain or pump operation, the machine controller can warn the owner or servicer of the equipment that a machine requires service attention.
US08056170B2
A multi-function tool having a handle portion and a plurality of structures operable therewith for the performance of a plurality of functions. The multi-function tool allows fast and convenient transition between any of the plurality of functions in order to enable completion of jobs or tasks requiring such functions without acquisition, storage, and/or maintenance of a plurality of specialized tools.
US08056164B2
An adjustable bed comprises a hospital bed frame chassis, an articulatable, multi-sectioned base platform mounted on the chassis, an adjustable patient support framework mounted on the base platform, and a patient support surface overlying the adjustable patient support framework and base platform. The adjustable patient support framework preferably includes two main parts: an adjustable torso support litter mounted on the articulatable torso-supporting section of the base platform; and an adjustable hip support litter mounted on the articulatable hip-supporting section of the base platform. Each of these support litters comprise a plurality of independently adjustable vertices or segments oriented at or near the periphery of the overlying patient support surface. Modulation of the patient support surface is accomplished through two conceptually distinct mechanisms—(1) articulation of the base platform and (2) movement of the vertices and/or segments of the adjustable patient support framework.
US08056161B2
There is provided a sheet system for securing a child in a preferred position on a sleep surface and covering the child, the sheet system including: a base sheet; a band for securing a child in a preferred position; a first attachment means for attaching the band to the base sheet; a top sheet for covering the secured child, and a second attachment means for attaching the top sheet to the base sheet and a stabilizing means for stabilizing the base sheet on a sleep surface.
US08056157B2
A shower stall tray includes a plastic shell defining an outer surface and a cavity that is filled with a light weight resinous material and a structural member having a density less than the resinous material. The plastic shell is formed to include a visible surface and a backside surface. The backside of the plastic shell defines an open cavity that is filled with a resinous material. The resinous material provides structural rigidity and the solid substantial feel providing a favorable perception of quality. The structural member not only provides structural support for the shower tray, but also displaces resinous material, thereby reducing the amount of resinous material required to fill the open cavity.
US08056155B1
Methods of cleaning a swimming pool using a swimming pool cleaning head. A first method may include intermittently raising a nozzle head under water and ejecting a stream of water under water, incrementally rotating the nozzle head in a clockwise direction, retracting the nozzle head, sliding a cam reverser, and reversing the direction of rotation of the nozzle head with the cam reverser to counterclockwise. A second method may include rotating a stem by sliding at least one pin coupled to the stem through at least one channel in a cam, the stem configured to release a stream of water under water in a swimming pool. The method may further include reversing the direction of rotation of the stem by sliding a slidable section of the cam with the at least one pin.
US08056152B2
A pivot assembly for use with headgear that includes a headtop and a shield, and a method for coupling the headtop to the shield using the pivot assembly. The pivot assembly can include a housing, a socket dimensioned to be received in the housing and having a plurality of first engagement features, and a post having a plurality of second engagement features adapted to engage the first engagement features. The pivot assembly can further include a spring dimensioned to be received in the housing to bias the first engagement features and the second engagement features into engagement, while allowing relative rotation between the post and the socket. A method can include moving the socket in a first direction into the housing, moving the post in a second direction that is different from the first direction toward engagement with the socket, and moving the spring in the first direction into the housing.
US08060941B2
A method and system for verifying authenticity of an application in a computing-platform operating in a Trusted Computing Group (TCG) domain is provided. The method includes computing one or more integrity measurements corresponding to one or more of the application, a plurality of precedent-applications, and an output file. The output file includes an output of the application, the application is executing on the computing-platform. Each precedent-application is executed before the application. The method further includes comparing one or more integrity measurements with re-computed integrity measurements. The re-computed integrity measurements are determined corresponding to one or more of the application, the plurality of precedent-applications, and the computing-platform.
US08060935B2
Techniques are disclosed for protecting a computer environment. The technique comprises providing an index; comparing a first event with the index; determining whether the first event is unusual; and determining whether a security incident associated with the first event has occurred.
US08060934B2
A method and apparatus are provided for tracking the state of a software component in use on a computing platform. Upon a change of a first type in the software component (such as a change to an integrity-critical part of the component), an appropriate integrity metric of the software component is reliably measured and recorded in cumulative combination with any previous integrity metric values recorded for changes of the first type to the software component. Upon a change of a second type in the software component (such as a change to a non integrity-critical part of the component), an appropriate integrity metric of the software component is reliably measured and recorded as a replacement for any previous integrity metric value recorded for changes of the second type to the software component. The two resultant values provide an indication of the integrity state of the software component.
US08060918B2
Verification facilitating company or companies X and verifying company or companies (e.g., credit service company or companies) Y may respectively manage member ID(s) and password(s) of user(s) 1 in mutually separate and mutually secret fashion. User(s) 1 may send member ID(s) to verification facilitating company or companies X from mobile telephone(s) 2, and verification facilitating company or companies X may use originating telephone number(s) and/or member ID(s) to carry out first-stage identity check(s). In the event of positive verification of identity as a result of such identity check(s), verification facilitating company or companies X may issue one-time ID(s) to user(s) 1 and may communicate such one-time ID(s) to verifying company or companies (e.g., credit service company or companies) Y. User(s) 1 may send one-time ID(s) and password(s) to verifying company or companies (e.g., credit service company or companies) Y from company or companies (e.g., store or stores) Z. Verifying company or companies (e.g., credit service company or companies) Y may use one-time ID(s) and password(s) to carry out second-stage identity check(s), and in the event of positive verification of identity as a result of such identity check(s), may provide credit transaction processing or other such service(s).
US08060910B2
Systems, methods and devices are provided for enabling a wireless television network at a subscriber location in a subscriber television network, such as a cable or satellite television network. In general, a set top box apparatus is provided having a receiver configured to receive a media content signal from the television network, the media content signal being composed of a plurality of channels. The set top box comprises a plurality of tuners for tuning to various channels available in the media content signal. At least a first tuner of the plurality of tuners is operatively coupled to a radio frequency transmitter of the set top box. The radio frequency transmitter is configured to utilize an antenna to communicate a radio frequency signal for wirelessly communicating media content received by the first tuner to at least one remote television. In an embodiment, the set top box further includes at least one radio frequency remote control for controlling the tuning of the first tuner.
US08060906B2
The invention relates to a method and system for automatically identifying and presenting video clips or other media to a user at a client device. One embodiment of the invention provides a method for updating a user profile or other persistent data store based on user feedback to improve the identification of video clips or other media content responsive to the user's profile. Embodiments of the invention also provide methods for processing user feedback. Related architectures are also disclosed.
US08060890B2
An apparatus, method, and program accesses a USB memory in accordance with a request from a PC on a network using a USB host interface, a USB device interface, a network interface, a network manager which inputs, via the network interface, a file access command which requests access to a memory card connected to the USB host interface, a memory manager which inputs the file access command generated inside an apparatus, a file access controller which performs exclusive access control between the file access commands input by the network and memory managers, a SCSI analyzer which converts the file access command selected by the file access controller into a SCSI command, and a memory card access controller which performs exclusive access control between the SCSI command generated by the conversion, and a SCSI command input via the USB device interface and requests access to the memory card.
US08060875B1
A system and method for assigning virtual machines to network interfaces. A first virtual machine is assigned to a network interface according to a first rule and a second virtual machine is assigned to a network interface according to a second rule. The assignment rules are dependent on network conditions as determined through at least one of the network interfaces. The first rule and the second rule may specify assignments differently, such that the same network conditions may result in different assignments for the first and second virtual machines.
US08060873B2
A method for remote programming of a program-controlled device, and a system having an interface to receive program data and a legitimization, as well as a remotely programmable, program-controlled device, which includes a processor and a program memory, are provided. In the method, program data are remotely transmitted from a control station to the interface and buffer-stored there in a buffer store. Subsequently, a legitimization is transmitted from the control station to the interface, and from there to the program-controlled device. The device checks the legitimization and imports the program data from the buffer store if the legitimization check is positive.
US08060868B2
Providing for read/write access to captured free variables expressed as environment data objects is disclosed herein. By way of example, free variables can be rewritten as a field of a private class, and accessed via an instance of the private class captured within the environment data object. In such a manner, no need of a placeholder or proxy function is required to access the free variable. Consequently, the subject innovation provides a simplified method for capturing free variables within expression trees and providing read/write access to such variables.
US08060862B2
Methods and apparatus for configuring process, environmental, industrial and other control systems generate and/or utilize models representing configurations of control systems and/or the systems controlled by them. Records of changes to the models or the configurations represented by them are maintained, thereby, for example, providing bases for determining current states, prior states and histories of changes. Objects in the model have characteristics, such as an object type characteristic and an area characteristic. Users can have corresponding permissions. A security mechanism apparatus controls access by users to the objects. Composite objects are defined by definition objects and are displayed in encapsulated or expanded formats. Objects can include an edit control type identifier that determines how they are presented for editing. Functionality responds to user commands by transferring characteristics of a first object depicted by the graphical user interface to a second object. Configuration-time formulas contained objects are evaluated to constants prior to downloading to the control system.
US08060854B2
A plurality of third fixed potential lines are wired in parallel. A group of high-potential-side fixed potential lines containing a first fixed potential line and a second fixed potential line are wired in a plurality at predetermined intervals in a direction perpendicular to the third fixed potential line. In a layout region, surrounded by a pair of adjacent third fixed potential lines and a pair of groups of adjacent high-potential-side fixed potential lines, where a first element or a second element is arranged, either one of the first fixed potential line and the second fixed potential line is wired between the pair of third fixed potential lines. In a layout region used for second elements, a second fixed potential line connecting a pair of second fixed potential lines contained respectively in a pair of groups of high-potential-side fixed potential lines that form the layout region is wired between a pair of third fixed potential lines that form the layout region.
US08060846B2
Embodiments of a method for detecting potential areas of inductive coupling in a high density integrated circuit design are described. The inductance mitigation process first converts the inductive analysis into a density problem. The density of wires within a region that may switch within a portion of the system clock are compared to the density of wires will not switch within that same time. Regions of the chip that have a high ratio of density of switching wires versus non-switching wires are determined to have the potential of an inductive coupling problem. Additional grounded metal is added into the problematic regions of the chip to improve the switching versus non-switching wire density.
US08060845B2
A method is provided for updating an existing netlist to reflect a design change. A register transfer level (RTL) design incorporating the design change and the existing netlist are provided to a synthesis tool. The existing netlist is set to a read-only condition to prevent a change to the existing netlist. The design and the read-only existing netlist are processed with the synthesis tool reusing logic structures from the read-only existing netlist by performing an optimization of the design and the read-only existing netlist with an objective to minimize the design space. The optimization is constrained by the read-only existing netlist. A result is generated by the synthesis tool including the existing netlist and a new portion of a netlist reflecting the design change.
US08060841B2
A method and device for media searching based on touchless finger signs (312) and gestures (313) is provided. The device (100) can include a controller element (110) that receives a search string from a touchless sensing device and presents at least one media (412) that corresponds to at least a portion of the search string. The media can include audio, image, video, and text selections (326). The search string can include at least one alpha-numeric character generated in a touchless sensory field of the touchless sensing device.
US08060840B2
Generation and display of a dynamically orientable graphical user interface (GUI) is described. The GUI can include user input controls that are configured to receive user input. In one exemplary embodiment, the GUI is displayed as a band around a perimeter of a horizontally oriented interactive display surface. The user input controls can be made to reorient in response to an application that provides control, or a user can selectively cause the GUI to move relative to the interactive display surface to enable the user to gain access to a specific that was previously disposed at a different point. The user input can be received directly from the orientable GUI in the form of finger movement detected by the interactive display surface and the reorientation of the GUI can be controlled according to the laws of physics, based on the user input.
US08060834B2
Graphic elements and graphic displays are provided for use in a process environment to display information to one or more users about the process environment, such as the current state of devices within a process plant. The graphic elements and displays may be associated with various logical and physical elements within the process plant during configuration of the process plant, and may be configured and downloaded to the hardware within the process plant along with other configuration items, such as control routines. In particular, the graphic elements and graphic displays may be created and stored in a library, and may then be configured by being associated with various logical or physical entities within the plant. During the configuration process, the graphic elements and graphic displays may be associated with areas, equipment, process modules, control routines or control strategies of the plant as defined elsewhere in the plant configuration, or may be associated with interfaces or display devices, to define the hardware on which the graphic displays will execute during runtime, as well at to define the process entities to which these displays will be bound for display purposes. Still further, each of the graphic displays may be defined with a role or a functional use, such as an operator view, a maintenance view, etc., and these roles may be used to define the proper access and use of the graphic displays within the runtime environment.
US08060833B2
Disclosed are a method and system for managing groups of folders on a computer. The method comprises the step of presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) view to a user, said view identifying a multitude of folders, wherein some of said folders are empty, and in said view, the empty folders are designated in a defined manner. The user chooses a group of said folders by interacting with the GUI, and the user selects one of a group of given actions. In response to the user selecting that one action, the computer applies the selected action to all of said group of folders as a single operation.
US08060826B2
A method for processing a still image and a broadcast receiving apparatus thereof is provided. The method for processing a still image includes transmitting to an external apparatus a still image selected by a user using a GUI window to select a desired still image from among still images of a stored broadcast. Accordingly, the user can conveniently use the home network service.
US08060818B2
A method and an apparatus for retrieving a form template including one or more rendering attributes for rendering one or more partitions of a form are described. Whether the partitions of the form can be rendered in compliance with style constraints is determined according to the rendering attributes. An updated form template is generated such that at least one of the rendering attributes is updated. Partitions of the form can be rendered based on the updated template in compliance with the style constraints.
US08060815B2
A custom marketing document system and method, including custom map information, is provided herein.
US08060810B2
A margin decoding communications system includes a circuit receiving a message encoded by an iterative code and processing the message into scores. A normalization process module receives the scores and iteratively approximates log-map normalization factors of the scores to generate approximation normalization factors. An element receives the message and the approximation normalization factors and decodes the received message based on the approximation normalization factors.
US08060801B2
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for efficiently controlling buffers which support a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) in a wireless communication system. Buffer regions for the HARQ scheme are not fixedly allocated according to channel identification information, but are allocated from the viewpoint of one overall memory through aggregation support. That is, an HARQ buffer is dynamically controlled. Therefore, there are the effects reducing the size of the entire chip, as well as reducing power consumption of the entire system according to the reduction of the chip size.
US08060797B2
A semiconductor storage device can efficiently perform a refresh operation. A semiconductor storage device is provided which includes a non-volatile semiconductor memory storing data in blocks, the block being a unit of data erasing. A controlling unit is further included monitoring an error count of data stored in a monitored block selected from the blocks and for refreshing data in the monitored block in which the error count is equal to or larger than a threshold value.
US08060792B2
The monitoring and recovery of data instances, data stores, and other such components in a data environment can be performed automatically using a separate control environment. A monitoring component of the control plane can include a set of event processors for monitoring a workload of the data environment, where an event processor detecting a problem in the data plane can cause a recovery workflow to generated in order to recover from the detected problem. The event processors can communicate with each other such that if one of the event processors becomes unavailable, the other event processors in a set are able to automatically redistribute responsibility for the workload.
US08060786B2
A method for recovering a basic input output system (BIOS) and a computer device thereof are disclosed. The computer device includes a motherboard, a power button, a BIOS storage unit, and an embedded controller. The BIOS storage unit is disposed on the motherboard, and it stores a first boot block code and a second boot block code. When the computer device is connected with a power supply to supply standby power to the motherboard, and the power button is not pressed, the embedded controller detects whether the first boot block code is damaged. If the first boot block code is damaged, the embedded controller recovers the first boot block code via the second boot block code.
US08060784B1
In one embodiment of the invention, a programmable logic device includes configuration memory and a controller. The controller can read a first bitstream from a first memory block of non-volatile memory and detect whether the first bitstream contains a valid preamble as the first bitstream is read from the non-volatile memory and before configuration data in the first bitstream is programmed into the volatile configuration memory. If a valid preamble is detected in the first bitstream, the controller programs the configuration memory with configuration data in the first bitstream. If a valid preamble is not detected in the first bitstream, the controller reads a second bitstream from a second memory block of the non-volatile memory.
US08060774B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a memory module that includes at least one memory chip, and an intelligent chip coupled to the at least one memory chip and a memory controller, where the intelligent chip is configured to implement at least a part of a RAS feature. The disclosed architecture allows one or more RAS features to be implemented locally to the memory module using one or more intelligent register chips, one or more intelligent buffer chips, or some combination thereof. Such an approach not only increases the effectiveness of certain RAS features that were available in prior art systems, but also enables the implementation of certain RAS features that were not available in prior art systems.
US08060772B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program product for managing redundant array of independent drives. In response to a failure of a hard disk in a first RAID array, the process calculates an amount of free capacity available across a set of remaining hard disks in the first RAID array. The set of remaining hard disks comprises every hard disk associated with the first RAID array except the failed disk. In response to a determination that the amount of free capacity is sufficient to re-create the first RAID array at a same RAID level, the process reconstructs the first RAID array using an amount of space in the set of remaining drives utilized by the first RAID array and the free capacity to form a new RAID array without utilizing a spare hard disk.
US08060765B1
A power monitor for electronic devices, such as computer chips, is used to estimate the power consumption and to compare the estimated power consumption against the power budget. The estimated power consumption is based on activity signals from various functional blocks of the computer chip. The activity signals that are monitored correlate accurately to the total number of flip-flops that are active at a given time. If the estimated power consumption exceeds the power budget, the speed of the clock signals supplied to the computer chip is reduced.
US08060758B2
A method for tracing an item may include encrypting item information using an identity-based encryption scheme with a batch number for an item as an encryption key and communicating the encrypted item information for storage on a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag for attachment to the item.
US08060753B2
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide for administering a protected item. An anti-theft key encoded with a radio frequency identification of the user and biometric data of the user is provided. The anti-theft key is associated with the protected item such that the protected item is accessible with the anti-theft key.
US08060752B2
Sampling and transforming (“twisting”) of biometric data are performed at client based on information known at client only. Twisting includes shuffling the arrays of biometric data and may include changing of values in these arrays. Twisted biometric data are submitted to server. Amount of information contained in twisted data is enough to verify and/or identify the client using proposed correlation procedure, however, is not enough to restore the client's real biometrical data in case of interception of submitted data and in case of compromising security of server. As a result the privacy of the client is guaranteed in the highest degree.
US08060739B2
An apparatus and method for providing a security service is provided. The apparatus includes a reception module which receives first data including a first public key and marked with a security ID, the first public key being one of a pair of public keys necessary for providing a security service to a home server and the security ID indicating that the first data needs to be encrypted; a response generation module which generates second data by encrypting part of a response message for the first data; and a transmission module which transmits the second data to a home server in a home network.
US08060723B2
A second memory stores data in units of segments. An assignment control circuit sets up a buffer space as a logical address space. A buffer space is formed as a set of at least one segment. A state storage circuit stores association between a buffer space and segments as segment assignment information. An address conversion circuit refers to segment assignment information to convert a logical address into a physical address. A segment queue stores a free segment and a buffer queue stores a free buffer. The state storage circuit includes a plurality of register groups each of which includes a plurality of segment registers. A register group is associated with one of the plurality of buffer spaces. A range number identifying a range of logical addresses in the associated buffer space is set up in a segment register.
US08060715B2
A computer-implemented method for controlling initialization of a fingerprint cache for data deduplication associated with a single-instance-storage computing subsystem may comprise: 1) detecting a request to store a data selection to the single-instance-storage computing subsystem, 2) leveraging a client-side fingerprint cache associated with a previous storage of the data selection to the single-instance-storage computing subsystem to initialize a new client-side fingerprint cache, and 3) utilizing the new client-side fingerprint cache for data deduplication associated with the request to store the data selection to the single-instance-storage computing subsystem. Other exemplary methods of controlling initialization of a fingerprint cache for data deduplication, as well as corresponding exemplary systems and computer-readable-storage media, are also disclosed.
US08060711B2
Provided is a storage system capable of holding data by associating main data for long-term retention with sub data for maintaining its readability. The storage system: stores first data in a first location within a storage area upon reception of a storage request for the first data with a first file identifier being specified; holds information for associating the first file identifier, the first location, a retention period of the data, and first version information with one another; stores second data in a second location within the storage area upon reception of a storage request for the second data with the first file identifier and second version information being specified; holds information for associating the first file identifier, the second location, and the second version information with one another; and inhibits the first data and the second data from being changed before elapse of the retention period of the data.
US08060706B2
A method of allocating a physical memory in a specified address range under a Linux system platform is applied in a testing process of a physical memory under a Linux operating system. In this method, according to a specified address range and a size of a memory to be allocated, a large amount of physical memories in the system are allocated in a specified address range, and then the information about the allocated memories is transmitted, so as to map, inspect, and release the memories, thereby effectively supporting the test for physical memories under the Linux operating system.
US08060697B1
A method, system, and medium are provided for managing cache allocation between a primary storage and a secondary storage. The system includes a device with a primary storage, secondary storage, and cache manager. The method includes downloading a web resource, storing the web resource in the primary storage, determining the amount of time required to download the web resource, and determining the amount of time required to retrieve the web resource from the secondary storage. If the amount of time required to retrieve the web resource from the secondary storage is less than the amount of time required to download the web resource, the method stores the web resource in the secondary storage. Additionally, web resources may be moved from the secondary storage to the primary storage based on their likelihood of being utilized.
US08060695B1
A system and method proxies data access commands across a cluster interconnect between storage appliances in a cluster. Each storage appliance activates two ports for data access, a local port for data access requests directed to clients of the storage appliance and a proxy port for data access requests directed to the partner storage appliance. Clients utilizing multi-pathing software may send data access requests to either the local port of the storage appliance or the proxy port of the storage appliance.
US08060693B2
A data processing apparatus includes: a storage that has first to nth storage areas and stores data in the first to nth storage areas; a specific area erasion section that erases the data stored in the first storage area of the storage; a area erasion section that erases the data stored in at least one of the second to nth storage areas; and a erasion control section that controls the specific area erasion section and the area erasion section so that erasion of the specific area erasion section takes precedence over erasion of the area erasion section, wherein n is natural number.
US08060689B2
A method includes configuring a flash memory device including a first memory sector having a primary memory sector correspondence, a second memory sector having an alternate memory sector correspondence, and a third memory sector having a free memory sector correspondence, copying a portion of the primary memory sector to the free memory sector, erasing the primary memory sector, and changing a correspondence of each of the first memory sector, the second memory sector, and the third memory sector.
US08060685B2
An electronic device data access method comprising sharing, by an operating system and a pre-boot environment module, data stored in a hard disk drive in the electronic device and accessing the data using a block location list identifying a storage location for each portion of the stored data.
US08060682B1
System and method to configure switch systems are disclosed. A switch system includes leaf modules with internal ports and spine modules with ports. A midplane includes first layers closer to a first side, second layers closer to a second side and third layers between the first layers and the second layers. The midplane receives the leaf modules and the spine modules about both the first side and the second side. Conductors of the third layers couple internal ports of the leaf modules about one side to a port of spine modules about the other side. Conductors of the first layers couple internal ports of the leaf modules with ports of the spine modules about the first side. Conductors of the second layers couple internal ports of the leaf modules with ports of the spine modules about the second side.
US08060668B2
Devices in a process control system communicate by data messages over a communication medium segment. Each device includes a communication controller that includes a data queue and a queue of received message objects. The data queue stores a plurality of messages received on the communication medium. The received message objects contain information about a corresponding message in the data queue.
US08060666B2
Versatile serial bus connectivity is provided for enabling detection and use of passive media output devices that connect to a host device through a serial bus connector. In addition, serial bus connectivity is extended to video output devices that can use analog video data.
US08060665B2
An integrated circuit input/output interface with empirically determined delay matching is disclosed. In one embodiment, the integrated circuit input/output interface uses empirical information of signal traces coupled to the integrated circuit to adjust a transmit/receive clock of each pin of the interface so as to compensate for delay mismatches caused by differences in signal trace lengths. In one embodiment, values representative of the empirical information are stored for use by the integrated circuit to generate trace-specific signals so as to compensate for delay differences that are at least partially caused by unmatched signal trace lengths. The empirical information, in one embodiment, includes signal flight time of each signal trace, which can be pre-measured or pre-calculated from known signal trace lengths. The empirical information, in another embodiment, includes trace-specific phase offset values calculated from pre-calculated or pre-measured signal flight times or signal trace lengths.
US08060646B2
An adaptive telecommunications packet transmission system. Implementations may include a compression engine configured to compress a header of at least one uncompressed packet and to send at least one compressed packet corresponding to the at least one uncompressed packet across a communication channel coupled to the compression engine. A refresh rate calculator may be included that is configured to receive at least one error and at least one success from a decompression engine and calculate an adaptive refresh rate based on the at least one error or the at least one success. The refresh rate calculator may be configured to communicate an adaptive refresh rate to the compression engine. The compression engine may be configured to transmit at least one uncompressed packet across the communication channel according to the adaptive refresh rate received from the refresh rate calculator.
US08060640B2
A method and system for combining SIP requests with SIP responses is provided. When a server receives a request from a client, a message combining system of the server sends a response to the request that includes the content of a request that the server would normally send to the client in a separate request. The message combining system of the server composes a response as it would normally and adds the content of the subsequent request to the response. The server then sends the combined response and request to the client. When the client receives the response, it retrieves and processes the combined request.
US08060636B2
A content reproducing method and a content reproducing apparatus capable of continuously reproducing content by searching for an apparatus having optimal capabilities for reproducing the content, when a plurality of content reproducing apparatuses with similar functions are located within a short range of each other.
US08060635B2
A personalized audio system and method that overcomes many of the broadcast-type disadvantages associated with conventional radio stations.
US08060633B2
A method for identifying data content comprises: establishing a character base which stores characters corresponding to various service applications and protocols; performing matching between contents of currently received data and the characters in the character base, and obtaining characters contained in the currently received data; identifying at least one of a service application and a protocol corresponding to the characters contained in the currently received data according to a mapping relation between characters and protocols as well as a mapping relation between characters and service applications. An apparatus for identifying data content is also disclosed. The technical scheme of the present invention can identify data content comprehensively and can be easily extended.
US08060632B2
A system is presented for facilitating management of user attribute information at one or more attribute information providers (AIPs), which can manage the user's attribute information in accordance with user-selected or administratively-determined options, including options that are stored in attribute release policies and/or dynamically determined during a transaction. E-commerce service providers (ECSPs), such as online banks or merchants, also maintain a relationship with an AIP such that the ECSP can trust the user attribute information that is provided by the AIP on behalf of the user. The user can complete transactions that require user attribute information at any ECSP without having to have previously established a relationship with that particular ECSP. If the ECSP has a relationship with one of the user's AIPs, then the user will be able to direct the ECSP to an AIP when the ECSP needs user attribute information to complete a transaction for the user.
US08060625B2
The disclosure provides for methods and systems for providing media content over a network. The method includes sending a query from a server over the network to a client regarding an ability of the client to playback the media content locally. The sending is automatic and initiated by the server. The method is further includes receiving, at the server, a response from the client regarding the ability of the client to playback the media content locally. The receiving is responsive to the sending. A version of the media content is sent from the server to the client based on the ability of the client to playback the media content locally.
US08060624B1
A presence enabled media host device is provided for accessing presence information associated with a number of communication endpoints and requesting the initiation of a communication session with at least one of the communication endpoints. The presence enabled media host device may access presence information, which includes information relating to the availability of a number of first communication endpoints. The presence enabled media host device may also receive a command requesting establishment of a communication session between at least one of the first communication endpoints and one or more second communication endpoints. The presence enabled media host device may then communicate a request for the communication session to a proxy server.
US08060602B2
A system includes a first database to associate a sub-interface identifier with customer information, a second database to store a history of customer usage records, and a first device. The first device may receive information from a routing device, where the information includes the sub-interface identifier for a sub-interface of the routing device and information identifying an amount of network traffic received at or transmitted from the sub-interface over a time period, use the sub-interface identifier to obtain the associated customer information from the first database, associate the customer information with the information identifying an amount of network traffic received at or transmitted from the sub-interface over a time period to create a new customer usage record, and store the new customer usage record in the second database.
US08060601B1
A first set of data including a first tracking identifier for a first webpage component and a destination address for the first webpage component is accessed. A second set of data that includes an address for retrieving a second webpage component, is accessed. The address includes a second tracking identifier. Whether the second tracking identifier is the same as the first tracking identifier is determined. The second webpage component is associated with the destination address when the second tracking identifier is the same as the first tracking identifier.
US08060600B1
A network element management system has a user interface that displays a table having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. The table has a plurality of logical identifier for a network element listed in the first column. The table has a plurality of physical dependencies listed in the first row. The table has at least one list of physical equipment displayed in a row containing a first logical identifier, where each piece of physical equipment in the list is linked to the first logical identifier and where each piece of physical equipment is located in a column that corresponds to the physical dependency which the physical equipment fulfills.
US08060599B2
According to at least one embodiment, a method comprises receiving, into a capacity planning system, workload information representing an expected workload of client accesses of streaming media files from a site. The method further comprises receiving, into the capacity planning system, at least one service parameter that defines a desired service characteristic to be provided by a media server configuration under the expected workload. The method further comprises determining, by the capacity planning system, for at least one server configuration, how many servers of the at least one server configuration to be included at the site for supporting the expected workload in compliance with the at least one service parameter.
US08060598B1
A method is provided for monitoring multicasting traffic in an internetwork between a multicasting source in a first domain and a multicasting destination in a second domain. The multicasting source offers connections to a predetermined multicast stream according to predetermined multicast group information. The multicasting destination sends a join message to a router within the internetwork in order to initiate routing of the predetermined multicast stream to the multicasting destination. A notification of the joining is sent from the router to a ledger application, the notification including identifying information of the multicasting destination and the multicasting source. The multicasting source transmitting datagrams of the predetermined multicast stream to the multicasting destination via the router. The ledger application receives and logs the notification as a transaction event. The transaction events are aggregated in response to the first domain of the multicasting source and in response to the second domain of the multicasting destination, thereby allowing reimbursement of costs between domains for transporting the multicasting traffic.
US08060592B1
A network device management application may manage a number of network devices. When managing the network devices, the management application may receive requests from administrators to modify a configuration of the network devices. In response, the management application may apply the requested modification to a model of the network device and synchronize configuration information of the model of the network device to the configuration information of the real network device using a configuration-based state machine.
US08060588B2
A home network system and method for providing cooperative work services. The home network system has a plurality of devices connected to a network, a negotiator module connected to the devices for determining cooperative work service roles of the devices by applying device descriptions collected from the devices to a predetermined election algorithm so that the cooperative work service can be performed in consideration of a function of a corresponding device, and a coordinator module for directly performing a control command transmitted from a control device according to the cooperative work service roles determined by the negotiator module.
US08060581B2
A dynamic image delivery system receives a client request for an image at an image caching server. The image caching server measures the client's network access speed and looks for an appropriate pre-rendered copy of the requested image that is rendered for the client's network access speed in local storage. If the appropriate rendered copy is found, then the image caching server sends the rendered image to the client. If it is not found, then the image caching server dynamically renders a copy of the image and sends it to the client.
US08060579B2
A system and method which may directly resolve a URL into the IP address of a web server running a regional website of a web service provider based on a user's geographic location. A user may type a URL of a website in his browser. A user location analyzer may decide the user's geographic location according to his IP address. With the user's geographic location, a DNS server may resolve the URL to a regional website of a web service provider which provides services specific to the user's geographic location. Consequently, the user may be presented a regional website of a web service provider without delays caused by re-directing, and save the user's time and effort to look for a regional website himself.
US08060572B2
A method for managing a subscription to content-based presence information entails receiving a subscription-suspension message from a device at a presence service, identifying the subscription associated with the subscription-suspension message, suspending the subscription, and sending a response from the presence service to the device to notify the device that the subscription has been suspended. Suspending the subscription may involve accumulating notifications in a persistent data store. The method may further involve receiving a subscription-resumption message at the presence service to resume the subscription that was suspended.
US08060562B2
Computer method and apparatus for communicating information between a plurality of client computers by means of a communications network. A data server computer coupled to the network communicates data from the data server computer to one or more of a plurality of client computers in response to a request for data by a client computer in the form of a hypertext transfer protocol update request. The data server computer sends the data made available from the data server computer in response to a data update request from one of the plurality of client computers to said data server computer. A communications server computer coupled to the communications network for communicating the fact that the data on the server has been updated by communicating a client to client message from the client computer that updated the data on the data server computer to other client computers thereby prompting said other client computers to request updated data from the data server computer.
US08060553B2
A transformation function of an extract-transform-load data integration process is deployed as a service in a services oriented architecture. A method includes providing a module for a data integration function, the module being a data transformation module; providing a registry of services; providing an interface for the data transformation module; and identifying the data transformation module in the registry; wherein the data transformation module can be accessed as a service in a services oriented architecture. A system includes a data transformation module for a data integration function; a registry of services; and an interface for the data transformation module; wherein the data transformation module is identified in the registry; and wherein the data transformation module can be accessed as a service in a services oriented architecture.
US08060549B2
A method and apparatus for accumulating arbitrary length strings of input values, such as floating point values, in a layered tree structure such that the order of adds at each layer is maintained. The accumulating utilizes a shared adder, and includes means for directing initial inputs and intermediate result values.
US08060547B2
This invention relates to Pade approximation convert circuit of the direct digital frequency synthesizer in which a multiplier receives and multiplies a first input signal and a variable signal so as to produce a multiplication signal; a divider receives and divides a second input signal and a variable signal so as to produce a division signal; an adder receives and adds the multiplication signal and the division signal so as to generate an output signal, that is then returned back to the divider. A quarter period of a sinusoidal wave signal is completed by the proceeding of direct calculation two times such that the time for the calculation of a complete sinusoidal wave can be saved and the area of the calculation circuit can be reduced.
US08060543B1
Tracking resource use includes determining when the resource is allocated, determining when the resource is first used, determining when the resource is last used, and determining when the resource is deallocated. The resource may be a software object. Deallocating the resource may be performed automatically by a run time system when there are no remaining references to the object in run time code or variables. Deallocating the resource may include at least one of: setting a flag for the resource and adding an identifier for the resource to a list of resources to be deallocated. Time measurements may correspond to a count of garbage collection cycles. Tracking resource use may also include determining additional resource usage metrics.
US08060541B2
The present invention is a communication system. Further, the present invention relates to a database communication system that allows for communication between disparate databases.
US08060537B2
An image forming device includes a box for each user for storing a file, a table management portion for storing a file change in the box together with a time when the change happened as change history information, an inbox change detection portion for detecting a file change in the box of the user when the user logs in that happened before the user logs in this time in accordance with the change history information of the box and a screen display process portion for displaying a result of the detection.
US08060536B2
This disclosure provides various embodiments of systems, methods, and software for managing structured and unstructured data within electronic communications. In one implementation, software identifies an electronic communication associated with a user in an enterprise application; creates a link between an unstructured data element associated with the electronic communication and a structured data element associated with the enterprise application, where the link created at least partially based on one or more attributes of the electronic communication and an active process of the enterprise application; and stores the link in a link repository.
US08060523B2
Disclosed is a search system using a plurality of search references, and a search method thereof. When a search word is provided by a user terminal through a network, search targets to be searched are established based on the search word. The search process is performed by applying different search references to the respective search targets, and search results are provided to the search targets. According to the present invention, more reliable information is provided.
US08060518B2
A system and methodology for extraction and aggregation of data from dynamic content is described. In one embodiment, for example, a method is described for extracting and structuring items of data from content available via the Internet, the method comprises steps of: receiving input of a user specifying at least one source of content available via the Internet, types of data to be extracted from the at least one source, and fields for structuring extracted items of data; retrieving content from the at least one source; parsing the retrieved content to extract items of data of the types specified by the user; and mapping the extracted items of data to the fields specified by the user so as to transform the extracted items of data into a structured format.
US08060502B2
The disclosed methods, systems, and computer-program products allow a business to generate data quality indicators for relationships in a database. In an embodiment, one or more relationships linked to a customer are retrieved from a database to form a set of relationships. A match confidence code is generated for each relationship based on a score generated by the comparison of customer data associated with the respective relationship and corresponding customer data obtained from an external industry database. A link confidence code is subsequently determined for the customer based on a score generated by the scores used to define the match confidence code for each relationship in the set of relationships and on internal data associated with each relationship in the set of relationships. The link confidence code for the customer and the match confidence codes and the respective scores for the set of relationships may be provided to an end user of the database in order to improve decisions made by the end user at the customer level.
US08060500B1
A method and system for selecting a healthcare provider includes a process for selecting a healthcare provider whereby healthcare provider list data is obtained, along with various data regarding the healthcare providers on the healthcare provider list, and the data is stored in a healthcare provider database. When a healthcare consumer initiates a healthcare provider search request, one or more healthcare consumer criteria for acceptable/desired healthcare providers and/or healthcare services needed is obtained and used to search the healthcare provider database to identify one or more healthcare providers most closely meeting the healthcare consumer's criteria. The availability of appointments and/or estimated wait times for the identified one or more healthcare providers are then obtained. The healthcare consumer is then provided information regarding the one or more identified healthcare providers along with the available appointments and/or estimated office wait times for the one or more identified healthcare providers.
US08060498B2
A commercial search engine for searchmercials. The system manages and searches advertising media video and audio files and associating the media with one or more calls to action. The system contains Metadata utilized for various queries including search, channels of distribution and account information. The system uses a manually data entry interface or a custom retrieval system to selectively update media files and Metadata from Meta tags or feeds on a scheduled basis automatically without having to manually update this data in the system. The system spiders these custom Meta tags or feeds for new Metadata on a scheduled basis to automate the submission and programming of the searchmercials content over the search engine. The system provides videos tailored for search in the results list in order to better inform users as to the contents of a link URL. The system can also provide users with other call to action options such as click to call, literature, order forms, etc. The system can schedule searchmercials to target users by time of day, location, device, and other parameters to offer a call to action to different audiences.
US08060495B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for improving query execution plan efficiency in a database management system. The present invention binds both static database queries and dynamic database queries to new query execution plans (QEPs) that produce the same result set as a former QEP bound to the database queries. Next, the present invention identifies one of the former QEPs and the new QEP as an active QEP and automatically collects execution statistics for one of the former QEPs and the new QEP. Finally, the present invention automatically selects one of the former QEPs and the new QEP as the active QEP in response to completion of the automatic collection of execution statistics, the active QEP selected such that the automatically selected QEP provides optimal execution performance based on performance criteria in comparison to the automatically unselected QEP, the active QEP selected based on the execution statistics.
US08060494B2
A full-text lattice indexing and searching system and method for indexing word lattices using a text indexer to enable enhance searching of audio content. The system and method utilize a Time-Anchored Lattice Expansion (TALE) method that represents word lattices such that they can be indexed with existing text indexers with little or no modification. Embodiments of system and method include an indexing module for generating and indexing word lattices based on audio content and a searching module for allowing searching of a full-text index containing indexed word lattices. The indexing module includes a custom IFilter and a custom Wordbreaker. Embodiments of the searching module include an ExpandQuery function for decorating an input query and a custom Stemmer. Embodiments of the searching module also include a GenerateSnippets module that extracts information from the indexed word lattices to enable the creation of clickable snippets.
US08060488B2
A system and method for classifying and defining relationships between product information data is provided. The method classifies the product information data to two different data types. Each data type includes a plurality of items. The items of each of the two types are arranged in a product information tree. The items of all the product information trees are associated to construct a new tree for showing the relationships of the product information data.
US08060487B2
A technique may receive a search query including at least one search term. In response to this search query an index of a plurality of data files may be searched to identify data files containing the at least one search term. Subsequently, a list of one or more links to launch having a corresponding data file identified as containing the at least one search term is generated. In some variations, each data file corresponds to an application and has a file extension that is not associated with the application. Related techniques, apparatuses, systems, articles of manufacture are also described.
US08060486B2
Various embodiments are directed to a proxy system for implementing an automatic conversion schema which allows data results from a publishing application to be extracted and displayed by a display application other than the publishing application. In one embodiment, a proxy publisher may receive a request from a publishing application to retrieve a data result from a data server. The request may include a path to the data server and appended publishing parameters. In accordance with the automatic conversion schema, the publishing parameters may comprise decode parameters associated with the publishing application for allowing a display application other than the publishing application to decode variables of the data result and to transform the decoded variables for display. The proxy publisher may cache the request including the appended publishing parameters and retrieve the data result from the data server. The proxy publisher may locally store the data result along with the cached publishing parameters and may respond to a query from a display application for data associated with the publishing application by providing the cached data result and the publishing parameters to the display application. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08060483B2
A method and system is presented which provides a TDM framework for managing self-describing measurement data. The TDM framework provides applications with a central platform for accessing measurement data across an entire enterprise system. By means of individual plug-ins, which are specific to a given data file format, meta-data for each data store in the enterprise may be indexed in a unified manner. The unified indexing, in turn, provides the ability to browse and query the indexed measurement data without requiring the opening or reading from a source data file.
US08060480B2
Among other disclosed subject matter, a computer-implemented method for handling large amounts of data is to be initiated. The method includes receiving, using an application program executed from local memory of a computer system, portions of information from a first file. The method includes generating a database table in a peripheral storage device. The method includes storing the portions of information in the database table of the peripheral storage device. The method includes locking the database table, wherein the locking exclusively provides the application program a database accessing technique to the database table. The method includes processing by the application program the portions of information in the database table using the database accessing technique. The method includes clearing the database table upon a termination of the application program. The method includes, unlocking the database table upon the termination of the application program.
US08060478B2
The management burden of a replication administrator is alleviated and the monitoring burden is reduced in a storage system. In a large-scale storage system configured across a plurality of sites, a management computer managing the storage system collects configuration information of a volume group such as the copy pair status information from a host computer of the respective sites including a primary site and a remote site, and analyzes the collected information. When a failure or a disaster occurs and the primary site and the remote site are switched and the management computer detects a change in the configuration of the volume group, and appropriate switches the monitoring configuration upon determining the configuration of the detected change.
US08060468B2
Proposed are a storage system and a data recovery method capable of guaranteeing data recovery processing at a service level sought by a user. This storage system and data recovery method uses one or more data recovery candidate points and specifies a section containing the journal and the replication of write data, checks a redundancy relation of a write range in the volume of write data written from host into the volume contained in the journal regarding one or more the journals in the section, and executes redundancy elimination processing of merging a plurality of the replications of write data or a plurality of the journals into a single replication of write data or a single journal based on the check result.
US08060467B1
A system and method for on-line management of account information by customers of a provider of goods or services. A web server receives billing information from a telecommunications service provider in a standardized XML-format readily suitable for viewing by the customers. The system further includes a tiered storage system for maintaining invoices of the customers. Recent invoices are maintained in an upper tier of the storage system where they are accessible to customers over the Internet. As the invoices age, an archival and retrieval application periodically transfers the invoices to an intermediate tier where they may only be accessed by the archival and retrieval application using an index maintained in the upper tier. Account receivable information is also available on-line through the web site. The available account receivable information is continuously synchronized with corresponding information maintained by the service provider using a synchronization application which minimizes traffic therebetween.
US08060459B2
A method and system of generating prospective ability data is provided. Availability for at least one future temporal block is estimated, responsive to receiving an availability request, by applying availability rules to temporal block data associated with the at least one future temporal block, the temporal block data stored in a database.
US08060453B2
Systems and methods for providing funds recovery for mailing machines including integrated circuits such as those used in postal security devices are described, and in certain configurations, systems and methods for recovering data such as postal funds records from a partially disabled single integrated circuit in a postal security device are described.
US08060445B2
In a mail franking system including a central secure metering device (PSD 20) connected to a remote credit reloading server (26) and a plurality of local franking management modules (22-1 to 22-N) each including a local secure metering device (28-1 to 28-N) and connected to said central secure metering device via a user's local area network (LAN), there is provided a method wherein a franking session is opened, each of the local franking management modules books a predetermined franking value from a central secure metering device so as to perform secure frankings up to the limit of this value and at the end of session each of these modules transmits its consumed franking value to the central device which is then debited by an overall franking value equal to the sum of the franking values consumed by each of the local modules.
US08060437B2
A system and method of terminating a transaction between a merchant and customer are disclosed.
US08060436B2
A method for analyzing management risk of a computer network includes selecting a portion of a storage system, determining a first downtime cost associated with a component included in the portion of the storage system, assigning the first downtime cost to the component, and disseminating the assigning of the downtime cost to a user.
US08060423B1
Financial data associated with one or more “contributing consumers” is obtained from one or more sources and categorized and associated with a specific expense/income category. One or more attributes associated with the contributing consumers are then identified and used to analyze, aggregate, and categorize the financial data according to the attributes. Data representing a user financial transaction is then obtained for categorization and one or more specific user attributes associated with the user are identified. The user financial transaction is then categorized based, at least in part, on the categorization of similar contributing consumer financial transactions by contributing consumers having at least one of the specific user attributes.
US08060420B2
A method for purchasing goods and services in transactions utilizing a valued card includes issuing to a card owner from an issuing institution a valued card pursuant to an agreement between the card owner and the issuing institution. The valued card has a purchase value. The valued card is transferred to a recipient having authority to purchase goods and services utilizing at least a portion of the purchase value. The card owner is reimbursed a percentage of a remaining balance of the purchase value at an expiration date pursuant to the agreement.
US08060414B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for generating bundle uniform resource locators (URL). A URL is generated that contains a parameter with a value corresponding to a product available in the electronic commerce system. At least one parameter with a value corresponding to configurable features of the product is also encoded in the URL. The URL parameters are validated to determine whether the product and configurable features are compatible.
US08060412B2
In a method of obtaining merchandise information from a store system using speech processing technology to determine a spoken query entry, an information inquiry from a customer regarding a particular product is received via a communication network. The location of the customer is determined, which is then used to determine a store closest to the customer. A merchandise database is searched for the inquired information regarding the particular product, wherein searching the merchandise database is limited to products available at the store closest to the customer location. The inquired information is retrieved from the merchandise database, and transmitted to the customer.
US08060409B2
A system and method for providing an online auction of a wireless device. An indicator is displayed to a winner of an online auction of the wireless device. The indicator is associated with an option for the user to certify the wireless device for use with one or more providers of telecommunications services. The wireless device is certified in response to the selection of the indicator by the winner.
US08060407B1
A media player is provided. The media player comprises a communications interface, a memory store containing a plurality of personalized advertisements, and a media playback component. The targeted advertisements are refreshed by receiving updates from the communications interface during some of the intervals when the media player is connected to a network. The targeted advertisements are indexed by a plurality of characteristics, the first characteristic being a creation date of the targeted advertisements. The media playback component is configured to play a media content, wherein the media content is stored separately from the targeted advertisements, and to play one of the targeted advertisements in the memory store selected based on the characteristics of the one of the targeted advertisements.
US08060389B2
Provided is a fully automated web service with location based services generally involved in transmission of situational location dependent information to automatically located mobile receiving data processing systems. The web service communicates with a receiving data processing system in a manner by delivering information to the device when appropriate without the device requesting it at the time of delivery. There are varieties of configurations made by different user types of the web service for configuring information to be delivered, and for receiving the information. The web service maximizes anonymity of users, provides granular privacy control with a default of complete privacy, and supports user configurable privileges and features for desired web service behavior and interoperability. The web service is fully automated to eliminate human resources required to operate services. Integrated with the web service are enhanced location based services providing map solutions, alerts, sharing of novel services between users, and complete user control for managing heterogeneous device interoperability through the web service.
US08060384B2
An insurance program for funding benefits by maintaining assets in the insurance program that includes an employer or employee owned trust account and at least one life insurance contract obtained directly or indirectly from a captive insurance company. The life insurance contract is purchased with assets from the trust account and the captive insurance company is a least partially owned by the employer. When paying or reimbursing benefits, the employer or the trust may pay the benefit and if the employer pays the benefit, the trust may reimburse the employer.
US08060380B2
An apparatus and method are disclosed for processing phone-in prescription requests. The apparatus is in the form of a prescription processing network that includes a prescription processing system and a communication device remotely located from the prescription processing system. The communication device is used to establish a communication channel with the prescription processing system and submit a prescription request over the communication channel. A pharmacist, associated with the prescription processing system, prepares a completed prescription form based, at least in part, on the submitted prescription request. The prescription processing network also includes a pharmacy for receiving the completed prescription form, and filling the prescription request based on the completed prescription form.
US08060376B2
The present invention involves a health care patient document system and method which enable patients to enter clinical, administrative, and financial information normally completed on a clipboard in a medical office into a computerized system that stores the information. The patient is then enabled to direct the stored information to any health care provider whether the provider is enabled to receive the data electronically or not. For those provider clinicians and organizations not enabled to receive the information electronically, the system completes the paper-based forms already in use within the organization and sends the completed form by facsimile or mail delivery.
US08060374B2
Spatial information associated with an audio signal is encoded into a bitstream, which can be transmitted to a decoder or recorded to a storage media. The bitstream can include different syntax related to time, frequency and spatial domains. In some embodiments, the bitstream includes one or more data structures (e.g., frames) that contain ordered sets of slots for which parameters can be applied. The data structures can be fixed or variable. The data structure can include position information that can be used by a decoder to identify the correct slot for which a given parameter set is applied. The slot position information can be encoded with either a fixed number of bits or a variable number of bits based on the data structure type.
US08060373B2
A system and method for identifying contact information is provided. A system to identify contact information may include an input to receive a data stream. The data stream may include audio content, video content or both. The system may also include an analysis module to detect contact information within the data stream. The system may also include a memory to store a record of the contact information.
US08060372B2
Methods and apparatus for characterizing media are described. In one example, a method of characterizing media includes capturing a block of audio; converting at least a portion of the block of audio into a frequency domain representation including a plurality of complex-valued frequency components; defining a band of complex-valued frequency components for consideration; determining a decision metric using the band of complex-valued frequency components; and determining a signature bit based on a value of the decision metric. Other examples are shown and described.
US08060369B2
Disclosed is a system and method for training a spoken dialog service component from website data. Spoken dialog service components typically include an automatic speech recognition module, a language understanding module, a dialog management module, a language generation module and a text-to-speech module. The method includes converting data from a structured database associated with a website to a structured text data set and a structured task knowledge base, extracting linguistic items from the structured database, and training a spoken dialog service component using at least one of the structured text data, the structured task knowledge base, or the linguistic items. The system includes modules configured to implement the method.
US08060367B2
Improved systems and methods are described which simplify the individual's interaction with speech recognition software, expand the database of spoken point names that can be recognized, and increase the quality and therefore likelihood of success of speech recognition applications. The present systems and methods apply to various uses, such as providing driving directions, finding the nearest location based service, and finding the nearest “Where Am I?” type of location based services.
US08060366B1
A system, method, and computer readable medium that facilitate verbal control of conference call features are provided. Automatic speech recognition functionality is deployed in a conferencing platform. Hot words are configured in the conference platform that may be identified in speech supplied to a conference call. Upon recognition of a hot word, a corresponding feature may be invoked. A speaker may be identified using speaker identification technologies. Identification of the speaker may be utilized to fulfill the speaker's request in response to recognition of a hot word and the speaker. Particular participants may be provided with conference control privileges that are not provided to other participants. Upon recognition of a hot word, the speaker may be identified to determine if the speaker is authorized to invoke the conference feature associated with the hot word.
US08060364B2
An apparatus and method for the event-driven analysis of media contents derived from customer interactions is disclosed. Content analysis is executed exclusively on those segments of the interaction media that are relevant in a given context. The steps of the analysis are carried out either in a static or dynamic manner where less demanding on resources analysis type is performed prior to more demanding analysis type.
US08060358B2
A computing system configured to produce an optimized translation hypothesis of text input into the computing system. The computing system includes a plurality of translation machines. Each of the translation machines is configured to produce their own translation hypothesis from the same text. An optimization machine is connected to the plurality of translation machines. The optimization machine is configured to receive the translation hypotheses from the translation machines. The optimization machine is further configured to align, word-to-word, the hypotheses in the plurality of hypotheses by using a hidden Markov model.
US08060346B2
A distributed graphical presentation and manipulation application executes as a thin client application in a network. The networked graphical presentation and manipulation application can generally be used without requiring a user to install any specific software prior to using the application. In one aspect, code may be received from a server, and a local environment may be generated based on the code, where the local environment may be configured to display a view of the graphical model. One or more model views to be requested may be predicted, and the predicted views may be stored in a memory for display in the local environment.
US08060344B2
A method and system comprising a Master station, a processor and one or more targets that allows a user of said system to automatically generate a 3 dimensional graphical representation of a construction site and also overlay a drawing onto the graphical representation to guide the user within a virtual space being displayed by the processor.
US08060342B2
An integrity management system predicts abnormalities in complex systems before they occur based upon the prior history of abnormalities within the complex system. A topology of the nodes of a complex system is generated and data is collected from the system based on predetermined metrics. In combination with dynamic thresholding, fingerprints of the relevant nodes within a complex system at various time intervals prior to the occurrence of the abnormality are captured and weighted. The fingerprints can then be applied to real-time data to provide alerts of potential abnormality prior to their actual occurrence.
US08060338B2
Methods and apparatuses for locating a sensor node are disclosed. A representative apparatus, among others, includes a processing unit that receives sensor node data and object trajectory information data for an object. The sensor node data is related to the object's trajectory, and a data point in the object trajectory information data comprises a time stamp and the coordinates of a position. The position corresponds the location of the object at the given time. The processing unit is adapted to correlate at least a portion of the sensor node data with at least a portion of the object trajectory information data to determine an absolute position of the sensor node.
US08060334B1
An aircraft Ice Detection pitot-static tube is described which uses sensors integrated into the pitot-static tube to determine when and where the pitot-static tube is icing up. Temperature, thermal conductivity and impedance sensor measurements are combined with a mathematical transfer of the impedance sensor output into the complex dielectric plane to identify that the material accreating on the exterior and interior of the pitot-static tube is ice and only ice. Identification of ice realized when the trace in complex dielectric space has a distinctive semi-circular form, which only ice exhibits, with measured values in agreement with reference laboratory data stored in the onboard computer system.
US08060326B2
Provided is a measurement apparatus including a first timing detecting section that detects first change timings of a signal under measurement, a second timing detecting section that detects second change timings of the signal under measurement, a buffer section that buffers data indicating the first change timings detected by the first timing detecting section and data indicating the second change timings detected by the second timing detecting section, and a calculating section that acquires, from the buffer section, the data indicating the first change timings and the data indicating the second change timings, calculates a temporal relationship between the first change timings and the second change timings, and outputs the temporal relationship.
US08060322B2
Battery management system and a driving method thereof including a sensing unit and an MCU. The sensing unit measures a battery current and a battery voltage. The MCU sets an OCV during a no-load state period at time increments measured from the beginning of the no-load state period, and estimates an SOC corresponding to the set OCV.
US08060299B2
A system is provided for regulating a travel course of a machine. The system has a steering system operationally connected to at least one ground engaging device. Additionally, the system has a path generator configured to generate a path along which the machine can travel. The system also has a path tracker configured to automatically regulate the steering system to position the machine within a predetermined vicinity of an initial point on the generated path and guide the machine along the generated path.
US08060297B2
A user can intend to travel between different locations and employ different traveling manners to reach an intended travel destination. At different points, different devices can be employed for disclosing a route. For instance, as a user walks, a route can be integrated into a personal electronic device, such as a cellular telephone. An evaluation can take place that due to specific route details, for example detailed text, a particular device would be superior for presentment over another.
US08060295B2
A separation management system includes a data input module for receiving and filtering aircraft information and airspace information related to a control aircraft and a relevant aircraft, the aircraft information enabling the calculation of a trajectory window for each aircraft. A conflict monitoring module may be included in the system for monitoring the trajectory window for each aircraft with respect to time and probabilistic location, the conflict monitoring module determining when a trajectory overlap occurs resulting from the intersection of the trajectory window for the control aircraft and the relevant aircraft. In addition, the system may include a separation routing module for rerouting the control aircraft when a trajectory overlap for the control aircraft is detected by the conflict monitoring module.
US08060294B2
A control device is arranged to control an oxygen sensor for an automotive vehicle wherein the oxygen sensor has a sensor element and a heater for elevating a temperature of the sensor element. The control device includes a tilt detection section arranged to detect tilting of a vehicle body; a storage section arranged to store tilt information in accordance with a result of detection by the tilt detection section; and a control section arranged to control, at a start of an engine of the vehicle, the heater in one of a plurality of modes including a normal mode and a delay mode in which temperature elevation of the sensor element is delayed relative to the normal mode, based on the tilt information stored in the storage section.
US08060290B2
An engine control unit having a one-time integration of a model predictive control template via a potentially long software process. Changes to the control structure may subsequently be made via a calibration dataset connected to the engine control unit without incurring the potentially long and laborious software process of implementing the template of other approaches in the related art.
US08060289B2
A vehicle driving assist system is provided that calculates the risk potential of the host vehicle with respect to a preceding object existing in front of a host vehicle. A first driving assistance control system controls at least one of an actuation reaction force exerted by a driver-operated driving operation device and a braking/driving force exerted against the host vehicle based on the calculated risk potential. A second driving assistance control system configured to control the braking/driving force of the host vehicle such that at least one of a host vehicle speed and a headway distance between the host vehicle and the obstacle is maintained. An operating state reporting section reports an operating state of the first driving assistance control system based on an operating state of the second driving assistance control system, the risk potential, and an accelerator pedal actuation state.
US08060280B2
A control system for safety deployment. The control system includes a processor, a first imaging sensor, and a second imaging sensor. The first and second imaging sensor are in electrical communication with the processor. The processor generates a safety system activation decision based on two-dimensional information received from the first imaging sensor and three-dimensional information based on the first and second imaging sensor.
US08060268B2
A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle that is capable of suppressing overheating of the second clutch is taught herein. Control is switched between engine-used slip drive control and motor drive control on a basis of a vehicle load such as weight or a road incline gradient. Control methods for hybrid vehicles are also disclosed.
US08060265B2
There is provided a boat (200) including a hull (20), and two engines (30, 50) couplable to rotationally drive mutually spaced separate corresponding propeller assemblies for providing thrusts. Directions of the thrusts are angularly adjustable (α1, α2) relative to the hull (20). A control unit (70) receives first and second user commands (S1, S2) and sends corresponding signals for controlling powers (P1, P2) coupled from the engines (30, 50) to their propeller assemblies. The control unit (70) determines a difference in power (ΔP) to be coupled to the propeller assemblies as a function of the first and second user commands (S1, S2). The control unit (70) controls coupling of power (P1, P2) to the propeller assemblies so that the propeller assemblies develop a difference in thrust which is a function of the difference in power (ΔP). The control unit (70) adjusts angles (α1, α2) of the directions of thrusts as a function of the difference in power (ΔP) to assist the difference in power (ΔP) coupled to the propeller assemblies to enhance maneuverability of the vessel (200).
US08060263B2
A system for forecasting the outbound workload in a switchyard. The system has a processing entity for which receives information on railcar traffic for handling by the switchyard, wherein the railcar traffic includes railcars that are yet to be switched into classification tracks of the switchyard. For every departure train of two or more departure trains, the processing entity applies logic rules to the information to compute a forecast of railcar traffic that will be available to the departure train for transport out of the switchyard. An output releases data derived from the forecast of railcar traffic, describing the traffic available for each train of the two or more departure trains.
US08060258B2
A multivariable method and process controller is for controlling a catalyzed chemical reaction to form phthalic anhydride (PA), produced by a production unit including a chemical reactor having a plurality of pipes connected in parallel having inner surfaces affixed with at least one solid catalyst. The reactor implements a process for forming PA by receiving flows of reagents including at least one oxidizable substituted aromatic and an oxygen including source gas at one or more inlets of the reactor. A dynamic multivariable model for the process represents the effects of moving a plurality of manipulated variables (MVs) including a flow of the oxygen including source gas and a flow or temperature of the oxidizable substituted aromatic on controlled variables (CVs) including a temperature at a plurality of positions along a length of the pipes. During the process, a first parameter related to performance of the catalyst in producing PA and a second parameter including a temperature at one or more of the plurality of positions in measured. Using the dynamic model, the temperature in the plurality of positions along the length of the reactor are automatically adjusting based on at least the first measured parameter, which permits the temperature profile to be adjusted to compensate for ageing of the catalyst to improve production efficiency.
US08060249B2
Devices, systems, and methods are provided for remote visualization of the storage compartments in a medication dispenser device, to monitor a patient's compliance with a medication dosage schedule and for verifying the proper loading of medication into the patient's medication dispenser device. The device may include a plurality of storage compartments, each having an interior space for storing at least one medication or medication reminder marker; an image capturing device (e.g., a camera) positionable to capture an image of the interior space of each storage compartment; and a communications module for electronically transmitting the captured image to a central monitoring station.
US08060235B2
The present invention relates to a saw including a sawhead pivotably connected to a base. The pivotable connection may define a pivot axis therethrough, wherein the pivot axis may be parallel to the horizontal plane. In addition, the sawhead may rotate around the pivot axis and may be axially displaceable along the pivot axis.
US08060234B2
There is described a method and apparatus for tracking the location of web features through a converting process, one application of which can involve tracking paper defects from a paper machine as detected by a camera system, to a winder where the sheet is wound to rolls so that the web defects can be repaired in the winder before making the rolls. The method to track web features is based on pattern identification of inherent sheet variability or defects. The apparatus involves two or more sheet property or defect monitoring web sensors arranged at the same cross directional location at different stages of the converting operation, augmented by tachometers and/or roll diameter sensors. A full automation system for drive control on the winder based on this information is preferably added to make maximum advantage of this information.
US08060233B2
A control system includes at least one part mounter installing parts on a printed circuit board and a control device integrally controlling the operation of the at least one part mounter. The control device controls the part mounter using information about the printed circuit board and information on a production process flow of the printed circuit board. The control device integrally controls the operations of the part mounters, including receiving and storing information on parts that the part mounters install, information on a feeder that supplies the parts, and information on arrangement of the parts on the printed circuit board, receiving and displaying operation information and operation situations from the part mounters, and controlling operations of the part mounters using the stored information and displayed information.
US08060229B2
Improved techniques and systems for utilizing a portable electronic device to monitor, process, present and manage data captured by a remote sensor are disclosed. The portable electronic device offers a convenient user interface that can be visual and/or audio based customized to a particular application, user-friendly and/or dynamic. The portable electronic device can pertain to a portable media player and thus also provide media playback.
US08060216B2
Electronic neural tissue stimulators for controlling the level of electrical stimulation in order to prevent damage to the neural tissue. Methods presented in the disclosure include detecting current leakage via electrode impedance measurement, electrode capacitance measurement, and testing the electrode response to a test current pulse. Apparatus presented in the disclosure include circuitry and systems capable of performing the methods disclosed.
US08060212B1
Exemplary external medical devices are configurable to communicate with an implantable medical device (IMD). One medical device includes multiple IMD telemetry ports operable to connect IMD telemetry mechanisms to the medical device. The medical device also includes a control unit configured to control the IMD telemetry mechanisms.
US08060208B2
An example method for selectively and reversibly preventing the conduction of action potentials in a targeted nerve region is presented. The method includes generating an electrical waveform having two phases and selectively depolarizing a nerve membrane using the electrical waveform. The nerve membrane is depolarized to a state where the nerve membrane cannot conduct an action potential. The depolarization is achieved by selectively repetitively providing the electrical waveform to a targeted nerve region associated with the nerve region to control m gates and h gates in the region and thus to control the availability of ions.
US08060207B2
A method of treating a disorder in a patient is provided. The method comprises delivering a stimulation lead within a blood vessel, intralumenally puncturing a wall of the blood vessel to create an exit point, and then introducing the stimulation lead through the exit point into direct contact with tissue the stimulation of which treats the disorder. Optionally, the method comprises implanting a source of stimulation within the patient's body, and then electrically coupling the proximal end of the stimulation lead to the implanted stimulation source. Using the stimulation lead, the tissue can then be stimulated in order to treat the disorder.
US08060202B2
Pacing parameters are provided to address cross talk and intrinsic ventricular events occurring within a predefined blanking period following an atrial event. The parameters are used in conjunction with protocol for minimizing or reducing ventricular pacing, wherein ignoring intrinsic ventricular events during the blanking period might otherwise affect the performance of the protocol.
US08060201B2
A method for operating an implantable medical device to control a stimulation therapy includes the steps of: sensing an acoustic energy; producing acoustic signals indicative of heart sounds of the heart of the patient over predetermined periods of a cardiac cycle during successive cardiac cycles; extracting a signal corresponding to a first heart sound (S1) from a measured acoustic signal; calculating an energy value corresponding to the extracted signal; storing the energy value corresponding to the first heart sound; and initiating an optimization procedure, the optimization procedure comprising the steps of: iteratively controlling a delivery of the pacing pulses based on successive energy values corresponding to successive first heart sound signals and determining an optimal PV interval or AV interval with respect to the energy values. A medical device and a computer readable medium to implement the method.
US08060198B2
Method and apparatus that uses dual-chamber (RA-RV), three-chamber (BiA-RV, or RA-BiV), or four-chamber (BiA-BiV) implantable cardiac devices including pacemakers, defibrillators and cardioverters, which stimulate cardiac tissue electrically to control the patient's heart rhythm. The method and apparatus are further configured to create a far-field intra-atrial electrogram (AEGM) and a far-field intra-ventricular electrogram (VEGM) that are independently filtered, scaled, and then summed to form a composite far-field electrogram.
US08060179B1
SQUID imaging of a subject's head after the subject having been administered superparamagnetic nanoparticles comprising: an iron-containing core, a coating covering the core and a probe molecule conjugated to the coating wherein the probe molecule locates the superparamagnetic nanoparticle to a target in the brain that is characteristic of the neurodegenerative disease; magnetizing the superparamagnetic nanoparticles using external magnetic coils; and measuring the decaying remanence magnetic fields of the superparamagnetic nanoparticles attached to the target and not from unattached superparamagnetic nanoparticles to obtain magnetic field measurements.
US08060173B2
Systems and methods for processing sensor analyte data, including initiating calibration, updating calibration, evaluating clinical acceptability of reference and sensor analyte data, and evaluating the quality of sensor calibration. During initial calibration, the analyte sensor data is evaluated over a period of time to determine stability of the sensor. The sensor may be calibrated using a calibration set of one or more matched sensor and reference analyte data pairs. The calibration may be updated after evaluating the calibration set for best calibration based on inclusion criteria with newly received reference analyte data. Fail-safe mechanisms are provided based on clinical acceptability of reference and analyte data and quality of sensor calibration. Algorithms provide for optimized prospective and retrospective analysis of estimated blood analyte data from an analyte sensor.
