US08188715B2

A method of determining extent and type of capacity fade of an electrochemical cell in one embodiment includes identifying a first volume fraction of an active material in an electrode, identifying a first capacity of the first electrode at another time, identifying a second volume fraction of the first active material based upon the first capacity, identifying a first amount of the first active material lost from the first time to the second time based upon the first volume fraction and the second volume fraction, identifying a third volume fraction of an active material in another electrode, identifying a second capacity of the second electrode at a later time, identifying a fourth volume fraction of the second active material based upon the second capacity, and identifying a second amount of the second active material lost based upon the third volume fraction and the fourth volume fraction.
US08188713B2

An embedded charging socket includes a case and an AC-to-DC circuit. The case is combined with a positioning slot of a panel, so as to be fixed on a specific position, for example, a wall surface, through the panel. The case has an AC input end disposed on one side for inputting an AC voltage, and has at least one universal serial bus (USB) slot disposed on the other side. Further, the AC-to-DC circuit is disposed inside the case, and has two sides respectively electrically connected to the AC input end and the USB slot, for converting the AC voltage to a DC voltage, then outputting the DC voltage through the USB slot, and charging an electric apparatus after an USB connector is inserted.
US08188710B2

In charging first and second power storage devices from a charging station, an inverter ECU controls first and second inverters to convert AC power received at first and second neutral points into DC power and output the DC power to a power supply system. A converter ECU converts in voltage the electric power received from the first and second inverters to be charged and outputs the converted electric power to the first and second power storage devices, and for low temperature, controls first and second converters to allow the first and second power storage devices to communicate electric power therebetween.
US08188704B2

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for managing energy consumption. Electrical power from an auxiliary battery system is received. The electrical power is shared with peripheral devices. A characteristic of a vehicle battery is received from an interface to an on board diagnostic system. When the electrical power received from the auxiliary battery system is less than a threshold value, then the auxiliary battery system is charged from a connection to the vehicle battery. The charging of the auxiliary battery system is disabled when the characteristic of the vehicle battery is less than the minimum value.
US08188699B2

The rotation period of a motor is subdivided by edge interval times and a rate of change between a currently calculated edge interval time and an edge interval time calculated one rotation of the motor previously is calculated at the detection of each edge. Then the rotation period of the motor is calculated by multiplying a set reference period by the calculated rate of change.
US08188691B1

The present disclosure is an apparatus for controlling movement of a decoy. The apparatus for controlling movement of a decoy may include a motor and a housing. The motor may cause movement of a decoy coupled to the motor to simulate movement of an animal. The apparatus for controlling movement of a decoy may include a shaft which couples to the motor and the decoy whereby the motor may cause axial rotation of the decoy.
US08188689B2

An induction activated cover assembly includes a main body, a cover, a covering plate and two pivots. The main body has an opening vertically penetrating the main body. A lateral connecting groove is formed on a top surface of the main body. Two through holes are formed on two ends of the connecting groove respectively. The cover is pivotably disposed on the main body. A lateral connecting body is formed on a rear end of the cover, and the connecting body has a connecting body opening facing downward. Two pivot bores are formed on two ends of the connecting body. The covering plate encloses the connecting body opening. A receiving room is defined between the connecting body and the covering plate for the pivots to be received therein. Each pivot inserts through one of the pivot bores and its corresponding through hole to pivot the cover on the main body.
US08188677B2

A system and method modify phase delays of a periodic, phase modulated mains voltage to generate at least two independent items of information during each cycle of the periodic input signal. The independent items of information can be generated by, for example, independently modifying leading edge and trailing edge phase delays of each half cycle phase modulated mains voltage. Modifying phase delays for the leading and trailing edges of each half cycle of the phase modulated mains voltage can generate up to four independent items of data. The items of data can be converted into independent control signals to, for example, control drive currents to respective output devices such as light sources to provide multiple items of information per cycle.
US08188675B2

The present invention relates to a method for operating an illumination system, which illumination system has a high pressure discharge lamp driven with a commutating lamp current (IL), and a color filter system for filtering the light of the high pressure discharge lamp in a plurality of sequential color segments (A, B, D, E, G, H). The invention further relates to an illumination system for embodying the inventive method, and to a computer program product which can be loaded into an inventive illumination system in order to configure said illumination system in accordance with the inventive method. According to the invention, prior to a commutation in an intermediate phase (ZP), the lamp current (IL) passes through an intermediate phase pulse (DP), during which the light of the illumination system is suppressed. When a change occurs in the course of the lamp current preceding the intermediate phase (ZP), the intermediate phase pulse (DP) occurring in the intermediate phase is adapted in such a way that the change is at least partially compensated in the effect thereof on the electrode temperature at the time of the commutation.
US08188665B2

The invention relates to a light emitting diode (LED) which is electrically connected to an anode and a source. According to the invention one of the anode and the source is thermally coupled to a first heat conductor, the heat conductor being thermally coupled to a first Peltier element to convert thermal energy transmitted from and generated in the light emitting crystal when the light emitting crystal is provided with electrical energy into electrical energy.
US08188662B2

An electrodeless plasma lamp and method of generating light are described. The lamp may comprise a lamp body, a source of radio frequency (RF) power and a bulb. The lamp body may comprise a solid dielectric material and at least one conductive element within the solid dielectric material. The source of RF power is configured to provide RF power and an RF feed configured to radiate the RF power from the RF source into the lamp body. One or more tuning mechanisms allow tuning of the lamp body to a given resonant frequency. The bulb is positioned proximate the lamp body and contains a fill that forms a plasma when the RF power is coupled to the fill from the lamp body. The at least one conductive element is configured to concentrate an electric field proximate the bulb.
US08188652B2

Provided is a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display device in which a laser beam is used. The method includes forming an organic light emitting unit on a substrate; forming a sealing unit that seals the organic light emitting unit; forming an protective film which is opaque on the sealing unit to protect the organic light emitting unit or the sealing unit by blocking the transmission of the laser beam; forming an optical pattern on the opaque protective film using the laser beam; and forming a transparent film from the opaque protective film by oxidizing the opaque protective film.
US08188636B2

A first energy generating system comprises a ferromagnetic generator coupled to a voltage controlled switch. The ferromagnetic generator includes a ferromagnetic element generating a magnetic field and positioned within a pulse generating coil and near an explosive charge. Detonation of the explosive charge decreases the magnetic field and induces a pulse of electric energy in the pulse generating coil. When the magnitude of the electric energy reaches a certain level, the voltage controlled switch closes. A second energy generating system comprises a flux compression generator coupled to a voltage controlled switch. The flux compression generator includes a inductance coil generating a magnetic field within a metallic armature that includes an explosive charge. Detonation of the explosive charge changes the magnetic field and induces a pulse of electric energy in the inductance coil. When the magnitude of the electric energy reaches a certain level, the voltage controlled switch closes.
US08188626B2

There is obtained a controller-integrated electric rotating machine that is superior in terms of a cooling effect.In a controller-integrated electric rotating machine provided with a stator 3 configured with an iron core 3B and a stator winding 3A, a rotor 4 having a cooling fan 5, an inverter power circuit 20 that is a control apparatus for applying a stator current to the stator winding 3A, and a bus bar 30 that supplies the inverter power circuit 20 with electric power from a battery, the inverter power circuit 20 includes a power module 21 that has a function of switching the stator current, a heat sink 23 on which the power module 21 is mounted by the intermediary of an insulating layer, and an insulator case 25 that incorporates the power module 21 and holds respective terminals of the power module 21; and the bus bar 30 is connected with terminals 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d of the inverter power circuit 20 and has a cooling fin 30a.
US08188625B2

An oil cooling system for a motor includes a rotor, a stator core annularly positioned around the rotor, a plurality of coils annularly arranged and each wound around the stator core, and a plurality of oil discharging holes annularly arranged in a circumferential direction of the stator core, the oil discharging holes through which oil is discharged with pressure in an axial direction of the stator core to cool the coils.
US08188618B2

A power supply circuit includes a first DC-DC converter, a second DC-DC converter, a voltage detection circuit, a delay circuit and a switch. The second DC-DC converter converts an output voltage of the first DC-DC converter into a second voltage and outputs the second voltage. The voltage detection circuit outputs a detection signal when an output voltage of the first DC-DC converter becomes a threshold voltage or more. The delay circuit outputs a delayed detection signal with a delay of a predetermined time from a point of time that the detection signal outputted from the voltage detection circuit is inputted to the delay circuit. The switch is connected between the first DC-DC converter and an output terminal. The second DC-DC converter starts an operation in response to the delayed detection signal outputted from the delay circuit. The switch is closed in response to an output from the second DC-DC converter.
US08188617B2

A current balancing apparatus includes a first transformer having a first primary winding and a first secondary winding electromagnetically coupled with the first primary winding, the first primary winding having a first end connected to a first load that passes a first current; a second transformer having a second primary winding and a second secondary winding electromagnetically coupled with the second primary winding, the second primary winding having a first end connected to a second load that passes a second current having an AC component substantially having a 180-degree phase difference with respect to the first current; and a series circuit including the first secondary winding, the second secondary winding, and a current smoother, to balance the first current and second current with each other.
US08188615B2

An integrated circuit is adapted to be selectively AC or DC coupled to an external device at a coupling point. The integrated circuit includes a first connector connected to the coupling point by way of a coupling capacitor for AC coupling, a second connector connected to the coupling point for DC coupling, and a switch to selectively short the first and second connectors and thereby the coupling capacitor, when the integrated circuit is DC coupled to the device. The switch may be a MOSFET bridge comprising a switch control MOSFET interconnected between the first and second connectors, with the switch control MOSFET receiving at its gate a mode status signal for turning on the switch control MOSFET and thereby shorting the MOSFET bridge when the integrated circuit is DC coupled to the external device. The MOSFET bridge also includes a number of dynamically biased nMOSFETs connected in series with the switch control MOSFET in order to protect switch control MOSFET from high external supply voltages, and a number of dynamically biased pMOSFETs connected in parallel with the switch control MOSFET.
US08188606B2

A semiconductor package includes a device pad on a substrate. A polybenzoxazole (PBO) layer overlies the substrate, and the PBO layer has an opening to expose the device pad. A redistribution layer (RDL) comprises a landing pad, and the RDL is positioned on the PBO layer and conductively coupled to the device pad. A polymer layer is on the RDL, and an under bump metal pad (UBM) is on the landing pad and extends onto a top surface of the polymer layer. The UBM electrically connects to the landing pad through an opening in the polymer layer. A solder bump is secured to the UBM. A shortest distance from a center of the landing pad to an outer edge of the landing pad, and a shortest distance from a center of the UBM to an outer edge of the UBM are in a ratio that ranges from 0.5:1 up to 0.95:1.
US08188600B2

The present invention provides a semiconductor device which is capable of enhancing adhesion at an interface between a wire-protection film and copper, suppressing dispersion of copper at the interface to avoid electromigration and stress-inducing voids, and having a highly reliable wire. An interlayer insulating film, and a first etching-stopper film are formed on a semiconductor substrate on which a semiconductor device is fabricated. A first alloy-wire covered with a first barrier metal film is formed on the first etching-stopper film by a damascene process. The first alloy-wire is covered at an upper surface thereof with a first wire-protection film. The first wire-protection film covering an upper surface of the first alloy-wire contains at least one metal among metals contained in the first alloy-wire.
US08188598B2

A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die with a plurality of bumps formed over the die. A substrate has a plurality of conductive traces formed on the substrate. Each trace has an interconnect site for mating to the bumps. The interconnect sites have parallel edges along a length of the conductive traces under the bumps from a plan view for increasing escape routing density. The bumps have a noncollapsible portion for attaching to a contact pad on the die and fusible portion for attaching to the interconnect site. The fusible portion melts at a temperature which avoids damage to the substrate during reflow. The noncollapsible portion includes lead solder, and fusible portion includes eutectic solder. The interconnect sites have a width which is less than 1.2 times a width of the conductive trace. Alternatively, the interconnect sites have a width which is less than one-half a diameter of the bump.
US08188596B2

A multi-chip module is disclosed. In one embodiment, the multichip module includes a first chip, a second chip and a common chip carrier is disclosed. The first chip and the second chip are mounted on the common chip carrier. The second chip is mounted on the chip carrier in a flip-chip orientation. The second chip is electrically connected to the first chip via the chip carrier.
US08188591B2

Integrated structures having high performance CMOS active devices mounted on passive devices are provided. The structure includes an integrated passive device chip having a plurality of through wafer vias, mounted to a ground plane. The structure further includes at least one CMOS device mounted on the integrated passive device chip using flip chip technology and being grounded to the ground plane through the through wafer vias of the integrated passive device chip.
US08188587B2

A semiconductor die package, and methods of making the same. The package includes a leadframe and a clip structure. The clip structure is formed, such that a portion of the clip structure points towards the semiconductor die and is coplanar with the leadframe. The semiconductor die package further includes a housing material covering at least a portion of the leadframe, the semiconductor die, and the clip structure. The housing material has an external recess that holds a portion of the clip structure.
US08188585B2

An electronic device or devices and method for producing a device is disclosed. One embodiment provides an integrated component, a first package body and a contact device. The contact device penetrates the package body.
US08188584B1

A method and structure provides a Direct Write Wafer Level Chip Scale Package (DWWLCSP) that utilizes permanent layers/coatings and direct write techniques to pattern these layers/coatings, thereby avoiding the use of photoimagable materials and photo-etching processes.
US08188574B2

A microelectronic element, e.g., a semiconductor chip having a silicon-on-insulator layer (“SOI layer”) separated from a bulk monocrystalline silicon layer by a buried oxide (BOX) layer in which a crack stop extends in first lateral directions at least generally parallel to the edges of the chip to define a ring-like barrier separating an active portion of the chip inside the barrier with a peripheral portion of the chip. The crack stop can include a first crack stop ring contacting a silicon portion of the chip above the BOX layer; the first crack stop ring may extend continuously in the first lateral directions to surround the active portion of the chip. A guard ring (“GR”) including a GR contact ring can extend downwardly through the SOI layer and the BOX layer to conductively contact the bulk monocrystalline silicon region, the GR contact ring extending at least generally parallel to the first crack stop ring to surround the active portion of the chip. A continuous metal ring extending continuously in the first lateral directions can surround the active portion of the chip, such metal ring connecting the GR contact ring with the first crack stop ring such that the metal line and the GR contact ring form a continuous seal preventing mobile ions from moving between the peripheral and active portions of the chip.
US08188573B2

A nitride semiconductor substrate and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The nitride semiconductor substrate includes an epitaxy substrate, a nitride pillar layer, a nitride semiconductor layer, and a mask layer. The nitride pillar layer includes a plurality of first patterned arranged pillars and a plurality of second patterned arranged pillars. The nitride pillar layer is formed on the epitaxy substrate. A width of a cross-section of each of the second patterned arranged pillars is smaller than a width of a cross-section of each of the first patterned arranged pillars, and a distance among each of the second patterned arranged pillars is longer than a distance among each of the first patterned arranged pillars. Surfaces of the epitaxy substrate, the first patterned arranged pillars, and the second patterned arranged pillars are covered by the mask layer. The nitride semiconductor layer is formed on the nitride pillar layer.
US08188572B2

In one embodiment, a plurality of ESD devices are used to form an integrated semiconductor filter circuit. Additional diodes are formed in parallel with the ESD structures in order to increase the input capacitance.
US08188561B2

An integrated vacuum package having an added volume on a perimeter within the perimeter of a bonding seal between two wafers. The added volume of space may be an etching of material from the inside surface of the top wafer. This wafer may have vent holes that may be sealed to maintain a vacuum within the volume between the two wafers after the pump out of gas and air. The inside surface of the top wafer may have an anti-reflective pattern. Also, an anti-reflective pattern may be on the outside surface of the top wafer. The seal between the two wafers may be ring-like and have a spacer material. Also, it may have a malleable material such as solder to compensate for any flatness variation between the two facing surfaces of the wafers.
US08188551B2

Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. A complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device includes a PMOS transistor having at least two first gate electrodes comprising a first parameter, and an NMOS transistor having at least two second gate electrodes comprising a second parameter, wherein the second parameter is different than the first parameter. The first parameter and the second parameter may comprise the thickness or the dopant profile of the gate electrode materials of the PMOS and NMOS transistors. The first and second parameter of the at least two first gate electrodes and the at least two second gate electrodes establish the work function of the PMOS and NMOS transistors, respectively.
US08188542B2

A field effect transistor includes a first substrate region having a channel region and a second substrate region where a heavily doped region is formed. The channel region includes a first portion having a first width and a second portion having a second width larger than the first width. Related fabrication methods are also described.
US08188541B2

In an embodiment, set forth by way of example and not limitation, a MOSFET power chip includes a first vertical MOSFET and a second vertical MOSFET. The first vertical MOSFET includes a semiconductor body having a first surface defining a source and a second surface defining a drain and a gate structure formed in the semiconductor body near the second surface. A via is formed within the semiconductor body and is substantially perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface. The via has a first end electrically coupled to the first surface and a second end electrically coupled to the gate structure. The second vertical MOSFET includes a semiconductor body having a first surface defining a source, a second surface defining a drain and a gate structure formed in the semiconductor body near the first surface. The first surface of the first vertical MOSFET and the second surface of the second vertical MOSFET are substantially co-planar and an electrically conductive can substantially surrounds the MOSFETS and shorts the first surface of the first vertical MOSFET to the second surface of the second vertical MOSFET.
US08188540B2

A double-gate semiconductor device includes a MOS gate and a junction gate, in which the bias of the junction gate is a function of the gate voltage of the MOS gate. The breakdown voltage of the double-gate semiconductor device is the sum of the breakdown voltages of the MOS gate and the junction gate. The double-gate semiconductor device provides improved RF capability in addition to operability at higher power levels as compared to conventional transistor devices. The double-gate semiconductor device may also be fabricated in a higher spatial density configuration such that a common implantation between the MOS gate and the junction gate is eliminated.
US08188537B2

It is intended to provide a semiconductor device including a MOS transistor, comprising: a semiconductor pillar; one of a drain region and a source region formed in contact with a lower part of the semiconductor pillar; a first gate formed around a sidewall of the semiconductor pillar through a first dielectric film therebetween; and an epitaxial semiconductor layer formed on a top surface of the semiconductor pillar, wherein the other of the source region and the drain region is formed so as to be at least partially in the epitaxial semiconductor layer, and wherein: the other of the source region and the drain region has a top surface having an area greater than that of the top surface of the semiconductor pillar.
US08188536B2

A memory device including a substrate, a plurality of conductive layers, a composite dielectric layer and a plurality of gates are provided. Wherein, the conductive layers are disposed on the substrate. The composite dielectric layer is disposed on the substrate and covers the conductive layers. The composite dielectric layer includes a charge trapping layer. The gates are disposed on the composite dielectric layer and across the conductive layers. Wherein, the conductive layers can be used as local bit lines to reduce the resistance values and improve the performance of the memory device.
US08188533B2

Structures and methods for write once read only memory employing charge trapping in insulators are provided. The write once read only memory cell includes a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor having a first source/drain region, a second source/drain region, a channel region between the first and the second source/drain regions, and a gate separated from the channel region by a gate insulator. A plug couples the first source/drain region to an array plate. A bitline is coupled to the second source/drain region. The MOSFET can be programmed by operation in a reverse direction trapping charge in the gate insulator adjacent to the first source/drain region such that the programmed MOSFET operates at reduced drain source current when read in a forward direction.
US08188531B2

A dual gate of a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate divided into a cell region with a recessed gate forming area and a peripheral region with PMOS and NMOS forming areas; first and second conductive type SiGe layers, the first conductive type SiGe layer being formed over the cell region and the PMOS forming area of the peripheral region, and the second conductive type SiGe layer being formed over the NMOS forming area of the peripheral region; first and second conductive type polysilicon layers, the first conductive type polysilicon layer being formed over the first conductive type SiGe layer and the second conductive type polysilicon layer being formed over the second conductive type SiGe layer; and a metallic layer and a hard mask layer stacked over the first and second conductive type polysilicon layers.
US08188527B2

A semiconductor device with an embedded capacitor structure. A dielectric layer is disposed on a substrate, having a contact opening exposing the substrate and a trench opening above the contact opening. A first metal electrode layer is conformally disposed over the sidewalls and bottoms of the contact and trench openings. A second metal electrode layer is conformally disposed over the sidewalls and bottoms of the contact and trench openings. A capacitor dielectric layer is interposed between the first and second metal electrode layers. A method for fabricating the semiconductor device is also disclosed.
US08188526B2

It is an object of the present invention to surely protect a predetermined semiconductor element or a predetermined semiconductor element group in an analog block from a noise generated from a digital block. A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor substrate, a digital block to be a region in which a digital circuit is formed and an analog block to be a region in which an analog circuit is formed, arranged by separating an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and a substrate potential fixing region provided on the semiconductor substrate so as to surround in a planar view the predetermined semiconductor element group in the analog block, and a pad connected to the substrate potential fixing region and receiving a predetermined potential from an external part.
US08188514B2

An HEMT type transistor is disclosed that is a normally off type, and in which variations in the gate threshold voltage are small. A transistor is provided with a p-type region, a barrier region, an insulation film, a gate electrode. The channel region is connected to an upper surface of the p-type region. The channel region is n-type or i-type and provided with a first channel region and a second channel region. The barrier region is forming a hetero-junction with an upper surface of the first channel region. The insulation film is connected to an upper surface of the second channel region and an upper surface of the barrier region. The gate electrode faces the second channel region and the barrier region via the insulation film. The first channel region and the second channel region are arranged in series in a current pathway.
US08188512B2

A method of growing a germanium (Ge) epitaxial thin film having negative photoconductance characteristics and a photodiode using the same are provided. The method of growing the germanium (Ge) epitaxial thin film includes growing a germanium (Ge) thin film on a silicon substrate at a low temperature, raising the temperature to grow the germanium (Ge) thin film, and growing the germanium (Ge) thin film at a high temperature, wherein each stage of growth is performed using reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD). The three-stage growth method enables formation of a germanium (Ge) epitaxial thin film characterized by alleviated stress on a substrate, a lowered penetrating dislocation density, and reduced surface roughness.
US08188510B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light-emitting device having high light extraction efficiency is provided. The semiconductor light-emitting device includes a light transmissive substrate; a nitride semiconductor layer of a first conduction type formed on or above a top face side of the light transmissive substrate; an active layer made of nitride semiconductor formed on a top face of the nitride semiconductor layer of the first conduction type; a nitride semiconductor layer of a second conduction type formed on a top face of the active layer; a dielectric layer formed on a bottom face of the light transmissive substrate and having a refractive index lower than that of the light transmissive substrate; and a metal layer formed on a bottom face of the dielectric layer. And an interface between the light transmissive substrate and the dielectric layer is a uneven face, and an interface between the dielectric layer and the metal layer is a flat face.
US08188509B2

An organic light emitting display device which prevents deterioration of an organic light emitting diode (OLED), the organic light emitting display device includes a first substrate including a display unit that includes at least one organic light emitting diode (OLED), a second substrate facing the first substrate and bonded to the first substrate, a sealant arranged surrounding the display unit and bonding the first substrate to the second substrate, a dam portion arranged between the display unit and the sealant and surrounding a periphery of the display unit and including a plurality of magnetic particles and a filling material arranged within an inner space of the dam portion and between the first and second substrates and including a plurality of magnetic particles.
US08188502B2

A light emitting device comprises an excitation source (20), one or more light emitting diode(s) operable to generate excitation light of a first wavelength range (λ1) and a light emitting surface (14) having a phosphor material (26) which absorbs at least a part of the excitation light and emits light of a second wavelength range (λ2), wherein light (32) emitted by the device comprises combined light of the first and second wavelength ranges emitted by the light emitting surface. The device is characterized by the light emitting surface having one or more window areas (28) which does not include a phosphor material and which are substantially transparent to light of the first and second wavelengths. The light emitting surface can comprise a transparent substrate (14) having a pattern of phosphor material on a surface thereof with the one or more window areas evenly distributed over the light emitting surface.
US08188498B2

A light emitting device package is provided. The light emitting device package comprises a package body comprising a first cavity, and a second cavity connected to the first cavity; a first lead electrode, at least a portion of which is disposed within the second cavity; a second lead electrode, at least a portion of which is disposed within the first cavity; a light emitting device disposed within the second cavity; a first wire disposed within the second cavity, the first wire electrically connecting the light emitting device to the first lead electrode; and a second wire electrically connecting the light emitting device to the second lead electrode.
US08188496B2

The present invention provides a compound semiconductor light emitting device including: an Si—Al substrate; protection layers formed on top and bottom surfaces of the Si—Al substrate; and a p-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and an n-type semiconductor layer which are sequentially stacked on the protection layer formed on the top surface of the Si—Al substrate, and a method for manufacturing the same.
US08188494B2

One embodiment in accordance with the invention is an apparatus that can include a light emitting diode that is for of outputting light in the blue wavelength. Furthermore, the apparatus can also include a nanowire or nanoparticle coupled to a surface of the light emitting diode. Additionally, the apparatus can include an electrode coupled to the light emitting diode, wherein the nanowire or nanoparticle is for receiving and converting the light into red and green light that is output from the nanowire or nanoparticle.
US08188490B2

The present invention discloses an organic light emitting diode and a manufacturing method thereof. The OLED comprises a first electrode, a first hole-transporting layer disposed on the first electrode, a second hole-transporting layer disposed on the first hole-transporting layer, a first light-emitting layer disposed on the second hole-transporting layer, an electron-transporting layer disposed on the first light-emitting layer, an electron injection layer disposed on the electron-transporting layer and a second electrode disposed on the electron injection layer. The energy level of the first light-emitting layer in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital is lower than that of the second hole-transporting layer, and the thickness of the first hole-transporting layer is larger than that of the second hole-transporting layer.
US08188489B2

The present invention discloses a light emitting diode (LED) including a plurality of light emitting cells arranged on a substrate. The LED includes half-wave light emitting units each including at least one light emitting cell, each half-wave light emitting unit including first and second terminals respectively arranged at both ends thereof; and full-wave light emitting units each including at least one light emitting cell, each full-wave light emitting units including third and fourth terminals respectively formed at both ends thereof. The third terminal of each full-wave light emitting unit is electrically connected to the second terminals of two half-wave light emitting units, and the fourth terminal of each full-wave light emitting unit is electrically connected to the first terminals of other two half-wave light emitting units. Also, a first half-wave light emitting unit is connected in series between the third terminal of a first full-wave light emitting unit and the fourth terminal of a second full-wave light emitting units, and a second half-wave light emitting units is connected in series between the fourth terminal of the first full-wave light emitting unit and the third terminal of the second full-wave light emitting unit.
US08188487B2

A surface emitting laser includes a lower multilayer mirror, an active layer, and an upper multilayer mirror stacked onto a substrate. A first current confinement layer having a first electrically conductive region and a first insulating region is formed above or below the active layer using a first trench structure. A second current confinement layer having a second electrically conductive region and a second insulating region is formed above or below the first current confinement layer using a second trench structure. The first and second trench structures extend from a top surface of the upper multilayer mirror towards the substrate such that the second trench structure surrounds the first trench structure. When the surface emitting laser is viewed in an in-plane direction of the substrate, a boundary between the first electrically conductive region and the first insulating region is disposed inside the second electrically conductive region.
US08188480B2

A TFT is provided which includes, on a substrate, at least a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an active layer containing an amorphous oxide semiconductor, a source electrode and a drain electrode, wherein a resistance layer containing an amorphous oxide and having a thickness of more than 3 nm is disposed between the active layer and at least one of the source electrode or the drain electrode, and a band gap of the active layer is smaller than a band gap of the resistance layer. Also, a display using the TFT is provided.
US08188476B2

The present invention provides an organic EL display and a method of manufacturing the same capable of assuring excellent electric connection between an auxiliary wiring and a second electrode without using large-scale equipment. The organic EL display includes: a plurality of pixels each having, in order from a substrate side, a first electrode, an organic layer including a light emission layer, and a second electrode; an auxiliary wiring disposed in a periphery region of each of the plurality of pixels and conducted to the second electrode; and another auxiliary wiring disposed apart from the auxiliary wiring at least in a part of outer periphery of a formation region of the auxiliary wiring in a substrate surface.
US08188472B2

A thin film transistor (TFT), a method of manufacturing the TFT, and a flat panel display comprising the TFT are provided. The TFT includes a gate, a gate insulating layer that contacts the gate, a channel layer that contacts the gate insulating layer and faces the gate with the gate insulating layer therebetween, a source that contacts an end of the channel layer; and a drain that contacts an other end of the channel layer, wherein the channel layer is an amorphous oxide semiconductor layer, and each of the source and the drain is a conductive oxide layer comprising an oxide semiconductor layer having a conductive impurity in the oxide semiconductor layer. A low resistance metal layer can further be included on the source and drain. A driving circuit of a unit pixel of a flat panel display includes the TFT.
US08188463B2

An organic light emitting device includes a cathode and an optional substrate external to the device. The device further includes at least one film layer disposed on at least one of the cathode or the substrate. The at least one film layer includes at least one of a magnetic, a mixed magnetic material, and combinations thereof. The device further includes an anode and at least one organic layer intermediate the cathode and anode.
US08188461B2

When an electrode is formed over an organic layer, a temperature is limited because the organic layer can be influenced depending on a temperature in forming the electrode. Therefore, there are problems that an expected electrode cannot be formed, and miniaturization of an element is inhibited. The present invention provides a structure of an organic memory element in which two electrodes are provided in the same layer as two terminals of the memory element, and a layer containing an organic compound is provided between the electrodes. By narrowing a distance between the two electrodes, writing can be performed at low voltage. In addition, a structure of the memory element is simplified, and the area of the memory element can be reduced.
US08188452B2

Attenuating, while hunting or observing wildlife, one's own emanated electromagnetic field by wearing apparel that includes an electromagnetically shielding fabric. The shielding fabric comprises a substantially continuous system of conductive fibers combined with non-conductive fabric. Or attenuating, while a hunter is hunting or an observer is observing wildlife, the electromagnetic field emanated by the hunter or observer, by (i) providing to the hunter or observer apparel that includes the electromagnetically shielding fabric, and (ii) instructing the hunter or observer to wear it while hunting or observing wildlife, respectively. The attenuation of the emanated electromagnetic field decreases the likelihood of detection by an animal. A wearable article of apparel comprises the electromagnetically shielding fabric, and can also comprise one or both of (i) a visual camouflage pattern on at least a portion of the its outer surface, or (ii) an odor absorber, suppressant, attenuator, or blocker.
US08188441B2

A display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus is used for detecting an ultraviolet (UV) intensity. The display apparatus includes a lower-substrate, an upper-substrate and a processing unit. The lower-substrate includes a first, a second and a third photo sensors for detecting an intensity of the light in a first, a second and a third bands and converting the intensity of the light in the first, the second and the third bands into a first, a second and a third currents respectively, wherein the ranges of the second and the third bands are comprised within the range of the first band. The upper-substrate is disposed opposite to the lower-substrate. The processing unit is coupled to the first, the second and the third photo sensors, for receiving and processing the first, the second and the third currents so as to obtain the UV intensity.
US08188436B2

A method and a facility are disclosed for imaging a PET spectrum with a PET detector, especially a PE-MR tomograph, and evaluation of the PET spectrum. To improve the correction of the base line in PET and thereby to improve the energy resolution for the PET images, at least one embodiment of the facility includes: a sampling facility for sampling the output signal of the PET detector at a predetermined sampling rate; an edge discriminator for recognizing at least one edge of a PET pulse; a background signal discriminator for estimating a background signal under the PET pulse; and an integrator device for determining the energy of the PET pulse in the PET spectrum above of the background signal from the sample values of the sampling facility.
US08188432B1

One or more embodiments of the invention provide for a lens package comprising a housing having a vacuum compatible interior space, a base coupled to the housing, a lens coupled to the housing, and an infrared detector within the housing for providing infrared images representative of infrared energy received through the lens. The housing, base, and lens are adapted to form an infrared detector vacuum package assembly. The housing may include a focal alignment feature that allows for focal adjustment of the lens relative to the infrared detector by applying pressure to at least a portion of the housing.
US08188425B2

In various embodiments, provided are ion optics systems comprising an even number of ion mirrors arranged in pairs such that a trajectory of an ion exiting the ion optics system can be provided that intersects a surface substantially parallel to an image focal surface of the ion optics system at a position that is substantially independent of the kinetic energy the ion had on entering the ion optics system. In various embodiments, provided are ion optics systems comprising an even number of ion mirrors arranged in pairs where the first member and second member of each pair are disposed on opposite sides of a first plane such that the first member of the pair has a position that is substantially mirror-symmetric about the first plane relative to the position of the second member of the pair.
US08188423B2

A method for fragmentation of analyte ions for mass spectroscopy and a system for mass spectroscopy. The method produces gas-phase analyte ions, produces gas-phase odd-electron containing species separately from the analyte ions, and mixes the gas-phase analyte ions and the odd-electron containing species at substantially atmospheric pressure conditions to produce fragment ions prior to introduction into a mass spectrometer. The system includes a gas-phase analyte ion source, a gas-phase odd-electron containing species source separate from the gas-phase analyte ion source, a mixing region where the gas-phase analyte ions and the odd-electron containing species are mixed at substantially atmospheric pressure to produce fragment ions of the analyte ions, a mass spectrometer having an entrance where at least a portion of the fragment ions are introduced into a vacuum of the mass spectrometer, and a detector in the mass spectrometer which determines a mass to charge ratio analysis of the fragment ions.
US08188421B2

An optical encoder comprises an encoder head and a scale having a second grating that has an optical pattern. The encoder head has a light emission unit to emit specific light to the scale, a light transmission member to transmit the light emitted from the light emission unit and a light detection unit having light detection elements arranged at a predetermined pitch. The light transmission member has a first grating having an optical pattern of a predetermined pitch and an aperture to narrow the light emitted from the light emission unit and impinging on the second grating of the scale. A motion of an image on the light detection elements of the light detection unit is detected. The image is formed by the light reflected or diffracted by the second grating of the scale after the light impinges on the scale through the light transmission member.
US08188417B2

In a photodetecting device 3, a wiring board 12 is provided at the front surface side of a photodetecting element 11 so that a first bonding pad region 15 formed on the front surface of the photodetecting element 11 is exposed, and second bonding pads 17B are formed, of the wiring board 12, in the region on a further inner side than first bonding pads 17A. Thereby, in the photodetecting device 3, a forming space for wire bonding can be located at the inside of the photodetecting element 11, so that the wiring board 12 and the photodetecting element 11 can be made almost equal in size. As a result, in the photodetecting device 3, the area that the photodetecting element 11 occupies relative to the photodetecting device 3 can be sufficiently secured, and minimization of the non-sensitive region in the case of a buttable arrangement of the photodetecting devices 3 on a cold plate 2 can be realized.
US08188411B2

A compact SAL seeker for a projectile guidance system comprises an optical sub-assembly to focus incident electro-magnetic radiation (EMR) such that target bearing in object space is mapped to a spatial irradiance in image space and a detector sub-assembly to generate at least one guidance signal in response to the position of the centroid of the focused EMR. The optical sub-assembly includes an integrated filter stack of a primary optical element, a spreader, a filter and secondary optical element in which at least one and typically both of the spreader and filter are immersed within the optical media of the stack. The detector sub-assembly may include a field lens in which the detector is immersed. Immersion reduces the number of “air-to-glass” interfaces, hence improves optical throughput. The detector sub-assembly may be integrally formed with a mounting bracket adapted to mate with mounting features on the optical sub-assembly to provide a self-aligned seeker.
US08188406B2

The invention relates to a planar heat generating element for use on steering wheels of automotive vehicles and motorboats, and a problem of the invention is to adjust a temperature portion of a planar heat generating element which is attached to a steering wheel, so as to enhance the sensation of using the steering wheel by the user when he or she grips thereon.In the invention, since linear heaters (17) of a planar heat generating element (14) are provided so as to be turned repeatedly along a circumferential direction and such that the density of turns of the liner heaters (17) at an outermost circumferential portion of a ring portion (12) becomes sparse, the temperature of the outermost circumferential portion of the ring portion (12) with which the palms of the user are brought into contact when he or she grips the ring portion (12) can be made to be adjusted, and the heat generation of the planar heat generating element (14) can be adjusted so as to match the user's way of gripping, thereby the sensation of using the steering wheel felt by the user when he or she grips thereon being able to be enhanced.
US08188401B2

A wire electric discharge machining apparatus includes guide rollers and a single electrode wire that is wrapped around each of the guide rollers to form cut wire portions that are spaced from one another between pairs of the guide rollers. A processing power supply feeds electric power to the individual cut wire portions through a power feed element. A high frequency insulator includes wound coils of the electrode wire that are located between adjacent cut wire portions, and cores which close respective magnetic circuits of the individual coils. The magnetic circuits are magnetically insulated from one another. The power feed element is arranged between the individual cut wire portions and the individual coils, and the individual cut wire portions are insulated from one another at high frequencies by the individual coils. Voltages are impressed on the individual cut wire portions independently, so discharges can be generated simultaneously, in parallel.
US08188400B2

A wireless dongle includes a shell having a base board of which an appropriate portion is made of elastic materials to be acted as a switch section, a printed circuit board mounted in the shell and spaced from the base board of the shell, and an elastic member made of elastic materials. The printed circuit board defines a contact area facing toward the switch section of the shell. The elastic member is mounted between the switch section of the shell and the contact area of the printed circuit board, and further spaced from the contact area. The elastic member can be elastically pressed to contact the contact area of the printed circuit board by means of pressing the switch section of the shell against the elastic member so as to trigger an electrical signal.
US08188392B2

A contactor has two contact elements (1, 2) each having a contact member (3, 4) adapted to bear with the contact side (5, 6) thereof against a said contact side of the other contact member for enabling an electric current to flow between said to contact elements. The contact sides of both contact members are provided with serration's (11, 12) extending so that elongated ridge-like peaks (13) of serration's of one said contact side intersect such peaks of the other said contact side while forming a plurality of spots of mutual contact of these contact sides distributed over the area of said contact sides.
US08188390B1

A low cost cam mechanism facilitating an automatic shut off mechanism preserving battery life in a toy. A rotatable cam including a recess captures an internal actuator and completely shuts down a motor at a defined cam rotation to preserve the battery life in the toy. A resetting biasing lever coupled, to a manually operable actuator advances the cam and is then moved from engagement so as to completely shut down the motor at the defined cam rotation even if the manually operable actuator continues to be depressed. Further Thusly the internal actuator 18 facilitates limited activations of the motor for automatically shutting off a rotating cam mechanism to prevent repetitive continued operation. Further the internal actuator may provide powering up the motor and rotating the cam for “try me” operation for limited demonstrative operations of the toy while packaged or configured in a point of sale environment.
US08188384B2

One problem with weighing conveyors is that the tension of the conveyor belt, needed to allow the belt to be driven, inadvertently reduces the degree of sagging of the belt caused by the mass of the product on the belt, which affects weighing accuracy, as this pre-tensioning of the belt inadvertently supports some of the weight of the product being transported, and this tension supported fraction of the weight cannot be sensed by the load cell supporting the middle section of the belt. In a preferred embodiment, a flexible transition area is formed in-between the outer edges of the belt and the middle, product transport area, wherein the transition area comprises openings that serve to weaken the belt locally, such that a pre-tensioning of the middle part of the conveyor belt is reduced; this allows the middle part of the conveyor belt to hang substantially slack even as the outer edges of the conveyor belt are driven.
US08188374B2

An obfuscated radio frequency circuit may include a metallization layer, and a dielectric layer under the metallization layer. The dielectric layer may be made up of a plurality of dielectric substrates having differing dielectric constants to obfuscate functions of the circuit.
US08188373B2

One or more embodiments contained herein disclose rigid printed circuit boards (PCBs) and methods for manufacturing the same comprising strain resistant layers configured to, among others, minimize defects from occurring in cap layers of the PCBs.
US08188371B2

A flex-rigid wiring board includes a first rigid substrate, a second rigid substrate arranged at a distance from the first rigid substrate to provide a space between the first and second rigid substrates and a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate includes a first tip portion connected to the first rigid substrate, and a second tip portion connected to the second rigid substrate such that the first and second rigid substrates are connected to each other by way of the flexible substrate. At least one bending portion is formed between the first and second tip portions of the flexible substrate, each of the at least one bending portions is provided in the space between the first and second rigid substrates.
US08188369B2

A cable connector assembly includes a housing, a flexible substrate, at least one matching stratum attached on the flexible substrate for regulating the impedance of flexible substrate and a shell. The housing includes a receiving space. The flexible substrate is received in the receiving space of the housing and includes a plurality of golden fingers exposed out the housing. The shell covers the flexible substrate without the golden fingers, the matching stratum and the housing and includes a connecting element electrically connected to the matching stratum.
US08188364B2

The invention concerns a photovoltaic cell comprising a heterojunction between a crystalline semiconductor substrate (210) of first conductivity type and a first amorphous layer (220) in the same semiconductor material and of a second conductivity type opposite the first type and having a dopant concentration of between 1.1019 and 1.1022 atoms/cm3. The photovoltaic cell further comprises a second amorphous layer (225) of same conductivity type as the first layer and having a dopant concentration of between 1.1016 and 1.1018 atoms/cm3, said second layer being deposited directly on a first face of the substrate and being coated with said first layer. Finally, on a second face of the substrate opposite the first face, the cell comprises a third amorphous layer (260), in the same material as the substrate and of same conductivity type with a dopant concentration of between 1.1019 and 1.1022 atoms/cm3.
US08188356B2

Musical note tiles, a system for teaching music notation and composition, and associated methods are disclosed. The system includes manipulative musical note tiles. The note tiles are transparent and adapted for use on measure plaques, or like surfaces. The note tiles can adhere to a surface with static cling in one embodiment. Alternatively, the note tiles can adhere to a surface with magnetism. The note tiles are mathematically proportionate to each other as they are to the relative lengths of sound durations represented by note icons. The measure plaques are in complete mathematical congruence to the lengths of the note tiles. The note tiles can include transparent texture strips. The system also includes mounting platforms, staff extension plaques, grand staff brace labels, bridges, spacer tiles, pre-reading tiles, and symbol labels.
US08188344B2

A novel cotton variety, designated as FM 9180B2F, is disclosed. The invention relates to seeds, plants, plant cells, plant tissue, harvested products and cotton lint as well as to hybrid cotton plants and seeds obtained by repeatedly crossing plants of variety FM 9180B2F with other plants. The invention also relates to plants and varieties produced by the method of essential derivation from plants of FM 9180B2F and to plants of FM 9180B2F reproduced by vegetative methods, including but not limited to tissue culture of regenerable cells or tissue from FM 9180B2F.
US08188337B2

The present invention relates to p450 enzymes and nucleic acid sequences encoding p450 enzymes in Nicotiana, and methods of using those enzymes and nucleic acid sequences to alter plant phenotypes.
US08188335B2

The present disclosure relates to isolated polynucleotides encoding a delta 9-elongase, delta 9-elongases encoded by the isolated polynucleotides, expression vectors comprising the isolated polynucleotides, host cells comprising the expression vectors, and methods for producing delta 9-elongase and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
US08188331B2

A see-through dressing assembly is presented for use with a reduced-pressure system for treating a wound on a patient using reduced pressure that allows visual observation of the wound during treatment. The dressing assembly includes a bolster for providing a directed force when under reduced pressure, a sealing member for covering the bolster and providing a seal over the bolster and a patient's epidermis, and wherein the bolster and sealing member are formed from see-through materials sufficient to allow perception of color from a point external to the system. Other systems, dressings, and methods are presented.
US08188326B2

A method for producing adamantane by performing an isomerization reaction in two stages using endo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene and/or exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene as a starting material, wherein in a first-stage isomerization reaction from endo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (tricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]decane) to exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (tricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]decane), an HF catalyst alone or two catalysts of an HF catalyst and a BF3 catalyst are used in the absence of a solvent; and in a second-stage isomerization reaction from exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (tricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]decane) to adamantane (tricyclo[3.3.1.13,7]decane), an HF catalyst and a BF3 catalyst are used in the absence of a solvent.
US08188325B2

Systems and methods for recycling waste plastic can convert the waste plastic into a form of purified crude oil that includes one or more organic molecular species and that is free, or substantially free, of impurities such as acids and metals. In some systems and methods, the plastic is heated under vacuum conditions to effect depolymerization of the plastic, which yields a vapor, and the vapor is then directly contacted with a pH adjusted solution in a vapor treatment system. In some systems and methods, a continuous batch process is employed.
US08188307B2

Disclosed is an industrially advantageous production method of optically active β-amino acid of formula (5a), which includes subjecting an enaminoester of formula (4a) to an asymmetric hydrogenation: wherein * shows an asymmetric carbon atom.
US08188305B2

A method is disclosed for obtaining an alkyl ester fuel, i.e., a biodiesel, and alcohol from a feedstock mixture of free fatty acids and/or glycerides mixed with a simple alcohol, such as methanol. The method uses an electrostatic probe to provide an electrical field within the reactor. This causes the glycerin molecules to precipitate out of the feedstock mixture. A drain is provided in the reactor, to drain the glycerin from the reactor. When the precipitated glycerin reaches a level to make contact with the electrostatic probe, an electrical circuit is closed, which causes the drain to open. When the level drops, the drain closes. Glycerin absorbs water and draining glycerin from the reactor naturally dehydrates the fuel.
US08188304B2

A process is described for the purification of lanthanide carboxylates which comprises a step in which the hydrocarbon solution deriving from the synthesis of lanthanide carboxylate, containing said carboxylate and impurities of the corresponding carboxylic acid and/or water, is treated with an aqueous solution of a base in order to obtain a pH of the aqueous phase ranging from 9.0 to 12.2 and/or a step in which the hydrocarbon solution containing lanthanide carboxylate is treated with a solid selected from Na2SO4, MgSO4, Mg(ClO4)2, molecular sieves 3 Å, molecular sieves 4 Å, molecular sieves 5 Å and molecular sieves 13 X. Analytical methods are also described, which allow the purity of the lanthanide carboxylates to be non-destructively measured.
US08188293B2

The present invention relates to materials exhibiting the property of rubbery elasticity, consisting of molecules with a mass of between 9 and 9000 g/mol, all or some of the molecules having at least three groups (also referred to as “associative groups”) capable of associating via non-covalent interactions.Although consisting of small non-polymerized molecules that are not chemically crosslinked, this material exhibits properties of rubbery elasticity. According to an embodiment of the invention, this material exhibits rubbery elasticity at ambient temperature. Above a certain temperature, the material flows like a simple liquid. The material is thermoreversible, i.e. after cooling, the material again exhibits the property of rubbery elasticity. This material is self-repairing and potentially recyclable, which is never the case with a chemically crosslinked elastomer.According to an embodiment of the invention, the molecules constituting the material of the invention bear associative groups of formula (1) below: in which A denotes oxygen, sulphur or NH; the carbon atoms of formula (1) can be substituted. Preferably, A denotes oxygen. Advantageously, the material comprises (i) molecules having at least 3 associative groups, and (ii) molecules having a single associative group. Advantageously, the molecules are obtained from fatty acid derivatives.
US08188287B2

The present invention comprises compounds of Formula I. wherein: R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and X are as defined in the specification. The invention also comprises a method of treating or ameliorating a syndrome, disorder or disease, wherein said syndrome, disorder or disease is uveitis, including acute, recurring or chronic uveitis. The invention also comprises a method of inhibiting CCR2 activity in a mammal by administration of a therapeutically effective amount of at least one compound of Formula I.
US08188285B2

It comprises a process for the purification of Montelukast, or its salts or its solvates, including any stereoisomer or mixture thereof, which comprises converting Montelukast acid or a solvate thereof, including any stereoisomer or mixtures thereof, into an amine salt selected from the group consisting of tris-(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, L-(+)-treo-2-amino-1-phenyl-1,3-propanediol, and L-(+)-α-phenylglycinol salt, in the presence of an appropriate solvent. It also comprises novel salts of Montelukast, in particular, tris-(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, L-(+)-treo-2-amino-1-phenyl-1,3-propanediol, and L-(+)-α-phenylglycinol salts.
US08188282B2

The present invention relates to a process for the regioselective synthesis of compounds of the formula I, wherein R0; R1; R2; R3; R4; R5; A1; A2; A3; A4, Q and J have the meanings indicated in the claims. The present invention provides a direct palladium catalyzed, regioselective process to a wide variety of unsymmetrical, multifunctional N-substituted benzimidazoles or azabenzimidazoles of formula I starting from 2-halo-nitroarenes and N-substituted amides useful for the production of pharmaceuticals, diagnostic agents, liquid crystals, polymers, herbicides, fungicidals, nematicidals, parasiticides, insecticides, acaricides and arthropodicides.
US08188280B2

[Problem] There is provided a compound useful as a preventive or remedy for cardiovascular disease, neurologic disease, metabolic disease, reproductive disease, and digestive disease.[Means for Resolution] A compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof represented by the following Formula (I) wherein Z represents wherein n1, n2, and n3 are 0, 1, or 2, respectively; R1 represents C1-6 alkyl, C3-8 cycloalkyl, or the like; R2 represents aryl or heteroaryl; R3 represents a hydrogen atom, C1-6 alkyl, or the like; and M1, M2, M3, and M4 independently represent a hydrogen atom, C1-6 alkyl, or the like, or M1, together with M2, M3, or M4, forms —CH2— or the like.
US08188271B2

Is to provide a novel compound having an anti-viral activity, particularly a HIV integrase inhibitory activity, and a pharmaceutical composition, particularly an anti-HIV agent. (wherein R1 is hydrogen or lower alkyl; X is lower alkylene etc.; R2 is optionally substituted aryl; R3 is hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, optionally substituted lower alkyl etc.; R4 is hydrogen, optionally substituted lower alkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl lower alkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aryl lower alkyl, optionally substituted heterocyclic group, optionally substituted heterocyclic lower alkyl etc.; A broken line indicates the presence or absence of a bond; B1 and B2 are such that any one of them is CR20R21, and the other is NR22 and, in this case, there is no broken line. When B2 is NR22, R4 and R22 may be connected together to form an optionally substituted heterocycle;When B2 is CHR21, R4 and R21 may be connected together to form an optionally substituted heterocycle.Alternatively, B1 and B2 are independently C, CR23 or N and, in this case, B1 and B2 may be taken together to form a heterocycle.R20, R21, R22 and R23 are independently hydrogen, optionally substituted lower alkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl lower alkyl etc.)
US08188269B1

The present invention relates to improved covalent coupling of two or more entities such as biomolecules, polymer compositions, organic/inorganic molecules/materials, and the like, including their combinations, through one or more novel reactive groups attached to linker groups of 2-1000 atoms length. The present invention also contemplates the use of bifunctional bridge molecules to link two or more entities, wherein the functional groups of the bridge molecules are the novel reactive groups of the present invention.
US08188251B2

The present invention discloses methods and materials for delivering a cargo compound into a brain cancer cell and/or across the blood-brain barrier. Delivery of the cargo compound is accomplished by the use of protein transport peptides derived from Neisseria outer membrane proteins, such as Laz. The invention also provides synthetic transit peptides comprised of the pentapeptide AAEAP (SEQ ID NO: 25). The invention further discloses methods for treating cancer, and specifically brain cancer, as well as other brain-related conditions. Further, the invention provides methods of imaging and diagnosing cancer, particularly brain cancer.
US08188246B2

Methods and compositions are provided that allow for high-level expression of a factor VIII polypeptide. More specifically, methods and compositions are provided comprising nucleic acid and amino acid sequences comprising a modified factor VIII that result in high-level expression of the polypeptide. The methods and compositions of the invention find use in the treatment of factor VIII deficiency including, for example, hemophilia A.
US08188240B2

The present invention relates to TAB molecules, ADEPT constructs directed against TAG-72, and their use in therapy.
US08188228B2

A novel gene 0193P1E1B (also designated 193P1E1B) and its encoded protein, and variants thereof, are described wherein 193P1E1B exhibits tissue specific expression in normal adult tissue, and is aberrantly expressed in the cancers listed in Table I. Consequently, 193P1E1B provides a diagnostic, prognostic, prophylactic and/or therapeutic target for cancer. The 193P1E1B gene or fragment thereof, or its encoded protein, or variants thereof, or a fragment thereof, can be used to elicit a humoral or cellular immune response; antibodies or T cells reactive with 193P1E1B can be used in active or passive immunization.
US08188217B2

The present invention relates to methods for forming dicarba bridges in organic compounds. This involves the use of a pair of complementary metathesisable groups on the organic compound, and subjecting the compound to cross-metathesis under microwave radiation conditions. In an alternative, the compounds contain a turn-inducing group between the pair of cross-metathesisable groups to facilitate the cross-metathesis.
US08188216B2

A library of macrocyclic compounds of the formula (I) where part (A) is a bivalent radical, a —(CH2)y— bivalent radical or a covalent bond; where part (B) is a bivalent radical, a —(CH2)z— bivalent radical, or a covalent bond; where part (C) is a bivalent radical, a —(CH2)t- bivalent radical, or a covalent bond; and where part (T) is a -Y-L-Z- radical wherein Y is CH2 or CO, Z is NH or O and L is a bivalent radical. These compounds are useful for carrying out screening assays or as intermediates for the synthesis of other compounds of pharmaceutical interest. A process for their preparation of these compounds in a combinatorial manner, is also disclosed.
US08188214B2

It is disclosed herein that Brachyury is expressed in human tumors, specifically in tumors of the small intestine, stomach, kidney, bladder, uterus, ovary, and testes, as well as in lung, colon and prostate carcinomas. Immunogenic Brachyury polypeptides are disclosed herein. These polypeptides can be used in diagnostic assays for Brachyury expression, as well as for inducing an immune response to Brachyury. Polynucleotides encoding the immunogenic Brachyury polypeptides, vectors including these polypeptides, host cells transformed with these vectors, and methods of using these polypeptides, polynucleotides, vectors, and host cells are provided. Methods of diagnosing a Brachyury-expressing cancer are also provided. Exemplary cancers include lung, colon, small intestine, stomach, kidney, bladder, uterus, ovary, and testes and prostate cancers. Methods of treating cancer are also disclosed.
US08188212B2

A method of enhancing the conductivity of various conductive polymer products, such as a conductive polymer product obtained by polymerizing 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene in an aqueous solution of polystyrenesulfonic acid. The method of enhancing the conductivity of a conductive polymer product includes placing a conductive polymer product, water, an organic solvent compatible with the conductive polymer product, and carbon dioxide gas in a pressure vessel; and applying heat and pressure to an interior of the pressure vessel to bring the carbon dioxide into a supercritical state.
US08188201B2

A process for preparing a polydiene, the process comprising the step of polymerizing conjugated diene monomer with a lanthanide-based catalyst system including the combination or reaction product of: (a) a lanthanide compound selected from the group consisting of lanthanide organophosphates, lanthanide organophosphonates, and lanthanide organophosphinates, (b) an alkylating agent, and (c) a chlorine-containing compound, where said step of polymerizing takes place within a polymerization mixture that includes less than 20% by weight of solvent based on the total weight of the polymerization mixture.
US08188200B2

Disclosed is a method of producing a polyolefin composition comprising contacting a metallocene pre-catalyst, co-catalyst, and a stoichiometric excess of a metal alkyl; adding a first olefin monomer; and polymerizing the first monomer for a time sufficient to form the polyolefin. The method allows for the use of minimum amounts of activating co-catalyst and metallocene pre-catalyst. Also disclosed is a method of producing a block polyolefin composition comprising contacting a metallocene pre-catalyst, a co-catalyst, and a stoichiometric excess of a metal alkyl; adding a first olefin monomer; polymerizing the first monomer for a time sufficient to form the polyolefin; adding a second monomer; and polymerizing the second olefin monomer for a time sufficient to form said block polyolefin composition. Also disclosed are amorphous atactic polymer and copolymer compositions made according to the present invention.
US08188192B2

Elastomeric films which are both soft and thermally, UV and oxidatively stable are provided. The films are composed of coupled, selectively hydrogenated block copolymers having a relatively high molecular weight and high vinyl content. In addition to the block copolymer other components may be present in formulated films such as other block copolymers, hydrocarbon resins, polyolefins, metallocene polyolefins, homopolystyrene or mineral oils. The softness of the films is determined by the stress at 100% tensile elongation where the films with suitable softness have a 100% stress of about 100 psi or less. While soft, the films also are strong with tensile strengths of 1000 psi or more and suitable hysteresis properties. The elastomeric films are useful as integral components of personal hygiene articles such as gloves, diapers, incontinence products, disposable swimwear and disposable undergarments.
US08188180B2

The present invention relates to binders, to processes for the preparation thereof, and to the use thereof in formulations, surface coatings, inks and plastics.
US08188178B2

A composition includes an elastomeric composition. The elastomeric composition can include an epichlorohydrin composition, and the elastomeric composition can be substantially free of a fluoroelastomer composition. The composition can further include a filler material which includes a reinforcement-grade carbon black. The composition can further include a peroxide curative.
US08188174B2

This invention relates to novel sulfur-containing silane coupling agents, and organic polymers containing carbon-carbon double bonds. These novel silanes can be carried on organic and inorganic fillers. The invention also relates to articles of manufacture, particularly tires, made from the elastomer compositions described herein.
US08188171B2

The invention relates to the use of additived (poly)isocyanate compositions for producing coatings, especially paints or varnishes for car bodywork parts, said compositions having excellent impact-resistant properties, especially grit-resistant properties.
US08188170B2

A polymer stabilizing composition comprising a sterically hindered phenol and a phosphite that provides low gel content and enhanced resistance to gas-fading. The stabilizer composition is particular useful for stabilizing polyethylene homopolymers and copolymers, such as linear low density polyethylenes produced from metallocene catalyst. The sterically hindered phenol is selected from the group consisting of 1,3,5-tris-(4-tert-butyl-3-hydroxy-2,6-dimethylbenzyl)isocyanurate, 1,3,5-tris-(3,5-dicyclohexyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)isocyanurate, 1,3,5-tris-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)isocyanurate,1,3,5-tris(4-t-butyl-3-hydroxy-2,6-dimethylbenzyl)-1,3,5-Triazine-2,4,6-(1H,3H,5H)-trione, and 1,3,5-tris-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene. The phosphite preferably is a liquid phosphite composition comprising two or more alkylated aryl phosphites.
US08188162B2

A process for preparing an encapsulated particulate solid using an epoxy functional cross-linking agent and a carboxylic acid functional dispersant characterized in that the crosslinking is performed in the presence of a borate compound. The resultant solids are useful in, for example, ink jet printing inks where high optical density prints may be obtained.
US08188156B2

Disclosed is a polyol composition containing an aromatic polyester polyol having a hydroxyl number of 300-500 mgKOH/g and an average number of functional groups of 2.0-2.5, a medium-chain polyether polyol having a hydroxyl number of 100-250 mgKOH/g and an average number of functional groups of 2.0-4.0 and composed of a polyoxypropylene unit, and a long-chain polyether polyol having a hydroxyl number of 15-40 mgKOH/g, an average number of functional groups of 2.0-4.0 and an oxyethylene content of not more than 14% by weight and mainly composed of a polyoxypropylene unit.
US08188145B2

Natural and synthetic compounds having a lactone structure methods for alleviation of pain, especially pain associated with disorders such as melanoma, leukemia, breast cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, esophagus cancer, liver cancer, and lymphatic cancer. Initial studies have shown that patients can be taken off of morphine when the preferred alpha-methylene-gamma-butyrolactone is administered in a dosage of between 60 and 120 mg/day intramuscularly.
US08188142B2

The compounds shown below. R is —O—, —O—(CH2)n—O—, or —(O—CH2—CH2)n—O—; and n is a positive integer. Heating an allyl ether compound in the presence of Fe(CO)5 and a base to form the below propenyl ether monomer. Polymerizing the below propenyl ether monomer.
US08188141B2

The present invention provides compounds having formula (I): (I) wherein n, R1-R5, Ra-Rb, Q, Y1 and Y2 are as defined herein; and additionally provides methods for the synthesis thereof, compositions thereof, and methods for the use thereof in the treatment of various disorders including cancer, metastasis and disorders involving increased angiogenesis.
US08188133B2

The invention concerns novel imidazole derivatives of general formula (I), wherein Z′ and Z represent different variable groups. Said products have an antitumoral activity. The invention also concerns pharmaceutical compositions containing said products and their use for preparing antitumoral medicine.
US08188127B2

Synergistic microbicidal compositions containing N-methyl-1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one.
US08188119B2

The present invention provides an antifungal agent which has excellent antifungal action, and which is also excellent in terms of its properties, and in particular its solubility in water and safety. The present invention discloses a compound represented by the following formula (I) or a salt thereof. wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, A, X, Y, and Z are defined in the specification.
US08188109B2

13-substituted 5,6-dihydrodibenzo[a,g]quinolizinium salt compounds of the general formula (I): processes for the preparation of said compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing said compounds and the use of said compounds for the manufacture of medicaments suitable for the treatment of cancerous diseases.
US08188105B2

A therapeutic agent for inflammatory bowel disease contains, as an active ingredient, a uracil derivative or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, represented by formula (1) where the R1 and R2 groups are defined in the specification.
US08188103B2

The present invention provides compounds of formula (I), their use as PARP inhibitors as well as pharmaceutical compositions including compounds of formula (I) wherein R1, R3, L, X, Y and Z have defined meanings.
US08188095B2

The present invention relates to compounds which inhibit bacterial gyrase and/or Topo IV and pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising said compounds. These compounds, and compositions thereof, are useful in treating bacterial infection. Accordingly, the present invention also relates to methods for treating bacterial infections in mammals.
US08188094B2

Compounds of formula (I), combinations and uses thereof for disease therapy, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or polymorph thereof, including all tautomers and stereoisomers thereof wherein: A represents and B, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, Y and Z are as defined throughout the description and the claims.
US08188092B2

DGAT-1 inhibitor compounds of formula (I), pharmaceutically-acceptable salts and pro-drugs thereof are described, together with pharmaceutical compositions, processes for making them and their use in treating, for example, obesity wherein, for example, r is 0 or 1 and X1 is linear (1-3C)alkyl; q is 0 or 1 and X2 is fluoro, chloro or (1-3C)alkyl; Y1 is selected from fluoro, chloro, bromo, cyano, (1-3C)alkyl and (1-2C)alkoxy; n is 0, 1 or 2 and Y2 is fluoro, chloro or (1-3C)alkyl; p is 0, 1 or 2 and Y3 is (1-3C)alkyl or forms a (3-5C)cycloalkyl ring; Z is carboxy or —CONHSO2Me or —CONRbRc wherein Rb and Rc are independently selected, for example, from hydrogen and (1-4C)alkyl or Rb and Rc are linked so as to form a morpholine ring or a (4-6C)heterocyclic ring and when Z is —CONRbRc the Rb and Rc groups may be optionally substituted by carboxy.
US08188088B2

Compounds of the formula (I), which are suitable for use as microbiocides, and in which A is A1, or A is A2, or A is A3, or A is A4 and B is a phenyl, naphthyl or quinolinyl group.
US08188086B2

The present invention relates to a specific salt of a dihydropteridione derivative, namely the trihydrochloride salt of the compound N-[trans-4-[4-(cyclopropylmethyl)-1-piperazinyl]cyclohexyl]-4-[[(7R)-7-ethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5-methyl-8-(1-methylethyl)-6-oxo-2-pteridinyl]amino]-3-methoxy-benzamide, to its crystallization in the form of an hydrate with water, to a process for the manufacture thereof, and to the use thereof in a pharmaceutical composition.
US08188074B2

The present invention relates to a composition which includes a moiety of formula wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 each represent n-pentyl, and to a method of sterilizing a su fluid using same.
US08188073B2

The present invention relates to a compound, useful as a mineralocorticoid receptor-modulating agent, of the following formula [I]: wherein Ring A is a benzene ring optionally having a substituent(s) other than R1 etc, R1 is a group of the formula: RaSO2NH— etc, Ra is an alkyl group etc, R2 and R3 are each a hydrogen atom, a phenyl group, an optionally substituted alkyl group etc, X is an oxygen atom etc, Y is a group of the formula: —C(═O)— etc, Ar is an optionally substituted aryl group or an optionally substituted heteroaryl group, Q is a single bond, an alkylene group etc, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US08188072B2

The present invention provides a family of benzodiazepinone compounds and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. The present invention also provides methods of treating certain skin conditions, e.g., atopic dermatitis, rosacea, or psoriasis, by administering a benzodiazepinone and methods of reducing the proliferation of keratinocyte cells by exposing such cells to a benzodiazepinone.
US08188070B2

The present invention provides methods for treating neurological diseases and disorders. Compounds that replace or enhance the function of SMN or alleviate or reduce a phenotype of cells with low SMN protein levels are provided. Screening methods and kits for identifying such compounds also are provided.
US08188066B2

Novel methods for the medical treatment and/or inhibition of the development of osteoporosis, breast cancer, hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia or atherosclerosis in susceptible warm-blooded animals including humans involving administration of selective estrogen receptor modulator particularly compounds having the general structure: and an amount of a sex steroid precursor selected from the group consisting of dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, androst-5-ene-3β,17β-diol and compounds converted in vivo to one of the foregoing precursor. Further administration of bisphosphonates in combination with selective estrogen receptor modulators and/or sex steroid precursor is disclosed for the medical treatment and/or inhibition of the development of osteoporosis. Pharmaceutical compositions for delivery of active ingredient(s) and kit(s) useful to the invention are also disclosed.
US08188056B2

One aspect of the current invention is a method of preventing and/or treating arthritis and/or preventing or treating lameness in a subject. Additionally, subject quality of life and welfare, and body condition scores are improved by utilizing methodology that administers the nucleic acid expression construct encoding a GHRH or functional biological equivalent to a subject through a parenteral route of administration. Following a single dose of nucleic acid expression vector, subjects are healthier and effects are demonstrated long term without additional administration(s) of the expression construct.
US08188053B2

The present invention relates, inter alia, to a method of ameliorating an inflammatory skin condition. Thus, the present invention provides a peptide that includes the amino acid sequence KMIKP (SEQ ID NO: 20), wherein the peptide includes no more than 70 amino acids and wherein the peptide is capable of inhibiting allergen induced Langerhans cell migration, and wherein the peptide is not that depicted in SEQ ID NO. 19. The present invention also relates to the use of a peptide that includes the amino acid sequence KMIKP (SEQ ID NO: 20), wherein the peptide includes no more than 100 amino acids, and wherein the peptide is capable of inhibiting allergen induced Langerhans cell migration, in the manufacture of a topical medicament for the treatment of an inflammatory skin condition.
US08188040B2

The invention provides nucleic acid molecules encoding FGF21 mutant polypeptides, FGF21 mutant polypeptides, pharmaceutical compositions comprising FGF21 mutant polypeptides, and methods for treating metabolic disorders using such nucleic acids, polypeptides, or pharmaceutical compositions.
US08188038B2

An osteogenic composition is provided for implantation at or near a target tissue site beneath the skin, the osteogenic composition comprising a growth factor and a coloring agent, wherein the coloring agent imparts color to the growth factor to allow the user to see the growth factor at or near the target tissue site. In some embodiments, a method is provided for accelerating bone repair, the method comprising mixing bone morphogenic protein-2 and a coloring agent to form a mixture; applying the mixture to a surface of a porous collagen matrix, wherein the coloring agent allows the user to see bone morphogenic protein-2 distribution on or in the porous collagen matrix; and implanting the porous collagen matrix at or near a target tissue site in need of bone repair.
US08188035B2

This invention relates to a method of using nano carbon to refine collagen into nanoparticulate collagen. As nano carbon particle are mixed into collagen, the pored structure of the nano carbon absorb and adhere to the collagen outer cell membrane and subsequently tears the collagen apart into nanoparticulates via ultrasound vibration, Thus it creates an advanced nanoparticulate collagen small enough to be practically and efficiently absorbed by the skin when applied directly.
US08188028B2

Surfactant-containing compositions are described which include a protein component that has the effect of improving the surface-active properties of the surfactants contained in the compositions. The surfactant-containing compositions having the protein component demonstrate significantly lower critical micelle concentrations (CMC), reduced surface tensions, and reduced interfacial tensions than do comparable compositions having no protein component. In addition, the surfactant-containing compositions having the protein component has the effect of converting greasy waste contaminants to surface active materials.
US08188027B2

A fabric enhancer composition comprising a di-hydrocarbyl complex formed from a mono-hydrocarbyl quaternary ammonium component comprising the structure: wherein R1 comprises a C6-C18 hydrocarbyl chain, wherein R2, R3 and R4 are individually selected from the group consisting of C1-C4 hydrocarbyl, C1-C4 hydroxy hydrocarbyl, —(CH2CH2O)xH where x has a value from about 1 to about 2, and mixtures thereof, L is a linking group selected from the group consisting of C(O)O—, —(CH2CH2O)n—, —C(O)—, [CH2CH(CH2)O] and n has value of 1 to 2 with z having a value of 0 or 1, and an anionic surfactant, wherein the fabric enhancer composition provides sufficient softness and anti-static benefits.
US08188021B2

A lubricating oil composition formulated with a viscosity index (VI) improver composition including a combination of an ethylene α-olefin copolymer having no greater than 66 mass % of units derived from ethylene, and a linear diblock copolymer including at least one block derived primarily from a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon monomer, and at least one block derived primarily from diene monomer.
US08188002B2

A description is given of 3-amino-2-nitro-substituted benzoyl derivatives of the formula (I) as herbicides. In this formula (I), X, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 are radicals such as hydrogen, organic radicals such as alkyl, and other radicals such as halogen.
US08188001B2

The invention relates to a fungicidal mixture comprising prothioconazole or a salt or adduct thereof with an inorganic acid an organic acid or a metal ion; and at least one further fungicidal compound, selected from the group consisting of thiram, fenoxanil, benthivalicarb, metalaxyl, fludioxonil and prochloraz, in a synergistically effective amount and to methods for controlling harmful fungi, comprising applying the fungicidal mixture.
US08187991B2

A method of regenerating adsorbent material includes providing a spent adsorbent material and contacting the adsorbent material with a solvent composition to facilitate removing oil and impurities from the spent solvent material.
US08187989B2

A seal assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a first seal member having a first surface, a second seal member having a second surface, with the second surface configured to generally abut at least a part of the first surface. At least a portion of at least one of the first surface and the second surface includes a coating that includes about 30 to about 80 weight percent of a hard carbide material, and about 20 to about 70 weight percent of lubricating material incorporated with the hard carbide material. The coating defines overlapping lenticular particles.
US08187986B2

The invention provides a novel optical glass which has a refractive index (nd) of 1.78 to 2.2 and an Abbe value (νd) of 16 to less than 40 and is suitable for precision mold press molding by virtue of its having a low glass transition temperature, namely, an optical glass which contains by mole in terms of oxides 25 to 60% B2O3, 2 to 45% (in total) TiO2 and Nb2O5 and 1 to 25% WO3 and has a refractive index (nd) of 1.78 to 2.2 and an Abbe value (νd) of 16 to less than 40. Further, the glass contains 5 to 35% La2O3 and 1 to 40% ZnO and has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 700° C. or below. The optical glass is excellent in meltability, stability and devitrification resistance and has a high refractive index, high light-dispersive power and excellent precision press moldability.
US08187983B2

A method for fabricating semiconductor components includes the steps of providing a semiconductor substrate having a circuit side, a back side and integrated circuits and circuitry on the circuit side; thinning the substrate from the back side to a selected thickness; laser processing the back side of the thinned substrate to form at least one lasered feature on the back side; and dicing the substrate into a plurality of components having the lasered feature. The lasered feature can cover the entire back side or only selected areas of the back side, and can be configured to change electrical properties, mechanical properties or gettering properties of the substrate. A semiconductor component includes a thinned semiconductor substrate having a back side and a circuit side containing integrated circuits and associated circuitry. The semiconductor component also includes at least one lasered feature on the back side configured to provide selected electrical or physical characteristics for the substrate.
US08187980B2

An etching method for forming a groove by etching a silicon layer of a substrate by using a mask which has a first region where an opening with a first opening width is formed and a second region where an opening with a second opening width larger than the first opening width is formed, the method includes: mounting the substrate on a mounting table in a processing chamber; converting a processing gas containing Cl2 gas, HBr gas, and one of CO gas and CO2 gas into a plasma; and etching the silicon layer by the plasma.
US08187971B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is described. The method comprises performing a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) pre-treatment and/or post-treatment of at least a portion of a silicon-containing substrate during formation of a silicide region.
US08187967B2

A method of manufacturing a non-volatile memory device providing a semiconductor layer in which a cell region and a peripheral region are defined, sequentially forming a first insulating layer, a first conductive layer, a second insulating layer, and a second conductive layer on the cell region and the peripheral region, forming a trench for exposing a portion of the first conductive layer of the peripheral region, wherein the trench is formed by removing portions of the second conductive layer and the second insulating layer in the peripheral region, performing a trimming operation for removing portions of the second conductive layer and the second insulating layer of the cell region, forming a spacer on a side surface of the trench, and forming a silicide layer that is electrically connected to the first conductive layer, wherein the silicide layer is formed by performing a silicidation process on the spacer.
US08187964B2

An integrated circuit device includes a semiconductor chip with a metallization layer on the chip. A gas-phase deposited insulation layer is disposed on the metallization layer.
US08187963B2

A method of forming an ohmic contact to a surface of a Cd and Te containing compound film as may be found, for example in a photovoltaic cell. The method comprises forming a Te-rich layer on the surface of the Cd and Te containing compound film; depositing an interface layer on the Te-rich layer; and laying down a contact layer on the interface layer. The interface layer is composed of a metallic form of Zn and Cu.
US08187943B2

An embodiment of a MOS device resistant to ionizing-radiation, has: a surface semiconductor layer with a first type of conductivity; a gate structure formed above the surface semiconductor layer, and constituted by a dielectric gate region and a gate-electrode region overlying the dielectric gate region; and body regions having a second type of conductivity, formed within the surface semiconductor layer, laterally and partially underneath the gate structure. In particular, the dielectric gate region is formed by a central region having a first thickness, and by side regions having a second thickness, smaller than the first thickness; the central region overlying an intercell region of the surface semiconductor layer, set between the body regions.
US08187941B2

A trench gate type power transistor of high performance is provided. A trench gate as a gate electrode is formed in a super junction structure comprising a drain layer and an epitaxial layer. In this case, the gate electrode is formed in such a manner that an upper surface of the epitaxial layer becomes higher than that of a channel layer formed over the drain layer. Then, an insulating film is formed over each of the channel layer and the epitaxial layer and thereafter a part of the insulating film is removed to form side wall spacers over side walls of the epitaxial layer. Subsequently, with the side wall spacers as masks, a part of the channel layer and that of the drain layer are removed to form a trench for a trench gate.
US08187934B2

A method of fabricating a memory cell comprises forming a plurality of doped semiconductor layers on a carrier substrate. The method further comprises forming a plurality of digit lines separated by an insulating material. The digit lines are arrayed over the doped semiconductor layers. The method further comprises etching a plurality of trenches into the doped semiconductor layers. The method further comprises depositing an insulating material into the plurality of trenches to form a plurality of electrically isolated transistor pillars. The method further comprises bonding at least a portion of the structure formed on the carrier substrate to a host substrate. The method further comprises separating the carrier substrate from the host substrate.
US08187920B2

One aspect of the present invention relates to an integrated circuit package that includes multiple layers of a planarizing, photo-imageable epoxy that are formed over a substrate. In some designs, the substrate is a silicon wafer. An integrated circuit is embedded in the epoxy. An antenna, which is electrically coupled to the active face of the integrated circuit through an interconnect layer, is formed over one of the epoxy layers. In various embodiments, at least some of the epoxy layers are positioned between the substrate and the antenna such that there is a distance of at least approximately 100 microns between the substrate and the antenna.
US08187918B2

Provided is a method of forming a semiconductor memory cell in which in order to store two bits or more data in a memory cell, three or more bottom electrode contacts (BECs) and phase-change materials (GST) have a parallel structure on a single contact plug (CP) and set resistances are changed depending on thicknesses (S), lengths (L) or resistivities (ρ) of the three or more bottom electrode contacts, so that a reset resistance and three different set resistances enable data other than in set and reset states to be stored. Also, a method of forming a memory cell in which three or more phase-change materials (GST) have a parallel structure on a single bottom electrode contact, and the phase-change materials have different set resistances depending on composition ratio or type, so that four or more different resistances can be implemented is provided.
US08187913B2

In a process for producing a photoelectric conversion device comprising a bottom electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer, a buffer layer, and a transparent conductive layer, which are stacked in this order on a substrate, all film forming stages ranging from a stage of forming the buffer layer to a stage of forming the transparent conductive layer are performed with a liquid phase technique. The buffer layer is formed with a chemical bath deposition technique, and the transparent conductive layer is formed with an electrolytic deposition technique.
US08187906B2

A method is provided for producing an electro-optic device having at least one optically transparent conducting layer with low electrical resistance. The method includes providing a composite substrate that includes an optically transparent and electrically insulating base substrate and an electrically conducting grid disposed in grooves located in the base substrate. Also provided is an electro-optical module having at least one transparent conducting layer. The composite substrate is attached onto the electro-optic module such that electrical contact is established between the grid and the transparent conducting layer of the electro-optic module.
US08187902B2

A sensor includes a proof mass suspended by a suspension beam, the suspension beam having a thickness less than a thickness of the proof mass.
US08187896B1

An online gaming system for simulating a baseball game comprising: a server with a processor, a network in communication with the server, at least one client device in communication with the network, wherein the at least one client device has an input device, a display device, and a monetary acceptance feature, and a database in communication with the processor. The database comprises electronic decks of baseball offense, defense, and playing cards, and computer instructions for randomizing the decks, permitting input of a bet from the input device and monetary acceptance feature, dealing cards, permitting selection and display of cards, determining a game outcome based on the cards selected, and awarding winnings based on the bet and the game outcome.
US08187880B2

This invention relates to a composite material that comprises a support member that has a plurality of pores extending through the support member and, located in the pores of the support member, and filling the pores of the support member, a macroporous cross-linked gel. The invention also relates to a process for preparing the composite material described above, and to its use. The composite material is suitable, for example, for separation of substances, for example by filtration or adsorption, including chromatography, for use as a support in synthesis or for use as a support for cell growth.
US08187869B2

A biogas installation for production of biogas from biomass and methods for starting and shutting down a fermenter are disclosed. When biomass in a fermenter is used up, biogas production must stop, the fermented biomass removed, and the fermenter filled with fresh biomass. Biogas production and utilisation is maintained for as long as possible. When the methane concentration in the biogas outlet falls below an upper limit, the biogas line is disconnected. The biogas/off-gas mixture is fed out via an exhaust chimney until the methane concentration has fallen to a lower limit. The fermenter to be shut down is purged with fresh air, and the off-gas/biogas/fresh air mixture is fed out via the exhaust chimney until the carbon-dioxide concentration in the off-gas/biogas/fresh air mixture has fallen to a first limit. The fermenter is then opened to unload the consumed biomass and load fresh biomass.
US08187864B2

The present invention provides an exchangeable, reagent pre-loaded sheets which can be temporarily applied to an electrode array on a digital microfluidic device (DMF). The substrate facilitates virtually un-limited re-use of the DMF devices avoiding cross-contamination on the electrode array itself, as well as enabling rapid exchange of pre-loaded reagents while bridging the world-to-chip interface of DMF devices. The present invention allows for the transformation of DMF into a versatile platform for lab-on-a-chip applications.
US08187862B2

A method and composition for bioremediation of environmental material. In one embodiment, material to be bioremediated is debris is obtained from a metropolitan street cleaning operation. An environmentally safe all natural non-pathogenic microbial composition is used under conditions sufficient to bioremediate the material.
US08187858B2

The present invention relates to a process for producing a human-type glycoprotein having reduced glycosylation by genetically manipulating an enzyme involved in glycosylation using a Hansenula polymorpha system. In detail, the present invention relates to a process for producing a human-type glycoprotein by identifying a dolichyl-phosphate-mannose dependent ¥á-1,3-mannosyltransferase gene from H. polymorpha, constructing a H. polymorpha mutant strain producing a glycoprotein exhibiting reduced glycosylation by disrupting the identified gene, and subjecting the mutant strain to various genetic manipulations for the synthesis of human-type glycan.
US08187854B2

The invention provides variant lipases, preferably, variants with reduced tendency to odor generation obtained by introducing mutations in one or more regions identified in a parent lipase.
US08187853B2

The present invention provides an extremely useful and novel β-galactoside-α2,6-sialyltransferase having an optimum reaction pH in a neutral to alkaline range, and a nucleic acid encoding the sialyltransferase. The present invention further provides a vector carrying a nucleic acid encoding the sialyltransferase, and a host cell transformed with the vector, as well as a method for producing a recombinant β-galactoside-α2,6-sialyltransferase.
US08187851B2

A method for formulating and immobilizing a protein and a protein matrix formed by the method. The protein matrix preparation method results in a physically and chemically stable protein matrix that has low swelling, non-leaching, high activity, and high mechanical strength properties. The method includes cross-linking and hardening the protein mixture and using a mold to form a protein into a desired shape and size.
US08187849B2

A range of concentrations exists in which fermentation inhibitors derived from pretreatment of lignocellulosic feed stocks inhibit growth of lactic acid bacteria without affecting fermentive yeast. By optimizing levels of fermentation inhibitors to fall within this range, yeast fermentations of lignocellulosic biomass can be conducted under non-sterile conditions with ethanol yields comparable to those achieved under sterile conditions. Optimised inhibitor levels can be achieved by controlling the water/biomass ratio of a lignocellulosic biomass during and after pretreatment, for example by washing the fiber fraction of a previously pretreated lignocellulosic biomass with a pre-defined amount of fresh water or recycled process solutions. Crude extracts of liquid fraction or process solutions from pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass can also provide an effective anti-bacterial treatment for first generation starch fermentations.
US08187848B2

The invention relates to methods of processing ensiled biomass for production of bioethanol or other fermentation products and, in particular, to methods that do not require expensive pretreatment (e.g. heat or chemical pretreatment).
US08187839B2

The present invention relates to agonist antibodies that specifically bind to Notch 3 and activate signaling. The present invention includes antibodies binding to an epitope comprising the first Lin12 domain. The present invention also includes uses of these antibodies to treat or prevent Notch 3 related diseases or disorders.
US08187832B2

A method of detecting an amount of a cholinesterase inhibitor in a sample comprising steps of: (a) contacting the sample with an agent capable of recovering the cholinesterase inhibitor from the sample so that the cholinesterase inhibitor is recovered, wherein the agent comprises a reactivity towards phosphyl moieties; (b) isolating the recovered cholinesterase inhibitor from the sample; (c) contacting the isolated cholinesterase inhibitor from step (b) with a test cholinesterase wherein the cholinesterase activity of the test cholinesterase before step (a) is known; and (d) measuring the cholinesterase activity to determine the amount of cholinesterase inhibitor in the sample based on the inhibition of the test cholinesterase activity from the known activity of the test cholinesterase before step (a).
US08187829B2

The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a pattern on a biosensor substrate and a biosensor using the same. The present invention provides a method of fabricating a pattern on a substrate of a biosensor in which an amine group is formed on a substrate by using polyethylenimine (PEI), and a site to which a biosubstance is immobilized is masked and irradiated with ultraviolet rays, such that a pattern having a desired shape can be formed on the substrate and a biosensor in which the biosubstance is immobilized on the pattern acquired by using the above-mentioned method.
US08187826B2

The invention relates to methods and kits for the quantitative analysis of in vivo mutation frequencies of the Pig-A gene in individuals exposed to a genotoxicant, particularly using peripheral blood samples of vertebrates.
US08187821B2

The present invention provides for novel assays and the use of such assays for screening compounds that affect PGRMC1's and related homologue's ability to catalyze the incorporation of cholesterol into membranes. The present invention also provides for methods and compositions for affecting incorporation of cholesterol into membranes. The invention also provides for diagnostic and therapeutic kits for the methods described herein.
US08187813B2

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for amplifying a nucleic acid sequence by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The method comprises placing a PCR sample in a container which is heated by only a single heat source that provides a high temperature for denaturation in the bottom of the PCR sample, while annealing and extension automatically occur in different regions of the PCR sample due to the convection induced by a temperature gradient descending from the bottom of the PCR sample to the surface of the PCR sample.
US08187812B2

The present invention provides methods, compositions and kits for detecting the presence or absence of an integrated insertion polynucleotide.
US08187811B2

The invention provides human polymorphisms that are associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). Also disclosed are compositions and methods for use in diagnostics, prognostics, prevention, treatment and/or study of PD.
US08187806B2

The present invention provides novel markers and assays for autism based on the association of GSTM1 with autism. The invention relates to the use and application of as a susceptibility marker for autism. GSTM1 may be combined with other markers in methods and assays for diagnosis, prenatal diagnosis, and assessment of autism. The invention further relates to a likelihood ratio test. In addition, the present invention discloses a novel method for identifying individuals who are genetically susceptible to have offspring with autism wherein the genotype of GSTM1, alone or in combination with other genetic markers, is determined.
US08187802B2

Methods for screening for modulators of autophagy are disclosed. Methods for identifying genes whose expression inhibits autophagy, as well as genes whose expression promotes autophagy, are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for identifying compounds that stimulate autophagy, as well as compounds that inhibit autophagy. Cell lines that may be used in the methods of identification are also disclosed.
US08187801B2

The present invention provides methods and kits related to a prognostic, and, in certain embodiments, diagnostic indicator for ovarian cancer which comprises measuring the level of MUC16 bound to immune cells. The level of MUC16 bound to immune cells can by itself be an indicator of disease regression or recurrence, or this indicator can be used in conjunction with assays for serum CA125 and other diagnostic markers. The invention further provides methods and kits related to the detection of ovarian cancer by measuring levels of Siglec-9 expression on immune cells. As well, related methodologies are provided for the detection of preeclampsia in pregnant human subjects.
US08187793B2

Flexographic printing plates and other relief images can be formed from a laser-ablatable element having a laser-ablatable layer that is at least 20 μm in thickness. The laser-ablatable layer includes a film-forming material that is a laser-laser-ablatable material or the film-forming material has dispersed therein a laser-ablatable material. The laser-ablatable material is a polymeric material that when heated to 300° C. at a rate of 10° C./minute, loses at least 60% of its mass to form at least one predominant low molecular weight product. The element can be imaged by ablation at an energy of at least 1 J/cm2 to provide a relief image.
US08187786B2

A pattern forming materials includes a thermal sensitive material layer formed on a target substrate, a first light-to-heat converting layer formed between the thermal sensitive material layer and the target substrate, and a second light-to-heat converting layer formed on a surface of the thermal sensitive material layer opposite to the first light-to-heat converting layer, the thermal sensitive material layer being interposed between the first and second light-to-heat converting layers. A higher aspect ratio fine pattern can be formed in the thermal sensitive material layer made of photoresist using heat generated in the first and second light-to-heat converting layers formed on both surfaces of the thermal sensitive material layer.
US08187778B2

A method for correcting a position error of a lithography apparatus comprises inputting position data of exposure pattern, irradiating laser light onto a position reference mask from a position measurement laser system, calculating actual position data of the laser light irradiated onto the position reference mask, and comparing the position data of the exposure pattern with the actual position data of the laser light irradiated onto the position reference mask. With this method, circuit patterns can be accurately formed at predetermined positions on a photomask, and the circuit patterns on the photomask can be accurately formed at predetermined positions on a wafer.
US08187773B2

A method for generating data on mask pattern used to form a device pattern formed on a reflective exposure mask, wherein data on the mask pattern is generated based on a position correction amount table used to correct an amount of transfer position error occurring depending on at least one of pattern size and pattern pitch of the mask pattern when the mask pattern is transferred onto an exposure target member.
US08187766B2

A benzoxazine-based monomer includes a halogen atom-containing functional group and a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group. A polymer formed from the benzoxazine-based monomer may be used in an electrode for a fuel cell and electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell.
US08187761B2

A power supply apparatus for a line connection type fuel cell system includes a power converter system (PCS) control power supply which generates PCS control power from line power, a balance of plant (BOP) power supply which generates BOP power from line power, a regulator which generates PCS control power from the BOP power, a first switching unit switched by a control signal, which directs the line power to one of the PCS control power supply and the BOP power supply, a second switching unit switched by a control signal, which selects an output of one of the PCS control power supply and the regulator to provide PCS control power, and a controller which controls switching of the first and second switching units in response to a starting command.
US08187744B2

A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is produced using a non-aqueous electrolyte including: a non-aqueous solvent that primarily contains a solvent mixture of ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate and includes a fluorine-substituted ether having a divalent group represented by a formula: —CFX—CH(CH3)—O—, where X is a hydrogen atom or fluorine atom, in a molecule thereof; and a lithium salt that is dissolved in the non-aqueous solvent. The non-aqueous electrolyte has favorable wettability towards a polyolefin separator, and improves the cycle characteristics and the load characteristics of the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery.
US08187740B2

An electrical energy storage device (20,70) includes a substrate (22), which is formed so as to define a multiplicity of micro-containers separated by electrically-insulating and ion-conducting walls (32). A first plurality of anodes (A) is disposed in a first subset (24) of the micro-containers, and a second plurality of cathodes (C) is disposed in a second subset (26) of the micro-containers. The anodes and cathodes are arranged in an interlaced pattern.
US08187738B2

Spirally-rolled electrodes for batteries wherein the electrodes having a concentric circle shape or an elliptic shape with positive electrode and negative electrode wound spirally via a separator therebetween has the characteristics as below: (1) the positive electrode and/or negative electrode consist of the combinations of several electrode plates; (2) each of the combinations in the positive electrode and/or the negative electrode so includes that the total amount of the active material or pseudo-active material which are the main materials for the electrode is substantially constant and; (3) each electrode plate in the electrode including plural electrodes is wound in series with an interval therebetween.
US08187727B2

The present invention relates to a new imidazole derivative, a method for preparing the derivative, and an organic electronic device using the derivative. The imidazole derivative according to the invention can perform functions of hole injection, hole transportation, electron injection, electron transportation, and/or light emission in an organic electronic device including an organic light-emitting device. The organic electronic device according to the invention exhibits excellent characteristics in terms of efficiency, drive voltage and stability.
US08187723B2

A surface-treated copper foil comprising an electrodeposited copper foil with a chromium-free rust-proofing layer which exhibits good performance in peel strength and resistance to peel loss after chemical treatment as a printed wiring board. The surface-treated copper foil comprises a rust-proofing layer and a silane coupling agent layer formed on an electrodeposited copper foil , wherein the rust-proofing layer comprises a nickel layer having a thickness by weight of 5 to 40 mg/m2 and a tin layer having a thickness by weight of 5 to 40 mg/m2 stacked in this order, and the silane coupling layer is applied on top of the tin layer. The surface-treated copper foil may be further coated with a very thin primer resin layer having a thickness of 0.5 to 5 μm.
US08187717B1

The invention is directed to a material and method for obtaining a ceramic abradable system for high temperature applications. High purity partially stabilized zirconia and/or hafnia base material has higher sintering resistance compared to conventional 6-9 weight percent yttria stabilized zirconia systems. The benefits of these systems are higher service lifetime and low thermal conductivity to achieve high operating temperatures. System includes a superalloy substrate, oxidation resistant bond coat and a thick ceramic abradable top coat. Total coating thickness is about 0.5-5 mm. In some applications an intermediate layer of high purity partially stabilized zirconia or a partially stabilized YSZ/MCrAlY cermet is applied over the oxidation resistant bond coat. In other applications an abradable system is applied on top of a grid. Additional benefits should be reduced blade wear at high operating conditions.
US08187697B2

A cooling product (e.g., pad, bandage, headband, wrap, cloth, and so forth) that contains a gel configured to cool the skin of a body part when placed adjacent thereto is provided. The gel is contained within a composite that has two or more fibrous layers structured to provide enhanced distribution of the gel therethrough. More specifically, a first fibrous layer may rapidly distribute the gel in primarily the -z direction (direction of thickness) to a second fibrous layer, which then distributes it primarily in the -x and -y directions. The second fibrous layer may then be placed adjacent to a user's skin to provide the desired cooling. Because the gel is distributed primarily in the -x and -y directions, however, direct contact between the gel and skin is limited, thereby reducing the “sticky” feel normally associate with such gels. The cooling product is also flexible, and may be easily adapted to a body part.
US08187691B2

A honeycomb structure includes at least one honeycomb unit. The at least one honeycomb unit has a longitudinal direction and includes zeolite and an inorganic binder. A content of the zeolite per apparent unit volume of the at least one honeycomb unit is about 230 g/L or greater. The at least one honeycomb includes plural cell walls extending from one end face to another end face along the longitudinal direction to define plural cell walls. A porosity of substantially all pores in the cell walls is about 40% or less. A porosity of pores having diameters in a range of about 0.005 μm through about 0.02 μm in the cell walls is about 5% or greater. A porosity of pores having diameters in a range of about 0.05 μm through about 0.2 μm in the cell walls is about 17.5% or greater.
US08187686B2

An elastic member for an ink jet recording apparatus comprising a material containing 100 parts by weight of a block copolymer having a crystalline polyolefin block and an amorphous polyolefin block, 3 to 40 parts by weight of a polyolefin resin and 40 to 250 parts by weight of a softening agent.
US08187685B2

The invention includes a composition comprising from 40 to 98 weight percent of at least one GPPS, from 0 to 98 weight percent of at least one HIPS, from 0.5 to 10 weight percent at least one styrene block copolymer, from 0.5 to 10 weight percent of at least one polypropylene wherein the combination of GPPS, HIPS, polypropylene and styrene block copolymer make up at least about 90 percent of the composition as well as a film made of the composition, an envelope window patch comprising the film, an envelope comprising the window patch, and a process for making the film.
US08187681B2

A novel transparent film is disclosed. Re (λ) and Rth (λ) of the film defined by the following formulae (I) and (II) satisfy the following formulae (III) and (IV): Re(λ)=(nx−ny)×d,  (I) Rth(λ)={(nx+ny)/2−nz}×d,  (II) 0≦|Re(630)|≦50,  (III) Rth(400)×Rth(700)≦0, and 0≦|Rth(700)−Rth(400)|≦150,  (IV) wherein Re (λ) means an in-plane retardation value at a wavelength λ nm (unit: nm); Rth (λ) means a thickness-direction retardation value at a wavelength λ, nm (unit: nm); nx means a refractive index in the in-plane slow-axis direction; ny means a refractive index in the in-plane fast-axis direction; nz means a refractive index in the film thickness direction; and d means a thickness of the film.
US08187670B2

A method for manufacturing an electro-optical device in which thin film layers are formed by drying droplets containing a thin film layer formation material, and these thin film layers are laminated to form a light emitting element, includes mixing lyophilic microparticles that are lyophilic with respect to droplets that form an upper thin film layer into droplets that form a lower thin film layer, and drying the droplets in which these lyophilic microparticles have been mixed to form the lower thin film layer, and then drying the droplets that form the upper thin film layer on the lower thin film layer to laminate the upper thin film layer over the lower thin film layer.
US08187667B2

A method for disposing a component comprises: a step of preparing a substrate and a first liquid; a step of preparing a component-containing liquid containing the components and a second liquid; a step of disposing the first liquid in a hydrophilic region; a step of bringing the component-containing liquid into contact with the first liquid disposed on the hydrophilic region; a step of removing the first liquid and the second liquid to dispose the component on the hydrophilic region. The hydrophilic region is composed of a component-disposing region and a liquid-capturing region formed on the periphery of the component-disposing region. The liquid-capturing region comprises a surface represented by X—(CH2)nS-(substrate) or Y—(CH2)n—S-(substrate), where X represents N+R3Q− (Q represents Cl, Br, or I), OR, or halogen atom, R represents lower alkyl group, n represents a natural number of not less than 1 and not more than 3, Y represents COOH or OH, and m represents a natural number of not less than 1 and not more than 22.
US08187666B2

A color filter manufacturing method includes discharging droplets of an ink from a droplet discharge head into a plurality of cells formed on a substrate while moving the substrate with respect to the droplet discharge head, and curing the ink discharged in the cells to form a colored portion within each of the cells. The discharging of the droplets includes prohibiting landing of the droplets in a landing prohibition region formed at a predetermined width from edges of each of the cells in a movement direction of the substrate with respect to the droplet discharge head. The landing prohibition region being arranged so that a relationship 0.5≦L1/L2≦4.5 is satisfied, wherein a value L1 indicates a width of the landing prohibition region and a value L2 indicates an average diameter of the droplets of the ink.
US08187662B2

A method of controlling the drug release rate of a drug coated endovascular stent by depositing a drug material layer on the stent and then modifying the drug material using gas cluster ion beam irradiation to create a carbon matrix with interstices containing the original drug. The rate at which the drug elutes through the interstices can be controlled by processing parameters. Multiple layers may be employed to create time varying release rates.
US08187660B2

A method of fabricating a medical implant component. The method may include the steps of producing a substrate from a first material wherein the substrate has a bearing portion, spraying particles of a second material onto the bearing portion in accordance with a predetermined spraying technique to provide a coating thereon, and subjecting the coated bearing portion to a hot isostatic pressing process, a vacuum sintering process, or a controlled atmospheric sintering process. The first material may be the same as or different from the second material. The predetermined spraying technique may be a thermal type spraying process such as a plasma spraying process or a high velocity oxygen fuel spraying process.
US08187650B2

The present invention relates to an egg tray that is used to sterilize an egg or to boil the egg soft or hard and in which an egg is washed, heated, sterilized, boiled soft or hard, dried, coated, inspected, cooled, and packed to increase the safety and the value of commodity of foods and to increase the productivity, a fixer for layering the egg trays to fix them, and a method for processing an egg by using the same. The egg trays of the present invention includes a plurality of convex parts that are disposed at a predetermined interval to be connected to each other, a plurality of bottom parts that are protruded in an opposite direction with respect to the convex parts, and a guide part that is protruded from the center part of the convex part, and in which a plurality of fluid discharging holes that are formed around the guide parts, inclined sides that form lateral parts of the convex parts are convex, a plurality of egg insertion holes are formed on the inclined sides by using the egg trays, and a plurality of fluid discharging holes may be further provided around the bottom part.
US08187648B2

Described are developed, refrigerator-stable, dough compositions in low pressure packages and related methods, wherein the dough compositions contain chemical leavening agents that include an encapsulated basic agent.
US08187644B2

A supercritical fluid (SCF) extract of a cardiac glycoside-containing plant mass is provided. The extract can be included in a pharmaceutical composition containing an extract-solubilizing amount of solubilizer. Oleandrin is included within the extract when a cardiac glycoside-containing plant, such as Nerium oleander, is extracted by SCF extraction. The extract can also contain one or more other SCF extractable pharmacologically active agents. The composition can be used to treat a wide range of disorders that are therapeutically responsive to a cardiac glycoside.
US08187643B2

A shampoo formulation comprising a shampoo, bicarbonate soda, and onion skins used alone or in combination with a conditioner comprising acetic acid for the treatment of hair loss and promotion of hair growth.
US08187631B2

The present invention provides a tablet core which comprises at least about 95% by weight of an aliphatic amine polymer. The invention also provides a method of producing a tablet core comprising at least about 95% by weight of an aliphatic amine polymer resin The method comprises the step of compressing the aliphatic amine polymer to form the tablet core. The tablet core can further include one or more excipients. In this embodiment, the method of producing the tablet core comprises the steps of: (1) hydrating the aliphatic amine polymer to the desired moisture level; (2) blending the aliphatic amine polymer with the excipients in amounts such that the polymer comprises at least about 95% by weight of the resulting blend; and (3) compressing the blend to form the tablet core. The present invention further relates to a coated tablet comprising an aliphatic amine polymer core wherein the coating is a water based coating.
US08187629B2

The present invention relates to particulate compositions comprising at least 50% of dioleoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine (DOPE) and 1 to 50% of Polysorbate 80 (P80). All parts are by weight relative to the sum of the weights of a+b and the compositions comprise non-lamellar particles or form non-lamellar particles when contacted with an aqueous fluid. The compositions have advantageous stability and low toxicity and the invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions thereof.
US08187613B2

The invention provides an allergy prevention method or treatment method, diets and oral drugs enabling prevention/treatment of allergic symptoms without trouble such as systemic adverse reaction, immune deficiency and the like caused by transdermal/intravenous administration of TGF-β. The allergy prevention method or treatment method is to orally administer 100 μg/kg or more of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) relative to a weight of an administration target body and thereby selectively suppress Th2 immune response, while with respect to the diets and oral drugs, the content is set to contain an effective amount of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) therein.
US08187612B2

A method and composition for treating a patient suffering from a disease, disorder or condition and associated pain include the administration to the patient of a therapeutically effective amount of a neurotoxin selected from a group consisting of botulinum toxin types A, B, C, D, E, F and G.
US08187611B2

The present invention provides a purified peptide comprising at least one of the sequences LKQKSSNSRKKRSTS (SEQ ID NO:1), or VKNKRTFLSPWISNI (SEQ ID NO:2) as well as a vaccine, a method to protect or treat an animal from anthrax toxin, a method of making a vaccine and the use of the peptide. The present invention also provides a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to a peptide sequence comprising at least one of the following peptide sequences: LKQKSSNSRKKRSTS (SEQ ID NO:1), or VKNKRTFLSPWISNI (SEQ ID NO:2) as well as a method to protect or treat an animal from anthrax toxin, a method of making a vaccine, a pharmaceutical composition, a method of making a pharmaceutical composition, and the use of the monoclonal antibody.
US08187608B2

The present invention relates to the ability of SAP to suppress fibrocytes. It also relates to the ability of IL-12, laminin-1, cross-linked IgG and IgG aggregates to suppress fibrocytes. Methods and compositions for suppressing fibrocytes using these proteins are provided. These methods are useful in a variety of applications including treatment and prevention of fibrosing diseases such as scleroderma, pulmonary fibrosis and asthma. Finally, the invention includes assays for detecting the ability of various agents to modulate differentiation into fibrocytes. Such assays may also be used to diagnose scleroderma, pulmonary fibrosis, or other fibrosing diseases.
US08187602B2

The present invention discloses anti-histone H1 monoclonal antibodies, hybridomas for the production thereof, and polypeptides, which are useful for suppressing, predicting, or diagnosing transplant rejection in organ transplantation.
US08187599B2

The present invention relates to the ability of anti-FcγR antibodies to suppress fibrocytes. Methods and compositions for suppressing fibrocytes are provided. These methods are useful in a variety of applications including treatment and prevention of conditions resulting from fibrosis in the liver, kidney, lung, heart and pericardium, eye, skin, mouth, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, brain, breast, bone marrow, bone, genitourinary system, a tumor, or a wound.
US08187597B2

The invention features methods for treating a patient diagnosed with, or at risk of developing, a neovascular disorder by administering a PDGF antagonist and a VEGF antagonist to the patient. The invention also features a pharmaceutical composition containing a PDGF antagonist and a VEGF antagonist for the treatment or prevention of a neovascular disorder.
US08187593B2

The present invention relates to antibodies or fragments thereof that specifically bind FcγRIIB, particularly human FcγRIIB, with greater affinity than said antibodies or fragments thereof bind FcγRIIA, particularly human FcγRIIA. The present invention also encompasses the use of an anti-FcγRIIB antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, as a single agent therapy for the treatment, prevention, management, or amelioration of a cancer, preferably a B-cell malignancy, particularly, B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, an autoimmune disorder, an inflammatory disorder, an IgE-mediated allergic disorder, or one or more symptoms thereof. The present invention also encompasses the use of an anti-FcγRIIB antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, in combination with other cancer therapies. The present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising an anti-FcγRIIB antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, in amounts effective to prevent, treat, manage, or ameliorate a cancer, such as a B-cell malignancy, an autoimmune disorder, an inflammatory disorder, an IgE-mediated allergic disorder, or one or more symptoms thereof. The invention further provides methods of enhancing the therapeutic effect of therapeutic antibodies by administering the antibodies of the invention to enhance the effector function of the therapeutic antibodies. The invention also provides methods of enhancing efficacy of a vaccine composition by administering the antibodies of the invention with a vaccine composition.
US08187592B2

A mutant prourokinase plasminogen activator (M5) was developed to make prouPA less subject to spontaneous activation during fibrinolysis. C1-inhibitor complexes with tcM5. The effect of C1-inhibitor on fibrinolysis and fibrinogenolysis by M5 was determined. Supplemental C1-inhibitor restores the stability of M5 but not that of prouPA. Clot lysis by M5 with supplemental C1-inhibitor showed no attenuation of the rate of fibrinolysis, whereas fibrinogenolysis was prevented by C1-inhibitor. Due to higher dose tolerance of M5 with C1-inhibitor, the rate of fibrin-specific lysis reached that achievable by nonspecific fibrinolysis without inhibitor. Plasma C1-inhibitor stabilized M5 in plasma by inhibiting tcM5 and thereby non-specific plasminogen activation. At the same time, fibrin-specific plasminogen activation remained unimpaired. This unusual dissociation of effects has significant implications for improving the safety and efficacy of fibrinolysis. Methods of reducing bleeding and non-specific plasminogen activation during fibrinolysis by administering M5 along with exogenous C1-inhibitor are disclosed.
US08187589B2

The present invention relates to a process for stabilizing aqueous preparations of minerals by adding reuterin to the aqueous preparations, to the use of reuterin for the stabilization of such aqueous mineral preparations, and the aqueous mineral preparations containing reuterin.
US08187578B2

A consumer product comprising packaging including a product chamber and an outer jacket at least partially surrounding the product chamber; and an antiperspirant composition disposed within the product chamber, wherein the composition exhibits an average standard deviation of less than or equal to about 5 of penetration peak force measurements taken in accordance with a penetration test method as defined herein.
US08187577B2

A water-free composition for the bleaching and brightening of human hair and with a simultaneous conditioning effect comprises a) at least one compound with a bleaching or brightening effect, in particular a peroxide and/or an ammonium salt, and b) γ-oryzanol at a concentration of 0.001% to 5% by weight, calculated to the total composition.
US08187573B2

The invention provides methods and products, such as kits, useful for determining the apoptotic state of cells in an organism, comprising detecting the presence or abundance of at least one caspase affinity labeling agent in the cells of an animal into which at least one caspase affinity labeling agent has been introduced, wherein the presence or abundance of the caspase affinity labeling agent correlates with the apoptotic state of the cells.
US08187572B2

The present invention provides a method of producing diabetic rats, and a method for identifying compounds that reverse diabetes in said rats.
US08187568B2

A method and system produce a synthesis gas from a biogas. The method provides a more economic process control and a higher yield. For this purpose hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide of the biogas are nearly completely separated in separate cleaning steps before a catalytic conversion of the biogas, wherein hydrogen sulfide is biologically removed by the admixture of oxygen and/or oxidation agents containing oxygen. The oxygen, or the oxidation agent, is dosed such that an excess of oxygen of at least 1.0 vol.-% is present in the cleaned biogas (methane gas). The biogas is concentrated without any dehumidification, heated, and mixed with superheated steam. Due to the excess of oxygen, thermal energy is additionally created during the reforming process by an exothermal oxidation of oxygen contained in the biogas together with hydrogen in the catalyst bed for the endothermal conversion of methane to the synthesis gas.
US08187564B2

Provided is a process for producing a boron added silicon (purified silicon) in an energy saving mode from a reduced silicon obtained by reducing a silicon halide with a metal aluminium. The production process of the invention comprises reducing a silicon halide with a metal aluminium to give a reduces silicon, heating and melting the resulting reduced silicon, and adding boron thereto followed by solidification for purification under the condition of a temperature gradient provided in one direction in a mold. Preferably, after washed with an acid, the reduced silicon is heated and molten, and boron is added thereto. After the reduced silicon is heated and molten under reduced pressure, boron is added thereto. After heated and molten, the reduced silicon is purified by solidification in one direction, then heated and molten, and thereafter boron is added thereto.
US08187558B2

A method for reducing or eliminating the aspiration of foam into a metering probe includes the steps of providing a reagent supply container having a baffle having sealed ends and having a liquid reagent in it. A metering probe movable in a direction toward and away from the reagent supply container is provided. A closure is moved away from the opening of the container and both seals covering the first and second openings of the baffle are pierced allowing liquid to enter the baffle from the end of the baffle submerged in the liquid thereby providing a foam reduced or foam free zone. The metering probe is moved into the first opening of the baffle and into contact with the liquid in the baffle. A selected amount of liquid in the baffle is aspirated and the metering probe is moved out of the baffle.
US08187557B2

The invention provides a reagent reservoir system and disposable reaction cassettes using the same. In one aspect, such system comprises a chamber in which dried reagent, particularly lyophilized reagent, is constrained to remain in a defined region of the chamber by a retaining member that obstructs passage of such reagents to other regions of the chamber where they may escape hydration or activation.
US08187555B2

A conveyor assembly for use in a vapor deposition apparatus wherein a sublimed source material is deposited as a thin film on a photovoltaic (PV) module substrate. The assembly includes a conveyor movable in an endless loop path that includes an upper leg that moves in a conveyance direction to carry a substrate through a deposition area of the vapor deposition apparatus. A heat source is disposed relative to the endless loop path so as to heat the conveyor at a location generally after the point where substrates leave the conveyor. The heat source heats the conveyor to a temperature effective for sublimating source material from the conveyor. A cold trap is disposed relative to the endless loop path downstream of the heat source in a direction of movement of the conveyor and is maintained at a temperature effective for causing sublimated source material generated from heating the conveyor to plate out onto a collection member configured with the cold trap. An associated process for reclamation of source material from conveyor components is also provided.
US08187552B2

An apparatus for producing trichlorosilane includes: a decomposing furnace, a heating unit heating the inside of the decomposing furnace, a raw material supplying tube for guiding polymer and hydrogen chloride to be guided to the inner bottom portion of the decomposing furnace, and a gas discharge tube for discharging reaction gas from the top of the reaction chamber provided between the outer peripheral surface of the raw material supplying tube and the inner peripheral surface of the decomposing furnace, a fin, which guides a fluid mixture of the polymer and the hydrogen chloride supplied from the lower end opening of the raw material supplying tube to be agitated and rise upward in the reaction chamber, and is formed integrally with at least one of the outer peripheral surface of the raw material supplying tube and the inner peripheral surface of the decomposing furnace.
US08187537B2

The invention concerns a diagnostic test unit for analysing a body fluid comprising a test carrier (test tape 10; test strips 12) provided with test fields (38) for applying the body fluid and a container (14) containing the test carrier, wherein an opening (18) of the container (14) is at least in some areas bordered by a seal (16). According to the invention it is proposed that the opening (18) is screened by a closing foil (22) from the surroundings of the container (14) and that the test tape (10) or a test strip (12) to be dispensed is passed through a passage gap (20) between the closing foil (22) and the seal (16).
US08187530B2

An object of this invention is to provide a steel for high-cleanliness spring which is useful for the production of a spring excellent in fatigue characteristics in high Si steels. The steel for high-cleanliness spring with excellent fatigue characteristics according to the invention contains: in terms of mass %, C: 1.2% or less (excluding 0%); Si: 1.8% to 4%; Mn: 0.1% to 2.0%; and total Al: 0.01% or less (excluding 0%), with the remainder being iron and inevitable impurities, in which the Si amount and a solute (SIMS) Ca amount in the steel satisfy a relationship of the following expression (1): Si×10−7≦solute (SIMS) Ca≦Si×5×10−7  (1) (in which each of the solute (SIMS) Ca and Si represents the amount thereof (mass %) in the steel).
US08187528B2

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for degassing, submerging, agitating and pumping molten metal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mechanical apparatus for moving or pumping molten metal such as aluminum, zinc or magnesium. Specifically, the present invention is related to a drive for such an apparatus in which a motor is positioned above a molten metal bath and rotates a vertical shaft. The lower end of the shaft drives an impeller or a rotor to impart motion to the molten metal.
US08187527B2

A modular air fluidized sand bed for the heat treatment of metal products is disclosed. This technology provides for the heat-treatment of steels, particularly long products, and other alloys and shapes using fluidized-sand heat transfer media. The technology directs gas burners into U-tube assemblies suspended in the media. The fluidizing agent is hot exhaust gas recovered from the U-tubes. Blended exhaust gases and cool air can maintain fluidizing gas, plenum and retort temperatures at nearly the same temperature as the sand. Constant volume and pressure of fluidizing gas maximizes heat transfer between sand and product. For extreme heating applications, a thermally insulated cover held in direct contact with the hot fluidized sand improves energy efficiency. A sand return system returns sand lost from the bed exit to entrance. The modular air fluidized sand bed includes a fluidization pressure and volume that are altered independent of a fluidization media temperature.
US08187520B2

The present invention provides a nonwoven fabric for filters which is excellent in dust collection efficiency and exhibits low pressure drop and excellent mechanical characteristics and rigidity, and a method of producing the nonwoven fabric. A nonwoven fabric for filters of the present invention is a nonwoven fabric for filters which is a long fiber nonwoven fabric, consisting of thermoplastic continuous filaments and formed by partially thermocompression bonding the thermoplastic continuous filaments, wherein the nonwoven fabric has a QF value (Pa−1) of 0.02 to 0.08 and stiffness of 2 to 80 mN.
US08187509B2

A granulation process wherein a liquid is sprayed into a prilling tower (1) by means of a rotating prilling bucket (15) having a perforated side wall (15a), and the liquid jets exiting said perforated side wall are subjected to a vibrating action according to the axial direction (A-A) of the prilling tower (1), while the remaining liquid mass inside the bucket is kept substantially free from said vibrating action. A suitable apparatus is also disclosed, wherein the peripheral side wall (15a) of the prilling bucket (15) is connected to vibration imparting means and has a flexible connection with the frame (15b, 15c) of the bucket.
US08187501B2

Use of certain materials in hole injection layer and/or hole transport layer can improve operational lifetimes in organic devices. Polymers having fused aromatic side groups such as polyvinylnaphthol polymers can be used in conjunction with conjugated polymers. Inks can be formulated and cast as films in organic electronic devices including OLEDs, SMOLEDs, and PLEDs. One embodiment provides a composition comprising: at least one conjugated polymer, and at least one second polymer different from the conjugated polymer comprising at least one optionally substituted fused aromatic hydrocarbon side group. The substituent can be hydroxyl. Aqueous-based inks can be formulated.
US08187497B2

Disclosed are a phosphor, method for preparing the same, and light emitting diode using the same. The method comprises the steps of preparing a precursor solution by mixing strontium nitrate (Sr(NO3)2), tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), and europium oxide (Eu) with each other, forming a gel by heating the precursor solution, drying the gel specimen, performing calcination by removing water and organic materials from the dried gel, and preparing a phosphor by reducing the Eu of the gel.
US08187495B2

A light emitting device is provided. The light emitting device includes a light emitting element that emits ultraviolet light or short-wavelength visible light; and at least one phosphor that is excited by the ultraviolet light or short-wavelength visible light to emit visible light. The at least one phosphor includes a first phosphor including a composition represented by the formula: M1O2.aM2O.bM3X2:M4, where M1 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Si, Ge, Ti, Zr, and Sn; M2 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Zn; M3 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Zn; X is at least one halogen element; M4 is at least one element essentially including Eu2+ selected from the group consisting of rare-earth elements and Mn; a is in the range of 0.1≦a≦1.3; and b is in the range of 0.1≦b≦0.25.
US08187491B2

A liquid crystal display device includes an illuminator and a liquid crystal panel for performing displaying by using light which is emitted from the illuminator. The liquid crystal panel includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer provided therebetween. The liquid crystal layer is formed of a liquid crystal material which contains molecules having at least one of a carbon-carbon triple bond and a polycyclic group. The illuminator includes a light source causing primary generation of at least blue light, among other light which is used for displaying.
US08187489B1

A process and deicing composition.
US08187485B2

A diameter of a mounting unit of the stage of an ashing processing apparatus is less than a diameter of a mounting unit of the stage of an etching processing apparatus, and the diameter of the mounting unit of the stage of the etching processing apparatus is less than a diameter of an objective item.
US08187483B2

The present invention provides a method for improving the critical dimension performance during a plasma etching process of a photolithographic substrate having a thin film. A passivation film is deposited onto the photolithographic substrate using a first set of process conditions. The deposited film is etched from the photolithographic substrate using a second set of process conditions. An exposed surface of the photolithographic substrate is etched using a third set of process conditions. During the plasma processing of the photolithographic substrate, the critical dimension performance of the photolithographic substrate is monitored to insure that the target uniformity and feature widths are obtained by adjusting the deposition and etch plasma processing of the photolithographic substrate.
US08187480B2

Methods comprising providing a pre-patterned substrate having an array of thick walls, depositing a conforming layer on the pre-patterned substrate, etching the conforming layer from the top of the thick walls and the space between the walls, and etching the thick walls while leaving thin walls of conforming layer.
US08187479B2

Disclosed is a manufacturing method of a printed circuit board. The method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: providing a laminated substrate having an insulator as well as a first metal layer and a second metal layer, which are sequentially laminated on one side of the insulator; processing a via hole in the laminated substrate; forming a seed layer on an inner wall of the via hole and on a surface of the second metal layer; plating an inside of the via hole and the surface of the second metal layer with a conductive material that is different from a material of the second metal layer; etching the seed layer and the conductive material, formed on the second metal layer; etching the second metal layer; and forming a first circuit pattern by selectively etching the first metal layer.
US08187463B2

A method of dewatering algae and recycling water therefrom is presented. A method of dewatering a wet algal cell culture includes removing liquid from an algal cell culture to obtain a wet algal biomass having a lower liquid content than the algal cell culture. At least a portion of the liquid removed from the algal cell culture is recycled for use in a different algal cell culture. The method includes adding a water miscible solvent set to the wet algal biomass and waiting an amount of time to permit algal cells of the algal biomass to gather and isolating at least a portion of the gathered algal cells from at least a portion of the solvent set and liquid of the wet algal biomass so that a dewatered algal biomass is generated. The dewatered algal biomass can be used to generated algal products such as biofuels and nutraceuticals.
US08187461B2

A system and method for processing and reusing graywater. At least two vertical flow wetland units are provided, each of which comprises a container filled with at least one granular substrate and at least one species of a hygrophilous plant, and an outlet. At least one of the wetland units is set to an inactive state during a predetermined period of time such that influx of graywater to each of the inactive units is prevented, to regenerate each inactive wetland units. At least one of the wetland units is set to an active state to allow introduced graywater to be purified. Purified graywater is discharged from the outlet of each active unit to a sink. At least a portion of the purified graywater is recirculated to each active wetland units so that a portion of the purified graywater, when desired, is discharged to a domestic site for reuse.
US08187459B2

A visual bilgewater quality indicator for use in a bilgewater filtration system which includes a filtration stage for removing oily contaminants. The quality indicator utilizes one or more filtration status chambers which are provided with a fluorescent or phosphorescent dye or pigment treated filtration media. The status chamber has a transparent outer wall. Flow through the status chamber is from the outer lateral wall toward its central axis, whereby oily contaminants in the flow collect selectively at the outer portions of the filtration media which are highly visible to an observer. Oil droplets as small as one micron, are captured and immobilized by the primary filter and are instantly visible against the background of the exemplary dye. If two status chambers are used in series, due to the ability of the infused media to permanently capture oil without re-entrainment, the second chamber is always kept transparent until complete loading and supersaturating breakthrough at the primary chamber. Oily droplet visibility can be further enhanced with ultraviolet illumination.
US08187455B2

Disclosed in certain embodiments is a method of determining the individual concentration of different antioxidants of the same class in a sample comprising contacting the sample with an effective amount of phenol; and analyzing the sample by voltammetry.
US08187451B2

A method for manufacturing integrally bladed rotors (preferably gas turbine rotors) is provided. The method includes the steps of a) providing a basic rotor body; b) placing the basic rotor body into an electrolyte; c) electrochemically machining the basic rotor body by simultaneously manufacturing a plurality of unmachined blades; and d) subsequently machining the unmachined blades to provide hydrodynamic surfaces, in particular a suction side and a pressure side, in the area of each unmachined blade.
US08187449B2

The cleaning method by electrolytic sulfuric acid and the manufacturing method of semiconductor device comprising: the process in which the first sulfuric acid solution is supplied from outside to the sulfuric acid electrolytic cell to form the first electrolytic sulfuric acid containing oxidizing agent in the sulfuric acid electrolytic cell; the process in which the second sulfuric acid solution, which is higher in concentration than said the first sulfuric acid solution previously supplied, is supplied from outside to said sulfuric acid electrolytic cell; said the second sulfuric acid solution and the first electrolytic sulfuric acid are mixed in said sulfuric acid electrolytic cell; and electrolysis is performed to form the cleaning solution comprising the second electrolytic sulfuric acid containing sulfuric acid and oxidation agent in said sulfuric acid electrolytic cell and the process in which cleaning treatment is performed for the cleaning object with said cleaning solution.
US08187446B2

A disposable electrochemical sensor strip is provided. The sensor strip includes an isolating sheet having at least a through hole, at least a conductive raw material mounted in the through hole, a metal film covered on the conductive raw material to form an electrode which comprises an electrode working surface for processing an electrode action, and an electrode connecting surface, at least a printed conductive film mounted on the isolating sheet and having a connecting terminal for being electrically connected to the electrode connecting surface, and a signal output terminal for outputting a measured signal produced by the electrode action.
US08187438B2

This invention relates to electrophoresis, in particular pre-cast mini gels with a low fluorescent polymer backing that is not adherent to the gel. Use of this type of small gel simplifies blotting procedures, such as Southern and Western blotting, after electrophoresis.
US08187429B2

A wastewater treatment apparatus and method with stair-like heat treatment tanks for performing a breakdown process are disclosed, in which the apparatus comprises: a mixing tank, for evenly mixing wastewater with reaction agents and thus forming a mixed solution; a plurality of heat treatment tanks, for enabling the mixed solution to circulate therein while being heating for a period of time so as to perform an organic destruction process upon the mixed solution and thus cause a discharging liquid to be formed; a heat exchanger, for enabling a heat exchanging process between the discharging liquid and the mixed solution to be performed therein; a condensation tank, for receiving and cooling the discharging liquid; a water purifier, for purifying and thus separating the discharging water into a cleaned water and a concentrated liquid for outputting; an agent recycling unit, for electrolyzing the concentrated liquid so as to recycle the reaction agents.
US08187424B2

An in-situ time domain spectroscopy (TDS)-based method (200) for non-contact characterization of properties of a sheet material while being produced by a manufacturing system (700). A time domain spectrometry system (100) and calibration data for the system is provided. The calibration data includes data for transmitted power through or reflected power from the sheet material as a function of a moisture content of the sheet material. At least one pulse of THz or near THz radiation from a transmitter (111) is directed at a location on a sheet material sample (130) while being processed by the manufacturing system (700). Transmitted or reflected radiation associated with at least one transmitted or reflected pulse from the sample location is synchronously detected by a detector (110) to obtain the sample data. The sample data, which is coincident data, is processed together with the calibration data (207, 208, 209) to determine at least one, and generally a plurality of properties of the sheet material sample (130) selected from caliper, basis weight and moisture content.
US08187423B1

In one aspect, the invention is directed to an efficient and economical process for dispersing fiber in water and clay. In another aspect, the process for dispersing fiber in water and clay is used in methods of making fiber reinforced composite products. In another aspect, the dispersed fiber/clay material is formulated to make products which include, but which are not limited to, fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites, paperboard products, kitty litter, and/or lightweight building materials comprising fiber.
US08187412B2

A method for reducing capacitances between semiconductor devices is provided. A plurality of contact structures is formed in a dielectric layer. A mask is formed to cover the contact structures wherein the mask has mask features for exposing parts of the dielectric layer wherein the mask features have widths. The widths of the mask features are shrunk with a sidewall deposition. Gaps are etched into the dielectric layer through the sidewall deposition. The gaps are closed to form pockets in the gaps.
US08187408B2

A method of forming a precision microspace with given configuration and volume; a process for manufacturing a member having a precision microspace with given configuration and volume; etc. There is provided a method of forming a precision microspace by the step of laying a film on a substratum having a precision microscopic depressed portion, comprising the steps of mounting such a substratum on a first stage and setting a second stage covering the outer circumference of the first stage so that the uppermost face of the second stage is higher than that of the first stage; and laying a film on the substratum to thereby obtain a precision microspace with given configuration and volume.
US08187400B2

Disclosed herein are a microtubular honeycomb carbon material obtained by heat-treating cellulose fiber, a production method thereof, a microtubular reactor module fabricated using the microtubular honeycomb carbon, a method for producing the microtubular reactor module, and a microcatalytic reactor system comprising the microtubular reactor module. A carbon material having a new structure is produced by heat-treating cellulose fiber, and a catalytic reactor system having a new structure is constructed by coating the surface of the carbon material with a metal catalyst. Cellulose carbide, used as the reactor material, is very simple to produce. Because it has a micro honeycomb structure having a large number of microchannels and a large number of mesopores, it can be loaded with a large amount of a catalyst compared to the prior material having the same area, and thus it is useful as a catalyst support, and the reaction efficiency can be maximized. Also, the microcatalytic reactor system can be used in applications including very small steam reformer systems that use biomass fuel such as ethanol, fuel cell reactor systems, VOC and low-concentration-hydrogen treatment systems operable below 200□, micro heat exchangers, and natural gas reformer systems. Thus, the invention is a useful, industrially applicable invention.
US08187398B2

An energetic composition and system using amassed energetic multilayer pieces which are formed from the division, such as for example by cutting, scoring, breaking, crushing, shearing, etc., of a mechanically activatable monolithic energetic multilayer(s) (e.g. macro-scale sheets of multilayer films), for enhancing the sensitivity of the energetic composite and system to mechanical initiation of self-sustained reaction. In particular, mechanical initiation of the energetic composition may be achieved with significantly lower mechanical energy inputs than that typically required for initiating the monolithic energetic multilayers from which it is derived.
US08187394B2

A powder magnetic core is provided for operating at high frequencies that is obtained by pressure forming an iron-based magnetic powder covered with an insulation film, which has a specific resistance more than 1000, preferably more than 2000, and most preferably more than 3000 μΩm, and a saturation magnetic flux density B above 1.5, preferably above 1.7, and most preferably above 1.9 (T). A method for the preparation of such cores as well as a powder which is suitable for the preparation also are provided.
US08187393B2

Embodiments of the disclosed technology provide methods of boronizing titanium and other metals and metal alloys. The method proceeds, in an embodiment of the disclosed technology, by using a boron source, and placing it in a heated environment, followed by a reduced pressure environment, as is described in the disclosure. In a solid phase embodiment of the disclosure, boronized stainless steel alloys are produced having zero galling at 17,000 psi.
US08187388B2

A method for treating catalysts, in particular, for the cleaning and/or regeneration of a catalyst, whereby the catalyst comprises parallel channels. The catalyst is taken out of service for treatment and flushed with a cleaning and/or regeneration fluid in-situ in the assembled state. The cleaning and/or regeneration fluid is introduced under pressure to that end of a bundle of adjacent channels away from the pressurized end of the catalyst. The channels of the bundle are flushed against gravity and the cleaning and/or regeneration fluid escapes from the other end of the channels thereupon enters the free ends of other adjacent channels and flows through the same under the effect of gravity.
US08187379B2

A method for minimizing particle generation during deposition of a graded Si1-xGex layer on a semiconductor material includes providing a substrate in an atmosphere including a Si precursor and a Ge precursor, wherein the Ge precursor has a decomposition temperature greater than germane, and depositing the graded Si1-xGex layer having a final Ge content of greater than about 0.15 and a particle density of less than about 0.3 particles/cm2 on the substrate.
US08187370B2

A high separation efficacy, compact, bulk oil separator oriented horizontally and used with a scroll-type oil-lubricated compressor unit adapted to compressing helium. The horizontal bulk oil separator contains an integral oil reservoir and removes more than 99.9% of the oil from the helium that exits. The bulk oil separator contains successive chambers where oil separates from the gas by impingement.
US08187369B2

A sorbent activation plate having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, a plurality of reliefs in the first surface, and a plurality of protrusions on the second surface. The sorbent activation plate is structured to attach to a boiler tube such that the plurality of protrusions contact the boiler tube and offset the second surface from the boiler tube.
US08187367B2

The present invention relates to a portable pressure swing adsorption (“PSA”) oxygen generator with at least one partition board disposed inside its housing; an oil-free compressor and a control valve assembly are disposed in one of the separated space isolated by at least one fixing board and the at least one partition board; wherein a fan is disposed inclined or vertically on the partition board outside of the isolated space so that air can be blown into the isolated space directly by an air outlet of the fan. The present invention is built in compact structure with small size and light weight to carry and move, and works safely with a choice of three different types of power supplies, which enable the oxygen generator of the present invention to be used more widely than conventional ones.
US08187359B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing granulated metallic iron superior in rust resistance. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing such granulated metallic iron. In the method, the granulated metallic iron is produced by agglomerating a material mixture including an iron-oxide-containing material and a carbonaceous reducing agent; charging and heating the agglomerated material mixture in a moving hearth-type reducing furnace to reduce the iron oxide in the material mixture with the carbonaceous reducing agent to obtain hot granulated metallic iron; and cooling the hot granulated metallic iron, wherein the hot granulated metallic iron is cooled while its relative position is changed; and an oxide coating is formed on the surface of the hot granulated metallic iron by bringing moisture into contact with almost the entire surface of the hot granulated metallic iron.
US08187353B2

A particulate filter may comprise an inlet end, an outlet end, and a plurality of channels disposed and configured to flow fluid from the inlet end to the outlet end, wherein the channels are defined by porous walls configured to trap particulate matter. The porous walls may have a total porosity greater than about 45%, a median pore size ranging from about 13 micrometers to about 20 micrometers, and a pore size distribution such that pores less than 10 micrometers contribute less than about 10% porosity.
US08187351B2

The present invention provides a sol of spinous inorganic oxide particles not containing coarse particles, in which particles having extremely homogeneous particles are dispersed in a solvent. An acidic silicic acid is added to a dispersion liquid of core particles to grow core particles, and then again the acidic silicic acid is added at the addition rate 1.2 to 1.8 higher than that in the previous step to prepare a sol of spinous inorganic oxide particles. Then the sol is subjected to centrifugation to remove coarse particles having the diameter of 800 nm or more, thus spinous inorganic oxide particles having peculiar form such as a spinous one being obtained.
US08187350B2

Apparatus and a process are described for compressing superheated steam into porous coal chunks in a chamber, and, after a time interval, expanding this steam out of the chamber, and repeating this steam cycle of compression followed by expansion. Thusly heated by the steam, volatile matter separates from the solid coke portion of the coal and separate volatile matter and coke products can be produced from coal or biomass fuels. These volatile matter liquids and tars can be used as fuel components in slurry fuels, for internal combustion engines used in our surface transportation industries. These solid coke products can be used as boiler fuel in steam electric plants. In this way our large domestic reserves of coal can be used as a fuel source, not only for electric power generation, but also for our surface transportation needs.
US08187347B2

The present invention is to provide compositions comprising organic compounds useful as a chemical industrial material or a fuel composition with the use of an alcohol such as ethanol as a material. It is a method for producing compositions using alcohol as a starting material and comprising: allowing alcohol to contact with an alcohol conversion catalyst such as hydroxyapatite (first step) and conducting a hydrogenation reaction respectively for all reaction products consisting of a liquid phase including alcohols, water and hydrocarbons of 4-12 carbons and a gas phase which is light gas containing paraffins, alcohols and olefins; all liquid phase reaction products consisting of all reaction products from which light gas has been removed; a liquid phase dehydration reaction products consisting of all reaction products from which light gas, unreacted alcohol and product water have been removed; and light gas (second step).
US08187338B2

An oxidative hair colorant composition to be dispensed from a manually-actuable, non-aerosol dispenser as a foam. The oxidative hair colorant composition contains a foam stabilizing agent and is essentially free of surfactant.
US08187332B2

A bone fusion device provides stability to bones during a bone fusion period. The bones include, for example, the vertebrae of a spinal column. The bone fusion device comprises one or more extendable tabs attached to the bone fusion device by associated rotating means. The bone fusion device is preferably inserted by using an arthroscopic surgical procedure. During arthroscopic insertion of the device, the tabs are pre-configured for compactness. In this compact configuration, the tabs are preferably deposed along and/or within an exterior surface of the bone fusion device. After the bone fusion device has been positioned between the bones, one or more tab(s) are extended. In the preferred embodiment, the position of each tab is related to a positioning element and extending blocks. Typically, the tabs advantageously position and brace the bone fusion device in the confined space between the bones until the bones have fused.
US08187318B2

A metallic or pseudometallic covered stent in which the stent component and the cover component are each fabricated of biocompatible metallic or pseudometallic materials, in which the cover and the stent are joined by at least one juncture at each of a proximal and distal end of the stent and the cover. A method of joining the stent and the cover is also disclosed.
US08187314B2

A stepped balloon catheter prosthesis deployment system is disclosed for placement of a prosthesis across an Os opening from a main body lumen to a branch body lumen. The prosthesis comprises a radially expansible support at one end, a circumferentially extending link at the other end and at least one frond extending axially therebetween. The prosthesis is configured to be deployed from a stepped diameter balloon with the support in the branch body lumen, with the circumferentially extending link in the main lumen and the frond extendable across the Os.
US08187312B2

A device is described that may be positioned at a location in an intervertebral disc for diagnosis or treatment of the disc. Treatment may include, for example, applying energy or removing material, and may decrease intradiscal pressure. Radiofrequency energy may be applied. A percutaneous method of repairing a fissure in the annulus pulposus comprises placing an energy source adjacent to the fissure and providing sufficient energy to the fissure to raise the temperature to at least about 45-70° C. and for a sufficient time to cause the collagen to weld. An intervertebral fissure also can be treated by placing a catheter with a lumen adjacent to the fissure and injecting sealant into the fissure via the catheter, thereby sealing the fissure. An intervertebral fissure additionally can be treated by providing a catheter having a distal end, a proximal end, a longitudinal axis, and an intradiscal section at the catheter's distal end on which there is at least one functional element. The next step is applying a force longitudinally to the proximal of the catheter which is sufficient to advance the intradiscal section through the nucleus pulposus and around an inner wall of an annulus fibrosus, but which force is insufficient to puncture the annulus fibrosus. Next the functional element is positioned at a selected location of the disc by advancing or retracting the catheter and optionally twisting the proximal end of the catheter. Then the functional unit treats the annular fissure. Optionally, there is an additional step of adding a substance to seal the fissure. An externally guidable intervertebral disc apparatus also is disclosed.
US08187293B2

A microsurgical instrument including a cutting member and a base with an actuating mechanism that provides more efficient cutting of tissue.
US08187292B2

A surgical skin punch apparatus to excise subcutaneous abnormalities and allow for efficient resealing of the skin surface. The surgical skin punch apparatus generally includes an elongated handle and a cutting member, wherein the cutting member extends from the elongated handle. The cutting member includes a C-shape to form a pivotal skin fragment to access subcutaneous material beneath. A method of using the apparatus is also described.
US08187290B2

Devices and methods for achieving hemostasis and leakage control in hollow body vessels such as the small and large intestines, arteries, and veins as well as ducts leading to the gall bladder and other organs. The devices and methods disclosed are especially useful in the emergency, trauma surgery or military setting, and most especially during damage control procedures. In such cases, the patient may have received trauma to the abdomen, extremities, neck or thoracic region. The devices utilize removable or permanently implanted, broad, soft, parallel jaw clips with minimal projections to maintain vessel contents without damage to the tissue comprising the vessel. These clips are applied using either standard instruments or custom devices that are subsequently removed leaving the clips implanted, on a temporary or permanent basis, to provide for hemostasis or leakage prevention, or both. These clips overcome the limitations of clips and sutures that are currently used for the same purposes. The clips come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The clips may be placed and removed by open surgery or laparoscopic access.
US08187289B2

A device for drawing tissues together and creating an anastomosis comprises a main guide wire (66, 86) suitable to receive and draw anastomotic devices (10; 16; 24) in order to draw together portions (A; B) of tissues to be joined by means of anastomosis. The main guide wire (66, 86) is suitable to be shaped like an open ring crossing the portions (A, A′; B, B′) of tissues to be joined by means of anastomosis (66, 86), wherein the ends of the main guide wire (66, 86) are different and distinguishable from each other. The main guide wire (66, 86) has a tubular or hollow structure suitable to house at least one needle for a push or radiofrequency perforation of the tissues.
US08187286B2

A system and method for delivering a surgical clip to a surgical site within a patient's body to compress body tissue is disclosed. In one embodiment for the system of the present invention, the system includes an endoscopic device that has an endoscope cap disposed on a distal end of the endoscopic device. A surgical clip is removably disposed on an outside surface of the endoscope cap. A deployment device is associated with the surgical clip for deploying the surgical clip from the endoscope cap to the body tissue that is to be compressed. The surgical clip can be a deformable clip that is deployed in a non deformed configuration, and is then deformed so as to apply compression on selected tissue. The surgical clip can be a multi-legged clip, having a plurality of legs that can be locked in a closed position to apply compression to body tissue.
US08187281B2

An orthopedic device includes a targeting member, an elongated guiding member, and an adjustment member. The targeting member has an elongated body along a first longitudinal axis and can be coupled to an intramedullary implant such that the first longitudinal axis is parallel to the intramedullary implant. The targeting member includes a first bore extending along a second longitudinal axis t1hrough the elongated body, the first bore having a cross-section elongated in the direction of the first longitudinal axis. The first and second longitudinal axes define a first plane. The elongated guiding member passes through the first bore and is pivotable relative to the first longitudinal axis. The adjustment member is coupled to the elongated body and operable to change an orientation of the guiding member relative to the first longitudinal axis in the first plane.
US08187280B2

A system for cooperating with an elongated IM member during preparation of a bone for receiving a prosthesis can include a scaffold, skeleton or frame. An alignment assembly can be selectively coupled to the frame. The alignment assembly can cooperate with the IM member to position the frame relative to the bone. A cutting block can be selectively coupled to the frame. According to other features, a posterior stabilized (PS) box guide assembly can have a PS box guide attachment portion that selectively couples with the first attachment portion of the frame. A posterior foot can selectively couple with a second attachment portion on the frame. The posterior foot can be positioned to occupy space of a joint line in an installed position.
US08187279B2

A surgical instrument support system has a support frame supported by three arms. Each arm has a plurality of ball and socket members strung in series along a cable. The arms are also connected to bases mountable to the patient's limb on the proximal and distal sides of the joint. Actuators are provided for each arm to change the tension in the cables to change the stiffness of each arm. The support system can be part of a surgical instrument system that includes a plurality of resection guides mountable to the support frame.
US08187276B1

The present invention is an improved unique odd angle internal fixation device for both a transverse and longitudinal fracture located at the junction of the metaphysis and diaphysis of a long bone such as the proximal humerus. The improved odd angle internal fixation device includes an elongated lag screw and a rectangular shaped guide plate having multiple holes throughout the plate to host pins and screws and four tips on the front side of the plate. A lag screw with a cylindric head having a hexagonal cavity introduced through the diaphyseal segment of the fracture at three angles, 90, and 150 and 160 degrees, cross fixing the respective bone longitudinal and transverse fracture line and settling in the depth of the epiphysis. An additional locking screw is introduced on the top of the lag screw head to securely lock the lag screw after being settled into the epiphysis. The guide plate serves as a guide for the lag screw and allows the engagement of the head of the lag screw to the inner wall of its short barrel portion. The engagement would cause the guide plate which is attached to the barrel, to be compressed against the diaphyseal cortex as the lag screw advances deeper into the epiphysis at said three angles.
US08187259B2

Systems and methods provide for stabilizing the amount of laser energy delivered to a target from a laser device. Generally, delivered laser energy is measured over multiple laser pulses or over time in the case of a constant wave laser. A decrease is then calculated in the delivered energy, the decrease being caused by accumulation of one or more substances, such as ozone, along the laser beam delivery path due to passage of the laser beam along the path. Using this calculated decrease, a laser device may be adjusted to compensate for the decrease in delivered energy due to the accumulated substance(s), thus stabilizing the amount of energy delivered to the target.
US08187258B2

The above described apparatus and methods provide the possibility to reduce or even eliminate the effects of delay between image acquisition and laser ablation. Thus this will lead to less positioning errors and therefore to better ablation results in laser refractive surgery. The importance of this invention will increase with decreasing ablating beam diameter. The use of synchronization leads to shorter delay times. Hence it follows that the duration of the whole treatment decreases as well.
US08187248B2

A system for removing or transferring a pharmaceutical product from a reservoir including an ampoule with a moveable piston therein and an adaptor which includes, generally along a longitudinal axis, a reservoir connector and an ampoule connector for coupling to the ampoule, wherein the ampoule connector includes at least one locking mechanism which, in a side wall, includes a resilient element generally corresponding to a portion of the side wall which extends along the periphery thereof and, at opposing ends, merges with the side wall.
US08187241B2

A disposable absorbent article adapted to be worn about a lower torso of a human body and having a chassis, a non-removable absorbent core component disposed in a crotch region of the chassis, and a replaceable absorbent core component disposed in capillary liquid communication with the non-removable absorbent core component. The replaceable absorbent core component may be removed and a like component may be substituted in place of the removed component without the removal of the absorbent article from the wearer. The replaceable absorbent core component may be disposed inside an openable chassis pocket, with access for its removal and replacement provided by an aperture in a backsheet, an openable end of an external pocket, or an openable end of an internal pocket formed at an area of a waist end edge where the backsheet and a topsheet may be separated. Additional replaceable absorbent core components may also be incorporated.
US08187237B2

A reduced-pressure, linear-wound closing bolster has a pivotable frame that moves from an extended position to a compressed position under the influence of reduced pressure. The closing bolster may have a first closing member, a second closing member, and an interior space. A manifold member is disposed within the interior space and may be coupled to the pivotable frame. When a reduced pressure is applied, the pivotable frame is urged from the extended position to the compressed position. A first gripping member for transmitting a closing force from the first closing member to a first edge of a linear wound may be attached. Likewise, a second gripping member for transmitting a closing force from the second closing member to a second edge of the linear wound may be attached. Systems and methods are also presented.
US08187234B2

A pressure activated valve comprises a valve housing defining a lumen for receiving bodily fluids therein and a flexible membrane disposed in the valve housing. The flexible membrane includes a slit extending therethrough so that the flexible membrane may be moved between an open and a closed configuration based on fluid pressure within the lumen. A nonthrombogenic coating may be formed on fluid contacting surfaces of the flexible membrane.
US08187228B2

A delivery device includes a durable housing portion and a separable disposable portion that selectively engage and disengage from each other. The disposable housing portion secures to the patient-user and may be disposed of after it has been in use for a prescribed period. Components that normally come into contact with a patient-user or with an infusion medium, including a pump device, are supported by the disposable housing portion for disposal after the prescribed use, while the durable housing portion supports other components such as electronics for controlling delivery of the infusion medium from the reservoir and a drive device and drive linkage.
US08187224B2

Operations performed by a medicine injector having a barrel with a receiving cavity to slidably receive a syringe subassembly for axial movement therein. Upon removal of a safety and release of a syringe driver, the syringe driver moves forward and injects the syringe needle. One or more penetration controls are shown for controlling injection needle penetration depth. In some forms of penetration control a sleeve and spring are used in the methods performed. This construction and a cushioning piece or pieces may be used to reduce the forces experienced by the syringe subassembly. A load distribution ring may further be used with a cushion, spring and guide ring which may be used to help distribute deceleration loading experienced by the syringe subassembly.
US08187221B2

A dilatation catheter for delivering a therapeutic agent within a body lumen having a wall with a thickness is provided having a balloon having a flexible wall including a polymer with dispersed nanotubes and pores configured to close below a predefined pressure and to open at or above a predefined pressure. In some embodiments, an actuator is provided to controllably inflate the balloon with a fluid at a pressure sufficient to bring the flexible wall of the balloon into contact with at least a portion of the wall of the body lumen but below the predefined pressure, and to controllably increase the pressure of the fluid within the inflated balloon to at least the predefined pressure at a rate and with a force sufficient to deliver the therapeutic agent from the pores and through at least a portion of the thickness of the wall of the body lumen.
US08187219B1

A massaging manual breast pump comprising a pumping assembly, a receptacle, a lid, a handle, and a cushion is provided. The pumping assembly comprises a cavity formed inside of the pumping assembly; a cover extended downwardly from periphery of a bottom of the cavity to define an opening; a receiver disposed at the bottom of the cavity and in communication therewith; a duck mouth valve provided to engage with the receiver at one end and attached to the receptacle at the other end; a pumping insert accommodated in the cavity; an air chamber provided on a top of the pumping insert, with the lid covered on the air chamber; a support extended acclivously from a side wall of the cavity to engage with the handle; a conduit extended acclivously from another side wall of the cavity and in fluid communication with the cavity; a cup formed at one end of the conduit and in a shape of a trumpet for receiving a breast, the cushion being assembled with the cup with a slot disposed therebetween; and a tube connected between the slot and the air chamber.
US08187210B2

An abdominal wound dressing and methods of use are described that enable the application of negative pressure to the wound site in a healing manner while also limiting the formation of adhesions that would prevent the removal of the dressing. The method comprises providing a flexible film having a plurality of holes therein and placing the flexible film in the wound. The flexible film has a first, patient-facing side and a second side. The method includes placing a porous pad on top of the second side of the flexible film. The flexible film and porous pad are sealed within the wound with a drape that is positioned in contact with an area of skin surrounding the wound. A negative pressure is provided to the porous pad for drawing a flow of exuded fluids from the wound.
US08187197B2

A method of estimating cerebral blood flow includes obtaining a measure of time-varying blood volume in the head, using an impedance plethysmography (102 and 104), obtaining a measure of time-varying blood volume in the scalp, and using the time-varying blood volume in the head and scalp to estimate cerebral blood flow.
US08187189B2

A method and system are described for generating a signal indicative of an intravascular image received at least partly via a light transducer and invoking circuitry for passing the generated signal out of a subject's body.
US08187183B2

A continuous glucose monitoring system including a sensor configured to detect one or more glucose levels, a transmitter operatively coupled to the sensor, the transmitter configured to receive the detected one or more glucose levels, the transmitter further configured to transmit signals corresponding to the detected one or more glucose levels, and a receiver operatively coupled to the transmitter configured to receive transmitted signals corresponding to the detected one or more glucose levels, and methods thereof, are disclosed. In one aspect, the transmitter may be configured to transmit a current data point and at least one previous data point, the current data point and the at least one previous data point corresponding to the detected one or more glucose levels.
US08187177B2

A surgical access device includes a single valve that forms a seal with a body wall and provides an access channel into a body cavity. The valve has properties for creating a zero seal in the absence of an instrument as well as an instrument seal for an instrument having a diameter up to about 37 mm. The valve can include a gel material and the access channel can include a protective sleeve to provide for wound protection during insertion and withdrawal of a sharp surgical instrument. The valve further comprises a cap ring which may be inserted or molded with the gel material. The protective sleeve may be bonded or molded around an inner diameter of the cap ring. The protective sleeve may be a single tubular member, or may comprise a plurality of axially extending sleeve members having a plurality of axial slits. The protective sleeve and the cap ring may comprise of the same or different materials. The surgical access device further comprises at least one support ring disposed circumferentially of the valve forming a hollow space, and a wound retractor operatively placed in the hollow space. The wound retractor includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and a flexible sleeve connecting the inner ring and the outer ring.
US08187174B2

A method for detecting a capsule camera entering into or exiting the GI tract, includes (a) taking a first test image under the condition that an illumination system of the capsule camera is disabled; (b) taking a second test image under the same condition as the first test image; (c) comparing selected corresponding pixel values of the first test image and the second test image to determine if a significant change in pixel values has occurred; and (d) upon detecting the significant change in pixel values, determining if the capsule camera has entered or exited the GI tract, and performing operations appropriate to follow such determination. The appropriate operations performed after detecting the capsule camera's exit from the GI tract includes stopping further taking or storing of images and, optionally, activating an audio signal to indicate the capsule camera has exited the GI tract. The appropriate operations performed after detecting the capsule camera's entering into the GI tract includes entering into an imaging mode for a next section of the GI tract, which may be the esophagus.
US08187165B2

Disclosed is a portable sphincter training tool in that the general male can wear on his body and naturally exercise his sphincter at recess or in the course of daily life, whereby improving physically and spiritually in vitality and confidence. The portable sphincter training tool comprises a penis induction pipe for receiving a penis; an adhesive plate coupled to the penis induction pipe, adhered to an user's body during wear and having a vacuum pump for making the penis induction pipe vacuous; and a sphincter tension necklace coupled to one side of the adhesive plate and hanged on an user's neck in order to stably adhere the penis induction pipe to the adhesive plate and apply a tension to the sphincter according to a predetermined movement during adhesion; wherein an insertion portion of the penis induction pipe is bent inward in such a manner that the penis is stably received upward.
US08187163B2

Various exemplary methods are disclosed for implanting a restriction device for forming a restriction in a patient. The methods can be used with a variety of restriction devices, but in an exemplary embodiment the methods are used for implanting a gastric restriction device.
US08187155B2

A training machine is provided comprising a base (6) arranged for placement on the floor (4), a movable member (32) provided on the base (6) to be moved by the training action, and a load exerting means (8) for exerting a load to control the movement of the movable member (32). The load exerting means (8) has a weight assembly (22) thereof arranged to be lifted vertically by the movement of the movable member (32) as resisting the gravity and particular is accompanied with a counter-force exerting means (70) arranged at the weight assembly (22) and/or the movable member (32) for exerting a returning force on the movable member (32) at the timing of shift from the upward movement to the downward movement of the weight assembly (22). The counter-force exerting means (70) comprises, for example, coil springs (72, 74) and movement stoppers (76, 78) for restricting the movement of the coil springs (72, 74).
US08187148B2

A clutch system for producing and interrupting a force flow between the engine and transmission of a motor vehicle, with a clutch, which is disengaged unless actuated, and one or more valves, which regulate the flow of pressure medium and which are electrically actuated by a control and regulation unit. If there is electrical failure while driving and when a gear is engaged or when the vehicle is stationary, the engine is running and a transmission gear is engaged, unintended clutch engagement is prevented. The valves are designed such that if there is a failure of the voltage supply and consequently also of the actuation of the valves by the electronic control and regulation system, the operating condition of the clutch existing at the time of failure, namely the disengaged or engaged operating condition, remains as it is.
US08187145B2

A method for controlling hydraulic line pressure of a hydraulic control system in an electro-mechanical transmission mechanically-operatively coupled to an internal combustion engine and an electric machine adapted to selectively transmit mechanical power to an output member via selective application of a plurality of hydraulically-applied torque transfer clutches includes monitoring requirements for transmission of clutch reactive torque in one of the clutches, monitoring a hydraulic line pressure within the hydraulic control system, determining a minimum clutch torque capacity required to keep the clutch from slipping, determining a hydraulic line pressure required to create the minimum clutch torque capacity, and modulating hydraulic line pressure applied to the clutch by modulating operation of the hydraulic control system based upon the hydraulic line pressure required to create the minimum clutch torque capacity.
US08187144B2

The present invention provides a clutch torque control system of a hybrid electric vehicle, which performs an engine rotational speed control in a power generation system including an engine, a motor-generator, and a clutch for controlling connection and disconnection between the engine and the motor-generator.
US08187134B2

Under control of rotation of a crankshaft 41, a friction roller 32 is pressed against a friction roller 31 in a radial direction, so as to achieve torque transmission between the rollers 31, 32. An inter-roller radial pressing reaction is canceled as an internal force in bearing supports 23, 25, with no input to a housing 11. Each bearing support 23, 25 is formed with a constricted portion at a center section of the bearing support between bearing-fitting portions at end sections of the bearing support, for lowering support stiffness of the bearing support against the inter-roller radial pressing reaction.
US08187133B2

A lubrication system for transporting lubrication oil in an automatic transmission includes a radial lubrication passage opening at a hole in an outer peripheral surface of a shaft. The hole has a cross section that is elongated only along a first axis offset from a central axis the shaft so as to follow angular deformation caused by unidirectional torque applied to the shaft whereby stress produced around the hole by torque transmitted through the rotating shaft is reduced, thus minimizing fatigue and increasing a useful life of the automatic planetary transmission. Preferably cross sections of the radial passage taken sequentially along the transverse axis are elongated near outer peripheral surface of the shaft but become circular towards the central axis. With this arrangement stress produced around the hole by torque transmitted through the rotating shaft is reduced thus reducing fatigue and increasing a useful life of the transmission.
US08187129B2

An assembling device, an assembling method and a manufacturing method of a driving belt, which can facilitate fitting of rings into a recess of an element to improve productivity of the driving belt.The driving belt V, in which two rows of rings 8a and 8b are accommodated parallel to each other in a recess 7 of a plurality of elements 1 interlinked annularly in a manner to situate the recess 7 to open to an outer circumferential side, and in which the rings 8a and 8b are held in an inner circumferential side of the protruding portions 9 formed on an opening end of inner walls 6 of the recess 7 to prevent detachment of the rings 8a and 8b from the recess 7, comprises: a ring holding member 8c for restricting a relative movement between the rings 8a and 8b aligned parallel to each other entirely in its length direction without being overlapped.
US08187120B2

A wedge type golf club head is disclosed herein where the wedge type golf club head has enhanced performance characteristics such as improved backspin, ball speed, and launch angle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a wedge type golf club head having a lower center of gravity, where the center of gravity is located substantially behind the hitting surface and substantially along a neutral axis behind the point of impact.
US08187115B2

Golf equipment including a set of golf clubs having a substantially constant distance from the shaft axis to the central point of the club face for each club in the set. The central point may be the geometric center of the face or the impact point, which may be the same or different.
US08187114B2

A one piece, golf accessory formed from a flexible thin flat plastic sheet which assembles into a three dimensional golf target structure and maybe disassembled. The three dimensional golf target structure includes a rounded cup with a backboard above it having wings extending to either side of the cup capable of guiding a golf ball to the cup. The wings each have a ground insertion spike to hold them in position on the ground above the cup. The cup has a bottom to capture a golf ball. The is cup sized and designed to fit into a regulation sized golf hole with a target on the center of the backboard for a golfer to aim at.
US08187107B2

A quick disconnect yoke assembly is provided that includes a yoke having a cylindrical hub and a splined bore passing through the hub. A disconnect lever may be pivotably secured to the hub and may include an first arm and a second arm. The disconnect lever may be biased in a first position by a return spring. In the first position, the first arm may be positioned in a circumferential groove formed between a first splined portion and a second splined portion of a shaft that is received in the bore. When an inward radial force is applied to the second arm, the disconnect lever pivots to a second position in which the first portion is outside of the circumferential groove, thereby allowing the shaft to be inserted or removed from the bore.
US08187094B2

In the game program, a computer 100 is operated as means for moving a game character in a game field, based on an input signal inputted from an operation unit 114 and outputting the motions to display means 110. The game program comprises the processing of setting a player character PC which moves, based on an operation signal inputted from an operation unit 114 by a game player and a partner character PT which moves, based on a prescribed movement algorithm, and judging whether or not a first input signal has been inputted from the operation unit, and the processing of restricting a range where the player character PC is movable to a prescribed range with a present position of the partner character PT in the gate field as a reference when it is judged that the first input signal has been inputted. The game program permits a player character a player operates and a partner character which supports the player character to make various cooperative motions.
US08187090B2

The invention provides a conjuring assisting toy which can make a viewer feel the supernatural force and interestedness which are inherent in a conjuring trick by displaying the result of a conjuring trick through simple operations, there is provided a conjuring assisting toy including a display means for displaying an image, a coordinate inputting means for designating coordinates relative to a display area of the display means, and a central control means, wherein the central control means includes a main control unit, a conjuring data storage unit, an input analyzing unit and an operation unit, an operation result storage unit, an inputted diagram storage unit, and an image data forming and outputting unit, an inputted position signal is analyzed by the input analyzing unit, the main control unit causes position information based on the inputted position signal to be stored in the inputted diagram storage unit, causes the display means to display a line image, determines specific feature information from information stored in the conjuring data storage unit based on an input order, and causes part or the whole of the line image which is caused to be displayed on the display means to be changed to display a time-varying image.
US08187083B2

According to a gaming machine 1 of the present invention, a specific number of free games are generated when three or more trigger symbols 100 have been stop-displayed in a normal game. Further, when one or two trigger symbols 100 have been stop-displayed in a free game, numeric values in number equivalent to the number of stop-displayed trigger symbols 100 are selected, and then the number of times obtained by summing up the selected numeric values is added to the number of free games.
US08187078B2

In a collective control of plural game machines placed in the same parlor, it is detected whether there is a player change with each game machine and, based on the detection result, the cumulative credit consumption with each game machine is controlled per player. When the cumulative credit consumption of a certain player reaches a predetermined upper limit, return is executed to this player. The upper limit value is changed properly. Therefore, the player can perform a game without anxiety while enjoying amusement of the game. As the result, it may be avoided losing customers.
US08187076B2

The gaming machine 10 executes a game which pays out the amount of credits corresponding to a rearrangement state of a plurality of the symbols, switches a mode from a non-insurance mode to an insurance mode based on a predetermined condition, counts the number of games executed after switching to an insurance mode, in a case where a game which paid out more than a predetermined amount of credits has been executed before the number of games counted reaches a specified number of games, the rearrangement state of the plurality of symbols matches a predetermined symbol combination, and alternatively, the specified winning is generated, continues without resetting the insurance mode to which it was switched, and pays out a predetermined amount of credits when the number of games counted reaches a specified number of games.
US08187074B2

A gaming machine of the present invention comprises: a ticket reader; and a controller, the controller programmed to execute the processing of (a) executing a game played against an other gaming machine, when the ticket reader has read a ticket issued from a ticket issuing terminal.
US08187070B2

A system and method for implementing a game of chance based on historical events. The method consists of randomly selecting a set of competitors from an event database. The competitors are presented to a player. A set of criteria comprising a subset of the competitors are received from the player. The database of events is filtered to produce a set of events comprising those events that match the set of criteria. A single event is randomly selected from the set of events to determine an outcome for the game.
US08187065B1

A video card gaming system for simulating a football game comprising a processor. At least one input device, display device, monetary acceptance feature, and database are in communication with the processor. The database comprises an electronic deck of playing cards comprising offensive play cards and defensive play cards, and an electronic deck of special teams cards. Computer instructions in the database instruct the processor to permit input of primary and secondary bets, electronically deal cards from the electronic decks, designate offense and defense players, permit selection of cards by players, determine game outcomes based on the selected cards, and award winnings based on bets and game outcomes.
US08187064B2

A chopper for an agricultural combine has blades with an overload release mechanism that permits them to pivot out of the way when the chopper is obstructed and experiences an overload condition.
US08187063B2

An HVAC system for a vehicle includes a housing, a front HVAC unit with a front blower, and rear HVAC unit with a rear blower. The front and rear HVAC units are housed in the housing. The front blower generates an airflow through a front airflow path and the rear blower generates an airflow through a rear airflow path. A separating wall separates the front airflow path from the rear airflow path. The HVAC system further includes an evaporator with a first portion and a second portion. When the rear blower is switched to an OFF position, the rear HVAC unit automatically operates the rear blower at a minimum voltage so as to continue to generate airflow through the second portion of the evaporator.
US08187056B2

A processing apparatus is provided to surface-finish or otherwise process features of a workpiece, such as a lumen of a stent. The fluid jet apparatus can have a nozzle system and a holder for holding and positioning the workpiece with respect to the nozzle system. A fluid jet outputted from the nozzle system is used to form a desired surface-finish.
US08187048B2

A system and a method for manufacturing an optical display device. The system includes a first cutting and bonding apparatus to handle a first roll of sheet material including a first optical film with a width corresponding to the short side of an optical display unit and to bond the first optical film to one surface of the optical display unit and then to cut the first optical film into a length corresponding to the long side of the optical display unit. A second cutting and bonding apparatus handles a second roll of sheet material including a second optical film with a width corresponding to the long side of the optical display unit and bonds the second optical film to the other surface of the optical display unit and then cuts the second optical film into a length corresponding to the short side of the optical display unit.
US08187034B2

A wafer assembly of an electrical connector system may include a metal center ground plane and a plurality of plastic ribs overmolded on the metal center ground plane. The plastic ribs may be positioned in a configuration that forms a plurality of electrical contact channels on the metal center ground plane. An array of electrical contacts may be positioned substantially within the plurality of electrical contact channels. In some implementations, the electrical connector system may also include a wafer housing and a header module that include guidance components that align the header module with the wafer housing when the wafer housing mates with the header module. The electrical connector system may also include a power contact that passes through aligned openings in the wafer housing and the header module to provide a power transmission path between the first substrate and the second substrate.
US08187016B2

A terminal assembly and a junction box for a photovoltaic module are provided. The terminal assembly includes a terminal connector, a power cable, and a gasket. The junction box is positioned over the terminal connector and attached to a first surface of the photovoltaic module. The terminal connector extends through the first surface of a photovoltaic module. The power cable is attached to the terminal connector and extends through the junction box. The gasket is housed between the first surface of the photovoltaic module and the junction box. The gasket comprises a first material and a second material and provides a seal about an end portion of the power cable. A method for forming the terminal assembly is also provided.
US08187004B1

A system including electronic data collection for school officials, staff, and administrators is described. The data collection system can be integrated onto school management systems to interconnect information regarding data such as student academic records, student merits, student progress, student and teacher biographies, etc. The system assesses student, teacher, classroom, individual school, school district, and state performance in a variety of educational area; associates imputed educational data; and permits the cross-application querying of the educational data and access of the educational data in real-time. The system is intended to help school systems accomplish tasks such as managing work, monitoring student progress in real-time, and determining education trends, via data linkage in real-time.
US08187002B2

A method for cleaning an oral cavity by positioning a device suitable for detecting and removing plaque from a surface within the oral cavity having applied thereto a fluorescent agent capable of binding to plaque on the surface, substantially simultaneously cleaning and irradiating the surface with a light of a wavelength effective to provide a fluorescent emission when contacted with the fluorescent agent, collecting at least a portion of the fluorescent emission over a predetermined first time period (PTP1), determining an average plaque value (APV) based on the fluorescent emission collected over the PTP1, comparing the APV to a predetermined plaque value (PPV), and continuing to substantially simultaneously clean and irradiate the surface within the oral cavity for a predetermined second time period (PTP2).
US08186991B2

An extruder system for extruding material through a die/extrude insert in an opening in an extruder plate.
US08186990B2

A device (1) for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer wise solidification of a building material at positions in the respective layers that correspond to the object is provided. A feed (96) that supplies the building material to a building space (10) in the device (1) and at least two filler portions (98a, 98b) that are provided at the feed (96) and are independent from one another are provided, wherein one connector (99a, 99b) is provided for each building material supply container (100a, 100b) in order to supply the building material from outside of the device (1).
US08186988B2

A powder press, with a press frame, which comprises an upper and lower frame section, an upper linear drive attached to the upper frame section and a lower linear drive attached to the lower frame section, wherein the drives are connected to an upper and lower punch plate or a die table, respectively, wherein the punch plates have a clamping system for an upper or a lower punch, a die clamping system on a die table with a die, and at least one force measuring device for measuring the pressing force on at least one punch, characterized in that at least one force measuring device is disposed between a punch plate and the associated clamping system.
US08186986B2

A device for drawing melt-spun filaments for forming a spunbonded fabric includes at least one guide member. The filaments are guided through a slot-shaped nozzle, onto which compressed air is applied, and which conveys the filaments through the drawing nozzle. Guide members are provided on both sides of the slot on the base of the slot-shaped outlet, which cause a uniform structure of the fabric due to their shaping. This is achieved when a guide member has a plurality of notches parallel to the conveying direction, and the opposite guide member has a plurality of bores, which passively connect the space between the guide member with the environment.
US08186975B2

Pumps with low profile disk-type motors can incorporate an impeller into one or both rotors. Alternately, a separate impeller can be attached to a rotor. The pumps can be contained in housings without seals as the rotors need not be mechanically attached.
US08186974B2

A fan includes a fan housing, a motor and an impeller. The fan housing includes a first pressure area, a second pressure area and a guiding portion. The pressure of the first pressure area is higher than the pressure of the second pressure area. The guiding portion has a first end and a second end, the first end of the guiding portion is disposed at the first pressure area and the second end of the guiding portion is disposed at the second pressure area for draining moisture gathered in the fan housing away from the first pressure area to the second pressure area. The motor is disposed in the fan housing, and the impeller is connected with the motor.
US08186973B2

A tubular fluid pump is provided. The pump includes a chamber for receiving and discharging fluid, and a squeezing mechanism for pumping fluid through the chamber. The chamber has a first end with a first opening, a second end with a second opening, and a length of resilient tubular material extending between the first and second openings. One-way valves disposed at the openings cooperate to permit fluid to pass through the chamber in only one axial direction. The squeezing mechanism includes a substantially rigid base and a substantially rigid displaceable actuator. The tubular material is mounted on the base of the squeezing mechanism, and the actuator is aligned to alternately squeeze the tubular material against the base to pump fluid out of the chamber, and release the tubular material from the base to draw fluid into the chamber. A steam appliance incorporating a one-way tubular pump is also provided.
US08186971B2

A multistage compressor is provided, which can reduce an oil circulation ratio by reducing the amount of lubricating oil to be taken in by a high-stage compression mechanism to improve the system efficiency and prevent a shortage of lubricating oil. A low-stage compression mechanism and a high-stage compression mechanism are disposed below and above to flank an electric motor, respectively, intermediate-pressure refrigerant gas compressed by the low-stage compression mechanism is discharged into a sealed housing, and the intermediate-pressure refrigerant gas is taken in by the high-stage compression mechanism so as to be compressed in two stages, an oil separator plate that centrifugally separates lubricating oil contained in the intermediate-pressure refrigerant gas, which is taken in by the high-stage compression mechanism after passing through the electric motor, is provided at one end of a rotor of the electric motor such that a rotary shaft extends through the oil separator plate.
US08186960B2

A method for repairing a wind turbine is described. The method may include preparing the surface of the blade, removing a plurality of mounting bolts, and replacing the mounting bolts with rod members. The rod members may be bonded to the blade root thereby strengthening the blade root and/or repairing any damaged or weakened regions. This repair may be performed on blades and blade coupling regions of various characteristics as well in modular fashion using pre-molded sections attached together around the blade root. The method of repair may be performed while the blade is still attached to the turbine hub. Wind turbines repaired according to these methods are also described. The method may also be used for attaching and otherwise handling new turbine blades and new wind turbines.
US08186956B2

A frame for supporting equipment arranged in a hub of a wind turbine is fixed to the hub at one end and flexibly connected to the hub at another end. The variation of the relative position between the hub and the frame caused by the deformation of the hub associated with a rotation of the wind turbine or the like is absorbed by the flexible connection. A wind turbine whose frame in the hub has high durability against the rotation can be provided.
US08186954B2

A balance weight for a rotor includes: (a) an arcuate body including a front wall and a rear wall interconnected by an end wall, the front, rear, and end walls collectively defining a generally U-shaped cross-sectional shape; and (b) a projection extending outwardly from the rear wall, the projection being adapted to engage an aperture extending through a flange of the rotor.
US08186953B1

A turbine rotor blade with a spar and shell construction, the spar including an internal cooling supply channel extending from an inlet end on a root section and ending near the tip end, and a plurality of external cooling channels formed on both side of the spar, where a middle external cooling channel is connected to the internal cooling supply channels through a row of holes located at a middle section of the channels. The spar and the shell are held together by hooks that define serpentine flow passages for the cooling air and include an upper serpentine flow circuit and a lower serpentine flow circuit. the serpentine flow circuits all discharge into a leading edge passage or a trailing edge passage.
US08186952B2

With regard to gas turbine engines it will be appreciated that blades are typically cooled in order to ensure that the materials from which the blades are formed remain within acceptable operational parameters. Coolant is judiciously used in order to maintain engine operational efficiency. Unfortunately with regard to rotor blades horseshoe vortices tend to increase heating towards a pressure side of a blade resulting in localized overheating. Such localized overheating may result in premature failure of the blade component. Traditionally coolant flows have been presented over a forward projection of a blade platform. In such circumstances coolant flow will not be used as efficiently as possible with regard to protecting a pressure side of a platform in a blade assembly and arrangement. By provision of a deflector element on the forward blade platform coolant flow can be proportioned either side of a leading edge of the blade. In such circumstances generally asymmetric coolant flow is provided normally biased towards the pressure side in order to enhance cooling efficiency. A suction side in an adjacent blade assembly is cooled by spent coolant and hot gas flow from the pressure side of a neighboring blade upstream in the assembly.
US08186951B2

A mounting assembly for a propeller assembly component includes a monolithic piece having a housing and a mounting pad. An auxiliary component is directly mounted to the mounting pad of the monolithic piece.
US08186948B2

A wind energy plant with a nacelle, a rotor, which features at least one rotor blade adjustable in its blade pitch angle, a central control device for controlling the wind energy plant and a control unit disposed in the rotor for controlling the blade pitch angle of the at least one rotor blade, wherein the central control device and the control unit in the rotor can exchange data with each other via a data link, which comprises at least one first sending and receiving device at the nacelle side and at least one second sending and receiving device at the rotor side, wherein a wireless network connection with a safety-oriented communication protocol is provided between the at least one first sending and receiving device and the at least one second sending and receiving device, and that one monitoring- and communication device at a time is associated to the first and/or the second sending and receiving device, which can monitor the function of the sending and receiving device and initiate a predetermined action in the case of an error.
US08186940B2

A ventilation arrangement for a wind turbine includes an air inlet opening located in a nose cone of said wind turbine, a manhole cover for covering a manhole of a rotor hub of said wind turbine, the manhole cover providing a vent opening for venting hot air from an internal space of said rotor hub, and a flexible piping establishing fluid communication between the internal space of the rotor hub and the air inlet opening.
US08186938B2

A gas turbine engine comprising a rotor and a stator which define first, second and third cavities; the rotor and stator define a seal therebetween and which is located for sealing between the second and third cavities, the rotor comprises an aperture through which a gas flow passes from the first cavity to the second cavity characterized in that the seal comprises a deflector that extends axially over at least a portion of the aperture to deflect at least a part of the gas towards the rotor.
US08186931B2

The powered hand truck has a chassis supported at one end by a single axle with two independently operable drive wheels. A prime mover is provided generally medially on the chassis, driving the drive wheels and powering the forklift mechanism. There is no operator console housing for the powered hand truck, as it is intended to be remotely controlled. A transmitter provides for specific and precise control of each drive wheel independently of the other, by using two drive wheel control switches. The powered hand truck has a caster wheel actuation strut housing over the caster wheel end of the chassis. A storage rack and dolly may be installed upon a suitable transport vehicle for transporting the powered hand truck. The hand truck forks engage the storage rack dolly, with the dolly translating along the rack to allow the truck to be deployed from, or loaded onto, the transport vehicle.
US08186924B1

A fastener assembly comprises a first cylindrical member disposed within a second cylindrical member. One is movable relative to the other one in a first direction, and locked in a second direction opposite to the first direction. A spring is operably attached to the members to urge the one in the first direction. The members include opposing first and second cylindrical walls, respectively. A resilient member is disposed between the walls. One of the walls includes a first receiving volume configured to fully receive the resilient member and the other wall a plurality of second receiving volumes configured to only partially receive the resilient member. The resilient member is shifted between the first and second receiving volumes such that the one can move in the first direction but locked in the second direction; and the first and second receiving volumes are configured such that the resilient member is captured within a locking volume formed between the first volume and an opposing second volume when the first and second cylindrical members are locked together, the locking volume having an entrance opening that prevents the resilient member from shifting out of the locking volume and into the first receiving volume.
US08186920B2

A clinch element including a body portion having an annular lip portion projecting from an end face of the body portion including an arcuate free end and a frustoconical outer surface. One embodiment includes an annular lip projecting from both end faces of the body portion. A method of attaching the clinch element to one or two panels which includes driving the free end of the lip portion against an outwardly inclined frustoconical chamfered face of a die cavity, deforming the annular lip over the panel and a die member having a projecting piloting point and an annular die cavity surrounding the piloting point.
US08186915B2

A helical flute has a constant lead part and a gradually increased lead part. The constant lead part has an axial length ranging from 0.3×LA to 1.2×LA and includes at least entirety of a leading part, so that the cutting performance of a cutting edge at the leading part and shape of chips (curled shape, etc.) are stable. In the constant lead part, because a lead is the smallest and a helix angle is large, a rake angle of the cutting edge is large, so that an excellent cutting quality is obtained and the chips become curled well. Meanwhile, in the gradually increased lead part, because of the lead gradually increased toward a shank, the chips are rapidly discharged toward the shank.
US08186913B2

Various systems, methods, and devices are provided for focusing particles suspended within a moving fluid into one or more localized stream lines. The system can include a substrate and at least one channel provided on the substrate having an inlet and an outlet. The system can further include a fluid moving along the channel in a laminar flow having suspended particles and a pumping element driving the laminar flow of the fluid. The fluid, the channel, and the pumping element can be configured to cause inertial forces to act on the particles and to focus the particles into one or more stream lines.
US08186901B2

An inline strut retention assembly includes a glass sheet having first and second surfaces and a single hole formed through the first and second surfaces. An isolator is positioned proximate the first surface of the glass sheet. The isolator includes a keyed slot formed therein. A ball stud member includes a threaded shaft extending in one direction and a post extending in an opposing direction. The threaded shaft extends through the keyed slot formed in the isolator. An attachment button is positioned proximate the second surface of the glass sheet. The attachment button includes a ferrule portion having an inner surface receiving the threaded shaft of the ball stud member and an outer surface shaped to mate with the keyed slot of the isolator preventing rotation of the attachment button relative to the isolator.
US08186900B2

A connector assembly comprising a housing and a tensile member disposed within the housing. The tensile member comprises first and second end portions. Each end portion sealingly engages the housing to form a hydraulic chamber therebetween. A first connector pivotally coupled to the first end portion. The axial position of the first connector relative to the housing is controlled by pressure within the hydraulic chamber.
US08186899B2

A ring mechanism has housing supporting pivoting hinge plates. The mechanism has rings for holding loose-leaf pages. An actuator is mounted on the housing for causing pivoting motion of the hinge plates to open the rings. The mechanism includes a travel bar and intermediate connector connecting the travel bar to the actuator so movement of the actuator to pivot the hinge plates causes longitudinal movement of the travel bar. The intermediate connector and travel bar are formed as one piece and have a living hinge adapted to allow the intermediate connector to pivot relative to the travel bar. The mechanism has a locking element moveable with the travel bar between a locking position and non-locking position. The living hinge is constructed to maintain a substantially constant spacing between the intermediate connector and the travel at points of connection of the living hinge to the intermediate connector and travel bar.
US08186896B2

An apparatus for dispensing a web from a plurality of rolls of serrated bags, includes first and second web printer/web feeders, each adapted to advance and print first and second webs from a first and second roll of serrated bags respectively, the first and second web printer/web feeders including a first and second printer, and a first and second set of nip rollers respectively; first and second accumulator guide plates located downstream of the first and second printers; a set of dispensing nip rollers located downstream of the first and second accumulator guide plates; a web accumulation area; a web sensor for sensing an end of the first or second web; a first and second seal sensing device; a dispensing guide plate located downstream of the web sensor; and a bag handling mechanism for advancing a leading bag to a bag loader.
US08186891B2

An optoelectronic module for converting and coupling an information-containing electrical signal with an optical fiber including a housing having an electrical input for coupling with an external electrical cable or information system device and for transmitting and receiving information-containing electrical signals over such input, and a fiber optic connector adapted for coupling with an external optical fiber for transmitting and receiving an optical signal; an electro-optic subassembly coupled to the information containing electrical signal and converting it to and/or from a modulated optical signal corresponding to the electrical signal; and parametric storage means disposed in said housing for storing environmental and/or operational data associated with the module, and an optional method for time-biased lossy compression of such stored data.
US08186890B2

Fiberoptic connector and adapter assembly includes a fiberoptic connector received within an adapter. The connector has a cover on the connector housing. The cover pivots between open and closed positions to expose or cover, respectively, a optical fiber contained within the connector. Longitudinal guides of the connector are received cooperating with longitudinal guides of the adapter to direct the connector into the adapter in a prescribed alignment. A cam pin is carried on the adapter to engage a cam pin receiving slot on the cover to urge the cover to the open position as the connector is inserted into the adapter.
US08186884B2

The seat adjustment mechanism has a housing with an outer ring and an inner ring. The rings are arranged concentrically. Clamping bodies interact with double clamping ramps on the rings and are arranged in an annular space between the rings. Spring supports pivot in relation to each other, interact with a stop on the housing, are arranged concentrically with the rings, and engage in each case both in the annular space and in an inner space arranged radially within the inner ring. The spring supports are braced in relation to each other by a spring, which is arranged in the inner space to secure the clamping bodies in the center of the double clamping ramps. Stop surfaces of the spring supports are acted upon by a force in the direction in which they are minimally spaced apart.
US08186881B2

A system for sealably closing a reservoir is disclosed. The system can have a container and a slider. The container can have an orifice and catches and lips surrounding the orifice. The slider can be translatably attached to the container over the orifice. The slider can slidably engage the catch and lips to force the orifice closed. While attached to the catch and lips, the slider can create a pressurized seal of the orifice.
US08186878B2

A circuit and method for providing temperature data indicative of a temperature measured by a temperature sensor. The circuit is coupled to the temperature sensor and configured to identify for a coarse temperature range one of a plurality of fine temperature ranges corresponding to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor and generate temperature data that is provided on an asynchronous output data path.
US08186870B2

The invention relates to a device for agitating media (1), which are located on a platform (3). Said device consists of a housing (2) with an agitation mechanism, which is used to agitate the platform (3) and at least one sensor (4, 5), which is connected to a control unit (7) that is equipped with an electronic sensor system (6). According to the invention, the sensor(s) (4, 5) and the electronic sensor system (6) are located on the platform (3) and communicate in a wireless manner with the fixed control unit (7).
US08186866B2

A metallic panel assembly having multilayer arrays of micropores includes a backlight module and a panel body. The backlight module is constituted of a first and a second light-guiding plate. First and second light-guiding microstructures are provided on the first and second light-guiding plates. A first and a second set of light-emitting units are disposed on one end of the first and second light-guiding plates, respectively. A first and a second shielding unit are disposed on the first and second light-guiding plates and the first and second sets of light-emitting units respectively. The panel body is disposed on one side surface of the first light-guiding plate. The panel body has thereon a plurality of hollowed portions with the hollowed portions encircling a key body. The key body has thereon a plurality of micropores. The plurality of micropores is arranged to form a pattern of each key body. When the first or second set of light-emitting units are lighted up, the light enters one side of the first or second light-guiding plate. The light is reflected by the first or second light-guiding microstructures on the corresponding key panel, so that the user can see the position of each key clearly.
US08186863B2

The present invention discloses a linear light source having light guide with tapered saw tooth structures for Charge Coupling Device Module (CCDM). The linear light source comprises a light guide and at least two Light Emitting Diodes (LED's). The light guide includes two incident surfaces, a reflective surface, two refractive surfaces and an ejective surface. The reflective surface has a tapered saw tooth structure; the LEDs are disposed at two ends of the light guide. Upon emission of light from the LEDs, light enters into the light guide, reflected by the tapered saw tooth structures, and then ejected from the ejective surface. It is possible to form a U-shaped lambert distribution in the sub scanning direction, thereby generating the complementary effect for the pickup lens and the CCD image sensor of CCDM, as well as to create a linearly converged lambert distribution in the main scanning direction.
US08186859B2

A clip with a light comprises a body including a first and a second clip members to be flexibly pressed, and an illuminating device disposed between the first and second clip members and having a receiving cylinder, a light received in the receiving cylinder and provided with a first and a second connecting legs, a cell set received in the receiving cylinder to supply power to the light, a power circuit mounted in the receiving cylinder and provided with an electrode of a rear end of the cell set electrically connected to the first connecting leg of the light and the second connecting leg electrically coupled to an electrode of a front end of the cell set, an actuating member series connected onto the power circuit and having pressing blocks extending out of the receiving cylinder to press and release the first and second clip members, controlling the actuating member.
US08186857B2

The current inventive technology relates to methods and apparatus for a providing an energy efficient and durable landscape lamp. The lamp can retract when not in use to prevent damage. The high efficiency retractable landscape lamp of this invention may be powered by conventional distributed low voltage or by a solar photovoltaic (PV) source. In some embodiments the lamp may be powered by low voltage, it may be individually interchangeable with a conventional low voltage landscape lamp or may be installed in a low voltage lighting complete system. This lamp may house the electrical components and gearmotor in an upper dry compartment making it reliable in outdoor installations, even in wet environments. This invention can also relate to operation without the need for unreliable limit switches for the raising and lowering of the lamp.
US08186850B2

A modular light emitting diode (LED) mounting configuration is provided including a light source module having a plurality of pre-packaged LEDs arranged in a serial array. The module includes a heat conductive body portion adapted to conduct heat generated by the LEDs to an adjacent heat sink. As a result, the LEDs are able to be operated with a higher current than normally allowed. Thus, brightness and performance of the LEDs is increased without decreasing the life expectancy of the LEDs. The LED modules can be used in a variety of illumination applications employing one or more modules.
US08186847B2

An LED lighting assembly includes an emitting-light apparatus, an inserting apparatus connected electrically to the emitting-light apparatus and a base cover received the emitting-light apparatus. The emitting-light apparatus includes a PCB and at least one LED unit welded on the PCB. The inserting apparatus includes a pedestal and at least two connecting springs received in the pedestal. The base cover has a first side groove and a second side groove. The two ends of the bottom of the base cover have a fixing gap and an inserting slot. The emitting-light apparatus is inserted into the second side groove, the inserting apparatus are inserted into the first side groove, the bottom of the pedestal is received in the fixing gap. The LED lighting assembly can link with another the same, and the distances of the LED units adjacent to other are same.
US08186844B2

A refrigeration appliance includes an appliance housing and a liner within the housing, defining an interior storage chamber at least partially enclosed by the liner, and providing a storage chamber rear wall, a first storage chamber sidewall, and a second storage chamber sidewall. The first storage chamber sidewall has a plurality of openings through the first storage chamber sidewall. The second storage chamber sidewall has another plurality of openings through the second storage chamber sidewall. A plurality of lighting devices illuminates the interior storage chamber. Each of the lighting devices is mounted within a respective one of the openings and emits light toward the storage chamber rear wall providing a showcase lighting effect. Each of the lighting devices includes a cover located in the interior storage chamber and a device housing located within the respective one of the openings. An illumination level within the storage chamber, due to light emitted by the plurality of lighting devices, is substantially vertically uniform.
US08186839B2

An optical module that effectively observes a rapidly moving event or object is provided. The optical module includes first and second mirrors, and an optical signals detector, which are installed in a body thereof. The first mirror has a wide field of view and detects the event or object over a wide observing region. The second mirror observes the event or object detected by the first mirror at a high resolution. The focal length of the second mirror is greater than that of the first mirror. The optical signal detector detects an optical signal in light transmitted from the first mirror or the second mirror. The body forms apertures which correspond to the first and second mirrors, respectively and provides an optical path from the first and second mirrors to the optical signal detector. Therefore, the optical module can observe the event or object detected by the first mirror at a high resolution.
US08186835B2

A method of measuring a zoom ratio of a projection optical system adapted to project image light representing an original image on a projection screen, the method includes: (a) projecting and displaying a measuring image including a measurement point on the projection screen so that the measurement point is displayed at a position with an offset from an optical axis of the projection optical system; (b) detecting a projected measurement point, which is the measurement point projected and displayed on the projection screen, from a measurement point detection position having a fixed position relative to the projection optical system; and (c) determining the zoom ratio using position information of the detected projected measurement point and correspondence between the position information and the zoom ratio, the correspondence being prepared previously.
US08186831B2

A wide color gamut projector having a plurality of dichroic prisms configured to split a light beam into six primary color components and direct each of the six primary color components to separate digital micromirror devices is disclosed. The projector further comprises a translucent rotatable drum having different polarization sections, wherein the light beam is capable of being passed orthogonally through a wall of the drum.
US08186827B2

An inkjet recording medium comprising a resin coated sheet formed from a base paper having both sides coated with a resin, and ink receiving layers provided on both sides of the resin coated sheet as outermost layers, wherein a static friction coefficient between at least one of the ink receiving layers and a metal roller onto which wear-resistant particles are adhered is from 0.3 to 0.6.
US08186826B2

An inkjet recording apparatus is provided. The inkjet recording apparatus includes an inkjet head having a discharge surface in which discharge ports are formed for discharging ink; a moving mechanism that is configured to move the inkjet head and a recording medium relative to each other; and a capture unit that is configured to capture an extraneous substance, the capture unit disposed upstream of the inkjet head in a moving direction of the recording medium relative to the inkjet head, and disposed adjacent to the inkjet head.
US08186825B2

A printing apparatus, having at least two platens, at least one print head, at least one print head drive unit to drive the print head in a main scanning direction, at least two platen drive units to drive the platens in an auxiliary direction, at least one ink cartridge, at least two operation input units to be operated by an operator to instruct the printing apparatus to activate a first printing process and a second printing process respectively, and a cooperation controller system to control the print head, the print head drive unit, the first platen drive unit, and the second platen drive unit to behave in cooperation with one another so that the second printing process is started one of after and during the first printing process when an instruction to start the second printing process is entered whilst the first printing process is in progress, is provided.
US08186823B2

An inkjet recording method including: (i) exposing a surface of a recording medium to non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma so as to hydrophilize the surface of the recording medium, and (ii) applying a stimulus to an ink composition so as to eject the ink composition to form an image on the recording medium, wherein the ink composition contains at least one of a pigment/water-dispersible resin particle mixture in which a pigment is dispersed along with water-dispersible resin particles and colored water-dispersible resin particles each of which is a water-dispersible resin particle which is colored.
US08186805B2

A waste ink collecting device includes a ratchet wheel defining a receiving groove for receiving waste ink, a detent, a reciprocatingly movable transmission pole, and immovable first and second poles. The detent includes a hook, and a main body defining elongated first, second and third holes. The second hole is between the first and third holes. The hook extends from the main body away from the first hole. The transmission pole extends into the first hole. The first pole extends into the second hole. A diameter of the first pole equals to a width of the second hole. The second pole extends into the third hole. A diameter of the second pole is smaller than a width of the third hole. When the transmission pole moves forward, the hook engages with and rotates the ratchet wheel. When the transmission pole moves backward, the hook moves away from the ratchet wheel.
US08186804B2

An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head having an ink ejection surface; a blade for wiping the ink ejection surface; a blade cleaning device that cleans the blade by collecting contamination liquid deposited on the blade and including at least ink; a cleaning liquid supplying device that supplies, to the blade, cleaning liquid mainly comprising liquid having a volatility lower than the ink; a residual ink absorbing material provided at such a position that it is out of contact to the blade; and a discharge path for discharging the contamination ink collected by the blade cleaning device to the residual ink absorbing material.
US08186801B2

An image formation device that inspects for image irregularities caused by joining of inkjet head modules. The image formation device is equipped with a belt conveyance unit, a recording head, a print sensor and a system controller. The belt conveyance unit moves paper in a conveyance direction. At the recording head, modules including plural recording elements that eject ink droplets are joined up to a length corresponding to the width of the paper. The recording head ejects ink droplets at the paper being conveyed to form an image. The print sensor reads the image recorded on the paper, while moving in the width direction of the paper. On the basis of the image that is read, the system controller inspects the quality of the image recorded on the paper.
US08186798B2

In an ink jet recording apparatus using a recording head that discharges ink by applying thermal energy produced in response to driving a heater to ink, a change in temperature occurring when the heater is driven is measured by a temperature sensor disposed directly below the heater. A discharge state for each nozzle can be determined by determination as to whether an inflection point is present in a curve representing the change in temperature occurring after the driving for discharging ink.
US08186796B2

An element substrate capable of obtaining a high-quality printed image for a long period. The element substrate has a plurality of heaters, driving elements each of which is provided in correspondence with each of the plurality of heaters to selectively drive the plurality of heaters, an input terminal to receive a driving mode selection signal, and a block selection circuit which time-divisionally drives, in blocks of different timings, heaters in each of a plurality of groups each including a predetermined number of heaters and driving elements. The element substrate includes a logic circuit which time-divisionally drives the heaters in the group when the selection signal input from the input terminal is a signal for selecting a first driving mode, and simultaneously drives all heaters in the group when the selection signal is a signal for selecting a second driving mode.
US08186786B2

A printer includes: a recording head which records an image on a recording medium; a carriage which carries the recording head and is movable in a scanning direction; a guide member which extends in the scanning direction and guides a movement of the carriage in the scanning direction; an angle-controlling member which is supported by the carriage to be pivotable relative thereto and controls an angular position of the carriage relative to the guide member in a state in which at least one contact surface of the angle-controlling member is in contact with a surface of the guide member that extends in the scanning direction; and a pivotal-position adjusting device which adjusts a pivotal position of the angle-controlling member relative to the carriage.
US08186766B2

A method is intended for manufacturing a bicycle spoked wheel. By inserting the nipples or barrels for the attachment of the spokes in the spoke attachment seats from the inside of the spoke attachment chamber instead of from the outside, after having inserted them in the chamber from a suitably sized opening, the rim of the bicycle wheel can be manufactured even without additional openings, still using conventional nipples or barrels.
US08186764B2

A mining machine comprising a discharge boom including a tail slide plate slidably connected between left and rear side frames, and a tail roller assembly mounted on the tail slide plate. The tail roller assembly includes a take-up roller mounted centrally between the side frames and between a pair of spacer blocks and a pair of bearing blocks, each of the spacer blocks and bearing blocks being connected to a rearward edge of the tail slide plate. The mining machine also has an opening in each of the side frames, and two slide plate guides, one on each side frame, each of which is positioned outside of the respective side frame adjacent a respective one of the side frame openings, and mounted for sliding movement relative to its respective side frame. The tail slide plate has opposed outside edges received within a respective one of the slide plate guides, and a pair of take up cylinders, one on each side frame, each of which is connected to and extending between the respective side frame and the end of the slide plate guide. The tail roller assembly also includes a pliable elastomer and/or wear material sandwiched between the inside of each of the tail slide plate guides and the outside of each of the side plates, and a polymer-based cushion is connected between the end of the cylinder and the boom side frame.
US08186760B2

A seating system may comprise a first seat, a second seat, and a plurality of armrests. The plurality of armrests may be located between the first seat and the second seat. The plurality of armrests may be capable of being deployed to change a seating space for the first seat.
US08186753B2

A seat apparatus for a vehicle includes a seat for the vehicle, a seat moving mechanism moving the seat between a seating position and a stowed position, a plurality of engagement members provided at a vehicle floor, a plurality of locking members provided at the seat to face the plurality of engagement members respectively and engaging with the plurality of engagement members to lock the seat at the seating position, and an engagement position adjusting mechanism adjusting a position of at least one of the engagement member and the locking member that face each other in an engaging movement locus direction where the locking member moves to engage with the engagement member.
US08186745B2

A device for reducing vehicle aerodynamic resistance for vehicles having a generally rectangular body disposed above rear wheels, comprising a plurality of flexible opposing flat sheets and a plurality flexible load bearing struts attached to the bottom of the rectangular body, that bend to resist damage when struck by the ground, and guide airflow around the rear wheels of the vehicle to reduce its aerodynamic resistance when moving.
US08186738B2

A motor vehicle has a fuel supply device provided in a bowl indentation of the vehicle body. A closing cap closes the fuel supply device and a cover flap is articulated on the motor vehicle that, in the closed state, covers the bowl body of the body. Vehicles of the same model series must have different closing caps for different sales markets. Here, at least two different holding devices for holding the closing cap are therefore provided in the region of the fuel supply device. Differently designed closing caps for closing the fuel supply device can thus be received.
US08186735B2

A modular vehicle floor system is provided that has a floor pan with integrated storage compartments. A floor is defined by a deck and compartment lids that overlie the floor pan and can provide a waterproof seal for the storage compartments. The deck and compartment lids together define a substantially flat surface that is covered by a vehicle carpet. The deck can include basket-like liners extending downwardly therefrom that nest within the storage compartments and define the inner surface(s) of usable spaces within the storage compartments. The deck includes a raceway system with one or more troughs or ports that house lengths of vehicle wiring, under the deck surface. The deck can further include flanges and/or tabs for serving as mounting substrates, against which sills and other hard trim components are mounted, allowing trim components to be mounted to the deck and not mounted directly to the vehicle body.
US08186728B2

A draw latch with a safely catch for fastening two members, where the latch comprises a base attached to one of the two members, a lever pivotally connected to the base for movement between closed and open positions, a draw bar pivotally connected at one end with the lever providing toggle action upon the latch lever closing and another end of the draw bar is for engagement with a draw plate attached to the other of the two members. The safety catch comprises a safety catch bolt with thumb knob, with the colt biased into a locked position by a compression spring to prevent the latch from opening. The safety catch can be placed into an open position by pushing the knob, so the safety catch bolt will disengage from a sidewall of the lever, allowing the lever to be lifted to open the latch.
US08186727B2

The present invention is a door lock that eliminates the need for an additional deadbolt lock on a door. The present invention has a deadbolt built into the doorknob assembly. The deadbolt is put into place every time the door is closed. This eliminates the need of having to separately lock and unlock two locks, the first being the doorknob and the second being the deadbolt.
US08186716B2

Modular weight systems for improving tire traction of automobiles on road surfaces affected by inclement weather are disclosed. The modular weight systems include a plurality of tiles that are configured to releasably mate to one another, and to fit within the cargo space of a vehicle without significantly reducing utility or becoming dislodged during movement. The tiles generally weigh between twenty and two-hundred pounds each, and they may be filled or doped with heavy filler materials, such as sand, stone or shot.
US08186711B2

A method of controlling a restraint device in a vehicle. The method comprises sensing an acceleration of the vehicle, analyzing the acceleration with at least two independent thresholds, and activating the restraint device when the analyzed acceleration exceeds the at least two independent thresholds.
US08186698B2

A tricycle includes a frame and a front wheel. The tricycle includes a first rear wheel coupled to the frame. The tricycle includes a second rear wheel coupled to the frame. The tricycle includes a front suspension system and a rear suspension system functionally coupled to the frame. The tricycle includes a drive system coupled to the frame and a wheel hub fixedly coupled to the first drive shaft. The drive system includes a transmission system coupling a first drive train to a second drive train. The tricycle includes a locking device configured to lock the relative position of the wheel hub and the rear axle, wherein the locking device is selectably adjustably between a first mode and a second mode. The first mode includes the wheel hub and the rear axle locked together, and the second mode includes the wheel hub and the rear axle shaft independently rotatable.
US08186697B2

A work machine is provided having a suspension arrangement between an axle of the machine and a caster wheel assembly. The suspension arrangement comprising a torsion spring assembly. The torsion spring assembly having a first spring housing, a second spring housing, and an inner member. The inner member being integrated directly with a wheel arm of the caster wheel assembly. The first and second spring housings being fastened together around the inner member wherein a plurality of elastomeric members are interposed between the inner member and the first and second spring housings. A torsion spring assembly is provided having a first spring housing, a second spring housing, and an inner member, the first and second spring housings being fastened together around the inner member wherein a plurality of elastomeric members are interposed between the inner member and the first and second spring housings.
US08186695B2

A wheelchair comprising a chassis, which has a lower chassis section pivotally connected to an upper chassis section, such that the upper chassis section can pivot in relation to the lower chassis section about a substantially horizontal axis; where said lower section comprises two substantially parallel load carrying members, oriented in a direction parallel to the intended travelling direction of the wheelchair; where the load carrying members are spaced in a direction perpendicular to the travelling direction by at least one transverse member; where the rear wheels can be detachably mounted where the transverse member intersects each of the load carrying members; and where close to, or as a part of, the mechanism pivotally connecting the upper and lower section, front wheels can be attached, said wheel mounting being pivotable about a vertical axle; where a seat can be slidingly attached to the upper chassis section, and the seat further can be pivoted about a horizontal axis.
US08186694B2

A vehicle includes a chassis, a suspension system, and a steering system operably coupled to the chassis and to the suspension. The chassis includes a mounting member that has a first elongated slot. The suspension system includes a beam that is pivotally coupled to the mounting member. The steering system includes a first axle, a second axle, a tie bar that extends between first and second tie bar ends, and a slider. The first and second axles are pivotally coupled with respect to the beam. The tie bar is operably coupled to the first and second axles and includes a second elongated slot that is configured to overlie the first elongated slot. The slider is positioned in the first and second elongated slots, and is configured to move in the first and second elongated slots to select a ratio of the tilting of the mounting member to the steering of the first and second axles.
US08186693B2

Devices and methods of transport are disclosed. Various embodiments include structural aspects related to steering and changing the direction of conveyances including features which utilize leaning or shifting of weight as part of turning.
US08186692B2

A split ring seal assembly includes a metal seal ring having two ends defining a circumferential gap therebetween. At least a first spring element is mounted to the two ends to bias the two ends circumferentially towards each other to reduce the diameter of a circumferential inner sealing surface of the metal seal ring.
US08186690B2

A metal gasket includes at least one structural plate having a sealing bore and bolt holes located around the seal bore. An inner bead is formed on the at least one structural plate to surround the sealing bore. The inner bead has first neighboring portions near the bolt holes and first outer portions outside the first neighboring portions. The first neighboring portion has a compression resistance smaller than that of the first outer portion. An outer bead is formed on the at least one structural plate to surround the inner bead such that the bolt holes are located inside thereof. The outer bead has second neighboring portions near the bolt holes and second outer portions outside the second neighboring portions. The second neighboring portion has a compression resistance greater than that of the second outer portion.
US08186687B2

A cartridge seal device includes a sleeve, a gland unit, a first seal unit, a pumping ring, and a second seal unit. The gland unit includes a first gland and a second gland. The first seal unit includes a first rotary ring disposed around the sleeve and rotatable along with the sleeve, a first stationary ring abutting against the first rotary ring, a compression ring abutting against the first stationary ring, and at least one first spring disposed within a retaining slot of the first gland and abutting against the compression ring. The first stationary ring has one end in abutment with the first rotary ring, and an opposite end formed with at least one notch. The compression ring has aligned guide pieces extending respectively into the notch of the first stationary ring and an engaging recess of the first gland.
US08186685B2

An annular sealing element to seal between metal surfaces for use in flanges, joints, packers and the like, located in oil and gas exploration and production equipment. The sealing element has inner and outer metal deformable surfaces joined at ends, defining an interior volume which is entirely filled with a plastic deformable material. The surfaces are arranged such that on compression of the element from the ends, the element will deform in a controlled manner on a cantilever principle. The volume of filler and the interior volume remain substantially equal during compression so that delamination does not occur. Thus the sealing element provides a seal combining the flexibility of elastomer seals with the integrity of a metal to metal seal.
US08186683B2

A kit of components for playing a game and a method of using the components of the kit is provided. The kit may include a plurality of game mats. Each of the game mats may include a plurality of sections and each of the sections may be assigned a different point value that is marked on respective sections of the game mats. The different point values of each of the sections may be marked on an upper surface of the game mats. The kit may also include a plurality of tossable objects that are tossable on one or more of the sections of the game mats to obtain points associated with the value of the sections. The kit may also include a set of instructions or rules for playing the game and a case for carrying the game mats, the tossable objects and the instructions or rules.
US08186676B2

An apparatus for transporting media in a printer helps reduce vibration and noise in the printer. The apparatus includes a pair of brackets secured to a printer surface, a shaft, a first portion of the shaft being secured within one of the brackets and a second portion of the shaft being secured within the other bracket, a roller mounted about the shaft for rotation about the shaft, and a pair of vibration dampeners, one vibration dampener being interposed between the first portion of the shaft and the one bracket, and the other vibration dampener being interposed between the second portion of the shaft and the other bracket.
US08186673B2

A roller storage system for storing sheet-type objects, in particular bank notes, is proposed, comprising a first film drum (3), which can be rotatably driven by a motor, with a first strip-shaped film (7) as a storage strip, comprising a second film drum (4), which can be rotatably driven by a motor, with a second strip-shaped film (11) as a cover strip, and comprising a winding drum (1), which can be rotatably driven by a motor. The films (7, 11), for the reception of the sheet-type objects (20), can be wound from the two film drums (3, 4) onto the winding drum (1) and, for the dispensing of the sheet-type objects (20), can be wound from the winding drum (1) onto the two film drums (3, 4). A first deviating roller (9) between the first film drum (3) and the winding drum (1) serves for the diversion of the first film (7). A second deviating roller (13) between the second film drum (4) and the winding drum (1) serves for the diversion of the second film (11). The second deviating roller (13) is here arranged offset relative to the first deviating roller (9) in the direction of transport of the films (7, 11).
US08186669B2

A paper feed cassette of an image forming apparatus is provided with a sheet receptacle and a pair of width adjustment guides. A cassette feeder of the image forming apparatus is provided with a plurality of rollers, a plurality of roller holders, and a plurality of roller biasing members. When the paper feed cassette is mounted on a feeder housing, an upper end of width adjustment guides is configured to cause at least one of the roller holders to move upward in a height direction of the image forming apparatus such that at least one of the rollers does not come in contact with a topmost sheet of paper.
US08186666B2

A conveying device includes: a main body; a holding unit that holds media that is attached and detached to and from the main body; a third conveying member that conveys a single medium among the media held in the holding unit; a first conveying member that conveys the single media; a second conveying member that faces the first conveying member to pinch the media so as to conveys the single media with the first conveying member; a feed unit that feeds the single medium to the main body; an attaching part that is provided at the feed unit and enables the feed unit to attach to the holding unit; a positioning mechanism that positions the main body and the feed unit so that the second conveying member is located at a predetermined position relative to the first conveying member when the holding unit is loaded on the main body.
US08186659B2

Interplate rubber members 15 are interposed between abutting front and rear ends of spring leaves 2A and 2B. The spring leaves 2A and 2B have paired curved portions 14A and 14B, respectively, which are symmetrically S-shaped with respect to a connected position of an axle 3 in side view. A curvature radius of continuous and mutually reverse curves of each of the curved portions 14A of the upper spring leaf 2A is greater than a curvature radius of continuous and mutually reverse curves of each of the curved portions 14B of the lower spring leaf 2B. The upper curved portions 14A have longitudinally outward bend starts longitudinally outward of longitudinally outward bend starts of the lower curved portions 14B and have longitudinally inward bend ends longitudinally inward of longitudinally inward bend ends of the lower curved portions 14B.
US08186653B2

This invention provides a fine bubble generating apparatus which can efficiently generate fine bubbles on the nanometer level. This apparatus includes a cylindrical member having a cylindrical inner peripheral surface, a first end wall member configured to close one end of the cylindrical member, and a second end wall member configured to close the other end of the cylindrical member. The cylindrical member and the first and second end wall members define a fluid swirling chamber. The cylindrical member has a fluid inlet hole at a position close to the second end wall member to supply a gas-liquid mixed fluid in the tangential direction of the peripheral surface of the fluid swirling chamber. The second end wall member has a fluid outlet hole extending therethrough along the center axis of the inner peripheral surface of the fluid swirling chamber. The gas-liquid mixed fluid is introduced into the fluid swirling chamber at a position close to the second end wall member. Most of the fluid is directed toward the first end wall member while swirling along the inner peripheral surface of the fluid swirling chamber, reversed from the first end wall member toward the second end wall member and discharged through the fluid outlet hole.
US08186638B2

An apparatus includes a supporting body, a rotating body assembled with the supporting body and rotating at least between a standard position and a deployed position through an intermediate position, and a biasing device for applying a biasing force to the rotating device in a direction of returning the rotating body to the standard position. A speed switching device changes a rotational speed of the rotating body from the deployed position to the intermediate position different from that from the intermediate position to the standard position in a return rotational movement of the rotating body.
US08186634B2

A cable management arm supporting device includes an extendable supporting frame which has a first and second frames, a fixing member and a coupling member. The first frame has a pivotal portion and a casing portion. The second frame has an inserting portion and a fixing portion. The inserting portion is connected to the casing portion. The pivotal portion is connected to the coupling member. The fixing portion is connected to the fixing member. The fixing member is connected with a fixed object. The coupling member is selectively connected to either a movable loading object, a sliding member, or a cable management arm. Thereby, the cable management arm extends along with the movement of the loading object or the sliding member so that one end of the supporting frame is extendable and the weight of the cable management arm is carried by the supporting frame.
US08186628B2

In one or more embodiments, a multi-axis articulated solar light shade that protects elements of a space-based sensor from direct solar illumination includes a base; a partial conical baffle tube having a first end portion, a second end portion, an elongated curved portion defining a shade between the first and second end portions, and an opening defined in an interior of the elongated curved portion, the first end portion rotatably attached to the base; and a visor pivotably attached to the second end portion. The partial conical baffle tube may be selectively rotated about a sensor line-of-sight in response to the sun's position relative to the sensor line-of-sight; and the visor may be selectively pivoted relative to the partial conical baffle tube in response to the sun's position relative to the sensor line-of-sight so as to protect the sensor from the direct solar illumination at any given time or any given orbital position.
US08186623B2

A refueling drogue assembly including a refueling drogue receptacle, a control unit including a duct, and a refueling hose connector adapted to rigidly couple the control unit to an aerial refueling hose. In some embodiments, the control unit is flexibly coupled to the refueling drogue receptacle. In some embodiments, the control unit is adapted to change an orientation of at least a portion of the duct relative to a longitudinal axis of the control unit.
US08186621B2

The invention relates to an assembly between a front fitting and the traction coupling of the two lateral boxes of the horizontal stabilizer of an aircraft comprising a front fitting (1, 1a and 1b), a front shear plate (2), an upper shear plate (4), a lower shear plate (5) and a “rib post” union piece (3) in such a way that the loads being transferred to the lateral boxes are minimized, and at the same time it allows a proper trimming of the horizontal stabilizer. Moreover, the present invention describes a compact front fitting, made of one piece, as a whole, and in composite material.
US08186619B2

A wing arrangement of an aircraft has a wing and at least one pylon for suspending an engine below the wing. The wing has a leading edge with a high-lift device, which is able to move between a deployed position in which the high-lift device projects forward of the leading edge, and which is interrupted in a forward intermediate region of the wing located at the leading edge, the pylon having a forward edge extending forward of the leading edge of the wing between a forward upper portion connected to the wing in the forward intermediate region and a forward lower portion connected to a nacelle of the engine. An element of narrow elongate shape protrudes longitudinally from the forward edge and, during flight at a high angle of attack of the aircraft, generates a vortex of aerodynamic flow that is propagated toward the forward intermediate region above the wing.
US08186618B2

A device for attaching an aircraft engine including a rigid structure forming a structure box, and a device for absorbing thrust loads including a main fitting fixedly mounted on one of the spars forming the structure box, by a fixing mechanism. The fixing mechanism includes a fixing peg mounted on the spar and including a main portion located on the outside relatively to the box, the fitting being crossed by the portion of the peg and pressed against the spar by a bell-shaped supporting washer surrounding the main portion and stressed by a screw crossing it, the latter being screwed into a barrel nut housed in a bore made within the main portion.
US08186614B2

A metalization structure of aircraft panels and process for obtaining such structure including a panel made in composite material, the panel including a metal mesh or foil in its outer part, said panel further including a bore which in turn comprises a shank and an upper countersinking, such that the mentioned panel is fixed to another structural aircraft element by means of metal fixing elements. The structure includes a metallization layer arranged on the upper countersinking, extending in the adjacent area of the metal mesh or foil, such that it is ensured that electrical continuity exists between the upper countersinking and the metal mesh or foil during the time that the lightning bolt strikes the structure of the panel, further ensuring that most of the current discharged by the lightning bolt is conducted over the surface of the structure of the panel.
US08186613B2

A device and method are provided for continuously manufacturing a thermoplastic resin film product of any width having a small film thickness and uniform flat surface at an excellent yield.A tubular resin film cutting and winding device for cutting a tubular resin film 1a into a helical shape and winding a long film 1b, comprising a cutting device having a cutting member 2 for cutting a tubular resin film 1a; a winding device 4 for winding the cut long film 1b; and a guide rollers 3 for guiding the cut long film to the winding device, wherein the cutting member 2 and the guide rollers 3 have a mechanism for rotation in the circumferential direction of the tubular resin film.
US08186605B2

A fluid injector has a valve body with a recess in which a valve needle is arranged axially movable preventing a fluid flow and being mechanically coupled to an axial end of a first spring preloaded to exert a force on the valve needle. A first armature is mechanically coupled to the valve needle. A second armature is arranged in the recess axially movable away and towards a protrusion of the valve body mechanically coupled to an axial end of a second spring preloaded exerting a force on the second armature which is arranged and designed such that from a closing to a first given position, the first and second armature are mechanically decoupled, and from the first given position further away from the closing position, the first and second armature are mechanically coupled. A solenoid drive magnetically actuates the first and second armature to move axially.
US08186602B2

A multi-application contactless smart card system and method. The user may select application using selection mechanism located on the smart card or at the contactless reader. The selection means may be connected to the contact I/O pin of the processor of the smart card. In some embodiments, the processor of the smart card may read the user selection through the contact I/O pin during a simulated contact transaction, evoke the desired application and perform the contactless transaction. During the simulated contact transaction power up sequence is preserved by extracting power signals to the contact VDD pin from the RF signal. Alternatively, the state of the selection mechanism may be sampled continuously or at convenient time intervals, enabling further switching between applications during a single contactless session.
US08186592B2

A universal stand for holding a reading device that collects and processes machine readable data comprising: a base adapted for placement on a surface for providing holding stability for the reading device; a cradle arm having a flange portion and a cradle portion; and, a hinge for rotatably connecting the cradle arm to the base, wherein the cradle arm is adapted to be replaceable so that the base may be utilized for providing holding stability for more than one reading device.
US08186584B1

A local area network has a first node to receive an input in the form of account identification data, and a second node to receive this input from the first node via a transport layer protocol. A vending control device connected to the second node includes a relay to be activated and deactivated by the second node. The relay is to enable and disable the functioning of an output device. A circuit is to meter an amount of output processed by the output device. The vending control device is to communicate the amount of output that has been processed to the second node. The second node calculates a cost of the processed output and sends the cost via the transport layer protocol to a remote server. The remote server in turn sends the costs to a gateway through which a payment transaction is settled. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08186583B1

A conversion of a quantity of non-negotiable credits to a quantity of negotiable funds can be initiated for a storefront purchase. The non-negotiable credits can be earned from previous interactions with an entity. The converting can be performed by a different legal entity than the entity. The storefront purchase can be completed, during which at least a portion of the non-negotiable credits are expended. The vender providing a good or service for the storefront purchase may not directly honor the non-negotiable credits in absence of the converting. Responsive to the conversion and the completing of the storefront purchase, the good or service can be provided to a purchaser and the quantity of negotiable funds for the storefront purchase can be provided to the vender.
US08186575B2

An electrical digital computer machine and a data processing system, methods of making and for using the machine, products produced thereby, as well as data structures and articles of manufacture pertaining thereto, and all necessary intermediates of that which is discussed herein, all in the field of computerized aspects of card crediting to mortgages and the like. A computer system applying a card debit to a mortgage, a first computer system enabling a debt to be incurred in connection with usage of a card, such as a debit, credit, or Sharia-compliant card. A second computer system can enabling a mortgage, such as a first mortgage, and apply debit from the card to the mortgage.
US08186572B2

Methods and systems are described for communicating encoded information using barcodes. Symbologies that permit linking of two or more barcodes may be used to create animated linked barcodes, in which successive barcodes in the series that encodes a string of information are displayed within a display area of a dynamic medium. Barcode animations may be displayed in webpages, television broadcasts, video media, favicons, etc.
US08186569B2

A packaging container is used to package a regulated fluid dispensing system including a regulated fluid dispensing device and a beverage container. The packaging includes carry handles, and a perforation pattern that allows a front panel of the packaging container to be removed thus exposing working parts of the dispensing device. The dispensing system may remain housed within the packaging during use that assists in stabilizing and protecting the dispensing system.
US08186565B1

An aluminum-boron-carbon (ABC) ceramic-metal composite bonded to a metal or metal-ceramic composite other than ABC composite is made by forming a porous body comprised of particulates being comprised of a boron-carbon compound that has a particulate layer of titanium diboride powder on the surface of the porous body. The porous body is infiltrated with aluminum or alloy thereof resulting in the simultaneous infiltration of the TiB2 layer, where the layer has an aluminum metal content that is at least about 10 percentage points greater by volume than the (ABC) composite. The ABC composite is then fused to a metal or metal-ceramic body through the infiltrated layer of titanium diboride, wherein the metal-ceramic body is a composite other than an aluminum-boron-carbon composite.
US08186564B1

A method and apparatus for forming a brazing preform. The preform is made utilizing a brazing preform member having a first shaped end and a second shaped end. The first and second shaped ends are mated in a friction fit without any welding to provide the brazing preform.
US08186552B2

A stapler has a supporting base, a magazine assembly, a trigger assembly, a leg-flatting device and a rail assembly. The magazine assembly and the trigger assembly are connected pivotally to the supporting base. The leg-flatting device is mounted on the supporting base and has a moving base and an anvil element. The moving base is connected operationally to the supporting base and has an anvil hole. The anvil element is mounted moveably in the anvil hole and has a functional segment and a non-functional segment. The rail assembly mounted on and protrudes from the bottom face of the supporting base and has at least one rail bracket protruding from the bottom face of the supporting base. Each one of the at least one rail bracket has a rail in which the non-functional segment of the anvil element is slidably mounted.
US08186540B2

A universal lid for industrial or commercial large size solid waste containers, has a ribbed single layer central portion and a peripheral edge having a hollow double wall boxed configuration. The boxed perimeter may have a predetermined height such as approximately one inch, and the lid is provided with hinge lugs having a vertical extent substantially more but not more than twice than said predetermined height. In addition, the lids have substantial symmetry so that the lids may be stacked and nested with alternate lids oriented in opposite front-to-back directions. With this type of lid, the advantages of both single layer and double layer lid constructions may be realized.
US08186532B2

In this can lid, a rivet-slanting inhibitor which flows a metal of the can lid main body located between the rivet to the rivet side thereby correcting or preventing the slanting of the rivet is formed on a location in an opposite area which is opposed to an opening part across the rivet except for the coining part.
US08186523B2

A stackable rack includes two side supports and a shelf plate between the two side supports. The side supports comprises of at least one support unit. The support unit comprises a rectangular frame and a foot support. The rectangular frame is provided with a cross bar to support the shelf plate. The foot support is bent into trapezoid with an oblate metal ring. The two ends of the trapezoid are close and bent into horizontal foot loops. The inner distance of the horizontal foot loops is a little longer than the width of the rectangular frame. The upper side of the foot support clamps the lower side of the rectangular frame and is fixed by welding. The horizontal foot loops of the support of one support unit can fit over the upper corners of the rectangular frame of another support unit, so as to stack up.
US08186520B2

A product display tray configured for use on a shelf is disclosed. The product display tray includes a base and at least one side wall. The base includes a front end, a back end, a left side, a right side, a lower surface and an upper surface for supporting items. The side wall is selectively positionable a distance from a side of the base and is substantially parallel to the side.
US08186512B2

Low waste packaging for use with a consumer product includes a planar tag element of a generally rectangular configuration having front and back planar surfaces upon which advertising indicia may be printed and a cut-out into which a portion of the consumer product is received. The packaging includes first and second semi-annular ring portions that may be assembled around the consumer product when received within the cut-out and affixed to each other through the planar tag element. The method for packaging a consumer product includes receiving the consumer product within a cutout formed in a lower portion of a planar tag element; and assembling two halves of a retaining member about an upper shank of the consumer product so that annular portions of the retaining members contact the consumer product and laterally extensive tags of the retaining members sandwich the tag therebetween.
US08186508B2

An apparatus for holding an electronic device is provided, including a carrier seat, an upper lid and at least a resilient element. The shape of the holding apparatus is constituted by the upper lid at the top and the carrier seat at the bottom. The carrier seat and the upper lid are engaged by coupling on one side so that the upper lid can rotate along the coupling side to open or close. The both ends of the resilient element are engaged to the upper lid and the carrier seat, respectively, to provide a force so that the upper lid and the carrier seat can incline towards each other. The facing surface of the carrier seat has a positioning element and the facing surface of the upper lid has a maintaining element. The bottom of the carrier seat includes an anti-slip layer.
US08186500B2

In a mail-handling machine having a conveyor path for conveying the mailpieces, which path is defined by a longitudinal referencing wall and by a top referencing wall, there is provided a conveyor and jogger belt formed of a continuous strip having two opposite faces, namely an inside face provided with a set of teeth suitable for cooperating with drive cogs for driving the belt, and an outside face provided with a plurality of flexible blades spaced apart at a predetermined distance, the free ends of the flexible blades providing both support for the flat articles while they are being conveyed and also jogging for jogging them against the top referencing wall.
US08186495B2

A method for the operation of a transport system for bank notes whereby a bank note is conveyed from a tester unit to a bank note storage device, as well as a device for taking up bank notes in which a bank note storage and stacking unit is controlled by differing transport speeds such that the transport speed in the transport unit that takes up the bank note is higher than the transport speed in the device that delivers the bank note to a second transport unit.
US08186491B2

The invention is a torque transmission device, in particular in the power train of a motor vehicle, having a hydrodynamic torque converter that includes a converter cover connected with a drive unit. The torque transmission device is connectable via an impeller with a turbine wheel. The connection with the turbine wheel can be bypassed by means of a torque converter clutch. The clutch comprises a piston, which relative to the converter cover, is displaceable axially restrictedly. The invention is characterized in that pins are fixed on the piston; the pins extend in the axial direction and serve for splined connection of the piston with the converter cover.
US08186489B2

In a pull arrangement including a housing with a guide structure movably supporting a carrier element which has a park position at one end of the guide structure and a rest position at the other end and a reversing structure is provided at the other end of the guide structure and a tension spring extending around the reversing structure is connected with one end to the carrier element and the opposite end to the housing for moving the carrier element to the end position, the tension spring comprises an area of high spring stiffness where it extends around the reversing structure and an area of low spring stiffness where the spring is connected to the housing away from the reversing structure.
US08186486B2

An inertia brake assembly is disclosed. In an embodiment, the inertia brake includes a rotor hub subassembly and an inertia brake subassembly. The inertia brake subassembly includes a first reaction plate arranged opposite a first side of the rotor hub assembly, a second reaction plate arranged opposite a second side of the rotor hub assembly, and one or more connector subassemblies connecting the first reaction plate to the second reaction plate. The one or more connector subassemblies include at least one or more resilient straps, and a spacer disposed between the one or more resilient straps and one of the first and second reaction plates. The spacer is arranged about a diameter of the rotor hub subassembly. In an embodiment, the inertia brake assembly includes a sleeve. An inertia brake subassembly is also disclosed.
US08186479B2

The disclosed scaffolding system utilizes elongated members/rails that define a rectangular, e.g., square, cross-section and are adapted to be joined relative to each other using a nesting sleeve or union. The elongated members/rails are thus routinely joined to each other in the field using pre-defined apertures and cooperative hitch pins. L-shaped rail-mounting brackets are typically mounted at “top” ends of the elongated members/rails, i.e., the ends of the elongated members/rails to be positioned at/adjacent the roof apex. The L-shaped rail-mounting brackets include a sleeve portion of rectangular/square cross-section that is adapted to cooperate with the elongated member/rail through a telescoping action, and appropriate pins/aperture alignment may be used for securement purposes.
US08186474B2

A wheel loader includes a rear frame having left and right plate-shaped main beams. A reinforcing bracket is provided at an upper position substantially in a middle of a front-and-rear direction of the rear frame, and the reinforcing bracket bridges between the main beams. A substantially middle position of the rear frame exhibits a closed-section structure that includes the reinforcing bracket. The closed-section structure at the main beams specifically includes an axle support, a reinforcing plate, a reinforcing rib and the reinforcing bracket in the order from a lower side to an upper side.
US08186462B2

A transporter for transporting a subject over a surface that may be irregular. The transporter includes a support platform for supporting a load, the loaded support platform defining fore-aft and lateral planes and characterized by a load distribution. A plurality of ground contacting elements are coupled to the support platform such that the transporter is statically stable with respect to tipping in the fore-aft plane. At least one of the plurality of ground contacting elements is driven by a motorized drive arrangement. A sensor module generates a signal indicative of the load distribution. Based at least on the load distribution, a controller commands the motorized drive arrangement.
US08186449B2

An implement wheel assembly includes two individual wheel arms tied together by a linkage that pivots about a fore-and-aft extending axis at a location above the wheels and generally above the plane of the implement frame. The linkage constrains the wheel arms to pivot in opposite vertical directions as the implement moves over irregular ground surfaces to improve weight distribution on the wheels. Spring structure may be interposed between the ends of a pivoting linkage and the individual wheel arms to lower frame impact forces. The structure allows two wheels to be placed side-by-side with their axes generally aligned and reduces under-frame hardware to improve crop and soil and trash flow.
US08186444B2

A system that is usable with a well includes a tubing string that extends into an isolated zone of the well and a plurality of chokes modules that are disposed in the isolated zone to control communication between a passageway of the tubing string and the zone. Each choke module includes an associated choke, which is removable from the choke module without disassembly of the tubing string. Each choke module is independently controllable relative to the other choke module(s) to selectively enable and disable flow through the associated choke.
US08186440B2

The present invention regards a device designed for injection of fluids in a well bore, typically an offshore well bore for petroleum production and gas injection/gas lift system for fluid injection. The device comprises a outer hollow housing (1) with an internal body (2) moveable within the outer housing (1) with an internal bore (3) which in a first closed position is closed with a metal to metal seal system between the outer housing (1) and the internal body (2), which internal body (2) is operated by pressure differential across the internal body (2), where the internal body (2) is designed with slots (4) forming outlets of the internal bore (3) which in an open position of the device is positioned outside of the outer housing (1).
US08186433B2

Changing concentrations of brine in a gravel pack carrier fluid gelled with a viscoelastic surfactant (VES) increases the fluid efficiency for gravel packing long interval wells, such as wellbore producing interval greater than about 100 feet (about 30 m). VES-gelled fluids used as gravel packing fluids herein also include surfactants, fluid loss control agents, internal breakers and brine in addition to the grave. The viscoelasticity of fluid system can suspend and deliver high concentration of the gravels while reducing carrier fluid volume.
US08186432B2

A well logging fluid, and methods of using the same, include a base fluid selected from water, water-based mud, or oil-based mud, and an additive material selected from silica or cork or alike. The fluid has an impedance substantially different from that of the base fluid. Such a modified impedance helps improve the measurement accuracy.
US08186417B2

Molten metal is introduced into the cavity by a combined gravity feed and centrifugal force feed using a rotating turntable under electrical or electronic control. The centrifugal force is controlled to be substantially constant until the metal has solidified. This is accomplished by controlling the ramp-up acceleration of the turntable where rotational velocity is a time-dependent function of rotational radius and molten metal mass and taking into account the flow rate and cooling rate of the liquid metal. The process reduces waste and the attendant energy consumption associated with the quantity of metal required to be melted for the initial pour and associated with reprocessing and reusing the waste component.
US08186411B2

A window blind assembly includes a roller blind unit, a curtain member unit, and a clamping unit. The roller blind unit includes a roller rod that extends horizontally and that is rotatably mounted at or in proximity to an upper edge portion of the window, and a roller blind cloth a top edge of which is connected to the roller rod and which is able to be wound around and extended from the roller rod. The curtain member unit includes a folding curtain cloth a top edge of which is mounted at or around the upper edge of the window. The clamping unit includes a connecting clamp that extends horizontally, and has a first clamping portion that clamps onto the folding curtain cloth and a second clamping portion that clamps onto the roller blind cloth.
US08186398B2

An electric router includes a housing, a base, a motor having an output shaft, a first switch for the motor, a locking member having a first end and a second end, a second switch connected in series with the first switch, and a connecting rod having a first end positioned proximate to the base and a second end positioned remotely from the base. The first end of the connecting rod is connected with the second end of the locking member, the second end of the connecting rod is connected with the second switch, and the second end of the connecting rod selectively keeps the second switch in one of a switch-off position when the first end of the locking member engages with the output shaft and a switch-on position when the first end of the locking member disengages from the output shaft.
US08186397B2

Texturing apparatuses and methods are provided for forming a textured surface on a panel. An exemplary texturing apparatus has a bed and a mount having at least one cutting blade that can be configured to impart a cut to a top structural surface of the panel as the panel is moved along the bed. The bed is configured to receive the panel and can define one or more openings. The mount is operably positioned in the opening and can be articulated in one or more directions with respect to the plane of the bed.
US08186395B2

System for filling a tank comprising a fill pipe and a pipe head comprising an inlet valve and a moveable stopper in the head under the valve, characterized in that the valve comprises a peripheral part and a central part and in that only the peripheral part is coupled to the stopper and capable of causing the opening and/or unlocking of the latter under the pressure of a large-diameter fill nozzle, the central part being moveable with respect to this peripheral part so as to be able to swing under the action of a smaller-diameter fill nozzle, without acting on the stopper, while being connected to this same peripheral part so as to be entrained and swung with it under the pressure of a large-diameter fill nozzle.
US08186394B2

Device for avoiding fluid delivery errors, comprising a primary coil (6), placed in a container (1) in the vicinity of a fluid delivery orifice (2) of the container, a control and measurement electric circuit (7) supplying power to the primary coil (6) to generate electromagnetic waves in the fluid delivery orifice (2), detector means (7, 8) sensitive to the waveform of the currents or voltages that appear in the primary coil (6) and that distinguish the presence and the type of fluid delivery nozzle (4) as a function of said waveform of the currents or voltages in the primary coil (6). Comparator means (11) determine if the measured oscillation frequency (fm) is different from a reference oscillation frequency (fr). If necessary, the user is warned, by alarm means (12), that he is about to fill his container (1) with the wrong type of fluid.
US08186386B2

A modular exhaust tube system for directing exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine. The exhaust tube system includes first and second elongate half-shells, with each half-shell comprising an elongate thin-wall body having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional profile with a constant sideways opening along the length of the body. The exhaust tube system also includes a center brace having dimensions which span the length and height of the sideways openings. The sideways openings of the first and second half-shells are coupled together around the center brace to form a flattened elongate exhaust tube having an inlet end and an outlet end for directing exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine. In one aspect the first and second half-shells are selected from a group of interchangeable and modular half-shells having different substantially U-shaped cross-sectional profiles that are reversible top-to-bottom and end-to-end.
US08186379B2

An electromagnetic valve has an electromagnetic coil supported by a cylindrical yoke, a movable armature within a sleeve, a stator core fixed to one end of the sleeve, wherein one end of the stator core protrudes from an end of the yoke. A pressure sensor is attached to a protruding end of the stator core. A magnetic flux limiting portion is formed in the stator core at such a position which is on a side of the protruding end of the stator core toward the pressure sensor. A magnetic flux flow to the pressure sensor is limited by the magnetic flux limiting portion, so that a precise detection by the sensor can be achieved even when the sensor is arranged closer to the electromagnetic coil.
US08186377B2

A check valve (fluid on-off valve device) capable of attaining high sealability in either case where a differential pressure is high or low, comprises a valve body assembly (valve body) contacting and separating from a valve seat portion for communicating and blocking a fluid passage. The valve body assembly comprises a valve body, a low-pressure seal portion constituted out of soft material and a high-pressure seal portion constituted out of harder material than the low-pressure seal portion. In blocking a fluid passage, when a differential pressure between an upstream path and a downstream path in the fluid passage is relatively low, the low-pressure seal portion comes into close contact with a protrusion to block the fluid passage, while when the differential pressure is relatively high, the low-pressure seal portion is compressively deformed by the differential pressure and the high-pressure seal portion comes into close contact with the valve seat body, thus blocking the fluid passage.
US08186368B2

Child caretaking structures having adjustable canopies and/or headrests are described. An example child caretaking structure includes a frame having a track with a plurality of indentations and a canopy. The example canopy includes a canopy stay connector coupled to a canopy clip, wherein the canopy clip is slidably coupled to the frame. The example canopy clip includes a first end, a second end and at least one protrusion between the first end and the second end dimensioned to selectively engage a first of the indentations of the track to fix the canopy at a first height.
US08186364B2

A hair clip that opens and closes using an elastic band. The band holds the jaws in an open position (which eliminates the need for the levers) and the band also urges the jaws together to close the clip (eliminating the need for a metal spring). The clip has a length of material that is attached either across its top or around it. Because the jaws have no attached protruding levers for opening and closing them (like the ones in a traditional ‘butterfly’ clip), the length of material lays relatively smooth across the top of the clip, which not only hides the hinge and elastic band (improving the aesthetic appearance of the clip), it makes it possible to decorated the material or add a companies logo thereto.
US08186363B2

The present invention relates to an applicator (1) which allows for precise, non-messy and even application of a hair treatment composition to a hair strand. The applicator (1) comprises a plate (10) movably joined by a connection (30) to a well (20), a first fin (70) and a second fin (71) which project from the internal surface (101) of the plate (10) and point to one another and a fluid metering element comprising a lower metering portion (50) positioned on the internal surface of the wall (202) of the well (20) adjacent the rim (222). When said applicator (1) is in a closed state, the lower metering portion (50) and the first fin (70) are substantially juxtaposed to provide said fluid metering element.
US08186358B2

A system and method for locating an internal device separated by a boundary from and in wireless communication with an external device. External device includes an active emitter mechanism wherein a carrier signal is modulated by a location interrogation signal thereby generating an external RF power signal during transmission to the internal device. A secondary antenna of the internal device receives the external RF power signal and induces an RF power signal therein that is converted to a DC induced voltage signal. An indication signal proportional to the intensity of the DC induced voltage signal induced in the secondary antenna is produced by the external device. The process is repeated each time the user moves the external device to a new location proximate the patient's body until a maximum DC induced voltage signal measurement is ascertained representative of a specific area in which the internal device is located.
US08186355B2

Methods and devices are disclosed for remodeling the tongue. One or more spaces or cavities are formed in the tongue using, for example, surgical or RF ablative techniques. The cavities can be closed or collapsed by inserting a tethered soft tissue anchor into the tongue and attaching the tethered portion of the soft tissue anchor to a bony structure such as the mandible or hyoid bone in order to exert a collapsing force on the one or more spaces or cavities. The insertion pathway of the tethered soft tissue anchor may pass adjacent to or even through one or more cavities. Also disclosed herein is a tongue remodeling system that includes means for creating a space in the tongue, and a tissue anchor configured to close the space. The tissue anchor may be tethered or expandable.
US08186351B2

A tracheal tube comprising a nematic polymer or nematic elastomer, wherein an outer diameter of the tracheal tube changes in size in response to exposure of the tracheal tube to light or heat.
US08186347B2

A patient breathing system includes a ventilator that provides a driving gas flow to generate patient inspiration. The ventilator further includes a gas inlet for driving gas, the patient breathing system being connectable to a circle which includes an inspiratory hose and an expiratory hose connected to patient, through which circle expired gases can be circulated back to the patient. The circle further includes a fresh gas inlet, an arrangement for enabling the gas flow in a desired direction, a unit for removal of the exhaled carbon dioxide, and a ventilator port for the ventilator connection. The patient breathing system further includes an arrangement by which driving gas of the ventilator has been separated from the patient gases flowing in the circle.
US08186345B2

The gases temperature supplied to a patient when the patient is undergoing treatment such as oxygen therapy or positive pressure treatment for conditions such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is often measured for safety and to enable controlling of the humidity delivered to the patient. The invention disclosed is related to measurement of properties, particularly temperature, of gases flowing through a heated tube, supplying gases to a patient, which utilizes the heating wire within the tube.
US08186339B1

An archery bow shot cover device is attachable to an archery bow for use during hunting an animal. The archery bow shot cover device includes a housing, a sensor, a memory chip and a speaker. During use, a sensor detects the release of an arrow from the archery bow, which triggers a memory chip to send a signal carrying an animal sound to the speaker. The animal sound is emanated from the speaker and covers up or camouflages the noise produced by the release of the arrow from the bow. The sensor may be an accelerometer or other vibration type of switch, a motion detector, a bar code type of reader, or other type of sensor for detecting the release of the arrow from the archery bow. The device includes a USB port or jack for installing additional natural animal sounds or other types of sounds onto the device.
US08186337B2

A toy gun assembly has at least two, first and second independently operable toy guns. Each of those guns has a body and a shooting mechanism in the body. The toy guns are connectable with each other by means of a connector. The shooting mechanisms of the toy guns are independently operable when the toy guns are connected by the connector.
US08186334B2

In an attempt to regenerate energy of exhaust gas by using a pressure regenerator secured to an exhaust port of a displacement type engine so as to realize the Atkinson's cycle, if the engine is a four-cycle engine, raising regenerative pressure may cause abnormal fuel combustion or melting damage of an exhaust valve. The present invention has successfully solved this problem by using a six-cycle engine. The six-cycle engine with a regenerator according to the present invention is capable of varying proportion of the power output that is generated by the six-cycle engine itself and that is generated by the regenerator. Using this principle enables the six-cycle engine with a generator to be used as an engine that is capable of generating two kinds of output power or as a six-cycle gas turbine with high controllability. The invented internal combustion engine is excellent and valuable in the fuel cost economy when it is used as a motor for a power station and a small generator as well as a motor for a movable body such as a ship or a vehicle. The invented internal combustion engine is especially suitable for a movable body such as a hybrid-system vehicle. Incidentally, the inventor is ready for granting the rights for practicing the present invention.
US08186328B2

The present invention relates to a cooling mechanism (1), in particular for cooling oil in a motor vehicle, with a housing (2) having a bracket (3), by means of which housing (2) the cooling mechanism (1) is connected to an internal combustion engine, a transmission fluid cooler (10), and an engine oil cooler (7). Pertinent to the invention is that the cooling mechanism (1) is designed in a sandwich-type manner having an intermediate module (11) positioned between the engine oil cooler (7) and the transmission fluid cooler (10), which intermediate module (11) has at least one supply/removal assembly (12) that communicates with the engine oil cooler (7) and has corresponding supply/removal lines or connections.
US08186326B2

A two-cycle engine includes a crankshaft that has shafts on both sides and a crankcase that pivotally supports the shafts of the crankshaft through bearings. A collar is circumferentially provided on an outer ring of one of the bearings that supports one of the shafts on a side at which a low load is applied. The crankcase is provided with an inserting portion into which the one of the bearings is inserted. The inserting portion penetrates the crankcase while keeping a constant diameter. An engaging portion with which the collar is engaged from an inner side is provided in an inner portion of the inserting portion.
US08186317B2

Combination of a housing having a fluid passage and one or more solenoid actuated fluid control valves communicated to the fluid passage wherein a permanent magnet is disposed in fluid passage upstream of the fluid control valves to magnetically capture or getter ferrous particles in fluid prior to entry into the fluid control valve.
US08186312B2

A control system is provided for a modulated heating system including at least one modulating water heater and a controller. A deadband control scheme provides for reduced cycling of the modulating heater when total system heat demand falls between the maximum output of one heater and the sum of the maximum output of that one point and the minimum firing point of the next subsequent heater. Condensation of flue gas products is prevented by monitoring flue exhaust temperature for each heater and controlling the modulation of each heater to maintain a minimum heater output sufficiently high to prevent condensation of flue gas products from that heater. Rapid reaction to changes in system heat demand is provided by sensing changes in flow rate in a primary loop of the system and anticipating resulting changes in temperature thus allowing for change in heater output prior to the time the change in flow rate has fully impacted system temperature.
US08186301B2

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for manufacturing a gas barrier plastic container which simultaneously satisfies the condition that the same vacuum chamber can be used even when the container shapes are different, the condition that a high-frequency power source is unnecessary, and the condition that film formation can be carried out for a plurality of containers inside one vacuum chamber in order to make the apparatus low cost. In an apparatus for forming a film on the inner surface of a container, a thermal catalyst is supported on a source gas supply pipe, and the source gas supply pipe is inserted into the port of the container, followed by film formation. In an apparatus for forming a film on the outer surface of a container, a thermal catalyst is arranged on the periphery of the plastic, and a source gas is blown out through the source gas supply pipe while bringing the source gas into contact with the thermal catalyst for film formation. Cooling is carried out to avoid the thermaldeformation of the container by heat radiated from the thermal catalyst. For example, a container on which a hydrogen-containing SiNx thin film having a film thickness of 5 to 100 nm and a hydrogen content ratio of 1 to 10 atomic % has been obtained.
US08186297B2

A substrate processing apparatus is provided. The substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate supporting member including a spin head on which a substrate is placed, a nozzle discharging processing liquid to the substrate placed on the spin head, and a processing liquid supplying source supplying the processing liquid to the nozzle. The nozzle includes a nozzle main body that has a plurality of discrete discharging openings and an integration discharging opening. The discrete discharging openings have a slit-shaped cross section having a first length and are arrayed in series in a predetermined direction. The integration discharging opening is formed by connecting the discrete discharging openings to each other in a single slot shape having a length greater than the first length, and finally discharges the processing liquid.
US08186296B2

Methods and apparatuses herein may provide for the application of viscous fluids, such as adhesives, in pre-determined patterns to an advancing substrate. The fluid application apparatus may include a slot die applicator and a substrate carrier. The substrate carrier may include one or more pattern elements and may be adapted to advance the substrate past the slot die applicator as the slot die applicator discharges adhesive onto the substrate. In operation, the substrate is disposed on the substrate carrier; the substrate carrier advances the substrate past the slot opening of the slot die applicator. In turn, the substrate is intermittently compressed between the slot die applicator and the pattern surface of the pattern element. As the substrate is intermittently compressed, adhesive discharged from the slot die applicator is applied onto the substrate in an area having a shape substantially the same as a shape defined by the pattern surface.
US08186294B2

The present invention relates to a method of cutting (1) a small first orifice (1-1) in a wall (6) at the bottom of the sea and of opening/closing said first orifice, the method comprising anchoring a base (2) that includes a large second orifice (2-1) and a cutter device comprising: a said base, a deformable stopper (3) connected to said base and enabling said large second orifice to be opened or closed depending on the position of the stopper on the base, circular cutter means (4) secured to said base, and anchor means (5) secured to said base and suitable for anchoring said base reversibly on said wall (6). The present invention also provides a method of recovering a viscous fluid that is lighter than water, such as a polluting effluent, and that is contained in a tank of a sunken and/or damaged vessel resting on the sea bottom.
US08186290B2

A sewing machine for a user to perform sewing while moving a work cloth includes: a detecting device that detects the work cloth; a movement calculating device that calculates, by two-dimensional coordinate data, a movement direction and a movement quantity of the work cloth between previous detection and current detection of the work cloth when the work cloth is detected; a movement data storage device that stores movement data serving as two-dimensional coordinate data indicative of the movement direction and the movement quantity; a movement data creating device that detects the work cloth on a one by one needle basis of sewing, calculates the movement data, and stores the calculated data in the movement data storage device; a cloth feed mechanism that moves the work cloth; and a reproduction sewing control device that performs sewing while moving the work cloth based on the movement data stored in the movement data storage device.
US08186285B2

A slider assembly for moving an ATM into and out of an ATM housing comprises a driving mechanism and a mount. Vertically spaced apart upper and lower bearing structures extending outward from the mount partially define a horizontal channel. A platform for supporting the ATM has a front end, a rear end and opposite first and second side margins. The platform is operatively connected to the driving mechanism to impart generally linear forward and rearward movements of the platform relative to the mounts between extended and retracted positions. The first side margin of the platform is received within the horizontal channel between the upper and lower bearing structures to support the platform and to facilitate the linear movement of the platform by the driving mechanism.
US08186282B1

A table includes a base and a plurality of legs supporting the base. The base is vertically adjustable relative to each of the legs and relative to a support surface, upon which the legs are configured to rest.
US08186278B2

A switch assembly for a conveyor is provided. The switch assembly includes a rail section forming a portion of the conveyor assembly. The switch assembly has a first gear assembly pivotable about a first pivot axis and carrying a first gate and a second gear assembly pivotable about a second pivot axis and carrying a second gate, the second pivot axis being positioned below a plane extending perpendicular to the rail section from the first pivot axis. A trolley stop assembly for a conveyor is also provided. The trolley stop includes a body having a first side portion and a second side portion arranged to be disposed on first and second sides of a rail section. A pivot member extends through the body and at least a portion of the rail section. A stop member is carried by an upper portion of the body and a weighted member is also carried by the body arranged to position the stop member for engagement with a trolley. A conveyor assembly including a switch assembly and trolley stop is also disclosed.
US08186276B1

Embodiments of entrapment systems and apparatuses are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In one embodiment, an entrapment apparatus is provided. This entrapment apparatus comprises a casing and a piece of multilayered fabric packed into the casing. The piece of multilayered fabric, when deployed, is configured to wrap around a person having an explosive device and configured to contain packed metal projectiles from an explosion of the explosive device.
US08186262B2

Provided herein methods and structures for construction of light weight sandwich panels or load-bearing panels having improved ballistic protection. The methods disclosed can facilitate construction of a hybrid core comprising ballistic fabrics and deformable pins that exhibit superior resistance to ballistic penetration. The methods and structures of the present disclosures can be advantageously used in many applications, such as armored vehicles.
US08186261B2

An adjustable muzzle brake in which an interior volume of the muzzle chamber can be varied without the use of tools which allows shooters to adjust the flow of the propellant gases and thereby allow shooters to determine and select the optimum recoil for their shooting preference.
US08186259B2

A perforating gun gravitational orientation system includes a perforating gun and a swivel device connected to the perforating gun to permit rotation of the perforating gun within casing, and the perforating gun spaced apart from the casing by the swivel device. Another perforating gun gravitational orientation system includes the swivel device having an axis of rotation which is spaced apart from a center of gravity of the perforating gun. Yet another perforating gun gravitational orientation system includes the swivel device having an axis of rotation which is spaced apart from a center axis of the perforating gun.
US08186258B2

A power tool in one embodiment includes a work-piece support surface, a swing arm assembly movable along a swing path between a first swing arm position whereat a portion of a shaping device supported by the swing arm assembly extends above the work-piece support surface and a second swing arm position whereat the portion of the shaping device does not extend above the work-piece support surface, a latch hold pivotable between a first latch hold position whereat the swing arm assembly can be supported by the latch hold in the first swing arm position and a second latch hold position whereat the swing arm assembly cannot be supported by the latch hold in the first swing arm position, an actuator chamber configured to receive at least one actuator, an opening in the actuator chamber, and a plug aligned with the opening and connected to the latch hold.
US08186250B2

One embodiment of the invention relates to an apparatus for configuring a wheel associated with a train. The apparatus comprises a tool configured to engage the wheel; a compound slide system for positioning the cutting tool in at least two axes; and a computer control coupled to control the compound slide system. The compound slide system is controlled so that the wheel is configured in accordance with a profile.
US08186243B2

In this throttle control device, the device body secured to a steering wheel is provided with a throttle lever for pulling a control cable and the cover is attached to the upper part of the device body. The throttle control device includes a protruded rim that is formed on one of the outer surfaces of the upper both side walls of the device body and the inner surfaces of both side parts of the cover, a recessed groove capable of slidably engaging with the rim is slantingly formed in the other, the protruded rim is engaged with the recessed groove and slid, and the cover is locked to the device body at its slid end whereby the cover is fixed onto the device body.
US08186240B2

A joystick type switch device is provided that includes an operating shaft having an operating knob provided at one end, and a case supporting the operating shaft so that the operating shaft can move between a return position and a pushed-in position and tilt from a neutral position around a tilt center, it being possible to detect pushing of the operating shaft into the pushed-in position and tilting of the operating shaft from the neutral position into eight directions, wherein the operating shaft (16) has a magnet mounted at the other end, and a portion, facing the magnet, of a base plate (22) mounted on the case has at least three Hall elements (43A to 43D) fixed thereto at equal intervals around the axis of the operating shaft (16) in the neutral position. This enables excellent durability to be obtained and the number of components to be reduced.
US08186232B2

A displacement, strain, and/or force sensor assembly (10, 110) has a mounting structure (12) with an anisotropic stiffness to facilitate the measurement of displacements, strains, and/or forces along the X-axis, while minimizing errors due to undesired displacements, strains, and/or forces along the Y- and Z-axes, and rotations about the X-, Y-, and Z-axes. A pedestal (30, 130) configured to respond to axial displacements along the X-axis is centrally disposed on the X-axis of the mounting structure (12), and a displacement or strain sensor (38) is coupled to the pedestal (30) to provide a measure of the displacements, strains, and/or forces. Contact pads (14, 114) are formed on opposite ends of the X-axis of the mounting structure, to enable the displacement and/or strain sensor assembly to be secured to an application structure.
US08186231B2

Some embodiments disclosed herein provide novel approaches for rapidly sensing sense line cross-point interaction in a textile such as a carpet or rug. A textile may comprise transmit and receive sense lines configured so that when an object contacts the textile and depresses one or more transmit lines against one or more receive lines, the object may be detected by monitoring unique signals produced by the transmit sense lines into the receive sense lines to detect the object.
US08186230B1

A system and method for measuring the airflow in an air handling unit, comprising a pressure plate with a plurality of apertures having a known surface area, a differential pressure manometer, and two. The first end of the leads is attached to a differential pressure manometer and second end of the leads is attached to the pressure plate. The pressure plate is placed in the filter rack of an air conditioning system the differential pressure manometer measures the differential pressure loss across the pressure plate allowing the user to determine airflow conditions and the location of obstructions. Additional embodiments of the system and method herein include placing two sensor tubes having apertures along the thereof at specific locations within the air handling unit that, when attached to a manometer, measure the differential pressure loss across the two locations. Various methods for establishing and monitoring proper airflow in an air handling unit are also contemplated.
US08186224B2

The invention relates to a sensor with a transducer unit, which is located at a measurement end in a housing sleeve, with connection means at a connection end of the housing sleeve opposite to the measurement end, with a module carrier received in the housing sleeve and on which is placed a sensor electronics and which extends along an axis of the housing sleeve, with illuminants for the optical signaling to the outside of operating and/or switching states of the sensor. The sensor is characterized in that there is a separate, plate-like illuminant carrier, that a plurality of illuminants are placed on the illuminant carrier and that the illuminant carrier is positioned transversely to the module carrier in the vicinity of the transducer unit. The invention also relates to a method for the manufacture of a sensor.
US08186220B2

An accelerometer (50, 100, 120, 130) includes a substrate (58) and a proof mass (54) spaced apart from a surface (56) of the substrate (58). Compliant members (62) are coupled to the proof mass (54) and enable the proof mass (54) to move parallel to the surface (56) of the substrate (58) in a sense direction (68). Proof mass anchors (60) interconnect the compliant members (62) with the surface (56). The accelerometer (50, 100, 120, 130) includes an over-travel stop structure (52, 102, 122, 132) having stop anchors (70, 72) coupled to the substrate (58). The stop anchors (70, 72) are coupled to the substrate (58) at positions (76) on the surface (56) residing at least partially within an anchor attach area (71) bounded in the sense direction (68) by locations (78) of the proof mass anchors (60) on the surface (56).
US08186210B2

A method for evaluating a performance of a substrate surface including applying a normal force with a probe to a surface of a substrate, the normal force being substantially perpendicular to the surface, and moving the probe across the surface to generate a force against and to scratch the surface, the force being substantially parallel to the surface and comprising a coaxial force along the scratch and an orthogonal force perpendicular to the scratch. The method further includes measuring a magnitude of the orthogonal force as the probe moves across the coating, and determining a fracture point of the surface by the probe based on changes in the magnitude of the orthogonal force.
US08186204B2

In a method and a device for dynamically determining a segment for an angular spread, fuel is injected into an internal combustion engine and the useful injection range (IRu) and/or the relative position of the segment comprising the angular spread, in which a fuel injection can be carried out especially during a multiple injection, are variable. A corresponding adaptation of the useful injection range (IRu) can advantageously trigger a subsequent injection impulse, as required, for example, for a regeneration module of a diesel particle filter. The adaptation is carried out according to an operating parameter, for example according to the rotational speed gradient.
US08186199B2

A driveshaft assembly includes a tubular slip member having a first spline member having a plurality of splines formed thereon having a first tolerance and a second spline member having a plurality of spline sections. The plurality of spline sections includes a plurality of splines formed thereon having a second tolerance. The second spline member cooperates with the first spline member. A zone is disposed on the second spline member and has a first profile. The zone is disposed adjacent to at least one of the plurality of spline sections of the second spline member, and the first profile defines a clearance relative to the first spline member.
US08186195B2

A strip is fed a rolling stand of a multi-stand rolling mill with a known inlet thickness and exits with a strip thickness. Measurement parameters are determined that are characteristic of the inlet-side and outlet-side strip velocities. With the measurement parameters, the inlet-side and outlet-side strip velocities are determined with respect to the rolling stand. With the inlet thickness, the inlet-side and outlet-side strip velocities, the strip thickness is determined with respect to the rolling stand. Taking into account the determined strip thickness, further measures are taken. The measurement parameter for the inlet-side velocity is the roller peripheral velocity directly prior to the rolling stand. Alternatively or in addition, the measurement parameter for the outlet-side velocity is the roller peripheral velocity. The peripheral precession of the strip is modeled. The respective strip velocity is determined using the respective roller peripheral velocity and the peripheral strip precession in the respective rolling stand.
US08186193B2

A lock cylinder structure comprises a cylinder body, a plug disposed within the cylinder body, a pin assembly and a key positioning assembly. The cylinder body has a plurality of upper pin holes and an accommodating hole. The plug has an outside wall, a keyhole, a plurality of lower pin holes and a through hole in communication with the outside wall and the keyhole. The pin assembly comprises a plurality of upper pins disposed within the upper pin holes and a plurality of lower pins disposed within the lower pin holes. The key positioning assembly comprises a first movable member disposed at the accommodating hole of the cylinder body and a second movable member disposed at the through hole of the plug. The second movable member contacts against the first movable member and has a push-receiving surface.
US08186189B2

A door latch assembly having a latch mechanism and a substantially flush-mounted actuator. The actuator may raise and lower a latch within the latch mechanism to engage and disengage the strike plate of an adjacent door jam. Similar to the actuator, a key cylinder may be substantially flush-mounted on an opposite side of the door. The key cylinder may lock or unlock the assembly latch assembly latch assembly.
US08186178B2

In order to provide a container for the cooling and/or cold storage of foods and/or beverages which comprises at least one storage tank for a multi-phase flowable cooling medium wherein the cooling effect is still as uniform as possible over the entire height of the storage tank even when the multi-phase flowable cooling medium has been stored in the storage tank for a long period of time, it is proposed that the storage tank be divided into a plurality of storage tank segments which are separated from each other by partition walls which extend horizontally or are inclined to the vertical.
US08186173B2

The present invention relates to a no-frost refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit comprising a fan for the generation of an airflow in a compartment of the unit to be cooled, wherein the unit comprises detection means for the detection of at least one parameter as well as a control or regulation unit which is made such that it varies the speed of the fan in dependence on the at least one measured parameter.
US08186169B2

A nitrogen source supplies a flow of nitrogen to a cooling circuit in the turbine section of a gas turbine. The nitrogen in the cooling circuit absorbs heat from the turbine section and flows to a flow divider where the heated nitrogen is split into a combustor flow and a return flow. The combustor nitrogen flow is injected into the gas turbine combustor. The return nitrogen flow is returned to the flow of nitrogen supplied to the gas turbine cooling circuit.
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