US09342417B2

A live non-volatile (NV) replay technique enables a partner node to efficiently takeover a failed node of a high-availability pair in a multi-node storage cluster by dynamically replaying operations synchronously logged in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) of the partner node, while also providing high performance during normal operation. Dynamic live replay may be effected through interpretation of metadata describing the logged operations. The metadata may specify a location and type of each logged operation within a partner portion of the NVRAM, as well as any dependency among the logged operation and any other logged operations that would impose an ordering constraint. During normal operation, the partner node may consult the metadata to identify dependent logged operations and dynamically replay those operations to satisfy one or more requests. Upon failure of the node, the partner node may replay, in parallel, those logged operations having no imposed ordering constraint, thereby reducing time needed to complete takeover of the failed node.
US09342415B2

A processing-based bypass “fail open” mode is provided for an intrusion prevention system by a primary process running on a first logical core (lcore) is used as a control plane, which invokes bypass-open run-to-completion threads in other lcores comprising a bypass data plane, and which spawns a secondary process to fully configure intrusion prevention threads on other lcores to create an Intrusion Prevention System data plane. Upon a ready signal from the secondary process, the primary process quiesces such that the secondary process IPS data plane exclusively owns and executes on the other lcores.
US09342409B2

Upon receiving a packet addressed to a virtual machine, a virtual switch connected to the virtual machine forwards the packet to the virtual machine, stores the received packet, the packet being related to an uncompleted transaction in the first storing unit in association with the uncompleted transaction, in response to an instruction for restoring the virtual machine, stops the forwarding of the packet to the virtual machine, and in response to the completion of the restoring of the virtual machine, upon receiving an instruction for resuming the forwarding, transmits one or a plurality of packets stored in the first storing unit in association with the uncompleted transaction to the virtual machine.
US09342394B2

Various embodiments are described herein. Some embodiments include an Operating System and a platform. The platform includes a processor having an error register. The Operating System can write to the error register only via the platform in a secure manner (for example, using platform firmware). Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09342393B2

An embodiment includes a processor, included in a first die, detecting a first hardware error (e.g., memory corruption error). The processor formulates a first error message based on the detected first error. The processor may forward the first error message, via a first fabric included on the first die, to a first intellectual property (IP) agent or block, also included in the first die. This may be done using an in-band message, such as one that adheres to the integrated on-chip system fabric (IOSF) specification. The first IP agent may issue an error message that may, for example, alert a user to the error in a manner that is relatively close in time when the error first occurs. This may facilitate better error analysis. The first IP agent may include a processor (e.g., graphics processor), controller (e.g., power management controller), and the like. Other embodiments are described herein.
US09342383B2

A buffer may be configured to store a plurality of items, and to be accessed by one or more activities of an instance of a process model. A scheduler may be configured to schedule execution of each of a plurality of activities of the process model, and to determine an activation of an activity of the plurality of activities. The scheduler may include an activity manager configured to access an activity profile of the activity upon the determining of the activation, the activity profile including buffer access characteristics according to which the activity is designed to access the buffer. A process execution unit may be configured to execute the activity and may include a buffer access manager configured to access the buffer according to the buffer access characteristics of the activity profile, and to thereby facilitate an exchange of at least one item between the buffer and the activity.
US09342382B2

Internal processes of specified components are connected to each other when an application is executed regardless of interface definition between the components and a new process is executed. A program processing apparatus (100) includes an aspect application unit (102) which generates a routing unit (201) and a connector unit (301) and applies the routing unit (201) and the connector unit (301), respectively to a component (200) and a component (300) which are included in an activated program, and a configuration management unit (101) which causes the routing unit (201) applied to the component (200) and the connector unit (301) applied to the component (300) to establish a communication connection with each other and causes the component (300) to send a process result of an process instruction in the component (300) to the component (200) through the established communication connection.
US09342380B2

Transactional reader-writer locks may leverage available hardware transactional memory (HTM) to simplify the procedures of the reader-writer lock algorithm and to eliminate a requirement for type stable memory An HTM-based reader-writer lock may include an ordered list of client-provided nodes, each of which represents a thread that holds (or desires to acquire) the lock, and a tail pointer. The locking and unlocking procedures invoked by readers and writers may access the tail pointer or particular ones of the nodes in the list using various combinations of transactions and non-transactional accesses to insert nodes into the list or to remove nodes from the list. A reader or writer that owns a node at the head of the list (or a reader whose node is preceded in the list only by other readers' nodes) may access a critical section of code or shared resource.
US09342379B2

A method for an acquisition of a semaphore for a thread includes decrementing a semaphore count, storing a current thread context of the semaphore when the semaphore count is less than a first predetermined value, determining a release count of a pending queue associated with the semaphore where the pending queue indicates unpended threads of the semaphore, and adding the thread to the pending queue when the release count is less than a second predetermined value.
US09342377B2

Controlling access to a resource by a plurality of resource requesters is disclosed. The resource lock operates in a contention efficient (heavyweight) operating mode, and in response to a request from a resource requester to acquire the resource lock, a count of a total number of acquisitions of the resource lock in the contention efficient operating mode is incremented. In response to access to the resource not being contended by more than one resource requester, a count of a number of uncontended acquisitions of the resource lock in the contention efficient operating mode is incremented, and a contention rate is calculated as the number of uncontended acquisitions in the contention efficient operating mode divided by the total number of acquisitions in the contention efficient operating mode. In response to the contention rate meeting a threshold contention rate, the resource lock is changed to a non-contention efficient (lightweight) operating mode.
US09342370B2

In one embodiment, the invention provides a method of configuring a migration from a plurality of distributed virtual servers to a system of blades, the method comprising: identifying among the plurality of distributed virtual servers a plurality of candidate virtual servers for inclusion in the migration; collecting performance data for each candidate virtual server; consolidating the performance data for each candidate virtual server into a usage profile; normalizing the usage profile to allow representation of a statistical measure of resource usage by the candidate virtual server; and constructing a configuration for the plurality of candidate virtual servers within the system of blades.
US09342367B2

A system and process include receiving information relating to a plurality of cloud services from a plurality of cloud service providers. A determination is made, for each of the plurality of cloud services, one or more of a location of a server that hosts a cloud service, an origin of data used in the cloud service, and a destination of data processed by the cloud service. One or more of the plurality of cloud services are selected based on one or more of the determination of the server location, the origin of data, and the destination of data.
US09342366B2

An intrusion detection apparatus and method using a load balancer responsive to traffic conditions between a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU) are provided. The intrusion detection apparatus includes a packet acquisition unit, a character string check task allocation unit, a CPU character string check unit, and a GPU character string check unit. The packet acquisition unit receives packets, and stores the packets in a single task queue. The character string check task allocation unit determines the number of packets in the packet acquisition unit, and allocates character string check tasks to the CPU or the GPU. The CPU character string check unit compares the character strings of the packets with a character string defined in at least one detection rule inside the CPU. The GPU character string check unit compares the character strings of the packets with the character string inside the GPU.
US09342364B2

A portal view generation system can receive a request from a user for a portal view of a portal site. The system determines which resources the user can access based on the user's permission level on the resources. The system further determines the user's authentication level. Each of the portal resources the user has permission to access are then vetted based on a minimum authentication level needed to view the resource, and the user's authentication level. Those resources which the user has permission to access, but in insufficient level of authentication are excluded from view. The portal view generation system then generates the code to render navigational elements for the user to access those remaining resources the user has both permission and sufficient authentication level to access.
US09342354B2

A system and method for providing a safe confluence modality in a mobile computing device are provided. The system and method include determining an application switch between a primary application and a secondary application, identifying the application switch as a Non-User Triggered Application (NUTA) switch based on the primary application and the secondary application, the NUTA switch corresponding to the application switch initiated by a non-user of the mobile computing device and capturing a user interaction provided after the NUTA switch.
US09342342B2

According to one aspect of the present disclosure a system and technique for refreshing memory topology in virtual machine operating systems is disclosed. The system includes a processor and logic executable by the processor to: responsive to receiving, by an operating system of a virtual machine, a notification of an affinity change relative to workload memory resources, poll a hypervisor for updated memory affinity data; determine, for each logical memory block of the workload memory resources, whether an affinity string for the respective logical memory block has changed; responsive to determining that the affinity string for the respective logical memory block has changed, identify a data structure of the logical memory block maintained by the operating system; and update affinity information in the data structure based on the change to the affinity string of the logical memory block.
US09342337B2

Multiple machine state registers are included in a processor core to permit distinction between use of hardware facilities by applications, supervisory threads and the hypervisor. All facilities are initially disabled by the hypervisor when a partition is initialized. When any access is made to a disabled facility, the hypervisor receives an indication of which facility was accessed and sets a corresponding hardware flag in the hypervisor's machine state register. When an application attempts to access a disabled facility, the supervisor managing the operating system image receives an indication of which facility was accessed and sets a corresponding hardware flag in the supervisor's machine state register. The multiple register implementation permits the supervisor to determine whether particular hardware facilities need to have their state saved when an application context swap occurs and the hypervisor can determine which hardware facilities need to have their state saved when a partition swap occurs.
US09342335B2

A system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least two virtual machines running on a hardware platform using either a hosted or a bare metal hypervisor. The virtual machines may communicate with an agent-server resident in the host operating system or in one of the virtual machines to switch control of the hardware component, such as graphics hardware, from one virtual machine to another.
US09342334B2

A system and method for simulating new instructions without compiler support for the new instructions. A simulator detects a given region in code generated by a compiler. The given region may be a candidate for vectorization or may be a region already vectorized. In response to the detection, the simulator suspends execution of a time-based simulation. The simulator then serially executes the region for at least two iterations using a functional-based simulation and using instructions with operands which correspond to P or less lanes of single-instruction-multiple-data (SIMD) execution. The value P is a maximum number of lanes of SIMD exection supported both by the compiler. The simulator stores checkpoint state during the serial execution. In response to determining no inter-iteration memory dependencies exist, the simulator returns to the time-based simulation and resumes execution using N-wide vector instructions.
US09342333B2

Techniques are described herein that are capable of providing backend custom code extensibility. Such extensibility allows custom code to be automatically loaded dynamically (e.g., on-demand) in a runtime that is hosted by a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) module while the runtime is running to provide custom backend features that are defined by the custom code to an application in response to receipt of a request from the application.
US09342315B2

Systems and methods for creating universal microcode images and for reconstructing a microcode image from a universal microcode image are described in the present disclosure. One method, among others, comprises receiving a plurality of microcode images each configured to initialize hardware within an electronic device before the electronic device is booted up. The method also includes separating each microcode image into sections and comparing the sections to determine whether or not two or more sections contain identical code. The method also includes creating a universal microcode image from the sections that are unique.
US09342311B2

One embodiment of the present invention includes a method for generating accumulated bounding boxes for graphics primitives. The method includes generating a first bounding box associated with a first graphics primitive. The method further includes, for each graphics primitive included in a first set of one or more additional graphics primitives, determining that the graphics primitive is within a threshold distance of the first bounding box, and adding the graphics primitive to the first bounding box. The method further includes determining not to add a second graphics primitive to the first bounding box. The method further includes generating a second bounding box associated with the second graphics primitive. Finally, the method includes transmitting the first bounding box to a tiling unit via a crossbar. One advantage of the disclosed embodiments is that multiple bounding boxes are combined to generate an accumulated bounding box that is then transferred across the crossbar.
US09342310B2

A system and method for fencing memory accesses. Memory loads can be fenced, or all memory access can be fenced. The system receives a fencing instruction that separates memory access instructions into older accesses and newer accesses. A buffer within the memory ordering unit is allocated to the instruction. The access instructions newer than the fencing instruction are stalled. The older access instructions are gradually retired. When all older memory accesses are retired, the fencing instruction is dispatched from the buffer.
US09342307B2

A computer system assigns a particular counter from among a plurality of counters currently in a counter free pool to count a number of mappings of logical registers from among a plurality of logical registers to a particular physical register from among a plurality of physical registers, responsive to an execution of an instruction by a mapper unit mapping at least one logical register from among the plurality of logical registers to the particular physical register, wherein the number of the plurality of counters is less than a number of the plurality of physical registers. The computer system, responsive to the counted number of mappings of logical registers to the particular physical register decremented to less than a minimum value, returns the particular counter to the counter free pool.
US09342302B2

An information processing device includes a receiving unit (54) configured to receive a reading instruction to read a part of a data file, the part containing less data than the data file; a data obtaining unit (60) configured to obtain the part designated by the reading instruction from an external storage device connected via a network; and a data output unit (66) configured to output the part designated by the reading instruction, wherein when the reading instruction is a reading instruction to read the part and the part is stored compressed in the external storage device connected via the network, the data obtaining unit (60) obtains the part, compressed, designated by the reading instruction, and the data output unit (66) outputs data obtained by expanding the compressed part.
US09342296B2

There is described a method and a system allowing the use of at least one resource of a first automation system in at least one second automation system, whereby the resource is made available by the first automation system and an identification characteristic is used for the unique identification of the resource in the at least second automation system. A user is enabled to navigate in a simple manner between the application locations of originator and user of a resource. This is achieved by the fact that the use of the resource of the first automation system in the at least second automation system is mapped as a bilateral reference in each case between the automation systems and is stored in each case in a storage area in the automation systems, whereby the bilateral reference also contains application locations of the resource in the respective automation system. By using this method or system, a rapid identification of the communication partners involved with a resource can be displayed and the declaration location or the application location of this resource can be displayed there. This method is particularly suitable for supporting the navigation between a variable made available and its application locations and the corresponding instances in the case of bilateral programmed function block communication. With regard to unilateral programmed function block communication, it is possible to navigate between the variable reference specified at the block and the actual variable. This navigation is effected with system support and always finds all the application locations. A major source of error is thereby avoided.
US09342294B2

Patching a read-only memory, including a program executable by a processor is performed with a MRAM-based CAM device connected to the address bus and comparing in the background the addresses requested by the processor with the elements of a vector of addresses. The match-in-place operation is done in parallel on all the elements of the vector and typically is performed in less than a clock cycle. If a match is found, the CAM device outputs a diversion address that's used to retrieve a substitution machine code element from a flash memory that is presented to the processor in lieu of the one addressed in the ROM. This patching scheme is totally transparent, has little overhead, and extreme granularity.
US09342293B2

A process for communicating utility-related data over at least one network is described. the process includes: collecting utility-related data at a hub device during a first predetermined period of time; securing the utility-related data at the hub device using digital envelopes during the first predetermined period of time; initiating by the hub device an autonomous wake up process during a second predetermined period of time; sending the secure utility-related data over a first network to a designated server via at least one User Datagram protocol (“UDP”) message during the second predetermined period of time; and receiving an acknowledgement of receipt message of the at least one UDP message from the designated server; wherein the first and second predetermined periods of time typically do not overlap, but may overlap.
US09342292B2

A software-based customer relationship management system and method.
US09342290B2

An information processing apparatus is configured to install a driver that has not yet been customized, in response to the start of installation of the driver, and modifies the installed driver such that a function setting value settable through the installed driver becomes identical to a function setting value of a customized driver.
US09342287B2

Improved approaches for rating a software program are disclosed. The rating can be automatically determined from a plurality of user characterizations. The user characterizations can be designated by a user (e.g., developer or publisher) with respect to a plurality of content descriptors. The user characterizations can be supplied by the user on submitting a software program to an online distribution system. Once a rating is determined and associated with a software program, the rating can be used to influence availability of the software program from an online distribution system. The rating (or how the rating influences availability) can be dependent on geographical region. The rating being determined can also be influenced by rating rules.
US09342285B2

The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for detecting a code change. The method includes adding a tag to a function to be changed in a source code, and compiling the source code to acquire, according to the tag, position information and relocation information of the function to be changed in the compiled source code. In embodiments of the present invention, a tag is added to a function to be changed, a source code is compiled into a binary file, and position information and relocation information of the function to be changed in the binary file are acquired by using the tag, so that in subsequent operations, a hot patch file modifies, according to the position information and the relocation information, the function to be changed in software.
US09342279B2

Traceability management to align IT solution artifacts with business goals in a service oriented architecture environment is provided. A pattern matching framework is provided for generating patterns and transformation enablers for architectural artifacts based on specific business requirements. Patterns that are applicable to a selected set of artifacts or model are provided to an architect, who may then select a particular subset of the patterns to apply to the set of artifacts or model in the SOA solution design to speed up and simplify the design process. Providing applicable or candidate patterns for selection to the architect in the views reduces the possible ambiguity in architectural artifact-pattern matching and selection. These solution patterns may be used as a guide when configuring and linking architectural artifacts and models.
US09342264B2

A control system 1 has an input device that reads and outputs input information, a printer 11 connected to the input device, and a tablet device 10 connected to the printer 11. When input information is output from the input device, the printer 11 identifies the input device of the input source, and outputs the input information to the tablet device 10.
US09342254B2

A method includes mounting a persistent volume of a data storage device of an electronic device. The persistent volume is based on a protected volume stored at the data storage device. The method also includes accessing the persistent volume to enable servicing access to the data storage device of the electronic device.
US09342240B2

A keypad displaying method is provided. The keypad displaying method includes displaying a plurality of keys in a predetermined first display area, and upon receiving a signal corresponding to a request to cyclically shift the plurality of keys, cyclically shifting the plurality of keys in response to the request. The proposed keypad displaying method enables a user to conveniently enter text into a media device while holding the media device with one hand.
US09342237B2

A technology for facilitating testing of a web application is provided. In some embodiments, a data file including recorded data of one or more recorded gesture-events is received. A test case is loaded with the recorded data. The one or more recorded gesture events are replayed in the test case and the web application is executed to generate test results.
US09342231B2

Techniques for remotely controlling a presentation application are disclosed. In accordance with these techniques, a device, such as a handheld device, is linked over a network with a presentation running on a presentation application. In one embodiment, the remote control application allows the presentation to be controlled over the network by direct communication with the presentation application. In certain embodiments, the remote control application displays parts of the presentation, such as a slide being currently presented, and allows navigation of the presentation. In addition, in certain embodiments, the remote control application displays presentation notes, preview slides, or other information useful to a presenter operating the remote control application.
US09342226B2

A technique for selecting an object is described. During this technique, a computer system selects an object from multiple objects associated with a circuit design in an electronic-design-automation (EDA) environment based at least on a current cursor location and a current design command. For example, the computer system may select the object by determining distances between the cursor location and objects in at least a subset of the multiple objects, and then identifying the minimum distance in the distances. Furthermore, the object may be selected either with or without a user first providing an object-selection input. If the object-selection input is provided, the user may do so by performing one or more mouse clicks or a keyboard shortcut, as opposed to using a window (such as a dialog box or a drop-down menu) that can be displayed in the EDA environment.
US09342224B2

A creator can specify one or more navigation paths through an album of pictures on a social networking web site. Each navigation path has a name and specifies a sequence in which a number of the pictures are to be viewed by a viewer. The viewer can select by name the desired navigation path through the album. A navigation path through the album can also be determined from content in which the viewer is interested from a profile of the viewer on the social networking web site. A navigation path can be determined from users on the social networking web site that are associated with the viewer on the web site. A navigation path can be determined from analysis of an interaction history of the viewer on the social networking web site, apart from the viewer's profile and the viewer's associated users on the web site.
US09342217B2

The present disclosure involves computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for browsing hierarchically structured data using a concentric hierarchical list browser. A computer-implemented method includes displaying, using at least one hardware processor, a first-level circular user interface object with at least one first-level user interface object representing a first-level data object. Responsive to receiving an indication of a selection of the at least one first-level user interface object, decreasing the diameter of the first-level circular interface object, and displaying in a second-level circular user interface object at least one second-level user interface object representing a second-level data object associated with the first-level data object, wherein the second-level circular user interface object has an inner circular edge and an outer circular edge, and wherein the inner circular edge of the second-level circular user interface object is attached to the outer circular edge of the first-level circular user interface object.
US09342212B2

A user interface is configured to present a plurality of user-selectable icons. Each user-selectable icon of the plurality of user-selectable icons is individually configured to trigger playing of different streaming media content in an area on the user interface of the user-selectable icon upon a cursor-over or hover action on the user-selectable icon or other selection action by the user. The user-selectable icons are presented in a digital container wherein the container is configured to display contents of the container within a defined area on the user interface such as a Web page. The container may include a single user-selectable icon that is individually configured to trigger playing of streaming media content or multiple different user-selectable icons that are each individually configured to trigger playing of different streaming media content based on assigned specifications or selected criteria.
US09342209B1

Features are disclosed for generating presentations of information about activities of users of personal devices. Any number of personal devices may transmit information about activities performed by users associated with the personal devices. The information can be transmitted to a management component configured to compile the information, supplement the information with information from third-party sources, and generate presentations. The presentations may be based on templates associated with particular users or groups of users. The presentations may include, but are not limited to, visual, audio, and textual content.
US09342196B2

A contact's interaction with a sensing array is subject to several external and internal stimuli which may impact a processing unit's confidence in the characteristics of that interaction or the presence of the interaction itself. Fidelity of user action is greatly improved with a step-wise and holistic analysis of a contact on an array of capacitance sensors, which allows for repetition of certain steps of processing or the entire operation if threshold confidence levels are not achieved.
US09342195B2

A system may have a touch controller, a gesture detection device, and a capacitive sensor having at least one first and at least one second electrode, wherein the at least one first electrode is coupled with a controllable generator for supplying an AC signal to the first electrode. Furthermore, a configurable coupling is provided between the at least one second electrode, an input of the touch controller and an input of the gesture detection device, wherein the coupling can be configured to allow the system to perform a touch detection from signals received from the second electrode by the touch controller in a first configuration mode and to perform a gesture detection from signals received from the second electrode by the gesture detection device in a second configuration mode.
US09342194B2

A biometric scanner having a sensor and an array of conductive strands is disclosed. The sensor has at least one sensor electrode, and that sensor electrode may be a capacitance sensor, an electric field sensor, or an electroluminescent sensor. The array may have an electrical insulating material between adjacent ones of the conductive strands. The array serves to protect the sensor, and conduct through the array information about the electrical characteristics of a biometric object.
US09342185B2

The present invention relates to an optical touch screen, including a flat plate display panel, a case mounted and assembled with the flat plate display panel, brackets assembled on the case, a camera module mounted on the brackets, and an iris formed on the brackets and through which infrared incident on the camera module passes.
US09342181B2

A touch-screen input/output device including a touch sensor, a display, a display control module, a touch sensor control module and a synchronizer module. The touch sensor is overlaid on a display. The display control module is communicatively coupled to the display and converts video data into a serial bit stream video display signal including one or more blanking intervals. The touch sensor control module is communicatively coupled to the touch sensor and determines touch events and location of the touch event on the touch sensor during one or more touch sensor scan cycles. The synchronizer module is communicatively coupled between the display control module and the touch sensor control module, and interleaves the one or more touch sensor scan cycles with the one or more blanking intervals of the video display signal.
US09342178B2

A touch sensor integrated type display device includes gate and data lines, pixel electrodes, and touch electrodes arranged in a matrix with a row direction and a column direction. The touch electrodes include 1-1, 1-2, 2-1, and 2-2 touch electrodes respectively connected to 1-1, 1-2, 2-1, and 2-2 touch routing wires. The 1-1 touch routing wire connect 1-1 touch electrodes and is arranged in the row direction. The 2-1 touch routing wires are respectively connected to 2-1 touch electrodes and arranged in the column direction. The 1-2 touch routing wire connects 1-2 touch electrodes and is arranged parallel to the 1-1 touch routing wire. The 2-2 touch routing wire connects 2-2 touch electrodes and is arranged parallel to the 2-1 touch routing wire.
US09342170B2

The present invention relates to display in an electrical device and a method of enhancing interaction with user. The display comprises: a controller, a content displaying surface, a touch sensitive portion comprising one or several touch sensors, for providing the controller with information about presence of a pointing object close to the surface, a motion sensor for providing motion of the display. The controller is configured to control content output on the displaying surface and adjust the content output with respect to information from the touch sensor and the motion sensor.
US09342169B2

An information processing apparatus that detects, by a touch panel disposed on or formed integrally with a display, a contact input and a contactless input of an object; determines a position corresponding to an input based on an output from the touch panel; detects a change in distance between a top surface of the touch panel and the object based on the output from the touch panel; and controls the display to display a candidate word list on the display based on the determined position and the detected change in distance.
US09342168B2

An input apparatus, a display apparatus, a control method thereof and a display system are provided. The input apparatus includes: a communication unit which communicates with the display apparatus; a touch sensor which senses a touch input; a motion sensor which senses a motion of the input apparatus; and a controller which determines whether a value of a touch input, that sensed by the touch sensor when the input apparatus operates in a gesture mode according to the motion of the input apparatus, is greater than or equal to a first reference value, and changes an input mode of the input apparatus to a touch mode if it is determined that the value of the touch input greater than or equal to the first reference value.
US09342156B2

An apparatus and method for inputting a character using a keyboard displayed on a touch screen in a portable terminal. The apparatus and method determines if a touch signal is generated, with the keyboard displayed. Upon generation of the touch signal, a touched character is recognized by analyzing the touch signal. The character is displayed enlarged in a predetermined screen area. It is then determined if the touch has been completed, while the character is displayed enlarged. Upon sensing the touch completion, the character is displayed in a main screen area.
US09342155B2

An apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to perform the following: detect, from a key user interface of an electronic device, key input of a particular key character from a first set of key characters; detect, from a user-scribe delineation user interface of the electronic device, user-scribed delineation input of a particular delineation character from a second set of delineation characters; wherein the first set of characters comprise grapheme characters and the second set of characters comprises embellishment marks, and wherein the apparatus is configured to associate together the particular key character and the particular delineation character for display.
US09342152B2

A signal processing device includes: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to: detect a second feature value relating to a first feature value recognized to satisfy a recognition condition, from a second time series prior to a first time series of the first feature value in a times series of a feature value corresponding to an input signal, and change the recognition condition so that the second feature value is recognized as a class for recognizing the first feature value.
US09342148B2

The electronic device 10 includes: a display panel 18 for displaying information in a display area 12; a touch panel 11 to be touched by a user; a vibrating section 13 for vibrating the touch panel 11; and a vibration control section 33 for controlling the vibration of the vibrating section 13. While the user keeps touching the touch panel 11, if the touched position is moved between the inside and the outside of the display area 12, the vibration control section 33 changes the vibration.
US09342140B2

Disclosed herein is a character input apparatus including: a display section having a screen capable of displaying at least characters; an operation section configured to allow a user to input at least the characters; a first character input processing section configured to perform a first character input process of causing a character string to be displayed on the screen in accordance with a predetermined notation rule; a second character input processing section configured to perform a second character input process of causing a character string to be displayed on the screen not in accordance with the predetermined notation rule; a scene determination section configured to determine a character input scene; and an input process switch control section configured to switch between the first character input process and the second character input process in accordance with the character input scene.
US09342139B2

A method for automatically pairing an input device to a user is provided herein. According to one embodiment, the method includes receiving an input from an unpaired input device within an observed scene, and calculating a position of the unpaired input device upon receiving the input. The method further includes detecting one or more users within the observed scene via a capture device, creating a candidate list of the one or more detected users determined to be within a vicinity of the unpaired input device, and assigning one detected user on the candidate list to the unpaired input device to initiate pairing.
US09342133B2

An information processing apparatus includes a detection unit and a frequency control unit and is designed to activate power saving control and perform information processing. The detection unit detects an idle time of a processor caused by job scheduling. The frequency control unit reduces the operating frequency of the processor for executing a job scheduled to be executed immediately before the idle time, below the maximum frequency. At this time, the frequency control unit reduces the operating frequency such that the execution time of the job is extended to the execution start time of a waiting job, which is included in the idle time.
US09342131B2

A USB hub capable of reducing power consumption in a USB system. The USB hub includes an upstream USE port, a downstream USB port, a clock pin that supplies an operation clock to a USE peripheral device, and a hub controller that stops clock supply to the USB peripheral device via the clock pin when a connecting between the upstream USB port and a USB host is disconnected or when the hub controller receives a suspend request to the downstream USB port from the USB host.
US09342130B2

A semiconductor device including a detector to compare an amplitude of an applicable signal with a specified threshold amplitude, and to output a detector output indicating whether or not the amplitude of the applicable signal is above a specified threshold amplitude, and an intermittent operation control circuit that receives the detector output, and also receives a first signal showing which mode among the multiple modes the standby mode state is in, and sets the detector to the on (enable) mode state when the input signal is above the specified threshold amplitude, and in all other cases intermittently operates the detector according to characteristics of the input signal in the mode shown by the applicable first signal.
US09342129B2

A method for computing the energy rating for cloud-based software services is disclosed. For each of the service, following steps are performed. The method includes identifying configuration parameters impacting the energy consumption. The method further includes determining a value for each configuration parameter. Further, the method includes determining a relative energy rating using a pre-determined equation, based on the values of the configuration parameter. Finally, the method includes assigning a discrete value based on the range of the relative energy rating.
US09342125B1

The invention pertains to a method and system which monitors attached energy device(s) utilization and allows or inhibits power based on the individual device's user or users current location relative to the device's point of use, the device's effective use range and user based rules. This invention is intended to allow end users to automatically control energy using devices based on the user's real time movement relative to the device in household, workplace, or commercial settings. The energy utilizing device may be either a plug-load, switched-load, or sensor controlled device.
US09342120B2

A mounting structure adapted for mounting an expansion card within a computer enclosure and configured to directly absorb and conduct heat from a heat source (such as an IC chip) on the card to the ambient atmosphere surrounding the enclosure. The mounting structure includes a mounting bracket, a heat sink adapted to contact a surface of the heat source on the expansion card, an extension interconnecting the heat sink and the mounting bracket, one or more features for conducting heat from the heat sink to the mounting bracket, and one or more features associated with the mounting bracket for dissipating heat from the mounting structure to the ambient atmosphere surrounding the enclosure.
US09342116B2

A stacked expansion card assembly is positioned on a mainboard. The mainboard includes a mainboard connector. The stacked expansion card assembly includes a first expansion card, at least one first supporting member, and a first connector. The first card includes a contact card end and electrically connected with the mainboard connector by inserting the contact end of the first expansion card to the mainboard connector. The first supporting member is positioned on the mainboard and supports the first expansion card. The first connector is positioned on the first expansion card and electrically connected or disconnected with a second expansion card by removable insertion of the second expansion card to the first connector. Thereby, the expansion cards can be installed onto the mainboard without increasing the surface area of the mainboard and limited by the layout of the electronic components on the mainboard.
US09342111B2

An electronic device includes first and second bodies pivoted to each other and a supporting mechanism. The supporting mechanism includes a position-limiting component slidably disposed on the first body, a pushing component slidably disposed on the first body and a supporting component pivoted on the first body. When the second body is closed to the first body and presses the position-limiting component downward, the pushing component is limited at a first position by the position-limiting component to be away from the supporting component and the supporting component is retracted to the first body. When the second body is expanded from the first body, the position-limiting component is adapted to move upward to release the pushing component and the pushing component is adapted to move to a second position to push the supporting component, such that the supporting component is expanded from the first body and supports the second body.
US09342108B2

An electronic device including a processor, at least one sensor in communication with the processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine an orientation of the device and drop event based on input from the at least one sensor. The electronic device further includes a motor in communication with the processor and a mass operably connected to the motor. The processor is configured to drive the motor when a drop event is determined and the mass is configured to rotate with respect to the motor to alter the orientation of the device.
US09342103B2

A bezel includes a dock for a portable display device. The bezel also includes a hinge component that, when coupled to an enclosure, allows the bezel to be rotatably moved with respect to the enclosure.
US09342102B2

The present invention relates to a protective case incorporating a magnet in a portion facing a magnetism sensor of a portable device, and to a method for controlling the action of turning the screen of the portable device on and off by using same, and relates to an invention for providing a function whereby it is possible to automatically turn the screen on and off depending on the action of the screen-protecting cover of the case, through the use of a method involving the incorporation of a geomagnetic sensor and of a magnet in a position corresponding thereto.
US09342097B2

A microcontroller includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a data input unit, and an oscillator that supplies a clock signal in response to operational modes of the microcontroller. The operational modes include a STOP mode, a SNOOZE mode and a RUN mode, in the STOP mode, the oscillator and the CPU are stopped, in the RUN mode, the CPU and the data input unit operate using the clock signal supplied from the oscillator, and in the SNOOZE mode, the oscillator starts and supplies the clock signal to the data input unit when the data input unit receives first data, and the microcontroller switches to the RUN mode after the data input unit receives second data using the clock signal.
US09342090B2

A composite operating device is provided which enables an operating member to be reliably guided in a sliding direction and achieves a simple structure for preventing disengagement of a slider. The composite device includes a base, a slider, and an operating member. The base includes a base main body, a guiding portion, and a restricting portion. The slider includes a guided portion and a restricted surface. The slider can slide in the sliding direction with the guided portion being restricted by first and second guiding surfaces. The restricting portion includes a sliding contact portion that restricts the slider and allows sliding of the slider by coming into sliding contact with the restricted surface. Also, the restricting portion has a shape that allows movement of the slider in a fitting direction by being deformed to bend in a direction in which the restricting portion is retracted from the slider.
US09342080B2

A cartridge comprising a slide valve for regulating the temperature of a mixture of hot and cold fluids is provided. The slide valve is, under the action of a thermostatic element and with respect to an external casing of the cartridge, movable along the central axis of the casing so as to inversely vary the respective cross sections of flow of a cold-fluid inlet and a hot-fluid inlet. Therefore the cartridge can, in an economical and easy manner, regulate high flows of hot fluid and/or cold fluid. The slide valve delimits externally a groove for channelling hot fluid, which can distribute the supply of hot fluid from the hot-fluid inlet over the entire external periphery of the slide valve, and/or a groove for channelling cold fluid which can distribute the supply of cold fluid from the cold-fluid inlet over the entire external periphery of the slide valve.
US09342065B2

In devices for generating a path of a tool of a processing machine by way of computer simulation, an NC program is created using a generated processing path. The NC program used to be corrected by verification of actually moving the processing machine. In contrast, the disclosed processing path generation device has been constituted to be provided with a means for calculating a closest distance and direction from a relationship of a position and posture between a tool and a work at an arbitrary point upon the processing path; a means for imparting a color determined by the closest distance and the direction calculated at the point upon the processing path; a means for panoramically displaying the color imparted to the work; and a means for correcting the relationship of the a position and posture between the tool and the work on the basis of information from a display device.
US09342055B2

Provided is an electronic watch capable of surely acquiring a movement start position and a stop position of a hand when the hand moves at high speed such as a case of manual correction by a winding stem or the like, while reducing a load on a CPU. The electronic watch includes: a decode circuit for outputting data corresponding to regions acquired by segmenting a movement range of the hand; and a position information circuit for automatically acquiring region data corresponding to the movement start position of the hand and region data corresponding to the stop position thereof and sending a notification to the CPU when acquiring both the data. In this manner, the CPU can stop until the acquisition of both the data, thereby reducing the load on the CPU.
US09342050B2

A watch includes a mechanical timepiece movement that includes at least one timepiece display device including a mobile timepiece component. The component transmits and diffuses light emitted by at least one light energy source included in the display device. The component is formed of a first material which is silica, or quartz, or single crystal quartz, or glass, or sapphire, or ceramic or material partially transparent to visible or ultraviolet wavelengths, or a transparent or translucent at least partially amorphous material, and of at least a second phosphorescent or fluorescent material applied in a thin layer to at least one of surfaces of the component. The light source, which is active or passive, injects light into one portion of the component which conveys and diffuses the light over at least one portion of the component, or throughout an entirety of the component, to make the component visible in the dark.
US09342047B2

A cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus having a main assembly electric contact includes: a contact member for receiving pressure by the main assembly electric contact, wherein the contact member has a first surface as a contact portion for receiving the pressure by the main assembly electric contact and has a second surface bent from the first surface toward a side opposite from a side where the main assembly electric contact is provided; a holding member for holding the contact member; a portion to be limited provided at an end of the second surface; and a limiting portion, provided on the holding member, for limiting movement of the portion to be limited.
US09342044B2

A fixing unit includes an endless belt accommodating a heat source inside a loop formed by the endless belt, a rotary pressing member rotating in contact with the endless belt in a pressure contact section, and a heat transfer member secured to a side plate within the loop of the endless belt to support and heat the endless belt with heat conducted from the heat source. The heat transfer member has an opening opposite the rotary pressing member. A securing member is disposed in the opening of the heat transfer member in pressure contact with the rotary pressing member via the endless belt. The heat transfer member and the securing member collectively include a pair of latching parts to firmly connect the heat transfer member and the securing member with each other when one of the latching parts is fitted to the other one of the latching parts.
US09342037B2

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a manual operating unit, at least a part of which being exposed to an outside of the apparatus body and a part of which included inside the apparatus body being exposed to the outside by manually operating from the outside, a condensation part to which moist air in the apparatus body contacts to dew-condense to a water droplet, and a recovery container part containing the water droplet generated by the condensation part and being disposed on an inner surface of the manual operating unit included inside the apparatus body.
US09342033B2

An image forming apparatus including: image forming stations each including: a photosensitive drum; a charger configured to charge the drum; a transfer device configured to transfer a developer image on the drum onto an intermediate transfer member; and a cleaner configured to remove developer from the drum; an exposure device configured to expose the drum to form a latent image; the intermediate transfer member; a memory storing information on the drum; and a controller configured to control at least one of the charger, transfer device, and exposure device in the station based on the information in the memory to provide a predetermined potential difference between the drum and the transfer device to form an electric field therebetween in a reverse direction to that in an image formation in order to move the developer from the intermediate transfer member to the drum to collect the developer by the cleaner.
US09342023B1

An image forming apparatus includes a protruding tray part. The protruding tray part is provided on the upper surface portion of a body casing part, extends in a paper discharge direction and has a convex shape which becomes convex at an upper side, and supports a part of a lower surface of a paper, which is discharged from a paper discharge port, from below, thereby forming a space between end portions of the paper and the upper surface portion of the body casing part. The paper conveying device is formed at a lower surface thereof with a guide recessed part. The guide recessed part has a concave shape corresponding to the convex shape of the protruding tray part, and is engaged with the convex shape to guide the paper conveying device when the paper conveying device is mounted in the in-body paper discharge space.
US09342016B2

An image forming apparatus includes a printing section, a storage section, and a control section. The printing section prints a toner image on paper. The storage section stores prescribed image data for which printing is permitted using disposal-scheduled toner that is scheduled for disposal as waste toner. The control section determines whether or not a preset disposal condition is satisfied. Upon determining that the disposal condition is satisfied, the control section determines whether or not prescribed image data is stored in the storage section. Upon determining that prescribed image data is stored in the storage section, the control section sets the operating mode of the printing section as a waste toner reduction mode in which the printing section uses the disposal-scheduled toner to perform printing based on the prescribed image data.
US09342014B2

A belt device includes a support and a support roller that support a belt. A driven gear is mounted on one of a plurality of shafts of the support roller. A driving gear meshing with the driven gear at a mesh position transmits a driving force to the support roller through the driven gear to rotate the support roller. An elastic bearing rotatably bearing each of the plurality of shafts of the support roller has an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the shaft of the support roller. The bearing includes a slit defining a part of the bearing in a circumferential direction thereof. The slit is disposed upstream from the mesh position in the direction of rotation of the support roller such that the mesh position and the slit define a circumferential angle not smaller than about 20 degrees.
US09342012B2

A sheet discharge tray according to an embodiment includes a loading board that receives sheets that are discharged from a sheet transport path. A first contact alignment board is vertically positioned on the loading board at a first end portion on an upstream side in a sheet discharge direction. A second, contact alignment board is vertically positioned on the loading board at a second end portion on a downstream side in the sheet discharge direction. An alignment roller aligns sheets that are less than or equal to a predetermined size to abut against the first contact alignment board. The alignment roller aligns sheets that are greater than the predetermined size to abut against the second contact alignment board.
US09342009B2

A fixing device configured to fix an image on a recording material, includes: a rotary member including an electroconductive layer; a coil which has a spiral shaped portion and is disposed in the inside of the rotary member; and a core disposed in the spiral shaped portion; with magnetic resistance of the core being, with an area from one end to the other end of the maximum passage region of the image on the recording material regarding the generatrix direction, equal to or smaller than 30% of combined magnetic resistance made up of magnetic resistance of the electroconductive layer and magnetic resistance of a region between the electroconductive layer and the core.
US09342004B1

Provided is a heating device, including a transparent belt that travels along a determined path, a first transparent member that comes into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the belt to form a nip at a first position in the belt, and an irradiating section that irradiates a beam which reaches a second position which comes into contact with a heating-target member and differs from the first position in a circumferential direction of the belt via the transparent member and the nip.
US09342002B2

A fixing device includes a rotary member comprising a heat generation layer; an excitation coil generating magnetic flux, disposed along an axial direction of the rotary member and opposite the rotary member, to heat by induction the heat generation layer; a first demagnetizing coil layered on the excitation coil and generating magnetic flux in a direction reverse to and cancel the magnetic flux that the excitation coil generates; a sheet size detector to obtain a size of a recording sheet on which an image is to be formed by passing through the rotary member; and a drive controller to control driving of the first demagnetizing coil. The drive controller drives the first demagnetizing coil after information including the sheet size information has been obtained.
US09341997B2

A fixing device includes: a plurality of laser irradiation sections each of which emits a laser beam whose wavelength exhibits an absorbance of 80% or more with respect to a corresponding toner; and a control device for controlling the plurality of irradiation sections so that in order to fuse a black toner, (i) a laser irradiation section corresponding to the black toner among the plurality of laser irradiation sections irradiates the black toner with a laser beam thereof, and (ii) the other laser irradiation sections irradiate the black toner with laser beams thereof, where the other laser irradiation sections do not correspond to the black toner among the plurality of laser irradiation sections. Therefore, it is possible to provide a laser fixing device which can fix a color toner while preventing an increase in size of the fixing device as much as possible.
US09341994B2

An image forming apparatus includes a belt, a cling unit, an application unit and a controller. The controller when a leading end portion of the belt where a leading end of a sheet in a conveying direction is disposed is present at a facing position where the belt and the cling unit face each other, controls the application unit to apply a clinging bias to the cling unit for supplying electric charge to the leading end portion, and when an intermediate portion of the belt disposed between the leading end portion and a trailing end portion thereof where a trailing end of the sheet is disposed is present at a facing position, reduces the clinging bias to be less than the clinging bias when the leading end portion is present at the facing position.
US09341984B2

This developing apparatus includes a toner supply passage for supplying new toner fed from a toner cartridge to a toner carrying region where a toner carrier is arranged, and the toner supply passage is provided with a backflow prevention portion for preventing old toner from backflowing toward the toner cartridge.
US09341977B2

A light emission apparatus includes a detection unit, a first drive unit, and a second drive unit. The detection unit detects the state of a detection element. The first drive unit controls the light amount of a light beam to be emitted by a first light emitting element based on the state of the detection element detected by the detection unit. The second drive unit controls the light amount of a light beam to be emitted by a second light emitting element based on the state of the detection element detected by the detection unit.
US09341972B2

A method for producing a toner, includes the steps of: preparing a core having a zeta potential at pH 4 of −5 mV or less; and forming a cationic shell layer on a surface of the core in a solution in which a material of the shell layer having miscibility with a solvent of 250% by mass or more and 1000% by mass or less is dissolved in the solvent.
US09341966B1

A process includes dissolving a polyester resin in a mixture of a single organic solvent, a base and water to form a resin mixture; neutralizing the resin mixture with a neutralizing agent to provide a neutralized resin mixture; adding water to the neutralized resin mixture until phase inversion occurs to form a toner resin emulsion; removing the single solvent to form a polyester latex.
US09341954B2

An illumination optical apparatus has an optical unit. The optical unit has a light splitter to split an incident beam into two beams; a first spatial light modulator which can be arranged in an optical path of a first beam; a second spatial light modulator which can be arranged in an optical path of a second beam; and a light combiner which combines a beam having passed via the first spatial light modulator, with a beam having passed via the second spatial light modulator; each of the first spatial light modulator and the second spatial light modulator has a plurality of optical elements arranged two-dimensionally and controlled individually.
US09341952B2

In the present invention, photolithography processing is performed on a substrate to form a resist pattern over the substrate, and a treatment agent is caused to enter a side surface of the resist pattern and metal is caused to infiltrate the side surface of the resist pattern via the treatment agent, the formed resist pattern has a high etching selection ratio with respect to a film to be treated on the substrate so as to suppress a so-called pattern collapse, therefore.
US09341950B2

An exposure apparatus is provided and adapted for exposing a photoresist layer on a layer to form a plurality of strip exposed patterns. The exposure apparatus includes a light source, a lens group and a mask. The lens group is disposed between the photoresist layer and the light source and includes a plurality of strip lens parallel to each other, wherein an overlapping region between any two neighboring strip lens is defined as a lens connecting region, and the other regions excluding the lens connecting regions are defined as lens regions. The mask is disposed between the photoresist layer and the lens group and includes a plurality of shielding patterns, wherein an outline of the shielding patterns corresponds to the strip exposed patterns, each shielding pattern has a strip opening, and an extension direction of the strip openings is substantially parallel to an extension direction of the shielding patterns.
US09341946B2

The present specification provides a photosensitive resin composition comprising an alkali-soluble binder, a crosslinkable compound, a photopolymerization initiator, a solvent, a coloring agent and an epoxy adhesion promoter. The photosensitive resin composition has excellent insulating properties and light-shielding properties and shows excellent chemical resistance in an etching process and a stripping process. Thus, the photosensitive resin composition can be formed into a thin bezel layer having a gradual taper, and thus can provide an integrated touch sensor that makes it possible to prevent short circuits from occurring in metal wiring and minimize any decrease in resistance resulting from high-temperature processing.
US09341936B2

A method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation is disclosed in which a desired substrate pattern for a substrate is input. A plurality of charged particle beam shots is then determined which will form a reticle pattern on a reticle, where the reticle pattern will produce a substrate pattern on the substrate using an optical lithography process, wherein the substrate pattern is within a predetermined tolerance of the desired substrate pattern. A similar method and a similar system for forming a pattern on a reticle are also disclosed.
US09341932B2

A light emitting device includes a laminated body having an active layer, a first cladding layer, and a second cladding layer, the active layer constitutes an optical waveguide, the optical waveguide includes a first portion connecting a first exit section and a first reflecting section to each other, a second portion connecting the first reflecting section and a second reflecting section to each other, and a third portion connecting the second reflecting section and a second exit section to each other, and a current density in the first portion and a current density in the third portion are higher than a current density in the second portion.
US09341926B2

A movable-mirror drive mechanism of a camera includes a main mirror held by a main-mirror holding frame rotatable between a viewfinder light-guiding position and a retracted position; a sub-mirror held by a sub-mirror holding frame that is rotatably supported by the main-mirror holding frame, wherein the sub-mirror holding frame is positioned in a jutting-out position when the main mirror is in the viewfinder light-guiding position, and the sub-mirror holding frame is retracted with the main mirror when the main mirror is in the retracted position; and a vibration control member which rotates in association with rotation of the main-mirror holding frame and holds the sub-mirror holding frame in the jutting-out position to prevent the sub-mirror holding frame from rotating toward the sub-mirror retracted position when the main mirror rotates to the viewfinder light-guiding position.
US09341922B2

A control apparatus controls an imaging apparatus that includes a focus detection unit configured to detect a focus state of an image forming optical system. The control apparatus includes a collectively setting unit configured to read initial setting values corresponding to a selected operation mode from a storage unit, and set setting values of a plurality of setting items to initial setting values, and a setting value changing unit configured to individually change setting values of the setting items set by the collectively setting unit and store the changed setting values in the storage unit. An operation of the focus detection unit is controlled by the operation mode in which the setting values have been changed by the setting value changing unit.
US09341912B2

Thin-film devices, for example, multi-zone electrochromic windows, and methods of manufacturing are described. In certain cases, a multi-zone electrochromic window comprises a monolithic EC device on a transparent substrate and two or more tinting zones, wherein the tinting zones are configured for independent operation.
US09341909B2

A window assembly comprises a plurality of dynamic electrochromic zones formed on a single transparent substrate in which at least two electrochromic zones are independently controllable. In one exemplary embodiment, the window assembly comprises an Insulated Glass Unit (IGU), and at least one transparent substrate comprises a lite. In another exemplary embodiment, the IGU comprises at least two lites in which at least one lite comprises a plurality of independently controllable dynamic zones.
US09341906B2

In one embodiment, a first substrate includes a gate line extending in a first direction, a source line extending in a second direction orthogonally crossing the first direction, a pixel electrode including a main pixel electrode extending in the second direction, and a first alignment film covering the pixel electrode. A second substrate includes a common electrode having a pair of main common electrodes arranged on both sides sandwiching the main pixel electrode and a second alignment film covering the common electrode. A liquid crystal layer is held between the first alignment film and the second alignment film and includes liquid crystal molecules. The liquid crystal layer is formed of materials having negative dielectric constant anisotropy, and the liquid crystal molecules are initially aligned substantially in parallel with the first direction when electric field is not impressed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode.
US09341904B2

The TFT substrate (10) of this liquid crystal display device (100) includes: a TFT (11) which is provided for each pixel; an upper electrode (12) which is electrically connected to the TFT's drain electrode (11d); a lower electrode (13) which is arranged under the upper electrode; and a dielectric layer (14) which is arranged between the upper and lower electrodes. Its counter substrate (20) includes a counter electrode (21) which faces the upper electrode. The upper electrode has first and second regions (R1, R2) which have mutually different electrode structures, and a third region (R3) which electrically connects the first and second regions to the drain electrode. The third region of the upper electrode includes a symmetrical connecting portion (12c) that is a conductive film pattern, of which the shape is substantially symmetrical with respect to a virtual line (L1) that splits each pixel into two adjacent regions in a row direction.
US09341900B2

According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate including a plurality of first signal lines disposed with a first pitch along a second direction, a plurality of second signal lines disposed with a second pitch along a first direction, and a first electrode including an n-number of first main electrodes (n is an integer of 2 or more), a second substrate including a second electrode including a plurality of second main electrodes disposed with a third pitch along the first direction, wherein an n-number of times the third pitch is substantially equal to the second pitch, and any one of the second main electrodes is located above each of the second signal lines.
US09341896B2

A liquid crystal display (LCD) including a liquid crystal panel, and a gate driver which applies a gate signal having a driving frequency equal to or greater than 100 Hz to the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel comprises a first display panel, a second display panel facing the first display panel, and a liquid crystal composition disposed between the first display panel and the second display panel and includes liquid crystals.
US09341892B2

The present provides a back plate including a plate and a side wall. The side wall extends out from an edge of the plate, wherein the side wall includes a wall body, a first bending sheet, and a second bending sheet. The first bending sheet is formed by bending outward from a top end of the wall body along a first rotating direction. The second bending sheet is formed by bending an end of the first bending sheet that is away from the top end of the wall body inward along a second rotating direction contrary to the first rotating direction, wherein at least a portion of the second bending sheet overlaps the first bending sheet. The second bending sheet includes a fixing part disposed on a face of the second bending sheet that faces away from the first bending sheet.
US09341890B2

A portable terminal including a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) module is provided. The LCD module includes a reinforcement plate having a bottom surface and a side surface bent to extend from the bottom surface, wherein the reinforcement plate comprises a plurality of molding holes provided in a boundary portion between the bottom surface and the side surface of the reinforcement plate, a backlight unit coupled to an upper part of the reinforcement plate, a frame molded to the reinforcement plate, and an LCD panel coupled to an upper part of the backlight unit, wherein each of the plurality of molding holes extends into both the bottom surface and the side surface from the boundary portion between the bottom surface and the side surface.
US09341889B2

A curved backlight module comprises a light emitting module which is curved shape and a light conversion module which is curved shape and arranged in opposite to the light emitting components, where the light conversion module transform the light from the light emitting module into the parallel light. Also, a curved LCD device having the curved backlight module is disclosed. The uniform illustration of the curved LCD panel can be improved and the shadow region appeared in the two side of the curved LCD panel is eliminated for improving the display quality of the curved LCD panel.
US09341884B2

The present invention provides a LCOS device including a silicon substrate, a first dielectric layer, a first mirror layer, a second dielectric layer, and a second mirror layer. The first dielectric layer is disposed on the silicon substrate. The first mirror layer is disposed on the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer is disposed on the first mirror layer. The second mirror layer is disposed on the second dielectric layer.
US09341865B2

Eyewear according to one embodiment includes a primary frame retainer, at least one primary lens and a clip-on lens assembly removably attachable to the front of the primary frame by magnetic forces interacting between two magnets affixed to the primary frame and the clip-on lens assembly, respectively. The clip-on lens assembly includes a connector affixed to a secondary frame of the clip-on lens assembly. The connector has a hook removably engagable with a recess defined in the primary frame for positioning the clip-on lens assembly with respect to the primary frame.
US09341862B1

Eyeglasses having a nose pad adjusting structure is provided, which includes a frame unit, a lens, a nose pad positioning part and a nose pad. The frame unit has a first installation part and a second installation part. The lens is inserted in a first and a second clamping slots of the first and the second installation parts. One end of the nose pad positioning part extends a distance oppositely to the second installation part and then extends curvedly to the second installation part accordingly to form an interval apart from the second installation part. The nose pad positioning part has an internal side wall which a plurality of convex teeth is disposed thereon. Thorn tooth is disposed in a middle portion of the nose pad, and an angle of the nose pad relative to the frame unit is adjusted by engaging the thorn tooth with the convex teeth.
US09341861B2

A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which fluctuation of a screen can be reduced. The present invention includes a lens, a lens drive unit configured to move the lens along an x-axis and y-axis which are vertical to an optical axis and a z-axis parallel to the optical axis or to rotate the lens centering on the x-axis and the y-axis, an image pickup unit configured to generate a digital signal by detecting a light having passed through the lens, an image processor configured to create a preview image by applying an image processing to the digital signal, a display unit configured to display the preview image, and a controller, if a distance between the lens and the image pickup unit is shorter than a preset distance, controlling a partial region of the preview image to be outputted through the display unit.
US09341856B2

Devices and methods for maintaining the brightness of laser emitter bar outputs having multiple emitters for coupling and other applications. In some embodiments, at least one brightness enhancement optic may be used in combination with a beam reformatting optic.
US09341855B2

A polarization converter and polarization conversion systems are provided. The polarization converter and polarization conversion systems include a patterned polarization grating with left hand and right hand polarization grating domains. The polarization grating domains are configured to diffract incident non-polarized light into beams having left and right circular polarization states.
US09341854B2

This invention relates to volumetric 3D display systems based on a rotary reciprocating display surface. Layout of mechanical components and optical path are arranged to provide maximal viewing angle and minimal view-blocking, while keeping the whole system size compact and slim. Motion mechanisms, mechanical relief mechanism and 2-direction dynamic balancing are design to give smooth and quiet motion, while keeping the design simple and cost low. Backing structures and supporting frames for the display surface are designed to minimize deformation and stress in the display surface, while still satisfying requirements in optics and display. Mechanical and optical layout also considers the need for converting among multiple display modes. Image presentation methods for display occlusion effect and black and dark images are devised.
US09341849B2

Exemplary methods and systems relate to detecting physical objects near a substantially transparent head-mounted display (HMD) system and activating a collision-avoidance action to alert a user of the detected objects. Detection techniques may include receiving data from distance and/or relative movement sensors and using this data as a basis for determining an appropriate collision-avoidance action. Exemplary collision-avoidance actions may include de-emphasizing virtual objects displayed on the HMD to provide a less cluttered view of the physical objects through the substantially transparent display and/or presenting new virtual objects.
US09341839B2

An electrowetting display device that includes a display member having: a first substrate, at least one surface of which is electroconductive, a second substrate disposed so as to face the electroconductive surface of the first substrate, a hydrophobic insulation film disposed at the side of the electroconductive surface of the first substrate, a non-electroconductive oil provided movably on the hydrophobic insulation film and containing a nonpolar solvent and a porphyrin dye represented by Formula (1), and an electroconductive hydrophilic liquid that contacts the oil. In Formula (I), A1 to A4: N or —C(R1)═; M: metal atom, metal oxide, metal hydroxide, metal halogenide or 2H; R: C4-30 alkyl; X: single bond, O, S or —N(R2)—; R1: H, alkyl, aryl or —X11—R11; R2: H, alkyl or aryl; R11: C4-30 alkyl; X11: single bond, O, S or —N(R12)—; R12: H, alkyl or aryl; and n: 1-8.
US09341838B2

An objective optical system consists of, from an object side to an image side: a first lens group having positive optical power; a second lens group having negative optical power; and a third lens group having positive optical power, wherein the first lens group includes, from the object side to the image side, a first lens having negative optical power and a second lens having positive optical power, and the second lens group is moved according to a change in an object distance to perform focusing, and the following conditional expressions are satisfied: −19
US09341837B2

An optical viewing apparatus may include an objective lens assembly and an one eye piece assembly connected to the objective lens assembly. The optical viewing apparatus may exhibit a field of view in the range of between 40° and, preferably beyond 80°, and an eye-relief of at least 15 mm, and the optical viewing apparatus may exhibit a foveated image for at least one field of view (FOV) wherein the optical on-axis resolution decays toward the periphery of the field of view.
US09341829B2

A zoom lens has, in order from an object, a first lens group (G1) having positive refractive power; a second lens group (G2) having negative refractive power; a third lens group (G3) having positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group (G4) having positive refractive power. Zooming is performed by changing an air gap between the lens groups. The fourth lens group (G4) includes, in order from the object, a lens component (La) having positive or negative refractive power, a positive lens component (Lb), and a positive lens component (Lc) having a convex surface facing the object. Specified conditional expressions are satisfied.
US09341822B2

An imaging lens includes a first lens group having positive refractive power and a second lens group having negative refractive power, arranged in this order from an object side to an image plane side. The first lens group includes a first lens having positive refractive power, a second lens having positive refractive power, and a third lens having negative refractive power. The second lens group includes a fourth lens having positive refractive power, a fifth lens, and a sixth lens having negative refractive power. The first lens has a specific focal length. The first to third lenses have specific Abbe's numbers.
US09341820B2

The present disclosure provides an image capturing optical system comprising: a positive first lens element having a convex object-side surface; a negative second lens element having a concave object-side surface; a third lens element; a fourth lens element having a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface, the object-side surface and the image-side surface thereof being aspheric; a fifth lens element having a concave image-side surface concave, both of the object-side surface and the image-side surface being aspheric, at least one of the object-side surface and the image-side surface having at least one convex shape in an off-axis region thereof.
US09341810B2

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention a rotor including a lens and formed with a first driving unit, a stator formed with a second driving unit driving the rotor in response to electromagnetic interaction with the first driving unit, and a base on which the stator is fixed, wherein the rotor is brought into contact with the base, in a case the lens is in a UP posture, and the rotor is distanced from the base, in a case the lens is in a DOWN posture.
US09341809B2

A lens focusing device includes a lens holder for holding a lens therein, a base, and an electrically conductive spring member elastically connected to between the lens holder and the base. The base is provided on a side wall with two terminal recesses, in which two connecting terminals are disposed. The connecting terminals respectively include a first terminal portion forward extended along a light axis to electrically connect to the spring member, a second terminal portion rearward extended along the light axis, and a connecting portion located between the first and the second terminal portion. The spring member is further electrically connected to two ends of a winding wound around the lens holder, so that external electric current can be supplied to the winding via the connecting terminals and the spring member for driving the lens holder to move relative to the base along the light axis.
US09341803B2

A device (1) for connecting together tubes (101, 102) for protecting an optical fiber cable (103), the device comprising a tubular body (2) defining a channel (3) having a first housing (4.1) and a second housing (4.2) each arranged to receive one of the tubes and provided with means (5) for sealed retention of said tube, and an annular step (9) extending between the housings to form an abutment against penetration of the tubes into the housings, an annular sealing element (10) being arranged in the first housing beside a flank of the step and being arranged to be taken, under the effect of axial compression exerted by the tube, from a first state in which the sealing element defines a section through which the cable can pass freely to a second state in which the sealing element defines a section less than a section of the cable. A segment, of an optical transmission circuit including such a connection device.
US09341802B2

A telecommunications assembly includes a chassis defining an interior region and a tray assembly disposed in the interior region. The tray assembly includes a tray and a cable spool assembly. The cable spool assembly is engaged to a base panel of the tray. The cable spool assembly is adapted to rotate relative to the tray. The cable spool assembly includes a hub, a flange engaged to the hub and an adapter module. The flange defines a termination area. The adapter module is engaged to the termination module of the flange. The adapter module is adapted to slide relative to the flange in a direction that is generally parallel to the flange between an extended position and a retracted position.
US09341799B2

The fiber optic assembly can include two fiber optic breadboards hinged to one another along a coinciding hinge axis. Each one of the fiber optic breadboards can have a flat body having two faces and lateral edges, one of which running alongside the hinge axis, and can have a tessellation of tray locations each having a tray attachment. The fiber optic assembly can also include a plurality of fiber optic trays each having a body having a base attachable to at least one of said tray attachments, the body having a size and shape associated to one of a single one of said tray locations and a plurality of adjacent ones of said tray locations on one of said at least one fiber optic breadboards, and having a structure by which an optical fiber having a critical radius of curvature can be confined within at least one optical fiber path.
US09341797B2

An optical module includes: at least one optical waveguide provided on a surface of a substrate; a plurality of grooves provided in the optical waveguide on the surface of the substrate and having both a surface orthogonal to the surface of the substrate and an inclined surface; multiple pairs of light-emitting and light-receiving elements aligned with the plurality of grooves in the optical waveguide and provided so as to correspond to light of different wavelengths on the optical waveguide; and a plurality of light-selecting filters each provided on an inclined surface of the plurality of grooves in the optical waveguide and reflecting light of the wavelength corresponding to the light-emitting element in the respective pair of light-emitting and light-receiving elements towards the optical waveguide, and selectively reflecting light of the corresponding wavelength from the light propagating through the optical waveguide towards the corresponding pair of light-emitting and light-receiving elements.
US09341796B2

A photoelectric conversion device uses an optical coupler to divide a light beam emitted from a light emitter into two portions according to a predetermined ratio. A first light beam portion is guided to an optical fiber, and a second light beam portion is guided to a light receiver. The light receiver can detect an intensity of the second light beam portion. In this way, a processor can calculate an intensity of the light beam emitted from the light emitter accordingly.
US09341795B2

An electric-port SFP photoelectric module includes a base, an outer cover, a PCB and an RJ45 connector. The base is a rectangular parallelepiped with an inner cavity. The PCB and the RJ45 connector are connected in a combined manner. A combined structure of the PCB and the RJ45 connector is arranged in the inner cavity of the base. The upper part of the base is fastened with the outer cover.
US09341791B2

An optical module includes: a substrate provided with a through hole for inserting an optical fiber from a second principal surface side of the substrate; an optical device provided on a first principal surface side of the substrate; a first electrode provided in the substrate for connecting an electric fiber from the second principal surface side; a second electrode formed on the first principal surface side of the substrate for connecting to the optical device; and a third electrode provided on a side surface of the substrate and electrically connected to the second electrode.
US09341784B2

An optical fiber filter device comprises: a first fiber pigtail assembly (110) having a first optical fiber (111), a second fiber pigtail assembly (120) having a second optical fiber (121), a first optical filtering element (114) and a second optical filtering element (124). The first optical filtering element is arranged between a first port (113) of the first optical fiber and a second port (123) of the second optical fiber and is inclined at an angle to an optical axis of the first optical fiber such that a light component within a first wavelength range emitted from the first port is transmitted through the first optical filtering element and enters the second optical fiber via the second port, and a light component within a second wavelength range emitted from the first port is reflected by the first optical filtering element to form a reflected light. The second optical filtering element is arranged such that the reflected light returns to the first optical fiber via the first port after it has been reflected by the second optical filtering element and again by the first optical filtering element 1.
US09341783B2

Exemplary apparatus and method can be availed for providing at least one electromagnetic radiation. For example, it is possible to provide at least one first electromagnetic radiation having a frequency that changes over time with a first characteristic period. Further, with at least one hardware arrangement, it is possible to receive and modify the first electromagnetic radiation(s) into at least one second electromagnetic radiation having a frequency that changes over time with a second characteristic period. The second characteristic period can be smaller than the first characteristic period. The hardware arrangement(s) can include a resonant cavity having a round-trip propagation time for the first electromagnetic radiation(s) that can be approximately the same as the first characteristic period.
US09341781B2

An apparatus and technique are used to fabricate optical microresonators. A fabrication chamber contains all fabrication materials and devices. The microresonators are fabricated from a glass preform mounted on a motorized spindle. A laser is focused onto the preform to partly or fully impinge on the preform. The laser's focus position is controlled by changing the positioning of a lens mounted on a translation stage. Piezoelectric control elements may be mounted to finished microresonators to control of nonlinear parametric oscillation and four-wave mixing effects of the microresonator, control of nonlinear optical stimulated Brillouin scattering and Raman effects of said microresonator and wideband tuning of the frequency spacing between the output modes of a nonlinear-Kerr-effect optical frequency comb generated with said microresonator.
US09341773B2

An optoelectronics chip-to-chip interconnects system is provided, including at least one packaged chip to be connected on the printed-circuit-board with at least one other packaged chip, optical-electrical (O-E) conversion mean, waveguide-board, and (PCB). Single to multiple chips interconnects can be interconnected provided using the technique disclosed in this invention. The packaged chip includes semiconductor die and its package based on the ball-grid array or chip-scale-package. The O-E board includes the optoelectronics components and multiple electrical contacts on both sides of the O-E substrate. The waveguide board includes the electrical conductor transferring the signal from O-E board to PCB and the flex optical waveguide easily stackable onto the PCB to guide optical signal from one chip-to-other chip. Alternatively, the electrode can be directly connected to the PCB instead of including in the waveguide board. The chip-to-chip interconnections system is pin-free and compatible with the PCB. The main advantages of this invention are to use the packaged chip for interconnection and the conventional PCB technology can be used for low speed electrical signal connection. Also, the part of the heat from the packaged chip can be transmitted to the PCB through the conductors, so that complex cooling system can be avoided.
US09341768B2

A backlight device includes a light guide plate, a first light source, a second light source, and a positioning portion. The light guide plate has at least one end surface as a light entrance surface and one plate surface as a light exit surface. The first light source is opposed to a first light entrance surface that is a first end surface of the light guide plate. The second light source is opposed to a second light entrance surface that is an end surface opposite from the first light entrance surface of the light guide plate. The second light source is arranged to have a distance from the second light entrance surface relatively greater than a distance between the first light source and the first light entrance surface. The positioning portion is configured to position the light guide plate in a direction in which the first light source, the light guide plate, and the second light source are arranged, and to position the light guide plate with respect to the first light source and the second light source. The positioning portion is arranged to have a distance from the second light entrance surface relatively greater than a distance from the first light entrance surface.
US09341766B2

An object of the present invention is to suppress the brightness distribution in the lighting device. The backlight unit 12 according to the present invention includes an LED 17 as a light source with a light intensity distribution in which light having a peak light intensity travels in a direction inclined with respect to a front direction, a chassis 14 having an opening on a light exit side and housing the LED 17, and a light leading member 22 provided to extend from a mounting surface of the LED 17 toward the light exit side. The light leading member 22 is configured to lead light from the LED 17 toward the light exit side. The employment of the LED 17 with the above light intensity distribution enables an irradiation area A irradiated with the light having the peak light intensity to be larger. This reduces the uneven that may occur in the brightness distribution of the outgoing light.
US09341760B2

A laser beam (L50) generated by a laser light source (50) is reflected by a light beam scanning device (60), and irradiated onto a hologram recording medium (45). On the hologram recording medium (45), an image (35) of a scatter plate is recorded as a hologram by using reference light that converges on a scanning origin (B). The light beam scanning device (60) bends the laser beam (L50) at the scanning origin (B) and irradiates it onto the hologram recording medium (45). At this time, scanning is carried out by changing the bending mode of the laser beam with time so that the irradiation position of the bent laser beam (L60) on the hologram recording medium (45) changes with time. Regardless of the beam irradiation position, diffracted light (L45) from the hologram recording medium (45) reproduces the same reproduction image (35) of the scatter plate at the same position. An illumination spot in which speckles are reduced is formed on the light receiving surface (R) of an illuminating object (70) by the reproduction image (35) of the hologram.
US09341757B2

An optical component including an interference filter which is less likely to generate back reflected light, where the filter is accommodated in a hollow cylindrical housing and is tilted with respect to the optical axis. The housing has front and back openings. First and second collimator lenses respectively face the front and back openings. The housing includes a filter housing section and first and second cylindrical optical path sections extending in the front-back direction respectively from the front and back openings to the filter housing section while maintaining the shape of each opening. The diameter of the opening of the first optical path section is smaller than the apparent diameter of the first collimator lens. When light is input from the front along the optical axis, light of prescribed wavelengths is output to the back. Light reflected by the filter travels toward the inside of the first optical path section.
US09341755B2

An optical film comprises a transparent supporting substrate and a structuralized layer integrally formed on the supporting layer and having a plurality of light-concentrating units including design that varies in height along their length or varies in pitch of prism structure to overcome the optical defects (wet-out) of the optical film and to enhance the optical properties of the optical film.
US09341749B2

A window for a display device and a display device, the window including a first plastic substrate; a second plastic substrate on one side of the first plastic substrate, the second plastic substrate including a cycloolefin polymer; and a third plastic substrate on one side of the second plastic substrate, wherein a refractive index difference between the first plastic substrate and the second plastic substrate is less than or equal to about 0.05.
US09341746B2

The present invention relates to an azo compound represented by the following formula (1), [wherein, A represents a phenyl group which may have a substituent, R1 to R6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having a carbon atom number of 1 to 5, an alkoxy group having a carbon atom number of 1 to 5, a sulfo group, or an alkoxy group having a sulfo group and a carbon atom number of 1 to 5, and X represents an amino group which may have a substituent, a benzoylamino group which may have a substituent, a phenylamino group which may have a substituent, a phenylazo group which may have a substituent, or a naphthotriazole group which may have a substituent] or/and a salt thereof and to a polarizing film and a polarizing plate which contain it.
US09341734B2

A method for performing detection of a bed boundary can include deploying a tool body with a longitudinal axis in a borehole, modulating the magnetic moments of electromagnetic signals to be transmitted by the first transmitter and the second transmitter, firing the first transmitter and the second transmitter substantially simultaneously, utilizing the receiver to receive and measure the modulated electromagnetic signals from the first transmitter and the second transmitter, and computing the orientation and location of the bed boundary based on the amplitudes and phases of the electromagnetic signals received and measured at the receiver. The tool body can be deployed with a first transmitter, a second transmitter, and a receiver, all of which are oriented in different directions. The vector of the total magnetic moment of the modulated electromagnetic signals can electrically rotate during firing. A corresponding apparatus for detection of a bed boundary is also provided.
US09341728B2

A method of analysing seismic data from a geological volume is provided. The geological volume is divided into a plurality of voxels. For each voxel a respective neighbourhood is defined which includes that voxel and a predetermined arrangement of neighbouring voxels. For each voxel, the respective normal vectors of a seismic attribute vector field derived from the seismic data are calculated. For each voxel, a respective local structure tensor based on the normal vectors of the voxels of the respective neighbourhood is calculated. For each voxel, the value of an expression which includes one or more of the eigenvalues (λ1, λ2, λ3) of the respective local structure tensor is calculated. The method can be used for seismic surveying, or to manage operation of or drilling of a subterranean well.
US09341715B2

The modulation scheme disclosed in this invention report allows for utilizing multiple 3D time-of-flight cameras at the same time by exploiting the inherent pseudo noise properties of the optical modulation signals. Compared to recent systems based on pure pseudo noise modulation signals, the stochastic measurement error in a single-camera environment is significantly reduced. The basic concept relies on the generation of a three level optical modulation signal that includes two pseudo noise sequences.
US09341713B2

Provided is a sensing circuit for recognizing a movement including: at least one light emitting device outputting light; at least one light receiving device receiving the light reflected by an object on the light emitting device and generating a plurality of current signals proportional to an amount of incident light; a signal conversion unit converting the plurality of current signals into a plurality of digital signals; a recognition unit measuring a synthetic digital signal to determine whether an object moves by receiving the plurality of current signals; and a control unit controlling the recognition unit, wherein the recognition unit generates a clock signal for the synthetic digital signal greater than a critical value and measures a count generated by the clock signal; and the control unit determines whether the object moves through a comparison of the count and a reference value.
US09341704B2

Methods and systems for object tracking are disclosed in which the bandwidth of a “slow” tracking system (e.g., an optical tracking system) is augmented with sensor data generated by a “fast” tracking system (e.g., an inertial tracking system). The tracking data generated by the respective systems can be used to estimate and/or predict a position, velocity, and orientation of a tracked object that can be updated at the sample rate of the “fast” tracking system. The methods and systems disclosed herein generally involve an estimation algorithm that operates on raw sensor data (e.g., two-dimensional pixel coordinates in a captured image) as opposed to first processing and/or calculating object position and orientation using a triangulation or “back projection” algorithm.
US09341701B2

The invention relates to a system for forming an asynchronous communication network for receiving client transmitters, comprising base stations that are remote from one another, said network enabling the geolocation of the client transmitters. For this purpose, the system comprises a plurality of stationary reference transmitters, the positions of which are known and each of which transmits a specific beacon signal in a frequency band included within the frequency band of the network. The geolocation of a client transmitter is carried out by multilateration by taking pairs of base stations into consideration, each pair consisting of base stations capable of receiving the signals from the client transmitter and the signals from a single reference transmitter, and by calculating the difference between the times the signal from the client transmitter arrived at the base stations, said difference being determined by calculating, for each base station, the difference between the times of arrival of the signal transmitted by the client transmitter and of that transmitted by the reference transmitter.
US09341698B1

A radio interference locator includes a detector circuit having a directional antenna defining a boresight along which electromagnetic radiation is preferentially accepted. The antenna is coupled to a signal detector which generates an electrical signal from a selected radio-frequency (RF) spectral band of the electromagnetic radiation accepted by the antenna. A processor determines the boresight direction at prescribed sample times as well as an associated signal characteristic, such as a signal level of the electrical signal, measured at the sample times. Data are presented that indicate the signal characteristic for the associated boresight direction at each of the sample times. A mobile platform connects the detector circuit and the processor so that they can be freely oriented in space in fixed mechanical formation by a single human operator.
US09341693B2

Magnetic resonance reconstruction includes motion compensation. Inverse-consistent non-rigid registration is used to determine motion between shots. The motion is incorporated into reconstruction. The incorporation compensates for the motion resulting from the period over which the MR data is acquired.
US09341687B2

Systems and methods are provided for remotely identifying and classifying materials based on their respective complex permittivity features. Materials of interest to be identified in later inspections are cataloged according to their respective complex permittivity features by applying electromagnetic fields to them and determining their complex permittivity features. That library of features is used to compare field measurements taken during an inspection to determine the presence of a material of interest and to identify it.
US09341684B2

Magnetic field sensor designs that provide both increased directionality and proximate coupling desirable for improved directionality and sensitivity and methods for fabricating them.
US09341683B2

A method of determining a heading of a machine having an implement is provided. The method includes determining a first heading data of the machine using an inertial sensor. The method includes determining a second heading data of the machine using a magnetometer. The method includes determining a position of the implement in a stationary state. The method also includes calculating a corrected second heading data based on a predefined relation between the position of the implement in the stationary state and the second heading data. The method further includes determining the heading of the machine based on the first heading data and the corrected second heading data.
US09341675B2

A test card for testing one or more devices under test includes a plurality of test resources configured to communicate with the one or more devices under test. The test card further includes a matching circuit configured to receive a test sequence of at least two matching instructions followed by one or more processing instructions. The matching instructions define a group of resources which are to operate in accordance with the processing instructions. The matching circuit is configured to determine based on the at least two matching instructions whether a given test resource out of a plurality of test resources belongs to the group or not and to forward the processing instructions to the given test resource if the given test resource belongs to the group and to not forward the processing instructions to the given test resource if the given test resource does not belong to the group.
US09341665B2

An apparatus for monitoring a high voltage isolation in a vehicle. The apparatus comprising a power conversion device for receiving a high voltage on a power bus. The power conversion device is configured to control a first switch for enabling a first known resistance to receive the high voltage and to measure a first voltage between a first node and a ground in response to the first known resistance receiving the high voltage. The power conversion device is further configured to measure a second voltage between a second node and the ground in response to the first known resistance receiving the high voltage and to determine a first leakage resistance between the first node and the ground based on at least the first voltage and the second voltage. The first leakage resistance indicating whether the high voltage is isolated from the ground.
US09341663B2

A positioning apparatus includes a support structure, a positioning structure, and a fixture for retaining MEMS devices. A shaft spans between the support structure and the positioning structure, and is configured to rotate about a first axis relative to the support structure in order to rotate the positioning structure and the fixture about the first axis. The positioning structure includes a pair of beams spaced apart by a third beam. Another shaft spans between the pair of beams and is configured to rotate about a second axis relative to the positioning structure in order to rotate the fixture about the second axis. Methodology entails installing the positioning apparatus into a chamber, orienting the fixture into various positions, and obtaining output signals from the MEMS devices to determine functionality of the MEMS devices.
US09341642B1

Apparatus and method for measuring fluid velocity in a conduit or in open space comprises providing a laser which sends a beam through the fluid, measuring how the beam deflects due to the effect of transverse-moving fluid on the beam, and calculating velocity based on the deflection. The laser beam is one which causes thermal blooming within the fluid and that causes the beam to deflect as a function of the velocity of the fluid. The beam deflection is directly or indirectly measured, for example by looking at the movement of a beam spot on a target, or by sensing the change in intensity of the beam at a target.
US09341640B2

A biosample autoanalyzer including: a sample supply unit having a plurality of biosamples; a first measuring unit fitted with a first optical measuring device; a sample transport capable of transporting the biosamples from the sample supply unit to the reaction cuvettes on the first measuring unit; a second measuring unit fitted with a second optical measuring device; a cuvette transfer device capable of transferring the reaction cuvettes to the second measuring unit; a reagent supply unit having reagents; and (7) a reagent transport device capable of transporting reaction reagents to the reaction cuvettes. The analyzer is operated wherein the reaction cuvettes on the second measuring unit are dispensed with the biosamples on the first measuring unit, subsequently transferred from the first measuring unit to the second measuring unit by the cuvette transfer device, such that different measurements are carried out by the first measuring unit and the second measuring unit.
US09341637B2

A method is provided of determining whether an individual has reduced ability to form platelet thrombi due to inhibition of platelet activation initiation, signal transduction and/or GPIIb/IIIa blockade. A blood sample is obtained from the individual being assessed. The blood sample is mixed in combination with 1) an anticoagulant; 2) sufficient buffer to maintain the pH and salt concentration of the anticoagulated blood within a range suitable for platelet aggregation; 3) a platelet GPIIb/IIIa receptor ligand immobilized on a solid surface; 4) one or more agents to enhance a signal transduction pathway and 5) a receptor activator. The combination is incubated under conditions for agglutinating particles. Platelet-mediated agglutination is assessed in the agitated mixture. The absence of agglutination indicates that the individual has a reduced ability to form platelet thrombi.
US09341633B2

There are provided a pre-treatment technique for a glycated hemoglobin-containing sample, which is a simple and convenient treatment, is free from problems in storage stability and environmental aspects, and is capable of exposing an epitope sufficiently in a short time; and an method for an immunological assay of glycated hemoglobin using this technique.A method for pre-treating a glycated hemoglobin-containing sample for an immunological assay of glycated hemoglobin, the method includes treating a glycated hemoglobin-containing sample with a pre-treatment solution containing (A) guanidine or a salt thereof and (B) a nonionic surfactant and/or a nitrite.
US09341625B2

The inventors disclose methods and systems that provide for the isolation and purification of neurons directly from heterogeneous cell cultures. The expression of various cell adhesion molecules was examined in pluripotent stem cells. Changes in the expression of one or more of these molecules correlates with the progression of cells from non-lineage committed to neural cells. Using one or more antibodies for these molecules in combination with antibodies specific for CD200 will enable one to identify and isolate neurons from a population cells.
US09341624B2

Devices and methods for the detection of target molecules are disclosed. Devices and methods for detecting food-borne target molecules are also disclosed.
US09341621B2

Systems and methods for rapid and ultrasensitive detection of target biomolecules in a sample are presented. The detection of biomolecules is achieved through a synergistic use of immunoseparation and diffractometry, and the formation of antibody-biomolecule-ligand sandwich complexes that form diffraction gratings. Characteristic diffraction patterns are then produced upon illumination of the diffraction gratings with light. The diffraction patterns can be used to detect very low amounts of biomolecules present in the sample.
US09341618B2

The present invention provides a method for evaluating or screening a hair growth-regulating agent which utilizes a readily available animal.The present invention is directed to a method for evaluating or screening a hair growth-regulating agent which comprises subjecting hair follicles of a pig to an organ culture in the presence of a test substance, and evaluating or selecting a substance which promotes or suppresses the growth of the hair follicles.
US09341612B2

System (18, 28) for inspecting oil, which comprises a cell (280) through which oil (281) flows through a pipe. Inside said cell (280) the system comprises a lighting system (284) based on at least one LED diode and configured to supply a beam of white light to the flow of oil (281); a diffuser (286) situated between the lighting system (284) and the flow of oil (281), configured to provide homogeneous lighting to the lit area; an image capture system (282, 382) situated on the opposite side of the pipe through which the oil (281) flows in respect of the lighting system (284) and configured to capture a sequence of images of the oil which flows inside said pipe; a lens (283) situated between the image capture system (282) and the flow of oil (281), configured to focus the captured images; a calibration device (287) situated between the lens (283) and the flow of oil (281); a processor (2851) configured to process said sequence of images and to determine the presence of particles and bubbles and a degradation value of the oil.
US09341604B2

The present disclosure provides adaptive methods for gas chromatography analysis of a gas sample comprising one or more target analytes (such as a micro-gas chromatography) and adaptive gas chromatography devices for carrying out such analytical methods. Broadly, the system can regulate flow into a downstream chromatographic column by detecting one or more upstream conditions. For example, one adaptive chromatography device comprises a first column, a modulator component, and a second column. A first detector or sensor detects the presence of target analytes upstream from the second column, while a second detector detects the presence of target analytes eluted from the second column. The modulator component assembly is responsive to an output generated by the first detector and adaptively regulates fluid flow into the second column. Such adaptive chromatography (micro-GC) systems have higher separation speed, better analyte identification capability, and far greater energy savings.
US09341602B2

Ultrasound generating apparatus (10) comprises an arbitrary waveform generator (12) to provide a waveform output at (14), representing a waveform. A power amplifier (16), which may be an operational amplifier, is operable to amplify the waveform output (14) in power and amplitude to provide a power output (18) for applying to an ultrasonic transducer (20).
US09341599B2

An ultrasonic flaw detection method to detect flaws on an inner surface of a metallic pipe using ultrasonic waves includes a waveform hold step that acquires and holds waveform data of an echo signal when an ultrasonic probe that generates ultrasonic signals toward the inner surface and the metallic pipe are moved relative to each other, a signal analyzing step that calculates a path length up to receiving an echo signal from the inner surface and a change rate of the path length based on the waveform data held, and a flaw detecting step that detects flaws on the inner surface based on the path length and the change rate of the path length.
US09341595B2

An electrophoresis gel assembly comprising a gel slab, at least two sample wells and at least one focusing buffer well arranged between two adjacent sample wells and wherein focusing barriers are arranged between the focusing buffer well and the sample wells. A high conductivity focusing buffer can be applied to the focusing buffer well to obtain a lateral focusing of the sample bands during electrophoresis.
US09341590B2

Provided are a composite metal oxide material, a method of manufacturing the same, and a gas sensor using the same as a sensing material thereof. The composite metal oxide material may include polycrystalline nanofibers and at least one of microparticles and nanoparticles. The use of the composite metal oxide material makes it possible to improve structural, mechanical, thermal, and lifetime stabilities of the gas sensor. Further, the presence of the microparticles and/or nanoparticles allows the gas sensor to have a base resistance lower than that of a nanofiber-based gas sensor. Since the microparticles and/or nanoparticles are attached to the nanofibers, the composite metal oxide material can have an increased mobility of electrons or holes and an increased surface area, and thus, the gas sensor can have fast response/recovery speeds and high gas sensitivity.
US09341588B2

A sensor element (100) includes a first conductive electrode (120) having a first conductive member (122) electrically coupled thereto; an absorptive dielectric layer (130) comprising a polymer of intrinsic microporosity; and a second conductive electrode (140) having a second conductive member (142) electrically coupled thereto. The second conductive electrode comprises carbon nanotubes and is permeable to at least one organic vapor. The absorptive dielectric layer is at least partially disposed between the first conductive electrode and the second conductive electrode. A method of making the sensor element, and sensor device (200) containing it, are also disclosed.
US09341587B2

An electric potential measuring apparatus includes a detecting unit, a generating unit, and a measuring unit. The detecting unit is provided on a surface of a measurement subject and detects a second signal including a first signal within a first frequency range from the measurement subject. The generating unit generates a fourth signal by averaging a third signal within a second frequency range outside the first frequency range. The measuring unit measures electric potential of the first signal included in the second signal detected by the detecting unit with reference to electric potential of the fourth signal generated by the generating unit.
US09341583B2

A correction information generation method and a correction information generation apparatus enabling easy Flat-Field Correction operation without special accessory equipment are provided. The correction information generation method for performing Flat-Field Correction of X-ray detection sensitivity on a pixel detector, includes the steps of: moving the relative position of a detector 130 with respect to an incident X-ray having a cross-sectional beam shape traversing a detection surface so that the whole of the detection surface is irradiated with the incident X-ray in total time and each of pixels arranged in the moving direction is uniformly irradiated; and generating information for correcting the sensitivity of a pixel based on an intensity value detected for a given energy band of the incident X-ray.
US09341579B2

The present invention provides a defect detection apparatus for detecting a defect even on a uniformly continuous background pattern, a method used in the apparatus, and a computer program for making a computer execute processing in the method. A defect size is set and stored, and an instruction to a first direction in which a background pattern is uniformly continuous is accepted. A reduced image reduced in the first direction using an image reduction ratio according to the defect size is generated. A filter processing is executed in the first direction for removing a defect, and the reduced image that is subjected to the filter processing is enlarged in the first direction with an image enlargement ratio corresponding to the reciprocal of the reduction ratio to generate a first enlarged image. A difference image is generated by calculating a difference between the multi-valued image and the first enlarged image.
US09341566B2

To obtain a resin type identification method and a resin type identification apparatus with which an optimum infrared reflection spectrum for identifying a resin piece can be selected and accurate identification processing can be performed successively on individual resin pieces even when the resin pieces are identified using a single optical detector, at least one identifying signal power is selected by executing signal processing on the basis of signal powers corresponding to infrared reflection intensities obtained by emitting infrared light onto the resin piece, and the resin type of the resin piece is identified on the basis of an infrared reflection spectrum corresponding to the selected identifying signal power.
US09341562B2

A filter arrangement can transmit and/or reflect light emanating from a moving object so that the emanating light has time variation, and the time variation can include information about the object, such as its type. For example, emanating light from segments of a path can be transmitted/reflected through positions of a filter assembly, and the transmission functions of the positions can be sufficiently different that time variation occurs in the emanating light between segments. Or emanating light from a segment can be transmitted/reflected through a filter component in which simpler transmission functions are superimposed, so that time variation occurs in the emanating light in accordance with superposition of two simpler non-uniform transmission functions. Many filter arrangements could be used, e.g. the filter component could include the filter assembly, which can have one of the simpler non-uniform transmission functions. Time-varying waveforms from sensing results can be compared to obtain spectral differences. The filter arrangement, in a practical commercial embodiment, can be manufactured to be disposable, and used in a point-of-care device for use practically anywhere, at low cost, and can also be implemented in an in-line monitoring system.
US09341547B2

Embodiments of the invention collect solid, vapor, and/or biological components of the air in air-sampling cartridges that are then transported to an off-site location by pneumatic pressure. Operation proceeds by first collecting a sample of air in an air-sampling cartridge in a sampling position, then rotating a wheel assembly to move the now-used sampling cartridge into a transport position while simultaneously moving an unused sampling cartridge into the sampling position, and finally using pneumatic pressure to push the used sampling cartridge in the transport position to an off-site location via a transport tube. The sampling operation can begin again while the transport operation is in still in progress. These operations can be pre-programmed locally or triggered by remote communication. Continued operation is possible due to a plurality of unused air-sampling cartridges retained in the wheel assembly. Since operations can be triggered remotely and air samples are autonomously transported off site, embodiments of this invention eliminate an unnecessary risk to human health that is created by other air-sampling devices, which require an operator to be present at a potentially hazardous sampling site to activate the device or retrieve air samples. Additionally, embodiments of the invention can be installed pre-emptively to eliminate the risk to human health that is created when an operator must deliver a portable air-sampling device to a potentially contaminated sampling site. Furthermore, embodiments of the invention allow rapid retrieval of air samples following sample collection, which can expedite analysis and identification of aerosols and consequently help minimize human exposure to potentially dangerous and life-threatening chemical and biological contaminants.
US09341545B2

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for testing the catalytic efficiency of exhaust components, particularly exhaust components used in heavy-duty diesel engine exhaust systems. The exhaust component typically has a plurality of elongate channels through which exhaust gases flow, the channels extending between a first end face and a second end face of the exhaust component. The method comprises causing an exhaust gas to flow through the exhaust component, and making measurements of a property of the exhaust gas before and after it has flowed through the exhaust component, wherein the flow of the exhaust gas through the channels is restricted such that the volume of the exhaust component through which the exhaust gas flows is reduced.
US09341539B2

A cargo container system is provided having selectively deployable and retractable support and/or wheel assemblies. The wheel assemblies are capable of being retracted upwardly while the landing assembly is capable of being deployed downwardly and/or retracted upwardly, e.g., during storage or shipment of the cargo container system (e.g., during sea travel or rail travel). At an appropriate time (e.g., the cargo container system is about to placed onto the ground or other surface by a crane or other suitable device), the wheel assemblies are then selectively deployed downwardly while the landing gear assembly is capable of being retracted upwardly and/or deployed downwardly, e.g., to provide a fully functional cargo container system/trailer/chassis combination that may be immediately capable of being engaged to a truck/tractor/chassis and driven away.
US09341526B2

A system for determining power expended by a bicyclist while riding a bicycle based on speed measurements or sensed-speed values. The system includes a sensing device arranged for detecting a speed-related value of the bicycle and a processor that communicates with the sensing device. The processor is configured to determine a change in the speed-related value and to determine a power value based on the change in the speed-related value.
US09341524B2

A stress detection device and a detection method for a light-transmissive structure are disclosed. The stress detection device for a light-transmissive structure comprises: a light source, a first polarizer, a light intensity distribution state detection unit and a stress distribution state analysis unit; wherein the light source emits uniform polarized light; during detection, the first polarizer and the light sources are located at opposite sides of the light-transmissive structure, respectively; the light intensity distribution state detection unit is configured to obtain a light intensity distribution state of the polarized light emitted from the first polarizer; the stress distribution state analysis unit is configured to obtain a stress distribution state of the light-transmissive structure according to the light intensity distribution state.
US09341520B2

Various embodiments of methods and systems for estimating environmental ambient temperature of a portable computing device (“PCD”) from electrical resistance measurements taken voice coils in a speaker or microphone component are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, it may be recognized that the PCD is in an idle state, thus producing little or no thermal energy. Electrical resistance measurements are taken from a voice coil and used to estimate the environmental ambient temperature to which the PCD is exposed. Certain embodiments may simply render the estimated ambient temperature for the benefit of the user or use the estimated ambient temperature as an input to a program or application running on the PCD. It is envisioned that certain embodiments of the systems and methods may use the estimated ambient temperature to adjust temperature thresholds in the PCD against which thermal management policies govern thermally aggressive processing components.
US09341512B2

Frequency compensation of a vibration sensor digitally in a time domain by using a high-pass filter roll-off slope is presented. The subject matter reduces the noise floor of an analog front end or analog domain portion of a circuit configured to enhance the frequency response of a vibration sensor. The present subject matter eliminates or reduces analog components and adds pieces of signal processing software to digitally enhance the frequency response of a vibration sensor so as to reduce component costs.
US09341504B2

A fluidic cartridge (110) with passively driven fluid flow is disclosed. The disclosed device and method solve problems associated with passive-flow fluidics by using a wicking pad (510) and/or a tilting means to prevent channel draining and backflow. The disclosure further provides means for adding liquid to the cartridge in multiple steps, without requiring liquid aspiration or removal.
US09341500B2

The invention relates to a calibration method that can be carried out without a reference system for an angle measuring device having a code carrier carrying an absolute position code, and at least two reading heads comprising a fixed, known angle position at an angular distance, wherein the code carrier can be rotated relative to the reading heads, and different angle positions of the code carrier relative to the reading heads can thus be captured. Angle position values of the reading heads in an angular setting are determined and angular error is determined, which are repeated. And, a mathematical analysis method is performed, including determining the parameters of a mathematical function quantifying the angular error, and determining calibration parameters as parameters of the quantifying mathematical function or as a correction or code table derived from the parameters.
US09341499B2

Disclosed is a method for adjusting a sensor signal and a corresponding sensor system comprising a sensor for providing a sensor signal representative of a measure other than temperature, dynamic components of the sensor signal being dependent on temperature. In addition there is provided a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature. Dynamic components in the sensor signal are adjusted subject to the temperature sensed, and a compensated sensor signal is supplied. Such sensor system helps compensating for long response times of sensors.
US09341484B2

Provided is a navigation server which informs a user of the meaning of the search result of a route considering a primary event through a navigation client. According to a navigation server 100, it is recognized whether a first index value e1 indicating the degree of influence of a predetermined primary event on the passage along a searched route connecting a present location p1 and a destination point p2 is greater than a first threshold value ε1. When the first index value e1 of the previous searched route R1 is greater than the first threshold value ε1, a route R2 is re-searched to reduce the first index value e1. When the first index value e1 of the search route R1 or R2 is the first threshold value ε1 or less, “confirmation information” indicating as such and the searched route are transmitted to the navigation client 200 and recognized.
US09341476B2

An inertial sensor is described that has means for improving quadrature rejection The sensor is of a ring type, driven by a driver circuit, the sensor further comprising primary and secondary portions having corresponding signal pickoffs. The primary pickoff signal amplitude is controlled via an automatic gain control, the primary phase lock loop and VCO locks to the resonant frequency to provide the clocks for the synchronous detectors, the primary pickoff signals via the primary phase shift circuit is provided to the primary driver, the secondary pickoff signal being input into a detector circuit capable of detecting motion in the sensor. The secondary channel comprises a series of circuits that when operable in series significantly improve the quadrature rejection ability of the sensor. The circuits include a synchronous detector, passive and active filters and a decimator.
US09341475B2

In a geomagnetism measurement apparatus, a magnetic sensor detects magnetic data, and a storage unit stores the magnetic data sequentially output from the magnetic sensor. An ellipsoid generation unit calculates each ellipsoidal central point of first, second and third ellipsoids each of which has in the vicinity thereof a plurality of the magnetic data stored in the storage unit. An ellipsoidal central point decision unit decides whether or not a distance between respective ellipsoidal central points is equal to or less than a threshold value. A correction value generation unit calculates an ellipsoidal correction matrix for converting coordinates on an ellipsoid into coordinates on a sphere based on a coefficient matrix representing a shape of one of the first, second and third ellipsoids according to the decision result.
US09341468B2

A measuring apparatus includes a light projecting and receiving device configured to project and receive light, and measures an object based on the projected and received light. The measuring apparatus comprises a chamber configured to enclose a first space for accommodating the object; a partition configured to separate the first space from a second space which accommodates the light projecting and receiving device, and configured to transmit the light; a first regulator configured to regulate temperature of the first space to a first temperature by flowing a gas through the first space; and a second regulator configured to regulate temperature of the second space to a second temperature different from the first temperature by flowing a gas through the second space. The partition includes a plurality of partition walls disposed with a gap.
US09341463B2

A measuring system having a first magnetic field sensor, an encoder, and an evaluation circuit. The first magnetic field sensor and the second magnetic field sensor and the third magnetic field sensor are connected to the encoder. The evaluation circuit has a logic, which is set up to determine the position of the encoder based on a first measurement signal of a first magnetic field sensor and a second measurement signal of a second magnetic field sensor and a third measurement signal of a third magnetic field sensor.
US09341457B2

A combined submersible vessel and unmanned aerial vehicle preferably includes a body structure, at least one wing structure, at least one vertical stabilizer structure, and at least one horizontal stabilizer structure. A propulsion system is coupled to the body structure and is configured to propel the flying submarine in both airborne flight and underwater operation. Preferably, the propulsion system includes a motor, a gearbox coupled to the motor and configured to receive power generated by the motor and provide variable output power, a drive shaft coupled to the gearbox and configured to transfer the variable output power provided by the gearbox, and a propeller coupled to the drive shaft and configured to accept power transferred to it from the drive shaft. The propeller is further configured to rotate and propel the flying submarine in both an airborne environment and in an underwater environment.
US09341449B2

Collars are provided to facilitate retaining the blades of a broadhead in their in-flight position during flight. Collars can be used in situations where the preexisting use of an O-ring is used to help facilitate maintaining the blades of a broadhead in their in-flight position during flight. Collars can also be used in situations where the preexisting use of an O-ring is not used to help facilitate maintaining the blades of a broadhead in their in-flight position during flight.
US09341440B2

A fore grip for a firearm houses a light source and power source. The light source is preferably a laser and the power source is preferably one or more batteries. A first switch is connected to a PCB and can be moved to respective positions that correspond to each of various operating conditions, such as continuously on, continuously off, and on when a second switch is activated.
US09341435B1

An electromagnetic (EM) launcher can include multiple conductive coils wrapped around a launch conduit. The EM launcher can also include a multi-phase, variable frequency linear induction motor drive. The EM launcher can be used to launch a payload under controlled acceleration at a desired velocity.
US09341433B1

A drop away arrow rest system comprises a rest and a cord lever operatively connected to the rest for moving the rest to a cocked position for supporting an arrow in relation to a bow upon drawing a bow string and upon releasing the bow string, triggering the release of the rest to a drop away position. A delayed release mechanism comprises an end cap and a torsion spring connecting the end cap to the cord lever. The cord lever is configured to load the torsion spring upon drawing the bow string and upon releasing the bow string, first release the load on the torsion spring without triggering the release of the rest to a drop away position, and then trigger the release of the rest to a drop away position.
US09341432B1

A cocking assembly includes a housing structured to have a rod portion and a gearbox portion. The rod portion is aligned with a drawstring of a weapon. A rod is rotatably positioned within the interior of the rod portion. A motor is coupled to the gearbox portion. The motor rotates in a first direction and a second direction. An actuator actuates the motor in the first and second directions. Each of a plurality of gears is rotatably coupled to an associated one of the motor and the rod. Thus, the plurality of gears is enmeshed to transfer a rotational torque of the motor into the rod. A yoke is structured to have a block and a saddle. The block threadably engages the rod such that the yoke is urged forwardly and rearwardly along the rod. Thus, the yoke cocks the drawstring of the weapon.
US09341429B1

A device for covering a firearm ejection port, the firearm including a receiver having an interior and an exterior side, the ejection port defined in the receiver, the ejection port having an upper peripheral edge and a notch defined in the upper peripheral edge. The device includes a backing member positionable across the ejection port from an interior side of the receiver. A cover is positionable over the ejection port from an exterior side of the receiver. A fastener extends between the backing member and the cover, the fastener being operable to selectively tighten the backing member and the cover together to clamp the cover over the ejection port. The cover is positioned over the notch in the ejection port when the cover is clamped over the ejection port to prevent gas in the receiver from passing through the notch.
US09341427B2

A portable shooting bench and utility table. In the shooting-bench embodiment, a tabletop is isosceles-triangle-shaped for ambidextrous functionality. In the utility-table embodiment, the tabletop is preferably round but can be any shape suitable for general use. The shooting-bench embodiment preferably includes a height-adjustable seat. A plurality of ratcheting leg couplers are rotatably attached to a support base and radiate outward from the support base. A proximate end of a leg attaches in ratcheting fashion to each ratcheting leg coupler, allowing adjustment of an angle of declination of each leg. The ratcheting leg couplers rotate about the support base, allowing radial positioning of the legs for optimum stability under various terrain conditions. The shooting bench or utility table can be converted from a deployed mode to a folded mode, in which shoulder straps can be affixed to the tabletop allowing transport of the shooting bench or utility table backpack-style.
US09341426B1

A firearm muzzle brake may include a substantially cylindrical hollow first portion having a first end and a second end; a pair of opposed rows of slots extending through the first portion, each row extending axially along a side of the first portion; a pair of rows of ports extending through the first portion, each row extending axially along the first portion above one of the rows of slots; and a second portion having a first end received in the second end of the first portion, a second end, a central aperture extending through the second portion and being in fluid communication with the hollow first portion such that a bullet can pass through the first and second portions.
US09341425B2

A firearm safety system and method is described herein. The system may include a tracking system, a smart firearm and/or a smart magazine, and a smart tracking unit. The tracking system is in communication with satellites that monitor specific locations, a smart firearm and a portable electronic device. The tracking system includes an internal geographical database of specific monitored locations. The smart firearm includes a microprocessor and a receiver. The motor operates in response to a signal received, which may indicate that the firearm is approaching a no gun safety zone, whereby the signal causes the microprocessor to operate the automatic safety lock to prevent the apparatus from operating. The receiver monitors signals and receives location data from the satellites. The method of operating a smart firearm includes receiving a signal at the at least one receiver and responding to the signal by locking the automatic safety lock.
US09341421B2

A fixed magazine for a rifle has a projecting boss that engages a cavity within the magazine well of the rifle. Once the magazine is inserted and the boss engages the cavity, the magazine is fixed and may not be removed from the rifle. The magazine is loaded by separating the upper receiver from the lower receiver and exposing the magazine opening, allowing it to receive rounds of ammunition.
US09341400B2

A fluid flushing and pressurization apparatus for use with geothermal systems, capable of delivering a reversible high-velocity flow of fluid through a system of buried PE pipe without introducing an overpressure condition or water hammer. The apparatus can be utilized with methods for installing, preparing, flushing, filling, testing, and certifying geothermal heating and cooling systems. A portable pumping and testing apparatus can include a high-volume pump, a high-pressure pump, a flow meter, and pressure sensors in wired or wireless communication with a processor or logic controller such that continuous or periodic monitoring of the system can be recorded. The system can be programmed to operate automatically under computer control such that reversal of the flow through the geothermal system does not shock or damage the equipment or buried piping.
US09341395B2

A room air conditioner with a liquid-to-air heat exchanging device for the exchange of heat between a liquid and air has a first flow channel for the air and a second flow channel for the liquid, and at least one Peltier element. The heat exchanging device is subdivided into a first stage in which a heat exchange occurs in a passive manner between the liquid and air, and a subsequent second stage in which heat is pumped from the liquid to the air or from the air to the liquid by supplying an electrical current to the at least one Peltier element.
US09341394B2

A thermoelectric refrigeration system including at least one cooling chamber and a thermoelectric heat exchange system. The thermoelectric heat exchange system includes cascaded heat sinks. The cascaded heat sinks include cascaded cold side heat sinks and a hot side heat sink. The cascaded cold side heat sinks include a first cold side heat sink and a second cold side heat sink. The thermoelectric heat exchange system also includes a first plurality of thermoelectric coolers disposed between the first cold side heat sink and the second cold side heat sink and a second plurality of thermoelectric coolers disposed between the second cold side heat sink and the hot side heat sink. Each thermoelectric cooler is a module including multiple thermoelectric devices.
US09341391B2

This invention relates primarily to an electric heater based tankless water heater, though some aspects may also apply to a natural gas or other fuel based tankless water heater. In particular aspects relating to “smart” communication and coordination of the tankless water heater with other devices, which may be electrically powered or powered by other fuels, may also apply to non-electric flow through fluid heating systems. The subject tankless water heater invention incorporates several aspects relating to energy and construction efficiency which will be detailed further. These include both physical aspects, such as coatings, tubing and heater element design, and electrical aspects, such as power control for individual heater elements, which can make the tankless water heater more compact and more efficient in operation, with reduced instantaneous and long term load on electrical supply systems.
US09341386B2

A vehicular airflow outlet comprising a plurality of outlet units having an airflow unit, a ball joint, and a connection member; a control knob unit including a control knob coupled to a ball joint; and a connection mechanism configured to couple the ball joint of the each of the outlet units and the ball joint of the control knob unit is provided. The airflow outlet allows for the direction of airflow throughout a vehicle passenger compartment without the use of multiple sets of vanes. The airflow outlet directs airflow through the use of a single control knob. Force applied to the face of the control knob is operable to simultaneously pivot the ball joints of each of the plurality of outlet units and the ball joint of the control knob unit in unison to adjust airflow direction, allowing for the direction of air at a variety of angles.
US09341383B2

A heating system includes a flow circuit carrying working fluid at a set flow temperature to a heat emitting section, an electricity driven heat pump having a first heat exchanger, and a fuel fired boiler having a second heat exchanger. The first and second heat exchangers arc connected to the flow circuit to heat the working fluid in succession. A coefficient of performance (COPSet Flow Temperature) of the heat pump and a break even coefficient of performance (BECOP) are determined, and the COPSet Flow Temperature and BECOP compared. The BECOP is electricity price/fuel price*boiler thermal efficiency. If the COPSet Flow temperature is smaller than the BECOP in a first hybrid mode, an intermediate flow temperature is determined, the heat pump is operated to heat the working fluid to the intermediate flow temperature and the boiler is operated to heat the working fluid to the set flow temperature.
US09341372B2

The present invention relates to a tile fastening arrangement of a gas-turbine combustion chamber having a combustion chamber wall with tiles fastened to said combustion chamber wall at a distance from the latter, characterized in that the tile is provided with an annular flange arranged on its side assigned to the combustion chamber wall, said flange being dimensioned to match a recess of the combustion chamber wall and fastened to the combustion chamber wall by means of a fastening element which engages in the combustion chamber wall.
US09341364B2

A toilet installation tool for assisting an installer in aligning a toilet mounting hole in a base of a toilet with a closet bolt projecting upward from a bathroom floor includes a sleeve configured to removably mount on the closet bolt in alignment with a vertical axis of the closet bolt, and a light source attached to a top end of the sleeve. The sleeve and the light source are sized to pass through the toilet mounting hole and are removable from the closet bolt after a toilet has been lowered onto the bathroom floor. The invention may be embodied as a kit having two light sources and two or more interchangeable sleeves of different lengths. A method of mounting a toilet on a pair of closet bolts using the toilet installation tool is also disclosed.
US09341355B2

A layered structure for use with a high power light emitting diode system comprises an electrically insulating intermediate layer interconnecting a top layer and a bottom layer. The top layer, the intermediate layer, and the bottom layer form an at least semi-flexible elongate member having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of positions spaced along the longitudinal axis. The at least semi-flexible elongate member is bendable laterally proximate the plurality of positions spaced along the longitudinal axis to a radius of at least 6 inches, twistable relative to its longitudinal axis up to 10 degrees per inch, and bendable to conform to localized heat sink surface flatness variations having a radius of at least 1 inch. The top layer is pre-populated with electrical components for high wattage, the electrical components including at least one high wattage light emitting diode at least 1.0 Watt per 0.8 inch squared.
US09341345B2

A light diffusion member includes a light-transmissive base, a plurality of light diffusion portions, a connecting portion, and a light absorbing layer. The light diffusion portions are arranged on one surface of the base and have light-incident end surfaces each positioned on the side away from the base and having a larger area than a light-emergent end surface thereof. The connecting portion connects at least two adjacent ones of the plural light diffusion portions to each other, and is positioned near the light-incident end surfaces of the adjacent light diffusion portions. The light absorbing layer is formed on the one surface of the base in a region different from a region where the light diffusion portions are formed. A size from the light-incident end surface to the light-emergent end surface of the light diffusion portion is larger than a thickness of the light absorbing layer.
US09341344B2

An illumination apparatus includes a light source unit which emits primary light, and an optical unit which functions when the primary light emitted from the light source unit is applied to the optical unit. The optical unit includes a reducing portion which is directly provided in a illumination light emitting portion or provided frontward to part of the illumination light emitting portion and which reduces the density of the primary light as the illumination light emitted from the illumination light emitting portion.
US09341342B2

A battery powered device simulating a traditional wick burning candle through the combined use of a colored lens LED, electronic circuit board and integrated chip to control the flicker pattern of the said LED. The battery compartment and electronic circuits are contained within an internal housing which is placed within the body of a simulated candle shell. The colored lens LED is extended through an opening in the upper portion of the candle shell. Switches to operate the said device are placed on the bottom base of the internal housing, which is exposed on the bottom of the candle. The colored lens of the LED is such that it is light enough not to significantly impair light performance while appearing black or almost black, effectively simulating a blackened wick, when not illuminated.
US09341339B2

A reflector housing that includes a reflective inner surface, a neck portion defining a substantially cylindrical cavity with a rear opening in which a light source can be fitted to the housing, and a ventilation duct extending radially from the cavity and having a ventilation hole opening into the rear opening of the housing.
US09341333B2

A window glass includes an incident surface, an emergent surface opposite to the incident surface, a bottom surface, and a top surface opposite to the bottom surface. The incident surface and the emergent surface are interconnected between the top surface and the bottom surface. A plurality of sawteeth is defined on the emergent surface. Each sawtooth includes a first surface adjacent to the top surface and a second surface adjacent to the bottom surface. In each sawtooth, an angle between the first surface and the incident surface is over 90 degrees. The second surface and the incident surface cooperatively define an acute angle. The acute angle increases from the top surface down to the bottom surface and causes the redirection of early morning sunlight up to a ceiling of a room or building containing the window glass.
US09341329B2

A light unit includes a bulb having a light source with lead wires and a separator, a switch member that includes a support member and a pair of spring terminals, and a socket having two or more conductive terminals and adapted to receive the bulb and the switch member. The switch member is adapted to cause the pair of spring terminals to contact one another to form an electrical short circuit across the pair of conductive terminals and the light source when the bulb is completely or partially removed from the socket. The lead wires form an electrical connection across the conductive terminals and the separator breaks contact between the pair of spring terminals when the bulb is seated in the socket.
US09341325B2

A sleeve for a portable light may comprise: a hollow sleeve for surrounding a source of electrical power and having a plurality of elongated longitudinal spring members. Only one end of each spring member is connected to a wall of the hollow sleeve and an opposite end thereof is free. Each spring member is formed to partly extend radially outward of the hollow sleeve and to partly extend radially inward of the hollow sleeve toward a source of electrical power that may be disposed therein. The hollow sleeve may be disposed in a portable light that may include a housing, a light source and a source of electrical power that may reside in the sleeve.
US09341323B1

A light-mixing flashlight has a body, three light-emitting diodes, three first reflectors, and three second reflectors. The body has a mounting surface formed in the body, a body opening opposite to the mounting surface, and three light recesses formed in an interior of the body. The light-emitting diodes are mounted in the light recesses, and are respectively a red light, a green light, and a blue light light-emitting diode. The first reflectors are formed as parabolic mirrors and are respectively mounted in the light recesses via a working angle. An opening of each first reflector faces toward the corresponding light-emitting diode. The second reflectors are formed as spherical mirrors, are mounted on the mounting surface, and respectively correspond in position to the first reflectors. Therefore, the light-mixing flashlight has an improved emitting efficiency.
US09341322B2

The present invention provides a color-mixing light-emitting diode module. According to the present invention, a first light-emitting chip and two second light-emitting chips are disposed on a holder. The first light-emitting chip emits red light and the plurality of second light-emitting chips emit white light. The red light and the white light are mixed, giving mixed light with high color rendering and brightness. Objects illuminated by the mixed light will exhibit colors closest to their original colors as perceived by eyes. Furthermore, by arranging the first and second light-emitting chips in matrix, the color rendering of the light-emitting diode module can be adjusted and improved.
US09341318B2

An LED bulb (100) including a light source device (105) provided on a mounting plate (102) and covered by a globe (104) in a shape of a spherical shell is configured such that the light source device (105) includes: a reflecting member (108) in a truncated cone shape; and a plurality of LED chips (15) provided on a top surface of the substrate (11), at least a side face of the reflecting member (108) has a light reflecting function, and the light source device (105) is provided on the mounting plate (102) in such a way that a bottom surface of the substrate (11) faces the mounting plate (102).
US09341315B2

A pressurizing device and method, for pressurizing a first tank, the device including at least a second tank configured to contain a cryogenic fluid, a first pressurizing circuit for putting the second tank into communication with the first tank, the first pressurizing circuit including at least a first heat exchanger for heating a flow of the cryogenic fluid extracted from the second tank through the first pressurizing circuit, and a second pressurizing circuit with a compressor, branched off from the first pressurizing circuit and leading to the second tank. A feed system for feeding a reaction engine with at least a first liquid propellant includes at least a first tank configured to contain the first liquid propellant, and a device for pressurizing the first tank.
US09341307B2

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for displaying or projecting images on a vehicle are described herein. The system includes a mount bar for engaging a hitch receiver tube of a vehicle, and an intermediate arm having a first end rotationally coupled with the mount bar, where the first end is lockable in a position with respect to the mount bar. The system also includes a projector arm having a first end rotationally coupled with a second end of the intermediate arm, where the first end of the projector arm is lockable in a position with respect to the second end of the intermediate arm.
US09341306B2

An apparatus for mounting accessories includes a base that has a mounting surface and at least one aperture. The apparatus further includes a mounting mechanism coupled to the mounting surface of the base, with the mounting mechanism being connectable with a mountable accessory. Further, the apparatus includes at least one resiliently bendable support coupled to the base via retractable engagement with the at least one aperture.
US09341300B2

An inflatable purge dam apparatus for use with pipes of different nominal pipe size (NPS) includes first and second inflatable purge bladders, and an intermediate bridge conduit. In a first aspect, the purge bladders each comprise an expandable inner purge gas retaining liner and a heat-resistant stretchable outer protective cover. The protective covers comprise a heat-resistant stretchable material that is constructed to undergo variable stretching to increase the size of the purge bladders as they are inflated with purge gas to a desired sealing pressure, thereby allowing the purge bladders to form an effective weld zone seal in pipes of different NPS. In a second aspect, an air vent conduit extends between first and second ports located proximate to a longitudinal centerline of the first purge bladder. The air vent conduit provides a vent pathway for venting air from the weld zone through the first purge bladder.
US09341299B2

A lockable pipe cover includes an inner cap and an outer cover which are selectively coupled together for axial rotation. When the cap is locked, the inner cap and the outer cover are free to rotate independently from one another thus rotation of the outer cover will not remove the cap from the pipe. In the unlocked position, the inner cap and the outer cover are coupled for rotation and thus rotation of the outer cover results in rotation of the inner cap.
US09341290B2

Systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed for coupling a wafer style primary element of a process measurement system between process pipes in a manner which aligns the primary element with the process pipes, while maintaining alignment and preventing leaking in the event of a dynamic shock to the process pipes.
US09341277B2

Exemplary embodiments are directed to apparatus, systems and methods used in connection with a needle valve device operating in a pressurized flow system. The apparatus, systems and methods provide for automatic positioning of a needle relative to a seat in the needle valve device to provide consistent calibration with minimal user interaction after a maintenance event or upon a start-up of the pressurized flow system. The apparatus, systems and methods utilize a calibration collar secured to a shaft of an actuator within the needle valve device. The calibration collar includes one or more locking mechanism and a spring.
US09341271B2

A device for driving a regulation valve for casting liquid metal contains a main rod controlling the opening and closing of the valve, and a coupler linking the main rod and the valve. The device also contains a coupler controller able to activate and deactivate the coupler, enabling linkage and detachment of the main rod and the valve.
US09341267B2

The present disclosure relates to a cylinder having an inner wall formed with fine uneven patterns to improve durability. The fine uneven patterns according to the present disclosure increases oil film pressure between a piston ring and an inner wall of the cylinder, and smoothly supplies engine oil to where the engine oil is insufficient, thereby reducing abrasion between the piston ring and the inner wall of the cylinder.
US09341265B2

A primary piston is described of molded plastic and equipped with a functional metallic insert and at least one groove. The primary piston is installed in a master cylinder comprising at least the primary piston and a secondary piston, these being mounted in the bore hole of a master cylinder. These pistons can create pressure in a primary pressure chamber and a secondary pressure chamber, respectively, due to the action of a push rod on the primary piston.
US09341264B2

A variator has an input shaft (18), an input disc (10) mounted coaxially with the input shaft and rotatable by the input shaft, an output disc (12) facing the input shaft (18) and being mounted coaxially with the input disc, a toroidal cavity defined between the input and output discs and a plurality of rollers (14, 16) located in the toroidal cavity, in rolling contact with the input and output discs (10, 12), each of the rollers being mounted on a roller carriage (17). The variator has means (34) for applying an end load to the variator to urge the rollers (14, 16) into contact with the input and output discs (10, 12) and resiliently deformable means for applying a reaction force to each of the roller carriages.
US09341261B2

A torque converter clutch (TCC) control valve system for a motor vehicle transmission includes a dual valve assembly with a first exhaust line that opens to air and a TCC control valve assembly with a second exhaust line that opens to air. The TCC control valve assembly communicates with the dual valve assembly through a fluid line, and the TCC control valve assembly further communicates with a torque converter having a lockup clutch. When the lockup clutch is in a faulted open state, air is drawn into the dual valve assembly through the first exhaust line. The air flows through the dual valve assembly and from the dual valve assembly though the fluid line to portions of the TCC control valve assembly, and from the TCC control valve assembly to the torque converter. The air replaces hydraulic fluid in the torque converter, and the displaced hydraulic fluid from the torque converter exits through the second exhaust line.
US09341254B2

An isolating pulley comprising a hub, a pulley journalled to the hub, a spring carrier journalled to the hub, a torsion spring engaged between the pulley and the spring carrier, a frictionmember engaged between the spring carrier and the hub, the frictionmember comprising a first multiple ribbed surface to engage the spring carrier and a second multiple ribbed surface to engage the hub, and the first multiple ribbed surface and the second multiple ribbed surface extending in a radial direction normal to an axis of rotation A-A.
US09341251B2

A gear unit combination including a differential transmission, a planetary gear stage, a common planet carrier, a plurality of planet sub-carriers arranged to have at least one external planet sub-carrier and to form the common planet carrier in a rotationally fixed manner, a bearing sleeve arranged within the at least one external planet sub-carrier, and at least one spur gear, wherein the bearing sleeve is arranged to radially position the at least one spur gear.
US09341240B2

A shift device has lever members. These top portions engage with cut-off portions of a hub, being inserted in a groove portion of a shift sleeve. Slanted surfaces of the sleeve contact with the top portions to be capable of transmitting axial pressing force on the pressure-receiving surfaces of the ring. Friction torque acts on the members through first projections of the ring. The members has first slide surfaces contactable with first guide surfaces of the hub at both end portions in a rotational direction of the top portions, and second slide surfaces contactable with second guide surfaces of the hub at both end portions of the members.
US09341235B2

An attachment flange for buoys and marine fenders. The attachment flange includes an opening therethrough that includes a substantially continuously curved interior surface which engages a line to increase the surface contact area between the opening of the attachment flange and the line. The opening of the attachment flange further includes rounded edges which reduce the abrasion and localized stress applied to the line. The curved surface with the rounded edges enables the attachment flange to receive less concentrated forces applied thereto, which may extend the life of the attachment flange or may reduce the required reinforcement needed for a given application. The features disclosed herein also reduce the abrasion and concentration of force applied to the line coupled to the attachment flange which helps to prevent line wear and failure.
US09341230B2

A tunnel-style crankshaft assembly is provided having counterweights that serve the purposes of retaining the axial motion of bearings and improving the balance of the crankshaft assembly as a result of having a structure of an increased radial profile. The counterweights can include a mass section and a bearing retaining section. When the counterweight is secured to a crank web, the mass section of the counterweight is axially spaced from a bearing assembly disposed around the web. Therefore, the mass section of the counterweight may extend radially beyond an inner race of the bearing assembly without contacting the bearing assembly's cage. The mass section of the counterweight does not extend radially beyond a radial envelope of a crankshaft support surface thereby permitting the crankshaft assembly to be slidingly inserted into the crankcase.
US09341228B2

A fan noise and vibration elimination system includes a sound wave sensor, a vibration sensor, a computing controller, a sound wave generator and a vibration generator. The sound wave sensor and the vibration sensor respectively receive noise and vibration produced by a fan during operation thereof to generate corresponding sound wave detection signal and vibration detection signal to the computing controller. Based on the received sound wave detection signal and vibration detection signal, the computing controller generates a sound wave cancel-out signal and a vibration cancel-out signal to the sound wave generator and the vibration generator, respectively, for the latter to generate a phase-inverted sound wave and a reverse vibration frequency to cancel the noise and the vibration produced by the operating fan.
US09341221B2

In order to improve a carrier body, having a friction lining carrier plate and at least one first damper mass which is connected rigidly to the friction lining carrier plate, in such a way that the rigid connection between the friction lining carrier plate and the first damper mass is more robust, it is proposed to insert a first pin-shaped projection of the first damper mass into the first hole of a friction lining carrier plate in such a way that the head of the first pin-shaped projection protrudes out of the first hole and bears against a first chamfer partially in the region of a first edge of the first hole.
US09341210B2

In a fastener (10), a pin (14) is pressed into a grommet (12), so that a guide portion (56) formed in an end side of the pin (14) contacts with a guided portion (42) of the grommet (12), and a leg piece (34) of a leg portion (28) of the grommet bends and is expanded. Then, the guided portion (42) of the leg piece (34) in the leg portion (28) of the grommet (12) is engaged with an upper end edge (56A) of the guide portion (56) of the pin (14). Also, the guide portion (56) of the pin (14) is a curved surface having a tangent angle (θ) changing relative to a shaft line (14B) at a contact point (P1) with the guided portion (42) from an outer circumferential portion of an end (14A) of the pin (14) toward an upper end edge (56A), and an insertion force (S) into the grommet (12) of the pin (14) at each contact point (P1) is held approximately constant.
US09341209B2

A retainer clip for a squeegee assembly comprises top and bottom clip members each having an interior surface and an exterior surface. The interior surface of the top clip member includes a first channel portion adjacent to a first end and a first interlocking feature adjacent to a second end. The interior surface of the bottom clip member includes a second channel portion adjacent to a first end and a second interlocking feature adjacent to a second end. Mating the first interlocking feature with the second interlocking feature positions the first channel portion adjacent to the second channel portion to form a pin receiving channel.
US09341206B2

The present invention is directed to a support channel assembly that secures and supports a bundle. The support channel assembly includes a support channel having a bottom and two sides and at least one flange. Each side of the support channel having a hook at a distal end. The flange has a top, a bottom and sides. The flange includes a locking tie receiving area for receiving a locking tie to secure the bundle and a support channel engaging area for receiving the hooks of the support channel to secure the flange to the support channel.
US09341204B2

A fastening clip (10) for mounting a component part (28), especially an airbag or an airbag module, on a support (30) includes a head portion (12), a clip body (14) and retaining elements (16) laterally projecting from the clip body (14) which are elastically deflectable. The clip body (14) defines an interior and includes windows (20) through which the retaining elements (16) protrude outwardly from the interior. An assembly having such fastening clip (10) furthermore includes a support (30) having a mounting aperture (34) matching with the dimensions of the clip body (14).
US09341202B2

A support device for detachably supporting a portable electronic apparatus includes a base body, a support column member standing from one end of the base body, a flap axially supported in the support column member turnably clamp the portable electronic apparatus between the flap and the support face, conical rollers attached to the flap, each conical roller having an outer periphery diameter enlarged from one end portion thereof, and an urging device provided between the support column member and the flap and urging the flap in a direction of approaching the base body. The flap includes an arm portion, and support shafts extending in a right-and-left width direction from a tip of the arm portion. The support shafts incline relative to the base body, and each conical roller is turnably supported on the support shaft such that a small diameter portion is located close to the arm portion.
US09341201B2

Self-adjusting end clamps are disclosed. The clamps may include a top member and a bottom member having vertically arranged holes. As a bolt placed in the vertically arranged holes is tightened, the top and bottom members move toward one another to grip an object therebetween.
US09341197B2

A modular switching valve arrangement (12) having a plurality of switching valves (20) which are arranged adjacent to one another is characterized in that each switching valve (20) includes at least one media connection (34) which has a connecting piece (26) mounted thereto, and in that the connecting piece (26) braces the corresponding switching valve (20) with a shared carrier plate (24).
US09341186B2

A scroll pump has a tip seal between an axial end of the scroll blade of one of stationary and orbiting plate scrolls of the pump and the plate of the other of the stationary plate and orbiting plate scrolls. The scroll pump may have a ballast gas supply system and use the operation of the ballast gas supply system to assess the condition of the tip seal. Alternatively, the scroll pump may have two pressure sensors that sense pressure at two locations spaced along a compression mechanism of the pump to assess the condition of the tip seal.
US09341181B2

When a flow regulating valve is opened, the passage of current through a solenoid is stopped to move a movable part from a closing-side position to an opening-side position and to thereby open the flow regulating valve. When a sound reducing control performing condition is fulfilled, a valve-opening control for reducing sound is performed. In the valve-opening control, until a fuel pressure in a pump chamber is decreased and the flow regulating valve is opened, the passage of current through the solenoid is continuously performed to hold the movable part at the closing-side position. After the flow regulating valve is opened, the passage of current through the solenoid is stopped. Before the movable part reaches the opening-side position, the passage of current is again temporarily performed. An electromagnetic attracting force is temporarily generated and a moving speed of movable part is decreased by the attracting force.
US09341175B2

A seal for a pump includes a seal housing configured to be received in a housing of the pump and a seal assembly received in the seal housing. The seal further includes a seal holder receiving at least a portion of the seal assembly, the seal holder being configured to rotate with respect to the seal housing. The seal also includes a guide coupled to the seal housing and retaining the seal holder, such that the seal holder rotates with respect to the seal housing, wherein during operation of the pump, the seal holder and a portion of the seal assembly rotate. A pump includes the pump seal, and a method for refurbishing a pump seal includes removing and replacing at least a portion of a seal assembly of the pump seal, wherein refurbishing the pump seal does not require removing a pump shaft from the pump.
US09341163B2

A wind-turbine control device controls a wind turbine generator in which a rotor having a plurality of blades receives wind and rotates. The generator generates electrical power through the rotation of the rotor. The electrical power is supplied to a utility grid, and electric energy to be supplied to the utility grid can be changed according to a change in the frequency of the utility grid. The wind-turbine control device includes a subtracter to calculate a frequency change, which is the difference between a measurement value of the frequency of generated output power of the wind turbine generator and a set value of the frequency of the generated output power of the wind turbine generator. The wind-turbine control device further includes a limiter to limit a change in the electrical power corresponding to the frequency change calculated by the subtracter, based on the rotational speed of the generator.
US09341158B2

Noise produced by the blades of a wind turbine electric generator is reduced by creating randomly varied serrations on the trailing edge of the blade, thereby creating vortices of varying size, energy, and distance from the trailing edge. This configuration creates vortices that tend to cancel one another while avoiding the creation of adjacent, mutually reinforcing vortices.
US09341156B2

A glow plug is provided that can be easily determined as to whether or not it is a new article. An additional circuit formed by connecting a diode, a fuse, and an adjusting resistor in series in this order is connected in parallel to a heating element of a glow plug. The diode is provided so as to have an anode located on the positive electrode side of the heating element and a cathode located on the fuse side. In the case of a unit inspection, by applying a positive voltage for test to a heating element negative electrode connecting portion, it is possible to determine whether or not the glow plug is normal without blowing the fuse before the glow plug is used in a vehicle.
US09341149B2

The invention relates to a device (6) for channeling a stream of feed gas for an internal combustion engine, said device (6) being able to be installed at least facing an exchanger (7) for the thermal conditioning of the stream of gas, the device comprises a first canal (15), referred to as central canal, for the circulation of the stream of gas, delimited by a first part (19) of a wall (17) and intended to channel the stream of gas toward a first zone (20) of a face (40) of the exchanger (7), said device comprising at least one second canal (16), referred to as lateral canal, for the circulation of the stream of gas, delimited by a second part (27) of the wall (17) and intended to channel the stream of gas toward a second zone (28) of said face (40) of the exchanger (7). The invention also relates to an intake airbox of an internal combustion engine and to an air inlet box of said airbox equipped with such a device. It further relates to an air intake module of an internal combustion engine comprising such an airbox.
US09341148B2

An engine includes a fuel tank with a fuel tank body defining an internal fuel tank volume for containing a fuel, a vent conduit integrally formed with the fuel tank body, and an air cleaner system including an air cleaner housing defining an internal air cleaner volume. The vent conduit extends between an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture. The inlet aperture is in fluid communication with the internal fuel tank volume. An opening is formed in the air cleaner housing and the vent conduit extends through the opening. The outlet aperture of the vent conduit is positioned within the internal air cleaner volume and the vent conduit provides fluid communication between the internal fuel tank volume and the internal air cleaner volume.
US09341146B2

An exhaust-gas recirculation module for an internal combustion engine includes an outer housing, an exhaust-gas cooler comprising an inner housing arranged within the outer housing, an exhaust-gas recirculation valve arranged upstream of the exhaust-gas cooler, an exhaust-gas duct formed in the outer housing arranged upstream of the exhaust-gas recirculation valve, and a coolant channel arranged between the inner housing and the exhaust-gas duct.
US09341144B2

An apparatus controls an internal combustion engine provided with an EGR device having an EGR passage and an EGR valve that is provided in the EGR passage and can adjust an EGR amount. This apparatus includes a controller that estimates state parameters of the internal combustion engine that affect the behavior of the EGR gas within a predetermined period of time; sets constraints on the EGR amount within the predetermined period on the basis of an approximated dynamics obtained by approximating a true dynamics, which is a transition of the EGR amount within the predetermined period, so that approximated values do not exceed the true dynamics; determines a target value of the EGR amount according to the estimated state parameters within a range of the EGR amount on which the constraints that have been set; and controls the EGR valve so that the EGR amount becomes the determined target value.
US09341142B2

The present disclosure relates to a beam, in particular for a cascade thrust reverser, including a skin made of a composite material and defining a closed section, wherein said beam is filled with a core material.
US09341141B2

The present invention relates to a low signature jet engine outlet comprising movable border segments forming at least one circular arc and being movable radially for controlling the form and area of the outlet, at least one stationary border element for defining the form and area of the outlet, and movable coupling means for connecting the at least one circular arc to the at least one stationary border element. The coupling means are movable along a connection part of the at least one stationary border element, and the connection part of the at least one stationary border element is substantially flat and extending in a substantially radial direction of the at least one circular arc.
US09341139B2

Provided is a drive device efficiently converting thermal energy of a vertical high-temperature tank and a vertical low-temperature tank into a drive force. The volume variable container (11) at a vertical high-temperature tank (1) side is supported on the forward side of a horizontal communication pipe (7) in the travel direction, and the volume variable container (12) at a vertical low-temperature tank (2) is supported on the rear side of the horizontal communication pipe (7) in the travel direction, and enclosed gas is transferred by a pressure difference between the volume variable container (11) and the volume variable container (12). A travel belt 4 travels with respect to an insulation wall (3) due to a total buoyancy difference (F1−F2) between the total buoyancy (F1) of the buoyancy of the volume variable container (11) and the total buoyancy (F2) of the buoyancy of the volume variable container (12).
US09341136B2

An engine is provided. The engine includes a thermal set composite cylinder block including a front engine cover attachment interface and a transmission attachment interface and a cylinder liner integrally molded with the composite cylinder block, the cylinder liner defining a portion of a boundary of a cylinder. The engine further includes a bulkhead insert extending through the thermal set composite cylinder block and is directly coupled to a cylinder head.
US09341133B2

A fuel control system of a vehicle includes an injection control module and a command module. The injection control module determines a first target amount of fuel for a combustion event of an engine. A command module selectively command the injection control module to provide two fuel injections when a torque request decreases. In response to the command, the injection control module: determines second and third target amounts of fuel based on the first target amount; provides a first fuel injection during the combustion event based on the second target amount; and provides a second fuel injection during a compression stroke of the combustion event based on the third target amount.
US09341132B2

System for controlling an after-treatment system (ATS) temperature of a combustion engine, comprising means for carrying out an after-treatment warm up procedure, the system providing the interruption/inhibition of such warm-up means after a time period from the warm up procedure starting.
US09341131B2

Various systems and methods are described for controlling operation of a motor vehicle based on a sensor. One example method comprises receiving sensed parameter data from the sensor, receiving calibration data from the sensor, and adjusting a vehicle operating parameter in response to the sensed parameter data and the calibration data.
US09341130B2

A vehicle control device for controlling an engine and an electric pump includes a relay having a contact part for connecting and disconnecting a power source to the electric pump, an engine stop instruction switch provided between the power source and a coil part of the relay for connecting and disconnecting the power source to and from the coil part. A control unit for controlling the engine and the relay and determining whether or not operation of the engine stop instruction switch is made. The control unit includes a port to which the coil part and a drive part are connected for switching current application of the coil part, a detection part for detecting a current flowing to the port, and a determiner for determining whether or not the operation of the engine stop instruction switch is made based on a detection result of the detection part.
US09341129B2

Various methods for inferring oil viscosity and/or oil viscosity index in an internal combustion engine are provided. In one example, a new control method comprises cranking the engine during a start mode with an electric motor connected to a substantially constant source of electrical power, inferring engine oil viscosity based at least on engine oil temperature and speed of the engine while being cranked by the electric motor during the start mode, and correcting an operating parameter of the engine based on the inferred engine oil viscosity.
US09341126B2

External data from a second computer external to a vehicle is received in an in-vehicle computer comprising a processor and a memory. At least one derived datum is generated from at least some of the external data. The at least one derived datum is used to make an adjustment to engine performance.
US09341122B2

An exhaust brake may include an exhaust pipe configured to include an exhaust upstream and an exhaust downstream, a butterfly configured to be mounted between the exhaust upstream and the exhaust downstream in the exhaust pipe, a bypass pipe configured to include a bypass upstream starting between the exhaust upstream and the butterfly and a bypass downstream ending between the butterfly and the exhaust downstream, and a check valve configured to be mounted between the bypass upstream and the bypass downstream. The piston head of a piston of the check valve may be disposed at the bypass downstream and a direction in which the piston head moves to the bypass downstream is a direction in which the check valve is opened.
US09341119B2

In one aspect, a turbine engine is provided. The engine includes a fan, a core engine case configured to receive a core airflow, and an inner fan case. An inner air bypass is defined between the core engine case and the inner fan case, and the engine further includes an outer fan case, an outer air bypass defined between the inner fan case and the outer fan case, a first heat exchanger arranged in the core engine case, the first heat exchanger providing heat exchange between the liquid and the core airflow to cool the core airflow, and a second heat exchanger arranged in the outer air bypass. The second heat exchanger is fluidly coupled to the first heat exchanger to receive the cooled core airflow. The second heat exchanger provides heat exchange between cooled core airflow and the second portion of airflow to further cool the cooled core airflow.
US09341114B2

A method for operating a gas power plant is provided, having a gas turbine which has a compressor stage and a turbine stage, and is connected to a generator via an axle, wherein the generator is designed to also be operated as a motor, wherein the method involves the operation of the generator as a motor for the rotatory operation of the axle, as well as a simultaneous discharge of the heated gas flow exiting from the turbine stage and routing of said gas flow to a first heat exchanger for the transfer of thermal energy from the gas flow to a heat exchanger fluid, wherein the heat exchanger fluid is provided to either discharge thermal energy to a heat accumulating medium or it can be used an accumulating medium itself for temporary storage.
US09341113B2

An attemperation system and an atomizing air system are integrated for a combined cycle turbine including a gas turbine and a steam turbine. The atomizing air system receives compressor discharge air for fuel atomization. The atomizing air system includes an atomizing air cooler that serves to cool the compressor discharge air. A heat recovery steam generator receives exhaust from the gas turbine and generates steam for input to the steam turbine via an attemperation system. A feed water circuit draws feed water from the heat recovery steam generator and communicates in a heat exchange relationship with the atomizing air cooler to heat the feed water. The feed water circuit communicates the heated feed water to the attemperation system of the heat recovery steam generator.
US09341110B2

An internal combustion engine may include a bushing defining an external circumferential diameter and an aperture defining an internal circumferential diameter. A center defined by the external circumferential diameter and a center defined by the internal circumferential diameter are offset with respect to one another. The internal circumferential diameter is operably coupled to a crankpin, and the external circumferential diameter is operably coupled to a connecting rod, thereby operably coupling the connecting rod to the crankpin. The engine may further include a bushing control assembly, wherein the bushing control assembly is configured to delay initiation of a power stroke of the engine until a crankshaft of the engine has rotated at least about 15 degrees beyond a first stroke termination angle of a compression stroke of the engine.
US09341104B2

A cylinder cooling construction includes a cylinder liner with a sidewall, exhaust and intake ports opening through the sidewall, a bore, and a plurality of feed channels that are formed with and extend along the sidewall from a central band of the cylinder toward the exhaust and intake ports. A sleeve covering the sidewall includes a plurality of impingement jet ports that are arranged in at least one sequence extending around the central band and that are in liquid communication with the plurality of feed channels. An annular member disposed between the liner and the sleeve reinforces the central band. The sleeve further includes an inside surface with spaced-apart annular recesses that with the sidewall define liquid coolant reservoirs in the vicinity of the ports that are in liquid communication with the feed channels. Channels through bridges of exhaust port have first ends in liquid communication with the coolant reservoir in the vicinity of the exhaust port and second ends that open through a portion of an exhaust end of the cylinder.
US09341103B2

The present invention refers to a device (1) for water circulation in a cooling circuit of an internal combustion engine (3). The device comprises a pump and a suction chamber (8) which develop in a circular way around the axis of the pump impeller. The device comprises also a water manifold (50) that can be connected to the outlet of a radiator (40) of said cooling circuit. The device comprises a first duct (5) connected to the manifold and a first opening (5′) which defines an axial inlet for said first flow in said chamber (8). The device comprises also a second duct (6) connected to the manifold (50) and to the suction chamber (8′) by means of a second opening (6′). The latter defines a tangential intake for water, so that it is subject to a rotation around the axis of the impeller. The device further comprises flow rate partition means (9) suitable to vary the flow rate of the water circulating in both ducts (5,6) as a function of the operating conditions of said engine.
US09341102B2

Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure may provide a muffler comprising an enclosure. The enclosure, in one example, may include a relatively thin volume fittable under a preselected feature of a vehicle, and at least one relatively thick volume fittable alongside the preselected feature. The enclosure may also include an exhaust gas entry port and a tailpipe exit port. In one example, partitions may be within the thin volume forming an expansion chamber at the entry port and a tailpipe extension at the exit port.
US09341100B2

A system for adding and processing reducing agent includes an injector connected to a reducing agent metering unit and which can spray a jet of reducing agent into the exhaust gas. A mixing pipe is disposed in an exhaust pipe of the internal combustion engine and a funnel element is disposed on or in the mixing pipe in the region of the first mixing pipe end. The mixing pipe and the funnel element are formed as hollow bodies having perforated outer surfaces, the perforation of the mixing pipe has a larger surface area than the perforation of the funnel element. The funnel element has a passage opening on the end of the funnel element assigned to the first mixing pipe end, and the reducing agent metering unit is disposed such that the injector sprays the jet of reducing agent through the passage opening into the interior of the funnel element.
US09341091B2

A hydraulic valve for a pivot motor adjustment device of a camshaft, the hydraulic valve including a valve housing with a longitudinal axis and a valve piston that is axially moveable in the valve housing along the longitudinal axis, wherein a first operating connection of the valve housing and a second operating connection of the valve housing is openable and closable by the valve piston, wherein the first operating connection and the second operating connection are axially offset from one another; and a supply connection of the valve housing, wherein the supply connection supplies the hydraulic valve with hydraulic fluid fed by a feed device, wherein the hydraulic fluid flows through the hydraulic valve on different paths defined by a flowable channel system of the valve piston.
US09341084B2

Aspects of the invention disclosed herein generally provide heat engine systems and methods for recovering energy, such as by generating electricity from thermal energy. In one configuration, a heat engine system contains a working fluid (e.g., sc-CO2) within a working fluid circuit, two heat exchangers configured to be thermally coupled to a heat source (e.g., waste heat), two expanders, two recuperators, two pumps, a condenser, and a plurality of valves configured to switch the system between single/dual-cycle modes. In another aspect, a method for recovering energy may include monitoring a temperature of the heat source, operating the heat engine system in the dual-cycle mode when the temperature is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and subsequently, operating the heat engine system in the single-cycle mode when the temperature is less than the threshold value.
US09341083B2

A turbofan engine nacelle has a downstream section which includes at least one front frame. The front frame is attached to a stationary portion of the nacelle, and the downstream section is provided with at least one rail or slide which extends in a longitudinal direction of the nacelle and is capable of engaging with at least one corresponding slide or rail of an attachment pylon of the turbofan engine. The front frame is connected to the rail or slide of the downstream section by means of at least one swiveled connecting rod.
US09341080B2

A gas turbine engine includes a fan, a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section. A fan drive gear system is configured for driving the fan at a speed different than the turbine section. A lubricant system includes a lubricant pump delivering lubricant to an outlet line. The outlet line splits into at least a hot line and into a cool line. The hot line is directed primarily to locations in the gas turbine engine that are not intended to receive cooler lubricant. The cool line is directed through one or more heat exchangers at which the lubricant is cooled, and the cool line then is routed to the fan drive gear system. At least one of the one or more heat exchangers is a fuel/oil cooler at which lubricant will be cooled by fuel leading to the combustion section. The fuel/oil cooler is downstream of a point where the outlet line splits into the at least the hot line and the cool line, such that the hot line is not directed through the fuel/oil cooler. A method is also disclosed.
US09341075B2

A device for use with a gas turbine engine having an augmentor downstream includes a variable area mixing plane upstream of the turbine exhaust case for receiving core stream flow and fan stream flow. A swirl vane induces swirl in the fan stream flow and directs that stream flow to a mixing cavity to mix with the core stream and flow to the turbine exhaust case. A splitter proximate the swirl inducing vane diverts fan stream flow to an exhaust line to cool the fan case during operation of the augmentor.
US09341074B2

Active clearance control systems for gas turbine engines are disclosed. An example active clearance control system may include a generally circumferentially mounted spray tube comprising a plurality of impingement holes arranged to impinge thermal control air on a clearance control component of a case; a rigid mounting assembly substantially rigidly coupling the spray tube to the case; and/or a sliding mounting assembly coupling the spray tube to the case while permitting limited relative movement between the spray tube and the case in a direction generally parallel with an engine axis. The sliding mount may be coupled to the case generally axially forward of the rigid mount. A ratio of the stand-off distance to the impingement hole diameter may be less than about 8. A ratio of the arc spacing to the impingement hole diameter may be less than about 15.
US09341068B2

A blade avoids fretting damage while reducing stress occurring at the neck portion caused by a stress relief groove. The blade is disposed on an outer periphery of a rotor, and includes a blade portion, a dovetail portion for holding the blade on the rotor, a platform portion that connects the dovetail portion and the blade portion, and a stress relief groove that connects a side surface of the platform portion and a blade load bearing surface of the dovetail portion. The dovetail portion has a width that increases toward its bottom side within a range from a connection point between the side surface of the platform portion and the stress relief groove to a connection point between the dovetail portion and the stress relief groove.
US09341067B2

A blade arrangement with a rotor and a plurality of blades which are distributed in a ring along the circumference of the rotor is provided. Two immediately adjacent blades of the ring form a blade pair, between the blades of which a damping element is arranged, and wherein the respective damping element comes into contact with the two blades of the blade pair assigned to them during a rotation of the rotor about a rotor axis as a result of a centrifugal force which acts in the radial direction. In order to bring about frequency detuning of the oscillation properties of blades, as a result of which machining of the turbine blade becomes unnecessary, it is proposed that the blade ring has at least two blade pairs with different damping elements.
US09341042B2

The present application includes a tool configured to prevent bidirectional passage through a pipe or wellhead. The tool includes at least a housing and a latch. The housing is coupled to the wellhead. The housing has an interior volume in communication with an interior volume of the wellhead through an aperture. The wellhead has a central axis. The latch is pivotally coupled to the interior of the housing and oriented so as to pivot within a plane parallel to the central axis. The latch is configured to selectively enter and exit the interior of the wellhead between a first orientation and a second orientation. The tool may further include a tube to be coupled in axial alignment with the wellhead or pipe.
US09341041B2

A cutting device, safety valve and method are for severing an object in the safety valve for a well, wherein the cutting device is structured for incorporation in the safety valve. The cutting device and the safety valve comprise a housing having a through bore structured for passing the object therethrough.The cutting device/safety valve comprises at least one induction coil device disposed in the housing, and around at least a portion of the bore of the housing.The induction coil device is directed inwards in the direction of the bore and is structured for optional, cutting-promoting heating, hence thermal structural weakening, of the object when located vis-à-vis the induction coil device.The induction coil device is structured in a manner allowing it to be connected to at least one electric power source for supply of electric power for heating.The housing comprises a heat-insulating portion disposed between the induction coil device and the housing.
US09341035B2

An apparatus for, and method of, lowering items from a drilling rig to a well located below it through the use of a landing string comprised of drill pipe having an enlarged diameter section with a shoulder, in combination with upper and lower holders having wedge members with shoulders that engage and support the drill pipe at the shoulder of the enlarged diameter section, the shoulder of the drill pipe and the shoulders of the wedge members being rotatable with respect to each other.
US09341018B2

A flood proof door and window unit includes a sealing flange around at least a portion of the perimeter of the door. A flood proof window is positioned within a cut out formed in the door. The window assembly is water tight so that the unit may be used in applications where it is desirable to provide a transparent window in a flood proof door.
US09341017B2

A process for making a door structure and particularly a fibrous panel member for a subdoor structure. The process includes mixing a porous fiber material with a MDI adhesive. The fiber construct is compressed between a pair of porous belts. Steam and heat are applied to the compressed construct to form a bound flexible constructing material. The material is then placed within a door structure to form a fire resistant door.
US09341014B2

An information communication method that enables communication between various devices is an information communication method of transmitting a signal using a change in luminance, and includes: determining a pattern of the change in luminance, by modulating the signal to be transmitted; and transmitting the signal, by a plurality of light emitters changing in luminance according to the determined pattern of the change in luminance, wherein the plurality of light emitters are arranged on a surface so that a non-luminance change area does not extend across the surface between the plurality of light emitters along at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of the surface, the non-luminance change area being an area in the surface outside the plurality of light emitters and not changing in luminance.
US09341013B2

There is provided an automatic door sensor device (1) capable of preventing a door (3) which is transitioning from an open position to a closed position from being erroneously detected as an object by temporarily changing a detection area (A, C2, C3). The automatic door sensor device (1) includes a doorway area sensor (7a) that detects the presence of an object in a doorway area (B) which includes at least a portion of an area defined by the path of a door (3), detectors (6, 7b) that detect the presence and/or the movement of an object in changeable detection areas (A, C2, C3), and a detection area changer (31) that changes the detection areas (A, C2, C3) when it is determined, by using the doorway area sensor (7a), that the door (3) is transitioning from an open position to a closed position.
US09341005B2

The invention relates to a handle device for a lock unit (7) of a vehicle, comprising a handle part (10) which is movably mounted relative to a door (5) of the vehicle, a locking unit (40) for preventing unintentional opening of the door (5) caused by accelerations acting upon the handle part (10), especially accelerations such as they act upon the vehicle during a crash, the locking unit (40) being displaceable between a locking position (1) and a release position (2), and a movement of the handle part (10) being enabled in the release position (2) and a movement of the handle part (10) being disabled in the locking position (1). The invention is characterized in that an actuating unit (50) is actively connected to the locking unit (40) such that the locking unit (40) can be brought from the locking position (1) into the release position (2) when the actuating unit (50) is activated.
US09340994B2

A portable shelter with low emissivity is provided for sheltering materials or human occupants at a remote location. The shelter has a flexible, multi-layer cover, including a vinyl material, reflective material located inside and immediately adjacent to the vinyl material, and insulation material located inside the reflective material. The low-ε vinyl cover is lightweight and thermally efficient. The shelter may be adapted for use with interior-climate control equipment at the remote location.
US09340993B2

A self-bracing shelter includes a frame and a skin. First and second subframes are arranged in vertical planes, each including first and second feet and a central portion. A ridge beam extends axially between the first and second subframes and includes opposite first and second ends that extend axially beyond the first and second subframes, respectively, such that the opposite ends of the beam are located outside a footprint of a planform defined by the feet of the subframes. A first pair of outer tension members is connected between the first end of the beam and the first subframe on opposite sides of the beam. A second pair of outer tension members is connected between the second end of the beam and the second subframe on opposite sides of the beam.
US09340992B2

The present invention is provided with a collapsible mechanism at the top of a collapsible tent, which comprises a top base and at least two sets of supporting pole sets. The top base comprises an upper pivot base, a lower pivot base and a vertical pole to fix the upper pivot base and the lower pivot base; at least two sets of supporting pole sets are connected to the top base and arranged annularly; each of the supporting pole set comprises a sub-pole, a connecting base and a supporting pole, a first end of the sub-pole is pivot joint with the lower pivot base, a second end of the sub-pole is pivot joint with the supporting pole, the connecting base is pivot joint with the upper pivot base, the connecting base is slidably connected to the sub-pole and form a flexible structure.
US09340991B2

The present invention comprises an anchored support to buttress a column, comprising at least one rigid member configured to be coupled to at least one section of a column; and at least an additional rigid member configured to be detachably coupled to the at least one rigid member and configured to be positioned at least partially within a supportive medium, wherein the at least an additional rigid member comprises a structure configured to prevent rotation of the at least an additional member.
US09340987B2

A ride is formed comprising a channel forming a closed loop. The channel is able to receive water. Wave forming means are provided operable to create a wave, when the channel contains water, such that the wave will progress around the channel. The wave is of sufficient size to enable aquatic pastimes to be performed on the wave.
US09340978B2

Provided herein are connectors for use in assembling reinforced concrete structures, as well as methods of assembly using the connectors. In one embodiment, the connectors and methods provide for secure and easy connection to the butt end of any rebar rod, as well as attachment of an opposite end to another metal structure. For example, a butt portion of a connector slides over the butt portion of a rebar rod, and can include one or more sidewall openings to allow welding onto rebar that is enclosed within the butt portion of the connector. The opposite second end can include a faceplate for attaching a weld plate, thus permitting a series of connections using connectors and weld plates, among other things. The connectors provide selected properties that differ from the rebar, welds, and weld plates, such as stretch, yield strength, ultimate strength, and transfer of stress and vibration, among other things.
US09340974B2

Floor panels are shown, which are provided with a mechanical locking system comprising tongue and grooves provided with protrusions and cavities which are displaceable in relation to each other and configured such that the protrusions can obtain a vertically unlocked position where they match the cavities and a vertically locked position where the protrusions overlap each other.
US09340973B2

An assembly for a structure comprises a support and a panel. The panel may be a glass panel. The assembly further comprises a structural adhesive, which couples the panel to the support. The structural adhesive may comprise a silicone. The structural adhesive h a first coupling surface facing the support and a second coupling surface spaced from the first coupling surface and facing the interior surface of the panel. The structural adhesive has a substantially right-trapezoidal cross-section, which is oriented in a certain direction relative to the panel and the support. The first coupling surface is sloped relative to the second coupling surface of the structural adhesive thereby reducing stress in the assembly due to environmental load subjected on the structure, such as wind load. Other supports and assemblies are also provided. The assembly may be used to form curtain walls, window walls, sky-lights, etc.
US09340967B2

Panels can join to form a structural module via slotting, abutment, and rotational symmetry. The slots allow for assembly without additional fastening. Modules can range in shape and size, while conforming to the interlocking configuration between the panels. Panels can be joined to form various structures with similar connective features. The panel's combinability via the slots makes possible many structural forms and re-configurable applications.
US09340965B2

A storm water nutrient separating vault has a floatable filter basket therein for collecting debris entering the storm water filter vault which basket rises and falls with the water level in the vault. The floatable filter basket has a pair of swiveling trucks attached thereto. Each truck is supported on a generally vertical track mounted to a wall of the vault on one side of the vault's inlet and has a plurality of rollers riding in the track. The floatable filter basket can therefore swivel or tilt while rising or falling with the water level in the vault to maintain an opening in the nutrient collecting basket in front of the vault's inlet for capturing floating debris in the storm water entering the vault.
US09340958B2

A mixing valve includes a cold water inlet, a hot water inlet, and an outlet, first and second flow control valves for controlling the flow of hot and cold water. Each of the first and second flow control valves include a valve inlet, first and second valve outlets communicating with the outlet, and a valve member assembly to control the flow of water through the first and second valve outlets. Each valve member assembly includes a first valve member configured to engage with a first valve seat and a second valve member configured to engage with a second, separate, valve seat. The first valve member is configured to be urged closed by water entering through the valve inlet and the second valve member is configured to be urged open by water entering through the valve inlet such that water exerts substantially no net force on the valve members.
US09340951B2

An apparatus for collecting surface seabed sediment. A cylindrical cover part is connected to a trigger, has an open bottom end, and has a position maintaining part disposed therein. A holder part is coupled with the position maintaining part, and has a longitudinal hollow space defined therein. A pipe-shaped sediment collecting part is detachably coupled at one end with a bottom end of the cover part, and has a receiving space defined therein, such that seabed sediment is accommodated within the receiving space. A head part is disposed at one end thereof on the other end of the sediment collecting part, has a hollow space defined therein, and has an insert blade on a periphery. A catcher part is disposed on an inner circumference of the head part, and allows seabed sediment to enter the receiving space of the sediment collecting part while preventing the collected sediment from being lost.
US09340950B2

A work vehicle including a hydraulic circuit having a cooled return line with a cooler, a bypass return line that bypasses the cooler on the cooled return line, and a controller that electronically controls the flow of hydraulic fluid between the cooled return line and the bypass return line.
US09340930B2

A removable and serviceable paving apparatus including an access port for providing access to the interior of the slab. The access port is operable to improve access to components of the paving system prior to, during, and/or after installation. The paving apparatus further includes a removable fastener for improving removability and serviceability. The removable fastener attaches the paving apparatus to its neighboring structures to form a paving surface, may be disengaged from the neighboring structures for removal, repair and/or service of the paving apparatus, and may be re-engaged upon re-installation of the paving apparatus.
US09340928B2

A tearing tape which is composed of paper for severing a paper web which moves from a system for producing paper and is wound up on drums, in order as a result to make it possible for it to be wound onto an empty drum. Here, the tearing tape, in cross-section, has a central tape part and two lateral tape parts. The central tape part has a thickness that is at least 1.5 times greater than a thickness of the lateral tape parts.
US09340925B2

A rope structure or method of forming a rope structure comprises a rope comprising a plurality of strands. The rope comprises first and second splice locations, an eye region between the first and second splice locations, and a main region. The main region of the rope is located adjacent to the first splice location and in an opposite direction along the rope from the eye region. At least one of the strands is a selected strand. An extracted portion of the at least one selected strand is extracted from the rope and inserted into the rope such that a bridge portion of the at least one selected strand extends between the first and second splice locations and a diameter of the rope is substantially consistent in the main region.
US09340924B2

The invention is directed to a braided chemical fibre cable in which at least one electric conductor is contained, in which the cable is thermally stretched together with the conductor contained therein.
US09340914B2

Fibrous structures and more particularly to fibrous structures that have a surface containing a surface pattern having a plurality of parallel line elements, such as sinusoidal parallel line elements, and methods for making same are provided.
US09340909B2

A nonwoven fabric that is easily deformed but resistant to collapse, and that has excellent air permeability in the planar direction. The nonwoven fabric comprises continuous fibers and bonded sections formed by bonding multiple fibers including the continuous fibers, wherein the nonwoven fabric comprises a first side and a second side on the side opposite the first side, the first side comprises a plurality of projections, each projection including at least one bonded section, a plurality of projections including no bonded section, and at least one recess, the second side comprises a plurality of recesses, each recess overlapping with at least a part of the projection of the first side, and the coefficient of variation of the diameters of the continuous fibers is at least 10%.
US09340907B2

The invention relates to a yarn containing siliconized micro-denier polyester fibers and macro-denier fibers. The blending ratio of the siliconized micro-denier polyester fibers and macro-denier fibers in the yarn ranges between about 10 to about 90 and about 90 to about 10 percent by weight. The macro-denier fiber of the yarn is selected from the group consisting of a synthetic fiber, a natural fiber, and a combination of synthetic and natural fibers. The invention also relates to a woven or knitted fabric and articles of clothing containing the yarn of the invention, either alone or in combination with other yarns.
US09340905B2

The invention is directed to carbon fibers having high tensile strength and modulus of elasticity. The invention also provides a method and apparatus for making the carbon fibers. The method comprises advancing a precursor fiber through an oxidation oven wherein the fiber is subjected to controlled stretching in an oxidizing atmosphere in which tension loads are distributed amongst a plurality of passes through the oxidation oven, which permits higher cumulative stretches to be achieved. The method also includes subjecting the fiber to controlled stretching in two or more of the passes that is sufficient to cause the fiber to undergo one or more transitions in each of the two or more passes. The invention is also directed to an oxidation oven having a plurality of cooperating drive rolls in series that can be driven independently of each other so that the amount of stretch applied to the oven in each of the plurality of passes can be independently controlled.
US09340901B2

Polysilicon rods from the Siemens process are crushed into fragments and further processed to fragments having very low metal contamination in an economical manner by purposefully fabricating parts contacting the polysilicon from materials which cause high metal contamination, and removing the metal contamination by a cleaning bath or baths tailored to the particular metal contamination. By this process, economical materials previously scrupulously avoided, such as low alloy steel, can be used for crushers, conveyors, and other polysilicon-contacting parts of the crushing and classifying system.
US09340898B2

A technology for growing silicon carbide single crystals by PVT (Physical Vapor Transport) and a technology for in-situ annealing the crystals after growth is finished is provided. The technology can achieve real-time dynamic control of the temperature distribution of growth chamber by regulating the position of the insulation layer on the upper part of the graphite crucible, thus controlling the temperature distribution of growth chamber in real-time during the growth process according to the needs of the technology, which helps to significantly improve the crystal quality and production yield. After growth is finished, the inert gas pressure in growth chamber is raised and the temperature gradient of the growth chamber is reduced so that in-situ annealing the silicon carbide crystals can be carried out under a small one, which helps to reduce the stress between the crystal and the crucible lid as well as that in sublimation grown crystals to reduce the breakage ratio and improve the yield ratio during the subsequent fabrication process.
US09340893B2

Apparatus and methods for electroplating are described. Apparatus described herein include anode supports including positioning mechanisms that maintain a consistent distance between the surface of the wafer and the surface of a consumable anode during plating. Greater uniformity control is achieved.
US09340877B2

A method of reducing surface roughness of a resist feature disposed on a substrate includes generating a plasma having a plasma sheath and ions therein. A shape of the boundary between the plasma and plasma sheath is modified using a plasma sheath modifier, so that a portion of the boundary facing the substrate is not parallel to a plane defined by the substrate. During a first exposure, the resist feature is exposed to electromagnetic radiation having a desired wavelength and the ions are accelerated across the boundary having the modified shape toward the resist features over an angular range.
US09340873B2

Provided is a semiconductor device manufacturing method including: (a) supplying a source gas containing a first element and chlorine to a substrate accommodated in a processing chamber to form an adsorption layer of the source gas on the substrate; (b) supplying a chlorine-containing gas having a composition different from that of the source gas to the substrate while supplying the sources gas before an adsorption of the source gas to the substrate is saturated to suppress the adsorption of the source gas to the substrate; (c) removing the source gas and the chlorine-containing gas remaining on the substrate; (d) supplying a modifying gas including a second element to the substrate to form a layer including the first element and the second element on the substrate by modifying the adsorption layer of the source gas; and (e) removing the modifying gas remaining on the substrate.
US09340862B2

Disclosed is a thermal spray powder of granulated and sintered cermet particles, which contains tungsten carbide or chromium carbide, and a silicon-containing iron-based alloy. The content of the alloy in the thermal spray powder is preferably 5 to 40% by mass. In this case, the alloy contains silicon in a content of 0.1 to 10% by mass.
US09340858B2

Metal ingots for forming single-crystal shape-memory alloys (SMAs) may be fabricated with high reliability and control by alloying thin layers of material together. In this improved method, a reactive layer (e.g., aluminum) is provided in thin flat layers between layers of other materials (e.g., copper and layers of nickel). When the stacked layers are vacuum heated in a crucible to the melting temperature of the reactive layer, it becomes reactive and chemically bonds to the other layers, and may form eutectics that, as the temperature is further increased, melt homogeneously and congruently at temperatures below the melting temperatures of copper and nickel. Oxidation and evaporation are greatly reduced compared to other methods of alloying, and loss of material from turbulence is minimized.
US09340853B2

The invention relates to an alloy permitting to replace the current CuBe alloy, soon to be prohibited by the various environmental directives because of the presence of Be and for which there is currently no substitution alloy with similar desired thermal and mechanical properties for measuring physical parameters, notably in aeronautics. This alloy is a Cu—Al—Ni—Fe alloy and the balance is copper. It contains from 3.8 to 4.4 wt % aluminum, from 4.2 to 5 wt % nickel, from 1.7 to 5 wt % iron, additives including silicon, manganese, chromium and titanium, silicon being present at less than 0.8 wt %, manganese being present at less than 0.15 wt %, chromium being present at less than 0.3 wt %, titanium being present at less than 0.1 wt %, the other chemical elements having contents by weight of less than 1%, each being present at less than 0.05 wt % and the balance is copper.
US09340851B2

Provided are a device and a method for preprocessing metallic magnesium. The device includes a chamber, a heating device mounted in the chamber, a gas inlet port mounted on the chamber, and a gas evacuation port mounted on the chamber. The gas inlet port is connected to external inert gas supply equipment for supplying an inert gas into the chamber. The gas evacuation port is connected to an external vacuum evacuation device to evacuate the chamber to vacuum. The heating device functions to heat metallic magnesium having an oxidized surface so as to sublimate a layer of magnesium oxide formed on the surface of the metallic magnesium in a vacuum environment to thereby obtain pure metallic magnesium.
US09340847B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to methods of manufacturing steel tubes that can be used for mining exploration, and rods made by the same. Embodiments of the methods include a quenching of steel tubes from an austenitic temperature prior to a cold drawing, thereby increasing mechanical properties within the steel tube, such as yield strength, impact toughness, hardness, and abrasion resistance. Embodiments of the methods reduce the manufacturing step of quenching and tempering ends of a steel tube to compensate for wall thinning during threading operations. Embodiments of the methods also tighten dimensional tolerances and reduce residual stresses within steel tubes.
US09340844B2

An induction hardening apparatus and methods are provided. The induction hardening apparatus includes a feed line having first and second ends. A coil assembly is positioned between the first and second ends. The feed line includes a support arrangement for supporting two workpieces against one another and transferring the workpieces simultaneously through the coil assembly along a feed axis defined by the feed line.
US09340841B2

The invention relates to control of pathogen caused diseases on leaves, fruits and ears in plants, such as apple scab (Venturia inaequalis by treatment of plant with an isolate of Cladosporium cladosporioides. The treatment is effective in both prevention and treatment of the fungal infection.
US09340838B2

Methods and compositions for detecting, identifying, and quantifying Brassica A genomic DNA are described. The methods are specific to the Brassica A genome and do not cross-react with other Brassica species, crops or weedy relatives that could contribute to contamination of a canola field.
US09340828B2

The present invention relates to a simple and efficient method to isolate and purify nucleic acids, preferably genomic DNA, from complex samples compared with available methods, by using a ligand which relies on hydrogen bonding to purify the nucleic acids. Preferably the ligand is bound to magnetic beads/particles. More closely the method comprises adding a sample comprising nucleic acid to a polymer having neutral charge; reversibly binding said nucleic acid to said polymer by hydrogen bonding under pH conditions <5; washing said polymer; and eluting said nucleic acid from said polymer under conditions of pH >5. The method is very suitable for sample preparation of nucleic acids, for example for PCR applications.
US09340817B2

Methods of detecting target bacteria are provided. In some embodiments the methods comprise exposing the sample to a phage capable of infecting a set of target bacteria and comprising a heterologous nucleic acid sequence encoding a marker. In some embodiments the target bacteria comprise Listeria. In some embodiments the target bacteria are all Listeria. Recombinant Listeria phage comprising a heterologous nucleic acid sequence encoding a marker are also provided as are useful combinations of such phage and articles of manufacture comprising such phage, among other things.
US09340816B2

Disclosed herein are a gene (polynucleotide) encoding an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase which can be characterized by reactivity to glucose, thermal stability, substrate-recognition performance, and low activity for maltose; a process for the production of the enzyme using a transformant cell transfected with the gene; a method for the determination of glucose; a reagent composition for use in the determination of glucose; and a biosensor for use in the determination of glucose. An embodiment is a polynucleotide encoding an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase, comprising a polypeptide whose amino acid sequence comprises X1-X2-X3-X4-X5-X6, wherein X1 and X2 independently represent an aliphatic amino acid residue; X3 and X6 independently represent a branched amino acid residue; and X4 and X5 independently represent a heterocyclic amino acid residue or an aromatic amino acid residue.
US09340811B2

The objects of the present invention are to provide a cellulase that has activity to produce glucose by hydrolyzing crystalline cellulose and which is suitable for saccharification of crystalline cellulose, such as wood, by enzymatic method; and a method of producing glucose and alcohol from crystalline cellulose by utilizing the cellulase. The objects are solved by cellulase having exo-cellulase activity to produce glucose as a main product and cellobiose as a by-product by hydrolyzing crystalline cellulose; and a method of producing glucose and alcohol from crystalline cellulose by utilizing the cellulase.
US09340808B2

Provision of a composition stably comprising a high concentration of sulfur amino acid derived from a plant belonging to the genus Allium. A method for producing a sulfur amino acid-comprising composition comprising: heating a plant belonging to the genus Allium; treating the plant belonging to the genus Allium thus heated with a γ-glutamyl bond cleaving enzyme; and subjecting the resulting enzyme-treated product to ion exchange chromatography.
US09340801B2

The disclosure relates to variant carboxylic acid reductase (CAR) enzymes for the improved production of fatty alcohols in recombinant host cells.
US09340796B2

Methods and compositions for modulating plant development are provided. Nucleotide sequences and amino acid sequences encoding Ovule Development Protein 2 (ODP2) proteins are provided. The sequences can be used in a variety of methods including modulating development, developmental pathways, altering oil content in a plant, increasing transformation efficiencies, modulating stress tolerance, and modulating the regenerative capacity of a plant. Transformed plants, plant cells, tissues, and seed are also provided.
US09340781B2

The invention provides a method of selecting a representational sample of nucleic acid sequences from a complex mixture. The method includes: (a) contacting a complex mixture of nucleic acids under conditions sufficient for hybridization with a population of capture probes complementary to one or more nucleic acids comprising a predetermined portion of the sequence collectively present in the complex mixture to form hybridization complexes of the one or more nucleic acids with the population of probes, the population of capture probes being attached to a solid support, and (b) removing unhybridized nucleic acids to select a representational sample of nucleic acids having a complexity of less than 10% but more than 0.001% of the complex mixture, wherein the representational sample comprises a nucleic acid copy having a proportion of each sequence in the copy relative to all other sequences in the copy substantially the same as the proportions of the sequences in the predetermined portion of one or more nucleic acids within the complex mixture. A method of selecting a representational sample of genomic sequences from a complete genome also is provided. The invention further provides a nucleic acid population that includes a representational sample having a complexity of less than 10% but more than 0.001% of a complex mixture, the representational sample comprising a nucleic acid copy having a proportion of each sequence in the copy relative to all other sequences in the copy substantially the same as the proportions of sequences in a predetermined portion of a sequence collectively present in one or more nucleic acids within the complex mixture.
US09340778B2

A novel thermoacidophilic pullulanase (Tk-PUL) from hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1 is described here that efficiently hydrolyzes starch under industrial conditions in the absence of any additional metal ions. The gene encoding Tk-PUL was cloned and expressed in E. coli cells. The purified recombinant enzyme possesses the following properties: shows both pullulanase and α-amylase activities, displays highest activity at 95-100° C., active over a broad pH range (3.0-8.5) with optimum working pH 3.5, stable for several hours at 90° C. and displays a half-life of 45 minutes at 100° C., activity and stability are independent of calcium and other metal ions, and hydrolyzes maltotriose. Moreover, recombinant Tk-PUL can be used for single step liquefaction and saccharification of corn starch (without any α-amylase or β-amylase) at pH 4.2 in the absence of calcium.
US09340776B2

Compositions and methods include genetically encoding and expressing a novel Δ9-18:0-ACP desaturase in plant cells. In some embodiments, nucleic acid molecules encode the novel Δ9-18:0-ACP desaturase. In other embodiments, amino acid sequences have Δ9-18:0-ACP desaturase activity. Methods can involve expression of Δ9-18:0-ACP desaturase in plant cells, plant materials, and whole plants for the purpose of increasing the amount of unusual fatty acids in whole plants, plant seeds, and plant materials, for example, seeds.
US09340766B2

The various embodiments disclosed herein relate to improved containers for transporting microorganisms and other living material. Certain embodiments include air-permeable bladders having an air-permeable inner wall and a stronger outer wall having perforations.
US09340761B2

A substrate processing method includes an SPM supplying step of supplying SPM having high temperature to an upper surface of a substrate, a DIW supplying step of supplying, after the SPM supplying step, DIW having room temperature to the upper surface of the substrate to rinse off a liquid remaining on the substrate, and a hydrogen peroxide water supplying step of supplying, after the SPM supplying step and before the DIW supplying step, hydrogen peroxide water of a liquid temperature lower than the temperature of the SPM and not less than room temperature, to the upper surface of the substrate in a state where the SPM remains on the substrate.
US09340758B2

The present invention relates to solvent/cleaner and heat transfer fluid compositions comprising at least one hydrochlorofluoroolefin (HCFO), 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (HCFO-1233zd), particularly the trans-isomer. The HCFO of the present invention can be used in combination with co-agents including, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), hydrocarbons, ethers including hydrofluoroethers (HFEs), esters, ketones, alcohols, 1,2-transdichloroethylene and mixtures thereof.
US09340751B2

The use of certain compounds for masking or decreasing the or one or a plurality of unpleasant olfactory impressions of one or a plurality of substances with an unpleasant odor and/or for enhancing the or one or a plurality of pleasant olfactory impressions of one or a plurality of substances with a pleasant odor and new fragrance mixtures and perfumed products containing such compounds.
US09340743B2

A powder metallurgy lubricant includes an aromatic carboxylic acid represented by a formula (1), (Z)n-Ar—COOH  (1) where Ar represents an aryl group and Z represents a substituent directly bonded to the above aryl group and is one of R, OR, OCOR and COOR, R representing one of an alkyl group, alkenyl group and alkynyl group and n being an integer in a range from 1 to 4. Z may be mutually the same or different when n is 2 or larger.
US09340739B1

A method for recovering methane gas from a landfill involves the use of a main absorber, a flash system, an optional ancillary absorber and an optional polishing absorber. The recovered gas is maintained at a temperature that enhances a solvent's ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the recovered gas. While the main absorber uses the solvent for absorbing most of the carbon dioxide from the recovered gas, the flash system removes much of the carbon dioxide from the solvent exiting the main absorber. In some examples, at least portion of the flash system operates at subatmospheric pressure to create a vacuum that draws in a generally inert stripper gas (e.g., air, nitrogen, etc.) at atmospheric pressure. The stripper gas helps remove carbon dioxide from the solvent in the flash system.
US09340738B2

A process for making cerium-containing oxide nanoparticles includes providing an aqueous reaction mixture containing a source of cerous ion and a source of one or more metal ions (M) other than cerium, a source of hydroxide ion, at least one monoether carboxylic acid nanoparticle stabilizer wherein the molar ratio of said monoether carboxylic acid nanoparticle stabilizers to total metal ions is greater than 0.2, and an oxidant. The cerous ion is oxidized to ceric ion, thereby forming a product dispersion of cerium-containing oxide nanoparticles containing one or more metal ions (M), Ce1-xMxO2-δ, wherein x has a value from about 0.001 to about 0.95 and δ has a value of about 0.0 to about 0.5.
US09340733B2

The invention relates to a process of hydrodesulphuration of at least one gasoil cut implementing a catalyst containing, in its oxide form, at least one metal from group VIB and/or at least one metal from group VIII of the periodic table, present in the form of at least one polyoxometalate of the formula (HhXxMmOy)q−, said polyoxometalates being present within a mesostructured silicon oxide matrix having a pore size within the range 1.5 to 50 nm and having amorphous walls of thickness within the range 1 to 30 nm, the said catalyst being sulphured before being implemented in the said process.
US09340728B2

As an organic electroluminescence device that has an excellent emission characteristic, suppresses a change in chromaticity when driving at a high temperature and has excellent durability, the organic electroluminescence device includes on a substrate a pair of electrodes and a light emitting layer disposed between the electrodes, in which the light emitting layer contains a compound represented by the following Formula (1) and a specific metal complex is provided. (Cz)p-L-(A)q  (1) (In Formula (1), Cz represents a substituted or unsubstituted arylcarbazolyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted carbazolylaryl group. L represents a single bond, a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkylene group or a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic ring. A is a substituted or unsubstituted nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocyclic six-membered ring, and each of p and q independently represent an integer of 1 to 6.)
US09340727B2

A method for producing film-coated alkaline-earth metal silicate phosphor particles that can have improved light-emitting characteristics may include a coating film having high moisture resistance. Strontium-containing alkaline-earth metal silicate phosphor particles are pretreated with an alkaline-earth metal compound solution whose strontium compound concentration is 1 to 15% by mass with respect to the phosphor particles and whose pH is 6 or higher but 10 or lower. Then, a base layer of an aluminum organic metal compound is formed on the surface of the pretreated phosphor particles. Then, the phosphor particles are coated with a coating material composed of a partially-hydrolyzed condensate of a silane organic metal compound, and are then dried and heat-treated to form, on their surface, a coating film made of an amorphous inorganic compound mainly containing Si and O.
US09340724B2

The present disclosure provides methods of using a nonionic surfactant for enhanced oil recovery, where the nonionic surfactant is prepared with a double metal cyanide catalyst. The present disclosure also provides for an emulsion that includes carbon dioxide, a diluent and the nonionic surfactant.
US09340719B2

It is possible to obtain a porous substrate having a water/oil repellent-treated surface and a moisture-permeable waterproofing film, which has favorable water/oil repellency and wash durability, through which penetration of a coating liquid for formation of the moisture-permeable waterproofing film is suppressed, and from which peeling of the moisture-permeable waterproofing film is suppressed. A water/oil repellent composition comprising a copolymer (A) having from 60 to 95 mass % of units based on a monomer having a RF group having at most 6 carbon atoms and from 5 to 40 mass % of units based on vinylidene chloride, a copolymer (B) having from 50 to 95 mass % of units based on a halogenated olefin and from 5 to 50 mass % of units based on a monomer having a crosslinkable functional group, and a medium (C), wherein the proportion of the copolymer (A) is from 70 to 90 mass %, and the proportion of the copolymer (B) is from 10 to 30 mass %.
US09340718B2

A laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a resin substrate; a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin layer formed on one side of the resin substrate; and an antistatic layer formed on another side of the resin substrate and comprising a binder resin and a conductive material. The antistatic layer has a fine uneven surface; and the fine uneven surface includes protrusions having an average height of 25 nm or more and a softening temperature of 150° C. or more.
US09340710B2

A light-reflective conductive particle for an anisotropic conductive adhesive used for anisotropic conductive connection of a light-emitting element to a wiring board includes a core particle coated with a metal material and a light-reflecting layer formed from light-reflective inorganic particles having a refractive index of 1.52 or more on a surface of the core particle. Examples of the light-reflective inorganic particles having a refractive index of 1.52 or more include titanium oxide particles, zinc oxide particles, or aluminum oxide particles.
US09340702B2

A curable resin composition including (I) at least one thermoset resin composition; and (II) at least one hardener; wherein the powder coating has a balance of properties including a combination of high glass transition temperature and low water absorption.
US09340698B1

The present invention relates to a coating composition for a heat sealable, inkjet printable image transfer material, an article comprising said coating composition in form of at least one heat sealable, inkjet printable layer, a method for applying graphical information to a surface of an object using a heat sealable, inkjet printable image transfer material comprising said coating composition and a method of making such a coating composition.
US09340693B2

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an actinic ray curable inkjet ink which, in an inkjet printing method, is capable of having both high pinning characteristics and high ejection characteristics. In order to achieve the above purpose, this actinic ray curable inkjet ink includes an actinic ray curable compound, ketone wax, and ester wax, and reversibly goes through a sol-gel phase transition depending on the temperature.
US09340691B2

A hot melt ink composition includes a copolyester, the copolyester consisting essentially of a condensation product of a first type of monomer, a second type of monomer and a third type of monomer, wherein the first type of monomer comprises at least one monomer A selected from the group of polyhydroxyl alcohols comprising X hydroxyl functional groups, wherein X≧3, wherein the second type of monomer comprises at least one monomer B selected from the group of monomers being able to form an ester linkage with an alcohol and wherein the third type of monomer comprises at least one monomer C selected from the group of aromatic monocarboxylic acids. A method for preparing such copolyesters and a hot melt ink composition includes a mixture of such copolyesters.
US09340690B2

An ink set including: a treatment agent containing 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol-1-monoisobutyrate or a derivative thereof; and a bright pigment ink containing a bright pigment and water, wherein the treatment agent or the bright pigment ink contains urethane resin; and the ink set satisfies the following conditions (A) and (B): 1≦X≦6  (A) 0.2≦Y/X≦2  (B) X: the sum of a blending amount (% by weight) of the urethane resin in the treatment agent and a blending amount (% by weight) of the urethane resin in the bright pigment ink Y: a blending amount (% by weight) of the 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol-1-monoisobutyrate and the derivative thereof in the treatment agent.
US09340688B2

The present invention relates to a thermal ink-jet printing method including the step of ejecting a water-based ink including pigment-containing polymer particles from a print head by an action of a thermal energy, in which the polymer constituting the polymer particles includes not less than 78% by mass and not more than 88% by mass of a constitutional unit derived from an acrylic acid ester containing a hydrocarbon group having not less than 3 and not more than 8 carbon atoms, and not more than 22% by mass and not less than 12% by mass of a constitutional unit derived from acrylic acid, on the basis of a total mass of whole constitutional units in the polymer constituting the polymer particles; [2] a water dispersion for thermal ink-jet printing used in the above method; [3] a water-based ink for thermal ink-jet printing including the above water dispersion; and [4] a use of the above ink in a thermal ink-jet printing method.
US09340682B2

The present invention relates to a adhesion promoter composition containing at least one aqueous dispersion of a solid epoxy resin; at least one polyamine; and at least one Compound V in free or hydrolytically releasable form which can enter into a condensation reaction with the polyamine. Adhesion promoter compositions according to the invention lead to an improvement in the adhesion under hot, humid conditions.
US09340661B2

The object of the present disclosure is to obtain coated magnesium oxide particles suitably usable as a heat-releasing material in the electric/electronic field by improving acid resistance and water resistance. Coated magnesium oxide particles having a surface coating formed by curing an epoxy resin are provided.
US09340659B2

The present invention provides a resin composition that improves slow crystallization, which is a drawback of polyhydroxyalkanoates, and is excellent in molding processability and productivity. The resin composition is an aliphatic polyester resin composition comprising a polyhydroxyalkanoate (A), an amide bond-containing compound (B), and pentaerythritol (C), wherein the amide bond-containing compound (B) is represented by any one of the following general formulas: R1—C(O)N(R2)2, R1—C(O)NH—(R3)—NHC(O)—R1, R1—NHC(O)NH—(R3)—NHC(O)NH—R1, R1—NHC(O)—R2, R1—NHC(O)—(R3)—C(O)NH—R1, R1—C(O)NH—(R3)—C(O)NH—R1, R1—NHC(O)NH—(R3)—C(O)NH—R1, and R1—NHC(O)NH—(R3)—NHC(O)—R1.
US09340657B2

Crosslinking systems suitable for use in a polymer melt composition wherein the polymer melt composition comprises a hydroxyl polymer; polymeric structures made from such polymer melt compositions; and processes/methods related thereto are provided.
US09340653B2

The method for producing a porous film of the present invention includes producing a stretched film by stretching a resin sheet containing at least polyolefin, and then irradiating the stretched film with a vacuum ultraviolet ray. The separator for a non-aqueous electrolyte battery of the present invention is composed of the porous film obtained by the production method of the present invention. The non-aqueous electrolyte battery of the present invention is provided with the separator for a non-aqueous electrolyte battery of the present invention.
US09340649B2

A polyorganosiloxane resin represented by the following general formula (5): (R3SiO1/2)l′(R2SiO2/2)m′(RSiO3/2)n′(SiO4/2)o′ (5) wherein R is, independently of each other, a hydrogen atom or a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, and optionally having an oxygen, halogen, nitrogen or sulfur atom; l′, m′ and o′ are, independently of each other, an integer of from 0 to 10,000; n′ is an integer of from 1 to 10,000; a total of l′, m′ and n′ is from 2 to 30,000; and at least one R is a hydrogen atom and at least one R is an —OX group in the molecule, wherein X is an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an alkoxyalkyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms; and at least one hydrogen atom and at least one —OX group bond to one and the same silicon atom.
US09340642B2

This invention relates to a novel curing method of oligomers, using metal triflates, and particularly to the curing of hydroxyl terminated elastomers to achieve crosslinked polymers. The method finds particular use as an alternative cure methodology to replace isocyanate curing. There is further provided a cured and crosslinked polymer binder, which is particularly suitable and compatible for use with energetic materials.
US09340636B2

The invention includes a composition comprising a vinyl sulfone monomer, a thiol monomer and an acrylate monomer. In one embodiment, the thiol monomer reacts with the vinyl sulfone monomer preferentially over the acrylate monomer, and this differential selectivity allows for the control of the architecture of crosslinking polymer network. The invention further includes a composition comprising an electrophilic monomer, a nucleophilic monomer, a nucleophilic catalyst and an acid, wherein the concentrations of the nucleophilic catalyst and acid are selected as to provide a specific induction time for the polymerization reaction of the composition.
US09340624B2

A particulate cellulose derivative is obtained in a process of grinding and drying a moist cellulose derivative which comprises the steps of A) providing a cellulose derivative having a moisture content of from 60 to 95 percent, based on the total weight of the moist cellulose derivative; B) grinding and partially drying the moist cellulose derivative in a gas-swept impact mill; C) contacting the ground and partially dried cellulose derivative with an additional amount of a drying gas outside the gas-swept impact mill; and D) subjecting the cellulose derivative to partial depolymerization after having contacted the cellulose derivative with a drying gas in step C). The obtained particulate cellulose derivative has a high untapped bulk density, a good flowability and a low color intensity.
US09340613B2

An anti-IL-6 antibody, including isolated nucleic acids that encode at least one anti-IL-6 antibody, vectors, host cells, transgenic animals or plants, and methods of making and using thereof have applications in diagnostic and/or therapeutic compositions, methods and devices.
US09340610B2

The invention concerns anti-NGF antibodies (such as anti-NGF antagonist antibodies), and polynucleotides encoding the same. The invention further concerns use of such antibodies and/or polynucleotides in the treatment and/or prevention of pain, including post-surgical pain, rheumatoid arthritis pain, and osteoarthritis pain.
US09340602B2

Chemoattractant polypeptide compounds for progenitor cells and compositions and drug products comprising the compounds are provided herein. Methods for attracting progenitor cells to a location in or on a patient also are provided along with methods of growing and repairing bone.
US09340600B2

Provided herein are glucagon analogs which exhibit potent activity at the GIP receptor, and, as such are contemplated for use in treating diabetes and obesity. In exemplary embodiments, the glucagon analog of the present disclosures exhibit an EC50 at the GIP receptor which is within the nanomolar or picomolar range.
US09340595B2

Crosslinked proteins, proteins and polymers, and polymers and methods of making the same are disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment, a method is provided comprising the steps of attaching a chelator to one or more polymers; creating a coordination complex between the first protein, the second protein, and a metal ion; and crosslinking the first and second proteins by exposing the coordination complex to an oxidant.
US09340594B2

Ophthalmic formulations of a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-specific fusion protein antagonist are provided suitable for intravitreal administration to the eye. The ophthalmic formulations include a stable liquid formulation and a lyophilizable formulation. Preferably, the protein antagonist has an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4.
US09340590B2

Disclosed is a composition of matter comprising an isolated polypeptide, which is a peripherally-restricted Nav1.7 inhibitor. In some disclosed embodiments, the isolated polypeptide is an inhibitor of Nav1.7 and/or Nav1.3. Other embodiments are conjugated embodiments of the inventive composition of matter and pharmaceutical compositions containing the inventive composition of matter. Isolated nucleic acids encoding some embodiments of inventive polypeptides and expression vectors, and recombinant host cells containing them are disclosed. A method of treating or preventing pain is also disclosed.
US09340588B2

Among the fewer than 10 proteins primarily secreted by the species Lactobacillus plantarum, there is one of 30 kDa that contains an internal fragment without cleavage sites for the most important intestinal proteases and characterized by having a serine and threonine content of at least 50%. The genetic information encoded in this fragment, designated ST peptide, has been used for producing and purifying the peptide, thus making it possible to conduct various tests in vitro.To summarize, the ST peptide is considered to promote the process of immunologic ignorance of our gastrointestinal immune system toward the commensal bacteria of our gastrointestinal tract, thus favoring the mechanisms of oral tolerance. Therefore the ST peptide could be used in immunotherapy, especially in the context of certain autoimmune diseases and certain inflammatory diseases.
US09340585B2

The present invention concerns a new competence stimulating peptide identified in Firmicutes, in particular Streptococcus, and more preferably S. thermophilus and methods of producing transformation competent Firmicutes, in particular Streptococcus, and more preferably S. thermophilus bacteria.
US09340576B2

The invention relates to methods for treating depression, anxiety, and other related diseases by administering a peptide NMDAR partial agonist.
US09340570B2

Chemical entities that are novel compounds, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment of cancer are described.
US09340565B2

Preparation and characterization of novel forms of (1-hydroxy-2-imidazol-1-yl-1-phosphono-ethyl) phosphonic acid, suitable for pharmaceutical compositions in drug delivery systems for humans.
US09340561B2

There is provided a novel organic silicon compound that can be used for a silane coupling agent. An organic silicon compound of Formula (1): (where A− is Formula (2) or Formula (3): E is Formula (4) or Formula (5): R1 and R2 are each independently a C1-5 alkyl group, R3 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R4 and R5 are each independently a C1-5 alkyl group, m, n, and p are each independently an integer of 1 to 5, and q is an integer of 1 to 3).
US09340560B2

What is described is a process for continuously esterifying halosilanes of the formula I with alcohols of the formula II to give silane esters of the formula III in a single column (1) R1aSiHalb  (I) R2—(OH)  (II) R1aS—(OR2)b  (III) in which R1 is hydrogen or a monovalent organic radical, where any two R1 radicals within a molecule may be different within the scope of the given definitions, Hal is a halogen atom, a plurality of Hal atoms within a molecule may be different within the scope of the given definitions, R2 is a monovalent organic radical, a and b are integers from 0 to 4 and the sum total of a and b is 4, comprising the measures of: i) feeding the total amount of the halosilane of the formula I required for the reaction in liquid form through line (6) into the upper third of the column (1), ii) feeding at least 60% by weight of the alcohol of the formula II required for the reaction in liquid form through line (7) into the upper third of the column (1), iii) feeding the remainder of the alcohol of the formula II required for the reaction in liquid form through line (8) into the lower third of the column (1), iv) conducting the reaction of the halosilane of the formula I with the alcohol of the formula II to give the silane ester of the formula III in the interior of the column (1), the temperature in the interior of the column (1) between line (7) and line (8) being below the boiling temperature of the alcohol of the formula II, v) removing the hydrogen chloride formed in the reaction via the top of the column (1), and vi) removing the esterification product of the formula III formed in the reaction from the bottom of the column (1). The invention also relates to a column (1) for continuously esterifying halosilanes of the above-described formula I with alcohols of the formula II to give silane esters of the formula III, comprising the following elements: A) line (6) which opens into the upper third of the column (1) and which serves to feed in the halosilane of the formula I, B) line (7) which opens into the upper third of the column (1) and which serves to feed in a portion of the alcohol of the formula II required for the reaction, C) line (8) which opens into the lower third of the column (1) and which serves to feed in the remaining portion of the alcohol required for the reaction, D) circulation evaporator (3) which is mounted in the lower third of the column and heats the bottom product present in the column (1), E) line (9) for removing the hydrogen halide formed in the reaction via the top of the column (1), and F) line (10) for removing the esterification product of the formula III formed in the reaction from the bottom of the column (1). The process described allows the preparation of silane esters of the formula III with high selectivity.
US09340559B2

The present invention provides a method for treating lupus in a subject, comprising the step of administering to the subject Compound A.
US09340554B2

The present invention provides 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzo[4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine compounds and pharmaceutical compositions thereof as inhibitors of IRAK.
US09340553B2

Compounds of Formula (A) are described herein and the uses thereof for the treatment of diseases, conditions and/or disorders mediated by pharmaceutical compositions and the uses thereof as asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) targeting agents.
US09340551B2

Organic compounds showing the ability to inhibit effector toxin secretion or translocation mediated by bacterial type III secretion systems are disclosed. The disclosed type III secretion system inhibitor compounds are useful for combating infections by Gram-negative bacteria such as Salmonella spp., Shigella flexneri, Psendomonas spp., Yersinia spp., en tero pathogenic and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli, and Chlamydia spp. having such type III secretion systems.
US09340550B2

The present invention provides a method for the N-demethylation and N-functionalization of an N-methylated heterocycle such as a morphine alkaloid or tropane alkaloid. The method comprises reacting the heterocycle with an functionalization agent in the presence of a transition metal catalyst in air or in the presence of an oxidant.
US09340549B2

Compounds of Formula (I) and Formula (II) are useful inhibitors of tankyrase. Compounds of Formula (I) and Formula (II) have the following structure: where the definitions of the variables are provided herein.
US09340548B2

The invention relates to compounds of Formula (I) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are defined herein, and their use for the treatment of hepatitis C viral infection.
US09340544B2

This invention relates to novel purinyl derivatives and their use as potassium channel modulating agents. Moreover the invention is directed to pharmaceutical compositions useful for the treatment or alleviation of diseases or disorders associated with the activity of potassium channels.
US09340538B2

Provided herein are dihydropyrimidine compounds and their pharmaceutical applications, especially for use in treating and preventing HBV diseases. Specifically, provided herein are compounds having Formula (I) or (Ia), or an enantiomer, a diastereoisomer, a tautomer, a hydrate, a solvate, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the variables of the formulas are as defined in the specification. Also provided herein is the use of the compounds having Formula (I) or (Ia), or an enantiomer, a diastereoisomer, a tautomer, a hydrate, a solvate, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof for treating and preventing HBV diseases.
US09340530B2

The present invention relates to bicyclic himbacine derivatives of the formula or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein: X is —O—, —N(R), —C(R8)(R9) or —C(O)—; and Y is —O—, —N(R), —C(R8)(R9) or —C(O)— and the remaining variables are described herein. The compounds of the invention are effective inhibitors of the PAR-1 receptor. The inventive compounds may be used for the treatment or prophylaxis of disease states such as ACS, secondary prevention of myocardial infarction or stroke, or PAD.
US09340528B2

The present invention relates to substituted aminoquinoxaline compounds of general formula (I) in which (II), R2, R3, R4, R6, R7, n and m are as given in the description and in the claims, to methods of preparing said compounds, to pharmaceutical compositions and combinations comprising said compounds, to the use of said compounds for manufacturing a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prophylaxis of a disease, as well as to intermediate compounds useful in the preparation of said compounds.
US09340523B2

Provided are certain dipeptidyl peptidase inhibitors, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods of use therefor.
US09340522B2

The compounds of Formula (I), are novel effective inhibitors of the type 4 phosphodiesterase.
US09340518B2

The present invention relates to a new process for the preparation of (2Z,5Z)-5-(3-chloro-4-((R)-2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)benzylidene)-2-(propylimino)-3-(o-tolyl)thiazolidin-4-one and to the new intermediate (R)-3-chloro-4-(2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)-benzaldehyde used in this process. (2Z,5Z)-5-(3-Chloro-4-((R)-2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)benzylidene)-2-(propylimino)-3-(o-tolyl)thiazolidin-4-one is described in WO 2005/054215 to act as an immunosuppressive agent. The present invention further also relates to a new process for the preparation of (R)-3-chloro-4-(2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)-benzaldehyde.
US09340515B2

The present invention relates to processes for the preparation of erlotinib and salts and polymorphs thereof preparable by said processes, to medical uses of said erlotinib, salts and polymorphs, and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same.
US09340514B2

Described herein are inhibitors of FGFR, pharmaceutical compositions including such compounds, and methods of using such compounds and compositions to inhibit the activity of tyrosine kinases.
US09340513B2

The present invention relates to a compound characterized by the following Formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein X, Y, and Z are as described herein. Compounds of the present invention are useful for the treatment of HIV.
US09340511B2

The present invention relates to methods for making isoquinoline compounds and the intermediate compounds achieved thereby. Such compounds can be used to prepare compounds and compositions capable of decreasing HIF hydroxylase enzyme activity, thereby increasing the stability and/or activity of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF).
US09340509B2

Compounds of formula (I) are provided which are useful in the treatment of diseases or conditions modulated at least in part by CCR6:
US09340499B2

The compound represented by the formula (I-1): wherein all the symbols have the same meanings as described in the specification, has two cyclic groups, particularly phenoxy groups at specific substitution positions and thus has high human S1P2 antagonistic activity. The compound may therefore be used as a therapeutic agent for S1P2-mediated diseases such as diseases resulting from vascular constriction, fibrosis and respiratory diseases.
US09340489B2

The present invention relates to a process for deuteration of amines in the alpha and/or beta position of the N-atom by using a deuterium source and a Ruthenium(II) based catalyst.
US09340483B2

The present invention relates to use of DHA analogs and their pharmaceutical compositions for treating ALS, by administering these compounds or pharmaceutical compositions to subjects in need thereof.
US09340467B2

An actuator includes a gas generator that generates an actuating gas when actuated, a housing section that houses the gas generator and a pressing section that is deployable with an actuating gas in such a fashion as to move forward relative to the housing section. The pressing section and the housing section are slidable against each other. Either one out of sliding portions of the pressing section and housing section serves as an inner section that is located closer to a central axis of the pressing section than the other whereas the other out of the sliding portions of the pressing section and housing section serves as an outer section that surrounds the inner section. The gas generator is located closer to the central axis than the sliding portion of the pressing section and partially overlaps with a part of the pressing section in an inactive state.
US09340462B2

A monolithic, substantially hermetic joining or bonding of two or more aluminum nitride (“AlN”) ceramic components is made by promoting transient liquid phase sintering near the contact areas between the components. In a first approach, AlN particles are combined with a rare earth oxide sintering additive such as yttrium oxide (Y2O3) in a joining paste can be applied between the joining surfaces of fired ceramic preformed components prior to final firing to weld the components together. In a second approach, the additive is added to green mixture, and the components having different shrinkage aspect ratios are mated and cofired in an atmosphere containing a partial pressure of the additive. The additive encourages wetting and diffusion of the liquid phases present on the surfaces of ceramic interface particles in the contact areas during final firing.
US09340457B2

The present teachings include a coating composition which includes a liquid, fluoropolymer particles, carbon nanotubes, and a dispersant. The dispersant has a thermal degradation temperature below the melting temperature of the fluoropolymer particles.
US09340455B2

A method for the production of hard plaster, a calcining plant, and a retrofit reactor for calcining plants. The method includes feeding plaster material, predominantly including beta-hemihydrate plaster, to a postreactor. The temperature is set to at least a calcining temperature of 95° C. during this step. The plaster material is retreated in the postreactor to form hard plaster, the beta-hemihydrate plaster being converted directly into alpha-hemihydrate plaster at a temperature above 95° C. The hard plaster can then be discharged out of the postreactor and cooled. Conversion can be carried out in the postreactor during continuous operation, and conversion of the beta-hemihydrate plaster can occur with a dwell time in the postreactor of less than 30 minutes. Steam can be externally supplied to the postreactor and the temperature and pressure in the postreactor can be regulated so that the temperature is at least 95° C. and an over pressure prevails.
US09340451B2

Methods for machining glass structures may be performed on fusion-drawn glass laminates having a core layer interposed between a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer. The core layer may be formed from a core glass composition having a core photosensitivity, the first cladding layer may be formed from a glass composition having a photosensitivity different from the core photosensitivity, and the second cladding layer may be formed from a glass composition having a photosensitivity different from the core photosensitivity. At least one of the core layer, the first cladding layer, and the second cladding layer is a photomachinable layer. The methods may include exposing a selected region of a photomachinable layer in the fusion-drawn laminate to ultraviolet radiation; heating the glass structure until the selected region crystallizes; and removing the crystallized material selectively from the photomachinable layer.
US09340450B2

An etching method for selective introduction of structures into surfaces of different substrates, such as glass or glass ceramic substrates, is provided. The method provides for surface structuring using an etch mask. The etchmask allows for the production of very fine structures on the substrate surfaces using liquid etching media. In this method the etch mask is produced on the substrate.
US09340448B2

A method of producing a substrate having a frosted appearance, an article having a frosted appearance and frost-imparting compositions are disclosed. The method includes applying a frost-imparting composition onto a ceramic substrate and firing the coated substrate above 400° C. to impart the frost appearance. The frost-imparting composition comprises a liquid vehicle, 20% to 90% by weight of glass frit particles and less than 10% by weight of at least one gas-releasing material, inactive below an activation temperature of at least 400° C. The gas releasing material may include carbonate, nitrate, iodate, bromate, chlorate, fluoride, manganate, dimanganate and sulfate compounds. The firing temperature is chosen to be above the activation temperature of the gas-releasing material, above which the gas-releasing material yields gas bubbles and above a temperature that causes the glass frit particles to behave as a viscous liquid.
US09340440B2

The invention relates to a method for the treatment of process water which is obtained in a plant for the hydrothermal carbonization of renewable raw materials and organic residual materials by an evaporation of process water, a condensation of the washed process steam, and a biological treatment of the process steam condensate as partial quantity or possibly as total quantity of the amount of waste water discharged from an HTC plant.
US09340434B2

Nickel is recovered from pickling acid solutions of crude ore using boric acid as catalyst by ultrasound assisted electrolysis.
US09340433B2

A method of making a titanium oxide-containing coating composition comprises attaching an initiator to a pretreated titanium oxide to form an initiator/pretreated titanium oxide complex. The pretreated titanium oxide includes a plurality of pretreated titanium oxide particles which are titanium oxide particles that are pretreated with at least one metal oxide. The initiator/pretreated titanium oxide complex is contacted with a polymerizable unsaturated monomer such that a polymeric encapsulate forms on the initiator/pretreated titanium oxide particles to form polymeric encapsulated titanium oxide particles.
US09340432B2

Magnesium aluminate spinels are made by hydrothermally aging an aqueous slurry of a spinel precursor which can be (a) a mixture of boehmite alumina and a magnesium precursor, (b) an aluminum magnesium oxide or hydroxide, and (c) mixtures thereof. At least one of the aged slurries is dried to remove water and produce at least one dried spinel precursor. The dried spinel precursor is then calcined to produce the magnesium aluminate spinel.
US09340427B2

Provided is a method for preparing a carbon material based on an organic nanofilm using thermal evaporation, including: depositing a liquid polymer or polymer solution containing a polymer and a solvent onto a substrate, thereby forming an organic nanofilm; stabilizing the organic nanofilm so that the carbon atoms in the organic nanofilm have a cyclic arrangement; and carbonizing the stabilized organic nanofilm, thereby forming a carbon material, wherein the organic nanofilm is formed from the liquid polymer or polymer solution through a thermal evaporation process. The method provides a carbon material with a thickness, sheet resistance and surface roughness suitable for various applications and allows control thereof. In addition, the method uses a relatively inexpensive starting material, pitch, thereby reducing the overall production cost, and avoids a need for a complicated additional patterning operation, so that the carbon material is applied directly to electronic devices.
US09340420B2

A reactor comprising a first zone comprising a dehydrogenation catalyst and a second zone separated from said first zone by a proton conducting membrane comprising a mixed metal oxide of formula (I) LnaWbO12−y wherein Ln is Y or an element numbered 57 to 71; the molar ratio of a:b is 4.8 to 6, preferably 5.3 to 6; and y is a number such that formula (I) is uncharged, e.g. y is 0≦y≦1.8.
US09340417B2

Systems and methods that facilitate magnetic collection and/or manipulation of individual micropallets are provided. The embodiments provided herein are directed to a new method for collecting micropallets once released from a substrate. It is accomplished by endowing the micropallets with magnetic properties by incorporating ferromagnetic or superparamagnetic nanoparticles into the photoresist material or otherwise incorporating magnetically responsive material into the micropallet structure. The magnetic particles, which posses magnetic qualities, e.g., ferromagnetism, ferrimagnetism, paramagnetism, and are composed of iron, nickel, and/or other magnetic materials, are mixed into the bulk photoresist prior to its use in the fabrication of microstructures. Also covered are other methods of incorporating magnetically-attractable material into the micropallet structure, such as plating of the micropallets with a material that is magnetically responsive, such as nickel. Additionally, the embodiments provided include a “collection probe” that is used to collect the released magnetic micropallets.
US09340410B2

A device comprising a substrate comprising at least one microelectronic and/or nanoelectronic structure comprising at least one sensitive portion and one fluid channel (2) defined between said substrate and a cap (6), where said fluid channel (2) comprises at least two apertures to provide a flow in said channel, where said microelectronic and/or nanoelectronic structure is located within the fluid channel, where said cap is assembled with the substrate at an assembly interface, where said device comprises electrical connections between said microelectronic and/or nanoelectronic structure and the exterior of the fluid channel (2), where said electrical connections (8) are formed by vias made through the substrate (4) directly below the microelectronic and/or nanoelectronic structure, and in electrical contact with said microelectronic and/or nanoelectronic structure.
US09340408B2

A sensor chip has a supporting structure layer and a micro-inductor layer formed on the supporting structure layer and having an inductance. The micro-inductor layer comprises an insulating layer, at least one magnetic layer, and a micro-coil layer. When an external physical quantity is applied on sensor chip, the micro-inductor layer can deform correspondingly to generate a variation of the inductance. The variation of the inductance can be measured by an inductance measurement circuit. The inductance measurement circuit can be an external circuit or be integrated into the sensor chip.
US09340406B2

In one example, a saddle for an animal contains a tree assembly. The tree assembly includes a center support intended to run substantially parallel to an animal's spine when the saddle is in use, a first hinge associated with a first end of the center support that defines a first axis, the first axis being perpendicular to a first portion of the center support, and a first transverse support associated with the first hinge configured to rotate around the first axis.
US09340404B2

A water dispenser includes a pump which can lift water in an exchangeable raw water container into a water storage tank in a casing. The water dispenser further includes a water level sensor in the form of a float sensor for detecting the upper limit and the lower limit of the water level in the water storage tank. The water dispenser further includes a controller adapted to activate the pump upon receiving a sensor input indicative of detection of the lower limit, and deactivate the pump upon receiving sensor input indicative of detection of the upper limit. The controller is further adapted to measure the time elapsed since the pump was activated, and deactivate the pump when the time elapsed reaches a predetermined time at which the water level exceeds the upper limit and at which water in the water storage tank has not yet overflown the water storage tank.
US09340403B2

A method of preserving and controlling dispensed liquids is achieved exclusively and uniquely through operation of direct or indirect actuation of gas control valves acting systemically upon the liquid container and its contents so as to cause and control the flow of dispensed liquids held within the container.
US09340399B2

According to the embodiments described herein, an industrial vehicle can include a camera and one or more processors. The camera can capture an input image of ceiling lights of the ceiling of the warehouse. The one or more processors can execute machine readable instructions to detect transversal edges from the ceiling lights of the input image. The machine readable instructions executed by the one or more processors can determine points of convergence between the transversal edges and a first edge line and a second edge line. The machine readable instructions executed by the one or more processors can select a set of point fixes from the points of convergence. The machine readable instructions executed by the one or more processors can navigate the industrial vehicle through the warehouse utilizing the centerline and the set of point fixes.
US09340398B2

The invention provides a scissor lift table having a base unit (12) and a carrier unit (14) being adjustable plane-parallel relative to the base unit (12) by means of a scissor unit(16) provided with a drive device (18).
US09340397B1

An illuminated vehicle lift assembly having a jack assembly with a top wall, a base wall, first and second lateral walls, a front wall, a rear wall, and wheels. The jack assembly further has power means and illumination means. The illuminated vehicle lift assembly further has a handle assembly and an electrical system. The handle assembly mounts onto the jack assembly, whereby an end is forced into a receiving slot until a first electrical connector couples with a second electrical connector, and retaining walls block, or otherwise restrict, locking protrusions. The illuminated vehicle lift assembly facilitates lifting of a vehicle for changing a vehicle wheel assembly.
US09340395B2

In a method for reeving an elevator, a hoisting element of a hoisting device is fixed to a first lifting point, and the hoisting element of the hoisting device is fixed to a second lifting point of the hoisting rope. The hoisting rope is lifted in the elevator hoistway with the hoisting device until the first lifting point and the second lifting point are at the top part of the elevator hoistway. The first end of the hoisting rope is guided to a first fixing point, and the second end of the hoisting rope is guided to a second fixing point. The first end is fixed to a first fixing point and the second end is fixed to the second fixing point.
US09340391B2

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus which can be structured small and compact while a setting portion for manually setting a sheet bundle from the outside is arranged at an external casing. The present invention comprises a sheet bundle binding processing apparatus including a manual setting portion to which a sheet bundle is inserted, a binding device which binds a sheet bundle inserted to the manual setting portion, a first driving portion, and a second driving portion; the first driving portion and the second driving portion being arranged respectively at the upper side and the lower side as sandwiching the manual setting portion.
US09340388B2

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a tape splicing system for coupling a leading end of a staged tape to a trailing end of a running tape to form a continuous tape. The splicing system can comprise a connector having an opening for allowing the running tape to pass through, a leading end element having an opening for engaging the connector, and a trailing end element. The leading end element can be secured to the leading end of the staged tape and the trailing end element can be secured to the trailing end of the running tape. The connector can couple the leading end element to the trailing end element to splice the staged tape to the running tape.
US09340387B2

An apparatus for splicing a new web having repeated patterns, to a web in use moving along a predetermined path and also having repeated patterns. The apparatus having: a handling device to advance the new web at the same speed as the web in use and positioning a segment of the new web to overlap a segment of the web in use such that the corresponding patterns align; a cutting device for cutting the overlapping segments of the webs at the area interposed between two successive patterns and dividing each web into an upstream portion and a downstream portion; a folding device for selectively folding either the upstream portion of the web in use and the downstream portion of the new web outside the overlapping area; and an applicator for applying a splicing buffer on the adjacent the cut portions of the two webs to be joined.
US09340382B2

A method and article determine a greatest distance between adjacent sensors along the media path and command a flushing to advance media the determined greatest distance in the print engine and the peripheral device.
US09340375B2

A device (20) suitable for transforming a continuous and controlled flow (320) of absorbent material in granules (310) into an intermittent flow (250) for providing to receiving means (50, 60) movable along a direction X, comprising a feed manifold (210), an outlet nozzle (500) and a main body (200), placed between said feed manifold (210) and said outlet nozzle (500), configured to cause said absorbent material in granules (310) to flow along a direction (Y′-Y′) coinciding with the respective axes of symmetry of said feed manifold (210), said outlet nozzle (500) and said main body (200); wherein within said main body (200) a movable element (240) is housed, capable of moving alternately between a first and a second working position, in such a way that when said movable element (240) is located in the first working position, it forms a first accumulation chamber (230) of the absorbent material in granules (310) fed in a continuous manner (320), and a first discharge duct (233) of said material (310), and when said movable element is in the second working position, it forms a second accumulation chamber (251) and a second discharge duct (253).
US09340371B2

A servo rotary shingle diverter includes toothed diverter discs disposed along the path of a stream of shingles separated by spaces. In a first or home rotary position, the diverter discs are disposed entirely beneath the shingle path so that shingles pass the diverter discs unimpeded to a first destination. The diverter discs are rotated at the same rate as the moving shingles such that a tooth of the discs moves along with the shingles and into the path of a selected shingle within the gap head of the selected shingle. The discs are stopped when their teeth align to define a ramp and the next selected shingle engages and rides up the ramp and is diverted thereby to a second destination. The diverter discs are then rotated back to their home position. Every other shingle is thus diverted to the second destination while remaining shingles move on to the first destination.
US09340359B2

A link, usable in a conveyor belt of the type with articulated links, includes a main link supporting member, in particular of plastic material, more specifically a rigid or substantially rigid material such as acetalic resin or polyamide, and a secondary or product engagement member, in particular of elastically compliant material, preferably an elastic or elastomeric material, and in particular defining a product supporting member defining a corresponding surface for supporting the product to be conveyed. Fastening elements are provided by which the secondary or product engagement member is fastened to the main link supporting member, and which include, on the secondary member, corresponding protruding elements adapted to be inserted into a respective socket formed in the main link supporting member, the socket defining corresponding perpendicular retaining undercut elements for holding the secondary or product engagement member to the selfsame main link supporting member.
US09340357B2

An accumulation conveyor for transporting articles includes a plurality of rollers defining a conveying surface, a frame supporting the plurality of rollers, a drive belt selectively couplable with the plurality of rollers to drive the plurality of rollers, and an actuator assembly having at least one piezoelectric actuator assembly configured to selectively urge the drive belt into driving engagement with the plurality of rollers.
US09340356B2

A cable processing apparatus includes a first pulley, a second pulley, and a cable. The first pulley is configured to rotate about a rotational axis. The second pulley is configured to rotate about the rotational axis together with the first pulley. The cable includes a fixation region to be fixed to the first pulley and the second pulley. The first pulley is configured to rotate about the rotational axis, to thereby perform one of winding of the cable from the fixation region to one end portion and unwinding of the wound cable. The cable includes a predetermined-length portion from the fixation region to the other end portion, which is wound around the second pulley. The second pulley is configured to rotate about the rotational axis together with the first pulley, to thereby perform one of rewinding and tightening of the wound predetermined-length portion of the cable.
US09340349B2

Plastic egg cartons having mating cell and lid posts for improved egg protection, and able to accommodate up to jumbo size eggs in a standard footprint. The carton has a base tray and hinged lid, the tray including a plurality of cells for receiving individual eggs, and the tray having a plurality of cell posts each formed at an intersection of four adjacent cells as an extension of the sidewalls of the four adjacent cells. Preferable, each cell post has four generally planar ramp surfaces, one disposed respectively on each of the four sidewall extensions. The lid has a plurality of lid posts for mating with the cell posts when the lid is in a closed position.
US09340346B2

A dispenser for dispensing a predetermined amount of material from a prefilled syringe. The dispenser includes a dispenser body and a plunger. The dispenser body includes a syringe mounting region and a nozzle portion through which the material is dispensed. The nozzle portion has a syringe dispensing end receiving cavity configured to mate with the dispensing end of the syringe and an outlet. A fluid flow path fluidly communicates the syringe dispensing end receiving cavity with the outlet and includes a measuring cavity having a predetermined volume. The plunger is carried by the dispenser body. The plunger has a retracted state in which the plunger is retracted from the measuring cavity such that the outlet is in fluid communication with the syringe dispensing end receiving cavity. The plunger has a depressed state in which the plunger extends through the measuring cavity to evacuate material from the measuring cavity.
US09340339B2

A cable tie includes a body of a first material molded over at least one barb of a second material. The body includes a head section configured to secure the barb in a configuration that permits rotational movement of the barb, permit insertion of a tail section into the head section, and prevent extraction of the tail section from the head section by engagement of the barb. In one implementation, the cable tie is manufactured using a multi-shot molding process.
US09340332B2

A closure is provided for use in covering an opening in a container and engaging a peripheral rim defining the opening. The closure includes a body for covering the container opening and a plurality of projecting portions that extend from a periphery of the body. The projecting portions are spaced from one another around the periphery of the body, with each formed to surround a portion of the container rim. A ring is connected to the projecting portions and surrounds the container rim. A plurality of retaining fingers are provided, with each fingers spaced from one another and interleaved within the spacing between adjacent projecting portions. The fingers project inwardly from the ring and include a projected end for engagement with the container rim. The projected ends of the fingers include a varied or undulating surface.
US09340331B2

The beverage container is provided with a cup-like container main body which is provided with an inner circumference sliding part provided on the inside of an upper opening and an outer circumference flange part extending on the outside of the inner circumference sliding part, and a lid body which is provided with an inner fitting part detachably and rotatably attached to the inner circumference sliding part and the outer circumference flange part of the container main body. Two pouring recesses made by partial recesses for pouring out the beverage from inside the container main body are formed in the inner circumference sliding part and the outer circumference flange part of the container main body, and a drinking hole connecting part is formed to be registered with a pouring recess of the container main body in accordance with the rotation of a rotary knob of the lid body.
US09340330B2

The invention is directed to storage containers and lids for storage containers which provide for a secure closure and a storage container which is airtight and leakproof. The lid includes a generally U-shaped closure made of a plastic material for securing to a container base; a center window also made of a plastic material and preferably the same as the U-shaped closure; and a thermoplastic material which provides for a sealing gasket on the underside of the U-shaped closure for mating with the container base and a perimeter seal on the outside of the U-shaped closure and around the outer circumference of the center window. The lid may further include a gripping tab made at least in part of thermoplastic material in the lid corner for opening or closing the container, and wings made of a thermoplastic material in one or more portions or corners of the lid.
US09340326B2

A packaging material includes an oxygen scavenger material dispersed in bands in a polymer sheet.
US09340324B2

Sealable plastic bag with a vacuum indicator is comprised of first and second sheets, each formed of a thin flexible plastic membrane. At least one perforation is formed in the first sheet. An indicator is disposed on the first sheet over the at least one perforation. The indicator is comprised of a resilient material which forms a resilient convex protrusion on an external surface of the bag. The convex protrusion defines a chamber which is airtight except for the at least one perforation. A containment structure is associated with the perforation to inhibit migration of particles from the interior compartment into the chamber. The resilient material is responsive to an air pressure differential as between the interior compartment and an environment external of the interior compartment to collapse the convex protrusion under a predetermined pressure differential condition.
US09340323B1

A high strength bottle and cover assembly comprising glass bottle, a synthetic resin cover extending closely about the bottle, the cover defining an irregular inner surface characterized in that surface deflection occurs upon impact with an external surface, preventing shattering of the glass, the bottle having a glass neck, a closure for said neck including a cylindrical glass lid engaging the neck, the closure including a synthetic resin cap endwise supporting the glass lid, the cap having a skirt extending about the lid and radially spaced therefrom, there being magnetic elements positioned for holding sections defined by the cover closed about the bottle.
US09340320B2

A pallet includes a cargo layer, a base layer and support structures coupled between. The cargo layer includes a pair of horizontally positioned outer plastic deck boards and at least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic deck board therebetween. The at least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic deck board has opposing sidewalls, and a spaced apart openings at least partially extending through the opposing sidewalls. The pair of horizontally positioned outer plastic deck boards have opposing sidewalls, and spaced apart openings extending through at least one of the sidewalls of each outer plastic deck board. The spaced apart openings in each horizontally positioned outer plastic deck board are aligned with the spaced apart openings in an adjacent sidewall of least one horizontally positioned intermediate plastic deck board. Inserts are in the spaced apart openings.
US09340319B2

A reinforced composite material cargo pallet including a core reinforced with two fused opposed layers of thermoplastic material and two opposed layers of aluminum is provided. The core, the layers of thermoplastic material and the two opposed layers of aluminum can be sized and designed to fit into a recess portion defined in the frame.
US09340310B2

An apparatus for treating containers includes a housing, inside which a sterile chamber is formed. A treatment element is arranged inside the housing and is rotatable about a predefined axis. The treatment element is arranged on a carrier inside the housing, and has a drive device for driving the treatment element. The drive device is arranged at least partially outside the sterile chamber and includes at least a first drive element arranged outside the sterile chamber for generating rotational movements, and a second drive element arranged inside the sterile chamber. The first drive element and the second drive element cooperate in a contactless manner to generate rotational movement of the treatment element. The drive elements in each case have at least one magnetisable element and preferably at least the second drive element is displaceable in the direction of its axis of rotation relative to the sterile chamber.
US09340309B2

To exhaust a holding rail that has been emptied by a simple mechanism after pushing a plurality of spout-equipped bags from the holding rail to a transfer rail.An elongated-shape holding rail 14 aligning and holding many spout-equipped bags W in a straight line is moved to transfer positions c1 to c4 by a rail supply part 80. The conveyed holding rail 14 is held by a retention mechanism 3 in a state of being opposite to a transfer rail 60. A pushing member 52 reciprocates in a longitudinal direction of the holding rail 14 by having a bag conveying face 52b3, which contacts on the spout-equipped bag hung from the holding rail 14 and pushes the spout-equipped bag toward the transfer rail 60, and a rail pushing face 52b2, which contacts on the holding rail 14 and exhausts opposite the transfer rail 60. A lift mechanism is provided to move the pushing member 52 downward when the pushing member 52 moves forward, and to move the pushing member 52 upward to the height where the rail pushing face 52b2 interferes to the holding rail 14 when the pushing member 52 moves backward.
US09340308B2

A supply apparatus for spout-equipped bags conveys in parallel spout-equipped bags to a multiplex packing machine by changing intervals.An elongated-shape holding rail 14 aligning and holding many spout-equipped bags W in a straight line supplies the spout-equipped bags W to taking-out or removal positions c1a, c1b sequentially in a state where they are disposed at an interval P1 in a front-back direction a1 by an intermittently conveying part 1. An interval change conveying part 2 receives a plurality of holding rails 14 supplied to the taking-out or removal positions c1a, c1b and moves them to a pushing mechanism 4 by changing the interval P1 among the holding rails 14 to an interval P2. The interval change conveying part 2 includes a plurality of conveying members 20, 21 and an interval change mechanism part 23. The interval change mechanism part 23 changes an interval between the conveying members 20, 21 from the interval P1 to the interval P2 while the conveying members 20, 21 are moving. A bag pushing device 7 receives the holding rails 14 from the conveying members 20, 21 having the interval P2.
US09340306B2

An apparatus for filling a syringe by transferring a viscous material from a container into the syringe includes a container having an interior that holds the viscous material and a plunger that expels the viscous material from the container. A syringe is connected to the container for receiving the viscous material at an entrance opening. The syringe includes a plug that separates the syringe into first and second sub-chambers and a rod contacting the plug and applying a force in the direction of the entrance opening. An assisting device assists in moving the rod away from the entrance opening as the first subchamber fills with the viscous material.
US09340291B2

The invention is a seal assembly, including a polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) film bonded to a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) substrate and attached to a plastic retainer element for being mounted to an aircraft passenger fixture by mounting holes formed in the retainer element through which fasteners extend into the seat. The seal is sufficiently flexible to bend into an inner sidewall of an aircraft cabin and to seal a space between the aircraft cabin fixture and the inner sidewall.
US09340290B2

An integrated aircraft galley structure includes a service module having a plurality of galley inserts including at least one oven and at least one refrigeration unit. The service module is formed with a plurality of bays sized to receive the plurality of galley inserts, along with a human machine interface for controlling all of the galley inserts. The service module further includes a plurality of galley insert modules for controlling each galley insert, and an insert power and control unit for each galley insert for controlling power to said insert. The entire system is controlled by a galley power and control unit for controlling each of the insert galley power and control units, and an AC distribution unit for distributing power to the insert power and control units.
US09340285B2

A suspension system (10) of an aircraft (1). The suspension system (10) comprises a fastener device (15) including a coupling member (20) suitable for carrying a load (5) with a sling (21). The suspension system (10) has a return device (30) that comprises a linkage (40) provided with a plurality of bars (41, 42, 43) hinged in pairs to apply a non-linear force to the coupling device (15), said linkage (40) being suitable for fastening to a load-carrier structure (2) of an aircraft (1). In addition, the return device (30) includes a tie (35) connecting said linkage (40) to the coupling device (15), as well as a spring member (36) fastened to a bar (41) of the linkage (40) and suitable for being connected to an aircraft (1).
US09340281B2

A vortex generator may include a depression in an aerodynamic surface, and a vortex generator leading edge located in the depression. The vortex generator leading edge may include a leading edge upper surface. The leading edge upper surface may be positioned at or below a tangent line defined at a location along the aerodynamic surface upstream of the depression relative to an oncoming local flow.
US09340279B2

One example of an aircraft fuel transfer chamber includes a chamber housing including a first sub-chamber defining a first inlet to be connected to an outer tube of a first aircraft fuel line assembly. The first sub-chamber receives fuel leaked into the outer tube of the first aircraft fuel line assembly from an inner tube of the first aircraft fuel line assembly. The chamber housing also includes a second sub-chamber connected to the first sub-chamber, the second sub-chamber defining a second inlet to be connected to an outer tube of a second aircraft fuel line assembly. The second sub-chamber receives fuel leaked into the outer tube of the second aircraft fuel line assembly from an inner tube of the second aircraft fuel line assembly. The chamber housing defines an outlet connected to the first inlet and the second inlet to transfer leaked fuel toward a drain of the aircraft.
US09340278B2

A system and method for a controlling an aircraft with flight control surfaces that are controlled both manually and by a computing device is disclosed. The present invention improves overall flight control operation by reducing the mechanical flight control surface components while providing sufficient back-up control capability in the event of either a mechanical or power-related failure. Through the present invention, natural feedback is provided to the operator from the mechanical flight control surface which operates independent of computer-aided flight control surfaces. Further, through the present invention, force input signals received from the pilot are filtered to improve the operation of the computer-aided flight control surfaces.
US09340273B2

A frame element (10; 10′) for use in an aircraft component assembly system (46) is attachable to an aircraft structure (36) and comprises at least one fastening device for fastening at least one aircraft interior component (34) or at least one insulation pack (52) to the frame element (10; 10′). An aircraft component assembly system (46) comprises a plurality of such frame elements (10; 10′). In a method of fitting a component (34, 52) in an aircraft, a frame element (10; 10′) is provided. At least one interior component (34) or at least one insulation pack (52) is fastened to the frame element (10; 10′). Then the frame element (10; 10′) having the at least one interior component (34) or the at least one insulation pack (52) fastened thereto is attached to an aircraft structure (36).
US09340271B2

An apparatus and method for use with a marine vessel having a first steerable propeller and a second steerable propeller is disclosed. The apparatus and method providing for movement of the first and second steerable propellers relative to each other and also maintains a minimum distance between the first and second steerable propellers so as to prevent the first and second steerable from contacting each other. Also disclosed is a control system and method to control the first steerable propeller and the second steerable propeller to provide the fixed distance between the first and second steerable propellers and so as to individually control the first steerable propeller and the second steerable propellers to allow the first steerable propeller and the second steerable propeller to move relative to each other.
US09340267B2

The invention concerns a group of vessels (24), having an unmanned surface vessel (3) and an unmanned underwater vessel (1, 1a), wherein the underwater vessel comprises a location device, in particular a sonar device, for sensing location data (12) in the underwater area and one evaluation unit or more evaluation units, and the evaluation unit or the evaluation units are arranged in such a manner that these comprise detection means (20) for detecting (14) a contact (MILEC) with the aid of the sensed location data (12) and with classification means (21) for classifying (15) the detected contact (MILEC) as a mine-like contact (MILCO) or non mine-like contact (NONMILCO), whereby classification is accomplished by comparing the contact (MILEC) with known mine information so that a mine-like contact (MILCO) can be identified as a mine contact (MINE) or as another object (NOMBO).
US09340257B2

A trim stabilizer device to be communicated with a transom of a motor boat includes a foil tiltable around its transversal axis and the foil is structurally independent from the transom. An actuator communicates with the foil for tilting. A slide mechanism communicates with the actuator for making a translatory motion thereof relative to the transom. A disc having at least one guide groove guides the slide member; and a connecting member connects the trim stabilizer device to the transom, the connecting member communicates with the disc.
US09340255B2

An adjustable shoe mounting structure for bicycle brake device is disclosed. Users may use the first adjusting member of the adjusting assembly to be turned relative to the second adjusting member of the adjusting assembly. That is, the first adjusting member may be pulled inwardly to turn an angle. The first adjusting member uses the elasticity of the spring to move axially and the brake shoe may be adjusted the angle by matching convex teeth with different heights of the first adjusting member and the second adjusting member. It may achieve the efficiency of adjusting brake shoe. Also, it has simple structure and is easy to operate while adjusting.
US09340247B2

A pannier comprises a container portion and a connection system. Two connectors each have a portion rotatable between an opened position to allow the connectors to be installed onto the rod-like member, and a locking position in which the portions lock the connectors to the rod-like member, and a biasing member biasing the portions toward the locking position. The portions of the connectors each rotate about an axis transverse with respect to the rod-like member. The portions of the connectors are oriented so as to rotate in opposite directions with respect to one another when concurrently rotating to the opened position and concurrently rotating to the locking position. A strap connected to said portions of both of the connectors, the strap being positioned with respect to the container portion in a grasping position such that a pulling action on the strap concurrently rotates said portions to the opened position.
US09340244B2

A zero flush system includes a body provided with a plurality of transfer paths, a plurality of solenoid bars movably inserted into the transfer paths and a solenoid bar in the plurality of solenoid bars having one end closely adhered to a vehicle body panel or a door panel, a plurality of solenoids disposed in the transfer paths and transferring the solenoid bars at a time of applying power to the solenoids and a control device controlling the transferring of the solenoid bars.
US09340243B2

A modular structure and method of creating a modular structure where the structure has a cover made from a corrugated, lightweight material, at least one end wall and at least one corner connection means where the cover has at least one channel cut therein and where the end wall is inserted into the channel so that the cover wraps around the end wall to form a structure, and where at least one corner connection means connects and secures the cover to the end wall.
US09340235B2

The present application relates to a motor vehicle bonnet (101). The bonnet (101) has an outer surface panel (109) and an inner panel (113). The outer surface panel (109) is joined to the inner panel (113) along an edge of said vehicle bonnet (101). A support panel (111) is provided between the inner panel (109) and the outer surface panel (113). The support panel (111) has a first joining section (123) and inner panel (113) has a second joining section (125). The first and second joining sections (123, 125) have complementary profiles which substantially match the profile of an adjacent section of the outer surface panel (109). The inner panel (113) diverges away from the outer surface panel (109) inset from the second joining section (125). The application also relates to a method of assembling a motor vehicle bonnet (101).
US09340224B2

Disclosed is a cooler that is adapted for use on various terrain. The cooler includes an insulated body having an inner compartment defined by a bottom wall having side walls extending upwardly therefrom, and a lid hingedly attached at the open upper portion of the body. The body further includes a bottom portion having a pair of rear wheels. In one embodiment, the device includes a sled arrangement. In another embodiment, the device includes a ski arrangement. The ski arrangement includes a pair of skis that may be removably attached to the bottom of the cooler. The sled or ski arrangement of the present invention are preferably attached to the bottom portion of the body, and in front of the rear wheels. In this way, the present invention provides a convenient way to transport a cooler to different locations by preventing the rear wheels from getting stuck on various terrain.
US09340222B2

A castor assembly structured for use in combination with or independently of a dolly assembly or other support platform, which may include substantially equivalently structured struts, wherein the castor assembly includes a one piece base comprising a housing and a head integrally connected to the housing and extending radially outward from one end thereof. The housing includes an open interior and a open end structured to movably retain a surface engaging roller ball therein. A retaining portion may be formed on said base in cooperative relation with said head so as to secure a support platform to the base when in a first operative position. A second operative position comprises said head disposed in engagable and at least partially supporting relation to an object while the base is not secured to or used in combination with a dolly or other support platform.
US09340213B2

A vehicle (2) has a tachograph (4) which generates a tachograph signal (6) containing information about current clock time and the times of the vehicle's movements, a driver's report input unit (8) generates a signal (10) containing information about driving and rest times for the driver, including monitoring (12) of driver activity which generates an alertness signal (14) containing information about the driver's activity in the vehicle. A safety system (18) has a control unit (20) and an alertness modelling unit (22) which calculates a current and a predicted tiredness values (KSS) for the driver based on the tachograph signal (6) and/or the driver's report signal (10). The tiredness values are conveyed to a control unit which determines control signals (24) for the vehicle's driver support systems.
US09340212B2

A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a longitudinal acceleration estimation module, a vehicle longitudinal acceleration sensor, a road grade estimation module, and an actuator control module. The longitudinal acceleration estimation module estimates a longitudinal acceleration of a vehicle based on at least one of a transmission output speed and a wheel speed. The vehicle longitudinal acceleration sensor measures the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle. The road grade estimation module estimates a grade of a road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the estimated longitudinal acceleration and the measured longitudinal acceleration. The actuator control module controls an actuator of the vehicle based on the estimated road grade.
US09340204B2

An arrangement for controlling highly automated driving of a vehicle includes: a vehicle guiding device autonomously guiding the vehicle, an evaluation device evaluating a condition of a driver of the vehicle, and a control device controlling activation and deactivation of the vehicle guiding device. The control device activates or deactivates the vehicle guiding device on the basis of the remaining autonomous driving time during which the vehicle can be autonomously controlled by the vehicle guiding device and the reaction time of the driver.
US09340202B2

Unique apparatuses, systems, methods, and techniques for control of engine systems are disclosed. One embodiment is a unique controls process providing engine start/stop functionality. In one form, the controls process includes engine stop controls which evaluate a plurality of engine stop request conditions and a plurality of engine stop capability conditions, as well as engine start controls which evaluate a plurality of engine start request conditions and a plurality of engine start capability conditions.
US09340200B2

A launch control system which maximizes hybrid vehicle acceleration from a standing start. A hybrid vehicle includes wheels, an engine, a motor-generator, a processor, and an actuation device. The processor controls an engine speed and an engine torque independently from a wheel speed and a wheel torque. While the hybrid vehicle is at a standstill, the actuation device is switched to an on state, and the engine speed and engine torque is raised to optimal values. When the actuation device is subsequently switched to an off state, the engine speed and the engine torque is applied to the plurality of wheels to launch the hybrid vehicle. The processor blends or further adjusts the torque applied to the plurality of wheels to maximize the acceleration while optimizing an amount of wheel slip. The processor then learns the launch to improve performance on subsequent launches.
US09340188B2

A vehicle state detecting device 1 includes a sensor section (acceleration sensor 11) for detecting the behavior of a vehicle; an integration processing section (integrating circuit 12) for generating an output signal indicating a state of the vehicle by integrating physical quantity based on the sensor output; and a diagnostic section 2 for supplying the sensor section with a self-driving signal, and for carrying out self-diagnosis of the sensor section by comparing the output signal from the integration processing section with upper and lower permissible limits preset for the output signal.
US09340183B2

The invention relates to a support device for a windscreen-wiper blade comprising a wiping strip (3) and a structure element (8), the device having an open section (5a) designed for receiving the wiping strip (3) of the windscreen-wiper blade (2), to allow it to be held substantially flat.According to the invention, the support device (1) comprises, means (7) for positioning the windscreen-wiper blade (2) in the support device (1), means (6) for attaching the windscreen-wiper blade (2) in the support device (1), said attachment means being in the form of at least one attachment point (6a) acting on the structure element (8) of the windscreen-wiper blade (2). The invention also relates to a support assembly for windscreen-wiper blades comprising two support devices, a packaging integrating a support device or assembly and a method of mounting a windscreen-wiper blade in a support device.
US09340174B1

Apparatus and methods, and systems relating to flat panel airbag cushions that may be particularly useful in connection with passenger-side airbag systems. Some embodiments may comprise a first panel and a second panel having a larger cross-sectional area than the first panel in an unfolded state. The second panel may comprise a first set of pleats and a second set of pleats configured such that, upon inflation of the airbag cushion, the first set of pleats and the second set of pleats unfold to define a three-dimensional airbag cushion. The second panel may be sewn or otherwise attached to the first panel about a periphery of the two panels.
US09340171B2

The invention relates to a deformation element, in particular for bumper cross member (2) on a motor vehicle, having at least one predetermined breaking point (S) at which, in the event of a crash, the deformation element (1) breaks apart into a breaking segment (1a) facing the crash which is displaced over the course of the crash and into a stationary breaking segment (1b) facing away from the crash. According to the invention the deformation element (1) is produced with at least one material layer (4) made of a fibre-reinforced plastic having a fibre fabric (14) embedded in a bedding material (10), said fibre fabric being exposed, after the deformation element (1) breaks apart, between the breaking segments (1a, 1b) and connecting said breaking segments to each other.
US09340164B2

A holster for securing a handgun to the dashboard of a car is provided. The handgun holster is adjustably attached to the lower portion of the dashboard, typically below the steering wheel.
US09340162B2

A vehicle seating assembly having a seat back including a polymeric body portion defining a support frame having a plurality of forwardly extending connection pins disposed about a periphery of a forward surface of the support frame. A flexible comfort carrier is disposed over a front surface of the polymeric body portion and includes a multitude of openings defining a support matrix configured to support the weight of a passenger. The body portion includes a plurality of slots configured to receive and engage the plurality of forwardly extending connection pins. A cushion layer extends over the flexible comfort carrier. A head restraint extends upwardly from the forward support frame.
US09340158B2

An aspect of the present invention is an outer mirror in which an outer mirror main body is attached to an outer mirror attaching part of a vehicle body via an outer mirror base, characterized in that the outer mirror base has a shared base main body configured to support the outer mirror main body, and an exclusive spacer having one end abutting the shared base main body and the other end pressed against the outer mirror attaching part of the vehicle body via a gasket, wherein the exclusive spacer abuts and is fixed to the shared base main body, and an attaching screw passing through the outer mirror attaching part is threadedly attached to the exclusive spacer.
US09340156B2

A method for detecting an object in an environmental region of a motor vehicle by a camera system of the motor vehicle is disclosed. A first image of the environmental region is provided by a camera of the camera system with illumination of the environmental region using a light source of the motor vehicle such that a shadow of the object caused by the illumination is depicted in the first image. A second image of the environmental region is also provided by the camera in an inactive state of the light source, in which the illumination is omitted. Then, a subtraction image is generated by subtracting one of the images from the other image by an image processing device of the camera system. Then, an edge image is generated from the subtraction image, and the object is detected based on edges of the edge image by the image processing device.
US09340155B2

A system for a vehicle includes a user identification subsystem operable to detect a user and an interactive display subsystem operable to generate output for display on a vehicle window in response to detection of the user. A method of operating a system for a vehicle includes detecting a user of the vehicle and generating output for display on a vehicle window visible from at least one of outside and inside the vehicle in response to detection of the user.
US09340144B1

A cargo retainer system incorporates a load-bearing strap assembly having a load bearing strap that extends over a cargo element, and a strap-retainer clamped to the load bearing strap and having an elastic portion that is stretched to a stretched length and attached to a portion of the load-bearing strap. The strap-retainer has an elastic portion that extends from the clamp to a hook that is configured to attach to a portion of the load-bearing strap to secure the strap retainer under tension. The strap-retainer provides an elastic retaining force on the load-bearing strap wherein the force exerted on the load bearing strap increase when the cargo shift away from strap-retainer and the force decreases when the cargo shifts toward the strap-retainer. A cargo retainer system may incorporate a strap-retainer on either side of the cargo element to provide complimentary and corrective elastic retaining forces on the load-bearing strap.
US09340143B2

A cargo retention apparatus for a vehicle includes a vehicle panel defining an interior, an exterior, and an elongate slot open between the interior and exterior that extends in a first direction therealong. A track member is disposed on the interior of the panel and is aligned with the slot in the first direction. The apparatus further includes a hook having a base received through the slot and slidably coupled with the track member.
US09340142B1

A cover assembly for a cargo lashing fitting having a substantially planar cover plate which can be readily installed/uninstalled to and from the fitting, which connects to the fitting in an impact-resistant manner, which can resist the forces incurred when subjected to loading from on-deck vehicles and equipment, and which provides a long lasting watertight seal of the socket cavity.
US09340140B1

A dry goods bulk trailer for transporting fluidic dry goods includes a frame supported on rear wheels and arranged for connection at a front end to a towing vehicle. A containment structure on the frame assembly for supporting the fluidic dry goods therein includes front and rear slope wall assemblies which slope downwardly and inwardly towards centrally located bottom discharge hoppers. Each slope wall assembly includes an inner panel, an outer panel and at least one internal structural member joined between the panels to provide sufficient structural support to enable the slope wall assembly to be only supported on the trailer frame about its perimeter. The inner panel is joined to the structural member without fasteners so that the inner surface thereof is substantially uninterrupted for easier cleanout. The outer surface of the outer panel is uninterrupted by frame members to minimize collection of snow and ice thereon.
US09340133B2

A monitor adapted for mounting in an automobile headrest is provided. A screen structure of the monitor is pivotable about an upper edge thereof, such that the monitor occupies little volume within the headrest. A viewing angle of the screen structure is independently adjustable by a viewer, such that the viewer can continuously select the optimum viewing angle with changing conditions inside the automobile. The screen structure automatically retracts into a housing when struck. Thus, the monitor poses little risk of injury to passengers. The housing of the monitor is attachable to the headrest with screws, which provides a very sturdy connection and reduces the chances of the housing becoming detached from the headrest during a vehicle collision. The hinged connection between the screen structure and the housing is preferably constructed of interconnected components made from sturdy materials, such as metals. Hinge components are optionally secured with metal fastening members and fastening apertures made of metal and strong plastics. The hinges are thus unlikely to break during a vehicle collision.
US09340132B2

A headrest for a vehicle seat, in particular for a motor vehicle seat, is proposed. The headrest includes a padded part facing the head of a seat occupant, a basic part and a comfort-adjustment device. When the headrest is in use, the padded part can be adjusted by the comfort-adjustment device relative to the basic part from a first position, in which it is further away from the head of the seat occupant, into a second position, closer to the head of the seat occupant. The comfort-adjustment device has two control elements which can be set in a locking position and in an unlocking position, the movement of the control elements being synchronized.
US09340129B2

An automobile armrest is described. The armrest allows lateral movement in an outboard direction while resisting inboard movement. The armrest facilitates occupant egress and mitigates injury in a collision. Lateral outboard movement of the armrest is non-destructive and the armrest returns to a standard position upon removal of the outboard force.
US09340125B2

A seat adjuster may include an end stop bracket and an adjustable end stop lever. An adjustable end stop lever may be configured to rotate between a first position in which the adjustable end stop lever engages the end stop bracket and prevents movement of a seat from a comfort range into an easy entry range, and a second position in which the adjustable end stop does not prevent movement of the seat from the comfort range into the easy entry range.
US09340108B2

A canopy for a refuse collection vehicle wherein the canopy can be placed on the vehicle without adding additional height to the vehicle. The canopy has a frame attachable to the vehicle which holds at least one container of fuel. The fuel is typically a compressed natural gas and depending on the model of vehicle a plurality of containers can be housed to extend the service area of the vehicle.
US09340103B2

An in-wheel motor driving device includes a wheel braking device. A back plate of a drum brake or a mounting member for calipers of a disc brake constituting the wheel braking device is formed integrally with an outboard-side end member which is fastened to a outboard-side end surface of a housing of a speed reducer section.
US09340101B2

A transmission arrangement for a hybrid vehicle includes an electric machine having a stator and a rotor. An electric-motor input shaft is connected to the rotor. A Ravigneaux gear set has a carrier, a set of long planets, a set of short planets, a ring gear, a first sun, and a second sun. The short planets mesh with the long planets. The ring gear meshes with the short planets and is connected to an output shaft. The first sun meshes with the short planets and is connected to the electric-motor input shaft. The second sun meshes with the long planets. The carrier is fixable on a transmission housing by a brake. The carrier, the second sun and an internal-combustion-engine input shaft are selectively couplable to one another in a torque-transmitting manner by a shiftable clutch arrangement. A hybrid vehicle and a drive train for a hybrid vehicle are also provided.
US09340100B2

A power transmission system of a hybrid electric vehicle may include, a generating device adapted to generate electricity by torque of an engine or to start the engine. an input device adapted to receive the torque of the engine. a speed output device changing the torque transmitted from the input device into two speed steps and outputting the changed torque. an auxiliary power source disposed between the input device and the speed output device and adapted to supply torque to the speed output device or to generate electricity by the torque of the speed output device. a final reduction device outputting the torque transmitted from the speed output device.
US09340080B2

A kingpin stabilizer having a kingpin-retaining bracket having a base plate and upwardly extending walls along at least two sides of the base plate. The upwardly extending walls and the base plate forming a receiving cavity with the upwardly extending walls spaced apart to fit said kingpin therebetween. At least one upwardly extending wall has a pin retainer. The stabilizer includes three telescoping legs extending from the pin-retaining bracket forming a tripod.
US09340079B2

An apparatus and method are described for a brake actuator hitch. The brake actuator hitch is configured to be connected to a tow vehicle receiver and a towed vehicle and includes mechanical linkage to actuate a brake pedal of the towed vehicle when there is a difference between relative motions of the brake actuator hitch and the tow vehicle receiver.
US09340074B2

A pneumatic tire has a bead filler, a carcass ply, a side wall rubber and a rim strip rubber. The rim strip rubber has a main portion arranged in an outer side in a tire width direction of the bead filler, and a thin portion arranged between the carcass ply and the side wall rubber. The main portion forms an outer surface of a bead portion. The thin portion extends in the tire diametrical direction at a substantially fixed thickness. An upper end of the thin portion is positioned in an outer side in the tire diametrical direction than an upper end of the bead filler and in an inner side in the tire diametrical direction than a roll-up end of the carcass ply.
US09340072B2

A motorcycle tire comprises a tread portion provided with first T-grooves and second T-grooves arranged and oriented alternately along the tire equator. The angles of the main portion and branch portion of the T-groove, with respect to the tire circumferential direction, are gradually increased toward the tread edges. The axial distances of the branching point and an inside end of the main portion are not more than 25% of the axial distance of the tread edge, each measured from the tire equator along the tread surface. The circumferential distance from the inside end of the main portion to the circumferentially adjacent T-groove is 5 to 15% of the circumferential pitch length of the first T-grooves.
US09340064B2

Artificial marble having a transparent amorphous pattern includes a base or matrix material portion and a transparent pattern portion. The pattern portion has a specific gravity or about 1.60 or more and is formed by hardening or curing a resin composition comprising a binder selected from halogenated urethane acrylates, halogenated epoxy acrylates and combinations thereof and an acrylic polymerizable monomer.
US09340062B2

A mosaic concrete product, methods of creating the same, and methods of fabricating a module for use in creating the mosaic are provided. The methods of installing the mosaic upon an uncured concrete surface utilize the module. The module may be fabricated by mapping out tile in a design corresponding to the mosaic; adhering the tile to a template utilizing an adhesive, the tile being positioned thereon corresponding to the design; and allowing the adhesive to set. The module may define upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface including the tile adhered thereto. The methods of installing the mosaic comprises: positioning the module upon the uncured concrete surface; embedding the tile into the concrete surface; massaging the tile into the concrete surface to interpose a quantity of cement/fines paste between the adjacent tiles; and finishing the concrete surface.
US09340060B2

A slide type writing tool includes: a pen housing (10); an ink holder (30); a sealing member (40) having a cover (41); a spring (50) elastically supporting the sealing member (40) and the ink holder (30); and a guide member (60) positioned between the sealing member (40) and the pen housing (10) and having an operation hole (65) for the coming in and out of the pen tip (31) in response to the forward or backward movement of the ink holder (30), wherein the opening and closing operations of the cover (41) of the sealing member (40) are guided when the sealing member (40) moves, the ink holder (30) has cam protrusions (70) for enabling the guide member (60) to move and moving along the operation slits (62), and the sealing member (40) has a sealing portion (42) coming into contact with the ink holder (30) and protrusions (44).
US09340057B1

The present invention is to eliminate loosening of a transfer film on a rear end side of a card caused due to collision of a front end of the card against a conveying roller pair provided downstream of a transfer roller to prevent wrinkles from occurring in a transferred image, by increasing a card conveying speed or reducing a feed speed of a transfer film 46 during a time from when transfer processing for a card K to immediately before or after the card front end rushes into a conveying roller pair 37, excessive loosening of the transfer film 46 occurring on the card rear end side is eliminated. After the card rear end passes through the transfer roller 33, the feed speed of the transfer film 46 is further reduced to eliminate the loosening of the transfer film 46 on the card rear end side.
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