US09471361B2

In one aspect, a system includes at least one virtualization server configured to executed a hypervisor, and a storage server in communication to the at least one virtualization server. The storage server stores a plurality of virtual machine (VM) operating systems (OS's). The storage server comprises computer executable code, including a VM scheduler service (VMSS) module. The VMSS module is configured to determine a scheduled start time for each of the VM OS's based on configuration data corresponding to the VM OS's, generate a command based on the scheduled start time for each of the VM OS's, and send the command to the at least one virtualization server. Upon receiving the command, the hypervisor executed at the at least one virtualization server requests data of one of the VM OS's at the corresponding scheduled start time to start the one of the VM OS's.
US09471360B2

A method, system and computer program product for optimizing cloud resources in utilizing a pool of virtual machines to service user workloads. A writeable partition is created to store middleware and user activity associated with a virtual machine obtained from a pool of available virtual machines to be deployed. In response to the obtained virtual machine being terminated, the contents of the created writeable partition are erased so that the data generated by the middleware and user activity will not be available for subsequent users. The virtual machine is later returned to the pool of available virtual machines after resetting its password and network address to a default state. In this manner, fewer cloud resources are used since resource intensive activities that were required in provisioning a new virtual machine can be eliminated since previously terminated virtual machines can be utilized in the pool of available virtual machines.
US09471357B2

Technologies are described herein for alternating between a local graphical user interface (UI) and a virtual machine interface, on a computing device such as a thin client or a zero client. In particular, a virtual desktop client (VDC), which is in communication with a virtual machine hosted by a hypervisor on a remote computer system, receives desktop video display signals from the virtual machine. A monitoring application monitors the execution status of the VDC. Upon determining that the VDC has been terminated, the monitoring application is configured to present the UI by re-initializing, relaunching, or rebooting the UI, by retrieving display data associated with the UI from a RAM device, or by other means.
US09471351B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to scalable policy management in an edge virtual bridging (EVB) environment. One embodiment includes fetching information from a virtual station interface (VSI) database. A first table is generated with at least a portion of the information from the VSI database. A message is received including virtual machine (VM) information for a created VM. A second table is generated including at least a portion of the VM information. A VM identification (ID) is retrieved based on VM type from the first table. Rules associated with the retrieved VM ID are retrieved from the second table. The associated rules for the VM are applied.
US09471350B2

Methods, apparatus, software, and system architectures for supporting virtualized system migrations and scaling. Under aspects of a method, data is automatically collected and aggregated at multiple levels by a plurality of agents for each of multiple data centers. The data includes data relating to virtual machine utilization, data relating to electrical utilization costs, data relating to data center utilization, and data relating to triggers events. The data is processed to determine whether to migrate virtual servers from a first data center to a second data center. The software architecture includes a plurality of modules including a controller, data center profile, transition triggers, power cost profile, and virtual machine package module. The agents are implemented in an agent hierarchy and configured to collect data themselves and/or aggregate data from other agents and provide an API to facilitate access to collected data and agent services.
US09471346B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide hints for page stealing by prioritizing pages based on the number of residences. Receiving a plurality of pages to be hinted to a hypervisor for page stealing. Determining at least two page types of the plurality of pages. Determining whether any of the at least two page types has a total number of residences less than a total number of potential residences in the virtual environment for all page types and have a total number of residences less than a threshold. Responsive to determining a first page type of the at least two page types has a total number of residences less than a total number of potential residences for all page types and has a total number of residences less than a threshold, notifying the hypervisor of at least one page from the plurality of pages that is the determined first page type.
US09471336B2

According to some embodiments, an apparatus and a method of capturing a type of file associated with a software deliverable is provided. A software deliverable is scanned for a predetermined type of file, a first file of the predetermined type of file is determined to exist in the software deliverable and the first file of the predetermined type of file is copied to a repository.
US09471333B2

In an effort to customize or enhance software applications, configuration data is often used. Configuration settings that are editable by users need not to be limited to a simple flat entry that can be taken out of context anymore. The present invention allows for multiple-levels of configuration settings to interact with each other, so that a single configuration for a given context to be calculated dynamically. In the process, the user gains flexibility to specify more adequately a required change or customization while propagating the information with minimal effort and not requiring additional coding. Furthermore, to simplify a speaker's interactions for controlling an automated device, the addition of a superposed layer over graphic user interface may be used. The superposed layer may display coordinates that a speaker may use to navigate the graphic user interface, for example to associate a location with a keyword or a coordinate.
US09471330B2

A system and method to select boot configuration utilizes a processor, a near field communication (NFC) module coupled to the processor, and a near field communication (NFC) tag proximately located to the NFC module. The NFC tag operates as a system configuration tag to configure boot mode of the processor.
US09471317B2

A processor includes a plurality of execution units. At least one of the execution units is configured to determine, based on a field of a first instruction, a number of additional instructions to execute in conjunction with the first instruction and prior to execution of the first instruction.
US09471316B2

The disclosed embodiments describe single-instruction processors that operates upon messages received from a network interface. A single-instruction processor comprises a register file, a functional unit, a bus connecting the register file and the functional unit, and a format decoder that receives messages from a network interface. This single-instruction processor supports a single instruction type (e.g., a “move instruction”) that specifies operands to be transferred via the bus. During operation, the format decoder is configured to write a parameter from a received message to the register file. A move instruction moves this parameter from the register file to the functional unit via the bus. The functional unit then uses the parameter to perform an operation.
US09471313B1

Technical solutions are described for avoiding a transaction abort in a multiprocessor that supports transactional memory during out-of-order execution of an instruction stream. An example method described includes detecting an instruction that represents an end of a transaction in the instruction stream. The method also includes identifying a conflict in execution of an outside instruction in conjunction with execution of the transaction, the outside instruction being after instruction that represents the end of the transaction, and where the conflict causes the transaction to abort. The method also includes flushing the outside instruction; and resuming the execution of the transaction, without aborting the transaction.
US09471305B2

A method for graphics processing includes generating one or more transcendental instructions in a graphics processing unit (GPU). Micro-code is formed for processing the one or more transcendental instructions in the GPU. The micro-code is processed using an iterative process including cubic interpolation and an evaluation of a cubic polynomial.
US09471300B2

A panel is described including stored data that is associated with the operation of the panel, and a server configured to provide a notification that an update to the data is available, the notification provided over a first communication network, and provide an update to the data via a wireless communication with the panel over a second communication network different than the first communication network.
US09471292B2

Generally, this disclosure provides systems, methods and computer readable media for binary translation (BT) reuse. The system may include a (BT) module to translate a region of code from a first instruction set architecture (ISA) to a second ISA, for execution associated with a first process. The BT module may also be configured to store a first physical page number associated with the translated code and the first process. The system may also include a processor to execute the translated code and to update a virtual address instruction pointer associated with the execution. The system may further include a translation reuse module to validate the translated code for reuse by a second process. The validation may include generating a second physical page number based on a page table mapping of the updated virtual address instruction pointer and matching the second physical page number to the stored first physical page number.
US09471291B2

A method for processing computer program code to enable different parts of the computer program code to be executed by different processing elements of a plurality of communicating processing elements. The method comprises identifying at least one first part of the computer program code, which is to be executed by a particular one of said processing elements. The method further comprises identifying at least one further part of the computer code which is related to the at least one first part of the computer code. The at least one first part of the computer program code and the at least one further part of the computer program code are caused to be executed by the particular one of said processing elements.
US09471289B2

Systems and methods for source-to-source transformation for compiler optimization for many integrated core (MIC) coprocessors, including identifying data dependencies in candidate loops and data elements used in each iteration for arrays, profiling candidate loops to find a proper number m, wherein data transfer and computation for m iterations take an equal amount of time, and creating an outer loop outside the candidate loop, with each iteration of the outer loop executing m iterations of the candidate loop. Data streaming is performed by determining optimum buffer size for one or more arrays and inserting code before the outer loop to create optimum sized buffers, overlapping data transfer between central processing units (CPUs) and MICs with the computation; reusing buffers to reduce memory employed on the MICs, and reusing threads on MICs to repeatedly launch kernels on the MICs for asynchronous data transfer.
US09471286B2

Systems and methods are described for providing code completion features for code modules that have been incorporated into a source code document being edited by a user of a source code editor. Embodiment dynamically load and apply partial code evaluation to code modules referenced in the source code document (and any code modules referenced directly or indirectly by such code modules) while the user is editing it. The partial code evaluation is performed on a background thread that is separate from a main thread used to execute the user interface for the source code editor. The results of such partial code evaluation are cached and used to provide code completion information for the code modules.
US09471281B2

Embodiments relate to vectorized Galois field multiplication. An aspect includes a subdivision of first and second input operands into vector elements of equal sizes with multiple modes defined such that a base mode has a size corresponding to a smallest vector element size, which is a factor of a size of the first and second input operands, and a higher mode has a size that is a multiple of the base mode size. The vector elements of the first input operand are modified with a bit mask based on a size of the vector elements. The modified vector elements of the first input operand and the vector elements of the second input operand are input into a single hardware tree configured for subdivision into staggered subtrees a size of each of which being based on the base mode size.
US09471272B2

In one aspect, a device includes a processor and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory bears instructions executable by the processor to determine that a portion of audio has been skipped a threshold number of times, and in response to the determination that the portion of the audio has been skipped the threshold number of times, skip the portion without input from a user to skip the portion upon a subsequent presentation of the audio.
US09471270B2

A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with an external device; a touch screen configured to sense a touch input, and switch between an active state and an inactive state; and a controller configured to receive a plurality of touch inputs applied to the touch screen in the inactive state, and when the received touch inputs satisfy a preset criteria, control the external device to release a locked state of the external device, activate a first region of the touch screen in the inactive state, and display screen information corresponding to the external device in the activated first region of the touch screen.
US09471267B2

A mobile terminal, capable of effectively providing information by using double-sided display units, includes: first and second display units disposed on different sides; a memory unit configured to store both an image and information associated with the image; and a controller configured to control at least one of the first and second display units to display the image and the information associated with the image according to any one among first and second display modes, wherein, in the first display mode, the image and the information associated with the image are displayed on any one of the first and second display units, and in the second display mode, when the image is displayed on any one of the first and second display units, the information associated with the image is displayed on the other of the first and second display units.
US09471255B2

A mechanism is provided for tape writing of small transactions. A first file is written as a plurality of fixed-length data sets (DS), the DS number of the final DS in the plurality of DS is stored in memory as #N(DS#N) and the WP number as #M(WP#M), and the final first file and the second file in the DS following the final DS(DS#N, WP#M) containing the first file are packed and written in sequential DS units, and are stored as DS#N, DS#N+1, etc. and WP#M+1 in sequential order in DS containing the second file. The remaining first, second, or third file is packed and DS#N with WP#M is overwritten as DS#N with WP#M+2, and the remaining #N in the DS numbers of the second file and the third file in the subsequent DS are written as DS#N+1, N+2, etc. with WP#M+2, and the DS#N, #N+1, #N+2, etc. with WP#M+2 are stored.
US09471253B2

For data processing in a computing storage environment by a processor device, the computing storage environment incorporating at least high-speed and lower-speed caches, and tiered levels of storage, and at a time in which at least one data segment is to be migrated from one level to another level of the tiered levels of storage, a data migration mechanism is initiated by copying data resident in the lower-speed cache corresponding to the at least one data segment to be migrated to a target on the another level, reading remaining data, not previously copied from the lower-speed cache, from a source on the one level, and writing the remaining data to the target, and subsequent to the reading and the writing of the remaining data, destaging updates corresponding to the at least one data segment from either the higher and lower speed caches to the target.
US09471241B2

Methods, systems, and computer storage mediums including a computer program product method for formatting storage volumes are provided. One method includes creating a storage volume including a global counter and partitioned into multiple storage segments including a segment counter and partitioned into multiple stripes, wherein the global counter and each segment counter match at an initial time. The method further includes receiving a command to write data to a first stripe, comparing a first segment counter associated with the segment, determining if the segment and global counters match, and re-initializing first metadata associated with the segment to indicate the first segment requires formatting if the counters do not match. One system includes a processor for performing the above method and one computer storage medium includes a computer program product configured to perform the above method.
US09471238B1

A method for low power storage array with metadata access includes sequentially writing data to a currently active disk drive in a storage array and storing metadata relating to the writes in a preallocated portion of the currently active disk drive, determining when the currently active disk drive is nearing full capacity, activating a next disk drive and cloning the stored metadata from the preallocated portion of the currently active disk drive to a preallocated portion of the next disk drive. When the currently active disk drive is full, sequentially writing data to the next disk drive.
US09471237B1

Systems and methods are provided for monitoring memory consumption in computing devices. Memory monitoring can be performed by tracking multiple parameters on both a regular schedule and in response to the detection of certain events. These memory parameters can include the total amount of free memory in the system, the memory usage associated with certain processes, and stack traces of current threads. These memory parameters can be stored locally in a memory log on the device's secondary storage and then transmitted to a remote test system for detailed analysis along with the memory logs from other devices.
US09471232B2

A data storage device includes one or more non-volatile, blockwise erasable data storage media and a mechanism for sanitizing the media in response to a single external stimulus or in response to a predetermined physical or logical condition. Optionally, only part of the media is sanitized, at a granularity finer than the blocks of the medium. Setting a flag in an auxiliary nonvolatile memory enables an interrupted sanitize to be detected and restarted. Optionally, a “death certificate” verifying the sanitizing is issued. Preferably, the media are configured in a manner that allows atomic operations of the sanitizing to be effected in parallel.
US09471229B2

Methods and structure for predictively caching data to service host write requests. One embodiment includes a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage controller able to manage a RAID volume implemented on a plurality of storage devices. The storage controller includes a memory able to store a queue of write requests that are directed to the RAID volume, and an Input/Output (I/O) processor. The I/O processor is able to detect a stream of write requests in the queue that are directed to a sequence of Logical Block Addresses (LBAs) at the RAID volume, to predict, based on the stream, LBAs for new write requests, to cache data for the predicted LBAs from the storage devices to the storage controller, to receive the new write requests, and to utilize the cached data from the predicted LBAs to generate parity data for the new write requests.
US09471219B2

A text recognition apparatus and method of the portable terminal is provided for recognizing text image selected by a pen on a screen image as text. The text recognition method of the present invention includes displaying an image; configuring a recognition area on the image in response to a gesture made with a pen; recognizing text in the recognition area; displaying the recognized text and action items corresponding to the text; and executing, when one of the action items is selected, an action corresponding to the selected action item.
US09471214B2

An approach is provided to display a grid user-interface on a display. The grid user-interface includes a number of medium-sized windows that are displayed in a grid format. Each of the medium-sized windows has a substantially common width and a substantially common height to the other medium-sized windows. The system receives a mixed-mode request from a user. The mixed-mode request corresponds to a selected application that is displayed in one of the medium-sized windows. A second user-interface is displayed in response to receiving the mixed-mode request. The selected application is displayed in a large window and a plurality of small-sized windows is displayed adjacent to the large window. Each of the small-sized windows also has a substantially common width and a substantially common height to the other small-sized windows.
US09471206B2

A facility modeling system renders graphical representations of machines and their environment in a facility model to facilitate monitoring of machine parameters and health. A sensor control module communicates with a plurality of sensors detecting machine parameter data for machines housed in a facility. The machine parameters may include any information that may directly or indirectly indicate the status of a machine or a part of a machine. The information collected from the sensors is incorporated into the facility model (a graphical rendering of the facility) which may provide any of a variety of multi-dimensional views of the facility. A GUI allows a user to navigate through the facility model to identify and monitor the status of the sensors. The sensor status may be indicated by an icon, callout, change in a display characteristic of a facility, machine, part, space, or item, a combination of these, and the like.
US09471202B2

Building control systems that include a user interface that is configured to help manage relatively large amounts of building control data in an efficient and intuitive manner. In some cases, subsets of building control information can be associated with display elements such as windows or tabs, which can then be pinned to provide a convenient way to selectively display only certain building control information. In some cases, a pinned display element may display one or more building control parameters, which in some cases, can be user selectable and/or updated over time.
US09471200B2

An electronic device with a display and, optionally, a touch-sensitive surface obtains a collection of media items. In some embodiments, the device determines one or more patterns in the collection based on a comparison between properties of sequentially adjacent items and divides the collection into multiple events that includes a plurality of multi-item events. In some embodiments, the device receives a first request to display a first portion of the collection organized in accordance with a first detailed-granularity level and, in response to the first request, displaying a first plurality of representations of the items. The device receives a second request to display a second portion of the collection organized in accordance with a respective overview-granularity level that corresponds to multiple detailed-granularity levels and, in response to the second request, displays a second plurality of representations of the items.
US09471198B2

The disclosure generally describes computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for presenting list information. One method includes providing a series of controls for presentation representing a complete set of the elements, including first and last elements that are accessible without paging or scrolling to another screen. User input is received representing a traversal of the controls, including an uninterrupted selection of the controls. During the traversal and depending on a current position of the user input in relation to the controls, a position marker is displayed and continuously updated that identifies at least one element associated with a control at the current position. User input is received during the traversal indicating a selection of a particular control based on a termination of user input. The selection is based on a position relative to the series of controls. At least one particular element associated with the selected particular control is identified.
US09471190B2

A touch panel module including a touch panel area and a non-touch panel area is provided. The touch panel module includes a touch panel. The touch panel is located in the touch panel area. The touch panel senses a touch gesture by using a plurality of first and second sensing electrodes. At least one part of the first sensing electrodes is located in the non-touch panel area. Another one part of the first sensing electrodes and a whole of the second sensing electrodes are located in the touch panel area. The touch gesture touches the touch panel module to generate a touch area. A touch position corresponding to the touch gesture on the touch panel is determined based on a ratio of an area of the first sensing electrodes touched by the touch gesture and the touch area.
US09471189B2

A sensing electrode structure formed on a substrate of a touch device is provided. The sensing electrode structure includes: a first sensing electrode row; a second sensing electrode row, parallel to the first sensing electrode row, including a plurality of second sensing electrode units; and a guard ring, surrounding the second sensing electrode row, including a plurality of guard electrodes arranged between each two of the second sensing electrode units.
US09471185B2

In one embodiment, an input device includes a flexible outer layer and a flexible touch sensor layer. The flexible outer layer is formed from a solidified material. The flexible touch sensor includes a substrate and a plurality of electrodes coupled to at least one side of the substrate. The electrodes are operable to detect touches of the flexible outer layer. Each of the electrodes have a shape formed by a plurality of lines of metal, which may be fine lines of metal (FLM), that occupy less than 100% of the area of the shape of the electrode.
US09471177B2

The invention is directed to a drive circuit, drive method and a shift register for a display device with touch control function. The drive circuit includes a driving and amplifying module, a touch screen driving module and a time-sharing drive control module. The time-sharing drive control module is adapted to send a time-sharing drive control signal according to a first control signal and a second control signal. The driving and amplifying module is adapted to drive the OLED during an OLED drive phase according to the time-sharing drive control signal, amplify a touch sensor output signal during a touch screen drive phase and control the touch screen driver module to drive the touch screen according to a touch control signal and the amplified touch sensor output signal.
US09471166B2

A touch panel includes plural scanning electrodes, plural detection electrodes that are formed to intersect with the plural scanning electrodes, one or a plurality of layers being disposed between the plural detection electrodes and the plural scanning electrodes, plural holes that are arrayed apart from each other on each of the plural detection electrodes, and shaped into polygons each shaped to have five or more corners in a plan view, and plural dummy electrodes that are formed between the respective adjacent detection electrodes, made of the same material as that of the detection electrode, and electrically isolated from each other, in which the plural dummy electrodes are shaped into the polygons in a plan view.
US09471162B2

A display apparatus and method are provided. The display apparatus includes a display including a plurality of independent display elements (IDEs) configured for shape deformation, and a controller configured to determine whether the display is deformed by transmitting a plurality of signals to the plurality of IDEs and receiving signals output from the plurality of IDEs in response to the transmitted signals.
US09471142B2

Methods, articles of manufacture, and devices related to generating haptic feedback for point clouds are provided. A computing device receives depth data about an In-Contact environment. The computing device generates a point cloud from the depth data. The computing device determines a haptic interface point (HIP). The computing device determines a haptic interface point (HIP). The computing device determines a force vector between the HIP and point cloud. The computing device sends an indication of haptic feedback based on the force vector.
US09471140B2

A system having multiple power mode types, for example, includes a power manager that is responsive to a selection of a suspend power mode type for maintaining processor context information in volatile memory while the processor is in the selected suspend mode. A status register is arranged to retain the status of the context information in the volatile memory while the processor is in the selected suspend power mode. The power manager is arranged to selectively apply power to various voltage domains in response to the type of power mode selected. The processor is optionally arranged to signal the power manager of transitions to the selected suspend mode and of transitions to an active mode using a power enable signal.
US09471139B2

A method and system for managing power consumption of a pool of computing devices are disclosed. One aspect of certain embodiments includes managing resource utilization for each computing device without installing customized software, firmware or hardware on the computing device and dynamically selecting, one or more candidate computing devices for altering their respective power states based on at least real-time information on the quantity of requests.
US09471137B2

Based on a current activity running on a first selection of components operating in a primary mode from among redundant components within a high availability system, a separate power setting is selected for each separate type of redundant component from among the types of redundant components within the redundant components as specified in a high availability status specified for the current activity. At least one controller interface is called with a request to set the powered state of a particular component that is redundant to at least one of the first selection of components, from among a second selection of components operating in a standby mode from among the redundant components, to the separate power setting for the separate type of redundant component.
US09471134B2

A method and apparatus for managing power of a storage system are provided. The method comprises obtaining historical access information of a plurality of storage devices in the storage system within a time cycle, determining, according to the historical access information, a cold time period in the time cycle, forming a cold storage device for storing at least a part of cold data blocks within the cold time period, and setting power of the cold storage device to a low power mode in a time period of a subsequent time cycle corresponding to the cold time period. The apparatus is configured to implement the method. The method and apparatus effectively save power consumption of the storage system.
US09471130B2

The described embodiments include a computing device with an entity (a processor, a processor core, etc.) and a controller. In these embodiments, the controller, using an idle duration history, predicts a duration of a next idle period for the entity. Based on the predicted duration of the next idle period, the controller configures the entity to operate in a corresponding idle state.
US09471129B2

Technologies are generally described herein for writing data to either volatile or nonvolatile memory. An estimated time for a last write operation to occur and an estimated time to a power down event are determined. A threshold time is generated from the estimated time for a last write operation to occur and the estimated time to a power down event. The threshold time represents time at which a cost to write to volatile memory may become greater than a cost to write to nonvolatile memory. The cost may be based at least in part on the need to copy data stored in a volatile memory to be persisted after a power down event from the volatile to the nonvolatile memory.
US09471128B2

User interfaces are provided that display application energy usage information to a user. Application energy usage information may be displayed as an energy meter user interface that provides derived information (e.g., power and time used to determine energy usage) that is not available through a traditional activity monitor. For example, energy usage information is provided for an application running in isolation, taking into account energy usage based on what the application is doing and not what the rest of the system is doing (e.g., shows CPU wakes in isolation of any other processes). Each of a series of energy bars is presented as an energy utilization metric that includes at least one of a utilization portion and a wake tax portion, combined to represent to represent total energy utilization.
US09471126B2

A method for managing the power of a chassis includes receiving a plurality of modular information handling systems into the chassis, receiving a plurality of information handling resources into the chassis, virtualizing access of one of the modular information handling resources to two or more of the plurality of modular information handling systems, the modular information handling systems sharing the modular information handling resource, and, upon initialization of one of the information handling systems, determining power requirements of the shared information handling resource, receiving power requirements from the information handling systems, determining whether the power requirements from the information handling system includes power requirements of the shared information handling resource, subtracting the power requirements of the shared information handling resource from the power requirements of the information handling system to determine resultant power requirements, comparing the resultant power requirements with available power, and allowing operation of the information handling system.
US09471122B2

A power supply circuit for supplying power to a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller, a control circuit, a switch circuit, a first current protection circuit, a second current protection circuit, a first power circuit, and a second power circuit. When the computer is turned on, a first current protection threshold is set by the PWM controller through the first current protection circuit. When the computer is in a standby mode, a second current protection threshold is set by the PWM controller through the second current protection circuit.
US09471119B2

An automated secure record management system and method that receives a plurality of digitally signed records subsequent to a resetting of a running counter. In response to each received digitally signed record, the automated secure record management system and method increments the running counter. Further, upon receiving an accumulation record, automated secure record management system and method compares a value of the running counter and a signature record number of the accumulation record, such that a notification is generated whenever the comparison detects that the value of the running counter is not equal to the signature record number.
US09471115B2

A device can include a housing, a fan, and a heat sink. The heat sink can dissipate heat from a processor card. The device can be installed into a chassis of a computer.
US09471107B2

A method for controlling an electronic device. The method includes: detecting whether a flexible display is rolled up into a pen-like shape; detecting a handwriting motion according to movement of the flexible display by using at least one sensor when the flexible display is rolled up into a pen-like shape; and displaying a locus according to the handwriting motion of the flexible display on the flexible display.
US09471105B2

A display apparatus includes a display device body with a screen, a frame attached to the display device body, the frame having an opening for exposing the screen, and a panel secured to the frame so as to face the screen, the panel being elastic, wherein the frame has four sides to which the panel is secured and at least one of the four sides has a section projecting ahead of the screen higher than both ends, the section being other than both ends in a longitudinal direction of the at least one of the four sides.
US09471104B2

A reader apparatus, comprising: a circuit board, including a plurality of lower touching pads, located on a lower surface of the circuit board; an insulative body, including a front supporting element and a rear supporting element extending from the front supporting element, wherein a plurality of planar conductive terminals disposed on an upper surface of the front supporting element, the rear supporting element located under the circuit board, the plural planar conductive terminals extends backward and sandwiched between a lower surface of the circuit board and a upper surface of the rear supporting element, and the planar conducting terminals sandwiched between the lower surface of the circuit board and the upper surface of the rear supporting element electrically connects to a plurality of a lower touching pads; and a casing surrounding the circuit board and the insulative body.
US09471102B2

A wearable device is disclosed that includes circuitry in both the display device and the securing device, for example a watch and watch band. The circuitry in the securing device is electrically connected to the display device electrical circuitry and may be used to extend the functionality of the display device or create additional display space for use by the display device. These are but two examples of possible uses.
US09471101B2

A wearable computing device receiving at least one of visual information and audible information from an information providing device and providing the received information to a user is disclosed. The wearable computing device includes a detecting unit detecting a state of the wearable computing device and outputting detection information, a controller deciding whether the state of the wearable computing device corresponds to a first mode or a second mode based upon the detection information of the detecting unit, and controlling an output of the visual information and the audible information provided by the information providing device based upon the decided mode, a converter converting the visual information provided by the information providing device to audible information of a voice format when the state corresponds to the second mode, and an audible information output unit providing the audible information converted by the converter to the user.
US09471098B2

An architecture allows individual system components to be developed and tested individually, i.e., as distinct modules, and to be subsequently combined through standardized electrical and communication interfaces. Any combination of these modules can be implemented to form different products that provide any number of functions, such as an integrated system for monitoring a health condition and/or delivering a medication. The architecture also provides an approach for dynamically updating the product and offering its users the latest generation of technology even after the users have already purchased the product. In particular, the embodiments employ the communication interfaces to also provide connection to a remote network that can update or upgrade the product's software when the product is out in the field.
US09471093B2

An apparatus includes a transmitting unit that transmits data to terminal devices, and further includes a storage unit, an obtaining unit, a calculating unit, and a controlling unit. The storage unit stores time differences between times clocked by the terminal devices and a time clocked by the apparatus. The obtaining unit obtains information indicating a time the terminal devices have received the data. The calculating unit calculates delay amounts of paths to the terminal devices, by using a difference between a time the transmitting unit transmitted the data and the time indicated by the obtained information, and the stored time differences. The controlling unit identifies a delay amount difference in the calculated delay amounts, and controls a data amount transmitted/received to/from the terminal devices in accordance with the identified delay amount difference.
US09471075B2

A compensation module for a voltage regulation device having a gain stage, an output stage and a miller compensation module includes a low-output-impedance non-inverting amplifier unit coupled to a gain output of the gain stage and an output-stage input of the output stage.
US09471073B2

The present invention pertains to a linear power regulator device, comprising an internal pass device, a driver device having a driver output arranged to drive the internal pass device via the driver output, wherein the linear power regulator device comprises an external connection connectable or connected to an external pass device; and wherein the driver device is arranged to drive an external pass device via the driver output and the external connection. The invention also pertains to a corresponding electronic device.
US09471072B1

A regulator circuit includes: a current detector configured to sense a load current and convert the sensed load current to a DC current sense signal; and an adjustment circuit configured to adjust an output voltage within predetermined upper and lower voltage limits based on the DC current sense signal.
US09471069B2

A thermostat including a controller operates to provide a guided programming sequence of two or more screens to a display. The guided sequence of screens prompts the user to provide system configuration information for updating the system configuration and providing a system summary screen.
US09471066B2

A mass flow controller comprises: a pressure-based flow meter, a thermal-based flow meter, a control valve, and a system controller. The pressure-based flow meter and thermal-based flow meter each measure flow rate of mass through the mass flow controller. The control valve controls the flow rate in response to a control signal generated as a function of the flow rate as measured by thermal-based flow meter when the measured flow rate is relatively low, and as a function of the flow rate as measured by the pressure-based flow meter when the flow rate is relatively high. A comparison of the flow measurements of the two flow meters can be used to (a) sense pressure disturbances at low flow rates, and (b) sense when the thermal-based flow meter is out of calibration so that a zero offset signal can be applied to the thermal-based flow meter.
US09471065B2

A plurality of stacked and fixed gas supplying units U, each gas supplying unit U having at least four gas supply lines S is formed by opposingly combining and fixing two flow controllers 3, each flow controller 3 provided with a plurality of flow control units, to a gas inlet-side block 12 and a gas outlet-side block 13 that are disposed in parallel across an interval in plan view and providing each flow controller 3 with an inlet opening and closing valve 1 and an outlet opening and closing valve 5.
US09471053B2

A notification method includes the steps of: (a) receiving an operation signal for operating an electrical appliance; (b) determining whether or not to deny an operation indicated by the operation signal; and (c) when the step (b) determines to deny the operation, causing an electronic message board to display thereon an object indicating that the operation is denied.
US09471050B2

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a solar tracker assembly. In one embodiment, the assembly includes a base having a track, a centrally-positioned base member, a motor operably coupled to the base member, and a plurality of arms extending from the base member towards the track, with the track including a plurality of arcuate members that are assembled to form the track. A rotatable frame is coupled to the arms and has one or more towers and an actuator positioned on the one or more towers. A pivoting frame is coupled to the one or more towers, with the pivoting frame configured to carry a solar panel array. In operation, the motor can rotate the base member and arms around a Z-axis to position the rotatable frame at azimuth and the actuator can move the pivoting frame around an X-Y axis to position the pivoting frame at zenith.
US09471040B2

Provided is a rigid decorative member that has high film hardness, is excellent in scratch resistance performance and abrasion resistance performance, and has excellent color brightness and color saturation. The rigid decorative member of the present invention is a rigid decorative member wherein a reaction compound film of an alloy of Cr and a metal selected from one or two or more of Mo, W, Nb, Ta, Ti, Hf, Zr, and V, and of a non-metallic element selected from one or two or more of nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen is formed on a substrate. There is provided the rigid decorative member significantly improved in scratch resistance and abrasion resistance and having a color tone with a high quality feel; and there is further supplied a product of which the color tones of brightness and color saturation can be freely controlled. The rigid decorative member of the present invention includes the reaction compound film of the alloy of Cr, which is a metal having high adhesion to a metal and high brightness but having low hardness, and a metal having high film hardness and high corrosion resistance but having low brightness and low adhesion (Mo, W, Nb, Ta, Ti, Hf, Zr, V), and of the non-metallic element such as nitrogen, carbon, or oxygen.
US09471038B2

A device for driving a date mobile (3) of a horological calendar mechanism, the device comprising: a driving mobile (2) including a first finger (20a) and a second finger (20b); a programming mobile (1) including a first set of teeth (10a), a second set of teeth (10b) and a third set of teeth (10c); and the date mobile (3) including a fourth set of teeth (30a) and a fifth set of teeth (30b), the first finger cooperating with the first set of teeth, the second finger cooperating with the second set of teeth, the first set of teeth cooperating with the fourth set of teeth and the third set of teeth cooperating with the fifth set of teeth.
US09471037B2

Spring (10) for clock mechanism, the spring comprising a body (11) extending between a first end (12) of the spring and a second end (13) of the spring, the spring being intended to be connected mechanically to a housing at each of the first and second ends, the spring comprising, between the first and the second end, at least one member (17) intended to act by contact on an element (42) of the clock mechanism, characterized in that the body comprises a deformable zone (14) extending in a curve (18) and in that the curve comprises a first part (18a) that is concave when viewed from the first end.
US09471034B2

In an image forming apparatus, a photoconductor cartridge including a photoconductor is removably installed in a housing, a transfer unit configured to transfer a developer image onto a sheet in a transfer position is disposed in contact with the photoconductor, a developer cartridge is removably installed in the housing, and a fixing unit is configured to fix a developer image on the sheet in a fixing position. The housing has a first opening provided behind the transfer unit opposite to the photoconductor, and a second opening provided separate from the first opening. The photoconductor cartridge can be removed from and installed into the housing through the to first opening. The developer cartridge can be removed from and installed into the housing through the second opening. The photoconductor cartridge includes a chute that extends between the transfer position and the fixing unit to guide the sheet toward the fixing unit.
US09471015B1

An image processing apparatus comprises an image decoloring unit, an image forming unit, a heater and a control unit. The image decoloring unit decolors an image formed on a sheet with a decolorable color material by heating the sheet. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet with a decolorable color material. The heater thermally fixes the image formed by the image forming unit on the sheet. The control unit carries out a control processing so that the formation of an image with a decolorable color material is different before and after a specified time elapses from the moment the image decoloring unit completes a decoloring processing.
US09471011B2

An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive body including a photosensitive layer having a first end and a second end, the first end having a larger thickness than the second end; a charging portion charges the photosensitive layer; a light irradiation portion applies light to the photosensitive layer; a developing device develops by toner charged with the same polarity as charge polarity of the photosensitive layer; an intermediate transfer medium including a surface layer having a third end and a fourth end, the third end having a larger thickness than the fourth end, the third end being opposed to the second end, the fourth end being opposed to the first end; and a transfer portion transfers a toner image developed on the photosensitive layer, onto the surface layer when a voltage having polarity opposite to the charge polarity is applied to the transfer portion.
US09471005B2

In a developing device, a developing agent member has a first rotational shaft extending in a first direction. A supply member has a second rotational shaft extending in the first direction. A housing includes a first wall and a second wall. The first wall is formed with first and second openings. The second wall is formed with third and fourth openings. The first bridge portion separates the first opening and the second opening in the first wall. A second bridge portion separates the third opening and the fourth opening in the second wall. When projected in the first direction, the first rotational shaft is disposed in the first opening and the second rotational shaft is disposed in the second opening. When projected in the first direction, the first rotational shaft is disposed in the third opening and the second rotational shaft is disposed in the fourth opening.
US09471004B1

A releasing mechanism usable for a toner supply container includes a groove fixable to the toner supply container, a releasing portion slidably fixable to the toner supply container, and a hook member. The releasing portion has an opening for releasing toner, and a fixing structure disposed over the groove. The hook member is disposed between the groove and the fixing structure, and has a first hook received in the groove, and a fixing portion fixable to the fixing structure. By operations of first and second forces pushing the releasing portion toward or away from the toner supply container, the first hook is slidable along the groove and is stoppable at first and second positions of the groove that are close to or away from the toner supply container, such that the releasing portion is movable relative to the toner supply container to provide or stop providing the toner.
US09471003B2

The image forming apparatus includes a drum cartridge having a photosensitive drum and a drum drive input member; a developing cartridge configured to be movably mounted to the drum cartridge, the developing cartridge comprising a developing roller disposed so as to face the photosensitive drum and a developing drive input member; a drum drive transmission member configured to engage with the drum drive input member and configured to transmit drum driving force to the drum drive input member while permitting a positional gap of the drum drive input member within a predetermined range; and a developing drive transmission member configured to engage with the developing drive input member and configured to transmit developing driving force to the developing drive input member while permitting a positional gap of the developing drive input member within a predetermined range.
US09471002B2

Provided is a power supply unit that quickly stabilizes a voltage to be applied to a developer carrier. The power supply unit, which applies a voltage to a developer carrier, includes a DC power supply portion, an AC power supply portion, a current detecting portion for detecting current input to the developer carrier, a voltage correcting portion for decreasing at least one of voltage levels of the DC voltage and the AC voltage more as the current detected by the current detecting portion becomes larger, and a development control portion for starting application of one of the DC voltage and the AC voltage as a first voltage at a first time point, and starting application of the other of the DC voltage and the AC voltage as a second voltage at a second time point that is a predetermined time after the first time point.
US09471001B2

An optical writing device including light-emitting elements forming element arrays. The element arrays are each composed of light-emitting elements arranged in line in a main scanning direction, and reside at respective positions along a sub-scanning direction. A correction unit receives signal values in one-to-one correspondence with the light-emitting elements and performs correction to acquire corrected signal values each indicating a light amount of a corresponding light-emitting element. The correction is for eliminating a light amount difference in the main scanning direction occurring for each element array. A driving unit supplies driving currents to the light-emitting elements based on the corrected signal values, and a control unit performs a control of causing at least two element arrays to emit light for different durations within one main scanning period. The control is for eliminating a light amount difference in the sub scanning direction occurring between the at least two element arrays.
US09471000B2

An exposure device includes: a substrate having a first and second surface opposed to each other, wherein a light-emitting element array is mounted on the first surface; a protective sheet covering the second surface while exposing a part of the second surface in the vicinity of an edge of the substrate to define an exposed part of the second surface; a holder that supports a condenser lens array and that supports the substrate, with a gap formed between the holder and the exposed part of the substrate, to position the substrate such that light emitted from the light-emitting element array is condensed on a predetermined irradiation location through the condenser lens array; and a thermally-conductive sealant that covers the exposed part of the second surface of the substrate and seals the gap.
US09470998B2

An electroconductive roller is provided, which is imparted with lower resistance than a prior-art electroconductive roller without addition of an expensive salt and an electron conductive agent liable to cause various problems or by adding the electron conductive agent in a smaller proportion that hardly causes the problems, and an image forming apparatus employing the electroconductive roller is also provided. The electroconductive roller (1) includes a tubular base layer (4) made of an ion-conductive elastic material, and a surface layer (6) provided on an outer peripheral surface (5) of the base layer (4). The roller resistance R1 (Ω) of the base layer and the surface resistance R2 (Ω) of an outer peripheral surface (7) of the surface layer satisfy all the following expressions (1) to (3): log R1−log R2≧2.5  (1) log R1≦7.0  (2) log R2≦4.0  (3) The image forming apparatus incorporates the electroconductive roller as a charging roller.
US09470993B2

The present invention provides a magnetic toner that is excellent in low temperature fixability and that is also excellent in developability, suppression of fogging and transfer efficiency even in a long period of use. The magnetic toner of the present invention is a magnetic toner including a magnetic toner particle containing a binder resin and a magnetic member, and an inorganic fine particle “a” and an organic-inorganic composite fine particle, wherein the magnetic toner has (i) a true specific gravity of 1.40 g/cm3 or more and 1.70 g/cm3 or less, and (ii) a saturation magnetization at a magnetic field of 796 kA/m of 10 Am2/kg or more and 20 Am2/kg or less, and the inorganic fine particle “a” is a metal oxide having a volume resistivity of 1.0×103 Ω·cm or more and 1.0×108 Ω·cm or less.
US09470992B2

An image forming method includes: charging a surface of an electrostatic latent image holder with a charging roller; exposing the charged surface so as to form an electrostatic latent image; and developing the formed electrostatic latent image with toner. The toner contains at least a toner base particle and an external additive minute particle. The external additive minute particle contains a silica-polymer composite minute particle. A silicon atom abundance ratio obtained from abundances of a carbon atom, an oxygen atom and a silicon atom present on an outermost surface and within 3 nm from the outermost surface in a depth direction of the silica-polymer composite minute particle are measured with an x-ray photoelectron spectrometer satisfies at least the following condition A. 15.0 atm %≦silicon atom abundance ratio ({Si/(C+O+Si)}×100)≦30.0 atm %  [Condition A]
US09470990B2

A storage to store a dispersion liquid in which particles including a resin are dispersed in a solvent is provided. The storage includes a storage tank to store the dispersion liquid, which is arranged on a passage leading from a dispersion liquid producing device to produce the dispersion liquid to a solvent removing device to remove the solvent from the dispersion liquid; and a pressure adjuster to adjust the pressure of the dispersion liquid in the storage tank to a pressure between the pressure of the dispersion liquid in the dispersion liquid producing device and the pressure of the dispersion liquid in the solvent removing device.
US09470988B2

A positioning system for positioning an object in a lithographic apparatus, including: a first and second object tables moveable in an operating area; a first position measurement system to provide an incremental position measurement of the second object table relative to a reference when in the operating area, wherein the first position measurement system is configured to provide an absolute position measurement of the first object table relative to the reference; a second position measurement system to provide an absolute position measurement of the first object table relative to the second object table, and wherein the first position measurement system is further configured to provide an absolute position measurement of the second object table relative to the reference based on the absolute position measurement of the first object table relative to the reference and on the absolute position measurement of the first object table relative to the second object table.
US09470987B1

An overlay mask includes a plurality of first patterns, a plurality of second patterns and a plurality of third patterns. The first patterns are arranged within a first pitch. The second patterns are arranged within a second pitch. A first portion of the third patterns are arranged alternately with the first patterns, within the first pitch, and a second portion of the third patterns are arranged alternately with the second patterns, within the second pitch, and the first pitch is not equal to the second pitch.
US09470972B2

A mask for photolithography and methods of manufacturing a mask and a semiconductor device are provided. The method of manufacturing a mask may comprise providing a substrate, forming a phase shift material layer on the substrate, forming a light blocking layer on the phase shift material layer, and forming a main pattern and a sub pattern on the substrate by patterning the phase shift material layer and the light blocking layer. The light blocking layer may be removed on the main pattern left on the light blocking layer remaining on the sub pattern. A semiconductor device may be manufactured using the mask to form a photoresist pattern on a semiconductor wafer. The pattern of the photoresist may be used to etch an object layer of the semiconductor wafer.
US09470971B2

Provided is a mask blank in which a thin film for transfer pattern formation is provided on a main surface of a transparent substrate. The thin film is made of a material containing a transition metal and silicon and further containing at least one of oxygen and nitrogen. The thin film has as its surface layer an oxide layer with an oxygen content higher than that of the thin film of a region other than the surface layer. The thin film is formed so that the thickness of its outer peripheral portion is greater than that of its central portion on the main surface side. The oxide layer is formed so that the thickness of its outer peripheral portion is greater than that of its central portion on the main surface side.
US09470962B2

A discharge lamp driving device includes: a direct-current power supply section (a power supply section) that controls a current of power to be supplied to a discharge lamp from input power, and outputs the current; a voltage detecting section that detects a lamp voltage (a drive voltage) of the discharge lamp; and a control section that controls a modulation factor of a lamp current (a drive current) on which amplitude modulation has been performed, the lamp current (the drive current) which is supplied to the discharge lamp from the direct-current power supply section (the power supply section), in accordance with the detected lamp voltage (drive voltage) of the discharge lamp.
US09470954B2

In an optical parametric frequency conversion arrangement first and second optically nonlinear crystals (18, 20) mounted on respectively first and second drive-shafts (26, 30). The drive shafts (26, 30) are counter-rotatably driven by a single stepper-motor (50) via a gear-train. The first drive-shaft (26) includes a lead screw. When the first drive-shaft (26) is rotated, the first crystal (18) is rotated and simultaneously translated, while the second crystal (20) is simultaneously counter-rotated but is not translated.
US09470947B2

A distributed device control system is provided. The system includes a plurality of windows, each window of the plurality of windows having at least one electrochromic window, a voltage or current driver for the at least one electrochromic window, and a first control system local to the window. The system includes a plurality of window controllers, each window controller configured to couple to one or more of the plurality of windows and having a second control system, for the one or more of the plurality of windows, local to the window controller. The system includes a command and communication device configured to couple to each of the plurality of window controllers, configured to couple to a network, and having a third control system, for the plurality of windows, wherein control of the plurality of windows is distributed across the plurality of windows, the plurality of window controllers, the command and communication device, and a portion of the network.
US09470941B2

Methods and devices employing in-cell and/or on-cell touch sensor components, including in-cell and/or on-cell black matrix material that also may serve as a touch drive or sense electrode, are provided. In one example, an electronic display may include a lower substrate, an upper substrate, and a black matrix material that shields light between pixels of the electronic display. At least a portion of the black matrix material may form all or part of a component of a touch sensor of the electronic display.
US09470940B2

A semiconductor device includes a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer disposed over a substrate, a first insulating layer disposed over the first electrode layer, and a reflective electrode layer disposed on the first insulating layer and electrically connected to the first electrode layer, wherein the second electrode layer is exposed externally, and a thickness of the second electrode layer is greater than a thickness of the reflective electrode layer.
US09470938B2

A first substrate includes a gate line extending in a first direction and a source line extending in a second direction. A first sub-common electrode is formed on the gate line. A first main-common electrode is formed along the source line so as to be connected with the first sub-common electrode. A second main-common electrode is formed extending in the second direction and facing the source line. The second main-common electrode is set to the same potential as the first main-common electrode. A second substrate includes a third main-common electrode extending in the second direction so as to face the second main-common electrode. The third main-common electrode is set to the same potential as the second main-common electrode. A second sub-common electrode is connected with the third main common electrode. The second sub-common electrode is formed so as to face the first sub-common electrode on the gate line.
US09470927B2

An emissive display system includes an electro-optic device having a first substantially transparent substrate including a first electrically conductive material associated therewith. A second substantially transparent substrate is spaced apart from the first substrate to define a cavity and includes a second electrically conductive material associated therewith. One or more spacing members are positioned within the cavity and include one or more polymer matrix discs configured to maintain a cell spacing between the first and second substrates. An electro-optic medium is disposed within the cavity and is variably transmissive such that the electro-optic device is operable between substantially clear and darkened states, and includes at least one solvent, at least one anodic material, and at least one cathodic material. A substantially transparent light emitting display is operably coupled to the electro-optic device, which is in the darkened state when the light emitting display is emitting light.
US09470926B2

A liquid crystal lens module includes: a first substrate that includes a plurality of lens electrodes and a plurality of bus lines; a second substrate facing the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. The plurality of bus lines include at least two bus lines having different widths, and the plurality of lens electrodes include first electrodes and second electrodes that are electrically insulated from each other A widest bus line of the at least two bus lines is connected to a widest lens electrode of the plurality of lens electrodes.
US09470923B2

Disclosed are an in-cell touch liquid crystal display (LCD) device having a pixel electrode top structure and a method of manufacturing the same. The in-cell touch LCD device includes a thin film transistor (TFT) disposed in each of a plurality of pixel areas, first to fourth passivation layers disposed on the TFT, a common electrode disposed on the second passivation layer, a conductive line disposed on the third passivation layer; a pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of the TFT and disposed on the fourth passivation layer, and a bridge contact part configured to electrically connect the common electrode to the conductive line.
US09470915B2

A transparent ceramic having terbium oxide (Tb2O3) in a molar ratio of at least 40%; and at least one oxide selected among an yttrium oxide, a scandium oxide, and a lanthanide rare earth oxide, wherein (1) the crystal structure of the terbium-oxide-based ceramic does not contain a non-cubic-crystal phase, (2) the mean crystal particle diameter is in a range of 0.5 to 100 μm, and (3) the ceramic comprises a sintering auxiliary having no incidence of deposition of a non-cubic-crystal phase in the crystal structure of the terbium-oxide-based ceramic. This transparent ceramic makes a magneto-optical element that performs at least as well as terbium gallium garnet or other existing monocrystal materials. It also makes a functional element for an optical isolator in the infrared region between 500 nm and 1.5 μm having very little scattering and very few birefringence components.
US09470908B1

Eyewear comprising a pair of lenses assembled to a frame. Each lens comprises an integral tubular loupe mounting bracket extending forward of the lens exterior surface. The tubular mounting bracket defines an interior surface. The interior surface provides a loupe coupling receptacle for receiving and temporarily retaining a loupe assembly therein, enabling replacement of each loupe for repair, change in magnification, reduction in overall costs, reduced delivery time, etc. The loupe assembly is temporarily fixed within the loupe coupling receptacle by a loupe retention element feature. The lenses can be manufactured of a generally planar or curved shaped clear, translucent, or opaque material. The lenses can be adjustably assembled to the frame, enabling adjustable positioning of each loupe. Accessories, such as a camera, lighting, a secondary lens frame (such as prescription lenses), etc. can be integrated or removably attached to the eyewear frame.
US09470899B2

A transmissive screen formed in an arc shape around a center axis, and, when light entering an inner circumferential surface is output from an outer circumferential surface, having a diffusion angle in a first direction as a direction along the center axis wider than a diffusion angle in a second direction as a circumferential direction around the center axis, projection devices that are arranged at equal intervals along the second direction around the center axis and respectively project image lights on the inner circumferential surface, and a display control device that allows the projection devices to project the image lights so that partial images formed by portions of the respectively projected image lights of the projection devices may be observed as one visually recognized image having the partial images arranged in the second direction at viewpoints set outside of the outer circumferential surface along the second direction are provided.
US09470894B2

Disclosed is a head mounted display (HMD) that provide contents to a user in a state of being worn on a user's head. The HMD includes a display unit configured to include a first region, which displays first contents, and a second region which is disposed next to both sides of the first region and display second contents associated with the first contents, a sensing unit configured to sense a motion of a head of a user wearing the HMD in a state where the HMD is worn on the head of the user, and a controller configured to, based on the sensing result, when a state in which a movement of the HMD is limited is sensed, determine a direction in which the movement of the HMD is limited, and change a display position of at least one portion of second contents which are displayed in a region corresponding to the determined direction in the second region which is disposed next to both sides of the first region.
US09470886B2

Apparatus for generating blue color illumination for use in a projection system a color wheel with segments of respective different color light emitting phosphors formed over light non-transmitting portions and at least one blue color generating segment. The blue color generating segment has cyan color light emitting phosphor formed over a light non-transmitting first portion and a second portion that transmits blue laser light through the wheel. A dichroic filter directs blue laser light from a light source onto the respective segments as the color wheel rotates. The light strikes the first and second portions of the blue color generating segment to generate blue light at a color point determined by both blue laser light and phosphor emitted cyan light.
US09470884B2

An image projection apparatus includes: an illumination optical system; a projection optical system assembled integrally with the illumination optical system; and a frame fixed to only one system, that has a larger weight, of the illumination optical system and the projection optical system.
US09470873B2

The imaging lens substantially consists of a first lens group having a positive refractive power and a second lens group having a positive refractive power, in which the entire second lens group moves along the optical axis to perform focusing. In the imaging lens, the first lens group comprises a positive first lens, a negative second lens, a negative third lens, a positive fourth lens, and a positive fifth lens in this order from the object side. When the Abbe number of the second lens with respect to the d-line is νd2 and the Abbe number of the third lens with respect to the d-line is νd3, conditional formula (1) below is satisfied: 2.0<νd2/νd3  (1).
US09470870B2

Optical assemblies have one or more optical elements mounted in the cavity of a barrel. The optical element has a curved abutment surface engaging a seat provided in the cavity. The barrel has an inner wall provided with a set of internal threads. External threads are provided on a peripheral wall of the optical element or on a perimeter wall of a retaining ring securing the optical element within the cavity. The internal and external threads have a thread profile including a load-bearing thread face perpendicular to the center axis of the cavity. The thread profile may define a Buttress thread profile or a square thread profile.
US09470867B1

The unit for retaining/securing a fiber optic cable comprises an enclosure including a tray having a back base plate, a top and a bottom sides and a unit for retaining/securing a fiber optic cable, disposed in an interior of the enclosure. The bottom side is provided with a pair of identical apertures. Each aperture resembles to a flat shovel having an upper rectangular shape continued by a circular sector; the aperture is so profiled as to engage alternatively a biting-retaining fixture for inserting a cable or an exit grommet for a leaving cable; the former is made of a rigid plastic, while the second—of a soft, elastic polymer. The unit for retaining/securing a fiber optic cable is actuated by a shifting lever, having a shape of an angled, cantilevered part with a longitudinal axis of symmetry bent generally at 90 degrees.
US09470864B1

A photoelectric conversion module includes a circuit board, a flexible substrate configured on the circuit board, with a concave structure having a first optical micro-reflection surface and a second optical micro-reflection surface formed opposite to the first optical micro-reflection surface, an optical component configured on the flexible substrate, an IC chip mounted on the circuit board and electrically connected to the optical component via a wire and a conductive trace on the flexible substrate, and an optical waveguide member connected to the flexible substrate. The flexible substrate and the optical waveguide member are packaged by a carrier or an optical connector.
US09470859B2

An optical transceiver module is provided with a delatching mechanism that allows module mounting density to be increased while also providing an ergonomic solution that allows the modules to be easily delatched and extracted from their cages. The delatching mechanism is configured to perform early disengagement of the module housing from the cage by delatching the module housing from the cage after the bail has been rotated to an angle that is less than 90°. Because delatching occurs when the bail has been rotated to a delatching angle that is less than 90°, the modules can be more densely stored with less space between modules that are mounted one above the other than with existing solutions.
US09470849B2

A mount plate for an optical adaptor includes two bases bridged by a bar and a locking claw stemming out of each of the two bases. Each of the two bases has a folded structure erected at the back end of the base to fill up the gap between the optical adaptor and the hole of the panel and to reduce rattling. Supporting tips are provided at the base of the folded structure to support the folded structure and to keep the base securely attached to the optical adaptor.
US09470826B2

A color filter of display panel for converting dual band white backlight to light with three-primary colors. The color filter includes a plurality of first filtering parts, a plurality of second filtering parts, and a plurality of quantum dot blocks. The first filtering parts have a first primary color and allow light having a first wavelength corresponding to the first primary color to pass therethrough. The second filtering parts have a second primary color and selectively allow light having a second wavelength corresponding to the second primary color to pass therethrough. The quantum dot block converting light having a wavelength smaller than a third wavelength corresponding to a third primary color to light having the second wavelength.
US09470824B2

A manufacture method for a blazed concave grating is provided, including: replicating a blazed concave grating by means of a replication process, after the replication is completed, conducting heat preservation and cooling, then separating two gratings (G1, G2) by using different pulling manners respectively, and finally splicing the replicated and separated concave grating blanks, to obtain a required blazed concave grating. This manufacture method can solve the problem of a big error in an existing replication method for a blazed concave grating.
US09470816B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to x-ray screening accessories and methods of facilitating x-ray screening.
US09470812B2

Source signature of a source array is measured using an autonomous underwater vehicle which is not physically connected to surface equipment and uses acoustic signals for communication and/or location. Such measurements may be performed while the source array is towed, the AUV then moving in tandem with the source array.
US09470801B2

A method for reconstructing a radioactive emission image of an overall volume having first and second volumetric regions, each volumetric region having respectively independent dynamic characteristics. The method comprises the following steps: a) obtaining radioactive emissions from the overall volume, including the volumetric regions, b) reconstructing an initial radioactive emission image of the volumetric region according to the radioactive emissions, c) segmenting the initial radioactive emission image to delineate the first and second volumetric regions, and d) separately reconstructing the first and the second volumetric regions according to the respectively independent dynamic characteristics.
US09470791B2

A light guide member for an object detection apparatus is devised. The object detection apparatus includes a light source unit, and a detection unit for detecting an object adhered on a surface of a light translucent member based on change of light quantity of reflection light received from the light translucent member. The light guide member includes an incident face where the light exiting from the light source unit enters; a detection face where the exiting light exits to a rear face of the light translucent member and the reflection light reflected from the light translucent member enters; an exiting face where the reflection light exits to the detection unit; and a light guiding portion through which the exiting light and the reflection light proceed. The detection face has curvature corresponding to curvature of the light translucent member.
US09470789B2

A movable platform has a front end, a back end, a longitudinal axis, and at least one axle oriented generally transverse to the longitudinal axis and located between the front and back ends for supporting wheels of the platform. A position sensor is affixed on the platform at a location other than at a location defined by a plane passing through the axle and normal to the longitudinal axis. The position sensor provides position data as the platform traverses a path. A sensor arrangement is supported by the platform and configured to provide subsurface sensor data as the platform traverses the path. A processor is configured to associate the position data with the sensor data relative to a reference frame and in a manner that accounts for dynamic motion of the platform.
US09470782B2

Described herein is an automotive radar system which utilizes a three channel switched antenna to improve the angular resolution of an azimuth tracking two-channel, radar.
US09470778B2

A depth camera computing device is provided, including a depth camera and a data-holding subsystem holding instructions executable by a logic subsystem. The instructions are configured to receive a raw image from the depth camera, convert the raw image into a processed image according to a weighting function, and output the processed image. The weighing function is configured to vary test light intensity information generated by the depth camera from a native image collected by the depth camera from a calibration scene toward calibration light intensity information of a reference image collected by a high-precision test source from the calibration scene.
US09470774B2

When map data is to be processed for display in a mapping or navigation apparatus, the application processor (705) of the apparatus first checks to see whether any existing data in a local cache memory (706) represents a similar map part to the new data that is to be processed. This is done by means of a similarity analysis (601). If the map data already in the cache (706) is determined to be sufficiently similar to the map data that is to be displayed, new map data from a main map storage (230) is not loaded and processed, but instead the existing data in the cache (706) is processed for display of the map part in question. This has the benefit of a reduced system load, since already processed data does not need to be reloaded and reprocessed.
US09470763B2

An example system includes one or more sleeves, each configured for attachment to a leg and comprising a pressure sensor, an accelerometer and a magnetometer. A processor processes sensor signals from the pressure sensor, the accelerometer and the magnetometer to estimate action (A) and work (W) using event detections of peak stance and valley swing events associated with leg movement, for optimizing energy efficiency for maintaining a balance of the body leaning forward in a gravity pull-down force, with the periodic upward force of the sequential foot-thrusts with the toes.
US09470758B2

The disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus for allowing response data output from the scan outputs of a circuit under test to be formatted and applied as stimulus data input to the scan inputs of the circuit under test. Also the disclosure described a novel method and apparatus for allowing the response data output from the scan outputs of a circuit under test to be formatted and used as expected data to compare against the response data output from the circuit under test. Additional embodiments are also provided and described in the disclosure.
US09470757B2

A channel control circuit having a plurality of channels according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a channel control signal generating block configured to generate a channel control signal capable of selectively controlling an activated state of a channel in response to a combination of a first test mode signal and a second test mode signal; a scan buffer control signal generating block configured to generate a scan buffer control signal in response to the first test mode signal and a scan signal; a clock buffer control signal generating block configured to generate a clock buffer control signal in response to the channel control signal and the scan buffer control signal; and a clock input buffer configured to generate a clock output signal, which is used as an internal clock of a semiconductor device, in response to the clock buffer control signal.
US09470751B2

A system and a method for evaluating a conductor, the method may include: illuminating a first area of a conductor by a first electron beam thereby charging the first area; illuminating by a second electron beam a second area of the conductor; and wherein an aggregate size of the first and second areas is a fraction of an overall size of the conductor; detecting, by a detector, detected emitted electrons that were emitted substantially from the second area and generating detection signals indicative of the detected emitted electrons; and processing, by a processor, the detection signals to provide information about a conductivity of the conductor.
US09470735B2

A noise signal for a malfunction test is inputted to a ground terminal, and a frequency property of the magnitude of the power at which a designated electric circuit causes a malfunction is found. A detection reference ground of a detection part for detecting malfunctions of the designated electric circuit is connected at high impedance to a ground of the targeted circuit. Differential input parts are provided to the detection part, a to-be-detected part of the designated electric circuit is connected to one differential input part, and the ground of the targeted circuit is connected to the other differential input part. A ground of a noise source is isolated from a ground of a power source circuit for supplying a power source to the designated electric circuit. The ground of the noise source is galvanically isolated from the ground of the designated electric circuit.
US09470734B2

According to this method, an electromagnetic spectrum emitted by the electronic component during operation is measured and the measured electromagnetic spectrum is compared with a predetermined template defining at least one safe operating range in order to detect possible malfunction or risk of malfunction of the electronic component.
US09470733B2

A sensor for detecting both magnetic fields and electric fields can include at least one Sawyer-Tower (ST) circuit that can incorporate a multiferroic capacitor. An odd number of ST circuits coupled together in a ring configuration, so that for each ST circuit, the output of one ST circuit is an input to another of the ST circuits. The multiferroic capacitors can include a multiferroic layer that can be deposed on a substrate. For each multiferroic capacitor, the deposition process can cause an inherent amount of impurities in the multiferroic layer. The number of said odd number of ST circuits to be coupled together is chosen according to the amount of impurities, to “forgive” the impurities. The higher the level of impurities in the multiferroic layers, that more ST circuits that are required in the ring to achieve the same sensor sensitivity. BDFO can be chosen for the multiferroic material.
US09470731B1

A TEM mode cell having an internal TEM element and at least one port on the cell comprising a stepped transmission line transformer coupling said element to the port. The cell comprises a hollow metallic housing having an enlarged center with opposite open ends, and a pair of end sections closing off said center open ends and tapering to a distal end of reduced cross sectional area. A connector at the distal end of each end section, and a stepped septum mounted within the housing and insulated therefrom, the septum coupled to and extending between the connectors. The septum having a central portion joining a pair of end portions each having a stepped contour reducing in size toward its connector. Each end portion has at least three steps in contour, with transition slopes between the steps being greatest leading to said central portion and the least leading to its connector.
US09470728B2

A computer-implemented method can include determining an amplitude for each of a plurality of input channels, corresponding to respective nodes. A measure of similarity can be computed between the input channel of each node and the input channel of its neighboring nodes. The method can also include comparing an amplitude for each node relative to other nodes to determine temporary bad channels. For each of the temporary bad channels, a measure of similarity can be computed between the input channel of each node and the input channel of its neighboring nodes. Channel integrity can then be identified based on the computed measures of similarity.
US09470719B2

An apparatus includes a plurality of semiconductor devices and an electrical input device for applying voltage to the plurality of semiconductor devices. There is a switching array configured to sequentially interconnect the electrical input device to each of the semiconductor devices and disconnect the other semiconductor devices from the electrical input device. The semiconductor device connected to the electrical input device is a device under test that produces a test current and the other semiconductor devices are devices not under test that produce, in the aggregate, a leakage current. There is an output node interconnected to the switching array for enabling the measurement of the test current at the output node. There is also a leakage current compensator connected to the output node and the switching array that is configured to divert the leakage current away from the output node.
US09470715B2

A probe head includes a plate, a probe, and at least one composite coating layer. The plate has at least one through hole therein. The probe is at least partially disposed in the through hole of the plate. The composite coating layer includes a metal layer and a plurality of lubricating particles. The metal layer is disposed in the through hole of the plate and between the plate and the probe. The lubricating particles are dispersed in the metal layer.
US09470710B2

A packaged capacitive MEMS sensor device includes at least one capacitive MEMS sensor element with at least one capacitive MEMS sensor cell including a first substrate having a thick and a thin dielectric region. A second substrate with a membrane layer is bonded to the thick dielectric region and over the thin dielectric region to provide a MEMS cavity. The membrane layer provides a fixed electrode and a released MEMS electrode over the MEMS cavity. A first through-substrate via (TSV) extends through a top side of the MEMS electrode and a second TSV through a top side of the fixed electrode. A metal cap is on top of the first TSV and second TSV. A third substrate including an inner cavity and outer protruding portions framing the inner cavity is bonded to the thick dielectric regions. The third substrate together with the first substrate seals the MEMS electrode.
US09470706B2

An apparatus that determines that a vehicle has moved comprises a shaft member, a pin configured to attach the shaft member to a backing plate via an opening in the shaft member that enables the shaft member to move in a direction along the length of the shaft member, to rotate about the pin, and to contact a surface external to the vehicle when the shaft member is in a first position. The apparatus also comprises a first alignment magnet that attracts the shaft member to the surface external to the vehicle and a first sensor that determines that the shaft member is in the first position. The apparatus further comprises a first holding magnet, a second holding magnet, and at least one sensor that indicates that the shaft member is in contact with the first holding magnet or the second holding magnet, each indicating a direction of movement.
US09470704B2

A wearable motion sensing device is disclosed. One embodiment of the wearable motion sensing device includes a motion sensor, and a pendant that is attached to the wearable motion sensing device, wherein the pendant is attached to the wearable motion sensing device at a location of the wearable motion sensor relative to the motion sensor that when worn by a human being, a mass of the pendant urges the motion sensor towards the human being.
US09470700B2

According to one embodiment, an automatic analyzer includes a magnet and a photometric mechanism. The magnet generates a magnetic field applied to a test solution containing a sample and magnetic particles accommodated in a cuvette. The photometric mechanism includes a light source and a detector. The light source irradiates light toward the test solution. The detector is provided in a position opposed to the light source across the cuvette to detect the light from the test solution. The magnet has a geometrical arrangement such that a magnetic flux density of the magnetic field in the test solution inside the cuvette becomes substantially uniform.
US09470699B2

An integrated passive wireless chip diagnostic sensor system is described that can be interrogated remotely with a wireless device such as a modified cell phone incorporating multi-protocol RFID reader capabilities (such as the emerging Gen-2 standard) or Bluetooth, providing universal easy to use, low cost and immediate quantitative analyses, geolocation and sensor networking capabilities to users of the technology. The present invention can be integrated into various diagnostic platforms and is applicable for use with low power sensors such as thin films, MEMS, electrochemical, thermal, resistive, nano or microfluidic sensor technologies. Applications of the present invention include on-the-spot medical and self-diagnostics on smart skin patches, Point-of-Care (POC) analyses, food diagnostics, pathogen detection, disease-specific wireless biomarker detection, remote structural stresses detection and sensor networks for industrial or Homeland Security using low cost wireless devices such as modified cell phones.
US09470697B2

A method of screening for increased risk of fatal prostate cancer in a subject comprises providing a blood sample collected from the subject, and then detecting the presence or absence of an increased level of serum calcium in the sample. An increased level of serum calcium indicates the subject is at increased risk of fatal prostate cancer.
US09470696B2

Specific peptides, and derived ionization characteristics of the peptides, from the Receptor Tyrosine-Protein Kinase erbB-4 Protein (HER4) protein are provided that are particularly advantageous for quantifying the HER4 protein directly in biological samples that have been fixed in formalin by the method of Selected Reaction Monitoring (SRM) mass spectrometry, or what can also be termed as Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry. Such biological samples are chemically preserved and fixed where the biological sample is selected from tissues and cells treated with formaldehyde containing agents/fixatives including formalin-fixed tissue/cells, formalin-fixed/paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue/cells, FFPE tissue blocks and cells from those blocks, and tissue culture cells that have been formalin fixed and or paraffin embedded. A protein sample is prepared from the biological sample using the Liquid Tissue™ reagents and protocol and the HER4 protein is quantitated in the Liquid Tissue™ sample by SRM/MRM mass spectrometry by quantitating in the protein sample at least one or more of the peptides described. These peptides can be quantitated if they reside in a modified or an unmodified form. An example of a modified form of an HER4 peptide is phosphorylation of a tyrosine, threonine, serine, and/or other amino acid residues within the peptide sequence.
US09470695B2

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for monitoring, diagnosis, prognosis, and determination of treatment regimens in subjects suffering from or suspected of having a renal injury. In particular, the invention relates to using assays that detect one or more markers selected from the group consisting of Clusterin, Heart-type fatty acid binding protein, Hepatocyte growth factor, Interferon gamma, Interleukin-12 subunit beta, Interleukin-16, Interleukin-2, 72 kDa type IV collagenase, Matrix metalloproteinase-9, Midkine, and Serum amyloid P-component as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in renal injuries.
US09470688B2

The claimed invention describes methods to diagnose or aid in the diagnosis of cancer. The claimed methods are based on the identification of biomarkers which are particularly well suited to discriminate between cancer subjects and healthy subjects. These biomarkers were identified using a unique and novel screening method described herein. The biomarkers identified herein can also be used in the prognosis and monitoring of cancer. The invention comprises the use of leptin, prolactin, OPN and IGF-II for diagnosing, prognosis and monitoring of ovarian cancer.
US09470680B2

Provided are probes comprising a class 1 release factor conjugated to a fluorescent label and methods of making the probes. Also provided are methods for detecting conformational changes in ribosomes and associated molecules, such as class 1 release factors. In addition, methods of identifying a compound for reducing nonsense-mediated decay of mRNA and/or for inhibiting termination of protein synthesis at a premature stop codon, are described. Methods of assaying RF3 activity are also included.
US09470679B2

Provided is a method of focusing particles. The method includes: providing a suspension of the particles in a suspending medium; and flowing the suspension along a channel, such that the flowing suspension occupies a certain volume that has at least one cross-sectional dimension smaller than 100 μm. The suspending medium has such viscoelastic properties, that flowing the suspension in the channel directs at least some of the particles towards a focus region, enclosed in said certain volume.
US09470671B1

A perchlorate detector comprising: surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-active, magnetic, capture matrices that are selective for perchlorate, wherein the capture matrices are designed to be added to a sample solution; a detection chamber configured to hold the sample solution and the capture matrices; a selectively engageable magnet assembly coupled to the detection chamber such that when the magnet assembly is engaged or disengaged the capture matrices are respectively confined or not confined to a confinement region of the detection chamber; and a Raman spectrometer optically aligned with the confinement region of the detection chamber and configured to interrogate the capture matrices when the magnet assembly is engaged in order to detect and determine a concentration of perchlorate bound to the capture matrices.
US09470668B2

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for calculating a food additive. A first method includes identifying chemical compounds of an averse food ingredient, identifying chemical compounds of a flavorful food ingredient and calculating a set of chemical compounds for the food additive such that an olfactory perception of a mixture of the averse food ingredient, the flavorful food ingredient and the food additive is the same as an olfactory perception of only the flavorful food ingredient. A first device includes a database storing information identifying chemical compounds of an averse food ingredient and identifying chemical compounds of a flavorful food ingredient, and a processor for calculating a food additive such that an olfactory perception of flavors of a mixture of the averse food ingredient, the flavorful food ingredient and the food additive is the same as an olfactory perception of only the flavorful food ingredient.
US09470662B2

A scanning apparatus comprising a receiver circuit and a transmitter circuit, both circuits being flexible such that they are capable of conforming to the surface contours of an object as a surface of the apparatus is pressed against it and an adaptive backing positioned behind the transmitter and receiver circuits in the scanning apparatus and configured to, as the scanning apparatus is pressed against the object, conform to the flexible circuits.
US09470645B2

A salt-based method to monitor and log the time periods a data center air's relative humidity goes above a predefined limit. The choice of the salt is such that its deliquescent relative humidity is equal to the desired limit, so that above the desired limit, the salt gets wet and therefore electrically conductive. An alarm can then give notice that relative humidity levels are above acceptable levels so that remedial action may be taken before problems such as electronic malfunction develop.
US09470643B2

An attachment for a material detector device having a search antenna polarization instrument, where the material detector device has a housing with an antenna surface assigned to a detection direction, having magnets positioned opposite each other with like poles facing each other whose pole surfaces are covered by a tinned copper or oxidized aluminum layer, where the magnets and the copper or aluminum layer have at least one through bore and the magnets can be or are positioned on the housing of the material detector device extending perpendicular to the antenna surface and form a magnetic field space between the magnets in front of the antenna surface, as well as a material detector device having a rectangular housing with such an attachment for improving the reception quality. The result of this attachment is that the acoustic signals which indicate presence or absence are separated from each other more sharply.
US09470639B1

Methods and systems for performing broadband spectroscopic metrology with reduced sensitivity to grating anomalies are presented herein. A reduction in sensitivity to grating anomalies is achieved by selecting a subset of available system parameter values for measurement analysis. The reduction in sensitivity to grating anomalies enables an optimization of any combination of precision, sensitivity, accuracy, system matching, and computational effort. These benefits are particularly evident in optical metrology systems having large ranges of available azimuth angle, angle of incidence, illumination wavelength, and illumination polarization. Predictions of grating anomalies are determined based on a measurement model that accurately represents the interaction between the measurement system and the periodic metrology target under measurement. A subset of available system parameter values is selected to reduce the impact of grating anomalies on measurement results. The selected subset of available system parameters is implemented on a configurable spectroscopic metrology system performing measurements.
US09470634B1

An electride may provide surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The electride, a compound where the electrons serve as anions, may be a ceramic electride, such as a conductive ceramic derived from mayenite, or an organic electride, for example. The textured electride surface or electride particles may strongly enhance the Raman scattering of organic or other Raman active analytes. This may also provide a sensitive method for monitoring the chemistry and electronic environment at the electride surface. The results are evidence of a new class of polariton (i.e., a surface electride-polariton resonance mechanism) that is analogous to the surface plasmon-polariton resonance that mediates conventional SERS.
US09470632B2

Embodiments are directed to a plasmonic structure having an enhanced resonance frequency bandwidth. In one aspect, a plasmon-enhanced coupler is provided having a first plasmon region and a second plasmon region. A resonance frequency bandwidth of the plasmon-enhanced coupler is a hybridization of at least one first resonance frequency of the first plasmon region, and at least one second resonance frequency of the second plasmon region. The first plasmon region may be implemented as a single layer of graphene conductive material, and the second plasmon region may be implemented as multiple layers of graphene conductive material. The resonance frequency bandwidth may be chosen to overlap a frequency that comprises a vibration frequency of certain molecules of interest. Radiation directed to the plasmon-enhanced coupler causes its plasmons to interact with the molecules of interest, thereby altering the radiation.
US09470631B2

There are provided an SPR sensor cell and an SPR sensor having a very excellent detection sensitivity. The SPR sensor cell of the present invention includes: an under-cladding layer; a core layer formed so that at least a part of the core layer is adjacent to the under-cladding layer and having a light entrance and a light exit; and a metal layer covering a part of the core layer. A sectional area (S1) of the core layer at the light entrance and a sectional area (S2) of the core layer at the part covered by the metal layer satisfy a relationship of S1>S2.
US09470626B2

In accordance with certain embodiments, a smoke detector comprises a housing, a light source, one or more light detectors, and an evaluation circuit for determining the presence of smoke particles outside the housing based on light emitted from and reflected back into the housing, as well as light emitted within the housing without emission therefrom.
US09470624B2

An apparatus for use in analysing microbial growth on a solid culture medium in a culture plate, the apparatus including an image capture device, a support for supporting the culture plate for the image capture device to capture an image of the solid culture medium and any microbial growth, a ring light between the image capture device and the support, for diffusely illuminating one side of the culture plate, and a frame for positioning the image capture device, support and ring light relative to each other.
US09470614B2

A chemically strengthened glass is disposed on a base, and an impacting object is dropped from above in a state where one surface of the chemically strengthened glass is in contact with an abrasive surface of a sandpaper containing an abrasive having a size of not smaller than a depth of a compressive stress layer.
US09470608B2

This invention provides a sample processing system in which only one sample container is rested in one holder, the system being contemplated to prevent a mix-up of samples from occurring.A barcode labeler module 13 includes an identifier-reading device R1 that reads an identifier of a holder holding a primary-sample container, a printer 13B that prints a label based on information from a control PC unit 21 as well as on the identifier of the primary-sample container holder that has been read by the identifier-reading device R1, and affixes the label to a secondary-sample container, and a second identifier-reading device R2 that reads an identifier of the holder having the secondary-sample container mounted therein. A aliquoter module 14 includes an identifier-reading device R3 that reads the identifier of the holder conveyed from the barcode labeler module 13 and having the primary-sample container mounted therein, an identifier-reading device R4 that reads the identifier of the holder having the secondary-sample container mounted therein, and a aliquoter unit 14A that dispenses a sample from the primary-sample container into the secondary-sample container.
US09470605B2

An airfoil has an of internal cooling channel, and cooling holes extending from the internal cooling channel to an outer skin. Air is injected into the cooling channel, and then into an inlet of the cooling hole. The exit of the air from an outlet of the cooling hole at the outer skin is monitored to determine whether the outlet is blocked. A location of the inlet of the cooling hole is determined by utilizing the determined location of the outlet, in combination with a known angle through which the cooling hole extends.
US09470594B2

A differential capacitive pressure sensor of an embodiment of the present invention has first and second diaphragms positioned on opposing sides of a single substrate. Each diaphragm of the pressure transducer is configured to be exposed to a transient fluid, with the first and second pressure transducers being arranged with their respective deflection surfaces directed outwardly from each other. The differential capacitive pressure sensor may be configured to output representations of differential and common mode pressure of the transient fluids, where a representation of a common mode is cancelled in generating the representation of the differential pressure. The transient fluids may be the same fluid at different locations within a flow path. The diaphragms may be constructed from a ceramic material to be able to withstand exposure to corrosive or caustic fluids.
US09470589B2

A device for detecting a mechanical state of a machine element rotates about an axis, such as a shaft is formed with an actuator disposed on the machine element so as to be axially movable, an arrangement for converting a torsion of the machine element into an axial displacement of the actuator and a sensor disposed so as to be stationary relative to the machine element for detecting the axial displacement of the actuator. A mark is assigned to the actuator for detection by the sensor in order to detect the axial displacement of the actuator. A speed (n) of the machine element can be determined from the number of marks that are detected per unit of time.
US09470587B1

A solid thermal simulator sensing device, the device can simulate and sense the thermal characteristics of a perishable element and is easily calibrated to a verifiable standard. The device is fabricated from a single piece of solid material sized to have a thermal mass substantially equal to that of said perishable element. A sensing channel is located within the single piece of solid material. The sensing channel extends from one end towards the center. A temperature sensor is mounted within the sensing channel. The thermal response time of the device is slowed by the single piece of solid material to mimic the thermal properties of the perishable element. A calibration channel is extends from the outer surface of the device to a point adjacent the temperature sensor. A calibration probe may be inserted into the calibration channel to quickly verify the accuracy of the device.
US09470584B2

The present invention relates to more accurate indication of fever. Temperature data from a large population of individuals are obtained and the temperature data are processed to determine a threshold, at a fever bump, above a normal range of distribution. The fever threshold, along with an individual's temperature, is used to indicate if the individual has a fever. Further, circadian information may be utilized to adjust the temperature data for an individual or the population of individuals.
US09470579B2

Systems and methods are provided for calibrating spectral measurements taken of one or more targets from an aerial vehicle. Multiple photo sensors may be configured to obtain spectral measurements of one or more ambient light sources. The obtained spectral measurements of the one or more ambient light sources may be used to calibrate the obtained spectral measurements of the target.
US09470569B2

Various embodiments provide a multifunction transfer device, which can have: an open-ended conical portion having a larger diameter at a top open-end than at a bottom open-end; a release coupled to the bottom open-end of the conical portion and configured to move from a closed position to an open position; a rest integrated to a bottom of the release and configured to hold the device above a liquid container; and an open-ended chute coupled to the release below the rest and configured for fluid communication with the conical portion. In one embodiment, the multifunction transfer device can include at least one graduation configured to indicate a measurement of the material contained in a volume within the conical portion.
US09470566B1

An ultrasonic flow meter comprises a cavity disposed in the wall of a flow tube. This cavity is preferably elongated along a direction perpendicular to a flow axis and has a flat interior surface portion proximal an interior surface of a wall of the flow tube. A piezoelectric transducer has a surface bonded to the flat interior surface portion of the cavity so as to transmit and receive acoustic signals through a thin window in the wall of the flow tube. An encapsulant, which may be combined with other elements, such as a mechanical strengthening piece, bonds the second side of the piezoelectric wafer to a second surface of the cavity. In a particular preferred embodiment, the cavity may be a dovetailed groove cut into a wall of the flow tube.
US09470551B2

A method distinguishes electrical signals corresponding to an activation or deactivation of a single electrical power consuming device from an electrical signal that supplies electricity to multiple electrical power consuming devices has been developed. The method includes generating signatures corresponding to activation and deactivation of a plurality of electrical devices from a transformation of an electrical power signal using sparse deconvolution to cluster and then identify the activation and deactivation of one of the plurality of electrical devices.
US09470547B2

An information processing device that receives and processes posting information and position information from a mobile terminal includes: a center processing device that processes the information received from the mobile terminal; and a posting database in which the information is stored. The position information includes first position information indicating a first position of the mobile terminal when a user enters an information posting intention into the mobile terminal, and second position information indicating a second position of the mobile terminal when the user enters an information posting instruction thereinto. The center processing device determines position information to be associated with the posting information, based on at least one of a difference between the first and second position and a difference between a first point-in-time at which the mobile terminal is positioned at the first position and a second point-in-time at which the mobile terminal is positioned at the second position.
US09470546B2

An electronic device (3) includes: a facility genre setting part (302) that displays first route information from a departure position to a destination, and sends a genre of facilities at which a user wants to stop to a navigation server (1); a facility setting part (303) that scrollably displays facility information of all facilities belonging to the genre that are located in the vicinity on the first route and an expected arrival time received from the navigation server (1), for every time span of the expected arrival time, and sends a facility selected by the user from among the plurality of facilities to the navigation server (1); and a route guidance part (304) that displays second route information received from the navigation server (1) in which the facility selected by the user is registered as a relay point.
US09470544B2

A vehicle navigation apparatus wherein a detection unit comprising a gyro sensor operates by receiving a power supply from an onboard device. The onboard device comprises: a first control circuit which functions as a navigation apparatus; and a second control circuit which activates in a shorter time period (ΔT3) than the first control circuit, and starts the power supply to the detection unit, and collection of vehicle information. The detection unit comprises a zero point correction unit which samples the gyro voltage for a prescribed interval (ΔT0) after the power supply is started by the second control circuit. On the basis of the vehicle information which is transmitted after the activation of the first control circuit, the zero point correction unit determines whether the vehicle was stopped during the sampling interval, and sets a zero point for the gyro sensor on the basis of the gyro voltage sampling result
US09470532B2

A system and method includes selecting a product to be located in a retail store, obtaining a store map, the store map being indicative of a layout of the retail store, and presenting the store map overlaid with an icon and an initial navigation path on a graphical display of the mobile device, wherein the store map represents the retail store and the icon and the initial navigation path are positioned overlaid on the map to designate a physical location of the product, and suggesting at least one product on-route of the initial navigation path, adjusting the initial navigation path to include the at least one suggested product, and presenting the initial navigation path and the adjusted navigation path positioned overlaid on the store map to the mobile device for display.
US09470530B2

An electronic device comprises a circuit substrate (5), and a moulded interconnect device (4) incorporating integral legs (8) to mount the interconnect device upon the substrate, the legs spacing at least one of the legs carrying a conducting track (20, 21, 22) to provide an electrical interconnection between the interconnect device and the substrate. The substrate (5) may comprise another moulded interconnect device and may be mounted upon a processor (3) and may include an electromagnetic shield (30) on its lower surface.
US09470526B2

An integrated microelectromechanical structure is provided with: a die, having a substrate and a frame, defining inside it a detection region and having a first side extending along a first axis; a driving mass, anchored to the substrate, set in the detection region, and designed to be rotated in a plane with a movement of actuation about a vertical axis; and a first pair and a second pair of first sensing masses, suspended inside the driving mass via elastic supporting elements so as to be fixed with respect thereto in the movement of actuation and so as to perform a detection movement of rotation out of the plane in response to a first angular velocity; wherein the first sensing masses of the first pair and the first sensing masses of the second pair are aligned in respective directions, having non-zero inclinations of opposite sign with respect to the first axis.
US09470517B1

Repeated simultaneous concentration measurements at spatially separated points are used to provide information on the lateral spatial extent of a gas plume. More specifically the spatial correlations in this data provide this information. Fitting a gas plume model directly to this multi-point data can provide good estimates of total plume emission. The distance between the plume source and the measurement points does not need to be known to provide these estimates. It is also not necessary to perform any detailed atmospheric modeling.
US09470512B2

An optical fiber strain sensor system and method are provided that use pre-formed optical structures instead of optical fibers for measuring the strain, or stress, placed on a subject object. The use of pre-formed optical structures in the optical strain gauge system eliminates many of the limitations associated with the use of optical fibers. Because the optical structures are pre-formed structures, they can be made with very tight tolerances to ensure high measurement accuracy and repeatability. The pre-formed structures can be made in low to high volume at low cost and can be made of a variety of materials to ensure that the structures are suitable for use with the material of which the subject object is made. Also, the pre-formed structures can be made very compact while achieving higher sensitivity and exhibiting less optical loss than fiber.
US09470509B2

An inner diameter measuring device, comprising a measurement carriage traveled in straight direction, pipe holding frames disposed at front and rear positions and for mounting a pipe to be measured, a measuring head supported at a forward end of a supporting member extended in a direction parallel to advancing direction of the measurement carriage, a first and second laser distance measuring unit disposed in traveling distance of the measurement carriage and for performing distance measurement in two directions perpendicularly crossing to each other, wherein the pipe holding frames can adjust a supporting position of the pipe to be measured, the measuring head measures an inner diameter of the pipe to be measured, the first and second laser distance measuring units measure distance with respect to each of the reference outer peripheral surfaces at the parts, and the supporting position of the pipe to be measured is adjusted.
US09470508B2

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to non-contact coordinate measuring systems, apparatuses, and methods. An apparatus according to the present disclosure can include a laser assembly slidably coupled to a track and configured to emit a first laser beam onto an exterior surface of a component, wherein the track is coupled to a machine for manufacturing the component; a laser encoder configured to detect the first laser beam emitted from the laser assembly and reflected from the exterior surface of the component; and a computer system coupled to the laser encoder and configured to render a geometric profile of the exterior surface of the component based on the first laser beam detected with the laser encoder.
US09470497B2

An electrical energy harvesting device for harvesting electrical energy from a pulsed impact loading event. The device including: a piezoelectric element configured to be loaded and unloaded to a first load level by the pulsed impact loading event; and a first inductor coupled to the piezoelectric element configured to be loaded and unloaded to a second load level by the pulsed impact loading event, wherein the piezoelectric element and the first inductor together operate as a first inductor/capacitor (LC) resonant circuit having a first resonance frequency and wherein the loading of the first inductor lags in time the loading of the piezoelectric element.
US09470487B2

A hunting arrow having an arrow shaft with a front end and a back end. The hunting arrow has at least one arrow blade attached to the arrow shaft, and has a closed position and at least one open position. The at least one arrow blade is substantially flush with the arrow shaft when in the closed position, and extends radially outward from the arrow shaft when in an open position. In addition, the hunting arrow has an arrow tip that is attached to the front end of the arrow shaft and is capable of moving longitudinally toward or away from the arrow shaft. The arrow tip is operatively engaged with the at least one arrow blade so that the arrow tip opens and closes the at least one arrow blade by moving relative to the arrow shaft.
US09470486B2

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for a nock device that may be used on an arrow. A top portion a nock device can comprise one or more pairs of string guide impression on its top surface, where the respective one or more pairs of string guide impressions may be symmetrically arranged on the top surface, with respect to each other. A first pair of string guide impression can be disposed along a first bisecting line on the top surface, and, if present, a second pair of string guide impressions can be disposed along a second bisecting line on the top surface. The respective one or more pairs of string guide impression can be configured to receive a bowstring, where the first pair may receive the bowstring in a first orientation, and the second pair, if present, may receive the bowstring in a second orientation.
US09470481B2

An armor system, comprising at least two elements, wherein the elements are arranged at an angle, characterized wherein the at least two elements include a plurality of perforations.
US09470475B1

A carry device provides a concealed carry configuration supporting a handgun against at a waistband of an article of clothing by directing a tube into a barrel of the handgun from which a loop extends to loop around an article of clothing, such as a belt, and then provide a loop end which attaches to a rear portion of the handgun thereby providing it in a secure manner until a time to draw or remove the gun arises.
US09470469B2

An assembly for preventing gas leaks in a bolt carrier group of a firearm is disclosed. The assembly may include a bolt carrier with a gas hole, a bolt carrier gas key attachable to the bolt carrier about the gas hole, a groove disposed on the bolt carrier about the gas hole, and a seal disposed within the groove.
US09470462B2

A component for a steel pickling apparatus is formed from an alloy that predominately comprises niobium and tantalum. The component may be a heat exchanger component, such as a tube or tubesheet liner, formed from the alloy that predominately comprises niobium and tantalum. Also, disclosed is a heat exchanger including the component, a system and method for pickling using the heat exchanger, and a method of manufacturing a steel product including the method of pickling.
US09470454B2

A novel collapsible aeration system is retrofitted into a grain bin with a discharge opening in the bottom. This grain bin may have a sloped or conical hopper or a flat bottom. The aeration system is formed from a set of connected (e.g. hinged) duct sections that define a round or multi-sided duct having a minimum of three sides or faces. The sides may be flat, curved or corrugated. The collapsible aeration system is folded (collapsed), inserted into the bin via a hole, and then unfolded inside the bin. An air duct is connected to the aeration system to enable the aeration system to dry the grain in the grain bin. This technology enables existing grain bins to be retrofitted with a dryer in an easy and efficient manner.
US09470449B2

A nucleator nozzle (20) for producing ice nuclei is designed as convergent-divergent nozzle. The nozzle channel (25) has a section (27) that is widening. The ratio of the cross-sectional area of the outlet opening (23) to the cross-sectional area of the nozzle channel (25) in the region of the nucleus diameter (26) is at least approximately 4:1. A snow lance (1) having at least one nucleator nozzle (20) and having at least one water nozzle (30; 30′) is designed such that water droplets (32) produced by the water nozzle (30; 30′) pass through a droplet path (31; 31′) of at least 20 cm until they reach ice nuclei (28) from the nucleator nozzle (20) in a germination zone E.
US09470446B2

An ice making tray for an ice maker, an ice maker and a refrigerator comprising the same are provided. The ice maker is disposed on a door of a refrigerator. The ice making tray includes: a tray body provided with a plurality of ice forming chambers being downwardly concave, in which an opening for water flowing is formed between adjacent ice forming chambers; a water storage trough disposed on a front side of the tray body, and being higher than the plurality of ice forming chambers, in which the water storage trough is communicated with the plurality of ice forming chambers via at least one water returning mouth; and an enclosure wall, disposed around an upper end of the tray body.
US09470442B2

A method is disclosed for generating and distributing electric power for localized use. The method entails providing an enclosed building having an air conditioning and ventilation unit for supplying cooled air within the building, the unit including a closed loop circuit configured to operate a closed loop refrigeration cycle, including a compressor operable to compress a working fluid of the closed loop circuit. The method further includes engaging an internal combustion engine with the compressor and operating the internal combustion engine to drive the compressor, thereby transferring energy to the refrigeration cycle. The method may also involve engaging an electric motor with the compressor and operating the electric motor to drive the compressor, thereby transferring energy to the refrigeration cycle.
US09470439B2

Apparatuses and methods are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronic component. The apparatus includes a vapor-compression refrigeration system, which includes an expansion component, an evaporator, a compressor and a condenser coupled in fluid communication. The evaporator is coupled to and cools the electronic component. The apparatus further includes a contaminant separator coupled in fluid communication with the refrigerant flow path. The separator includes a refrigerant cold filter and a thermoelectric array. At least a portion of refrigerant passing through the refrigerant flow path passes through the cold filter, and the thermoelectric array provides cooling to the cold filter to cool refrigerant passing through the filter. By cooling refrigerant passing through the filter, contaminants solidify from the refrigerant, and are deposited in the cold filter. The separator may further include a refrigerant hot filter coupled to a hot side of the thermoelectric array for further filtering the refrigerant.
US09470435B2

A cascade CO2 refrigeration system includes a medium temperature loop for circulating a medium refrigerant and a low temperature loop for circulating a CO2 refrigerant. The medium temperature loop includes a heat exchanger having a first side and a second side. The first side evaporates the medium temperature refrigerant. The low temperature loop includes a discharge header for circulating the CO2 refrigerant through the second side of the heat exchanger to condense the CO2 refrigerant, a liquid-vapor separator collects liquid CO2 refrigerant and directs vapor CO2 refrigerant to the second side of the heat exchanger. A liquid CO2 supply header receives liquid CO2 refrigerant from the liquid-vapor separator. Medium temperature loads receive liquid CO2 refrigerant from the liquid supply header for use as a liquid coolant at a medium temperature. An expansion device expands liquid CO2 refrigerant from the liquid supply header into a low temperature liquid-vapor mixture for use by the low temperature loads.
US09470430B2

A method of preconditioning an enclosure includes providing a thermostat and computing a set of preconditioning criteria information (PCI) with the thermostat. The computed PCI is typically representative of time and ambient temperature conditions for which preconditioning should be performed. The PCI may be stored in memory and used to compare against a current time and current ambient temperature condition of the enclosure to determine whether to enter the thermostat into a preconditioning state. If a determination is made that the PCI criteria are satisfied, the thermostat may be entered into the preconditioning state to heat or cool the enclosure. One or more of these processes may be performed while a processor of the thermostat is in a relatively high power mode or relatively low power mode.
US09470424B2

An outdoor unit for an air conditioner, comprising: a heat exchanger disposed inside a housing; and a bottom plate of the housing, including, a bottom plate portion, a flange formed by upwardly folding back an edge of the bottom plate portion, a drainage hole penetrating the bottom plate portion and configured to discharge water, a plurality of mounting bases protruding upwardly from the bottom plate portion and supporting a lower end of the heat exchanger by upper surfaces thereof, and a drainage conduit provided in contact with the mounting bases and inclining downward toward the drainage hole, wherein a portion of the bottom plate portion positioned between at least one of the plurality of the mounting bases and the flange includes an inclined portion which is inclined toward the drainage conduit in a longitudinal direction of the flange.
US09470418B2

A gas assist flare tip for enhancing smokeless combustion of a flare gas. The assist tip which has a shroud positioned on a flare stack, the shroud having an outer annular portion and an inner tubular portion which fits over the riser. There is an annular plenum which is partially formed by the tubular portion and the outer portion and has an annular vent proximate the open end of the riser. There is at least one air jet eductor having a discharge outlet opening into the plenum.
US09470408B2

An illumination system may include a receiver which is mounted on a support surface, such as a heat sink, and a light module that may include a cover and an LED assembly. The LED assembly is rotateably attached to the cover and seats within the receiver. The receiver may have touch-safe terminals attached thereto for providing power to the LED assembly. The LED assembly may include a cup which enables potting material to be easily included in the assembly during manufacturing. When the LED assembly is attached to the receiver, blades on the LED assembly mate with the terminals on the receiver.
US09470396B2

A directive optical device includes an optically active material which may be a light emitting material or a light collecting material. A partially reflective grating is disposed proximate to the optically active material.
US09470394B2

An LED light fixture including a mounting surface which supports a circuit board with at least one LED light source spaced thereon, and an optical member which has a back side having a groove facing the mounting surface and surrounding the circuit board. The groove is filled with a resilient in-situ-formed compressible gasket material sealingly engaged with the mounting surface to environmentally seal the circuit board. The mounting surface may be of a heat-sink structure. The in-situ-formed gasket has an inner edge and a plurality of inward projections spaced therealong. Each inward projection extends inwardly to a position facing the circuit board and presses the circuit board against the mounting surface, thereby facilitating heat transfer away from the circuit board.
US09470391B2

An LED light source module is disclosed, which can replace a halogen bulb. The LED light source module includes an LED light source, a heat sink, an electric fan unit, a driver circuit, and an attachment, and all of these constituent elements are integrated. A structure of the attachment is the same as that of an attachment of a halogen bulb generally used as a light source of a lighting apparatus for a vehicle. The LED light source module can replace a halogen bulb. When the LED light source module needs replacement, unlike the conventional LED head light where the whole lamp main body is replaced, only the LED light source module can be replaced.
US09470386B2

A headlight for vehicles with a plurality of LED light sources that are arranged in a matrix in an LED array, each emitting a partial light beam that falls on an optical unit, located in the front, in the main beam direction in order to image light spots that combine to form a predetermined light distribution, whereby the optical unit comprises a first lens element and a rotationally symmetrically arranged second lens element, by means of which the partial light beams are transformed so that imaged light spots that are adjacent in the light distribution are directly adjacent or overlap, wherein the first lens element (4) is shaped in such a way that light spots of the light distribution in the vertical direction have a greater separation than in the horizontal direction.
US09470367B2

A storage container includes a wall structure defining an interior, where the interior is configured to contain a fluid. A portion of the wall structure is formed by a composite material. The composite material includes frozen water and a fibrous additive.
US09470359B2

A base component for loading, hanging or supporting objects has a connecting rod connected with a fixed base and a cover which sleeves the connecting rod and covers the fixed base. The fixed base is connected with the connecting rod by a linear guide pair. The linear guide pair is closed for avoiding digression after the fixed base is covered by the cover. The base component is simple in structure and convenient to install and use, because it allows changing loaded objects rapidly without disassembling the fixed base.
US09470358B2

Holders for electronic devices and systems, methods, and methods of making thereof. Electronic device holders include a base and a support rotatably coupled to the base. The support includes a base, a coupler, and a stand and is rotatable to a plurality of different or same orientations. The stand is rotatable outwardly and inwardly from and two fully retracted and fully extended positions and positions therebetween. In one or more extended positions, the stand can be supported by a support surface or a support device or apparatus.
US09470354B2

An adjustable sanitary hose donut has a variable inner diameter, which allows the adjustable sanitary hose donut to be used with multiple hoses having different diameters. The adjustable sanitary hose donut has an annular body and a fastener. The annular body has a plurality of sectors that are divided by a plurality of flex points. The plurality of flex points allows the plurality of sectors to bend inwards or outwards from one another in order to adjust the inner diameter of the annular body. A first overlapping section and a second overlapping section of the annular body also aid in allowing the inner diameter of the annular body to expand or contract. The fastener is positioned through both the first overlapping section and the second overlapping section and is used to lock the annular body at the desired inner diameter.
US09470353B2

Pipe splitting apparatuses and systems including a replaceable blade, and methods therefor, are provided. In various examples, a pipe splitting apparatus includes an outer surface including a recess. A blade including a portion is disposed within the recess. A hardenable material is disposed within the recess. The hardenable material is configured to flow upon application to fill empty space within the recess and at least partially around the portion of the blade disposed within the recess. The hardenable material is further configured to harden after application to secure the portion of the blade within the recess and fix the blade to the pipe splitting apparatus.
US09470349B2

A fluid system swivel joint includes a body and a tail rotatably connected together and which partially define a fluid passageway. The tail has an integrally formed flange for connecting to other fluid conduits. A counterbalancing mechanism is disposed within the fluid passageway. The counterbalancing mechanism has a selectively adjustable level of tension that adjusts the amount of force required to rotate the tail relative to the body. At least a portion of the counterbalancing mechanism can be selectively inserted into or removed from the fluid passageway through an opening in the body. The opening in the body can be closed off with an end plate. A swivel assembly rotatably connects the body to a fluid conduit so that the body can rotate relative to the fluid conduit. The swivel assembly includes a collar fixedly and selectively connectable to the body, and a flange body rotatably connected to the collar.
US09470344B2

A component used for drilling and operating hydrocarbon wells which is substantially tubular in form, and including a first end configured to be connected to a second end of another component also used for drilling and operating hydrocarbon wells. The first end includes a terminal portion including a first abutment surface configured to cooperate by interference with a corresponding abutment surface on the second end, and including a sealing surface configured to cooperate by interference with a corresponding sealing surface on the second end, the terminal portion being preceded by a threaded zone configured to be made up into a corresponding threaded zone of the second end. A compressible volume is provided in the thickness of the first terminal portion and partially beneath the sealing surface, to reduce radial stiffness of the terminal portion by at least 20%, while conserving at least 60% of axial stiffness.
US09470341B2

A connector for connecting a container with a fluid preparation device for preparing a fluid, in particular a container with a concentrate for the preparation of dialysis fluid, as well as the combination of the connector, the corresponding container and the fluid preparation device. In order to simplify the handling during both the manufacturing process of such containers and the connection of such containers to the fluid preparation devices, the connector connects a first and second fluid line of the container with a third and fourth fluid line of the fluid preparation device with two laterally spaced-apart mounting elements which each incorporate one of two orifices terminating the first and second fluid lines.
US09470334B2

A flow adjusting device includes a fixation unit with a waterway and a button; the fixation unit is disposed with a movable shaft, a pushing rod and a spring, the movable shaft and the pushing rod can move relatively to the fixation unit, the motion direction is parallel to the flowing direction of the water in the waterway, the discharge area of the waterway is changed by the relative motion of the movable shaft and the fixation unit to adjust the flow rate, thereinto, the fixation unit, the movable shaft, the pushing rod and the spring are cooperated to form an automatic ball-point pen like movable mechanism; the button is connected to the fixation unit in a sliding way, the sliding direction of the button is vertical to that of the movable shaft, the button and the end of the pushing rod are formed a linkage construction.
US09470332B2

A stator is located in a coil. A movable body is attracted toward the stator when the stator is magnetized by the coil. A valve element is movable integrally with the movable body to open and close a fluid passage when the coil is activated and de-activated. A regulating member is opposed to the movable body to regulate movement of the movable body. An elastic member is equipped to one of the regulating member and the movable body and is elastically deformable between the movable body and the regulating member when the movable body is attracted toward the stator. The elastic member is located at a position shifted in a radial direction relative to the regulating member or the movable body. The elastic member is in an asymmetrical shape relative to an axial rotational direction.
US09470323B2

A pressure regulator configured to regulate a working fluid by a pilot pressure, including: a spool valve mechanism having a spool; a biasing mechanism having a pilot-pressure chamber and a pilot piston, the biasing mechanism being configured to bias the spool toward the other end of the pressure regulator in its axial direction by a pressure of the working fluid in the pilot-pressure chamber; a counter biasing mechanism having a regulated-pressure chamber and a counter biasing piston, the counter biasing mechanism being configured to bias the spool toward one end of the pressure regulator in the axial direction by a pressure of the working fluid in the regulated-pressure chamber; and at least one of a first damping mechanism configured to damp a movement of the pilot piston and a second damping mechanism configured to damp a movement of the counter biasing piston.
US09470317B1

An apparatus for reducing the outlet bore restriction of the inlet tube of existing outage gauges from a diameter of 0.055 in. to a chosen diameter, thereby reducing the quantity of LP Liquid and/or Gas, or other liquid or gaseous fluid, escaping from an LP Gas tank during filling thereof, is described. By retrofitting the original valve stem of an outage gauge with an adapter having a smaller inlet bore and a smaller stem, which screws into the adapter, the restriction of the outlet bore is achieved without requiring the emptying the LP Gas tank upon which the outage gauge is mounted.
US09470315B2

A seal support system, or a kit therefor, for use with a sealing device to seal a piece of industrial equipment, includes a stand with fixed support elements for accommodating selected functional components with different sizes of components being accommodated by differently sized pipework elements. The stand has one or more substantially fixed brackets with each bracket having a component securing device at predetermined longitudinal space intervals.
US09470300B2

In a driveline in a front wheel drive vehicle the distribution of drive torque to the drive wheels (1) via a differential (6) is controlled by means of a differential brake with a hydraulically controlled limited slip clutch (7). A low preparatory hydraulic pressure is applied to the clutch at the occurrence of any one of certain predetermined driving situations for decreasing the response time for the clutch.
US09470298B2

The straight tracking control system can use a control method to achieve a desired straight motion of a machine with a dual path electronically controlled hydrostatic transmission. In the control method, the first drive system, e.g., the left or right drive system, pump solenoid current can be modified based on first and second drive system velocity feedback when the machine is commanded to move in a straight line path in the forward or reverse direction. A memory latching concept is used to latch the straight tracking factor at the initiation of and during the turn so the same straight tracking factor is used throughout the turn. The straight tracking factor is unlatched at the completion of a turn after a specific time delay and a new straight tracking factor can be calculated. The straight tracking method also utilizes transmission fluid temperature and utilizes additional fluid reserve in order to maintain straight machine movement.
US09470291B2

A pendulum absorber fixed to the crankshaft of an engine comprises a pendulum and a pendulum carrier attached to the pendulum carrier attachment boss of the crankshaft. Each pendulum carrier has a pair of parallel ears extending therefrom. The carrier is tightly attached to the attachment boss such that the attachment boss is captured between the ears of the carrier. Attachment of the pendulum carrier to the sides of the attachment boss allows for feasibility in production, unlike known arrangements which require attachment of the pendulum carrier to the top of the crankshaft web. The fastener may be a pair of pressed-in pins, a single shrink-fit pin, shoulder bolts, Z-Form™ fastener assemblies, or rivets. Regardless of the type of fastener used, the side attachment arrangement of the disclosed inventive concept is sufficient to carry the load in sheer and prevent the pendulum assemblies from moving relative to the crankshaft.
US09470290B2

A torque coupler includes an input side and an output side, which are situated rotatably around an axis of rotation, and in addition an intermediate plate for coupling with the input side, an output flange for coupling with the output side, a spring damper for coupling the intermediate plate with the output flange, and a centrifugal force pendulum having a pendulum flange and a pendulum mass. Here the pendulum flange extends between a first area, in which the pendulum flange is attached to the intermediate plate, and a second area, in which the pendulum mass is attached to the pendulum flange. The output flange has a cutout, through which a section of the pendulum flange which connects the two areas runs.
US09470289B2

A torque rod includes a rod main body, a first bushing and a second bushing. The rod main body is made of resin and provided integral with a first ring section and a second ring section on each end of an arm section. A first rib extends from the arm section to a front lateral surface of the second ring section. In a plan view, a second rib is provided to overlap with the first rib. The first rib projects forwardly of and in the left and right directions of the second rib. This projecting portion forms an enlarged diameter portion. Due to this enlarged diameter portion, an area of the first rib is made larger than an area of the second rib thereby to increase a rigidity of a forward side of the second ring.
US09470275B2

A wedge clutch, including: an inner and outer hubs; a wedge element including separate circumferentially disposed segments radially located between the inner and outer hubs; an outer ring; and first and second displacement elements. The ring is radially located between the wedge element and the outer hub and is non-rotatably connected to the segments and urges the segments radially inward into contact with the inner hub. For a closed mode, the first displacement element is arranged to urge the wedge element in a first axial direction, parallel to an axis of rotation for the wedge clutch, to non-rotatably connect the inner and outer hubs, the wedge element, and the outer ring. For an open mode, the second displacement element is arranged to displace the wedge element in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction, to enable relative rotation between the inner and outer hubs.
US09470273B2

A clutch device transmits rotational energy between a drive input and a drive output, in particular between an electric actuating unit and an actuating element of an adjustable motor vehicle exterior mirror. The clutch device permits a transmission of a load torque MR from the electric actuating unit to the actuating element in both directions, and in the event of an overload torque greater than a predefined threshold torque MK, automatically permits a relative rotation between the electric actuating unit and the actuating element. Furthermore, the clutch device is designed such that, in the event of a torque direction reversal, no load torque is transmitted over a predetermined free-travel angle (φ).
US09470270B2

A tube yoke for a driveshaft assembly includes a tube seat. The tube seat comprises a base, a wall, and a plurality of stiffening ribs. The stiffening ribs extend between an inner surface of the base and an end surface of the wall. Each stiffening rib comprises an outer end portion which is attached to a middle portion and a pair of side portions. The tube yoke also includes a pair of lugs outwardly projecting from the tube seat. Each lug has a crosshole and the crossholes are aligned so as to have a common centerline. Each stiffening rib is oriented at an acute angle with respect to the common centerline of the crossholes and each stiffening rib gradually decreases in thickness from the side portions to the outer end portion and from the middle portion to the outer end portion.
US09470264B2

There is provided a magnetic bearing drive circuit driven from a pair of Direct Current (DC) link voltage rails, said magnetic bearing drive circuit having at least one amplifier providing an output PWM drive signal for driving a magnetic bearing winding, said output PWM drive signal being provided to the magnetic bearing winding through a plurality of drive signal rails, said magnetic bearing drive circuit comprising a pair of voltage offset devices coupled to the DC link voltage rails and arranged to provide a pair of offset catcher voltage rails from the DC link voltage rails, and primary clamping means coupled between each offset catcher voltage rail and a respective one of the drive signal rails.
US09470251B1

A chamber directs water over blades that create a vortex. The blades are encased in a copper cage. Water passes a gold plated baffle as the entrance of the cage and exits through a silver plated baffle. Ceramic balls are positioned between the cage and the walls of the chamber. Movement of fluid through the vortex and around the ceramic balls activates and structures the water.
US09470241B2

A centrifugal blower includes a centrifugal fan; an electric motor that rotationally drives the centrifugal fan; a fan case that has an air inlet and an air outlet and that internally accommodates the centrifugal fan; and an electric motor case (8) that has a cylinder (6) accommodating the electric motor and a flange portion (7) extending radially outward from the cylinder (6) and that is fitted to the fan case. The flange portion (7) is provided with a ring-shaped rib portion (20) that protrudes from the flange portion (7); the ring-shaped rib portion (20) is provided with a plurality of slits (22a and 22b) that extend from the flange portion (7) in the axial direction of the cylinder (6); and the flange portion (7) between the ring-shaped rib portion (20) and the cylinder (6) is inclined in a circumferential direction toward the slits (22a and 22b).
US09470237B2

An electric fluid pump includes: a case including a recess portion into which a fluid flows; a rotor arranged in the recess portion; an axial member supporting the rotor; and a flange member insert-molded with the case and the axial member, secured to an end portion of the axial member, and buried in a bottom wall portion of the recess portion, wherein the flange member includes: a first flange portion; a reduced portion closer to an inner surface of the bottom wall portion than the first flange portion, and smaller than the first flange portion in a radial direction; and a second flange portion closer to the inner surface than the reduced portion, larger than the first flange portion in the radial direction, and partially exposed from the inner surface, and the inner surface is flat.
US09470236B2

A rotor dynamic balancing method for a magnetic levitation molecular pump, which includes the steps of activating an open loop feed forward control module after activating a motor of the magnetic levitation molecular pump; if the maximum radial vibration amplitude does not exceed ½ of a protective clearance during the acceleration of the rotor under the control of the open loop feed forward control module, indicating that the open loop feed forward control module is able to inhibit the co-frequency vibration of the rotor, so as to allow the rotational speed of the rotor to exceed its rigid critical rotational speed; and performing a rotor dynamic balancing operation at a high speed by an influence coefficient method. This method directly performs the rotor dynamic balancing operation with respect to the rotor at a high-speed, which facilitates the rotor dynamic balancing operation so as to perform the rotor dynamic balancing operation more quickly and efficiently.
US09470234B2

A compressor housing for an air cycle machine includes an inlet and an outlet. The compressor housing additionally includes a plurality of ribs that extend generally perpendicularly from a surface of the compressor housing. Formed within an internal region of the compressor housing is a bearing support structure. The bearing support structure receives and limits the axial movement of a bearing, seal and at least one O-ring.
US09470224B2

A piston-type compressor includes a housing, a drive shaft supported on the housing, a communication hole formed inside the drive shaft, a valve mechanism, and a cylindrical body. The cylindrical body is inserted in the communication hole to disconnect a residual gas bypass passage and the communication hole from each other and to open the interior space of the cylindrical body to the communication hole. The valve mechanism includes an annular space defined outside the cylindrical body in the communication hole and multiple connection holes providing communication between the annular space and communication passages. The residual gas bypass passage is formed of the annular space and the multiple connection holes.
US09470213B2

A release mechanism passively releases a mechanical coupling as a result of a temperature rise. The release mechanism includes a breakable element, such as a shape memory alloy (SMA) element, that is configured to break when the element is heated to a predetermined temperature. The breakage of the breakable element releases a mechanical coupling, such as a coupling holding a lid onto a container. The release mechanism may be part of a handle or other device to close the container. The release mechanism may have a mechanical load on it prior to release, a load that in part passes through the breakable element. Most of the load may pass through one or more other members of the release mechanism, providing the force for separation after the release mechanism is triggered. The release mechanism may be used to provide a passive way of releasing a mechanical coupling in response to heating.
US09470204B2

A method is provided for replacing a permanent magnet of a generator of a wind turbine from a first position to a second position. A container is provided having a shell and an opening through the shell. The opening defines an open space for storing the permanent magnet. The open space is surrounded by the shell, and the shell having a thickness that provides that the permanent magnet does not come close enough to other magnetic material to exert significant force on it. The method involves placing the permanent magnet from the first position into the container, transporting the container with the permanent magnet to the second position, removing the permanent magnet from the container, and placing the permanent magnet in the second position.
US09470203B2

The ion current detector includes: an ion bias circuit for supplying a bias voltage to an electrode of the ignition plug so as to cause the ignition plug to generate a spark discharge; and an ion current detection circuit for detecting an ion current generated in a combustion chamber by the spark discharge and for amplifying the detected ion current to output an ion current detection signal. The ion current detection circuit amplifies the ion current at an ion current amplification factor switched between a time when an ignition signal is supplied and a time when the ignition signal is not supplied. Specifically, when the ignition signal is supplied, the ion current amplification factor is set to a low value (approximately 50). When the ignition signal is not supplied, the ion current amplification factor is set to a high value (250 or more).
US09470201B2

The specification relates to a composite particle for storing lithium. The composite particle is used in an electrochemical cell. The composite particle includes a metal oxide on the surface of the composite particle, a major dimension that is approximately less than or equal to 40 microns and a formula of MM′Z, wherein M is from the group of Si and Sn, M′ is from a group of Mn, Mg, Al, Mo, Bronze, Be, Ti, Cu, Ce, Li, Fe, Ni, Zn, Co, Zr, K, and Na, and Z is from the group of O, Cl, P, C, S, H, and F.
US09470196B2

The present invention relates to a fuel injector for use in a fuel system of an internal combustion engine. The fuel injector has a supply passage for high pressure fuel and an injection nozzle. The injection nozzle includes a valve needle which can engage with a valve needle seating to control fuel delivery from the fuel injector. A first control valve is provided for controlling fuel pressure within a control chamber to control the valve needle. The fuel injector also includes a second control valve for controlling fuel pressure within a low pressure drain. The invention also relates to a control valve for controlling fuel pressure within a low pressure drain.
US09470192B2

A fuel supplier for an automobile equipped with a fuel tank and an engine has a reservoir, a fuel pump a suction filter and a fuel transfer device. The reservoir is disposed in the fuel tank and is formed in a sealed manner. The fuel pump is configured to supply fuel from the fuel tank to the engine. The suction filter is configured to filter fuel suctioned into the fuel pump. The fuel transfer device is configured to transfer fuel from the fuel tank into the reservoir such that fuel in the reservoir is pressurized due to transfer pressure of the fuel.
US09470186B2

In an internal combustion engine having a turbocharger and a compressor, a discharge point of a tank ventilation system is provided in the intake passage of the internal combustion engine upstream from the turbocharger or the compressor. A Venturi nozzle is situated between the discharge point and a tank venting valve of the tank ventilation system. A defect or a detachment of the line between the Venturi nozzle and the discharge point is detectable with the aid of a change of an adaption value and/or of a correction factor in a control unit of the internal combustion engine or in a computer.
US09470182B2

A method for improving operation of a turbocharged engine is presented. In one embodiment, the method may reduce engine emissions and improve engine efficiency during an engine start.
US09470181B2

A fluid pump includes a hollow housing, an electric motor having an armature with a commutator, a pump section rotationally coupled to the electric motor for receiving fuel at a relatively low pressure through a fuel inlet and pressurizing the fuel to a relatively high pressure, a motor brush is in electrical contact with the commutator and including a shunt wire extending therefrom, and an end cap that closes one end of the housing and defines a high pressure chamber with the housing. The end cap includes a hollow brush tower extending therefrom and defining a brush holder slidably receiving the motor brush therein such that the brush holder defines in part the high pressure chamber. The end cap also includes an aperture with the shunt wire extending therethrough such that the shunt wire is sealed with the aperture to prevent the fuel from passing therethrough.
US09470177B2

Rib configurations for increasing the structural efficiency of a cylinder head, which relates to a peak combustion pressure capability of the cylinder head. In addition to increasing peak combustion pressure, the rib configurations may also improve sealing of the cylinder head and may improve the durability of an associated cylinder head gasket.
US09470176B2

An engine includes a cylinder block having first and second passages intersecting a block face on opposed sides of a bore bridge defining a bore bridge cooling passage. A cylinder head has third and fourth passages intersecting a head face. The first and fourth passages are opposed from one another. A gasket is placed between the block and the head. The gasket adapted to fluidly connect the first and fourth passages via the bore bridge cooling passage, and cover the second passage.
US09470174B2

An engine body includes a cylinder with a geometrical compression ratio of 15 or higher, and is supplied with fuel containing at least gasoline. When an operating mode of the engine body is in a high load range, a controller (i.e., a PCM 10) drives a fuel injection valve (i.e., an injector) 67 to inject the fuel at a time within a retarded period between a terminal stage of a compression stroke and an initial stage of an expansion stroke in a low speed range. The controller drives the fuel injection valve to inject the fuel in an intake stroke until an intake valve 21 is closed in a high-load high-speed range.
US09470166B2

EGR gas quantity information, which indicates a quantity of the EGR gas flowing into a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, is obtained by an ECU. A combustion stop delay control operation, which delays execution of a combustion stop control operation, is executed by the ECU when the quantity of the EGR gas flowing into the cylinder is larger than a normal combustion determination threshold value. When the quantity of the EGR gas flowing into the cylinder becomes equal to or smaller than the normal combustion determination threshold value, the combustion stop control operation is enabled by the ECU.
US09470155B2

An ECU has an output-value obtaining portion, a preignition estimating portion and a valve-opening-time controller. The output-value obtaining portion obtains the output value of the knock sensor, which corresponds to an intensity of an engine knocking. A preignition estimating portion estimates that a preignition will be generated in an internal combustion engine, when the obtained output value is greater than or equal to the specified threshold. When the preignition estimating portion estimates that a preignition will be generated, the exhaust-valve timing control mechanism advances the opening time of the exhaust valve to suppress the preignition.
US09470149B2

A heating and cooling system for inlet air of a turbine compressor. The heating and cooling system may include a thermal energy storage tank charging loop, a cooling loop in communication with the thermal energy storage charging loop, and a heating loop in communication with the cooling loop and the inlet air of the turbine compressor.
US09470134B2

An off road type vehicle exhaust system including a muffler, a mounting bracket and a vibration insulator. The vibration insulator connects the muffler to the vehicle. The mounting bracket connects the muffler to the vibration insulator and includes a rod attached to the muffler and configured to mate with the vibration insulator and a heat shield having a first end secured to the muffler and a second end engaging the vibration insulator. The rod has a first portion secured to an outer surface of the muffler, a first bend, a second portion extending away from the muffler, a second bend, and a third portion which is at least generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the muffler. The heat shield includes a muffler engaging section and a vibration insulator engaging section. The vibration insulator engaging section includes a first wall extending from the muffler engaging section, a bend, and a second wall opposed to the first wall. The second wall also includes an opening through which the rod passes.
US09470127B2

A structure comprising at least one inorganic layer comprising inorganic materials suitable for use in a pollution control device. A friction-inducing material is disposed on at least one side of the inorganic layer. The deposited friction-inducing material defines a higher friction area exhibiting a static coefficient of friction higher than that of the inorganic materials. A lower friction layer is disposed so as to cover at least a portion of the higher friction area and define an exposed surface area of the structure. The exposed surface area exhibits a lower static coefficient of friction than that of the higher friction area. The lower friction layer no longer covers a substantial portion of the higher friction area, after the pollution control device is assembled.
US09470124B2

A manufacturing method of a sub-muffler includes a rectangular tubular body shaping step, a preliminary shaping step, and a diameter reduction shaping step. In the rectangular tubular body shaping step, a plate material is bent and a rectangular tubular body having a rectangular shape in cross section is thereby formed. In the preliminary shaping step, ends of the rectangular tubular body are preliminarily formed and the end parts of the tubular body are thereby formed so that its cross-sectional shape becomes a circular shape. In the diameter reduction shaping step, the diameters of the ends of the rectangular tubular body are reduced.
US09470122B2

An oil pump control valve assembly includes a control valve for controlling a flow of a fluid, and a solenoid for operating the control valve. The control valve includes a tube-like holder having a hollow internal space, configured to include an inflow port formed at one end thereof, a tube-like first valve sheet formed in the middle of the holder, a ball valve mounted in the first valve sheet, a second valve sheet coupled to a second end of the first valve sheet, and a load mounted in the second valve sheet, one end thereof being extended through the second valve sheet to come into contact with the ball valve, wherein, when the solenoid is operated, the ball valve is moved to open the inflow port.
US09470121B2

An oil pump includes a pump housing comprising an oil input port formed at one side of the pump housing. An oil output port is formed at another side of the pump housing. An oil flow unit is provided at a center of the pump housing, and the oil flow unit compresses and discharges oil input from the oil input port toward the oil output port. A bypass passage circulates the oil from the oil output port to the oil input port. A pressure control chamber allows the oil to flow through the oil output port and the bypass passage. The pressure control chamber has a plunger that is supported by an elastic body and moves in accordance with oil pressure. A bypass hole is formed at one side of the pressure control chamber and allows the oil passing through the oil output port to flow to the bypass passage when the plunger moves due to the oil pressure. The amount of oil flow increases depending on a movement distance of the plunger.
US09470119B2

A camshaft phaser is provided for varying the phase relationship between a crankshaft and a camshaft in an engine. The camshaft phaser includes a stator having lobes. A rotor disposed within the stator and rotatable between a full retard position to a full retard position includes vanes extending radially outward from a central hub and interspersed with the stator lobes to define alternating advance and retard chambers. A first portion of the central hub between adjacent vanes extends radially outward further than a second portion of the central hub between adjacent vanes.
US09470111B2

An air independent propulsion and power generation system based on thermal cycle generated from continuous exothermic reaction cycle in a controlled volume space. An exothermic reactor utility for generating power by producing steam or overheating another heat transfer fluid in gas state for supplying a power turbine system in order to produce electrical energy or mechanical power. A controlled exothermic reaction is occurred by injecting exothermic agents into the reaction chambers of the invention in a controlled sequence and computed timing which gives out heat and enables the transfer of the exothermic reaction output heat to the fluid of the thermal cycle. The exothermic reaction cycle does not need atmospheric connection or air or oxygen. The invention provides option to use multiple chemical types independently at the same time in any of its reaction chambers.
US09470109B2

Turbine blade insertion tool (20) facilitates supported vertical and lateral alignment of a turbine blade root (18) and corresponding rotor slot (14) from under a suspended rotor (12). The blade lift fixture (46) slidably retains the blade root while manually biasable slide (38) provides supported relative vertical alignment between the blade root and rotor slot Supported lateral root/slot alignment is provided by manually swinging the blade lift fixture (46) on three-dimensional motion capable swivel eye (50) and corresponding lift hook (44) that are coupled to the slide (38). The blade insertion tool (20) optionally is maneuverable on swivel rollers (24) under the rotor (12).
US09470108B2

A rack for holding a portion of a thrust reverser. The rack may include a base and a supporting frame disposed perpendicularly with the base. The base and the supporting frame may include a hinge at each location where the base and the supporting frame are coupled together. The rack may also include two supporting poles parallel to the supporting frame. The two supporting poles may be designed such that the portion of the thrust reverser may be mounted onto the two supporting poles.
US09470106B2

A turbocharger includes a turbine housing defining a turbine chamber and a compressor housing defining a compressor chamber. A turbine wheel is disposed in the turbine chamber and a turbine shaft is connected to the turbine wheel. A compressor wheel is disposed in the compressor chamber and connected to the turbine shaft. A compressor back plate is adjacent to the compressor wheel and a bearing cartridge is sandwiched directly between the compressor back plate and the turbine housing and rotatably supporting the turbine shaft.
US09470103B2

The turbomachine includes a mid turbine vane frame, with an annular compartment formed between the mid turbine vane frame and a low-pressure turbine casing being sealed by means of at least two ring seals, wherein one ring seal is in contact with the mid turbine vane frame and the other ring seal is in contact with the low-pressure turbine casing and a radial annular overlap is thereby created with the first-mentioned ring seal.
US09470098B2

The present application and the resultant patent provide an axial compressor for a gas turbine engine. The compressor may include a rotor disk positioned along an axis of the compressor. The rotor disk may include a slot defined about a radially outer surface of the rotor disk, and the slot may include a slot planar surface facing away from the rotor disk. The compressor also may include a compressor blade coupled to the rotor disk via the slot. The compressor blade may include a platform positioned over the radially outer surface of the rotor disk, and the platform may include a platform sealing edge facing toward the rotor disk. The compressor further may include a gap defined between the platform sealing edge and the slot planar surface, wherein the gap is configured to control a flow of leakage air from a high-pressure side of the compressor blade to a low-pressure side of the compressor blade. The present application and the resultant patent further provide a related method of controlling stage-to-stage leakage in an axial compressor of a gas turbine engine.
US09470094B2

A blade cascade for a continuous-flow machine having a non-axisymmetrical side wall contour, whereby the side wall contour has at least one pressure-side elevation and one suction-side depression, whose highest section and lowest section are located over an area 30% to 60% of an extension of the blades in the axial direction, and the axial positions of the outermost sections differ from each other at the maximum by 10% in the axial direction.
US09470072B2

A Y-tool for use in a wellbore includes: a stem having a bore formed therethrough, a port formed through a wall thereof, and a coupling formed at each end thereof; a branch fastened to the stem and having a passage formed therethrough in fluid communication with the stem port and a coupling formed at an end thereof; and a gasket sealing an interface of the stem port and branch passage.
US09470067B2

A casing joint assembly and methods for producing an annulus gas cap using the casing joint assembly. The casing joint assembly comprises a first valve and a second valve to control fluid pressure in the sealed annulus between the casing string and a wall of the well bore or another casing string.
US09470066B2

A method of servicing a wellbore comprising placing a wellbore servicing apparatus into a wellbore, wherein the wellbore servicing apparatus contains a plurality of mobilized template-assisted crystallization beads and contacting a fluid comprising scale-forming ions with at least a portion of the template-assisted crystallization beads. A method of servicing a wellbore, comprising contacting a fluid comprising scale-forming ions with a quantity of template-assisted crystallization beads in a vessel to form a treated fluid, wherein the template-assisted crystallization beds are mobile within the vessel and placing the treated fluid into a wellbore, a subterranean formation, or a combination thereof.
US09470054B2

A petroleum well intervention winch system includes a high pressure confining housing for a drum for a rope to a tool string. The pressure confining housing has a connector with an aperture for the rope to a top of a tool string gate chamber on vertical bore BOP valves on a wellhead on the petroleum well. The rope runs through the aperture via a capstan to the drum. The capstan is driven by a first motor through a first high pressure proof magnetic coupling across a wall of the housing. The drum is driven by a second motor through a second high pressure proof magnetic coupling across the wall of the housing. The capstan is subject to a load tension from the rope and is provided with a hold tension on the rope from the drum. The second motor exerts a constant hold tension on the rope via the drum.
US09470052B2

A method of assessing hole cleaning effectiveness of drilling comprises a) determining a mass of cuttings removed from a well wherein determining the mass of cuttings removed from a well comprises: i) measuring a total mass of fluid entering a well; ii) measuring a total mass of fluid exiting the well; and iii) determining a difference between the total mass of fluid exiting the well and total mass of fluid entering the well; b) determining a mass of rock excavated in the well; and c) determining a mass of cuttings remaining in the well wherein determining the mass of cuttings remaining in the well comprises: determining a difference between the determined mass of rock excavated in the well and the determined mass of cuttings removed from the well.
US09470049B2

A cylinder accumulator system is disclosed. The system includes a cylinder comprising a cylinder rod, a cylinder barrel coaxial to the cylinder rod, a cylinder end cap coupled to the cylinder barrel and the cylinder rod, and a cylinder piston assembly disposed within the cylinder barrel. The cylinder piston assembly further includes a dynamic sealing arrangement, which comprises one or more dynamic seals. The system further includes a first annular volume coaxial to the cylinder rod and the cylinder barrel, and a second volume disposed within the cylinder piston assembly. The system also includes a piston disposed within a bore of the second volume and between a hydraulic fluid located on a first side of the piston and a gas media located on a second side of the piston. The system also includes an external high-pressure accumulator, a low-pressure accumulator, and one or more tube manifolds coupling the external high-pressure accumulator and low-pressure accumulator to the cylinder.
US09470043B2

An insert for a drill bit may include a metallic carbide body; an outer layer of polycrystalline diamond material on the outermost end of the insert, the polycrystalline diamond material comprising a plurality of interconnected first diamond grains and a first binder material in interstitial regions between the interconnected first diamond grains; and at least one transition layer between the metallic carbide body and the outer layer, the at least one transition layer comprising a composite of second diamond grains, first metal carbide particles, and a second binder material, wherein the first metal carbide particles form a matrix in which the second diamond grains are dispersed, wherein the first metal carbide particles are present in the at least one transition layer in an amount ranging from about 15 to 50 volume percent.
US09470042B2

A drilling assembly positionable in a well bore includes a turbine motor couplable to a drill string and a harmonic drive transmission coupled to the turbine motor. The harmonic drive transmission includes a circular spline, a wave generator, a flexspline, and a sealing subsystem. The sealing subsystem defines a substantially sealed volume containing the circular spline, wave generator, and flexspline, and isolates the circular spline, wave generator, and flexspline from drilling fluid exiting the turbine motor and flowing through the harmonic drive transmission.
US09470023B2

A diagonal draw bar having a micro ventilation function includes a first lever, a second lever, a retaining lever, a spring, a latching member, and an actuating lever. The first lever defines a first rivet hole, a second rivet hole, and provides a positioning hook. The second lever defines a third rivet hole and connects with the first lever. The retaining lever defines a fourth rivet hole and connects with the retaining lever, the retaining lever defines a through hole. The spring is latched within the through hole. The latching member extends through the spring. The actuating lever is provided with a projection for pushing the latching member upward.
US09470020B2

A cover opening/closing device includes an engage mechanism and a lock mechanism. The engage mechanism is provided in an apparatus body. The lock mechanism is provided in a cover. The lock member includes a button, a lock member, and an interlocking mechanism. The button is provided to be able to move linearly. The lock member is provided to be able to move linearly between a lock position and an unlock position. The interlocking mechanism interlocks a movement of the button with a movement of the lock member. The interlocking mechanism includes a return member, an oblique groove, and a projection part. The return member returns the button to an initial position. The projection part fits movably along the oblique groove. The oblique groove guides a relative movement of the projection part so as to interlock an operation of the button with a movement of the lock member.
US09470001B2

A column includes a shaft, a capital assembly, and a base assembly. The capital assembly has an indexing member that attaches to an overhead support. The indexing member aligns the capital, which in turn, vertically aligns the shaft. The base assembly includes a retaining ring that attaches to an underlying support surface. The retaining ring has a plurality of notches arranged to form a cross-hair with an intersection located at the center of the retaining ring. The column also includes an alignment mechanism configured to be suspended from a center of the indexing member. When being aligned, the alignment mechanism is suspended below the indexing member substantially over the center of the retaining ring.
US09469996B2

An awning is provided that includes a canopy. The awning includes a canopy frame. The canopy frame includes an inner member configured to be mounted to an upright support such as an exterior wall. The canopy frame also includes a first foldable arm and a second foldable arm. Each of the arms includes an inner portion coupled with the inner member and an outer portion. The canopy frame also includes an outer member coupled with the outer portions of each of the first and second foldable arms. The canopy frame is configured such that upon initial retraction of the canopy, the first foldable arm begins folding prior to the second foldable arm.
US09469992B2

The present invention relates generally to electrical systems. The present invention relates more particularly to electrical wiring systems suitable for use in roofing applications. One aspect of the invention is a wiring system on a roof comprising a roof deck having a slope and one or more roofing elements disposed on the roof deck, the wiring system including one or more wires extending along the roof on top of the roofing elements; and a wire covering disposed over the one or more wires.
US09469985B1

An acoustic structure having multiple degrees of acoustic freedom for reducing noise generated from a source. Acoustic septum caps, which are an integral part of the acoustic structure, include depth control portions that can be varied in width so that the septum portions of different septum caps can be located at different depths within the acoustic structure to provide an acoustic structure having multiple degrees of acoustic freedom even though the acoustic septum caps are anchored at the same depth within the structure.
US09469984B2

According to one embodiment, an insulated structure includes a frame comprising a plurality of wall studs coupled together and a plurality of foam boards attached to the frame to form a continuous insulative wall. A plurality of fasteners attaches the foam boards to the frame. Each fastener includes an elongate shaft and a cap. The elongate shaft is configured to penetrate through a foam board and into a wall stud to couple the components together. The cap is configured to be positioned atop a foam board to distribute a load relatively evenly to the foam board. A sealing tape is applied across seams between adjacent foam boards and over the fasteners' caps to seal the wall. A sealing caulk is applied to secondary fasteners and penetrations to seal the wall. In some embodiments, the structure has a fastener density of about 1 fastener per 243 in2 of foam board.
US09469970B2

A hydraulic excavator includes a traveling unit and a revolving unit mounted on the traveling unit. The revolving unit includes a revolving frame as a base, right and left side sections, a cab, a hand rail and a grip. The right and left side sections are disposed on right and left sides of the revolving unit. The cab is provided at a first of the right and left side sections. The hand rail is provided at a front edge on a second of the right and left side sections. The hand rail extends upward from the front edge toward a rear of the revolving unit. The grip is provided below the hand rail and on a side surface of the revolving frame. The traveling unit includes a track frame, and a step provided on a side surface of the track frame below the hand rail.
US09469963B2

The present invention relates generally to precast cantilevered retaining walls and methods of using and forming precast cantilevered retaining walls. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cantilevered concrete retaining wall having a base shear key and blockouts for receiving a material that substantially impedes the wing wall from sliding or other inadvertent movement, to a method of retaining a soil embankment with a cantilevered concrete retaining wall, and to a method of manufacturing a precast concrete cantilevered retaining wall.
US09469957B2

A new pneumatic load transfer and shock absorbing system is disclosed. The pneumatic system includes a layer of air-bags to perform two basic functions during a floatover installation operation: 1) lifting the platform deck from the support to create additional air gaps at the mating surfaces, and the heave motions of the lifted platform deck may be reduced; 2) performing as a shock absorbing device with variable vertical stiffness easily controlled by the air-bag internal air pressure during the mating operation and the separation operation.
US09469955B2

A reinforced gabion comprising two adjacent walls with a common edge manufactured using a single sheet of double twisted metal mesh fabric formed from metal wires which have two different diameters respectively corresponding to the two walls. Preferably the metal mesh fabric has a mesh with at least one twisted side formed from at least two metal wires woven together in which each twisted side is aligned in the direction of the common edge between the two walls.
US09469942B2

An absorbent sanitary paper product having a machine direction, a cross-machine direction orthogonal and co-planar thereto, and a Z-direction orthogonal to both the machine- and cross-machine directions is disclosed. The absorbent sanitary paper product has a first network of fibers having a basis weight of less than about 95 g/m2 and a second network of fibers comprising individual fibers adhesively attached with an adhesive thereto. Each fiber of the first network of fibers has a longitudinal axis generally disposed within the plane comprising the machine and cross-machine directions. Each individual fiber of the second network of fibers has a longitudinal axis having a component thereof generally disposed in the Z-direction.
US09469927B2

A laundry treating appliance having a tub having an open face and at least partially defining a treating chamber in which laundry may be received for treatment according to an automatic cycle of operation, a door for closing the open face of the tub, a perforated rotatable drum located within the tub and a method of operating such that the rotation of the drum is accelerated at a rate sufficient to cause an inrush of supplied liquid into the treating chamber from the tub via the perforations that locates a unit dose treating chemistry within the treating chamber.
US09469918B2

A multilayer substrate includes a diamond layer CVD grown on a composite layer. The composite layer includes particles of diamond and silicon carbide and, optionally, silicon. A loading level (by volume) of diamond in the composite layer can be ≧5%; ≧20%; ≧40%; or ≧60%. The multilayer substrate can be used as an optical device; a detector for detecting radiation particles or electromagnetic waves; a device for cutting, drilling, machining, milling, lapping, polishing, coating, bonding, or brazing; a braking device; a seal; a heat conductor; an electromagnetic wave conductor; a chemically inert device for use in a corrosive environment, a strong oxidizing environment, or a strong reducing environment, at an elevated temperature, or under a cryogenic condition; or a device for polishing or planarization of other devices, wafers or films.
US09469917B2

Provided is an ingot growing apparatus, which includes a crucible containing a silicon melt, a pulling device pulling a silicon single crystal ingot grown from the silicon melt, and a dopant supply unit disposed adjacent to the pulling device and for supplying a dopant during growing of the ingot. The neck portion may be doped at a concentration higher than that of the ingot through the dopant supply unit. Therefore, dislocation propagation velocity may be decreased and a propagation length may be shortened.
US09469913B2

A processing system for electroplating semiconductor wafers and similar substrates includes an electrolyte tank, at least one processing chamber connected to the electrolyte tank via fluid lines, and an electrolyte analyzer. The electrolyte analyzer may have a probe, such as a voltammetry probe, in the electrolyte tank, a pump, a reservoir and at least one valve, with these components connected via fluid lines to form a fluid loop. The valve may be switchable to provide a closed fluid loop where electrolyte circulates through the probe to analyze the electrolyte, and to provide an open fluid loop to removal of the used electrolyte and introduction of fresh electrolyte from the tank into the fluid loop. The used electrolyte may be moved to a facility drain and not returned to the electrolyte tank, to reduce risk of contamination.
US09469911B2

An electroplating apparatus has one or more membrane tube rings which act as electric field shields, to provide advantageous plating characteristics at the perimeter of a work piece. The membrane tube rings may be filled with fluids having different conductivity, to change the shielding effect as desired for electroplating different types of substrates. The membrane tube rings may optionally be provided in or on a diffuser plate in the vessel of the apparatus.
US09469907B2

The present invention relates to an electrolytic process, methods and apparatus for the preparation of carbon monoxide and in particular to electrolysis of molten carbonates to yield carbon monoxide which may be used for chemical storage of electrical energy and further as chemical feedstock for other organic products.
US09469906B2

The invention provides a method for effecting a photocatalytic or photoelectrocatalytic reaction of a reactant comprising contacting a metallic material having an electrical conductivity of 105 to 106 S/m with the reactant and exposing the metallic material and the reactant to visible light so as to catalyze the reaction of the reactant.
US09469902B2

A method for providing an electroless plating of a platinum containing layer is provided. A Ti3+ stabilization solution is provided. A Pt4+ stabilization solution is provided. A flow from the Ti3+ stabilization solution is combined with a flow from the Pt4+ stabilization solution and water to provide a diluted mixture of the Ti3+ stabilization solution and the Pt4+ stabilization solution. A substrate is exposed to the diluted mixture of the Ti3+ stabilization solution and the Pt4+ stabilization solution.
US09469898B2

Vaporizable material is supported within a vessel to promote contact of an introduced gas with the vaporizable material, and produce a product gas including vaporized material. A heating element supplies heat to a wall of the vessel to heat vaporizable material disposed therein. The vessel may comprise an ampoule having a removable top. Multiple containers defining multiple material support surfaces may be stacked disposed within a vessel in thermal communication with the vessel. A tube may be disposed within the vessel and coupled to a gas inlet. Filters, flow meters, and level sensors may be further provided. Product gas resulting from contact of introduced gas with vaporized material may be delivered to atomic layer deposition (ALD) or similar process equipment. At least a portion of source material including a solid may be dissolved in a solvent, followed by removal of solvent to yield source material (e.g., a metal complex) disposed within the vaporizer.
US09469889B2

An alloy and an implant having a three-dimensional structure based on such alloy. The alloy comprises a monophasic MgZn alloy containing from 2.0 wt. % Zn to 6 wt. % Zn, having less than 0.001 wt. % of one or more other elements with the remainder being Mg. In some embodiments, the alloy is substantially free of microgalvanic elements. In some embodiments, the alloy includes a MgZnCa alloy containing nanosized precipitates being less noble than the Mg matrix alloy and having a Zn content ranging from 3.0 wt. % Zn to 6 wt. % Zn and a calcium content ranging from 0.0005 wt. % to 1.0 wt. %, having less than 0.001 wt. % of one or more other elements with the remainder being Mg. In other embodiments, the alloy includes a MgZnCa alloy containing nanosized precipitates being less noble than the Mg matrix alloy, a plurality of nanosized precipitates being more noble than the Mg matrix and having a Zn content ranging from 3.0 wt. % Zn to 6 wt. % Zn, a calcium content ranging from 0.0005 wt. % to 1.0 wt. %, having less than 0.001 wt. % of one or more other elements with the remainder being Mg.
US09469885B2

An apparatus for recovering valuable metals and manufacturing multifunctional aggregate from slag. The apparatus includes a slag reforming processing pot 10 in which molten slag discharged from a converter or an electric furnace is stored, a reducing agent introducing part 20 which introduces a reducing agent into the slag reforming processing pot from above, the reducing agent recovering valuable metals from the molten slag, a reducing agent inflow part 25 which inputs a reducing agent into the slag reforming processing pot through a lower portion of a side of the slag reforming processing pot, the reducing agent recovering valuable metals from the molten slag, and cooling units 30 and 40 which create bubbles and perform controlled cooling in order to convert the molten slag, from which the valuable metals are recovered, into a light material having a porous structure.
US09469879B2

A method for differentiating forms of lymphoma involves analyzing a tumor tissue sample from a subject for expression of CD28, ABCA5, CCDC3, and SMOC2. The CD28:ABCA5 expression ratio differentiates T-cell tumors from B-cell tumors. The CCDC3:SMOC2 expression ratio differentiates different T-cell tumors. The method can further include administering to the subject from whom the sample was obtained an appropriate treatment for the form lymphoma identified by performing the method.
US09469868B2

Methods and compositions which can be used to increase the strength and/or probability of forming a binding complex comprising a target molecule and a substrate are disclosed. In one aspect, linking molecules having one or more members of a reactive pair are disclosed which can be used to increase the number of intra-complex binding interactions in a complex comprising a target molecule and a substrate. Intra-complex crosslinking and inter-complex crosslinking can be utilized in connection with these methods and compositions to further strengthen and stabilize the disclosed binding complexes.
US09469867B2

A new class of nucleic acid substrates for AP endonucleases and members of the glycosylase/lyase family of enzymes is described. Representatives of each family, the enzymes Nfo and fpg, respectively, cleave nucleic acid backbones at positions in which a base has been replaced by a linker to which a variety of label moieties may be attached. The use of these synthetic substrates embedded within oligonucleotides is of utility in a number of applications.
US09469866B2

A method and an apparatus for detecting and quantifying bacterial spores on a surface. In accordance with the method: bacterial spores are transferred from a place of origin to a test surface, the test surface comprises lanthanide ions. Aromatic molecules are released from the bacterial spores; a complex of the lanthanide ions and aromatic molecules is formed on the test surface, the complex is excited to generate a characteristic luminescence on the test surface; the luminescence on the test surface is detected and quantified.
US09469865B2

The invention relates to a process for the culturing of cells, preferably E1-immortalized HER cells, more preferably PER.C6 cells in a reactor in suspension in a cell culture medium, wherein the cells produce a biological substance, preferably an antibody, wherein at least one cell culture medium component is fed to the cell culture and wherein the cells culture comprising the cells, the biological substance and the cell culture medium is circulated over a separation system and wherein the separation system separates the biological substance from substances having a lower molecular weight than the biological substance and wherein the biological substance is retained in or fed back into the reactor. Preferably part of the substances of lower molecular weight is continuously removed from the cell culture.
US09469860B2

This invention provides methods and systems for the production of butanol. Specifically, the methods and systems of the present invention use syntrophic co-cultures for the production of butanol from syngas.
US09469857B2

The invention provides vectors and methods for directional cloning.
US09469852B2

Compositions comprising therapeutic oligonucleotide miR-3151 compounds that target the expression of genes associated with tumorigenesis or cell transformation are provided.
US09469850B2

The invention provides methods for the synthesis of oligosaccharides comprising an aminooxy group. The invention further provides oligosaccharides comprising an aminooxy group, methods for coupling oligosaccharides comprising an aminooxy group to glycoproteins, and oligosaccharide-protein conjugates. Also provided are methods of treating a lysosomal storage disorder in a mammal by administration of an oligosaccharide-protein conjugate.
US09469848B2

The present invention relates to combinatorial variants of a parent glucoamylase that have altered properties for reducing the synthesis of condensation products during hydrolysis of starch. Accordingly, the variants of a parent glucoamylase are suitable such as for use within brewing and glucose syrup production. Also disclosed are DNA constructs encoding the variants and methods of producing the glucoamylase variants in host cells.
US09469847B2

One aspect provides an ultrapure, hypoallergenic sacrosidase. Another aspect provides a solution of sacrosidase in about 1:1 glycerol/water having an enzymatic activity of at least about 7500 IU/mL and a residual papain concentration that does not include an allergic reaction in a human patient when given a dose of about 2.0 mL/day.
US09469843B2

A method of extracting carotenoids from plant material generally includes acquiring plant material including carotenoids, treating the carotenoids with a first enzyme to create a first enzyme treated mixture, wherein the first enzyme includes cellulase, and separating the first enzyme extracted carotenoids from the first enzyme treated mixture. Natural carotenoid concentrate obtained from plant material are also provided.
US09469839B2

A cell culture support comprising a substrate, and a dual stimuli responsive block copolymer immobilized on the substrate, wherein the dual stimuli responsive block copolymer is both thermoresponsive and pH responsive. A method of culturing cells comprising the cell culture support having a dual stimuli responsive copolymer immobilized on a substrate, wherein the dual stimuli responsive copolymer is thermoresponsive and pH responsive; and growing the cells on the cell culture support. By lowering the temperature, cells are released from the cell culture support.
US09469838B2

The process provides a biofilm including and not limited to cellulose produced by bacteria that can be used as a bio-resin and as a surface application for myceliated and non-myceliated biomaterials.In one embodiment, the process comprises the steps of obtaining an agricultural substrate; and cohabitating a selected bacteria with a selected fungus in the agricultural substrate for a period of time to allow the bacteria to grow alongside the fungus and to excrete a biofilm from the bacteria into the substrate to provide bio-resin like strengthening compounds to the agricultural substrate.
US09469835B2

Significant research is being done to develop and improve delivery mechanisms for biopharmaceuticals and vaccines, including pulmonary (inhalation), nasal, transdermal, and oral alternatives. Market projections indicate that the delivery of proteins and vaccines by inhalation and oral formulation has become and will continue to be increasingly important. These delivery mechanisms, to be effective, will require better stabilization of the biologicals so that they can maintain potency and effectiveness at ambient temperatures for extended periods of time. The novel Preservation by Vaporization (PBV) Technology described herein provides cost-effective and efficient industrial scale stabilization of proteins, viruses, bacteria, and other sensitive biologicals, thereby allowing a production of products that are not possible to be produced by existing methods. The suggested new PBV process comprises primary drying under vacuum from a partially frozen state (i.e. slush) at near subzero temperatures followed by stability drying at elevated temperatures (i.e., above 40 degrees Celsius). The new suggested method can be performed aseptically in unit doze format (in vials) and/or in bulk format (in trays, bags, or other containers). The drying can be performed as a continuous load process in a manifold vacuum dryer comprising a plurality (e.g., 30) of vacuum chambers attached to a condenser during the drying.
US09469822B2

A method of hydrothermal hydrocatalytic treating biomass is provided. Lignocellulosic biomass solids is provided to a hydrothermal digestion unit in the presence of a digestive solvent, and a supported hydrogenolysis catalyst containing (a) sulfur, (b) Mo or W, and (c) Co, Ni or mixture thereof, incorporated into an alumina support, which support is predominantly alpha alumina; (ii) heating the lignocellulosic biomass solids and digestive solvent in the presence of hydrogen, and supported hydrogenolysis catalyst thereby forming a product solution containing plurality of oxygenated hydrocarbons, said alumina support having a specific surface area of up to about 30 m2/g and said catalyst retaining a crush strength of at least 50% after being subjected to an aqueous phase stability test compared with before the aqueous phase stability test or a crush strength of at least 0.25 kg after being subjected to an aqueous phase stability test.
US09469813B2

Method for recovering bitumen from tar sands, according to which sands are brought into contact with at least one partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate) (co)polymer A.
US09469806B2

Method of Making particles including a YAG core and a coating of sintering aid deposited thereon. The particles and agglomerates thereof maybe formed as a powder. The coated YAG-containing particles are well-suited to production of polycrystalline YAG-containing ceramics. The coated YAG-containing particles may be fabricated using a novel fabrication method which avoids the need for formation of a homogeneous powder mixture of YAG and sintering aid. The mixture may be sprayed into a drying column and dried to produce coated particles. Alternatively, the YAG particles and sintering aid or sintering aid precursor solution may be separately introduced to the drying column and dried to form coated YAG-containing particles.
US09469804B2

A foaming composition with wettability-modifying and corrosion inhibitory properties is used to control the channeling of fluids in naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs, favorably alter the rock wettability in crude oil enhanced recovery processes and control uniform corrosion problems occurring in production rigs under high temperature and ultra-high salinity conditions by the synergistic effect resulting from the supramolecular interaction of alkyl amido propyl hydroxysultaines or alkyl hydroxysultaines with sodium alkyl hydroxysulfonates and sodium alkenyl sulfonates having the formula (1). The foaming compositions with wettability-modifying and corrosion inhibitory properties are tolerant to high concentrations of divalent ions such as calcium, magnesium, strontium and barium and are suitable for use in the reservoir, seawater and/or congenital water characteristic of the reservoir for transporting the crude oil from the reservoir.
US09469800B2

Provided are an abrasive particle including auxiliary particles formed on a surface of a mother particle, a polishing slurry prepared by mixing the abrasive particles with a polishing accelerating agent and a pH adjusting agent, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which an insulating layer is polished by the polishing slurry while using a conductive layer as a polishing stop layer.
US09469795B2

The present invention relates to a method for producing a binder composition, wherein the method comprises the following steps: (i) forming an aqueous composition comprising reactant components including lignin molecules of 11-60 lignin units, lignin molecules of 1-10 lignin units, polymerizable substance and crosslinking agent in the presence of a catalyst; and (ii) cooking the composition at a temperature of 60-95° C. for polymerizing the reactant components until a binder composition with a predetermined viscosity value is formed.
US09469788B2

The present invention relates to a predominantly biodegradable double-separating film and comprising at least one carrier layer (a) that is based on at least one biodegradable polymer, and at least one release layer (b) that is based on at least one cured polysiloxane. The curing of said release layer is based, at least partially, on at least one cross-linked monomer or oligomer additive. Said additive also promotes adhesion between the carrier layer (a) and the release layer (b), and has no siloxane groups but does have at least two functional groups, of which at least one is a functional group with at least one carbon double bond. No adhesion-promoting layer is present between the carrier layer (a) and the release layer (b). In addition the invention relates to the use of such a separating film as a removable protection and cover film.
US09469778B2

Coating porous material, such as PDMS, with parylene N, C, D, and AF-4 by vapor deposition polymerization is described in which a temperature of the porous material's surface being coated is heated to between 60° C. and 120° C., or 80° C. and 85° C., during deposition. The parylene forms nano roots within the porous material that connect with a conformal surface coating of parylene. In some embodiments, a watertight separation chamber in an integrated microfluidic liquid chromatography device is fabricated by heating tunnels in micro-fabricated PDMS and depositing parylene within the heated tunnels.
US09469773B2

An ink composition for making a conductive silver structure comprises a silver salt and a complex of (a) a complexing agent and a short chain carboxylic acid or (b) a complexing agent and a salt of a short chain carboxylic acid, according to one embodiment. A method for making a silver structure entails combining a silver salt and a complexing agent, and then adding a short chain carboxylic acid or a salt of the short chain carboxylic acid to the combined silver salt and a complexing agent to form an ink composition. A concentration of the complexing agent in the ink composition is reduced to form a concentrated formulation, and the silver salt is reduced to form a conductive silver structure, where the concentrated formulation and the conductive silver structure are formed at a temperature of about 120° C. or less.
US09469760B2

The present invention is a process for preparing a multistage polymer by contacting under emulsion polymerization conditions an acrylic monomer, a sulfur acid monomer, and a phosphorous acid monomer as described herein. The multistage polymer is useful as a binder for coatings compositions.
US09469759B2

Provided is a thermoplastic resin composition that comprises (A) a graft copolymer; (B) a polyalkyl (meth)acrylate; (C) an alkyl (meth)acrylate-aromatic vinyl-vinyl cyanide copolymer; and (D) an impact-reinforcing agent, wherein the graft copolymer (A) comprises an aromatic vinyl compound-vinyl cyanide compound copolymer grafted on a core part comprising a rubbery polymer.
US09469758B2

The present invention relates to a composition comprising a stable aqueous dispersion of large acrylic based polymer particles and small acrylic based polymer particles wherein the large polymer particles comprise structural units of a phosphorus acid monomer or a salt thereof; and wherein the small polymer particles comprise a substantial absence of structural units of any phosphorus acid monomer and salts thereof. The bimodal dispersion of the present invention provides a way of making a high solids adsorbing latex with high hiding efficiency.
US09469750B2

A fastening component is a molded article of a mixture in which microfibrillated cellulose fibers are dispersed in a thermoplastic resin, wherein the thermoplastic resin has a melting point of between 150 and 200° C., and wherein when the total mass % of the thermoplastic resin and the cellulose fibers is set to be 100 mass %, the mass % of the cellulose fibers included in the mixture is greater than 20 mass % and less than 60 mass %. When the total mass % of the thermoplastic resin and the cellulose fibers is set to be 100%, the mass % of the cellulose fibers included in the mixture is preferably equal to or greater than 30 mass % and equal to or less than 50 mass %.
US09469749B2

The present invention is a composition comprising a) a stable aqueous dispersion of polymer particles functionalized with structural units of a phosphorus acid monomer or a salt thereof and; b) a dispersion of pigment particles stabilized by an adsorbing water-soluble dispersant functionalized with structural units of a sulfonic acid monomer or a salt thereof. The composition of the present invention is useful in providing excellent storage stability for pigmented paints formulated with the sulfonic acid functionalized dispersant described herein.
US09469746B2

A method of enhancing mechanical properties of compounds formed with polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) recovered by biomass where the biomass comprises PHA and non-PHA materials. The method includes dissolving the PHA and non-PHA materials in a solution and separating the PHA and non-PHA materials from the solution. Further, the method includes compounding the separated PHA material and at least some of the separated non-PHA material into a compounded plastic having improved mechanical properties.
US09469736B2

The present invention aims to provide a method for modifying a surface of a rubber vulcanizate or a thermoplastic elastomer, which can impart excellent sliding properties and excellent durability against repeated sliding motion, and allow the surface to maintain the sealing properties, without using expensive self-lubricating resins. The present invention relates to a method for modifying a surface of an object of a rubber vulcanizate or a thermoplastic elastomer, the method including: Step 1 of forming polymerization initiation points on the surface of the object; and Step 2 of radical-polymerizing a monomer starting from the polymerization initiation points to grow polymer chains on the surface of the object.
US09469730B2

The invention provides a method for preparing a polyamideimide fibrid, characterized by comprising the following specific steps: step 1: reacting diamine monomer with trimellitic anhydride chloride in an aprotic polar solvent in the presence of a catalyst to obtain a polyamide acid polymer, and carrying out chemical cyclization dehydration on the polyamide acid polymer to obtain a polyamideimide polymer solution; step 2: diluting the polyamideimide polymer solution, adding the diluted polyamideimide polymer solution and precipitation solution to a precipitation machine, and mixing to obtain a polyamideimide fibrid suspension; and step 3: washing, filtering and drying the polyamideimide fibrid suspension to obtain a polyamideimide fibrid. The invention is characterized by simple process, the size and shape of the fibrid are easy to be controlled, and the fibrid can be directly used to prepare high performance paper.
US09469715B2

The invention relates to a method for producing non-alternating formaldehyde/CO2 copolymers, said method comprising the step of reacting formaldehyde or a compound that releases formaldehyde with carbon dioxide in the presence of a catalyst system. Said method is characterized in that the catalyst system comprises a Lewis acid component and a basic component, the Lewis acid component being at least temporarily coordinatively unsaturated under reaction conditions and the basic component having a pKb value of >=0.
US09469709B2

The present invention allows for a photocurable composition which exhibits stable physical characteristics in a heat resistance test and an oil resistance test, and exhibits good debubbling properties and excellent workability. A photocurable composition including components (A) to (C). component (A): a compound that has a polymer obtained from a (meth)acrylic monomer as a main skeleton, and has at least two (meth)acrylic groups in the molecule component (B): a (meth)acrylic monomer including a component (b-1) and/or a component (b-2) component (b-1): a (meth)acrylic monomer having a hydroxyl group in the molecule, in an amount of 0.1 to 50 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the component (A), component (b-2): a (meth)acrylic monomer having a saturated alicyclic skeleton in the molecule, in an amount of 0.1 to 10 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the component (A), component (C): a photoinitiator.
US09469707B2

Processes and systems for the production for pressure management of a polymerization product flowing from a loop polymerization reactor to a separation vessel in a slurry polymerization system are disclosed herein. For example, a process comprises withdrawing a polymerization product slurry from a loop polymerization reactor, conveying the polymerization product slurry through a first line comprising a continuous take-off valve to yield a mixture comprising a vapor phase, wherein the mixture exits the continuous take-off valve, and conveying the mixture through a second line comprising a flashline heater so that the mixture has a Froude number in a range from about 5 to about 100.
US09469697B2

The present invention relates to specific water and solvent-free nitrile rubbers having specific functional groups and/or end groups, a process for the production thereof and the use thereof. This process involves removing volatile compounds from a fluid (F) containing (1) at least one nitrile rubber and (2) at least one volatile compound, wherein the process comprises at least the steps of a.) treating the fluid (F) in at least one conversation unit, b.) retreating the concentrated fluid from step a.) in at least one retreating unit and c.) feeding the retreated concentrated fluid from step b.) into at least one retreating unit.
US09469679B2

Neurturin polypeptides which possess reduced heparin and heparan sulfate binding affinity but retain neurotrophic activity, nucleic acids which encode the neurturin variants and vectors and host cells which express the enhanced neurturin polypeptides. Use of the enhanced neurturin polypeptides, nucleic acids and host cells in the treatment or prevention of disease.
US09469678B2

The invention relates to peptides which consist of amino acid sequences found in the NY-ESO-1 molecule, which bind to MHC-Class II molecules. These can be used alone, or in combination with other peptides.
US09469661B2

Vulcanizates with desirable properties can be obtained from compounds incorporating polymers that include hydroxyl group-containing α-methylstyrene functionalities. The functionalities can be incorporated by using any or all of appropriate initiators, monomers and optional terminating compounds. Such polymers exhibit excellent interactivity with both conventional and non-conventional fillers.
US09469653B2

A pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating a degenerative brain disease, and a method of screening a material for preventing or treating a degenerative brain disease. The method may effectively screen a prophylactic or therapeutic candidate material for preventing or treating a degenerative brain disease. A variety of degenerative brain diseases may be effectively prevented or treated using the pharmaceutical composition including a screened material for preventing or treating a degenerative brain disease.
US09469650B2

The present disclosure provides derivatives of melampomagnolide B (MMB), including carbonates, carbamates, and thiocarbamates. The derivatives may be synthesized via an MMB triazole intermediate. These derivatives are useful for treating cancer in humans.
US09469643B2

Polymorphs of (S)-2-(1-(9H-purin-6-ylamino)propyl)-5-fluoro-3-phenylquinazolin-4(3H)-one, compositions thereof, methods for their preparation, and methods for their use are disclosed.
US09469640B2

Compounds active on protein kinases are described, as well as methods of using such compounds to treat diseases and conditions associated with aberrant activity of protein kinases.
US09469639B2

The present invention relates to naphthylurea derivatives. Such substances can significantly inhibit VEGFR2 and PDGFR-β receptor tyrosine kinase phosphorylation at nanomolar concentration levels. It is a novel type of tyrosine kinase inhibitors which can be used in the treatment of tyrosine kinase-mediated diseases or symptoms such as malignancies and ocular diseases accompanied with pathologic neovascularization.
US09469633B2

The present invention relates to processes for the enantio-selective preparation of spyrrolidine derivatives useful in the manufacture of pesticidally active compounds, as well as to intermediates in the processes. The processes include those comprising(a-i) reacting a compound of formula Ia wherein P is alkyl, aryl or heteroaryl, each optionally substituted, wherein the heteroaryl is connected at P via a ring carbon atom; R1 is chlorodifluoromethyl or trifluoromethyl; R2 is aryl or heteroaryl, each optionally substituted; with a source of cyanide in the presence a chiral catalyst to give a compound of formula IIa wherein P, R1 and R2 are as defined for the compound of formula Ia; and (a-ii) oxidizing the compound of formula IIa with a peroxy acid, or peroxide in the presence of an acid to give a compound of formula VI wherein R1 and R2 are as defined for the compound of formula Ia.
US09469625B2

The invention relates to compounds and methods of treatment relating to nicotinic receptor antagonists. For example, the compounds and methods of treatment function block the activity of certain acetylcholine receptors and subtypes therein, and are useful treating diseases and conditions mediated by nicotinic receptor stimulation, e.g., small cell lung cancer.
US09469624B2

A process for producing cyclic acetals is described. A formaldehyde source is contacted with an aprotic compound in the presence of a catalyst to produce the cyclic acetals. The aprotic compound can increase conversion rates and/or efficiency. In one embodiment, the formaldehyde source is obtained from methanol. In particular, methanol can be converted into formaldehyde which is then converted into a cyclic acetal. In one embodiment, the cyclic acetal can then be used to produce oxymethylene polymers.
US09469623B2

An object of the present invention is to provide an optically active bicyclic γ-amino acid derivative in a high purity. The object can be attained by a mixture of compounds represented by the general formulas (I) and (I′), or a method for producing a compound represented by the general formula (VII) or a salt thereof via the compound (I): wherein R1 and R2 each represent a C1-6 alkyl group or the like; and R3 represents a cyano group or the like,
US09469620B2

The present invention concerns a process to obtain primary, secondary or tertiary amines, via a direct amination reaction of alcohols in presence of bis(perfluoroalkylsulfonimide) acid or salts thereof catalysts, and derivatives.
US09469619B2

Provided is a two-step method of producing a compound of chemical formula 1 in the presence of an alcohol solvent and a Group 3B metal catalyst or a salt thereof, comprising a first step comprising alkylation or isomerization of an aldohexose-containing substrate to obtain an intermediate, and a second step comprising dehydration of the intermediate to produce a compound of chemical formula 1. Preferably, additional solvent and/or catalyst are not added in the second step.
US09469616B2

The present invention provides compounds, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, for inhibiting the growth of a microbe; treating a mammal having a microbial infection, mucositis, an ophthalmic infection, an otic infection, a cancer, or a Mycobacterium infection; inhibiting the growth of a Mycobacterium species; modulating an immune response in a mammal; or antagonizing unfractionated heparin, low molecular weight heparin, or a heparin/low molecular weight heparin derivative.
US09469611B2

The present invention relates to the use of substituted dihydroimidazolones, particularly [1-(4-Chlorophenyl)-4-(4-morpholinyl)-2,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-one] (AWD 131-138) or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof for the treatment of epilepsy in dogs.
US09469607B2

The present invention discloses polythiol compositions containing sulfur-containing compounds with carbamate groups, and to methods for producing such polythiol compositions. These polythiol compositions can be synthesized via the reaction of an isocyanate with an allyl ether alcohol, followed by thiolation with H2S, and these polythiol compositions are often used in formulations for adhesives, paints, and coatings.
US09469605B2

This invention relates to the use of bis- and tris-dihydroxyaryl compounds as well as sulfonamides, heteroaryls, tricycloalkyl and their analogs and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, for modulating tau aggregation and alleviating tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Pick's disease (PiD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and familial frontotemporal dementia/Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinsonism-dementia complex, argyrophilic grain dementia, dementia pugilistic, diffuse neurofibrillary tangles with calcification, progressive subcortical gliosis and tangle only dementia.
US09469604B2

Provided is a sulfonium salt manufacturing method which can reduce the production of a monosulfonium salt. A method of manufacturing a sulfonium salt includes preparing a first sulfonium salt containing a sulfonium cation and a first anion, preparing a second sulfonium salt by exchanging the first anion for a halide ion, and preparing a third sulfonium salt by exchanging the halide ion for a second anion.
US09469587B2

A styrenated phenol compound in which a hydrazine or a diaminoalkane compound binds to a styrenated phenol, and a method of preparing the same are provided. The styrenated phenol compound may have improved exterior quality and storage stability of a product by maintaining a hardening stimulation property and plasticity and preventing discoloration when mixed with a hardener for an epoxy paint.
US09469586B2

The disclosure relates to a novel glycerol purification process that produces partially refined waste glycerol for a variety of industrial applications. The disclosure encompasses a salt-containing partially refined glycerol composition that is suitable as a fermentation grade glycerol.
US09469582B2

A fractionation system for a polymerization reactor includes a membrane separation system designed to separate light components, such as unreacted monomer and inerts, from diluent. The membrane separation system may employ one or more membrane modules designed to separate hydrocarbons based on size, solubility, or combinations thereof. The fractionation system also may include a heavies fractionation column designed to separate heavy components, such as unreacted comonomer and oligomers, from the diluent.
US09469576B2

Methods of forming ethylbenzene are described herein. In one embodiment, the method includes contacting dilute ethylene with benzene in the presence of an alkylation catalyst to form ethylbenzene, wherein such contact occurs in a reaction zone containing a gaseous phase and recovering ethylbenzene from the reaction zone.
US09469561B2

A glass sheet is placed on a mold and heated to a first temperature. The glass sheet is then formed into a glass article having a three-dimensional shape using the mold. An isothermal heat transfer device comprising at least one heat pipe is provided in thermal contact with the mold. With the glass article on the mold and the isothermal heat transfer device in thermal contact with the mold, the glass article, mold, and isothermal heat transfer device are transported along a thermally-graded channel to cool the glass article to a second temperature. During the transporting, the isothermal heat transfer device transfers heat from a relatively hot region of the mold to a relatively cold region of the mold.
US09469552B2

An apparatus and method for heating produced fluid from a well, the heating apparatus comprising a produced fluid pathway; a heat generation system comprising a diesel engine, a heated hydraulic fluid pathway, and an engine coolant pathway; and a heat transfer system disposed between the produced fluid pathway and the heat generation system to transfer thermal energy from the heat generation system to a produced fluid contained within the produced fluid pathway.
US09469551B2

The present invention presents a removably secured seal for forming a second stage water-tight seal within a two stage cavity filter head assembly for mating with a complementary manifold having cylindrical (male) bayonet ports. The seal includes a base circumferential seal having a center aperture and sidewall members extending axially upwards from the base seal; the sidewall members being insertable within cavities or slots formed in the second stage recess cylindrical cavity sidewall.
US09469544B2

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing polysilicon. According to the present invention, meltdown can be prevented during the growth of silicon rod, and a polycrystalline silicon rod having a larger diameter can be shortly manufactured with a minimal consumption of energy.
US09469539B2

The invention relates to a method for carbonizing carbon dioxide, comprising the step of contacting carbon dioxide with a solution of chelating agent or a solution of substance which exhibits chelating properties under dynamic conditions to generate oxygen and carbon particles. The method of the invention is significantly more economical and convenient and do not cause harm to the environments. The invention also exhibits a novel and unique feature that elemental carbon and oxygen are generated as final products under normal room temperature and atmosphere, and the carbon can be recovered as an energy source.
US09469534B2

The present invention relates to a reformer tube for producing synthesis gas, e.g., hydrogen, and an apparatus and a process for producing synthesis gas, in particular hydrogen. The reformer tube is configured for directing the flow of starting materials and at least one reaction product in volume streams for the purpose of producing a synthesis gas. The reformer tube has in its interior at least one flow directing device having a first guide device for diverting a first partial volume stream in a direction having a radial component directed away from the longitudinal axis of the reformer tube, and having a second guide device for diverting a second partial volume stream in a direction having a radial component directed towards the longitudinal axis of the reformer tube.
US09469530B2

A method for transferring a carbon nanotube array is provided. A substitute substrate, a growing substrate, and a carbon nanotube array grown on the growing substrate are provided. The carbon nanotube array has a bottom surface adjacent to the growing substrate and a top surface away from the growing substrate. The substitute substrate is placed on the top surface of the carbon nanotube array and liquid medium is sandwiched between the substitute substrate and the carbon nanotube array. The liquid medium is solidified between the substitute substrate and the carbon nanotube array. The substitute substrate is separated from the growing substrate to separate the bottom surface of the carbon nanotube array from the growing substrate. The solid medium is removed between the substitute substrate and the carbon nanotube array. A method for forming a carbon nanotube structure is also provided.
US09469524B2

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes bonding a capping wafer and a base wafer to form a wafer package. The base wafer includes a first chip package portion, a second chip package portion, and a third chip package portion. The capping wafer includes a plurality of isolation trenches. Each isolation trench of the plurality of isolation trenches is substantially aligned with a corresponding trench region of one of the first chip package portion, the second chip package portion or the third chip package portion. The method also includes removing a portion of the capping wafer to expose a first chip package portion contact, a second chip package portion contact, and a third chip package portion contact. The method further includes separating the wafer package into a first chip package configured to perform a first operation, a second chip package configured to perform a second operation, and a third chip package configured to perform a third operation.
US09469507B2

A modular lift system that can be mounted on a stairway is disclosed. The system includes forks located on a first floor onto which the user rolls their wheelchair. The forks are motor operated to traverse a toothed track between the first floor and a second floor with the wheelchair and the user riding the forks. When the forks reach the second floor, the user rolls the wheelchair off the forks.
US09469497B2

A self-hold type solenoid pulls a plunger by passage of electric current, and attracts and holds with permanent magnets also after interruption of the passage of electric current. A stopper member shifts between a regulation position for striking a front end of a transported sheet and a retracted position retracted from the regulation position by operation of the plunger. The self-hold type solenoid enhances the pull force of the plunger by being supplied with an electric current corresponding to one pulse at timing at which the transported sheet strikes the stopper member existing in the regulation position, and the stopper member is prevented from retracting by receiving an impact in striking the sheet.
US09469487B2

A conveyance device for levitating a subject body by a gas and conveying the subject body in a first direction is comprised of a levitation section emitting the gas to apply pressure on the subject body to levitate the subject body; a conveyance section comprising an endless belt elongated in the first direction and a plurality of projections projecting from the belt and capable of coming in contact with the subject body, and being configured to come in contact with and drive the subject body in the first direction; and a suction section elongated adjacent to and in parallel with the conveyance section or aligned with the conveyance section in a single straight line, the suction section applying negative pressure on the subject body to have the subject body in contact with the conveyance section.
US09469483B2

An industrial vehicle includes an engine, a hydraulic pump, a cargo handling tool, a mast, a first hydraulic actuator, a second hydraulic actuator, an instruction member, a supply oil passage, and a controller. When the mast is being tilted forward, the controller performs revving control that raises the engine speed when detecting that an operation of the instruction member instructs a load operation that applies load to the engine.
US09469482B2

An apparatus for conveying material for railway construction comprises a material loading device that is movable on a chassis, in particular a crawler chassis (2) having at least one receiving conveyor belt (17) each for receiving material and having a transfer conveyer belt (9, 12) for transferring material. The transfer conveyer belt (9, 12) is rotatable about a chassis vertical axis using a rotary drive and can be adjusted in height along the chassis vertical axis by using a lifting drive (4).
US09469479B2

This invention provides a transport unit that includes driving rollers arrayed in the transport direction of a work, and when the work transported by the driving rollers reaches a predetermined stop position, stops movement of the work. The driving rollers include at least one first driving roller, and at least one second driving roller arranged on the side of the predetermined stop position in the transport direction with respect to the first driving roller. The first driving roller is a roller capable of idling on a driving shaft. The second driving roller is a roller incapable of idling on the driving shaft.
US09469472B2

A method and means for disaggregating aggregated particulate. A housing contains a rotational motor and a vibrating motor also has an auger drivingly linked to the rotational motor. Legs extend from the housing in the same direction as the auger and the device rests upon the aggregated particulate. Upon driving the rotational motor, the auger bores through the aggregated particulate, thereby disaggregating particulate. The vibrating motor is also driven to vibrate and further disaggregate the particulate. A plate device with a vibrating motor attached is also used to disaggregate the particulate, such as by teeth extending from the bottom of the plate that are driven into the aggregate by the weight of the plate when vibrated.
US09469469B2

This disclosure relates generally to an apparatus and/or system for housing a device. The apparatus includes a housing that is configured such that a device may be fitted within the housing and thereby be protected, such as from shocks and/or liquid. The housing may include top and bottom members that may be removably coupled together so as to form the housing. Each top and bottom member includes front and back surfaces surrounded by a perimeter. The perimeter is defined by proximal and distal ends as well as opposing sides. The top and bottom members may include respective clasping mechanisms that extend along the perimeter of the top and bottom members. The clasping mechanisms are configured for coupling the top and bottom members with one another thereby sealing the housing, for instance, in a shock-proof and/or water tight seal.
US09469451B2

A dispensing cover having a lid with at least one spout and a spout cover hingedly connected to a base. The base is attached to the lid and has a recess adapted to receive and secure via a friction fit a portion of the spout cover in an open position.
US09469443B2

A thermoplastic bag suitable for use as a liner for a garbage canister or trash receptacle may be made from a multi-layered thermoplastic web material. The multi-layer web material may include a first layer and a second layer adjacent to the first layer. Under typical conditions, the layers may tend to block or adhere together to remain in their adjacent position. However, the layers may delaminate and separate from each other when sufficient forces are applied. Delamination of the layers allows the layers to move with respect to each other when the force is applied. The delaminating of the layers absorbs energy which may increase tear and puncture resistance.
US09469436B1

The present invention relates to a parts container with storage compartments, and in particular to a parts container having storage compartments located at areas that would be easily accessible to persons working with automobiles. The container has a body with several top compartments or cavities. There are preferably four front compartments, four middle components and four rear compartments. A bottom compartment can be provided. A handle is further provided. The handle has writing areas for a user to place messages on the handle (such as names, due dates, etc.). The handle of one container can nest in the bottom compartment of another container when stacked. A cover having a perimeter shaped to match the container perimeter is provided. The cover has an opening to allow the handle to pass there through. The handle is preferably located interior of the compartments.
US09469432B2

A container formed from a blank and a method for constructing the container are described. The container includes a bottom wall, two end walls, each end wall including at least an end panel emanating from an end edge of the bottom wall, and two side walls, each side wall including at least a side panel emanating from a side edge of the bottom wall. The container further includes a reinforcing panel assembly emanating from a first end edge of a first side panel of a first side wall, including an outer reinforcing panel, an intermediate reinforcing panel, and an inner reinforcing panel, wherein the outer reinforcing panel is positioned in a substantially face-to-face relationship with the intermediate reinforcing panel, the intermediate reinforcing panel being coupled to a first end panel of a first end wall, and the inner reinforcing panel being in a face-to-face relationship with the first side panel.
US09469427B2

There is disclosed a labelling machine for applying sleeve labels on respective articles, comprising: a conveyor movable along a path comprising, in turn, a first inlet station for the articles still to be labelled and a second outlet station for the labelled articles; the conveyor comprises a handling device adapted to displace at least one first of the sleeve label and the article still to be labelled along a first segment of the path, so as to insert the article still to be labelled within the sleeve label; the conveyor also comprises a positioning device adapted to actively position a second of the sleeve label and the article in a desired position with respect to the first of the article and the sleeve label along a second segment of the path; the first segment is comprised within the second segment.
US09469426B2

Stationary bioreactors and mixing vessels fitted with single-use flexible bags utilizing wave hydrodynamic principle are described for use in every type of biological process and products.
US09469425B2

Apparatus for sealing or tying products, comprising a housing (2) with at least a first tape dispenser (3) comprising adhesive tape and binding means for binding tape from said at least one dispenser around a product or a bundle of products, wherein at least one supply device (95) is provided for supplying items (96) to be connected to said product or bundle of products, which supply device comprises a supply arrangement (97) facing an adhesive side of the tape when dispensed from said dispenser, prior to or during binding said tape around said product or bundle of products, such that with the supply arrangement an item can be adhered to the tape.
US09469419B2

An orbit attitude control device includes a plurality of nozzles and a control section. The nozzles inject a combustion gas supplied from a combustion chamber, opening degrees being controlled in accordance with opening degree command values. The control section calculates nozzle opening degree correction values for the opening degree command values in response to a detection value of a pressure of the combustion chamber and a command value for the pressure, and correct the opening degree command values by the nozzle opening degree correction values. Each nozzle opening degree correction value is determined based on each opening degree command value.
US09469415B1

A method, system, and apparatus for a diffractive based coherent aircraft position and anti-collision lighting system may include generating optical source signals in an aircraft lighting system utilizing one or more coherent light sources. The generated optical source signals may be communicated to diffractive optical elements in the aircraft via optical waveguides, and output optical signals may be generated for transmission out of the aircraft via the diffractive optical elements. The lighting system may comprise indicator lights and/or anti-collision lights. The coherent light source may comprise a solid state laser. The diffractive optical elements may be integrated in wingtips and/or a fuselage of the aircraft. The coherent optical sources may be located within a fuselage of the aircraft and/or within wings of the aircraft. The diffractive optical elements may be statically and/or dynamically controlled and may comprise liquid crystals.
US09469404B2

An aircraft passenger seat comprises a primary seat (1) having a seat back (3) and a seat pan (4), and a secondary support surface (5) located or locatable opposite the primary, seat (1), the passenger seat being able to adopt each of an upright configuration, a reclined configuration and a substantially flat configuration, such that in the reclined configuration, the primary seat (1) is reclined relative to the upright configuration and the secondary support surface (5) is angled upwardly towards the primary seat (1) so as to support the lower leg(s) of a passenger seated in the primary seat (1); and in the substantially flat configuration, the secondary support surface (5) is substantially horizontal and the seat back (3), the seat pan (4) and the secondary support surface (5) form a substantially flat and continuous surface wherein the secondary support surface (5) is rotatable about an axis between the reclined and substantially flat configurations, said axis being translated between the reclined and substantially flat configurations.
US09469402B2

A check valve for an aircraft galley plumbing system having a valve body including an inlet for a potable water supply line, and first and second outlet ports leading to a distribution manifold. In a preferred embodiment, quick disconnects that include reverse flow inhibitors seal the valve's output ports. A vertical channel extends through the valve body for draining water through the valve, which is coupled to a pressure line connection port that exerts pressure from the aircraft's pressure system. A piston reciprocating across the vertical channel and biased by a spring is in fluid communication with the pressure line connection port, such that when water pressure is introduced from a pressure line to the connection port of sufficient pressure to collapse said spring, the piston blocks said channel, and when the water pressure is insufficient to collapse said spring then the piston retracts to open said channel.
US09469391B1

An adaptive wing for an aircraft includes a first wing portion, a second wing portion, and a third wing portion. The second wing portion is telescopically attached to the first wing portion to selectively change an overall length of the wing based on real-time flight conditions or airport space constraints. The third wing portion is rotate-ably attached to one end of the second wing portion, and a dihedral angle between the second wing portion and the third wing portion is changeable based on real-time flight conditions or airport space constraints.
US09469389B2

An aircraft boarding handrail that is affixable to an aircraft fuselage having an entry and exit staircase assembly formed in a cabin door of the aircraft fuselage is disclosed. The aircraft boarding handrail includes a rail member and a mounting structure coupled to the rail member and configured to secure the rail member to the aircraft fuselage. The mounting structure includes a guide pin that interfits with a guide pin slot of a doorframe of the cabin door, a mounting bracket having a notch formed therein constructed to interfit with a staircase support strut mount of the entry and exit staircase assembly, a latch arm coupled to the mounting bracket so as to be rotatable between an open position and a closed position to selectively provide access to and close off the notch, and a quick release pin to lock the latch arm in place when in the closed position.
US09469383B1

A system for collection of rainwater in the open ocean may include: (a) one or more ocean-going vessels, wherein each ocean-going vessel is configured for collection and storage of rainwater, wherein each ocean-going vessel is configured to drift with surface ocean currents in order to navigate to one or more delivery locations, wherein each delivery location is on or near to a land mass; and (b) one or more delivery stations located at the one or more delivery locations, wherein each delivery station is configured to receive stored rainwater from one or more of the ocean-going vessels.
US09469379B2

A chain guide for guiding a chain traveling around a sprocket supported on a frame of a motorcycle is disclosed. Typically, the chain guide includes a U-shaped, plastic body with a channel formed along an inner surface to of the body and a plastic removable chain guide oriented such that a surface of the removable chain guide insert is facing the chain running through the channel. The inner and outer walls of the body configured with a first thickness along the top edge and downward to a bevel to a second, smaller thickness downward to a bottom edge along an outer surface.
US09469377B2

A bicycle gear changing apparatus is basically provided with a controller that includes memory with a plurality of pre-stored shift tables. The controller is configured to control a shifting operation of at least one of a first gear changing device and a second gear changing device based on a selected one of the pre-stored shift tables.
US09469369B2

A vehicle frame, in particular a mountain bike frame or a trekking bicycle frame, comprises main frame element. A rear frame is pivotably connected with the main frame element. A damping element is provided between the rear frame and the main frame element. A first connection point of the damper element is connected with the rear frame and a second connection point of the damping element is connected with the main frame element. For the purpose of changing the frame characteristics, a displacing element is provided for the displacement of the first connection point. The locking of the displacing element is done with the help of an actuator element.
US09469367B2

A handlebar end cap for a bicycle contains: a body, a retaining member, and a cover. The body includes a hole, at least one end face, and a fixing groove with a second inner diameter. The hole has a first inner diameter, and the body further includes a slot. The retaining member includes a recess and a first outer diameter, the first outer diameter has a circular locking loop, and the locking loop has a second outer diameter. The retaining member further includes a positioning rib and a limiting notch, the positioning rib has a third inner diameter, and the limiting notch has a fourth inner diameter. The cover includes a covering face, and the cover includes a first locating trench and a defining portion. The first locating trench has a third outer diameter, and the defining portion has a fourth outer diameter.
US09469364B2

A foldable bicycle includes a frame, a front wheel assembly, and a rear wheel assembly. The frame defines a pivot axis. The front wheel assembly is disposed on the frame and configured to rotate about the pivot axis. The rear wheel assembly is disposed on the frame and defines an opening for receiving the front wheel assembly when the bicycle is folded.
US09469357B2

The present invention relates to a caterpillar track wheel with division of work between track and chain, methods for fitting unit track with flexible chain ring, methods for buffering prestress, and an open-dose type axle housing. Since a structure that each unit track is separated from a flexible chain ring is adopted, the thickness of the unit tracks does not influence the winding stress of the flexible chain ring and the unit tracks without thickness limitation can effectively disperse stress from the ground to more supporting wheels. Since the thinner flexible chain ring is only responsible for serially connecting the unit tracks and transmitting power, the winding stress and the tension change are reduced.
US09469341B2

In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method for controlling a steering aid for a steering system of a vehicle. Upon activation of a vehicle in which a steering aid has been deactivated, a signal instructing a driver to rotate a steering wheel of the steering system without a steering assist motor can be generated. Whether rotation of the steering assist motor occurs during rotation of the steering wheel can be determined. The steering aid can be activated when the steering assist motor has rotated.
US09469340B2

A steerable, self-propelled vehicle (20) includes a rotatable steering column that is connected to control the steering angle of one or more ground-engaging members of the vehicle. The vehicle includes between the steering column and the ground-engaging member a first steering servomechanism having at least a first steering assistance characteristic; a second steering servomechanism having a second steering assistance characteristic also being connected to act on the steering column. A controller is provided for causing the first and second steering assistance characteristics to influence the steering of the vehicle in dependence on one or more one or more control commands generated in the controller.
US09469339B2

An apparatus for controlling a rear wheel steering includes a sensor configured to detect a vehicle speed, a steering angle, yaw rate, and a lateral acceleration of a vehicle; a target yaw rate calculator configured to determine a target yaw rate from information detected by the sensor; a side slip angle estimator configured to estimate a side slip angle from information detected by the sensor; and a rear wheel steering angle control amount calculator configured to determine a rear wheel steering angle control amount by using the yaw rate information detected by the sensor, the target yaw rate calculated by the target yaw rate calculator, and the side slip angle estimated by the side slip angle estimator. The determined rear wheel steering angle control amount is implemented to control the vehicle yaw rate to follow the target yaw rate and the side slip angle to follow 0.
US09469332B2

In a coupling structure for coupling a shaft to a universal joint yoke, an insertion portion of a shaft is passed through an insertion hole of a universal joint yoke. An outward protrusion of a distal end portion of the shaft faces a peripheral edge of a first opening of the insertion hole across a gap in an axial direction. A fixed portion that adjoins the insertion portion is fixed to a peripheral edge of a second opening of the insertion hole by welding. An engaging portion formed on an outer periphery of the insertion portion and an engaged portion formed in an inner periphery of the universal joint yoke, which defines the insertion hole, are engageable with each other in a rotational direction with a rotation permitting gap for phase adjustment.
US09469329B1

Some embodiments are directed to a frame assembly that includes a supplemental beam portion, and a main beam portion adjacent the supplemental beam portion. The main beam portion includes a central portion as well as left and right portions disposed at opposing sides of the central portion. The central portion defines a recessed portion that is shaped such that the left and right portions each define in aggregate a relatively larger cross-sectional area than the central portion. The recessed portion is configured to enable the central portion to be able to at least partially enclose a steering column assembly. A mounting assembly is configured to mount the steering column assembly to the main beam portion with the central portion at least partially enclosing the steering column assembly. The mounting assembly also enhances stiffness of the central portion to thereby at least partially counteract stiffness lost based on the recessed portion.
US09469319B2

A brake valve diagnostic and reporting system for a pneumatic only brake valve on a rail car which includes a brake pipe transducer for measuring brake pipe pressure; and a brake cylinder transducer for measuring brake cylinder pressure. A processor receives measurements from the transducers, compares the measurements against stored brake performance profiles, determines brake status from the comparison and prepares an event report for preselected brake statuses. A wireless transmitter connected to the processor transmits the report. An energy storage device powers the processor and transmitter.
US09469311B2

Provided is a rolling stock having a car body formed by joining side structures to an underframe, end structures, and a roof structure, the side structures having lower portions inclined toward an inside of the car body, the rolling stock having a structure allowing lower end portions of side posts of the side structures and side beams of the underframe to be securely joined. Side beams 21 in an underframe 20 of a rolling stock and lower end portions of side posts 31 having lower portions inclined toward an inside of a car body are joined by means of joint members 71. Each joint member 71 has a side-beam fixation plate portion fixed to an outer face of the side beam and a side-post fixation plate portion fixed to a side face of a lower end portion of the side post.
US09469310B2

A system, method, and apparatus for automatically controlling a locomotive include a control interface unit configured to receive input from at least one manual control, receive input from an automatic control system, and transmit commands to a locomotive control system, wherein the commands are based at least partially on the input received from the automatic control system. A bypass relay may also be provided to enable and disable communication between the at least one manual control and the locomotive control system.
US09469309B2

Power systems for an independent carrier for transport of payloads in an automation system for in vitro diagnostic (IVD) applications. The independent carrier may include an onboard power source and an onboard electrical system electrically connected to the onboard power source for controlling movement of the carrier. The independent carrier may include an onboard propulsion system electrically connected to the onboard power source for propelling the carrier and electrically connected to the onboard electrical system for receiving a command to control the movement of the carrier. Onboard power sources may include: replaceable batteries, rechargeable batteries, induction battery charging, photovoltaic power, Peltier effect power, and external combustion engines.
US09469305B2

A vehicle includes a vehicle interface unit, an output of which is controlled according to user manipulation. A vehicle information acquisition unit is configured to acquire information about a vehicle state and an output of the vehicle interface unit in the vehicle state. A storage is configured to store the acquired information about the vehicle state and the output of the vehicle interface unit in the vehicle state. A model generation unit is configured to generate a user preference model using the stored information about the vehicle state and the output of the vehicle interface unit in the vehicle state. A controller is configured to control the output of the vehicle interface unit based on the user preference model.
US09469303B2

Disclosed is a method for determining the axle load of a vehicle (10) having at least two tires on an axle. During cornering, the axle load is determined from a difference between wheel speeds at a wheel on the inside of the bend and wheel speeds at a wheel on the outside of the bend and by taking into account the lateral acceleration and track width.
US09469297B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a technology that enables avoidance of situations in which the driver's own vehicle enters the course of a vehicle behind with a change in the course of the driver's own vehicle without relying upon a device for detecting the vehicle running diagonally behind the driver's own vehicle in a driving assistance apparatus that causes the driver's own vehicle to change its course to avoid a collision with a solid object existing in the course of the vehicle. To achieve the object, according to the present invention, a change of the course of the driver's own vehicle is forbidden when a dividing line indicating a lane boundary is not detected on the road between the driver's own vehicle and a solid object.
US09469292B2

A hybrid vehicle according to the present invention includes an engine, a power storage device, a motor generator, and an ECU. The motor generator receives electric power from the power storage device and generates travel driving force. The ECU selects one of a CD mode and a CS mode to cause the vehicle to travel, in the CD mode an SOC of the power storage device being consumed, in the CS mode the SOC being maintained within a prescribed range. The CS mode includes a first CS mode and a second CS mode, the first CS mode being selected when the SOC decreases to a prescribed amount, the second CS mode being selected based on a user's intention. A second prescribed range corresponding to the second CS mode is set to be wider than a first prescribed range corresponding to the first CS mode.
US09469284B2

A vehicle anti-lock braking system includes at least one automatic hydraulic brake adjuster (AHBA) coupled in flow communication with at least one braking mechanism configured to interact with a vehicle wheel. The system also includes at least one pressure regulating device coupled in flow communication with the at least one AHBA. The system further includes at least one wheel speed sensor coupled to the vehicle wheel. The system also includes a control unit communicatively coupled to the at least one pressure regulating device and the at least one wheel speed sensor. The control unit is configured to actuate the at least one pressure regulating device at least partially as a function of the rotational speed of the vehicle wheel.
US09469278B2

A device for applying a cleaning fluid to a wheel of a vehicle in a vehicle washing installation using a spray nozzle and a wheel washing brush that is driven in rotation and can be moved by a guide between a rest position remote from a wheel and a cleaning position on the wheel. The device, an associated vehicle washing installation and method each permit economical application of the cleaning fluid matched to the size of the wheels to be cleaned. The method includes the steps of: a) determining the position of the wheel in the washing direction, b) determining the distance of the wheel from the device, c) moving the spray nozzle to the spraying position at the spraying distance from the wheel, d) spraying cleaning fluid onto the wheel using the spray nozzle (4) and moving the spray nozzle along the wheel in the washing direction and e) terminating the spraying operation when the front end of the wheel in the washing direction has been reached.
US09469267B2

An airbag device has an airbag housing that is provided in inward lateral faces of a driver's seat backrest and a passenger seat backrest in a vehicle width direction. An upper portion of the airbag housing is provided with a cover portion through which the airbag supplied with gas moves upward from the airbag housing.
US09469262B2

A vehicle power-supply control device has a battery charger that converts an externally-supplied AC voltage into a DC voltage used to charge a vehicle high-voltage battery, a low-voltage power generator that converts the DC voltage output from the battery charger into a DC voltage used to drive a vehicle auxiliary machine, and a controller that controls the battery charger and the low-voltage power generator. The battery charger includes a power factor correction circuit that corrects a power factor of the AC voltage and a first DC/DC converter that generates a predetermined DC voltage based on an output of the power factor correction circuit. The low-voltage power generator includes a second DC/DC converter that steps down the DC voltage output from the battery charger and a synchronous rectifier that rectifies an output of the second DC/DC converter in synchronization with a switching operation of the second DC/DC converter.
US09469259B2

The present disclosure to systems for integration and communication of aftermarket vehicle components with existing vehicle components through an apparatus comprising a processor and a computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions. The apparatus is configured to be integrated into a vehicle comprising an existing motion-control system having existing motion-control-system components. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising (i) receiving, from an aftermarket motion-control-system, an input data signal containing a raw data set, (ii) processing the raw data set, yielding a processed data set, and (iii) transmitting the processed data set to one or more of the existing motion-control system components within the vehicle.
US09469256B2

The application provides a thermo-acoustic protection structure for a rotating machine. The thermo-acoustic protection structure includes an upper wall and a parallel lower wall, and between them is placed at least one acoustic absorbent material. The upper wall and the lower wall being connected with at least one connecting element of an extended form. The connecting element presenting, in transverse section, at least one portion, curved or rectilinear, that is non-orthogonal to the two walls. A length of the connecting element between the upper wall and the lower wall is greater than a distance between the upper wall and the lower wall. The connecting element further presents in transverse section at least one edge.
US09469255B2

A monitor-mounting system for a headrest of a land vehicle includes a bushing subsystem constructed to be coupled to the headrest; and a monitor-mounting plate constructed to be coupled to the bushing subsystem. The monitor-mounting region extends outwardly of the headrest and is constructed for fixedly receiving a monitor. The headrest is constructed with dual posts and dual post guides, and the bushing system is constructed with dual bushings, each being constructed to couple to a corresponding one of the dual post guides, or to a corresponding one of the posts.
US09469251B2

A system for capturing image data for gestures from a passenger or a driver in a vehicle with a dynamic illumination level comprises a low-lux sensor equipped to capture image data in an environment with an illumination level below an illumination threshold, a high-lux sensor equipped to capture image data in the environment with the illumination level above the illumination threshold, and an object recognition module for activating the sensors. The object recognition module determines the illumination level of the environment and activates the low-lux sensor if the illumination level is below the illumination threshold. If the illumination level is above the threshold, the object recognition module activates the high-lux sensor.
US09469241B2

A portable lamp, such as a headlamp is presented. The lamp contains a light source comprising one or more sources for generating at least one light beam; a means for controlling the brightness of said at least one beam in response to a control information or a control signal; and a control unit for the purpose of generating said control information or said control signal. The control unit contains a photo sensor and a regulation circuit controlling a switch-off phase of one or more beams during a period not visible to the holder of the lamp. The switch off phase being combined with at least one measure of diversity made by means of the photo sensor(s) on the reflective ambient environment.
US09469240B2

A light control system acquires presence information that indicates whether or not another vehicle is present in a lateral or rear direction relative to an own vehicle. If presence information indicates the presence of another vehicle, the illumination range of the headlights of the vehicle is changed so as to be narrower. Thus, when another vehicle enters the illumination range from a lateral direction relative to the vehicle equipped with the system, the illumination range of the lights of the vehicle is changed to a narrower range before the entry into the illumination range.
US09469218B2

A vehicle has a body. A pivotable seat has a front portion pivotally connected to the body about a front pivot point and extending rearwardly therefrom to a back portion. A rear left leg is pivotally connected to the body about a left lower pivot point and to the back portion to about a left upper pivot point. A rear right leg is pivotally connected to the body about a right lower pivot point and to the back portion about a right upper pivot point. A distance between the lower pivot points is greater than a distance between the upper pivot points. The seat is pivotable relative to the body about an instantaneous seat pivot axis passing through the front pivot point, a left axis extending through the left upper and lower pivot points, and a right axis extending through the right upper and lower pivot points.
US09469217B2

A vehicle seat includes a slide rail that has a lower rail and an upper rail, and a cap that is provided on an end portion in a longitudinal direction of at least one of the lower rail and the upper rail. A base portion that is adjacent to and follows an end surface shape of the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail or the upper rail on which the cap is provided, and a filler portion that extends from the base portion toward the center in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail or the upper rail on which the cap is provided, and that fills a space in a separating direction of the lower rail and the upper rail, are provided on the cap.
US09469215B2

An apparatus for mounting in a door aperture of a vehicle. The apparatus includes a mounting element for mounting the apparatus in the door aperture. The mounting element is adapted to cooperate with a fixing disposed on the vehicle. The apparatus can include one or more seats for use when the vehicle is stationary. A method of mounting the apparatus to a vehicle is also provided.
US09469209B2

A contact charging circuit composed of a charging inlet and a charger receives electric power from an outside power source via a charging cable. A non-contact charging circuit composed of a power reception unit, a rectifier, and a sensor unit receives electric power from an outside power source in a non-contact manner. A first communication device communicates contact charging information about power reception by the contact charging circuit with a third communication device of a power supply apparatus. A second communication device communicates non-contact charging information about power reception by the non-contact charging circuit with a fourth communication device of the power supply apparatus.
US09469201B2

A vehicle equipment mounting structure that arranges a motor case, in which a rotary electric machine that drives a vehicle is housed, in an engine compartment, and that includes a PCU that controls the rotary electric machine, and an auxiliary battery that supplies electric power to the PCU. This structure includes a fixing portion that fixes the PCU onto the motor case, and a connecting portion that connects the auxiliary battery to a side member that absorbs an impact load by being crushed in a crushing direction. The connecting portion has a displaceable member that is displaceable in the crushing direction. The auxiliary battery is arranged on a vehicle front side of the PCU such that the PCU and the auxiliary battery partially overlap in the crushing direction. The auxiliary battery is arranged so as to be able to move past the PCU in response to an impact load.
US09469197B2

An apparatus for compensating for torque of a fuel cell electric vehicle includes: a storage configured to store a first look-up table in which pedal amount correction coefficients corresponding to degradation rates of a fuel cell stack are recorded and a second look-up table in which torques corresponding to pedal amounts are recorded; a degradation rate calculator configured to calculate a degradation rate based on a maximum voltage and an output voltage of the fuel cell stack; a correction coefficient searcher configured to search for a correction coefficient corresponding to the calculated degradation rate using the first look-up table; a pedal amount detector configured to detect a pedal amount indicating a degree to which an acceleration pedal is pressed; and a torque compensator configured to compensate for torque by compensating for the detected pedal amount based on the searched correction coefficient using the second look-up table.
US09469191B1

An apparatus for accommodating fluid expansion and contraction within an axle housing or axle support structure of a hydrostatic transaxle is provided. A partitioning element separates the hydraulic fluid from an air chamber created at least partially by the partitioning element and the partitioning element has an internal volume that is in communication with the primary sump and the partitioning element expands to increase the size of its internal volume and thereby expand the volume of the sump.
US09469189B2

A work vehicle in which a cooling fan is arranged forward of an engine and an exhaust gas purification device is arranged rearward of the engine. An inlet-side exhaust passage connects an exhaust manifold and the exhaust gas purification device. An outlet-side exhaust passage connects the exhaust gas purification device and the exhaust end portion. A first exhaust passage is coupled to the exhaust gas purification device and passes over the exhaust gas purification device to reach beside a first end portion. A second exhaust passage is coupled to the first exhaust passage and extends in a transverse direction and below the exhaust gas purification device.
US09469188B2

A wheel loader includes an upper plate, a hose member, an air intake pipe, a supporting member, a first lid member, and a first fastening member. The hose member extends upwardly through a first opening part formed in the upper plate. The air intake pipe is removably coupled to an upper end part of the hose member. A horizontal part of the supporting member extends horizontally from the side part and is fixed to a side surface of the air intake pipe. A first body part of the first lid member covers a second opening part in a side part of the supporting member. A second attachment part of the first lid member extends horizontally from the first body part to be disposed on the horizontal part. The first fastening member attaches the first lid member to the supporting member by fastening the second attachment part and the horizontal part.
US09469177B2

A heat transfer medium assembly unit, especially for a heat exchanger arrangement of a vehicle heater, includes a housing part (16) with at least one opening (22, 24) for receiving a connecting branch. At least one flexible fixing element is associated with the at least one opening (22, 24) for receiving a connecting branch. The at least one flexible fixing element is provided for fixing a connecting branch (12, 14) mounted in the opening (22, 24) for receiving a connecting branch for providing a connecting branch/housing part preassembled assembly unit (76).
US09469175B2

A shock absorber system installed on a vehicle having four wheels in which a VSC control for giving a braking force to any of the wheels is to be executed to reduce an improper turning behavior of the vehicle due to an excessive side slip of any of the wheels, including: four hydraulic shock absorbers each configured to generate a damping force with respect to a relative movement of a corresponding sprung and unsprung portion and having a damping-force changer configured to change the damping force; and a controller configured to control the damping force by controlling the damping-force changer and configured such that, when the improper turning behavior of the vehicle occurs, the controller executes a reduction control in which the damping force to be generated by at least one of the four shock absorbers is controlled to reduce the improper turning behavior.
US09469174B2

The invention relates to a wheel suspension for a motor vehicle, said wheel suspension having a multi-link assembly (21) of links that are hinged to the vehicle body, in particular to a subframe (1) of the vehicle body, and to a hub carrier (23), and having a rotary actuator (27) for active chassis control, said rotary actuator having a motor-gear unit (29) with which torques can be transmitted, via at least one torsion bar (31), as adjusting forces to said multi-link assembly (21). According to the invention, at least one of the links (14, 16) of the multi-link assembly (21) limits, in the longitudinal direction (x) of the vehicle towards the front or towards the back, a free space (39) in which said motor-gear unit (29) of the rotary actuator (27) is at least partially arranged.
US09469171B2

A hitch device comprising: (a) a hitch bar that connects the hitch device to a vehicle; (b) a hitch mount in communication with the hitch bar; (c) a ball mount, a ball, or both that is in communication with and extends through a portion of the hitch mount; (d) a lifting device that is connected to the hitch mount, the hitch bar, or both, wherein the lifting device includes a lifting cylinder; and (e) one or more gears in communication with the lifting cylinder; wherein the lifting device assists in moving the ball mount, the ball, or both through the hitch mount; and wherein the lifting cylinder is an electric motor.
US09469165B2

An axle assembly, including an axle shaft, annular member, hub, inner and outer hub bearings, abutment ring, first and second seals, and an air inlet port. The annular member is disposed about the axle shaft. The hub is coupled for rotation with the axle shaft and defines an outlet port. The first and second shaft seals form seals between the hub and the annular member. The air inlet port is mounted to one of the annular member and the abutment ring and includes an inlet boss. A first fluid conduit is defined by the abutment ring or both the abutment ring and the inlet port. The first fluid conduit is in fluid communication with the air inlet boss. The second shaft seal is spaced apart from the first shaft seal along the rotational axis to at least partially define a second fluid conduit in fluid communication inlet and outlet ports.
US09469164B2

A mounting structure (200, 1200) is provided with a base (210) which has a base lower surface (211) adhered to the inner surface of a tire (100) and which also has a base upper surface (212) provided on the reverse side of the base lower surface (211). The base lower surface (211) has, before the base (210) is adhered to the inner surface of the tire (100), a shape recessed toward the center of the base (210).
US09469162B1

A pneumatic tire construction is provided using one or more folded body ply sheets constructed such that upon formation of the tire, the turn-ups in the sidewalls are looped turn-ups such that there are no free turn-up ends in the sidewalls.
US09469161B2

A pneumatic tire for heavy load has a tread, circumferential grooves (2) extending continuously in the tread circumferential direction, transverse grooves (5) opening to the circumferential grooves (2) adjacent each other in the tread width direction, and a block (6) defined by the circumferential grooves (2) and the transverse grooves (5) on a surface (1) of the tread. The block (6) is provided with one or more shallow grooves (7-9) having an average groove depth shallower than a groove depth of the circumferential grooves (2) adjacent to the block (6). The average groove depth of the shallow grooves (7-9) is greater than 20% and less than 80% of the groove depth of the circumferential grooves (2). At least one of the shallow grooves (7-9) opens to at least one of the transverse grooves (5) and the circumferential grooves (2) adjacent to the block (6).
US09469159B2

A shoulder main groove has a plurality of circumferential components inclined to an inside in a tire width direction toward a forward in a tire rotating direction. The circumferential components are communicated with each other via a lateral groove. A shoulder block row includes a first block positioned in a rear side in the tire rotating direction of the circumferential component, and a second block which has a smaller area of a top surface than the first block, and is adjacent to the first block with the lateral groove sandwiched therebetween. A plurality of projections elevating from a groove bottom and protruding out of a side wall of the second block are provided. A volume of the projection positioned in a trailing side of the second block is larger than a volume of the projection positioned in a leading side.
US09469150B2

A storage container and matching cover for storing addressable objects. The storage container has an interconnect panel with a pair of laterally spaced address signal conductors extending vertically along the panel and terminating at the top and bottom edges of the panel in conductive terminal pads. The cover has an interconnect mechanism with spring biased translatable conductive probes positioned to mate with the conductive terminal pads of an upper and lower container when two containers are vertically stacked. The combination of the container and cover eliminates the need for individual USB jumper cables when interconnecting two or more vertically stacked containers. An auto alignment feature ensures that the containers are properly stacked with the terminal pads in contact with the conductive probes.
US09469143B1

This disclosure is directed to a plate design for use in variable data digital lithographic image forming devices. The disclosed plate design incorporates surface passivated carbon black filler material particles in a fluorosilicone polymer. The disclosed functionalized carbon black material compositions include hydrophobic carbon black particles surface passivated via the use of an A/B-block copolymer where the A/B block contains a pentafluorostyrene-maleimide alternating polymer and the B block contains pure pentafluorostyrene. The A/B portion allows for the polymer to adsorb onto the carbon black while the b-block acts as the stabilizer in fluorinated systems. Fine dispersions result from the addition of poly (pentafluorostyrene/Maleimide-b-pentafluorostyrene) or P(PFS/MI-b-PFS) passivated carbon black to fluorinated polymers, enhancing the physical and mechanical properties. The disclosed surface passivated carbon black particles are particularly usable for improving operational characteristics of fluorosilocone-based reimageable surface layers of imaging members employed in the variable data digital lithographic image forming devices.
US09469140B2

The disclosure discloses a tape cartridge including a connecting arm, a guide attaching/detaching part, and a second guide member. The connecting arm rotatably supports a first winding core and a second winding core. The guide attaching/detaching part is configured to detachably attach a first guide member. The first guide member is configured to allow a tape fed out from a first tape roll to pass and to guide the tape by regulating movement in a tape width direction through contact with both end portions of the tape in the tape width direction. The second guide member is disposed on the connecting arm. The second guide member is configured to guide the tape passes while being guided by the first guide member, by regulating movement in a second direction through contact with one side part of the tape in the second direction.
US09469135B2

A printing system and a method for printing a multilayer structure using radiation curable ink, the multilayer structure comprising multiple ink layers which are consecutively printed, and wherein a first printed ink layer of any two consecutively printed ink layers is cured before a subsequently printed ink layer is printed thereon, wherein at least one ink of multiple inks is selected for being used for printing the multilayer structure, said multiple inks comprising at least one first and at least one second radiation curable ink, wherein said at least one ink is selected in dependence on information about at least one property of the said at least one ink apart from color, wherein, of the multiple inks, at least the selected at least one ink and at least one of the at least one first ink are used for printing the multilayer structure; the physical property being e.g. an expansion/shrinkage property and/or an adhesion property.
US09469131B2

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a first carriage movement mode, in which a stop position of a carriage in movement of this time is determined to be at a given position in a width direction on the basis of a size in the width direction of a liquid-ejected medium, and a second carriage movement mode, in which the stop position of the carriage in the movement of this time is determined on the basis of at least one of the liquid ejection data in the movement of this time or the liquid ejection data in the movement of the next time, and liquid ejection is carried out with one of the first carriage movement mode and the second carriage movement mode selected in accordance with the type of liquid-ejected medium.
US09469128B2

A roll paper printer has a roll paper holder that holds a paper roll of recording paper wound into a roll; a platen roller that conveys recording paper delivered from the paper roll; a printhead that prints on the recording paper conveyed by the platen roller; a delivery roller around which the recording paper travels between the paper roll and platen roller; and a paper detection lever that detects the recording paper; the paper detection lever being disposed on the inside circumference side of a first curved path through which the recording paper is conveyed in contact with the delivery roller.
US09469117B2

There is provided a liquid consuming apparatus including: a tank having a liquid storing chamber, an erected wall through which the liquid inside the liquid storage chamber is visible from outside of the tank, and an inlet which is formed to penetrate through the erected wall and via which the liquid is poured into the liquid storage chamber; a liquid consuming section which consumes the liquid stored in the liquid storing chamber; and a cover. A transmitting section and a checking section are formed in an upper surface, of the cover, under a condition that the cover is in the exposure position, the transmitting section configured to transmit information optically to a user of the liquid consuming apparatus and the checking section configured to prevent the liquid moving on a particular surface of the cover from arriving at the transmitting section.
US09469113B2

A replacement assisting liquid having a lower specific weight than an ink is introduced into a recording head filled with a preservative solution containing at least a moisturizing agent to discharge the preservative solution out of the recording head. Next, the ink is introduced into the recording head to discharge the replacement assisting liquid out of the recording head.
US09469103B2

An inkjet printer is provided with an influence calculation portion and a device control portion. The influence calculation portion calculates an influence indicating a degree of an influence of generation of a satellite on a printing condition. The device control portion controls discharging timing of an inkjet head so that ink is discharged in order by each row of a plurality of nozzle rows for each pixel row on a sheet as a printing target, if the influence calculated by the influence calculation portion exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
US09469079B2

A cover member of an illuminating unit is formed of a film insert molded product, in which a film is disposed on a decorative face. The film is arranged so an end part of the film is positioned in front of an end part of the decorative face, whereby a film end protecting area formed of an exposed part of a molded resin layer is provided between the end part of the decorative face and the end part of the film, and a surface of the film end protecting area is made flush with the surface of the film. A corner between the end part of the decorative face and an end face of the molded resin layer is set to be an acute angle, and the end face of the molded resin layer functions as a contact face with respect to a ceiling trim.
US09469069B2

An automatic attaching apparatus of a foamed seal member includes an attaching hand handling a foamed seal member, a preset machine in which the foamed seal member is preset, a removing machine removing a release paper, and a robot moving the attaching hand. The attaching hand picks up the foamed seal member from the preset machine, presses the foamed seal member from which the release paper is removed against an attaching surface of a work using a pressing roller in a state where the foamed seal member is floated by an air floating device, and sends out the foamed seal member to attach the foamed seal member to the attaching surface of the work.
US09469066B2

A filament winding apparatus that connects a driven shaft to a driving shaft automatically includes a rotation unit which can rotate a driving shaft 13 forward or reversely, a control unit which can control start or stop of the rotation of the driving shaft, and connection units which can connect a driven shaft attached to a liner to the driving shaft when phases of the driven and driving shafts are in agreement with each other. A fiber bundle is wound onto an outer peripheral surface of the liner by rotating the liner. A detection unit detects the phase of the driven or the driving shaft. Based on information obtained from the detection unit at the time of connecting the driven shaft to the driving shaft, the control unit rotates the driving shaft and adjusts the phase thereof to make the phases of the driven and driving shafts in agreement with each other.
US09469064B2

A side blow molding apparatus of (100) includes upper guide rails (106) and lower guide rails (108). The apparatus (100) includes a side blow device (110) having a blow pin assembly (112) and an inner support assembly (114). The blow pin assembly (112) includes a blow pin driver (116) formed as a cylinder (118). The blow pin assembly (112) also includes a blow pin (122) connected to a shuttle system (124) which, in turn, is connected to the cylinder (118). The shuttle system (124) operates so as to move the blow pin (122) in a linear manner. The inner support assembly (114) includes an inner support driver (138) connected to an extender (144). The inner support driver (138) extends and retracts the extender (144) for raising and lowering the inner support (142). The blow pin (122) is positioned on the shuttle system (124) so that the pin (122) can be shuttled in and out of a parison during the blow molding process.
US09469060B2

An optical lens for an optical communication system is provided. The optical lens includes a front portion, a back portion opposite to the front portion, and a converging lens. The front portion includes a front end surface. The front portion defines a recess in the front end surface. The front portion includes a protrusion step protruding from a bottom surface of the recess. The converging lens is formed on the protrusion step.
US09469059B2

An apparatus for injecting a two-tone interior panel may include a skin including a surface portion and a folded portion extending from an end of the surface portion, an upper mold under which the skin is disposed, and a lower mold that slides up or down below the upper mold. When the lower mold is elevated, a portion of the lower mold corresponding to the folded portion may come in indirect contact with the upper mold with the folded portion therebetween, and a portion of the lower mold corresponding to the surface portion may form a space between the lower mold and the surface portion into which a first resin is to be injected.
US09469050B2

A separation device includes a first shredding unit, a first separation unit, and a first air pipe. The first shredding unit shreds a processing target containing a first material and a second material. The first separation unit rotates a first tubular portion in a state in which the processing target shredded by the first shredding unit is accommodated therein, thereby separating the second material passing through first holes from the processing target. The first air pipe transfers the processing target shredded by the first shredding unit to the first separation unit with air pressure. The first air pipe has a first portion that extends in a first direction, and a second portion that is connected to the first portion on a downstream side of the first portion and that extends in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction.
US09469048B2

The invention relates to shaped bodies having high thermooxidative stability, which can be produced by means of direct forming and hot compression molding processes, and to a novel polyimide powder for production thereof and to a process for production of this polyimide powder.
US09469047B2

The disclosure relates to a coating method including the steps of providing a multi-component coating composition including two or more components, applying each component to a porous substrate, mixing each component with at least one other component thereby causing at least two components to undergo a chemical reaction.
US09469045B2

A wood treatment station based on the concept of submerging wood with the ability to stage the wood and recover excess wood treatment prior to drying.
US09469042B2

A method and an apparatus for processing a web of a flexible material, in particular paper, moved along a direction of motion of the material, in which individual sections are produced from the material web by a first double-carriage linear motor and a second double-carriage linear motor, which are arranged parallel to the direction of motion of the material and each have a first carriage and a second carriage in the direction of motion of the material. Each of the carriages has a driving element.
US09469032B2

A method and system to optimize the parameters of a robot used in an assembly process. The assembly process is categorized based on its nature which may be cylindrical, radial and multi-stage insertion. The search pattern and search parameters are specified. The parameters are optimized and the optimized parameter set are verified and when a predetermined criteria such as assembly cycle time set and/or success rate is met the optimization process stops. When the optimization stops the verified parameters are used to cause the robot to perform the categorized assembly process. If the parameters do not meet the predetermined criteria, another round of optimization using the same or other parameters can be performed.
US09469023B2

A power tool has a continuously variable transmission, a condition detection device, and an operation control device. The continuously variable transmission changes a velocity of a rotational output from a drive motor and outputs the rotational output to a spindle to which a tip end tool is mounted. The condition detection device detects a condition of the power tool. The operation control device determines a target RPM of the spindle based on the condition of the power tool detected by the condition detection device, and controls an RPM of the drive motor and/or a transmission gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission based on the target RPM.
US09469019B2

A control method according for an impact wrench includes ascertaining whether the impact wrench applies an impact when the drive shaft rotates in a lower speed range. The speed of the drive shaft then is increased to a higher speed range as a function of an ascertained impact during the rotation in the lower speed range.
US09469015B2

A drill bit includes a bit body having an end face for engaging a rock formation. The end face is defined by a HIP pressed center structure formed of a metal matrix impregnated with super abrasive particles. The HIP pressed center structure includes a central region located at a center axis of said drill bit and finger regions extending radially from the central region. The end face is further defined by infiltrated ribs formed of a metal matrix impregnated with super abrasive particles. Certain ones of the infiltrated ribs are configured to form radial extensions from the finger regions of the HIP pressed center structure.
US09469013B2

A method of conditioning a surface of a polishing pad is used for conditioning a polishing pad on a polishing table for polishing a thin film formed on a surface of a substrate. The conditioning method includes bringing a dresser into contact with the polishing pad, and conditioning the polishing pad by moving the dresser between a central part of the polishing pad and an outer circumferential part of the polishing pad. A moving speed of the dresser at a predetermined area of the polishing pad is higher than a standard moving speed of the dresser at the predetermined area of the polishing pad.
US09469012B1

A lapping machine that can reproduce novel lapping patterns for generally spherical workpieces. The lapping machine replicates the motions commonly used in manual lapping, but with full reproducibility. The desired patterns of lapping are representative of roulette curves, and the present disclosure describes a novel means to produce roulette curve lapping of spherical workpieces by machine. The lapping machine may utilize a free rolling spherical lap arrangement in the lower unit and a telescopic rod and spherical lap in an upper unit. Different tools for holding the workpiece allow for easy adjustment to a variety of work piece sizes and shapes.
US09469011B2

A grinder includes a rotatable disk to be pressed to a workpiece; a plurality of grinding bodies provided on one principal surface of the disk so as to cross a circumferential direction of the disk, each having a grinding stone chip on a side contacting the workpiece; and support devices, each supporting each of the grinding bodies so that the grinding stone chip swings with respect to the principal surface. Each support device supports each grinding body at a position at which an abrasion amount of the grinding stone chip is made uniform when the disk is rotated while being pressed to the workpiece so that a pressure to be applied to the grinding stone chip on an outer peripheral side of the disk becomes smaller than a pressure to be applied to the grinding stone chip on an inner peripheral side of the disk.
US09469008B2

A device for measuring resistance to drilling in a material being investigated, especially wood, with a drilling appliance (1) driving a drill bit (2) into the material and a measuring device for measuring the mechanical resistance to the drill bit (2) upon its penetration into the material, is configured and modified in regard to a secure measurement even in tight space conditions around the material being investigated such that the drilling appliance (1) is coordinated with several U-shaped guide elements (4) which can move along a drilling axis (3) with legs (5, 6) of different length and a base region (7) joining the two legs (5, 6), and in each longer leg (6) a passage (8) is formed for the drill bit (2) in order to guide the drill bit (2).
US09469001B2

A machine tool includes: a bed, the upper surface of which has the table provided thereon; a cut debris duct which is provided so as to extend rearward from a cut debris discharge opening open at the center, in the left-right direction, of the rear face of the bed, and which discharges cut debris from within the bed to outside of the machine tool; a bifurcated vertically movable body which vertically moves along a pair of vertical guides, and which straddles the cut debris duct, the pair of vertical guides vertically extending on the rear face of the bed at positions on both the left and right sides of the cut debris duct; and a pair of left and right feed screws which extend parallel to the vertical guides, and which move the vertically movable body along the vertical guides.
US09468997B2

An apparatus provides conductive cooling of an information handling system. The apparatus includes a panel having a vent area formed in the panel. The vent area includes a perimeter, an interior section and a plurality of ribs that extend across the interior section. The vent area further includes several openings defined by lateral spacing between the ribs. The openings extend through the panel and are configured to receive cooling airflow into the openings and to discharge cooling air flow from the openings. A conductive heat sink layer is attached to the panel. The conductive heat sink layer covers a perimeter area surrounding the vent area, with strips of the conductive heat sink layer also covering the ribs, while leaving the openings between the ribs uncovered such that the strips of the conductive heat sink layer function to conduct additional heat away from the vent area along the ribs.
US09468987B2

The present invention provides an arc welding control system and method capable of simultaneously, sophisticatedly performing a weaving width control operation and a torch height control operation. Influence ratios (δw and δz) of influences of a torch height deviation (ΔPh) and a groove wall distance deviation (ΔPd) with respect to a manipulated variable (Δw) of a weaving width and a manipulated variable (Δz) of a torch height are set in accordance with a groove angle (θ) of a workpiece (5). A calculation unit (21) calculates the manipulated variables (Δz and Δw) of actuators (13 and 14) regarding the torch height and the weaving width such that the influence ratios (δw and δz) become large as the groove angle (θ) becomes large.
US09468982B1

An automated key duplication system that includes a system housing, a key identification system, a key cutting system, a key blank storage system, a key blank transfer assembly, and a duplicated key retrieval opening is disclosed. The key identification system may be housed at least partially within the system housing and is configured to identify a master key. The key blank storage system comprises a plurality of rods configured to removably couple to a plurality of key carriers. The key blank transfer assembly is housed within the housing is configured to remove one key carrier of the plurality of key carriers from the key blank storage system with the key retrieving apparatus and transport the one key carrier and the key blank coupled thereto from the key blank storage to the key cutting system. The duplicated key retrieval opening is positioned on the housing to receive the one key blank after the one key blank has been cut.
US09468979B2

A cutting head has driven surfaces and includes a head coupling pin that protrudes rearwardly from a head rear surface. The head coupling pin includes guiding and fastening recesses recessed in the pin peripheral surface, the guiding recess opening out to the pin rear surface. A tool holder assembly has a tool holder and an elastic fastening assembly. The tool holder has driving members and a holder coupling hole recessed in a holder base surface. The elastic fastening assembly is disposed in a holder through bore that extends from the holder base surface to a holder peripheral surface. When a cutting tool which includes the cutting head and tool holder is in a fastened position, the head coupling pin is removably retained within the holder coupling hole upon elastic engagement with the elastic fastening assembly.
US09468978B2

The present disclosure provides exemplary collapsible drills and associated methods of use. Thus, in one aspect, the disclosure provides a collapsible drill including or comprising a chuck, a piston and a motor section. The chuck can be configured and dimensioned to receive a drill bit. The piston can include a pair of interlocking splines. The motor section drives rotation of the piston and the chuck. Depression of the piston can stop rotation of the chuck relative to the piston. In another aspect, the disclosure provides methods of drilling into a material that include providing a collapsible drill, driving rotation of the piston and the chuck with the motor section, and depressing the piston to stop rotation of the chuck relative to the piston.
US09468975B2

A process for treating a zirconium containing feedstock includes fluorinating a feedstock comprising dissociated zircon (‘DZ’) to obtain a zirconium fluorine compound and a silicon fluorine compound. The zirconium fluorine compound is separated from the silicon fluorine compound is provided. Optionally, the zirconium fluorine compound is reacted with a non-fluorine halogen, an alkali metal non-fluorine halide or an alkaline-earth metal non-fluorine halide, thereby to obtain a zirconium non-fluorine halide. The zirconium fluorine compound or, when present, the zirconium non-fluorine halide is subjected to plasma reduction, in a plasma reduction stage, in the presence of a reductant, to obtain metallic zirconium.
US09468974B2

CuFe2P is used in a plain bearing or as a plain bearing material. A plain bearing composite material which comprises a supporting layer is provided with a bearing metal layer based on CuFe2P.
US09468973B2

A method for forming a three-dimensional article comprising the steps of: applying a model of the three dimensional article, applying a first powder layer on a work table, directing a first electron beam from a first electron beam source over the work table causing the first powder layer to fuse in first selected locations according to the model to form a first cross section of the three-dimensional article, directing a second electron beam from a second electron beam source over the work table, registering at least one setting of the first electron beam source, registering at least one setting of the second electron beam source, correcting the position of the second electron beam depending on the at least one setting of the first electron beam source and the at least one setting of the second electron beam source.
US09468960B2

Extrusion of feed materials of a high temperature formable non-ferrous metal susceptible to embrittlement during air processing uses an extrusion system having a rotatable wheel and shoe covering part of the length of a groove around the periphery of the wheel to form an arcuate passageway, the shoe having an abutment which substantially closes a second end of the passageway and an extrusion die spaced from the abutment by a die chamber. The process includes pre-heating the feed material to not less than about 390° C. in a chamber defined by a feeder device, maintaining a protective atmosphere in the chamber of the feeder device while the feed material is heated. The pre-heated feed material then is passed to an inlet end of the passageway, and drawn along the passageway, to be forced by the abutment into the die chamber and through an extrusion orifice of the die to provide extruded product.
US09468959B2

A continuously cast slab with a rectangular cross section, and made of high alloy containing Cr of 20 to 30 mass %, Ni of 30 to 50 mass %, and at least one of Mo and W as Mo+0.5W of 1.5 mass % or more is subjected to blooming and billet-making to yield a round bar having a diameter of 150 to 400 mm as a starting material of the seamless tube. The blooming and billet-making process is performed under a condition satisfying a relation of 1.3≦H/D≦1.8 where a short side length of the cross section of the cast slab is defined as H (mm), and the diameter of the round bar is defined as D (mm). The round bar is pierced-rolled to make a hollow blank; the hollow blank tube is elongation-rolled, and then diameter-adjusting-rolled to make the seamless tube, thereby preventing end cracking during piercing-rolling, and increasing yield.
US09468947B2

The empty seed shell removing apparatus has a main body including an interior, an interior floor portion, a top portion including air intake openings, a front portion having a front opening, and a front portion having an air exhaust opening. A fan assembly attached within the interior of the main body and including a fan member adapted to create an air stream from the air intake openings, around and through the interior, and out through the air exhaust opening; and a shell container sized and shaped to removably slide and fit within the front opening. The shell container includes a bin section adapted to hold the mixture of full seed shells and empty seed shells, wherein when the shell container is full of the mixture of full seed shells and empty seed shells and placed within the main body the fan member is activated creating the air stream from the air intake openings, around and through the interior, and out through the air exhaust opening, such that the air stream circulates through the mixture of full seed shells and empty seed shells causing the empty seed shells to fly out of the bin section while leaving the full seed shells therein, and wherein the empty seed shells end up upon the interior floor portion ready for removal once the fan member is deactivated.
US09468942B2

A device for calibrating a spray gun and an associated method are provided. The spray gun has a nozzle that is opened and closed by moving an internal needle out of and into sealing engagement with the nozzle. A virtual position of the needle is tracked and recorded by the control system. The control system is recalibrated when the virtual position and the actual position of the needle do not correspond. The device includes a sensor structured to detect characteristics of the current used to power the solenoid, and to identify an anomaly in solenoid current characteristics associated with an actuator member seating against said solenoid. During calibration, the solenoid is placed in a calibration configuration and the identifiable anomaly is detected. When the identifiable anomaly is detected, the spray gun is returned to an initial configuration and the virtual needle position is reset.
US09468940B2

An ammonia applicator system is provided that has adjustable orifices with openings having variable sizes that can be changed remotely, without having to disassemble exit lines from a distribution manifold. In this way, the restriction of the exit lines and, thus, line flow rate can be adjusted remotely and/or automatically, even during ammonia application use. Each adjustable orifice may include a valve and an actuator that controls the valve for changing the size of the opening of the adjustable orifice. The actuator may be a rotary actuator, such as a stepper motor, and the valve may include an adjustment knob and a screw that can rotate to allow a needle to advance or regress through an opening of a valve body of the valve.
US09468939B2

A shower device and a faceplate assembly for a shower device. The faceplate assembly may include a faceplate having a front surface and a rear surface, a plurality of apertures being defined between the front surface and the rear surface, the faceplate being at least partially formed of a transparent material proximate the front surface, and an opaque material located proximate the rear surface. A pattern may be formed from facets, adjacent facets meeting at an intersection, at least one of the plurality of apertures being positioned at an intersection. A shower device may include a nozzle plate having a surface and including a plurality of nozzles for discharging water, at least one of the plurality of nozzles having a barb; and a faceplate snap-fit to the nozzle plate by the barb.
US09468936B2

Technologies are presented for applying electrical energy to a combustion reaction to produce agglomerated combustion particulates. For example, a system may include: one or more electrodes configured to apply electrical energy to a combustion reaction; a combustion zone configured to support the combustion reaction of a fuel at a fuel source; and an electrical power source operatively coupled to the one or more electrodes and configured to apply electrical energy to the combustion reaction. The combustion reaction is controlled to produce a distribution of agglomerated combustion particulates characterized by an increase in at least one of an average particulate diameter or an average particulate mass.
US09468929B2

A reducing machine having an air cooled cutting discs is disclosed. The air cooled discs have cutting surfaces on both sides. The cutting surfaces have edges which are sharpened for cutting input material when the cutting surface is facing the cutting surface of the opposed disc. When the cutting surface of the stationary disc is facing the housing, the cutting surface acts as a heat sink to air cool the stationary disc and the mill assembly in general. Air inlets in the housing lid permit air to flow over the cooling surface. A damper restricts air flow over the air cooling surface to control the temperature of the reducing machine, such as during start up.
US09468924B2

The disclosure includes a method for producing a dispersion composition of fluorine-containing ion exchange resin comprising a copolymer represented by formula: wherein x and y represent numbers satisfying 0≦x<1, 0≦y<1, and x+y=1; Z represents H, Cl, F, or a perfluoroalkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms; m represents an integer of 0 to 12; and n represents an integer of 0 to 2.
US09468917B2

This disclosure is directed to uses for a new crystalline molecular sieve designated SSZ-100. SSZ-100 is synthesized using a cationic nitrogen-containing organic compound having the following structure:
US09468915B2

Described are SCR catalyst systems comprising a first SCR catalyst composition and a second SCR catalyst composition arranged in the system, the first SCR catalyst composition having a faster DeNOx response time when exposed to ammonia than the second catalyst composition and the second SCR catalyst composition has a higher steady state DeNOx performance than the first catalyst composition. The SCR catalyst systems are useful in methods and systems to catalyze the reduction of nitrogen oxides in the presence of a reductant.
US09468914B2

The present invention provides an improved process for the preparation of phosphorous containing mesoporous alumina catalyst for selective dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether. The process provides a single step selective vapor phase dehydration of methanol to produce dimethyl ether over phosphorous containing mesoporous alumina (P/Al2O3) catalyst at a temperature in the range of 150-350° C. The process provides methanol conversion of 45-100% with a selectivity of the DME up to 100%.
US09468900B2

The present invention relates in general to a method of producing activated carbon. Dregs are removed from a pulp mill green liquor clarifier and washed with an acid to produce an activated carbon. The activated carbon slurry can be used to remove mercury from a waste gas stream.
US09468896B2

The present invention relates to a novel phospholipid emulsifier composition allowing stabilizing water-in-oil emulsions, and to a novel process for the preparation of such emulsions involving a counter-current extraction process involving a plurality of mixing and separation stages for fractionating a phospholipid-containing feed material into two or more fractions enriched in one or more phospholipids.
US09468893B2

A mixing unit (10) for use in a mixing apparatus (100) for mixing chemicals in liquid or gaseous state into a fiber suspension, which apparatus comprises a housing (101) defining a mixing chamber (102), a first inlet (103) for feeding a pulp suspension to the mixing chamber, a second inlet (104) for feeding treatment media into the mixing chamber, a drive shaft (105) connected to a drive device (106) for rotation of the drive shaft in operation, and an outlet (107) for discharging the mixture of pulp suspension and treatment media, said unit (10) for mixing being adapted to be installed in the mixing apparatus and comprising a rotor (11) comprising a rotor shaft (11a) being arranged to be connected to the drive shaft (105) for, in operation, simultaneous rotation with the drive shaft, at least two rotor bodies (11b, 11c) arranged on the rotor shaft (11a), each having a radial extension, the bodies being arranged to be axially separated from each other along the rotor shaft (11a) and adapted to cooperate so as to form multiple mixing zones. A mixing apparatus comprising the mixing unit.
US09468891B2

The problem addressed by the present invention is to provide a method for producing microparticles. Provided is a method that is for producing microparticles and that is characterized by containing at least the following two steps: (I) a step for preparing a microparticle starting material solution by dissolving at least one type of microparticle starting material in a solvent using high speed stirring or ultrasonic waves, and (II) a step for precipitating microparticles by mixing the microparticle starting material solution and at least one type of precipitation solvent for precipitating the microparticle starting material in a thin film fluid formed between at least two processing surfaces that are disposed facing each other, are able to approach/separate from each other, and of which at least one rotates relative to the others.
US09468887B2

Systems and methods for treating a fluid with a body are disclosed. Various aspects involve treating a fluid with a porous body. In select embodiments, a body comprises ash particles, and the ash particles used to form the body may be selected based on their providing one or more desired properties for a given treatment. Various bodies provide for the reaction and/or removal of a substance in a fluid, often using a porous body comprised of ash particles. Computer-operable methods for matching a source material to an application are disclosed. Certain aspects feature a porous body comprised of ash particles, the ash particles have a particle size distribution and interparticle connectivity that creates a plurality of pores having a pore size distribution and pore connectivity, and the pore size distribution and pore connectivity are such that a first fluid may substantially penetrate the pores.
US09468880B2

Embodiments described herein relate to a roomside replaceable fan filter unit having an integral aerosol injector ring. The roomside replaceable fan filter unit has a housing. The housing has a top wall having an inlet disposed therethrough, a plurality of sidewalls sealingly attached to the top wall at a first end, wherein the top wall and sidewalls partially enclose an interior volume, a mounting flange attached to the sidewalls on a second end extending from the sidewall in a direction from the interior volume, a sealing element disposed on the sidewall proximate the second end, wherein the sealing element extends into the interior volume and is adapted to sealingly engage a replaceable air filter, and a filter receiving aperture is disposed about the sealing element of the housing. An aerosol injector and a fan blade positioned to drive air through the inlet and into the housing, wherein the fan blade is disposed between the aerosol injector and the filter receiving aperture.
US09468873B2

The invention relates to a filtering device (100) comprising: a filter support element (10) which is movably mounted in the housing (30), which has the shape of a cylindrical bolt, and which has multiple filter chambers (11.1, 11.2; 12.1, 12.2), a filtering element being arranged in each said filter chamber; and an inlet channel (31.1, 31.2 32.1, 32.2) and an outlet channel (41.1, 41.2; 42 0.1, 42.2) in the housing (30), wherein the inlet channel and the outlet channel are each to be connected to at least one filter chamber in a production position. The aim of the invention is to increase the effective filtering surface. This is achieved in that at least two pairs of filter chambers are provided on the filter support element. The filter chambers of each pair are arranged on the filter support element in a diametrically opposed manner, and there are no connections between the filter chambers within the filter support element. At least one respective intermediate channel (13.1, 13.2, 14.1, 14.2) that extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis (19) of the filter support element (10) is provided between the outlet channels in the housing and the filter chambers. Intermediate channels of different lengths are provided for each pair of filter chambers.
US09468872B2

The present disclosure relates to modular purification systems using removable purifier cassettes for purifying liquids including, for example, liquids used in semiconductor manufacturing. A purification system may include a removable purifier cassette having a purifier inlet port and a purifier outlet port, and a manifold assembly. The manifold assembly can include a plurality of connection systems to that provide manifold ports to provide fluid to/from the cassette. In some embodiments, the connection systems may use connection nuts that can provide 360 degrees of thread engagement with less than 360 degrees of rotation.
US09468866B2

Processes are provided which utilize fiber conduit reactors/contactors to effect extraction of metal element/s, metal compound/s, metalloid element/s, and/or metalloid compound/s from a fluid stream. In particular, methods are provided which include introducing a first stream comprising an extractant and a second stream comprising a metal element, a metal compound, a metalloid element, and/or a metalloid compound into a conduit reactor proximate a plurality of fibers. The second stream is substantially immiscible with the first stream. The streams are introduced into the conduit reactor such that they are in contact and the extractant of the first stream interacts with the second stream to extract the metal element, a metal compound, a metalloid element, and/or a metalloid compound from the second stream into the first stream. The method further includes receiving the first and second streams in collection vessel/s and withdrawing separately the first and second streams from collection vessel/s.
US09468864B2

Condensing apparatuses and their use in various heat and mass exchange systems are generally described. The condensing apparatuses, such as bubble column condensers, may employ a heat exchanger positioned external to the condensing vessel to remove heat from a bubble column condenser outlet stream to produce a heat exchanger outlet stream. In certain cases, the condensing apparatus may also include a cooling device positioned external to the vessel configured and positioned to remove heat from the heat exchanger outlet stream to produce a cooling device outlet stream. The condensing apparatus may be configured to include various internal features, such as a vapor distribution region and/or a plurality of liquid flow control weirs and/or chambers within the apparatus having an aspect ratio of at least 1.5. A condensing apparatus may be coupled with a humidifier to form part of a desalination system, in certain cases.
US09468861B2

A spray drying apparatus includes: a gas inlet provided in a side wall in the vicinity of a top (lid) portion of the spray drying apparatus, for introducing a flue gas for drying a spray of dehydrated filtrate; flow-adjusting plates provided in a body of the spray drying apparatus, for decelerating the introduced flue gas so as to change the flow of the flue gas to a laminar flow; a spray nozzle for spraying the dehydrated filtrate from the desulfurization waste water into the flue gas having been changed to the laminar flow; and a joining unit for joining a bottom portion of the body of the spray drying apparatus to a gas supply line that is a main flue gas duct for the flue gas so as to discharge spray-dried solids to the main flue gas duct.
US09468855B2

A system and method for creating and joining a tournament in multi-tenant database environment is provided. The system for creating a tournament, for example, includes a database configured to securely store tenant based data and a processor communicatively connected to the database. The processor may be configured to receive number of participants data, assignment of participant data and type of tournament data, receive tournament access information, create tournament data based upon the number of participants data, the assignment of participants data and the type of tournament data, and push the tournament data to a tournament application on a domain of one or more tenants of the multi-tenant database system based upon the tournament access information.
US09468846B2

The present invention provides apparatuses and methods for a tactile feedback instrument, and more specifically, some embodiments are directed toward methods and apparatuses for a tactile feedback stylus. Some embodiments of the invention provide a stylus used in conjunction with mobile devices. Further embodiments of the invention provide a game system, comprising a game console and a stylus. Within such embodiments, the stylus comprises an electric motor and a control circuit coupled to the electric motor that is in communication with the game console and controls the electric motor. Within some of these embodiments, the stylus can vibrate or rumble when the electric motor is activated in response to gaming activity.
US09468845B2

Methods and computer programs include associating a three-dimensional collider component and a rigid body component to a two-dimensional game object used in the game play. The three-dimensional collider component and the rigid body component define a plurality of physics attributes to enable control of physical behavior of the game object. A second three-dimensional collider component is associated with a game cursor that is used for providing user input to the gameplay. The game cursor is defined as a two-dimensional object with at least a portion of the game cursor having a spherical contour. User input is detected at a touch screen interface of a computing device that is rendering the gameplay. The user input causes the spherical contour of the game cursor to control movement of the game object within the game scene of the gameplay, the movement being adjusted in accordance to physics attributes of the game object.
US09468844B1

A method for transmitting signals between wearable motion capture units and a video game engine enables user body movement to be captured and inputted into a video game engine. The user wears a plurality of inertial measurement units (IMUs) as well as a plurality of vibration motors and a plurality of LEDs. The video game engine is able to provide haptic and visual feedback to the user via the plurality of vibration motors and the plurality of LEDs. Captured user body movement data is received through a plurality of slave microcontrollers and transmitted to a master microcontroller. The master microcontroller converts the user body movement data to video game engine-ready data. The video game engine-ready data is then converted by the video game engine to haptic and visual feedback response data and transmitted back to the master microcontroller.
US09468842B2

Aspects of the present disclosure include systems and methods for instituting a metagame point system that may be integrated into an online video game network for one or more video game platforms. The metagame points system may increase or decrease a user's point total based upon user performance across a plurality of different video game titles. In some implementations, the points may be transferable between users based upon user performance during multiplayer video game play. In further implementations, the points earned by a user may be redeemable for various rewards.
US09468839B1

A game board and game apparatus is provided with the game board including a network of paths that originate at a starting point and which lead to a performing stage. The network of paths is specifically designed to be a tool utilized functionally by the players in conjunction with the other structural elements of the invention to stop opposing players from achieving the object of the game, thus affecting the length of the game. The overall theme of the game revolves around a touring band and the object of the game is to arrive on the performing stage with a certain number of band members and with band equipment. Forming a part of the game is a series of tokens that are moved along the network of paths. Further, there is provided a deck of “Consequence” cards with three different configurations within the deck of cards designed to enable the players to control the length of each game played, a printer/computer preprogrammed with the structure of the deck of “Consequence” cards containing the three different configurations designed to enable the players to control the length of each game played, a deck of “Band Member” cards, and a set or deck of “Band Equipment” cards. During the course of the game, as the tokens are advanced along the network of paths, the individuals playing the game will deal with consequences expressed by the “Consequence” cards due to landing on certain increments of the network of paths and further the players will aim to collect a certain number of band cards that represent a single band and at the same time collect at least one “Band Equipment” card, all prior to reaching the performing stage.
US09468833B1

A golf training aid for putting has a retainer that is received in a regulation-size golf hole to position a fence against the putting surface. The fence extends away from opposite sides of the golf hole and is curved to bounce golf balls that impact the fence towards the golf hole.
US09468811B2

A golf ball includes a unitary core having an outer surface, a geometric center, and a soft transition region adjacent to the outer surface, and is formed from a substantially homogenous composition. The ball further includes an outer cover layer. The soft transition region has a thickness of up to 4 mm, has about 8 to 20 percent trans-polybutadiene isomer, and has a negative hardness gradient of up to 15 Shore C. The core has an overall negative hardness gradient of up to 20 Shore C and has a gradient quotient, GQ, defined by the equation: G + T 10 × COR ≤ 7 where G is the overall negative hardness gradient in Shore C, T is the percent of trans-polybutadiene isomer at the core outer surface, and COR is the coefficient of restitution measured at an incoming velocity of 125 ft/s.
US09468810B2

The present invention provides a method for arranging dimples on a golf ball surface in which the dimples are arranged in a pattern derived from at least one irregular domain generated from a regular or non-regular polyhedron. The method includes choosing control points of a polyhedron, generating an irregular domain based on those control points, packing the irregular domain with dimples, and tessellating the irregular domain to cover the surface of the golf ball. The control points include the center of a polyhedral face, a vertex of the polyhedron, a midpoint or other point on an edge of the polyhedron and others. The method ensures that the symmetry of the underlying polyhedron is preserved while minimizing or eliminating great circles due to parting lines.
US09468809B2

An attachment device for attaching two mechanical connectors includes a strap and a protective enclosure. The strap includes opposite first and second ends folded so as to define first and second loops separated by a central part to which the first and second ends are secured, each loop being configured to allow a connector to pass. The protective enclosure includes main flanges and side flanges connected in a permanent manner, the main flanges covering main surfaces of the strap and the side flanges covering lateral surfaces of the central part so as to define a first closed loop forming a first opening around the first loop and a second closed loop forming a second opening around the second loop. Each opening is configured to allow passage of a connector, and at least one of the openings is configured to enable the strap to be inserted in the protective enclosure.
US09468803B2

A training ladder has a first chain and a second chain arranged parallel to each other, a plurality of strings arranged parallel to each other and disposed between the first and second chains, and a plurality of hollow bars made of a rigid material turnably disposed over each of the plurality of strings. The plurality of hollow bars is arranged to have a play for absorbing a change of a joint direction of the bar and the chain at each of joint portions of the bars and the chains by turning the bar.
US09468801B2

The facial muscle exercising device (20) is provided with an elastically deformable bending portion (21) and a mouth-held portion (24), which is installed at the center of the bending portion (21) and held by the lips. The mouth-held portion (24) is located outside an edge portion of the bending portion (21).
US09468798B2

An exercise machine includes a first foot pedal and a second foot pedal movably attached to a frame and arranged to travel along reciprocating paths. A pedal resistance mechanism is integrated into the exercise machine and arranged to resist movement of the first foot pedal and the second foot pedal along the reciprocating paths. A first arm support and a second arm support are movably attached to the frame where the first arm support and the second arm support are mechanically independent of the first foot pedal and the second foot pedal. Further, a dampening assembly is arranged to resist movement of the first arm support and the second arm support.
US09468790B1

An oval exercise hoop for resistance training including an oval two-sectioned tubular sleeve, with the sections attachable to each other by a pair of diametrically opposed male end connectors engage the female ends of each section. The male end connectors are disposed proximal to, but not directly on, diametrically opposed apices of the sleeve. A hollow core, which is disposed within each sleeve section, is either unweighted or weighted with a weighted fill having a wide range of densities and materials that provide a selected weight from a wide range of aggregate weights so as to require a selected amount of energy to rotate the sleeve around a user's waist and torso.
US09468783B1

Draping particulate filters for use with at least the nostrils is disclosed. The draping particulate filters include diaphanous PM filter material, a biocompatible skin contact adhesive located on at least a skin contact side of part of the diaphanous PM filter material, and at least one line of perforations. Methods of making draping particulate filters are also disclosed.
US09468771B2

Timing channel circuitry for controlling stimulation circuitry in an implantable stimulator is disclosed. The timing channel circuitry comprises a addressable memory. Data for the various phases of a desired pulse are stored in the memory using different numbers of words, including a command indicative of the number of words in the phase, a next address for the next phase stored in the memory, and a pulse width or duration of the current phase, control data for the stimulation circuitry, pulse amplitude, and electrode data. The command data is used to address through the words in the current phase via the address bus, which words are sent to a control register for the stimulation circuitry. After the duration of the pulse width for the current phase has passed, the stored next address is used to access the data for the next phase stored in the memory.
US09468769B2

A cardiac rhythm management (CRM) system includes a programming device that determines parameters for programming an implantable medical device based on patient-specific information including indications for use of the implantable medical device. By executing an indication-based programming algorithm, the programming device substantially automates the process between the diagnosis of a patient and the programming of an implantable medical device using parameters individually determined for that patient.
US09468759B2

A device and method for stimulating nerves. In one application, the approaches treat nausea and vomiting caused by a reaction to general anesthesia. A bi-modal approach involving acustimulation and medicants is contemplated for specific conditions.
US09468758B2

A device for diagnosing a wound in a patient, the device comprising: at least two electrodes configured to be placed on the skin of the patient, wherein the at least two electrodes are placed in the vicinity of the wound; and at least one signal processor operatively coupled with the at least two electrodes, wherein the at least one signal processor is configured to: i) detect and record an endogenous alternating electrical signal in an area of the wound, ii) transform said endogenous alternating electrical signal into a voltage versus frequency spectrum using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm, and iii) diagnose the wound as a chronic wound if the voltage for a frequency between 65-200 Hz of the frequency spectrum is below 10−7.3±10% volts and as an acute wound if the voltage for a frequency between 65-200 Hz of the frequency spectrum is above 10−7.3±10% volts.
US09468748B2

A multi-needle assembly according to the present invention includes: a plurality of needles; a central hub for supporting the needles with the front part of the needles exposed and the rear part thereof fixedly surrounded; a suction cap with the front having needle penetration holes for receiving the needles, the suction cap surrounding the needles and in a sealed manner one side of the central hub; and an adjustment part rotatably connected to the rear end of the suction cap and screwed around one side of the central hub for moving the central hub forward or backward with regard to the suction cap by rotation so as to adjust the length of exposure of the needles, wherein the adjustment part has one side inscribed with continuous numbers or a scale around. Thus the exposed length of the needles may be easily adjusted and confirmed as being desired, so that easy treatment is possible without an additional means for confirming.
US09468742B2

A Retrograde Entry Antegrade Placement (REAP™) method and apparatus facilitate the antegrade (i.e., in the direction of blood flow) placement of endovascular devices for treatment of lower extremity arterial disease. Initially, a retrograde entry is made into the arterial system of a patient at an entry point with a curved needle, which then exits at an exit point proximal to the entry point, with a first wire then passed through the lumen of the curved needle. From the skin exit point, a Dual-Lumen Access Director (DAD) device is advanced in the antegrade direction down the first wire in a first lumen and enters the CFA lumen. A second wire is passed down a second lumen in the DAD device and follows the SFA lumen in the antegrade direction. The DAD device is removed, and a standard dilator sheath is inserted over the second wire and the endovascular treatment begins.
US09468737B2

A reperfusion system and method of perfusing a blood vessel using the reperfusion system are provided. The system includes an introducer sheath, a middle catheter extending through the introducer sheath, and a balloon microcatheter extending through the middle catheter. A connecting tube extends between a lumen of the introducer sheath and a valve at a proximal end of the microcatheter. A flow path is defined along a lumen of the introducer sheath, through the connecting tube, into the microcatheter, and out of a distal opening of the microcatheter. The balloon is disposed adjacent the exit point of the flow path to reduce reflux. Embolic material can be introduced into the microcatheter at the valve to exit at the same location as the blood flow.
US09468736B2

A method of making an interconnect for a solid oxide fuel cell stack includes providing a chromium alloy interconnect and providing a nickel mesh in contact with a fuel side of the interconnect. Formation of a chromium oxide layer is reduced or avoided in locations between the nickel mesh and the fuel side of the interconnect. A Cr—Ni alloy or a Cr—Fe—Ni alloy is located at least in the fuel side of the interconnect under the nickel mesh.
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