US09551549B1
An adjustable stock assembly for a firearm includes a buffer tube extending rearwardly from a receiver, and provided with a series of recesses formed in a bottom portion thereof. A stock has a front end mounted for longitudinal axial sliding movement along the buffer tube, and a rear end provided with a butt plate. A lever arrangement is mounted on the stock for slidable movement therewith along the buffer tube to selectively engage and disengage with any one of the recesses formed in the buffer tube. The lever arrangement is positioned between the buffer tube and the stock, and is configured to prevent any movement of the stock relative to the buffer tube other than the longitudinal axial sliding movement of the stock along the buffer tube.
US09551538B2
Provided is a sheet-type heat pipe that has a sufficient heat transport capability and can be effortlessly installed in a thin chassis. The sheet-type heat pipe is made of a sealed container having a thickness of not larger than 0.5 mm. This container is formed by stacking and diffusion-joining together etched sheet bodies. Particularly, etching is performed on one side surface of each of the sheet bodies such that fine concavities and convexities can be formed on the inner surface of the container and the sheet-type heat pipe with a sufficient heat transport capability can thus be obtained even when the thickness of the container is not larger than 0.5 mm. More particularly, since the thickness of the container is formed to not larger than 0.5 mm, the sheet-type heat pipe can be effortlessly installed in a thin chassis such as that of a mobile terminal.
US09551534B2
A heat exchanger assembly having first and second heat exchangers and a seal. The seal may be disposed on the first heat exchanger and may have an elongated portion that extends toward the second heat exchanger to direct the flow of cooling air.
US09551532B2
A mechanical draft cooling tower employs air cooled condenser modules and operates by mechanical draft to exchange heat between atmospheric air and steam. The cooling tower utilizes a modular air cooled condenser with heat exchange deltas having tube bundles that are manufactured and assembled prior to being shipped to the tower site.
US09551528B2
There is provided a dispensing device for a welding rod dryer. The dispensing device may include a plurality of chambers configured to receive welding rod dryers; and a connection member provided in each of the plurality of chambers and configured to supply power to the welding dryers; and a door provided at an entrance of each of the plurality of chambers.
US09551524B2
A liner for an appliance is formed by a plastic sheet formed into a three dimensional shape corresponding to at least a portion of a compartment of the appliance. A plurality of electrically conductive ink pathways are applied on a surface of the plastic sheet, and a sealer material is applied to the plastic sheet to cover said pathways.
US09551522B2
Self-cooling compositions and systems adapted to rapidly chill a substance in a compact container are provided. In some implementations, the composition comprises an aqueous solution and solid chemical reactants, wherein at least one solid chemical reactant is selected independently from the group consisting of NH4NO3, urea, and mixtures thereof; and a second solid chemical reactant is selected independently from the group consisting of NH4Cl, calcium sulfate, borax, phosphates, MgCl2, carrageenan, and mixtures thereof. The self-cooling compositions and systems can have a wide range of applications such as cooling comestibles or medical assay kits.
US09551517B2
A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a controller configured to control opening and closing of a solenoid valve and that of a solenoid valve depending on any of a time when a compressor is activated, a time when the compressor is in normal operation, a time when a temperature of a motor of the compressor rises in the normal operation, and a time when the compressor stopped due to low-pressure cutoff is activated.
US09551500B2
A device for generating an air wall comprises a primary blower slit for generating a flat primary air stream in a passage opening mutually separating two spaces with different temperatures. Two adjacent air streams with the same direction and speed are added to the primary air stream. The primary air stream has a temperature between those of the secondary air streams. The absolute humidity of the air of the primary air stream is at least equal to that of the cold secondary air stream and lower than that of the warm secondary air stream. The air speed of the primary air stream amounts to at least 15 m/s. The width of the primary blower slit lies in the range of 15-40 mm. The length of the primary blower slit in the direction of the air stream lies roughly in the range of 5-40 cm, preferably 10-30 cm. No mixing occurs hereby occurs between the primary air stream Sp and the second secondary air stream Ss2 on the side of the warm space, whereby condensation (misting and vaporization) and/or sublimation (icing) is prevented.
US09551496B2
An induction-displacement neutral wall air terminal unit includes a housing defining a supply airflow path, a connected return airflow path, and a heating airflow path separated from the supply and return airflow paths by at least one interior wall. The unit also includes a plurality of induction-type nozzles located within the supply airflow path, that are deliver a ventilation air flow stream into the supply air flow path. The nozzles induce a return air flow stream through the return air flow path that mixes with the ventilation air flow stream to form a supply air flow stream delivered to a supply air outlet. A heating element is disposed within the heating airflow path to heat air within the heating air flow path. A plurality of fans may be placed within the heating airflow path to increase the overall heating capacity of the unit.
US09551485B2
Method for controlling NOx concentration in exhaust gas in combustion facility using pulverized coal
A method for controlling an NOx concentration in an exhaust gas in a combustion facility by: measuring a reaction velocity ki of each of a plurality of chars, each corresponding to a plurality of types of pulverized coals; determining a relationship between the NOx concentration in the exhaust gas and the reaction velocity ki for each of the chars; (iii) blending the plurality of the types of the pulverized coal, wherein a blending ratio of the plurality of the types of the pulverized coal is determined by using, as an index, a reaction velocity kblend of the char of the blended pulverized coal, which corresponds to a target NOx concentration or below, on the basis of the relationship; and supplying the blended pulverized coal to the combustion facility as the fuel of the combustion facility.
US09551476B2
A luminous flux control member (100) has: a light input region (110), to which light having been outputted from a light emitting element (210) is inputted; and a light output region (150), from which the light having been inputted from the light input region (110) is outputted. The input region (110) has: a refracting section (120); a reflection fresnel lens section (130), which is positioned outside of the refracting section (120); and a reflecting surface (140), which is positioned outside of the reflection fresnel lens section (130). The reflecting surface (140) reflects, toward the light output region (150), the light which has been inputted to the reflection fresnel lens section (130), and which has not been reflected (the light leaked from the reflection fresnel lens section (130)).
US09551474B2
A wavelength conversion member includes: a heat conducting layer; a sapphire substrate having a third surface directly contact with a second surface of the heat conducting layer and the fourth surface opposite to the third surface; and a phosphor layer having a fifth surface directly contact with the fourth surface and a sixth surface opposite to the fifth surface, the phosphor layer including phosphor. At least one of an area of a first surface and an area of the second surface of the heat conducting layer is at least 2800 times as large as an area of the sixth surface of the phosphor layer. At least one of an area of the third surface and an area of the fourth surface of the sapphire substrate is at least two times as large as the area of the sixth surface of the phosphor layer.
US09551472B2
A rotary electronic candle, including a candle body having a hollow cavity with a candle wick, the candle wick including a battery box base, a plurality of fixing columns, a motor fixing ring, a cover plate, a motor, a rotating shaft, a light source plate and a hemispherical cover. The fixing columns are fixed at the upper end of the battery box base, the motor fixing ring is located between the plurality of fixing columns, and the cover plate is covered on the upper end face of the motor fixing ring. A through hole is formed in the center of the cover plate, the motor is installed in the motor fixing ring, the rotating shaft is connected with the motor shaft of the motor and penetrates through the through hole, and the light source plate is fixed on the cover plate.
US09551460B2
A bearing system includes a bearing housing configured to house a bearing, the bearing housing enclosing a free volume for receiving lubricant, a quantity of the lubricant in the free volume, a sensor configured to measure at least one parameter affecting a degradation rate at which the lubricant will degrade and to produce at least one output signal indicative of the measured at least one parameter, a pump for pumping lubricant into the bearing housing, and a controller configured to receive the at least one output signal from the sensor and to control the pump based a function of the received at least one output signal.
US09551453B2
A system for mounting a flat panel television or display to a surface such as a wall. A base plate is configured to operatively connect to a surface, while an adapter plate is configured to operatively connect to a display device. A plurality of connecting arms are used to operatively connect the base plate to the adapter plate. Each of the plurality of connecting arms includes a base plate engagement portion slidably engageable with slots in the base plate and an adapter plate engagement portion operatively connected to the adapter plate. Movement of the base plate engagement portions within the base plate's slots results in a translational movement of the adapter plate relative to the base plate.
US09551451B2
A skid structure for a powertrain includes a pair of longitudinally extending members disposed about a central axis and in a mutually spaced apart relationship with one another. Each of the members includes a top wall; a bottom wall disposed in a spaced apart relation with the top wall; and a side wall connected at corresponding edges of the top and bottom walls to define a pocket therebetween. The pocket is configured to extend longitudinally along a length of the member and laterally along a width of the top and bottom walls. The skid structure further includes multiple gussets that are disposed within the pocket and interspaced from one another along the length of the member. Each gusset is configured to connect with at least two of the top wall, the bottom wall, and the side wall. The gussets are configured to support a weight of the powertrain thereon.
US09551447B2
A connector having a body 1 with a central throughway in which a tube T is received. A collet 30 within the body has a plurality of flexible legs 32 arranged to grip the tube T if a force is applied to withdraw the tube. The connector further comprises at least one first tooth 14, the first tooth having a gripping edge in a plane angled to a plane perpendicular to the main axis of the connector, and being mountable with respect to the body so as to be non-rotatable about the main axis X.
US09551445B2
Example embodiments are directed to an enclosure. The enclosure can include at least one wall forming a cavity. The enclosure can also include a conduit receiver disposed in the at least one wall. The conduit receiver can include a housing having an aperture, where the aperture is configured to receive a conduit. The conduit receiver can also include a retaining element disposed within the housing at a distal end of the housing. The conduit receiver can further include a sealing device disposed within the housing at a proximal end of the housing. The conduit receiver can also include a bushing adjacent to the proximal end of the housing, where the bushing extends radially inward from the at least one wall, where the bushing is configured to abut against the conduit when the conduit is received in the aperture, and where the bushing covers an end of the conduit.
US09551439B2
A wire management article includes a base sheet and a plurality of wire management elements. The base sheet has a major surface from which the wire management elements project. The wire management elements define a plurality of channels. Each channel is configured to retain at least one wire. The wire management article may include a cover sheet releasably attached to the base sheet. The wire management article may be part of a wire management system.
US09551438B2
A cable retaining apparatus, or trefoil cleat, for retaining three power cables is disclosed. Two halves of the cleat are hinged together and between them engage the three cables. There is also a clamping portion for pulling the two halves together which includes a clamping member at the non-hinged end of each half. Both clamping members have holes through them and one hole has an internal thread. There is also a bolt that extends through the non-threaded hole and into the threaded hole. The bolt has a non-threaded portion that extends at least between the clamping members when the cleat is in use.
US09551437B2
A spacer clamp assembly includes a clamping body with a recess for receiving a cable and a bolt hole defining a passage. A resilient member on the clamping body has a bolt hole receiving a clamping bolt. The bolt is resiliently biased in the bolt hole of the resilient member to a clamping position. A keeper has a first end coupled to the first end of the clamping body and a second end with an open slot configured for mating with the clamping bolt in the clamping position. The keeper has a contact surface to contact the clamping bolt during closing of the keeper for guiding the bolt along the contact surface into the slot. The resilient member enables the clamping bolt to move when contacting the contact surface and bias the bolt into the slot to the clamping position in the closed clamping position.
US09551435B2
A method of cleaning contaminants, including particulate contaminants, from a valve in a fluid system includes moving a valve flow control element of the valve from a first position to a second position in response to a change in a condition in the fluid system other than a change in superheat.
US09551434B1
A method of inspecting switching time with fluid control valve used for inspecting operating time to turn-on or turn-off a valve door of a fluid control valve is disclosed. The method comprises following steps: firstly provide an inspector with a counting unit, a timer, a first limited switch and a second limited switch. The counting unit electrically connects to the timer and a pneumatic module of fluid control valve, the first limited switch and second limited switch connect to the timer, and the first limited switch contacts the rod of the fluid control valve rod. Then, input basic data of corresponding fluid control valve, which comprises operating conditions of the fluid control valve. Next, activate the pneumatic module and start to time, and the axial shift generated by the rod of the fluid control valve triggers the second limited switch to stop timing. Lastly, record and display operating time.
US09551432B2
A solenoid valve includes a housing, a valve actuation device, and a closing element, wherein the housing includes an interior space with a central axis, wherein the valve actuation device includes an actuator arranged in the interior space so as to be displaceable along the central axis, wherein the actuator is operatively connected to the closing element such that the solenoid valve is opened or closed by a displacement of the actuator along the central axis, wherein the actuator together with the housing delimit, in the interior space of the housing, a leakage chamber that can be filled with a fluid, e.g., a fuel, and wherein in the leakage chamber, at least one vortex generator is arranged on the housing and/or on the actuator, which vortex generator is configured to generate a fluid vortex in the leakage chamber.
US09551431B2
The present invention relates to a gaseous sample injection valve. The gaseous sample injection valve includes a middle body injecting a fixed amount of a gaseous sample into the vacuum chamber of a mass spectrometer, the middle body being constituted by a gaseous sample injection tube, a gaseous sample discharge tube, a storage part, and a vacuum chamber connection tube; an upper body accommodating a first solenoid coil, a first plunger, and a first packing; and a lower body accommodating a second solenoid coil, a second plunger, and a second packing. The gaseous sample injection valve according to the present invention may be miniaturized to utilize a lightweight portable mass spectrometer. Also, the vacuum pump may be reduced in load to extend the operation life-cycle of the vacuum pump. In addition, when the gaseous sample is analyzed by using the mass spectrometer, a uniform mass spectrum with respect to the gaseous sample may be obtained.
US09551428B2
A versatile air-valve connecting device includes two valve connectors and a rotator. The two valve connectors each have an air inlet. The rotator has a cam including a major diameter and a minor diameter and has an air hole. The rotator normally contacts the two valve connectors with the minor diameter so that the two valve connectors are in a relaxed state, and when the rotator is rotated to have the major diameter contacting the two valve connectors, the two valve connectors are slightly deformed under compression and turned into a use state for connecting a valve, where the air hole is communicated with the air inlet of one of the valve connector while the air inlet of the other valve connector is closed by the cam portion into airtightness.
US09551417B2
Described herein is a gearbox for a motor vehicle including a plurality of forward gear ratios and a reverse gear ratio, the gearbox further including: a control device (configured for controlling the selection and the engagement of said forward gear ratios and of said reverse gear ratio; and a plurality of engagement devices that can be controlled by means of said control device for engaging the forward gear ratios or reverse gear ratio (RM) of the gearbox that are operatively associated to said devices. The gearbox includes a locking device, which is electrically controlled and configured for preventing actuation of the engagement device associated to a predetermined forward gear ratio, said locking device being configured for being actuated above a threshold speed of the motor vehicle on which said gearbox is installed.
US09551415B2
Readings of multiple sensors are utilized to estimate transmission output, which is used as a feedback signal to control the torque capacity of a transmission clutch. Some sensor readings, such as transmission output speed, are used to compute an input vector. Then, a current state vector is computed as a linear function of the previous state vector and the input vector. One of the values in the state vector is shaft twist, which is proportional to transmission output torque. Various other sensor readings, including wheel speed, are used to correct for noise. Wheel speed signals are received with a delay. To accommodate this delay, the state vector is expanded to include estimates of wheel speed at various past points in time. An accelerometer reading is used at very low speeds at which the wheel speed sensor and transmission output speed sensor are unreliable.
US09551409B2
A pulley assembly having a body, a shaft mount and a plurality of bolts is disclosed. The body is aligned to the shaft mount by providing a tight tolerance between a shoulder portion of the bolt and a neck portion of a counter sunk hole formed in the body. Additionally, an outer surface of the body may have a pattern of friction lines or patches formed by fusing particulate matter to the outer surface with heat generated by a laser beam.
US09551407B2
The invention concerns a transmission mounted in a housing between a turbine and a generator on top of a tower of a wind turbine, comprising a gearbox and in the gearbox a main gear mounted on a main gear shaft and a pinion that engages a set of gear teeth of the main gear. The pinion is mounted on a pinion shaft and the pinion shaft is coupled to a hydraulic pump mounted on the gearbox, a hydraulic motor drives the generator. In accordance with the invention the main gear shaft and the rotor shaft together form a common shaft and a main gear shaft bearing is mounted between the common shaft and the gearbox and at least two tension bars prevent the rotation of the gearbox and leave the gearbox free to move in linear directions.
US09551404B2
A transmission having a variator drive capable of being placed in a continuously variable operating mode or an infinitely variable operating mode, capable of having a wide ratio range, and capable of integrating a clutching capability within the transmission. The variable transmissions can be operated in at least two different operating modes, depending on an engagement status of the clutches therein. Methods of running the variable transmissions and drivelines that incorporate such variable transmissions are provided.
US09551399B2
A cable guiding-protecting chain comprises a plurality of chain members connected in series. Each chain member comprises two connection plates which face each other and are spaced apart from each other and a first link plate and a second link plate which each connect the two connection plates. The two connection plates, the first link plate and the second link plate cooperate to define a passing space penetrating from the front to the rear. Each connection plate has an inner link portion at a front segment thereof, an outer link portion at a rear segment thereof and an outer step portion. The outer link portion has a rear end edge which is arcuate in shape and a thinned portion which is close to the rear end edge and is thinned in thickness at a side adjacent to the passing space.
US09551398B2
One embodiment of the invention includes a system for shifting a torsional mode frequency of a rotary device, the system comprising: a plurality of mass rings, each of the plurality of mass rings comprising: a pair of radially-segmented half rings; and at least one channel through each of the radially-segmented half rings, the at least one channel oriented substantially perpendicular to the radial segmentation of the mass ring, whereby the plurality of mass rings may be aligned and secured through the at least one channel of each radially-segmented half ring such that the radial segmentation of each mass ring is staggered with respect to the radial segmentation of an adjacent mass ring.
US09551393B2
A rotorcraft vibration isolation system includes a plurality of liquid inertia vibration elimination (LIVE) units mounted on a first rotorcraft surface, an accumulator mounted on a second rotorcraft surface at a location that is remote from locations of the plurality of LIVE units, and a fluid passage to connect the accumulator to the plurality of LIVE units in parallel. The fluid passage has sufficient length to traverse between the location of the accumulator and each location of each LIVE unit. During rotorcraft operation, the second rotorcraft surface experiences lesser periodic vibration than the first rotorcraft surface.
US09551392B2
A shock absorbing cradle for supporting a bicycle on an arm of a bicycle carrier. The cradle includes an arm receiving base having a bicycle carrier arm engaging surface and a floating carriage releasably coupled to the arm receiving base. The floating carriage includes an upper portion having a bicycle engaging surface and a resilient member disposed between the upper portion and the arm receiving base.
US09551390B2
A disc brake for a commercial vehicle is provided. The disc brake includes a brake caliper which engages over a brake disc and is in the form of a sliding caliper, two brake pads which are arranged in the caliper, are movable in opposite directions and each have a pad carrier plate and a friction lining fastened thereon and of which an application-side brake pad is pressable against the brake disc by an application device via at least one brake plunger, and with at least one restoring device with which the brake caliper is returnable after a braking-induced displacement and release of the brake. The restoring device is provided with a friction element which is mounted in the brake pad so as to be displaceable to a limited extent under pressure loading in the axial direction of the brake disc and on which an elastic pressure element held in the brake caliper and/or brake plunger acts.
US09551379B1
Structural design permits efficiency to increase, which allows for the levitation of power generation equipment in a power plant. Rotational gyroscopic levitation motion is achieved by spinning stabilization without physical bearings on a generator. The phenomena of magnetic levitation of a rotational moving part with a degree of vertical allowance permit the torque resistance to lessen allowing for the reduction in heat rate to kilowatt-hour ratio. The magnetic levitation is further enhance by containing the magnetic bearings in a cooled chamber.
US09551378B2
A rolling bearing assembly comprising an inner ring, an outer ring, and at least one row of rolling elements located between raceways provided on each of the inner and outer rings. The rolling bearing assembly comprises an angular adjustment feature for angularly adjusting the inner ring relative to the outer ring, wherein the adjustment feature comprises at least one angular indexing finger extending radially from one of the inner ring and the outer ring towards the other of the inner ring and the outer ring and an arc-shaped stop for the angular indexing finger mounted on the other of the inner ring and the outer ring.
US09551370B2
An anchoring sleeve for anchoring a fastening element in a bore hole of a component by a hardenable compound is disclosed. The anchoring sleeve has a sleeve-like base body with a first end, with a second end, as well as with several axially successive extension sections arranged between the ends which are each configured to be cone-like and their diameter respectively increases in the direction of the first end.
US09551368B2
Spooling machine including two side frames spaced at a horizontal distance by a telescopic spacer beam, each frame having a pintle on supports for bearing a drum for cable pipe or hose, the telescopic spacer beam including at least one outer tube and at least one inner tube, which are slidably and telescopically one inside the other, and a locking device positioned between the outer tube and the inner tube for locking the outer and inner tube in adjustable position. The locking device includes a split part of the inner tube extending over a part of the length of the inner tube and dividing the inner tube into sections, and a force element for creating a swelling force on the split part of the inner tube to press the sections against the inner surface of the outer tube.
US09551363B2
Untreated bosses are formed in advance in two directions on a cylinder mechanism. The bosses on one side are formed as mounts to attach a motor cylinder device to a vehicle body, and the other bosses are formed as ports to connect to the cylinder mechanism. The mount bosses are formed on the outside in the width direction of the vehicle, and the port bosses are formed on the inside in the width direction of the vehicle.
US09551361B2
A travel control valve includes a valve body and a spool. The valve body includes a first pump port connected on an upstream side from a drive control valve, a first connection port connected on a downstream side from the drive control valve, a second pump port connected to a second pump, and a second connection port connected to a second circuit system. The travel control valve can switch a communication opening between the first pump port and the first connection port to a large opening throttle position in which the communication opening remains smaller than that between the second pump port and the second connection port, and a small opening throttle position in which the communication opening remains smaller than that in the large opening throttle position.
US09551350B2
A device for uncoupling a bearing carrier in a turbomachine, the bearing carrier including an upstream part and a downstream part including a plurality of upstream orifices respectively facing a plurality of downstream orifices. The uncoupling device includes rupture screws each passing through an upstream orifice and a downstream orifice, and at least a mechanism for double centering of a rupture screw with respect to the upstream orifice and to the downstream orifice respectively. The mechanism for double centering is independent of the upstream and downstream parts of the bearing carrier and of the rupture screw, and is configured to collaborate with the upstream part of the rupture screw such that when the rupture screw breaks, the upstream part carries with it the mechanism for double centering. A turbomachine can include such an uncoupling device.
US09551349B2
A cooling system for a rotating machine, such as a centrifugal compressor. Specifically, the cooling system may be configured to cool radial and axial magnetic bearings in the rotating machine and the bearing control system that controls said bearings. The cooling system includes canned magnetic radial bearings on each end of the rotor and a canned bearing control system. The canned bearings and canned bearing control system may be filled with a dielectric cooling fluid and in fluid communication with each other via sealed conduits. Accordingly, the radial magnetic bearings and the bearing control system may be entirely immersed in the dielectric cooling fluid to regulate heat generation. An axial magnetic bearing may also be canned and fluidly coupled to the cooling system to immerse the axial magnetic bearing in the dielectric cooling fluid.
US09551347B2
Provided are a water pump motor that employs a stator core of an outer winding method that can use a low-cost ferrite magnet by minimizing an air gap between a magnet of a rotor and a stator core, and that heightens a fill factor, to thereby maximize efficiency of the motor, and a water pump using the water pump motor. The water pump motor includes a stator and an inner type rotor, in which the stator includes: a stator core whose inner circumferential portion is annularly interconnected, in which a number of protrusions are radially extended and formed; insulating bobbins that surround the stator core; a coil wound around the outer circumference of each bobbin; and an annular back yoke that surrounds in contact with the outer end of the stator core. The insulating bobbins are annularly molded to surround the inner circumferential portion of the stator core, and entirely surround the inner circumferential portion of the stator core, to thus make the inner side surface play a role of a sealing cover, and the rotor includes ferrite magnets in opposition to the inner side surfaces of the bobbins.
US09551340B2
A displacement pump with a pot-shaped housing, a rotor which is swivel-mounted about a rotation axis inside the housing, and two blades which are guided in a movable manner insider the rotor, wherein the pot-shaped housing includes an inner peripheral wall which has a sealing portion for tightly adjoining the rotor and a chamber portion for tightly adjoining the blade tips, as well as for dividing the internal space of the housing into chambers. The rotor has two blade receptacles for receiving and guiding the blades, wherein each internal radially extending blade tip restricts a pressure chamber in the respective blade receptacle. Both pressure chambers are fluid-connected to one another via a connection element, wherein the total volume of both pressure chambers and the connection element remains at the same level during a rotation of the rotor, at least while the blade tips are attached to the chamber portion.
US09551330B2
A frangible closure coupling is used with or on pipe of a tank that contains a potentially dangerous fluid, such as liquid natural gas. The closure coupling mitigates the uncontrolled release of fluid from the tank in the event of a rupture of a pipe attached to the tank.
US09551327B2
A power generation switch apparatus including multiple switch keys, a power generation apparatus that is driven to perform power generation by an operation force applied to the multiple switch keys, multiple switches being supplied with an electric power generated by the power generation apparatus and performing a switching movement by an operation of the multiple switch keys, and a switch signal transmission circuit being driven by the electric power from the power generation apparatus and outputting multiple switch signals that are different from each other in correspondence with the switching movement of the multiple switches.
US09551324B2
A pitch bearing assembly for a wind turbine having a stiffener is disclosed. The pitch bearing assembly may include an outer race and an inner race rotatable relative to the outer race. The inner race may define a mounting surface and an inner circumference. The mounting surface may extend generally perpendicular to the inner circumference. In addition, the stiffener may include a body and a mounting flange. The body may extend axially within a volume defined by the inner circumference of the inner race. Further, the mounting flange of the stiffener may be coupled to the mounting surface of the inner race.
US09551320B2
A method and system for reducing a torsional movement and/or a torsional loading of a tower of a wind turbine is disclosed includes generating a tower torsion signal with a detection system and providing the signal to an asymmetric load control assembly. The tower torsion signal may correspond to an actual torsional movement of the tower or a torsional loading of the tower. The asymmetric load control assembly is configured to mitigate an asymmetric load acting on the wind turbine using the tower torsion signal.
US09551311B2
A nozzle body for a fluid injection includes a cavity and a bottom wall delimiting the cavity at a fluid outlet end. The bottom wall is perforated by an injection hole having an inlet opening at an inner surface of the bottom wall and an outlet opening at an outer surface of the bottom wall. The outlet opening has an elongated slit shape having a centerline which is a circular arc with respect to the longitudinal axis. The inlet opening is spaced apart from the longitudinal axis by a radial distance. The inner surface has a concave shape extending away from the fluid outlet end from an apex of the inner surface. Further, the inlet opening is spaced apart from the apex by an axial distance that is smaller than said radial distance.
US09551306B2
A segmented air filtration element is provided. The segmented air filtration element includes a center tube defining a central axis and an inner passage therein. The center tube includes a plurality of ribs extending along the central axis and spaced apart from one another. A plurality of segmenting surfaces is attached to the center tube in a radial arrangement with respect to the central axis. The plurality of segmenting surfaces is configured to accommodate a plurality of filter media therebetween such that each of the plurality of filter media is selectively replaceable therefrom.
US09551302B2
An internal combustion engine has a cylinder and an exhaust-gas turbocharger comprising a compressor arranged in an intake system and a turbine arranged in an exhaust-gas discharge system. Various lines are provided for conducting gases including 1) a bypass line branching off from the inlet system downstream of the compressor so as to form an inlet-side junction, and 2) a recirculation line branching off from the exhaust-gas discharge system upstream of the turbine so as to form an outlet-side junction which opens into the bypass line. A first control element at the outlet-side junction adjusts an exhaust-gas quantity conducted through the recirculation line. A second control element at the inlet-side junction has a first position that separates the bypass line from the cylinder and connects the intake line to the cylinder, and a second position that separates the intake line from the cylinder and connects the bypass line to the cylinder.
US09551301B2
A rotary-type carburetor (1) according to the present invention includes a body (4) having a bore (2) with a circular cross section, and a valve element (6) to be contained in the bore (2). The valve element (6) rotates between a closed position where the valve passage (16) is blocked from communicating with the body passages (10a, 10b), and a fully-opened position where the valve passage (16) and the body passages (10a, 10b) are aligned. When the valve element (6) is located in an idle position, an air flowing through the body passages (10a, 10b) and the valve passage (16) is prevented from being flown into the bore end part (12). When the valve element (6) is located in a fully-opened position, a portion of the air flowing from an upstream part (10a) of the body passage is bypassed into the upstream communication part (32).
US09551299B2
A combustion chamber includes an inner wall, an outer wall surrounding the inner wall, and a flow passage between the inner wall and outer wall that permits forward flow and restricts reverse flow. The inner wall has a plurality of effusion holes in fluid communication with the inside of the combustion chamber. The outer wall has a plurality of cooling side holes in fluid communication with a cooling source. The inner wall and the outer wall define a flow passage therebetween that fluidly connects one or more of the cooling side holes with one or more of the effusion holes. The flow passage has a geometric configuration to permit forward flow of gases through the flow passage from the cooling source to the inside of the combustion chamber and to restrict reverse flow of gases through the flow passage from the inside of the combustion chamber to the cooling source. The permitted flow rate is greater than the restricted flow rate.
US09551295B2
Systems, devices, and methods are presented for detecting a misaligned or otherwise skewed variable area fan nozzle (VAFN) that is mounted on a thrust reverser sleeve of an aircraft engine. Rods project from different parts around the arcuate VAFN, the rods having patterns at their ends. In normal operation when the thrust reverser is stowed, the rods project over the thrust reverser into a fixed area of the engine. Sensors in the fixed area determine the position of the VAFN from the patterns on the rods. When the thrust reverser deploys, the rods are pulled aft with the VAFN, which is mounted on the thrust reverser sleeve, and separate from the sensors. When the thrust reverser stows, the rods move forward with the VAFN and re-engage with the sensors. Repeating patterns on the rods allow for simple, relatively low-cost sensors to read their relative positions.
US09551286B2
Controlling turbocharger boost pressure using exhaust pressure estimated from engine cylinder pressure.
US09551285B2
An object is to provide an exhaust-gas control device for a gas engine whereby NOx is reduced and fuel consumption is improved by performing NOx restriction operation when an environmental or geographical condition in which the amount of NOx emission needs to be temporarily restricted is satisfied, and otherwise performing stable operation focusing on the fuel consumption. The exhaust-gas control device for a gas engine includes: a basic operation mode unit (80) using the first target ignition timing and the first target air-fuel rate at which the fuel consumption rate is the optimum; a low-NOx operation mode unit (82) using the second target ignition timing retarded from the first target ignition timing and the second target air-fuel rate increased from the first target air-fuel rate; a NOx reduction demand determination unit (86) for determining whether to restrict the amount of NOx emission temporarily, and an switching unit to operation mode (84) for switching the operation mode to the low NOx operation mode while the reduction demand condition is satisfied by the NOx reduction demand determination unit.
US09551283B2
A system with a gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine includes a first combustor comprising a first fuel nozzle, a second combustor comprising a second fuel nozzle, and a first fuel pressure oscillation system. The first fuel pressure oscillation system includes a first rotary device coupled to a first fuel circuit. The first fuel circuit is disposed along a first fuel passage leading to the first fuel nozzle. The first rotary device is configured to generate a first fuel pressure oscillation through the first fuel nozzle. The gas turbine engine also includes a second fuel pressure oscillation system having a second rotary device coupled to a second fuel circuit. The second fuel circuit is disposed along a second fuel passage leading to the second fuel nozzle, and the second rotary device is configured to generate a second fuel pressure oscillation through the second fuel nozzle.
US09551272B2
A power system including an engine, a first heat transfer circuit, and a second heat transfer circuit. The first heat transfer circuit includes a first heat exchanger that cools a first circuit fluid. The first circuit fluid cools a block and a head of the engine. The second heat transfer circuit includes a second heat exchanger that cools a second circuit fluid. The second circuit fluid cools a lube oil cooler.
US09551268B2
A cooling air intake device is mounted to a frame of a vehicle and includes a base plate and an intake box. The intake box is mounted on the base plate that includes a first admission section and a blocking section adjacent to the first admission section. The intake box includes a first intake compartment and a second intake compartment. The first intake compartment corresponds to the first admission section of the base plate. The first intake compartment includes a first baffle plate mounted therein. The first intake compartment has a side wall in which a first discharge section is formed. The second intake compartment is arranged above the first intake compartment in such a way that a second baffle plate is arranged between the first intake compartment and the second intake compartment. The second intake compartment includes a second admission section and a second discharge section.
US09551266B2
A converter housing including a primary housing portion for housing a first converter brick, an intermediate housing portion, and a secondary housing portion for housing a second converter brick. The intermediate housing portion includes an inlet having a first axis and an outlet having a second axis that is angled with respect to the first axis. The first converter brick is disposed within the primary housing portion while the intermediate housing portion defines flow channels that communicate with a downstream end of the first converter brick along an outer surface of the primary housing portion and toward the outlet. The intermediate housing portion includes indented attachment surfaces which engage and hold the primary housing portion.
US09551259B1
Methods and systems are provided for determining degradation of a particulate filter in an exhaust conduit. In one example, a method may include diverting exhaust gas to a secondary soot sensor assembly downstream of a first filter, comprising a filter and determining degradation based on time intervals between subsequent filter regenerations of the second filter in the secondary soot sensor assembly.
US09551245B2
A torsion assembly for providing controllable torsion to a camshaft, including: a spring assembly including a first spring; and, a contact element arranged to engage at least one lobe for the camshaft. For a locked mode: the contact element is arranged to be displaced by the at least one cam lobe; the contact element is arranged to compress the first spring; and the first spring is arranged to impart a first torque to the camshaft via the contact element. For an unlocked mode, the contact element is arranged to be displaced by the at least one cam lobe and the contact element is arranged to impart a second torque, less than the first torque, to the cam shaft via the contact element.
US09551239B2
In various embodiments, center body assemblies are described herein. The center body assembly may include an attachment ring, a center body, and a cavity structure. The center body may be configured to be coupled to the attachment ring. The cavity structure may be configured to be coupled to the attachment ring. The cavity structure may be configured to be separated from the center body by a gap. The center body and the cavity structure may be configured to expand independently of each other in response to an increase in temperature. In various embodiments, the cavity structure may comprise a baffle. In various embodiments, the center body may comprise a baffle.
US09551236B2
An arrangement for the guiding of the flow of a liquid in relation to the rotor of a turbomachine, which includes an intermediary disc and a downstream disc of which the internal diameter and the axial position of the discs are defined in such a way that the tank is arranged inside the discs. The rotor supports a guide flange with an element of revolution of which the diameter of the section increases in the downstream direction, according to the direction of flow of the gases in the turbomachine. The downstream axial end of the flange is fixed to a portion of the rotor located downstream of the downstream disc and the upstream axial end of the flange is connected to the internal radial end of the intermediate disc.
US09551234B2
A control device for controlling pivotable vanes of a turbo-machine, including: a plurality of pivotable vanes distributed in azimuth over at least 90° around the axis of the turbo-machine, the pivotable vanes being oriented substantially radially relative to the axis of the turbo-machine; and a control ring portion for controlling pivoting of the vanes, each vane being connected to the control ring portion by a link, the control ring portion being held around the axis of the turbo-machine by the links; wherein at least two of the links are connected to the ring portion by respective ball-joint connections, with other links being connected to the ring portion via respective sliding pivot connections.
US09551223B2
Several embodiments of a wobble plate motor include a disc mounted on a bent shaft. Driving the wobble plate so it revolves on a flat base causes the bent shaft to rotate and drive a generator or other work consumer. The wobble plate may be driven by a fluid stream impinging on the plate or by a blade assembly in a path of fluid movement. In one embodiment of a bladed motor, a shroud may direct the fluid stream so it more efficiently cooperates with the blade assembly.
US09551216B2
An apparatus for retrieving a fluid from a sampling zone in a borehole intersecting a formation may include a sampling tool having a port positioned in the sampling zone and a permeable media filling an annular space surrounding the port. The permeable media may include a circumferential support face, a first plurality of radial flow channels, and a second plurality of radial flow channels. The support face extends axially and uniformly along a length of the sampling zone. The circumferential support face contacts a borehole wall. The first plurality of radial flow channels conveys fluid between the borehole wall and the port. The second plurality of radial flow channels conveys fluid between the borehole wall and a location isolated from the port.
US09551214B2
A method for determining the complex response of a permeable stratum at the bottom of a producing well, the well comprising a well head fitted with an outlet valve and the bottom of the well comprising a height-adjustable pressure and flow rate sensor, comprising the following steps: periodically altering the degree to which the outlet valve is open, and, while the alteration is in progress: —measuring the pressure and flow rate in the well at the top/bottom of the stratum for a certain number of periods of alteration, after a certain delay; and —measuring the pressure and the flow rate in the well at the bottom/top of the stratum for a certain number of periods of alteration, immediately after the positioning of the sensor.
US09551201B2
Methods and apparatus include an expandable packer having a tubing expanded to create a seal in an annulus surrounding the tubing. The tubing includes a non-uniform outer surface configured to cause formation of undulations in a diameter of the tubing upon expansion of the tubing. A plurality of expandable packers may be connected to a tubular string to isolate multiple zones in a wellbore. A production tubular equipped with multiple expandable packers may be installed in the tubular string. The expandable packers may also include non-uniform outer surfaces configured to form undulations upon expansion. The combination of tubular string and production tubular may be used in an enhanced oil recovery application such as injecting steam into a formation to enhance production.
US09551200B2
An apparatus for containing pressure associated with a well includes a ram fluid chamber, a ram piston, and an intensifier piston within a housing. The ram piston has ends associated with a ram and with the ram fluid chamber. The intensifier piston has ends associated with the ram fluid chamber and a fluid source. The end of the intensifier piston associated with the fluid source has a larger surface area than the end associated with the ram fluid chamber. Fluid from the fluid source applies a first pressure to the second end of the intensifier piston to move the intensifier piston. Movement of the intensifier piston applies a second pressure greater than the first pressure to fluid in the ram fluid chamber to move the ram piston and associated ram toward a closed position.
US09551197B2
A setting tool for use inside a well bore casing having an upper portion, a lower portion, and a wrap spring. The upper portion includes a mandrel coupled to a connecting line. The upper portion is configured to receive an input. The lower portion includes a first sleeve configured translate along an axis of the setting tool. The lower portion is selectively coupled to the upper portion. The wrap spring has a torsional preload and is coupled to the upper portion and the lower portion. The wrap spring is configured to selectively release the lower portion and upon reception of the input, such that the first sleeve is permitted to translate along the axis.
US09551182B2
A system of increased safety when performing work using a ladder is described. The system includes a ladder bracket for temporarily attachment of a ladder to a structure to stabilize or secure the ladder. The bracket is easy to install and acts to limit or prevent slippage of the ladder laterally or away from the structure and generally promotes a greater margin of safety. In addition, the system includes a bracket for temporarily, yet securely, attaching a safety railing to a ladder.
US09551177B2
Techniques related to a hinge in a computing device are described herein. The techniques may include forming a shaft to move rotationally, and forming a sliding component to move translationally as a result of rotational movement of the shaft.
US09551175B2
A hinge for the pivotable arrangement of a hood or panel on the support structure of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The hinge includes a basic part and a hinge arm pivotably mounted on the basic part at a hinge axis. The basic part includes a fastening portion which is fastened to the support structure. The basic part further includes at least one mounting bracket axially spaced from the fastening portion from at least one body outside panel.
US09551174B2
A lock assembly (20) including a lock bolt (28), a first hub (36) and a first hub locker (72). The lock bolt (28) is movable between a latching position and an unlatching position. The first hub (36) is adapted to move the lock bolt (28) in response to movement of a first handle. The first hub locker (72) is positionable in at least three positions. The first hub locker (72) allows movement of the lock bolt (28) in response to torque being applied to the first handle when in two of the at least three positions and prevents movement of the lock bolt in response to torque being applied to the first handle when in another of the at least three positions. Alternatively, the first hub locker (72) prevents movement of the lock bolt (28) in response to torque being applied to the first handle when in two of the at least three positions and allows movement of the lock bolt (28) in response to torque being applied to the first handle when in another of the at least three positions.
US09551172B2
The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock comprising a locking mechanism, at least one locking lever (3) and an electric drive (5, 6, 7) for the locking mechanism. In normal operation, said electric drive (5, 6, 7) acts upon the locking mechanism for an electric opening. Additionally, the electric drive (5, 6, 7) allows the locking mechanism to be mechanically opened at least for an emergency operation. According to the invention, said locking lever (3) remains, in the normal operation, in the ‘locked’ position, also when opened electrically.
US09551161B2
The present disclosure is directed to an entrance to a theater of the type normally used to show motion pictures. The motion picture theater entrance has distinctive outer walls separating a vestibule from a lobby. The vestibule has a curved image projection wall located inside said vestibule and is connected to a viewing area by a curved walkway. The entrance also may include border lighting along the upper and or lower edges of its walls.
US09551159B2
A quick connect metal roof jack clip that releasably attaches between adjacent roof boards for holding a worker on the roof without the need for any typical jack cross boards or planks. The quick connect clip comprises a plurality of folds for inserting between the boards, flipping down into place and standing thereon before easy flip up, removal and reinsertion into another roof shingle removal and/or installation location.
US09551155B2
A building board includes an undercoat coating, an overcoat coating having lower pigment content than the undercoat coating and having different hue from the undercoat coating and having variations in position and thickness, an inkjet coating having different hue from the overcoat coating and is applying partially, and a clear coating successively formed on surface of inorganic base material having a plurality of wood board patterns. There also is provided a method for manufacturing a building board including the steps of applying an undercoat paint to surface of inorganic base material having a plurality of wood board patterns, applying an overcoat paint having lower pigment weight concentration than the undercoat paint and having different hue from the undercoat paint, scraping off a part of the applied overcoat paint before the overcoat paint cures, partially applying inkjet painting having different hue from the overcoat paint, and applying a clear paint.
US09551151B2
A coupling apparatus presses conical members having curved surfaces in a direction perpendicular to reinforcing bars by using hydraulic pressure, thereby considerably reducing working time for coupling reinforcing bars, completely securing the reinforcing bars and increasing compressive and bending strength. It is possible to stably carry force from the conical members through external force dispersion medium members to reinforcing bar securing members. Accordingly, there is a structural advantage of effectively preventing the displacement and the loosening of the coupled reinforcing bars.
US09551148B2
A track for a wall construction for use in building construction is disclosed. Embodiments can include a track having a plurality of bendable tabs that can be manipulated to grip or release wall studs to prevent lateral or side to side movement of the studs. Embodiments can include tracks which incorporate various geometries capable of receiving fire-retardant material, including but not limited to intumescent material.
US09551147B2
Building block for forming a wall construction, including insulating material and vertical load-bearing walls extending from one longitudinal side towards another longitudinal side of the building block, where the insulating material is provided with recesses for accommodating and holding the load-bearing walls in position, where inner part of the insulating material and the load-bearing walls are provided with recesses for accommodating at least one longitudinal reinforcing element binding the load-bearing walls together in longitudinal direction of the building block for forming an inner core where the vertical load-bearing walls, insulating material and the at least one reinforcing element together form the basic load-bearing in the building block, and that the building block includes at least one outer core formed by parts of insulating material and load-bearing walls outside the at least one reinforcing element, where the at least one outer core has supplementing and reinforcing properties for the inner core.
US09551146B2
Described herein is a multi-component panel comprising a ceiling panel and a sound attenuation layer, as well as a ceiling system that includes the multi-component panel.
US09551142B2
A grease interceptor system with a corrugated pipe stub that can be obtained and cut to size in the field during installation.
US09551140B2
A dryer component for a bidet includes a drying member (40), a blower component (50) and a pipe component (70). The pipe component (70) includes a first separable part (72) and a second separable part (82) so as to provide fluid connection between the blower component (50) and the drying member (40). There is no hose used in the pipe component (70) and the fitting surface between the first part (72) and the second part (82) is tilted, which allows comparatively great fitting tolerances of members of the dryer.
US09551136B2
A multiple flow faucet with passages having at least one base part installed in a mounting element, and a pivoting spout rotatably attached thereto, with at least a cold water line and a filtered water line. The filtered water line has at least one liquid-tight rotatable disconnection point at one or more of the passages.
US09551125B2
The object of the invention is a method for installing and servicing an apparatus module recovering the kinetic energy of water; and the apparatus module itself. The apparatus module with wave energy recovering units is descended into the sea bottom and is kept steady at the sea bottom by the help of its own mass and the mass of the water filled into a plurality of soft and hard compartments and valve compartments in the body of the apparatus module. Correspondingly the apparatus module is lifted into the surface of the water and made floating by the help of air that is blown to the plurality of soft and hard compartments and the valve compartments in order to replace the water.
US09551117B2
A method for repairing an aged asphalt pavement is provided. The method involves passing an emitter over the aged asphalt pavement, wherein the emitter generates electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of from 20 microns to 1 mm that penetrates into the pavement to a depth of at least 2 inches. The asphalt pavement is repaired by disturbing voids and interstices in the damaged pavement without dehydrogenation of the asphalt, such that oligomers present in the aged asphalt are linked together into longer polymer chains to improve ductility of the aged asphalt.
US09551116B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing foamed bitumen for a road construction machine, comprising at least one mixing device having a reaction chamber, in which hot bitumen and at least one reaction fluid can be mixed together via an inlet device comprising at least one inlet nozzle and can be discharged from the mixing device via an outlet device, with at least one compressed-air device being provided, via which the inlet device and/or the outlet device can be subjected to a compressed-air stream for testing and/or cleaning purposes. The present invention further also relates to a method for maintaining such an apparatus.
US09551113B1
A land area can be improved to support a geotextile having nonwoven top and bottom layers, and a geogrid core. The top layer defining at least one parking space, such that land areas of various sizes can be covered to form parking lots with rain-draining features.
US09551107B2
Compositions comprising a liquid and fumed silica may be applied to fabric and other textile materials as a sealant, e.g., to protect against damage or deterioration. The composition may comprise liquid droplets at least partially or completely surrounded by fumed silica. The liquid may comprise water and one or more polymers, such as anionic polymers, anionic copolymers, fluoropolymers, fluorocopolymers, acrylic polymers, and/or acrylic copolymers. Methods of treating a textile surface with the composition may include depositing the composition on the surface and brushing the particles against the surface, for example. The composition may be in the form of a powder, such that the particles remain intact on the surface upon deposition and release liquid onto the surface upon brushing, for example.
US09551094B2
A fiber preform of π-shaped section, the preform including a base with a first face and an opposite second face, legs extending from the second face, and a fiber structure woven as a single piece by three-dimensional weaving with a plurality of layers of warp or weft yarns linked interlinked by weft or warp yarns in a plurality of layers of weft or warp yarns. In each plane of the preform, the weft or warp yarns of a first group of weft or warp yarns extend continuously through the base between two opposite edges thereof, and weft or warp yarns of a second group of weft or warp yarns extend continuously from an end of one of the legs to an end of the other leg, passing via the base, with the yarns of the first group and the yarns of the second group presenting two mutual crossings.
US09551092B2
A method of forming carded fibers of different materials. A feed system has a plurality of separate laterally spaced chambers containing fibers of different materials. The different fibers are fed in separate laterally spaced paths into a carding apparatus having a plurality of rollers and cylinders each having laterally spaced sections in alignment with the laterally spaced paths to receive and maintain the different fibers in the laterally spaced paths thereon as they move through the carding apparatus. The different fibers are combined into a multi-fiber roving or web after they exit the carding apparatus. Depending on the composition of the different fibers, they may be combined by conveying them through a humidifying and heated chamber or chambers.
US09551090B2
A CVD single crystal diamond material suitable for use in, or as, an optical device or element. It is suitable for use in a wide range of optical applications such as, for example, optical windows, laser windows, optical reflectors, optical refractors and gratings, and etalons. The CVD diamond material is produced by a CVD method in the presence of a controlled low level of nitrogen to control the development of crystal defects and thus achieve a diamond material having key characteristics for optical applications.
US09551082B2
An insulated metal substrate (IMS) for supporting a device comprises a metallic substrate having a ceramic coating formed at least in part by oxidation of a portion of the surface of the metallic substrate. The ceramic coating has a dielectric strength of greater than 50 KV mm−1 and a thermal conductivity of greater than 5 Wm−1K−1.
US09551081B2
The present disclosure relates to a leveling composition for electrodepositing metals. The composition comprises a compound of formula (I):
US09551076B2
The electrochemical reactors disclosed herein provide novel oxidation and reduction chemistries and employ increased mass transport rates of materials to and from the surfaces of electrodes therein.
US09551072B2
The deposition of graphene is accomplished by various techniques that result in a change of the graphene's solubility in the liquid medium. The solubility change enables the deposition of the graphene onto the substrate. Once the graphene is deposited onto the substrate, the at least partially coated substrate may be separated from the liquid medium. The substrates may then serve as a carrier to deliver the graphene to a desired application.
US09551071B2
A substrate support device includes a plate portion including a heater plate that includes a heating element provided in the heater plate, and also including a first cooling plate provided on a bottom surface of the heater plate and having a first flow path, and a second cooling plate provided on a top surface of the heater plate and having a second flow path; and a shaft portion supporting the plate portion and including a line connected to the heating element to supply an electric current to the heating element, and a tube supplying a coolant to the first cooling plate and the second cooling plate, the line and the tube being provided inside the shaft portion.
US09551065B2
Film-formation rate can be increased in the pre-sputtering and in the subsequent sputtering onto a substrate or the like, and sputtering failures such as splashes can be inhibited, by making an Al-based alloy or Cu-based alloy spurting target fulfill the following requirements (1) and/or (2) when the total area ratio of crystal orientations <001>±15°, <011>±15°, <111>±15°, <112>±15°, and <012>±15° in the sputtering surface normal direction in the depth within 1 mm from the uppermost surface of the sputtering target is referred to as a P value: (1) the area ratio PA of <011>±15° to the P value: 40% or lower; and (2) the total area ratio PB of <001>±15° and <111>±15° to the P value: 20% or higher.
US09551064B2
The disclosure extends to protectively coated energy storage devices, such as rechargeable batteries, and associated methods of forming the same. An energy storage device, such as a rechargeable battery, may comprise a cell including at least one electrical terminal and a circuit board electrically coupled to the at least one electrical terminal. The rechargeable battery may also include a protective coating on at least a portion of at least one of a surface of the cell and/or at least one surface of the circuit board. The protective coating may reside between the circuit board and the cell. The protective coating may comprise a moisture resistant coating that will withstand exposure to corrosive agents, including electrolytes, corrosive gases and dust.
US09551057B2
Provided are: a galvannealed steel sheet, improved in the adhesiveness of a plated layer with a base steel sheet, as a galvannealed steel sheet, prepared by using a high-strength steel sheet as a base material; and a method for producing the galvannealed steel sheet. A galvannealed layer is formed on the base steel sheet including a high-strength steel having a predetermined composition. The average amount of Fe in the galvannealed layer is 8.0 to 12.0%. The absolute value of a difference (ΔFe) between the amount of Fe in the vicinity of an interface with the base steel sheet and the amount of Fe in the vicinity of the external surface of the plated layer in the plated layer is 0.0 to 3.0%.
US09551055B2
A high-strength hot-dip galvanized steel sheet containing a main component, the steel sheet having at least 40 wt. % of ferrite as a main phase in terms of the volumetric ratio, and 8-60% inclusive of residual austenite, the remaining structure comprising one or more of bainite, martensite, or pearlite. Austenite particles within a range where the average residual stress (sigmaR) thereof satisfies the expression −400 MPa<=sigmaR<=200 MPa (formula (1)) are present in an amount of 50% or more in the hot-dip galvanized steel sheet. The surface of the steel sheet has a hot-dip galvanized layer containing less than 7 wt. % of Fe, the remainder comprising Zn, Al and inevitable impurities.
US09551053B2
A method to limit surface zone recrystallization in a superalloy article includes limiting recrystallization in a surface zone of a superalloy article by treating the superalloy article in an oxygen-containing environment to introduce oxygen into the surface zone in an amount sufficient to pin any new grain boundaries in the surface zone.
US09551051B2
A weldable, high temperature oxidation resistant alloy with low solidification crack sensitivity and good resistance to strain age cracking. The alloy contains by weight percent, 25% to 32% iron, 18% to 25% chromium, 3.0% to 4.5% aluminum, 0.2% to 0.6% titanium, 0.2% to 0.43% silicon, up to 0.5% manganese and the balance nickel plus impurities. The Al+Ti content should be between 3.4 and 4.2 and the Cr/Al ratio should be from about 4.5 to 8.
US09551049B2
High modulus turbine shafts and high modulus cylindrical articles are described as are the process parameters for producing these shafts and cylindrical articles. The shafts/articles have a high Young's modulus as a result of having high modulus <111> crystal texture along the longitudinal axis of the shaft/article. The shafts are produced from directionally solidified seeded <111> single crystal cylinders that are axisymmetrically hot worked before a limited recrystallization process is carried out at a temperature below the recrystallization temperature of the alloy. The disclosed process produces an intense singular <111> texture and results in shaft or cylindrical article with a Young's modulus that is at least 40% greater than that of conventional nickel or iron alloys or conventional steels.
US09551047B2
A high strength electric resistance welded steel pipe has a yield strength of 450 MPa or more and excellent resistance to softening for a long period in an intermediate temperature range and a method of manufacturing the steel pipe are provided. The steel pipe has a chemical composition containing, by mass%, C: 0.026% or more and 0.084% or less, Si: 0.10% or more and 0.30% or less, Mn: 0.70% or more and 1.90% or less, Al: 0.01% or more and 0.10% or less, Nb: 0.001% or more and 0.070% or less, V: 0.001% or more and 0.065% or less, Ti: 0.001% or more and 0.033% or less, Ca: 0.0001% or more and 0.0035% or less, in which the condition that Pcm is 0.20 or less is satisfied.
US09551045B2
In an electric arc furnace system for making steel, a method and structure (1) for eliminating teeming hang-ups and ensuring temperature homogeneity in a ladle which teems into an ingot mold by gas purging at all possible steps under both atmospheric and vacuum conditions, and (2) for preventing non-metallic inclusions from appearing in the final product by deflecting the granular material in the teeming ladle well block away from the ingot mold by a heat resistant but combustible deflector just prior to entry of the teeming stream into the ingot mold.
US09551044B2
A method of starting a molten-bath based melting process includes commencing supplying cold oxygen-containing gas and cold carbonaceous material into a main chamber of a smelting vessel within at most 3 hours after completing a hot metal charge into the vessel and igniting the carbonaceous material and heating the main chamber and molten metal in the main chamber.
US09551039B2
The present invention relates to polynucleotides enabling the rapid, simple and specific detection of Group B Streptococcus highly-virulent ST-17 clones.The present invention also relates to the polypeptides encoded by said polynucleotides, as well as to antibodies directed or raised against said polypeptides.The present invention also relates to kits and methods for the specific detection of Group B Streptococcus highly-virulent ST-17 clones, using the polynucleotides, the polypeptides or the antibodies according to the invention.
US09551038B2
Provided are a system for integrated analysis of a real-time polymerase chain reaction and a DNA chip and a method for integrated analysis using the same, and more particularly to an apparatus for integrated analysis of a real-time polymerase chain reaction and a DNA chip and a method for integrated analysis using the same. According to the method for integrated analysis of a biomaterial of the present invention, gene amplification proceeds and subsequently hybridization proceeds in a single reactor, thereby preventing contamination of the sample due to external factors, which may be caused while the sample is transferred for reaction, and automating a series of procedures such as injection of the sample, reaction of the biomaterial, and detection and analysis of results.
US09551037B2
Analysis of 13,023 genes in 11 breast and 11 colorectal cancers revealed that individual tumors accumulate an average of ˜90 mutant genes but that only a subset of these contribute to the neoplastic process. Using stringent criteria to delineate this subset, we identified 189 genes (average of 11 per tumor) that were mutated at significant frequency. The vast majority of these genes were not known to be genetically altered in tumors and are predicted to affect a wide range of cellular functions, including transcription, adhesion, and invasion. These data define the genetic landscape of two human cancer types, provide new targets for diagnostic and therapeutic intervention and monitoring.
US09551029B2
Extended rhodamine compounds exhibiting favorable fluorescence characteristics having the structure are disclosed. In addition, novel intermediates for synthesis of these dyes are disclosed, such intermediates having the structure In addition, methods of making and using the dyes as fluorescent labels are disclosed.
US09551023B2
The invention relates to a method for modifying a template polynucleotide for characterization, especially for nanopore sequencing. The method produces a modified polynucleotide which is complementary to the template polynucleotide at some positions and which contains universal or abasic nucleotides at the other, and in some instances predicable, positions. The resulting modified polynucleotide can then be characterized.
US09551022B2
Provided is a method for measuring a substance in a blood sample, which allows avoidance of the influences of both of bilirubin and hemoglobin by simple operations.Provided is a method for measuring a substance in a blood sample by an enzymatic method using an oxidizable color reagent, the method including (1) bringing the blood sample into contact with a non-ionic surfactant; and then (2) bringing the resultant sample into contact with a betaine-type amphoteric surfactant, to perform an enzyme reaction and a color reaction by an oxidizable color reagent at the same time as the contact or after the contact.
US09551017B2
Recombinant DNA techniques are used to produce oleaginous recombinant cells that produce triglyceride oils having desired fatty acid profiles and regiospecific or stereospecific profiles. Genes manipulated include those encoding stearoyl-ACP desturase, delta 12 fatty acid desaturase, acyl-ACP thioesterase, ketoacyl-ACP synthase, and lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase. The oil produced can have enhanced oxidative or thermal stability, or can be useful as a frying oil, shortening, roll-in shortening, tempering fat, cocoa butter replacement, as a lubricant, or as a feedstock for various chemical processes. The fatty acid profile can be enriched in midchain profiles or the oil can be enriched in triglycerides of the saturated-unsaturated-saturated type.
US09550989B2
The present disclosure encompasses methods for rational design of microRNA and small interfering RNA chimeras and compositions and methods of use thereof.
US09550986B2
The present invention relates to improved methods for antibody engineering, e.g., humanization. In particular, the disclosure provides a high-throughput antibody humanization process that can be automated by computer-implementation.
US09550985B2
Described herein are methods and devices for nucleic acid quantification and, in particular, to microfluidic methods and devices for nucleic acid quantification. In certain embodiments methods of quantifying a target nucleic acid without the need for amplification are provided. The methods involve, in some embodiments, allowing a binding agent to become immobilized with respect to the target nucleic acid. In some cases, the binding agent comprises a signaling moiety that can be used to quantify the amount of target nucleic acid. In another aspect, the quantification can be carried out rapidly. For example, in certain embodiments, the quantification can be completed within 5 minutes. In yet another aspect, samples containing a low amount of target nucleic acid can be quantified. For instance, in some cases, samples containing less than 100 nanograms per microliter may be quantified. Also described are devices and kits for performing such methods, or the like.
US09550981B2
Fusion proteins comprising a tafazzin peptide and a cellular permeability peptide are disclosed. The tafazzin peptide may be coupled to the permeability peptide through a polypeptide linker. Methods of making and using the fusion proteins are also disclosed. For example, the disclosed fusion proteins may be used to treat a patient having a disorder associated with a tafazzin deficiency or a remodeled cardiolipin deficiency (e.g., Barth syndrome). Additionally, the disclosed fusion proteins may be used in prophylaxis against developing a disorder associated with a tafazzin deficiency or a remodeled cardiolipin deficiency in a patient at risk of developing such a disorder.
US09550977B2
The present invention aims to provide a method for producing auricular cartilage tissue having a sufficient thickness and mechanical strength, and auricular cartilage tissue produced by the method for producing auricular cartilage tissue.The present invention provides a method for producing auricular cartilage tissue, including the steps of: seeding auricular chondrocytes onto a non-woven fabric consisting of a bioabsorbable material having an average fiber diameter of 0.90 to 7.00 μm; and forming a composite of the non-woven fabric seeded with the auricular chondrocytes and a mesh-like framework consisting of a non-bioabsorbable material, and shaping the composite.
US09550976B2
The invention provides for a method for aggregating dermal papilla cells or dermal sheath cells or a combination thereof, the method comprising: growing dermal papilla cells or dermal sheath cells or a combination thereof in suspension culture; and contacting the culture with an effective amount of an enzyme, wherein a substrate of the enzyme is an extracellular matrix molecule in the suspension culture, so as to aggregate dermal papilla cells or dermal sheath cells. The culture may be a hanging drop culture and the enzyme may be a hyaluronidase.
US09550971B2
Bioreactors suitable for housing a predetermined volume of culture medium comprising a plurality of containers of approximately equal internal volume in which the culture medium resides, wherein the predetermined volume of culture medium is retained in approximately equal amounts within each of the plurality of containers during operation of the bioreactor, and wherein the internal volume of each container is selected so that the amount of culture medium in each container exceeds 50 vol. % of the container internal volume during operation of the bioreactor, and related methods of use.
US09550969B2
An inflatable bioreactor bag for cell cultivation, which comprising a top and a bottom sheet of flexible material, joined together to form two end edges and two side edges, wherein one baffle or a plurality of baffles extend from the bottom sheet in a region where the shortest distance to any one of the two end edges is higher than about one fourth of the shortest distance between the two end edges.
US09550966B2
The invention provides a method and formulation for cleaning a soiled substrate, the method comprising the treatment of the moistened substrate with a formulation comprising a multiplicity of polymeric particles, wherein the polymeric particles comprise at least one antimicrobial agent. Preferably, the substrate is wetted so as to achieve a substrate to water ratio of between 1:0.1 to 1:5 w/w. Optionally, the formulation additionally comprises at least one additional cleaning agent, and in this embodiment, it is preferred that the polymeric particles are mixed with the at least one additional cleaning agent. Preferably, the additional cleaning material comprises a surfactant, which most preferably has detergent properties. Most preferably, the substrate comprises a textile fiber. Typically, the polymeric particles comprise particles of polyester or nylon, most preferably in the form of beads. The results obtained are very line with those observed when carrying out conventional aqueous cleaning processes and the method provides the significant advantage that the use of antimicrobial agents in or on the polymer bead greatly improves the overall hygiene in the washing machine by preventing mold and bacterial growth on the polymer particle surfaces, particularly at low temperatures.
US09550950B2
A solids circulation system receives a gas stream containing char or other reacting solids from a first reactor. The solids circulation system includes a cyclone configured to receive the gas stream from the first reactor, a dipleg from the cyclone to a second reactor, and a riser from the second reactor which merges with the gas stream received by the cyclone. The second reactor has a dense fluid bed and converts the received materials to gaseous products. A conveying fluid transports a portion of the bed media from the second reactor through the riser to mix with the gas stream prior to cyclone entry. The bed media helps manipulate the solids that is received by the cyclone to facilitate flow of solids down the dipleg into the second reactor. The second reactor provides additional residence time, mixing and gas-solid contact for efficient conversion of char or reacting solids.
US09550947B2
Specific embodiments of the present invention provide a hydrocracking process for converting low value-added heavy hydrocarbon distillates into high value-added hydrocarbon distillates using a supercritical solvent as a medium.
US09550943B2
The subject matter herein provides a biotic method for recovering one or more hydrocarbons from a feedstock that includes one or more of oil shale, bituminous tar sand, coal and cellulous at atmospheric temperature and pressure. The method comprises loading the feedstock into a container, treating the feedstock in the container with a biomedium of micro-organisms, and forming an essentially liquid mixture from the feedstock and the biomass by rotary tumbling the feedstock and the biomedium in the container. The essentially liquid mixture is then separated into the one or more hydrocarbons by centrifuging.
US09550933B2
Disclosed are methods and compositions for cementing in a subterranean formation. A method comprises introducing a resin composition into a wellbore. The resin composition may comprise a resin, a napthol-based epoxy resin additive, and a hardening agent. The napthol-based epoxy resin additive may comprise two naphthalene functional groups and two epoxide functional groups.
US09550932B1
An additive for drilling fluid used as both a sealing agent to prevent seepage loss and a shale stabilizing agent in subterranean wellbores. The additive includes ground bituminous coal having a selected particle size distribution wherein the bituminous coal is between 60% to 80% of the additive by weight. The additive also includes solvent extracted ground flaxmeal which is between 20% to 40% of the additive by weight.
US09550927B2
Acrylic block copolymers are described which are inherently tacky. Also described are compositions of the copolymers which exhibit properties enabling their use as pressure sensitive adhesives, without addition of tackifiers and/or subsequent processing.
US09550925B2
An environment-friendly adhesive composition is provided that includes about 10 to about 70 parts by weight of a tackifying agent base including an acryl-based attaching agent as a raw material, about 5 to about 40 parts by weight of a terpene-based tackiness improver, about 0.5 to about 5 parts by weight of an epoxy-based crosslinking agent, about 5 to about 60 parts by weight of a flame retardant, and a combination thereof, based on 100 parts by weight of a solvent excluding benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX). The flame retardant includes at least one selected from a group consisting of a halogen-based flame retardant, an antimony flame retardant, and a phosphorus-based flame retardant. The adhesive composition and a tape manufactured using the same may be used exclusively in a vehicle industry, and in various electronic industries.
US09550912B2
Compositions, methods, and coating composition using a curing agent are provided herein. In one embodiment, a curing agent for epoxy resins may be prepared using a formulation including: (a) an adduct of: (i) a diglycidyl ether of a bisphenol, and (ii) a first polyamine; (b) a second polyamine; and (c) water; wherein the composition has an amine hydrogen equivalent weight, based on solids, of less than or equal to 105.
US09550896B2
A variety of molded bodies having high weatherability, impact resistance, designability, and the like, and a polyorganosiloxane latex and a graft copolymer used as the raw materials therefor are provided, where the polyorganosiloxane latex has a mass average particle diameter (Dw) of a polyorganosiloxane particle of 100 to 200 nm, and a ratio of the mass average particle diameter (Dw) to a number average particle diameter (Dn) (Dw/Dn) of 1.0 to 1.7. A polyorganosiloxane-containing vinyl-based copolymer (g) obtained by polymerizing one or more vinyl-based monomers in the presence of the latex. A graft copolymer (G) is obtained by graft polymerizing one or more vinyl-based monomers in the presence of the copolymer. A thermoplastic resin composition includes the graft copolymer (G) and a thermoplastic resin (Ha) except for the graft copolymer (G). A molded body is obtained by molding the resin composition.
US09550879B2
A hydraulic barrier composition can include granules of a water-swellable clay and a water-soluble polymer. Upon contact with a leachate at least portion of the polymer is solvated by the leachate and becomes entrapped in at least one of clay pores, at clay platelet edges, and between adjacent platelets.
US09550862B2
A polyimide precursor composition includes a polyimide precursor including a condensation polymer of a tetracarboxylic dianhydride composed of a first tetracarboxylic dianhydride having a benzene ring to which two carboxylic anhydride groups are bonded and a second tetracarboxylic dianhydride other than the first tetracarboxylic dianhydride, and a diamine compound; a tertiary amine compound; and a water-soluble solvent containing at least one kind selected from the group consisting of water and aqueous alcohol, wherein the polyimide precursor and the tertiary amine compound are dissolved in the water-soluble solvent.
US09550856B2
Embodiments of the invention include a polymer polyol dispersions. The polymer dispersions include a reaction product of a reaction system, where the reaction system includes: at least one polyol, at least one phosphorus based flame retardant having at least one active hydrogen attached to a nitrogen or oxygen atom, at least one of a co-reactant having an equivalent weight of up to 400 and at least one active hydrogen attached to a nitrogen or oxygen atom, at least one catalyst, and at least one polyisocyanate.
US09550855B2
A metallic microcapsule containing a polymeric microcapsule having one or more polymeric precursors encapsulated therein; and a metallic shell enclosing a volume containing the polymeric microcapsule is disclosed. Also disclosed is a self-healing coating composition comprising (a) a film-forming binder; and (b) metallic microcapsules, the metallic microcapsules being the same or different and containing a polymeric microcapsule containing one or more polymeric precursors encapsulated therein; and a metallic shell enclosing a volume containing the polymeric microcapsule.
US09550854B2
The invention provides polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foams and methods for the preparation thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to open-celled, polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foams and methods for their preparation. The foams are characterized by a fine uniform cell structure and little or no foam collapse. The foams are produced with a polyol premix composition which comprises a combination of a hydrohaloolefin blowing agent, a polyol, a silicone surfactant, and a sterically hindered amine catalyst.
US09550853B2
A high-quality polyacetal copolymer produced by a simple process and in an economical manner. The method includes supplying a raw material including trioxane or the like to a reaction device; obtaining a reaction mixture by carrying out a polymerization reaction of the raw material in the state where the rotating shafts are inclined by 1 to 6° upwards with respect to the horizontal direction H from the introduction opening towards a polyacetal copolymer recovery portion; vaporizing and separating an unreacted monomer from the reaction mixture using a vaporization and separation portion; re-supplying the unreacted monomer to the reaction device; and recovering the polyacetal copolymer from the reaction using a polyacetal copolymer recovery portion.
US09550849B2
Disclosed herein are ethylene-based polymers having a density greater than 0.945 g/cm3, a high load melt index less than 25 g/10 min, a peak molecular weight ranging from 52,000 to 132,000 g/mol, and an environmental stress crack resistance of at least 250 hours. These polymers have the processability of chromium-based resins, but with improved impact strength and stress crack resistance, and can be used in large-part blow molding applications.
US09550847B2
Method for controlling a process for the production of a polymer by polymerization of a monomer and a comonomer. The process includes maintaining a substantially constant effective flow ratio (EFR), the effective flow ratio being defined as EFR=(Qcomo−Lcomo)/(Qmono−Lmono), Qcomo and Qmono being, respectively, flow rates of comonomer and monomer to the reactor, Lcomo and Lmono being, respectively, losses of comonomer and monomer.
US09550828B2
A method of treating cancer or metastasis is provided involving administering at least one oncostatin M (OSM) antagonist to a subject, wherein the subject has been diagnosed with cancer. Administration of an OSM antagonist such as a small molecule pharmaceutical is provided as well as an anti-OSM antibody, an anti-OSM aptamer, and an OSM mRNA antagonist. The OSM antagonists were found to inhibit or prevent tumor cell detachment, proliferation and metastasis in several cancer types.
US09550827B2
The invention provides compositions and methods for ameliorating, treating, reversing or preventing pathology or inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS), or the brain, caused or mediated by NFkB, IL-6, IL-6-R, NADPH oxidase (Nox), and/or superoxide and/or hydrogen peroxide production by a NADPH oxidase, including for example ameliorating, treating, reversing or preventing schizophrenia, psychosis, delirium, e.g., post-operative delirium, drug-induced psychosis, psychotic features associated with frailty syndrome (FS), aging, depression, dementias; traumatic war neurosis, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease), and/or Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The invention also provides methods for purifying a C60 fullerene, C3 (tris malonic acid C60) or malonic acid derivatives.
US09550826B2
Provided are glycoengineered populations of Fc domain-containing binding proteins with a reduced anti-drug immune response (ADA). Also provided are methods of treating disease using such compositions, and methods and host for making such compositions.
US09550823B2
An isolated nucleic acid encoding an FX protein having a serine at position 79, a lysine at position 90, a leucine at position 136, an arginine at position 211, a serine at position 289, and a combination thereof is provided. Cells having a gene encoding a modified FX protein are provided, wherein the cells exhibit a reduced ability to fucosylate a glycoprotein at a first temperature, but exhibit the ability to fucosylate the glycoprotein at a second temperature. Methods and compositions for making glycoproteins with reduced fucosylation are provided.
US09550811B2
The present invention relates to novel peptides and methods for treatment, diagnosis and prognosis of virus infections including infections with HCV, HIV, CMV and Influenza. The invention further relates to methods for identifying and providing peptides useful for the treatment and diagnosis. X1-X2-X3-X4-X5 (I)
US09550801B2
Platinum complexes that exhibit photoabsorption and photoemission, methods of making such complexes, and applications thereof are disclosed, including optical devices comprising the complexes.
US09550799B2
A process is provided for preparing a salt of a hydroxy-substituted ester of phosphoric acid, comprising: (a) reacting a phosphate diester with an alkylene oxide, (b) reacting the product mixture of step (a) with a phosphating agent; and (c) reacting the product mixture of step (b) with an amine; wherein the phosphate diester is reacted with the alkylene oxide of step (a) in the substantial absence of a phosphate monoester. The product is useful as an antiwear agent.
US09550784B2
The present invention relates to novel imidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine and imidazo[1,2-a]-pyrazine derivatives which are inhibitors of the phosphodiesterase 10 enzyme (PDE10) and which may be useful for the treatment or prevention of neurological, psychiatric and metabolic disorders in which the PDE10 enzyme is involved. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, to processes to prepare such compounds and compositions, to the use of such compounds or pharmaceutical compositions for the prevention or treatment of neurological, psychiatric and metabolic disorders and diseases.
US09550780B2
The present invention relates to new pharmaceutical compositions comprising benzoquinoline compounds, and methods to inhibit vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) activity in a subject for the treatment of chronic hyperkinetic movement disorders.
US09550779B2
Provided herein are compounds useful for the treatment of HBV infection in a subject in need thereof, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods of inhibiting, suppressing, or preventing HBV infection in the subject.
US09550771B2
Compounds of the formula I or II: or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein R1 is a group of formula (a), (b), (c); (d) or (e): and m, n, X, Y, R1, R2, R3, R4, Rb and Rc are as defined herein. Also disclosed are methods of making the compounds and using the compounds for treatment of inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
US09550769B2
The invention provides a series of bioactive small molecules that target expanded r(CGG) repeats, termed r(CGG)exp, that causes Fragile X-associated Tremor Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS). The compound was identified by using information on the chemotypes and RNA motifs that interact. Specifically, 9-hydroxy-5,11-dimethyl-2-(2-(piperidin-1-yl)ethyl)-6H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazol-2-ium, binds the 5′CGG/3′GGC motifs in r(CGG)exp and disrupts a toxic r(CGG)exp-protein complex. Specifically, dimeric compounds incorporating two 9-hydroxyellipticine analog structures can even more potently bind the 5′CGG/3′GGC motifs in r(CGG)exp and disrupts a toxic r(CGG)exp-protein complex. Structure-activity relationships (SAR) studies determined that the alkylated pyridyl and phenolic side chains are important chemotypes that drive molecular recognition of r(CGG) repeats, such as r(CGG)exp. Importantly, the compound is efficacious in FXTAS model cellular systems as evidenced by its ability to improve FXTAS-associated pre-mRNA splicing defects and to reduce the size and number of r(CGG)exp-protein aggregates.
US09550757B2
The invention generally relates to the field of nuclear transport modulators, e.g., CRM1 inhibitors, and more particularly to new substituted-heterocyclic azole compounds, the synthesis and use of these compounds and their pharmaceutical compositions, e.g., in the treatment, modulation and/or prevention of physiological conditions associated with CRM1 activity such as in treating cancer and other neoplastic disorders, inflammatory diseases, disorders of abnormal tissue growth and fibrosis including cardiomyopathy, pulmonary fibrosis, hepatic fibrosis, glomerulonephritis, and other renal disorders, and for the treatment of viral infections (both acute and chronic).
US09550738B2
The present invention is directed to novel bicyclic compounds, their derivatives, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates and hydrates thereof. The compounds and compositions of the present invention have protein kinases inhibitory activities and are useful for the treatment of protein kinases mediated diseases and conditions. Novel bicyclic compounds disclosed herein include quinazolines shown in Formula I (X═N).
US09550721B2
A method for preparing dimethyl 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate (DMCD) is provided. The method includes hydrogenating dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) under a condition of a pressure of 20 to 30 kg/cm2 to continuously prepare the DMCD, and thereby increasing the selectivity of the DMCD. A method for preparing 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) is further provided.
US09550716B2
Disclosed is a process for preparing a treprostinil salt. The process involves the step of dissolving treprostinil in a water-miscible organic solvent to form a treprostinil solution. The treprostinil solution is reacted with an aqueous basic solution containing an alkali metal cation to form treprostinil salt. Allowing crystallization of the treprostinil salt to take place, and then collecting the treprostinil salt formed.
US09550709B2
In the operation of an oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) process, it is desirable to remove oxygen in the product stream for a number of reasons, including to reduce oxidation of the product. This may be achieved by having several pre-reactors upstream of the main reactor having a catalyst system containing labile oxygen. The feed passes through one or more reactors saturated with labile oxygen. When the labile oxygen is consumed through a valve system, the pre-reactor accepts product from the main reactor and complexes reactive oxygen in the product stream until the catalyst system is saturated with labile oxygen. Then the reactor becomes a pre-reactor and another pre-reactor becomes a scavenger.
US09550706B2
The invention relates to a heterogeneous method for oligomerising alkenes in order to produce hydricarbons within a diesel fraction in the present of a catalyst based on the ITQ-39 zeolite. The oligomerisation method described in the present invention includes at least: a. feeding a catalyst containing at least the ITQ-39 zeolitic material into the reactor; b. supplying the reactor with a stream that includes at least one olefinic compound; and c. enabling the catalyst containing at least the ITQ-39 material and the organic compound to remain in contact during the time required for the reaction to take place.
US09550702B2
Contiguous flow anaerobic digester for mechanization of organic matter and production of fertilizer powering the conditions and performance of the anaerobic digestion process, through homogenization of the sludge and process temperature, wherein the digester is tubular shaped and comprises a biogas exhaust valve at the top of the digester. One end of the digester has a sludge outlet connection, a water- and gas-tight zipper that is resistant to the corrosive elements of digestion, and an outlet. The opposite end of the digester has a mud inlet, and a water- and gas-tight zipper that is resistant to the corrosive elements of digestion, wherein said digester further comprises at its base a gas irrigation system for biogas recirculation composed of a polymeric material resilient to the corrosive elements of anaerobic digestion.
US09550699B2
In a ceramic composition mainly composed of alumina (Al2O3), tungsten carbide (WC) and zirconia (ZrO2), zirconium (Zr) is distributed in a first grain boundary as an interface where an alumina (Al2O3) crystal grain is adjacent to a tungsten carbide (WC) crystal grain and in a second grain boundary as an interface where two alumina (Al2O3) crystal grains are adjacent to each other.
US09550697B2
The present invention relates to a briquette used for the production of rock wool and method for the production of said briquette, wherein the briquette contains a raw material comprising rock wool waste having a fiber morphology; contains a non-fibrous inorganic binder, such as sodium silicate, to bind the raw material; and an activating agent accelerating the curing process of the briquetted raw material.
US09550694B2
Methods and apparatus provide for: feeding glass batch material into a plasma containment vessel in such a way that the glass batch material is dispensed as a sheet of glass batch material particles; directing one or more sources of plasma gas into the inner volume of the plasma containment vessel in such a way that the plasma gas enters the plasma containment vessel as at least one sheet of plasma gas; and applying an alternating electric field to facilitate production of a plasma plume within the inner volume of the plasma containment vessel, where the plasma plume is of dimensions sufficient to envelope the sheet of glass batch material particles, and is of sufficient thermal energy to cause the glass batch material to react and melt thereby forming substantially homogeneous, spheroid-shaped glass intermediate particles.
US09550691B2
The present invention relates to a briquette used for the production of rock wool and method for the production of said briquette, wherein the briquette contains a raw material comprising rock wool waste having a fiber morphology; contains a non-fibrous inorganic binder, such as sodium silicate, to bind the raw material; and an activating agent accelerating the curing process of the briquetted raw material.
US09550678B2
An oligophenylene monomer of general formula (I) wherein R1 and R2 are independently of each other H, halogene, —OH, —NH2, —CN, —NO2 or a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-C40 hydrocarbon residue, which can be substituted 1-to 5-fold with halogene (F, Cl, Br, I), —OH, —NH2, —CN and/or —NO2, and wherein one or more CH2-groups can be replaced by —O— or —S—, or an optionally substituted aryl, alkylaryl or alkoxyaryl residue; and m represents 0, 1 or 2.
US09550677B2
Provided is a carbon nanotube composite structural body including, on a base material, a plurality of carbon nanotube columnar structural bodies, the carbon nanotube composite structural body having an extremely high adhesion strength between the base material and the carbon nanotube columnar structural bodies. Also provided is a pressure-sensitive adhesive member including such carbon nanotube composite structural body. The carbon nanotube composite structural body of the present invention is a carbon nanotube composite structural body, including, on a base material, a plurality of carbon nanotube columnar structural bodies, in which: the carbon nanotube composite structural body further includes an intermediate layer between the base material and the carbon nanotube columnar structural bodies; the intermediate layer has a thickness of 1.0 nm or more and less than 10 nm; and an adhesion strength between the base material with the intermediate layer and the carbon nanotube columnar structural bodies is 5 N/cm2 or more.
US09550675B2
A method for removing a particulate contaminant material from a particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material is provided. The method includes feeding the particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material into a fluidizing stage containing particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material of mass m, feeding the fluidized particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material through a sifting stage, discontinuing the feed of the particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material into the fluidizing stage after 10 to 100 times of the mass m have been fed into the fluidizing stage, fluidizing and sifting the material present in the fluidizing stage after discontinuing the feed until the mass of the material present in the fluidizing stage becomes 10% to 100% of the mass m, and removing the remaining material from the fluidizing stage.
US09550674B2
An object of the present invention is to reduce costs while maintaining safety in exhausting hydrogen sulfide gas. In exhaust facilities of a plant for manufacturing hydrogen sulfide gas, the concentrations of hydrogen sulfide gas leaking from a reaction facility, a cooling facility, and a sulfur removal facility, respectively, are measured by a measuring apparatus, and when a detected concentration is less than a predetermined concentration, a valve is controlled to exhaust hydrogen sulfide gas from a first exhaust pipe into the air, on the contrary, when a detected concentration is not less than a predetermined concentration, the valve is controlled to exhaust hydrogen sulfide gas from a second exhaust pipe to a gas treatment facility.
US09550672B2
The invention relates to methods of forming an alane-etherate complex and α-alane from the alane-etherate complex. The methods include reacting an alkyl halide with a metal alanate in a solvent including an ether. A tertiary amine may also be added to the reaction. The alane is collected after removal of the solvent and/or the tertiary amine. An electrospraying process can be used to remove the solvent.
US09550666B2
The present disclosure provides a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) device. In an embodiment, a device includes a substrate; a MEMS structure disposed above a sacrificial layer opening above the substrate; a release aperture disposed at substantially a same level above the sacrificial layer opening as the MEMS structure; a first cap over the MEMS structure and the sacrificial layer opening, a leg of the first cap disposed between the MEMS structure and the release aperture; and a second cap plugging the release aperture.
US09550664B2
A mechanism for reducing stiction in a MEMS device by decreasing surface area between two surfaces, such as a travel stop and travel stop region, that can come into close contact is provided. Reduction in contact surface area is achieved by increasing surface roughness of the travel stop region. This is achieved by depositing a polysilicon layer over a dielectric layer using gaseous hydrochloric acid as one of the reactants. A subsequent etch back is performed to further increase the roughness. The deposition of polysilicon and subsequent etch back may be repeated one or more times in order to obtain the desired roughness. A final polysilicon layer may then be deposited to achieve a desired thickness. This final polysilicon layer is patterned to form the travel stop regions. The rougher surface decreases the surface area available for contact and, in turn, decreases the area through which stiction can be imparted.
US09550662B1
A method and apparatus for vending a containerized fluid includes placing a machine-readable indicia on the container identifying the base fluid. The container may be filled and then distributed or distributed prior to filling through various distribution channels to consumers. When a consumer wishes to fill or re-fill the container, the consumer places the container adjacent a reader that interprets the indicia to identify the base fluid to be dispensed. A dispenser then fills the container through a movable fill probe that elevates as the liquid within the container rises. In some embodiments, and prior to filling, the dispenser apparatus may also query the consumer about options are provided at the time of dispensing for further dispensing various optional ingredients, including scents, flavors, colors, nutritional supplements or other additives together with the base product. In further embodiments, the dispenser may also print discount tickets or coupons that may discount the purchase of the containerized fluid or other promotional merchandise. The machine-readable indicia may include affiliate codes that permit crediting or compensating various affiliates in relation to the container filling.
US09550661B2
A self-contained portable self-supporting scaffolding kit for mounting adjacent an elevated structure and allowing a user to reach the elevated structure to work thereon. The kit includes a movable base assembly that supports a tower assembly along which a platform assembly moves, in a use configuration. In a portable configuration, the kit is partially disassembled, folded and secured on the base assembly for transportation thereof, with all required equipment pieces.
US09550657B2
A stabilizer pad and handle apparatus is provided having a curved substantially C-shaped handle, or U-shaped handle or straight handle with ends of the handle inserted into seating holes extending inwardly from the side walls of the pad. An anchor hole and anchors may be provided extending downward through and perpendicular to the seating holes and through the handle. The pad may be rectangular or square shape or substantially circular in shape. An optional recess is provided in the pad into which the seating holes are provided, and may be angled inwardly away from the side walls, with the handle optionally provided in the recess. In certain embodiments the recess may be square, substantially rectangular, trapezoid, curved or triangular in shape. At least a portion of the top surface of the handle may be aligned with the outer circumference formed by the circular shape of the pad. The circular pad may be rolled on its side wall edge. Multiple handle means may be provided.
US09550652B2
A method of and apparatus for the rapid deployment of a fracturing water transferring system, along with the rapid picking up and storage of such system after use. In different embodiments the method in includes the use of a tensioning system to retrieve one or more segments of lay flat hose.
US09550647B1
Devices have a movable roller, a fixed-position roller contacting the movable roller to form an exit nip transporting planar media, biasing members operatively connected to the movable roller, and adjusters contacting the movable roller. Such devices are connectable to a first machine or a second machine. Contact areas of the first machine hold the adjusters in a first position to position the movable roller in a position resulting in the exit nip transporting the planar media in a first exit direction. The second machine instead has void areas positioned to allow movement of the adjusters to position the movable roller in a position resulting in the exit nip transporting the planar media in a second exit direction different from the first exit direction.
US09550644B2
The unwinder of reels of web material wound around winding spindles (A), comprises a unwinding station (13) with at least one unwinding member (23) to rotate a reel (B) that is located in said unwinding station and feed the web material toward a delivery path (E). Lifting members (51, 53) are provided to lift a spindle of a first exhausted reel from the unwinding station (13), in a removal position (PR). An insertion member (7; 33) is further provided to insert a second reel into the unwinding station (13). A pressing member (61) is arranged to press the web material coming from the first reel in removal position (PR) against the second reel in the unwinding station (13).
US09550636B2
Method and apparatus for air flow limiting comprise a vertically oriented tube, a sail assembly positioned in the tube and moveable therewithin responsively to air flow through the tube to limit rate of air flow through the tube and halt air flow through the tube upon air flow rate through the tube exceeding a preselected value, and a moveable stop for adjustably changing the length of travel of the sail assembly thereby changing the maximum amount of air flow.
US09550631B2
A feeding device for an in-line screw machine with a shaft rotating in a feed container. A conveying screw is arranged in the direction toward the longitudinal axis of the rotating shaft. At least one disk wheel is allocated to each longitudinal side in the feed container. A separate drive is allocated to each disk wheel for purposes of rotational movement.
US09550630B2
A system for processing material for a gasifier. The system comprises an auger feeder adapted to receive material to be gasified. The auger feeder is adapted to feed the material. A tube is connected to the auger feeder such that the tube is adapted to receive the material from the auger feeder. The tube is also connected to a gasifier, which is adapted to receive the material from the tube.
US09550625B2
A conveying system includes: two axially spaced supporting tubular frames extending substantially parallel in the conveying direction (F) of the conveying system; at least one plurality of driving rollers and/or wheels; at least one plurality of supporting shafts, each adapted to be engaged in at least one of the supporting tubular frames to support at least one driving roller and/or at least one driving wheel; at least one first supporting bearing (7) for each supporting shaft. The conveying system (100) further includes at least one housing (8) for the at least one first supporting bearing (7). The housing includes fastening elements (9) to removably fasten the housing (8) and bearing (7) held therein within at least one supporting tubular frame.
US09550617B2
A tearing guide strip 23 is integrated with a base part 21a or 21b of at least one of a male member 2a and a female member 2b constituting a zipper 2 in a peelable manner to improve the tearing unsealing ability of a zipper-equipped bag provided with an interlocking type zipper enabling resealing and unsealing after the bag is unsealed.
US09550615B2
Packaging for a ratchet tool is disclosed. The packaging comprises a display structure, a ratchet retaining portion and a securement portion. The display structure may be arranged to be mounted for display. The ratchet portion retaining structure may be configured to engage a ratchet portion of the tool in a manner that prevents rotation of the ratchet portion. The securement portion may be configured to secure the tool to the display structure to prevent removal of the tool from the display package, while permitting movement of a handle portion of the tool relative to the ratchet portion while the ratchet portion is fixed from movement by the retaining structure.
US09550614B2
A light emitting device includes a semiconductor nanocrystal and a charge transporting layer that includes an inorganic material. The charge transporting layer can be a hole or electron transporting layer. The inorganic material can be an inorganic semiconductor.
US09550605B1
An interlocking or engaging container and container system are presented herein. In particular, the system includes a plurality of adjacently disposed (side-by-side, end-to-end and stacked) containers that are dimensioned to maximize the available space on a pallet, for example, a 463-L Pallet, HCU-6/E Pallet or other pallet. The containers include enlarged wheels, one or more support feet, and a handle assembly. The containers are configured to include a plurality of interlocking or engaging portions such as one or more wheel assembly receiving portions, one or more foot receiving portions, outer extensions or engaging portions, and a handle engaging portion. The Interlocking or engaging portions are configured to matingly engage or abut corresponding portions of an adjacent container and at least partially restrict movement there between.
US09550603B2
A container for receiving a gift, having an articulating closure feature such that arms extending from the flap mimic a waving or hugging motion of a character or other design depicted on the character. The container includes pleated sides to accommodate different size gifts and may further include a closing tab to securely close the container and a handle for carrying the container.
US09550598B2
Container of plastic material having a flattened body and a bottom in the extension of the body having peripheral seat defining a seating plane the contour of which has in the same plane a large dimension A1 and a small dimension A2 that is strictly smaller than the large dimension, and an inner annular cheek substantially perpendicular to the seating plane. The bottom having a concave arch that extends from the seat towards a central zone. A height H of the cheek and a width L of the seating plane are such that 0.5 ≤ L H ≤ 2.5 . A transverse extension A of the seating plane and a transverse extension B of the body, measured near the bottom, are such that A B ≥ 0.85 .
US09550586B2
An apparatus and method for mitigating the shock front of a rocket or aerospace plane flying at hypersonic speeds while simultaneously distilling liquid chemical elements from the ambient air. The ensuing supercool/chilled air that is rendered as a consequence of supercooling may hence be compressed, regeneratively intercooled & flashed into liquid air. By means of extension, liquid air may be rendered as a direct result of said supercooling throughout the hypersonic regime into space. Also described are the details of an isentropically expanded hypersonic stochastic switch (a singularity), which is mainly achieved via the addition of a high pressure supersonic isentropic expansion nozzle whereby a continuous flow continuum is transformed into a stochastic flux.
US09550584B1
A deployable thin membrane apparatus for use with a spacecraft is provided. The apparatus includes a flexible membrane structure and a deployment mechanism for transitioning the membrane structure from an undeployed state towards a deployed state in which the membrane can perform a function needed by a spacecraft. In one embodiment, the deployment mechanism includes a plurality of pantographs that each engage the membrane structure, a rotatable disk structure that engages and coordinates the transition of the pantographs from an undeployed state towards a deployed state, and a spring system for providing energy that is used to rotate the disk structure.
US09550583B2
A remote computing system is described that includes at least one processor and at least one module. The at least one module is operable by the at least one processor to receive first operational data collected by a first line-replaceable-unit of a first aircraft during flight operations of the first aircraft, and receive second operational data collected by at least one second line-replaceable-unit of at least one second aircraft during flight operations of the at least one second aircraft. The at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to predict, based at least in part on the first operational data and the second operational data, a failure condition associated with the first line-replaceable-unit of the first aircraft, and output, based on the impending failure condition, an indication of the predicted failure condition.
US09550572B2
A device for separating two zones of a passenger cabin including a frame element and an area element which is fastened to said frame element and includes, at least in certain sections, a flexible stretch material. The separating device is detachably fastenable in such a way to a passenger seat installed in the passenger cabin, that the area element extends substantially in one plane with a backrest of the passenger seat and that the section of the area element which includes of a flexible material is transferrable from a non-tensioned physical state into a flexibly stretched physical state in the event of the backrest of the passenger seat being adjusted from an upright position into a reclined position.
US09550568B2
A weapon interface system, and methods of operating the same. The weapon interface system is coupled to an electrical interconnection system of a delivery platform and a weapon system coupled to a rack system. The weapon interface system includes a translation interface configured to provide an interface between the electrical interconnection system and an inductive power and data circuit. The weapon interface system also includes a weapon coupler, coupled to the translation interface, configured to provide an inductive coupling to the weapon system to provide mission information thereto.
US09550559B1
Aircraft wing assemblies are disclosed herein. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a trailing edge of a wing of an aircraft. The trailing edge has a flexible skin defining a first surface. The example apparatus also includes a flap movably coupled to the trailing edge. The flap defines a second surface. The first surface and the second surface form a substantially continuous surface when the flap is in a stowed position and when the flap is in a deployed position.
US09550557B2
A filtering device for treating ballast water and more particularly, a multicage-type device for filtering ballast water to prevent back pressure, wherein the multicage-type device for filtering ballast water includes a back pressure prevention tank on a backwash line for backwashing and discharging foreign substances that are inside a filter of the device for filtering, so that backwash water and the foreign substances in the backwash line are preliminarily stored in the back pressure prevention tank thereby preventing an increase of back pressure and preventing an increase of the back pressure on the backwash line by always maintaining a level of water inside the back pressure prevention tank at lower than an inlet port that is connected to the backwash line.
US09550555B2
The present invention relates to a marine propeller arrangement comprising a propeller communicating with a shaft connected to the motor of a marine vehicle, the propeller having a hub and demountable blades, wherein each blade comprises a hub portion being integral with each blade and having plurality of bores for securing thereof; and the arrangement comprises a sleeve having a shaft receiving bore, wherein each hub portion is supported by the sleeve and secured thereto via a plurality of securing elements.
US09550548B2
A device for mounting a front derailleur on a bicycle frame is provided. The device comprises engagement means for engaging with at least one toothed crown of a crankset and with the derailleur, the engagement means being configured to obtain a desired relative position between the at least one toothed crown and the derailleur. A method for mounting the front derailleur on the bicycle frame is also provided, such a method providing for the use of the device.
US09550542B2
A kit for an electric cycle includes a powertrain module including a case, a battery disposed in the case, an electric motor in communication with the battery and disposed in the case, and a connecting port on the case. The kit includes a first module including a frame member configured to releasably engage the connecting port and a wheel rotatably connected to the frame member, a second module including a frame member configured to releasably engage the connecting port, and a releasable locking feature on the connecting port.
US09550532B2
A roof bow for a vehicle is provided that has a “bow-tie” shape including a central portion flanked by two triangular portions. The triangular portions are joined to right and left roof brackets that are, in turn, joined to right and left roof rails. The bow-tie roof bow may be assembled from extruded tubular parts. The bow-tie roof bow may be assembled in a clamshell structure including an upper shell and a lower shell that are joined together by welding. The roof bow may be formed in one piece as a sheet metal stamping having side portions that are wider than the central portion.
US09550525B2
A steering wheel includes: a cylindrical slider which is disposed on an outer side of a support member so as to slide in a front-to-rear direction and which is biased to the rear; a cap member which covers at least respective rear end portions of the support member and the slider from the rear; a movable-side contact portion which is provided inside the cap member; an annular damper holder which is mounted inside the cap member; an annular elastic member which is interposed between the slider and the damper holder; a transmitting portion which is provided in an inner circumferential portion of the damper holder; and a movement catch portion which is provided on an outer circumferential portion of the slider so as to be positioned immediately before the transmitting portion and to which a forward movement of the damper holder is transmitted through the transmitting portion.
US09550521B2
A hydraulic steering arrangement (1) is provided comprising a static steering unit (2) and an adjustable pressure source (3) connected to a pressure port (4) of said steering unit (2) and having a load sensing port (21). Such a steering unit should enable a fast reaction of the steering unit. To this end said pressure source (3) is a dynamic pressure source having an orifice (Adyn) outputting hydraulic fluid to said load sensing port (21), a load sensing line (22) connecting said load sensing port (21) and a low pressure port (11), a control valve (24) being arranged in said load sensing line (22) between said load sensing port (21) and said low pressure port (11), said control valve (24) being actuated by a control pressure within said steering unit (2) and throttling a flow through said load sensing line (22) depending on said control pressure.
US09550515B2
Construction is achieved wherein performing design for sufficiently maintaining the collapse stroke is simple regardless of whether or not there is a key lock cylinder, and support rigidity of the steering column 1a during normal operation can be adequately increased. A vehicle-side bracket 5a is provided with a stationary-side support plate section 17 on only one side in the width direction of the column-side bracket 4a. This column-side bracket 4a is supported by the stationary-side support plate section 17 so as to be able to displace in the forward direction due to an impact load during a secondary collision. The column-side bracket 4a is also supported by the vehicle-side bracket 5a by way of an installation plate section 21 that is provided in a portion on the opposite side in the width direction of the steering column 1a from the stationary-side support plate section 17 so as to be able to displace in the forward direction due to an impact load during a secondary collision. A key lock cylinder is provided on rear section of the steering column 1a on the opposite side from the stationary-side support plate section 17.
US09550507B2
A portable valet system and method of use that incorporates a basket for storing items for movement as well as a collapsible hanger assembly that can be used for hanging items while in use. The portable valet system and method of use is collapsible and on wheels for portability.
US09550493B2
A transporter vehicle includes: a vehicle; an object detection device which includes a detection area at a front side of the vehicle and detects an object at the front side of the vehicle; a process system capable of performing a process for reducing damage caused by a collision; a specific detection area setting unit which sets a specific detection area having a width of a first dimension in a width direction of the vehicle and a length of a second dimension in a traveling direction of the vehicle in the detection area; a collision determination unit which determines whether an object exists in the specific detection area based on a detection result of the object detection device; and a control unit which outputs a signal for reducing damage caused by the collision to the process system based on a determination result of the collision determination unit.
US09550489B2
A method for regulating an energy recovery in a pedal-driven vehicle having a crank drive, an electric auxiliary drive and a rechargeable energy source includes: detecting a direction of rotation of the crank drive, and recovery of energy and storage of energy in the energy source when the direction of rotation of the crank drive is directed backward.
US09550485B2
A plug for sealing an aperture in a brake actuator housing is provided that provides improvements in installation and retention of the plug and protection for sealing surfaces. The plug includes a retention member including a body defining an aperture configured for alignment with the actuator housing aperture along an axis extending through the apertures. The retention member further includes a plurality of alignment tabs extending radially from the body. The tabs are configured to be received within a plurality of notches formed in a retaining ring affixed to the housing when the retention member is disposed in an unlocked position and configured to be disposed on a first side of the retaining ring when the retention member is rotated about the axis to a locked position. The plug further includes a seal configured to be received within the aperture in the body. The seal closes the second aperture.
US09550482B2
A method for operating a braking system of a vehicle includes: establishing a first setpoint brake pressure to be set in a first wheel brake cylinder of a first brake circuit and a second setpoint brake pressure to be set in a second wheel brake cylinder of a second brake circuit; reducing first and second actual brake pressures by setting a master brake cylinder pressure to be no greater than a minimum of the first and second setpoint brake pressures, and controlling a first switchover valve of the first brake circuit and/or of the second brake circuit; and/or increasing the first and second actual brake pressures by setting the master brake cylinder pressure to be no smaller than a maximum of the first and second setpoint brake pressures, and activating a first wheel inlet valve of the first brake circuit and/or of the second brake circuit.
US09550478B2
A control method for a hill start assistant control system may include determining that the vehicle is stopped and braked; receiving a current sensing value from an acceleration sensor on the vehicle which senses acceleration and periodically outputs a sensing value with the vehicle stopped and braked; determining whether a condition for stabilizing an output of the acceleration sensor is satisfied, using the current sensing value and a previous sensing value; finding an acceleration accumulation average by accumulating the current sensing value and averaging sensing values of the acceleration sensor which are accumulated up to a current time when the condition for stabilizing the output of the acceleration sensor is not satisfied; comparing the acceleration accumulation average with an accumulation reference value; and operating the hill start assistant control system, when the acceleration accumulation average is larger than the acceleration reference value.
US09550467B2
An apparatus comprises a vehicle door closeout panel. The closeout panel comprises a pelvis bolster having a plurality of load points. Each load point is determined based on a respective one of a plurality of vehicle seat track positions and is configured to receive a respective load determined according to the seat track position by which the load point was determined.
US09550466B2
A morphing energy absorber system includes an energy absorbing structure and an actuator system within the energy absorbing structure to morph the energy absorbing structure.
US09550465B1
An airbag system includes an inflator and an airbag in communication with the inflator. The airbag system includes a tether actuator and tethers extending from the tether actuator to the airbag. A controller is programmed to receive signals from an impact sensing system and a steering wheel angle sensor. The controller is programmed to instruct the tether actuator to release at least one of the tethers based at least on the signals from the steering wheel angle sensor and the impact sensing system.
US09550464B2
An active leg engagement system for a vehicle includes a selectively deployable leg-engaging member containing an airbag or expandable energy absorber for protecting a pedestrian from collision with the vehicle. An alternative embodiment may include an expandable energy absorber within or behind a vehicle bumper.
US09550463B2
A vehicle body end section structure is obtained that enables a spacer member that transmits load to a framework member in a small overlap collision to be suppressed from impinging on a wheel in a minor collision. The vehicle body end section structure comprises a pair of left and right framework members, a bumper framework section connected to leading end portions of the pair of framework members, and a spacer member that projects out from a jutting-out portion of the bumper framework section toward a framework member side. The spacer member is disposed such that a rotation trajectory of the spacer member about a connection location between the bumper framework section and the framework member, the connection location is positioned on an opposite side in the vehicle width direction of the spacer member, does not impinge on a wheel in plan view.
US09550462B2
A support structure assembly for an automotive vehicle includes a side member extending in a generally longitudinal direction and having a forward end; a link member having a generally fixed shape and having outer and inner mounting portions with the inner portion being mounted to the side member via an inner hinged connection; and a bumper having a main bumper member and a bumper extension member forming an end portion of the bumper. The bumper extends generally transverse and lateral to the longitudinal direction of the side member, and the bumper extension member extends laterally across and beyond the forward end of the side member. The bumper extension member includes forward and rearward wall portions. The rearward wall portion is sandwiched between the main bumper member and the forward end of the side member.
US09550459B2
A clip may include an anchor made of a hard resinous material and having a pillar that is configured to be inserted into an attaching hole formed in a plate-shaped object member and elastic arms that are formed in the pillar and capable of flexing inward and outward with respect to the pillar, and cushions made of a soft resinous material. The elastic arms respectively have engagement claws respectively having engagement surfaces that are configured to engage an inner periphery of the attaching hole. The engagement surfaces are respectively covered by the cushions.
US09550456B2
A device for adjusting rear view mirrors includes a vehicle-side first element and a movable second element. A reflecting surface is attached to the second element. One of the first or second elements has a concave surface, and the other element has a convex surface. The second element pivots about at least one axis that is fixed with respect to the first element. A joining slot is formed where the convex surface slides over the concave surface. One of the elements has a sealing lip that makes sliding contact with the other element and prevents foreign objects from entering the slot between the convex surface and the concave surface. The sealing lip annularly contacts either the convex surface or the concave surface. Alternatively, the concave surface is formed by a spherical shell, and the sealing lip slides over a second convex surface disposed on the shell opposite the concave surface.
US09550455B2
An imager system configured for a vehicle control system is provided that includes at least one imager configured to capture a multi-focus image having depth data, the imager comprising an image sensor comprising an array of pixels, and an optics assembly in optical communication with the image sensor, the optics assembly configured to capture light rays, wherein the optics assembly comprising a main lens assembly configured to substantially focus a scene on to a plane, a micro lens assembly in optical communication between the main lens and the image sensor to substantially focus on to same the plane as the main lens assembly extending out to infinity, and a controller in communication with the imager, wherein the controller is configured to output a signal for controlling a function of the vehicle, the signal based upon the depth data determined from the multi-focus image.
US09550452B2
A communication system for a vehicle includes a vehicle speed sensor configured to emit a periodic function with a parameter correlated to the speed of the vehicle, an acceleration monitoring system, a braking system engagement detector to detect a braking status of the vehicle, an alerting device capable of signaling other drivers of a deceleration condition of the vehicle, and a control device. The acceleration monitoring system is configured to compute the acceleration of the vehicle from variations in the parameter of the periodic function of the vehicle speed sensor and to output a deceleration status of the vehicle. The control device is coupled to the acceleration monitoring system, the braking system engagement detector, and the alerting device, wherein the acceleration monitoring system sends signals to the control device and the control device operates the alerting device in a manner dependent on the deceleration status of the vehicle.
US09550440B2
A conveyance seat includes a seat frame; a seat pad; and a support body disposed based on a center portion of a distribution of a sitting pressure applied by a seated occupant to the seat pad. The support body is supported with respect to the seat frame such that a front end portion thereof is rotatable in a right-left direction about a straight line tilted upward in a direction from a front side toward a rear side, and a rear end portion thereof is movable in the right-left direction. The seat pad includes a fixed portion that is supported at a fixed position by the seat frame, and a movable portion that is supported by the support body such that the movable portion is movable.
US09550439B2
A vehicle seat includes a seatback having a coverstock defining a seat surface with a flexible lower region and a flexible upper region. The seatback further has a compressible upper bladder beneath the coverstock upper region and a compressible inflation bladder positioned beneath the coverstock lower region and in fluidic communication with the upper bladder. A first fixed quantity of a flowable medium is contained in and is partially transferrable between the upper bladder and the inflation bladder.
US09550430B2
The method for dynamic and forward management of the recharging of batteries with electric power includes retrieving at least one data record relating to a previous recharging of each battery in the form of a recharging time extending from a time of beginning of the power supply to a time of ending of the power supply. The method also includes determining a forward duration of recharging of each battery from a forward time of beginning of power supply to a forward time of ending of the supply and determining a schedule for recharging while sequencing the forward times of recharging determined for each battery. The durations follow each other and overlap at least partially over time, while applying each forward duration to the recharging, from forward time of beginning of power supply to forward time of ending of power supply.
US09550429B2
Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer-readable mediums for managing batteries of a fleet of vehicles. A computing device includes one or more processors configured to receive first battery data related to a first battery of a first vehicle, where the first vehicle is part of the fleet of vehicles, and compare the first battery data to fleet battery data related to one or more other batteries of vehicles in the fleet of vehicles. Based on the comparison a second vehicle in the fleet is determined in which to switch the first battery to improve battery life of the batteries of the fleet.
US09550421B2
A DC-to-DC converter may be disposed in a vehicle for converting a high voltage from a power source to a low voltage. The DC-to-DC converter may include a primary converter, a secondary converter, and a DC-to-DC module. The DC-to-DC module may control the operation of the secondary converter based on a set-point threshold and a power output of the primary converter, where the set-point threshold may be variably set.
US09550418B1
A system and method for encouraging a user of a recreational vehicle to wear safety equipment is described. The helmet contains a microprocessor and sensors to determine if the helmet is worn. The helmet communicates with the vehicle and the vehicle either disables operation or allows limited operation if the helmet is not worn. On motorized vehicles, the motor operation is restricted. On human powered vehicles mechanical resistance may limit operation.
US09550415B2
A method for operating a cooling fan of a vehicle including detecting at least one of a battery charge of a battery of the vehicle and a state of engagement of an air conditioning system of the vehicle and rotating the cooling fan in a direction to expel air from an engine compartment of the vehicle based on at least one of a detected battery charge of the battery or a detected state of engagement of the air conditioning system.
US09550413B2
A hybrid work machine includes: an engine; a generator motor; a storage battery; a motor; a transformer; a target engine speed calculation unit configured to calculate a target engine speed based on at least an engine load and an output state of the generator motor; a generation control unit configured to output a generator requesting minimum engine speed; an engine controlling target engine speed calculation unit configured to calculate and output an engine controlling target engine speed based on the target engine speed and the generator requesting minimum engine speed; an engine control unit configured to control an engine speed based on the engine controlling target engine speed; and an assist control unit configured to set the target engine speed to the generator controlling target engine speed and control engine assist based on the generator controlling target engine speed and the generator motor speed.
US09550412B2
A power generation system is disclosed. The power generation system includes an electrical converting device and a repowered portion connected to the electrical converting device. The repowered portion includes a reciprocating internal combustion engine and a gearbox. The reciprocating internal combustion engine is connected to the gearbox by a first connecting structure. The gearbox is connected to the electrical converting device by a second connecting structure.
US09550411B2
Automotive window glass to which a molding for sealing space between a car body and the window glass is to be attached, the window glass including, an attachment starting point mark indicating an attachment starting point of the molding, and at least one of a termination starting point mark and a termination last point mark in a specification range in which a termination of the molding, of which an attachment to the window glass being started from the attachment starting point, is to be placed.
US09550409B2
An open roof construction for a vehicle comprises an opening in a stationary roof part and a rollo assembly positioned below said roof opening intended for covering the roof opening. The rollo assembly comprises a rollo screen and a winding shaft for the rollo screen which is rotatable around a stationary axis of rotation, and the rollo screen, starting from the winding shaft, firstly extends in a first direction, next around a reversal member and finally back in an opposite second direction and ends at a rollo screen edge. The reversal member is movable in parallel to said first and second directions in correspondence with the amount of rollo screen being wound on or off said winding shaft. The rollo screen is provided with light emitting members which are activated through connections provided at the interface between said rollo screen edge and a stationary part of the open roof construction.
US09550404B2
Various embodiments related to hydraulic actuators and active suspension systems as well as their methods of use are described.
US09550402B2
An IFS assembly having a single lower control arm having an inboard end pivotally secured to a chassis support structure, an air spring supported by an air spring seat relative to the lower control arm, a strut having an upper end pivotally secured to the chassis support structure and a lower end coupled to the lower control arm outboard end, and a steering knuckle fixed to the strut lower end, the steering knuckle disposed below the lower air spring seat and whose rotative movement about the strut axis is unconfined by proximity between the steering knuckle and the lower air spring seat, whereby available wheel cut is maximized. Also an IFS module including right and left side IFS assemblies and adapted for installation into a vehicle.
US09550393B2
A connecting member (15) includes connecting plates (21, 22) configured to connect an attachment body and a ring-shaped body (13), a plurality of curved sections (21d to 21j, 22d to 22j) curved in a tire circumferential direction are formed at the connecting plates (21, 22) in a direction in which the connecting plates (21, 22) extend in a side view of a tire when seen from a tire width direction, and in the plurality of curved sections (21d to 21j, 22d to 22j) of one of the connecting plates (21, 22), the thickness of a maximum curved section having largest central angles (θd to θj) about a center of curvature of the curved section (21d to 21j, 22d to 22j) is maximized, and the thickness of a minimum curved section having the smallest central angles (θd to θj) is minimized.
US09550392B2
A method of cleaning a coating apparatus that has been coated with a coating such as an oil-based paint using bio-diesel.
US09550383B2
Gas bearing systems, print gap control systems, and methods of print gap control are provided. The gas bearing systems can accommodate one or more print module packages. The systems and methods can be used for inkjet and/or thermal printing applications such as manufacturing organic light emitting devices (OLEDs). Gas bearing systems can employ one or more of pressurized gas and vacuum. For oxygen-sensitive applications, an inert gas, such as nitrogen gas, can be employed as the pressurized gas. Fluid channels and apertures of the gas bearing systems can be varied in terms of size and relative position to one another. Fluid channels and apertures can be grouped and paired with one or more manifolds and ultimately a pressurized gas and/or vacuum source.
US09550382B2
A tape cartridge has a print tape accommodated in a cartridge case, a slit-like reel-off port through which the print tape is sent out, and first and second sub display sections which are provided on the wall surface of a forward peripheral wall of the cartridge case where the reel-off port is formed, and in which the type of the print tape is displayed in letters. In the first and second sub display sections, the type of the print tape is displayed in the form of at least one of normal letters formed according to the reel-off port as a horizontal reference and inverted letters formed by inverting the normal letters upside down.
US09550376B2
A printing apparatus includes a dryer that heats and dries a print base material on which a print image is formed in a printing unit. The dryer includes a rotational drum that supports and transports the print base material, and a blower unit that blows hot air to the print base material supported by the rotational drum. The dryer includes a movement unit that displaces the blower unit to a first position which allows the print base material to be heated and to a second position which is away from the print base material while maintaining the blower unit in operation.
US09550372B2
A decorator assembly is provided. The decorator assembly includes a mandrel turret assembly. The mandrel turret assembly includes a rotatable turret, a number of mandrels, and a number of independent ink stations. Each mandrel is rotatably coupled to the turret. Each mandrel extends generally radially from the turret and is disposed generally in a plane about an axis of rotation. The turret is structured to rotate about an axis of rotation thereby moving each mandrel over a generally circular path of travel. Each independent ink station is disposed adjacent to the path of travel of the mandrels.
US09550349B1
A method for fabricating a part includes sectionalizing a computer-generated representation of a part into strata having an order, forming layers corresponding to the strata from sheet material, stacking at least two of the layers in the order, and joining the layers together. The method is suitable for producing a phase-change material container for a thermal energy harvesting device, for example.
US09550345B2
A process for the preparation of an object, supporting a lipid bilayer, for use in tissue engineering including the steps of providing an object having a surface, treating the surface of the object with a plasma containing active oxygen to provide the surface of the object with reactive groups A, to provide the surface of the object with reactive groups A, covalently attaching a sterol group to the reactive groups A and contacting the object activated with sterol groups with a lipid solution to form a lipid bilayer.
US09550344B2
The invention relates to the use of polyolefins modified with one or more silanes as adhesion promoters for the production of flat glass/glass, glass/plastic, or plastic/plastic laminates, to corresponding laminates, and to displays containing the laminates according to the invention.
US09550343B2
A laminated transparency includes a first ply having a No. 1 surface and a No. 2 surface. A second ply is spaced from the first ply and has a No. 3 surface and a No. 4 surface, with the No. 2 surface facing the No. 3 surface. A polymeric interlayer is positioned between the first and second plies. At least one failure strip is incorporated into the interlayer to provide a predetermined failure orientation for the transparency.
US09550340B2
A fiber structure for reinforcing a composite material part is obtained by multilayer weaving between a plurality of layers of warp yarns and a plurality of layers of weft yarns. The fiber structure includes fastener elements on at least one of its faces, each fastener element including a body placed under yarns present on a face of the fiber structure, and fastener portions situated over the yarns.
US09550333B2
A sealant dispenser, which can cooperate with an air compressor for repairing punctured tires, is disclosed. The sealant dispenser generally includes a bottle with a top opening being filled with a chemical sealant, a cap mounted over the top opening of the bottle, a control valve for controlling an air passage and a sealant passage defined at the cap, and a rotary handle. In use, the air passage receives compressed air from the air compressor, and the sealant passage is connected to a tire to be repaired. By turning the rotary handle, the air passage and the sealant passage can communicate with the inner space of the bottle, which allows the compressed air to flow into the inner space of the bottle to force the chemical sealant contained therein to flow into the interior of the punctured tire, thus repairing the tire.
US09550332B2
Tapered layers of pre-cured composite material are integrated into a tapered, highly stressed laminate structure in order to provide improved compressive strength. The pre-cured composite material can advantageously be cured under tension as pultruded material, to further augment compressive strength. The thickness of composite layers can be tapered on their termination edges by mechanically abrading, chemical abrading, or other methods. Especially preferred embodiments include aircraft structural components such as wings, wing spars, wing skins, fuselage skins, rotor blades, propellers, and propeller blades. Preferred laminates can be constructed to have at least 6, 10, 30, 50, or 100 layers of material, and can have a maximum thickness of at least 0.15, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, or 5.0 inches.
US09550325B2
This invention relates to a device and procedure for the production of a work piece with exact geometry and high surface quality, a form tool in particular. Preferably, the work piece is constructed using a process wherein powder coatings are applied one on top of each other, by means of compaction, said process being computer-controlled. After the powder has been compacted, the surfaces thereof are finely machined in a mechanical manner. During the entire machining process, the work piece to be produced is surrounded with powdery source material.
US09550317B2
A drop-in hot runner system includes a first runner component having a first channel aperture extending into a first runner component sliding surface, and a second runner component having a second channel aperture extending into a second runner component sliding surface. A depressible protrusion is associated with the first runner component, and a receiver is associated with the second runner component. The depressible protrusion and the receiver are positioned such that when the first runner component and the second runner component are coupled together along the first and second runner component sliding surfaces the depressible protrusion is received in the receiver, and the first and second channel apertures are misaligned.
US09550314B2
Provided are flotation system and method for crushing, separating and washing waste plastics. In a direction of transporting materials, the flotation system includes a crusher, a flotation tank, a multi-functional rubbing and separating device, a washing tank and a dehydrator which are connected in turn; the flotation tank and the washing tank are disposed abreast; the floatation tank is a straight launder, and the washing tank is a U-shaped launder; and the discharge port of the flotation tank and the feeding port of the washing tank are connected via the multi-functional rubbing and separating device. The method is to crush the waste plastics first and then execute multiple stages of washing and separating. The flotation system and method herein are capable of improving the effect of washing waste plastics effectively and improving the quality of products.
US09550313B2
A process for the production of storage-stable epoxy prepregs is provided. In addition, composites produced from the prepregs based on epoxides and acids having groups reactive to free-radical polymerization is provided.
US09550308B2
A device for perforating and/or fluting and/or punching for rotary presses and/or rotary printing presses has a rotation cylinder with a holding device that fixes a base plate of a flexible and dimensionally stable material to the rotation cylinder. Fixing rods are arranged at a distance from each other in the peripheral direction of the rotation cylinder, the rods holding a flexible tool support supporting at least one machining tool on the rotation cylinder such that tool support lies directly or indirectly on the base plate. The fixing rods are respectively formed from at least one multi-jointed hinge bar having a first hinge bar which holds the hinge bar on the rotation cylinder. A second hinge bar is articulated to the first hinge bar so that, when the hinge bars are superimposed and/or closed, the tool support is clamped and/or received between the bars.
US09550304B2
Process and apparatus for recycling multi-compartment unit dose articles to avoid significant cross-contamination between the contents of the individual compartments.
US09550303B2
A shaving device comprising a head assembly having a support member and a blade cartridge. The support member is configured to be detachably coupled to a handle. The blade cartridge has a first and a second face wherein at least one of the first or second faces comprises at least one razor blade. The blade cartridge is configured to be rotatably coupled to the support member about a pivot axis such that the blade cartridge is pivotable by a user to select one of the first or second faces.
US09550299B2
A robotic link mechanism comprising a pair of base elements connected by a passive flexible joint, such that flexure of the joint changes the mutual orientation of the base elements. A pair of obliquely truncated cylinders are confined between the base elements such that the obliquely formed end surfaces of the cylinders can rotate in sliding contact with each other, and the other end of each cylinder can rotate in sliding contact with its associated base element. Driving motors are attached to the base elements, each one controlled to rotate the cylinder associated with that base element, such that rotation of at least one of the cylinders causes the base elements to undergo change in their mutual orientation. The mechanism thus has a backbone composed of the passive flexible joint, which is supported and actuated by the oblique truncated cylindrical structure that serves as an active exoskeleton.
US09550297B2
A modularly-structured gripping mechanism for robots, machines, and handling devices comprises at least one movable gripping finger that sits directly or indirectly on a finger module and works counter to a stationary or movable finger. The finger module consists of a slide unit that comprises a housing and a slide made from an aluminum section which is hollow all the way through and has multiple bore holes. The housing consists of a frame and multiple rods which extend parallel to one another, between the end faces, and prestress all parts of the housing. The rods simultaneously function as guide rods for the slides. A very stable gripping mechanism for heavy loads is produced by form-fittingly mounting any number of finger modules on a flange case. The finger modules can have their own drive or can share one drive.
US09550295B2
An interference check device includes a model-number upper-limit input unit to which a model upper-limit number of geometric models allocated to a modeling target of interference check is input, a modeling unit generating model candidates from the modeling target using geometric models equal to or less than the model upper limit number, a processing-computation-amount upper-limit setting unit setting a computation upper-limit amount of interference check based on a computation processing amount required for each process performed by a controller controlling the modeling target, a minimum-enclosure-volume-model determination unit determining a model candidate having smallest model enclosure volume as a model for the modeling target from the model candidates that can perform calculation processing of interference check with equal to or less than the computation upper-limit amount, and an interference check unit performing interference check between models using determined model.
US09550287B2
An installation tool for inserting a helical threaded insert into a tapped hole includes a driving mechanism, a series of mandrels and a series of head tubes. When a user wants to rebuild a broken tapped hole, the user can choose one mandrel and a related head tube with suitable size for rebuilding the broken tapped hole. Furthermore, a special threaded hole is defined in the head tube to reduce the size of the helical threaded insert for matching the broken tapped hole so that the user can rebuild the tapped hole easily.
US09550281B2
A pneumatic tool has an outer casing, a selector valve, a switching button and a cover. The outer casing has two elongated holes formed through an external surface of the outer casing, and facing and communicating to each other. The selector valve is rotatably mounted in the outer casing and has a communicating hole and two connecting blocks. The connecting blocks are axially formed on and protrude from an external surface of the selector valve, align with each other and respectively face the elongated holes. The switching button is detachably connected to one of the connecting blocks and extends out of one of the elongated holes. The cover is detachably connected to the outer casing to cover the other elongated hole and has a shape corresponding to a shape of the external surface of the outer casing.
US09550270B2
Among other things, one or more systems and techniques for increasing temperature for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) are provided. For example, a liquid heater component is configured to supply heated liquid to a polishing pad upon which a semiconductor wafer is to be polished, resulting in a heated polishing pad having a heated polishing pad temperature. The increased temperature of the heated polishing pad increases oxidation of the semiconductor wafer, which improves a CMP removal rate of material from the semiconductor wafer due to a decreased oxidation timespan and a stabilization timespan for reaching a stable CMP removal rate during CMP. In this way, the semiconductor wafer is polished utilizing the heated polishing pad, such as by a tungsten CMP process.
US09550259B2
A method for connecting a first component to a second component having a through hole includes the following steps: bringing the two components against one another and positioning them relative to one another, detecting the spatial position of the hole by a position detection electronic unit, positioning a connecting element at a location within the hole as a function of the spatial position of the hole or as a function of position data determined by the position detection electronic unit, connecting the connecting element to the first component, with the result that the connecting element projects into or through the hole, and clipping onto the connecting element a clip element which holds the two components together.
US09550254B2
A pure Ar-MIG welding wire for welding steel according to the present invention is formed of a flux-cored wire. The flux-cored wire is formed in the manner that a formation formed by welding a carbon steel hoop into a pipe shape or a seamless pipe is used as an outer sheath, the outer sheath is filled with a flux, and a wire drawing process is performed. The flux accounts for 7 to 27 mass % of the total wire mass. The wire contains graphite in the amount of 0.16 to 2.00 mass % on the basis of the total wire mass and iron powder in the amount of 20 mass % on the basis of the total flux mass. According to the construction, neither expensive metal resource nor a greenhouse effect gas is used, slag and fume generation is inhibited, and a weld joint having a high static tensile strength and fatigue strength can be obtained.
US09550253B2
A fiber laser beam machine includes a machining head that condenses a laser beam and irradiates the laser beam on a workpiece; a fiber that guides the laser beam output from a laser oscillator to the machining head; a fiber connector that fixedly joins the fiber to the machining head; a cable holding device such as a cable bear (registered trademark) that is flexible, is in a U shape, and houses the fiber; and a fixing section that fixedly joins the cable holding device to the machining head.
US09550246B2
The invention relates to a selective soldering plant for the soldering of electronic circuit boards, at least one container for liquid solder, a soldering arrangement with at least one soldering nozzle and at least one pump for conveying the liquid solder to the soldering arrangement being provided, an inner shielding device for at least partially shielding the soldering arrangement upwardly with regard to a gas flow being provided above the soldering arrangement, and an inflow device being provided, through which gas, in particular protective gas, can in any event flow into the region below the inner shielding device. It is proposed that an outer shielding device for at least partially shielding the inner shielding device upwardly with regard to a gas flow be provided.
US09550245B2
An electric discharge machining apparatus includes: electrodes the total quantity of which is equal to N; an alternating-current power source; and capacitors the total quantity of which is equal to N. The alternating-current power source applies an alternating voltage commonly to the electrodes. One end of each of the capacitors is connected to a corresponding one of the electrodes, whereas the other ends of the capacitors are commonly connected to the alternating-current power source.
US09550244B2
There is shown a tool holder for a hob, which is embodied as a bore having a clamping device provided between a spindle and a counterholder, the clamping device having a centring clamping piece that is engageable in the hob and a receiving mandrel that is engageable in the hob, the receiving mandrel being braced with the centring clamping piece in order to mount the hob, wherein the centring clamping piece has a flange. In order to ensure the best concentric running properties in a stable manner, it is proposed that the centring clamping piece and the receiving mandrel each have a flange, which each mount a radial adjusting drive with at least one adjusting member that is adjustable with respect to the spindle and/or the counterholder in order to center the clamping device.
US09550234B2
A method for equipping a film material with at least one electrically conductive conductor structure, wherein a dispersion containing metallic nanoparticles in the form of a conductor structure is applied to a thermostable transfer material and the metallic nanoparticles are sintered to form an electrically conductive conductor structure. The electrically conductive conductor structure of sintered metallic nanoparticles is then transferred from the thermostable transfer material to the non-thermostable film material. A method for producing a laminate material using the film material using at least one electrically conductive conductor structure, and to the corresponding film material and laminate material are described.
US09550229B2
A fluoride-free continuous casting mold flux for ultralow carbon steel, comprising the following components in weight percentage: 3-10% of Na2O, 0-3% of Li2O, 3-8% of MgO, 5-15% of MnO, 0-8% of BaO, 4-12% of Al2O3, and impurities with a content of no more than 2%, the balance being CaO and SiO2, wherein the ratio of CaO/SiO2 is 0.8-1.3; the raw materials are mixed and then pre-melted; the pre-melted mold flux requires micro-adjusting according to the component deviation, and the ratio of the pre-melted material is not lower than 70%; then a carbonaceous material of 1-3% by the total weight of the mold flux is added and mixed so as to obtain the finished product mold flux. Said mold flux has a melting point of 1100-1200° C. and a viscosity of 0.2-0.6 Pa·s at 1300° C. A method for preparing a mold flux comprising the following steps: mixing raw materials, pre-melting to obtain a pre-melt; then continuously supplementing raw materials into the pre-melt to obtain a substrate with a desired composition; then adding a carbonaceous material to the substrate and mixing so as to obtain said mold flux. This mold flux is a boron-free and fluoride-free mold flux, can effectively reduce the inclusion defect of blank casting and increase the yield of blank casting.
US09550224B2
A vacuum port assembly is provided for a press system including a die assembly and a transfer assembly. The transfer assembly includes a conveyor belt, a vacuum manifold coupled to the die assembly, and an airflow generator. The conveyor belt includes a plurality of holes for receiving and moving shells in a plane with respect to the die assembly. The vacuum port assembly includes at least one port member including inlet and outlet ends. The inlet end has a mounting portion for removably coupling the port member to the vacuum manifold. The outlet end is in fluid communication with the airflow generator, thereby establishing fluid communication between the airflow generator and the vacuum manifold. The inlet end extends outwardly from the vacuum manifold generally perpendicular with respect to the plane of the conveyor belt.
US09550211B2
CMUT devices are used in many applications e.g. for ultrasound imaging and pressure measurement. These devices operate by sensing a change in capacitance caused by deflection of a membrane (32) comprising one of a pair of electrodes in the device by ultrasound exposure of or pressure applied on, the membrane. The CMUT device may be susceptible to the effects of changing temperature.
US09550205B2
An electromagnetic device (1) for stabilizing and minimizing the deformation of a strip (4) made of ferromagnetic material during its feeding in a system for coating the same strip with molten metal, by applying a distribution of force which is continuous in the direction transversal to the strip regardless of the width thereof. The device comprises first electromagnets and second electromagnets mirroring the first electromagnets with respect to said theoretical pass-line (50) of said strip (4). Each electromagnet includes a core comprising one pole and one feeding coil wound about the pole. The electromagnetic device comprises a connection element (26) made of ferromagnetic material which connects the cores of the first electromagnets (15, 15′, 15″, 15″′) and a connection element (26′) made of ferromagnetic material which connects the cores of the second electromagnets (16, 16′, 16″, 16″′). The connection elements (26, 26′) mirror the theoretical pass-line (50) of the strip (4).
US09550204B2
A dispensing module and method of dispensing an adhesive includes a dispenser body assembly having a liquid supply passage, a nozzle member having a liquid passageway, a valve element, and a valve seat. The liquid passageway includes a discharge passageway defining an outlet, a first converging surface, a bore, and a shoulder positioned between the first converging surface and the bore. The valve element extends along an axis within the liquid passageway and has a bulbous end portion movable along the axis between an open position and a closed position. The bulbous end portion has a valve needle smaller than the bore to inhibit obstruction to the discharge passageway for adhesive flowing thereto. The valve seat seals against the bulbous end portion in the closed position such that a region of the valve needle projects into the discharge passageway for inhibiting clogging of the adhesive proximate to the outlet.
US09550202B2
Provided is a substrate transport roller (2a) capable of ensuring a broad temperature-control region on a substrate, without reducing substrate transport quality. This substrate transport roller (2a) is provided in a film-forming device (1) for executing a film-forming process on the surface of a film substrate (W), transports the film substrate (W) by rotating around a center axis, and is equipped with: a center-section segment (13a) positioned in the center section in the axial direction extending along the center axis, and having a first outer-circumferential surface; end-section segments (12a, 12b) positioned on both sides on the outside in the axial direction of the center-section segment (13a), and each having a second outer-circumferential surface which contacts the substrate (W) and has a larger diameter than that of the first outer-circumferential surface; a center-section-rising-falling-temperature-medium mechanism for changing the temperature of the center-section segment (13a); and a both-end-section-rising-falling-temperature mechanism for changing the temperature of each of the end-section segments (12a, 12b) independently from the center-section segment (13a).
US09550201B2
A fluid sprayer is provided and includes a fluid pump assembly having an outlet path and a motor assembly configured to drive the fluid pump assembly to pressurize fluid. The motor assembly is controlled by a throttle mechanism. The fluid sprayer also includes a fluid pressure control assembly including a mechanical pressure transducer configured to be displaced as a function of fluid pressure in the outlet path. The fluid pressure control assembly is configured to control the throttle mechanism as a function of displacement of the mechanical pressure transducer.
US09550196B2
A shower system with a wall connection, a conduit connected thereto to connect the wall connection to a changeover device, and an overhead shower head and a hand shower to which water can be supplied via the changeover device. A first flow restrictor with a first flow restriction is disposed in an area of the wall connection and a second and third flow restrictor are disposed in an area of the overhead shower head and hand shower in a series connection. In the area of the changeover device at least one fourth flow restrictor with at least one second flow restriction is provided and the changeover device provides at least one first direct line connection between the wall connection and at least the overhead shower head or hand shower and a second indirect line connection with a series connection of the fourth flow restrictor.
US09550195B1
A shower head includes a fixation portion and a switch mechanism. The fixation portion has two diversion waterways that connect to an inlet waterway. The switch mechanism rotates the two diversion waterways. The first diversion waterway has a mutation cavity connected to a diversion hole. The mutation cavity has a flow straightener that water from the diversion hole collides in the flow straightener. The second diversion waterway has a first section and a second section with a larger outlet. A suction hole is disposed between the mutation cavity and the second section. When water flows out of the first diversion waterway, air enters the mutation cavity from the second diversion waterway through the suction hole, bubble water flows out of the first diversion waterway; when water flows out of the second diversion waterway, air enters the second section from the first diversion waterway through the suction hole.
US09550191B2
The present invention relates to a method for the flotation of silicates from ores in the presence of a collecting agent and an effective amount of a froth modifier/collecting booster comprising at least one of the compounds of general formula (I) or mixtures thereof: wherein X is C1-C3 alkyl; R′ is straight or branched hydrocarbyl group containing 8 to 22 carbon atoms; n is integer from 2-4; m can vary from 0 to 2 and R′ is X or —(CH2)n-N(X)2, with the proviso that when R′ is —(CH2)n-N(X)2, then m is 1.
US09550185B2
The invention relates to a sample device (1) comprising an array of reaction chambers/wells (3) in a titer plate (2) and a two-dimensional array (10) of thin-film-light sensor elements (12), and each light-sensitive element (12) of the sensor array (10) is disposed directly underneath the individual reaction chamber (3) in order to detect chemical and/or biological reactions.
US09550170B2
The present disclosure relates to methods for producing nanoparticles. The nanoparticles may be made using ethanol as the solvent and the reductant to fabricate noble-metal nanoparticles with a narrow particle size distributions, and to coat a thin metal shell on other metal cores. With or without carbon supports, particle size is controlled by fine-tuning the reduction power of ethanol, by adjusting the temperature, and by adding an alkaline solution during syntheses. The thickness of the added or coated metal shell can be varied easily from sub-monolayer to multiple layers in a seed-mediated growth process. The entire synthesis of designed core-shell catalysts can be completed using metal salts as the precursors with more than 98% yield; and, substantially no cleaning processes are necessary apart from simple rinsing. Accordingly, this method is considered to be a “green” chemistry method.
US09550167B2
The present invention relates to a method of preparing a hollow carbon structure. The method includes a step of calcining a solid component separated after a cracking reaction of a heavy hydrocarbon fraction; and a step of performing an acid treatment or base treatment on the solid component calcined in the above-described step.The present invention provides a method of preparing a hollow carbon structure which may be used to separate carbon dioxide, to remove a sulfur compound, and as a carrier of various substances by performing various pre-processes on carbon generated on a surface of a spent catalyst which is used in a cracking reaction of a heavy hydrocarbon fraction.
US09550156B2
A generation apparatus for dissolving gas in liquid includes a sealed dissolving tank, a gas supply tube, a liquid supply set, and a fluid nozzle, wherein the sealed dissolving tank having a liquid inlet tube and a liquid outlet tube; a gas chamber formed inside the tank above liquid level; the gas supply tube supplying gas into gas chamber; the fluid nozzle disposed inside the tank; the liquid supply set supplying liquid to the fluid nozzle; the fluid nozzle disposed with at least a gas inlet and at least a liquid bubble inlet at different locations on shell wall; the gas inlet connected to a gas tube to the gas chamber, and the liquid bubble inlet located below the liquid level inside the tank. As such, the fluid nozzle performs at least two dissolving operations to miniaturize the bubbles to increase contact surface and improve dissolving efficiency.
US09550153B2
The present invention provides a porous polymer flat-sheet membrane for MBR wherein surface of the porous polymer membrane is kept hydrophilic for a long period and high water permeability and anti-fouling properties are kept. A porous polymer flat-sheet membrane for MBR comprising a hydrophobic porous polymer membrane forming a network structure and a sheet substrate supporting it, characterized in that at least surface of the porous polymer membrane is coated and fixed with an insolubilized hydroxypropyl cellulose, that a ratio of the hydroxypropyl cellulose to the porous polymer membrane is 0.4 to 1.0% by weight and that, when NMR spectrum of the hydroxypropyl cellulose coated on and fixed to the membrane is measured using a nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus (proton NMR), an intensity ratio (B/A) of a spectral peak (B) appearing at 4.12 ppm to a spectral peak (A) appearing at 3.75 ppm is 12 to 30%.
US09550148B2
The method of capturing gaseous heavy metals disclosed herein includes exposing a stream of vapor including the gaseous heavy metals to a reactor bed of carbon (C) and aluminum (Al) in the form of pellets and granules. The gaseous heavy metals include mercury (Hg), mercury oxide (HgxOy), and other heavy metals in ionized or oxidized form.
US09550141B2
A device for filtering contaminated air includes an air filter, an intake fan driven by an electric motor, a filter housing, to which the air filter can be fastened by means of a threaded connection, and a battery for driving the electric motor, wherein the intake fan has a guide blade and an impeller, and the intake fan is arranged in a chimney-shaped shell on the filter housing.
US09550137B2
Various systems are provided for an interface between an oil filter element and an oil filter mount of an oil filter. In one embodiment, an oil filter comprises an oil filter element adapted to be fittable over an outwardly projecting step of a first oil filter mount and fittable on a second oil filter mount without an outwardly projecting step, the oil filter element having an opening adapted to sealably engage with a base of the first oil filter mount and a base of the second oil filter mount.
US09550135B2
A draw latch retainer is used to secure a filter cartridge to a filter head. A cam actuated retainer extends from the head to engage a keeper in the top of the cartridge. Rotation of the cam draws the retainer and cartridge axially toward the head into an installed position. The retainer extends through an aperture in the upper portion of the cartridge to apply a retention force against the bottom side of the keeper. The keeper and upper portion of the cartridge supporting the keeper are configured to transmit the retaining force laterally across the top of the cartridge. A pair of axial conduits project from the cartridge and mount O-ring seals for implementing an axial sealing interface with passages in the head.
US09550128B1
In an aspect, a toy character assembly is provided, and includes a housing, a toy character, at least one sensor and a controller. The toy character is positioned inside the housing and includes a breakout mechanism that is operable to break the housing to expose the toy character. The at least one sensor detects interaction with a user. The controller is configured to determine whether a selected condition has been met based on at least one interaction with the user, and to operate the breakout mechanism to break the housing to expose the toy character if the condition is met. Optionally, the condition is met based upon having a selected number of interactions with the user.
US09550122B2
A system may be configured to host a virtual space for access by users. The virtual space may be a game space in which users control one or more characters (or sets of characters) to achieve game objectives. The system may be configured such that the travel paths within the virtual world are determined dynamically. This may provide for travel which may have dynamic aspects at a lower cost than providing full interactivity between destinations.
US09550110B2
A cashless play system for arcade games on passenger ships utilizes a key card reader to read patron identity information. The key card reader sends the patron identity information to a shipboard game play server and receives game play authorization information based on the patron identity information and patron data stored in a shipboard patron database. The key card reader activates the arcade game based on the game play authorization information and causes game play data to be stored in a game play database. Further, the game play server uploads game play data to a remote server, at a geographic location other than the geographic location of the passenger ship, and downloads game play server updates.
US09550108B2
A skateboard truck (200, 300), including a hanger (102″, 102′″) carrying an axle (104), and a baseplate (108″, 108′″). The axle holds a pair of wheels, which are steered in unison by the axle. The baseplate is coupled to the hanger to permit hanger rotation about a dynamic hanger rotation axis (138″). A static mechanism (202, 302) enforces a static pivot point at a locus (111, 109′) through which the dynamic hanger rotation axis passes during turning operation. Also, a dynamic mechanism (204, 402) causes the dynamic hanger rotation axis to pass through a plurality of dynamic hanger pivot points during that turning operation. Roll of the baseplate about a skateboard roll axis (152) is operable to cause a steering rotation of the axle, and also changes the action angle (150) of the truck.
US09550107B1
An apparatus for sliding/gliding on a surface includes a long board and a short board connected to the long board through a hitch beam. The short board is connected to the hitch beam through an axle placed at an angle on the short board, and the long board is connected to the hitch beam through a stationary, non-rotating connection. A turn plate on the long board is connected to the short board so that as the turn plate rotates relative to the long board, the short board can be turned simultaneously with the lifting the lateral inside edge.
US09550104B2
An adjustable golf swing training device for use with multiple different golf clubs having a template frame partially surrounding and defining a ball hitting area. A club selection bar slidably cooperates with the primary longitudinal frame section so that movement of the club selection bar with respect to the primary longitudinal frame section aligns the club indicia for one of the multiple different golf clubs with the club face alignment tab and establishes the location of the front foot marker and the back foot marker to inform a user of the proper foot locations for the golf club when a golf ball is positioned in the ball hitting area and aligned with the club face alignment tab.
US09550101B2
An apparatus in which propping mechanisms and seat mechanisms augment a throwing game target with the ability to alternately function as a chair when it is not in use as a target. The throwing target components, the components of the propping mechanisms, and the components of the seat mechanisms are all capable of collapse or removal to facilitate the apparatus to be carried, transported or stowed.
US09550099B2
A lacrosse stick for reducing the rebound of a ball caught therein. The head of the lacrosse stick has a socket for receiving the shaft, and incorporates one or a plurality of flexible elastomer pads within or as part of the handle or socket, where the head and handle meet, to damp impact and rebound. The flexibility of the damping pads produces a “give” that minimizes the rebound of a pocket after being impacted by a ball. This pocket dampening limits the movement of the ball and makes the ball easier to control and to retain in the pocket. The precise location of the dampening material on the lacrosse head may be varied to control the degree of pocket “give” in response to, for example, the force on the pocket created by a ball impacting the pocket during a catch or swinging in the pocket during cradling.
US09550095B2
Multi-piece golf balls having at least one layer made from a polyamide non-ionomeric composition are provided. The polyamide composition consists essentially of about 40 to about 99% by weight polyamide; about 1 to about 60% by weight of an acid anhydride-modified polyolefin; and about 1 to about 60% of a fatty acid additive selected from the group consisting of fatty acid salts, fatty acid amides, and mixtures thereof. The ball includes a core, preferably a dual core construction; and a cover of at least one layer. In another preferred construction, a multi-layered core containing an inner, intermediate, and outer core layer is made. For example, the intermediate core layer may be made of a rubber composition; and each of the inner core and outer core layers may be made of the polyamide composition. The resulting ball has high resiliency along with a soft feel.
US09550093B2
A golf ball 2 includes a core 4, a mid layer 6 and a cover 8. The golf ball 2 further includes a large number of dimples 10 on a surface thereof. The surface has a northern hemisphere N and a southern hemisphere S. Each of the hemispheres has a high-latitude region 14, a mid-latitude region 18 and a low-latitude region 16. The number of planes that can divide a dimple pattern of the hemisphere so that divided dimple patterns are mirror symmetry to each other is one. Neither a dimple pattern of the high-latitude region 14 nor a dimple pattern of the low-latitude region 16 is rotationally symmetrical. A product THm of a thickness and a hardness for the mid layer 6, and a product THc of a thickness and a hardness for the cover 8 satisfy the following mathematical formula. THc−THm≦50
US09550079B2
The multilevel railcar safety catch system of the present disclosure comprises at least two multilevel railcars (or at least one multilevel railcar and a vehicle loading ramp), at least two bridge plates, and a safety catch assembly. In the preferred embodiment of the disclosure, two or more multilevel railcars are coupled together by a coupler. Two bridge plates are laid across the gap between corresponding multilevel railcar decks for the purpose of walking or moving vehicles across from one multilevel railcar to another. A safety catch assembly is removably attached underneath the bridge plates via a securement means on the safety catch assembly and barrel rings or bridge plate hinge pins in such a way as to prevent persons or items from falling through the gap between the multilevel railcar decks when loading or unloading vehicles.
US09550075B2
Methods of projecting an image onto a patient to aid delivery of proton therapy, including capturing a first image of a patient's treatment volume, processing the image to generate a treatment volume image corresponding to at least a portion of the treatment volume, generating a scan pattern to deliver a particle beamline to at least a portion of the treatment volume, projecting the treatment volume image and the scan pattern onto the skin of the patient proximate the treatment volume, and delivering the particle beamline to at least a portion of the treatment volume to match dimensions of the treatment volume image and the scan pattern.
US09550062B2
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system having a recharging system with self alignment, a system for mapping current fields using a completely wireless system, multiple independent electrode stimulation outsource, and IPG control through software on Smartphone/mobile device and tablet hardware during trial and permanent implants. SCS system can include multiple electrodes, multiple, independently programmable, stimulation channels within an implantable pulse generator (IPG) providing concurrent, but unique stimulation fields. SCS system can include a replenishable power source, rechargeable using transcutaneous power transmissions between antenna coil pairs. An external charger unit, having its own rechargeable battery, can charge the IPG replenishable power source. A real-time clock can provide an auto-run schedule for daily stimulation. A bi-directional telemetry link informs the patient or clinician the status of the system, including the state of charge of the IPG battery. Other processing circuitry in current IPG allows electrode impedance measurements to be made.
US09550055B2
An apparatus and system for transferring a liquid, such as an anesthetic, from the outlet port of a reservoir to a machine while effectively and conveniently minimizing the release of anesthetic. In one embodiment, the apparatus and system can include a first valve movable between a first position and a second position; a first housing surrounding the first valve; a second valve slidably connected to the first valve and movable between a third position and a fourth position; and a second housing which surrounds the second valve; wherein the apparatus defines a first opening, a second opening, and a receiver passage between the first and second openings. In another embodiment, a movable plunger can be slidably connected to the second valve.
US09550054B2
A connection device has a male connector and a female connector. The female connector will only accommodate the dedicated male connector, thereby prohibiting a misconnection with the wrong male connector. In certain embodiments, a member prohibits male connectors, other than a dedicated male connector, from being inserted into the female connector. In certain other embodiments, a post prohibits male connectors, other than a dedicated male connector including a slot, from being inserted into the female connector. In still certain other embodiments, a series of prongs in the male connector and corresponding grooves in the female connector ensure the proper connection. Once the male connector is inserted and secured within the female connector, a fluid-tight seal is formed between the male connector and the female connector.
US09550047B2
A balloon catheter, in particular a balloon catheter for angioplasty, the balloon having an inner or outer surface modified by means of a photoactivation reaction.
US09550045B2
This disclosure includes an anchor configured to maintain a portion of a therapy delivery element within a desired location of a patient. The anchor comprises a body forming a lumen configured to compressibly engage the outer surface of the therapy delivery element to hold the anchor in place about the therapy delivery element. The anchor may be stretched such that the lumen becomes larger than the cross-section of the therapy delivery element to facilitate positioning the anchor about the therapy delivery element. The body forms two or more channels that facilitate radial stretching of the anchor using a pronged tool. Radially stretching the body via the channels using the pronged tool reduces a holding force of the anchor on the therapy delivery element to facilitate adjusting a position of the anchor relative to the therapy delivery element.
US09550037B2
A ventilator (10) that pressurizes gas from a body of gas to provide a flow of gas to an airway of a subject (14) such that the gas flow mechanically facilitates the respiration of the subject (14). In order to enhance the comfort of the subject (14) during ventilation by the ventilator (10), the ventilator (10) enables the subject (14) to make unsupervised adjustments to one or more of the properties of the gas flow, within predetermined limits.
US09550017B2
An intravascular blood pump having a drive section (11), a catheter (14) fastened to the drive section proximally and a pump section (12) fastened to the drive section distally possesses an electric motor (21) whose motor shaft (25) is mounted in the drive section (11) with two radial sliding bearings (27, 31) and an axial sliding bearing (40). During operation, purge fluid is conveyed through the bearing gap of the axial sliding bearing (40) and further through the radial sliding bearing (31) at the distal end of the drive section (11). The purge fluid is highly viscous, for example 20% glucose solution.
US09550015B2
Delivering a blood processing solution to blood in a blood bag includes coupling a first tube to a vented spike at one end and to a Y-shaped tube connector at a second end. An in-line microbiotic barrier filter is coupled to the first tube between its ends. A second tube is coupled to a transfer bag at one end and to the Y-shaped tube connector at its other end. A third tube is coupled to the output of the Y-shaped tube connector and sealed at its distal end. The blood bag includes a fourth tube that is sealed at a distal end. The third tube is welded to the fourth tube using a sterile tubing welder, wherein a functionally-closed, sterile flow path through which the blood processing solution can flow into the blood bag is maintained.
US09550012B2
The invention provides a novel composite bone graft system utilizing a porous collagen scaffold having a matrix impregnated with calcium phosphate particles and more than one bioactive agent, one of which is conjugated to the matrix. The graft system exhibits increased mechanical strength and osteogenic properties by providing sites for tissue attachment and propagation. The bioactive agents are delivered to the scaffold via different mechanisms to enable sequential and sustained release of the bioactive agents over time.
US09549998B2
A kit for providing a contrast enhancer in a mammal for contrasting during imaging of the mammal comprises functionalized gold nanoparticles configured to be directed to one or more of a target organ, tissue and lesion of the mammal.
US09549997B2
The present invention relates to methods of visualizing cells especially although not exclusively in vivo using a dye, such as a dendrimer-dye molecule or polybranched-dye molecule which is internalized by the cells and thus permits subsequent visualization by confocal fluorescence endomicroscopy or other optical detectors. There is also provided internally quenched probes for use in visualizing cells especially although not exclusively in vivo by confocal fluorescence endomicroscopy and the use of internally quenched probes in combination with confocal fluorescence endomicroscopy, for visualizing cells by virtue of internalization and dequenching of a probe by the cells. In a particular embodiment the cells are activated neutrophils, such as within the lung of a subject.
US09549994B2
Compositions of an inclusion complex of nicardipine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a sulfoalkylated β-cyclodextrin. The compositions being formulated for parenteral bolus administration to a human subject. The compositions being useful in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders.
US09549979B2
The present invention discloses a composition containing Arabinogalactan for enhancing the adaptive immune response in subjects to foreign antigen(s) by administering said composition prior, during and after the phase of exposure to said foreign antigen(s). Furthermore, the present invention relates to a vaccination kit comprising a composition comprising Arabinogalactan and a vaccine.
US09549970B2
The invention provides methods for culturing yeast at a neutral pH level. Yeast cultured under neutral pH conditions exhibit desirable characteristics useful for biological purposes, such as the development of vaccines, prophylactics and therapeutics. The invention also provides for compositions and kits comprising yeast grown using the methodologies disclosed herein.
US09549967B2
The present invention relates to the ability of PLUNC proteins, such as SPLUNC1 and SPLUNC2, to bind to sodium channels and inhibit activation of the sodium channels. The invention further relates to methods for regulating of sodium absorption and fluid volume and treating disorders responsive to modulating sodium absorption by modulating the binding of PLUNC proteins to sodium channels.
US09549961B2
The present invention relates to lactic acid fermented Galgeuntang, and a composition comprising the said lactic acid bacteria fermented Galgeuntang or Galgeuntang as an active ingredient, more particularly, to lactic acid fermented Galgeuntang prepared by the steps of inoculating lactic acid bacteria to Galgeuntang, culturing thereof, and fermenting thereof, and a composition for preventing or treating liver toxicity comprising the said fermented Galgeuntang or Galgeuntang. The composition of the present invention has treatment effect on liver toxicity, so that it can be effectively used as a liver function recovering agent or health food for liver function recovery.
US09549952B2
Disclosed are lignin microcapsules including lignin as a shell material and at least one of oil and a carbonaceous material as a core material. The lignin microcapsules may be formed by carried out polymerization in an oil-in-water emulsion including lignin, oil and water and further including a carbonaceous material. Since lignin has a phenol structure, the microcapsules including lignin may be formed to have antibacterial property. Thus, the lignin microcapsules may be used widely in various fields, such as additives for composite materials.
US09549949B2
An antiviral agent that contains as an active ingredient a particle of at least one kind of iodide composed of iodine and an element shown in Period 4 to Period 6 and Group 8 to Group 15 of a periodic table or at least one kind of monovalent copper compound. The antiviral agent can be incorporated into a variety of products. The antiviral agent can inactivate a wide range of viruses. The antiviral agent can be designed at a higher degree of freedom in terms of its constituents as compared to conventional antiviral agents. In addition, the antiviral agent can readily exhibit and maintain its antiviral activity because it does not require any pretreatments or special washing processes.
US09549946B2
The present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions in the form of relatively high molecular weight biocompatible polymers such as polyethylene glycol, optionally supplemented with a protective polymer such as dextran and/or essential pathogen nutrients such as L-glutamine. Also provided are methods for preventing or treating gut-derived sepsis attributable to intestinal pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa by administering high molecular weight polyethylene glycol as well as methods for monitoring the administration of high molecular weight polyethylene glycol, such as in methods of preventing, ameliorating or treating microbe-induced epithelial disorders, as exemplified by gut-derived sepsis. Frequently, gut-derived sepsis arises as a complication in mammals recovering from surgical intervention or suffering from a disease or disorder, providing indications of suitable animals to receive preventative treatment. Finally, the invention provides a composition comprising infant formula and polyethylene glycol and methods for using that composition.
US09549944B2
The present invention provides cyclic-di-nucleotide (CDN) compounds that inhibit signaling at a recently discovered cytoplasmic receptor known as STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes). In particular, the CDNs of the present invention are provided in the form of a composition comprising one or more cyclic purine dinucleotides which inhibit STING-dependent TBK1 activation and the resulting production of type I interferon.
US09549940B2
Pharmaceutical compositions of topiramate for once-a-day oral administration are provided. The formulations comprise a sustained-release component and an optional immediate-release component, the compositions of which can be selectively adjusted, respectively, to release the active ingredient along a pre-determined release profile. Method of treating or preventing pathological disorders in mammalian subjects comprising the administration of the novel formulations disclosed herein is also provided.
US09549939B2
A system for treating or providing prophylaxis against a pulmonary infection is disclosed comprising: a) a pharmaceutical formulation comprising a mixture of free antiinfective and antiinfective encapsulated in a lipid-based composition, and b) an inhalation delivery device. A method for providing prophylaxis against a pulmonary infection in a patient and a method of reducing the loss of antiinfective encapsulated in a lipid-based composition upon nebulization comprising administering an aerosolized pharmaceutical formulation comprising a mixture of free antiinfective and antiinfective encapsulated in a lipid-based composition is also disclosed.
US09549938B2
This invention relates to compounds useful for treating fungal infections, more specifically topical treatment of onychomycosis and/or cutaneous fungal infections. This invention is directed to compounds that are active against fungi and have properties that allow the compound, when placed in contact with a patient, to reach the particular part of the skin, nail, hair, claw or hoof infected by the fungus. In particular the present compounds have physiochemical properties that facilitate penetration of the nail plate.
US09549932B2
The present invention relates to substituted 2-(morpholin-4-yl)-1,7-naphthyridine compounds of general formula (I) or (Ib), to methods of preparing said compounds, to intermediate compounds useful for preparing said compounds, to pharmaceutical compositions and combinations comprising said compounds and to the use of said compounds for manufacturing a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prophylaxis of a disease, in particular of a hyperproliferative disease as a sole agent or in combination with other active ingredients.
US09549926B2
Provided are formulations comprising therapeutically effective amounts of ambrisentan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and tadalafil or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and methods of treating and/or preventing pulmonary hypertension by administration of the formulations.
US09549925B2
A system for treating or providing prophylaxus against a pulmonary infection is disclosed comprising: a) a pharmaceutical formulation comprising a mixture of free antiinfective and antiinfective encapsulated in a lipid-based composition, and b) an inhalation delivery device. A method for providing prophylaxis against a pulmonary infection in a patient and a method of reducing the loss of antiinfective encapsulated in a lipid-based composition upon nebulization comprising administering an aerosolized pharmaceutical formulation comprising a mixture of free antiinfective and antiinfective encapsulated in a lipid-based composition is also disclosed.
US09549920B2
The present invention is directed to an implantable drug depot useful for reducing, preventing or treating post-operative pain in a patient in need of such treatment, the implantable drug depot comprising a polymer and a therapeutically effective amount of a local anesthetic or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the drug depot is implantable at a site beneath the skin to reduce, prevent or treat post-operative pain, and the drug depot is capable of releasing (i) a bolus dose of the local anesthetic or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof at a site beneath the skin and (ii) a sustained release dose of an effective amount of the local anesthetic or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof over a period of at least 4 days.
US09549910B2
Compounds, compositions and methods for the treatment of retinal degenerative diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa, Leber's congenital Amaurosis, Syndromic retinal degenerations, age-related macular degeneration and Usher Syndrome, and hearing loss associated with Usher Syndrome are described herein.
US09549908B2
A composition for inducing differentiation into beige adipocytes from white adipocytes, including butein, a butein derivative, or a pharmaceutically available salt thereof as an active ingredient, and a method of inducing the differentiation are provided. Increases in expressions of UCP-1 and PRDM4 are confirmed using the active ingredient, that is, the butein or butein derivative, and therefore the composition is expected to be used in preventing or treating obesity, and more basically, for target treatment.
US09549906B2
The disclosure provides methods of treatment of ocular inflammation and/or neuropathic pain in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject in need thereof a CB2 target agent, a cannabimimetic agent or a combination thereof. The agent is optionally a cannabinoid, such as a non-psychotropic cannabinoid or a synthetic cannabinoid. In certain embodiments, the non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid is β-caryophyllene or cannabidiol [CBD] and the synthetic cannabinoid is HU-433, HU-308, or a modified CBD such as CBD-DMH. In methods of the disclosure, CBD-DMH is optionally administered in combination with a further CB2 target agent or cannabimimetic agent. The disclosure also provides ocular pharmaceutical compositions containing the CB2 target agents and/or cannabimimetic agents described herein.
US09549899B2
The present disclosure relates to pharmaceutical compositions that are abuse resistant and may also provide controlled release. The present disclosure also relates to the use of pharmaceutical compositions in the treatment of pain.
US09549883B2
Cosmetic antiperspirants for nonaerosol use, having a content of methanesulfonic acid and/or at least one physiologically acceptable salt of methanesulfonic acid, which exhibit less textile staining than known antiperspirants.
US09549879B2
A powder-liquid dental curable material kit composed of (A) a liquid material and (B) a powder material, wherein the liquid material (A) contains (a1) a radically polymerizable (meth)acrylic monomer, (a2) an organic halogen compound and (a3) a radical chain transfer agent; the powder material (B) contains (b1) non-crosslinked resin particles, (b2) a pyrimidinetrione compound and (b3) an organic metal compound; and (Z) a peroxide is blended in at least one of the liquid material (A) and the powder material (B). This curable material kit is capable of reducing the heat generation during the curing of a curable material which is a mixture of the liquid material (A) and the powder material (B) and is not susceptible to the excessive prolongation of the curing time even when the curable material is cured by a brush-on technique, thereby ensuring an appropriate curing time for both of a brush-on technique and a kneading technique.
US09549877B2
The subject matter of this specification describes, among other things, devices and processes for providing measured doses of oral medication to patients, such as infants or other vulnerable patients.
US09549872B2
Certain embodiments are directed to methods of treating a metabolic disease in a subject using a fully implantable electrical stimulation system to provide or administer a therapy. In certain aspects a stimulation lead is implanted proximally to a stomach acupoint, the stimulation lead being coupled to an implantable signal generator; and stimulating the acupoints using the signal generator to treat the metabolic disease.
US09549871B2
A lighted jet assembly for through hole mounting to a panel in a bathing installation. In an exemplary embodiment, the assembly includes a jet body configured for mounting in a hole formed in the bathing installation panel. A light receptacle is formed with the jet body, the light receptacle configured to receive a light source element. A jet barrel assembly includes a hollow barrel structure configured for insertion into the jet body channel through the open second end of the jet body. A blind structure includes a hollow cylindrical portion having at a first end a flange portion extending over a limited angular extent, and a second end configured to be secured within the open interior region of the jet barrel structure. The blind structure is fabricated of an opaque material, and configured for rotation with the jet barrel assembly relative to the jet body.
US09549870B2
A system that applies vibration to a desired region of a human body including a plurality of vibratory stimulators installed in a flexible material; a programmable control unit (PCU) connected to each said vibratory stimulator a plurality of sensors to collect biofeedback data; a set of programs for the operation of the PCU; a biomechanical database stored in a computer and being populated by the biomechanical data collected by the sensors after application of each said predefined pattern of vibration; and an algorithm to analyze and rank said patterns of vibration according to a ranking factor, wherein a user can choose a pattern of vibration that has a higher ranking factor.
US09549866B2
According to one embodiment, a rehabilitative training device for use with a stroke patient includes a first component that is operatively coupled to a first body part (unaffected body part) of the patient and a second component that is operatively coupled to a second body part (affected body part) of the patient. The first component and second component are operatively coupled to one another such that motion of the first component as a result of movement of the first body part by the user causes the second component and second body part to move in a symmetrical motion.
US09549852B2
An implant for insertion through a punctum and into a canalicular lumen of a patient. The implant includes a matrix of material, a therapeutic agent dispersed in the matrix of material, a sheath disposed over a portion of the matrix of material and configured to inhibit the therapeutic agent from being released from the matrix of material into the canalicular lumen and to allow the therapeutic agent to be released from a surface of the matrix of material to a tear film, and a retention structure configured to retain the implant within the canalicular lumen.
US09549845B2
Described herein is a delivery device and methods for delivering an ocular implant into an eye. The delivery device includes a proximal handle portion; a distal delivery portion coupled to a distal end of the handle portion and configured to releasably hold an ocular implant and includes a sheath positioned axially over a guidewire; and a metering system configured to provide visual guidance regarding depth of advancement of an implant positioned on the guidewire into an anatomic region of the eye. Also disclosed is a device and method for loading an implant onto the delivery device.
US09549844B2
The present application relates to systems and methods for altering temperature in a mammalian body. Optionally, the systems and methods can be used to lower or raise core body temperature of a mammalian subject. Optionally, the systems and methods can be used to lower or raise the temperature of glabrous skin of a mammalian subject.
US09549842B2
A method, system and device for addressing the reduction of snoring includes a removable or dissolvable strip of material that adhere to mucosal tissue of a person's soft palate to provide stiffening support therefore, thus reducing the occurrence of vibration of such tissue during sleep. Preferred embodiments include of a specially textured surface, either one both or at least the outer side of an adhesive strip (the side facing away from the mucosal tissue to which it is attached) that has anti-microbial characteristics, bioluminescent expressions, etc. and a surface topography that resists bioadhesion of undesired bacteria that are typically present in a human's mouth.
US09549833B2
A system for the delivery, repositioning, and removal of a stent is provided that utilizes inherent properties of stents, such as wire woven helical stents, including foreshortening. The stent can be radially constrained to reduce its diameter by applying a tensile force along its proximal and distal ends to collapse the stent permitting the delivery, repositioning, and removal of the stent.
US09549830B2
A method of deploying an eversible branch stent-graft includes deploying the eversible branch stent-graft into a main vessel such that a collateral opening in a main stent-graft of the eversible branch stent-graft is aligned with an ostium of a branch vessel emanating from the main vessel. A branch stent ring suture threaded though outer exposed crowns of an outer stent ring of the branch stent-graft is grasped and pulled through the collateral opening to evert the branch stent-graft into the branch vessel as a branch anchor suture is removed to release a protruding end of a branch stent-graft from a proximal end of the main stent-graft.
US09549826B2
A sigmoid notch resurfacing prosthesis for application to the sigmoid notch of the distal radius. The sigmoid notch prosthesis generally includes a saddle and a radius portion for attachment to the distal radius. The saddle may be formed from ultra high molecular weight polyethylene or another durable self-lubricating material. The saddle includes an at least partially concave contoured depression having rounded edges that is securable to the radius portion. The saddle may be secured by a sliding notch snap fit design. The prosthesis may be adapted for articulation with the natural head of the ulna or with an ulnar head prosthesis that has replaced the ulnar head.
US09549825B2
An insertion tool for positioning intervertebral spacers into disc spaces. The insertion tool has a proximal end and a distal end, a T-handle secured to the proximal end and a pair of alignment rails extending to the distal end. The insertion tool includes a handle secured to the proximal end of the guide rails, and a shaft that extends through the handle, whereby the shaft has a threaded portion that extends to the T-handle. The insertion tool also includes a blocker that is secured to the distal end of the shaft. The blocker includes stop arms that guide the blocker through the guide rails and toward the distal end of the shaft. The blocker may be provided in a plurality of different sizes corresponding to the sizes of the implants to be inserted into a disc space. A lock is provided for locking the implant to the shaft.
US09549822B2
The present disclosure relates to a spinal implant or spacer that addresses the variation in anatomy of vertebrae along the spine by having inferior and superior surface angle and convexity variations that are adapted to address the differences in lordosis and endplate surface convexity of the spine. The difference between the convexity of the superior and inferior surface of the spacer increases as the lordotic angle of the spacer increases. The spacers described herein thus provide overall improved fit into vertebral disc space and in some embodiments are even used in the absence of fusion for a prolonged period. The vertebral spacers described herein in some embodiments are used with supplemental internal fixation systems, such as an anchor plate. The interior of the spacer has channels and undercuts to increase graft volume and retention, support bony ingrowth, and bony stability for better secondary and tertiary stabilization.
US09549810B2
An instrument for placing a graft into a bone tunnel comprises an elongated shaft having a forked distal end comprising a pair of tines. A suture spans a space defined between the tines whereby the graft may be positioned between the tines and against the suture so as to be manipulated into the bone tunnel. The tendon folds about the suture, the suture having a releasable tension such that the instrument can be removed from the bone, leaving the tendon behind without the tendon hanging up on the suture.
US09549798B2
An apparatus for treating urinary incontinence with a support section adapted for providing urethral support; an anchoring section for resisting movement of the apparatus; an insert, a portion of which is adapted to be positioned where the support section attaches to the node; and, wherein the insert urges the support section radially outwards from a central axis of the apparatus.
US09549796B2
A dental aspiration device including an inside housing having a proximal portion and a distal portion with an interior surface; an outside housing having a proximal portion and a distal portion with an interior surface; at least one of the interior surfaces of the inside housing and the outside housing including vacuum channels; a hinge connection mechanism hingeably connecting the proximal portions of the inside housing and the outside housing; and a locking mechanism for removably attaching the distal portions of the inside housing and the outside housing to each other.
US09549791B2
To obtain improved bio-affinity and high bone attachment in an implant body, a method of manufacture for the implant body, and a dental implant. The implant body is fixed in a contact configuration to bone, and includes the base material formed from zirconia, and a surface layer formed on the surface of the base material and having a lower hardness than the base material. Therefore, in addition to having superior mechanical strength due to the zirconia base material, the soft and flexible surface layer functions as a buffer layer to mitigate the difference in the degree of hardness between the bone and the base material, and therefore the soft surface further improves the bone adhesion characteristics.
US09549784B1
Systems, methods, and modes for automatic disposal of sharps in a medical environment via a pneumatic tube system and without a dedicated carrier from one of a plurality of dispersed sending stations to a secured central location. The system comprises a plurality of sending stations, a receiving stations routably connected to the plurality of sending stations via the pneumatic tubing and comprising a receiving container configured for storing sharps received via multiple deliveries, and a pump configured for creating a pressure differentiation within the pneumatic tubing for transmitting the sharps from one of the sending stations to the receiving station. The receiving container may be replaced by another receiving container when the receiving container is full.
US09549781B2
A multi-force sensing instrument includes a tool that has a tool shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, a strain sensor arranged at a first position along the tool shaft, at least one of a second strain sensor or a torque-force sensor arranged at a second position along the tool shaft, the second position being more towards the proximal end of the tool shaft than the first position, and a signal processor configured to communicate with the strain sensor and the at least one of the second strain sensor or the torque-force sensor to receive detection signals therefrom. The signal processor is configured to process the signals to determine a magnitude and position of a lateral component of a force applied to the tool shaft when the position of the applied force is between the first and second positions.
US09549780B2
A steerable laser probe may include a handle having a handle distal end and a handle proximal end, an actuation lever of the handle, a flexible housing tube having a flexible housing tube distal end and a flexible housing tube proximal end, and an optic fiber disposed within an inner bore of the handle and the flexible housing tube. An actuation of the actuation lever may gradually curve the flexible housing tube and the optic fiber. An actuation of the actuation lever may gradually straighten the flexible housing tube and the optic fiber.
US09549768B2
A medical implant system includes a bone plate including a groove, a dynamic connector positioned within said groove of said bone plate, and an elongate flexible member. The dynamic connector includes a tip end having a through-hole, a tension spring having an end coupled to the tip end, and a head coupled to an opposing end of the tension spring. The elongate flexible member extends through the through-hole of said tip end and is secured to the head.
US09549762B2
A disposable medical device is especially an articulation for the relative positioning of fixation bars or of pins of an external fixator, having at least a clamping means to be introduced into the medical device, the clamping means comprises an element that alters its appearance when being heated over a threshold temperature, thus giving optical or mechanical information that the device should not be used a second time.
US09549760B2
The risk of bone cement extravaation can be reduced by delivering a calcium-dependent polymerizing sealant into a bone structure prior to delivery of bone cement into that structure. The polymerization of the sealant in response to the calcium within the bone structure can fill cracks and any other potential cement leakage paths, thereby minimizing the potential for subsequent extravaation. The benefits of the use of a calcium-dependent polymerizing sealant can be provided in any procedure involving the use of bone cement, such as spinal fixation, vertebroplasty, and kyphoplasty, among others.
US09549754B2
Tissue may be cut and extracted from an interior location in a patient's body using a probe or tool which both effects cutting and causes vaporization of a liquid or other fluid to propel the cut tissue through an extraction lumen of the cutting device. The cutting may be achieved using an electrosurgical electrode assembly, including a first electrode on a cutting member and a second electrode within a cutting probe or tool. Thus, over a first cutting portion, radio frequency current may help cut the tissue and over a second or over transition region, the RF current may initiate vaporization of the fluid or other liquid to propel the tissue from the cutting device.
US09549752B2
The invention relates to an ultrasonic surgical instrument with a support structure (20), and with an ultrasonic transducer (17) suspended on the support structure (20). A sonotrode (16) is connected to the ultrasonic transducer (17). The support structure (20) comprises a jacket portion (24) that extends around an inner space. According to the invention, the ultrasonic transducer (17) is suspended on a retaining ring (21), which is arranged in a continuation of the jacket portion (24) and which is connected to the jacket portion (24) via a connecting section (23). The connecting portion (24) has a plurality of apertures (26, 27) which in total cover the whole circumference of the connecting portion (24). The invention has the advantage that the instrument is uncoupled from the oscillations of the ultrasonic transducer.
US09549751B2
The invention comprises a system to alleviate conditions such as prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and the like. The system includes a probe for mechanically cutting tissue and a device for simultaneously tamponading, inducing hemostasis, and dilating a plurality of lumens while minimizing inflammation. The tamponading device has a plurality of balloons configured for inflation with a coolant fluid. Other components of the system include a luminally protective sheath, a microscopic end cauterizing probe, a surgical console, an identification-sensitive self-sealed cassette, and a plurality of flexible tubing lines with pinch valves thereon.
US09549737B2
A gastroplasty method involves a staple line that terminates prior to reaching the gastroesophageal junction such that the bypassed portion of the stomach does not require resection. Additionally, bougies are taught that assist a physician in following the improved staple line of the present invention.
US09549735B2
A fastener cartridge can comprise a cartridge body including a plurality of fastener cavities and a plurality of fasteners removably stored therein. The fastener cartridge can further comprise a firing member including a first ramp surface and a second ramp surface which can be configured to co-operatively lift and eject the fasteners from the fastener cavities. The first ramp surface can initially lift the fasteners. The second ramp surface can then complete the lift of the fasteners. In such circumstances, the fasteners can be transferred from the first ramp surface to the second ramp surface of the firing member. In various circumstances, the first ramp surface and/or the second ramp surface can directly engage the fasteners. In other circumstances, the fastener cartridge can include fastener drivers which are directly lifted by the first ramp surface and/or the second ramp surface. The fastener cartridge can further include an anvil.
US09549731B2
A surgical staple, comprising a backspan, a first leg member extending from the backspan, a second leg member extending from the backspan, and at least one substantially continuous channel extending along at least one of an inner surface and an outer surface of the first leg member and the second leg member.
US09549722B2
A surgical access device includes a body having a first member and a second member relatively movable between open and closed configurations. Each member is positionable within an opening in tissue to provide access to an interior space of a patient. Each member includes a top surface, a bottom surface, a leading end, and a trailing end. The top surfaces are positioned in close cooperative alignment when the first and second members are in the closed configuration. The trailing ends are positioned in close cooperative alignment when the first and second members are in the open configuration. In the open position, the first and second members define a passage therethrough to permit access to the interior space for passage of a surgical instrument therethrough.
US09549718B2
A catheter for removing tissue from a body lumen includes a rotatable cutter. The cutter includes an annular cutting tip at the distal end portion of the cutter for removing tissue from the body lumen. An axial cavity is defined by an interior surface of the cutter and extends proximally from the annular cutting tip toward the proximal end portion of the cutter. An eccentric opening extends from the central cavity through the cutter to allow tissue removed from the body lumen by the annular cutting tip to pass proximally through the eccentric opening toward an interior passage of the catheter body. The offset opening is offset from the longitudinal axis of the cutter.
US09549712B2
A method and apparatus for correcting a focus of a CT device are provided. The method includes: calculating a total focus shift according to scanning data; and correcting, when the CT device is running, a deflection of an electron beam emitted from a ray source of the CT device, based on the total focus shift. The device includes: a shift calculation module, configured to calculate a total focus shift according to scanning data; and a shift correction module, configured to correct, when the CT device is running, a deflection of an electron beam emitted from a ray source of the CT device, based on the total focus shift.
US09549708B2
Described herein are microelectrode array devices, and methods of fabrication, assembly and use of the same, to provide highly localized neural recording and/or neural stimulation to a neurological target. The device includes multiple microelectrode elements arranged protruding shafts. The protruding shafts are enclosed within an elongated probe shaft, and can be expanded from their enclosure. The microelectrode elements, and elongated probe shafts, are dimensioned in order to target small volumes of neurons located within the nervous system, such as in the deep brain region. Beneficially, the probe can be used to quickly identify the location of a neurological target, and remain implanted for long-term monitoring and/or stimulation.
US09549705B2
A person monitoring system is operable to predict the onset of an adverse condition of a person. The system receives first information corresponding to a feature of a person support apparatus and second information corresponding to a physiological characteristic of the person. The system calculates a condition score as a function of the first and second information. In some instances, the system alerts a caregiver if the condition score exceeds a predetermined threshold. Alternatively or additionally, the person monitoring system alerts a caregiver when a person supported on a person support apparatus is regaining consciousness by monitoring one or more of a change in position, a heart rate, and a respiration rate. A person monitoring system that monitors a person's quality of sleep and presents information concerning the quality of sleep to one or more interested parties is also disclosed.
US09549704B1
Embodiments of neural interfaces according to the present invention comprise sensor modules for sensing environmental attributes beyond the natural sensory capability of a subject, and communicating the attributes wirelessly to an external (ex-vivo) portable module attached to the subject. The ex-vivo module encodes and communicates the attributes via a transcutaneous inductively coupled link to an internal (in-vivo) module implanted within the subject. The in-vivo module converts the attribute information into electrical neural stimuli that are delivered to a peripheral nerve bundle within the subject, via an implanted electrode. Methods and apparatus according to the invention incorporate implantable batteries to power the in-vivo module allowing for transcutaneous bidirectional communication of low voltage (e.g. on the order of 5 volts) encoded signals as stimuli commands and neural responses, in a robust, low-error rate, communication channel with minimal effects to the subjects' skin.
US09549700B2
A blood separation and testing system for a blood sample is disclosed. The blood separation and testing system includes a blood sampling transfer device adapted to receive a blood sample, a blood separation device, and a blood testing device. The blood separation device is adapted to receive a portion of the blood sampling transfer device such that with the blood sampling transfer device received within the blood separation device and a rotational force applied to the blood sampling transfer device, a plasma portion of the blood sample is separated from a cellular portion of the blood sample. The blood testing device is adapted to receive a portion of the blood sampling transfer device to analyze the plasma portion of the blood sample and obtain test results.
US09549696B2
Confidence in a physiological parameter is measured from physiological data responsive to the intensity of multiple wavelengths of optical radiation after tissue attenuation. The physiological parameter is estimated based upon the physiological data. Reference data clusters are stored according to known values of the physiological parameter. At least one of the data clusters is selected according to the estimated physiological parameter. The confidence measure is determined from a comparison of the selected data clusters and the physiological data.
US09549694B2
Embodiments described herein relate to an analyte monitoring device having a user interface with a display and a plurality of actuators. The display is configured to render a plurality of display screens, including a home screen and an alert screen. The home screen is divided into a plurality of simultaneously displayed panels, with a first panel displays a rate of change of continuously monitored analyte levels in interstitial fluid, a second panel simultaneously displays a current analyte level and an analyte trend indicator, and a third panel displays status information of a plurality of components of the device. When an alarm condition is detected, the display renders the alert screen in place of the home screen, the alert screen displaying information corresponding to the detected alarm condition. Furthermore, the actuators are configured to affect further output of the analyte monitoring device corresponding to the detected condition.
US09549688B2
A detection unit and a method for detecting an implanted medical device in an MRI environment employ a telemetry transmission from the implanted medical device.
US09549685B2
An integrated catheter placement system for accurately placing a catheter within a patient's vasculature is disclosed. In one embodiment, the integrated system comprises a system console, a tip location sensor for temporary placement on the patient's chest, and an ultrasound probe. The tip location sensor senses a magnetic field of a stylet disposed in a lumen of the catheter when the catheter is disposed in the vasculature. The ultrasound probe ultrasonically images a portion of the vasculature prior to introduction of the catheter. ECG signal-based catheter tip guidance is included in the integrated system to enable guidance of the catheter tip to a desired position with respect to a node of the patient's heart. Various aspects for visualizing and manipulating display of the ECG signal data acquired via the present system, together with aspects of various ECG sensor configurations, are also disclosed.
US09549681B2
Disclosed herein is a framework for facilitating patient signal analysis. In accordance with one aspect, the framework generates a signature cycle matrix corresponding to a single cycle of the patient signal data by segmenting the patient signal data into multiple portions. The signature cycle matrix may further be segmented into sub-matrices corresponding to different levels. Properties of the sub-matrices may then be determined to generate diagnostic results.
US09549678B2
Featured are methods and systems for assessing cardiac filing pressure non-invasively. Such methods include, inter alia, arranging a photoplethysmography (PPG) transducer on a finger of a patient and fluidly coupling a pressure transducer to the patient's mouth so that the pressure transducer measures expiratory pressure. The PPG transducer provides an output of a pulse volume signal of cardiac circulatory flow. Such methods also including determining a pulse amplitude ratio, using the pulse volume near the end of the expiratory effort and a baseline pulse volume, and assessing the pulse amplitude ratio so as to determine a filing pressure condition for the heart of the patient.
US09549671B2
Improved optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging systems are generally described. In an example, an OCT imaging system includes a tunable laser source, an interferometer, a splitter, and a detector. The tunable laser source is configured to provide a wavelength-scanned beam. The interferometer is configured to split the wavelength-scanned beam into a reference beam and an object beam. The splitter is configured to split the object beam into a first path corresponding to an anterior chamber imaging component and a second path corresponding to a retinal imaging component. The detector is configured to detect a signal caused by interference between the reference beam and at least a portion of the object beam reflected from the eye.
US09549668B2
The invention relates to a method for determining at least one relevant single image, wherein a plurality of single optical images are generated during a continuous optical measurement (3) of a dental subject (1) to be recorded. During the optical measurement (3) an audio recording is generated by means of a microphone (4) and at least one speech sequence (12; 15; 28) spoken by a user (6) is recorded. The relevant single image (7; 8; 24) is then selected within a specified sequence duration between a start time (17, 18) and an end time of the speech sequence (12; 15; 28).
US09549665B2
There is provided an endoscope that prevents occurrence of buckling of a flexible body built in an insertion part of the endoscope without damaging other built-in components, and is easy to manufacture without impairing the curving manipulability. The endoscope includes a curvable portion, and an elongated insertion part being inserted into a subject. The endoscope has an elongated flexible body built in the insertion part, and a flexible protective tube that covers an outer periphery of the flexible body. The protective tube has a first region that covers the range of the flexible body, and a second region that covers the range of the soft portion. The elastic constant of the first region is smaller than the elastic constant of the second region, and the external diameter of the protective tube in the first region is larger than the external diameter of the protective tube of the second region.
US09549664B2
A medical instrument includes a housing with an aperture, a window component that comprises a transparent material and closes off the aperture, and a thin-walled area that surrounds the aperture.
US09549662B2
An exemplary embodiment providing one or more improvements includes an endoscope connector for connecting any given one of a plurality of working assemblies to an imaging assembly.
US09549657B2
A dishwasher for automatically executing a cycle of operation for treatment of dishes includes a tub having multiple walls at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving dishes for treatment wherein at least one of the multiple walls is thermoformed from sheet material and a method of making a tub for a dishwasher.
US09549646B2
Wipe dispensers are provided wherein particular wipe-gripping and wipe-ripping structures are provided to overcome problems encountered with the prior art. Particularly, gripping and ripping structures are provided to prevent the removal of more than one wipe at a time from a dispenser and to prevent a following wipe from falling back into the interior of a container when separated from a lead wipe being removed from the container. In particular embodiments, structures are provided to avoid pinching an individual's finger when feeding a wipe up through the gripping and ripping structures. In yet other particular embodiments, a boss is provided to prevent wipes from bunching up during the dispensing thereof.
US09549643B2
A door assembly compensates for any deflection of the track which may occur with a heavy door material and/or a curved door support track. In particular, the present disclosure provides track mounting assemblies which can be tilted in order to “fine tune” the orientation of the door with respect to the surrounding support structure, e.g., the bathtub or shower base threshold. If the curved track deflects from the weight of one or more sliding doors, the track can be tilted to ensure that the door remains level and functions as intended.
US09549630B2
A hanger including a hanger body, a hook assembly and an attachment assembly. The hanger includes a hanger body and a hook assembly. The hook assembly includes a body and a hook member. The attachment assembly is structurally configured to couple the hook assembly to the hanger body while facilitating relative rotation thereof, and, comprises a first coupling component and a second coupling component. The first coupling component includes a central post having an outer surface and locking tabs at a distal end thereof. The second coupling component has a central bore with a rear annular surface. The central post extends through the central bore, with the locking tabs interfacing with the rear annular surface so as to substantially preclude axial movement of the central post within the central bore, while allowing rotation about an axis that extends through the central post.
US09549628B2
A container support apparatus can include a base body having a first portion, a second portion, and a boundary region between the first and second portions. The apparatus can include a first straight lateral connector member and a second straight lateral connector member, each formed at least in part from the first portion of the base body. The apparatus can include a bottom support member disposed in a coplanar position with the first portion of the base body in an undeployed state. The first and second lateral connector members can undergo downward angular pitching in conjunction with the bottom support member undergoing simultaneous vertical translation and planar rotation relative to the second portion of the base body during transition from the undeployed state to a deployed state, and the bottom support member can maintain a parallel orientation relative to the second portion of the base body during this transition.
US09549623B1
An expandable partitioning device includes a pair of slide bars. Each slide bar includes a pair of first cooperating surfaces for slideably connecting the other slide bar. The first slide bar has a plurality of recesses along its length. The second slide bar has a rotatable toggle switch with at least one locking member. When the toggle switch is engaged (rotated) the locking member(s) rotate into the recesses of the first slide bar, locking the relative positions of the two slide bars.
US09549616B2
An accessory holder that includes an arcuate holding element having a mounting arm that is operatively attached to mounting foot where the mounting foot can be disposed onto a lawn or beach chair having woven strips of material under which the mounting foot can be inserted to temporarily retain the accessory holder such that the accessory holder can be used for storage of items such as drinks, jewelry, and other loose items while a person is resting upon the lawn or beach chair.
US09549614B2
An office chair mechanism includes a base support for placement on a chair column, a seat support on the base support being movable relative to the base support and a backrest coupled to the seat support. Pivoting the backrest moves the seat support relative to the base support. A track element is movably connected at a base support connecting point to the base support and at a seat support connecting point to the seat support to adjust pivoting resistance of the backrest. Pivoting the backrest alters position and/or location of the track element. A spring element acting on the track element and on the seat support or on the backrest and/or a backrest support is acted upon with a movement of the seat support relative to the base support. An adjustment device alters the position of a point of action of the spring element on the track element.
US09549612B2
A table may be sized and configured to nest with another table to reduce a height of a plurality of stacked tables in a nested configuration. The table may include a nesting portion formed in an upper surface and sidewall of the table top. The table may also include a frame with one or more engaging portions sized and configured to be disposed in the nesting portion of an adjacent table when the tables are nested together. In addition, the table top may include a compression edge sized and configured to be disposed in a nesting portion of an adjacent table when the tables are nested together. The compression edge and engaging portions may be sized and configured to be simultaneously disposed in the nesting portion of the adjacent table when the table is nested with the adjacent table.
US09549600B2
Folding, flat storable box including a foldable inner container, formed by a first longitudinal band closed on itself and forming a first deformable prism unfoldable between a flat position and a deployed position, and secured to a second transverse band secured, on a base, to a third longitudinal band deformable between a flat position and a folded position where the third band closed on itself surrounds the inner container which can be folded over, when the inner container is in a deployed and folded down position, in abutment on the main base, where the base includes at least one projecting indexing element for holding the inner container in a single particular deployed position of the first prism on the base, when the inner container is in the position folded over onto the base.
US09549598B2
An apparatus and system for housing a device include 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 optionally includes front and back surfaces surrounded by a perimeter. The perimeter may be 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.
US09549595B1
An inversely foldable automatic umbrella includes a main shaft; an operating sleeve and a connecting sleeve mounted around the main shaft; a compression spring with two ends thereof contacting the connecting sleeve and the operating sleeve, respectively; a first canopy with a central portion thereof fixed to the operating sleeve; a second canopy with a central portion thereof fixed to the top end; a skeleton disposed between the first canopy and the second canopy; and a pull-moving mechanism having a sliding unit and a connecting unit. The sliding unit is slidingly disposed on the skeleton. Two ends of the connecting unit are pivotally disposed on the sliding unit and the operating sleeve, respectively. When the operating sleeve is at a folding position to fold up the first canopy and the second canopy, the skeleton is allowed to completely adhere to the main shaft.
US09549593B2
The slide fastener has a separable bottom end stop, and the separable bottom end stop has at least an insert pin and a box pin. The insert pin has an escape portion provided with an inclined surface or a curved surface along which the thickness dimension of the insert pin decreases in the direction of the tape width toward the side edge that faces the box pin, the escape portion being positioned in the front-end corner portion of a first-surface of the insert pin, the corner portion being positioned along the edge that faces the box pin. This allows the escape portion of the insert pin to function as an interference prevention means, efficiently prevent chain failure in an element row when the slide fastener is bent into a U-shape, and maintain stable engaging.
US09549592B2
A tightening device is provided for footwear, in particular, for sports footwear of the kind comprising a substantially rigid outer element and a substantially flexible inner element. The tightening device comprises a strap element and the strap element is configured so that—when it is tensioned—it is capable of applying pressure directly both onto the outer element and to the inner element, whereby the pressure is applied more efficiently and uniformly and the user's comfort is thus increased. In addition, the strap element has a substantially continuous surface, which increase the stability of the tightening device and eliminates the risk of an incorrect positioning also in the case of high stresses during sports practices.
US09549587B1
A heat moldable footwear wherein the footwear is all one contiguous or uniform piece with no removable insoles or foot beds wherein only the top portion of the footwear is moldable.
US09549586B2
A battery for use with a heated insole has a cushion portion on top of the battery to provide comfort when the battery is disposed within the insole.
US09549577B2
Shoulder pads for a player playing a contact sport, such as hockey, lacrosse or football, are provided. The shoulder pads comprise a front member, a back member, left and right shoulder arches, left and right shoulder protectors, and an adjustment system allowing the player to adjust a fit of the shoulder pads. The adjustment system may allow the player to adjust various components of the shoulder pads, including the front member, the back member, and the left and right shoulder protectors, in various directions.
US09549576B2
A device that provides support for sailors while hiking from a sailing vessel is disclosed. The device includes a garment that is shaped and/or configured to resist the backwards leaning moment of a sailor whilst hiking thereby reducing muscular strain and effort.
US09549573B2
Vaporization devices and methods of operating them. In particular, described herein are methods for controlling the power applied to a resistive heater of a vaporization device by measuring the resistance of the resistive heater at discrete intervals. Changes in the resistance during heating may be used to control the power applied to heat the resistive heater during operation. Also described herein are vaporization devices that are configured to measure the resistance of the resistive heater during heating and to control the application of power to the resistive heater based on the resistance values.
US09549563B2
An energy tablet and method of manufacturing the same that successfully masks the bitter taste of caffeine which has precluded popularity of chewable energy tablets in the past.
US09549555B2
The invention relates to macrocyclic picolinamides of Formula I and their use as fungicides.
US09549554B2
The present invention relates to novel active compound combinations comprising at least one known compound of the formula (I) in which X, R1 to R4, A, n, Y, and m are as defined in the description, and at least one further known active compound from the class of avermectins/milbemycins, which combinations are highly suitable for controlling animal pests such as insects and unwanted acarids.
US09549551B2
The present invention relates to novel active compound combinations comprising at least one known compound of the formula (I) in which X, R1 to R4, A, n, Y, and m are as defined in the description, and at least one further known active compound of the diamides class, neonicotinoids class, spinosyns class or other classes, which combinations are highly suitable for controlling animal pests such as insects and unwanted acarids.
US09549550B2
The present disclosure relates to methods and compositions for suppressing the growth of microorganisms on selected areas of the skin for an extended period of time, such as one hour, twenty four hours, seventy two hours, or longer. An area of the skin is selected for the suppression of the growth of microorganisms and a microorganism growth suppressing agent is topically applied to the selected area of the skin. The microorganism growth suppressing agent may be comprised in a pharmacologically acceptable vehicle such as an emulsion or soap. The microorganism growth suppressing agent comprises free conjugated fatty acid such as conjugated linoleic acid.
US09549535B1
A device is configured so as to constrain the movements of a dog. The device has a tubular material which can be extended so that the device can function as a leash or which can be compressed so that the device can be secured around the neck of the dog. A cord may be located within the tubular material when it is extended, and removed from the tubular material and secured when the tubular material is compressed.
US09549534B2
A method for milking is provided in a milking system which includes a milking machine having a plurality of teat cups, which teat cups are attached to, and detached from, teats of animals as part of the milkings of the animals. The method determines whether an animal, which presents itself at the milking system, has a regular milking permission and when the animal has a regular milking permission the animal is milked in a regular milking procedure. When the animal does not have a regular milking permission, the method determine whether the animal has at least one udder compartment that was incompletely milked last time the animal was milked, and provided that the animal has at least one udder compartment that was incompletely milked last time the animal was milked, the animal is given a partial milking permission and the animal is milked in a partial milking procedure, wherein the regular and partial milking procedures differ from one another with respect to the procedure for the attachment of the teat cups to, and/or detachment of the teat cups from, the teats of the animal.
US09549530B2
A rotary milking platform (1) comprises a plurality of apparatus, each of which comprises a platform (11) which forms a segment of the rotary platform (1). The platforms (11) define respective animal accommodating locations (3) for animals to be milked. A communicating opening (20) in each platform (11) is closed by a pair of closure plates (25) which are pivotal upwardly into an open state for separating the hind legs of an animal. A carriage (14) which is slideably carried beneath the platform (11) of each apparatus (10) in the directions of the arrows A and B. A teat cup carrier (15) is pivotally mounted in the carriage (14) of each apparatus (10) and is pivotal from a first state with teat cups (16) in the carrier (15) in a protective state extending horizontally and a second state with the teat cups (16) in a ready state extending vertically upwardly and ready for manual placement onto the teats of an animal. The carriage (14) is urgeable into a first position with the teat cup carrier (15) in the first state and with the teat cups (16) sealably engaged in plug elements (45) which include jetters (47) for use in rinsing and washing the milking system. The carriage (14) is moveable from the first position to a second position with the teat cup carrier (15) substantially aligned with the udder of an animal so that when the teat cup carrier (15) is urged into the second state, the teat cups (16) can be manually urged upwardly by hand and attached to the teat of the animal.
US09549527B1
The present invention provides novel lettuce cultivar Hoja Verde and plant parts, seed, and tissue culture therefrom. The invention also provides methods for producing a lettuce plant by crossing the lettuce plants of the invention with themselves or another lettuce plant. The invention also provides lettuce plants produced from such a crossing as well as plant parts, seed, and tissue culture therefrom.
US09549525B1
A novel soybean variety, designated XR33AS15PR is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XR33AS15PR, cells from soybean variety XR33AS15PR, plants of soybean XR33AS15PR, and plant parts of soybean variety XR33AS15PR. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XR33AS15PR with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XR33AS15PR, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XR33AS15PR, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XR33AS15PR. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XR33AS15PR are further provided.
US09549524B1
A novel soybean variety, designated XBP68001R is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XBP68001R, cells from soybean variety XBP68001R, plants of soybean XBP68001R, and plant parts of soybean variety XBP68001R. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XBP68001R with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XBP68001R, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XBP68001R, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XBP68001R. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XBP68001R are further provided.
US09549500B2
A riding lawn mower is provided with an electrical system. The electrical system includes a control module, transceiver modules, and a wiring system. The control module allows for programmably controlling electrical operations of the riding lawn mower. The transceiver modules are operably connected with respective devices of the riding lawn mower so as to communicate data between the respective devices and the control module. The wiring system comprising wires that electrically connect the transceiver modules with the control module/The wiring system includes a power wire that provide electrical power to the transceiver modules from the battery; and a data bus comprising a data wire that transmits data between the control module and the transceiver modules.
US09549496B2
An agricultural tillage implement including a main frame section having a pull hitch tube extending in a travel direction, and a tool bar coupled with and extending transverse to the pull hitch tube, and a plurality of pivotally coupled wing sections coupled with the main frame section. The plurality of pivotally coupled wing sections including a first wing section and an adjacent second wing section. Each of the plurality of wing sections have at least one pivotal tool frame. The pivotal tool frame of the first wing section is foldable upward at a first angle, and the pivotal tool frame of the second wing section being foldable upward to a second angle. The first angle and the second angle being different from each other.
US09554489B2
Various methods and systems are provided for a detector head for an imaging system. The detector head comprises a detector module comprising at least one detector element for detecting radiation and detector electronics, and a shaft to which the detector module is coupled, the detector module configured to rotate more than 360 degrees about the shaft in at least one direction.
US09554484B2
Disclosed are appendage mountable electronic systems and related methods for covering and conforming to an appendage surface. A flexible or stretchable substrate has an inner surface for receiving an appendage, including an appendage having a curved surface, and an opposed outer surface that is accessible to external surfaces. A stretchable or flexible electronic device is supported by the substrate inner and/or outer surface, depending on the application of interest. The electronic device in combination with the substrate provides a net bending stiffness to facilitate conformal contact between the inner surface and a surface of the appendage provided within the enclosure. In an aspect, the system is capable of surface flipping without adversely impacting electronic device functionality, such as electronic devices comprising arrays of sensors, actuators, or both sensors and actuators.
US09554481B1
Bay RAM Five is a very high-speed solid-state data storage device with 4 independently controlled banks of 4 DDR3 SO-DIMM sockets per bank, 4 industry-standard SATA data connectors, and one 12V input DC power connector, all housed within an enclosure compatible with 5.25″ drive bays found in common PC chassis. The 4 controllers are independently switched with jumper blocks, allowing backward- and forward-compatibility with SATA chipsets and add-on controllers transmitting data at various speeds. A separate jumper switches the device's firmware from the 8 b/10 b “legacy frame” to the 128 b/130 b “jumbo frame” now in the PCI-Express 3.0 specification. The 5.25″ enclosure has room for 3 40×40 mm cooling fans, either 20 mm or 10 mm thick: fans are powered by 3 fan headers integrated onto the PCB, or a separate power supply installed in the PC chassis.
US09554480B2
An operating mechanism is provided for an electrical enclosure. The operating mechanism includes a switch operator, and a housing to house the switch operator. The switch operator includes a portion which extends through one of one or more holes in the electrical enclosure, and can be manipulated by an external handle to operate an electrical switching device, such as a circuit breaker, that is housed in the electrical enclosure. The housing includes a cavity to house and protect an external antenna or other electrical device, which is connectable to an electrical cable that extends from the cavity into an interior of the electrical enclosure via the hole(s). The electrical cable can be connected to a monitoring system inside of the electrical enclosure. The housing is mountable onto an exterior surface of a wall of the electrical enclosure to cover the hole(s).
US09554465B1
A stretchable interconnect includes a plurality of electrically conductive traces formed as a complex pattern on an elastic substrate. The form of the electrically conductive traces is such that when the elastic substrate is in a relaxed, or non-stretched, state each of the electrically conductive traces forms a tortuous path, such as a waveform, along the elastic substrate. The tortuous path of the electrically conductive traces provides slack such that as the elastic substrate is stretched the slack is taken up. Once released, the elastic substrate moves from the stretched position to the relaxed, non-stretched position, and slack is reintroduced into the electrically conductive traces in the form of the original tortuous path.
US09554464B2
A highly thermally conductive printed circuit board prevents electrochemical migration by inhibiting elution of copper ions. The printed circuit board is a metal-base printed circuit board including a metal base plate having an insulating resin layer and a copper foil layer stacked thereon in this order. In the printed circuit board, the insulating resin layer contains a first inorganic filler made of inorganic particles having particle diameters of 0.1 nm to 600 nm with an average particle diameter (D50) of 1 nm to 300 nm, and a second inorganic filler made of inorganic particles having particle diameters of 100 nm to 100 μm with an average particle diameter (D50) of 500 nm to 20 μm, and the first inorganic filler and the second inorganic filler are uniformly dispersed in the insulating resin layer.
US09554460B2
A process for the manufacture of a reflective conductive film comprising: (i) a reflective polymeric substrate comprising a polymeric base layer and a polymeric binding layer, wherein the polymeric material of the base layer has a softening temperature TS-B, and the polymeric material of the binding layer has a softening temperature TS-HS; and (ii) a conductive layer comprising a plurality of nanowires, wherein said nanowires are bound by the polymeric matrix of the binding layer such that the nanowires are dispersed at least partially in the polymeric matrix of the binding layer, said process comprising the steps of providing a reflective polymeric substrate comprising a polymeric base layer and a polymeric binding layer; disposing said nanowires on the exposed surface of the binding layer; and heating the composite film to a temperature T1 wherein T1 is equal to or greater than TS−HS, and T1 is at least about 5° C. below TS-B.
US09554452B2
A charged particle induction apparatus and method comprising a high power light emitting means, such as a laser array, in operable communication with a high energy output means to accomplish initiation of at least two concentric plasma channels in atmosphere extending from the Earth's surface to the charge-rich upper atmosphere, including the ionosphere, for the transmission of charged particles therethrough to ground using the surrounding atmosphere as an insulator. The transmitted energy is drawn down (due to an artificially created potential) through the conductive plasma channels to collection means.
US09554437B2
A system and method of creating a steady ON and a special effects light effect from a bulb without providing any special wiring thereto. In one embodiment, the bulb contains an illumination element and a controller which produces the special effect in the element. By interrupting the flow of current to the controller periodically, the controller is initialized to its initial steady ON condition. A plurality of steady ON pulses at a high frequency will appear as a steady ON light, instead of pules, thereby producing a steady ON appearance without special wiring. When the current is allowed to flow continuously, the controller produces the special effect. A second embodiment uses parallel polarized light element which produce different effect when power is applied in opposite polarities, thereby providing two effects with no special wiring.
US09554420B2
An electrical discharge, suitable for heating optical fibers for processing, is made in a controlled partial vacuum, such that saturation of available ionizable gas molecules is reached. The workpiece temperature is thereby made to be a stably controlled function of the absolute air pressure and is insensitive to other conditions. A system and method accomplishing the foregoing are provided.
US09554418B1
A system for hiding an internal topology of a network having plurality of client and server entities is provided herein. The system comprises a topology hiding node that coordinates communication between systems in two distinct networks: Home Public Land Mobile and Visited Public Land Mobile. The topology hiding node includes long term storage and a short term storage which includes a change list.A real identity of one system entity is represented by at least one virtual identity allocated from a group of at least two virtual identities, when communicating with the other system entities, and the relation between the virtual identities and the real identities of a current communication session is recorded in the change list and stored in short term storage and the relation between the virtual identities and the real identities of a previous communication sessions is stored in the long term storage.
US09554410B2
A device to device (D2D) user equipment (UE) used for a wireless communication system is provided. The D2D UE is located in a network topology including a plurality of transmitting ends and a plurality of receiving ends. The D2D UE may be a transmitting end or a receiving end. The receiving ends perform a resource scheduling procedure several times according to transmitting end sequences echoed from the transmitting ends to schedule the appropriate resources for the transmitting ends so as to prevent a transmission collision.
US09554399B2
A method, an eNodeB and a User Equipment for transmitting Random Access Response messages are provided. The method includes: receiving Random Access Preamble transmitted by the UE through the Random Access Channel; according to the RAP, determining whether the UE belongs to the central group or the edge group of the Random Access Area; after determining that the UE belongs to the central group of the RAA, determining the RAA which the UE belongs to; transmitting the first RAR message to the UE according to the RAP, the channel resource information of the RACH, and the RAA. By transmitting the RAR message on the basis of the RAP and the RAA, the method, eNB and UE for transmitting RAR messages enable different RAR messages to be transmitted with respect to identical Random Access requests of different RAAs.
US09554389B2
In an embodiment, a server mediates a first group communication session with the user equipment (UE) by exchanging media for the first group communication session with the UE over a first link with a first level of Quality of Service (QoS) resources (e.g., either without a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) or a threshold amount of GBR) and exchanging non-media signaling data for the first group communication session with the UE over a signaling link that is either the same or separate from the first link. The server detects, while the UE continues participation in the first group communication session, that the UE has joined or is attempting to join a second group communication session. The server applies a policy for selectively allocating additional QoS resources to supplement the first level of QoS resources to the UE for concurrently supporting both the first and second group communication sessions in response to the detection.
US09554385B2
A base station accommodated in a communications system for communicating with a mobile station, the base station includes: a transmitter configured to generate frequency band information indicating which frequency band of frequency bands used in the communications system to communicate with a mobile station, to transmit the frequency band information by using a specific frequency band selected from a plurality of frequency bands available in the system, and to communicate with the mobile station using at least one of the plurality of frequency bands.
US09554379B2
A method in network node for selecting a downlink modulation and coding scheme is provided. The network node obtains information comprising a first uplink signal strength of a transmission from the terminal in the first cell. The network node further obtains information comprising a second uplink signal strength of a transmission from the terminal in the second cell. The network node also obtains scheduled downlink transmission information for the respective first cell and second cell. The network node then selects a downlink modulation and coding scheme for transmission from one or more of the access point serving the first cell and the access point serving the second cell to the terminal. The selection is based on the obtained information comprising the first uplink signal strength, the obtained information comprising the second uplink signal strength, and the obtained scheduled downlink transmission information for the respective first cell and second cell.
US09554373B2
Base stations and Radio Network Controllers, RNCs, and methods in such devices are disclosed. A base station (18) sends access indications to a RNC (20) indicating assignments and/or releases of common uplink resources. The RNC (20) uses the access indications received from the base station (18) to differentiate between successive accesses on the common uplink resources by a same User Equipment, UE (22), and to correspondingly differentiate between the processing of given data frames from the UE (22) as belonging to one or other of the successive accesses.
US09554371B2
An embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of reporting channel state information (CSI) of a terminal in which a plurality of CSI-reference resource (RS) configurations is set and includes: receiving information for quasi co-located assumption; measuring a channel state by using the CSI-RS; inducing a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) based on the measured result and the information for the QC assumption; and reporting the CSI including a CQI index associated with the MCS, wherein if there is a physical cell ID corresponding to the CSI-RS in the information for the QC assumption, the MSC is a value capable of receiving data below a certain error rate if the data, under the assumption of a cell-specific RS (CRS) transmitted from a cell of the physical cell ID and the QC, is received.
US09554366B2
The disclosure generally relates to optimized always-on wireless service using network assistance and keep-alives. More particularly, in response to a user equipment (UE) requesting a bearer for an always-on service, a network may establish the bearer for the always-on service and transmit an availability time that indicates a period during which the bearer will be held in an active state to the UE. Any applications running on the UE may then use the bearer for the always-on service, and the UE may transmit a single keep-alive message to the network before the availability time expires to reset the period during which the bearer will be held in the active state. Furthermore, the keep-alive message may be structured to not generate a reply and thereby reduce battery consumption, reduce communication overhead, and improve network capacity.
US09554363B2
A TDMA-based communication method for enabling communication between a base station and a client, the base station and the client each comprising a clock for synchronizing communications, the method comprising: allocating a TDMA channel to said client; causing a transceiver of the client to operate in a communication mode during client timeslots making up said allocated channel and to operate in a sleep mode at other times; causing a transceiver of said base station to begin operating in a communication mode with said client on said channel in advance of each said client timeslot and/or to continue operating in a communication mode with said client after each said client timeslot.
US09554356B2
Personalized reminder notifications are provided regarding communication-related events. The reminders correspond to missed communications or events that are unaddressed by a user, and may be determined based on sensor data provided by a user device. Further, an urgency level for the unaddressed event and a user availability model for responding to the event also may be determined. The model may include a set of scores corresponding to the user's capability for carrying out tasks associated with responding to the unaddressed event, such as composing email or initiating a call. Additionally, reminder notification content may be generated based on information about availability and the unaddressed event, and used to provide notification(s). The notification content may include a recommendation to present a notification to the user at a future time determined likely to be convenient for the user to respond to the event or where the user likely will have capacity to respond appropriately.
US09554353B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described for using location information to determine whether to use at least a portion of a dedicated short range communications (DSRC) spectrum. Current location information of a multi-mode device is determined. The multi-mode device is operating outside of the DSRC spectrum. The current location information is used to determine whether the multi-mode device is located outside of geographical region attributed to DSRC transmissions. Upon determining that the multi-mode device is located outside of the geographical region, at least a portion of the DSRC spectrum is used for transmissions by the multi-mode device.
US09554336B2
A terminal device configured to communicate with a base station device using one cell. The terminal device is configured to: set transmission power for transmission of a physical uplink shared channel on a subframe belonging to a first subframe set, based on a first parameter relating to power control adjustment; set transmission power for the physical uplink shared channel on a subframe belonging to a second subframe set, based on a second parameter relating to the power control adjustment; and calculate a value of the first parameter by accumulating a correction value indicated by a transmit power control command corresponding to the first subframe set, in a case that accumulation is enabled; calculate a value of the second parameter by accumulating the correction value indicated by the transmit power control command corresponding to the second subframe set, in a case that accumulation is enabled. Thus, the base station device and the terminal device can efficiently perform the transmit power control.
US09554332B2
A method for reducing power consumption of a mobile device comprises determining a link quality of a link for a transmission of data between the mobile device and a receiver and transmitting the data the data in dependence of the determined link quality from the mobile device to the receiver when the determined link quality is sufficiently high to allow a data transmission with a predetermined transmit power by the mobile device.
US09554324B2
A wireless network access point generates a fast initial link setup (FILS) discovery frame for broadcast to one or more wireless stations. The wireless network access point supports many operating channels including a primary channel. The FILS discovery frame includes a data field populated with an identification of a channel number for that primary channel of the wireless network access point. The FILS discovery frame includes another data field populated with a primary channel operating class identification. The broadcast FILS discovery frame further includes data indicating whether indicating whether multiple BSSIDs are supported. An FD capability field of the FILS discovery frame includes sub-fields indicating one or more of operation channel width, PHY type of the wireless access point, number of spatial streams supported by the wireless access point and multiple BSSIDs support provided by the wireless access point.
US09554317B2
A user equipment (UE) including one or more processors configured to cause the UE to prepare to reselect to a macro cell responsive to the UE placing an emergency call in a femtocell, wherein preparing to reselect is performed in addition to placing the emergency call.
US09554307B2
The present disclosure relates to a communication apparatus with multiple antenna sets installed on the radio interface between the communication apparatus and on-land base station, and a mobility method for the communication apparatus. In some embodiments, a communication apparatus may include a first antenna and a second antenna separated with a distance; and a digital unit connected to the first and second antennas and configured to support at least one backhaul context with the first antenna and at least another backhaul context with the second antenna at the same time.
US09554301B2
A shunting method and system for multi-network joint transmission and an access network element are provided, and the method includes that a network element of a 3GPP access network transmits a shunting request message to a network element of a WLAN access network; upon reception of a success response from the network element of the WLAN access network, the network element of the 3GPP access network transmits to a UE a shunting command to indicate the UE to access a target WLAN access network corresponding to the network element of the WLAN access network; and after determining that the UE has successfully accessed the target WLAN access network, the network element of the 3GPP access network performs data shunting transmission through a shunting connection between the network element of the 3GPP access network and the network element of the WLAN access network. By means of the disclosure, it is possible to implement shunting control over multi-network joint transmission by a network side.
US09554291B2
Systems and methods of generating an RF stimulus signal with different power levels for IC testing. A DC modulating signal is used to power modulate a radio frequency (RF) carrier signal and thereby generate an RF stimulus signal at varying power levels. The DC modulating signal includes a sequence of DC waveforms at different voltage levels. A DC voltage transition in the modulating signal instantaneously triggers the transition of an output power in the RF stimulus signal. Reference waveforms that can cause a known response pattern in a DUT may be added at the beginning of the modulating signal for data calibration purposes.
US09554290B2
A wireless communication system and methods for automatically switching device identifications are disclosed, where the device identifications are automatically determined by a plurality of work devices connected to a cable network after a connection time, respectively, and the one among the plurality of work devices becomes a main device may transmit a survive message to the work devices becoming a backup device, and the main device is determined as failing to work normally and a new main device is automatically determined again when the backup device fails to receive the survive message transmitted by the main device or a switch notification transmitted by the main device, so that the wireless communication on a carrier may have an improved stability and the technical efficacy may be achieved that the work device may automatically and rapidly determine the main device when no main device existing in the wireless network environment.
US09554286B2
In at least one embodiment, an apparatus for determining a location of a portable wireless device in relation to a vehicle is provided. The apparatus comprises a first base station that includes a first transceiver for being positioned about a vehicle. The first transceiver is configured to operate at a first operating frequency for transmitting and receiving at least one first signal to and from the portable wireless device to provide a first distance of the portable wireless device with respect to the vehicle. The first operating frequency generally corresponds to a distance accuracy value and the first distance generally corresponds to an actual distance of the portable wireless device from the vehicle that is adjusted by the distance accuracy value.
US09554283B2
Carrier aggregation using unlicensed frequency bands. A primary carrier for communication between a base station (BS) and a wireless user equipment (UE) device may be configured according to a first wireless communication technology. The primary carrier may be on a licensed frequency band. A secondary carrier for communication between the BS and the UE may also be configured according to a first wireless communication technology. The secondary carrier may be on an unlicensed frequency band. Channel conditions for each of multiple possible channels of the unlicensed frequency band may be assessed according to a second wireless communication technology as part of configuring the secondary carrier.
US09554279B1
A secure access system, including a stationary computing device that controls access to secure data over a secure network, including an authorized area of authentication (AAA) generator, generating an AAA for administering the secure data, an AAA validator, validating a mobile computing device that a request to access the secure data over the secure network, by verifying that a current location of the mobile device is within the AAA, and an access controller, enabling the mobile device to access the secure data, only in response to the validator affirmatively validating the mobile device, and a mobile computing device including a location identifier, dynamically identifying a current location of the mobile device, a connection controller for logging into the secure network, and an access requestor, submitting to the access controller via the secure network (i) an access request for the secure data, and (ii) the current location of the mobile device.
US09554264B2
An eNB is configured to perform different methods for assigning discovery resources. One method includes receiving a request for discovery resources from an announcing user equipment (UE); allocating a plurality of discovery resources in response to the request; and transmitting a message indicating the plurality of discovery resources, the transmitted message configured to be used by a monitoring UE to determine which discovery resources to monitor. In some embodiments, this may include updating a message to indicate which discovery resources have been allocated, and broadcasting the updated message to a plurality of UEs including the monitoring UE.
US09554262B2
A method and system for operator-assisted device-to-device (D2D) discovery is disclosed, which method may be executed as instructions on a machine, where the instructions are included on at least one computer readable medium. The method can include a transmission station in an operator network receiving a request for data service from a requesting wireless device. The transmission station can identify a serving wireless device to provide the data service for the requesting wireless device. The transmission station can transmit a device discovery message to the requesting wireless device and the serving wireless device. The device discovery message provides a device discovery period for communication via an ad-hoc, D2D network between the requesting wireless device and the serving wireless device. The ad-hoc, D2D network provides for device-to-device communication.
US09554261B1
A mobile communication device (FOB) attached to a user operates on sound information utter by the user to respond to alert messages sent to it by an event notification system (ENS). The FOB is able to transition between a training mode and a normal mode of operation. In the training mode of operation, the FOB can detect and store sound information associated with a user's response to a training alert message. The sound information in the user response to the training alert message is associated with a response code that the user is prompted to enter into the FOB during the training process. In the normal mode of operation, the user can respond to an alert message played by the FOB with a verbal utterance, and the FOB generates and sends a response message to the ENS that includes the response code associated with the training verbal response.
US09554258B2
A system or method for providing recommended items for presentation to users and/or consideration by vehicle systems may be executable to: retrieve social network data associated with a user; extract a keyword and/or a key phrase from the social network data; and determine a preference model that includes a frequency analysis associated with the keyword and/or the key phrase and indicating how often the keyword and/or the key phrase are observed in the social network data. The system may further receive a request for content data; search a content database to retrieve one or more content items based on the frequency analysis associated with the preference model; generate one or more recommended items for the user or for a vehicle system from the one or more content items; and provide the one or more recommended items for presentation to the user or for processing by the vehicle system.
US09554251B2
A user terminal (100) for a cellular communications system, equipped with means (115, 130, 105) for making and receiving transmissions in the cellular communications system. The user terminal (100) is equipped with a motion sensor (135) for sensing movements of the user terminal (100), and the user terminal (100) is also equipped with a reporting function (140) for reporting movements sensed by the motion sensor (135) to another party in the cellular communications system if said movements exceed a predefined threshold in duration and/or in magnitude. In embodiments, the reporting function (140) is arranged to include one or more of the direction, duration or magnitude of said movements in its reporting.
US09554250B2
An information service provides search and notifications to inform when certain people (e.g., friends, family, business contacts, etc.) are nearby so as to facilitate communications with those people. Users may define lists of people whose locations may be tracked by positioning equipment based on personal communications/computing devices carried by the people. The information service processes this people and place data to identify those of the listed people that are in the user's vicinity, and provide notifications and user-initiated search results informing the user such as via the user's personal communications/computing device.
US09554249B2
A system comprising a processor and comprising computer-executable instructions that cause a processor to perform operations comprising determining that user-system location data is needed by an application running at a user device. Operations of the system further include determining a first user-system location and determining a privacy parameter based on a location-accuracy requirement associated with the application. The operations further include generating, based on the privacy parameter and the first user-system location, privacy-adjusted location data indicating a second user-system location being less accurate than the first user-system location by an amount corresponding to a value of the privacy parameter. The operations also include providing the privacy-adjusted location data to a destination for use in providing a location-dependent service by way of the application at the user device.
US09554244B2
Location information of each participant in a carpool or other event may be automatically collected at a central server. The location information may be collected based on an ascertained location of a mobile computing device carried by a participant. The location of each participant's mobile computing device may be obtained through the use of location based services. Each participant's device may push geographic location, speed, and/or movement type information (such as whether the participant is walking or driving) to a central system. The pushed data may then be pulled from the central system by the devices of other interested participants. Methods, computer readable media, and devices are provided.
US09554235B1
A method, system, and medium are provided for connecting wireless devices to a wireless network. The system includes at least one base station and wireless devices that are part of a wireless network. The base station is configured with a database that stores metrics for each wireless device. The base station may identify one or more wireless devices that are suitable to communicate data for each of wireless devices based on the stored metrics. The identified suitable wireless devices proxy communications for other wireless devices over the wireless network. The wireless devices are part of a package delivery truck.
US09554232B1
The mobile phone comprising a voice communication implementer, a calculation implementer, and a mobile phone updating implementer which updates a mobile phone battery controller, a mobile phone camera unit controller, a mobile phone microphone controller, a mobile phone speaker controller, a mobile phone vibrator controller, or a shortcut icon software program.
US09554219B2
A behind the ear hearing aid includes: a transceiver for wireless data communication interconnected with an antenna for electromagnetic field emission and electromagnetic field reception, the antenna extending on a first side of a hearing aid and a second side of the hearing aid, a first segment of the antenna extending from proximate the first side of the hearing aid to proximate the second side of the hearing aid; and a feed system configured for exciting the antenna to induce a current in at least the first segment, the current having a first local maxima proximate the first side of the hearing aid and a second local maxima proximate the second side of the hearing aid.
US09554215B2
The disclosure relates to an earphone. The earphone includes a housing, a first speaker located in the housing and configured to play a first sound in a high frequency range, and a second speaker located in the housing and configured to play a second sound in a low frequency range or a middle frequency range. The first speaker includes a thermoacoustic device unit including a sound wave generator including carbon nanotube structure. The second speaker is an electric loudspeaker, electromagnetic speaker, or capacitive speaker.
US09554207B2
Offset cartridge microphones are provided that include multiple unidirectional microphone cartridges mounted in an offset geometry. Various desired polar patterns and/or desired steering angles can be formed by processing the audio signals from the multiple cartridges, including a toroidal polar pattern. The offset geometry of the cartridges may include mounting the cartridges so that they are immediately adjacent to one another and so that their center axes are offset from one another. The microphones may have a more consistent on-axis frequency response and may more uniformly form desired polar patterns and/or desired steering angles by reducing the interference and reflections within and between the cartridges.
US09554205B2
A headphone system comprising a physiological sensor and a method of fitting a headphone system comprising a physiological sensor to a user is provided. The headphone system comprises a headphone having a speaker, a physiological sensor configured to be positioned for measuring physiological data, and a processor connected to the physiological sensor to receive the measured physiological data and process the measured physiological data to output physiological information and a fitting parameter. An application program is associated with the headphone, and is configured to receive the physiological information and the fitting parameter. The application program may evaluate at least the fitting parameter to indicate to a user whether the headphone is properly positioned, and issue a first notification in dependence on the evaluation of the fitting parameter.
US09554203B1
A processor-implemented method for sound characterization is described. In one implementation, time-frequency transform of each of a plurality of sound signals from one or more sources, the sound signals being detected by a plurality of sensing devices, is derived. One or more single-source constant-time analysis zones based at least on correlation between the time-frequency transform signals from a pair of sensing devices are detected. At least one direction of arrival for each source in the detected single source analysis zones are detected. A histogram of the estimated directions of arrival is created and an estimate of a number of the sound sources and corresponding directions of arrival are generated based at least on the histogram.
US09554194B2
A system for providing data communication services includes a cable television (CATV) tap-off device and a CATV gateway device. The tap-off device includes a signal splitter communicably coupled to a tap-off access point and a first signal transceiver and communicates a CATV signal with a CATV network through the splitter. The gateway device is communicably coupled to the signal splitter through a first coaxial cable to communicate the CATV signal with the tap-off device. The gateway device includes a second signal transceiver and is configured to split the CATV signal into a television signal and a baseband data signal. The second signal transceiver communicates the baseband data signal as a transceiver signal over the first coaxial cable to the first signal transceiver. The tap-off access point is configured to transmit a first wireless signal based on the transceiver signal.
US09554193B2
Media content search results ranked by popularity is described. In embodiment(s), a search request for television media content can be initiated by a viewer, and television media content that is relevant to the search request can be identified. The relevant television media content can then be ranked based on a popularity rating and the relevant television media content can be displayed in an ordered list that is ordered by popularity rankings.
US09554188B2
A system may include a media processor that categorizes at least one scene of a media stream into a category. The media processor may further provide an output media stream that alters the at least one scene of the media stream based on the category, where the category may be shocking or scary scenes. A method may include categorizing, using a computing device, at least one scene of a media stream into at least one category. The method may further include altering, using the computing device, the at least one scene of the media stream based on the category.
US09554185B2
The present invention monitors a user's activities to determine how much attention he is paying to one or more devices. Based on the information gathered about the user's current “attention profile,” a “user-interaction parameter” is set that reflects where the user's attention is focused and, ideally, how much of his attention is given to each device. Then, based on the user-interaction parameter, the user interface of at least one of the user's devices is configured to optimize the user's interactions, given the amount of attention he is currently giving to this user interface. If the user is giving the majority of his attention to the television, for example, then the user interface of a companion device can be configured to emphasize the types of interactions available to a user who is not actively watching the companion device.
US09554184B2
Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for increasing user engagement with video ads and content. The invention is not limited to video advertisements, but is applicable to any other content. Embodiments of the invention provide engagement formats that use interesting frames in a video or objects within video frames to increase user engagement in the video, one or more frames of the video, or any object within the video.
US09554183B2
Embodiments related to storing and utilizing information of a sink device for establishing communication. A source device retrieves the information of a previously connected sink device stored in the source device to reduce data exchanged during a handshaking operation. Information of the sink device not stored in the source device may be stored in the source device for future usage. The source device receives identification information of the sink device via a medium. The source device also searches for capabilities information associated with the identification information in the source device. In addition, the source device encodes the content for transmission to the sink device via the medium in a format compliant with capabilities of the sink device according to the capabilities information.
US09554174B2
A technique for post-processing media content on a network by a GPU cloud computing system is provided. The system includes a plurality of computer systems providing a content submission connection for uploading the media content. The system includes a processor configured to receive descriptive information related to the media content via the network, receive the media content via the content submission connection which has a quicker uploading bandwidth than the network, process the media content; and distribute processed media content via the network that is separated from the content submission connection. The system further includes a distributed GPU cloud computing platform to perform parallel post-processing of the media content, and an immersive 3D interface.
US09554173B1
An example method involves: (i) accessing data representing a news program schedule that specifies a sequence of events to be carried out using a news production system, wherein the schedule is divided into contiguous portions; (ii) for each portion: determining that m media servers are sufficient to execute any events of that portion and associated with a first device, allocating m media servers to the first device, thereby leaving one or more unallocated media servers, and allocating n media servers, from the unallocated media servers, to a second device; and (iii) for each of the contiguous portions, utilizing at least a portion of the allocated m media servers to carry out the events specified in that portion and associated with the first device and utilizing at least a portion of the allocated n media servers to carry out the events specified in that portion and associated with the second device.
US09554167B2
A server for network media program restart receives a request from a client device to restart a media program that is configured as being enabled for network media program restart subject to a set of one or more restrictions. Responsive to determining that a currently airing restriction is configured that allows the media program to be played by the client device only when that media program is currently airing in a locale of the client device and will become unavailable for viewing after a predefined amount of time has elapsed after the currently airing media program ends, the server transmits the media program to the client device for playback only responsive to a determination that at the time of the request the media program is currently airing in the locale of the client device and only when the predefined amount of time has not elapsed.
US09554165B2
Multiple video picture frames are combined into a spatial multiplex video picture frame that may be fully decoded and displayed. The video display of the spatial multiplex video picture frame is a composite combination of all of the video picture frames that have been combined, and may have an appearance such as a mosaic. Multiplexing the video picture frames involves removing picture headers, creating a picture header for the spatial multiplex video picture frame, and altering the headers of individual components of each video picture frame. The new header for the spatial multiplex video picture frame indicates a slice format frame, and headers of the individual components are altered to provide a slice format based picture position for each video picture frame. The headers of the individual components are altered to become slice based, such as in accordance with the ITU-T H.263 video standard, prior to establishing the slice based picture position if the frames are not already of the slice format.
US09554164B2
The present invention relates to a physical layer signalling in a digital broadcast network. In particular, for a digital broadcast network supporting a configuration with a plurality of physical layer pipes, a type indicator is signalled on physical layer for a pipe, the type indicator indicates the format of the input stream which may specify a transport stream, a generic stream or an IP stream. In addition, per physical layer pipe application of header and/or content compression to the user packet headers of the input stream is signalled. Another physical layer parameters are advantageously provided or extended in order to increase the flexibility and efficiency of the layer 1 signalling.
US09554161B2
A portable device includes solid-state memory, an Ethernet and/or wireless network connection, and an HDMI. The portable device receives content guide data from a first server and displays a content guide on a display. In response to a user's selection of a content item, the portable device requests the content item over the Internet from a second server. The portable device receives the content item, stores the content item in solid-state memory, generates display signals that represent the content item, and sends the display signals to a display. The second server may match the content item with relevant advertisements based on keywords associated with the content item and the advertisements. The second server may send selected advertisement URLs to the portable device. Using the URLs, the portable device may obtain the advertisements over the Internet and cause the display to display the advertisements in conjunction with the content item.
US09554160B2
A solution for composing a multi-angle video from videos captured from different angles is disclosed. A request to compose a multi-angle video is received from a target user, requesting composing a multi-angle video using a video captured by the target user and videos captured by other users nearby the target user. A plurality of videos captured by nearby users are identified based on metadata associated with the captured videos, e.g., geolocation and timestamps of the videos, and presented to the target user. A video sequence including two or more videos from the plurality of videos captured by nearby users is received and the multi-angle video is composed based on the received video sequence.
US09554159B2
Electronic program guide (EPG) systems and methods are operable to incorporate image information into an EPG generated at a media device. An exemplary embodiment receives an image associated with a program, processes the received image into a rich media EPG image, receives program presentation schedule information that specifies a presentation schedule of a plurality of programs, wherein the program is one of the plurality of programs scheduled for presentation, associates an identifier with the rich media EPG image and the program, and generates a rich media EPG schedule based upon the received program presentation schedule information and the identifier.
US09554151B2
A method and apparatus for performing motion estimation in a digital video system is disclosed. Specifically, the present invention discloses a system that quickly calculates estimated motion vectors in a very efficient manner. In one embodiment, a first multiplicand is determined by multiplying a first display time difference between a first video picture and a second video picture by a power of two scale value. This step scales up a numerator for a ratio. Next, the system determines a scaled ratio by dividing that scaled numerator by a second first display time difference between said second video picture and a third video picture. The scaled ratio is then stored calculating motion vector estimations. By storing the scaled ratio, all the estimated motion vectors can be calculated quickly with good precision since the scaled ratio saves significant bits and reducing the scale is performed by simple shifts.
US09554146B2
In some examples, a video encoder includes multiple sequence parameter set (SPS) IDs in an SEI message, such that multiple active SPSs can be indicated to a video decoder. In some examples, a video decoder activates a video parameter set (VPS) and/or one or more SPSs through referencing an SEI message, e.g., based on the inclusion of the VPS ID and one or more SPS IDs in the SEI message. The SEI message may be, as examples, an active parameter sets SEI message or a buffering period SEI message.
US09554139B2
A video decoding method includes decoding a bitstream including generating a quantized frequency transform block from the bitstream, reconstructing a residual block by inversely quantizing and inversely transforming the quantized frequency transform block, generating a prediction block by predicting a current block to be reconstructed, reconstructing the current block by adding the generated prediction block to the reconstructed residual block and performing a deblocking filtering with respect to a boundary between subblocks within a frame including the reconstructed current block, by allowing numbers of filtered pixels in a first block of the subblocks and a second block of the subblocks that engage in the filtering to be different depending on one or more predetermined criterion.
US09554134B2
Video decoding innovations for multithreading implementations and graphics processor unit (“GPU”) implementations are described. For example, for multithreaded decoding, a decoder uses innovations in the areas of layered data structures, picture extent discovery, a picture command queue, and/or task scheduling for multithreading. Or, for a GPU implementation, a decoder uses innovations in the areas of inverse transforms, inverse quantization, fractional interpolation, intra prediction using waves, loop filtering using waves, memory usage and/or performance-adaptive loop filtering. Innovations are also described in the areas of error handling and recovery, determination of neighbor availability for operations such as context modeling and intra prediction, CABAC decoding, computation of collocated information for direct mode macroblocks in B slices, reduction of memory consumption, implementation of trick play modes, and picture dropping for quality adjustment.
US09554132B2
Compression transforming video into a compressed representation (which typically can be delivered at a capped pixel rate compatible with conventional video systems), including by generating spatially blended pixels and temporally blended pixels (e.g., temporally and spatially blended pixels) of the video, and determining a subset of the blended pixels for inclusion in the compressed representation including by assessing quality of reconstructed video determined from candidate sets of the blended pixels. Trade-offs may be made between temporal resolution and spatial resolution of regions of reconstructed video determined by the compressed representation to optimize perceived video quality while reducing the data rate. The compressed data may be packed into frames. A reconstruction method generates video from a compressed representation using metadata indicative of at least one reconstruction parameter for spatial regions of the reconstructed video.
US09554131B1
Roughly described, pictures are divided into multiple spatial sections to be encoded by multiple section encoders. To address discontinuities of compression decisions across section boundaries, the multiple section encoders encode overlapping regions in a picture.
US09554122B2
Optical apparatus includes first and second diffractive optical elements (DOEs) arranged in series to diffract an input beam of radiation. The first DOE is configured to apply to the input beam a pattern with a specified divergence angle, while the second DOE is configured to split the input beam into a matrix of output beams with a specified fan-out angle. The divergence and fan-out angles are chosen so as to project the radiation onto a region in space in multiple adjacent instances of the pattern.
US09554117B2
A system for non-invasive registration between a patient and a three-dimensional (3D) medical image includes a near infrared 3D camera 110 which extracts a 3D blood vessel image I2 of a patients registration target area during surgical operation; a camera position tracer 120 which traces a position of the near infrared 3D camera 110 and calculates a real world coordinate system of the 3D blood vessel image I2; a controller 130 which extracts a first blood vessel pattern from a 3D medical image I1 of the registration target area, extracts a second blood vessel pattern from the 3D blood vessel image I2, and performs position registration between the patient and the 3D medical image I1 through the extracted first and second blood vessel patterns; and a display 140 which displays a registration result calculated by the controller 130.
US09554116B2
A plurality of two-dimensionally arranged microlenses, a pair of light-receiving elements corresponding to the microlenses, and a light-controlling member configured to control incidence of light onto adjacent light-receiving areas of the pair of light-receiving elements are provided.
US09554109B2
Examples of the disclosure accurately define a gray region for automatic white balancing. Ratios corresponding to possible gray areas are white balanced before color distance metrics are calculated with respect to white points under different light sources. The color distance metrics of each point in the image data are compared with a predetermined threshold value to identify a gray region. Gray points within a captured image are identified using the gray region and input to any AWB method to accurately white balance the captured image.
US09554105B2
An image display apparatus betters adjustment precision in the multi-projection in which two projection images are combined so that the images partially overlap each other. A display apparatus configuring an image projection system configured to project an image by combining on a screen a plurality of projection images so that the images partially overlap each other, includes a transformation unit configured to perform a geometrical transformation on a projection image, and a setting unit configured to set a parameter of the transformation by the transformation unit based on a relation between a position of an overlap region in a projection image obtained before the transformation by the transformation unit is performed, and a position of the overlap region in the projection image obtained after the transformation is performed, wherein an amount or value of the transformation is changed according to the position of a vertex of the overlap region.
US09554101B2
A Gaussian-distributed excitation light beam of an excitation spectrum emitted from an excitation light source enters a light pipe and is there converted to a top-hat spatially distributed excitation beam. The top-hat distributed excitation beam is focused on a phosphor-coated or reflective portion of a surface of an optical wavelength conversion element. Fluoresced and reflected beams travel outward from the wavelength conversion element and re-enter the light pipe to be homogenized during transit through the light pipe. A homogenized fluoresced or reflected beam is relayed to an output as one of a sequence of colors of homogenized light. The functions of Gaussian to top-hat conversion of the excitation beams directed toward the optical conversion element and homogenization of beams directed outward from the optical conversion element are both efficiently performed using a single, shared light pipe.
US09554098B2
A computer-implemented method and a control system are described for controlling operations involving residue. The method and system include analyzing residue on an agricultural field. A first image is captured with an image sensor of an area of the field that is ahead of or behind the implement. The first image is analyzed to determine an indicator of residue coverage on the field. A subsequent operation on the field is executed, one or more aspects of which are controlled based upon the determined indicator of residue coverage.
US09554094B1
A system and method for detecting and/or determining the existence of displacement of a substrate with respect to a surrounding object uses a laser line that is free of contact with the object and that is received by an image sensor. A processor reads the line information in a series of image frames, and generates a range image with height information. The height information is provided to a 2D map. Differences between adjacent height measurements, and averages, are computed. Vision system tools are used to accurately locate features in the image and these are aligned with the height information. The height differences are interpreted, with missing height data due, for example, to specularity in the image being approximated. The height differences are compared to predetermined height parameters relative to identified locations, for example, wells, in the object to determine whether a substrate is displaced.
US09554090B1
An audio-video communication system comprises a wireless exterior module located proximate an entrance, a computerized controller running a software application, and a remote peripheral device. The wireless exterior module includes a proximity sensor for detecting a person at the entrance, a video camera for recording an image of the person at the entrance, a microphone for recording the person at the entrance, a speaker for playing audio to the person at the entrance, a transmitter for communicating sounds and images of the person at the entrance, and a receiver for receiving communications at the wireless exterior module. The computerized controller is disposed in wireless electronic communication with the wireless exterior module via the transmitter and the receiver of the wireless exterior module. The remote peripheral device is configured to electronically communicate with the computerized controller for viewing an image from the video camera communicated from the wireless exterior module.
US09554084B2
A display device including a display module configured to display a content corresponding to a video on a main screen of the display device; an interface module configured to receive an enlargement input request from a remote controller; and a controller configured to enter an enlargement mode in accordance with the enlargement input request received from the remote controller, display a window including the content displayed on the main screen, display an indicator for selecting a specific area of the displayed content within the displayed window, enlarge the selected specific area of the displayed content, and display the enlarged selected specific area of the displayed content on the main screen.
US09554081B2
Descriptions of video segments for use to search or select video segments are generated by using a combination of video based action type detection and image based object detection. Action type detection results in detection of action types from a predetermined set of action types, with little or no information about actors involved in the action. Object detection results in detection of individual objects in the images, with little or no information actions. A set of rules is used that define one or more roles associated with action types and conditions on objects that can fill these roles. Detected action types are used to select rules and detected objects are assigned to roles defined the selected rule. Score values are computed for different assignments of detected objects to the role, as a function of the attribute values of the assigned objects. A combination of the detected action type and the detected objects is selected on the basis of the score values. A description of the video segment is generated from the selected combination.
US09554078B2
The application discloses a television base, comprising a supporting base fixedly connected with a television display screen and at least three supporting rods; the supporting base comprises rotating connection portions, the supporting rods are rotationally connected with the rotating connection portions, a surface of the supporting base provided with the rotating connection portions is located in a first plane, and the first plane is perpendicular to a plane where the television display screen is located; all the supporting rods relatively rotate around the supporting base in the first plane, when the supporting rods rotate to be opened, the supporting rods are positioned in the first plane to support a television shell; and when the supporting rods rotate to be folded, the supporting rods are positioned in the first plane and are perpendicular to the plane where the television displays screen is located.
US09554071B2
An imaging device that stores charge from a photosensor under at least one storage gate. A driver used to operate the at least one storage gate, senses how much charge was transferred to the storage gate. The sensed charge is used to obtain at least one signature of the image scene. The at least one signature may then be used for processing such as e.g., motion detection, auto-exposure, and auto-white balancing.
US09554068B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include a plurality of pixels each including a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element, a processing circuit configured to perform a first process for generating a first signal corresponding to a charge generated by the first photoelectric conversion element, and a second process for generating a second signal corresponding to a sum of the charge generated by the first photoelectric conversion element and a charge generated by the second photoelectric conversion element, and a current source configured to supply a first driving current to the processing circuit when the processing circuit performs the first process, and supply a second driving current higher than the first driving current to the processing circuit when the processing circuit performs the second.
US09554064B2
A camera system includes memory, a lens assembly to direct light from a scene onto an image sensing element, an image sensing element configured to receive light from the scene via the lens assembly, at least one infrared illuminator configured to transmit infrared light, and a processor, coupled to the image sensing element and the at least one infrared illuminator. The processor is configured to operate the illuminators and the image sensing element in a first mode whereby infrared light transmitted by the illuminators and reflected from the scene is used to generate a two-dimensional image of the scene. The processor is also configured to operate the illuminators and the image sensing element in a second mode whereby infrared light transmitted by the illuminators and reflected from the scene is used to identify a planar surface in the scene.
US09554057B2
Wide dynamic range depth imaging in a structured light device is provided that improves depth maps for scenes with a wide range of albedo values under varying light conditions. A structured light pattern, e.g., a time-multiplexed structured light pattern, is projected into a scene at various projection times and a camera captures images of the scene for at least the same exposure times as the projection times. A depth image is computed for each of the projection/exposure times and the resulting depth images are combined to generate a composite depth image.
US09554056B2
The invention is made in the field of coding of images of high dynamic range.The invention is based on the concept of Frame Compatible format. The idea is to transport, in a frame, down-sampled LDR content together with additional information allowing reconstructing HDR content from the LDR content.Thus, it is proposed a method of encoding an HDR image of high dynamic range according to claim 1. Said method comprises down-sampling (DWN) an LDR image and additional data, the LDR image providing a lower dynamic range depiction of the HDR image content and the additional data allowing for reconstructing the HDR image from the LDR image.
US09554054B2
The imaging apparatus has: a first exposure mode in which an exposure condition is determined based on pixel data generated by photoelectrically converting, by a plurality of pixels, light rays entering through a pupil division unit, a state of vignetting of the photographing optical system is determined based on information about a construction of a photographing optical system, and an exposure condition is determined based on the pixel data selected from the pixel data generated in accordance with the vignetting state; and a second exposure mode in which an exposure condition is determined based on data obtained by adding the generated pixel data with respect to the exit pupil area of the photographing lens.
US09554051B2
A display assembly includes an external electronic device in electrical communication with an external communications network. A housing is provided that has a back side, a front side and peripheral edge extending therebetween. The back side is coupled to a support surface such a user may stand proximate the front side. A viewing unit is coupled to the housing and the viewing unit records an image of a user wearing clothes. The image is viewable by the user thereby facilitating the user to critique the appearance of the clothes is worn. A remote unit is in electrical communication with the viewing unit and the remote unit actuates the viewing unit to record the image.
US09554044B2
An image quality adjustment apparatus obtains correction data for correcting display unevenness of a display panel by capturing an image of the display panel using a camera, and includes a moire frequency control unit that performs a control to position the display panel and the camera at a predetermined relative angle with respect to each other, an unevenness measurement unit that measures the display unevenness of the display panel based on the image captured by the camera, and a correction data generation unit that generates the correction data based on the unevenness measured by the unevenness measurement unit. Arranging the panel and the camera at the predetermined relative angle shifts a spatial frequency component of a moire pattern occurring in the image captured by the camera out of a region where a spatial frequency component of the display unevenness is present, and removes an influence of the moire pattern.
US09554038B1
An image capture accelerator performs accelerated processing of image data. In one embodiment, the image capture accelerator includes accelerator circuitry including a pre-processing engine and a compression engine. The pre-processing engine is configured to perform accelerated processing on received image data, and the compression engine is configured to compress processed image data received from the pre-processing engine. In one embodiment, the image capture accelerator further includes a demultiplexer configured to receive image data captured by an image sensor array implemented within, for example, an image sensor chip. The demultiplexer may output the received image data to an image signal processor when the image data is captured by the image sensor array in a standard capture mode, and may output the received image data to the accelerator circuitry when the image data is captured by the image sensor array in an accelerated capture mode.
