Document Document Title
US08901101B2 Membrane lytic poly(amido amine) polymers for the delivery of oligonucleotides
The present invention provides membrane lytic poly(amido amine) polymers, polyconjugates, compositions and methods for the delivery of oligonucleotides for therapeutic purposes.
US08901100B2 Tumor-specific delivery of therapeutic agents via liposomase
Clostridium novyi is an obligate anaerobe that can infect hypoxic regions within experimental tumors. We found that mice bearing large, established tumors were often cured when treated with C. novyi plus a single dose of liposomal doxorubicin. The secreted factor responsible for this phenomenon was identified and, surprisingly, proved to be a member of the lipase family. The gene encoding this protein, called liposomase, has the potential to be incorporated into diverse therapeutic methods to deliver specifically a variety of chemotherapeutic agents to tumors.
US08901094B2 Use of nucleic acid sequences for the treatment of epilepsy
The present invention relates to the use of one or more expression vectors comprising certain nucleic acid sequences encoding a combination of NPY and/or one or more of its receptors (Y1, Y2, Y4, Y5, y6), and/or galanin and/or one or more of its receptors (GALR1, GALR2, GALR3), and/or somatostatin and/or one or more of its receptors (SST1, SST2, SST3, SST4, SST5), in the preparation of a medicament for treatment of a disorder of the nervous system, such as a neurological or a psychiatric disease chosen from epilepsy, depression, and anxiety. The invention further relates to vectors that comprise nucleic acid sequences encoding the above combination, to compositions comprising such vectors and to a method of delivery and expression of the above combination of nucleic acid sequences into cells of the nervous system to treat neurological or psychiatric diseases in humans or animals.
US08901086B2 Compositions including triciribine and methods of use thereof
This invention encompasses combination therapies including TCN, TCN-P, TCN-PM and/or related compounds and one or more additional anti-cancer agents, for example, taxanes a molecule that modulates the HER2/neu (erbB2) receptor, anthracyclin compounds, epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor compounds, one or more platinum compounds and bortezomib and derivatives thereof and compositions with reduced toxicity for the treatment and prevention of tumors, cancer, and other disorders associated with abnormal cell proliferation.
US08901085B2 Modulations of protease activated receptors
The present invention provides novel compounds of the Formula (1), pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and methods for using such compounds as tools for biological studies or as agents or drugs for modulating Protease Activated Receptor-2 (PAR2) and for treating a subject at risk of—or susceptible to—a disease or disorder, or having a disease or disorder associated with undesirable PAR2 activity.
US08901083B2 Administration of angiocidin for the treatment of leukemia
Methods are presented for the therapeutic administration of angiocidin in the treatment of cancers such as glioma, breast cancer, and leukemia. Methods are also presented for inducing growth arrest and/or apoptosis of tumor cells, as well as inducing differentiation of tumor cells to inhibit tumorigenicity and to confer a non-tumor or healthy phenotype.
US08901075B2 Agonists of guanylate cyclase useful for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, inflammation, cancer and other disorders
The invention provides novel guanylate cyclase-C agonist peptides and their use in the treatment of human diseases including gastrointestinal disorders, inflammation or cancer (e.g., a gastrointestinal cancer). The peptides can be administered either alone or in combination with an inhibitor of cGMP-dependent phosphodiesterase. The gastrointestinal disorder may be classified as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, or excessive acidity etc. The gastrointestinal disease may be classified as either inflammatory bowel disease or other GI condition, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and cancer.
US08901071B2 Compounds and their use
The present invention relates to peptides and their use in the treatment of microbial infections, in particular bacterial infections. In particular, the invention relates to peptides wherein at least 75% of the amino acids of the peptide are arginine and phenylalanine amino acids, at least 50% of the amino acids being arginine amino acids and at least 15% of the amino acids being phenylalanine amino acids.
US08901070B2 Pharmaceutical compositions comprising pore-forming proaerolysin protein (PRX302)
The present disclosure includes methods and compositions for treating any condition involving prostatitis and similar diseases and/or conditions. These methods and compositions involve the use of targeted modified pore-forming proteins, including variant proaerolysin proteins.
US08901069B2 Protein matrix for light-initiated electron transfer
The present invention provides selective modification of polypeptide sequences with electron transfer moieties. The resulting polypeptide assemblies represent a novel class of electron transfer complexes that are capable of transferring electrons over very long distances at fast rates. These complexes possess unique structural features which enable the production of bioconductors and photoactive probes.
US08901067B1 Fragrance composition
A topical salve to mask unpleasant smells is disclosed that consists of a composition having beeswax, eucalyptus oil, and menthol. The composition is placed under the nose of a user. The salve masks unpleasant strong odors, thereby allowing the user to perform the task at hand.
US08901064B2 Microcapsule containing detergent or cleaning agent
The invention relates to detergents or cleaning agents which comprise capsules that are low in formaldehydes and/or free from formaldehyde, are storage stable and thus prevent a contamination of the detergent or cleaning agent with formaldehyde, comprising microcapsules, the capsule wall of which contains a resin which is obtained by reacting at least one aromatic alcohol or ether or derivative thereof and at least one aldehydic component which comprises at least two C-atoms per molecule, and optionally at least one (meth)acrylate-polymer, and builders and/or surfactants. Said detergent or cleaning agents enable, during application, a targeted and durable release of liquid active agents, such as, in particular scents, to the treated objects.
US08901058B2 Liquid hand dishwashing detergent composition
A hand dishwashing detergent composition comprising a chelant and a specific surfactant system to provide superior grease cleaning and shine.
US08901045B2 Methods of constructing libraries comprising displayed and/or expressed members of a diverse family of peptides, polypeptides or proteins and the novel libraries
Methods useful in constructing libraries that collectively display and/or express members of diverse families of peptides, polypeptides or proteins and the libraries produced using those methods are disclose. Methods of screening those libraries and the peptides, polypeptides or proteins identified by such screens are also disclosed.
US08901035B2 Herbicidal compositions comprising 4-amino-3-chloro-5-fluoro-6-(4-chloro-2-fluoro-3-methoxyphenyl) pyridine-2-carboxylic acid or a derivative thereof and cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor herbicides
Provided herein are synergistic herbicidal compositions containing and methods for controlling undesirable vegetation utilizing (a) a compound of formula (I): or an agriculturally acceptable salt or ester thereof and (b) a cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor, e.g., indaziflam and isoxaben. The methods and compositions described herein provide control of undesirable vegetation, e.g., in direct-seeded, water-seeded and transplanted rice, cereals, wheat, barley, oats, rye, sorghum, corn or maize, sugarcane, sunflower, oilseed rape, canola, sugar beet, soybean, cotton, pineapple, pastures, grasslands, rangelands, fallowland, turf, tree and vine orchards, aquatics, plantation crops, vegetables, industrial vegetation management (IVM) or rights-of-way (ROW).
US08901029B2 Polycondensation catalyst for producing polyester and method for producing polyester using the same
The invention provides a polycondensation catalyst for producing polyester by an esterification reaction or a transesterification reaction between a dicarboxylic acid or an ester-forming derivative thereof and a glycol, the polycondensation catalyst being obtained by hydrolyzing a water soluble titanium compound in the absence of a water soluble alkali in an aqueous slurry in which particles of a solid base are dispersed thereby to form on the surface of the particles of the solid base a coat layer of titanic acid in a content of from 0.1 to 50 parts by weight in terms of TiO2 per 100 parts by weight of the solid base. The invention further provides a method for producing the polycondensation catalyst, and polyester obtained using the polycondensation catalyst.
US08901027B2 Stable slurry bed fischer-tropsch catalyst with high surface area and activity
A method of forming a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst by providing at least one metal nitrate solution, combining each of the at least one metal nitrate solutions with a precipitating agent whereby at least one catalyst precipitate is formed, and incorporating a strong base during precipitation, subsequent precipitation, or both during and subsequent precipitation. Catalysts produced via the disclosed method are also provided.
US08901024B2 Ozone-treated carbon electrodes
Ozone treated carbon electrodes can provide increased catalytic activity, such as in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) or other electrochemical device or other device that could benefit from an increased catalytic activity, such as lithium ion or other batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, or electroanalytical instruments. Devices, methods of making, and methods of using are discussed.
US08901022B2 Powder for dry refractory material
The invention relates to a powder comprising more than 70% of refractory particles, in weight percent relative to the weight of the powder, a particle of said powder being classed in the fraction called “matrix” or in the fraction called “aggregate”, according to whether it is smaller than, or equal to 100 μm, or larger than 100 μm, respectively, said powder comprising, in weight percent relative to the weight of the powder: between 0.1% and 18% of particles of a heat-activatable binder, called “heat-activatable binder particles”; and more than 40% of refractory particles, called “ATZ particles”, having the following chemical composition, in weight percentages on the basis of the oxides of said ATZ particles: 10%≦Al2O3≦55%; 35%≦TiO2≦80%; 1%≦MgO+Cr2O3≦10%; 8%≦ZrO2≦20%; SiO2≦8%.
US08901020B2 Glass compositions and fibers made therefrom
Embodiments of the present invention relate to glass compositions, glass fibers formed from such compositions, and related products. In one embodiment, a glass composition comprises 58-62 weight percent SiO2, 14-17 weight percent Al2O3, 14-17.5 weight percent CaO, and 6-9 weight percent MgO, wherein the amount of Na2O is 0.09 weight percent or less.
US08901019B2 Very low CTE slope doped silica-titania glass
The present disclosure is directed to a doped silica-titania glass, DST glass, consisting essentially of 0.1 wt. % to 5 wt. % halogen, 50 ppm-wt. to 6 wt. % one or more oxides of Al, Ta and Nb, 3 wt. % to 10 wt. % TiO2 and the remainder SiO2. In an embodiment the halogen content can be in the range of 0.2 wt. % to 3 wt. % along with 50 ppm-wt. to 6 wt. % one or more oxides of Al, Ta and Nb, 3 wt. % to 10 wt. % TiO2 and the remainder SiO2. In an embodiment the DST glass has an OH concentration of less than 100 ppm. In another embodiment the OH concentration is less than 50 ppm. The DST glass has a fictive temperature Tf of less than 875° C. In an embodiment Tf is less than 825° C. In another embodiment Tf is less than 775° C.
US08901016B2 Method of forming metal oxide hardmask
A method of forming a metal oxide hardmask on a template includes: providing a template constituted by a photoresist or amorphous carbon formed on a substrate; and depositing by atomic layer deposition (ALD) a metal oxide hardmask on the template constituted by a material having a formula SixM(1-x)Oy wherein M represents at least one metal element, x is less than one including zero, and y is approximately two or a stoichiometrically-determined number.
US08901012B2 Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing semiconductor device
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a substrate stage, a transfer unit, and a control unit. A substrate is settable on the substrate stage. The transfer unit is configured to transfer a pattern having an uneven configuration onto a major surface of the substrate by attachably and removably holding a template. The pattern is provided in the transfer surface. The control unit is configured to acquire information relating to a number of foreign objects on the major surface prior to the transferring of the pattern. The control unit adds the number for a plurality of the substrates including the pattern transferred by the transfer unit. The control unit causes the transfer unit not to implement the transferring of the pattern in the case where the sum has reached the upper limit.
US08901009B2 Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices
A memory device includes a lower interconnection in a semiconductor substrate, the lower interconnection being made of a material different from the semiconductor substrate, a selection element on the lower interconnection, and a memory element on the selection element.
US08901008B2 Substrate plasma-processing apparatus
A substrate plasma-processing apparatus for plasma-processing a surface of an electrode of an organic light emitting device. The substrate plasma-processing apparatus may adjust the distance between a first electrode and a substrate and adjust the distance between a second electrode and the substrate.
US08901006B2 ARC residue-free etching
Antireflective residues during pattern transfer and consequential short circuiting are eliminated by employing an underlying sacrificial layer to ensure complete removal of the antireflective layer. Embodiments include forming a hard mask layer over a conductive layer, e.g., a silicon substrate, forming the sacrificial layer over the hard mask layer, forming an optical dispersive layer over the sacrificial layer, forming a silicon anti-reflective coating layer over the optical dispersive layer, forming a photoresist layer over the silicon anti-reflective coating layer, where the photoresist layer defines a pattern, etching to transfer the pattern to the hard mask layer, and stripping at least the optical dispersive layer and the sacrificial layer.
US08901005B2 Method for simultaneously forming features of different depths in a semiconductor substrate
Embodiments of the invention may include first providing a stack of layers including a semiconductor substrate, a buried oxide layer on the semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor-on-insulator layer on the buried-oxide layer, a nitride layer on the semiconductor-on-insulator layer, and a silicon oxide layer on the nitride layer. A first opening and second opening with a smaller cross-sectional area than the first opening are then formed in the silicon oxide layer, the nitride layer, the semiconductor-on-insulator layer, and the buried-oxide layer. The first opening and the second opening are then etched with a first etching gas. The first opening and the second opening are then etched with a second etching gas, which includes the first etching gas and a halogenated silicon compound, for example, silicon tetrafluoride or silicon tetrachloride. In one embodiment, the first etching gas includes hydrogen bromide, nitrogen trifluoride, and oxygen.
US08901004B2 Plasma etch method to reduce micro-loading
A method of producing plurality of etched features in an electronic device is disclosed that avoids micro-loading problems thus maintaining more uniform sidewall profiles and more uniform critical dimensions. The method comprises performing a first time-divisional plasma etch process step within a plasma chamber to a first depth of the plurality of etched features, and performing a flash process step to remove any polymers from exposed surfaces of the plurality of etched features without requiring an oxidation step. The flash process step is performed independently of the time-divisional plasma etch step. A second time-divisional plasma etch process step is performed within the plasma chamber to a second depth of the plurality of etched features. The method may be repeated until a desired etch depth is reached.
US08901001B2 Slurry composition and method of fabricating damascene structure using the same
A slurry composition has an amount of 100% and includes abrasives, an acid-base pH adjustor, an oxidant and water. A content of the abrasives is 10 wt % to 40 wt %, and a polydisperse index of the abrasives sizes is greater than 1.8. A content of the acid-base pH adjustor is 0.01 wt % to 10 wt %. A content of the oxidant is 0.01 wt % to 10 wt %. A remaining portion of the slurry composition is water.
US08900998B2 Process for electroless deposition of gold and gold alloys on silicon
A plating bath for electroless deposition of gold and gold alloy layers on such silicon-based substrates, includes Na(AuCl4) and/or other gold (III) chloride salts as a gold ion source. The bath is formed as a binary bath solution formed from mixing first and second bath components. The first bath component includes gold salts in concentrations up to 40 g/L, boric acid, in amounts of up to 30 g/L, and a metal hydroxide in amounts up to 20 g/L. The second bath component includes an acid salt, in amounts up to 25 g/L, sodium thiosulfate in amounts up to 30 g/L, and suitable acid, such as boric acid in amounts up to 20 g/L.
US08900984B2 Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and method for manufacturing same
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a stacked structural body, a semiconductor pillar, and a memory unit. The stacked structural body is provided on a major surface of the substrate. The stacked structural body includes electrode films alternately stacked with inter-electrode insulating films in a direction perpendicular to the major surface. The pillar pierces the body in the direction. The memory unit is provided at an intersection between the pillar and the electrode films. The electrode films include at least one of amorphous silicon and polysilicon. The stacked structural body includes first and second regions. A distance from the second region to the substrate is greater than a distance from the first region to the substrate. A concentration of an additive included in the electrode film in the first region is different from that included in the electrode film in the second region.
US08900975B2 Nanopore sensor device
A pair of electrode plates can be provided by directional deposition and patterning of a conductive material on sidewalls of a template structure on a first dielectric layer. An electrode line straddling the center portion is formed. A dielectric spacer and a conformal conductive layer are subsequently formed. Peripheral electrodes laterally spaced from the electrode line are formed by pattering the conformal conductive layer. After deposition of a second dielectric material layer that encapsulates the template structure, the template structure is removed to provide a cavity that passes through the pair of electrode plates, the electrode line, and the peripheral electrodes. A nanoscale sensor thus formed can electrically characterize a nanoscale string by passing the nanoscale string through the cavity while electrical measurements are performed employing the various electrodes.
US08900972B2 Systems and methods for producing seed bricks
A method of producing rectangular seed bricks for use in semiconductor or solar manufacturing is disclosed. The method includes connecting an alignment layer to a top surface of a template, drawing alignment lines on the alignment layer to demarcate a plurality of nodes, connecting cylindrical rods to the alignment layer such that a center of each rod is aligned with a corresponding node, and slicing through the rods and the alignment layer with a wire web to produce rectangular seed bricks.
US08900962B2 Method for manufacturing semiconductor device
According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method can include forming a base region and an emitter region in a front surface of a semiconductor layer. The method can include forming a first impurity implantation region by implanting first impurity of a first conductivity type into a back surface of the semiconductor layer. The method can include selectively forming a second impurity implantation region by selectively implanting second impurity of a second conductivity type into the first impurity implantation region. In addition, the method can include irradiating the first impurity implantation region and the second impurity implantation region with laser light. A peak of impurity concentration profile in a depth direction of at least one of the first impurity implantation region and the second impurity implantation region before irradiation with the laser light is adjusted to a depth of 0.05 μm or more and 0.3 μm or less from the back surface of the semiconductor layer.
US08900948B2 Method for fabricating non-volatile memory device
A method for fabricating a non-volatile memory device includes alternately stacking a plurality of inter-layer dielectric layers and a plurality of sacrificial layers over a substrate, forming at least a channel hole that exposes the substrate by selectively etching the inter-layer dielectric layers and the sacrificial layers, forming a protective layer on sidewalls of the sacrificial layers that are exposed through the channel hole, sequentially forming a memory layer and a channel layer on the sidewalls of the channel hole, forming slit holes that penetrate through the inter-layer dielectric layers and the sacrificial layers on both sides of the channel hole, removing the sacrificial layers that are exposed through the slit holes, removing the protective layer, and forming gate electrodes in space from which the sacrificial layers and the protective layer are removed.
US08900941B2 Methods of forming spacers on FinFETs and other semiconductor devices
Disclosed herein are various methods of forming spacers on FinFETs and other semiconductor devices. In one example, the method includes forming a plurality of spaced-apart trenches in a semiconducting substrate that defines a fin, forming a first layer of insulating material in the trenches that covers a lower portion of the fin but exposes an upper portion of the fin, and forming a second layer of insulating material on the exposed upper portion of the fin. The method further comprises selectively forming a dielectric material above an upper surface of the fin and in a bottom of the trench, depositing a layer of spacer material above a gate structure of the device and above the dielectric material above the fin and in the trench, and performing an etching process on the layer of spacer material to define sidewall spacers positioned adjacent the gate structure.
US08900940B2 Reducing gate height variance during semiconductor device formation
In general, aspects of the present invention relate to approaches for forming a semiconductor device such as a FET with reduced gate stack height variance. Specifically, when a gate stack height variance is detected/identified between a set of gate stacks, a hard mask layer and sets of spacers are removed from the uneven gate stacks leaving behind (among other things) a set of dummy gates. A liner layer and an inter-layer dielectric are formed over the set of dummy gates. The liner layer is then removed from a top surface (or at least a portion thereof) of the set of dummy gates, and the set of dummy gates are then removed. The result is a set of gate regions having less height variance/disparity.
US08900925B2 Method for manufacturing a diode, and a diode
In a method for manufacturing a diode, a semiconductor crystal wafer is used to produce a p-n or n-p junction, which extends in planar fashion across the top side of a semiconductor crystal wafer. Separation edges form perpendicularly to the top side of the semiconductor crystal wafer, which edges extend across the p-n or n-p junction. The separation of the semiconductor crystal wafer is achieved in that, starting from a disturbance, a fissure is propagated by local heating and local cooling of the semiconductor crystal wafer. The separation fissure thus formed extends along crystal planes of the semiconductor crystal, which avoids the formation of defects in the area of the p-n or n-p junction.
US08900916B2 Method for manufacturing semiconductor device including oxide semiconductor film
A highly reliable semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics, and a manufacturing method thereof. In the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device which includes a thin film transistor where a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region is an oxide semiconductor layer, heat treatment which reduces impurities such as moisture to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor layer and oxidize the oxide semiconductor layer (heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed. Not only impurities such as moisture in the oxide semiconductor layer but also those existing in a gate insulating layer are reduced, and impurities such as moisture existing in interfaces between the oxide semiconductor layer and films provided over and under and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer are reduced.
US08900912B2 Dual-facing camera assembly
Embodiments of the invention relate to a camera assembly including a rear-facing camera and a front-facing camera operatively coupled together (e.g., bonded, stacked on a common substrate).In some embodiments of the invention, a system having an array of frontside illuminated (FSI) imaging pixels is bonded to a system having an array of backside illuminated (BSI) imaging pixels, creating a camera assembly with a minimal size (e.g., a reduced thickness compared to prior art solutions). An FSI image sensor wafer may be used as a handle wafer for a BSI image sensor wafer when it is thinned, thereby decreasing the thickness of the overall camera module. According to other embodiments of the invention, two package dies, one a BSI image sensor, the other an FSI image sensor, are stacked on a common substrate such as a printed circuit board, and are operatively coupled together via redistribution layers.
US08900904B2 Method of manufacturing a multitude of micro-optoelectronic devices, and micro-optoelectronic device
A wafer stack that is diced to produce a multitude of micro-optoelectronic devices includes a first wafer including a semiconductor material; a second wafer including an optically transparent material; a multitude of light sensor arrangements in the semiconductor material of the first wafer for each of the micro-optical devices; the second wafer structured to form a multitude of micro-optical elements therein for each of the micro-optoelectronic devices; and a wafer stack produced wafer bonding, the wafer stack including the first wafer and the second wafer arranged above same, each of the micro-optical elements arranged and structured such that different portions of light incident on the micro-optical element are directed onto different light sensor elements of a light sensor arrangement at least partly arranged below the micro-optical element.
US08900896B1 Implantation before epitaxial growth for photonic integrated circuits
Fabrication of a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) including active elements such as a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and passive elements such as a floating rib waveguide. Selective area doping through ion implantation or thermal diffusion before semiconductor epitaxial growth is used in order to define the contact and lateral current transport layers for each active device, while leaving areas corresponding to the passive devices undoped. InP wafers are used as the substrate which may be selectively doped with silicon.
US08900894B2 Method of producing a radiation-emitting optoelectronic component
In a method for producing a radiation-emitting optoelectronic component, a semiconductor chip is mounted by a first main area onto a carrier body and is electrically conductively connected at a first contact area to a first connection region, and a transparent electrically insulating encapsulation layer is applied to the chip and the carrier body. A first cutout in the encapsulation layer for at least partly uncovering a second contact area of the chip is produced, and a second cutout in the encapsulation layer for at least partly uncovering a second connection region of the carrier body is produced. Finally, an electrically conductive layer, which electrically conductively connects the second contact area of the semiconductor chip and the second connection region of the carrier body, is applied.
US08900887B2 Method for etching polysilicon gate
A method for etching a polysilicon gate is disclosed, wherein the polysilicon gate includes an undoped polysilicon portion and a doped polysilicon portion that is situated on the undoped polysilicon portion. The method includes: obtaining a thickness of the undoped polysilicon portion and a thickness of the doped polysilicon portion by using an optical linewidth measurement device; and etching the undoped polysilicon portion and the doped polysilicon portion by using two respective steps with different parameters, respective etching time for the undoped polysilicon portion and the doped polysilicon portion of every wafer being adjusted in real time by using an advanced process control system. This method enables the doped and undoped polysilicon portions of each polysilicon gate on every wafer to have substantially consistent profiles between each other.
US08900886B2 System and method of monitoring and controlling atomic layer deposition of tungsten
A method of semiconductor processing comprises providing a semiconductor wafer in a processing chamber; feeding at least one tungsten-containing precursor in a gas state into the processing chamber for atomic layer deposition (ALD) of tungsten; feeding at least one reducing chemical in a gas state into the processing chamber; and monitoring a concentration of at least one gaseous byproduct in the chamber; and providing a signal indicating concentration of the at least one gaseous byproduct in the chamber. The byproduct is produced by a reaction between the at least one tungsten-containing precursor and the at least one reducing chemical during the ALD.
US08900882B2 Method of assaying complex and kit to be used therefor
In the case of assaying the level of complex AB in a sample which likely contains the complex AB composed of substance A with another substance B, the complex is assayed by the competitive homogeneous assay method with the use of reagents including a reagent containing partner C specifically binding to substance A, a reagent containing partner D specifically binding to substance B, a reagent containing fine particles carrying substance A or an analog thereof and substance B or an analog thereof, and a reagent containing partner C specifically binding to substance A and partner D specifically binding to substance B. Thus, the complex in the sample can be easily assayed. The above method is applicable to general-purpose biochemical automatic analyzers.
US08900873B2 Method for continuously determining the concentration of at least one CN compound in an aqueous solution
The invention relates to a method for continuously determining the concentration of at least one CN compound in an aqueous solution, wherein a carrier gas, for example compressed air, is introduced into the aqueous solution and the introduced carrier gas is fed at least partially to a gas analyzer, for example an HCN gas analyzer, the analysis data of which are considered in the determination of the concentration of the CN compound in the aqueous solution. In order to create advantageous method conditions, the temperature of the aqueous solution exposed to carrier gas is considered in the determination of the concentration of the CN compound.
US08900872B2 Diagnostic test calibration adjustment method
A method is provided for adjusting either the signal measured or activity calculated by an instrument or a predefined calibration curve for a medical diagnostic test, performed on an instrument with pre-calibrated reagents. A calibration adjuster for a blood clotting diagnostic test is further provided.
US08900869B2 FRT recombination sites and methods of use
Methods and compositions using populations of randomized modified FRT recombination sites to identify, isolate and/or characterize modified FRT recombination sites are provided. The recombinogenic modified FRT recombination sites can be employed in a variety of methods for targeted recombination of polynucleotides of interest, including methods to recombine polynucleotides, assess promoter activity, directly select transformed organisms, minimize or eliminate expression resulting from random integration into the genome of an organism, such as a plant, remove polynucleotides of interest, combine multiple transfer cassettes, invert or excise a polynucleotide, and identify and/or characterize transcriptional regulating regions are also provided.
US08900849B2 Oxygen-regulated microorganisms
The present invention relates to novel strains of microorganisms with oxygen-regulated metabolism. The microorganisms have higher growth rates and are more efficient than parental strains. The microorganisms may be used to produce a variety of products of interests, such as recombinant proteins, nucleic acids, such as DNA, amino acids, and chemicals.
US08900847B2 Polynucleotides encoding recombinant C1 beta-glucosidase for production of sugars from cellulosic biomass
The invention relates to expression of a recombinant C1 β-glucosidase. The invention also provides methods for producing a fermentable sugar from cellobiose by contacting celiobiose with a recombinant host cell comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding C1 β-glucosidase, operably linked to heterologous promoter, under conditions in which β-glucosidase is expressed and secreted by the cell and the cellobiose is enzymatically converted by said β-glucosidase to glucose. Methods of the invention may be used for conversion of a biomass substrate to a fermentable sugar, and ultimately to ethanol or other biofuel.
US08900844B2 Glucose dehydrogenase
A modified pyrroloquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase that exhibits a high selectivity for glucose is provided. A modified pyrroloquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase is disclosed in which the amino acid residue G at Position 99 of a pyrroloquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase (PQQGDH) represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or the amino acid residue G at Position 100 of the pyrroloquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase (PQQGDH) represented by SEQ ID NO: 3, is substituted by the amino acid sequence TGZN (where Z is SX, S, or N and X is any amino acid residue). The modified PQQGDH of the present invention may additionally comprise one or more mutations selected from the group consisting of Q192G, Q192A, or Q192S; L193X; E277X; A318X; Y367A, Y367F, or Y367W; G451C; and N452X (where X is any amino acid residue).
US08900835B2 Engineering of thermotolerant Bacillus coagulans for production of D(−)-lactic acid
Genetically modified microorganisms having the ability to produce D(−)-lactic acid at temperatures between 30° C. and 55° C. are provided. In various embodiments, the microorganisms may have the chromosomal lactate dehydrogenase (ldh) gene and/or the chromosomal acetolactate synthase (alsS) gene inactivated. Exemplary microorganisms for use in the disclosed methods are Bacillus spp., such as Bacillus coagulans.
US08900833B2 Method of recovering lipids from microbial biomass
A method of obtaining lipids from microbial biomass such as algae is provided by treating microbial biomass with a solution containing at least one α-hydroxysulfonic acid to extract and recover liposoluble components. The α-hydroxysulfonic acid can be easily removed from the product containing liposoluble components and recycled.
US08900828B2 Methods and apparatus for sequential amplification reactions
The invention provides methods and apparatus for carrying out multiple amplification reactions in a single reaction chamber by successive cycles of loading reaction mixture, amplifying, and removing spent reaction mixture in a fluidly closed reaction system. In particular, the present invention allows amplification of a plurality of target polynucleotides from a single sample by carrying out under closed-loop control successive amplifications of different target polynucleotides from different portions of the sample.
US08900826B2 Glycoprotein synthesis and remodeling by enzymatic transglycosylation
A chemoenzymatic method for the preparation of a homogeneous glycoprotein or glycopeptide, including (a) providing an acceptor selected from the group consisting of GlcNAc-protein and GlcNAc-peptide; and (b) reacting the acceptor with a donor substrate including an activated oligosaccharide moiety, in the presence of a catalyst comprising endoglycosidase (ENGase), to transfer the oligosaccharide moiety to the acceptor and yield the homogeneous glycoprotein or glycopeptide. The donor substrate includes, in a specific implementation, a synthetic oligosaccharide oxazoline. A related method of glycoprotein or glycopeptide remodeling with a predetermined natural N-glycan or a tailor-made oligosaccharide moiety, and a method of remodeling an antibody including a heterogeneous sugar chain, are also described. The disclosed methodology enables glycoprotein drugs to be modified for prolonged half-life in vivo, reduced immunogenicity, and enhanced in vivo activity, and for targeting and drug delivery.
US08900822B2 Fibrinogen assay
The present invention is directed to a method of detecting intact fibrinogen, comprising the steps of: a) providing a sample containing at least some fibrinogen optionally converted at least in part to fibrin, and optionally containing thrombin; b) solubilizing the sample in a solubilizing solution that inhibits thrombin activity; c) after optional SDS-PAGE transferring/applying a portion of said sample to a protein-binding membrane; d) reacting the fibrinogen with a primary monoclonal antibody capable of binding to fibrinopeptide A moiety; and e) detecting the quantity of intact fibrinogen in the sample by quantifying the amount of the bound primary monoclonal antibody.
US08900811B2 Method and apparatus for generating thermal melting curves in a microfluidic device
The present invention provides novel methods and devices that employ microfluidic technology to generate molecular melt curves. In particular, the devices and methods in accordance with the invention are useful in providing for the analysis of PCR amplification products.
US08900809B1 Oligonucleotides and methods to identify Shiga toxin containing Escherichia coli serotypes
Disclosed are oligonucleotides and methods related to identifying Escherichia coli serotypes by gene sequence polymorphisms. More specifically disclosed is oligonucleotides and methods to detecting a genotype of a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the O-antigen operon to identify Shiga toxin-producing serotypes O26, O111, O103, O145, O45, and O121.
US08900802B2 Positive tone organic solvent developed chemically amplified resist
Provided is a method for developing positive-tone chemically amplified resists with an organic developer solvent having at least one polyhydric alcohol, such as ethylene glycol and/or glycerol, alone or in combination with an additional organic solvent, such as isopropyl alcohol, and/or water. The organic solvent developed positive tone resists described herein are useful for lithography pattern forming processes; for producing semiconductor devices, such as integrated circuits (IC); and for applications where basic solvents are not suitable, such as the fabrication of chips patterned with arrays of biomolecules or deprotection applications that do not require the presence of acid moieties.
US08900796B2 Acid generator, chemically amplified resist composition, and patterning process
The present invention provides an acid generator generates a sulfonic acid represented by the following general formula (1) in response to high-energy beam or heat:To provide a novel acid generator which is suitably used as an acid generator for a resist composition, which solves the problems of LER and a depth of focus and can be effectively and widely used particularly without degradation of a resolution, a chemically amplified resist composition using the same, and a patterning process.
US08900791B2 Actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition and method of forming pattern with the composition
An actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition includes any of the compounds of general formula (I) below; wherein: Ar represents an aromatic ring that may have a substituent other than the -(A-B) groups; n is an integer of 1 or greater; A represents any one, or a combination of two or more members selected from a single bond, an alkylene group, —O—, —S—, —C(═O)—, —S(═O)—, —S(═O)2— and —OS(═O)2—, provided that —C(═O)O— is excluded; B represents a group containing a hydrocarbon group having 4 or more carbon atoms wherein either a tertiary or a quaternary carbon atom is contained, when n is 2 or greater, the two or more -(A-B) groups may be identical to or different from each other; and M+ represents an organic onium ion.
US08900789B2 Actinic-ray- or radiation-sensitive resin composition and method of forming pattern using the composition
An actinic-ray- or radiation-sensitive resin composition comprises (A) a resin that when acted on by an acid, exhibits an increased solubility in an alkali developer, (B) a compound that when exposed to actinic rays or radiation, generates an acid, (C) a resin containing two or more resins (c) each having at least either a fluorine atom or a silicon atom, and (D) a solvent.
US08900784B2 Toner, developer, toner container, image forming apparatus, image forming method, and process cartridge
To provide a toner which contains a binder resin, a colorant, and capsules, wherein the binder resin contains a thermoplastic elastomer, and wherein the capsules each encapsulate a plasticizer capable of softening the thermoplastic elastomer and the capsules are fractured upon application of predetermined pressure.
US08900783B2 Electrophotographic photoreceptor, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus
An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes an electroconductive substrate; a photosensitive layer that is provided on the electroconductive substrate; and an outermost surface layer, wherein the outermost surface layer is a layer made of a cured product of a composition that contains position isomer mixture of at least one kind among non-charge transporting compounds represented by Formulae (I) and (II) and at least one kind among non-reactive charge transporting materials.
US08900779B2 Color filter composition
The invention relates to a color filter composition comprising a) a photoresist binder, b) a transparent pigment, c) optionally a solvent and/or optionally a photoinitiator or a photolatent catalyst, d) a dispersant which is a polymer or copolymer obtainable by a process comprising the steps of a1) polymerizing in a first step one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers in the presence of at least one nitroxylether having the structural element wherein X represents a group having at least one carbon atom and is such that the free radical X derived from X is capable of initiating polymerization; or a2) polymerizing in a first step one or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers in the presence of at least one stable free nitroxyl radical and a free radical initiator; wherein at least one monomer used in the steps a1) or a2) is a C1-C6 alkyl or hydroxy C1-C6 alkyl ester of acrylic or methacrylic acid; and a second step b) comprising the modification of the polymer or copolymer prepared under a1) or a2) by a transesterification reaction, an amidation, hydrolysis or anhydride modification or a combination thereof, and optionally in addition by quaternization.
US08900777B2 Apparatus and method for lithography patterning
An apparatus and method for lithography patterning is disclosed. An exemplary method includes receiving a first mask. The method further includes receiving a defect map, the defect map identifying a defect region of a defect of the first mask. The method further includes preparing processing data, the processing data including pattern data of a semiconductor device and data associated with the defect region. The method further includes processing the first mask according to the processing data thereby forming a first portion of a pattern of the semiconductor device on the first mask, the first portion of the pattern excluding the defect region.
US08900771B2 Non-noble metal inexpensive conductive coatings for fuel cell bipolar plates
One embodiment of the invention includes a process including providing an electrically conductive fuel cell component having a first face, and depositing a graphitic/conductive carbon film on the first face of the electrically conductive fuel cell component comprising sputtering a graphite target using a closed field unbalanced magnetron field.
US08900769B2 Counter-freeze control method for fuel cell system
A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell having an anode and a cathode; an oxidant gas flowpath supplying the oxidant gas to the fuel cell and discharging the oxidant gas from the fuel cell; a first shut-off valve disposed upstream from the fuel cell and having a first valve body; a second shut-off valve disposed downstream from the fuel cell and having a second valve body; a cathode control unit for sealing the cathode; and a scavenging unit for scavenging the anode by supplying the oxidant gas to the anode, wherein the cathode control unit, before scavenging the anode by using the scavenging unit, unseals the cathode by opening the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve. The fuel cell system is capable of preventing the valve bodies pressed against seat sections from being frozen even below the freezing temperature, and capable of avoiding a situation unable to restart a turned-off state of the fuel cell system.
US08900755B2 Lithium super-battery with a chemically functionalized disordered carbon cathode
An electrochemical energy storage device, lithium super-battery, comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a porous separator disposed between the two electrodes, and a lithium-containing electrolyte in physical contact with the two electrodes, wherein the positive electrode comprises a disordered carbon material having a functional group that reversibly reacts with a lithium atom or ion. The disordered carbon material is selected from a soft carbon, hard carbon, polymeric carbon or carbonized resin, meso-phase carbon, coke, carbonized pitch, carbon black, activated carbon, or partially graphitized carbon. In a preferred embodiment, a lithium super-battery having a functionalized disordered carbon cathode and a Li4Ti5O12 anode exhibits a gravimetric energy ˜5-10 times higher than those of conventional supercapacitors and a power density ˜10-30 times higher than those of conventional lithium-ion batteries. This device has the best properties of both the lithium ion battery and the supercapacitor.
US08900750B2 Porous clusters of silver powder promoted by zirconium oxide for use as a catalyst in gas diffusion electrodes, and method for the production thereof
A catalyst including: a plurality of porous clusters of silver particles, each cluster of the clusters including: (a) a plurality of primary particles of silver, and (b) crystalline particles of zirconium oxide (ZrO2), wherein at least a portion of the crystalline particles of ZrO2 is located in pores formed by a surface of the plurality of primary particles of silver.
US08900748B2 Negative active material and lithium battery including the negative active material
A negative active material and a lithium battery including the negative active material. The negative active material includes a carbonaceous substrate with a plurality of recessed portions at its surface; and a silicon-based nanowire placed in each of the recessed portions. The negative active material provides the silicon-based nanowires with separate places to control volumetric expansion of the silicon-based nanowires, and thus, a lithium battery including the negative active material has improved efficiency and lifetime.
US08900745B2 Polyamide packing seal for alkaline batteries
Packing seals made from a polyamide composition including at least polyamide 66 and polyamide 610 for alkaline batteries, optionally fillers and/or additives are described. The packing seals can be used in particular for standard “AAA” (LR03) and “AA” (LR6) batteries.
US08900740B2 Multilayer porous film
A multilayer porous film, comprising a porous layer including inorganic particles and a resin binder on at least one surface of a porous film containing a polyolefin resin as a main component, wherein the inorganic particles contain an aluminum silicate compound as a main component.
US08900739B2 Electrode layered product for cell and method for making the same
An electrode layered product for a cell includes a first electrode plate having a shape of a strip, a first separator having a shape of a strip, a second separator having a shape of a strip, a second electrode plate having a pectinate, tooth shape, and a third electrode plate having a pectinate, tooth shape. The first separator is stacked on one surface of the first plate. The second separator is stacked on the other surface of the first plate. The second plate is stacked on an opposite side of the first separator from the first plate. The second plate includes tooth sections and a joining section. The third plate is stacked on an opposite side of the second separator from the first plate. The third plate includes tooth sections and a joining section. The first and second separators and the first, second and third plates are bent in a zigzag manner.
US08900735B2 Device for adjusting deviation of height and horizontality
Disclosed herein is a device for simultaneously adjusting vertical height and horizontal deflection including a lower plate fixed to a floor, an upper plate, vertical height and horizontal deflection of which are adjusted, one or more variable posts connected to an upper end of the lower plate and a lower end of the upper plate, and a height adjustment unit, a lower end of which is fixedly disposed above the lower plate and an upper end of which is disposed at the lower end of the upper plate in a line contact fashion, the height adjustment unit adjusting vertical height and horizontal deflection of the upper plate at the line contact portion.
US08900728B2 Carbazole derivative, and light emitting element and light emitting device using the carbazole derivative
It is an object of the present invention to provide a material which is excellent in a hole injecting property and a hole transporting property, and to provide a light emitting element and a light emitting device using a material which is excellent in a hole injecting property and a hole transporting property. The present invention provides a carbazole derivative represented by a general formula (1). The carbazole derivative according to the present invention is excellent in the hole injecting property. By using the carbazole derivative according to the present invention as a hole injecting material for a hole injecting layer of a light emitting element, a driving voltage can be reduced. In addition, a lower driving voltage, improvement of the luminous efficiency, a longer life time, and higher reliability can be realized by applying the material to a light emitting element or a light emitting device.
US08900720B2 Multi-functional wood preservatives based on a borate/fatty acid combination
Wood preservatives, methods for protecting wood and wood-based products and/or structures utilizing the preservatives, and treated wood and wood-based articles and/or structures incorporating the preservatives are described. Methods are also provided for remediating structures already infected with mold. The subject wood preservative formulation includes a borate compound and a fatty acid. The addition of an emulsifier to the formulation further facilitates application of the treatment. The combination of a borate compound and fatty acid combination typically provide a synergistic effect compared to the additive result provided by the combination's individual components.
US08900714B2 Medical appliance having polyimide film and method for manufacture thereof
Provided is a medical appliance excellent in slidability and durability. A medical appliance comprising a base material, a polyimide film (A) and a polymer film (B) having a higher nitrogen content and/or a higher oxygen content than respective contents of the polyimide film (A). The appliance has the polymer film (B) on a part or the whole of the surface of the base material, and has the polyimide film (A) on the polymer film (B).
US08900705B2 Mesoporous titanium dioxide nanoparticles exhibiting bimodal pore size distributions and process for their production
TiO2 nanoparticles having improved consistent particle morphology, uniform particle size, and which contain uniform intra-particle pores in the mesopore size range are produced by wet chemical hydrolysis.
US08900703B1 Nanotechnology for protection of proprietary hardware and software
An electronic device is described. The electronic device includes a circuit chip. The electronic device also includes a coating covering at least a portion of the circuit chip. The coating further includes a nanomaterial, to protect the circuit chip from at least one of identifying the chip structure, reading memory locations, or modifying memory locations.
US08900700B2 Transfer film and synthetic resin product decorated with the transfer film
The technical problem to be solved by this invention is to give the transfer film a laminar structure that gives no damage to the decorative layer and is resistant to impact, a long period of use, and extensive deformation caused by repeated squeezes. The objects of this invention are to provide the transfer film in which the decorativeness is never damaged by the cracking, abrasion, or peeling during the period of use and also to provide synthetic resin molded products decorated with this transfer film. The solution to the above-described technical problem is a transfer film comprising a base film of a synthetic resin, a protective film of another synthetic resin peelably laminated to the base film, an adhering layer to be adhered to an article to be decorated, and a printed or vapor-deposited decorative layer sandwiched between the protective film and the adhering layer.
US08900697B2 Surface modified silica by alkyl sulfonated tetrazole compound, preparing method thereof, and resin composition containing the same
This invention relates to a surface modified silica by an alkyl sulfonated tetrazole compound, a preparation method thereof, and a resin composition containing the same. The silica according to this invention can exhibit superior adhesion to a metal.
US08900688B2 Grain oriented electrical steel sheet and method of producing grain oriented electrical steel sheet
To provide a grain oriented electrical steel sheet that can securely suppress propagation of lateral strain, and can make a product even from a portion where the lateral strain occurs. A grain oriented electrical steel sheet of the present invention has a linearly altered portion 14 generated in a glass coating film 12 at one of side edges of a steel sheet 11, in a continuous line or in a discontinuous broken line in a direction parallel with a rolling direction of the steel sheet, and having a composition different from a composition in other portions of the glass coating film. An average value of a deviation angle of a direction of an axis of easy magnetization of crystal grains relative to the rolling direction is 0° or more and 20° or less in a base metal iron portion of the steel sheet 11 at a position along a width direction of the steel sheet, the position corresponding to the linearly altered portion 14.
US08900674B2 Method of coating a substrate
There is provided a method of coating a substrate with a zinc oxide film. The method includes (a) providing a substrate with at least one substantially flat surface, (b) subjecting the surface at least partially to a plasma-etching process, and (c) depositing on the etched surface, a layer that includes zinc oxide. The method is particularly suitable for manufacturing solar cells.
US08900673B2 Long-lasting water-repellent textile treatment process using UV-curable polydimethylsiloxane-containing polyurethane system
A long-lasting water-repellent textile treatment process using a curable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-containing polyurethane (PU) system includes the steps of mixing a di-isocyanate with a PDMS-containing material, and reacting the di-isocyanate with the PDMS-containing material to form an NCO-terminated PDMS-containing PU system. The treatment process obtains a long-lasting water-repellent textile, which overcomes the shortcomings in hand feel, washing durability, and breathability of the conventional water-repellent textile, while having the advantages of low cost and of being an environmentally friendly process, while also providing useful and practical industrial applications.
US08900671B2 Method for manufacture of an infused spar cap using a low viscosity matrix material
Embodiments of the present application generally provide for wind turbine blade spar caps comprising composite materials prepared using a low viscosity resin system and a high density fabric and methods for their manufacture. In particular embodiment, the low viscosity resin system has a viscosity in the range of about 1 to about 100 centipoises at a temperature in the range of about 0° C. to about 125° C. during the preparation of the composite material. By using low viscosity resin systems, composite materials have been prepared having a fiber volume fraction of greater than about 65% and a composite modulus of greater than 48000 MPa.
US08900669B2 Clear matte coating
A clear polymeric matte coating including from 10% to 65% by weight, based on the weight of the coating, of a first polymer having a calculated Tg of from −60° C. to 100° C.; from 10% to 80% by weight, based on the weight of the coating, of a second particulate polymer having an average particle diameter of from 0.5 microns to 30 microns; and from 0.1% to 15% by weight, based on the weight of the coating, of an aminosilane is provided. Also provided is an aqueous polymeric coating composition form which the clear matte coating may be formed and a method for improving the matting efficiency of an emulsion polymer having a calculated Tg of from −60° C. to 150° C. and an average particle diameter of from 0.5 microns to 30 microns in a coating.
US08900666B2 Stable nanoparticles for electroless plating
Stable tin-free palladium catalysts are used to metalize through-holes of printed circuit boards. A stabilizer is included in the catalyst formulation which prevents precipitation and agglomeration of the palladium.
US08900660B2 Silver coating pigment, and method for producing same
Disclosed is a method for producing a silver (Ag) coating pigment. The method for producing a silver coating pigment according to the present invention comprises: a step of forming a tin compound pretreatment layer on the matrix surface; and a step of forming a silver coating layer on the lower portion of the tin compound pretreatment layer through a reflux and electroless plating process using a diluted solution of silver nitrate, ammonia water, a citric acid solution, and a diluted solution of potassium hydroxide.
US08900659B2 Metal nanowires, nanomesh, and a method of fabrication
The present invention relates to a method of forming copper nanowires with a metallic coating. In a preferred embodiment, the metallic coating is copper. Due to the metal coating, the nanowires become magnetically guidable and chemically stable. As such, the nanowires can be used to form nanomesh. Further, the nanowire and nanomesh of the present invention can be used as transparent electrodes that are used in TV, PC, touch-control, and solar industries.
US08900650B1 Low-sodium salt compositions
A low-sodium salt composition includes a carrier particle having disposed thereon a plurality of salt crystallites of an average size of less than about 20 microns. The low-sodium salt compositions are useful as salt-alternative products that impart a salty taste with less sodium content than an equivalent volume of sodium chloride by itself.
US08900645B2 Equol-containing extract, method for production thereof, method for extraction of equol, and equol-containing food
The present invention relates to an extract obtained by extracting useful components containing equol from an equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl, and to a method for producing the same.The present invention makes it possible to efficiently obtain useful components containing equol from the fermented soybean hypocotyl by subjecting an equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl to extraction using an ethanol aqueous solution as an extractant. The present invention reduces the content of saponin, which causes an unpleasant taste, by sequentially subjecting the equol-containing fermented soybean hypocotyl to extraction using an ethanol aqueous solution and ethanol, while efficiently extracting equol and glycitein.
US08900642B2 Calcium carbonate granulation
Highly compactable granulations and methods for preparing highly compactable granulations are disclosed. More particularly, highly compactable calcium carbonate granulations are disclosed. The granulations comprise powdered materials such as calcium carbonate that have small median particle sizes. The disclosed granulations are useful in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical tableting and provide smaller tablet sizes upon compression than previously available.
US08900634B2 Diethylstilbestrol dosage form and methods of treatment using thereof
Oral dosage forms as a biodegradable, water soluble film for delivering pharmaceutically active agents, particularly diethylstilbestrol and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof to patients through insertion into the mouth of patient and methods for administering pharmaceutically active agents to patients by insertion into the mouth to provide selective uptake of said agents through the mucosa and thus avoiding the gastrointestinal tract.
US08900631B2 Dosage form to increase prasterone bioavailability
A way to formulate prasterone to both increase its oral bioavailability, and decrease the variability of its oral bioavailability. In contrast to the approach taught by the prior art, the instant approach is amenable to scale-up to commercial scale. Further, the resulting product is amenable to analysis using standard, known quantitative analytical techniques; thus, unlike the prior art approach, the instant approach may be used to manufacture a product in conformity with applicable regulatory standards.
US08900621B2 Polyamine derivatives
Disclosed are compounds, compositions and methods for systemic and local delivery of biologically active molecules.
US08900609B2 Sweat-absorbing cosmetic product and method for the production thereof
The invention relates to a—in particular—hydrous, sweat-absorbing cosmetic product, e.g. a deodorant, containing a sweat-absorbing complex. The invention also relates to a method for the production of said complex and said cosmetic product.The cosmetic product of the invention includes i) a base formulation, and ii) a sweat-absorbing complex comprising (a) at least one water-absorbing component, (b) at least one surface-active agent, c) at least one electrolyte, and (d) at least one solvent and/or at least one vehicle. The sweat-absorbing complex in the base formulation is present in the form of emulsified particles. The particles consist of a three-dimensional, water-swellable network of said at least one water-absorbing component and are at least partially covered with said at least one surface-active agent. Said at least one electrolyte is incorporated at least partially in the interstices of the three-dimensional network of said at least one water-absorbing component.
US08900605B2 Solid ivabradine-containing composition
The present invention relates to a solid composition containing ivabradine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. Further, the invention relates to a method for the preparation of such a composition as well as a pharmaceutical product comprising such a composition.
US08900604B2 Fatty acid conjugates of quetiapine, process for making and using the same
The presently described technology provides a novel class of prodrugs of quetiapine that can be synthesized by chemically conjugating fatty acids to quetiapine. Pharmaceutical compositions and methods of synthesizing conjugates of the present technology are also provided. Methods of treating patients with the compositions of the present technology are also provided.
US08900603B2 Local delivery of drugs from self assembled coatings
The invention relates to oligofluorinated coatings and their use in drag delivery The oligofluorinated coatings are compositions comprising formula (XVII). These coatings are used in a method of delivering a biologically active agent to a tissue surface in a mammalian tissue This method occurs by contacting the surface with the coating including an oligofluorinated oligomer and a biologically active agent wherein the coating resides on the tissue surface and release the biologically active agent to the tissue surface.
US08900599B2 Conjugates of Plasmodium falciparum surface proteins as malaria vaccines
Conjugates of ookinete surface protein Pfs25 are provided that are efficacious as vaccines against Plasmodium falciparum, the most severe form of malaria. Conjugates of ookinete surface protein Pvs25 for use as a vaccine against Plasmodium vivax are also provided. Methods for preparing the conjugates, which comprise the ookinete surface protein bound onto itself or onto another protein by a linking group, are also provided.
US08900598B2 Multicomponent or monocomponent vaccine to be used against Chagas disease, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, procedure for the obtention of immunogen of said vaccines, and nucleic acid used in said procedure
A vaccine against the Chagas disease, capable of stimulating the immune response against the trans-sialidase virulence factor of the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, which is a multicomponent vaccine comprising: (a) an immunogenic portion formed by one or more recombinant or synthetic polypeptides or fractions of thereof and (b) one or more polynucleotides including the regions codifying one or more immunogenic polypeptides, or a monocomponent vaccine comprising at least one component selected among an immunogenic portion formed by one or more recombinant or synthetic polypeptides or fractions of them and a group of polynucleotides including the regions codifying one or more immunogenic polypeptides derived from Trypanosoma cruzi and pharmaceutical compositions containing said multicomponent and monocomponent vaccines, the procedures for obtaining the immunogen portion of said vaccines and the nucleic acid used in the procedure.
US08900594B2 Oral recombinant Helicobacter pylori vaccine and preparing method thereof
The invention relates to a recombinant protein used for immunoprophylaxis of human Helicobacter pylori infection and a degradable slow-releasing microsphere-encapsulated oral vaccine preparation prepared from the same, and the preparation method thereof. Said recombinant protein is composed of A2 subunit and B subunit of the LT of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and urease B subunit. The vaccine provided in the invention used in human Helicobacter pylori infection is safe and effective and convenient for oral intake.
US08900593B2 Glucagon/GLP-1 receptor co-agonists
Modified glucagon peptides are disclosed having enhanced potency at the glucagon receptor relative to native glucagon. Further modification of the glucagon peptides by forming lactam bridges or the substitution of the terminal carboxylic acid with an amide group produces peptides exhibiting glucagon/GLP-1 receptor co-agonist activity. The solubility and stability of these high potency glucagon analogs can be further improved by modification of the polypeptides by pegylation, substitution of carboxy terminal amino acids, or the addition of a carboxy terminal peptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 26 (GPSSGAPPPS), SEQ ID NO: 27 (KRNRNNIA) and SEQ ID NO: 28 (KRNR).
US08900582B2 Deimmunized anti c-Met humanized antibodies and uses thereof
A deimmunized anti c-Met humanized antibody and a pharmaceutical composition including the same, and method for the prevention and treatment of cancer.
US08900579B2 Siglec-15 antibodies in treating bone loss-related disease
Novel antibodies and antigen binding fragments that specifically binds to Siglec-15 are described herein In some embodiments, the antibodies or antigen binding fragments may block the biological activity of Siglec-15 and are useful in composition for the treatment of bone loss, more particularly in bone diseases that have increased cell surface expression of Siglec-15, such as conditions where there is an increase in the bone degradative activity of osteoclasts The invention also relates to cells expressing the antibodies or antigen binding fragments such as monoclonal, humanized or chimeric antibodies Additionally, methods of detecting and treating bone loss, bone-related diseases or cancer using the antibodies and fragments are also disclosed.
US08900576B2 Pharmaceutical compositions containing hyaluronic acid and collagenase for the topical treatment of wounds, burns and ulcers
The present invention concerns new compositions containing hyaluronic acid or the derivatives thereof in association with the proteolytic enzyme collagenase (and relative pharmaceutical formulations) for the preparation of a dressing for topical treatment of various kinds of wounds, burns of varying depth, pressure sores, vascular ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers as well as for the treatment of hypertrophic and keloid scars.
US08900557B2 Dental cleaning composition
Provided are dental cleaning compositions, methods of using and methods of using such compositions which minimize gum damage in the oral cavity. In one form, the dental cleaning composition includes a substantially stoichiometric ratio of one or more oxidizing agents to one or more reducing agents in one or more one or more orally acceptable carriers; where the substantially stoichiometric ratio of one or more oxidizing agents to one or more reducing agents is sufficient to neutralize the oxidizing agent in a subject oral cavity; and where the one or more oxidizing agents and one or more reducing agents are either co-dispensed or sequentially dispensed in the subject oral cavity.
US08900555B2 Insulin derivative formulations for pulmonary delivery
Aerosolizable formulations comprising: an insulin derivative having an isoelectric point (pI) ranging from about 6 to about 8; and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient including a precipitating agent.
US08900546B2 Process to prepare a diluted hydrogen gas mixture
Process to prepare a diluted hydrogen gas mixture starting from a gas mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide by (i) converting part of the carbon monoxide in said gas mixture to hydrogen and carbon dioxide by means of a catalysed water gas shift reaction to obtain a shifted gas and (ii) separating hydrogen from said shifted gas by means of a membrane to obtain the hydrogen comprising gas at the permeate side of the membrane and a carbon dioxide comprising gas at the retentate side of the membrane, wherein at the permeate side of the membrane a sweep gas is provided; (iii) cooling the carbon dioxide comprising gas to obtain liquid carbon dioxide and a gas mixture of non-condensable gasses and (iv) separating the liquid carbon dioxide from the non-condensable gasses; wherein the non-condensable gasses are fed into the hydrogen comprising gas.
US08900545B2 Process for the production of high purity magnesium hydroxide
This invention refers to a novel process for obtaining high purity magnesium hydroxide from a solid starting material containing magnesium in the form of, and/or combined with, carbonates, oxides and/or hydroxides, either natural or synthetic. The process comprises leaching the starting material to dissolve the magnesium; the solution is treated with alkali to precipitate the high purity magnesium hydroxide, and the remaining mother liquor is fed to a regeneration step of both the alkali used in the precipitation of high purity magnesium hydroxide, and the acid for leaching. The process of the invention is characterized by recycling reactants (acid and alkali) regenerated in the same process.
US08900535B2 Production of zinc sulphate concentrates from a dilute zinc sulphate solution
In an embodiment, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a process for producing a concentrated form of basic zinc sulphate from a, typically dilute, acidic zinc sulphate-bearing solution. The process embodiment comprises the steps of precipitating the zinc, preferably primarily as basic zinc sulphate, from the acidic zinc sulphate solution, preferably using calcium oxide, in such a way as to promote the formation of separate gypsum crystals and basic zinc sulphate particles, and upgrading the zinc content in the precipitates by separating the basic zinc sulphate from the gypsum using size separation techniques.
US08900522B2 Ethylene cracking furnace with multi-pass radiant coil
The invention relates to an ethylene cracking furnace having a multi-pass radiant coil, comprising at least one radiant section. In the radiant section there are provided with bottom burners and/or sidewall burners, and at least one set of multi-pass radiant coil longitudinally arranged in the radiant section. The multi-pass radiant coil is a four- to ten-pass type radiant coil. At least one tube of the multi-pass radiant coil is arranged to be spatially adjacent to a tube which is not consecutive to said at least one tube. With this arrangement, the thermal radiation influence between tubes with high temperature can be reduced, so that the tubes with low temperature can absorb the radiation heat from the tubes with high temperature. Therefore, the surface temperature of the tubes with high temperature can be reduced, thus extending the lifetime of the radiant coil and the operational cycle of the cracking furnace.
US08900521B2 Microwave plasma sterilisation system and applicators therefor
A sterilization system having a controllable non-ironismg microwave radiation source for providing microwave energy for combining with a gas to produce atmospheric low temperature plasma for sterilizing biological tissue surfaces or the like. A plasma generating region may be contained in a hand held plasma applicator. The system may include an impedance adjustor e.g. integrated in the plasma applicator arranged to set a plasma strike condition and plasma sustain condition. The gas and microwave energy may be transported to a plasma generating region along an integrated cable assembly. The integrated cable assembly may provide a two way gas flow arrangement to permit residual gas to be removed from the surface. Invasive surface plasma treatment is therefore possible. The plasma applicator may have multiple plasma emitters to produce a line or blanket of plasma.
US08900520B2 Apparatus for treating exhaust particulate matter
An apparatus treats harmful particulate matter generated through combustion. The apparatus includes a concentrator concentrating the harmful particulate matter and a plasma generator burning the concentrated harmful particulate matter. Thereby, the harmful particulate matter can be efficiently removed.
US08900510B2 Heat-resistant, ferritic cast steel having excellent room-temperature toughness, and exhaust member made thereof
A heat-resistant, ferritic cast steel having excellent room-temperature toughness, which has a composition comprising by mass 0.32-0.48% of C, 0.85% or less of Si, 2% or less of Mn, 1.5% or less of Ni, 16-19.8% of Cr, 3.2-5% of Nb, Nb/C being 9-11.5, 0.15% or less of N, 0.002-0.2% of S, and 0.8% or less in total of W and/or Mo, the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, and a structure in which a eutectic (δ+NbC) phase formed from a δ phase and Nb carbide (NbC) has an area ratio of 60-90%, and an exhaust member made thereof.
US08900505B2 Method of making an inverted-hook groove for a plant-fiber molded cup lid
A method of making an inverted-hook groove for a plant fiber-molded cup lid is to form an inverted-hook groove on a side surface of a plant-fiber molded cup lid, which has already been thermally compressed and shaped, processed and shaped once more to form an inverted-hook groove at the side surface of the molded cup lid so that the molded cup lid with the inverted-hook groove can be tightly and closely combined with the upper edge of a primary cup body. The method of making an inverted-hook groove for a plant-fiber molded cup lid of this invention is classified into three kinds; a method of compression shaping directly, a method of roller compression shaping and a method of air bag compression shaping.
US08900503B2 Method of forming an overmolded dual in-line memory module cooling structure
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for forming an overmolded dual in-line memory module (DIMM) cooling structure are provided. Embodiments include identifying, by a tagging module, contextual information indicating circumstances in which the photograph was taken; based on the contextual information, selecting, by the tagging module, candidate profiles from a plurality of friend profiles associated with a profile of a user; and suggesting, by the tagging module to the user, the selected candidate profiles as potential friends to tag in the photograph.
US08900502B2 Method for manufacturing shaped product with maintained isotropy
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a shaped product constituted by a fiber-reinforced composite material including reinforcing fibers and a thermoplastic resin, the shaped product with maintained isotropy of the fibers to the end thereof even if press-molded under conditions in which charge ratio of a prepreg to a die is low. Specifically, the method includes using a specific prepreg obtained by impregnating the reinforcing fibers with thermoplastic resin, and molding-processing the prepreg under specific conditions.
US08900499B2 Method of and device for producing endless strips
The invention relates to a method and to a device for producing endless strands, particularly plastic strands having structure in the longitudinal axis. According to the invention, form elements (14, 15) bounding a form cavity (4) are brought together and aligned with each other in rows for making a form cavity (4), the form cavity (4) is moved in the longitudinal axis of the rows and casting material is brought into the form cavity (4) at a gate location running against the direction of motion through a side opening (5) of the form cavity (4), and the form cavity is opened continuously at a distance from the gate location while moving the form elements apart, in order to demold an endless strand solidified in the form cavity (4).
US08900498B2 Process for manufacturing a resulting multi-layer pharmaceutical film
The invention relates to the film products and methods of their preparation that demonstrate a non-self-aggregating uniform heterogeneity. Desirably, the films disintegrate in water and may be formed by a controlled drying process, or other process that maintains the required uniformity of the film. The films contain a polymer component, which includes polyethylene oxide optionally blended with hydrophilic cellulosic polymers. Desirably, the films also contain a pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic active agent with no more than a 10% variance of the active agent pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic active agent per unit area of the film.
US08900496B2 Edge seals for composite structure fuel tanks
The cut laminate edges of aircraft fuel tanks formed of carbon fiber reinforced polymers are sealed to prevent the exposure of carbon fibers to combustible fuel. The edge seal is produced from a prepreg form using a thermosetting resin matched to the characteristics of the resin used in the laminate. The prepreg form can be applied to the cut laminate edges either before or after the laminate is cured. The edge seal acts as a dielectric layer that both electrically insulates the cut laminate edges from the fuel and mechanically contains energetic particles produced at the edges due to lightning strikes or other sources of electrical charges.
US08900493B2 Waste treatment method and corresponding device
The present invention relates to a recycling process for recycling fiber-reinforced and/or fiber based semi-finished products and/or components for later use in the production of fiber-reinforced and/or fiber based semi-finished products and/or components, wherein the semi-finished products and/or components are comprised of fibers and a matrix material, and the fibers are arranged in the matrix material in the form of a fabric, unidirectional layers and/or plies and/or individual reinforcing fibers and/or reinforcing fiber bundles, and further, a device for carrying out the recycling process.
US08900488B2 Conductive paste composition and semiconductor devices made therewith
A conductive paste composition contains a source of an electrically conductive metal, an alkaline-earth-metal boron tellurium oxide, and an organic vehicle. An article such as a high-efficiency photovoltaic cell is formed by a process of deposition of the paste composition on a semiconductor device substrate (e.g., by screen printing) and firing the paste to remove the organic vehicle and sinter the metal and establish electrical contact between it and the device.
US08900487B2 Conductive paste composition and semiconductor devices made therefrom
A conductive paste composition contains a source of an electrically conductive metal, a lead-tellurium-based oxide, a discrete oxide of an adhesion promoting element, and an organic vehicle. An article such as a high-efficiency photovoltaic cell is formed by a process of deposition of the paste composition on a semiconductor substrate (e.g., by screen printing) and firing the paste to remove the organic vehicle and sinter the metal and lead-tellurium-based oxide.
US08900482B2 Light emitting device
A light emitting device is disclosed. The light emitting device may include a light emitting diode (LED) for emitting light and phosphor adjacent to the LED. The phosphor may be excitable by light emitted by the LED and may include a first compound having a host lattice comprising first ions and oxygen. In one embodiment, the host lattice may include silicon, the copper ions may be divalent copper ions and first compound may have an Olivin crystal structure, a β-K2SO4 crystal structure, a trigonal Glaserite (K3Na(SO4)2) or monoclinic Merwinite crystal structure, a tetragonal Ackermanite crystal structure, a tetragonal crystal structure or an orthorhombic crystal structure. In another embodiment, the copper ions do not act as luminescent ions upon excitation with the light emitted by the LED.
US08900476B2 Colloidal dispersion of aluminum oxide
The invention relates to a heat-transporting fluid and to the use thereof. The heat-transporting fluid of the invention is formed of an aqueous colloidal sol including water and up to 58.8 wt %, relative to the total fluid weight, in a-Al2O3 particles, the thickness of which is the smallest dimension and less than or equal to 30 nm 90% to 95% of said a-Al2O3 particles have a size less than or equal to 210 nm, among which 50% have a size less than or equal to 160 nm. The invention is of use in the field of cooling, in particular nuclear reactor backup cooling.
US08900474B2 Recyclable superparamagnetic nanoparticles and method for producing the same
A superparamagnetic nanoparticle is comprised of superparamagnetic nanocrystals less than 20 nm in size, and molecules having containing 3 to 5 carboxyl groups, wherein the molecules bond to surfaces of the superparamagnetic nanocrystals. A method for producing superparamagnetic nanoparticles includes preparing an alkaline solution with pH 10 to 14, producing a mixture in which molecules containing 3 to 5 carboxyl groups, a divalent transition metal and ferric precursors are dissolved, and adding the mixture into the alkaline solution.
US08900471B2 In situ plasma clean for removal of residue from pedestal surface without breaking vacuum
Methods and apparatus for in-situ plasma cleaning of a deposition chamber are provided. In one embodiment a method for plasma cleaning a deposition chamber without breaking vacuum is provided. The method comprises positioning a substrate on a susceptor disposed in the chamber and circumscribed by an electrically floating deposition ring, depositing a metal film on the substrate and the deposition ring in the chamber, grounding the metal film deposited on the deposition ring without breaking vacuum, and removing contaminants from the chamber with a plasma formed in the chamber without resputtering the metal film on the grounded deposition ring and without breaking vacuum.
US08900463B2 Self-disposal of solids in an immiscible liquid separator
A separator for separating oils from waste water and solids. Waste liquids are drained into a baffle tube of the separator so that the oils rise and the waste water and solids migrate to the bottom of the separator. A collection head having a restriction is located at the bottom of the separator and is adapted for suctioning the waste water and the solids therein and carrying the same to a discharge outlet of the separator. Waste liquids drained into the separator provide the hydraulic force to accelerate the waste water and solids into the collection head. Liquids drained into the separator also provide the hydraulic force that allows the oils to be drained from the top of the separator.
US08900462B2 Method for removing leukocyte and filter for use therein
A leukocyte-removing filter, characterized in that it comprises a filter material having a vertical permeation coefficient (kx) of 0.5×10−12 to 2.0×10−12 m2 and a ratio (ky/kx) of a horizontal permeation coefficient (ky) to kx of 0.5 to 1.5; and a method for removing leukocytes using said filter. The above leukocyte-removing filter has a higher leukocyte-removing performance per unit volume and also does not bring clogging nor increase of pressure drop.
US08900458B2 Method of isolating target substance using membrane and apparatus therefor
A separation apparatus using a membrane for diafiltration, which provides precise fractionation of a target substance by monitoring and regulating permeability of the target substance based on measurement values and analytical values indicating separation status, such as physical values and concentration of a permeate liquid, a circulating liquid and an internal circulating liquid in a membrane device. A diafiltration process including adding a cleaning liquid to an treating liquid which contains multiple target substances and extracting a target substance into the permeate liquid supplied from a membrane separation apparatus to fractionate the target substance from other target substances remaining in a residual liquid. In the present invention, permeability of the target substance is controlled by regulating or controlling at least one operating parameter, such as a flow rate of the permeate liquid, operating pressure and temperature of the membrane separation apparatus, and concentration and amount of a circulating liquid, to a predetermined range based on a separation status index and/or a progress index of a separating operation.
US08900457B2 Fermentation and chemical treatment of pulp and paper mill sludge
A method of chemically treating partially de-ashed pulp and/or paper mill sludge to obtain products of value comprising taking a sample of primary sludge from a Kraft paper mill process, partially de-ashing the primary sludge by physical means, and further treating the primary sludge to obtain the products of value, including further treating the resulting sludge and using the resulting sludge as a substrate to produce cellulase in an efficient manner using the resulting sludge as the only carbon source and mixtures of inorganic salts as the primary nitrogen source, and including further treating the resulting sludge and using the resulting sludge to produce ethanol.
US08900456B2 Method of treating a plant wastewater and treatment system therefor
A method of treating wastewater containing an organic compound includes feeding wastewater to an anoxic tank, adding compounds containing nitrogen and phosphorus components to wastewater, performing anaerobic treatment on wastewater, and discharging treated wastewater as pre-treated water; introducing pre-treated water into an anaerobic treatment tank, performing anaerobic treatment on pre-treated water, thereby decomposing the organic compound into organic compounds of smaller molecular size and a mixture gas containing methane and carbon dioxide, and discharging treated water as primary water; introducing primary water into an aerobic treatment tank, performing aerobic treatment on primary water, and discharging treated water through a solid-liquid separator as secondary water; and introducing at least a part of secondary water into a reverse osmosis membrane separation unit, and separating part of secondary water into RO permeated water and RO concentrated brine, wherein at least a part of RO concentrated brine is recycled to the anoxic tank.
US08900454B2 Device for a biological liquid treatment installation
The invention concerns a device comprising a base (2) and a door (20), said device having a closed door position in which a circuit (8) of the device comprises a bag comprising two flexible films and connectors of the conveying network, and a press (9) comprising a first shell (16) disposed on a front face (5) of said base (2) and a second shell (17) disposed in said door (20); and a hinge system hinging said door (20) relative to said base (2), and disposed only on one side of said door (20) so as to form lateral clearances between said door (20) and said base (2) over the rest of a perimeter of said door (20).
US08900450B2 Combined action filter press
The present invention concerns a filter press (10, 60), comprising a supporting frame, constituted of at least one longitudinal rail or guide (11, 61) supported at its opposite ends by a fixed headpiece (12, 62) on one side and by a foot (13, 63) on the other side, a movable headpiece (15, 65) supported by said at least one guide (11, 61), a plurality of filtering plates (14, 64) arranged side by side between said fixed headpiece (12, 62) and said movable headpiece (15, 65), pneumatic elements or cushions (20, 70) for pressing and a compression plate (21, 71), wherein said movable headpiece (15, 65) comprises threaded cylindrical holes, supported on relative endless screws (19, 69) the ends of which are rotationally mounted on supports integral with the relative guides (11, 61).
US08900442B2 High temperature CCR process with integrated reactor bypasses
A process is presented for increasing the aromatics content in a reformate process stream. The process modifies existing processes to change the operation without changing the reactors or heating units. The process includes bypasses to utilize heating capacity of upstream heating units, and passes the excess capacity of the upstream heating units to downstream process streams.
US08900437B2 Apparatus and method for forming oxidation layer on manifold block for fuel cell stack
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for forming an oxidation layer on a manifold block for a fuel cell stack, which forms an oxidation layer uniformly over the entire surface of a long and complicated internal flow field of a manifold block. In particular, the apparatus for forming an oxidation layer on a manifold block for a fuel cell stack includes: an electrolyte bath which contains an electrolyte required for the formation of the oxidation layer, an electrode for supplying a required electron flow for the formation of the oxidation layer from a power supply to the manifold block immersed in the electrolyte of the electrolyte bath and to the electrolyte, and an air supply for supplying oxygen to the electrolyte. Even more particularly, the electrode connected to the electrolyte is inserted into each internal flow field of the manifold block to provide an effective electron flow therein.
US08900435B2 Separating gas using ion exchange
Carbon dioxide can be separated from gas streams using ion exchange, such as in an electrochemical cell. An anion exchange membrane can be configured to increase the efficiency of the system and to permit the flow of the carbon-containing ions within the system while reducing diffusion of protons and/or hydroxyl ions. A gas stream containing carbon dioxide can be introduced to the system on the cathode side, while a source of hydrogen-containing molecules can be introduced on the anode side. Operation of the system can separate the carbon dioxide from the gas stream and provide it at a separate outlet.
US08900426B2 Double-layer shutter sputtering apparatus
A sputtering apparatus including a target holder configured to hold at least two targets; a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate; a first shutter plate arranged between the target holder and the substrate holder, the first shutter plate having at least two holes and being capable of rotating around an axis; a second shutter plate arranged between the first shutter plate and the substrate holder, the second shutter plate having at least two holes and being capable of rotating around the axis; wherein the first and second shutter plates are rotated such that paths are simultaneously created between the at least two targets and the substrate through the at least two holes of the rotated first shutter plate and the at least two holes of the rotated second shutter plate, and a film is formed on the substrate by co-sputtering of the at least two targets.
US08900425B2 Contact ring for an electrochemical processor
An electro-processing apparatus includes a rotor in a head, and a contact ring assembly on the rotor. The contact ring assembly may have one or more strips of contact fingers on a ring base, with contact fingers clamped into position on the ring base. The strips may have spaced apart projection openings, with the projections on the ring base extending into or through the projection openings. A shield ring may be attached to the ring base, to clamp the contact fingers in place, and/or to provide an electric field shield over at least part of the contact fingers. The contact fingers may be provided as a plurality of adjoining forks, with substantially each fork including at least two contact fingers.
US08900424B2 Electrode and electrochemical machining process for forming non-circular holes
An electrode for an electrochemical machining process is provided. The electrode includes an electrically conductive member defining at least one passage and an insulating coating partially covering a side surface of the electrically conductive member. The insulating coating does not cover at least one of first and second exposed sections of the electrically conductive member, where the first and second exposed sections are separated by approximately 180 degrees and extend substantially along a longitudinal axis of the electrically conductive member. The insulating coating also does not cover an exposed front end of the electrically conductive member. An electrochemical machining method is also provided, for forming a non-circular hole in a workpiece using the electrode.
US08900422B2 Yttrium and titanium high-K dielectric film
This disclosure provides (a) methods of making an oxide layer (e.g., a dielectric layer) based on yttrium and titanium, to have a high dielectric constant and low leakage characteristic and (b) related devices and structures. An oxide layer having both yttrium and titanium may be fabricated either as an amorphous oxide or as an alternating series of monolayers. In several embodiments, the oxide is characterized by a yttrium contribution to total metal that is specifically controlled. The oxide layer can be produced as the result of a reactive process, if desired, via either a PVD process or, alternatively, via an atomic layer deposition process that employs specific precursor materials to allow for a common process temperature window for both titanium and yttrium reactions.
US08900420B2 Catalyst production process
A process for producing gold-based, heterogeneous catalyst systems comprises depositing fine-nanoscale gold onto a nanoparticulate support medium by physical vapor deposition in an oxidizing atmosphere.
US08900415B2 Process and device for fluidized bed torrefaction and grinding of a biomass feed for subsequent gasification or combustion
A process and a unit for fluidized bed torrefaction and grinding of particles of a biomass with a largest dimension of 2 cm to 5 cm, and which unit contains an envelope having a general shape of a sector having a) two substantially vertical walls delimiting that sector; and b) at least one inclined wall defining three zones, from bottom to top: a lower zone provided with a fluidization means, and provided with a grinder placed at the bottom of that zone; an intermediate zone (2) provided with a fluidization means; and an upper zone (3) provided with a fluidization means; and a pipe (11) for introducing the particles reaching into the unit to the level of the intermediate zone.
US08900405B2 Plasma immersion ion implantation reactor with extended cathode process ring
The disclosure concerns a process ring for the wafer support pedestal of a toroidal source plasma immersion ion implantation reactor. The process ring improves edge uniformity by providing a continuous surface extending beyond the wafer edge, in one embodiment. In another embodiment, the process ring includes a floating electrode that functions as an extension of the wafer support electrode by RF coupling at the bias frequency.
US08900400B2 Proximity head having a fluid resistor
A proximity head defined by a body having a length. The body includes a main bore defined therein and extending along the length. A resistor bore is defined in the body and extends along the length. The resistor bore defined below the main bore. A first plurality of bores defined between the main bore and the resistor bore and a second plurality of bores defined between the resistor bore and an exterior surface of the body. The exterior surface of the body defining a proximity surface of the proximity head.
US08900398B2 Local plasma confinement and pressure control arrangement and methods thereof
An arrangement for performing pressure control within a processing chamber substrate processing is provided. The arrangement includes a peripheral ring configured at least for surrounding a confined chamber volume that is configured for sustaining a plasma for etching the substrate during substrate processing. The peripheral ring includes a plurality of slots that is configured at least for exhausting processed byproduct gas from the confined chamber volume during substrate processing. The arrangement also includes a conductive control ring that is positioned next to the peripheral ring and is configured to include plurality of slots. The pressure control is achieved by moving the conductive control ring relative to the peripheral ring such that a first slot on the peripheral ring and a second slot on the conductive control ring are offset with respect to one another in a range of zero offset to full offset.
US08900397B2 Apparatus for manufacturing joined laminated media and method of manufacturing joined laminated media
The present invention is to provide an apparatus to manufacture joined laminated media and a method therefor. The joined laminated media that are manufactured from the membrane materials and that are joined by being pressed have no displacement, deformation of the membrane materials, or any defect in joining the boundary faces of the laminated materials, and are efficiently manufactured in a good yield. The apparatus can manufacture a joined laminated-media where the laminated media are placed in the housing space (S) that is formed by a pair of endless belts (15a, 15b) and the sealing member (24). The laminated media are then transported in a state where the laminated media are fixed by the pair of endless belts (15a, 15b) that are closely attached to the laminated media because the air is discharged from the housing space (S) through the discharge holes (17) and they are joined by being pressed in the hot-press section (11) and cold-press section (13).
US08900392B2 Bias fiber control during wrapping of a fabric preform for a composite component
A method is disclosed of directing bias tows of a fabric to be wrapped around a form to create a fabric preform. The fabric includes at least a first set of bias tows that are generally parallel with one another and a second set of bias tows that are generally parallel with one another but that are not parallel with the first set of bias tows. An edge strip is attached to ends of the first set of bias tows at a first lateral edge of the fabric relative to a feed direction of the fabric onto the form. The edge strip is moved to direct the first set of bias tows. The fabric is wrapped around the form by rotating the fabric and form relative to one another about the central axis of the form to create the fabric preform.
US08900391B2 Automated resin and fiber deposition for resin infusion
A composite structure is fabricated by laying up at least one ply of fiber reinforcement and at least one layer of resin on a tool. The resin film layer is formed by laying strips of resin film. The fiber reinforcement is infused with resin from the resin layer.
US08900381B2 Spring steel and spring superior in fatigue properties
Disclosed is a spring steel which contains, by mass, 1.2% or less C; 0.1% to 2% Mn; 0.2% to 3% Si; 0.0003% to 0.005% Al; to 8 ppm Li; 30 ppm or less (excluding 0 ppm) Ca; and 10 ppm or less (excluding 0 ppm) Mg. The steel contains oxide inclusions satisfying the following conditions (1) to (3) in a number of 1×10−4 or more per square millimeter: (1) containing a total of 80 percent by mass or more of Al2O3 and SiO2 based on the inclusion composition excluding Li2O; (2) having a ratio by mass of Al2O3 to SiO2 of from 1:4 to 2:3; and (3) containing lithium (Li). The spring steel gives a spring that exhibits superior fatigue properties without strict control of the average composition of inclusions.
US08900373B2 Method of cleaning bottles in a bottle cleaning machine, and an arrangement for performing the method, and a bottle cleaning machine
A method of cleaning containers in a container cleaning machine, in which the containers are moved in receptacles to a cleaning area, where both the containers and the receptacles are at least partially submerged in a dipping bath of liquid cleaning medium. The containers are positioned such that closed portions of the containers are at an equivalent or higher vertical position than mouth portions of the containers. A nozzle arrangement is used to produce a jet of a cleaning medium which impinges the interior of a corresponding container. The jet has a force which is insufficient to move the container from its resting position in its corresponding container receptacle.
US08900372B2 Cryogenic cleaning methods for reclaiming and reprocessing oilfield tools
The disclosure relates to the cleaning of rods made of metal, particularly to the method of reclamation of used standard length rods, such as pump rods already used in the mechanical deep-pumping extraction of oil, as well as to the product made with the help of the mentioned method. The method of remanufacturing of standard length rods includes cleaning the rod with cryogenic liquids to eliminate environmental contamination and to assist in workplace safety.
US08900359B2 Ink, ink cartridge, ink-jet recording method, and method for preparing ink
An ink containing a plurality of organic pigments having hues forming an angle of 10 degrees or more with one another, wherein the bronze value B calculated by Formula 1 is 0.0 or more, and 12.0 or less, the saturation value C calculated by Formula 2 is 65.0 or more, and the 20-degree gloss value GB is 30.0 or more with respect to a predetermined recorded image recorded by the ink.
US08900358B2 Ink composition for water-based ballpoint pen
An object of the present invention is to provide an oil-in-water type emulsion ink composition for a water-based ballpoint pen, having improved storage stability, which does not cause phase separation even when stored at high or low temperature over the long period. Disclosed is an ink composition for a water-based ballpoint pen, comprising an aqueous phase, and an oil phase contained in the aqueous phase in a state of an oil-in-water type emulsion, wherein at least one of the oil phase and the aqueous phase comprises a colorant, and the oil phase comprises, in components composing the oil phase, an estolide which is a fatty acid oligomer in which fatty acids having a hydroxyl group are mutually condensed or a fatty acid having a hydroxyl group is condensed with a fatty acid having no hydroxyl group, or comprises an ester of the estolide and an alcohol.
US08900352B2 System and method for generating and/or screening potential metal-organic frameworks
A system and method for systematically generating potential metal-organic framework (MOFs) structures given an input library of building blocks is provided herein. One or more material properties of the potential MOFs are evaluated using computational simulations. A range of material properties (surface area, pore volume, pore size distribution, powder x-ray diffraction pattern, methane adsorption capability, and the like) can be estimated, and in doing so, illuminate unidentified structure-property relationships that may only have been recognized by taking a global view of MOF structures. In addition to identifying structure-property relationships, this systematic approach to identify the MOFs of interest is used to identify one or more MOFs that may be useful for high pressure methane storage.
US08900351B2 Filter medium and method of manufacturing the same and filter unit
Provided is a filter medium including a porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane and a gas-permeable supporting member that are integrated to ensure sufficient stiffness, having excellent gas permeability, and providing excellent bonding between respective layers included in the filter medium. The gas-permeable supporting member includes: a substrate having gas-permeability; and a fiber layer that is placed on the substrate so as to be in contact with the porous PTFE membrane. The gas-permeable supporting member has a structure in which fibers of the fiber layer enter into the substrate and are entangled with the substrate so that the fiber layer is bonded to the substrate. The fiber layer contains polyolefin-containing fibers that are bonded to the porous membrane.
US08900335B2 CMP polishing slurry and method of polishing substrate
A CMP polishing slurry of the present invention contains cerium oxide particles, water, and a polymer of at least one of a methacrylic acid and the salt thereof, and/or a polymer of at least one of a methacrylic acid and the salt thereof and a monomer having an unsaturated double bond, preferably contains furthermore a dispersant or a polymer of monomers containing at least one of an acrylic acid and the salt thereof. The present invention provides a CMP polishing slurry and a polishing method that, after polishing, give a polished film having a smaller difference in residual film thickness due to a pattern density difference.
US08900329B2 Pretreatment agents for keratin fibers comprising 4-morpholino-methyl-substituted silicone(s)
The invention relates to pretreatment agents for keratin fibers, which include, based on its weight, 0.00001 to 10 wt. % of at least one 4-morpholino-methyl-substituted silicone, which includes in each case at least one of the structural units of the formulae (I), (II) and (III) described herein, wherein * represents a bond to one of the structural units (I), (II) or (III) or an end group B (Si-bound) or D (O-bound); B represents a group —OH, —O—Si(CH3)3, —O—Si(CH3)2OH, —O—Si(CH3)2OCH3; D represents a group —H; —Si(CH3)3, —Si(CH3)2OH, —Si(CH3)2OCH3; A represents an O-bound structural unit (I), (II) or (III) or a O-bound oligomeric or polymeric radical including structural units of the formulae (I), (II) or (III) or half of a connecting O atom to a structural unit (III) or represents —OH; n, m and o represent whole numbers between 1 and 1000 and include at least 50 wt. % of water.
US08900320B2 Methods and apparatus for FAI surgeries
A partial rim implant for an acetabulum in a pelvic bone comprises a ridge, a bearing surface, and a fixation surface. The ridge is oriented to replace a labrum. The bearing surface is configured to align with the articulating surface of the acetabulum. The bearing surface extends from the ridge toward the apex of the acetabulum. The fixation surface is configured to fix the implant to a prepared bone surface of the pelvic bone.
US08900311B2 Intervertebral spinal implant
An intervertebral spinal implant includes a shaped body with a first bearing side, a second bearing side located opposite to the first bearing side, a front part, a rear part, a concave side and a convex side. The concave side and the convex side are both connected to the bearing sides as well as to the front part and the rear part. The first bearing side and the second bearing side are each provided with at least two projections for penetration within a vertebral body's wall. The projections are formed by elongated sliding-guiding runners which extend in a diverging manner from the concave side of the body towards the convex side of the body. The sliding-guiding runners extend in a curved manner so that they also extend from the concave side of the body towards the rear part of the body in addition to extending towards the convex side of the body. The sliding-guiding runners are provided with a smooth surface facing the convex side of the body and with a rough surface facing the concave side of the body.
US08900304B1 Kyphoplasty cement encapsulation balloon
The kyphoplasty cement encapsulation balloon is a flexible, resilient silicone balloon having a catheter or filling tube disposed inside the balloon. The filling tube has a closed end and a plurality of orifices defined in the tube radially. The tube has an open mouth extending through a hole in the balloon, defining an inflation port. The inflation port is internally threaded, and preferably has a radiopaque marker band extending around the port. The inflation port has a one-way duck or duckbill valve that closes the inflation port when the inflation cannula is detached from the port, thereby encapsulating the bone cement in the balloon and preventing leakage of the cement. The inflation cannula and the kyphoplasty cement encapsulation balloon may be furnished as a kit.
US08900292B2 Coating for medical device having increased surface area
Described herein are implantable medical devices for delivering a therapeutic agent to the body tissue of a patient, and methods for making such medical devices. In particular, the implantable medical devices, such as intravascular stents, have a coating which includes at least one coating composition and has an exposed abluminal surface and an exposed luminal surface or exposed side surface.
US08900291B2 Medical instrument and metal product
[Object] To provide a medical instrument capable of more effectively inhibiting a cracking and separation than conventional ones.[Solution Means] A stent comprising a substrate layer 10 of which at least the surface is composed of a metal material, a carbon compound layer 12 that is formed so as to coat the surface of the substrate layer 10 and that contains at least one metal element, a first DLC layer 14 that is formed so as to coat the surface of the carbon compound layer 12 and that is free of fluorine, and a second DLC layer 16 that is formed so as to coat the surface of the first DLC layer 14 and that contains fluorine. The stent being constituted to satisfy the relationship defined by the expression of “A1>A2>A3”, wherein A1 is a surface free energy of the carbon compound layer 12, A2 is a surface free energy of the first DLC layer 14, and A3 is a surface free energy of the second DLC layer 16.
US08900290B2 Implant with attached element and method of making such an implant
A tubular implant having an axial end to which is attached a ring of spoons of a material different from that of the implant. In another aspect, the invention provides a method of attaching elements to an axial end of a tubular implant comprising the steps of providing said elements on one end of a support tube having a radius substantially that of the implant in its unexpanded configuration, abutting the implant and elements end-to-end, fixing the elements to the implant, and parting the elements from the support tube. In a third aspect, the invention provides an implant carrying an element of another material, the element and implant having complementary tapered mating surfaces for achieving a taper form-fit of the element onto the implant.
US08900287B2 Intravascular deliverable stent for reinforcement of abdominal aortic aneurysm
A stent/graft especially designed to be used in a minimally invasive surgical procedure for treating an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) comprises an innermost tubular structure of a length (L1) formed by braiding a relatively few strands of shape memory alloy wire. The pick and pitch of the braid are such as to provide relative large fenestrations in the tubular wall. A portion of the innermost tubular structure of a length L2L2 does not block blood flow to the renal arteries while the portion L2 prevents the aneurysm to grown and burst.
US08900278B2 Method for minimally invasive treatment of unstable pelvic ring injuries with an internal anterior fixator and posterior iliosacral screws
The instant invention is a novel method for definitive pelvic stabilization. The method uses the already established principles of anterior external fixation combined with internal hardware placed in a minimally invasive fashion. Pedicle screws are affixed to the ilia and a rigid, bowed fixation rod is connected between the pedicle screws. Preferably the pedicle screws are attached to the supra-acetabular area of each of the ilium of the pelvis and the fixation rod is bowed anteriorly away from the pelvis.
US08900277B2 Bone plate system
A bone plate system having a retainer for resisting back-out of a bone anchor from a throughbore of a bone plate is provided. In one aspect, a bone plate system having a resilient retainer disposed in a bone plate throughbore with a pair of elongate arm portions of the resilient retainer extending along opposite sides of the throughbore. In another aspect, a bone plate system having a resilient retainer with a pair of elongate interference portions completely exposed in the throughbore and spaced from each other across the throughbore to retain a head of a bone anchor received in the throughbore. In addition, a bone plate system having a resilient retainer with a pair of opposite end portions disposed within a groove of a throughbore wall such that a bone anchor may be inserted into the throughbore without contacting either of the opposite end portions of the retainer.
US08900272B2 Dynamic fixation assemblies with inner core and outer coil-like member
A dynamic fixation medical implant includes a longitudinal connecting member assembly having an elongate coil-like outer member and an inner cylindrical core attached to the outer member at only one end thereof. Some assemblies include a second longitudinal connecting member in the form of a rod that is fixed to the inner core and extends outwardly from the assembly. Certain assemblies include a threaded core or threaded inserts that cooperate with a helical slit of the coil-like outer member. Two or more cooperating bone screw assemblies attach to the connecting member assembly. The bone screw assemblies may include upper and lower compression members for affixing to and cradling the coil-like outer member only, allowing relative movement between the outer member and the inner cylindrical core. Press fit or snap-on features attach one end of the coil-like outer member to one end of the inner cylindrical core.
US08900254B2 Apparatus for ligating living tissues
The present invention has an introducing tube capable of being inserted into a living body cavity, a manipulating wire movably inserted into this introducing tube, at least two or more clips, and a ligating wire causing the clip and the manipulating wire to be engaged with each other wherein, when the clip is ligated, a tensile stress of the manipulating wire is always applied only to the clip located at the most distal end.
US08900253B2 Clip applying apparatus with angled jaw
A clip applying apparatus is provided which includes a jaw mechanism having a stationary jaw and a movable jaw. The movable jaw is supported on or formed integrally with the distal end of a crimping member which is movably supported within a body portion of the apparatus. The stationary jaw defines a longitudinal axis which forms an angle θ of between about 15 degrees and about 15 degrees and about 75 degrees in relation to a longitudinal axis of the body portion. In another embodiment, the stationary jaw includes a clip receiving channel which is configured to at least partially receive a surgical clip. In one embodiment, the distal end of the stationary jaw includes a stop member which is positioned to engage the distal end of the stationary jaw includes a stop member which is positioned to engage the distal end of a leg of a surgical clip to prevent the surgical clip from being pushed from the stationary jaw during operation of the apparatus and the movable jaw includes a distally located crimping surface and a head portion defining a recessed channel configured to receive a portion of a surgical clip supported on the stationary jaw. In yet another embodiment, the crimping surface defines an acute angle β in relation to the longitudinal axis of the body portion, and in one embodiment, angle β is substantially the same as angle θ.
US08900248B2 Insertion assembly for minimally invasive spinal surgery
A telescopic insertion assembly is configured to insert a pedicle screw into a vertebral body. The insertion assembly includes an attachment fixture having one end configured to mate with the pedicle screw and another end having a ridged portion. A center tube is provided having one end slidably attached to the attachment fixture and another end having an internally ridged portion. A telescoping member has one ridged end configured to slidably attach to the center tube and another end having a yoke. The telescoping member is configured to extend the yoke to different distances from the center tube. An alignment member is configured to hingeably attach to the yoke of the telescoping member. The alignment member is configured to rotate from a first position to a second position. The second position of the alignment member is above a top surface of a patient's skin.
US08900241B2 Instrument for preparing and/or machining a femoral head
In some examples, a method for at least one of preparation or machining of a femoral head formed on a neck of a femur includes selecting an instrument including probing forceps and a guide element including a centering axis. The guide element is coupled to the probing forceps at first and second coupling points disposed along the centering axis such that the centering axis is disposed in a central plane of the probing forceps independent of an opening angle of the probing forceps. The probing forceps are closed with probing jaws symmetrically contacting the neck of the femur at opposite sides with respect to an axis of the neck of the femur. The guide element self-adjusts with closing of the probing forceps so that the centering axis is automatically aligned in the middle with respect to the two oppositely disposed sides of the neck of the femur.
US08900232B2 Bifurcated shaft for surgical instrument
A surgical instrument includes a shaft having a proximal end and a bifurcated distal end defining a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion. An end effector assembly is disposed at the distal end of the shaft and includes first and second jaw members. One (or both) of the jaw members is moveable relative to the other between an open position and a closed position for grasping tissue therebetween. Each of the jaw members defines an opposed jaw surface and is independently coupled to one of the first and second shaft portions. The first and second shaft portions are configured to flex relative to one another during movement of the jaw members to the closed position to grasp tissue therebetween such that the opposed jaw surfaces of the jaw members are disposed in substantially parallel orientation relative to one another when grasping tissue therebetween.
US08900231B2 Method and system for invasive skin treatment
A system and method for simultaneously heating a plurality of discrete skin volumes to a coagulation temperature. The system comprises an applicator containing an electrode having a plurality of spaced apart protruding conducting elements configured to contact the skin surface at a plurality of discrete locations. A controller applies a voltage to the electrode so as to simultaneously heat a plurality of skin volumes to a coagulation temperature when the applicator is applied to the skin surface.
US08900230B2 Bipolar surgical morcellator
A device for morcellating tissue within a body cavity of a patient comprises a stationary tube (8) having a distal end portion, and a bipolar electrosurgical electrode assembly (13) located at the distal end of the tube. The electrosurgical electrode assembly (13) comprises first and second electrodes (14, 16) separated by an insulation member (15). When an electrosurgical cutting voltage is applied to the electrode assembly (13), and relative movement is initiated between the tube (8) and the tissue, a slug of resected tissue is formed within the tube such that it can be removed from the body cavity of the patient. The bipolar electrosurgical assembly (13) has a first circumferential region (A) and a second circumferential region (B), the first circumferential region (A) being longer than the second circumferential region (B), the bipolar electrosurgical assembly being adapted to cut tissue preferentially in the first circumferential region (A) as compared with the second circumferential region (B).
US08900219B2 System and method for visualizing tissue during ablation procedures
Systems for visualizing cardiac tissue during an ablation procedure are provided. In general, the systems include an imaging module configured to measure absorbance data at first and second wavelengths wherein the ratio of these absorbance values identifies the nature of the tissue (e.g., lesion, de novo tissue, etc.). The imaging module can also include a video system having at least two chips with corresponding bandpass filters centered at the first and second target wavelengths. The system can also include a processor and/or video monitor for combining the images produced by the various chips, determining treated and non-treated tissue based on the ratio of absorbance values at the target wavelengths, and displaying images of the treatment area. Methods of visualizing cardiac treatment areas during ablation procedures are also provided herein.
US08900216B2 Facilitation of antegrade insertion of a guidewire into the superficial femoral artery
A guidewire for antegrade guidance of vascular interventions of a lower limb artery via a common femoral artery into a superficial femoral artery of a human patient. When in unloaded condition, the guidewire has, at its distal end, a rounded or floppy tip (4). A curved deflection section (5) is located closely proximal of the tip (4) and extends over an angle of curvature such that the rounded tip (4) is spaced from a continuation of an axis of a section proximally neighboring the curved deflection section (5). The curved deflection section (5) has a flexibility causing the curved deflection section (5) to spring back to substantially its original shape after elastic deformation to a straightened condition. A rotation preventer, a kit and a method for facilitating insertion of a guidewire into the superficial femoral artery are also described.
US08900215B2 Semi-compliant medical balloon
A semi-compliant fiber-reinforced medical balloon having a folded wall thickness of from about 0.0010 to about 0.0060 inches and a rated burst pressure of at least 15 atmospheres and exhibiting compliance in the radial direction of from 0.5% expansion per atmosphere to about 1.0% expansion per atmosphere when pressurized from a fully inflated diameter to the rated burst pressure of the balloon includes a base balloon formed from a semi-elastic polymer material having an elongation to break of from about 10% to about 20%, a fiber layer is disposed over the base balloon with fibers having an elongation to break of from about 10% to about 20% and an outer layer formed from a semi-elastic polymer material having an elongation to break of from about 10% to about 20% disposed over the fiber layer.
US08900214B2 Expandable trans-septal sheath
Disclosed is an expandable transluminal sheath, for introduction into the body while in a first, low cross-sectional area configuration, and subsequent expansion of at least a part of the distal end of the sheath to a second, enlarged cross-sectional configuration. The sheath is configured for use in the vascular system and has utility in the performance of procedures in the left atrium. The access route is through the inferior vena cava to the right atrium, where a trans-septal puncture, followed by advancement of the catheter is completed. The distal end of the sheath is maintained in the first, low cross-sectional configuration during advancement to the right atrium and through the atrial septum into the left atrium. The distal end of the sheath is subsequently expanded using a radial dilatation device. In an exemplary application, the sheath is utilized to provide access for a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure such as electrophysiological mapping of the heart, radio-frequency ablation of left atrial tissue, placement of left atrial implants, mitral valve repair, or the like.
US08900213B2 Syringe pump rapid occlusion detection system
An apparatus and method for detecting an occlusion in a downstream fluid line of a medical pump in relation to increased pressure in the downstream fluid line between the beginning and the end of each interval of a series of intervals of operation of the pump even if one or more intervals between the first and last intervals does not reflect such an increase in pressure in the downstream fluid line.
US08900208B2 Gas mist pressure bath system
The invention is to provide a gas mist pressure bath system, which is possible to control the amount of gas and liquid, pressure and others, and cause a gas mist to be absorbed through a skin and mucous membrane of a human living body under an optimum condition. In the system, a mist is prepared at a density of not less than a predetermined value by pulverizing and dissolving carbon dioxide or oxygen or a mixed gas of carbon dioxide and oxygen and a liquid, and the thus prepared gas mist is directly contacted to the skin and mucous membrane of the living body, and the system comprises a gas supply means 11, a liquid supply means 21, a gas mist supply means 31 for generating and supplying the gas mist generated by storing a liquid inside thereof, and while applying supersonic vibration to the liquid, concurrently injecting a gas into the stored liquid, and a living-body cover member 41 for covering the skin and mucous membrane of the human living body and forming a space for sealing inside the gas mist supplied from the gas mist supply means, and the gas mist within the living-body cover member 41 is caused to contact the skin and mucous membrane of the living body at pressure of not less than a predetermined value.
US08900206B2 Pressure vented fluid reservoir for a fluid infusion device
Disclosed herein is a fluid infusion device of the type that delivers medication fluid to the body of a patient. The device includes or cooperates with a fluid reservoir, and the device has a sealing assembly to receive and form a fluid seal with the fluid reservoir. A retractable sealing element surrounding a hollow fluid delivery needle may be used to seal a port of the fluid reservoir. The port may include a pressure vent that is sealed by the retractable sealing element. In one variation, the reservoir includes a moving valve sleeve that holds a septum. The septum moves to allow the reservoir to vent, and to form a seal with the port when the needle pierces the septum. In another variation, the device includes a needleless sealing assembly. In yet other variations, the device uses a needled fluid reservoir.
US08900199B2 Needle tip protector and indwelling needle assembly
A needle tip protector is configured in such a manner that a flexible plate is provided to a protector main body over which an action ring is mounted and that the flexible plate undergoes flexural deformation when the action ring is moved to a predetermined position relative to the protector main body. When the flexible plate undergoes flexural deformation, a needle tip of an inner needle to which the protector main body is mounted is protected by a protection part placed at a distal end of the flexible plate. The needle tip protector is also provided with a slip-stop mechanism for preventing the action ring from slipping out of the protector main body in an axial direction of the needle.
US08900197B2 Automatic injection mechanism with frontal buttress
The present invention provides for an autoinjector that registers off a distal end of a syringe to provide for a more accurate needle insertion depth. The autoinjector employs an automatically deployable frontal buttress for registration of the distal end or shoulder of the syringe.
US08900190B2 Insertion device systems and methods
A first device housing may be configured to be operatively engaged with and disengaged from a base carried by a user and may include a first carrier body arranged for movement at least between a refracted position and an advanced position. The first carrier body may support a piercing member for insertion through skin of the patient. A second device housing may be configured to be operatively engaged with and disengaged from the first device housing and may include a second carrier body operatively connectable with the first carrier body and arranged for movement at least between a retracted position and an advanced position. A driver in the second device housing may be arranged to move the first carrier body toward the advanced position to insert at least a portion of the piercing member through skin of the patient.
US08900185B2 Variable length catheter for drug delivery
A catheter system for localized delivery of a therapeutic or diagnostic agent within a vessel is provided. The system provides for adjustability of the length of the treatment area and for reducing of pressure within the treatment area. The catheter system includes an inner elongated element, an outer elongated element positioned coaxially with respect to the inner elongated element, a blood-release element at a distal end of the inner elongated element and a supply elongated element coaxial to the outer elongated element. A proximal occlusion element is positioned at the distal end of the outer elongated element, proximal to an outlet port. A distal occlusion element is positioned at a distal end of the inner elongated element. The distal end of the inner elongated element is distal to and movable with respect to the outer elongated element distal end.
US08900184B2 Device for stool drainage
The invention is directed to a device for sealing a natural or artificial opening of the large intestine, or the rectum, of a patient, and for occluding same, and/or for removing stool therefrom, particularly for continuous, and/or intermittent irrigation, preferably into an external, bag-like collection container, comprising an inflatable balloon with an approximately annular structure formed from a flat, everted tube section, wherein the outer layer of the everted tube section is provided with a radially enlarged region for insertion into the rectum, and has a region that is tapered relative thereto, and that remains at least regionally outside the rectum during use, the intrarectal balloon section having no functional or spatial connection to the transanal balloon section.
US08900183B2 Medical device and guide device therefor
A guide device including a polymer and/or plastic tube, in particular a tube containing a polysiloxane, through the continuous opening of which a cable which is moveable in the continuous opening has been routed. To markedly reduce the wear caused by the cable rubbing in the continuous opening of the tube, a coating is provided on the outer surface of the cable and/or the inner surface of the continuous opening, which includes mainly particles that are substantially spherical and/or cylindrical and can move freely at least on the particular surface (e.g., outer surface of the cable and/or inner surface of the continuous opening). Furthermore, a medical device containing such a guide device, and a method for manufacturing the guide device or the medical device are described.
US08900181B2 Skin treatment and drug delivery device
A new minimally invasive surgical approach is proposed that contemplates a method and apparatus for tightening lax skin without visible scarring via a device in various surgical procedures such as plastic surgery procedures. In some embodiments, the device is a single use disposable instrument. This approach circumvents surgically related scarring and the clinical variability of electromagnetic heating of the skin and performs small multiple pixilated resections of skin as a minimally invasive alternative to large Plastic surgical resections of skin. This approach can also be employed in areas of the body that are currently off limits to plastic surgery due to the visibility of the surgical scar. In addition, the approach can perform a skin grafting operation by harvesting the transected incisions of skin from a tissue site of a donor onto a skin defect site of a recipient with reduced scarring of the patient's donor site.
US08900180B2 Coatable compositions, coatings derived therefrom and microarrays having such coatings
Coatable compositions and coatings derived from the coatable compositions, and microarrays comprising such coatings are described. In one aspect, the invention provides a microarray comprising: a plurality of microneedles extending from a support substrate; a coating deposited on at least one of the plurality of microneedles, the coating comprising an active agent and a biological salt. In another aspect, the invention provides a coatable composition, comprising: active agent; a biological salt; and solvent. In still another aspect, the invention provides a dried coating coated on a microneedle, the coating comprising: an active agent; and a biological salt.
US08900174B2 Peritoneal dialysis machine
A method for operating a dialysis cassette including a flexible membrane that covers a pump chamber includes applying a vacuum about a piston head and sucking the flexible membrane of the dialysis cassette onto the piston head; mechanically retracting the piston head along with the vacuum applied membrane away from the dialysis cassette to draw fluid into the pump chamber; mechanically extending the piston head and the flexible membrane into the pump chamber to expel fluid from the pump chamber through a flow path; and directly sensing a pressure of the fluid flowing through the flow path at a location of the dialysis cassette adjacent to the pump chamber.
US08900162B2 Tetherless biopsy device with self-reversing cutter drive mechanism
A biopsy device includes a body, a needle, a cutter, a motor, a power source, a vacuum source, and a cutter translation assembly. The needle extends distally from the body and receives tissue. The cutter translates with respect to the needle to sever tissue received by the needle. The motor is disposed within the body and rotates a drive shaft in a first direction. The power source is disposed within the body and powers the motor. The vacuum source is disposed within the body and provides vacuum in at least one of the needle and the cutter. The cutter translation assembly is disposed within the body and translates the cutter proximally and distally with respect to the needle in response to rotation of the drive shaft in the first direction.
US08900157B2 Electronic sphygmomanometer and blood pressure measurement control method
A blood pressure measurement control method for controlling the measurement of a blood pressure according to an oscillometric method has the steps of determining whether to employ a depressurization measurement method or a pressurization measurement method to measure the blood pressure according to a person to be measured, performing a measurement process of the blood pressure in a depressurization process when determined to measure the blood pressure with the depressurization measurement method, performing a measurement process of the blood pressure in a pressurization process when determined to measure the blood pressure with the pressurization measurement method, and outputting the measured blood pressure value.
US08900155B2 Non-invasive blood pressure monitoring system
A non-invasive blood pressure monitoring system, includes an air channel having one or more inlet and exhaust ports to ambient air. An electronically controlled pump inflates and deflates a cuff applied to a patient limb with air via the air channel. A water tight sealed housing containing electronic circuitry for processing signals used in deriving a measurement of patient blood pressure in conjunction with inflating and deflating the cuff. The water tight sealed housing also is sealed from the air channel.
US08900145B2 Ultrasound systems and methods for real-time noninvasive spatial temperature estimation
Ultrasound systems and methods for real-time noninvasive spatial temperature estimation are disclosed herein. A method for noninvasive temperature estimation in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology can include, for example, propagating ultrasound waves into tissue and detecting echoes of the ultrasound waves. The ultrasound waves can become nonlinear as they propagate into the tissue. The method can further include monitoring changes in tissue temperature in real-time using a spectral-based temperature estimation approach, which correlates nonlinear acoustic effects with changes in tissue temperature.
US08900138B2 Headlight apparatus and method
A portable headlight assembly for illuminating a surgical site and moves with the surgeon, the headlight assembly having a headlight source, such as a HID lamp, to illuminate via a light cable coupled to receive and transmit the illumination in the range of natural daylight between 5000 and 6700 degrees Kelvin, a power supply that couples to the HID lamp when the light cable is located to receive focused light from it, and a control that monitors the operation of the headlight source and the portable power supply and is responsive to temperature of the portable power supply and radiation supplying illumination. The light cable extends between the HID lamp to guide illumination from the HID lamp and its reflector to a lens carried on a head strap worn by a practitioner for delivering the illumination to the surgical site.
US08900123B2 Endoscopy method and endoscope
With an endoscope including a long, thin inserted portion that is inserted into the body of a patient, securing means for securing the inserted portion to tissue inside the body, the securing means being provided at least at a distal-end portion of the inserted portion, an observation optical system that is provided at the inserted portion and that acquires an image of the tissue, and observation-distance adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the observation optical system and a surface of the tissue, it is possible to attain a stable field of view without having to stop the pulsation or the like of the heart or other tissue.
US08900121B2 Correction apparatus for male penis
The present invention deals with a correction apparatus for a male penis and more specifically with a correction apparatus for a male penis, that enables the prevention and treatment of deviation whereby tissue stretching and bending correction and stimuli to sensitive areas has resulted in abnormal shapes including warped or bent shapes, impotence related to sexual function, glans enlargement, premature ejaculation and other sexual dysfunctions, and prostatitis.
US08900115B2 Implantable heart assist system and method of applying same
An extracardiac pumping for supplementing the circulation of blood, including the cardiac output, in a patient without any component thereof being connected to the patient's heart, and methods of using same. One embodiment provides a vascular graft that has a first end that is sized and configured to couple to a non-primary blood vessel and a second end that is fluidly coupled to a pump to conduct blood between the pump and the non-primary blood vessel. An outflow conduit is also provided that has a first end sized and configured to be positioned within the same or different blood vessel, whether primary or non-primary, through the vascular graft. The outflow conduit is fluidly coupled to the pump to conduct blood between the pump and the patient. The vascular graft may be connected to the blood vessel subcutaneously to permit application of the extracardiac pumping system in a minimally-invasive procedure.
US08900109B2 Plastic bag, a novel intermediate product, methods for making the bag and intermediate product, and improved pouch machine
An intermediate product for making bag closures wherein an elongated substrate has formed on it a pair of elongated attachment lanes having complementary fastening elements to provide an attachable-detachable closure. The lanes extend parallel and are spaced apart. A perforation line is formed in the substrate between the lanes. The tape is folded by being pulled through a slot along the perforation line to place said lanes in face-to-face engagement. The product is used in a method for making bags or pouches and on a machine modified to seal partially one side of the closure to one side of the mouth of bags or pouches being made and to seal completely the other side of the closure to the other side of the bag of pouch mouth. The perforation is separated to separate the lanes and create an attachable-detachable closure. Interlocking projections can be included in the closure.
US08900105B2 Slimming machine
A slimming machine, comprising U-shaped left and right arm tubes and resiliently retractable mechanisms that are attached to the two ends thereof, in which each resiliently retractable mechanism includes an inner joint cover, an outer joint cover and a torsion spring, left and right splice sleeves that are fixed on the respective inner and outer joint covers are connected with inner chambers of the joint covers, the outer joint cover can be rotationally mounted on the inner joint cover via a connecting shaft, the torsion spring is sheathed on the connecting shaft with one end disposed in the left splice sleeve and the other end in the right splice sleeve, and the left and right splice sleeves are fixed on the respective left and right arm tubes. Such structure is simple, reasonable, easy to operate, cost effective, and meanwhile it has excellent fitness effects.
US08900104B2 Bullet-pocket dumbbell exercise apparatus
An improved dumbbell exercise apparatus includes at least a pair of novel bullet-pocket configured weight plate members to be mounted in spaced end-wise relationship on a dumbbell bar, wherein each weight plate member is configured to include at least a pair of cylindrical pocket-like openings extending axially through the thickness dimension of the weight plates, respectively, in parallel and axially offset extension to each other, and at least a singular bullet-weight cylinder of conforming cylindrical dimension to the radius of an aligned singular cylindrical pocket opening in the weight plate, is selectively axially inserted into an aligned cylindrical pocket opening, in order to add or adjust weight to the weight plate, and novel locking means are provided to mount on the weight plate to prevent dislodging of the weight cylinder from the cylindrical opening during use of the dumbbell exercise apparatus.
US08900099B1 Systems and methods for optimizing muscle development
Systems and methods for optimizing muscle development are disclosed. A method includes identifying a plurality of parameters of a user, and generating an exercise program based at least partially on the plurality of parameters. The exercise program includes a plurality of exercises. The method further includes, for each of the plurality of exercises, identifying one-rep maximum data associated with the exercise, and determining, for the exercise, a resistance to be applied by the exercise device during execution of the exercise program, in which the resistance is determined based at least partially on the one-rep maximum data associated with the exercise.
US08900092B2 Planetary gear mechanism
A planetary gear mechanism converts rotational movement of a drive shaft into rotational movement of an output shaft. The mechanism includes a planetary gear carrier, a planetary gear, and a bearing arrangement. The bearing arrangement includes roller bearings spaced apart between the planetary gear and planetary gear carrier. Each roller bearing has an inner ring and outer ring. The bearing arrangement includes a ring to position the roller bearings on the planetary gear carrier and a collar to secure the planetary gear. The ring is on an outer face of the planetary gear carrier between the inner rings. The collar is on an inner face of the planetary gear between the outer rings. An intermediate ring on the inner face of the planetary gear positions the roller bearings. The intermediate ring has a cutout directed to the collar which corresponds to an axial length of the collar.
US08900091B2 Planetary gear reduction mechanism
A compact planetary gear reduction mechanism having a universal gear reduction ratio is provided, which comprises: an input shaft rotatable about a first rotational axis; at least one planetary gear having a first and a second gear of the same shape integrated together rotatably about a third rotational axis (O3) but in out of phase with each other; an eccentric rotary plate for transmitting the rotational motion of the input shaft to a shaft mechanism which in turn transmits the eccentric rotation of the eccentric rotary plate to the planetary gear; an external fixed sun gear meshed with the first gear of the planetary gear; and an external driven sun gear to be connected to the output shaft of the gear reducer, having a different number of gear teeth than the fixed sun gear and meshed with the second gear of the planetary gear.
US08900088B2 Clutch mechanism and image forming apparatus including same
A clutch mechanism includes a transmission element rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, integrally including a plurality of projections including a first planar surface and a second planar surface at each side of the projections in the direction of rotation of the transmission element, a rotation restriction device including a first restriction surface and a second restriction surface to contact the first planar surface and the second planar surface, to lock rotation of the transmission element, and a moving device including an actuator to move the rotation restriction device to contact and separate from the transmission element. The first restriction surface contacts the first planar surface while the transmission element rotates in the first direction, and the second restriction surface contacts the second planar surface while the transmission element rotates in the second direction.
US08900086B2 Hydraulic vehicle clutch system, drivetrain for a vehicle including same, and method
A hydraulic system for a vehicle clutch assembly can include an on-demand variable displacement pump and a purge valve for regulating hydraulic pressure supplied to the clutch(es). The hydraulic pressure at the pump can have multiple displacement settings to compensate for variable changes in clutch pressure requirements. The purge valve can be configured to purge hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic system so that an optimum, controllable, and/or pre-determined operating pressure can be supplied to the clutch(es). The system can be configured to provide accurate control of clutch(es) when a drivetrain is being automatically controlled to switch between a low gear ratio and a high gear ratio.
US08900083B2 Fan drive gear system integrated carrier and torque frame
A fan gear drive system includes a torque frame having a base with integrated gear shafts circumferentially spaced relative to one another. Each shaft provides a shaft axis. A bearing assembly is mounted on each of the gear shafts and provides a bearing assembly. The bearing assembly includes a spherical bearing configured to permit angular movement of the bearing axis relative to the shaft axis.
US08900082B2 Dual-drive electric machine having controllable planetary gear set (3)
The present invention relates to a clutch device structured by a dual-drive electric machine being combined with an planetary gear set (DG101) and a controllable brake device, and through controlling the controllable brake device to perform brake locking or releasing, the operations of transmission function of connecting transmission or releasing between a rotation shaft (S101) at an output/input end, a rotation shaft (S102) at an output/input end and a sleeve type rotation shaft (AS101) at an output/input end of the planetary gear set (DG101) are enabled to be controlled, thereby to control the interactive operations between the dual-drive electric machine (EM100) and the output/input ends.
US08900078B2 Bicycle derailleur
A bicycle derailleur basically includes a base member, a movable member, a chain guide, a friction element and a motor. The base member is configured to be mounted to a bicycle. The movable member is movably coupled to the base member. The chain guide is coupled to the movable member to rotate around a rotational axis with respect to the movable member. The friction element is operatively arranged between the movable member and the chain guide to frictionally provide rotational resistance in a first rotational direction of the chain guide. The motor is operatively coupled to the movable member to move the movable member with respect to the base member.
US08900069B2 Fairway wood center of gravity projection
A golf club head includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. The body has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The club head includes a face positioned at the forward portion of the body. The face defines a striking surface having an ideal impact location at a golf club head origin. Embodiments include club heads for a fairway wood that at least one of a high moment of inertia, a low center-of-gravity, a thin crown and a high coefficient of restitution.
US08900068B2 Golf club shaft
A golf club shaft, wherein when a distance from a shaft front end to a shaft gravity center point is LG and full length of the shaft is LS, 0.54≦LG/LS≦0.65 is satisfied, a shaft weight is 55 g or less, and a bending rigidity value EI at a point of 630 mm from the shaft front end to the shaft rear end side is 2.3 kgf·m2 or less.
US08900058B2 Operating apparatus for game machine
An operating apparatus for game machine includes a depressing member. A main body of the depressing member is provided with three engaging protrusions and two depressing protrusions that downwardly protrude. For example, the two depressing protrusions are provided between the three engaging protrusions. In response to a beating operation, the right side of the depressing member is depressed, and an engaging portion of the engaging protrusion at the left side is engaged with a rear surface of an upper surface panel. Accordingly, the depressing member depressed at the right side without being upwardly actuated, and a rubber switch depressed by the depressing protrusion is brought into contact with a board. At this time, a contact provided on the board and a contact provided on the rubber switch are brought into contact with each other, and an operation signal according to the beating operation is output to the game machine.
US08900053B2 Gaming system and method for providing different bonus awards based on different types of triggered events
A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming devices. The central server tracks the occurrences of one or more suitable events occurring at or in association with one or more gaming devices in the gaming system. Upon the central server determining that the quantity of occurred events tracked has reached a designated quantity or threshold, (i.e., a triggering event has occurred), the gaming system provides a progressive award to one of the players at one of the gaming devices in the gaming system.
US08900050B2 Gaming machine for executing battle game between gaming terminals
The present invention makes players willing to play games next to each other, so as to increase the use ratio. When a game result of a basic game corresponding to a payout occurs, a gaming machine determines whether a battle game condition related to the payout is at least satisfied, and when it is determined that the battle game condition is satisfied, adjacent gaming terminals are set as battle opponents. When battle opponents join the battle game, the battle game in which the battle opponents compete to win is executed, and the battle opponent winning the battle game obtains some profits.
US08900048B2 Gaming apparatus and method having a game with a variable reel feature game
Embodiments provide a method of gaming comprising wherein a wager for a play of a game is received from a player and a set of symbols for playing the game is determined based on the wager. The set of symbols includes, based on the wager, a number of specified symbols that can contribute to one or more specified winning game outcomes. Symbols selected from the set are displayed and an award made to the player if the displayed one or more symbols correspond to one or more of the specified winning game outcomes.
US08900045B2 Wagering game with symbol selection gamepiece
A gaming system, apparatus, and method are disclosed including a game feature with one or more symbol selection gamepieces, preferably presented as a graphical “Eye of the Pharaoh,” which, when activated, causes a moving graphical effect to sequentially select various symbols in the gaming array. An interactive player input or a timeout may end the sequential selections, after which the symbol selection gamepiece selects a final selected symbol, on which is based a special award. Perceived-skill and actual-skill versions are disclosed.
US08900041B2 Automatic control system for ceiling fan based on temperature differentials
A fan includes a hub, several fan blades, and a motor that is operable to drive the hub. A motor controller is in communication with the motor, and is configured to select the rate of rotation at which the motor drives the hub. The fan is installed in a place having a floor and a ceiling. An upper temperature sensor is positioned near the ceiling. A lower temperature sensor is positioned near the floor. The temperature sensors communicate with the motor controller, which includes a processor configured to compare substantially contemporaneous temperature readings from the upper and lower temperature sensors. The motor controller is thus configured to automatically control the fan motor to minimize the differences between substantially contemporaneous temperature readings from the upper and lower temperature sensors. The fan system may thus substantially destratify air in an environment, to provide a substantially uniform temperature distribution within the environment.
US08900039B2 Organ removal device and a method for organ removal
An organ removal device and a method are provided for removing one or more organs or parts thereof located adjacent the spinal column of the carcass on opposite sides thereof from the wall of a body cavity of slaughtered eviscerated poultry having an access opening to the body cavity thereof. The device includes a poultry support device and a vacuum tube assembly comprising two vacuum tubes, each having at least one suction nozzle at an end thereof, the vacuum tube assembly further includes two scrapers, each arranged to scrape along a region of the wall of the body cavity to loosen organs adhering to the wall. A sweeping mechanism is provided to impart to each scraper a sweeping motion away and/or towards the spinal column.
US08900035B2 Method and device for grinding a continuous casting product
A cast slab having a pair of wide, substantially planar, and opposite side faces and a pair of narrow opposite edge faces, is ground by first orienting the slab with the side and edge faces vertical. Then grinding tools are pressed oppositely and horizontally against opposite wide faces, with the grinders throwing the chips downward. The tools and slab are relatively vertically displaced for the grinding.
US08900032B2 Athletic support brassiere
An athletic brassiere with breast band, having the general form of a brassiere, for use when engaging in vigorous physical exercise or activities, such as running, tennis, and the like. An embodiment comprises an inner liner and outer panel, an internal breast band sleeve, and a breast band slidably retained within the sleeve. The breast band has a fastener enabling the breast band length to be adjusted; the breast band is adjustable vertically and horizontally. Embodiments hold the breasts down with the breast band slidably retained within the garment, providing support and protecting the wearer from discomfort or injury from excessive upward and downward breast movement. The breast band alleviates upward and downward movement of the breasts and does not cinch, flatten or compress the wearer's breasts against the chest wall, nor lift and bold the breasts. The garment is attractive and can be worn alone or under another garment.
US08900028B2 Field emission cathode device manufacturing method
A method for making a field emission cathode device, including the following steps: (S1) providing a substrate including a first surface, and a carbon nanotube structure defining a first portion and a second portion, the carbon nanotube structure including a plurality of carbon nanotubes, a longitudinal direction of the plurality of carbon nanotubes being from the first portion to the second portion; (S2) placing the carbon nanotube structure on the first surface of the substrate, and fastening the first portion to the substrate; and (S3) repeatedly rubbing the carbon nanotube structure along the direction from the first portion to the second portion.
US08900013B2 USB connector having an inner circuit board for connecting cables and contacts
A cable connector compatible to USB 3.0 standard includes an insulative housing having, a number of contacts and an inner circuit board for establishing electrically connection between the contacts and cables. The contacts are divided into a first contact group including a number of first contacts and a second contact group including a number of second contacts. The inner circuit board includes a first soldering area having a number of separated first pads connected to the first and the second contacts. The first pads include a first grounding pad connected to a grounding contact of the second contacts. The second soldering area includes a number of separated second pads connected to the cables. At least two adjacent or separated second pads are electrically connected to the first grounding pad for improving high frequency characteristics.
US08900011B2 Electrical connector with flame-resistant inserts
An electrical connector includes at least one insert (10), the insert including: a front part (13) and a rear part (16) at least partially made of thermoplastic material, and a plurality of cavities (20) passing through from one side to the other of the front part and the rear part of the insert, each cavity being capable of receiving an electrical contact (30), a protection element (18) placed between the front part (13) and the rear part (16) and made of a flame-insensitive material capable, under the effect of high temperature, of maintaining a predefined distance between the electrical contacts.
US08900010B2 Connection structure of crimping terminal to electrical wire
An upper side of the distal end of an electric wire is covered with cover members made of water-absorbing resin layers in which impermeable layers are formed on the inner surface sides abutting on a conductor before crimping previously so as to include at least a portion having the possibility of exposing the conductor of the electric wire to the outside when a conductor crimping part and a sheath crimping part of a crimping terminal are respectively crimped to the conductor and the portion having an insulating sheath of the distal end of the electric wire, and conductor crimping pieces and sheath crimping pieces are crimped onto the cover members and thereby, the cover members are held by the conductor crimping pieces and the sheath crimping pieces with an exposed portion of the conductor covered.
US08900006B2 Charging cable plug for electric vehicles
Charging cable plug 1 for electric vehicles, with a housing 2 and electrical contacts 6, arranged in the housing 2, for connection to a charging station 4. For simple identification before a charging procedure, an identification means 8 is proposed, arranged in the housing 2 and communicating with the charging station 4 via the electrical contacts 6.
US08900005B2 Insulation displacement terminal system with regulated wire compression
An insulation displacement terminal system (10) provides for a stop limiting engagement of two opposed insulation displacement plates (15, 16) and a catch (70) retaining the plates (15, 16) against separation to precisely define an aperture (84) holding the conductor for improved reliability and electrical contact.
US08899995B2 Modular battery
A modular battery device may include a substantially planar dielectric substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface spaced from and opposite the first major surface. A plurality of conductive couplers may extend through the substrate from the first major surface to the second major surface at spaced locations. Each conductive coupler may have a first connector element disposed at the first major surface of the substrate electrically connected to an associated second connector element forming an extension extending from the second major surface of the substrate. The device may be selectively engageable with another such device by selectively mating the first connector element of a first conductive coupler on the device in mechanical and electrical engagement with the second connector element of a second conductive coupler on the other such device. Devices having batteries may be stacked to provide parallel and/or series connections.
US08899994B2 Compression connector system
An electrical interconnect system comprises: a clamping collar having a slot for receiving a bifurcated flexible circuit; a contact strip comprising a plurality of electrical contacts aligned with respective pads on the bifurcated flexible circuit when the legs of the bifurcated area are spread apart; and, a compression latch member to engage the clamping collar and compress the pads against their respective contacts on the contact strip.
US08899989B2 Simulated cardiovascular vessel
A self-contained medical needle insertion training system is provided. In various embodiments, the system includes a hollow body having at least one sidewall, a closed end, an opposing open end and an interior chamber. The system additionally includes a closure device structured and operable to mate with the open end to close the interior chamber and a simulated cardiovascular vein disposed along an outer surface of the at least one sidewall, wherein the interior chamber provides a storage space for medical devices to be used in association with the training system. The system also includes a simulated cardiovascular vein having a plurality of fluid reservoirs.
US08899985B2 Magazine for simulated tetherless pistols with lockback
A simulated weapon includes a mechanical counting mechanism that incrementally advances upon firing of a simulated round. When the mechanical counting mechanism reaches a state indicating that all simulated rounds have been fired, a slide of the weapon is locked back, mimicking the lockback feature of an actual weapon. The simulated weapon may be untethered, enabling realistic training in weapon handling. The mechanical counting mechanism may be actuated by motion of the slide.
US08899980B2 Bone powder filling tool for dental implant
A bone powder filling tool includes a handle connectable to a rotary dental instrument, and a bone powder propelling bit located one end of the handle. The bone powder propelling bit has opposing top end portion and bottom end portion, bone powder transferring grooves spirally extending around the periphery thereof from the top end portion to the bottom end portion, and bone powder propelling threads extending around the periphery thereof at different elevations for rapidly and uniformly propelling bone powder into the space between the sinus floor and the cortical bone to increase the thickness of the cortical bone in favor of the process of the subsequent tooth implanting, helping the doctor in charge of the operation save operating time and physical strength.
US08899979B2 Matrix ring for tooth restoration
A matrix ring includes a biasing ring and a pair of opposing tines. The biasing ring includes a substantially hoop-like configuration terminating at two opposing ends. The pair of opposing tines extend inwardly from each of the two ends of the biasing ring toward each other. Each of the pair of opposing tines is coupled to the respective opposing end about a central region thereof and extends radially outwardly therefrom. Each tine includes a flame body having a central ridge and opposing lower extensions, the lower extensions terminating at an exposed face. The portion of the lower extensions proximate the exposed face being able to move relative to the rest of the flame body so as to better position on the teeth of a patient. A superimposed pad over portions of the flame body provides a deformable surface for engagement with the surface of the tooth of a patient.
US08899977B2 Orthodontic repositioning appliances having improved geometry, methods and systems
The present invention provides methods and systems including orthodontic tooth positioning appliances. An exemplary appliance can include teeth receiving cavities shaped such that, when worn by a patient, repositioning the patient's teeth from a first arrangement toward a subsequent or target arrangement. Appliances can include a cavity having one or more shaped features or protrusions shaped and/or positioned so as to apply a desired force to a patient's tooth received in the cavity and move the tooth along a desired path or direction.
US08899976B2 Release agent receptacle
The present disclosure includes method, system, apparatus, and indicator embodiments. One apparatus includes an appliance for placement over one or more teeth and a release agent receptacle including an outer portion provided on appliance surface, an inner portion provided within the outer portion, and one or more apertures formed in the outer portion.
US08899954B2 Crosshead
In a crosshead, a pair of sheets (7) are formed by bisecting a parison (3) suspended from a resin flow passage (30) formed between a core (9) and a die (8) by causing a first dividing body (33) of a separator (5, 5a) provided on the core (9) or the die (8) to contact a second dividing body (40) provided on the core (9) or the die (8).
US08899933B2 Rotor blade mounting
A wheel dovetail groove with a wheel hook retains blade hooks of mounted blades. Opposed arcuate cut-outs in upper recessed areas of the groove may form an assembly gate. Blade hooks may be inserted into the groove in a first orientation, rotated to a second orientation at the assembly gate, and slid into a predetermined position. Blades may be secured with shims between adjacent bucket dovetails. Blade tip cover blocks may be included to form a cover. All blades may be substantially identical and not need special mounting arrangements at the assembly gate.
US08899929B2 Rotor blade pitch adjusting device and turbomachine containing the same
An adjusting device is provided for pivoting blades of a rotor via a transmission that is actuatable by a co-rotating, axially-displaceable actuating shaft. The adjusting device includes a roller bearing having a first side or ring that is attachable to the actuating shaft and a second side or ring connected with an actuating body that is non-rotatably supported in a support body. The adjusting device further includes a screw drive that axially displaces the actuating body within the support body to thereby linearly actuate the transmission.
US08899927B2 Automatically adjusting wind energy paddlewheel
A device is described herein that harnesses wind energy by employing large rectangular airfoils mounted on a rotating frame. As the frame rotates, sliders cause the airfoils to expand and contract in a cyclical pattern. The aerodynamic drag of the airfoils is maximized during the power stroke and minimized during the recoil stroke. When subjected to wind, the wind causes more pressure on the expanded airfoils than the contracted ones, which drives rotation of the entire frame. The design is highly scalable, limited only by stiffness and strength limitations of the materials used in its construction. It may be possible to achieve efficiency of power generation that greatly surpasses that of traditional propeller style windmills.
US08899925B2 Wind/water turbine with rotational resistance reduced by wind vane blade
A wind/water turbine has a basic configuration in which both ends of blades which are in rotational symmetry are fixed to support plates, the blades have vanes, one of the vertical sides of the vanes is attached to a vane rotating shaft, and the free opposite sides each rotate freely in a sector extending as far as the adjacent vane rotating shafts on either side. The vanes are arranged such that when the blades of the wind/water turbine are convex, moving against the water flow/airflow, the vanes are pressed by the water flow/airflow and are opened, thereby reducing the rotational resistance, and when the blades have pivoted further and are concave, the spaces between the vane rotating shafts are closed, the water/air pressure is received over the entire surface of the blade, and thus a pivoting force that is increased corresponding to the reduction in rotation resistance is obtained.
US08899916B2 Torque frame and asymmetric journal bearing for fan drive gear system
A fan drive gear system for a gas turbine engine includes a torque frame and a journal bearing. The torque frame has an arm that extends therefrom, the journal bearing is mounted on the arm. When the fan drive gear system is in an unloaded condition an outer circumferential surface of the journal bearing is disposed at an angle so that it is non-parallel with respect to an axis of the arm. When the fan drive gear system is in a loaded condition the outer circumferential surface is disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the arm. In another aspect, the journal bearing includes a main body, a first wing, and a second wing. The first and second wings extend from the main body and are asymmetric with respect to one another.
US08899910B2 Air turbine starter and method for venting without loss of oil
A clutch assembly includes a shaft, vent plug and oil guide sleeve. The shaft includes an internal cavity, first passages for allowing oil to lubricate clutch components, and second passages for allowing excess oil to drain from the internal cavity. The vent plug has a radial passage in communication with the internal cavity for venting the cavity with an external source of air. The oil guide sleeve directs oil into the internal cavity. A method for lubricating and venting an air turbine starter includes delivering lubricating oil to an internal cavity of a clutch via an oil guide sleeve. The oil guide sleeve prevents oil from exiting the cavity through excess oil drainage passages before it lubricates the clutch components. The method also includes draining excess oil from the cavity through excess oil drainage passages so that excess oil does not substantially impede air flow through a vent plug passage.
US08899905B2 Boom truck for handling loads above and below ground level
A boom truck includes a telescopic lifting boom with a lifting unit and a support structure having a first support arranged on the chassis of the boom truck. A second support in the form of an elongated bearing and support beam body extends in the longitudinal direction of the boom truck. The beam body is pivotally mounted to the first support about a rear bearing axis, whereas the lifting boom is pivotally mounted to beam body about a front bearing axis. Actuators act on the beam body and the lifting boom as a unit and act to pivot the lifting boom about the front bearing axis.
US08899904B2 Lens push-out device and method
Provided is a device for pushing out lenses from a test tray to a lens tray. The device includes a pushing tray, two force application trays, and at least two bolts. The pushing tray includes a surface and four sidewalls. A number of projections extend upward from the first surface. The projections are configured for pushing the lenses. Two opposite sidewalls each define at least one threaded hole. Each of the force application trays defines at least one slot. A length of the at least one slot runs in direction parallel to the projections. The two force application trays are configured for clamping the test tray. Each bolt passes through a respective slot and is screwed into a respective threaded hole of the pushing tray.
US08899902B2 Container handling system comprising a crane and a plurality of base elements which can be mounted on top of containers for supporting the crane and transporting the containers
A container handling system comprising a crane and a plurality of base elements. The base elements are designed for resting on containers and the crane is designed for being supported on containers or base elements. Containers can be transported on the base elements, which are preferably arranged to form a path. Also cranes, other base element etc. can travel on the paths. Base elements may be provided with rollers or the like and may comprise a turning unit for turning containers etc. about a vertical axis. The system may handle containers stored in a three-dimensional array by arranging base elements on top of containers, lifting containers onto base elements and moving containers across or along base elements to another location in the array. The array may be in a container yard or on a carrier vessel, where the handling system is part of its onboard equipment.
US08899899B2 Tool shield retainer clip
A tool shield retainer clip for securing a removable tool to a tool carrier blade, and shielding the tool carrier blade is disclosed herein. The tool shield retainer clip includes a front section including an aperture for receiving a tool, a back section adjacent the front section, a tail flange connected to the back section opposite the front section, and a top section adjacent the front section and opposite the back section.
US08899898B2 Screw method for forming a screw thread
In the case of a screw having at least one thread (26) that is formed by a rolling process, especially a flat-die rolling process, whereby the thread (26) consists of two ridges of material (28a, 28b) which are shaped from a blank (12) by means of cold-forming during the rolling process in such a way that the thread has a closing crease (32) where the ridges of material (28a, 28b) meet each other, it is provided that the closing crease (32) is situated in the area of a flank (30a, 30b) of the thread (26).
US08899895B2 Anti-back-out fastener for applications under vibration
A fastener is configured for use in a high vibration application. The fastener includes a nut including a nut body including a cam surface comprising wedge locking action fastening features and a hex shape upon an outer surface of the nut body. The nut further includes a locking washer including matching wedge locking action fastening features to the wedge locking action fastening features of the cam surface and a matching hex shape upon an outer surface of the washer to the hex shape upon the outer surface of the nut body. The nut is configured to include a threaded inner surface selected according to a bolt to be fastened and a nut wall thickness selected according to a load to be applied to the nut.
US08899887B2 Drilling apparatus with a decoupled force frame and metrology frame for enhanced positioning
A printed circuit board (PCB) drilling apparatus that greatly increases the speed, accuracy and depth of the drilling process as well as increasing the life of the drill bits by decoupling the reactionary forces encountered in the positioning and drilling functions of the apparatus in the x, y and z axes from the components that accomplish the positioning, measuring and drilling of the stacked printed circuit boards. The part of the apparatus that moves and drills as well as the feedback position sensors are mounted to a set of vibration isolation pads that absorb the vibrations that would disturb the feedback sensors. Additionally, the force frame of the apparatus that experiences the reactionary force movements are decoupled from the metrology frame of the apparatus that house the feedback sensors, also increasing the throughput and accuracy.
US08899884B2 Metering system, dense phase conveying system and method for supplying bulk material in powder form
The present application relates to a metering device and a dense phase conveying system for the steady, continuous, dosed supply of a bulk material in powder form made of light, polydisperse particles to a consumer arranged downstream. Furthermore, the present application relates to a method for the continuous, dosed supply of the bulk material in powder form using the dense phase conveying system, which comprises the metering device according to the invention.
US08899878B2 Portable winch
A portable winch and method of use is shown. One advantage of winches shown includes an ability to lower a boom or boom sections into limited access exit pit for winching operations such as pipe bursting. Sectional boom designs shown provide the ability to easily raise and lower a boom large distances without the need for a single long boom. Selected winch designs shown include flexible inserts between the boom and the winch frame that help resist damage from unforeseen shifting of the device during operation. Designs and methods shown also include multiple pulleys on a boom end unit. Fasteners are shown that reduce build up of debris.
US08899875B1 Apparatus, system, and method for diverting water away from a building foundation
An apparatus, system, and method for diverting water away from a building's foundation using improved splash blocks. A starting splash block is positioned proximate a building's foundation and under the building's water discharge line. A running splash block is positioned end-to-end with the starting splash block. A coupling assembly couples the front end of the starting splash block to the rear end of the at least one running splash block in the end-to-end configuration. The coupling assembly and configuration of the starting and running splash blocks allows for the running splash block to pivot with respect to the immediately preceding splash block in line. Upwardly extending projections are also provided on a bottom of the splash blocks to facilitate a reduction in velocity of the water transported through the splash blocks.
US08899873B2 Multi-purpose pumped storage facility
A pumped storage facility combined with at least a seating area constructed on a bank of an upper reservoir facing a lower reservoir. The lower reservoir includes a track around the shore thereof so that spectators in the seating area can view the track. A performance area is constructed adjacent the track along the lower reservoir, and can be built over the water on piers if needed. Thus, racing events can take place on the track and be viewed by spectators in the seating area. A parking lot drains water into the lower reservoir.
US08899871B2 Embedding photocatalytic titanium dioxide in asphalt surfaces to reduce pollutants via photocatalytic reactions
Methods for embedding photocatalytic titanium dioxide in asphalt surfaces to reduce pollutants via photocatalytic reactions are provided herein. One method includes applying an amount of an asphalt surface treatment compound to an upper surface of the asphalt surface, the asphalt surface treatment compound including a mixture of a liquid carrier compound with a titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalyst.
US08899869B2 Rotary flexure bearing
This rotary flexure bearing consists of concentric inner and outer hubs connected by compound flexure stages. These compound flexure stages provide the angular compliance required for bearing rotation as well as compliance for flexure foreshortening while holding a constant axis of rotation over the entire range of motion. This design offers large angular displacement, low operating stress, low operating torque, and high stiffness in the five noncompliant degrees of freedom. The rotary flexure bearing described herein has applications in precision mechanics, particularly opto-mechanics. Specific applications include but are not limited to wafer and reticle alignment stages used in microlithography systems, mirror pointing and scanning mechanisms used in tactical and spaceborne systems, as well as flip-in mechanisms used in multiple field of view optical systems.
US08899855B2 Erasing apparatus and conveyance control method for recording medium
According to one embodiment, a erasing apparatus includes: a paper feeding section configured to feed a recording medium on which a erasable image is recorded to a conveying path; a conveying section configured to convey the recording medium along the conveying path; a erasing section configured to erase a color of the image on the recording medium; a sensor configured to detect the recording medium conveyed through the erasing section by the conveying section; and a control section configured to perform, if the sensor detects occurrence of a jam of the recording medium, control to convey the recording medium present in the conveying path.
US08899843B2 Optical fiber coupler
An optical fiber coupler includes a main body and a cover detachably coupled with the main body. The main body includes a coupling member, at least two lenses, at least two optical fibers and a connecting post. The lenses and the optical fibers are mounted on the coupling member. The optical fibers couples with corresponding lenses. The lenses protrudes from the coupling member. The connecting post protrudes from the main body adjacent to the lenses. The cover defines a fixing hole and a covering groove corresponding to the lenses. The fixing hole engages with the connecting post, for positioning the coupling member to the cover. The cover covering the lenses via allowing the at least two lenses to be received in the covering groove.
US08899836B2 Side gusseted bag
The invention relates to a side gusseted bag 1,21 made of flexible material, wherein two opposing main walls 2,23 are connected at adjacent long sides 5,6 by at least one (first) side gusseted wall 4,22 that can be folded between the main walls 2,23 and comprise an opening at the top side that can be connected to a resealable closure 7,24 made of at least a pair of opposing closure elements 8,26 mounted on one or the other of the main walls 2,23, wherein the closure elements 7,24 are not fixed to each other at the ends thereof above the side gusseted wall in the opened state of the closure element, and the side gusseted wall 4,22 can be unfolded outward at the top side, designed in the sense of a good storage and transport closure, simultaneously retaining the potential for simple and wide opening and sufficient closure, such that the side gusseted wall 4,22 is separably fixed in a folded position between the main walls 2,23 before it is first opened.
US08899835B2 Self-supporting bladder system for a double wall tank
A self-supporting bladder that can be installed into existing storage tanks, particularly into underground storage tanks and a method of forming a double walled tank using the same. This self-supporting bladder serves as the inner wall, utilizing the existing tank as the outer wall of a double wall system, or can provide a double wall system such as through the use of an insert placed in the bladder.
US08899823B2 Gel hydration unit
A fracking fluid hydration unit is provided that has a plurality of hydration tank sections wherein shear is added to the hydrated fluid flow via a recirculation hydrated fluid jetting system.
US08899818B2 Backlight unit including light guide and gap retainer
A backlight unit includes a light source; a light guide; a gap retainer including two plate-like portions orthogonal to each other, the light guide being placed over a first plate-like portion of the two plate-like portions, the light source being attached to a side of a second plate-like portion of the two plate-like portions; a chassis including a frame-shaped side wall portion and a bottom portion, the gap retainer being positioned with respect to the chassis such that the second plate-like portion and the side wall portion face each other and the first plate-like portion and the bottom portion face each other; and an elastic body urging the gap retainer in a direction away from the side wall portion. The gap retainer includes a stopper to maintain a gap between the light source and the side edge surface of the light guide.
US08899807B2 Vehicular headlamp
A vehicular headlamp includes: a plurality of semiconductor light emitting element chips; and a reflector that has a reflection surface with a paraboloid shape, and that reflects, by the reflection surface, light from the semiconductor light emitting element chips so as to send the light in a headlamp beam direction of the vehicular headlamp, wherein the plurality of semiconductor light emitting element chips are arranged along a plane perpendicular to the headlamp beam direction, and a focal point of the reflection surface of the reflector is disposed in or near an area between the semiconductor light emitting element chips that are next to each other.
US08899789B2 Lamp module
A lamp module includes a cover structure, a circuit board structure and a multichip package structure, and the circuit board structure and the multichip package structure are sequentially assembled on the bottom side of the cover structure. The cover structure includes a cover body, a plurality of positioning elements disposed on the bottom side of the cover body, and a plurality of retaining elements disposed on the bottom side of the cover body. The cover body has a through opening and a surrounding light-reflecting surface formed on the inner surface of the through opening. The circuit board structure is disposed on the bottom side of the cover body and includes a plurality of conductive pins disposed on the bottom side of the circuit board structure. The multichip package structure is disposed on the bottom side of the cover body and electrically connected to the circuit board structure.
US08899785B2 Lamp with multi-colored LEDs and method of making
A lamp including an LED assembly having at least a first LED to emit light of at least a first color, and at least a second LED to emit light of at least a second color. The first and second LEDs received in an enclosure having a reflective internal surface, the enclosure configured to mix the light emitted from the LEDs, with the mixed light emitted from the lamp through a diffuser lens. A trim piece, formed at least partially of a thermally conductive material, may be secured to the lamp. A method of making the lamp is also provided.
US08899781B2 Lighting device
A lighting device comprises a housing; a coupling member coupled to the housing, comprising a first outer surface and a second outer surface, and having an insertion recess disposed between the first outer surface and the second outer surface; a first reflector disposed between the first outer surface of the coupling member and the housing; a second reflector disposed between the second outer surface of coupling member and the housing; and a light source unit comprising a first body and a second body, wherein the first body comprises a first coupling unit coupled to a first inner surface of the insertion recess and a first light emitting device emitting lights to the first reflector, wherein the second body comprises a second coupling unit coupled to a second inner surface of the insertion recess and a second light emitting device emitting lights to the second reflector.
US08899778B2 Optical cavity structure of LED lighting apparatus
The present invention provides an optical cavity structure of an LED lighting apparatus comprising a base, a light reflector, LED module, and a light cover. The light reflector can be integrally formed with the base or an independent unit. An optical cavity is constructed by the base, light reflector and light cover altogether, and the LED module is attached to the base received within the optical cavity. The light reflector can be symmetrical with inclined angle or as a conical shape provided on two sides opposing to the direction of light from the LED module. The inner surface of the light reflector is a light reflecting surface. The light cover is attached to the light reflector. As a result, the light from the LED is gathered and reflected by the light reflecting surface via the angle and shape of the light reflector to achieve an enhanced luminance range and illumination.
US08899775B2 Low-angle thoroughfare surface lighting device
A lighting device includes a housing attached to a thoroughfare surface. The housing may have a top surface, a proximal face, a distal face, and first and second opposing sidewalls extending between the proximal face and the distal face and extending downwardly from the top surface. The lighting device may further include a first primary optic that may be carried by the housing adjacent the first sidewall that may define a first optical chamber. The lighting device may also further include a first light source that may be positioned within the first optical chamber and may be carried by the housing adjacent the first sidewall. The first sidewall may taper in a direction of the distal face. The first primary optic may be configured to direct light outward and in a direction of the taper in the first sidewall.
US08899765B2 Stroboscopic device
A stroboscopic device includes a light emitter disposed in a light-emitter casing, a light controller member disposed in an opening of the light-emitter casing, and a prism member disposed at a position near the light emitter where an opening of a reflector is not covered. The light emitter includes a flash discharge tube and a reflector for reflecting the light rays from the flash discharge tube in an irradiation direction. The light controller member controls the light rays from the light emitter. The prism member bends the light rays emitted from the flash discharge tube into an optical axis direction.
US08899759B2 Projector and method for controlling the projector
A projector includes: a first source input section; a second source input section; and a mode setting section that sets a projection mode, wherein when a first projection mode is set by the mode setting section, image display or sound output is performed based on an input signal that is input via any one of the first source input section and the second source input section, and when a second projection mode is set by the mode setting section, image display or sound output is performed based on an input signal that is input via the second source input section.
US08899757B2 Portable video production system
A portable video production system includes a stand, a prompter portion, a mirror, a piece of glass, and a measuring device. The stand includes a table and a plurality of legs, and is configured to adjust a height of the legs based on a height of a user. The prompter portion includes a plurality of legs and a plurality of supports, and the supports extend between the legs of the prompter portion. The mirror is connected between first and second supports of the plurality of supports, and is configured to reflect a display of a laptop. The piece of glass is connected between third and fourth supports of the plurality of supports, and reflects the reflection of the display from the mirror to provide a reflected image to the user and to enable a video to be filmed through the glass without the reflected image appearing in the video. The measuring component is connected to the table, and extends from the table and being of a first specific length to indicate a first distance for the user to stand from the table.
US08899733B2 Method for supplying at least one print head with ink in an inkjet printer
In a system or method for supplying print bars with a plurality of print heads with ink in an inkjet printer, a pressure source is activated in a flushing procedure in order to exert an excess pressure to the ink in intermediate tanks supplying ink to the print bars such that the ink is flushed through jets of a print head to be flushed in the respective print bar. The pressure source is shut off when printing. The ink in the intermediate tanks is transported to the print heads by means by hydrostatic pressure. In the event of an overflow of the intermediate tanks, overflowing ink is transported into an overflow container via a respective pressure line connecting the overflow container to the respective intermediate container.
US08899727B2 Liquid ejecting head and liquid ejecting apparatus
A liquid ejecting head includes a head body configured to eject liquid, a flow path member including a liquid flow path for supplying the liquid to the head body, and a circuit substrate held by the flow path member and including a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature. The flow path member includes a detection region, which has a thermal resistance lower than a thermal resistance of other regions and which is provided in a part of a partition wall that partitions the liquid flow path. The circuit substrate is fixed to the flow path member in a state in which the temperature detection unit faces the detection region.
US08899722B2 Wiping assembly for a fluid ejection device
A wiping assembly includes an endless belt and a plurality of rollers about which the belt is mounted. A first roller mounts a first end of the belt adjacent a first end of a belt zone while a second roller is adjacent at an opposite, second end of the belt zone. A third roller mounts a second end of the belt and is located at an intermediate position along a first orientation between the respective first and second ends of the belt zone. The third roller is translatable along the first orientation while the first roller and the second roller are non-translatable along the first orientation. The third roller is biased toward the first end of the belt zone to apply tension on the belt.
US08899715B2 Image processing apparatus, printing apparatus, and image processing method
Provided are an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of reducing color unevenness due to variations in ejection characteristics among a plurality of nozzles when printing an image using a plurality of inks. To that end, a first image which is made up a color with noticeable color unevenness and similar colors is printed onto a print medium. The user then specifies a color and a nozzle position where color unevenness has occurred. On the basis of these results, parameters are set for a correction table referenced by an MCS processor. In so doing, it becomes possible to address the factor causing the color unevenness, and mitigate the effects of color unevenness in a focused way without incurring increases in processor load, memory requirements, or processing time as compared to the case of calibrating all lattice points.
US08899713B2 Liquid ejecting apparatus and liquid ejecting method
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a first nozzle row in which first nozzles ejecting a first liquid are arranged in a predetermined direction; a second nozzle row in which second nozzles ejecting a second liquid are arranged in the predetermined direction; a movement mechanism moving the first and second nozzle rows in a movement direction intersecting the predetermined direction relative to a medium; a transport mechanism transporting the medium in the predetermined direction relative to the first and second nozzle rows; and a control unit repeating an image forming operation of ejecting the liquids from the first and second nozzles while moving the first and second nozzle rows in the movement direction by the movement mechanism and a transport operation of transporting the medium in the predetermined direction relative to the first and second nozzle rows by the transport mechanism.
US08899712B2 Printing systems and methods performed by printing systems
A method performed by a printing system is described herein. A request is provided to a user to enter data related to print quality of a mark or marks printed on a portion of a background region. The background region includes an area or areas treated with a fixer fluid applied by a printhead. A user input is received associated to the request. A misalignment of the printhead is estimated in accordance with the user input. A printing system and a tangible machine readable storage medium are also described herein.
US08899701B2 S-box storage unit
A household item (12), such as a microwave oven, can be moved from a lowered storage position to a raised usable position. In the storage position the moving surface lid (14) is flat with the surrounding work surface (10) having been lowered by a manual force and held in place by a suitable catch or latching mechanism. The household item can be raised by pushing the housing slightly downwards, thus releasing the housing from its anchored position. A counterweight (15) greater than the weight of the household item is suspended by way of a wire and pulley system (1a, 1b, 1c) that in turn powers the platform and displaces the lid, on which the household item is located, upwardly.
US08899698B2 Braking apparatus for vehicle
A braking apparatus for a vehicle has: a hydraulic braking pressure control apparatus disposed on a base, including: a control valve unit for switching among a state where hydraulic passages to access a master cylinder are communicated with wheel brakes while the wheel brakes are interrupted from reservoirs, a state where the hydraulic passages are interrupted from the wheel brakes while the wheel brakes are communicated with the reservoirs, and a state where the wheel brakes are interrupted from the hydraulic passages and the reservoirs; pumps; suction valves; and regulators normally communicated the master cylinder with the hydraulic passages as well as interrupt the master cylinder from the hydraulic passages; wherein the suction valves are disposed on the base in positions closer to the suction port of the pumps than the control valve units and the regulators.
US08899692B2 Method and apparatus for mining a material in an underground environment
The present disclosure provides a method for mining a material in an underground environment. The method comprises positioning a structure in an underground roadway and locating the structure so that the structure provides a reactive force when a cutting head is pushed against the material via a series of members coupled to the structure. The roadway is suitable for passage of people and transportation of machinery and removed material. The method also comprises coupling the cutting head to at least one of the members of the series of members and the series of members to the structure. Further, the method comprises forming a plurality of branch tunnel portions projecting from the roadway into the material using the cutting head and the series of members coupled to the structure, comprising repositioning the cutting head and the series of members between formation of the branch tunnel portions. At least one of the formed branch tunnel portions has a length of more than 50 m.
US08899689B2 Automatic cut-transition milling machine and method
A milling machine is provided including: a frame; a plurality of ground engaging units; a plurality of vertically adjustable legs, the plurality of vertically adjustable legs comprising a front leg and a rear leg; a rotatable mill configured to mill a surface; a user interface configured to receive a milling grade depth and a cut-transition factor; a speed sensor configured to provide a ground speed of the milling machine; a vertical position sensor; and a controller coupled to the speed sensor, the vertical position sensor, and the user interface, the controller configured to lower a height of the rotatable mill to the milling grade depth by incrementally adjusting a length of at least one of the plurality of vertically adjustable legs according to the cut-transition factor, the speed sensor, and the vertical position sensor.
US08899688B2 Convertible swing seat
A convertible child seat includes a seat frame that presents a seat cavity and an open front to allow cavity ingress and egress by the child. The seat also includes a front restraint shiftably attached to the seat frame and shiftable between a storage position and a child-restraining position. In the storage position, the front restraint extends along the bottom wall so as to be positioned below the seated child and thereby permit cavity ingress and egress through the open front. In the child-restraining position, the front restraint at least partly spans the open front to restrict cavity ingress and egress through the open front.
US08899681B2 Seat guiding apparatus for chair
A seat guiding apparatus for a chair includes a base, an elastic assembly mounted in the front end of the base and having a torsion spring and a moveable plate abutted against the torsion spring, and a seat assembly provided with a seat and a bracket connected with the seat. The bracket of the seat assembly has a front end connected with the moveable plate and a rear end movably mounted in curved guiding grooves of the base, such that the seat assembly is moveable along the curved guiding grooves relative to the base. As a result, when sitting on the seat, a sitter' back can be guided by the movement of the seat assembly to lean against a backrest of the chair for support.
US08899671B2 Vehicle headliner attachment system
A vehicle headliner attachment system includes a moonroof assembly having a peripheral structure surrounding at least one glass panel. A headliner has an upper surface surrounding an opening that aligns with at least one glass panel. A select one of a plurality of carriers and a pair of longitudinal rails protrudes down from laterally opposing sides of the peripheral structure. The other of the plurality of carriers and the pair of longitudinal rails coupled with the upper surface of the headliner proximate the opening. The plurality of connectors each have a connector slidably engaged with a select one of the pair of longitudinal rails and a resilient element biasing carrier away from the select one of the pair of longitudinal rails.
US08899669B2 Resin roof panel structure
To obtain a vehicular panel structure that can suppress changes in angles between vehicle frame members.Ribs (30) and (32) are formed in each corner portion on an undersurface side of a roof panel (28) in such a way as to straddle headers (38) and roof side rails (12). Engaging holes (34) are formed in both lengthwise direction end sides of each of the ribs (30) and (32), and weld nuts (36) disposed on the headers (38) and the roof side rails (12) are engaged with the engaging holes (34).
US08899658B1 Liftgate hinge reinforcement
A reinforcement assembly for a liftgate system includes vertical and horizontal portions. The horizontal portion includes a protuberant portion that includes a top wall configured to be affixed to an outer panel of the liftgate system, and to form a space with an inner panel of the liftgate system. The vertical portion is configured to be affixed to a vertical portion of an inner panel.
US08899654B2 Ingress/egress system and method
Embodiments provide a structure, system, and method for ingress and egress. The structure includes a frame assembly defining at least one frame aperture. A removable panel may be secured to the frame assembly and define at least one removable panel aperture configured to align within the frame aperture. At least one fastener may removably couple the panel to the frame, the fastener extending through a corresponding one of the removable panel aperture and the frame aperture.
US08899652B2 Armoring combatants' compartment in a wheeled vehicle against explosive charges
A Wheeled vehicle comprises a chassis and a combatants' compartment for protection from an explosion, where the combatants' compartment is formed with an internal space and a bottom area sector attachable to the chassis and where the compartment has a plurality of inner beams that are formed with anchoring means along their lengths and installed in the combatants compartment's inn space and a plurality of outer beams attached to the chassis, where the anchoring means pass through openings formed in the bottom area sector of the combatants' compartment and protrude outwards from it for connecting the inner beams to the outer beams.
US08899647B2 Robot hand, robot, and control method for the robot hand
A robot hand moved by a robot to grip an object to be gripped includes a plurality of bar-like placing sections on which the object to be gripped is placed, a plurality of plate-like pressing sections paired with the plurality of placing sections and configured to press side surfaces of the object to be gripped, a space adjusting section configured to move the plurality of pressing sections to bring the pressing sections into contact with a plurality of contact sections, a first strain gauge configured to detect a distance between the placing section and the pressing section and an angle of the pressing section with respect to the placing section, and a second strain gauge configured to detect a distance between the placing section and the pressing section and an angle of the pressing section with respect to the placing section.
US08899642B2 Bumper-stay mounting structure and load transmission member
A bumper-stay mounting structure includes a rear side member, a bumper stay and a load transmission member, in the bumper-stay mounting structure, a load being transmitted intensively to a lower side of a rear end portion of the rear side member, the bumper-stay mounting structure, the load transmission member having, on an inner peripheral side of a fastened portion, a protruding portion in a box shape, which protrudes toward the rear portion of the bumper stay in the vehicle longitudinal direction so as to be inserted into an opening of the bumper stay; and a side wall of the protruding portion having a substantially U-shaped cross section that is perpendicular to the vehicle longitudinal direction, is opened on a vehicle upper side, and is provided with, at a front end edge of the side wall, a flange extending outward from a side wall as the fastened portion.
US08899641B2 Automotive bumper assembly
An automotive bumper assembly and compression member for use therein. The assembly including a compression member has a first compressible region that contacts an outwardly oriented facing surface of a bodyside outer element and a second compressible region composed of a foamed polymeric material that rests in contact with an inwardly oriented surface of an outer bumper cover member. The first and second compressible regions each exhibit compressibility values with the compressibility value of the second compressible region being greater than the compressibility value of the first compressible region.
US08899638B2 Locking system for a rotatable part
The invention relates to a locking system for a rotatable part, in particular in arrangements in which two parts which can be rotated in relation to each other, for example a die and a punch in a stamping apparatus, have to be aligned exactly in relation to each other. In order to provide a positionally accurate mechanical locking system with a simple design, the invention proposes that a gearwheel (3) having an end-side and/or axially effective toothing system (4) is connected to the rotatable part (2) fixedly in terms of rotation, and that at least one toothing segment (5a-5f) which can move to and fro in the direction of the axis of rotation and/or parallel to the axis of rotation of the gearwheel is arranged over the circumference of the gearwheel, wherein the teeth or gaps between the teeth of the toothing segment and gearwheel can be brought into engagement without play.
US08899625B2 Tongue and seat belt apparatus using tongue
A tongue for a seat belt system. The tongue is configured to allow a seat belt to smoothly slide thereon at normal times and that is capable of preventing stretch of a lap belt in the event of emergency. The seat belt sliding unit includes a predetermined number of the protrusions disposed in the first and second concave portions and. The first protrusion has a flat or substantially flat end surface on the shoulder belt side, a flat or substantially flat end surface on the lap belt side, and an arc-like top end. An angle formed by the imaginary line between the topmost end of the protrusion and an arc center of an outer peripheral surface of the concave portions and the end surface on the shoulder belt side is less than an angle formed by the imaginary line and the end surface on the lap belt side.
US08899611B2 Boot retaining unit with damping
A boot retaining unit of a ski binding or snowboard binding, including at least one boot retaining element, a restoring spring for the boot retaining element, and a damping device for absorbing short, hard impacts, wherein the at least one boot retaining element and the damping device are connected via a translation mechanism, and the translation mechanism translates a deflection of the at least one boot retaining element into a larger deflection of the damping device.
US08899607B2 Reinforcing and locking device for vehicle frame
A reinforcing and locking device for vehicle frame includes a reinforcing component (2), a connecting component and an eccentric locking component, the vehicle frame comprises a beam (1) and a seat tube (3). The beam (1) can be folded into at least two segments (11, 12). A hinge axle (81), through which various segments of the vehicle beam (1) are hinged with each other, is provided vertically. The reinforcing component (2) is connected to the beam (1) and the seat tube (3). The seat tube (3) is provided with a connecting component. A front end of the reinforcing component (2) is hinged with a front segment (11) of the beam (1), and a rear end of the reinforcing component (2) is connected with the seat tube (3) through the connecting component. The reinforcing and locking device for vehicle frame has good stability, simple structure and low cost.
US08899596B2 Metal gasket
A metal gasket includes first and second metal plates laminated together to form the metal gasket, and having holes to be sealed. At least one of the first and second metal plates has a half bead surrounding the hole. A surface pressure assistance plate is located at least adjacent to the half bead between the first and second metal plates. The assistance plate has depressions and projections with respect to a thickness direction thereof in at least a peripheral part thereof.
US08899592B2 Seal
A seal is inserted into a space to be sealed. First and second end portions of the seal are engaged with first and second end surfaces of the space. The seal is compressed between the first and second end surfaces. The compression strains the seal. The strain includes the rotation of a cross-section of the seal so as to bias the seal into engagement with a surface forming one of an inboard surface and an outboard surface of the space.
US08899591B1 Dual layer target
A shooting target having two overlaid target sheets. The front sheet provides a user with a photorealistic image of a desired target object (e.g., game animal or human assailant). Behind the front sheet is another sheet having the same image thereon, but with portions of that target which represent vital organs superimposed over the appropriate portions of the target's body. Having the rear sheet that provides the user with the marksmanship feedback behind the visible target sheet provides a more realistic shooting experience by eliminating the “aim-points” of traditional targets. Further, the dual layer target produces a “souvenir” sheet that readily shows which vital organ was struck.
US08899579B2 Sheet processing apparatus and image forming apparatus
A sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus move, when stacking a sheet on a stacking tray, a supporting tray disposed to freely appear above the stacking tray to a first position in which the supporting tray projects above the stacking tray and supports the sheet stacked on an intermediate stacking tray. When these apparatuses discharge a processed sheet bundle, these apparatuses move the supporting tray from the first position to a second position in which the supporting tray supports an edge of the discharged sheet in an upstream side in a discharging direction, and guides the moving sheet bundle to a stacking wall. Further, these apparatuses move the supporting tray from the second position to a third position at predetermined timing, so that the supporting tray stops supporting the sheet bundle and stacks the sheet bundle on the sheet bundle previously stacked on the stacking tray.
US08899577B2 Medium feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus
A medium feeding apparatus includes an apparatus main body, and a medium cassette removably inserted into the apparatus main body. The medium cassette is configured to store a medium. The medium cassette includes a medium positioning unit for determining a position of the medium, and a locking unit that locks a movement of the medium positioning unit when the medium cassette is inserted into the apparatus main body and before the medium cassette reaches a predetermined position in the apparatus main body.
US08899563B2 Flexible volumetric structure
A flexible volumetric structure has a first spring that defines a three-dimensional volume and includes a serpentine structure elongatable and compressible along a length thereof. A second spring is coupled to at least one outboard edge region of the first spring. The second spring is a sheet-like structure capable of elongation along an in-plane dimension thereof. The second spring is oriented such that its in-plane dimension is aligned with the length of the first spring's serpentine structure.
US08899561B2 Flexible sleeve, gas spring assembly and method
A flexible sleeve dimensioned for securement to an associated end member for an associated gas spring assembly includes a flexible wall. An annular reinforcement member is embedded within the flexible wall. A retainment element that includes an element surface is disposed along the flexible wall such that at least the element surface is outwardly exposed. At least one gas spring piston, at least one gas spring assembly and at least one method are also included.
US08899555B2 Adjustable picket fence
A barrier is formed from at least one elongate rail and at least one vertical upright member. The elongate rail includes a web and a pair of opposed side walls which extend from the web to define a rail channel. Each upright member includes an aperture formed therein. In one implementation, a pin extending from a clip is inserted into the aperture, and the upright member, with the clip, is at least partially situated within the rail channel, wherein the clip is welded to an inside surface of the rail channel. In another implementation, a pin is inserted through the aperture, and the upright member, with the pin, is at least partially situated within the rail channel, wherein opposed ends of the pin are welded to an inside surface of the opposed side walls of the rail channel. The pin and aperture form a pivot point allowing the upright member to rotate with respect to the elongate rail. In a fence implementation, this allows the barrier to be racked in order to follow undulating terrain.
US08899548B2 Valve device for a combustion engine
The invention relates to a valve device for a combustion engine, in particular of an automobile, comprising a housing with at least two fluid connections and a hollow valve element rotatable between at least two rotational positions via a valve shaft supported rotatably in the housing, which valve element comprises at least two openings, which, depending on the rotational position of the valve element, can be connected with the fluid connections of the housing, further comprising an electromotive drive with a drive shaft for rotating the valve element, the drive shaft and the valve shaft being connected via a coupling with one another. According to the invention, the coupling connects the drive shaft and the valve shaft torque-proof with one another up to a predetermined threshold torque and releases the torque-proof connection between the drive shaft and the valve shaft above the predetermined threshold torque, so that rotation of the valve shaft relative to the drive shaft is possible.
US08899546B2 Wind blade mould including a heating system
A mold for molding a wind turbine blade, the mold comprising a mold body having a front molding surface and a rear face, the mold body having at least one tube therein for conveying a heating liquid therethrough, the at least one tube defining a plurality of laterally spaced heating elements, and a continuous layer of heat conductive material located in the thickness direction of the mold body between the plurality of laterally spaced heating elements and the front molding surface and extending laterally across the space between adjacent heating elements.
US08899531B2 Clamping device for electrical cables
A clamping device includes a first clamping member, a second clamping member, and a connecting arrangement providing on the first clamping member and the second clamping member. The connecting arrangement is configured to exert a clamping force between the first clamping member and the second clamping member, in such a manner that when the electrical cable slightly deforms due to thermal expansion and contraction, the first clamping member and the second clamping member are arranged to move with respect to each other so as to allow a slight relative movement between the first clamping member and the second clamping member for preventing unwanted damage to the electrical cable.
US08899530B2 Train direction detection via track circuits
Track circuits and constant warning time devices that can make train direction determinations using multi-frequency track impedance measurements and combinations of frequency tuned shunts.
US08899527B2 Propellant transfer system and method for resupply of propellant to on-orbit spacecraft
Herein is disclosed a propellant transfer system and method for refueling on-orbit spacecraft. The system and method are configured to allow for resupply of spacecraft configured to be fueled by either a bipropellant (oxidizer and fuel) or a monopropellant (typically hydrazine). The system and method are particularly suited for resupply of satellites not originally prepared for refueling as well but the system may also be used for as satellites specifically designed for refueling.
US08899516B2 Coaxial contra-rotating motors for differential landing gear steering
A landing gear for an aircraft has a pair of spaced wheels, and a drive and steering arrangement operable to drive each of the wheels in either rotational direction. The drive and steering arrangement includes two permanent magnet rotors, with each of the permanent magnet rotors connected to rotate with one of the wheels. A single stator is positioned to drive both of the rotors. The drive and steering arrangement is mounted between the pair of wheels.
US08899512B2 Acoustic attenuation panel for aircraft for engine nacelle
An aircraft turbojet engine air intake structure includes an air intake lip provided with a first acoustic attenuation panel which contains a structuring skin and, as an acoustic absorption material, a porous material fastened on the skin. The air intake structure also includes a pneumatic de-icing compartment defined by the lip and by an inner partition. The first acoustic attenuation panel is of the type including an open-cell porous material which is capable of resisting a temperature of up to 200° C. and having high heat conductivity.
US08899507B2 Conduit reservoir for intake of an electrical, optical or fluid conduit
A conduit reservoir for intake of an electrical or optical cable or of a hose or other conduit to conduct or transmit at least either a fluid, a signal or electric current includes a carrier that can rotate about a predetermined rotation axis, conduit devices on the carrier and a conduit path defined by the conduit devices and having a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, such that the conduit path is defined by the conduit devices in such a way that a conduit originally inserted in the second portion of the conduit path, upon a rotation of the carrier in a first rotation direction about the rotation axis, is simultaneously inserted in the first portion and in the third portion (31) of the conduit path. The conduit devices are configured to permit a movement of a conduit along the conduit path.
US08899503B2 Scissor type hammer mill
A scissor type hammer mill, mainly includes an inlet (1), hammers (2), a rotor (3), a screen (9) and a screen carriage (13) thereof, an outlet (7), a hammermill body (8), and a motor (6), and further includes a stationary hammer frame (4) and stationary hammer blades (5) provided on the stationary hammer frame (4). The stationary hammer frame is fixed on the hammermill body, and the stationary hammer blades are fixed on the stationary hammer frame, the stationary hammer blades are mounted in parallel to a rotation plane of the hammers with a distance therebetween. When the material enters into the cavity of the hammer mill, the material form a rotating material ring after being hit by the hammers, and the material is milled once again after the material ring hits the stationary hammer blade. Meanwhile, the stationary hammer blades lower the rotation speed of the material ring and change the moving direction of the material, and a component force for the movement of material towards a normal direction of the screen apertures is increased, which facilitates improving the milling efficiency, and improve the uniformity of the material to be milled.
US08899502B2 Crusher and control method for a crusher
A method for controlling the crusher, which crusher includes at least a frame, a crushing means with a cycle, as well as an actuator for moving the crushing means. In the method, at least first data is determined, which is at least one of the following: the power input in the actuator, the crushing force, the particle distribution of the crushed material produced by the crusher, or the quantity of crushed material produced by the crusher. The cycle frequency of the crushing means is controlled on the basis of the first data. The invention also relates to a crusher, in which the cycle frequency of the crushing means is adjusted according to control data from the control unit.
US08899499B2 Spray ring and reactor vessel provided with such a spray ring and a method of wetting char and/or slag in a water bath
A spray ring, for wetting char and/or slag in a water bath with a wetting fluid. The spray ring comprises a loop conduit arranged in a loop-line. The loop conduit is at an inlet point provided with an inlet for feeding the wetting fluid into the loop conduit in an inlet flow direction. The loop-line has a plurality of outlet openings for spraying the wetting fluid out of the loop conduit. The inlet flow direction has a component that is tangential to a loop-line flow direction of the wetting fluid through the loop conduit at the inlet point.
US08899491B2 Thermostatic mixer device
A thermostatic mixer device for sanitary appliances, includes: a cartridge envelope; a distributor bottom member with intake openings for cold and hot water, a delivery opening for mixed water, and elements for controlling and intercepting the delivered flow rate; a mixing member located inside the envelope, forming a cylinder, control openings and passageways for directing hot water and cold water from the intake openings to the respective control openings; a distribution slide valve, sealingly sliding in the axial direction within the cylinder of the mixing member, and cooperating with the control openings in order to partially shut the control openings in opposite senses; a thermometric element for displacing the distributing slide valve against the action of a return spring; and control elements for establishing the temperature desired for the delivered mixed water. The envelope and mixing member form, in a single piece, a sole containment and mixing member which, with its outer portions, forms the envelope containing the mixer device, with its inner portions forms the cylinder cooperating with the distribution slide valve and the control openings, and by cooperation of the outer and inner portions determines the passageways.
US08899486B2 Data carrier with a chip and a plurality of sensors
The invention relates to a data carrier (100) with a chip (10) which stores energy (13) as well as information for contact-bound or contactless inductive communication, and with a plurality of excitable chip sensors (11) integrated in the chip (10), which, after excitation (12), pass on a signal (18) to a CPU (19) of the chip (10), in which the signal (18) is processed. The invention is characterized in that, independently of storing energy (13) as well as information by the chip (10), the excitation (12) is specifically adjustable by the chip (10) for the purpose of additionally storing information and is adaptable to the requirements of processing the signal (18) in the CPU (19).
US08899480B2 Systems and methods for remaking ballots
Voter-generated ballots created using consumer-grade printers are remade to ballots scannable by specialized ballot scanners. The voter-generated ballots include a machine-readable indicia, such as a two-dimensional barcode, that encodes ballot information. The ballot information includes choices made by the voter and information for use in remaking the ballot. Voters wish to submit their votes using printouts from non-specialized printers such as those found at their homes or offices; yet election officials wish to tabulate votes using scanners that require specialized, high-quality ballots. The disclosed systems and methods bridge this gap.
US08899463B2 Surgical staple cartridges supporting non-linearly arranged staples and surgical stapling instruments with common staple-forming pockets
A surgical staple cartridge and surgical stapling instruments. In various embodiments, the surgical staple cartridge comprises a cartridge body fabricated from compressible material that supports at least one line of unformed staples therein. The staples may be oriented in linear and/or non-linear arrangements in staple lines. Various forms of staples may be used including staples that have base support members molded or otherwise attached to the base portions of the staples. The surgical stapling instrument has an anvil that is responsive to closing motions to selectively bring the anvil into forming contact with the non-moving staples in the compressible staple cartridge body. The anvil may have a common staple pocket that serves to form all of the staples in a single line of staples.
US08899460B2 Magazine assembly for nailer
A cordless nailer is provided having a magazine assembly with improved features. A pusher assembly is provided having a simplified and efficient construction. A pusher retention feature is provided that prevents the driver blade from impacting a nail pusher. A nail retention feature is provided to allow easy loading and unloading of nails into the nailer. Finally, a method of assembling the magazine assembly is provided.
US08899459B2 Breaking apparatus and breaking method for substrate made of brittle material
In a breaking operation, a substrate is moved so that a blade can be situated in line with a scribe line, and the blade is lowered to break the substrate. After the breaking, the blade is raised. Then, the substrate is moved along its surface while taking an image of the substrate by using a camera after the breaking. Moreover, the blade is lowered to break the substrate. After the breaking, the blade is raised. Then, the substrate is moved along its surface while performing image processing concurrently. After the movement of the substrate, the position of the substrate is corrected so that the following scribe line to be cut for breaking can be situated immediately below the blade. In this way, the time required for breaking the substrate formed with a multiplicity of scribe lines into pieces can be shortened.
US08899454B2 Hanger with foldable/removable hook
Disclosed herein is a hanger with a foldable/removable hook, of the type that is made up of an arched body and a projecting crook-shaped hook, provided with a base, which allows the removably hooking of said hook on said body, as well as a rotation thereof, with reference to the position of normal use thereof, from vertical to horizontal and vice versa, i.e. from perpendicular to parallel with respect to the arched body. In addition, when said hook is raised, so as to allow the hanger to assume a normal configuration, it has the same mechanical resistance of a common hanger with fixed hook.
US08899451B2 Rodless dispenser
A dispenser for viscous, extrudable materials uses a sprocket-driven push chain that is drawn from a chain magazine responsive to actuation of a user trigger. The sprocket for the chain is driven by a toothed wheel, which is driven by a first, ratcheting drive pawl, which is actuated by the trigger. A second ratcheting locking pawl prevents the toothed wheel and hence the chain sprocket from rotating backward when the trigger is released. A single “button” or actuator can be actuated by one hand of a user while the user's other hand grasps a chain retractor to pull an extended chain back to a starting position whereat the dispenser can be reloaded.
US08899449B2 Nozzle tip with slit valve for fluid dispenser
An outlet valve assembly for fluid dispenser of a type having a pump which has a pump inlet coupled to a fluid reservoir and a pump outlet includes a pump tip having a first end adapted to be coupled to the pump outlet and a second end defining a conduit extending in a flow direction therebetween. A first annular protrusion extends radially inwardly within the conduit and a resiliently deformable valve member is received within the conduit. The valve member includes a valve head portion having one or more slits defining an orifice and a peripheral valve portion bounding the valve head portion, which is retained on the first annular protrusion. A vent-resisting member is received within the conduit and includes a perforated baffle adjacent to the upstream side of the valve head portion and an axially-extending sidewall which has a distal edge engaging the peripheral valve portion.
US08899447B2 Device for storing, selecting, and metering base colors for painting, particularly automobile painting
A device (10) includes multiple containers storing different respective tints, a horizontal axis carousel carrying the containers disposed in a circumferential configuration, a support (18) for a collector receptacle (16), the carousel indexed to a delivery position where the expulsion orifice of a selected container is placed in register with the collector receptacle, with metering means controlling the expulsion of a predetermined quantity of tint into the collector receptacle, the carousel driven in permanent rotation to produce a gravity field that turns relative to the contents of the containers and that is suitable for preventing particles present in suspension in the tints from settling, the carousel has multiple cells (14) each defining a closed inside volume suitable for housing in airtight manner a flexible deformable pouch (22) containing one of the base tints, with means for pressurizing the inside volume of the cell prior to expelling the base tint.
US08899445B2 Assembly for dispensing beverage
A beverage-dispensing assembly includes a collapsible beverage container having an outlet; a pressure chamber containing the container and including a lid having an opening, the pressure chamber being operable to apply a pressure to the container; a dispensing line having an inlet end and extending through the lid opening to a dispensing tap; and a connecting element fixing the lid to the container around the outlet so as to align the lid opening with the inlet end of the dispensing line, and to fluidly connect the dispensing line inlet end with the container outlet. The connecting element may include a sealing member that closes the container outlet and a piercer connected to the inlet end of the dispensing line that is configured to pierce the sealing member to fluidly connect the inlet end of the dispensing line to the container outlet in response to the pressure applied to the container.
US08899444B2 Aseptic tubing connection for a container
An assembly for aseptic connecting of a beverage ingredient container to a beverage dispensing apparatus, having a collapsible sheath of pliable material connecting the container to the dispenser at a distance away from the container. The sheath passes through a conduit of the apparatus to provide an aseptic passageway for fluid from the container to the beverage apparatus. A protective cover houses the collapsible sheath when in a collapsed configuration, and the sheath is brought to a second configuration of an extended length to provide an inner passageway of the fluid to a distal end of the sheath positioned a distance away from the container.
US08899439B2 Pressure vessel for gaseous or liquid media
A pressure vessel 1 for storing a liquid or gaseous medium, having a core vessel 2, a support jacket 3 arranged at least partially around the core vessel, an opening 4 arranged on one side of the pressure vessel, and a valve body 5, arranged at least partially in the opening 4, for open-loop control and/or closed-loop control of the discharging and/or filling of the pressure vessel 1. The valve body 5 is provided as a single piece in the region of the opening 4 and is arranged between the core vessel 2 and the support jacket 3 in such a way that the valve body 5 can be fixed in its position, at least partially, by the core vessel 2 and the support jacket 3.
US08899428B2 Wine bottle with the wine in permanent contact with the cork
A bottle including a main body and a bottle neck which accommodates a cap, where the bottle neck includes interior walls in contact with the cap and exterior walls not in contact with the cap. At least part of the exterior walls is located inside the bottle. When the bottle is filled with wine and the bottle is in vertical position, the fill level of wine reaches a point of the exterior walls of the bottle neck that is inside the bottle, causing the wine to be in permanent contact with the cap. Therefore, the construction allows for the possibility of not having to store the bottle in horizontal position to guarantee the correct conservation of the wine and the cork.
US08899426B2 Half rack
A half rack includes a main section having a primary platform area, a secondary platform area, a side support edge, and a cutout portion. The half rack further includes a removable section adapted to be removably secured to the main section, wherein a frame of the main section includes a rear crossbar, and an elongated stiffener is provided across a portion of the primary platform area and a portion of the secondary platform area and coupled to the rear crossbar to provide strength to the main section. The main section of the half rack can include flattened areas on first and second side edges of the main section.
US08899412B2 Multicomponent cartridge for single use
A multicomponent cartridge designed for single use includes a first storage chamber for a first component and a second storage chamber for a second component. The first storage chamber being separate from the second storage chamber. The first storage chamber is arranged coaxially around the second storage chamber and forms a ring space, with a first piston being movably received in the first storage chamber and a second piston being movably received in the second storage chamber. The first and second pistons are movable by means of a plunger to dispense the two components simultaneously. The plunger is held in a housing element (and a guide element is provided to guide the first piston in the first storage chamber and to guide the second piston in the second storage chamber, with the housing element including an engagement element which can be brought into engagement with the guide element.
US08899404B2 Adaptable screening checkpoint
The present disclosure provides systems, methods, and devices for efficient passenger belonging screening at security checkpoints. In certain embodiments, the present invention provides systems, methods, and devices for tracking, analyzing, and collecting information in order to improve efficiency at security checkpoints.
US08899398B2 Apparatus and method for water bottle return
An apparatus and method for receiving a recyclable product is disclosed herein. In one embodiment the apparatus includes: a structure defining an interior cavity, the structure having a plurality of walls; a bottle return mechanism for determining when a bottle has been received within the interior cavity, comprising: an elongated cylinder providing a passage into the interior cavity, the elongated cylinder having an inlet opening proximate to an exterior of the enclosed structure and an outlet opening proximate to the interior cavity; a bottle return mechanism configured to provide an output when a bottle has been inserted into the elongated cylinder; and a dispensing rack secured to one of the walls of the enclosure.
US08899396B2 Clutch device
A clutch device includes; i) a clutch mechanism including a friction engagement member capable of rotating relative to a rotating member and a clutch member that is supplied with restoration force in a direction in which the clutch member departs from the friction engagement member by a restoration spring; and ii) a cam mechanism including; a cam member that is arranged in parallel to the clutch mechanism along a rotation axis line of the rotating member and that is incapable of rotating relative to the rotating member; and a cam follower capable of rolling on a cam surface that exists between the cam member and the clutch member. The cam angle is set to make torque applied to the clutch member due to reaction force accompanied by friction engagement with the friction engagement member larger than torque applied to the clutch member by thrust force caused by an activation of the cam mechanism.
US08899395B2 Selectable one-way torque transmitting device using control rail
A torque transmitting device for use in an automotive transmission is provided. The device includes a first annular race and a second annular race disposed concentrically around the first annular race. First and second locking elements are pivotally connected to one of the first and second annular races. The first locking element is moveable to rotationally fix the first annular race to the second annular race in a first rotational direction to transfer torque therebetween. The second locking element is moveable to rotationally fix the first annular race to the second annular race in a second rotational direction to transfer torque therebetween, where the second rotational direction is opposite the first rotational direction. A control rail is disposed adjacent to the first and second annular races. The control rail has indentations formed therein and is moveable to allow the torque transmitting device to be selectively engaged.
US08899385B2 Systems for retarding the speed of a railcar
Systems for retarding the speed of a railcar comprise: a brake; a hydraulic actuator moving the brake between a closed position in which the brake applies braking pressure on a wheel of the railcar and an open position in which the brake does not apply braking pressure on the wheel of the rail car; a hydraulic circuit comprising a first manifold and a second manifold; a pump configured to pump hydraulic fluid into at least one of the first manifold and the second manifold; and a logic element controlling pressure of the fluid in the first manifold such that when the wheel enters the brake and forces the brake towards the open position. The logic element reacts to maintain a selected pressure in the first manifold, thus causing a selected braking pressure to be applied by the brake on the wheel of the railcar.
US08899384B2 Electronic brake assembly for a bicycle
An electronic brake device for use with a wheel of a bicycle provides, among other features, wireless, remote disengagement of a wheel brake. A brake coupled to a housing is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. The housing includes a receiver configured to receive a command signal, and a processor operative to identify the received command signal. If the command signal is identified as a first command signal, the processor outputs a first control signal. An electric motor is operatively coupled to the brake to selectively move the brake from the engaged position in which the wheel of the bicycle is being braked to the disengaged position in which the wheel of the bicycle is free of any brake contact in response to the first control signal. Measured movement of the brakes between fully braked or fully disengaged positions are possible in the disclosed arrangement.
US08899383B2 Elevator door monitor and drive safety apparatus
A safety apparatus for elevator apparatuses which can move a cab by way of a drive, including: a first safety circuit, which has a closed conduction state and an open conduction state, with an interrupting apparatus for interrupting the drive depending on the conduction state of the first safety circuit, a safety device, which includes at least two sensors, which can be switched between at least two switching states depending on the closing state of the elevator door. In order to be able to improve the susceptibility to maintenance, a switching unit is provided which can be switched between at least two switching states by connection to the safety device and is designed to effect the closed and/or open conduction state of the first safety circuit.
US08899379B2 Mason's adjustable chimney-platform arrangement
An adjustable platform assembly for supporting workers and supplies about an elevated work site, the platform assembly being movably supported on an articulable support, the platform comprising a stationary rear bridging panel arrangement having an elongated side platform member comprising a floor and railing assembly at each end thereof, wherein each elongated side platform member floor and railing assembly is independently movable on support members forwardly, rearwardly, transversely and angularly with respect to the bridging panel arrangement, to change the platform assembly back and forth between a generally “H” shape to a generally “U” shape, or any skewed combination thereof, as required.
US08899378B2 Compressor intake muffler and filter
A compressor assembly having a high velocity muffler system which produces a particle-free compressor pump feed while reducing noise output from the compressor assembly during compressing operations. The high velocity muffler system is maintenance-free and comprises an inertia filter. The compressor assembly uses a method for producing a compressor pump feed and reducing noise during compressing operations by processing a gas through the high velocity muffler system which has an inertia filter and a muffler chamber to produce a compressor pump feed which can be compressed by a pump assembly.
US08899372B1 Air spring linearizing suspension
A suspension system for a motor vehicle including a frame assembly; a differential supported on the frame assembly; a wheel hub connected to each of two half shaft assemblies engaging the differential and being pivotally connected to the frame assembly; and at least one air spring operatively positioned between the frame assembly and each of the wheel hubs. The air springs are connected to a rotating linkage which maintains a substantially linear axis of compression for the air springs.
US08899370B1 Casing for housing occupant protection device control unit
A casing for housing an occupant protection device control unit is mounted to a vehicle body. The casing is composed of a metallic base mounted on the vehicle body with its plate surfaces facing upward and downward, respectively, and a main body that is put on and mounted on the base. The base has a lock portion that is deformable according to a deformation of the vehicle body caused by a collision load from a vehicle front. The lock portion, when deformed, causes a front portion of the base to be locked with at least a part of a front wall of the main body.
US08899359B1 Locomotion system for robotic snake
At least one serpentine body is provided for traversing an area under a flexible object. The serpentine body has a front end that is selectively positionable in a desired direction and a plurality of portions. The portions include a first portion and a second portion positioned aft of the first portion. The serpentine body traverses an area when the first portion is in a first configuration and the second portion is in a second configuration.
US08899356B2 Drill bits, cutting elements for drill bits, and drilling apparatuses including the same
A roof-bolt drill bit may have a forward end, a rearward end, and a rotational axis extending between the forward end and the rearward end. A cutting element for the roof-bolt drill bit may include a cutting face and a peripheral surface extending around an outer periphery of the cutting face. The cutting element may include at least one chamfer region and a peripherally extending chamfer extending from the at least one chamfer region along the outer periphery of the cutting element, a width of the at least one chamfer region being greater than a width of the peripherally extending chamfer.
US08899354B1 Drill bit with a flow interrupter
A drill bit is disclosed, comprising: a drill bit head having a cutting face with one or more fixed cutting elements; a flow passage extending through the drill bit head to the cutting face; a flow interrupter within the drill bit head and positioned to interrupt flow of fluid through the flow passage; and a power section connected to drive the flow interrupter and cause, in operation, variable flow of fluid through the flow passage. A method of drilling is also disclosed comprising: flowing fluid through a flow passage extending through a drill bit head to a cutting face of the drill bit head, the cutting face having one or more fixed cutting elements; and driving a flow interrupter within the drill bit head with a power section to interrupt the flow of fluid through the flow passage and cause variable flow of fluid through the flow passage.
US08899343B2 Replacing contiguous breakpoints with control words
In an embodiment, a first execution path in a program is determined that has been executed a largest number of times, as compared to at least one other path in the program. Swapped instructions are replaced in the program with breakpoints, wherein the swapped instructions are not on the first execution path. The breakpoints that are not on the first execution path and that are contiguous to each other are replaced in the program with a control word.
US08899327B2 Method for recovering hydrocarbons using cold heavy oil production with sand (CHOPS) and downhole steam generation
A method for recovering oil from a reservoir comprises performing a first CHOPS process in one or more first wells, performing a second CHOPS process in one or more second wells that are laterally offset from the first wells, and injecting gas and/or steam into the one or more second wells after the CHOPS processes are at least partially completed. A plurality of channels that extend from the one or more first and second wells may be created as a result of the CHOPS processes. The gas and/or steam may be injected into the channels of the one or more second wells via a downhole steam generator that is located in the one or more second wells. The gas and/or steam may form a gas and/or steam front that drives reservoir products into the channels of the one or more first wells. The reservoir products may be recovered to the surface through the one or more first wells.
US08899326B2 Oil recovery process
An oil recovery process entails recovering an oil-water mixture from an oil bearing formation and separating the oil-water mixture to produce an oil product and produced water. The produced water includes suspended and dissolved solids and is subjected to treatment which removes suspended and dissolved solids therefrom. The treated water is then directed to a forced circulation steam generator that includes a furnace having a burner, water cooled walls and an evaporator unit. The treated water is pumped through the water cooled walls and the evaporator unit. The water passing through the water cooled walls and evaporator unit are heated to produce approximately 10% to approximately 30% quality steam in both the water cooled walls and the evaporator unit. The steam is collected and separated from a water-steam mixture to produce high quality steam, on the order of 95% or greater quality steam. This steam constitutes injection steam which is injected into an injection well to facilitate the recovery of the oil-water mixture.
US08899324B2 Methods and apparatus to sample heavy oil in a subterranean formation
A method for sampling fluid in a subterranean formation includes reducing a viscosity of the fluid, pressurizing a portion of the subterranean formation, and collecting a fluid sample. Specifically, a viscosity of the fluid in a portion of the subterranean formation is reduced and a portion of the subterranean formation is pressurized by injecting a displacement fluid into the subterranean formation. A sample of the fluid pressurized by the displacement fluid is then collected.
US08899323B2 Modular pumpouts and flowline architecture
Modular pumpouts and flowline architecture are described. An example apparatus includes a downhole tool to sample fluid from a subterranean formation, and a plurality of fluidly coupled pump modules disposed on the downhole tool. Each of the pump modules includes: a pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet, where the pump inlet is coupled to a first flowline; a first valve assembly having first, second and third ports, wherein the first port is coupled to the first flowline, the second port is coupled to the pump outlet, and the third port is coupled to the first flowline; and a second flowline not fluidly coupled to the first valve assembly or the pump.
US08899320B2 Well perforating with determination of well characteristics
A formation testing method can include interconnecting multiple pressure sensors and multiple perforating guns in a perforating string, the pressure sensors being longitudinally spaced apart along the perforating string, firing the perforating guns and the pressure sensors measuring pressure variations in a wellbore after firing the perforating guns. Another formation testing method can include interconnecting multiple pressure sensors and multiple perforating guns in a perforating string, firing the perforating guns, thereby perforating a wellbore at multiple formation intervals, each of the pressure sensors being positioned proximate a corresponding one of the formation intervals, and each pressure sensor measuring pressure variations in the wellbore proximate the corresponding interval after firing the perforating guns.
US08899319B2 Automated systems and methods for make-up and break-out of tubulars
An automated tubular handling system adapted to make-up or break-out tubulars that includes a rotary drive adapted to operatively grip a tubular to be connected to or disconnected from a tubular string, a controller adapted to receive and process data indicative of a rotation, torque, and minimum time value associated with a make-up or a break-out of the tubular string, and a user interface adapted to convey the received data, the predetermined values, or both, of the tubular make-up or break-out to an operator. The controller compares the rotation, torque, and minimum time values to acceptable predetermined values to determine when the make-up or the break-out is complete. Automated methods are also disclosed.
US08899313B2 Cutting unit of a hydromechanical slot perforator
A cutting unit for a slot-type perforator is mounted in a casing having a specific edge, driven by a piston or plunger. The cutting unit includes cutting tools associated with a first holder immovable relative to the piston, and a second holder, including a recess, cooperating with the casing's edge, immovable relative to the casing. The holders move relative to each other causing extending and retracting the cutting tools in opposite directions, during piston's movements. The cutting unit includes a retractable mechanism to bring its parts into a transportation position and to fix them therein. The retractable mechanism includes a guide groove made in the second holder, and a connecting rod attached to the first holder. The rod moves through the groove ensuring the return of the second holder into the transportation position, wherein it is fixed absent pressure upon the piston, caused by interaction of the edge and recess.
US08899312B2 Plate heat exchanger
A plate heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat exchanger plates provided beside each other to form a plate package with first plate interspaces for a first medium and second plate interspaces for a second medium. The first and second plate interspaces are provided in an alternating order in the plate package. A number of portholes extend through the plate package and form first inlet and outlet channels arranged to convey the first medium into and out from the first plate interspaces. An insert element is provided in one of the portholes for the first medium. The insert element comprises an annular body, an annular flange, projecting from the annular body and provided between two of the heat exchanger plates in the plate package.
US08899309B2 Ventilation device
A first element and a second element are disposed in postures such that the length directions of the elements are parallel to each other. The first element is disposed in a posture such that a pair of opposing surfaces where a longitudinal flow passage is open is parallel to one main plate. The second element is disposed in a posture such that a pair of opposing surfaces where a longitudinal flow passage is open is parallel to the one main plate. A mixing flow passage formed as a result of the first element and the second element being disposed with a gap therebetween in a facing direction of side plates is provided between a transverse flow passage of the first element and a transverse flow passage of the second element.
US08899294B2 Labelling machine for sleeve labels
A labeling machine has a carrousel having a frame at the periphery of which a plurality of mandrels are rotatably mounted, and, at angularly spaced positions around the carrousel, object feeding means, label feeding means and object removing means. Each mandel receives a label strip from the label feeding means, winds it around the body of the mandrel so that a leading end and a trailing end of the label strip overlap. The leading and trailing ends of the label strip are sealed to form a sleeve label. The label strips are sealed by heat sealing means which include a pulse heating bar.
US08899291B2 Laminating apparatus
A laminating apparatus is provided which causes a resin film to completely conform to protruding and recessed portions of a substrate, and which makes the film thickness of the conforming resin film uniform on a stricter level. To this end, the laminating apparatus includes a laminating mechanism including: an enclosed space forming receiver capable of receiving a provisionally laminated body therein; and a pressure laminator for applying pressure to the provisionally laminated body in non-contacting relationship in an enclosed space formed by the enclosed space forming receiver to form an end laminated body from the provisionally laminated body.
US08899285B2 Fuel tank opening and closing device
A fuel tank opening-closing device is equipped with a flap valve mechanism 20 and an opening-closing activation mechanism. The opening-closing activation mechanism comprises a nozzle detection mechanism that has a first detection parts and a second detection parts. The first detection parts are linked with the locking member and the locked part so as to move the lock engaging part and the locked engagement part while maintaining each of the overlap widths within the preset range, being pressed by the end of the fueling nozzle. The second detection parts are linked to the locking member so as to move from the locked position to the unlocked position by releasing the overlap width by being pressed by the end of the fueling nozzle.
US08899279B2 Method for compressing gaseous fuel for fuelling vehicle and device for implementation thereof
This present invention relates to a preparation of gaseous fuel (natural gas for example) for its further transfer under pressure to fuel tank of a vehicle 22. This object is achieved by a method for compressing gas by alternate transfer of gas into two vertically arranged compressing vessels 1 and 2, its compression and forcing into high-pressure vessels by filling the compressing vessels 1 and 2 with working fluid 30 under pressure by means of a hydraulic drive 5. A novelty of this method lies in that, each cycle of gas 29 compressing and its forcing out of the compressing vessels 1 and 2 is performed until these vessels are fully filled with the working fluid 30 contained in the compressing vessels 1 and 2 and alternately forced out of one compressing vessel into the other in response to a signal sent by fluid-level sensor 4.
US08899277B2 Manufacturing method of medical textiles woven from chitosan containing high wet modulus rayon fibre
An anti-“Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)” chitosan containing antibacterial High Wet Modulus (HWM) rayon fiber textile for medical usage is made of the steps as following: chitin flakes made from natural shrimp or crab shells are deacetylated to generate chitosan with a high deacetylation degree of 90% or more. Next chitosan is dissolved in acetic acid and regenerated by caustic soda to form a chitosan antibacterial nanoparticles slurry, then added to HWM viscose rayon process, and spinning to produce a chitosan containing antibacterial HWM rayon fiber. The antibacterial amino groups of chitosan and the hydroxyl groups of rayon cellulose combine together via hydrogen bonding. Therefore, the fiber becomes the anti-MRSA antibacterial HWM rayon fiber containing amino groups (—NH3+). Finally the resulting HWM rayon fiber is conducted via a yarn spinning or/and weaving process to procure a medical textile with chitosan content.
US08899273B2 Inflatable device for blocking chimney flues or other ducts
An inflatable device for blocking a chimney flue or other duct is in the form of a plastics bag 1 having an inflation tube 2 that opens through the wall of the bag 1 into a flexible, tubular sleeve 4 that is sealed circumferentially to the bag-wall at each of its opposite ends 5,6 within the bag 1. The sleeve 4 is vented into the bag 1 via diametrically-opposed apertures 7 mid-way between its ends 5,6 so that on inflation of the bag 1 the sleeve 4 limits distention of the bag 1 longitudinally of the sleeve 4 to a flatish form. The bag 1 is constructed of two plastics sheets 8,9 that are sealed together in a peripheral rim 10 with the two ends 5,6 of the sleeve 4 sealed centrally to the two sheets 8,9 respectively, and with an open end of the inflation tube 2 sealed through the bag-wall centrally within one end 5 of the sleeve 4. The rim 10 of the bag 1 is bowed inwardly to allow for limited ventilation of the otherwise-blocked chimney flue or duct.
US08899266B2 Fluid displacement reservoir
A transmission is provided including a sump at least partially defining a sump volume and operable to contain a fluid. The transmission further includes a hydraulic pump. An inlet tube is disposed at least partially within the fluid and is operable to communicate the fluid from the sump volume to the hydraulic pump. A fluid displacement reservoir defining a reservoir volume and disposed at least partially within the sump volume is also provided. The fluid displacement reservoir is operable to selectively displace or impede the movement of at least a portion of the fluid when the fluid within the transmission is subject to acceleration, such that the amount of the fluid required within the sump volume to maintain the inlet tube disposed within the fluid is reduced. The fluid displacement reservoir is also operable to selectively contain or receive at least a portion of the fluid.
US08899264B2 Gas valve with electronic proof of closure system
This disclosure relates generally to valves, and more particularly, to gas valve assemblies. In one illustrative but non-limiting example, a valve assembly may include a valve body having an interior and an exterior, a valve or valve sealing member positioned in the valve body, a sensor element (e.g., a magnet and/or a ferrous core) secured relative to the valve sealing member and a sensor (e.g., a magnetic field sensor) positioned outside of the interior of the valve body. The valve sealing member may be movable between an opened position and a closed position, and the sense element may move with the valve sealing member. The sensor may be configured to detect a position of the valve sealing member and communicate that position to a valve controller.
US08899263B2 Return line connector
The invention relates to a fuel injection system having a return line connector, having a return inlet and at least two return outlets. To improve the service life of the fuel injection system, a check valve device, which prevents the passage of a fluid from the return outlets to the return inlet is integrated with the return line connector. A return line connector is provided for each fuel injector in the fuel injection system.
US08899262B2 Tamper-resistant valve and connection arrangement
A gas cylinder valve 2 is able to be opened by application of a pilot gas pressure. In certain embodiments the gas cylinder valve 2 is usable with a yoke 8 for engaging with a valve assembly of a gas cylinder 1, the yoke comprising a pilot gas passage 28 able to connect a pilot gas chamber 37 in the cylinder valve assembly to a source of pressurized pilot gas and the cylinder gas port of the gas cylinder valve to an external cylinder gas passage. The valve and yoke enable the tamper-resistance of a gas cylinder to be improved.
US08899257B2 Disc assembly for a valve and method of making the same
A shutoff valve, e.g., an engine shutoff valve, is provided which includes a valve body having a fluid, e.g., air, passage and a disc assembly. The disc assembly is pivotable within the fluid passage from an open position to provide for free flow of fluid through the passage, to a closed position to provide a substantially closed off the fluid passage. The disc assembly includes a front disc, a rear disc, and a seal, e.g., a spring energized PTFE seal, disposed between the front disc and the rear disc. The front disc is permanently secured, e.g., welded, soldered or brazed, to the rear disc such that the seal is captured between the front disc and the rear disc.
US08899253B1 Lock-N-leave picnic table cover system
A picnic table cover system, Lock-N-Leave Coverall™, that can be locked to a picnic table and provide a lockable storage volume for picnic articles and personal items thus protecting them from possible theft while also protecting them from flying insects, pests and ambient weather.
US08899250B1 Tiltable sunshade
A tiltable sunshade (12) includes a pole (111) rotatably receiving a rod (573) around which a helical spring (579) is mounted. The helical spring (579) can be rotated by operating a handle (213) to cause movement of a follower (599) in the pole (111) between a folded position and an unfolded position and an optional tilted position to fold ribs (451), unfold the ribs (451), and optionally tilt the ribs (451), respectively. When the follower (599) is in the unfolded position or the tilted position, if a canopy (475), the ribs (475), or stretchers (451) of the tiltable sunshade (12) is subjected to an external force causing the runner (297) to move along the longitudinal axis of the pole (111), the helical spring (579) is compressed by the follower (599) and undergoes elastic deformation, providing a buffering effect to the external force.
US08899249B2 Lifting device for umbrella
A lifting device for an umbrella includes a base, a plurality of fixing seats secured on the base, a plurality of movable members each movably mounted in the respective fixing seat, a pressing module movably mounted on the base and pressing the movable members, a threaded rod mounted on the base and connected with the pressing module, and a drive handle connected with the threaded rod. The pressing module includes a driven rod and two pressing rods. Each of the pressing rods is provided with a straight pressing portion that is movable to press the respective movable member and at least one recessed release portion that is movable to receive the respective movable member. Thus, each of the movable members is rotatable freely so that the lifting device is moved on the ground easily.
US08899242B2 Eyes make-up application machine
An eye make-up application machine is provided, which includes a cosmetics provider in an eyeshade. The control device can control the cosmetics provider to move to a make-up application utility into position in order to spray or apply cosmetic materials to a contour corresponding to a human eye. Thus, the invention can provide an automatic make-up application utility for variously and accurately carrying out a makeup-application on eyes selected or emulated by one or more users. An eye contour image in the invention can be provided by an internal or external storage device or image recognition device. A plurality of makeup-application profiles can be provided by an internal or external storage device or be edited by the user as an option.
US08899235B2 Tracheal tube connector devices and methods
Various embodiments of tracheostomy tube assemblies including a cannula, a cap, and a flange are provided. The cannula includes a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end being adapted to be inserted into a patient's trachea. The annular cap includes an annular body having a first surface adapted to be received into the proximal end of the cannula to retain a portion of the cap in the annular body. The flange member includes a second surface that engages the proximal end of the cannula such that the proximal end of the cannula is retained between the second surface of the flange member and the first surface of the annular cap. The flange member also includes a third surface adapted to engage an inner surface of the annular body of the annular cap to retain the flange member between the annular cap and the proximal end of the cannula.
US08899228B2 Combination pressure therapy for treatment of chronic pain
A method according to an embodiments includes administering at least two Cyclic Variations in Altitude Condition (CVAC) sessions to a mammal disposed in a pressure vessel unit. The at least two CVAC sessions each have a duration of at least twenty minutes. The at least two CVAC sessions each include a start point of ambient pressure at a delivery site, an end point of ambient pressure at the delivery site, and a plurality of atmospheric pressure targets executed between the start point and the end point. The administering is configured to treat at least one of loss of sensation and chronic pain.
US08899226B2 Apparatus for drawing a cryogenic liquid from a container
An apparatus or system is provided for withdrawing a cryogenic liquid from a container. The liquid may be drawn from the container independent of the orientation of the container. The apparatus includes a conduit having a flexible metallic hose portion and a metallic head. The flexible hose portion has a first end in fluid communication with an outlet portal of the container and a second end to which the head is attached.
US08899224B2 Submergible combustion burner
A burner apparatus includes a first tube having a first longitudinal bore and a second tube having a second longitudinal bore. The second tube is disposed within the first longitudinal bore such that an annular space is defined between the second tube and the first tube. The burner apparatus further includes a nozzle formed at a tip of the second tube. A plurality of side holes are formed in the nozzle. The side holes are slanted relative to a longitudinal axis of the nozzle and are in communication with the second longitudinal bore.
US08899222B2 Cook stove assembly
A combustion chamber, having an upper part and a lower part, may include an annular constriction, in combination with the combustion chamber, to aid in directing partially combusted gases such as carbon monoxide away from the periphery of the combustion chamber back toward its center, and into the flame front. The annular constriction may also impede the flow of partially combusted gases located at the periphery, thus increasing the time these gases spend within the combustion chamber and increasing the likelihood that any products of incomplete combustion will undergo combustion. The combustion chamber may further comprise a dual burner cooktop for directing combustion gases and exhaust to multiple cooking vessels. In further embodiments, the combustion chamber may be made of, lined, or clad with a metal alloy comprising iron, chromium, and aluminum.
US08899220B2 Archery apparatus, system, and method with automatic device activation
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for automatically activating and/or controlling one or more accessory devices for an archery apparatus, including circuitry for automatically activating and/or controlling one or more electrical or electronic accessory devices in response to, for example, the bow string of the archery apparatus being drawn. The electrical or electronic accessory devices can include a sight light, a stabilizing light, a spot light, a video recorder, a photographic camera, an audio enhancement pickup, a fishing reel, a range finder, sights, a lighted quiver, and a game call.
US08899218B2 Shooting bow
A trigger assembly for a crossbow or other weapon system. The trigger assembly includes a trigger arm coupled between a trigger and a sear. The trigger arm is not parallel to the line of fire, thereby allowing for increased mechanical advantage and a smoother, safer trigger pull. The trigger assembly incorporates various safety measures, including a dry fire mechanism which prevents the unintentional damaging and potentially dangerous release of the bowstring before an arrow is positioned on the rail of the crossbow. The trigger assembly allows for various adjustments to vary the trigger length and pull, while maintaining smoothness and preventing the unintentional or inadvertent release of the bowstring.
US08899216B2 Machine for launching targets with improved contact surfaces
A machine for launching disk-shaped targets has two faces located on each side of an edge. The machine includes means for loading a target into a launch area, an arm for launching the target placed in the launch area and a surface guiding the target by means of contact with at least one of the aforementioned faces thereof. The guiding surface has at least one portion wherein the areas that come into contact with the face of the target are not continuous. The machine is particularly suitable for shooting practice, such as archery.
US08899210B2 Drive circuit for electromagnetic fuel-injection valve
A drive circuit for driving an electromagnetic fuel-injection valve, the drive circuit varying an application sequence of a drive voltage, which is supplied from a step-up power supply to a fuel-injection valve for conducting injection multiple times in a single stroke of an internal-combustion engine, between the first injection and the second and subsequent injections, and setting the application sequence such that the consumption of power from the step-up power supply in the first injection becomes smaller than the power consumption in one of the second and subsequent injections.
US08899208B2 Internal combustion engine piston having axially extending cooling bores
The present invention relates to a piston (10) for an internal combustion engine, comprising a piston head (11) and a piston skirt (16), wherein the piston head (11) has a circumferential ring part (15) and a circumferential cooling channel (23) in the region of the ring part (15), wherein the piston skirt (16) has piston bosses (17), which are provided with boss bores (18) and which are arranged on the underside (11a) of the piston head (11) by means of boss connections (19), wherein the piston bosses (17) are connected to each other by means of running surfaces (21, 22). According to the invention, at least one axial bore (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d), which is closed to the outside and which is arranged between a running surface (21, 22) and a boss bore (18), is provided inside a piston boss (17), the at least one bore (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) opens into the cooling channel (23), and the cooling channel (23) and the at least one bore (24a, 24b, 24c, 24d) contain a filling (27) of sodium and/or potassium.
US08899207B2 Cylinder head for an engine
A cylinder head for an engine is provided comprising a monolithic structure forming an upper deck, a fire deck, at least one coolant jacket and a cavity to accommodate a fuel injector or an ignitor therein, the cavity defined by a wall connecting the fire deck with the upper deck. The wall connecting the fire deck with the upper deck, as well as other features of the cylinder head, are preferably arranged to support the fire deck against a deflection thereof by transmitting a mechanical load introduced on a flame face of the fire deck to the upper deck. A method of increasing the stiffness of the cylinder head is also provided.
US08899201B2 One way clutch with vibration damper for an engine starting system
A starting system for a hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft rotatably supported within an engine block. The starting system includes a pinion gear driven by a starter motor, a drive plate having a set of teeth in constant meshed engagement with the pinion gear, and a one-way clutch. The one-way clutch is adapted to selectively drivingly interconnect the drive plate and the crankshaft. The clutch includes an inner race adapted to be fixed for rotation with the crankshaft, an outer race coupled for rotation with the drive plate, and a plurality of roller elements positioned radially therebetween. A fastener couples the drive plate to the outer race and compresses an elastomeric damper between the drive plate and the outer race.
US08899197B2 Valve-timing control apparatus for internal combustion engine
A valve-timing control apparatus includes a drive rotator configured to receive a rotation from a crankshaft; a driven rotator fixed to a cam shaft; and an electric motor. The electric motor includes a stator fixed to the driven rotator, a rotor that rotates relative to the stator, a coil provided to at least one of the stator and the rotor, and a motor output shaft fixed to the rotor. The valve-timing control apparatus further includes a speed-reduction mechanism; a slip ring provided to one of the drive rotator and a fixed member, and configured to feed power to the coil; a power-feeding brush provided to another of the drive rotator and the fixed member, and abutting on the slip ring; a detection-target section provided to one of the fixed member and the motor output shaft, and located on an inner circumferential side beyond a contact portion between the slip ring and the power-feeding brush; and a detecting section provided to another of the fixed member and the motor output shaft, and configured to detect a rotational position of the motor output shaft by detecting a position of the detection-target section.
US08899189B2 Pressure-applying garment for animals
A garment to reduce an animal's anxiety, fearfulness, overexcitement, or a combination thereof. The garment may include a central portion, flaps extending from opposite sides of the central portion, and, in some cases, a cinching member that extends from a central area of the central portion. The flaps may be fastened together around the chest and stomach of the animal, and the cinching member may be fastened to the central portion or one or more flaps to tighten the garment further, applying pressure to reduce anxiety, fearfulness, or over-excitement. Straps may be provided to secure the garment to the animal's neck. One material that may be used in making the garment is a fabric made of 55% cotton, 35% polyester, and 10% spandex. The animal may generally be any animal with four legs, for example, a dog or cat, or two arms and two legs, for example, a monkey.
US08899185B2 Positioning device
The present invention relates to a positioning device (10) that encourages animals to stand in a desired position to enable efficient and effective treatment of a part of their body. The positioning device (10) of the invention may optionally comprise one or more spraying nozzles (56) adapted for spraying the teats of the animal with a treatment chemical either pre- or post-milking.
US08899182B2 Pet fountain assembly
A pet drinking fountain assembly having a pump forming part of a fountain mounting arrangement that includes a lift tube coupling a cover to the pump coupled to a lower basin by a mount. The mount and lift tube attenuate pump noise and vibration by providing isolation from the basin and cover and can function as dampeners. In a preferred embodiment the pump is part of a pump module that includes a module housing to which the pump is attached by another noise-attenuating mount. Each mount is formed by one or more suction cups with the cups and lift tube made of vibration dampening material, such as a resilient vibration dampening or isolating material that can be an elastomeric material. The module includes a lift tube coupling discharge that registers in fluid flow communication with a pump outlet and can include a ring or bushing therebetween providing additional noise attenuation.
US08899173B2 Nozzle for adhesive coater
A nozzle assembly configured to form one or more adhesive lines extending in a machine direction on an upper surface of a fibrous web continuously running in the machine direction has first, second and third working regions arranged in this order from upstream toward downstream in the machine direction. The first working region is adapted to come in close contact with the fibrous web fully in a width direction of the fibrous web. The second working region including first partitioning regions is arranged intermittently in a cross direction orthogonal to the machine direction and adhesive outlets each defined between each pair of the adjacent first partitioning regions. The third working region includes second partitioning regions arranged intermittently in the cross direction downstream of the first partitioning regions and stepped regions each defined between each pair of the adjacent second partitioning regions.
US08899170B2 Object locating apparatuses
An illustrative embodiment of an object locating apparatus includes a cartridge having a cartridge interior; a float in the cartridge interior; a float attachment line attached to the float and the cartridge; a water-dissolvable float retainer tablet retained in the cartridge interior; a cartridge cap in the cartridge interior; and a spring normally sandwiched and compressed between the cartridge cap and the float retainer tablet and adapted to expand and push the float from the container interior upon dissolving of the float from the retainer tablet.
US08899168B1 Motor box with integrated steps and platform
The present invention provides a motor box for a sea-faring vessel, comprising a skirt, a lid, and a lid cushion. The lid is pivotably attached to the skirt and the lid cushion is pivotably attached to the lid. Accordingly, the lid opens to provide access to the inboard motor of which the motor box encases. The lid cushion pivots to reveal the top surface of the lid, which may be textured. The forward side of the skirt and the lid include a step which allows a user to step onto and over the motor box for easier ingress/egress. An aft step may be disposed adjacent to the aft of the motor box at the transom to provide additional footing when stepping off of or onto the motor box.
US08899164B2 Embroidery frame transport device and sewing machine
An embroidery frame transport device includes a carriage, a first drive portion, a drive switching portion, and a rotary drive portion. The carriage is provided with an embroidery frame that is rotatable. The first drive portion includes a first transport mechanism and a first drive source. The first transport mechanism transports the carriage in a first direction. The first drive source drives the first transport mechanism. The drive switching portion shuts off transmission of drive power to the first transport mechanism from the first drive source when the first drive portion transports the carriage to a specified position in the first direction. The rotary drive portion causes the embroidery frame to rotate using the drive power of the first drive source, in a state in which the transmission of the drive power from the first drive source to the first transport mechanism is shut off by the drive switching portion.
US08899157B2 Aerial transport installation with back-and-forth movement and multiple sections
An aerial transport installation with back-and-forth movement includes two carrying-hauling ropes extending in two individual closed loops between two end terminals separated from one another by an intermediate station which is provided with a double pulley. The latter is provided with two grooves having different groove root diameters, such that the ratio of the diameters is equal to the ratio respectively of the axial distance between the first bull-wheel and the double pulley and of the axial distance between the second bull-wheel and the double pulley. The speeds of the vehicles are also different in the two loops.
US08899155B2 Consumable ammunition assembly having a nitroguanidine case and method of making a consumable ammunition assembly having a nitroguanidine case
The present disclosure describes various embodiments of nitroguanidine-based consumable ammunition assemblies and methods of producing and using these assemblies. In one embodiment, for example, a nitroguanidine-based consumable ammunition assembly can include a projectile, a Combustible Cartridge Cased body using nitroguanidine as the primary energetic material, and a composite case base interfacing with the CCC body.
US08899144B2 Popcorn popping machine with overhead oil pump
A popcorn popping machine is provided including a cabinet, a popcorn popping kettle mounted within the cabinet, and a pump mounted at a height above a height of the kettle that is configured to pump oil from a container of oil and deliver the oil to the kettle. Control circuitry is provided for operating the pump to deliver oil to the kettle.
US08899140B2 System for evacuating cartridges
A system is for evacuating cartridges, applied to a firearm 1. The firearm includes a breech 14, a firing chamber 12 in which the projectile that will come out through a barrel 13 is fired. The evacuation system includes an evacuation tray 2, adapted to receive the cartridge following deflagration of an ammunition, and a movement mechanism 3, adapted to move the tray 2. The movement mechanism 3 turns the evacuation tray 2 about an axis “X”, parallel to the axis of the barrel 13 of the firearm 1, in a preset and appropriately cadenced way, passing from a first position, where the cartridge is received, to a second position, where the cartridge is expelled by the expulsion mechanism 5, and vice versa.
US08899126B2 Robot with calibration position
A robot according to the present disclosure includes a support structure and at least three main arms mounted to be movable relative to the support structure, wherein the outer ends facing away from the support structure are movable to different spatial positions relative to the support structure and relative to each other. The robot further comprises connecting elements having the same lengths by means of which the outer end of each main arm can be connected at a defined distance from the outer end of the two adjacent main arms. The present disclosure also provides a method of calibrating a robot.
US08899116B2 Replaceable ultrasonic transducer for an ultrasonic flow measuring device
An ultrasonic transducer for an ultrasonic flow measuring device, comprising a first housing part and a second housing part. The second housing part is axially guided in the first housing part and is so biased relative to the first housing part that, in a first state of the ultrasonic transducer, a first axial stop of the second housing part rests on a first axial stop of the first housing part, wherein, by applying, counter to the bias, a predetermined force on a second axial stop of the second housing part, the second housing part is axially shiftable, so that, in a second state of the ultrasonic transducer, the first axial stop of the second housing part is moved out of the first state.
US08899108B2 Flow sensor with multi-position laminar flow element having integrated bypass channels
A flow sensor includes a main flow body, a laminar flow element, and first and second bypass channels. The first bypass channel is formed in, and extends at least partially around, the outer surface of the laminar flow element, and is in fluid communication with the main flow channel and defines a first bypass flow passage between the laminar flow element and the main flow body. The second bypass channel is formed in, and extends at least partially around, the outer surface of the laminar flow element, and is in fluid communication with the main flow channel and defines a second bypass flow passage between the laminar flow element and the main flow body.
US08899098B2 Semiconductor gas sensor and method for measuring a residual gas proportion with a semiconductor gas sensor
A semiconductor gas sensor is provided that has a gas-sensitive gate electrode separated by a gap from a channel region and is embodied as a suspended gate field effect transistor or the gate electrode is arranged as a first plate of a capacitor with gap and a second plate of the capacitor is connected to a gate of the field effect transistor embodied as capacitively controlled and the gate electrode has a conductive carrier layer with a bearing adhesion promoter layer and a gas-sensitive layer bearing on the adhesion promoter layer, wherein the gate electrode as a gas-sensitive layer has a platinum/gold alloy with a gold proportion in a range of 1% to 20% and a polymer layer with a thickness of less than 100 nm is embodied on the surface of the platinum/gold alloy and the gap is filled with an oxygen-free gas mixture.
US08899087B2 High strength, high carbon steel wire and method of producing the same
The present invention provides a method which enables a steel wire to be highly strengthened with maintaining good ductility. Specifically, the present invention provides a method comprising: subjecting a high carbon steel wire material having carbon content of 0.85 to 1.10 mass % to a pre-stage drawing process with a predetermined magnitude of drawing, to form an intermediate wire material; subjecting the intermediate wire material formed by the pre-stage drawing process to a patenting treatment in which tensile strength of the wire material is adjusted to a range of 1323 to 1666 MPa; then subjecting the patented steel wire material to a subsequent drawing process including the final drawing.
US08899084B2 Magnetic pulse welding and forming for plates
A method of welding two workpieces together is described. A conductor in electrical communication with a pulse circuit is provided. A portion of the second workpiece is located adjacent the conductor. The two workpieces are also located together. A portion, or all, of one workpiece is welded to the other by applying a pulse current to one of the workpieces. A method of forming a workpiece is disclosed using a pulse current to move the workpiece into a desired shape.
US08899079B2 Independently controlled rollers for take-down assembly of knitting machine
A knitting machine includes a take-down assembly that includes a first take-down roller and a second take-down roller. The first take-down roller is configured to rotatably contact and apply tension to a first portion of a knit component. The second take-down roller is configured to rotatably contact and apply tension to a second portion of the knit component. The knitting machine further includes a first actuator that actuates to selectively adjust tension applied by the first take-down roller on the first portion of the knit component. Furthermore, the knitting machine includes a second actuator that actuates to selectively adjust tension applied by the second take-down roller on the second portion of the knit component. Additionally, the knitting machine includes a controller that is operably coupled to the first actuator and the second actuator to selectively and independently control actuation of the first actuator and the second actuator.
US08899074B2 Methods of natural gas liquefaction and natural gas liquefaction plants utilizing multiple and varying gas streams
A method of natural gas liquefaction may include cooling a gaseous NG process stream to form a liquid NG process stream. The method may further include directing the first tail gas stream out of a plant at a first pressure and directing a second tail gas stream out of the plant at a second pressure. An additional method of natural gas liquefaction may include separating CO2 from a liquid NG process stream and processing the CO2 to provide a CO2 product stream. Another method of natural gas liquefaction may include combining a marginal gaseous NG process stream with a secondary substantially pure NG stream to provide an improved gaseous NG process stream. Additionally, a NG liquefaction plant may include a first tail gas outlet, and at least a second tail gas outlet, the at least a second tail gas outlet separate from the first tail gas outlet.
US08899073B2 Parallel plate type refrigerant storage device
A refrigerant storage device that arranges two end plates to form a cavity and includes a turbulator plate within the cavity. The turbulator plate is arranged within the cavity to reinforce the cavity by providing a plurality of reinforcement portions between the end plates. The cavity is sized and the turbulator plate is configured so a liquid portion of refrigerant flowing through the cavity collects onto the turbulator plate. The device has a rectangular shape that simplifies vehicle packaging and allows the device to be readily integrated into a plate-type refrigerant-to-liquid coolant heat exchanger. The device is formed by a stacking arrangement of parts that provides for a readily scalable design.
US08899071B2 Container with cover and closure member
A soft sided insulated container assembly includes a first portion having an insulated, soft sided external wall structure, and an internal, substantially rigid molded plastic receptacle mounted therein. It has a cover structure that includes a reinforcement member for engaging a land region of the molded receptacle, thereby tending to yield an interface tending to have a sealing relationship. Both the receptacle and the engaging seal member of the lid may be outwardly splayed. The container may also include a thermal storage element, and the container may have an accommodation for receiving the thermal storage element.
US08899070B2 Refrigeration device with a holder for a section of a refrigerant line
A method for preventing condensation on a surface of a domestic refrigeration device and a corresponding domestic refrigeration device having a refrigerated chamber, a refrigerant line, and a refrigerant circulation system structured to transfer heat energy from the refrigerated chamber into the refrigerant circulation system via the refrigerant line. The refrigerant line may include a heat-emitting section in heat-conducting contact with a trim strip of the refrigeration device running below the refrigerated chamber.
US08899064B2 Refrigerator
An ice bank for a refrigerator, comprises: an ice bank body having an ice-crushing unit and a discharging passage; and a mode conversion apparatus disposed in the ice bank body for guiding ice cubes to the ice-crushing unit, or guiding the ice cubes to the discharging passage for discharge in a non-crushed state, wherein the mode conversion apparatus comprises: a guide member rotatably disposed in the ice bank body for guiding ice cubes to the ice-crushing unit, or to the discharging passage for discharge in a non-crushed state; an elastic member for elastically supporting the guide member; and a driving unit for generating a driving force so as to rotate the guide member. Accordingly, ice cubes can be dispensed in a non-crushed state or in a crushed state, and limitations in installation places of the ice bank can be reduced.
US08899058B2 Air conditioner heat pump with injection circuit and automatic control thereof
Heating equipment, including a first heat exchanger, a compressor, a second heat exchanger, and a first expansion valve that decompresses a refrigerant flowing from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger, are connected so as to circulate the refrigerant. A third heat exchanger provides heat of the refrigerant flowing from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger to the refrigerant flowing from the first heat exchanger toward the compressor. An injection circuit merges part of the refrigerant flowing from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger with the refrigerant that is sucked by the compressor. An injection expansion valve is installed in the injection circuit and decompresses the refrigerant flowing in the injection circuit. A fourth heat exchanger is installed in the injection circuit to supply heat of the refrigerant flowing from the second heat exchanger toward the first heat exchanger to the refrigerant flowing in the injection circuit.
US08899055B2 Device and method for cooling and dehumidifying room air
The invention relates to a system and method for cooling and dehumidifying air in a room. The system includes a processing unit structured and arranged to process a coolant to achieve a cooling that exceeds cold due to evaporation, wherein the coolant cools and dehumidifies air coming into contact with the coolant. The system also comprises a distribution unit arranged to expose the coolant to the air and a collecting unit structured to feed the coolant that has come into contact with the air into the processing unit.
US08899046B2 Method of converting thermal energy into mechanical energy, and an apparatus
The present invention relates to a method of converting thermal energy into mechanical energy using a non-gaseous working medium present in an apparatus comprising a plurality of heat exchangers and an outgoing shaft. In accordance with the invention, the apparatus used comprises a multitude of chamber units, a chamber unit comprising an inlet for introducing heat exchange medium and an outlet for discharging heat exchange medium as well as a closed chamber having a heat exchanger wall for exchanging heat between working medium inside the closed chamber and the heat exchange medium introduced into the chamber unit via said inlet for introducing heat exchange medium and heat exchange medium is passed around so as to do work when it is giving off heat to a chamber unit containing relatively cool working medium and recuperate heat when it is passed through a chamber unit containing relatively warm working medium. The invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the method.
US08899032B2 Stator centering plate
A stator assembly for a torque converter includes first and second blade plates, a one-way clutch assembly disposed axially between the blade plates and a centering plate. The one-way clutch assembly has an inner race with an outer circumferential surface, an outer race with an outer circumferential surface, and a plurality of blocking elements disposed radially between the inner race and the outer race. The centering plate includes a ring portion grippingly engaged with the outer race outer circumferential surface and an annular portion with an inner circumferential surface arranged to radially position the inner race outer circumferential surface. In an example embodiment, at least one of the blade plates is made by stamping.
US08899029B1 Exhaust apparatus for decreasing reversion of cooling liquid in a marine propulsion system
Apparatuses for marine propulsion systems having an internal combustion engine comprise an exhaust conduit conveying exhaust from the internal combustion engine; a cooling jacket on the exhaust conduit; and a cooling passage between the exhaust conduit and the cooling jacket. The cooling passage guides flow of cooling liquid from upstream to downstream towards a location where the cooling liquid is mixed with exhaust in the exhaust conduit. First and second baffles are axially spaced apart and extend transversely with respect to the cooling passage so as to disperse the flow of cooling liquid at the location where the cooling liquid is mixed with the exhaust, thereby reducing reversion of cooling liquid in the exhaust conduit. At least one catalyst and at least one oxygen sensor are disposed in the exhaust conduit. The oxygen sensor is adjacent to and oriented parallel to a downstream face of the catalyst so that exhaust flows perpendicularly across the sensor.
US08899017B2 Exhaust treatment unit
An exhaust treatment unit treats exhaust gas from an engine of a work vehicle. The exhaust treatment unit includes a diesel particulate filter device, a selective catalytic reduction device, a first support component and a second support component. The diesel particulate filter device treats the exhaust gas. The selective catalytic reduction device treats the exhaust gas. The first support component supports the diesel particulate filter device. The second support component supports the selective catalytic reduction device and the first support component. The first support component is detachable from the second support component.
US08899002B1 Tray loader and method
An apparatus and method is provided for loading objects having a first degree of hardness onto a tray having a different degree of hardness where sliding contact between the objects and the tray would cause damage. The tray loading is accomplished by engaging and holding objects in a carrier. The carrier carries the objects to a position over the tray and lowers the objects onto the tray surface, avoiding abrasion between the objects and the tray. The carrier includes sensors for verifying the presence of the objects.
US08898995B2 Plug assembly and a method for sealing a hole
A dual stage plug assembly 10 which provides a first sealing stage which is cooperatively provided by the insertion members 12, 14 (including the unexpanded portion 24) and a second sealing stage which is provided by selectively expandable member 24. The plug assembly 10 is selectively inserted into a hole, such as hole 80, which is formed in a tangible entity, such as basement wall 82, and the members 12 and 14 cooperates with member 24 to seal the hole 80, thereby preventing water and/or other liquid from entering and passing through the hole 80.
US08898994B1 Method for sealing wood subfloors
A method of applying a flooring system on a wood subfloor, including providing a sealer for direct application to the wood subfloor; applying the sealer to the wood subfloor; and allowing the sealer to dry and cure, forming a sealed and stable wood subfloor.
US08898989B2 Gusset block construction
Gusset Block Construction deals with a block that is cored from all sides. The blocks are cubes and elongated cubes with a pyramid or elongated pyramid shaped cavity on each side resulting in a block in which each of the twelve edges is central on a gusset shape extending from said edge to the central axis of the block. With the use of a second octahedron block that fits within the pyramid shaped cavities a wall that requires no fastening can be built by placing octahedrons in the top cavities of a layer of blocks and placing another layer of blocks on it. These blocks will be able to come apart at the joints during an earthquake without completely disassembling and can return to original position when the earthquake stops. They can be molded in a two piece split mold and are scaleable; tapered piers could be made.
US08898988B2 Mechanical locking system for floor panels
Floor panels (1b, 1c) provided with a mechanical locking system made of a separate material in order to reduce snapping resistance during vertical displacement.
US08898979B2 Visual patterning for a cover system using modular units on a patterned backing
A modular panel unit according to one embodiment includes a major subunit adapted for being secured to a keyed backing panel, and at least one minor subunit. The major subunit includes at least one connector adapted for coupling to a corresponding connection feature of the keyed backing panel in order to secure the major subunit to the keyed backing panel; and one or more coupling features. Each minor subunit includes: one or more couplers adapted for coupling to the one or more coupling features of the major subunit in order to secure the minor subunit to the major subunit. Additional systems and methods are also disclosed.
US08898976B2 Wallboard corner finishing strip
A corner bead strip is provided for finishing a wallboard corner joint, includes a flexible plastic body having a first flange and a second flange, each flange with a corner edge and an opposite free edge. The corner edges are joined by a central flex zone formed by a plastic composition distinct from a plastic composition used for forming the flanges. A web of paper covers a surface of the body.
US08898973B2 Building cavity ventilation system
A system for ventilating the cavity of a fixed or movable window or door construction of a building, the window or door having an upper sill or header and a low sill provided with weep holes and a pair of jamb elements, the system comprising a vent member operative associated with the upper sill portion, the vent member is in fluid communication with the upper sill at one end thereof and also with the interior of the building at an opposite end thereof, the vent member extends vertically above the upper sill a distance sufficient to vent pressure within the cavity to the interior of the building so that water is caused to be readily conveyed out of the weep holes regardless of any pressure differential between the interior and exterior of the building.
US08898971B2 Photovoltaic array mounting apparatus, systems, and methods
An apparatus for mounting a photovoltaic (PV) module on a surface, including a support with an upper surface, a lower surface, tabs, one or more openings, and a clip comprising an arm and a notch, where the apparatus resists wind forces and seismic forces and creates a grounding electrical bond between the PV module, support, and clip. The invention further includes a method for installing PV modules on a surface that includes arranging supports in rows along an X axis and in columns along a Y axis on a surface such that in each row the distance between two neighboring supports does not exceed the length of the longest side of a PV module and in each column the distance between two neighboring supports does not exceed the length of the shortest side of a PV module.
US08898967B2 Fixture for solar modules
Disclosed is a fixture for external frame sections (1) of solar modules on a profiled support (2). Said fixture comprises a clamping piece support (3) which can be moved in a guided manner on the profiled support (2) in the longitudinal direction of the profiled support (2) and can be braced with the profiled support (2) so as to enclose a frame section (1) of the solar module and a clamping piece (4) that is guided within the clamping piece support (3). The clamping piece (4) is designed as a double-angled profiled element which has legs (4.1, 4.2) extending in opposite directions. The upper leg (4.1) embraces the frame section (1) of the solar module while the lower leg (4.2) is disposed in and on the clamping piece support (3) so as to be vertically adjustable in a guided manner in the moving direction (7).
US08898961B1 Metal seam mount
Snow guards and mounts for attaching to seams of metal roofs have tops, spaced sides and inward and downward extending holes for elliptical tipped set screws. Square recesses opposite inner extremities of the holes form square bends in the seams. One screw and recess deform two layers below a rolled seam. Another screw and recess deform five layers in the rolled seam. Bottom lobes near one support provide a lowered hole and a lowered opposite recess. Snow blades extend upward and outward from the top and sides and downward to near a level of the bottoms of the sides.
US08898936B1 Footwear fastening aid
A shoe having a sole and an upper extending from the sole. The upper having an eyelet which carries a strap. The strap extends between a first end and a second end. The second end is attached to the upper and the first end includes a catch. The catch is adapted for manipulation with a dressing stick, such that the dressing stick enables a user to fasten the shoe with the aid of the catch.
US08898919B2 Coordinate measurement machine with distance meter used to establish frame of reference
A portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine includes a distance meter to measure 3D coordinates of at least three targets to establish a position and orientation of the articulated arm within a frame of reference established by the at least three targets.
US08898918B2 Instrument for measuring length, and method and device for controlling the size of a fuel rod
The invention relates, in particular, to an instrument for measuring length, comprising an inductive sensor comprising an elongate body and a tip that is movable along a longitudinal axis. The body contains windings and defines a first cavity receiving a magnetic core. The instrument further comprises a casing which extends the body along the longitudinal axis, and which defines, together with the body, a second sealed cavity containing the tip. The capacity of the casing to resiliently deform along the longitudinal axis is greater than the capacity of said casing to resiliently deform along axes that are orthogonal to said longitudinal axis.
US08898914B2 Bow and arrow long-range sighting device and system
This disclosure relates to a long-range sighting device for an archer's bow. The long-range sighting device including a strip of material having a length, a width, a perimeter and a plurality of holes disposed therein, wherein the strip of material is supportable by a string of a bow.
US08898905B2 Manufacture of a filter screen
A method of manufacturing a filtering screen includes: attaching handle members (3) to edges of at least one wire cloth (1); providing a jig comprising tensioning means (23); placing the at least one wire cloth (1) in the jig and engaging the handle members (3) with handle member engagement portions (15) of the tensioning means (23). The tensioning means (23) are operated to drive the handle members (3) outwardly to tension the wire cloth (1) in orthogonal directions. The method also includes pressing the tensioned wire cloth (1) against a screen frame (6); bonding the wire cloth (1) to the screen frame (6); and trimming the wire cloth.
US08898904B2 Method for coating a steering wheel and corresponding steering wheel
A method for coating a steering wheel and a corresponding steering wheel having a steering wheel rim comprising a steering wheel skeleton having a foam layer applied thereto and intended to be encompassed by a cover layer made of leather or plastic are provided. In order to simplify production, the cover layer is positioned on the steering wheel rim as a strip and is fixed to the foam layer on one end. The cover layer strip is then glued onto the foam layer and the lateral edges of the cover layer strip are sewed together in a known manner.
US08898900B2 Oil baffle for gas turbine fan drive gear system
A turbine engine includes a housing supporting compressor, turbine sections, and an epicyclic gear train including a carrier. Sun gear and intermediate gears are arranged about and intermeshing with the sun gear. The intermediate gears are supported by the carrier. A baffle includes a lubrication passage near at least one of the sun gear and intermediate gears for directing a lubrication on the at least one of the sun gear and intermediate gears.
US08898896B2 Method of making a connection component with hollow inserts
The invention relates to a method for making a connection component that comprises a set of conducting inserts to be electrically connected with another component, said inserts being hollow.
US08898893B2 Method and apparatus for applying fluid during a placement cycle
Disclosed herein is a method for applying a fluid to a component during a placement cycle. The method includes providing a component placement machine including a housing having a frame attached thereto, the frame having a pick and place head. The method includes providing a fluid application station contiguous with the housing and adapted to apply fluid to the component, moving the housing to a pick location, picking the component from a supply of components using the pick and place head, moving the housing to a location, applying fluid to the picked component, and placing the picked component with the fluid applied onto the printed circuit board at the location. The fluid application step is accomplished during the moving step or placing step. The method may further include repeating the steps for another component where the fluid application step is accomplished during the repeated picking step of the additional component.
US08898890B2 Apparatus for manufacturing a multichannel electrode array for cranial nerve stimulation
According to the present invention, an apparatus for manufacturing a multichannel electrode array for cranial nerve stimulation comprises: an electrode support supporting a plurality of electric wires, and having a plurality of platinum rings inserted therein; a frame member including a base, a pair of vertical frames, and a horizontal frame to fix the electrode support; a rotating member into the center of which the electrode support is inserted, and which rotates such that electric wires are twisted, pair by pair, at the electrode support so as to form a grid, when bobbins that are wound with the electric wires slide; an elevating plate rotatably and slidably supporting the rotating member; and a pair of left-side and right-side control units and which rotate the rotating member such that the rotating member slides along a length equal to that the grid.
US08898888B2 System for manufacturing electrosurgical seal plates
A system for the manufacture of an end effector assembly which is configured for use with an electrosurgical instrument configured for performing an electrosurgical procedure is provided. The system includes a photolithography module that is configured to etch one or more pockets on a seal surface of the seal plate. A vacuum module is configured to raise, transfer and lower a spacer from a location remote from the pocket(s) on the seal plate to the pocket on the seal plate(s). An adhesive dispensing module is configured to dispense an adhesive into the pocket on the seal plate. An optical module is configured to monitor a volume of the adhesive dispensed within the pocket and monitor placement of the spacer within the pocket.
US08898885B2 Method for manufacture of multi-layer-multi-turn structure for high efficiency wireless communication
A structure for wireless communication having a plurality of conductor layers, an insulator layer separating each of the conductor layers, and at least one connector connecting two of the conductor layers wherein an electrical resistance is reduced when an electrical signal is induced in the resonator at a predetermined frequency.
US08898880B2 Self-piercing riveting
A method for forming a joint using a self-piercing rivet includes the steps of: positioning the sheet material over a die and providing a rivet having a substantially cylindrical shank and a head, the shank having a central blind bore and an annular piercing end spaced from said head. The ratio of the difference between the outside and inside diameters of the shank in the region around the bore to the outside diameter of the shank is in the range 0.47 to 0.52. The method also includes positioning a rivet over the sheet material at a position opposite the die and using a punch to set the rivet and force it into the sheet material such that it pierces the upper surface thereof and such that the shank deforms outwardly to interlock with the material but without penetration to the die side of the material.
US08898867B2 Mounting device
A mounting device with one metallic base plate, from which a plurality of mounting eyelets protrude. The mounting device is obtainable by incising a plurality of arc-shaped eyelet blanks while leaving two connection sections per eyelet blank into the surface of the base plate and production of the mounting eyelets by bending the eyelet blanks out of the base plate around a bending edge in the area of the connection sections. At least part of the eyelet blanks are arranged as groups of eyelet blanks with the latter being nested to each other. Preferably, the groups of eyelet blanks are arranged rotated relative to each other.
US08898862B1 Push-button, locking hinge assembly
A push-button, locking hinge assembly includes a base element, a push-button element, a cap element, an assembly to lock these three elements about a central axis, and a release assembly allowing the cap element to pivot 360 degrees transversely to the central axis and in relation to the base element. Geometric ends of the hinge assembly allow insertion into any two components to be so releasably pivoted and repositioned, and then locked into a desired position relative one to the other.
US08898855B2 Cleaning appliance
A cleaning appliance includes a substantially spherical surface engaging rolling assembly having a fluid inlet for receiving a fluid flow and a system for drawing the fluid flow through the inlet, and a plurality of support members for supporting the rolling assembly as it is maneuvered over a surface. The center of gravity of the cleaning appliance is located within the rolling assembly.
US08898854B2 Plug storage structure of cleaning robot
An plug storage structure of a cleaning robot is presented. A charging structure includes a charging base and a main body of an electronic device. The charging base includes a charging terminal and a projecting portion. The main body has an external housing, charging plugs and an plug storage device. When the main body reaches the charging base, the projecting portion triggers the plug storage device, so that the charging plugs protrude from the external housing, so as to be connected to the charging terminal. When the main body leaves the charging base, the plug storage device automatically receives the charging plugs inside the external housing, so as to keep the plugs of the cleaning robot received inside the external housing during cleaning, thereby preventing the plugs of the cleaning robot from colliding with and damaging adjacent furniture.
US08898848B1 Skin cleansing finger sleeve and associated use thereof
A disposable skin cleansing finger sleeve cleans and maintains a clean face, removes facial make up, and applies medicine to the face in the treatment of skin conditions. The skin cleansing finger sleeve includes an elongated body formed from water impermeable material wherein the body has an open proximal end and a closed distal end capable of being removably positioned about a user finger. A viscous skin cleansing agent may be pre-applied (impregnate, coated, soaked, etc.) or applied after-the-fact (applied by the user) to the body for treating the user skin. Advantageously, the finger sleeve is capable of cleaning a user face by applying the skin cleansing agent to the user face and removing facial makeup therefrom.
US08898844B1 Mopping assembly for a mobile robot
A robot cleaning system for mopping floors is disclosed. The mopping assembly includes a reservoir with a dispenser for outputting fluid to a cleaning cloth. The rate at which fluid is dispensed is regulated with an air inlet in contact with the cleaning cloth. When the cloth is dry, more fluid is dispensed. When the cloth is damp, less fluid is dispensed. The dispenser in the exemplary embodiment also includes a wick configured to conduct the cleaning fluid directly to the cleaning cloth.
US08898841B2 Encounter and contact mattress or pillow for small children and babies, particularly for premature babies and newborns
An encounter and contact mattress or pillow, is made up of at least one cloth-like or blanket-like base body having two functional sides that are configured to be the same, similar, or different, and serve for support, wherein the one side is suitable for facing toward a contact person and the other side is suitable for offering a premature or newborn baby or infant a support surface. The base body is divided up into at least three regions, namely into an edge zone region (8), a transition region (6), and an encounter region (5), and the encounter region (5) is configured in such a manner that a transfer of tactile and/or acoustic stimuli and/or heat from one side to the other side of the encounter and contact mattress (1) is possible.
US08898830B2 Patient support and transport system of a multimodality medical suite
A patient support and transport system for a multi-modality medical suite includes a track system with one track in one room aligned with another track in another room. A support carriage coupled to the track system and configured to move between the two rooms. A duplex socket interface module attached to the support carriage and flexible raceway including a first conduit management system coupled to the support carriage and configured to automatically couple with and decouple with the duplex socket interface module. A second conduit management system is coupled to electrical and data ports and include a conduit interface module configured to automatically couple with and decouple with the duplex socket interface module. The patient support and transport system also includes a vertical support member coupled to the support carriage and a support assembly coupled to the vertical support member configured to selectively articulate a patient bed.
US08898813B2 Easy access individual needs one piece garment
A one-piece garments employing a drop seat panel configured or modified to permit the wearer to have restroom breaks or attend to other individual needs without being required to partially or fully remove the garment is disclosed. The garment has creates a horizontal separation at the back waistband that goes from side seam to side seam; vertical separation of the front of the garment from the back of the garment beginning at the waistband and running down both side seams to the desired length. The garment includes a closures to close the vertical separation of the garment from the waistband down each side seam the length of the opening; and closures to attach the back bottom part of the one piece garment to the top back part of the one piece garment in the region where the separation of the garment runs horizontally between the side seams.
US08904560B2 Closed loop controller and method for fast scanning probe microscopy
A method of operating a metrology instrument includes generating relative motion between a probe and a sample at a scan frequency using an actuator. The method also includes detecting motion of the actuator using a position sensor that exhibits noise in the detected motion, and controlling the position of the actuator using a feedback loop and a feed forward algorithm. In this embodiment, the controlling step attenuates noise in the actuator position compared to noise exhibited by the position sensor over the scan bandwidth. Scan frequencies up to a third of the first scanner resonance frequency or greater than 300 Hz are possible.
US08904549B2 Server system, control method, and storage medium for securely executing access to data of a tenant
In a multitenant service, security of the entire service is guaranteed by logically separating data for each tenant, and performing control to prevent access to data of another tenant. In an operation of the multitenant service, there are some special cases in which an access to data of another tenant becomes necessary. Further, processing executable across tenants needs to be subjected to restrictions on an executor of the processing and a processing target in addition to restrictions on a processing content. In data access control of the multitenant service, a control operation to determine whether processing is executable across tenants for each API and a control operation to determine whether processing is executable across tenants according to tenant categories of the executor and the processing target are performed.
US08904547B2 Notification upon exposure to offensive behavioral patterns in collaboration
A system and method for protecting a user from offensive behavior in communications and notifying the user and/or an enforcement entity of the offensive behavior. The offensive content analysis system monitors communications between users for offensive behavior. The offensive content analysis system may measure the level of current offense in the communication and determine a historical offensive behavior pattern for the user. The offensive content analysis system may then determine if the offensive behavior, both current and historical, rises to a threshold behavior level. The offensive content analysis system may take notification action if the offensive behavior meets the threshold level.
US08904546B2 Digital rights management method and digital rights management-enabled portable device
A DRM method and DRM-enabled portable device for controlling playback of DRM content on the basis of content usage log is disclosed. A digital rights management method for a portable device of the present invention includes playing a content item recording, when an abnormal playback stop event is detected, a stop time point in a playback session of the content item on a usage log and controlling a next playback of the content item with reference to the recorded stop time point. The DRM method and DRM-enabled portable device of the present invention further manages the licenses issued for the DRM content stored in the portable device by updating the licenses even when the DRM content are abnormally closed during its playback session.
US08904541B2 Performing security assessments in an online services system
A system and method for performing security assessments in an online services system. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving an accepted security assessment agreement from a user, where the security assessment agreement is associated with a software application utilized in an online services system. The method also includes receiving configuration data associated with the software application; receiving scanning data associated with the software application; and sending the configuration data and scanning data to one or more security assessment systems.
US08904538B1 Systems and methods for user-directed malware remediation
A computer-implemented method for user-directed malware remediation may include 1) identifying a window within a graphical user interface of a computing environment, 2) identifying a user-directed interface event directed at the window, 3) determining, based at least in part on the user-directed interface event, that a process represented by the window poses a security risk, and 4) performing a remediation action on the process based on determining that the process poses the security risk. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08904522B1 Universal communications gateway
The disclosure relates to a classification system which includes a classification circuit which may determine a classification of a signal based on comparing signal data received via a sensor to data in a database. The classification circuit may determine an interface protocol based on the classification.
US08904521B2 Client-side prevention of cross-site request forgeries
Cross-site request forgeries (“XSRF”) can be prevented using a client-side plugin on a client computer. The client computer accesses a content provided by a third party host via a network and generates a request to a web application as directed by the content. The client-side plugin determines whether the request is associated with suspicious activities based on the content, a source of the request and a list of approved hosts associated with the target host. In response to a determination that the request is associated with suspicious activities, the plugin removes authentication credentials from the request and sends the request to the web application.
US08904518B2 Information processing device, information processing method, and program distribution system
An information processing device includes an external connection unit which connects to an external device; and a communication control unit which obtains data from a first virtual machine, transmits the data to a second virtual machine, and transmits, to the external connection unit, transmission completion information indicating that the data is already transmitted to the second virtual machine. The external connection unit (i) determines, based on the transmission completion information, whether or not a virtual machine is the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted, when the external connection unit receives, from the virtual machine, a request for a connection to the external device, and (ii) permits a connection between the virtual machine and the external device, when the external connection unit determines that the virtual machine is not the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted.
US08904516B2 System and method employing an agile network protocol for secure communications using secure domain names
A system for connecting a first network device and a second network device includes one or more servers. The servers are configured to: (a) receive, from the first network device, a request to look up a network address of the second network device based on an identifier associated with the second network device; (b) determine, in response to the request, whether the second network device is available for a secure communications service; and (c) initiate a virtual private network communication link between the first network device and the second network device based on a determination that the second network device is available for the secure communications service, wherein the secure communications service uses the virtual private network communication link.
US08904510B2 Authenticating a user for testing purposes
Authenticating a user for testing purposes. A web server receives a request from a client that includes an authentication credential and that is formatted to be handled by a particular authentication module. The authentication module is configured to obtain authentication tokens based on authentication credentials included in requests, while refraining from generating any interactive authentication dialog. Based on the request, the web server passes at least a portion of the request, including the authentication credential, to the authentication module. The authentication module determines that the request is formatted in a manner that triggers the authentication module. The authentication module obtains an authentication token from an identity provider based on the authentication credential, while refraining from generating any interactive authentication dialog. The authentication module returns the authentication token to the web server. The web server returns the authentication token to the client.
US08904508B2 System and method for real time secure image based key generation using partial polygons assembled into a master composite image
A method including: receiving, at a first device, a challenge provided from a second device, wherein the challenge includes an encoding algorithm and a request for credentials from the first device; and outputting, from the first device to the second device, a response to the challenge, wherein the response includes at least one image, the at least one image including an article of evidence arranged according to the encoding algorithm.
US08904502B1 Systems and methods for rating organizations using user defined password gates
A system and method for implementing password gates for entities and/or content is disclosed. A password gate may determine whether a select group of users are allowed to access a particular entity and/or content in order to rate and/or provide commentary with respect to that particular entity/content. The select group of users may be permitted access based on the ability to satisfy the password gate. A password gate may comprise a question that only a select group of users can correctly answer. Users may be able to create password gates and/or vote on existing password gates associated with entities and/or content. The highest rated password gate may be presented to a user attempting to gain access to a particular entity/content.
US08904497B2 Providing an operational dashboard
Systems, methods, and devices for providing an operational dashboard are described herein. One method includes receiving operational data associated with a system, receiving credentials associated with a user of a user device including a number of display elements configurable by the user, and determining a particular portion of the operational data to provide to the user via the display elements of the user device based, at least in part, on the credentials.
US08904496B1 Authentication based on a current location of a communications device associated with an entity
There is disclosed a method and system for use in authenticating an entity in connection with a computerized resource. An authentication request is received from entity for access to computerized resource. An input signal is received from a communications device associated with entity. The input signal comprises current location of communications device. The current location of communications device is derived from input signal. A location history in connection with communications device is captured. The location history comprises a record of discrete locations visited by communications device over a period of time. An analysis is performed between current location of the communications device and location history in connection with communications device. An authentication result is generated based on analysis between current location of communications device and location history in connection with communications device. The authentication result can be used for authenticating entity.
US08904495B2 Secure transaction systems and methods
A user transaction request is received at a client device. A web browser plug-in communicates the user transaction request to a server that determines whether the user transaction request is a secure transaction. Transaction data is received from the server via the web browser plug-in. If the received transaction data indicates a secure transaction, the user is prompted to provide biometric data, which is received from the user. The web browser plug-in then communicates a transaction confirmation to the server.
US08904477B2 Configuring and providing profiles that manage execution of mobile applications
Various aspects of the disclosure relate to configuring and providing policies that manage execution of mobile applications. In some embodiments, a user interface may be generated that allows an IT administrator or other operator to set, change and/or add to policy settings. The policy settings can be formatted into a policy file and be made available for download to a mobile device, such as via an application store or to be pushed to the mobile device as part of a data push service. The mobile device, based on the various settings included in the policy file, may perform various actions to enforce the security constraints that are represented by the policy. The various settings that can be included in a policy are numerous and some examples and variations thereof are described in connection with the example embodiments discussed herein.
US08904476B2 Retrospective policy safety net
These and other objectives are attained with a method and system for evaluating an access policy change. The method comprises the step of providing an access control mechanism having a first policy, and an audit log having entries of accesses made under that first policy. The method comprises the further steps of submitting a second policy to the access control mechanism, comparing the log entries to the second policy, and based on the results of the comparing step, taking one of a predetermined number of actions.
US08904473B2 Secure display system for prevention of information copying from any display screen system
Devices, methods, and computer programs are presented for displaying information output of a host. One apparatus includes a housing that includes a panel, a scalar, a sensor, an integrated circuit (IC), and a communications device. The panel includes a plurality of light emitting devices arranged to define an area for displaying information output from the host. The scalar is for receiving pixel data from the host computer to be displayed on the panel, and the sensor is for capturing data proximate to the panel. The IC is in communication with the scalar and the panel, the integrated circuit configured to intercept the information output from the host computer, the data of the sensor being analyzed for security control when the information output is to be presented to the scalar. The communications device is for enabling the IC to communicate with a remote computer without communicating through the host computer.
US08904471B1 Policy system for E-procurement
A method for utilizing a policy system in the requisitioning of goods or services over a network, the network connected to a server, thereby allowing communication between the server and a plurality of users, each user having a login ID and belonging to one of a plurality of classes, the method comprising: the server storing each user's login ID, each user's class information, and a plurality of policies, wherein the class information comprises the identification of each class to which the user belongs, and each policy is associated with a class; a user logging into the server using the user's login ID; the user providing search input to the server; the server processing the search input; the server determining the appropriate policies, wherein the appropriate policies are policies that are determined to be associated with the user's class information; and the server providing the appropriate policies to the user.
US08904458B2 System and method for pre-caching a first portion of a video file on a set-top box
A method of pre-caching video content is provided and includes measuring an available bandwidth of a data connection to a set top box. The available bandwidth measurement can be an average available bandwidth of the data connection to the set top box or a minimum available bandwidth of the data connection to the set top box. Each of a plurality of video files is divided into a first portion and a second portion and the size of each first portion is based on the available bandwidth measurement. The first portion of each of the plurality of video files is downloaded over the data connection and stored in a memory within the set top box. A list is displayed at a display device and includes a list of video titles that correspond to the plurality of video files that have only a first portion downloaded to the memory.
US08904448B2 System and method for promoting marketable items
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor having a controller to receive from a media communication system metadata describing one or more marketable items depicted in a media program supplied by the media communication system, present images of the media program at a media presentation device without highlighting the one or more marketable items, present an icon at least at one of a remote controller managing operations of the media processor or the media presentation device to indicate a presence of the one or more marketable items in one or more of the images presented at the media presentation device, detect a selection of the icon, and highlight the one or more marketable items. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08904443B2 System and method for improving home network GUI response time and presentation
GUI presentation in a home network is improved by using a video encoding tailored for GUI, while using normal video encoding for video presentation. Also, GUI command response time is shortened by reserving, for transmission of commands originated by a user input device, a time slot in a contention free period (CFP) of a transmission cycle between a client device receiving the commands and a server executing them.
US08904437B2 Similar content search device and computer-readable storage medium
According to one embodiment, a phrase similarity is reduced when a common genre characteristic word is included in a program of interest interested by a user and a similar phrase program including the same phrase. A genre similarity is increased when a common genre characteristic word is included in the program of interest and a similar genre program including the same genre as the program of interest. The similar phrase program is presented based on the phrase similarity, and the similar genre program is presented based on the genre similarity.
US08904434B2 Information display apparatus and information display method
According to one embodiment, an information display apparatus, comprising: a first display controller configured to display a broadcasting station information to identify a plurality of broadcasting stations on a screen; a acquiring module configured to acquire one or more short comments with respect to the broadcasting station information from a server connected through a network; and a second display controller configured to display the one or more short comments on the screen on each of the plurality of broadcasting stations.
US08904430B2 Method and apparatus for real-time viewer interaction with a media presentation
Real-time participation within a media presentation is disclosed. A participant overlay may be generated by preprocessing a media presentation to extract a time-variant metadata stream associated with one or more interactive regions depicted in the media presentation. The participant overlay includes simulated physics, which may include boundaries of the interactive regions defined in accordance with content in said media presentation. A participant's interaction with said media presentation through the interactive regions may be captured and combined with the media presentation for display on a display. The interaction may comprise a user action upon one or more elements in the media presentation, a user action expressed in the media presentation through an avatar, or a user action in said media presentation in connection with a game element.
US08904428B2 Common purchase plan based advertisement
A method, system, and computer program product are disclosed for selecting an advertisement for play on a specified device for one or more users. Each of the users has a defined relationship with the specified device, and has an information description stored on a mobile communications device. In one embodiment, the method comprises transmitting the respective information description of each of one or more users from the user's communications device to a provider server. The server analyzes one or more information descriptions to identify an advertisement for playing on the specified device. The specified device, in one embodiment, is a television. In an embodiment, advertisements are displayed based on common purchase profiles and common purchase plans among different people. The purchase plans may be sent to the television when the users are in a defined area or come within a given distance of the television.
US08904427B2 Content sub-item substitution
A method of content sub-item substitution is described. The method includes: receiving from a headend a description of a plurality of virtual channels, the description defining each virtual channel on the basis of one or more metadata attributes associated with that virtual channel; receiving one or more content sub-item substitution opportunities for each virtual channel, each content sub-item substitution opportunity specifying one or more content sub-items for use in the content sub-item substitution; and receiving and recording a content item, the content item including metadata associated with the content item and one or more substitutable content sub-items. The method further includes, upon playback (201) of a previously recorded content item: matching the metadata associated with the previously recorded content item with the one or more metadata attributes, thereby determining a virtual channel (205) valid for the previously recorded content item; selecting a content sub-item substitution opportunity (207) based on the determined virtual channel; and substituting the one or more substitutable content sub-items (211) with content sub-items specified in the selected content sub-item substitution opportunity. Related apparatus and methods are also disclosed.
US08904424B2 Object and resource security system
According to the invention, a method for securing a plaintext object within a content receiver is disclosed. In one step, a secure portion of a secure object and a plaintext remainder of the secure object are received. Which portion of the secure object is the secure portion is determined. The secure portion is decrypted to provide a plaintext portion. The plaintext object that comprises the plaintext portion and the plaintext remainder is formed. The plaintext object is stored including authentication and authorization.
US08904416B2 Content playback apparatus, content playback method, program, and integrated circuit
A content playback apparatus (100) includes: a viewing target content obtaining unit (20) obtaining the viewing target content; a viewer detecting unit (10) detecting a first viewer who views the viewing target content played back by the content playback apparatus; a viewer content selecting unit (204) selecting, from among viewer contents, a viewer content having a matching degree higher than a predetermined threshold, the matching degree indicating an amount of common points between the first viewer detected by the viewer detecting unit and a second viewer who views a same content as the viewing target content under temporally or spatially a different condition, and each of the viewer contents including information of video or sound of the second viewer; and a content playback unit (30) playing back the viewing target content obtained by the viewing target content obtaining unit and the viewer content selected by the viewer content selecting unit.
US08904414B2 System and method of delivering video content
A method of delivering video content is disclosed that includes receiving a request at a video content gifting server from a first set-top box device. The request indicates a selection to purchase video content for a second subscriber associated with a second set-top box device. The method also includes sending notification information to the second set-top box device. The notification information indicates that the video content has been purchased for the second subscriber. Further, the method includes receiving viewing preferences data at the video content gifting server from the second set-top box device. The viewing preferences data indicates a particular time that the second subscriber is to receive the video content. Additionally, the method includes sending video content download data to a particular network entity. The video content download data includes instructions to send the video content to the second set-top box device at the particular time.
US08904411B2 Framework for system communication for handling data
Techniques for making internal data from a source application available through an application programming interface (“API”). Embodiments may analyze a source application to determine a storage location and a first storage format of internal data, wherein the source application does not provide an API through which the internal data is accessible. Embodiments may then extract the internal data from the storage location, and convert the extracted data from the first storage format to a common storage format. Embodiments may then provide an API to make the converted data available.
US08904389B2 Determining performance states of components in a virtual machine environment based on performance states of related subcomponents
Techniques promote monitoring of hypervisor systems by presenting dynamic representations of hypervisor architectures that include performance indicators. A reviewer can interact with the representation to progressively view select lower-level performance indicators. Higher level performance indicators can be determined based on tower level state assessments. A reviewer can also view historical performance metrics and indicators, which can aid in understanding which configuration changes or system usages may have led to sub-optimal performance.
US08904388B2 Scripting language executor service for applications
A method and system for executing scripts on virtual machines is provided. The system includes an executor service that accepts scripts, parameters, authentication information from another process that needs to invoke a script on a target virtual machine (or group of virtual machines). The executor service remains running even after a script has completed execution. The executor service accepts any number of scripts and places them in a command queue. Agents running on the target virtual machine(s) check-in with the executor service to receive scripts from the command queue. Also, the executor service may directly invoke a script using a persistent connection to a virtual machine management center.
US08904383B2 Virtual machine migration according to environmental data
Embodiments are directed to virtual machine migration according to environmental data in a data center. One embodiment is a method that analyzes environmental data for a data center having plural servers and migrates virtual machines among the servers to increase cooling efficiency in the data center.
US08904381B2 User defined data partitioning (UDP)—grouping of data based on computation model
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for generating application-aware data partitioning to support parallel computing. A label for a user defined data partitioning (UDP) key is generated by a labeling process to configure data partitions of original data. The UDP is labeled by the labeling process to include at least one key property excluded from the original data. The data partitions are evenly distributed to co-locate and balance the data partitions and corresponding computations performed by computational servers. A data record of the data partitions is retrieved by performing an all-node parallel search of the computational servers using the UDP key.
US08904372B2 Dialog to service conversion method and system
A computer implemented system and method includes accessing an application dialog from a computer readable storage device, wherein the application dialog contains process modules having interface operations and business logic. Process module commands are identified via the computer that are invalid for a service and identifying options for remediation of such commands. A completed process module that has invalid commands removed is compiled as a service procedure. A remote procedure definition and a service wrapper interface are created and stored in a computer readable storage device.
US08904360B2 Automated identification of redundant method calls
Embodiments of the invention may provide for collecting specified data each time that a call to a given method occurs, wherein a given call to the given method is associated with a set of arguments comprising one or more particular argument values for the given method, and the collected data includes an element uniquely identifying each of the particular argument values. The process may further include storing the collected data at a selected location, and selecting a call threshold for the given method, wherein the call threshold comprises a specified number of occurrences of the given call to the given method, when the program is running. The collected data may be selectively analyzed at the storage location, to determine whether an occurrence of the given call to the given method has exceeded the call threshold.
US08904357B2 Dashboard for architectural governance
A software architecture as designed is governed. A rules engine tests code for implemented architectural decisions. Deviation from designed architecture is detected by execution of the rules engine. The dashboard generates a graphical or textual representation indicating violations and/or changes in the implemented architecture over time. A dashboard assists in managing implementation of the architecture by indicating deviation or the results of change to coding.
US08904351B2 Maintenance of a subroutine repository for an application under test based on subroutine usage information
Embodiments of the invention relate to maintaining a repository of subroutines used by a software program under test based on an analysis of subroutine usage logs. One aspect of the invention concerns a method that comprises analyzing a log of subroutine usage by an application under test to identify subroutines used by the application based on actions in the subroutines, and comparing the identified subroutines against a repository of subroutines applicable to the application. The method may further designate a subroutine in the repository as a matching subroutine, modify or delete a subroutine, or add a new subroutine to the repository.
US08904347B2 Apparatus, method and system for building software by composition
A method and system are disclosed for building complex real-time software that scales well to a large number of processors or CPU cores. The software design and implementation method are based on a combination of object composition (hierarchical assembly) and desynchronizable inter-object interactions.
US08904338B2 Predicting performance of a software project
In one aspect, a method to predict performance of a software project includes determining, using a computer, performance estimates associated with at least one design count, the design count comprising at least one function point count, collecting actual performance data, comparing the performance estimates with the actual performance data, determining, using the computer, new performance estimates for a remainder of the software project in response to the actual performance data collected and refining a design of the software project based on the new performance estimates.
US08904335B2 Evaluation of pin geometry accessibility in a layer of circuit
Evaluation of electrical accessibility within a layer of a circuit to pin geometries residing within a cell boundary of the circuit is provided. The evaluating includes, for instance, checking along substantially parallel pin geometry access paths of the layer to determine possible points at which a respective pin geometry of the pin geometries within the cell boundary may be accessed. The evaluating also includes identifying which points of the possible points are accessible access points by any route of the possible routes for electrically connecting to a respective pin geometry of the pin geometries from a first side or a second side of the cell boundary, wherein at least one point of the possible points is identified as not being an accessible access point based on the at least one point being inaccessible by the possible routes.
US08904334B2 Footprint-based optimization performed simultaneously with other steps
A method comprising placing elements in a layout, performing clock tree synthesis, and performing routing. The method further comprising, in parallel with one of the clock tree synthesis or the routing, performing a footprint based optimization, substituting a footprint equivalent element in a path based on a timing slack of the path.
US08904333B2 Mixed signal IP core prototyping system
A system for prototyping an integrated circuit (IC) that has a mixed signal intellectual property (IP) core includes implementing the IP core using discrete programmable digital ICs and discrete analog ICs by partitioning the IP core into a digital IP portion and an analog IP portion.
US08904332B1 Display process
The present disclosure relates to a method for visualizing an electronic circuit design. The method may include receiving the electronic circuit design, wherein the electronic circuit design includes at least one timing constraint. The method may also include identifying the at least one timing constraint and displaying, at a graphical user interface associated with the one or more computing devices, the at least one timing constraint and a physical routing associated with the electronic circuit design. The method may further include receiving a user input associated with the electronic circuit design and dynamically updating a graphical representation of the at least one timing constraint, in response to the received user input.
US08904329B2 Systems and methods for single cell product path delay analysis
Methods and systems for qualifying a single cell with product path delay analysis are provided. A method includes designing a product using a model from an initial test site. The method also includes creating performance path tests for one or more paths on the product. The method further includes measuring performance path parameters of the product. The method includes determining that the measured performance path parameters match predicted performance path parameters.
US08904323B1 Dynamic time domain randomization techniques for SOC and IP verification
The present disclosure describes a memory block manager. In some aspects a request is transmitted to a model of an IP block at a randomized time and a response is received from the model of the IP block useful to characterize behavior of the IP block when fabricated. In other aspects a response to a request is transmitted to a model of an IP block at a randomized time and a communication is received from the model of the IP block useful to characterize behavior of the fabricated IP block when fabricated.
US08904322B2 Structure for stacked CMOS circuits
An automated method of modifying a semiconductor chip design includes creating a timing analysis of said semiconductor chip design, identifying a plurality of gates in said semiconductor chip design which have either too fast a rising edge or falling edge, for each gate in said plurality of gates adding a stacked transistor to provide delay to the rising or falling edge of the gate. A design structure tangibly embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing an integrated circuit, the design structure includes a CMOS device having a first transistor with a first input, a pair of stacked transistors having a second input, and an output.
US08904320B2 Solving multiplication constraints by factorization
A design description for verification includes a set of constraints on random variables within the design description. The set of constraints includes at least one multiplication constraint involving at least two random variables. A computer-based tool obtains designs and analyzes the design description to find the set of constraints and identify the multiplication constraint. The computer-based tool then performs factorization to solve for the multiplication constraint and to determine a set of potentially valid factoring values for the random variables used in the multiplication constraint. The design problem is then solved by the computer-based tool using the factoring values. If two multiplication constraints involve a common variable, the factorization finds a set of common factoring values between the two multiplication constraints to use for the common variable.
US08904316B2 Method and apparatus for printing high-resolution two-dimensional periodic patterns
A method for printing a periodic pattern having a first symmetry and a first period into a photosensitive layer. The method includes providing a mask bearing a pattern of at least two overlapping sub-patterns which have a second symmetry and a second period, the features of each sub-pattern being formed in a transmissive material, providing a substrate bearing the layer, arranging the mask with a separation from the substrate, providing light having a central wavelength for illuminating the mask to generate a light-field in which light of the central wavelength forms a range of intensity distributions between Talbot planes, illuminating said mask pattern with said light while maintaining the separation or changing it by a distance whereby the photosensitive layer is exposed to an average of the range of intensity distributions, wherein the light transmitted by each sub-pattern is shifted in phase relative to that transmitted by another sub-pattern.
US08904315B2 Circuit arrangements and associated apparatus and methods
There is provided a method comprising: examining the location of one or more feature(s) of the one or more component(s) of a circuit arrangement to determine the displacement of the location of said one or more associated communication contact(s) with respect to a designed location for the communication contact(s), and providing corrective communication path layout data of said circuit arrangement based upon the said displacement(s).
US08904313B2 Gestural control for quantitative inputs
A method for value specification in a responsive interface control, the method including: displaying an interface control in a user interface on a touch display device, wherein the interface control is an interactive interface element configured to set an interface value selected from an ordered continuum of values; detecting a shape of a touch gesture input on the interface control on the touch display device; and changing the interface value in response to detecting a change in the shape of the gesture input.
US08904304B2 Creation and exposure of embedded secondary content data relevant to a primary content page of an electronic book
Disclosed are several methods, apparatus, and a system to create, expose, and hide embedded secondary content data relevant to a primary content page of an electronic book generated by a content generating device. The method, system, and apparatus is enabled through a Y-axis slide apart gesture that is applied to a notification region of the primary content page such that the secondary content data is made visible when the Y-axis slide apart gesture is applied to the notification region. The method, system, and apparatus is also enabled through a Y-axis pinch close gesture that is applied to a boundary of an exposed pane that is appearing in the primary content page such that the Y-axis pinch close gesture collapses the exposed pane in which the secondary content data is made visible. In one embodiment, the system comprises an association server, an electronic book distribution server, and a content rendering device.