US07961085B2
The invention concerns a method and an arrangement for ensuring through active monitoring an attentive manual control of a dynamic system. The method and the arrangement use the tactile ability of the human hand to receive, particularly when the muscles are relaxed, certain types of vibrations through two sets of sensitive corpuscle in the human skin, known as the Meissner corpuscles and the Pacinian corpuscles, and the ability of the brain to provide an immediate response to these signals in the same interface to the object that the two sets of sensitive corpuscle are touching during the control and with immediate feedback from the control device of the dynamical system.
US07961077B2
A responder authenticity determination system, comprising: a responder that sends a response signal in response to a received signal; an interrogation signal generator that generates an interrogation signal having a random waveform; a transceiver that sends the generated interrogation signal to the responder, and receives a response signal from the responder; and an authenticity determination unit that determines authenticity of the responder based on the received response signal and the random waveform of the generated interrogation signal.
US07961072B2
An inductive element comprises at least two core-parts including a magnetically permeable material and at least one winding of an electrical conductor which can be a foil winding, a stranded wire (litz) winding or a conventional wire winding. Each core-part has an elongated center piece with an outer winding surface. At each of its longitudinal ends, the center piece has a contact element with a lateral contact surface. The winding is wound directly on the core-parts without a bobbin or the-like. The core-parts of the inductive element are arranged with their longitudinal axes essentially in parallel in a manner that the lateral contact surfaces of each contact element abut on a lateral contact surface of another core-part. Such an inductive element can be manufactured by co-axially arranging the core-parts and using them as a roll-shaft. After the windings have been applied to the core-parts, they can be rearranged, i.e. “flipped over,” in a stack-like arrangement in order to form an inductive element.
US07961069B2
A magnetic attachment system for attaching a first object to a second object. A first magnet structure is attached to the first object and a second magnet structure is attached to the second object. The first and second objects are attached by virtue of the magnetic attraction between the first magnet structure and second magnet structure. The magnet structures comprise magnetic elements arranged in accordance with patterns based on various codes. In one embodiment, the code has certain autocorrelation properties. In further embodiments the specific type of code is specified. In a further embodiment, an attachment and a release configuration may be achieved by a simple movement of the magnet structures.
US07961065B2
The invention can provide a miniaturized noise filter. The noise filter for reducing noise comprises a coil with a conductive wire (2) wound around a core (1); a case (6) formed of an insulating material receiving the coil; a bracket (8) of a magnetic material forming a flux path of magnetic flux generated from the coil, which places the case thereon, which has a pair of end plates (12a, 12b) disposed opposite to both ends of the core of the coil respectively through a gap of a predetermined distance, and which has a bottom plate (8a) disposed between the pair of the end plates; and an input/output terminal (3a, 3b) for the coil.
US07961062B2
A pair of signal transmission lines includes an aggressor line and a victim line parallel to the aggressor line. A plurality of time delay modules is linked in the aggressor line. A plurality of time delay modules is linked in the victim line. A total delay time of the time delay modules of the victim line is equal to a total delay time of the time delay modules of the aggressor line.
US07961060B1
Disclosed is an oscillator circuit, comprising a crystal oscillator, an amplifier having an input and an output coupled across the crystal oscillator, a comparator having a reference input and an input coupled to the crystal oscillator and a pole network coupled between the comparator and the amplifier.
US07961058B2
A locking range enhancement technique is described that steers away part of the DC current and reuses it to generate more injected AC current to the injection-locked resonator-based frequency dividers (ILFDs). The injection-enhanced ILFDs maintain the key features of ILFDs, which are high speed and low power consumption, without requiring any extra inductive component and thus extra chip area.
US07961055B2
A phase locked loop circuit includes an oscillator part configured to generate a reference signal by amplifying a signal generated by an oscillator, and a phase locked loop part configured to include a filter that outputs a control signal to a clock transmitting circuit that generates a clock signal in accordance with a phase difference between the reference signal and a feedback signal, wherein a drive capability of the oscillator part is controlled in accordance with the control signal.
US07961048B2
An integrated power amplifier can include a carrier amplifier, where the carrier amplifier is connected to a first quarter wave transformer at the input of the carrier amplifier. In addition, the power amplifier can further include at least one peaking amplifier connected in parallel with the carrier amplifier; a first differential combining structure, where the first combining structure includes a first plurality of quarter wave transformers that are configured to combine respective first differential outputs of the carrier amplifier in phase to generate a first single-ended output signal, and a second differential combining structure, where the second combining structures includes a second plurality of quarter wave transformers that are configured to combine respective second differential outputs of the at least one peaking amplifier in phase to generate a second single-ended output signal, where the first single-ended output signal and the second single-ended output signal are combinable in-phase to provide an overall output.
US07961047B2
An amplifier having at least one switch controlled by an output voltage of a hysteresis block, wherein the hysteresis block is adapted to receive an input voltage signal based on an integration of an error signal, a low threshold voltage and a high threshold voltage, and is arranged to change the output voltage from a first value to a second value when the input voltage signal is higher than the high threshold voltage and to change the output voltage from the second value to the first value when the input voltage signal is lower than the low threshold voltage, and wherein the low threshold voltage is equal to Vref−αVDD and the high threshold voltage is equal to Vref+αVDD, where Vref is a common mode voltage level, α is a non-zero constant, and VDD is a power supply voltage.
US07961043B2
In an amplifier arrangement comprising an amplifier (AO) having an output, a first feedback (Rfb) between the output and an input side of the amplifier, a load (RL) having a first terminal coupled to the output and a second terminal, and a DC-blocking capacitance (CDC) between the second terminal of the load and a reference terminal, a second feedback (Cx, Rx) is present between the second terminal of the load and the input side of the amplifier.
US07961040B2
A mixed-signal chip is described. The mixed-signal chip comprises a first portion of analog circuit and second portion of digital circuit, an on-chip precision oscillator residing on the first analog portion, the precision oscillator has a precision frequency; a first on-chip non-precision tunable oscillator from a first clock domain residing on the first analog portion, the first non-precision tunable oscillator has a first adjustable frequency; a noise detector for detecting a first noise in the first clock domain; a frequency adjusting register for storing a first desired frequency value of the first on-chip non-precision tunable oscillator, wherein the first desired frequency value is determined based on the first detected noise; a control circuit for adjusting the adjustable frequency of the first non-precision tunable oscillator to the first desired frequency value by using the precision frequency of the on-chip precision oscillator as a reference.
US07961039B2
Some embodiments include a tunable bandpass filter to provide a filtered output signal; a circuit portion to provide an output signal in response to the filtered output signal; a comparator circuit to provide a comparison signal in response to the output signal from the circuit portion; and a feedback circuit to tune the tunable bandpass filter in response to the comparison signal provided by the comparator circuit. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07961035B2
Provided is a boosting circuit having a small circuit scale. When a node (Vg) is reset by a reset transistor (M3) after a boosting operation has been finished, the reset transistor (M3) is controlled based on a power supply voltage to reset the node (Vg). Therefore, another boosted voltage is not required for the reset, and hence an additional boosting circuit required for the another boosted voltage is unnecessary as well. As a result, the circuit scale of the boosting circuit is reduced correspondingly to the additional boosting circuit.
US07961034B2
A method for compensating negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) effects on a given model of transistors includes monitoring the NBTI effects on the transistors over time, determining a change in a threshold voltage of the transistors over time based on the monitoring, determining a forward bias voltage based on the change in threshold voltage, and applying the forward bias voltage to the transistors over time. The method may further include storing the monitoring results in a lookup table, and adjusting the forward bias voltage based on the lookup table. The monitoring may include emulating the NBTI effects on a system comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices in which the transistors are used.
US07961033B2
A temperature sensor includes an open-loop delay line comprising plural delay cells and a multiplexer configured to select a first number of the plural delay cells; a delay-locked loop comprising plural delay cells and a multiplexer configured to select a second number of the plural delay cells; a clock coupled to an input of the open-loop delay line and to an input of the delay-locked loop; a detector having a first input coupled to an output of the open-loop delay line and a second input coupled to an output of the delay-locked loop; and a finite state machine configured to detect a transition in the output of the phase detector.
US07961031B2
A semiconductor switch circuit is provided that enables current consumption to be reduced even in a conduction state. A semiconductor switch circuit 100 has P-type MOS transistors Q101 and Q102 for conduction that share a source and are connected in series between an input/output terminal 101 and input/output terminal 102, a P-type MOS transistor Q103 and N-type MOS transistor Q105 having drains connected to the gate of Q101, a P-type MOS transistor Q104 and N-type MOS transistor Q106 having drains connected to the gate of Q102, and a control terminal 103 connected to the gates of the transistors. Further semiconductor switch circuit 100 is configured with the sources and back gates of Q103 and Q104 connected to the sources of Q101 and Q102. Therefore, it is possible to switch the path between input/output terminal 101 and input/output terminal 102 between a conduction state and non-conduction state by means of voltage control by voltage value Vcont of a control signal applied to control terminal 103.
US07961029B1
A configurable switched capacitor block includes a switched-capacitor (SC) sampling circuit, a fully differential amplifier, an SC feedback circuit, and a comparator. The SC sampling circuit is coupled to receive an input signal and to selectively generate a sampled signal to a differential input of the amplifier. The SC feedback circuit is coupled between the differential inputs and the differential outputs of the amplifier to selectively control a feedback of the amplifier. The comparator is coupled to the differential outputs of the amplifier to generate an output signal. The configurable switched capacitor block has multiple modes of operation which are selectable by programming the SC sampling circuit and the SC feedback circuit.
US07961021B2
A pulse control device is maintained with a constant pulse width corresponding to a change of process or temperature. The pulse control device comprises a fuse set for selectively outputting a delay increase signal and a delay decrease signal that have a different state based on a cutting or non-cutting state of a fuse on which information on a change of process is programmed, and a pulse generator provided with a plurality of delay cells with predetermined time delay for selectively increasing or decreasing the number of the plurality of delay cells depending on the delay increase signal and the delay decrease signal to generate an internal clock with a pulse width corresponding to the number of the increased or decreased delay cells.
US07961019B2
A delay-lock loop receives an input clock signal from the output of a programmable divider that receives a reference clock signal. The delay-lock loop includes a voltage-controlled delay line generating a plurality of delayed clock signals having different phases. A plurality of the delayed clock signals are combined to generate a plurality of output signals. During an initialization period, an initialization circuit sets the delay of the delay line to a minimum delay value and then compares this delay value to the period of the input clock signal. Based on this comparison, the initialization circuit programs the programmable divider and adjusts the number of delayed clock signals combined to generate the output signals. More specifically, as the frequency of the reference clock signal increases, the divider is programmed to divide by a greater number, and a larger number of delay clock signals are combined to generate the output signals.
US07961015B2
The transceiver features a fast de-excitation circuit, by means of which the transceiver can be very quickly de-energized or de-excited after sending of signals. The fast de-excitation circuit can be realized in the simplest case as a controllable switch with series-connected resistor. The transceiver is thus ready to receive signals again very fast, i.e. in the range of a few oscillation periods. With bidirectional data communication between transceiver and transponder the danger of malfunctions is avoided or at least reduced to a minimum level.
US07961000B1
An impedance matching circuit has a number of buffers each having a variable impedance circuit. A variable impedance sense control block has an impedance code as an output. A sequencing circuit couples the impedance code of the variable impedance sense control block to the variable impedance circuit of each of the buffers.
US07960999B2
A method for evaluating a permanent magnet motor, which includes a rotor with a plurality of magnets mounted thereon, and a stator with a plurality of windings in proximity to the rotor and coupled to an inverter, includes spinning the motor such that a voltage is induced in the windings of the stator and the inverter; measuring the voltage on the inverter; calculating the voltage constant from the motor from the measured voltage; comparing the voltage constant to accepted voltage constants; and identifying the motor as not acceptable if the voltage constant is outside of a range of the accepted voltage constants.
US07960997B2
A cascode current sensor includes a main MOSFET and a sense MOSFET. The drain terminal of the main MOSFET is connected to a power device whose current is to be monitored, and the source and gate terminals of the main MOSFET are connected to the source and gate terminals, respectively, of the sense MOSFET. The drain voltages of the main and sense MOSFETs are equalized, in one embodiment by using a variable current source and negative feedback. The gate width of the main MOSFET is typically larger than the gate width of the sense MOSFET. Using the size ratio of the gate widths, the current in the main MOSFET is measured by sensing the magnitude of the current in the sense MOSFET. Inserting the relatively large MOSFET in the power circuit minimizes power loss.
US07960994B2
A test circuit that senses a misaligned probe during a test includes a first power control section that senses voltage levels of a plurality of sensing lines and controls power supplied to a lower circuit section provided below a part of a pad group, and a second power control section that selectively provides an internal voltage in response to a sensing result of the first power control section.
US07960993B2
Each sensor of a linear array of sensors includes, in part, a sensing electrode and an associated feedback circuit. The sensing electrodes are adapted to be brought in proximity to a flat panel having formed thereon a multitude of pixel electrodes in order to capacitively measure the voltage of the pixel electrodes. Each feedback circuit is adapted to actively drive its associated electrode via a feedback signal so as to maintain the voltage of its associated electrode at a substantially fixed bias. Each feedback circuit may include an amplifier having a first input terminal coupled to the sensing electrode and a second input terminal coupled to receive a biasing voltage. The output signal of the amplification circuit is used to generate the feedback signal that actively drives the sensing electrode. The biasing voltage may be the ground potential.
US07960987B2
The voltage application probe and the voltage measurement probe are connected to the voltage application pad and the voltage measurement pad of the semiconductor device. The voltage application pad and the voltage measurement pad are connected by the conductor, measuring the voltage applied to the voltage application pad through the voltage measurement probe. The voltage compensation circuit in the voltage development device operates to make the voltage applied to the voltage application pad equal to the set voltage for the voltage development device. Even when the resistance between the voltage application probe and the voltage application pad increases, the accurate setting voltage is applied to the voltage application pad.
US07960986B2
Access to integrated circuits of a wafer for concurrently performing two or more types of testing, is provided by bringing a wafer and an edge-extended wafer translator into an attached state. The edge-extended wafer translator having wafer-side contact terminals and inquiry-side contact terminals disposed thereon, a first set of wafer-side contact terminals being electrically coupled to a first set of inquiry-side contact terminals, and a second set of wafer-side contact terminals being electrically coupled to a second set of inquiry-side contact terminals. The edge-extended wafer translator having a central portion generally coextensive with the attached wafer, and an edge-extended portion extending beyond the boundary generally defined by the outer circumferential edge of the wafer. A first set of pads of at least one integrated circuit is electrically coupled to the first set of wafer-side contact terminals, and a second set of pads of the integrated circuit is electrically coupled to the second set of wafer-side contact terminals. The edge-extended wafer translator may be shaped such that its edge-extended portion is not coplanar with the central portion thereof.
US07960983B2
An integrated circuit for detecting a bonding defect in a multi-bonding wire. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of pads each connectable by a bonding wire to a lead terminal. Voltage supplied to the lead terminal is applied in common to the plurality of pads. A detection circuit is operably connected to the plurality of pads. The detection circuit detects breakage of the bonding wires based on potentials at the plurality of pads.
US07960979B1
A universal resistance testing device is provided and includes a bridge circuit, a metering circuit, a comparator circuit, and an output circuit. The universal resistance testing device is incorporated into a control circuit and is used to verify a resistive value of a variable resistance device. The universal resistance testing device includes multiple replaceable resistors to thereby allow the universal resistance testing device to be used in the same control circuit to test different variable resistance devices having a different resistive value.
US07960978B2
A method is shown for providing status detection, in particular leak detection, in a pre-insulated pipeline for the transportation of media, in particular, steam or hot water. The pipeline has an inner medium-carrying pipe, a surrounding heat-insulating layer of bonded foam, and an outer protective polyolefin jacket. A special length of polymer coated wire is included as a part of the normal bare conductor wire which is used as a part of the electrical sensing system of the pipeline and is used to by-pass various obstructions in the foamed insulation of the pipeline. The insulated length of the coated wire is heat fused at points of egress and ingress through the outer polymeric jacket with the compatible materials of the coated wire and jacket forming a water tight seal.
US07960969B2
An electromagnetic imaging apparatus and method for electromagnetically measuring physical parameters of a pipe CJ, CC by means of a plurality of measuring arrangement ZMA, MCMA, MonMa, ImMA comprising a plurality of transmitter coil ZTX, LFTX, DTX and a plurality of receiver coil ZRX1, ZR2, MRX, MC, PRX1, PRX2, PRX3, PRX4, PRX5, PRX6, PRX7, PRX8, PRX9, PRX10, PRX11, PRX12, PRX13, PRX14, PRX15, PRX16, PRX17, PRX18, the transmitter coils and receiver coils being associated so as to form the plurality of measuring arrangement, the plurality of measuring arrangement being adapted to be positioned into the pipe and displaced through the pipe, the physical parameters being measured for a plurality of position along the pipe.
US07960968B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for investigating magnetic domains, the method capable of easily grasping behavior of the magnetic domains in a head manufacturing process, and further to provide a testing method of a magnetic head capable of evaluating whether the writing performance of the magnetic head is good or not. The method for investigating magnetic domains comprises supplying direct current (DC) to a coil of an electromagnetic transducer provided in a magnetic head for writing data onto a magnetic recording medium; measuring an inductance of the electromagnetic transducer at each current value while varying the current value of the direct current; and investigating behavior of magnetic domains in a magnetic core of the electromagnetic transducer based on a relationship between the current values and the inductances. The testing method of a magnetic head comprises evaluating whether writing performance of the magnetic head is good or not, based on a relationship between the current values and the inductances.
US07960961B2
A temperature corrected voltage bandgap circuit is provided. The circuit includes first and second diode connected transistors. A first switched current source is coupled to the one transistor to inject or remove a first current into or from the emitter of that transistor. The first current is selected to correct for curvature in the output voltage of the bandgap circuit at one of hotter or colder temperatures.
US07960960B2
An irregular voltage detection and cutoff circuit using a bandgap reference voltage generation circuit includes the bandgap reference voltage generation circuit, which generates a bandgap reference voltage from the power-supply voltage, a reference voltage generator, which generates a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage in the same voltage level as the bandgap reference voltage from the power-supply voltage, a voltage detector, which generates a detection voltage from the power-supply voltage, and a comparator, which generates a switching control signal that cuts off the power-supply voltage by comparing the first and second reference voltages with the detection voltage.
US07960955B2
A linear regulator is provided which stabilizes an input voltage based on a reference voltage source that generates a reference voltage, and the reference voltage generated by the reference voltage. An output voltage of the linear regulator is supplied as a power supply voltage of a switching controller and the reference voltage source. The linear regulator is configured to enable switching of a regulation mode in which voltage is outputted according to the reference voltage, and a bypass mode in which an input voltage is outputted as it is, with no relation to the reference voltage. When a power supply apparatus is started up, during a time period until the input voltage reaches a predetermined threshold voltage, the linear regulator operates in the bypass mode, and when the input voltage exceeds the threshold voltage, operates in the regulation mode.
US07960954B2
The invention discloses a voltage adjusting apparatus including a power adaptor, a first resistor, a current detecting module, a second resistor, and a voltage feedback controlling module. The power adaptor outputs a first current first. The first resistor is used to convert the first current to a first voltage. The current detecting module is used to convert the first voltage to a second current. The second resistor is used to convert the second current to a second voltage. The voltage feedback controlling module is used to convert the second voltage to a third voltage. The power adaptor is used to convert the third voltage to a fourth voltage and output the fourth voltage.
US07960953B2
A regulator circuit stabilizes the input voltage applied to an input terminal before outputting the output voltage via an output terminal. An output transistor is provided between the input terminal and the output terminal. An error amplifier adjusts the voltage applied to the control terminal of the output transistor such that a voltage that corresponds to the output voltage approaches a predetermined reference voltage. A fluctuation detection capacitor is provided on a path from the input terminal to the grounded terminal. One terminal of the fluctuation detection capacitor is set to a fixed electric potential. In a case that the input voltage is lower than the voltage at the other terminal of the fluctuation detection capacitor, an undershoot suppressing circuit forcibly reduces the gate voltage of the output transistor.
US07960947B2
One embodiment of the invention is a compensation circuit that includes a comparator that is coupled to receive a reference voltage. The compensation circuit can also include a capacitance coupled to receive a feedback voltage associated with an output voltage of a converter. Furthermore, the compensation circuit can include an adjustable resistance that is coupled to the capacitance and to the comparator.
US07960932B2
Disclosed is a method for controlling an electrical door drive by means of which the door drive is switched off if the maximum torque is overshot and/or a defined nominal closing rate of the door is undershot as a result of the door drive being obstructed. In order to reliably prevent injuries and damage to people and objects in the event of a functional failure of the safety control system, and in order to nevertheless reliably block or reverse the door, it is proposed that pulse monitoring be carried out on the door drive, for redundant obstruction identification.
US07960918B2
An electronic device, and a corresponding light emission control method for the electronic device, emit light by utilizing recombination of electrons and holes the device and method input a pulse-shaped driving signal having a duty ratio higher than or equal to 0.7 and lower than 1.0 and thereby causing light to be emitted intermittently. When an electron density is denoted by n, a hole density by p, a thermal velocity of electrons by Vth:n, a thermal velocity of holes by Vth:p, an electron capture cross section of a defect level by σn, a hole capture cross section of a defect level by σp, and a pulse width of the driving signal by W, the input driving signal has a pulse width W that satisfies W<1/{n·vth:n·σn·p·vth:p·σp/(n·vth:n·σn+p·vth:p·σp)}.
US07960916B2
A method of receiving video data, a control signal, etc. via a non-contact transmission path is adopted, and a receiving circuit for receiving and amplifying a signal is formed on the same insulating substrate as a display device. Thus, there are provided a thin-film transistor which is formed in a semiconductor thin film that is formed on the insulating substrate and crystallized in a predetermined direction, and an inductor for forming an inductive-coupling circuit, which is formed by using an electrically conductive thin film provided on the insulating substrate. The direction of movement of carriers flowing in the thin-film transistor is parallel to the direction of crystallization of the semiconductor thin film, and the inductor and the thin-film transistor are integrated so as to be electrically coupled directly or indirectly.
US07960906B2
Electron emission devices include first electrodes on a substrate extending in a first direction and spaced apart from each other. Second electrodes are on the substrate alternating between the first electrodes and extending in a second direction opposing the first direction. First electron emitters and second electron emitters are on side surfaces of the first electrodes and the second electrodes, respectively. Gaps are formed between the first electron emitters and second electron emitters.
US07960905B2
The present invention provides a diamond electron source exerting stable and excellent electron emission characteristics, which can be used for a cold cathode surface structure operable with low voltage and a method for producing the diamond electron source. Specifically, the diamond electron source having a carbon-terminated structure has a structure composed of an electrode and a diamond film and emits electrons or electron beams from the diamond film when voltage is applied to the electrode. The diamond film is made of diamond having a carbon-terminated structure. The method for producing the diamond electron source is also provided herein.
US07960904B2
The present invention relates to a field emission device comprising an anode and a cathode, wherein said cathode includes carbon nanotubes nanotubes which have been subjected to energy, plasma, chemical, or mechanical treatment. The present invention also relates to a field emission cathode comprising carbon nanotubes which have been subject to such treatment. A method for treating the carbon nanotubes and for creating a field emission cathode is also disclosed. A field emission display device containing carbon nanotube which have been subject to such treatment is further disclosed.
US07960901B2
A method of manufacturing a ceramic includes forming a film which includes a complex oxide material having an oxygen octahedral structure and a paraelectric material having a catalytic effect for the complex oxide material in a mixed state, and performing a heat treatment to the film, wherein the paraelectric material is one of a layered catalytic substance which includes Si in the constituent elements and a layered catalytic substance which includes Si and Ge in the constituent elements. The heat treatment includes sintering and post-annealing. At least the post-annealing is performed in a pressurized atmosphere including at least one of oxygen and ozone. A ceramic is a complex oxide having an oxygen octahedral structure, and has Si and Ge in the oxygen octahedral structure.
US07960900B2
The invention relates to a device consisting of an electromechanical microswitch comprising mobile beam (2). According to the invention, at least part (14) of the beam forms the piezoelectric element of a piezoelectric actuator.
US07960892B2
Disclosed is a resilient member for use in a brush holder assembly. The resilient member may be positioned between at least a portion of a brush and at least a portion of a brush holder. For example, the resilient member may separate or isolate one or more sides of a brush from an adjacent surface of a brush holder. In some embodiments, the resilient member may prevent at least one side of a brush from impacting an adjacent surface of a brush holder. In some embodiments, the resilient member may be a conductive member forming an electrical pathway between the brush and the brush holder for transferring an electrical current between the brush and the brush holder.
US07960890B2
A laminated core block includes a plurality of core members made of magnetic sheets stacked one on top of another, the plurality of core members including first and second core members which adjoin in a laminating direction, and a thermoplastic resin strand placed between the first and second core members. The thermoplastic resin strand is arranged to pass along one side surface of the first core member, between the first and second core members and along a side surface of the second core member on a side opposite to the aforementioned side surface of the first core member in this order. The first and second core members are bonded to each other by melting and curing the thermoplastic resin strand.
US07960870B2
In some embodiments, a power extractor may operate such that the source impedance and the load impedance may have various values. The power extractor dynamically matches the impedance of the source and the load for the maximum transfer of power. The power extractor includes detection circuitry to continuously detect power changes, and is operated such that impedances of the power extractor between the source and load are dynamically changed in response to the detected power changes. The power extractor may then match an impedance of a power source to the impedance of a load. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07960865B2
The invention concerns a power control apparatus and a method for supplying power between an electric machine and an energy source. The power control apparatus contains at least two converters comprising a plurality of switches, at least some of which switches belong to a set of switch modules comprising a plurality of switches. In the method of the invention, a first set of switches belonging to at least two different modules and arranged to form a first converter is controlled by a first converter control, and a second set of switches arranged to form a second converter is controlled by a second converter control.
US07960863B2
A system and method for operating a photovoltaic element at or near a maximum power point. A maximum power point tracker changes a voltage or current set point of a photovoltaic element in sequential discrete steps, measuring an output power at each step after a predetermined settling time. A slope of a power-voltage curve is then estimated and the slope is corrected for irradiance changes. Finally, an operating voltage or current of the photovoltaic element is adjusted based on the slope of the power-voltage curve and other factors, causing the photovoltaic element to operate at or near its maximum power.
US07960861B2
A circuit arrangement and method for redundantly supplying current to a downstream load are provided. The circuit arrangement includes a first current path including a first switch element to which a first voltage is applied on the input side, a second current path including a second switch element to which a second input voltage is applied on the input side, a first control device which is connected to the first current path and used to control the first switch element, a second control device which is connected to the second current path and used to control the second switch element, and a common output terminal of the first and second current paths, from which a load supply voltage is emitted. In a normal operating state, the first control device holds the first switch element in a let-through state and the second control device holds the second switch element in a let-through state, and in an abnormal operating state, depending on electrical properties of the first current path or the second current path, the control device which is located in the current path having weaker electrical properties transfers the switch element in the current path into a blocking state.
US07960858B2
A device for reducing the consumption of closed-circuit current of a motor vehicle includes a first line, by way of which an ignition switch and a first terminal can be coupled; a second line, by way of which a supply voltage device and a second terminal can be coupled; a switching controller, which is disposed in a signal path of the second line; an actuatable bypassing device, which is switched in parallel to the switching controller and bypasses the switching controller as a function of a first control signal; and a control device, which generates the first control signal for actuating the bypassing device as a function of a first voltage, which corresponds to a difference in potential between a potential at the first terminal and a ground potential, and/or a current value of the current flowing on the second line, and/or a time allowance signal.
US07960856B2
The system allows the generation and distribution of energy on board a motor vehicle provided with a propulsion unit, a tank for fuel at least one distribution network or line for electric energy, electrical energy generation devices connected to the at least one distribution network or line, and a plurality of selectively activatable electrical utilizer devices or apparatus connected or connectable to the at least one distribution network or line. The electrical energy generator devices includes (at least) a microcombustor electricity generator matrix or battery connected to the fuel tank, and a supervision and control unit associated with this generator matrix or battery and coupled to the distribution network or line and arranged to control the operation of the generator matrix or battery in a predetermined manner as a function of the electrical power required or consumed by the network or line.
US07960853B2
An interface system prevents operational interference between a vehicle power door and a ramp of an access system by interrupting power to the motors and actuators responsible for operating the door. The interface system includes a relay system that does not interrupt, read, signal, or otherwise interfere with the communication lines between a body control unit, door control unit, or remote control transmitter or receiver. Thus, the interface system functions without the need to receive and transmit signals on the vehicle's communication bus. The interface system enables the ramp controller of the access system to be a separate module, which controls the ramp and kneel functions, because the only input the ramp controller provides to the power door system is to a ground signal that mimics that of a switch included in the vehicle.
US07960851B2
A power generator for use in a unidirectional flowing fluid has a fixed part and a movable part, the movable part is mounted on the fixed part for reciprocal movement with respect to the fixed part between first and second positions. A valve element on the movable part is adapted to move between open and closed positions for relatively unimpeded and impeded flow. A valve actuation mechanism is connected to the valve element to move the valve element to the closed position when the movable element reaches the first position and to move the valve element to the open position when the movable element reaches the second position. An electrical generator is coupled to the fixed part and the moveable part and is adapted to generate electrical energy when the movable part moves between the first and second positions.
US07960844B2
Disclosed are a flash memory device and method of operation. The flash memory device includes a bottom memory cell array and a top memory cell array disposed over the bottom memory cell array. The bottom memory cell array includes a bottom semiconductor layer, a bottom well, and a plurality of bottom memory cell units. The top memory cell array includes a top semiconductor layer, a top well, and a plurality of top memory cell units. A well bias line is disposed over the top memory cell array and includes a bottom well bias line and a top well bias line, The bottom well bias line is electrically connected to the bottom well, and the top well bias line is electrically connected to the top well.
US07960843B2
A chip arrangement includes a logic chip with electric contacts arranged on one side, at least one memory chip arrangement with electrical contacts arranged on at least one side, and a substrate with electrical contacts on both sides of the substrate. The logic chip is attached to the substrate and is electrically conductively coupled to the substrate. The memory chip arrangement is arranged on the logic chip on the side facing the substrate and is electrically conductive coupled to the logic chip. The substrate includes a plurality of electrical connections between the contacts of the one and the other side.
US07960842B2
A method for fabricating a chip package is achieved. A seed layer is formed over a silicon wafer. A photoresist layer is formed on the seed layer, an opening in the photoresist layer exposing the seed layer. A first solder bump is formed on the seed layer exposed by the opening. The photoresist layer is removed. The seed layer not under the first solder bump is removed. A second solder bump on a chip is joined to the first solder bump.
US07960833B2
An integrated circuit comprises N plane-like metal layers, where N is an integer greater than one. A first plane-like metal layer includes M contact portions that communicate with the N plane-like metal layers, respectively, where M is an integer greater than one. The first plane-like metal layer and the N plane-like metal layers are located in separate planes. At least two of a first source, a first drain and a second source communicate with at least two of the N plane-like metal layers. A first gate is arranged between the first source and the first drain. A second gate is arranged between the first drain and the second source. The first and second gates define alternating first and second regions in the first drain, and wherein the first and second gates are arranged farther apart in the first regions than in the second regions.
US07960829B2
A support structure for use with a semiconductor substrate in thinning, or backgrinding, thereof, as well as during post-thinning processing of the semiconductor substrate includes a portion that extends substantially along and around an outer periphery of the semiconductor substrate to impart the thinned semiconductor substrate with rigidity. The support structure may be configured as a ring or as a member that substantially covers an active surface of the semiconductor substrate and forms a protective structure over each semiconductor device carried by the active surface.
US07960825B2
A method for fabricating chip package includes providing a semiconductor chip with a bonding pad, comprising an adhesion/barrier layer, connected to a pad through an opening in a passivation layer, next adhering the semiconductor chip to a substrate using a glue material, next bonding a wire to the bonding pad and to the substrate, forming a polymer material on the substrate, covering the semiconductor chip and the wire, next forming a lead-free solder ball on the substrate, and then cutting the substrate and polymer material to form a chip package.
US07960823B2
A semiconductor device of an aspect of the present invention comprises a package substrate, one first power supply terminal provided on the package substrate, one second power supply terminal provided on the package substrate, a semiconductor chip disposed on the package substrate, first and second internal power supply circuits provided in the semiconductor chip, one first ESD protection element which is provided in the first internal power supply circuit and which is connected to the first power supply terminal, and a plurality of second ESD protection elements, the second ESD protection elements being provided in the second internal power supply circuit, the size of one second ESD protection element being smaller than that of the first ESD protection element, the second ESD protection elements being connected to the common second power supply terminal.
US07960820B2
A semiconductor package in which an electronic device chip is provided in a cavity of a silicon substrate stacked product constituted by stacking a plurality of silicon substrates.
US07960817B2
A semiconductor power module includes a semiconductor chip thermally interfaced to a ceramic substrate and a leadframe defined by a flexible circuit disposed intermediate the chip and the ceramic substrate. The flexible circuit includes a conductor layer that is selectively encased in an insulated jacket to ensure adequate electrical insulation between the conductor layer and adjacent conductive surfaces. Preferably, the module is constructed for double side cooling by sandwiching the chip between a pair of ceramic substrates and providing intermediate flexible circuit leadframes on both sides of the chip for electrically accessing the chip terminals.
US07960803B2
The use of atomic layer deposition (ALD) to form a dielectric layer of hafnium nitride (Hf3N4) and hafnium oxide (HfO2) and a method of fabricating such a combination gate and dielectric layer produces a reliable structure for use in a variety of electronic devices. Forming the dielectric structure includes depositing hafnium oxide using precursor chemicals, followed by depositing hafnium nitride using precursor chemicals, and repeating to form the laminate structure. Alternatively, the hafnium nitride may be deposited first followed by the hafnium nitride. Such a dielectric layer may be used as the gate insulator of a MOSFET, a capacitor dielectric in a DRAM, or a tunnel gate insulator in flash memories, because the high dielectric constant (high-k) of the film provides the functionality of a thinner silicon dioxide film, and because of the reduced leakage current when compared to an electrically equivalent thickness of silicon dioxide.
US07960792B2
A non-volatile memory disposed in a SOI substrate is provided. The non-volatile memory includes a memory cell and a first conductive type doped region. The memory cell includes a gate, a charge storage structure, a bottom dielectric layer, a second conductive type drain region, and a second conductive type source region. The gate is disposed on the SOI substrate. The charge storage structure is disposed between the gate and the SOI substrate. The bottom dielectric layer is disposed between the charge storage layer and the SOI substrate. The second conductive type drain region and the second conductive type source region are disposed in a first conductive type silicon body layer next to the two sides of the gate. The first conductive type doped region is disposed in the first conductive type silicon body layer and electrically connected to the first conductive type silicon body layer beneath the gate.
US07960787B2
A semiconductor power device formed on a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type wherein the semiconductor power device includes trench gates surrounded by body regions of a second conductivity type encompassing source regions of the first conductivity type therein. The semiconductor power device further includes trench contact structure having a plurality of trench contacts with trenches extended into the body regions for as source-body contacts and extended into the trench gates as gate contact. The semiconductor power device further includes a termination area wherein a plurality of the trench gate contacts are electrically connected to the source-body contacts.
US07960784B2
A semiconductor fabrication process according to the present invention defines an auxiliary structure with a plurality of spaces with a predetermined line-width in the oxide layer to prevent the conductive material in the spaces from being removed by etching or defined an auxiliary structure to rise the conductive structure so as to have the conductive structure being exposed by chemical mechanical polishing. Thus, the transmitting circuit can be defined without requiring an additional mask. Hence, the semiconductor fabrication process can reduce the number of required masks to lower the cost.
US07960779B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory of an aspect of the invention includes memory cells in the memory cell forming area, and select gate transistors in the select gate forming area. Each memory cell has two first diffusion layers formed in a semiconductor substrate, a first gate insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate, a charge storage layer formed on the first gate insulating film, a first intermediate insulating film formed on the charge storage layer and a first gate electrode formed on the first intermediate insulating film. Each select gate transistor has two second diffusion layers formed in the semiconductor substrate, a second gate insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate, a second intermediate insulating film formed in direct contact with the second gate insulating film and having the same structure as the first intermediate insulating film, and a second gate electrode formed on the second intermediate insulating film.
US07960774B2
A memory device including a dielectric thin film having a plurality of dielectric layers and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The memory device includes: a bottom electrode; at least one dielectric thin film disposed on the bottom electrode and having a plurality of dielectric layers with different charge trap densities from each other; and an top electrode disposed on the dielectric thin film. Therefore, a memory device, which can be readily manufactured by a simple process and can be highly integrated using its simple structure, can be provided.
US07960769B2
In a CMOS image sensor, an N-type semiconductor layer is formed on a P-type semiconductor substrate. P-type semiconductor regions are formed in one part of the semiconductor layer over the entire length of the thickness direction of the semiconductor layer in a lattice-like shape as viewed from above to compartment the semiconductor layer into a plurality of regions. Furthermore, a red filter, a green filter and a blue filter are provided in a red picture element, a green picture element and a blue picture element, respectively. Moreover, an N-type buried semiconductor layer being in contact with the semiconductor layer is formed in an immediately lower region of the red filter in an upper layer part of the semiconductor substrate.
US07960765B2
A method and apparatus providing an integrated circuit having a plurality of gate stack structures having gate oxide layers with differing thicknesses and nitrogen concentrations and gate electrodes with differing conductivity types and active dopant concentrations.
US07960763B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a compound semiconductor layer formed over the substrate, and a protective insulating film composed of silicon nitride, which is formed over a surface of the compound semiconductor layer and whose film density in an intermediate portion is lower than that in a lower portion.
US07960759B2
A circuit 32 is provided comprising a first diffusion region 34 and a parallel second diffusion region 36. A sequence of N gate layers 40, 42, 46 is provided with a first and an Nth of these gate layers covering different respective ones of the diffusion regions 34, 36 whilst the middle (N−2) gate layers 42 cover both diffusion regions 34, 36. A bridging conductor 64 connects the first gate layer 40 and the Nth gate layer 46. In some embodiments, the second diffusion region is provided as two second diffusion sub-regions 68, 70 having a diffusion region gap 74 therebetween and electrically connected via a jumper connector 42. A first gate layer 76 which forms a gate electrode with a first diffusion region 66 can extend through this diffusion region gap 74 not forming a gate electrode therewith and facilitating use of a collinear bridging conductor 82 to connect to the Nth gate layer 80.
US07960756B2
A transistor includes a protective layer having an opening extending therethrough on a substrate, and a gate electrode in the opening. First portions of the gate electrode laterally extend on surface portions of the protective layer outside the opening on opposite sides thereof, and second portions of the gate electrode are spaced apart from the protective layer and laterally extend beyond the first portions. Related devices are also discussed.
US07960749B2
A light-emitting device structure comprises a substrate having a first region and a second region outside the first region, a first conductive type semiconductor layer positioned on the first region, a light-emitting structure positioned on the first conductive type semiconductor layer, a second conductive type semiconductor layer positioned on the light-emitting structure, and a wall structure positioned on the second region.
US07960748B2
A semiconductor light emitting device is provided so that an optical axis thereof is properly set parallel with the mounting board when the device is mounted on the mounting board. The semiconductor light emitting device can have a structure in that light can be incident on the light guide plate with high efficiency and uniform introduction into the light guide plate. A multi-piece substrate can include electrodes, a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements, and a sealing resin for sealing them simultaneously. The thus obtained integrated substrate is cut into individual semiconductor light emitting device bodies. On one of the cut end faces, which serves as a surface to be mounted onto a mounting board, a light-shielding reflective film can be coated over an area from the edge of the light emission surface of the sealing resin to at least part of the substrate. On the other cut end face, the sealing resin can be covered with a light-shielding reflective film.
US07960742B2
A method of fabricating an active device array substrate is provided. A substrate having scan lines, data lines and active devices formed thereon is provided. Each of the active devices is electrically connected to the corresponding scan line and data line. An organic material layer is formed over the substrate to cover the scan lines, the data lines and the active devices. Then, a plasma treatment is performed to the surface of the organic material layer to form a number of concave patterns. The dimension of each of the concave patterns is smaller than one micrometer. Afterward, pixel electrodes are formed on the organic material layer and each of the pixel electrodes is electrically connected to one of the corresponding active devices.
US07960741B2
A light emitting diode includes: a first semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer formed on the first semiconductor layer; a light-converting pattern of a phosphor material formed on the second semiconductor layer; and a reflective layer of a metallic material formed on the second semiconductor layer and enclosing the light-converting pattern.
US07960740B2
A structure of a light emitting diode is provided. The light emitting diode comprises a light emitting diode die; two conductive frames electronically and respectively connecting to the cathode and anode of the light emitting diode die, and two substrates. Each conductive frame has a fixing hole and each substrate has a protrusive pillar. The upper opening of the fixing hole is broader than the bottom opening. The protrusive pillar is inserted into the fixing hole and the shape of the protrusive pillar is deformed for fitting and binding with the fixing hole.
US07960734B2
A finFET field effect transistor is produced by the formation of an electrical junction between the thin fin portion of semiconductor material which forms the channel of the transistor and the circuit substrate. Doping particles are implanted in the substrate through a mask which is then subsequently used to form the thin fin portion of the channel. The channel of the finFET transistor is thus electrically insulated from the circuit substrate in the same manner as in MOS integrated circuits realized from bulk silicon substrates.
US07960733B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a high reliable EL display device and a manufacturing method thereof by shielding intruding moisture or oxygen which is a factor of deteriorating the property of an EL element without enlarging the EL display device.In the invention, application is used as a method for forming a high thermostability planarizing film 16, typically, an interlayer insulating film (a film which serves as a base film of a light emitting element later) of a TFT in which a skeletal structure is configured by the combination of silicon (Si) and oxygen (O). After the formation, an edge portion or an opening portion is formed to have a tapered shape. Afterwards, distortion is given by adding an inert element with a comparatively large atomic radius to modify or highly densify a surface (including a side surface) for preventing the intrusion of moisture or oxygen.
US07960730B2
Provided is a method of fabricating a semiconductive oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) substrate. The method includes forming gate wiring on an insulation substrate; and forming a structure in which a semiconductive oxide film pattern and data wiring are stacked on the gate wiring, wherein the semiconductive oxide film pattern is selectively patterned to have channel regions of first thickness and source/drain regions of greater second thickness and where image data is coupled to the source regions by data wiring formed on the source regions. According to a 4-mask embodiment, the data wiring and semiconductive oxide film pattern are defined by a shared etch mask.
US07960729B2
In a thin film transistor (TFT) structure, formation of a spacer layer is used for isolating the NI junction from an insulating layer comprising a nitride, so as to decrease the amount of current leakage and improve the electric characteristics of TFT. In a back-channel etching (BCE) type TFT device, the spacer layer (comprising an oxide layer) is substantially formed at the sidewalls of the channel regions to isolate the insulating layer (comprising silicon nitride) from the NI junctions. In an etch-stop TFT device, the spacer layer (comprising an oxide layer) is substantially formed at the sidewalls of the etch-stop layer to isolate the insulating layer (i.e. etch-stop layer) from the NI junctions.
US07960727B2
There is provided a zinc oxide based compound semiconductor device which, even when a semiconductor device is formed by forming a lamination portion having a hetero junction of ZnO based compound semiconductor layers, does not cause any rise in a drive voltage while ensuring p-type doping, and, at the same time, can realize good crystallinity and excellent device characteristics. ZnO based compound semiconductor layers (2) to (6) are epitaxially grown on the principal plane of a substrate (1) made of MgxZn1-xO (0≦x<1). The principal plane of the substrate is a plane in which an A plane {11-20} or an M plane {10-10} is inclined in a direction of −c axis.
US07960725B2
Light emitting devices are described which incorporate, as the light emitting element, a dendrimer of which the constituent dendrons include a conjugated dendritic structure comprising aryl and/or heteroaryl groups connected to each other via bonds between sp2 hybridized ring atoms of said aryl or heteroaryl groups.
US07960721B2
A light emitting device includes a substrate layer, a first injection contact positioned over the substrate layer, a first dielectric layer positioned over the first injection contact, a light emission layer positioned over the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer positioned over the light emission layer and a second injection contact positioned over the second dielectric layer. The light emission layer includes an organic template having binding sites for binding nanoparticles into an array. The wavelength of emitted light is dependent upon the size of the nanoparticles and the pitch of the array. The light emitting device may include a first plurality of binding sites for binding a first set of nanoparticles and a second plurality of binding sites for binding a second set of nanoparticles. The wavelength depends upon a ratio of the first plurality to the second plurality of binding sites.
US07960718B2
Fabrication of thin-film transistor devices on polymer substrate films that is low-temperature and fully compatible with polymer substrate materials. The process produces micron-sized gate length structures that can be fabricated using inkjet and other standard printing techniques. The process is based on microcrack technology developed for surface conduction emitter configurations for field emission devices.
US07960717B2
An electronic device includes a substrate, a first organic electronic component overlying the substrate, wherein, from a plan view, the first organic electronic component defines a perimeter of a first pixel area, and at least one post structure, wherein the at least one post structure lies within the perimeter of the first pixel area. The electronic device can also include a confinement structure overlying the substrate and having a first opening, wherein from a plan view, the first opening has a perimeter that substantially corresponds to a perimeter of the first organic electronic component.
US07960716B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a field effect transistor showing high field-effect mobility and a high ON/OFF ratio, which can be produced simply by using a porphyrin compound with excellent crystallinity and orientation. The field effect transistor according to the present invention transistor contains at least an organic semiconductor layer, wherein the organic semiconductor layer contains at least a porphyrin compound and has a maximum diffraction intensity I1 in a Bragg angle (2θ) range of 9.9° to 10.4° stronger than a maximum diffraction intensity I2 in a Bragg angle (2θ) range of 23.0° to 26.0° in X-ray diffraction using CuKα radiation.
US07960712B2
The switching element of the present invention includes: an ion conduction layer (4) in which metal ions can move freely; a first electrode (1) that contacts the ion conduction layer (4); and a second electrode (2) that contacts the ion conduction layer (4), that is formed such that the ion conduction layer (4) is interposed between the first electrode (1) and the second electrode (2), and that supplies metal ions to the ion conduction layer (4) or that receives metal ions from the ion conduction layer (4) to cause precipitation of the metal that corresponds to the metal ions. An introduction path (5) composed of the metal and of a prescribed width is further provided on the ion conduction layer (4) for electrically connecting the first electrode (1) and the second electrode (2). The application of voltage to the first electrode (1) relative to the second electrode (2) then causes an electrochemical reaction between the introduction path (5) and the second electrode (2) whereby the electrical characteristics are switched.
US07960704B2
A non-radioactive source for Atmospheric Pressure Ionization is described. The electron-beam sealed tube uses a pyroelectric crystal(s). One end of the crystal is grounded while the other end has a metallic cap with sharp feature to generate an electron beam of a given energy. The rate of heating and/or cooling of the crystal is used to control the current generated from a tube. A heating and/or cooling element such as a Peltier element is useful for controlling the rate of cooling of the crystal. A thin window that is transparent to electrons but impervious to gases is needed in order to prolong the life of the tube and allow the extraction of the electrons. If needed, multiple crystals with independent heaters can be used to provide continuous operation of the device. The energy of the electrons can be determined through the appropriate choice of the radius of curvature of the sharp feature and the gap between the sharp feature and the window, while the opposite side of the crystal is at low voltage. The size of the gap and the radius of curvature of the sharp feature are determined by the filling gas nature and pressure.
US07960701B2
A method is disclosed for in-situ monitoring of an EUV mirror to determine a degree of optical degradation. The method may comprise the steps/acts of irradiating at least a portion of the mirror with light having a wavelength outside the EUV spectrum, measuring at least a portion of the light after the light has reflected from the mirror, and using the measurement and a pre-determined relationship between mirror degradation and light reflectivity to estimate a degree of multi-layer mirror degradation. Also disclosed is a method for preparing a near-normal incidence, EUV mirror which may comprise the steps/acts of providing a metallic substrate, diamond turning a surface of the substrate, depositing at least one intermediate material overlying the surface using a physical vapor deposition technique, and depositing a multi-layer mirror coating overlying the intermediate material.
US07960699B2
A circuit for implementing an ambient light sensing mode and a proximity sensing mode includes a first light sensor that is more sensitive to light in the infrared spectrum than to light in the visible spectrum and a light source that emits light in the infrared spectrum. The circuit further includes a second light sensor that is sensitive to light in the visible spectrum and a controller coupled to the first light sensor, the light source, and the second light sensor. The controller is configured to process an ambient light level output from the first light sensor without the light source energized with an output from the first light sensor with the light source energized to implement a proximity sensing mode. Further, the controller is configured to process an output from the second light sensor to implement an ambient light sensing mode.
US07960696B2
As an aspect for realizing accurate observation, inspection, or measurement of the contact hole with large aspect ratio, a method and a device to scan a second electron beam after scanning a first electron beam to a sample to charge the sample are proposed wherein the beam diameter of the first electron beam is made larger than the beam diameter of the second electron beam.
US07960689B2
Method and system that allows the use of water as reactant gas for internal chemical ionization in mass spectrometry. The system provides a stable water vapor pressure in the ion trap by condensation-free water vapor flow between water reservoir and ion trap. The system can be implemented by modification of any type of ion-trap mass spectrometer designed for internal chemical ionization.
US07960685B2
The invention provides imaging apparatus and methods useful for obtaining a high resolution image of a sample at rapid scan rates. A rectangular detector array having a horizontal dimension that is longer than the vertical dimension can be used along with imaging optics positioned to direct a rectangular image of a portion of a sample to the rectangular detector array. A scanning device can be configured to scan the sample in a scan-axis dimension, wherein the vertical dimension for the rectangular detector array and the shorter of the two rectangular dimensions for the image are in the scan-axis dimension, and wherein the vertical dimension for the rectangular detector array is short enough to achieve confocality in a single axis.
US07960683B2
An observation apparatus includes a light radiating unit that radiates a plurality of element lights, each of which has a limited wavelength band, to an observation target; a light detecting unit that detects the plurality of element lights reflected by the observation target in a plurality of patterns by changing a weight for each of the element lights; and a processing unit that performs a procedure of separating a component of each of the element lights from a plurality of detection results of the light detecting unit based on the weight for each of the element lights of the light detecting unit.
US07960680B2
An optoelectronic device for emitting electromagnetic radiation with a controllable emission intensity comprises, at least one optoelectronic component (100) which is adapted for generating, in operation, electromagnetic radiation (90), a first electronic element (200) and a second electronic element (300). The first electronic element (200) is adapted for controlling the emission intensity of the electromagnetic radiation (90), generated by the optoelectronic component (100), within a first intensity range, and the second electronic element (300) is adapted for controlling the emission intensity of the electromagnetic radiation (90), generated by the optoelectronic component (100), within a second intensity range.
US07960678B2
A display device in which light leakage in a monitor element portion is prevented without increasing the number of steps and cost is provided. The display device includes a monitor element for suppressing influence on a light-emitting element due to temperature change and change over time and a TFT for driving the monitor element, in which the TFT for driving the monitor element is provided so as not to overlap the monitor element. Furthermore, the display device includes a first light shielding film and a second light shielding film, in which the first light shielding film is provided so as to overlap a first electrode of the monitor element and the second light shielding film is electrically connect to the first light shielding film through a contact hole formed in an interlayer insulating film. The contact hole is formed so as to surround the outer edge of the first electrode of the monitor element.
US07960675B2
An unmanned missile which may be uncoupled from a preferably propelled aircraft has a navigation and control device which has a receiver for position determination signals. The receiver is electrically connected to a first antenna, and receives signals collected by the first antenna and transmits same as position determination signals to the navigation and control device. The missile has an electrical signal input by which the missile is connected to the aircraft until it is uncoupled from the aircraft, and by which the missile is supplied with signals for position determination. The missile is provided with at least one additional antenna which is also electrically connected to the receiver.
US07960674B2
Quasi-isotropic chopped prepreg is used to make parts found in aerospace vehicles. Exemplary aerospace parts that are made using quasi-isotropic chopped prepreg include aircraft window frames, wing fairing supports, flange supports, frame gussets, rudder actuator brackets, shear ties, seat pedestals, cargo floor flange supports, storage bin fittings, antenna supports, torque tube pans, handle boxes, side guide fittings, wing box covers and intercostals.
US07960672B2
A robot welding controller and a robot welding control. It comprises a robot having a welding torch at its tip, a robot controller, a wire feeder, and a welding electric power. It performs welding by moving the welding torch on the basis of a commanded welding line. A contact detecting section detects contact of the wire and the base material. A feed direction switching section switches feed directions of the wire. An arc generation detecting section detects that an arc is generated between the wire and the base material. A waveform control section controls electric power waveforms of plural shapes applied between the wire and the base material. A welding sequence section controls the operations of the contact detecting section, the feed direction switching section, the arc generation detecting section and the waveform control section in block.
US07960670B2
A sensor apparatus for measuring a plasma process parameter for processing a workpiece. The sensor apparatus includes a base, an information processor supported on or in the base, and at least one sensor supported on or in the base. The at least one sensor includes at least one sensing element configured for measuring an electrical property of a plasma and at least one transducer coupled to the at least one sensing element. The transducer is configured so as to receive a signal from the sensing element and converting the signal into a second signal for input to the information processor.
US07960667B2
A movable contact element includes a cover sheet to which a movable contact having a dome shape is bonded and which is stacked on a top surface of a pressure sensitive conductive sheet. The movable contact element is bonded to a top surface of a substrate having a fixed contact formed thereon, thereby forming a switch. Through the construction, it is possible to obtain the movable contact element, which has a simple construction and can perform various operations, and the switch using the same.
US07960666B2
A low-voltage circuit breaker that comprises: a containment structure; a control mechanism; a plurality of circuit breaking poles, chosen between a first type of pole that comprises a first housing containing a first fixed contact and a corresponding first moving contact that can be coupled to said first fixed contact by means of its rotation around a point, and a second type of pole that comprises a second housing containing a second fixed contact and a corresponding second moving contact that can be coupled to said second fixed contact by means of a translatory movement along an axis; a first kinematic coupling between said control mechanism and said first moving contact, in the case of said poles belonging to said first type of pole, or a second kinematic coupling between said control mechanism and said second moving contact, in the case of said poles belonging to said second type of pole.
US07960662B2
The micro-switch structure comprises, on a substrate 1 coated with a passivation layer 2, a first signal line LS-IN and a second signal line LS-OUT disposed in the projected extension of one another, separated by a switching region 10; a control electrode 3 in said region, a dielectric material 4 with high relative permittivity invariant in frequency, disposed on the control electrode in such a manner that, between the two signal lines, the control electrode is wider on either side and, in the orthogonal direction, the dielectric protrudes on either side of the control electrode and rests on the passivation layer; parallel ground lines, disposed symmetrically on either side of the signal lines and formed on a topological level separated from that of the signal lines by at least one insulating layer made of a material different from that of the passivation layer.
US07960655B2
A PCB can include an insulating member, a cooling member, and a circuit pattern. The cooling member can be built into the insulating member. The cooling member can have a cooling passageway through which a cooling fluid can flow. The circuit pattern can be formed on the insulating member. Thus, high heat in the circuit pattern can be rapidly dissipated by the cooling fluid flowing through the cooling passageway.
US07960641B2
This invention deals with novel method and apparatus for positioning and motion control of the elements (lenses) of a Fresnel lens solar concentrator tracking array by induced and/or permanent dipole coupling to an electronic grid to produce angular deflection, and rotational motion. Thus forces and torques are produced without the use of internal moving parts. Control can be achieved without recourse to magnetic fields, by means of high electric fields which may be attained at relatively low voltages. At low voltages, the instant invention exceeds the capability of conventional systems. It can perform dynamic motion control with independent amplitude and frequency modulation. It is ideally suited for maximization of solar energy focused by the array onto a receiver. Since there are no mechanical likages, the instant invention is the most adapted for fabrication from the mini- to the micro-technology realm. Furthermore it provides less costly and greater ease of manufacture from the mini-to the micro-realm.
US07960637B2
The present disclosure relates to sound recognition devices and methods. A system is provided that utilizes a system of tonal and rhythmic visualization methods to recognize different environmental sounds so as to accurately identify certain species of wildlife and other elements of nature.
US07960633B1
An anti-rotation counterhoop-fixing structure is provided for a drum, which realizes secured and reliable fastening of the counterhoop, wherein a fastening end face of a drum-fastening screw and a fastening face of the counterhoop are respectively provided with roughened anti-skidding patterned surfaces so that when the screw is tightened for fastening, the anti-patterns provided on the mated fastening faces effectively prevent the threaded engagement from getting loosened when the drum is beaten or batted. Thus, secured and reliable adjustment and fastening of the drum skin can be realized, which maintains perfect and intact sound of drum beating and facilitates convenience and practicability of operation and use of music instrument percussion.
US07960629B2
An upright piano is equipped with a soft pedal, and a player makes the hammer stroke shorter by depressing the soft pedal; while a user is reproducing a music tune by means of an automatic player piano fabricated on the basis of the upright piano, the keys are servo controlled on the basis of a position difference of keys between target values and actual values and a key velocity difference, and the duty ratio of driving signal, which is supplied to solenoid-operated key actuators for the keys, are determined on the basis of multiplications between the position difference/key velocity difference and a position gain and a velocity gain; the value of position gain is reduced on the condition that the soft pedal is depressed for preventing the playback from an unintentional loud tone or tones.
US07960628B2
A new and distinct Guzmania hybrid named ‘ECLIPSE’ characterized by solid growth habit; funnel-form rosette plant, measuring about 42 cm to 48 cm in height (above the pot when flowering); numerous, green color foliage, measuring about 32 cm to 38 cm in length and about 3.4 cm to 4.6 cm in width; superior floral bract production; bracts have a unique, round, compound red-purple inflorescence which distinguishes this cultivar from typical Guzmania; compound inflorescence, measuring about 7 cm in height and about 15 cm in diameter; and long-lasting habit.
US07960622B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV401587. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV401587, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV401587 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV401587.
US07960618B1
According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean variety designated RJS47002. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean variety RJS47002, to the plants of soybean RJS47002 to plant parts of soybean variety RJS47002 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing plants of the soybean variety RJS47002 with another soybean plant, using RJS47002 as either the male or the female parent.
US07960615B2
Compositions and methods for conferring herbicide resistance to bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues and seeds are provided. Compositions include nucleic acid molecules encoding herbicide resistance or tolerance polypeptides, vectors comprising those nucleic acid molecules, and host cells comprising the vectors. The nucleotide sequences of the invention can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in organisms, including microorganisms and plants. Compositions also comprise transformed bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues, and seeds. In particular, the present invention provides for isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, or 23, a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 16, 19, or 22, the herbicide resistance nucleotide sequence deposited in a bacterial host as Accession Nos. NRRL B-30932, B-30933, B-30934, B-30945, B-30946, B-30947, or B-30948, as well as variants and fragments thereof.
US07960613B2
The present disclosure is directed to isolated nucleic acid fragments comprising a root-preferred maize NAS2 promoter, a functional fragment thereof, and end-uses and methods utilizing said fragments. Functional fragment NAS2 promoters include those containing the Root Motif 1, the CAAT box, and the TATA box; the Pyrimidine Box, the Pyrimidine-rich Stretch, the QAR, the Root Motif 1, the CAAT box, and the TATA box; and the Pyrimidine Box, the Pyrimidine-rich Stretch, the QAR, the Root Motif 1, and the CAAT box.
US07960610B2
The compositions and methods are provided that enhance the selection of transgenic plants having two T-DNA molecules integrated into a plant genome at different physical and genetic loci. The compositions are DNA constructs that comprise novel arrangements of T-DNA molecules containing genes of interest, positive selectable marker genes, and conditional lethal genes. The methods disclosed herein comprises transforming a plant cell to comprise the DNA constructs of the present invention, regenerating the plant cell into a plant and identifying independent transgene loci, where the selectable marker genes or transgenic elements can be segregated in the progeny.
US07960609B2
The present invention relates to an avian influenza vaccine of plant origin, prepared by transforming a plant with a surface protein of avian influenza virus, hemagglutinin (HA) or neuraminidase (NA), and a method for preparing the same. Further, the present invention relates to an oral vaccine for preventing avian influenza virus, of which mass-production conditions are established, and thus the produced transgenic plant can be more easily, safely, and economically used as a fodder additive. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a reagent for diagnosing avian influenza virus infection, prepared by isolating and purifying a recombinant antigen protein from the transgenic plant.
US07960603B2
A medical bandage is disclosed including a knitted spacer fabric cover or padding positioned in surrounding relation on a moisture-hardenable substrate. A reactive system is applied to and into the thickness of the substrate. The reactive system having a first state wherein the substrate remains in a flexible, conformable condition and a second state wherein the reactive system hardens, simultaneously hardening the substrate into a desired conformation.
US07960600B2
Meta-xylene is recovered from admixture with other C8 aromatic hydrocarbons including ortho-xylene by liquid phase adsorptive separation. Performance is improved by reducing the concentration of ortho-xylene through adding a sidecut to a prefractionator preparing the feedstock to adsorptive separation.
US07960598B2
The present invention relates to methods for processing biomass to selectively yield a variety of hydrocarbon molecules and hydrogen as products, wherein some or all of these products can be further utilized for other biomass processing sub-processes, particularly wherein they lead to the generation of biofuels and/or other high-value products.
US07960594B2
A method for preparing ethylene glycol from cellulose uses the cellulose as the feed for the reaction. The cellulose conversion is performed over catalysts which are composed of the metallic state, carbides, nitrides, or phosiphides of molybdenum or tungsten, and metallic cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, iridium, and platinum of the group 8, 9, or 10 transition metals. The catalytic conversion of cellulose is conducted at 120 to 300° C. and hydrogen pressure 1 to 12 MPa under the hydrothermal conditions to achieve the high efficiency, high selectivity, and high yield of ethylene glycol. Compared to the existing method of preparing ethylene glycol from ethylene, the method, using the renewable raw material for the reaction, is friendly to the environment, and has high atom economy.
US07960593B2
The present invention relates to a process for preparing racemic or optically active menthol by catalytically hydrogenating racemic or optically active isopulegol in the presence of hydrogen and catalysts which comprise nickel-, copper-, zirconium- and molybdenum-containing compounds. The present invention relates specifically to a corresponding process far continuously catalytically hydrogenating L-isopulegol to L-menthol.
US07960589B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for methods of making sphingosines and derivatives thereof, and the like.
US07960585B2
The present invention relates to a process for preparing secondary amides with good selectivity by carbonylating a corresponding tertiary amine with carbon monoxide in a reaction mixture in the presence of a metal catalyst and in the presence of a halogen containing promoter. The metal catalyst comprises palladium. A same or even a much better catalytic activity can be obtained with palladium than with the much more expensive rhodium, especially when the palladium is used in a low concentration. Moreover, also a good selectivity can be achieved.
US07960579B2
A drug effective for the treatment and prevention of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, anxiety and related ailments thereof, depression, bipolar disorder and epilepsy. The drug antagonizes the action of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors and shows high activity in oral administrationA 2-amino-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2,6-dicarboxylic ester derivative represented by formula [I] [wherein R1 and R2 are identical or different, and each represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-10alkyl group or the like; X represents a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom; Y represents —OCHR3R4 or the like (wherein R3 and R4 are identical or different, and each represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-10alkyl group or the like; and n represents integer 1 or 2)], a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or a hydrate thereof.
US07960569B2
The present invention provides indole compounds of Formula (I) or (II): or a stereoisomer, tautomer, pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate form thereof, wherein the variables ring A, X1, X2, X3, X4, R6, and R15 are as defined herein. These compounds are selective inhibitors of the human P2Y1 receptor which can be used as medicaments.
US07960568B2
The present invention relates to heterocyclyl-substituted sulfonamides with 5-HT6 receptor affinity, and compositions thereof, and the use of said compounds for the treatment or prophylaxis of various disorders.
US07960560B2
The invention relates to A 1-(biphenyl-4-ylmethyl)imidazolidine-2,4-dione derivative having the general Formula I wherein R1 is H, (C1-6)alkyl (optionally substituted with oxo, OR4, COOR5, halogen or CN), (C2-6)alkenyl, (C2-6)alkynyl, (C3-6)cycloalkyl or (C3-6)cycloalkyl(C1-3)alkyl; R2 and R2′ are independently H or (C1-3)alkyl; or R2 and R2′ form together with the carbon atom to which they are bound a (C3-5)cycloalkyl group; R3 represents H or 1 to 4 F substituents; Y represents or NR8R9; X represents CHR6, CF2, O, S, SO or SO2; R4 and R5 are (C1-6)alkyl; R6 is H, OR7 or CN; R7 is (C1-3)alkyl; R8 is (C5-7)cycloalkyl comprising a heteroatom selected from O, S, SO and SO2; R9 is H or (C1-4)alkyl; o and m represent the ortho or meta position of the substituent Y—CH2; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; as well as to the use of said 1-(biphenyl-4-ylmethyl)imidazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives in the treatment of pain such as for example peri-operative pain, chronic pain, neuropathic pain, cancer pain and pain and spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis.
US07960554B2
Ambient-temperature molten salts of formula (I): wherein Y+ is a cation selected from the group consisting of an ammonium ion, a sulfonium ion, a pyridinium ion, a(n) (iso)thiazolium ion, and a(n) (iso)oxazolium ion that may be optionally substituted with C1-10 alkyl and/or C1-10 alkyl having ether linkage, provided that the above cation has at least one substituent of —CH2Rf1 or —OCH2Rf1 (wherein Rf1 is C1-10 perfluoroalkyl); Rf2 and Rf3 are independently C1-10 perfluoroalkyl or may together form C1-4 perfluoroalkylene; and X is —SO2— or —CO—.
US07960547B2
The present invention discloses a transition metal complex having carbene ligands. The disclosed transition metal complex has a structure of a center transition metal surrounded by two identical carbene ligands and one double-chilating ligand which is a nitrogen-contain heteroaryl group compound with pyridyl group. The disclosed transition metal complex can be represented by the following formula:
US07960540B2
Compositions and methods for modulating tumor proliferation in an individual are provided. The methods employ nucleolin-binding agents, such as aptamers. The aptamers of the present invention can be used to modulate the proliferation of malignant, dysplastic, hyperproliferative, and/or metastatic cells through interference with molecular interactions and functions of nucleolin in the tumor cell.
US07960536B2
The invention concerns making and evaluating synthetic regulatory regions for controlling gene expression. The invention features a method for identifying transcription factor binding sites and a method for evaluating the regulatory functions of synthetic regulatory regions.
US07960515B2
The present disclosure provides isolated binding molecules that bind to the human OX40R, nucleic acid molecules encoding an amino acid sequence of the binding molecules, vectors comprising the nucleic acid molecules, host cells containing the vectors, methods of making the binding molecules, pharmaceutical compositions containing the binding molecules, and methods of using the binding molecules or compositions.
US07960510B2
The subject invention provides new fluorescent and/or colored proteins, and polynucleotide sequences that encode these proteins. The subject invention further provides materials and methods useful for expressing these detectable proteins in biological systems.
US07960509B2
The claimed invention provides a fusion polypeptide comprising a fibrous protein domain and a mineralization domain. The fusion is used to form an organic-inorganic composite. These organic-inorganic composites can be constructed from the nano- to the macro-scale depending on the size of the fibrous protein domain used. The composites can also be loaded with other compounds (e.g. dyes, drugs, enzymes) depending on the goal for the materials, to further enhance function. This can be achieved during assembly of the materials or during the mineralization step in materials formation.
US07960508B2
A peptide fragment or a series of peptide fragments containing one or more selenocysteine that has a lowered toxicity than selenocystine and that exhibits a cytotoxicity-inhibitory activity. The peptide fragment or a series of peptide fragments according to the present invention has preferably the amino acid sequence from 260th to 362nd amino acid residues from the C-terminal of selenoprotein P, or said amino acid sequence with one or several amino acid residues therein being deleted, substituted or added, or a partial sequence of either of the above amino acid sequences, or an amino acid sequence comprising as a part any of the above amino acid sequences. A screening method for a peptide fragment having the cytotoxicity-inhibitory activity is also provided.
US07960506B2
Peptidomimetic macrocycles and methods for their preparation and use, as well as amino acid analogs and macrocycle-forming linkers, and kits useful in their production, are provided.
US07960501B2
A catalyst obtained by calcining a hydrazone metal complex in which at least one catalytic metal species is coordinated to a hydrazone compound represented by a General Formula (1) below, a hydrazone polymer compound including at least a structural unit derived from a hydrazone compound represented by the General Formula (1) below as a repeating unit, and a catalyst obtained by calcining a hydrazone polymer metal complex in which at least one catalytic metal species is coordinated to a hydrazone polymer compound including at least a structural unit derived from a hydrazone compound represented by the General Formula (1) below: wherein, Py represents a 2-pyridyl group, a 3-pyridyl group, or a 4-pyridyl group.
US07960498B2
An embodiment of the invention is a water soluble chain-extended polyamine product made by a process comprising reacting a multi-arm polyether amine with a bifunctional crosslinker of the formula: X1—R—X2. Another embodiment is a water soluble chain-extended polyamine product made by a process comprising reacting a multi-arm polyether having at least three arms and three electrophilic endgroups with a primary diamine crosslinker of the formula: NH2—R2—NH2, followed by treating of the chain-extended product so as to convert the remaining electrophilic endgroups to amine endgroups. Crosslinking of the chain-extended polyamine products with an oxidized polysaccharide provides useful tissue adhesives with modified elasticity, that provides greater compliance to underlying tissue, and improved stability in aqueous environments.
US07960494B2
To provide a copolymer for semiconductor lithography employed for forming a resist film as well as thin films such as an anti-reflection film, a gap-filling film, a top coating film, etc. which are formed on or under a resist film, these films being employed in semiconductor lithography, wherein the copolymer has excellent solubility in a solution of a thin film-forming composition and prevents generation of microparticles (e.g., microgel) and pattern defects, and to provide a method for producing the copolymer reliably on an industrial scale.The invention is directed to a copolymer for semiconductor lithography having at least one repeating unit selected from among (A) a repeating unit having a hydroxyl group; (B) a repeating unit having a structure in which a hydroxyl group is protected by a group which inhibits dissolution in an alkaline developer and which dissociates by the action of an acid; (C) a repeating unit having a lactone structure; and (D) a repeating unit having a cyclic ether structure, wherein, when a solution of the copolymer in propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate having a viscosity of 15 mPa·sec is caused to pass through a filter having a pore size of 0.03 μm under a pressure difference of 0.1 MPa for 60 minutes, the solution exhibits an average flow rate per unit filter area of 200 g/min/m2 or more, and to a method for producing the copolymer.
US07960488B2
Aluminoxane compositions derived from aluminoxane source, halogen source, and Lewis base are provided. Such compositions are useful for activating catalysts for olefin polymerization.
US07960487B2
This invention relates to catalyst compositions, methods, and polymers encompassing at least one first Group 4 metallocene compound comprising bridging η5-cyclopentadienyl-type ligands, in combination with at least one second Group 4 metallocene with non-bridging η5-cyclopentadienyl-type ligands, typically in combination with at least one cocatalyst, and at least one activator. The compositions and methods disclosed herein provide ethylene polymers with a bimodal molecular weight distribution.
US07960484B2
Polymerization processes in a bulk loop reactor are described herein. In particular, a method of contacting a flow of metallocene with a flow of propylene is provided. This method includes directing the flow of metallocene towards a junction, directing the flow of propylene towards the junction and maintaining a portion of the flow of metallocene separate from a portion of the flow propylene within a portion of the junction downstream of the flow of propylene into the junction. In another embodiment, a method of introducing a quantity of antifouling agent into a catalyst mixing system is provided. In this embodiment a portion of the antifouling agent is introduced at or downstream of a point of contact of a stream of propylene with a stream of catalyst. The antifouling agent may be a member, alone or in combination with other members, selected from Stadis 450 Conductivity Improver, Synperonic antifouling agent, and Pluronic antifouling agent.
US07960476B2
An acrylic resin composition containing the following acrylic resins (1) and (2): an acrylic resin (1) containing a structural unit (a) derived from a monomer (a) and a structural unit (b) derived from a monomer (b); an acrylic resin (2) having a molecular weight of 1,100,000 to 1,500,000, and containing the structural unit (a) as the main component and a structural unit(c)derived from a monomer (c) and substantially not containing the structural unit (b); (a): a (meth)acrylate of the formula (A) (wherein, R1 and R2 are defined in the specification), (b): a monomer containing an olefinic double bond and at least one 5- or more-membered heterocyclic group in the molecule, (c): a monomer not containing 5- or more-membered heterocyclic group and containing one olefinic double bond and at least one polar functional group which is a carboxyl, hydroxyl, amide, amino, epoxy, oxetanyl, aldehyde or isocyanate group in the molecule.
US07960464B2
The present invention is a polycarbonate resin composition containing a polycarbonate resin and comprising at least two resins contained as components, wherein the intensity ratio of the absorption peak appearing in a range of 2933±5 cm−1 to the absorption peak appearing in a range of 2965±5 cm−1 is 0.43 or more. The polymer alloy of this invention can be used to obtain a material with excellent impact resistance.
US07960463B2
Particular embodiments are directed toward a rubber mixture comprising (i) a rubber; and (ii) a filler component, where the filler component includes a filler selected from the group consisting of amorphous aluminum hydroxycarbonate, amorphous aluminum hydroxyoxycarbonate, and amorphous aluminum oxycarbonate, where said amorphous aluminum hydroxycarbonate, amorphous aluminum hydroxyoxycarbonate, and amorphous aluminum oxycarbonate are characterized by a BET specific surface area of less than 40 m2/g.
US07960455B2
Use of copolymers comprising alkylene oxide units, which copolymers comprise incorporated randomly or blockwise by polymerization (a) 50 to 93 mol % of acrylic acid and/or a water-soluble salt of acrylic acid, (b) 5 to 30 mol % of methacrylic acid and/or a water-soluble salt of methacrylic acid and (c) 2 to 20 mol % of at least one nonionic monomer of the formula I where the variables have the following meaning: R1 hydrogen or methyl; R2 a chemical bond or unbranched or branched C1-C6-alkylene; R3 identical or different unbranched or branched C2-C4-alkylene radicals; R4 unbranched or branched C1-C6-alkyl; n 3 to 50, as additive to phosphate- and/or phosphonate-comprising aqueous systems in industrial technical plants.
US07960452B2
The invention relates to an adhesive composition comprising at least partly gelatinized starch and one or more polymers (P) containing an amine group or an amide group. It also relates to a method of gluing pieces of wood based materials and to a wood based product.
US07960445B2
The present invention relates to dual curing compositions, which cure with moisture and photo radiation, such as UV light, and methods for preparing and using same. In particular, the compositions of the present invention contain a polyether or polyester backbone, photocurable portion(s) and moisture curable portion(s). The photo curable portion is a urethane or carbamate linkage terminated with a (meth)acryloxyalkyl group. The moisture curable portion is either: (1) a portion terminated with a polyalkoxysilyl group; or (2) a portion having a urea linkage terminated with an alkylpolyalkoxysilyl group.
US07960437B2
There are disclosed skin treatment compositions containing cell signaling compounds, which induce and promote the biosynthesis and/or bioactivity of endogenous chemicals that mediate cell to cell communication in the skin between keratinocytes, fibroblasts and other cell types present in the skin. The cell signaling compound is selected from the group consisting of: andrographolide and its derivatives; adenosine cyclic phosphate and its derivatives; hydrolyzed milk proteins; sunflower seed extract; plankton extract; phytol and its derivatives; and mixtures thereof.
US07960435B2
A qualitative 3D pharmacophore model (a common feature based model or Catalyst HipHop algorithm) developed from well-known natural product androgen receptor down-regulating agents (ARDAs). The 3D pharmacophore model is used as a template in virtual screening compounds for new ARDAs. ARDA compounds and compounds that strongly inhibit the growth of human prostate LNCaP cells. The compounds may be used in compositions and methods of inhibiting cell proliferation of a cancer and methods of preventing or treating cancer, including prostate cancer.
US07960432B2
A composition for use in making commercial food and skin products comprising S-equol or mixtures, including both a non-racemic mixture and a racemic mixture, of S-equol and R-equol. The composition can be used to make articles of commerce such as food supplements, pharmaceuticals, and medicaments. The compositions are useful in a method of delivering S-equol to a mammal to prevent or treat a disease or associated condition, including hormone-dependent diseases or conditions such as cardiovascular disease, lipid disorder, osteopenia, osteoporosis, liver disease, and acute ovarian estrogen deficiency. The S-equol enantiomer can be produced in a biological synthesis from the metabolism of an isoflavone by an organism.
US07960427B2
The present invention relates to 5-hydroxy-indole-3-carboxylate derivatives of formula I, or racemic mixture or optical isomers or pharmaceutically acceptable salts and/or hydrates thereof, wherein: substituents R1, R2, Z, X and Y are as defined in the description. The compounds of formula I can be useful for preparation of medicament for treatment and/or prophylaxis of virus infections, especially for preparation of medicament for anti-HBV (Hepatitis B virus) and anti-HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus).
US07960426B2
This invention relates to a combination product comprising a compound of formula I wherein X, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R9 are as described herein, and one or more further biologically active compounds as described herein, particularly anti-parasitic agents.
US07960422B2
Compounds of formula (I) wherein R1 is as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts, hydrates and/or enantiomers thereof are useful as compounds that exhibit activity at metabotropic glutamate receptors.
US07960419B2
This application relates to a substituted carboxamide compound of formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, as defined herein, a pharmaceutical composition thereof, and its use in treating pain.
US07960411B2
The present application describes lactam-containing compounds and derivatives thereof of Formula I: P4—P-M-M4 I or pharmaceutically acceptable salt forms thereof, wherein ring P, if present is a 5-7 membered carbocycle or heterocycle and ring M is a 5-7 membered carbocycle or heterocycle. Compounds of the present invention are useful as inhibitors of trypsin-like serine proteases, specifically factor Xa.
US07960410B2
The invention concerns the use of ketoconazole and derivatives having a corresponding biological activity, and combinations thereof, in the treatment of abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperinsulinemia, and elevated blood lipids.
US07960409B2
The instant invention provides compounds of Formula I which are leukotriene biosynthesis inhibitors. Compounds of Formula I are useful as anti-atherosclerotic, anti-asthmatic, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective agents.
US07960407B2
The invention relates to the essentially pure Λ/-[({2-[4-(2-Ethyl-4,6-dimethyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]pyridin-1-yl)phenyl]ethyl}amino)carbonyl]-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide Polymorph Forms A and B and to processes for the preparation of, compositions containing and to the uses of, such crystal forms.
US07960404B2
Spirocyclic cyclohexane compounds corresponding to formula I in which R1 and R2 form a pyrrolidine ring or an azetidine ring and which exhibit increased metabolic stability, a process for producing such spirocyclic cyclohexane compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing such spirocyclic cyclohexane compounds, and the use of such spirocyclic cyclohexane compounds to treat or inhibit pain and/or other disorders.
US07960389B2
Compounds of general formula: wherein R1, R2 and R3 are as defined in the specification, as well as salts, enantiomers thereof and pharmaceutical compositions including the compounds are prepared. They are useful in therapy, in particular in the management of pain.
US07960387B2
The invention relates to dihydroquinazolines and methods for the production thereof, the use thereof in the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases, in addition to the use thereof in the production of medicaments in the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases, especially for use as anti-viral agents, especially against cytomegalo viruses.
US07960386B2
The invention relates to pyridin-2-one compounds of general formula (I) in which A represents a 4- to 6-membered hydrocarbon chain that can have 1 or 2 methyl groups as substituents, wherein 1 or 2 carbon atoms can be replaced by oxygen, a carbonyl group or sulfur, and the hydrocarbon chain can have a double bond or a triple bond; R1, R2, R3 and R4 have the meanings as cited in the claims and in the description. The invention also relates to the tautomers of compounds I and the physiologically acceptable salts of the compounds I and their tautomers.The invention also relates to the use of these compounds for treating diseases that respond to the influence of dopamine D3 receptor antagonists or agonists.
US07960374B2
The present invention relates to compounds of the formula (I) wherein A, X and R1 to R9 are as described herein; to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the said compounds; to processes for their preparation; and to the use of the compounds as medicaments against 5-HT6 receptor-related disorders.
US07960372B2
The invention relates to bivalent mimetics of Smac which function as inhibitors of Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins. The invention also relates to the use of these mimetics for inducing apoptotic cell death and for sensitizing cells to inducers of apoptosis.
US07960370B2
A pharmaceutical formulation comprising at least one omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid in free acid form or a pharmacologically acceptable derivative thereof is contained in a soft gelatin capsule characterized in that the capsule comprises gelatin extracted by an extraction process comprising acid pre-treatment of a collagen source. One advantage of the present invention over a soft gelatin capsule containing the same formulation but comprising gelatin extracted by an extraction process comprising alkali pre-treatment of the collagen source is that the present invention does not harden significantly over time and thus has a longer shelf life.
US07960365B2
The invention provides for compounds having the structure according to the formula I wherein: X is a carbon or nitrogen atom; Ar is phenyl or heteroaromatic ring; R1 is hydrogen, halogen, CN or (1C-4C)alkyl; R2 is hydrogen, halogen or optionally fluorinated (1C-3C)alkoxy; R3 and R5 are independently hydrogen, optionally halogenated (1C-4C)alkyl, optionally halogenated (1C-4C)alkoxy, optionally halogenated aryl(1C-4C)alkoxy, optionally halogenated (1C-4C)alkenyl or hydroxylmethyl; R4 is hydrogen, halogen, optionally halogenated (1C-4C)alkoxy or optionally halogenated aryl(1C-4C)alkoxy; R6 is hydrogen, benzyl, optionally substituted with one or more halogens or (1C-4C)alkyl, or R6 is optionally halogenated (1C-4C)alkyl; each R7 independently is hydrogen, halogen, optionally halogenated (1C-4C)alkyl or optionally halogenated (1C-4C)alkoxy and pharmaceutically suitable acid addition salts thereof for use as glucocorticoid receptor modulators, in particular for treatment of central nervous system disorders.
US07960362B2
The invention relates to synthetic chemical compositions that are useful for modulation of Toll-Like Receptor (TLR)-mediated immune responses. In particular, the invention relates to agonists of Toll-Like Receptor 9 (TLR9) that generate unique cytokine and chemokine profiles.
US07960361B2
A method for stimulating a immune response against IL-13Rα2 in a subject having or at risk for developing a disease having cells expressing IL-13Rα2 includes the steps of formulating the anti-cancer vaccine outside of the subject and administering the vaccine to the subject in an amount sufficient to stimulate an immune response against IL-13Rα2 in the subject. A composition for stimulating a immune response against IL-13Rα2 in a subject having or at risk for developing a disease having cells expressing IL-13Rα2 includes an isolated agent that can stimulate immune response against IL-13α2.
US07960356B2
D type CpG oligodeoxynucleotides are provided herein that include a sequence represented by the following formula: 5′ X1X2X3Pu1 Py2 CpG Pu3 Py4 X4X5X6(W)M (G)N-3′ wherein the central CpG motif is unmethylated, Pu is a purine nucleotide, Py is a pyrimidine nucleotide, X and W are any nucleotide, M is any integer from 0 to 10, and N is any integer from 4 to 10. Methods of using these oligodeoxynucleotides to induce an immune response are provided.
US07960353B2
Novobiocin analogues and pharmaceutical composition containing such compounds useful for the treatment and/or prevention of neurodegenerative disorders and autoimmune disorders.
US07960347B2
Enamel matrix, enamel matrix derivatives and/or enamel matrix proteins or peptides may be used as therapeutic or prophylactic agents for inducing programmed cell death (apoptosis), in particular in the treatment or prevention of cancer or malignant or benign neoplasms.
US07960336B2
The invention describes compositions of peptide analogs exemplified by peptides derived from vasopressin, terlipressin, and GLP1 and others that are active in blood or cleavable in blood to release an active peptide. The peptide analogs have a general formula: A-(Cm)x-Peptide, wherein A is a hydrophobic moiety or a metal binding moiety, and Cm is a cleavable moiety consisting of glycine or alanine or lysine or arginine or N-Arginine or N-lysine, wherein x is an integer between 0-6 and N may be any amino acid or none. A may be linked to Cm by a linker group. The peptide analogs are complexed with polymeric carrier to provide enhanced half-life.
US07960332B2
A coated granule including a core. The core includes a uniform mixture of a detergent enzyme having an alkaline pH activity optimum, and an acidic buffer component. The acidic buffer component has a pH of 1 to below 7 when measured as a 10% aqueous solution with a pKa in the range of 4 to 9.
US07960331B2
CFC replacement solvent compositions, methods of using the same and methods of making the same. These compositions meet or exceed the solvency, flammability, and compatibility requirements for CFC's while providing similar or improved environmental and toxicological properties. These solvent compositions have applications including, but not limited to, oxygen handling, refrigeration or heat pumps, electronics, implantable prosthetic devices, and optical equipment.
US07960329B2
The present invention relates to compositions including a water soluble magnesium salt, water soluble calcium salt, and silicate or carbonate, which have a beneficial effect on corrosion during cleaning. The present compositions can reduce corrosion of glass or aluminum. The present invention also relates to methods employing these compositions.
US07960325B2
A biomass-based fuel pellet, such as a fuel pellet which includes thermoplastic polymeric material and a substantial amount of cellulosic material, e.g. cellulosic material derived from biomass source(s), is provided. The fuel pellet commonly includes about 5 to 15 wt. % of the thermoplastic polymeric material and at least about 75 wt. % cellulosic material. Optionally, the fuel pellet may comprise a lignin additive. Many embodiments of the fuel pellets are suitable for use in a coal-fired furnace and/or in other industrial boiler applications.
US07960323B2
This invention relates to processes for making nitro compounds derived from C2-C30 unsaturated fatty acids; C2-C30 unsaturated fatty oils; esters derived from the reaction of C1-C20 alcohols with unsaturated C2-C30 fatty acids; C2-C20 polyolefins; C4-C20 polydiolefins; C8-C20 copolymers derived from polyolefins and vinyl aromatics; and C4-C30 alkylated phenols using nitric acid or gaseous nitrogen dioxide. This class of extreme-pressure additives was found extremely effective in processing steel, stainless steel and special titanium and nickel or low-iron alloys.
US07960319B2
A lubricating oil composition favorably employable for trunk piston diesel engines contains an overbased sulfurized alkylphenol calcium salt, at least two (preferably three) overbased alkylsalicylic acid calcium salts having different base ratios and hydrocarbyl groups of different carbon atom numbers, a borated ashless dispersant, and a zinc dihydrocarbyldithiophosphate.
US07960302B2
An embodiment of the present invention provides an electronically tunable dielectric material, comprising at least one electronically tunable dielectric phase; and at least one compound of low loss complex perovskites, wherein said low loss complex pervoskites comprise two B site cations.
US07960288B2
A photoresist trimming gas compound is provided which will selectively remove a resist foot or scum from the lower portions of sidewalls of a photoresist. Additionally, the trimmer compound hardens or toughens an upper surface of the photoresist thereby strengthening the photoresist. The trimmer compound includes O2 and at least one other gaseous oxide and is typically utilized in a dry etching process after a trench has been formed in a photoresist. The other oxide gases, in addition to the O2 may include CO2, SO2 and NO2.
US07960287B2
Methods for fabricating FinFET structures having gate structures of different gate widths are provided. The methods include the formation of sidewall spacers of different thicknesses to define gate structures of the FinFET structures with different gate widths. The width of a sidewall spacer is defined by the height of the structure about which the sidewall spacer is formed, the thickness of the sidewall spacer material layer from which the spacer is formed, and the etch parameters used to etch the sidewall spacer material layer. By forming structures of varying height, forming the sidewall spacer material layer of varying thickness, or a combination of these, sidewall spacers of varying width can be fabricated and subsequently used as an etch mask so that gate structures of varying widths can be formed simultaneously.
US07960285B2
A method for the production of a component structure. On embodiment provides a semiconductor body having a first side. A first trench and a second trench are produced, which extend into the semiconductor body proceeding from the first side and are arranged at a distance from one another in a lateral direction of the semiconductor body. A first material layer in the first trench is produced. A third trench proceeding from the second trench is produced, extending as far as the first material layer in the first lateral direction.
US07960283B2
A method for forming silicide contacts in integrated circuits (ICs) is described. A spacer pull-back etch is performed during the salicidation process to reduce the stress between the spacer and source/drain silicide contact at the spacer undercut. This prevents the propagation of surface defects into the substrate, thereby minimizing the occurrence of silicide pipe defects. The spacer pull-back etch can be performed after a first annealing step to form the silicide contacts.
US07960279B2
In a semiconductor having a multilayer wiring structure device on a semiconductor substrate, the multilayer wiring structure includes an interlayer insulating film having at least an organic siloxane insulating film. The organic siloxane insulating film has a relative dielectric constant of 3.1 or less, a hardness of 2.7 GPa or more, and a ratio of carbon atoms to silicon atoms between 0.5 and 1.0, inclusive. Further, the multilayer wiring structure may include an insulating layer having a ratio of carbon atoms to silicon atoms not greater than 0.1, the insulating layer being formed on the top surface of the organic siloxane insulating film as a result of carbon leaving the organic siloxane insulating film.
US07960276B2
A conductor-dielectric interconnect structure is fabricated by providing a structure comprising a dielectric layer having a patterned feature therein; depositing a plating seed layer on the dielectric layer in the patterned feature; depositing a sacrificial seed layer on the plating seed layer in the via; reducing the thickness of the sacrificial seed layer by reverse plating; and plating a conductive metal on the sacrificial seed layer in the patterned feature. Also provided is a dielectric layer having a via therein; a plating seed layer on the dielectric layer in the patterned feature; and a discontinuous sacrificial seed layer located in the patterned feature.
US07960275B2
A method for manufacturing a structure of electrical interconnections for an integrated circuit having levels of interconnections, the method having steps of depositing a layer of sacrificial material on the substrate, etching the layer of sacrificial material with a pattern corresponding to electrical conductors, depositing, on the etched layer of the layer of sacrificial material, a layer of permeable membrane allowing an attack agent to break down the sacrificial material, breaking down the sacrificial material by using the attack agent to form air gaps to replace the broken down sacrificial material, forming electrical conductors in the etched track so as to obtain electrical interconnections separated by air gaps, and depositing a layer of insulating material to cover the electrical interconnections.
US07960261B2
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a polycrystalline semiconductor film that can be used for a semiconductor device. In the method, an amorphous semiconductor film is irradiated with a femtosecond laser to be crystallized. By laser irradiation using a femtosecond laser, when an amorphous semiconductor film over which a cap film is formed is crystallized with a laser, it becomes possible to perform crystallization of the semiconductor film and removal of the cap film at the same time. Therefore, a step of removing the cap film in a later step can be omitted.
US07960253B2
In a silicon wafer having an oxygen precipitate layer, a depth of DZ layer ranging from a wafer surface to an oxygen precipitate layer is 2 to 10 μm and an oxygen precipitate concentration of the oxygen precipitate layer is not less than 5×107 precipitates/cm3.
US07960250B2
A method for manufacturing a device, in which a wafer having a plurality of devices formed on the face thereof is divided into the individual devices, and an adhesive film is mounted on the back side of each device. This method comprises: a cutting groove forming step of cutting the back side of the wafer along predetermined division lines by a cutting blade to form cutting grooves, while leaving an uncut portion, which is thinner than the target thickness of the device, on the front side of the wafer; a back side grinding step of grinding the back side of the wafer to the target thickness of the device, while allowing the cutting grooves to remain in the back side of the wafer; an adhesive film mounting step of mounting an adhesive film to the back side of the wafer; a wafer supporting step of sticking the adhesive film side of the wafer, on which the adhesive film has been mounted, to the surface of a dicing tape; a wafer severing step of cutting the front side of the wafer along the predetermined division lines by a cutting blade to sever the uncut portion, thereby dividing the wafer into the individual devices and cutting the adhesive film; and an adhesive film separating step of expanding the dicing tape to separate the adhesive film per device.
US07960249B2
A wafer for backside illumination type solid imaging device having a plurality of pixels inclusive of a photoelectric conversion device and a charge transfer transistor at its front surface side and a light receiving surface at its back surface side is produced by a method comprising a step of forming a BOX oxide layer on at least one of a wafer for support substrate and a wafer for active layer, a step of bonding the wafer for support substrate and the wafer for active layer and a step of thinning the wafer for active layer, which further comprises a step of forming a plurality of concave portions on a bonding face of the BOX oxide layer to the other wafer and filling a polysilicon plug into each of the concave portions to form a composite layer before the step of bonding the wafer for support substrate and the wafer for active layer.
US07960246B2
Methods for manufacturing electronic devices and devices produced by those methods are disclosed. One such method includes releasably bonding a first surface of a device substrate to a face of a first carrier substrate using a first bonding agent to produce a first composite substrate, where the face of the first carrier substrate includes a pattern of trenches. The method also includes processing the device substrate to manufacture an electronic device on a second surface of the device substrate. The method further includes releasing the device substrate from the first carrier substrate by a releasing agent.
US07960225B1
The thickness of a semiconductor wafer layer, extending from a mirror-finished surface thereof to a solid-state image sensing device, is measured. Based on the residual thickness data, plasma etching is performed from the mirror-finished surface until a predetermined thickness is reached by controlling the plasma etching amount. By doing this, it is possible to reduce variation in the thickness of the solid-state image sensing device at low cost without causing an increase in the number of processes.
US07960222B1
A system and a method are disclosed for manufacturing double epitaxial layer N-type lateral diffusion metal oxide semiconductor transistors. In one embodiment two N-type buried layers are used to minimize the operation of a parasitic PNP bipolar transistor. The use of two N-type buried layers increases the base width of the parasitic PNP bipolar transistor without significantly decreasing the peak doping profiles in the two N-type buried layers. In one embodiment two N-type buried layers and one P-type buried layer are used to form a protection NPN bipolar transistor that minimizes the operation of parasitic NPN bipolar transistor. The N-type lateral diffusion metal oxide semiconductor transistors of the invention are useful in inductive full load or half bridge converter circuits that drive very high current.
US07960221B2
A thin film transistor substrate, wherein the moving area of electrons between source and drain electrodes of a thin film transistor (TFT) is minimized, the moving distance of electrons is increased, and the sizes of capacitors defined by a gate electrode together with the respective source and drain electrodes are identical to each other so that an off current generated when the TFT is off can be minimized; a method of manufacturing the thin film transistor substrate; and a mask for manufacturing the thin film transistor substrate. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize an off current induced due to a phenomenon of electron trapping by light.
US07960220B2
A method of forming polysilicon, a thin film transistor (TFT) using the polysilicon, and a method of fabricating the TFT are disclosed. The method of forming the polysilicon comprises: forming an insulating layer on a substrate; forming a first electrode and a second electrode on the insulating layer; forming at least one heater layer on the insulating layer so as to connect the first electrode and the second electrode; forming an amorphous material layer containing silicon on the heater layer(s); forming a through-hole under the heater layer(s) by etching the insulating layer; and crystallizing the amorphous material layer into a polysilicon layer by applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode so as to heat the heater layer(s).
US07960219B2
A thin-film transistor (“TFT”) substrate includes an insulating substrate, a gate line and a data line which are insulated from each other, disposed on the insulating substrate and are arranged in a lattice, and a pixel electrode which is electrically connected to the gate line and the data line by a switching device. The data line includes a lower layer which is formed of a transparent electrode, and an upper layer which is disposed directly on the lower layer.
US07960216B2
Confinement techniques for non-volatile resistive-switching memories are described, including a memory element having a first electrode, a second electrode, a metal oxide between the first electrode and the second electrode. A resistive switching memory element described herein includes a first electrode adjacent to an interlayer dielectric, a spacer over at least a portion of the interlayer dielectric and over a portion of the first electrode and a metal oxide layer over the spacer and the first electrode such that an interface between the metal oxide layer and the electrode is smaller than a top surface of the electrode.
US07960211B2
Semiconductor devices that contain a system in package and methods for making such packages are described. The semiconductor device with a system in package (SIP) contains a first IC die, passive components, and discrete devices that are contained in a lower level of the package. The SIP also contains a second IC die that is vertically separated from the first IC die by an array of metal interposers, thereby isolating the components of the first IC die from the components of the second IC die. Such a configuration provides more functionality within a single semiconductor package while also reducing or eliminating local heating in the package. Other embodiments are also described.
US07960206B2
As a step in performing a process on a structure, a hole pattern is provided in a thin layer of organic resin masking material formed over the structure to provide a process mask. A processing step is then performed through the openings in the mask, and after a processing step is completed the mask is adjusted by a re-flow process in which the structure is placed into an atmosphere of solvent vapor of a solvent of the mask material. By way of the re-flow process, the mask material softens and re-flows to reduce the size of the openings in the mask causing edges of the surface areas on which the processing step was performed to be covered by the mask for subsequent processing steps.
US07960203B2
A method of manufacturing an electrode is provided that includes providing a pillar of a first phase change material atop a conductive structure of a dielectric layer; or the inverted structure; forming an insulating material atop dielectric layer and adjacent the pillar, wherein an upper surface of the first insulating material is coplanar with an upper surface of the pillar; recessing the upper surface of the pillar below the upper surface of the insulating material to provide a recessed cavity; and forming a second phase change material atop the recessed cavity and the upper surface of the insulating material, wherein the second phase change material has a greater phase resistivity than the first phase change material.
US07960200B2
In accordance with the present invention, accurate and easily controlled sloped walls may be formed using AlN and preferably a heated TMAH for such purpose as the fabrication of MEMS devices, wafer level packaging and fabrication of fluidic devices. Various embodiments are disclosed.
US07960198B2
A wide bandgap semiconductor device with surge current protection and a method of making the device are described. The device comprises a low doped n-type region formed by plasma etching through the first epitaxial layer grown on a heavily doped n-type substrate and a plurality of heavily doped p-type regions formed by plasma etching through the second epitaxial layer grown on the first epitaxial layer. Ohmic contacts are formed on p-type regions and on the backside of the n-type substrate. Schottky contacts are formed on the top surface of the n-type region. At normal operating conditions, the current in the device flows through the Schottky contacts. The device, however, is capable of withstanding extremely high current densities due to conductivity modulation caused by minority carrier injection from p-type regions.
US07960196B2
Provided are a light-emitting element and a light-emitting device, and methods of fabricating the same. The method of fabricating a light-emitting element includes forming a buffer layer on a substrate and forming photonic crystal patterns and a pad pattern on the buffer layer. Each of the pad pattern and the photonic crystal patterns are made of a metal material, and the pad pattern is physically connected to the photonic crystal patterns. Forming a light-emitting structure includes sequentially stacking a first conductive pattern of a first conductivity type, a light-emitting pattern, and a second conductive pattern of a second conductivity type on the buffer layer. And the method also includes forming a first electrode that is electrically connected to the first conductive pattern and forming a second electrode that is electrically connected to the second conductive pattern.
US07960188B2
A method for polishing a substrate having a metal film thereon is described. The substrate has metal interconnects formed from part of the metal film. The polishing method includes performing a first polishing process of removing the metal film, after the first polishing process, performing a second polishing process of removing the barrier film, after the second polishing process, performing a third polishing process of polishing the insulating film. During the second polishing process and the third polishing process, a polishing state of the substrate is monitored with an eddy current sensor, and the third polishing process is terminated when an output signal of the eddy current sensor reaches a predetermined threshold.
US07960187B2
The present invention provides a recovery processing method to restore the substrate processing apparatus to an operating state after correcting an abnormality having occurred in the substrate processing apparatus in operation and having resulted in a stop in the operation, comprising a substrate retrieval step in which substrate salvage processing is first executed for a wafer W left in a chamber in the substrate processing apparatus in correspondence to the extent to which the wafer has been processed at the time of the operation stop and the substrate having undergone the substrate salvage processing is then retrieved into the cassette storage container and an apparatus internal state restoration step in which the states inside the individual chambers of the substrate processing apparatus are restored.
US07960180B2
Methods and apparatus to capture and release microbe particles using amino-functionalized silica substrates are described. An example apparatus adapted to capture a microbe particle includes a silica substrate and a positively charged material to at least partially coat the silica substrate. The positive charged material includes an aminopropyl functional group.
US07960173B2
Isolation and amplification of cardiac pacemaking/conduction system cells and development of a pacemaking/conduction system in vitro using the expression of surrogate expression markers. Use of markers to identify and select for clusters of pacemaking “nodes” that are functionally coupled with adjacent contracting regions and generation of cell populations displaying electrical properties characteristic of specialized pacemaking/conducting cardiac myocytes for modeling the cardiac conduction system, testing of pharmaceuticals and for transplantation.
US07960170B2
A grating-based sensor is disclosed that has a grating structure constructed and designed for both evanescent resonance (ER) fluorescence detection and label-free detection applications. Some embodiments are disclosed which are optimized for ER detection in an air mode, in which the sample is dry. Other embodiments are optimized for ER detection in liquid mode, in which the sample is suspended in liquid medium such as water. One and two-dimensional gratings are also disclosed, including gratings characterized by unit cells with central posts, central holes, and two-level, two-dimensional gratings. A readout system for such sensors is also disclosed. One embodiment includes a first light source optimized for collecting label-free detection data, a second light source optimized for collecting ER fluorescence amplification data, and at least one detector. In one embodiment, the detector is an imaging system and includes a CCD camera for collecting both ER and label-free data. In other embodiments, the at least one detector takes the form of a spectrometer for collection of label-free data and a photomultiplier for collecting ER data. In other embodiments, a single light source such as a tunable laser or broad band light source is used.
US07960167B2
The present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a first mechanical structure having a first rigid surface, an area of the first rigid surface having a nanostructured surface. The apparatus also includes a second mechanical structure having a second rigid surface and opposing the first mechanical structure. The second rigid surface is cooperable with the nanostructured surface such that a microscopic particle is locatable between the nanostructured surface and the second rigid surface.
US07960158B1
The present invention provides a c-Met inhibition model. The invention further provides a method to derive inhibition models for other kinases. The kinase inhibition models of the present invention can be used to design or screen for inhibitors for kinases.
US07960149B2
The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having beta-glucosidase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods for producing and using the polypeptides.
US07960148B2
The invention relates to polypeptides having glucanase, e.g., endoglucanase, mannanase, xylanase activity or a combination of these activities, and polynucleotides encoding them. In one aspect, the glucanase activity is an endoglucanase activity (e.g., endo-1,4-beta-D-glucan 4-glucano hydrolase activity) and comprises hydrolysis of 1,4-beta-D-glycosidic linkages in cellulose, cellulose derivatives (e.g., carboxy methyl cellulose and hydroxy ethyl cellulose) lichenin, beta-1,4 bonds in mixed beta-1,3 glucans, such as cereal beta-D-glucans or xyloglucans and other plant material containing cellulosic parts. In addition, methods of designing new enzymes and methods of use thereof are also provided. In alternative aspects, the new glucanases e.g., endoglucanases, mannanases, xylanases have increased activity and stability at increased pH and temperature.
US07960139B2
The present disclosure relates to a method for metabolic oligosaccharide engineering that incorporates derivatized alkyne-bearing sugar analogs as “tags” into cellular glycoconjugates. The disclosed method incorporates alkynyl derivatized Fuc and alkynyl derivatized ManNAc sugars into a cellular glycoconjugate. A chemical probe comprising an azide group and a visual probe or a fluorogenic probe is used to label the alkyne-derivatized sugar-tagged glycoconjugate. In one aspect, the chemical probe binds covalently to the alkynyl group by Cu(I)-catalyzed [3+2] azide-alkyne cycloaddition and is visualized at the cell surface, intracellularly, or in a cellular extract. The labeled glycoconjugate is capable of detection by flow cytometry, SDS-PAGE, Western blot, ELISA or confocal microscopy, and mass spectrometry.
US07960133B2
The present invention relates to an association between specific polymorphisms of the COMT polypeptide and the development, or risk of developing, preterm labor and uterine diseases and conditions. Disclosed are therapeutic, preventative and diagnostic methods and compositions relating to pre-term labor, uterine diseases and conditions, and ovarian conditions and diseases. In certain embodiments, such methods and compositions involve a COMT inhibitor.
US07960132B2
A measuring device (100a) includes a base body (101) constituting: a sample holding portion (102) configured to hold a test sample containing urea and a material to be detected; and a sample supply port (103) through which the test sample is supplied to the sample holding portion (102). The base body includes an optical measuring portion and a reagent holding portion (111) which are configured to carry out an optical measurement of the test sample held by the sample holding portion (102). The reagent holding portion holds an antibody to the material to be detected and urease which causes hydrolysis of the urea. With this, the present invention provides a measuring device, a measuring apparatus, and a measuring method, each having a simple configuration and capable of reducing measurement errors caused by the urea contained in the test sample and accurately measuring the material to be detected.
US07960125B2
The invention provides methods of identifying naïve T cells by expression of PTK7.
US07960121B2
Methods of diagnosing or monitoring transplant rejection or cytomegalovirus infection in a patient by detecting the expression level of one or more genes or surrogates derived therefrom in the patient are described. Diagnostic oligonucleotides for diagnosing or monitoring transplant rejection or cytomegalovirus infection and kits or systems containing the same are also described.
US07960116B2
Sequencing methods that use an exonuclease that comprises template dependent nucleobase binding activity are provided. Related compositions and sequencing systems are also provided.
US07960111B2
Methods, reagents and kits are described for the diagnosis of a female reproductive condition, based on the detection of an alteration in a NALP7-encoding nucleic acid or a NALP7 polypeptide, relative to a corresponding wild-type NALP7-encoding nucleic acid or NALP7 polypeptide.
US07960099B2
The present disclosure provides a white blood cell differentiation reagent comprising a fluorescent dye compound of Formula I, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, Y− and n are as defined in the specification. The present disclosure also provides a white blood cell detection kit comprising the white blood cell differentiation reagent, and a method of differentiating white blood cells using the white blood cell differentiation reagent.
US07960095B2
Resist compositions having good footing properties even on difficult substrates are obtained by using a combination of base additives including a room temperature solid base, and a liquid low vapor pressure base. The compositions are especially useful on metal substrates such as chromium-containing layers commonly used in mask-making.
US07960093B2
According to one embodiment, a write-once type information storage medium using a recording material which has a low to high characteristic that a light reflectivity in a recording mark increases with respect to a non-recording area and which has a recording characteristic in accordance with a principle of recording without substrate deformation, wherein the recording material includes at least an organic metal complex, and wherein the organic metal complex includes a center metal.
US07960083B2
An image forming apparatus including a charging unit, an exposing unit, a developing unit, a transferring unit, and a fixing unit. A toner containing a colorant and a binder resin which contains a polyester resin (A) and a polyester resin (B) having a softening point 10° C. or more higher than that of the polyester resin (A); the polyester resin (A) is a (meth)acrylic acid-modified rosin derived resin having a polyester unit obtained by polycondensation of an alcohol component, which contains 65 mol % or more of 1,2-propanediol in a dihydric alcohol component, and a carboxylic acid component containing a (meth)acrylic acid-modified rosin; the polyester resin (B) is a purified rosin derived resin having a polyester unit obtained by polycondenstation of an alcohol component, which contains a total of 70 mol % or more of 1,2-propanediol and 1,3-propanediol in a dihydric alcohol component, and a carboxylic acid component containing purified rosin.
US07960072B2
A fuel cell comprising an ionically conductive membrane with an electrode. The electrode is disposed adjacent the ionically conductive membrane and an electrically conductive member is disposed adjacent the electrode. The fuel cell further comprises a group of catalyzed particles that is capable of catalyzing a gas phase oxidation reaction and an electrochemical oxidation reaction. The catalyzed particles are disposed on at least one of the electrode and electrically conductive member.
US07960049B2
A rechargeable lithium battery including an electrode assembly having a positive electrode including a positive current collector partially coated with a positive active material to form a positive coated region and a positive uncoated region, a negative electrode including a negative current collector partially coated with a negative active material to form a negative coated region and a negative uncoated region and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The electrode assembly is spirally wound a plurality of times with the positive uncoated region and the negative uncoated region together forming a core central to the spirally-wound electrode assembly and wound from 3 to 15 times.
US07960047B2
An apparatus for monitoring and controlling at least one electrochemical cell is disclosed and described, having a cell management device in electrical communication with the electrochemical cell. The cell management device monitors the electrochemical cell and controls electrical input into and output from the electrochemical cell based on a predetermined set of conditions.
US07960041B2
There are provided a novel fused ring aromatic compound and an organic light-emitting device which has an optical output with extremely high efficiency and luminance, and also has extremely high durability. The organic light-emitting device includes an anode, a cathode, and a layer including an organic compound interposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein the layer comprises a fused ring aromatic compound represented by the general formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15, and R16 each represent, independently of one another, a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, a substituted amino group, or a halogen atom.
US07960039B2
An amino compound for an organic light-emitting device of general formula [1]: wherein X1 is bonded to the pair of fluorenyl groups at meta-positions to each other and is substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring, fused polycyclic ring, or heterocyclic ring; Y1 and Y2 are each substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, aryl, or heterocyclic and are the same or different; Z1 to Z4 are each hydrogen, halogen, or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, aralkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkoxy, aryl, or heterocyclic and are the same or different; R1 to R4 are each hydrogen, halogen, or substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, aryl, or heterocyclic and are the same or different; a and d are each 1 to 4; and b and c are each 1 to 3.
US07960031B2
A sheet material includes a polycarbonate substrate and a protective coating containing the reaction products of an aminoplast resin, a polyol compound, and a UV-absorbing amount of a triazine compound. The sheet material exhibits an improved balance of abrasion resistance, solvent resistance, weatherability, and formability.
US07960024B2
A multi-layered fiber including a core, a first layer, and a second layer. The core has an exterior surface portion containing polypropylene. The first layer is disposed on at least a portion of the core and contains a first polymer. The first polymer contains a polymer having at least 70% α-olefin units and is characterized by a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the exterior surface portion of the core. The second layer is disposed on at least a portion of the first layer and contains a second polymer. The second polymer contains a co-polymer having at least 50% α-olefin units and is characterized by a number-average molecular weight of about 7,000 g/mol to 50,000 g/mol, a viscosity of between about 2,500 and 150,000 cP measured at 170° C., and a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the exterior surface portion of the core. The viscosity of the second polymer is not greater than about 10 percent of the viscosity of the first polymer measured at 170° C. Methods of forming the multi-layered fiber are also disclosed.
US07960020B2
Fibrous structures that exhibit a Geometric Mean Elongation of greater than 14.95% as measured according to the Elongation Test Method are provided.
US07960018B2
An optical film is provided and includes: a support; a hard coat layer formed by hardening a hard coat layer-coating composition; and a overcoat layer formed by hardening an overcoat layer-coating composition, in this order. Each of the hard coat layer-coating composition and the overcoat layer-coating composition contains a compound having a plurality of polymerizable functional groups in one molecule, and the compound in the overcoat layer-coating composition contains a compound having at least three polymerizable functional groups.
US07960017B2
The invention describes a polymeric sheet that has at least one layer that comprises an ionomer or ionomer blend that incorporates a partially neutralized alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid component and is useful in glass laminate applications. The ionomer or ionomer blend contains one or more monovalent metal ions in an amount ranging from about 1 to about 60%, preferably about 10 to about 55%, and more preferably about 15 to about 50%, and one or more polyvalent metal ions in an amount ranging from about 40 to about 99%, preferably about 45 to about 90%, and more preferably about 50 to about 85%. This ratio range of monovalent and polyvalent metal neutralization ions provides synergistically greater adhesion to glass than found for either the monovalent or the polyvalent metal neutralization ions alone.
US07960014B2
Multilayer Polymer Structure Multilayer structure comprising at least one couple (L1-L2) of adjacent layers (L1) and (L2), wherein layer (L1) comprises at least one polymer composition (C1) comprising a grafted fluoropolymer material (M1) consisting of N1 grafted fluoropolymer(s) (P1), said polymer(s) (P1) obtained by a process comprising grafting onto an ungrafted fluoropolymer (U1) at least one grafting agent (G1) chosen from ethylenically unsaturated carboxy acids, their esters, their anhydrides and their salts, layer (L2) comprises at least one polymer composition (C2) comprising at least one impact modifier (I2) and a semi-crystalline aromatic polyamide material (M2) consisting of N2 semi-crystalline aromatic polyamide polymer(s) (P2), and the average melting temperature (Tav,1) of material (M1) differs by at most 45° C. from the average melting temperature (Tav,2) of material (M2), Nj being the number of polymer(s) (Pj) of material (Mj), Nj>1, Tav,j being equal to formula (T) wi,j being the weight amount of the ith polymer (Pj) of material (Mj), Ti,j being the melting temperature of the ith polymer (Pj) of material (Mj), Wj being the total weight amount of material (Mj), for j=1 and for j=2. Process for manufacturing the above multilayer structure, which comprises co-extruding polymer compositions (C1) and (C2), so as to obtain couple (L1-L2) of adjacent layers (T1) and (T2). Shaped article comprising the above multilayer structure, and process for manufacturing it. ( ∑ i = 1 N j w i , j T i , j ) / W j ( 1 )
US07960013B2
An illuminated indicator and a method of manufacturing the illuminated indicator that can make black the color of an indicator mark formed by irradiation with laser light are provided. In a shift position indicator panel, part of a light-blocking coating material layer and a design coating material layer is removed by irradiation with laser light, and part of an indicator coating material layer, which is created as a result of coating materials of three primary colors being mixed together, is exposed, whereby an indicator mark is formed. As long as the mixed coating material configuring the indicator coating material layer is made black by toning resulting from mixing coating materials of three primary colors, the color of the indicator mark also becomes black.
US07960004B2
Glue-laminated bamboo furniture articles include a main panel (1) and plural panel supports (2). The panel (1) includes a main framework (11), a main plate (12) disposed on the main framework (11) and outer framework (13) covering the main framework (11). The main framework (11) is formed by joining corresponding ends of a plurality of frame borders (111). The main plate (12) corresponds in shape to a plane enclosed by the main framework (11) and includes slopes on interfacial edges (121) thereof. The outer framework (13) is formed by joining corresponding ends of sealing plates (131). Sloped upper ends (1311) of the sealing plates match the slopes on the interfacial edges (121) of the main plate (12). The resulting gluelam bamboo furniture has a trim aesthetic appearance, exhibits the beautiful natural texture of bamboo, effectively prevents the furniture from warping, has great durability, conserves materials and effectively reduces production costs.
US07960002B2
A coupled portion of mutual laminate films sufficiently contributes to the formation of a packaging bag in that the coupled portion itself has excellent air tightness and liquid tightness. The tensile strength required for the laminate film is given to the coupled portion, whereby a temporary stop of a packaging apparatus is useless when a connecting portion of the laminate film is passed through the apparatus, thereby enhancing the operation efficiency and improving the yield of the material. Oriented base film layers are joined in a mitre form at the coupled portion between a rear end portion and a front end portion of laminate films comprising oriented base film layers and sealant layers.
US07960001B2
A container seal having a releasable, integral promotional token attached thereto comprises a sealing sheet bound to a promotional token by a releasable adhesive. The sealant sheet has a tacking surface and a sealing surface. The promotional token has a tacking surface and an obverse surface. At least one surface of the promotional token has promotional indicia visible thereon. The tacking surface of the promotional token is bound to the tacking surface of the sealant sheet by a releasable adhesive, so that the promotional token is peelably removable from the sealant sheet when the sealant sheet is bound to the finish of a container. The promotional token consists of a material selected from the group consisting of a layer of paper or synthetic fabric, a layer of paper or synthetic fabric laminated to a polymer film, and a layer of paper or synthetic fabric laminated to two polymer films, and optionally, the tacking surface of the promotional token or the tacking surface of the sealant sheet comprises a release coating.
US07959989B2
The present invention relates to a novel cyclic olefin compound, a polymer including the cyclic olefin compound, a liquid crystal alignment film including the polymer, and a liquid crystal display device including the liquid crystal alignment film. Since the polymer includes the cyclic olefin compound as a main chain, the thermal stability is excellent and the photoreactive speed is high. Accordingly, the production time can be reduced, the production cost can be reduced, and the anchoring force of the liquid crystal can be increased because the alignment property is stabilized due to the curing.
US07959988B2
A coating film forming apparatus includes a process section including one or more coating units and one or more thermally processing units; a pre-coating cleaning unit configured to perform cleaning on a back surface and an edge portion of a substrate; and a pre-coating check unit configured to check a state of a back surface and an edge portion of the substrate. A control section is configured to realize a sequence of cleaning the substrate by the pre-coating cleaning unit, checking the substrate by the pre-coating check unit, making a judgment based on a check result thus obtained of whether or not a state of particles on a back surface and an edge portion of the substrate is within an acceptable range, and permitting transfer of the substrate into the process section where the state of particles is within the acceptable range.
US07959982B2
A method for continuously coating a substrate in motion such as a metal strip made of steel, the coating formed being an ultra-fine film of a thickness between 10 and 100 nm, deposited on the substrate: from a solution containing nanoparticles of oxides, in conditions of controlled pH, said substrate being at a temperature higher than 120° C., the total duration of the deposition being less than 5 seconds and preferably less than 1 second, characterized in that at least one chemical additive, called a “refiner”, is incorporated into said solution, said refiner having, mutatis mutandis, the effect of restricting the formation of said coating.
US07959972B2
A monomolecular carbon-based film can be placed on an aircraft part, such as the leading edge designed to directly impinge against air during flight, ascent or descent, in order to form a smooth surface having increased lubricity and reduced air friction. The aircraft part may be in the form of a helicopter rotor, wing, propeller, fin, aileron, nose cone, and the like. The monomolecular carbon-based film can be deposited on the aircraft part, for example, using a reactor that includes a bed of silica and through which emissions from a diesel engine are passed. The monomolecular carbon-based film decreases air friction and increased lift of a modified aircraft that includes an aircraft part treated with the film.
US07959969B2
A method of fabricating optical energy collection and conversion devices using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and a method of anchoring CNT's into thin polymeric layers is disclosed. The basic method comprises an initial act of surrounding a plurality of substantially aligned nanostructures within at least one fluid layer of substantially uniform thickness such that a first end of the plurality of nanostructures protrudes from the fluid layer. Next, the fluid layer is altered to form an anchoring layer, thereby fastening the nanostructures within the primary anchoring layer with the first ends of the nanostructures protruding from a first surface of the primary anchoring layer. Finally, a portion of the anchoring layer is selectively removed such that a second end of the nanostructures is exposed and protrudes from the anchoring layer. The resulting product is an optically absorbent composite material having aligned nanostructures protruding from both sides of an anchoring layer.
US07959965B2
According to one embodiment, there is provided an instant green tea which contains a dry green tea extract, a drying auxiliary agent, antioxidants, a tea powder and a specific amount of potassium, and a method of producing the instant green tea includes the step of extracting tea leaves with an extraction solvent which contains a drying auxiliary agent and a first antioxidant and has been adjusted to a pH value within the neutral range by using a first potassium preparation to give a liquid extract, the step of adding a second antioxidant and a tea powder to the liquid extract thus obtained, and the step of drying the liquid extract after the completion of the addition step as described above.
US07959963B2
Grape material is processed to yield a grape extract high in concentrated polyphenols, with ORAC values exceeding at least about 10,000 μmol TE/g. The grape material is dried, and soaked in ethanol to commence desired concentrate extraction. Following ethanol removal, inactive residue is at least partially separated from the desired concentrate solution, which passes through a macroporous absorption resin that absorbs desired active ingredients. Ethanol resin washing yields an intermediate extraction solution. After ethanol removal, the intermediate extract solution with the mixed active ingredients is refined. During refinement, high concentration of polyphenols and monomeric phenols are separated, and collected. These collected materials yield a desired high ORAC extract solution. Further drying yields the desired material, which is tested and packaged. This material exhibits good water solubility, mild flavor, and can be added to foodstuffs and nutritional supplements as a beneficial antioxidant.
US07959961B2
Disclosed are cooked dried farinaceous food products such as cooked cereal doughs, ready-to-eat cereals and grain based snacks fabricated from such cooked cereal doughs containing or fortified with rice bran oil supplied at least in part by non-hydrogenated rice bran oil especially high oryzanol rice bran oil. The cereals contain about 0.1 to 10% added rice bran oil. The rice bran oil ingredient can be incorporated into the dough and/or topically applied. The rice bran oil provides the processing advantages of oil addition during processing with low or now transfatty acids but with extended shelf stability. The finished fortified cereal products are not only organoleptically desirable but almost indistinguishable from their counterparts containing hydrogenated fats.
US07959955B1
A unique, synergistic formulation for the treatment of first-degree skin burns is provided for topical use and alleviates the full spectrum of symptoms and concerns associated with epidermal burns, including pain, blistering, redness, swelling, compromised skin integrity, risk of infection and scarring. The formulation contains natural homeopathic extracts combined with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier suitable for topical administration. The formulation includes the following homeopathic extracts: Cantharis vesicatoria, Echinacea anqustifolia, Calendula officinalis and Hypericum perforatum.
US07959951B2
The invention relates to nitric oxide (NO) stimulating extracts from various plants. Such extracts contain compounds known as healthin I and healthin II. Specifically, the invention provides partially purified plant extracts that have NO stimulating activity, methods of isolating and partially purifying such extracts from plant materials. In addition, the invention provides methods and materials for treating diseases and conditions that require modification of cellular levels of NO, for example, diseases and conditions involving inflammation.
US07959928B2
The present invention is related to the fields of molecular biology, virology, immunology and medicine. The invention provides a composition comprising a virus-like particle (VLP) of an RNA-bacteriophage and at least one antigen, wherein the VLP is recombinantly produced in a host, and wherein the amount of host RNA with secondary structure comprised by the VLP is at most 20% of the amount of host RNA with secondary structure originally comprised by the VLP; and wherein the VLP and the at least one antigen are linked with one another. The invention also provides methods for producing the compositions of the invention. The compositions of the invention are useful in the production of vaccines for the treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions. Furthermore, the compositions of the invention are particularly useful to efficiently induce strong antibody responses against the antigen within the indicated context while lowering or eliminating unwanted T cell responses.
US07959922B2
The present invention provides pharmaceutical antibody formulations, in particular liquid pharmaceutical formulations comprising anti-rabies virus antibodies. The formulations can be used in the post exposure prophylaxis of rabies.
US07959921B2
The invention provides monoclonal antibodies that neutralize TNFα activity. The monoclonal antibodies may be rabbit monoclonal antibodies or monoclonal antibodies having CDR regions derived from those rabbit monoclonal antibodies. In certain embodiments, the monoclonal antibodies may be humanized. Methods of using the subject antibodies to inhibit TNFα activity, methods of treatment using those antibodies and kits containing the same are also provided. The invention finds use in a variety of research and medical applications.
US07959916B2
The present invention relates to methods of treating immune disorders and cancers. In particular the invention provides methods of inhibiting the negative immunomodulatory effects of ERp-5 on T cells and dendritic cells, in conjunction with other surface receptors.
US07959914B2
A method for modifying access of cells to extravascular spaces and regions comprising administering to a patient an enzyme that cleaves chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans is provided. It has been found that administration of an enzyme that cleaves chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans to a patient disrupts extravasation of cells from the blood stream into tissue. The present invention provides methods of reducing penetration of cells associated with inflammation into tissue of a patient. Several methods are also provided for the regulation and suppression of inflammation comprising administering enzymes that digest chondroitin sulfates. Also provided are methods of treating and preventing inflammation associated with infection, injury and disease.
US07959905B2
A dermatological composition which may be used for the topical treatment of the skin, hair, or nails of mammals, comprising tamanu oil, an unsaturated fatty acid, and arnica oil, optionally including Vitamins E and A. The dermatological composition may be combined with other components to form a shampoo, conditioner, lotion, cream, spray, salve, or other cosmetic product in liquid, paste, or powder form.
US07959899B2
This invention relates to a crystalline molecular sieve having, in its as-synthesized form, an X-ray diffraction pattern including d-spacing maxima at 13.18±0.25 and 12.33±0.23 Angstroms, wherein the peak intensity of the d-spacing maximum at 13.18±0.25 Angstroms is at least as great as 90% of the peak intensity of the d-spacing maximum at 12.33±0.23 Angstroms. This invention also relates to a method of making thereof.
US07959898B2
Disclosed is super water absorbent polymers applied to contain water, and the polymers may further collocate with water absorbent cotton materials to accelerate water absorbent rates. The described water absorbent materials are combined with solid hydrogen fuel to complete a stable hydrogen supply device. Performance of the hydrogen supply device is not effected by inverting or tilting thereof. Even if inverting or tilting the device, the water contained in the water absorbent materials does not flow out from the device. As such, the MEA film in the fuel cell connected to the hydrogen supply device will not blocked by the water, thereby avoiding the fuel cell performance degradation even breakdown.
US07959887B2
A method for manufacturing a diamond composite, includes: a) mixing diamonds with additives, the mixture comprising at least 50 wt % and less than 95 wt % of diamonds and more than 5 wt % additives; b) forming a work piece from the mixture using a pressure of at least 100 Mpa; c) heating the formed work piece to at least 300° C. for removing possible water and wholly or partially removing additives; d) heating the work piece and controlling the heating temperature and heating time so that a certain desired amount of graphite is created by graphitization of diamonds, wherein the amount of graphite created by graphitization is 3-50 wt % of the amount of diamond; e) infiltrating silicon or silicon alloy into the work piece.
US07959880B2
The present invention includes methods and apparatuses for producing hydrogen peroxide using microchannel technology. An exemplary process for producing hydrogen peroxide comprises flowing feed streams into intimate fluid communication with one another within a process microchannel to form a reactant mixture stream comprising a hydrogen source and an oxygen source such as, without limitation, hydrogen gas and oxygen gas. Thereafter, a catalyst is contacted by the reactant mixture and is operative to convert a majority of the reactant mixture to hydrogen peroxide that is withdrawn via an egressing product stream. During the hydrogen peroxide chemical reaction, exothermic energy is generated and absorbed by the fluid within the microchannel as well as the microchannel itself.
US07959879B2
Disclosed is an optimized process and apparatus for more efficiently producing aromatic dicarboxylic acids (e.g., terephthalic acid). In one embodiment the process/apparatus reduces costs by recovering and purifying residual terephthalic acid present in the liquid phase of an initial oxidation slurry. In another embodiment the process apparatus reduces costs associated with hydrogenation by forming a final composite product containing unhydrogenated acid particles.
US07959876B2
A fluidic device includes a first reservoir to receive a first fluid, a second reservoir to receive a second fluid, and a main channel coupled to the first and second reservoirs through one or more branch channels. A first one-use pump generates a pressure difference to move one or both of the first and second fluids when a container in the first one-use pump is broken. A second one-use pump generates a pressure difference to move one or both of the first and second fluids when a container in the second one-use pump is broken.
US07959868B2
An exhaust gas purifying apparatus is comprised of a plurality of exhaust gas passages, and a filter body 3 installed in the exhaust gas passages. The exhaust gas passage contains a filter-conducting portion 100 of conducting the exhaust gas to the filter body 3, and a filter-bypassing portion 200 of bypassing the filter-conducting portion 100 by branching out to an exhaust gas passage adjacent from the filter-conducting portion 100. When PMs are deposited on the filter-conducting portion 100 and an exhaust gas pressure loss is increased, the exhaust gas is branched out from the filter-bypassing portion 200 to flow.
US07959867B2
The papermaking sheet member includes inorganic fibers, and the inorganic fibers include a lump-shaped cohered fiber which coheres as a lump.
US07959858B2
The invention relates to the use of Cu and the derivatives thereof, for the decontamination of prions, especially for decontaminating medical devices or medical surgical devices at risk, for decontaminating work surfaces, and for decontaminating any potentially infectious compound.
US07959857B2
Disclosed herein is a method of radiation sterilizing a plurality of medical devices.
US07959856B2
Aluminum alloys and castings are provided that have excellent practical fatigue resistances. The alloy includes, based upon 100 mass %, 4-12 mass % of Si, less than 0.2 mass % of Cu, 0.1-0.5 mass % of Mg, 0.2-3.0 mass % of Ni, 0.1-0.7 mass % of Fe, 0.15-0.3 mass % of Ti, and the balance of aluminum (Al) and impurities. The alloy has a metallographic structure, which includes a matrix phase primarily of α-Al and a skeleton phase crystallizing around the matrix phase in a network shape. The matrix phase is strengthened by precipitates containing Mg. Because of the strengthened matrix phase, and the skeleton phase that surrounds it, the castings have high strength, high fatigue strength, and high thermo-mechanical fatigue resistance.
US07959855B2
The present disclosure relates to white precious metal alloy compositions comprising at least one of platinum and palladium alloyed with gold, silver, and optionally one or more additional alloying elements. More specifically, and in one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to white precious metal alloy compositions that are suitable for the manufacture of jewelry and other finished articles. In addition, the present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing finished articles from such white precious metal alloy compositions.
US07959851B2
Strips containers are formed using two continuous webs in thermoformable and heat-sealable material facing each other. The webs are indexed along a feed line through different operating stations that transform the webs into a continuous strip of containers, each one of which is provided with a mouth. The containers are arranged according to two parallel rows that are opposed to a longitudinal median zone. The mouths of the containers of the upper row are arranged on the upper longitudinal edge of the strip and face upwards, whilst the mouths of the containers of the lower row are arranged on the lower longitudinal edge and face downwards. The method enables productivity to be increased and waste to be reduced.
US07959846B2
The present invention is concerned with a hinge (50) and a method of molding the hinge. The hinge comprises: a first part (52) and a second part (54) connected together during moulding to allow relative pivotal movement between the parts. The second part is molded over the first part after molding of the first part to form an interface (68) between the second part and the first part at which relative pivotal movement is allowed. After moulding of the second part the second part shrinks in a controlled manner to provide a predetermined frictional force at the interface between the first part and the second part in order to resist said relative pivotal movement.
US07959836B2
Disclosed is a process for the preparation of shaped articles such as, for example, sheeting, films, tubes, bottles, preforms and profiles, having high transparency and low haze, and comprising immiscible blends of at least one polyester comprising 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol, and a copolyamide or a transamidized, homogeneous blend of a least two polyamides. The components of the immiscible blend have refractive indices which differ by about 0.006 to about −0.0006. The small difference in the refractive indices enable the incorporation of regrind into the polymer composition to produce transparent shaped articles. These articles may have one or more layers and can exhibit improved excellent barrier properties and good melt processability while retaining excellent mechanical properties. Metal catalysts can be incorporated into the compositions to produce shaped articles having oxygen-scavenging properties.
US07959828B2
This invention relates to cleaning compositions comprising unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbons. The invention further relates to use of said cleaning compositions in methods to clean, degrease, deflux, dewater, and deposit fluorolubricant. The invention further relates to novel unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbons and their use as cleaning compositions and in the methods listed above.
US07959827B2
A long-lived phosphor composition is provided, along with methods for making and using the composition. More specifically, in one embodiment, the phosphor comprises a material having a formula of Ax-y-zAl2-m-n-o-pO4:Euy, REz, Bm, Znn, Coo, Scp. In this formula, A may be Ba, Sr, Ca, or a combination of these metals, x is between about 0.75 and 1.3, y is between about 0.0005 and 0.1, z is between about 0.0005 and 0.1, m is between about 0.0005 and 0.30, n is between about 0.0005 and 0.10, o is between about 0 and 0.01 and p is between about 0 and 0.05. RE is Dy, Nd, or a combination thereof. In another embodiment, methods are provided for making persistent phosphors comprising the formulations above. Other embodiments provide applications for such a phosphor, comprising uses in toys, emergency equipment, clothing, and instrument panels, among others.
US07959823B2
A piezoelectric ceramic composition including potassium-sodium-lithium niobate, bismuth-sodium titanate and bismuth ferrate is provided. A piezoelectric ceramic obtained by firing the piezoelectric ceramic composition, wherein the electromechanical coupling factor is high, the piezoelectric g33 constant, in particular, is large, the second phase transformation does not exist in the temperature range of −40 to 150° C. in at least one of a temperature-dependent variation of a resonance frequency, a temperature-dependent variation of an anti-resonance frequency and a temperature-dependent variation of piezoelectric g33 constant, and a good heat-resistant property is obtained, is provided.
US07959819B2
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for reducing aspect ratio dependent etching that is observed when plasma etching deep trenches in a semiconductor substrate through an alternating deposition/etch process. A plurality of different sized features on the substrate are monitored in real time during the alternating deposition/etch process. Then, based on the information received from the monitor, at least one process parameter is adjusted in the alternating deposition/etch process to achieve equivalent etch depths of at least two different sized features on the substrate.
US07959818B2
A method for forming a fine pattern of a semiconductor device includes forming a photoresist pattern over a semiconductor substrate including an underlying layer. A cross-linking layer is formed on the sidewall of the photoresist pattern. The photoresist pattern is then removed to form a fine pattern comprising the cross-linking layer. The underlying layer is etched using the fine pattern as an etching mask. As a result, the underlying layer has a smaller size than a minimum pitch.
US07959817B2
The present invention relates to a door skin comprising an exterior surface having outer portions lying on a first plane, spaced grooves recessed from the plane of the outer portions, and tonal portions having a planar area and a plurality of spaced depressions recessed from the plane of said planar area. The present invention is also directed to a method of etching a plate, for use with a molded die set, for embossing a wood grain pattern in the door skin, and the etched plate formed therefrom.
US07959812B2
The subject of the present disclosure is a multi-column sequenced separation process and a drive for implementing this process. The disclosure applies particularly to the separation of metal derivatives such as uranium, nickel, copper, cobalt and other precious metals present in leaching effluents in hydrometallurgical processes.
US07959811B2
The present invention relates to a chromatographic separation process for fractionating solutions containing sugars, sugar alcohols, sugar acids and/or betaine by utilizing fractions comprising parts of the separation profile as a substituent of the eluent in a novel and inventive manner. The starting solutions are typically multicomponent plant-based extracts and hydrolysates, stillages, and fermentation products and derivatives thereof. The process prow vides improved separation capacity and separation efficiency without affecting the yield or purity of product components, such as sugars, sugar alcohols, sugar acids, and betaine. The process can especially be applied to sequential SMB separation systems.
US07959807B2
To establish an efficient and economical useful component recovery method capable of recovering high purity useful components from a dyed polyester fiber.A method for recovering useful components from a dyed polyester fiber, includes a dye extraction step, a solid liquid separation step, a depolymerization reaction step, an ester interchange reaction step, and a useful component separation step, for recovering useful components from the dyed polyester fiber, wherein the dye extraction step includes a step of extracting and removing a dye at the glass transition temperature of the polyester or higher and at 220° C. or less with a xylene extracting solvent and an alkylene glycol extracting solvent in combination.
US07959805B2
A manifold adaptor plate useful as a gasket having liquid pathways which permit passing of a filtrate, a feed and a retentate wherein admixture of the filtrate with the feed or the retentate is prevented is provided and is formed of an elastomeric layer, a rigid intermediate layer and a polymer layer. The elastomeric layer functions as a gasket and is bonded to the polymeric layer through the liquid pathways of the intermediate plate. An elastomer layer may be formed on both layers as well and optionally a second polymer layer between the intermediate layer and the second elastomer layer may also be used.
US07959797B2
Contact of a crude feed with one or more catalysts containing a transition metal sulfide produces a total product that includes a crude product. The crude feed has a residue content of at least 0.2 grams of residue per gram of crude feed. The crude product is a liquid mixture at 25° C. and 0.101 MPa. One or more properties of the crude product may be changed by at least 10% relative to the respective properties of the crude feed. In some embodiments, gas is produced during contact with one or more catalysts and the crude feed.
US07959794B2
The invention concerns a facility and a process for hydrodesulphurizing gas oil or vacuum distillate comprising at least one hydrodesulphurization reaction section, at least one stripping section and at least one fractionation section in which the fractionation section comprises at least one fractionation column operated under moderate vacuum.
US07959779B2
This invention relates generally to cutting single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT). In one embodiment, the present invention provides for preparations of homogeneous populations of short carbon nanotube molecules by cutting and annealing (reclosing) the nanotube pieces followed by fractionation. The cutting and annealing processes may be carried out on a purified nanotube bucky paper, on felts prior to purification of nanotubes or on any material that contains single-wall nanotubes. In one embodiment, oxidative etching with concentrated nitric acid is employed to cut SWNTs into shorter lengths. The annealed nanotubes may be disbursed in an aqueous detergent solution or an organic solvent for the fractionation. Closed tubes can also be derivatized to facilitate fractionation, for example, by adding solubilizing moieties to the end caps.
US07959778B2
A sensor control apparatus comprising an air/fuel ratio sensor having a sensor cell with a pair of electrodes, a current source capable of supplying a predetermined current between the electrodes, a current control section that turns on/off the current source, a voltage detecting section that detects voltages generated between the electrodes at respective times when the current source is turned on and off, a differential voltage detecting section that detects a differential voltage between the voltages that are generated at the respective times when the current source is turned on and off, a first voltage comparing section that compares the differential voltage with a first threshold voltage, and a half-activated state determining section that determines that the sensor cell has reached a half-activated state when the differential voltage is lower than the first threshold voltage. A sensor control method is also provided.
US07959777B2
A method of adjusting the output of an electrochemical sensor including a working electrode and a counter electrode, includes: electronically causing a current flow between the working electrode and the counter electrode via an electrolyte without introducing a test analyte to the electrochemical sensor; measuring a response of the sensor to the current demand resulting from the electronically generated current flow; and using the measured response to adjust the sensor output during sampling of an analyte gas.
US07959774B2
The present invention provides a cathode for hydrogen generation comprising a cathode substrate having provided thereon a catalytic layer, wherein the catalytic layer contains at least three components of platinum, cerium and lanthanum in amounts of 50 to 98 mol %, 1 to 49 mol % and 1 to 49 mol %, respectively, in the form of metal, metal oxide or metal hydroxide.
US07959754B2
An appliance for sealing elastic hoses with a sleeve, which is plastically deformable and slipped onto the hose, has two jaws which are movable towards and away from each other. One jaw has two straight bars which project towards the other jaw and extend transversely of the sleeve to make two transverse indentations in the sleeve and the hose when the jaws are moving towards each other. The same jaw has a cutting edge which projects towards the other jaw and is directed transversely of the sleeve, the cutting edge making a substantially transverse cutting indication in the sleeve and the hose when the jaws are moving towards each other.
US07959747B2
A steel sheet having (a) a dual phase microstructure with a martensite phase and a ferrite phase and (b) a composition containing by percent weight: 0.01≦C≦0.2; 0.3≦Mn≦3; 0.05≦Si≦2; 0.2≦Cr+Ni≦2; 0.01≦Al≦0.10; 0.0005≦Ca≦0.01, with the balance of the composition being iron and incidental ingredients. Also, the steel sheet is made by a batch annealing method, and has a tensile strength of at least approximately 400 megapascals and an n-value of at least approximately 0.175.
US07959739B2
A cleaning solution and method for removing submicron particles from the surface and/or the bevel of an electronic substrate such as a hard disk media substrate, or an imprint mold used in the manufacturing of the hard disk media or a read/write head assembly part. The cleaning solution comprises a polycarboxylate polymer or an ethoxylated polyamine. The method comprises the step of contacting a surface of the substrate with a cleaning solution comprised of a polycarboxylate polymer or an ethoxylated polyamine. Additional optional steps in the method include applying acoustic energy to the cleaning solution and/or rinsing the surface with a rinsing solution with or without the application of acoustic energy to the rinsing solution.
US07959731B2
A method for producing a semiconductor wafer, including epitaxially growing a Si1-XGeX layer (0
US07959720B2
The present invention relates to engineered structured adsorbent contactors for use in pressure swing adsorption and thermal swing adsorption processes. Preferably, the contactors contain engineered and substantially parallel flow channels wherein 20 volume percent or less of the open pore volume of the contactor, excluding the flow channels, is in the mesopore and macropore range.
US07959714B2
A method is provided for servicing a filter, and structure is provided disabling assembly of the filter unless an authorized replacement filter element is used.
US07959708B2
A method and apparatus for forming internally shrouded supersonic coherent jets comprising an inert gas, such as pure argon and argon/oxygen mixtures. This method and apparatus can be employed to produce low-carbon steels with a top lance in basic oxygen steelmaking.
US07959705B2
A filter media product and method of making the same wherein the filter media is pleatable and has at least one support scrim comprised of a melt bonded non-woven material or a fuse bonded non-woven material bonded to a layer of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. The filter media may have a single support scrim with one or more layers and optionally may have a support scrim on both an upstream and downstream surface where both or neither support scrim is multilayered. The filter media may have an efficiency greater than, equal to, or less than HEPA.
US07959695B2
An fixed abrasive article is provided which includes a matrix material and abrasive particles embedded within the matrix material. The abrasive particles have a core-shell structure that includes a polycrystalline alpha alumina core and a shell layer overlying the polycrystalline alpha alumina core. The shell layer includes a material selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide and zirconium oxide. Also the polycrystalline alpha alumina core includes grains and having an average grain size of not greater than about 500 nm.
US07959682B2
In order to provide a bone substitution material which enables mechanical stability and long-term in-vivo biocompatibility which can also be used for guided bone healing, the invention provides a method comprising the steps of providing a starting material comprising a mixture of at least a skeleton substance (20) and at least one functional substance, and building up a skeleton from the skeleton substance, thereby producing a profiled body (30), as well as a profiled body (30) containing a skeleton substance (20) and comprising a porous structure (10) with pores (12, 15) being interconnected with each other.
US07959675B2
A spinal implant include a top, wherein at least a portion of the top is configured to contact a first vertebra, a bottom, wherein at least a portion of the bottom is configured to contact a second vertebra, a side having a releasable attachment to receive an insertion device and a cam surface to engage a cam on the insertion device.
US07959666B2
The invention includes methods of and apparatus for endovascularly replacing a heart valve of a patient. One aspect of the invention provides a method including the steps of endovascularly delivering a replacement valve and an expandable anchor to a vicinity of the heart valve in an unexpanded configuration; and applying an external non-hydraulically expanding or non-pneumatically expanding actuation force on the anchor to change the shape of the anchor, such as by applying proximally and/or distally directed force on the anchor using a releasable deployment tool to expand and contract the anchor or parts of the anchor. Another aspect of the invention provides an apparatus including a replacement valve; an anchor; and a deployment tool comprising a plurality of anchor actuation elements adapted to apply a non-hydraulically expanding or non-pneumatically expanding actuation force on the anchor to reshape the anchor.
US07959665B2
The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implanting in a body lumen, such as a coronary artery, peripheral artery, or other body lumen. The invention provides for an intravascular stent having a plurality of cylindrical rings connected by undulating links. A plurality of inverted cylindrical end rings can be coupled at least in part to a plurality of adjacent cylindrical rings in the form of mirror images such that a symmetrical configuration is present on at least one of a proximal end and a distal end of the stent. The stent has a high degree of flexibility in the longitudinal direction, yet has adequate vessel wall coverage and radial strength sufficient to hold open an artery or other body lumen. The inverted end ring configuration of the stent aims at reducing the stent-to-shoulder distance as well as delivering therapeutic drug to the peri-stent area while maintaining a pristine stent deployment.
US07959658B2
A medical, electrically powered thermal cover for fitting predominantly the trunk and head of a person experiencing or potentially experiencing traumatic or cold-exposure hypothermia. The thermal cover encases all of the torso and neck, and portions of other body areas. Heating may be distinctly non-uniform, being applied to the body surface only in special regions where the body's capacity for heat uptake may be relatively high. In sum, the system may monitor deep body core temperature, direct heat to the body core where it may be most needed, and controls therapy over time to restore normothermia.
US07959656B2
Provided is a lipolysis device using a low power laser, and more particularly, to a lipolysis device using a low power laser capable of non-invasively irradiating skin with a laser beam which may or may not be condensed through a lens or transparent window to obtain the same effect as lipolysis of adipose tissue exposed through incision using a conventional ultrasonic or low power laser. In addition, the lipolysis device includes a vacuum suction means to readily discharge liquefied fat discharged from an adipose cell and concentrated in a space between cell tissues through the groin area, where lymphatic vessels are abundant, and out of the body. Further the lipolysis device can stably contact human skin to break down fat and thus is convenient to use. Furthermore, the lipolysis device can break down subcutaneous fat by irradiating an abdominal region with a low power laser without skin damage or surgical operation, thereby effectively removing abdominal fat.
US07959655B2
Self-aligning attachment devices and methods for attaching an elongated member to a vertebral member
The present application is directed to a device for connecting an elongated member within a patient. The device includes a body with a receiving section to receive the elongated member, and an engagement section to engage a support structure, such as a vertebral member. The receiving section is sized to receive the elongated member in a first orientation. The process of securing the elongated member within the receiving section causes the device to pivot about the elongated member to a second orientation. This pivoting motion causes the engagement section to more securely attach to the support structure.
US07959649B2
A suture anchor and kit for anchoring a suture member to human bone in an interference fit. A suture anchor includes a threaded portion and has a head at the proximal end thereof, the head being generally circular. A tip is located at a distal end of the shank. The shank is at least partially threaded and includes walls defining a reel portion. The shank also includes walls for engaging a suture, the walls for engaging the suture typically adjacent walls defining the reel portion. The head typically includes walls for engaging a drive tool. The kit includes a drive tool for rotating the suture anchor when a suture member is engaged with the walls for engaging the suture such that rotation of the anchor causes the suture material to wrap around the reel portion of the shank.
US07959645B2
A filter device positionable within a blood vessel for trapping emboli in the vessel, the filter device having a head and a plurality of divergent legs each secured at a first end to the head; each leg having one or more hooks at a second end. The hooks can include an expandable and contractible sleeve or hook that provides securing means for the legs and which also allows for easy removal of the filter device.
US07959641B2
Methods and devices for cutting strips of tissue from masses of tissue inside or outside of the bodies of human or animal subjects. The device generally comprises a) an elongate cutting tube that has a distal end and a lumen that opens through an opening in the distal end and b) first and second cutting edges formed on generally opposite edges of the distal end of the cutting tube and separated by a distance D. The device is advanced through tissue to cut a strip of tissue of approximate width W. Width W is approximately equal to distance D.
US07959638B2
An expandable body is inserted into an area of cancellous within a vertebral body through a percutaneous access path. A bone filler is conveyed into the expandable body to expand the expandable body and displace cancellous bone and create a cavity occupied at least in part by the expandable body and the bone filler. The expandable body and the bone filler are left within the cavity to strengthen the vertebral body.
US07959632B2
An apparatus for performing surgery using plasma is described. The apparatus includes a plasma generating unit, a plasma wand and a foot pedal. The plasma wand further includes a disposable tip which may be removed and replaced for each surgical procedure, so as to maintain operating sterility.
US07959631B2
A tissue ablation device includes an array of elongate electrodes configured to be deployed in tissue, wherein the deployed electrode array defines a tissue ablation region, an inflatable balloon configured to be deployed in tissue, and a coupler securing the balloon relative to the one or more elongate electrodes, wherein the balloon, when inflated, is configured to apply a force to tissue located in the tissue ablation region. An ablation device includes a first array of electrodes, a second array of electrodes, a first inflatable balloon, and a coupler securing the first balloon relative to the first and second electrode arrays. A method of ablating tissue includes positioning an array of elongate electrodes and an inflatable balloon proximate tissue to be ablated, inflating the balloon to compress a tissue region located between the balloon and the electrode array, and energizing the electrode array to ablate the tissue region.
US07959629B2
A medical probe assembly, tissue treatment system, and method are provided for ablating tissue. The probe assembly comprises an elongated member and electrode elements mechanically coupled to the distal end of the elongated member. The electrode elements are configurable as two bipolar electrode pairs with a common electrode element. At least one of the electrode elements comprises a plurality of electrodes (such as, e.g., needle electrodes) radially extendable from the elongated member. An ablation source, such as a radio frequency source, can be connected to the probe assembly in order to convey ablation energy to the electrode pairs, either simultaneously or sequentially.
US07959625B2
A cryosurgical system adapted for treatment of fibroadenomas within the breast of a patient. The system includes cryoprobes and a control system which operates the cryoprobes to accomplish freezing in two stages, including a high power freeze and a low power freeze.
US07959624B2
The invention relates to a device (100) for treating wounds of the human or animal body using a vacuum and having a gas-tight wound-covering element (4), which, when placed in contact with the body of the patient, forms a wound space (10) between the respective wound and the wound-covering element, at least one connecting site (5.1; 5.2), which is in contact with the wound space (10), an absorption body (2), which is a layer, enclosed in an envelope, of a textile section, interspersed with super-absorbing particles, the envelope being permeable to liquids and having pores, the size of which does not exceed that of the super-absorbing particles. The absorption body (2), which is to be inserted in the wound space (10), has an initial volume, which enlarges in the course of the absorption process, and a final volume, so that, due to the size of the pores of the envelope, the absorbed wound secretions remain within the absorption body (2) and, with that, below the wound-covering element, until the absorption body is removed from the wound space.
US07959612B2
Devices and methods for simultaneous injection or delivery of two or more substances from separate syringes. The syringes are loaded into a device that has a handle and a screw driven mechanism for simultaneously depressing the plungers of the syringes. The user grasps the handle and positions the device. Thereafter, the screw mechanism is used to simultaneously advance the plungers of the syringes thereby simultaneously expelling the substances from the syringes.
US07959608B2
A device suitable for removing material from a living being is provided, featuring an infusate pump, and an aspiration pump, both powered by a motor. The aspiration pump and infusate pump preferably feature a helical pumping mechanism, and operate at a high rate of rotation, thereby ensuring adequate pumping performance and flexibility. Additionally, a narrow crossing profile is maintained, ensuring that the device may reach more tortuous regions of the vasculature.
US07959602B2
Apparatus with a pneumatic or hydraulic or mechanical therapeutic catheter. The therapy energy required to treat internal vessels of the patient is transferred by the same fluid or the same elements from the proximal end section to the distal end section of the catheter that transfer information from the distal end section to the proximal end section of the catheter. The information provides understanding of the state of the vessel and how the therapy fluid of the therapy element of the catheter acts on the vessel.
US07959598B2
Some embodiments an infusion pump system can be used to determine a user's total insulin load (TIL) that provides an accurate indication of the insulin previously delivered to the user's body which has not yet acted. In particular embodiments, the TIL can account for both the bolus deliveries and the basal deliveries that have occurred over a period of time. Such information may be useful, for example, when the infusion pump is operated in conjunction with a continuous glucose monitoring device.
US07959585B2
Device for the time-based analysis of the agitation of a bedridden patient includes elements (4) for acquiring the patient's shouts and elements (5) for acquiring the patient's movements, the acquisition elements being connected to storage elements (9) suitable for storing the acquired data accompanied by a time stamping of the latter, the storage elements being connected to analysis and presentation elements (10) suitable for providing care staff with a representation of the frequency and duration of the patient's shouts and movements which are representative of the patient's agitation over a determined time span, characterized in that the elements for acquiring shouts include a bandpass filter (6) suitable for isolating the shouts from speech and ambient noise.
US07959578B2
An apparatus and method of collecting elements of and assembling various portions of ocular micro motions such as ocular micro-tremor (OMT) movements of the eye, and correlating them directly with OMT waveforms acquired from both known and unknown states of cognition and cognitive function. Comparing newly acquired waveforms from patients with undiagnosed cognitive dysfunctions, permits an individual or caregiver the ability to identify those unknown issues or cognitive states based on matching or relating statistically elements of their waveform with categories of other known cognitive processing normals and abnormals, functional and dysfunctional individuals. It also allows for measuring the effects of therapeutic agents (psychological or pharmacological) by relating them to measurable changes in cognitive function as a result of correlated changes in waveforms.
US07959571B2
The invention provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic diagnostic image generating method realizing improvement in picture quality to thereby improve diagnosis efficiency in a diagnosis using images. An extracting process of extracting a sound ray vector image extending in a sound ray direction in which an ultrasonic beam is transmitted in an ultrasonic diagnosis image from the ultrasonic diagnosis image is performed. After that, a correcting process is performed so as to eliminate the sound ray vector image extracted by the extracting process from the ultrasonic diagnosis image.
US07959569B2
Systems and methods for processing sensor analyte data, including initiating calibration, updating calibration, evaluating clinical acceptability of reference and sensor analyte data, and evaluating the quality of sensor calibration. During initial calibration, the analyte sensor data is evaluated over a period of time to determine stability of the sensor. The sensor may be calibrated using a calibration set of one or more matched sensor and reference analyte data pairs. The calibration may be updated after evaluating the calibration set for best calibration based on inclusion criteria with newly received reference analyte data. Fail-safe mechanisms are provided based on clinical acceptability of reference and analyte data and quality of sensor calibration. Algorithms provide for optimized prospective and retrospective analysis of estimated blood analyte data from an analyte sensor.
US07959567B2
A monitoring apparatus that includes a sensor device and an I/O device in communication with the sensor device that generates derived data using the data from the sensor device. The derived data cannot be directly detected by the associated sensors. Alternatively, an apparatus that includes a wearable sensor device and an I/O device in communication with the sensor device that includes means for displaying information and a dial for entering information. Alternatively, an apparatus for tracking caloric consumption and caloric expenditure data that includes a sensor device and an I/O device in communication with the sensor device. The sensor device includes a processor programmed to generate data relating to caloric expenditure from sensor data. Alternatively, an apparatus for tracking caloric information for an individual that utilizes a plurality of classification identifiers for classifying meals consumed by the individual, each of the classification identifiers having a corresponding caloric amount.
US07959566B2
Methods for delivering a drug to a patients in need of the drug, while restricting access to the drug by patients for whom the drug may be contraindicated are disclosed. The methods are of the type in which prescriptions for the drug are filled by a pharmacy only after a computer readable storage medium has been consulted to retrieve a prescription approval code. Embodiments are provided wherein the patients are assigned to risk groups based upon the risk that taking the drug will lead to an adverse side effect, and certain additional information, such as periodic surveys and diagnostic tests probative of the ongoing risk of the side effect developing are obtained before prescriptions for the drug are approved.
US07959553B2
A tissue illumination system and a method for harvesting a section of a blood vessel from a patient's body for further use. The tissue illumination system includes a light catheter inserted into a lumen of the blood vessel section to illuminate the vessel section and vessel side branches with an intensity which is visible to the physician from an exterior of the vessel section and also includes a viewing element insertable into the lumen and capable of viewing the illuminated vessel section. The tissue illumination system also includes at least one tool insertable into the lumen and used to harvest the vessel section.
US07959551B2
Rotary hydrodynamic blood pumps have been used to treat over a thousand patients. The Jarvik 2000 has supported a patient for seven years and uses blood immersed bearings washed by high flow to avoid excessive thrombus formation. This permits the pump to be very simple and small. Nonetheless, the present Jarvik 2000 bearings and all other mechanical blood immersed bearings of the prior art have a supporting structure that predisposes to thrombus adjacent to the bearings. The present invention provides a bearing structure that eliminates this predilection site for thrombus formation, and may provide indefinite thrombus free operation. The rotor of the preferred embodiment includes a tapered hub fabricated of wear resistant material supported by three posts at each end of the rotor, upon which the rotor rotates. Blood washes the unobstructed spaces between the posts to prevent the accumulation of a torus of thrombus that could enlarge excessively.
US07959550B2
An apparatus and method for treating erectile dysfunction by using a pulsating, ultraweak, magnetic field. A transducer generates an ultraweak, pulsating magnetic fields which is applied to the penis, which as a result of the magnetic field causes the erection of the penis. Another aspect of the invention is an apparatus and method for treating medical conditions in women by using a pulsating, ultraweak, magnetic field.
US07959545B2
An apparatus comprised of: a base unit having a top portion and a bottom portion; a leg supporting structure on the top portion at an angle and adapted to receive the lower portion of a user's leg; one or more temporary securing member(s) to temporarily secure the user's leg to the leg supporting platform; and at least one rolling member positioned below the bottom portion, such that the user is able to move using a free leg and the apparatus without the use of hands.
US07959539B2
A Nordic walking pole has a transmission device attached thereto and a switch thereof is pushed to transmit a signal indicating the start or end of Nordic walking. A pedometer receives the signal from the transmission device to thereby detect that the start or end of Nordic walking is instructed (S107). Assuming that the Nordic mode is specified when the current walking mode is a normal walking mode, the parameter for Nordic walking is set as a parameter for the arithmetic operation (S111). Assuming that the normal walking mode is specified when the current walking mode is a Nordic mode, the parameter for the normal walking mode is set as a parameter for the arithmetic operation (S113).
US07959535B2
A controller for a vehicle power transmission system includes: an electric differential unit that includes a differential mechanism, having an input shaft and an output shaft, and an electric motor and that allows controlling a differential state between the rotational speed of the input shaft coupled to an engine and the rotational speed of the output shaft by controlling an operating state of the electric motor coupled to a rotating element of the differential mechanism; a transmission unit that is arranged in a power transmission path between the electric differential unit and a drive wheel; and an engine upper limit setting device that, when the transmission unit is shifting speeds, prelimits an upper limit of the rotational speed of the engine when the rotational speed of the engine increases because of torque reduction control by the electric motor. With the above control, the rotational speed of the engine is prevented from reaching a high rotational speed region.
US07959529B2
A bicycle multi-gear cassette mountable to a wheel hub that generally includes a truncated conical shell and a plurality of toothed sprockets having different numbers of teeth. The shell includes a plurality of coaxial annular cylinders of variable diameter extending along an axis of the shell and a plurality of coaxial annular discs of variable diameter extending radially of the axis. The cylinders and discs are alternatingly arranged in a stepped sequence. The toothed sprockets are disposed on the shell and extend radially of the shell axis. At least one of the toothed sprockets includes a recess on a side facing an adjacent toothed sprocket having a smaller number of teeth. The recess includes a first region having a first depth and a second region having a second depth. The first depth is greater than the second depth. The shell and the plurality of toothed sprockets embody a single piece.
US07959527B1
A ball hitting practice assembly with acoustic return mechanism is provided for use by a ball hitter. The ball hitting practice assembly includes a rigid vertical shaft, having a first and second end; a weighted and/or anchored base coupled to the vertical shaft at said shaft's second end; a rigid horizontal shaft, having a first and second end, coupled at its first end to the vertical shaft's first end; a ball which is suspended from a cord, having a first and second end, said first end being attached to the horizontal shaft's second end, said ball being attached to said cord's second end; and a horizontal acoustic return mechanism that sounds when struck by the ball in practice of the present invention and then returns the ball to the hitter after each hit.
US07959524B2
The present invention provides a three-piece solid golf ball having a core obtained by molding under heat a specific rubber composition and having a two-layer cover and an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer which encase the core and are made of a thermoplastic resin material. By optimizing the deflection of the core under a specific load, optimizing the combined thickness of the cover layers, forming the inner cover layer of a highly neutralized ionomer resin composition, and forming the outer cover layer of a special urethane material, a sufficient reduction in the spin rate of the ball on shots taken with a driver can be achieved, enabling the distance traveled by the ball to be increased. Moreover, the golf ball of the invention has a good feel on shots taken with a driver, and has an excellent spin rate on approach shots.
US07959522B2
A golf driver kit includes a front portion and a plurality of rear portions exchangeably connectable to the front portion and being of different respective shapes for imparting different flight characteristics to a struck golf ball. The front portion includes a front face plate and a hosel for receiving a shaft, plus a rearwardly projecting base on which the rear portion is seated. The rear portion is removably attached to the front portion by screws.
US07959521B2
A golf practice mat includes an impact sensor disposed in a vicinity bounding the location of where a golf ball would be placed for striking. The golf practice mat may also include, for example, a “crosshair” target imprint that is disposed on a golf club impact sensor portion of the practice surface and indicates the point/line of contact that the club face should hit the ground after the ball has been struck with the club head in a descending blow. A microcontroller receives and analyzes the output of the impact sensor and generates a display/output message that is coupled to a display that is, for example, embodied on the golf practice mat to provide user shot-related feedback. The display may indicate, for example, the user's golf club, the estimated distance the ball will travel depending upon the impact data analyzed, the club chosen by the user, input backswing data and/or a three-dimensional simulation of the resulting golf stroke.
US07959517B2
A method and apparatus for changing the temperature pattern of the surface of a golf ball or golf club is disclosed. The apparatus includes a thermal device capable of imparting a temperature pattern onto the surface of a golf ball. The thermal device preferably imparts the temperature pattern from a distance, preferably while the golf ball is positioned on a golf tee. After a predetermined amount of time, the golf ball may be stuck by a golf club. A thermal imaging device, which may detect a cooling pattern imparted to the golf ball by prongs of a cooling device, is preferably used to acquire images of the temperature pattern. The acquired images may then be analyzed by a processor to determine the kinematic characteristics of the golf ball.
US07959516B2
A ferrule (1) and a hole cup (2) for a golf flag (3), where the ferrule (1) is designed with a boring (4) in which a golf flag (3) is placed, and an upper part (5) having a greater diameter than a lower part (6) of the ferrule which is intended for disposition in a hole (7) in the hole cup (2), the hole cup (2) being formed by a cylindric wall (8) and a bottom (9) with a centre hole (7) having a shape and a depth for receiving the lower part (6) of the ferrule, where at least two replaceable elastic means (10) are provided between the lower part (6) of the ferrule and the centre hole (7) of the hole cup, where at least two fastening means (11) are correspondingly provided, each intended for retaining an elastic means (10), and each provided by an annular groove (15) on the ferrule (1), and where one or more longitudinal grooves (16) are provided in the ferrule (1).
US07959511B2
An information processing system includes: area extraction means for extracting an area occupied by a player from the mirror moving picture containing a player; control means for generating a computer image containing a game character; and display control means for causing a display device to display a superimposed moving picture obtained by superimposing the mirror moving picture and the computer image. The control means moves the game character according to the area occupied by the player in the superimposed moving picture. Thus, in the information processing system using the player image acquired by a camera as the input interface, it is possible to improve the game entertainment.
US07959510B2
A game machine operable to execute a game program is communicatively connected to a center server. In the center server, a first transmitter transmits, to the game machine, first data indicating a settled play amount out of a played amount which is represented by either an accumulated number or time period that the game program has been executed. In the game machine, a first storage is operable to store the first data, a second storage is operable to store second data indicating the played amount, and a third storage is operable to store third data indicating an allowable unsettled play amount which represents either an allowable number or time period of which the game program is executed without settlement. In the game machine, a first receiver receives the first data transmitted by the first transmitter, an updater updates the first data stored in the first storage with the first data received by the first receiver, and a controller controls the game machine based on the first data stored in the first storage, the second data stored in the second storage and the third data stored in the third storage.
US07959505B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems and programs for conducting game feature. A method comprises: a) upon generation of a game outcome, evaluating the game outcome according to a plurality of evaluation structures against a payout criteria set and a feature criteria set; b) for each evaluation of an evaluation structure that fulfills a payout criterion, calculating a payout value according to a feature attribute associated with said evaluation structure; c) for each evaluation structure having an associated feature attribute and that fulfills a feature criterion, modifying said feature attribute, said modified feature attribute persisting for calculating the payout value of at least one subsequent game outcome; and d) awarding the sum of the calculated payout values of all of the evaluation structures to a player. An embodiment involves a free-spin feature in which the feature attributes are multiplier values evolving and persisting throughout the free-spin feature.
US07959500B1
A cooked and de-boned substantially intact slab of rib meat is provided. A process for preparing a de-boned rib meat product from a pork or beef rib cut is also provided. The process for preparing the rib meat product involves cooking a length of rib meat having rib bones embedded therein at a temperature and for a time sufficient to enable the removal of the rib bones from the length of rib meat, while maintaining a substantially intact length of rib meat.
US07959494B1
A blade, such as the blade of a precision shear, having a cutting angle which changes progressively along the length of the blade through a predetermined angular measure is sharpened by coupling the blade with an articulated arm assembly through a drive mechanism which rotates the blade about a longitudinal direction in response to movement of the blade along the longitudinal direction, as the blade is drawn across a sharpening surface. The drive mechanism includes a cam and follower for rotating the blade through an angular displacement corresponding to the predetermined angular measure of the change in the cutting angle so as to preserve the changing cutting angle. The drive mechanism is selectively uncoupled to permit free manual rotation of the blade as the blade is drawn across the sharpening surface for finishing the blade subsequent to the sharpening operation. The drive mechanism accommodates blades of both right-handed shears and left-handed shears.
US07959489B2
Devices, methods, and kits for securing clothing, in particular, for securing a bra strap to a blouse strap. The device includes a long, thin material, having a first end, a second end, and a body extending between the first end and the second end. The long, thin material is formed into a plurality of opposing segments. A first of the plurality of opposing segments is continuous with a first end of a second of the plurality of the opposing segments at a first junction, and a first end of the third of the plurality of opposing segments is continuous with a second end of the second of the plurality of the opposing segments at a second junction. A fourth of the plurality of opposing segments is continuous with a second end of the third of the plurality of the opposing segments at a third junction.
US07959475B2
In order to provide a simple option for connecting electric conductors (7) of an electric cable (6) to a connector (1) and, in particular, to always ensured the correct length of the conductors with electric contacts (28) attached thereto, the invention proposes a so-called cable manager (10) with a measuring pin (12), on which the individual electric conductors (7) can be measured and correspondingly capped such that the desired and exact length of the electric conductors (7) to be inserted into the connector is always ensured after the attachment of the corresponding electric contacts (28).
US07959474B2
Service devices are used in the field of automation and normally form interfaces between programmable logic controllers (PLC) and the installations or installation components to be controlled. Service devices such as these generally have a multiplicity of electrical interfaces for additional modules, with the additional modules being connected via control lines to the PLC, to further service devices or to installation components. An electrical additional module for a service device, a combination of the additional module with the service device, and an additional module set having various additional modules which allow easier fitting and removal of the additional modules in the service device are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, an electrical additional module is proposed, having an appliance interface for fitting the additional module to a service device, with the service device having a stepped holding geometry with at least two steps on each of which a contact device is arranged for holding an electrical opposing contact device, with the appliance interface having step sections which are designed to be complementary to the at least two steps and on which in each case one of the electrical opposing contact device is arranged in order to make contact with the associated contact device, and with the at least two step sections being rigidly connected to one another when the additional module is not fitted.
US07959473B2
An advanced modular plug connector assembly incorporating an insert assembly disposed in the rear portion of the connector housing. In one embodiment, the connector has a plurality of ports in multi-row configuration, and the insert assembly includes a substrate adapted to receive one or more electronic components such as choke coils, transformers, or other signal conditioning elements or magnetics. The substrate also interfaces with the conductors of two modular ports of the connector, and is removable from the housing such that an insert assembly of a different electronics or terminal configuration can be substituted therefor. In this fashion, the connector can be configured to a plurality of different standards (e.g., Gigabit Ethernet and 10/100). In yet another embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a plurality of light sources (e.g., LEDs) received within the housing. Methods for manufacturing the aforementioned embodiments are also disclosed.
US07959470B1
A connector includes a first terminal housing with a plurality of first connecting terminals aligned and accommodated therein, a second terminal housing with a plurality of second connecting terminals aligned and accommodated therein, a plurality of insulation members aligned and accommodated in the first terminal housing, a connecting member including a head and a shaft connected to the head. The shaft and/or the head includes a first screw part to screw the connecting member into the first terminal housing and/or the second terminal housing. The shaft includes a second screw part to screw into an insulation member of the plurality of the insulation members at a forward end in an insertion direction of the connecting member. The second screw part includes a screw pitch greater than the first screw part.
US07959467B2
A transceiver module that utilizes a side contact spring portion to ground a shielded cable that is plugged into the transceiver module. In one example embodiment, a transceiver module includes a housing, a jack, and a side contact spring portion. The housing is operative to be electrically connected to chassis ground when the transceiver module is received within a host port. The jack is defined in the housing and operative to receive a shielded plug. The side contact spring portion is substantially implemented within the jack and is configured to be in electrical contact with both the housing and a conductive element of the shielded plug received by the jack such that a chassis ground is established between the housing and the shielded plug and such that a moveable bail pivot lever is able to move without disrupting the electrical contact between the side contact spring portion and the housing and/or the conductive element of the shielded plug.
US07959464B2
A connector (10) comprises a primary resin-molded member (20) integrally covering both a terminal (18) and a covering material (14). A first sealing material (24) is disposed at the first joining portion (28) between the primary resin-molded member (20) and the covering material (14) so as to seal the first joining portion (28). The first sealing material (24) is integrally covered together with the primary resin-molded member (20) by a secondary resin-molded member (22). The peeling of the first sealing material (24) from the first joining portion (28) is suppressed by the secondary resin-molded member (22), whereby the durability of the waterproof structure can be improved.
US07959459B2
An information handling system disposed within a housing may include a cable coupled to the information handling system. The cable may be configured to move from a retracted position substantially within the housing to an extended position wherein a portion of the cable is external to the housing. Further, a connector end of the cable may be configured to communicatively couple the information handling system to a portable device.
US07959458B2
A thermal imaging device includes a replaceable battery pack, which may include a shock absorbing and/or seal member. A battery portion of the battery pack includes an electrical contact and a sidewall that contains at least one battery cell, which is electrically coupled to the contact. An attachment mechanism of the battery pack is configured to engage a portion of a housing of the device, such that a portion of the battery pack forms a terminal end of the device, the battery portion is held within the portion of the housing, and the electrical contact of the battery portion is operably connected to the imaging assembly of the device. The attachment mechanism is releasable from engagement with the housing, such that an entirety of the battery pack can be completely separated from the thermal imaging device.
US07959455B1
An apparatus for remotely releasing a connector, e.g., an RJ-45 connector, is described. Embodiments of the invention allow a user to release a cable comprising a connector from a connector jack when the connector jack is difficult to reach. The invention may be particularly useful to release cables from devices comprising an array of connector jacks.
US07959454B2
A submersible connector has releasably mateable plug and receptacle units. The plug unit has at least one electrical pin while the receptacle unit has at least one electrical socket module which receives a forward portion of the electrical pin when the units are mated. The pin is surrounded by semi-conductive seals and a conductive housing, while the socket module has a semi-conductive outer layer, and front seals of semi-conductive material on the pin and socket modules are in sealing engagement in the mated condition, isolating the pins from sea water exposure and forming a ground plane continuation at least from receptacle to plug in the mated condition and providing shielding from phase to phase interaction in a multiple pin and socket connector.
US07959448B1
A flash memory device includes a circuit board and a contact module slidable with respect to the circuit board. The circuit board includes a plurality of first contacts each having a stiff first contact portion. The contact module includes a slider and a plurality of second contacts fixed to the slider. The slider is slidable with respect to the circuit board along a front-to-rear direction between a first position and a second position. The flash memory device is compatible to USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 receptacle connectors via the slidable contact module.
US07959444B2
The present invention provides a retractable adapter for connecting a towed vehicle to a towing vehicle. The retractable adapter may include a lower housing, an upper housing and a retractable mechanism to store the wiring harness when not in use with the towed vehicle. The lower housing may be attached to the towing vehicle. The adapter may include a rotating disc assembly, a wire guide assembly and an electrical connector or wiring harness that may be coiled around the wire guide assembly. The adapter may also include a circuit tester with light emitting diodes (LEDs) and a backup alarm. In addition, the adapter may mate a seven-way blade connector to a four-flat connecter harness.
US07959443B1
A system and method of delivering CO2 in a respiration closed-loop control system to a respiratory simulator includes (a) providing a CO2 supply to a respiratory simulator having a piston/cylinder arrangement; (b) providing flow control hardware between the CO2 supply and the piston/cylinder arrangement; (c) generating a first control signal representative of a predefined amount of CO2; and (d) providing the predefined amount of CO2 into the piston/cylinder arrangement. Thereafter, either (i) an end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure (EtCO2) value is determined based on an amount of CO2 emptied from the piston/cylinder arrangement during an exhalation phase of the respiratory simulator or (ii) an EtCO2 value is calculated via an equation. A second control signal is generated that is representative of a tidal volume and a breathing frequency representative of a physiological response to the EtCO2 value to effect corresponding movement of the piston in a next inhalation and exhalation phase.
US07959439B2
Described herein are various embodiments of a dental prosthesis implant system and associated apparatus and methods that overcome at least some shortcomings of the prior art. According to one representative embodiment, a connector for an implant retained prosthesis includes a first portion securable to a prosthesis and a second portion securable to an implant embeddable within a bone under a gingival layer. The first portion includes a first engagement element. The second portion includes a second engagement element that defines an internal cavity. The first engagement element is positionable within the internal cavity. When the second portion is secured to the implant and the first engagement element is positioned within the internal cavity, at least a portion of the internal cavity and first engagement element is within the gingival layer. In one implementation, the first portion is coupleable to the second portion via a snap-fit connection.
US07959437B2
An improved orthodontic appliance is disclosed having information encoded or formed in the base of the appliance, wherein the encoded information increases the total base surface area by an amount that is effective for increasing the adhesion of the appliance to a patient's tooth. In one embodiment, the total base surface area may increase to 140% of what such surface would be without the encoded information. The encoded information may identify: a manufacturer or supplier of the appliance, a part/model number, a location and/or date of manufacturer, a composition of material, a patent number, a logo, etc.
US07959427B2
Retroreflective articles having cube corner elements are disclosed, with the dihedral angle errors of the cube corner elements selected to limit the visibility range of the retroreflective article. Also disclosed are methods for making the cube corner elements and the retroreflective articles.
US07959422B2
An oil pump including a first housing having a rotation shaft insertion hole, a cam ring, a pump element, a rotation shaft rotatably extending through the rotation shaft insertion hole, a second housing disposed on the cam ring, wherein the cam ring is placed in a position relative to the rotation shaft insertion hole of the first housing by using a jig, and the cam ring includes a clamped portion that is clamped by a cam ring holding device, while the first housing and the second housing are fixed to each other after placing the cam ring in the position relative to the rotation shaft insertion hole by using the jig. Alternatively, the oil pump including a fixing means for fixing the cam ring to the pump body instead of the clamped portion.
US07959420B1
An unloader system for a reciprocating gas compressor includes an unloader valve assembly which may be installed as the suction valve assembly or the discharge valve assembly of the compressor. The valve assembly includes a valve seat having one or more seat passages formed therethrough and a valve guard having a number of valve members movably mounted thereon equal to the number of seat passages. One of the valve guard and valve seat is rotatable relative to the other. The rotatable member is driven by a constant torque motor or other power source which stalls when a retarding force caused by pressure differentials across the valve members overcomes the torque supplied. Once pressures across the valve members equalize, the rotatable member can resume rotation. A method of unloading a compressor using the unloader system includes selecting a rotational speed for the rotating member to allow backflow.
US07959415B2
A reciprocating compressor or pump features a manifold arranged not only to define a hollow interior for receiving fluid discharged from a plurality of cylinders but also to define a base or frame on which the cylinders are carried. Unique valves formed in part by flexible material reduces the likelihood of fatigue and increases efficiency by retaining less heat relative to conventional reed valves. A compressor or pump mounted at an end of a handle extending parallel to a motor housing likewise extending from the compressor or pump provides an easy to carry portable assembly. A fan mounted between a motor and a compressor pulls air through the compressor inlet to both cool the motor and feed the compressor. A portable tool system powers both pneumatic and electric tools. Connecting rod structures for radial compressors or pumps provide improved strength and easier assembly.
US07959405B2
The fan duct of a ducted fan gas turbine engine has a fan case (20) lined with a honeycomb structure (22) that acts to absorb the energy of a separated part of a blade (16). A layer of composite material (24) lining honeycomb structure (22) delaminates/breaks when a separated blade part passes through a further, inner honeycomb liner (26) and hits it.The resulting free end of composite liner (24) wraps round the striking end of the blade part, thus blunting the cutting action of the blade part and spreading the generated forces to the extent that the blade part is de-energised sufficiently to prevent it penetrating the fan case (20).
US07959402B2
A tray holding apparatus includes a holding section, a separation section, a lifting/lowering section, and a control section. The holding section holds a stack of trays. The separation section separates the lowermost tray from the stack. The lifting/lowering section moves upward or downward between a predetermined place below the stack and this stack, thereby undergoing a first movement in which the separated tray is moved to the predetermined position and a second movement in which the tray in the predetermined place is moved to the stack. The control section controls the operations of the separation section and the lifting/lowering section.
US07959399B2
In a robotic assembly, a body adapted for mounting on an arm is provided. A connection is adapted to couple the body and an end effector to allow deflection of the end effector with respect to the body between an open position and a closed position. A conduit allows fluid flow between the body and the end effector. A seal is adapted to engage the conduit to provide a fluid seal when the end effector is in the closed position and allow fluid flow when the end effector is in the open position. Further, end effector deflection can be detected based on the fluid flow and utilized to regulate movement of the robotic assembly.
US07959398B2
An apparatus for rotary dumping of rail cars, including a backside airflow diverter, a backside hood for removing contaminated air from the back side of the pit and at least two baffles on a rotational frame, the baffles each presenting a leading edge that contacts the backside airflow diverter during at least a portion of rotational motion. At least one air intake is positioned to pass through the upper surface of the backside diverter into the backside hood at a location where pressure in the backside hood is maintained at a substantially neutral or negative level even when pressure in the material receiving pit is increased by a down rush of air caused by the exit of the load from the railcar.
US07959395B2
Substrate processing apparatus having a transport chamber, a linear array of substrate holding modules alongside the transport chamber, and a substrate transport located in the chamber. The chamber can hold an isolated atmosphere, and defines more than one substantially linear transport paths extending longitudinally along the transport chamber. The transport in the chamber is capable of transporting the substrate along the linear transport paths. The transport has a transporter capable of holding and moving the substrate. The transporter interfaces a wall of the transport chamber for moving along at least one of linear paths. The transport chamber has interfaces for mating with other substrate holding modules at opposite ends of the transport chamber. Each interface has an opening through which at least one of the more than one linear transport paths extends, and the transport chamber has a selectably variable longitudinal length between the interfaces.
US07959393B2
A screw for the creation of a metric thread in a female element, includes a load-bearing (metric) thread portion and a forming thread portion which is tapered to the tip of the screw. The flights of the tapered thread portion are sharp-edged and fully formed.
US07959387B2
A tool holder includes a shank including a tool holder portion and a central bore for accommodating a cutting tool, and a first shrink fit sleeve disposed about the tool holder portion of the shank. An application of heat to the tool holder causes the tool holder portion and the first shrink fit sleeve to expand outwardly, and the removal of heat will cause the tool holder portion and the first shrink fit sleeve to contract inwardly to rigidly maintain the cutting tool within the tool holder by shrink fit. The tool holder may also include a second shrink fit sleeve disposed about the first shrink fit sleeve to provide increased torque capability.
US07959384B2
In an embodiment, the invention provides a tool for chip removing machining, including a replaceable cutting insert and a basic body. The basic body includes a rear fixing part, a front supporting part having an insert seat, and a tightening part spaced apart from the front supporting part by a first gap and from the rear fixing part by a second gap. The tightening part is connected to the basic body via a joint around which the tightening part is pivoted to press the cutting insert against the insert seat by a front finger. The rear fixing part includes a first channel having an inlet and an outlet for feed of a fluid toward the cutting insert. The tightening part includes an internal, second channel that extends between an inlet and an outlet. A hollow coupling member extends between the tightening part and one of the rear fixing part and the front supporting part while bridging the respective gap to establish a fluid communication path between the outlet of the first channel and the inlet of the second channel.
US07959372B2
A gutter curb for paved roadways is constructed of an assembled series of elongated sections of gutter curbs connected together end to end, which are assembled along at least one side of a road bed. The gutter curb sections are molded from rubber from recycled tires and are held to the adjacent roadway pavement by tie rods passing through opposite sides gutter curb sections and projecting into the pavement itself to be securely held thereto.
US07959365B2
A blade drive device according to a first embodiment includes: a board including an opening and a slide slot; a blade for adjusting an opening amount of the opening; and a transmitting member for transmitting a drive force from an electromagnetic actuator to the blade through the slide slot. The transmitting member includes: an arm member revolving; and an engagement member sliding in contact with an inner surface of the slide slot in conjunction with a revolving of the arm member, and being brought into pressure contact with the inner surface of the slide slot by an external impact.
US07959361B2
A fiber optic connector and a fiber optic adapter are disclosed that are manually connectable and disconnectable with each other by a slideable latching means. The fiber optic connector includes an end defining a plug portion. The plug portion holds a ferrule and also directly engages a port on the fiber optic adapter. The plug portion includes a protrusion which also forms a latch catch. The port of the fiber optic adapter includes a flexible retention latch within a slot. The slot engages the protrusion and thus rotationally aligns the fiber optic connector and adapter. The flexible retention latch snaps into and out of the latch catch when the plug portion of the fiber optic connector is slid into and out of the port of the fiber optic adapter thus providing the slideable latching means. Angled retaining surfaces are provided on the retention latch and the latch catch that engage each other. Angles defining the angled retaining surfaces are chosen to provide desired holding and release characteristics. A sealing means and a threaded connection means are also provided between the fiber optic adapter and connector.
US07959354B2
A dental x-ray image media holder (10) includes an image media backing plate (11) adjustably affixed to a bite block (12). The backing plate (11) has at least one channel (31-33) for receiving a post (21) affixed to the bite block (12), such that the bite block (12) can be selectively moved within the channel (31-33) to orient the bite block (12) in a predetermined position relative to the backing plate (11).
US07959351B1
The hand worn watch apparatus provides a wrist band, an index band, and a thumb band for securing the pliable material to the delta area of a wearer's hand. Not only is the delta area a more comfortable and logical location, the area is larger than a typical wrist, whereby the apparatus can feature far more functions and electronics than a typical wristwatch. Further, a wearer does not have to practice elbow abduction and forearm pronation to read the display, use the controls or tell time. The apparatus is especially useful for those in sports as well as those driving a car. A user need not pronate the hand when engaged in sports and driving. And, a wearer's gold swing is not hindered by the apparatus. The apparatus is further designed to be noticed in making a fashion statement.
US07959346B2
A beverage mixing vessel or drink shaker has internal features effective for breaking up ice as the beverage mixing vessel or drink shaker is shaken. One or more protrusions disposed near the bottom of a container have apexes aligned in the direction of shaking motion. The impact of ice cubes upon the apexes of the protrusions facilitates breaking the ice cubes into smaller pieces, thereby having the effect of cooling a mixed beverage more quickly.
US07959334B2
An assembly for fixing and connecting a polygonal LED light bar lamp includes a fixing seat, a covering plug, and an electrical connector. The fixing seat has a bottom with both edges thereof extending to form two bevels and parallel plates. The bottom and bevels have a penetrating hole, respectively. The covering plug has a cover having an insertion hole. Two electrode pins are disposed in the interior of the insertion hole. The electrical connector has a partitioning block. Both sides of the partitioning block have a protruding pillar, respectively. The protruding pillar is provided with a hollow pillar having electrodes for contacting with electrode pins. With the fixing seat being fixed on a carrier, the light bar can be held in the fixing seat with adjustable irradiating direction. Further, two light bars can be connected in series by the electrical connector.
US07959333B2
An enclosure is provided for housing pixels of a graphical display. The enclosure provides one or more laminar structures at a first surface of the enclosure. The laminar structure may be made up of a first material of a predetermined thickness at the first surface and a second material in sufficiently close proximity with the first material to allow heat conduction. The second material preferably has a thermal conductivity greater than the thermal conductivity of the first material. Thermal conductors are provided in or attached to the second material in the laminar structure to conduct heat to a second surface of the enclosure. The first material may be, for example, a polymer. The second material may be, for example, a heat wick, a metal mesh or heat pipes. The second surface may be cooled by an air stream, which may also reduce humidity at the surface.
US07959324B2
A substrate structure includes a substrate, a plurality of point light sources, a first wall and a plurality of convex members. The point light sources are disposed on the substrate. The first wall is on a long side of the substrate and substantially perpendicular to the substrate. The convex members extend from the first wall along a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the substrate. The convex members keep away the point light sources from optical sheets when installing the substrate structure into a frame. Moreover, a side-entrance lighting structure is disclosed.
US07959315B2
A simple, low-cost wearable ornament system is disclosed that allows the user to easily interchange ornaments and may be used on wearable items such as garments, footwear, belts, hats, helmets, purses, backpacks, tote bags, scarves and other items. The system generally comprises a reinforced opening, grommet or eyelet in the garment, headwear or other item, an extended base, a screw cap, bottom housing and a decorative item or ornament member. A user desiring to change the design on the ornament system can easily interchange an existing ornament member with a new ornament member without damaging the wearable item and, if desired, without having to remove the garment or other wearable item.
US07959313B2
A refrigerator which has a main body cabinet forming at least one storage chamber therein, the refrigerator includes: an illuminator provided in the storage chamber and illuminating an inside of the storage chamber; an input unit provided to set at least one of a color, a hue saturation and a brightness of the illuminator; and a controller storing a setting value set through the input unit and controlling the illuminator according to the setting value.
US07959312B2
A white light emitting device including: a blue light emitting diode chip having a dominant wavelength of 443 to 455 nm; a red phosphor disposed around the blue light emitting diode chip, the red phosphor excited by the blue light emitting diode chip to emit red light; and a green phosphor disposed around the blue light emitting diode chip, the green phosphor excited by the blue light emitting diode chip to emit green light, wherein the red light emitted from the red phosphor has a color coordinate falling within a space defined by four coordinate points (0.5448, 0.4544), (0.7079, 0.2920), (0.6427, 0.2905) and (0.4794, 0.4633) based on the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram, and the green light emitted from the green phosphor has a color coordinate falling within a space defined by four coordinate points (0.1270, 0.8037), (0.4117, 0.5861), (0.4197, 0.5316) and (0.2555, 0.5030) based on the CIE 1931 color chromaticity diagram.
US07959308B2
A guiding-substrate display may include an angle-mapped display engine to generate a modulated photonic output having angle-mapped rays responsive to an electrical signal without the use of an ocular lens. An input optical element receives the modulated photonic output of the angle-mapped display engine and cooperates with the angle-mapped display engine to launch modulated photonic output having selected polarization. An image relay slab receives the modulated photonic output from the input optical element and guides the modulated photonic output from a proximal to a distal location. An output optical element to receives the modulated photonic output from the image relay slab and launches the modulated photonic output having angle-mapped rays toward a viewing region.
US07959300B2
A projection image display device including a display plane for displaying an image, a projection mechanism projecting an image on the display plane, and an imaging mechanism arranged on the same side of the display plane as the projection mechanism for imaging the display plane. The imaging mechanism is arranged at a position where a position symmetric with respect to the display plane of the projection mechanism is out of the range of the field angle of the imaging mechanism. By arranging the imaging mechanism at a position where no direct reflecting light of the light source of the projection mechanism comes, it is possible to prevent generation of a hot spot.
US07959298B2
A projection type display apparatus includes: a rotary color filter 8 having color filters 8R, 8G and 8B that transmit particular colors of light of white light emitted from a light-emitting surface 6; a spatial light modulator 11 that is disposed so as to be in substantially a conjugate relationship with the light-emitting surface, and modulates incident light from the rotary color filter, so as to display an image; and a control device 20 that controls rotation of the rotary color filter so as to be in synchronization with the image display by the spatial light modulator. With respect to partial display regions 14, 15, 16, . . . of the spatial light modulator that correspond respectively to partial light-emitting regions 6a, 6b, 6c, . . . defined by dividing the light-emitting surface, the control device switches each of the partial display regions 14, 15, 16, . . . between a normal image display state and an OFF state for cutting off light, in synchronization with passing of boundary lines 51, 52 and 53 between each pair of adjacent ones of the color filters of the rotary color filter over each of the partial light-emitting regions 6a, 6b, 6c, . . . . Thus, the efficiency of using illumination light by the spatial light modulator is improved, and it is possible to achieve an increased color luminance of a projected image, while sufficiently maintaining an effect of preventing color mixing from being caused by adjoining color filters.
US07959297B2
A digital image projector includes a light assembly configured to project light along a light path from at least one laser array light source, the projected light having an overlapping far field illumination in a far field illumination portion of the light path; a temporally varying optical phase shifting device configured to be in the light path; an optical integrator configured to be in the light path; a spatial light modulator located downstream of the temporally varying optical phase shifting device and the optical integrator in the light path, the spatial light modulator configured to be located in the far field illumination portion of the light path; and projection optics located downstream of the spatial light modulator in the light path, the projection optics configured to direct substantially speckle free light from the spatial light modulator toward a display surface.
US07959277B2
An air filter is configured for incorporation in a solid ink umbilical interface to a printhead. The air filter includes a housing having a first component and a second component that mate to one another to form the housing with an internal cavity, the housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, an air filter media positioned within the housing to divide the internal cavity; and at least one retention tab extending from the housing to engage an ink umbilical connector housing at a position that locates the air outlet of the air filter proximate an ink nozzle array extending from the ink umbilical connector.
US07959274B2
A cartridge unit for an inkjet printer includes a printhead having an array of ink ejection nozzles; a plurality of ink storage compartment, each ink storage compartment having a variable storage volume and a displaceable wall section biased to expand the variable storage volume to generate a sustained negative pressure; an ink feed system for connecting the ink storage compartment to the printhead, the ink feed system including a plurality of channels extending parallel to a length of the printhead, each channel corresponding respectively to an ink storage compartment; and a printhead maintenance assembly, the printhead maintenance assembly having a capper spring biased against the array of ink ejection nozzles for covering the array of ink ejection nozzles. The printhead maintenance assembly includes a catch element engaged with an actuator, the catch element being movable by the actuator in a direction to counteract the biasing of the capper against the array of ink ejection nozzles. Each channel has defined along a bottom thereof a series of holes.
US07959264B2
Embodiments include forming internal or external extended surface elements on a print-head substrate, at least in part, using a light beam.
US07959259B2
In a configuration in which a printhead including a plurality of first printing elements for discharging ink droplets and a plurality of second printing elements for discharging ink droplets larger than ink droplets discharged by the first printing elements is used, the first and second plurality of printing elements are divided into multiple blocks in such a manner that the first printing elements belong to one block and the second printing elements belong to another block. The blocks are individually driven in a time-divisional manner. In the time-divisional driving, the block consisting of the plurality of first printing elements is driven first and then the block consisting of the second printing elements is driven.
US07959246B2
A printing apparatus prints on a printing medium by using a printhead which has a first nozzle array including a plurality of nozzles from which a first nozzle amount of the ink is discharged and a second nozzle array including a plurality of nozzles from which a second nozzle amount of the ink is discharged. This printing apparatus time-divisionally drives a plurality of blocks obtained by dividing each of the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array. The printing apparatus selects, from the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array, a block to be driven by the driving unit within a predetermined period. This printing apparatus controls the selection unit to alternately select a block from the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array and sequentially select a block from each nozzle array in a predetermined order.
US07959241B2
A pullout storage structure for a bathroom cabinet, such as a vanity or medicine cabinet, has a hinge linkage for moving a storage unit between an opened and a closed position such that the storage unit travels an arcuate path and maintains its orientation. Smooth and easy movement of the pullout storage structure is facilitated by an over-center assist member. The assist member tends to close, and keep closed, as well as open, and keep open, the pullout structure.
US07959240B2
A wall mounted cabinet includes a plurality of removable supports configurable for holding a variety of objects, including an electrical appliance, one or more shelves and cups. The cabinet also includes one or more apertures for electrical outlets for supplying electrical power to the appliance. An electrical cord management device is provided for controllably extending and retracting the cord to facilitate use of the appliance and storage of the cord.
US07959237B2
The invention relates to a braking device for a motor vehicle fitted with an air conditioning circuit (K), this braking device comprising a source of fluid (F1) at a relatively high pressure, a source of fluid (F2) at a relatively low pressure, and a pneumatic brake booster (F3) selectively connected to one or other of the sources of fluid (F1, F2).According to the invention, the source of fluid (F1) at a relatively high pressure comprises a portion (KC1) of the air conditioning circuit (K) that is placed downstream of the air conditioning compressor (K1) and upstream of the air conditioning expansion valve (K2), in one direction of flow (X) of the cooling fluid in the air conditioning circuit (K).
US07959234B2
A rotatable cutting tool that is useful for impingement upon a substrate and is adapted to be rotatably retained within the bore of a holder. The rotatable cutting tool includes an elongate cutting tool body, which has an axial forward end and an axial rearward end, as well as a socket at the axial forward end thereof. The rotatable cutting tool also includes a hard cutting member that is affixed to the cutting tool body within the socket. The hard cutting member has an axial forward end and an axial rearward end. The hard cutting member has a superhard axial forward portion at the axial forward end thereof wherein the superhard axial forward portion has a maximum transverse dimension. The hard cutting member further has a hard axial rearward portion contiguous with and axial rearward of the superhard axial forward portion. The hard axial rearward portion has a maximum transverse dimension. The ratio of the maximum transverse dimension of the superhard axial forward portion to the maximum transverse dimension of the hard axial rearward portion ranges between about 0.35 and about 0.45.
US07959232B2
A seat frame structure includes a seat cushion frame, a seat back frame, and a connecting bracket connecting the seat cushion frame to the seat back frame. The seat cushion frame includes a first beam portion having an internal space in at least one of a left/right side edge portion. The seat back frame includes a second beam portion having an internal space in at least one of a left/right side edge portion. The connecting bracket includes a first arm portion inserted into the internal space of the first beam portion and connected to the first beam portion and a second arm portion inserted into the internal space of the second beam portion and connected to the second beam portion.
US07959231B2
A dual plane armrest includes upper and lower forearm supports that overlap to permit respective use by neighbors. The upper support may be cut-away at the rear to accommodate the elbow of the user of the lower support. The upper forearm support is disposed above the lower forearm support partially or completely. The dual plane armrest provides increased lateral space for neighbors without increasing lateral seat pitch.
US07959226B2
A vehicle seat may include a monitor device that is movably disposed in a back board of a seat back, and a drive mechanism coupled to the base portion of the monitor device. The monitor device includes a base portion and a monitor portion. The drive mechanism is arranged and constructed to move the monitor portion through a slot formed in the back board between a retracted position in which the monitor portion is positioned in an interior of the back board and a use position in which the monitor portion is positioned in an exterior of the back board while a display surface of the monitor portion is maintained in substantially parallel to the back board. The monitor portion is connected to the base portion so as to be rotatable about an axis that is perpendicular to a moving direction of the monitor portion.
US07959224B2
A system comprising a seat having upper and lower members, a restraint, and a connector assembly having first and second members connected with the restraint and the seat. The first member has a top and a bottom, with the top being connected to the restraint and being pivotally connected to the upper member at an upper pivot point. The second member has a top and a bottom, with the top being pivotally connected to the bottom of the first member at a middle pivot point, and the bottom being pivotally connected to the lower member at a lower pivot point. The upper and lower pivot points are fixed relative to the seat. The first member pivots about the upper pivot point and the second member pivots about the lower pivot point. Aft movement of the middle pivot point results in fore movement of the restraint.
US07959217B2
The attachment of a modified upper rear door hinge patch to the outside surface of a center pillar stiffener creates an energy absorbing cavity that: 1) reduces the chances that the center pillar stiffener will buckle or kink in a side impact collision, and 2) improves door mounting accuracy apart from the center pillar stiffener, and 3) improves the formability of the steel used in the manufacture of center pillar stiffeners.
US07959203B2
A vehicle tailgate enclosure can be adapted for rapid assembly and adjustable width. The enclosure includes two side sections and a center section. The center section is formed as an assembly of two portions. The side sections can each comprise beams which are advanced into recesses of the center section and retained. The width of the tailgate enclosure can be adjusted by the depth of advancement of the beams into the recesses of the center section. The center section can be constructed of a plastic material while the side sections can be metallic, thus leading to cost and weight savings. The tailgate enclosure can be easily and rapidly assembled by hand using a single tool.
US07959195B2
A lock arrangement comprises a first jaw component (28) pivotally moveable about a pivot axis (12), a second jaw component (30) releasably securable to the first jaw component (28) to form a pivotable jaw assembly (10), and an actuator arrangement operable to drive the jaw assembly from a locked position to a released position.
US07959193B2
Apparatus for knotting at least one string of material has a fixed knotter plate, a primary knotter plate, a secondary knotter plate, means to apply tension to the string, and means for threading the string through the knotter plates.
US07959189B2
A tube interface (53) includes a first tube (28) and a second tube (34). The first tube (28) has an oblong opening (54) exhibiting a first major dimension (58), and the second tube (34) has an oblong end (52) exhibiting a second major dimension (72). The oblong end (52) of the second tube (34) is inserted into the oblong opening (54) so that the second major dimension (72) is aligned with the first major dimension (58). The second tube (34) is turned in the oblong opening (54) to move the second major dimension (72) out of alignment with the first major dimension (58) of the oblong opening (54) to secure the second tube (34) to the first tube (28) prior to brazing.
US07959183B2
An airbag cover (1) for automotive vehicles incorporating at least one decorative element (3) as an integral part of the cover but having an appearance different to the rest of the cover and a contour delimited by two U-shaped grooves (15, 17) and having a break line (6), made up of a weakened area predetermining the line along which the break will occur during airbag bag deployment, which goes through the decorative element (3).
US07959178B2
The invention relates, inter alia, to a connector bracket for a semitrailer of a semitrailer truck. Said connector bracket comprises a support element which can be swiveled about a bearing and a connector arranged inside the support element, the support element having a casing frame with a section that is complementary to an insertion opening of a fifth wheel. The aim of the invention is to provide a connector bracket or a plug-in coupling which is highly reliable even under adverse external conditions. This aim is achieved, inter alia, by the connector bracket according to the invention, wherein the casing frame can be displaced in relation to the connector by contact with the insertion opening, thereby displacing the connector from a closed standby position to an open coupling position.
US07959160B2
The present invention provides a metal gasket to be fitted between a cylinder head and a cylinder block to seal a gap between the surfaces thereof, which comprises: a thin metal plate with an opening formed at a position corresponding to a bore portion of the cylinder block, the opening having a diameter larger than that of the bore portion; and a pair of elastic metal substrates each having: an opening which substantially agrees with the bore portion of the cylinder block; an annular convex portion formed concentrically with the opening at a position apart from an edge portion of the opening by a specified distance; and an annular holding portion for holding a peripheral portion of the opening of the thin metal plate, horizontally extending out from an outer edge portion of the convex portion, wherein the pair of the elastic metal substrates are disposed so that top portions of the respective convex portions face each other and that the holding portions overlap with the thin metal plate, and engaged to the thin metal plate at a plurality of positions.
US07959147B2
A sheet feeding apparatus includes a switchable transmission mechanism disposed between a pickup roller and a driving source, and switches the driving source between a first state for rotating in the forward direction to rotate the pickup roller, and a second state for not rotating the pickup roller, the forward direction is opposite to a direction in which the driving source is rotated to rotate a feeder roller in a sheet feed direction. The sheet feeding apparatus also includes a control portion rotating the driving source in the forward direction to rotate the pickup roller in a sheet supply direction, and switches the switchable transmission mechanism between the first state, when a sheet is supplied from a sheet holding portion, and the second state, when the sheet is fed by the feeder roller.
US07959145B2
A method for loading a folded sheet bundle provided from a sheet bundle provider with a folded edge of the folded sheet bundle in the lead, including: supporting an undersurface of the folded sheet bundle so that the folded edge is lower than a trailing edge of the folded sheet bundle by a hill, the hill including a slope between a folded edge support and the sheet bundle provider, the hill further including a valley wall declined steeper than the slope from the higher side to the lower side between the slope and the folded edge support; supporting the folded edge of the folded sheet bundle by the folded edge support; and moving the folded edge support without rotation in a direction declined from a higher side near the sheet bundle provider to a lower side farther from the sheet bundle provider than the higher side.
US07959144B2
The invention relates to a processing device for processing printed products, in particular for collecting individual printed sheets for manufacturing an assembled printed product. The device includes a drum rotatable about a rotation axis and at least two feed stations arranged distanced from one another in the direction of the rotation axis, for feeding printed products, and at least one lead-away station for leading away processed printed products. The drum includes several guides, in particular saddle-like rests or conveyor compartments which are arranged in succession in the peripheral direction of the drum and are movable along a closed revolving path, as well as advance elements controlled by a control unit, for displacing the printed products in the direction of the rotation axis. For increasing the flexibility, the device is composed of modules.
US07959141B2
The present invention reduces the footprint of a stage apparatus to achieve a more compact apparatus. Using a Y-axis shaft having a magnet on the inside and a Y-axis mover constituted by a coil that surrounds the Y-axis shaft as a Y-axis drive part for moving a Y-axis movable body makes the drive part smaller than a linear motor. Consequently, a lateral part that faces a side gliding surface is arranged downwardly of the one Y-axis mover, to thereby eliminate the footprint occupied by the lateral part when lined up side-by-side with the Y-axis drive part.
US07959135B2
The present invention provides a shock absorbing device comprising: a hollow spring including a chamber having a proximal end, a distal end, and a bellows comprised of a springy material connecting the proximal end to the distal end and enclosing the chamber; a shock absorber extending through the hollow spring, the shock absorber including a cylinder and a piston which slidably engages the cylinder, the cylinder extending through and being attached to the hollow spring proximal end, the piston extending through and slidably engaging the hollow spring distal and the piston including contacting device located distally of the hollow spring distal end for urging the hollow spring distal end proximally when the contacting device is forced against the hollow spring distal end and for urging the piston distally when the hollow spring distal end is forced against the contacting device. The present invention also provides mounts for a shock absorbing device and a shock absorbing system employing the shock absorbing device of the present invention.
US07959134B2
A contact body for an evaporation humidifier or material exchanger, is formed of corrugated material layers. The novel contact body has material layers which are a thermoplastic plastic and are interconnected by welding and/or bonding and or a positive fit. The corrugation axes at two longitudinal edges of each material layer form a corrugation axis section that runs approximately in an orthogonal direction in relation to the respective longitudinal edge and the axes between the corrugation axis sections have oblique regions that run in at least two different directions with at least one change of direction in between, in such a way that in each material layer the corrugation axes change direction at least three times. The corrugation axes in a first oblique area lie at an angle α1 to the neighboring longitudinal edge and in a second oblique area lie at an angle α2 to the other longitudinal edge. The angles α1 and α2 are between 30° and 60°. The maximum height of the corrugated material layers is 12 mm.
US07959121B1
An adjustable cup holder incorporates an elongated clamp assembly and cup support assembly. The clamp assembly has a proximal end and a distal clamping end. The cup support assembly is connected at the proximal end of the clamp assembly, and comprises a body portion and a pair of arcuate cup-encircling arms having respective spaced-apart free ends. A pivot pin enables pivot adjustment of the cup support assembly at the proximal end of the clamp assembly, such that the cup support assembly is movable between a desired in-use position depending from the clamp assembly, and a folded stowed position beside the clamp assembly. In the stowed position, the clamp assembly passes between the spaced-apart free ends of the cup-encircling arms and into an area defined between the cup-encircling arms.
US07959113B2
A network cable bundling tool is disclosed, comprising an inner fitting retained within an outer jacket assembly. The outer jacket assembly comprises a first outer jacket half coupled to a substantially identical second outer jacket half, securing the inner fitting therein. The outer jacket assembly comprises a cylindrical housing, an intake orifice defined within the intake housing, and a plurality of funneling projections coupled to the cylindrical housing wherein the plurality of funneling projections form an array assuming the general shape of a truncated faceted cone. In operation, network cable wires are inserted into the inner fitting, and the inner fitting is then secured within the outer jacket assembly. The network cable bundling tool is then displaced in the desired direction of combing, arranging the network cables into an organized and space-efficient shape.
US07959111B1
The present invention is directed to an AOA (angle of attack) vertical control function for an AFCS (automated flight control system) for an aircraft. The AOA vertical control function of the AFCS causes the aircraft to climb or descend while maintaining the aircraft at a constant AOA. The AFCS may maintain the constant AOA despite changing air data parameters by increasing or decreasing the thrust of the aircraft, the pitch angle of the aircraft, or the angle of incidence of the aircraft wing. By utilizing AOA, an aircraft can be safely directed to automatically climb or descend to any altitude the aircraft is capable of reaching without the risk of stall (unlike Vertical Speed Mode) or the irritation of the FLCH (Flight Level Change) Mode erratic climb.
US07959103B2
A film supply apparatus supplying film in a foam-in-bag system having a film feeding device for feeding film from a film source to a location for bag formation, a bag forming apparatus, a foam material dispenser positioned for feeding foam material for reception in a bag of the bag forming apparatus, and a web tensioning system with a web tensioning driver in driving communication with the film source and which is in communication with a controller for monitoring the film feed and web tension states and directing adjustments in the web tension system. The web tensioning driver is arranged to move film backwards or in a direction opposite to a direction of film feed induced by the film feeding means and with the film source including a roll of film and the web tensioning system including a drive transmission in communication with the roll of film for rotational driving of the roll of film and also in communication with web tensioning driver. There is further featured a spindle support for supporting the roll of film and a roll film core drive insert.
US07959093B2
A nozzle is provided for use during a process for cold-dynamic gas spraying a powder material onto a bore surface. In one embodiment, and by way of example only, the nozzle includes a tube and a coating. The tube is configured to direct the powder material to the bore surface and has an inner surface, an axial section, a radial section, and a bend. At least a portion of the inner surface of the axial section defines a converging/diverging flowpath, and the axial section and the radial section are disposed at a predetermined angle relative to one another and include the bend disposed therebetween. The coating is disposed on at least a portion of the tube inner surface and comprises a material to which the powder material does not adhere.
US07959091B2
A mobile foam producing unit (10) includes a first hose and hose assembly (110) and a second hose assembly (120). Water is provided to the mobile foam producing unit (10) by a supply hose (100). A foam gun (140) provides for the dispensing of a foam. A sanitizer gun (160) provides for a sanitizing solution being dispensed with water as well as, in another mode, a rinse mode wherein only water is dispensed.
US07959079B2
A system for recording a transaction of a packaged item. The system includes the item having a product contained in a package and an optically imaging pen. The package has a printed interface surface containing information relating to the item and coded data indicative of an identity of the item and of coordinates of a plurality of locations on the interface surface. The pen has a marking nib for marking the interface surface; an image sensor for optically imaging the coded data when said marking nib is used to mark the interface surface; a processor for generating indicating data indicative of the identity of the item and of a position of the sensing device relative to the interface surface; and a transceiver for communicating the indicating data to a computer system so as to initiate recordation of the transaction.
US07959072B1
An automatic banking machine operates responsive to data bearing records. The machine includes a card reader for reading user cards, and at least one of a note acceptor and a cash dispenser. The automated banking machine carries out financial transfers related to user accounts based on information read from cards. The automated banking machine provides a printed receipt for transactions conducted. The machine carries out transactions when operatively connected to a source of power and a transaction network. The machine also carries out functions to control the power status of devices in the machine.
US07959067B2
An automated banking machine (152) includes a plurality of transaction function devices. The transaction function devices include a card reader (170), a keypad (172), a printer (174), a bill dispenser (176), a coin dispenser (178), a code reading device (180), a display (182), a cash acceptor (184), a check acceptor (186) and a biometric reader (188). The banking machine operates responsive to indica read from user cards. The banking machine operates responsive to instructions executed by at least one processor (190) in the machine. The banking machine is operative responsive to reading gaming tickets or other items through operation of the code reading device, and/or a biometric feature reading device, to dispense cash or provide other value to users. The banking machine is also operative to cause value to be transferred by users for the purchase of gaming items. Other transactions may be conducted, including redeeming or changing forms of value including forms of value that can be used within a gaming establishment (154).
US07959065B2
There is provided a customized gift card and methods for customizing the gift card with buyer-selected downloadable content. A buyer may associate pre-purchased downloadable content with a gift card such that the card is “preloaded” for a recipient. The recipient may then redeem the customized gift card and download or access the pre-purchased content. The customized gift card may also include a buyer-selected image and/or personalized message on the face of the card. Alternatively, the customized gift card may have a generic design. Various methods are provided for producing the cards and selecting the downloadable content, including purchasing the card online and having it delivered; buying a generic card and associating content with it online; and purchasing and preloading the card at a dispenser, or kiosk.
US07959060B2
A carton is formed from an inner blank and an outer blank. The outer blank ply of the carton includes a pivoting, reclosable lid that allows a top end of the carton to be accessed and subsequently closed. A latch feature is included in the carton to allow the lid to be securely closed over the open top of the carton. The inner blank may form a closed and/or sealed liner vessel within the outer blank ply of the carton.
US07959056B2
Method for the metallic joining of profiled rails in the longitudinal direction. Method includes heating rail ends to a joining temperature by pressing together faces of the rails end while simultaneously moving them relative to one another in an oscillating manner with a greatest oscillation amplitude relative to one another perpendicular to the main axis direction Y with the maximum moment of inertia of the cross-sectional surface, aligning the rail ends, and pressing the faces together to join the rails together.
US07959046B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for supporting a firearm from a user. An apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention includes a sling capable of supporting a firearm from a portion of a user's body. The sling can include a strap capable of being supported by a portion of a user's body. The sling can also include a first connector mounted to a first portion of the strap, the first connector capable of mounting to a firearm connector. Furthermore, the sling can include a second connector mounted to a second portion of the strap, the second connector capable of mounting to a third connector, and further capable of mounting to a second firearm connector. Moreover, the sling can include a third connector mounted to a third portion of the strap, the third connector capable of mounting to the second connector, whereby the mounting of the second connector to the third connector creates a loop in the strap. In one aspect of the invention, the sling can include a fourth connector mounted to a fourth portion of the strap, wherein the fourth connector is capable of mounting to the second firearm connector.
US07959043B2
A tea kettle with a spout and a handle extends from a body, wherein the handle and spout are offset from one another such that when the body is tilted during pouring of a hot liquid contained therein, hot vapor from the liquid substantially is diverted away from the handle.
US07959037B2
A piston pump having a piston forming element carrying at an inner end a removable member which becomes secured in a piston chamber forming member and detached from the piston forming element within the piston chamber forming member.
US07959036B2
An elastomeric dispensing container for a fluid includes an elastomeric receptacle defining a chamber therein and having an integrally formed gasket extending radially from an opening formed on a lower end and a receptacle neck providing communications between the chamber and the opening, a relatively rigid sleeve disposed concentrically about the receptacle neck having a sleeve neck with a lower face adjacent to the integral gasket, a cap having a lid covering the receptacle opening and the integral gasket with a dispensing orifice formed therein and a cap neck extending from the lid disposed concentrically about the sleeve neck, and engaging means formed on the sleeve neck and the cap neck providing removable attachment therebetween wherein the engaging means secures the integral gasket in a compressed and substantially fluid-tight state between the lid and the sleeve lower face.
US07959022B2
A container, such as a flask or a flexible tube, provided with a cap, the container including a side wall and a plastic head with a neck and a shoulder linking the neck to the side wall. The cap is provided with a circular cylindrical skirt on its inner surface with one or more first screwing means. The wall of the neck is substantially shaped like a prism where the cross-section is globally a polygon having a symmetry of order n about an axis A substantially parallel to the generatrix of the prism, n being an integer strictly greater than 1, and the neck is provided on its outer surface with n second screwing means, uniformly distributed about the axis A. The assembly of n second screwing means of the neck co-operates with the first screwing means of the cap.
US07959021B2
An air inlet is mounted in a baby bottle and has a valve and an air-inlet tube. The valve has a body, an outer ring and an inner ring. The body has a chamber, multiple separating blocks and multiple liquid channels. The separating blocks are formed on the body and each has a vent. The liquid channels are formed through the body between the separating blocks and communicate with the chamber. The outer ring is formed around the chamber to separate the chamber and the vents. The inner ring is formed on an inner end of the body around the vents and has multiple air inlets. The air-inlet tube is mounted detachably on the inner ring of the valve. Therefore, liquid flows through the liquid channels and the chamber, but air flows through the air inlets and the vents to the air-inlet tube to ensure smooth operation.
US07959020B2
The present disclosure relates to a wire rack for mounting an iron on a wall and method of use thereof, and more specifically, to a wire rack for mounting an iron on a wall, the wire rack having a retractable rail for adjusting to different sizes of irons and equipped with an ironing board holder and a product holder. The iron holder holds the iron by the iron's base and can be adjusted to accommodate different sizes of irons. The frame is also made of heat-resistant, coated, welded wire that allows for the manufacture of a light, cost-effective device. The device is also equipped with large hooks to hold most types of ironing boards and arms designed to hold extra products used during ironing.
US07959017B2
A bin system includes a plurality of bins arranged in stacks, wherein each of the bins in a stack includes a first element which interlocks with a second element in a lower bin in a stack of bins. The interlock holds the upper bin in a defined position on the lower bin. The first element includes a projection and the second element includes a lateral recess in a side wall of the bin. The system further includes two cross beams for supporting the stacks of bins, wherein the first element of the lowermost bin of a stack of bins is received between the two cross beams. The first element may comprise at least one additional projection arranged to engage an inner side of the side wall for additional support. The interlock between the first and second elements provides a self stacking function in that the interlock retains the upper bin on the lower bin.
US07959012B2
An apparatus for treating oil-based sludge includes a boiler, a heat exchanger having a circulatory steam path in fluid communication with the boiler and a sludge path receiving sludge, a plurality of serially-aligned mixers in fluid communication with the sludge path of the heat exchanger, a separation tank in fluid communication with the plurality of mixers, and wherein the separation tank includes a tank having a plurality of walls, a hydrocyclone mounted within the tank receiving sludge from the plurality of mixers, wherein the hydrocyclone includes a solids outlet directing a solids component towards a bottom portion of the tank and a fluid outlet directing a fluid component into the tank, a means for conveying separated solids along the bottom portion of the tank to a solids outlet, and a plurality of fluid outlets vertically located along a tank wall, wherein each outlet includes a valve providing selective fluid communication from the tank.
US07958984B2
A friction plate for a wet-type multiplate clutch can include a core plate and friction linings bonded on opposite sides of the core plate, respectively. Each of the friction linings can include plural segment pieces bonded at angular intervals on a corresponding opposite side. The segment pieces can each include at least one first oil groove and at least one second oil groove. The first oil groove opens to a radially-inner side of its corresponding segment piece and has a closed end portion located in a radially-intermediate part of the corresponding segment piece. The second oil groove opens to a radially-outer side of the corresponding segment piece and has a closed end portion located in another radially-intermediate part of the corresponding segment piece. Adjacent ones of the segment pieces are provided, in radially-middle parts of opposing side walls thereof, with angularly-extending recessed portions, respectively.
US07958981B2
A shock absorber interposed in parallel with a suspension spring between a vehicle wheel and a vehicle body of a vehicle comprises a main piston (2) partitioning a cylinder (1) into a first operating chamber (R1) and a second operating chamber (R2), and connected to a piston rod (8). The first operating chamber (R1) and the second operating chamber (R2) are connected by a laminated leaf valve (V1, V2) under a first flow resistance. A passage (4a) connects one of the pressure chambers (R3A, R3B) partitioned by a free piston (5) and the first operating chamber (R1) under a second flow resistance. A passage (4b) connects the other of the pressure chambers (R3A, R3B) and the second operating chamber (R2) under a third flow resistance. The shock absorber displays stable damping force characteristics as a result of a spring (S) supporting the free piston (5) in a predetermined neutral position.
US07958980B2
A conventional solid protection device disposed on an exposed side of a cylinder for actuating a working device had a possibility of being permanently deformed by contacting an obstacle so as to be prevented from sliding properly corresponding to the telescopic movement of the hydraulic cylinder. An object of the invention is to provide a hardly deformable protection device. To protect an exposed side of a cylinder for a working device, a protection device includes a guard member and a slide guide into which guard member is telescopically fitted. Slide guide is attached to a cylinder tube, and a tip of guard member is attached to a tip of piston rod. Guard member is a flat plate made of spring steel. A width of guard member is larger than a diameter of the piston rod. Notches are provided on lateral opposite sides of a basic side end of guard member. Sliders are fitted to respective notches. The top of guard member is bent into a roll-shape so as to serve as a pivotal portion.
US07958968B1
A tree stand blind system for concealing a hunter on a tree stand and protecting the hunter from rain includes a pair of mounting brackets is secured to a tree adjacent a tree stand. Each of the mounting brackets has one of a pair of arms mounted thereto. A vertical orientation of each of the arms is adjustable with respect to the associated one of the mounting brackets. Each of the arms is positioned horizontally and extending outwardly from the tree. A suspension rod is insertable into each of the arms. A pair of blind curtains is suspended from the suspension rod. The blind curtains hang down from the suspension in a semi-circle around the tree stand to conceal the hunter on the tree stand.
US07958964B2
A power steering system for a vehicle includes a steering shaft with its rear end in connection with a steering handle and with its axis inclined forwardly downwards. An electric motor is disposed with its axis orthogonal to a plane containing the axis of the steering shaft. The electric motor applies a steering force to the side of a steering wheel or wheels according to an operational torque exerted on the steering handle. This enables the power steering system to be easily applied to a vehicle in which the portion on the front side relative to the steering handle is short. A steering shaft is rotatably supported on a support case, at least a part of which is disposed on the inner side of the rotational locus of a steering handle in plan view. The rear end of an electric motor mounted to the support case is disposed on the front side relative to the rear end of the steering shaft.
US07958963B2
An assembly support has a supporting element which is connected to the vehicle body and has an upper shell with a connected closing plate, and reinforcing bars are arranged in the region of fastening openings between the upper shell and the closing plate. A bridge support is connected to the supporting element, the bridge support is held with free limb ends in bearing eyes of the supporting element, and a bearing spindle for a transmission bearing being arranged between the bearing eyes.
US07958953B2
A bi-center drilling tool comprises a main reamer region located eccentrically to an axis of rotation of the tool, and a leading cutting structure located ahead of the main reamer region, in the drilling direction. The leading cutting structure is located so as to apply a side loading to the drilling tool. The side loading is in direction to counter the loading which, in use, is due to the main reamer region being eccentric to the axis of rotation.
US07958949B2
A technique for drilling a borehole includes obtaining data from a tool in the borehole for a plurality of positions in the borehole that is being drilled to form acquired data indicative of directional electromagnetic propagation measurements. The technique includes identifying a plurality of distances to a boundary between formations in ground from the plurality of positions in the borehole based on the measurements; identifying a trajectory of the borehole using the plurality of distances; and deciding whether to change the trajectory of the borehole using a change in the plurality of distances between the trajectory and the boundary. The trajectory of the borehole may be changed in both inclination and azimuth.
US07958948B2
A system and method is described for use and return of drilling fluid/cuttings from a well, which is drilled on the ocean floor, in connection with offshore related oil production and gas production, where, from a drilling rig or drilling vessel (10), a drill stem (12) runs down into the bore hole and where a blowout preventer (BOP) is placed on said well, without mounting a riser between the rig or the vessel and said blowout preventer. A sealing and pressure-regulating device (16) is arranged on the blowout preventer (14) arranged to regulate the level of the drilling fluid, and thus the outlet pressure of the drilling fluid in said sealing and pressure-regulating device, and a pump module (18) is set up at a suitable distance adjacent said sealing and pressure-regulating device, where the pump module is arranged to pump said drilling fluid up to the ocean surface via an external return pipe.
US07958945B2
The present invention provides a pneumatic tool enabling sectional adjustment of torsional force, including a main body and a cylinder mounted into the accommodation space of main body. The cylinder is fitted with air vents and also a rotor. A plurality of exhaust holes is arranged at one side of the cylinder tube of the cylinder. An exhaust duct switching member is arranged between the exhaust holes of the cylinder tube and air exhaust duct of the main body and used to switch the airflow for air exhaust by different exhaust holes. The pneumatic tool enables sectional adjustment of its torsional force, thus promoting the torsional force efficiently with better applicability.
US07958940B2
A process is provided to drill through a composite frac plug. The plug is in an oil well. The process utilizes an improved mill. The process also rotates drill pipe at one hundred to five hundred rpm and circulates drilling fluid such that the velocity of the fluid upwardly over the exterior of the drill pipe is in the range of three hundred to four hundred and seventy-five feet per minute. One thousand to three thousand pounds of slack off weight is applied during the process.
US07958930B2
The invention relates to a wall (100) of a casting die for casting a molten metal. Die walls comprising a front plate (110) with a pocket borehole (112) and a rear plate (120) with a transversal borehole (122) aligned with the pocket borehole, on the cold side of the die front plate, are known in prior art. The aim of the invention is prevent the entrance of cooling liquid from the transition region (115), between the front plate (110) and the rear plate (120), into the pocket borehole (112) or the transversal borehole (122). To this end, a sealing element (140) having a longitudinal borehole is arranged in the transition region (115) in such a way that the longitudinal borehole of the sealing element is at least approximately aligned with the transversal borehole (122) in the rear plate of the die and the pocket borehole (112) in the front plate of the die.
US07958925B2
A storage device for use with a garage door having at multiple panels wherein each panel has a given width and height, the panels connected together by hinges and fasteners at predetermined spacing across the panels, wherein the fasteners are generally disposed in vertical alignment at a top part and bottom part of at least one of the panels, and which includes a storage container having a peripheral support structure which is normally maintained adjacent the panel and includes a plurality of eyelets formed on a top part and bottom part thereof which are of a size to receive one of the fasteners therethrough and are spaced along the peripheral support structure in a manner such that when receiving the fasteners said storage device is maintained adjacent the panel generally within the width and height of the panel.
US07958924B2
The invention relates to an apparatus for producing a weld seam on a foil bag with an ultrasonic hammer and an anvil, preferably with a weld side directed towards the ultrasonic hammer, the weld side having a long projection, so that the foil material of the foil bag can be clamped between the projection and the ultrasonic hammer. Preferably, the projection has at least one depression running parallel to the projection. The invention furthermore relates to an apparatus for producing weld seams on foil bags, wherein more than one of the above apparatuses are arranged next to one another and can be activated synchronously. The invention furthermore relates to a method for producing a weld seam on a foil bag, wherein the foil bag is clamped between an ultrasonic hammer and an anvil, wherein the anvil has a long projection on a weld side directed towards the ultrasonic hammer, and the foil bag is provided with a weld seam by means of an ultrasound, wherein the projection has at least one depression running parallel to the weld seam. The invention also relates to a foil bag with a weld seam, wherein the weld seam has at least two weld zones and at least three or four sealing wedges.
US07958923B2
A drywall trim application device that can hold a large role of drywall flex corner trim material and, as the material is being dispensed, pre-crease or form the material for use on an inside or outside corner, or any angle within the range of the trim material, apply a mastic material (drywall mud, adhesive or any other bonding medium) to the flex trim material, and cut the material at any desired length automatically. Measurements may be either input by hand or down loaded from an electronic measurement tool into this device. This invention can generally store multiple measurements such as length and angles, measure the length of flex trim material as it is dispensed from the device, crease the material, apply predetermined amount of mastic, and automatically cut the flex trim material to each length previously input.
US07958922B2
An apparatus and method for cutting and heat sealing separator materials enveloping individually shaped electrode is described. The electrodes can be cathodes, anodes or other active components for incorporation into batteries, capacitors, and other implantable medical devices.
US07958913B2
A chemical loading system is used for loading a molten chemical into a tanker. The chemical loading system includes a source supplying a molten chemical and a tanker for receiving the molten chemical. The chemical loading system has a stationary feed line supplying a chemical from the source. An extendable loader has a feed passage that is in fluid communication with the feed line. The extendable loader has a retracted position and an extended position relative to the feed line. The feed passage is adapted to have at least a portion thereof inside the tanker when in the extendable loader is in the extended position. A hoist assembly selectively extends and retracts the extendable loader assembly between the retracted and extended positions.
US07958912B2
Freeze protection of an on-board emissions treatment substance storage and distribution system in a vehicle includes moving the emissions treatment substance away from a primary fuel/vapor area after filling of the emissions treatment system. In one embodiment an on-board emissions treatment system has a fill tube with a portion extending into a primary fuel fill tube to facilitate co-fueling of the primary fuel and emissions treatment substance. A pressure differential or vacuum is created in the emissions treatment fill tube after filling to move the emissions treatment substance away from a check valve disposed at the terminal end of the fill tube to prevent freezing of the check valve after filling. The emissions treatment substance may be moved out of the co-located portion of the fill tube to an area where passive or active heating of the fill tube may be applied to further reduce susceptibility to freezing.
US07958906B2
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a thermally induced single-use valve is provided including a silicon wafer having a top surface and a bottom surface and at least one cavity formed in the bottom surface of the wafer, a thermally deformable membrane suspended across the cavity on the top surface of the wafer and at least one resistive element patterned on top of the thermally deformable membrane.
US07958904B2
A collapsible hunting blind includes a blind awning and a collapsible frame. The blind awning includes two sidewalls, a front wall, a rear wall, and a top wall. The collapsible frame includes a retention frame and two tensional frames. The retention frame is detachably coupling between the sidewalls to retain a distance therebetween at the setup position, wherein when the retention frame is released from the sidewalls, the sidewalls are adapted to overlap with each other at the folded position. The two tensional frames are provided at the sidewalls respectively for providing a tensional force thereat at the setup position to stretch out the sidewalls in a tensional manner. When each of the tensional frames is actuated to reduce the tensional force at the respective sidewall of the blind awning, the sidewall is adapted to overlappedly fold into a compact structure at the folded position.
US07958900B2
The invention relates to a cleaning machine (MA) comprising a vessel (VE) having a stirring member (BA) mounted therein, the stirring member carrying a load of utensils of a first type. The stirring member also carries a load of utensils of a second type. The invention also provides a method of cleaning using such a machine, containing a cleaning liquid (WA). The method has a first cleaning stage during which the level of the liquid (WA) is lower than or equal to the level of the content of the stirring member (BA). It optionally includes a second cleaning stage during which the level of the liquid (WA) is higher than the level of the content of the stirring member (BA).
US07958898B2
An substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit, a process liquid supplying unit, a first guide portion provided around the substrate holding unit for guiding the process liquid scattered from the substrate, a second guide portion provided outside the first guide portion for guiding the process liquid scattered from the substrate, a third guide portion provided outside the second guide portion for guiding the process liquid scattered from the substrate, a first recovery channel provided outside the first guide portion integrally with the first guide portion for recovering the process liquid guided by the second guide portion, a second recovery channel provided outside the first recovery channel integrally with the first guide portion for recovering the process liquid guided by the third guide portion, and a driving mechanism for independently moving up and down the first, second, and third guide portions.
US07958897B2
In an ultrasonic hair treatment device comprising a vibrator having a vibration element for generating ultrasonic vibrations and a receiver facing the vibrator as to apply the ultrasonic vibrations to a bundle of hairs which is pinched between the vibrator and the receiver, the vibration element has an oblong plate shape so as to have a plurality of resonance points arranged like a periodic lattice on a vibration face disposed in a thickness direction thereof, a plurality of circular recesses or grooves for trapping a hair treatment agent therein is formed on a vibration face of a head of the vibrator facing the receiver corresponding to the resonance points of the vibration element.
US07958896B2
Devices, systems and methods employ magnetic force to resist tissue collapse in targeted pharyngeal structures and individual anatomic components within the pharyngeal conduit during sleep.
US07958895B2
Devices, systems and methods employ magnetic force to resist tissue collapse in targeted pharyngeal structures and individual anatomic components within the pharyngeal conduit during sleep.
US07958891B2
A method of conveying humid breathing gases from a patient through a breathable breathing tube. The breathing tube includes a heater associated, at least in part, with a portion of hydrophilic material. The purpose of the heater is to evaporate any condensed liquid collecting in the conduit, which is first sucked up by the hydrophilic material. The heated wick reduces the risk of collected water being passed to the patient and causing choking fits or discomfit. It is preferred that the heated wick lies freely in the conduit to settle at low points in the conduit where condensation may collect.
US07958888B2
A circulation apparatus and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, tubing provides gas communication between an air intake portion disposed at a first end and a breathing sub-apparatus at a second end. A bladder, which may be incorporated into a clothing garment or sleeping gear, is coupled to the tubing between the first and second ends. At least one valve is disposed within the tubing in order to selectively allow gas communication from the air intake portion to the breathing sub-apparatus and selectively allow gas communication from the breathing sub-apparatus to the bladder. Following an inhalation, heated exhaled air is circulated through the bladder to maintain a healthy core temperature and prevent hypothermia.
US07958884B2
The invention relates to a burner for solid fuel containing a space for a solid fuel to be burned, in which solid fuel space the flow of gas is arranged to be possible. The burner comprises at least one fire pipe (3,13) inside the solid fuel space, through the wall of which a possibility for gas flow is arranged.
US07958880B1
A portable batting device that includes a housing, a pneumatically operated ball launching assembly partially disposed within the housing, and a funnel-shaped ball capturing assembly positioned on the top side of the housing. The launching assembly launching a first ball upward into a hitting zone so that a batter may attempt to hit the first ball with a bat. The hitting zone is at a predetermined and adjustable vertical height. The ball capturing assembly receives the first ball should the batter swing the bat and not hit the ball and funnels the first ball into position for a subsequent launch by the launching assembly. The batting device may have a ball feeding assembly operatively associated with the ball capturing assembly.
US07958875B2
An internal combustion engine including a valve system and a breather system. The valve system includes a camshaft having intake cams and exhaust cams. The intake cams open and close intake valves, and the exhaust cams open and close exhaust valves. The breather system includes an upstream-side breather chamber and a downstream-side breather chamber. Blow-by gas flows into the upstream-side breather chamber through a chain chamber. The down-stream side breather chamber is provided in the camshaft, and also formed of a through hole constituted of a plurality of hole portions. The hole portions have different sizes and are aligned in the axial direction. The through hole opens to the chain chamber at a first shaft end portion of the camshaft, and also opens to the down-stream side breather chamber at a second shaft end portion of the camshaft. The down-stream side breather chamber is formed of a cam holder.
US07958869B2
An internal combustion engine which operates in accordance with an auto-ignition principle includes at least one working cylinder, at least two inlet valves per working cylinder and at least one outlet valve per working cylinder. The internal combustion engine has a first camshaft and a second camshaft. The second camshaft actuates at least one of the inlet valves per working cylinder and actuates at least one outlet valve per working cylinder. The internal combustion engine has an adjuster disposed at the second camshaft. The adjuster adjusts valve control times of the inlet and outlet valves actuated by the second camshaft selectively in an early direction and a late direction in relation to valve control times of the first camshaft. A method for operating an internal combustion engine is also provided.
US07958860B2
A crankcase of an internal combustion engine with at least one main lubricant channel for supplying the internal combustion engine with lubricant and with at least one oil return flow channel (10) for return guidance of the excess lubricant into a reservoir container (11), wherein the oil return flow channel (10) exhibits a peg-shaped widening (12), which is formed by the attachment a bearing support of an oil channel core (18). The invention further concerns an oil channel core.
US07958845B2
A bottle cap for fitting on a mouth of a bottle to form a bird feeder is disclosed. The bottle cap comprises a first chamber with a opening for receiving the mouth of the bottle, wherein the bottle cap snaps onto the mouth of the bottle. A second chamber is provided with a closed bottom. A sealing ring is located between the first and second chambers so as to provide a seal between the bottle cap and the mouth of the bottle when the bottle cap is snapped onto the mouth of the bottle, wherein liquid is free to move between the first and second chambers. At least one feeding port is provided in a side wall of the second chamber.
US07958834B2
A template for circular sewing is used for repeatedly sewing a single pattern into a circular arrangement with use of a sewing machine equipped with a circular sewing device. The template includes a transparent sheet member having a center point, a plurality of arc-shaped base lines arranged in a concentric pattern about the center point of the sheet member, and a plurality of linear pattern pitch measurement lines which are provided for measuring a pitch of the patterns and which are arranged on the sheet member so as to pass through the center point of the sheet member and across the arc-shaped base lines. A total number of patterns is indicated near to an end of the template. The total number of patterns is obtained when a pattern with a pitch substantially coinciding with one of the pattern pitch measurement lines has been sewn into a circular arrangement.
US07958821B2
A printing unit of a printing machine is supported by a pair of spaced side frames that are disposed opposite to each other. The printing unit includes at least one printing machine and at least one ink unit. The printing machine is formed by a plurality of printing cylinders. Each of the spaced side frames include a longitudinal crossbar that runs in the direction of transfer of a print substrate traveling through the printing unit. The two longitudinal crossbars form the boundaries of a foot space of the printing unit at two parallel sides. A plurality of pipelines are disposed in the foot space between the two longitudinal crossbars. These pipelines supply flowable media to the printing unit, which flowable media can be either liquid or gaseous. At least one of the pipelines is connected to a user of one of the supplied flowable media in the printing unit or to at least one source of the flowable media. The printing machine can utilize a plurality of printing units.
US07958820B2
A compactor for compacting and dewatering debris comprises a housing having an inlet for enabling debris to be delivered to forwarding augers which forward the debris to a compaction chamber at the discharge end of the housing. The chamber has an outlet opening of less cross-sectional area than that of the chamber, thereby ensuring compaction of the debris as it moves toward discharge. Debris enroute to discharge may be sprayed with water to remove sludge-like substances which otherwise would cling to some types of debris.
US07958812B2
A flexible spike and ballistics panel having a strike surface and a rear surface. The panel contains a strike face grouping and a rear face grouping, where the normalized stiffness of each strike face layer is about 3 to 50 times greater than the normalized stiffness of each textile layer. The strike face grouping contains at least two strike face layers, each strike face layer having resin and high tenacity yarns, where the high tenacity yarns are in an amount of at least 50% by weight in each layer, where the high tenacity yarns have a tenacity of at least 5 grams per denier, and where the strike face grouping forms the strike surface of the panel. The rear face grouping contains at least ten layers of a spike resistant textile layer, each textile layer having a plurality of interwoven yarns or fibers having a tenacity of about 5 or more grams per denier, where at least one of the surfaces of the spike resistant textile layer contains about 10 wt. % or less, based on the total weight of the textile layer, of a coating comprising a plurality of particles having a diameter of about 20 μm or less.
US07958809B1
Disclosed is a method for neutralizing explosives and electronics utilizing a high voltage electrical discharge.
US07958808B2
A vibration-reducing device is applied to a scroll saw. The scroll saw includes a body, a U-frame, a block and an actuating device. The U-frame is coupled to the body, and the block and a shaft of the actuating device are eccentrically fastened to each other, and the actuating device is mounted to the body. The vibration-reducing device includes a connector and a pivot arm pivotally coupled to the body. The connector includes a third end rotatably connected to the block, and a fourth end rotatably connected to the pivot arm. When the shaft is rotated, the motion of the center of gravity of the pivot arm in a vertical direction is opposite to the motion of the center of gravity of the U-frame.
US07958805B2
A piece-threading device on a numerically controlled lathe comprises a supporting assembly having an inner rotatively driven body which, on a side thereof facing a workpiece to be threaded, comprises a plurality of threading tools, the rotatively driven body having a built-in electrical rotor (9) to which an electric stator (8) also built-in in the supporting assembly is operatively coupled, the stator (8) having a plurality of circumferential channels (6) for circulating therethrough a refrigerating and lubricating fluid.
US07958804B2
A handle for a tool which provides for simultaneously providing a downward force and a rotating force on the work piece. By providing a cap assembly attachable to the end of the tool having a rotatable top which permits the top to remain fixed while the tool is rotated.
US07958801B2
A force generator for an active vibration control (AVC) system provides a mass located upon an inner circular member which is movable within an outer circular member to simultaneously complete one revolution about its axis as it orbits within the outer circular member to compensate for sensed vibrations. A crank mounts the inner circular member and a counterweight. The crank is rotated by a prime mover such as an electric motor. The mass will therefore generate a sinusoidal inertial force in a straight line. Multiple systems are suitably arranged to be used in conjunction with one another to provide a wide range of inertial force outputs.
US07958795B2
To enable a pedal system equipped with an actuator to reduce power consumption and put a pedal at an appropriate position when there is no need to operate the pedal. A system state control unit changes pedal position to an end position or original position before deactivating the pedal system. It deactivates the pedal system based on information from a pedal position detection unit, pedal state detection unit, power supply state detection unit, and vehicle motion detection unit and activates the pedal system based on information from a power supply state detection unit. It shifts pedal position toward the original position after activation of the pedal system.
US07958777B1
A thermal mechanical fatigue test rig for testing a coating, such as a thermal barrier coating, under high temperature and pressure to simulate the actual operating environment of the coating. The test rig includes a combustor to produce a hot gas flow, a hollow test specimen on which the coating is placed, and a sapphire vessel that encloses the hollow test specimen to form a hot gas flow path over the coating. The sapphire vessel is clear so that the coating can be observed by a camera during the testing. An exhaust plenum is formed around the sapphire vessel to collect the exhaust form the hot gas flow in which additional cooling air and water for quenching can be injected to reduce the temperature of the hot gas flow prior to discharge from the test rig.
US07958775B2
The invention relates to a sensor for the quantitative measurement of the feel of a surface, comprising a prehensile envelope, a hollow contact body for bringing into contact with the surface on a sensing zone, first acoustic detection elements to detect noises emitted by the hollow body on contact with the sensing zone, second mechanical detection elements embodied for measurement of the normal pressure or the normal pressure and the rubbing force exerted by the surface on the hollow body. The above is of application in the measurement of the triboacoustic properties of the skin or phanera, textiles, leather, plastic materials or any other material for which the an appreciation of the feel thereof is important.
US07958762B1
An apparatus for straightening a coiled tubing has an injector that receives the coiled tubing, a straighter that straightens the coiled tubing from the injector, and a shear that cuts the straightened coiled tubing. The straightener has a frame having a first section rotatably connected to a second section, an actuator connected to the second section, and a straightening wheel connected to the actuator. The injector has a first drive chain and a second drive chain. The first and second drive chains each have semi-circular members forming circular channels that grab an outer surface of the coiled tubing. The shear has a trolley, a clamp, a tubing cutter, a return mechanism, and an automated controller. The automated controller actuates the clamp and the tubing cutter while the trolley translates along rails from a first position to a second position.
US07958759B2
A key-removable lock core that is retained in a core receptacle by a retaining lug, and which can operated by an operating key to align the pins of the pin chambers for shear at the operating shear line, and to allow the key plug to be rotated, and which employs a control tool with the operating key for manipulating the pins into alignment for shear at the control shear line, to allow the sleeve and the key plug together to be rotated, to move the retaining lug on the sleeve between a projected position in which the lug is engaged behind a rearward-facing shoulder in the core receptacle to retain the core in the receptacle, and a retracted position within the profile of the core.
US07958746B2
The invention proposes a method for producing glass ceramics which is particularly well suited as light conversion material, especially for down conversion. One initially produces a starting glass, containing (on an oxide basis) 5-50% by weight of SiO2, 5-50% by weight of Al2O3 and 10-80% by weight of at least one oxide selected from the from the group formed by Y2O3, Lu2O3, Sc2O3, Gd2O3, Yb2O3, Ce2O3, as well as 0.1-30% by weight of at least one oxide selected from the group formed by B2O3, Th2O3, and oxides of the lanthanoids, except Lu2O3, Gd2O3, Yb2O3, Ce2O3. Thereafter, the material is heated up for ceramization at a heating rate of at least 100 K/min to a temperature in the range of between 1000° C. to 1400° C. until crystallites are formed that contain a garnet phase. Thereafter, the material is cooled down to room temperature. Alternatively, controlled cooling-down from the molten state is possible.
US07958744B1
An apparatus for safely and efficiently purging refrigerant lines interconnected with residential and light commercial air conditioning systems. Enhanced safety is achieved by enabling the operator to conduct purge operations away from enclosed areas such as attics and crawlspaces. Efficient use of solvent is achieved by simultaneously connecting a refrigerant line connector to the evaporator end of both suction line and liquid line and discharging solvent and compressed gas through a solvent bridge connected to the compressor end of the liquid line. Thorough contaminant removal enables retrofitting air conditioning systems for use with newer, legally required refrigerants.
US07958732B2
A method of rotating a crank shaft and in internal detonation engine are provided. The internal detonation engine comprises a deflagration to detonation transition section. The deflagration to detonation transition section is connected to a main cylinder, which houses a piston. Inducing a detonation wave from the deflagration wave and passing the detonation wave through a fluid, gives rise to high pressure and temperature in a cylinder and pushes a piston towards bottom dead center. An internal detonation reciprocating engine may be a single cylinder and may be either a two or four stroke engine. A two-stroke internal detonation reciprocating engine is similar to a four-stroke internal detonation reciprocating engine but has different valve placements. Detonations produce a more thorough combustion of the fuel and may, thereby, yield reduced emissions of carbon monoxide as compared to internal combustion engines.
US07958726B2
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and associated methods for generating energy by capturing and taking benefit of the energy generated by any quantity of air surfacing inside water. In exemplary embodiments, the apparatus comprises compressing a lower density gas in a liquid medium, allowing the gas to naturally rise to the surface of the liquid medium and then capturing the energy generated by the surfacing gas. An apparatus and method is disclosed to provide a low energy technique to compress air into water. In exemplary embodiments, air is introduced into water by simultaneously providing a low pressure area in the liquid medium and compressing the air into the low pressure area. By compressing the air into water in low pressure areas, the energy required to compress the air is greatly reduced. The amount of energy generated by the rising air is less than the amount of energy required to compress air underneath the water.
US07958724B2
A blade for a torque converter including a body having an outer edge, the outer edge arranged to conform to an inner surface of a shell in the torque converter, the shell having at least two slots arranged therethrough, and a surface extending from the outer edge, the surface having at least two tabs, wherein the surface is arranged to conform to the inner surface of the shell to provide a fluid seal, the at least two tabs are disposed through the at least two slots and at least one of the at least two tabs is arranged to engage an outer surface of the shell. The invention further includes a torque converter including the present invention blades and a method of assembling the same.
US07958716B2
A natural gas production well secondary purpose turbine electric power generator system includes: a.) a natural gas production well from an underground or underwater natural gas well production field that produces natural gas at the surface at an elevated pressure of at least 500 psi and at least 200 psi in excess of desired pressure delivered to gas processing or gas distribution lines; b.) a natural gas valving subsystem connected to said well; and, c.) a power generating turbine subsystem, including at least one gas driven turbine located in at least one of said well and said gas valving subsystem.
US07958713B2
A textile material with antenna components for an HF transponder is disclosed, which may be operated by connection of a circuit module to the antenna components, adjusted, or which may be adjusted to a working frequency. The antenna components comprise electrically-conducting components of the textile material itself, which may be formed as an E-field antenna, using the geometry thereof to match a working frequency in the UHF or microwave range, or by means of interruptions to, or extension of a conducting length.
US07958712B2
A compact lawn mower that includes at least a shroud positioned a fixed distance from a lawn, by a common rear axle extended between and supported by a pair of rear wheels, is provided. The exemplary embodiment further includes a motor adjustment member confined within and supported by the shroud. The motor adjustment member interacts with a motor, which includes a cutting member attached to a motor shaft of the motor. By manipulating the motor adjustment member, the height of the cutting member relative to the ground surface is set. That is, the motor adjustment member is rotated in a first direction to move the motor closer to the lawn, and in the opposite direction to move the motor further from the lawn, allowing the grass to be cut to a desired length, while the shroud remains a fixed distance from the lawn.
US07958706B2
In a swather formed by a tractor and attached heeder for cutting standing crop to form a swath, reel speed and optionally draper speed are controlled relative to ground speed by a control system including a manually operable input and display available to the operator. The control system can be used in an automatic mode to set an index value for an actual difference in reel speed relative to ground speed and to vary reel speed accordingly. In this mode a manually operable control varies the index. The control system can be switched by the operator to manual in which case the same control varies the actual reel speed. Minimum reel speed can be set by the same control and when operative the automatic system does not allow reel speed to fall below the minimum set value despite the values of index and ground speed. A crop-lodged switch is also provided which when operated acts to move the header to a lowered position and the move the reel to a forward most and lowermost position in a single operation controlled by the single switch.
US07958704B2
Waste disposal device including a mechanism for scoring a flexible tubing dispensed from a cartridge
A waste disposal device includes a mechanism for scoring flexible tubing dispensed from a cartridge. The waste disposal device comprises a container housing a length of flexible tubing foldingly stacked therein and configured to permit dispensing of the flexible tubing to a predetermined length. The flexible tubing is scored periodically at predetermined intervals for ease of tearing during disposal of waste packages placed in the flexible tubing.
US07958694B2
A packaging laminate includes at least one material layer provided with magnetisable particles. A roller can be configured to apply crease line patterns on the packaging laminate while also applying magnetic fields for magnetising at least some of the magnetisable particles in the packaging laminate. A method of controlling working operations on a packaging laminate in a filling machine involves supplying a packaging laminate to a filling machine, wherein the packaging laminate includes at least one material layer comprising magnetizable particles, with at least some of the magnetizable particles being magnetized particles. The method also involves controlling working operations of the filling machine on the packaging laminate supplied to the filling machine by reading information provided by the magnetized particles.
US07958693B2
In a boom 15 for a working machine 10 attached to an upper rotational body 30 supported on a center of an upper portion of a crawler-type traveling device 40 to be transversely rotatable, the boom 15 includes, as portions cast by integral molding, a boom support point part 16, a boom cylinder rod support point part 18, and an arm support point part 19, and is configured so that the boom support point part 16 is connected to the boom cylinder rod support point part 18 by a general-purpose first rectangular pipe 61, and so that the boom cylinder rod support point part 18 is connected to the arm support point part 19 by a general-purpose second rectangular pipe 62.
US07958692B2
A modular window well arrangement includes one or more window well members. The window well members can be interconnected in a vertically stacked arrangement to provide the required overall height. Snap-connectors interconnect the vertically adjacent window well members, and a plurality of steps provide for escape. The window well members may have different sizes, and extension walls may be utilized to increase the size of the window well members to provide for a wide variety of configurations. The window well members may be made of a relatively lightweight structural foam material.
US07958677B2
A gutter retaining system incorporating a gutter clip with a gutter and retaining member. Retaining member is placed along the eaves. Various embodiments of retaining member permit its use with metal flashing and allow gutter system to be held against a building with straight fascia, slanted fascia, trim board and which permit free floating attachment of a debris guard. The gutter clip has an arm, a lower portion and an upper portion. The upper portion includes an upper u-section which is used to slip the gutter clip over the gutter. The arm fits between the gutter and a building wall. In addition, the gutter clip is scored at scoring lines along the arm which allows segments of arm to be removed. The removal of segments permits gutter clip to be modified for placement against buildings incorporating both straight and slanted fascia and trim board.
US07958675B2
A support post includes an inner post that supports rotation of an outer post. The inner post includes a journal assembly that supports and facilitates rotation about a central axis. The journal assembly that supports the outer post on the inner post includes a single ball bearing disposed along the axis of rotation. The inner post is fixed and supports a central post on which the ball bearing is supported. The outer post includes a sleeve that fits over the ball bearing and the central post. Support of the outer post along the central axis provides for improved mounting and gate support. An actuator can be utilized to automatically or remotely open the gate. The actuator is disposed within the inner post that drives rotation of the outer post. The outer post remains supported by the journal assembly and is rotated by the actuator with the inner post.
US07958669B2
A liftable support structure for a turf system, the support structure comprising a skeletal framework having an open based structure with upstanding sides and at least two parallel spaced cross beams, the framework defining open subsections, each subsection having a base defining a ledge structure, each subsection supporting a latticework panel that sits on the ledge structure, the framework having a plurality of spaced lifting points and the cross beams defining access to forklift tines. Also, a pallet for natural or artificial turf comprising a structure moulded in foamed plastics to have a closed planar top surface supported by a lattice work of mutually perpendicular walls defining a flexible open base, the structure defining a pair of elongate spaced parallel channels extending across each side to facilitate forklift tine entry.
