US08674421B2
The semiconductor device includes a first conductor formed over a semiconductor substrate; a first insulator formed over the first conductor; a second insulator formed over the first insulator, the second insulator having an etching characteristic different from an etching characteristic of the first insulator; a second conductor formed on the second insulator, the second conductor being in contact with the second insulator; a third insulator formed over the second conductor, the third insulator having an etching characteristic different from the etching characteristic of the second insulator; a first contact hole formed through the third insulator and the second conductor, the first contact hole reaching the second insulator; a third conductor formed in the first contact hole, wherein a side wall of the third conductor is electrically connected to a side wall of the second conductor; a second contact hole formed through the third insulator and the first insulator, the second contact hole reaching the first conductor; and a fourth conductor formed in the second contact hole, wherein the fourth conductor is electrically connected to the first conductor.
US08674420B2
A semiconductor device, including a semiconductor substrate including isolations defining active regions of the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of buried gate electrodes extending below an upper surface of the semiconductor device, and a plurality of bit lines extending along a first direction over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the plurality of bit lines are connected to corresponding ones of the active regions of the semiconductor substrate, and at least a portion of the bit lines extend along a same and/or substantially same plane as an upper surface of the corresponding active region to which it is connected.
US08674419B2
The semiconductor integrated circuit device employs on the same silicon substrate a plurality of kinds of MOS transistors with different magnitudes of tunnel current flowing either between the source and gate or between the drain and gate thereof. These MOS transistors include tunnel-current increased MOS transistors at least one of which is for use in constituting a main circuit of the device. The plurality of kinds of MOS transistors also include tunnel-current reduced or depleted MOS transistors at least one of which is for use with a control circuit. This control circuit is inserted between the main circuit and at least one of the two power supply units.
US08674417B2
A solid-state imaging device including: a substrate; a light-receiving part; a second-conductivity-type isolation layer; a detection transistor; and a reset transistor.
US08674411B2
A semiconductor device is disclosed, which comprises first and second input ports, first and second output nodes, and first and second transistors. The first transistor includes first and second diffusion regions defining a first channel region and a first gate electrode and connected to the first input port, the first diffusion region being connected to the first output node, the second diffusion region being disposed between the first diffusion region and the first input port and supplied with a first operating potential. The second transistor includes third and fourth diffusion regions defining a second channel region and a second gate electrode and connected to the second input port, the third diffusion region being supplied with the first operating potential, the fourth diffusion region being disposed between the third diffusion region and the second input port and connected to the second output node.
US08674408B2
An integrated circuit structure includes a substrate; a channel layer over the substrate, wherein the channel layer is formed of a first III-V compound semiconductor material; a highly doped semiconductor layer over the channel layer; a gate dielectric penetrating through and contacting a sidewall of the highly doped semiconductor layer; and a gate electrode on a bottom portion of the gate dielectric. The gate dielectric includes a sidewall portion on a sidewall of the gate electrode.
US08674407B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor device having such a structure formed by sequentially laminating a lower barrier layer composed of lattice-relaxed AlxGa1-xN (0≦x≦1), a channel layer composed of InyGa1-yN (0≦y≦1) with compressive strain and a contact layer composed of AlzGa1-zN (0≦z≦1), wherein a two-dimensional electron gas is produced in the vicinity of an interface of said InyGa1-yN channel layer with said AlzGa1-zN contact layer; a gate electrode is formed so as to be embedded in the recessed portion with intervention of an insulating film, which recessed portion is formed by removing a part of said AlzGa1-zN contact layer by etching it away until said InyGa1-yN channel layer is exposed; and, ohmic electrodes are formed on the AlzGa1-zN contact layer. Thus, the semiconductor device has superior uniformity and reproducibility of the threshold voltage while maintaining a low gate leakage current, and is also applicable to the enhancement mode type.
US08674399B2
A light-emitting element includes a β-Ga2O3 substrate, a GaN-based semiconductor layer formed on the β-Ga2O3 substrate, and a double-hetero light-emitting layer formed on the GaN-based semiconductor layer.
US08674394B2
A light emitting device package includes a base, a light emitting element, a mask, metal wires, an encapsulating layer and a cover layer. The base has a first surface bearing electrical structure thereon and an opposite second surface. The mask is arranged on the first surface to define a space receiving the light emitting element. Two openings are defined in the mask. The light emitting element has two pads exposed to an outside through the two openings respectively. The metal wires electrically connect the pads and the electrical structures. The encapsulating layer is filled in the space and two through holes in the base and encapsulates the light emitting element. The encapsulating layer is separated from the metal wires. The cover layer covers and protects the mask and the metal wires. A method of manufacturing the package is also provided.
US08674392B2
Disclosed is a light-emitting device that exhibits good color rendering and highly efficiently emits white light in an incandescent bulb color range. The semiconductor light-emitting device (1) of the present invention includes: a semiconductor light-emitting element (2) that emits blue light; a green phosphor (14) that absorbs the blue light and emits green light; and an orange phosphor (13) that absorbs the blue light and emits orange light. The orange phosphor (13) produces an emission spectrum having a peak at a wavelength of equal to or greater than 590 nm but equal to or less than 630 nm and having a full width at half maximum of 130 nm or greater at the peak, the full width at half maximum of the emission spectrum of the orange phosphor (13) being broader than a full width at half maximum of an emission spectrum of the green phosphor (14). The orange phosphor (13) exhibits an absorptance having a peak wavelength of 420 nm or greater. ABS(530) and ABS(MAX) satisfy a relation, ABS(530)/ABS(MAX)<0.60, where ABS(MAX) is an absorptance of the orange phosphor (13) at the peak wavelength thereof, and ABS(530) is an absorptance of the orange phosphor (13) at a wavelength of 530 nm.
US08674391B2
An optoelectronic semiconductor component for a lighting device including a carrier, at least one optoelectronic semiconductor chip mounted on the carrier and which includes a radiation passage face remote from the carrier, by which a plane is defined, and a lens comprising 1) a radiation exit face, which, relative to a height above the plane, exhibits a minimum, in particular in a central region, and at least two local maxima, and at least two local maxima, and 2) at least two connecting embankments which each extend from one of the maxima to another of the maxima, and each connecting embankment comprises a saddle point higher than the minimum and lower than the maxima adjoining the connecting embankment.
US08674379B2
Provided are a light-emitting device package and a method of manufacturing the same. The light-emitting device package may include a plurality of light-emitting chips on one substrate (board). The plurality of light-emitting chips may produce colors around a target color. The target color may be produced by combinations of the colors of light emitted from the plurality of light-emitting chips. The colors around the target color may have the same hue as the target color and have color temperatures different from that of the target color. The plurality of light-emitting chips may have color temperatures within about ±250K of that of the target color.
US08674372B2
A high electron mobility transistor includes a source, gate and drain, a first III-V semiconductor region having a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) which provides a first conductive channel controllable by the gate between the source and drain, and a second III-V semiconductor region below the first III-V semiconductor region and having a second conductive channel connected to the source or drain and not controllable by the gate. The first and second III-V semiconductor regions are spaced apart from one another by a region of the high electron mobility transistor having a different band gap than the first and second III-V semiconductor regions.
US08674366B2
According to one feature of the present invention, a display device is manufactured according to the steps of forming a semiconductor layer; forming a gate insulating layer over the semiconductor layer; forming a gate electrode layer over the gate insulating layer; forming source and drain electrode layers in contact with the semiconductor layer; forming a first electrode layer electrically connected to the source or drain electrode layer; forming an inorganic insulating layer over part of the first electrode layer, the gate electrode layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer; subjecting the inorganic insulating layer and the first electrode layer to plasma treatment; forming an electroluminescent layer over the inorganic insulating layer and the first electrode layer which are subjected to plasma treatment; and forming a second electrode layer over the electroluminescent layer.
US08674365B2
A manufacturing method of an array substrate includes the following steps. A first conductive layer, a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, an etching stop layer, and a first patterned photoresist are successively formed on a substrate. The etching stop layer and the semiconductor layer uncovered by the first patterned photoresist are then removed by a first etching process. A patterned gate insulating layer and a patterned etching stop layer are then formed through a second etching process. The first conductive layer uncovered by the patterned gate insulating layer is then removed to form a gate electrode. The semiconductor layer uncovered by the patterned etching stop layer is then removed to form a patterned semiconductor layer and partially expose the patterned gate insulating layer.
US08674353B2
One embodiment of the present invention is an organic electroluminescence element including: a substrate; a first electrode that is formed on the substrate; a luminescent medium layer that includes at least an organic luminescent layer and one or more functional layers other than the organic luminescent layer formed on the first electrode; and a second electrode that faces the first electrode with the luminescent medium layer interposed therebetween, wherein at least one functional layer formed between the first electrode and the organic luminescent layer includes first and second metal compounds and the functional layer is a functional layer in which a gradient is obtained at least partially in a film thickness direction for a ratio of the first metal compound to the second metal compound.
US08674337B2
A light emitting diode (LED) and a method for fabricating the same, capable of improving brightness by forming a InGaN layer having a low concentration of indium, and whose lattice constant is similar to that of an active layer of the LED, is provided. The LED includes: a buffer layer disposed on a sapphire substrate; a GaN layer disposed on the buffer layer; a doped GaN layer disposed on the GaN layer; a GaN layer having indium disposed on the GaN layer; an active layer disposed on the GaN layer having indium; and a P-type GaN disposed on the active layer. Here, an empirical formula of the GaN layer having indium is given by In(x)Ga(1−x)N and a range of x is given by 0
US08674335B2
A memory component includes: a first electrode; a memory layer; and a second electrode in this order, wherein the memory layer includes a high resistance layer which includes tellurium (Te) as the chief component among anion components and is formed on the first electrode side; and an ion source layer which includes at least one kind of metal element and at least one kind of chalcogen element among tellurium (Te), sulfur (S) and selenium (Se) and is formed on the second electrode side.
US08674332B2
One device disclosed herein includes first and second sidewall spacers positioned above a semiconducting substrate, wherein the first and second sidewall spacers are comprised of at least a conductive material, a conductive word line electrode positioned between the first and second sidewall spacers and first and second regions of variable resistance material positioned between the conductive word line electrode and the conductive material of the first and second sidewall spacers, respectively. This example also includes a base region of a bipolar transistor in the substrate below the word line electrode, an emitter region formed below the base region and first and second collector regions formed in the substrate within the base region, wherein the first collector region is positioned at least partially under the first region of variable resistance material and the second collector region is positioned at least partially under the second region of variable resistance material.
US08674327B1
Systems and methods for uniformly implanting materials on substrates using directed magnetic fields are provided. One such system includes a chamber configured to receive a preselected material and to enclose a first substrate, first and second rotating assemblies configured to facilitate an implantation of the preselected material onto first and second surfaces of the first substrate and including first and second rotating magnet sub-assemblies configured to direct magnetic fields onto the first and second surfaces, and an RF energizer configured to apply RF energy to the first substrate, where the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field combine to form a resultant magnetic field that is substantially parallel along the first surface, and where the implantation of the preselected material onto the first substrate occurs based on a combination of the RF energy and the resultant magnetic field.
US08674326B2
A patient platform for making the position and posture of a diseased site coincide with those established by a treatment plan. Translation units translate a top board in the X, Y and Z directions respectively, in a fixed coordinate system. Rotation units rotate the top board in the θ, φ, and ξ directions respectively. A controller controls the translation units and rotation units, based on desired rotation center point and desired rotation angle. The controller has a rotation drive signal generation unit that generates a signal for moving the top board in a rotating manner from the reference state “a” of the translation units and the rotation units to a desired rotation angle; and a translation drive signal generation unit that generates a signal for translating the translation units so the amount of translation movement, of the desired rotation center point, caused by the rotation movement is a predetermined value.
US08674324B2
A charged particle beam apparatus includes: a sample chamber; a sample stage; an electron beam irradiation system for irradiating the sample with an electron beam; a focused ion beam irradiation system for irradiating the sample with a focused ion beam; a sample stage drive unit having a rotational axis orthogonal to at least one of an irradiation axis of the electron beam irradiation system and an irradiation axis of the focused ion beam irradiation system; and a sample transporting mechanism for transporting the sample to the sample stage. The sample transporting mechanism includes a transportation path provided in the sample stage drive unit in a direction parallel to the rotational axis of the sample stage drive unit, and is configured to transport the sample to the sample stage through the transportation path.
US08674314B2
The present invention provides an innovative solid-state neutron detector that exhibits superior neutron-sensitivities. One embodiment of the present invention includes a Gadolinium-oxide (Gd2O3)-based neutron detector that is highly sensitive to the presence of neutrons, and experiences significant changes in film conductivity, capacitance or both as a result of thermal neutron exposure thereby providing for detection of nuclear radiation.
US08674312B2
A device for detecting ionizing radiation includes a radiation interaction region configured to generate light in response to an interaction with the ionizing radiation, an optical gain medium region in optical communication with the radiation interaction region and configured to amplify the light, and an energy source coupled to the optical gain medium region and configured to maintain a state of population inversion in the optical gain medium region. The optical gain medium region has an emission wavelength that corresponds with a wavelength of the light generated by the radiation interaction region.
US08674301B2
Work to obtain an optical and an electron microscope images at an identical display size is facilitated. A magnifying observation apparatus includes: an electron beam imaging device that obtains an electron microscope image in a chamber; an optical imaging device that obtains an optical image in the chamber; a moving device that moves the both devices such that an optical axis direction of one of the both devices is aligned with an optical axis direction of the other device; a display section that displays the electron microscope and the optical images; and a magnifying power conversion section that recognizes a magnifying power of an image obtained by one of the imaging devices and converts the magnifying power, which is used to obtain an image having a display size substantially identical to that of the image, by the other device into a magnifying power on a basis of the other device.
US08674300B2
A method and a device for stabilizing the emission current of an emitter of a charged particle beam device are provided. In the method, the emitter is operated under predetermined operation parameters including at least one voltage with a predetermined value. The method includes determining a first value of the emission current under the predetermined operation parameters and flash cleaning the emitter while a first electric field is applied to the emitter. The first electric field is generated by the at least one voltage having a first value of the at least one voltage, wherein the first value of the at least one voltage is provided in dependence of the determined first value of the emission current.
US08674291B2
Methods are provided for detecting the amount of one or more CAH panel analytes (i.e., pregnenolone, 17-OH pregnenolone, progesterone, 17-OH progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, testosterone, deoxycorticosterone, 11-deoxycortisol, and cortisol) in a sample by mass spectrometry. The methods generally involve ionizing one or more CAH panel analytes in a sample and quantifying the generated ions to determine the amount of one or more CAH panel analytes in the sample. In methods where amounts of multiple CAH panel analytes are detected, the amounts of multiple analytes are detected in the same sample injection.
US08674282B2
The present invention relates to a pumped pixel that includes a first photo-diode accumulating charge in response to impinging photons, a second photo-diode and a floating diffusion positioned on a substrate of the pixel. The pixel also includes a charge barrier positioned on the substrate between the first photo-diode and the second photo-diode, where the charge barrier temporarily blocks charge transfer between the first photo-diode and the second photo-diode. Also included is a pump gate positioned on the substrate adjacent to the charge barrier. The pump gate pumps the accumulated charge from the first photo-diode to the second photo-diode through the charge barrier in response to a pump voltage applied by a controller. Also included is a transfer gate positioned on the substrate between the second photo-diode and the floating diffusion. The transfer gate transfers the pumped charge from the second photo-diode to the floating diffusion in response to a transfer voltage applied by a controller.
US08674274B2
An apparatus for heating a material that is susceptible to RF heating by an RF antenna array. The apparatus includes a source of RF power connected to an antenna array having a plurality of loop antenna sections connected to each other by dipole antenna sections wherein the loop antenna sections and dipole antenna sections create a magnetic near field and an electric near field such that the ratio of magnetic field strength to electric field strength is approximately a predetermined value. Material is heated by the apparatus by placing the material in the near fields of the antenna array and creating magnetic near fields and electric near fields that approximate a ratio that is predetermined to efficiently heat the material and connecting the antenna array to an RF power source.
US08674272B2
An induction heating cooker includes: a top plate on which a cooking container is placed; a temperature measuring device which has an infrared ray sensor operable to detect infrared rays radiated from the cooking container and a temperature converting unit operable to calculate a temperature of the cooking container from an output of the infrared ray sensor; a heating coil operable to receive a supply of a high frequency current and generate an induction magnetic field for heating the cooking container; and a heating control unit operable to control the high frequency current of the heating coil based on the temperature measured by the temperature measuring device, and control heating power to be supplied to the cooking container. The temperature measuring device further includes a temperature detecting unit operable to measure a temperature of the infrared ray sensor, and calculate the temperature of the cooking container from an output of the infrared ray sensor based on the temperature of the infrared ray sensor measured by the temperature detecting unit.
US08674264B2
Method for cleaning a contact tube of a welding torch, as well as a welding torch and a contact tube
The invention relates to a method for cleaning a contact tube (20) of a welding torch (10), via which contact tube a welding wire (13) is supplied with electrical energy, said welding wire being moved towards the welding torch (10) by a wire reel (14) or a welding drum via a wire feeder (11), as well as to a welding plant (1) and a contact tube (20) for the welding torch (10) of such a welding plant (1). In order to prolong the service life of a contact tube (20) of a welding torch (10), the invention provides that the welding wire (13) is at least once moved backwards in the direction of the wire reel (4) or wire drum until the end (27) of the welding wire (13) lies at least within the length (36) of the contact tube (20), and that the welding wire (13) will subsequently again be moved forwards, in particular moved backwards into its starting position.
US08674262B2
The present invention is a device for coating surfaces of metallic work pieces with an electrically conductive material by employing short duration high current packets of pulses in which the work piece forms the cathode and the consumable coating material forms the anode, which are connected to a generator for generating pulses by charging and discharging a bank of capacitors using a MOSFET. The invention is also a device for controlling the on and off time of a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).
US08674257B2
An apparatus for thermally processing a substrate includes a first radiation source configured to heat a substrate and emit radiation at a heating wavelength, focusing optics configured to direct radiation from the first radiation source to the substrate, and a second radiation source configured to emit radiation at a second wavelength different from the heating wavelength and at a lower power than the first radiation source. Radiation from the second radiation source is directed onto the substrate. The apparatus further includes a first detector configured to receive reflected radiation at the second wavelength and a computer system configured to receive an output from the first detector and adjust a focus plane of the first radiation source relative to the substrate. The second radiation source is configured to have substantially the same focus plane as the first radiation source.
US08674253B2
According to an embodiment, a gas insulation apparatus (e.g., a gas circuit breaker) includes a high-voltage unit, a zeolite and an insulation gas in a closed vessel. The insulation gas is CO2 gas or a gas including CO2 gas as the main component. The zeolite is contained in a zeolite case and is placed under an insulation gas atmosphere. CO2 is adsorbed on the zeolite before use of the gas insulation apparatus.
US08674251B2
A single side touch panel structure is provided, which includes a substrate, and a mask layer, a first transparent conducting layer, an insulating layer, and a second transparent conducting layer, wherein the mask layer, the first transparent conducting layer, the insulating layer, and the second transparent conducting layer are from bottom to top sequentially formed on the substrate. The first transparent conducting layer has a plurality of the first patterns, and the second transparent conducting layer has a plurality of the second patterns. The first patterns are arranged in series along a first direction. The second patterns are arranged in series along a second direction that intersects the first direction at an angle. The first and second patterns cross each other, and are separated from each other by the insulating layer. Therefore, a plurality of capacitors are formed at the intersections between the first and second patterns.
US08674250B2
A substrate is formed with a plurality of identical positioning indications which cause the coordinate on the upper or lower surfaces of the substrate are identical; the identical positioning indications is selected from one of a plurality of holes formed on an area out of the touch sensing area of the touch panel; a plurality of gaps at edges of the substrate and vertical to the upper or lower main surface of the substrate; positioning indications formed by engraving of laser; and a pair of positioning indications on the upper and lower main surface of the substrate and positioned along a same line vertical to the upper or lower main surface of the substrate; and a combination of above mentioned ways; after manufacturing process, the positioning indications can be removed or not removed. A method for forming the same is also included.
US08674248B2
A key includes a base and a top cover. The base is made of a non-plated first plastic material. The base defines a through hole in a center portion, and a plurality of receiving portions surrounding and communicating with the through hole. The top cover is made of plated second plastic material. The top cover forms a plurality of connecting portions received in the receiving portions of the base The top cover is covered with a metal plating layer. A method of manufacturing a key is also provided.
US08674244B2
A time difference adder included in a system-on-chip (SOC) includes a first register unit and a second register unit. The first register unit is configured to receive first and second input signals having a first time difference, and generate a first output signal in response to a first signal. The second register unit is configured to receive third and fourth input signals having a second time difference, and generate a second output signal having a third time difference with respect to the first output signal in response to the first signal. The third time difference corresponds to a sum of the first time difference and the second time difference.
US08674242B2
A laundry weight sensing method. A motor is consecutively turned on and off plural times, the number of pulses output from a counter electromotive force detector according to counter electromotive force of the motor when the motor is finally turned off is counted, and a laundry weight is sensed using the counted number of pulses.
US08674240B2
A frame for receiving one or more modules for cable entries or pipe penetrations. A compression unit is an integrated part of the frame in at least one embodiment, which compression unit is to compress the modules inside the frame. The compression unit includes three compression wedges. An upper and a lower compression wedge have the same orientation, while a middle compression wedge has an opposite orientation. The middle compression wedge is oriented with a broad side facing an opening of the frame receiving the modules. At least one compression screw goes through openings of the upper and lower compression wedges and through a slot in the middle compression wedge.
US08674238B2
An exemplary guideway mechanism includes two branches, a group of connecting blocks, and a supporting bracket. The group of connecting blocks includes four connecting blocks arranged at four corners of an imaginary square and connecting the supporting bracket. Each branch includes two parallel rails. Adjacent ends of the rails of each branch respectively connect two adjacent connecting blocks.
US08674232B2
A device-embedded flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) and a method of manufacturing the device-embedded FPCB are provided. The device-embedded FPCB includes: a first conductive layer; a first insulating layer which is disposed on the first conductive layer and includes at least one bump hole and at least one groove; a first plating layer which is formed in the at least one groove of the first insulating layer; and a device which includes at least one bump which is inserted into the at least one bump hole to be connected to the first conductive layer.
US08674231B2
Provided is an endoscope in which the work of connecting cables to a circuit board in the distal end of an insertion part can be easily performed. When a bundle-wire cable obtained by bundling a plurality of single-wire cables and a plurality of coaxial cables are connected to a circuit board arranged at the distal end of an insertion part, terminals that connect cores of the single-wire cables, terminals that connect cores of the coaxial cables, terminals that connect shields of the coaxial cables, and terminals that connect the shield of the bundle-wire cable are arranged in tandem at predetermined intervals on the common plane of the circuit board.
US08674229B2
The invention has as its object to provide an ultra-thin copper foil with a carrier which suppresses occurrence of blistering and is stable in peeling strength, in particular provides an ultra-thin copper foil with a carrier enabling easy peeling of a carrier foil from an ultra-thin copper foil even under a high temperature environment. As means for that, there is provided an ultra-thin copper foil with a carrier comprised of a carrier foil, a release layer, and a copper foil, wherein the release layer is formed by a first release layer disposed on the carrier foil side and a second release layer disposed on the ultra-thin copper foil side, there is a first interface between the carrier foil and the first release layer, a second interface between the ultra-thin copper foil and the second release layer, and a third interface between the first release layer and the second release layer, and the peeling strengths at the interfaces are first interface>third interface, and second interface>third interface.
US08674217B2
A cable-organizing circuit board includes a board body and a protruding hanger arm. The board body has a circuit-layout section and a non-circuit-layout section that are connected to each other. The protruding hanger arm is disposed at the non-circuit-layout section of the board body, and is adapted to be permit a segment of the transmission cable to pass thereunder. The segment of the transmission cable is disposed beneath a bottom surface of the protruding hanger arm, and remaining segments of the transmission cable are disposed above a top surface of the board body opposite to the bottom surface of the protruding hanger arm when the segment of the transmission cable passes under the protruding hanger arm.
US08674215B2
This invention aims to provide a photpelectrical device with a superior conversion efficiency, which comprises an electron transport layer giving a superior electron-transporting performance and a sufficiently large dimentional interface. The photoelectric device further comprises a pair of electrode and a hole transport layer with the electron transport layer and the hole transport layer being interposed between electrodes. The electron transport layer is made of an organic compound having a redox moiety capable of being oxidized and reduced repeatedly. The organic compound is included in a gel layer containing an electrolyte solution which stabilizes a reduction state of the redox moiety.
US08674210B2
To provide a photoelectric conversion device having a high photoelectric conversion efficiency, a photoelectric conversion device 21 includes a substrate 1, a plurality of lower electrodes 2 on the substrate 1 comprising a metal element, a plurality of photoelectric conversion layers 33 comprising a chalcogen compound semiconductor formed on the plurality of lower electrodes 2 and separated from one another on the lower electrodes 2, a metal-chalcogen compound layer 8 comprising the metal element and a chalcogen element included in the chalcogen compound semiconductor formed between the lower electrode 2 and the photoelectric conversion layer 33, an upper electrode 5 formed on the photoelectric conversion layer 33, and a connection conductor 7 electrically connecting, in a plurality of the photoelectric conversion layers 33, the upper electrode 5 to the lower electrode 2 without interposition of the metal-chalcogen compound layer 8.
US08674208B2
A thermoelectric generation method using a thermoelectric generator includes: placing a thermoelectric generator in a temperature-changing atmosphere; drawing to outside a current that is generated due to a temperature difference between first and second support members when the temperature of the second support member is higher than that of the first support member, and that flows from a second thermoelectric conversion member to a first thermoelectric conversion member, using first and second output sections as a positive terminal and a negative terminal, respectively; and drawing to outside a current that is generated due to a temperature difference between the first and second support members when the temperature of the first support member is higher than that of the second support member, and that flows from a fourth thermoelectric conversion member to a third thermoelectric conversion member, using third and fourth output sections as a positive terminal and a negative terminal, respectively.
US08674198B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV960705. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV960705, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV960705 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 CV960705 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 CV960705.
US08674189B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH475945. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH475945, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH475945 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH475945.
US08674188B1
A novel maize variety designated X18B741 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X18B741 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X18B741 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X18B741, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X18B741. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X18B741.
US08674186B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1026759. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1026759. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1026759 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1026759 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08674185B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1026742. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1026742. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1026742 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1026742 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08674183B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1026009. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1026009. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1026009 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1026009 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08674172B2
The present invention relates to a prostate cancer cell line CNCM deposit number I-4126, the use thereof for preparing resistant prostate cancer cell lines, the resistant prostate cancer cell lines, and the use of these prostate cancer cell lines for screening compounds of interest.
US08674169B2
Absorbent core for disposable absorbent articles, for example for the absorption of menses or blood.
US08674157B2
A process for converting a hydrocarbon feedstock to provide an effluent containing light olefins, the process comprising passing a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising a mixture of a first portion, containing one or more olfeins of C4 or greater, and a second portion, containing at least one C1 to C6 aliphatic hetero compound selected from alcohols, ethers, carbonyl compounds and mixtures thereof, through a reactor containing a crystalline silicate catalyst to produce an effluent including propylene, the crystalline silicate being selected from at least one of an MFI-type crystalline silicate having a silicon/aluminum atomic ratio of at least 180 and an MEL-type crystalline silicate having a silicon/aluminum atomic ratio of from 150 to 800 which has been subjected to a steaming step.
US08674138B2
The present invention relates to a new binaphthalene derivative, a preparation method thereof, and an organic electronic device using the same. The binaphthalene derivative according to the present invention can perform functions of hole injection and transportation, electron injection and transportation, or light emission in an organic electronic device including an organic light-emitting device, and the device according to the present invention has excellent characteristics in terms of efficiency, drive voltage and stability, and in particular excellent effects such as a low voltage and a long life time.
US08674124B2
A process for the preparation of an organic reactive intermediate that contains a combination of epoxy groups, hydroxy groups and unsaturated groups wherein the process can be utilized to control the amounts of each of the functional groups in the final product. The reactive intermediates are prepared from natural triglyceride plant and animal oils containing unsaturation.
US08674121B2
A process for the production of 2-alkyl-3-aroyl-5-nitrobenzofurans by acylation of 2-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrophenyl)-1-aryl-ethanones and subsequent treatment of the esters with combinations of bases and proton acids or Lewis acids. This process can be used for the production of Dronedarone. Furthermore, novel intermediates for the manufacture of Dronedarone are provided.
US08674118B2
Compounds represented by formula I: or pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates thereof, wherein R1, X, Y, Y1, and Z are as defined herein, are useful for treating flaviviridae viral infections.
US08674105B2
The instant invention relates to crystalline forms of Compound A, an inhibitor of c-MET kinase. Specifically, the instant invention relates to hydrochloride salts of Compound A.
US08674102B2
The present invention provides dyes, reactive dyes and labeled reagents that may be used in the detection or quantification of desirable target molecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids and cellular organelles. Dyes are provided that may be used free in solution where the binding of the dye to the target molecule provides signal generation. Dyes are also provided that comprise reactive groups that may be used to attach the dyes to probes that will bind to desirable target molecules. The novel dyes of the present invention have been modified to provide beneficial properties.
US08674094B2
The present invention provides a new class of solids supports for synthesis of modified oligomers of nucleic acids, and nucleic acid probes that have a format expediently synthesized on the new supports. Exemplary solid supports include at least one quencher bound through a linker to the solid support. Various exemplary embodiments include a moiety that stabilizes a duplex, triplex or higher order aggregation (e.g., hybridization) of nucleic acids of which the oligomer of the invention is a component. Other components of the solid support include moieties that stabilize aggregations of nucleic acids, e.g., intercalators, minor groove binding moieties, bases modified with a stabilizing moiety (e.g., alkynyl moieties, and fluoroalkyl moieties), and conformational stabilizing moieties, such as those described in commonly owned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0059752.
US08674090B2
This invention relates to the use of benzimidazole derivatives for the modulation, notably the inhibition of the activity or function of the phosphoinositide 3′ OH kinase family (hereinafter PI3 kinases), suitably, PI3Kα, PI3Kδ, PI3Kβ, and/or PI3Kγ. Suitably, the present invention relates to the use of benzimidazoles in the treatment of one or more disease states selected from: autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, allergy, asthma, pancreatitis, multiorgan failure, kidney diseases, platelet aggregation, cancer, sperm motility, transplantation rejection, graft rejection and lung injuries. More suitably, the present invention relates to PI3Kβ selective benzimidazoles compounds for treating cancer.
US08674086B2
Embodiments of the invention provide non-natural bifunctional nucleotides having both nuclease resistance and nucleic acid synthesis blocking properties and methods of sequencing nucleic acids that employ non-natural bifunctional nucleic acids. Additional embodiments provide non-natural oligonucleotides and methods for sequencing nucleic acids using the non-natural oligonucleotides. Methods according to embodiments of the invention employ electronic detection and fluorescent detection of nucleic acid sequencing reactions.
US08674084B2
The inventions is based on an expression enhancer sequence derived from the RNA-2 genome segment of a bipartite RNA virus, in which a target initiation site in the RNA-2 genome segment has been mutated. Deletion of appropriate start codons upstream of the main RNA2 translation initiation can greatly increase in foreign protein accumulation without the need for viral replication. Also provided are methods, vectors and systems, including the ‘hyper-translatable’ Cowpea Mosaic Virus (‘CPMV-HT’) based protein expression system.
US08674080B2
The present invention provides kits and methods for composition ratio control based on dyes that are designed to enable energy transfer between each other. In more detail, with the method of the present invention it is possible to verify the mixing ratio of a first component comprising a first dye with a second component comprising a second dye.
US08674070B2
Cancer-targeting peptides and uses thereof in cancer therapy.
US08674065B2
Provided is a novel peptide capable for binding to carbon. The peptide consists of an amino acid sequence represented by SQMMGHMGHGNMNHMNHGGKFDFHH (SEQ ID NO:01).
US08674061B2
Multiligand constructs and intermediate multivalent constructs for use in their preparation. The multiligand constructs have utility in diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
US08674058B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a durability improving agent for a cement composition that improves the freezing-thawing resistance of the cement composition and also exhibits a sufficient shrinkage reducing performance as well, and a cement composition including such a durability improving agent. Specifically, the present invention provides a durability improving agent for a cement composition, characterized by comprising a hydrocarbon-based compound having an average molecular weight of 150 to 600 and a pour point of 20° C. or less as an active ingredient, and a cement composition including such durability improving agent.
US08674057B1
Provided are novel polyimides, poly(amide-imides) and polyamides, which are generated from new two photon diamino-monomers of the formula: wherein para or meta X—C6H4—O— and X═NH2; and CnHn+1 is either a straight or branched alkyl chain, and wherein n is an integer from 1 to 20.
US08674029B2
The present invention generally relates to a process for preparing stabilized polymeric systems with excellent light, thermal and oxidation stability using an active, peroxide containing polymer oxidizing agents, amine-containing reducing agents, and/or nano-additives, and the polymer articles made therefrom.
US08674028B2
The present invention is directed to polymeric article comprising a blend of (a) a first polymeric component; (b) a second polymeric component, the second polymeric component including a propylene elastomer or a substantially linear or linear ethylene polymer; and (c) at least one reinforcement material. The polymeric articles desirably have one or more of the following characteristics: a soft touch feel, low gloss appearance, or a high surface durability.
US08674024B2
A polyethylene moulding composition having a multimodal molecular weight distribution, having a density according to ISO 1183 at 23° C. in the range of 920 to 960 kg/m3 and an MFR190/2 according to ISO 1133 in the range of 0.05 to 10 g/10 min, said polyethylene moulding composition comprising at least three ethylene polymer fractions having distinct molecular weights: A) 15 to 50 wt % of a low molecular weight ethylene homopolymer or copolymer fraction with a weight average molecular weight Mw in the range of 15 to 40 kg/mol; B) 15 to 50 wt % of a medium molecular weight ethylene homopolymer or copolymer fraction with a weight average molecular weight Mw in the range of 70 to 200 kg/mol; and C) 15 to 50 wt % of a high molecular weight ethylene homopolymer or copolymer fraction with a weight average molecular weight Mw in the range of 220 to 400 kg/mol, provided that one of A, B and C is an ethylene homopolymer and at least one other component is an ethylene copolymer with at least one C3-C10 comonomer; and wherein the composition has—a Shore D hardness measured according to ASTM D2240-05 (15 sec) of at least 56.0.
US08674023B2
Certain disclosed embodiments of the present invention concern a golf ball, which includes a core comprising a center, an outer cover layer; and optionally one or more intermediate layers, and where at least one or more of the core, outer cover layer, or one or more intermediate layers if present, includes a styrene ionomer, such as a styrene anhydride copolymer, a basic salt of a styrene-α,β-unsaturated acid copolymer, or a styrene maleic anhydride copolymer. These styrene-based copolymers can be used in combination with additional polymer components.
US08674015B2
A rubber composition for sidewall and a tire having sidewall using thereof as well as a rubber composition for clinch and a tire having clinch using thereof that adjust scorch time and suppress surface bloom, reduce rolling resistance, can obtain sufficient rigidity as sidewall and clinch, and can improve elongation at break and durability is disclosed. Specifically, a rubber composition for sidewall and a rubber composition for clinch including specific amount of an alkylphenol-sulfur chloride condensate indicated by the formula (B1): and specific filler, based on a rubber component including specific amount of a natural rubber and/or an isoprene rubber and a butadiene rubber and/or an epoxidized natural rubber, and a tire having sidewall using thereof and clinch using thereof is disclosed.
US08674014B2
A rubber composition for a sidewall is disclosed, which includes a specific amount of an alkylphenol-sulfur chloride condensate indicated by the formula (B1): and a specific filler, based on a rubber component including a specific amount of a natural rubber and/or an isoprene rubber and a modified butadiene rubber. A tire having the above sidewall is also disclosed.
US08674013B2
A method of preparing a reinforced fluoropolymer composite is presented, which includes reacting a surface of a nanocrystalline cellulose with a fluorinated electrophile to form a fluoro-functionalized nanocrystalline in which the outer circumference of the nanocrystalline cellulose has been functionalized with fluorinated substrates, and contacting the fluoro-functionalized nanocrystalline cellulose with a fluoropolymer to form a fluoropolymer composite. Also presented is a method of preparing fluoro-functionalized nanocrystalline cellulose, including reacting a surface of a nanocrystalline cellulose with a fluorinated electrophile forming fluoro-functionalized nanocrystalline cellulose in which the outer circumference of the nanocrystalline cellulose has been functionalized with fluorinated substrates, precipitating the fluoro-functionalized nanocrystalline cellulose and isolating and purifying the fluoro-functionalized nanocrystalline cellulose.
US08674011B2
An organic/inorganic hybrid material is provided, including an organic polymer, and a plurality of inorganic nano-platelets, wherein the inorganic nano-platelets are self-connected or connected via a linker to constitute an inorganic platelet network. By the formation of the inorganic network structure, the hybrid materials can keep their transparency and flexibility at a high inorganic content, and exhibit greatly reduced coefficients of thermal expansion A method for fabricating the organic/inorganic hybrid material is also provided.
US08674010B2
A blend of nanocomposites is disclosed, with a polyolefin nanocomposite preferably serving as a continuous phase and a polyamide nanocomposite preferably serving as a discontinuous phase. The exfoliated nanoclay in both nanocomposites contributes stiffness, toughness and flame retardancy to the blend. Other optional ingredients include conventional essentially halogen-free flame retardants, intumescent essentially halogen-free flame retardants, and other typical polymer compounding additives. The compound can be processed as a thermoplastic into any practical article needing stiff, tough, and flame retardancy properties.
US08673987B2
A surfactant composition contains at least one sorbitan ester and at least one sorbitol ester wherein the mean number of carbon atoms of the hydrophobe of the sorbitan ester is greater than that of the sorbitol ester. The surfactant composition is particularly suitable for use in stabilizing emulsions, especially personal care or cosmetic products.
US08673984B2
Perfluorocarbon emulsions having a high stability and good oxygen release are disclosed and described. These perfluorocarbon emulsions are typically for use as artificial oxygen carriers. The perfluorocarbon emulsions include a disperse phase of a perfluorocarbon and an emulsion stabilizer, and continuous phase. The emulsion stabilizer can primarily include a poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymer. These stabilized perfluorocarbon emulsions can be used in liquid and/or hydrogel phases of perfusion bioreactors or various other culture systems to enhance cell viability in thick tissue constructs, or as blood substitutes, although other applications may also be considered.
US08673974B2
The present invention provides a compound of formula I; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3, A1, X, X1, s and n are defined herein. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing the compounds of the invention, and its therapeutic uses. The present invention further provides pharmaceutical composition of the compounds of the invention and a combination of pharmacologically active agents and a compound of the invention.
US08673973B2
Provided is a method for treating ocular hypertension and glaucoma with reduced side effects such as keratoconjunctive disorders and macular edema, which comprises administering an ophthalmic composition comprising latanoprost as an active ingredient thereof to a subject in need of said treatment, wherein the ophthalmic composition contains substantially no benzalkonium chloride.
US08673972B2
Methods of treating a head and neck cancer are disclosed.
US08673971B2
The present invention discloses 4-nerolidylcatechol and its derivatives isolated from South American/Amazon plants (Pothomorphe species) and their potential use as therapeutical agent for treatment of malarial symptoms, including malarial patients resistant to traditional drugs. The present invention also discloses a method for producing 4-nerolidylcatechol and their derivatives.
US08673969B2
The present invention provides compounds of general formula (3) as useful potential antitumour agents against human cancer cell lines. The present invention further provides a process for the synthesis of 4β-acrylamidopodophyllotoxin congeners of general formula (3), wherein R and R1 are an aryl group and R is selected from 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl or 2-methoxy phenyl and R1 is selected from the group consisting of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl, 3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl, 4-fluoro-3-methoxyphenyl, 3-fluoro-4-methoxyphenyl, 2-fluoro-5-methoxyphenyl, 2-fluoro-4-methoxyphenyl, 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl, 4-methoxy-3-nitrophenyl, 4-nitrophenyl, 3-nitrophenyl, 2-nitro phenyl, 4-methoxyphenyl, 3-methoxyphenyl and 4-hydroxyphenyl.
US08673962B2
The present invention relates to novel 3-phenyl-3-methoxy-pyrrolidine derivatives, useful for modulating extracellular levels of catecholamines, dopamine and norepinephrine, in cerebral cortical areas of the mammalian brain, and more specifically for the treatment of central nervous system disorders. In other aspects the invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the 3-phenyl-3-methoxy-pyrrolidine derivatives of the invention and to the use of these compounds for therapeutic applications.
US08673958B2
A fullerene derivative having a partial structure represented by formula (1): wherein R represents a monovalent group, and r represents an integer of 0 to 4, in particular, a fullerene derivative, which has one to four structures represented by formula (1), can be applied to an organic photoelectric conversion element having a high open-circuit voltage and is therefore suitable for an organic thin-film solar cell or an organic photosensor, and thus it is extremely useful.
US08673944B2
The present invention relates to a solid pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating cardiovascular disorders comprising granular forms of amlodipine and losartan which are separated from each other, and a stabilizing agent, which has improved storage stability due to minimized interaction between amlodipine and losartan.
US08673935B2
Inhibitors of the endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation (ERAD) pathway, particularly inhibitors of mannosidase I, are used for the preparation of a medicinal product intended to treat sarcoglycanopathies.
US08673933B2
The present invention provides compounds of formula I and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The formula I compounds inhibit tyrosine kinase activity of JAK2, thereby making them useful as antiproliferative agents for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.
US08673932B2
Imidazo-containing compounds (e.g., imidazoquinolines, imidazonaphthyridines, and imidazopyridines) with an oxime substituent at the 1-position, pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds, intermediates, and methods of use of these compounds as immunomodulators, for inducing cytokine biosynthesis in animals and in the treatment of diseases including viral and neoplastic diseases are disclosed.
US08673925B1
The present disclosure provides compounds such as pyrazolpyrimidine compounds, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, that are tyrosine kinase inhibitors, in particular BLK, BMX, EGFR, HER2, HER4, ITK, TEC, BTK, and TXK and are therefore useful for the treatment of diseases treatable by inhibition of tyrosine kinases such as cancer and inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, and the like. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and processes for preparing such compounds and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
US08673923B2
Methods and compositions relating to TIC10 are described according to aspects of the present invention. The compositions and methods have utility in treating disease, particularly cancer in a subject in need thereof, including a human subject as well as subjects of other species. The compositions have utility in treating brain cancer in a subject in need thereof.
US08673920B2
This invention relates to compounds having structural Formula I: and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof which are inhibitors of the Renal Outer Medullary Potassium (ROMK) channel (Kir1.1). The compounds of Formula I are useful as diuretics and natriuretics and therefore are useful for the therapy and prophylaxis of disorders resulting from excessive salt and water retention, including cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and chronic and acute heart failure.
US08673917B2
The invention relates to compounds of the formula (I), where the groups R1, M, A, B, D, L, and R have the specified meanings, and to the physiologically compatible salts thereof. The compounds are suitable, for example, for treating metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes.
US08673915B2
A compound having the following formula (II) or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof is used as a P2X4 receptor antagonist: wherein each of R11 and R12 is hydrogen, C1-8 alkyl or the like; R13 is hydrogen, C1-8 alkyl or the like; R14 is hydrogen, C1-8 alkyl, C1-8 alkoxy, C1-8 alkyl having 1-3 halogens, C1-8 hydroxyalkyl, halogen, hydroxyl, nitro, cyano, amino, C1-8 alkylamino, benzenesulfonylamino optionally having a substituent, a heterocyclic group optionally having a substituent or the like; and the condensed ring consisting of W1 and the neighboring benzene ring is naphthalene, tetrahydronaphthalene, or indan ring.
US08673914B2
The present invention relates to methods of treating multidrug resistance in cancerous cells with phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors, e.g., PDE5 inhibitors. More specifically, the invention relates to methods of treating multidrug resistance that arises, e.g., during administration of chemotherapeutic/antineoplastic (anticancer) agents for treatment of cancer, with a PDE5 inhibitor (e.g., sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil). The invention also relates to methods of treating cancer, e.g., multidrug resistant cancer, using a PDE5 inhibitor in combination with an antineoplastic therapeutic agent. Further, the invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions for treating multidrug resistant cancers comprising a PDE5 inhibitor, or a combination of a PDE5 inhibitor and an antineoplastic agent.
US08673912B2
This invention relates to three crystalline forms of N-[3-fluoro-4-((6-(methyloxy)-7-[(3-morpholin-4-ylpropyl)oxy]quinolin-4-yl|oxy)phenyl]-N′-(4-fluorophenyl)cyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxamide. Compound (I), designated as Form A, Form B, and Form C. The invention provides methods for treatment of cancer by exploiting the modulation of protein kinase activity. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions containing a crystalline form of Compound (I) and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.
US08673910B2
The subject invention concerns compounds having activity as inhibitors of proteasomes and methods of using the subject compounds. In one embodiment, a compound of the invention has the chemical structure shown in formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or hydrate thereof. In another embodiment, a compound of the invention has the chemical structure shown in formula II: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or hydrate thereof.
US08673908B2
Provided is a kynurenine production inhibitor comprising a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound represented by formula (I): (wherein R50 and R51 may be the same or different and each represent a hydrogen atom or the like, G1 and G2 may be the same or different and each represent a nitrogen atom or the like, X represents formula (III): (wherein m1 and m2 may be the same or different and each represent an integer of 0 or 1, Y represents an oxygen atom or the like, and R6 and R7 may be the same or different and each represent a hydrogen atom or the like), R1 represents optionally substituted lower alkyl or the like, R2 represents a hydrogen atom or the like, and R3 represents optionally substituted lower alkyl or the like), and the like.
US08673904B2
Provided herein are novel epoxide inhibitors of cysteine proteases, compositions comprising the epoxide inhibitors, and packaged pharmaceuticals. Also provided are methods of inhibiting a papain-family cysteine protease and methods of treating or preventing a disease by administering a composition containing an epoxide inhibitor of the invention. The compositions may be administered in combination with another therapeutic agent.
US08673903B2
The present application relates to novel substituted 8-alkoxy-2-aminotetraline derivatives, to processes for their preparation, to their use for the treatment and/or prevention of diseases and to their use for preparing medicaments for the treatment and/or prevention of diseases, in particular for the treatment and/or prevention of cardiovascular disorders.
US08673902B2
Ophthalmic, otic and nasal compositions containing a new class of antibiotics (e.g., moxifloxacin) are disclosed. The compositions preferably also contain one or more anti-inflammatory agents. The compositions may be utilized to treat ophthalmic, otic and nasal conditions by topically applying the compositions to the affected tissues.
US08673898B2
Provided are compositions and methods useful for modulation signaling through the Toll-like receptor TLR8. The compositions and methods have use in the treatment of autoimmunity, inflammation allergy, asthma, graft rejection, graft versus host disease, infection, sepsis, cancer and immunodeficiency.
US08673895B2
Certain tetrahydro-pyrimidoazepine compounds are described, which are useful as TRPV1 modulators. Such compounds may be used in pharmaceutical compositions and methods for the treatment of disease states, disorders, and conditions mediated by TRPV1. Thus, the compounds may be administered to treat, e.g., pain, itch, cough, asthma, or inflammatory bowel disease.
US08673893B2
Substituted indazole derivatives of formula (I) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, as defined in the specification, process for their preparation and pharmaceutical compositions comprising them are disclosed; the compounds of the invention may be useful in therapy in the treatment of diseases associated with a deregulated protein kinase activity, like cancer.
US08673892B2
The present invention relates to novel phenyl bicyclic methyl azetidine derivatives, processes for preparing them, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use as pharmaceuticals as modulators of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors.
US08673885B1
Aromatic and alkyl thiocarbonates with and without a neighboring group that participates in the hydrolysis of a thiocarbonate are described. The aromatic or alkyl thiocarbonates can be used for the protection of sulfur during oligonucleotide synthesis. Their facile processes of manufacture and methods of using the same are provided.
US08673877B2
A treatment for autism in which an effective amount of lactulose is administered in order to bind excess ammonia in the gastrointestinal tract, the bloodstream, and the nervous system in order to prevent or reverse ammonia poisoning caused by the administration of certain antibiotics. Lactulose molecules in the colon are fermented by certain bacteria. The fermentation process lowers the colonic pH, and ammonia, in the form of ammonium ions, is used by the bacteria for amino acid and protein synthesis. This lowers the serum ammonia levels and reduces neurotoxicity.
US08673875B2
The invention provides a method for treating atherosclerosis in a subject in need thereof, including administering an effective amount of microRNA-195 to the subject in need thereof. The microRNA-195 may be packaged in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Moreover, the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier may includes a liposome, lipid particle or viral vector.
US08673871B2
The present disclosure describes short antisense compounds, including such compounds comprising chemically-modified high-affinity monomers 8-16 monomers in length. Certain such short antisense compound are useful for the reduction of target nucleic acids and/or proteins in cells, tissues, and animals with increased potency and improved therapeutic index. Thus, provided herein are short antisense compounds comprising high-affinity nucleotide modifications useful for reducing a target RNA in vivo. Such short antisense compounds are effective at lower doses than previously described antisense compounds, allowing for a reduction in toxicity and cost of treatment. In addition, the described short antisense compounds have greater potential for oral dosing.
US08673848B2
The invention provides a synthetic polypeptide of Formula I′: or an amide, an ester or a salt thereof, wherein X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, X9, X10, X11, X12 and X13 are defined herein. The polypeptides are agonist of the APJ receptor. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing the polypeptides of the invention, and its therapeutic uses such as treatment or prevention of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), chronic heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, Brugada syndrome, ventricular tachycardia, atherosclerosis, hypertension, restenosis, ischemic cardiovascular diseases, cardiomyopathy, cardiac fibrosis, arrhythmia, water retention, diabetes (including gestational diabetes), obesity, peripheral arterial disease, cerebrovascular accidents, transient ischemic attacks, traumatic brain injuries, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, burn injuries (including sunburn) and preeclampsia. The present invention further provides a combination of pharmacologically active agents and a pharmaceutical composition.
US08673847B2
The present invention provides peptide-based peroxidase inhibitors having the formula AA1-AA2-AA3, wherein AA1 is a positively charged, negatively charged or neutral amino acid, AA2 is a redox active amino acid, and AA3 is an amino acid possessing a reducing potential such that AA3 is capable of undergoing a redox reaction with a radical of amino acid AA2 or a retro or retro-inverso analog thereof. The result of such a combination is a highly effective inhibitor of peroxidase activity that has potent anti-inflammatory properties in widely diverse models of vascular disease and injury. Exemplary tripeptides effectively inhibit peroxidase mediated LDL oxidation, increase vasodilation in SCD mice, inhibit eosinophil infiltration and collagen deposition in asthma mice, inhibit acute lung injury, and decrease ischemic injury of the heart.
US08673846B2
A cell proliferation promoter includes, as an active ingredient, an artificially synthesized peptide that includes (A) an amino acid sequence constituting a membrane-permeable peptide and (B) an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs: 19 to 103 or an amino acid sequence formed by substituting, deleting and/or adding one or several amino acid residues in the selected amino acid sequence.
US08673841B2
The present invention relates to novel compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same, use of said compounds for the manufacture of a medicament for treatment of inter alia compromised lactation conditions as well as to a method for treatment of said conditions, wherein said compounds are administered. The compounds are represented by the general formula (I), as further defined in the specification.
US08673825B2
A drilling fluid additive, is provided, and the additive comprises: syrup solids and a liquid medium; and the sugar content of the additive is directly proportionate to the freezing point of the additive.
US08673820B2
A method of qualifying Niobium and/or other super conducting materials for the reliable fabrication of SCRF cavities, which will invariably deliver high accelerating fields including: identification of the best superconducting lower critical field (HC1) based on subjecting a sample of the superconducting material selectively to mechanical stress, annealing at various temperatures, various chemical treatments, post-chemical treatment baking/annealing; and identification of the best possible thermal conductivity of the material at said best superconducting lower critical field (HC1) to thereby qualify the superconducting material for the reliable fabrication of SCRF cavities adapted to deliver high accelerating fields.
US08673818B2
The present invention relates to novel C2-phenyl-substituted cyclic ketoenols of the formula in which W is methyl, X is alkyl, alkenyl or alkinyl, Y is hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, i-propyl, alkenyl or alkinyl, and Z is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl or alkinyl, with the proviso that at least one of X, Y, or Z represents a chain having at least two carbon atoms and with the further proviso that X is not ethyl when Z is hydrogen and Y is methyl, and CKE represents the group in which B is hydrogen, alkyl or alkoxyalkyl, A and Q1 together are optionally substituted alkanediyl or alkenediyl, Q2 is represents hydrogen or C1-C4-alkyl, and G represents hydrogen or an acyl or acyl-like group, to a plurality of processes for their preparation and to their use as pesticides and herbicides.
US08673815B2
At present, various herbicidal compositions have been developed and used, but they are not necessarily sufficient to control undesired plants such as weeds to be controlled, and a highly active herbicidal composition has been desired.A herbicidal composition comprising 1-(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl)-3-(3-trifluoromethyl-2-pyridylsulfonyl) urea or its salt and 2-(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-ylcarbamoylsulfamoyl)-N,N-dimethylnicotinamide or its salt, and a method for controlling undesired plants using it.
US08673795B2
A silicon nitride material is disclosed which has properties necessary for efficient operation of a corona discharge igniter system in an internal combustion gas engine allowing an increase in fuel efficiency of over 10%. The material is disclosed in a range of compositions, all of which exhibit high dielectric strengths, high mechanical strength, thermal shock resistance and fracture toughness, low dielectric constant and loss tangent and electrical resistivity, all of which significantly increase the efficiency of the igniter system over current state of the art alumina insulators. Moreover, the materials retain their dielectric strength and structural integrity at elevated temperatures, up to 800° C.-1000° C. One embodiment comprises a sintered silicon nitride process comprising powder batching, binder removal and sintering. In the preferred embodiment the method of manufacture for silicon nitride is an SRBSN process comprising powder batching, powder pressing, binder removal, nitriding and sintering.
US08673794B1
Solid material powders are described that include a first compound that is a non-oxide ceramic compound and a second compound that is a non-oxide, in relative amounts with respect to each other to form a eutectic mixture. The solid material has two discrete phases arranged in an interpenetrating three-dimensional microstructure. Methods for preparation of the solid materials, and shaped sintered articles from the materials, along with methods and techniques for their manufacture, are also disclosed.
US08673789B2
A method for fabricating a carbon hard mask layer includes: loading a substrate with a pattern target layer into a chamber; performing a primary thermal treatment on the substrate; depositing a carbon hard mask layer over the pattern target layer by using CxHy gas to perform the primary thermal treatment; performing a secondary thermal treatment on the substrate on which the carbon hard mask layer is deposited; and performing an oxygen treatment on the carbon hard mask layer.
US08673787B2
A method of high aspect ratio contact etching a substantially vertical contact hole in an oxide layer using a hard photoresist mask is described. The oxide layer is deposited on an underlying substrate. A plasma etching gas is formed from a carbon source gas. Dopants are mixed into the gas. The doped plasma etching gas etches a substantially vertical contact hole through the oxide layer by doping carbon chain polymers formed along the sidewalls of the contact holes during the etching process into a conductive state. The conductive state of the carbon chain polymers reduces the charge buildup along sidewalls to prevent twisting of the contact holes by bleeding off the charge and ensuring proper alignment with active area landing regions. The etching stops at the underlying substrate.
US08673784B2
The method for producing a silicon epitaxial wafer according to the present invention has: a growth step F at which an epitaxial layer is grown on a silicon single crystal substrate; a first polishing step D at which, before the growth step, at least a front surface of the silicon single crystal substrate is polished without using abrasive grains; and a second polishing step G at which at least the front surface of the silicon single crystal substrate is subjected to finish polishing after the growth step.
US08673774B2
The present invention relates to a method for forming a via in a substrate. The method includes the following steps: (a) providing a substrate; (b) forming a groove that has a side wall and a bottom wall on a first surface of the substrate; (c) forming a first conductive metal on the side wall and the bottom wall of the groove so as to form a central groove; (d) forming a center insulating material in the central groove; (e) forming an annular groove that surrounds the first conductive metal on the first surface of the substrate; (f) forming a first insulating material in the annular groove; and (g) removing part of the substrate to expose the first conductive metal, the center insulating material and the first insulating material.
US08673770B2
One method disclosed herein includes the steps of forming a ULK material layer, forming a hard mask layer above the ULK material layer, forming a patterned photoresist layer above the hard mask layer, performing at least one etching process to define an opening in at least the ULK material layer for a conductive structure to be positioned in at least the ULK material layer, forming a fill material such that it overfills the opening, performing a process operation to remove the patterned photoresist layer and to remove the fill material positioned outside of the opening, removing the fill material from within the opening and, after removing the fill material from within the opening, forming a conductive structure in the opening.
US08673763B2
An apparatus includes a device package, a first Integrated Circuit (IC) that is packaged in the device package, and a second IC, which is packaged in the device package and is fabricated on a multi-layer interconnection circuit including a plurality of interconnection layers for interconnecting components of the second IC, wherein a selected layer in the plurality is configured to serve as a conductive shield for reducing interference between the first and second ICs.
US08673758B2
A method for fabricating a metal gate includes the following steps. First, a substrate having an interfacial dielectric layer above the substrate is provided. Then, a gate trench having a barrier layer is formed in the interfacial dielectric layer. A source layer is disposed above the barrier layer. Next, a process is performed to have at least one element in the source layer move into the barrier layer. Finally, the source layer is removed and a metal layer fills up the gate trench.
US08673757B2
A method is provided that includes forming a high-k dielectric etch stop layer over at least a first conductivity type semiconductor device on a first portion of a substrate and at least a second conductivity type semiconductor device on a second portion of the semiconductor device. A first stress-inducing layer is deposited over the first conductivity type semiconductor device and the second conductivity type semiconductor device. The portion of the first stress-inducing layer that is formed over the second conductivity type semiconductor device is then removed with an etch that is selective to the high-k dielectric etch stop layer to provide an exposed surface of second portion of the substrates that includes at least the second conductivity type semiconductor device. A second stress-inducing layer is then formed over the second conductivity type semiconductor device.
US08673756B2
In one embodiment, a method of forming an out-of-plane electrode includes providing an oxide layer above an upper surface of a device layer, providing a first cap layer portion above an upper surface of the oxide layer, etching a first electrode perimeter defining trench extending through the first cap layer portion and stopping at the oxide layer, depositing a first material portion within the first electrode perimeter defining trench, depositing a second cap layer portion above the first material portion, vapor releasing a portion of the oxide layer, depositing a third cap layer portion above the second cap layer portion, etching a second electrode perimeter defining trench extending through the second cap layer portion and the third cap layer portion, and depositing a second material portion within the second electrode perimeter defining trench, such that a spacer including the first material portion and the second material portion define out-of-plane electrode.
US08673753B1
In a multi-energy ion implantation process, an ion implanting system having an ion source, an extraction assembly, and an electrode assembly is used to implant ions into a target. An ion beam having a first energy may be generated using the ion source and the extraction assembly. A first voltage may be applied across the electrode assembly. The ion beam may enter the electrode assembly at the first energy, exit the electrode assembly at a second energy, and implant ions into the target at the second energy. A second voltage may be applied across the electrode assembly. The ion beam may enter the electrode assembly at the first energy, exit the electrode assembly at a third energy, and implants ions into the target at the third energy. The third energy may be different from the second energy.
US08673746B2
The present invention includes methods directed to improved processes for producing a monolayer of sulfur on the surface of a semiconductor. As a surface layer, it functions to passivate the surface; if annealed, it provides a doping element.
US08673744B2
A disclosed wiring substrate includes an insulating layer, a recess formed on a surface of the insulating layer, and an alignment mark formed inside of the recess, wherein a face of the alignment mark is roughened, recessed from the surface of the insulating layer, and exposed from the recess.
US08673742B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a starting-point crack on a cleavage line on a surface of a semiconductor substrate; forming preliminary cracks intermittently along the cleavage line on the surface of the semiconductor substrate; and cleaving the semiconductor substrate along the cleavage line passing through the preliminary cracks, from the starting-point crack, wherein each of the preliminary cracks has a crack joining the cleavage line from outside of the cleavage line, in a direction of a progress of cleaving.
US08673741B2
Semiconductor die break strength and yield are improved with a combination of laser dicing and etching, which are followed by dicing an underlying layer of material, such as die attach film (DAF) or metal. A second laser process or a second etch process may be used for dicing of the underlying layer of material. Performing sidewall etching before cutting the underlying layer of material reduces or prevents debris on the kerf sidewalls during the sidewall etching process. A thin wafer dicing laser system may include either a single laser process head solution or a dual laser process head solution to meet throughput requirements.
US08673740B2
A method is for formation of an electrically conducting through-via within a first semiconductor support having a front face and comprising a silicon substrate. The method may include forming of a first insulating layer on top of the front face of the first semiconductor support, fabricating a handle including, within an additional rigid semiconductor support having an intermediate semiconductor layer, and forming on either side of the intermediate semiconductor layer of a porous region and of an additional insulating layer. The method may also include direct bonding of the first insulating layer and of the additional insulating layer, and thinning of the silicon substrate of the first semiconductor support so as to form a back face opposite to the front face.
US08673739B2
It is an object of the invention to provide a lightweight semiconductor device having a highly reliable sealing structure which can prevent ingress of impurities such as moisture that deteriorate element characteristics, and a method of manufacturing thereof. A protective film having superior gas barrier properties (which is a protective film that is likely to damage an element if the protective film is formed on the element directly) is previously formed on a heat-resistant substrate other than a substrate with the element formed thereon. The protective film is peeled off from the heat-resistant substrate, and transferred over the substrate with the element formed thereon so as to seal the element.
US08673738B2
Shallow trench isolation structures are provided for use with UTBB (ultra-thin body and buried oxide) semiconductor substrates, which prevent defect mechanisms from occurring, such as the formation of electrical shorts between exposed portions of silicon layers on the sidewalls of shallow trench of a UTBB substrate, in instances when trench fill material of the shallow trench is subsequently etched away and recessed below an upper surface of the UTBB substrate.
US08673733B2
Methods of transferring a layer of semiconductor material from a first donor structure to a second structure include forming a generally planar weakened zone within the first donor structure defined by implanted ions therein. At least one of a concentration of the implanted ions and an elemental composition of the implanted ions may be formed to vary laterally across the generally planar weakened zone. The first donor structure may be bonded to a second structure, and the first donor structure may be fractured along the generally planar weakened zone, leaving the layer of semiconductor material bonded to the second structure. Semiconductor devices may be fabricated by forming active device structures on the transferred layer of semiconductor material. Semiconductor structures are fabricated using the described methods.
US08673730B2
A method of manufacturing a charging capacity structure includes steps of: forming a first oxide layer, a support layer and a second oxide layer on a substrate in sequence; forming a plurality of etching holes on the surface of the second oxide layer in a matrix to run through the substrate that are spaced from each other at a selected distance; forming a plurality of pillar layers in the etching holes; removing the second oxide layer by etching; forming an etching protection layer on the surfaces of the support layer and pillar tubes that is formed at a thickness one half of the spaced distance between the etching holes such that the pillar tubes at diagonal locations form a self-calibration hole; and finally removing the first oxide layer from the self-calibration hole by etching. Through the self-calibration hole, the invention needn't to provide extra photoresists to form holes.
US08673729B1
A method of forming a strap connection structure for connecting an embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) to a transistor comprises forming a buried oxide layer in a substrate, the buried oxide layer defining an SOI layer on a surface of the substrate; forming a deep trench through the SOI layer and the buried oxide layer in the substrate; forming a storage capacitor in a lower portion of the deep trench; conformally doping a sidewall of an upper portion of the deep trench; depositing a metal strap on the conformally doped sidewall and on the storage capacitor; forming at least one fin in the SOI layer, the fin being in communication with the metal strap; forming a spacer over the metal strap and over a juncture of the fin and the metal strap; and depositing a passive word line on the spacer.
US08673728B2
Electron mobility and hole mobility is improved in long channel semiconductor devices and resistors by employing complementary stress liners. Embodiments include forming a long channel semiconductor device on a substrate, and forming a complementary stress liner on the semiconductor device. Embodiments include forming a resistor on a substrate, and tuning the resistance of the resistor by forming a complementary stress liner on the resistor. Compressive stress liners are employed for improving electron mobility in n-type devices, and tensile stress liners are employed for improving hole mobility in p-type devices.
US08673719B2
A semiconductor nanowire is formed integrally with a wraparound semiconductor portion that contacts sidewalls of a conductive cap structure located at an upper portion of a deep trench and contacting an inner electrode of a deep trench capacitor. The semiconductor nanowire is suspended from above a buried insulator layer. A gate dielectric layer is formed on the surfaces of the patterned semiconductor material structure including the semiconductor nanowire and the wraparound semiconductor portion. A wraparound gate electrode portion is formed around a center portion of the semiconductor nanowire and gate spacers are formed. Physically exposed portions of the patterned semiconductor material structure are removed, and selective epitaxy and metallization are performed to connect a source-side end of the semiconductor nanowire to the conductive cap structure.
US08673718B2
One method involves providing a substrate comprised of first and second semiconductor materials, performing an etching process through a hard mask layer to define a plurality of trenches that define first and second portions of a fin for a FinFET device, wherein the first portion is the first material and the second portion is the second material, forming a layer of insulating material in the trenches, performing a planarization process on the insulating material, performing etching processes to remove the hard mask layer and reduce a thickness of the second portion, thereby defining a cavity, performing a deposition process to form a third portion of the fin on the second portion, wherein the third portion is a third semiconducting material that is different from the second material, and performing a process such that a post-etch upper surface of the insulating material is below an upper surface of the third portion.
US08673713B2
A non-conformal metal silicide in a transistor of recessed drain and source configuration may provide enhanced efficiency with respect to strain-inducing mechanisms, drain/source resistance and the like. For this purpose, in some cases, an amorphizing implantation process may be performed prior to the silicidation process, while in other cases an anisotropic deposition of the refractory metal may be used.
US08673708B2
A method includes providing a silicon-on-insulator wafer (e.g., an ETSOI wafer); forming a sacrificial gate structure that overlies a sacrificial insulator layer; forming raised source/drains adjacent to the sacrificial gate structure; depositing a layer that covers the raised source/drains and that surrounds the sacrificial gate structure; and removing the sacrificial gate structure leaving an opening that extends to the sacrificial insulator layer. The method further includes widening the opening so as to expose some of the raised source/drains, removing the sacrificial insulator layer and forming a spacer layer on sidewalls of the opening, the spacer layer covering only an upper portion of the exposed raised source/drains, and depositing a layer of gate dielectric material within the opening. A gate conductor is deposited within the opening.
US08673705B2
[Object] To provide a method of producing a thin film transistor superior in productivity and capable of preventing variation in transistor characteristics among devices from occurring to improve carrier mobility, and a thin film transistor.[Solving Means] In a method of producing a thin-film transistor according to the present invention, a solid-state green laser is irradiated onto a channel portion of an amorphous silicon film using a source electrode film and a drain electrode film as masks, thereby improving mobility. Since the channel portion of the amorphous silicon film is crystallized by the irradiation of the solid-state green laser, laser oscillation characteristics can be more stable than in a conventional method that uses an excimer laser. Further, laser irradiation onto a large-size substrate at uniform output characteristics in plane becomes possible, with the result that a variation in crystallinity of channel portions among devices can be avoided. Moreover, since a maintenance cycle of a laser oscillator becomes longer, a downtime cost of the apparatus can be reduced and productivity can be improved.
US08673704B2
A FinFET and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The FinFET comprises an etching stop layer on a semiconductor substrate; a semiconductor fin on the etching stop layer; a gate conductor extending in a direction perpendicular to a length direction of the semiconductor fin and covering at least two side surfaces of the semiconductor fin; a gate dielectric layer between the gate conductor and the semiconductor fin; a source region and a drain region which are provided at two ends of the semiconductor fin respectively; and an interlayer insulating layer adjoining the etching stop layer below the gate dielectric layer, and separating the gate conductor from the etching stop layer and the semiconductor fin. A height of the fin of the FinFET is approximately equal to a thickness of a semiconductor layer for forming the semiconductor fin.
US08673702B2
A display device and method for fabricating includes patterning a field shield dielectric layer to expose conductors and form a cavity over the conductors. InkJet printing a semiconductor material fills a portion of the cavity in contact with the conductors. An insulation material is deposited on the semiconductor material. A pixel pad is formed over the insulation material and the field shield dielectric layer. A pixel is formed which includes a thin film transistor with an ink jet printed semiconductor layer.
US08673701B2
The present application discloses a semiconductor structure and method for manufacturing the same. The semiconductor structure comprises: an SOI substrate and a MOSFET formed on the SOI substrate, wherein the SOI substrate comprises, in a top-down fashion, an SOI layer, a first buried insulator layer, a buried semiconductor layer, a second buried insulator layer, and a semiconductor substrate, the buried semiconductor layer including a backgate region including a portion of the buried semiconductor layer doped with a dopant of a first polarity; the MOSFET comprises a gate stack and source/drain regions, the gate stack being formed on the SOI layer, and the source/drain regions being formed in the SOI layer at opposite sides of the gate stack; and the backgate region includes a counter-doped region, the counter-doped region is self-aligned with the gate stack and includes a dopant of a second polarity, and the second polarity is opposite to the first polarity. The embodiment of the present disclosure can be used for adjusting a threshold voltage of a MOSFET.
US08673686B2
An embodiment of the present invention provides a manufacturing method of a chip package structure including: providing a first substrate having a plurality of predetermined scribe lines defining a plurality of device regions; bonding a second substrate to the first substrate, wherein a spacing layer is disposed therebetween and has a plurality of chip support rings located in the device regions respectively, a cutting support structure located on peripheries of the chip support rings, a plurality of stop rings surrounding the chip support rings respectively, wherein a gap pattern separating the stop rings from the cutting support structure and the chip support rings; and cutting the first substrate and the second substrate to form a plurality of chip packages. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a chip package structure.
US08673681B2
The invention provides a method of making an electrical device, particularly a semiconductor device, having a substrate and etched electrodes formed on the substrate. The method employs flexography to print a resist pattern (7) onto a substrate (5) carrying a metal layer (8). Metal not protected by the resist can be etched away and then the resist (7) removed to leave exposed electrodes. Further materials (10, 11) can be disposed onto the exposed metal, such as organic semiconductors, to form transistors or diodes.
US08673672B2
In the present invention, copper(I) selenide (Cu2-xSe) nanoparticles are fabricated by pyrolysis in an inert atmosphere. Uniformly dispersed Cu2-xSe particles are synthesized by altering Cu/Se ratio, the concentration of Se Precursors (TOP Se), reaction time and temperature. Analysis by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) of said Cu2-xSe nanoparticles reveals that the composition of the nanoparticles is Cu 1.95Se, wherein x=0.05. In addition, Cu2-xSe is dissolved in ethanol to deposit thin films by electrophoretical deposition (EPD) in an inert atmosphere, wherein a positive electrode and a negative electrode are employed. The positive electrode is made of stainless steel plate and the negative electrode is made of indium tin oxide on a glass substrate. Investigations on properties and surface morphology thereof in different electrophoretical conditions are carried out. The rate of EPD is found to significantly influence the quality of thin films.
US08673641B2
A measuring method of chromium-free coating film thickness on surface of strip steel comprising selecting two water-soluble chemical substances containing elements P, Ca, Ti, Ba or Sr and not reacting with a chromium-free coating liquid; adding the chemical substances into the chromium-free coating liquid and agitating them to be homogeneous, thereafter, fabricating a reference sample of coating film; using a ray emitted by an off-line film thickness instrument to excite the two water-soluble chemical substances so as to obtain characteristic spectrums to obtain a correction function expression between the measured film thickness and the thickness correction value by fitting; adding the water-soluble chemical substance which has a weak characteristic spectrum into a chromium-free coating liquid, and using the expression to obtain the actual coating film thickness. The method is capable to monitor film thickness with no adverse effect on adhesiveness and corrosion-proof of the coating film.
US08673640B2
A porous scaffold having pores for seeding cells characterized in that, in the outer peripheral face of the porous main body having the pores for seeding cells, a porous membrane having pores smaller than the cells is located. Thus, it is possible to provide a porous scaffold whereby the cells can be seeded at a high efficiency while preventing cell leakage and, moreover, even cells having little adhesiveness can be adhered.
US08673624B2
The present invention relates to a calibratable sensor unit for a reaction vessel, such as for example a fermenter (48), in particular a disposable fermenter, comprising at least one sensor device (14) to be calibrated and at least one compartment (26, 28, 30) containing a calibrating agent, the at least one sensor device and the at least one compartment (26, 28, 30) being accommodated movably relative to one another in a housing (12) that is connected to or can be connected to the reaction vessel (48), wherein the calibrating unit (10) is arranged to calibrate the at least one sensor device (14) by contact with the calibrating agent before chemical and/or physical parameters of a measurement substance are measured with the at least one sensor device (14). According to the invention it is proposed that the sensor device (10) is configured in such a way that the relative movement between the at least one sensor device (14) and the at least one compartment (26, 28, 30) can be carried out irreversibly.
US08673623B2
An apparatus for performing magnetic electroporation is disclosed. A required electric field for electroporation is generated using a pulsed magnetic field through a closed magnetic yoke, such as a toroid, placed in a flow path of a fluid medium to be processed. The fluid medium flows through the orifice of the magnetic yoke, with the fluid medium flowing through and around the yoke. The required power to send a maximum flux through the magnetic yoke is less than the required power in a conventional apparatus for performing electroporation.
US08673617B2
The invention relates to a culture medium for Haemophilus influenzae type b, characterized in that the source of protein nitrogen is of non-animal origin and comprises at least one plant peptone and in that the heme source consists of protoporphyrin IX. This medium serves in particular for the production of polyribosyl phosphate (PRP) and for the manufacture of a vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis.
US08673613B2
The present invention encompasses methods of producing influenza B viruses in cell culture. The influenza B viruses may have desirable characteristics, such as enhanced replication in eggs and may be used, for example, in vaccines and in methods of treatment to protect against influenza B virus infection.
US08673608B2
The present invention has objects to provide a glucan useful as water-soluble dietary fiber, its preparation and uses. The present invention solves the above objects by providing a branched α-glucan, which is constructed by glucose molecules and characterized by methylation analysis as follows: (1) Ratio of 2,3,6-trimethyl-1,4,5-triacetyl-glucitol to 2,3,4-trimethyl-1,5,6-triacetyl-glucitol is in the range of 1:0.6 to 1:4; (2) Total content of 2,3,6-trimethyl-1,4,5-triacetyl-glucitol and 2,3,4-trimethyl-1,5,6-triacetyl-glucitol is 60% or higher in the partially methylated glucitol acetates; (3) Content of 2,4,6-trimethyl-1,3,5-triacetyl-glucitol is 0.5% or higher but less than 10% in the partially methylated glucitol acetates; and (4) Content of 2,4-dimethyl-1,3,5,6-tetraacetyl-glucitol is 0.5% or higher in the partially methylated glucitol acetates; a novel α-glucosyltransferase which forms the branched α-glucan, processes for producing them, and their uses.
US08673599B2
The invention relates to a method for preparing 6-aminocaproic acid (hereinafter also referred to as ‘6-ACA’) using a biocatalyst. The invention further relates to a method for preparing e-caprolactam (hereafter referred to as ‘caprolactam’) by cyclising such 6-ACA. The invention further relates to a host cell, a micro-organism, or a polynucleotide which may be used in the preparation of 6-ACA or caprolactam.
US08673592B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a monoclonal antibody which is useful for treating or diagnosing a disease relating to system ASC amino acid transporter 2 (ASCT2) or a method using the antibody. The present invention provides a monoclonal antibody which specifically recognizes a native three-dimensional structure of an extracellular region of system ASC amino acid transporter 2 (ASCT2) and binds to the extracellular region, or an antibody fragment thereof; a hybridoma which produces the antibody; a DNA which encodes the antibody; a vector which contains the DNA; a transformant obtainable by introducing the vector; a process for producing an antibody or an antibody fragment thereof using the hybridoma or the transformant; and a therapeutic agent using the antibody or the antibody fragment thereof, and a diagnostic agent using the antibody or the antibody fragment thereof.
US08673583B2
Described herein are monoclonal antibodies and methods useful for determining and quantitating the presence of AAD-1 (aryloxyalkanoate dioxygenase) enzyme. These monoclonal antibodies are surprisingly well suited for detecting AAD-1 transgenic event gene products in a variety of plants and plant tissues. The invention further provides quantitative and qualitative immunoassays using the immunoglobulins of the invention.
US08673575B2
The invention relates to medicine, in particular to a method for carrying out a preliminary instant diagnosis of oncologic diseases. The method involves sampling a patient's blood, mixing the sample with a reagent and recording reaction results. A supernatant liquid, which is produced by cultivating the finite cell line of a porcine embryo kidney culture in anaerobic conditions, is used as a reagent. The presence of oncologic disease is determined according to a positive reaction of erythrocytes and a negative or positive reaction of a citrated blood with the reagent. The inventive method makes it possible to make a preliminary conclusion about the presence of oncologic disease within a short time.
US08673565B2
The invention provides diagnostic and therapeutic targets for pulmonary disease, in particular, fibrotic lung disease. The inventors have found that a genetic variant MUC5B gene is associated with increased expression of the gene, increased risk of developing a pulmonary disease, and an improved prognosis and survival among those developing the pulmonary disease.
US08673550B2
Provided herein are Mycobacterium smegmatis porin nanopores, systems that comprise these nanopores, and methods of using and making these nanopores. Such nanopores may be wild-type MspA porins, mutant MspA porins, wild-type MspA paralog porins, wild-type MspA homolog porins, mutant MspA paralog porins, mutant MspA homolog porins, or single-chain Msp porins. Also provided are bacterial strains capable of inducible Msp porin expression.
US08673529B2
The present invention relates to a magnetic carrier for an electrophotographic developer comprising spherical composite particles comprising spherical composite core particles comprising at least ferromagnetic iron oxide fine particles and a cured phenol resin and having an average particle diameter of 1 to 100 μm, and a melamine resin coating layer formed on the respective core particles, wherein a ratio of R100 to R300 (R100/R300) in which R100 is an electric resistance value as measured when applying a voltage of 100 V to the magnetic carrier; and R300 is an electric resistance value as measured when applying a voltage of 300 V to the magnetic carrier, is controlled to lie within the range of 1 to 50. The magnetic carrier according to the present invention is capable of maintaining an adequate electric resistance value upon development, providing images having an excellent image quality, exhibiting a good durability, obtaining a good reproducibility of uniform solid image portions having a high image density, and keeping high quality images having an excellent gradation for a long period of time.
US08673526B2
Provided is an electrophotographic photoreceptor including a substrate and an outermost layer containing a cured film of a composition containing a compound having a chain polymerizable functional group and a charge transporting skeleton in the same molecule, and at least one chain transfer agent selected from a compound having 4 or more primary thiol groups and a compound having 2 or more secondary thiol groups.
US08673523B2
An image holding member for an image forming apparatus includes: a substrate; and a photosensitive layer on the substrate, the photosensitive layer containing a compound including a partial structure represented by the following Formula (II-2) wherein in Formula (II-2), Ar represents a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon group having from 2 to 10 aromatic rings, a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent condensed aromatic hydrocarbon group having from 2 to 10 aromatic rings, or a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent aromatic heterocyclic group; q represents 0 or 1; and n's each independently represent an integer of from 0 to 7.
US08673517B2
To provide a polymer electrolyte membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cells having high mechanical strength and excellent dimensional stability when it contains water even when it is made thin and the concentration of ionic groups is increased so as to reduce the electrical resistance, and a membrane/electrode assembly providing high output and having excellent durability.
US08673511B2
A sodium chloride electrolysis cell (9) receives a portion of its electrical power (47, 48: 50, 51) from a phosphoric acid fuel cell (44) which receives fuel at its anode inlet (43) from a water cooled catalytic reactor (26) that converts oxygen in the byproduct output (19) of the sodium chlorate electrolysis cell to hydrogen and water. A utility grid (53) may provide through a converter (55) power to support the electrochemical process in the sodium chlorate electrolysis cell. Temperature of the water cooled catalytic reactor is determined by the vaporization of pressurized hot water, the pressure of which may be adjusted by a controller (36) and a valve (38) in response to temperature (40).
US08673506B2
A non-aqueous electrolyte includes (i) a cyclic anhydride; (ii) an electrolyte solvent containing carbonate and linear saturated ester; and (iii) an electrolyte salt. Since the linear saturated ester and cyclic anhydride are used in mixture as components of an electrolyte, it is possible to minimize problems caused by using either of the linear saturated ester or cyclic anhydride and to improve life cycle performance of the secondary battery and charging/discharging characteristics at room temperature or a high temperature.
US08673500B2
According to one embodiment, an active material for batteries includes monoclinic β-type titanium composite oxide having a crystallite, wherein the monoclinic β-type titanium composite oxide has a first diameter of the crystallite calculated from a peak present at an angle 2θ of 48 to 49° and a second diameter of the crystallite calculated from a peak present at an angle 2θ of 24 to 26°, by the wide-angle X-ray diffraction method using an X-ray source CuKα ray, the first diameter of the crystallite is defined as X and the second diameter of the crystallite is defined as Y, X is larger than Y.
US08673489B2
An object of the invention is to provide a nonaqueous electrolytic solution which is capable of bringing about a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery improved in initial charge capacity, input/output characteristics, and impedance characteristics. The invention relates to a nonaqueous electrolytic solution which comprises: a nonaqueous solvent; LiPF6; and a specific fluorosulfonic acid salt, and to a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery containing the nonaqueous electrolytic solution.
US08673487B2
The invention relates to a rechargeable battery pack. Particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a rechargeable battery pack for a battery powered appliance such as a hand held vacuum cleaner. The rechargeable battery pack includes at least one power interface for transferring power from the battery pack to an appliance during use and a single charger input terminal to which an output terminal of a battery charger is connectable during use for charging the battery pack, wherein the single charger input terminal is connectable to the output terminal of a battery charger when the battery pack is connected to an appliance and when the battery pack is not connected to an appliance.
US08673463B2
The present invention relates to a method of synthesizing an ordered magnetic alloy comprising obtaining a substrate and performing sequential sputter deposition of multiple atomic monolayers of the magnetic alloy.
US08673459B2
An object is to provide a light-emitting element with high emission efficiency which includes a novel carbazole derivative that has a wide energy gap and can be used for a transport layer or a host material in a light-emitting element. A carbazole derivative in which the 4-position of dibenzothiophene or dibenzofuran is bonded to the 2- or 3-position of carbazole has been able to be provided by use of the carbazole derivative. Further, a light-emitting element having high emission efficiency has been able to be provided by use of the carbazole derivative.
US08673438B2
A solid electrolyte and a piezoelectric material are incorporated into composite shaped articles to provide them with self-healing and adaptive qualities. The piezoelectric constituent converts the mechanical energy concentrated in critical areas into electrical energy which, in turn, guides and drives electrolytic transport of mass within the solid electrolyte towards, and its electrodeposition at critical areas to render self-healing and adaptive effects.
US08673435B2
A coated cBN sintered body tool has improved wear resistance and fracture resistance. The coated cBN sintered body tool has a substrate of a cBN sintered body and a coating layer coated on the surface thereof. The cBN sintered body includes 73 to 84% by volume of cBN and 16 to 27% by volume of a binder phase and inevitable impurities. An average grain size of the cBN is 1.5 to 4.0 μm; an average value of the thickness of the binder phase is 0.05 to 0.5 μm; and a standard deviation of the thickness of the binder phase is 0.5 μm or less. The coating layer includes an upper layer of Ti(CxN(1−x)), an intermediate layer including a metal, a lower layer including an alternately laminated layer of (Ti(1−y)Siy)N thin layers and (Al(1−z)Crz)N thin layers, and an undermost layer of (Al(1−a)Cra)N.
US08673434B2
The invention concerns a cutting tool comprising a main body and a multi-layer coating applied thereto. To provide improved cutting tools which have increased resistance to comb cracking, tribochemical wear and cratering caused thereby the main body comprises a hard metal which includes 5 to 8% by weight of Co, 0 to 2% by weight of TaC, 0 to 1% by weight of NbC and 89 to 95% by weight of WC with a mean grain size of 1 to 5 μm, and the coating has a first layer of TiAlN having a layer thickness of 1 to 5 μm, and a second layer of aluminum oxide having a layer thickness of 1 to 4 μm, wherein the coating further additionally includes on the second layer of aluminum oxide n alternately mutually superposedly applied layers of TiAlN and layers of aluminum oxide respectively having a layer thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 μm, wherein n relates to each individual layer and is an even number of 0 to 10, and wherein the total layer thickness of the coating is 2 to 16 μm and the coating is produced in the PVD process.
US08673433B2
A load-pulling system includes a least one belt to which a tensile load is applied. The belt is formed of a matrix and a load-bearing fiber structure embedded in the matrix and having a plurality of fibers. The belt is guided around a least one deflection device in such a way that it forms a curved section in the region of the deflection device. A dimensioning of the belt and the applied tensile load are matched to each other in such a way that, in the curved section of the belt, a zero stress line of the belt is displaced radially inward in the direction of curvature with respect to a center line of the load-bearing fiber structure by an amount of at least 25% of the thickness of the load-bearing fiber structure.
US08673432B2
An aliphatic polyester-based sheet including at least Layer A including an aliphatic polyester, wherein XA of the Layer A is 3-60% and the Layer A contains a crystal nucleating agent and a compound having hydrogen bonding properties with the crystal nucleating agent, and haze of the entire sheet is less than 10%.
US08673431B2
An ink set for forming a multilayer of the present invention includes a group of coloring ink compositions which include a yellow, a magenta, a cyan and a black ink composition, and a clear ink composition, wherein each of the coloring ink compositions contain a (component A) radical polymerizable compound, a (component B) radical polymerization initiator and a (component D) coloring agent, and the component A contains a (component A-1) N-vinyl compound and a (component A-2) specific ethylenic unsaturated compound (CTFA), the clear ink composition contains a (component A) radical polymerizable compound, a (component B) acylphosphine oxide-based photoinitiator and a (component C) surfactant, and the relation of 0.1≦(Y/X)<1 is satisfied when the content of the radical polymerization initiator in the clear ink composition is X, the content of the radical polymerization initiator in the magenta ink composition is Y.
US08673428B2
An engraved plate which includes a substrate and an insulating layer on a surface of the substrate wherein a concave portion which increases in width toward an opening and to which the substrate is exposed is formed at the insulating layer, and an engraved plate, a substrate with conductor layer pattern manufactured by a transferring method using the engraved plate, and a conductor layer pattern are provided.
US08673426B2
Provided are a driver circuit which suppresses damage of a semiconductor element due to ESD in a manufacturing process, a method of manufacturing the driver circuit. Further provided are a driver circuit provided with a protection circuit with low leakage current, and a method of manufacturing the driver circuit. By providing a protection circuit in a driver circuit to be electrically connected to a semiconductor element in the driver circuit, and by forming, at the same time, a transistor which serves as the semiconductor element in the driver circuit and a transistor included in the protection circuit in the driver circuit, damage of the semiconductor element due to ESD is suppressed in the process of manufacturing the driver circuit. Further, by using an oxide semiconductor film for the transistor included in the protection circuit in the driver circuit, leakage current in the protection circuit is reduced.
US08673425B2
A touch panel includes a substrate, a transparent conductive layer, a conductive decoration pad, a decoration layer and an opaque conductive layer. The transparent conductive layer is disposed on the substrate, and the conductive decoration pad is disposed on the transparent conductive layer. The decoration layer is disposed on the conductive decoration pad and the transparent conductive layer, and has an opening located on the conductive decoration pad. The opaque conductive layer is disposed on the decoration layer and electrically connected with the transparent conductive layer through the opening and the conductive decoration pad.
US08673423B2
A foaming composition for filling contains a polymer, an organic peroxide, and azodicarbonamide, and a viscosity thereof measured at a temperature of 120° C. and under a pressure of 500 MPa with a flow tester is in a range of 1050 to 4950 Pa·s.
US08673419B2
An adhesive tape that is stretch releasable, articles that contain the adhesive tape, and uses of the adhesive tape are disclosed. The adhesive tapes include a backing layer that is adjacent to at least one pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The backing layer typically is optically clear and includes a poly(alkylene)copolymer. The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is a silicone-based adhesive composition. In many embodiments, the adhesive tape is optically clear.
US08673417B2
A hose for gasohol fuel including an inner layer containing at least one selected from (A) to (D) below and an alcohol-cut off layer including a rubber composition containing a butyl rubber, a hydrated hydrotalcite compound, and a 1,8-diazabicyclo(5,4,0)undecene-7 salt (DBU salt): (A) a tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene-vinylidene fluoride terpolymer or a tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene-vinylidene fluoride-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether tetrapolymer; (B) a polyamide resin; (C) a fluororubber; and (D) NBR or NBR-PVC.
US08673412B2
Provided is an adhesive composition for polarizing plates, which is used for adhering polarizing plates, and which exhibits excellent durability even under high-temperature and high-moisture conditions, and which minimizes the occurrence of white streaks. Also provided are a polarizing plate with adhesive and liquid crystal display device using said adhesive composition. The adhesive composition for polarizing plates contains the following: (A) carboxyl group [CG]-containing (meth)acrylic copolymer [MACP] using 1.5 to 3 wt % CG-containing (meth)acrylic monomer [MAM] and 97 to 98.5% MAM not having a reactive functional group; (B) CG- and hydroxyl group [HG]-containing MACP using 0.5 to 3 wt % CG-containing MAM, 0.3 to 1 wt % HG-containing MAM, and 96 to 99.2 wt % MAM not having a reactive functional group; (C) toluene diisocyanate-type isocyanate compound; and (D) a silane coupling agent. The respective weight average molecular weight of (A) and (B) fall within the range of 950,000 to 1,050,000, the weight ratio of (A)/(B) falls within the range of 70/30 to 90/10, and (C) is contained in a ratio of 10 to 20 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the total weight of MACP.
US08673403B2
Provided is a method of forming a fine pattern of a polymer thin film using a phenomenon that another material having a large difference in surface energy in comparison with a polymer thin film pattern is dewetted on the polymer thin film pattern. Two polymer materials having a large difference in surface energy can be applied to readily and conveniently form a fine pattern of a polymer thin film of micrometer or sub-micrometer grade.
US08673398B2
A method for treating a substrate is described. In accordance with one aspect, the method includes applying a polymer coating to a substrate, and bringing the polymer coating into contact with a heated surface in a pressure nip while the coating is still in a wet state. Optionally the polymer coating may include a crosslinkable material, and a crosslinking agent may be used to promote crosslinking. The polymer coating replicates the heated surface. A product produced in accordance with the described method is also disclosed. The product is characterized by having subsurface voids within the coating.
US08673395B2
A disclosed film deposition apparatus includes a turntable including a substrate receiving area; a first reaction gas supplier for supplying a first reaction gas to a surface of the turntable having the substrate receiving area; a second reaction gas supplier, arranged away from the first reaction gas supplier along a circumferential direction of the turntable, for supplying a second reaction gas to the surface; a separation area located along the circumferential direction between a first process area of the first reaction gas and a second process area of the second reaction gas; a separation gas supplier for supplying a first separation gas to both sides of the separation area; a first heating unit for heating the first separation gas to the separation gas supplier; an evacuation opening for evacuating the gases supplied to the turntable; and a driver for rotating the turntable in the circumferential direction.
US08673393B2
Methods are provided for vapor deposition coating of hydrophobic materials and applications thereof. The method for making a hydrophobic material includes providing a natural mineral, providing a silicone-based material, heating the silicone-based material to release vaporous molecules of the silicone-based material, and depositing the vaporous molecules of the silicone-based material to form a layer of the silicone-based material on surfaces of the natural mineral.
US08673391B2
A method of manufacturing a circuit board is described herein. The method may include adding a resin, forming first and second fiberglass fibers, and forming first and second signal line traces capable of transmitting electrical signals. In some examples, a ratio between fiberglass and resin material near the first signal line trace is similar to a ratio between fiberglass and resin material near the second signal line trace. In some examples, the first and second fiberglass fibers diagonally cross near the first and second signal line traces. In some examples, the first and second fiberglass fibers cross near the first and second signal line traces in a zig-zag pattern.
US08673389B2
A method and apparatus for controlling a vapor deposition based coating process, including monitoring ultrafine particles, and adjusting at least one process parameter based on the monitoring. During at least one stage of the coating deposition process, at least one of the coating precursors includes a gas, a vapor, or an aerosol.
US08673381B2
A free flowing vegetable powder comprises an intimate mixture of at least three different dehydrated vegetables including: 5-60% of onion by weight of vegetable dry matter; 20-90% by weight of vegetable dry matter of moderately colored vegetable selected from the group consisting of vegetables belonging to the genus Cucurbita, vegetables belonging to the genus Oleracea, sweet corn, sweet potato, green bean, edamame, celery and combinations thereof; and 5-75% by weight of vegetable dry matter of intensely colored vegetable selected from the group consisting of tomato, red bell pepper, red beet, radicchio, swiss chard, rhubarb, peppers, yam, Adzuki beans, carrot, green pea, green bell pepper, asparagus, spinach, Brussels sprouts, kale, egg plant and combinations thereof. The vegetable powder according to the present invention can advantageously be employed in fabricated savory snacks to deliver nutritional benefit, a considerable vegetable serving size, color and taste.
US08673379B2
Apparatuses, methods and systems for liquid flow control and beverage preparation are disclosed. The apparatuses, methods and systems of the present invention include liquid flow control and beverage preparation capsules, pods, cartridges, pouches, systems, and modules for controlling and directing flow streams of liquid through a beverage preparation process. The apparatuses, methods and systems of the present invention may be used in combination with or included as an integral assembly of any apparatus, method or system for liquid dispension.
US08673377B2
The present invention provides a novel method for extending mold-free shelf life and for improving the flavor of baked goods by applying live yeast on the surface of the baked good after baking and cooling before packaging the baked good in closed bags and storing the packaged baked goods at ambient temperature. This method can be used for all kinds of baked goods including breads, rolls, bagels, pizza crusts, wheat flour tortillas, croissants, cakes, muffins, donuts and pita breads. This method can also be used to produce baked goods containing live probiotic yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii ).
US08673376B2
A composition including a strawberry-derived polyphenol highly effective for oral administration or external use. A composition for oral administration or external use is obtained by subjecting a hot water extract of strawberry to adsorption chromatography using an aromatic synthetic absorbent, removing the fractions passing through the column and fractions eluted with water, and then eluting with a 5 to 60% aqueous ethanol solution.
US08673367B2
A new composite comprises (a) 10.1-99.9% by weight of elemental Ag and (b) 0.1-89.9% by weight of ZnO, wherein the sum of (a) and (b) makes 90% or more by weight of the composite and wherein the elemental Ag has a primary particle size of 10-200 nm and/or the ZnO has a primary particle size of 0.1 to below 50 μm and/or the composite has a particle size distribution of 0.1-50 μm and/or a BET surface area of 10-100 m2/g. The novel composite may be obtained by the steps (i) mixing a first mixture of at least one Ag-salt with a second mixture of at least one Zn-salt thereby forming a third mixture of Ag- and Zn-salts, (ii) adding the third mixture to a mixture of a carbonate source, (iii) co-precipitating of the Ag- and Zn-carbonates formed in step (ii), (iv) washing of the Ag- and Zn-carbonates and (v) thermal decompositing of the Ag- and Zn-carbonates. The novel composites are useful to impart antimicrobial properties to surfaces, articles or bulk compositions, especially to membrane systems for gas- or water separation.
US08673365B2
A neutral pH aqueous ready-to-use cleaning and disinfectant compositions include hydrogen peroxide as an active disinfecting constituent including a C1-C6 monohydric alcohol, and a surfactant or surfactant mixture. Methods of cleaning and disinfecting surfaces are also disclosed.
US08673362B2
The present invention relates to a composition and uses thereof for treatment of damaged tissue comprising at least one essential amino acid in L form and at least one essential lipid; wherein the composition is administered to a mammal suffering from severe tissue damage. The invention further relates to a composition and uses thereof comprising the mixture of one or more free L-amino acids in which the molar ratio of the free L-amino acids corresponds to the molar ratio of amino components in a mammalian tissue protein; and at least one essential lipid.
US08673353B2
The present invention provides a tablet having improved dissolution property, which comprises (+)-3-{1-[3-(trifluoromethoxy)benzyl]piperidin-4-yl}-4-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinazolinone or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as an active component, and a production method thereof.A film-coated tablet obtained by mixing granulated particles obtained by granulating a mixture containing (a) the aforementioned active component, (b) one or more kinds of fillers selected from lactose, D-mannitol, erythritol and crystalline cellulose, (c) a cellulose-based disintegrant and (d) a water-soluble binder with a later powder containing (e) one or more kinds of fillers selected from lactose, D-mannitol and crystalline cellulose and/or (f) a cellulose-based disintegrant, forming the mixture, and applying film coating. A production method of a film-coated tablet, including a step of producing the granulated particles, a step of producing a tablet by mixing with the later powder and forming the mixture, and a step of applying a film coating to the obtained tablet.
US08673340B2
A scleral lens is provided with a sodium channel blocker or a sodium channel modulator disposed in the pre-corneal tear film between the scleral lens and the cornea. This system can be used to deliver sodium channel blockers or a sodium channel modulators not currently used because of poor bioavailability. Methods of using this sodium channel blocker delivery system or a sodium channel modulator delivery system are also disclosed.
US08673336B2
An implantable drug delivery device loaded with a beneficial agent is provided, wherein the beneficial agent is in two different forms, a first form having a higher solubility and a second form having a lower solubility, and wherein the two different forms are present in a proportion which is selected to achieve a desired release rate.
US08673333B2
Functionalized chondroitin sulfate, cross-linked polymer matrices comprising functionalized chondroitin sulfate, and methods of making and using the same are provided. Such polymer matrices may be used for tissue engineering, reconstructing cartilage, and the like. Kits are also provided for detection of cartilage degrading enzymes.
US08673330B2
Insecticidal compositions suitable for use in preparation of insecticidal granular fertilizer and insecticidal formulations comprising a pyrethroid and a glycol present in a concentration of from 40.0% by weight to 99.0% by weight based upon the total weight of all components in the composition is disclosed.
US08673329B2
Provided is an oil-in-water emulsified cosmetic composition having a high UV-protective effect and also having an excellent long-term stability and an excellent feeling upon application. The oil-in-water emulsified cosmetic composition is characterized by containing a zinc oxide powder (A) having an average particle diameter of 0.1 to 1 μm, an average particle thickness of 0.01 to 0.2 μm, and an average aspect ratio of 3 or more and a polymer (B) selected from the group consisting of a polyacrylamide compound, a polyacrylic acid, and salts thereof.
US08673318B2
The present invention relates to a method for the cultivation of primary cells. The primary cells are cultivated in a serum free medium comprising a factor selected from the group consisting of growth factors and attachment factors. The method for the cultivation of primary cells may be one step in a method for the amplification of viruses, such as poxviruses. According to this latter method the primary cells are cultivated in a serum free medium comprising a factor selected from the group consisting of growth factors and attachment factors. The cells are then infected with the virus and the infected cells are cultivated in serum free medium until progeny virus is produced.
US08673317B2
The invention relates to plasmids operably encoding HCMV antigens, in which the naturally-occurring coding regions for the HCMV antigens have been modified for improved translation in human or other mammalian cells through codon optimization. HCMV antigens, which are useful in the invention include, but are not limited to pp65, glycoprotein B (gB), IE1, and fragments, variants or derivatives of any of these antigens. In certain embodiments, sequences have been deleted, e.g., the Arg435-Lys438 putative kinase in pp65 and the membrane anchor and endocellular domains in gB. The invention is further directed to methods of inducing an immune response to HCMV in a mammal, for example, a human, comprising delivering a plasmid encoding a codon-optimized HCMV antigen as described above. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising plasmids encoding a codon-optimized HCMV antigen as described above, and further comprising adjuvants, excipients, or immune modulators.
US08673298B2
Compositions of proteins having free thiols, and methods of making and using such compositions, are described.
US08673294B2
An immunoisolation patch system, and particularly a patch system comprising multiple immunoisolation microcapsules, each encapsulating biological material such as cells for transplantation, which can be used in the prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of disease in large animals and humans without the need for immunosuppression.
US08673283B2
A cosmetic composition containing at least one block copolymer having at least one hard segment and at least one soft segment, at least one tackifier component, a solvent mixture, and optionally, at least one colorant, and wherein the at least one hard segment has a Tg value of 50° C. or more, the at least one soft segment has a Tg value of 20° C. or less, and wherein the solvent mixture contains at least one solvent capable of solubilizing the at least one hard segment, and at least one solvent capable of solubilizing the at least one soft segment.
US08673280B2
A pharmaceutically acceptable agent able to acidify the cell cytoplasm for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical composition useful for causing immunosuppression in a person or animal, where an effective amount of the agent is administered in an essentially non-dissociated form to the person or animal, and where the agent is admixed with a carrier to adjust the pH of the composition to the pH range 6.1 to 7.0. A pharmaceutical composition is also disclosed.
US08673275B2
A process of free-radical copolymerization of a monomer composition comprising: a) 70 to 100% by weight of acrylic acid, b) 0 to 30% by weight of at least one hydrophilic nonionic compound, different from a), having a free-radically polymerizable, α,β-ethylenically unsaturated double bond, c) 0 to 1% by weight of at least one free-radically polymerizable crosslinking compound which comprises at least two α,β-ethylenically unsaturated double bonds per molecule, by the method of precipitation polymerization in the presence of an auxiliary composition H) comprising H1) at least one compound with a block structure which comprises at least one hydrophobic group and at least one hydrophilic group, and H2) at least one basic compound different from H1).
US08673264B2
An injectable biomaterial containing a non-aqueous solvent suitable for injection to a human being and nanoparticles made of a polymer that is insoluble in water and insoluble in the non-aqueous solvent, in which the nanoparticles are loaded with a drug or a biological agent. The injectable biomaterial is suitable for occluding normal or malformative blood vessels or non-circulating cavities, or for necrosing tumors.
US08673255B2
A process for preparing high-purity silicon by thermal decomposition of a silicon compound includes decomposing the silicon compound by mixing with a carrier gas at a temperature at which the silicon compound is thermally decomposed.
US08673251B2
The invention provides new methods for synthesis of ClusterBoron® (B18H22). Preferred methods of the invention include generation of the conjugate acid of B20H182− and degradation of the acid in solution to produce B18H22 in high yields and high purity. The invention further provides isotopically enriched boranes, particularly isotopically enriched 10B18H22 and 11B18H22.
US08673250B2
An exhaust gas purification catalyst is made as a composition comprising titanium oxide (TiO2), aluminum sulfate (Al2(SO4)3), an oxide of vanadium (V), and an oxide of molybdenum (Mo) and/or tungsten (W), wherein on titanium oxide having sulfate ions and aluminum ions adsorbed thereon obtained by making contact with aluminum sulfate at more than 1 wt % and not more than 6 wt % relative to titanium oxide in the presence of water, an oxo acid salt of vanadium or a vanadyl salt and an oxo acid or an oxo acid salt of molybdenum and/or tungsten are supported in a proportion of more than 0 atom % and not more than 3 atom %, respectively. By this, the degradation of catalyst performance can be suppressed even with exhaust gas containing potassium compounds at a high concentration in combustion ash.
US08673246B2
One exemplary embodiment can be a process for contacting one or more fluids in a vessel. The process may include passing one or more fluids into a chamber from an overhead tray and providing a conduit outside the chamber coupling a respective spillway to a respective hole for increasing contact time inside the conduit. Typically, the chamber forms one or more sidewalls forming at least one hole and the overhead tray forms at least one spillway.
US08673240B2
Disclosed herein are devices and methods useful for the detection and analysis of various analytes. The analyte detection device of this invention has the general structure of a substrate and a plurality of pillars attached to the surface of the substrate.
US08673231B2
The present invention describes a vertical cylindrical exchanger-reactor for carrying out endothermic reactions, comprising a shell enclosing a plurality of tubes inside which the reactive fluid moves, said tubes being of the bayonet type, and the heat transfer fluid, in this case hot gases, being channeled inside chimneys surrounding said bayonet tubes. The bayonet tubes and the chimneys are suspended from the upper dome of the reactor. This reactor may operate with a pressure difference between the tube side and the shell of up to 100 bars. The hot gases are admitted into the reactor at temperatures of up to 1300° C.
US08673212B2
A self contained unit and system for determining whether medical equipment or devices such as endoscopes, minimally invasive surgical instruments (MIS), etc., are blocked, or substantially free flowing, or are disconnected or leaking before they are subjected to cleaning and/or a disinfecting process that is either sequential or simultaneous. The apparatus has a manifold that generally receives predetermined amounts of a gas and/or liquid for dispensing to one and preferably a plurality of channels. Advantageously, the test apparatus of the present invention can be utilized as a stand-alone unit that is able to monitor the noted medical equipment or devices with regard to the flow of a gas and/or liquid therethrough such as large or small lumens and such flow can also be automatically verified by a system independent of human intervention. Alternatively, the test apparatus can be utilized as part of a comprehensive system in conjunction with other devices for testing, cleaning, and/or disinfecting.
US08673195B2
A reinforced structural part and method are provided. The reinforced structural part includes a body made from a plastic material provided with a core made from a metallic material. The method includes the steps of positioning the metallic core in a first mold cavity, injecting a plastic material into the first mold cavity, the cavity being arranged so that the plastic material over-molds at least part of the inner surface of the core, positioning the over-molded metal core in a second mold cavity and injecting a plastic material into said second mold cavity, the cavity being arranged so that the plastic material over-molds the entire outer surface of the core.
US08673189B2
A method is proposed for constructing multi-story concrete structures using a rail-guided self-climbing formwork system. A climbing rail is thereby displaced in a vertical direction within lower and upper climbing shoes and a lower extension piece is positioned to extend vertically in a downward direction below a lower end of the climbing rail. The lower extension piece has a length which is less than the length of the climbing rail. The climbing rail is then displaced in the vertical direction until the lower extension piece is captured within the lower climbing shoe. The method simplifies construction of the lower stories of concrete structures.
US08673184B2
An alternating electric field responsive biomedical composite is disclosed that provides capacitive coupling through the composite. The biomedical composite includes a binder material, a polar material that is substantially dispersed within the binder material, and electrically conductive particles within the binder material. The polar material is responsive to the presence of an alternating electric field, and the electrically conductive particles are not of sufficient concentration to form a conductive network through the composite unless and until the composite becomes overcharged.
US08673164B2
A method to fabricate nanoporous diamond membranes and a nanoporous diamond membrane are provided. A silicon substrate is provided and an optical lithography is used to produce metal dots on the silicon substrate with a predefined spacing between the dots. Selective seeding of the silicon wafer with nanodiamond solution in water is performed followed by controlled lateral diamond film growth producing the nanoporous diamond membrane. Back etching of the under laying silicon is performed to open nanopores in the produced nanoporous diamond membrane.
US08673161B2
Methods for fabricating a device component are provided. A substrate comprising a RIE stop layer, an oxide layer formed on the RIE stop layer, and a RIE-able layer formed on the oxide layer may be provided. A resist layer may be patterned on the RIE-able layer. A metal layer may be formed on portions of the RIE-able layer that are not covered by the resist layer. The resist layer may be removed and an RIE performed to remove exposed portions of the RIE-able layer and portions of the oxide layer beneath the exposed portions of the RIE-able layer. Thereafter, the metal layer may be removed, and the component may be formed in an opening in the oxide layer formed during the RIE.
US08673157B2
The present invention relates to a reactor for the photocatalytic treatment of liquid or gaseous streams, which reactor comprises a tube through which the stream to be treated flows, wherein, in the tube, there are arranged at least one light source, at least one flat means M1 provided with at least one photocatalytically active material and at least one flat means M2 reflecting the light radiation radiated by the at least one light source, wherein the reflecting surface of the at least one means M2 and the inner wall of the tube are at an angle greater than or equal to 0°, in such a manner that the light exiting from the light source is reflected by the at least one means M2 onto the photocatalytically active material, and to a method for the photocatalytic treatment of liquid or gaseous streams by irradiation with light in the reactor according to the invention.
US08673156B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing liquid from a suspension. More particularly, the present invention relates to a filtration apparatus using vacuum pressure, compressed air and radiant heat to facilitate extraction of water from a suspension and an air flow within the vacuum chamber to remove the evaporate as a cost-efficient and resource-efficient means of filtering and drying solids in large volumes of suspension to remove interstitial and chemically bound liquids, resulting in up to 100% total solids.
US08673154B2
Described herein are systems, methods, and apparatuses for aggregating microorganism in an aqueous suspension. In particular, are systems, methods, and apparatuses that apply an electrical field to an aqueous suspension comprising microorganisms as the aqueous suspension follows a flow path to cause aggregation of the microorganisms. The electrical field may be continuous or pulsed. In some embodiments, the flow path for the aqueous suspension may vary. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the electrical field may be tuned.
US08673151B2
A method for surface modification of a material by means of introducing the phosphorylcholine group represented by the following formula (1-1) onto the surface of the material by treating a material having amino groups with a chemical compound containing an aldehyde derivative obtained by the oxidative ring-opening reaction of glycerophosphorylcholine. The method of the present invention provides various materials such as medical materials having superior biocompatibility and hydrophilicity.
US08673150B2
A method of treating waste water is disclosed which comprises placing a porous container such as a mesh bag containing a gelatinous culture of vegetative bacteria into waste water. The gelatinous culture dissolves over time and releases the bacteria contained therein. In some embodiments, the porous container may be reclaimed at any time. Treatment with the method eliminates a substantial portion of organic waste found in waste water and reduces or eliminates the need for used to eliminate organic waste build up in waste water facilities.
US08673149B1
A liquid filter assembly comprising a filter subassembly is inserted within an elongated tubular filter body, enclosed by a pair of end caps. The filter subassembly includes a plurality of filtration discs placed onto a tubular core and inner support member. A disc aperture is provided concentrically through each filtration disc. An outer filter support member and a central filter support member support each filtration disc. The outer filter support member engages with an interior of the elongated body and an end wall engages with the disc perimeter. The central filter support member engages with an exterior of the inner support member and an end wall engages with the peripheral edge about the filtration disc aperture. Fluid passes through the first end cap orifice, continuing through the inner support member, transferring flow through the filtration discs, returning through the inner support member, and exiting the opposite end cap orifice.
US08673147B2
A container for the filtration of liquid is described, which has a cup and a cover mounted on the cup. The cup is at least partly filled with a filter material and has at least one outlet window for the liquid. The cover has at least one inlet window and at least one outlet window for air, wherein at least the windows have lattice-like structures with lattice openings. The air outlet window has at least one recess extending inward from the plane of the window, which is provided at least partially with at least one lattice structure.
US08673134B2
A method for the removal of nitrogen compounds from FCC feed or from catalytically cracked distillates including FCC cycle oils by using formaldehyde to selectively couple organic heterocyclic nitrogen species in the FCC feed or FCC distillate to form higher boiling coupling products out of the boiling range of FCC distillate. Removal of the nitrogenous compounds improves the operation of subsequent hydrodesulfurization steps needed for the distillate fraction to conform to low sulfur standards. The formaldehyde is preferably used in the form of paraformaldehyde. The reaction between the nitrogenous compounds in the cycle oil fraction with the formaldehyde is conveniently carried out in the cycle oil pumparound circuit of the FCC main column.
US08673123B2
A magnetron sputtering device includes a target holder, a substrate holder, and a first driver. The target holder defines a sputtering space therein, and includes at least one target tray arranged at a periphery of the sputtering space. The substrate holder is rotatably positioned in the sputtering space. The first driver is connected to the substrate holder. The first driver is operable to rotate the substrate holder relative to the target holder.
US08673122B2
A system and method for sputtering a coating onto a glass substrate in a vacuum deposition chamber includes providing a backing plate with a separating element disposed at the backing plate. At least one target element or tile is disposed on a surface of the separating element, wherein an expansion gap is provided to allow for expansion of the target relative to the separating element during the sputtering process. The method includes sputtering material from the target and heating the target to a substantially elevated temperature during the sputtering process. The separating element may be a sheet having a low-coefficient of friction surface, and the target may be disposed on the low-coefficient of friction surface of the separating element. The separating element may thermally insulate the target from the backing plate, whereby the target may be heated to a substantially greater temperature than the backing plate during the sputtering process.
US08673120B2
A process for producing boron nitride nanotubes and/or boron-carbon-nitrogen nanotubes of the general formula BxCyNz. The process utilizes a combination of laser light and nitrogen gas flow to support a boron ball target during heating of the boron ball target and production of a boron vapor plume which reacts with nitrogen or nitrogen and carbon to produce boron nitride nanotubes and/or boron-carbon-nitrogen nanotubes of the general formula BxCyNz.
US08673115B2
A method of making a fabric-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet includes forming a nascent web from a papermaking furnish, the nascent web having a generally random distribution of papermaking fiber, transferring the nascent web having the generally random distribution of papermaking fiber to a translating transfer surface that is moving at a transfer surface speed, drying the web, to a consistency of from about 30 to about 60 percent, including compactively dewatering the web prior to or concurrently with transfer of the web to the transfer surface, fabric-creping the web from the transfer surface at a consistency of from about 30 to about 60 percent utilizing a creping fabric with a patterned creping surface, the fabric-creping step occurring under pressure in a fabric creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping fabric, the web being creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping fabric.
US08673097B2
Methods of forming a loop product are provided. Methods include needling polymeric fibers through a substrate to form hook-engageable loop structures of the fibers extending from one surface of the substrate and then using heat and pressure to soften and bond polymer of the fibers directly to the substrate and adjacent fibers, thereby anchoring the loop structures to resist fiber pullout under fastening loads. Loop products are also provided.
US08673089B2
Methods of using an aldimine of formula (I) as cleaning agent or ingredient of a cleaning agent composition for reactive polyurethane compositions, especially for reactive polyurethane hot melt adhesives. It has been found that such cleaning agents can greatly reduce the quantity of wastes and in particular mixtures of blocked and nonblocked reactive polyurethane compositions can be used without problem for gluing, without the gluing being negatively influenced in its properties, especially its thermal stability.
US08673086B2
In a cleaning method, a substrate having a pattern formed on the surface thereof can be cleaned by using a cleaning fluid, while preventing the pattern protrusions from being flattened when the cleaning fluid is removed or dried. The cleaning method includes the steps of: loading a substrate onto a loading platform inside a processing chamber; heating the substrate; and supplying a cleaning fluid onto the surface of the substrate. The substrate is heated in the substrate heating step so that the Leidenfrost phenomenon occurs and steam of the cleaning fluid is interposed between the substrate and droplets of the cleaning fluid supplied to the substrate in the cleaning fluid supply step.
US08673083B2
A showerhead cleaning rack is disclosed. The showerhead cleaning rack includes a frame and a support body, wherein the support body is located and connected with the frame. The support body has a plurality of positioning parts. The positioning parts are used for holding the showerhead. The showerhead cleaning rack is used in an ultrasonic cleaning trough. By utilizing the oscillation of the ultrasonic wave generated in the ultrasonic cleaning trough, the pollutants on the showerhead is cleaned. An ultrasonic cleaning method with the showerhead cleaning rack is also provided.
US08673064B2
A partial wall-flow filter having some unplugged flow-through channels and some plugged channels. Desirable combinations of filtration efficiency and back pressure may be provided by combinations of t wall≦305 urn, MPD≦20 μm, % P≧50%, and CD≧250 cpsi wherein t wall is the transverse thickness of the porous walls, MPD is a mean pore diameter of the porous walls, % P is the total porosity of the porous walls, and CD is the cell density of the channels. In one embodiment, some of the plugged channels are located adjacent to the inlet end and some are located adjacent to the outlet end. Systems and method including the partial wall-flow filter are also described.
US08673063B2
A particulate loader separation device including a particulate and air inlet for receiving a flow of air and particulate. A separation chamber for separating the air and the particulate is connected to the particulate and air inlet. An air outlet is connected to a suction mechanism for providing suction to the separation chamber. A particulate outlet is connected to a particulate conveyor for conveying the particulate from the separation chamber. An inlet air extractor is connected to the particulate and air inlet and is connected to one of the suction mechanism and a second suction mechanism. The inlet air extractor is connected to the particulate and air inlet at a predetermined location thereof such that in operation a portion of the air of the flow of air and particulate is extracted prior entering the separation chamber.
US08673059B2
Novel adsorbent contactors and methods are disclosed herein for use in temperature swing adsorption for gas separation applications, as well as for heat exchange applications.
US08673058B2
A method and arrangement for removing solid particles and tar component from carbon monoxide gas. In the method, carbon monoxide gas is conducted from a ferroalloy smelting furnace (1) to a gas scrubber (2), the carbon monoxide gas is scrubbed in the gas scrubber (2) by a liquid medium for removing part of the solid particles, the carbon monoxide gas is conducted from the gas scrubber to a blower (3), the flow rate of the carbon monoxide gas is increased by the blower (3), and the carbon monoxide gas is conducted to a particulate filter (5) and the remaining solid particles are essentially filtered in the particulate filter (5) from the carbon monoxide gas. Prior to conducting the carbon monoxide gas to the particulate filter (5), it is conducted to a particle feeder (4), where finely divided adsorbent particles (A) are fed in the carbon monoxide gas for adhering the tar component on the surface of the adsorbent particles, and the carbon monoxide gas flow containing adsorbent particles is conducted to the particulate filter (5), in which case the tar component adhered on the adsorbent particles is discharged in the particulate filter (5).
US08673056B2
The invention is directed to processes and apparatuses for gas treatment, in particular for the purification of methane rich gas streams, such as gas obtained from the conversion from organic matter (“biogas”). In accordance with the present invention there is provided an apparatus and a process for producing a purified methane comprising gas stream (P) from a methane containing gas stream (A), comprising the steps of: (a) pressurising said methane containing gas stream (A) and subsequently cooling it, whereby a stream comprising condensed contaminants (C) and a methane comprising stream (B) are obtained; (b) optionally feeding said methane comprising stream (B) to an adsorption unit and/or a catalytic conversion unit, whereby the concentration of contaminants in stream (B) is further decreased; and (c) cooling the methane comprising stream (B) to a temperature which is sufficient to condensate CO2 from said stream (B), whereby said purified methane comprising gas stream (P) is obtained.
US08673049B2
A silver nanoparticle composition is provided which is possible to be sintered through sintering at a low temperature in a short time and to form silver electro conductive film and wiring which is favorable for adhesion to a substrate and low in resistance, and articles using the same are provided. The silver nanoparticle composition is provided, wherein a main component of a solvent is water, a pH of the composition is within a range of 5.3 to 8.0, a silver nanoparticle included in the composition is protected by an organic acid or a derivative thereof, and the content of the organic acid or the derivative thereof with respect to silver is 2 to 20% by mass.
US08673040B2
The filter of the invention is a cartridge filter comprising a structure that can maintain a filter medium in an air stream to filter particulates to protect a gas turbine power system. The filter combines a mechanically adequate filter structure and an effective filter medium for to obtain a useful system.
US08673033B2
A display control circuit includes a device driving unit that alternately writes a left video image and a right video image in a time-division manner to a light modulating device, a light source driving unit that increases or reduces the brightness of a light source that emits light passing through the light modulating device, a shutter eyeglass driving unit that provides shutter eyeglasses with a shutter driving signal, and a control unit that instructs the light source driving unit to reduce the brightness of the light source in the duration of a switchover between the left video image and the right video image for the light modulating device or instructs the light source driving unit to increase the brightness of the light source in the duration in which the left video image or the right video image is written solely to the light modulating device.
US08673032B2
The present invention provides methods of transforming low rank coals into high quality metallurgical coke, and the coke products produced by such methods.
US08673029B2
The invention is directed to the use of triglycerides of modified structure, mostly known per se, as fuels, combustibles, or fuel and/or combustible additives, and to the fuels comprising them. In the description and in the claims the expression “fuel” means liquid motor propulsion materials and/or liquid combustibles. In addition, the invention is directed to new procedures for the simple, economical and environment protecting preparation of the triglycerides of modified structure and/or the mixtures comprising them, and at the same time the glycerol produced in the known procedures in large amounts can be utilized.
US08673027B2
The present invention refers to a method of converting a lignin material into a liquid product and the liquid product obtainable by the method.
US08673019B2
Methods and compositions are provided for reduction of inflammation and improved allograft/host tissue integration comprising placing at least one anti-inflammatory compound onto a site of the defect and placing a graft structure onto the site of the defect.
US08673018B2
A method for controlling generation of biologically desirable voids in a composition placed in proximity to bone or other tissue in a patient by selecting at least one water-soluble inorganic material having a desired particle size and solubility, and mixing the water-soluble inorganic material with at least one poorly-water-soluble or biodegradable matrix material. The matrix material, after it is mixed with the water-soluble inorganic material, is placed into the patient in proximity to tissue so that the water-soluble inorganic material dissolves at a predetermined rate to generate biologically desirable voids in the matrix material into which bone or other tissue can then grow.
US08673017B2
The object of the present invention is a process for obtaining a bone substitute of given chemical and physical characteristics and entirely similar to those of the mineral portion of natural bone tissue. The process substitutes Ca ions with Mg ions in a porous matrix; the process comprises a phase of contacting the matrix with a saline aqueous solution containing an effective quantity of Mg ions at a pressure greater than or equal to 1 bar.
US08673016B2
A resorbable tissue scaffold fabricated from bioactive glass fiber forms a rigid three-dimensional porous matrix having a bioactive composition. Porosity in the form of interconnected pore space is provided by the space between the bioactive glass fiber in the porous matrix. Strength of the bioresorbable matrix is provided by bioactive glass that fuses and bonds the bioactive glass fiber into the rigid three-dimensional matrix. The resorbable tissue scaffold supports tissue in-growth to provide osteoconductivity as a resorbable tissue scaffold, used for the repair of damaged and/or diseased bone tissue.
US08673014B2
A method of cranial repair and the cranial implant molding device used therein, the device having a frame or base that receives a bottom or convex molding plate and a top or concave molding plate in a manner whereby the two plates are separated a distance to receive a settable or curable implant forming material therebetween. The plates are separated by a compressible member such that by the use of threaded mechanical fasteners or similar members the distance between the two plates can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the mechanical members. The thickness of the implant is varied by varying the separation distance on different sides of the frame.
US08673012B2
An intervertebral spacer can have a leading end and a trailing end that includes an engaging portion configured to securely engage complementary features of an insertion tool at any of a plurality of different angles. The engaging portion can have a first radius and a major axis extending from the leading end to the trailing end. The trailing end can have a channel formed around a partially cylindrical portion having a second radius that is less than the first radius. The channel can be configured to accept an extending portion of the insertion tool.
US08673011B2
An apparatus supports the spine between vertebrae and promotes spinal fusion. The apparatus generally includes a first supporting member, a second support member, and an expansion member. The first support member has a first longitudinal passage extending therethrough, a first supporting end configured to engage tissue, and a rack configured to engage a tool. The second supporting member contains a second longitudinal passage extending therethrough and a second supporting end configured to engage tissue. The second longitudinal passage is dimensioned to receive at least a portion of the first supporting member. The first and second supporting members are configured to move with respect to each other. The expansion member is removably positioned between the first and second supporting members and is adapted to maintain the first and second supporting members in a fixed relative position.
US08673006B2
The present invention is a spinal implant that can be inserted into a surgically created cavity of one or more regions of the mammalian spine. Universal corner posts and one or more lateral universal posts are connected with a series of trapezoidal wedge-like braces. The series of braces includes a centralized brace, a first set of braces extending in a first direction away from the centralized brace and a second set of braces extending in a second direction away from the centralized brace. Embodiments of the current cage also include first and second lateral brakes and an end cap.
US08673001B2
A method for controlling the circumference of internal anatomic passages corrects physiologic dysfunctions resulting from a structural orifice or lumen which is either too large or too small. Implants are disclosed which employ various means for adjusting and maintaining the size of an orifice to which they are attached. Systems permit the implants to be implanted using minimally invasive procedures and permit final adjustments to the circumference of the implants after the resumption of normal flow of anatomic fluids in situ. Methods are disclosed for using the implants to treat heart valve abnormalities, gastroesophageal abnormalities, anal incontinence, and the like.
US08672999B2
A prosthetic heart valve assembly comprises a plurality of leaflets configured to replace the function of a native heart valve. Each leaflet comprises laminar pericardium tissue. Each leaflet has a coaptation edge formed by laser cutting. The tissue layers of each leaflet are fused together along an entire length of the coaptation edge, and tissue adjacent each coaptation edge does not have significant thermal energy damage.
US08672990B2
A medical device having a catheter shaft having a distal portion and a proximal portion, a medical balloon co-axially mounted on the distal portion of the catheter shaft and a tubular mesh wrapped around the balloon, wherein the mesh strengthens and reinforced the balloon and may be manipulation to dictate the shape of the balloon and to squeeze the balloon down onto the catheter shaft during deflation of the balloon.
US08672989B2
An endoluminal prosthesis system deployable in a region of a patient's vasculature having one or more branch vessels, having a main graft body having a first opening in a wall portion of the main graft body and a pre-loaded guidewire positioned inside the main graft body and advanced through the first opening. One or more branch grafts can be attached to the main graft body to cover one or more openings in the main graft body.
US08672987B2
Handpiece formed of a shell with a handgrip connected to a bundle of electrical power supply cables and of heat transfer fluid tubes and a head, accommodating a cartridge fitted with the controlled light source and with a light guide fed from the light source and the outlet surface of which constitutes the surface via which the light signal is emitted towards the surface of the skin that is to be treated. It comprises a housing, made in the shell, arriving under the emission surface of the cartridge and equipped with guide means and clip-fastening members. An interchangeable optical unit carrying the light guide is fitted removably into the housing. This optical unit has a casing accepting the light guide and equipped with guiding and clip-fastening surfaces to collaborate with the guide means and the retractable clip-fastening members belonging to the housing.
US08672984B2
A retention system for maintaining a screw to a vertebral plate is described herein. One or more screws extend through apertures within the vertebral plate. A cavity is positioned adjacent to and overlaps into the aperture. A ring is positioned within the cavity and held in position by a cap. The cap attaches to the plate to prevent removal of the ring. The ring is deflectable between a first shape to allow the screw to be inserted and removed from the aperture, and a second shape to prevent screw back-out from the aperture.
US08672979B2
A system and method for the stabilization and fixation of the lumbar spine. The system can include a plurality of pedicle screws, a support rod, a plurality of rod clamps, and a plurality of coupling members. In one aspect, each coupling member can be configured to engage a proximal portion of a pedicle screw and can have a socket portion that is configured to receive a socket engaging portion of the rod clamp, such that the coupling member and the pedicle screw can be pivoted three-dimensionally relative to the rod clamp and the support rod.
US08672972B2
Skeletal stabilization systems include a base, a longitudinal member, and a retaining member. The base includes an engagement surface with a surface area that is positionable in contact with a bone to atraumatically or traumatically engage the base to the bone. The retaining member engages the base to retain the longitudinal member relative to the base so that the longitudinal member can provide a desired stabilization effect to one or more adjacent bony portions.
US08672968B2
A suture construction and method for forming a suture construction is disclosed. The construction utilizes a suture having an enlarged central body portion defining a longitudinal passage. First and second ends of the suture are passed through first and second apertures associated with the longitudinal passage to form a pair of loops. Portions of the suture lay parallel to each other within the suture. Application of tension onto the suture construction causes constriction of the longitudinal passage, thus preventing relative motions of the captured portions of the suture.
US08672953B2
A system for closing an opening in tissue includes a closure element having a coiled body and a plurality of tissue engaging portions disposed about at least a portion of the body, the body being formed of a resilient material. The system also includes a clip applier apparatus that is configured to deploy the closure element into the tissue.
US08672951B2
A method for operating a surgical instrument includes mechanically coupling a manual release to a transmission of a surgical instrument having a self-contained power supply disposed entirely within a handle thereof. The transmission translates movement of an electrically powered motor inside the handle to movement of a part of a surgical end effector connected to the handle. The part is operable to move anywhere between a start position and a fully actuated position. The method further includes selectively interrupting the transmission with the manual release to move the part towards the start position independent of motor operation.
US08672948B2
A disposable measuring device for use in measuring the width, height and depth of an intradiscal space is provided, the device including an elongated body having an upper surface, a lower surface, a proximal end and a distal end. The elongated body also has a first pair of members configured for receiving a first cursor slidably arranged for measuring a width dimension, a second pair of members configured for receiving a second cursor slidably arranged for measuring a height dimension; and a detachable stop operatively connected to the first pair of members and the second pair of members, the detachable stop insertable into at least one opening located at the proximal end of the elongated body, the detachable stop configured for measuring a depth dimension.
US08672947B2
A fluid joint spacer comprising a body having means for receiving a pressurized fluid from an external source and applying that pressurized fluid against a joint element so as to create a flowing fluid bearing within the joint.
US08672944B2
Systems and methods for surgical spinal correction are disclosed. A system including a plurality of bone screws, spinal rods, manipulators, and/or transverse couplers is disclosed for the manipulation of the spinal column is disclosed. A method of achieving, in a single action, manipulation and/or rotation of the spinal column using the disclosed system is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method of conducting spinal surgery to correct spinal deformities wherein spinal rods are pre-bent in a physiological sagittal plane prior to attachment of the vertebrae using bone screws.
US08672937B2
A surgical device for performing a surgical procedure on a patient is provided and includes a handle assembly including a housing having a distal end and a proximal end; a tissue engaging member supported in and extending from the distal end of the housing of the handle assembly; at least one conduit having a first end operatively associated with the tissue engaging member and a second end extending from the housing of the handle assembly; and a strain relief member supported on the at least one conduit and connected to the housing, wherein the strain relief member and the housing are configured to enable poly-axial movement of the strain relief member with respect to the housing.
US08672933B2
A microwave ablation system is provided. The microwave ablation system includes a power source. A microwave antenna is adapted to connect to the power source via a coaxial cable feed including an inner conductor defining a portion of a radiating section of the microwave antenna, an outer conductor and dielectric shielding. The inner conductor loops back around and toward the outer conductor of the coaxial cable feed such that a distal end of the inner conductor is operably disposed adjacent the dielectric shielding. The inner conductor includes one or more reactive components disposed thereon forming a reactively-loaded loop configuration configured to maximize delivery of microwave energy from the power source to tissue such that a desired effect to tissue is achieved.
US08672917B2
A method for adjusting delivery of a therapeutic fluid to a patient suffering from or at risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension includes introducing the therapeutic fluid to a patient via a catheter at a predetermined rate. The catheter is positioned to deliver the fluid to the right ventricle or the pulmonary artery. The catheter a one-way valve configured to allow the fluid to flow from the catheter to the target location. The method further includes monitoring pressure of the target location by monitoring internal catheter pressure, and adjusting the rate at which the therapeutic fluid is introduced to the catheter based on the monitored pressure. The rate at which the fluid is introduced to the catheter is increased if internal catheter pressure increases, and the rate at which the fluid is introduced to the catheter is decreased if the internal catheter pressure decreases.
US08672915B2
A wearing article having front and rear waist belt members that include waist elastic members attached thereto and spaced one from another in a longitudinal direction Y. On non-contractile regions, these elastic members do not overlap graphics on respective heat-sealable sheets or exert contractile force thereon. The non-contractile regions are formed by leaving between inner and outer sheets as well as between inner and outer sheets not coated with adhesive in respective middles of the front and rear waist belt members as viewed in a transverse direction X and cutting the waist elastic members attached under tension in the respective middles of the waist belt members. Along the ends of the non-contractile regions on the side of the crotch member, the inner and outer sheets as well as the inner and outer sheets are respectively joined to each other by means of heat sealing technique so as to form the joint zones.
US08672904B1
A medical system comprising apparatus and methods for improved irrigation and lavage in wound management. The device attaches to at least one irrigation fluid source and is configured to administer the fluid indirectly to a wound or tissue.
US08672903B2
An abdominal wound dressing and methods of use are described that enable the application of negative pressure to the wound site in a healing manner while also limiting the formation of adhesions that would prevent the removal of the dressing. The dressing comprises a layer of porous foam material enclosed by sheets of elastomeric material punctuated by a number of appropriately placed holes. Multiple layers of porous foam may also be used. A suction tube connector is provided on an upper surface of a layer of foam for connection to a negative pressure source. At least one layer of foam is enclosed in elastomeric material and is placed in direct contact with the tissue within the open wound. Fluids are drawn by negative pressure through the holes positioned in the elastomeric envelope and through the foam.
US08672894B2
The invention relates to a protection device (10) for a needle of an assembly or of an injection device having a hub portion provided with a needle, the said protection device (10) comprising: an outer casing (20) formed of a first material; and an inner casing (30) formed of a second material different from the said first material and defining a cavity (32) for receiving in a sealing way at least the hub portion, said cavity (32) having an inner wall (34); attachment means (40) defined in the said cavity (32) to removably engage and secure said protection device (10) at least along a sealing line to the injection device; the protection device being characterized in that it further comprises aspiration limiting means (40, 50) for limiting the deformation of said cavity (32) when said protection device (10) is separated from the assembly or the injection device.
US08672892B2
A one piece molded vacuum tube holder is fitted with a one piece molded needle hub assembly. A needle protection device is further rotatably mounted to the neck of the one piece vacuum tube holder. One portion of a locking mechanism is provided at the neck of the one piece vacuum tube holder and a second portion of the locking mechanism is provided at the needle hub of the needle hub assembly, so that when the needle hub assembly is press fit to the vacuum tube holder, the two portions of the locking mechanism will coact to fixedly retain the needle hub assembly within the vacuum tube holder. The one piece vacuum tube holder is configured to have an elongate needle cover integrally extending from its neck. A finger grasp mechanism may be coupled to the needle cover.
US08672888B2
A device may include a hollow needle, a dilator mounted coaxially on the needle, and a sheath mounted coaxially on the dilator. The dilator may be slideably displaceable relative to the sheath.
US08672887B2
A fluid delivery device includes an array of needles, each in fluid communication with a respective reservoir. Respective actuators are coupled so as to be operable to drive fluid from the reservoirs via needle ports. Each needle can have a plurality of ports, and the ports can be arranged to deliver a substantially equal amount of fluid at any given location along its length. A driver is coupled to the actuators to selectively control the rate, volume, and direction of flow of fluid through the needles. The device can simultaneously deliver a plurality of fluid agents along respective axes in solid tissue in vivo. If thereafter resected, the tissue can be sectioned for evaluation of an effect of each agent on the tissue, and based on the evaluation, candidate agents selected or deselected for clinical trials or therapy, and subjects selected or deselected for clinical trials or therapeutic treatment.
US08672886B2
A fluid delivery device is provided for delivering fluid to a target site such as an intervertebral disc during discography. The fluid delivery device includes pressure and volume sensors to determine the pressure and the volume of the fluid delivered to the intervertebral disc. The fluid delivery device is hand-held during use and includes a syringe assembly having a plunger with threads that enables controlled discharge of the fluid from the fluid delivery device by rotating the plunger in a housing of the fluid delivery device. The fluid delivery device includes a communication module to wirelessly transfer data to an external device outside of a sterile field, while the fluid delivery device is in the sterile field. The fluid delivery device may also include a physiological sensor to monitor involuntary pain responses based on changing physiological parameters such as increases in body temperature or blood pressure.
US08672885B2
A compact fluid dispenser for use in controllably dispensing fluid medicaments, such as antibiotics, blood clotting agents, analgesics, and like medicinal agents from collapsible containers at a uniform rate. The dispenser includes a novel stored energy source that is provided in the form of a compressible-expandable member that functions to continuously and uniformly expel fluid from the device reservoir. The apparatus further includes a novel fluid flow control assembly that precisely controls the flow of the medicament solutions from the device reservoir to the patient.
US08672882B2
A balloon catheter device includes a catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, and catheter walls defining a catheter lumen. An inflatable balloon is located at a distal end of the catheter and is inflated through an inflation valve located on a base. An internal cavity is defined in the base and is in fluid communication with the inflatable balloon. A translucent window is disposed over the internal cavity such that an interior volume of the cavity is externally viewable. Introduction of a colored fluid through the inflation valve to inflate the balloon results in the colored fluid also being present in the internal cavity, thereby providing an externally visual indication of the inflation state of the balloon.
US08672870B2
An ocular implant includes an elongate member having an internal lumen forming a flow pathway that provides a fluid pathway between the anterior chamber and the suprachoroidal space of the eye. The implant includes a hydrogel member attached to the elongate member, wherein the hydrogel member is adapted to expand upon implantation of the elongate member in the eye. An attachment attaches the hydrogel member to the elongate member.
US08672862B2
An apparatus for identifying, during total knee replacement surgery, a position of a center of a femoral head of a patient within a plane parallel to a frontal plane, comprises a marking plate placed to cover, in a direction perpendicular to the frontal plane, a site where the femoral head center of the patient's body is located; a pivotal arm having a pivotal shaft arranged to extend in a direction perpendicular to the frontal plane; and a marker attached to the pivotal arm, for depicting a circular arc on the marking plate according to rotation of the pivotal arm; the pivotal shaft being placed at a distal end of a femur of the patient, a distance from the pivotal shaft to the marker in a direction parallel to the frontal plane being equal to a preliminarily measured distance from the distal end of the femur to the femoral head center.
US08672857B2
The present invention relates to materials and methods for monitoring and predicting a heart failure patient's physiological response to cardiac resynchronization therapy. More specifically, the present invention relates to the endogenous protein galectin-3 and its use in monitoring progression of disease in a patient undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy, and as a predictor of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.
US08672847B2
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus comprises: a detector for detecting a direction of radial expansion/contraction of a vascular wall associated with a heartbeat in a long-axis image of the vascular wall based on amplitude information of reception signals outputted from an ultrasound probe when a first ultrasonic beam is transmitted and received to and from a blood vessel of a subject through the ultrasound probe by a transmitter/receiver; a controller for controlling the transmitter/receiver so as to transmit and receive a second ultrasonic beam parallel to the detected vascular wall expansion/contraction direction through the ultrasound probe; a tracker for tracking a movement of the vascular wall using amplitude information and phase information of the reception signals outputted from the ultrasound probe when the second ultrasonic beam is transmitted and received; and a calculator for calculating elastic characteristics of the vascular wall based on the tracked vascular wall movement.
US08672826B2
The present invention relates to the in vivo stimulation of cellular material. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for stimulating cells and tissue in vivo comprising the step of applying to said cells and tissue an electrobiomimetic stimulus, wherein the growth characteristics of said cells and tissue are enhanced as compared to cells and tissue not receiving said stimulus.
US08672823B2
A napkin folding device is provided having a folding unit provided for folding individual napkins, a storage unit provided for holding the folded napkins from the folding unit, a delivery unit provided for holding out unfolded napkins, and a transport unit provided for feeding the unfolded napkins from the delivery unit to the folding unit. The delivery unit has a magazine including at least two delivery levels.
US08672821B1
A combined paint roller and paint roller cleaner quickly and efficiently removes paint from the paint roller cleaner while preventing fluids from splashing outwardly and away from the paint roller cleaner. The paint roller cleaner includes a main chamber having a first slot formed at an outer surface thereof, and an auxiliary chamber statically coupled to the main chamber. Such an auxiliary chamber protrudes outwardly from the outer surface of the main chamber and preferably has an outer surface provided with a second slot formed therein. Notably, the second slot may be offset from the first slot in such a manner that an external fluid stream, after passing through the first and second slots, is caused to enter the main chamber at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the outer surface of the main chamber and thereby rotate a portion of the paint roller located within the paint roller cleaner.
US08672819B2
In the course of a machining of a workpiece with a tool, a drive spindle with a tilt table secured thereto of a tilt device provided on a work table of a machining center is rotated by a direct drive motor to control the relative angular position between the tool and the workpiece, and within a predetermined period of time in the course of a machining, the direct drive motor is rotated at a high speed with a spindle head and the work table of the machining center kept away to rotate the drive spindle and hence, the tilt table at a high speed, so that chips and cutting lubricant can be shaken from the workpiece and the tilt table.
US08672814B2
A mounting member is adapted for joining a seat back to a frame. The mounting member includes a base and an extension projecting from the base along an axis in absence of external forces to the extension. The extension has an end distant from the base that is connectable to the seat back and that is resiliently linearly movable in directions substantially perpendicular to the axis 360° about the axis.
US08672810B2
Systems and methods for sensing and monitoring various athletic performance metrics, e.g., during the course of a game, a practice, a training session, training drills, and the like, are described. These systems and methods can provide useful metrics for players and coaches relating to athletic performances in various sports, including various team sports.
US08672808B2
Provided is a brake control apparatus for a vehicle which detects an amount of brake-pedal operation by means of an electric signal, and then calculates a braking force demanded by a driver from the electric signal, and thereby generates the demanded braking force. A control mode for a braking force is switched from a normal control mode to a stationary-vehicle control mode, if a determination that the vehicle is in a stationary state is followed by another determination that an electric signal corresponding to an actual braking force exceeds a command value for a stationary-vehicle braking force while the vehicle is in the stationary state. The control mode for a braking force is switched from the stationary-vehicle control mode to the normal control mode, if it is determined that the demanded braking force becomes smaller than the command value for the stationary-vehicle braking force. In addition, in the stationary-vehicle control mode, a braking force generated by a means for braking is equal to the command value for the stationary-vehicle braking force, whereas, in the normal control mode, the braking force generated by the means for braking is equal to the braking force demanded by the driver.
US08672804B2
In a hybrid vehicle in which power of electric motor is transmitted to a counter shaft 14 only via a lock mechanism 61 which is provided on a first main shaft 11 so as to make up an odd-numbered gear or a first gear change shifter 51, when the vehicle is being driven by selecting a given even-numbered gear, a pre-shifting to an odd-numbered gear which is lower than the given even-numbered gear is implemented by the lock mechanism 61 or the first gear change shifter 51. By so doing, not only can good driveability be provided with the assistance of the electric motor, but also a more efficient regeneration can be implemented.
US08672803B2
An automated manual transmission system (1) including an input shaft (4), a clutch, an output shaft (6), and a gearbox enabling selection of different transmission ratios between the input shaft and the output shaft (6). An actuation mechanism (10) is operatively connected to the clutch and the gearbox to effect disengagement and re-engagement of the clutch and coordinated selection of the transmission ratios. A hybrid motor (14) is operably connected to the output shaft (6) and a control system (16) is operable to regulate the actuating mechanism in response to control inputs, to effect automatic gear changes. The hybrid motor (14) is responsive to the control system (16) to provide supplementary torque to the vehicle driveline when the clutch is disengaged, to reduce torque interruption in the driveline.
US08672790B2
A device for torque vectoring in a wheeled vehicle is presented. The device includes a differential mechanism arranged on an axle having a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft, an electrical power source connected to an electrical motor, the electrical motor being connectable to the axle for torque vectoring between the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft, and control means connected to the power source and configured to receive a plurality of variables representing the current vehicle state and to determine drive currents being dependent on the variables, wherein the drive currents are supplied to the electrical motor from the power source for introducing a torque increase to either one of the first or second drive shafts and a corresponding torque decrease to the other one of the first or second drive shafts.
US08672785B2
A blade-type chain tensioner includes a bracket that includes a main wall, a ramp projecting from the main wall, and a pivot pocket including an internal concave pivot surface. A tensioner blade assembly is operatively connected to the bracket. The tensioner blade assembly includes a polymeric shoe and a spring connected to the shoe. The shoe includes a free end supported on the ramp, a pivot end engaged with the pivot pocket, and a central body that extends between the free end and the pivot end. The pivot end of the shoe includes a pivot barrel including an external convex pivot surface. The pivot barrel is engaged with the pivot pocket and the external pivot surface of the pivot barrel is slidably abutted with the internal pivot surface of the pivot pocket such that the pivot barrel is reciprocally angularly movable in the pivot pocket.
US08672781B2
The disclosure relates to a baseball pitcher training apparatus for training a pitcher in controlling his lower and upper body portions in the movement sequence of the human body associated with throwing a baseball during the pitch preparation phase as well as the delivery and follow-through phase to conserve stress or strain in the arm and leg muscles. The apparatus has a frame comprising two vertical post assemblies connected at the top by a horizontal cross beam assembly. Light bag weights are suspended from the cross beam assembly and wires tensioned by circular pulley wheels are attached to the vertical post members. The pitcher learns his body mechanics from pitching with the said wires attached to his body and following a pitching line indicated by the light bag weights and gauging his position by calibration marks on the pitching mound.
US08672777B2
A golf ball including a unitary core having a volume, an outer surface, a geometric center, and an outermost transition volume adjacent to the outer surface, the core being formed from a substantially homogenous composition; and a cover layer including ionomer, metallocene-catalyzed polymer, polyester, polyamide, non-ionomeric thermoplastic elastomer, copolyether-ester, copolyether-amide, polycarbonate, polybutadiene, polyisoprene, or polystyrene block copolymer. The outermost transition volume is disposed between the core outer surface and the geometric center, the transition volume has an outer portion congruent with the core outer surface, and comprises the outermost 45% of the core volume or less. Both a hardness of the core outer surface and a hardness within the outermost transition volume are less than the hardness of the geometric center to define a negative hardness gradient.
US08672775B2
The invention provides a multi-piece solid golf ball composed of a solid core, a cover, at least one intermediate layer situated therebetween, and a plurality of dimples on a surface of the ball. The diameter of the solid core, the deflection of the core when compressed under a final load of 130 kgf from an initial load of 10 kgf, the hardness at the center of the core, the hardness in a region 5 mm to 10 mm from the center of the core, the hardness 15 mm from the center of the core, and the surface hardness are set within specific ranges. The intermediate layer is composed primarily of a material obtained by mixing under applied heat a specific resin composition and the cover is formed primarily of polyurethane. And, the number of dimples and the trajectory volume TVT are set within specific ranges. The golf ball of the invention has an excellent flight performance, feel, controllability and scuff resistance.
US08672774B2
Golf ball 2 has spherical core 4 and cover 6 provided so as to cover this core 4. The core 4 has spherical center 8 and mid layer 10 provided so as to cover this center 8. The resilience coefficient Ec of the center 8, the resilience coefficient Em of the core 4 and the resilience coefficient Eb of the golf ball 2 satisfy the following formulae (1) and (2): Ec>Eb≧Em (1); Eb−Em≧Ec−Eb (2). The difference (Eb−Em) between the resilience coefficient Eb and the resilience coefficient Em is equal to or greater than 0.004. The difference (Ec−Eb) between the resilience coefficient Ec and the resilience coefficient Eb is equal to or greater than 0.004.
US08672773B2
A ball striking device, such as an iron-type golf club, includes a head that has a face having a ball striking surface defined thereon and an arched top edge, an iron-type golf club body connected to the face, and a hosel connected to the body. The arched top edge of the face includes a crest portion, a first upwardly sloping portion extending from a toe edge of the face to the crest portion, and a second upwardly sloping portion extending from the hosel to the crest portion, such that the distance from the bottom edge of the face to the top edge of the face is greatest at the crest portion. The hosel has a first end connected to the body and a second end located below the crest portion of the face.
US08672771B1
A golf putter having a head with a negative loft angle on the two ball striking surfaces, heel, and toe surfaces. The overall weight of the putter may be adjusted and the center of gravity of the putter may be shifted laterally as desired with removable weights that are coupled to the putter head.
US08672768B2
An air bearing for a ram air fan includes a shaft having a first end portion that defines a cap end, a second end portion that defines a thrust shaft receiving end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first and second end portions. The cap end includes a cap pilot bore and the thrust shaft receiving end includes a thrust shaft pilot section. The thrust shaft pilot section has an outer diameter of between about 1.6032-inches (about 40.7212 mm) and about 1.6002-inches (about 40.6450 mm).
US08672763B2
Methods and systems for interfacing a controller device with an interactive program executing at a computer are presented. A controller includes a camera for capturing images of a display. The position of the controller is determined based on the perspective distortion, size, location and orientation of the display in the captured images. The controller may additionally include an IR projector and an IR camera. The IR projector generates an IR beam, which creates a projection on a surface. The IR camera captures IR images of the projection. The distance of the controller from the surface and its relative orientation are determined based on analysis of the IR images.
US08672762B1
In various embodiments, the gaming system of the present disclosure is configured to operate a card game associated with a plurality of cards. For a play of the card game, the gaming system receives a wager from a player, determines a plurality of player cards from the plurality of cards, displays the player cards face up, determines a plurality of dealer cards from the plurality of cards, and displays at least one of the dealer cards face up. The gaming system determines an outcome of the play by comparing the player and the dealer cards. If the outcome is a designated outcome, the gaming system adds the received wager to a side pot. If a side pot reset condition is met, the gaming system resets the side pot to an initial value. If a side pot payout condition is met, the gaming system provides the side pot to the player.
US08672753B2
In a video game, various effects are used to convey the experience of a game world of different kinds of game characters and game objects. For example, if a game character is a dog, a visual effect may be used to convey a dog's red-green color blindness. If a game character is a mouse, another visual effect may be used convey a mouse's blurry vision.
US08672744B1
A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include determining, at a wagering game server, player account information associated with a plurality of players that are logged in at one or more predefined wagering game machines. The operations can also include determining a level of social interactivity to provide during game play to the plurality of players based, at least in part, on the player account information associated with the plurality of players. The operations can further include determining that a current level of social interactivity being provided during game play to the plurality of players is different than the level of social interactivity associated with the player account information, and dynamically changing a configuration of the one or more predefined wagering game machines to provide to the plurality of players the level of social interactivity associated with the player account information.
US08672739B2
In an embodiment, a gaming system includes a plurality of gaming devices and a controller configured to communicate with the gaming devices. The gaming system enables a plurality of players to play an interactive game in a non-competitive mode and in a competitive mode. If at least two players play the interactive game in the competitive mode, for a competitive wagering event, which includes a competition between two players, the gaming system determines a winning player and a losing player. The gaming system causes the winning player to contribute a winning player portion toward a wager associated with the competitive wagering event and causes the losing player to contribute a losing player portion toward the wager associated with the competitive wagering event. The losing player portion is less than the winning player portion. The gaming system randomly determines and provides any awards to the winning player based on the wager.
US08672737B2
A gaming machine of the present invention is arranged so that, in a base game in which unit games can be repeatedly run, bet values on the respective unit games are accumulatively stored in the bet value memory, how many unit games are run is counted, an average of the bet values is calculated based on the bet value accumulatively stored in the bet value memory when a predetermined condition is met in the base game, and a payout calculated by multiplying the average by a predetermined value is awarded.
US08672730B2
An apparatus and a method for forming or polishing a concave or convex radius surface on a work-piece is described herein. The apparatus includes a carrier that is configured to support a work-piece. A substantially hollow rotatable tool, which includes a circumferential surface for either forming or polishing the radius surface, is positioned adjacent the carrier. An axis of rotation of the tool is oriented at an oblique angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the work-piece and a longitudinal axis of the carrier. Alternatively, the longitudinal axis of the work-piece may be laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the carrier. The apparatus further includes provisions for rotating the hollow rotatable tool for forming or polishing a radius surface on the surface of the work-piece.
US08672725B1
A scent-free game call mouthpiece section, with a photographic camouflaged or photographic decorative image displayed thereon, in a manner such that paint fragments and VOCs from the camouflaged or decorative image are restrained from contacting the mouth of the game call user, or otherwise being released into the atmosphere around the game call.
US08672724B2
A convertible slip cover for a convertible stuffed animal and pillow toy is quickly and easily removable and interchangeable, the convertible slip cover is much easier to wash and dry then the convertible stuffed animal and pillow, the convertible slip cover can be donned on and is convertible with the convertible stuffed animal toy in both the pillow configuration and the stuffed animal configuration, and the convertible slip cover allows for the arching of the toy in the animal configuration so that the toy still has an animal body appearance.
US08672722B2
A spark plug manufacturing method providing a spark plug equipped with an insulator having dielectric strength by means of judging whether or not the insulator has a defect. A defect judgement step judges whether or not the insulator has a defect, by generating an electric potential difference between the center electrode and the metallic shell under conditions such that an assembly of the center electrode, metallic shell, and insulator is disposed within a pressure vessel; a high-pressure atmosphere higher in pressure than the atmospheric pressure is established within the pressure vessel; a space allowing the presence of insulating oil is a space surrounded by the packing, the metallic shell, the insulator, and an imaginary plane containing a forward end surface of the metallic shell; and the insulating oil is present at least in a region of the space where the distance between the ledge and insulator becomes shortest.
US08672720B1
A life vest with a rescue handle located on the back side thereof. The rescue handle has a flange located at the lower end thereof, the flange being attached to the back side of the life vest with the rescue handle extending substantially vertically upwards. The rescue handle is attached to the back side of the life vest in a manner adapted to support the weight of a user. The rescue handle has a non-loop shape that eliminates the potential for entanglement with objects in the water.
US08672718B2
A board connecting terminal includes a contact that comes into contact with a mate side terminal, an indent that comes into contact with a pad formed on a circuit board, a terminal attaching part connected to the indent to attach the board connecting terminal to the circuit board, and an engaging piece connected to the contact and having a part held by a holder on which the circuit board is mounted. In the terminal attaching part, when the board connecting terminal is attached to the circuit board, a part of the terminal attaching part enters a through hole passing through the circuit board in a thickness direction thereof to restrain the indent from moving in a planar direction of the circuit board.
US08672710B2
An electromagnetic gasket comprises a sheet having a plurality of resilient fingers on an outer peripheral. The fingers are bent outward and at least four resilient prongs are bent inward to form a passageway that is sized and dimensioned to receive an RJ45 connector. When the RJ45 connector is inserted through the passageway, the resilient prongs are adapted to urge against top, bottom, and two side surfaces of the shell of the RJ45 connector in such a manner to prevent the gasket from disengaging from the RJ45 connector. The plurality of resilient fingers extend outward and beyond the top, bottom, and two side surfaces of the shell of the RJ45 connector and are adapted to urge against a surface of a faceplate.
US08672705B2
The invention relates to a enclosure assembly for at least one connector, including an enclosure, the enclosure having a connector volume configured to receive the connector and an opening at least at a rearward end, a strain relief element being adapted to receive a cable, the strain relief element being provided with a relief portion at one end, the relief portion being configured to support the cable elastically, and with a fastening portion, the fastening portion in a mounted state being arranged at least partially within the opening and affixing the strain relief element to the enclosure. To create an enclosure which is easy to mount and assures a reliable anchorage of the cable within the enclosure, in a pre-mounted state, the enclosure and the strain relief element are adapted to be slid relative to each other in a forward direction (F) up to a forward position, and in that in the forward position the enclosure is automatically engaged in a friction lock with the fastening portion.
US08672704B2
In accordance with one embodiment, an electrical connector includes a connector housing, and at least one electrical terminal supported by the connector housing. The electrical terminal defines a mating portion and a mounting portion, the mounting portion carrying a crimp member having crimp teeth configured to pierce through a flex cable when crimped so as to mount the flat flex cable to the mounting portion of the electrical terminal.
US08672701B2
A cable connection device is described for electroconductive connection of a preferably multiwire cable, comprising a forcing nut, a receiving device and a contact carrier. The cable is guided through the forcing nut and through an opening of the receiving device, which comprises a wire receiving element. A stripped wire section of the cable can be positioned radially to the longitudinal axis of the cable connection device, on the wire receiving element, and the forcing nut can be screwed onto the contact carrier so that the forcing nut engages around the receiving device, the wire receiving element is directed towards the contact carrier and the receiving device can be pushed towards the contact carrier by the screwing nut. The cable has a compact structure and can be very easily and/or rapidly connected to a cable, and/or produced very economically on the basis of its simple construction and few individual parts.
US08672698B2
The invention provides a connector including a housing, contacts, and an actuator. The housing includes a first depression and second depressions. The second depressions include bottom surfaces. The contacts include hooks to be disposed within the first depression. The actuator includes bosses, received in the second depressions, and a shaft, received in the first depression. The bosses each include an axial center and first and second contact portions. The distance between the axial center and the first contact portion is smaller than the distance between the axial center and the second contact portion. When the actuator is in an upright position, the first contact portions are on the bottom surfaces and the shaft is on the lower side of the hooks. When the actuator rotates to a lying position, the bosses rotate along the bottom surfaces and the shaft move to the upper side to be engaged with the hooks.
US08672689B2
An electrical connector assembly is provided with an insulating housing, a PCB, and an FFC. The insulating housing includes a plurality of terminals and two side extensions The FFC and the terminals are electrically connected together by the PCB. A plurality of contacts of the PCB are provided on a top surface of the PCB. A space is defined by the extensions and two rearward inclined members on both sides of the insulating housing respectively with each rearward inclined member joining the insulating housing and the extension. The PCB is disposed in the space.
US08672678B2
A nozzle head (5) for a powder jet device (1), for use in applying dental material, comprises a first fluid flow path (8) for delivering a powder/fluid mixture to a first discharge nozzle (8A). A second fluid flow path (6) is provided for delivering a liquid to a second discharge nozzle (6A) located adjacent the first discharge nozzle (8A), so that the materials discharged by the first and second discharge nozzles combine at a desired location to form a dental composition. A nozzle-clearing member (10) is located inside the nozzle head and is movable to remove powder material from the first discharge nozzle when the flow of powder/fluid mixture to the nozzle ceases.
US08672674B2
A burner (1) for burning a gaseous oxidant with a gaseous fuel, with a combustion chamber (2), in which the combustion reaction takes place during the operation of the burner (2), has a wall structure (4) which defines the combustion chamber (2) on the inlet side and which has oxidant openings (5) for introducing the oxidant into the combustion chamber (2) and fuel openings (6), which are separate therefrom, for introducing the fuel into the combustion chamber (2). The wall structure (4) has an oxidant distributor space (7), which is fluidically connected with the oxidant openings (5) on the outlet side and is fluidically connected with at least one oxidant feed opening (9) on the inlet side, as well as contains a fuel distributor space (8), which is fluidically separated from the oxidant distributor space (7) and is fluidically connected on the outlet side with the fuel openings (6) and is fluidically connected with at least one fuel feed opening (10) on the inlet side. A plurality of oxidant feed openings (9) are formed in the wall structure (4) on a side facing away from the combustion chamber (2), a plurality of fuel feed openings (10) are formed in the wall structure (4) on the side facing away from the combustion chamber (2), and the oxidant feed openings (9) and fuel feed openings (10) are arranged next to each other and alternating with one another in a straight connection area (11).
US08672669B2
The invention relates to an injection molding unit for an injection molding machine for processing plastics, comprising an electro-mechanical dosing motor (D) for rotating a worm conveyor (11) during dosing of the plasticizable material, and an electro-mechanical injection motor (E) for the axial movement of the worm conveyor (11) relative to a plasticization unit (10). The injection motor (E) comprises a spindle drive having a spindle (16). The axes of the dosing motor (D) and of the injection motor (E) are aligned with one another. Due to the spindle (16) of the injection motor (E) being rigidly connected to the rotor (12) of the dosing motor (D) and due to the fact that the dosing motor (D) can be blocked by a braking means in a direction of rotation, an alternative compact, energy-saving injection molding unit is created.
US08672660B2
A plate suitable for positioning with an extruder apparatus is provided in which the plate includes at least one temperature sensor. The plate is upstream of the die located at or near the end of the extruder apparatus. The sensor(s) allow for the simultaneous measurement of batch material temperatures at multiple spatial locations across the face of the plate. The temperature sensors associated with the plate can be used to identify spatial and temporal temperature patterns within the batch flow.
US08672654B2
A counterweight mounted to a drive shaft in a scroll compressor is provided. The drive shaft has a central annular segment generally concentric about the central axis and an eccentric annular segment offset from the central axis that can be used for driving the movable scroll compressor body. A counterweight engages the eccentric and also engages the annular segment for location and mounting of the counterweight to the shaft.
US08672644B2
A supersonic ejector assembly may include a housing manufactured from a solid piece of material, a first ejector assembly positioned in a first bore formed in the housing and secured therein by a first input side flange positioned over an input end of the first bore and an output side flange positioned over an output end of the first bore, and a second ejector assembly positioned in a second bore formed in the housing and secured therein by a second input side flange positioned over an input end of the second bore, the second bore terminating into the first bore proximate a suction input of the first ejector assembly.
US08672635B2
When cold and in the non-coated state, the aerodynamic profile is substantially identical to a nominal profile determined by the Cartesian coordinates X,Y,Z′ given in Table 1, in which the coordinate Z′ is the quotient D/H where D is the distance of the point under consideration from a first reference plane P0 situated at the base of the nominal profile, and H is the height of said profile measured from the first reference plane to a second reference plane P1. The measurements D and H are taken radially relative to the axis of the turbine, while the X coordinate is measured in the axial direction of the turbine.
US08672622B2
A fluid machine includes a non-streamline casing capable of forming a stable vortex street on a downstream side by internal and external flows, and an impeller disposed inside the casing. The casing has a vortex generator configured to form the vortex street on the downstream side. The vortex generator is provided with a phase control structure which regulates a phase of a vortex formation that fluctuates along a circumferential direction in a plane including a rear face of the casing and which clarifies a cell structure to be formed along the circumferential direction of the casing to fix, on a surface of the casing, respective positions of cells into a plurality of segmented regions arranged in the circumferential direction. The velocity of the internal flow is increased by the phase control structure.
US08672612B2
A turbine vane is provided which includes a radial outer platform, a radial inner platform and an airfoil extending between the outer platform and the inner platform. Each platform has a gas washed surface facing towards the respective other platform, a non gas washed surface facing away from the respective other platform and a peripheral surface extending from the gas washed surface to the non gas washed surface. The peripheral surface includes an upstream section that is designed to be directed towards the gas flow washing the gas washed surface. Cooling fluid channels each include an opening in the peripheral surface or in the gas washed surface and are located in at least a section of the outer platform and/or in at least a section of the inner platform. The respective section directly adjoins the upstream section of the peripheral surface of the respective platform.
US08672611B2
A rotary blood pump includes a casing defining a pumping chamber. The pumping chamber has a blood inlet and a tangential blood outlet. One or more motor stators are provided outside of the pumping chamber. A rotatable impeller is within the pumping chamber and is adapted to cause blood entering the pumping chamber to move to the blood outlet. The impeller has one or more magnetic regions. The impeller is radially constrained in rotation by magnetic coupling to one or more motor stators and is axially constrained in rotation by one or more hydrodynamic thrust bearing surfaces on the impeller.
US08672607B2
A differentially pumped vacuum system including apparatus having at least first and second chambers; and a vacuum pump for differentially pumping fluid from the chambers to generate a first pressure above 0.1 mbar in the first chamber and a second pressure lower than the first pressure in the second chamber, the pump having at least first and second pump inlets each for receiving fluid from a respective pressure chamber and a plurality of pumping stages positioned relative to the inlets so that fluid received from the first chamber passes through fewer pumping stages than fluid from the second chamber, the inlets being attached to the apparatus such that at least 99% of the fluid mass pumped from the apparatus passes through at least one of the pumping stages of the pump.
US08672600B2
The present invention provides a clip having a general T-shape. The clip may be mounted to a deck board structure for engagement with a joist. The clip may include a base for mounting to a structure, such as a deck board, and barbs located on the base. The clip may also include a pair of supporting arms having clamping tabs with barbs. The barbs of the base and the clamping tabs may grip onto a joist. The clip may also include an aperture that is capable of connecting the base to the deck board. Once assembled with the deck board and joist, the clip may remain completely hidden from view after deck completion.
US08672595B2
The invention relates to an expansion anchor (10) comprising an expansion sleeve (12) which is divided into expansions (18) by means of longitudinal slots (14) arranged in the front section in the direction of placement (16) of the expansion sleeve (12) and also has an inner thread (20) in the rear section in the direction of placement (16). The expansion anchor (10) further comprises an expansion body (22), which preferably has the shape of a cone stump that tapers conically in the direction of placement (18), the conical stump being arranged in the front section in the direction of placement (16) of the expansion sleeve and inside the expansion sleeve (12).
US08672590B2
A cutting insert including a substrate having a seat recessed from a top surface at a corner and a superhard sintered body bonded to the seat. The body includes a cutting edge, a rake face with positive rake angle, and chip breaker including, in plan view, a projection projecting from a line that crosses a bisector of the corner toward a tip end of an arc edge of the cutting edge. A first breaker wall is formed between a top edge of the projection and the rake face. A second breaker wall is formed between a ridge line extending from a base end of the projection to a side surface of the body and the rake face. Another ridge line formed between the rake face and the side surface is inclined whereby a distance to a bottom surface of the substrate decreases as a distance from the cutting edge increases.
US08672583B1
A plastic arch-shape cross section corrugated stormwater chamber has a multiplicity of crest corrugations and valley corrugations which run transverse to its length. Sub-corrugations run along part or all of the arch-curve lengths of either crest corrugations or valley corrugations, or along both of them. A sub-corrugations are smaller in dimension than an associated crest corrugation or valley corrugation. Sub-corrugations may taper in width and depth and may taper to nothingness. A compound convex shape end cap, useful for closing off the ends of stormwater chambers, has substantially vertical corrugations with analogous sub-corrugations.
US08672582B2
A multipurpose compactor with an automatic safety system is provided. The automatic safety system comprises at least one transmitter and one receiver. The transmitter is coupled mechanically fixed to the multipurpose compactor and/or to a unit movable relative to the multipurpose compactor. The receiver is coupled fixedly to the movable unit and/or the multipurpose compactor.
US08672581B2
A road construction machine comprising height adjustment devices which adjust the position of the plane of the machine frame in accordance with control signals, where the leveling device measures the distance of the ground surface to the machine frame and controls the height adjustment devices so the machine frame is movable at an adjusted orthogonal distance to the surface; a transmitter is arranged at the machine frame in a rigid fashion, and a receiver is movable, parallel to and synchronously with the machine frame, or vice versa, where the transmitter emits a measuring beam representative of a reference plane, the measuring beam being detectable by the receiver and representing either a plane extending parallel to the machine frame or a plane extending parallel to the ground surface, where the current distance of the machine frame to the current reference location is measurable from the detected position of the reference plane.
US08672577B2
A post coupler is provided with a pair of coupler flanges having rivet receiving apertures for receiving rivets extending from horizontal shelf-supporting beams to facilitate vertical shelf placement in a shelving unit unfettered by the vertical disposition of the post couplers. Apertures in the coupler index with apertures in abutting corner post sections to permit rivet extension therethrough. The reverse bend flanges of the coupler have a length shorter than the overall length of the coupler and wrap around edges of post sections, to be coupled, from the inside to the outside.
US08672571B2
An illuminated marking device is described for use with colorless marking materials. The marking materials remain colorless until being transferred to a marking surface having a developer material disposed thereon that causes the marking material to develop a colored appearance. The marking material is contained within a marking device having a clear or translucent barrel and a lens integrated into a first end. The lens is tinted in a color similar to that of the developed color of the marking material. The first end of the marker is inserted into a light housing having a light source therein. Light from the light source is filtered by the lens and thereby illuminates the barrel of the marker in a color similar to that of the developed color of the marker. The glowing marker indicates the marking color of the marker and provides an enjoyable glowing experience.
US08672561B2
An optical cable connector is disclosed herein. The optical cable connector includes a housing; an aperture on a side of the housing for receiving unsplit duplex optical cable; a sharp edge, disposed within the housing and positioned to split a portion of the optical cable into two optical fibers when the cable is inserted into the aperture, the fibers for carrying optical signals; and electro-optical transceivers, disposed within the housing and aligned with the two optical fibers to receive the optical signals, the transceivers configured to convert the optical signals into electrical signals. Integrating the sharp edge within the connector precludes a user from having to manually split optical cable prior to inserting the cable into the connector, thereby making the connector relatively easy to use and reducing the likelihood the user will be injured.
US08672552B2
In an embodiment, a bearing assembly includes superhard bearing elements distributed circumferentially about an axis. At least one of the superhard bearing elements may include a first arcuate end portion, a second arcuate end portion, a first substantially planar face, a second substantially planar face, and a bearing surface. The first and second arcuate end portions may be generally opposite each other. The first substantially planar face may extend between the first and second arcuate end portions. The second substantially planar face may be generally opposite the first substantially planar face. The first substantially planar face may have a length greater than a length of the second substantially planar face. The bearing surface may extend between the first arcuate end portion, the second arcuate end portion, the first substantially planar face, and the second substantially planar face. The bearing assembly includes a support ring that carries the superhard bearing elements.
US08672550B1
Cooling-enhanced bearing assemblies, apparatuses, and motor assemblies using the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly may include a plurality of superhard bearing elements distributed circumferentially about an axis. Each of the superhard bearing elements may have a bearing surface. The bearing assembly may further include a support ring that carries the plurality of superhard bearing elements. The support ring may include at least an upper surface, an inner surface, and an outer surface. A plurality of cooling features may be arranged on at least one of the upper surface, the inner surface, or the outer surface of the support ring.
US08672546B2
An article, such as a bag, with an attached storage pouch or pocket is disclosed. The pouch can be directly attached to the article through an attachment, placing the pouch within close proximity, or coincident with a portion of the article. The pouch can be made from an elastic, flexible material. The pouch can be attached in an inverted state to an article. A user can place a portion of his hand in the pouch, compress the article with both hands, and then invert the pouch while encapsulating the compressed article in the pouch. The pouch can have a flap attached to the pouch. The flap can be used to close the opening of the pouch.
US08672544B2
A method and apparatus for water storage and transport uses a container constructed from one of more flexible plastic sheets. A number of chambers for holding water are formed within the container. Each chamber is separated from an adjacent chamber by a web of the flexible plastic sheet. The web of the flexible plastic sheet is perforated to allow adjacent chambers to be separated from one another. In use, the water in the chambers may be liquid or frozen.
US08672542B2
A thermistor amplifier device comprising a first amplifier and a second amplifier is provided. The first amplifier generates an analog temperature signal output based on a voltage across at least one thermistor. The second amplifier generates an offset voltage input to the first amplifier, wherein the offset voltage is based on maintaining the analog temperature signal within a predefined voltage range. The second amplifier selects the offset voltage corresponding to one of a plurality of range levels, wherein each of the plurality of range levels is associated with a temperature range of the at least one thermistor.
US08672540B2
A device for monitoring the temperature surrounding a circuit, including: a charge storage element; a charge evacuation device; and a thermo-mechanical switch connecting the storage element to the evacuation element, the switch being capable of closing without the circuit being electrically powered, when the temperature exceeds a threshold.
US08672534B2
An integrated beverage dispensing and cleaning system comprising: at least one blender module which blends and/or mixes ice, at least one other ingredient, and/or at least one mixin within a beverage container, thereby producing the beverage; and a cleaning assembly integrated with the blender module, wherein, upon removal of the beverage container from the blender module, a cleaning mode is initiated.
US08672528B2
An object is to implement a narrowed picture-frame while suppressing the occurrence of light leakage and a reduction in luminance in an edge-light type backlight device. A backlight device is composed of LEDs (40); a side chassis (51) supporting a board having the LEDs (40) mounted thereon; a light guide plate (20) for allowing light emitted from the LEDs (40) to exit toward a liquid crystal panel in a planar manner; a reflection sheet (30) for allowing light traveling toward a back surface side within the light guide plate (20) to be reflected thereby; optical sheets (10) including a reflection type polarizer (11), a prism sheet (12), and a diffuser (13); and a top chassis (52) disposed on top of the optical sheets (10). Black printing (60) is provided in a part of the region of the diffuser (13). A length of the reflection type polarizer (11) is longer than a length of the light guide plate (20) such that an edge of the reflection type polarizer (11) is located closer to a side of the LEDs (40) than is an edge surface of the light guide plate (20).
US08672521B1
An image display and a method of making the same. The image display has a translucent medium that has a maximum thickness and at least one area of thinner thickness than the maximum thickness that is used to depict an image. To assist in viewing the image, a light is placed behind a translucent panel, from which the image is made, to provide a more defined image than would be viewable without backlighting. The translucent panel is monolithic and homogeneous. The method of making the image is performed by first digitizing a photograph of the image. After the image is digitized, it is processed by a CNC machine that converts the image into depth. The lighted display is particularly useful as a grave monument marker when the light source is connected to a solar cell that charges a battery so the display is lighted at night.
US08672519B2
A reflector with an alignment recess is provided. The reflector has a recess portion that receives the base of a light emitting diode. At least a portion of an outer periphery of the base of the light emitting diode is adjacent at least portions of the recess portion of the reflector.
US08672511B2
A device for releasably positioning a cable on a support surface comprises a first housing component and a second housing component. The first housing component is releasably engaged with the second housing component. At least one channel is defined between the first and second housing components for releasably receiving and positioning a cable, wherein the at least one channel has an inlet and an outlet that can have the same dimensions.
US08672508B2
An LED light fixture comprising a contoured light transmissive lens cover pivotally mounted between upper and lower end brackets so as to be movable between an open position and a closed position wherein in the closed position the upper and lower contoured edges of the lens cover mate flushly with the contoured surface of respective upper and lower end caps. A bank of LED carrying housing components are attached between the upper and lower mounting brackets so as to direct illumination toward the lens cover. Expansion brackets may be employed to facilitate addition of one or more additional banks of LED carrying housing components behind a lens cover of longer length to thereby created a sconce fixture of extended length.
US08672505B1
A solar powered, illuminated harbor post and pile cover is disclosed that protects a pile from deterioration, prevents bird roosting and droppings as well as other debris, and variably illuminates, beautifies and makes more interesting docks in a harbor. The invention consists of at least one transparent conical cover superimposed over a second base or post cover wherein the interior electronics and LED's are sealed against the environment, weather and other deteriorating elements, yet is simple in manufacture, design, assemblage and repair.
US08672504B2
Drinking vessels and drinking vessel holders display moving images. The vessels and holders include stimulating components for visual, auditory and tactile stimulation, as well as sensing components and processors. Visual stimulation is provided by LEDs, LCDs, electroluminescent light sources and two immiscible liquids in a wall. Speech and vibrations can be output. Sensing components sense location and dynamics of vessels and holders, innate characteristics of the contents, and light. A stimulating component can be activated by signals from a sensing component or processor. A vessel or holder can communicate with a user or device based on the signals received from a sensing component or processor.
US08672502B2
A lamp and a hardscape structure illuminated by the lamp are disclosed. The lamp is formed from a plate to which a light fixture is attached. The plate may have a flange, a decorative face plate and side panels attached to direct light from the fixture along the hardscape on which the lamp is mounted. Mounting is effected by positioning the plate between discrete hardscape elements that are stacked one atop another. A portion of the plate projects out from the structure allowing the fixture to cast light on the structure surface. A light transmitting cover is also provided.
US08672500B2
An optoelectronic component has optically active region, with the optically active region comprising at least one semiconductor chip which is provided for generating electromagnetic radiation, and comprising a beam-forming element through which at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted from the semiconductor chip in operation passes and which has an optical axis, and with the optically active region having quadrant symmetry with respect to a coordinate system which is perpendicular to the optical axis. An illumination device has an optoelectronic component such as this.
US08672487B2
An electronic device includes an instrument panel that includes a display opening, where the instrument panel is located in a first plane; a circuit board located inside the electronic device, where the circuit board includes a display device that includes a display area, and where the display area is located in a second plane that is different from the first plane; and a waveguide that couples the display area to the display opening and guides light, and/or an image displayed in the display area, from the display area to the display opening.
US08672463B2
A fluid ejection device includes a fluid manifold, a substrate coupled to the fluid manifold, and a fluid distribution structure disposed between the fluid manifold and the substrate. The fluid manifold includes a fluid supply chamber and a fluid return chamber. The substrate defines a flow path including a flow path inlet for receiving fluid, a nozzle for ejecting fluid droplets, and a flow path outlet for channeling away un-ejected fluid. The fluid distribution structure includes a fluid supply channel including a supply inlet fluidically coupled to the fluid supply chamber and a supply outlet fluidically coupled to the flow path. The fluid distribution structure also includes a fluid bypass channel including a bypass inlet fluidically coupled to the fluid supply chamber, a bypass outlet fluidically coupled to the fluid return chamber, and a flow inhibitor between the bypass inlet and the bypass outlet providing a supplemental flow resistance to the fluid bypass channel. The flow inhibitor includes a convergent-divergent throat section.
US08672457B2
A piezoelectric film is constituted of a perovskite oxide represented as: Pb1+δ(ZrxTiy)1-a(MgbNb1-b)aOz, where δ and z are values within ranges where a perovskite structure is obtained and δ=0 and z=3 are standard, Pb is replaceable with another A site element in an amount of a range where the perovskite structure is obtained, b is a value in a range of 0.090≦b≦0.25, and a Nb ratio at a B site satisfies 0.13≦a×(1−b).
US08672451B2
Improved output quality of a printer used in UV curable ink jet printing is achieved by minimizing or eliminating a print artifact referred to as gloss banding or tire tracking. A same or a similar number of nozzles as used in conventional printers is used to achieve a desired throughput, but the nozzles are arranged so that any given square inch of substrate to which ink is being applied receives a lower amount of ink. A longer effective print head is provided by arranging the print heads into a longer array, where the print heads are butted substantially end-to-end. As a result, the net throughput of the printer is the same as that of a conventional printer because the printer uses the same number of print heads, but the amount of ink that is applied to any given square inch is less on a pass.
US08672449B2
In an inkjet recording apparatus including an ink and solvent containers, they are coupled with each other through a first exhaust channel, an exhaust gas and ink mist within the ink container are supplied to the solvent container through the first exhaust channel, and the solvent container has an ink mist removal unit removing the ink mist supplied from the first exhaust channel.
US08672448B2
A sun gear which is rotationally driving according to power which is transmitted from a driving motor, a planetary gear which can be displaced in the circumferential direction of the sun gear in a state of being engaged with the sun gear, and a winding-up gear which transmits a rotational driving power to a winding-up roller are provided, and the planetary gear is released from an engagement with a rack gear unit, rotates the winding-up roller by being engaged with the winding-up gear, and winds up a wiping member after the planetary gear moves a wiper holder in the wiping direction by being engaged with the rack gear unit of the wiper holder.
US08672446B2
An image forming apparatus includes a suction controller to seal a nozzle face of a recording head with a cap and drives a suction device to suck liquid from the head to perform sucking operation. The dummy ejection controller ejects, from the head, droplets not contributing to image formation to perform dummy ejection. The first tinier measures a first elapsed time after the dummy ejection. The second timer measures a second elapsed time after the sucking operation. A liquid discharge amount of the sucking operation is set to be greater than that of the dummy ejection. When the first elapsed time is equal to or greater than a first threshold time, the dummy ejection controller performs the dummy ejection. When the second elapsed time is equal to or greater than a second threshold time which is greater than the first threshold time, the suction controller performs the sucking operation.
US08672437B2
A liquid ejecting apparatus is characterized by a configuration in which it has a first carriage movement mode, in which a stop position of a carriage in movement of this time is determined to be at a given position in a width direction on the basis of a size in the width direction of a liquid-ejected medium, and a second carriage movement mode, in which the stop position of the carriage in the movement of this time is determined on the basis of at least one of the liquid ejection data in this movement and the liquid ejection data in the next movement, and liquid ejection is carried out with one of the first carriage movement mode and the second carriage movement mode selected in accordance with a setting mode that is a mode set up with respect to liquid ejection.
US08672426B2
A clothes treating apparatus having a stacking structure. The clothes treating apparatus includes upper and lower clothes treating apparatuses each having a cabinet and legs installed below the cabinet, wherein leg accommodation portions for accommodating the legs of the upper clothes treating apparatus are formed on an upper surface of the cabinet of the lower clothes treating apparatus, and the upper and lower clothes treating apparatuses are fixed to each other as the legs are insertion-fixed to the leg accommodation portions.
US08672423B2
A rubber track having: an endless rubber elastic body 1; a plurality of cores 2 arranged at predetermined pitches in the rubber elastic body so as to extend in a width direction of the rubber elastic body; a reinforcing layer extending in the rubber elastic body so as to surround the cores 2; and a plurality of lugs 4 formed on an outer peripheral surface of the rubber elastic body 1 at predetermined intervals and acting on a road surface, the rubber track comprising; a thick wall rubber portion, located between the lugs on the outer peripheral surface of the rubber elastic body, that covers an end portion of each of the cores and communicates with lugs located therebefore and thereafter, wherein an inclined plane of the thick wall rubber portion facing obliquely outward whose thickness gradually decreases toward a side edge side of the rubber elastic body is coplanar with an inclined plane of each of the lugs on the side edge side of the rubber elastic body.
US08672417B2
The present invention uses an Oscillating Disc Cutter (ODC) in a controlled manner to cut rock for assay purposes. The ODC (1) is mounted in an elongate guide frame typically in the form of an open box channel (2). The ODC is located on a carriage (3), the carriage itself mounted on guide rails (4) within the channel (2). The apparatus includes drive means operable to drive the carriage (3) in a rectilinear manner along the rails (4) such that the rails (4) define a cutting path. The ODC cuts a groove of controlled width and depth in a rock face, yielding rock chips that can be used for accurate assay of the face.
US08672414B2
A method for controlling a longwall mining operation, including a face conveyor, at least one extraction machine, and a hydraulic shield support, in underground coal mining. Using inclination sensors disposed on at least three of the four main components of each shield support frame, such as floor skid, gob shield, support connection rods, and gob-side region of the top canopy, the inclination of the shield components relative to horizontal is ascertained in the direction of step. In a computer, the ascertained inclination data is compared with base data stored in the computer that defines the geometrical orientation of the components and their movement during stepping. From the comparison, a respective height of the shield support frame, at the forward end of the top canopy, is calculated as a measure for the face opening.
US08672407B2
hinge mechanism comprising first and second rotating frames and a control member mounted rotatably in a neck of the first frame, such control member being capable of controlling the relative rotation of the frames. A metal retaining part is held in the neck by pressing, and the control member is mounted rotatably independently of the retaining part and abuts against such retaining part.
US08672406B2
A seating apparatus that is capable of both sliding and pivoting thereby lending to advantageously positioning a hunter in relation to their prey. By enabling a seat portion to horizontally slide along a plane, the hunter can reposition away from an object, e.g., a tree. Additionally, the seat portion of the apparatus is capable of pivoting in either direction thereby enhancing line of sight to hunting game.
US08672401B2
An automotive bolster pillow for providing a barrier that prevents personal items from falling into a gap between a vehicle seat and a center console. The device comprises an elongated pillow adapted to be pressed into the seat/console gap and optionally have an attached insertion tab or seat belt securement loop. Tab insertion or loop attachment limits the bolster freedom of movement such that the apparatus stays securely in place while the vehicle is in motion. The compressible nature of the interior pillow stuffing material provides users with a comfortable cushion for the driver or passenger while its outward appearance is that of a decorative bolster pillow that matches the interior decor. The device provides a boundary to prevent personal articles and loose change from falling into the seat/console gap.
US08672400B2
An apparatus and method for providing a work surface proximate to a seat in a vehicle. The apparatus comprises a base support connectable to the vehicle, a substantially planar member and a parallel linkage extending between the base support and the planar member for planar translational movement from a first position to a second position about an arcuate path defining a first plane. The first position is substantially proximate to the seat and the second position is above the seat and forward of the first position. The planar member is also pivotable about an axis parallel to the first plane away from the seat. The apparatus further comprises a support for selectably maintaining the planar member at a substantially horizontal orientation. The method comprises moving the planar member from the first position to the second position, rotating the planar member to the horizontal orientation and supporting the planar member with the support.
US08672393B2
Side beam extends from a sub frame, mounted to front side frames, to a front frame section, and includes: a lower impact absorbing bar member having a horizontal intermediate portion joined to the sub frame, and a slanting portion extending upward from the intermediate portion; and a bent impact absorbing member joined to the slanting portion and front frame section and having a smaller strength against an impact than the bar member. Skid plate is mounted to a lower cross beam constituting a lower portion of the frame section and projects forward from the cross beam. Lower impact absorbing bar member is mounted to the cross beam and extends rearward, and an impact absorbing projecting member is provided in front of the bar member. The absorbing projecting member defines a closed sectional shape in conjunction with a rear portion of the skid plate.
US08672383B2
The present invention is a moveable connector for connecting two components on a vehicle. The connector has a body portion, and a first end formed as part of the body portion. The connector is movable about at least one axis located at the first end of the body portion. The connector is also connected to a first vehicle component, such as a carrier, using the first end of the body portion. There is also a second end formed as part of the body portion. The second end is operable for being connected to a second vehicle component, such as a fender. During assembly, the first vehicle component is positioned relative to the second vehicle component, and the connector is pivoted about the axis to allow the second end of the body portion to be connected to the second vehicle component.
US08672382B2
A pedestrian protection system for a motor vehicle includes an impact recognition sensor for recognizing an impact of the motor vehicle with a pedestrian. The impact recognition sensor is located in a front fender of the motor vehicle, next to an outer skin that lines the fender, or in a front part of the motor vehicle, next to an outer skin that lines the front part of the motor vehicle.
US08672381B1
A grab handle assembly for a vehicle has an asymmetrical handle that spans between a first end and a second end. The first end is operably coupled with an A-pillar of a frame of the vehicle. The second end is operably coupled with the A-pillar below the first end. The asymmetrical handle has a slanted portion and a curved portion, configured to provide a smooth downward transition between the A-pillar and the handle and to slidably deflect a forward moving object. The slanted portion extends down from the first end at a first angle. The curved portion protrudes outward and upward from the second end at a second angle to join the slanted portion. The first angle is less than the second angle and the first angle is less than thirty-five degrees, such that the first angle provides a smooth transition to the handle.
US08672368B2
The present invention is directed to improvements in latch design. The illustrated embodiment of the present invention is a rotary pawl latch with the capability to provide a compressive force between the first member and the second member. The illustrated embodiment of the present invention is of an electromechanical type. The control circuit of the latch detects when a striker attached to one member, for example a door, has moved the pawl to a first latched position. A motor is then activated that drives the pawl to a second latched position to provide compression between the first member and a second member, for example a door frame.
US08672351B2
A side curtain airbag (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) for use with a linear gas generator or inflator. In one embodiment, the airbag (110, 210, 310, 410) includes a first longitudinal panel (113, 213, 313, 413), a second longitudinal panel (114, 214, 314, 414) adjacent the first panel, and a plurality of seams (116, 220, 320, 420) connecting the adjacent panels to define a plurality of inflation fluid flow passages (117, 217, 317, 417) between the scams. The seams extend along a substantial portion of a lateral extent of the airbag. The seams are also distributed along substantially an entire length of the airbag. In another embodiment, the airbag includes a first panel (513), a second panel (514) adjacent the first panel, and a plurality of substantially straight seams (520) connecting the adjacent panels to define a plurality of inflation fluid flow passages (517) between the seams (520). Use of the seam patterns described herein in side airbag systems allows for improved airbag performance, particularly when used in conjunction with a linear inflator. Inflation of the airbag takes place in a more uniform manner, reducing the risk of localized overpressurization and seam bursting, and improving occupant protection. Moreover, the seam patterns disclosed herein are relatively simple, and their manufacture is relatively easy ands inexpensive.
US08672349B2
An airbag module including an inflatable airbag and an inflator configured to provide gas for inflating the airbag. The airbag includes a vent opening in a surface of the airbag to allow inflation gas to escape the airbag. A tether is aligned against the surface of the airbag adjacent the opening. The tether includes a first tether opening and wherein the tether is configured so that the first tether opening and the vent opening are aligned prior to the full deployment of the airbag. During deployment of the airbag the position of the tether changes so that the first tether opening and vent opening are no longer aligned.
US08672348B2
Gas-generating devices with grain-retention structures and related methods and systems are described. In particular, gas-generating devices having at least one retention structure fixed to a frame and positioned between adjacent gas-generant grains arranged in a longitudinal stack. Fire suppression systems comprising such gas-generating devices are also described. Additionally, methods of manufacturing gas-generating devices, as well as methods of generating a gas and methods of suppressing a fire utilizing such gas-generating devices are described.
US08672334B1
In a vehicle height adjusting device for a motorcycle, the vehicle height is adjusted on the basis of proper vehicle speed information when a failure occurs in a vehicle speed sensor. In the vehicle height adjusting device for a motorcycle, when a failure occurs in a vehicle speed sensor, a control section adjusts vehicle height by using vehicle speed information calculated from an engine speed signal, a shift position signal of a transmission, and an ON/OFF signal of a clutch.
US08672328B2
A method of playing a word forming game comprises distributing a predetermined number of tiles to a set of players so as to form a hand of play associated with each player. Each tile has a character value associated with the tile, and at least one tile has a special feature value. The players form words on a playing surface, and the words comprise one or more tiles from a player's hand of play and one or more tiles already on the playing surface. Exemplary special feature values instruct players to skip a turn, to reverse the order of play, or to redistribute tiles. Each tile has a nesting portion and a nested portion. The nesting portion is characterized a concavity into which another playing tile may be nested and the nested portion is characterized by a convex edge.
US08672320B2
A recording-material transport apparatus includes a retracting member that moves at a speed lower than a transport speed of a recording material transported from an upstream side in a transport direction, to a downstream side in the transport direction along a transport path for the recording material, and that retracts from the transport path after a leading end of the recording material contacts with the retracting member, a first transport member that transports the recording material from the upstream side in the transport direction toward the retracting member, and a second transport member that further transports the recording material in contact with the retracting member to the downstream side. After the leading end of the recording material contacts with the retracting member, without being paused, transport of the recording material with the first transport member is continued to deliver the recording material to the second transport member.
US08672316B2
A paper sheet seasoning apparatus includes a mount on which a plurality of sheet-like recording media are loaded. A central portion of the mount is curved in a convex shape when seen in a first direction. The apparatus also includes a blowing member that blows air in the first direction onto end portions of the recording media loaded on the mount. The apparatus further includes a pair of side panels that support both end portions in a direction that intersects the first direction of the recording media on the mount, and a top panel disposed with a gap in a vertical direction between the top panel and the uppermost recording medium on the mount. On at least one of the side panels, there is disposed an approaching surface that approaches the opposing side panel as the approaching surface heads upward in the vertical direction.
US08672315B2
In a sheet feeder comprising a pair of sheet feeding units and an image forming apparatus comprising the sheet feeder according to the present invention, a feed roller of a first sheet feeding unit of the pair of sheet feeding units is driven to rotate when a driving source of the first sheet feeding unit rotates in the forward direction, and a conveying roller of a second sheet feeding unit of the pair of sheet feeding units is driven to rotate when the driving source of the first sheet feeding unit rotates in the backward direction.
US08672305B2
A work apparatus has at least one handle (12) and a drive motor (3). The handle (12) is connected to said drive motor (3) via at least one anti-vibration element (16, 17, 18, 19, 20). The anti-vibration element (18, 19) is held on a first housing part and coacts with a second housing part. To achieve good damping, the anti-vibration element (19) includes a damping section (25) having an annularly-shaped wall (37) which expands in the direction of the second housing part.
US08672303B2
A bush for isolating a stabilizer from vibration, is adapted to be fitted from the open end of an axle beam having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, to a stabilizer bar passing through the inside of the axle beam. The bush includes a fitting hole and an opening for guiding the bar into the fitting hole. The opening has a pair of first projections facing each other and a pair of second projections facing each other. When the opening becomes engaged with the bar, the first and second projections sequentially and individually contact with the bar and elastically deform in the direction in which the opening opens. When the fitting hole has engaged with the bar, the bush makes contact with the inner surface of the beam and elastically deforms in the direction in which the opening closes, and this causes the second projections to make contact with the first projections
US08672301B2
An overhead wire tension balancer has a water draining structure and can prevent lubricating oil in the tension balancer from scattering to the outside. The overhead wire tension balancer is for supporting a spanned overhead wire while applying tension thereto, and rainwater collecting inside the overhead wire tension balancer is collected from a collecting pipe connecting part into a collecting tank through a collecting pipe. The oil content of grease applied to the inside of the overhead wire tension balancer is prevented from scattering to the outside even if the oil content is carried together with the rainwater.
US08672295B2
A gate valve comprises a valve body having an internal working fluid passage and an internal gate chamber extending transverse to the working fluid passage. In addition, the gate valve comprises a gate disposed in the internal gate chamber and movable within the gate chamber between a closed position obstructing fluid flow through the working fluid passage and an open position allowing fluid flow through the working fluid passage. Further, the gate valve comprises an internal sealing arrangement coaxially disposed in the working fluid passage and extending between the valve body and the gate to form a barrier between the internal working fluid passage and the gate chamber. The internal sealing arrangement includes a frustoconical metal sealing surface adapted to sealingly engage an opposed mating frustoconical metal sealing surface on the valve body to form a first tapered metal-to-metal seal between the sealing arrangement and the valve body.
US08672292B2
A valve comprises a magnetic drive and a core which is arranged therein to be movable in an axial direction, and which serve to open and close a valve seat. At least two flat springs stacked upon each other are arranged on an axial end of the core.
US08672276B2
A pipe clamp, for installing a filler pipe on a vehicle body panel having a locking hole, includes a base member, a lid member, and a pin member. The base member is arranged on the vehicle body panel and includes a pin hole, a plurality of leg piece parts placed projecting from a perimeter edge part of the pin hole and capable of projecting into the locking hole, and pipe holding parts. The lid member is provided rotatably on the base member, and locks to the base member when rotated to a closed position covering the pipe holding parts. The pin member is held in the pin hole displacing the leg piece parts outwardly in a radial direction of the pin hole to engage the leg piece parts in the locking hole. The lid member has an access hole exposing the pin member to the outside when in closed position.
US08672268B2
An aircraft structure includes a wing spar (10), with orbital frames (24, 24′, 24″) arranged in transverse planes, right and left horizontal spars (26) connected to the wing spar (10) at the upper panel (14) of the spar respectively to the right and to the left of the spar, and for each right or left horizontal spar (26), a triangular panel (50) that includes a wall (60), a first edge arranged at the horizontal spar (26), a second side arranged at the wing spar (10), and a third side at which a first rectilinear oblique reinforcement (62) connecting the horizontal spar (26) and the wing spar (10) is provided, characterized in that the triangular panel (50) includes at least one second rectilinear oblique reinforcement (64) that connects the horizontal spar (26) and the wing spar (10).
US08672266B2
An overhead bin for use on both sides in a passenger cabin of an aircraft, includes a first baggage compartment and a second baggage compartment, a first opening and a second opening for loading items into the first baggage compartment and into the second baggage compartment, and a partition for dividing the first baggage compartment from the second baggage compartment. The first baggage compartment and the second baggage compartment differ from each other in their shape and/or alignment. With several overhead bins, the alignment of a larger and a smaller baggage bin can alternate so that adequate bin space for stowing hand baggage is available to passengers in the center seats.
US08672259B2
A supersonic aircraft design using compression lift for enhanced cruise performance. Each engine nacelle at mid-span has a vertical wedge at the nose which creates shock waves under the wings. The increased pressure behind the shock waves pushes up on the wings, creating compression lift. The second part of the process is trapping the shocks by some vertical surfaces. The inboard shocks are intercepted by a keel under the fuselage. This causes the reflected shock effect, which increases compression lift. The keel is just wide enough to store the main landing gear's wheel bogies one behind the other. One strut carrying a wheel bogie retracts upward and forward. The other strut retracts upward and backward. This allows tandem bogie storage in the narrow keel, which reduces drag. Outboard shocks are trapped by wingtip fins with pointed noses to reduce shock interference at the point of shock trapping.
US08672256B2
A print sheet supplying shaft device and a supplying method of the print sheet and a printer for the print sheet which is capable of stably transferring the print sheet 5 along a transfer route, to be capable of maintaining the print position accuracy of the print sheet 5 at a predefined level.A roll supply shaft (25) protrudes at outer surfaces of a roll holding member (22) holding the rolled print sheet (5). Constant friction force is applied to the surface of the roll supply shaft (25) by a shaft clamping member (23). An urging member (24) provides a load resisting the feeding movement of the print sheet (5) to the roll supply shaft (25) by urging the shaft clamping member (23) towards the roll supply shaft (25).
US08672251B2
A paper shredder includes a housing, cutters positioned in the housing, and a feeder base adapted to support a stack of paper. The feeder base includes a feeder slot. A pressure plate is mounted for movement above the feeder base. The pressure plate is mounted to a bottom surface of a feeder door that substantially covers the entire feeder base and is pivoted about an axis at one end of the feeder door. The pressure plate is a one-piece member that spans the feeder slot.
US08672247B2
A shredder is disclosed. The shredder includes a housing having a throat for receiving at least one article to be shredded, and a shredder mechanism received in the housing and including an electrically powered motor and cutter elements. The shredder mechanism enables the at least one article to be shredded to be fed into the cutter elements. The motor is operable to drive the cutter elements so that the cutter elements shred the articles fed therein. The shredder also includes a detector that is configured to detect a thickness of the at least one article being received by the throat, and a controller that is operable to perform a predetermined operation responsive to the detector detecting that the thickness of the at least one article is at least equal to a predetermined maximum thickness.
US08672243B2
In a centrifuge nozzle a nozzle body defines an inlet in fluid communication with a nozzle outlet. The nozzle body is adapted to be releasably positioned in an aperture defined by a centrifuge bowl assembly. A camming portion projects outwardly from the nozzle body and defines a surface frictionally engageable with a portion of the bowl assembly. The nozzle body also defines a male mounting portion for slidably engaging a complimentarily shaped female slot defined by a nozzle insertion and extraction tool. The outlet of the nozzle is located adjacent to the male mounting portion.
US08672241B2
A multi-hole or cluster nozzle having several outlet openings for fluid to be atomized. The central longitudinal axes of at least two of the outlet openings are aligned askew relative to one another, where a distance between the central longitudinal axes of these outlet openings and the main longitudinal axis of the nozzle is initially reduced when seen in the outflow direction, without intersecting the central longitudinal axis, and increases again after passing through a minimum distance. Use for example in nozzles for evaporative cooling or for flue gas cleaning.
US08672234B2
A fuel atomizer that includes a housing having a fuel inlet and at least one primary orifice positioned at the inlet, wherein the at least one orifice configured to disperse a stream of fuel into a plurality of fuel droplets. The plurality of fuel droplets contact a fuel impingement surface to break up the plurality of fuel droplets into a plurality of smaller secondary droplets and create a thin film of secondary droplets on the impingement surface. At least one pressurized air channel delivers an airflow into contact with the secondary droplets. The secondary droplets pass through a plurality of secondary outlet orifices to exit the housing. A size of the plurality of secondary droplets is reduced when passing out of the plurality of secondary orifices.
US08672228B1
Some implementations provide a connector element that may be movable from a retracted position within a cavity to an extended position for contacting an external contact element that may be positioned proximate to an exterior end of the cavity. In some implementations, at least one of the external contact element or the connector element may include a magnet for causing the connector element to extend from the retracted position into contact with the external contact element for forming an electrical connection. In some implementations, a mechanical actuator may be provided for extending the connector element into contact with the external contact element. In some implementations, an actuator having a motive element may extend the connector element into contact with the external contact element based on a detected proximity or an identification of an accessory associated with the external contact element. Some implementations may also include an optical connection.
US08672219B2
A method for handling a sample tube containing a biological sample is presented. A tube label can be attached to the sample tube. The tube label can carry tube data. The tube data can comprise at least geometric tube data descriptive of at least one geometric property of the sample tube. At least the geometric tube data can be read from the tube label by a reader device. At least the geometric tube data from the reader device can be transmitted to a processing device. The processing device for handling the sample tube can be controlled in accordance with the at least one geometric property described by the read geometric data.
US08672208B2
A surgical stapler including an anvil, a staple cartridge, and a buttress material removably retained to the anvil and/or staple cartridge. In various embodiments, the staple cartridge can include at least one staple removably stored therein which can, when deployed, or fired, therefrom, contact the buttress material and remove the buttress material from the anvil and/or staple cartridge. In at least one embodiment, the anvil can include at least one lip and/or groove configured to removably retain the buttress material to the anvil until deformable members extending from the surgical staple are bent by the anvil and are directed toward and contact the buttress material.
US08672204B2
A fastener installation tool including a guide that guides a fastener into a side of a work piece at an angle, while optionally restraining the fastener from wobbling due to rotation, even upon initial entry into the work piece. The guide can define an angled bore including a fastener entrance opening and a fastener exit opening which is adapted to be positioned immediately adjacent the work piece. The guide can include a material ejection port between the openings, through which material bored from the work piece can be evacuated from the angled bore to prevent binding of the material with the fastener. The tool can include a clamp assembly that clamps opposing sides of the work piece to precisely align and steadily hold the angled bore as a fastener is being installed in a side surface. Related methods of using the tool to install fasteners also are provided.
US08672199B1
An adjustable electronic device holder mountable to an elongated shopping cart handle includes a base with an advertising panel, a rear support attached to the back of the base at an obtuse angle, a fixed clamping member and a linearly movable clamping member attached at the rear support. Each clamping member has a concave gripping side, which may include a resilient gripping pad. An adjustable fastener, permanent bonding, or integral formation may attach the base to a handle. A deflectable pawl engages a rack along the rear support for locking and releasing the movable clamping member.
US08672188B2
The intermediate piece connects a static mixer to a dispensing cartridge or to a dispensing device for a plurality of components and contains two separate passages for separate components from the dispensing device. The inlet opening of one passage includes an element for aligning the passage in a matching position to the dispensing device and the inlet openings of the two passages are of different cross-sectional shape to each other.
US08672185B2
A dispensing cap is disclosed for mixing a primary flowable substance, such as a soap, lotion, or the like, with a small dose of a secondary flowable substance, such as a fragrance. The dispensing cap includes a plurality of reservoirs containing a plurality of secondary flowable substances. Each of the reservoirs is associated with a secondary piston that, when actuated, causes the secondary flowable substance to be expelled from the reservoir into a mixing chamber in the cap, where it is mixed with the primary flowable substance. Upon mixing the two are dispensed together from a dispensing end of the cap. A selector ring is provided to enable the user to select one of the plurality of reservoirs. The selector ring has an actuation flange that aligns with the secondary piston that is associated with the selected reservoir. The selector ring is engaged with the main piston so, as the primary flowable substance is introduced into the mixing chamber via movement of the main piston, the selector ring and flange are pressed down onto the selected secondary piston, which expels a quantity of selected secondary flowable substance into the mixing chamber. The mixing chamber may have mixing vanes or other physical features to enhance mixing of the primary and secondary flowable substances. The cap may have a lockout feature that prevents actuation if the selected reservoir is empty. The cap may also have a visual indicator that informs the user of a level of secondary flowable substance within the secondary reservoir.
US08672175B2
A food retaining apparatus and associated methods are described. In one embodiment, the food retaining apparatus includes a food receptacle formed in a first side of a plate. The food retaining apparatus further includes a beverage container receptacle comprising an indented hollow having a receptacle opening, where a beverage container is insertable into the receptacle opening and the opening is located on a second side of the plate, the second side being opposite the first side. Also, in one embodiment, a plurality of ribs extend from an inner wall of the indented hollow, the ribs being positioned to engage a lip on an opening of the beverage container. Alternatively, at least one projection maybe disposed on the inner wall of the indented hollow to grip the beverage container when inserted into the beverage container receptacle.
US08672168B2
Sealing disc (1) for closing a container having a plug or cap closure, comprising a support (2) to be positioned at the bottom of the plug or of the cap, joined by means of a temporary adhesive (7) to a membrane seal (3) to be sealed on the mouth of the container, the membrane seal (3) being provided on all or part of its thickness with a prolongation constituting a pull tab (4), characterized in that the whole surface of the tab is folded back on the face of the membrane seal (3) in contact with the corresponding face of the support (2).
US08672161B2
A nestable display crate for bottle carriers having a floor and a wall structure with that is designed to reveal the labels on the bottle carriers. The wall structure is of double thickness and comprises a lower wall portion adjacent the floor and a plurality of integrally formed contoured upper wall portions extending upward from the lower wall portion. The wall structure is hollow throughout allowing the contoured upper wall portions to be received within the lower wall portion of a crate nested thereabove. The contoured upper wall portions are tapered to be smaller in cross section at the top and larger near the lower wall portion to enable easy nesting and to avoid nested crates from becoming wedged together due to interference. The upper wall portions are in the shape of gear teeth that are spaced along the opposing sidewalls and endwalls of the crate. The upper wall portions along the sidewalls are positioned so that they are between six-pack carriers when the crate is loaded, and the space in between the upper wall portions is a window that allows for a bottle carrier to be visible. The endwalls of the crate comprise integrally molded handles which are configured to allow for palm-up or palm-down gripping. The crate of the present invention combines the advantages of a nesting crate with sufficient strength afforded by its double-walled construction with maximum, unobstructed visibility of bottle carriers.
US08672155B2
The invention relates to a closure cap for a container filled with medicinal fluid, which container has an aperture piece which is sealed off by a diaphragm which can be punctured. The closure cap has a cap-shaped closure body (1) and a drinking neck (4) with a drinking opening (4a) which is pivotable between a first position, in which the drinking neck bears against the closure cap, and a second position, in which the drinking neck projects from the closure cap. In addition, the closure cap has means (20, 22) for puncturing the diaphragm which seals off the aperture piece of the container, which means (20, 22) interact with the drinking neck in such a way that, as the drinking neck (4) is pivoted, the diaphragm is punctured such that a connection is produced between the opening (4a) of the drinking neck and the container interior. The closure cap is characterized in that the closure body has, in addition to the opening (4a) of the drinking neck (4), an opening (20a, 24) for ventilating the container during drinking.
US08672148B2
A push-back cart storage system has one or more push-back carts having a cross-member formed by a structural angle section having cutouts at opposite ends to provide clearance for the second push-back cart to move under the first push-back cart. The cross member provides a truss or joist type of beam support having a full height middle section which resists bending and a reduced height at the ends, to provide a low profile. Side members or angle sections on the cart have through holes for attaching wheels, with no welding of wheel mounts required.
US08672145B2
A sorbent polymer is provided that interacts or reacts with aqueous urea to aid the regeneration of a dialysate liquid. The sorbent polymer may include one or more specific functional groups bonded thereto. Such specific functional groups are selected from carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters, carboxylates, amides, dicarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acid esters, and dicer boxylates to produce the desired urea sorbent.
US08672135B1
A multi-functional survival kit includes a multi-part canteen for storing water, but that can also be broken down into a basin, a parabolic lid, and a cap. The basin, parabolic lid and cap can be used standalone or in conjunction with one another to provide various survival functions. A mirrored concave surface of the parabolic lid provides a means for starting a fire, while a basin handle of the basin allows the basin to be used for cooking purposes. The basin handle has a viewing space that can be used with the cap, which includes a compass, as a directional sight when the basin handle is pivoted ninety degrees. For transport, the canteen can be stored in a carrying case, which includes a strap to which a paracord can be attached. A pan, mess kit, and metal match are also included and stored in the carrying case.
US08672125B2
Embodiments of cushtop laptop stands and methods of manufacture thereof are generally described herein. An article to support a device comprises a first portion having a first interior surface and a first exterior surface, a second portion having a second interior surface and a second exterior surface, and a third portion configured to couple together the first portion and the second portion. At least one of the first, second, and third portions comprises a cushioning material. In a first configuration, the article comprises a first end of the first interior surface spaced apart from a first end of the second interior surface by a first distance, and a second end of the first interior surface spaced apart from a second end of the second interior surface by a second distance greater than the first distance. In a second configuration, the article comprises the first end of the first interior surface spaced apart from the first end of the second interior surface by a third distance substantially equal to a thickness of the device. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08672119B2
A system for providing stability to a carriage along a curved portion of a rail. The system includes a support rail having a bend. The bend includes a support surface. The carriage is configured to engage the support surface so as to stabilize the carriage as the carriage is moved through the curved portion of the rail.
US08672106B2
A self-regulating suspension includes a first suspension member movable relative to a second suspension member, a fluid reservoir having a volume, the volume variable in response to a relative movement between the first and second suspension members, and a fluid flow circuit having a first end in fluidic communication with the fluid reservoir and a second end in fluidic communication with an isolated suspension location, the fluid flow circuit comprising a first valve, a second valve and a third valve, wherein said first and third valves are in parallel with each other and the second valve is in series with each of the first and third valves.
US08672092B2
A wire rope tension grid is a walking surface comprised of interwoven wire rope. The wire rope is supported by a framework of steel angle and tubing. The framework is supported by mounts that are hung from the support beams in the ceiling of a structure, often a performing art center, a television studio, a black box theater, museum dioramas, theme park scenes, live animal pens, or other entertainment venues. These grids are not intended for public usage, but rather are intended for operation staff. New improvements to these grids are listed in this document.
US08672079B1
An anti-theft guard for a vehicle component includes a housing adapted to substantially enclose a vehicle component which is to be protected from theft and an attachment mechanism carried by the housing and adapted for attachment to a structural element of the vehicle. The anti-theft guard is forming including a cavity for covering/receiving the vehicle component. The guard includes a plurality of mounting wings extending outward from an edge formed about a periphery of the cavity, wherein the mounting wings are provided to secure the anti-theft guard to the structural element of the vehicle. A suggested application of the anti-theft guard is a cover placed over an electronic control module of a diesel engine.
US08672069B2
A hybrid vehicle comprises an engine, a first traction element, a second traction element, a first electric drive system, and a second electric drive system. The engine is coupled operatively to the first traction element via the first electric drive system and to the second traction element via the second electric drive system.
US08672066B2
An agricultural vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, an electric machine for driving one powertrain and a number of devices selectively drivable by the powertrain. The powertrain has a first section associated to the internal combustion engine, a second section and a first clutch for coupling the first and second sections. The electric machine and at least one of the devices are associated to the second section.
US08672058B2
The invention provides a system for adapting an HVAC system in an existing building for utilizing geothermal energy, the system comprising an incoming flux of geothermal energy; a plurality of heat exchange surfaces adapted to receive the incoming flux of geothermal energy; and an interface between the HVAC system and the heat exchange surfaces, said interface adapted to transfer the geothermal energy to the system. Also provided is a method for repairing aberrations in drill borings, the method comprising using a rotary mud drill system to produce a drill hole up to the location of the aberrations; removing the rotary mud drill from the drill hole; inserting an auger into the drill hole to a point directly above the location of the aberrations; actuating the auger; introducing loose substrate into the drill hole; allowing the substrate to contact the auger; and lifting and lowering the auger along longitudinally extending regions of the drill hole defining the aberrations for a time and in substrate amounts sufficient to fill the aberrations. The invention also provides a system which facilitates rotating drill bits at an rpm which are multiples faster than their associated drill strings.
US08672051B2
In an electric hammer, ridges are provided in an outer surface of a barrel, grooves are provided in an inner surface of a front cover, and rotation of the front cover with respect to the barrel is prevented by fitting the ridges in the grooves. A flange, which is latched on a stepped portion provided in front of the ridges and the grooves in the inner surface of the front cover, is provided in a peripheral edge of a lock ring, and forward movement of the front cover is restricted by latching the flange on the stepped portion.
US08672045B2
Fire suppression systems and methods are described. One described system includes a housing configured to house a container of a fire suppression material, a delivery block in fluid communication with the container, and a nozzle in fluid communication with the delivery block and configured to disperse the fire suppression material from the delivery block. The described system can also include a power supply; a thermal indicator coupled to the power supply and operable to: detect the presence of a fire, generate a first signal indicating the presence of the fire, and transmit the first signal; and an actuator coupled to the power supply, the actuator in communication with the thermal indicator and configured to cause the fire suppression material to be transferred from the container to the delivery block in response to receipt of the first signal.
US08672038B2
A retrievable bridge is provided which mounts to the top of a subsea tree to provide fluid communication between the production line of the subsea tree and a production flowline. The retrievable bridge mounts to the top of the subsea tree and preferably connects to a vertically oriented pipe of the production flowline. The retrievable bridge can be utilized to carry wear items such as chokes, subsea control modules, and flow meters which may require maintenance more often than other components of the subsea tree. By mounting these items along the flow passageway in the retrievable bridge the components are securely mounted and still available for maintenance/replacement without the need to remove the entire tree. In one embodiment, Intervention into the well is available without removing the retrievable bridge.
US08672037B2
A method for removing a plug from and setting a plug into a subsea installation is provided. The method for removing the plug includes the steps of deploying an intervention package having at least one valve, pipe rams, and a lubricator into a subsea environment and latching the intervention package to the subsea installation. The method further includes lowering a stroking tool into the intervention package by conveyance from a surface facility, and grabbing the stroking tool with the pipe rams that form a part of the intervention package. Once the stroking tool is held by the pipe rams, the method further includes activating the stroking tool to stroke in an upwards or downwards direction to remove the plug positioned in the subsea installation. Once the plug has been removed by the stroking tool, the method further includes pulling the stroking tool out of the intervention package and retrieving the stroking tool and plug at surface.
US08672036B2
A circulation valve includes: an outer tubular sleeve telescopically mounted at its end over a tubular mandrel; a fluid passage between sleeve and the mandrel, the fluid passage providing fluid communication between the inner bore of the valve and its outer surface; a dual knife seal assembly to control flow out of the fluid flow path through the fluid passage, the dual knife seal assembly including a first annular knife seal edge and land that seal up when the sleeve and mandrel are in a fully axially compressed position and a second annular knife seal edge and land that seal up when the sleeve and mandrel are pulled into a fully in tension position; and, a J-slot position indexing mechanism including a slot and a key to guide movement of the sleeve and the mandrel between the fully in tension position and the fully compressed position. The circulation valve is employed in a wellbore treatment assembly and methods.
US08672004B2
A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion provided with: an inside circumferential groove (3) near the tread edge (Ti); 1st axial grooves (4) extending from the inside circumferential groove (3) toward the tire equator (C); oblique grooves (5) extending from the respective 1st axial grooves (4) to the outside tread edge (To), while inclining to the opposite direction to the intended tire rotational direction (R); 2nd axial grooves (6) extending from the inside circumferential groove (3) to the oblique grooves (5); and connecting grooves (7) extending between the oblique grooved 5. The tread portion (2) is provided with bent blocks (B1) each made up of an axial part (11) and oblique part (12). The bent point (E1) of the bent block (B1) is positioned on the inside tread edge side of the tire equator (C), and the axial distance (L1) therebetween is 0.10 to 0.25 times the tread width (TW).
US08672003B2
An assembly of a tyre and a member fitted to the tyre respectively include complementary connecting portions. The connecting portion of the member is more flexible than that of the connecting portion of the tyre.
US08671999B2
A method for removing foam with a foam retainer constructed with a hollow tubular body including a receiving end and a discharge end. A passage is formed within the hollow tubular body through which a liquid is adapted to flow. The discharge end of the hollow tubular body is adapted to snugly fit onto an open end of a container into which the liquid flows. As the container is filled with the liquid, the foam generated during the dispensing of the fluid rises back into the discharge end of the hollow tubular body. In the hollow tubular body, the foam is received and captivated therein such that when the hollow tubular body is removed, the foam may also be removed from the container.
US08671997B2
Device for filling a container with a gas under pressure comprising at least one source of gas pressurized to a first pressure, a transfer circuit capable of selectively connecting the source or sources of pressurized gas to the tank to be filled, the transfer circuit comprising control members for controlling the flow of the gas from the source or sources to the tank, the transfer circuit further including at least one cooling exchanger for cooling the pressurized gas comprising a hot flow circuit for the pressurized gas to be cooled, a cold flow circuit for a cold cooling fluid, and a refrigeration hold-over medium being in direct heat exchange with the cold fluid of the cold circuit and with the pressurized gas to be cooled of the hot circuit, in order to selectively carry out indirect heat exchange between the pressurized gas and the cold fluid, wherein the refrigeration hold-over medium forms and fills a gap between the cold fluid of the cold circuit and the pressurized gas of the hot circuit, the gap having a thickness of greater than 5 mm and preferably between 20 and 50 mm.
US08671994B2
A syringe filling apparatus having a housing, a fluid reservoir, and a port for providing a fluid pathway between the syringe and the fluid reservoir. The apparatus has an alarm to indicate the fluid level within the reservoir. The apparatus has a heating system for heating the fluid within the reservoir to a predetermined temperature.
US08671990B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a vacuum valve apparatus and method to provide a vacuum to equipment. The vacuum valve can include an air port tube, a vacuum port tube, a motor, and a control arm coupled to the vacuum port tube and the motor. The motor can cause the control arm to move in an arc in order to flex the vacuum port tube and selectively create the vacuum and vent the vacuum provided to the equipment.
US08671986B2
A pair of supply/drain pipes continuous with an actuator are respectively communicable with a pair of oil sumps respectively through an intermediation of a pair of extended paths. The pair of oil sumps is formed in a switch-spool insertion hole and enter a neutral state or a state of being selectively communicated with any one of respective pressure-oil paths and respective oil-return paths. A non-leak valve is provided over respective connection portions and between the pair of supply/drain pipes and the pair of extended paths. The non-leak valve is opened when an operation of a pump is started, is maintained to be opened during the operation of the pump, and is closed when the pump is out of operation.
US08671984B2
The present invention relates generally to fluid control valves and, more particularly, to a mixing valve for use within a faucet.
US08671983B2
A gas pressure regulator comprises a central body having a first, gas inlet pipe and a second, gas outlet pipe; a shutter housed at least partially in the central body and mobile to adjust the opening of a section for the passage of the gas between a position (B) in which the section is fully open and a position (A) in which the section is closed; a silencing device located in the central body at the passage section, for reducing the noise created by the passage of the gas; and means for fastening the silencing device to the central body. The silencing device comprises a cylindrical perforated plate to allow the passage of the gas.
US08671980B2
An apparatus for filtering water has an interface and a filtration/purification canister removably mountable thereon. Connecting the canister to the interface automatically opens a check valve in the interface to permit water to flow from the interface into and through the canister, and then back to and through the interface to an outlet port. Disconnecting the canister from the interface automatically closes the check valve, stopping the flow of water. An end cap may be substituted for the canister to permit fluid to flow through the interface when the canister is not mounted on the interface. The outlet port may be directly connected to an appliance that uses water, to eliminate possible contamination that may occur when water is brought indirectly form the outlet port to the appliance instead. A flapper valve is provided in the canister to prevent back flow of fluid from the inlet port of the canister when the canister is not mounted on the interface. The flapper valve also is provided with an actuating means to automatically open the flapper valve when the canister is mounted on the interface, which permits fluid to be drained from the canister when the fluid distribution system is being drained without disconnecting the canister from the interface.
US08671978B2
A refueling device (1) for refueling a fuel tank (2) of an internal combustion engine (3) in a motor vehicle (4) has a filler connector (5) for feeding fuel to the fuel tank (2). An integrated fuel feed device (10) feeds the fuel from the filler connector (5) to the fuel tank (2).
US08671977B2
A container assembly for windshield or headlight washing fluid in a vehicle. It includes in combination: an elongated hollow structure demarcated by a wall with a plurality of asymmetric accordion folds that can be arranged in a stable retracted position and in a flexible extended position, in which it is suitable for being installed in a useful space of an engine compartment in the vehicle, the hollow structure in the extended position containing an operational amount of windshield or headlight washing fluid; a filling opening located at an inlet end portion of the hollow structure; at least one pump associated to the hollow structure for transferring contained fluid to a service point; and a securing device for securing the inlet end portion and one or more sections of the hollow structure to the engine compartment in an installation area.
US08671976B2
An exhaust check valve installed in an exhaust opening of a swash plate compressor comprises: a valve body having a refrigerant inlet and at least one refrigerant outlet; a movable body installed in the valve body and configured to move such that the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet communicate with each other; and a spring configured to push the movable body with a certain pressure. At least one refrigerant vent hole for venting a leak gas generated during an operation below a preset pressure difference to the outside of the valve body is formed in the valve body.
US08671972B2
An overpressure protection system provides for protection of a hydraulic system from elevated pressures. The system automatically stops flow to the system and prevents system pressure from exceeding a predetermined level. The system requires manual intervention to reopen flow, giving a worker the opportunity to resolve any system problems before system damage occurs.
US08671959B2
An apparatus for cleaning a substrate includes an application unit having a top inlet conduit and a bottom plate section. The top inlet conduit has an opening for receiving a non-Newtonian fluid and the bottom plate section has an opening through which the non-Newtonian fluid can flow. The bottom plate section is perpendicular to the top inlet conduit, and a surface of the bottom plate section is disposed above and parallel to a surface of a substrate so as to define a gap between the surface of the bottom plate section and the surface of the substrate. The defined gap has a height configured to create a flow of the non-Newtonian fluid in which a portion of the flow exhibits plug flow, and the plug flow moves over the surface of the substrate to remove particles from the surface of the substrate.
US08671955B2
A hair weaving apparatus and method for making and using same. The present invention comprises various embodiments for making a hair weave tract extension apparatus and a method of making and using said apparatus. Embodiments are described and shown herein for making and using a hair weave tract apparatus with attachment means comprising a crimped flexible band and, and with attachment means comprising a crimped flexible band with a single bladed comb. It is an object of this present invention to provide a hair weave tract extension that is easy to attach to the natural hair, is less damaging to the natural hair and remains more securely attached to the natural hair.
US08671950B2
A method of performing a medical procedure (e.g., a cardiac bypass procedure) on a patient comprises introducing at least one medical instrument into a patient (e.g., percutaneously), conveying control signals from a remote controller to a drive unit, and operating the drive unit in accordance with the control signals to actuate at least one tool respectively located on the medical instrument(s) to transversely secure a first anatomical vessel (e.g., a blood vessel) to a sidewall of a second anatomical vessel (e.g., another blood vessel). In one method, the control signals are conveyed from the remote controller to the drive unit in response to user commands. The user commands may be movements made at a user interface that correspond to movements of the medical instrument(s).
US08671944B2
The present invention relates to the surface structure of a plastic material and particularly of silicone surfaces. More particularly, the present invention relates to the surface structure of the surfaces of a breathing mask assembly or a patient interface to be used for supplying breathing gas to a patient. Such patient interface for providing respiratory gas to a patient comprises a contact surface for contacting a patient's skin, wherein at least a part of said contact surface is a structured surface.
US08671935B2
The invention relates generally to a device for delivering a substance in an aerosol, liquid or cream form into a cellular organism with the assistance of asymmetric pulse magnetic energy and ultrasound.
US08671934B2
A nebulizer includes a body, an air channel section and medication reservoir. An air line extends through the air channel section. A venturi nozzle is configured to form at its end a low pressure mixing chamber. A primary suction line extends from the medication reservoir to the low pressure mixing chamber through which medication is drawn upward into the low pressure mixing chamber and mixed with air from the venturi nozzle and nebulized for discharge through a nebulizer outlet. The venturi nozzle, low pressure mixing chamber and air channel section are configured such that at standard temperature and pressure (STP) a differential pressure results in no medication that is drawn upward through the primary suction line for nebulization and discharged the through the nebulizer outlet until a negative inspiratory pressure is created from inhalation by a user.
US08671924B2
The apparatus disclosed begins exterior of archery bow stave cam slot and traverses a generally elliptically ovidly path concaved inward and roughly shaped paralleling exterior perimeter edge movement of the take up track of an elliptically ovid cam module and idler module; and a portion of the apparatus is formed to terminate at the power and buss cable's contact point on the take-up track of the cam module and idler module without interference of the aforementioned. Said apparatus additionally is shaped cross sectionally in a manner that shields said power and buss cable's contact point on said take-up track of the cam module and idler module. In addition said apparatus is able to be canted to change apparatus chord angle relationship to archery bow's chord angle; and to aid in tilling said archery bow.
US08671921B2
The present invention provides an exhaust gas recirculation cooler for transferring heat from engine exhaust to coolant including a pair of spaced apart headers, a tube body extending between the pair of headers and positioned along a flow path for the coolant and at least partially defining a flow path for the engine exhaust along a length of the tube between the pair of headers, and a corrugated insert supported in an interior of the tube and having a height in a direction of a plurality of corrugations and a width between about 8.6 and about 13.5 times the height. The width can be substantially perpendicular to the length of the tube and can be substantially perpendicular to the height of the insert.
US08671910B2
In the intake air quantity control device for an internal combustion engine, in which an open area formed at a portion of the throttle body is encapsulated by a cover including a rotational angle detector, a throttle gear is fixed to a throttle shaft for rotatably supporting a throttle valve and has a fitting portion at a portion of the throttle gear. The rotational angle detector includes a rotor that is rotatably supported and arranged in the cover in such a way that an axis of the rotor is identical to an axis of the throttle gear, and a lever that is provided at a portion of the rotor, which is faced to the throttle shaft, and engaged to a wall portion of the throttle gear at a portion of the lever.
US08671909B2
A method is provided for controlling an engine via an outlet control device of an intake manifold, such as via variable valve lift operation. The engine may further include an inlet control device, such as an electronic throttle, as well as coordination between the inlet and outlet control devices for controlling airflow in the engine.
US08671901B2
A vehicle ignition system is provided that alleviates the problems associated with excessive voltage demand by spark plugs. The ignition system has a spark plug with an electrode and a voltage relief feature operatively connected with the electrode. The voltage relief feature is operable to discharge current from the electrode at a predetermined voltage.
US08671900B2
A device (11) for variably adjusting the control times of gas exchange valves (9, 10) of an internal combustion engine (1), including a drive element (13), an output element (14), and at least one lateral cover (15). The drive element (13) can be brought into driving connection with a crankshaft (2) of the internal combustion engine (1), and the output element (14) can be brought into driving connection with a camshaft (6, 7) of the internal combustion engine (1) and is arranged in a pivotable manner with respect to the drive element (13). The lateral cover (14) lies on an axial lateral surface of the output element (14) or of the drive element (13) and is connected to the drive element (13) or to the output element (14) in a rotationally fixed manner. A spring element (25) lies on the lateral cover face that faces away from the drive and output element (13, 14), and the lateral cover (15) has a disk-shaped portion (23) from which multiple fixing elements (24) protrude in the axial direction, said elements lying on the lateral cover (15) face that faces away from the drive element (13).
US08671896B2
The present variable compression ratio V-type internal combustion engine is a variable compression ratio V-type internal combustion engine which joins cylinder blocks of two cylinder groups and makes the joined cylinder block 10 move relatively to a crankcase along an arc-shaped path so as to move away from an engine crankshaft, wherein the arc-shaped path is set so that the mechanical compression ratio of one cylinder group and the mechanical compression ratio of the other cylinder group become equal when the cylinder block is at the lowest position closest to the engine crankshaft and when the cylinder block is at a specific position between the lowest position and a highest position which is furthest from the engine crankshaft.
US08671877B2
A measuring unit 13 is provided inside a rotary drum 11. The measuring unit 13 is provided with a light transmitting member 13a and an optical sensor 13b that are provided at the central region on the inner wall of the other end portion 11b. When particles are subjected to a coating treatment, information as to the properties (such as the coating thickness, the moisture, the coating performance, and the impurity) of the particles of a particle layer A being brought into contact with the surface of the light transmitting member 13a is measured on a real-time basis by the NIR sensor 13b via the light transmitting member 13a. The data is processed by the processing unit of the NRI spectroscopic analyzer to thereby perform monitoring. By appropriately adjusting the coating operation conditions (such as the supplied air volume, the supplied air temperature, the spraying condition, and the rotation speed of the rotary drum 1) by feedback control or a manual operation according to the result, it becomes possible to perform the coating treatment of high quality.
US08671876B2
A system and method for managing energy usage in a manufacturing facility includes harvesting the thermal properties of paint particulate wash for pre-conditioning air that is drawn into the building. The drawn-in air may be conditioned to a target temperature by an air makeup unit and then used in a painting operation wherein the air is subsequently passed through a water wash unit. Heat exchangers in thermal communication with the water inside the wash unit enable heat to either be transferred from the water to the air makeup unit, or vice versa. One or more ovens may have their energy usage managed in such a manner that they switch between using gas heat and electrical heat. Such management may take into account the daily variation in electrical rates, as well as the total amount of electrical usage currently being drawn by the electrical utility customer.
US08671873B2
A painting device is disclosed that is simple and easy to use to produce a faux brick appearance on domestic and commercial walls. The painting device has a base plate with a handle. An absorbent layer is attached to the base plate to absorb and hold paint that is to be applied to a wall. The painting device preferably also has vertical and horizontal spacing guides and a leveling device. The base plate and absorbent layer are preferably formed in the shape of the cross-section of a brick but may be formed in many shapes. The painting device is able to produce exacting, ordered results. In addition, there is no need for the operator to be highly skilled. The invention is used in combination with a paint tray and multiple colors of paint to produce an end result of an ordered brick appearance.
US08671867B1
A construction barge having a body with a generally rectilinear configuration, including two substantially vertical side walls and two substantially vertical end walls, together with a top support platform and a bottom platform. The top and bottom platforms may be made of a rigid, yet relatively lightweight construction including a plurality of elongate roll-formed metal sections connected to one another. The side and end walls each include a pair of vertically-spaced connection angles each having a horizontal flange with a plurality of spaced openings. The dimensions of the barge and the configuration of the connection arrangement are designed such that the barge may have a reduced size and/or weight compared to existing barges, yet may be connected to existing barges while floating in a body of water with the top support platforms of the barges properly aligned.
US08671865B2
A bridle line control winch for a deflector for marine towing, with fore and aft double or triple bridle lines to attachment points in upper, possible middle, and lower parts of the deflector, preferably in horizontal plate frames, wherein at least said fore or aft bridle lines are arranged to be adjusted inwardly and outwardly so as for adjusting an attack angle of said deflector relative to a course line. The bridle line control winch is provided with a pivotally arranged control winch frame arranged between said bridle lines' attachment points to the deflector, and the bridle lines themselves. The control winch frame is provided with a winch sheave with an asymmetrically arranged pulley arranged on said winch sheave for holding an eyelet or end of said bridle line. The winch sheave is arranged to be driven by an actuator in a desired direction of rotation.
US08671863B2
The present disclosure relates to hull conversion of existing vessel for tank integration to allow storage of multiple hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon products onboard the existing vessel. In a converted vessel, a first liquefied hydrocarbon fluid may be stored in an added independent tank, while a second hydrocarbon fluid or a non-hydrocarbon fluid may be stored in an un-converted carge tank, which can be any one of a centre cargo tank, a port side tank or a starboard side tank.
US08671860B2
A punch data generating device generating punch data for execution with an embroiderable sewing machine including a needle bar that is moved up and down and mounted with a punch needle for forming penetrations on a workpiece in dot-by-dot strokes, a transfer mechanism transferring the workpiece in two directions in coordination with the movement of the punch needle to form the penetrations. The punch data generating device includes a punch data generator generating punch data, the punch data including at least either of draw data being configured to instruct sequential formation of the penetrations to draw a predetermined pattern, and cut data being configured to instruct sequential formation of the penetrations along an outline of a predetermined pattern to allow cutting of the outline; and a data modifier modifying at least either of the draw data and the cut data to change how the penetrations are to be formed.
US08671859B2
A workpiece holder for use with an embroiderable sewing machine including a transfer device that transfers a workpiece in two predetermined directions, and a needle bar having a punch needle attached thereto, the workpiece holder being attached to the transfer device and holding a workpiece on which punch work is executed by the punch needle, the workpiece holder including a connecting element that is detachably attached to the transfer device; a placement element on which the workpiece is placed; a support element that is provided with the connecting element and that supports the placement element; a frame element that clamps the portions of the workpiece placed on the placement element exclusive of a workface on which the punch work is executed; and a retainer element that retains the frame element clamping the workpiece.
US08671858B2
A crank adjusted shifting mechanism having a servo driven eccentric in communication with a drive rod and optional clamping assembly provides for a fast and programmable needle bar shifting mechanism for a tufting machine.
US08671841B2
The invention relates to a ballistic ammunition or projectile that is non-lethal or has controlled effects, of small or medium caliber. An internal structure is provided, made of a low-density cellular material with an elongation at break of less than 10%. An external casing encases the structure. The casing is made of a low hardness material with an elongation at break in excess of 100%. The casing is attached to the structure. The projectile may contain at least one cavity containing a different material from that of the structure and may also contain a payload.
US08671831B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus facilitating the cooking of multiple products simultaneously. More particularly, the present invention relates to cooking tray and cooking rack for securing the cooking tray. The cooking tray of the present invention comprises a downward extending member, a planar surface, convex rounded edges, lateral straight edges, convex upward extending surfaces, lateral upward extending surfaces, a transition area, and circulation vents. The cooking tray is inserted into a cooking rack along support bars or a platform and is secured using a downward extending member that is obstructed by a wire or the edge of the platform, deterring the cooking tray from falling or shifting during use. The cooking tray is removable from the cooking rack by lifting the cooking tray up the height of the downward extending member. The cooking tray is made of either a punched aluminum or wire, with circulation vents such that the products being cooked may be cooked evenly.
US08671826B2
A brew through lid for a thermal carafe that has a pouring provision and an internal liquid reservoir. The brew through lid has a cap member with a cone shaped cap top wall, a brew inlet in a center of the cap top wall at a lowest part of the cone shaped cap top wall, a substantially cylindrical connection wall having a top edge that is connected to the cap top wall and a lid connector that is an integral part of the connection wall. The brew through lid further has a pouring skirt wall that extends around an upper portion of the connection wall and defines a liquid space between the connection wall and the pouring skirt wall. A plurality of pouring passages is circumferentially spaced in the pouring skirt wall and that allow passage of brew liquid out of the liquid space. A plurality of connection wall passages that are circumferentially spaced in the cylindrical connection wall and is configured to allow passage of brew liquid from the internal liquid reservoir of the carafe to the liquid space.
US08671820B1
A soft ballistic shield comprises a shell adapted to support at least one soft ballistic panel made from a soft ballistic material suitable for protecting a user from bodily injury from projectiles. At least one generally horizontal support is adapted to be coupled to the shell in a deployed configuration. First and second generally vertical supports are adapted to be coupled to the shell in a deployed configuration. The first and second generally vertical pockets cover a majority of the first and second generally vertical supports when housing the first and second generally vertical supports in a deployed configuration to provide a support structure for the soft ballistic shield to absorb energy from an impact of a projectile. A retainer cap is coupled to the shield and configured to be positioned over an end of the at least one elongate generally horizontal support.
US08671815B2
A self-expanding, pseudo-braided device embodying a high expansion ratio and flexibility as well as comformability and improved radial force. The pseudo-braided device is particularly suited for advancement through and deployment within highly tortuous and very distal vasculature. Various forms of the pseudo-braided device are adapted for the repair of aneurysms and stenoses as well as for use in thrombectomies and embolic protection therapy.
US08671808B2
A wrench includes a body having a driving head which has a ratchet mechanism having a rotatable ratchet gear. An engaging hole is defined in one side of the ratchet gear and a groove is defined in the inner periphery of the engaging hole. A stop portion extends from the other side of the ratchet gear. A universal connector has a driving part extending from the first end thereof and a head is located on the second end of the universal connector. The head is located within the engaging hole and swingable relative to the axis of the head and non-rotatable relative to the axis of the head. A resilient member is located in the engaging hole and located between the stop portion and the head. A clip is engaged with the groove so as to restrict the universal connector from dropping out from the engaging hole.
US08671806B2
This invention is a new beginning for AN wrench users. No more uncomfortably thin AN or Bonney wrenches are needed. This wrench/tool system with separate, ergonomic handle is loaded with features designed for comfort. The separate handle is specifically designed with contoured finger grips, and gently radiused back edge resting against the palm of the user's hand. These are features that will provide the user all-day comfort. In addition, with the common blade of the wrench/tool ends, fitting the matching receiving groove of the handles, wrench/tool ends and handles of differing styles can be added, and upgraded to build a set of wrench/tool ends and handles to meet every need.
US08671802B2
A movable outer cylindrical member and a movable inner cylindrical member are arranged vertically movably in a lower half of a cylindrical main body. By placing the movable inner cylindrical member on a bottle mouth and pushing down the cylindrical main body, a lower end of a hooking member is engaged with a lower end of the crown cap to pry the crown cap away. At the same time, the movable outer cylindrical member is moved up and a piston inside a cylinder arranged in an upper half of the cylindrical main body is moved up with the movable outer cylindrical member, so that the air in the cylinder is compressed, and a cover member is brought out in by the compressed air.
US08671794B2
A manual device for controlling brake and accelerator of a vehicle, a device having a body coupled with the vehicle and remaining substantially standstill while the device is used. The device includes a first lever provided with an upper handgrip projecting from inside the body and movable independently with respect to the same, a second lever and a third lever and a frame the first lever being pivoted on the frame in a substantially central position. When the user exerts an action on a handgrip it can be displaced forward or backward, the second lever being pivoted above on a frame in correspondence of one of its ends the upper part of the first lever shaped not to interfere with the second lever as an upper kinematic torque, the third lever being pivoted at the bottom of the frame in correspondence of one of its ends lower end of the first lever being so shaped to interfere with the lever, as an upper kinematic torque, free end of the second lever being coupled with brake and free end of the third lever being coupled with accelerator.
US08671783B2
An adapter device includes a receptacle including at least one receiving element that detachably secures a sample chamber for cryoconservation of a biological sample, and a coupling device that connects the receptacle to a base section which can be secured in a cooling device, wherein the receiving element is 1) immobile in a holding state at a cryoconservation temperature and secures the sample chamber and 2) at least one of deformable and movable in a release state at a temperature above the cryoconservation temperature so that the sample chamber is detachable from the adapter device or can be inserted into the adapter device.
US08671782B2
A force sensor includes a first surface and a second surface located opposite the first surface, the first surface translatable against a resilient force in a direction towards and/or from the second surface; a distance sensor, arranged to measure the distance between the first surface and the second surface; characterized in that the force sensor comprises a flexible coupling extending along the direction, flexibly coupling the first surface to the second surface; and in that the flexible coupling is provided with a resilient means to provide the resilient force; and a space encompassed by the flexible coupling together with the first surface and the second surface being accessible to the distance sensor, the space filled with a medium for providing the resilient force.
US08671777B2
A Coriolis mass flowmeter (1) having at least one sensor arrangement (2), at least one transducer (3) and at least one housing (4), wherein the sensor arrangement (2) has at least one measuring tube (5) that can be excited to oscillation, at least one oscillation generator (6) and at least one oscillation sensor (7), wherein the transducer (3) at least in part has evaluation and power electronics for controlling and measurement evaluation of the sensor arrangement, wherein the sensor arrangement (2) and the transducer (3) are arranged adjacent to one another in a common volume defined by the housing (4). A Coriolis mass flowmeter of the described type, in which the physical interaction between the sensor arrangement and transducer is reduced, is realized by the provision of a thermal barrier (8) arranged at least in a space between the sensor arrangement (2) and the transducer (3).
US08671772B2
A novel RFID tag-bending test apparatus and a related method of using the novel RFID tag-bending test apparatus are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, the novel RFID tag-bending test apparatus can place a plurality of RFID tags in corresponding tag holding clips on the novel RFID tag-bending test apparatus to execute a bending test sequence along a particular bending axis for each RFID tag. The bending test sequence can assist identifying defective RFID tags which cannot overcome external bending pressures asserted by the novel RFID tag-bending test apparatus. By excluding these defective RFID tags from a commercial shipment of RFID tags to customers, a manufacturer of RFID tags may be able to reduce a rate of premature RFID tag failures due to external bending pressures in real-life applications of RFID tags, thereby achieving a higher quality assurance and reliability of RFID tags.
US08671771B2
A biaxial tensile testing machine performing a tensile test of a test piece by stretching the test piece in four directions along two axes perpendicular to each other includes: first and second turntables which are disposed so as to be parallel to each other and relatively rotatable about a rotary axis along the planer direction thereof; first to fourth link mechanisms which are provided at 90° intervals in the circumferential direction about the rotary axis so that one ends of respective members of a pair of members are rotatably connected to each other, and the other ends of respective members of the pair of members are attached across the first and second turntables; and first to fourth test piece holding units which are respectively attached to the first to fourth link mechanisms and hold the test piece.
US08671768B2
A remaining lifetime of a pressure vessel mounted on a fuel cell vehicle or the like and comprises a liner at its inner side and a reinforcing layer at its outer side can be predicted with high precision and in short time. An artificial imperfect structure is formed at an outer surface of the liner in a size capable of being maintained by a weakest part of a hydrogen gas tank throughout the total period of use of the hydrogen gas tank. A detector is, for example, comprised of a crack gauge intervening between the liner and the reinforcing layer, and is fixed to the outer surface of the liner close to the artificial imperfect structure. A crack length increases accompanying the increase of a pressure cycle of an internal pressure caused by usage of the hydrogen gas tank. The detector increases a resistance value accompanying a crack growth.
US08671767B2
A pressure sensor for detecting a pressure of a medium, in particular for a braking apparatus, includes a connecting flange having a fluid channel for connection to the medium which is to be measured, a pressure measuring cell which is arranged at the end of the fluid channel, and a circuit mount, with the pressure measuring cell having a contact surface for making contact. The contact surface is arranged at an angle relative to a center axis of the pressure sensor.
US08671758B2
A system and method for measuring a frequency of a wire in a vibrating wire gauge. The system may include a signal generator for generating a signal at a frequency that matches a frequency of the wire vibration and an excitation unit for exciting the wire to increase an amplitude of the wire vibration. The excitation unit may excite the wire using the signal. The system may further include a signal gate for controlling when the signal is sent to the excitation unit.
US08671752B2
A sensor system includes a supporting element and a sensor element attached to the supporting element and having a main plane of extension. The supporting element has (i) at least one contact element for electrical contacting of the sensor system and (ii) at least one relief structure for stress decoupling, the at least one relief structure being situated in a plane parallel to the main plane of extension essentially between the at least one contact element and the sensor element.
US08671745B2
A method for testing a transmission gear shift device includes using an electric machine and a primary mechanism to place the device and a secondary mechanism, latched to the primary mechanism, in a park position, using a motor to delatch the secondary mechanism from the primary mechanism, using the electric machine to absorb energy released by a spring when delatching, and using the electric machine to relatch the secondary mechanism to the primary mechanism.
US08671744B1
The present invention features an engine pulley testing device allowing a user to detect a damaged engine pulley. The engine pulley testing device comprises a first support arm and a second support arm pivotably attached to a front side of a top panel, a third support arm pivotably attached to a top panel on a back side of the top panel. A top pulley is attached on the top panel and a first bottom pulley and second bottom pulley are attached to the first and second support arms respectively. An engine belt can be wrapped around the pulleys and a testing pulley for testing. The engine pulley testing device may be attached on a sliding rail to slide to a desired working position.
US08671737B2
A target odor detection apparatus and system configured to temporarily house one or more animate odor detectors for screening air passed across odor emitters or conveyances that pass through the target odor detection apparatus. Various types of sensor technologies are incorporated in certain embodiments to provide consistent detection results by, inter alia, consistently interpreting trained signals from animate odor detectors. Various communication technologies are incorporated in certain embodiments to provide enhanced control over an apparatus or system located in multiple and, in some cases, very distant, geographic locations.
US08671731B2
A noise damping shim for a friction assembly is produced by a pre-slit step and a bend and blank step. The pre-slit step forms pre-slits in a shim material at locations where tabs of a noise damping shim are to be formed. The bend and blank step bends each of the tabs at a bent angle relative to the shim material while simultaneously blanking a shim body from the shim material to produce a noise damping shim having bent tabs extending outwardly from a periphery of the shim body.
