US08975429B2
A method of preparing a cyclohexasilane compound from trichlorosilane is provided. The method includes contacting trichlorosilane with a reagent composition to produce a compound containing a tetradecahalocyclohexasilane dianion, such as a tetradecachlorocyclohexasilane dianion. The reagent composition typically includes (a) tertiary polyamine ligand; and (b) a deprotonating reagent, such as a tertiary amine having a pKa of at least about 10.5. Methods of converting the tetradecahalocyclohexasilane dianion-containing compound to cyclohexasilane or a dodecaorganocyclohexasilane are also provided.
US08975428B2
This disclosure relates to compositions comprising dirhodium catalysts and uses related thereto, e.g., in enantioselective transformations of donor/acceptor carbenoids. In certain embodiments, the dirhodium catalyst comprises a cyclopropyl ring substituted with a carboxylic acid ligand. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to compositions comprising a compound of the following formula, or salts thereof wherein, R1, R2, and R3 are defined herein.
US08975421B2
An industrially viable process for selective preparation of γ- valerolactone using recyclable non noble metal catalyst is provided. This process provides 80-100% conversion to γ-valerolactone, with selectivity in the range of 80-100%.
US08975418B2
Disclosed is a method for the synthesis of 6-iodo-2-oxindole useful as intermediate in the manufacture of pharmaceutically active ingredients. Also disclosed is a novel intermediate used in the synthesis of this compound.
US08975406B2
Novel pyrrazolopyridines according to Formula I, able to inhibit JAK are disclosed, these compounds may be prepared as a pharmaceutical composition, and may be used for the prophylaxis and treatment of a variety of conditions in mammals including humans, including by way of non-limiting example, allergy, inflammatory conditions, autoimmune diseases, proliferative diseases, transplant rejection, diseases involving impairment of cartilage turnover, congenital cartilage malformations, and/or diseases associated with hypersecretion of IL6 or interferons.
US08975404B2
Provided herein are labeling reagents for analyte determination in a sample, and methods of manufacturing the labeling reagents. By way of non-limiting example, analytes may include one or more of peptides, proteins, nucleic acid molecules, carbohydrates, lipids, steroids and/or small molecules. Also provided are labeled analytes themselves after one or more labeling reagents binds to an analyte. Analytes may be labeled for determination of the analyte by mass analysis, such as by mass spectrometry. Further provided are compounds that may be used in making the labeling reagents and labeled analytes, such as reporter group compounds. Also provided are kits that include at least one labeling reagent, and may further include or more other reagents, containers, enzymes, buffers, a labeled analyte (e.g., as a standard) and/or instructions. Further examples are also possible.
US08975394B2
The invention provides a process for producing a β-glycoside compound represented by formula (3), characterized in that the process includes causing to react a cyclic alkene compound represented by formula (1) or (2) with a nucleophile in the presence of a transition metal catalyst.
US08975391B2
The invention concerns novel regulatory elements as well as related vectors and cells. Furthermore, it relates to methods of improving expression of polypeptides from nucleic acids such as cloned genes and to the production of various polypeptides in host cells using said novel regulatory elements. Additionally, the invention relates to uses of said novel regulatory elements as insulators, in gene therapy or for improving host cell lines.
US08975390B2
Specific DNA ligand sequences for binding various arthropod-borne pathogens including arboviruses, rickettsia and parasites are described. Each of these sequences or their linear, two- and three-dimensional linked sequences can function in varying assay and sensor formats with varying degrees of success. Linkage of the whole or partial DNA sequences (putative binding sites) can be used to enhance specificity and affinity towards complex targets, thereby improving assay selectivity and sensitivity in many instances. In addition, the DNA sequences may bind and neutralize or prevent infection from arthropod-borne viruses, rickettsia and Leishmania or other parasites.
US08975386B2
New crystalline forms of macrolide compounds, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof, are described herein. In addition, processes for preparing the crystalline forms are described herein.
US08975382B2
The present invention relates to amino acid sequences and Nanobodies that are directed against Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2), as well as to compounds or constructs, and in particular proteins and polypeptides, that comprise or essentially consist of one or more such amino acid sequences.
US08975377B2
In certain embodiments, this application provides humanized antibodies that bind to the EphB4 protein as well as uses of the antibodies for therapeutic purposes.
US08975372B2
The subject invention concerns non-degradable three dimensional porous collagen scaffolds and coatings. These scaffolds can be prepared around sensors for implantation into a body. A specific embodiment of the invention concerns implantable glucose sensors. Sensors comprising a collagen scaffold of the invention have improved biocompatibility by minimizing tissue reactions while stimulating angiogenesis. The subject invention also concerns methods for preparing collagen scaffolds of the invention. The subject invention also concerns sensors that have a collagen scaffold of the invention around the exterior of the sensor.
US08975367B2
Disclosed are polymer compositions including polycarbonates, polyphosphonates, copoly(phosphonate carbonate)s, and organic salts and/or silicone containing compounds that exhibit a superior combination of properties compared to prior art.
US08975357B2
The present invention relates to silicone modified fatty carboxylic acid compounds. More specifically, the present invention is derived from low molecular weight, i.e., short chain, silicone modified fatty carboxylic acids, their use and method of making same. The present invention provides for a silicone compound partially derived from a natural product, sapucainha oil, for use in cosmetic formulations.
US08975356B2
A polymer and a method of forming a polymer are provided. The polymer has the general structure (I): wherein M is a main group element, a transition metal element, or an organic moiety; X is a main group element selected from S, P, As, Se, Te, and Sb; R1 is a direct bond between M and the ethylene group depicted between M and X or a hydrocarbyl linking moiety having between 1 and about 9 carbon atoms; R2 is a hydrocarbyl moiety; R3 is an organic linking group; Y has a value of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4; Z has a value of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4; YY has a value of 0, 1 or 2; and Y, YY, and Z are such that the total number of moieties bonded to M is 3, 4, 5, or 6.
US08975355B2
A novel UHMW polyethylene material, which is displaying excellent abrasion resistance amongst other properties, is devised.
US08975351B2
The present invention provides a latex resin composition for rubber gloves without sulfur and a vulcanization accelerator and a method of manufacturing dip-formed article using the composition. The composition comprises a conjugated diene monomer; an ethylenically unsaturated nitrile monomer; an ethylenically unsaturated acid monomer; an ethylenically unsaturated monomer copolymerizable with the ethylenically unsaturated nitrile monomer and the ethylenically unsaturated acid monomer; and a reactive compound including two or more reactive groups. According to the manufacturing method, productivity is improved by omitting a long maturation process included in a traditional glove manufacturing process; not only an adverse effect caused by traditional sulfur and vulcanization accelerator is reduced but also rubber gloves with excellent physical properties can be provided.
US08975344B2
The instant disclosure describes polyester synthesis processes, including processes for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic organic monomer components and components comprising a functional group using an organocatalyst system to effect ROP-based block copolymer preparation.
US08975331B2
The present invention relates to a waterborne polyurethane containing biodegradable segments and the process for synthesizing the same. The waterborne polyurethane according to the present invention has excellent biodegradable, biocompatible and mechanical characteristics and thus is a useful biomedical material, in particular for making films for medical applications.
US08975330B2
A coating composition comprising: at least one polyacrylimide polymer (A)] comprising recurring units of formula (I), and further comprising recurring units complying with one or more of the following structures: J, JJ, JJJ, wherein R1, R2, R4, R5, R6, R7, equal to or different from each other are independently H or C1-20 alkyl group, R3 and R8, equal to or different from each other, are independently H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkaryl, aryl, heterocyclic C1-36 group, wherein said polymer (A) possesses an imidization degree of less than 80%; a liquid medium; and at least one vinylidene fluoride polymer (F) at least partially dissolved and/or at least partially dispersed in said liquid medium, wherein the amount of polymer (F) ranges from 50 to 90% wt. with respect to the total weight of polymer (A) and polymer (F).
US08975324B2
Tread rubber compounds having improved abrasion resistance using functionalized liquid polybutadiene
A tread rubber composition having improved abrasion resistance is provided. The tread rubber composition comprises a conjugated diene polymer or copolymer, at least one filler, from 2 to 10 phr of liquid polybutadiene, from 2 to 5 phr of zinc oxide and from 1 to 100 phr of process oil. The liquid polybutadiene is functionalized by reaction with unsaturated acid anhydride, has a number average molecular weight of from 3 to 8 kg/mol and an acid number of from 40 to 80. Also provided are methods for preparing the tread rubber composition comprising mixing of the foregoing ingredients by master-batch and final batch steps whereby the abrasion resistance of the tread rubber composition is improved.
US08975321B2
The invention provides a composition useful as a joint compound comprising water, a filler comprising one or more of calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate dihydrate or calcium sulfate hemihydrate, a binder and/or a biocide, wherein the composition after curing is formaldehyde-free.
US08975318B2
The present invention provides a halogen-free curable composition including a benzoxazine monomer, at least one epoxy resin, a catalyst, a toughening agent and a solvent. The halogen-free curable composition is especially suited for use in automobile and aerospace applications since the composition, upon curing, produces a composite having a high glass transition temperature.
US08975313B2
A polymer composition containing a polyacetal resin, a metallic pigment, and an ultraviolet light stabilizer is disclosed that exhibits a metallic brilliant appearance. The metallic pigment, the ultraviolet light stabilizer and the polyacetal resin can be mixed in a high intensity mixer prior to being used to mold polymer articles.
US08975312B2
Described herein is an epoxy composition comprising: a first component comprising an amine-based curing agent and a first dye, having a first color; and a second component comprising a curable epoxy resin and a second dye, having a second color. Also described herein is a shelf-life-indicating composition comprising: an amine-based curing agent; and a dye selected from (i) a cationic triarylmethane dye, wherein the cationic triarylmethane dye reversibly reacts with a primary amine; (ii) a halochromic dye having a color transition range between 7-12 when measured in an aqueous solution; or (iii) combinations thereof.
US08975303B2
In a synthesis gas methanation process, at least one first fraction of synthesis gas to treat is fed, together with steam, to a shift reactor where a shift reaction occurs; the gas flow produced in the shift reactor is then fed to a first methanation reactor where a methanation reaction occurs and then to further second methanation reactors in series, where further methanation reactions, performed with the addition of fresh synthesis gas which has not been subjected to the shift reaction.
US08975296B2
The instant invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing cathespin K inhibitors. Also disclosed are processes for making said pharmaceutical compositions.
US08975294B2
The present invention relates to methods kits and combined compositions using DFO-metal complexes, specifically, Zinc-desferrioxamine (Zn-DFO), gallium-desferrioxamine (Ga-DFO) complexes and any combinations thereof for preventing, treating, ameliorating or inhibiting an immune-related disorder, specifically, a skin-related inflammatory disorder such as psoriasis, an inflammatory respiratory condition such as asthma, and an autoimmune disease such as diabetes and any immune-related disorder.
US08975284B2
The present invention provides for methods of using tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) co-solvent systems in the formulation and production of a pharmaceutical agent with low solubility. The present invention also provides for pharmaceutical compositions made using the novel co-solvent system. In one embodiment, the invention provides for a method of making dantrolene sodium (DS) formulation for intravenous use (DS-IV). This instantaneous reconstitution of the DS-IV product constitutes a significant improvement in the pharmacotherapy of patients undergoing malignant hyperthermia during surgery.
US08975282B2
The present invention provides novel substituted pyrazolone compounds, pharmaceutical acceptable salts and formulations thereof useful in modulating the protein tyrosine kinase activity, and in modulating cellular activities such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. The invention also provides pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising such compounds and methods of using the compositions in the treatment of hyperproliferative disorders in mammals, especially humans.
US08975279B2
The subject invention provides a Laquinimod amine salt, which is laquinimod meglumine, laquinimod choline hydroxide, laquinimod L-lysine or laquinimod monoethanolamine.
US08975275B2
The invention relates to the use of chemotherapeutic agents for the production of a medicament for the topical and/or local treatment of diseases caused by bacteria and/or for prophylaxis in humans or animals.
US08975271B2
A solid oral controlled-release oral dosage form of hydrocodone is disclosed. The dosage form comprising an analgesically effective amount of hydrocodone or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and a sufficient amount of a controlled release material to render the dosage form suitable for twice-a-day administration to a human patient, the dosage form providing a C12/Cmax ratio of 0.55 to 0.85, said dosage form providing a therapeutic effect for at least about 12 hours.
US08975268B2
Since each of the site I sodium channel blockers have a unique activity and cannot be used to extrapolate the same effective dosage for another site I sodium channel blocker, studies were conducted to identify dosages of neosaxitoxin (“NeoSTX”) and bupivacaine, alone or in combination with epinephrine, to provide two to three days of pain relief in humans. Bupivacaine-NeoSTX combinations produce more reliable blockade and longer duration blockade compared to NeoSTX alone. The three-way combination of NeoSTX-bupivacaine-epinephrine produces more prolonged local anesthesia than the two-way combination of NeoSTX-bupivacaine. Addition of epinephrine to this NeoSTX-bupivacaine combination dramatically prolongs the duration of complete blockade to a mechanical stimulus. These results led to development of specific combination dosage formulations.
US08975264B2
Disclosed is a novel compound acting as a cannabinoid receptor 1 inhibitor, the compound being a pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivative, a prodrug thereof, an isomer thereof, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, a hydrate thereof or a solvate thereof. The novel compound or the like is useful for preventing or treating diseases mediated by the cannabinoid receptor-1.
US08975260B2
Pyridazinone compounds of Formula I including stereoisomers, tautomers, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, useful for inhibiting Btk kinase, and for treating immune disorders such as inflammation mediated by Btk kinase. Methods of using compounds of Formula I for in vitro, in situ, and in vivo diagnosis, and treatment of such disorders in mammalian cells, or associated pathological conditions, are disclosed.
US08975255B2
The present invention provides a biphenyl benzamide-derived derivatives, which structure is selected from formula I or formula II: and the synthesis and the application thereof.
US08975254B2
The present disclosure relates to compounds of formula (I), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The present disclosure also relates to compositions and methods of treating comprising compounds of formula (I), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
US08975248B2
A combination therapy for treating patients suffering from proliferative diseases or diseases associated with persistent angiogenesis is disclosed. The patient is treated with a camptothecin derivative and one or more chemotherapeutic agents selected from a microtubule active agent; an alkylating agent; an anti-neoplastic anti-metabolite; a platin compound; a topoisomerase II inhibitor; a VEGF inhibitor; a tyrosine kinase inhibitor; an EGFR kinase inhibitor; an mTOR kinase inhibitor; an insulin-like growth factor I inhibitor; a Raf kinase inhibitor; a monoclonal antibody; a proteasome inhibitor; a HDAC inhibitor; and ionizing radiation.
US08975240B2
Peritoneal dialysis solutions including a glucose polymer and methods of using the dialysis solutions are disclosed herein. In a general embodiment, the peritoneal dialysis solution includes a glucose polymer in an amount to provide an increased ultrafiltration fluid volume for a given amount of carbohydrate absorbed compared to conventional dialysis solutions containing icodextrin as the active pharmaceutical ingredient. The increased ultrafiltration fluid volume for a given amount of carbohydrate absorbed is obtained by providing specific combinations of weight-average molecular weight, polydispersity index and concentration of the glucose polymer in the dialysis solution.
US08975236B2
There is disclosed a dietary supplement composition of alkaloids and flavonoids extracted from citrus fruits that exhibits lipolytic and thermogenic activity and increases RMR, while at the same time exhibiting no negative side effects such as increase in blood pressure or heart rate. The composition essentially comprises two components: (A) the protoalkaloids synephrine, tyramine, N-methyltyramine, hordenine and octopamine; and (B) at least one of hesperidin, naringin and mixtures thereof.
US08975234B2
A method of inhibiting the growth of Gram-positive bacteria comprising administering an effective amount of Tellimagrandin II, its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, enantiomer, isomer or tautomer to a subject is provided. The Gram-positive bacteria comprise methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A method of treating sepsis comprising administering an effective amount of Tellimagrandin II, its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, enantiomer, isomer or tautomer to a subject is also provided. A method of treating leukemia comprising administering an effective amount of Tellimagrandin II, its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, enantiomer, isomer or tautomer to a subject is further provided.
US08975233B2
Various agents are described to denerve, modulate, or otherwise affect the renal nerves and other neural tissue. Also, various delivery devices are described to deliver an agent locally to the renal nerves. The delivery devices are positioned in the renal artery and penetrate into the wall of the renal artery to deliver the agent to the renal nerves. The delivery devices may be used to deliver the agent according to longitudinal position, radial position, and depth of the renal nerves relative to the renal artery. In addition, various methods are described to denervate, modulate, or otherwise affect the renal nerves and other neural tissue.
US08975232B2
The present invention provides macrocyclic compounds of Formula (I): pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof; and pharmaceutical compositions thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, RE, RF, RG, RH, RI, f, g, h, n, and m are as defined herein. The present invention further provides methods of synthesizing these macrocyclic compounds, and methods of their use and treatment. Certain aspects of the present invention relate to modulation of kinase activity, and in the treatment of kinase-associated diseases or disorders.
US08975230B2
Described herein are methods and compositions related to the discovery that the Follistatin-like 1 protein (Fstl-1) has metabolic and cardioprotective effects in vivo. Fstl-1 and portions and derivatives or variants thereof can be used to treat or prevent metabolic diseases or disorders and to treat or prevent cardiac damage caused by interrupted cardiac muscle blood supply.
US08975229B2
The present invention provides novel pharmaceutical agents and methods for treating or preventing diseases caused by neovascularization in human choroid (neovascular maculopathy). The present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions and vaccines for treating and/or preventing diseases caused by neovascularization in human choroid (neovascular maculopathy), comprising at least one type each of a peptide comprising an amino acid sequence derived from a VEGFR-1 protein and having an activity of inducing cytotoxic T cells, and a peptide comprising an amino acid sequence derived from a VEGFR-2 protein and having an activity of inducing cytotoxic T cells.
US08975219B2
A fabric cleaning composition comprising from 1% to 20% by weight of the fabric cleaning composition of an oxygen-based bleaching source and a hueing agent, and wherein the neat composition has a pH between 2.5 and 5.5, and a method of using said fabric cleaning composition.
US08975209B2
Disclosed is a solid support-polymethylaluminoxane complex exhibiting a higher polymerization activity than a conventional substance and being homogeneous. Also disclosed is a method for producing an olefin-based polymer having a favorable quality using the complex and a transition metal compound. The complex comprises a coating layer containing polymethylaluminoxane and trimethylaluminum on the surface of a solid support. The coating layer comprises a solid polymethylaluminoxane composition in which (i) the content of aluminum is in a range of 36 to 41 mass % and (ii) the molar fraction of methyl groups derived from a trimethylaluminum moiety to the total number of moles of methyl groups is 12 mol % or less. Also disclosed is an olefin polymerization catalyst comprising the complex and a transition metal compound represented by general formula (III): MR5R6R7R8 as catalyst components, and a method for producing a polyolefin comprising polymerizing an olefin using the catalyst.
US08975202B2
The invention provides a polymerization catalyst produced by bringing components (A) to (D) into contact with one another in a hydrocarbon solvent at 30 to 60° C., wherein the component (A) is a transition metal compound, the component (B) is a solid boron compound capable of forming an ion pair with component (A), the component (C) is an organoaluminum compound, and the component (D) is one or more unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds selected from among an α-olefin, an internal olefin, and a polyene; and the amounts of component (B) and component (C) are 1.2 to 4.0 mol and 5.0 to 50.0 mol, respectively, on the basis of 1 mol of component (A), which catalyst exhibits high activity and can be readily supplied to a polymerization reaction system. The invention also provides a method of storing the polymerization catalyst at 0 to 35° C.
US08975199B2
A compositional range of high strain point and/or intermediate expansion coefficient alkali metal free aluminosilicate and boroaluminosilicate glasses are described herein. The glasses can be used as substrates or superstrates for photovoltaic devices, for example, thin film photovoltaic devices such as CdTe or CIGS photovoltaic devices or crystalline silicon wafer devices. These glasses can be characterized as having strain points≧600° C., thermal expansion coefficient of from 35 to 50×10−7/° C.
US08975195B2
A method of manufacturing an optical lithography mask includes providing a patterned layout design comprising a plurality of polygons, correcting the patterned layout design using optical proximity correction (OPC) by adjusting widths and lengths of one or more of the plurality of polygons, to generate a corrected patterned layout design, converting the corrected patterned layout design into a mask writer-compatible format, to generate a mask writer-compatible layout design comprising the plurality of polygons, and biasing each polygon in the plurality of polygons with a bias that accounts for large-scale density values of the patterned layout design, to generate a biased, mask writer-compatible layout design.
US08975191B2
There is provided a plasma etching method including a first process of etching an intermediate layer, which contains silicon and nitrogen and is positioned below a resist mask formed on a surface of a substrate, to cause a silicon layer positioned below the intermediate layer to be exposed through the resist mask and the intermediate layer, a second process of subsequently supplying a chlorine gas to the substrate to cause a reaction product to attach onto sidewalls of opening portions of the resist mask and the intermediate layer, and a third process of etching a portion of the silicon layer corresponding to the opening portion of the intermediate layer using a process gas containing sulfur and fluorine to form a recess in the silicon layer.
US08975187B2
Disclosed is a method to form a titanium nitride (TiN) hard mask in the Damascene process of forming interconnects during the fabrication of a semiconductor device, while the type and magnitude of stress carried by the TiN hard mask is controlled. The TiN hard mask is formed in a multi-layered structure where each sub-layer is formed successively by repeating a cycle of processes comprising TiN and chlorine PECVD deposition, and N2/H2 plasma gas treatment. During its formation, the stress to be carried by the TiN hard mask is controlled by controlling the number of TiN sub-layers and the plasma gas treatment duration such that the stress may counter-balance predetermined external stress anticipated on a conventionally made TiN hard mask, which causes trench sidewall distortion, trench opening shrinkage, and gap filling problem.
US08975183B2
A method for forming a semiconductor structure. A semiconductor substrate including a plurality of dies mounted thereon is provided. The substrate includes a first portion proximate to the dies and a second portion distal to the dies. In some embodiments, the first portion may include front side metallization. The second portion of the substrate is thinned and a plurality of conductive through substrate vias (TSVs) is formed in the second portion of the substrate after the thinning operation. Prior to thinning, the second portion may not contain metallization. In one embodiment, the substrate may be a silicon interposer. Further back side metallization may be formed to electrically connect the TSVs to other packaging substrates or printed circuit boards.
US08975178B2
According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a device, includes forming a first core including a line portion extending between first and second regions and having a first width and a fringe having a dimension larger than the first width, forming a mask on the fringe and on a first sidewall on the first core, removing the first core so that a remaining portion having a dimension larger than the first width is formed below the mask, forming a second sidewall on a pattern corresponding the first sidewall and the remaining portion, the second sidewall having a second width less than the first width and facing a first interval less than the first width in the first region and facing a second interval larger than the first interval in the second region.
US08975177B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to laser removal of resist material from integrated circuit (IC) packaging components, as well as package assemblies and systems incorporating such material and removal methods. A resist layer may be applied to one or more components of a package assembly. The resist layer may be subsequently removed by applying laser radiation and a flow of fluid to the resist layer. The laser radiation may cause cracking, delamination, and/or polymer chain scission, and the flow of fluid may enhance mechanical separation of the resist material from the package assembly components.
US08975173B2
A semiconductor device includes buried gates formed over a substrate, storage node contact plugs which are formed over the substrate and include a pillar pattern and a line pattern disposed over the pillar pattern, and a bit line structure which is formed over the substrate and isolates adjacent ones of the storage node contact plugs from each other.
US08975171B1
Provided are a method of forming a dielectric and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a preliminary dielectric including Hf, O and an “A” element on an underlying layer. The preliminary dielectric is formed in an amorphous structure or a mixed structure of an amorphous structure and an “M” crystalline structure. The “A” element about 1 at % to about 5 at % of the total content of the “A” element and Hf in the preliminary dielectric. Through a nitridation process, nitrogen is added to the preliminary dielectric. The nitrogen-containing dielectric is changed into a dielectric having a “T” crystalline structure through a phase transition process, wherein the “T” crystalline structure is different from the “M” crystalline structure. An upper layer is formed on the “T” crystalline dielectric.
US08975170B2
Dopant ink compositions for forming doped regions in semiconductor substrates and methods for fabricating dopant ink compositions are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a dopant ink composition comprises a dopant compound including at least one alkyl group bonded to a Group 13 element or a Group 15 element. Further, the dopant ink composition includes a silicon-containing compound.
US08975157B2
The present invention provides a temporary carrier bonding and detaching process. A first surface of a semiconductor wafer is mounted on a first carrier by a first adhesive, and a first isolation coating is disposed between the first adhesive and the first carrier. Then, a second carrier is mounted on the second surface of the semiconductor wafer. The first carrier is detached. The method of the present invention utilizes the second carrier to support and protect the semiconductor wafer, after which the first carrier is detached. Therefore, the semiconductor wafer will not be damaged or broken, thereby improving the yield rate of the semiconductor process. Furthermore, the simplicity of the detaching method for the first carrier allows for improvement in efficiency of the semiconductor process.
US08975155B2
Embodiments of the disclosure include a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure and a method of forming the same. A trench is formed in a substrate. A silicon oxide and a silicon liner layer are formed on sidewalls and a bottom surface of the trench. A flowable silicon oxide material fills in the trench, is cured, and then is partially removed. Another silicon oxide is deposited in the trench to fill the trench. The STI structure in a fabricated device includes a bottom portion having silicon oxide and a top portion having additionally a silicon oxide liner and a silicon liner on the sidewalls.
US08975147B2
This disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor stack and associated device, such as a capacitor and DRAM cell. In particular, a bottom electrode has a material selected for lattice matching characteristics. This material may be created from a relatively inexpensive metal oxide which is processed to adopt a conductive, but difficult-to-produce oxide state, with specific crystalline form; to provide one example, specific materials are disclosed that are compatible with the growth of rutile phase titanium dioxide (TiO2) for use as a dielectric, thereby leading to predictable and reproducible higher dielectric constant and lower effective oxide thickness and, thus, greater part density at lower cost.
US08975139B2
A manufacturing method of a silicon carbide semiconductor device includes: forming a drift layer on a silicon carbide substrate; forming a base layer on or in a surface portion of the drift layer; forming a source region in a surface portion of the base layer; forming a trench to penetrate the base layer and to reach the drift layer; forming a gate electrode on a gate insulation film in the trench; forming a source electrode electrically connected to the source region and the base layer; and forming a drain electrode on a back surface of the substrate. The forming of the trench includes: flattening a substrate surface; and etching to form the trench after flattening.
US08975138B2
A method including patterning a thickness dimension of an interconnect material into a thickness dimension for a wiring line with one or more vias extending from the wiring line and introducing a dielectric material on the interconnect material. A method including depositing and patterning an interconnect material into a wiring line and one or more vias; and introducing a dielectric material on the interconnect material such that the one or more vias are exposed through the dielectric material. An apparatus including a first interconnect layer in a first plane and a second interconnect in a second plane on a substrate; and a dielectric layer separating the first and second interconnect layers, wherein the first interconnect layer comprises a monolith including a wiring line and at least one via, the at least one via extending from the wiring line to a wiring line of the second interconnect layer.
US08975136B2
A super junction semiconductor device includes a semiconductor portion with a first surface and a parallel second surface. A doped layer of a first conductivity type is formed at least in a cell area. Columnar first super junction regions of a second, opposite conductivity type extend in a direction perpendicular to the first surface. Columnar second super junction regions of the first conductivity type separate the first super junction regions from each other. The first and second super junction regions form a super junction structure between the first surface and the doped layer. A distance between the first super junction regions and the second surface does not exceed 30 μm. The on-state or forward resistance of low-voltage devices rated for reverse breakdown voltages below 1000 V can be defined by the resistance of the super junction structure.
US08975134B2
A doped fullerene-based conductive material can be used as an electrode, which can contact a dielectric such as a high k dielectric. By aligning the dielectric with the band gap of the doped fullerene-based electrode, e.g., the conduction band minimum of the dielectric falls into one of the band gaps of the doped fullerene-based material, thermionic leakage through the dielectric can be reduced, since the excited electrons or holes in the electrode would need higher thermal excitation energy to overcome the band gap before passing through the dielectric layer.
US08975122B2
An arrangement of nonvolatile memory devices, having at least one memory device level stacked level by level above a semiconductor substrate, each memory level comprising an oxide layer substantially disposed above a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of word lines substantially disposed above the oxide layer; a plurality of bit lines substantially disposed above the oxide layer; a plurality of via plugs substantially in electrical contact with the word lines and, an anti-fuse dielectric material substantially disposed on side walls beside the bit lines and substantially in contact with the plurality of bit lines side wall anti-fuse dielectrics.
US08975112B2
The embodiments relate to a device and a method for spraying coatings of organic construction elements. The embodiments relate, in particular, to the spraying of coatings made up of components that do not dissolve in the same solvent, for example, and/or the spraying of a plurality of coatings one after the other. A plurality of spray heads is used, for example one after the other and/or next to one another.
US08975111B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a wafer for supporting the semiconductor device. An insulation layer is disposed over a top surface of the wafer. The method includes forming a first interconnect structure over the top surface of the wafer with temperatures in excess of 200° C., forming a metal pillar over the wafer in electrical contact with the first interconnect structure, connecting a semiconductor component to the first interconnect structure, and forming encapsulant over the semiconductor component. The encapsulant is etched to expose a portion of the metal pillar. A buffer layer is optionally formed over the encapsulant. The method includes forming a second interconnect structure over the encapsulant in electrical contact with the metal pillar with temperatures below 200° C., and removing a portion of a backside of the wafer opposite the top surface of the wafer.
US08975104B2
A method of providing microelectromechanical structures (MEMS) that are compatible with silicon CMOS electronics is provided. The method providing for processes and manufacturing sequences limiting the maximum exposure of an integrated circuit upon which the MEMS is manufactured to below 350° C., and potentially to below 250° C., thereby allowing direct manufacturing of the MEMS devices onto electronics, such as Si CMOS circuits. The method further providing for the provisioning of MEMS devices with multiple non-conductive structural layers such as silicon carbide separated with small lateral gaps. Such silicon carbide structures offering enhanced material properties, increased environmental and chemical resilience while also allowing novel designs to be implemented taking advantage of the non-conductive material of the structural layer. The use of silicon carbide being beneficial within the formation of MEMS elements such as motors, gears, rotors, translation drives, etc where increased hardness reduces wear of such elements during operation.
US08975094B2
A test structure and method are provided to facilitate developing or optimizing a fabrication process by determining values of one or more lithography process parameters for use in semiconductor device fabrication. The test structure is configured to facilitate determining values of the one or more fabrication process parameters, and includes a plurality of test structure components arranged on a substrate according to a test pattern. The test pattern may be based on: varying distances between the test structure components according to a first rule; varying distances between centers of the test structure components according to a second rule; and/or varying at least one dimension of the test structure components according to a third rule. The method may further include determining dimensions of one or more components of the test structure using, for example, scatterometry, and using the dimensions of the components to ascertain one or more fabrication process parameters.
US08975091B2
The present disclosure relates to a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device and its fabricating method. Through forming MTJ through a damascene process, device damage due to the etching process and may be avoided. In some embodiments, a spacer is formed between a first portion and a second portion of the MTJ to prevent the tunnel insulating layer of the MTJ from being damaged in subsequent processes, greatly increasing product yield thereby. In other embodiments, signal quality may be improved and magnetic flux leakage may be reduced through the improved cup-shaped MTJ structure of this invention.
US08975090B2
A capacitance type gyro sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a first electrode integrally including a first base portion and first comb tooth portions and a second electrode integrally including a second base portion and second comb tooth portions, formed by processing the surface portion of the semiconductor substrate. The first electrode has first drive portions that extend from opposed portions opposed to the respective second comb tooth portions on the first base portion toward the respective second comb tooth portions. The second electrode has second drive portions formed on the tip end portions of the respective second comb tooth portions opposed to the respective first drive portions. The first drive portions and the second drive portions engage with each other at an interval like comb teeth.
US08975083B2
Rotatable bomb device having a stationary hollow housing and a rotatable component inside the housing provides for very good temperature calibration, temperature recording and, when desired, sample control. The device can have at least one of an insulating lower disc or washer; a plurality of staggered heating bands encompassing a stationary housing; a dry scan port; a rear upper and/or lower port; and an extraction/injection fitting for access to the interior of the stationary housing. The device may be used to react or attempt to react substance(s), for example, generally as in ASTM Method D2272 testing of turbine oil.
US08975070B2
The present invention relates to a method for preparing a cytotoxic lymphocyte characterized in that the method comprises the step of carrying out at least one of induction, maintenance and expansion of a cytotoxic lymphocyte in the presence of fibronectin, a fragment thereof or a mixture thereof.
US08975068B2
Disclosed herein are methods for controlling stem cell differentiation through the introduction of transgenes having Xic, Tsix, Xite, or Xic flanking region sequences to block differentiation and the removal of the transgenes to allow differentiation. Also disclosed are small RNA molecules and methods for using the small RNA molecules to control stem cell differentiation. Also disclosed are stem cells genetically modified by the introduction of Xic, Tsix, XUe, or Xic flanking region sequences.
US08975067B2
Sterilization indicators that include a neutralizer, such indicators useful for testing the effectiveness of a sterilization procedure by measuring the activity of an active enzyme whose activity is correlated with the survival of microorganisms.
US08975065B2
Methods and devices of performing reactions for which presence of light is desirable are provided. Biological or chemical materials such as algae are put in a chamber shaped as a meandering fluid channel. The algae can be combined with biomass such as human or animal waste and then subject to light, such as natural light or light coming from a LED, to produce fuel. Production of fuel can be optimized by controlling the height-to-width ratio of the channels.
US08975060B2
Methods and devices are provided for pretreatment of a sample containing microbial cells. In some embodiments, the pretreatment of the sample is performed via the initial selective lysis, within a sample pretreatment vessel, of non-microbial cells (such as blood cells) and the subsequent centrifugation of the sample to remove the resulting debris and concentrate the microbial cells. An immiscible and dense cushioning liquid may be included, for collecting the microbial cells adjacent to a liquid interface formed by the cushioning liquid, upon centrifugation of the pretreatment vessel. After removal of a substantial quantity of the supernatant, resuspension of the collected microbial cells, and re-establishment of the liquid interface, at least a portion of the remaining suspension may be removed without substantially removing the cushioning liquid. One or more intermediate wash cycles may be performed to prior to extraction of the pretreated sample.
US08975056B2
Alpha-amylases from Bacillus subtilis (AmyE), variants thereof, nucleic acids encoding the same, and host cells comprising the nucleic acids are provided. Methods of using AmyE or variants thereof are disclosed, including liquefaction and/or saccharification of starch. Such methods may yield sugars useful for ethanol production or high fructose corn syrup production. In some cases, the amylases can be used at low pH, in the absence of calcium, and/or in the absence of a glucoamylase.
US08975051B2
This invention relates to recombinant microorganisms capable of producing isoprene and isoprene production with the use of such recombinant microorganism with good efficiency. In this invention, functional activity of the ispA gene is altered to reduce the production of isoprenoid molecules in recombinant cells engineered to produce isoprene or in cells otherwise susceptible to isoprenoid accumulation during fermentation. This decreased ispA gene functional activity enables enhanced synthesis of isoprene in a host microorganism.
US08975048B2
Described herein are multimeric oxidoreductase complexes which function in the enzymatic conversion of a carbon substrate. The complexes comprise a dehydrogenase subunit and a cytochrome C subunit. Also described are polynucleotides coding for the multimeric complexes and methods of use thereof.
US08975046B2
Monatin and certain stereoisomers of monatin, such as R,R monatin and S,R monatin, as well as salts thereof, are produced using polypeptides and biosynthetic pathways. These polypeptides and biosynthetic pathways are also useful in the production of R-2-hydroxy-2-(indoly-3-ylmethyl)-4-keto glutaric acid, an intermediate that is formed in certain monatin synthesis pathways, including some biosynthetic pathways.
US08975039B2
Provided is a system and method for staining of one or more samples, including providing one or more self-contained sample processing receptacles, each of the one or more self-contained sample processing receptacles configured to be inserted into an auto-staining instrument; and enabling one of one or more staining procedures appropriate for the one or more samples as a function of a choice of self-contained sample processing receptacle, each of the one or more self-contained sample processing receptacles configured to process each inserted sample of the one or more samples within the self-contained sample processing receptacle.
US08975024B2
The invention relates to methods and systems for sequencing and constructing a high resolution physical map of a polynucleotide. In accordance with the invention, nucleotide sequences are determined at the ends of restriction fragments produced by a plurality of digestions with a plurality of combinations of restriction endonucleases so that a pair of nucleotide sequences is obtained for each restriction fragment. A physical map of the polynucleotide is constructed by ordering the pairs of sequences by matching the identical sequences among the pairs.
US08975021B2
The present invention provides a method for detecting rhabdomyosarcoma comprising evaluating expression of at least one kind of miRNA selected from the group consisting of hsa-miR-1, hsa-miR-133a, hsa-miR-133b, and hsa-miR-206 in a sample derived from body fluid.
US08975020B2
Methods are described for screening a subject for risk of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 2A or for diagnosing Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease or a predisposition for developing Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in a subject, by detecting the presence or absence of a mutation in the mitofusin gene in a biological sample collected from the subject. Methods are also described for detecting the presence of a genetic polymorphism associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 2A in a sample of patient nucleic acid, by amplifying a mitofusin gene sequence in the patient nucleic acid to produce an amplification product; and identifying the presence of a Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 2A associated polymorphism in the amplification product.
US08975017B2
A process concentrates nucleic acid molecules to be detected of a sample on a surface, with capture molecules that specifically bind the nucleic acid molecules. A support material has a capture probe that can specifically be linked to the nucleic acid molecules to be detected to give complexes. The support material and the nucleic acid molecules of the sample are incubated to form the complexes. The complexes are moved to the surface. At least one portion of the complexes becomes bound to the capture molecules via the capture probe.
US08975002B2
A positive resist composition for immersion exposure includes the following (A) to (D): (A) a resin capable of decomposing by an action of an acid to increase a solubility of the resin in an alkali developer; (B) a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation; (C) a resin having at least either one of a fluorine atom and a silicon atom; and (D) a mixed solvent containing at least one kind of a solvent selected from the group consisting of solvents represented by any one of the following formulae (S1) to (S3) as defined in the specification, in which a total amount of the at least one kind of the solvent is from 3 to 20 mass % based on all solvents of the mixed solvent (D).
US08974997B2
The present disclosure is drawn to LEP toners, systems, and methods of manufacturing LEP liquid toners. Specifically, a high NVS liquid toner can comprise a ground up admixture of a hydrocarbon carrier fluid, pigment particles, and a polymer paste having an NVS content of about 38 wt % to about 65 wt %. The resultant high NVS liquid toner has an NVS content of about 28 wt % to about 38 wt % and a viscosity of about 3,000 cPs to about 25,000 cPs.
US08974996B2
A liquid developer used for wet-type image forming apparatuses includes toner particles and an insulating liquid, the toner particles include a resin, a pigment, and a pigment dispersant, the pigment includes a pigment having an acid group, and the pigment dispersant is a basic polymer dispersant including units derived from ε-caprolactone.
US08974995B2
The disclosure describes acrylate carrier resins, optionally, with a C/O of at least about 4, comprising a heterocycle comprising sulfur, exhibiting high charge and improved RH sensitivity, carrier compositions comprising the acrylate-coated carriers and developers comprising a toner and the acrylate-coated carrier.
US08974993B2
The present disclosure relates to a toner design for a clear UV red fluorescence toner having a high lanthanide complex pigment loading, including methods of making the fluorescence toner using a saccharide or a sugar acid to avoid complexation of lanthanide ions from the pigment, with lower aggregation and coalescence temperatures in the preparation of toner particles, where the particles exhibit a narrow size distribution and good xerographic performance.
US08974989B2
A lithographic mask has a substrate substantially transmissive for radiation of a certain wavelength, the substrate having a radiation absorbing material in an arrangement, the arrangement configured to apply a pattern to a cross-section of a radiation beam of the certain wavelength, wherein the absorbing material has a thickness which is substantially equal to the certain wavelength divided by a refractive index of the absorbing material.
US08974988B2
A photomask includes a low thermal expansion material (LTEM) substrate, a patterned opaque layer over the LTEM substrate, and a patterned capping layer over the opaque layer. The patterned capping layer includes a transition metal material for suppressing haze growth, such as metal oxide, metal nitride, or metal oxynitride. The material in the capping layer reacts with a hydrogenic compound from a lithography environment to for an atomic level hydrogen passivation layer. The passivation layer has superior ability to suppress photo-induced haze defect growth on the photomask surface, to improve production cycle time and reduce the production cost.
US08974973B2
The present invention is directed to a starch-based battery system. The starch-based battery system uses a rheological and replaceable starch gluten electrolyte that generates colloidal starch gel adhesive contacted with and/or attached on electrodes to generate current for powering electronic devices. The starch-based battery system that includes control circuit and standard cap module replaces a conventional dry cell battery or is integrated with electronic devices to power, for example, flash-light, lighting ornaments or magnetic actuated motion products and toys. In other embodiments of the invention, the starch-based battery system is integrated into a device for attracting aquatic life forms in an aquatic environment, wherein the starch-based battery powers a light source and/or sound source and also the starch gluten electrolyte acts as bait for attracting aquatic life forms within the aquatic environment.
US08974970B2
Provided is a lithium transition metal oxide having an α-NaFeO2 layered crystal structure, as a cathode active material for lithium secondary battery, wherein the transition metal includes a blend of Ni and Mn, an average oxidation number of the transition metals except lithium is +3 or higher, and the lithium transition metal oxide satisfies Equations 1 and 2: 1.0
US08974969B2
A mixed carbon material is useful for an electrode of a nonaqueous secondary battery. The material has two component materials: carbon material A and carbon material B. Both materials have high capacity and rapid charge-discharge characteristics. Carbon material A, a multilayer-structure material containing an amorphous carbon covering the surface of a graphitic particle, has particularly excellent charging-discharging properties. Carbon material B has particularly excellent electrical conductivity properties. A battery with an electrode having the mixed carbon material can have both rapid charge-discharge characteristics and high cycle characteristics.
US08974965B2
The object of the present invention is to improve the short-term discharge power after the thermal cycles, as the object of the improvement of the characteristics of the lead acid battery. An electrode for a lead acid battery comprising an electrode active material layer comprising a lead containing material, a porous carbon material and a binder, and a current collector, wherein when a weight of lead atom is A and a weight of porous carbon material is B, B/(A+B)×100 satisfies 1.0 to 90%; and said binder is a crystalline polymer having a melting temperature of 40° C. or less or amorphous polymer, is used.
US08974956B2
A secondary battery includes at least one positive electrode plate folded on the basis of a first fold line, and at least one negative electrode plate folded on the basis of a second fold line and stacked to face the at least one positive electrode plate with the second fold line coinciding with the first fold line.
US08974955B2
Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a battery cell including an electrode assembly and electrolyte provided in a battery case composed of a laminate sheet having a resin layer and a metal layer, which includes; (a) thermally fusing and sealing the periphery of the case except for an end part thereof while the electrode assembly is mounted in the case; (b) introducing the electrolyte through the unsealed end part then sealing the same by thermal fusion; (c) charging and discharging the battery cell to activate the same; (d) puncturing the unsealed part inside the end part to form a through-hole communicating with the inside of the case; and (e) pulling top and bottom faces of the battery case in the opposite direction to each other at the unsealed part to open the same while applying vacuum pressure, to thereby remove the gas generated during activation as well as excess electrolyte.
US08974946B2
A battery with a sulfur-containing cathode, an anode, and a separator between the cathode and the anode has a coating comprising a single-lithium ion conductor on at least one of the cathode or the separator.
US08974945B2
An electricity supply system includes a circuit substrate, a first electrode substrate, a second electrode substrate, a first package unit, and a second package unit. The circuit substrate includes at least a separating area. The first electrode substrate includes a first current collector and a first active material layer, which is disposed opposed to the separating area and is located between the separating area and the first current collector. The second electrode substrate includes a second current collector and a second active material layer, which is disposed opposed to the separating area and is located between the separating area and the second current collector. The first and second package units are located between the first electrode substrate, the second electrode substrate and the circuit substrate respectively.
US08974944B2
An electrode assembly comprises a first electrode including a first electrode current collector and a first electrode active material layer, a second electrode including a second electrode current collector and a second electrode active material layer, a separator disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an electrode absorbing member in contact with the first electrode.
US08974941B2
A storage device for battery modules includes a housing made up of outer walls, inner walls between the outer walls, and bridge walls connecting the outer walls with the inner walls. The inner and outer walls define through holes, each configured to receive a battery module therein. The housing defines several fluidly isolated air flow spaces. The device also includes fins, each protruding from one of the bridge walls and blocking a portion of one of the flow spaces. An alternative storage device for battery modules includes a housing made up of outer walls and inner walls between the outer walls. The inner and outer walls define through holes, each configured to receive a battery module therein. The housing defines several fluidly isolated air flow spaces. The device also includes fins, each blocking a portion of one of the flow spaces and connecting the outer walls with the inner walls.
US08974937B2
Disclosed is the structure of a center pin inserted into the winding center of a winding-type electrode assembly of an electrochemical device, which has a case containing the winding-type electrode assembly. The center pin can be manufactured through a simple process and can secure the safety of an electrochemical device when physical impact (e.g. squeezing, shock) is applied from the outside or when the internal temperature rises. The center pin is manufactured by winding a planar substrate, which has at least two protrusions formed in an embossing type or which has at least two scores formed in a predetermined shape, into a tubular shape.
US08974935B2
A secondary battery module including a plurality of secondary battery cells, each secondary battery cell including electrodes on one side thereof and a vent on the same side as the electrodes, a module frame coupled to the plurality of secondary battery cells and fixing the secondary battery cells in a predetermined arrangement, the module frame including a plurality of vent holes corresponding to the vents of the secondary battery cells, and protrusions disposed around the vent holes and protruding toward the vents, wherein each vent of the secondary battery cells is coupled to one of the protrusions of the module frame.
US08974932B2
A battery pack for a use with a powered surgical tool. The battery pack may include a housing with an outer wall and opposing first and second ends. The housing may include an elongated shape that extends between the first and second ends. A first member may extend across the first end of the housing and include a first aperture, and a second end member may extend across the second end of the housing and may include a second aperture. A passage may extend through the housing with a first end that aligns with the first aperture and a second end that aligns with the second aperture. The housing may be sized for a plurality of storage locations positioned between the first and second members and around the passage, and each of the storage locations may be configured to store a power cell.
US08974913B2
There is provided a thin-plate shaped chassis for an electronic apparatus, which has a plurality of step portions extended substantially in parallel with each other in such a way as to form at least one bulge portion which is bulged in a convex shape. The step portions are formed to have a larger thickness than that of other thin-plate portion having a predetermined thickness, and wherein there is provided at least one rib having a predetermined height which extends from the step portion to the thin-plate portion.
US08974901B2
There are provided a multilayer thin film for a ceramic electronic component and a method of manufacturing the same. The multilayer thin film includes a substrate; and a ceramic layer and a metal layer alternately formed on at least one of upper and lower surfaces of the substrate, wherein at least one of the ceramic layer and the metal layer has a height corresponding to a thickness of at least one of a plurality of particles arranged on a plane. With the multilayer thin film for a ceramic electronic component, the number of layers increases and a distance between electrodes decreases, whereby capacitance may increase.
US08974898B2
Disclosed herein is a substrate comprising a coating composition of silica nano-particles having enhanced mar and scratch resistance. In particular, the invention relates to a coating composition that contains silica nano-particle dispersion for use in automotive coating applications.
US08974897B2
The disclosure relates to methods of forming a vessel and to the resulting vessel. The vessel may be formed by providing a first fumed silica soot layer comprised of primary particles of fumed silica soot, and then providing over the first fumed silica soot layer a second fumed silica soot layer comprised of agglomerated particles formed into an agglomerated form from primary particles of fumed silica soot. The primary particles of the first fumed silica soot layer may have a substantially uniform density distribution, and the agglomerated particles of the second fumed silica soot layer may have a substantially non-uniform density distribution. The methods may include consolidating the first and second soot layers together to form a consolidated body.
US08974891B2
Methods of forming ceramic matrix composite structures include joining at least two lamina together to form a flexible ceramic matrix composite structure. Ceramic matrix composite structures include at least one region of reduced inter-laminar bonding at a selected location between lamina thereof. Thermal protection systems include at least one seal comprising a ceramic matrix composite material and have at least one region of reduced inter-laminar bonding at a selected location between lamina used to form the seal. Methods of forming thermal protection systems include providing one or more such seals between adjacent panels of a thermal protection system.
US08974889B2
Disclosed herein is a nanostructured thin film. The nanostructured thin film comprises a nanoparticle layer and a number of micro-undulated surfaces formed on the nanoparticle layer. The two micro-undulated structures of the nanostructured thin film are uniformly introduced over a large area. This configuration makes it easy to control the surface properties of the nanostructured thin film. Therefore, the nanostructured thin film can be widely applied to a variety of devices. Also disclosed herein is a method for controlling the surface properties of the nanostructured thin film.
US08974885B2
A structural element for reinforcing a fuselage cell of an aircraft is provided. The structural element comprises a reinforcement profile which is made in one piece from a metallic material. The profile is provided with a strap at least in regions. As a result of the strap which is made of a fiber-reinforced layer material or fiber metal laminate and is adhesively bonded, at least in regions, to a flange of the reinforcement profile the structural element has high damage tolerance and advantageous fatigue properties. The fiber metal laminate or layer material is made of a plurality of metal layers and fiber-reinforced plastics material layers which are stacked in alternating fashion and adhesively bonded to one another over the entire surface. The reinforcement profile and the strap are joined by means of a joining layer. Said joining layer is preferably constructed from two prepreg layers and a non-fiber-reinforced adhesive layer.
US08974884B2
A part includes a structure and at least one shape memory alloy element that is prestressed and embedded at least in part within said structure. The shape memory alloy is suitable for dissipating the mechanical energy of said structure when it vibrates in a given frequency band.
US08974881B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a resin composition improved in film formability and/or mechanical property, particularly tensile elastic modulus or tearing strength, of the film. The present invention provides a resin composition including at least (A) an aliphatic polyester-based resin and (C) a starch, the aliphatic polyester-based resin (A) forming a matrix phase and the starch (C) forming a dispersed phase, wherein the average particle diameter of the dispersed phase is 1 μm or less.
US08974877B2
The present invention concerns a print medium for inkjet printing and a method of producing such a print medium. In particular, the present invention is directed to a print medium comprising a base layer having a first side and a reverse side, an absorptive layer being in contact with the first side of the base layer, and a topcoat being in contact with the absorptive layer.
US08974868B2
A method for processing a substrate includes disposing the substrate in a deposition chamber configured to perform a deposition process and depositing a film on the substrate using the deposition process. The substrate having the film thereon is then transferred from the deposition chamber into a treatment chamber and a plasma cleaning process is performed on the substrate in the treatment chamber. Further processing of the substrate is performed after the plasma cleaning process.
US08974864B2
A method of coating a substrate is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate; depositing an infrared reflecting layer over at least a portion of a substrate; depositing a primer layer over at least a portion of the infrared reflective layer; depositing a dielectric layer over at least a portion of the primer layer; and forming an absorbing layer. The absorbing layer includes an alloy and/or mixture of (a) a metal having an index of refraction at 500 nm less than or equal to 1.0 and (b) a material having a ΔG°f of greater than or equal to −100 at 1000° K. The metal can be silver and the material can be tin.
US08974863B2
A method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material having high mechanical properties and high heat resistance, and allowing the use of a gypsum die in primary curing, wherein a fiber-reinforced prepreg, obtained by impregnating reinforcing fibers with an epoxy resin composition comprising a triphenylmethane-type epoxy resin, N,N,N′,N′-tetraglycidyldiaminodiphenylmethane (B) and diaminodiphenylsulfone (C), is subjected to primary curing at 110-130° C., and then to secondary curing at a temperature which is at least as high as the primary curing temperature.
US08974855B2
Disclosed are a variety of ceramics having the formula Ln.sub.1−xM.sub.xMnO.sub.3, where 0.Itoreq.x.Itoreq.1 and where Ln is La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu or Y; M is Ca, Sr, Ba, Cd, or Pb; manganite precursors for preparing the ceramics; a method for preparing the precursors; and a method for transforming the precursors into uniform, defect-free ceramics having magnetoresistance properties. The manganite precursors contain a sol and are derived from the metal alkoxides: Ln(OR).sub.3, M(OR).sub.2 and Mn(OR).sub.2, where R is C.sub.2 to C.sub.6 alkyl or C.sub.3 to C.sub.9 alkoxyalkyl, or C.sub.6 to C.sub.9 aryl. The preferred ceramics are films prepared by a spin coating method and are particularly suited for incorporation into a device such as an integrated circuit device.
US08974848B1
Tooth stain resulting from exposure to coloring agents contained in food and beverages, generally termed foodstuffs, is reduced, prevented and/or reversed by the addition of consumable anti-staining materials to the foodstuff anytime prior to ingestion. The anti-staining materials may be introduced into the foodstuff during the manufacturing process or added by the consumer at the time of preparation or use. A number of materials which interact with tooth stains and/or staining agents to counteract their effect and/or reduce their coloration as well as substances which interact with teeth to block the interaction of staining agents with teeth are disclosed.
US08974835B2
A gastric ulcer therapeutic agent comprising as an active ingredient a composite hydroxide of a hydrotalcite and an aluminum hydroxide compound, which composite hydroxide is represented by the formula (1), Mg1-xAlx(OH)2+x-ny(An-)y(H2O)m (1), wherein An-represents an anion, n represents a valence of the anion in the range of 1 to 4, x is in the range of 0.34
US08974831B2
Carrier particles in which at least 60% of the surface is coated with magnesium stearate are useful for preparing dry powder formulations for inhalation.
US08974819B2
The present invention relates to a chitosan capsule in which a soluble active ingredient is encapsulated in a matrix containing chitosan and phytic acid; a cross-linking method and materials capable of being used in preparing the capsule; and pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic compositions comprising the capsule. The chitosan capsule according to the present invention is prepared via ionic gelation of chitosan as a biodegradable polymer with phytic acid capable of rapidly and effectively forming a cross-linking reaction with the chitosan polymer. The capsule of the present invention shows high encapsulation efficiency for a soluble active ingredient and protects the soluble active ingredient from being damaged in a digestive tract, resulting in improving an in vivo delivery efficiency of a physiologically active material. Further, since the capsule of the present invention has a pH-dependent sustained-release mechanism which can minimize the release of a soluble active ingredient in the stomach and gradually release in the intestine, it is possible to regulate sustained-release of a soluble active ingredient.
US08974815B2
Electrospun biodegradable poly(ester-amide) fabric is especially suitable as a scaffold for tissue engineering and to incorporate drug for burn or wound healing treatment to accelerate healing, or to prevent tissue adhesion after surgery.
US08974808B2
Described herein are implantable composites, kits comprising the composites, implant devices comprising the composites, and methods of making and using same, including point of use methods.
US08974806B2
The present invention relates to a process for preparing aqueous active compound compositions of active compounds which are poorly soluble in water, in particular of active compounds for the protection of crops and materials. Moreover, the invention relates to the active compound compositions obtainable by the process and to their use for controlling harmful organisms in plants and in the protection of materials.The process comprises the following steps: a) provision of an aqueous suspension of solid active compound particles of at least one active compound having a solubility in water of not more than 5 g/l at 25° C./1013 mbar, comprising, for stabilizing the active compound particles, at least one surfactant, where the active compound particles in the suspension have a mean particle size, determined by dynamic light scattering, of not more than 1200 nm, b) emulsion polymerization of a first monomer composition M1 in the aqueous suspension of the active compound, where the monomer composition M1 comprises at least 95% by weight, based on its total weight, of at least one neutral, monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M1.1 having a solubility in water of not more than 30 g/l at 25° C./1013 mbar, giving an aqueous dispersion of polymer/active compound particles, and c) emulsion polymerization of a second monomer composition M2 in an aqueous dispersion of the polymer/active compound particles obtained in step b), where the monomer composition M2 comprises at least 60% by weight, based on its total weight, of at least one neutral, monoethylenically unsaturated monomer M2.1 having a solubility in water of not more than 30 g/l at 25° C./1013 mbar.
US08974794B2
The invention pertains to methods of using CεmX peptides (e.g., GLAGGSAQSQRAPDRVL; SEQ ID NO:2) that can bind effectively induce immune responses to membrane-bound IgE (mIgE) expressed on the surface of human B lymphocytes.
US08974789B2
An antagonist of the interaction between the Gp96 receptor and E. coli AIEC strains, for the prevention or treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The antagonist is for specifically blocking or reducing the interaction between Gp96 receptor and the outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), typically the outer protein membrane OmpA of E. coli AIEC strains. The inventions provides for pharmaceutical compositions containing such an antagonist, which may be an antibody against gp96 or OmpA, or a gp96 or OmpA polypeptide. It may be combined to an antagonist of the interaction between the CEACAM6 receptor and E. coli AIEC strains, such as an anti-CEACAM6 antibody, a CEACAM6 polypeptide, or a mannoside or particle having a mannose unit. The invention also relates to a method for the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, or of the determination of a predisposition of a person to develop inflammatory bowel disease.
US08974786B2
Provided herein are humanized forms of murine RP215 monoclonal antibodies and methods of using the same. These humanized RP215 monoclonal antibodies were characterized in terms of their respective affinity and specificity to the corresponding tumor-associated antigen, CA215, and shown to be comparable to those of murine RP215.
US08974784B2
Described herein are compositions and methods of use of anti-pancreatic cancer antibodies or fragments thereof, such as murine, chimeric, humanized or human PAM4 antibodies. The subject antibodies show a number of novel and useful therapeutic characteristics, such as binding with high specificity to pancreatic and other cancers, but not to normal or benign pancreatic tissues and binding to a high percentage of early stage pancreatic cancers. In preferred embodiments, the antibodies bind to pancreatic cancer mucins. The antibodies and fragments are of use for the detection, diagnosis and/or treatment of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer. The antibodies, such as PAM4 antibodies, bind to a PAM4 antigen that shows unique cell and tissue distributions compared with other known antibodies such as CA19.9, DUPAN2, SPAN1, Nd2, B72.3, and Lea and Le(y) antibodies that bind to the Lewis antigens.
US08974783B2
Use of antagonists to IL-31Ra and OSMRb are used to treat inflammation and pain by inhibiting, preventing, reducing, minimizing, limiting or minimizing stimulation in neuronal tissues. Such antagonists include soluble receptors, antibodies and fragments, derivative, or variants thereof. Symptoms such as pain, tingle, sensitization, tickle associated with neuropathies are ameliorated.
US08974782B2
The present invention relates to a dosing regimen for use in the treatment of stroke. More particularly, the invention relates to the administration of two doses of anti-MAG antibodies for the treatment of ischemic and/or haemorrhagic stroke.
US08974781B2
The present invention relates to antibodies including human antibodies and antigen-binding portions thereof that bind to P-cadherin, and that function to inhibit P-cadherin. The invention also relates to heavy and light chain immunoglobulins derived from human P-cadherin antibodies and nucleic acid molecules encoding such immunoglobulins. The present invention also relates to methods of making human P-cadherin antibodies, compositions comprising these antibodies and methods of using the antibodies and compositions. The invention also relates to transgenic animals or plants comprising nucleic acid molecules of the present invention.
US08974775B2
There is provided herein a functionalized ionic silicone composition comprising a silicone of the formula (I): M1aM2bM3cD1dD2eD3fT1gT2hT3iQj (I) which contains a monovalent radical bearing ion-pairs and having the formula (II): -A-Ix−Mny+; where A is a spacing group having at least 2 spacing atoms selected from a divalent hydrocarbon or hydrocarbonoxy group, where I is an ionic group such as sulfonate —SO3−, carboxylate —COO−, phosphonate —PO32− group and phosphate —OPO32−, where M is hydrogen or a cation independently selected from alkali metals, alkali earth metals, transition metals, metals, quaternary ammonium and phosphonium groups; or, zwitterions having the formula (III): —R′—NR″2+—R′″—I (III) where I is defined as above, and where the subscript a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j are zero or positive subject to the following limitations: 2≦a+b+c+d+e+f+g+h+i+j≦6000, b+e+h>0 and c+f+i>0.
US08974774B2
Compositions and methods are provided that are useful for the delivery, including transdermal delivery, of biologically active agents, such as non-protein non-nucleotide therapeutics and protein-based therapeutics excluding insulin, botulinum toxins, antibody fragments, and VEGF. The compositions and methods are particularly useful for topical delivery of antifungal agents and antigenic agents suitable for immunization. Alternately, the compositions can be prepared with components useful for targeting the delivery of the compositions as well as imaging components.
US08974770B2
The present invention discloses a method for forming a nano-bubble. The forming method is different from the oil-water emulsion reaction in the prior art. The method comprises: taking an inorganic particle as a nucleus and performing a polymer coating process to coat at least one first polymer on the surface of the nucleus to form an organic/inorganic composite particle; then removing the nucleus of the organic/inorganic composite particle by way of the dissolution of a first solvent to form an impregnated nano-particle; performing a freeze-drying process to remove the first solvent to have the impregnated nano-particle form a hollow nano-particle; and finally dissolving the hollow nano-particle in a second solvent to form the nano-bubble.
US08974768B2
The present invention relates to compounds suitable as modulators of protein misfolding and/or protein aggregation. The compounds are particularly suitable as inhibitors of amyloid aggregate formation and/or modulators of amyloid surface properties, and/or as activators of degradation or reduction of amyloid aggregates.
US08974766B2
Described are bifunctional NOTA-based derivatives capable of conjugating with alginate and with metal ions, as well as NOTA-alginate conjugates which can be labeled with stable or radioactive metal ions. Also described are conjugation methods of the bifunctional NOTA-based linker with alginate, and methods of using radiometal-labeled NOTA-alginate conjugates or other radio-labeled alginate conjugates as imaging reagents.
US08974762B2
Methods of forming a silica-containing products are disclosed. One method comprises: (a) providing a silica containing precursor (SCP) contained in solution that has a pH less than or equal to a pH of 7; (b) optionally doping the SCP with one or more metal species; (d) adding an effective amount of salt to the solution so that the conductivity of the solution is greater than or equal to 4 mS; (e) optionally filtering and drying the SCP; and (f) optionally reacting the dried product from step e with a functional group. Another method comprises: (a) providing a silica containing precursor (SCP) contained in solution that has a pH greater than 7; (b) adjusting the pH of the solution to less than or equal to 7; (c) optionally doping the SCP with one or more metal species; (d) adjusting the pH of the solution to greater than 7; and (e) adding an effective amount of salt to the solution so that the conductivity of the solution is greater than or equal to 4 mS; (f) optionally filtering and drying the SCP. The SCP is then added to a hygroscopic solid such that the resulting product comprises a metal oxide-doped or metal sulfide-doped silica-containing product deposited on a substrate selected from hydrated alkaline earth oxide, lanthanide oxide, and combinations thereof.
US08974756B2
The disclosure provides an improved means of controlling mercury emissions from coal-fired boiler applications. Specifically, the disclosure comprises a static mixing device placed in the flue gas stream. The static mixing device can enhance dispersion of injected sorbents in the flue gas, resulting in improved mercury capture at a lower sorbent injection rate.
US08974755B2
The invention relates to a method for separating nickel and other valuable metals particularly from material having low nickel content, which contains iron and magnesium in addition to nickel and other valuable metals. The material having low nickel content is subjected to pulping and atmospheric leaching in acidic and oxidizing conditions, in which the majority of the metals in the material dissolve and the iron is partially precipitated. The precipitated iron is separated from the solution, after which nickel and the other dissolved valuable metals are precipitated as sulphides.
US08974753B2
A method of precipitating a zinc containing solid from an acidic solution containing dissolved zinc and magnesium comprising contacting the solution with a calcium containing neutralizing agent to raise the pH of the solution to 4.5 to 7.5 at a temperature of from 70 to 95° C. to thereby precipitate a solid zinc containing material and gypsum without causing substantial precipitation of magnesium, and separating the zinc containing material from the gypsum.
US08974748B2
A dual inlet microchannel device and a method for using the device to perform a flow-through kinetic assay are described. A microplate having an array of the dual inlet microchannel devices and in particular their specially configured flow chambers is also described. Several embodiments of the dual inlet microchannel devices and specially configured flow chambers are also described.
US08974740B2
An exhaust treatment component mounting system including an exhaust treatment component canister that includes a cleat ring, and an exhaust treatment component housing including a radially outwardly extending flange. A torsion rod including a first end that mates with the flange of the housing, and a second end including a coupling that mates with the cleat ring, wherein during connection between the first end and the second end of the torsion rod, the canister is rigidly secured to the housing.
US08974728B2
The invention relates to hot-dip cast aluminum alloy for anticorrosion treatment on engineering parts resistant to marine climate and a preparation method thereof, wherein said cast aluminum alloy contains Al, Zn, Si, Mg, RE, Ti, Ni and nanometer oxide particle reinforcing agent, said nanometer oxide particle reinforcing agent is selected from one or two of TiO2 and CeO2, the mass percentage of the components is as follows: Zn: 35-58%, Si: 0.3-4.0%, Mg: 0.1-5.0%, RE: 0.02-1.0%, Ti: 0.01-0.5%, Ni: 0.1-3.0%, and the total content of the nanometer oxide particle reinforcing agent: 0.01-1.0%; and the balance consists of Al and unavoidable impurities. The coating using cast aluminum alloy prepared by the invention has sufficient corrosion resistance and scour resistance in marine climate.
US08974724B2
Aluminum titanate precursor batch compositions comprising a recycled aluminum titanate component, at least a portion of the recycled aluminum titanate component being comprised of a recycled pre-reacted aluminum titanate composition or alternatively of an un-reacted green aluminum titanate precursor composition, and methods for producing aluminum titanate ceramic articles utilizing the inventive batch compositions.
US08974720B2
The present invention provides a method for producing a ceramic laminate capable of preventing coming-off of materials and warpage of the ceramic laminate by a heat treatment at a relatively-low temperature, and a ceramic laminate produced by the production method. Disclosed is a method for producing a ceramic laminate having a layer structure in which two or more layers are laminated, including: a step of producing a laminate including a first layer and a second layer, the first layer containing a solid electrolyte and the second layer containing at least composite particles obtained by covering an electrode active material with the solid electrolyte; and a step of performing a heat treatment on the laminate including the first and second layers at a temperature of 500° C. or more and less than 700° C.
US08974714B2
Process for the preparation of a superhydrophobic film comprising the steps of applying a hydrophobic polymer in the liquid phase on a surface so as to form a layer of hydrophobic polymer, applying on said layer of hydrophobic polymer a membrane having a porosity of between 105 and 6×108 pores/cm2 in which the pores have a diameter smaller than or equal to 3 μm, subjecting said layer of hydrophobic polymer to a thermal treatment so as to form a superhydrophobic film, and removing said membrane.
US08974705B2
A conductive composition comprises (i) micro- or submicro-sized silver flake having a tap density of 4.6 g/cc or higher and (ii) a solvent that dissolves any fatty acid lubricant or surfactant present on the surface of the silver. In one embodiment, (iii) a small amount of peroxide is present. No organic resin is present in the composition.
US08974702B2
The present invention relates to novel formulations comprising an organic semiconductor (OSC) and one or more organic solvents. The formulation comprises a dimethyl anisole solvent. Furthermore, the present invention describes the use of these formulations as inks for the preparation of organic electronic (OE) devices, especially organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells and OLED devices, to methods for preparing OE devices using the novel formulations, and to OE devices, OLED devices and OPV cells prepared from such methods and formulations.
US08974698B2
A method for producing an α-sialon-based oxynitride phosphor includes a mixed powder blended such that the product is represented by the formula: MxSi12−(m+n)Al(m+n)OnN16−n:Lny (wherein M is at least one metal selected from Li, Ca, Mg, Y and a lanthanide metal excluding La and Ce, Ln is at least one lanthanide metal selected from Eu, Dy, Er, Tb and Yb), the mixed powder containing an amorphous silicon nitride powder having an loose bulk density of 0.16 to 0.22 g/cm3, and is fired at 1,400 to 2,000° C. in a nitrogen-containing inert gas atmosphere.
US08974687B2
A piezoelectric ceramic is expressed by the composition formula 100[(Sr2−xCax)1+y/4Na1−yNb5−2/5zMnzO15]+αSiO2 (in the formula, 0≦x<0.3, 0.1
US08974685B2
Provided is a fine-processing agent which, when fine-processing a laminated film stacked at least with a silicon dioxide film and a silicon nitride film, can selectively fine-process the silicon dioxide film. Also provided is a fine-processing method utilizing the fine-processing agent. The fine-processing agent is characterized by including: (a) 0.01-15.0 weight % hydrogen fluoride and/or 0.1-40.0 weight % ammonium fluoride, (b) water, and (c) 0.001-10.00 weight % water-soluble polymer selected from among a group consisting of acrylic acid, ammonium acrylate, acrylic acid ester, acrylamide, styrenesulfonic acid, ammonium styrenesulfonate, and styrenesulfonic acid ester.
US08974670B1
The present invention provides an aeration lateral system designed to be site specific for new septic disposal areas or retro fitting to existing septic disposal areas to break up the biological clogging sludge mat at the interface of the wastewater and imported sand or native soil fill under or adjacent to disposal areas of a typical septic system. The lateral system provides uniform or other site specific distribution of fluids about the bio-mat of a wastewater disposal area, with lateral spacing and hole spacing varying based on the type of disposal area being utilized. The lateral system can also be utilized to provide continuous low volume air supply system to a wastewater disposal area or peat filter module. The air lateral installation includes methods to minimize airflow disturbance of the soil and methods to prevent air leakage.
US08974667B2
A hollow fiber membrane module is disclosed, which is capable of preventing a bundle of hollow fiber membranes from being separated from a module case, the hollow fiber membrane module for accommodating a bundle of hollow fiber membranes closely held together through the use of potting agent, including a module case including: a first inner surface serving as a projection on which the bundle of hollow fiber membranes is stably placed; a second inner surface upwardly extending from one end of the first inner surface, the second inner surface including at least one separation-preventing groove to prevent the bundle of hollow fiber membranes from being separated from the module case; a third inner surface downwardly extending from the other end of the first inner surface; and a fourth inner surface connected to the third inner surface.
US08974665B2
A welded wire mesh is rolled into an elongated tubular wire frame, and sizing rings surround the tubular wire frame to maintain the tubular frame with a predetermined diameter. The wire frame is partially covered with a sediment filter fabric attached by wire clips, and an end portion of the tubular frame is inserted into an inlet portion of an installed storm water pipe. A collar member includes a wire collar frame secured to the tubular wire frame and is covered by a flexible filter material to filter storm water flowing between the tubular frame and the water pipe and to form a stop which prevents the tubular frame from moving further into the pipe. A top portion of the tubular wire frame is uncovered by filter fabric to define an overflow opening for storm water with very light sediment to flow into the storm water pipe.
US08974662B2
An apparatus for and method of filtering hydrocarbon contaminated water, which is used in a system requiring a pump to lift low lying hydrocarbon contaminated liquids from said pump through a filtration system which lifts and completely filters all debris and hydrocarbons from said liquid.
US08974658B2
An exemplary embodiment of the invention may include a method for electrochemically monitoring the mobility of particles in a fluid in response to an external field, the method may include monitoring an electrical characteristic of the fluid in an electrochemical cell, the fluid comprising particles that can be moved under the influence of an externally applied field; observing changes in the electrical characteristic caused by particle movement induced by the external field; and inferring a change in the physical state of the fluid from a change in the magnitude of the electrical characteristic observed.
US08974647B2
The fluorine gas generation device includes an electrolyzer. An electrolytic bath is formed in the electrolyzer. A cathode is disposed in a cathode chamber, and an anode is disposed in an anode chamber. As a voltage is applied across the cathode and the anode, electrolysis of HF (hydrogen fluoride) takes place. In the electrolyzer, hydrogen gas is primarily generated from the cathode and fluorine gas is primarily generated from the anode. Two heating furnaces are provided for heating NaF pellets packed in HF adsorption columns. Each heating furnace has two HF adsorption columns disposed therein.
US08974646B2
Disclosed herein is a portable hydrogen-rich water generator that includes a separable drinking cup, an electrolytic cell which includes an anode, a cathode, a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, etc. and is disposed at the bottom of the drinking cup, a reservoir base on which the drinking cup is mounted and in which an anode reaction of the electrolytic cell is generated, a float valve which allows water to be continuously supplied at a certain water level from a water tank, and a power supply to apply direct current power to the electrolytic cell. In the portable hydrogen-rich water generator, when power is applied after putting purified water into the drinking cup and mounting the drinking cup on the reservoir base, the electrolytic cell electrolyzes the water in the reservoir base so that oxygen is generated at the anode of the reservoir base side and hydrogen is generated at the cathode of the drinking cup side, thereby allowing hydrogen gases to be dissolved in the purified water in the drinking cup within a short time with the consequence that hydrogen-rich water is produced.
US08974643B2
The present invention relates to a method for purifying a liquid comprising liquid particles and residual particles. It is hereby possible to generate substantially pure water from, for instance seawater.
US08974637B2
The present invention relates to a process for the production of paper and board which comprises: (a) introducing one or more fillers, one or more anionic polysaccharides and one or more cationic agents into a mixing zone to form a filler composition; (b) introducing by means of a pump the filler composition into an aqueous suspension comprising cellulosic fibers; and (c) dewatering the obtained suspension. The present invention also relates to a process for the production of a filler composition which comprises: (a) introducing one or more fillers, one or more anionic polysaccharides and one or more cationic agents into a mixing zone to form a filler composition; (b) introducing by means of a pump the filler composition into a storage tank.
US08974627B2
This invention relates to curable compositions containing hydroxyl compounds that carry silyl groups as well as to the use of said compositions.
US08974625B2
A method for bonding supplemental materials of various shapes to a base textile comprises printing an adhesive material, such as a thermoplastic ink, onto a backing sheet, such as a paper backing. The thermoplastic ink may be printed onto the paper backing using a print head, silk screen, gravure, or any other appropriate printing device capable of printing the ink onto the backing sheet in a desired shape and with a desired thickness. The adhesive material is generally printed in substantially the same shape as the perimeter of the supplemental material to be bonded to the base textile. After the thermoplastic ink is printed onto the backing sheet, the thermoplastic ink is transferred to the base fabric using a bonding process. The backing sheet is then peeled away, and the supplemental material is then bonded to the exposed adhesive material on the base fabric using a subsequent bonding process.
US08974623B2
Disclosed is a method for placing fiber-reinforced, pre-impregnated, planar semi-finished products on a placement tool for the manufacture of a non-crimp fabric, wherein a placement film is clamped on the placement tool for purposes of holding the non-crimp fabric, and by means of evacuation and/or the application of pressure is fixed in position on the placement tool and/or can be released from the latter. Also disclosed is a placement tool for the execution of such a method.
US08974620B2
A shield that is attachable to a touch sensitive screen is disclosed. The shield may be attached to the touch sensitive screen only at its outer peripheral portion. An air gap is enclosed between the shield and the touch sensitive screen to form a planar air bearing. The shield preferably does not touch the active area of the touch sensitive screen when the user is not touching the shield but only viewing the touch sensitive screen through the shield. This mitigates unwanted optical artifacts such as trapped air bubbles, Newton rings and chromatic interference while maintaining the sensitivity of the touch sensitive screen.
US08974611B2
A method of making metal articles as well as sputtering targets is described, which involves deforming an ingot to preferred dimensions. In addition, products made by the process of the present invention are further described.
US08974607B2
An apparatus, operable with a source of cleaning fluid under pressure, for cleaning external surfaces of heat exchange tubes of an air cooled heat exchanger which tubes are situated in generally horizontal rows vertically separated from each other, thus defining a generally horizontal zone between each two adjacent rows, including a. a spray mat having: i. top and bottom fluid impermeable sheets sealed at their mutual peripheral edges defining at least one chamber with a fluid inlet into said chamber for receiving a flow of the cleaning fluid under pressure, and ii. a plurality of laterally spaced apertures and coupled spray nozzles in the top and bottom sheets which are in fluid communication with the chamber, and b. a positioning mechanism for moving the spray mat transversely into and out of one of the zones between two adjacent rows of the heat exchange tubes.
US08974606B2
A cleaning assembly is provided. The cleaning assembly includes a plate having a front surface and a back surface and a manifold affixed to an edge of the plate. The manifold has a plurality of outlets extending therefrom. The plate further includes a plurality of cups extending through the plate. The plurality of cups have an upper body with an outlet extending from the back surface and the plurality of cups have a sealing portion coupled to the upper body and extending from the front surface of the plate. Each outlet of the upper body is coupled to one of the corresponding plurality of outlets of the manifold. The plate also includes a plurality of alignment pins extending from the front surface of the plate. The plurality of alignment pins are configured to support an edge of a substrate, wherein one of the plurality of alignment pins is slidably mounted to the plate. A plurality of guide pins extends the same distance from the back surface.
US08974605B2
A method for operating an electronic device manufacturing system is provided, including: introducing an inert gas into a process tool vacuum pump at a first flow rate while the process tool is operating in a process mode; and introducing the inert gas into the process tool vacuum pump at a second flow rate while the process tool is operating in a clean mode. Numerous other embodiments are provided.
US08974603B2
A filter that filters carbon dioxide in the gaseous, liquid or supercritical state is efficiently purified. The carbon dioxide is used to at least clean or dry an object to be treated, or to clean or dry the object to be treated. A method of purifying a filter for filtering carbon dioxide in a gaseous, liquid or supercritical state is provided. The carbon dioxide is used to at least clean or dry the object to be treated, or to clean and dry the object to be treated. According to the method, the filter 13 is purified before the carbon dioxide is filtered in the gaseous, liquid or supercritical state by the filter 13. The filter 13 is purified by allowing carbon dioxide to pass through the filter.
US08974602B2
The present invention discloses a method of reducing contamination in a CVD chamber. The method comprises cleaning the CVD chamber with first cleaning gases containing NF3; removing the particles in the CVD chamber with second cleaning gases containing N2; further removing the particles in the CVD chamber with third cleaning gases containing O2; and seasoning an amorphous carbon layer with mixed gases containing C2H2 and an inert gas.
US08974595B2
A dry composition including at least one binder and an oil comprising at least one compound of formula (I) below: wherein, Z represents an optionally substituted, linear or branched C4 to C28 alkyl radical or an optionally substituted, linear or branched C4 to C28 alkenyl radical, and R, R′ and R″ are identical or different and separately represent an optionally substituted, linear or branched hydrogen atom, hydroxyl radical, C1 to C12 alkyl radical, an optionally substituted, linear or branched C1 to C12 heteroalkyl radical, an optionally substituted, linear or branched C5 to C10 cycloalkyl radical, or an optionally substituted, linear or branched C6 to C18 aryl radical.
US08974590B2
Methods, treatment compositions and treatment systems for forming a detachable and renewable coating on a receptive surface by a process of applying a treatment composition comprising a plurality of hydrophobically modified fumed silica particles colloidally dispersed in a volatile solvent; allowing the volatile solvent to evaporate; and thereby depositing a protective coating on the receptive surface consisting of a layer of the hydrophobically modified particles. The process provides a coating with dirt- and water-repellency properties that effectively shed dry particulate soils as well as water from the treated receptive surface. The methods, treatment compositions and treatment systems are useful in providing detachable coatings and treated articles featuring surface protective benefits including dirt- and water-repellency, self-cleaning with water, and easier cleaning benefits when applied to a variety of automotive and home surfaces, both interior and exterior.
US08974587B2
A casting process sand core composition including sand particles (grains) and a binder material. Both substantially spherical sand grains and substantially non-spherical grains may be present. The size of the sand grains is preferably held within a preselected and controlled range, and the size distribution by weight percentage of the sand grains within the grain size range is also controlled. The present invention also contemplates methods of making a sand core from such a composition, and methods of making a casting with a die that uses a sand core made from such a composition.
US08974585B2
The invention relates to a fan-and-filter unit to be mounted in the wall of a switch cabinet or housing, and includes a fan unit inserted in a fan housing, a filter mat arrangement mounted upstream of the fan unit and a fan cover immobilizing the filter mat. An embodiment advantageous for operation of the fan-and-filter unit may be provided where the fan-and-filter unit has a filter mat monitoring unit which is designed to detect the service life and/or a degree of soiling of the filter mat arrangement and which includes an insert integrated into the fan housing or the fan cover and having an illuminated display visible from the exterior of the fan cover facing away from the fan unit and being designed to display at least exceeding of a predetermined or predeterminable service life and/or a predetermined or predeterminable degree of soiling.
US08974580B2
A collimator fixed to the cold jet nozzle of a modulator of a two-dimensional gas chromatograph to aid in the alignment of the cold jet nozzle and loop modulator tube.
US08974579B2
A device for separating paint overspray from the cabin exhaust air of painting systems which is laden with overspray having at least one separating surface, on which the cabin exhaust air can be guided along and which is electrically conducting and connected to a pole of a high voltage source. An electrode device arranged in the air stream is associated with the separating surface and connected to the other pole of the high voltage source. Paint overspray is transported away from the separating surface by an electrically conducting separating fluid, which can be fed to the separating surface and flows over the separating surface so that a large part at least of the solids pass from the cabin exhaust air flowing past into the separating fluid.
US08974571B2
A partially-reduced iron producing apparatus includes: a supplying device laying ignition raw-material pellets on an endless-grate; a heating furnace heating the ignition raw-material pellets; another supplying device laying the raw material pellets on the ignition raw-material pellets; and an exhaust gas circulation device supplying an oxygen-containing gas to the raw-material pellets. The oxygen containing gas is made by circulating part of an exhaust gas discharged from the raw-material pellets and mixing it with air. A partially-reduced iron is produced by thermally reducing the raw-material pellets in a bed height direction thereof through separate combustion and heating regions. The combustion region formed on an upstream side in a travelling direction of the endless grate by supplying the oxygen-containing gas having a high oxygen concentration. The heating region formed downstream of the combustion region in the travelling direction of the endless grate by supplying the oxygen-containing gas having a low oxygen concentration.
US08974562B2
A method of forming a substantially homogeneous suspension of nanodiamond particles and microdiamond particles is disclosed The method includes disposing a first functional group on a plurality of nanodiamond particles to form derivatized nanodiamond particles, and combining the derivatized nanodiamond particles with a plurality of microdiamond particles and a solvent to form a substantially homogeneous suspension of the derivatized nanodiamond particles and microdiamond particles in the solvent. A method of making an article is also disclosed. The method includes forming a superabrasive polycrystalline diamond compact by combining: a plurality of derivatized nanodiamond particles, a plurality of derivatized microdiamond particles having an average particle size greater than that of the derivatized nanodiamond particles, and a metal solvent-catalyst. The method also includes combining the polycrystalline diamond with a substrate comprising a ceramic. The method further includes removing a portion of a metal solvent-catalyst from the polycrystalline diamond compact by leaching.
US08974557B2
The present disclosure provides tunable catalytic gasifier systems suitable for gasifying coal, biomass, and other fuel sources. The gasifier reactors of the disclosed systems may be heated by, e.g., a catalytic tube or other jacket that generates heat by catalytically combusting syngas, which syngas may be syngas produced by the gasifier system.
US08974555B2
Treating a synthesis gas includes generating a plasma jet from a non-transferred arc torch having a main axis, the jet having a propagation axis substantially collinear with the torch main axis. The plasma torch is mounted on a feed enclosure. The syngas is received at an inlet port of the feed enclosure, downstream from the plasma torch and feeding the syngas so the flow encounters the plasma jet to mix the syngas and plasma jet in a distribution chamber. The mixture is propagated in a reactor downstream from the feed enclosure to convert the syngas into an outlet gas. The reactor is in communication in its upstream portion with the feed enclosure through a flared segment, and has a longitudinal axis that is substantially collinear with the propagation axis of the plasma jet. The outlet gas is extracted via an outlet port and particles are captured by a submerged conveyor.
US08974553B2
The invention relates to a fuel composition comprising diesel fuel, a fusel oil distillate and ethanol, and to a method of its preparation by splash blending.
US08974550B2
A method of manufacturing a negative electrode plate for a non-aqueous secondary battery is disclosed, in which it is possible to assess whether or not a binder is localized in an electrode surface without lowering the productivity of the negative electrode plate. The method includes coating an electrode mixture containing at least a negative electrode active material and a binder to a current collector and drying the coated electrode mixture. The method includes an inspection step of measuring a reflectance of a coating surface of the negative electrode plate to thereby determine the quality of the negative electrode plate. If the reflectance of the coating surface of the negative electrode plate falls within a range of 15 to 35% when an incident angle and a light receiving angle each fall within the range of 80° to 90°, the negative electrode plate is determined to be excellent.
US08974549B2
In a vacuum container (2), a bag-shaped laminate film (12) containing a battery element (11) and having an opening (12a) is pinched at positions corresponding to two principal surfaces (11a) of the battery element (11), the battery element (11) having a positive layer and a negative layer stacked via a separator. Pressure in the vacuum container (2) is reduced. An electrolytic solution (20) is poured from an electrolytic-solution supply line (4) into the bag-shaped laminate film (12) through the opening (12a) with pressure in the vacuum container (2) kept reduced until the entire battery element (11) is immersed in the electrolytic solution (20). The reduced pressure in the vacuum container (2) is increased to make the battery element (11) absorb the electrolytic solution (20) by means of the difference in pressure.
US08974544B2
An approach is provided for remotely configuring a mobile device designated as missing. A request to remotely configure the mobile device is received. In response to the request, at least one setting parameter specifying at least one action to be performed by the mobile device is retrieved. A control message specifying the at least one setting parameter is generated. It is determined whether the mobile device is network inaccessible. The control message is queued for transmission over a data channel to the mobile device when the mobile device is determined to be network inaccessible.
US08974543B2
A above knee prosthesis (P) applied to femoral connection (100) of an amputee that comprises a upper hinge (1) connected to femoral connection of the patient, an articulation axis (2) with the function of reproducing the knee movements, a tibia-calf muscle unit (3) pivotally connected to the femoral•segment and a damper (5) that reproduces some functions of the calf muscle and ensures to the prosthesis to brake and to allow the sequential swing and stance phases typical of the gait. The damper comprises a cylinder (5c) wherein a piston (10) and a stem (9) act connected to each other and adapted to carry out a damping reaction of said damper responsive to the forces loaded on the prosthesis. In particular, a force transducer is provided in the damper arranged, in particular, in the stem with a microprocessor that receives a force signal from the transducer and operates means for adjusting the reaction of the damper responsive to the detected force signal.
US08974541B2
The invention relates to a bone implant which comprises a magnesium-containing metallic material having a reduced corrosion rate and inorganic bone cement, and to methods and a kit for producing the bone implant. With a method according to the invention, it is possible to obtain a bone implant which comprises inorganic bone cement and a magnesium-containing metallic material with a corrosion-inhibiting coating which contains magnesium-ammonium phosphates. In the method according to the invention, a magnesium-containing metallic material, of which the surface has a magnesium oxide layer and/or a magnesium salt layer, is combined with inorganic bone cement in order to generate a solid composite material that comprises the inorganic bone cement and the magnesium-containing metallic material. The inorganic bone cement contains inorganic powder constituents, which set in the presence of water to form a solid, and water-soluble phosphate-ion-containing salts, preferably water-soluble phosphate-ion-containing and ammonium-ion-containing salts. According to the invention, the magnesium-containing metallic material is brought into contact with water before and/or during the combination with the inorganic bone cement in the presence of water-soluble ammonium-ion-containing and phosphate-ion-containing salts. Moreover, the inorganic bone cement is set by being brought into contact with water.
US08974540B2
Methods and apparatus for orthopedic replacement of the hip and hip fracture fixation devices include structures and techniques for fixing or enhancing interconnection of implant components, such as by increasing the interconnection in an interference fit with one or more tapers, threads, and/or cooling of components prior to assembly. For example, a prosthetic femoral neck implant can include a thread and a Morse taper for lockable attachment to a prosthetic femoral head and/or intramedullary stem.
US08974532B2
The present invention relates to an intervertebral disc prosthesis preferably comprising at least three pieces including an upper plate (1), a lower plate (2) and a mobile core (3) at least in relation to the lower plate (2), co-operation means (23, 33) allowing to limit or eliminate the movements of the core (3) in relation to the lower plate (2), in translation and in rotation, respectively, about an axis substantially parallel to the lower plate (2) and about an axis substantially perpendicular to the lower plate (2), at least one part of the surface of at least one plate being concave and complementary with a convex surface (30) of the core (3), with which it is in contact, wherein the tip (31) of the convex surface (30) of the core (3) is off center, in at least one direction, in relation to the center (32) of this convex surface (30).
US08974530B2
An intervertebral implant comprises first and second parts having outer surfaces engaging adjacent vertebral surfaces. An insert between these parts provides relative movement therebetween. The first and/or second parts may have engagement means in the form of apertures for engagement with insertion instruments. The first and second parts may nest together, in the absence of the insert, for insertion into the intervertebral space. The boundaries of the implant may form a working space which would include insertion instruments therein. A detent and detent recess may be provided for engagement of the insert and one of said first and second parts.
US08974525B2
In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a tissue shaping device adapted to be disposed in a vessel near a patient's heart to reshape the patient's heart. Such tissue shaping device can include an expandable proximal anchor; a proximal anchor lock adapted to lock the proximal anchor in an expanded configuration; an expandable distal anchor; a distal anchor lock adapted to lock the distal anchor in an expanded configuration; and a connector disposed between the proximal anchor and the distal anchor, the connector having a substantially non-circular cross-section.
US08974522B2
A coated medical device (10) including a structure (12) adapted for introduction into a passage or vessel of a patient. The structure is formed of preferably a non-porous base material (14) having a bioactive material layer (18) disposed thereon. The medical device is preferably an implantable stent or balloon (26) of which the bioactive material layer is deposited thereon. The stent can be positioned around the balloon and another layer of the bioactive material posited over the entire structure and extending beyond the ends of the positioned stent. The ends of the balloon extend beyond the ends of the stent and include the bioactive material thereon for delivering the bioactive material to the cells of a vessel wall coming in contact therewith. The balloon further includes a layer of hydrophilic material (58) positioned between the base and bioactive material layers of the balloon.
US08974521B2
An implant having a preferably hollow cylindrical main structure comprising a large number of continuous openings and a coating which releases at least one pharmaceutically active substance. To attain a better distribution of the pharmaceutically active substance, at least 20% of the cross-sectional area, preferably at least 50% of the cross-sectional area, of at least a portion of the openings in a predetermined section of the main structure is covered with the coating which releases at least one pharmaceutically active substance. Furthermore, a system composed of a catheter and such an implant, a simple method for manufacturing such an implant or such a system is provided.
US08974520B2
The invention relates to a method for producing a bioactive surface on the balloon (3) of a balloon catheter (1). According to said method, the surface of the balloon (3) is at least partially wetted with a first solution of an active substance (8) and the section of the surface of the balloon (3) wetted with the first solution of an active substance (8) is then wetted with a second, saturated solution of the active substance (28). The invention further relates to a balloon (3) of a balloon catheter (1) the surface of which is at least partially coated with an active substance (11), the coating (11) being homogeneous and brittle in the entire coated region.
US08974518B2
A method of deploying an eversible branch stent-graft includes deploying the eversible branch stent-graft into a main vessel such that a collateral opening in a main stent-graft of the eversible branch stent-graft is aligned with an ostium of a branch vessel emanating from the main vessel. A branch stent ring suture threaded though outer exposed crowns of an outer stent ring of the branch stent-graft is grasped and pulled through the collateral opening to evert the branch stent-graft into the branch vessel as a branch anchor suture is removed to release a protruding end of a branch stent-graft from a proximal end of the main stent-graft.
US08974517B2
A radiopaque nitinol stent for implantation in a body lumen is disclosed. The stent is made from a superelastic alloy such as nickel-titanium or nitinol, and includes a ternary element including tungsten. The added tungsten in specified amounts improve the radiopacity of the nitinol stent comparable to that of a stainless steel stent of the same strut pattern coated with a thin layer of gold. Furthermore, the nitinol stent has improved radiopacity yet retains its superelastic and shape memory behavior and further maintains a thin strut/wall thickness for high flexibility.
US08974516B2
Self-expandable, woven intravascular devices for use as stents (both straight and tapered), filters (both temporary and permanent) and occluders for insertion and implantation into a variety of anatomical structures. The devices may be formed from shape memory metals such as nitinol. The devices may also be formed from biodegradable materials. Delivery systems for the devices include two hollow tubes that operate coaxially. A device is secured to the tubes prior to the implantation and delivery of the device by securing one end of the device to the outside of the inner tube and by securing the other end of the device to the outside of the outer tube. The stents may be partially or completely covered by graft materials, but may also be bare. The devices may be formed from a single wire. The devices may be formed by either hand or machine weaving. The devices may be created by bending shape memory wires around tabs projecting from a template, and weaving the ends of the wires to create the body of the device such that the wires cross each other to form a plurality of angles, at least one of the angles being obtuse. The value of the obtuse angle may be increased by axially compressing the body.
US08974515B2
A helical stent includes at least one helical winding. Each helical winding includes a plurality of alternating long struts and short struts, ends of at least some of the long struts being joined to an end of an adjacent short strut by a flexible hinge arrangement, the struts being substantially rigid. The stent also includes at least one interconnection member connecting a hinge arrangement on one turn of the at least one winding with a hinge arrangement on an adjacent turn of the at least one winding. Fewer than all hinge arrangements on the at least one helical winding are connected to other hinge arrangements by an interconnection member.
US08974508B2
Expandable fixation assemblies, expandable cranial fixation assemblies, and expandable intervertebral implant assemblies are provided for securing structures to bone and for securing bones and/or bone segments with respect to each other. An expansion member can be moved through at least a portion of an expandable fixation body, thereby causing expansion of the expandable fixation body, such that bone engagement features of the expandable fixation body engage surrounding structure, such as bone.
US08974502B2
Methods, systems, and devices for of treating intervertebral discs are disclosed. In one embodiment, a minimally invasive method of treating an intervertebral disc is provided. A contrast or imaging media is introduced into a nucleus of the intervertebral disc without removing any of the nucleus. The intervertebral disc is imaged with the contrast media within the nucleus. Then the contrast media is evacuated from the nucleus to reduce intradiscal pressure. Finally, a disc augmentation biomaterial is introduced into the nucleus. The disc augmentation biomaterial is introduced in such a manner that the disc augmentation biomaterial is maintained within the nucleus without having to repair an opening in the annulus surrounding the nucleus.
US08974493B2
An apparatus and a method for sealing a puncture in a tubular tissue structure or the wall of a body cavity are provided. The apparatus and method include a bioabsorbable member that is partially external to and partially internal to an introducer sheath before and during placement thereof.
US08974478B2
The present disclosure is directed to a fluid cooled ultrasonic surgical instrument and related systems and methods of use therefor. In some embodiments, the disclosed ultrasonic surgical instrument is adapted for used within an insufflated cavity or pneumoperitoneum of a patient. The instrument includes a housing having an elongate shaft, a waveguide disposed at a distal end of the shaft, a coolant inlet port defined in an outer surface of the housing, and a coolant pump disposed within the housing and configured to move coolant from the coolant inlet port to the waveguide. During use, insufflation gas from within the pneumoperitoneum is drawn into the instrument shaft by the coolant pump, and blown over the waveguide to provide cooling. The delivery of ultrasonic energy and activation of the pump may be controlled by a processor in response to user input and waveguide temperature.
US08974477B2
In an ultrasonic operating apparatus which is provided with an insertion portion including a sheath having a distal end and a proximal end and formed of a cylindrical body having at least partially flexibility and a procedure portion disposed at the distal end of the sheath and performing a procedure for resection of a body tissue, and an operation portion disposed at the proximal end of the sheath and operating the procedure portion, the procedure portion is provided with an ultrasonic transducer unit including an ultrasonic transducer generating ultrasonic vibration, a probe portion integrally coupled with the ultrasonic transducer and transmitted with ultrasonic waves output from the ultrasonic transducer, and a casing accommodating the ultrasonic transducer, a jaw caused to face the probe portion which configures a distal end of the ultrasonic transducer and including a supporting point held in a state that the supporting point is not moved to the probe portion axially relative to the probe portion and an operating point movable axially relative to the probe portion, the jaw being driven to be opened and closed to the probe portion, a cover member coupled to the distal end of the sheath and rotatably supporting the operating point of the jaw, and a supporting portion disposed at a distal end of the casing and supporting the supporting point of the jaw, the operation portion is provided with a movable handle moving the operating point of the jaw axially relative to the probe member via the sheath and the cover member and rotating the jaw about the supporting point to drive the jaw to be opened and closed to the probe portion, and the jaw is set in a state that the operating point and the supporting point are positioned on a line orthogonal to a center line of the probe portion in a state that the jaw has been closed to the probe portion.
US08974476B2
A tissue puncture closure device includes an anchor, a sealing plug, a compaction member, a suture, and a suture cutting member. The compaction member is configured to compress the sealing plug toward the anchor. The suture is coupled to the sealing plug and anchor, and a portion of the suture extends through at least a portion of the compaction member. The suture cutting member extends through an aperture in a sidewall of the compaction member and is operable to cut the suture at a location within the compaction member.
US08974472B2
A method for removing a kidney stone from a ureter may involve: advancing a distal end of an elongate, flexible kidney stone removal device into the ureter to a location near the kidney stone; advancing an expandable stone retention member out of an inner shaft of the device; visualizing at least part of the stone retention member with a camera disposed coaxially within the stone retention member; trapping the kidney stone in the stone retention member; surrounding at least a portion of the stone retention member and the trapped kidney stone with a wall protection member on the distal end of the kidney stone removal device; and removing the kidney stone removal device from the ureter while the stone retention member and the kidney stone are at least partially surrounded by the wall protection member.
US08974469B2
A snare for snaring an article in a vessel of a vascular system or other body vessel. The snare includes a core cable having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. The snare also includes first, second and third loops each having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, and a mid-portion therebetween formed by spaced apart first and second sides connected together at the distal end portion of the loop. The mid-portions of each of the loops cross over mid portions of one of the other two loops, and the loops are only connected together at their proximal end portions, where they are gathered together and attached to the distal end portion of the core cable. The loops are movable between an open position and a closed position.
US08974468B2
Orthopedic systems and methods are provided for use in preparing joints for implants. Specifically, hip preparation systems and methods are disclosed which can include a surgical orientation device. The hip preparation systems and methods can be used, for example, to orient the hip during the procedure, determine the orientation of an anatomical plane or planes, and orient a prosthetic component or components.
US08974465B2
In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a device for mixing and dispensing a bone cement mixture is provided. The device comprises a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber is for containing a first bone cement component. The second chamber is for containing a second bone cement component. A valve is in fluid communication with the first and second chambers. A first and a second plunger are respectively within the first and second chambers and are configured to actuate within their respective chambers. When the valve is in a first position actuating the first plunger advances the first bone cement component into the second chamber to form the bone cement mixture.
US08974453B2
An irrigated ablation catheter includes a shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and an irrigation lumen therein. The catheter further includes an electrode assembly coupled to the distal end of the shaft. The electrode assembly includes an ablation electrode and a manifold. The manifold is coupled to each of the distal end of the shaft and the proximal end of the electrode. At least a portion of the manifold is constructed of a flexible material to allow the electrode assembly to deflect. The manifold includes a body, an inner cavity within the body configured for fluid communication with the irrigation lumen, and an irrigation port also within the body and configured for fluid communication with the inner cavity. The irrigation port extends from the inner cavity to the outer surface of the body, and is configured to allow for an irrigating fluid to be distributed from the manifold.
US08974452B2
High-strength microwave antenna assemblies and methods of use are described herein. The microwave antenna has a radiating portion connected by a feedline to a power generating source, e.g., a generator. Proximal and distal radiating portions of the antenna assembly are separated by a junction member. A reinforcing member is disposed within the junction member to increase structural rigidity.
US08974450B2
A microwave ablation system includes an antenna assembly configured to deliver microwave energy from a power source to tissue. One or more electrodes are disposed on the antenna assembly and are configured to be positioned relative to tissue upon insertion of the antenna assembly into tissue. The one or more electrodes are configured to generate a feedback signal in response to an electrical signal supplied thereto from the power source. The feedback signal corresponds to the proximity of tissue relative to the at least one electrode and is configured to be compared to a predetermined parameter to determine a depth of the insertion of the antenna assembly into tissue. The power source is configured to control the delivery of microwave energy to the antenna assembly based on the comparison.
US08974449B2
An electrosurgical ablation system includes an energy source adapted to supply energy to an energy delivery device. The energy delivery device includes a handle assembly configured to couple a pair of antennas extending from a distal end thereof to the energy source for application of energy to tissue. A power splitting device is operatively associated with the handle assembly and has an input adapted to connect to the energy source and a pair of output channels operably coupled to the respective pair of antennas. A phase shifter is operatively associated with the handle assembly and is operably coupled to the pair of output channels. The phase shifter is configured to selectively shift a phase relationship between the pair of output channels.
US08974438B2
Packaging including a coiled and optionally prelubricated catheter, its distal end insertable into the urethra, a slidable hygienic sheath, a proximal catheter end for voiding urine from the distal end through the assembly to the proximal end. Mutually rotatable elements providing for withdrawal of the catheter from its coiled state to an extended state, and retraction of the catheter back to its coiled state. Methods of extending the catheter, inserting it into the urethra, and voiding urine through the catheter, without requiring complete removal from the catheter packaging. A kit including automatic extrusion of the catheter's distal end upon package opening, and a water pouch for hydrophilic lubrication, and sanitary wipes for reducing the likelihood of infection. A catheter within a flexible and optionally coiled tube, a slidable hygienic sheath covering a catheter's distal end that can move along the length of the catheter during insertion.
US08974433B2
In certain embodiments, a vial adaptor for removing liquid contents from a vial comprises a piercing member and a bag. The bag can be contained within the piercing member such that the bag is introduced to the vial when the vial adaptor is coupled with the vial. In some embodiments, the bag expands within the vial as liquid is removed from the vial via the adaptor, thereby regulating pressure within the vial. In other embodiments, a vial comprises a bag for regulating pressure within the vial as liquid is removed therefrom. In some embodiments, a vial adaptor is coupled with the vial in order to remove the liquid. In some embodiments, as the liquid is removed from the vial via the adaptor, the bag expands within the vial, and in other embodiments, the bag contracts within the vial.
US08974420B2
A hemostasis valve for a vascular introducer includes a valve body having a seal region with opposed substantially planar proximal and distal end surfaces and a central axis extending through the seal region perpendicular to the proximal and distal end surfaces. The seal region has a first grouping of circumferentially arranged and equidistantly spaced linear cuts extending radially outward from the central axis, and through the seal region from the proximal end surface to the distal end surface. The seal region has a second grouping of circumferentially arranged and equidistantly spaced linear cuts in the distal end surface extending tangentially outward from the first grouping of linear cuts, and partially from the distal end surface to a depth short of the proximal end surface to facilitate passage of a variety of sizes of medical devices through the seal region.
US08974416B2
A disposable cassette intended for a metering pump for infusion consisting of just two components, namely, a hollow first component (1) forming a pump body, and a second component (5) collaborating with the hollow first component (1) to form a pumping zone (6) and comprising a flexible part (10) characterized in that the second component (5) further comprises a rigid part (9) secured to the flexible part (10) and able to be assembled with the hollow first component (1). The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a disposable cassette.
US08974413B2
The present invention relates to an administration instrument for medical use that can perform injection of a drug solution with stability and with great reliability. For example, at the administration, it is possible to prevent a force that presses the injection button from acting in a direction of inserting the needle that is inserted into the skin deeper, and enables the administration under a stable state where the needle does not wobble, thereby alleviating physical and mental pain of the administration patient.With a structure in which an injection button (3) is pressed at an angle that is not parallel to the needle with respect to a direction in which the needle (4) is inserted into the skin, it is possible to prevent the force of pressing the injection button from being transmitted in a direction of inserting the needle into the skin deeper than the initial insertion of the needle, thereby achieving an administration under a stable state.
US08974410B2
Fluid communication devices and supporting structures may be provided for use with intraosseous devices. Apparatus and methods may also be provided to communicate fluids with an intraosseous device.
US08974405B2
A dialysis fluid cassette that includes a rigid body and a flexible backing covering a recessed portion of the rigid body to at least partially form a gas release chamber.
US08974399B2
There is provided a device for sampling bodily fluids. Some embodiments have a handle, a lumen, and a diverter valve. The distal end of the handle is adapted to connect with a sampling device and is in fluid communication with the lumen. There is a vacuum connection on the proximal end of the handle that is also in fluid communication with the lumen. A suction valve may desirably be located in the lumen to control the application of vacuum from the vacuum connection to the sampling device. The diverter valve directs the flow through the lumen such that a sample from the patient goes into a sputum trap when the trap is connected. The device may further have a saline port in fluid communication with the lumen, located distal to the suction valve, for rinsing the tube and diluting secretions.
US08974386B2
An analyte monitor includes a sensor, a sensor control unit, and a display unit. The sensor has, for example, a substrate, a recessed channel formed in the substrate, and conductive material disposed in the recessed channel to form a working electrode. The sensor control unit typically has a housing adapted for placement on skin and is adapted to receive a portion of an electrochemical sensor. The sensor control unit also includes two or more conductive contacts disposed on the housing and configured for coupling to two or more contact pads on the sensor. A transmitter is disposed in the housing and coupled to the plurality of conductive contacts for transmitting data obtained using the sensor. The display unit has a receiver for receiving data transmitted by the transmitter of the sensor control unit and a display coupled to the receiver for displaying an indication of a level of an analyte. The analyte monitor may also be part of a drug delivery system to alter the level of the analyte based on the data obtained using the sensor.
US08974383B2
A patient monitor comprising a display means and a parameter connection unit, the parameter connection unit comprising parameter connectors for connecting cables from a patient to the patient monitor. The parameter connection unit is turnably pivoted to the display means.
US08974381B1
An anterior cervical retractor comprises a first medial-lateral retractor body having a base arm and a moving arm and a pair of retractor blades. The retractor blades may be side loading or top loading. The cervical retractor comprises a second cranial-caudal retractor body having a pair of moving arms and a pair of retractor blades. The retractor blades may have an adjustable angulation. The retractor blades may also be fixed to the spine and provide distraction upon operation of the second retractor body. The blades of the first retractor body and/or the second retractor body may be coupled to light elements that illuminate the operative corridor between the blades.
US08974376B2
An introducing device system includes: an insertion portion; a bending portion which is provided at the insertion portion; an operation portion through which an input operation is performed for bending the bending portion; a pulling member connected to the bending portion and pulled in accordance with the operation through the operation portion; a detection section that detects a moving state of the pulling member; a driving unit that rotationally drives; a driving force transmitting unit including an inner circumferential surface configured to be able to contact an outer circumferential surface of the driving unit, and an outer circumference on which the pulling member is wound, the driving force transmitting unit being reduced in diameter in accordance with pulling of the pulling member; and a driving unit control section controls the driving unit when the moving state detected by the detection section is different from a state determined in advance.
US08974373B2
The position of an antenna incorporated in a capsule-type endoscope 3 that moves in a body is estimated using a plurality of antennae, and where the distance dij between two positions Pti and P(t−1)j estimated at adjacent times falls within a predetermined value, pieces of information for these positions are related to each other and stored in a memory as connection information. Subsequently, processing for searching for a route from the connection information stored in the memory and calculating a track is performed.
US08974370B2
A surgical method of treating erectile dysfunction includes implanting a penile prosthetic in a patient. The penile prosthetic includes an inflatable portion implantable into a penis that is attachable to a liquid reservoir, a pump, and a deflation assembly. The method includes implanting the deflation assembly in contact with an exterior surface of a pelvis of the patient, and positioning an activation surface of the deflation assembly away from the exterior surface of the pelvis. The method thus allows the patient to palpate the activation surface through skin.
US08974369B2
One feature pertains to a pelvic harness comprising a tab having a first surface that is adapted to secure to at least a portion of a superior pubic skin region, and a saddle having a first surface adapted to secure to at least a portion of a perineal-anal region. The tab may be positioned at a first end of the pelvic harness, and the saddle may be positioned at a second, opposite end of the pelvic harness. The pelvic harness may further comprise a frame having a first end and a second end, where the frame's first end is coupled to the tab and the second end is coupled to the saddle. A portion of the frame may form an opening positioned in between the tab and the saddle. The frame may include a rail portion that includes at least two rails that define the opening.
US08974368B2
A delivery system is provided that is adapted to treat various urological pelvic disorders, such as prolapse, incontinence, and the like. The delivery system can include at least one biologic loaded or otherwise provided with a bioactive agent. The biologic can comprise any drugs, hormones or steroids, stem cells, growth factors, proteins, and/or other bioactive agents to promote cell or tissue growth for the treatment and strengthening of organ walls or tissue. The biologic is generally adapted to controllably release the agent to the surrounding tissue or organ to provide a local and targeted delivery.
US08974366B1
A bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly is provided. The assembly includes an acoustic energy transmitter and an acoustic energy receiver. The acoustic energy receiver also functions as an energy converter for converting acoustic energy to electrical energy. An electrical energy storage device is connected to the energy converter, and is contained within a bio-compatible implant for implantation into tissue. The acoustic energy transmitter is separate from the implant, and comprises a substantially 2-dimensional array of transmitters. The acoustic energy converter may also provide conditioned power directly to a load, connected to said energy converter.
US08974354B1
Landmine apparatuses include a mounting base and a receptacle for receiving a weight bar. The receptacle is coupled to the mounting base and rotatable about a horizontal axis and in 360 degrees about a vertical axis. A vertical pivot connects the receptacle to the mounting base such that the receptacle is retained in a single horizontal plane while rotating about the vertical axis.
US08974345B2
A method of performing a double swap kickdown shift in a transmission having a main box and a compounder. The compounder is shifted during the hold speed phase of the downshift. The target ratio for the downshift is overshot by an overshoot RPM.
US08974343B2
An automatic transmission planetary gear train for a vehicle may include a first shaft receiving a torque of an engine, a second shaft disposed substantially in parallel with the first shaft, a first planetary gear set disposed on the first shaft and including a first sun gear, a first planet carrier, and a first ring gear as rotation elements, a second planetary gear set disposed on the second shaft and including a second sun gear, a second planet carrier, and a second ring gear as rotation elements, a third planetary gear set disposed on the second shaft and including a third sun gear, a third planet carrier, and a third ring gear as rotation elements, three transfer gears forming the externally-meshed gears, and frictional elements selectively interconnecting the rotation elements of the first, second, and third planetary gear sets or selectively connecting a rotation element to a transmission housing.
US08974342B2
An axle assembly having a housing, a reservoir module, and an axle. The reservoir module may be configured to receive a lubricant and may be disposed in an arm portion of the housing. The axle may be disposed in the arm portion such that the axle extends through and is spaced apart from a tube portion of the reservoir module.
US08974332B2
The present invention provides methods and systems for an adjustment device for allowing the expeditious adjustment of drive belts that includes a frame having at least one channel, a tab extending substantially perpendicularly from the longitudinal axis of the frame, and a boss rotationally disposed on the frame. A support member is disposed adjacent the frame and includes a bore for receiving an adjustment member having a first end and a second end, and the second end of the adjustment member is disposed in close proximity to the tab of the frame.
US08974329B2
A method of making a game ball having a carcass comprising a foamed intermediate layer and a plurality of raised seams made from an outer layer is disclosed. The foamed intermediate layer may be formed from two sheets of foamed material. The sheets are shaped to have leaves that can be folded into the shape of a hemisphere with no gaps between adjacent leaves. The sheets are placed around a bladder, an outer layer is placed around the sheets, and the combination is heat molded. The seams are not made from strips of seam material placed on the outer layer of the carcass.
US08974328B1
A tunable broadhead for archery is disclosed. The broadhead may be formed from a blade assembly that is secured in place by a tip having an elongated engaging shaft that extends through the blade assembly and is attachable to a support base. The support base is in turn attachable to an arrow. The blade assembly may be rotated into any position before the tip is tightened such that the blade assembly is placed under compression between the tip and the support base. Once the tip has been tightened, the blade assembly does not rotate. Such a configuration enables the blades of the broadhead to be indexed relative to the fletching on the arrow and enables the blades to be oriented consistently between multiple arrows in an archer's quiver, thereby enhancing accuracy regardless of the position of the insert within the end of an arrow to which the broadhead is attached.
US08974326B2
A hunting arrow for tracking target animals is disclosed and described. The arrow can include a chamber. The arrow may also include a transmitter housing that is installable into the chamber. A pair of bores extending through the transmitter housing and chamber may be configured and adapted for receiving a pair of shear pins. The shear pins may secure the housing in the chamber. The transmitter housing may comprise an animal engagement member, such as a hook. The transmitter housing is ejected from the chamber when the arrow strikes a target animal and the hook stops the forward momentum of the transmitter housing with sufficient force to shear the shear pins, thereby ejecting and embedding the transmitter housing in the hide of the animal. The transmitter within the housing may broadcast the location of the animal to the hunter to enable easy tracking of the animal, if wounded.
US08974320B2
The invention provides a golf ball with a surface having a plurality of dimples formed thereon. Some or all of the dimples on the ball surface have a cross-sectional shape in which, letting a straight line passing through any one edge of the dimple and a foot of a perpendicular (pedal) dropped from an imaginary plane defined by a peripheral edge of the dimple to a deepest point of the dimple serve as a reference line, and establishing a plurality of specific regions on the reference line from the dimple edge as 0% to the pedal as 100%, the average depths of the dimple from the reference line in the respective established regions satisfy specific conditions. By reducing the air resistance during flight and thus enhancing the aerodynamic performance, this golf ball achieves a higher trajectory, enabling the ball to travel further.
US08974318B1
A golf ball comprising a core composed of a fully neutralized polymer material is disclosed herein. The golf ball also preferably has multiple mantle layers and a cover.
US08974317B1
The present invention discloses an iron-type golf club head formed from multiple materials that increase torsional stiffness of the club and aid in sound performance. In particular, the iron-type golf club head includes a rear flange and a composite component bonded to an external surface of the rear flange. The composite component may cover an entire surface of the rear flange, and may also extend upwards to make contact with a top portion of the club head and thus close off a rear cavity of the club head. The iron-type golf club head may further comprise a face support structure extending from the rear flange, to which the face plate may be affixed via welding or brazing.
US08974308B2
A method and system is provided to tie role-driven gaming purchases to executable transactions during a game so that on-line or related gaming systems create economic value inside the game itself. Players may control characters within a game which uses money to exchange goods or services to reach a goal, accomplish a task, or succeed in an event. The invention also provides for a participant to enter a game as a service provider to other players wherein the player receives compensation for the service. The service may be to provide aid in the form of a character or to provide educational services, for example. Accounts may be created to accumulate winnings or earnings as games are played.
US08974301B2
Based on posture/motion information obtained from predetermined detection means for detecting a posture or a motion of an input device operated by a user, power value data, which is a parameter representing the power to be given to an object is calculated. In addition, a braking power applied to the input device is calculated based on the posture/motion information. Then, the object is moved based on the power value data and the braking value data.
US08974295B2
An intelligent game system and apparatus comprises one or more sensors, a controller, a projector, one or more game pieces and one or more foldable three-dimensional terrain pieces. The game board and terrain pieces comprise one or more sensors each having an identifier for sensing when a game piece or terrain piece is located on the game board and/or terrain piece. The sensors obtain object information from the game pieces and/or terrain pieces and transfer the object information to a controller. The sensors of the terrain pieces transfer the object information to the sensor of the terrain piece below them until the bottom terrain piece transfer the object information to a game board sensor. The controller is thereby able to track properties of the game and/or terrain pieces, such as position, and adjust the gameplay accordingly.
US08974281B2
The present disclosure provides a gaming machine including an elimination game. The elimination game may be played on a stand-alone gaming machine or on a group of linked gaming machines. The elimination game is played by plurality of entities, each comprising one or more virtual players or real players. During the elimination game, the entities play one or more games that are provided as part of the elimination game. For example, video slot or poker games may be used for the game play in the elimination game. One or more elimination tests are applied to the entities using results from the game play. When conditions used in the elimination tests are met for one of the entities, that entity is removed from the elimination game before reaching the finish of the elimination game. The last remaining entity that avoids elimination and reaches the finish of the elimination receives an award.
US08974280B2
A gaming display apparatus includes a primary rotating device and a secondary rotating device. The gaming display apparatus also includes a rotary drive mechanism attached to the primary rotating device. A Geneva wheel mechanism is attached to the secondary rotating device. The rotary drive mechanism includes a pin for engaging the Geneva wheel mechanism. The pin and the Geneva wheel mechanism drive the secondary rotating device. A method for display of a game includes driving a primary rotating device with a drive mechanism, attaching at least one Geneva wheel to a secondary rotating device, and driving the secondary rotating device using a pin on the drive mechanism.
US08974277B2
Embodiments for a system and method for establishing a plurality of MMA fantasy leagues to a plurality of participants utilizing an automated web-based platform are disclosed. In each embodiment, participants register into the web-based platform in order to create or join a fantasy league organized to play an MMA fantasy fighter game in accordance with game rules, including scoring metrics based on the outcomes of real-world MMA fight events; holding period, transactional (add/drop), or fight quantity restrictions; a predefined course of time; and a predefined method of victory. Participants can draft fighters from real-world MMA fighters to create fantasy teams. Depending on embodiment, league winners may be determined by total points scored throughout the season or just during a final playoff period.
US08974275B2
A passive ventilation stack for a room, building or the like comprises an interior space and first and second openings providing fluid communication between the interior space and a room to be ventilated, and the outside atmosphere. A control system is provided for varying the size of the openings, so as to cause natural heat exchange between relatively cool ventilation air entering the stack from outside and relatively warm air entering the stack from a room or building to be ventilated.
US08974273B2
The invention relates to an air nozzle for conducting an air flow from an air feed shaft or an air feed duct in a heating, a ventilating or an air-conditioning installation, particularly for passenger compartments in motor vehicles, consisting of a hollow-cylindrical housing with a front air outflow opening and a rear air inflow opening as well as an insert, which is mounted in the housing and by which the direction and/or the intensity of the of the air flow issuing from the air nozzle is or are variable. For improved mounting and easier assembly the insert has an outer surface which is spherical at least in sections and is supported at the inner surface of the housing by way of at least two bearing points of matching contour, wherein a spring element is associated with at least one bearing point.
US08974270B2
CMP pad dressers having leveled tips and associated methods are provided. In one aspect, for example, a CMP pad dresser can include a matrix layer and a monolayer of a plurality of superabrasive particles embedded in the matrix layer, where each superabrasive particle in the monolayer protrudes from the matrix layer. The difference in the protrusion distance between the highest protruding tip and the next highest protruding tip of the monolayer of superabrasive particles is less than or equal to about 20 microns, and the difference in protrusion distance between the highest 1% of the protruding tips of the monolayer of superabrasive particles are within about 80 microns or less.
US08974269B2
The present invention discloses a method for surface-treating a mirror-finish stainless steel workpiece, which comprises steps: dividing the surface of a mirror-finish stainless steel workpiece into different grinding areas according to the depths of the scratches; selecting sand papers respectively having appropriate grit sizes for the grinding areas, and grinding the grinding areas to remove all the scratches; sequentially using three combinations of polishing agents and grinding materials to undertake polishing; and using an abrasive paste and a fourth grinding material to perform mirror-finishing.
US08974267B2
An insert carrier is configured to receive at least one semiconductor wafer for double-side processing of the wafer between two working disks of a lapping, grinding or polishing process. The insert carrier includes a core of a first material that has a first surface and a second surface, and at least one opening configured to receive a semiconductor wafer. A coating at least partially covers the first and second surfaces of the core. The coating includes a surface remote from the core that includes a structuring including elevations and depressions. A correlation length of the elevations and depressions is in a range of 0.5 mm to 25 mm and an aspect ratio of the structuring is in a range of 0.0004 to 0.4.
US08974266B2
A novelty system having an internally illuminated amorphous putty that both stretches and bounces. An illumination module is provided that contains a battery and at least one light source that produces light when powered. A volume of putty material is provided in an amount sufficient enough to completely envelop the illumination module. The putty material is translucent so that the light from the light source can be seen through the putty material when the illumination module is enveloped within the putty material. The translucent putty material is created by reacting silicon polymers with boric acid and stearic acid. The reacted polymers are mixed with calcium carbonate, a whitener, and a colorant to obtain a color tinted level of translucency. The illumination module is activated by changes in acceleration caused by impact.
US08974265B2
A self-righting mechanism for a toy vehicle includes a base configured to be coupled to the vehicle; an actuator rotatably coupled to the base and extending generally toward a top of the vehicle, the actuator comprising a housing and an actuating rod, wherein the actuator has an inactivated position in which the actuating rod extends a first distance from the housing and an activated position in which the actuating rod extends a second distance from the housing greater than the first distance; an arm rotatably coupled to the base and rotatably coupled to the actuator; and a cartridge containing a pressurized gas coupled to the actuator, wherein the actuator is configured to be moved from the unactivated position and the activated position by the pressurized gas and wherein when the actuator is in the activated state, the arm protrudes from the vehicle.
US08974260B1
A cutter assembly includes cutting blades spaced equidistant around a motor housing cover. The blades' cutting edges are orthogonal to a plane rotated around a housing centerline axis. Each cutting blade is ninety degrees from its adjacent cutting blades with respect to the housing centerline axis, and forty-five degrees from an axis orthogonal to the housing centerline. An embodiment includes a hinged cylindrical cover blade base locking around the housing for existing motor housings. Each cutting blade provides a forward oriented surface having a convex portion, an aft oriented surface having a convex portion, and a tip end. An embodiment provides a cutting blade tip end angle with respect to a housing centerline axis equal to the motor propeller blade pitch with respect to the same axis.
US08974244B2
A harness-side connector (30) to be connected to a board connector (10) whose metal fixtures (20) are fixed to the upper surface of a board (P) by soldering include a female housing (31) connected to an end of a wiring harness and fittable into a receptacle (12) of the board connector (10) and a holder (50) formed separately from the female housing (31). The holder (50) includes lock arms (57A, 57B) which are resiliently engaged with the female housing (31) to lock the holder (5) in a state mounted on the female housing (31) and a locking portion (61) which is engaged with the lower surface of the board (P) when the female housing (31) is fitted into the receptacle (12) of the board connector (10) after the holder (50) is mounted on the female housing (31).
US08974234B2
In a rotary connector where a moving body turning with the rotation and revolution of a planetary gear and a flat cable including an inverted portion at a middle portion thereof are received in an annular space defined between an outer cylindrical body of a stationary-side housing and an inner cylindrical body of a movable-side housing, regulating walls, which extend in a circumferential direction with an opening interposed therebetween, are erected on a moving body formed of a resin molded product and the inverted portion passes through the opening so that the movement of the flat cable in a radial direction is regulated. Further, a plurality of protrusions, which protrude toward the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical body, are repeatedly formed in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surfaces of the regulating walls.
US08974233B2
In a rotary connector where a moving body turning with the rotation and revolution of planetary gears and flat cables including inverted portions at middle portions thereof are received in a receiving space between outer and inner cylindrical bodies, a bottom plate of a stationary-side housing is provided with an annular protrusion that comes into contact with lower surfaces of the planetary gears and a hollow portion that is positioned outside the annular protrusion in a radial direction, and the hollow portion is positioned directly below in a vertical direction when the stationary-side housing is mounted on an installation portion of a vehicle. Accordingly, a foreign matter entering the receiving space falls down onto the bottom plate and is accumulated in the hollow portion. Therefore, the hindrance to the rotation of the planetary gears, when the planetary gears catch a foreign matter, can be prevented.
US08974221B2
In one aspect of the present teachings, a molding machine includes an injection device and a mold. The injection device can inject molten resin. The mold is directly supported by the injection device and defines a cavity for receiving the molten resin injected by the injection device.
US08974220B2
There is provided a molding stack assembly (202) for producing a molded article (214), the molded article (214) including a neck finish (218) which includes a support ledge (222), the molded article (214) suitable for subsequent blow-molding into a final shaped container. The molding stack assembly (202) comprises a core insert (204), a lock ring (206), a split mold insert (208), a cavity flange (209) and a cavity insert (210) for jointly defining, in use, a molding cavity (212) for forming the molded article (214), the split mold insert (208) and the cavity flange (209) defining a split line (226) therebetween, the split line (226) being defined substantially along a portion of the support ledge (222); a biasing member (230) disposed, in use, between the cavity flange (209) and the cavity insert (210), the biasing member (230) being configured to: (a) under applied clamp force, to allow the cavity flange (209) to abut the cavity insert (210); and (b) during initial stages of the mold operation to bias the cavity flange (209) away from the cavity insert (210).
US08974218B2
A mold for manufacturing hemispherical sections for a golf ball includes a mold plate and a movable insert. The mold plate includes a first surface. The movable insert includes a second surface. The movable insert is connected to the mold plate. The first surface of the mold plate and the second surface of the movable insert may move relative to one another during molding of a hemispherical section for a golf ball.
US08974216B2
A solution for texturing silicon wafers configured to constitute photovoltaic (PV) cells. Silicon wafers can be produced, the surface of which include uniformly engraved patterns having a depth of between 5 and 50 μm.
US08974204B2
In a scroll compressor, a sealing portion of a discharge cover placed between a suction spacer and a discharge space is formed to be spaced apart in an axial direction from a fixed scroll, whereby the discharge cover is in contact with a fixture in an axial direction only on a single circumference, facilitating fabrication and assembling of the discharge cover. Also, after assembly, when the discharge cover is pressurized toward the fixed scroll by a discharge pressure of a refrigerant discharged to the discharge space, the discharge cover does not transfer pressurization force to the fixed scroll, thus reducing a frictional loss between the fixed scroll and an orbiting scroll.
US08974203B2
A pump having an endplate with an orifice provided between the system ports and the charge pump pressure cavity. Fluid flows through the orifice so as to soften a transition of the vehicle from a stationary position to a forward or reverse motion when a swash plate of the pump is angled slightly relative to a neutral or zero position.
US08974192B2
An apparatus utilizing wave energy to capture ocean water and send it to shore for hydroelectricity, hydrodynamic energy conversion or desalination. The submerged device is located offshore and is preferably oriented orthogonal to the shoreline or the incoming water surges. Responding to underwater wave surges, a deformable bladder filled with sea water is compressed and the seawater contained therein is expelled and sent to shore. A one-way valve responds to the differential in water pressure inside the empty bladder as compared to outside the bladder and permits seawater to enter and refill the bladder. The bladder may have any of several forms including that of a bellows. The present invention discusses several ways by which the bladder may be compressed and several ways by which it can sense and respond to underwater wave surges.
US08974189B2
A blade (1) for a tail anti-torque device of a helicopter, said device comprising a ducted rotor (13). The blade (1) has an assembly of sections, a leading edge (2) and a trailing edge (3); a stacking line (4) of the profiles extending at a distance lying in the range 25% to 50% of the chord (C). The stacking line (4) presents a shape that is curved having successively from the root (5) to the end (6) of the blade a back sweep, a forward sweep, and a last back sweep; and a chord (C) that becomes larger going towards the end (6) of the blade (1) over at least the end profile (1a).
US08974162B2
An anchor bolt for an expansion anchor, and a method of producing the anchor bolt, is disclosed. The anchor bolt has an expansion body which is arranged coaxially with respect to an axis, where a circumferential surface of the expansion body has ribs and grooves in an alternating manner in a circumferential direction. Top surfaces of the ribs diverge from the axis in a direction along the axis. Bottom surfaces of the grooves converge in the direction of the axis.
US08974156B2
A cutting insert with a substantially triangular or square basic form is particularly suited for face milling at high feed rates. It has convex cutting edges, which are each made up of a circular arc and at least one straight portion. Each cutting edge has, adjoining a cutting corner, a straight face cutting edge that merges with a main cutting edge, having 1 to 3 straight portions, a circular portion with a radius of at most 80% of the radius Ri of the inscribed circle. The cutting edges have an all-round cutting edge chamfer with a chamfer angle α. This chamfer angle α has along the cutting corners a value in the range from −10° to −20° and changes continuously along sub-portions of the face cutting edge and main cutting edge and along the circular portion to a constant value in the range from 0° to −10°.
US08974150B2
The disclosure describes, in part, apparatuses and methods for installing structures (e.g., foundations, footings, anchors, abutments, etc.) at work sites, such as difficult-access work sites. In some instances, a rotating drill assembly is assembled over a target location in order to excavate a radial array of batter-angled shafts associated with the target location in preparation for the installation of a radial array of micropiles. An operator utilizes the rotating drill in combination with a foundation pile schedule/decision matrix to design and install the radial array of batter-angled micropiles. This disclosure also describes techniques for designing, fabricating and installing structural caps to be coupled to the installed radial array batter angled micropiles. These structural caps are lightweight and, thus, more portable to difficult-access sites where they are coupled to the micropiles forming a foundation for structure to be installed at the difficult-access site.
US08974140B2
A rotational assembly comprises a first shaft having a plurality of circumferentially arranged axially extending outer splines on an outer surface thereof and a second shaft having a plurality of circumferentially arranged axially extending inner splines on an inner surface of an axially extending shaft recess. The first shaft is located with the shaft recess such that the outer splines are engaged with the inner splines. At least one biasing element is also provided which is arranged to rotationally bias the first and second shafts towards one another such that the driving faces of the inner and outer splines are forced together.
US08974138B2
A fast disassembly fastening apparatus mounted onto a bracing post includes a mounting seat, a press portion, a latch portion and an elastic portion. The mounting seat has a housing compartment with an aperture run through by the bracing post. The latch portion is hinged in the housing compartment and has a fixed position intruding into the aperture and a release position escaping from the aperture. The elastic portion is compressed to push the latch portion to the fixed position. The press portion is inserted into the housing compartment to contact the latch portion and push the latch portion to the release position. By pressing the press portion, the bracing post runs through the aperture. After the press portion is released, the elastic portion pushes the latch portion to latch the bracing post so that the mounting seat is held on the bracing post to fix a musical instrument.
US08974130B2
A lens barrel includes a lens mount, a fixed frame, and a movable frame. The lens mount includes an attachment part to which the fixed frame is attached, and a recessed part which is adjacent to the attachment part and is recessed toward the camera body, and into which an end part of the movable frame enters at least when the movable frame is positioned closest to the lens mount. Part of the attachment part close to the camera body has a tapered surface inclined relative to the optical axis. A counterbore in which a screw for attaching the fixed frame to the attachment part is disposed is formed at the tapered surface. Due to the tapered surface, part of the lens mount where the attachment part is formed has a thickness greater than that of another part of the lens mount where the recessed part is formed.
US08974129B2
There is provided a barrier device including a main barrier blade and a sub barrier blade. In the operation range of the main barrier blade and the sub barrier blade, a portion of the contacting surface provided on the sub barrier blade that contacts on the main barrier blade is located within the operation range of the contacting surface provided on the main barrier blade that contacts on the sub barrier blade.
US08974126B2
Connector systems that carry electrical signals and optical signals in a single connector are provided. A male electro-optical connector can have an electrical insert portion that fits into a receptacle of a female electro-optical connector to provide a structural connection. The optical interface can be advantageously near a front of the connectors for easy maintenance. Optical connectors with a relatively large diameter for the optical interface are also provided. Optical connectors can include a collector for receiving optical signals at a large opening and providing signals to a photodiode at a small opening of the collector. Such optical connectors with a large diameter for an optical interface can advantageously provide reduced alignment tolerances. Adapters, cable adapters, docking stations, and other apparatus can also be provided.
US08974117B2
In one example, a pulse width modulation output temperature sensor device includes a linearization module, an analog-to-digital converter module operatively connected to the linearization module, and a digital magnitude comparator module operatively connected to the analog-to-digital converter module. A binary counter module is also operatively connected to the digital magnitude comparator module. The pulse width modulation output temperature sensor device thereby generates a digital pulse width modulation output based on a temperature sensor reading.
US08974115B2
In one or more implementations, a temperature measuring system is provided, including a temperature sensing probe having (a) a thermistor operatively connected to a first conductor and (b) a resistor operatively connected to a second conductor, and a temperature determination application stored in a memory of a computing device operatively connected to the temperature sensing probe. When executed by a processor of the computing device, the temperature determination application configures the computing device to: transmit a first instance of a signal to the first conductor, receive a temperature signal from the thermistor, the temperature signal corresponding to the first instance of the signal as output from the thermistor, transmit a second instance of the signal to the second conductor, receive a reference signal from the resistor, the reference signal corresponding to the second instance of the signal as output from the resistor, process the temperature signal and the reference signal to determine a relationship between the temperature signal and the reference signal, and compute a temperature based on the relationship.
US08974106B2
The present invention provides a side-edge backlight module, which includes a backplane, a backlight source arranged inside the backplane, and a light guide plate arranged inside the backplane. The backplane includes a main body and a bracket connected to the main body. The main body is made of a plastic material and the bracket is made of a metal material. The backlight source is mounted to the bracket. The side-edge backlight module of the present invention adopts a backplane that is composed of a plastic main body and a metal bracket and this helps making the side-edge backlight module light-weighted provides multiple choices of the raw materials. Further, the main body directly forms a reflection surface by which the use of an additional reflector plate is eliminated, so that the installation of a light guide plate is made easy and the manufacture cost is further reduced.
US08974105B2
A planar ion-exchanged glass sheet for out-of-plane light beam coupling includes a first surface, a ion-exchanged first glass region adjacent and parallel to the first surface, a core glass region adjacent and parallel to the first glass region, a ion-exchanged second glass region adjacent and parallel to the core glass region, and a second surface adjacent and parallel to the second glass region. One edge of the glass sheet has an angled end face that is inclined to the plane extends across a thickness of at least one of the glass regions. Methods of making the planar ion-exchanged glass sheet, coupling an out-of-plane light beam into a plane using the planar ion-exchanged glass sheet, and scattering the coupled light to illuminate at least select regions of an exposed surface of the glass sheet are also disclosed.
US08974104B2
A backlight module includes a light guide plate, at least one light source, and a light-reflecting plate. The light guide plate includes a light-emitting surface, a bottom surface, a light-incident surface, and a guiding tilt surface. One end of guiding tilt surface and light-emitting surface are intersected at a first boundary, and the other end connects to a top edge of light-incident surface. The guiding tilt surface extends toward a direction of protruding the light-emitting surface. The horizontal distance between the first boundary and light-incident surface is L. The light-reflecting plate is disposed under the bottom surface. When the horizontal distance d between light-incident surface and an end of light-reflecting plate near light-incident surface is less than L, the horizontal distance between a vertical projection of the end on light-emitting surface and first boundary is not more than 0.5 mm. When d is more than L, x is at least 0.5 mm.
US08974096B2
There is provided an inclination sensor device. The inclination sensor device includes: a substrate which mounts an inclination sensor configured to calculate an inclination angle of a vehicle; a case which accommodates the substrate; a first positioning mechanism which positions the substrate relative to the case in a first direction that is substantially parallel to a first main surface of the substrate; and a second positioning mechanism which positions the substrate relative to the case in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first main surface of the substrate.
US08974092B2
A lamp comprises a housing, an inner shell, a fan, a heat sink and a lighting module. The housing has a first compartment and a first opening on an end thereof. The inner shell is adapted to be received in the first compartment and has a second compartment and a second opening on an end thereof, wherein the second opening is aligned with the first opening. An air channel is formed between the housing and the inner shell in the first compartment. The inner shell further comprises a through-hole allowing the first compartment to communicate with the second compartment. The fan is located adjacent to the through-hole and has two air-flowing sides for drawing air in and out of the lamp. The heat sink has a bottom plate with one face facing the fan. The lighting module is adapted to be coupled to another face of the bottom plate.
US08974088B2
A light-emitting apparatus which is capable of, even when an environmental temperature changes, stably reducing collision noise, vibration noise, and so on generated when the light-emitting apparatus moves from a retracted position to a light-emitting position. A movable portion has a first stopper portion coming into abutment with a first elastic member when the movable portion moves from the retracted position to the light-emitting position, and a second stopper portion coming into abutment with a second elastic member with a higher elastic coefficient than the first elastic member when the movable portion moves from the retracted position to the light-emitting position. When the movable portion moves from the retracted position to the light-emitting position, the first stopper portion comes into abutment with the first elastic member, deforming the first elastic member by a predetermined amount, and then the second stopper portion comes into abutment with the second elastic member.
US08974086B2
A lens used for a line generating optical system is provided, wherein X-axis is defined in longitudinal direction of the generated line, Y-axis is defined in width direction and Z-axis is defined in direction of the optical axis and wherein the lens has an optical surface which does not collimate the light in X-axis direction and which collimates or collects the light in Y-axis direction alone, inclination of direction of transferred tool mark with respect to X-axis being from 40 to 50 degrees in an area of 80% or more of the optical surface.
US08974083B2
A lighting device having a cell structure (101) of polygonal cells (105), which is a heat sink, and light sources (103) arranged to be cooled by the cell structure. The light sources are arranged in at least some of the cells, one light source in each cell. The light sources are attached to the cell structure and electrically connected with the cell structure, which in turn is arranged to provide the light sources with power.
US08974073B2
The invention provides a carpet back lighting system comprising a carpet back lighting unit having a lighting unit front face and a unit back face, wherein the lighting unit front face comprises a light source, arranged to generate light, and an anti-slip coating. The back lighting system is suitable as back lighting at a carpet unit back side of a light transmissive carpet unit selected from the group consisting a light transmissive carpet and a light transmissive carpet tile.
US08974068B1
A chemiluminescent light stick with zip tie attachment that includes an illuminable member having a first end and a second end, a connect aperture disposed upon the first end, and a zip tie disposed upon the connect aperture, wherein said chemiluminescent light stick with zip tie attachment is threadably securable to depend from an extant object and radiate light therefrom.
US08974066B2
Embodiments provided herein describe optical coatings, panels having optical coatings thereon, and methods for forming optical coatings and panels. A transparent substrate is provided. An optical coating is formed on the transparent substrate. The optical coating includes a plurality of plate-shaped silicon dioxide particles.
US08974063B2
An exhaust port shutter apparatus which is attached to an exhaust port of a projector, includes: a guide section in which a first guide groove is provided; louver boards each having a turning shaft pin, the louver boards in which each turning shaft pin is formed so as to have a length which allows the turning shaft pin to pass through the first guide groove and project to the outside of the guide section; and a cam roller that has a cam groove on a peripheral surface thereof, the cam groove into which each turning shaft pin fits, the cam roller that can reciprocate, by rotation thereof, each turning shaft pin by the cam groove along the first guide groove in a first direction, wherein the louver boards are rotated at a necessary angle as a result of the cam roller being rotated and open and close the exhaust port.
US08974053B2
Soft contact lens having regions of a material forming one or more higher modulus of elasticity zones in the peripheral region of the lenses add stiffness to the contact lenses. This increased stiffness in different zones or regions enable the contact lens to be more easily handled and make it less likely to fold in on itself.
US08974046B2
A liquid circulation unit adapted to be provided in a liquid circulation apparatus to circulate a liquid, including, a first liquid storage unit to store the liquid, a sensor to detect a fluid level of the liquid stored in the first liquid storage unit, a liquid sending pump to send the liquid to an outside from the first liquid storage unit based on a detection result of the sensor, a pipe arrangement for deaeration to remove a dissolved gas in the liquid sent from the liquid sending pump, a filter to remove an impurity in the liquid sent from the liquid sending pump, a diaphragm valve which opens when the liquid is sent to the outside from the first liquid storage unit, and a cock valve which opens when the liquid is sent to the first liquid storage unit from the outside, wherein the liquid circulation unit is adapted to be provided so as to be detachable to or from the liquid circulation apparatus.
US08974041B2
A method and droplet selection device are provided for a continuous printer for selectively deflecting a droplet from a predetermined printing trajectory. In particular, a droplet selection device is provided for a continuous printer, comprising a droplet ejection system arranged to generate a continuous stream of droplets from a first fluid jetted out of an outlet channel; and a jet system arranged to generate a second jet for colliding the jet into the stream of droplets. The jet system comprises a deflector to selectively deflect the second jet into the continuous stream of droplets, so as to selectively deflect the droplets from a predefined printing trajectory.
US08974040B2
A liquid droplet ejection head including a common liquid chamber, multiple individual liquid chambers communicating with the common liquid chamber, to which a liquid is supplied via the common liquid chamber, a nozzle plate containing multiple nozzles communicating with the multiple individual liquid chambers to eject the liquid, a filter disposed within a passageway between the common liquid chamber and the multiple individual liquid chambers to remove foreign substances from the liquid, and a through-hole provided adjacent to the filter to communicate with the multiple individual liquid chambers, and sealed by a frame member in which the common liquid chamber is formed.
US08974038B2
A liquid holding container includes an inlet port to which ink to be supplied to a printer is introduced. The liquid holding container has a first part where at least a portion is positioned to be outside the printer and a second part where at least a portion is inserted into the printer. At least a portion of the bottom section of the first part is lower than at least a portion of the bottom section of the second part.
US08974033B2
A printing control apparatus configured to execute printing using continuous sheets stored in a plurality of storage portions includes a determination unit configured to determine a continuous sheet usable by each print job in a print queue, and a decision unit configured to decide a use order of the continuous sheets stored in the plurality of storage portions based on a result of determination by the determination unit, wherein the decision unit decides the use order so that a continuous sheet with a smaller remaining amount is used preferentially.
US08974027B2
A printing apparatus prints by discharging inks from respective nozzle arrays, the printhead having a plurality of nozzle arrays including at least a first nozzle array, a second nozzle array, and a third nozzle array, and the first nozzle array and the second nozzle array being arrayed to be shifted in a nozzle arrayed direction. The printing apparatus controls the first and second nozzle arrays to discharge inks to form a plurality of first patterns. The printing apparatus controls the third nozzle array to discharge inks to form second patterns while changing a shift amount in a direction which intersects with the nozzle arrayed direction with respect to the plurality of first patterns. The printing apparatus calculates an adjustment value required to adjust relative printing positions between the first nozzle array and the third nozzle array in the intersecting direction using the first patterns and the second patterns.
US08974026B2
A control device of controlling a liquid droplet ejection head includes a head substrate; a head controller applying a drive voltage to the head substrate to control the ejection of liquid droplets; a relay substrate connecting the head substrate and the head controller; a main-body controller controlling the head controller; and a voltage conversion circuit disposed in the relay substrate. Further, the voltage conversion circuit converts a resistance value in accordance with a temperature of the head substrate into an output voltage, the relay substrate inputs the output voltage into the main-body controller, and the main-body controller detects the temperature based on the output voltage and determines the drive voltage based on the detected temperature.
US08974025B2
An ink jet recording apparatus includes a liquid-ejecting head including a pressure-generating chamber filled with a photocurable ink composition containing a polymerizable functional group-containing compound and water, a nozzle communicating with the pressure-generating chamber and ejecting a droplet of the photocurable ink composition, and a pressure-generating member causing a pressure change in the pressure-generating chamber; and an ejection pulse-generating unit generating an ejection pulse for driving the pressure-generating member.
US08974024B2
A liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge section, a charge supply source, first and second signal paths, and a connection path selection section. The connection path selection section uses the first or second signal path to electrically connect a piezoelectric element and the charge supply source. The charge supply source include a number n (where n is a plurality) of capacitive elements, and a switching section configured and arranged to switch between a series state where the n capacitive elements are electrically connected in series and a parallel state where the n capacitive elements are electrically connected in parallel. In the series state, a given first point out of connection points between the n capacitive elements is connected to the first signal path, and a second point higher than the first point out of the connection points of the n capacitive elements is connected to the second signal path.
US08974022B2
In an inkjet printer, an ejecting part for K color is previously selected as an ejecting part for outputting three values used for formation of a large dot, formation of a medium dot, and non-ejection (step S12). In the course of image recording (steps S13, S14, and S15), three values are output regarding K color, and four values used for formation of a large dot, formation of a medium dot, formation of a small dot, and non-ejection are output regarding C, M, and Y colors. Thus, even if the quality of a dot in K color is reduced at the time of outputting four values, a high-quality dot can be formed regarding K color, so that the quality of a recorded image can be improved in a case where line drawing or a character or the like is recorded.
US08974019B2
A liquid supply apparatus includes a reservoir for storing a liquid therein, a supply path for supplying the liquid from the reservoir to a liquid consuming apparatus, a pump for feeding the liquid from the reservoir to the supply path, and a controller for outputting a driving signal to the pump to control the supply of the liquid. The controller acquires a target feed volume of the liquid from the pump to gradually change a feed volume of the liquid from the pump from a current feed volume to the target feed volume, based on a request signal from the liquid consuming apparatus serving as a destination to which the liquid is supplied. This suppresses an abrupt change in pressure in the liquid consuming apparatus serving as the destination to which the liquid is supplied.
US08974016B2
A method of surface marking an article, especially a building product, is provided. One described method includes the steps of laser marking a first graphic design element on a surface of an article and ink-jet printing a second graphic design element in registry with the first graphic design element on the surface of the article to create a high quality overall graphic design. Also provided are articles made according to this method, and systems for carrying out the method.
US08974015B2
A method for creating a printed image on a rotating, three-dimensional body or bottle eccentrically on a turntable, includes providing an inkjet printing unit having inkjet nozzles along a straight line for printing at a clock rate, rotating the body about a rotation axis parallel to the line using a motor, prescribing a fundamental frequency f0(t) for activating the motor, for example based on a constant angular velocity, activating the motor with the fundamental frequency f0(t), prescribing an average or constant body radius R0, determining a radius change ΔR(t) of the body during rotation, calculating a correction value k(t) for the printing unit clock rate, where k(t)=1+ΔR(t)/R0, and activating the printing unit with a frequency f(t) for the clock rate, where f(t)=f0(t)·k(t), for example permitting printing on eccentrically rotating bottles with a constant print resolution while avoiding image imperfections.
US08974014B1
A stand for a single-cup beverage brewer incorporates a beverage cartridge storage drawer and incorporates a lever mechanism which, when actuated, simultaneously lifts a plurality of elastomeric friction pads from contacting a support surface, such as a kitchen countertop, while supporting the assembly on rollers to facilitate moving the stand and beverage brewer supported thereon. Release of the lever again brings the friction pads into contact with the countertop to function as a brake.
US08974009B2
An axle for removably retaining a wheel on a vehicle. The axle comprises a rotary-type connector at a first end thereof; a cam assembly operatively connected to the second end, the cam assembly including a cam having an axis of rotation; a lever operatively connected to a second end of the axle, said lever being rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cam, between an open position in which the axle is removable from and mountable on the vehicle and a closed position in which the axle is retained on the vehicle; and a cam assembly operatively connected to the second end; and a lever stop ensuring that an angle of maximum rotation for the lever from the closed position is less than 180 degrees.
US08974006B2
The invention relates to a self-propelled civil engineering machine, in particular a road-milling machine, a road recycler, or a road stabilizer, having a frame carried by a set of running gear, a working unit for performing work required for the civil engineering operation, and in particular a working drum, and a drive unit carried by the frame of the machine, to drive the working drum. A power transmitter is used to transmit the driving power from the drive unit to the working unit. The drive unit of the self-propelled civil engineering machine has a first and a second drive engine, the power transmitter being so designed that the driving powers coming from the first and the second drive engines can be transmitted to the working unit together. With the design of drive according to the invention, a particularly space-saving construction is obtained for the drive and this allows the power of the drive unit to be increased without having to exceed the present width for transport of the self-propelled civil engineering machine.
US08974001B2
Motor vehicle seat and method for transferring a seatback from the use position to a stowed position
The invention relates to a motor vehicle seat, in particular to a rear seat for rear rows of seats of motor vehicles. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for shifting a first and second component relative to a base part.
US08974000B2
A vehicle seat articulation mechanism comprising a first member intended to be connected to the seat part, a second member intended to be connected to the backrest, about an axis of articulation, reduction gearing arranged between an input member and the second member, a piezoelectric motor having a rotor connected to the reduction gearing to drive the rotation of the second member with respect to the first member through the reduction gearing, in which the reduction ratio of the reduction gearing is greater than or equal to 150, and in which the nominal rotational speed of the piezoelectric motor is less than 500 revolutions/min. Seat comprising such a mechanism.
US08973984B1
An openable vehicle roof is proposed, comprising a roof element, which is slidable in the vehicle longitudinal direction and extends in the roof transverse direction, and which is adjacent to a stationary vehicle portion in its closed position, as well as one guide rail respectively on both sides relative to a vertical longitudinal center plane of the roof, an actuating device for the roof element being guided in said guide rail, by means of which actuating device the roof element can be moved in the roof longitudinal direction and which actuating device includes a driven locking hook, the pivoting of which causes a vertical offset of the roof element with respect to the stationary vehicle portion between the closed position and an open position and which is engaged with a locking element in the closed position, wherein the roof element is pivotably mounted at a main slider via two support links and the roof element is displaced between the closed position and the open position by means of a coupling link, which is articulated to the locking hook.
US08973978B2
A vehicle sound absorption structure has: a recessed cell that has an opening on one end of the cell; a divider that is provided within the cell and that divides an acoustic wave entering the cell from the opening into two acoustic waves; reflectors that reflect one of the two acoustic waves divided at the divider and reflect the other acoustic wave respectively toward the opening, and that generate a phase difference between the one acoustic wave and the other acoustic wave; and an interfering portion that is provided within the cell and that causes the one acoustic wave and the other acoustic wave, which have been respectively reflected at the reflectors, to interfere with each other.
US08973968B2
A wiper module assembly (14) for a vehicle liftgate (10) having an inner panel (15) with a spoiler (11) formed as a one-piece part of the inner panel (15). An outer panel (17) of the liftgate (10) is connected to the inner panel (15) to form an exterior surface of the liftgate (10). A cavity (12) is formed in part of the spoiler (11) and receives a carrier (28) forming a removable module connected to the cavity (12) of the vehicle liftgate (10). The carrier (28) includes a wiper (24), motor (18) and drive assembly (20) for operating a wiper (24) for a window (26) on the liftgate (10).
US08973965B2
A rear-facing seat for a vehicle comprises: a seat portion connected to the vehicle by a hinge so that the rear-facing seat assumes at least a stowed position and an unstowed position; and a back portion connected to the seat portion, wherein in the unstowed position the back portion assumes at least an up position and a down position, wherein in the up position (i) a hook on the back portion engages a first striker on a vehicle wall, and (ii) a latch on the back portion engages a second striker of a back of a forward-facing seat.
US08973963B2
An ambulance cot and cot loading and unloading system for an emergency vehicle comprises a cot having a head end, a base for mounting to a deck of an emergency vehicle, a track mounted for linear movement along said base, and an arm mounted for linear movement along said track from a retracted position to an extended position. The arm is and configured to engage the cot, and wherein when the track is extended along the base and the arm is extended along the track the arm is extended from the base in an extended position and is configured for lifting the cot and providing cantilevered support to the cot while in the extended position.
US08973958B2
A mechanical gripper being adapted to automatically perform a stable pinch grasp and an encompassing grasp and a method of determining a system geometry thereof. The gripper comprising at least one mechanical finger comprising. The at least one mechanical finger comprising a first phalanx and a second phalanx that are pivotally connected. When a load is applied on a stable pinch grasp region, an actuation mechanism is adapted to allow the second phalanx to translate and allow its contact surface to maintain a constant orientation in order to automatically perform a pinch grasp, when a load is applied on the first phalanx or below the stable pinch grasp region, the actuation mechanism is adapted to allow the second phalanx to pivot and automatically perform an encompassing grasp.
US08973956B2
A latch device has a housing, a sliding body including a striking portion abutting against a striker and disposed relative to the housing, a spring member urging the sliding body in a direction such that the sliding body protrudes from the housing, and an engaging body rotatably supported relative to the sliding body and including a claw portion on the end of the engaging body. The engaging body moves between a locking position wherein the claw portion is protruded to a striking portion side and engages with the striker, and a locking release position wherein the claw portion is retracted from the striking portion side and is released from engagement with the striker.
US08973936B1
A rehabilitation device includes a wheeled platform with first and second pedals, the first and second pedals engaging drive mechanisms for first and second rear wheels of the device, respectively. First and second braking mechanisms provide independent braking of the first and second rear wheels of the device. The independent braking mechanisms of the rehabilitation device provide a method of steering the device.
US08973934B1
An elliptical propulsion system for stroller assemblies. The elliptical propulsion system has a propulsion frame assembly, a propulsion assembly, and a propulsion wheel assembly. The propulsion frame assembly is removably mounted onto a stroller assembly. Further having elliptical motion means to cause propulsion wheel assembly to rotate and propel the stroller assembly when the propulsion frame assembly, propulsion assembly, and propulsion wheel assembly are in an extended configuration.
US08973930B2
A land vehicle, according to various aspects of the present invention allows the driver to lean with a frame that supports the driver and that pivots on a base. Motion of the frame is coupled to the wheels to adjust a camber of the wheels. The wheels are coupled to the base that provides a reference for independent wheel suspension mechanisms. As a result, banking of the vehicle does not affect the suspension of the wheels. Hydraulic assistance to counteract the forces of the suspension systems is unnecessary.
US08973917B2
A Self-Service Terminal (SST) or deposit module for an SST and a method of use are disclosed for transporting an item of media along a transport path. The SST includes a guide surface comprising a first region in which an item of media is transported in a first orientation with respect to a respective direction of transport, and a further region in which an item of media is transported in a further orientation with respect to a respective direction of transport. The SST also includes a re-orientation module that transports an item of media between the first and further regions and rotates an item of media received at a one of the first and further regions into an orientation associated with a remainder one of the first and further regions.
US08973915B2
The invention relates to a sheet guide element for use in an apparatus for transporting sheets by means of a gripper system having at least two grippers spaced apart from each other and a sheet guide surface defined by the sheet guide element. Here, the sheet guide element is provided with depressions in the sheet guide surface, running parallel to the transport direction, at least in some sections, in order at least partially to accommodate the grippers, so that the sheet guide surface described by the sheet guide element in the transport direction runs, at least in some sections, at the same height as the movement path of the sheet leading edge fixed in the gripper system.
US08973910B2
A positioning apparatus includes a base plate and a deflection mechanism mounted upon the base plate. The deflection mechanism includes a stationary platform, a rocker assembly and a deflection platform. The stationary platform is mounted over the base plate for placing and positioning a workpiece. The deflection platform is tiltably mounted over the stationary platform via the rocker assembly and the height of the stationary platform itself is adjustable. The rocker assembly comprises a first rocker and a second rocker of different lengths.
US08973907B2
A buoyant force pump is disclosed. A material which is buoyant relative to a non-solid material is used to cause a movable surface to move thereby causing the non-solid material to be pumped. The device can be used to move non-solid material in hazardous conditions or materials in biological reactors. The pumps can be used for mixing ingredients external to the pump by repeatedly moving materials into and out of the pump. The pumps can also be used to gently move materials from an inlet to an outlet.
US08973906B2
The invention relates to a device for conditioning an air flow(2) comprising a humidifying apparatus (5) having humidifying elements(6), which are arranged in the air flow (2) to be humidified in the humidifying apparatus(5), can be loaded with pressurized water, and are made of a fluid-permeable, porous, preferably hydrophilic material. In order to increase the efficiency of the humidification of the air flow(2) in the humidifying apparatus (5), the humidifying elements(6) of the humidifying apparatus(5) loaded with pressurized water are designed with regard to the cross-section thereof in such a way that the peripheral surface or outer surface of the humidifying elements exposed to the air flow(2) to be humidified can be uniformly contacted by the air flow (2) to be humidified over the entire circumference of the humidifying elements.
US08973895B2
An injector for injecting a reagent includes an axially translatable valve member positioned within a housing. An electromagnet is positioned within the housing and includes a cylindrically-shaped coil of wire. The valve member moves between a seated position and an unseated position in response to energizing the electromagnet. A flux sleeve passes through the coil and includes two magnetic portions interconnected by a non-magnetic portion. Each of the magnetic portions is aligned with transverse planes defined by the ends of the cylindrical coil. The non-magnetic portion is axially positioned between the transverse planes.
US08973890B2
A fluid-operated actuating drive on a valve comprising a base unit (2) having an electro-fluidic signal converter and a fluidic controller and at least one linear actuator (4) that can be actuated using the fluidic controller, wherein the gate (11) of the linear actuator is directly or indirectly coupled to the inlet of the valve. A control unit (22) is connected to a signal input of the base unit, wherein the signal output is connected to the electro-fluidic signal converter. The actual value signal of a measurement transducer (24) associated to the valve is fed back to the control unit. A fluidic internal control circuit (27) is arranged functionally between the signal input and the at least one linear actuator, preferably downstream of the electro-fluidic signal converter.
US08973889B2
Embodiments of a clamp for compressing a flexible tube are disclosed herein. In one such embodiment, the clamp includes a first member, a second member moveably coupled to the first member to move into and out of a clamping position to apply a compressive force to the tube, a locking member to hold the first and second members in the clamping position, a third member moveably retained between a pair of sidewalls of one of the first member and the second member, and a fourth member moveably coupled to one of the first member and the second member and engageable with the third member to apply an additional compressive force to the tube.
US08973882B2
A method and apparatus include attaching a lighted cup holder to a seating arrangement. The lighted cup holder includes a cup holder body and a light-producing light source, with the cup holder body being attached to the seating arrangement and having a cup receptacle therein, the light-producing source being disposed within the cup receptacle for illuminating the receptacle. A light-sensitive element operatively connected to the light source selectively controls production of light by the light source in such a manner that illumination of the cup holder is provided only under conditions where visibility is reduced to the point that it becomes difficult to locate the cup holder. The light-sensitive element is mounted on a master lighted cup holder and controls illumination of the master lighted cup holder and one or more slave lighted cup holders operatively connected to the master lighted cup holder.
US08973868B2
An aircraft having a cooling system is disclosed. The cooling system can be used to cool a heat emitting component. In one form the cooling system is a refrigerant system and includes a relatively high temperature device such as, but not limited to, a condenser. The relatively high temperature component is placed in thermal communication with a passing air flow. In one embodiment the aircraft includes a pod in which at least a portion of the cooling system is disposed. For example, a condenser of a vapor cycle refrigerant system can be located in the pod and in thermal communication with the air flow. The cooling system can also include a device capable of delivering a cooling fluid into the air flow and/or to the relatively high temperature component. The cooling fluid can be evaporated to provided additional cooling.
US08973867B2
A fresh air inlet for an aircraft features a ram air inlet with a ram air inlet opening, a secondary air inlet opening separate from the ram air inlet and a movably mounted flap. The flap can be moved into a first or second position, and essentially covers the secondary air inlet opening in the first position and at least partially opens the secondary air inlet opening and extends away from the aircraft body in the second position to shield the ram air inlet opening from foreign matter in the air. The secondary air inlet reduces the pressure loss of the air inlet on the ground or during flight phases with relatively slow speed due to the enlarged cross-sectional surface. The ram air inlet can be optimized for cruising phases, and the energy expenditure for any downstream compressors and flow-induced noises can be considerably reduced.
US08973852B2
Disclose is a method for preparing a cathode material for a lithium secondary battery, the method comprising the steps of: preparing an amorphous silicon oxide; using the prepared silicon oxide as a starting material; and milling the amorphous silicon oxide, a lithium silicon oxide and a transition metal silicon oxide at a predetermined ratio, drying the milled material, and heat-treating the dried material in an atmosphere of inert gas, thereby preparing a lithium transition metal silicon oxide.
US08973851B2
Disclosed herein is the apparatus that produces very small or nano-sized, charged droplets and the methods for producing such charged fluid droplets. This apparatus avoids the problems known to exist with using spray nozzles having very small orifices to produce such small fluid droplets, those problems including clogging of the nozzles.
US08973846B2
A system for fastening a rail to a substrate has an anchor in the substrate, a fastener having a shank secured in the anchor and a head above the substrate, an angle guide plate vertically traversed by the shank, an annular part between the head of the fastener and the guide plate, and a spring clip engaged between the head and the part and shiftable transversely of the rail and of the shank between a preinstallation position horizontally offset from and not engaging the rail and a final installation position bearing vertically downward on the rail. A seal ring engages in both the preinstallation position and the final installation position around the shank and compressed between the part, the angle plate, and the shank so as to prevent water from traveling down the shank into the anchor.
US08973842B2
A method for producing a marketable package including an outer packaging for receiving a portable data carrier, and a portable data carrier. The data carrier possesses a viewing side and an underside and bears a secret code internally as well as identification information on the outer side. The identification information is applied to the underside of the data carrier in the form of a two-dimensional bar code, and the outer packaging is configured to be transparent on the underside so that the identification information can be read out through the outer packaging after the data carrier has been inserted into the outer packaging.
US08973838B2
A small detection plate has a chip module and an antenna module. A chip of the chip module is coupled to an antenna conductor of the antenna module via a coupling loop. The antenna conductor is an antenna loop and comprises a wire arranged in at least one winding. The antenna loop is mechanically connected to the second carrier by textile embroidering technology or by wire laying technology. Adjacent windings and the ends of the wire are insulated from one another.
US08973824B2
A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to act as a magnetic stripe read-head detector and a data transmitter. A multiple layer flexible PCB may be fabricated to include multiple magnetic emulators. An emulator may include a coil that includes magnetic, ferromagnetic, or ferromagnetic, material in the coil's interior. Coils may be associated with zones. As a read-head is detected to move from zone-to-zone, coils may be activated to transmit information in those zones.
US08973821B1
In one embodiment, an account is established for non-negotiable credits provided by an entity to one or more users. Interactions that earn a quantity of non-negotiable credits are detected. The quantity of non-negotiable credits from the interactions is added to the account. The non-negotiable credits have redemption restrictions imposed by the entity. In absence of a conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to entity independent funds, a commerce partner does not accept the non-negotiable credits for goods/services that it provides. A quantity of the non-negotiable credits is subtracted from the account. The subtracted quantity of non-negotiable credits corresponds to a quantity of entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation that converts the non-negotiable credits to a quantity of the entity independent funds in accordance with agreement terms mutually established by the commerce partner and the entity. The commerce partner is compensated by the entity.
US08973819B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for splitting a gift card. An exemplary apparatus is configured to: receive information associated with a gift card, the gift card being associated with a merchant; associate the gift card with an account; and enable selection of an option to split the gift card into a first portion (e.g., a first new gift card) and a second portion (e.g., a second new gift card).
US08973814B2
A method delivers an item to a target point. The item is a distinguishable item. A data set for the item is generated in a central data storage unit. This data set contains identification feature values for the item. The item is conveyed to a predetermined target point. At the target point, the item is provided, at least temporarily, with an optically detectable delivery marking. At least one computer-accessible image of the item is generated by a portable image recording device. The image shows the item together with the delivery marking. With the aid of the image, the data set for the item, which is stored in the central data storage unit, is determined. The data set is supplemented with a computer-accessible marking of the delivery.
US08973811B2
A container is provided including a blank of sheet material having an interior surface and an opposing exterior surface. The blank forms the container having a front wall, a bottom wall, a back wall, a top wall, a first side wall and an opposing second side wall, the container defining a cavity, and at least the front wall defining a display area for facilitating displaying product contained within container.
US08973796B1
A serving tray apparatus comprising a container support portion and a hand/forearm engaging portion incorporating a mechanism for releasably attaching the container support portion to the hand/forearm engaging portion.
US08973795B2
A multifunctional strap system for portable electronic devices having a case and a strap on the back of the case. The case securely holds a protective electronic device while allowing access to all necessary features of the device. The strap securely couples a user's hand or other personal effects to the device. The strap may also be attached to a clip that removably attaches the strap to the bottom of the device. The detachable clip of the strap allows the strap system to loop around and be secured onto an object. The case may have an insert that can be used as a kickstand or a protective cover of a card held into place by the strap.
US08973788B1
A portable hand sanitizer dispenser which contains hand sanitizer within an internal cavity, and which includes a dispensing body having tapered left and right sides and a U-shaped opening on a top end thereof, a pivotally attached metal clip across the opening by which user clips the dispenser onto an item, such as a belt loop, and also including a grip pad member on a front side having rows of spaced apart protuberances thereon thereby enhancing the ability to grip the dispenser during use.
US08973786B2
A beverage dispenser provides numerous inventive features in its refrigeration system, diluent delivery system, concentrate delivery system, mixing and dispensing system, and control system. The refrigeration system employs a plate heat exchanger to provide on demand refrigeration of an intermittent water flow. The diluent delivery system includes a flowmeter/solenoid/check-valve assembly. The concentrate delivery system employs a positive displacement pump. The mixing and dispensing system includes a mixing nozzle that has a locking feature such that an elevated blocking surface directly faces the inlet of pressurized diluent to create turbulence. The control system receives package-specific information from a scanner and diluent flow rate information from the flowmeter, and then determines the pump speed in order to set a desired mix ratio.
US08973785B2
Embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for priming or purging a product dispenser. In one embodiment, a product dispenser can include a plurality of beverage ingredient sources comprising a respective beverage ingredient; a plurality of beverage supply lines in respective communication with the plurality of ingredient sources; at least one pump in communication with the plurality of beverage supply lines; and a controller in communication with the at least one pump and operable to execute a set of instructions operable to: receive a command to prime or purge the product dispenser; and activate the at least one pump, wherein a predefined amount of the respective beverage ingredients is simultaneously introduced into each of the plurality of beverage supply lines.
US08973776B1
A cup with nestable food container and cover includes at least one wall that defines at least one container body and a plurality of downward oriented cavities. The cup includes a lower and upper cup body a portion of which defines a fill line that indicates a volume of beverage to fill the cup with. The upper cup body holds the food container, and the at least one container body may descend into the annular opening of the cup down to the fill line. Each of the plurality of downward oriented cavities include a bottom outer corner portion, such that at least one of the plurality of downward oriented cavities may rest on the portion that is wider in the upper cup body. The at least one container and at least one cover may include at least one cavity that may hold at least one independent drop-in container and cover.
US08973759B2
A sieving device including a hollow cylindrical body, a filter disposed at a bottom portion of the hollow cylindrical body, and a blade configured to rotate in close proximity to the filter around a rotation axis thereof crossing the filter to thereby stir powder supplied to the hollow cylindrical body.
US08973755B2
The present application is directed to patient compliance aids for a medicine container. A base label may be adhered to the medication container, and one or more indicia disposed on the base label. A top label may cover at least a portion of the base label.
US08973747B2
Package (1) for an implant (2), in particular for a dental implant, comprising a housing (5) with a compartment (51) that can be closed by way of a pivotable and/or slidable cover (4) so as to be essentially liquid-tight, said compartment being intended for a first section (2′) of the implant (2), and an area (19) for a second section (3) of the implant (2), said area being separated rated from the compartment (51) by way of a housing wall (8), wherein a passage (35) connecting the compartment (51) and said area (19) is provided in the housing wall (8) for a transition section (3′) between the first section (2′) and the second section (3) of the implant (2), and wherein the housing wall (8) comprises a removal slot (9, 36) for removal of the implant when the cover (4) is open without separating the sections (2, 3). The package (1) comprises at least one fluid cartridge (12) and an associated release element (18) and the fluid cartridge (12) can be opened by way of the release element (18) when the cover (4) is closed such that fluid located in the fluid cartridge (12) can flow out into the compartment (51).
US08973744B2
A curvable roller conveyor support, for supporting a longitudinally spaced apart array of transverse roller axles, the support comprising: a dentate elongate plate being laterally symmetric about a longitudinal centerline and having a plurality of lateral edge cutouts defining a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart opposing pairs of transverse arms, each arm having: a proximal end joined to an adjacent arm with a web having a plurality of central narrowed waist portions; and a distal end bent upwards defining a flange with a roller axle mount; and an elongate base secured to an underside surface of the dentate plate, whereby the central narrowed waist portions are bent and/or twisted during mounting to the base to follow a curved line in two or three dimensional space.
US08973735B2
A transfer mechanism for transferring items between one or more input streams and one or more output streams is disclosed. The transfer mechanism comprises a turret, an arm extending from the turret, and a carrier mechanism engaged with the arm. The carrier mechanism comprises a base and a plurality of rods extending from the base. At least one of the rods is movable relative to at least one other rod. The rods are configured to engage void areas in the items.
US08973731B2
An exemplary device for controlling power associated with a passenger conveyor motor includes a regenerative drive that is configured to facilitate providing electricity generated by the motor to a power source when the passenger conveyor is moving. The controller determines when an operating condition of the regenerative drive is outside of a desired range and responsively prevents the regenerative drive from facilitating providing the electricity to the power source.
US08973713B2
A wheel chair lift device includes a base, a lift car, and a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the lift car relative to the base. A maximum height system includes a light source, optical sensor, magnetic-backed reflector, and a placement tool for engaging a reference port on the lift car. Operation of the light source and optical sensor are confirmed before the lift car is elevated.
US08973711B2
An improved intermediate scaffold joint comprising a frame, a first mounting member, a second mounting member, and a vertical stub. The frame has an interior side, an exterior side, and a top side. Both the first mounting member and the second mounting member are attached to the frame's exterior side for securing the frame to an existing scaffold structure. A vertical stub is attached to the frame's top side for attaching an intermediate vertical scaffold member to the frame.
US08973707B2
A toe board of a scaffold system and a method of producing the toe board, the toe board configured to be attached to a working or walking surface of the scaffold in order to limit lateral movement upon the surface, the toe board made from a steel board unit having a hollow profile enclosed by covers and mounting units inserted at each end with multiple types of fastenings.
US08973694B2
The invention relates to a drive unit for a muscle-powered vehicle having a crankshaft mounted in a crankcase or in a frame. At least one crank for transferring the muscle power of a driver to a drive wheel of the vehicle is fastened to the crankshaft. A gear unit is provided, which is arranged in the power train from the crankshaft to a driven gear of the gear unit coupled to the drive wheel of the vehicle. According to the invention, a substantially stationary part of the gear unit for determining a total torque of the crankshaft is supported on the crankcase or on the frame.
US08973684B1
A rotary drill bit is disclosed. The rotary drill bit may include a bit body, a cutting pocket defined in the bit body, and a cutting element rotatably coupled to the bit body. The cutting element may be positioned at least partially within the cutting pocket. The rotary drill bit may also include a rotation-inducing member adjacent to the cutting element for inducing rotation of the cutting element relative to the cutting pocket. The rotation-inducing member may include a resilient member or a vibrational member. The rotary drill bit may also include protrusions extending from an interior of the cutting pocket adjacent to an outer diameter of the cutting element. A method of drilling a formation is also disclosed.
US08973676B2
An apparatus uses well devices, both downhole and at the surface, to control at least one condition in a wellbore. The downhole equipment includes flow restriction devices that modulate fluid flow along a wellbore annulus, flow bypass devices that selectively bypass fluid flow from wellbore tubular bore to the wellbore annulus, and downhole sensors that generate information relating to a selected parameter of interest. The surface equipment includes a pump that circulates a drilling fluid in the wellbore. Controllers, which may be downhole and/or at the surface, use sensor information to generate advice parameters or signals that may be used to control the flow restriction devices, the flow bypass devices, and/or the fluid circulation pump.
US08973667B2
A packer device for forming a fluid seal between an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member. The packer device includes a swage assembly that is expandable from a reduced diameter condition to an expanded diameter condition and a substantially deformable packer element for contacting and forming a fluid seal against a surrounding tubular. The packer element radially surrounds the swage assembly and being moved outwardly into a sealing configuration when the swage assembly is moved to its expanded diameter condition.
US08973666B2
A plug for sealing a conduit comprises a body having a first section and a second section, and at least one seal element for creating a seal between the plug and the conduit. The at least one seal element is adapted to be energized by movement in a setting direction of the first body section relative to the second body section. The plug further comprises seal locking means comprising a first portion and a second portion wherein as the at least one seal is energized, the seal locking means first portion is rotatable unidirectionally relative to the seal locking means second portion to take up the movement of the first body section relative to the second body section in the setting direction and prevent movement of the first body section relative to the second body section in a releasing direction, opposite the setting direction. In one embodiment the seal locking means first portion is a locking nut.
US08973663B2
According to one embodiment, a recirculation safety valve is disclosed. The valve has a tubular body with mandrel that is axially shifted in response to annulus pressure. Shifting of the mandrel can either close a safety valve or close a safety valve and open a recirculation port. The valve has an annular actuation chamber that relieves that pressure to prevent inadvertent shifting of the mandrel.
US08973661B2
A method of fracturing a formation that at the same time drills a wellbore through the formation selectively deploys a seal from a drill string and pressurizes the wellbore beneath the seal. The seal can be formed by moving sliding blades into channels between cutting blades on a drill bit. The seal can also be a packer on the drill bit that selectively expands radially outward into sealing engagement with the wellbore. At a designated depth in the wellbore, the seal is deployed and fluid is diverted into the space. A pressurizing system pressurizes the fluid so that pressure in the space overcomes the formation strength and fractures the formation adjacent the enclosed space. The packer can be released, drilling can resume, and fracturing can occur at a different depth in the wellbore.
US08973653B2
A running tool (10) for inserting and setting an assembly into a bore in a well, the tool comprising a main body (11) having a hydraulic cylinder (12) for actuating one or more locking elements (60, 61) on the main body for, in use, reaction with the bore, an outer sleeve (40) rotatably mounted on the main body, a rotatable mandrel (13) to which, in use, torque is applied and means (42, 43, 44) for transmitting the torque from the mandrel to the outer sleeve.
US08973649B2
A rotary type heat exchange apparatus with automatic flow rate exchange modulation includes unidirectional pumps for pumping fluid through a heat exchange rotating disk in two different directions. The heat exchange apparatus may further be installed with at least one temperature detecting device, humidity detecting device and/or gaseous or liquid state fluid composition detecting device for generating temperature, humidity, and/or composition detection signals. The temperature humidity, and/or composition detection signals may be used as references for modulating the pumping flow rate of exchange fluid, or for modulating the operating timing of the fluid flow by controlling the rotating speed of the heat exchange rotating disk.
US08973636B2
Tire (10) for a heavy goods vehicle comprising a radial carcass reinforcement (60) anchored in each of the beads (50) to an anchoring structure (700), comprising a circumferential reinforcement (70), the carcass reinforcement (60) being partially wrapped around the anchoring structure (700), the tire (10) also comprising a coupling reinforcement (150) comprising a first part (151) in contact with the carcass reinforcement (60) and being extended by a second part (152) in contact with the anchoring structure (700) as far as a point (157) radially on the outside of the anchoring structure (700), located axially between the axially inner-most point (702) and the axially outermost point (704) of the anchoring structure (700), the tire (10) also comprising a stiffening reinforcement (160) surrounding the coupling reinforcement (150) and running radially on the inside of the anchoring structure (700) and of the coupling reinforcement (150), in which the axially outside end point (166) of said stiffening reinforcement (160) is located at a radial distance DR from the radially innermost point (73) of the circumferential reinforcement (70), the radial distance DR being greater than or equal to 0.8 times the radial distance DS between the radially innermost and radially outermost points (71, 73) of the circumferential reinforcement (70) and less than or equal to 1.2 times the radial distance DS.
US08973632B2
A wheel including a tire and a rim wherein the tire includes: a pair of beads, each of the beads being provided with a base, wherein the rim includes a pair of axially outer flanges defining respective bead housing seats, each of the bead housing seats including a base portion, and wherein the base of at least one of the beads and the base portion of the respective bead housing seat are mutually coupled by means of at least one mechanical coupling element, wherein the mechanical coupling element is provided with parts and has a length greater than its width, the length being lower than the circumference of the tire measured at the base of the bead and the width being lower than the axial width of the base of the bead and of the base portion of the respective bead housing seat.
US08973631B2
In a pneumatic tire in which the sipe extending in a direction crossing a tire circumferential direction is provided on a land portion (block) of a tread portion, a wide part having a wide groove width is provided at three or more places in a length direction of the sipe, and the wide part and a narrow part are formed alternately on a tread surface along the sipe length direction. A plurality of the wide parts are extended in a sipe depth direction from the tread surface, and are provided by changing extended lengths in the sipe depth direction.
US08973628B2
The portable purse strap hook is slidably and removably mounted on a purse strap. The portable purse strap hook includes a flexible sheet having at least one releasable fastener attached thereto for releasably fastening laterally opposed ends thereof to form a sleeve slidably disposed on the purse strap. A hook is pivotally secured to the inner surface of the flexible sheet. The hook is pivotal between a stored position within the sleeve and a position extending from the sleeve so that the hook may be used to hang the purse from a stationary support.
US08973625B2
An oil filling device includes an oil filling funnel, an extendable tube assembly, a direction adjustment assembly, and a coupling assembly. The oil filling funnel is mounted to a first end of the extendable tube assembly. The extendable tube assembly has a second end mounted to the direction adjustment assembly. The direction adjustment assembly is mounted to the coupling assembly that is attachable to an oil filling hole of an engine. The direction adjustment assembly enables adjustment of the direction of the extendable tube assembly and the oil filling funnel with respect to the engine, while the extendable tube assembly allows the oil filling funnel to be selectively moved toward or away from the oil filling hole. Thus, the oil filling device may accommodate various heights and angles of oil filling hole of engine and allows filling of oil into the engine to be conducted in a smoother manner.
US08973622B2
Some embodiments disclosed herein related to a device for transferring precise amounts of fluid from at least one source container to a at least one target container. In some embodiments, the fluid is first transferred from the source container (e.g., a vial) through a connector to an intermediate measuring container (e.g., a syringe). In some embodiments air can pass through an air inlet and enter the vial to compensate for the volume of fluid withdrawn from the vial. An air check valve or a bag or a filter can prevent the fluid from escaping through the air inlet. The precisely measured amount of fluid can then be transferred from the intermediate measuring container to the target container (e.g., an IV bag). In some embodiments the connector can include a source check valve and a target check valve to direct fluid first from the source container to the intermediate measuring container and then from the intermediate measuring container to the target container. Some embodiments of the device can include a motor and a controller for automatically actuating a plunger of the syringe to transfer the desired amount of fluid.
US08973618B2
A stripwound hose expandable from a compressed state to a stretched state includes at least two spiral-wound strips having at least three telescoping portions in a direction of a longitudinal axis. The telescoping portions are arranged in axially overlapping relation, when the stripwound hose assumes the compressed state; and extend in axial side-by-side relation, when the stripwound hose assumes the stretched state. The telescoping portions are hooked to one another when being axially stretched.
US08973615B2
Rails 20 corresponding to lines A, B, C are provided in parallel on a bass plate 1, and coupling members 21, 22 are slidably mounted on each of the rails 20. Each of fluid controllers 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 is mounted generally on two of these coupling members 21, 22.
US08973613B2
An ER fluid valve includes a housing and a plurality of parallel flow passages through the housing each defined by spaced electrodes at least one of which is controllable independently of other flow passages electrodes. A controller is configured to selectively establish electrical fields for all of the independently controllable electrodes to close all of the flow passages to ER fluid flowing through the housing. By removing the fields from all of the independently controllable electrodes, all the flow passages are open to the ER fluid flowing through the housing. By establishing fields for select independently controllable electrodes to close their associated flow passages and by leaving other flow passages open, restricted flow of the ER fluid through the housing is accomplished to vary the flow rate through the housing.
US08973612B2
A fluid delivery device including an electronic faucet having a plurality of faucet components, and a primary capacitive sensor coupled to at least one of the faucet components and providing a primary output signal. At least one secondary capacitive sensor is located on or near an item which causes unintended effects on the output signal from the primary capacitive sensor and provides a secondary output signal. A controller determines a difference signal between the primary and secondary output signals of the primary and secondary capacitive sensors to control operation of the electronic faucet.
US08973611B2
A pressure control valve designed as a slide valve and having an axially situated supply port.
US08973602B2
The present invention provides a gas shutoff device that prevents tampering procurement of gas or tamper due to stealing of the gas shutoff device.When an event, in which a gas pressure value of a pressure measuring unit 32 after a predetermined operation performed by a provider in installation is kept equal to or less than a first predetermined pressure value for a first predetermined time or longer and then the gas pressure value is kept equal to or more than a second predetermined pressure value for a second predetermined time or longer, happens at a predetermined number of times, the gas is shut off by a shutoff unit 39, communication with the outside is performed by an external communication unit 34, restoration is permitted by a restoring unit 38 while when there is a predetermined operation by the provider after the shutoff, the restoration permission state implemented by communicating with the outside by the predetermined operation by the provider and inputting communication of a response from the outside.
US08973588B2
A filter material adapted for use as a filter element of a smoking article is provided, the filter material being in the form of a fibrous tow that includes a plurality of filaments of a degradable polyester and a plasticizer composition applied thereto, the plasticizer composition and the degradable polyester having a Relative Energy Difference calculated using Hansen Solubility Parameters of less than about 1.3. Exemplary degradable polyesters include polyglycolic acid, polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polycaprolactone, polybutylene succinate adipate and copolymers or blends thereof. Exemplary plasticizer compositions include one or more of dimethylisosorbide, propylene carbonate, methylbenzyl alcohol, glycerol carbonate acetate, glycerol carbonate ethyl ether, and mixtures thereof, optionally in combination with triacetin. Filter elements and smoking articles, such as cigarettes, that contain the filter material are also provided.
US08973573B2
A bite block 20 for use during transoral medical procedures has a main lumen 42 and a side mount 110 for receiving a separately inserted airway 160. The airway 110 may be a commercially available nasopharangeal airway which is inserted in mount 110 and extends into the oral cavity so as to effectively function as oral pharangeal airway.
US08973572B2
In a press-type medical nebulizer and a pressing means thereof, the nebulizer includes a medicament container having an intake channel and a medical spray generator. The pressing means includes a base, a pressing element and a switching element. The base has a gas-delivering tube, a gas-releasing hole and a trough. The pressing element comprises an operating arm pivotally connected into the trough and a valve for closing the gas-releasing hole. The switching element is slidingly provided on the operating arm to be selectively engaged into the trough for fixing the operating arm. When the switching element is engaged into the trough, the switching element causes the valve to close the gas-releasing hole, so that the pressurized gas can continuously flow through the gas-delivering tube and enter the intake channel. By this arrangement, the user needs not to press the pressing means repeatedly, which is convenient and labor-saving.
US08973571B1
An apparatus for use in conjunction with a metered dose inhaler which includes a novel valve system to aid in the delivery of aerosolized medicament to a subject. The apparatus also includes a novel rotational flow generator to aid in the useable delivery of said medication and avoid its loss either in the apparatus or by non-useful delivery to said subject.
US08973570B2
A solar tracking sensor and methods of tracking the sun. In one embodiment, the solar tracking sensor includes a housing, an inclinometer to output a signal indicative of the angle of the housing relative to the gravitational pull of the Earth, and first and second photosensors located on a first plane located within the housing. An opening on one side of the housing allows solar radiation to pass through the housing and reach the first and second photosensors. A difference calculating module is coupled to the first photosensor and the second photosensor. The difference calculating module determines a photosensor difference value using signals from the photosensors and outputs a photosensor difference value. The photosensor difference value can be used by a controller. The controller is coupled to the inclinometer determines whether the opening is aligned with the Sun based on the photosensor difference value and information or signal from the inclinometer.
US08973569B2
A gas burner for a cooking appliance includes at least one combustion chamber with a first gas inlet forming a substantially annular outer flame ring and a substantially annular inner flame ring. At least one flame channel is configured to trigger ignition of at least one of the inner flame ring and outer flame ring. In one example, at least one transfer burner port is in gas-flow communication with the combustible gas in the at least one combustion chamber.
US08973568B2
A gas oven has an oven muffle and a gas burner for said oven muffle. The gas oven has a thermogenerator for generating electrical energy during operation of the gas burner for the purpose of supplying electrical energy to an electrical functional unit, for example for supplying said electrical energy to a fan or a control of the gas oven. In this case, the thermogenerator is designed and arranged to be heated, and for heat to be introduced by the gas burner.
US08973567B2
A carbon fuel combustion process, employing an air gas separation unit, a combustion unit operating either with air or with an oxidizer leaner in nitrogen than air, coming from the air gas separation unit, and a unit for compressing and/or purifying the CO2 coming from the combustion flue gas, wherein the power consumed by the air gas separation unit and/or the flow of oxygen produced by the air gas separation unit and/or the capture of the CO2 coming from the combustion flue gas are variable over time is presented.
US08973557B2
The invention relates to a fuel overflow valve for a fuel injection system, particularly for limiting the pressure in a low-pressure region of the fuel injection system. The fuel overflow valve has a valve housing, in which a valve member is disposed in a stroke-moving manner, the stroke movement of the valve member controlling a connection of an inlet to the valve housing to a release region. The valve member is loaded by a valve spring in the direction of a locking position in which the connection of the inlet to the release region is interrupted, and is loaded by the pressure present in the inlet in the opening direction. The valve member may carry out a further stroke in the locking direction beyond the locking position thereof, where the valve spring does not act upon the valve member. Due to the increased stroke of the valve member, an improved balance of pressure and volume fluctuations is enabled in the low pressure region and the stroke of the valve spring, and thus the stress thereof, may be kept low.
US08973555B2
An air-intake control apparatus of an internal combustion engine formed by attaching a flange portion provided to an end portion of a drive motor to a cylindrical hole portion. A throttle body has at least one positioning projection (or recess) provided to an inner wall of the cylindrical hole portion. The drive motor complementarily has at least one positioning recess (or projection) provided to the flange portion at a position corresponding to the positioning projection (or recess). The drive motor is attached to the cylindrical hole portion while the positioning recess (or projection) abuts on the positioning projection (or recess) in such a manner that a center distance between a motor shaft and a throttle shaft takes a predetermined value. Hence, not only attachment workability but also attachment accuracy of the drive motor can be enhanced. The air-intake control device therefore has higher product reliability.
US08973547B2
An engine starter that employs a clutch between a flywheel or flex plate and a plate structure that is configured to receive rotary power from a starter motor through a transmission. The transmission may include ring and pinion gears or a belt that transmits rotary power between pulleys.
US08973546B2
A lash adjuster includes a body, a plunger inserted, into the body and having a bottom wall formed with a valve hole and a peripheral wall standing from the bottom wall and having an oil passage hole, the plunger defining a high-pressure chamber between the bottom wall and the body, a partitioning member inserted into the plunger and having an oil passage end located above the oil passage hole, the partitioning member defining an oil passage between itself and the plunger peripheral wall, the partitioning member having a low-pressure chamber reserving a hydraulic fluid flowing through the oil passage hole, the oil passage and the oil passage end, the low-pressure chamber causing the reserved hydraulic fluid to flow through the valve hole into the high-pressure chamber, and a spacer interposed between the plunger peripheral wall and the partitioning member so that the partitioning member is held in the plunger.
US08973545B2
A valve-timing control apparatus includes a drive rotating member; a driven rotating member fixed to a cam shaft; an electric motor configured to rotate the driven rotating member relative to the drive rotating member; a motor housing connected integrally with the drive rotating member; a cover member located to face a front portion of the housing; a tubular motor output shaft provided inside the housing to be rotatable relative to the housing; and a plug member fixed to an inner circumferential surface of a tip portion of the tubular motor output shaft and configured to inhibit lubricating oil supplied into the tubular motor output shaft from leaking to an external. The plug member includes a core member formed in a bottomed tubular shape and formed with a through-hole in its bottom portion, and an elastic body coating at least the through-hole and an outer circumferential surface of the core member.
US08973542B2
A valve timing control device for an internal combustion engine. The valve timing control device includes a rotor connected to a camshaft and having a plurality of vanes. A stator is engaged with the rotor, and includes a plurality of webs. Pressure chambers are provided between each of the webs and vanes. A centering slot is provided on the stator and/or the rotor. A pressure medium control valve is disposed in one of the vanes of the rotor, and is configured to not only selectively lock and unlock the position of the rotor relative to the stator, but is also configured such that pressure medium in the pressure chambers is veritable through the centering slot and thereafter through the pressure medium control valve.
US08973540B2
A variable valve system, may include a variable valve apparatus that controls opening/closing timing of an exhaust valve and an intake valve of an engine, and an oil supply device that supplies the variable valve apparatus with a pressured oil, wherein the exhaust valve and the intake valve may be opened/closed by rotation of a camshaft, and the oil supply device engaged with the camshaft may be operated by the rotation of the camshaft.
US08973536B2
A method for controlling the power of an engine is provided. The method includes determining a baseline fuel amount, determining an engine cooling fan operating condition based on an engine operating parameter, determining an engine cooling fan command based on the engine cooling fan operating condition, determining an engine cooling fan power level based on the engine speed and the engine cooling fan command, determining an additional fuel amount based on the engine cooling fan power level, adding the additional fuel amount to the baseline fuel amount to create a compensated fuel amount, and providing the compensated fuel amount to the engine. An engine system, including an engine controller coupled to an engine, a fuel system and a hydraulic pump, is also provided. The engine controller includes a processor adapted to perform a set of instructions that controls the power of the engine.
US08973527B2
A plasma processing apparatus is provided with a first exhaust path which extends downward from an exhaust hole; a second exhaust path which is connected to a downstream end portion of the first exhaust path in the exhausting direction and extends in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first exhaust path extends, and whose cross-section, which orthogonally intersects with the exhausting direction, is horizontally long such that a widthwise length is greater than a vertical length in the cross-section; a third exhaust path which is connected to a downstream end portion of the second exhaust path in the exhausting direction and extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the second exhaust path extends; a pump which is connected to a downstream end portion of the third exhaust path in the exhausting direction and depressurizes an inside of a processing container; a pressure control valve which is provided in the second exhaust path, and comprises a pressure control valve plate which is capable of closing the second exhaust path and controls a pressure at upstream and downstream sides in the exhausting direction; and a shut-off valve which is provided in the third exhaust path and comprises a shut-off valve plate which opens and closes the third exhaust path.
US08973526B2
A plasma deposition apparatus includes a cathode assembly including a cathode disk and a water-coolable cathode holder supporting the cathode disk, an anode assembly including a water-coolable anode holder, a substrate mounted on the anode holder to serve as an anode, and a substrate holder mounting and supporting the substrate, and a reactor for applying a potential difference between opposing surfaces of the cathode assembly and the anode assembly under a vacuum state to form plasma of a raw gas. The cathode disk comes into thermal contact with the cathode holder using at least one of a self weight and a vacuum absorption force so as to permit thermal expansion of the cathode disk.
US08973523B2
The invention relates to a device for creating and conveying a gas-powder mixture having a powder receiving space (3) that is connected to a vacuum creation device via a vacuum line (19) that discharges to the upper region of said powder receiving space. A reduced pressure in comparison to a mixing chamber (7) can be created within the powder receiving space (3), and thus a gas flow directed against the powder flow direction within a powder supply channel (6).
US08973518B2
A hanging pot water indicator having a hollow tubular spring housing, a dust protector on the upper end of the tubular housing, the dust protector having a fastening collar fitting around the upper end of the tubular housing, a hollow tubular sliding sleeve, having an interior diameter greater than the exterior diameter of the tubular housing, and being telescopically slidable in respect thereof, a lower flared portion on the lower end of the sleeve, an opening in the dust protector, a coiled extension spring within the tubular housing and the sleeve, an upper wire extension portion extending from the upper end of the spring passing through the opening in the dust protector, and defining an upper hook, and a lower wire extension extending from the lower end of the spring, and formed to define a hook.
US08973506B2
The invention relates to an in-house track-bound transporting system with self-propelling carriages that move on rails. The system has stoppers to prevent said carriages from crossing over open rail ends or track borders, and the system is provided with stops. The stoppers collide with the stops in order to prevent a crossing-over, said stops having first and second fixed stop elements. The stoppers can be moved between a first crossing-over position and a second crossing-over position such that the first stop elements can be crossed over in the first crossing-over position of the stoppers, and the second stop elements can be crossed over in the second crossing-over position of the stoppers, wherein the first stop elements cannot be crossed over in the second crossing-over position of the stoppers, and the second stop elements cannot be crossed over in the first crossing-over position of the stoppers.
US08973505B2
A motorized dolly includes an elongated frame, a first and second arc-shaped rail, a first and second pulley, a continuous belt, a motor, a platform, a first and second set of rollers or wheels, a fastener and one or more controls. The first arc-shaped rail has a first radius to a point in space. The second arc-shaped rail has a second radius greater than the first radius. The first and second pulleys are attached to the elongated frame proximate to each end. The continuous belt is movably attached to the first pulley and the second pulley. The motor is operably engaged with the first pulley, the second pulley or the continuous belt. The first and second set of rollers or wheels are attached to the platform and movably engaged with the first and second rails, respectively. The fastener securely is attached to the platform and the continuous belt.
US08973502B2
A priming assembly and a method are provided for coupling a plurality of detonators to at least one explosive through a plurality of transmission lines. The priming assembly may include a housing that receives the plurality of detonators and the plurality of transmission lines. In use, the plurality of transmission lines may communicate with the plurality of detonators within the housing to transmit explosive charges from the plurality of detonators to the at least one explosive.
US08973501B2
A method of partially imaging a substrate, for example glass, with a print pattern comprising layers of ceramic ink in substantially exact registration. The method relies on a mask ink layer defining the print pattern and differential thermal expulsion of ceramic ink medium during a heat fusing process between the areas outside the print pattern and within the print pattern. This results in pigment and glass frit forming a durable image material adhered to the substrate within the print pattern and non durable material outside the print pattern, enabling its removal outside the print pattern to leave the desired layers of ceramic ink within the print pattern in substantially exact registration.
US08973487B2
A beverage machine (1), in particular to a coffee machine, has a main flow path (3), that leads through a heating device (2), and a bypass flow path (4) that circumvents the heating device (2). The bypass flow path (4) branches off from the main flow path (3) upstream of the heating device (2). The main flow path (3) is connected to a water tank (5) at the input side and to a dispensing location (6) at the output side. A main flow pump (7) is arranged in the main flow path (3) between the water tank (5) and the heating device (2). Thus a bypass pump (8) is arranged in the bypass flow path (4) to provide a cost-efficient and accurate admixing of cold water.
US08973482B2
A blast dissipation device for an armored vehicle includes a first absorption system and a second absorption system that are usable to dissipate initial blast forces exerted upon an underbelly of the vehicle caused by, for example, detonation of an IED below the vehicle. The second absorption system has a delayed reaction to forces exerted upon the underbelly of the vehicle. The first absorption system reacts more quickly and serves to dissipate initial forces until the second absorption system is activated to dissipate the remaining forces.
US08973480B2
The invention covers a missile canister (10) for accommodating a missile (20) along a longitudinal axis (L) of the canister. The canister comprises a plurality of generally planar longitudinal wall portions (14) connected together to form a tubular vessel having a polygonal cross-section. The interconnecting portions (16) between wall sections (14) are generally flexible so that when a missile (20) is launched the bending moment at the interconnecting portions (16) generated by the increase of pressure in the vessel is substantially less than the bending moment (10) generated at the wall portions (14). The interconnecting portions (16) allow relative angular deflection between adjacent wall portions (14) at respective interconnecting portions (16) when said missile (20) is launched.
US08973472B2
A tool extension bar includes a rod including first and second ends. The second end is adapted to connect to and be driven by a power tool. A sleeve assembly is slidably mounted around the rod and includes an end adapted for connecting to a tool member. A radial hole extends in a radial direction at an end of the sleeve assembly. An elastic member is mounted around the second end of the rod and is biased against the rod and the sleeve assembly. An engaging member is movably received in the radial hole and is moveably engaged in the recess of the rod. The engaging member releasably engages the sleeve with the rod.
US08973471B2
A three-protuberance open-end wrench includes a head section. The head section has a first jaw and a second jaw. Two first protuberances are front and rear, side by side, formed on a holding face of the first jaw. A second protuberance is formed on a holding face of the second jaw. A throat is formed between the holding faces of the first and second jaws for receiving a threaded member therein. The protuberances of the first and second jaws serve to hold the threaded member. The protuberances form a non-isosceles triangle.
US08973457B2
A gear mechanism may include a first gear, a second gear engaged with the first gear, and a stopper part formed in the second gear. The stopper part may be engaged with the first gear to prevent turning of the first gear. The stopper part is a part where a tooth is not formed in an outer peripheral part of the second gear. The stopper part includes a protruded part protruded to an outer side in a radial direction with respect to a tooth tip circle of a tooth part of the second gear, and a recessed part recessed to an inner side in the radial direction with respect to the protruded part and adjacent to the protruded part in a circumferential direction and, when turning of the first gear is stopped, a tip end side of the tooth part of the first gear is abutted with the recessed part.
US08973454B2
A power transmitting apparatus with improved power transmitting efficiency and reduced lag time for shifting speeds can comprise a starting clutch mechanism configured to selectively transmit and cut off driving power of engine to wheels of a vehicle, a plurality of gear-stage clutch devices operatively positioned to transmit power between the starting clutch mechanism and the wheels, an input and an output of the plurality of gear-stage clutch devices configured at predetermined gear ratios, and a gear-stage selecting device configured to select any one of the gear-stage clutch devices in accordance with a vehicle operating condition and selectively set a gear ratio for power transmission from the engine to the wheels. The gear-stage clutch devices can comprise alternately arranged driving clutch discs and driven clutch discs, and hydraulic pistons. The hydraulic pistons can be configured to selectively engage or disengage the driving clutch discs and driven clutch discs such that driving power of the engine is transmitted to the wheels at a corresponding predetermined gear ratio when the driving clutch discs and driven clutch discs are engaged.
US08973448B2
A device for sampling working liquids of industrial machines, comprising a container (2) having an aperture (3) and a closing member (4) engaged to said aperture (3) for fluid-tight sealing same aperture. The pressure inside said container (2) is below 101000 Pa.
US08973442B2
An ultrasonic sensor, including a diaphragm cup, a housing and a decoupling element, the diaphragm cup and housing having a lateral surface, the decoupling element being at least partially made from an elastic material and having a continuous recess bounded by an inner wall of the decoupling element, the diaphragm cup and/or the housing being at least partially situated in the recess. To prevent sound being transmitted through a gap between the diaphragm cup and the decoupling element and/or between the housing and the decoupling element, the inner wall of the decoupling element is tautened by the contraction of elastic material at least around an area of the lateral surface of the diaphragm cup, circumferentially surrounding the diaphragm cup and/or the housing, and/or a lacquer layer applied on the lateral surface of the diaphragm cup, and/or the lateral surface of the housing so that the inner wall in this area rests flush against the lateral surface of the diaphragm cup and/or the lacquer layer applied on the lateral surface of the diaphragm cup and/or the lateral surface of the housing.
US08973432B2
An evaluation unit includes a front-rear acceleration sensor and an up-down acceleration sensor. The evaluation unit calculates a length of a track obtained by plotting detected front-rear and up-down accelerations on a three-dimensional space along a time axis within a period from gear shift start of an automatic transmission to gear shift end, calculate a track length per unit time by dividing the length of the track by a time interval from the gear shift start to the gear shift end, and evaluates that a gear shift shock is larger as the track length per unit time is longer.
US08973426B2
An alcohol detector for detecting high concentrations of alcohol in a fuel tank and for providing evidence that the alcohol was present even after it has been removed. In one aspect, the alcohol detector includes a cathode and an anode of different materials and spaced from one another. The anode experiences galvanic corrosion at a faster rate when exposed to high concentrations of alcohol than it does when exposed to unleaded gasoline. Thus, the amount of corrosion present on the anode provides evidence of the past presence of an improper fuel in the fuel tank. In another aspect, the alcohol detector is a dye printed on a fuel pump. The dye visually changes color intensity in the presence of high concentrations of alcohol to provide evidence of the past presence of alcohol.
US08973423B2
A measuring device according to the invention for determining the fill quantity of SF6 gas in an insulating chamber comprises a pressure transducer, a temperature measuring element and a processing device for determining the fill quantity of the SF6 gas from the pressure measurement value and the pertinent temperature measurement value, wherein the measuring device seals a corresponding opening of the insulating chamber and the SF6 gas to be measured acts directly upon both the pressure transducer and the temperature measuring element.
US08973409B2
Methods and apparatuses for cooling optical fibers are disclosed. In one embodiment, In some embodiments, a cooling apparatus for cooling an optical fiber in a production process includes a channel defined by at least one sidewall assembly and a plurality of interior cavities positioned along the interior of the sidewall assembly. The interior cavities include at least one plenum, a first plurality of fluid supply cavities in fluid communication with the at least one plenum, and a second plurality of fluid supply cavities in fluid communication with the at least one plenum. Cooling fluid is supplied from the at least one plenum to the first plurality of fluid supply cavities in a first direction and the second plurality of fluid supply cavities in a second direction opposite the first direction.
US08973406B2
Melters for glass forming apparatuses and glass forming apparatuses comprising the same are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a melter for melting glass batch materials includes a base portion and a rigid exoskeleton rigidly attached to the base portion and comprising a plurality of upright members interconnected with a plurality of cross members defining an exoskeleton interior volume. Connection nodes formed at intersections of the plurality of cross members with upper ends of the plurality of upright members are constrained from movement relative to the base portion in a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a vertical direction. A tank assembly is positioned on the base portion in the exoskeleton interior volume and coupled to the rigid exoskeleton. In some embodiments, the melter has a dynamic resistance greater than 0.3.
US08973397B2
A helium recovery plant adapted to filter, compress, and purify helium gas collected from one or more helium-using instruments, as well as to liquefy and redistribute the purified gas within a closed system. The recovery plant is adapted to match the purification and liquefaction rate of the system with the consumption rate of the coupled instruments. Additionally, the recovery plant is adapted to match the liquefaction rate of a liquefaction module with a boil-off rate of liquid helium within a Dewar thereof. The recovery plant is further adapted to recycle helium therein in an effort to achieve zero loss.
US08973390B2
An indoor unit includes a heat exchanger provided on the downstream side of a fan and formed with a plurality of lower end portions in a vertical cross section from the front side to the back side of a casing, a plurality of drain pans provided below the lower end portions of the heat exchanger and configured to collect drain water occurring on the heat exchanger, and a drain channel provided between the drain pans and configured to be a flow channel of the drain, and a connecting port to which a drain hose configured to drain the drain water collected by the drain pans to the outside of the casing, and one of the drain pans is arranged to a level equal to or higher than the level of the other drain pan, and the drain channel is provided on the drain pan arranged on the back side of the casing.
US08973389B2
A mobile cooler having an ice maker includes: a main body having first and second spaces which are thermally blocked; a cooling device positioned at a lower portion of the main body and providing cooling air to the first and second spaces; a plurality of shelves installed in the first space; an ice tray installed in the second space; an ice bank positioned on a lower surface of the ice tray and detachably mounted in the main body; and a cover that covers an opening in which the ice bank is inserted.
US08973380B2
A method of detecting loss of refrigerant within a cooling system of the type having a condenser, a refrigerant receiver in fluid communication with the condenser, a sensor configured to detect a level of refrigerant within the receiver, an evaporator in fluid communication with the receiver, and a pump or compressor in fluid communication with the evaporator and the condenser, includes establishing a baseline measurement of refrigerant mass contained in the receiver with the sensor during certain power loads applied to the cooling system, monitoring a mass of refrigerant in the receiver with the sensor at a certain power load applied to the cooling system, and identifying whether the monitored mass of refrigerant is less than the baseline measurement of refrigerant mass over a predetermined period of time. Systems for detecting loss of refrigerant are further disclosed.
US08973376B2
An interface (10) is provided between a combustor basket (12) and a transition (14) of a gas turbine engine (16). The interface (10) includes a tongue (18) formed in one of the combustor basket (12) and the transition (14), and a groove (20) formed in another of the combustor basket (12) and the transition (14). The tongue (18) is received within the groove (20) to define the interface (10). A sealing arrangement is also provided and includes an annular combustion outlet (12′″) and an annular transition inlet (14′″), with a labyrinth seal (72′″) positioned between an end (68′″) of the annular combustion outlet and an end (70′″) of the annular transition inlet to form a labyrinth path (34′″) there between. An inner diameter (24′″) of the annular combustion outlet (12′″) is axially aligned with an inner diameter (22′″) of the annular transition outlet (14′″).
US08973371B2
A gas turbine engine comprising a turbine section cooling system and a method of cooling a turbine section of a gas turbine engine is provided. The gas turbine engine comprises in flow series a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section, the engine further comprising a turbine section cooling system. The turbine section cooling system including a first compressed air bleed arrangement and a second compressed air bleed arrangement. The first compressed air bleed arrangement bleeds a first flow of compressed air from a high pressure stage of the compressor section. The first flow of compressed air bypasses the combustor and arrives at the turbine section to form a sealing and/or cooling flow at a row of stator vanes upstream of an adjacent rotor disc. The second compressed air bleed arrangement bleeds a second flow of compressed air from one or more lower pressure stages of the compressor section. The second flow of compressed air bypasses the combustor and arrives at the turbine section to form a cooling flow. A first portion of the cooling flow is routed to a front face of the rotor disc and a second portion of the cooling flow is routed to a rear face of the rotor disc.
US08973367B2
Disclosed is a fuel lance for a burner, in particular a gas turbine burner, including a tip that has a nozzle surface including at least two fuel nozzles. The nozzle surface is provided with slots between the fuel nozzles. As a rule, the lance is provided for operation with a liquid fuel.
US08973362B2
An apparatus and method for producing explosions, including a pressure-resistance container having a main explosion chamber introduced therein, further including a supply line for supplying a flowable explosible material, and a drain opening for the directed drainage of gas pressure caused by the ignition of the explosible material. The drain opening is closed directly by a closure means, preferably a plunger, which is pressed against the drain opening using a gas spring and held closed substantially up to the time of ignition. Before the actual main explosion, the closure means is moved by the igniting and the pressure force of an auxiliary explosion, thereby exposing the drain opening.
US08973361B2
Provided is a seal air supply system including: a seal air compressor 73 provided separately from an exhaust gas turbine turbocharger 27 to generate compressed air; a seal air supply passage 77 through which the compressed air is supplied to a seal air supply part 79 as seal air of the exhaust gas turbine turbocharger 27; and a surplus air inlet passage 81 bifurcating from the seal air supply passage 77 and guiding surplus air of the seal air to an outlet side of an intake gas compressor 27a of the exhaust gas turbine turbocharger.
US08973360B2
A pressure cylinder includes a pressure-boosting member set, an actuation member set, and a cylinder body, which defines two transversely extending air inlets, two transversely extending air outlets and two air passages respectively axially connected between the two air inlets and the two air outlets for allowing an applied compressed gas to flow through the two air inlets and the two air passages and the two air outlets into an air chamber in the cylinder body to move the pressure-boosting member set and the actuation member set in an oil accumulation chamber in the cylinder body. The hidden loop design for guiding the applied compressed gas does not require any extra pipelines and connectors, avoiding pipeline deterioration or connector loosening problems.
US08973356B2
An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder block defining at least one cylinder, and a cylinder head coupled to the cylinder block. A modular exhaust manifold is coupled to the cylinder head and is configured to receive exhaust gas from the cylinder head. The modular exhaust manifold includes a plurality of exhaust manifold segments coupled together along a common axis. Each of the exhaust manifold segments includes a segment of a water jacket tube defining a plurality of liquid coolant passages and a segment of an exhaust tube received within the water jacket tube segment. A joint between adjacent exhaust manifold segments includes a first sealing member configured to seal the exhaust tube at the joint and a second sealing member configured to seal at least one of the liquid coolant passages at the joint. The first and second sealing members are supported on and movable with different components.
US08973355B2
An exhaust after-treatment system for treating an exhaust produced by an engine. The exhaust after-treatment system may include an exhaust passageway in communication with the engine, and an exhaust treatment component provided in the exhaust passageway. A dosing module for dispensing an exhaust treatment fluid into the exhaust passageway can be located between the engine and the exhaust treatment component. A coolant source and a modular liquid-cooled mount for supporting and cooling the dosing module is also provided. The liquid-cooled mount communicates with the coolant source and includes an inlet sub-mount including a first coolant passageway, a base sub-mount including a second coolant passageway, and at least one intermediate mount disposed between the inlet sub-mount and the base sub-mount that includes a third coolant passageway, wherein each of the first, second, and third coolant passageways are in communication with each other.
US08973348B2
The exhaust gas purification device includes an exhaust gas post-processing device 30 provided in an exhaust passage 11 of an engine 10, an exhaust injection valve 22, a first catalyst 35, a second catalyst 36 for thermally decomposing fuel injected by the exhaust injection valve 22, an exhaust temperature estimation unit 41 for estimating an exhaust temperature, an engine injection control unit 42 for controlling fuel injection in the engine 10, and regeneration control units 43, 44 for controlling regeneration of the exhaust gas post-processing device 30. When an output value output by the exhaust gas temperature estimation unit 41 is equal to or lower than a threshold during regeneration by the regeneration control units 43, 44, the engine injection control unit 42 controls fuel injection in the engine by performing a multistage injection, which includes a post injection for supplying fuel to the first catalyst 35.
US08973347B2
A pilot burner of a gas turbine engine is provided. The pilot burner includes a front body with an axial expansion along a center axis of the pilot burner, the center axis having an axial direction towards a burning zone of the gas turbine engine. The front body includes a pilot burner face which is directed to the burning zone. A material is deposited in the front body progressing in the axial direction to form a high temperature resilient body in the axial direction of the front body and to form a high temperature resilient face of the pilot burner face.
US08973340B2
An aim assembly includes a hub movable about a central axis and at least one support operably connected to the hub. At least one arm is operably connected to the at least one support and thereby movable about the central axis in a predetermined path. At least one adjustment mechanism is located at the central axis and is capable of altering the predetermined path during movement of the at least one support about the central axis. A method of operating an arm assembly includes locating at least one hub at a central axis and moving at least one arm about the central axis in a predetermined path. The at least one arm is operably connected to the at least one hub via at least one support. An adjustment mechanism is engaged thereby altering the predetermined path during movement of the at least one arm about the central axis.
US08973333B2
The connecting fitting comprises a band-like section 14 and a back plate 11 that can be inserted between the flanges 7b, 7c by passing between lips 7d, 7e, in an insertion attitude, and a joining section 15 that can join a beam 5E in a state where the band-like section 14 and the back plate 11 are inserted between the flanges 7b, 7c. The band-like section 14 has a pair of abutting sections 14b, 14c that can abut respective inner surfaces of both flanges 7b, 7c of a C-section steel 7, in an attachment attitude resulting from rotation from the insertion attitude by a predetermined angle.
US08973332B2
Disclosed is a framework connecting device of a prefabricated building structure. Each connection portion of frameworks, which are formed in the shape of a square pipe so as to form columns, rafters or the like, is connected and fixed by front and rear connection pieces and a plurality of bolts and nuts which penetrate the same, wherein, during assembly, the frameworks and the front and rear connection pieces are coupled by indented groves and protrusion portions. Base protrusions of the front and rear connection pieces are supported by the frameworks. One or more support pipes which are respectively connected and fixed by bolts and the nuts are provided between the front and rear connection pieces. Therefore, the assembling work may be readily and easily carried out while the strength of the connection portions is being reinforced.
US08973327B2
The present invention concerns a masonry wall panel assembly comprising a panel and a plurality of bricks. The panel is provided with a plurality of horizontally extending contiguous channels bounded by upper and lower protruding ribs, for fitting a row of bricks. Each channel is also fitted with a plurality of compressible retaining tabs positioned along the upper rib of each channel for retaining bricks inserted therein. The bricks are provided with at least one cavity and at least one compression area so that when a brick is inserted into a channel of the panel, the brick is positioned between the ribs such that the cavity of the brick faces one or more of the tabs located on the channel so that the tabs protrude into the cavity of the brick while at the same time compressing the compression area, thereby retaining the brick within the channel.
US08973320B2
An assembly for integrating an elongate structural member such as a post or a beam, and one or more panels is provided. The elongate structural member includes a notch defined within the elongate structural member. The notch includes a base surface and two side surfaces at opposite ends of the base surface. At least one of the side surfaces is tiered, with the tiered side surface including an inner portion and an outer portion that are substantially parallel to each other. The inner portion is substantially perpendicular and is adjacent to the base surface. The outer portion is offset from the inner portion and is positioned further away from the other side surface compared to the inner portion. A first panel is positioned within the notch and in contact with at least the base surface and the inner portion of the tiered surface. A second panel may also be positioned within the notch.
US08973318B2
A removable modular slab for use in the construction industry includes upper, lower, and first and second opposing end surfaces, and a conduit extending from the upper surface to an end surface. The slab is abuttable with a second removable modular slab, having: (i) a conduit extending from the upper surface to an end surface, and/or (ii) a cavity extending from an end surface into the slab, whereby the conduits mate to form an elongate conduit through the two slabs. By access through apertures in each slab, a first joining structure is removably locatable to join the two slabs. Cavities may terminate within the second slab and only be accessible through the upper surface of the first slab. A modular surface system includes two such slabs and a joining structure to join the two slabs together.
US08973308B1
A seating system with a platform and a table mounted on the platform. Four folding swivel seats are mounted and arranged in an arcuate arrangement around the table wherein each folding swivel seat has a seat portion, a back and a center of the seat portion. Each folding swivel seat is a seat distance wherein the seat distance is at least 8 inches to no more than 24 inches. Adjacent folding swivel seats are separated by a distance from the center of adjacent folding swivel seats. Two folding swivel seats are separated from a projection of a table flat portion.
US08973307B2
A door weather strip includes an upper extrusion molded part installed on a door sash on a roof side; a molded part without a slit thereon, connected to the upper extrusion molded part on a door corner part; and a lower extrusion molded part installed on a vertical part of the door sash and detachably inserted into the molded part; the upper and lower extrusion molded parts and the molded part having a base bottom part and a hollow seal member formed thereon, in which: a seal bead is formed on the molded part, the seal bead extending from an inner-cabin side toward an outer-cabin side relative to the base bottom part of the molded part on the roof side and descending along an outer-cabin side of a part of the molded part on the vertical part side of the door sash.
US08973298B2
A fishing lure assembly is disclosed which comprises a blade free to oscillate, yaw and produce a trailing wake as the fishing lure assembly is displaced through water. A weight is affixed to the fishing lure assembly, but inferiorly disposed such that the blade is free to oscillate and have a yaw divergence which is substantially unaffected by inertia of the weight. The fishing lure may be variably constructed to include one or more hooks and soft bait and hard bait bodies which are disposed to follow behind in the trailing wake. In one embodiment, a float is added to the lure assembly. In another embodiment, a combination of a frame and blade is disclosed, the blade being flexible and resilient and affixed to the frame such that the blade is securably affixed but replaceable in a fishing environment.
US08973297B2
Consistent with various embodiments, a firearm securing apparatus comprises a first surface configured and arranged to secure the apparatus to a support structure. Sidewalls extend away from the support structure and are configured and arranged to surround and support the butt of a firearm. A securing component is configured and arranged to prevent removal of the butt of the firearm from between the sidewalls.
US08973294B2
Box type ammunition clip that can be totally or partially fitted to an automatic and/or semiautomatic firearm 11, including a distance detection mechanism 25 that measures the distance between the ammunition push tile 22 and the base 28 of the rounds 21 clip 29.
US08973293B2
A label and labeling system for identifying the volume of a specimen within a specimen collection container are disclosed. The system includes providing a specimen collection container having an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a sidewall extending therebetween forming an interior adapted for receiving a specimen therein. The specimen collection container also includes a label having a label body disposed over at least a portion of the sidewall, in visual alignment with a colored background. At least one of the sidewall of the specimen collection container and the label body have printing disposed thereon having a color that is substantially identical to the colored background against which the specimen collection container will be viewed. At least one of the sidewall of the specimen collection container and the label body may have colorless indicia having a surface enhancement feature for providing visual distinction.
US08973291B2
A greeting card which contains a foam body covered by a front and rear surface material and one or more cavities contained therein for accommodating components of a sound and motor module. The greeting card contains a mobile object, which in a preferred embodiment includes a bundle of individual fiber strands. The bundle of fiber strands are attached to the motor module such that activation of the motor module cause the bundle of fiber strands to separate and spin or twirl. The bundle of fibers strands are attached to the motor through an opening in an upper perimeter surface of the foam body. The bundle of fibers together with the printed front and back surface material combine to resemble a character having a tuft of hair which spins upon activation of the motor module. The greeting card also contains a sound module which plays back audio upon activation.
US08973288B2
An article of footwear may include various first strands and second strands. The cutting and second strands may extend from an area proximal to lace-receiving elements to an area proximal to the sole structure. The first strands may have a substantially vertical orientation and the second strands may have a rearwardly-angled orientation. The first strands may be located in a midfoot region of the footwear and the second strands may be located in both the midfoot region and a heel region of the footwear. Angles between the first strands and the second strands may be at least 40 degrees. Additionally, the second strands may have at least fifty percent greater tensile strength than the first strands.
US08973286B1
Dryers and methods of using dryers are described herein. The dryer includes a housing, a drying chamber disposed within the housing, and a heating element. The dryer further includes an intake configured to supply intake air to the drying chamber. The dryer includes an exhaust configured to vent exhaust air out of the drying chamber. The dryer includes a pump coupled to the housing. The dryer further includes an energy recovery system coupled to the housing. The pump is configured to reduce the air pressure within the drying chamber. The energy recovery system includes a heat transfer fluid and is configured to use the heat transfer fluid to transfer thermal energy from the exhaust air to the drying chamber.
US08973276B2
The invention relates to a chainsaw having a front hand guard (20) including a protective structure (21), projecting in front of the front handle (5), pivotally attached to the engine housing (2) by at least one lever (25, 26) for activating a brake to brake the movement of the saw chain when being pivoted. The protective structure (21) includes see through means (24) enabling at least partial visibility through the protective structure (21), and twig preventing means for limiting the risk of objects such as twigs to get stuck in the protective structure (21).
US08973263B2
A method of manufacturing a carbon composite duct assembly includes providing a first carbon composite fabric layer having a first section. The first section is formed into a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is separately moveable relative to the second portion. The first portion overlaps the second portion to define a first corner of the first carbon composite fabric layer. The first carbon composite fabric layer is formed into at least a portion of a duct extending along an axis.
US08973261B2
A manufacturing method of an object having a conductive line includes the following steps. A hardening layer and a conductive line layer are formed in an in-mold roller (IMR) material in sequence. The conductive line layer is formed on a non-conductive substrate by an IMR process. A carrier sheet is then separated to expose the hardening layer. A connecting piece is formed on the hardening layer. The connecting piece runs through the hardening layer by a connection process, and the connecting piece is electrically connected to the conductive line layer. Therefore, an object structure having the conductive line is formed.
US08973260B2
A method of forming nanotube contact structures may include forming an interconnect layer over a portion of a layer of a microelectronics device and forming a nanotube layer over a portion of the interconnect layer. The nanotube layer may define openings through the nanotube layer. The method also may include forming self-aligned electrodes in the openings of the nanotube layer such that the self-aligned electrodes are formed only in openings in the nanotube layer that substantially reside over metal filled vias of the microelectronics device. In some examples, the self-aligned electrodes may be formed on the metal in the vias, and the self-aligned electrodes may not be formed in openings that do not reside over the metal filled vias.
US08973253B2
The object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus that allow production of metal plate chip resistors having a relatively low resistance with high accuracy and yield through simple process. The object is achieved by apparatus for manufacturing metal plate chip resistors including cutting mold for cutting intermediate product strip transversely to obtain worked product chip, ohm meter for measuring the resistance of the worked product chip, control device having a calculating part for performing a calculation using the resistance measured by the ohm meter to work out a width in which the strip is to be cut transversely so as to obtain a worked product chip of a desired resistance, and cutting width adjustor for making an adjustment so that the strip is to be cut transversely in the width obtained from the calculating part.
US08973247B2
In a method of supplying connecting elements to a processing unit, in which the connecting elements are placed in readiness by a supply unit and conveyed individually by a passage to a loading device arranged on the processing unit, the conveyance of the connecting elements takes place in two separate steps, a first step in which the connecting elements are individually conveyed by the supply unit into a intermediate reservoir arranged near the loading device, and a second step in which a single connecting element at a time is conveyed from the intermediate reservoir into the loading device of the processing unit. Specifically, at least two different connecting elements are picked up by the intermediate reservoir, and of the several connecting elements accommodated in the intermediate reservoir an arbitrary one determined by the processing operation is selected for the second step and conveyed to the loading device.
US08973246B2
An ultrasonic welding assembly having an ultrasonic horn and an anvil having first, second, and third plate portions is provided. The third plate portion is coupled between the first and second plate portions. The first plate portion has a first knurled region on a first side disposed proximate to the ultrasonic horn, and the second plate portion has a second knurled region on the first side. The third plate portion has a first aperture extending therethrough. The assembly further includes a bracket that receives the second side of the anvil for holding the anvil thereon. The bracket has a second aperture extending therethrough that aligns with the first aperture, such that a coupling member extending through the first and second apertures removably couples the anvil to the bracket.
US08973243B2
A manufacturing method of an integrally forged golf club head has acts of: forging a crude rod to form a blank of a main body of a golf club head, mounting a weight in a mounting recess of the blank of the main body of the golf club head, covering the mounting recess with an outer cover, and then welding and forging the blank of the main body of the golf club head and the outer cover to form a golf club head. Thus, the at least one weight is securely held in the golf club head and does not come off the golf club head, and also no noise occurs when the golf club head strikes a golf ball. Furthermore, the at least one weight is not exposed so that the golf club head has a good appearance and improved quality.
US08973239B2
An intravascular balloon catheter having an ultra soft tip. The catheter includes a braided reinforcement member extending substantially the length of the elongate shaft. A balloon is disposed at the distal end of the elongate shaft. An ultra soft tip is formed from a distal portion of balloon material extending distal of the distal end of the elongate shaft.
US08973231B1
High precision capacitors and methods for forming the same utilizing a precise and highly conformal deposition process for depositing an insulating layer on substrates of various roughness and composition are disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of depositing a first insulating layer on a metal substrate by atomic layer deposition (ALD); (b) forming a first capacitor electrode on the first insulating layer; and (c) forming a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer and on or adjacent to the first capacitor electrode. The methods provide an improved deposition process that produces a highly conformal insulating layer on a wide range of substrates, and thereby, an improved capacitor.
US08973225B2
A structured surface, which includes a thermoplastic backing sheet and a first upstanding element, is disclosed. The first upstanding element includes multiple, spaced-apart posts and a single cap at the distal ends of the multiple, spaced-apart posts. The structured surface furthermore typically includes a plurality of spaced-apart, upstanding posts with caps on their distal ends, where the ratio of the caps to the posts is less than one-to-one. Also disclosed is a method of making a structured surface. The method includes providing a thermoplastic backing sheet with a plurality of spaced-apart, upstanding posts; and deforming the distal ends to form caps on at least some of the spaced-apart, upstanding posts. At least some of the caps upon forming touch at least one adjacent cap to form a conjoined cap at the distal ends of multiple posts.
US08973224B2
There is provided a slide fastener in which one of the fastener stringers is separated from a tape insertion path at one side of a body in the width direction when a lateral pulling force directed outward in the width direction of the fastener tapes is applied to a pair of fastener stringers. At least one opposing surfaces of an upper and lower flange at one side of the body in the width direction has a protrusion on the rear end portion thereof, and the opposing surfaces of the upper and lower flanges at one side of the body in the width direction respectively have straight portions which are parallel with each other except for the position at which the protrusion is formed.
US08973219B2
A detaching roller apparatus in a combing machine includes a detaching roller and a plurality of electric motors. The detaching roller has a first end and a second end. The electric motors are connected to the detaching roller at positions adjacent to at least one of the first and second ends of the detaching roller for driving the detaching roller reversibly. The electric motors are synchronized.
US08973212B2
A surface cleaning apparatus comprises an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, an air treatment member and a suction motor. The surface cleaning apparatus comprises a main body comprising a front end, a rear end and a filter compartment. A pair of spaced apart wheels may be mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus. One of the wheels overlies the filter compartment and at least a portion of the filter is visible through the wheel.
US08973210B2
Provided is a robot cleaner. In an embodiment, the robot cleaner for avoiding obstacles and sucking foreign materials using a plurality of sensors and a suction motor is characterized in that a drive suppression unit for detecting obstacles having a corresponding height is integrated with a base for forming a lower portion of a main body in order to not climb obstacles of a constant height during a driving period of the robot cleaner. The present disclosure according to the embodiment improves drive stability of the robot cleaner by sensing a threshold in erroneous state of the sensor for sensing the threshold.
US08973190B2
A method of making foam imparts antimicrobial and antiodorant qualities to the foam. Green tea powder is added to the polyol raw materials for making memory foam. The green tea memory foam is used to make pillows, cushions and mattresses. Green tea foam in the top layer of a mattress acts as an antiodorant such that less of the chemical smell of the memory foam is perceived by the user. In addition, the bacteria and mold that would otherwise develop in the moist warmer sleeping environment on memory foam are killed by the green tea additive to the foam. Measurable antimicrobial and antiodorant qualities in the green tea foam are achievable by adding green tea powder constituting less than 2% of the weight of the resulting green tea foam. A neck-support contour pillow is made using memory foam that contains green tea and a green dye.
US08973171B2
Protective headwear includes a body, band, cuff, and plurality of inserts. The body has an opening and a crown, and is configured to fit a head of a person. The band extends about the opening to an interior of the body and partially toward the crown. The band is free floating with respect to the body and configured to fit the head of the person. The band includes a plurality of pockets disposed about a base stitching that secures the band to the body. The cuff extends about the body and away from the crown, and incorporates a cuff element. The inserts are configured to be received into the pockets to provide a protective function to the head of the person. The inserts are disposed adjacently to one another about the band and extend from the base stitching of the band to the crown of the body.
US08973169B2
Protective garments having a modular storage system that enables the wearer to move and customize the position of pockets and other storage features, and hence the location of tools and other apparatus or accessories. The protective garment, including the modular storage system, are fire resistant such that they are in compliance with National Fire Protection Association and European Norm standards for firefighting garments set by the European Committee for Standardization, which is also known as Comité Européen de Normalisation, and may be integral with the protective garment.
US08973162B1
A garment consists of a close-fitting sleeve body formed of a stretch textile, and which includes an open upper end, an open lower end, and a body-receiving volume extending through the sleeve body from the open upper end to the open lower end. Opposed, spaced-apart, surface-gripping parts are applied exteriorly to the sleeve body near the open upper end and the open lower end, respectively. The surface-gripping parts are each formed of a gripping material different from the stretch textile, and the gripping material is slightly sticky or adhesive so as to cause the surface-gripping parts to grip, and to resist slipping relative to, surfaces they come in direct contact with without leaving a resulting residue on touched surfaces.
US08978161B2
A mechanism is provided for sequencing a biopolymer. The biopolymer is traversed from a first medium to a second medium. The biopolymer includes bases. As the biopolymer traverses from the first medium to the second medium, different forces are measured corresponding to each of the bases. The bases are distinguished from one another according to the different measured forces which are measured for each of the bases.
US08978155B2
In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes: storing data for a file, organized as blocks, each having a portion of the file; and maintaining a skip list for the data. The skip list is an ordered tree structure having a root node, internal nodes and leaf nodes. Each leaf node corresponds to a block. Each node has a rank value corresponding to size of a subtree rooted at the node. The skip list employs a hashing scheme. The hash value of the root node and internal nodes is computed from a level of the node, the rank value and an interval between the node and another linked node to the right of or below the node. The hash value of the leaf nodes is computed from a level of the node, the rank value and an interval associated with the node.
US08978141B2
Disclosed system and methods for detecting malware by performing behavioral malware analysis using malware trigger scenarios. In one aspect, a method for malware detection includes providing a plurality of malware trigger scenarios specifying different sets of malware trigger events known to trigger malicious behavior in malicious software. The method further includes executing a software program in a computer environment and creating one more malware trigger events as specified in the malware trigger scenarios. The method further includes monitoring execution events of the software program in the computer environment and determining based on the analysis of the monitored execution events whether the software program exhibits malicious behavior. When the software program exhibits malicious behavior, performing remedial actions on the software program. When the software program does not exhibit malicious behavior, selecting another scenario from the plurality of malware trigger scenarios for malware testing of the software program.
US08978138B2
The present invention provides a technique for validating TCP communication between a client requesting resources and a server providing requested resources to protect the specified server from a denial of service attack wherein a plurality of clients initiate communication with a server, but do not complete the communication for the purpose of denying service to the server from other legitimate clients. Through systematic transmission regulation of TCP packets, an intermediary apparatus or set of apparatuses, can, to a high degree of certainty, validate client connections to protect the server from this saturated condition. The communication is then reproduced by the apparatus or apparatuses.
US08978134B2
The invention discloses a security configuration verification device for performing a security configuration verification on a network device, which comprises: one or more preconfigured scanning policies; a scanning policy generator, which selects a scanning policy from the one or more preconfigured scanning policies to generate a new scanning policy corresponding to the network device; and a scanner, which performs the security scanning on the network device with the generated new scanning policy and thereby performs the security configuration verification. The invention also discloses a corresponding security configuration verification method and a network system employing the verification device.
US08978130B2
Methods and systems for child authentication are described. In one embodiment, a communication enablement request may be received to enable electronic communications between a first child and a second child. A confirmation acceptance code may be electronically generated. The confirmation acceptance code may be associated with the first child and the second child. The confirmation acceptance code may be received from a parental representative of the second child. The electronic communication may be enabled between the first child and the second child based on the receiving of the confirmation acceptance code from the parental representative of the second child. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.
US08978113B2
An apparatus, a method, and a computer program product of a wireless device are provided in which a first device identifier of a wireless device is provided. An allocation record is received that includes an expression used for discovery, a second device identifier, and at least one of a digital signature of a first server that delegates the expression or a digital signature of a second server that manages the expression. The allocation record is verified. An apparatus, a method, and a computer program product of a first server are provided in which a device identifier is received from a wireless device. An allocation record is generated that includes an expression used for discovery, the device identifier, and at least one of a digital signature of the first server or a digital signature of a second server that manages the expression. The allocation record is sent.
US08978111B2
The present disclosure involves a system. The system includes a computer memory storage module configured to store executable computer programming code. The system includes a computer processor module operatively coupled to the computer memory storage module. The computer processor module is configured to execute the computer programming code to perform the following operations: detecting, from a mobile electronic device, a request to engage in an activity electronically; receiving sensor data gathered by one or more sensors of the mobile electronic device; determining, based on the sensor data received from the mobile electronic device, whether the request to engage in the activity is authorized by a user of the mobile electronic device; and alerting the user if it has been determined that the request to engage in the activity is unauthorized.
US08978110B2
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to identifying email resources associated with client devices, identifying resource rules, determining whether the email resources satisfy the resource rules, and modifying the email resources as well as the ability to access the email resources based on the resource rules if the resource rules are not satisfied by the email resources.
US08978109B2
An electronic control device for a vehicle configured to be able to rewrite a program related to vehicle control by connecting an external device with the vehicle and by accessing an in-vehicle LAN includes a portable authentication terminal separated from the external device; an in-vehicle authentication system connected with the in-vehicle LAN, configured to authenticate the portable authentication terminal and to be able to transmit a authentication result to the in-vehicle LAN; a repeater configured to relay communications between the external device and the in-vehicle LAN; and a communication authorization unit connected to the in-vehicle LAN and configured to authorize the communications between the external device and the in-vehicle LAN through the repeater if receiving the authentication result of a successful authentication of the portable authentication terminal by the in-vehicle authentication system.
US08978108B2
A method, device and system for service presentation, which includes: receiving a presentation request message; acquiring presentation information from the presentation request message; storing the presentation information; when the presentee accesses the presented content, receiving an authentication and rating request message transmitted from the service enabling component; performing authenticating and rating according to the authentication and rating request message and the stored presentation information. The present invention is applicable to presenting content type services and so on.
US08978102B2
Methods, devices, and systems are disclosed for simulating a large, realistic computer network. Virtual actors statistically emulate the behaviors of humans using networked devices or responses and automatic functions of networked equipment, and their stochastic actions are queued in buffer pools by a behavioral engine. An abstract machine engine creates the minimal interfaces needed for each actor, and the interfaces then communicate persistently over a network with each other and real and virtual network resources to form realistic network traffic. The network can respond to outside stimuli, such as a network mapping application, by responding with false views of the network in order to spoof hackers, and the actors can respond by altering a software defined network upon which they operate.
US08978090B2
Digital multimedia is broadcast by a wireless provider by first decoding incoming multimedia streams and then encoding each stream using one of at least two encoding parameter sets as appropriate for the particular user or groups of users to receive the stream.
US08978088B2
A system comprises television equipment and a number of portable electronic devices. The television equipment includes a large display and control circuitry. The control circuitry receives media content and media guidance data for display on the display. The control circuitry also includes communication components for communicating with the portable electronic devices. The portable electronic devices are operable for displaying video and communicating with the television equipment. A method comprises the steps of receiving media guidance information with a first portable electronic device; transmitting at least some of the media guidance information from the first portable electronic device to the control circuitry of the television equipment; and displaying the media guidance information from the first portable electronic device on the display of the television equipment while simultaneously displaying media content or media guidance information received from a source other than the first portable electronic device.
US08978085B2
Described herein are devices and methods for facilitating the transmission of an upstream data signal from at least one subscriber in a communications network. The device is operable to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal from one or more subscribers. The RF signal includes at least one upstream data signal. The RF signal is demodulated into the upstream data signal by a RF demodulator in the device, which is then converted into an optical signal by an optical transducer in the device for transmission over a fiber optic link in the network.
US08978064B2
A hybrid passive-interactive program guide is generated by combining the features of an interactive program guide with the passive video portion of a passive program guide. The interactive guide may replace passive listings with interactive listings, replace passive features with interactive features, provide supplemental advertisements, or replace passive tagging information with interactive tagging information. Users may be provided with an opportunity to purchase a program or product being advertised, to view listings for segments aired in the video portion of the passive guide, to schedule reminders for listings or video segments that are displayed by the passive guide, or to schedule video segments and related information for recording.
US08978062B2
An apparatus and a method are provided for processing audio and/or video data comprising a module for displaying an element comprising at least one absolute time or at least one time indicator, wherein a sector or portion associated with the element indicates a duration or a length of the audio and/or video data, wherein time marks are displayed that are set automatically or by user interaction.
US08978061B2
To provide an image content providing method capable of promoting advertisement effect by dynamically inserting an advertisement image to a distributed image content, an image content reproducing apparatus requests an image content providing apparatus to distribute the image content. Then, the image content is distributed to the image content reproducing apparatus and a viewer can utilize the image content. At this occasion, the image content providing apparatus distributes the image content, detects an advertisement inserting position and requests an advertisement image providing apparatus to distribute an advertisement image. Then, the advertisement image providing apparatus selects the advertisement image to be inserted to the image content and transmits thereof to the image content providing apparatus. Thereafter, the image content providing apparatus inserts the advertisement image to a position of the image content for inserting the advertisement and distributes thereof to the image content reproducing apparatus.
US08978057B2
The concept of profiling the STB (01) through the Smart Cards (02) as per the service provider specific requirements makes towards interoperability. Smart cards (02) are embedded with greater operator specific intelligence. The scheme used in the present invention mainly focuses on downloading of profiling data from smart card (02) to the STB (01) and pushing CAS implementation fully from STB to Smart card (02).
US08978054B2
There is provided a cartridge including a running portion which causes both end portions of a disc-shaped recording medium to run, and a pressing portion which presses one end portion of the disc-shaped recording medium to press the other end portion against the running portion. Static friction coefficients of a portion of the pressing portion coming in contact with the one end portion and a portion of the running portion coming in contact with the other end portion are different.
US08978051B2
A method and a device for displaying an application image are provided, and the method includes the following steps: receiving a display request from a second operating system, and reading the application image stored in a storage area; judging whether it is required to process the application image through a window manager according to the configuration of the local image display system, and if required, sending the application image to the window manager, and sending the application image processed by the window manager to a display graphics library for processing; if not, directly sending the application image to the display graphics library for processing; and acquiring the location of the display memory through a display driver, sending the application image processed by the display graphics library to the display memory, and displaying the application image through the display memory. Using the solution, the application image of the installable operating system can be displayed in the local operating system.
US08978031B2
According to one embodiment, a server includes an accelerated network interface card (NIC), the accelerated NIC including a plurality of network ports including multiple Peripheral Component Interconnect express (PCIe) ports, an Overlay Network Offload System (ONOS), the ONOS including logic adapted for providing overlay functionality to network traffic received by the accelerated NIC, a first receiving/transmitting (RX/TX) packet buffer adapted for caching network traffic sent to or received from a network, a second RX/TX packet buffer adapted for caching the network traffic received from or sent to the server, and an Ethernet controller adapted for interfacing with the network. The server also includes a hypervisor coupled to one or more virtual machines (VMs) and a NIC driver adapted for interfacing with and supporting the accelerated NIC, wherein the NIC driver includes logic adapted for managing operations of the accelerated NIC.
US08978024B2
A method for firmware update coordination in a federated computing system can include receiving in a host one of different computers coupled to one another in a federated computing system, different version levels of firmware versions in peer ones of the different computers. The method additionally can include recording in a compatibility list in the host computer, different version levels of firmware versions for respectively different peer ones of the computers. The method yet further can include selecting a firmware update to be applied to the host computer and comparing a version level of the selected firmware update to the different version levels in the compatibility list. Finally, the firmware update can be applied to the host computer only if the version level of the selected firmware update is present in the compatibility list, but otherwise rejecting the firmware update.
US08978020B2
In an aspect, the present application relates to a computer-implemented method, computer system, and computer program product for (automatically) generating reusable test components to test software applications. The computer-implemented method for generating reusable test components to test software applications may comprise: accessing an object model relating to at least part of a software application; and generating at least one test component applicable to test the software application, comprising: analyzing the object model, generating a meta-description from the object model and store the meta information in at least one descriptor according to a meta model, and generating the test component and a corresponding component implementation based on the descriptor.
US08978006B2
Systems and methods for developing, customizing, and deploying mobile device business applications are provided through a mobile application development and deployment platform. Preferably, these systems and methods are implemented in an Internet based environment that allows non-technical users to build highly-customizable cross-platform mobile applications. The platform allows users to select, input, create, customize, and combine various content, design characteristics, database structure, and application components, such as modules, some of which allow an end user to store and access data in an end user database for business applications. In certain embodiments, the platform allows users to compile and generate a configuration file for the mobile application that can be distributed to end users for execution on various mobile devices and mobile operating systems. When the mobile application is installed on, or executed by the mobile device, the configuration file may enable the retrieval of data associated with the mobile application.
US08978005B2
A process of optimizing a resistor-2 resistor (R-2R) digital-to-analog converter (DAC) by partial resistor network reconfiguration is disclosed. The method includes analyzing a circuit to determine whether any specifications are outside predetermined limits. The method further includes determining one or more addresses that cause the circuit to be outside of the predetermined limits. The method further includes defining logic to detect address information and control function to alter the circuit to improve the specifications. The method further includes installing the control function into the circuit to improve the specifications.
US08978004B2
A layout of a standard cell is created by prioritizing routability characteristics of the standard cell layout. The routability characteristics are prioritized so that the characteristics that are more likely to enhance routing efficiency are emphasized in the cell layout. The prioritization of the routability characteristics can be indicated by a set of weights, with each weight in the set indicating the priority of a corresponding routability characteristic of the standard cell layout. The weights can be used to calculate a weighted sum of the routability characteristics of the standard cell, thereby providing a way to efficiently compare the routability of different standard cell layouts.
US08977989B2
Handling of flat data for phase processing including growing shapes within bins to identify clusters
Definition of a phase shifting layout from an original layout can be time consuming. If the original layout is divided into useful groups, i.e. clusters that can be independently processed, then the phase shifting process can be performed more rapidly. If the shapes on the layout are enlarged, then the overlapping shapes can be grouped together to identify shapes that should be processed together. For large layouts, growing and grouping the shapes can be time consuming. Therefore, an approach that uses bins can speed up the clustering process, thereby allowing the phase shifting to be performed in parallel on multiple computers. Additional efficiencies result if identical clusters are identified and processing time saved so that repeated clusters of shapes only undergo the computationally expensive phase shifter placement and assignment process a single time.
US08977988B2
A method of optical proximity correction executed by a computer system and integrated circuit layout formed by the same, the step of optical proximity correction comprises: providing an integrated circuit layout with a plurality of parallel line patterns, wherein one side of at least one line pattern is provided with a convex portion; and modifying the integrated circuit layout by forming a concave portion corresponding to the convex portion at the other side of the line pattern.
US08977980B2
A display scrolling method includes the steps of displaying first and second windows on a display screen of a display; displaying first information in a predetermined order in the first window; displaying second information in a predetermined order in the second window; and scrolling the first and second information in synchronization with each other, wherein the resolution of the scrolling of at least one of the first and second information is set at a magnitude corresponding to the unit of the classification of the information.
US08977971B2
Metadata generation systems and methods are described. An example computer-implemented method of automatically generating metadata used to develop graphical user interfaces includes scanning an image of a user interface to detect a candidate region on the image, the candidate region being potentially associated with a user interface component. The example method includes analyzing the candidate region to identify a user interface component contained therein by comparing a potential user interface component to user interface definitions stored in a database to identify one of the user interface definitions associated therewith. The example method includes extracting one or more properties of the identified user interface component and generating metadata based on the user interface definition associated with the identified user interface component and the extracted properties.
US08977965B1
The invention provides for a system, method, and computer readable medium storing instructions related to controlling a presentation in a multimodal system. The method embodiment of the invention is a method for the retrieval of information on the basis of its content for real-time incorporation into an electronic presentation. The method comprises receiving from a presenter a content-based request for at least one segment of a first plurality of segments within a media presentation and while displaying the media presentation to an audience, displaying to the presenter a second plurality of segments in response to the content-based request. The computing device practicing the method receives a selection from the presenter of a segment from the second plurality of segments and displays to the audience the selected segment.
US08977960B2
A system and a method in a computer-enabled environment are provided. The method includes the following steps: determining a user reputation of a user designator in response to a user rank of the user designator and an avatar rank of each of at least one avatar designator which is associated with the user designator; and determining an avatar reputation of that avatar designator in response to the avatar rank of that avatar designator and the user rank of the user designator, wherein the user designator corresponds to a real world user, the avatar designator corresponds to a user function in a visualized world of the computer-enabled environment, and each of the at least one avatar designator is manipulatable by the real world user.
US08977956B2
In one implementation, a document aesthetics evaluation system accesses a plurality of content layout descriptors associated with a document template and a plurality of aesthetics measures. Each aesthetics measure from the plurality of aesthetics measures being assigned by a designer to a content layout descriptor from the plurality of content layout descriptors. The document aesthetics evaluation system also defines a content layout model for the document template based on the plurality of content layout descriptors and the plurality of aesthetics measures.
US08977953B1
A system and method for obtaining information embedded in unstructured text is provided. The method comprising generating computer-readable annotations based on the unstructured text, at least one of the computer-readable annotations comprising an indication of a linguistic feature. A pair of the computer-readable annotations may be used to generate at least one computer-readable relation between the pair. The annotations and/or relations may be stored as characteristic data structures in a database. A query comprising at least one criterion may be received. In response to the query, an information result may be generated based on at least one of the characteristic data structures stored in the database.
