US09041496B2

The adjustable resonator according to the invention has a casing, which is composed of walls, a lid and a bottom, a resonator cavity inside the casing and an internal conductor inside the resonator cavity, which internal conductor is in electric contact with the casing. The resonator further comprises a moveable adjustment piece, which comprises a conductive adjustment member, a conductive upper plate, and a dielectric support member. The adjustment member has a stem, which is vertical, and a cap as an expansion thereof. The adjustment member can be moved downwards so that its stem and the fixed internal conductor connected to the bottom of the resonator go within each other. The movement of the adjustment piece in the coaxial resonator first decreases the resonance frequency and then slowly increases it. Therefore the resonator provides a very wide adjustment area for the resonance frequency.
US09041495B2

A cavity filter includes a slider, a driving device, and an adapter. The slider is used to slide relative to and couple with a plurality of resonators located in the cavity filter to adjust a resonating frequency of the cavity filter. The driving device is used to drive the slider slide relative to the plurality of resonators and includes a shaft having a free end. The adapter is installed between the slider and the driving device and rotateably connected to the free end of the shaft with a gap configured between the free end and the adapter.
US09041490B2

A de-noise circuit and a de-noise method for differential signals and a chip for receiving differential signals are provided. The de-noise circuit includes a filter and a register. Both the filter and the register are disposed in the chip. The chip receives a differential signal through a first input terminal and a second input terminal. The filter is coupled between the first input terminal and the second input terminal of the chip. The filter filters out noises in the differential signal. The filter includes at least one filter unit. Each filter unit has at least one resistance value or at least one capacitance value. The register is coupled to the filter. The register receives and stores a control value. The register controls the resistance value or the capacitance value of at least one of the filter units based on the control value.
US09041484B2

Embodiments of resonator circuits and modulating resonators and are described generally herein. One or more acoustic wave resonators may be coupled in series or parallel to generate tunable filters. One or more acoustic wave resonances may be modulated by one or more capacitors or tunable capacitors. One or more acoustic wave modules may also be switchable in a filter. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09041477B2

An apparatus is disclosed that includes a first cross-coupled transistor pair, a second cross-coupled transistor pair, at least one capacitance unit, and an inductive unit. The first cross-coupled transistor pair and second cross-coupled transistor pair are coupled to a pair of first output nodes and a pair of second output nodes, respectively. The at least one capacitance unit is coupled to at least one of the pair of first output nodes and the pair of second output nodes. The inductive unit is coupled to the first cross-coupled transistor pair at the first output nodes and coupled to the second cross-coupled transistor pair at the second output nodes. The inductive unit generates mutual magnetic coupling between one of the first output nodes and one of the second output nodes and between the other of the first output nodes and the other of the second output nodes.
US09041472B2

A power amplifier module includes a power amplifier including a GaAs bipolar transistor having a collector, a base abutting the collector, and an emitter, the collector having a doping concentration of at least about 3×1016 cm−3 at a junction with the base, the collector also having at least a first grading in which doping concentration increases away from the base; and an RF transmission line driven by the power amplifier, the RF transmission line including a conductive layer and finish plating on the conductive layer, the finish plating including a gold layer, a palladium layer proximate the gold layer, and a diffusion barrier layer proximate the palladium layer, the diffusion barrier layer including nickel and having a thickness that is less than about the skin depth of nickel at 0.9 GHz. Other embodiments of the module are provided along with related methods and components thereof.
US09041470B2

A semiconductor package device comprises a radio frequency power transistor having an output port operably coupled to a single de-coupling capacitance located within the semiconductor package device. The single de-coupling capacitance is arranged to provide both high frequency decoupling and low frequency decoupling of signals output from the radio frequency power transistor.
US09041460B2

A power package is provided comprising a packaged transistor and a driving unit connected to the transistor and adapted to drive the transistor. A control terminal of the transistor is connected to a middle terminal pin of the housing of the transistor and outer terminal pins of the housing are connected to the driving unit and to a voltage level, respectively, wherein the connections are crossing free.
US09041458B2

An apparatus includes a biquad filter having first and second lossy integrators and multiple input networks. Each lossy integrator includes an amplifier, and each input network is coupled to an input of the amplifier in one of the lossy integrators. Each input network includes multiple resistors and a capacitor arranged in a T-structure. In a single-ended configuration, each input network includes a grounded capacitor. In a fully-differential configuration, each input network includes one of: a grounded capacitor and a floating capacitor coupled to another input network. The amplifiers and resistors could form a portion of an integrated circuit chip, which also includes multiple input/output pins. A single grounded capacitor could be coupled to a single input/output pin of the integrated circuit chip for an input network. A single floating capacitor could be coupled to two input/output pins of the integrated circuit chip for a pair of input networks.
US09041457B2

An electronic apparatus includes a switching element which has a control terminal and is driven by controlling voltage of the control terminal, a driving power supply circuit which supplies voltage required for driving the switching element, an on-driving circuit which is connected to the driving power supply circuit and the control terminal of the switching element and is supplied with voltage from the driving power supply circuit, and which applies a constant current to the control terminal of the switching element to charge the control terminal, thereby turning on the switching element, and at least one diode which is connected between the on-driving circuit and the control terminal of the switching element. The on-driving circuit applies a constant current to the control terminal of the switching element through the diode.
US09041454B2

A noise resistant switch control circuit is provided. The circuit includes a low pass filter configured to couple to a first terminal of a switch and a first voltage clamp coupled to the low pass filter. The first voltage clamp is configured to couple to a control terminal of the switch and limit a voltage of the control terminal relative to the first terminal to within a first clamping range. The circuit includes a second voltage clamp coupled to an input terminal of the switch control circuit. The second voltage clamp is configured to couple to the control terminal of the switch. The second voltage clamp is further configured to reduce a level of a control voltage coupled to the second voltage clamp. The circuit includes a bias device configured to couple to the control terminal of the switch and to impress a biasing voltage to the control terminal.
US09041447B2

A receiver circuit includes a first amplification unit, a second amplification unit, a first equalizing unit, and a second equalizing unit. The first amplification unit is configured to differentially amplify an input signal and a reference signal and generate a first intermediate output signal and a second intermediate output signal. The second amplification unit is configured to differentially amplify the first and second intermediate output signals and generate an output signal. The first equalizing unit is configured to control the level of the second intermediate output signal in response to the output signal. And the second equalizing unit is configured to control the level of the first intermediate output signal in response to the output signal.
US09041443B2

A digital phase locked loop (DPLL), a method of operating the same, and a device including the same are provided. The DPLL includes a digitally-controlled oscillator configured to change a frequency and a phase of an output oscillation signal in response to a digital control code; a main divider configured to divide the frequency of the output oscillation signal and generate a first feedback signal based on the divided frequency; and a phase-to-digital converter configured to subdivide the phase of the output oscillation signal and to generate a quantized code by converting a phase difference between a reference signal and the first feedback signal using a phase-subdivided signal resulting from the subdivision. The digital control code is generated based on the quantized code.
US09041436B2

To reduce power supply noises occurring in a control circuit unit for controlling an output buffer. A semiconductor device includes unit buffers for driving a data output terminal, impedance control circuits for controlling the unit buffers, and a control circuit unit for controlling the impedance control circuits. The impedance control circuits and the control circuit unit operate by mutually-different power supplies, the control circuit unit supplies pull-up data and pull-down data in mutually reverse phase to the impedance control circuits, and the impedance control circuits convert the pull-up data and the pull-down data from reverse phase to in-phase and supply the same to the unit buffers. Thereby, a noise is difficult to occur in a power supply VDD used for the control circuit unit.
US09041430B2

An integrated circuit (IC) with a novel configurable routing fabric is provided. The configurable routing fabric has signal paths that propagate signals between user registers on user clock cycles. Each signal path includes a set of configurable storage elements and a set of configurable logic elements. Each configurable storage element in the path is reconfigurable on every sub-cycle of the user clock cycle to either store an incoming signal or to pass the incoming signal transparently.
US09041429B2

The disclosure relates generally to sequential state elements (SSEs), triple-mode redundant state machines (TMRSMs), and methods and systems for testing triple-mode redundant pipeline stages (TMRPSs) within the TMRSMs using triple-mode redundant SSEs (TMRSSEs). The SSEs, TMRSMs, TMRPSs, and TMRSSEs may be formed as integrated circuits on a semiconductor substrate. Of particular focus in this disclosure are SSEs used to sample and hold bit states. Embodiments of the SSEs have a self-correcting mechanism to protect against radiation-induced soft errors. The SSE may be provided in a pipeline circuit of a TMRSM to receive and store a bit state of a bit signal generated by combinational circuits within the pipeline circuit. More specifically, the SSEs may be provided in a TMRSSE configured to perform self-correction. Also disclosed are methods for using the TMRSSE to test redundant pipeline stages of the TMRSM.
US09041427B2

A quantum information processing system includes a waveguide having an aperture, a non-linear quantum circuit disposed in the waveguide and an electromagnetic control signal source coupled to the aperture.
US09041416B2

Wireless sensors configured to record and transmit data as well as sense and, optionally, actuate to monitor physical properties of an environment and, optionally, effect changes within that environment. In one aspect, the wireless sensor can have a power harvesting unit; a voltage regulation unit, a transducing oscillator unit, and a transmitting coil. The voltage regulation unit is electrically coupled to the power harvesting unit and is configured to actuate at a minimum voltage level. The transducing oscillator unit is electrically coupled to the voltage regulation unit and is configured to convert a sensed physical property into an electrical signal. Also, the transmitting coil is configured to receive the electrical signal and to transmit the electrical signal to an external antenna.
US09041413B2

An electric leakage detection apparatus may quickly detect an electric leakage. An electric leakage detection apparatus includes a pulse generator that supplies a pulse to a coupling capacitor, a voltage detector that detects a voltage at the coupling capacitor, an electric leakage determination unit that compares the voltage detected by the voltage detector to a first threshold and determines presence or absence of the electric leakage of a DC power supply based on a comparison result. The electric leakage detection apparatus also includes a discharge determination unit that compares the voltage detected by the voltage detector to a second threshold lower than the first threshold and determines whether the detection voltage becomes lower than the second threshold by a discharge of the coupling capacitor. The pulse generator generates a new pulse when the discharge determination unit determines that the detection voltage becomes lower than the second threshold.
US09041409B1

An integrated circuit structure can include a plurality of solder bumps coupled in series forming a chain and a plurality of diodes, wherein each diode is coupled to one of the plurality of solder bumps. The integrated circuit structure also can include a first pad coupled to the solder bump of the plurality of solder bumps at an end of the chain. The first pad can be configured to provide a test current responsive to application of a forward bias voltage to each diode of the plurality of diodes.
US09041400B2

An apparatus that includes two non-coinciding arrangements disposed in an two axes Cartesian coordinate system such that each arrangement having a non-zero projection on a respective axis from among the two axes. Each one of the arrangements includes a pair of oppositely directed, spaced apart, co-axial radiating-capable elements, each of the elements being hollow with internal space, and being slotted throughout its entire extent. A first circuitry coupled to the arrangement and being configured to sense an electric field projection along the axis and to convey it to a first feeding terminal. A second circuitry coupled to a slot of the arrangement and being configured to sense a magnetic field's projection along said axis and to convey it to a first feeding terminal.
US09041398B2

An RF transmit and/or receive antenna is disclosed, especially in the form of a coil structure or coil or loop arrangement, having one or more removable conductors, especially for use in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system or a magnetic resonance (MR) scanner, for transmitting RF excitation signals (Bi field) for exciting nuclear magnetic resonances (NMR), and/or for receiving NMR relaxation signals. The RF antenna is provided such that it can be adapted in an easy way according to an application which either requires a large opening through the RF antenna or a parallel imaging capability.
US09041394B2

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes an executing unit, a calculating unit, and a correcting unit. The executing unit executes a first pre-scan in which a readout gradient magnetic field and a phase encoding gradient magnetic field are not applied and sampling gradient magnetic fields is applied in a phase encoding direction and a second pre-scan in which the readout gradient magnetic field is not applied, the sampling gradient magnetic field is applied at the same echo signal as that in the first pre-scan, and a representative phase encoding gradient magnetic field in a main scan. The calculating unit calculates the amount of correction from phase differences between the echo signals collected by the first pre-scan and between the echo signals collected by the second pre-scan. The correcting unit corrects the pulse sequence for the main scan on the basis of the calculated amount of correction.
US09041392B2

There is provided a current sensor capable of performing malfunction determination with high accuracy even under the influence of an adscititious magnetic field. A current sensor includes first and second current sensor units, a computation unit, a storage unit, and a determination processing unit. The first current sensor unit measures a target current. The first and second current sensor units have almost the same sensitivity. The computation unit calculates and outputs an addition value and a difference value of outputs of the first and second current sensor units. In the storage unit, the addition and difference values output from the computation unit are stored. The determination processing unit determines whether a malfunction has occurred by using the addition and difference values stored in the storage unit. The determination processing unit determines that a malfunction has occurred, in a case where there is a correlation between the addition and difference values.
US09041391B2

Various embodiments can be generally directed to a magnetoresistive stack with a first stripe height and a biasing magnet positioned adjacent the magnetoresistive stack. The biasing magnet can have a second stripe height that is less than the first stripe height. The first and second stripe heights may correspond to a minimum signal to noise ratio in the magnetoresistive stack.
US09041385B2

A position detecting device for detecting a positional relationship between a first component and a second component includes a marking arrangement which is provided on the first component and has an absolute track and an incremental track. The absolute track has a plurality of absolute markings from which a binary absolute code sequence can be read, and the incremental track has a plurality of incremental markings which are associated with the absolute markings and from which an alternating incremental sequence can be read. A sensor arrangement provided on the second component and is configured to scan the absolute markings and the incremental markings. The absolute code sequence is formed from a first and a second De Bruijn sequence of order N which follow one another.
US09041379B2

A bootstrap assist circuit and a startup circuit comprising a voltage controlled switch and a startup ramp voltage generator connected to the voltage controlled switch that will control a high side switch, a dimming interface or an enable/disable input function. Said system is used to provide a bootstrap technique to continuously switch a floating high side switch (MOSFET) by continuously charging a capacitor and then “level shifting” said capacitor voltage across the gate and source of the said high side switch to turn the switch on.
US09041376B2

A synchronous DC-DC converter having a soft-stop function includes an output stage for supplying an output voltage, wherein the output stage includes a high-side transistor for charging the output voltage and a low-side transistor for discharging the output voltage; an output control circuit, coupled to the output stage, for controlling the high-side transistor and the low-side transistor of the output stage; at least one protection device, for controlling the high-side transistor to be turned off when a specific situation occurs, in order to stop supplying the output voltage; and a soft-stop control circuit, coupled to the output control circuit, for controlling the low-side transistor of the output stage to be turned on when the protection device controls the high-side transistor to be turned off or the synchronous DC-DC converter is disabled, in order to discharge the output voltage.
US09041374B2

A power converting circuit includes an upper gate switch, a transistor, a current source circuit, a comparator circuit, a delay circuit, and a pulse width modulation signal generating circuit. The transistor and the current source circuit provide a reference signal. The comparator circuit generates a comparing signal according to the reference signal and an output signal provided by the upper gate switch. The delay circuit generates a delay signal according to the comparing signal and a clock signal. The pulse width modulation signal generating circuit generates a control signal for the upper gate switch according to the delay signal and the clock signal for configuring the conduction status of the upper gate switch. The power converting circuit adjusts the conduction time of the upper gate switch according to the reference signal and the output signal.
US09041372B2

A switching power converter includes a voltage source that provides an input voltage Vin to an unregulated DC/DC converter stage and at least one buck-boost converter stage to produce a desired output voltage Vout. The unregulated DC/DC converter stage is adapted to provide an isolated voltage to the at least one regulated buck-boost converter stage, wherein the unregulated DC/DC converter stage comprises a transformer having a primary winding and at least one secondary winding and at least one switching element coupled to the primary winding. The at least one buck-boost converter stage is arranged to operate in a buck mode, boost mode or buck-boost mode in response to a mode selection signal from a mode selection module. By influencing the pulse width modulation output power controller the at least one buck-boost converter stage is arranged to produce one or multiple output voltages.
US09041368B2

A power supply device includes a first converter which converts an input voltage to a first voltage, a second converter which converts the first voltage from the first converter to a second voltage, a voltage comparison section which compares the first voltage outputted from the first converter with a predetermined reference voltage, a voltage comparison result output section which outputs a first signal until the first voltage is determined to be higher than the predetermined reference voltage by the voltage comparison section and retains a second signal as an output after the first voltage is determined to be higher than the predetermined reference voltage, and a converter control section which controls the second converter to stop when the first signal is outputted from the voltage comparison result output section and controls the second converter to operate when the second signal is outputted from the voltage comparison result output section.
US09041367B2

A voltage regulator includes an amplifier having a first input coupled to a first reference voltage and a second input coupled to a voltage feedback signal; a multiplexer having a first input coupled to an output of the amplifier, a second input coupled to a voltage clamp signal, and a control input; and a control circuit having a first input coupled to an over current indicator, a second input coupled to a no over voltage indicator, a third input coupled to a timer signal, and an output coupled to the control input of the multiplexer.
US09041366B2

A device (200) includes a circuit (202) and a driver stage (204) therefor. The circuit includes two sub-circuits (231 and 232). The driver stage includes switcher logic (206) that produces signals that control switching on and off of the sub-circuits. The switcher logic also produces other signals in advance of the signals that control the switching of the sub-circuits. The driver stage includes delay compensations circuits (221 and 222), coupled to the switcher logic and to the circuit, that produce timing signals for the switcher logic. The timing signals are closely aligned with moments that a changing voltage at a node between the sub-circuits passes through threshold voltages. The timing signals compensate for all delays of signals through the device such that a period that both sub-circuits are off is minimized, while ensuring that both sub-circuits are not on at a same time.
US09041361B2

A discharge device actively discharges a main capacitor in an electric-power system of an electric-drive vehicle and comprises a discharge branch of a circuit connected in parallel to the capacitor and including a discharge transistor biased to “conduction” mode when the capacitor must be discharged. A control device is connected to a “gate/base” terminal of and controls the transistor, biasing the transistor to the mode when the capacitor is required to fee discharged. A control transistor maintains the discharge transistor in a “non-conductive” state when the control transistor is in the mode. The control transistor is in the state for the discharge transistor to be in the mode. A safety capacitor is interposed between the terminal and a power supply and charges when the discharge transistor is in the mode, causing a progressive decrease of current at the terminal, until the discharge transistor is biased to the state.
US09041351B2

A charger includes a loading chamber into which a battery pack is insertably/removably loaded. An insertion opening into which the battery pack is inserted is formed on an upper surface of the main body. The loading chamber is forwardly inclined to a front surface of the main body, and a bottom surface of the insertion opening is inclined with respect to a horizontal direction so that one end of the front surface side is located at a lower end and the other end of the back surface side is located at an upper end. A connector for supplying power is disposed at the upper end side of the bottom surface. Even when the dust, rubbish or fluid entered from the insertion opening drops to the bottom surface, it flows down to the lower end side, so that less dirt adheres to the connector.
US09041349B2

A method for scheduling a charge of a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) includes receiving, by a load management system, PEV information from a PEV plugged into an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE); transformer information from a transformer management system, the transformer information relating to a transformer associated with the EVSE; determining, by the charging information based on the PEV information and transformer information; providing the charging information to the PEV.
US09041348B2

An electric power supply system includes a connecting device that connects a secondary battery provided in a vehicle to a building, and a control apparatus that i) identifies the type of the vehicle that is connected to the connecting device, the type of the secondary battery, or the type of electric power that is distinguishable by the charging source of the electric power stored in the secondary battery, ii) determines a preset electric power supply method based on the identification results, and iii) controls a supply of electric power from the secondary battery to the building based on the determined electric power supply method.
US09041346B2

A charging apparatus including a charging unit adapted to charge, in a non-contact manner, an apparatus to be charged placed in a charging region, a detector adapted to detect a charged state of the apparatus to be charged placed in the charging region, and a controller adapted to change a mode of the apparatus to be charged to a mode that inhibits vibration, according to the charged state detected by the detector.
US09041344B2

A standby battery box for an electric cylinder is electrically connected to a control box for driving the electric cylinder and includes a charge-discharge device and a rechargeable battery. The charge-discharge device includes a protection unit, a power conversion unit, a voltage detection unit, a control unit, a discharge unit, a display unit, and a switch unit. The rechargeable battery is electrically connected to the charge-discharge device. When a startup switch of the switch unit is pressed, the charge-discharge device delivers the electricity of the rechargeable battery into the control box. When a shutoff switch of the switch unit is pressed, the charge-discharge device does not supply power, thereby protecting the standby battery box from being exhausted.
US09041343B2

A system for protecting a power consuming circuit, the system comprising two terminals for receiving power and two terminals for providing received power. Between one of the receiving terminals and a providing terminal, a transistor is provided which is controlled by a Zener diode and to break the connection between one of the receiving terminals and a providing terminal, if a voltage over the providing terminals or the receiving terminals exceeds the breakdown voltage of the Zener diode.
US09041333B2

There are provided a motor driving control apparatus, a motor driving control method, and a motor using the same. The motor driving control apparatus includes a controller, a duty ratio calculation unit, and a driving signal generation unit. The controller generates a speed control signal by using at least one of a speed signal of a motor device and a speed command signal input from the outside. The duty ratio calculation unit calculates a duty ratio of the speed control signal. The driving signal generation unit generates a driving control signal for controlling driving of the motor device by using the duty ratio.
US09041329B2

A vehicle having a traction battery and at least one electric machine for propelling the vehicle is provided. A high voltage DC bus electrically connects the traction battery to the electric machine. A controller monitors and commands power flow through the DC bus, the electric machine, and the battery. In response to a key-off event, the controller immediately discharges the DC bus by providing a current to the electric machines. This discharge continues until the voltage on the DC bus reaches a threshold. As the speed of the electric machine decreases towards a speed threshold, the voltage in the DC bus is maintained. Once the electric machine speed reduces past the threshold, the DC bus discharges the remaining voltage in the DC bus at a rate slower than the first immediate discharge.
US09041326B2

A method for operating a brushless electric motor, the windings being energized by an inverter with the aid of six switches. A detection unit for detecting defective switches, a unit for measuring voltage at the outputs of the inverter, and a microcontroller for controlling the switch and for generating a pulse width modulated voltage supply for the windings are provided. A short-circuited switch causes a torque in the electric motor opposite the actuating direction of the electric motor. The method proposes that after detecting a short-circuited switch, the windings (U. V. W) are energized to generate a motor torque that is, on the whole, positive. An actuating period of the electric motor is divided into a plurality of sectors, wherein, in accordance with the defective switch, individual sectors are deactivated for the actuation of the windings (U, V, W), while other sectors are used to actuate the windings (V, W).
US09041325B2

A control device for an alternating current motor according to embodiments includes a current distributor and a phase estimator. The current distributor divides a torque command by using a control phase and outputs a component that contributes to a mechanical output of the motor as a δ-axis current command and a component that does not contribute to the mechanical output as a γ-axis current command. The phase estimator computes a phase at which a γ-axis component of an addition amount of the output of the current controller and a voltage drop amount of inductance of the motor becomes zero and outputs the computed phase as the control phase.
US09041324B2

A control apparatus of an AC motor improves an electric current estimation accuracy of the AC motor. The control apparatus includes an electric current estimation unit that repeatedly performs an inverted dq conversion, a dq conversion, and a correction process. Based on a d/q axis electric current estimate values of a previous cycle, the inverted dq conversion calculates an electric current estimate value of a sensor phase. The dq conversion calculates a d/q axis electric current correction values based on an electric current estimation error of the sensor phase, which is derived from the electric current estimate value and the electric current detection value detected by an electric current detector. The correction process calculates the d/q axis electric current estimate values of a current cycle by correcting the d/q axis electric current estimate values of the previous cycle by using the d/q axis electric current correction values.
US09041323B2

An apparatus for controlling asymmetrical coasting of an endodontic reciprocating motor includes a controller operatively connected to the endodontic motor. The controller may include a processing unit that is configured to direct the rotation of the endodontic motor in the forward direction for a coast time and configured to direct the rotation of the endodontic motor in the reverse direction for a coast time. The forward coast time is separately calculated from the reverse coast time. A method for asymmetrically coasting a reciprocating endodontic motor includes rotating an endodontic motor in a forward direction and calculating a forward coast time for the forward direction and coasting the endodontic motor in the forward direction for the calculated forward coast time. After coasting the endodontic motor in the forward direction, the endodontic motor is rotated in a reverse direction. The reverse coast time is different than the forward coast time.
US09041312B2

A lighting control device can include a control module and a processing module. The control module can provide a driving signal. The driving signal can modify a control voltage on a control interface. The control voltage can control a controllable ballast or driver. The processing module can determine a duty cycle of the driving signal. The control module and the processing module can receive power via the control interface and a power supply on the control device.
US09041306B2

An illumination device (1) comprises: input terminals (2) for coupling to AC mains; a LED string (10) connected in series with the input terminals; a rectifier (30), having input terminals connected in series with the LED string; a controllable voltage source (40), having input terminals coupled to the rectifier output terminals; a series arrangement of at least one auxiliary LED (51) and a second ballast resistor (52) connected to the output terminals of the controllable voltage source. The voltage source comprises: a series arrangement of an adjustable first resistor (46) and a second resistor (47) connected in parallel to the input terminals; a tuneable Zener diode (49) connected in parallel to the output terminals, having a control input terminal (48) connected to the node between the two resistors; wherein positive output terminal is connected to positive input terminal and negative output terminal is connected to negative input terminal.
US09041303B2

Embodiments of the invention provide AC LED lighting apparatuses. The AC LED lighting apparatuses may increase luminous flux and provide optimal efficiency through novel arrangement of a plurality of light emitting blocks on a circuit board and a plurality of LEDs and drive ICs included in each of the light emitting blocks to be sequentially driven, and/or through efficient series-parallel connection between a limited number of LEDs.
US09041299B2

A light emitting device is provided which is capable of displaying in desired colors stably by controlling a change in luminance of OLED when an organic light emitting layer is degraded or there is a change in temperature of the surroundings. A reference value for the amount of current flowing into a pixel portion is calculated from data of a video signal. Then, the pixel portion displays an image in accordance with the data of the video signal and the drive current at the time is measured for all of OLEDs in the pixel portion. The two voltage values supplied from a variable power supply to the pixel portion are corrected such that the measured drive current approaches the reference value. With the above structure, lowering of luminance which accompanies degradation of an organic light emitting layer is prevented and a clear image can be displayed as a result.
US09041290B2

A High Frequency light source has a central body of fused quartz, with a central void, filled with a fill in the void of material excitable by High Frequency energy to form a light emitting plasma. An inner sleeve of perforate metal shim extends along the length of the central body to provide a launching gap. The sleeve has a transverse end portion extending across the other, inner end of the central body. An outer cylinder of fused quartz with an internal bore such as to be a sliding fit with the inner sleeve, itself a sliding fit on the central body. An outer sleeve of perforate metal, enclosing the outer cylinder and having an end portion extending across the flush, void ends of the quartz body and cylinder and having a skirt extending past the flush over an aluminum carrier, clamped and holding the quartz elements against the carrier.
US09041285B2

A method of manufacturing an LED lamp is disclosed. The method includes admixing an uncured curable liquid resin and a phosphor, dispensing the uncured admixture on an LED chip, centrifuging the chip and the admixture to disperse the phosphor particles in the uncured resin, and curing the resin while the phosphor particles remain distributed.
US09041269B2

There is provided a motor including a rotor and a stator arranged outside the rotor in the radial direction. The rotor includes a rotor core, a plurality of magnets arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotor core and functioning as one magnetic pole, and salient poles integrated with the rotor core, each arranged between adjacent magnets and at a distance from the magnets. The salient poles function as the other magnetic pole. A stator has a stator core having a plurality of teeth extending in the radial direction of the stator and arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and multi-phase coils attached to the teeth.
US09041258B2

The present invention provides a machine tool making it possible that an operator needs to remove a key member from a predetermined position after an unlock condition of a door is established when a door lock mechanism brings the door into an unlocked state, meanwhile the operator can recognize the necessity of reattaching the key member to the predetermined position when the door lock mechanism brings the door into a locked state. In the machine tool, an interlock mechanism 5a allows a door lock mechanism 8 to bring a door 3 into the unlocked state in a state that the unlock condition of the door 3 is established and when the key member 9 is removed from the predetermined position and, after the door 3 is unlocked, allows the door lock mechanism 8 to bring the door 3 into the locked state only when the key member 9 is attached to the predetermined position in a state that the door closed state detection mechanism 7 detects that the door is located at the predetermined closed position.
US09041253B2

A direct feeding apparatus for impedance matching of a wireless power transmission device includes a helical type resonator, and a feeding unit configured to directly feed power to a region having a relatively small current value as compared to a center of a conductive line of the resonator.
US09041248B2

A power distribution system for distributing electric power generated by a wind farm between an AC power transmission link and a DC power transmission link is provided. Both power transmission links connect the wind farm to a substation of a power grid. The power distribution system includes a central wind farm controller and a distribution device. In response to a control signal from the central wind farm controller, the distribution device distributes the generated electrical power between the two power transmission links. It is further described a power transmission system with the above described power distribution system and a method for distributing electric power between an AC power transmission link and a DC power transmission link.
US09041237B2

A wind turbine drive train is provided. The wind turbine drive train includes a hub, a bearing system supporting the hub and having an inner race connected to the hub, and a generator gearlessly coupled to the inner race using a flexible coupling member.
US09041236B2

A wind turbine includes a nacelle which accommodates at least a generator and power electronics electrically interconnected between the generator and a power grid. At least one power electronic component is removably arranged in the nacelle in a region positioned between a floor level of the nacelle and a lower limiting surface, e.g. a bottom wall, of the nacelle. The space available in the interior parts of the nacelle is thereby utilized to a greater extent than in prior art wind turbines, and replacement of a power electronic component can be performed using ordinary lifting equipment. Furthermore, the risk of injury to maintenance personnel is reduced.
US09041235B1

A system for generating electrical power includes one or more turbine systems, a linking system, a power receiving station, and a transmission line. The turbine systems includes a turbine, a turbine carrier that can hold the turbine in a flow of water, and a generator that produces electricity from rotation of a runner of the turbine. The linking system couples the turbine carriers to a fixed location. The transmission line transmits power from the generator to the power receiving station.
US09041234B2

A double fed induction generator (DFIG) converter method are presented in which rotor side current spikes are attenuated using series-connected damping resistance in response to grid fault occurrences or grid fault clearances.
US09041233B2

The present invention defines a system and method aiming at measuring the direct solar radiation received by a wind turbine generator in order to detect ice formation. The measured value is subsequently compared to a theoretical radiation curve wherein measured values on a cloudy day will be well below theoretical curves. Ice detection is made considering the presence of clouds and temperature. Measured parameters are preferably the direct sun radiation transmittance and ambient temperature.
US09041232B2

An electric generator system includes a rotatable shaft that is configured to rotate about a central longitudinal axis of the shaft, and a pilot permanent magnet generator (PMG) mounted to the shaft such that the pilot PMG is configured to rotate about the central longitudinal axis with the rotatable shaft. The system includes a wound field flux-switching electric machine having a rotor and a stator. The rotor is mounted to the shaft such that the rotor is configured to rotate about the central longitudinal axis with the shaft. The stator includes both a direct current (DC) field coil and an alternating current (AC) armature coil. The DC field coil is operatively connected to the pilot PMG for exciting the DC field coil.
US09041229B1

Systems, manufactures, methods and/or techniques for a merged fiducial for chip packages are described. According to some embodiments, an integrated circuit package may include a package substrate having a first side and a second side, a plurality of conductive traces coupled to the first side and a plurality of balls disposed on the second side. The balls may be adapted to electrically connect the laminate package to a circuit board. The integrated circuit package may include a plurality of ball pads disposed on the second side, the ball pads being adapted to electrically connect the plurality of balls to the plurality of conductive traces. One or more of the ball pads may be uniquely shaped when compared to the rest of the plurality of ball pads, optionally, to serve as a fiducial to designate an A1 pin or ball of the laminate package.
US09041225B2

An embodiment is an integrated circuit structure including a first die attached to a second die by a first connector. The first connector includes a solder joint portion between a first nickel-containing layer and a second nickel-containing layer, a first copper-containing layer between the first nickel-containing layer and the solder joint portion, and a second copper-containing layer between the second nickel-containing layer and the solder joint portion.
US09041220B2

A semiconductor device includes a die coupled to a substrate, a first memory device coupled to a surface of the die opposite the substrate and a coupling device coupled between the surface of the die opposite the substrate and a second memory device such that the second memory device at least partially overlaps the first memory device. Also disclosed is method of mounting first and second memory devices on a die in an at least partially overlapping manner.
US09041216B2

An interconnect structure and a method of forming an interconnect structure are disclosed. The interconnect structure includes a lower conductive feature in a lower low-k (LK) dielectric layer; a first etch stop layer (ESL) over the lower conductive feature, wherein the first ESL comprises a metal compound; an upper LK dielectric layer over the first ESL; and an upper conductive feature in the upper LK dielectric layer, wherein the upper conductive feature extends through the first ESL and connected to the lower conductive feature. The interconnect structure may further include a second ESL between the upper LK dielectric layer and the first ESL, or between the first ESL and the lower conductive feature, wherein the second ESL comprises a silicon compound.
US09041213B2

Methods for the fabrication of a Microelectromechanical Systems (“MEMS”) devices are provided, as are MEMS devices. In one embodiment, the MEMS device fabrication method includes forming at least one via opening extending into a substrate wafer, depositing a body of electrically-conductive material over the substrate wafer and into the via opening to produce a via, bonding the substrate wafer to a transducer wafer having an electrically-conductive transducer layer, and forming an electrical connection between the via and the electrically-conductive transducer layer. The substrate wafer is thinned to reveal the via through a bottom surface of the substrate wafer, and a backside conductor is produced over a bottom surface of the substrate wafer electrically coupled to the via.
US09041211B2

A semiconductor package includes a first semiconductor chip including a target circuit surface and a side surface, a first sealing insulating layer including a first surface positioned toward the target circuit surface and a second surface positioned opposite to the first surface, the first sealing insulating layer sealing the target circuit surface and the side surface, a wiring layer formed on the first surface of the first sealing insulating layer, an insulating layer formed on the wiring layer, a second semiconductor chip mounted on the second surface of the first sealing insulating layer, and a second sealing insulating layer formed on the second surface and sealing the second semiconductor chip.
US09041203B2

A system and method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including multi-layer bitlines. The location of the bitlines in multiple layers provides for increased spacing and increased width thereby overcoming the limitations of the pitch dictated by the semiconductor fabrication process used. The bitlines locations in multiple layers thus allows the customization of the spacing and width according to the use of a semiconductor device.
US09041202B2

An object is to provide a semiconductor device with high aperture ratio or a manufacturing method thereof. Another object is to provide semiconductor device with low power consumption or a manufacturing method thereof. A light-transmitting conductive layer which functions as a gate electrode, a gate insulating film formed over the light-transmitting conductive layer, a semiconductor layer formed over the light-transmitting conductive layer which functions as the gate electrode with the gate insulating film interposed therebetween, and a light-transmitting conductive layer which is electrically connected to the semiconductor layer and functions as source and drain electrodes are included.
US09041201B2

An integrated circuit device including a substrate, a first internal bonding pad, a second internal bonding pad, an external bonding pad and a bonding wire is provided. A first circuit and a second circuit are embedded in the substrate. The first internal bonding pad is disposed on a surface of the substrate and electrically coupled to the first circuit. The second internal bonding pad is disposed on the surface of the substrate and electrically coupled to the second circuit. The second internal bonding pad is electrically coupled to the first internal bonding pad via the bonding wire. The external bonding pad is electrically coupled to the first internal bonding pad.
US09041197B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor element having a substrate of GaAs, InP, or GaN, and an element securing member bonded to the semiconductor element by solder. The element securing member is a composite material of Cu and carbon or a composite of Al and carbon. A stem is connected to the element securing member, and a cap is secured to the stem. The cap covers the semiconductor element and the element securing member. The stem and the element securing member are made of the same material.
US09041195B2

A method of forming an on-chip heat sink includes forming a device on a substrate. The method also includes forming a plurality of insulator layers over the device. The method further includes forming a heat sink in at least one of the plurality of insulator layers and proximate to the device. The heat sink includes a reservoir of phase change material having a melting point temperature that is less than an upper limit of a design operating temperature of the chip.
US09041191B2

A semiconductor package that includes a conductive can, a power semiconductor device electrically and mechanically attached to the inside surface of the can, and an IC semiconductor device copackaged with the power semiconductor device inside the can.
US09041186B2

Disclosed is a semiconductor device including first and second semiconductor elements, first and second external connection terminals and a sealing member. The first external connection terminal is provided at a first surface of the first semiconductor element. The second semiconductor element is provided at a second surface side, that is at a side opposite to the first surface, of the first semiconductor element. The second external connection terminal is connected to the second semiconductor element, and the second external connection terminal is configured to be, together with the first external connection terminal, connected to a wiring board. The sealing member seals the first and second semiconductor elements and exposes a portion, that is configured to be connected to the wiring board, of the first external connection terminal and a portion, that is configured to be connected to the wiring board, of the second external connection terminal.
US09041182B2

A semiconductor package according to embodiments includes: a semiconductor chip including a front electrode on a front surface thereof and a back electrode on a back surface thereof; a front-side cap portion including an air gap in a portion between the semiconductor chip and the front-side cap portion and a front-side penetrating electrode, and is positioned to face the front surface of the semiconductor chip; a back-side cap portion bonded with a first cap portion to hermetically seal the semiconductor chip, includes an air gap at least in a portion between the semiconductor chip and the back-side cap portion and a back-side penetrating electrode, and is positioned to face the back surface of the semiconductor chip; a front-side connecting portion which electrically connects the front electrode and the front-side penetrating electrode; and a back-side connecting portion which electrically connects the back electrode and the back-side penetrating electrode.
US09041180B2

The stack package includes a first semiconductor package and a second semiconductor package. The first semiconductor package includes a first substrate having a first modulus and at least one semiconductor chip mounted on the first substrate. The second semiconductor package stacked on the first semiconductor package and includes a second substrate having a second modulus and at least one semiconductor chip mounted on the second substrate. The second modulus is less than the first modulus. Even in the event that the first semiconductor package is under severe warpage due to a temperature change, the flexible second substrate, which includes e.g., polyimide or poly ethylene terephthalate, of the second semiconductor package may be less sensitive to the temperature change, thereby improving reliability of the stack package.
US09041165B2

A method for the formation of an at least partially relaxed strained material layer, comprises providing a seed substrate; patterning the seed substrate; growing a strained material layer on the patterned seed substrate; transferring the strained material layer from the patterned seed substrate to an intermediate substrate; and at least partially relaxing the strained material layer by a heat treatment.
US09041164B2

In one aspect, a method is disclosed that includes providing a substrate having a topography that comprises a relief and providing an anti-reflective film conformally over the substrate using a molecular layer deposition step. The anti-reflective film may be formed of a compound selected from the group consisting of: (i) an organic compound chemically bound to an inorganic compound, where one of the organic compound and the inorganic compound is bound to the substrate and where the organic compound absorbs light at at least one wavelength selected in the range 150-500 nm, or (ii) a monodisperse organic compound absorbing light at at least one wavelength selected in the range 150-500 nm. The method further includes providing a photoresist layer on the anti-reflective film.
US09041162B2

A wafer includes a plurality of chips, each of the chips being spaced from each other by kerf-line regions including a reduced width.
US09041158B2

A semiconductor apparatus includes fin field-effect transistor (FinFETs) having controlled fin heights. The apparatus includes a high fin density area and a low fin density area. Each fin density area includes fins and dielectric material between the fins. The dielectric material includes different dopant concentrations for different fin density areas and is the same material as deposited.
US09041149B2

The invention relates to a semiconductor device (30) comprising a substrate (1), a semiconductor body (25) comprising a bipolar transistor that comprises a collector region (3), a base region (4), and an emitter region (15), wherein at least a portion of the collector region (3) is surrounded by a first isolation region (2, 8), the semiconductor body (25) further comprises an extrinsic base region (35) arranged in contacting manner to the base region (4). In this way, a fast semiconductor device with reduced impact of parasitic components is obtained.
US09041145B2

The performances of a semiconductor device are improved. Between a memory gate electrode and a p type well, and between a control gate electrode and the memory gate electrode of a split gate type nonvolatile memory, an insulation film having a charge accumulation layer therein is formed. The insulation film includes a lamination film of a silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film formed thereover, another silicon oxide film formed thereover, and an insulation film formed thereover, and thinner than the upper silicon oxide film. The insulation film is in contact with the memory gate electrode including polysilicon. The insulation film is formed of a metal compound containing at least one of Hf, Zr, Al, Ta, and La, and hence can cause Fermi pinning, and has a high dielectric constant.
US09041144B2

Some embodiments include integrated circuits having first and second transistors. The first transistor is wider than the second transistor. The first and second transistors have first and second active regions, respectively. Dielectric features are associated with the first active region and break up the first active region. The second active region is not broken up to the same extent as the first active region. Some embodiments include methods of forming transistors. Active areas of first and second transistors are formed. The active area of the first transistor is wider than the active area of the second transistor. Dielectric features are formed in the active area of the first transistor. The active area of the first transistor is broken up to a different extent than the active area of the second transistor. The active areas of the first and second transistors are simultaneously doped.
US09041143B2

The semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer of the first conductive type, a second semiconductor layer having the cubic crystalline structure formed on the first semiconductor layer, an electrode formed on the second semiconductor layer, and a reactive region formed between the second semiconductor layer and the electrode. The second semiconductor layer includes an upper surface that is tilted from the (100) plane. The reactive region includes at least one element constituting the second semiconductor layer, at least one element constituting the electrode, and forming a protuberance extending toward the second semiconductor layer.
US09041139B2

A method of making a diode begins by depositing an AlxGa1-xN nucleation layer on a SiC substrate, then depositing an n+ GaN buffer layer, an n− GaN layer, an AlxGa1-xN barrier layer, and an SiO2 dielectric layer. A portion of the dielectric layer is removed and a Schottky metal deposited in the void. The dielectric layer is affixed to the support layer with a metal bonding layer using an Au—Sn utectic wafer bonding process, the substrate is removed using reactive ion etching to expose the n+ layer, selected portions of the n+, n−, and barrier layers are removed to form a mesa diode structure on the dielectric layer over the Schottky metal; and an ohmic contact is deposited on the n+ layer.
US09041127B2

The present invention is a finFET type semiconductor device using LDMOS features. The device includes a first portion of a substrate doped with a second doping type and has a first trench, second trench, and first fin. The second portion of the substrate with a first doping type includes a third trench and second fin. The second fin between the second and third trench covers a part the first portion and a part of the second portion of the substrate. A first segment of the second fin is between the second segment and second trench. A second segment covers a part of the second portion of the substrate and is between the first segment and third trench. A gate covering at least a part of the first segment and a part of the first portion and a part of the second portion of the substrate.
US09041126B2

A semiconductor transistor structure fabricated on a silicon substrate effective to set a threshold voltage, control short channel effects, and control against excessive junction leakage may include a transistor gate having a source and drain structure. A highly doped screening region lies is embedded a vertical distance down from the surface of the substrate. The highly doped screening region is separated from the surface of the substrate by way of a substantially undoped channel layer which may be epitaxially formed. The source/drain structure may include a source/drain extension region which may be raised above the surface of the substrate. The screening region is preferably positioned to be located at or just below the interface between the source/drain region and source/drain extension portion. The transistor gate may be formed below a surface level of the silicon substrate and either above or below the heavily doped portion of the source/drain structure.
US09041120B2

A transistor device comprises: at least one individual transistor cell arranged in a transistor cell field on a semiconductor body, each individual transistor cell comprising a gate electrode; a gate contact, electrically coupled to the gate electrodes of the transistor cells and configured to switch on the at least one transistor cell by providing a gate current in a first direction and configured to switch off the at least one transistor cell by providing a gate current in a second direction, the second direction being opposite to the first direction; at least one gate-resistor structure monolithically integrated in the transistor device, the gate-resistor structure providing a first resistance for the gate current when the gate current flows in the first direction, and providing a second resistance for the gate current, which is different from the first resistance, when the gate current flows in the second direction.
US09041119B2

A method of forming transistors with close proximity stressors to channel regions of the transistors is provided. The method includes forming a first transistor, in a first region of a substrate, having a gate stack on top of the first region of the substrate and a set of spacers adjacent to sidewalls of the gate stack, the first region including a source and drain region of the first transistor; forming a second transistor, in a second region of the substrate, having a gate stack on top of the second region of the substrate and a set of spacers adjacent to sidewalls of the gate stack, the second region including a source and drain region of the second transistor; covering the first transistor with a photo-resist mask without covering the second transistor; creating recesses in the source and drain regions of the second transistor; and forming stressors in the recesses.
US09041117B2

A Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) cell includes a first pull-up transistor and a second pull-up transistor, and a first pull-down transistor and a second pull-down transistor forming cross-latched inverters with the first pull-up transistor and the second pull-up transistor. A conductive feature includes a first leg having a first longitudinal direction, wherein the first leg interconnects a drain of the first pull-up transistor and a drain of the first pull-down transistor. The conductive feature further includes a second leg having a second extending direction. The first longitudinal direction and the second extending direction are un-perpendicular and un-parallel to each other. The second leg interconnects the drain of the first pull-up transistor and a gate of the second pull-up transistor.
US09041113B2

A semiconductor integrated device in which electrostatic discharge damage can be reliably prevented, includes a semiconductor substrate in which an electrostatic protection circuit including a second diffusion region surrounding a first diffusion region as a local region is formed in a main surface; a metal pad opposed to the main surface; and a conductive bump formed so as to face a top surface of the metal pad, wherein in a surface opposed to the metal pad of the conductive bump, a projection which is in contact with the metal pad is provided in a range opposed to the first diffusion region.
US09041110B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate positioned on the substrate, a drain region and a source region formed at respective two sides of the gate in the substrate, at least a first doped region formed in the drain region, and at least a first well having the first doped region formed therein. The source region and the drain region include a first conductivity type, the first doped region and the first well include a second conductivity type, and the first conductivity type and the second conductivity type are complementary to each other.
US09041108B2

MOSFETs and methods for making MOSFETs with a recessed channel and abrupt junctions are disclosed. The method includes creating source and drain extensions while a dummy gate is in place. The source/drain extensions create a diffuse junction with the silicon substrate. The method continues by removing the dummy gate and etching a recess in the silicon substrate. The recess intersects at least a portion of the source and drain junction. Then a channel is formed by growing a silicon film to at least partially fill the recess. The channel has sharp junctions with the source and drains, while the unetched silicon remaining below the channel has diffuse junctions with the source and drain. Thus, a MOSFET with two junction regions, sharp and diffuse, in the same transistor can be created.
US09041104B2

A memory includes a semiconductor layer, a gate insulating film on the semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode on the gate insulating film. A first channel region of a first conductivity type is provided on a surface of the semiconductor layer below the gate insulating film. A diffusion layer of a second conductivity type is provided below the first channel region in the semiconductor layer. The diffusion layer contacts a bottom of the first channel region in a direction substantially vertical to a surface of the semiconductor layer. The diffusion layer forms a PN junction with the bottom of the first channel region. A drain of a first conductivity type and a source of a second conductivity type are provided on a side and another side of the first channel region. A sidewall film covers a side surface of the first channel region on a side of the diffusion layer.
US09041103B2

Breakdown voltage BVdss is enhanced and ON-resistance reduced in RESURF devices, e.g., LDMOS transistors, by careful charge balancing, even when body and drift region charge balance is not ideal, by: (i) providing a plug or sinker near the drain and of the same conductivity type extending through the drift region at least into the underlying body region, and/or (ii) applying bias Viso to a surrounding lateral doped isolation wall coupled to the device buried layer, and/or (iii) providing a variable resistance bridge between the isolation wall and the drift region. The bridge may be a FET whose source-drain couple the isolation wall and drift region and whose gate receives control voltage Vc, or a resistor whose cross-section (X, Y, Z) affects its resistance and pinch-off, to set the percentage of drain voltage coupled to the buried layer via the isolation wall.
US09041097B2

A semiconductor device includes a channel layer formed on a substrate, an insulating layer formed in contact with the channel layer, an impurity-doped first semiconductor layer formed on an opposite side of the insulating layer from the channel layer, an impurity-doped second semiconductor layer formed on an opposite side of the first semiconductor layer from the insulating layer, and a gate electrode formed on an opposite side of the second semiconductor layer from the first semiconductor layer. A quotient of an impurity density of the first semiconductor layer divided by a relative permittivity of the first semiconductor layer is greater than a quotient of an impurity density of the second semiconductor layer divided by a relative permittivity of the second semiconductor layer.
US09041096B2

A semiconductor device that includes the following is manufactured: an n− base layer; a p-type base layer formed on the surface of the n− base layer; an n+ source layer formed in the inner area of the p-type base layer; a gate electrode formed so as to face a channel region across a gate insulating film; a plurality of p-type columnar regions that are formed in the n− base layer so as to continue from the p-type base layer and that are arranged at a first pitch; and a plurality of p+ collector layers that are selectively formed on the rear surface of the n− base layer and that are arranged at a second pitch larger than the first pitch.
US09041089B2

A nonvolatile memory structure includes a substrate having thereon a first, a second, and a third OD regions arranged in a row. The first, second, and third OD regions are separated from one another by an isolation region. The isolation region includes a first intervening isolation region between the first OD region and the second OD region, and a second intervening isolation region between the second the third OD region. A first select transistor is formed on the first OD region. A floating gate transistor is formed on the second OD region. The floating gate transistor is serially coupled to the first select transistor. The floating gate transistor includes a floating gate completely overlapped with the second OD region and is partially overlapped with the first and second intervening isolation regions. A second select transistor is on the third OD region and serially coupled to the floating gate transistor.
US09041081B2

An image sensor with an array of image sensor pixels is provided. Each image pixel may include a photodiode and associated pixel circuits formed in a semiconductor substrate. Buried light shielding structures may be formed on the substrate to prevent pixel circuitry that is formed in the substrate between two adjacent photodiodes from being exposed to incoming light. The buried light shielding structures may be lined with absorptive antireflective coating material to prevent light from being reflected off the surface of the buried light shielding structures. Forming buried light shielding structures with absorptive antireflective coating material can help reduce optical pixel crosstalk and enhance global shutter efficiency.
US09041078B1

A circuit comprises a first layer and a second layer separate from the first layer. The first layer comprises a power line, a first transistor coupled to the power line, a second transistor coupled to the power line, and a first line coupling the first transistor and the second transistor. The second layer comprises a ground line, a third transistor coupled to the ground line, a fourth transistor coupled to the ground line, and a second line coupling the third transistor and the fourth transistor. The circuit also comprises an inter-layer interconnect that couples the first transistor and the third transistor. The inter-layer interconnect also couples the second transistor and the fourth transistor.
US09041076B2

A gate structure in a semiconductor device includes: a gate stack formed on a substrate with three sections: a bottom portion, a top portion, and a sacrificial cap layer over the top portion; gate spacers; source and drain regions; a nitride encapsulation over top and sidewalls of the gate stack after removal of the sacrificial cap layer; an organic planarizing layer over the nitride encapsulation, planarizing the encapsulation; and silicidation performed over the source and drain regions and the bottom portion after removal of the nitride encapsulation, the organic planarizing layer, and the top portion of the gate stack.
US09041075B2

A full bridge rectifier includes four bipolar transistors, each of which has an associated parallel diode. A first pair of inductors provides inductive current splitting and thereby provides base current to/from one pair of the bipolar transistors so that the collector-to-emitter voltages of the bipolar transistors are low. A second pair of inductors similarly provides inductive current splitting to provide base current to/from the other pair of bipolar transistors. In one embodiment, all components are provided in a four terminal full bridge rectifier module. The module can be used as a drop-in replacement for a conventional four terminal full bridge diode rectifier. When current flows through the rectifier module, however, the voltage drop across the module is less than one volt. Due to the reduced low voltage drop, power loss in the rectifier module is reduced as compared to power loss in a conventional full bridge diode rectifier.
US09041074B2

A multilayered antenna package including: a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) interface layer that is configured to transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal; a first dielectric layer that is disposed on the RFIC interface layer; a coplanar waveguide layer that is disposed on the first dielectric layer and is configured to receive the RF signal transmitted by RFIC layer; a second dielectric layer disposed on the coplanar waveguide layer; and an antenna portion that is disposed on the second dielectric layer and is configured to irradiate a signal that is transmitted from the coplanar waveguide layer.
US09041072B2

A pixel cell includes a photodiode, a storage transistor, a transfer transistor and an output transistor disposed in a semiconductor substrate. The transfer transistor selectively transfers image charge accumulated in the photodiode from the photodiode to the storage transistor. The output transistor selectively transfers the image charge from the storage transistor to a readout node. A first isolation fence is disposed over the semiconductor substrate separating a transfer gate of the transfer transistor from a storage gate of the storage transistor. A second isolation fence is disposed over the semiconductor substrate separating the storage gate from an output gate of the output transistor. Thicknesses of the first and second isolation fences are substantially equal to spacing distances between the transfer gate and the storage gate, and between the storage gate and the output gate, respectively.
US09041070B2

When forming a super junction by the embedded epitaxial method, adjusting a taper angle of dry etching to form an inclined column is generally performed in trench forming etching, in order to prevent a reduction in breakdown voltage due to fluctuations in concentration in an embedded epitaxial layer. However, according to the examination by the present inventors, it has been made clear that such a method makes design more and more difficult in response to the higher breakdown voltage. In the present invention, the concentration in an intermediate substrate epitaxy column area in each substrate epitaxy column area configuring a super junction is made more than that in other areas within the substrate epitaxy column area, in a vertical power MOSFET having the super junction by the embedded epitaxial method.
US09041061B2

A structure and method for fabricating a III-V compound semiconductor-containing heterostructure field-effect transistor (FET) with self-aligned and overlapped extensions using a replacement gate process is disclosed. The a III-V compound semiconductor-containing heterostructure field-effect transistor (FET) structure may be formed by forming a III-V compound semiconductor-containing heterostructure having multiple layers and a T-shaped gate structure using a gate replacement process. The T-shaped gate structure may be formed with a bottom surface substantially below an upper surface of the III-V compound semiconductor-containing heterostructure and an upper surface above the III-V compound semiconductor-containing heterostructure. An undoped region may be formed below the bottom surface of the T-shaped gate structure on a layer of the III-V compound semiconductor-containing heterostructure.
US09041057B2

A field effect transistor device includes a substrate, a silicon germanium (SiGe) layer disposed on the substrate, gate dielectric layer lining a surface of a cavity defined by the substrate and the silicon germanium layer, a metallic gate material on the gate dielectric layer, the metallic gate material filling the cavity, a source region, and a drain region.
US09041056B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device including: a substrate; a gate electrode formed above the substrate; a gate insulating film formed under the gate electrode; a channel layer formed under the gate insulating film by using a channel layer material; a source region and a drain region formed in the substrate so as to interpose the channel layer therebetween in a channel direction; and a source extension layer formed in the substrate between the channel layer and the source region so as to overlap a source-side end portion of the channel layer. The source extension layer forms a heterointerface with the channel layer. The heterointerface is a tunnel channel for carries.
US09041052B2

A semiconductor device includes: an insulating substrate; a first electrode pattern and a second electrode pattern provided apart from each other on a major surface of the insulating substrate; a semiconductor element connected to the first electrode pattern; an electrode terminal connected to the second electrode pattern; and a connection wiring. The connection wiring electrically connects the first electrode pattern and the second electrode pattern with each other and has a thermal resistance larger than that of the first electrode pattern.
US09041049B2

In general, in a semiconductor active element such as a normally-off JFET based on SiC in which an impurity diffusion speed is significantly lower than in silicon, gate regions are formed through ion implantation into the side walls of trenches formed in source regions. However, to ensure the performance of the JFET, it is necessary to control the area between the gate regions thereof with high precision. Besides, there is such a problem that, since a heavily doped PN junction is formed by forming the gate regions in the source regions, an increase in junction current cannot be avoided. The present invention provides a normally-off power JFET and a manufacturing method thereof and forms the gate regions according to a multi-epitaxial method which repeats a process including epitaxial growth, ion implantation, and activation annealing a plurality of times.
US09041048B2

The semiconductor light emitting device according to embodiments has a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an un-doped semiconductor layer under the first conductive type semiconductor layer, and a plurality of semiconductor structures in the un-doped semiconductor layer.
US09041046B2

A light-emitting device having a light source die mounted within an aperture is disclosed. The aperture is covered by a die attach pad on one side. The light source die is mounted on a die attach pad within the aperture. In one embodiment, an optical coupling layer can be formed within an aperture encapsulating a light source die. A wavelength converting layer can be formed on the substrate above the optical coupling layer. The wavelength converting layer can comprise a high density layer and a low density layer. The high density layer can comprise wavelength-converting material precipitated on one side of the wavelength converting layer. The low density layer can comprise the wavelength-converting material in particle form suspended within the wavelength converting layer. In one embodiment, the wavelength converting layer may be confined within the aperture of the substrate.
US09041043B2

A light emitting device package is provided that comprises first and second light emitting devices including light emitting diodes, a body a body having a first cavity in which the first light emitting device is positioned and a second cavity in which the second light emitting device is positioned and a resin material formed in the cavity, wherein the resin material includes, a first resin material formed in the first cavity, a second resin material formed in the second cavity, and a third resin material formed an upper surface of the first and second resin materials, wherein at least one of the first resin material and the second resin material includes a light diffusing material.
US09041038B2

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a light-emitting diode (LED) including a semiconductor stack structure including a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer, the semiconductor stack disposed on a substrate, a conductive substrate disposed on the semiconductor stack structure, and an electrode disposed on the conductive substrate and in ohmic contact with the conductive substrate, wherein the electrode comprises grooves penetrating the electrode and a portion of the conductive substrate.
US09041036B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes first and second columnar units, a wavelength conversion layer, a light emitting unit, a resin unit and an intermediate layer. The first columnar unit extends in a first direction. The second columnar unit is provided apart from the first columnar unit, and extends in the first direction. The wavelength conversion layer is provided apart from the first and second columnar units in the first direction. The light emitting unit includes first and second semiconductor layers, and a light emitting layer configured to emit a first light. The resin unit covers side surfaces along the first direction of the first and second columnar units and the light emitting unit, and a surface of the light emitting unit. The intermediate layer includes first and second portions, and has a thickness thinner than a peak wavelength of the first light.
US09041030B2

A light emitting diode is provided. The light emitting diode includes a first semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second semiconductor layer. The active layer is sandwiched between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, and a surface of the second semiconductor layer which is away from the active layer is a light emitting surface. A first electrode is electrically connected with the first semiconductor layer. A second electrode is electrically connected with the second semiconductor layer. A number of three-dimensional nano-structures are formed on the light emitting surface. The number of the three-dimensional nano-structure are aligned side by side, and a cross-section of thee three-dimensional nano-structure is M-shaped.
US09041027B2

A method of producing semiconductor materials and devices that incorporate the semiconductor materials are provided. In particular, a method is provided of producing a semiconductor material, such as a III-V semiconductor, on a spinel substrate using a sacrificial buffer layer, and devices such as photovoltaic cells that incorporate the semiconductor materials. The sacrificial buffer material and semiconductor materials may be deposited using lattice-matching epitaxy or coincident site lattice-matching epitaxy, resulting in a close degree of lattice matching between the substrate material and deposited material for a wide variety of material compositions. The sacrificial buffer layer may be dissolved using an epitaxial liftoff technique in order to separate the semiconductor device from the spinel substrate, and the spinel substrate may be reused in the subsequent fabrication of other semiconductor devices. The low-defect density semiconductor materials produced using this method result in the enhanced performance of the semiconductor devices that incorporate the semiconductor materials.
US09041022B2

An exemplary light-emitting diode (LED) package includes an electrically insulating substrate, an electrode structure embedded in the insulating substrate, and a plurality of LED chips electrically connecting with electrodes of the electrode structure respectively. The electrode structure includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a third electrode located between the first and second electrodes. Top surfaces of the first, second and third electrodes are exposed out of a top surface of the insulating substrate to support the LED chips. Front side and rear side faces of the first and second electrodes are exposed out of a front side face and a rear side face of the substrate whereby the front or rear side faces of the first and second electrodes can connect with welding pads of a printed circuit board. Circumferential side faces of the third electrode are encapsulated in the substrate.
US09041017B2

An organic light-emitting display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate; an organic light-emitting device disposed between the first and second substrates and includes a pixel electrode separately formed in each pixel, a common electrode, and an organic light-emitting layer disposed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode; and an electrode unit and at least one wiring unit that are disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the electrode unit including at least one thin-film transistor for transmitting a light-emitting signal to the pixel electrode and at least one capacitor, wherein an optical property modification layer obtained by modifying an optical property of at least one of the electrode unit and the wiring unit is formed on a surface of the at least one of the electrode unit and the wiring unit.
US09040999B2

An organic light emitting display device includes an active layer of a transistor disposed on a substrate, a gate electrode disposed on the active layer and on a first insulation layer, a second insulation layer which is disposed on the gate electrode and exposes a source area and a drain area of the active layer, a drain electrode which is disposed on the second insulation layer and is connected to an exposed area of the drain area, a third insulation layer on the drain electrode, and a cathode electrode on the third insulation layer, where the cathode electrode penetrates the first insulation layer, the second insulation layer and the third insulation layer, and the cathode electrode is connected to an exposed area of the source area.
US09040996B2

The present invention is to provide a light emitting device capable of obtaining a certain luminance without influence by the temperature change, and a driving method thereof. A current mirror circuit formed by using a transistor is provided for each pixel. The first transistor and the second transistor of the current mirror circuit are connected such that the drain currents thereof are maintained at proportional values regardless of the load resistance value. Thereby, a light emitting device capable of controlling the OLED driving current and the luminance of the OLED by controlling the drain current of the first transistor at a value corresponding to a video signal in a driving circuit, and supplying the drain current of the second transistor to the OLED, is provided.
US09040994B2

A thin-film transistor (TFT) comprises a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode which are formed on a base substrate, the source electrode and the drain electrode are disposed on different layers and isolated from each other through a semiconductor connecting section made of an oxide semiconductor material; a position of the semiconductor connecting section corresponds to a position of the gate electrode; and at least one part of the source electrode and at least one part of the drain electrode overlap each other at a position corresponding to the semiconductor connecting section. A display device comprising the TFT and a display device comprising the display device are also disclosed.
US09040993B2

An organic light-emitting display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same. The organic light-emitting display apparatus includes an organic light-emitting device in which a pixel electrode, an intermediate layer that includes an emissive layer, and a cathode electrode are sequentially stacked. The cathode contact unit includes a cathode bus line that is formed on the same layer as the pixel electrode and contacts the cathode electrode, a first auxiliary electrode that is formed on the cathode bus line along an edge area of the cathode bus line, and a second auxiliary electrode that contacts the first auxiliary electrode.
US09040990B2

Embodiments relate to an array substrate for a flat display device and a method of fabricating the same for reducing an over etch at a portion of the substrate where a data line is applied in a diagonal shape during the etching of the data line. As a result, disconnection of the data line may be reduced, which in turn reduces the failure rate of the flat display devices and enhances process yield.
US09040989B2

One embodiment of the present invention is to achieve high mobility in a device using an oxide semiconductor and provide a highly reliable display device. An oxide semiconductor layer including a crystal region in which c-axis is aligned in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface is formed and an oxide insulating layer is formed over and in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer. Oxygen is supplied to the oxide semiconductor layer by third heat treatment. A nitride insulating layer containing hydrogen is formed over the oxide insulating layer and fourth heat treatment is performed, so that hydrogen is supplied at least to an interface between the oxide semiconductor layer and the oxide insulating layer.
US09040978B2

A sealing film includes a first inorganic layer that has, in a surface thereof, a convex portion corresponding to an upper surface of an element layer, a second inorganic layer that covers the first inorganic layer, and an organic layer disposed between these layers. The surface of the first inorganic layer includes a recurved area changed from an area around the convex portion to the convex portion, and a flat area surrounding the element layer. The flat area includes an outer peripheral area on an outer end of the first inorganic layer, and an inner peripheral area between the outer peripheral area and the recurved area. The organic layer has an end in the outer peripheral area, has another portion in the recurved area, and avoids the inner peripheral area. A part of the second inorganic layer contacts the first inorganic layer in the inner peripheral area.
US09040973B2

Pixel electrodes have end portions inclined at inclination angles α, where 30°≦α≦85°, relative to a substrate surface of a substrate. An organic layer disposed on the pixel electrodes is formed by vapor deposition using deposition beams that enter the substrate surface at incident angles θ smaller than 90°−αmax, where αmax is the maximum inclination angle among the inclination angles of the end portions of the pixel electrodes, under a deposition substrate temperature condition lower than the glass transition temperature of the organic layer.
US09040969B2

The organic electroluminescence display device has a laminated portion on a base substrate. The device may have a cavernous portion formed by exploding a part of the laminated portion in a screening processing. A protective layer is formed to cover a whole surface of a wall defining the cavernous portion. Therefore, substances contained in the air are prevented from contacting to an organic electroluminescence layer at least partially defining the cavernous portion. Therefore, even if moisture is contained in the air, it is possible to prevent moisture from being absorbed by the organic electroluminescence layer. Moreover, since moisture is not absorbed by the organic electroluminescence layer, it is possible to reduce irregular spot on the device. In addition, it is possible to reduce a short circuit at an open defective portion.
US09040964B2

An apparatus and a method of manufacturing a thin film semiconductor device having a thin film transistor with improved electrical properties in organic light-emitting display apparatus are described.
US09040961B2

An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display includes a substrate main body, a plurality of organic light emitting elements on the substrate main body, a column spacer on the substrate main body and between two or more of the plurality of organic light emitting elements, and an encapsulation thin film covering at least one of the organic light emitting elements and having regions divided by the column spacer.
US09040943B2

A chamber used in an extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus that generates extreme ultraviolet light by irradiating a target material with a laser beam may include a chamber receptacle, a heat shield that is disposed within the chamber receptacle between a predetermined region where the target material turns into plasma and the chamber receptacle and that is configured to absorb heat produced at the predetermined region when the target material turns into plasma, and a support portion configured to attach the heat shield to the chamber receptacle, and further, the support portion may include an absorbing portion configured to absorb stress produced in the heat shield deforming due to the heat, by expanding/contracting in response to the thermal deformation of the heat shield.
US09040942B1

One embodiment relates to an apparatus for electron beam lithography which includes a linear array of reflection electron beam lithography columns and a rotary stage. Each column is separately controllable to write a portion of a lithographic pattern onto a substrate. The rotary stage is configured to hold multiple substrates and to be rotated under the linear array of reflection electron beam lithography columns. Another embodiment relates to a method of electron beam lithography which includes simultaneously rotating and linearly translating a stage holding a plurality of wafers, and writing a lithography pattern using a linear array of reflection electron beam lithography columns over the stage. Each said column traverses a spiral path over the stage as the stage is rotated and linearly translated. Other embodiments, aspects and feature are also disclosed.
US09040938B2

A device (1) comprises a source (20) for emitting ultraviolet light, an inlet (30) for letting in fluid to the device (1), an outlet (40) for letting out fluid from the device (1), and means (51, 52) for performing a straightening action of a flow of fluid through the device (1). The flow straightening means comprise at least one flow straightening element (51, 52) having inlet openings for letting in fluid at one side and outlet openings for letting out fluid at another side, wherein each inlet opening is in communication with a plurality of outlet openings, and wherein the element (51, 52) comprises a maze of randomly arranged, interconnected holes. In such a structure, a water element that is moving from one side of the element (51, 52) to another side may take one of various paths, as a result of which variations in inlet conditions can be dampened.
US09040936B1

A method of bunch length compression method for a free electron laser (FEL) that avoids parasitic compressions by 1) applying acceleration on the falling portion of the RF waveform, 2) compressing using a positive momentum compaction (R56>0), and 3) compensating for aberration by using nonlinear magnets in the compressor beam line.
US09040934B2

This invention relates to a two-dimensional detection system for neutron radiation comprising a means (1) for emitting a neutron beam (10), a support means (2) adapted for receiving a sample (3), a photoemission means (5) adapted for being activated by a neutron radiation, a cooled low light level charge-coupled detection device (7). The emission means (1) emits a monochromatic neutron beam (10). The system further comprises a filter means (4), the filter means (4) being located between the support means (2) and the photoemission means (5) and being adapted for trapping at least a substantial part of the monochromatic neutron beam transmitted (12) by the sample (3), and an amplification means (6) located upstream the charge-coupled detection device (7) and coupled with the charge-coupled detection device (7).
US09040929B2

A sensor includes a collector, an emitter and a base-region barrier formed as an inverted bipolar junction transistor having a base substrate forming a base electrode to activate the inverted bipolar junction transistor. A level surface is formed by the collector, the emitter and the base-region barrier opposite the base substrate such that when the level surface is exposed to charge, the charge is measured during operation of the bipolar junction transistor.
US09040928B2

A detector for detecting ionizing radiation comprises a scintillator 10 selected to emit light in response to incidence thereon of radiation to be detected, at least one detector 16 for detecting said emitted light, and at least one optical waveguide 12 for transmitting said emitted light to said detector 16. The optical waveguide typically comprises a flexible solid or hollow fiber that can be incorporated into a flexible mat or into a fiber-reinforced structure, so that the detector is integrated therewith.
US09040924B2

A radiation detector is disclosed that includes a scintillation crystal and a plurality of photodetectors positioned to detect low-energy scintillation photons generated within the scintillation crystal. The scintillation crystals are processed using subsurface laser engraving to generate point-like defects within the crystal to alter the path of the scintillation photons. In one embodiment, the defects define a plurality of boundaries within a monolithic crystal to delineate individual detector elements. In another embodiment, the defects define a depth-of-interaction boundary that varies longitudinally to vary the amount of light shared by neighboring portions of the crystal. In another embodiment the defects are evenly distributed to reduce the lateral spread of light from a scintillation event. Two or more of these different aspects may be combined in a single scintillation crystal. Additionally, or alternatively, similar SSLE defects may be produced in other light-guiding elements of the radiation detector.
US09040913B2

Embodiments of the invention are directed to integrated resonance detectors and arrays of integrated resonance detectors and to methods for making and using the integrated resonance detectors and arrays. Integrated resonance detectors comprise a substrate, a conducting mirror layer, an active layer, and a patterned conducting layer. Electromagnetic radiation is detected by transducing a specific resonance-induced field enhancement in the active layer to a detection current that is proportional to the incident irradiance.
US09040911B2

Conventionally, in a general-purpose scanning electron microscope, the maximum accelerating voltage which can be set is low, and hence thin crystal samples which can be observed under normal high-resolution observation conditions are limited to samples with large lattice spacing. For this reason, there has no means for accurately performing magnification calibration. As means for solving this problem, the present invention includes an electron source which generates an electron beam, a deflector which deflects the electron beam so as to scan a sample with the electron beam, an objective lens which focuses the electron beam on the sample, a detector which detects an elastically scattered electron and an inelastically scattered electron which are transmitted through the sample, and an aperture disposed between the sample and the detector to control detection angles of the elastically scattered electron and the inelastically scattered electron. The electron beam enters the sample at a predetermined convergence semi-angle, and a lattice image is acquired at a second convergence semi-angle larger than a first convergence semi-angle at which a beam diameter is minimized on the sample.
US09040908B2

A method and apparatus for altering the orientation of a charged particle beam sample is presented. Embodiments of the method includes providing a first work piece on a sample stage having a sample stage plane, the first work piece including a lamella plane in a first orientation. A sample is milled from the first work piece using an ion beam so that the sample is substantially free from the first work piece. A probe is attached to the sample, the probe including a shaft having a shaft axis, the shaft axis oriented at a shaft angle in relation to the sample stage plane, the shaft angle being non-normal to the sample stage plane. The probe is rotated about the shaft axis through a rotational angle so that the lamella plane is in a second orientation. The sample is attached to or placed on the sample on either the first work piece, the first work piece being the work piece from which the sample was milled, or on a second work piece, the second work piece being a work piece from which the sample was not milled. The sample is thinned using the ion beam to form a lamella, the lamella being oriented in the lamella plane.
US09040905B2

Provided is a technique of analyzing particles in real time while collecting and condensing the particles continuously. Gas and/or particles as a detection target substance that are attached to an authentication target 2 are removed by air flow from a blowing region 5. The removed sample is sucked and is condensed and sampled at a sampling region 10, and ions of the sample are generated at an ion source 21 and are then subjected to mass analysis at a mass analysis region 23. Determination of the obtained mass spectrum is made as to the presence or not of a mass spectrum derived from the detection target substance, and a monitor 27 displays a result thereof. Thereby, the detection target substance attached to the authentication target 2 can be detected continuously in real time, promptly and with a less error rate.
US09040903B2

Described herein are mass spectrometry systems and methods which utilize a dynamic a new data acquisition/instrument control methodology. These systems and methods employ novel artificial intelligence algorithms to greatly increase quantitative and/or identification accuracy during data acquisition. In an embodiment, the algorithms can adapt the instrument methods and systems during data acquisition to direct data acquisition resources to increase quantitative or identification accuracy of target analytes, such as proteins, peptides, and peptide fragments.
US09040901B2

A process analyzes gases emitted during drilling of a borehole using oil based mud. The process comprises (a) using mass spectrometry, analyzing the gas recovered during drilling through a hydrocarbon-poor zone at spaced apart locations to provide a mass spectrum for the gas emitted at each of the locations; (b) using mass spectrometry, analyzing the gas recovered during drilling through a hydrocarbon-rich zone at one location to provide a mass spectrum for the gas emitted at the location; (c) using spectra from the measurements in (a) to extrapolate and predict a peak in a mass spectrum caused by compounds in the mud at a time when the drilling is proceeding through the hydrocarbon-rich zone; and (d) comparing the spectrum obtained in (b) with the predicted spectrum obtained in (c) to further predict at least one of the quantity and identity of the formation gases emitted from the hydrocarbon-rich zone.
US09040891B2

A method of forming of an image sensor device includes a substrate having a pixel region and a periphery region. A plurality of first trenches is etched in the periphery region. Each of the first trenches has a depth D1. A mask layer is formed over the substrate. The mask layer has a plurality of openings in the pixel region. A spacer is formed in an interior surface of each opening. A plurality of second trenches is etched through each opening having the spacer in the pixel region. Each of the second trenches has a depth D2. The depth D1 is larger than the depth D2.
US09040890B2

This description relates to active-pixel image sensors. Each pixel includes, at the surface of a semiconductor active layer, a photodiode region, a charge storage node and a transfer structure for transferring charges from the photodiode to the storage node after a charge integration time for charges generated by the light in the photodiode. The transfer structure includes a first transfer gate adjacent to the photodiode, a second transfer gate adjacent to the storage node, and an electron-multiplication amplifying structure located between the first and second transfer gates. The amplifying structure includes two separate accelerating gates and an intermediate diode region at a fixed surface potential, located between the two accelerating gates. A succession of alternating high and low potentials is applied to the accelerating gates while the charges are in transit in the transfer structure, before they are transferred to the storage node.
US09040881B2

The present invention relates to a cooking control method performed by a cooking apparatus for a food item. The method comprises obtaining a unique identifier and cooking data for the food item, and checking for a record of the unique identifier in a memory of the cooking apparatus. If a record of the unique identifier is located in the memory, then the cooking apparatus will not cook the food item. Otherwise a cooking process based on the cooking data to cook the food item is performed. Accordingly, cooking data for a given instance of a food item can only be used once in order to activate a cooking process performed by the cooking apparatus. The present invention also features product recall as well as the ability to track food item sales via a cooking data communications system.
US09040880B2

An electronic circuit control arrangement to sustain water discharging from an instantaneous hot water heater at a set temperature or range having a proportional water temperature signal derived from a sensing arrangement in communication with water inlet and outlet ports so as to sense the respective temperatures at each port to provide a comparatively measurable proportional difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures set against referenced parameters, including a comparator that acts as an operable control of a switch adapted to couple and de-couple an alternating current power source to the heating element through a duty cycle of highs and lows to provide a rate to generate and maintain the appropriate coupling and/or de-coupling of the alternating current power source to and from the heating element to achieve the desired referenced temperature and/or range.
US09040872B2

The invention relates to a connection device (27) comprising a coupling device (24) and a plug element (34) for a welding torch (10) connected to the coupling device (24) by at least one hose assembly (23), said coupling device arranged at least partially in the housing, wherein a welding wire (13), delivered by a feed unit (29) which is arranged on a motor plate (28), and additional media are conducted to the welding torch (10) via the hose assembly (23) and wherein the hose assembly (23) is connected to the plug element (34). In order to create such a connection system (27), the coupling device is formed by a connection device (30) comprising an end wall (38) and a separating wall (39) of the motor plate (28), wherein the end wall (38) is designed to receive the coupling (35), the connection device (30) is constructed to at least guide and position a pin (37), and the connection device (30) is independent of the housing.
US09040863B1

An arc guider configured to provide an arc movement path, one side thereof forming a fixation projection and a center thereof forming a groove in a longitudinal direction, a fixation element sequentially including a main contact, an arc contact being spaced apart from the main contact and an insertion groove accommodating the arc guider and a plurality of projection fixing units being formed on both sides of the insertion groove and being curved toward the accommodated arc guider through an outer force so that the fixation projection does not escape wherein triangle V shaped groove marks by the outer force are formed in the plurality of the projection fixing units.
US09040857B2

A terminal contacting part includes in a jig for charging and discharging a secondary battery and a jig including the terminal contacting part. The terminal contacting part has a conductive unit for contacting an electrode terminal and conducting thereto and a pressing unit for pressing the electrode terminal for the conductive unit to be in tight contact with an electrode lead of a secondary battery. A compressing plate to be in contact with an electrode terminal includes a pad of dielectric-elastic material.
US09040855B2

Button assemblies including water tight seals and methods for making the same are provided. The button assembly can include a button made from a rigid material having a cosmetic portion and a post. The post may extend from a bottom surface of the button and activate a switch of the electronic device when the button is actuated. Additionally, the button assembly can include a sealing member made from a compliant material having a post receiving hole. The sealing member may be secured to the button and an interior surface of a housing of the electronic device. The post receiving hole may fit around and engage the post. In some embodiments, the button may include a cavity and the sealing member may include a protruding member. In these embodiments, the cavity can receive the protruding member to provide for better registration of the sealing member to the button during assembly.
US09040854B2

A MEMS electrostatic actuator includes a bottom plate affixed to a substrate and a top plate suspended above the bottom plate. The top plate has a parallel plate center section and two rotating members electrically connected to the center section. Each rotating member is attached centrally of the rotating member for rotation about an axis of rotation to a set of anchor posts. The attachment includes at least one pair of torsional springs attached along each axis, each spring comprising a rectangular metal square that twists as the rotational members rotate. Electrostatic pull-down electrodes are underneath each rotational member.
US09040851B2

A touchsurface assembly comprises a base, a pressable touchsurface, and a deflectable spring. The pressable touchsurface is configured to move between an unpressed position and a pressed position relative to the base. The deflectable spring comprises a fixed portion and a contact portion. The contact portion is configured to contact a spring guiding profile. As the touchsurface moves from the unpressed position to the pressed position, the contact portion physically interacts with different sections of the spring guiding profile. This interaction causes different deflections of the deflectable spring and produces reaction forces that resist keycap motion toward the pressed position and bias the keycap toward the unpressed position.
US09040846B2

A shielded cable fixing structure includes a shielded cable that includes an electric wire, a braid for covering the electric wire, and a sheath for covering the braid, an insulation housing that receives a terminal fitting electrically connected to the electric wire, a pair of split shield shells in which the insulation housing is mounted, a groove-shaped portion press-formed on a section of each of the split shield shells to cover a wire lead-out port of the insulation housing, from which the electric wire is led out, and is recessed on an outer surface of each of the split shield shells, and a braid fixing member fixed on an annular mounting groove constituted by the groove-shaped portions of the split shield shells, in a state where the braid is disposed between the annular mounting groove and the braid fixing member.
US09040836B2

In a multilayered wiring board constituted by laminating to form pluralities of layers of wiring layers 105, 108, 110 and insulating layers 104, 106, 107, in the plurality of laminated insulating layers 104, 106, 107, the insulating layer 106 disposed at a laminating center in a laminating direction is made to constitute an insulating layer with a reinforcing member including a reinforcing member.
US09040833B2

A capacitive transparent conductive film comprises: a transparent substrate, comprises a first surface and a second surface which is opposite to the first surface; a light-shield layer, formed at the edge of the first surface of the transparent substrate, the light-shield layer forms a non-visible region on the first surface of the transparent substrate; and a polymer layer, formed on the first surface of the transparent substrate, and covering the light-shield layer, the surface of the polymer layer is patterned to form a meshed trench, the trench is filled with conductive material to form a sensing region on the surface of the polymer layer. The capacitive transparent conductive film can effectively protect the conductive material and has low cost and good conductivity. A preparation method of the capacitive transparent conductive film is also provided.
US09040832B2

A method of manufacturing a wiring substrate, includes obtaining a laminated body in which a first copper tin alloy layer and a copper layer are arranged in sequence on a first coupling agent layer, on a first insulating resin layer, forming a seed layer on the copper layer, forming a plating resist in which an opening portion is provided on the seed layer, forming a metal plating layer in the opening portion of the plating resist by applying an electroplating that utilizes the seed layer as a plating power feeding path, removing the plating resist, and forming a first wiring layer on the first coupling agent layer by etching the seed layer, the copper layer, and the first copper tin alloy layer while using the metal plating layer as a mask.
US09040829B2

A novel method and apparatus for performing the method is disclosed the apparatus comprises a laser (17), at least one ink jet print head (14), means for holding a transparent substrate having a transparent conductive layer, means (22) for adjusting the relative positions of the laser and at least one ink jet print head to the transparent conducting layer (2) and a controller to control the laser and ink jet print head whereby in a first step to inkjet print one or more coarse metal borders (15) onto the deposited TCM layer and in a second step by means of a single laser ablation process, ablating tracks in both the metal border and underlying TCM layer to form a plurality of discrete electrical busbars (12) and optionally also to form electrodes in the remainder of the TCM layer.
US09040824B2

A cable ribbon includes a first and second twinaxial cables and an outer layer surrounding the first and second twinaxial cables. The first twinaxial cable includes two first wires that are parallel or substantially parallel to each other along a longitudinal axis of the twinaxial cable ribbon, a first insulator surrounding each of the two first wires along the longitudinal axis, and a first conductive shield surrounding the first insulator along the longitudinal axis. The second twinaxial cable includes two second wires that are parallel or substantially parallel to each other along the longitudinal axis, a second insulator surrounding each of the two second wires along the longitudinal axis, and a second conductive shield surrounding the second insulator along the longitudinal axis. The first and second conductive shields are in direct contact with each other.
US09040823B2

A high speed video cable carries signals according to the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) or DisplayPort standards, and includes a raw cable and a boost device. The raw cable includes coaxial lines of a characteristic cable impedance lower than the impedance implied in the standards. The correct impedance is observed at the sending end by series resistors mounted in the first cable connector. The resultant loss of signal is made up with the boost device mounted in the connector at the other end of the cable.
US09040817B2

The present invention provides an organic thin film solar cell having a novel photoelectric conversion layer with superior conversion efficiency from light to electricity and superior carrier transportability to an electrode. The photoelectric conversion layer is arranged between a pair of electrodes at least one of which has optical transparency, and comprises a multilayer film formed by alternately laminating an electron-donating organic semiconductor thin film and an electron-accepting thin film. The electron-donating organic semiconductor thin film is formed by organic semiconductor molecules in which cyclic compounds are bound in a linear fashion.
US09040815B2

A thin-film solar cell includes a cell having a transparent electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a back electrode layer stacked on a transparent insulation substrate. A plurality of cells are connected in series to constitute a cell string. A bus bar is arranged on the back electrode layer of an end cell constituting the cell string. The thin-film solar cell has a photoelectric conversion layer on a series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer. In plan view, a series-connection direction end of the back electrode layer at an end of the cell string and the series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer at the end of the cell string do not overlap, while the bus bar and the transparent electrode layer at the end cell constituting the cell string overlap at least partially. A method of fabricating the thin-film solar cell is provided.
US09040805B2

An information processing apparatus is provided which includes a music analysis unit for analyzing an audio signal serving as a capture source for a sound material and for detecting beat positions of the audio signal and a presence probability of each instrument sound in the audio signal, and a capture range determination unit for determining a capture range for the sound material by using the beat positions and the presence probability of each instrument sound detected by the music analysis unit.
US09040800B2

A musical tone signal generating apparatus has waveform memory WM which stores a plurality of compressed data sets obtained by compressing, by linear prediction, sample values obtained by sampling musical tones. The musical tone signal generating apparatus has cache circuit 740 which reads out compressed data from waveform memory WM within an assigned computing period in response to instructions to generate a musical tone, and decoding circuit 750 which decodes the compressed data and outputs the decoded data as the data indicative of a sample value. The musical tone signal generating apparatus has CPU 901 inputs tone pitch information indicative of a tone pitch of a musical tone which is to be generated, identifies waveform data which is to be read out by cache circuit 740 from waveform memory WM and determines, in accordance with the identified waveform data, the length of the computing period which is to be assigned.
US09040799B2

Techniques for analyzing a musical performance of a sequence of events. The events have parameters, such as timing, pitch and dynamics. A processor inputs (1-2) the performance; accesses (1-4) a standard performance of the musical piece; identifies (1-6) and compares (1-8) mutually corresponding events and determines (1-10) one of a set of classes: correct”, “low” or “high”. A current marker is displayed on an area of a display. The marker's position depends on the classification and the position of the previous marker, whereby trends and changes in performance accuracy are easily detected during performance.
US09040793B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and apparatus for protecting a musical instrument and the player of said instrument. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes a first layer including a moisture permeable and wicking material configured to wick fluid and moisture across and through the layer. The first layer includes a first player-facing surface and a first musical instrument facing surface. The apparatus also includes a second layer including a second player-facing surface and a second musical instrument facing surface, wherein the second player-facing surface abuts the first musical instrument facing surface of the first layer. The second layer includes a moisture impermeable material configured to prevent the wicked fluid and moisture to come into contact with the musical instrument.
US09040792B2

The present invention relates to an Osteospermum and Dimorphoteca plant, seed, variety, and hybrid. Another aspect of the present invention relates to an Osteospermum and Dimorphoteca plant having a mutant allele designated KLEDF which results in an altered flower phenotype. The invention also relates to crossing Osteospermum and Dimorphoteca plants containing the KLEDF mutant allele with other Osteospermum and Dimorphoteca plants lacking the KLEDF mutant allele to produce intergeneric and interspecific hybrids. This invention further relates to specific lines of Osteospermum varieties exhibiting the altered-flowering phenotype. Furthermore, the invention relates to pollen, seed, and sexual, as well as asexual progeny of such plants with altered flowers. In addition, the invention relates to methods for propagating said plants and to uses of said plants.
US09040787B1

A novel maize variety designated PH1TWW and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1TWW with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1TWW through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1TWW or a locus conversion of PH1TWW with another maize variety.
US09040781B1

A novel soybean variety, designated XB52J13 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XB52J13, cells from soybean variety XB52J13, plants of soybean XB52J13, and plant parts of soybean variety XB52J13. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XB52J13 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XB52J13, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XB52J13, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XB52J13. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XB52J13 are further provided.
US09040780B2

A novel soybean variety, designated XB32T13 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XB32T13, cells from soybean variety XB32T13, plants of soybean XB32T13, and plant parts of soybean variety XB32T13. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XB32T13 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XB32T13, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XB32T13, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XB32T13. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XB32T13 are further provided.
US09040779B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1035446. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1035446. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1035446 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1035446 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09040778B2

A soybean cultivar designated 131TD735 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 131TD735, to the plants of soybean 131TD735, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 131TD735 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 131TD735 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 131TD735, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 131TD735 and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 131TD735 with another soybean cultivar.
US09040777B2

In an embodiment, the invention relates to the seeds, plants, and plant parts of canola variety SCV435009 and to methods for producing a canola plant produced by crossing canola variety SCV435009 with itself or with another canola variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a canola plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic canola plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to canola varieties or breeding lines and plant parts derived from canola variety SCV435009, to methods for producing other canola varieties, lines or plant parts derived from canola variety SCV435009 and to the canola plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid canola seeds, plants and plant parts produced by crossing the variety SCV435009 with another canola variety.
US09040767B2

The cost relating to a reduction in volume and storage of a waste resin including a radioactive nuclide is reduced. In an aspect of the invention, a volume reduction processing system 1000 is provided. The volume reduction processing system 1000 includes a radioactivity meter 102 that measures the radioactivity of a processing target resin, a volume reduction processing device 110 that carries out a heating process, and an oxidation process using oxygen plasma P on the processing target resin, and a process stopping point computation unit 180 that determines a process stopping point for carrying out a volume reduction process on the processing target resin with the volume reduction processing device as far as a volume reduction target value. The volume reduction processing device 110 stops at least one process of the heating process and oxidation process on the process stopping point being reached.
US09040762B2

Metal oxide catalysts comprising various dopants are provided. The catalysts are useful as heterogenous catalysts in a variety of catalytic reactions, for example, the oxidative coupling of methane to C2 hydrocarbons such as ethane and ethylene. Related methods for use and manufacture of the same are also disclosed.
US09040745B2

A production process of a fluorosulfuric acid aromatic-ring ester according to the present invention includes reaction of an aromatic-ring hydroxyl compound with sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2) in the presence of a tertiary amine except pyridine and methylpyridine. The sulfuryl fluoride, used as the reactant in the production process according to the present invention, is widely adapted as a fumigant and is easily available on a large scale. Further, the target compound can be obtained rapidly with a high yield under moderate reaction conditions in the production process according to the present invention. In this way, all of the prior art problems can be solved in the production process according to the present invention. The production process according to the present invention is thus particularly useful for industrial production of the fluorosulfuric acid aromatic-ring ester.
US09040735B2

The present invention relates to a process for hydrocyanating 3-pentenenitrile. The process can include feeding 3-pentenenitrile and HCN to a hydrocyanation reaction zone that includes a Lewis acid promoter, nickel, and a phosphorus-containing ligand. In various embodiments, the process can also include controlling water concentration within the hydrocyanation reaction zone sufficient to maintain a high activity of the ligand catalyst complex while recycling at least a portion of the ligand catalyst complex.
US09040729B2

Provided herein are processes of preparing sulfonated estolide compounds, and the removal of sulfonate residues from those compounds to provide desulfonated estolide base oils. Exemplary sulfonated estolide compounds include those selected from the formula: wherein z is an integer selected from 0 to 15; q is an integer selected from 0 to 15; x is, independently for each occurrence, an integer selected from 0 to 20; y is, independently for each occurrence, an integer selected 0 to 20; n is equal to or greater than 0; R6 is selected from —OH, optionally substituted alkyl, and optionally substituted aryl; and R2 is selected from hydrogen and optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched, wherein each fatty acid chain residue of said compounds is independently optionally substituted.
US09040725B2

The present invention relates to a compound of formula (I) including any stereochemically isomeric form thereof, wherein the substituents are as defined in the specification and the claims; a N-oxide thereof, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or a solvate thereof; provided that the compound is other than or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The claimed compounds are useful for the treatment of a disease, the treatment of which is affected, mediated or facilitated by activating the GHS1A-r receptor. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions thereof and processes for the preparation thereof.
US09040717B2

A compound represented by the following formula: wherein n is 1 or 2, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and a pharmaceutical use thereof.
US09040711B2

Provided herein are processes for the preparation of 3,5-disubstituted-1,2,4-oxadiazoles and salts thereof comprising reacting a N-hydroxyamidine with an acyl chloride in a reaction mixture comprising a water-immiscible organic solvent and an aqueous base at relatively low reaction temperatures.
US09040709B2

The present invention relates to a novel method for producing a pyridazinone compound and an intermediate thereof as shown in the following scheme: wherein the symbols are as defined in the specification.
US09040708B2

A compound of formula (I) wherein R1 to R4 are, for example, each hydrogen, R5 is pyridyl, which has two or more substituents selected, for example, from halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy, C1-C4-haloalkoxy, and cyano; R6 is, for example, hydrogen; R7 is, for example, hydrogen, cyano, hydroxyl, formyl, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy, C2-C4-alkenyl, or C2-C4-alkynyl; and A1 to A5 are, independently selected, from, for example, N, and C—H; and its use as a pesticidal agent.
US09040707B2

The present invention relates to novel bicyclic thiazoles which are positive allosteric modulators of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (“mGluR5”) and which are useful for the treatment or prevention of disorders associated with glutamate dysfunction and diseases in which the mGluR5 subtype of receptors is involved. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, to processes for preparing such compounds and compositions, and to the use of such compounds and compositions for the prevention and treatment of disorders in which mGluR5 is involved.
US09040706B2

The invention provides novel inhibitors of IAP that are useful as therapeutic agents for treating malignancies where the compounds have the general formula I: wherein A, Q, X1, X2, Y, R1, R2, R3, R4, R4′, R5, R6 and R6′ are as described herein.
US09040704B2

Herein are disclosed fluorescent dyes based around a framework for a ligand comprising a pyridyl group linked to a diaryl anilido unit. A variety of ligands based on this framework are disclosed. The ligands chelate to a BF2 center to produce the fluorescent dye. The disclosed dyes combine longer Stokes shifts (approximately 100 nm) with increased quantum yields. They are also photostable in aqueous and organic solutions for several hours. These dyes may be used in the labeling of biomolecules for bioimaging and assays. Also disclosed are methods for the synthesis of these dyes.
US09040699B2

The present invention relates to the preparation of cyclopropane derivatives, in particular 2-amino-9-[[(1S,2R)-1,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)cyclopropyl]methyl]-4,8-dihydro-1H-purin-6-one, especially via the [(1S,7R)-4-phenyl-3,5-dioxabicyclo[5.1.0]octan-1-yl]methanol intermediate.
US09040692B2

The invention provides a chemical entity of Formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, Y and Z have any of the values described herein, and compositions comprising such chemical entities; methods of making them; and their use in a wide range of methods, including metabolic and reaction kinetic studies, detection and imaging techniques, and radioactive treatments; and therapies, including inhibiting PDE4, enhancing neuronal plasticity, treating neurological disorders, providing neuroprotection, treating a cognitive impairment associated with a CNS disorder, enhancing the efficiency of cognitive and motor training, providing neurorecovery and neurorehabilitation, enhancing the efficiency of non-human animal training protocols, and treating peripheral disorders, including inflammatory and renal disorders.
US09040689B2

The invention relates to the use of compounds comprising at least one 2-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)pyridine unit, of formula (I) below: as ligands for lanthanides and, more especially, as organic chromophores for complexing these elements. It also relates to lanthanide complexes using these compounds as complexing organic chromophores, and to new compounds containing one or more 2-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)pyridine units, which are useful as ligands for lanthanides and, in particular, as organic chromophores for complexing these elements.Applications: photonics and optoelectronics, especially for forming light-emitting devices such as electroluminescent diodes; biology, as for example for the preparation of luminescent probes.
US09040682B2

Flame retardant cellulose is prepared comprising cellulose fibers and an organophosphate compound bonded to the cellulose fibers. Accordingly, the bonded phosphate-functional group provides the cellulose fibers with pendant phosphate ester functionality. Numerous phosphate derivatives can be envisaged that will accomplish the intended task.
US09040677B2

Described herein are techniques for assembling a polynucleotide encoding a transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN). The techniques ligate and digest necessary modules for a TALEN assembly in one reactor or system. Methods and Kits for generating a TALEN are also described.
US09040675B2

The present disclosure generally relates to dry solid matrices for the extraction, stabilization, and storage of nucleic acids, particularly RNA, in a dry format under ambient conditions for a prolonged period of time. Methods for collecting and recovering the nucleic acids stored in the dry solid matrix are also described.
US09040665B2

A method of forming a cross-linked protein structures includes preparing a solution of protein dissolved in a benign solvent and forming an intermediate protein structure from the solution. The intermediate protein structure can be cross-linked by providing for a specific ratio of chemical cross-linking agents to form the cross-linked protein structure. The solution can be prepared by adding a cross-linker of N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) at a ratio of two-to-one of NHS to EDC to alcohol. PBS buffer (20×) can be added to the solution until the volume ratio of PBS buffer (20×) to alcohol is about one-to-one. About 16 percent by weight of protein can be dissolved in the solution. The solution can be electrospun to form an intermediate protein structure. After a period of time, the protein structure can be cross-linked to form the cross-linked protein structure.
US09040656B2

Providing a process for advantageously producing spherical particles of furfuryl alcohol resin using only furfuryl alcohol without using a harmful aldehyde as a starting material. In the process, furfuryl alcohol is subjected to a self-condensation reaction in the presence of an acid catalyst, whereby a fluidic condensation resin of furfuryl alcohol is obtained. The condensation resin of furfuryl alcohol is granulated and cured using water as a reaction medium in the presence of a dispersion stabilizer and an acid catalyst having a pKa of not more than 1.5, whereby spherical cured resin particles are formed.
US09040647B2

Provided are: a method for controlling the decoloration reaction rate and color density of a fast light-modulating material to levels suitable for practical use; and a fast light-modulating material having a decoloration reaction rate and a color density which are suitable for practical use. A polymer obtained by polymerizing a paracyclophane-bridged hexaarylbisimidazole compound having a radical-polymerizable group, and a copolymer obtained by copolymerizing the compound with a (meth)acrylic acid compound or a sensitizer having a radical-polymerizable group can achieve controlled decoloration reaction rates, photosensitivity and color tones.
US09040645B2

A method for preparing a catalyst system for heterogenous catalysis of an isobutylene polymerization reaction includes the steps of forming an alumina support in which the alumina support has pores formed therein, and reacting BF3/methanol catalyst complex with the alumina support. The ratio of methanol to BF3 in the catalyst complex ranges from 0.5 moles to 2 moles of methanol per mole of BF3. The alumina support is formed so as to have pores each having a diameter of greater than twenty nanometers. The alumina support can be in the form of beads or extrudates having a length significantly greater than a diameter. The extrudate can also have a tri-lobe configuration.
US09040635B1

A polymer, optionally made from renewable sources, comprising a specific chemical structure that is a result of the polymerization of α-hydroxycarbonyl compounds (alpha-hydroxycarbonyl compounds), particularly α-hydroxyaldehydes (alpha-hydroxyaldehydes) and α-hydroxyketones (alpha-hydroxyketones), or glycolaldehyde. A method of polymerization, the method comprising the step of reacting trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate with the cyclic dimer of one or more α-hydroxycarbonyl compounds. A method of making said polymer, the method comprising dehydrating a cyclic dimer of one or more α-hydroxycarbonyl compounds. An end-capped polymer made from one or more α-hydroxycarbonyl compounds and terminal end-cap groups.
US09040631B1

The present invention provides padding which is suitable as bedding and clothing items having both exothermic property upon moisture absorption and bulkiness in high levels and being able to give comfortable environment to human body. The present invention relates to a padding containing 25 to 85% by weight of polyester fiber, characterized in that the padding contains 15 to 75% by weight of a cross-linked polyacrylate fiber of a magnesium salt type and/or a calcium salt type.
US09040627B2

Provided is an artificial turf yarn having improved heat resistance, durability, softness and extensibility. The artificial turf yarn contains two components: an olefin block copolymer (OBC) and a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). The yarn includes from about 10 wt % to about 80 wt % of the OBC and from about 20 wt % to about 90 wt % of the LLDPE which produces an artificial turf yarn with improved softness and toughness while maintaining heat resistance.
US09040613B2

Plasticizing system which can be used in particular for the plasticizing of a tire diene elastomer composition containing, in combination: a plasticizing hydrocarbon resin, the glass transition temperature of which is greater than 0° C.; and a tri- or pyromellitate ester corresponding to the formula (I): in which the R radicals, which are identical or different, represent a hydrocarbon radical and the R′ radical represents hydrogen or COOR group. Also, a rubber composition incorporating the plasticizing system and the use of such a composition for the manufacture of a tire or tire semi-finished product made of rubber, in particular of a tire tread, exhibiting an improved wear resistance without having a detrimental affect on its wet grip.
US09040612B2

A caulk composition having a first color upon application and a second color upon formation of a skin, wherein said skin is suitable for application of a surface treatment.
US09040607B2

An adhesive composition includes a first part comprising about 15 to about 60 wt % of an epoxy compound, about 35 to about 80 wt % of an epoxy novolac, and about 5 to about 25 wt % of an epoxy-based reactive diluent based on the total weight of epoxy compound, epoxy novolac, and reactive diluent; and a second part comprising less than about 20 wt % of a hydroxyaromatic solvent, about 80 to about 99 wt % of a Mannich base, and about 1 to about 20 wt % of a tertiary amine, based on the total weight of hydroxyaromatic solvent, Mannich base, and tertiary amine, the first and second parts being present in a volume ratio of about 0.8:1 to about 1.2:1. Additives to further enhance the properties may be included. A method of forming an adhesive layer includes applying the adhesive composition to a surface.
US09040605B2

The invention provides a process for monitoring and/or adjusting a dispersion polymerization of an olefin-based polymer, the process comprising monitoring the concentration of the carbon-carbon unsaturations in the dispersion using Raman Spectroscopy. The invention also provides a process for polymerizing an olefin-based polymer, the process comprising polymerizing one or more monomer types, in the presence of at least one catalyst and at least one solvent, to form the polymer as a dispersed phase in the solvent; and monitoring the concentration of the carbon-carbon unsaturations in the dispersion using Raman Spectroscopy.
US09040602B2

The invention relates to a dental material which comprises a polymerizable bisphosphonic acid of Formula I: The invention also relates to the use of a polymerizable bisphosphonic acid of Formula I for the preparation of a dental material and in particular for the preparation of an adhesive, cement or composite.
US09040590B2

Disclosed herein are compositions that include for example the arginine salt of carbidopa, and methods for treating neurological or movement diseases or disorders such as restless leg syndrome, Parkinson's disease, secondary parkinsonism, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's like syndrome, PSP, MSA, ALS, Shy-Drager syndrome and conditions resulting from brain injury including carbon monoxide or manganese intoxication, using substantially continuous administration of carbidopa or salt thereof together with administration of levodopa.
US09040589B2

Disclosed herein are compositions that include for example the arginine salt of carbidopa, and methods for treating neurological or movement diseases or disorders such as restless leg syndrome, Parkinson's disease, secondary parkinsonism, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's like syndrome, PSP, MSA, ALS, Shy-Drager syndrome and conditions resulting from brain injury including carbon monoxide or manganese intoxication, using substantially continuous administration of carbidopa or salt thereof together with administration of levodopa.
US09040587B2

Aromatic N-halosulfonamide organic compounds have been known for over one hundred years. The ability of these compounds to release active halogen ions has been utilized in a range of biocidal and fungicidal applications. This disclosure deals with the use of halo active aromatic sulfonamide organic compounds as odor control and/or biocidal agents in a cleaning solution for use with bovines and other dairy animals.
US09040580B2

The present invention relates to a method for the prevention or treatment of degenerative neurological brain disorders and, more specifically, relates to a method for the prevention or treatment of degenerative neurological brain disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's dementia (senile dementia), stroke, Lou Gehrig's disease, Pick's disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Huntington's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, spinocerebellar degeneration, cerebellar atrophy, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and amnesia. The method includes administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a composition, wherein the composition contains a paraben compound as an active ingredient having effects that are useful in combating oxidation to remove active oxygen, suppressing cell-death, improving impaired movement, and enhancing declining memory.
US09040565B2

There are provided compounds of formula (I), wherein R1, R6, R8, Q2, Q3, Q3a, Q4, L and A have meanings given in the description, and pharmaceutically-acceptable salts thereof, which compounds are useful in the treatment of diseases in which inhibition of the activity of a member of the MAPEG family is desired and/or required, and particularly in the treatment of inflammation and/or cancer.
US09040563B2

Many GTPases such as Ras, Ral and Rho require post-translational farnestylation or geranylgeranylation for mediating malignant transformation. Dual farnesyltransferase (FT) (FTI) and geranylgeranyltransferase-I (GGT-1) inhibitors (GGTI) were developed as anticancer agents from based on an ethylenediamine scaffold. On the basis of a 4-fold substituted ethylenediamine scaffold, the inhibitors are structurally simple and readily derivatized, facilitating extensive structure-activity relationship studies. The most potent inhibitor is compound exhibited an in vitro hFTase IC50 value of 25 nM and a whole cell H-Ras processing IC50 value of 90 nM. Several of the inhibitors proved highly selective for hFTase over the related prenyltransferase enzyme geranylgeranyltransferase-I (GGTase-I). A crystal structure of an inhibitor cocrystallized with farnesyl pyrophosphate in the active site of rat FTase illustrates that the para-benzonitrile moiety is stabilized by a π-π stacking interaction with the Y361β residue, suggesting an importance of this component of the inhibitors.
US09040560B2

The invention provides novel substituted amino azaheterocyclic carboxamide compounds according to Formula (I), their manufacture and use for the treatment of hyperproliferative diseases, such as cancer.
US09040557B2

The present invention relates to a composition for preventing or treating obesity, dyslipidemia, fatty liver or insulin resistance syndrome, comprising cinchonine as an active ingredient. The composition of the present invention comprising cinchonine as an active ingredient contributes to not only inhibition of adipocyte differentiation but also reductions of body weight, visceral fat, total cholesterol level, plasma triglyceride level and liver tissue triglyceride level, thereby exerting prevention or treatment efficacies of obesity, hyperlipidemia or fatty liver. In addition, the composition of the present invention induces significant decrease in fasting glucose level and blood insulin level to improve type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and related metabolic diseases.
US09040552B2

The present invention relates to compounds of Formula I or II, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters, or prodrugs thereof: which relates to mophinan compounds useful as μ, δ and/or κ receptor opioid compounds and pharmaceuticals containing same that may be useful for mediating analgesia, combating drug addiction, alcohol addiction, drug overdose, mental illness, bladder dysfunctions, neurogenic bladder, interstitial cystitis, urinary incontinence, premature ejaculation, inflammatory pain, peripherally mediated and neuropathic pain, cough, lung edema, diarrhea, cardiac disorders, cardioprotection, depression, and cognitive, respiratory, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and gastro-intestinal disorders, immunomodulation, and anti-tumor agents.
US09040543B2

The invention encompasses compounds having formula I and the compositions and methods using these compounds in the treatment of conditions in which modulation of the JAK pathway or inhibition of JAK kinases are therapeutically useful.
US09040542B2

The present application is directed to solid forms of compounds of formula I: and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, that inhibit bacterial gyrase and/or Topo IV and pharmaceutical compositions comprising said compounds and salts. These compounds and salts are useful in treating bacterial infections.
US09040540B2

The present invention pertains generally to the field of therapeutic compounds. More specifically the present invention pertains to certain pyridyl-amino-pyrazine carbonitrile compounds that, inter alia, inhibit Checkpoint Kinase 1 (CHK1) kinase function. The present invention also pertains to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and the use of such compounds and compositions, both in vitro and in vivo, to inhibit CHK1 kinase function, and in the treatment of diseases and conditions that are mediated by CHK1, that are ameliorated by the inhibition of CHK1 kinase function, etc., including proliferative conditions such as cancer, etc., optionally in combination with another agent, for example, (a) a DNA topoisomerase I or II inhibitor; (b) a DNA damaging agent; (c) an antimetabolite or thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibitor; (d) a microtubule targeted agent; and (e) ionizing radiation.
US09040537B2

The present invention relates to pyridazine compounds of formulae I or II and the salts thereof, the N-oxides thereof and the salts of the N-oxides thereof, where the radical A is of the formula A, wherein # denotes the point of attachment to the remainder of formulae I or II, and wherein A1 is N or C—RA1, A2 is N or C—RA2, A3 is N or C—RA3, A4 is N or C—RA4 and A5 is N or C—RA5, provided that one or two of the variables A1, A2, A3, A4 or A5 is N; RA1, RA5, if present, are H, halogen, CN, NO2, C1-C6-alkyl, C1-C6-haloalkyl and the like; RA2, RA4, if present, are H, halogen, CN, NO2, C1-C10-alkyl, C1-C10-haloalkyl and the like; RA3, if present, is H, halogen, CN, NO2, C1-C10-alkyl, C1-C10-haloalkyl and the like; where W is N or C—RW and V is N or C—RV, provided that one of the variables W or V is N; Rt and Rw, if present, are H, halogen, methyl, C1-haloalkyl and the like; Ru and Rv, if present, are H, halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C3-haloalkyl and the like; X1 is S, O or NR1a, wherein R1a is H, C1-C10-alkyl and the like; X2 is OR2a, NR2bR2c, S(O)mR2d, wherein m is 0, 1 or 2, R2a is C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl and the like, R2b, R2c are H, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl and the like, or R2b and R2c together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bound form a heterocycle, and R2d is C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C3-C6-cycloalkyl and the like; and R1 is H, CN, C1-C10-alkyl and the like. The present invention further relates to a method for controlling invertebrate pests, to a method for protecting plant propagation material and/or the plants which grow therefrom, to plant propagation material, comprising at least one compound according to the present invention, to a method for treating or protecting an animal from infestation or infection by parasites and to an agricultural composition containing at least one compound according to the present invention.
US09040536B2

The invention discloses quinoxaline derivatives or salts thereof having PDE9-inhibiting activity and being useful as treating agent of dysuria and the like, which are represented by the formula (I) in the formula, R1 and R2 each independently stands for hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkoxy, acyl, amino and the like, R3 stands for alkyl, aryl, saturated carbocyclic group, saturated heterocyclic group, acyl and the like, R4 stands for hydrogen, hydroxy, alkyl or amino, R5 and R8 each independently stands for hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy, cyano or nitro, R6 and R7 each independently stands for hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkoxy, cyano, amino, carbocyclic group, heterocyclic group, COR9 or SO2R9, R9 stands for hydrogen, hydroxy, alkyl, amino, pyrrolidin-1-yl, piperidin-1-yl, pyperazin-1-yl or the like, X stands for S or O, and A1, A2 and A3 each independently stands for N or C.
US09040532B2

Compounds are described herein useful for treating diseases and conditions by modulation of one or more alpha adrenergic receptor. The compounds can include a naphthalene, a quinoline, a benzoimidazole or an isoquinoline as a core structure. Methods of making, using and formulating these compounds are described.
US09040531B2

Alpha-helix mimetic structures and compounds represented by the formula (I) wherein the general formula and the definition of each symbol are as defined in the specification, a chemical library relating thereto, and methods relating thereto, are disclosed. Applications of these compounds in the treatment of medical conditions, e.g., cancer diseases, fibrotic diseases, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the mimetics are further disclosed.
US09040526B2

The present application describes modulators of MCP-1 or CCR-2 of formula or stereoisomers or prodrugs or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein m, n, W, X, R1 and R6, are defined herein. In addition, methods of treating and preventing inflammatory diseases such as asthma and allergic diseases, as well as autoimmune pathologies such as rheumatoid arthritis and transplant rejection using modulators of formula (I) are disclosed.
US09040523B2

The present invention is concerned with novel antifungal 5,6-dihydro-4H-pyrrolo-[1,2-a][1,4]benzodiazepines and 6H-pyrrolo[1,2-a][1,4]benzodiazepines of Formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 have the meaning defined in the claims. The compounds according to the present invention are active mainly against dermatophytes and systemic fungal infections. The invention further relates to processes for preparing such novel compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising said compounds as an active ingredient as well as the use of said compounds as a medicament.
US09040522B2

The present invention provides compounds of the formula: which are useful as inhibitors of PHD and pharmaceutical compositions thereof.
US09040515B2

This invention relates to compounds of general formula (I) in which R1, R2, U, V, L, M, R5, m, X, Y and Z are as defined herein, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and salts, and to methods of using such compounds, salts and compositions for the treatment of abnormal cell growth, including cancer.
US09040514B2

A method of manufacturing an anhydrous copper complex of formula C12H10CICuN2O4 and methods of treating neuromuscular and other diseases, including but not limited to fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, rheumatoid arthritis, pain, fatigue, sleeplessness, loss of fine motor control, speech loss, inflexibility, Alzheimer's, dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, depression, lyme disease, lyme disease co-infection, gastroparesis (GP), myopathy, chronic inflammation and/or incontinence. The anhydrous copper complex preferably is administered in a pharmaceutical and/or dietary supplement composition of the invention.
US09040507B2

A method for treating an autoimmune disease in a subject includes administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an agent comprising an imidazole, an estrogen receptor agonist, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
US09040504B2

Described herein are compounds and compositions that modulate the activity of beta-lactamases. In some embodiments, the compounds described herein inhibit beta-lactamase. In certain embodiments, the compounds described herein are useful in the treatment of bacterial infections.
US09040498B2

The present invention relates to novel 1,2,3-triazolyl purine derivatives. The invention also relates to using the derivatives to treat cancer and various viral infections. An example of a 1,2,3-triazolyl purine derivative of the invention is
US09040496B2

The present invention relates to the field of cardiology. More specifically, the present invention provides methods and compositions for inducing proliferation of cardiomyocytes. In a specific embodiment, a method for inducing proliferation of cardiomyocytes comprises the step of administering an effective amount of an ALMS1 inhibitor.
US09040495B2

The invention provides an improved design for the construction of extensible nucleic acid-based, ligand-controlled regulatory systems, and the nucleic acid regulatory systems resulting therefrom. The invention contemplates improving the design of the switches (ligand-controlled regulatory systems) through the design of an information transmission domain (ITD). The improved ITD eliminates free-floating ends of the switching and the competing strands, and localizes competitive hybridization events to a contiguous strand of competing and switching strands in a strand-displacement mechanism-based switch, thereby improving the kinetics of strand-displacement. The improved regulatory systems have many uses in various biological systems, including gene expression control or ligand-concentration sensing.
US09040494B2

RNA interference is provided for inhibition of Frizzled Related Protein-1 mRNA expression, in particular, for treating patients having glaucoma or at risk of developing glaucoma.
US09040490B2

A cytosine analog, a method of preparation of a cytosine analog, a DNA methyltransferase 1 inhibitor, and a method for DNA methylation inhibition, is provided for the treatment of diseases associated with deviations from normal DNA methylation. The analog of cytosine may be comprised of 1, N4, 5 and 6-substituted derivatives of cytosine or 5,6-dihydrocytosine, wherein the analog can be described by the chemical formula where R1 is H, R3, R4, 2′-deoxyribosyl, R4 is alkyl or aryl, X is N or C, wherein if X in the analog of formula I is N, then R5 is no substituent and if X in the analog of formula I and/or II is C or if X in the analog of formula II is N, then R5 and R6 are independently alkyl, aryl, hydroxyalkyl, aminoalkyl, hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino group, alkoxyl, aryloxyl, aminoalkyl, aminoaryl, thio group, sulfonyl, sulfinyl or halogen.
US09040488B2

Imino sugars, such as deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), are glucose analogues that selectively inhibit cellular α-glucosidase I and II (enzymes that process N-linked glycans in glycoprotein) and exhibit broad spectrum antiviral activities against many enveloped viruses. Previously we have reported a novel DNJ derivative, OSL-95II, with antiviral activity and reduced cytotoxicity. In order to develop imino sugars with more potent antiviral activity as well as improved toxicity profile, OSL-95II was modified by diversifying the nitrogen linked alkylated side chain. The antiviral activities were initially tested in bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infected MDBK cells, yielding several imino sugar derivatives with novel structure and superior antiviral activity and toxicity profile. Furthermore, these new compounds were shown to be active against Dengue virus (DV) and West Nile virus (WNV) infection in BHK cells where potent anti-DV activity having submicromolar EC50 values and SI of greater than 900. These compounds represent a new generation of iminio sugars and their analogues, having application in the clinical treatment of infection of DV and other members of flaviviridae.
US09040485B2

Embodiments of this invention include synthetic compounds (NRP analogues) of peptides termed neural regeneration peptides (NRPs). NRP analogues are made by substituting amino acids in the native peptide sequence, modifying amino acids chemically, by replacing amino acids with synthetic moieties, by stabilizaing β-turns, acetylation of terminal glycine residues or by cyclization. NRP analogues can be used to treat a variety of conditions involving degeneration of neural cells, and includes treating disorders of the nervous system, including peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, neurotoxin-induced neurodegeneration, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
US09040484B2

Improved methods are provided for the recombinant synthesis of collagen, particularly collagen VII, in host cell, and for therapeutic delivery of the same. The recombinant collagen is produced in a host cell that has increased levels of prolyl-4-hydroxylase, relative to basal cell levels. The collagen produced by the methods of the invention has increased numbers of modified proline residues, relative to a recombinant collagen produced in a host cell having basal levels of prolyl-4-hydroxylase. The increased proline modification provides for a collagen having increased stability, including increased in vivo stability.
US09040478B2

The present invention relates to a compound which is a polysaccharide derivative of GCSF, or of a GCSF like protein, wherein the polysaccharide is anionic and comprises between 2 and 200 saccharide units. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the novel compounds, and methods for making the novel compounds.
US09040476B2

The present invention relates to a skin cleanser composition capable of providing an excellent frictional resistance feeling during rinsing and capable of giving an excellent silky feeling with moisturization to the skin after drying, and to a method for producing the composition. The skin cleanser composition contains a cat ionized hydroxypropyl cellulose (A) and a surfactant (B), and the cationized hydroxypropyl cellulose (A) has an anhydroglucose-derived main chain, and has a degree of substitution with cationized ethyleneoxy group of from 0.01 to 3.0 and a degree of substitution with propyleneoxy group of from 0.01 to 2.9.
US09040475B2

The invention relates to compositions, methods of use, and methods of manufacture for an intercalated bleach compound and compositions thereof. The intercalated bleach compound has the formula Mx(OCl)y(O)m(OH)n where M is an alkaline earth metal such as magnesium, calcium or mixture thereof. The values of x and y independently equal any number greater than or equal to 1 (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), and m and n independently equal any number greater than or equal to 0 (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), but m and n are not both 0. In addition, the molar ratio of the alkaline earth metal (e.g., magnesium or calcium) to hypochlorite is at least 3:1. In other words, x is ≧3y. The compounds exhibit excellent stability, little or no chlorine bleach odor, exhibit excellent pH buffering characteristics, and less reactivity with organic materials as compared to alternative chlorine bleach products.
US09040467B2

Solid proppants are coated with a coating that exhibits the handling characteristics of a precured coating while also exhibiting the ability to form particle-to-particle bonds at the elevated temperatures and pressures within a wellbore. The coating includes a substantially homogeneous mixture of (i) at least one isocyanate component having at least 2 isocyanate groups, and (ii) a curing agent. The coating process can be performed with short cycle times, e.g., less than about 4 minutes, and still produce a dry, free-flowing, coated proppant that exhibits low dust characteristics during pneumatic handling but also proppant consolidation downhole for reduced washout and good conductivity.
US09040466B2

An oxygen scavenger for completion brines effective and stable in high temperature subterranean formations. In one embodiment, the scavenger contains erythorbate and alkylhydroxlyamine.
US09040463B2

The invention provides a multiplexed assay device comprising a reaction chamber and several sets of encoded microcarriers 2 wherein the reaction chamber is a microchannel 1 and wherein the longitudinal movement of the microcarriers 2 is restricted and wherein the microcarriers 2 have a shape in relation to the geometry of the microchannel 1 such that at least two can stand side by side in the microchannel 1 without touching each other and without touching the perimeter of the microchannel 1 and are preferably observable in the reaction chamber. Moreover, the invention provides a method for performing multiplexed assay based on microcarriers 2 that improves mass transfer, simplifies the preparation and the execution of the assay and facilitates readout of biological reactions and identity of microcarriers 2.
US09040462B2

The present invention relates to methods and compositions utilizing inteins to generate libraries of cyclic peptides in vivo. The prevent invention also relates to methods for inhibiting protein-protein interaction.
US09040443B2

Catalysts and processes for forming catalysts for use in hydrogenating acetic acid to form ethanol. In one embodiment, the catalyst comprises a first metal, a silicaceous support, and at least one metasilicate support modifier. Preferably, the first metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum, titanium, zinc, chromium, rhenium, molybdenum, and tungsten. In addition the catalyst may comprise a second metal preferably selected from the group consisting of copper, molybdenum, tin, chromium, iron, cobalt, vanadium, tungsten, palladium, platinum, lanthanum, cerium, manganese, ruthenium, rhenium, gold, and nickel.
US09040436B2

Laminates are described having a durable outer film surface for use in making lightweight liquidproof articles, including articles of apparel, such as outerwear garments. A method of making the laminate and a lightweight outerwear garment having an abrasion resistant exterior film surface is described.
US09040429B2

A pattern formation method comprises a process of forming a resist pattern with an opening that exposes a first region of a glass film arranged on a substrate through a base film; a process of forming a neutralization film above the glass film; a process of forming a directed self-assembly material layer containing a first segment and a second segment above the glass film; a process of microphase separating the directed self-assembly material layer to form a directed self-assembly pattern containing a first part that includes the first segment and a second part that includes the second segment; and a process of removing either the first part or the second part and using the other as a mask to process the base film.
US09040426B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a first active region, a second active region, an inactive region located between the first active region and the second active region, and a third active region, which crosses the inactive region to electrically connect the first active region to the second active region, in a semiconductor layer; forming an insulating layer on the semiconductor layer; and forming an opening selectively in the insulating layer by dry etching.
US09040409B2

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to processes for making solar cells by simultaneously co-firing metal layers disposed both on a first and a second surface of a bifacial solar cell substrate. Embodiments of the invention may also provide a method forming a solar cell structure that utilize a reduced amount of a silver paste on a front surface of the solar cell substrate and a patterned aluminum metallization paste on a rear surface of the solar cell substrate to form a rear surface contact structure. Embodiments can be used to form passivated emitter and rear cells (PERC), passivated emitter rear locally diffused solar cells (PERL), passivated emitter, rear totally-diffused (PERT), “iPERC,” Crystalline Reduced-cost Aluminum Fire-Through (CRAFT), pCRAFT, nCRAFT or other high efficiency cell concepts.
US09040407B2

A method including depositing an alloying layer along a sidewall of an opening and in direct contact with a seed layer, the alloying layer includes a crystalline structure that cannot serve as a seed for plating a conductive material, exposing the opening to an electroplating solution including the conductive material, the conductive material is not present in the alloying layer, applying an electrical potential to a cathode causing the conductive material to deposit from the electroplating solution onto the cathode exposed at the bottom of the opening and causing the opening to fill with the conductive material, the cathode includes an exposed portion of the seed layer and excludes the alloying layer, and forming a first intermetallic compound along an intersection between the alloying layer and the conductive material, the first intermetallic compound is formed as a precipitate within a solid solution of the alloying layer and the conductive material.
US09040403B2

Methods are provided for fabricating an integrated circuit that includes gate to active contacts. One method includes forming a dummy gate structure including a dummy gate electrode having sidewalls and overlying a semiconductor substrate and first and second sidewall spacers on the sidewalls of the dummy gate electrode. The method includes removing the dummy gate electrode to form a trench bounded by the first and second sidewall spacers. The method removes an upper portion of the first sidewall spacer and deposits a layer of metal in the trench and over a remaining portion of the first sidewall spacer to form a gate electrode and an interconnect.
US09040393B2

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes chemically cleaning a surface of a substrate to form a chemical oxide material on the surface. At least a portion of the chemical oxide material is removed at a removing rate of about 2 nanometer/minute (nm/min) or less. Thereafter, a gate dielectric layer is formed over the surface of the substrate.
US09040390B2

A releasable buried layer for 3-D fabrication and methods of manufacturing is disclosed. The method includes forming an interposer structure which includes forming a carbon rich dielectric releasable layer over a wafer. The method further includes forming back end of the line (BEOL) layers over the carbon rich dielectric layer, including wiring layers and solder bumps. The method further includes bonding the solder bumps to a substrate using flip chip processes. The flip chip processes comprises reflowing the solder bumps and rapidly cooling down the solder bumps which releases the carbon rich dielectric releasable layer from the wafer.
US09040387B2

Embodiments of a method for fabricating stacked microelectronic packages are provided, as are embodiments of a stacked microelectronic package. In one embodiment, the method includes arranging microelectronic device panels in a panel stack. Each microelectronic device panel includes a plurality of microelectronic devices and a plurality of package edge conductors extending therefrom. Trenches are formed in the panel stack exposing the plurality of package edge conductors. An electrically-conductive material is deposited into the trenches and contacts the plurality of package edge conductors exposed therethrough. The panel stack is then separated into partially-completed stacked microelectronic packages. For at least one of the partially-completed stacked microelectronic packages, selected portions of the electrically-conductive material are removed to define a plurality of patterned sidewall conductors interconnecting the microelectronic devices included within the stacked microelectronic package.
US09040385B2

Embodiments of mechanisms for cleaning a surface of a semiconductor wafer for a hybrid bonding are provided. The method for cleaning a surface of a semiconductor wafer for a hybrid bonding includes providing a semiconductor wafer, and the semiconductor wafer has a conductive pad embedded in an insulating layer. The method also includes performing a plasma process to a surface of the semiconductor wafer, and metal oxide is formed on a surface of the conductive structure. The method further includes performing a cleaning process using a cleaning solution to perform a reduction reaction with the metal oxide, such that metal-hydrogen bonds are formed on the surface of the conductive structure. The method further includes transferring the semiconductor wafer to a bonding chamber under vacuum for hybrid bonding. Embodiments of mechanisms for a hybrid bonding and a integrated system are also provided.
US09040360B1

Methods for manufacturing multiple bottom port, surface mount microphones, each containing a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone die, are disclosed. Each surface mount microphone features a substrate with metal pads for surface mounting the package to a device's printed circuit board and for making electrical connections between the microphone package and the device's circuit board. The surface mount microphones are manufactured from panels of substrates, sidewall spacers, and lids. Each MEMS microphone die is substrate-mounted and acoustically coupled to the acoustic port disposed in the substrate. The panels are joined together, and each individual substrate, sidewall spacer, and lid cooperate to form an acoustic chamber for its respective MEMS microphone die. The joined panels are then singulated to form individual MEMS microphones.
US09040357B2

A semiconductor package with connecting plate for internal connection comprise: a plurality of chips each having a plurality of contact areas on a top surface; one or more connecting plates having a plurality of electrically isolated connecting plate portions each connecting a contact area of the semiconductor chips. The method of making the semiconductor package includes the steps of connecting one or more connecting plates to a plurality of semiconductor chips, applying a molding material to encapsulate the chips and the connecting plates, separating a plurality of connecting plate portions of the connecting plates by shallow cutting through or by grinding.
US09040354B2

A chip includes a dielectric layer and a fill structure in the dielectric layer, wherein the fill structure extends along a dicing edge of the chip, with the fill structure abutting the dicing edge.
US09040348B2

A method of fabricating an electronic assembly includes fabricating first and second interconnects. The first interconnect is adapted to interconnect a first die to a substrate. The second interconnect is adapted to interconnect the first die to a second die. The method further includes assembling the first die, the second die, and the substrate together such that the first die is disposed above the substrate, and the second die is disposed below the first die.
US09040345B2

A method of laser ablation for electrical contact to a buried electrically conducting layer in diamond comprising polishing a single crystal diamond substrate having a first carbon surface, implanting the diamond with a beam of 180 KeV followed by 150 KeV C+ ions at fluencies of 4×1015 ions/cm2 and 5×1015 ions/cm2 respectively, forming an electrically conducting carbon layer beneath the first carbon surface, and ablating the single crystal diamond which lies between the electrically conducting layer and the first carbon surface.
US09040342B2

A photovoltaic cell comprises a top subcell having a first band gap; a middle subcell comprising a substrate and having a second band gap, wherein the substrate comprises a first side and a second side opposite to the first side; and a bottom subcell having a third band gap, wherein the top subcell is grown on the first side of the substrate and the bottom subcell is grown on the second side of the substrate, wherein the first band gap is larger than the second band gap and the second band gap is larger than the third band gap.
US09040340B2

A method for fabricating a photovoltaic device includes depositing a p-type layer at a first temperature and depositing an intrinsic layer while gradually increasing a deposition temperature to a final temperature. The intrinsic layer deposition is completed at the final temperature. An n-type layer is formed on the intrinsic layer.
US09040328B2

A manufacturing method for an LED includes providing a substrate having a buffer layer and a first N-type epitaxial layer, forming a blocking layer on the first N-type epitaxial layer, and etching the blocking layer to form patterned grooves penetrating the blocking layer to the first N-type epitaxial layer. A second N-type epitaxial layer is then formed on the blocking layer to contact the first N-type epitaxial layer; a light emitting layer, a P-type epitaxial layer and a conductive layer are thereafter disposed on the second N-type epitaxial layer; an N-type electrode is formed to electrically connect with the first N-type epitaxial layer, and a P-type electrode is formed on the conductive layer. The N-type electrode is disposed on the blocking layer and separated from the second N-type epitaxial layer and has a portion extending into the patterned grooves to contact the first N-type epitaxial layer.
US09040326B2

A III-nitride light emitting diode (LED) and method of fabricating the same, wherein at least one surface of a semipolar or nonpolar plane of a III-nitride layer of the LED is textured, thereby forming a textured surface in order to increase light extraction. The texturing may be performed by plasma assisted chemical etching, photolithography followed by etching, or nano-imprinting followed by etching.
US09040322B2

According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed for manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting element. The method can include bonding a stacked main body of a structural body to a substrate main body. The structural body includes a growth substrate and the stacked main body provided on the growth substrate. The stacked main body includes a first nitride semiconductor film, a light emitting film provided on the first nitride semiconductor film, and a second nitride semiconductor film provided on the light emitting film. The method can include removing the growth substrate. The method can include forming a plurality of stacked bodies. The method can include forming an uneven portion in a surface of a first nitride semiconductor layer. The method can include forming a plurality of the semiconductor light emitting elements.
US09040320B2

A manufacturing method of an organic light emitting display device is disclosed which includes: forming a thin film transistor on each sub-pixel region which is defined in a substrate; forming a passivation layer on the substrate provided with the thin film transistor; forming a first electrode of an organic light emitting diode in each sub-pixel region of the passivation layer; forming a bank pattern in boundaries of the sub-pixel region of the passivation layer; forming a photoresist pattern, which exposes a first sub-pixel region, on the bank pattern; forming an organic light emission layer on the first electrode within the first sub-pixel region and an organic material layer on the photoresist pattern by depositing an organic material on the entire surface of the substrate provided with the photoresist pattern; and removing the photoresist pattern and the organic material pattern using a detachment film.
US09040317B2

A method includes performing a patterning step on a layer using a process gas. When the patterning step is performed, a signal strength is monitored, wherein the signal strength is from an emission spectrum of a compound generated from the patterning step. The compound includes an element in the patterned layer. At a time the signal strength is reduced to a pre-determined threshold value, the patterning step is stopped.
US09040314B2

A translucent member 41 that has been trial-coated with a resin 8 for measurement of a light emission characteristic is placed on a translucent member placement portion 53, an excitation light that excites a phosphor is emitted from a light source unit 42 disposed above, the resin 8 coated on the translucent member 41 is irradiated with the excitation light from above, a deviation between a measurement result obtained by measuring the light emission characteristic of the light emitted from the resin 8, and a light emission characteristic specified in advance is obtained, and an appropriate resin coating amount of the resin to be coated on the LED element for actual production is derived on the basis of the deviation.
US09040313B2

A method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display device is provided. An alignment master member is loaded on a moving unit. An organic layer deposition assembly is pre-aligned to the alignment master member. After the pre-aligning of the organic layer deposition assembly, a substrate is loaded on the moving unit. The organic layer deposition assembly is aligned to the substrate positioned as is after the loading of the substrate. An organic layer is formed on the substrate while the moving unit is moving along the moving direction. While the moving unit is moving along the moving direction, the organic layer deposition assembly is adjusted so that an interval between the organic layer deposition assembly and part of the substrate is maintained as substantially constant. The part of the substrate receives a deposition material emitted from the organic layer deposition assembly to form the organic layer.
US09040308B1

Management of the health status of an animal colony using a plurality of blood collection cards and the analysis of dried blood from members of the colony that has been collected on the cards. Members of the colony may be removed from the colony as a result of the analysis.
US09040296B2

The present invention relates to the development and manufacturing of viral vaccines. In particular, the invention relates to the field of industrial production of viral vectors and vaccines, more in particular to the use of avian embryonic stem cells, preferably the EBx® cell line derived from chicken embryonic stem cells, for the production of viral vectors and viruses. The invention is particularly useful for the industrial production of viral vaccines to prevent viral infection of humans and animals.
US09040289B2

A composting system is provided that uses gravity and natural thermal convection to yield a compact, modular, plug-flow compost reactor requiring minimal aeration and agitation energy. The compost reaction takes place in a self-supporting containment unit which is mounted at an angle with respect to its supporting base pad such that minimal external energy is required to mix and transport the composting material during its residence time within the container. The system uses natural convection to supplement external energy in the introduction of air into and through the material. Furthermore, the configuration of the containment unit and its supporting structures allow rapid deployment of compost facilities with minimal permanent civil work and minimal space requirements in a manner that enables subsequent relocation of the equipment.
US09040284B2

Systems and methods of sample processing and temperature control are disclosed. The invention may especially relate to temperature control, and may in some embodiments be methods of temperature control of an automated sample processing system and methods of automated sample processing. Specifically, the present invention provides temperature control in relation to sample processing systems and methods of processing samples, and in some embodiments provides temperature control in relation to sample carriers and processing materials such as reagents. Corresponding systems and devices are disclosed, including sample processing systems (1), sample carrier temperature regulation systems (60), reagent temperature regulation systems, sample processing control systems, and temperature regulation devices, among other embodiments. Scientific fields to which the present invention may have particular applicability include immunohistochemistry, hybridization, fluorescent in-situ hybridization, special staining, such as special staining of histological samples, microarray sample processing, and cytology, as well as potentially other chemical and biological applications.
US09040282B2

The present invention provides for a polyketide synthase (PKS) capable of synthesizing a dicarboxylic acid (diacid). Such diacids include diketide-diacids and triketide-diacids. The invention includes recombinant nucleic acid encoding the PKS, and host cells comprising the PKS. The invention also includes methods for producing the diacids.
US09040279B2

The present disclosure relates to a Bacillus subtilis alpha-amylase (AmyE) or its variants thereof. AmyE or its variants thereof may be used to more efficiently produce fermentable sugars from starch. Also disclosed are a composition comprising a glucoamylase and AmyE or variant thereof and a method of processing starch utilizing the described enzyme composition.
US09040275B2

The present invention relates to a method for detoxification of feed products contaminated by the mycotoxin zearalenone.
US09040268B2

A method of operating a fermentation zone for the production of ethanol from syngas uses a crotonate-like compound to prevent or reverse the effects of butyrogen contamination. The crotonate-like compound works in continuous fermentation processes to reduce or eliminate contamination from butyrate and butanol in the syngas derived ethanol product.
US09040242B2

Disclosed herein are methods for the identification of the species, serotype, and strain of a microorganism. Also disclosed are primers for use in detecting such microorganisms and kits comprising such primers.
US09040241B2

This invention relates to genetic markers of mental illness, e.g., schizophrenia (SZ), and methods of use thereof.
US09040240B2

The invention relates to a process involving analyzing the presence of arsenic in a sample, comprising the following steps: (a) contacting a sample suspected of containing arsenic on a solid support functionalized with a DNA fragment comprising an ArsR protein binding site, site on which an ArsR protein is attached, the presence arsenic causing separation of the ArsR protein from the DNA fragment; (b) incubation of the sample in contact with the said support; (c) elimination of ArsR protein separated from the DNA fragment by washing the support after the incubation carried out in step (b); and (d) analyzing by an ELISA technique to detect the presence or absence of ArsR protein remaining attached to the DNA fragment.
US09040231B2

A pattern forming method contains: (i) a step of forming a bottom anti-reflective coating on a substrate by using a first resin composition (I), (ii) a step of forming a resist film on the bottom anti-reflective coating by using a second resin composition (II), (iii) a step of exposing a multi-layered film having the bottom anti-reflective coating and the resist film, and (iv) a step of developing the bottom anti-reflective coating and the resist film in the exposed multi-layered film by using an organic solvent-containing developer to form a negative pattern.
US09040227B2

A microstructure manufacturing method includes forming a layer of a photosensitive resin on a substrate surface having an electrical conductivity, forming a structure of the photosensitive resin by exposing the layer of the photosensitive resin to light and developing the layer of the photosensitive resin to expose a part of the substrate surface, forming a first plated layer on the exposed part of the substrate surface by soaking the structure of the photosensitive resin in a first plating solution, curing the structure of the photosensitive resin after forming the first plated layer, removing at least part of the first plated layer after curing the structure of the photosensitive resin, and forming a second plated layer on a part where the first plated layer is removed, by soaking the structure of the photosensitive resin in a second plating solution different from the first plating solution.
US09040218B2

A solution of a gallium phthalocyanine contains a compound of formula (1) and a gallium phthalocyanine of formula (2), H2N—CH2—R1—CH2—NH2  (1) wherein R1 represents a single bond, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group having 1 to 10 main-chain carbon atoms, a substituent of the substituted alkylene group is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms and being substituted with an amino group, or a hydroxy group, one of the carbon atoms in the main chain of the alkylene group may be replaced with an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, or a bivalent group represented by the formula —NR2—, and R2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms and being substituted with an amino group, and wherein X1 represents a chlorine atom or hydroxy group.
US09040217B2

The present invention provides a carrier for a two-component electrophotographic developer, comprising a core particle and a thermoset silicone resin layer coated thereon, wherein said layer comprises a charge control agent and is formed by heat-treatment at a temperature below the melting point of said charge control agent.
US09040208B2

A catalyst layer for a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly includes a plurality of agglomerates, adjacent ones of the plurality of agglomerates contacting with each other with pores provided between said adjacent ones of the plurality of agglomerates, each of the plurality of agglomerates being formed by packing a plurality of catalysts each consisting of noble metal fine particles supported on a fiber-like support material, adjacent ones of the plurality of catalysts contacting with each other with pores provided between said adjacent ones of the plurality of catalysts, and each of the plurality of catalysts contacting with a plurality of catalysts other than said each catalyst at a plurality of contact points. This allows providing a catalyst layer, a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly, and a fuel cell, each of which has compact size and excellent power generation performance, and a method for producing the same.
US09040207B2

In a method for operating a high-temperature fuel cell, which in normal mode of generating electrical power is supplied with liquid fuel, preferably diesel oil, and is preceded on the anode side by a reformer for liquid fuel, where at least part of the hot anode exhaust gas is recirculated into the anode circuit via a recirculation line. Upstream of a compressor preceding the reformer the liquid fuel is sprayed or injected into the hot anode exhaust gas, the quantity of air needed for reforming the liquid fuel being added to the mixture of anode exhaust gas and fuel. On change-over from normal operational mode to standby mode without power generation, the supply of liquid fuel and air is stopped and the gas mixture present in the anode circuit be permanently circulated. A defined amount of air being introduced into the anode circuit in order to remove deposits and contaminations in the high-temperature fuel cell following standby operation.
US09040203B2

A lithium battery including: a positive electrode including an overlithiated lithium transition metal oxide having a layered structure; a negative electrode including a silicon-based negative active material; and an electrolyte between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, the electrolyte including an electrolytic solution including a fluorinated ether solvent in an amount of 3 vol % or more based on the total volume of the electrolytic solution.
US09040200B2

A method for forming a nanocomposite material, the nanocomposite material formed thereby, and a battery made using the nanocomposite material. Metal oxide and graphene are placed in a solvent to form a suspension. The suspension is then applied to a current collector. The solvent is then evaporated to form a nanocomposite material. The nanocomposite material is then electrochemically cycled to form a nanocomposite material of at least one metal oxide in electrical communication with at least one graphene layer.
US09040194B2

An electrode is provided with a metal terminal extending from a battery module main body, a bolt which has an expanded section configuring a retaining section at a rear end portion and penetrates the metal terminal upward, and an insulating body which insulates the metal terminal and the battery module case one from the other. The insulating body is provided with a drop preventing section which abuts at least a lower surface of the expanded section of the bolt and prevents the bolt from dropping from the metal terminal.
US09040193B2

In a cap assembly and a rectangular type secondary battery having the cap assembly, the cap assembly includes a cap plate made of a metallic or nonmetallic material, a hollow, low-melting point glass metal tube inserted into a hole formed in the cap plate, and a metallic or nonmetallic pin inserted into the hollow glass metal tube, wherein the cap plate, the glass metal tube and the pin are atomically bonded with one another at their contact areas by high-temperature heating.
US09040185B2

A battery assembly provided with an adhesive stop mechanism is disclosed. The battery assembly includes multiple battery cells, a primary retaining frame, a secondary retaining frame, two common electrodes and a bonding layer. The primary and second retaining frames are combined together to constitute accommodation chambers for housing the battery cells. The primary retaining frame includes an outer deck and a shallow deck, wherein the outer deck is formed with adhesive application pores and the shallow deck is formed with stop portions corresponding to the adhesive application pores. The adhesive composition applied through the adhesive application pores is confined by the stop portions and subsequently cured into a bonding layer that firmly holds the battery cells within the accommodation chambers.
US09040180B2

A perpendicular magnetic recording disk has a graded-anisotropy recording layer (RL) formed of at least two ferromagnetically exchange coupled CoPtCr-oxide magnetic layers (MAG1 and MAG2) with two nucleation films (NF1 and NF2) between the magnetic layers. NF1 is a metal film, preferably Ru or a Ru-based alloy like RuCr, sputter deposited on MAG1 at low pressure to a thickness between about 0.1-1.5 nm. NF2 is a metal oxide film, preferably an oxide of Ta, sputter deposited on NF1 at high pressure to a thickness between about 0.2-1.0 nm. MAG2 is sputter deposited over NF2. NF1 and NF2 provide a significant reduction in average grain size in the RL from a graded-anisotropy RL without nucleation films between MAG1 and MAG2, while also assuring that MAG1 and MAG2 are strongly exchange coupled.
US09040171B2

A heterocyclic compound represented by Formula 1 or Formula 2 below and an organic light-emitting device including the heterocyclic compound: wherein X1, X2, and R1 through R16 are defined as in the specification.
US09040159B2

An electronic element includes a substrate, and a transparent conductive layer. The substrate includes a surface. The transparent conductive layer is formed on a surface of the substrate. The transparent conductive layer includes at least one carbon nanotube layer. Carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube layer are adhered together by the van der Waals attractive force therebetween.
US09040153B2

Sag in ceiling tiles is reduced by the present coated ceiling tile and method which decreases sag in the coated ceiling tiles. Calcined gypsum and water are combined to form a coating which is applied to the back side of a base ceiling tile in a thin layer of about 100 micrometer to about 1000 micrometers. The coating optionally includes a set time modifier. This method makes a coated ceiling tile from a base ceiling tile having a front side and a back side opposing the front side. The coating is applied to the back side of the base ceiling tile, the coating comprising an interlocking matrix of calcium sulfate dihydrate. Optionally, remnants of the set time modifier are present within interstices in the gypsum matrix. The remnants of the set time molecule include ions, molecules, particles or combinations thereof.
US09040151B2

The present invention generally pertains to multilayer film including four or more discrete layers. The films contain two external layers, an internal stiffening layer and an internal shrink layer. The external layers include linear low density polyethylene resin, the stiffening layer includes polypropylene or a high density polyethylene and the shrink layer includes low density polyethylene. The multilayer films of the present invention have a gloss of at least 62% at 45 degrees, together with a 2% secant tensile modulus greater than 400 MPa.
US09040145B2

The disclosure relates to a superhydrophobic surface. Methods of fabrication are disclosed including laminating a polymer sheet having a surface to a template having a textured surface or a layer of a nanomaterial (e.g., nanoparticles or nanofibers) to convert the surface of the polymer sheet to a hydrophobic surface having a water contact angle of at least about 150°.
US09040144B2

A filtering film structure includes a film, a conductive layer and a dielectric layer. The film includes a plurality of holes. The conductive layer is disposed on the inner surface of the holes, and the dielectric layer is disposed on the conductive layer. When applying a voltage to the conductive layer, an electrical charge layer forms on the surface of the dielectric layer.
US09040141B2

This method for texturing a DLC coating comprises depositing a single layer of balls or spheres on the free surface of the DLC coating; dry-etching the DLC coating using oxygen plasma; and lastly, cleaning the surface of said coating by eliminating the balls or spheres.
US09040136B2

The invention relates to a flexible pipe comprising at least one polymer layer, and at least one armoring layer unbounded to said polymer layer, wherein at least one polymer layer is a cationic clay containing polymer layer of a polymer material comprising a polymer matrix and from about 0.1 to about 5% by weight of at least one cationic clay silicate.Preferred cationic clay silicates comprise kaolinite; smectite; Illite; chlorite; and synthetic cationic clays. The cationic clay silicate may e.g. be an organo-cationic clay.The cationic clay silicate may preferably be exfoliated and/or intercalated in the polymer matrix.The polymer layer may preferably comprise an inner liner, a thermally insulating layer, an anti-wear layer and/or an outer sheath or a sub-layer thereof.
US09040135B2

The invention relates to an improved blend of polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) for producing friction-reducing tapes (anti-wear tapes) used as a friction-reducing intermediate layer in flexible fluid pipes, e.g. oil pipes.
US09040124B2

A method is disclosed for curing ink printed images on golf balls by printing an image onto a golf ball and exposing the printed image to infrared radiation, then exposing the printed image to ultraviolet radiation.
US09040118B2

The present invention relates to a method of manufacture of styrene-butadiene latexes. The styrene-butadiene latex according to the present invention is characterized by having a superior adhesive force as the formation of films at an early stage is promoted by adjusting the gel content and molecular weight of the outermost layer, as well as a fast ink-drying speed and a high air permeability as the formation of paper films is maintained. It may be applied to paper coating very stably since the mechanical stability and chemical stability of the latex are superior.
US09040107B2

A dairy-based yogurt product having a protein level above 15%, sometimes more than 25%, with a smooth and rich texture and no grittiness. The yogurt product includes a particular selection of dairy proteins and other ingredients to raise the gelation temperature of the dairy proteins and avoid causing gelation or precipitation during pasteurization. Additionally, pasteurization temperatures, times and methods are selected to avoid gelation. Starting dairy proteins generally have relatively higher pH levels and low total acidity (TA) levels to help reduce gelation during pasteurization. Ingredients such as buffering agents and sequestering agents may be utilized to help raise the gelation temperature, as well as higher sugar levels which can control hydration of the proteins.
US09040104B2

Disclosed are compositions that include Docynia delavajy extract, Elaeagnus lanceolatus extract, or a combination of such extracts.
US09040097B2

Compositions for reducing the appearance of wrinkles, reducing the effects of aging and/or improving the appearance of skin. The composition may include at least one fluorinated perfluorocarbon; stem cells from at least one plant species; and at least one peptide complex that reduces release of acetylcholine. Other embodied compositions include at least one collagen stimulating peptide; at least one anti-inflammatory compound; and at least one skin tightening agent.
US09040082B2

Pharmaceutical compositions and methods for the treatment of chronic fatigue in human patients comprising a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant in a daily low-dosage amount in combination with therapeutically effective daily amounts of micronutrients, comprising acetyl L-carnitine, L-tyrosine, N-acetyl cysteine, and alpha-lipoic acid. The CNS and micronutrient components may be in an oral dosage composition containing a low dosage amount of CNS stimulant such as about 2.5 mg methylphenidate HCl together with about 60-250 mg acetyl L-carnitine, 50-200 mg L-tyrosine, 60-250 mg N-acetyl cysteine, and 25-100 mg alpha-lipoic acid.
US09040076B2

The present invention provides switchable adhesives comprising a mixture, in proportions by weight, of 20% to 98% of an adhesive, 2% to 80% of curable molecules and 0.05% to 10% of photoinitiator in which the weight proportion of the adhesive is calculated on the basis of its dry weight and wherein the adhesive includes an internal cross-linker for cross-linking the adhesive during drying to provide a cohesive strength of between 5 and 100 N/12.7×12.7 mm measured according to FINAT test method No. 18. Preferably, the adhesive and curable molecules are mutually soluble when dry, or the curable molecules and adhesive may be uniformly dispersed in each other. Preferably the amount of adhesive in the mixture is in the range 40% to 98% by weight, more preferably 60% to 95% by weight, even more preferably 70% to 85% by weight. Preferably the proportion of curable molecules in the mixture ranges from 2% to 60% by weight, more preferably 5% to 40% by weight, even more preferably 15% to 30 by weight. Preferably, the photoinitiator is present in the mixture in the proportions 0.5% to 5% by weight, more preferably 1% to 3% by weight. Such switchable adhesives are useful in medical dressings and other removable sheet products, and may be simply prepared by stirring the adhesive, the curable molecules and the photoinitiator together at room temperature.
US09040075B2

Disclosed is a method of increasing lean body mass and reducing fat body mass in infants, said method comprising administration to an infant, term or preterm, a nutritional formula comprising a source of DHA and ARA. It has been found that the administration of DHA and ARA, or a source thereof, in infants can increase lean body mass and reduce fat body mass, when compared to an unsupplemented control formula, without impacting the total overall growth of the infant. This method is especially useful in preterm infants.
US09040074B2

A hydrophilic biocompatible sustained-release material is disclosed. The material comprises amounts of Pluronic F-127, PEG-400, HPMC and water, effective to produce a composition of sufficiently low viscosity at room temperature to be injectable into an internal body cavity via a tube inserted within a urinary catheter. At body temperature, the material exhibits a much higher viscosity and will stably adhere to the internal surface of a body cavity. As the material dissolves, a therapeutic agent incorporated therein is slowly released to the body cavity, while the material itself is excreted from the body.
US09040071B2

This invention is in the field of controlled elution devices for therapeutic delivery. There exists a need for a stand-alone capable device for the localized and extended delivery of a therapeutic. This need is overcome by the present invention having an examplary embodiment comprised of a microfilm base (12), a reservoir of a therapeutic (14) disposed about the microfilm base (12) and a top layer (24) that is (i) a plurality of laminated layers (24) of para-xylyelne polymer and/or (ii) para-xylyelne polymer endowed with oxidatively functionalized para-xyele units. The thicknesses of the device is optimally in the range of about 10 to about 200 microns. The device is usable for the localized release of broad spectrum therapeutics for interventional and preventative medicine.
US09040070B2

The present invention relates to a material for induction of hard tissue regeneration, comprising platelet-rich plasma and gelatin β-TCP sponge, which promotes angiogenesis, osteogenesis, chondrogenesis and the like.
US09040062B2

The present invention is a solid sustained-release formulation comprising an agent for inhibiting semaphorin 3A as an active ingredient, which comprises an agent for inhibiting semaphorin 3A and pharmaceutically acceptable hardly water-soluble solid substance, in which the carrier is silicone.
US09040056B2

Compositions comprising a moisturizing agent, a desquamating agent, a mattifying agent and an agent that increases skin luminosity are disclosed herein. The compositions are useful for moisturizing, desquamating, mattifying, and increasing the luminosity in skin of an individual having a Fitzpatrick Skin Type IV, V, or VI. Also disclosed are methods for moisturizing, desquamating, mattifying, and increasing the luminosity in skin, comprising administering to an individual having a Fitzpatrick Skin Type IV, V, or VI, the present compositions.
US09040051B2

The present invention provides novel marker genes for the specific identification and characterization of human suppressive and/or regulatory T cells including natural, adaptive, and expanded CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ T cells in healthy individuals as well as tumor patients or patients with autoimmune diseases.
US09040049B2

The present invention relates to antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof, immunogenic peptide(s), and siRNA molecules which are capable of inhibiting neovascularization and/or angiogenesis and endothelial cell proliferation. The invention relates to antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof with specificity towards the metalloprotease domain of ADAM 15 and to immunogenic peptide(s) that elicits such antibodies. The invention also relates to compositions and kits comprising the antibodies and immunogenic peptide(s) of the invention, as well as methods and uses of the antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof and immunogenic peptide(s), as well as siRNA molecules.
US09040042B2

The present disclosure describes antibodies that target HM1.24. In various aspects, the antibodies have specific CDR, variable, or full length sequences, have modifications with the parent antibody, or include at least one modification relative to a parent antibody that alters affinity to an FcγR or alters effector function as compared to the parent antibody. Nucleic acids encoding the antibodies and methods of using the antibodies are also disclosed.
US09040030B2

The invention relates to a composition comprising at least one water-dispersible wax and at least one oil-dispersible micronized wax which, if desired, can be prepared at room temperature.
US09040025B2

This invention relates to a composition useful as a dentifrice comprising a surfactant agent consisting essentially of monoalkyl and dialkyl phosphate esters, wherein the ratio of monoesters to diesters is greater than 1, and optionally an abrasive agent consisting essentially of siliceous materials.
US09040021B2

Heterocyclic compounds of formula (I) useful as imaging probes of Tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease are described. Compositions and methods of making such compounds are also described.
US09040015B2

Provided are a method for post-treatment of a carbonaceous material using dehydrocyclization, a carbonaceous material post-treated by the method, and a polymer composite material including the carbonaceous material. More particularly, provided are a method for post-treatment of a carbonaceous material using dehydrocyclization, including subjecting the carbonaceous material to dehydrocyclization at room temperature to heal structural defects in the carbonaceous material, while increasing the effective conjugated length of the carbonaceous material to improve the electrical conductivity thereof, as well as a carbonaceous material post-treated by the method and a polymer composite material including the carbonaceous material.
US09040010B2

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for manufacturing a single crystal silicon ingot having a dual crucible for silicon melting which can be reused due to a dual crucible structure. The apparatus includes a dual crucible for silicon melting, into which raw silicon is charged, a crucible heater heating the dual crucible to melt the raw silicon into molten silicon, a crucible drive unit controlling rotation and elevation of the dual crucible, and a pull-up drive unit disposed above the dual crucible and pulling up a seed crystal dipped in the molten silicon to produce a silicon ingot. The dual crucible has a container shape open at an upper side thereof, and includes a graphite crucible having an inclined surface connecting an inner bottom and an inner wall, and a quartz crucible inserted into the graphite crucible and receiving the raw silicon charged into the dual crucible.
US09040008B2

Apparatus and method for removal of particles and VOC from an airstream, in which particles carried by the airstream are charged by a corona ionizer and then collected by an electrically enhanced filter downstream of the ionizer. A catalytic filter downstream of the electrically enhanced filter removes VOC as well as ozone generated by the ionizer.
US09040007B2

In one embodiment, a catalyst for ozone oxidation of pollutant components dispersed in a gas is provided. The ozone oxidation catalyst has a porous body formed from a metal body, a ceramic, or polymeric fibers coated with metal. A catalytic noble metal composition is deposited on the surface of the porous body. The catalytic noble metal composition is formed from particles of a noble metal supported by a mesoporous molecular sieve.
US09040004B2

The invention relates to a method for cleaning exhaust gases, in which an exhaust gas and a sorbent are combined in a fluidized bed reactor. In a subsequent filter system, solid matter is segregated, and thereafter, up to 99 per cent of the sorbent is re-channeled into the fluidized bed reactor, wherein the gas is subjected to a rotation around the flow axis in the fluidized bed reactor.
US09039996B2

A micro device includes a substrate and a structure configured to bind to an object or a material, or not to bind to an object or material. The structure has a roughness based on a roughness of the object or material. For example, a microarray includes a substrate and a well positioned in the substrate and configured to bind to a type of bead. The well has a roughness based on a roughness of the type of bead to which the well is configured to bind. The roughness of the well is controlled by controlling a position and number of striations in the side of the well. In another example, a moveable component of a micro device may have a roughness different from a roughness of an adjacent component, to reduce the likelihood of the moveable component sticking to the adjacent component.
US09039994B2

This invention relates, e.g., to a method for determining if a subject has myocardial ischemia, comprising (a) providing a blood sample obtained from a subject suspected of having myocardial ischemia; (b) determining in the sample the amount of one or more of the following proteins: (i) Lumican and/or (ii) Extracellular matrix protein 1 and/or (iii) Carboxypeptidase N; and (c) comparing the amount(s) of the protein(s) to a baseline value that is indicative of the amount of the protein in a subject that does not have myocardial ischemia, wherein a statistically significantly increased amount of the protein(s) compared to the baseline value is indicative of myocardial ischemia. Other proteins indicative of myocardial ischemia are also described, as are methods for treating a subject based on a diagnostic procedure of the invention, and kits for carrying out a method of the invention.
US09039989B2

The present invention extends to a disinfection cap for disinfecting a male luer end of an infusion therapy device. The disinfection cap can include an internal reservoir containing an antimicrobial or saline solution which is sealed with a flexible septum to prevent the solution from evaporating. The septum can include one or more slits or pierceable seams that allow a male luer end of an infusion therapy device to be inserted through the septum and into the solution. While the male luer is inserted through the septum, the solution contacts both the inner and outer surfaces of the male luer. Because the septum reduces evaporation of the solution and prevents the solution from leaking out of the cap, the solution remains in contact with the male luer for a longer duration then when typical disinfection caps are used thereby increasing the effectiveness of the disinfectant.
US09039977B2

An apparatus for storing and dispensing a test strip includes a container configured to store a stack of test strips. The container maintains appropriate environmental conditions, such as humidity, for storing the test strips. An engaging member is disposed in the container and is adapted to contact one test strip of the stack of test strips. An actuator actuates the engaging member to dispense the one test strip from the container. Since one test strip is dispensed at a time, the remaining test strips are not handled by the user. Accordingly, the unused test strips remain free of contaminants such as naturally occurring oils on the user's hand.
US09039976B2

A MEMS sensor includes at least one closed nodal anchor along a predetermined closed nodal path on at least one surface of a resonant mass. The resonant mass may be configured to resonate substantially in an in-plane contour mode. Drive and/or sense electrodes may be disposed within a cavity formed at least in part by the resonant mass, the closed nodal anchor, and a substrate.
US09039954B2

An injection tool for the production of components by an injection-molding method, the injection tool including several cavities for shaping one respective product, an injection nozzle for injecting plastic materials for each cavity, and an actuating device. The injection nozzle has an injection channel which can be closed by a nozzle needle in order to control the injection process. The actuating device is arranged to move the nozzle needle in an axial direction between a first end position and a second end position, with an adjustable stop being provided which defines the first end position.
US09039953B2

A method serves to produce a three-dimensional object by additive construction in direct construction sequence from solidifiable material, which is either present in the starting state in a fluid phase or can be liquefied, where multiple material components are discharged alternately in a programmable manner by means of multiple discharge units and configure different parts of the object joined to one another as a result of the discharge, where the geometric proportions obtained during discharge already correspond to the object, and because the material components form between them either edge regions merging into one another without boundaries or boundary regions of the different material components abutting one another without joining, a method and an object produced therewith can be provided, in which boundary and edge regions are formed “as if from one piece” between different material components even in the case of complex geometries.
US09039946B2

The present invention pertains to a reversibly thermochromic system comprising a substituted or an unsubstituted 6,11-dihydroxy-naphthacene-5,12-dione and a base and to a reversibly thermochromic composition comprising the reversibly thermochromic system and a carrier material and to novel substituted 6,11-dihydroxy-naphthacene-5,12-diones.
US09039939B2

A production method of an active material, and the active material are provided to realize an active material containing metal-containing particles and being capable of achieving satisfactory cycle performance and rate performance. The active material is produced by a method of polymerizing a mixture of a metal ion, a hydroxy acid, and a polyol to obtain a polymer, and a step of carbonizing the polymer. The active material used is one having a carbonaceous porous material, and metal particles and/or metal oxide particles supported in pores of the carbonaceous porous material, and particle diameter of the metal-containing particles are in the range of 10 to 300 nm.
US09039934B2

A method for producing a chemical reaction is provided. This method includes providing at least two helical tubes, wherein the helical tubes comprise: a first axis and a second axis; wherein the first axis and the second axis are normal to each other; a cross-sectional shape of a predetermined contour; and an inlet end and an outlet end. The method includes reforming a first gas stream and a second gas stream into a third gas stream in the presence of a catalyst. The method includes surrounding a heat source with the helical tubes are, and operating the tube with an average catalyst temperature of above 500 F. An apparatus for producing a chemical reaction is also provided. This apparatus comprises at least two helical tubes, wherein the helical tubes comprise: a first axis and a second axis; wherein the first axis and the second axis are normal to each other; a cross-sectional shape of a predetermined contour; an inlet end and an outlet end, wherein the helical tubes contain a catalyst capable of reforming a first gas stream and a second gas stream into a third gas stream. The helical tubes are designed to surround a heat source, and the tube operates with an average catalyst temperature of above 500 F.
US09039933B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to visible luminescent phosphors, visible luminescent nanobelt phosphors, methods of making visible luminescent phosphors, methods of making visible luminescent nanobelt phosphors, mixtures of visible luminescent phosphors, methods of using visible luminescent phosphors, waveguides including visible luminescent phosphors, white light emitting phosphors, and the like.
US09039926B2

A production process for composite oxide expressed by a compositional formula: LiMn1-xAxO2, where “A” is one or more kinds of metallic elements other than Mn; and 0≦“x”<1, obtained by preparing a raw-material mixture by mixing a metallic-compound raw material and a molten-salt raw material with each other, the metallic-compound raw material at least including an Mn-containing nitrate that includes one or more kinds of metallic elements in which Mn is essential, the molten-salt raw material including lithium hydroxide and lithium nitrate, and exhibiting a proportion of the lithium nitrate with respect to the lithium hydroxide (Lithium Nitrate/Lithium Hydroxide) that falls in a range of from 1 or more to 3 or less by molar ratio; reacting the raw-material mixture at 500° C. or less by melting it; and recovering the composite oxide being generated from the raw-material mixture that has undergone the reaction.
US09039922B2

The invention relates to binary compositions of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and difluoromethane, as a heat transfer fluid in compression, low-temperature and average temperature refrigeration systems, with exchangers operating in counterflow mode or in split flow mode with counterflow tendency. The invention also relates to a heat transfer method.
US09039921B2

A method to produce low-temperature sinterable powders which are then subsequently used to fabricate freestanding piezoelectric films with very large electric-field-enhanced piezoelectric response is provided. The −d31 coefficient for PMN-PT layers can be as high as 2000 pm/V, larger than that of commercial single crystalline PMN-PT bulk materials, at 10 kV/cm (or 20 V over the 20-micron film thickness). In contrast to single crystals, the polycrystalline freestanding films are easy to fabricate and can be made into any size. The films are also easily miniaturized. The method can be applied to nearly any piezoelectric material.
US09039916B1

A method for removing copper-oxide from copper powder, the method comprising: providing a copper powder defined by each particle having a copper core and a copper-oxide layer surrounding the copper core; disposing the particles in an etching solution in a container, wherein the etching solution removes the copper-oxide layer from each particle; decanting the etching solution and by-products; washing the particles; disposing the washed particles in an organic solvent; coating each copper core with an organic material from the organic solvent; dispersing the particles in the organic solvent; and providing the copper powder as dispersed copper cores that are absent a copper-oxide layer and have an organic coating, wherein the steps of dispersing in the etching solution, decanting, washing, disposing in the organic solvent, coating, and dispersing are performed in situ with the plurality of particles disposed in liquid, absent any exposure of the copper cores to air.
US09039914B2

The invention provides a chemical-mechanical polishing composition containing wet-process silica, an oxidizing agent that oxidizes nickel-phosphorous, a chelating agent, polyvinyl alcohol, and water. The invention also provides a method of chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate, especially a nickel-phosphorous substrate, by contacting a substrate with a polishing pad and the chemical-mechanical polishing composition, moving the polishing pad and the polishing composition relative to the substrate, and abrading at least a portion of the substrate to polish the substrate.
US09039913B2

In a semiconductor device manufacturing method, a target object including a multilayer film and a mask formed on the multilayer film is prepared in a processing chamber of a plasma processing apparatus. The multilayer film is formed by alternately stacking a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film. The multilayer film is etched by supplying a processing gas containing hydrogen gas, hydrogen bromide gas, nitrogen trifluoride gas and at least one of hydrocarbon gas, fluorohydrocarbon gas and fluorocarbon gas into the processing chamber of the plasma processing apparatus and generating a plasma of the processing gas in the processing chamber.
US09039912B2

A plasma processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber in which a plurality of substrates are stacked and accommodated; a pair of electrodes extending in the stacking direction of the plurality of substrates, which are disposed at one side of the plurality of substrates in said processing chamber, and to which high frequency electricity is applied; and a gas supply member which supplies processing gas into a space between the pair of electrodes.
US09039904B2

The invention relates to a method for treating wastewater containing nitroaromatics and nitrohydroxyaromatics, as for example arises in the production of nitroaromatics or in the production of nitrohydroxyaromatics, by a two-stage method consisting of pre-reduction and wet oxidation.
US09039903B2

A dispenser system for delivering various combinations of dispersants to a body of water with the various combinations of dispersants supplied to the body of water through the interchanging of dispensing cartridges which are attachable to a main dispensing cartridge where a condition for interchanging of dispensing cartridges may be triggered by an event.
US09039897B2

The present invention describes a method of optimizing CO2 concentration to increase the specific growth rate of Anammox bacteria and methanogens in wastewater and sludge treatment, as well as novel systems and methods of treating wastewater and sludge. The specific growth rate or doubling time of the Anammox bacteria and methanogens were determined to be sensitive to dissolved CO2 concentration. Optimizing dissolved CO2 concentration increases the specific growth rate of the Anammox bacteria, which may be used as an alternative biological nitrogen removal process for the treatment of domestic wastewater. In the method and system of treating sludge, the CO2 stripper returns biogas with low CO2 concentration to the headspace of an anaerobic digester in order to lower the headspace CO2 concentration and therefore, the soluble CO2 concentration. The lower soluble CO2 concentration increases the specific growth rate of the methanogens for a more efficient anaerobic digestion process.
US09039894B2

A supporting plate of a device is suggested. The device has at least one component and a housing for at least partly protecting the component. The supporting plate has at least one receiving element adapted for accepting the at least one component of the device in at least one of the following manners: in a form-closed manner, in a force-closed manner. The supporting plate is part of the housing.
US09039884B2

The invention concerns an electrostatic coalescing device that includes a vessel or a pipe through which a mixture of fluids flows. At least one metal electrode plate and transformer are arranged inside the pipe/vessel. The electrode plate and transformer are fully enclosed by insulation, and the transformer is energized from an external alternating low voltage source/power supply located outside the vessel/pipe. The transformer includes a first end of a high voltage winding connected electrically to the metal plate within the insulation.
US09039878B2

A method of forming a 3-phenylimino-3H-phenothiazine or a 3-phenylimino-3H-phenoxazine mediator includes providing a first reactant including phenothiazine or phenoxazine, providing a first solvent, providing a second reactant and providing a second solvent. The first reactant, first solvent, second reactant and second solvent are combined to form a reactants solution. Sodium persulfate is added to the reactants solution to couple the first and second reactants resulting in a reaction solution including the 3-phenylimino-3H-phenothiazine or the 3-phenylimino-3H-phenoxazine mediator.
US09039877B2

The present disclosure relates to an electrode strip, a sensor strip, a system thereof and a manufacturing method thereof. The sensor strip includes a first reactive film, a second reactive film and a vent hole. The first reactive film includes a substrate, a first electrode layer and a first insulation layer. The first end of the first insulation layer is concaved to a first depth to form a first reactive area. The second reactive film includes a second electrode layer and a second insulation layer. The first end of the second insulation layer is concaved to a second depth to form a second reactive area. The vent hole penetrates the second insulation layer, the second electrode layer and the first insulation layer so as to connect the first reactive area and the second reactive area.
US09039868B2

A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a defibrating unit configured to defibrate a defibration object including at least a fiber, in air. The sheet manufacturing apparatus forms a sheet by adding quantity of heat to a defibrated material defibrated at the defibrating unit. The sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a measuring unit configured to acquire moisture amount information of the defibrated material or the defibration object, and a controller configured to control the quantity of heat to be added to the defibrated material on the basis of the moisture amount information.
US09039867B2

A method for detaching a semiconductor chip from a foil uses a die ejector comprising plates having a straight supporting edge and an L-shaped supporting edge comprises: lifting of the plates to a height H1 above the surface of a cover plate; lowering of a first pair of plates with L-shaped supporting edge; optionally, lowering of a second pair of plates with L-shaped supporting edge; lifting of the plates that have not yet been lowered to a height H2>H1; staggered lowering of plates that have not yet been lowered, with at least one or several plates not being lowered; optionally, lowering of the plates that have not yet been lowered to a height H3
US09039864B2

An electrical ground (36) of an RF impedance matching network (33) is connected to a connection area (50) on the grounded chamber cover (18) of a plasma chamber. The connection area is offset away from the center of the chamber cover toward a workpiece passageway (20). Alternatively, an RF power supply (30) has an electrically grounded output (32) that is connected to a connection area (52) on the chamber cover having such offset. Alternatively, an RF transmission line (37) has an electrically grounded conductor (39) that is connected between a grounded output of an RF power supply and a connection area (52) on the chamber cover having such offset.
US09039863B2

Disclosed is a liquid processing apparatus capable of accurately determining a holding state of a substrate without being influenced by, for example, material or surface condition of a substrate. The liquid processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate, a camera that photographs a region where a peripheral edge portion of substrate is present when substrate is properly held by the substrate holding unit, and a control unit that determines a holding state of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit based on an image photographed by the camera.
US09039853B2

A plant for building tires for vehicle wheels, includes at least one forming drum having a supporting shaft axially projecting from opposite sides relative to a central body. A handling device is adapted to engage the forming drum and transfer it between at least one loading/unloading location and a work location provided for carrying out at least one process working on the forming drum. The handling device includes a grip assembly carrying at least two grip members each engaging the supporting shaft in the vicinity of each of the end portions thereof, and at least one motor associated with at least one of said grip members for driving the forming drum in rotation while the at least one process working is being carried out in the work location.
US09039849B2

Provided is a method of preparing a nanocrystalline titanium alloy at low strain to have better strength. The present invention is characterized in that an initial microstructure is induced as martensites having a fine layered structure, and then a nanocrystalline titanium alloy is prepared at low strain by optimizing process variables through observation of the effects of strain, strain rate, and deformation temperature on the changes in the microstructure.
US09039848B2

An aluminum alloy wrought product including, in wt. %, Mg 3.0 to 7.0, Zn 0.6 to 2.8, Mn 0 to 1.0, Cu 0 to 2.0, Sc 0 to 0.6, at least one element selected from the group of Zr 0.04 to 0.4, Cr 0.04 to 0.4, Hf 0.04 to 0.4 and Ti 0.01 to 0.3; Fe maximum 0.3, Si maximum 0.3, inevitable impurities, and balance aluminum. The range for the Zn-content in wt. % is a function of the Mg-content according to: lower-limit of the Zn-range: [Zn]=0.34[Mg]−0.4, and upper-limit of the Zn-range: [Zn]=0.34[Mg]+0.4.
US09039846B2

The invention concerns a cold-rolled aluminum killed steel sheet, which includes by weight between 0.003 and 0.130% of carbon, between 0.10 and 1% of manganese, between 0.010 and 0.100% of aluminum, between 0.0015 and 0.0140% nitrogen, the remainder being of iron and impurities resulting from the manufacturing, and which has a content of carbon in solid solution (Css) of at least 50 ppm, as well as a method of manufacturing packaging from said sheet.
US09039842B2

A device for cleaning and sanitizing a moving handrail, such as those found on escalators and moving walkways. The device can automatically and continuously sanitize a handrail as it moves past or through the device, thereby preventing the spread of germs and viruses and encouraging users to make contact with the handrail for safety reasons without worrying about disease transmission.
US09039828B2

Provided are silica-based fine particle dispersion sols, processes for producing the sols, coating compositions containing the dispersion sol, curable coating films obtained from the coating composition, and substrates having the coating film. A process includes (1) mixing an aqueous aluminate solution to an alkaline silica sol which contains water-dispersible silica fine particles in a given ratio; (2) heating the mixture liquid obtained in the step (1) to 60 to 200° C. and stirring the mixture liquid at the temperature for 0.5 to 20 hours; and (3) contacting the mixture liquid obtained in the step (2) with a cation exchange resin to remove by ion exchange alkali metal ions contained in the mixture liquid and thereby controlling the pH of the mixture liquid to be in the range of 3.0 to 6.0.
US09039821B2

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for coating aluminum substrates. In an embodiment, the invention includes a method of applying a coating on an aluminum substrate including contacting the aluminum substrate with a first solution. The first solution can include a zinc metal salt, a sugar acid or alkali metal salt thereof, and an alkali metal hydroxide. The method can also include contacting the aluminum substrate with a second solution. The second solution can include a molybdate salt, an alkanolamine, and a fluorine acid. Other embodiments are also included herein.
US09039815B2

Vane electrostatic precipitators preferably have the leading edges of the vanes directly opposite the discharge electrodes, and/or the distance between the discharge electrode and the leading edge of the vane electrode is less than the distance between the discharge electrodes improves the collection process. These designs improve collection efficiency of the vane electrostatic precipitators.
US09039812B2

In one implementation, a substance removal apparatus may include a collection unit and a removal unit. The collection unit may have a structure forming a channel and an inlet to receive an exhaust from a print system. The removal unit may separate a substance from the exhaust and transfer heat from the exhaust to the print system. The removal unit may include a heat exchanger and an impaction mechanism.
US09039810B2

A cyclone system for a gasifier having two or more cyclones arranged in series sharing a combined loop seal and dipleg is disclosed. Also disclosed is a method for capturing and recycling fines with the cyclone system.
US09039809B2

A method directed to reducing mineral buildup on drift eliminators of a cooling tower by allowing irrigation of the drift eliminators of the cooling tower with fluid in the basin of the cooling tower to reduce mineral buildup.
US09039808B2

A system and process for the recovery of at least one halogenated hydrocarbon from a gas stream. The recovery includes adsorption by exposing the gas stream to an adsorbent with a lattice structure having pore diameters with an average pore opening of between about 5 and about 50 angstroms. The adsorbent is then regenerated by exposing the adsorbent to a purge gas under conditions which efficiently desorb the at least one adsorbed halogenated hydrocarbon from the adsorbent. The at least one halogenated hydrocarbon (and impurities or reaction products) can be condensed from the purge gas and subjected to fractional distillation to provide a recovered halogenated hydrocarbon.
US09039799B2

Provided is an apparatus for separating liquid from a gas/liquid mixture, including: a housing; a gas/liquid mixture inlet located at a lower side of the housing; a coalescer placed in the housing above the gas/liquid mixture inlet for extending the volume of liquid droplets from the mixture passing the coalescer; at least one liquid feed, which liquid feed runs at least partially through the coalescer and ends at location below the gas/liquid mixture inlet; a liquid outlet for the separated liquid fraction located at a lower side of the housing under the coalescer; and a gas outlet for the separated gas fraction located at an upper side of the housing above the coalescer.
US09039789B2

The whole of a conductive material layer is formed on a bonding surface of an outer film having flexibility and barrier properties to prepare a composite body in which the conductive material layer is integrated with the outer film. A current collector is located within an application region, and at least a part of an electrode terminal is located outside the application region. A positive electrode active material precursor layer, an electrolyte precursor layer, and a negative electrode active material precursor layer are added to the composite body with plane positions thereof aligned with that of the current collector. These precursor layers are subjected to a crosslinking process. The application regions are applied, and the outer films are bonded, to seal a cell. The crosslinking process may be omitted.
US09039788B2

Methods for making composite anodes, such as macroporous composite anodes, are disclosed. Embodiments of the methods may include forming a tape from a slurry including a substrate metal precursor, an anode active material, a pore-forming agent, a binder, and a solvent. A laminated structure may be prepared from the tape and sintered to produce a porous structure, such as a macroporous structure. The macroporous structure may be heated to reduce a substrate metal precursor and/or anode active material. Macroporous composite anodes formed by some embodiments of the disclosed methods comprise a porous metal and an anode active material, wherein the anode active material is both externally and internally incorporated throughout and on the surface of the macroporous structure.
US09039784B2

The present disclosure relates to methods of facilitating bone growth. The method may include positioning a device around at least a portion of a bone exhibiting a defect, the device capable of retaining bone segments and micro-structured particles. The method may also include applying micro-structure particles within the device to the defect, wherein each of the micro-structure particles include at least one pore therein. In addition, the method may include aligning at least a portion of the micro-structure particles and applying a polymer to the particles and solidifying the polymer.
US09039780B2

An implantable medical device for implantation in a hip joint of a human patient is provided. The medical device comprises: at least one artificial hip joint surface adapted to replace at least the surface of at least one of the caput femur and acetabulum. At least one artificial hip joint surface comprises: a positioning hole with at least one opening in said at least one artificial hip joint surface. The hole is adapted to be placed and dimensioned such that the medical device is adapted to be fitted using a positioning shaft and at least partly surround the shaft, for positioning the at least one artificial hip joint surface in a desired position in the hip joint. The hole is adapted to be fitted using the positioning shaft, when the shaft is stabilized and placed in at least one of the femoral bone and the pelvic bone for positioning said medical device inside the hip joint.
US09039779B2

An elbow prosthesis is provided and may include a first stem component attached to one of a humerus and an ulna, a second stem component attached to the other of the humerus and the ulna, and a joint disposed between and coupling the first stem component and the second stem component to permit relative movement between the first stem component and the second stem component about a first axis. The elbow prosthesis may additionally include a condyle extending from the joint and including an axis of rotation that is eccentric from the first axis.
US09039777B2

A method of forming an orthopedic implant, the method comprising the steps of providing a first implant component and a second implant component, the first implant component having a stem and a second implant component including a head defining a female taper sized to receive the stem; coupling the stem to the female taper of the head; forming a modular injunction between the stem and head; applying a seal to the modular injunction to limit bodily fluid from contacting the modular injunction; and forming the orthopedic implant.
US09039776B2

The intervertebral disc prosthesis comprises first and second plates (3, 4) designed to be attached on one of the two vertebrae adjacent to the intervertebral disc to be replaced, and a compression pad arranged between the first and second plates. Each plate comprises first attaching means including two attaching portions (14a, 14b) positioned symmetrically on either side of the anteroposterior median plane of said plate, second attaching means including two attaching portions (15a, 15b) positioned symmetrically on either side of a first plane inclined by an angle comprised between 50° and 70° relative to the anteroposterior median plane of said plate, and third attaching means opposite the second attaching means relative to the anteroposterior median plane and including two attaching portions (16a, 16b) positioned symmetrically on either side of a second plane inclined by an angle of approximately 90°, relative to the anteroposterior median plane of said plate.
US09039774B2

Various embodiments of intervertebral implants, anchoring devices for intervertebral implants, and implantation instrumentation are provided, along with various embodiments of methods for using one or more of the devices. Some embodiments of an anchoring device have a body comprising at least one curve and a rigid plate elongated along a longitudinal axis so that its front end enters at least one vertebra while its rear end remains in the passage of an implant. In some embodiments, the plate comprises at least one longitudinal slot separating at least one posterior portion of the plate into two branches, with at least one branch comprising at least one withdrawal stop configured to retain the device in the implant.
US09039773B2

Implants, tools and methods for performing unilateral posterior lumbar interbody fusion are provided. An interbody implant includes a body having a top and bottom surface extending along a length thereof; and first and second side surfaces extending between the top and bottom surfaces on opposite sides of the body. The height of the first side surface is greater than the height of the second side surface.
US09039756B2

An endoluminal support structure includes strut members interconnected by pivot joints to form a series of linked scissor mechanisms. The structure can be remotely actuated to compress or expand its shape by adjusting the scissor joints within a range of motion. In particular, the support structure can be repositioned within the body lumen or retrieved from the lumen. The support structure can be employed to introduce and support a prosthetic valve within a body lumen.
US09039755B2

An expandable helical stent with a securement is provided. The stent is formed from flat or tubular metal in a helical coiled structure which has an undulating pattern. The main stent component may be formed of a single helically coiled component. Alternatively, a plurality of helically coiled ribbons may be used to form a stent heterogeneous in design, material, or other characteristi. The helical tubular structure may be secured with a securement, such as a weld, interlock or a polymer, to maintain the helical coils in a tubular configuration. The helical coils of the main stent component may be spaced apart or nestled to each other. The nestling of the undulation of adjacent helical coils contributes to maintaining the tubular shape of the helically coiled stent. In addition, the nestling of helical coils may prevent the polymer layer from sagging at any point between cycles of the helical coils.
US09039751B2

Endoprothesis delivery systems and methods for making an using the same. An example medical endoprosthesis delivery system may include an inner member. An outer member may at least partially surround the inner member. The inner member and the outer member may be configured so that an implantable medical endoprosthesis can be disposed therebetween. A coupling device may be coupled to a portion of the outer member so that, when there is substantially no slack in the coupling device, as the coupling device moves in a proximal direction the portion of the outer member moves in the proximal direction. An adjustable stop may be coupled to the coupling device so that, when there is slack in the coupling device, as the adjustable stop is moved in the proximal direction, the amount of slack in the coupling device can be reduced.
US09039746B2

Solid state light emitting devices include multiple LED components providing adjustable melatonin suppression effects. Multiple LED components may be operated simultaneously according to different operating modes according to which their combined output provides the same or similar chromaticity, but provides melatonin suppressing effects that differ by at least a predetermined threshold amount between the different operating modes. Switching between operating modes may be triggered by user input elements, timers/clocks, or sensors (e.g., photosensors). Chromaticity of combined output of multiple LED components may also be adjusted, together with providing adjustable melatonin suppression effects at each selected combined output chromaticity.
US09039739B2

A suture anchor comprising a one piece blank folded to form a body. The body has a floor, a first sidewall extending from one end of the floor and a second sidewall extending from an opposite end of the floor. A recess is defined by the floor, first sidewall and second sidewall. A crossbar extends inwardly from the second sidewall across the recess such that a free end of the crossbar is normally disposed distally of a transverse edge of the body. The crossbar is flexible such that when a distally directed force is applied, the free end of the crossbar is positionable in the recess. The free end of the crossbar is engageable with the transverse edge to limit the proximal motion of the crossbar from a proximally directed force.
US09039737B2

Methods and devices for ophthalmic tissue closure and fixation of ophthalmic prostheses are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, devices for both grasping and clipping a plurality of ocular tissue and ocular prostheses are provided. Various device embodiments are provided for both malleable clips and delivery of normally closed clips (i.e. shape memory). The device may accommodate a plurality of clips which include, but are not limited to: malleable metals, absorbable, shape memory, drug-eluting, and adhesive dispensing. The clips may be pigmented to match the colors of associated tissue (cornea, iris, conjunctiva, sclera, retina) to serve to camouflage fixation clips for healing duration or permanently. According to one aspect, shallow angle access to anatomy may be provided by specialized angulation of device shaft and closure jaws that are intended to access the eye through a small self-healing cornea incision and/or any ocular tissue.
US09039723B2

A surgical device mitigates over-puncture with a bias spring that biases a leading, cutting edge in the opposite direction of the anticipated over-puncture. An associated locking mechanism is configured to release the force of the bias spring in a direction counter to the direction of insertion when the tension force of tissue against the cutting edge is released. Thus, when an opening in the tissue forms, the tension is released and the cutting edge can move opposite to the direction of insertion of the surgical device at the same time that an applied force drives the instrument in the direction of insertion. In this manner, the spring and locking mechanism cooperate to move the cutting edge opposite to the direction of insertion as soon as an incision is made.
US09039712B2

The present invention provides a medical device having an catheter body defining proximal and distal portions, and a guidewire lumen at least partially disposed within and movable within the catheter body. The medical device may include an expandable element defining a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is coupled to the distal portion of the catheter body and the distal end is coupled to the guidewire lumen. In addition, an actuator element may be coupled to the guidewire lumen for longitudinal movement thereof, and a tensioning element may further be coupled to the guidewire lumen to bias the guidewire lumen and/or the expandable element towards a particular geometric configuration.
US09039711B2

Various methods and devices are provided for tensioning a tether. In one embodiment, a tether tensioning device is provided and includes an elongate shaft adapted to be positioned adjacent to a bone anchor implanted in bone, and a tensioning mechanism pivotally associated with the elongate shaft and adapted to couple to a tether seated across the bone anchor and to pivot relative to the elongate shaft to apply a tensioning force to the tether.
US09039694B2

Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing power to an electrosurgical instrument. In particular, a power supply is disclosed in which non-sinusoidal (e.g., pulsed) constant frequency voltage having a variable amplitude is passed to an LC circuit to produce a quasi-sinusoidal current in the LC circuit. The constant driving frequency can be one half the resonant frequency of the LC circuit allowing the LC circuit to operate as an impedance, and thus limit current spikes and arcing. The frequency and phasing of the driving voltage also enables the LC circuit to discharge energy back into a power provider of the power supply so that energy does not build up in the LC circuit. These features result in less severe current spikes and arcing, as well as reduced cutoff times.
US09039692B2

A medical device includes a handle assembly and a probe-and-amplifier assembly. The handle assembly includes a handle body defining a chamber therein. The probe-and-amplifier assembly includes a probe and a microwave amplifier unit. The probe extends distally from the distal end of the handle assembly. The microwave amplifier unit is disposed within the chamber. The microwave amplifier unit and the probe are mechanically coupled to one another to form a unitary body. The probe-and-amplifier assembly is selectively removable from the handle assembly.
US09039691B2

A forceps includes an end effector assembly including first and second jaw members. One or both of the jaw members is movable relative to the other between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position for grasping tissue therebetween. One or both of the jaw members is configured to conduct energy between the jaw members and through tissue grasped therebetween to treat tissue. An insulative tubular member is movable relative to the end effector assembly between a retracted position, wherein the insulative tubular member is positioned proximally of the end effector assembly, and an extended position, wherein the insulative tubular member is disposed about the end effector assembly. A monopolar member is configured to apply energy to tissue to treat tissue when the insulative tubular member is disposed in the extended position.
US09039686B2

A steerable laser probe may include a handle, and inner bore of the handle, an actuation structure of the handle, a housing tube, and an optic fiber disposed within the inner bore of the handle and the housing tube. The housing tube may include a first housing tube portion having a first stiffness and a second housing tube portion having a second stiffness. The second stiffness may be greater than the first stiffness. A surgeon may aim the steerable laser probe by varying a rotational position of the handle and an amount of compression of the actuation structure.
US09039684B2

A system and method for controllably releasing radiation in percutaneous radiation treatment is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a laser is coupled to an optical fiber that is inserted below the skin or into a vascular lumen to a predetermined point. The fiber is connected to a source of electromagnetic radiation such as a laser, non-coherent radiation source, high power laser diode, LED, and an ultrasonic source. Radiation is then delivered to the treatment site while the fiber is simultaneously drawn out to the entry point. The fiber is manually withdrawn and during this time the radiation is administered in a manner appropriate for the vein being treating in regards to power or energy level. To maintain a constant proper energy density, the speed of withdrawal is measured and sent to a controlling mechanism. The controlling mechanism modifies the power emitted, pulse length or pulse rate to ensure that the vein or tissue receives a consistent dose of energy during manual withdrawal. In one preferred embodiment, an imaging device provides the controlling device with position and time information so that speed information from fiber or catheter surface textural properties or based on one or more bar code like markings. In another preferred embodiment, additional information is collected, such as vein diameter prior to treatment, position of the distal end of the fiber, and/or impact measurements such as vibration or temperature during treatment, and the controlling mechanism adjusts output power or pulse rate in response to measurements to maintain a desired power density at all position during the manual withdrawal.
US09039676B2

A catheter assembly having first and second shaft members that provide stearability for the catheter assembly. The first shaft member has a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart first ring members that are interconnected with a longitudinally extended first spine member. The second shaft member is positioned within the first shaft member and is connected to a distal end portion of the first shaft member. The second shaft member has a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart second ring members that are interconnected with a longitudinally extending second spine member. Alternatively, the second shaft member includes a plurality of protrusions extending radially outward from the longitudinally extending second spine member. The second shaft member is operable to move at least portions of the first ring members longitudinally relative to each other to bend the first shaft member.
US09039668B2

Provided is a body attachment wafer for attaching an ostomy device to a wearer. The body attachment wafer includes a plastic film having an opening therein, a layer of adhesive coated onto one side of the plastic film, and a stiffening layer releasably attached to the plastic film on the side thereof opposite to the side coated with adhesive. The layer of adhesive comprises a region surrounding the opening in the plastic film in which the thickness of the layer of adhesive is decreasing in a direction towards the circumference of the plastic film, the layer of adhesive having its largest thickness adjacent to the opening in the plastic film. The adhesive consists of a silicone gel adhesive having a softness exceeding 8 mm.
US09039667B1

A method of arresting blood flow from a bleeding wound including the steps of (1) providing a solid hemostatic tablet preferably including potassium ferrate and a cation ion exchange resin pressure formed into a tablet for delivery onto a bleeding wound, the tablet defining a proximal portion and a distal portion, (2) applying the proximal portion against the bleeding wound to improve the rate of adhesion to a bleeding wound surface, and then (3) applying pressure against the tablet over the wound site. After the seal is formed from the interaction of blood or exudates with the proximal portion of the tablet, the distal portion of the tablet delaminates from the proximal portion to form a reservoir to stop further bleeding and to provide antimicrobial protection and healing. The tablet may be applied to any surface orientation and take any shape and thickness possible.
US09039650B2

An ocular implant having an inlet portion and a Schlemm's canal portion distal to the inlet portion, the inlet portion being disposed at a proximal end of the implant and sized and configured to be placed within an anterior chamber of a human eye, the Schlemm's canal portion being arranged and configured to be disposed within Schlemm's canal of the eye when the inlet portion is disposed in the anterior chamber.
US09039649B2

Devices and methods for gastrointestinal bypass are described. A gastrointestinal bypass device includes a gastrointestinal cuff and a gastrointestinal sleeve. The cuff may be configured to be attached in the esophagus, and may be sufficiently flexible to expand and collapse to conform with the inside of the esophagus to allow the esophagus to function substantially normally. The sleeve is configured to be coupled to the cuff, and may be made of a material that is floppy or flaccid but does not substantially expand radially.
US09039646B2

A patient wearable, continuously operating extracorporeal pump apparatus which accesses the patient's arterial venous pressure differential by applying external pressure to a subcutaneous graft that has been cannualized to modulate blood flow through an extracorporeal circuit and to drive the pump for delivering a medicament, such as an anticoagulant, to the site of an intravenous cannula to prevent clogging thereof and also to move a dialysate through a circuit, including a dialyzer and a dialysate rejuvenating cartridge, whereby kidney failure can be treated without recourse to prior art hemodialysis machines found in most treatment facilities. With slight modification, the present invention can be used to remove excess fluids from CHF patients, to remove toxins from the blood in those suffering from liver failure and to facilitate administration of insulin to diabetics and/or glucose to those having hypoglycemia.
US09039640B2

The present invention provides in some embodiments, a portable device for massaging and treating a person's muscles. The device can include an elongate center shaft and a roller section rotatably positioned about the outer surface of the elongate cylindrical center shaft and extending at least a portion of a distance between the first end of the elongate cylindrical center shaft and the second end of the elongate cylindrical center shaft. The device can also include a first and second handle coupled to the elongate center shaft. The first and second handles can be configured to collapse in order to decrease an overall length of the portable roller massager.
US09039637B2

A medical device for collecting cells includes a delivery tube having a flexible wire disposed within a lumen of the tube. The flexible wire includes a rigid proximal portion and a flexible distal portion. The flexible distal portion includes a cell collecting portion that can be advanced out of the needle and into a body cavity. The flexible nature of the wire will allow it to generally fill the body cavity to increase the contacted surface area and the amount of cells that are collected. The wire can then be retracted back into the needle for removal from the patient's body.
US09039635B2

A surgical biopsy system is provided for removing at least one tissue sample from a surgical patient. The surgical biopsy system comprises an elongated, hollow piercer and a cutter rotatably and axially positionable relative to the piercer. The piercer has a lateral port for receiving the tissue sample into the piercer. The surgical biopsy system further comprises a power transmission source operatively connected to the cutter for rotating and translating the cutter, a control unit, and a display mounted in a display frame for showing an operator a plurality of operational modes of the surgical biopsy system. The surgical biopsy system further comprises at least one control button operatively connected to the control unit by a circuit and remotely located from the control unit. The operator may actuate the control button(s) to select any one of the operational modes and the selected operational mode is visually identifiable on the display.
US09039629B2

A CO2 monitoring system (20) is described which is operable to monitor the CO2 content of respiratory gases during intubation, CPR, or ventilation treatment of a patient. The patient's respiratory gases are sensed for CO2 content (17) and characteristics of a CO2 waveform are detected (30), such as waveform baseline, waveform amplitude, waveform frequency, waveform slope, waveform rhythm, and waveform corners. One or more of the waveform characteristics are analyzed in consideration of the type of respiration treatment being performed to identify an abnormal respiratory condition. These abnormal conditions may include the intubation tube located in the esophagus, ineffective CPR, or an airway obstruction, for example. When an abnormal condition is identified (34) a visual or audible alarm (40) is issued to alert a caregiver to tend to the patient.
US09039626B2

The present invention provides minimally invasive imaging probe/medical device having a frictional element integrated therewith for reducing non-uniform rotational distortion near the distal end of a medical device, such as an imaging probe which undergoes rotational movement during scanning of surrounding tissue in bodily lumens and cavities.
US09039624B2

A high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducer comprising a piezoelectric array with a layer of piezoelectric material having a patient-facing front surface and a back surface, the front surface comprising a transmitting surface, and a plurality of electrodes located on the front and back surfaces of the piezoelectric material for applying electrical signals to the piezoelectric array. Electrical connections between an electrode on the back surface to an electrode on the front surface of the piezoelectric array are made through non-magnetic conductive vias extending through the layer of piezoelectric material.
US09039602B2

A propelling device includes a traveling body that rotates in a state of being brought into contact with an inner wall of an alimentary canal, an external cylinder around which the traveling body is wound, and a mounting cylinder on which a tip end portion of an endoscope is mounted. Three driven rollers are rotatably attached to the external cylinder. The traveling body is pinched between the driven rollers and driving gears. As the driving gears rotate, the traveling body travels in a circulating manner. A rotating shaft of the driven roller located at the center among the three driven rollers is held by a shaft hole that is made long in a gear arrangement direction in which the driving gears are disposed side by side.
US09039597B2

Devices and systems including implants (which may be removable) and methods of using them for reducing ventricular volume. The implants described herein are cardiac implants that may be inserted into a patient's heart, particularly the left ventricle. The implant may support the heart wall, or may be secured to the heart wall. The implants are typically ventricular partitioning device for partitioning the ventricle into productive and non-productive regions in order to reduce the ventricular volume.
US09039590B2

Systems, devices, and methods are described for providing a bag having an internally reinforced header. A reinforcing material is combined with a bag material to provide strength to the reinforced header. The reinforcing material and the bag material are aligned during manufacturing such that the reinforcing material is positioned in a header area of a bag formed by folding the bag material. A seal that passes through both the reinforcing material and the bag material retains the reinforcing material within the bag header. A bag handle may then be punched into the header through the bag material and the reinforcing material.
US09039589B2

A filter paper cup manufacturing machine produces filter paper cups packaging suitable for containing a brewing material. The filter paper cup packaging has similar depth and diameter. The machine exercises ordered steps of first cutting a receptacle portion and cover portion for each individual packaging and then forming a recess in the receptacle portion for receiving the brewing material. Performing the cutting step first facilitates forming the recess because surrounding filter paper which would resist forming the recess has been eliminated.
US09039586B2

An exercise device, for example a dumbbell or barbell, for weightlifting and other fitness activities, which includes a lifting bar having an axis and opposed axial ends, and a pair of weight sections mounted spaced apart on the respective opposed axial ends of the lifting bar. The lifting bar extends between the spaced apart weight sections defining a handle. Each weight section has an outer circumferential surface, one embodiment in which is a barrelled shape to match and fit in the palm of a user's hand. The circumferential surface of at least one of the weight sections comprises a plurality of grooves, each extending generally circumferentially around only part of the outer circumferential surface of the weight section and spaced substantially axially from an adjacent groove. The sets of grooves define grip areas on the weight section to enable a user to better grip and lift the exercise device.
US09039582B2

A bicycle trainer with a hill training apparatus is described. The hill training apparatus enables bicyclists to simulate uphill riding (incline), downhill riding (decline), and hill resistance or lack thereof. The hill training apparatus also provides for correct body positioning while riding uphill or downhill, and with or without resistance. Riding on a trainer with correct body positioning provides for improved training.
US09039579B1

A convertible treadmill belt apparatus in which base belt (10) is transformable both into an endless belt with prickly acupressure massaging surface by releasable attachment of at least one acupressure patch (20), and into a regular smooth surfaced treadmill belt, also by releasable attachment of at least one bald treadmill patch (50). Unique patches (20) and (50) can also be assembled to create different sized acupressure mats. These are used for massages in a variety of ways including on the floor, in a chair, and suspended on a wall.
US09039570B2

Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, torque transferred via a driveline disconnect clutch is estimated based on characteristics of a torque converter to improve driveline operation.
US09039559B2

An electric drive for a motor vehicle comprising an electric motor and a drive unit is disclosed. The drive unit has a first gear stage, driveable by the electric motor, a second gear stage, driveable by the first gear stage, and a differential drive, driveable by the second gear stage. The first gear stage has a driving wheel and an output wheel, wherein the driving wheel is arranged coaxially to the output shaft of the electric motor and is rotatingly driveable by the electric motor around a first rotational axis A. The output wheel is drivingly connected to the driving wheel and is rotatingly driveable around a second rotational axis B, wherein the second rotational axis B is arranged parallel off-set to the first rotational axis A. The second gear stage and the differential drive are arranged coaxially to the second rotational axis B.
US09039557B2

A powered dispensing tool includes a housing, a motor at least partially positioned within the housing, a rack operably coupled to the motor for powered translation, and a transmission selectively operably coupling the motor and the rack. The transmission includes an output shaft rotatable in response to rotation of the motor, and an output member drivably coupled to the rack and supported on the output shaft for relative rotation therewith. The transmission also includes a clutch member coupled for co-rotation with the output shaft and movable along the output shaft between a first position, in which the clutch member is engaged with the output member for transferring torque from the output shaft to the output member, and a second position, in which the clutch member is disengaged from the output member to inhibit torque transfer between the output shaft and the output member.
US09039552B2

A secondary assembly drive of an internal combustion engine and a method for operating same are provided. The secondary assembly drive includes, in two drive planes, an assembly drive (2) and a starter drive (12) and permits, in addition to a normal operating mode, the following operating modes: —starting of the internal combustion engine, —boosting of the internal combustion engine, —air-conditioning, and —deactivation of the assembly drive (2).
US09039550B1

Each vane for an arrow is both tapered or rounded at the leading edge, and shaped to provide better adherence to the arrow. With the injection molding of each vane, a proper, rounded, smooth shape is achieved. When combined with a bottom surface of the vane having indentations therein, good adherence of the vane to the shaft of the arrow is achieved.
US09039543B2

A head 1 is provided with a head body h1 and an adherend s1. The adherend s1 has a cast resin 53 formed by casting, a metal part 51, and a vibration absorber 55. The cast resin 53 has a formed surface formed by the metal part 51. The cast resin 53 further may have a formed surface formed by the vibration absorber 55. A base material of the cast resin 53 is an epoxy resin, for example. The cast resin 53 may have a cutting surface PL1. The cutting surface PL1 may be a joint surface of the adherend to the head body h1. Preferably, a loss tangent tan δ of the vibration absorber 55 is 0.07 or greater and 0.25 or less.
US09039535B2

A dynamic competition tool varies the competition level that one or more competing users experience while working to reach a goal or objective. The dynamic competition tool receives performance information from each of a number of activity stations with which respective users may interact to achieve a goal. The dynamic competition tool commands a user interactive device within an activity station to vary the level of difficulty experienced by the user of the interactive device as that user progresses toward the goal.
US09039533B2

Embodiments of the invention provide a unique interactive game that connects both physical and virtual play environments and includes multiple dynamic layers in which a participant may complete a variety of challenges and/or tasks. For example, the participant may obtain a physical gaming item such as a toy from a retail store that is usable in an interactive game that provides virtual play via computer animation. The toy may include an RFID transponder or tag which is used to store certain information identifying each play participant and/or character. Players advance in the game by finding clues, casting spells and solving various puzzles presented. Players may also gain (or lose) certain attributes, such as magic skills, magic strength, fighting ability, various spell-casting abilities, and the like. All of this information is stored on the RFID tag and/or an associated database such that the character attributes may be easily and conveniently transported to other similarly-equipped play facilities, computer games, video games, home game consoles, hand-held game units, and the like. In this manner, an imaginary role-play character is created and stored on a portable device that is able to seamlessly transcend from one play environment to the next.
US09039512B2

In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates generally to a game including a path of different symbol display positions. The gaming system generates one or more symbols (and/or one or more awards) at one or more of the symbol display positions of a matrix or grid. The gaming system then randomly forms a path including a plurality of the symbol display positions and determines an award for the player based on which symbol display positions are included in the formed path.
US09039504B2

Systems and methods for use in playing biotic games having a biologically active material as a component. Various games that provide for one or more human players to interact with biologically active materials are disclosed. The game apparatus includes a replaceable cartridge having a chamber in which a biologically active component such as a single-celled organism or a biologically active compound is contained. A stimulus controller accepts instructions from a human user and provides a stimulus to the biologically active component. A response receiver accepts a signal indicative of a response of the biologically active component. A display is provided to display to the user information indicative of the response of the biologically active component, and a game score. A computer-based game controller includes a set of pre-defined rules of play that define a game and that comprise pre-defined rules of scoring for the game.
US09039490B2

An apparatus for shaping an edge of an aerofoil, the apparatus having first and second brushes and each brush having a plurality of bristles. A first motor rotates the first brush about a first axis and a second motor rotates the second brush about a second axis. The axes are arranged substantially parallel to the bristles of the respective brush. A support structure holds the first brush such that the first axis intersects a first surface of the edge of the aerofoil and holds the second brush such that the second axis intersects a second surface of the edge of the aerofoil. There are means to produce relative movement the first and second brushes and the aerofoil such that the first and second brushes move longitudinally along the edge of the aerofoil to shape the edge of the aerofoil.
US09039485B2

The method for machining a series of workpieces (21) via at least one machining jet includes the following steps: each workpiece (21) is associated with an identifier for uniquely identifying the workpiece, during the machining of a respective workpiece, the temporal characteristic of the machining jet is detected by at least one sensor (30), the detected temporal characteristic is evaluated so as to obtain at least one comparative value, and for detecting incorrect machining, the at least one comparative value is compared with at least one threshold value.
US09039483B2

A method, system, and apparatus are provided for interactively playing with a printed image. A printed image resembling a game board, book, or picture, is provided. The printed image includes a registration area and a plurality of feedback areas in which an indicator color is printed at a predetermined level, e.g. percentage of area. A figurine is provided that includes a light source and light sensor. The light source and light sensor are placed in proximity to the designated areas in the image to sense the level of the indicator color printed therein and an associated output is provided. The registration area is useable to identify a predefined template associated with the image to allow feedback of the figurine with a plurality of different printed images. The figurine can include an ultraviolet light source to activate graphics printed in the image with photochromic ink.
US09039474B2

Magnetically adjusting color-converting particles within a matrix and associated devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein. A magnetic-adjustment process can include applying a magnetic field to a mixture including a non-solid matrix and a plurality of color-converting particles (e.g. magnetically anisotropic color-converting particles). The magnetic field can cause the plurality of color-converting particles to move into a generally non-random alignment (e.g., a generally non-random magnetic alignment and/or a generally non-random shape alignment) within the non-solid matrix. The non-solid matrix then can be solidified to form a solid matrix. A magnetic-adjustment process can be performed in conjunction with testing and/or product binning of solid-state radiation transducer devices. For example, a position, direction, strength, or duration of a magnetic field used to perform a magnetic-adjustment process can be controlled according to optical output collected from a solid-state radiation transducer device. Measuring the optical output and performing the magnetic-adjustment process can be at least partially concurrent.
US09039472B2

An apparatus for floatation of one or more persons on water includes a floatation device. The floatation device is sized for a single person and can be interlocked (i.e., secured) to additional floatation devices. Each individual floatation device is preferably made from an air-filled vinyl mattress or from foam. Each floatation device preferably includes at least one protrusion and at least one recess; however any desired combination of protrusions and recesses may be included. The protrusion of one individual floatation device interlocks within a recess of a second individual floatation device. A pair of retaining clips helps maintain each of the protrusions within the recesses. Any desired number of the individual floatation devices may be secured together to provide a larger overall floatation device for use by multiple persons while still providing each person their own personal floatation device.
US09039458B2

A connector is provided, which can seek miniaturization by suppressing external form dimensions of an inner housing. The connector includes, as means for engaging and uniting housing division bodies 20 and 30 that constitute the inner housing 10, engagement pieces 22 equipped on one side of the housing division bodies and inserted between adjacent terminal accommodation portions 13 in the other side of the housing division bodies, and locking portions equipped between the terminal accommodation portions 13 in the other side of the housing division bodies and engaged with the inserted engagement pieces to make the housing division bodies 20 and 30 in a connection state.
US09039447B2

A lance which protrudes from the outside surface of a terminal body to prevent falling out of a cavity of a connector housing includes a lance body of an inclined plate shape whose protruding length from the outer surface of the terminal body towards the outside gradually increases from the front end side of the terminal body to the back end side, and a shielding plate which extends from the back end edge of the lance body towards the outer surface of the terminal body so that an opening which opens towards a terminal back end is not formed between the back end edge of the lance body and the outer surface.
US09039445B2

A coaxial cable connector including a body circuit borne by a non-conducting body substrate.
US09039438B2

The present invention relates to a connector system comprising a plug connector and a retainer configured to be inserted into a corresponding holder. The plug connector comprises a connector housing and a latching arm assigned to the connectorhousing, whereby the plug connector is configured to be mountable with the retainer. The connector system comprises a deflection portion for causing the latching arm to deflect upon mounting of the plug connector with the retainer. The deflection portion is shaped such that the deflection provides increasing resistance against further movement of the plug connector. The connector system further comprises a release portion configured to enable a release deflection of the latching arm. The release portion is shaped so the release deflection does not provide resistance against further movement of the plug connector. Still further, the connector system comprises a latching portion configured to allow the latching arm to lock the plug connector.
US09039430B2

There is provided an electric connector that is interposed between an in-vehicle wire cable and a train information transmission/reception apparatus. The in-vehicle wire cable includes a plurality of signal lines that transmit train information and an electrically-conductive shielded layer surrounding the signal lines. One end of a ground line is connected to the shielded layer. A casing ground is provided on a casing of the train information transmission/reception apparatus and a plurality of plug pins electrically connected to the signal lines are provided on the casing of the train information transmission/reception apparatus. The other end of the ground line is connected to an electrically-conductive connector case, which is a casing of the electric connector, and the connector case is grounded via the casing of the train information transmission/reception apparatus when the signal lines and the plug pins are electrically connected to each other.
US09039422B2

A new design for a dry-erase board allows for writing on a clear top surface or a second surface under the clear top surface. The dry-erase board includes an insert positioned between the clear top surface and a second surface, the insert being protected by the clear top surface
US09039420B1

The team-building educational training system includes a mat and a plurality of reflective surfaces, such as mirrors. The mat has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of openings defined therein. The top and bottom surfaces each have a plurality of uniquely identifiable indicia displayed thereon. The reflective surfaces are placed on the floor or ground under the mat. The team cooperatively lifts and manipulates the mat to align the openings with the reflective surfaces so that at least one team member can view reflections of the indicia on the reflective surfaces. The team cooperatively interprets the indicia and completes a variety of planned exercises to learn skills for working as a team.
US09039416B2

A splint abutment placed on osseointegrated implant for supported prosthesis rehabilitation made of several materials, without restrictions, is provided. This permits the placement of two prosthetic crowns over a single implant with two pins or possibly one and the divergent marginal or cervical girdle, thus providing better biomechanics, marginal sealing, occlusal stability, aesthetics and hygiene maintenance of prosthesis. The shape and contour of the splint abutment provide harmonious distribution and absorption of functional load. Further, a dispositive is provided as a specific piece made of material, without restriction, for fitting between the implant and the splint abutment, which will determine the compensatory and corrective slant adjusting the position of the “abutment” according to the required correction of rotational and multidirectional angulations of the implants for correct rehabilitation. The above-described elements are believed to assure greater predictability of the results.
US09039409B2

A candle having a body of a meltable fuel and a planar wick. When lit, the candle provides a unique flame formation, usable in a variety of decorative applications. The wick can be configured to evenly deplete the meltable fuel, while allowing for candles having relatively large and unique body configurations. The body of candle and/or the wick may include scented oil to promote the release of fragrance upon heating. The wick preferably is formed of wood, thereby providing an acoustic contribution to ambiance and improved combustion that generates less soot than conventional cotton wick candles.
US09039408B2

Includes a low flow-rate region (R2) that is disposed on an upstream side of a combustion region (R1) within a second pipe (2), and that has a relatively slow flow-rate of combustion gas (G1) within the second pipe, and a flame kernel formation unit (3a) is disposed in the low flow-rate region.
US09039407B2

The burner preferably exclusively burns substantially explosible solid fuels and preferably has instant ON-OFF thermostat control, wastes no energy preheating the enclosure or external air supply, achieves stable combustion the moment the powder-air mix is ignited in our burner, is used in the upward vertical mode except for oil burner retrofits, burns a solid fuel in a single-phase regime as if it were a vaporized liquid or gas, is designed to complete combustion within the burner housing itself rather than in a large, high temperature furnace enclosure which it feeds, has an ultra-short residence time requirement, is a recycle consuming burner with self-contained management of initially unburned particles, is much smaller, simpler and lower cost, has a wider dynamic range/turndown ratio, is more efficient in combustion completeness and thermal efficiency, and operates with air-fuel mix approximately at the flame speed.
US09039404B2

An apparatus and method for the shaping of plastics material pre-forms into plastics material containers with at least one blow moulding station which is arranged on a conveying device rotatable about a pre-set axis of rotation (D). The blow moulding station has a blow mould and this blow mould forms a cavity in the interior of which the plastics material pre-forms are capable of being expanded by being acted upon with a gaseous medium to form the plastics material containers, with a stressing device, which acts upon the plastics material pre-forms with the gaseous medium in order to expand them, and with a clean room, which surrounds the blow moulding station at least in part. The clean room is bounded off from an environment by at least two walls which are movable relative to one another.
US09039392B2

A tire inflation system including a drive mechanism having a rotational axis, a pump cavity positioned a radial distance away from the axis of rotation, and a force translator coupling the rotational axis to the pump cavity. The drive mechanism includes a cam comprising an arcuate bearing surface having a non-uniform curvature, the cam rotatable about the rotational axis, and an eccentric mass couple to the cam that offsets a center of mass of the drive mechanism from the rotational axis. The pump cavity is rotatably coupled to the cam, wherein the pump cavity includes an actuating element and a chamber. The force translator couples the arcuate bearing surface to the actuating element, wherein the force translator includes an axis having an arcuate position fixed to an arcuate position of the pump cavity.
US09039378B2

A marine propeller has at least two blades each having a body, a vane and connection members that enable the blades to be fixed together. The blades are formed with a one-piece vane and the bodies are attached to one another and with the bodies form the central hub of the propeller that may be fitted on a ship's shaft after mounting.
US09039366B2

The invention involves a wind turbine comprising at least one blade (5) in turn comprising a blade body (501), lift-regulating means (502) adapted for movement in relation to the blade body (501) so as to regulate the lift of the blade, and load sensing means (5022, 506) for determining a load acting on the lift-regulating means (502), the wind turbine further comprising an actuation control unit (6) adapted to control the movement of the lift-regulating means (502) based on output from the load sensing means (5022, 506). In addition to output from the load sensing means (5022, 506), the actuation control unit (6) is adapted to control the movement of the lift-regulating means (502) based on the movement of the lift-regulating means (502).
US09039363B2

A blower housing has a discharge direction, an axis of rotation, a polar axis that intersects the axis of rotation and is substantially perpendicular to the discharge direction, and an angular sweep of increasing fluid flow area. The fluid flow area, A, increases with increasing angular magnitude, Φ, as a function comprising at least a functional component that is at least one of (1) equal to, (2) substantially mathematically reducible to, and (3) substantially mathematically analogous to the equation, A ⁡ ( Φ ) = A co + R ( 1 - 1 - [ ( r i ) ⁢ ( Φ ) R ] 2 ) , where Aco is a minimum fluid flow area, R is a radius of a first circle, and ri is a radius of a second circle that is smaller than the first circle.
US09039362B2

An impeller includes: a main plate; a shroud; and a plurality of blades provided between the main plate and the shroud and arranged circumferentially; wherein the impeller is configured to rotated about a rotation axis; wherein the plurality of blades include a pressure surface and a negative pressure surface; and the pressure surface has a shape, in which at least three types of circular arcs are connected, as viewed from a rotation axial direction. A centrifugal fan includes the above-described impeller; and three or more pillars, wherein an interval between one adjacent pillars of the three or more pillars is different from an interval between the other adjacent pillars of the three or more pillars.
US09039360B2

A centrifugal fan is provided. The centrifugal fan is configured such that an impeller having a plurality of blades along a circumferential direction and disposed between a disk-shaped main plate and an annular shroud is housed in a casing configured by an upper casing and a lower casing, and that an air suctioned from a suction opening is discharged outward in a radial direction of the impeller by a centrifugal force due to a rotation of the impeller. The shroud has a curved surface formed from an outer edge portion toward a center thereof. The shroud has a plurality of protrusions which are formed on the surface of the shroud such that a gap is formed between each of the protrusion portions and the upper casing.
US09039357B2

A seal assembly between a disc cavity and a turbine section hot gas path includes a stationary vane assembly and a rotating blade assembly downstream from the vane assembly and including a plurality of blades that are supported on a platform and rotate with a turbine rotor and the platform during operation of the engine. The platform includes a radially outwardly facing first surface, a radially inwardly facing second surface, a third surface, and a plurality of grooves extending into the third surface. The grooves are arranged such that a space is defined between adjacent grooves. During operation of the engine, the grooves guide purge air out of the disc cavity toward the hot gas path such that the purge air flows in a desired direction with reference to a direction of hot gas flow through the hot gas path.
US09039353B2

A turbocharger turbine which has a wastegate slide sleeve (8), which is provided in a wastegate arrangement (5) and which closes off the wastegate duct, as a shut-off element. The wastegate arrangement (5) comprises a bypass duct (6) which runs in the turbine housing (2); a wastegate duct (7) which runs in the turbine housing (2) to the turbine housing outlet (4) and which is connected via the bypass duct (6) to the turbine housing inlet (3); and a shut-off element (8) which is arranged in the turbine housing (2). The shut-off element (8) is provided to open and close the wastegate duct (7) and can be moved by means of an actuating device (9) into an open position and closed position.
US09039351B2

A radial annular flange of a rotor or stator element of a turbomachine including, at an inner/outer periphery, alternating solid portions and hollow portions, the solid portions including orifices for passing fastener bolts. The flange in the bottom of at least one hollow portion has a radius relative to the axis of the turbomachine that is less/greater than the radius of a circle that is tangential to the outsides/insides of the orifices for passing bolts through the solid portions.
US09039345B2

An apparatus for transferring articles is disclosed herein. The apparatus includes a layer formation table. The apparatus also includes means for supplying articles to the layer formation table. At least one row of the articles is formed at a first end of the layer formation table. The apparatus also includes a programmable robot including an end of arm tool for transferring the at least one row of the articles towards a second end of the layer formation table. The programmable robot is configured to form a plurality of rows of articles on the layer formation table. Each of the rows comprises a plurality of articles in side by side contact creating a void between adjacent articles in each of the rows. The programmable robot is configured to nest the articles of one of the rows in the voids of an adjacent row. The end of arm tool includes a multiplicity of guides which form lanes. The rows of articles fill the lanes. The end of arm tool includes clamping tools which lock the individual rows of articles between the guides.
US09039338B2

A method and an anchor for supporting items on a substrate such as drywall. The anchor comprises a structure configured to carry the anchoring element in a minimal cross section configuration through an insertion hole and to effect a first expansion. The anchor further comprises an adjustable cap member configured to be moved to fixedly position the anchoring element to the non-accessible side of the substrate. The anchoring element comprises a base channel member, a top channel member, and a connector-pivoting element configured to pivotally connect the top channel member to the base channel member. The top channel member is configured to be nested with the base channel member in the minimal cross section configuration and to be pivotally rotatable via the connector pivoting element in the plane parallel to the non-accessible side of the wall, with the pivotal rotation of the top channel member providing the second expansion.
US09039334B2

A pipe of an apparatus has a first gas in a first space and a second gas in a second space. The first gas is in the amount to generate a buoyancy force that exceeds at least a gravity force to position the apparatus in a stationary state at a predetermined distance relative to a reference surface. A fixture is coupled to the apparatus to secure the apparatus in the stationary state relative to the ground without supporting the apparatus. The first gas is lighter than the second gas. The pipe is capable of creating a flow of the second gas.
US09039331B2

A modular expandable weighting system for recreational and professional underwater divers that permits a user to selectively attach one or more individual weight units to each other to achieve a desired amount of weight to regulate the user's overall buoyancy while under water. When used with a weight belt, the weights when attached create channels through which a weight belt may be disposed. If two or less weights are attached, end caps may be attached to create the channels to allow the system to be attached to the weight belt. When used without a weight belt, such as on a buoyancy compensator device with multiple weight pockets, the weight system allows for the placement of exact amounts of weights to achieve the desired amount of overall buoyancy as well as to maintain the desired degree of horizontal trim.
US09039330B1

A boring shield apparatus for attachment to a boring machine/jack for installing pipe sections underground is provided by this invention. Such invention comprises drill heads and a screw auger that rotate with respect to a non-rotating exterior housing. When the boring shield is operatively connected to the boring machine jack and moved forward into contact with the earth along the desired underground pathway for the pipeline, dirt is excavated by means of the rotating drill head and transferred inside a self-contained screw auger whereupon it is pushed safely away from the boring shield and boring machine. This boring shield apparatus pivots with respect to itself for enhanced steering capacity. It accommodates pipelines of larger diameter and length and rough exterior surface.
US09039328B2

A pipe float is configured for receiving a pipe therein and providing buoyancy for maintaining the pipe along the surface of a body of water. The pipe float has an inner surface presenting a central passage adapted for receiving the pipe, the inner surface including a plurality of preferably substantially planar, longitudinally extending panels which provide a continuous inner surface. Adjacent panels are angularly oriented relative to one another, and the pipe float is preferably provided as a plurality of pipe float sections assembled together whereby one panel of a pipe float section is preferably oriented at an obtuse angle to an adjacent panel of that pipe float section. The panels may be of different transverse dimensions whereby the passage has a greater transverse dimension G which is substantially greater than a smaller transverse dimension S, with the outer diameter D of the pipe received in the passage being of a value equal to or smaller than G and greater than or equal to S.
US09039327B2

Systems and methods for collecting and processing permafrost gases and for cooling permafrost are disclosed herein. A method for processing gas in a permafrost region includes obtaining a gas from a sacrificial area of a thawing permafrost region, dissociating the gas in a non-combustive chemical process, and circulating a constituent of the gas through a savable area of the thawing permafrost region to cool the savable area. This process can be used to cool selected areas of permafrost and/or create clean-burning fuels and/or other products from permafrost gases.
US09039317B2

A connecting arrangement is provided between a plastic component with at least two mutually adjacent and at least approximately parallel walls and another structural element, having at least one force-transmission element which is adhesively bonded to the plastic component via an adhesive bond on the plastic component in frusto-conical or spherical-segment-shaped depressions in the mutually adjacent walls of the plastic component. The force-transmission element has a carrying structure for the other structural element. With the exception of a possibly provided coating, the force-transmission element is composed only of metallic material and has a plate which is adapted to the depression in the outer wall of the plastic component, which outer wall is adjacent to the other structural element. The edge of the plate rests with interposition on the outer wall in the surrounding region of the depression, wherein the plate is connected via a web to an end section of the force-transmission element, which end section is adapted to the depression in the other inner wall of the plastic component. The depression is configured in the outer wall without a bottom to such an extent that the end section of the force-transmission element can be inserted through the outer wall into the recess of the inner wall.
US09039312B2

This disclosure discloses a printer comprising a roll storage part, a feeder, a printing head, a pair of guide members, a guide driving mechanism, a cover, a pressing roller, and a recessed part. The printing head is configured to perform desired printing on the print-receiving tape fed by a feeder. The pair of guide members are configured to determine a width-direction position of the print-receiving tape while sandwiching the stored roll. The guide driving mechanism is configured to make the pair of guide members move close to and away from each other by advancing and retreating in tandem in a width direction of the roll. The pressing roller is configured to contact the print-receiving tape near a feed-out position. The recessed part is configured to house at least a part of the pressing roller, provided to each position of the pair of guide members.
US09039304B2

A connection port provides electrical and/or optical interface capability. The combined electrical and optical interface port may include an optical communication light engine within the connection port itself. The connection port includes a connector housing, an electrical interface assembly, and an optical interface assembly incorporated together. One implementation of the optical communication light engine includes a laser diode to generate optical signals, a photo diode to receive optical signals, and an optical integrated circuit (IC) to control optical interface.
US09039302B2

An interposer comprising: (a) a planar substrate having top and bottom surfaces, said bottom surface defining at least one ferrule alignment structure, and one or more fiber bores extending from said bottom surface to said top surface, each fiber bore being in a certain position relative to said ferrule alignment structure and adapted to receive a fiber; (b) one or more lenses on or near said top surface, each lens aligned with one of said fiber bores; (c) at least one ferrule having an end face and comprising one or more fibers protruding from said end face, and at least one alignment feature cooperating with said ferrule alignment structure to position said ferrule precisely on said bottom surface such that said fibers are disposed in said fiber bores and are optically coupled with said lenses; and (d) at least one optical component having one or more optical interfaces and being mounted on said top surface such that each of said optical interfaces is aligned with one of said fiber bores and is optically coupled with one of said lenses corresponding to said one of said fiber bores.
US09039298B2

An optical signal transmission device includes a first and a second photoelectric converting device, a first and a second connector, a plurality of first optical fibers, a plurality of second optical fibers, and an adapter module. The first and the second photoelectric converting devices are electrically connected with the first and the second electronic device. The first and the second connectors separately define a plurality of first and second fixed grooves. The adapter module includes a first and a second adapter portion. The first adapter portion defines a plurality of third fixed grooves. The second adapter portion defines a plurality of fourth fixed grooves. Several optical couplings are generated between the first connector and the first photoelectric converting device, between the second connector and the second photoelectric converting device, and between the first adapter portion and the second adapter portion.
US09039297B2

An optical fiber fixing device includes a base, first fixing block and a second fixing block. The base includes an upper surface has a receiving groove and a groove which is connected with the receiving groove. The receiving groove receives an optical fiber connector, the optical fiber connector receives a plurality of optical fibers, and two ends of the optical fibers separately protrude out of the optical fiber connector. The groove has an optical detecting device, the detecting device defines a plurality of light apertures. The first fixing block is set on the upper surface, which is configured to fix the optical fiber connector into the receiving groove. The second fixing block is received in the groove, in order to fix the detecting device in the groove, the plurality of light apertures are aligned with the plurality of optical fibers.
US09039292B1

An optical fiber connector includes a first optical-electric coupling element, a second optical-electric coupling element and an elastic location cap. The first optical-electric coupling element includes a location post. The second optical-electric coupling element defines a location hole. The elastic location cap defines a receiving hole. A length of the location post is greater than a length of the location hole. The location post is inserted into the location post to assemble the first optical-electric coupling element to the second optical-electric coupling element, with an exposed portion of the location post exposing out of the location hole. The elastic location cap caps the location post with the exposed portion received in the receiving hole.
US09039287B2

A perforated collapsible spacer controllably takes up space between two bearings on an automotive pinion. The perforated collapsible spacer is formed from a steel sheet having longitudinal edges that are joined together in a form of a tube having longitudinal perforated sections formed in its central portion. As a pinion nut is tightened, an axial clamping force is applied to the collapsible spacer that is located between tail and head bearing cones, where the central portion of the collapsible spacer is caused to buckle, so as to adjust the final space between the bearing cones while a spring force is maintained on the bearings. Yield points of the central portion with the perforated sections that buckle, are controllable depending on the steel sheet material thickness, and the size, shape and quantity of perforations in the steel sheet.
US09039282B2

An imaging apparatus having a ring-shaped gantry is provided. The gantry has a rotor arrangement rotating therein and a radiation source as well as at least one radiation detector. The gantry has at least one gantry segment which can be detached from the ring shape to allow the gantry to be opened laterally. The gantry is arranged on a supporting structure so as to be movable in space. The supporting structure is a ceiling-mounted stand having at least two degrees of freedom of movement. The gantry has at least two radiation sources disposed offset by an angle on the rotor arrangement and associated with each of which is at least one radiation detector.
US09039280B2

A micro-electromechanical system-type (MEMS) sensor arrangement for wirelessly measuring temperatures is disclosed. The MEMS sensor arrangement includes a multimorph sensor, a sensor coil coupled to the multimorph sensor, and a readout coil configured to be magnetically coupled to the sensor coil to i) energize the sensor coil, and ii) provide a readout of the natural frequency of the multimorph sensor, the sensor coil and the readout coil.
US09039267B2

The present invention relates to an aluminum extrusion heat sink structure and a corresponding backlight module. The aluminum extrusion heat sink structure comprises a light source connecting portion, a back plate connecting portion and a light guide plate support portion. The manufacture cost of the aluminum extrusion heat sink structure is lower, and the heat dissipation effect is better, so as to solve the technology problem that the volume of a traditional aluminum extrusion heat sink structure is larger caused the cost of the aluminum extrusion heat sink structure and the corresponding backlight module is higher.
US09039260B2

This disclosure concerns a lightguide element (1) for a light unit or an automotive headlight, wherein the light element (1) has at least one light input area (2) for putting in light with at least one light source and the lightguide element (1) furthermore has at least one light output area (3) for putting out the light, wherein a beam splitting area (4) is arranged next to the light input area (2), from which at least one first lightguide part (5) and at least one second lightguide part (6) travel in directions leading away from each other, and a lightguiding connection element (7) is arranged in the area spanned by the lightguide parts (5, 6), which transitions into the light output area (3) on its side facing away from the lightguide parts. The lightguide parts have optical structuring elements (8) on their side facing away from the light output area.
US09039253B2

Provided is an illumination device including a light source, a power supply to supply power to the light source, a housing including one side formed to be open, and including the light source and the power supply in the housing, at least one diffusion cover, disposed on the open side of the housing, through which light from the light source passes, and a power cover, disposed on the open side of the housing, to cover one side of the power supply. The illumination device may minimize a number of components or tools used for installing the illumination device. The illumination device may be readily installed by changing a structure and components included in the illumination device may be readily changed and repaired.
US09039251B2

Certain example implementations of the disclosed technology include a light emitting device. The light emitting device may include an enclosure with four sides and a top edge surface associated with each of the four sides. The enclosure may be capable of mounting on a grid frame of a suspended ceiling such that a portion of the top edge surfaces contacts a portion of the grid frame. The light emitting device may further include a light modifying element characterized by a substrate with four or more edges, a back surface disposed on the top edge surface of each of the four sides of the enclosure, and a front surface. In certain example embodiments the substrate may further comprise two or more edge trusses. A periphery of the light-emitting front surface may be capable of contacting the grid frame after the light emitting device is mounted to the grid frame.
US09039238B2

A lighting module may be provided that includes: a light emitter; a clad metal substrate which is disposed under the light emitter; an insulating structure which insulates the light emitter from the clad metal substrate; an optical structure which is disposed on the light emitter; and a case which is disposed on the optical structure and is coupled to the clad metal substrate, wherein the light emitter includes a semiconductor based light emitting device.
US09039235B2

A laser line generating device includes a conical prism, a light-emitting unit for projecting light onto the conical prism, a housing for receiving the light-emitting unit and permitting the light emitted by the light-emitting unit to pass there through, and translucent columns disposed between the housing and the conical prism for connecting the housing and the conical prism, wherein the apex of the conical prism faces towards the light-emitting unit.
US09039231B1

A hybrid light tower provides a way to connect a light tower to one of a shore power connection, such as 120V AC or a generator supported by a housing on an axle through a relay. Some embodiments also may have a solar panel and/or batteries for providing electrical power to LED lights of the light tower which require significantly less electrical power than prior art designs. Some embodiments may not have generators, but many will.
US09039222B2

A backlight module includes a substrate, a plurality of LED packages mounted on the substrate and a light diffusion board located above the LED packages. The light diffusion board includes a light incident surface facing toward the LED packages and a light output surface. A plurality of light-guiding portions is configured extending from the incident surface of the light diffusion board toward the LED package. Each light-guiding portion comprises a concave surface at an outer periphery thereof. A diameter of each light-guiding portion decreases gradually from light diffusion board toward the LED packages. The concave surface of each light-guiding portion is recessed inwardly from the outer periphery of the light-guiding portion. Light from the LED packages and emitting into the light-guiding potions is divergently and uniformly adjusted into the light diffusion board by the concave surfaces of the light-guiding portions.
US09039216B2

Disclosed are a light emitting device package and a light unit having the same. The light emitting device package includes a ceramic substrate; a light emitting device on the ceramic substrate; a first light-transmissive resin layer on the ceramic substrate to cover the light emitting device; and a phosphor layer on the first light-transmissive resin layer.
US09039185B2

A LCOS projection system includes an illumination device, a LCOS microdisplay element, a polarization beam splitter, an optical projection lens, and a beam recycling module. A first portion of the lighting beams provided by the illumination device are transmissible through the polarization beam splitter and directed to the LCOS microdisplay element. A second portion of the lighting beams provided by the illumination device and from the polarization beam splitter are introduced into the beam recycling module. By the beam recycling module, a polarization state of the second portion of the lighting beams is converted. Consequently, the second portion of the lighting beams in the converted polarization state can also be projected onto the LCOS microdisplay element. The beam recycling module includes a total internal reflection prism, which is arranged in a transmission path of the first portion and the second portion of the lighting beams.
US09039183B2

This disclosure is directed to systems and methods for determining a correction for distortion in eye representations of an ophthalmoscope. A digital model of an optical system including the ophthalmoscope and a model eye may be constructed. The digital model may be transmitted to a ray tracing system. A ray may be passed through the optical system onto a surface of the model eye. A measurement of the ray at the surface of the model eye, with distortion, may be calculated and an angular position of a horizontal scanning element and an angular position of a vertical scanning element can be determined. Using the horizontal scanning angle and vertical scanning angle, a measurement of the ray at the surface of the model eye, without distortion, may be calculated and compared to the measurement with distortion to determine a correction for distortion in eye representations of the ophthalmoscope.
US09039173B2

The invention is directed to a colored contact lens designed for making a wearer's eyes to appear larger, bolder, and enhanced color while giving the wearer's eyes a very natural appearance. A colored contact lens of the invention comprising a first print of a first color and a second print of a second color, wherein the first print consisting of an annular ring of gradient dot matrix, wherein the second print comprises a limbal ring and an outer starburst pattern, wherein the limbal ring surrounds the outer starburst pattern, wherein the annular ring and the limbal ring have a substantially identical outer diameter and the annular ring has a larger inside diameter than the limbal ring, the first color and the second color are different or the same, wherein the first print and the second print are concentric with the center of contact lens.
US09039169B2

A support member for a wearable instrument which is mounted on a user's head part in cooperation with an eyeglass frame includes a head-contact portion that comes in contact with the user's head part, a temple-contact portion that comes in contact with a temple part of the eyeglass frame on a surface opposite of the head-contact portion, an instrument-connection portion for a wearable instrument that is disposed on the side of the temple-contact portion. Here, the temple-contact portion 30 has a first contact surface that comes in contact with a head-side surface of the temple part.
US09039166B2

A printing apparatus includes a housing, a carriage in which a print head is mounted, the carriage moving inside the housing, and an openable cover provided for the housing. A restricting member configured to restrict movement of the carriage during transport of the printing apparatus is attachable to the printing apparatus. While the restricting member is attached to the apparatus, the restricting member engages with the carriage, the cover in a closed position, and the housing and part of the restricting member is exposed outside of the cover in the closed position. When the part is pulled, the restricting member disengages from the carriage, the cover, and the housing and is detached from the apparatus.
US09039163B2

According to an aspect of the present invention, in a medium conveyance apparatus which securely supports and conveys a medium, by providing a function for applying a back tension to the medium, in a guide section which forms a guide for supporting the medium in a medium conveyance unit, it is possible to apply a back tension to the medium of which at least a portion is securely supported by the medium conveyance unit, thereby restricting the occurrence of creasing and floating when the medium is securely supported by the medium conveyance unit and maintaining the flatness of the medium which is securely supported by the medium conveyance unit.
US09039162B2

This invention relates to a media multi-feed rejection apparatus, comprising: a plurality of feed rollers; a feed roller driving means operatively connected to one of the plurality of feed rollers; a clutch means operatively connected to the other of the plurality of feed rollers; and a single channel encoder means operatively connected to the clutch means to measure a rotation of the other of the plurality of feed rollers.
US09039159B2

An image recording method includes applying an ink containing a pigment in a dispersion to a region of a recording medium, and applying a liquid composition capable of destabilizing the dispersion of the pigment in the ink to the recording medium so as to cover at least part of the region of the recording medium. The ink further contains polymer particles, and at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of the compounds expressed by General Formula (1) and the compounds expressed by General Formula (2). In the ink, the content of the polymer particles is 3% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less relative to the total mass of the ink, and the mass ratio of the polymer particles to the surfactant is 1 or more and 10 or less.
US09039158B2

A solid ink stick identification system enables accurate and efficient identification of solid ink sticks in a solid ink imaging device. The solid ink identification system includes an actuator configured to move one of an optical source and an optical sensor between a plurality of predetermined positions. The optical source emits light toward a face of the ink stick, and the optical sensor generates signals corresponding to an amount of reflected light received. A controller identifies features on the solid ink stick based on the signals as the one of the optical source and optical sensor is moved between the plurality of predetermined positions.
US09039156B2

A particle removal device for an ink jet printer is discussed. The particle removal device includes a first separator comprising an arrangement of obstacles including at least two rows of obstacles that extend laterally with respect to a flow path of ink in the first separator. The rows of obstacles are offset from one another by a row offset fraction. The arrangement of obstacles is configured to preferentially route larger particles having diameters greater than a critical diameter through the arrangement and along a first trajectory vector that is angled with respect to the direction of the flow path of the ink. The angle of the first trajectory vector with respect to the ink flow path is a function of the row offset fraction. Smaller particles having diameters less than the critical diameter travel through the arrangement along a second trajectory vector that is not substantially angled with respect to the flow path of the ink. The first separator causes a pressure drop of the ink of less than about 100 Pa.
US09039150B2

A liquid container includes a liquid which generates gases over time due to a chemical change in components; a liquid storage chamber in which the liquid is stored; a liquid flow port which communicates with the liquid storage chamber, via which the liquid inside the storage chamber flows out; and an information holding portion which holds time information on manufacturing of the liquid container.
US09039145B2

A liquid ejecting head includes: a nozzle plate formed with a plurality of nozzle orifices; a drive unit configured to apply pressure vibration to pressure generating chambers communicating to the plurality of nozzle orifices; and a head casing including the drive unit and having a surface opposed to the nozzle plate. The plurality of nozzle orifices defines a first nozzle array group and a second nozzle array group which are staggered, and the surface has a first recess and a second recess which are staggered.
US09039142B2

An ink-jet printing module is used for a page-width array ink-jet printer. The ink jet printing module includes a page-width array platen and a plurality of ink-jet cartridges. The page-width array platen has a plurality of receiving cavities arranged as an array. Each of the ink-jet cartridges is detachably and independently embedded into one of the receiving cavities, and includes a body for storing ink, an ink-jet chip to be driven for ejecting the ink, a plurality of nozzles disposed on the ink-jet chip, and a control node for receiving signal to drive the ink-jet chip. The ink-jet chip is disposed on a bottom of the page-width array platen and is driven to eject the ink through the nozzles onto a printing medium.
US09039141B2

A fluidic structure has a first chamber having a connection to a fluid reservoir and a connection to an array of apertures, the chamber forming a flow path between the fluid reservoir and the array of apertures, a second chamber having a connection to at least one vent connected to an atmosphere external to the fluidic structure, and at least one path between the first chamber and the second chamber.
US09039139B2

The present invention aims to provide a technique that prints characters and patterns clearly onto a tire surface without complicated operations. A tire printing device of the present invention includes a printer head that ejects and applies a coating material onto a tire surface, a widthwise moving unit that moves the printer head along the width direction of the tire, a radial moving unit that moves the printer head along the radical direction of the tire, and a swinging unit that swings the printer head around the axis along the circumferential direction of the tire.
US09039129B2

According to one embodiment, an inkjet head includes a mask part which covers a periphery of an actuator part in a state where a nozzle hole is exposed to outside and a peripheral edge part of which is opposite to an opening peripheral edge part of a frame part at other end while a gap is kept, and the gap between the peripheral edge part of the mask part and the opening peripheral edge part of the frame part at the other end is sealed with a seal agent having thermal insulation properties.
US09039121B2

A printing device includes a required ink amount acquisition part, an ejectable amount acquisition part, and a division printing control part. The required ink amount acquisition part is configured to determine a required ink amount based on print data of a bandwidth over which ink is ejected by driving an ink head in a main scanning direction. The ejectable amount acquisition part is configured to determine an ejectable amount based on a residual amount in an ink cartridge. The division printing control part is configured to determine whether a printing for the bandwidth is performed by one time of a main scanning operation, or the printing is performed by dividing into multiple main scanning operations based on the required ink amount and the ejectable amount, and to perform the printing in accordance with the determination.
US09039116B2

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a piezoelectric element, a nozzle that ejects a liquid in association with the driving of the piezoelectric element, a driving signal generation unit that generates a driving signal for driving a plurality of the piezoelectric elements, and a residual vibration detection unit that detects residual vibration generated by the driving of the piezoelectric element. The driving signal includes an ejection pulse for ejecting a liquid, a first vibration damping pulse that suppresses residual vibration generated by the ejection pulse, a second vibration damping pulse which is a pulse different from the first vibration damping pulse and suppresses residual vibration generated by the ejection pulse, and an inspection pulse for detecting the residual vibration signal.
US09039115B2

A maintenance pulse is a pulsed waveform that includes an expansion element that causes a pressure chamber to expand, a contraction element that causes the pressure chamber that is expanded by the expansion element to contract, and a reexpansion element that causes the pressure chamber that is contracted by the contraction element to expand again, and satisfies the following condition (1) when a time from the beginning of the contraction element to the beginning of the reexpansion element is given the term T1, and a specific vibration period that is caused in the liquid inside the pressure chamber is given the term Tc. 1.2×Tc≦T1<1.5×Tc  (1)
US09039113B2

There is provided a printing apparatus that includes a head unit which can form a plurality of dots of different sizes including a first dot and a second dot. The printing apparatus includes: a first print mode having a plurality of gradation reproduction regions including a first gradation reproduction region of a first print mode and a second gradation reproduction region of the first print mode; and a second print mode having a plurality of gradation reproduction regions including a first gradation reproduction region of a second print mode and a second gradation reproduction region of the second print mode. In the printing apparatus, a print speed in the first print mode is lower than a print speed in the second print mode, and the first gradation reproduction region of the first print mode is larger than the first gradation reproduction region of the second print mode.
US09039104B2

A flat, box-shaped hydraulic block for the mechanical fastening and hydraulic interconnection of solenoid valves, pump elements, etc. of a slip-controlled vehicle brake system connects connections of installation spaces for the pump elements to connectors for a brake master cylinder and connections of receptacles for pressure build-up valves which run past one another via flat chambers on longitudinal sides of the hydraulic block and short blind bores. As a result, the receptacles of the pressure build-up valves are connected to the connectors for the brake master cylinder. The chambers damp pressure pulses of the pump elements of a piston pump.
US09039102B2

Systems and methods disclosed herein may be useful emergency braking systems for use in, for example, an aircraft. A system is disclosed that allows emergency braking without the need for a manually operated emergency brake. For example, a system is provided comprising a potentiometer in mechanical communication with a brake pedal, a first electronic switch in electrical communication with the potentiometer, a second electronic switch indicating a displacement of the brake pedal, wherein a brake control valve opens in response to the first electronic switch, and wherein a shutoff valve opens in response to the second electronic switch.
US09039098B2

A cutting apparatus is described, capable of cutting hard materials including asphalt and concrete. The cutting apparatus is particularly well suited for attachment to a skid steer or other transportation implement. When attached to a skid steer the apparatus includes a frame that allows the cutting system to slide from side to side, slide up and down, or rotate about a vertical axis while held in a cutting position by the skid steer boom. The cutting apparatus also includes an airflow member that affectively creates an air turbulence to thereby confine debris and dust within a shroud and to direct the debris and dust against a surface of the shroud to a localized exit at a minimized velocity.
US09039071B2

A device (1) for absorbing mechanical energy for motor vehicles, wherein the device (1) has a honeycomb-like cavity structure (2) and is arranged between a first body section (3) and a second body section (4). In order that, in the event of a crash, the body sections (3, 4) are not displaced relative to one another, the device (1) can be deformed during the absorption of mechanical energy, wherein the deformation generates a force-fitting connection between the two body sections (3, 4). The device has a centre of rotation (12) about which the device (1) can be deformed in a rotational manner during a deformation, such that a force-fitting connection is generated between the two body sections (3, 4).
US09039065B2

A roll-up tarp apparatus for a truck box having first and second ends, first and second longitudinal sides and an open top. The apparatus includes a tarp, a roll bar, an arm and a biasing member. The first longitudinal edge of the tarp is interconnected to the first longitudinal side of the truck box and the second longitudinal edge of the tarp is attached to the roll bar member. The roll bar is operatively connected to the truck box and is rotatably movable between the first and second longitudinal sides of the truck box, which enables the tarp to close or open the truck box. At least one biasing member is operatively connected to the roll bar or the arm, with the biasing member able to exert a tensioning force in the direction of the second longitudinal side of the truck box so that the tarp is under tension.
US09039064B1

A sun screen is taught that includes a left pillar assembly having a left pillar and a left screen panel and a right pillar assembly having a right pillar and a right screen panel. An outer windshield spans between the left pillar assembly and the right pillar assembly and an inner windshield spans between the left pillar assembly and the right pillar assembly and away from the outer windshield to form a gap. A left handle having a left magnet connects to the left screen panel and a right handle having a right magnet connects to the right screen panel. The right handle selectively deploys the right screen panel towards the center of the inner windshield and the left handle selectively deploy the left screen panel towards the center. When fully deployed the right magnet and the left magnet hold the right handle and the left handle together.
US09039061B2

A method of manufacturing a vehicle frame, includes: forming compatible threads on a first rail composed of a first material and a second rail composed of a second material; forming a pair of locators on the first and second rails, said locators configured to indicate an alignment condition of the first rail and second rail when screwed together; and screwing together the first rail and second rail.
US09039060B1

A utility vehicle is equipped with a riding space and a cargo bed disposed behind the riding space. A screen is disposed between the riding space and the cargo bed, and screen support members extended rear-downward are supported by pivot portions on the screen. Engaging portions engageable with the screen support members are provided on the cargo bed.
US09039054B1

A hand operated shovel system for moving materials that uses spring enhanced human power to increase force during the flinging part of shoveling. A user adds propulsive force to a shovel having a spring located between the handle and the blade. Motion of the handle and blade rotates the spring to store energy expended during the initial acceleration of lifting, and applies the stored energy back into the material during the deposition step, increasing the ballistic trajectory of the material. If material deposition can be accomplished without flinging, the shovel acts as a substantially rigid body for standard shoveling.
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