US09909670B2

A modified vacuum actuated valve assembly and sealing mechanism is provided for improved sub-atmospheric flow stability characterized by the absence of delivery pressure spikes and flow excursions. The valve assembly includes a non-stationary thermoplastic seat and a stabber. The stabber is characterized by a top portion having a circular periphery designed to mechanically engage and disengage with an inner sealing surface of the thermoplastic seat. The sealing surface is coined to eliminate surface irregularities contained therein, thereby producing a relatively smooth coined mating inner sealing surface for the circular top portion of the stabber. The valve assembly also includes a modified bellows capable of fine tuning the delivery pressure of the valve assembly.
US09909657B2

The driving force from a drive source is transmitted from a main input shaft to a continuously variable transmission mechanism through an input switching mechanism and a first input path in which a first speed-reducing gear is disposed, and is further transmitted to a first output path in which a second speed-reducing gear is disposed, thus establishing a LOW mode. And the driving force is transmitted from the main input shaft to the continuously variable transmission mechanism through the input switching mechanism and a second input path in which a speed-increasing gear, and is further transmitted to a second output path in which a third speed-reducing gear, thus establishing a HI mode. The first speed-reducing gear on the input side, the speed-increasing gear on the input side and the second and third speed-reducing gears on the output side are independent from each other.
US09909649B2

The present disclosure provides a multiple speed transmission having an input member, an output member, a plurality of planetary gearsets, a plurality of interconnecting members and a plurality of torque-transmitting mechanisms. The plurality of planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The input member is continuously interconnected with at least one member of one of the plurality of planetary gear sets, and the output member is continuously interconnected with another member of one of the plurality of planetary gear sets. At least nine forward speeds and one reverse speed are achieved by the selective engagement of the plurality of torque-transmitting mechanisms.
US09909648B2

A calibration device is used for calibrating a position of a cutting tool relative to a machine rotation axis, such as for setting the position of the small boring tool for a CNC machine. The device includes a body with a machine contact surface, a tool contact surface, a machine rotation axis locating surface and a worm access opening. An anti-backlash worm gear assembly is mounted in the body and includes a worm in contact with the wheel. A bubble level is attached to rotate with the wheel with respect to the body responsive to rotation of the worm. At least one anti-backlash wedge is biased into contact with the worm.
US09909647B2

A V-belt (B) includes a rubber composition forming a portion (11) to be V-shaped side faces (110). Organic nanofibers (16) and organic short fibers (17) are included in the rubber composition, and oriented along a belt width. In the rubber composition, a ratio of a storage modulus in a grain direction to a storage modulus in cross-grain direction is 5 or greater.
US09909635B2

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a parking brake actuator which includes a motor; a worm gear connected to the motor to transmit a power; a worm wheel engaged with the worm gear; a drive shaft coupled to the worm wheel, wherein a parking cable is connected to the drive shaft; a power transmission gear including a first gear coupled to a rotational shaft of the motor and a second gear which is coupled to a rotational shaft of the worm gear and connected to the first gear to transmit the power; and a housing including a first accommodation portion disposed at one side of a reference line which is formed perpendicular to the rotational shaft of the motor and passes through the first gear to accommodate the motor, a second accommodation portion disposed at another side of the reference line to accommodate the worm gear so that the rotational shaft of the worm gear is parallel to the rotational shaft of the motor, and a third accommodation portion disposed at the other side of the reference line to accommodate the worm wheel, thus providing an advantageous effect in which motors of various sizes may be applied without machining a separate housing to correspond to each of the sizes of motor or changing sizes or the number of teeth of gears.
US09909634B2

A brake pad mounting is provided for a disc brake for a commercial vehicle, having a pad mounting bracket which is supported on pad holding springs of brake pads which are arranged in a brake caliper on both sides of a brake disc. The pad mounting bracket spans a mounting opening of the brake caliper in the axial direction of the brake disc and is held in a fastening socket of the brake caliper at least on one side by way of a securing bolt, is configured in such a way that the securing bolt consists of two individual parts which are connected to one another in a positively locking and/or nonpositive and/or integrally joined manner and, on the end side, have in each case one head which can bear against an associated side surface of the pad mounting bracket.
US09909631B2

An apparatus for controllably actuating a selectable coupling assembly is provided. The apparatus includes a bi-directionally movable, actuating shaft attachable to a movable element of the assembly to provide selective, small displacement element movement to linearly actuate the assembly. An excitation coil is arranged to be magnetically coupled with the shaft and to controllably move the shaft between positions which correspond to different operating modes of the assembly. A controller includes a power inlet terminal adapted to receive electrical power from a vehicle DC power source, a command input terminal adapted to receive a command signal from an electronic control unit and a power switching and supply circuit coupled to the coil to switch and supply received electrical power to the coil based on the command signal. The shaft moves the element and causes the assembly to change its operating mode when the electrical power energizes the coil.
US09909624B2

A composite driveshaft includes a body having a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion defining a driveshaft axis (DSA). The first end defines a first coupling region and the second end defines a second coupling region. At least one of the first and second coupling regions defines a virtual hinge configured to accommodate both bending moments and axial changes of the body.
US09909620B2

A cage for a radial bearing assembly with rolling elements is provided. The cage includes a first and second rims, and webs extend between the rims to define pockets that receive rolling elements. Each of the webs includes first and second rolling element guide surfaces that face a first adjacent one of the pockets and third and fourth guide surfaces that face a second adjacent one of the pockets. These guide surfaces are located at a pitch circle adapted to coincide with a centerline of the rolling elements located in the pockets. The webs have first and second radially inner retention tabs that respectively face the first and second adjacent ones of the pockets. The first retention tab is located axially between the first and second guide surfaces and the second retention tab is located axially between the third and fourth guide surfaces. The retention tabs are located radially inside the pitch circle.
US09909616B2

A ball joint includes a bearing seat in the form of a resin ball seat provided within a seat-accommodating portion of a metal socket for slidably and rotatably receiving a ball portion of a ball stud. An end portion of the seat-accommodating portion through which the stud portion passes extends towards the stud portion beyond the spherical center of the ball portion. The ball seat has a covering portion formed on the outer side of a seat opening portion of a ball-accommodating portion which has a spherical shape conforming to a sliding surface of the ball portion of the ball stud. The covering portion is formed by bending the seat opening portion such that it covers the outer periphery of the opening portion of the seat-accommodating portion of the socket.
US09909615B2

The invention provides a thrust bearing, including a pair of half thrust bearings. Each half thrust bearing includes a bearing alloy layer and a resin slide layer, or a back metal layer, a bearing alloy layer and a resin slide layer. The resin slide layer constitutes a slide surface receiving an axial force of a crankshaft. Each half thrust bearing include thrust reliefs formed adjacent to both circumferential end portions of the sliding surface so that a wall thickness is thinner toward the circumferential end surface. A thrust relief length at an inner end portion of the thrust relief positioned on a rear side of one of the half thrust bearings in a rotational direction is larger than a thrust relief length at an inner end portion of the thrust relief positioned on a front side of the other of the half thrust bearing in the rotational direction.
US09909614B2

The invention provides a bearing device, including a crankshaft, a pair of half bearings each having crush reliefs adjacent to both circumferential ends thereof, a bearing housing having a retaining hole, and one half thrust bearing arranged adjacent to the retaining hole. Each half thrust bearing is configured at least by a bearing alloy layer and a resin slide layer which constitutes a slide surface receiving an axial force of the crankshaft, and thrust reliefs adjacent to both circumferential end portions of the sliding surface so that its wall thickness is made thinner toward the circumferential end surface. A thrust relief length at an inner end portion of the thrust relief positioned on a rear side in the crankshaft rotational direction is formed to be larger than a thrust relief length at an inner end portion of the thrust relief positioned on a front side.
US09909607B2

According to the present disclosure, a method for securing a threaded fastener in a threaded hole includes directly applying a locking compound to at least a portion of threads to be mated on either the threaded fastener or the threaded hole. The locking compound includes a substantially pure, non-chromated aluminum pigmented compound suspended in a water-based inorganic binder with temperature resistance in excess of 900 degrees Fahrenheit (about 482 degrees Celsius). The threaded fastener is threaded into the threaded hole after applying the locking compound on the threads to be mated.
US09909606B2

A two-piece pallet fastener for securing a pallet element to a base pallet is disclosed. The fastener includes a sleeve having internal, male protrusions and a rivet having external, female threads. The sleeve is installed in a pallet base and the rivet is inserted through the part to be attached to the pallet base and into the sleeve. The sleeve includes a rivet-receiving end having an alignment feature and an anchoring end. The anchoring end includes flexible legs having external shoulders. The rivet includes a head and a shaft. The head includes an alignment feature. The shaft includes external, female threads and two or more axially-aligned longitudinal grooves. One or more detents are formed on the rivet for engagement with the interior surface of the sleeve. The detents are provided to produce a ratchet-type effect to assure that the rivet is locked into the sleeve.
US09909594B2

A ram air fan housing includes an outer cylindrical housing portion centered on a central axis, with a first end and a second end positioned axially away from the first end. The ram air fan housing also includes an inner cylindrical housing portion centered on a central axis, with a first end and a second end positioned axially away from the first end. The first end of the outer cylindrical housing portion is connected to the first end of the inner cylindrical housing portion with a disk portion. The ram air fan housing also includes a first drain hole in the outer cylindrical housing portion adjacent to the second end of the outer cylindrical housing portion.
US09909590B1

Compact ceiling fans having fan blades with a longitudinal axis extending substantially vertically and ceiling fans having one or more fan blades are extend under the housing of the fan across the span of the fan and are suspended only at the distal ends of radially extending arms.
US09909588B2

Miniature (mesoscale) axial-flow pumps including an inlet guide, a stator spaced apart from the inlet guide, and a rotor rotatably disposed between the inlet guide and the stator.
US09909587B2

A refrigerant filling rotary compressor includes a shell, a compressing mechanism, an injection tube and an injection valve assembly. The compressing mechanism includes a cylinder, a main bearing, an auxiliary bearing, a crank shaft, a piston and a sliding vane. An inner wall of the cylinder chamber of the cylinder is formed with a filling mouth, and the cylinder is provided with a filling channel with a filling hole. The injection valve assembly is in a closed state when a pressure inside the cylinder chamber is higher than that in the filling hole so as to separate the filling hole from the filling mouth, and the injection valve assembly is in an open state when the pressure inside the cylinder chamber is lower than that in the filling hole so as to communicate the filling hole with the filling mouth, in which when the injection valve assembly is in the closed state, a space between the injection valve assembly and the filling mouth where a compressed gas exists is termed a clearance volume formed by the injection valve assembly, and a ratio between the clearance volume formed by the injection valve assembly and a reserve volume of the cylinder ranges from 0.3% to 1.5%.
US09909586B2

A scroll compressor includes a housing, and scroll compressor bodies disposed in the housing. The scroll bodies include a first and second scroll bodies. The first and second scroll bodies have respective bases and respective scroll ribs that project from the respective bases, wherein the scroll ribs mutually engage. The second scroll body is movable relative to the first scroll body for compressing fluid. A drive unit rotates a drive shaft to drive the second scroll body in an orbital path. The drive shaft has an eccentric drive configured to engage a corresponding drive hub on the second scroll body. The eccentric drive has a drive surface acting on the corresponding drive hub in a first plane. The drive shaft has a locating feature for a counterweight. The locating feature is aligned in either the first plane or a second plane parallel to the first plane.
US09909583B2

A gerotor pump is provided with a pump housing defining a chamber and having an inlet and an outlet separated by a planar surface. The planar surface defines a notch connected to the outlet. An inner gear member is rotatably and eccentrically supported within an outer gear member. The inner gear member defines a series of external teeth with a first tooth defining a fluid passage therethrough and a second tooth independent of fluid passages. The fluid passage is defined by an aperture extending axially through the first tooth fluidly connected to a channel extending across the first tooth on an end face of the inner gear member. The passage and the notch cooperate to form a fluid pathway for pressure relief and reduced tonal noise in the pump by disrupting harmonics during operation.
US09909582B2

A pump is disclosed. The pump may include at least one pumping mechanism. The at least one pumping mechanism may include a barrel formed of a substrate having a bore and a plunger formed of a substrate and slidably disposed within the bore in the barrel. The pump may further include a coating disposed on the plunger. The coating may include a main layer containing a tribological material and a sacrificial break-in layer disposed on the main layer, the break-in layer containing a tribological material.
US09909571B2

An offshore structure for use with an OTEC system includes a submerged spar having a lower portion having a cold water intake. The cold water intake includes a domed terminus in fluid communication with a cold water pipe. A dry machinery space adjacent the cold water intake includes one or more cold water supply pumps and one or more cold water pipe lifting and retention winches having a lifting cable connected to the cold water pipe.
US09909565B2

Wind turbine rotational system having several drives and a central control system (CCS), each drive comprising a motor, an electronic converter and an actuator. The CCS sends speed and torque setpoints to the electronic converters which drive the motors according to said setpoints. Operation of the system comprises: designating a drive as master and the other drives as slaves; designating, for each slave, one of the drives as reference drive; the CCS determining master speed and torque setpoints, and sending them to the master; the CCS obtaining real torque of the master; CCS obtaining real speed of each reference drive; and the CCS sending to each slave a slave speed setpoint equal to the master speed setpoint, and a slave torque setpoint equal to the real torque of the master plus a variable offset based on a difference between the master speed setpoint and the real speed of its reference drive.
US09909553B2

A runner device (1) for a hydraulic fluid flow machine is described, the runner (1) including a runner hub (2) and a number of vanes (4) distributed around the center axis (S) of the runner (1), the vanes (4) being releasably connected to the runner (1) by means of bases (41) that complementarily fit grooves (21) in the runner hub (2), characterized by the grooves (21) in the runner hub (2) extending, at least at one of the outer edge portion (23) or the inner edge portion (25) of the runner hub, respectively all the way out to or all the way in to the edge portion (23, 25), whereby the bases (41) may extend radially out to or in to at least one of the outer edge portion (23) or the inner edge portion (25), respectively, of the runner hub (2). A method of providing a runner (1) for a hydraulic fluid flow machine is described as well.
US09909545B1

An outboard motor includes an internal combustion engine powering the outboard motor and a cowl covering the engine and having a vent allowing air under the cowl. A throttle body meters flow of the air into the engine and an intake structure downstream of the throttle body delivers the metered airflow to one or more combustion chambers in a cylinder block of the engine. A sound enhancement assembly in acoustic communication with the intake structure collects sounds emitted by the engine. The sound enhancement assembly is configured to amplify a subset of the collected sounds that have frequencies within a desired frequency range. A method for modifying sounds produced by an air intake system of an internal combustion engine powering an outboard motor is also disclosed. The method includes positioning a sound enhancement assembly in acoustic communication with an air intake passageway located downstream of the engine's throttle body.
US09909540B2

The internal combustion engine includes at least one cylinder, an exhaust gas tract having a measuring device, and a tank ventilation system having a purge air line, which provides pneumatic communication between the tank ventilation system and the cylinder. The purge air line has a sensor for ascertaining a hydrocarbon content of a gas flow from the tank ventilation system to the at least one cylinder. Fuel metering into the cylinder is controlled dependent on the ascertained hydrocarbon content. An exhaust gas characteristic of an exhaust gas flow that flows in the exhaust gas tract is detected by the measuring device and compared with a specified target value. If the ascertained difference between the detected exhaust gas characteristic and the specified target value exceeds a specified threshold, a test is carried out to determine whether the sensor has a malfunction.
US09909535B2

A fuel holding device is secured to a vehicle by means of straps and brackets, which sits on a system of gaskets to prevent longitudinal sliding and rotation. A gasket system for preventing longitudinal sliding is disposed circumferentially around the tank body, and between the tank body and a circumferential bracket system that includes a U-shaped strap and an L-shaped bracket. The gasket system comprises a wedge-shaped base and a slider portion, with the U-shaped strap secured around the slider portion. A system for preventing rotation of a fuel-holding device has a circumferential wedge gasket segment, or a corrugated segment, positioned at a gap between the U-shaped strap and the L-shaped bracket.
US09909532B2

A liner portion has an exhaust liner portion with an inner face extending to an outward extending flange. Cooling grooves formed in the flange have a radially outward inlet point and a radially inner outlet point. A flow area at the inlet point is smaller than the flow area at the outlet point.
US09909529B2

An example gas turbine engine with multiple flow paths includes, among other things, a core flow path extending from a compressor section to an exhaust section, a bypass duct providing a bypass flow path radially outside the core flow path, and a flow injection device to selectively communicate a first amount of flow or a second amount of flow from the bypass flow path to the exhaust section, the first amount of flow different than the second amount of flow.
US09909523B1

Methods and systems are provided for controlling spark plug fouling in newly manufactured vehicles. In one example, a method may include operating an engine with a first direct injection fueling strategy including single intake direct injection on an engine start when in a pre-delivery state, and transitioning to a second different direct injection fueling strategy including split direct injection on the engine start when in a post-delivery state. In this way, spark plug fouling may be avoided in newly manufactured vehicles.
US09909515B2

A method is disclosed for operating an internal combustion engine in which a coolant temperature of an engine coolant of the internal combustion engine is determined and is compared with a predetermined threshold temperature. If the coolant temperature is higher than the predetermined threshold temperature, a thermal input into the engine coolant is reduced by changing at least one operating parameter of the internal combustion engine. This can be done, for example, by raising a charging pressure of the internal combustion engine.
US09909513B2

A technique for fuel system protection for an internal combustion engine includes introducing a directly injected fuel into a combustion chamber through a direct fuel injector, introducing a fumigated fuel upstream of an intake valve, selectively operating the internal combustion engine with at least one of the directly injected fuel and the fumigated fuel, determining a temperature of the direct fuel injector as a first function of engine operating parameters, and performing a temperature mitigation technique when the temperature rises above a first predetermined value such that the temperature is maintained below a second predetermined value.
US09909512B2

A hybrid vehicle includes a controller that executes catalyst warm-up control for warming up a catalyst, including first control that operates an internal combustion engine at a first operating point, and second control, after executing the first control, that operates the engine at a second operating point irrespective of driving force required to propel the vehicle. Engine output at the second point is larger than engine output at the first point. Ignition timing of the engine at the time when the first control is executed is controlled to a retarded side with respect to an ignition timing of the engine at the time when the second control is executed. When the second control is executed, at least one of a valve lift of an intake valve and a valve operating angle of the intake valve increases as charging of an electrical storage device is more limited.
US09909510B2

A disclosed control system and method of controlling a gas turbine engine utilizes a thrust rating schedule generated from airframe selected requirements. The system utilizes a generic logic structure for ratings combined with simple selection logic to customize rating schedules for multiple airframe customers. The use of a common generic logic structure to generate rating schedules for different airframe manufacturers reduces software design effort, memory consumption, and processor throughput requirements.
US09909502B2

Embodiments are directed to an engine of an aircraft, a starter generator configured to receive power to cause the engine to start and to provide electrical power to at least one load, and a battery system comprising: a battery, and at least one of a controller and a regulator configured to limit an in-rush current to the battery following the starting of the engine.
US09909497B2

A compressor section of a gas turbine engine includes a bleed port having a flow splitter therein so as to define a downstream bleed channel having a downstream inlet and an upstream bleed channel having an upstream inlet that is positioned radially outward from the downstream inlet.
US09909496B2

A power generation system, including: a solar energy concentration system, a biomass gasification device, a gas-powered generator, a steam turbine, a steam-powered generator. The solar energy concentration system is connected to a solar energy heat exchange system. The biomass gasification device is connected to the gas-powered generator. The gas outlet of the gas turbine is connected to the gas exhaust heat system. The second steam outlet of the gas exhaust heat system is connected to the second and the third cylinders of the steam turbine. The first steam outlet of the gas exhaust heat system and the steam outlet of the solar energy heat exchange system are connected to a steam mixing regulating system. The mixed steam outlet of the steam mixing regulating system is connected to the first cylinder of the steam turbine.
US09909490B2

Methods and systems are provided for pressure control in a boosted engine system. A variable geometry turbine (VGT) geometry, and/or wastegate (WG), and/or an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve opening is adjusted at least based on a difference between the exhaust pressure and an intake pressure in order to reduce the difference between exhaust and intake manifold pressures, thereby reducing pumping work losses.
US09909480B2

An exhaust gas treatment system for an internal combustion engine may have a reductant delivery system that delivers reductant to an exhaust stream in an exhaust aftertreatment system. A temperature sensor may be positioned in or near the flow of reductant and exhaust to measure the temperature of the reductant and exhaust. A change in temperature over time, such as an increase, decrease, or change in variation amplitude, may indicate the presence of a reductant deposit in the system. Detection of the deposit may initiate a regeneration cycle in which the operating characteristics of the system change to eliminate the reductant deposit to prevent it from hindering the performance of the exhaust aftertreatment system.
US09909478B2

A swirl mixer for mixing a reducing agent with exhaust gas in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) aftertreatment system is described. The swirl mixer may comprise a base permitting a flow of the reducing agent and the exhaust gas therethrough, and three arrays of fins projecting from the base in a direction of flow of the exhaust gas. The three arrays of fins may be arranged in a triangular configuration about a center of the mixer to induce a swirl motion to the reducing agent and the exhaust gas flowing through the mixer. The fins in each of the arrays may be oriented in a common direction that is rotated by about 60° from the common direction of the fins in an adjacent array.
US09909477B2

A method for operating a device for providing a liquid additive having at least one suction point for removing liquid additive from a tank, a valve-free conveying line extending from the suction point to a supply unit, and a valve-free displacement pump, the displacement pump being configured to convey the liquid additive from the tank via the suction point along the conveying line to the supply unit, the displacement unit having at least one seal of the conveying line, displaceable along the conveying line for conveying the liquid additive, includes: a) detecting a stoppage of operation of the device; b) establishing a position of the seal within the positive-displacement pump; and c) changing the position of the seal if the position of the seal does not correspond to a provided park position of the seal.
US09909474B2

A method for operating a drive device having an internal combustion engine and an exhaust gas purification device for exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine includes performing an oxygen removal operation for removing oxygen from the exhaust gas purification device, wherein the oxygen removal operation includes at least one of operating the internal combustion engine sub-stoichiometrically and introducing additional fuel into the exhaust gas, wherein the oxygen removal operation is performed until a lambda value detected by a lambda probe arranged in the exhaust gas purification device reaches a defined lambda threshold value.
US09909472B2

The present disclosure relates to an engine system comprising an ICE; an exhaust system; and an engine control unit for controlling operation of the engine system between at least a first operating state resulting in a first exhaust temperature range, and a second operating state resulting in a second, higher, exhaust temperature range. The exhaust system comprises a low frequency sound attenuation portion including a first tubing section having a first flow area; a second tubing section, having a second flow area smaller than the first flow area; and a third tubing section having a third flow area greater than the second flow area. The low frequency sound attenuation portion is dimensioned to achieve laminar flow through the third tubing section when the engine system is in the first operating state; and turbulent flow through the third tubing section when the engine system is in the second operating state.
US09909467B2

A continuously variable valve timing apparatus may include a camshaft, a plurality of wheels mounted to the camshaft, of which a wheel key is formed thereto respectively, a plurality of cam portions of which a cam and a cam key are formed thereto respectively, of which the camshaft is inserted thereto, of which relative phase angle with respect to the camshaft is variable, a plurality of inner brackets connected with the each wheel key and the each cam key, a plurality of a slider housings of which the each inner bracket is rotatably inserted thereto respectively, and rotatably configured around a hinge hole formed an upper side of a cam cap and a control portion selectively moving the slider housings to change relative position of a rotation center of the inner brackets.
US09909455B2

An intermediate casing comprising an inner annular hub, an outer annular barrel and an annular part for separating flows situated between the hub and the outer barrel. A primary stream is delimited between the hub and the separation part. A secondary stream is delimited between the separation part and the outer barrel. At least one hollow arm extends radially from the hub to the outer barrel, passing through the primary and secondary streams. A transmission shaft extends radially in the hollow arm. The hollow arm comprises a hydraulic-fluid outlet situated downstream of the transmission shaft. The arm further comprises a bypass channel or pocket able to bypass the transmission shaft.
US09909451B2

In one aspect, a bearing assembly for supporting a rotor shaft relative to a support structure of a gas turbine engine may generally include a bearing including an outer race and an inner race, an outer bearing housing configured to extend radially between the outer race of the bearing and the support structure of the gas turbine engine and an inner bearing support configured to extend radially between the inner race of the bearing and the rotor shaft. In addition, the outer bearing housing and the inner bearing support each include at least one radially extending spring arm such that the outer bearing housing and the inner bearing support collectively form two springs coupled in series between the support structure and the rotor shaft.
US09909450B1

Bearing members, such as journal bearings, and turbine assemblies for use in high speed, high horsepower applications (e.g., turbochargers, jet engines, internal combustion engines, blowers, steam turbines, compressors, and pumps) including a rotatable shaft, a compressor wheel coupled to the shaft (e.g., at one end), a turbine wheel spaced from the compressor wheel, the turbine wheel also being coupled to the shaft (e.g., at another end), and at least one bearing member having a superhard bearing surface.
US09909448B2

A heat transfer apparatus for a gas turbine engine includes: a component having a wall structure defining a flow bounding surface; a chamber formed in the component, the chamber including a wicking structure, a vapor channel, and a working fluid.
US09909442B2

A method for controlling a position actuation system component in a gas turbine engine based on a modified proportional and integral control loop is provided. The method includes determining an error value between a demand signal for the position actuation system component and a position signal for the position actuation system component. The method also includes determining an integral gain scaler as a function of a scheduling parameter value and determining an integral gain based on the determined error value and the determined integral gain scaler. Additionally the method includes determining a proportional gain scaler as a function of the scheduling parameter value and determining a proportional gain based on the determined error value and the determined proportional portion gain scaler. The method adds the determined integral gain with the determined proportional gain to determine a null current value for the position actuation system component.
US09909441B2

A method of operating a clearance control system for a gas turbine engine, includes estimating, in a control module, thermal expansion values of engine components based at least partially on an exhaust gas temperature of the gas turbine engine, determining an estimated clearance value based on the thermal expansion values and ducting airflow for cooling the engine components.
US09909438B2

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a system associated with an engine of an aircraft, the system comprising: a fluid source that is configured to provide a fluid at a first pressure value, a carbon seal, a seal plate that includes at least one lift-off feature that interfaces to the carbon seal, and a pressure boosting mechanism configured to obtain the fluid from the fluid source, increase the pressure of the fluid to a second pressure value, and provide the fluid at the second pressure value to the at least one lift-off feature.
US09909432B2

Aft frame assemblies for a gas turbine transition pieces include a body comprising an exterior surface and a plurality of interior surfaces, one or more exterior cooling holes disposed on the exterior surface of the body for capturing compressor discharge air outside of the transition piece, and a supplemental component bonded to at least one of the plurality of interior surfaces of the body. At least one cooling channel is at least partially defined by the supplemental component and the interior surface that the supplemental component is bonded to, wherein the at least one cooling channel fluidly connects at least one of the one or more exterior cooling holes to one or more interior cooling outlets that discharge the compressor discharge air captured from the at least one of the one or more exterior cooling holes.
US09909431B2

An adjustable blade root spring device for turbine blade fixation in turbomachinery. The device is designed to be placed in a space in a rotor disk cavity adjacent to a tip of a blade root, where the device applies a radial outward force on the turbine blade to fix the blade position in the rotor disk. The device includes a wave spring with integral end blocks which is compressed by a bolt and a coil spring. When the wave spring is compressed in length, it increases in height and makes contact with the rotor disk and the turbine blade. The force of the wave spring on the turbine blade can be adjusted via the bolt, and the coil spring provides an increased compliance range. The body of the device has an oblong cross-sectional shape, thereby preventing rotation of the device in the space between the blade and the disk.
US09909429B2

A blade for use in a gas turbine engine has an airfoil and a dovetail. The airfoil extends radially outwardly of the dovetail. An inner surface of the dovetail includes a slot extending along a length of the dovetail between a leading edge and a trailing edge. A rotor and a gas turbine engine are also disclose.
US09909422B2

The present invention relates to a device for inserting a balancing weight into a rotor of a turbine, that includes an external component and an internal component. The internal component is connected in a helical manner to the external component. The internal component delimits a chamber which has a first and a second opening, a lower surface which is provided with a sealing joint and a cap in order to close in a tight manner the first opening of the chamber. The connection between the external component and the internal component is helical, that is to say, the result of a threading operation. Therefore, the internal component can thus move in a coaxial manner with respect to the external component.
US09909415B2

An apparatus for mixing fluids within a conduit and monitoring performance of the mixing is provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a conduit and a fluid mixer coupled to the conduit for mixing fluid flowing through a bore of the conduit. The apparatus also includes multiple sensors for measuring a characteristic of the fluid at different locations in the bore of the conduit downstream from the fluid mixer. A controller of the apparatus can monitor performance of the fluid mixer in mixing the fluid flowing through the bore of the conduit based on the measured characteristic of the fluid at the different locations in the bore of the conduit downstream from the fluid mixer. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.
US09909413B2

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for determining a rheological parameter of a fluid within a wellbore. The methods comprise receiving a plurality of differential pressure measurements of a fluid within a flow region of the wellbore; storing the plurality of differential pressure measurements; generating a curve based on the plurality of differential pressure measurements; and determining the rheological parameter of the fluid using the curve. The systems comprise a conduit arranged in a wellbore; a plurality of pressure sensors along the conduit configured to measure pressure of the fluid within the wellbore; and a processing device. The processing device is configured to: receive a plurality of differential pressure measurements of the fluid from the pressure sensors; store the plurality of differential pressure measurements; generate a curve based on the plurality of differential pressure measurements; and determine the rheological parameter of the fluid using the curve.
US09909411B2

A system for sensing a pipe joint within a well structure bore comprises a body connectable in line with the well structure. The body has a central bore therethrough and includes a plurality of blind bores extending radially inwards from the outer surface. The system further includes at least one sleeve being locatable within one of the plurality of blind bores wherein each of the sleeves has a magnet located at an end thereof at least one sensor being locatable within one of the at least one sleeves. The at least one sensor is operable to output a signal representing the width of a metallic object located within the central bore. The system may further include a display operable to receive the output signal from the at least one sensor and to display an output to a user indicating the width of the metallic object within the central bore.
US09909407B2

Methods of monitoring a force applied to a component (28) in a wellbore (12) following drilling and during a subsequent operation. Methods comprising: providing a string of tubing (35) including a tubular member (46) having at least one sensor (48) for measuring the strain in the tubing, and a device (50) for transmitting data to surface and which is operatively associated with the sensor. Running the string of tubing into the wellbore; monitoring the strain in the tubing measured by the sensor and compensating for the strain. Performing an operation in the well employing the tubing, involving the application of a force to the component in the wellbore; monitoring the resultant change in strain in the tubing measured by the sensor; and transmitting data relating to the resultant change in strain to surface using the data transmission device, to facilitate determination of the force applied to the component.
US09909401B2

An oil recovery process where produced water is cooled through a flash evaporization process and the resulting vapor is utilized to heat steam generator feedwater.
US09909397B2

A method of fabricating a sand control screen assembly includes determining an anatomy of a facsimile sand control screen assembly, the sand control screen assembly including one or more component parts. A virtual three-dimensional (3D) model of the facsimile sand control screen assembly is then generated based on the anatomy. The virtual 3D model of the facsimile sand control screen assembly is provided to a 3D printer, and the 3D printer forms at least a portion of the facsimile sand control screen assembly based on the virtual 3D model.
US09909391B2

A device for ensuring continuous circulation in well drilling comprises a tubular body having an axial channel therein, with a lateral opening closed by a removable plug. A flapper valve is placed in the tubular conduit, whose shut-off member is movable between a transverse position, in which it closes the axial channel, and a longitudinal position, in which it closes in a pressure-tight manner the lateral opening. Advantageously, the device comprises magnetic mechanism to operate on the shut-off member in the longitudinal position and retain it in the longitudinal position with a preset load, and as the latter is exceeded the shut-off member may be moved to the transverse position.
US09909390B2

A stage tool includes an isolation mechanism for isolating the lower bore of a completion string. The isolation mechanism is initially in a deactivated configuration until sufficient hydraulic pressure is applied, at which time, the isolating mechanism is activated to isolate the lower bore from cement ingress. Concurrently or subsequently, a stage tool may be opened to facilitate cementing of an annulus between the completion string and the wellbore. After cementing, the isolation mechanism, or portions thereof, may be drilled out to re-establish flow through the stage tool.
US09909384B2

A plugging device, apparatus, and method. The plugging device includes an expandable member configured to move from a first, retracted position to a second, expanded position, a counter configured to count a number of restrictions in a conduit that the plugging device passes through, and an actuator configured to move the expandable member from the first position to the second position in response to the counter counting a predetermined number of restrictions. The expandable member in the expanded position prevents the plugging device from passing through a target restriction.
US09909377B2

The invention relates to underwater drilling for procuring and analyzing ground samples of a bed of a body of water. An underwater drilling device placed onto a bed of the body of water. By a drill drive a drill rod composed of at least one tubular drill rod element is drilled into the bed of the body of water in a first drilling step, wherein a drill core is received in a receiving part in the tubular drill rod element. The receiving part with the drill core is deposited in a storage place of a storage area on the base frame. Subsequently, one further drilling step is carried out with a further drill rod element. By means of sensor means at least one physical and/or chemical property of the drill core is determined. data on the storage place of the drill core in the second storage area.
US09909376B2

A latching assembly for wellbore logging tools includes a bottom hole assembly to be disposed on a distal end of a drill string. The bottom hole assembly includes a landing sub having a bore with a latching mechanism that includes latch jaws and bias springs. The latch jaws can receive a landing shoulder. The biasing spring has a closing arm and an opening arm to respectively close and open the latch jaws. The bottom hole assembly includes a tool string that includes the landing shoulder for engaging with the latch jaw of the landing sub, the biasing spring, and a logging assembly that includes at least one logging tool for obtaining and storing data about at least one geologic formation penetrated by the wellbore.
US09909370B2

The present invention discloses a method for obtaining a tensile armor configuration of a flexible conduit comprising the steps of mounting an end ring engaged with the terminal region of each wire of each tensile armor, defining an initial position, which axially displaces the end ring in opposite direction to a free end of the flexible conduit, from the initial position to an end position, so as to cause flexure in the wires of each tensile armor and securing the end ring in end position, to maintain the wires of each tensile armor flexed. The present invention also proposes a connector for a flexible conduit, said connector comprising an end ring engaged with the terminal region of each wire of each tensile armor and fixed in an end position so that the wires of each tensile armor are flexed.
US09909366B1

A cutting element assembly for use on a rotary drill bit for forming a borehole in a subterranean formation. A cutting element assembly includes a cutting element having a substrate. The cutting element assembly additionally includes a superabrasive material bonded to the substrate. The substrate extends from an end surface to a back surface. A base member is also coupled to the back surface of the substrate. Additionally, a recess is defined in the base member and a structural element is coupled to the base member. The cutting element assembly also includes a biasing element configured to selectively bias the structural element.
US09909363B1

We disclose a window blind that includes a security feature. The disclosed window blind includes a plurality of slats, at least one of which includes a hollow core. The hollow core includes at least one pressure sensor, a controller, and a battery. The pressure sensor detects a change in pressure when an adjacent window or door is opened or broken. The controller may be connected to the pressure sensor and to multiple light fixtures and/or audio speakers throughout the building. Program code in the controller may receive instructions which include a defined order in which the controller sends a signal to each of the light fixtures and audio speakers causing them to actuate.
US09909360B2

The present invention provides a shade assembly which comprises a shade fabric and a plurality of battens arranged vertically with respect to one another, each batten aligned horizontally along the fabric and forming a pleat therewith. A plurality of spacers are also provided which are coupled to and positioned adjacently to one of the plurality of battens in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the shade fabric. The plurality of spacers maintains the plurality of battens in a substantially vertical arrangement when the shade fabric is drawn into an open position.
US09909357B2

A door (1) includes a tabular main body (2), a liquid crystal device (4) which is disposed in an aperture portion formed in the main body (2), a handheld portion (3A) which is attached to the main body (2), and a touch sensor (3) which is attached to the handheld portion (3A). Because the touch sensor (3) is attached to the handheld portion (3A), when a person's hand touches the handheld portion (3A), the touch sensor (3) senses the person's hand. The liquid crystal device (4) is capable of varying between an invisible state and a visible state reversibly, and is made into a visible state in the case where the touch sensor (3) senses a person's hand.
US09909353B2

An adjustable sill pan system that can be adjusted in the field to fit any type of entryway, while maintaining a moisture-tight seal between parts of the sill pan system, by virtue of a complementary gasket having slots that receive the entirety of an open edge of another part of the sill pan system.
US09909347B2

A power, split door system (12) for a vehicle (10), comprising a first vehicle door (14) arranged to articulate between a closed position and an open position; a second vehicle door (16) arranged to articulate between a closed position and an open position; first (40a, 40b) and second (42) drive means for moving the first and second doors, respectively, between the closed and open positions; and control means (18, 83, 85, 87) for controlling the first and second drive means so as to control movement of the first and second doors between the open and closed positions; wherein the control means is provided with positional information relating to each of the first and second vehicle doors; and wherein the control means is configured to ensure that each of the first and second vehicle doors do not attempt to simultaneously occupy the same space. The first and second doors may be configured such that in a closed position, the first and second doors partially overlap.
US09909346B2

The invention relates to an adjusting device for moveably mounting a furniture part onto a furniture body, comprising an adjusting arm lever. A first lever of the adjusting arm lever can be moved with respect to a second lever of the adjusting arm lever from a mounted position into an operating position. The first lever can be locked in the locked position with respect to the second lever by means of an automatic locking device.
US09909339B2

A bridge tumbler lock has tumblers that both slide and pivot, with their motion controlled by pairs of key interfaces. A sidebar is released to permit lock opening movement when all tumblers are in their correct positions. This results in a lock that is resistant to release of information due to partially correct key combinations occurring in the course of a lock picking attempt and thus enables enhanced security in an economical, effective lock construction.
US09909334B2

A pool cleaning robot that may include a fluid inlet, a filter; a winding mechanism and a holding mechanism; wherein the winding mechanism is configured to perform a winding of the filter thereby removing a filter portion that was positioned in a filtering position and placing another filter portion, that was previously stored by the holding mechanism, in the filtering position; wherein the filter portion, when positioned in the filtering position, is configured to filter fluid that enters through the fluid inlet; and wherein the holding mechanism is configured to hold the filter and to store folded and unused filter portions.
US09909329B2

Featured are devices and methods for positioning an anchoring device (e.g., bolt, stud) when cast in place in concrete so as to leave the anchoring device plumb. Such methods include securing one end of an anchor plumbing tool having a leveling mechanism to the anchoring device and manipulating another portion of the plumbing tool until the leveling mechanism indicates that the anchoring mechanism is plumb. Such methods further include positioning the anchoring device in cast in place concrete while the concrete is in its fluid state before set up occurs so as to leave the anchoring device in a vertical or perpendicular line relative to gravity. Such a plumbing tool includes a distal end portion that removably couples to an end of the anchoring device, the leveling mechanism and an upper portion that is usable to manipulate the anchoring device.
US09909327B2

According to the invention a wall formwork (1, 2) for the production walls consisting of concrete having a coupling device (4, 10), by means of which the wall formwork (1, 2) may be coupled to another wall formwork which is arranged adjacent or above is provided. The coupling device (4, 10) is—preferably detachably—coupled to the wall formwork (1, 2) and is especially coupled to a supporting element (2) of the wall formwork (1, 2). By “coupled” it is meant that the coupling device (4, 10) may even kept coupled to the wall formwork (1, 2) when the coupling device (4, 10) will not be used for coupling the wall formwork (1, 2) to another wall formwork. By way of coupling between the coupling device (4, 10) and the wall formwork (1, 2), during installation, a coupling device (4, 10) will immediately be available, if the wall formwork (1, 2) is to be coupled to another wall formwork by the coupling device (4, 10). By this, assembling will be promoted. Also realization of disassembling may be promoted, since the coupling device (4, 10) does not have to be deposited nor handled separately. For disassembling detachment of the coupling device (4, 10) from the wall formwork (1, 2) which is arranged adjacent or above will be sufficient.
US09909325B2

A reliable swiveling fastening mechanism that allows a plate to be horizontally, obliquely and vertically fastened comprises, in the position of use: a vertical supporting profile to be arranged at the top of the mast, coaxially to the mast; two parallel backing plates mounted so as to swivel on the supporting profile and interconnected on one side by a plate carrier fastening component and on the other side by a U-shaped vertical position stop attached to the backing plates and arranged in such a way that the plate carrier fastening component is parallel to the supporting profile when the supporting profile is in contact with the vertical position stop; and a retractable stop supported by at least one backing plate so that the plate carrier fastening component forms an angle between 10° and 80° with the supporting profile when the supporting profile is in contact with the retractable stop.
US09909320B2

A roof flashing can include a bottom half and a top half. The two halves can each have a plate and a neck portion projecting away from the respective plate. The neck portions define portions of an aperture configured to encircle and seal against a post projecting away from a roof. At least part of the first neck portion can be slidably receivable in the second neck portion and the two portions can define a neck when the bottom half and the top half are engaged with one another.
US09909319B1

A gutter cover has a lip where fasteners attach the cover to a structure. An upper cover extends at a downward angle away from the structure while a folded section extends and a downward angle towards the structure. A covering section extends substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the folded section back towards the front of the gutter and has a number of apertures therein for filtering debris. A filtering mesh is located between the covering section and the folded section and may also filter debris. A connecting lip secures cover to the front of the gutter.
US09909317B2

According to one aspect, a roofing system comprises a plurality of insulation boards adapted for overlying a roof deck to form a layer of insulation. Each of the plurality of insulation boards has opposing planar surfaces and has a facer on at least one planar surface, and each of the plurality of insulation boards comprises polyisocyanurate foam having a first polyisocyanurate foam density. The roofing system further comprises a plurality of cover boards adapted for overlying the layer of insulation. Each of the plurality of cover boards has opposing planar surfaces and has a facer on at least one planar surface, and each of the plurality of cover boards comprises polyisocyanurate foam having a second polyisocyanurate foam density greater than the first polyisocyanurate foam density. The greater polyisocyanurate foam density provides for a compressive strength to resist deformation.
US09909313B1

A flexible, water-resistant composite material that can be used for the construction of outdoor enclosures. A material can include a combination of fiber, resin and catalyst upon a backing of a textile such as carpet, hook and loop material, or felt. After cure, the material can be cut to suit for assembly. The material can allow for a single piece to serve as two side walls and the roof or floor of an enclosure. The textile side of the material can be utilized for the interior of an enclosure and the composite side can be used for the exterior of the enclosure. An optional decorative or functional layer can be added to the material.
US09909309B1

A glass anchoring system, for securing a pair of adjacent panels of structural glass to a mid support beam and creating a walkable glass. Each panel has a fastening edge and has an upper pane, a middle pane, and a lower pane. The middle pane has a cutout along the fastening edge. A pair of blocks fit within the cutouts and are laminated within the panels. When the panels are positioned upon the mid support beam, the blocks face each other across a gap between the adjacent panels. A connecting bar extends across the gap and into both of the blocks. A bolt extends in the gap, downwardly through the connecting bar, and tightens against the connecting bar as it secures to the mid support beam.
US09909308B2

The present invention relates to a composite beam in which a fabricated truss is embedded in the concrete, and more particularly, it relates to a composite beam in which the fabricated truss acts as a truss beam which endures the concrete weight and the construction load in the liquid phase before the curing of the concrete and acts as a main structural member together with the concrete after the curing of the concrete.
US09909300B2

A truss clamp assembly includes a lower support member extending in a lateral direction, a vertical rod coupled to the lower support member and extending in a vertical direction that is transverse to the lateral direction, a first engagement portion coupled to the vertical rod and spaced apart from the lower support member in the vertical direction, and a second engagement portion coupled to the vertical rod and spaced apart from the lower support member in the vertical direction, where the second engagement portion is spaced apart from the first engagement portion in the lateral direction, such that the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion define a gap positioned between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion in the lateral direction.
US09909292B2

A sanitary fixture is provided having an upstream end and a downstream end, the sanitary fixture includes a mounting housing having a thread which is matingly engagable with a thread provided on a water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting. The mounting housing has a downstream housing end side with flow-through holes. At least one insertion part can be inserted into the mounting housing as far as an insertion stop. The fixture includes an aerated jet regulator which is configured such that a circumferential wall of the mounting housing includes at least one aeration duct at least in a subregion of at least a double-walled configuration. The at least one aeration duct, which is arranged towards the downstream housing end side, opens out in at least one aeration opening leading into a housing interior of the mounting housing.
US09909285B2

A shroud retention system for a work tool is disclosed. The shroud retention system may have an adapter attached to the work tool. The shroud retention system may further have a spring assembly attached to the adapter. The shroud retention system may also have a shroud, which may have a channel configured to slidably receive the adapter and the spring assembly. The channel may have a retainer slot. The shroud retention system may have a retainer plate disposed in the retainer slot. The retainer plate may be movable into a locked position by the spring assembly.
US09909274B2

At least one handling device is provided having at least one floating member with first and second mutually opposite portions between which a transitional surface at least partially extends defining an interior. The device has an offshore part receiving portion therein to at least partially receive the offshore part. The floating member is simply installed in the offshore part so that it at least partially surrounds its outer surface. The offshore part thus floats on the water for being transported to an intended destination.
US09909265B2

A device for forming, reinforcing, joint sealing and edge protecting of a concrete slab panel, wherein the concrete slab panel having a volume, a length, a width, and a surface. The device comprising of an elongated post having a body, a top end and a bottom end with a plurality of elongated grooves extending along the body; a mounting frame has a length, a width and a thickness. The mounting frames having a connecting means to connect the mounting frame to the posts. The present invention eliminates the needs for saw-cut lines for crack inducement and acts as a joint sealer for the concrete slab to relieve the tensile stresses.
US09909262B1

The rail-lifting hook is a J shaped lifting hook that is specifically configured to replace chains and slings when lifting a railway track rail. The railway track rail is configured to receive the entire railway track rail within the interior surface of the hook structure of the J shaped lifting hook. The rail-lifting hook is formed as a single unit from high strength steel.
US09909260B2

A system and method of manufacturing a feedstock for producing paper fiber from fruit of a plant may include providing a by-product source inclusive of fiber from the edible fruit after a process for removing a majority of the edible fruit is used to produce a food. One or more treatment processes to brighten the fruit by-product may be performed. The feedstock may be produced from the brightened fruit by-product.
US09909253B2

There is provided a random mat including carbon fibers having an average fiber length of from 3 mm to 100 mm and a thermoplastic resin, wherein a fiber areal weight of the carbon fibers is from 25 to 10,000 g/m2, a proportion of carbon fiber bundles (A) constituted by single carbon filaments of a critical single fiber number or more defined by the formula (1) to the total amount of fibers in the random mat is from 40 to 99 Vol %, and an average number (N) of fibers in the carbon fiber bundles (A) satisfies the formula (2): critical single fiber number=600/D  (1) 2.0×105/D2≦N<8.0×105/D2  (2) wherein D is an average fiber diameter (μm) of carbon fibers.
US09909243B2

In one preferred mode, the operator selects by the touch panel 2 a pattern from the displayed patterns on the display 1 and starts the embroidery by operation of the start/stop switch. The CPU 10 is checking the detection signal from the sensor 3 and when the signal is on, the CPU 10 keeps the display 1 in operation. When the operator goes out from the sensor detectable area 60, the signal of the sensor 3 disappears and the CPU 10 generates the LED display 4 indicating the progress of the sewing. Since the operator can see the LED display 4 from the outside of the display visible area 61, the operator recognizes the conditions of the machine A.
US09909242B2

An automatic needle placement machine (1) and a placement method for needles (4) on needle boards (2) of non-woven needle machines has a holding apparatus (10) for the needle board (2), a needle removal apparatus (12) and a needle placement apparatus (13) for removing and placing needles (4) from and in receptacle openings (3) of the needle board. The holding, needle placement and needle removal apparatuses (10, 12, 13) can be moved and positioned in a linear manner and relative to each other by means of an automatic positioning apparatus (11, 16). The holding apparatus (10) for the needle board (2) has a multi-axis positioning apparatus (11), wherein the needle placement and needle removal apparatus (12, 13) are arranged in a relatively stationary manner on a frame (15) or on a machine frame (8).
US09909241B2

Disclosed herein are methods of forming a fiber mat, involving forming an aqueous solution of at least one protein, at least one polysaccharide, and optionally a plasticizer, and electrospinning the aqueous solution onto a collector to form a mat.
US09909238B2

The monitoring device for a weaving machine includes at least one camera and a weft-thread beat-up device. The weft-thread beat-up device includes at least one reed and/or a batten and the reed and/or the batten extends in a longitudinal direction of the weft-thread beat-up device. The at least one camera apparatus is fastened to the weft-thread beat-up device and includes sensor elements arranged adjacent to one another. The camera is designed to record an image using the sensor elements, wherein the sensor elements are arranged in a row that extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the weft-thread beat-up device.
US09909230B2

In one instance, the invention provides a method of growing bulk crystal of group III nitride using a seed crystal selected by (a) measuring x-ray rocking curves of a seed crystal at more than one point, (b) quantifying the peak widths of the measured x-ray rocking curves, and (c) evaluating the distribution of the quantified peak widths. The invention also includes the method of selecting a seed crystal for growing bulk crystal of group III nitride.The bulk crystal of group III nitride can be grown in supercritical ammonia or a melt of group III metal using at least one seed selected by the method above.
US09909229B2

A method of synthesizing rubidium uranium fluoride crystals. The method includes combining uranium-based feedstock with a mineralizer solution that includes a rubidium fluoride. The feedstock and mineralizer solution are pressurized and a thermal gradient applied thereto such that a first portion of the feedstock and the mineralizer solution is heated to a temperature that is greater than a temperature of a second portion of the feedstock and the mineralizer solution. Uranium nutrient enters the mineralizer solution from the feedstock in the first portion and uranium nutrient precipitates to spontaneously form crystals in the second portion.
US09909228B2

An apparatus for electroplating a layer of metal onto the surface of a wafer includes an auxiliary electrode that is configured to function both as an auxiliary cathode and an auxiliary anode during the course of electroplating. The apparatus further includes an ionic current collimator (e.g., a focus ring) configured to direct ionic current from the main anode to central portions of the wafer. The provided configuration effectively redistributes ionic current in the plating system allowing plating of uniform metal layers and mitigating the terminal effect. In one example, the auxiliary electrode functions as an auxiliary cathode in the beginning of electroplating when the terminal effect is pronounced, and subsequently is anodically biased.
US09909224B2

An electrochemical compressor incorporates an electrochemical cell having an anode and a cathode that reacts a working on the anode side into an ionic component and a reactant. The ionic component is transported through an ion conducting media to the cathode. At least a portion of the reactant passes through a reactant conduit that extends from the anode to the cathode. A transfer device, such as a pump or venturi valve configured along the reactant conduit allows the reactant to flow from the anode to the cathode. The reactant and the ionic component are reacted on the cathode to reform the working fluid. A reactant separator may be configured to selectively allow reactant into the reactant conduit. A reactant separator may be a perm-selective layer or a fluid that has high reactant solubility. The working fluid may be water with the ionic component protons and the reactant oxygen.
US09909222B2

Method comprising providing at least one solid carbide chemical compound and reducing a metal cation with use of the solid carbide chemical compound. A method comprising producing elemental carbon material from the oxidation of carbide in at least one carbide chemical compound (e.g., calcium carbide) in at least one anode of an electrochemical cell apparatus, such as a galvanic cell apparatus. The cathode can be a variety of metals such as zinc or tin. The reaction can be carried out at room temperature and normal pressure. An external voltage also can be applied, and different forms of carbon can be produced depending on the reactants used and voltage applied. For carrying out the method, an apparatus comprising at least one galvanic cell comprising: at least one anode comprising at least one carbide chemical compound, and at least one cathode. For carrying out the method and constructing the apparatus, an electrode structure comprising at least one carbide chemical compound, wherein the carbide chemical compound is a salt-like carbide; and at least one electronically conductive element different from the carbide. Carbon compositions of various forms are also prepared by the methods and apparatus and with use of the electrode structure. Large pieces of pure carbon can be produced. Post-reaction processing of the carbon can be carried out such as exfoliation.
US09909221B2

The invention is directed to a method for producing metal-containing particles, the method comprising subjecting an aqueous solution comprising a metal salt, Eh, lowering reducing agent, pH adjusting agent, and water to conditions that maintain the Eh value of the solution within the bounds of an Eh-pH stability field corresponding to the composition of the metal-containing particles to be produced, and producing said metal-containing particles in said aqueous solution at a selected Eh value within the bounds of said Eh-pH stability field. The invention is also directed to the resulting metal-containing particles as well as devices in which they are incorporated.
US09909217B2

A pump used in a gasification system, the pump comprises a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a rotor supported within the housing for rotation relative to the housing, the rotor comprising a hub, a plurality of disks spaced apart by sections of the hub, and defining a plurality of transport channels for transporting solid carbonaceous feedstocks for the gasification system, and an interior feedstock facing surface adjacent to the solid carbonaceous feedstocks, wherein at least a portion of the interior feedstock facing surface is coated with a coating.
US09909214B2

A method for depositing a dielectric film in a trench by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) includes depositing a dielectric film in a trench of a substrate by PEALD under conditions wherein the wet etch rate of the depositing film on a top surface of the substrate is substantially equivalent to or higher than the wet etch rate of the depositing film at a sidewall of the trench, wherein a precursor fed into the reaction space has —N(CH3)2 as a functional group.
US09909208B2

A method for developing a coating having a high light transmission and/or a low light reflection is provided. The method relates to a process for developing a coating with a high light transmission and/or a low light reflection, where the coating is deposited on a substrate. The coating is deposited as a mixed coating comprising a material A and a material B, where the coating is developed to have a coating thickness profile in which the lowest proportion of the material B is on the substrate surface and the highest proportion of coating material is on the coating surface. The material B is at least partially removed from the coating after deposition of the coating on the substrate.
US09909202B2

Methods for deposition of an aluminide coating on an alloy component positioned within a coating compartment of a retort chamber are provided. According to the method, the coating compartment is purged with an inert gas via a first gas line; a positive pressure is created within the coating compartment utilizing the inert gas; the coating compartment is heated to a deposition temperature; and at least one reactant gas is introduced into the coating compartment while at the positive pressure and the deposition temperature to form an aluminide coating on a surface of the alloy component. Retort coating apparatus are also provided.
US09909199B2

Described herein are novel aluminum containing alloys. The alloys are highly formable and can be used for producing highly shaped aluminum products, including bottles and cans.
US09909195B2

A method and apparatus are provided for springing a homogeneous water confinement layer on the surface of a work piece during a laser shock peening process. The method and apparatus are particularly for suitable for forming a homogeneous water layer on a low curvature surface such as found on turbine blades.
US09909194B2

A cold-rolled sheet is provided. The cold-rolled sheet is annealed and pre-coated for the fabrication of press hardened parts, composed of a steel substrate for heat treatment with a carbon content C0 between 0.07% and 0.5%, expressed by weight, and a metal pre-coating on at least the two principal faces of the steel substrate. The substrate comprises a decarburized area on the surface of each of the two principal faces. The depth p50% of the decarburized area is between 6 and 30 micrometers, and p50% is the depth at which the carbon content is equal to 50% of the content C0. The sheet does not contain a layer of iron oxide between the substrate and the metal pre-coating. Processes are also provided.
US09909193B2

Methods and compositions for the identification of genetic-related information are provided. At least portions of methods provided herein may be performed without thermocycling. Methods and compositions may include reagents such as nucleic acid polymerases and primers.
US09909178B2

The present invention provides genotyping methods and compositions for selecting patients with cardiovascular disease who will benefit from treatment with HDL-raising or HDL mimicking agent, in particular with a CETP inhibitor/modulator.
US09909177B2

This invention provides methods for pyrosequencing and compositions comprising 3′-O-modified deoxynucleoside triphosphates.
US09909173B2

The present invention relates to a device comprising a biomolecular processor. Each biomolecular processor has one or more bioreactor chambers defined by a solid substrate; a support structure within each bioreactor; a cleaving enzyme immobilized to the support structure and operatively positioned within the bioreactor chamber to cleave monomer or multimer units of a biopolymer molecule operatively engaged by the cleaving enzyme; and one or more time-of-flight channels formed in the solid substrate and fluidically coupled to said one or more bioreactor chambers. Each of the time-of-flight channels have two or more sensors including at least (i) a first sensor contacting the time-of-flight channel proximate to the input end of the channel and (ii) a second sensor contacting the time-of-flight channel proximate to the output end of channel. The present invention further relates to methods of sequencing and identifying biopolymer molecules using the device.
US09909169B2

A method is provided for allele-specific amplification, utilizing a blocking oligonucleotide including at least one nucleotide with a base covalently modified at the exocyclic amino group, the blocking oligonucleotide being perfectly complementary to a wild type (WT) sequence when hybridized forming a first complex having a first melting temperature (Tm), the blocking oligonucleotide being partially non-complementary, at one or more nucleotides, to a target mutant (MT) sequence when hybridized forming a second complex having a second melting temperature (Tm), wherein the first Tm is higher than the second Tm and having at least one nucleotide with a base covalently modified at the exocyclic amino group, wherein the blocking oligonucleotide becomes unhybridized from the target MT sequence during amplification but remains hybridized with the WT sequence inhibiting amplification of the WT sequence utilizing a polymerase lacking 5′-3′ nuclease activity.
US09909168B2

The present invention relates to an oligonucleotide having a novel structure and a method of synthesizing nucleic acid by using the same as a primer. This oligonucleotide is provided at the 5′-side of the primer with a nucleotide sequence substantially the same as a region synthesized with this primer as the origin of synthesis. The present invention realizes synthesis of nucleic acid based on an isothermal reaction with a simple constitution of reagents. Further, the present invention provides a method of synthesizing highly specific nucleic acid on the basis of this method of synthesizing nucleic acid.
US09909166B2

Method for the determination of the concentration of a type of specific nucleic acids (10) in a sample, wherein the sequences of the specific nucleic acid (10) at least partially match a reference sequence, and/or for the determination of the degree of the match of the sequences of specific nucleic acids (10) of a type in a sample (9) and a reference sequence, comprising the following steps: providing a first probe (1), which possesses a first oligonucleotide (3) on its surface; providing a second oligonucleotide (7), which is partially complementary to the first oligonucleotide (3) or to a first oligonucleotide adapter (20), which is partially complementary to the first oligonucleotide (3), and wherein the second oligonucleotide (7) is partially complementary to the reference sequence; combining of the first probe (1) and the second oligonucleotide (7) and—if applicable—the first oligonucleotide adapter (20) with the sample (9), wherein a specific nucleic acid (10) contained in the sample (9) can hybridize with the second oligonucleotide (7) and the second oligonucleotide (7) is activated by the hybridization.
US09909161B2

A method and system for evaluating the competence for transplantation of a graft sample containing cells capable of multinucleation are provided. In one form, the method includes determining multinucleating ability as an indicator representing the capacity for multinucleation of the cells capable of multinucleation.
US09909159B2

This invention discloses multi-part primers for primer-dependent nucleic acid amplification methods. Also disclosed are primer-dependent nucleic acid amplification reactions, particularly DNA amplification reactions, reaction mixtures and reagent kits for such reactions. This invention relates to primer-dependent nucleic acid amplification reactions, particularly DNA amplification reactions such as PCR, and primers, reaction mixtures and reagent kits for such reactions and assays employing same.
US09909154B2

The present invention provides methods of producing dicarboxylic acids. The methods involve incubating a fatty acid or hydrocarbon substrate with an enzyme to produce a dicarboxylic acid product. The enzyme acts on the substrate to produce a product that has been both over-oxidized and has undergone cleavage of a C—C bond. In some embodiments the enzymes having these useful characteristics are mutants of a cytochrome P450 enzyme, for example an enzyme of the class CYP102 or a mutant thereof. The invention provides enzymes where these desirable characteristics can be found in a single enzyme, and thus in some embodiments the methods can be performed through the action of a single enzyme.
US09909151B2

Provided are engineered microorganisms capable of producing fatty dicarboxylic acids and products expressed by such microorganisms. Also provided are biological methods for producing fatty dicarboxylic acids.
US09909144B2

The invention features methods for producing isoprene from cultured cells. The invention also provides compositions that include these cultured cells.
US09909143B2

This disclosure describes a cell that includes an engineered subcellular compartment that generally includes a proteinaceous shell that includes at least one bacterial microcompartment (BMC) polypeptide. In some embodiments, the engineered subcellular compartment can further include one or more targeted enzymes. We further describe methods of making and using such cells.
US09909142B2

Compositions and methods for AAV mediated gene therapy are disclosed. AAV vectors comprise protein capsid variants comprising therapeutically beneficial transgenes. AAV variants are provided which exhibit increased transduction efficiency when compared to AAV serotypes (e.g., AAV1, AAV2, AAV8, AAV-rh74), which lack the modifications disclosed herein. Such improved vectors are useful for transduction of a variety of tissues.
US09909141B2

A potato transformation vector, pSIM1678 is disclosed. The invention relates to the potato transformation vector which contains an expression cassette for the potato late blight resistance gene, Rpi-vntl, and a silencing cassette for the plant vacuolar invertase gene, VInv.
US09909136B2

The invention provides methods for decreasing lignin content in plants by reducing expression of a folylpolyglutamate synthetase 1 (FPGS1) coding sequence in the plant. Also provided are methods for reducing lignin content in a plant by down-regulation of FPGS1 expression in the plant. Nucleic acid molecules for modulation of FPGS1 expression and transgenic plants the same are also provided. Plants described herein may be used, for example, as improved biofuel feedstock and as highly digestible forage crops. Methods for processing plant tissue and for producing biofuels by utilizing such plants are also provided.
US09909121B2

A method having steps of (a) providing nucleic acids having a tag sequence (N1)n(N2)n . . . (Nx)n, wherein N1, N2 and Nx are nucleotides that complement different nucleotides, respectively, wherein n is an integer that can differ for N1, N2 and Nx; (b) detecting the nucleic acids individually and under conditions to distinguish signal intensities for (N1)n sequences having different values for n, (N2)n sequences having different values for n and. (Nx)n sequences having different values for n; and (c) distinguishing the tags based on the signal intensities.
US09909117B2

An apparatus for separating particles from a medium includes a capillary defining a flow path therein that is in fluid communication with a medium source. The medium source includes engineered acoustic contrast capture particle having a predetermined acoustic contrast. The apparatus includes a vibration generator that is operable to produce at least one acoustic field within the flow path. The acoustic field produces a force potential minima for positive acoustic contrast particles and a force potential minima for negative acoustic contrast particles in the flow path and drives the engineered acoustic contrast capture particles to either the force potential minima for positive acoustic contrast particles or the force potential minima for negative acoustic contrast particles.
US09909114B2

Compositions and methods for preventing, treating and detecting leishmaniasis are disclosed. The compositions generally comprise polypeptides comprising Leishmania antigens as well as polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides.
US09909113B2

In one embodiment, the invention provides a method of purifying recombinant alpha-galactosidase A. The method includes obtaining a lysate from cells recombinantly expressing alpha-galactosidase A grown in a cell culture medium having non-precipitating phosphate; contacting said lysate with a first chromatography media that binds α-D-mannopyranosyl or α-D-glucopyranosyl; eluting alpha-galactosidase A from the first chromatography media to generate a first eluate having alpha-galactosidase A, wherein said eluting includes at least one elution pause between 4 and 16 hours; contacting the first eluate with a second chromatography media that binds galactose binding proteins; and eluting alpha-galactosidase A from said second chromatography media to generate a second eluate containing said recombinant alpha-galactosidase A.
US09909111B2

Mutated Lactobacillus brevis strain 269Y β-glucuronidase enzymes with enhanced enzymatic activity at low pH (e.g., below pH 6.8), as well as enhanced thermostability as compared to wild type enzyme are provided. The enzymes of the invention advantageously allow for accurate analysis of bodily samples for the presence of drugs at low pH and in 30 minutes or less, as compared to the several hours needed using prior enzyme preparations. Methods of using the mutated enzymes for hydrolysis of glucuronide substrates, including opiates and benzodiazepines, are also provided.
US09909102B2

The invention relates to a fluidic device for producing platelets from a suspension of megakaryocytes or their fragments, comprising a production chamber comprising at least one channel in which a suspension of megakaryocytes is introduced to flow from its inlet to its outlet wherein said channel is textured with a plurality of obstacles on at least one portion of its inner surface. The invention is further directed to an ex vivo method for producing platelets from megakaryocytes using a fluidic device as defined above.
US09909100B2

This invention relates to a culture medium for cultivation of Leishmania promastigotes, comprising inorganic salts, organic constituents and peptone/hydrolystate and at least one plant extract.
US09909094B2

A portable apparatus for collection and processing of human biological material, such as containing adipose extracted during a lipoplasty procedure, is useful for multi-step processing to prepare a concentrated product (e.g., stromal vascular fraction) or a fat graft composition. The apparatus has a container with a containment volume with a tissue retention volume and a filtrate volume separated by a filter and with a tapered portion to a collection volume for collecting concentrate product. The apparatus includes a mixing device disposed at least in part within the tissue retention volume, and wherein the mixing device has a rotatable shaft extending from outside of to inside of the internal containment volume and has at least one mixing member that is disposed in the tissue retention volume with at least a portion disposed in the tapered portion of the internal containment volume and that is connected with the shaft to move through the tissue retention volume when the shaft is rotated.
US09909091B1

This disclosure describes a biochemical reactor with an unclogging pipe. The biochemical reactor may include a tank configured to house immobilized carriers and fluid. The biochemical reactor may include a circulation conduit at least partially disposed within the tank. The circulation conduit may include a circulation inlet opening and a circulation outlet opening. The biochemical reactor may include one or more vanes disposed proximate to the circulation outlet opening. The one or more vanes may be configured to cause the immobilized carrier and the fluid exiting the circulation outlet opening to enter into a helical pattern. The biochemical reactor may include an unclogging pipe configured to clear clogging of the circulation conduit. The unclogging pipe may be disposed proximate to the circulation outlet opening. Clearing clogging of the circulation conduit may include directing a pressurized flow of air to the circulation conduit via the unclogging pipe.
US09909088B2

The invention relates to a process for the production of iso-alpha-acids starting from alpha-acids in which an alpha-acid containing hop extract is mixed with a carbon-containing chemical compound with one or more functional groups containing a (basic) nitrogen atom with a lone pair (or mixtures thereof), either in solvent-free conditions or in the presence of solvents and preferably under an oxygen-free atmosphere. The resulting mixture is subjected to a temperature of at least 278 K for a time sufficient to effect the intended conversion of the alpha-acid reactant into the iso-alpha-acid product. The present invention further relates to iso-alpha-acid compositions obtained by said improved isomerisation process and to the use of said iso-alpha-acid compositions as bittering formulation and/or as source to obtain reduced or hydrogenated iso-alpha-acid compositions.
US09909087B2

In one embodiment, a cleaning composition includes a surfactant system having an invert structure; and at least one enzyme.
US09909085B2

Installation and method for producing fatty acid esters usable as fuel for which the installation includes a tank (10) containing oils and/or fats to be treated, a tank (11) containing light alcohol, pumps (3) and (4) feeding the materials to a tubular reaction vessel (30) having a winding configuration provided with a heater for internally maintaining a supercritical temperature with respect to the alcohol used and a pressure provided by the pumps, suitable for producing esterification and transesterification reactions, without the presence of catalysts of the oils and/or fats and alcohol, a heat exchanger (8) for heating the affluents and cooling the reaction effluents and a reaction effluent depressurization tank (21). The installation further has a stirrer (22, 23, 28) for stirring the reaction product at the reaction temperature and pressure in one or more segments of the tubular vessel (30) covering a sector of the reactor before its end area for exit towards the depressurization tank (21).
US09909083B2

The disclosure provides (i) a lubricating oil composition including a base oil (A) with a kinematic viscosity at 100° C. of 8.2-12.6 mm2/s and a saturated hydrocarbon content of 90% by mass or more, a metallic detergent (B) and a zinc dithiophosphate (C), wherein a content of the metallic detergent (B) is 2.5 mmol or more as a soap content concentration per 100 g of the composition, a phosphorous content is 200-1000 mass ppm, and a base number is 7.5 mg KOH/g or more, and (ii) a lubricating oil composition including the base oil (A), the metallic detergent (B), the zinc dithiophosphate (C) and an amine-based antioxidant (E), wherein a content of the amine-based antioxidant (E) is 0.3% by mass or more in terms of total content of the composition, a base number is 6.5 mg KOH/g or more, and a phosphorous content is 200-1000 mass ppm.
US09909082B2

The disclosed technology relates to additive packages for lubricating compositions in diesel and gasoline powered vehicles. In particular, the disclosed technology provides an additive package that can be added to a lubricating composition with oil of lubricating viscosity to improve at least one of (A) piston deposit, (B) piston cleanliness, (C) soot induced viscosity thickening, and (D) oxidation induced viscosity thickening.
US09909079B2

Provided herein is a medium speed diesel engine crankcase lubricating oil composition comprising: (a) a major amount of an oil of lubricating viscosity; and (b) 0.15 to 2.0 weight percent of a silver lubricity borated fatty acid ester additive. Also provided is a method for reducing silver bearing wear and friction in medium speed diesel engines comprising lubricating said engine with said lubricating oil composition.
US09909062B2

The present invention provides light-emitting diode (LED) devices comprises compositions and containers of hermetically sealed luminescent nanocrystals. The present invention also provides displays comprising the LED devices. Suitably, the LED devices are white light LED devices.
US09909060B2

Provided are an oxynitride phosphor comprising a JEM crystal as a main component and being characterized by light-emitting properties (light emission color or excitation property, light emission spectrum) that is different from the known JEM phosphor, and an application thereof. The phosphor of the present invention comprises the JEM crystal activated with Eu and represented by MAl(Si, Al)6(O, N)10 (where the M element is one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, Eu, La, Sc, Y, and lanthanoid elements; and includes at least Eu as well as Ca and/or Sr).
US09909059B2

The present invention relates to an oxynitride luminescent material, a preparation method, and an LED light source manufactured thereby. Chemical compositions of the luminescent material are M1 a M2 b Si c O d N e:xEu 2+, M1 being one or two or a combination of more than two of elements: Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Zn; M2 being one or a combination of two of elements: Tb and Tm; a, b, c, d, e and x being molar coefficients of atoms, and 1≦a≦4, 0.001≦b≦0.6, 0.8≦c≦1.2, 0
US09909058B2

Provided are a phosphor, a phosphor manufacturing method, and a white light emitting device. The phosphor is represented as a chemical formula of aMO-bAl2O3-cSi3N4, which uses light having a peak wavelength in a wavelength band of about 350 nm to about 480 nm as an excitation source to emit visible light having a peak wavelength in a wavelength band of about 480 nm to about 680 nm (where M is one kind or two kinds of elements selected from Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba (0.2≦a/(a+b)≦0.9, 0.05≦b/(b+c)≦0.85, 0.4≦c/(c+a)≦0.9)).
US09909047B2

Disclosed is a method of preparing a drilling fluid and lube base oil using biomass-derived fatty acid, including hydrogenating a fatty acid mixture derived from fat of biological origin so as to be converted into a fatty alcohol mixture, which is then dehydrated to give a C16 and C18 linear internal olefin mixture, which is then oligomerized to give olefinic lube base oil, followed by hydrofinishing to remove the olefin, yielding high-quality lube base oil (e.g. Group III or higher lube base oil). The C16 and C18 linear internal olefin mixture, which is a reaction intermediate, can be utilized as a high-quality drilling fluid.
US09909038B2

The present invention is related to an adhesive composition, wherein the adhesive composition comprises a polymer blend comprising a first propylene-based polymer, wherein the first propylene-based polymer is a homopolymer of propylene or a copolymer of propylene and ethylene or a C4 to C10 alpha-olefin, and a second propylene-based polymer, wherein the second propylene-based polymer is a homopolymer of propylene or a copolymer of propylene and ethylene or a C4 to C10 alpha-olefin; wherein the second propylene-based polymer is different than the first propylene-based polymer, and wherein the polymer blend has a melt viscosity, measured at 190° C. and determined according to ASTM D-3236, of about 1,000 cP to about 10,000 cP; and one or more tackifiers.
US09909037B2

An etching adhesive tape for manufacturing a touch screen and a manufacturing method thereof, and an etching method are disclosed. The etching adhesive tape includes a base sheet and a functional layer disposed on the base sheet, the functional layer includes a first region corresponding to a region to be etched, and the first region includes an etching paste.
US09909024B2

The ink composition for ink jet textile printing according to the invention is an ink composition which includes each dye satisfying the following conditions A, B, and C, two or more kinds of solvent having a boiling point of 190° C. or higher and lower than 260° C. under a pressure of 1 atm, and water, in which the solvent includes 5% by mass or greater of a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound with respect to the total mass of the ink composition and 5% by mass or greater of an alkyl polyol with respect to the total mass of the ink composition. A: Maximum absorption wavelength is in a range of 550 nm and 750 nm B: Maximum absorption wavelength is in a range of 450 nm or greater and less than 500 nm C: Maximum absorption wavelength is in a range of 400 nm or greater and less than 450 nm.
US09909018B2

Disclosed are a shear thickening fluid (STF) comprising solid particles and a dispersion medium, wherein the solid particles comprise silica particles as a first component and carbon nanoparticles as a second component and a method for preparing a shear thickening fluid, comprising mixing silica particles, a dispersion medium for silica particles, and a carbon nanoparticle dispersion.
US09909017B2

A miscible solvent system and method for making same having a composition between about 10 to about 90 weight percent PCBTF and between about 10 to about 90 weight percent fluorinated solvent. The miscible solvent system may be combined with boron nitride powder to create a bulk paint system. Further the miscible solvent system may be combined with a propellant to create an aerosol system. The miscible solvent system, bulk paint system, and aerosol system may be nonflammable or flammable and contain VOCs or be VOC free.
US09909015B2

A flame retardant composition comprising graphene nanoplatelets and a condensation product of a sulfonated aromatic compound with formaldehyde, wherein the w/w ratio between the graphene and the condensation product is in the range of 1:15 to 4:1. The composition may be in the form of a water dispersion applied to the surface of the article to be treated.The composition has optimal flame retardant properties even when applied in relatively modest quantities.
US09909012B2

Antimicrobial inks, sealants, coatings or varnishes that are manufactured in three distinct phases: Phase 1, which is an oil phase comprising Ethoxylate Alcohol Laureth 7, Didecyldimethylammonium chloride, Glutaric acid dialdehyde, Pinus sylvestris, Alkyldimemylberizylammonium chloride, Parachlorometaxylenol, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, 2-Hydroxypropanoic acid, Hydroxy-9-cis-octadecenoic acid, Cetyl alcohol wax, Octadecenoic acid, Palmityl alcohol, and Epoxy-cis-9-octadecenoic acid; Phase 2, which is a micro-emulsion phase comprising Ethoxylate Alcohol Laureth-7, Cetyl alcohol wax, Pinus sylvestris, and Propan-2-ol and Phase 3, which combines the products of Phases 1 and 2 with a base to produce the ink, sealant, coating or varnish.
US09909008B2

Provided is an addition-curable liquid silicone rubber composition which is suppressed in thickening over time even in cases where a silicone raw rubber is added into a liquid silicone rubber composition, thereby having excellent storage stability, and which provides a silicone rubber that has a low hardness after being cured. An addition-curable liquid silicone rubber composition which contains: (A) an alkenyl group-containing organopolysiloxane having an average polymerization degree of 1,500 or less, which is in a liquid state at room temperature; (B) an organopolysiloxane having an average polymerization degree of 2,000 or more, which is in the form of a raw rubber at room temperature; (C) an organohydrogen polysiloxane; (D) a fumed silica having a BET specific surface area of 130 m2/g or more; (E) an organosilane and/or organopolysiloxane having a silanol group; and (F) an addition reaction catalyst. This addition-curable liquid silicone rubber composition provides a low-hardness silicone rubber which has a hardness (durometer A) of 5-40 after being cured.
US09909005B2

A halogen-free type polycarbonate resin composition and a resin molded object having good flame retardant properties and physical properties that make them suitable for the use as manufactured products. The resin component includes a component A which is a polycarbonate resin, a component B including organic sulfonic acid or organic sulfonic acid metal salt, whose content is 0.05% or more and 2.0% or less by weight, a component C which is a drip inhibitor, whose content is 0.05% or more and 1.0% or less by weight, and a component D which is a silicone compound, whose content is 0.1% or more and 2.0% or less by weight. Among hydrogen atoms in the silicone compound and the proportion of hydrogen atoms in phenyl groups is 51% or more.
US09909004B2

A composition including at least one elastomer, and a hydrocarbon polymer additive having a dicyclopentadiene, cyclopentadiene, and methylcyclopentadiene derived content of about 40 wt % to about 80 wt % of the total weight of the hydrocarbon polymer additive, a weight average molecular weight of about 100 g/mole to about 800 g/mole, and a softening point of about 110° C. to about 150° C. as determined in accordance with ASTM D6090.
US09909003B2

A prepreg for the manufacture of a fiber-reinforced composite material, the prepreg including: i. an epoxy-resin matrix including: a. at least one non-halogenated epoxide-containing resin which has been chemically modified with at least one of a nitrogen- and/or phosphorous-containing molecule which has been chemically reacted with the epoxide-containing molecule; b. at least one toughening additive comprising an elastomeric or thermoplastic material chemically reacted with the at least one epoxide-containing resin; c. at least one mineral filler to provide fire-retardancy; and d. at least one catalyst for curing the epoxide-containing resin; and ii. a fibrous reinforcement at least partially impregnated by the epoxy resin matrix.
US09909001B2

A rubber composition includes, as essential components, an EDPM polymer, a carbon black, an electrical insulating amorphous or spindle-shaped filler, a softener, and a sulfur-based vulcanizing agent as essential components, and also includes, as an optical component, an electrical insulating plate-shaped filler. An obtained vulcanized product is satisfied with the following Equations (1) and (2): volume resistivity ≧1.0×106 Ω·cm  (1) (M30<100° C.>/M30<23° C.>−1)×100≧−15%  (2) where M30<23° C.> is a tensile stress at elongation of 30% as measured by a tensile test at 23° C., and M30<100° C.> is a tensile stress at elongation of 30% as measured by a tensile test at 100° C.
US09908998B2

Use, as an anti-aging agent in polymer compounds, stilbene family compound of general formula (I): wherein the substitutes are selected from the following five combinations: a) R1, R3 and R5 are OH; R2, R4 and R6 are H; b) R1 and R4 are OCH3; R2 and R5 are OH; R3 and R6 are H; c) R1 and R4 are OH; R2 and R5 are OC(CH3)3; R3 and R6 are H; d) R1 and R4 are OCH3; R2 and R5 are OH; R3 and R6 are C(CH3)3; e) R1 and R4 are OC(CH3)3; R2 and R5 are OH; R3 and R6 are H.
US09908997B2

Flame resistant compositions based on nylon-6 (PA 6) or nylon-6,6 (PA 66) may include melamine cyanurate, titanium dioxide, glass fibers, and non-fibrous and non-foamed ground glass having a specific particle size distribution, geometry and optionally sizing. Methods for producing the composition are also provided, as well as use of the compositions for production of products for the electrical industry, preferably electrical components such as residual current circuit breakers and other circuit breakers.
US09908981B2

Provided are blend compositions comprising a propylene-based elastomer and a polyalphaolefin. The blend compositions may be particularly useful in elastic film compositions, and especially useful as elastic film layers in nonwoven laminates. The film may comprise a blend of from about 0.5 to about 60 wt % of a polyalphaolefin and 40 to 99.5 wt % of a propylene-based elastomer. The film may comprise a blend of a propylene-base elastomer that comprises propylene and from 5 to 30 wt % of an α-olefin and a polyalphaolefin having a kinematic viscosity (KV) at 100° C. of from 3 to 3000 cSt.
US09908976B2

Stable dispersions of solid polyethylene glycol particles are described in polyalkylene glycol liquids. The stable dispersions have an increased viscosity relative to the liquids without the suspended particles. The stable dispersions can be formed from a melt of the polyethylene glycol particles mixed within the liquid.
US09908975B2

The present disclosure generally relates to pelletizing and compounding extrusion die systems. In particular, the present disclosure relates to the cyclical extrusion of materials to generate small sized grain features, generally in the range of micro and nanosized grain features.
US09908974B2

The present invention provides a production method and a production apparatus for a polyarylene sulfide (PAS), thus the formation of a floating polymer and the leakage of the floating polymer to the outside of the vessel in a washing step are prevented, to achieve steady production of the polymer with high quality, to improve the yield of the polymer and to reduce environmental load, wherein the floating polymer refers to a particles of the polymer which are floating on the surface of a washing solution, in the upper part of the inside of a washing vessel, as a result of the adhesion of a gas onto the surface of the particles of the polymer.The present invention provides a production method for a PAS comprising step (I), performing polymerization, step (II), separating and collecting a polymer, step (III), washing a slurry, and step (IV), collecting the polymer after washing, wherein an aqueous medium is sprayed onto a PAS floating on the surface of the aqueous washing solution in the upper part of the inside of the washing vessel in step (III) (step (IIIa), washing a slurry using a counter current, and/or step (IIIb), treating a slurry with acid using a counter current, or the like); and a production apparatus for a PAS comprising a washing device (counter current washing device and/or a counter current contact/acid treatment device or the like) having an aqueous medium spray means.
US09908972B2

The present invention provides a photodegradable cross-linking agent capable of manufacturing a photodegradable gel, which has appropriate moisture content and water solubility as a cell carrier and has strength that makes it possible to construct a complicated three-dimensional microstructure. The photodegradable cross-linking agent of the present invention includes a main chain 2 which is composed of branched polyethylene glycol having three or more branched chains and a photodegradable benzyl group 3 which is disposed on the terminus of the branched chains, in which the benzyl group has an active ester group 4, which is reactive with an amino group or a hydroxyl group, and one or more nitro groups in a benzene ring.
US09908968B2

A polyester, including ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylateunits, also includes diethylene glycol residues, the content of which is less than 0.045, in moles per mole of 2,5-furandicarboxylate moieties. The polyester composition can be prepared with a method where a starting mixture is subjected to esterification of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid or transesterification of an ester thereof with ethylene glycol in the presence of a basic compound and/or an ammonium compound capable of suppressing the formation of diethylene glycol.
US09908966B2

An adduct including a reaction product of (a) at least one cyclic polyamine compound; and (b) at least one epoxy resin compound; a curable composition including (i) the above adduct, and (ii) at least one thermosetting epoxy resin compound; and a thermoset prepared from the above curable composition.
US09908958B2

A multi-stage emulsion processing aid polymer comprising one or more functionalized ethylenically unsaturated monomer into the emulsion polymerization reactor, wherein the functionality is selected from the group consisting of β-keto esters, β-keto amides, β-diketones, cyanoacetic esters, malonates, nitroalkanes, β-nitro esters, sulfonazides, thiols, thiol-s-triazines, and amine, where the functionality is incorporated into polymers by polymerizing, ethylenically unsaturated monomers containing these functionalities or by post functionalization of a polymer with additional reactions after polymerization in one of the first or second stages. Foamable halogenated polymers comprising the multi-stage emulsion processing aid polymer is also provided. Also provided are methods for making the multi-stage emulsion processing aid polymer and foamable halogenated polymers.
US09908953B2

Controlled thermal crosslinking in a polyacrylate-based composition is accomplished by a crosslinker-accelerator system for the thermal crosslinking of polyacrylates having functional groups suitable for entering into linking reactions with epoxide groups, comprising at least one substance comprising at least one epoxide group (crosslinker) and at least one substance of the general formula (I) R1R2N—CR3R4—CR5R6—(CR7R8)n—NR9R10  (I) wherein the radicals R1, R2, R9 and R10 independently of one another are a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or cycloalkyl radical having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an alkylene group bonded to the main chain and having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, where at least one of the radicals R1, R2, R9 and R10 is not a hydrogen atom; the radicals R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 independently of one another are a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or form a 5-7-membered cycloalkylene group; and n is an integer from 0 to 4 (accelerator).
US09908949B2

A continuous method for synthesizing a diene elastomer includes modifying the diene elastomer in a functionalizing device by: a kinetic model according to which the ratio of the rate constants is greater than 1, and a flow represented by a residence time distribution in the functionalizing device that is expressed according to equations 1 or 3: (i) in a functionalizing device having at least one tubular continuous reactor or having at least one cascade of at least two stirred reactors, E 1 ⁡ ( t ) = 1 2 ⁢ ( P πθ 1 ⁢ t ) 1 2 ⁢ e - P ⁡ ( θ 1 - t ) 2 4 ⁢ θ 1 ⁢ t Eq ⁢ ⁢ 1 (ii) in a functionalizing device that is a combination of the device (i) and of a device having at least one continuous stirred reactor, having a residence time distribution characterized by the following equation: E 2 ⁡ ( t ) = e ( - t θ 2 ) θ 2 Eq ⁢ ⁢ 2 the device (ii) having a residence time distribution characterized by the equation 3 below, which is the result of the convolution of equations 1 and 2: E 12 ⁡ ( t ) = ∫ 0 t ⁢ E 1 ⁡ ( t - T ) ⁢ E 2 ⁡ ( T ) ⁢ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ T ⁢ ⁢ E 12 ⁡ ( t ) = ∫ 0 t ⁢ 1 2 ⁢ ( P πθ 1 ⁡ ( t - T ) ) 1 2 ⁢ e - P ⁡ ( θ 1 - ( t - T ) ) 2 4 ⁢ θ 1 ⁡ ( t - T ) ⁢ e ( - T θ 2 ) θ 2 ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ T Eq ⁢ ⁢ 3
US09908947B2

The present invention discloses a process for the production of chondroitin sulphate with an average molecular weight (Mw) of 10-30 kDa by chemical sulphation starting from an unsulphated chondroitin backbone, obtained in turn by acid hydrolysis of capsular polysaccharide K4 made directly from E. coli strain O5:K4:H4, or directly produced from a genetically modified strain of E. coli. Sulphation of the N-acetyl-D-galactosamine residue at position 4 or 6 takes place simultaneously in the same polysaccharide chain, simulating the sulphation pattern observed in natural chondroitin sulphate, unlike the sulphation obtained with the synthesis methods described to date.
US09908935B2

The present invention relates to biological materials against P2X7 and more in particular to polypeptides, nucleic acids encoding such polypeptides; to methods for preparing such polypeptides; to host cells expressing or capable of expressing such polypeptides; to compositions and in particular to pharmaceutical compositions that comprise such polypeptides, for prophylactic, therapeutic or diagnostic purposes. In particular, the biological materials of the present invention inhibit the biological activity of the P2X7 receptor, such as activation by ATP.
US09908933B2

The present disclosure relates generally to a protocol to treat or prevent diseases or conditions associated with pathological forms of amyloid beta (Aβ), including Alzheimer's disease. Enabled herein is a reagent for use in the treatment and prophylaxis of Aβ-associated pathological conditions.
US09908930B2

Provided herein are antibodies that cross-react with hemagglutinin from strains of influenza virus of the same subtype or different subtypes, host cells for producing such antibodies, and kits comprising such antibodies. Also provided herein are compositions comprising antibodies that cross-react with hemagglutinin from strains of influenza virus of the same subtype or different subtypes and methods of using such antibodies to diagnose, prevent or treat influenza virus disease.
US09908917B2

The present invention relates to the expression of polypeptides using Yarrowia lipolytica, in particular the secretion of expressed polypeptides into either the extracellular space or the surface of the Y. lipolytica host cell wall. The invention also extends to the use of the polypeptides so expressed in biotechnological applications. The present invention provides an expression construct for the expression of polypeptides using at least a single Yarrowia lipolytica yeast cell, the expression construct having at least one expression cassette, the expression cassette including an acid extracellular protease secretion signal sequence and flanking zeta sequence recombination sites.
US09908914B2

Disclosed herein are methods of preparing a nucleoside analog (I) by a reaction that includes an intermediate (GG): Nucleoside analog (I) is useful in treating diseases and/or conditions such as viral infections.
US09908903B2

A method for producing an organohalosilane, the method comprising: reacting an organic compound comprising a halogen-substituted or unsubstituted aromatic compound with a hydridohalosilane mixture comprising at least two different hydridohalosilanes of formula (I) RnSiHmX4-m-n, where each R is independently C1-C14 hydrocarbyl or C1-C14 hologen-substituted hydrocarbyl, X is fluoro, chloro, bromo, or iodo, n is 0, 1, or 2, m is 1, 2, or 3 and m+n is 1, 2, or 3, in the presence of a catalyst comprising one or more of the elements Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, B, Al, Ga, In, C, Si, Ge, Sn, or Pb, at a temperature greater than 100° C., and at a pressure of at least 690 kPa, to produce a crude reaction product comprising the organohalosilane, provided that when the at least two different hydridohalosilane comprise a hydridohalosilane of formula (I) where n=0 and m=1 and a hydridohalosilane of formula (I) where n=0 and m=2, the catalyst is a heterogeneous catalyst comprising an oxide of one or more of the elements Sc, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, B, Al, Ga, In, C, Si, Ge, Sn, or Pb.
US09908901B2

Articles and methods comprising persistent carbenes are provided, as well as related compositions. In some embodiments, a persistent carbene may be associated with a portion of a substrate (e.g., at least a portion of a surface on the substrate). In certain embodiments, the association of persistent carbene with the substrate may be used to affect certain properties of substrate (e.g., surface chemistry, stability). In some cases, a persistent carbene may be functionalized after association with a portion of a substrate. In some embodiments, a persistent carbene and at least one secondary compound may be associated with a portion of a substrate. Articles and methods of the present invention may be useful for applications involving electronics, sensing, microfabrication, nanotechnology, biomimetic, and drug delivery, amongst others.
US09908897B2

The present invention provides compounds of formula (I): compositions comprising such compounds; the use of such compounds in therapy (for example in the treatment or prevention of a disease, disorder or condition ameliorated by inhibition of a dopamine transporter); and methods of treating patients with such compounds; wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R9, R10, Q, X, Y, Z, A, L, B, m, n and p are as defined herein.
US09908892B2

The present disclosure provides derivatives of melampomagnolide B (MMB), including carbonates, carbamates, and thiocarbamates. The derivatives may be synthesized via an MMB triazole intermediate. These derivatives are useful for treating cancer in humans.
US09908886B2

The present invention relates to certain compounds (e.g., imidazopyrazine, imidazopyridine, imidazopyridazine and imidazpyrimidine compounds) that act as inhibitors of the MAP kinase interacting kinases MNK2a, MNK2b, MNK1a, and MNK1b. The present invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds, and to the use of the compounds for the preparation of a medicament for the prophylaxis and treatment of diseases (e.g., proliferative diseases (e.g., cancer), inflammatory diseases, Alzheimer's disease), as well as methods of treating these diseases.
US09908885B2

The present invention relates to substituted heterocyclic derivative compounds, compositions comprising said compounds, and the use of said compounds and compositions for epigenetic regulation by inhibition of bromodomain-mediated recognition of acetyl lysine regions of proteins, such as histones. Said compositions and methods are useful for the treatment of cancer and neoplastic disease.
US09908868B2

The present invention relates to isoindolinone compounds. The isoindolinone compounds are GPR119 modulators and useful for the prevention and/or treatment of diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia and related disorders. The invention furthermore relates to the use of isoindolinone compounds as active ingredients in pharmaceuticals, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising them.
US09908865B2

Provided herein are substituted pyrazolylpyridine, pyrazolylpyridazine, and pyrazolylpyrimidine derivative compounds and pharmaceutical compositions comprising said compounds. The subject compounds and compositions are useful for inhibition histone demethylase. Furthermore, the subject compounds and compositions are useful for the treatment of cancer, such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer and/or melanoma and the like.
US09908860B2

The invention relates to enzymatic methods for epoxidation of a non-cyclic aliphatic alkene, or a terpene.
US09908851B2

Disclosed are compounds of formulae: (I) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein the variables, R1, R2, Y, and Z are defined herein. These compounds are useful for treating Gram-negative bacteria infections.
US09908844B2

Epoxy/MMT composite material and a crosslinking method for epoxy/MMT composite material with second order nonlinear optical properties are introduced. Chromophore-containing intercalating agents are applied to modify montmorillonites (MMTs) to form organoclays by an ion-exchange process, wherein the chrmophores are neatly packed on exfoliated epoxy/organoclay nanocomposites. As a result, optical nonlinearity, i.e. the Pockels effect is observed for the nanocomposites without resorting to the poling process due to self-assembly process. Furthermore, a series of epoxy/MMT nanocomposites comprising thermally reversible furan-norbornene Diels-Alder adducts are prepared to establish a crosslinking feature. Self-alignment behavior, electro-optical (EO) coefficient and temporal stability of the epoxy/MMT nanocomposites are improved by the Diels-Alders crosslinking.
US09908840B2

The present invention describes chemical systems and methods for reducing C—O, C—N, and C—S bonds, said system comprising a mixture of (a) at least one organosilane and (b) at least one strong base, said system being substantially free of a transition-metal compound, and said system optionally comprising at least one molecular hydrogen donor compound, molecular hydrogen, or both.
US09908838B2

The subject matter of the present invention is an improvement in the continuous production of methyl (meth)acrylate or of ethyl (meth)acrylate by direct esterification of (meth)acrylic acid with methanol or ethanol, under reaction conditions for which the acid is in excess relative to the alcohol, in particular with an acid/alcohol molar ratio of between 1.0 and 4, and under a pressure ranging from atmospheric pressure to 5 bar. The process of the invention makes it possible to minimize the formation of ethyl ethoxypropionate during the esterification reaction, and results in an improvement in the material balance, simplification of the purification train for the desired ester, and optimization of the energy balance.
US09908831B2

A resist composition containing a compound represented by the general formula (1) or (2), a method for forming a resist pattern using the composition, a polyphenolic compound for use in the composition, and an alcoholic compound that can be derived therefrom are described.
US09908828B2

The use of a C3 to C6 alkene compound including a sole double bond, for limiting or preventing, for example, the isomerization of trans-1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene to cis-1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene. Also, a composition including 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene and a C3 to C6 alkene compound including a sole double bond, and also to various uses of this composition.
US09908824B2

Methods and systems for selectively hydrogenating benzene with a supported organometallic hydrogenating catalyst are provided. An exemplary method includes contacting an arene-containing reaction stream comprising benzene and one or more additional arenes with hydrogen in the presence of a supported organometallic hydrogenating catalyst under reaction conditions effective to hydrogenate at least benzene in the arene-containing reaction stream to produce a reaction effluent having a ratio of benzene to additional arenes that is lower than a ratio of benzene to additional arenes in the reaction stream. In this method, the supported organometallic hydrogenating catalyst includes a catalytically active organometallic species and a Brønsted acidic sulfated metal oxide support.
US09908818B2

Disclosed is a method for providing a crystalline ceramic material. In an example, the method includes providing a silicon-containing preceramic polymer material that can be thermally converted to one or more crystalline polymorphs. The silicon-containing preceramic polymer material includes dispersed therein an effective amount of dopant particles. The silicon-containing preceramic polymer material is then thermally converted to the silicon-containing ceramic material. The effective amount of dopant particles enhance the formation of at least one of the one or more crystalline polymorphs, relative to the silicon-containing preceramic polymer without the dopant particles, with respect to at least one of formation of a selected polymorph of the one or more crystalline polymorphs formed, an amount formed of a selected polymorph of the one or more crystalline polymorphs formed, and a temperature of formation of the one or more crystalline polymorphs.
US09908813B2

Described herein are reinforcing members for use in fabricating reinforced concrete, as well as methods of fabricating such reinforcing members. A reinforcing member can include a central reinforcement element and a supplementary cementitious material coated on the central reinforcement element. A method can including applying the supplementary cementitious material to the central reinforcement element, placing concrete around the reinforcing member, and allowing the concrete to cure. The supplementary cementitious material can be a pozzolan.
US09908812B2

A lime slaker system for converting quicklime to a lime slurry includes: a lime feeder; a base slaker that includes a slaking chamber and a dilution chamber; a grit remover; and a modular water panel with a piping assembly in fluid communication with at least the base slaker and grit remover. The modular water panel is configured to independently control water distributed to the slaking compartment, the dilution chamber, and the grit remover.
US09908807B2

Methods of creating a batch of recycled glass from mixed color glass cullet. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving at a glass plant a weight and color composition percentage of a first batch of mixed color cullet. The glass plant also receives a weight and color composition percentage of a second batch of mixed color cullet. The weight and color composition percentage of the first batch and the second batch are combined to generate a combined weight and composition percentage. The combined weight and composition are percentage are used to generate, automatically at a glass plant, a formulation to produce glass of a desired color.
US09908795B2

Disclosed is an apparatus for generating functional water which allows a container to be connected to a water bottle with an opening part which is standardized and available in the market, thus reducing water filled in the water bottle into functional water which is formed of oxygen water, sterilized and deodorized water, hydrogen or ionized water. The apparatus includes a container which accommodates a functional water generating member, wherein the upper and lower sides are blocked by an upper plate and a lower plate; and a water bottle connection part which is formed in the center of the upper plate while communicating with the inside of the container and is configured to connect separable the opening part of the water bottle.
US09908794B2

A pressure vessel (28) accumulates an aqueous stream at elevated pressure and feeds it through a pressure retaining array of passages (18) in the bottom wall of a modular reaction chamber (14) that operates at atmospheric pressure. Spaced electrodes (16) treat the stream during upward flow to the open top of the chamber, where the treated stream overflows the chamber and falls into an inter-wall volume between the chamber and an outside housing (12), washing foam from the housing and chamber as it exits. A housing cover (54) establishes headspace over the chamber to accommodate the overflow. The entire chamber (14) is removable from the housing (12) by loosening fasteners (39) in the bottom wall (20) and lifting it free, with no impediment due to clogging or corrosion outside the chamber.
US09908782B2

Methods of preparing boron suboxide are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for preparing boron suboxide may include loading elemental boron powder into a furnace; purging the furnace by flowing a first gas comprising one of nitrogen or an inert gas into the furnace; heating the boron powder in a reactive atmosphere comprising a mixture of argon and a non-reducing oxygen-containing gas to convert elemental boron powder into boron suboxide powder, wherein the amount of oxygen in the reactive atmosphere is no greater than about 1%.
US09908781B2

The invention relates to a process for dismutating at least one halosilane and reducing the content of extraneous metal and/or a compound containing extraneous metal in the at least one halosilane and in the at least one silane obtained, by contacting at least one halosilane of the general formula I, HnSiClm (I), where n and m are integers and n=1, 2 or 3 and m=1, 2 or 3 and n+m=4, with a particulate, organic, amino-functional resin to obtain at least one silane of the general formula II, HaSiClb (II), where a and b are integers and a=0, 2, 3 or 4 and b=0, 1, 2 or 4 where a+b=4, in one step, in which the content of extraneous metal and/or compounds containing extraneous metal has been reduced compared to the halosilane of the formula I. The invention further provides for the use of this resin for dismutating halosilanes and as an absorbent of extraneous metals or compounds containing extraneous metal in a process for preparing monosilane.
US09908776B2

There is proposed a method for pre-reforming a hydrocarbonaceous feed stream into a pre-reforming product containing carbon oxides, hydrogen and hydrocarbons, in which the adiabatically operated pre-reforming reactor comprises at least two reaction zones designed as fixed beds in a common reactor vessel, which are in fluid connection with each other and are filled with beds of granular, nickel-containing catalyst active for pre-reforming, wherein the first reaction zone in flow direction is filled with a catalyst active for high-temperature pre-reforming and the last reaction zone in flow direction is filled with a catalyst active for low-temperature pre-reforming.
US09908774B2

The present invention generally relates to a method for forming a MEMS device and a MEMS device formed by the method. When forming the MEMS device, sacrificial material is deposited around the switching element within the cavity body. The sacrificial material is eventually removed to free the switching element in the cavity. The switching element has a thin dielectric layer thereover to prevent etchant interaction with the conductive material of the switching element. During fabrication, the dielectric layer is deposited over the sacrificial material. To ensure good adhesion between the dielectric layer and the sacrificial material, a silicon rich silicon oxide layer is deposited onto the sacrificial material before depositing the dielectric layer thereon.
US09908762B1

The disclosure provides a pallet truck load lift portion, including a fork frame, a roof plate, and two upright columns. Each of the two upright columns includes two column plates and a column connection plate extending between and connected to the two column plates. This provides a simple but high strength structure, and an open and accessible space between the fork frame and upright columns that can be used for positioning a battery or other components.
US09908754B2

An apparatus includes a drum to draw in or let out a line and a motor and transmission coupled to the drum to apply a torque thereto. A tracking module tracks an actual amount of line let out from the drum. A servo control unit receives the actual amount, compares the actual amount to a desired amount of line to let out from the drum, and generates an error signal reflecting a difference between the actual amount and the desired amount. A modulation module generates, from the error signal, a control signal to control the motor, thereby bringing the actual amount into better alignment with the desired amount.
US09908753B2

A chain hoist (10) having an improved chain guide (12) for a link chain (14). The chain guide (12) has a channel (36) with a cross-shaped cross section, through which the link chain (14) extends. An end surface (26) of the chain guide (12) extends away from a mouth opening (28) of the channel (36). The channel (36) establishes a through-passage direction (D) which widens in the direction of the end surface (26), and a protrusion (30) is formed on the end surface (26) around the mouth opening (28) of the channel (36).
US09908746B2

An elevator system sound reducing assembly includes an elevator car moveably disposed in an elevator shaft. Also included is a counterweight moveably disposed in the elevator shaft, the counterweight operatively coupled to and guided along a counterweight frame. Further included is a barrier located at a height of the elevator shaft that corresponds to passage of the elevator car and the counterweight relative to each other, the barrier disposed between the counterweight and the elevator car upon passage of the elevator car and the counterweight.
US09908743B2

A system for managing power in an elevator system, the system including an elevator controller; an elevator car in communication with the controller; a component associated with the elevator car; a power management system in communication with the controller; and a database in communication with the power management system, the database including a power profile; wherein the power management system provides power commands to the elevator controller to enter a power savings mode in response to the power profile, the controller sending a power off signal to the component in response to the power command.
US09908738B1

A cable dispenser which aids in transporting, storing, and deploying coiled or spooled wire is disclosed. The cable dispenser includes a base with a rotating circular top plate which has adjustable guide posts that laterally stabilize a spool of wire. The cable dispenser further includes a center post with a top-mounted handle for carrying or suspending the dispenser from a hook-like appendage. The guide posts may be removed to allow use with spooled wire by placing the spooled wire on the center rod. The base includes a bearing which enables rotation of the top plate and the wire.
US09908726B2

An object of this invention is to provide a job processing method for a convenient printing system applicable not only to the office environment but also to the POD environment, a storage medium, a program, a printing system, and a printing apparatus. To accomplish this, according to a job processing method for a printing system in which print media detected by a multi feed detection unit for detecting occurrence of multi feed of overlapping print media can be used as print media necessary for a job to be processed by a printing apparatus, when multi feed occurs, the printing system can execute a recovery operation for an unprinted job without outputting multi-fed print media to a print medium discharge destination necessary for the unprinted job in the printing system.
US09908724B2

A compacting system compacts particulate matter in open-top railroad gondola cars rolling on rails. The compacting system includes a compacting station adjacent the rails and a scanning system that scans the gondola cars as they move along the rails toward the compacting station. The scanning system transmits data of the gondola car to an electronic control system. The compacting station has at least one compaction member, e.g., a plate structure or a roller, configured to contact an upper surface of the particulate matter in the gondola cars. The electronic control system controls the compacting station so that the compaction member engages with and applies force to the upper surface of the particulate matter in the gondola car so as to compress the particulate matter in the gondola. A method for compacting particulate matter in a gondola car is also shown.
US09908713B2

A vertical circulating conveyor includes a lowering path part (3) and a raising path part (4) that connect end portions of a conveyance path part (1) and a return path part (2) vertically positioned in a linear arrangement. The lowering path part (3) includes front wheel lowering guide rails (8A) to guide front wheels (F) of a transport vehicle (5) and rear wheel lowering guide rails (8B) to guide rear wheels (R) of the transport vehicle (5). The transport vehicle (5) is moved in the lowering path part (3) by falling under its own weight in almost the horizontal state in a powerless manner while the front wheels (F) of the transport vehicle (5) are guided by the front wheel lowering guide rails (8A) and the rear wheels (R) of the transport vehicle (5) are guided by the rear wheel lowering guide rails (8B).
US09908697B2

The invention relates to a mobile robot able to move inside a self-storage site comprising a plurality of outer walls defining said inside space and a plurality of storage boxes arranged in said inside space, said mobile robot comprising an entry module configured to allow a user to enter information relative to the location of a storage box, and a distributor of at least one locking means configured to lock said box once it is rented.
US09908693B1

A rigid trash receptacle with retractable strap for receiving a trash can liner and securing it to the upper rim of a rigid trash receptacle in order to keep the trash can liner from falling into the rigid trash receptacle when it is being filled. Such a securing system includes a rigid trash receptacle with a protruding upper rim, a retractable strap and a rigid hook on the protruding end of a strap that is contained in a strap retractor mechanism which the strap can be spooled out of and retracted back into with the help of a torsion spring, and a pointed stake protruding from the outside of the rigid trash receptacle that is mounted close to the upper rim of the rigid trash receptacle enabling the retractable strap to wrap around the upper rim of the rigid trash receptacle and eventually be hooked onto the pointed stake pinning the open end of the trash can liner to the upper rim of the trash can.
US09908689B2

The present disclosure provides a dispenser for pressurized material. In an embodiment, the dispenser for pressurized material includes a container half having an exposed edge and a closure member at the exposed edge. The container half has a cup half in an interior top portion. The dispenser includes a reciprocal container half having a reciprocal exposed edge and a reciprocal closure member at the reciprocal exposed edge. The reciprocal container half has a reciprocal cup half in an interior top portion. The closure member and the reciprocal closure member matingly engage along the exposed edges to attach the container half to the reciprocal container half and form a container. The dispenser includes a sleeve bag on valve (SBoV) assembly in an interior of the container. The SBoV assembly includes a valve seat. The cup and the reciprocal cup support the valve seat to secure the SBoV assembly in the container.
US09908688B2

The dispensing device provides dispensable material in a closable container in concert with a corresponding accessory so that the container and the accessory can be commonly stored when not in use, and further provides a ventilated storage volume within the device that can facilitate drying and aerating the accessory.
US09908679B2

A housing part for an explosion-protected housing (10) with flameproof encapsulation. The housing part comprises a porous body (20) in a passage (15) of the housing part. The passage (15) is closed in a flameproof manner by means of the porous body (20). The porous body (20) comprises an inner side (21) assigned to the interior of the housing (10) and an outer side (22) assigned to the surrounding area (12) comprising the explosive atmosphere. A gas volume flow can pass through the porous body (20), entering the porous body (20) on the inner side (21) and escape on the outer side (22) or vice versa. To prevent the penetration of water or of other aqueous liquids into the interior of the housing (10), the porous body (20) comprises a hydrophobic surface (B) in at least one area (31).
US09908671B2

The liquid filled bottle includes a plastic bottle (1) and a cover member (C) sealing an opening (5) of the bottle, the cover member (C) including: —a closing portion (6) sealing the opening (5) of the bottle (1) in an annular area (6a), the closing portion having a circumference (8) defined by an outer edge of the annular area, the closing portion defining a first surface (S1) that is substantially planar and delimited by the circumference; and —a label portion (10) that defines a second surface (S2), the label portion (10) and the closing portion (6) being parts of a single piece foil, for instance a flexible plastic foil. The second surface (S2) is entirely offset relative to the annular area (6a), the ratio between the second surface (S2) and the first surface (S1) being at least 1:2, and preferably at least 1:1.
US09908664B2

Systems for containing and manipulating fluids including systems and methods involving supported collapsible bags that may be used as reactors for performing chemical, biochemical and/or biological reactions contained therein are provided. Generally, a series of improvements and features for fluid containment systems such as gas delivery configurations, foam control systems and bag molding methods and articles for supported collapsible bag vessels and bioreactors are provided. For instance, in one aspect, fluids contained in a vessel can be sparged, e.g., such that a fluid is directed into a container of the vessel, and in some cases, the sparging can be controlled by rapidly activating or altering the degree of sparging as needed. Multiple spargers may be used in some cases. In another aspect, the vessel includes a seamless collapsible bag. In some cases, the collapsible bag may be injected, blown, or spin cast molded. In yet another aspect, the vessel includes a device which can reduce the foam produced or contained within the vessel. Sensors and/or controllers may optionally be used to monitor and/or control foaming.
US09908662B2

The present invention provides a packaging sleeve that can be attached to a base, such as a pallet, to form a container. The container can be used for the shipping and/or storage of goods. The packaging sleeve comprises latching members by which the packaging sleeve may be securably attached to the base in a manner of seconds. The present invention also provides a collapsible packaging sleeve having four panels, each panel being hingedly connected to two adjacent panels by non-metallic hinges. By operation of the non-metallic hinges, the box can be collapsed such that the packaging sleeve lays substantially flat, rendering it suitable for easy, out of the way storage and enhancing warehouse efficiency. The non-metallic hinges are designed to have a long life span and to be operable with panels having various dimensions.
US09908654B2

An apparatus for storing, transporting and dispensing conveyor belts is described. The apparatus, in the form of a crate, has top and bottom conventional pallets, allowing for easy handling and strength for additional stacked crates. The center of the crate holds a hub assembly that moves rotationally, and allows smooth transition from consecutive layers of the conveyor belt wrapped thereon. During shipment, the roll of conveyor belt lies on its side. In one embodiment, a center pipe axle of the spool passes through holes in the top and bottom pallets. Alternatively, the center pipe axle passes through channels created between planks of the top and bottom pallets. These configurations secure the roll in the crate, and allow it to turn freely when loaded or unloaded.
US09908645B2

A portable cosmetic container is disclosed. The portable cosmetic container includes a tube that has a receiving space with an opening at one end, and a crease is located at a bottom portion of the receiving space, so that a user can easily break the tube from the crease to form the opening of the receiving space. Substance is partially filled in the receiving space, and air therein is extracted to form a negative pressure status. It is advantageous that when a user breaks the tube from the crease, the substance will not randomly spray out since the air pressure moves towards the opening to keep the substance in the receiving space.
US09908634B2

A fluid line adapted to contain a pressurized fluid imposing loads on the line that vary along its length comprises a tube formed of a fiber reinforced plastic, wherein the fibers are locally tailored along the length of the tube to meet local load requirements. The tube is consolidated within a volumetric chamber having separate, individually controlled chamber compartments for respectively consolidating different segments of the tube.
US09908630B2

An assembly for an aircraft with an engine includes an attachment device intended to support the engine, a pod intended to surround the engine and including a cover, joints intended to allow articulation of the cover and allow movement of the cover relative to the attachment device between a closed position and an open position, and at least one access panel mounted moveably on the cover between a closed position, in which the access panel extends continuously between the cover and the attachment device when the cover is in the closed position, and an open position in which the access panel is remote from its closed position. The assembly includes a handle which can be operated from the outside of the cover between a first position and a second position, and a transmission system provided to move said or each access panel from its closed position to its open position.
US09908628B2

Described are seat units having a lower support structure with at least two leg supports, each leg support integrally formed into an arcuate shape, and an upper support structure having a seat pan and seat back integrally formed into a single component. Each leg support is coupled to at least two base frame tubes by insertion of each base frame tube through an aperture in each of the leg supports, wherein the aperture is shaped to prevent rotation of the leg support about a longitudinal axis of each of the at least two base frame tubes. Each seat support is coupled to the base frame tubes by insertion of each base frame tube through a slot in each of the upper support structure.
US09908624B2

Described are personal electronics device mounting structures including a base (12) with an aft surface, wherein the base is configured to fit substantially within a recess (42) so that the aft surface of the base (12) is substantially flush with an aft surface surrounding the recess (42) in a stowed position, and wherein at least a first portion of the base (12) is positioned aft of the recess and at least a second portion of the base (12) is positioned within the recess (42) in a deployed position, and a cradle (14) coupled to the base, wherein the cradle (14) comprises a pair of arms (22) configured to hold a personal electronics device securely in place adjacent a passenger seat back when the base (12) is in the deployed position.
US09908620B2

A nacelle is provided for an aircraft propulsion system. The nacelle may include an outer barrel and an active laminar flow control system. The active laminar flow control system may include a plurality of suction sources and a plurality of arrays of perforations in the outer barrel. The active laminar flow control system may be configured with a plurality of zones. Each of the zones may include a respective one of the suction sources which is fluidly coupled with a respective one of the arrays of perforations in the outer barrel.
US09908600B2

THIS invention relates to a propeller and more particularly but not exclusively, to a propeller for use with inboard and outboard boat engines. The propeller includes a hub and a plurality of blades extending radially outwardly from the hub, wherein each blade comprises a blade body having a blade face and a blade back, with the blade body terminating in a peripheral zone. The propeller also includes blade edge covering members which are releasably securable to at least part of the peripheral zone of the blade so as to cover a radially outer edge of the peripheral zone.
US09908597B1

A flexible light structure for a marine light includes a flexible pole, a quick-connect base mount, and an impact-resistant light globe.
US09908592B2

A ride height adjustable oil damped air shock boat seat pedestal with selectively lockable swivel capability is shown, which includes a locking pin extending below the seat and moving up and down with the seat as permitted and controlled by the air shock. The locking pin being received by a structure, which limits rotation of the seat.
US09908589B1

A novel hull form is described consisting of a base hull that incorporates flared sides along a bow, middle, and stern sections with raked bow and stern stem lines. The bow and stern sections have lateral oriented shapes, either as an attachment or integral to the hull, spanning the hull beam. The cross sections of these shapes have a novel and specific geometric relationship in conjunction with the base hull to provide a constant cross sectional area between the forward and aft perpendiculars. The shape improves the powering and seakeeping of the vessel hull in the marine environment.
US09908582B1

A bicycle frame structure having a rear frame and a front frame includes a rear frame of which a left stay and a right stay are bonded to each other, and an insert portion is formed at a bonded end portion, and a front frame where a head tube is formed at a front end portion thereof, an insertion hole into which the insert portion is inserted is formed at a rear end portion thereof, and the front frame is bonded to the rear frame along the circumference of the insertion hole.
US09908575B2

An overhead conveying device for integration in an assembly plant in order to transport components, said overhead conveying device having a supporting framework and a conveying device mounted on the supporting framework. The supporting framework and the conveying device form a conveying corridor, in which the components can be transported in a direction of the conveying corridor from an input point to an output point. The device further includes support columns supporting the support framework. A free space, which is suitable for component assembly and/or component transport and which can be walked and/or driven through, is formed beneath the supporting framework. The supporting framework is formed from at least two supporting framework modules arranged one after another in the direction of the conveying corridor.
US09908570B1

A beach wagon has a motor and gear box which operates the rear axle and wheels of the wagon through use of an on-board power source. The motor is controlled by a switch and throttle lever located within the handle of the wagon. The switch and throttle lever communicate with the motor using electrical wiring which runs through the handle and along the underside of the wagon. The handle is connected to a pair of front wheels which are affixed to one (1) pivoting caster. The frame of the wagon is centrally hinged at a line which runs parallel to the rear axle.
US09908569B2

An apparatus for aiding a user in raising and lowering of a tailgate includes a handle and a connector for connecting the handle to the tailgate to allow for movement of the handle rearwardly relative to the tailgate as the tailgate is initially lowered by the user and forwardly to a position above the tailgate as the lowering of the tailgate is continued. A tailgate lift assembly includes a housing extending along a predetermined length, a spring anchored at one end at a first end of the housing, a connector having a first end affixed to the opposite end of said spring and extending through said housing, and a first fixed guide around which the connector extends. A bumper for covering a corner of a tailgate is also provided.
US09908546B2

This disclosure relates to a system configured to detect rail vehicle events. Some or all of the system may be installed in a rail vehicle and/or be otherwise coupled with the rail vehicle. In some implementations, the system may detect rail vehicle events based on pre-determined rail vehicle event criteria sets. The system may include one or more sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to the rail vehicle. In some implementations, the system may detect rail vehicle events based on a comparison of the information conveyed by the output signals from the sensors and/or parameters determined based on the output signals to the pre-determined rail vehicle event criteria sets.
US09908529B2

A vehicle speed control apparatus generate a speed command value to control a vehicle speed according to a detected treading amount of an accelerator pedal, determines an upper-limit speed of the vehicle according to a speed limit of a road, generates a limit command value to control the vehicle speed to be the upper-limit speed, and adjusts the vehicle speed according to one of the speed command value and the limit command value to cause the lower vehicle speed. If the upper-limit speed is updated due to a change in the speed limit of the road while the vehicle speed is being adjusted according to the limit command value, a rate of change of the vehicle speed is limited continuously until a predetermined timing.
US09908528B2

A vehicle speed control system for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, the vehicle speed control system comprising one or more electronic control units configured to carry out a method that includes applying torque to at least one of the plurality of wheels, detecting a slip event between any one or more of the wheels and the ground over which the vehicle is travelling when the vehicle is in motion and providing a slip detection output signal in the event thereof. The method carried out by the one or more electronic control units further includes receiving a user input of a target speed at which the vehicle is intended to travel and maintaining the vehicle at the target speed independently of the slip detection output signal by adjusting the amount of torque applied to the at least one of the plurality of wheels.
US09908515B2

A drive assembly has a drive motor at least in part contained in a housing and having a rotor rotating an output shaft. A selector mechanism is movable into one of a plurality of orientations corresponding to one of a plurality of drive motor settings. A brake assembly is configured to couple to the rotor of the drive motor and is moveable between a braked position in which the brake assembly impedes rotation of the rotor and a released position in which the brake assembly allows rotation of the rotor. An actuator is arranged in the housing to engage the brake assembly at least when the brake assembly is in the braked position and to engage the selector mechanism at least when the brake assembly is in the released position.
US09908508B2

A driver authentication and safety system and method for monitoring and controlling vehicle usage by high-risk drivers. A centralized database comprising a software application can be accessed by an authorized user via a data communications network utilizing a remote computer in order to configure a desired operating profile that matches requirements of the high-risk driver. The operating profile can be loaded to a driver identification and data logging device in conjunction with the remote computer. A master control unit receives a unique identification code from the data logging device to authenticate the high-risk driver and to operate the vehicle within the desired operating profile. A slave control unit receives commands from the master control unit and generates a real time alarm signal if the driver violates the preprogrammed operating profile unique to the driver.
US09908504B2

A belt retractor for a vehicle seat belt comprises a rotatably supported belt reel from which webbing can be unwound, a force limiting means which in a force limiting phase permits controlled webbing extension in the webbing extension direction when the belt reel is blocked and a particular force threshold is exceeded, and a change-over device for performing a change-over operation during which it is changed between a low force limitation level and a high force limitation level. In accordance with the invention, the change-over device includes a control means which in response to the identification of an installed child safety seat suppresses a change-over operation from the low force limitation level to the high force limitation level and/or triggers a change-over operation from the high force limitation level to the low force limitation level.
US09908497B2

This invention relates to a cab support structure for construction machine. The cab support structure has a rear beam and a front beam, which support front and rear part of cab, and a center beam located and welded between inner and outer frames of the machine. A stopper located at the corner of center beam side of the junction of rear beam and outer frame is formed box shape. The stopper has an L-shaped plate welded to the rear beam and the outer frame, and a doubling L-shaped plate welded to the L-shaped plate, rear beam, and outer frame.
US09908494B2

In a method for activating a personal protection device for a motorcycle, which personal protection device has at least one airbag that is capable of being deployed in a region facing away from a driver of the motorcycle, in front of a front fork and/or in front of a front windshield and/or in front of a front headlight of the motorcycle, a collision signal is read in that represents a collision or an impending collision of the motorcycle, and subsequently an activation signal is provided, using the collision signal, in order to activate the personal protection device and deploy the at least one airbag.
US09908493B1

An underride collision protection system for a truck. In one example, a rear bumper brace guard is attached to a truck body and extends a rear bumper toward and connects it to the side edge of the truck. A front panel bracket is also attached to the truck body. A fabric side underride guard panel has a front end and a rear end. The front panel bracket and the rear bumper guard hold the fabric side underride guard panel into place at the front end and rear end respectively. A stretching mechanism pulls the side underride guard panel taut between the front end and the rear end. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US09908487B2

A method for acquiring signals such as signals representative of the state of contacts (C1-Cn) of a motor vehicle, on communication ports (P1-Pn), which can be configured either in input mode or in output mode, of an electronic unit (1), called a computer, of the motor vehicle, according to which method the signals are acquired periodically by the alternation of time intervals of acquisition of the signals with standby time intervals. This method consists in configuring each communication port (P1-Pn) in input mode during the acquisition time intervals, and in level 0 output mode during the standby time intervals.
US09908482B1

A useful, novel and non-obvious method and apparatus for creative photography of three-dimensional automotive vehicle interior images providing a 360 degree view of an entire interior of an automotive vehicle or car (vehicle and car will be used interchangeable) for simulation of a virtual reality of the entire automotive interior through a virtual reality display used in conjunction with a virtual reality image gathering medium and related software applications to provide a virtual reality head mounted display of the automotive interior in both three dimensions and with a 360 degree review of the entire automotive interior.
US09908480B1

The combination of a vehicle steering wheel assembly and an electronic device mounting system that enables the device to be mounted on said steering wheel assembly and maintained thereon in a substantially vertical position regardless of the rotational position of the steering wheel. A mounting stud is centrally located on the steering wheel assembly and a mounting clip is attached to the electronic device having a structure for attachment to the mounting stud whereby the mounting clip and the mounting stub are characterized by being freely movable each with the other whereby the device is maintained in a substantially vertical position by gravity regardless of the position of the steering wheel. A safety strap maintains the device attached to the steering wheel assembly and includes a first end attached to the mounting stud and a second end attached to the steering wheel.
US09908475B2

A securement system is provided for use with a storage area of a vehicle having a cover panel adjustably positionable relative to the storage area. The securement system includes a locking portion cooperating with the cover panel including a body having a first end and an opposing second end terminating at a securement member. A receiving portion cooperates with the storage area and includes a housing, a channel extending at least partially through the receiving portion housing to receive and engage the locking portion securement member. The receiving portion channel includes a first passage configured to receive the locking portion securement member and a second passage configured to guide the locking portion body between at least a first position and a second position to receive and secure the securement member.
US09908472B2

A vehicle side viewing system that can replace side view mirrors of the vehicle and provide improved vehicle aerodynamics. The vehicle side viewing system can be part of a vehicle that has a driver's side and a passenger's side as is known to those skilled in the art. The vehicle side viewing system has a driver's side view camera and a passenger's side view camera. The vehicle side viewing system also has a driver's side heads up display (HUD) and a passenger's side HUD. The driver's side HUD is operable to display a camera view from the DSV camera and the passenger's side HUD is operable to display a camera view from the PSV camera.
US09908454B1

A strap coiling device includes a housing, a spindle rotatably coupled within the housing, a return spring assembly operatively connected to the spindle within the housing, and a stator releasably engaged with the spindle, wherein a free end of a length of strap is coupled to the spindle and automatically wound around the spindle within the housing in response to disengagement of the spindle from a stator to allow rotation of the spindle caused by the return spring assembly.
US09908451B2

The invention relates to a transport vehicle with an extended longitudinal structure for a motor-driven handling device. Loads are loaded/unloaded in a loading space by a motor-driven handling device which moves along longitudinal guide rails supported by the vehicle. The transport vehicle is closed at the rear by two hinged doors, each door including a guide rail section located at the same height as the guide rails. When the hinged doors are open to 90 degrees, each guide rail section extends one of the guide rails, allowing the motor-driven handling device to move simultaneously on both the guide rails and the guide rail sections.
US09908448B2

A computer support assembly that is steering wheel mountable includes a frame that is disposable upon a wheel of a steering wheel. Opposing side edges of the frame are configured to abut opposing sides of the wheel. A pair of hooks is coupled to and extends transversely from an upper edge of the frame. The hooks are configured to reversibly couple to a top of the wheel. A tray is hingedly coupled to a lower edge of the frame. The hooks are positioned on the frame such that the frame is couplable to the wheel. The opposing side edges of the frame abut the opposing sides of the wheel to stabilize the frame. The tray is hingedly coupled to the frame such that the tray is positionable transverse from the frame for use. The tray also is positionable substantially parallel to the frame for storage.
US09908436B2

A new approach is proposed that contemplates system and method to backseat child safety in a passenger vehicle by preventing locking of the vehicle in a parked state when at least one of its backseats is occupied. Specifically, one or more backseat sensors are each configured to detect if one of the backseats of the vehicle is occupied by a passenger. Upon accepting signals from the backseat sensors indicating that at least one of the backseat is occupied, a vehicle controller is configured to disallow locking of the vehicle in the parked state. The vehicle controller is configured to only enable locking of the vehicle when a backdoor corresponding to the occupied backseat has been opened as detected by one of a plurality of backdoor sensors, which generates and provides a backdoor signal to the vehicle controller when the corresponding backdoor to the occupied backseat is opened.
US09908434B2

A rear wheel driving device includes first and second electric motors, a wet multi-plate type hydraulic brake provided on motive power transmission paths between the first and second electric motors and rear wheels Wr and causing the drive source side and the wheel side to become disconnected state or connected state by being released or fastened, and a control device that controls switching between the disconnected state and the connected state of the hydraulic brake and controls a vehicle speed. The rear wheel driving device further includes a viscosity acquisition unit that acquires a viscosity correlation amount of oil provided to cool plates of the wet multi-plate type hydraulic brake, and the control device fastens the hydraulic brake or maintains fastening thereof and controls the vehicle speed to lower than a first speed in a case where the viscosity correlation amount is a first prescribed value or higher.
US09908426B2

A vehicle includes a vehicle information unit that has information about a positional relationship between axles and a power receiving unit, so it is possible to move a power feeding unit to a position at which the power feeding unit faces the power receiving unit, according to the information about the positional relationship between the axles and the power receiving unit. In a system, a power feeding apparatus moves a power feeding unit to a position at which the power feeding unit faces the power receiving unit, according to a result of a comparison between information about a positional relationship between the axles of a vehicle and the power receiving unit in it and information that identifies the vehicle and to parking lot information.
US09908420B2

A charging control method and system for an electric vehicle are provided. The charging control method includes monitoring, by a controller, a state of an auxiliary battery including a state of charge (SOC), temperature, and charging current of the auxiliary battery. A charging mode of the electric vehicle is then determined based on the monitored state of the auxiliary battery. A charging voltage of the auxiliary battery is set based on the monitored SOC and temperature of the auxiliary battery and then the auxiliary battery is charged with the set charging voltage.
US09908411B2

A broadcast of a signal is received at a first system from a second system at a first time. From the signal, a location of a target associated with the second system and a velocity of the target are determined relative to a location of the first system and a velocity of the first system. At the first system, using the location and the velocity of the first system and using the location and the velocity of the target, a likelihood is computed of a collision between the first system and the second system. A notification is sent from the first system about the likelihood of collision responsive to the likelihood of collision exceeding a threshold likelihood.
US09908404B2

A fuel cap cover is provided which protects its user from the spread of pathogens and inhibits contact with noxious chemicals such as liquid fuel residues in a fuel station environment. The fuel cap cover fits conveniently over the fuel cap in the fuel supply inlet enclosure when not in use. The fuel cap cover is flexible and has pockets which conveniently fit over the user's thumb and fingers. It is dimensioned to readily grasp and manipulate the fuel pump handle, operational controls, and other surfaces in a fuel station environment, and then slip easily off and back onto the fuel cap to be stored until its next use.
US09908391B2

A tonneau cover system for covering a space. The system includes a frame having rails. A cover is disposed over the frame for covering the space. A block, a receiver, an anchor and a latch are all coupled to the frame. A mechanism is disposed between the block and the receiver and provides adjustment to the frame by moving the receiver, the anchor and the latch as a unit between an initial adjustment position and a final adjustment position. The mechanism also provides tension to the cover when the latch is engaging the frame.
US09908386B2

A system and method for controlling a transport heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system having a fresh air intake is disclosed. The fresh airflow intake system includes a fresh air damper configured to regulate a flow of fresh air into the transport HVAC system, an evaporator fan having at least a high-speed mode and a low speed mode, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine whether a fresh air condition is met and increase a fresh airflow in response to determining the fresh air condition is met. The controller is further configured to increase an evaporator fan speed when the fresh airflow is increased.
US09908385B2

A vision system for a vehicle includes at least one camera disposed at the equipped vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle. A control includes an image processor for processing image data captured by the at least one camera. The control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by the image processor, is operable to at least one of (i) control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a type of vehicle detected exterior of the equipped vehicle, (ii) control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a vehicle detected exterior of the equipped vehicle being within a threshold distance of the equipped vehicle and (iii) control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to detection of a construction zone.
US09908384B2

A vehicle air conditioning apparatus in which a noise caused by burble is reduced is provided. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus includes: a case having an air channel in an interior thereof; a blower configured to supply blown air to the air channel, the case includes a cylindrical portion and an enlarged portion continued from the cylindrical portion on a downstream side and having a cross-sectional area larger than a cross-sectional area of the cylindrical portion, the enlarged portion includes a projecting wall having a wall surface projecting outward of the air channel, the projecting wall includes at least one projection projecting inward of the air channel, and a top portion of the projection is in contact with a side surface of an virtual cylinder, which is formed by extending the inner wall surface of the cylindrical portion in the virtually extended toward the downstream, or is provided on the projecting wall side with respect to the side surface of the virtual cylinder.
US09908376B2

A tire grip enhancing assembly includes a covering for removably positioning on a tire. The covering comprises a flexible material and has a first lateral wall, a second lateral wall and a perimeter wall that is attached to and extends between the first and second lateral walls. Each of the first and second lateral walls has an annular opening extending therethrough. A plurality of raised members is attached to and extends away from the perimeter wall. A pair of bands is provided. Each the annular opening has a perimeter edge has one of the bands attached thereto. Each band is comprised of a resiliently stretchable material.
US09908372B2

A pneumatic tire includes: one fastener among a pair of mechanical fasteners that are separated into two in a region of a range from a bead tip to the maximum width position of a tire at a tire inner surface; and an electronic circuit device with another fastener that is to be engaged with the one fastener, the electronic circuit device being secured to the tire inner surface by fitting the two fasteners. In the pneumatic tire with such a configuration, even in the case where the electronic circuit device is mounted on the tire inner surface and liquid such as puncture repair liquid is injected in the tire at puncture, there is no possibility of damaging the electronic circuit device due to adhesion of the liquid to the electronic circuit device such as an air pressure sensor.
US09908371B2

A method of selectively controlling the self-sealing ability of a tire obtained by application of a sealing assembly on a drum and subsequent formation thereon of a precursor of a green tire inclusive of liner and carcass, followed by shaping, curing and molding. The sealing assembly includes: a self-supporting thermoplastic film of polyamide or polyester and a layer of sealing material possessing viscoelasticity and stickiness features, which is associated with and supported by the self-supporting thermoplastic film. The sealing assembly is easily puncturable by a sharp-pointed element while it maintains such a deformability and stickiness that it helps in the transfer of the sealing material during ejection of the sharp-pointed element and limits the transferred material amount to such an extent that holes bigger than a predetermined value are not sealed.
US09908361B2

There is described a printed security feature (10) provided onto a printable substrate, which printed security feature includes a printed area (11) with at least a first printed section consisting of a multiplicity of geometric elements (GE, 15) printed with a given distribution over the printed area. The geometric elements are printed with at least first and second inks which exhibit the same or substantially the same optical appearance when illuminated with visible white light, such that the printed security feature produces a first graphical representation (A1) when illuminated with visible white light. At least the first ink is an ink which responds to non-visible light excitation by producing a characteristic optical response differentiating the first ink from the second ink. The printed security feature produces a second graphical representation (B1) when illuminated with non-visible light, which exhibits a distinctive two-dimensional graphic element (B) which is revealed only when the printed security feature is illuminated with non-visible light. The first printed section is subdivided into at least first and second printed portions (P1, P2), adjacent to the distinctive two-dimensional graphic element, and a third printed portion (P3), inside boundaries (200) of the distinctive two-dimensional graphic element. In the first, respectively second printed portion, the geometric elements are printed with the first, respectively second ink. In the third printed portion, the geometric elements are sub-divided into first and second contiguous portions (GE_a, GE_b) which are respectively printed with the first and second inks. The first and second inks are printed in register one with respect to the other so that the boundaries of the distinctive two-dimensional graphic element are not visible when the printed security feature is illuminated with visible white light and the distinctive two-dimensional graphic element only becomes visible when the printed security feature is illuminated with non-visible light.
US09908355B1

A process for marking a wall in order to hang a frame on the wall includes the following steps. First, obtaining a frame further comprising a first hanger position, a second hanger position, and a third hanger position. Then, applying an ink onto a sponge proximate the frame. After that, applying a first inked sponge over the first hanger position. Following that, applying a second inked sponge over the second hanger position. Then, applying a third inked sponge over the third hanger position. Next, pressing the frame into the wall. Finally, removing the frame from the wall revealing a first nail marker, s second nail marker and a third nail marker.
US09908348B2

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejecting unit which can eject liquid in an ejecting region: and a medium support unit which can support a medium on a downstream side in a transport direction of the medium compared to the ejecting region, in which the medium support unit has a first region which has at least one face, and a second region which is located between the ejecting region and the first region, and has a plurality of bent portions, and in which the length of a face between the bent portions in the second region in the transport direction is shorter than the length of a face included in the first region in the transport direction.
US09908334B2

An inkjet printhead assembly includes a manifold assembly and a print chip. The manifold assembly includes an ink passage having an ink outlet and an air passage having an air outlet. The print chip is attached to part of the manifold assembly and is positioned for receiving ink from the ink outlet of the ink passage. The air outlet is offset from the print chip and is configured for delivering a flow of air laterally across the print chip.
US09908316B1

A film for binders and a method for creating such a film are described. The film has a base film and a top film. A flood coating of colored ink is positioned between the base film and top film wherein the colored ink is protected from external forces to the binder. A sublayer of the base film has at least some opacity to prevent the paper board from being seen by an outside viewer.
US09908315B2

A composite panel configured for use with a sidewall of a trailer includes an outer metal sheet, an inner metal sheet, and a core member positioned between the inner and outer metal sheets. The core member includes a plurality of apertures formed therethrough such that each aperture extends from an inner surface of the core member to an outer surface of the core member. Illustratively, the plurality of apertures is covered by the inner and outer metal sheets.
US09908314B2

A lamination apparatus for laminating a flexible member and an adhesive layer of a flexible display device includes a compressor including a first surface with a first curvature radius, a push rod connected to the compressor, the push rod having a circumferential surface with a smaller second curvature radius than the first curvature radius of the compressor; and an actuator connected to the push rod, actuator moving the push rod to apply a force for lamination.
US09908313B2

Processes for bonding lignocellulosic substrates without an added adhesive are described. The processes of the invention may include exposing the surfaces of the lignocellulosic substrate to a rapid heating source to cause one or more physical, chemical, or other modifications on the surface of the substrate. As a result of the modifications, the surfaces may form a bond with another substrate under elevated temperatures and pressures, for example, produced by a means for pressing such as a conventional hot press used in the woodworking arts. The processes allow a variety of composites such as wood materials for use in the furniture making or construction industries to be manufactured. As the processes forgo the need for petroleum-based adhesives, they are more environmentally sound and occupationally safe than prior art wood product manufacturing methods. Additionally, composite materials made by the processes of the invention are described.
US09908311B2

Provided is a water-repellent, thermoplastic resin sheet including a textured layer which is formed from a polyethylene resin composition comprising a water repellent agent and which has a microscopic texture on one surface side, wherein at least the surface region of the textured layer is a cross-linked material which maintains the microscopic texture even after heated drawing. Also provided is a molded article, such as a molded container, formed by thermoforming the thermoplastic resin sheet.
US09908296B2

In general, in various embodiments, the present disclosure is directed systems and methods for producing a porous surface from a solid piece of polymer. In particular, the present disclosure is directed to systems that include a track assembly, mold assembly, press assembly, and methods for using the same for producing a porous surface from a solid piece of polymer. In some embodiments, the present systems and methods are directed to processing a polymer at a temperature below a melting point of the polymer to produce a solid piece of polymer with an integrated a porous surface.
US09908292B2

A system and method are provided for implementing localized and directed laser welding joining techniques in a process of building up laminate layers to form and/or manufacture three-dimensional objects, parts and components (3D objects). A multi-stage 3D object forming scheme is described involving steps of laminate cutting (with lasers or other cutting devices); laminate transport between processing stations (including using one or more of conveyors, robotic pick and place devices and the like); laminate stacking, clamping and adhering through a targeted laser welding technique; and mechanical surface finishing (via CNC machining or other comparable process).
US09908286B2

The present invention concerns A sonotrode with a wheel-shaped portion having a wheel axis and of a diameter d, which has two substantially circular main surfaces and a substantially cylindrical sealing surface of the width b, that connects the main surfaces. To provide a corresponding sonotrode in which the triangular frequency differs markedly from the main frequency it is proposed according to the invention that at least one main surface has a non-central thickened portion which in a sectional view perpendicularly to the main surface has a convex region which is not arranged on the wheel axis.
US09908283B2

A method and apparatus for forming a bend in composite panel. A method for forming a bend in a composite panel comprises forming a slot having a curved flange in the composite panel, inserting a sheet into the curved flange, and bending the composite panel with the slot and the sheet within the curved flange about a longitudinal axis of the slot to form the bend.
US09908282B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor includes providing a mold defining a planar capillary space; placing a measure of precursor in fluid communication with the capillary space; creating a vacuum around the mold and within the planar capillary space; melting the precursor; allowing the melted precursor to flow into the capillary space; and cooling the melted precursor within the mold such that the precursor forms a semiconductor, the operations of melting the precursor, allowing the precursor to flow into the capillary space, and cooling the melted precursor occurring in the vacuum.
US09908276B2

Systems (200) and methods for making different plastic products (202, 204) in a single melting process are provided. A method includes melting a plastic resin in a first extruder (104) to form a melt (106) and transferring at least a portion of the melt to a second extruder (114). Any portion of the melt (106) that is not transferred to the second extruder (114) is formed into a first plastic product (202). Additives (116) are blended with the melt in the second extruder to form a second melt (118), and a second plastic product (204) is formed from the second melt (118).
US09908274B2

This invention is directed to a microstructured filament that can be used to make fibers having an extruded filament having pre-cooled microfeatures in a radial spiral arrangement about a bore though the filament wherein the microfeature has a width in the range of 25 μm to 40 μm and height in the range of 90 μm to 100 μm; and, the filament having a post-cooled state having post-cooled microfeatures having physical dimensions smaller than that of the pre-cooled microfeatures. The filament can include microfeatures having a width in the range of 400 nm to 4 μm and height in the range of 400 nm to 4 μm. The filament and fiber can include physical characteristics selected from the group consisting of: hydrophobicity, self-cleaning, increased hydro-dynamic drag coefficients, decreased or increased aerodynamic drag coefficients, increased friction, reduced friction, optical effects, increased adhesion, decreased adhesion, oleophobicity, tactile effects, anti-blocking and any combination of these.
US09908271B2

In order to produce a plastic container (1,2) having a planar electronic element (15), a planar electronic element (15) is introduced into a recess (29) of an inner face of a mold. The mold comprises an outer mold part (10) and a mold core (11), which form a mold cavity (12). Molten plastic material is injected into the mold cavity (12). After the subsequent cooling of the plastic material, mold removal is carried out. The recess (29) is arranged on an inner face (26) of the outer mold part (10). The molten plastic material is injected into the mold cavity in such a way that the molten plastic material flows substantially parallel along a surface (25) of the planar electronic element (15) facing the mold cavity (12). The planar electronic element (15) is an RFID inlay, for example. The planar electronic element does not require a protective casing and can be sprayed directly.
US09908269B2

A formed ligneous body having a highly original and excellent design and exhibiting a novel handsome appearance is provided, and a method of making the formed ligneous body. The formed ligneous body includes a translucent base portion, and decorative spot portions whose degree of translucency is different from that of the base portion and which are integrated with the base portion. The base portion and the decorative spot portion are formed of respective resin-impregnated ligneous materials having respective different color tones. The base portion is formed with a predetermined thickness, while the decorative spot portions are integrally embedded within and/or exposed on at least one of front and back surfaces of the base portion in a predetermined pattern of local arrangement.
US09908265B2

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a mold having an oxide film with a plurality of pores formed on a surface of an aluminum substrate, the method including (a) a process of applying a voltage to a machined aluminum substrate and anodizing a surface of the aluminum substrate to form an oxide film; and (b) a process of removing at least a part of the oxide film formed in the process (a), wherein a voltage (Va[V]) immediately before the process (a) is terminated and a time (ta[sec]) required to reach the voltage (Va[V]) after starting the application of voltage satisfy the following Equation (i) in the process (a). 0.010
US09908264B2

Coreless sheet material rolling apparatuses for rolling up sheet material deployed on a deployed surface into a coreless roll for recycling, and methods of rolling up sheet material deployed on a deployed surface into a coreless roll for recycling. The coreless sheet material rolling apparatuses having a main frame portion, a slide frame portion, and a winder assembly.
US09908262B2

A multi-component micro-pellet useful as a consumable material for making objects by powder based additive manufacturing is disclosed. A method of making said micro-pellet is also disclosed. An object made by using said micro-pellets is also disclosed.
US09908261B2

A mixer for ceramic feedstock pellets with a tank, a mixing shaft, and a heat exchanger including a cooler for the cooling of the content of this tank is provided. A controller controls the heat exchanger which includes a heater arranged to heat the content of this tank to a temperature comprised between a lower temperature (TINF) and a higher temperature (TSUP) stored in a memory for a specific mixture, and the heater exchanges energy with a heat exchange and mixing temperature maintenance circuit, external to this tank, and wherein the thermal inertia of this circuit is higher than that of this fully loaded tank. The invention also concerns a method for mixing raw material for powder metallurgy, implementing a specific injection molding composition and a specific binder.
US09908243B2

A mechanical adjustable device described herein is adapted to enable changing the spatial shape of the device from a first shape to a second shape, while retaining the device in its second shape. Preferably, the device includes: a) a spring; b) a plurality of longitudinally extended ribs or wires that are capable of being bent, wherein these plurality of ribs or wires are circumferentially disposed along an enclosure confined by the spring, adjacent to the inner side of the spring; and c) a flexible sleeve or tube disposed longitudinally along the enclosure confined by the spring.
US09908239B1

A mobile robot for responding to computer system issues travels to and interacts with a specific computer system in a data center based on a command from a central control system. The mobile robot can collect environmental data from a location proximate to a specific computer system, communicatively couple to a specific computer system via engaging a communication connector with an interface of the specific computer system, collect data from a specific computer system via the coupling to the specific computer system, establish a remote communication link between the specific computer system and a remote computer system, and send the collected data to a remote computer system or process the collected data. The mobile robot can manipulate one or more manipulable arms to remove a component part from a specific computer system and install a replacement component part in a specific computer system.
US09908232B2

A torsion output tool has a housing, a motor and a transmission assembly. The transmission assembly includes a first planetary gear train. The first planetary gear train has a first planetary gear carrier, a first level planetary gear, a first inner ring gear disposed outside the first level planetary gear and meshing therewith, and a first central wheel sliding in a direction of a first axis to a first position and a second position. The transmission assembly further has a locking member. The locking member slides synchronously with the first central wheel and only locks the relative circumferential positions of the output shaft and the first planetary gear carrier when the first central wheel is at the first position and only constitutes circumferential engagement with the first planetary gear carrier when the first central wheel is at the second position to achieve a drilling mode and an impact mode of operation for the tool.
US09908231B2

Provided is a tool that includes a handle assembly including a top portion and a bottom portion. The tool also includes a lock plate disposed between the top and bottom portions and having a deflectable arm having a free end biased towards the top portion, a fixed end opposite the free end, an inner edge, an outer edge, and a detent near the free end and the inner edge. The tool additionally includes a blade having first and second ends, an indent in a bottom surface of the blade near the first end for engaging the detent in a closed position, and a ramp on the bottom surface near the indent defining a reduced thickness portion of the blade that reduces in thickness from the indent towards an edge of the blade to reduce contact between the detent and the blade during rotation of the blade.
US09908217B2

An abrasive article including a body including a bond material having an inorganic material including a ceramic, abrasive agglomerates including silicon carbide contained within the bond material, and a permeability of at least 60.
US09908216B2

A method of manufacturing a grinding wheel, and a grinding wheel. After a first overcoat layer is formed on each of CBN abrasive grains, a second overcoat layer that is plastically deformed under a pressure lower than a pressure under which the first overcoat layer is deformed, is formed on the outer side of the first overcoat layer to manufacture coated abrasive grains. The coated abrasive grains are subjected to pressure-molding to be formed into a prescribed shape under a pressure that is equal to or higher than a pressure under which the second overcoat layer is plastically deformed. The second overcoat layers are deformed and flow to form a molded material having a structure in which the first overcoat layers contact each other, and the flowing second overcoat layers are moved into clearances between the coated abrasive grains. By sintering this, CBN abrasive grains are dispersed at a prescribed distance that is determined by the degree of outer radius of each first overcoat layer, and vacancies are arranged therebetween at a prescribed density.
US09908213B2

A method of using a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP)apparatus that includes a apparatus is provided. The method includes providing a conditioning disc for conditioning the polishing pad, where the conditioning disc includes a plurality of portions of subsystem discs. The portions may be regions of the disc that are concentric. Each portion of the disc is operable to rotate at a different angular velocity. In some embodiments, a different applied loading is provided to each of the portions of the disc in addition to or in lieu of the different angular velocities.
US09908208B2

A press for displacing a first wheel stud relative to a stud opening in a wheel flange of a wheel comprises a press assembly, a frame assembly, and a drive assembly. The frame assembly comprises a frame member and at least one adapter member. The drive assembly is configured to displace the press assembly relative to the frame assembly such that operation of the drive assembly displaces the first stud relative to the wheel flange. The adapter member is supported by the frame member and engages at least one of the wheel flange and a second wheel stud to support the press assembly in a desired orientation relative to the primary wheel stud when the drive assembly displaces the first stud relative to the stud opening.
US09908206B2

The present invention relates to an novel method of producing heat exchangers having at least two fluid circuits each comprising channels, the method employing diffusion bonding achieved using the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) technique, and to a heat exchanger obtained using this method.
US09908201B2

Systems and methods are provided for edge bead removal. A laser beam of approximately a wavelength is received. The laser beam is delivered along a predetermined beam path. The laser beam is projected on an edge portion of a wafer for edge bead removal.
US09908198B2

A welding head for welding the extremities of two sections of rail and comprises two half-heads (10) aligned and sliding with regard to one another in a longitudinal direction. Each half-head comprises grip mechanism (12, 13) for grasping a respective section of rail and two electrodes (16) suitable for contact with respective sections of rail in order to carry out a flash butt weld. The head also comprises traction actuator mechanisms (20) which extend in a longitudinal direction and are connected to the two half-heads (10) to shift the two half-heads in a longitudinal direction one towards the other, the traction actuator mechanism (20) having a stroke suitable for allowing, during a cycle of welding two sections of rail, simultaneous regulation of rail tensions.
US09908195B2

A plasma cutting system is provided. The system includes a power source configured to generate a plasma arc, and a plasma arc torch connected to the power source for delivering the plasma arc to a workpiece. The plasma arc torch defines a multi-function fluid flow path for sustaining the plasma arc and cooling the plasma arc torch such that the plasma cutting system has a power-to-gas flow ratio of at least 2 kilowatts per cubic feet per minute (KW/cfm). The power-to-gas flow ratio comprises a ratio of power of the generated plasma arc to a total gas flow supplied to the plasma arc torch.
US09908190B1

A portable adjustable conveyor for use with a power tool for cutting a work piece. The portable adjustable conveyor has a one piece frame formed from a base plate integrally connected to first and second guide plates. Each guide plate has first, second and third groups of vertically aligned alignment holes oriented on a diagonal configuration to each other and spaced centrally in each guide plate. A removable roller engages between pairs of vertically aligned alignment holes in a first, second or third group of offset holes. The portable conveyer enables the power tool to process a work piece and reposition the work piece in less than 90 seconds repeatedly using different pairs of longitudinally aligned alignment holes with the removable roller as well as reduce static in the work place and increase lumens to the workpieces, all simultaneously.
US09908188B2

A variable rake shear comprises a housing (8), a first blade (1) mounted in a first blade mounting (4), a second blade (2) mounted in a second blade mounting (3); and a control device (5) to control movement of one blade mounting to shear the material. Each blade mounting is movable in at least one dimension relative to the housing. One blade is an active blade (1) and the other blade is a passive blade (2). A rake adjustment mechanism (6a, 6b) for at least one of the mountings (3, 4) and the mounting (4) for the active blade (1) has a torque tube linkage mechanism (10, 11, 12).
US09908180B2

The invention relates to a tool holder (10) for a cutting insert (18), having a shank (12), a counter bearing (14) on which a pocket (16) for a cutting insert (18) is provided, disposed on the front end of the shank, and a clamping segment (20) integrally joined to the shank (12) via a bending segment (22); wherein the clamping segment (20) has a clamping finger (28) and a clamping element (26) such that the clamping finger (28) is capable of acting against the counter bearing segment (14) by means of the clamping element (26), thereby enabling a cutting insert (18) to be clamped between the clamping finger (28) and the counter bearing segment (14); wherein the clamping segment (20) protrudes beyond the top side of the shank (12); and wherein a coolant supply passage (40, 42, 44, 46) extends through the shank (12) and the bending segment (22) into the clamping segment (20); wherein the coolant supply passage (40, 42, 44, 46) has a shank passage (46), a clamping finger passage (40), and a connecting passage (44) that starts from the shank passage (46) and extends through the bending segment (22); characterized in that the connecting passage (44) is disposed in a longitudinal center region of the tool holder (10) and, on its rear side (30) facing toward the shank (12), the clamping segment (20) extends less far in a direction toward the rear end of the shank (12) on both sides of the longitudinal center segment than it does in the longitudinal center segment.
US09908179B2

A balancing device for a bar loading magazine for guiding material bars on a turning machine, includes at least one mass body that can be repeatedly positioned in relation to a guiding unit that allows a rotation of an introduced material bar about a rotary axis. The mass body is, after each completed positioning, in a connection with the guiding unit and/or the material bar, so that the mass body rotates, during the rotation of an introduced material bar, together with the material bar at the same angular speed about the rotary axis. At least one positioning unit is designed to bring the mass body into a starting position in relation to the guiding unit, to detect during rotation any required repositioning because of an imbalance, and to reposition in each case the mass body in response to the detection of any required repositioning in relation to the guiding unit.
US09908170B2

A blade for a compressor rotor including a blade root at a first end of the blade connected to the compressor rotor and a blade tip extending from second end of the blade. The blade tip extends up to 20% of a span of the blade from the second end towards the first end. The blade tip is disposed such that a first segment of the blade tip defines a positive dihedral angle and a second segment of the blade tip defines a negative dihedral angle. The positive and negative dihedral angles defining a twist of the blade tip relative to the face of the blade, wherein the blade remains untwisted along the span from outside of the blade tip.
US09908167B1

A tolerance ring suitable for use in applications such as an actuator assembly for a disk drive, is disclosed. The tolerance ring may be fabricated by steps including stamping a sheet metal section from a strip of sheet metal that has first and second edges that are parallel to a strip axis. A leading axial edge may be rounded from an inner major face and from an outer major face. A plurality of protrusions may be formed from the first major face. The sheet metal section may be bent into a substantially cylindrical shape having a central axis that is normal to the strip axis.
US09908152B2

The sorting of laundry items, in particular dirty laundry items, has hitherto been carried out manually in most cases, which is costly in terms of personnel and time. High sorting capacities are therefore only possible with the corresponding personnel expenses. The invention provides that, at the start of sorting, specifically during their separation, and prior to their further transport to the individual sorting sites, the dirty laundry items are scanned by imaging techniques and, as a result of the appropriate image analysis, it is possible to determine the areas of the dirty laundry items to be preferably gripped and/or at least a number of sorting criteria, such as size and color. These measures result in a largely automated sorting procedure. These measures can be extended so as to achieve a fully automatic sorting procedure.
US09908141B2

The invention relates to a device (1) to disperse particles (12) onto a surface (46). To this aim, the device comprises a container (20) for the particles to be dispersed having at least one scatter opening (22) to dispend particles, a roller like distributing element (30) with a curved surface (36), and means (32) with which the roller like distributing element can be brought into vibration in longitudinal direction, such that particles (12) will be moved out of the scatter opening (22) over the curved surface (36) downwardly in the direction of the surface to be sprinkled.
US09908134B2

Disclosed is a method of applying a coating to a glass sleeve with an inner surface and an outer surface, the glass sleeve configured as a part of a solar-receiver tube. Thereby, the coating is solely applied to one of the surfaces of the glass sleeve. Also disclosed is a method of fixing such glass sleeve in an interior of a coating tank, such coating tank and a fixing arrangement for fixing such glass sleeve in an interior of a coating tank.
US09908124B2

A scroll conveyor tile protection or any other material subject to wear with a weldable support and a wear resistant insert, not necessary weldable. The support is fit with a flat surface and shoulder allowing for precise positioning of tile on a scroll flight to be protected. At least one opening, preferably at its center, allows for insertion and assembly of a complementary shaped insert. The unit setting up on the scroll flight and the contact between the flight faces and the unit faces allows for creating a dove tail locking system. Welding of the support permanently insures locking of the system and insert being maintained without being otherwise fixed beyond this mechanical clamping.
US09908123B2

An assembly for a high output hydrodynamic separation unit includes, in one form, several components or parts. Top and bottom plates serve as caps for and distribute force through layers of separation channels. The compressive forces seal the channels and prevent leakage from the channels. An optional middle plate may also be provided to create smaller subsets of the layers of separation channels. At least one connector is provided to the combination of components to compress the layers of separation channels. In a variation, an optional outer shell may encase the unit to provide support and compress the stack with a unique threaded configuration.
US09908108B2

An AFX framework type zeolite having a SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio of greater than 50 is disclosed. The high-silica AFX framework type zeolite is synthesized from a reaction mixture having high silica and low hydroxide concentrations in the presence of an organic structure directing agent comprising 1,3-bis(1-adamantyl)imidazolium cations.
US09908104B2

The invention relates to a catalyst, comprising a catalytic element disposed on a substrate, wherein said substrate has formula Ce1-xMxO2, wherein x is between about 0 and about 0.3, optionally between about 0.01 and about 0.3, and wherein M, if present, is a metallic element other than Ce, when used for catalysing a methanation reaction. There is also described use of the catalyst for catalysing a methanation reaction and a method for methanation of a feedstock including carbon monoxide and hydrogen, said method comprising contacting the feedstock with the catalyst.
US09908102B2

Methods of forming a hierarchical porous monolith are provided. The methods include mixing a monomer, a silica precursor and a catalyst in a solvent to form a mixture. The methods also include adding a gelling agent to the mixture to form a polymer-silica composite gel. The polymer-silica composite gel undergoes a phase separation to separate from the solvent and the unreacted silica precursor. The method further includes drying the polymer-silica composite gel to evaporate the solvent to form a polymer-silica monolith and processing the polymer-silica monolith to form at least one of a polymer monolith, a carbon monolith, a silica monolith and a carbon-silica monolith.
US09908094B2

A system and method converts first carbon chain condensable fractions of wet natural gas, the first carbon chain fractions having first carbon chains, into liquefiable highly-branched hydrocarbons by cavitating first carbon chain condensable fractions of wet natural gas with natural gas; irradiating the natural gas cavitated condensable fractions of wet natural gas with an electron beam to create second carbon chain fractions; mixing the second carbon chain fractions with natural gas enriched with alkynes and alkenes to a create enriched natural gas and second carbon chain fractions mixture; irradiating the enriched natural gas and second carbon chain fractions mixture with an electron beam to create an irradiated gas mixture; cooling the irradiated gas mixture; and removing liquefied highly-branched hydrocarbons.
US09908090B2

Apparatus (20) for injection of fluid into extrusion system components such as a preconditioner (24) or extruder (100) is provided, preferably as a composite assembly including a fluid injection valve (52) and an interconnected static mixer section (54). Alternately, use may be made of the fluid injection valve (52) or static mixer section (54) alone. The invention greatly simplifies the fluid injection apparatus used in extrusion systems, while giving more efficient absorption of thermal energy with a minimum of environmental contamination, and the ability to inject multiple streams into the extrusion systems.
US09908089B2

The present disclosure relates to a device for producing microbubble water by using a ultrasonic vibrator having a maximized amount of dissolved bubbles, a microbubble discharge unit, cell culture medium containing microbubble water and cell culturing method using the same, a high-efficiency mixed fuel using microbubble and apparatus for manufacturing the same.
US09908076B2

A filtration device including a fluid-impermeable housing having a gas inlet and outlet, and containing within the housing first filter media particles of an extended surface area substrate and containing at least one metal impregnant, and second filter media particles of an extended surface area zirconium hydroxide substrate. The device may be used in atmospheres containing various harmful gases, and may provide particularly useful improvements in NOx breakthrough times compared to a device containing only the first filter media particles or only the second filter media particles.
US09908069B2

A method produces a filter element (1) having a filter mat (5) enclosed by at least one fluid-permeable outer envelope (13). By an energy input method, at least one part of the filter mat (5), which faces toward the outer envelope (13), is connected to the outer envelope in at least one connecting zone (17). A filter element is produced by this method.
US09908068B2

The present system relates to a water and debris recovery system for a water blasting device suitable for mounting upon the frame of a mobile vehicle for easy transport and use. The system includes a liquid reservoir connected to a high pressure fluid pump for directing ultra-high pressure water through a blast head to remove the coatings or markings from a surface. The blast head includes a shroud which surrounds the blasting area to at least partially contain the water and debris dislodged from the surface. A vacuum pump is secured to the shroud with the vacuum passing through a cyclone type separator, allowing the water and debris to settle to the bottom portion of the cyclone. The tank includes a floating floor and bladder assembly that allows the same space to be utilized for clean as well as dirty water while maintaining separation of the two.
US09908066B2

A defoamer assembly for a filler comprising a containment tank, a extrusion forcing sub-assembly, a collection subassembly and an extruder subassembly. The extrusion forcing sub-assembly is associated with the containment tank. The extrusion forcing sub-assembly is structurally configured to force gas from within the containment tank through an opening. The collection subassembly is coupled to an inlet port on the containment tank, and includes a collection head with an inlet opening and a conduit coupling the collection head with the inlet port. The extruder subassembly is coupled to the inlet port. The first end of the extruder assembly receives foam from the collection assembly and an outlet comprising a mesh having a plurality of openings. The outlet is in fluid communication with the extrusion forcing sub-assembly. The extrusion forcing sub-assembly directs the foam through the mesh, thereby extruding the foam therethrough, to, in turn, separate at least a portion of the foam into a fluid and a gas.
US09908061B2

A method for recovering heat available at low temperature in a process and its use in order to reduce the energy consumption of the said process, and application of this method to an aromatics complex in which the low-temperature heat is recovered at the head of distillation columns in the form of low-pressure steam and is reused to reboil other distillation columns in which the operating pressure has possibly been lowered.
US09908060B2

A distillation apparatus of the present invention includes high-pressure column 1 corresponding to a region above a heat exchanging section located at a lowermost part of a region including a trayed section or a packed bed section, which is used as a rectifying section; and low-pressure column 2 that is located above as seen from high-pressure column 1, which integrates a region including a trayed section or a packed bed section which is used as a stripping section, with rectifying section corresponding portion 2g that corresponds to a region locating below the heat exchanging section located at the lowermost part in the rectifying section. Rectifying section corresponding portion 2g is located on top 2c of the stripping section in low-pressure column 2 so that rectifying section corresponding portion 2g continues to the stripping section.
US09908057B2

A wave form for a water ride attraction having an inflatable cushion with a ride surface adapted to support a rider. The ride surface has a substantially planar section, followed by an upwardly inclined concave section, and then a horizontally inclined convex section. A wake form for a water ride attraction has an inflatable cushion having a ride surface. The ride surface has a substantially planar central section, flanked by an upwardly inclined concave section on one side and an upwardly inclined concave section on the other side. A water ride attraction has an inflatable wave form or wake form and a water delivery arrangement for delivering a flow of water to the inflatable wave form or wake form in a flow direction. The ride surface is arranged to allow a rider to ride on the flow of water in a direction generally transverse to the direction of water flow.
US09908056B2

A ride system includes a first ride vehicle and a second ride vehicle positioned within a course and configured to travel within the course. The ride system also includes a control system having at least one controller and at least one position tracking system, where the at least one controller is configured to control movement of the first and second ride vehicles, and where the at least one position tracking system is configured to facilitate identification of a first location and a second location of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively, within the course. The ride system also includes a wireless network configured to enable communication between components of the ride system. The at least one controller is configured to receive data indicative of the first and second locations of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively, where the at least one controller determines a control loop for the first and second ride vehicles based on the data indicative of the first and second locations, and where the at least one controller is configured to process the data indicative of the first and second locations to synchronize one or more show elements with the first and second locations.
US09908055B2

In a prediction game, the potential value of a participant's prediction depends on the time when the prediction is submitted. The prediction may pertain to the outcome of a competition in a bracket-style tournament (e.g., the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, or “March Madness”).
US09908054B2

A ranking method and system for providing a ranking of a game friend. The method includes registering a game friend who has joined a game service. The method further includes calculating a ranking of the user with respect to a game friend based on a ranking inquiry request received from the user terminal, and providing the user terminal with the calculated ranking of the user. The user terminal drives a game service platform associated with a plurality of games and provides some information needed for automatic friend registration and the ranking inquiry request information through the game service platform.
US09908050B2

There is provided a system and method for image recognized content creation. There is provided a method comprising capturing an image from a camera, analyzing the image to recognize a plurality of elements, converting the plurality of elements into custom content data, and executing an interactive application using the custom content data. In one embodiment, the interactive application may comprise a racing video game, and the image may comprise a racetrack layout for use in the racing video game. Thus, a user can provide a racetrack by drawing simple lines and curves on a piece of paper, which are detected by the camera and converted into valid data assets for the video game. In this manner, even young children can leverage common drawing skills using familiar physical drawing implements for quick and simplified content creation, bypassing the need to use complex, tedious, and proprietary conventional on-screen user interfaces.
US09908039B1

A system and method for providing offers to facilitate users to complete active game actions in a game space are disclosed. Offers to forego a group of pending wait periods of active game actions may be generated and presented to the users at the same time or near the same time along with offers to forego these pending wait periods individually and separately. In some examples, for incentivizing the users to accept the offer to forego the group of pending wait periods, a discount may be determined for these offers with respect to the offers to forego the group of pending wait periods individually and separately. In some examples, selection of the group of pending wait periods may be made based on likelihoods as to whether the users will spend stored consideration to forego the group of pending wait periods individually and separately.
US09908021B2

Utilities that allow repairing turf and installing a turf repair tool on a shaft or grip of a golf club. In one aspect, a turf repair tool is disclosed for partial conforming attachment to a golf club grip. The turf repair tool may be irreversibly engaged with the golf club grip to facilitate ergonomic turf repair. The turf repair tool may include one or more prongs that may extend beyond the end of a golf club shaft distal to a golf club head such that a golfer may manipulate a golf club to repair a portion of dislodged turf without kneeling, sitting, or maintaining a position or posture that places excess or undue strain on the golfer. Additionally, the present disclosure includes embodiments that relate to a method of irreversibly installing the turf repair tool on a grip of a golf club.
US09908016B2

A golf club head comprising a body, a variable face thickness pattern, and a plurality of solid metal stiffening rods, and which satisfies the equation Vballnorm≧0.0356x+140.82, is disclosed herein. The body comprises a face, a sole, and a return section, and defines a hollow interior. Each of the rods extends from the return section to the sole within the hollow interior proximate the face to reduce stresses placed on the face during impact with a golf ball. The rods are all located within 1 inch of a rear surface of the face measured along a plane normal to the center of the face, and are spaced a distance of 0.500 to 2.00 inch from one another within the hollow interior. The variable face thickness pattern preferably comprises a plurality of concentric rings, with a center ring having a thickness that is less than a thickness of an intermediary ring.
US09908012B2

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face. The body has an impact-influencing structure in the form of a channel positioned on at least one surface of the body. A majority of a force generated by impact with a ball is absorbed by the impact-influencing structure, and a majority of a response force generated by the head upon impact with the ball is generated by the impact-influencing structure. The face may have increased stiffness as compared to existing faces, and may include a stiffening structure to create the increased stiffness, such as a porous or cellular stiffening structure.
US09908011B2

A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face. The body has an impact-influencing structure in the form of a channel positioned on at least one surface of the body. A majority of a force generated by impact with a ball is absorbed by the impact-influencing structure, and a majority of a response force generated by the head upon impact with the ball is generated by the impact-influencing structure. The face may have increased stiffness as compared to existing faces, and may include a stiffening structure to create the increased stiffness, such as a porous or cellular stiffening structure.
US09908008B2

A ball includes a first housing, at least a fixing body, at least a ceramic vibration unit and a second housing. The fixing body is disposed on the internal wall of the first housing. The ceramic vibration unit is configured to make a sound and is fixed on the fixing body. The ceramic vibration unit includes a vibrating plate, a ceramic sheet and a cover body. The ceramic sheet and the cover body are disposed on the vibrating plate, and the ceramic sheet is located between the vibrating plate and the cover body. The second housing covers the first housing.
US09908006B1

Use of highly phase separated thermoplastic polyether ester elastomers for injection molded golf ball core layers is disclosed herein. The thermoplastic polyether ester elastomer comprises a polytetramethylene glycol (PTMO), a cycloaliphatic diol, and dimethyl terephthalate.
US09908000B2

Systems and methods for monitoring athletic performances include determining “flight time,” e.g., the amount of time both feet are off the ground, and optionally “flight time” resulting from different types of activities, such as jogging, running, sprinting, jumping, etc. “Flight time” may help a player or coach better understand the effort the athlete is putting out, compare efforts of two or more players, gauge the athlete's performance change over time, and/or identify conditioning needs and/or areas for improvement. Such systems and methods also may generate and display various athletic performance metrics, such as: instantaneous flight time; average flight time; cumulative flight time during an athletic performance or other time period; instantaneous jump height; average jump height; cumulative jump height during an athletic performance or other time period; and comparisons of any flight time and/or jump height metric(s) of one player against another player and/or against himself/herself; etc.
US09907989B2

An exercise device includes an arrangement of components to strengthen muscles in a physical body of an individual. In particular, the exercise device can be used to perform exercised to strengthen at least abdominal muscles.
US09907985B2

A gas pipe terminal assembly for minimization of fire hazards associated with conductance of a flammable substance. The system includes a pipe having a flange at each end. Each flange includes at least one check valve and a flame screen mounted in the interior of the flange to control a gas flow through the flange. The flange includes wire guide holes and set screw holes within the outside diameter of the pipe, and at least one wire segment in tension inside the pipe and connected to at least one fusible link. At least one fusible link is configured to fuse upon exposure to a temperature above 100° C. and thereby release the tension and activate at least one fire suppression device.
US09907981B2

The invention comprises a system for patient specific control of charged particles in a charged particle beam path using one or more trays inserted into the charged particle beam path, such as at the exit port of a gantry nozzle in close proximity to a tumor of a patient. Each tray holds an insert, such as a patient specific insert for controlling the energy, focus depth, and/or shape of the charged particle beam. Examples of inserts include a range shifter, a compensator, an aperture, a ridge filter, and a blank. Trays in a tray assembly are optionally retracted into an output nozzle of a charged particle cancer treatment system. Optionally and preferably, each tray communicates a held and positioned insert to a main controller of the charged particle cancer therapy system.
US09907978B2

The invention provides a non-invasive method for treatment of arrhythmia. In a first aspect, a method for treatment of atrial fibrillation in a heart of a patient comprises directing radiation from outside the patient toward one or more target treatment regions of the heart so as to inhibit the atrial fibrillation. The radiation may induce isolation of a pulmonary vein.
US09907966B2

An electrical stimulation system provides stimulation therapy to a patient. The system includes a neurostimulation lead that contacts patient tissue and couples with an implantable stimulation device, such as an implantable pulse generator, that receives stimulation parameters for providing stimulation therapy to a patient. The implantable stimulation device includes a header with a plurality of connector assemblies that receive an end of the neurostimulation lead, and a case containing a charging coil and a telemetry coil coupled to programming circuitry on a printed circuit board, which is in turn coupled to the connector assemblies via a feedthrough assembly. The telemetry coil receives data from an external programmer and transmits the data to the programming circuitry, which in turn uses the data to communicate to the connector assemblies and the neurostimulation lead to provide stimulation therapy to a patient.
US09907962B2

In general, the disclosure describes techniques for predicting the occurrence of an arrhythmia based on an indication of heart rate turbulence. An example method comprises sensing a parameter indicative of heart rate turbulence, measuring heart rate turbulence based on the sensed parameter, and predicting an occurrence of an arrhythmia based on the measured heart rate turbulence.
US09907952B2

A medical electrical lead having an elongated lead body and a fixation helix extending along a generally helical axis, mounted around the outer circumference of the lead body. The fixation helix has a free end spaced from and extending from the lead body for less than the circumference of the lead body. The lead body includes an additional component which provides a rotation stop extending from the outer circumference of the lead body and provides stop surface generally perpendicular to the axis of the helix.
US09907943B2

An infusion pump system. The system includes a reusable housing assembly, a disposable housing assembly, a tab portion comprising a female latching feature, and an exit, the exit connected to a reservoir; and a fluid connector including a body portion including a slot, a plug portion slidably connected to the body portion, the plug portion including a fluid path and a disc, the disc configured to seat within the slot, a catch feature located on a first end of the body portion and configured to interact with the disposable housing assembly, a male latching feature located on a second end of the body portion, the male latching feature configured to interact and lock onto the female latching feature, wherein force applied to the plug portion may overcome a threshold force and unseat the disc from the slot wherein the plug portion moves with respect to the body portion.
US09907937B2

The present invention provides a tissue expander (10) comprising a self-inflating core (12) having a non-inflated state and an inflated state and a coating (14) surrounding said core (12), in which said core (12) comprises a compacted material having a central portion (16) of a first, higher, (average) density D and a peripheral portion (18) of a second, lower, (average) density d, a border (19) between said central portion (16) and said peripheral portion (18) and wherein said coating (14) includes a plurality of first and/or second apertures (20, 22) through said coating (14). It also provides a method of manufacturing the tissue expander (10). The arrangement is such as to allow for the controlled ingress of water into the expandable core (12) which allows for the control of the delay before expansion and the rate of expansion once initiated.
US09907931B2

An elastic percutaneous elastic introducer sheath is disclosed which can locally expand and reduce to accommodate a transcatheter medical device. The elastic introducer sheath includes a non-circumferentially continuous elastic frame, a liner, and a jacket.
US09907929B2

Methods and apparatus for monitoring, diagnosing, and treating sleep disorders such as sleep terrors are provided, which may include any number of features. One feature is an apparatus configured to partially awaken a user to treat a sleep disorder. The apparatus can include one or more sensors configured to monitor a sleep parameter of the user, one or more therapeutic devices configured to apply a therapy to the user to partially awaken the user, and an electronic controller operatively coupled to the sensors and therapeutic devices to determine when to apply the therapy, and how to apply the therapy so as to only partially awaken the user.
US09907927B2

A device includes a first flow channel and a liquid space for a liquid. The device also includes a second flow channel arranged in a flow connection with the liquid space, and a steam space arranged to receive steam forming in the liquid space. The first flow channel is arranged in a flow connection with the steam space. Gas flow to the device is conveyed via the second flow channel to the liquid space. Resistance is induced to the exhaled gas flow flowing through the second flow channel and pressure is increased in the liquid space. As a result of the pressure increase, steam produced in the liquid space is received in the steam space. The gas flow is conveyed from the steam space via the first flow channel to the outside of the device.
US09907917B2

An apparatus for storing, warming and manually individually dispensing elongated cylindrical vials having different contents, while minimizing error and clutter, is described. Vials are stored in bins, which have manually operated dispensing members. Each bin may be separately heated using small incandescent bulbs or other heating elements. Adjustable temperature sensors may be placed in each bin to permit separate temperature control, and provide a high-temperature cutoff. One embodiment of the apparatus may be wall mounted to relieve congestion on horizontal surfaces. Another embodiment is suitable for table use, and has a reduced profile for clutter reduction.
US09907914B2

An assembly for a drug delivery device includes a guide track and a spring member. A first section of the guide track defines an angular start position for a guide feature of the dose member and a second section of the guide track defines an axial stop position for the guide feature. When the dose member is rotated in a dose setting direction, the guide feature is angularly displaced from the angular start position towards a connection region of the guide track, the spring member is torsionally biased by the spring member towards the angular start position. When the guide feature passes the connection region, the guide feature enters the second section and is axially displaced towards the axial stop position in which reduction of the torsional bias is prevented by mechanical cooperation of the guide feature and the second section.
US09907912B2

A purgative product is provided which includes a gelatinous purgative and a dispenser for dispensing the gelatinous purgative. The dispenser includes a container with an open end and an opening on the opposite end. A plunger and sealing element can be inserted into the container, such that when the plunger is pushed towards the opening in the container, the gelatinous purgative between the sealing element and the opening of the container is pushed towards and out of the opening for ingestion by a user.
US09907900B1

An improvement to an A-V dialysis graft construction that includes an elongated length of polymer tubing having an inlet end and an outlet end adapted to be attached to access needles. The improvement comprises a normally reduced diameter intermediate portion, providing a pressure drop from the inlet end of the length of polymer tubing to the outlet end for the purpose of improving flow to the extremity, not utilizing excess cardiac output and minimizing venous stenosis. A first embodiment comprises a gradual converging portion of the lumen followed by a gradual diverging portion. A second embodiment comprises an inflatable, annular stenosis balloon, providing a variable stenosis.
US09907899B2

Disclosed are a device and method of extracting high-concentration plasma from whole blood. The device comprises: a first syringe; a centrifugation tube that is connected to the first syringe in order to centrifuge whole blood received in the first syringe; a cap that is connected to the first syringe in order to re-centrifuge plasma collected in the first syringe by centrifugation of the whole blood; and a membrane filter comprising: a body that is cylindrical in shape and has a pair of spaced inlets to which the first syringe and a second syringe are to be respectively connected; a hollow membrane included in the body; and a first space formed between the body and the membrane and serving to collect components that passed through the membrane. According to the invention, high-concentration plasma containing a high concentration platelet is obtained without having to use a kit.
US09907898B2

A method is provided of monitoring the leak tightness of a plurality of pneumatically or hydraulically actuated actuators of a machine, in particular a plurality of valve actuators of a medical treatment machine, in which pressure is exerted on the actuators in different combinations during operation of the machine. A common pressure drop occurring during a stationary operating phase at the actuators on which pressure is exerted in the respective combination is measured for a plurality of different combinations of actuators on which pressure is exerted. A respective leak tightness value is determined for individual actuators and/or groups of actuators, with the pressure drop measured for those combinations and in which the respective actuator and/or the respective group of actuators on which pressure is exerted being accounted for in the leak tightness value. A machine, in particular a medical treatment machine, is configured to effect the valve actuator monitoring.
US09907892B2

A portable external device for a mechanical circulation support system includes first and second power sources, e.g. batteries and control electronics for redundant uninterrupted operation of an implantable blood pump. The control and power source module may be configured for variable form factors to accommodate a variety of wearable configurations for patient convenience and comfort.
US09907891B2

The invention relates to a fluid pump or rotary cutter having at least one first element (9′″, 10′″) which can be brought from a transport state into an operating state by changing at least one mechanical property. Such a pump can, for example, be a blood pump for the medical, microinvasive area. The object of achieving a transition between the transport state and the operating state which is as comfortable as possible and in so doing leaving a freedom in the design of corresponding apparatus, in particular of a pump, which is as large as possible, is achieved using the means of the invention in that the first element at least partly comprises a material (24, 25, 26, 27) or can be filled with a material or material mixture which passes through a chemical reaction, in particular cross-linking, or a crystallization for transition into the operating state.
US09907888B2

Systems and methods for purging a negative pressure wound therapy system.
US09907886B2

Disclosed are self-expanding medical implants for placement within a lumen of a patient. The implants comprise a woven or non-woven structure having a substantially tubular configuration, and are designed to be low-profile such that they are deliverable with a small diameter catheter. The implants have a high recoverability and desired mechanical properties.
US09907879B2

The present invention relates to the use of polyphosphate in crystalline form for treatment of wounds, especially bleeding wounds, wherein the anion of the polyphosphate has a (numerical) average of at least 4 phosphorus atoms per polyphosphate anion. The invention additionally relates to a composition suitable for treatment of wounds, especially bleeding wounds, comprising an inventive polyphosphate and a carrier material. The invention further provides a method suitable for production of the inventive composition, which comprises the introduction of the polyphosphate and optionally further haemostatic agents into the carrier material, or into a component or into a precursor of the carrier material.
US09907875B2

The present invention relates to a wick for volatile substance evaporators formed from a strip (1) of wood and characterized in that the strip (1) has a height comprised between 120 mm and 170 mm, a width between 40 and 80 mm, in the widest part thereof, and a thickness between 1.5 mm and 3 mm. A more constant rate of evaporation of a fragrance or insecticide and a more balanced diffusion of fragrance or insecticide together with a greater intensity of the fragrance or of the insecticide efficacy in the room to be freshened or protected are achieved.
US09907867B2

A standalone radiopharmaceutical preparation hotcell for preparing a radiopharmaceutical includes a housing and a plurality of compartments defined within the housing. The plurality of compartments including at least a pharmaceutical synthesizing and dispensing compartment and a different second compartment, the synthesizing and dispensing compartment being maintained at a first pressure and the second compartment being maintained at a different second pressure using a compartment pressurization system.
US09907863B2

The presently disclosed subject matter provides compositions and methods for the expression of CRISPR guide RNAs using the H1 promoter. In particular, compositions and methods are provided for the use of the H1 promoter to express CRISPR guide RNA (gRNA) with altered specificity of the 5′ nucleotide, as well as use of the H1 promoter sequence as a bidirectional promoter to express Cas9 nuclease and the gRNA simultaneously. Compositions and methods are also provided for the expression and regulation of gRNA expression in vivo through the use of RNA ribozymes and regulatable aptazymes.
US09907860B2

This invention relates to a conjugated molecule comprising a peptide derived from the CD4 receptor coupled to an organic molecule by means of a linker as well as a process for its preparation. Said organic molecule comprises a 5 to 21 amino acid anionic polypeptide. Such a conjugated molecule can be used in antiviral treatment, namely in the treatment of AIDS.
US09907853B2

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating or preventing hyperglycemia and diseases associated with hyperglycemia. In certain embodiments, the composition comprises a peptide having the amino acid sequence KRSCYK wherein the peptide consists of D-amino acids is useful in treating or preventing diabetes. In some aspects, the peptide of the invention is encapsulated in a nanoparticle.
US09907852B2

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an anticancer agent for potentiating an antitumor effect, alleviating side effects, and further extending the survival rate by concomitant use with a component having an anticancer effect. An anticancer agent combining arctigenin and a component other than arctigenin that has an anticancer effect, in which the anticancer agent may be a combination drug or may be a kit configured from a formulation containing arctigenin and a formulation containing a component that has an anticancer effect, and the concomitant use of arctigenin and the component having an anticancer effect more strongly inhibits tumor growth and reduces the proportion of cancer stem cells in the tumor, making it possible to extend the total survival time and to alleviate side effects caused by the component having an anticancer effect.
US09907838B2

The present disclosure relates to a composition for treating and preventing an ischemic injury. More particularly, it relates to a composition containing a peptide derived from a telomerase, which is effective in treating and preventing an ischemic injury. The peptide according to the present disclosure, a peptide having 80% or more sequence identity with the amino acid sequence of the peptide or a peptide which is a fragment thereof, has a superior effect of treating and preventing an ischemic injury. Accordingly, a composition containing the peptide may be effectively used for an ischemic injury, particularly for an ischemic-reperfusion injury.
US09907834B2

The present disclosure provides for use of variants of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), and novel pharmaceutical compositions and formulations comprising CNP variant peptides for the treatment of skeletal dysplasias, one or more symptoms of skeletal dysplasias, such as long bone growth or growth velocity, and other disorders having a skeletal dysplasia and/or CNP-associated symptom or component.
US09907832B2

A novel IFN-α/β independent ligand receptor system which upon engagement leads, among other things, to the establishment of an anti-viral state is disclosed. Further disclosed are three closely positioned genes on human chromosome 19 that encode distinct but highly homologous proteins, designated INF-λ1, IFN-λ2, IFN-λ3, based inter alia, in their ability to induce antiviral protection. Expression of these proteins is induced upon viral infection. A receptor complex utilized by all three IFN-λ proteins for signaling is also disclosed. The receptor complex is generally composed of two subunits, a novel receptor designated IFN-λR1 or CRF2-12, and a second subunit, IL-10R2 or CRF2-4, which is also a shared receptor component for the IL-10 and IL-22 receptor complexes. The gene encoding IFN-λR1 is generally widely expressed, including many different cell types and tissues. Expression of these proteins is induced by immune events, including, for example, upon viral infection. Apoptotosis may also be induced under effective conditions.
US09907825B2

The present invention discloses novel synergistic dietary supplement compositions comprising at least two ingredients selected from the extracts and fractions derived from Sphaeranthus indicus, Coleus aromaticus, Cissus quadrangularis, Curcuma longa, Garcinia mangostana, Citrullus lanatus, Ocimum sanctum, Trachyspermum ammi and Cinnamomum tamala as natural energy enhancer for enhancing physical performance, muscle strength, muscle mass, mental alertness and energy levels in a mammal.
US09907823B1

Methods and formulations for increasing the water solubility and/or bioavailability of a phytocannabinoid compound is disclosed herein. In one example, a water-soluble phytocannabinoid formulation can comprise a phytocannabinoid; a non-ionic surfactant; and optionally, water. The weight ratio of phytocannabinoid content to non-ionic surfactant can be from 1:10,000 to 1:5.
US09907822B2

This disclosure describes, in one aspect, a composition that includes a transgenic pathogen that expresses a heterologous pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP). In some embodiments, the pathogen may be attenuated. In some embodiments, the pathogen can include T. cruzi. In another aspect, this disclosure describes a method of treating an infection in a subject. Generally, the method includes administering to the subject, in an amount effective to treat the infection, a pathogen genetically modified to express a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) not natively expressed by the pathogen.
US09907820B2

Provided herein is a method of expanding clinically-relevant quantities of polyclonal γδ T cells that have anti-tumor, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial reactivity. Polyclonal γδ T cells can target a variety of tumors, including solid tumors as well as other conditions, such as viral and bacterial infections.
US09907814B2

A method for treating diastolic heart failure is provided including identifying a subject having diastolic heart failure and administering a therapeutically effective amount of a galectin-3 inhibitor to the subject to at least partially alleviate a symptom of diastolic heart failure.
US09907803B2

The present invention provides a method of using arylpiperazine derivatives for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The method comprises a step of administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of a compound of Formula 1, which is an arylpiperazine derivative.
US09907801B1

Disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising brimonidine and timolol for topical ophthalmic delivery and a method of treatment comprising administering said composition when indicated for glaucoma and associated conditions such as elevated intraocular pressure in the eyes of humans.
US09907797B2

This disclosure relates to the uses of compounds that target an interaction between CHFR and PARP1. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relate to treating cancer by administering a mitotic inhibitor such as a taxane and a vinca alkaloid in combination with a compound that inhibits CHFR and PARP1 interactions, such as 5-((1-benzyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methylene)-1-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)pyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione, derivatives or salts thereof, optionally in further combination with a third anti-cancer agent.
US09907796B2

Novel compounds and their synthesis are described. Methods for using these compounds in the prevention or treatment of cancer, a bacterial infection or a viral infection in a subject are also described.
US09907794B2

A preparation for oral administration comprising: a pregelatinized starch comprising N-[4-[4-(1,2-benzisothiazol-3-yl)-1-piperazinyl]-(2R,3R)-2,3-tetramethylene-butyl]-(1′R,2′S,3′R,4′S)-2,3-bicyclo[2,2,1]-heptanedicarboxyimide hydrochloride (lurasidone) represented by the formula (1) as an active ingredient; a water-soluble excipient; and a water-soluble polymeric binder, the preparation exhibiting an invariant level of elution behavior even when the content of its active ingredient is varied.
US09907789B2

Provided is a sustained-release preparation containing pioglitazone or a salt thereof as an active ingredient and showing superior sustainability. A sustained-release preparation containing pioglitazone or a salt thereof, which shows a dissolution ratio of pioglitazone of average 25-58% at the 2-hour time point, and average 60-100% at the 4-hour time point, in a dissolution test according to the 50 rpm USP Paddle Method and using pH 2.0 KCl/HCl buffer at 37° C. as a test solution.
US09907785B2

Provided is a composition for use in treating a skin condition, the composition comprising: (a) a first component comprising a substituted or unsubstituted diindolylmethane compound; and (b) a second component comprising a substituted or unsubstituted retinoid compound.
US09907779B2

The invention relates to doxepin, pharmaceutically acceptable salts and prodrugs of doxepin; compositions containing the same, and the use of any of the aforementioned for the treatment of sleep disorders.
US09907776B2

The present invention relates to a composition for preventing or treating a psychiatric disorder comprising a phenyl carbamate compound and a method for preventing or treating a psychiatric disorder therewith. The present invention provides anti-anxiety activity and protections against seizure and bipolar disorder, such that it may be effectively used for preventing or treating various psychiatric disorders related to mood disorder or resulting convulsion.
US09907774B2

The concentrated liquid diet disclosed is a concentrated liquid diet having a total amount of a medium-chain fatty acid having 8 carbon atoms and a medium-chain fatty acid having 10 carbon atoms included as constitutive fatty acids of a triglyceride being 2.5 to 8.0 g per 100 kcal of the energy of the concentrated liquid diet, the concentrated liquid diet having in the total mass of the medium-chain fatty acid having 8 carbon atoms and the medium-chain fatty acid having 10 carbon atoms the rate of the medium-chain fatty acid having 10 carbon atoms being no less than 60% by mass, and the rate of the medium-chain fatty acid having 8 carbon atoms being no greater than 40% by mass.
US09907773B2

This invention is related to a novel sugar-like chemical composition and its use for diabetes therapy. Particularly, the present invention teaches the use of monosaccharide-like glycylated sugar alcohol compounds to block or reduce sugar absorption in diabetes patients, so as to prevent the risk of hyperglycemia symptoms. Glycylation of sugar alcohols is a totally novel reaction that has never been reported before. Therefore, the novelty of the present invention is that for the first time glycylated sugar alcohols not only was found but also was found to be useful for treating Diabetes mellitus. In addition, the present invention teaches a method for producing these glycylated sugar alcohols. In sum, the present invention includes not only a kind of novel sugar-like chemical compositions and its use for treating diabetes but also a state-of-the-art protocol and methodology for producing such a novel composition via glycylation of sugars and sugar alcohols.
US09907771B2

The present invention relates to a tall oil fatty acid which is modified by saponification for use in the prevention of growth of harmful bacteria in the animal digestive tract and/or in the prevention of intestinal disorders. The invention further relates to a feed supplement and a feed composition comprising tall oil fatty acid which is modified by saponification.
US09907767B2

The present invention relates to methods of treating overactive bladder and the symptoms associated therewith, for example, urinary urgency, frequency of mictruitions, nocturia, and urgency urinary incontinence. One treatment method according to the present invention comprises treatment with the beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist solabegron. Another treatment combination according to the invention comprises solabegron, and a muscarinic receptor antagonist which results in a synergistic effect on the symptoms associated with OAB.
US09907752B2

Provided herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising nitrogen mustard, for example bendamustine hydrochloride, solid dispersions substantially free of degradants. Also provided are methods of producing and administering nitrogen mustards and in particular bendamustine hydrochloride solid dispersions substantially free of degradants. The pharmaceutical compositions can be used for any disease that is sensitive to treatment with bendamustine hydrochloride, such as neoplastic diseases.
US09907750B2

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a technique for formulating a two-layer separation-type ophthalmic solution in which, during storage, an aqueous layer and an oil-containing layer containing squalane are separated from each other, wherein it is possible to homogeneously disperse the oil-containing layer in the aqueous layer while suppressing foaming by shaking the ophthalmic solution before administration, and the homogeneous dispersed state is maintained in a stable manner at least until administration. A two-layer separation-type ophthalmic solution containing squalane and water, wherein hyaluronic acid and/or a salt thereof and polyvinyl alcohol are contained in the ophthalmic solution and the polyvinyl alcohol content is set to 0.025 to 0.1 w/v %, whereby it is possible to homogeneously disperse the oil-containing layer in the aqueous layer while suppressing foaming by shaking the ophthalmic solution before administration, and to maintain the homogeneous dispersed state in a stable manner at least until administration.
US09907749B2

The present invention is directed to an aqueous gel composition containing a local anesthetic, a lubricating agent, and a preservative and methods of treating vulvovaginal pain, such as dyspareunia by topically administering said composition.
US09907747B2

Embodiments of the invention provide swallowable devices, preparations and methods for delivering drugs and other therapeutic agents within the GI tract. Many embodiments provide a swallowable device for delivering the agents. Particular embodiments provide a swallowable device such as a capsule for delivering drugs into the intestinal wall or other GI lumen. Embodiments also provide various drug preparations that are configured to be contained within the capsule, advanced from the capsule into the intestinal wall and degrade to release the drug into the bloodstream to produce a therapeutic effect. The preparation can be operably coupled to delivery means having a first configuration where the preparation is contained in the capsule and a second configuration where the preparation is advanced out of the capsule into the intestinal wall. Embodiments of the invention are particularly useful for the delivery of drugs which are poorly absorbed, tolerated and/or degraded within the GI tract.
US09907742B2

The present invention relates to a consumer goods product comprising a consumer goods product ingredient and a non-crosslinked functionalized lignin oligomer, wherein the functionalized lignin oligomer: (a) has an average number of lignin monomers of from 3 to 8; (b) comprises a polyethylene glycol functional group; (c) comprises a functionalization content between 90 and 0.5% lignin (m/m), wherein the consumer goods product ingredient is an emulsifier, and wherein the lignin oligomer is in the form of an emulsion, and wherein the consumer goods product is in the form of an oral care composition or a detergent composition.
US09907741B2

Disclosed are compositions comprising crosslinked hyaluronic acid gels, preferably vinyl sulfone cross-linked hyaluronic acid known as hylan B gel, for use in topical cosmetic and dermatological formulations. The hylan B gel in these formulations provides prolonged delivery of incorporated substances to the surface of the skin, to provide a hydrated film on the surface of the skin, and to provide a substantive and compatible film on the skin.
US09907739B2

The present invention relates to a crosslinked hyaluronic acid gel which derives from the crosslinking of hyaluronic acid or of a salt thereof in the presence of at least an effective amount of at least one endogenous polyamine as a crosslinking agent, said crosslinking being carried out under conditions favourable to the coupling of said hyaluronic acid and of said endogenous polyamine(s).
US09907730B2

Devices, systems, and software for providing remote medical therapy to a subject comprising: an apparatus for dispensing one or more medical items from an inventory of medical items, the inventory of medical items risk profiled to a subject, a population, a venue, or a situation; and a connector device comprising: at least one means for communicating with the apparatus for dispensing one or more medical items from an inventory of medical items; at least one means for communicating with a technology device; and a software module enabling communications between the apparatus for dispensing one or more medical items from an inventory of medical items and the technology device.
US09907720B2

The invention relates to a device for therapy and training for the back, comprising two elastically deformable bodies (1) which are arranged at a distance from each other, between which a deformable spacer (2) which interconnects both bodies (1) is arranged, said device being characterized in that said spacer (2) is embodied as a spring element in form of a helical spring (2), the ends thereof being bent so as to form journals (2.1) extending in the extension of the helical spring axis, said journals being introduced into blocks (3) fixed in the inside of the bodies (1).
US09907714B2

A bed for hospital stays, of the type that can be articulated and comprising a plurality of sections which correspond to the regions of the back, buttocks, thighs and legs of the in-patient; one of the sections, the one that corresponds to the buttocks region, has at least one portion thereof which is movable and articulated to the section of the backrest and, when the backrest is lifted, is translated, exposing a curved element, which extends from the lying surface downwardly, and being inclined on the curved element contributes together with it to form a cradle for the buttocks region.
US09907710B2

A disposable diaper includes: a first inflected unit formed in an absorber and extending along a product widthwise direction; a second inflected unit formed in the absorber, extending along the product widthwise direction, and positioned towards a rear waistline unit from the first inflected unit; and a crotch unit formed between the first inflected unit and the second inflected unit. The size of the crotch unit along the product longitudinal direction is 30 mm or more and 150 mm or less in the natural state of the disposable diaper.
US09907704B2

Methods and compositions for securing to and removing adhesive tapes from substrates, e.g., delicate substrates such as skin, are described. The methods include providing an adhesive tape comprising an adhesive layer and a support layer in contact with the adhesive layer. A first adhesion level between the adhesive layer and the support layer is, or can be controlled to be, less than a second adhesion level between the adhesive layer and the substrate. The methods further include applying the adhesive tape to the substrate by contacting the adhesive layer to the substrate while the support layer remains in contact with the adhesive layer; and removing the support layer from the substrate by separating the support layer from the adhesive layer.
US09907697B2

A delivery system is disclosed which can be used to deliver an ocular implant into a target location within the eye via an ab interno procedure. In some embodiments, the implant can provide fluid communication between the anterior chamber and the suprachoroidal or supraciliary space while in an implanted state. The delivery system can include a proximal handle component and a distal delivery component. In addition, the proximal handle component can include an actuator to control the release of the implant from the delivery component into the target location in the eye.
US09907696B2

A motion-compensated cutting system includes a hand-held tool body, and an actuator connected to the tool body. A shaft of the actuator is movable relative to the tool body so that a distal end of a cutting implement attached to the shaft is axially movable relative to the tool body. An optical coherence tomography system includes an optical fiber with a distal end fixed relative to the distal end of the cutting implement. The system includes a control unit that can determine a position of the distal end of the cutting implement relative to a reference surface based on input from the optical coherence tomography system. The control unit can control the cutting implement to compensate for relative motion between the tool body and the reference surface, and can maintain a predetermined depth of the distal end of the cutting implement with respect to the reference surface.
US09907689B2

A stoma guard for ostomy patients that is applied directly to the ostomy pouch. The guard prevents blunt force trauma, helps the user conceal protruded stoma and protects against daily impacts that can harm stoma region. The stoma guard has no sharp corners to prevent leakage and to increase maneuverability. The stoma guard is comprised of a rigid semi circular dome shaped guard and a crescent shaped applicator that secures the guard directly to the ostomy pouch. The guard has a convex shape facing outward that protects the stoma area once secured to the ostomy pouch. The stoma guard is sized to conform around the upper part of the ostomy pouch where the stoma is located. The stoma guard includes an opening at the base permitting flow of waste material. The stoma guard does not need to be removed when emptying waste from the ostomy pouch.
US09907687B2

The ankle brace includes a calf body defining lateral and medial frontal sides spaced by a frontal opening, and first and second straps depending from the first and second frontal sides of the calf body, respectively. The first and second straps are arranged to extend juxtaposed across the opening and secure to the second and first frontal sides, respectively. The brace also includes opposed lateral and medial ankle struts pivotally attached to the calf body, and a footplate connected to the ankle struts. The medial ankle strut has greater rigidity than the lateral ankle strut. The calf body medial section has greater rigidity than the calf body lateral section.
US09907686B2

A system for implanting a prosthesis includes a prosthesis delivery device having a handle, an inner lumen, a nose cone, an intermediate lumen, a prosthesis sheath at the distal end of the intermediate lumen for holding therein a prosthesis to be implanted, and an outer lumen fixedly connected to the handle. The system can include a lumen control assembly operable to move the intermediate lumen with the prosthesis sheath between a retracted position and an extended position.
US09907678B2

A prosthesis socket having a proximal end and a distal end, an opening at the proximal end for the insertion of a stump, a receiving device for a prosthesis component at the distal end, and at least one splint, which includes a dimensionally stable material and which, in the area of the distal end, comprises a circular receiver. The splint is embedded in a flexible matrix of plastic or silicone. The matrix of plastic or silicone forms a hollow profiled. At least one flexible and tensionally rigid limiting element is arranged on the splint.
US09907664B2

A tibial augment for use with a knee joint prosthesis, composed of annular members of different stock sizes, each size being configured to fit within a cavity formed in a human tibia. The augment may include a stepped distal surface. A provisional (temporary) tibial augment used to ensure a proper fit for the permanent augment is also provided. The provisional may include grooves configured to cooperate with a set of ribs on a tong-like holder used for removing the provisional from the cavity. A pusher for use implanting the tibial augment is also provided. In addition, a system for creating a cavity in a human tibia is also described. The system preferably includes a guide with a slot therein and a set of osteotomes that are inserted within different portions of the slot.
US09907661B2

A system includes a constrained acetabular insert, a dual mobility liner, and a femoral head. The constrained acetabular insert has its perimeter extending beyond hemisphere and the dual mobility liner has its perimeter extending beyond hemisphere and configured to tilt and rotate within the constrained acetabular insert. The femoral head is configured to tilt and rotate within the dual mobility liner. The constrained acetabular insert may include a plurality of tabs and the dual mobility liner may include screw threads for receiving the plurality of tabs.
US09907659B2

An orthopedic implant manufacturing method. The method includes preparing a pre-operative surgical plan for a specific patient, the surgical plan including a three-dimensional image of a patient's joint indicating at least one resection plane, communicating the surgical plan to a surgeon of the patient, and receiving approval of the surgical plan and the resection plane by the surgeon. The method also includes providing automated osteophyte/protrusion removal control for surgeon manipulation, receiving a modified three-dimensional image of a patient's joint indicating an osteophyte/protrusion removal and a recommendation for a corresponding selected orthopedic implant from the surgeon, and requesting manufacture of the selected orthopedic implant.
US09907658B2

An implant providing for both short and long term stability and fixation is disclosed. The implant includes a plurality of projections extending from a bone contacting surface, and a porous material covering at least portions of the surface and projections. The orientation of the projections and the porous material provide for the stability and fixation. Methods of forming and utilizing the implant are also disclosed.
US09907657B2

A porous coating for a medical implant, wherein the porous coating comprises a porous, shape memory material.
US09907651B2

A method of delivering a prosthetic heart valve to a native aortic valve is disclosed. The prosthetic heart valve comprises a radially compressible and expandable metallic stent and a flexible valvular structure. A delivery system comprises a selectively steerable section and a pusher member extending through a central lumen of the steerable section. The prosthetic heart valve is compressed and inserted into a distal end portion of the delivery system. The delivery system and prosthetic heart valve are advanced through a femoral artery and around an aortic arch. A pull wire is actuated for selectively controlling a curvature of the steerable section during advancement around the aortic arch. The pusher member is advanced for ejecting the prosthetic heart valve from the delivery system into the native aortic valve, wherein the prosthetic valve self-expands after ejection.
US09907648B2

A lens and cartridge packaging system and method of use which simplify the removal and transfer of an IOL to an IOL insertion device is disclosed. The packaging system enables a user to easily load an IOL into a cartridge without the use of forceps. In addition, the packaging system also allows a user to fold and insert the IOL into a cartridge without damaging the IOL and/or compromising IOL sterility. In addition, the related methods of use minimize and/or eliminate damage to the IOL during unpackaging, folding, transfer and loading procedures.
US09907644B2

A medical product comprises a biodegradable filament and a non-biodegradeable coating. The biodegradable filament forms a stent body having a first end portion, a middle portion, and a second end portion opposite the first end portion. The middle portion extends between the first and second end portions. The non-biodegradeable coating encapsulates the at least one biodegradable filament along the middle portion of the stent body. The non-biodegradeable coating forms a barrier such that the non-biodegradeable coating prevents degradation of the at least one biodegradable filament along the middle portion. The first and second end portions are uncoated. After implantation, the end portions of the stent may biodegrade. The middle portion will not biodegrade due to its encapsulation by the non-biodegradeable coating.
US09907642B2

Some embodiments are directed to a stent graft comprising a first stent graft having a first and a second stent and a first and a second inner graft supported by the first stent, and an outer graft. The second inner graft can be spaced apart from the first inner graft so that a portion of the first stent is not covered by either the first inner graft or the second inner graft. A first and second portion of the outer graft can be attached to the first stent, the outer graft being unsupported by the stent between the first and second portions so as to form a fillable space between the outer graft, the first inner graft, and the second inner graft. Some embodiments further comprise a second stent graft deployable within the inside of the first stent graft to sealingly cover the uncovered portion of the first stent.
US09907632B2

A dental valve device is disclosed having a valve body having a tip receiving end, a hose receiving end, a lumen formed between the tip receiving end and the hose receiving end, a partial opening formed in the valve body and a rotatable valve sealing body adapted to be inserted into the partial opening, the rotatable valve sealing body having a bore for alignment with the lumen formed between the tip receiving end and the hose receiving end, the bore having a tip receiving opening and a hose receiving opening, the rotatable valve sealing body having a check valve positioned in the bore.
US09907631B2

A quick connector includes a socket including a threaded portion detachably fastenable to a water tap, an opposing free end portion and three inside flanges equiangularly spaced between the threaded portion and the free end portion, and a connection member including a connector body defining an axial through hole in communication with the socket and a fitting defining three insertion grooves for the insertion of the respective inside flanges and three sliding grooves respectively connected to the insertion grooves corresponding to the three inside flanges and disposed adjacent to the position-limit surface for allowing sliding therein of the respective inside flanges. Thus, the user can use to the quick connector to rapidly and detachably connect an oral irrigator to a water tap in a convenient and hygienic manner, avoiding the problem that oral irrigator cannot effectively clean tartar due to insufficient water pressure caused by a leakage of water.
US09907630B2

A method produces one or more dentures wherein the dentures have a base element that holds at least two tooth blanks. The method comprises producing a negative mold by machining on the basis of a digital image of a tooth situation and shortening, by machining, a length dimension of the tooth blanks that are preassembled and held in the negative mold from a basal side in order to achieve a tooth line adapted to the tooth situation. The method also comprises connecting the base element and the shortened tooth blanks to form the dentures.
US09907629B2

A dental prosthetic arrangement and a dental prosthetic system include a combination of a lower part assigned to a jaw implant and an upper part assigned to a prosthesis body in a connection section, wherein in particular two bearing faces are produced in the connection section when in the connected state, the bearing faces being cylindrical, preferably circular-cylindrical in relation to a center axis and being spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. The axial extent of the cylindrical bearing faces is advantageously small compared to the axial extent of the connection section. The two cylindrical bearing faces are preferably situated in axially opposite end regions of the connection section and are connected to each other by approximately conical wall faces of a cut-out in the upper part and a projection of the lower part that projects into the latter.
US09907627B2

The present disclosure relates to an orthodontic system and a method of using the same to perform orthodontics. In one example, an orthodontic system is presented. The orthodontic system includes a tube having at least one sidewall and two opening ends, and a luting agent. The luting agent is disposed on at least a portion of one or more of the at least one sidewall of the tube and a portion of a surface of a tooth onto which the tube is directly attached or adhered. The two opening ends of the tube remain substantially open so that a wire can move along the tube.
US09907626B1

An improved vibrating orthodontic device is provided wherein motor speed is controlled by capacitive sensor, and thus lacks moving parts that are required by encoder use. The improved device also uses a tungsten offset weight, reducing size by more than 50%, yet still produces the needed force. The device is thus smaller, lighter and more robust.
US09907625B2

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic tip for an apicoectomy, such that the tip has a shape suitable for the shape of a tooth root, comprising the steps of: forming a feedstock by mixing a metal powder including stainless steel with a binder; injecting the feedstock to form an injection-molded part having a plurality of projections integrally formed on the surface thereof; performing debinding to remove the binder from the injection-molded part; sintering the injection-molded part; and performing annealing to increase the ductility and facilitate the bending of the sintered part.
US09907623B2

A system, in particular for image-guided surgery, comprising: at least two display devices; a position determinator for determining the relative position of the display devices; and an image generator for generating images, which are to be displayed by the display devices, in accordance with the determined relative position.
US09907621B2

Described herein generally are surgical pencils which define a channel to enable suctioning of materials and methods of operating the surgical pencils. In one example embodiment, the surgical pencils perform cutting and coagulation. In one example embodiment, the surgical pencils include a lighting device.
US09907611B2

A method and apparatus for treatment of heart failure, hypertension and renal failure by stimulating the renal nerve. The goal of therapy is to reduce sympathetic activity of the renal nerve. Therapy is accomplished by at least partially blocking the nerve with drug infusion or electrostimulation. Apparatus can be permanently implanted or catheter based.
US09907609B2

A medical device for tissue ablation may include a catheter shaft, an expandable member disposed on or coupled to the catheter shaft, and a plurality of elongate electrode assemblies each constructed as a flexible circuit. The expandable member may be configured to shift between an unexpanded configuration and an expanded configuration. The plurality of electrode assemblies may be disposed on an outer surface of the expandable member. Each of the plurality of electrode assemblies may include a temperature sensor aligned with two or more electrodes.
US09907605B2

A medical treatment device to treat and join body tissues, includes at least a pair of holding members which is configured to hold the body tissues to be treated, an energy output portion provided on at least one of the pair of holding members and connected to an energy source to form a joined portion by supplying energy to the body tissues held by the pair of holding members to join the body tissues, and a join condition maintenance assistance portion capable of applying a substance which prevents infiltration of the fluid to the body tissues to be treated to provide assistance so that a joined state of the body tissues is maintained.
US09907604B2

Bipolar electrosurgical forceps are provided with dual irrigating tubes that deliver irrigating liquid to the opposed surfaces of the tips of the forceps to prevent the sticking of body tissue to the tips. To reduce the manufacturing costs of the forceps and enable the forceps to be single use, disposable forceps, each tube of the dual irrigating tools is a plastic tube adhered along one of the opposing surfaces of the pair of forceps arms. Each tube also has a flat nozzle at the distal end of the tube that disburses irrigating liquid across the opposed surfaces of the forceps arm distal and tips.
US09907599B2

An instrument and method for applying thermal energy to targeted tissue. An instrument and method for tissue thermotherapy. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a vapor source comprising a pump configured for providing a flow of liquid media from a liquid media source into a vaporization chamber having a heating mechanism, actuating the pump to provide the liquid into the vaporization chamber, applying energy from the heating mechanism to convert a substantially water liquid media into a minimum water vapor level for causing an intended effect in tissue. For examples such levels can comprise at least 60% water vapor, at least 70% water vapor, at least 80% water vapor or at least 90% water vapor for causing an intended effect in tissue.
US09907597B2

Systems and associated methods for repairing first and second bone fragments include a bone compression device characterized by an elongated fastener and an anchor. The fastener includes an externally-threaded shank, an enlarged head, and a bore extending through both. The anchor includes an internally-threaded bore configured to receive the threaded shank of the fastener at a first end of the anchor, and an enlarged shoulder at a second end. The fastener inserts fittedly into a first bore formed in the first and second bone fragments, with the head engaging a rim of the first bore. The anchor inserts fittedly into a second bore formed in the second bone fragment, the anchor shoulder engaging a rim of the second bore. During compression of the bone segments, a small space is maintained between the second end of the anchor and an intersection of the first bore and the second bore.
US09907596B2

A surgical rod scorer is provided. The surgical rod scorer includes a pair of elongated shaft members that are pivotably coupled to one another and movable from a spaced-apart configuration to an approximated configuration. Each of the shaft members includes a handle member that is configured for gripping by a user and jaw member that is configured to support respective first and second cutting assemblies thereon. The first and second cutting assemblies each include one or more cutting elements thereon configured and dimensioned to score surgical rod when the jaw members are in the approximated configuration and rotated about the surgical rod.
US09907587B2

A device includes a housing and a locking assembly disposed within a spaced defined by the housing. The housing defines a hole that extends through the housing. The locking assembly is configured to allow the device to slide along an elongate orthopedic device in a first direction and to hinder the device from sliding along an elongate orthopedic device in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.
US09907586B2

A humeral nail device for fixing proximal humerus fractures and rotator cuff tears. The humeral nail device includes a flexible proximal humerus nail adapted to be inserted into a humerus and a fixation bracket attached to the nail adapted to repair soft tissue injuries.
US09907581B2

A spinal implant includes an elongated body dimensioned and configured to function as a spacer, for placement in a target interspinous process space, between two adjacent spinous processes, a distal anchor associated with a distal end of the body, and a proximal anchor mounted for longitudinal movement along the body between a first position spaced apart from the head and a second position approximated with the head, adapted to compress the two adjacent spinous processes, in conjunction with the distal anchor.
US09907575B2

Treatment of spinal irregularities, including, in one or more embodiments, dynamic spine stabilizers and systems that can be used to stabilize one or more motion segments in a patient's spine. Spine stabilization systems may comprise a first bone fastener configured to attach the spine stabilization system to a first vertebra. Spine stabilization systems further may comprise a second bone fastener configured to attach the spine stabilization system to a second vertebra. Spine stabilization systems further may comprise a dynamic spine stabilizer configured to connect the first bone fastener and the second bone fastener with at least some relative movement between the first bone fastener and the second bone fastener.
US09907572B2

An embryo transfer syringe has a roller (30) coupled with the rear end of its plunger (15). The roller (30) is displaceable along an elongate housing (20) extending from the rear of the barrel (10) of the syringe. The roller (30) can be manually engaged through a slot (23) along the housing (20) to rotate it and roll it along the housing thereby smoothly and controllably displacing the plunger (15).
US09907570B2

A steerable medical device can include a sheath defining a longitudinal axis having a deflectable distal end portion, and at least one lateral passage extending therethrough and configured to accommodate at least one steering cable and a steering handle operatively associated with a proximal end portion of the sheath and having an actuation mechanism operatively connected to the at least one steering cable accommodated within the at least one lateral passages of the sheath for steering the deflectable distal end portion of the sheath in at least one direction relative to the longitudinal axis thereof.
US09907568B2

The present invention is a method for performing a percutaneous laminoplasty that includes entering a first introducer needle introducing a first tool wire into an epidural space above a selected lamina, entering a first catcher exit needle that that is caught with the first introducer needle and pulled through a patient body and entering a second introducer needle introducing a second tool wire into the epidural space below the selected lamina. The method also includes entering a second catcher exit needle that is caught within the epidural space and pulled through the patient body, moving the caught first introducer needle and the first catcher exit needle back and forth to cut the lamina and moving the caught second introducer needle and the second catcher exit needle back and forth to cut the lamina. There is also a method for performing a percutaneous foraminoplasty.
US09907566B2

An atherectomy device with an exchangeable drive shaft is disclosed, having a drive shaft gear at a distal end of the exchangeable drive shaft for meshing engagement with a prime mover gear on the output shaft of the prime mover. The exchangeable drive shaft is inserted into an opening at the distal end of the handle housing and moved axially in a proximal direction. Surface features on at least the prime mover housing and the engageable drive shaft help to align the drive shaft gear with the prime mover gear for meshing engagement.
US09907563B2

A fluid management system for use in a tissue resection procedure includes a controller. An inflow pump is operated by the controller and configured to provide fluid inflow through a flow path to a site in patient's body. An outflow pump is operated by the controller and configured to provide fluid outflow through a flow path from the site in patient's body. A motor driven resecting device may be provided for resecting tissue at the site. The controller is configured to actuate an inflow pump and an outflow pump in response to various signals and various algorithms are provided to provide malfunction warnings and assure safe operation.
US09907562B2

Fixation guide devices and methods for positioning and inserting an intramedullary nail are disclosed. The fixation guide devices include a frame with a first end and a second end, a compression device removably coupled to the first end of the frame, and the intramedullary nail secured to a nail attachment apparatus of the frame. An intramedullary nail including a body with a fastening end, a closed end, and at least two openings is also disclosed. A compression device includes a compression member, a knob, and a bolt secured in the knob and rotatably engaging the compression member is also disclosed. An alignment guide is disclosed and includes a base member, an alignment member, and a fixation guide. A method of inserting an intramedullary nail into two bones for fixation of the two bones is also disclosed.
US09907560B2

Several devices and methods for preparing the vertebral endplates while minimizing damage to the vertebral endplates. Each design incorporates flexible means to reduce endplate damage while enabling removal of the cartilage adhered to the endplate cortical bone.
US09907537B2

Disclosed is a pullback system, which has a simplified and miniaturized structure and an advanced function. The pullback system includes a central unit, which includes a rotation transducer part that rotates, and a stretchable part that is connected to a side of the rotation transducer part to rotate together with the rotation transducer part and that has a stretchable property, and a first unit rotatably coupled to a portion of the central unit. As the first unit moves in a first direction oriented from the rotation transducer part to the stretchable part or in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the stretchable part contacts or stretches.
US09907535B2

A non-invasive visual imaging system is provided, wherein the imaging system procures an image of a transducer position during diagnostic or therapeutic treatment. In addition, the system suitably provides for the transducer to capture patient information, such as acoustic, temperature, or ultrasonic images. For example, an ultrasonic image captured by the transducer can be correlated, fused or otherwise combined with the corresponding positional transducer image, such that the corresponding images represent not only the location of the transducer with respect to the patient, but also the ultrasonic image of the region of interest being scanned. Further, a system is provided wherein the information relating to the transducer position on a single patient may be used to capture similar imaging planes on the same patient, or with subsequent patients. Moreover, the imaging information can be effectively utilized as a training tool for medical practitioners.
US09907532B2

Provided is an ultrasound inspection apparatus ensuring the real-time property during ultrasound imaging, reducing the data amount to be stored, and making sound speed value correction after the imaging to allow improvement in image quality, tissue characterization, and so forth with high accuracy. The ultrasound inspection apparatus includes: a first reception signal memory storing element data; an image producer adapted to perform phasing and adding on element data based on a specified sound speed value to produce a sound ray signal, and produce ultrasound image data; a sound speed determiner adapted to determine the optimum sound speed value from a plurality of pieces of ultrasound image data produced using element data; a storage necessity determiner adapted to determine element data whether or not to satisfy a specified condition; and a second reception signal memory storing the element data as determined to satisfy the specified condition.
US09907531B2

A method for ultrasonic imaging comprises: emitting Doppler pulses to a target to be detected; performing a Doppler scan with Doppler pulses; receiving echo signals from the target, wherein the echo signals include Doppler pulse echo signals; processing the echo signals, wherein processing comprises an imaging step, the imaging step comprising parallel processing steps including a 2D image processing step, a flow image processing step, and a spectrum image processing step, wherein the 2D image processing step is configured for processing the echo signals to obtain 2D image signals, the flow image processing step is configured for processing the echo signals to obtain flow image signals, and the spectrum image processing step is configured for processing the echo signals to obtain spectrum image signals; and displaying the processed echo signals.
US09907528B2

An X-ray imaging apparatus may include an image acquirer configured to acquire a plurality of X-ray images of an object in different energy bands; and an image processor configured to perform scattering correction on the plurality of X-ray images to remove X-ray scattering from the plurality of X-ray images, perform material separation on the plurality of X-ray images on which the scattering correction has been performed to acquire material information of at least one material included in the object, and repeatedly perform the scattering correction and the material separation depending on whether a predetermined condition is satisfied.
US09907525B2

An X-ray diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment includes an obtaining unit and a calculating unit. The obtaining unit is configured to, with regard to a plurality of X-ray images that are acquired with time by using a contrast media, obtains first transition information that indicates a time-course transition of a signal intensity of the contrast media in a region of interest that corresponds to a blood vessel and obtains second transition information that indicates a time-course transition of the signal intensity of the contrast media in a region to which the contrast media flows earlier than the region of interest. The calculating unit is configured to analyze the first transition information by using the second transition information to calculate blood flow information on each blood flow in the region of interest.
US09907512B2

A system includes at least one medical device configured to generate a plurality of messages and a control unit in the at least one device. The control unit is configured to generate an auditory signal corresponding to one of the plurality of messages, wherein the auditory signal is configured based on a functional relationship linking psychological sound perceptions in a clinical environment to acoustic and musical sound properties. The functional relationship includes a plurality of types of auditory messages defining seven unique categories.
US09907507B2

The present invention relates to a method of diagnosing, or providing a prognosis to, or for providing the likelihood of developing, malignant melanoma in a subject, the method comprising the steps of: (a) measuring two or more markers in blood perfusion dynamics at and/or around a skin lesion site; and (b) determining if the two or more markers is different to a normal value. The invention also relates to a device for diagnosing/providing a prognosis to/for malignant melanoma in a subject.
US09907505B2

The present disclosure relates to methods and devices to detect perforation of the bowel, for example, resulting from surgical procedures, such as laparoscopy, diagnostic procedures, such as colonoscopy, medical conditions, such as diverticulitis, and trauma. The present disclosure also relates to filtration systems and electrical connector assemblies for use in the methods and devices.
US09907492B2

Methods, devices, and systems are provided for correcting lag in measurements of analyte concentration level in interstitial fluid. The invention includes receiving a signal representative of sensor data from an analyte monitoring system related to an analyte level measured over time, computing rates of change of the sensor data for a time period of the sensor data, computing a rate distribution of the rates of change, transforming the rate distribution into a linear arrangement, determining a best-fit line for the transformed rate distribution, computing a slope of the best-fit line; and using the slope of the best-fit line as a representation of a variability of the analyte level to adjust an amount of lag correction applied to the sensor data. Numerous additional features are disclosed.
US09907490B2

A lancing device comprising a lancet holder for holding an exchangeable lancet and comprising a drive element for driving the lancet holder. The drive element has two spring elements comprising a lancing spring element for accelerating the lancet holder in the lancing direction and a restoring spring element for accelerating the lancet holder counter to the lancing direction. The drive element has a carriage unit with a spring-tensioning carriage part and a lancing carriage part, and the spring-tensioning carriage part and the lancing carriage part are arranged to be displaceable in translation relative to one another and form a lancing spring element receiving region and a restoring spring element receiving region. The lancing spring element receiving region can be reduced by translational displacement of the spring-tensioning carriage part relative to the lancing carriage part, in order to pre-tension the lancing spring element within the lancing spring element receiving region.
US09907489B2

This disclosure relates to a hierarchy of classifiers, including linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifiers, arranged to provide simultaneous control of multiple degrees of freedom of a prosthetic. The high accuracy of the hierarchical approach allows pattern recognition techniques to be extended to permit simultaneous control, potentially allowing amputees to produce more fluid, life-like movements, ultimately increasing their quality of life. The hierarchy may also be used to control a biological interface that allows input to computers for persons with disabilities, used as a potential video-game controller, and used as an input interface for tablets, and phones.
US09907485B2

A system and method for treating Alzheimer's disease by delivery of an agent within the brain. At least one image of a target region is acquired, and at least one magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (MR-DTI) scan of the target region is acquired. A diffusion tensor is calculated from the at least one MR-DTI scan, and at least one of an agent distribution and an agent concentration from the images and the calculated diffusion tensor is calculated. Using at least one of the calculated diffusion tensor, the images, the calculated agent distribution, and the calculated agent concentration, the placement of a delivery instrument is planned to deliver the agent to the target region to achieve a desired agent concentration and/or agent distribution within the target region.
US09907474B2

The present invention relates to a device (22) for processing input signals (34a, 34b) related to a vital sign of a subject (10), comprising an interface (24) for receiving a non-invasively detected input signal (34a, 34b), a feature extraction module (26) for extracting at least one feature of the input signal (34a, 34b), said at least one feature including an instantaneous frequency representation (40a, 40b) of the input signal (34a, 34b) and/or an instantaneous amplitude representation (42a, 42b) of the input signal (34a, 34b), a processing module (28) for determining a signal information content parameter (52) for the input signal (34a, 34b) based on the at least one extracted feature, said signal information content parameter (52) being indicative of information on a vital sign of the subject (10) included in the input signal (34a, 34b) and a combination module (30) for combining a plurality of input signals based on the signal information content parameters (52) of the plurality of input signals into a combined output signal characterizing the vital sign of the subject (10). The present invention further relates to a corresponding method and to a monitoring system (12) for remotely monitoring a vital sign of a subject (10).
US09907468B2

An eye imaging apparatus can include a housing, an optical imaging system in the housing, and a light source in the housing to illuminate an eye. The optical imaging system can include an optical window at a front end of the housing with a concave front surface for receiving the eye as well as an imaging lens disposed rearward the optical window. The apparatus can comprise a light conditioning element configured to receive light from the light source and direct said light to the eye. The apparatus can further include an image sensor in the housing disposed to receive an image of the eye from the optical imaging system. In various embodiments, light conditioning element includes at least one multi-segment surface. In some embodiments, the housing is provided with at least one hermitic seal, for example, with the optical window. In some embodiments, time sequential illumination is employed.
US09907460B2

A device (100) for cleaning and method of cleaning an endoscope distal end (128) is disclosed. The device (100) may include a sealed longitudinal chamber (110) that may contain a porous structure (132) with fluid, and a brush and a spring (121) loaded brush. A removable substantially airtight closure (146) may be removed to allow an endoscope distal end (128) to be placed into the longitudinal chamber (110) and contact the porous structure (132) and the brush prior to a full cleaning, thereby preventing contaminates from drying and hardening on the endoscope distal end (128) prior to a cleaning and sanitization process. The spring (121) loaded brush may be moved to clean portions of the endoscope distal end (128) including cavities such and tools including an elevator or lifter. A cap may be removed from a airtight connector (120) and a fluid source may be connected to the airtight connector (120) to assist in the endoscope (127) cleaning process.
US09907457B2

An endoscope has a pannable camera at the distal end of its insertion shaft, the pannable camera assembly being pivotable to provide a range of a field of view that can be equal to or greater than 180 degrees. A terminal light emitting element may be mounted to the camera assembly in order to illuminate the immediate field of view of the camera sensor regardless of the rotational position of the camera assembly. A fluid-carrying conduit of the insertion section may also be used to house functional components, including the camera assembly, actuation cables, a communications cable connected to the camera sensor, and/or a fiberoptic cable providing light to the light emitting element. A distal section of the endoscope handle may be rotatable relative to a proximal hand-held section of the endoscope handle, a rotary encoder being provided to convert the rotational position of the insertion shaft relative to the handle into a signal for the purpose of image orientation correction by an electronic processor.
US09907446B2

A floor tool for a vacuum cleaning appliance comprising a body including a suction nozzle, a neck coupled to the body so as to pivot relative to it about an axis ‘A’, wherein the neck includes a base portion that defines a rail formation located at least partially about its circumference and the body includes a runner formation that is engaged with a discrete part of the rail formation, the rail formation being slidable relative to the runner formation thereby coupling the base portion to the body but permitting the base portion to pivot relative to the body.
US09907445B2

A ground brush for a vacuum cleaner includes a ground brush body, brushroll cover, and brushroll. The ground brush body has a first locking member. The brushroll cover has a lower end rotatingly connected with the ground brush body through a rotating shaft, and an upper end provided with a snapping cooperating part. When the brushroll cover is rotated to be opened at a certain angle, the first locking member cooperates with a second locking member to lock the brushroll cover to the ground brush body. The brushroll is rotatably disposed on the brushroll cover, and has a lower end connected with the lower end of the brushroll cover and an upper end provided with a snapping part, in which the snapping part is configured to cooperate with the snapping cooperating part, such that the brushroll cover can drive the brushroll to rotate relative to the ground brush body.
US09907444B2

An upright surface cleaning apparatus includes a surface cleaning head having a dirty air inlet. A support structure is moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head and a portable cleaning unit is removably mounted to the support structure. An above floor cleaning wand is provided.
US09907432B2

A delivery head for a beverage preparation machine comprising a movable first part and a fixed second part, the first part being movable relative to the second part between an open position and a closed position, in the open position the first part being positioned to enable loading of a cartridge into the delivery head, in the closed position the first part and second part being positioned to hold said cartridge in a dispensing position, the delivery head further comprising an inlet piercer and an outlet piercer, the inlet piercer and the outlet piercer being orientated substantially in the same direction and being pivotable relative to the fixed second part between a retracted position and a piercing position.
US09907431B2

A beverage preparation machine configured to dispense a beverage through an outlet nozzle assembly, the machine comprising: an outlet nozzle assembly having provided therethrough a first outlet and a second outlet; and one or more conduits arranged to deliver selectably fluid to the first outlet or the second outlet.
US09907429B2

The present invention concerns a beverage preparation machine (1) for preparing a beverage from a food substance contained in a capsule (12) by injection of a fluid into said capsule (12), said machine comprising: —a capsule holder (8) for holding a capsule, said holder (8) having a cup-shaped body (27), a handle portion (28), and a dispensing opening (29) through the bottom portion (30) of said body (27); —a fluid conduction system comprising a fluid reservoir (2), a fluid pump, optionally a fluid heater, said reservoir, pump and heater being connected by fluid pipes; —a brewing head (3) having an aperture for receiving said capsule holder (8), and an injection support (17) connected to the fluid conduction system; —an injection plate (18) supported by said support (17), said injection plate (18) comprising an upper surface (23) with a fluid coupling (32) connected to the fluid conduction system through said support, said injection plate (18) further comprising a fluid conducting channel (24) connecting the fluid coupling (32) to a fluid injection element (19) located in the lower surface (22) of said injection plate (18), such that said injection element (19) is able to inject fluid into the capsule (12), characterized in that said injection plate (18) further comprises at least one cleaning channel (21) independent from the fluid conducting channel (24) connecting its upper (23) and lower (22) surfaces, said cleaning channel(s) (21) being suitable for circulating fluid at least from the lower surface (22) towards the upper surface (23) of said injection plate (18).
US09907424B2

An accessory used to assist a disabled person to put on an upper garment, such as a coat, sweater or vest with two armholes. The accessory includes a rigid round member and a flexible arm each securely attached to the opposite ends of a rigid elongated base. The round member is configured to vertically support the upper garment when draped thereon and still allow disengagement of the upper garment from the round member when the upper garment is pulled downward. Attached to the distal end of the flexible arm is a clamping member configured to temporarily grip the upper, front edge or the lapel of the upper garment. The flexible arm may be bent and twisted in three axes enabling the upper garment to be stretched and held with its two armholes open and oriented at different locations to accommodate the restricted arm and shoulder movements of different users.
US09907417B2

Apparatus for displaying packaged collectables in a supportive and protective frame. A rear frame member is secured inside a front frame member with a latch. The front frame member has sidewalls that enclose the rear frame member. In one embodiment the latch relies upon magnetic coupling between the front and rear frame members. In another embodiment the latch includes a tab engaging a slot and at least one detent capturing the rear frame member inside the sidewalls of the front frame member. The front frame member has an opening to allow the protrusion of a blister if the collectable has a blister package. The rear frame member has a transparent pane or portion. The collectable is visible from the front and back of the frame. The front and rear frame members are separable by manipulating the rear frame member through at least one notch in the front frame member.
US09907411B2

A play yard system for infants or small children. They play yard includes a frame, and the system includes at least one child support unit for mounting to the frame of the play yard. The at least one child support unit may take the form of a bassinet and/or a changing table. The play yard frame may be collapsible for storage and transport, and the child support unit may be removable from the play yard frame.
US09907400B1

A retracting mechanism for a movable furniture part includes a body, a catching member, a connecting member, a supporting member, and a resilient member. The catching member and the body are movable with respect to each other. The connecting member is connected to the catching member, and the supporting member is connected to the connecting member. The resilient member applies an elastic restoring force to the catching member. The supporting member is engaged with the body when the body reaches a predetermined position with respect to the catching member by being moved in a certain direction. The engagement helps reduce the pulling force the operator has to apply to move the body further in the same direction with respect to the catching member.
US09907395B2

Hinge members and foldable structures incorporating the same are described herein. A foldable structure includes a section, a brace, and a hinge member attaching to the section to enable the section to move between a folded position and an extended position. The hinge member includes a first bracket and a second bracket that are hingedly joined to each other. The first bracket includes a first flange that is integrally formed and extending from the first bracket. The first brace is attached, between the first flange of the first bracket and a surface of a different structure, to the first hinge member.
US09907386B2

An applicator for applying a cosmetic make-up or cosmetic care product to the eyelashes and/or the eyebrows, said applicator comprising a rod and an application member at one end of the rod, the application member being produced by molding a material and comprising a non-twisted core extending along a longitudinal axis and application elements carried by the core and arranged in a plurality of helical rows about the longitudinal axis of the core, the application member having at least one helical strip extending over more than half a revolution about the longitudinal axis of the core, which strip is free of application elements and delimited by two consecutive helical rows of application elements extending parallel to each other, the gap between said two consecutive helical rows of application elements being greater than the average gap between the application elements within said helical rows.
US09907380B2

A luggage article is provided. The luggage article includes a shell, an electronic processing module integrated with the shell, and an electronic display coupled to the electronic processing module and arranged on an outer surface of the shell. The processing module is configured to control the display to display information items to a user of the luggage article. The luggage article may be configured to display itinerary or travel related information on the display under the control of a user of the luggage article.
US09907379B2

A sports bag includes a top portion having a pair of openings or a sleeve through which an athlete's stick or bat may be mounted. The stick or bat when mounted on the sports bag provides a handle for carrying the sports bag. Preferably, the sports bag is slung over the shoulder of the athlete. The sports bag may be in the form of an elongated triangular shape having a bottom which is substantially rectangular, the narrow portion of the sports bag being positioned on a top thereof. The front end includes a contour to fit around and over the shoulder of the athlete. The invention also includes a method of carrying sporting equipment using the sports bag and sliding a sport's stick through the openings or sleeve and using the stick as the handle to carry the sports bag.
US09907373B2

The present invention dicloses a bag for a mobile user.A bag for a mobile device user according to the present invention comprises a body having a front side, a back side, lateral sides, a top side, and a bottom side; a support board being placed on the front side; a first multi-position fixing unit being pivotally provided to the lateral sides or the front side; a second multi-position fixing unit being provided to both sides, a bottom side, or an outer side of the support board, and being pivotally combined with the support board; and a support arm in which one end of the support arm is pivotally combined with the first multi-position fixing unit, while the other end of the support arm is pivotally combined with the second multi-position fixing unit, wherein a position of the second multi-position fixing unit is adjusted by a rotational movement of the first multi-position fixing unit, and a tilting angle of the support board is adjusted by a rotational movement of the second multi-position fixing unit.
US09907368B2

Provided is a buckle including a plug member and a socket member, wherein the plug member includes lock arms and a guide rod located at a middle position between the lock arms, and the socket member includes a holder formed in a chamber so as to catch the lock arm. The guide rod is provided on the front end thereof with a holding member, and the socket member is centrally provided with a guide groove for the coupling of the guide rod and is also provided with a holding protrusion for the coupling of the holding member. As such, in addition to the coupling between the lock arm and the holder, another coupling structure is provided so as to prevent the buckle from being easily unfastened by unintentional external contact or pressure while ensuring convenient separation of the buckle with one hand as needed.
US09907367B2

Provided is a buckle including a plug member and a socket member. The plug member includes a plate extending forward from a lower end of a base and having a first magnet embedded in a middle portion thereof, and a holder protruding from a front end of the plate. The socket member includes an upper plate extending forward from an upper end of a base and having a second magnet embedded in a middle portion thereof, side plates formed on opposite sides of the upper plate, and a accommodation region formed inside the upper plate and the side plates so as to accommodate the plate therein. The upper plate has a holder aperture formed therein so that the holder is seated in the holder aperture when the plug member and the socket member are coupled to each other.
US09907366B2

A belt buckle for a vehicle safety belt, comprising a housing (3) which is formed by at least two housing shells (1,2) joined together and in which a locking mechanism (4) is arranged, and a pushbutton (22), provided on said housing, for operating the locking mechanism (4), wherein at least two housing shells (1,2) are joined together at their shell rims and that elongated cover strips (8,9) made of solid material and covering the mutually abutting rims (17,18) of the housing shells (1,2) are fixed to the joined housing shells (1,2).
US09907365B2

The invention relates to footwear and portions thereof having structural features and decorative designs thereon, and related systems and methods for manufacturing same. An example method for providing a feature on a surface of an object includes positioning a laser proximate the surface of the object, directing a laser beam from the laser to the surface of the object to mark or engrave at least a portion of the surface of the object, and moving at least one of the laser or the object to create a pattern on the surface of the object, the pattern providing at least one of an aesthetic or a structural feature on the surface of the object.
US09907361B2

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure. A set of tensioning members extend over the upper and into channels formed in the sole structure. The tensioning members travel through the channels and exit a rear opening of the sole structure where they may be tensioned using a manual or automatic tensioning device.
US09907346B2

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for use in reducing the impact to the head during sporting activities. The present disclosure provides a helmet cap that covers an underlying hard shell helmet. The helmet cap has a durable, energy absorbing outer shell, which lessens the initial impact to the helmet. The outer shell is formed into segments of padded material that may deform on impact. The outer shell has an inner surface that allows the outer shell to slide over the surface of a helmet thereby reducing forces applied to a wearer. The helmet cap may be securely attached to helmets without modification of the helmets. The helmet cap may include an adjustable fastener that allows the helmet cap to be securely attached to helmets of varying dimensions.
US09907345B2

A fastening module is used to attach a first end of a first material to a second end of a second material to form a strap. The fastening module has a first attachment feature and a second attachment feature. The first end is attached to the first attachment feature. The second end is attached to the second attachment feature by wrapping the second end around a bar-like feature. The second end comprises a non-slidable magnetically attractive material near its tip and a slideable magnetically attractive material further from the tip. The tip of the second end is wrapped around the bar like feature and engages with the slidable magnetically attractive material to secure the strap. Adjustment of the strap can be accomplished by sliding the slidable magnetically attractive element.
US09907344B2

Described is a wearable garment that converts into a sleeping bag for insulating a user from environmental elements. The garment includes a hooded jacket having two side portions covering a user's chest, a rear portion covering a user's back, two arm portions and a jacket hood. A lower pouch is removably secured at the bottom of the jacket and folds up to lie flat against the interior of the rear portion and jacket hood. This lower pouch is a recess contoured to fit the shape of a human lower body and having two feet shaped recesses at the bottom. By contouring the lower body enclosure to fit the shape of the legs and feet, excess air space is eliminated and overall insulation is improved. In this way the device provides a user with an easy to carry, non-cumbersome sleeping bag that protects the user from the outdoors and cold environments.
US09907342B2

An undergarment is provided having a support system configured to comfortably support a male wearer's genitalia throughout aggressive athletic movements. Inside of the undergarment, an internal pocket is formed by a generally H-shaped insert that holds the male wearer's genitalia in a forward position and keeps the wearer's genitalia aligned with the internal portion of the athletic cup positioned at the front of the undergarment. Additionally, the H-shaped insert positions the male wearer's genitalia away from their legs, providing increased support and comfort for the wearer. A cross-wall defining the back of the internal pocket holds the wearer's genitalia to prevent it from dropping backward or downward, and presses against the wearer's perineum at its top edge to further aid in creation of a barrier that even further reduces the risk of chaffing. The side panels of the H-shaped insert are so positioned with respect to the wearer's anatomy so as to pull the back portion of the undergarment forward against the wearer's buttocks, and the bottom portion of the undergarment upward against the bottom of the wearer's torso (and particularly against the wearer's perineum), when worn.
US09907340B2

An electronic cigarette and method for assembling same is provided, wherein the electronic cigarette comprises an electronic cigarette body including a smoking end, an oil reservoir configured for reserving tobacco tar, an atomizer assembly configured for atomizing the tobacco tar, and a battery assembly electrically connected to the atomizer assembly and configured for supplying power to the atomizer assembly; the battery assembly and the oil reservoir are arranged in parallel; the atomizer assembly includes a heating wire assembly which is arranged at one end of the oil reservoir and is deposited outside the oil reservoir; a smoking channel is provided inside the electronic cigarette body, wherein the smoking channel is arranged outside the oil reservoir and is configured for discharging the smoke atomized by the atomizer assembly to the outside of the electronic cigarette body. The electronic cigarette can prevent the oil from penetrating into the smoking channel.
US09907338B2

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling dosing of an electronic smoking device. An electronic smoking device comprises a body through which a flow path at least partially extends, an air inlet in the body that is fluidly connected to the flow path, a liquid compartment for storing a liquid within the body, a vaporizer positioned in the body and configured to receive liquid from the liquid compartment and air from the flow path to generate vaporized liquid, an outlet in the body configured to receive vaporized liquid from the vaporizer, and circuitry connected to the vaporizer and configured to control dosage of vaporized liquid. A method for controlling dosage in an electronic smoking device comprises sensing an airflow, releasing a liquid into the airflow, activating a vaporizer to generate vaporized liquid, and controlling flow of airflow, liquid or vaporized liquid to control dosage.
US09907334B2

A method for opening cigarettes constituting cigarette waste in a device comprising a rotational drum (1) the inner wall of which is provided with at least one scraping away element (2, 2′, 2″) extending generally along the drum, and at least one rotational beater (4, 4′, 4″) located inside the drum (1) striking against the cigarettes, wherein the cigarettes fed into the rotating drum (1) and being lifted by means of at the least one scraping away element (2, 2′, 2″) and falling by gravity, are struck against by means of the at least one rotational beater (4, 4′, 4″) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axes of the cigarettes with a force enabling their opening. A device for realization of the method of the invention.
US09907330B2

A food product and process of making the same is provided which results in a high milk protein product having 10% to 25% milk protein content, higher phospholipids compared to unadulterated cow milk, a casein to whey ration of at least 50:50 and is shelf stable for at least six months. In the process whole milk and at least one milk protein source is mixed, heated and contacted with an acid or acidulating substance and co-precipitated to produce a semi-solid precipitate. The precipitate is mixed with starch and cooked.
US09907312B2

The present invention relates to a composition comprising at least one biological control agent. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of this composition as well as a method for reducing overall damage of plants and plant parts.
US09907307B2

A pest control agent comprising an aromatic compound represented by formula (1) wherein R1 represents a C1-C4 alkyl group, etc.; R3 represents a hydrogen atom, etc.; R7 represents a C1-C3 alkyl group, etc.; T represents the following group T1, T2, or T3; Z2 represents a halogen atom, etc.; Z3 represents a C1-C3 alkyl group, etc.; Q represents the following group Q1, Q2, or Q3; R5 represents a C1-C3 alkyl group, etc.; R10 represents a hydrogen atom, etc.; R11 represents a hydrogen atom, etc.; X1 represents an oxygen atom, etc.; X2 represents a direct bond, etc.; and R12 represents a C1-C3 alkyl group, etc. has excellent control activity.
US09907305B2

A method for the production of a solution of peracetic acid (PAA) containing at most 23 wt % PAA according to which acetic anhydride optionally containing acetic acid (AA) is added in a controlled manner to a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide, wherein the diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has a concentration and is used in an amount such that it if the amount of water required to hydrate all of the added acetic anhydride is subtracted therefrom, it still contains in weight, at least 50% (preferably 54%) of water based on the total amount of water and hydrogen peroxide.
US09907302B2

Grease-like compositions are provided for repelling insects and preventing undesirable behavior in hoofed animals. The compositions utilize nontoxic mineral, synthetic, or vegetable oil based gels containing silica, clay, urea, polytetrafluoroethylene, or metallic soap thickeners and capsaicin.
US09907293B2

Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for attracting different types of wild birds, as chosen by a user. In one implementation, a top section is configured to engage a cap, and a bottom section positioned opposite the top section includes at least one feeding station. A supporting member extends vertically from the bottom section to the top section. The supporting member, the top section, and the bottom section forma frame. A reversible insert has an elongated body extending between a first edge and a second edge. The first edge has a plurality of ports, and the second edge one or more slots. The frame is adapted to receive the reversible insert in an orientation based on a size of the bird seed.
US09907282B1

A soybean cultivar designated 60371632 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 60371632, to the plants of soybean cultivar 60371632, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 60371632, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 60371632. 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. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 60371632. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 60371632, 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 cultivar 60371632 with another soybean cultivar.
US09907278B1

The present invention is in the field of soybean variety CW1410185 breeding and development. The present invention particularly relates to the soybean variety CW1410185 and its seed, cells, germplasm, plant parts, and progeny, and methods of using CW1410185 in a breeding program.
US09907276B1

A soybean cultivar designated 54141127 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 54141127, to the plants of soybean cultivar 54141127, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 54141127, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 54141127. 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. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 54141127. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 54141127, 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 cultivar 54141127 with another soybean cultivar.
US09907275B1

A novel maize variety designated X95K958 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are produced by crossing inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant by crossing hybrid maize variety X95K958 with another maize plant are disclosed. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X95K958 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X95K958, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X95K958. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X95K958.
US09907273B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01051571. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01051571. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01051571 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01051571 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09907265B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01058380. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01058380. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01058380 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01058380 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09907261B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01063928. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01063928. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01063928 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01063928 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09907251B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01058313. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01058313. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01058313 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01058313 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09907234B2

The battery-powered backpack blower includes a back support assembly including a back plate configured to permit a user to mount the blower to the user's back, and a volute assembly including a first volute portion and a second volute portion. The backpack blower further includes a housing assembly including a battery assembly and a motor assembly therein, the housing assembly is provided intermediate to the back assembly and the volute assembly.
US09907233B2

An extractor apparatus for moving grain from a grain bag has a frame mounted for movement along the ground in a rearward direction, and an upright oriented main auger attached to a rear end of the frame. A knife extends rearward from the main auger to cut the grain bag. A feed auger extends horizontally right and left of the intake end of the main auger, and is configured to auger grain to the intake end of the main auger. A disintegrator shaft is mounted rearward of the feed auger and parallel to the feed auger, and a plurality of disintegrator blades are spaced along a length of the disintegrator shaft and extend outward from the disintegrator shaft. A drive system is operative to rotate the main auger, feed auger, and disintegrator shaft. The length of the disintegrator shaft can be adjusted to suit the width of a particular bag.
US09907232B2

A method for preventing or removing a plugging of a feeder duct of a baler. The baler includes a bale chamber including bottom wall in which an inlet opening is formed therein, and a feeder duct including a top wall and a bottom wall extending between a lower end and a upper end of the feeder duct, the top wall providing an upper boundary of the feeder duct and the bottom wall providing a lower boundary of the feeder duct. The method includes steps of increasing a distance between the top wall and the bottom wall of the feeder duct in at least a part of the feeder duct, while leaving an upper boundary provided by the top wall of the feeder duct and a lower boundary provided by the bottom wall of the feeder duct intact, and operating a feeder in the feeder duct.
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