US07940610B2
An optical head includes an objective lens held by a lens holder that is driven by a coil. The optical head includes: a base, including a mounting face having an opening portion; a substrate, operable to supply an electric power to the coil, and including a first portion; and a supporter, mounted on the mounting face, and including a second portion which faces the first portion and which is formed with a recessed portion that is connected with the opening portion.
US07940609B2
A system for duplication of data onto disks includes a housing, a drawer device, a transport mechanism, a set of disk holders, an arm and a control device. The housing includes a printing device and a set of copy units. The transport mechanism is connected to the arm for moving individual disks between the disk holders, the drawer device and the set of copy units. The control device automatically controls the various functions of various components of the system for duplication.
US07940608B2
An auto feed, copy and print apparatus for information storage disks and a method of the same are disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame, a read/write and print device and a feeding device. The read/write and print device and the feeding device are mounted on the frame. The feeding apparatus feeds a disk once by gravity onto a tray of the read/write and print device. The tray retracts so as to perform copy and print disk cover operations. The Method includes steps of providing disks, using a feeding device to support the disks and feeds a single disk once by gravity, receiving the disk on a tray, retracting the tray with the disk into a read/write and print device, and using the read/write and print apparatus to write data into the disk and print the disk's cover.
US07940603B2
An ultrasonic transducer cell according to the present invention includes: a substrate; a charge holding portion provided on the substrate; a lower electrode provided on the charge holding portion and used to input and output a signal; and a vibration membrane provided above the lower electrode to be separated from the lower electrode with a cavity, and configured to include at least an insulating film and an upper electrode provided on the insulating film.
US07940602B1
An underwater depth discrepancy system and method are provided. A comparator compares an actual underwater depth with a predetermined/prerecorded chart depth corresponding to a current location corresponding to the location of the actual underwater depth. A first signal is generated when the actual underwater depth is greater than the chart depth while a second signal is generated when the actual underwater depth is less than the chart depth. The current location and actual underwater depth are recorded whenever the first or second signal is generated. In addition, one or more alarms are generated when the second signal is generated.
US07940600B2
A method and apparatus for stray magnetic field compensation in a non-volatile memory cell, such as a spin-torque transfer random access memory (STRAM). In some embodiments, a first tunneling barrier is coupled to a reference structure that has a perpendicular anisotropy and a first magnetization direction. A recording structure that has a perpendicular anisotropy is coupled to the first tunneling barrier and a nonmagnetic spacer layer. A compensation layer that has a perpendicular anisotropy and a second magnetization direction in substantial opposition to the first magnetization direction is coupled to the nonmagnetic spacer layer. Further, the memory cell is programmable to a selected resistance state with application of a current to the recording structure.
US07940597B2
Semiconductor memory device and parallel test method of the same. The test includes writing data into multiple memory banks simultaneously, reading the data from a portion of the memory banks, compressing the read data and outputting the compressed data to the outside of a chip.
US07940595B2
A power up detection system for a memory device. Two rows of memory cells are mask programmed to include a word of data having an arbitrary size. The word in the second row is a single-bit shifted version of the word in the first row, such that each bit is shifted one bit position in a predetermined direction. The bits of the first word are read from the first row into slave latches of the register stages of a data register, and then shifted into the master latches of the next register stage of the data register. The bits of the second word are read from the second row into the slave latches of the register stages. Data comparison logic compares data stored in the master and slave latches of each register stage, and provides a signal indicating matching data between the first latches and the second latches, thereby indicating successful power up of the memory device.
US07940594B2
An electronic circuit includes multiple circuit elements arranged into multiple distinct subdivisions, each subdivision having a separate voltage supply connection for conveying power to the subdivision. The electronic circuit further includes a controller including multiple outputs, each of the outputs being connected to a corresponding one of the voltage supply connections. When a given one of the subdivisions does not include a weak circuit element, the controller supplies a first voltage level to the given subdivision via the corresponding voltage supply connection. When the given subdivision includes at least one weak circuit element, the controller is operative to supply at least a second voltage level to the given subdivision via the corresponding voltage supply connection, the second voltage level being greater than the first voltage level.
US07940589B2
A bit line sense amplifier circuit for use in a semiconductor memory device, and a control method thereof, in which the bit line sense amplifier circuit is controlled to maintain a precharge state thereof until a sense amplifier enable signal to enable the sense amplifier circuit is applied, thereby preventing the bit line sense amplifier circuit of the semiconductor memory device from floating, and preventing or substantially reducing a coupling effect, thereby providing a precise data sensing and amplification operation.
US07940587B2
A semiconductor memory device comprises a memory cell array having memory cells arranged at intersections of word lines and bit lines, a first sense amplifier connected to a bit line at a predetermined position of the bit lines, a second sense amplifier connected to a bit line adjacent to the bit line at the predetermined position, a supplying circuit for supplying a predetermined voltage to each bit line connected to the first or second sense amplifier, and a sense amplifier control circuit capable of controlling the first and second sense amplifiers independently. In the semiconductor memory device, the sense amplifier control circuit performs a control in which an operation of either of the first and second sense amplifiers is stopped, the predetermined voltage is supplied to the bit line connected to the stopped sense amplifier, and the other of the first and second sense amplifiers is operated.
US07940586B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a global I/O line (GIO) for transmitting read data and write data between a peripheral region and a core region when a read/write operation is activated, and a test circuit for transmitting/receiving test data through the global I/O line to test the semiconductor memory device, when a test operation is activated.
US07940582B2
An integrated circuit including an array of memory cells, a circuit, volatile storage, and non-volatile storage. The circuit is configured to detect defective memory cells in the array of memory cells and provide addresses of the defective memory cells. The volatile storage is configured to store the addresses, where each entry in the volatile storage includes one of the addresses and a volatile storage master bit. The non-volatile storage is configured to store the addresses, where each entry in the non-volatile storage includes one of the addresses and a non-volatile storage master bit.
US07940581B2
A method for sensing the contents of a memory cell within a static random access memory (SRAM) includes holding a bit line associated with the memory cell at a zero voltage potential when the memory cell is not being accessed; energizing the bit line to a first voltage potential different than the zero voltage potential during an access of the memory cell; and sensing the memory cell contents when the associated bit line has reached the first voltage potential.
US07940578B2
A flash memory device includes first and second memory cell array blocks and a row decoder coupled to the first memory cell array block and the second memory cell array block. The row decoder includes a block decoder, a single high voltage level shifter that is coupled to both the first and second memory cell array blocks, the single high voltage level shifter configured to provide a block wordline signal of a high voltage to the first and second memory array blocks in response to a block selection signal received from the block decoder, a first pass transistor unit, and a second pass transistor unit.
US07940573B2
To provide a NOR-type nonvolatile semiconductor memory that can inject electric charge into a charge accumulation layer through the use of an FN tunnel current without compromising an increase in the packing density of memory cells. The above problem is solved by a nonvolatile semiconductor memory in which nonvolatile semiconductor memory cells are arranged in a matrix, each nonvolatile semiconductor memory cell having an island semiconductor layer in which a drain diffusion layer formed in the upper part of the island semiconductor layer, a source diffusion layer formed in the lower part of the island semiconductor layer, a charge accumulation layer formed on a channel region of the side wall sandwiched between the drain diffusion layer and the source diffusion layer via a gate insulation film, and a control gate formed on the charge accumulation layer are formed. Further, bit lines connected to the drain diffusion layer are laid out in a column direction, control gate lines are laid out in a row direction, and source lines connected to the source diffusion layer are laid out in the column direction.
US07940571B2
A memory apparatus and a method thereof for operating a memory are provided herein. The apparatus has the memory and a controller. The memory has a plurality of memory cells, and each the memory cells has a first side and the second side. Each of the first side and the second side is programmable to store one bit of data. The controller programs the first sides and the second sides of the memory cells to different levels. Several threshold voltage distributions of the programmed memory cells could be overlapped with each other. The controller distinguishes the bits of the memory cells by comparing the threshold voltages of the memory cells with the different levels and by comparing the threshold voltages with those of neighbor sides.
US07940570B2
A memory that employs separate Dynamic reference (Dref) areas to provide a threshold voltage reference signal. The memory includes the separate Dref areas, a data area positioned between the Dref areas, a reference array, and one or more sense amplifiers. The data area is arranged to provide an output signal, the reference cell and the separate Dref areas are arranged to provide the threshold voltage reference signal, and the sense amplifiers are arranged to receive the output signal and the threshold voltage reference signal.
US07940566B2
In a NAND flash memory device, a dummy NAND string is arranged between a plurality of normal NAND strings. A dummy bit line connected to the dummy NAND string is formed and/or controlled such that when program voltages are applied to the normal NAND strings, memory cells within the dummy NAND string are not programmed.
US07940564B2
Disclosed is a 3D memory device including a first plane having a first mat formed on a first layer and a third mat formed on a second layer disposed over the first layer, the first and third mats sharing a bit line, and a second plane having a second mat formed on the first layer and a fourth mat formed on the second layer. The second and fourth mats share a bit line. Each one of the first through fourth mats includes a plurality of blocks and a block associated with the first plane is simultaneously accessed with a block of the second plane.
US07940562B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array of data-rewritable non-volatile memory cells or memory cell units containing the memory cells, and a plurality of word lines each commonly connected to the memory cells on the same row in the memory cell array. In write pulse applying during data writing, a high voltage for writing is applied to a selected word line, and an intermediate voltage for writing is applied to at least two of non-selected word lines. The beginning of charging a first word line located between the selected word line and a source line to a first intermediate voltage for writing is followed by the beginning of charging a second word line located between the selected word line and a bit line contact to a second intermediate voltage for writing.
US07940551B2
Spin-transfer torque memory having a specular insulative spacer is disclosed. The spin-transfer torque memory unit includes a free magnetic layer, a reference magnetic layer, an electrically insulating and non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer separating the free magnetic layer from the reference magnetic layer, an electrode layer, and an electrically insulating and electronically reflective layer separating the electrode layer and the free magnetic layer.
US07940549B2
The configurations of a DRAM positive wordline voltage compensation device and a voltage compensating method thereof are provided in the present invention. The proposed device includes a comparator having a first input terminal receiving a positive wordline voltage feedback signal, a second input terminal receiving a compensating reference of array device threshold voltage and an output terminal generating a first enable signal, an oscillator receiving the first enable signal and generating an oscillating signal when the first enable signal is active and a charge pump having a first input terminal receiving a second enable signal, a second input terminal receiving the oscillating signal and an output terminal generating a positive wordline voltage being a sum of a bitline high voltage, an array device threshold voltage and a voltage margin.
US07940541B2
A scheme for bit cell designs for ternary content addressable memory for comparing search data with content data is disclosed. In one embodiment, a system for comparing search data with content data stored in a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) unit, includes a first static logic gate for comparing a first content data with a first search data, and a second static logic gate coupled to the first static logic gate for comparing a second content data with a second search data. The content data comprises the first content data and the second content data and the search data comprises the first search data and the second search data. The first static logic gate forwards a signal for disabling the second static logic gate if the first content data does not match with the first search data.
US07940535B2
A transformer 6 and a photocoupler 5 are provided to ensure insulation between a primary side circuit section 10 connected to an alternating current power supply 2, and a secondary side circuit section 20 for applying a voltage to a lamp 4. A detection circuit section 22E, provided in the secondary side circuit section 20, detects an output voltage and an output current of the lamp 4 to detect a deviation from a predetermined power. A signal corresponding to the deviation, which has been detected by the detection circuit section 22E, is transmitted to the primary side circuit section 10 via the photocoupler 5 provided between the primary side circuit section 10 and the secondary side circuit section 20. A switching control section 13, provided in the primary side circuit section 10, carries out switching control for constant power lighting based on the signal transmitted from the photocoupler 5.
US07940532B2
The present invention relates, generally, to electrical power conversion devices and to the universal packaging of those devices for a wide range of applications yielding cost efficient inventory management of product lines consisting of a group of power conversion devices each with minor variations. More specifically, the present invention relates to a universal mounting frame for receiving a printed circuit board in a switch mode power supply. The universal frame is adapted for receiving an open frame or printed circuit board and securing the open frame within a plurality of known packaging configurations. To this end, only a single size printed circuit board is necessary for any type of switch mode power supply configurations, thereby, reducing costs associated with manufacture and testing.
US07940529B2
A storage device transporter is provided for transporting a storage device and for mounting a storage device within a test slot. The storage device transporter includes a frame that is configured to receive and support a storage device, and a clamping mechanism associated with the frame. The clamping mechanism is operable to apply a clamping force to a storage device supported by the frame The storage device transporter also includes a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermocouple). The clamping mechanism is operable to move the temperature sensor into contact with a storage device supported by the frame for measuring a temperature of the storage device.
US07940526B2
The invention relates to a module with a number of electrical or electronic components or switching circuits provided on a common cooler structure flowed through by a cooling medium. The entire cooler structure is made up of at least two plate-shaped coolers, which are arranged parallel to one another in an interspaced manner and which are flowed through by the cooling medium.
US07940525B2
An air-cooled electronic device includes a device housing having a bottom surface, and a motorized fan having a fan housing having a mounting hole, and having a hook projection secured to the bottom surface, the hook projection shaped and dimensioned to engage the mounting hole, and having an abutment, with the abutment, the hook and the mounting hole being arranged to secure the fan housing in a position without screws, rivets, or other hardware.
US07940523B2
A connecting module includes: a main section in which an electronic circuit is housed; a plate section that is rotatably supported by the main section, and that is adapted to lie in front of the main section, and that is rotatable between a flat position in which an electronic device is laid on a first face representing a top face and a standing position in which the electronic device is leaned against a second face representing a back face opposite to the first face; and a first connector that couples with the electronic device laid on the plate section when the plate section is in the flat position so as to connect the electronic device to the electronic circuit in the main section.
US07940522B2
A portable computer docking station comprises a cradle coupled to a docking base where the cradle is adapted to receive a portable computer. The docking station also comprises a wireless receiver adapted to communicate a wireless input signal received by the docking station to the portable computer.
US07940516B2
A capacitor including a substrate; a conductive layer provided on the substrate and containing conductive particles; a valve metal sheet having a dielectric part formed throughout an entire surface of the conductive layer; a protection layer covering the valve metal sheet; a first electrode terminal electrically connected to the conductive layer and partially exposed from an external surface of the protection layer; and a second electrode terminal electrically connected to a surface of the valve metal sheet which is opposite to a surface of the valve metal sheet on which the dielectric part is provided, and the second electrode terminal partially exposed from the external surface of the protection layer; wherein the dielectric part is made of an oxide of a metallic material of the valve metal sheet, the dielectric part is formed with a corrugated surface on the conductive layer, and the conductive particles of the conductive layer are in contact with the corrugated surface of the dielectric part.
US07940509B2
Discharge electrodes for generating ion and a member for cleaning the discharge electrodes are mounted on an electrode support frame, which is detachably attached to the case of an ionizer. When the electrode support frame is attached to the case, the cleaning member occupies a retraction position where the cleaning member does not shut off or disturb air that is supplied from a fan. Upon the detachment of the electrode support frame from the case, the cleaning member becomes moveable. Then, the cleaning member is moved while being brought into contact with the discharging parts of the discharge electrodes one after another. As a result, the cleaning member sweeps dust or other particles off the discharging parts thereof.
US07940507B2
The switching control circuit comprises a switching control signal generation circuit that detects a change in ripples of the output voltage and-generates a switching control signal for the on/off control of the switching element to make the output voltage follow the target level; an overcurrent state detection circuit that generates a state signal indicating whether the output current is in an overcurrent state where the output current is equal to or greater than a predetermined current; and a delay circuit that delays the state signal for a same predetermined delay time at both of the times when the output current exceeds the predetermined current and when the output current falls below the predetermined current.
US07940496B2
A data storage device is disclosed with a housing sized for a tape drive. A tape reel is mounted for rotation within the housing and a guide is mounted in the housing spaced apart from the tape reel. A first end of a data tape segment is mounted to the tape reel and a second end is not mounted to the tape reel. A structural tape segment has a pair of ends mounted between the first and second ends of the data tape segment for structurally enhancing an intermediate region of the data tape segment. In another embodiment, a structurally enhanced intermediate region is advanced to a read/write region of the data storage device during storage of the device for preventing inadvertent damage to the data tape.
US07940493B2
Spindle motor including flexible circuit substrate and recording disk drive having the spindle motor
Using a simple and inexpensive method, a reliable spindle motor having a simple and inexpensive structure is afforded, in which contact failure of the FPC does not occur even when the motor undergoes external impact. An extending portion is provided radially outer side of an annular recess of a base. The extending portion has a step whose radially outer side is higher, and a through hole formed such as to pass through the base from its inside to outside. A FPC is disposed on an upper surface of a stator. The FPC is fixed to a lower surface of the base through the through hole. The bending height and the bending angle of the FPC are minimized by providing the step having appropriate height so that the FPC is not easily peeled off even when subject to external impact.
US07940490B2
An apparatus and a method for improving bandwidth of a fine positioning mechanism in data storage manufacturing and test equipment that require fine positioning of a head on or about a track. The method comprises the steps of sensing separate sources of mechanical disturbance that mis-position the head with one or more non-contact position sensors, generating a compensating position control signal from one or more input signals, and positioning the head with a fine positioning mechanism and position control signal. The apparatus uses a shear mode micro-actuator as a fine positioning mechanism.
US07940484B2
A projector includes a light source assembly, a digital micro-mirror device, and a projection lens. The light source assembly includes a lamp and a color wheel positioned for receiving light generated by the lamp. The color wheel includes a motor having a contacting portion, a filter, a light-blocker, and a light-isolating sheet. The filter is mounted on the contacting portion of the motor and includes a first area and a second area. Light beams used for forming an image only pass through the first area. The light-blocker is disposed on the filter opposite to the motor. The light-isolating sheet is disposed on the first area and positioned between the filter and the motor and configured for isolating the light beams arrived on the second area.
US07940475B2
A zoom lens of variable power ratio of the order of 3 in which the whole of the zoom lens is made up of three lens elements groups and the power configuration of each of the groups has an arrangement of negative, positive, and negative. The zoom lens includes, sequentially from an object side thereof, a first lens elements group which has a negative refraction power as a whole, a second lens elements group which has a positive refraction power as a whole, and a third lens element group, which has a negative refraction power as a whole. A variable power is realized by shifting the positions of the first and second lens elements group in the direction of an optical axis thereof.
US07940470B2
A zoom lens includes sequentially from an object side, a positive first lens group; a negative second lens group; a diaphragm; a positive third lens group; a positive fourth lens group; and a positive fifth lens group, wherein a first condition 0.8≦(SLM−(SLW+SLT)/2)/FW≦2.0 and a second condition F14t≦0 are satisfied. SLW is a distance from the diaphragm at a wide angle edge to an imaging plane; SLM is a distance from the diaphragm at an intermediate zoom position to the imaging plane; SLT is a distance from the diaphragm at a telephoto edge to the imaging plane; FW is optical system focal length for infinity at the wide angle edge; and F14t is a combined focal length for the first to the fourth lens groups at the telephoto edge.
US07940461B2
An optical diffusion module comprises a first diffusion structure comprising a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions arranged alternatingly, and a second diffusion structure comprising a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions arranged alternatingly. Light from a light source passes through the first diffusion structure and the second diffusion structure sequentially, and each convex portion is adjacent to a plurality of concave portions and each concave portion is adjacent to a plurality of convex portions, and the convex portions, the concave portions and each junction of the convex and concave portions have a curvature different from 0.
US07940447B2
An electrode is described. The electrode has a substrate having a first and a second surface; a conductive layer; an electroactive layer that includes nanoparticles having an average size from 5 nm to 30 nm; at least one electroactive chemical and at least one organic binder material. The electroactive chemical binds to the surface of the nanoparticles. The conductive layer is disposed on the second surface of the substrate, and the electroactive layer is disposed on the conductive layer. Also described are electrochromic articles including the electrode, and a coating composition that can be utilized to fabricate the electrode.
US07940437B2
A computer-generated hologram that is capable of reconstructing a full-color image and achieving a high resolution is provided. A recording plane of the hologram is divided by a multiplicity of parallel sections in the horizontal direction to define a multiplicity of areas. Amplitude information and phase information corresponding to different wavelengths which vary periodically in a direction traversing the multiplicity of areas, is recorded in the recording medium. Information about the same portion of the original image is recorded in individual points belonging to the same area, and information about another corresponding portion of the original image is recorded in individual points belonging to another area.
US07940432B2
A surveillance system having a multi-area motion-detection function is described. The surveillance system includes a display, an area selection device, and a threshold input device. The display shows a surveillance video. The area selection device selects a first area and a second area on the display screen. The threshold input device sets a motion-detection threshold of the first area and a motion-detection threshold of the second area. When the result of the motion-detection exceeds the motion-detection threshold of the first area, the surveillance video is stored in a storage medium. When the result of the motion-detection exceeds the motion-detection threshold of the second area, the surveillance video is stored in the storage medium.
US07940430B2
A method of calibrating a test chart is provided. First, a reference scanning device scans a reference test chart to obtain a plurality of reference optical density (OD) values. The reference test chart includes a plurality of reference blocks. Then, the reference scanning device scans a test chart to obtain a plurality of first OD values. The test chart includes a plurality of blocks, which corresponds to the reference blocks. Next, a compensation function derived from respectively converting the first OD values into the reference OD values is obtained.
US07940428B2
A push-up member of this image generating apparatus includes a first push-up member integrally having a first assembly engaging portion provided between a first spring clip portion and a first engaging portion and a second push-up member integrally having a second assembly engaging portion rotatably engaging with the first assembly engaging portion, and the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are engaged with each other in assembling by engaging the first assembly engaging portion and the second assembly engaging portion with each other while mounting first and second ends of a spring member on the first push-up member and the second push-up member respectively and rotating the second push-up member about the engaging position between the first assembly engaging portion and the second assembly engaging portion against urging force of the spring member.
US07940425B2
An image processing apparatus includes a calculation unit configured to calculate an amount of a first coloring material (at least one of cyan, magenta, yellow and black) in an area including a plurality of pixels; a determination unit configured to determine an allowable amount of a second coloring material, being substantially colorless and transparent, in the area on the basis of the amount of the first coloring material, calculated by the calculation unit, and a limit of the amount of the coloring material; and a control unit configured to control an amount of the second coloring material in the area so as not to exceed the allowable amount of the second coloring material.
US07940419B2
An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member configured to receive an image, and a first image forming unit including a first image bearing member and a first pair of developing units having developers of colors different from each other, and a second image forming unit including a second image bearing member and a second pair of developing units having developers of colors different from each other and from the first pair of developing units, each of the first and second image forming units configured to slidably move in a direction parallel to a horizontal plane of the image forming apparatus in a manner facing a surface of the transfer member and to be biased toward a desired position with respect to the transfer member when a cover of the image forming apparatus is moved to its closed position.
US07940402B2
A program execution unit of an MFP apparatus does not use a preset priority for each kind of job or a print estimated time with low precision. Instead, the program execution unit controls a print order of pages of print images, which are generated by each job, so as to maximize the operation rate of a print engine. Printed matters, which include pages of respective jobs in a mixed fashion, are sorted according to jobs in a subsequent stage. Thereby, grouping, which is similar to the prior art, is executed, thereby realizing a print control which requires no exceptional operation.
US07940395B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to the analysis of the components of one or more gases, for example a gas mixture sampled from a semiconductor manufacturing process such as plasma etching or plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Particular embodiments provide sufficient power to a plasma of the sample, to dissociate a large number of the molecules and molecular fragments into individual atoms. With sufficient power (typically a power density of between 3-40 W/cm3) delivered into the plasma, most of the emission peaks result from emission of individual atoms, thereby creating spectra conducive to simplifying the identification of the chemical composition of the gases under investigation. Such accurate identification of components of the gas may allow for the precise determination of the stage of the process being performed, and in particular for detection of process endpoint.
US07940382B2
A method for inspecting a defect of a hollow fiber porous membrane having substantially uniform, continuous inner hollow portions comprises steps for introducing a part of the hollow fiber porous membrane into an irradiation chamber, for irradiating the hollow fiber porous membrane with light from the outside in the irradiation chamber, and for detecting light exiting the hollow fiber porous membrane on the outside of the irradiation chamber.
US07940380B1
A rotary position detector includes a housing having an inner space having a reflective element therewithin. A light source emits light rays upwardly. A base supports a light detector assembly having a first number of toroidal-sector-shaped light sensors disposed in pairs about a motor shaft axis, one “A” detector element and one “B” detector element alternately disposed. A light blocker rotates with the shaft above the light detector assembly and the light source and includes a second number of opaque, equal-surface-area elements arrayed about the axis, the second number equal to one-half the first number. A circuit measures a signal from the “A” and “B” detectors relating to an amount of light falling thereon, a difference related to an angular position of the motor shaft.
US07940374B2
Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer program products for parallel process focus compensation. Such methods may include three steps. First, a first sensor senses a top surface of a wafer to provide first-sensor data which defines a first topographic map of the first surface of the wafer. The first sensor may be, for example, an air gauge. Second, a second sensor senses the top surface of the wafer in parallel with the first sensor to provide second-sensor data which defines a second topographic map of the first surface of the wafer. The second sensor may be, for example, an optical sensor or a capacitance sensor. Third, a calibration module calibrates focus-positioning parameters of an exposure system based on the first- and second-sensor data. The calibration module may be embodied in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.
US07940368B2
The Terahertz Polarizer structure of the present invention comprises of: A pair of parallel quartz layers for forming a rectangular cube with internal space, then a birefringent liquid crystal is placed in the internal space and sealed, and a pair of permanent magnets with reverse polarities are placed at both sides of the pair of fused silica layers.
US07940366B2
A display device is provided with a sealing member for sealing a liquid crystal layer between a flexible first substrate and a second substrate, a mounting region provided in a portion of the first substrate outside a display area in which the liquid crystal layer is sealed, the mounting region mounting a circuit component on at least a portion thereof, wherein the second substrate includes an extending region extending to face the mounting region and an adhesive arranged to bond the extending region and the mounting region is provided in at least a portion of a space between the extending region and the mounting region.
US07940365B2
Compact sub-assemblies of flexible circuits and drivers are provided. The sub-assemblies can occupy less space in an electronic device than conventional sub-assemblies. In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the flexible circuits can be attached to or wires can be disposed on portions of the substrate that previously were unoccupied in conventional sub-assemblies. In one or more embodiments, the sub-assemblies of the present invention also can have wires disposed underneath the driver or vary the width of the wires. In one or more embodiments, the sub-assemblies of the present invention also can have composite wires that occupy less space than wires of conventional sub-assemblies, while still maintaining similar energy flux.
US07940361B2
A liquid crystal display device including, a pair of substrates, a gate electrode of a thin film transistor (TFT) formed on one of the substrates, and a wiring layer connected to the gate electrode or an electrode of the thin film transistor, wherein at least a part of the gate electrode or a part the wiring layer is formed by a layer structured by a pure copper layer and a Cu—Mn alloy layer including Mn, wherein a concentration of Mn in the Cu—Mn alloy layer is more than 0.1 and not more than 20 atomic percentage within a solubility limit of Mn in the copper, and wherein a boundary surface between the Cu—Mn alloy layer and said one of the substrate includes an oxide layer having a Mn oxide layer.
US07940359B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device. In one embodiment, the LCD device includes a first substrate and a second substrate positioned apart from the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a plurality of pixels formed on the first substrate. Each pixel has a first pixel electrode formed on the first substrate, a second pixel electrode formed on an dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer is formed on the first pixel electrode to have a patterned structure with an opening exposing a portion of the first pixel electrode such that the second pixel electrode is connected to the first pixel electrode through the one opening; and an auxiliary common electrode formed on the dielectric layer and distantly surrounding the second pixel electrode.
US07940358B2
Provided are an LCD device that can control a viewing angle freely and a manufacturing method thereof. The LCD device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and an LC layer interposed between the first and second substrates. The LCD device further includes red, green, blue, and viewing angle controlling subpixels. These subpixels are driven in a VA mode. The red, green, and blue subpixels have a transflective structure. The viewing angle controlling subpixel has a transmissive or transflective structure.
US07940354B2
A liquid crystal display device by the use of such a high quality light source in order to suppress brightness distribution and chromaticity distribution of a light source. The liquid crystal display device comprises a white light source provided with a blue phosphor that emits blue light, a green phosphor that emits green light, and a red phosphor that emits red light and a liquid crystal display panel having color filters to adjust the amount of transmitted light from the white light source for every pixel and transmit any one of blue, green, and red lights for every pixel, where the red phosphor to be used is represented by a composition formula (Y1-x-y,Gdx,Euy)2O3. At this time, it is desirable that the conditions of 0.45≦x≦0.85 and 0.025≦y≦0.040 respectively are satisfied.
US07940347B2
A backlight unit comprises a chassis having a bay, wall means defining the bay, an aperture opening to the bay, and an optical panel that includes at least one light management feature. The optical panel has one side forming a wall portion of the wall means. A light emitting structure is placed within the bay to light a two-dimensional area on the one side of the optical panel. The backlight unit also comprises a bracket for quick installation and removal of the light emitting structure through the aperture to and from the bay.
US07940346B2
A LCD and a method of driving the LCD are provided. The LCD includes first and second gate lines extending in a first direction, a data line insulated from the first gate line and crossing the first gate line, a pixel electrode including first and second sub-pixel electrodes, the pixel electrode being disposed in a pixel having a long side in the first direction, a first thin film transistor (TFT) connected to the first gate line, the data line, and the first sub-pixel electrode, a second TFT connected to the first gate line, the data line, and the second sub-pixel electrode, and a third TFT connected to the second gate line, the second sub-pixel electrode, and a charge-sharing capacitor, the charge-sharing capacitor sharing a data voltage applied to the second sub-pixel electrode.
US07940339B2
The formation of the retaining member 42 at the forming of the main board 40 so as to be able to be cut off and the cutting-off from the main board 40 after the board forming of the main board 40 causes the retaining member 42 to be separated in a letterpress shape from the main board 40. In addition, on the main board 40, the earphone plug socket 44 is mounted with the plug-in inlet 44b facing the outer periphery, the slit is formed and the projected part 43a of the retaining member 42 is fitted into the slit as well. Further, the fitting of the retaining member 42 into the slit 46 causes the side edge 43b thereof to abut on a groove 44a at the back surface of the earphone plug socket 44.
US07940338B2
A voice-controlled TV set comprises a storage device, a voice controller, and a processor. The storage device is used to store a plurality of application programs, which is utilized to execute the various functions of the TV set; the voice controller is used to receive the voice of the user, and compare said voice with more than one voice instruction and then output a control code. Finally, the processor is used to execute the application program corresponding to the control code, so that the voice-controlled TV set is able to perform various functions according to the voice instructions given by the user.
US07940334B2
The invention discloses a Gamma transform unit. The Gamma transform unit has a lookup table. The lookup table stores a plurality of difference values corresponding to a plurality of predetermined input values. Each of the difference values substantially equals a difference between an ideal output value and a Gamma function output value, both of which correspond to one of the predetermined input values. After the Gamma transform unit has received an input value, it generates a required Gamma function output value corresponding to the received input value through referring to the lookup table.
US07940325B2
An apparatus and method of capturing images having an optimized quality during night time conditions is provided. The apparatus for capturing images includes an image-capturing unit that captures an light from an object and generates a first digital image, a night-scene-sensing unit sensing whether the first digital image is a night-scene image, an exposure-adjustment unit adjusting an optimized exposure time by comparing an edge level of the night-scene image with that of a pre-generated reference image if it is sensed that the input image is the night-scene image, and a controller controlling the image-capturing unit to generate a second digital image based on the adjusted exposure time.
US07940320B2
An image sensing apparatus includes an image sensing unit that performs image sensing by converting incoming light into electrical signals, a control unit that controls driving of the image sensing unit so as to read out the electrical signals by each area of a plurality of areas of the image sensing unit, and a signal processing unit that processes the electrical signals read out by each of the plurality of areas. The control unit varies a horizontal cycle that drives the image sensing unit for each of the plurality of areas.
US07940313B2
A camera includes an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a subject; a generating unit that generates an image data based on the captured image; a loading unit capable of loading a recording medium for recording the image data generated by the generating unit; a recording control unit that records the generated image data in the recording medium loaded in the loading unit; a detection unit that detects a state of loading of the recording medium in the loading unit; and a display control unit that displays an icon that indicates the state of loading of the recording medium and information on the recording medium in association with the icon on a display device. In an embodiment, the loading unit includes a plurality of recording media.
US07940304B2
A digital camera comprises a housing having a front surface, a rear surface, a base surface and an inclined surface adjoining the rear and base surfaces, the base surface being the surface on which the digital camera is supported at rest; an image sensor for capturing an image, the image sensor provided on the front surface; a digital storage device for digitally storing the image captured by the image sensor; a printer located within the housing for printing the captured image on media external to the camera as the camera traverses the media, a printhead of the printer being provided on the inclined surface and at an angle normal thereto; and a speed sensor for sensing a speed at which the camera traverses the media. The printhead of the printer is operated in accordance with the speed sensed by the speed sensor. The inclined surface is presented parallel to the media to effect printing.
US07940300B2
An automatic door assembly is provided for determining whether an individual in a door approach area.
US07940294B2
A method, an apparatus and a medium encoded with instructions for providing layout selection, participant selection, and/or participant-to-participant far end camera control of the selected participant for use in a continuous presence multipoint videoconference. The method includes receiving one or more far end camera control messages over a packet network from a first participant of a multipoint videoconference; maintaining an indication of a far end camera control mode for the first participant, the mode being one of a set of modes; and depending on the far end camera control mode and on controls possible, carrying out a control according to one ore more the camera control messages.
US07940287B2
A flat panel display including a first mold frame and a bottom chassis. The first mold frame includes a first base plate with an inside region opened and a plurality of first coupling members protruding from a rear side of the first base plate. The bottom chassis includes a second base plate, a plurality of sidewalls extending from the second base plate and a plurality of second coupling members formed on the plurality of sidewalls and coupled with the plurality of first coupling members.
US07940282B2
A method of creating a super-resolved color image from multiple lower-resolution color images is provided by combining a data fidelity penalty term, a spatial luminance penalty term, a spatial chrominance penalty term, and an inter-color dependencies penalty term to create an overall cost function. The data fidelity penalty term is an L1 norm penalty term to enforce similarities between raw data and a high-resolution image estimate, the spatial luminance penalty term is to encourage sharp edges in a luminance component to the high-resolution image, the spatial chrominance penalty term is to encourage smoothness in a chrominance component of the high-resolution image, and the inter-color dependencies penalty term is to encourage homogeneity of an edge location and orientation in different color bands. A steepest descent optimization is applied to the overall cost function for minimization by applying a derivative to each color band while the other color bands constant.
US07940281B2
A dithering method includes: utilizing a plurality of large dithering masks to perform dithering on a first set of Least Significant Bits (LSBs) of M-bit video data, utilizing a plurality of small dithering masks to perform dithering on a second set of LSBs of the M-bit video data, and adjusting the content of at least one of the plurality of large dithering masks and/or the content of at least one of the plurality of small dithering masks on a frame-by-frame basis. Each of the plurality of large dithering masks includes a plurality of sub-dithering masks. Each of the plurality of sub-dithering masks includes a plurality of dithering thresholds. Each of the plurality of small dithering masks includes a plurality of dithering thresholds.
US07940280B2
A method of converting an input color codeword from a first color format to a second color format comprises providing a reference format having reference bit positions and comparing the first bit positions associated with the first color format to the reference bit positions. Second bit positions associated with the second color format are compared to the reference bit positions. The relative bit position shifts based on the compared first bit positions and the compared second bit positions are determined. Format conversion bit masks are then generated based on the first and second color formats and the determined relative bit position shifts. The input color codeword is converted to the second color format based on the format conversion bit masks and the relative bit position shifts.
US07940274B2
A computing system capable of parallelizing the operation of multiple graphics processing units (GPUs) supported on an integrated graphic device (IGD) embodied within a bridge circuit, and employing a multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem having software and hardware implemented components. The computing system includes (i) CPU memory space for storing one or more graphics-based applications, (ii) one or more CPUs for executing the graphics-based applications, (iii) an external graphics card supporting at least one GPU and being connected to the bridge circuit by way of a data communication interface, (iv) a multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem supporting multiple modes of parallel operation, (v) a plurality of graphic processing pipelines (GPPLs), implemented using the GPUs, and (vi) an automatic mode control module. During the run-time of the graphics-based application, the automatic mode control module automatically controls the mode of parallel operation of the multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem so that the multiple GPUs on the external graphics cards are driven in a parallelized manner, or the single GPU in the IGD is controlled during display operations, as the case may be.
US07940270B2
The present invention relates to a solution for processing source data into target data. A rim distance (δ4) between the block sample boundary (βSB) and the block edge (b4) is relatively short for a comparatively high resolution level (r3), and the rim distance (δ1) is relatively long for a comparatively low resolution level (rO). In connection with the production of the target data (DT) at least one interpolation parameter (ρS1, e(PS1)) is determined for at least one interpolated sample between a first block (B2) neighboring a second block (B3) at least based on a first rim distance (δ2) of the first block (B2) and a second rim distance (δ3) of the second block (B3).
US07940259B2
A system and method for generating a region in an air-space environment for presentation in a visual representation. The region is configured for positioning in an aerial domain of the environment coupled to an adjacent reference domain of the environment. The system comprises a control element generator configured for providing a plurality of control elements of the region, wherein the plurality of control elements are distributed in the air-space environment such that each of the plurality of control elements is coupled to a respective coordinate associated with the reference domain the system and method also have a link generator configured for providing a plurality of link elements of the region for linking each of the control elements to one another to define a plurality of bounding surfaces of the region, and an edit module for adjusting at least one presentation property of the region.
US07940252B2
An optical sensor is disclosed. Each sensor pixel circuit of the optical sensor includes a first readout TFT for reading out voltage of a charge node, a second readout TFT for controllably resetting the charge node to a first reset voltage, and a photo TFT for discharging the voltage at the charge node to a second reset voltage in absence of an object(s).
US07940250B2
In a computer-implemented method for use at a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display, a web page or portion thereof is displayed on the touch screen display. An activation of a web-clip widget creation icon is detected. In response to detecting the activation, a web-clip widget is created from the web page or portion thereof.
US07940246B2
The invention discloses a screen control system including a panel, a magnetic member, at least three magnetic inductive (MI) sensors, and a processing unit. The magnetic member is used for indicating a specific position on the panel. Each of the MI sensors is located under the panel and used for sensing magnetic field of the magnetic member corresponding to the specific position. Afterward, each MI sensor will convert the sensed magnetic field into an output voltage correspondingly. The processing unit is coupled to each of the MI sensors and the panel. According to all of the output voltages, the processing unit will calculate a coordinate corresponding to the specific position. Accordingly, the screen control system is capable of displaying the specific position indicated by the magnetic member for the user.
US07940245B2
A display including: an LCD panel to display an inputted video signal from the outside; a middle level controller to increase a middle brightness signal level of the inputted video signal; a contrast controller to control a contrast of a video signal outputted from the middle level controller; a brightness mean calculating part to calculate a brightness mean of a video signal from one of the middle level controller and the contrast controller; and a controller controlling the contrast controller to control the contrast according to a result calculated by the brightness mean calculating part and a control method thereof. Thus, the contrast is controlled according to the brightness mean of one of the video signal having the controlled contrast and the video signal having the increased middle brightness signal level, which enables displaying an optimal image.
US07940243B2
An integrated circuit device includes an amplifier circuit that includes first and second differential transistor pairs that are selectively operable responsive to at least one bit of a multi-bit data signal.
US07940239B2
A source-drain voltage of one of two transistors connected in series becomes quite small in a set operation (write signal), thus the set operation is performed to the other transistor. In an output operation, two transistors operate as a multi-gate transistor, therefore, a current value can be small in the output operation. In other words, a current can be large in the set operation. Therefore, the set operation can be performed rapidly without being easily influenced by an intersection capacitance and a wiring resistance which are parasitic on a wiring and the like. Further, an influence of variations between adjacent ones can be small as one same transistor is used in the set operation and the output operation.
US07940228B1
An array antenna may include a substrate, an array of metamaterial elements including radiating elements suspended in the substrate and integrated with the array of dipoles, where the metamaterial elements include a first metal layer and a second metal layer connected by a via, an array of dipoles, a groundplane coupled with a first side of the substrate, the ground plane having a symmetric slot aperture and not contacting the array of metamaterial elements, and a stripline feed for the radiating elements, where the stripline feed passes from a groundplane first side through the symmetric slot aperture to a groundplane second side.
US07940215B2
An adaptive antenna radio communication device comprises a divided band direction estimating unit for estimating the direction by calculating the cross correlations between a pilot signal and sub-carrier signals of the respective divided bands received by an array antenna and calculating a spatial profile from correlation matrices determined by combining the correlation values between antenna elements of the different sub-carriers according to the output of the cross correlation calculation; a divided band array weight creating unit for creating a weight of a receive array having a directional beam in the direction of estimation for each divided band; and a sub-carrier directivity creating unit for creating a directivity by multiplication-combining the created receive array weight with the corresponding sub-carrier signal.
US07940214B2
A method and apparatus for determining time-of-day in a mobile receiver is described. In one example, expected pseudoranges to a plurality of satellites are obtained. The expected pseudoranges are based on an initial position of the mobile receiver and an initial time-of-day. Expected line-of-sight data to said plurality of satellites is also obtained. Pseudoranges from said mobile receiver to said plurality of satellites are measured. Update data for the initial time-of-day is computed using a mathematical model relating the pseudoranges, the expected pseudoranges, and the expected line-of-sight data. The expected pseudoranges and the expected line-of-sight data may be obtained from acquisition assistance data transmitted to the mobile receiver by a server. Alternatively, the expected pseudoranges may be obtained from acquisition assistance data, and the expected line-of-sight data may be computed by the mobile receiver using stored satellite trajectory data, such as almanac data.
US07940213B2
A system and method for determining whether a wireless device has transmitted one or more forged satellite measurements. An estimated location of a wireless device may be determined as a function of signals from a cellular network. For each one of a first set of satellites from which the wireless device receives a signal, expected frequency information may be determined as a function of the estimated location, actual frequency information may be measured, and the expected frequency information compared with the measured frequency information. One or more satellite measurements received from the wireless device may then be identified as forged if a difference between the expected and measured frequency information is greater than a predetermined threshold.
US07940208B2
An image processor includes an optical processor and a microwave processor. The optical processor is configured to extract optical image information from optical image data provided by a sensor, the optical image data representing an optical image of an object. The microwave image processor is configured to produce microwave image data representing a microwave image of the object in response to the extracted optical image information and microwave measurements provided by a microwave imager based on illuminating the object with microwave radiation.
US07940203B2
In a double glazing where a pair of transparent glass sheets are arranged at an interval by having a spacer at the circumferential end portion and where a hollow layer sealed between the pair of glass sheets is formed, there is provided an electromagnetic absorption board used for wireless LAN, which is characterized in that the thickness of the glass sheet is in a range of 2.5-20 mm, that the thickness of the hollow layer is in a range of 2.5-15 mm, that at least one glass sheet of the pair of glass sheets is formed with a resistive film having a surface resistance (surface resistivity) in a range of 20Ω/□ to 2 kΩ/□, and that the resistive film is formed on a glass sheet side on the hollow layer side.
US07940200B2
There is disclosed a calibration method for an A/D converter. The A/D converter includes a first amplifier to amplify first and second voltage signals, a second amplifier to amplify the first and second voltage signals amplified by the first amplifier, and a comparator to compare the first and second voltage signals amplified by the second amplifier. The calibration method performs short-circuiting input ports of the second amplifier, comparing the first and second voltage signals inputted to the comparator to obtain a first result, calibrating output voltage of the second amplifier according to the first result, short-circuiting input ports of the first amplifier, opening the short-circuited input ports of the second amplifier, comparing the first and second voltage signals inputted to the comparator to obtain a second result, and calibrating output voltage of the first amplifier according to the second result.
US07940199B2
A method for calibrating at least one analog-to-digital converting circuits includes: during a wafer level probe testing or a chip level testing, inputting at least one calibration signal into the analog-to-digital converting circuit to generate at least one digital signal; and calibrating gain or offset of the analog-to-digital converting circuit according to at least the digital signal.
US07940194B2
A position registering apparatus includes an acquiring unit that acquires traveling state information concerning a mobile object; a position identifying unit that identifies a current position of the mobile object based on the traveling state information and map information; a parking determining unit that determines whether the mobile object is parked when the current position is identified not be on a road; and a registering unit that registers a point of deviation from the road by the mobile object as an entrance point to a parking lot when the current position that has been identified to be on the road is identified to be not on the road and the mobile object is determined to be parked. The registering unit further registers the current position identified upon the parking determining unit determining that the mobile object is parked, as a parking lot position correlated with the entrance point.
US07940189B2
A leak detection system is described for detecting a leak through a closed valve disposed between an upstream pipe and a downstream pipe of an industrial process. An insertable plate is coupled to the valve in the pipe in-line with the fluid flow. A sensor couples to the flow and provides a signature output. A leak detector is coupled to the sensor and adapted to detect a leak through the valve based upon the signature output.
US07940187B2
A capacitive sensor element for use with a patient monitoring system and a method for manufacturing and dispensing such sensor elements for use. The sensor elements include a flat, flexible, substrate layer that is manufactured into a roll that also includes at least two longitudinal conductive elements printed or layered onto one side of the substrate layer material. Individual capacitive sensor elements comprising a section of the substrate material with corresponding sections of the conductive elements may be separated from the manufactured roll by tearing along perforations across the width of the substrate layer material. Once an individual capacitive sensor element has been separated from the roll for use, one end of the element is folded over to align pairs of connector apertures positioned through the conductive elements and the associated substrate layer. Dual snap electrical connectors are positioned over and through the apertures to provide the necessary electrical connections between the capacitive sensor and the instrumentation of the patient monitoring system. The present invention further includes a method of manufacturing the roll of capacitive sensor elements according to the structures described above and providing such rolled elements in a dispenser configuration for use in facilities utilizing the patient monitoring systems.
US07940185B2
The invention relates to a multilayer structure such as a cover paper for a booklet, in particular a passport. The structure includes a radiofrequency identification device having a chip which is received in the thickness of the multilayer structure without generating extra thickness, the materials constituting the various layers of the multilayer structure are selected, as are the thicknesses of said layers, in such a manner that the cover withstands mechanical and thermal shocks, and in particular is capable of being subjected to graining treatment, and/or to decoration treatment by depositing a film by hot transfer under pressure, and/or to lamination treatment while depositing security films.
US07940169B2
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for tracking devices. The method for tracking devices comprises carrying a reading device to passively receive identification data from a transmitter without action on the part of the user. Additionally, the method comprises providing the identification data to a database.
US07940164B2
Data transmitted from a newly installed tire sensor is integrated into monitoring apparatus having data from previously integrated tire sensors stored therein. Each of the newly installed and previously integrated tire sensors periodically transmits a unique identification code. The method comprises placing the monitoring apparatus into a programming mode, entering the tire location of the newly installed tire sensor in the monitoring apparatus, entering a fraction of the identification code for the newly installed tire sensor in the monitoring apparatus, placing the monitoring apparatus in a comparing mode, transmitting the identification codes from the newly installed and previously integrated tire sensors to the monitoring apparatus, comparing the transmitted identification codes with the identification codes and fraction of the identification code previously stored and entered in the monitoring apparatus, storing in the monitoring apparatus the full identification code transmitted from the newly installed tire sensor if a sequential portion of the full identification code matches the previously entered fraction thereof, and switching the monitoring apparatus to an operational mode.
US07940158B2
A chip resistor (1) according to the present invention includes an insulating substrate (2) which is in the form of an elongated rectangle in plan view, a pair of upper electrodes (3, 4) in the form of a strip formed on the upper surface of the insulating substrate (2) at portions adjacent to the long side surfaces of the insulating substrate to extend along the side surfaces, a resistor film (5) formed on the upper surface of the insulating substrate (2) and electrically connected to the upper electrodes (3, 4), and a pair of terminal electrodes (6, 7) formed on the two long side surfaces of the insulating substrate and electrically connected to the upper electrodes (3, 4), respectively. One of two longitudinal ends of the resistor film (5) is connected to one of the upper electrodes (3), whereas the other one of the two longitudinal ends of the resistor film is connected to the other one of the upper electrodes (4). The connection position at which the resistor film (5) is connected to the one of the upper electrodes (3) and the connection position at which the resistor film (5) is connected to the other one of the upper electrodes (4) are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction of the upper surface of the insulating substrate (2).
US07940157B2
A resistor layout structure and a manufacture method thereof are provided. The resistor layout structure includes a substrate, a plurality of metals, and a plurality of resistor lumps. The plurality of metals is disposed on the substrate. The plurality of first resistor lumps is disposed on the substrate. The metals are used as a supporting structure during the disposing process. Besides, the metals are interlaced and connected in series connected with the resistor lumps to form the resistor. Therefore, the present invention decreases the resistance variability of the resistor.
US07940153B2
An inductance element has a first core portion having a winding frame portion; a coil provided on the winding frame portion; a ring-shaped member having an insertion hole to dispose the first core portion therein; and a terminal member having an bonding arm to be fixed to the ring-shaped member via an adhesive member, and a mounting portion.
US07940148B2
A ball grid array ceramic resonator including a substrate having one or more strips of conductive material on opposed first and second surfaces of the substrate. One or more conductive vias extend through the substrate and define termination ends in the respective substrate surfaces. In one embodiment, a plurality of conductive spheres/balls defining respective ground pads are disposed over the ends of said vias terminating in said one or more strips of conductive material on said first or second surface and another conductive sphere is disposed over one of the strips of conductive material to define an RF signal input pad.
US07940145B2
A thin film piezoelectric bulk acoustic wave resonator has a multilayer structure including a piezoelectric thin film, a first metal electrode film, and a second metal electrode film. At least a part of the piezoelectric thin film is interposed between the first and second metal electrodes. A resonance part and a connection part are formed on an insulating substrate as films by a thin film forming apparatus. The resonance part vibrates in radial extension mode with a center of the piezoelectric thin film used as a node, the piezoelectric thin film of two resonance parts is polarized in a direction perpendicular to a film surface, and a width of the connection part is one-fourth or less of a width of two resonance parts.
US07940142B2
A polar transmitter includes a two-point modulation phase-locked loop (PLL) for producing an RF signal with a wide bandwidth. The PLL includes a first input for receiving a phase signal of a variable-envelope modulated signal and providing the phase signal along a first signal path to produce a first frequency modulation signal and a second input for receiving the phase signal and providing the phase signal along a second signal path to produce a second frequency modulation signal. The PLL further includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) having two modulation points, one for receiving the first frequency modulation signal and the other for receiving the second frequency modulation signal. The VCO is controlled by an aggregate of the first frequency modulation signal and the second frequency modulation signal to up-convert the phase signal from an IF to an RF to produce the RF signal with a wide bandwidth.
US07940138B2
An oscillation circuit according to the present invention comprises a solid-state oscillator, an amplifier for feedback-controlling the solid-state oscillator, and ESD protecting circuits respectively connected to the input and output sides of the amplifier, wherein the ESD protecting circuit on the input side of the amplifier comprises an ESD protecting element whose constituent is a diode having a P-type diffusion layer and an N-type diffusion layer, and the ESD protecting circuit on the output side of the amplifier comprises an ESD protecting element whose constituent is an MOS transistor.
US07940132B2
A clock system includes a phase locked loop, a phase divider, and a control module. The phase locked loop (PLL) produces a plurality of phase-offset output oscillations. The phase divider generates a clock signal from one or more of the plurality of phase-offset output oscillations based on a phase divider control signal. The control module generates the phase divider control signal based on a desired setting for the clock signal.
US07940129B1
A phase-locked loop that supports a large frequency drift capability, yet maintains a low Kvco, and does not introduce noise or discontinuities in the frequency of the generated phase-locked loop output signal. The phase-locked loop may include a VCO with an LC tank circuit, the capacitance of which may be adjusted in incremental units. By gradually adjusting a control signal applied to a selected VCO LC tank circuit frequency adjustment control line, e.g., in a continuous ramped function, or time-averaged ramped function, from LOW-to-HIGH or from HIGH-to-LOW, over a period of time that is greater than the response time of the phase-locked loop, a frequency range supported by the VCO may be shifted to either a higher frequency range or a lower frequency range, as needed, to accommodate environmentally induced frequency drift in the VCO, without introducing noise or discontinuities in the frequency of the generated phase-locked loop output signal.
US07940126B2
Provided is a signal amplification apparatus with advanced linearization, the signal amplification apparatus including: a driving unit having a structure of a cascode amplifier including a first active element and a second active element and outputting an amplification signal in which an input signal is amplified, to an output terminal; a third active element receiving a signal diverged between the first active element and the second active element while gate and drain terminals of the third active element are shorted; a fourth active element of which gate and drain terminals are connected to a source terminal of the third active element; and a fifth active element of which gate terminal is connected to the drain terminal of the fourth active element, outputting a non-linear signal having an opposite phase to the amplification signal to the output terminal so as to cancel a third-order inter-modulation distortion component included in the input signal. An amplification signal in which an input signal is amplified is combined with a non-linear signal having an opposite phase to the amplification signal and a low gain and is output so that a third-order inter-modulation distortion component included in the input signal can be cancelled and a signal with advanced linearity can be output.
US07940125B2
The present invention discloses a power amplifier, comprising: a first transistor having a gate receiving an input signal; a second transistor coupled to the first transistor in a cascode configuration, in which a source of the second transistor is coupled to a drain of the first transistor, and a drain of the second transistor outputs an amplified signal; and a dynamic biasing circuit having two input terminals, one of which receiving the input signal, and the other one coupled to the drain of the first transistor, and an output terminal being coupled to a gate of the second transistor, thereby modulating the voltage at the drain of the first transistor.
US07940117B2
A voltage generation circuit includes a high voltage detector (HVD), a clock signal control unit (CSCU), an oscillator, a pumping clock control unit (PCCU), and a charge pump. The HVD compares a high voltage applied to a memory cell array with at least one reference voltage to provide at least one comparison signal. The CSCU provides a clock control signal for changing a frequency of a clock signal in response to the at least one comparison signal. The oscillator generates the clock signal having a frequency according to the clock control signal. The PCCU passes or intercepts the clock signal to provide a pumping clock signal, in response to a control signal. The charge pump consecutively performs charge pumping operations to provide the high voltage while the pumping clock signal is applied to the charge pump.
US07940102B2
Consistent with an example embodiment, an edge-rate control circuit arrangement (300) for an I2C bus application comprises a first circuit stage (10, M1, M3), responsive to a state transition of a received signal. A second circuit stage (310, 25, 20, 35, 45, M4, ESD) is responsive to the state transition of the received signal and includes drive circuitry (M4) that is activated in response to the state transition of the received signal in order to provide an edge-transition signal for an I2C bus, and regulation circuitry (310, R1, R2, M0, M2) adapted to control the drive circuit and regulate a transition rate for the edge-transition signal, the transition rate being greater than a transition rate of the received signal at the first circuit stage and greater than a minimum and less than a maximum transition rate designated for communication on the I2C bus.
US07940099B2
An all-digital phase locked loop (ADPLL) generates a feedback word representing a continuous-time oscillating signal. The ADPLL includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC) configured to be input with the continuous-time oscillating signal and a reference signal. The reference signal is a function of a reference clock signal. The TDC is configured to generate a digital word, the feedback word being a function of the digital word. The ADPLL includes a delay circuit configured to be input with at least one of the reference clock signal and the continuous-time oscillating signal and to be controlled by a first dither signal.
US07940091B1
Methods and apparatus for sampling an input voltage and apparatus incorporating the same are disclosed. An input voltage sampling apparatus includes a voltage sampling circuit coupled to the input voltage and configured to produce a sampled input voltage at an output terminal, and a voltage charging circuit coupled to the voltage sampling device and producing a first charged voltage on a first charged voltage output terminal and a second charged voltage on a second charged voltage output terminal. A voltage charging enabling circuit is coupled to the voltage charging circuit, the voltage sampling device via the first connection, and a power supply voltage. Further, the input voltage sampling apparatus includes a control circuit coupled to the voltage sampling circuit, the voltage charging circuit, and the power supply voltage, ground, third and fourth pulse signals. The first and third pulse signals are non-overlapping with the second and fourth pulse signals. The first pulse signal is delayed on the rising edge of the third pulse signal and the second pulse signal is delayed on the rising edge of the fourth pulse signal. The voltage sampling apparatus is capable of sampling an input voltage that is higher than the power supply voltage.
US07940088B1
Apparatus and methods detect missing clock edges. An improved phase frequency detector (PFD) can be used in, for example, a phase locked loop (PLL) or a delay locked loop (DLL). Conventional PFDs can miss clock edges. Disclosed is a missing clock edge detection circuit that reliably detects these missing clock edges to correctly activate switches of a charge pump of the PLL or DLL. Embodiments exhibit relatively little of the characteristic polarity reversal of conventional PLL or DLL circuits, which then enables embodiments to operate faster and acquire phase lock quicker than conventional circuits. Such techniques are useful in clock synthesis, clock recovery, and the like. The invention can further include an optional circuit that detects when the missing clock edge detection circuit may have inaccurately determined (false positive) that a clock edge had been missed, to override the corrective action by the missing clock edge detection circuit.
US07940085B2
Provided are an inverter, a method of operating the inverter, and a logic circuit including the inverter. The inverter may include a load transistor and a driving transistor, and at least one of the load transistor and the driving transistor may have a double gate structure. A threshold voltage of the load transistor or the driving transistor may be adjusted by the double gate structure, and accordingly, the inverter may be an enhancement/depletion (E/D) mode inverter.
US07940083B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit capable of maintaining characteristics of transistors in a circuit including a plurality of cascade connected transistors. The circuit includes an inverter which has a series connection of P-MOS transistors and a pair of N-MOS transistors. The P-MOS transistor is connected to a high potential source VH and the N-MOS transistor is connected to a low potential source VL. The gate of each MOS transistor is connected to an input signal line. The inverter circuit further includes a P-MOS transistor connected between a node and input signal line, and an N-MOS transistor connected between a node of the N-MOS transistors and the input signal line. The gates of the P-MOS transistor and the N-MOS transistor are connected to an output signal line of the inverter circuit.
US07940079B2
An integrated circuit includes a pad coupled with a driver. The driver is capable of driving data to the pad. The driver is capable of providing a first set of resistance data substantially fitting to a first curve and a second set of resistance data substantially fitting to a second curve. A portion of at least one of the first set of resistance data and the second set of resistance data is an impedance of the driver to drive data.
US07940076B2
Various driver circuit apparatuses and methods for driving an electrical signal are disclosed herein. For example, some embodiments provide a driver circuit including a controlled-slew rate input circuit, a buffer that is connected to the controlled-slew rate input circuit, and an output driver that is connected to the buffer. The driver circuit is adapted to drive an output signal from the output driver based on an input signal to the controlled-slew rate input circuit. The impedance at the input of the output driver is lower than the impedance at the output of the controlled-slew rate input circuit.
US07940074B2
A data transmission circuit includes a data transmission unit and a data receiving unit. The data transmission unit generates transmission data based on first chip data and transmit the transmission data via a Through Silicon Via (TSV). The data receiving unit differentially amplifies the transmission data with respect to a reference voltage to generate second chip data.
US07940073B1
Integrated circuits and methods of permanently disabling integrated circuits are disclosed. An integrated circuit having an erasable non-volatile memory adapted to store an activation code and logic to disable the integrated circuit when the code in the erasable non-volatile memory has been altered or erased after it has been separated from a substrate, is placed into an electromagnetic field of sufficient power to erase or reprogram the erasable non-volatile memory. The entire integrated circuit is permanently disabled by erasing, altering, or reprogramming the erasable non-volatile memory. In preferred embodiments, the integrated circuit comprises a non-erasable non-volatile memory storing the activation code, and circuitry adapted to permanently disable the integrated circuit when the code in the erasable non-volatile memory does not match the activation code in the non-erasable non-volatile memory. Erasing, altering, or reprogramming the erasable non-volatile memory results in a mismatch of the non-volatile memories, which permanently deactivates the integrated circuit.
US07940071B2
A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor devices includes a first and second differential pair to which first and second differential input signals are input. The first and second differential pairs are connected to N (N is an integer greater than 1) current sources through N switch pairs. Switches on one side of said N switch pairs are each connected at one end thereof to one of the N current sources and each of the switches on the one side of said N switch pairs are commonly connected at the other end thereof to the first or the second differential pairs. Control signals are connected to control terminals of said N switch pairs, so that a pattern is applied to the N switch pairs. The operation of the current sources can be confirmed by a functional test based on output values from the first and second differential pairs.
US07940055B2
An apparatus including a monitoring unit, a number of sensor units, a number of cables, and a number of thermoelectric generators. The number of sensor units is capable of making measurements at a number of locations on a number of power lines for a number of loads. The number of cables connects the monitoring unit to the number of sensor units. The number of thermoelectric generators is capable of generating power for at least one of the monitoring unit and the number of sensor units. The monitoring unit is capable of receiving measurements from the number of sensor units through the number of cables. The monitoring unit is capable of determining whether an arc fault has occurred from the measurements received through the number of cables.
US07940053B2
Battery maintenance equipment is provided for use in maintaining storage batteries. The battery maintenance equipment includes battery maintenance circuitry. A redemption code output is provided and configured to provide an output having a redeemable value in response to the battery maintenance circuitry. A method includes outputting a redemption code in response to usage of battery maintenance equipment.
US07940046B2
A magnetic resonance system has a first installation unit, in which a control processor device is arranged, as well as a radio-frequency coil arrangement for transmitting and receiving magnetic resonance signals. The radio-frequency coil arrangement is controlled or read out by a transmit device, having a digital transmit unit built into the first installation unit for emitting a digital transmit signal to an analog transmit unit, which outputs an analog transmit signal based on the digital transmit signal, and by a receiving apparatus, having at least one analog reception unit for converting an analog received signal into a digital reception signal and at least one digital reception unit for digital demodulation of the received signal. The digital reception unit is built into a further installation unit external to the first installation unit.
US07940041B2
A method of determining the amount of travel of a rotating component that includes a rotor shaft includes providing a self-contained magnetically-powered encoder. The encoder includes an encoder rotor that extends outward from a sealed housing such that a clearance gap is defined between the rotor and housing. The method also includes rotatably coupling the encoder to the rotor shaft. The method further includes measuring a first position of the encoder rotor and determining a first rotational position measurement of the rotor shaft based on the encoder rotor. The method also includes rotating the rotor shaft to a second rotational position and determining a direction of rotation and a second rotational position measurement of the rotor shaft using the encoder. The method further includes determining a total rotational distance traveled by the rotor shaft between the first rotational position and the second rotational position.
US07940039B2
A meter for recording voltage and current on a transformer has current sensors positioned on a housing such that the meter can be mounted to the terminals of the transformer. The device also includes two voltage leads which can be attached to the transformers terminals. An instrumentation module is contained in the housing and is coupled to the current sensors and the voltage leads, the instrumentation module being adapted and configured to record voltage and current measurements from the current sensors and voltage leads. The instrumentation module includes a signal processing module for processing the voltage and current signals to provide other information such as energy and accumulated in-phase current data. Finally, the device includes a communications module coupled to the instrumentation module for communicating the voltage and current measurements and the derived data to a remote user.
US07940038B2
Disclosed is an arrangement for quickly measuring the phase distribution or the component distribution in a flow cross section for substance mixtures also of a non-conducting type by measuring the complex electrical admittance. Said arrangement essentially features the following: at least one sine wave generator (5) which is mounted upstream from the transmitter electrodes (3a) of the excitation level and applies an alternating voltage to the transmitter electrodes (3a); current-to-voltage converters (7) which are mounted downstream from the receiver electrodes (3b), amplify the alternating current that flows from at least one excitation electrode (3a) through the medium to the receiver electrodes (3b), and convert said alternating current into a voltage signal; filter groups (10, 11, 16) and vector voltmeters (8) which are mounted downstream from the current-to-voltage converters (7) and allow the complex signal ratio Ua/Ue to be metrologically detected.
US07940028B1
A power source comprised of a metal-air battery pack and a non-metal-air battery pack is provided, wherein thermal energy from the metal-air battery pack is used to heat the non-metal-air battery pack. In one aspect, a thermal energy transfer system is provided that controls the flow of thermal energy from the metal-air battery pack to the non-metal-air battery pack. In another aspect, the flow of thermal energy from the metal-air battery pack to the non-metal-air battery pack is controlled and used to heat the non-metal-air battery pack prior to charging the non-metal-air battery pack.
US07940019B2
A control module adapted to brush and brushless motors essentially applies a magnetic sensor to generate detecting signals in response to the status of the motor and deliver those signals to a control unit. The control unit further converts the signals into discrete diverting signals for driving the rotating direction, phase commands for controlling the motor phase, and a pulse width modulation (PWM) for adjusting the motor speed. A phase refining circuit thence receives those transformed signals and confirms merely a selected phase command attendant with the diverting and PWM signals for assisting a stable operation of the motor. Therefore, such control module not only applies to different types of motors but uses the separate transmissions of the signals responsible for designated instructions to attain facile controls and appropriate adjustments to the errors of the motor phase or motor velocity and efficiently decrease the occurrence of breaking the motor.
US07940018B2
A control system and method for a hybrid electric vehicle. One example control system includes a current calculating module to calculate a current, the current being at least one of a current to drive a motor of the vehicle and a current generated by the motor, and a feed controller to selectively implement a first mode when the calculated current is below a predetermined current value and to selectively implement a second mode when the calculated current is more than the predetermined current value, wherein either the first feed circuit or the second feed circuit is used in the first mode and both the first feed circuit and the second feed circuit are used in the second mode.
US07940015B2
The output current of a ballast is dynamically limited when an over-temperature condition is detected in the ballast according to one of (i) a step function or (ii) a combination of step and continuous functions, so as to reduce the temperature of the ballast while continuing to operate it.
US07940011B2
A lamp drive circuit used for driving a number of lamps is provided. The lamps are used in the backlight module. The backlight module is used for providing a light source when a liquid crystal display displays. The lamps are respectively electrically connected to a coil. The coils substantially have the same coil turns and have the same magnetic circuit, so that the currents flowing through the lamps are balanced.
US07940005B1
A photocathode for an image intensifier tube includes a faceplate, a glass plate disposed opposite the faceplate, and a span having one end attached to the glass plate and the other end attached to the faceplate for forming a sealed chamber between the faceplate and the glass plate. A semiconductor layer is bonded to a surface of the glass plate, where the surface is disposed outside of the sealed chamber. The semiconductor layer forms a photocathode. A thermal electric cooler (TEC) is disposed inside the sealed chamber for cooling the photocathode. The faceplate is formed from sapphire material. The glass plate is formed from high conductivity glass. The span is formed from either high conductivity glass or low conductivity glass. The faceplate and the glass plate form a path for light to impinge upon the semiconductor layer, and the photocathode of the semiconductor layer is configured to convert the light into electrons for emission toward an electron gain device.
US07940004B2
A flexible barrier assembly having a flexible visible light-transmissive substrate having a Tg greater than or equal to that of heat-stabilized polyethylene terephthalate (“HSPET”) overcoated with a first polymer layer having a Tg greater than or equal to that of HSPET and further overcoated with at least two visible light-transmissive inorganic barrier layers separated by at least one second polymer layer having a Tg greater than or equal to that of HSPET can be used to mount, cover, encapsulate or form moisture- and oxygen-sensitive articles such as organic light emitting devices and light valves.
US07940001B2
A full-color organic light emitting display (OLED) and method of fabricating the same. The display includes a substrate with a pixel electrode, an organic layer having at least an emission layer, and an opposite electrode formed thereon. An encapsulation substrate has formed thereon an organic emission layer that emits light of a single color and a black matrix that defines emission regions. A moisture absorbent material and one of color filter layers and color change mediums are formed between the black matrixes to correspond to the emission layer. The method of making alleviates the need for a separate processes for treating the moisture absorbent material and for forming the color filter layers or the color change mediums using a shadow mask.
US07940000B2
An organic EL device panel includes an organic EL device substrate including a substrate, a plurality of organic EL devices which are formed on the substrate, and a plurality of wirings for driving the organic EL devices, a sealing substrate which covers the organic EL devices, and a sealing material which is used for attaching the organic EL device substrate to the sealing substrate, wherein space for placing the sealing material includes a region having a sealing space where there is an overhead crossing of wirings, and wherein the organic EL device substrate is attached to the sealing substrate by a sealing material without a spacer in the region where there is the overhead crossing of wirings.
US07939998B2
A display apparatus includes a first wiring disposed on one side of a periphery of a display part, a second wiring connecting a terminal to the first wiring, and a third wiring disposed in the display part. The third wiring extends between the one side where the terminal is located and an opposite side. The third wiring is connected to the first wiring. The first, second, and third wirings have resistances per unit length, R1, R2, and R3, respectively, which are set such that R2
US07939994B2
A semiconductor actuator includes a substrate base, a bending structure which is connected to the substrate base and can be deflected at least partially relative to the substrate base. The bending structure has semiconductor compounds on the basis of nitrides of main group III elements and at least two electrical supply contacts which impress an electrical current in or for applying an electrical voltage to the bending structure. At least two of the supply contacts are disposed at a spacing from each other respectively on the bending structure and/or integrated in the latter.
US07939990B2
Micro-electromechanical acoustic resonators include a resonator body suspended over a substrate. The resonator body may have a single perforation therein, which may extend substantially or completely therethrough. The resonator body may also be configured to have a center-of-mass within an interior of the perforation and/or a nodal line that overlaps the perforation. A perimeter and depth of the single perforation can be configured to reduce a susceptibility of the acoustic resonator to process-induced variations in resonant frequency relative to an otherwise equivalent resonator that omits the single perforation. In other embodiments, the resonator body may have multiple perforations therein that extend along a nodal line of the resonator.
US07939982B2
A motor having a rotor including first outer surface segments providing uniform air gaps and second outer surface segments providing non-uniform air gaps. The rotor has an outer surface contour comprising a number of first outer surface segments defined by arcs having a first radius centered on a central longitudinal axis and a number of second outer surface segments defined by lines other than arcs having a first radius centered on a central longitudinal axis.
US07939980B2
A motor, in which a creep phenomenon can be prevented and a ball bearing can readily be mounted, is provided. A pair of end brackets each have a bearing hole in which a ball bearing is fitted. A pair of ball bearings are fitted into the bearing holes of the end brackets such that an outer race portion of each ball bearing may abut on a first wall surface and a second wall surface of the end bracket. A stopper fitting is pushed into a recessed portion of the end bracket until a ring portion of the stopper fitting abuts on the outer race portion of the ball bearing. Six engaging pieces of the stopper fitting are engaged in a fourth wall surface defining the recessed portion due to a restoring force of the engaging pieces, which have been resiliently bent or warped, to restore from the bent or warped state. Thus, each ball bearing is tightly fixed in the bearing hole by means of the stopper fitting.
US07939977B2
A rotor for a rotary electrical device to be arranged to face to a stator, comprises a rotor iron core extending axially and including a plurality of slots arranged with a predetermined circumferential interval, a rotor coil contained by the slots, a coil support member of electrically insulating property arranged between parts of the rotor coil at an axial end of the rotor coil, and a retaining ring covering the coil support member and the axial end of the rotor coil, the coil support member has two fitted portions and a connecting portion connecting the fitted portions to each other to form H-shape of cross section and to form a space between the rotor coil and each of opposite sides of the connecting portion, and the coil support member further has a communicating path communicating to the spaces.
US07939968B2
Methods and apparatus for providing uninterruptible power are provided by aspects of the invention. One aspect is more particularly directed to an uninterruptible power supply for providing power to a load. The uninterruptible power supply includes a first input to receive input power from an input power source, an output to provide output power, a bypass input to receive bypass power from a bypass power source, wherein the bypass input is selectively coupled to the output to provide output power from the bypass power source, an input power circuit coupled to the first input and having a DC output that provides DC power having a first DC voltage level, a back-up power source coupled to the input power circuit to provide DC power at the DC output in a back-up mode of operation, and an inverter circuit having an output coupled to the DC output of the input power circuit and having an output coupled to the output of the uninterruptible power supply to provide the output power derived from at least one of the input power source and the back-up power source. The uninterruptible power supply is constructed and arranged in a bypass mode of operation to control the inverter circuit to convert AC power from the bypass power source at the output of the inverter circuit to DC power at the input of the inverter circuit.
US07939961B1
A wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine includes a tower including a yaw interface, a bladed rotor including at least one blade rotatable in response to wind impinging upon the at least one blade, and a beam structure configured to support the bladed rotor. The beam structure includes at least two beam members. Each of the at least two beam members is coupled to the yaw interface by at least one joint element, so that the bladed rotor is rotatable about a yaw axis of the wind turbine. At least two of the joint elements are spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the tower. Further, another wind turbine including a yaw interface and a method for controlling a yaw angle of a wind turbine are also provided.
US07939957B2
A system for providing electrical power from a current turbine is provided. The system includes a floatation device and a mooring. A water turbine structure is provided having an upper and lower portion wherein the lower portion includes a water fillable chamber. A plurality of cables are used to couple the system where a first cable couples the water turbine to the mooring and a second cable couples the floatation device to the first cable. The system is arranged to allow the turbine structure to be deployed and retrieved for service, repair, maintenance and redeployment.
US07939949B2
Semiconductor devices with external wirebond sites that include copper and methods for fabricating such semiconductor devices are disclosed. One embodiment of a method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises forming a dielectric layer on an active side of a semiconductor substrate. The dielectric layer has openings aligned with corresponding wirebond sites at the active side of the substrate. The method further includes forming a plurality of wirebond sites located at the openings in the dielectric layer. The wirebond sites are electrically coupled to an integrated circuit in the semiconductor substrate and electrically isolated from each other. Individual wirebond sites are formed by electrolessly depositing nickel into the openings and forming a wirebond film on the nickel without forming a seam between the nickel and the dielectric layer.
US07939946B2
A chip with a chip plane includes a functional area, a contact structure vertical with respect to the chip plane for connecting the functional area, which includes a conductive material, which has a predetermined length, and a vertical dummy-contact structure, which extends vertically into the functional area and which has an electrically conductive material and an insulation layer, the insulation layer being formed so that a current flow from an upper end of the dummy-contact structure to the functional area is prevented.
US07939944B2
A semiconductor device having a redistribution layer, and methods of forming same, are disclosed. After fabrication of semiconductor die on a wafer, a tape assembly is applied onto a surface of the wafer, in contact with the surfaces of each semiconductor die on the wafer. The tape assembly includes a backgrind tape as a base layer, and a film assembly adhered to the backgrind tape. The film assembly in turn includes an adhesive film on which is deposited a thin layer of conductive material. The redistribution layer pattern is traced into the tape assembly, using for example a laser. Thereafter, the unheated portions of the tape assembly may be removed, leaving the heated redistribution layer pattern on each semiconductor die.
US07939943B2
A nitride semiconductor device with a p electrode having no resistance between itself and other electrodes, and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A p electrode is formed of a first Pd film, a Ta film, and a second Pd film, which is an antioxidant film for preventing oxidation of the Ta film, and on a p-type contact layer of a nitride semiconductor. On the second Pd film, a pad electrode is formed. The second Pd film as an antioxidant film is formed on the entire upper surface of the Ta film which forms the p electrode, to prevent oxidation of the Ta film. This inhibits the resistance between the p electrode and the pad electrode, thereby preventing a failure in contact between the p electrode and the pad electrode and providing the low-resistance p electrode.
US07939942B2
Semiconductor devices, methods of manufacturing thereof, lithography masks, and methods of designing lithography masks are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a plurality of first features disposed in a first material layer. At least one second feature is disposed in a second material layer, the at least one second feature being disposed over and coupled to the plurality of first features. The at least one second feature includes at least one void disposed between at least two of the plurality of first features.
US07939941B2
The formation of through silicon vias (TSVs) in an integrated circuit (IC) die or wafer is described in which the TSV is formed in the integration process prior to contact or metallization processing. Contacts and bonding pads may then be fabricated after the TSVs are already in place, which allows the TSV to be more dense and allows more freedom in the overall TSV design. By providing a denser connection between TSVs and bonding pads, individual wafers and dies may be bonded directly at the bonding pads. The conductive bonding material, thus, maintains an electrical connection to the TSVs and other IC components through the bonding pads.
US07939934B2
An assembly for testing microelectronic devices includes a microelectronic element having faces and contacts, a flexible substrate spaced from and overlying a first face of the microelectronic element, and a plurality of conductive posts extending from the flexible substrate and projecting away from the first face of the microelectronic element, at least some of the conductive posts being electrically interconnected with the microelectronic element. The assembly also includes a plurality of support elements disposed between the microelectronic element and the substrate for supporting the flexible substrate over the microelectronic element. At least some of the conductive posts are offset from the support elements.
US07939925B2
A semiconductor package having a molding unit that seals bonding wires connected to electrode pads of a semiconductor chip is provided with through electrode units comprising bonding wires embedded therein and penetrating the molding unit. A leading end of the respective through electrode units is exposed from an upper surface of the molding unit and a lower surface of the molding unit.
US07939912B2
An embodiment of the invention is a transistor formed in part by a ferromagnetic semiconductor with a sufficiently high ferromagnetic transition temperature to coherently amplify spin polarization of a current. For example, an injected non-polarized control current creates ferromagnetic conditions within the transistor base, enabling a small spin-polarized signal current to generate spontaneous magnetization of a larger output current.
US07939904B2
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor (e.g., a silicon substrate), an electrically conductive region (e.g., a source region and a drain region) which is in contact with the semiconductor to form a Schottky junction, and an insulator. The insulator is in contact with the semiconductor and the electrically conductive region, and has a fixed-charge containing region which contains a fixed charge and extends across a boundary between the semiconductor and the electrically conductive region.
US07939899B1
In one embodiment, a solid state actuator is provided which includes a pair of electrodes and a solid state storage material having a plating material. A solid state ion transport material is adjacent the solid state storage material such that the solid state storage material is located between an anode of the pair of electrodes and the solid state ion transport material. The pair of electrodes are connected so as to be capable of providing an actuation voltage across the solid state storage material to provide transport of plating material cations through the solid state ion transport material between the solid state storage material and a cathode electrode of the pair of electrodes.
US07939896B2
A low resistance contact structure and method of making the structure. The structure includes a polysilicon contact through an upper silicon layer and buried oxide layer to a lower silicon layer of a silicon-on-insulation substrate. A region of the upper silicon layer surrounds the polysilicon contact and top surface of the polysilicon contact and surrounding region of upper silicon layer are metal silicided providing an extended contact area greater than the area of the top surface of polysilicon contact.
US07939891B2
A semiconductor device includes a dielectric film and gate electrode that are stacked on a substrate, sidewalls formed to cover the side surfaces of the electrode and dielectric film, and SiGe films formed to sandwich the sidewalls, electrode and dielectric film, filled in portions separated from the sidewalls, having upper portions higher than the surface of the substrate and having silicide layers formed on regions of exposed from the substrate. The lower portion of the SiGe film that faces the electrode is formed to extend in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate and the upper portion is inclined and separated farther apart from the gate electrode as the upper portion is separated away from the surface of the substrate. The surface of the silicide layer of the SiGe film that faces the gate electrode is higher than the channel region.
US07939890B2
In a semiconductor device, a first transistor of an SOI structure has a source region, a drain region, a body region positioned between the source region and the drain region, and a gate electrode positioned above the body region. A first capacitor of the SOI structure has a first terminal electrically connected to a gate electrode of the first transistor, and a second terminal. The semiconductor device stores data in a nonvolatile manner in accordance with carriers accumulated in a first node electrically connecting the gate electrode of the first transistor and the first terminal of the first capacitor.
US07939888B2
The invention provides a display device and a method for manufacturing thereof by increasing a material efficiently as well as simplifying steps. Also, the invention provides a technique for forming a pattern such as a wiring, that is used for forming a display device, to have a predetermined shape with an excellent controllability. The method for manufacturing a display device includes the steps of: forming a lyophobic region; selectively irradiating laser beam in the lyophobic region to form a lyophilic region; selectively discharging a composition, that contains a conductive material, in the lyophilic region to form a gate electrode layer; forming a gate insulating layer and a semiconductor layer over the gate electrode layer; discharging a composition containing a conductive material over the semiconductor layer to form a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer; and forming a pixel electrode layer on the source or drain electrode layer.
US07939881B2
A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode formed through a gate insulating film provided on a first impurity region and a drift layer, and this gate electrode consists of two regions including a first conductivity type second impurity region opposed to the first impurity region and a third impurity region capable of forming a depletion layer.
US07939878B2
There is provided a nonvolatile semiconductor memory of an aspect of the present invention includes a semiconductor substrate, first and second isolation insulating layers provided in the semiconductor substrate, a channel region between the first and second isolation insulating layers, a gate insulating film on the channel region, a floating gate electrode on the gate insulating film, an inter-gate insulating film on the floating gate electrode, and a control gate electrode on the inter-gate insulating film, wherein the isolation insulating layer is made up of a thermal oxide film provided on a bottom surface and a side surface of a concave portion of the semiconductor substrate and an insulating film which is provided on the thermal oxide film and fills the concave portion, and a dimension of the floating gate electrode in a channel width direction is more than a dimension of the channel width.
US07939871B2
The present invention makes it possible to obtain: a semiconductor device capable of forming a highly reliable upper wire without a harmful influence on the properties of the magnetic material for an MTJ device; and the manufacturing method thereof. Plasma treatment is applied with reducible NH3 or H2 as pretreatment. Thereafter, a tensile stress silicon nitride film to impose tensile stress on an MTJ device is formed over a clad layer and over an interlayer dielectric film where the clad layer is not formed. Successively, a compressive stress silicon nitride film to impose compressive stress on the MTJ device is formed over the tensile stress silicon nitride film. The conditions for forming the tensile stress silicon nitride film and the compressive stress silicon nitride film are as follows: a parallel plate type plasma CVD apparatus is used; the RF power is set in the range of 0.03 to 0.4 W/cm2; and the film forming temperature is set in the range of 200° C. to 350° C.
US07939866B2
A transistor includes a first electrode on a substrate, wherein the first electrode comprises a bus bar and has first and second first electrode fingers extending therefrom, the fingers being spaced apart to define a channel therebetween. The transistor also includes a second electrode on the substrate having a second electrode finger spaced apart from the first electrode and extending along the channel to define a gate region between the fingers. The gate region comprises a “curved” portion beyond the end of the second electrode finger proximate to the bus bar of the first electrode and a gate electrode extends along the gate region, through the “curved” gate portion. The substrate further comprises an active layer beneath the gate region, characterized in that the active layer extends beyond the end of the second electrode finger beneath the “curved” portion of the gate region.
US07939862B2
Different approaches for FinFET performance enhancement based on surface/channel direction and type of strained capping layer are provided. In one relatively simple and inexpensive approach providing a performance boost, a single surface/channel direction orientation and a single strained capping layer can be used for both n-channel FinFETs (nFinFETs) and p-channel FinFETs (pFinFETs). In another approach including more process steps (thereby increasing manufacturing cost) but providing a significantly higher performance boost, different surface/channel direction orientations and different strained capping layers can be used for nFinFETs and pFinFETs.
US07939857B1
A composite device includes a depletion mode FET coupled to a bipolar transistor. The FET includes gate, drain and source terminals, and the bipolar transistor includes base, collector and emitter terminals. The collector terminal of the bipolar transistor and the source terminal of the depletion mode FET are directly connected to each other. Additionally, the emitter terminal of the bipolar transistor and the gate terminal of the depletion mode FET are directly connected to each other. The voltage between the collector and emitter terminals, VCE, is configured to bias the depletion mode FET. The VCE voltage has a value that is equal and opposite to a voltage VGS between the gate and source terminals of the depletion mode FET.
US07939849B2
A light emitting diode includes a transparent substrate and a GaN buffer layer on the transparent substrate. An n-GaN layer is formed on the buffer layer. An active layer is formed on the n-GaN layer. A p-GaN layer is formed on the active layer. A p-electrode is formed on the p-GaN layer and an n-electrode is formed on the n-GaN layer. A reflective layer is formed on a second side of the transparent substrate. Also, a cladding layer of AlGaN is between the p-GaN layer and the active layer.
US07939848B2
The present invention relates to an LED package including a lead frame including a chip attaching portion with at least one LED chip attached thereto and a plurality of terminal portions each having a width narrower than the chip attaching portion, and a housing for supporting the lead frame. The plurality of terminal portions include at least one first terminal portion extending from a portion of a width of the chip attaching portion, and a plurality of second terminal portions spaced apart from the chip attaching portion.
US07939841B2
A high output light emitting diode (LED) and a method for fabricating the LED is disclosed. The LED includes a sidewall or surface that is inclined. A reflective film is formed on the inclined sidewall or surface to allow light to reflect from the reflective film and to emit the light upward or in a favorable direction with respect to the device, thereby being configured and enabled to improve a light output of the LED and dispense with an additional passivation process.
US07939827B2
To realize a semiconductor device including a capacitor element capable of obtaining a sufficient capacitor without reducing an opening ratio, in which a pixel electrode is flattened in order to control a defect in orientation of liquid crystal. A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a light-shielding film formed on the thin film transistor, a capacitor insulating film formed on the light-shielding film, a conductive layer formed on the capacitor insulating film, and a pixel electrode that is formed so as to be electrically connected to the conductive layer, in which a storage capacitor element comprises the light-shielding film, the capacitor insulating film, and the conductive layer, whereby an area of a region serving as the capacitor element can be increased.
US07939826B2
A thin film semiconductor device is provided which includes an insulating substrate, a Si thin film formed over the insulating substrate, and a transistor with the Si thin film as a channel thereof. The Si thin film includes a polycrystal where a plurality of narrow, rectangular crystal grains are arranged. A surface of the polycrystal is flat at grain boundaries thereof. Also, an average film thickness of the boundaries of crystals of the Si thin film ranges from 90 to 110% of an intra-grain average film thickness.
US07939823B2
An integrated circuit, method of forming the integrated circuit and a method of testing the integrated circuit for soft-error fails. The integrated circuit includes: a silicon substrate; a dielectric layer formed over the substrate; electrically conductive wires formed in the dielectric layer, the wires interconnecting semiconductor devices formed in the substrate into circuits; and an alpha particle emitting region in the integrated circuit chip proximate to one or more of the semiconductor devices. The method includes exposing the integrated circuit to an artificial flux of thermal neutrons to cause fission of atoms in the alpha particle emitting region into alpha particles and other atoms.
US07939821B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a substance which can emit red phosphorescence which is closer to the chromaticity coordinates of red according to the NTSC standard. The present invention provides an organometallic complex represented by the general formula (1), wherein each of R1 to R3 represents any one of hydrogen, a halogen group, an acyl group, an alkyl group, an alkoxyl group, an aryl group, a cyano group, and a heterocyclic group, and at least one of R1 to R3 represents an electron-withdrawing group; and M represents a Group 9 element or a Group 10 element, and when M is the Group 9 element, n=2, whereas when M is the Group 10 element, n=1. Such an organometallic complex can emit red phosphorescence with good spectral luminous efficiency which is closer to the chromaticity coordinates of red according to the NTSC standard.
US07939819B2
A circuit board includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode provided on a surface of a substrate, a first insulating layer insulating the source electrode and the drain electrode from the gate electrode, an organic semiconductor layer provided so as to contact the first insulating layer, and a second insulating layer provided so as to contact the organic semiconductor layer, wherein the second insulating layer includes a compound represented by Formula 1, where R1 and R2 each independently represent substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group which can have; X1, X2, X3, and X4 each represent hydrogen or an electrophilic group, but not all hydrogen and n represents a number in the range of 100 to 100,000.
US07939816B2
Provided are a multi-bit memory device having resistive material layers as a storage node, and methods of manufacturing and operating the same. The memory device includes a substrate, a transistor formed on the substrate, and a storage node coupled to the transistor, wherein the storage node includes: a lower electrode connected to the substrate; a first phase change layer formed on the lower electrode; a first barrier layer overlying the first phase change layer; a second phase change layer overlying the first barrier layer; and an upper electrode formed on the second phase change layer.
US07939814B2
A radiographic image detector includes: a bias electrode transmitting a recording electromagnetic wave carrying image information; a recording photoconductive layer consisting primarily of a-Se, the recording photoconductive layer generating electric charges when exposed to the recording electromagnetic wave transmitted through the bias electrode; and a number of charge detecting elements two-dimensionally arrayed in directions perpendicular to each other, each charge detecting element comprising a charge storage section for storing the electric charge generated at the recording photoconductive layer and a switching element for reading out an electric charge signal of the electric charge stored in the charge storage section. The radiographic image detector further includes a thin fluoride layer provided between the bias electrode and the recording photoconductive layer.
US07939813B2
An e-beam exposure apparatus includes an electron gun provide an e-beam for exposure to a resist layer formed on a substrate; an e-beam column part inducing the path of the e-beam generated from the electron gun; and an electron collecting part disposed at the periphery of the path of the e-beam projected from the e-beam column part on the resist layer to absorb scattered electrons resulting from emission of the incident e-beam from the resist layer.
US07939805B2
A Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer for operation in the mid- and long-wave infrared region (about 2-15 micron wavelengths) is disclosed. The FTIR spectrometer is composed of IR-transmitting fiber and uses a broadband IR source. A fiber stretcher is provided to provide a path difference between a first path and a second path having a sample associated therewith. Stretching of the fiber provides a path difference sufficient to generate an interferogram that can subsequently be analyzed to obtain information about a sample. A method for use of the apparatus of the invention is also disclosed. The method involves stretching of an IR-transmitting fiber to create a path difference sufficient to generate an interferogram. Various aspects of these features enable the construction of compact, portable spectrometers.
US07939803B2
A method and apparatus is provided for detecting explosives by thermal imaging. The explosive material is subjected to a high energy wave which can be either a sound wave or an electromagnetic wave which will initiate a chemical reaction in the explosive material which chemical reaction will produce heat. The heat is then sensed by a thermal imaging device which will provide a signal to a computing device which will alert a user of the apparatus to the possibility of an explosive device being present.
US07939800B2
The present invention provides a charged particle beam apparatus with a charged particle beam source including an emitter with an emitter tip; and supporting member for supporting the emitter. Further, the apparatus includes an emitter location-measuring device for repeatedly measuring the location of the emitter; and a deflector system for compensating variations in the location of the emitter.
US07939799B2
A tandem Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer is provided. In the mass spectrometer, the ions selected by a FT-ICR mass analyzer, which can perform an ion selection process and a mass measurement process with a time interval between the processes, are transmitted through an ion guide to a collision cell, which is located a predetermined distance from the FT-ICR mass analyzer, to split into fragment ions. The fragment ions are transmitted to the FT-ICR mass analyzer that measures the mass of the fragment ions. The fragment ions are generated in the collision cell 60 established separately from the FT-ICR mass analyzer 40 according to the mass spectrometer. Accordingly, It can solve various problems (e.g., the radius reduction of cyclotron motion of colliding ions, or the removal of periphery gas after generating the fragment ions) occurred in a tandem mass spectrometer using a conventional tandem-in-time mass analysis method. Also, a high resolution and with sensitivity measurement can be achieved. Moreover, when a reagent gas instead of a collision gas in the collision cell is injected, the gas phase reaction of the selected ions and the reagent gas can be observed, and the mass of the ions generated in the gas phase reaction can be measured.
US07939796B2
An electronic device housing includes a metallic base part 101; a resin part 402 fixed to the base part 101; and a printed circuit board 104 coming into contact with the resin part 402; wherein bonding of the base part 101 to the resin part 402 is carried out by way of a nanomold technique and wherein the resin part 402 has insulating property.
US07939794B2
A light fixture, using one or more solid state light emitting elements utilizes a diffusely reflect chamber to provide a virtual source of uniform output light, at an aperture or at a downstream optical processing element of the system. Systems disclosed herein also include a detector, which detects electromagnetic energy from the area intended to be illuminated by the system, of a wavelength absent from a spectrum of the combined light system output. A system controller is responsive to the signal from the detector. The controller typically may control one or more aspects of operation of the solid state light emitter(s), such as system ON-OFF state or system output intensity or color. Examples are also discussed that use the detection signal for other purposes, e.g. to capture data that may be carried on electromagnetic energy of the wavelength sensed by the detector.
US07939792B2
A light-powered data acquisition and control system immune to electromagnetic interference employs smart sensors in a network configuration capable of decentralized communication. A smart sensor with integral transducer encloses a microprocessor, fiber optic transceiver, and photovoltaic converter within a Faraday cage. Optical fibers link plural sensors for duplex communication with a fiber optic splitter, which transmits high intensity light to the converter for powering the sensors. The sensor converts analog input from the transducer into bit packets for fiber optic transmission to the network via the splitter. Firmware in the splitter converts the bit packets to network protocol and vice versa enabling data communication among sensors, splitters, and control receivers. Verification algorithms for testing sensors are run automatically by the microprocessor or through commands issued via the network. Mnemonics stored in the sensors provide automatic updating of system configuration.
US07939789B2
A method for reproducibly determining object characteristics is disclosed. Herein an object is imaged onto a detector by means of an imaging optics and detected thereon. A correction function k is applied to a brightness measuring result N originally detected by a detector in such a way, that a corrected brightness measuring result N′ is proportional to a brightness I impinging on the detector.
US07939788B2
A photosensitive apparatus, such as a scanner used in a digital copier, includes a plurality of photosensor chips. Each photosensor chip comprises a first set of photosensors, and a control portion for accepting an external integration signal, the signal causing an integration time for the set of photosensors. A signal adjustor is associated with the control portion, and effectively alters the external integration signal to cause the control portion to cause a modified integration time for the first set of photosensors. The system enables adjustments of integration times among chips within an apparatus sharing a common control line.
US07939786B2
A meal kit for microwave cooking of a multi-component food product is provided that includes at least two sealed packages of ingredients for the multi-component food product. One of the sealed packages of ingredients contains a liquid component of the multi-component food product. The meal kit also includes a cooking tray formed of a microwave-safe material having a bottom wall with an upstanding sidewall extending around the periphery thereof to define an interior of the cooking tray. Outer packaging is provided to contain the sealed packages of ingredients and the cooking tray.
US07939783B2
A hand-held electric sealer with a detachable sealing module includes a casing, a sealing module, and a press bar. The casing includes, among others, a front contact holder which is provided with an engagement hole. The sealing module includes, among others, a lower cover from underside of which extended an engagement piece. The engagement piece of the sealing module can be engaged with the engagement hole of the casing, such that the sealing module can be conveniently attached to, or detached from, the casing, and that replacement of a damaged sealing module can be readily achieved. In addition, for the sealing module dual heating wires may also be employed so as to obtain a desirable sealing effect to plastic bags.
US07939778B2
A plasma processing chamber, which includes an upper electrode assembly, a lower electrode assembly, and a plasma confinement assembly. The upper electrode assembly includes an upper electrode, a backing member, the backing member attachable to an upper surface of the upper electrode, and a guard ring surrounding an outer surface of the backing member and located above the upper surface of the upper electrode, wherein the guard ring is configured to provide an inner gap between the outer surface of the backing member and an inner periphery of the guard ring. The lower electrode assembly is adapted to receive a semiconductor substrate. The plasma confinement assembly is separated from an outer periphery of the upper electrode and the backing member by the guard ring.
US07939776B2
A switch (50) is adapted to be On when a contact point (52) is at a position to be in contact with a cam surface (47) and Off when the contact point (52) is at a position corresponding to a non-cam surface (48). In the vicinity of the non-cam surface (48) of the cam surface (47), a rib (49) is provided which changes a direction of the contact point (52) when reciprocation of the cam member (43) is changed. Accordingly, even when the switch (50) comes into contact with the cam member (43) moving in a different direction, the direction of the contact point (52) is changed so as to be the same. Hence, the switch (50) is prevented from being affected by a hysteresis caused by difference in directions of the contact point (52).
US07939773B2
An illuminated keyboard with a light guide plate of the present invention includes a key module and a luminous module located under the key module. The luminous module includes a transparent light guide plate, a plurality of illuminants, and a light reflection plate located under the light guide plate. The light guide plate is provided with a plurality of light input units which are sections formed at the light guide plate. The illuminants are located corresponding to the light input units, and the light emitted by the illuminants is transmitted into the light guide plate via the sections. The light guide plate is provided with a plurality of light output units to provide the light to the key module. Each light output unit is provided with a plurality of light output members. The quantity of the light output members of each light output unit located at the same side of the illuminants increases with the increasing distance between the light output units and the illuminants. The light emitted from the illuminants to the light input units of the light guide plate, transmitted through the light guide plate and refracted or scattered at the light output units. The quantity and structure of the light output members of each light output unit and the position of the light output units can be adjusted according to the requirements, thereby providing even and bright light to the key module.
US07939771B2
A lever switch for safe breaking of a circuit of an exercise apparatus includes two conductive copper pieces spaced apart and stably received within a housing by means of elastic pieces. A rotatable cylinder with two journals is positioned in the area of the contact portion of the conductive copper pieces within the housing. The rotatable cylinder is provided with a contact polygon at one side thereof such that the contact portion of the rotatable cylinder is constantly clamped at the top and bottom ends of the contact polygon. A conductive wire is embedded within the contact polygon. As a result, an insertion lever may fit into the body of the rotatable cylinder for in-place-moving the rotatable cylinder such that the contact polygon is turned to be detached from the conductive wire or to be in contact with the contact portion of the conductive copper pieces for safe breaking and making of a circuit.
US07939747B2
Embodiments for methods and apparatuses for solar heating are disclosed. One solar heating apparatus includes an insulating layer adjacent to an exterior of a structure. A heat transfer plate is adjacent to the insulating layer. A fluid conduit is adjacent to the heat transfer plate. The heat transfer plate is thermally connected to the fluid conduit for transferring heat from the heat transfer plate to fluid within the fluid conduit. A weather exposed layer is thermally connected to the heat transfer plate.
US07939735B2
The present subject matter relates to novel soundboard apparatus for stringed musical instruments. Specifically, the present subject matter teaches an apparatus capable of enhanced phonetic quality, improving the phonetic consistency of a stringed musical instrument, and enhancing resonance in a stringed musical instrument, all while reducing construction cost and reducing the cumbersome size associated with similarly stringed musical instruments.
US07939734B1
Method and system for detecting presence of biomolecules in a selected subset, or in each of several selected subsets, in a fluid. Each of an array of two or more carbon nanotubes (“CNTs”) is connected at a first CNT end to one or more electronics devices, each of which senses a selected electrochemical signal that is generated when a target biomolecule in the selected subset becomes attached to a functionalized second end of the CNT, which is covalently bonded with a probe molecule. This approach indicates when target biomolecules in the selected subset are present and indicates presence or absence of target biomolecules in two or more selected subsets. Alternatively, presence of absence of an analyte can be detected.
US07939733B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH213160. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH213160, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH213160 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH213160.
US07939730B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH960405. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH960405, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH960405 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH960405.
US07939726B2
A soybean cultivar designated 7431014 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 7431014, to the plants of soybean 7431014, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 7431014 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 7431014 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars and plant parts derived from soybean variety 7431014, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 7431014 and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 7431014 with another soybean cultivar.
US07939723B2
A soybean cultivar designated S050228 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S050228, to the plants of soybean S050228, to plant parts of soybean cultivar S050228 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar S050228 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars and plant parts derived from soybean variety S050228, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S050228 and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar S050228 with another soybean cultivar.
US07939716B2
Disclosed are the complete polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) polyketide synthase (PKS) systems from the bacterial microorganisms Shewanella japonica and Shewanella olleyana, and biologically active fragments and homologues thereof. More particularly, this invention relates to nucleic acids encoding such PUFA PKS systems, to proteins and domains thereof that comprise such PUFA PKS systems, to genetically modified organisms (plants and microorganisms) comprising such PUFA PKS systems, and to methods of making and using the PUFA PKS systems disclosed herein. This invention also relates to genetically modified plants and microorganisms and methods to efficiently produce lipids enriched in various polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as well as other bioactive molecules by manipulation of a PUFA polyketide synthase (PKS) system.
US07939706B2
In a urine receptacle of an automatic urine disposal device, a urine backflow prevention sheet, with no water permeability, having funnel-shaped pores, is placed between a top sheet and a urine absorbing sheet. A pair of rectangular electrodes, constituting a urine detection sensor, is glued onto an electrode support sheet and is placed between the top sheet and the urine backflow prevention sheet. A plurality of funnel-shaped pores is formed on the urine backflow prevention sheet.
US07939702B2
Disclosed is a process for increasing production of light olefinic hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon feedstock by catalytic cracking. In the process, an effective separation process structure and recycle method of light olefins are used not only to increase the productivity and efficiency of an overall process, thus effectively increasing the production of light olefins, but also to simplify the overall process.
US07939698B2
The present invention relates to a process for Grignard type reactions comprising mixing at least two fluids in a microreactor having at least two injection points.
US07939691B2
Primary diamines are prepared by hydrogenation of a dinitrile compound in the presence of a catalyst, in particular hexamethylenediamine is prepared by hydrogenation of adiponitrile; the product diamines are recovered by distillation in several distillation columns mounted in series and the heavy impurities are separated from the second distillation.
US07939686B2
A process for providing antimicrobial properties to a composite item, such as a composite yarn, composite fabric or composite article, is provided involving the steps of immersing the composite item in a aqueous bath containing an organic antimicrobial agent, separating the immersed composite item from the bath and drying the separated composite item, and the antimicrobial composite items provided therefrom.
US07939684B2
A method of preparing an ultra-pure metal amidinate compound comprising using a microchannel device for synthesis in reacting a metal halide solution with a lithium amidinate solution to produce an ultra-pure alkylmetal compound for processes such as chemical vapor deposition.
US07939678B2
A compound having the formula wherein R1, Z, and the carbonyl can be comprised by a common ring, wherein R1 comprises a chromophore that absorbs light from the visible wavelength range, and wherein n is an integer of at least 12. A solid phase change ink composition is also disclosed containing a colorant comprising a chromophore that absorbs light from the visible wavelength range and has the formula wherein R1, Z, and the carbonyl can be comprised by a common ring, and wherein n is an integer of at least 12. Also disclosed is a method of forming a colorant wherein a first compound having the formula is reacted with a second compound having the formula Z(CH2)nCH3 wherein n is an integer of at least 12 to form a third compound having the formula wherein the third compound comprises a chromophore that absorbs light from the visible wavelength range.
US07939676B2
A process for the manufacturing of levetiracetam, wherein said process comprises the steps of: (1) reacting the (−)-(S)-alpha-ethyl-2-oxo-1-pyrrolidine acetic acid with a substoichiometric amount of an activating agent in an alcoholic solvent, and (2) subjecting the resulting reaction solution of step (1) to an ammonolysis process with gaseous ammonia.
US07939671B2
The present invention relates to the discovery that specific human taste receptors in the T2R taste receptor family respond to particular bitter compounds present in, e.g., coffee. Also, the invention relates to the discovery of specific compounds and compositions containing that function as bitter taste blockers and the use thereof as bitter taste blockers or flavor modulators in, e.g., coffee and coffee flavored foods, beverages and medicaments. Also, the present invention relates to the discovery of a compound that antagonizes numerous different human T2Rs and the use thereof in assays and as a bitter taste blocker in compositions for ingestion by humans and animals.
US07939669B2
The present invention relates to a light emitting transition metal compound of Chemical Formula 1 and an organic electroluminescence device including the compound.In the Chemical Formula 1, M is selected from Ir, Pt, Rh, Re, and Os, m is 2 or 3, n is 0 or 1, the sum of m and n is 3, provided that the sum of m and n is 2 M is Pt. X is a N or P atom, and Y is S, O, or Se.
US07939659B2
Amines and amine derivatives that improve the buffering range, and/or reduce the chelation and other negative interactions of the buffer and the system to be buffered. The reaction of amines or polyamines with various molecules to form polyamines with differing pKa's will extend the buffering range, derivatives that result in polyamines that have the same pKa yields a greater buffering capacity. Derivatives that result in zwitterionic buffers improve yield by allowing a greater range of stability.
US07939656B2
A method of making a compound of Formula I′ comprises reacting a compound of the formula DLCHO, with a compound of the formula to produce the compound of Formula I′. Methods of using the compounds are also described, particularly as intermediates for the synthesis of porphyrin rods, which porphyrin rods are in turn useful for (among other things) the production of molecular memory devices.
US07939654B2
This invention discloses a method for preparing a complex comprised of a PDGF Nucleic Acid Ligand and a Non-Immunogenic, High Molecular Weight Compound or Lipophilic Compound by identifying a PDGF Nucleic Acid Ligand by SELEX methodology and associating the PDGF Nucleic Acid Ligand with a Non-Immunogenic, High Molecular Weight Compound or Lipophilic Compound. The invention further discloses Complexes comprising one or more PDGF Nucleic Acid Ligands in association with a Non-Immunogenic, High Molecular Weight Compound or Lipophilic Compound. The invention further includes a Lipid construct comprising a PDGF Nucleic Acid Ligand or Complex and methods for making the same.
US07939653B2
The invention relates to the identification of genes involved in resistance of cancer cells to therapy, to short nucleic acid molecules which inhibit the expression of these genes by RNA interference and to their use as adjuvant in cancer therapy, to sensitize cancer cells to conventional anticancer agents; the short nucleic acid molecules are double-stranded short interfering nucleic acid molecules including a sense and an antisense region, wherein the sense region includes a nucleotide sequence that is selected from the group consisting of: the sequences SEQ ID NO: 15, 11, 13, 14, 30, 31, 38, 46, 64 and 70 and the sequences having at least 70% identity, preferably at least 80% identity, more preferably at least 90% identity with the sequences, and the antisense region includes a nucleotide sequence that is complementary to the sense region.
US07939650B2
The present invention is directed to novel polypeptides having sequence similarity to Stra6, a murine retinoic acid responsive protein, and to nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides. Also provided herein are vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, antibodies which bind to the polypeptides of the present invention and to methods for producing the polypeptides of the present invention.
US07939647B2
An objective of the present invention is to provide polynucleotides encoding insect desiccation resistance proteins, and uses thereof. cDNA libraries were produced from Polypedilum vanderplanki larvae in a desiccated state, a P. vanderplanki EST database was constructed, and genes encoding LEA proteins were isolated. This resulted in the successful isolation of three types of novel gene encoding LEA-like proteins. When secondary structure predictions and motif searches were performed on the proteins deduced from each of the genes, all three proteins had α-helix-rich structures and LEA_4 motifs, which are characteristic of LEA proteins. Moreover, the recombinant proteins synthesized from these genes were heat soluble even when boiling, so that these proteins have hydrophilic properties as high as plant LEA proteins. Therefore, the three isolated genes were found to be novel P. vanderplanki-derived LEA genes. Furthermore, introduction of these genes into animal cells successfully conferred desiccation resistance to the cells.
US07939639B2
The methods of the present invention demonstrate that adrenomedullin (AM) is expressed in human cancer cell lines of diverse origin and functions as a universal autocrine growth factor driving neoplastic proliferation. The present invention provides for AM peptides and AM antibodies useful in therapeutic, pharmacologic and physiologic compositions. The present invention additionally provides for methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease utilizing compositions comprising the AM peptides and antibodies of the present invention. The methods of the present invention also provide for experimental models for use in identifying the role of AM in pancreatic physiology. The methods pertaining to rat isolated islets have show that AM inhibits insulin secretion in a dose-dependent manner. The monoclonal antibody MoAb-G6, which neutralizes AM bioactivity, was show by the methods of the present invention to increase insulin release fivefold, an effect that was reversed by the addition of synthetic AM.
US07939636B2
The invention discloses 102 novel phosphorylation sites identified in signal transduction proteins and pathways downstream of c-Src kinase, and provides phosphorylation-site specific antibodies and heavy-isotope labeled peptides (AQUA peptides) for the selective detection and quantification of these phosphorylated sites/proteins, as well as methods of using the reagents for such purpose. Among the phosphorylation sites identified are sites occurring in the following protein types: Adaptor/Scaffold proteins, Actin Binding proteins, Cytoskeletal proteins, G protein/GTPase Activating protein/Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor proteins, Helicases, RNA Binding proteins, Transcription/Translation Factor or Initiation Complex proteins, Cellular Metabolism Enzymes, and Vesicle proteins.
US07939628B2
An instrument and process for accelerating the solid phase synthesis of peptides is disclosed. The method includes the steps of deprotecting a protected first amino acid linked to a solid phase resin by admixing the protected linked acid with a deprotecting solution in a microwave transparent vessel while irradiating the admixed acid and solution with microwaves, then activating a second amino acid by adding the second acid and an activating solution to the same vessel while irradiating the vessel with microwaves, then coupling the second amino acid to the first acid while irradiating the composition in the same vessel with microwaves, and cleaving the linked peptide from the solid phase resin by admixing the linked peptide with a cleaving composition in the same vessel while irradiating the composition with microwaves.
US07939626B2
The present invention features a chemoselective ligation reaction that can be carried out under physiological conditions. In general, the invention involves condensation of a specifically engineered phosphine, which can provide for formation of an amide bond between the two reactive partners resulting in a final product comprising a phosphine moiety, or which can be engineered to comprise a cleavable linker so that a substituent of the phosphine is transferred to the azide, releasing an oxidized phosphine byproduct and producing a native amide bond in the final product. The selectivity of the reaction and its compatibility with aqueous environments provides for its application in vivo (e.g., on the cell surface or intracellularly) and in vitro (e.g., synthesis of peptides and other polymers, production of modified (e.g., labeled) amino acids).
US07939605B2
The invention relates to the field of chemistry and relates to long-term stable oil PTFE dispersions, such as can be used, for example, in transmissions or bearings, and a method for the production thereof. The object of the present invention is therefore to disclose a long-term stable oil PTFE dispersion as well as a simple and cost-effective method for the production thereof. The object is attained with an oil PTFE dispersion comprising PTFE particles and a monoolefinically or polyolefinically unsaturated oil, wherein molecules of the olefinically unsaturated oil are covalently/chemically coupled to PTFE (primary) particle surfaces via radical reactions, and wherein a permanent charge separation between the PTFE particle surfaces and the coupled oil molecules is present and a fine dispersion of the PTFE particles in the oil or oil mixture is present. The object is furthermore attained through a method in which the modified PTFE (emulsion) polymers are mixed with persistent perfluoro (peroxy) radicals jointly with an olefinically unsaturated oil and subsequently the modified PTFE (emulsion) polymers are subjected to a mechanical stress.
US07939596B2
Disclosed herein is an aqueous coating material comprising (A) at least one polyurethane which is ionically stabilized, nonionically stabilized, or a combination thereof, and which is saturated, unsaturated, grafted with olefinically unsaturated compounds, or a combination thereof, (B) at least one wetting agent or dispersant; and (C) at least one organic solvent selected from the group consisting of dimethyl sulfoxide, sulfolane, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-pentanol, hexyl glycol, 1,6-hexanediol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, glycerol, solutions of trimethylolpropane, solutions of pentaerythritol, solutions of sorbitol, reactive polyether polyols with a number-average molecular weight of 110 to 6000 daltons and a hydroxyl number of 25 to 1000 mg KOH/g, propylene glycol monobutyl ether, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, glycerol ethoxylate, ethyl 3-ethoxypropionate, gamma-butyrolactone, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperidine, N-methylmorpholine, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)morpholine, N-acetylmorpholine, N-cyclohexylpyrrolidone, N-octyl-2-pyrrolidone, and a combination thereof. Also disclosed is a process for preparing the foregoing aqueous coating material.
US07939592B2
Copolymers of ethylene and vinyl chloride also containing a protective colloid, optionally in conjunction with a fatty acid compound or precursor thereof or with an organosilicon compound, can be employed to increase the water repellency of hydraulically settable construction materials.
US07939590B2
A composition for forming a silica-based coating film includes a siloxane polymer and an alkali metal compound. The siloxane polymer is preferably a hydrolysis-condensation product of a silane compound having a hydrolyzable group. Sodium, lithium, potassium, rubidium, or cesium, or the like is used as the alkali metal of the alkali metal compound. Furthermore, the alkali metal compound is preferably a nitrate, sulfate, carbonate, oxide, chloride, bromide, fluoride, iodide, or hydroxide of the above alkali metal. This composition for forming a silica-based coating film may also include a pore-forming material. At least one material selected from amongst polyalkylene glycols and alkyl-terminated derivatives thereof is used as the pore-forming material.
US07939586B2
The present invention provides processes for the extrusion of a shapeable resin-containing composition as a foam, wherein said composition comprises at least one extrudable resin and at least one saccharide ester of Formula I: wherein “A” is independently hydrogen or has the structure of Structure I: wherein each “R” is independently an aliphatic or aromatic moiety of about 8 to about 40 carbon atoms, and wherein all of the “A” moieties of at least about 70 wt. % of the compounds of Formula I comprise moieties of Structure I. Also disclosed are foams produced by said processes.
US07939578B2
Polymeric fibers and methods of making the polymeric fibers are described. The polymeric fibers are crosslinked hydrogels or dried hydrogels that are prepared from a precursor composition that contains polymerizable material having an average number of ethylenically unsaturated groups per monomer molecule greater than 1.0. The polymeric fibers can contain an optional active agent.
US07939568B2
The present invention is related to the use of a composition having an adequate pharmaceutical or cosmetic carrier or diluent and a sufficient amount of vitamin K1 oxide or its derivative for the treatment and/or the prevention of mammal dermatological lesions.The present invention is also related to a cosmetic composition having an adequate cosmetic carrier, phospholipids and vitamin K1 oxide or its derivative.
US07939563B2
Provided is a method of treating hypertension, which comprises administering an effective amount of a compound represented by the following formula (1) or (2): wherein, R1 and R2 are the same or different and each independently represents hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, alkoxyalkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, aralkyl, or acyl, R3 represents hydroxyl, ester bond residue, or amide bond residue, R4 represents ester bond residue or amide bond residue, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof (except ferulic acid). When the preventive or remedy for hypertension according to the present invention is administered, ferulic acid exists in the blood for a long period of time, thereby continuously suppressing a blood pressure rise. Moreover, the hypertension preventive or remedy according to the present invention has reduced in bitterness peculiar to ferulic acid, which enables patients to take it continuously.
US07939562B2
Amphiphilic derivatives composed of at least one fatty acid chain are derived from natural vegetable oils such as vernonia oil, lesquerella oil and castor oil, in which the several reactive groups such as epoxy, hydroxy and double bonds can be modified to polar and ionic groups. The head group of the amphiphilic derivative may be in the main fatty acid chain or in a side chain. The amphiphiles are useful for the formation of vesicles and micelles and for use as complexants and surfactants.
US07939557B2
The present application describes isoindoles and derivatives thereof, or pharmaceutically acceptable salt forms thereof, which are useful inhibitors of VEGFR.
US07939556B2
This invention relates to novel imidazole derivatives, pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds, and methods of treatment therewith.The compounds of the invention are useful in the treatment of central nervous system diseases and disorders, which are responsive to modulation of the GABAA receptor complex, and in particular for combating anxiety and related diseases.
US07939550B2
Provided are aminopyrazole derivatives, a process for the preparation thereof, and a composition for preventing or treating an ischemic disease containing the same. Since the aminopyrazole derivatives of the present invention can reduce an ischemic cell death significantly, they can be effectively used for the prevention and treatment of ischemic diseases mediated by ischemic cell death, or protection of organs.
US07939549B2
The present invention provides a novel compound having an excellent AMPA receptor inhibitory action and/or kainate inhibitory action. A compound represented by the following formula, a salt thereof or hydrates thereof. In the formula, Q indicates NH, O or S; and R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 are the same as or different from each other and each indicates hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a C1-6 alkyl group or a group represented by the formula —X-A (wherein X indicates a single bond, an optionally substituted C1-6 alkylene group etc.; and A indicates an optionally substituted C6-14 aromatic hydrocarbocyclic group or 5- to 14-membered aromatic heterocyclic group etc.).
US07939547B2
The invention provides compounds and pharmaceutical compositions thereof, which are useful for modulating channel activating proteases, and methods for using such compounds to treat, ameliorate or prevent a condition associated with a channel activating protease, including but not limited to prostasin, PRSS22, TMPRSS11 (e.g., TMPRSS11B, TMPRSS11E), TMPRSS2, TMPRSS3, TMPRSS4 (MTSP-2), matriptase (MTSP-1), CAP2, CAP3, trypsin, cathepsin A, or neutrophil elastase.
US07939545B2
Compounds of formula I: wherein a, b, c, X, R2, R3, R4, R6 and R7 are defined herein, are useful as inhibitors of HIV replication.
US07939544B2
The present invention is directed to novel compounds of Formula (I) pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, pro-drugs thereof, biologically active metabolites thereof, isomers thereof or stereoisomers thereof wherein the variables are as defined herein. The compounds of Formula (I) are useful as chemokine receptor antagonists and as such would be useful in treating certain conditions and diseases, especially inflammatory conditions and diseases and proliferative disorders and conditions, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis and asthma.
US07939534B2
Chemical entities that modulate smooth muscle myosin and/or non-muscle myosin, and chemical entities, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment of diseases and conditions associated with smooth muscle myosin and/or non-muscle myosin are described.
US07939528B2
The present invention relates to novel compounds which are antagonist or inverse agonists at an opioid receptor. Such compounds are useful in the treatment of obesity and related diseases and/or conditions in mammals, particularly humans. Methods of making and using such compounds are also disclosed.
US07939526B2
Imidazo ring compounds (e.g., imidazoquinolines, 6,7,8,9-tetrahydroimidazoquinolines, imidazonaphthyridines, and 6,7,8,9-tetrahydroimidazonaphthyridines) with a sulfide-, sulfinyl-, or sulfonyl-containing ether substituent at the 1-position, pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds, intermediates, methods of making the compounds, and methods of use of these compounds as immunomodulators, for inducing cytokine biosynthesis in animals and in the treatment of diseases including viral and neoplastic diseases, are disclosed.
US07939524B2
The invention is directed to 5,6-dihydro-1H-pyridin-2-one compounds of Formula I wherein X is N, and A is and pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds that are useful in treating infections by hepatitis C virus.
US07939521B2
The present invention relates to selected (R)-2-phenyl-propionamides and (R)-2-phenyl-sulfonamides with a hydrogen bond acceptor atom/group in a well defined position in the chemical space. These compounds show a surprising potent inhibitory effect on C5a induced human PMN chemotaxis. The compounds of the invention absolutely lack of CXCL8 inhibitory activity. Said compounds are useful in the treatment of pathologies depending on the chemotactic activation of neutrophils and monocytes induced by the fraction C5a of the complement. In particular, the compounds of the invention are useful in the treatment of sepsis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, idiopathic fibrosis, glomerulonephritis and in the prevention and treatment of injury caused by ischemia and reperfusion.
US07939518B2
A method is provided for treating pain in patients recovering from post-surgical trauma by administering between about 13 to about 30 mg of diclofenac potassium in a liquid dispersible formulation over a period of at least 24 hours, wherein the daily total amount of diclofenac potassium administered is less than or equal to about 100 mg. The method is particularly useful in treating acute pain in bunionectomy patients.
US07939513B2
In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a compound of general formula (I), its stereoisomers thereof and/or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, which have antibacterial activity; with methods of treating infectious diseases in warm blooded animals employing these new compounds. wherein R1 is selected from optionally substituted alkyl.
US07939511B2
The present invention provides an ophthalmic composition containing xanthan gum, or xanthan gum and an amino acid, which has a superior corneal epithelial disorder-treating effect and a superior corneal epithelial cell-protecting effect.
US07939508B2
The invention relates to compositions and methods for modulating the expression of alpha-ENaC, and more particularly to the downregulation of alpha-ENaC expression by chemically modified oligonucleotides.
US07939504B2
The present invention relates to a therapeutic preventive agent that includes an angiogenic factor gene (such as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth f actor (FGF), and hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)) as its active ingredient, and the administration of such an agent into the targeted skin diseases-affected area.
US07939498B2
The present disclosure teaches analogs of human chemokines and methods of using them in the prevention, treatment, and ameliorization of diseases that can benefit from therapeutic angiogenesis. The teachings are generally directed to compositions comprising SDF-1 mimetics, as well as methods that include the use of SDF-1 mimetics to induce neo-vessel formation. The disclosure also teaches articles of manufacture that can be useful in practicing the methods taught herein.
US07939497B2
This invention is generally in the field of methods for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of various disorders involving the Slit2 mediated angiogenesis.
US07939496B2
Modified growth hormone polypeptide and uses thereof are provided.
US07939489B2
There are provided topical compositions and methods for cleaning oil from the skin, nail or hair. The compositions have a vehicle and an effective amount of an oil-absorbing ingredient having an ethylene mixed block copolymer. There is also provided compositions and methods for treating acne, acne-related conditions, acne-prone skin and blemishes.
US07939486B2
A cleaning composition with a limited number of natural ingredients contains an anionic surfactant, a hydrophobic syndetic, and a hydrophilic syndetic. The cleaning composition can be used to clean laundry, soft surfaces, and hard surfaces and cleans as well or better than commercial compositions containing synthetically derived cleaning agents.
US07939484B1
A method for reducing the adhesion forces between hard surfaces and subsequently occurring soil is described. The method comprises the step of treating the hard surfaces with a liquid composition comprising special copolymers A. These copolymers A comprise structural units originating from a1) one or more special monomers comprising a cyclic amide structure or a2) one or more special alkoxylated monomers and b) one or more special monomers comprising an amido group and a sulfonic acid group in protonated or in salt form and may be crosslinked or non-crosslinked.
US07939475B2
A resin composition for sliding members which comprises 1 to 10 wt. % hydrocarbon wax, 0.1 to 3 wt. % at least one member selected from the group consisting of phosphates, sulfates, and carbonates, 1 to 20 wt. % phenoxy resin, 0.1 to 5 wt. % compatibilizing agent, and a polybutylene terephthalate resin as the remainder; and a sliding member obtained by molding the resin composition. The resin composition for sliding members and the sliding member obtained by molding the resin composition have excellent frictional and wearing properties even when a soft metal, e.g., an aluminum alloy, is used as a mating material.
US07939474B2
Wellbore servicing fluids and methods of using the same to service a wellbore in a subterranean formation are provided. A filter cake in the wellbore is contacted with the gravel packing fluid, which comprises an oil-soluble additive capable of removing the filter cake. The additive undergoes hydrolysis to produce an acid upon contacting water provided from, for example, water in the wellbore servicing fluid, connate water in the subterranean formation, water in the filter cake, water produced by the subterranean formation, water pumped into the wellbore, or combinations thereof. The acid dissolves particulates in the filter cake in situ. In an embodiment in which the wellbore servicing fluid serves as a gravel packing fluid, the fluid also deposits gravel along the face of the subterranean formation, forming a barrier against the migration of sand from the formation and into the wellbore.
US07939466B2
The method of crop production provides an ecologically friendly method of planting and harvesting a crop. The method includes the steps of initially planting the seeds of a crop to be grown in at least one row and, following the planting, spraying a first herbicide on the at least one row and on regions of the ground adjacent the at least one row on either side thereof. Preferably, the first herbicide is an herbicide preparation for destroying glyphosate-resistant weeds. The crop is then allowed to sprout and grow without further chemical applications and, following sprouting of the crop, a second herbicide is sprayed on the ground. The second herbicide preferably contains glyphosate. Following the spraying of glyphosate, the crop is harvested and a cover crop is preferably planted.
US07939461B2
A catalyst for the decomposition of formic acid including a dinuclear metal complex represented by a formula (1) below, a tautomer or stereoisomer thereof, or any of their salts, where M1 and M2 are transition metals; Ar is a ligand having aromaticity and may be unsubstituted or substituted; R1 to R27 are each independently a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or the like, or R15 and R16 may together form a —CH═CH—, where Hs in the —CH═CH— may be each independently replaced by an alkyl group or the like, and R23 and R24 may together form a —CH═CH—, where Hs in the —CH═CH— may be each independently replaced by an alkyl group or the like; L is an arbitrary ligand or is absent; and m is a positive integer, 0, or a negative integer.
US07939453B2
A method of producing an organic transistor which can form directly an organic semiconductor layer in pattern by simple processes and can produce an organic transistor excellent in transistor characteristics. The method includes: forming a hydrophobic/hydrophilic pattern substrate, in which a hydrophobic/hydrophilic pattern substrate is formed by using a hydrophobic substrate and by forming the hydrophilic region in pattern on the hydrophobic surface; forming a lyophilic functional layer, in which a lyophilic functional layer, made of an insulating functional material having the predetermined characteristics and having higher lyophilic properties to an organic solvent than that of the hydrophobic region, is formed on the hydrophilic region; forming an organic semiconductor layer, in which an organic semiconductor layer is formed on the lyophilic functional layer by selectively coating a coating solution for forming an organic semiconductor layer, which has an organic semiconductor material and an organic solvent, to the lyophilic functional layer.
US07939449B2
A conductive via of a semiconductor device includes a relatively small diameter portion extending into an active surface of a fabrication substrate and a corresponding, relatively large diameter portion that extends into a back side of the fabrication substrate. This type of conductive via may be fabricated by forming the relatively small diameter portion before or during BEOL processing, while the large diameter portion of each conductive via may be fabricated after BEOL processing is complete. Electronic devices that include one or more semiconductor devices with such conductive vias are also disclosed.
US07939436B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device forms a micro-sized gate, and mitigates short channel effects. The method includes a pull-back process to form the gate on a substrate. The method also includes forming inner and outer spacers on the gate that are asymmetric to one another with respect to the gate, and using the spacers in forming junction regions in the substrate on opposite sides of the gate. In particular, the inner and outer spacers are formed on opposite sides of the gate so as to have different thicknesses at the bottom of the gate. The inner and outer junction regions are formed by doping the substrate before and after the spacers are formed. Thus, the inner and outer junction regions have extension regions under the inner and outer spacers, respectively, and the extension regions have different lengths.
US07939435B2
In crystallizing an amorphous silicon film by illuminating it with linear pulse laser beams having a normal-distribution type beam profile or a similar beam profile, the linear pulse laser beams are applied in an overlapped manner. There can be obtained effects similar to those as obtained by a method in which the laser illumination power is gradually increased and then decreased in a step-like manner in plural scans.
US07939433B2
A method for producing a nitride semiconductor laser light source is provided. The nitride semiconductor laser light source has a nitride semiconductor laser chip, a stem for mounting the laser chip thereon, and a cap for covering the laser chip. The laser chip is encapsulated in a sealed container composed of the stem and the cap. The method for producing this nitride semiconductor laser light source has a cleaning step of cleaning the surface of the laser chip, the stem, or the cap. In the cleaning step, the laser chip, the stem, or the cap is exposed with ozone or an excited oxygen atom, or baked by heat. The method also has, after the cleaning step, a capping step of encapsulating the laser chip in the sealed container composed of the stem and the cap. During the capping step, the cleaned surface of the laser chip, the stem, or the cap is kept clean. This method provides a long-life nitride semiconductor laser light source the light emission intensity of which is not easily reduced after a long period of use.
US07939426B2
An SOI substrate is manufactured by a method in which a first insulating film is formed over a first substrate over which a plurality of first single crystal semiconductor films is formed; the first insulating film is planarized; heat treatment is performed on a single crystal semiconductor substrate attached to the first insulating film; a second single crystal semiconductor film is formed; a third single crystal semiconductor film is formed using the first single crystal semiconductor films and the second single crystal semiconductor films as seed layers; a fragile layer is formed by introducing ions into the third single crystal semiconductor film; a second insulating film is formed over the third single crystal semiconductor film; heat treatment is performed on a second substrate superposed on the second insulating film; and a part of the third single crystal semiconductor film is fixed to the second substrate.
US07939425B2
A method for fabricating a device with a flexible substrate includes providing a rigid substrate at first. Next, an interfacing layer can be formed on the rigid substrate, and then a flexible substrate is directly formed on the interfacing layer. The flexible substrate fully contacts the interfacing layer. A device structure is then formed on the flexible substrate.
US07939411B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming buried bit lines in a first substrate; forming a trench that separate the buried bit lines from each other; forming an interlayer insulation layer to gap-fill the trench; forming a second substrate over the first substrate gap-filled with the interlayer insulation layer; forming a protective pattern over the second substrate; forming a plurality of active pillars by etching the second substrate using the protective pattern as an etch barrier; and forming vertical gates surrounding sidewalls of the active pillars.
US07939407B2
Semiconductor-based non-volatile memory that includes memory cells with composite charge storage elements is fabricated using an etch stop layer during formation of at least a portion of the storage element. One composite charge storage element suitable for memory applications includes a first charge storage region having a larger gate length or dimension in a column direction than a second charge storage region. While not required, the different regions can be formed of the same or similar materials, such as polysilicon. Etching a second charge storage layer selectively with respect to a first charge storage layer can be performed using an interleaving etch-stop layer. The first charge storage layer is protected from overetching or damage during etching of the second charge storage layer. Consistency in the dimensions of the individual memory cells can be increased.
US07939399B2
A new technique enables providing a stress-inducing alloy having a highly stress-inducing region and a region which is processable by standard processing steps suitable for use in a commercial high volume semiconductor device manufacturing environment. The regions may be formed by a growth process with a varying composition of the growing material or by other methods such as ion implantation. The highly stress-inducing region near the channel region of a transistor may be covered with an appropriate cover.
US07939394B2
Multiple trench depths within an integrated circuit device are formed by first forming trenches in a substrate to a first depth, but of varying widths. Formation of a dielectric layer can cause some of the trenches to fill or close off while leaving other, wider trenches open. Removal of a portion of the dielectric material can then be tailored to expose a bottom of the open trenches while leaving remaining trenches filled. Removal of exposed portions of the underlying substrate can then be used to selectively deepen the open trenches, which can subsequently be filled. Such methods can be used to form trenches of varying depths without the need for subsequent masking.
US07939393B2
Different performance MOSFET Fully Depleted devices can be achieved on a single chip by varying the Vt through ion implantation. The integration of multiple Vt can be achieved through the selection of a metal gate stack with suitable effective WF for one semiconductor device to be included on a chip. Then, an ion implantation, with a dopant such as F, can be selectively performed to achieve proper Vt for other semiconductor devices on the chip.
US07939392B2
A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor device that includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a transistor in the substrate, the transistor having a gate structure that includes a dummy gate structure, forming an inter-layer dielectric (ILD), performing a first chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) to expose a top surface of the dummy gate structure, removing a portion of the ILD such that a top surface of the ILD is at a distance below the top surface of the dummy gate structure, forming a material layer over the ILD and dummy gate structure, performing a second CMP on the material layer to expose the top surface of the dummy gate structure, removing the dummy gate structure thereby forming a trench, forming a metal layer to fill in the trench, and performing a third CMP that substantially stops at the top surface of the ILD.
US07939391B2
III-nitride devices are described with recessed gates. In some embodiments, the material around the gates is formed by epitaxially depositing different III-nitride layers on a substrate and etching through at least the top two layers in the gate region. Because adjacent layers in the top three layers of the structure have different compositions, some of the layers act as etch stops to allow for precision etching. In some embodiments, a regrowth mask is used to prevent growth of material in the gate region. A gate electrode is deposited in the recess.
US07939387B2
A process for treating a structure to prepare it for electronics or optoelectronics applications. The structure includes a bulk substrate, an oxide layer, and a semiconductor layer, and the process includes providing a masking to define on the semiconductor layer a desired pattern, and applying a thermal treatment for removing a controlled thickness of oxide in the regions of the oxide layer corresponding to the desired pattern to assist in preparing the structure.
US07939386B2
The present invention relates to an image sensor applied with a device isolation technique for reducing dark signals and a fabrication method thereof. The image sensor includes: a logic unit; and a light collection unit in which a plurality of photodiodes is formed, wherein the photodiodes are isolated from each other by a field ion-implantation region formed under a surface of a substrate and an insulation layer formed on the surface of the substrate.
US07939371B1
A semiconductor device package, a method of fabricating a semiconductor device package and a method of testing an integrated circuit utilizing a semiconductor device package are disclosed. Embodiments create a flip-flop semiconductor device package by coupling multiple leadfingers to conductive pads of a semiconductor device using an interposer with electrically conductive traces. The semiconductor device may be positioned in a face-up orientation between the leadfingers such that a single surface of the interposer may couple to both the semiconductor device and the leadfingers. The flip-flop package offers improved signaling properties, durability, reliability, and package density at reduced cost given that the interposer is configurable, the traces offer more reliable and durable interconnections, the interposer enables use of a smaller semiconductor device with a higher density conductive pad arrangement to decrease package density, and the interposer is relatively inexpensive.
US07939366B2
A method of forming a phase change memory device includes forming a core pattern on a substrate, conformally forming a heat conductive layer on the substrate including the core pattern, anisotropically etching the heat conductive layer down to a top surface of the core pattern to form a heat electrode surrounding a sidewall of the core pattern, and forming a phase change memory pattern connected to a top surface of the heat electrode.
US07939335B1
A method and apparatus for determining the presence of heavy hydrocarbons (including those from unprocessed crude oil) in distillate streams and/or reformer feed includes taking at least one sample, spectrally analyzing the at least one sample for at least one heavy hydrocarbon component, determining the concentration of the analyzed hydrocarbon component using the spectrally determined concentration in an appropriate mathematical model, and determining the total heavy hydrocarbon concentration from the determined values for each sample.
US07939334B2
A process for simultaneous assay of chlorides and sulfides by low pressure ion exclusion chromatography is provided, and in said process an analytic apparatus comprising a sampling valve, a sampling loop, an ion exclusion column and an analytic detection flow path is used, and said process comprises the following steps: (1) in the analytic detection flow path, the mixture of developer R1 and developer R2 mixes with Eluent C and then enters into a reactor, and the mixing is continued under heating. The resulting mixture flows into the optical flow cell and a baseline is mapped accordingly; (2) a testing sample S flows into the sampling loop through a sample flow path and the sampling valve, and under the drive of Eluent C, flows into the ion exclusion column from the sampling loop, and enters into the analytic detection flow path through the ion exclusion column; developer R1 and developer R2 each enter into the analytic detection flow path through respective developer flow path and mix with each other in the analytic detection flow path. The mixture of developer R1 and developer R2 mixes with the Eluent C carrying the testing sample and then enters into the reactor, and the mixing is continued under heating and a reaction takes place. The reacted mixture flows into the optical flow cell and a spectrogram of the testing sample is mapped accordingly.
US07939323B2
The present invention relates a method for isolating four cell types from a single umbilical cord as pure cultures. These cell lines (epithelial cells, fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells) can be characterized and utilized in experimental models and for therapeutic purposes. Particularly, the umbilical cells isolated herein are used to form a tissue replacement or engineered living composition. Also, the isolated umbilical cells of the invention may have the potential of progenitor cells.
US07939318B2
Herein-described are various methods for making a vaccine that are made of re-assembled virus like particles (VLP). First, the VLPs are disassembled into encapsidation intermediate populations. Each encapsidation intermediate population undergoes, for instance, chemical conjugation of unique peptide or nucleic moieties to form separate populations. Thereafter, a predetermined amount of each of the several (one or more) different encapsidation intermediates from the different populations is mixed and joined, forming intact VLPs, surrounding a nucleic acid core, that are composed of different encapsidation intermediate such that the reassembled VLP displays more than one peptide or nucleic acid. The nucleic acid can function either as a scaffold alone or can be engineered for the expression of an immunomodulatory protein in a eukaryotic cell.
US07939315B2
Method and device that increases the rate of reproduction (through increased speed of reproduction and/or increased reproductive yield) of living cells in suspension or of any culturable organisms through the process of natural selection, said device comprising: a) a flexible, sterile tube (7) containing culture medium, b) a system of movable gates (clamps) (3, 4, 5) that divide the tube (97) into separate regions containing spent culture (downstream region), growing culture (growth chamber), and fresh growth medium (upstream region), c) a means of moving the gates and the tubing (13) such that a portion of the growth chamber and the associated culture can be clamped off and separated from the growth chamber, and such that a portion of fresh tubing containing unused medium can be joined with a portion of the culture and associated medium already present in the growth chamber.
US07939307B2
Modified CueO having excellent enzymatic activity and a composition for dyeing keratin fiber which contains the enzyme. A recombinant protein having an enzymatic activity for oxidizing p-phenylenediamine, the protein is obtained by removing from CueO at least one member selected from the group consisting of helix 5, helix 6, and helix 7; and the composition for dyeing keratin fiber containing the recombinant protein and an oxidation dye.
US07939287B2
Provided herein are compositions and methods for identifying individuals at risk for developing coronary artery disease (CAD).
US07939284B2
A method using O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferases (AGT) is disclosed for transferring a label from a substrate to a fusion protein comprising the AGT. This allows the detection and/or manipulating of the fusion protein, both in vitro and in vivo, by attaching molecules to the fusion proteins that introduce a new physical or chemical property to the fusion protein. Examples of such molecules are, among others, spectroscopic probes or reporter molecules, affinity tags, molecules generating reactive radicals, cross-linkers, ligands mediating protein-protein interactions or molecules suitable for the immobilisation of the fusion protein.
US07939279B2
The present invention provides isolated nucleic acid and amino acid sequences of sweet taste receptors, the receptors comprising consisting of a monomer or homodimer of a T1R3 G-protein coupled receptor polypeptide, antibodies to such receptors, methods of detecting such nucleic acids and receptors, and methods of screening for modulators of sweet and amino acid taste receptors.
US07939278B2
The present invention provides an approach for the simultaneous determination of the activation states of a plurality of proteins in single cells. This approach permits the rapid detection of heterogeneity in a complex cell population based on activation states, and the identification of cellular subsets that exhibit correlated changes in activation within the cell population. Moreover, this approach allows the correlation of cellular activities or properties. In addition, the use of potentiators of cellular activation allows for characterization of such pathways and cell populations.
US07939275B2
This invention relates to assays for Chlamydia which include the step of inactivating lipid oxidation activity in a biological sample, such as a blood or serum sample. This inactivation improves the detection of Chlamydia antigens or anti-Chlamydia antibodies. Methods and materials for the detection of Chlamydia and Chlamydial infection are provided.
US07939257B2
The present invention relates to methods and compositions for predicting the risk of obesity. In particular, the present invention provides methods and compositions for determining a subject's risk of obesity based on the presence of polymorphisms in the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR).
US07939254B2
Objective methods for detecting and diagnosing breast cancer (BRC) are described herein. Also described are methods of treating and preventing breast cancer and breast cancer metastasis as well as methods of assessing the prognosis of a breast cancer subject and the efficacy of a breast cancer therapy. In one embodiment, the diagnostic method involves determining the expression level of ZNFN3A1, a gene whose expression is markedly elevated in breast cancers, that therefore can be used to discriminate between BRC cells and normal cells. The present invention further provides methods of screening for therapeutic agents useful in the treatment of BRC, methods of treating BRC and method for vaccinating a subject against BRC.
US07939235B2
A toner includes a polyol-based resin having multiple hydroxyl groups in a molecular chain thereof in which a ratio of epoxy group to hydroxyl group is from 0.990 to 1.010. A stirring and transfer device satisfies 1000000≦α×β×γ≦16000000, wherein α represents a number of rotation per minute, β (mm) represents a pitch and γ (mm) represents a transfer path length of the stirring and transfer device. A temperature Tin (° C.) in a development device during stirring and transfer of a two component developing agent satisfies 3020 C.
US07939234B2
An image forming apparatus, including a latent image-holding member, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a cleaning unit, and a recycling unit, wherein the developer includes a toner having an external-additive adhesiveness index SA in the range of approximately 50% to approximately 95% and: a carrier containing magnetic particles and a coating layer coating the surface of the magnetic particles and having a total energy of approximately 1,420 to approximately 2,920 mJ; or a carrier containing magnetic powder-dispersed particles and a coating layer coating the surface of the magnetic powder-dispersed particles and having a total energy of, approximately 890 to approximately 1,390 mJ.
US07939231B2
A magnetic toner is disclosed having magnetic toner particles containing a binder resin and a magnetic iron oxide. The magnetic toner has a specific saturation magnetization and a specific residual magnetization in ascertain magnetic field. The binder resin includes a polyester component polymerized with an aromatic carboxylic acid titanium compound as a catalyst.
US07939230B2
The presently disclosed embodiments are directed generally to an improved electrophotographic imaging member in which the overcoat layer incorporates core-shell fluorinated nano- or micro-particles encapsulated in a melamine shell to reduce torque and cleaning failures during the photoreceptor cleaning process.
US07939227B2
Method and structure for fabricating dark-periphery mask for the manufacture of semiconductor wafers
A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit devices. The method includes providing a substrate, which includes an opaque film overlying the substrate, an overlying negative photoresist layer, a stop layer overlying the negative photoresist layer, and a positive photoresist layer overlying the stop layer. The method includes patterning the positive resist layer to form one or more window openings in the positive photoresist layer. The method also includes removing the exposed stop layer within the one or more window openings to expose a portion of the negative photoresist layer and patterning the exposed portion of the negative photoresist layer. The method includes developing the exposed portion of the negative photoresist layer and removing exposed portions of the opaque layer to expose an underlying portion of the substrate. The method further includes removing any remaining portions of the negative photoresist layer, stop layer, and positive photoresist layer to provide a patterned mask. The patterned mask is used for a manufacture of integrated circuits.
US07939223B2
A method of fabricating a photomask may include forming a light-shielding layer and a first resist film on a substrate, forming a first resist pattern by exposing first exposed regions of the first resist film to a first exposure source that may have a first energy, forming a first light shielding pattern by etching the selectively exposed light-shielding layer by using the first resist pattern as an etching mask, removing the first resist pattern, forming a second resist film on the first light-shielding layer, exposing second exposed regions of the second resist film that may have a desired pattern shape to a second exposure source that may have a second energy, forming a second light shielding pattern by etching the selectively exposed first light shielding pattern by using the second resist pattern as an etching mask, and removing the second resist pattern.
US07939222B2
A photolithography system for printing a pattern of at least one contact or via on a wafer is provided. The system comprises a reticle having a layout, the layout comprises at least one polygon-shaped hole, wherein the at least one polygon-shaped hole comprises at least eight sides.
US07939221B2
The present invention provides a hologram recording material which is suitable for volume hologram record and attains high refractive index change, flexibility, high sensitivity, low scattering, environment resistance, durability, low shrinkage and high multiplicity in holographic memory record using not only a green laser but also a blue laser; a process for producing the same; and a hologram recording medium having the hologram recording material. A hologram recording material comprising: a metal oxide containing at least Si and Zr as metals wherein a β-dicarbonyl compound is coordinated to Zr; and a photopolymerizable compound, wherein a mole ratio of the β-dicarbonyl compound to the Zr atom (β-dicarbonyl compound/Zr ratio) is 2/1 or more and 3/1 or less, and a mole ratio of the Si atom to the Zr atom (Si/Zr ratio) is more than 1/1 and 1.15/1 or less in the metal oxide. A hologram recording medium (11) comprising the hologram recording material layer (21).
US07939214B2
Electronic equipment includes a fuel cell for supplying electrical power. A power source switch controls supply of power to the electronic equipment. A voltage check unit compares a voltage of the fuel cell with a reference voltage and generates a voltage depleted signal when such voltage is below the reference voltage. A control unit measures from a time when the supply of power of the fuel cell to the electronic equipment is stopped to a time when the supply of the power of the fuel cell to the electronic equipment is started, and controls the voltage check unit to operate according to a first reference voltage if the measured time is shorter than a predetermined time. If the measured time is longer than the predetermined time, the voltage check unit is controlled to operate according to a second reference voltage.
US07939201B2
Nanoscale ion storage materials are provided that exhibit unique properties measurably distinct from their larger scale counterparts. For example, the nanoscale materials can exhibit increased electronic conductivity, improved electromechanical stability, increased rate of intercalation, and/or an extended range of solid solution. Useful nanoscale materials include alkaline transition metal phosphates, such as LiMPO4, where M is one or more transition metals. The nanoscale ion storage materials are useful for producing devices such as high energy and high power storage batteries, battery-capacitor hybrid devices, and high rate electrochromic devices.
US07939195B2
In order to increase the capacity of an “all-solid” type micro-battery, the layer of electrolyte is structured: transversing cavities are created in the flat layer, advantageously at the level of patches of collector material, then filled by anode or cathode material.
US07939189B2
Disclosed herein is a battery pack, which comprises a connecting member including an insulation frame mounted to the upper end of a battery cell and a pair of connection protrusions formed at the upper end surface of the frame, the connection protrusions being in contact with electrode terminals of the battery cell, a protection circuit module (PCM) mounted to the connecting member, the PCM including connection grooves, into which the connection protrusions are inserted such that the PCM can be coupled to the connecting member, and which are connected to a protection circuit, and a cap housing coupled to the connecting member or the battery cell while the PCM is surrounded by the cap housing.
US07939180B2
A resin product (e.g., a millimeter-wave radar device cover) comprises a plate-like resin substrate, a base film formed on the resin substrate, and a metallic gloss film having a discontinuous structure formed on the base film, a top coat, a block coat, or the like being formed as a protective film on the metal film. The metal film contains a first film having a discontinuous structure obtainable by vacuum deposition of a first metal, a modified surface obtainable by modification of the surface of the first film by bringing the surface into contact with air, and a second film having a discontinuous structure obtainable by vacuum deposition of a second metal on the modified surface.
US07939177B2
The invention relates to a lignocellulose material comprising a crosslinkable nitrogen compound, technically a formaldehyde condensate, in crosslinked form in a constituent amount (N) of at least 1% by weight, calculated as nitrogen and based on the total weight of the lignocellulose material, in which the ratio (FA/N) of formaldehyde emission (FA), determined by means of the bottle method according to EN 717, part 3, to constituent amount of the nitrogen compound (N) exhibits a value of at most 5.0×10−3, and to a process for the preparation thereof.
US07939174B2
A film roll of a heat-shrinkable polyester film characterized in that the heat-shrinkable polyester film meets the following requirements (1) and (2).(1) When samples are cut off therefrom at an almost equal interval along the longitudinal direction, and immersed in hot water at 85° C. for 10 seconds, subsequently in water at 25° C. and withdrawn, heat-shrinkage percentages in the maximum shrinkage direction of all the samples are 20% or more.(2) When raw polymers used for production of the film above comprises of a major constitutional unit and one or more sub constitutional units different therefrom; and the content of the primary sub constitutional unit is determined, the content of the primary sub constitutional unit in each sample is more than 7 mole % in 100% of all constitutional units, and when an average of the contents of the primary sub constitutional unit is calculated, the contents thereof of all the samples fall within a range of ±2 mole % relative to the average.
US07939172B2
A low friction top coat over a multilayer metal/ceramic bondcoat provides a conductive substrate, such as a rotary tool, with wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The top coat further provides low friction and anti-stickiness as well as high compressive stress. The high compressive stress provided by the top coat protects against degradation of the tool due to abrasion and torsional and cyclic fatigue. Substrate temperature is strictly controlled during the coating process to preserve the bulk properties of the substrate and the coating. The described coating process is particularly useful when applied to shape memory alloys.
US07939166B2
Disclosed are glass compositions, glass fiber compositions, glass fiber battery separators, glass fiber filter media, battery additives and active materials formed with glass compositions disclosed, glass fiber radiation shields, and glass fiber paper compositions. Certain embodiments include, among other components, bismuth oxide. Certain embodiments include about 0.5-30% bismuth oxide of the composition by weight and silica oxide at about 54-70% of the composition by weight. Embodiments may also include other components. For example, zinc oxide can make up about 0.01-3% of the composition by weight.
US07939163B2
A decorative laminate (10) includes a polymer or engineered film with fluorine (100), a decorative pattern (20) visible through the polymer film (100), and a substrate (200) supporting the polymer film (100) and decorative pattern (20). An embossing layer (70) may be included between the polymer film (100) and substrate (200). The embossing layer (70) or substrate (200) or both may contain one or more fire retardant materials such as halogens. The decorative laminate (10) has a resistance to sustained ignition rated as at least M1 according to French Epiradiateur Test NFP 92-501, and a smoke index value of 80 or less, a classification of F3 or better according to French standard NF F-16-101 based on French Tests NF X 70-100 and NF X 10-702, and a resistance to graffiti in a range of G0-G1 as measured by French Graffiti test NF F 31-112.
US07939159B2
A stack of interfolded absorbent sheet products comprises a plurality of absorbent sheets each of which is itself folded at least twice about axes that are perpendicular to one another. The absorbent sheets have an embossed surface relief of a predetermined pattern or design. Each of the absorbent sheets within the stack comprises at least one pair of panels sandwiched between a pair of adjacent panels of another of the absorbent sheets in the stack.
US07939157B2
A honeycomb structure of the invention includes ceramic particles and inorganic fibers, and is characterized in that the inorganic fibers satisfy an expression of Aspect Ratio≧Fiber Strength (GPa)/0.3.
US07939154B2
A road and repair system and/or method using one or more components including a plurality of magnetite concentrate particles, at least one acidic activator including phosphate anions, and a plurality of reactive aggregate particles including iron.
US07939151B2
A coolant line includes an outer layer including a polyamide molding composition and an inner layer including polypropylene and at least 0.02% by weight of a heat stabilizer. The coolant line has a high thermal aging resistance and bursting strength.
US07939144B2
An artificial turf filament has a cross-section that includes a central area and two wing areas integral with said central area. Further a bundle of a plurality of artificial turf filaments is proposed, wherein the artificial turf filaments are held together by one or more wrapping filaments wrapped around said artificial turf filaments. The wrapping filaments cross each other at cross points, and are bonded, preferably releasable bonded, to one another at said cross points. Also the wrapping filaments are bonded, preferably releasable bonded, to said artificial turf filaments.
US07939142B2
A coating steel component with a pattern of an iron based matrix with crystalline particles metallurgically bound to the surface of a steel substrate for use as disc cutters or other components with one or more abrading surfaces that can experience significant abrasive wear, high point loads, and large shear stresses during use. The coated component contains a pattern of features in the shape of freckles or stripes that are laser formed and fused to the steel substrate. The features can display an inner core that is harder than the steel substrate but generally softer than the matrix surrounding the core, providing toughness and wear resistance to the features. The features result from processing an amorphous alloy where the resulting matrix can be amorphous, partially devitrified or fully devitrified.
US07939139B2
Provided are methods for processing a substrate using a proximity system defined by one or more meniscus windows on one or more proximity heads. One method includes applying a first fluid meniscus to a surface of the substrate to apply a chemical precursor to the surface of the substrate. The first fluid meniscus is applied to first proximity meniscus window. Then, applying a second fluid meniscus to the surface of the substrate to leave an atomic layer of the chemical precursor on the surface of the substrate, through a second proximity meniscus window. A third fluid meniscus is applied to the surface of the substrate to apply a chemical reactant configured to react with the atomic layer of the chemical precursor to generate a layer of a material, through a third proximity meniscus window. The first, second and third proximity meniscus windows are arranged to apply the first fluid meniscus, the second fluid meniscus and the third fluid meniscus one after the other to a same location of the surface of the substrate during movement of the substrate through the proximity system.
US07939119B2
The invention relates to novel protective cultures, containing lactic acid-producing bacteria for preserving foodstuffs or animal feed, which can only be conserved for a limited period of time, even under refrigeration. The protective cultures can inhibit the growth of bacteria which are dangerous to the consumer, if the cold chain is interrupted, or if the prescribed cooling temperature is exceeded. The invention further relates to foodstuffs or animal feed which contain the inventive protective cultures. The strain Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis 1526 is specifically provided.
US07939118B2
An oligosaccharide mixture based on oligosaccharides from one or several animal milks composed of two or more monosaccharide units. The oligosaccharide mixture comprises at least two oligosaccharide fractions which are each composed of at least two different oligosaccharides. Lactose does not pertain thereto and the total spectrum of the oligosaccharides in the oligosaccharide mixture differs from those present in animal milk or animal milks, wherefrom the oligosaccharide fractions are extracted and that a) if the oligosaccharides are extracted from only one animal milk, the proportion of neutral oligosaccharides to acidic oligosaccharides is 90-60:10-40 weight %, or b) if the oligosaccharides are extracted from at least two animal milks, the oligosaccharides extracted from two different animal milks each make up 10 weight % of the total amount of oligosaccharides present in the oligosaccharide mixture. The oligosaccharide mixture approximates human milk with respect to its positive properties.
US07939115B2
A composition including a unique combination of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and optionally vitamins, minerals and specialty ingredients. The composition can include a fruit ingredient, a vegetable ingredient and an herbal ingredient, wherein the fruit ingredient is at least one of pomegranate and citrus bioflavonoids, wherein the vegetable ingredient, is at least one of asparagus, lutein, lycopene and watercress, and wherein the herbal ingredient is at least one of basil, oregano and rosemary. The composition can be administered to subjects to correct a dietary deficiency of phytochemicals and other nutrients, improve plasma concentrations of antioxidant nutrients, and increase the activity of genetic mechanisms for DNA repair and stability.
US07939113B2
A composition for providing a method for creating and prolonging muscle pumps, providing a transducer effect for nitric oxide, increasing nutrient delivery and promoting increased vascular response in individuals. The composition of the present invention comprises citrulline, aspartic acid and creatine. In addition, the nutritional composition may also comprise L-arginine, and maritime pine (bark) extract. The nutritional composition of the present invention may also further comprise L-leucine and L-valine.
US07939109B1
A method of treating neoplastic disease in a human or animal patient is provided comprising administering to the patient an anti-neoplastic effective amount of a composition comprising as the sole pharmaceutically active components (a) copper gluconate or copper orotate; (b) sodium salicylate; (c) vitamin C; (d) manganese gluconate or manganese orotate; and optionally one or more of (e) iron gluconate or iron orotate; (f) sublimed sulphur; and (g) zinc gluconate or zinc orotate.
US07939107B2
A composition is provided comprising emu oil and processed whole fruit. The composition is in a form for either topical application to human skin or for internal ingestion.
US07939104B2
A pharmaceutical composition having improved solubility comprising a hydrophobic drug or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a compound having at least one carboxylic acid moiety, wherein the molar ratio of the compound having at least one carboxylic acid moiety to the hydrophobic drug or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is from about 0.1:1 to about 25:1. The pharmaceutical composition exhibits rapid dissolution upon contact with physiological solvents, such as water, saliva or gastrointestinal fluids.
US07939103B2
A process for the production of CS particles (10) and microcapsules (12) is described, in which at least one active compound (4) is adsorbed in porous templates (2) (A), as a result of which templates (5) filled with active compounds are present. Subsequently, the templates (2) are provided (B) with a primer layer (6) which is intended to facilitate the subsequent construction of the capsule shell (9). The capsule shell is formed (C) by applying alternately charged polyelectrolyte layers (8). Filled CS particles (10) are obtained. By subsequent dissolution of the templates (2) the active compounds (4) are released (D) from the template into the interior of the microcapsules. The active compounds (4) remain enclosed there or are slowly released (E) from the capsule.
US07939099B2
A long-acting improver of muscular fatigue characterized by comprising 4 kinds of amino acids made up of leucine, isoleucine, valine and glutamine, and a whey protein component (whey protein and/or decomposition product of whey protein). At least one of a whey protein isolate (WPI), a whey protein concentrate (WPC), β-lactoglobulin, and α-lactalbumin is used as the whey protein. Novel food or drink, and pharmaceuticals which exhibit sustained recovery effects on muscular fatigue are provided.
US07939080B2
There is disclosed a pharmaceutical composition for treating solid tumors that overexpress HER-2, comprising an agent selected from the group consisting of (a) an isolated polypeptide having from about 50 to 79 amino acids taken from the sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the polypeptide binds to the extracellular domain ECD of HER-2 at an affinity of at least 108, (b) an isolated and glycosylated polypeptide having from about 300 to 419 amino acids taken from the sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the C terminal 79 amino acids are present, and wherein at least three N-linked glycosylation sites are present, (c) a monoclonal antibody that binds to the ECD of HER-2, and (d) combinations thereof, with the proviso that the agent cannot be the monoclonal antibody alone, and pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
US07939078B2
Co-administration of an effective amount of autoantigen and UV light to mucosal associated lymphatic tissue (MALT) in a patient.
US07939074B2
A combination of an anti-Ep-CAM antibody with a chemotherapeutic agent that is capable of arresting Ep-CAM antigen expressing cells in S or G2/M.
US07939066B2
A method for the prevention and treatment of fungal infections and, therefore, consequent invasive mycosis in mammalian and avian species is described. The invention comprises a combination of β-1,3(4)-endoglucanohydrolase, β-1,3(4)glucan, diatomaceous earth, mineral clay, and glucomannan, which is fed to or consumed by mammalian or avian species in amounts sufficient to inhibit enteric fungal colonization in the gut and consequent mycosis. The invention described may be admixed with feeds or foods, incorporated into pelleted feeds or foods or administered orally to mammalian and avian species.
US07939056B2
The present invention is directed to methods for the treatment of adenocarcinomas that are characterized by the overexpression of a particular oncogene, Pim-1. The procedure involves administering a therapeutically effective amount of interleukin-10 that has been coupled to a carrier that increases its circulating plasma half-life.
US07939055B2
A polymer comprises a monomer having a N-halo sulfonamide pendant group and having the formula: wherein A is a trivalent linkage; wherein Q is a divalent linkage and y is 0 or 1; wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are as described within; wherein X is halogen; and wherein M is an alkali or alkaline earth metal. In specific embodiments, R1, R2, R3, and R4 are hydrogen; X is chlorine; and M is sodium or potassium.
US07939046B2
A process for producing a microporous graphite foam including a matrix of graphite fibers joined by a graphitized graphite-forming precursor. In one embodiment, the process includes providing a plurality of graphite fibers; mixing the graphite fibers with a graphite-forming precursor; compressing the mixture; forming a precursor matrix comprising the graphite fiber and the graphite-forming precursor; first heating the matrix to a temperature at which the graphite-forming precursor is carbonized, forming a carbonized matrix; and second heating the carbonized matrix to a temperature at which the carbonized graphite-forming precursor is graphitized, forming the microporous graphite foam. The graphite foam has one or more of pore sizes less than about ten microns, low bulk density, high physical strength and good machinability, while also having the desirable characteristics of graphite, including high thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and solderability.
US07939041B2
An improved method for the formation of composite hydroxides or oxides comprising, on an oxide basis, Al2O3 and ZrO2, and optionally CeO2, La2O3, Nd2O3, Pr6O11, Sm2O3, Y2O3, and other rare earth oxides, comprising the steps of preparing an aqueous metal salt solution and forming a hydroxide precipitate slurry by combining the aqueous metal salt solution with an aqueous solution of a caustic alkali at a pH greater than 8.5 to precipitate out all the metal species. The variation in pH during the precipitation reaction is ±1. The invention also relates to composites formed by this method comprising 20-70 wt % Al2O3, 10-77 wt % ZrO2, 0-34 wt % CeO2 and 0-22 wt % REOs other than CeO2, and to composites per se comprising, on an oxide basis, 42-70 wt % Al2O3, 10-48 wt % ZrO2, 2-34 wt % CeO2 and 0-9 wt % REOs other than CeO2 and having the following properties after heating to 850° C. over four hours and holding at 850° C. for four hours then allowing to cool to ambient temperature: —a surface area after aging at 950° C. for 2 hours equal to or greater than 60 m2/g, and —a surface area after aging at 1100° C. for 2 hours equal to or greater than 30 m2/g.
US07939038B2
An exhaust gas treating apparatus removes nitrogen oxides and mercury in exhaust gas from a boiler using an ammonia denitration catalyst, including: an ammonium chloride powder feed unit for feeding ammonium chloride, in powder form, into a vicinity of an entrance of an economizer provided to a combustion gas flue of the boiler and/or an economizer bypass unit, the fed ammonium chloride in powder form being sublimed by a combustion gas, to thereby feed hydrogen chloride and ammonia into the flue; and an ammonium chloride liquid feed unit for feeding ammonium chloride, in liquid form, into a vicinity of the entrance of the economizer and/or the economizer bypass unit, the ammonium chloride liquid feed unit also being capable of feeding ammonium chloride, vaporization of the fed ammonium chloride in liquid form by the combustion gas also allowing hydrogen chloride and ammonia to be fed into the flue.
US07939037B2
Method for producing hydrometallurgical zinc oxide powder having characteristics equivalent to that derived from a French process, comprising formation of an aqueous pulp from a starting zinc oxide having particles of nodular structure, wet milling of this aqueous pulp, separation in this milled pulp between a liquid phase and a solid phase containing the zinc oxide, and drying of said solid phase, coupled with a mechanical deagglomeration of the particles during drying, to obtain a dry zinc oxide powder with particles of nodular structure having a particle size distribution where the particles have an average size (d50) between 0.02 and 20 μm.
US07939034B2
According to a blood plasma collection tool of the present invention, a phenomenon that blood cells in blood spontaneously precipitate due to an effect of gravitational force takes place in the very narrow microspace (separation part) having the very narrow depth in the direction of gravitational force of not greater than 1 mm, and the overflow channel functions as a dam against the separation part so that the blood plasma separated out as supernatant fluid can overflow beyond the overflow channel, whereby the blood cells separated out can be prevented from entering the collection part. Therefore, blood plasma can be collected by accurately and readily separating blood plasma and blood cells in a small amount of blood from each other in a short time, using a small tool having a simple structure.
US07939032B2
A microchip processing apparatus processes a microchip with at least one main separation channel. The microchip processing apparatus includes a holding part configured to hold the microchip, a container containing a sample or a reagent, and a dispensing probe having a needle formed on a tip of the dispensing probe. The dispensing probe is actuated to be inserted into the container from above the container, to draw the sample or reagent, and to inject to a prescribed position on the held microchip. A dispensing probe driving mechanism moves the dispensing probe between prescribed positions of the microchip and the container.
US07939015B1
A method for removing the human scent and any other scent that is not advantageous to the environment you are in from clothing and equipment used by sportsmen by the use of gaseous ozone or hydroxyl and hydroperoxide ions. The gas is applied directly or indirectly to the clothing, equipment and body while the hunter is in the field and/or prior to or after the hunt. The method can also be used by fishermen to eliminate fish odor. The method of delivering a gas in compressed/generated form from a container.
US07939013B2
The present invention relates to a coated cemented carbide comprising WC, a binder phase based on Co, Ni or Fe and gamma phase and with a binder phase enriched surface zone essentially free of gamma phase. The gamma phase has an average grain size less than about 1 μm. In this way a binder phase enriched cemented carbide with improved toughness and essentially unchanged resistance against plastic deformation is obtained.
US07939007B2
The present invention relates to a method of preparing ceramics based on lanthanum-doped barium titanate, which comprises the following steps: (a) flash sintering of lanthanum-doped barium titanate powders; and (b) heat treatment of the material thus obtained, in an air atmosphere or in an oxidising atmosphere. The invention also relates to ceramics based on lanthanum-doped barium titanate, possessing a very high real part of the relative dielectric permittivity, and to their use for obtaining capacitors of high capacitance and high capacitance per unit volume for high-voltage withstand capability.
US07939005B2
An apparatus for forming an object from a dose of plastics comprises a die arrangement provided with a cavity for receiving said dose and with at least two parts that are reciprocally movable for shaping an undercut portion of said object, at least one fluid for applying a clamping force so as to keep said at least two parts in contact; said at least one fluid is such as to increase discontinuously said clamping force from an initial force that is applicable when said dose is substantially contained in said cavity to a final force applicable when said at least two parts shape said undercut portion.
US07939002B2
A method of producing a long roll retardation film comprising the sequential steps of: (a) casting a film forming material on an endless support to form a long roll film; (b) stretching the long roll film in a lateral direction of the long roll film while both edges of the long roll film are held employing a plurality of clips for each of the edges in a tenter (First Process); (c) reducing distances in the lateral direction between the clips holding the both edges of the long roll film while the edges of the long roll film are held continuously from First Process with the clips (Second Process); (d) enlarging the distances in the lateral direction between the clips holding the both edges of the long roll film while the edges of the long roll film are held continuously from Second Process with the clips (Third Process).
US07938999B2
An object of the present invention is to provide: a process for conveniently producing a fiber with high strength, regardless of molecular weight polymer composition, or the like of PHAs, which vary depending on origins such as a wild-type PHAs-producing microorganism product, a genetically modified strain product, and a chemical product; and the fiber with high strength produced through the process.The present invention provides: a process for producing a fiber, comprising: melt-extruding polyhydroxyalkanoic acid to form a melt-extruded fiber; rapidly quenching the melt-extruded fiber to the glass transition temperature of polyhydroxyalkanoic acid +15° C. or less, and solidifying the fiber to form an amorphous fiber; forming a crystalline fiber by leaving the amorphous fiber to stand at the glass transition temperature +15° C. or less; drawing the crystalline fiber; and further subjecting the crystalline fiber to stretch heat treatment.
US07938997B2
Bulk, superhard, B—C—N nanocomposite compacts were prepared by ball milling a mixture of graphite and hexagonal boron nitride, encapsulating the ball-milled mixture at a pressure in a range of from about 15 GPa to about 25 GPa, and sintering the pressurized encapsulated ball-milled mixture at a temperature in a range of from about 1800-2500 K. The product bulk, superhard, nanocomposite compacts were well sintered compacts with nanocrystalline grains of at least one high-pressure phase of B—C—N surrounded by amorphous diamond-like carbon grain boundaries. The bulk compacts had a measured Vicker's hardness in a range of from about 41 GPa to about 68 GPa.
US07938985B2
An anticaking agent for an iron and steel slag contains (A) at least one member selected from the group consisting of a phosphonic acid derivative and a salt thereof and (B) at least one member selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydroxycarboxylic acid and a salt thereof, at a mixing ratio (A)/(B) of the at least one member selected from the group consisting of a phosphonic acid derivative and a salt thereof (A) to the at least one member selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic hydroxycarboxylic acid and a salt thereof (B) of from 95/5 to 5/95 by mass, and the anticaking agent for an iron and steel slag may further contain (C) a sugar alcohol, thereby providing further high synergistic effect on anticaking capability.
US07938975B2
A method of etching a semiconductor substrate. The method includes the steps of applying a photoresist etch mask layer to a device surface of the substrate. A select first area of the photoresist etch mask is masked, imaged and developed. A select second area of the photoresist etch mask layer is irradiated to assist in post etch stripping of the etch mask layer from the select second area. The substrate is etched to form fluid supply slots through a thickness of the substrate. At least the select second area of the etch mask layer is removed from the substrate, whereby mask layer residue formed from the select second area of the etch mask layer is significantly reduced.
US07938954B2
Systems and methods for hydroprocessing a heavy oil feedstock with reduced heavy oil deposits, the system employs a plurality of contacting zones and separation zones zone under hydrocracking conditions to convert at least a portion of the heavy oil feedstock to lower boiling hydrocarbons, forming upgraded products. The contacting zones operate under hydrocracking conditions, employing a slurry catalyst for upgrading the heavy oil feedstock, forming upgraded products of lower boiling hydrocarbons. In the separation zones, upgraded products are removed overhead and optionally, further treated in an in-line hydrotreater. At least a portion of the non-volatile fractions recovered from at least one of the separation zones is recycled back to the first contacting zone in the system, in an amount ranging between 3 to 50 wt. % of the heavy oil feedstock.
US07938953B2
An improved process for heavy oil conversion and upgrading and a combined method for heavy oil conversion and vacuum gas-oil treatment are described herein. The method utilizes the creation and recycle of a separate product from the vacuum still, which is thereafter recycled back to the heavy oil conversion reactor. The result is the production of a higher quality medium gas oil product relative to the overall vacuum gas oil product which is acceptable for use in a typical vacuum gas oil treatment process. Additionally, there is a higher diesel yield selectivity from the heavy oil conversion unit.
US07938952B2
This invention relates to a novel integrated hydroconversion process for converting heavy atmospheric or vacuum residue feeds and also converting and reducing impurities in the vacuum gas oil liquid product. This is accomplished by utilizing two residue hydroconversion reaction stages, two vapor-liquid separators, and at least two additional distillate ebullated-bed hydrocracking/hydrotreating reaction stages to provide a high conversion rate of the residue feedstocks.
US07938949B2
The invention relates to a method for producing a hardened profiled structural part from a hardenable steel alloy with cathodic corrosion protection. The method includes applying a coating to a sheet made of a hardenable steel alloy, wherein the coating comprises zinc, and the coating further comprises one or several elements with affinity to oxygen in a total amount of 0.1 weight-% to 15 weight-% in relation to the total coating. After applying the coating, the coated sheet steel is roller-profiled in a profiling device, so that the sheet tape is formed into a roller-formed profiled strand. Thereafter, the coated sheet steel is brought, at least in parts and with the admission of atmospheric oxygen, to a temperature required for hardening and is heated to a structural change required for hardening. A skin made of an oxide of the element(s) with affinity to oxygen is formed on the surface of the coating. After sufficient heating the sheet is cooled, wherein the rate of cooling is set in such a way that hardening of the sheet alloy is achieved. The invention further relates to a corrosion-protection layer and a profiled structural element.
US07938948B2
To develop stable, non-cyanide silver and silver alloy plating baths. The present invention is a silver and silver alloy plating bath, comprises: (A) a soluble salt, comprising a silver salt or a mixture of a silver salt and a salt of a metal selected from the group consisting of tin, bismuth, cobalt, antimony, iridium, indium, lead, copper, iron, zinc, nickel, palladium, platinum, and gold; and (B) at least one aliphatic sulfide compound comprising a functionality selected from the group consisting of an ether oxygen atom, a 3-hydroxypropyl group, and a hydroxypropylene group, with the proviso that the aliphatic sulfide compound does not comprise a basic nitrogen atom.
US07938947B2
A microreactor containing a plurality of introduction channels 21 and 22 for introducing a plurality of liquids, a merging section 23 for merging the plurality of introduction channels 21 and 22, and a reaction channel 41 located on a downstream side of the merging section 23, characterized in that a flow control section 80 is located on a downstream side of the merging section 23 and an upstream side of the reaction channel 41, and the flow control section 80 contains in a channel 81 thereof a movable particle 82. According to the constitution, such a microreactor can be provided that the flow state in the reaction channel 41 is controlled to realize a flow state with good reproducibility.
US07938935B2
Infrared spectroscopy techniques are employed to measure (i) the moisture level in both the sheet of wet stock and the papermaking machine clothing on which the sheet is supported and (ii) the moisture level in the clothing alone as a separate layer of material. Differential measurement thus yields the moisture content of the sheet of wet stock alone. Changes in the moisture level in the clothing at the press section can be correlated with corresponding changes in the quality or physical property of the paper produced. Both fixed point and scanning IR sensors are strategically positioned in the press section to generate machine direction and/or cross machine direction water profiles for process control.
US07938934B2
The invention provides a method and apparatus for optimally feeding an ASA emulsion into a papermaking process. An intense transmission of ultrasonic energy rapidly and efficiently forms an ASA emulsion. Nearly simultaneous to forming the emulsion, the emulsion is fed into a high-speed dual conduit feeding apparatus, which quickly mixes the ASA emulsion with other chemicals and feeds the mixture directly into a papermaking process. The invention operates so fast that virtually no hydrolysis of the ASA occurs. This both prevents damage to the papermaking machinery and improves the quality of the produced paper. The invention operates 10-20 times faster than mechanical based emulsion methods and requires 1/7 as much energy to operate. The invention also self-monitors the process and can automatically correct any detected problems with the fed ASA emulsion.
US07938917B2
A method for controlling the cooling of a steel sheet characterized by controlling the end-of-cooling temperature in a cooling process from the Ae3 or above temperature of the steel sheet, during which; preliminarily obtaining enthalpies (Hγ and Hα) of an austenite phase and ferrite phase respectively at some temperature, obtaining a gynamic enthalpy (Hsys) defined by formula (1) with an untransformed fraction (Xγ) of austenite in accordance with a target temperature pattern, predicting the temperature by using a gradient of this dynamic enthalpy with respect to temperature as a dynamic specific heat and controlling the cooling of the steel sheet: Hsys=Hγ(Xγ)+Hα(1−Xγ). formula (1)
US07938908B2
The present invention relates to a fiber including unmodified and/or modified starch and a crosslinking agent, and a web employing such a fiber.
US07938901B2
Process for producing a low volatility metal flake pigment composition, which comprises milling metal powder in a non-aqueous, non-hydrocarbon, low volatility milling fluid.
US07938893B2
A system for the selective removal of CO2, H2S, and H2 from a gaseous fluid mixture comprising CO2, H2S, and H2, which system includes a first membrane section having a nonporous metal oxide membrane, a second membrane section having a CO2-selective membrane, and a third membrane section having an H2-selective membrane. Each membrane section has a feed side and a permeate side and the membrane sections are arranged in series whereby the gaseous fluid mixture contacts the feed side, in sequence, of the first membrane section, the second membrane section and the third membrane section, resulting first in the separation or removal of H2S, second in the separation or removal of CO2, and third in the separation or removal of H2. The process can be used to process synthesis gas generated from the gasification or reforming of carbonaceous materials for hydrogen production and carbon dioxide capture.
US07938892B2
Ionic liquids can be immobilized in a membrane by, for example, bonding to a support such as a matrix, or by inclusion within a gel. Immobilized ionic liquids can be used in a number of applications, such as separation of carbon dioxide or other gases from gas streams. Membranes can be included in electrochemical cells. For example, a membrane can contain sufficient immobilized ionic liquid to reduce ionic current density of at least one of protons and hydroxyl ions, relative to carbon-containing ionic current density. A gas stream containing carbon dioxide can be introduced on a cathode side, while a source of hydrogen gas can be introduced on the anode side of the membrane. Operation of an electrochemical cell with such a membrane can separate the carbon dioxide from the gas stream and provide it at a separate outlet.
US07938889B2
A CO2 recovery system includes an absorption tower that removes CO2 from exhaust gas, a regeneration tower that regenerates a rich solution, and a separation drum that condensates steam in CO2 gas released from the regeneration tower and separates water. The CO2 recovery system further includes a filtration membrane apparatus that filters solid content remaining in the lean solution using a filter, and cleans the filter using condensed water as cleaning water and again return the condensed water into the system. The CO2-absorbing solution attached to the filter is collected and the filter is cleaned without diluting the CO2-absorbing solution upon replacement of the filter.
US07938882B2
The present invention relates generally to a method and system for the supply of a continuous stream of hot direct reduced iron (HDRI) from a direct reduction (DR) shaft furnace or direct reduced iron (DRI) reheating furnace to a point outside of the DR shaft furnace or DRI reheating furnace where the HDRI stream is split into at least two HDRI streams. The first HDRI stream is sent continuously to a hot briquetting plant by gravity in a closed duct system. The second HDRI stream is sent continuously to an adjacent melting furnace also by gravity in a closed duct system, with a surge bin and feeders, or by a combination of gravity in a closed duct system, also with a surge bin and feeders, and a generally horizontal charge conveyor. Optionally, a third HDRI stream is employed to continuously feed multiple hot transport vessels.
US07938870B2
A liquid separator for separating liquids from gases, having a pressure chamber and a suction chamber which are disposed in the gasflow in front of or behind a separation element is provided. The separator also may have a first siphon disposed in the suction chamber for drainage of the separated liquid, and a second siphon being disposed in the suction chamber, the barrier pressure of which is higher than the barrier pressure of the first siphon.
US07938869B2
An apparatus for purifying and humidifying air which enables separate supply of purified air and humidified air and controls the amount of humidified air discharged and which includes dual flow paths to increase the efficiency of air transfer. The apparatus includes a case having a suction port through which external air is introduced thereinto and a discharge port through which the introduced air is discharged, a circulation fan for causing the introduced air to flow toward the discharge port, a filter unit disposed in the case to filter the introduced air, a humidification unit disposed at a low position in the case to supply the air passed through the filter unit with moisture, and a flow path control unit disposed between the suction port and the humidification unit to control flow of the air passed through the filter unit.
US07938864B2
A two-part hair dye including a first part containing an alkali agent, a second part containing hydrogen peroxide, and a non-aerosol foamer vessel to discharge in the form of foam a liquid mixture of the first part and the second part, wherein the liquid mixture contains anionic surfactant(s) selected from the following components (A1) to (A3), or the following components (A4) and (A5): (A1) a carboxylate type anionic surfactant; (A2) a sulfonate type anionic surfactant; (A3) a phosphate type anionic surfactant; (A4) an ionic surfactant; and (A5) a fatty acid alkanolamide.
US07938863B2
A method, apparatus, and system for securing data on a removable memory device, which is removably coupled to and accessible by a computing apparatus, are disclosed. Upon an attempt by a user to access the removable memory device, a manual key is recovered by a manual key interface device. This manual key is used to authenticate the identity of the user. Upon the authentication where the user identity corresponds to authorized access to the memory device, the access is enabled. Upon the authentication, where the user identity does not correspond to authorized access to the memory device, the access is prohibited.
US07938849B2
A method is provided for treating a fractured long bone. The method includes fastening a first bone plate to cortical bone of the fractured long bone and fastening a second bone plate to cortical bone of the fractured long bone. The first bone plate is circumferentially spaced from the second bone plate. The method also includes fastening a first end of a transverse member to the first bone plate and fastening a second end of the transverse member to the second bone plate.
US07938847B2
Systems, apparatuses and methods for securing tissue to bone using a bone anchoring system are described. Methods and apparatuses may allow transformation between locked and unlocked states, thereby allowing adjustment of the tension in the suture. The apparatus and/or methods may allow unidirectional movement of a suture, while preventing slippage or movement of the suture and tissue in the opposite direction. Ends of a suture may be individually tensioned to adjust positioning of a tissue with respect to a bone.
US07938845B2
Vaso-occlusive devices are provided for occluding an aneurysm within the human vasculature. The vaso-occlusive device also includes a stretch-resisting member that extends through at least a portion of a lumen of the primary coil and is directly or indirectly attached to the primary coil at two locations axially separated from each other to prevent or minimize axial stretching of the primary coil. At one location, the stretch-resisting member is coupled to the primary coil via a flexible anchor assembly disposed within the lumen. In one embodiment, the anchor assembly may comprise an anchor coil and a link directly or indirectly coupled between the anchor coil and the stretch-resisting member. Alternatively, the anchor assembly may comprise a chain of twisted links.
US07938843B2
Cold worked nickel-titanium alloys that have linear pseudoelastic behavior without a phase transformation or onset of stress-induced martensite as applied to a medical device having a strut formed body deployed from a sheath is disclosed. In one application, an embolic protection device that employs a linear pseudoelastic nitinol self-expanding strut assembly with a small profile delivery system for use with interventional procedures is disclosed. The expandable strut assembly is covered with a filter element and both are compressed into a restraining sheath for delivery to a deployment site downstream and distal to an interventional procedure. Once at the desired site, the restraining sheath is retracted to deploy the embolic protection device, which captures flowing emboli generated during the interventional procedure. Linear pseudoelastic nitinol is used in the medical device as distinct from non-linear pseudoelastic (i.e., superelastic) nitinol.
US07938841B2
Anastomotic components may be attached to hollow bodies or vessels by magnetic or mechanical force to create an anastomosis, form a port in a vessel, or repair a diseased vessel lumen. Anastomoses are created by coupling a first connection to an end of a vessel and then attracting it to a second connector secured to the side wall of another vessel. The connection between the first and second connectors may be solidly magnetic, solely mechanical, or a combination thereof. Also disclosed are methods and devices for treating diseased vessel lumens, for example abdominal aortic aneurysm. A plurality of docking members is attached to the vessel at solicited positions, and then one or more grafts is secured to the docking members in any suitable manner.
US07938826B2
A medical device is disclosed that can include a first atrial anchor, a first delivery shaft linked to the first atrial anchor, wherein the first delivery shaft is adapted to move the first atrial anchor, a second atrial anchor, a second delivery shaft linked to the second atrial anchor, wherein the second delivery shaft is adapted to move the second atrial anchor, and a biasing member linking either (i) the first atrial anchor to the first delivery shaft or (ii) the second atrial anchor to the second delivery shaft. The medical device can include an insulation material coupled to one or more of the first or second atrial anchors, or the first or second delivery shaft. A method for treating an internal tissue opening is also disclosed wherein a first and second electrode can be operated between unipolar and bipolar modes to initiate tissue damage, thereby inducing tissue regrowth.
US07938804B2
A surgical access apparatus includes an access housing, an access member extending from the access housing, a seal mount disposed within the access housing and having an object seal for forming a seal about the surgical object and a monolithic closure valve mounted to the housing distal of the seal mount. The access housing and the access member define a longitudinal passage for passage of a surgical object. The closure valve includes an interface segment and a closure segment extending from the interface segment. The interface segment is in contacting relation with the seal mount and comprises a generally compilable material adapted to maintain a substantial seal with the seal mount and within the longitudinal passageway during angular movement of the surgical object.
US07938801B2
An infusion system includes a disposable wearable infusion device and a filler device. The disposable infusion device has a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin and a reservoir for holding a liquid medicant to be infused into the patient. The filler device is arranged to detachably receive the infusion device body and to transfer a volume of the liquid medicant to the infusion device reservoir. The filler device may be part of a service device arranged to detachably receive the infusion device and which also includes a cannula driver and a cannula for providing the infusion device with a cannula and deploying the cannula to beneath a patient's skin.
US07938786B2
A biopsy system has a cutter defining a cutter lumen along an axis. One conduit in the system is configured to provide fluid communication along the cutter lumen axis; while another conduit in the system is configured to provide fluid communication lateral to the cutter lumen axis. The system may be operated in a variety of modes, including a sample cycle, a clear probe cycle, a cutter positioning cycle, an aspirate cycle, and a maintenance vacuum pulse cycle. The operational modes are selectable by a user. Depending on the mode selected by the user, the communication of vacuum, saline, or atmospheric air through the conduits, or the sealing of the conduits, will vary as a function of the axial position of the cutter.
US07938781B2
A method comprises detecting at least one episode of ventricular tachyarrhythmia in a subject using an implantable medical device (IMD), sensing at least one heart sound signal for the subject using the IMD, the heart sound signal associated with mechanical vibration of a heart of the subject; initiating, in response to and during the detected episode of tachyarrhythmia, a measurement of hemodynamic stability of the ventricular tachyarrhythmia from the heart sound signal, and deeming whether the ventricular tachyarrhythmia is stable according to the measurement of hemodynamic stability. The measurement of hemodynamic stability is determined using linear prediction.
US07938776B2
The present invention describes examination devices, such as examination gloves, for detecting the presence of blood, and in particular hidden blood, in biological samples. Examination devices according to the present invention include, in certain embodiments, developer and indicator reagents in a single encapsulation, which offers numerous clinical and other benefits. Kits including devices according to the present invention in sterile packaging, and methods of making and using devices according to the present invention, are also described.
US07938767B2
Systems and methods are provided for reducing the effective volume of a cardiac ventricle. A ventricular volume reduction system may include a containment system or container body deliverable through a catheter into the ventricle, with the containment system or container body being fillable to occupy space within the ventricle. A ventricular volume reduction system may include a partition that sequesters a portion of the ventricle and separates it from the flow path of blood in the ventricle. Methods for reducing the effective ventricular chamber volume may include placement of the containment system, the container body or the partition within the ventricle.
US07938762B2
An automatic weight stack controller for fitness units adapted to a frame provided with weights piled up is disclosed, wherein the weights are provided with central vertical holes having inner circular grooves and a tube fit into said central holes, said tube being provided with radial holes disposed at the level of each weight wherein balls are housed, so that said balls can be pushed towards the grooves by a piston that slides vertically inside the tube, having conical ends and threaded on a vertical threaded bar centrally to the tube, where there is an eyelet for the steel cable designed to raise the weights, the selection of weights being carried out through a panel of instruments, with a digital display, and buttons to increase or decrease the number of weights.
US07938760B1
An exercise machine has a main frame and a user support movably mounted relative to the main frame for movement between a start position and an end position during an exercise. At least one user engagement device is movably mounted relative to the main frame for engagement and actuation by a user during an exercise, and a connecting linkage translates movement of the user engagement device to movement of the user support. A lifting arm is movably mounted relative to the main frame and associated with at least one of the user support, user engagement device, and connecting linkage so as to move during an exercise. A load associated with the lifting arm provides exercise resistance.
US07938750B2
In a method and a device for operating a drive unit, e.g., of a vehicle, to provide improved diagnosis of a state of a power transmission unit, the power transmission unit in the engaged state transmits an output power of an engine to a drive train, the state of the power transmission unit being detected. The state of the power transmission unit is diagnosed as a function of an output quantity of the engine.
US07938746B2
Basketball training systems and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a basketball training apparatus includes a first rim and a second rim. The first rim has a center and the second rim has a center. The first rim rotates about its center and the second rim revolves about the center of the first rim.
US07938745B2
A golf ball having a reduced distance while maintaining the appearance of a normal high performance trajectory. The golf ball has a core, an inner cover layer, and a cover. The core has a diameter of from about 1.300 to 1.620 inches, while the ball has a weight from 1.30 to 1.620 ounces, a diameter from 1.670 to 1.800 inches and a maximum Coefficient of Restitution from about 0.600 to about 0.790 as measured at 125 ft/sec incoming ball velocity. The ball has a lift to weight ratio of greater than 1.5 at a Reynolds number of about 207,000 and a spin ratio of about 0.095.
US07938743B2
The present invention provides an ionomer composition for a golf ball providing a golf ball which is excellent in abrasion-resistance, durability and resilience, and a golf ball using the same. The ionomer composition for a golf ball of the present invention comprises a polymer containing at least following component as a constituent component: first component: an olefin monomer having 2 to 8 carbon atoms; second component: an unsaturated carboxylic acid having 2 to 18 carbon atoms; and third component: a diene or a diene polymer, wherein at least 10 mole % of the carboxyl group in the polymer is neutralized with an inorganic metal compound.
US07938735B2
An adaptor for a golf club having a golf club head with a head hosel socket and a golf shaft includes an adapter body that includes an adapter shaft portion and an adapter hosel portion. The adapter hosel portion has an adapter hosel socket sized and shaped to receive an end portion of a golf club shaft. The adapter shaft portion is sized and shaped to fit into a head hosel socket of the club head. The adapter hosel socket longitudinal axis and the adapter shaft portion longitudinal axis are angularly offset by a selected offset angle. To change the loft and lie angles of a particular golf club for a particular golfer, a plurality of selectable adapters can be provided with different offset angles.
US07938732B2
A portable, expandable laser golf training device that can be placed on the ground to provide alignment. The present invention can supply a plurality of light beams produced by lasers or other light sources, switchable on and off, that can be projected along the ground both in the direction of play and perpendicular to it. In a folded configuration, the device can project in four directions creating a pair of axis lines running at right angles to each other. In an expanded configuration, one of the major axis lines can be separated into two parallel lines for putting alignment by sliding the halves of the device apart. The device can be used by placing it on the ground in front of the golfer (between the golfer's feet and the ball. Two lines project outward perpendicular to the direction of play, and two or four lines project into and away from the direction of play. These lines provide alignment for the golfer. Various combinations of beams on or off can be selected by a selector switch under control of the user. The device can contain a rechargeable battery.
US07938722B2
Systems and methods for tracking RFID gaming chips at a gaming table are disclosed. Gaming chips include an outer body with center and rim portions, and a plurality of RFID tags contained within the outer body. Signals from gaming chip RFID tags can be encrypted only for readers having an appropriate private key, and can be subject to a variable time delay unique to each RFID tag. Separate RFID tags within one gaming chip can be identical for security purposes, and to increase “visibility” to associated RFID readers at the gaming table. Security breach components within RFID tags can reduce or prevent unauthorized writing or tampering attempts to an RFID gaming chip. Further system components include a gaming table and a plurality of RFID reading devices distributed thereabout, including transponders and antennae. Such RFID reading devices are disposed beneath an upper surface of the gaming table in a grid-like fashion.
US07938708B2
An articulated walking device, configured for movement across a surface, includes a frame and a plurality of leg assemblies movably engaged with the frame. Each leg assembly includes a leg member configured to rotate with respect to the frame about first and second axes at least generally transverse to one another. A drive mechanism operatively engaged with the plurality of leg assemblies actuates each of the leg members in like, predetermined, repeatable cycles of movement. The leg members are out of phase with one another, such that sufficient leg members are always supporting the toy device in an upright manner and immediately adjoining leg members do not move together in parallel.
US07938699B2
A terminal fitting (10) is inserted into a housing (60) from behind and includes a tubular connecting portion (11), with which a mating terminal (90) is connectable from front. A bent piece (27) including both front and rear edges (28, 29) is formed at a position of a peripheral wall of the connecting portion (11) behind the front end of the connecting portion (11). The bent piece (27) is formed with a locking projection (32) to be retained and locked in the connector housing (60) by being bent toward an outer side over the entire length in forward and backward directions. The front end surface of the locking projection (32) is a curved surface receding toward the back.
US07938685B2
The present invention relates to a zinc die-cast housing (10) for a plug connector for establishing an electrical connection between the plug connector and a socket accommodating same, wherein the housing (10) comprises at least a first and a second housing part (12, 14) which are to be joined via a locking device (16) and rigid fastening elements (18), and of which at least one housing part (12, 14) comprises a receptacle device (24) for accommodating and applying electrical contact to a cable, and wherein the rigid fastening elements (18) and the at least one receptacle device (24) each are integrally formed with the housing (10).
US07938683B2
The invention provides a connector wherein a highly reliable shielding performance can be realized while reducing the production cost and the size. A connector includes a shield cover configured by one metal plate. In the shield cover, a tubular portion which forms a fitting portion for a plug, mounting terminals for a printed circuit board, first contact pieces for a shield member of the plug, and second contact pieces for a case of an apparatus are integrally disposed. In the tubular portion, inner and outer double right and left side plates are disposed. The mounting terminals are configured by right and left extended portions downward projected from portions of the outer right and left side plates in rear of a front end opening of the tubular portion. The second contact pieces are configured by elastic pieces inward extended from the front end faces of the mounting terminals.
US07938680B1
A grounding electrical connector includes: an inner sleeve, a front end of the inner sleeve having an outer flange, an annular groove being formed on an inner circumference of the outer flange; an outer sleeve coaxially positioned around the inner sleeve; a nut formed with an inner threaded section for locking with a threaded interface connector of an electronic device, the nut further having a receptacle for receiving the outer flange of the inner sleeve therein; and a conductive grounding spring mounted in the annular groove of the inner sleeve and having multiple inner resilient concave sections. When the threaded section of the nut is screwed onto the threaded interface connector of the electronic device, the inner resilient concave sections of the conductive grounding spring are mechanically and electrically connected with a circumference of the threaded interface connector.
US07938674B2
In a cable clamp for fixing an electrical cable (8) that is connected to a connector, it is proposed to insert a clamping element (10) into a cylindrical cable receptacle (2) integrally moulded on the connector housing (1) such that it can be displaced by means of a pressure screw (20). Clamping fingers (13) that are integrally moulded on the clamping element (10) fix the electrical cable (8) extending within the clamping element (10) while guiding fingers (12) integrally moulded on the clamping element (10) prevent the clamping element (10) from turning.
US07938660B1
A connector unit includes a male connector including a control plug terminal, a slide switch for moving the control plug terminal between a first position and a second position in a first direction, a return button protruding from the opening of the slide switch in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, an urging part to urge the return button in the second direction, and an elastic member; and a female connector including a control jack terminal including a control switch. The control plug terminal is moved to the first position to connect the contacts of the control switch. The return button is pressed with the control plug terminal at the first position to cause the elastic member to deform via the control plug terminal, so that the control plug terminal is moved to the second position with the restoring force of the elastic member.
US07938656B2
A card connector (100) used for receiving a card (B) having a notch at a lateral edge thereof, comprises an insulative housing (10), a number of terminals (30) and two conductive pieces (40) retained in the insulative housing, and an ejector (50). The insulative housing defines a card receiving room for accommodating the card and a receiving cavity (109) communicating with the card receiving room. The ejector slides along the receiving cavity and comprises a slider (51) engaging with the card and moving along with the card. A conductive plate (80) is secured on the slider of the ejector. The conductive plate actively moves beneath the conductive pieces and slightly contacts the conductive pieces to establish an electrical connection between the conductive pieces through the conductive plate.
US07938655B2
There is provided a lever-type connector capable of preventing the dropping off from an inner housing from an outer housing to remain at a mating connector side, when the lever-type connector is separated from the mating connector. A lever-type connector is provided with an inner housing, an outer housing that is attached to the inner housing and that prevents the separation of a second seal; sliders that are received in slider receiving slots to move slidably and that have cam grooves into which cam pins arranged at the mating connector are inserted; and a lever that is provided at the outer housing to be movable and that slides the sliders. When the lever-type connector is separated from the mating connector, the sliders pull the inner housing in a direction away from the mating connector.
US07938651B2
A substrate connector includes a housing (11), a plurality of terminals (51, 52, 53, 54) which project from the housing and are connected to a substrate, and a guide plate (41) which is secured to the housing for guiding at least some of the terminals. The guide plate includes a main part formed in a meandering shape, and end portions which are joined to opposite sides of the main part and are attached to guide plate attaching portions arranged on opposite sides of the housing.
US07938640B2
The present invention provides a roller nanoimprint apparatus capable of preventing a workpiece film with nanostructures having been transferred from the mold roller from being uneven in thickness and allowing easy replacement of the mold roller. The present invention is a roller nanoimprint apparatus including a mold roller and continuously transferring nanosized protrusions to a surface of a workpiece film by rotating the mold roller, wherein the mold roller is a cylindrical body, having an outer circumference surface with nanosized recesses formed thereon, the roller nanoimprint apparatus further includes a fluid container having an elastic film inflatable by injecting fluid into the container, the fluid container being arranged in a region defined by an inner circumference surface of the mold roller, the mold roller is mounted or demounted when the elastic film is shrunken, and the mold roller is supported from the inside when the elastic film is inflated.
US07938634B2
A self-modulating scroll compressor includes a built-in volume ratio that is defined as the ratio of a volume of a compression pocket just after completion of suction, i.e. at a beginning of a compression cycle, to the volume of the compression pocket just prior to discharge, i.e. at the end of the compression cycle. The built-in volume ratio can be controlled by the geometry of the scrolls and can be modified by, for example, extending the wrap or adding more turns to the wrap. Because the built-in volume ratio decreases to an effective volume ratio at lower capacity operation, the built-in volume ratio is at least 2.4 in order to optimize overall compressor efficiency.
US07938629B2
A fluorescent lamp is configured so that a glass bulb has a phosphor film formed on its internal face, and a rare gas and an amalgam pellet are enclosed therein. The amalgam pellet contains zinc, tin, and mercury as principal components, one amalgam pellet is enclosed in the glass bulb, and the amalgam pellet has a weight of not more than 20 mg. The fluorescent lamp satisfies the relationship expressed as: 45×(1−A)≦x≦55×(1−A), 75A≦y≦85A, 45−30A≦z≦55−30A, and x+y+z≦100, where x represents a content of zinc contained in the amalgam pellet in percent by weight, y represents a content of tin therein in percent by weight, and z represents a content of mercury therein in percent by weight. This configuration allows the fluorescent lamp to be characterized in that an amount of released mercury that is necessary for the first lighting of the fluorescent lamp is secured, and that the phosphor film is less prone to being peeled due to the amalgam.
US07938625B2
A method of manufacturing a fiber-reinforced blade for a wind energy plant is presented, which blade is configured with at least a blade shell and means for conducting to a lightning current to an earth connection. Novel aspects of the method comprise that the blade is provided with segmented conductor means that are configured for conducting a lightning current outside the blade to the means for conducting to earth; and wherein the conductor means are distributed and secured at the external surface of the blade shell in such a manner that the conductor means are essentially flush with the external surface of the blade shell. When the segmented conductor means are distributed and attached at the external surface of the blade shell, the lightning current will not have to be conducted through the conductor means, but rather they are conducted in a ionised passage in the air above the conductor means.
US07938616B2
A dynamic sealing system between two coaxial rotary shafts respectively comprising an inner shaft and an outer shaft. Connected to the inner shaft, the system comprises a sectorized annular assembly of wipers that are movable under the effect of centrifugal force, and an annular receptacle for liquid arranged in the inside surface of the outer shaft.
US07938615B2
The invention covers improvements to the Atmospheric Vortex Engine. A tornado-like convective vortex is produced by admitting air at the base of a cylindrical wall via tangential entry ducts. The heat required to sustain the vortex is provided in peripheral heat exchange means located outside the cylindrical wall. The heat source for the peripheral exchange means can be waste industrial heat or warm sea water. The preferred heat exchange means is a cross-flow wet cooling tower. The mechanical energy is produced in a plurality of turbines. The air can enter an arena via tangential entries or via an opening at the center of the arena floor. The invention can be used to produce mechanical energy, to reduce the temperature of cooled water or to produce precipitation. The invention includes a circular forced draft cooling tower that can operate in non-vortex mode or in vortex mode.
US07938609B2
The present invention provides a tightening structure with which a reduction in processing steps is achieved without modifying the shape of a partner member an improvements in bolt strength and fatigue strength are achieved, and with which the fitting length of a thread ridge is not altered greatly in comparison with a conventional tightening structure such that a size reduction can be achieved, thereby contributing greatly to a reduction in the weight of a vehicle.
US07938608B1
A wall surface protecting bolt support apparatus includes a bolt receiving member comprising a plate that has a first side, a second side and a peripheral edge. The plate has an aperture extending therethrough which extends into the first side and outwardly of the second side. A sleeve is attached to and extends away from the second side, the sleeve bounding the aperture. The sleeve has a distal end with respect to the plate. The distal end is open to allow a bolt to be extended through the aperture and through the sleeve. The sleeve is extendable through an opening in a wall surface and the second side is abuttable against the wall surface. The bolt is extended through the bolt receiving member and a head of the bolt is abuttable against the first side of the plate to prevent damage to the wall surface.
US07938605B2
The present device is a combination winch attachment and a winch winding shaft end wherein the winch attachment including a body for demountably attaching to the shaft end, the winch attachment further including a mechanism for releaseably securing the body to the shaft end thereby placing the winch attachment in an engaged position wherein the winch attachment and shaft end rotate in unison, and the winch attachment further including a coupling mechanism for receiving rotational forces to the body, such that the body in turn rotates the shaft end when the winch attachment is in the engaged position.
US07938602B2
In a three degrees of freedom parallel mechanism, a spindle head is carried by first and second movable support members to be movable along a Z-axis and to be pivotable along each of A and B-axes. The spindle head is jointed through three rods to drive sliders which are movable along three parallel linear guides secured stationarily. For jointing, there are employed spherical joints and universal joints. Kinematic parameters used in converting each command position of the movable body to target operational positions for three actuators of the Z, A and B-axes are compensated based on inversely converted command positions and inversely converted actually measured positions which have been gathered with the spindle head being located at positions of a suitable number, so that the kinematic parameters can be updated to those newest.
US07938596B2
A multi-use asphalt paving tractor with frame raise capability and a blind-mateable connector to facilitate quick connection with interchangeable attachments for performing the functions of a paver, a mix transfer conveyor and road widener.
US07938595B2
A method of operating a surface compactor is provided. The method may include supporting a base of the surface compactor on a surface. The method may also include generating a fluctuating vertical force on the base with a vibratory mechanism, which may include moving one or more weights of the vibratory mechanism with a drive system of the vibratory mechanism. Additionally, the method may include sensing a parameter of the operation of the vibratory mechanism that fluctuates in reaction to moving the one or more weights to generate the fluctuating vertical force. The method may also include automatically adjusting the operation of the vibratory mechanism to adjust the fluctuating vertical force based at least in part on the sensed parameter.
US07938584B2
A cage for inclined ball bearings with adjacent ball pockets separated from each other by webs. Elastically-deformable retainer lugs extend from the webs with flanks facing opposing directions and facing each other.
US07938583B2
A rolling bearing made of stainless steel for use in conditions where hydrofluoric acid or fluorine grease is present can prevent boundary lubrication due to the invasion of metal corrosion powder into rolling surface of the bearing, and thus prevent the rapid advance of internal wear. The rolling bearing is highly durable and has a long life even if used in metal corrosive environments. A deep-groove rolling bearing includes bearing rings (inner ring and outer ring), rolling elements, and a retainer all made of stainless steel, and solidified lubricating oil sealed in the rolling bearing. The solidified lubricating oil is made by heat curing a mixture of lubricating oil or grease containing perfluoropolyether and a thermoplastic resin. Contact seals made of fluorine rubber seal the solidified lubricating oil. Even if metal abrasion powder is produced by effect of perfluoropolyether or hydrofluoric acid, it will be held embedded in the solidified lubricating oil, so that abnormal wear will not occur.
US07938576B1
A sensing system simultaneously obtains images and surface temperatures of processing tubes inside process heaters using an imaging sensor operating in the visible or infrared regions of the spectrum and capable of detecting visible or infrared radiation emitted or reflected from surfaces within the process heater, and of providing an image signal to a display or to an image processor. One or more single element infrared detectors viewing specific regions within the aforesaid image accurately measure the intensity of radiation emitted by surfaces within those specific regions so as to allow the temperature of the surfaces within those specific regions to be inferred.
US07938575B2
A food mixer (1) with a container (3) with side walls (3a) and a bottom (3) is described. The food mixer (1) contains a mixing screw (5) rotating about an axis (5′) extending essentially perpendicularly to the bottom (3b). A support surface (7d) is assigned to the mixing screw and strokes over the bottom (3b) with a leading edge (7a), a flow guiding body (8, 108, 208, 308, 408) projecting upwards from the support surface (7d). To improve and facilitate in a constructionally simple manner a measuring out process, it is suggested to provide the flow guiding body (8, 108, 208, 308, 408) with a guiding surface (10, 210, 310) essentially facing radially outwards which is provided with a point (9) directed to the leading edge (7a) and resting on the support surface (7d) and extends with an increasing height (h) above the support surface (7d) backwards in the sense of rotation (D).
US07938574B2
A mixing apparatus has a container base and a container lid with the lid carrying a mixing mechanism extending through the lid. The mixing mechanism includes at one end a mixing element and at the other end a drive connection to a drive motor. When the drive is operated, the mixing element mixes the contents of the container, usually with the container inverted. The lid has a rim portion with a circumferential slot, and the top edge of the container is located in the slot when the lid is assembled with the container to improve the connection between the lid and the container during mixing. The lid within the rim portion carries the mixing mechanism and during mixing, the assembly is held to lock the assembly together.
US07938568B2
There is provided a light emitting diode (LED) backlight device comprising a light guide plate and a light module composed of a plurality of LEDs. A haze structure is disposed between a light incident surface of the light guide plate and each LED. Haze value of the haze structure is varied with a high value at a position closing to an optical axis of the LEDs and a low value at a position further away from the optical axis of the LEDs.
US07938564B2
A lamp with combined spot and flood light distribution properties in which an elongate translucent shell defines an interior cavity with a reflector portion and a neck portion. A socket-engaging base includes a pair of electrical contact members for communicating with respective electrical contacts of a socket of a light fixture. A lamp capsule, disposed in the interior cavity, includes a light source that connects to a pair of electrical leads for connecting to electrical contact members of the socket. The light emitted from the light source communicates difusingly radially omni-directionally through the neck portion and directedly substantially longitudinally from the reflector portion.
US07938551B2
The present invention provides a process for producing a luminescent glass, comprising the steps of adsorbing, to a porous high silica glass, at least one metal component selected from the group consisting of elements of Groups IIIA, IVA, VA, VIA, VIIA, VIII, IB, IIB and IVB of the Periodic Table; and thereafter heating the porous glass in a reducing atmosphere. The luminescent glass obtained by the process is excellent in heat resistance, chemical durability, mechanical strength and other properties, and exhibits strong luminescence when irradiated with UV light or the like. The glass can be effectively used as a luminous body for lighting systems, display devices, etc.
US07938550B2
A light emitting device includes: a first and second LED chips for emitting light with a first and second wavelengths which are different from each other; and a translucent sealing resin for sealing the first and second LED chips; wherein the sealing resin contains a fluorescent material which is excited by light with the first wavelength but is not excited by light with the second wavelength, so that the light with the second wavelength and white light resulted from color mixture of the light with the first and second wavelengths and light emitted from the fluorescent material can be selectively emitted. The above light emitting device is adapted for a camera-equipped cellular phone.
US07938549B2
A retroreflective article with excellent wide-angle characteristics is provided. Entrance angle characteristics, observation angle characteristics, and rotation angle characteristics are improved. In a retroreflective article, an assembly of multidirectional retroreflective elements is formed, in which either five, or seven or more unit elements are formed so as to share two common base edges forming the triangular base face of the unit elements and a common vertex at which the common base edges intersect, with an adjacent retroreflective element.
US07938547B2
A display system includes a coherent light source that can emit a coherent light beam, an optical component that can direct the coherent light beam to a spatial light modulator, a transport mechanism that can move the optical component to produce a movement in the coherent light beam, and a spatial light modulator having a two-dimensional array of mirrors each configured to selectively reflect the coherent light beam either toward a screen surface or away from the screen surface to form a display pixel on the screen surface. A display image is formed on the display screen by display pixels produced by the mirrors that reflect the coherent light beam toward the screen surface.
US07938544B2
A projector includes a housing, an optical engine module, a light source, a system fan and a lamp cooling fan. The housing includes a air vent and an intake. The optical engine module is disposed in the housing. The light source is disposed on one end of the optical engine module for providing light. The light source includes a first side and a opposite second side opposite to the first side. The system fan is disposed adjacent to the first side for generating an airflow flowing from the first side toward the light source. The lamp cooling fan is disposed adjacent to the second side for generating an airflow flowing from the second side toward inside of the light source and the first side. The airflow generated by the lamp cooling fan mixes with the airflow generated by the system fan and then is exhausted through the air vent.
US07938537B2
A two-dimensional reflection pattern suitable for corneal topography that uses sinusoidal profiles of both intensity and color values. The technique provides a more robust image processing due to the ability to apply digital band pass filters, continuous data for improved surface reconstruction, and the ability to directly measure the meridian of the reflection pattern source point when the corneal surface normal does not lie in the meridian of the measurement instrument.
US07938536B2
According to a process for manufacturing a series of ophthalmic lenses, each lens consists of a substrate and a film portion (3) attached to the substrate. The characteristics specific to each lens are obtained by functionalizing the film portion. Film functionalization is carried out when the film is in the form of a large planar sheet (2), and then each portion is cut from the sheet. To obtain economic lens manufacture, with a good production yield, the film portions have, right from the start of the process, dimensions corresponding substantially to the housing of a frame into which each lens is intended to be fitted.
US07938532B2
A method for automatically providing vertical misalignment correction in a hand held printer fixedly mounting a printhead having a plurality of ink jetting nozzles arranged in a column includes defining a fixed quantity subset of the plurality of ink jetting nozzles for printing a print swath; defining a reference line corresponding to a desired printing path; assigning print data to the feed quantity subset of the plurality of ink jetting nozzles for printing the print swath along the desired printing path; determining an amount of vertical deviation of the hand held printer from the reference line as the hand held printer is hand-scanned along the desired printing path; and dynamically shifting a location of the fixed quantity subset within the plurality of ink jetting nozzles to compensate for the amount of vertical deviation as the hand held printer is hand-scanned along the desired printing path.
US07938531B2
Methods and apparatus include a handheld printer manipulated by an operator to print an image on a media. A controller correlates a location of a printhead to the image and causes printing or not. A position sensor provides input to the controller. Its signal typifies pixels in a matrix frame indicating a current position frame and, over time, a previous position frame. The controller compares the two frames to find a presence of the previous in the current. To improve computational efficiency, the controller reduces a relative size of both frames before comparing. Specific reduction techniques contemplate converting a matrix frame of pixels indicative of previous and current locations into smaller matrices, including one-dimensional forms. Possible search areas within the current frame to look for the previous frame utilize knowledge about the movement history of the printer. Position sensor signal validity and controller architectures are other noteworthy features.
US07938524B2
An ink supply unit for a printhead includes a plurality of ink storage chambers; an ink distribution molding for supplying ink from the ink storage chambers to a back surface of the printhead, the ink distribution molding defining a series of slots for supplying ink via respective ink outlets to the back of the printhead; and a filter configured to fit around the ink distribution molding to filter ink passing through the ink distribution molding. The ink distribution molding and the filter are inserted within a baffle unit, the baffle unit including a number of spaced-apart baffles formed within ink channels of respective ink storage chambers to retard acceleration of ink in respective ink storage chambers. The ink distribution molding further defines a print head aperture within which the print head is attached.
US07938520B2
An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a rubber member in an ink flow passage. The rubber member is pretreated with an organic solvent having a high boiling point, a water-based liquid containing a coloring agent, or a mixture of the two. The pretreatment is effective for preventing additives in the rubber material from being eluted into a water-based liquid for ink-jet recording, which can lead to clogging of ink-jet nozzles and the like.
US07938516B2
A continuous inkjet system includes a plurality of nozzles producing a respective liquid jet through each nozzle. A stimulation device at each nozzle is responsive to different types of stimulation signals to produce a modulation in the respective liquid jet to selectively control droplet break off relative to phases of the cycle of a varying voltage source that is connected to a charge electrode. The break off phase of a droplet relative to the voltage phase of the voltage source will determine whether the droplet is charged or not charged. Droplets that become charged may be deflected from their paths and a deflection mechanism including the charge electrode determines which droplets are allowed to reach a surface for say printing and which droplets are collected and not deposited upon the surface.
US07938511B2
Provided are a printing head and an inkjet printing apparatus, which eject liquid droplets without leaving behind any bubble in each nozzle, thus having an enhanced durability. An ejection port of the printing head includes a first ejection port part communicating with the atmosphere and a second ejection port part having a cross-section orthogonal to an ejection direction being larger than a cross-section of the first ejection port part orthogonal to the ejection direction, and being formed between the energy effect chamber and the first ejection port part. In addition, the second ejection port part is formed to be eccentric to an electrothermal transducing element in an ink supply direction in which ink is supplied from an ink supplying port to the bubbling chamber.
US07938505B2
A printhead assembly for an inkjet printer, which has a printhead with a plurality of inlets for receiving ink, an extrusion having a plurality of outlets in fluid communication with the plurality of inlets such that the extrusion supplies ink to the printhead, the extrusion having a plurality of ink channels in fluid communication with the plurality of outlets, a plugging device at one end of the extrusion configured to supply ink from the printer to each of the channels respectively, the plugging device having a first plate, a second plate, a series of plugs and a spine, the first and the second plate hingedly connected via the spine such that the series of plugs seal respective open ends of the plurality of channels and the first and second plates overlap and clamp around the exterior surface of the first end of the extrusion. The plugging device also having inlets for receiving ink from the printer, and directing the received ink into respective channels of the extrusion. The first plate has the plurality of inlets, and the extrusion has a plurality of apertures which align with the plurality of inlets.
US07938504B2
Embodiments of a biodegradable absorbent material in a permeable membrane are disclosed.
US07938500B2
A printhead IC comprising: an array of nozzles having a plurality of adjacent regions; and, drive circuitry for sending an electrical pulse to each of the nozzles individually such that they eject a drop of printing fluid; and, a plurality of temperature sensors for sensing the temperature of the printhead IC within each of the regions respectively.
US07938499B2
It is possible to minimize the amplitude of residual vibration of a piezoelectric actuator so as to maintain the image quality of a formed image at a preferable level in case of an ink jet head, for example. A liquid discharge device includes a control unit (14) for ON/OFF control of a drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator. The control unit (14) has a micro vibration control section (23) for drive-controlling a drive circuit so as to micro-vibrate the piezoelectric actuator in a waiting state not discharging a liquid drop from a nozzle, in a range that no liquid drop is discharged in the nozzle. The piezoelectric ink jet head includes the liquid discharge device. The drive method is for micro-vibrating the piezoelectric actuator in the waiting state not discharging a liquid drop from the nozzle, in a range that no liquid drop is discharged from the nozzle.
US07938491B2
A device, system, and method for a headrest are disclosed herein. The headrest may have an orthopedic cervical support comprised of a semi-rigid polystyrene base and/or a memory foam or polyurethane foam covering for comfort. The curved shape of the headrest provides a full head support backing with two concave sides of equal proportion to support the head while turned as well as preventing a child or adult's head from tilting at an uncomfortable angle while at rest.
US07938488B2
A device for adjusting the seat depth of a motor vehicle seat includes a base element to be arranged in a manner fixed on the seat framework, a supporting element which is mounted in a longitudinally movable manner on the base element and is intended for supporting a seat user and guide device by means of which the supporting element is guided movably on the base element along an adjustment direction. The guide device includes a first guide mechanism, in the vicinity of which the supporting element is supported on the base element and at which the supporting element and the base element interact with play in a direction perpendicular to the adjustment direction and to the supporting direction, and a second guide mechanism with which the supporting element is guided on the base element in an essentially play-free manner perpendicular to the adjustment direction and to the supporting direction.
US07938477B2
There is provided a stopper structure for a tilt type cabin mounted on an industrial vehicle, which is capable of preventing a cabin from lowering during a working so as to enhance the safety. The stopper structure 1 for a tilt type cabin incorporated in an industrial vehicle 31 in which the cabin 33 is pivotally supported to a vehicle body 33 so as to be tiltable, comprises a rod 33 connected at its one end to the cabin 33, a casing 2 attached to one end to the vehicle body 31, the casing 2 having a guide groove 5 in which a stopper pin 11 secured to the rod 10 is slidably fitted, and which defines an upper locking part 7 on the upper side of the gravitational center of the cabin 33 as a criterion with respect to the vehicle body 31, and a lower locking part 6 on the lower side thereof, an urging spring 18 for urging the rod 10 toward the locking parts 6, 7, and a release lever 15 for pressing the rod 10 toward the side remote from the urging spring 18 so as to release the lock of the rod 10 from the locking parts 6, 7.
US07938476B2
A crashbox is provided for connecting a bumper carrier and a longitudinal beam in a frame structure of a motor vehicle. The crashbox has a section that is compressible in a longitudinal direction and a first fixing element for attachment to the longitudinal beam and a second fixing element for attachment to the bumper carrier at opposite ends of the section. The first fixing element is in the form of a spigot member that is insertible into a cavity in the longitudinal beam and a support strut extends between two rigid side flanks of the spigot member through an internal cavity of the spigot member.
US07938441B2
In a vehicle front structure 12, when there is a frontal collision of a vehicle, an air bag 32 is inflated and deployed to the outside of a column cover 22, and thereby, the knees of a driver are restrained and protected by the air bag 32. A right side wall 28C and a left side wall 28D of a second lower column cover 28 are opened by the air bag 32 inflating and deploying. Consequently, the air bag 32 can be inflated and deployed with certainty to the vehicle right and left sides of the column cover 22.
US07938436B2
An inflator assembly is disclosed for use in an automobile. The inflator assembly features a slide-on housing around an inflator.
US07938434B2
A wheelchair that upon folding can become more compact for transporting and storage by enabling the vertical side frames of the wheelchair to move towards each other through the use of a sliding mechanism.
US07938430B1
An anti-sway device for conventional trailers, which essentially takes the place of the shank member of a conventional trailer hitch, is described. The shank assembly is comprised of an elongate square member coupled to a conventional hitch receiver of a tow vehicle. Attached to the rearward end of the square member is a pivot member with rearward diverging links connecting it to another somewhat wider pivot member to which a conventional ball mount is attached. The ball mount is further linked to the towed trailer such that the tongue of the trailer is fixed to the ball mount about a vertical axis. This arrangement results in the trailer pivoting about the resulting center of rotation of the converging links, which is substantially forward of the ball of the trailer hitch. Moving the pivot point forward, such as that found on a fifth wheel trailer, reduces sway and enhances the stability of the coupled trailer and tow vehicle.
US07938429B2
An integrated cross-member mount comprises an inter-frame mount seated within opposing longitudinal channels of parallel adjacent truck frame members and comprises a top surface within each lateral portion of which is defined a longitudinally-oriented row of spaced-apart, shaped apertures, and at least two substantially vertical flanges extending downward from the lateral periphery of the top surface that are dimensioned to be conforming to the inner surfaces of truck frame members. Also included is a sliding pedestal having lateral skids seated upon respective portions of rows of spaced-apart apertures and extending into vertical gaps between the top surface of the mount and the truck frame member. Each skid includes a plurality of spaced-apart, shaped skid apertures that can align with a corresponding plurality of shaped apertures within the top surface of the mount. Each skid also includes a pawl pivotally mounted on each skid having a one or more teeth insertable through the skid apertures and the shaped apertures. The pedestal also includes a plurality of pivot bearings mating to a corresponding plurality of bearings of a fifth wheel hitch plate.
US07938418B1
An upper mount assembly for an air-over vehicle suspension system includes an annular elastomeric isolator molded between two tubular bushing sleeves and press-fit into a through bore defined in an end cap. The inner bushing sleeve is adapted to receive the free end of the system's damper rod while an axial projection of the end cap is supported for relative rotation within a complementary through bore of a top plate. An axially-projecting lower surface on the elastomeric isolator defines a low-profile jounce bumper adapted to resiliently engage an upper end of the damper's cylinder body, thereby obviating the need for a separate jounce bumper while further accommodating relatively-low vehicle ride heights.
US07938415B2
A vehicle is provided with an axle suspended from a main frame of the vehicle by right- and left-hand pairs of connecting rods. As viewed from the top, one of each of the right- and left-hand pairs of connecting rods crosses the other of the pair of rods, and, as viewed from the side, the right- and left-hand pairs of rods are disposed parallel to each other. This arrangement of the connecting rods results in the axle moving substantially vertically up and down during operation of vehicle over uneven terrain.
US07938409B2
A carriage and incorporated harness and towing assembly which allows for significant freedom of movement for a user and a safe and comfortable ride for a passenger is disclosed. The towing assembly comprises a flexible, semi-resilient member surrounded by a plurality of rigid linkages, a fixed towing member and a harness coupling member. The carriage is comprised of at least a single, two-wheel axis and at least one motion damping device. One object of the disclosure is to provide an apparatus that allows a user to comfortably tow a child, toddler or infant while participating in a variety of exercise or general travel-related activities.
US07938404B2
A shaft extending along and rotatable about an axis and a housing surrounding a portion of the shaft are provided with a seal assembly having an inner ring fixed on and rotatable with the shaft and having a pair of axially oppositely directed outer faces and a pair of outer slide rings axially flanking the inner ring and having inner faces axially sealed on the inner-ring outer faces. The outer rings, the housing, and the inner ring form an annular housing compartment surrounding the shaft. A blocking compartment on the housing is separate from the housing compartment. The inner ring is formed with a radially throughgoing passage having an inner end open on the shaft and an outer end open into the housing compartment. The housing is formed with a bore between the housing compartment and blocking compartment.
US07938395B2
A sheet feeding device includes a driven roller that rotates in response to movement of a sheet, and a rotary encoder that detects a moving distance of the sheet based on rotation of the driven roller. The driven roller and the rotary encoder are connected by a gear unit having backlash. When the sheet moves in a reverse direction and thereby the driven roller rotates in reverse, the rotary encoder does not detect the moving distance of the sheet.
US07938378B2
One embodiment includes a method including providing a first portion of a product, the first portion of the product having a body and a flange extending therefrom; and casting a material around at least a portion of the flange to enclose the same and to provide a second portion of the product and wherein the at least the portion of the flange is constructed and arranged to provide frictional damping of the product.
US07938368B2
A system includes a first anti-icing electrothermal heater located at tip of a gas turbine engine nosecone, and a plurality of anti-icing electrothermal heater strips extending rearward from the first anti-icing electrothermal heater along the nosecone.
US07938366B2
Opening and secure-closing system for doors comprising two doors (1,2) for accessing the interior of a chamber, which open towards the outside being hinged around two hinging axes (19,20), both doors (1,2) comprising a set of bolts (17,18) and the opening and closing system comprising additional means of opening/closing operation (26) and an overpressure door (3) located in one of the doors (1,2) which opens towards the outside, in such a way that the means of opening/closing operation (26) comprise a blocking bar (4), a blocking fitting (7) and means of retention (10) between the two doors (1,2) in order to provide a controlled and sequential opening/closing operation of the chamber, and the overpressure door (3) is opened automatically in the event of emergency due to overpressure, and it also participates in the controlled and sequential opening/closing operation of the chamber.
US07938365B2
The invention relates to a holder module for affixing lines of various thicknesses in an aircraft, as well as to a holder system comprising two of the above-mentioned holder modules. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method that makes it possible to lead lines reliably and in an ordered manner through an aperture in a structural component of an aircraft. Finally, the invention relates to an aircraft that is equipped with a plurality of the above-mentioned holder modules, as well as to the use of a plurality of the holder modules according to the invention in an aircraft. The holder module comprises a basic body as well as at least one cross arm. The basic body comprises at least one bearing face to accommodate or support a line. Corresponding to the basic body, the cross arm, too, comprises at least one counter-bearing face that interacts with the bearing face of the basic body. To make it possible for the holder module to reliably accommodate at least one line, the at least one cross arm is movably positioned in relation to the basic body such that the line, due to movement of the at least one cross arm is affixed between the at least one bearing face of the basic body and the at least one counter-bearing face of the at least one cross arm.
US07938363B2
An emergency opening device for an overhead locker with a housing and a lowerable shell includes a connecting element which is connectable to a retention system operatively coupling the housing to the lowerable shell. The emergency opening device also includes a locking device adapted to move from a locked position in which the locking device is coupled with the connecting element to an unlocked position in which the locking device is uncoupled from the connecting element to release the lowerable shell from the retention system.
US07938360B2
Plural regions are defined within a main wing by a plurality of spars and ribs. Of these regions, predetermined regions extending from a main wing connecting portion of the pylon to an internal space of a leading edge skin are used as wiring/piping accommodating chambers for collectively accommodating wiring and piping which provide communication between an engine and a fuselage, a predetermined region adjacent to parts of the wiring/piping accommodating chambers is used as a landing device accommodating chamber for accommodating a landing device and predetermined regions adjacent to other parts of the wiring/piping accommodating chambers are used as fuel tanks. Thus, the maintainability is improved as compared with the case where the wiring and the piping are distributed within the main wing. In addition, because the wiring/piping accommodating chambers are isolated from the landing device accommodating chamber and the fuel tanks, the operational reliability can be improved.
US07938357B2
A device is provided for dispensing a length of elongate material wound on the barrel of a spool. A support is provided for the spool including first and second end plates. The end plates are positioned in a spaced relationship. A support hub extends from each plate and is engaged within an opening in the spool on opposite sides thereof, such that the spool may rotate about the support hub. The support hub includes a peripheral dimension that permits a dynamic, pivoting motion of the spool about the contact with the hub. The support hub normally positions the spool in a radially offset position and engages a friction member formed adjacent the periphery of the flange of the spool. During unwinding, pulling of the end of the elongate material causes the spool to pivot in the direction of the pulling force and away from the friction member. Once the pulling force is removed, the spool pivots about the hub, back into frictional engagement with the friction member.
US07938354B2
The present invention provides a clutch of a bait reel for fishing which controls rotation of a spool such that only when the handle is rotated to reel in a fishing line can one-way rotation of the spool be restricted. The clutch includes a ratchet wheel which is coupled to a rotating shaft of a handle, and a ratchet pawl which is provided in a reel frame. The ratchet pawl is removably locked to gear teeth of the ratchet wheel to control the rotation of the spool. A separate contact piece made of rigid material is coupled to a contact end of the ratchet pawl. Therefore, the contact piece directly receives a load and frictional resistance occurring when the gear teeth of the ratchet wheel presses the ratchet pawl. Thus, the ratchet pawl which is made of comparatively soft material to facilitate the operation of forming the ratchet pawl can be prevented from being easily damaged.
US07938353B2
Disclosed herein is a brake system for a fishing reel. The brake system includes a spool cover which is provided between a spool and a left cover, and a brake assembly which is provided between the spool and the spool cover. The spool cover has a cylindrical inner sidewall, a first brake collar which is provided on the inner surface of the sidewall, a circular protrusion which is provided on the central portion of the spool cover, and a second brake collar or one way ring which is provided on the circular protrusion. The brake assembly includes a brake housing, brake shoes, expansion springs, and a housing cover. The brake housing has inner seating depressions and outer seating depressions therein. The brake shoes are inserted into the inner seating depressions. The expansion springs are inserted into the inner seating depressions to elastically support the brake shoes. The housing cover is coupled to the outer surface of the brake housing to prevent the brake shoes and the expansion springs from being removed from the brake housing.
US07938349B2
The invention relates to a roll mill having a grinding plate and at least one grinding roll rolling on the grinding plate, wherein material which is to be comminuted, after being subjected to loading in a gap formed between the grinding plate and grinding roll, is directed away over the periphery of the grinding plate and, furthermore, a stationary accumulating edge, which does not rotate along with the grinding plate, is provided, at least on that side of the grinding roll which is directed towards the periphery of the grinding plate, this accumulating edge forming at least part of an elevation of the periphery of the grinding plate. The elevation of the periphery of the grinding plate here is higher in the region of the grinding rolls than in the region between the grinding rolls, in order to prevent the material which is to be comminuted from escaping radially from the gap formed between the grinding plate and grinding roll.
US07938347B2
A shredder is disclosed having a dual stage cutting mechanism. The dual stage cutting mechanism generally includes two pairs of cutters for performing two distinct cutting operations. The pair of first cutters is configured to pierce rows of staggered cross-cuts into material to create a waffle-like pattern. Disposed below the pair of first cutters, the pair of second cutters is configured to strip cut the pierced material.
US07938343B2
A self-propelled irrigation system has an elongated pipeline supported above a field by a plurality of drive towers. The drive towers each have a base beam assembly, a tower structure extending above the base beam assembly for supporting the elongated pipeline, and a plurality of drive wheel assemblies for moving the base beam assembly over a field. The drive assemblies include first and second drive assemblies mounted to respective ends of the base beam assembly. At least one of the drive towers also has a third drive assembly mounted to the base beam assembly between the first and second drive assemblies. The base beam assembly supporting the third drive assembly is articulated between its first and second ends and pivotally connected to the lower ends of the tower structure to allow the third drive assembly to move vertically relative to the first and second drive assemblies when traversing uneven terrain.
US07938339B2
The present invention provides a spray arm assembly comprised of a tubular member rotatable about a fixed axis. The tubular member has an internal passage and a central axis extending a length of the tubular member. A nozzle assembly is attachable to an end of the tubular member and fluidly communicates with the internal passage of the tubular member. The nozzle assembly is comprised of an insert attachable to the tubular member in a predetermined position. A nozzle body has an aperture therein defining a spray orifice. The nozzle body is mountable to the insert in one of a plurality of positions wherein the spray orifice has an orientation based upon a position of the nozzle body relative to the insert. A fastening means is provided for fastening the insert and the nozzle body together in one of the plurality of positions.
US07938334B2
The present disclosure relates to multiple embodiments of a signage having radio-frequency responsive features, methods of making and using the signage, and the performance characteristics of the signage. These embodiments include a cutout, aperture, or opening in an electrically conductive element into which or adjacent to which is placed an RFID tag or chip.
US07938330B2
A method for reading and displaying a two-dimensional code is to enable the display of digital information with high cell density and to enable an accurate reading of digital information, while responding to the various conditions. An image pattern that can be distinguished from surrounding cells is detected from an image data containing the two-dimensional code by verifying an image on the image data with a predetermined verification pattern. The detected image pattern includes the image of one or more data marks.
US07938329B2
A smart card device includes a card body; and a plurality of card contacts carried by the card body. A smart card chip circuit includes a processor carried by the card body and operably connected to the contacts. At least one memory stores a set of instructions relating to initiating and completing smart card transactions between the smart card device and a smart card host. A biometric circuit is carried by the card body and operable with the processor and used for verifying identity of a user for subsequent smart card device usage. Power is received through a first contact for powering a power circuit for the smart card and a biometric subsystem power circuit receives power through a second contact.
US07938327B2
A data capturing apparatus includes a start/stop detecting unit, a data capturing unit, and a data converting unit. The start/stop detecting unit is used for detecting a start and an end of a data transfer from an information storage apparatus to the data capturing apparatus. The data capturing unit for receiving data from the information storage apparatus. The data converting unit is used for transforming the received data into differential USB transferable data. A related data capturing method and a storage medium recorded with an application program to accomplish the data capturing method are also provided.
US07938326B2
A method and system for providing point-of-sale and point-of-delivery and/or distribution of products in a restricted access unit near the customer. The method and system utilize products equipped with radio frequency tags and reduce the effects of energy sharing, shadowing, and nulls. In one embodiment, a plurality of RF tagged products are placed within a refrigerator, cabinet, or other micro-warehouse that has a door or opening that can detect access to the micro-warehouse. In one embodiment, one or more antennas are positioned within the door. Each antenna may have a transmission line of sight and be configured to emit a signal at predefined frequencies. Each antenna generates an electromagnetic field within the micro-warehouse. In one embodiment, the products are positioned in one or more bins, compartments, or similar devices located within the micro-warehouse such that at least two of the plurality of products are spaced a distance from each other to reduce energy sharing. The electromagnetic field is moved or altered within the micro-warehouse through the use of reflectors, devices that move the antennas, or other mechanisms.
US07938325B2
Systems and methods of the present invention for receiving inbound shipments are provided. Bar code information may be decoded, and various types of information can be identified from the decoded bar code information. Such information may include, for example, recipient name, recipient address, a sender account number with the shipping vendor, etc. A database is searched based on such identified information. The database may further include other information associated with the identified information. A report including such information may be generated concerning the shipment. Such report may be stored and retrieved for reference when a future shipment with similar information is received.
US07938318B2
A control method and system provides coded access to a system by acquiring account identification data corresponding to a combination of a plurality of symbols. The account identification data is transmitted, for example to a remote server, to correlate the account identification data against an account database to evaluate corresponding account information. Based on the account information, access to the system may be controlled.
US07938314B1
A wireless outdoor mailbox actuating system preferable includes a lockable outdoor mailbox having a housing, a plurality of operating components dynamically attached to the housing and a mechanism for synchronously toggling the operating components between first and second associated positions respectively. The front door of the mailbox has an elongated slot that is large enough to receive for example, a DVD and a collection of mail. A remote controller is communicatively linked to a receiver and to a main controller to remotely activate the front door actuating mechanism, tray displacing mechanism and flag raising mechanism, respectively. Selected ones of such mechanisms may be synchronously linked together to allow a user to retrieve mailbox contents without the need to reach into the mailbox. The system additionally provides an effective and secure means of preventing unauthorized access to private mail inside the mailbox.
US07938311B2
The hybridization method provides a first component with first pads and a second component with second pads for accommodating protrusions of a fusible material, so that the first pads and second pads line up two by two in order to form pairs of pads to interconnect the two components when aligned. Then placing the first and second components one on top of the other to form an assembly where some of the protrusions of fusible material on the first and/or second pads respectively consist of at least three larger-sized protrusions, especially taller protrusions, so that before the temperature is increased to the hybridization temperature of the fusible material, the component only rests on the larger protrusions.
US07938309B2
A process for friction stir welding at least a first part made of metal alloy A with at least a second part made of a dissimilar metal alloy B, in which the first and second parts are placed side by side, and a joint is made between the first and second parts using a rotating tool moving at a speed referred to as the travel speed. The tool travel speed has at least two alternated modes in continuous service, a first mode wherein a first average travel speed S1 and a second mode wherein a second average travel speed S2 is used, the speeds S1 and S2 being significantly different, typically at least 30% of the highest travel speeds, with the slowest advance speed being zero. The assemblies welded according to the invention are particularly advantageous for the fabrication of panels or structural sections used in the manufacture of transport vehicles.
US07938308B1
A wire bonder has a capillary through which a wire passes. A discharge tip is positioned near a bottom section of the capillary and provides a flame to a distal end of the wire. A gas diffuser is positioned beside the capillary to diffuse a heated gas to the distal end of the wire.
US07938305B2
A fastener driving device including a housing assembly, a nose assembly connected to the housing assembly, and a magazine for carrying a supply of fasteners that are provided to the nose assembly. The fastener driving device also includes a fastener driver and a spring that moves the fastener driver through a drive stroke. A motor and a coupler mechanism is also provided for moving the fastener driver through a return stroke.
US07938300B2
A hanger is disclosed having a hanger supporting means in the form of a cascade hook for supporting additional hangers therefrom, wherein the cascade hook may be inserted through a rear aperture of a like hanger to facilitate the nesting of one hanger with the other like hanger.
US07938297B2
Certain pump dispensers, for example foam dispensers, are specially adapted for inverted use. One feature especially useful in a foam dispenser having both an air cylinder and a liquid cylinder with respective pistons is an intake conduit arrangement to increase the clearance of liquid from the container. An intermediate shell fits over the upright liquid cylinder body and carries an inlet valve positively urged upward to the closed position to prevent leaking. A conduit shell fits over the intermediate shell and creates an intake conduit extending down the side of the liquid cylinder to an intake opening lower down the pump body.
US07938293B2
A lid construction for a container, canister (can), or the like, includes a top piece and a skirt piece. The top and skirt pieces are connected together using a folded and crimped joint that is located primarily on the inside of the lid adjacent to the inner surface of the skirt and generally below the top surface of the lid, providing a substantially flush and flat upper surface and a substantially flush and flat side surface of the lid at the location of the joint.
US07938292B2
A paint can with a thumb hole disposed therein as an aid in holding such paint can in one hand. The thumb hole has a different shape when designed for use with a gallon can as opposed to the thumb hole when designed for use with a quart can or smaller.
US07938289B2
A thermal insulating container (1) of the present invention includes a container body (9) formed of an inner container shell (2) for housing a heat generation unit (H), and of an outer container shell (3) for covering the inner container shell (2), and a vacuum layer (4) located between the inner container shell (2) and the outer container shell (3). Further, the thermal insulating container (1) is characterized in that the heat generation unit-side surface of the inner container shell (2) is covered with a thermal insulator (5). In the thermal insulating container (1), the thermal insulator (5) is provided between the inner container shell (2) and the heat generation unit (5), and the temperature rise of the inner container shell (2) is gas permeation through the inner container shell (2) is restricted.
US07938284B2
A package assembly for automated aliquot and/or dispersal processes is provided. Embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to: first and second portions which cooperate to contain the aliquot, wherein a pair of flexure channels are defined in opposing sides of at least one of the first or second portions, the flexure channels cooperating to define a flexure axis extending through the pair of flexure channels. Thus, embodiments of the present invention may allow at least one of first and second portions of the package assembly to flex about the flexure axis in response to a force exerted on the package assembly such that the first and second portions separate in response to the force.
US07938275B2
The present invention provides a filter module comprising a body of wound layers of a sheet material, said sheet material having a plurality of openings formed therein, said channels within the wound layers of sheet material of said body, said channels extending in a direction from the inner peripheral surface to the outer peripheral surface, a first type of channels being open at one end at said outer peripheral surface of the body and closed at the other end located adjacent to said inner peripheral surface, a second type of channels being open at one end at said inner peripheral surface of the body and closed at the other end located adjacent to said outer peripheral surface, said channels of the one type being separated from the channels of the other type by portions of sheet material wherein a majority of the openings of a layer of sheet material forming the inlet channels incompletely register with corresponding openings of an adjacent layer and a process for manufacture such filter module.
US07938264B2
An air-packing device inflatable by compressed air for protecting a product, where the air-packing device is used in a pair to securely hold the product for protection. The air-packing device is configured by an inflated portion that has a plurality of air containers, each of the air container having a check valve that prevents reverse flow of air, an uninflated portion that is not filled with compressed air, an air input commonly connected to the plurality of check valves to supply the compressed air to the air cells through the check valves. The plurality of air containers create an enclosure structure to surround one end of the product to be protected, and the uninflated portion is flipped inside the enclosure structure to create a pouch portion that holds the package to be protected.
US07938262B1
A decorative holder for holding potpourri or decorative items having hinged opening at the top, side, or bottom, the hinged opening capable of being secured closed, for example, by a latch or hook and loop closure, and capable of holding materials therein. The framed holder is formed by a plurality of frame supports that form a base and a lid and side frame supports and simulating the shape of one or more natural products such as a fruit, vegetable, nut, seed, animal, reptile, sea creature, star, or ball, box, or other similar object. The plurality of frame supports may further include a framework that is woven in and about the holder to secure the decorative items. The materials to be secured in the holder may include decorative items; botanicals, natural and/or synthetic; food stuffs; personal effects; and the like, all having a size and shape larger than any aperture in the holder.
US07938258B2
A container assembly includes exterior storage recesses or other accommodating spaces or members into which one or more cartridges may be removably inserted for the storage of chemical compounds. In various embodiments, one or more storage containers may contain a liquid and a solid component or a crystalline or powder and a solid component to be mixed in an interior of the container body, for example with water or other liquid, to form an activated compound. That compound or solution may be or include a pesticide, herbicide, fungicide, fuel mixture, cleaner, or other end product. The storage cartridges containing the ingredients may be configured to threadedly engage an outer cap which attaches to an opening in the container body. The outer cap and the threads of the ingredient-storing compartments may be counter threaded, so that when the outer cap is attached to the attachment opening of the container body, the storage compartments detach and drop into the interior of the container, releasing the ingredients for mixture and use. The separation of potentially volatile ingredients improves the shelf life of pesticides and other end product or solutions.
US07938254B1
A capsule having a hydrogen gas permeable shell with solid-state hydride material, such as hydrogen rich LiAlH4, Li3AlH6, and/or AlH3 encapsulated therein. The hydrogen gas permeable shell has pores that are between about 1 nm to about 150 μm in diameter to allow hydrogen gas to be extracted from the capsule. After passing the capsule through a hydrogen extraction zone, the capsule containing the spent solid-state hydride material is removed and is sent to recycling, wherein the capsule is opened to remove the spent solid-state hydride material, and the spent solid-state hydride material is rehydrogenated and repacked in a hydrogen gas permeable shell. The shell of the spent solid-state hydride material can be recycled and reused to make new shells.
US07938236B2
A composite article for use in an aircraft brake heat pack, the article comprises a core layer having a face portion and a wear layer attached to the face portion, wherein the wear layer has a density lower than the core layer. The core layer is preferably formed from impregnated C—C and the wear layer is preferably formed from C—C. The article may be used as a brake disc.
US07938232B2
An evacuation control apparatus for an elevator controls, in an event of a fire in a building provided with an elevator that is assigned to a plurality of floors as service floors, an operation of the elevator. The evacuation control apparatus for the elevator has an evacuation operation performing portion, a determination portion, and an evacuation operation resuming portion. The evacuation operation performing portion sets at least one of the service floors as a rescue floor, and performs evacuation operation for the elevator to convey those stranded in the building from the rescue floor to an evacuation floor. When a predetermined termination condition is fulfilled during evacuation operation, the determination portion determines that evacuation operation should be terminated. When a predetermined resumption condition is fulfilled after evacuation operation is terminated due to a determination made by the determination portion, the evacuation operation resuming portion determines that evacuation operation should be resumed.
US07938231B2
In an elevator apparatus, a brake control device has a first brake control portion for operating a brake device upon detection of an abnormality to stop a car as an emergency measure, and a second brake control portion for reducing a braking force of the brake device when a degree of deceleration of the car becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value at a time of emergency braking operation of the first brake control portion. The second brake control portion detects emergency braking operation of the brake device independently of the first brake control portion.
US07938229B2
An improved marine emergency rope ladder apparatus includes: (a) a continuous piece of rope knotted so as to form a safety ladder having a top and a bottom-free end, two side pieces that form a loop at the top of the ladder which is used to attach the top of the ladder to the surface to which it is to be affixed, and a plurality of rungs extending between these side pieces, (b) a pull rope whose top end is attached proximate the free end of the ladder and whose length is such that its bottom end is place proximate a water surface to which the ladder is to be extended, (c) a covering for the ladder in the form of a sleeve with a top flap and a means for releasably connecting the covering's bottom portion so that it can support the weight of the ladder fitted within the covering, and wherein this releasable means is configured so that a pull on the pull rope causes the releasable means to open the covering's bottom so as to allow the free end of the ladder to fall to the water below.
US07938222B2
An independently suspended, driven axle shaft set in which the axle shafts are asymmetric with respect to each other, wherein the asymmetry provides mitigation of powerhop. The asymmetric axle shafts are asymmetrically selected such that the relative torsional stiffness therebetween is different by a ratio substantially between about 1.4 to 1 and about 2.0 to 1. The asymmetry may be provided by any known modality that alters torsional stiffness and is compliant with operational load demands of the axle shafts, as for example the axle shafts having the same length, but differing cross-sectional diameters; or by the axle shafts having the same cross-sectional diameters, but differing lengths; or a combination thereof.
US07938219B2
A method of damping axial shocks which affect a driver's lower extremity situated on an accelerator, when the vehicle impacts on an obstacle is provided. In this case, by way of a device for generating an adjustable restoring force applied to the accelerator, in response to an accident-detection signal of a control device, a defined restoring force is generated and applied to the accelerator.
US07938218B2
Children's ride-on vehicles having a drive assembly that is selectively configured between a plurality of drive configurations, such as responsive to user inputs via user input devices, and a ground detection system that is adapted to detect when at least one of a plurality of wheels loses contact with the ground surface. The ground detection system may be adapted to restrict the plurality of drive configurations responsive thereto. This restriction may be automatic responsive to loss of contact of the at least one of the plurality of wheels with the ground surface, and it may be made regardless, or independent, of user inputs that otherwise would select and/or enable one of the restricted drive configurations.
US07938211B2
A brake structure for a wheel rotating device is disclosed, which comprises a motor provided in a wheel and is driven for rotating the wheel, and a braking mechanism for actuating brake to brake the wheel. The motor includes: a motor housing; a stator positioned in and fixed to the motor housing; and a rotor positioned in the motor housing and facing to the stator. The braking mechanism includes: a brake rotor to rotate with the wheel; frictional members to be in contact with the brake rotor for generation of braking force; a pressing force generating unit for generating pressing force of the frictional members so that the frictional members are urged to and pressed against the brake rotor by supplying brake fluid through a brake fluid passage to transmit fluid pressure; and a housing for the pressing force generating unit. The brake fluid passage is formed inside a wall of the motor housing, and is connected to a brake fluid supply port provided in the housing for the pressing force generating unit.
US07938206B2
A modular transmission assembly is provided for an agricultural or industrial utility vehicle especially for a tractor. The transmission assembly comprises a housing member with at least three attachment sites for components of a three point hitch arrangement. The attachment sites being provided at the housing member for attaching at least two draft links and at least one upper link. The transmission assembly further comprises a power take off transmission module being adapted to the housing member, the transmission module having at least two different gear ratios.
US07938205B2
The invention relates to a boring head for a ground-boring device displacing earth with a percussive action, comprising at least three boring head sections, of which the first section has a form optimized for the loosening and for guiding the device, the second section is optimized with regard to the radial displacement of the earth with low resistance to motion, and the third section has a fixed connection to the housing of the ground-boring device. Improved transmission of the advancing forces to the earth and consequently an improved advance of the ground-boring device can be achieved by at least two of the boring head sections being designed so as to be axially movable relative to one another in the longitudinal direction.
US07938197B2
Methods and apparatus for MSE-based drilling operation and/or optimization, comprising detecting MSE parameters, utilizing the MSE parameters to determine MSE, and automatically adjusting drilling operational parameters as a function of the determined MSE.
US07938196B2
A hand-held power tool includes a main handle, a percussion mechanism striking along a percussion axis, a counter mass displaceable along an oscillation axis which is inclined to the percussion axis and biasing elements for preloading the counter mass to a rest position on the oscillation axis. The counter mass is arranged such that the rest position is closer to the main handle than the center of gravity is to the main handle.
US07938195B2
An impact wrench includes a housing, a rotation motor, an output shaft, and an impact mechanism including an inertia drive member with an impact chamber, a drive socket coupling the drive member to the motor, and anvil formed integral with an output shaft and extending into the impact chamber, and a coupling member arranged to transfer kinetic energy from the drive member to the anvil, a lubricant provided in the impact chamber, and barrier forming cover element mounted on the drive member to seal off the impact chamber and prevent lubricant from being expelled from the impact chamber at rotation of the drive member.
US07938191B2
A downhole tool includes a swellable core, and a coating that encapsulates the swellable core, wherein the coating is made of a material comprising a component soluble in a selected fluid and a component insoluble in the selected fluid. A method for controlling a downhole tool includes disposing a downhole tool in a wellbore, wherein the downhole tool includes a swellable core, and a coating that encapsulates the swellable core, wherein the coating is made of a material comprising a component soluble in a selected fluid and a component insoluble in the selected fluid; and exposing the swellable device to the selected fluid to increase the permeability of the coating to allow the swellable core to swell.
US07938184B2
A method and system associated with the production of hydrocarbons comprising a joint assembly comprising a main body portion having primary and secondary fluid flow paths, wherein the main body portion is attached to a load sleeve assembly at one end and a torque sleeve assembly at the opposite end. The load sleeve may include at least one transport conduit and at least one packing conduit. The main body portion may include a sand control device, a packer, or other well tool for use in a downhole environment. Included is a coupling assembly having a manifold region in fluid flow communication with the second fluid flow path of the main body portion and facilitating the make-up of first and second joint assemblies with a single connection.
US07938178B2
A deep water subsea tree completion having a distributed temperature sensing system. In a described embodiment, a method of installing an optical fiber in a well includes the steps of: conveying an optical fiber section into the well; and monitoring a light transmission quality of the optical fiber section while the section is being conveyed into the well.
US07938176B2
A system for use in a wellbore is disclosed. The system may include a tube, a swell packer surrounding a portion of the tube, a first pair of plates coupled to an outer surface of the tube and positioned at a first end of the swell packer, each of the first pair of plates having a plurality of slots extending inwardly from an outer edge of the plate, the regions between slots defining petals, wherein at least one of the slots of one of the first pair of plates overlaps with at least one of the petals of the second of the first pair of plates, and a second pair of plates coupled to the outer surface of the tube and positioned at a second end of the swell packer, each of the second pair of plates having a plurality of slots extending inwardly from an outer edge of the plate, the regions between slots defining petals wherein at least one of the slots of one of the second pair of plates overlaps with at least one of the petals of the second of the second pair of plates.
US07938174B2
A temperature controlling apparatus that controls the temperature of a temperature-controlling object is disclosed. The temperature controlling apparatus includes an atmospheric coolant circulating line that circulates a coolant through a cooling path arranged at the temperature-controlling object; a heat transfer plate heater that heats the temperature-controlling object; and a coolant discharge part that discharges the coolant remaining in the cooling path when the circulation of the coolant is stopped. When the temperature of the temperature-controlling object is to be controlled to change from a low temperature to a high temperature, the circulation of the coolant is stopped and the coolant discharge part discharges the coolant remaining in the cooling path.
US07938172B2
A heat exchanger includes a pair of header tanks, a plurality of flat heat exchange tubes which are disposed between the two header tanks and whose opposite end portions are connected to the corresponding header tanks, and a plurality of corrugate fins each including wave crest portions, wave trough portions, and connection portions connecting together the corresponding wave crest portions and wave trough portions, and each disposed between the adjacent heat exchange tubes. Each connection portion has a plurality of louvers which extend in a width direction of the connection portion and are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the connection portion. The louver pitch is 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. The inclination angle of the louvers in relation to the connection portion is 20° to 30°.
US07938171B2
A heat exchanger system includes a first fluid layer defining a first flowpath for a gas, a second fluid layer defining a second flowpath for a liquid, a first vapor cycle layer located between the first fluid layer and the second fluid layer for enabling heat transfer between the first and second fluid layers, a first boundary wall defining a shared boundary between the first fluid layer and the first vapor cycle layer, and a second boundary wall defining a shared boundary between the second fluid layer and the first vapor cycle layer. The first vapor cycle layer includes a working medium configured to transfer heat through an evaporation and condensation cycle, and the working medium of the first vapor cycle layer is sealed between the first and second boundary walls.
US07938169B2
Additives to foundry sand cores are provided for reducing or eliminating surface defects called veins in metal castings, by reducing the propensity of sand mold and core aggregates to crack during metal casting. The additives generally include an iron oxide component such as magnetite and hematite and a glass component which is preferably free of lithium oxide. The additive may also optionally include an amount of carbon effective to reduce adhesion of sand particles to the casting.
US07938168B2
Disclosed herein is an integral casting core including a solidified first portion of a ceramic core and a solidified second portion of the ceramic core; wherein the solidified second portion is disposed upon the solidified first portion of the ceramic core by laser consolidation. The first solidified portion of the integral casting core, is manufactured by a process which includes disposing a slurry including ceramic particles into a metal core die; wherein an internal volume of the metal core die has a geometry equivalent to a portion of the geometry of the integral casting core; curing the slurry to form a cured first portion of the ceramic core; and firing the cured first portion of the ceramic core to form a solidified first portion of the ceramic core.
