US08405568B2
The present disclosure relates to wireless communication device antennas with tuning elements.
US08405566B2
An antenna (100) comprising a first pole portion (20), a first helical portion (30), a second pole portion (40) and a second helical portion (50), each of which connects the next in turn along a line, said second helical portion (50) having a plurality of cylindrical whorls, wherein the second helical portion is coated with metal (60) so that the whorls are connected to a neighbor one by the metal (60).
US08405564B2
An ultra-wideband antenna array architecture includes a first array of radiating elements, a second array of radiating elements, and a third array of radiating elements, with their respective element widths proportionately ascending in size. In one configuration, the first array radiating element width is half a wavelength at the highest frequency of operation, the second array element width is twice the first width, and the third array element width is twice the second width. The first, second, and third arrays are positioned in a wavelength-scaled lattice wherein the wavelength scaling is based on design operative frequencies and whereby adjacent actively-radiating elements for an operative frequency are aligned so as to produce constructive interference when powered up. Feed means such as a diplexer with a selected-band frequency control then provides power to each array.
US08405559B2
A system and method for testing RF characteristics of a wireless device. The wireless device is placed on a base plate of a test fixture. One or more guides are positioned for securing the wireless device. At least one RF antenna is positioned. The position of the wireless device and the at least one RF antenna coupler relative to each other corresponds to acceptable RF characteristics for testing the wireless device. Positions of the one or more guides and the RF antenna coupler are identified. The identified positions are utilized to subsequently test similar wireless devices.
US08405555B2
An embedded UWB antenna and a portable device having the same are disclosed. The embedded UWB antenna comprises a grounding element; a T-shaped radiating element having a horizontal portion comprising at least an opening for cutting off undesired frequency and a vertical portion comprising a feed point for feeding current to resonate frequency; and a plurality of sleeve elements extended from the grounding element along two sides of the vertical portion; wherein the plurality of sleeve elements and the vertical portion are substantially parallel to each other.
US08405553B2
The present invention relates to a very compact antenna system with a diversity order of 2. An antenna system with a diversity order of 2 integrated on an electronic card comprising a first radiating element of F-inverted type with a first extremity connected to a ground plane, a second extremity free and a conductive power supply part, a second radiating element of F-inverted type with a first extremity connected to a ground plane, a second extremity free and a conductive power supply part, characterized in that the free extremities of the first and second radiating elements are opposite one another and are separated by a projecting element of the ground plane.Application in electronic cards for multi-standard communication devices.
US08405551B2
Location estimation systems, methods, and non-transitory computer program products. The system includes: storage means provided in the computer, means for storing the vector datasets in the storage means of the computer, means for calculating the similarity between the vector dataset without any location label and each neighboring vector dataset with a location label, by using any one of a q-norm where 0≦q≦1 and an exponential attenuation function, and means for estimating the location label of the vector data without any location label from the calculated similarities.
US08405547B2
A self-provisioning antenna (SPA) system and method provides for automatic simultaneous remote optimization of one or more field antenna terminals over a wireless network. A central server communicates with a field controller to modify configurations of any directional radiating elements, filters settings, and low noise amplifier settings associated with one or more remotely located antenna banks, determines the optimal configurations based on readings of field signal quality metrics including RSSI, EC/IO, and date rate standard samples, and allows a human operator to select a configuration.
US08405541B2
A radar system operable to detect objects within multiple ranges using common components is provided. The radar system includes a transmitter antenna, a first and second microwave radiation source, and a receiver. The first and second microwave radiation sources both are transmitted through the transmitter antenna. The echoes are received by the same receiver. The first microwave radiation source is a frequency modulated wave form and the second microwave radiation source is an ultra-wide band wave form. A multiplexer selectively connects one of the first and second microwave radiation sources to the transmitter antenna.
US08405537B2
Various embodiments of methods and devices for reducing capacitor mismatch errors in a pipeline analog-to-digital converter (ADC) are disclosed, where in a pipeline element circuit and during a first phase, an input voltage provided by a sample-and-hold circuit is presented to first and second capacitors arranged in parallel in the pipeline element circuit. During a second phase, a second voltage corresponding to a second charge associated with the second capacitance is amplified and stored in the pipeline element circuit. During a third phase, the same input voltage of the first phase is again presented to the first and second capacitors, which are arranged in parallel in the pipeline element circuit. During a fourth phase a first voltage corresponding to the first charge is amplified and stored in the pipeline element circuit. After the first, second, third and fourth phases have been completed, digital representations of the first and second voltages are sent though corresponding registers for subsequent averaging along with digital representations of first and second voltages provided by other pipeline element circuits to produce a digital capacitor mismatch error corrected output.
US08405524B2
A system is provided for detecting the passage of vehicles and the classification thereof by weight using geophone outputs and a unique density measurement in which the number of peaks of the geophone signal above a predetermined threshold over a number of time frames indicates the presence of a vehicle, with the number of time frames in which the density exceeds the threshold indicating whether the vehicle is a heavy vehicle such as a tank, or a light vehicle such as a car, with the threshold eliminating both manmade and natural noise, as well as distinguishing seismic vibrations due to personnel and animals. In one embodiment, various thresholds are utilized to detect the onset of vehicle presence and the end of the event.
US08405523B2
A drive assist device and method capable of preventing the confusion of a driver at a traffic signal with an arrow lamp are provided. An ECU has a section for determining whether or not it is possible to pass a signal, which determines whether or not a vehicle can pass a signal, and a signal waiting time notification control section, which determines a signal waiting time of the vehicle and displays it on a display unit when the section for determining whether or not it is possible to pass a signal determines that the vehicle cannot pass a signal. The section for determining whether or not it is possible to pass a signal determines not only a lighting time of only a red signal but also a lighting time of a red signal and an arrow lamp and a lighting time of a yellow signal subsequent thereto are determined as a no-pass time.
US08405510B2
A human body balance signals measuring system and the method of analysis thereof that has a measuring device, a filter amplifier, an A/D convertor (analog to digital convertor), a signal receiving module, and a data analyze module. The measuring device is linked with the filter amplifier. The filter amplifier can detect and collect the voltage signals caused by pressure change and then filter and amplify the signals. The signals are send to the A/D convertor to convert the analog circuit signals into digital signals for the receiving module to use these voltage change values for human body center of gravity offset evaluation to obtain the COP (center of pressure) offset and COP offset velocity. The data analyze module uses the measured body center of gravity offset for MSE (multiscale entropy) to quantitative the dynamic of human body center of gravity and verify the accuracy of this measuring system.
US08405506B2
A secure data entry device including a housing, tamper sensitive circuitry located within the housing and tampering alarm indication circuitry arranged to provide an alarm indication in response to attempted access to the tamper sensitive circuitry, the tampering alarm indication circuitry including at least one conductor, a signal generator operative to transmit a signal along the at least one conductor and a signal analyzer operative to receive the signal transmitted along the at least one conductor and to sense tampering with the at least one conductor, the signal analyzer being operative to sense the tampering by sensing changes in at least one of a rise time and a fall time of the signal.
US08405493B2
The present invention provides an apparatus for embedding wireless IC tags in an object to be embedded with wireless IC tags. The apparatus for embedding wireless IC tags including: an alignment unit for aligning the wireless IC tags in the same direction by applying a vibrating force to the wireless IC tags; a distribution unit for distributing the wireless IC tags to a plurality of passages; a radio communication unit for performing, through radio communication, data writing and/or reading to/from the wireless IC tags; and a wireless IC tag embedding unit for embedding the wireless IC tags into an object to be embedded with wireless IC tags by applying air pressure to the wireless IC tags.
US08405472B2
An elastic wave filter device includes first and second inductance elements included in a laminated substrate and first and second elastic wave filter chips mounted on the laminated substrate by flip-chip bonding. The first and second inductance elements provided in the laminated substrate include first and second coil patterns, respectively, which are provided in a plane located at a certain height level in the laminated substrate. The second coil pattern is arranged in a region in which the first coil pattern is provided.
US08405467B2
An apparatus for matching impedance within a Radio Frequency (RF) integrated circuit is presented. The apparatus includes a first impedance element placed in an RF signal path, an first inductor fabricated on the integrated circuit and connected to the first impedance element, and an adjustable capacitance circuit connected in series with the first inductor and placed between the first inductor and a ground node, where the adjustable capacitance circuit is adjusted to tune the inductance of the first inductor. A method for tuning an inductor is presented. The method includes ascertaining a target inductance value for an inductor in a RF integrated circuit, and determining a capacitance value of an adjustable capacitance circuit so that, when coupled to the inductor, the combined impedance of the adjustable capacitance circuit and the inductor is tuned to the ascertained target inductance value.
US08405464B2
An electronic device controlling a frequency modulation index has a frequency modulation index control loop having an input adapted to be connected to a frequency output of a frequency controllable oscillator. The oscillator has a center frequency Fc and an output adapted to be connected to an input of a frequency-modulation unit, the modulation index control loop being adapted to determine the modulation index. Further provided is a method of frequency-modulating with a modulation frequency Fm a non-linear controllable oscillator having a center frequency Fc with a constant modulation index.
US08405461B2
A trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) for a light-receiving circuit is disclosed where the TIA reduces the power consumption as suppressing the degradation of the signal quality in high frequency regions. The TIA comprises a primary core, a dummy core, and a differential amplifier that receives each output of two cores in the differential mode. Two cores have an arrangement substantially same to each other except that the power consumption thereof is smaller in the dummy core. Because the output impedance of two cores becomes substantially equal, the scattering parameter of the common mode to the differential mode at the output of the primary core becomes small enough.
US08405458B2
A current mirror circuit provided in an emitter follower configuration achieves linearly output over a range of input currents by operating in response to a bias current that is a replica of the input current. The current mirror may include a pair of transistors and a pair of resistors, in which: a first resistor and a base of a first transistor are coupled to a first input terminal for a first input current, an emitter of the first transistor and a base of the second transistor are coupled to a second input terminal for a second input current, the first and second input currents being replicas of each other, an emitter of the second transistor being coupled to the second resistor, a collector of the second transistor being coupled to an output terminal of the current mirror, and a collector of the first transistor and the two resistors are coupled to a common node.
US08405457B2
An amplitude-stabilized third-order predistortion circuit includes a main cell having a differential input for receiving a differential input voltage, a differential output for providing a differential output voltage, and a load control input for receiving a load control voltage; a plurality of replica cells having a differential input for receiving a differential level of peak input voltage, a differential peak output voltage, and a load control input; and a plurality of control circuits coupled to the differential outputs of the replica cells, and driving the load control inputs of the replica cells and the weighted inputs of a signal combiner driving the load control input of the main cell. The main cell and the replica cells each include a cross-coupled differential cell having a variable load. The control circuit includes a first amplifier for generating a single-ended peak signal and a second amplifier for generating the load control voltage from the difference between the replica cell single-ended peak output signal and a single-ended peak reference signal.
US08405452B2
A filtering arrangement comprises a reference voltage input (1) and a compensation current arrangement (10) coupled to the reference voltage input (1) and configured to provide a control current at a current output (2) as a function of a voltage at the reference voltage input (1). The filtering arrangement also comprises a first and a second current source (20, 30) each having a control input (4, 5) coupled to the current output (2), a first and a second filter input (7, 8), and a first transistor (T1) and a second transistor (T2). The first transistor (T1) has a first connection (T11), a second connection (T12) and a control connection (T1c), where its first connection (T11) is coupled to the first current source (20) and its second connection (T12) is coupled to the first filter input (7) through a first resistor (R1). The second transistor (T2) has a first connection (T21), a second connection (T22) and a control connection (T2c), where its first connection T21) is coupled to the second current source (30), its second connection (T22) is coupled to the second filter input (8) through a second resistor (R2) and its control connection (T2c) is coupled to its first connection (T21) and to the control connection (T1c) of the first transistor (T1). A capacitive element (C1) is coupled between the first connection (T11) of the first transistor (T1) and the second connection (T22) of the second transistor (T2) and a filter output (6) is coupled to the first connection (T11) of the first transistor (T1).
US08405451B2
A current source circuit includes a reference current source circuit; a reference voltage source circuit generating a voltage proportional to a thermal voltage based on the reference current; a first transistor connected between the reference voltage source circuit and the second power supply voltage and through which a first current flows; a second transistor which has a gate applied with a voltage as a result of addition of the voltage generated by the reference voltage source circuit and a voltage between a source and a drain of the first transistor and through which a second current flows; a current source supplying a third current of a current value proportional to that of the first current; and a third transistor through which a difference current between the second current and the third current flows. An output current is supplied based on the difference current.
US08405445B2
In a complementary-MOSFET driving circuit for driving the charge multiplication gate of an EM-CCD, a ferrite bead is connected to a conduction-termination direction diode in parallel thereto, the conduction-termination direction diode being inserted into the gate electrodes of complementary MOSFETs in series therewith, the impedance of the ferrite bead at a switching frequency being lower than one-half of the gate-electrode impedance of the MOSFETs, a time during which the MOSFETs are brought into simultaneous conduction being shorter than ¼th of the switching period, the impedance of the ferrite bead at a frequency equivalent to ¼th of the switching period being higher than 2 times the gate-electrode impedance of the MOSFETs, a ferrite bead being connected to the drain electrodes of the complementary MOSFETs in series therewith, the impedance of the ferrite bead at the switching frequency being lower than one-half of the impedance of a capacitive load at the switching frequency, and the impedance of the ferrite bead, at a frequency equivalent to ¼th of the switching period being higher than 2 times the impedance of the capacitive load.
US08405444B2
Voltage switches, memory devices, memory systems, and methods for switching are disclosed. One such voltage switch uses a pair of switch circuits coupled in series, each switch circuit being driven by a level shift circuit. Each switch circuit uses a group of series coupled transistors with a parallel control transistor where the number of transistors in each group may be determined by an expected switch input voltage and a maximum allowable voltage drop for each transistor. A voltage of a particular state of an enable signal is shifted up to the switch input voltage by the level shift circuits. The particular state of the enable signal turns on the voltage switch such that the switch output voltage is substantially equal to the switch input voltage.
US08405439B2
A duty cycle adjusting system includes a detection circuit, a first clock signal adjusting circuit connected with the detection circuit, and a second clock signal adjusting circuit connected with the detection circuit, wherein the detection circuit detects a duty cycle of a first output signal outputted by the first clock signal adjusting circuit and a duty cycle of a second output signal outputted by the second clock signal adjusting circuit, and outputs a first detection signal and a second detection signal, the first and second output signals are a pair of differential clock signals, the first and second detection signals are adapted for respectively adjusting rising edges of the pair of differential clock signals. No peripheral circuit is needed to provide the bias in the duty cycle adjusting system. The duty cycle adjusting system has the simple structure and can be independently applied to the clock path.
US08405435B2
A delay locked loop generates a voltage on a common node as a function of a phase difference between a reference input and a feedback input. A first voltage-controlled delay line coupled between the reference input and the feedback input and has a first delay, which is controlled by the voltage on the common node. A second voltage-controlled delay line is selectively coupled in series with the first delay line, between the reference input and the feedback input, as a function of a test control input. The second delay line has a second delay, which is controlled by the voltage on the common node.
US08405434B2
A Digital Calibration System for a Phase Locked Loop includes a Tuning Voltage Controller configured to set the tuning voltage to a value; a Phase Difference Quantizer configured to output a phase difference after comparing a phase of the reference signal with a phase of the feedback signal; a Digital Controller configured to receive the phase difference of the PDQ and control a coarse tuning signal such that an average phase difference of the PDQ is 0; and a Frequency Calibration Logic configured to calibrate the feedback signal in response to the output of the DC.
US08405433B2
A system includes a sensing system, a first chopped circuit, a second chopped circuit, and a multiplexer. The sensing system is configured to provide input signals. The first chopped circuit is configured to switch in response to the input signals crossing a first limit and to provide a first output signal that is valid during some chopping phases. The second chopped circuit is configured to switch in response to the input signals crossing a second limit and to provide a second output signal that is valid during other chopping phases. The multiplexer is configured to switch between the first output signal and the second output signal to provide a valid output signal during all chopping phases.
US08405429B2
According to one embodiment, a power supply voltage monitor circuit includes a constant voltage circuit, a level shift circuit, a clamping circuit, a first differential circuit, and a second differential circuit. The first differential circuit include a differential unit receiving a constant current supplied from a current source and outputting an output voltage in accordance with a potential difference between a first input voltage obtained by subjecting the second constant voltage to resistive division and a second input voltage obtained by subjecting the power supply voltage to resistive division, and an output unit outputting a rectangular signal in accordance with the output voltage of the differential unit. The second differential circuit turns off the current source of the differential unit depending on a potential difference between the first constant voltage and the first input voltage to thereby control the output operation of the output unit, in a case where the clamping circuit does not fix the first constant voltage. On the other hand, The second differential circuit turns on the current source of the differential unit depending on a potential difference between the clamping voltage and the first input voltage.
US08405413B2
A critical path monitor having selectable data output modes provides additional information about critical path delay variation. A pulse is propagated through a synthesized path representing a critical path in a functional logic circuit and a synthesized path delay is measured by a monitoring circuit that detects the arrival of an edge of the pulse at the output of the synthesized delay. The measured delay is provided as a real-time output and a processed result of the measured delay is processed according to a data output mode selected from multiple selectable output modes, thereby providing different information describing the real-time data about critical path delay, such as a range of edge positions corresponding to a variation of the critical path delay.
US08405410B2
The quench of the superconducting coil is desired to be detected early while suppressing the influences of the noise generated in charge and discharge of the superconducting coil. A superconducting coil quench detection apparatus detects the balance voltage of a bridge circuit formed by the superconducting coil and a resistor to output it as a quench detection signal for detecting the quench thereof. A signal indicating the hold period where the energy accumulated in the superconducting coil is held is generated. A signal included in the hold period is extracted from the quench detection signal. The quench of the superconducting coil is detected based on the extracted signal.
US08405402B2
This is generally directed to adjusting signaling properties based on cable attributes. In some embodiments, the cable attributes can include information such as the length of a cable, the diameter of a cable, the type of plug on a cable, the type of or presence of shielding on a cable, or any combination of the above. This information can then be used to determine the appropriate signaling properties for that cable (e.g., with respect to an EMC standard). The appropriate signaling properties may, for example, optimize the signal that is used to drive the cable while still allowing the cable to generate emissions that are within acceptable EMC standards. In some embodiments, the appropriate signaling properties can include factors such as the drive strength of the signal, the slew rate of the signal, the maximum voltage of the signal, the frequency of the signal, or any combination of the above.
US08405398B2
Information handling systems are tested for proper interaction with integrated batteries by simulating a battery connection at a battery port of the information handling system. A battery connector couples to the battery port and communicates through cables with a management bus, a programmable power source and a programmable load. The management bus supports communication with a battery management unit that imitates responses for the information handling system that are expected from a battery. A battery emulator controls the programmable power source and load to provide the information handling system with an expected battery response for confirming proper operation of the information handling system power subsystem without requiring insertion of an actual battery.
US08405396B2
Nuclear Magnetic Resonant Imaging (also called Magnetic Resonant Imaging or “MRI”) devices which are implantable, internal or insertable are provided. The disclosure describes ways to miniaturize, simplify, calibrate, cool, and increase the utility of MRI systems for structural investigative purposes, and for biological investigation and potential treatment. It teaches use of target objects of fixed size, shape and position for calibration and comparison to obtain accurate images. It further teaches cooling of objects under test by electrically conductive leads or electrically isolated leads; varying the magnetic field of the probe to move chemicals or ferrous metallic objects within the subject. The invention also teaches comparison of objects using review of the frequency components of a received signal rather than by a pictorial representation.
US08405394B2
An MRI includes imaging coils. The MRI includes receiving coils. The MRI includes a controller in communication with the imaging coils and the receiving coils which controls the imaging coils and the receiving coils to sample k space associated with a patient in a pattern based on prior knowledge of k space data, and which reconstructs an image of the patient from the sampled k space. A method of an MRI includes the steps of acquiring preliminary k space data of a patient indicating the extent of k space data for all receiver channels using imaging and receiving coils. There is the step of determining with a controller which regions of signal associated with the k space are to be targeted by multiple acquisition blades of data with the imaging and receiver coils based on the preliminary k space. There is the step of sampling each of the regions determined by the controller with the blades to obtain k space data. There is the step of storing the k space data in a memory. There is the step of interpolating the k space data to fit in a regular rectangular grid and fitting each separate blade of k space data to the grid with the controller. There is the step of averaging overlapping k space data with the controller. There is the step of reconstructing an image from the k space data. A computer program.
US08405392B2
Techniques for corrected nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data include applying a presaturation radio frequency (RF) magnetic field different from a fat molecule resonance for a particular time to a target tissue; and applying a first measurement RF magnetic field within a first time after the particular time. Correction nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data from the target tissue is determined based on first NMR data received in response to applying the first measurement RF magnetic field. In some embodiments, a second measurement RF magnetic field is also applied in a second time different from both the particular time and the first time. Corrected NMR data is determined by subtracting the correction NMR data from second NMR data received in response to applying the second measurement RF magnetic field. Among other applications, these techniques allow distinguishing either fat or proteins in edemas, or both, from proteins in other tissues.
US08405391B2
A sensor comprises a magnetic field source, at least one flux conducting soft magnetic element with at least one air gap and at least one magnetic field sensor located in the air gap and measuring a change of the magnetic field of the magnetic field source. The flux conducting soft magnetic element consists of 35% by weight≦Ni≦50% by weight, 0% by weight≦Co≦2% by weight, 0% by weight≦Mn≦1.0% by weight, 0% by weight≦Si≦0.5% by weight and 0.5% by weight≦Cr≦8% by weight and/or 0.5% by weight≦Mo≦8% by weight, wherein (Mo+Cr)≦8, rest iron and unavoidable impurities.
US08405387B2
A magnetic encoder scale having a series of periodically spaced magnetic marks. A reference mark is applied to the scale using an applicator or template, which has a feature for locating the reference mark. The applicator or template has one or more magnetic marks corresponding to the periodic scale marks, whereby the applicator or template automatically assumes a defined phase relationship relative to the periodic scale marks when placed on the scale. The reference mark may be attached to the scale self-adhesively, or it may be formed by removal of material from the scale, guided by the applicator or template. The applicator may alternatively have a strong permanent magnet which applies further magnetization to a region of the scale.
US08405386B2
A non-contact sensor system is provided that comprises a first sensor element disposed on an outside surface of a chamber. The chamber comprises an inside surface configured to receive a piston, and the piston is configured to move a value X within the chamber without physically contacting the first sensor element. The non-contact sensor system further comprises a second sensor element disposed on the piston and separated from the first sensor element by a wall of the chamber. The first sensor element and the second sensor element are operatively coupled to facilitate sensing the value X. The non-contact sensor system may be configured to sense velocity, acceleration, volume, and other values.
US08405378B2
The generation and monitoring of a load-independent output current for a level meter, pressure gauge, flowmeter or evaluation device are described. A current that is equal or unequal to the measuring current, but inverted relative thereto, can be generated continuously or within certain time intervals in a switching circuit that is realized independently of the network generating the measuring current. The generated current can be fed into the measuring circuit at a comparison point and added. The compensation principle makes it possible to determine whether the measuring current corresponds to the nominal value, wherein a testing current is fed into the first electric circuit by means of a second switching circuit that contains a second current source. A certain expectancy value of a voltage to be tapped can be calculated in dependence on the testing current being fed in and the nominal value. If the measured voltage deviates from the expectancy value, a deviation of the measuring current from the nominal value is detected and can be output for a user.
US08405375B2
A circuit for providing a reference voltage includes a bandgap reference circuit, a first unity gain buffer coupled to the bandgap reference circuit, a first switch for coupling a second reference voltage node to a third reference voltage node, a first capacitor coupled to the third reference voltage node, a second switch for coupling the third reference voltage node to a fourth reference voltage node, and a second capacitor coupled to the fourth reference voltage node, wherein during operation a fourth reference voltage at the fourth reference voltage node decays when the second capacitor discharges. A control circuit provides control signals for intermittently operating the bandgap reference circuit and for controlling the switches to recharge the second capacitor after the fourth reference voltage decays a predetermined amount.
US08405368B2
A phase current sharing network for a current mode multiphase switching regulator. The multiphase switching regulator includes switching networks for developing phase currents of switching phase networks controlled by pulse control signals for converting an input voltage to an output voltage. The regulator develops the pulse control signals based on current control values and at least one trigger value. The phase current sharing network includes conversion networks and a phase current combining network. Each conversion network provides a phase current value based on a corresponding phase current, such as by directly or indirectly measuring real current or by synthetically developing the phase current value. The phase current combining network develops an average phase current value based on the phase current values, and subtracts the average phase current value from each phase current value to provide the current control values used to control the switching networks.
US08405366B2
A method is provided for controlling power generation. A control circuit is employed to control first and second switches of each of multiple switch groups of a drive circuit so that the first switches are kept in OFF state while the second switches are each switched between ON and OFF states at each given time point. With the second switches of the switch groups alternately switched ON/OFF, electrical power is fed to a circuit system, which includes a power storage device or an application device of loading.
US08405364B2
A capacitor charge control assembly for use with a circuit protection device that includes at least one activation capacitor, including at least one input device configured to receive first and second user inputs, and a linkage assembly coupled to the at least one input device such that the at least one input device is movable between a first position and an opposite second position. The control assembly also includes at least one switch coupled to the at least one input device and configured to generate one of a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal is based on the first user input and the second signal is based on the second user input, and wherein the first signal causes the at least one activation capacitor to discharge stored energy and the second signal causes the at least one activation capacitor to store energy.
US08405362B2
An apparatus and method for a portable device incorporating a battery and a battery charger. In the portable device, there are a plurality of system components configured to facilitate a plurality of functions that the portable device is designed to perform. The battery in the portable device is configured for providing an internal power supply to the plurality of system components in the absence of an external input power supply. The battery charger is configured for charging the battery when the external input power supply is available. The battery charger disclosed herein is capable of supplying system power to the system components when voltage of the battery that is being charged is below a limit, thereby allowing the portable device to operate when voltage of the battery drops below the limit.
US08405355B2
A method and device for reporting the characteristics of an energy storage system. The method comprises acquiring the open circuit voltage. The method also comprises providing a coulomb capability and a coulomb capacity of the energy storage system based on the open circuit voltage, and determining at least one of an energy capability or an energy capacity of the energy storage system based on at least one of the coulomb capacity, coulomb capability, or combinations thereof.
US08405354B2
A charging control device for an electricity storage system includes a unit to detect an electricity remaining amount of a battery, a unit to calculate a necessary charge amount, a unit to calculate a necessary charge period, and a unit to start a charging from a charger to the battery at a start timing of nighttime. The start timing is defined to go back by the necessary charge period from a target timing, when the charging is defined to be finished at the target timing. The necessary charge amount is necessary for a following daytime, and is discharged for a load in the daytime.
US08405346B2
Apparatus for transferring power to through an isolated, insulated connection. A power transfer assembly includes a portable cable assembly and a receiver. The portable cable assembly includes a power plug and a transmitter with a plug portion that mates with a receptacle on the receiver. A magnetic latch secures the plug portion in the ring receptacle. The transmitter includes a power supply, a power switch, a signal sensor, and a transmitting inductor. The receiver includes a receiving inductor, a signal coil, a magnet, a power converter, a temperature sensor, and an isolation switch. When the transmitter is coupled with the receiver, the power switch is operated by the magnet, the signal sensor is magnetically coupled to the signal coil, and the transmitting inductor is magnetically coupled to the receiving inductor. The normally open isolation switch is operated when the power converter is energized by the transmitter.
US08405343B2
A miniaturizable, low-cost highly reliable inverter unit. A control circuit section for controlling operating timing of high breakdown voltage semiconductor elements included in an inverter circuit section and first and second drive and abnormality detection circuit sections for outputting drive signals for driving the high breakdown voltage semiconductor elements according to the operating timing and for feeding back an abnormality of the inverter circuit section to the control circuit section are formed on an SOI substrate as one integrated circuit chip. On the integrated circuit chip, circuit formation areas which differ in reference potential are separated from one another by dielectrics. A plurality of level shifters for transmitting signals exchanged between circuit formation areas separated by the dielectrics are formed.
US08405342B2
A motor including a stator, a rotor, and a current supply unit. The stator includes a stator core, which has a plurality of teeth, and a plurality of coils, which are wound around the teeth. The rotor includes a plurality of magnets, which function as first magnetic poles, and salient poles, which function as second magnetic poles. Each of the salient poles is arranged between adjacent magnets spaced apart by a clearance from the magnets. When P represents the number of poles in the rotor and S represents the number of coils, a ratio P/S of the pole number P and the coil number S is represented by (4n−2)/3m (where n and m are integers that are greater than or equal to 2). The plurality of coils includes a plurality of coil groups including coils for three phases. The current supply unit executes a different current control for each coil groups.
US08405318B2
In a light emitting component, a resistor element is formed on the back surface of a substrate and its resistance value is adjusted to make the light intensity of a light emitting element (LED) in a predetermined range. A constant electric current circuit comprised of the resistor element and a transistor supplies the constant electric current to an LED, and the LED and the transistor are formed on a unit insulating substrate. In the case where the unit insulating substrate is rectangular in shape, one pair of opposite sides are x in length, the other pair of opposite sides are y in length and the ratio value of x/y is in the range of 1-1.25. Further, this light emitting component is provided with two resistor elements and both resistor elements are subjected to a resistor value adjustment.
US08405316B2
A control device of a driving circuit of a discharge lamp is described. The driving circuit comprises an half bridge with a high side and a low side switches and the control device comprises a first device configured to control the switching frequency of the half bridge and a second device configured to detect the saturation current condition of the choke or the over current condition by detecting, cycle by cycle, a signal representative of the current passing through the low side switch. The second device generate a signal to cause the turning off of the low side switch and the turning on of the high side switch when the saturation current or over current condition of the choke is detected.
US08405310B2
An LED lamp including a glass lampshell and a stem assembly with one end inserted into the glass lampshell. The stem assembly comprises a glass trumpet tube with one end sealed within the glass lampshell to form a cavity within the glass lampshell and within the cavity a supporting component connected to the glass trumpet tube and supporting an LED emitter. The stem assembly further comprises a wire encompassed within the glass trumpet tube. The wire has one end extending outside of the cavity and the other end electrically connected to the LED emitter.
US08405309B2
In a flat panel display panel and a method of manufacturing the same, the flat panel display panel may be constructed with a first substrate on which a plurality of pixels are formed; a second substrate disposed so as to face a surface of the first substrate on which the plurality of pixels are formed; a first sealing member disposed between the first and second substrates for sealing them; a first bank formed on the first substrate; a second bank formed on the second substrate and disposed facing the first bank; and a second sealing member disposed between the first and second banks.
US08405308B2
The strength of the whole OLED is increased by proposing a new method of fixing OLED panels. To address the problem, an OLED element is formed on a substrate, and a sealing substrate of a structure by which the substrate is sealed is fixed to a lower metallic frame via an elastic sheet. Silicon resin is preferably used as the sheet, and use of a sheet having a heat diffusion function based on radiation is more desirable.
US08405307B2
An LED lamp 100 includes: an LED chip 10; a phosphor resin portion 12 that covers the LED chip 10; and a light-transmissive member 20 that covers the phosphor resin portion 12. The phosphor resin portion 12 includes: a phosphor for converting the emission of the LED chip 10 into light that has a longer wavelength than the emission; and a resin in which the phosphor is dispersed. The surface of the light-transmissive member 20 includes an upper surface portion 22 located over the LED chip 10 and a side surface portion 24 located around and below the upper surface portion 22. At least a part (low-transmittance part 26) of the side surface portion 24 of the light-transmissive member 20 has lower transmittance than the upper surface portion 22.
US08405295B2
In a discharge tube, a conductive ferrule is provided on an end portion of a glass tube. The ferrule includes a body that is to be mounted to the outer circumference of the glass tube and has a contact portion to be electrically conductively fixed to a relay connector (or a bearing device). Further included is a conductive portion that extends from the body so as to have elastic contact with an outer lead. The outer lead will not be under load due to the weight of the discharge tube, but the conductive portion solely has elastic contact therewith. Thus, stress concentration on the outer lead can be prevented.
US08405292B2
A color filter preventing the occurrence of cross-talk between colors while improving light extraction efficiency, a method of manufacturing the color filter, and a light-emitting device are provided. The color filter includes: a plurality of color filter layers for a plurality of colors arranged on a substrate, a plurality of projections arranged in contact with the color filter layers, the projections of which parts on a side closer to the color filter layers are connected to one another; and a reflecting mirror film formed so as to be laid over a side surface of each of the plurality of projections.
US08405289B2
An LED illuminating device includes a hollow housing including an open end and a closed end opposite to the open end, an LED substrate, a connector, a base held inside the housing; and a driving circuit accommodated in the base. A number of first vents are arranged on the lateral surface of the housing adjacent to the closing end, a number of second air vents are arranged on the lateral surface of the housing adjacent to the open end, and a space is formed between the surface of the base and the inner wall of the housing and communicated with the first vents and the second vents.
US08405280B2
[Object] There has been a need for a composite piezoelectric body and a composite piezoelectric element using the composite piezoelectric body which does not cause electrode defects, disconnection, and peeling even if the piezoelectric body is subjected to fine-pitch processing.[Solution] A composite piezoelectric body of the present invention includes a piezoelectric ceramic and an organic polymer material containing air bubbles mixed therein, wherein among surfaces of the piezoelectric ceramic and the organic polymer material on which an electrode is to be formed, an insulating layer is formed on the entire or a portion of the surface of the organic polymer material on which the electrode is to be formed.
US08405271B2
An interior permanent magnet type brushless direct current (BLDC) motor includes a stator having a plurality of slots and a stator coil wound on the slots. The interior permanent magnet type brushless direct current (BLDC) motor also includes a rotor that rotates with respect to the stator and that has a rotor core and a plurality of permanent magnets positioned in the rotor core. The rotor has a notch that is cut off between adjacent permanent magnets.
US08405265B2
This invention relates, in the field of aviation and vehicle technology, in particular in the field of control technology, to an actuator with integrated condition monitoring system for the detection and monitoring of mechanical irregularities of individual components of the actuator and/or for the measurement of a load distribution on the actuator. This invention further relates to a method for the monitoring the condition of the actuator and a method for its manufacture. The actuators claimed by the invention can be used in actuator systems in the field of aviation control and vehicle control technology as well as in the field of power generation.
US08405259B2
Disclosed herein is a step motor, including a lead screw, a rotor fixed to an outer surface of the lead screw, a fixture containing a stator disposed to face the rotor and a housing whose one side end part is open to insert the stator and wrap the stator, and a bracket having a bracket body of a plate shape on which the housing is disposed and a bending part bent towards the one side end part of the housing from the bracket body.
US08405256B2
A wireless resonant micro-actuator for untethered micro-robots. The wireless resonant micro-actuator includes at least two magnetic bodies that are resiliently connected to one another by a resilient member to form a spring-mass system. A magnetic field generator generates a pulsating or oscillating external magnetic field that creates a magnetic force between the at least two magnetic bodies. The at least two magnetic bodies are capable of being mechanically oscillated to resonance with respect to one another. A converter converts the oscillatory motion of the at least two magnetic bodies to create useful motion.
US08405252B2
A method is provided for synchronizing an electric machine with an electric grid. The method includes synchronizing the frequency of a generator with a frequency of the grid, and regulating the voltage of the generator towards the voltage of the grid, by connecting the generator to the grid when the voltage of the generator reaches a first voltage value lower than the grid voltage. The present disclosure also provides arrangements of an electric generator and an electric grid.
US08405251B2
A power supply device adapted for supplying electrical power to a load comprises a first electrical generator adapted for providing a first output current having a first phase angle; at least a second electrical generator adapted for providing a second output current having a second phase angle independent of the first phase angle; and a combination unit adapted for combining the first output current and the second output current to a combination current having reduced harmonics compared to the first and second output currents.
US08405243B2
Wind turbines with at least one rotor blade, a hub, a gearbox casing accommodating a gearbox, a generator casing accommodating a generator, a head support, a tower and an azimuth bearing supporting the head support so that it can rotate on the tower, characterized in that the rotor bearing, the gearbox casing and the generator casing are arranged between the hub and the head support, designed as load-transmitting components and joined to each other via screw connections.
US08405238B2
A wind turbine power production system with a closed loop hydrostatic transmission system for the transfer of mechanical energy from a wind turbine rotor to an electric generator. The hydrostatic transmission system comprises a closed loop with a pump and a motor connected by tubes or pipes. The assembly of the wind turbine rotor and the pump is arranged for rotating about a vertical axis above a swivel arranged for transferring fluid to and from the motor, fluid reservoir and other components arranged below the swivel.
US08405229B2
An electronic package for interconnecting a high density pattern of conductors of an electronic device (e.g., semiconductor chip) of the package and a less dense pattern of conductors on a circuitized substrate (e.g., PCB), the package including in one embodiment but a single thin dielectric layer (e.g., Kapton) with a high density pattern of openings therein and a circuit pattern on an opposing surface which includes both a high density pattern of conductors and a less dense pattern of conductors. Conductive members are positioned in the openings to electrically interconnect conductors of the electronic device to conductors of the circuitized substrate when the package is positioned thereon. In another embodiment, the interposer includes a second dielectric layer bonded to the first, with conductive members extending through the second layer to connect to the less dense pattern of circuitized substrate conductors. Circuitized substrate assemblies using the electronic packages of the invention are also provided.
US08405228B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a sacrificial carrier assembly having a stack interconnector thereover; mounting an integrated circuit having a connector over the sacrificial carrier assembly with the connector over the stack interconnector; dispensing an underfill material between the sacrificial carrier assembly and the integrated circuit with the underfill material substantially free of a void; encapsulating the integrated circuit over the sacrificial carrier assembly and the underfill material; exposing the stack interconnector by removing the sacrificial carrier assembly; and forming a base array over the underfill material and the stack interconnector.
US08405223B2
Disclosed is a multi-layer via structure, comprising a metal layer, a first via metal layer formed on a first open of a first dielectric layer and a second via metal layer formed on a second open of a second dielectric layer. The first and second via metal layers comprise first and second bottoms, first and second top portions, first and second inclined walls, respectively. The first and second inclined walls comprise first and second top edges, first and second bottom edges respectively. The second top edge has a point closest to a geometric center of the first bottom. A vertical projection of the point falls on the first inclined wall. Alternatively, a point of the second bottom edge, which is closest to the geometric center, has a vertical projection. The vertical projection is vertical to the metal layer and falls on the first inclined wall.
US08405214B2
A semiconductor package structure includes: a substrate comprising a plurality of power supply balls on a first surface of the substrate, a first metal conductor on a second surface of the substrate and at least one via coupling a power supply ball to the first metal conductor of the substrate; a die, comprising a plurality of bond pads on a first surface of the die, a first metal conductor on a second surface of the die and at least one via coupling a bond pad to the first metal conductor of the die; and a plurality of first wire bonds for coupling the first metal conductor of the substrate to the first metal conductor of the die.
US08405210B2
A production method for chips, in which as many method steps as possible are carried out in the wafer composite, that is, in parallel for a plurality of chips disposed on a wafer. This is a method for producing a plurality of chips whose functionality is implemented on the basis of the surface layer of a substrate. In this method, the surface layer is patterned and at least one cavity is produced below the surface layer, so that the individual chip regions are connected to each other and/or to the rest of the substrate by suspension webs only, and/or so that the individual chip regions are connected to the substrate layer below the cavity via supporting elements in the region of the cavity. The suspension webs and/or supporting elements are cut when the chips are separated. The patterned and undercut surface layer of the substrate is embedded in a plastic mass before the chips are separated.
US08405209B2
Provided are a semiconductor device capable of reducing stress due to a density difference in the arrangement of bumps, and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes: a wiring board including an electrode terminal group; a semiconductor chip including a bump formation surface where a bump group is formed and being mounted on the wiring board by using the bump group. The bump formation surface includes a first region where an area density of a region having bumps arranged therein is a first density, a second region where an area density of a region having bumps arranged therein is a second density lower than the first density, and a third region provided in a border portion between the first and second regions. In the third region, an area density of a region having bumps arranged therein is above the second density and below the first density.
US08405193B2
Organic electronic packages having sealed edges. More specifically, packages having organic electronic devices are provided. A number of sealing mechanisms are provided to hermetically seal the edges of the package to completely protect the organic electronic device from external elements. A sealant may be implemented to completely surround the organic electronic device. Alternatively, edge wraps may be provided to completely surround the organic electronic device.
US08405186B2
Disclosed are embodiments of an improved transistor structure (e.g., a bipolar transistor (BT) structure or heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) structure) and a method of forming the transistor structure. The structure embodiments can incorporate a dielectric layer sandwiched between an intrinsic base layer and a raised extrinsic base layer to reduce collector-base capacitance Ccb, a sidewall-defined conductive strap for an intrinsic base layer to extrinsic base layer link-up region to reduce base resistance Rb and a dielectric spacer between the extrinsic base layer and an emitter layer to reduce base-emitter Cbe capacitance. The method embodiments allow for self-aligning of the emitter to base regions and further allow the geometries of different features (e.g., the thickness of the dielectric layer, the width of the conductive strap, the width of the dielectric spacer and the width of the emitter layer) to be selectively adjusted in order to optimize transistor performance.
US08405175B2
The present invention generally relates to a thermal processing apparatus and method that permits a user to index one or more preselected light sources capable of emitting one or more wavelengths to a collimator. Multiple light sources may permit a single apparatus to have the capability of emitting multiple, preselected wavelengths. The multiple light sources permit the user to utilize multiple wavelengths simultaneously to approximate “white light”. One or more of a frequency, intensity, and time of exposure may be selected for the wavelength to be emitted. Thus, the capabilities of the apparatus and method are flexible to meet the needs of the user.
US08405173B2
A magnetic memory device includes a reference magnetic layer having a fixed magnetization direction, a tunnel barrier layer on the reference magnetic layer, a free layer having a variable magnetization direction on the tunnel barrier layer opposite the reference magnetic layer, and a magnetization reversal auxiliary layer on the free layer. The magnetization reversal auxiliary layer has a fixed magnetization direction that is substantially perpendicular to a plane along an interface between the tunnel barrier layer and the reference layer. The magnetization reversal auxiliary layer may be directly on the free layer, or an exchange coupling control layer may be provided between the magnetization reversal auxiliary layer and the free layer.
US08405169B2
A device is provided which includes a transparent substrate. An opaque layer is disposed on the transparent substrate. A conductive layer disposed on the opaque layer. The opaque layer and the conductive layer form a handling layer, which may be used to detect and/or align the transparent wafer during fabrication processes. In an embodiment, the conductive layer includes a highly-doped silicon layer. In an embodiment, the opaque layer includes a metal. In embodiment, the device may include a MEMs device.
US08405160B2
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate. The semiconductor device includes first and second regions that are disposed in the substrate. The first and second regions have a silicon compound material. The semiconductor device includes first and second source/drain structures that are partially disposed in the first and second regions, respectively. The semiconductor device includes a first gate that is disposed over the substrate. The first gate has a first proximity to the first region. The semiconductor device includes a second gate that is disposed over the substrate. The second gate has a second proximity to the second region. The second proximity is different from the first proximity. The first source/drain structure and the first gate are portions of a first transistor, and the second source/drain structure and the second gate are portions of a second transistor.
US08405146B2
A component arrangement including a MOS transistor having a field electrode is disclosed. One embodiment includes a gate electrode, a drift zone and a field electrode, arranged adjacent to the drift zone and dielectrically insulated from the drift zone by a dielectric layer a charging circuit, having a rectifier element connected between the gate electrode and the field electrode.
US08405142B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a multilayer body, a semiconductor member and a charge storage layer. The multilayer body is provided on the substrate, with a plurality of insulating films and electrode films alternately stacked, and includes a first staircase and a second staircase opposed to each other. The semiconductor member is provided in the multilayer body outside a region provided with the first staircase and the second staircase, and the semiconductor member extends in stacking direction of the insulating films and the electrode films. The charge storage layer is provided between each of the electrode films and the semiconductor member. The each of the electrode films includes a first terrace formed in the first staircase, a second terrace formed in the second staircase and a bridge portion connecting the first terrace and the second terrace.
US08405141B2
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a stacked body, an insulating film, a non-doped semiconductor film, a semiconductor pillar, a charge storage film, a contact, and a spacer insulating film. The stacked body is provided on the substrate. The stacked body includes a plurality of doped semiconductor films stacked. The insulating film is provided between the doped semiconductor films in a first region. The non-doped semiconductor film is provided between the doped semiconductor films in a second region. The semiconductor pillar pierces the stacked body in a stacking direction of the stacked body in the first region. The charge storage film is provided between the doped semiconductor film and the semiconductor pillar. The contact pierces the stacked body in the stacking direction in the second region. The spacer insulating film is provided around the contact.
US08405140B2
In a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, a floating gate is formed on a semiconductor substrate through a gate insulating film, and has a first portion contacting the gate insulating film and a second portion extending upwardly from a part of a surface of the first portion. A first diffusion layer is formed in the semiconductor substrate to have a plane parallel to a surface of the semiconductor substrate. A second diffusion layer is formed in the semiconductor substrate, to have the plane. A control gate is provided near the floating gate above a channel region in the semiconductor substrate and is formed on a first side of the first portion. A conductive film is connected with the first diffusion layer and is formed on a second side of the first portion and a first side of the second portion through the first insulating film.
US08405136B2
A semiconductor device may include a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of first capacitor electrodes arranged in a plurality of parallel lines on the semiconductor substrate with each of the first capacitor electrodes extending away from the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of capacitor support pads may be provided with each capacitor support pad being connected to first capacitor electrodes of at least two adjacent parallel lines of the first capacitor electrodes and with adjacent capacitor support pads being spaced apart. A dielectric layer may be provided on each of the first capacitor electrodes, and a second capacitor electrode may be provided on the dielectric layer so that the dielectric layer is between the second capacitor electrode and each of the first capacitor electrodes. Related methods are also discussed.
US08405131B2
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device that comprises at least one field effect transistor (FET) containing a source region, a drain region, a channel region, a gate dielectric layer, a gate electrode, and one or more gate sidewall spacers. The gate electrode of such an FET contains an intrinsically stressed gate metal silicide layer, which is laterally confined by one or more gate sidewall spacers and is arranged and constructed for creating stress in the channel region of the FET. Preferably, the semiconductor device comprises at least one p-channel FET, and more preferably, the p-channel FET has a gate electrode with an intrinsically stressed gate metal silicide layer that is laterally confined by one or more gate sidewall spacers and is arranged and constructed for creating compressive stress in the p-channel of the FET.
US08405128B2
A method for enhancing growth of device-quality planar semipolar nitride semiconductor thin films via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) by using an (Al, In, Ga)N nucleation layer containing at least some indium. Specifically, the method comprises loading a substrate into a reactor, heating the substrate under a flow of nitrogen and/or hydrogen and/or ammonia, depositing an InxGa1-xN nucleation layer on the heated substrate, depositing a semipolar nitride semiconductor thin film on the InxGa1-xN nucleation layer, and cooling the substrate under a nitrogen overpressure.
US08405125B2
The semiconductor device includes a GaN-based layered body having an opening and including an n-type drift layer and a p-type layer located on the n-type drift layer, a regrown layer including a channel and located so as to cover the opening, and a gate electrode located on the regrown layer and formed along the regrown layer, wherein the opening reaches the n-type drift layer, and an edge of the gate electrode is not located outside a region of the p-type layer when viewed in plan.
US08405121B2
In an embodiment, a semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device may include a substrate having a main processing surface, a first source/drain region comprising a first material of a first conductivity type, a second source/drain region comprising a second material of a second conductivity type, wherein the second conductivity type is different from the first conductivity type, a body region electrically coupled between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region, wherein the body region extends deeper into the substrate than the first source/drain region in a first direction that is perpendicular to the main processing surface of the substrate, a gate dielectric disposed over the body region, and a gate region disposed over the gate dielectric, wherein the gate region overlaps with at least a part of the first source/drain region and with a part of the body region in the first direction.
US08405116B2
An object of the present invention is to reduce the thickness of a lighting device using an electroluminescent material. Another object of the present invention is to simplify the structure of a lighting device using an electroluminescent material to reduce cost. A light-emitting element having a stacked structure of a first electrode layer, an EL layer, and a second electrode layer is provided over a substrate having an opening in its center, and a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion for supplying electric power to the light-emitting element are provided in the center of the substrate (in the vicinity of the opening provided in the substrate).
US08405114B2
The present invention relates to a light-emitting diode die package having an LED die and an accommodating housing. The LED die has a first doped layer doped with a p- or n-type dopant and a second doped layer doped with a different dopant from that doped in the first doped layer. Each of the first and second doped layers has an electrode-forming surface formed with an electrode, on which an insulation layer is formed. The insulation layer is formed with exposure holes for exposing the electrodes corresponding thereto. Each of the exposure holes is formed inside with an electrically conductive linker. The accommodating housing has an open end through which an accommodating space is accessible. The LED die is positioned within the accommodating space in such a manner that the electrically conductive linker protrudes outwardly from the accommodating space.
US08405109B2
A low resistance electrode and a compound semiconductor light emitting device including the same are provided. The low resistance electrode deposited on a p-type semiconductor layer of a compound semiconductor light emitting device including an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and the p-type semiconductor layer, including: a reflective electrode which is disposed on the p-type semiconductor layer and reflects light being emitted from the active layer; and an agglomeration preventing electrode which is disposed on the reflective electrode layer in order to prevent an agglomeration of the reflective electrode layer during an annealing process.
US08405108B2
Novel red and green fluorosulfide phosphors have a chemical formula of (A1-x-yCexBy)SF, wherein A and B are both trivalent metal ions, 0
US08405104B2
A luminescent diode chip includes a semiconductor body, which produces radiation of a first wavelength. A luminescence conversion element produces radiation of a second wavelength from the radiation of the first wavelength. An angular filter element reflects radiation that impinges on the angular filter element at a specific angle in relation to a main direction of emission back in the direction of the semiconductor body.
US08405086B1
The present invention provides a pixel structure of a display panel and a method for manufacturing the same. The method comprises the following steps: forming a first transistor and a second transistor on a substrate, wherein the first transistor is connected between the second transistor and a data line, wherein the second transistor is connected to a first gate line and a second gate line; and forming a pixel electrode, wherein the pixel electrode is connected to the first transistor. The present invention can improve a deformation problem of signal waveforms due to delay.
US08405085B2
A thin film transistor includes a gate, a pair of electrodes, a first semiconductor layer disposed between the gate and the pair of electrodes, and a semiconductor stacked layer disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the pair of the electrodes. The semiconductor stacked layer includes a second semiconductor layer disposed adjacent to the pair of electrodes and at least one pair of semiconductor layers including a third semiconductor layer and a fourth semiconductor layer, the third semiconductor layer being sandwiched between the second semiconductor layer and the fourth semiconductor layer. In particular, the electric conductivity of the third semiconductor layer is substantially smaller than the electric conductivity of the second semiconductor layer and the electric conductivity of the fourth semiconductor layer.
US08405081B2
An organic thin field transistor is disclosed. The organic thin field transistor includes a first and a second insulting layers, a metal structure and an organic layer serving as an active layer. Materials of the first and the second insulting layers are different, and by performing an etching process, a surface of the metal structure and a surface of the second insulting layer are effectively aligned. Because of the high flatness of the surface of the metal structure and the second insulting layer, a continuous film-forming property and crystallinity of the active layer of the organic thin field transistor are improved, so as to achieve a better the electrical characteristic.
US08405074B2
A heterocyclic compound represented by a general Formula 1 and an organic light-emitting device including the heterocyclic compound. In some embodiments the heterocyclic compound of Formula 1 may be used as a light-emitting material, a hole transporting material, or an electron transporting material. The heterocyclic compound of Formula 1 having a heterocyclic group in the molecules thereof has a high glass transition temperature (Tg) or a high melting point due to the inclusion of the heterocyclic group. Thus, the heterocyclic compound has high heat resistance against Joule's heat generated in an organic layer, between organic layers, or between an organic layer and a metal electrode when light emission occurs, and has high durability in high-temperature environments. An organic light-emitting device manufactured using the heterocyclic compound of Formula 1 has high durability when stored or operated. In addition, due to the inclusion of a substituent such as an aryl group or heteroaryl group, molecular layers formed as thin films may be maintained in good condition, thereby improving the characteristics of the organic light-emitting device.
US08405069B2
Disclosed are embodiments of organic thin-film transistors (OTFT) with a gate insulator layer comprised of nanocomposites incorporating metal oxide nanoparticles coated by organic ligands and methods of fabricating such OTFTs. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.
US08405068B2
A reflecting light emitting structure includes a substrate having a plurality of grooves formed in a first face of the substrate is disclosed. The first face is in a first crystallographic plane. Each of the plurality of grooves includes a first sidewall that is coplanar with a second crystallographic plane and a second sidewall that is coplanar with a third crystallographic plane. A buffer layer is provided on the substrate to reduce mechanical strain between the substrate and a light emitting diode (LED) fabricated on the buffer layer.
US08405063B2
A component including a substrate, at least one layer including a color conversion material including quantum dots disposed over the substrate, and a layer including a conductive material (e.g., indium-tin-oxide) disposed over the at least one layer. (Embodiments of such component are also referred to herein as a QD light-enhancement substrate (QD-LES).) In certain preferred embodiments, the substrate is transparent to light, for example, visible light, ultraviolet light, and/or infrared radiation. In certain embodiments, the substrate is flexible. In certain embodiments, the substrate includes an outcoupling element (e.g., a microlens array). A film including a color conversion material including quantum dots and a conductive material is also provided. In certain embodiments, a component includes a film described herein. Lighting devices are also provided. In certain embodiments, a lighting device includes a film described herein. In certain embodiments, a lighting device includes a component described herein.
US08405062B2
A method of forming a poly-silicon pattern may include forming an amorphous silicon pattern on a lower layer; forming a capping layer on the substrate covering the amorphous silicon pattern; poly-crystallizing the amorphous silicon pattern using an excimer laser annealing process; and removing the capping layer.
US08405049B2
Disclosed herein is a fluorescence detection method. The fluorescence detection method includes the steps of: irradiating a measurement object with laser light modulated at a predetermined frequency; receiving fluorescence emitted by the measurement object and outputting two or more pulsed fluorescent signals; setting reference timing in units of period corresponding to the frequency; acquiring a generation time to output of each of the pulsed fluorescent signals based on the reference timing; generating a cumulative fluorescent signal indicating the relationship between a generation frequency of the pulsed fluorescent signal and the generation time; determining, by using a signal corresponding to modulation of the laser light as a reference signal, a phase difference between the reference signal and the cumulative fluorescent signal; and determining, by using the phase difference, a fluorescence relaxation time of the fluorescence emitted by the measurement object.
US08405030B2
In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a sensor integrated circuit (IC). The at least one integrated photodetector that is adapted to sense light, and an integrated analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The integrated analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is coupled to the at least one integrated photodetector, and is adapted to convert an output signal of one or more of the at least one integrated photodetector to one or more digital signals. The sensor integrated circuit (IC) further includes an integrated controller that is adapted to facilitate operation of the sensor integrated circuit (IC).
US08405027B2
A scanning confocal transmission electron microscope includes a descan deflector and a corrector below the sample. The microscope uses a detector that is preferably significantly larger than the resolution of the microscope and is positioned in the real image plane, which provides improved contrast, particularly for light elements.
US08405026B2
Disclosed herewith is a charged particle beam apparatus capable of controlling each of the probe current and the objective divergence angle to obtain a desired probe current and a desired objective divergence angle in accordance with the diameter of the subject objective aperture. The apparatus is configured to include an objective aperture between first and second condenser lenses to calculate and set a control value of a first condenser lens in accordance with the diameter of the hole of the objective aperture so as to obtain a desired probe current and calculate a control value of a second condenser lens setting device in accordance with the diameter of the hole of the objective divergence angle and the control value of the second condenser lens setting device, thereby setting the calculated control value for the second condenser lens setting device to control the objective divergence angle.
US08405022B2
A polarizing apparatus has a thermally conductive partitioning system in a polarizing cell. In the polarizing region, this thermally conductive partitioning system serves to prevent the elevation of the temperature of the polarizing cell where laser light is maximally absorbed to perform the polarizing process. By employing this partitioning system, increases in laser power of factors of ten or more can be beneficially utilized to polarize xenon. Accordingly, the polarizing apparatus and the method of polarizing 129Xe achieves higher rates of production.
US08405014B2
To provide a light source unit which prevents a reduction of light emitting efficiency in a luminescent material layer and a projector, a projector includes a light source unit, a display device and a projector control device, the light source unit includes an excitation light shining device, a luminescent wheel on which a luminescent material layer is laid circumferentially which receives the excitation light to emit luminescent light of a predetermined wavelength band, two types of light source devices for emitting light rays of wavelength bands which are different from the predetermined wavelength band, and a light source control device for controlling individually the emission of light by the excitation light shining device and the two types of light source devices and for controlling the rotating speed of the luminescent wheel in accordance with a period of time when the excitation light shining device is turned on.
US08405010B2
The portable microwave oven with protective frame is a microwave oven adapted for use in rugged environments, such as a construction site. The portable oven includes a microwave oven and an outer protective frame mounted to the microwave housing. A plurality of connector members are provided, with each connector being mounted on a respective corner of the microwave housing. Each connector is formed from a shock absorbing material. A plurality of support members are further provided, with each support member being mounted to, and joining, a respective adjacent pair of connectors. The support members form the protective frame about the microwave oven and provide a shock-absorbing shield for the microwave oven housing.
US08405009B2
Provided is a defrost heater using a surface heat emission element of a metal thin film having a fast temperature response performance and a low thermal density, to thereby use an environment-friendly refrigerant, and that performs quick temperature rising and cooling during performing a defrost cycle, to thereby quickly restart a refrigeration cycle and thus greatly reduce time required for the defrost cycle, and a fabricating method thereof, and a defrost apparatus using the same. The defrost heater includes: a strip type surface heat emission element made of a strip type metal thin plate; an insulation layer that coats the outer circumference of the strip type surface heat emission element; and a heat transfer board on one side surface of which the surface heat emission element on the outer circumferential surface of which the insulation layer has been coated is installed, and that contacts evaporator fins so that heat generated from the surface heat emission element is transferred to an evaporator.
US08405008B2
A heating element for an electrical appliance, such as an electric razor. The element has a hollow metallic sleeve having first and second sides. The first side of the sleeve has greater thermal mass than the second side of the sleeve. A positive temperature coefficient ceramic element is located within the sleeve and held in thermal contact with the sleeve by a compressed portion of the sleeve.
US08405005B2
An electrostatic chuck system for maintaining a desired temperature profile across the surface of the substrate is disclosed. The electrostatic chuck system includes a pedestal support defining a substantially uniform temperature profile across the surface of the pedestal support and an electrostatic chuck supported by the pedestal support. The electrostatic chuck has a clamping electrode and a plurality of independently controlled heating electrodes. The independently controlled heating electrodes include an inner heating electrode defining an inner heating zone and a peripheral heating electrode defining a peripheral heating zone separated by a gap distance. The temperature profile across the surface of the substrate can be tuned by varying thermal characteristics of the pedestal thermal zone, the inner heating zone, the peripheral heating zone, or by varying the size of the gap distance between the inner heating electrode and the peripheral heating electrode.
US08404990B2
A switch system having a user-activatable button and button travel limit feature is disclosed. The switch system includes a housing comprising an opening, a circuit board assembly positioned in the housing, and an electrical switch assembly connected to the circuit board. The button travel limit feature is adapted to inhibit motion of an activation surface of the user-activatable button towards the electrical switch assembly when the electrical switch assembly is activated.
US08404985B2
A button assembly for a refrigerator comprises: a case having a cooling chamber, and a door for opening or closing the cooling chamber; a cover mounted to one side of the case, and provided with a plurality of button insertion openings; a substrate fixed to an inner side of the cover, and provided with a plurality of switch buttons; elastic supporters inserted into the button insertion openings of the cover, and covering the switch buttons of the substrate; and button pads coupled to the elastic supporters, and elastically supported by an elastic force of the elastic supporters when pressed by a user, for switching on/off the switch buttons. The button assembly prevents humid air from being introduced thereinto, and simplifies the components to enhance the reliability and productivity. The button assembly enhances appearance around the buttons.
US08404976B2
A method for fusing a pair of insulated wires to one another, and a fused wire made by such method, in which the combined or major diameter of the fused wire equals, or very closely matches, the sum of the diameters of the individual wires prior to fusion. In the present method, a pair of wires, each having a coating of insulation that is substantially fully cured, are brought into close abutting contact with one another along a line contact, and thereafter pass through a heating device which heats the coatings above their a thermal transition point of at least one of the pair of wires to fuse the coatings of the wires together along the line contact.
US08404974B1
A stuffer cap includes a body member and a plurality of strain relief members extending outwardly from the body member to engage wires terminated at a patch panel of a rack system. A plurality of first latching members extend outwardly from the body member to engage the patch panel. A plurality of second latching members extend outwardly from the body member to engage the patch panel. The plurality of second latching members are oriented differently from the plurality of first latching members.
US08404956B2
This design is a fingerboard with an integrated neck adjustment mechanism to correct both up bow and back bow of a stringed instrument neck with the added ability to eliminate additional bulk associated with conventional guitar neck construction. It includes a metal plate as the fingerboard. Attached to the underside of the plate is a neck adjustment mechanism. By integrating the neck adjustment mechanism with the fingerboard a shallower depth for a routed truss rod channel is achieved. The metal plate reduces fingerboard bulk yet provides the stability needed to resist the string tension. This design also provides the ability of three characteristics to be used in one instrument that current designs and construction methods cannot achieve: thin necks, full scalloped fret boards and dual action truss rod functionality.
US08404948B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1024092. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1024092. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1024092 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1024092 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08404947B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1024059. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1024059. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1024059 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1024059 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08404945B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1023821. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1023821. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1023821 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1023821 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08404944B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1023795. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1023795. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1023795 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1023795 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08404940B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1023596. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1023596. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1023596 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1023596 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08404937B2
A new lettuce variety designated Speedway is described. Speedway is an iceberg lettuce variety exhibiting stability and uniformity.
US08404934B2
Compositions and methods for conferring nematicidal activity to bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues and seeds are provided. Compositions including a coding sequence for nematicidal polypeptides are provided. The coding sequences can be used in DNA constructs or expression cassettes for transformation and expression in plants and bacteria. Compositions also include transformed bacteria, plants, plant cells, tissues, and seeds. In particular, isolated nematicidal nucleic acid molecules are provided. Additionally, amino acid sequences corresponding to the polynucleotides are encompassed. In particular, the present invention provides for isolated nucleic acid molecules including nucleotide sequences encoding the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:4, 5, 8, 9, 13, 14, 47, 48, or 49, the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 15, 45, or 46, as well as variants and fragments thereof.
US08404924B1
An inbred corn line, designated D050212, the plants and seeds of the inbred corn line D050212, methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred corn line D050212 with itself or with another corn plant, and hybrid corn seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line D050212 with another corn line or plant and to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic corn plants produced by that method. This invention also relates to inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line D050212, to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line D050212 and to the inbred corn lines derived by the use of those methods.
US08404923B1
An inbred corn line, designated D046399, the plants and seeds of the inbred corn line D046399, methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred corn line D046399 with itself or with another corn plant, and hybrid corn seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line D046399 with another corn line or plant and to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic corn plants produced by that method. This invention also relates to inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line D046399, to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line D046399 and to the inbred corn lines derived by the use of those methods.
US08404918B2
The present process comprises a means for energy savings in a process pump by combining the pump with a power-recovery turbine. The invention is particularly useful in the separation of a desired product from a mixture of components using simulated-moving-bed adsorption associated with a large circulating stream with a power-recovery turbine feature for conservation of energy relative to the known art. The improvement is particularly applicable to a process for the separation of para-xylene from mixed C8 aromatics.
US08404911B2
A process for producing fuel by cracking vegetable oil in a pure state or mixed with a residual hydrocarbon oil, which is obtained from a pyrolysis process, using a dolomite catalyst. The residual hydrocarbon is produced by the pyrolysis of plastic waste, such as of one or more of polyethylene, polystyrene or polypropylene. The mixture of vegetable oil and the residual hydrocarbon oil is first subjected to a semi-batch catalytic cracking reaction over a very low cost dolomite catalyst to obtain high quality oil for fuel, which comprises mainly light and heavy naphtha. Moreover, the catalytic cracking reaction is conducted at operating temperatures lower than 450° C.
US08404907B2
Disclosed is a process for making one isomer of CF3CH═CHCl. More particularly, the invention comprises the production of CF3C≡CCl and its selective reduction to cis-1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (CF3CH═CHCl).
US08404905B2
The present invention relates to a process for converting a multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon or ester thereof to a chlorohydrin, by contacting the multihydroxylated-aliphatic hydrocarbon or ester thereof starting material with a source of hydrogen chloride at superatmospheric, atmospheric and subatmospheric pressure conditions for a sufficient time and at a sufficient temperature, preferably wherein such contracting step is carried out without substantial removal of water, to produce the desired chlorohydrin product; wherein the desired product or products can be made in high yield without substantial formation of undesired overchlorinated byproducts; said process carried out without a step undertaken to specifically remove volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon by-products or chloroacetone, wherein the combined concentration of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon by-products and chloroacetone is less than 2000 ppm throughout any stage of the said process.
US08404897B2
Embodiments of methods for preparing 3-aminopicric acid from picric acid is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises combining lithium hydroxide, picric acid, and a first solvent to form a first solution, combining lithium hydroxide, hydroxylamine hydrochloride, and a second solvent to form a second solution, combining the first solution with the second solution to form a mixture, and cooling the mixture.
US08404896B2
Compounds of formula (Ia) and (Ib), wherein A, B, C, R1and R14 are described herein.
US08404890B2
Described is a method of making sorbic acid, pentadiene, or 3-penten-2-one. The method includes partially hydrogenating 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-pyrone (HMP) to yield 5,6-dihydro-4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2H-pyran-2-one (4-DHMMP). Then, if 3-penten-2-one is desired, thermally decomposing the 4-DHMMP to yield 3-penten-2-one. If sorbic acid or pentadiene are desired, the 4-DHMMP is hydrogenated to yield 4-hydroxy-6-methyltetrahydro-2-pyrone (4-HMTHP). The 4-HMTHP is then dehydrated by contacting it with a solid acid catalyst to yield parasorbic acid (PSA). The PSA can then be ring-opened by contacting it with a solid acid catalyst. The reaction conditions of the ring-opening reaction can be controlled to yield sorbic acid and/or pentadiene.
US08404876B2
A process comprises (a) combining (1) at least one metal cation source, (2) at least one phosphate anion source, (3) at least one organic base comprising at least one organic moiety comprising at least about five carbon atoms, and (4) at least one organosilane comprising at least one organic moiety comprising at least about six carbon atoms; and (b) allowing the metal cation source and the phosphate anion source to react in the presence of the organic base and the organosilane (for example, to form surface-modified metal phosphate nanoparticles).
US08404875B2
A composition comprising an oil selected from the group consisting of vegetable oils, animal oils, and krill oil in an amount sufficient to lower the peroxide index of the composition. The composition may preferably comprise a fish oil also having astaxanthin added thereto.
US08404874B2
A method of purifying (20R,25S)-2-methylene-19,26-dinor-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 to obtain (20R,25S)-2-methylene-19,26-dinor-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in crystalline form. The method includes the steps of preparing a solvent of methanol and water, dissolving a product containing (20R,25S)-2-methylene-19,26-dinor-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 to be purified in the solvent, cooling the solvent and dissolved product below ambient temperature for a sufficient amount of time to form a precipitate of (20R,25S)-2-methylene-19,26-dinor-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 crystals, and recovering the (20R,25S)-2-methylene-19,26-dinor-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 crystals.
US08404868B2
A method of purifying a cyclic ester, comprising: mixing a co-distillated liquid comprising a cyclic ester produced by heating depolymerization of a hydroxycarboxylic acid oligomer in the presence of a depolymerization solvent and the depolymerization solvent with an organic solvent for washing which is mutually soluble with the depolymerization solvent and has a lower boiling point than the cyclic ester; subjecting the resultant mixture liquid to liquid-liquid separation into an organic solvent phase containing the depolymerization solvent and a cyclic ester phase containing the organic solvent; and then evaporating the organic solvent from the cyclic ester phase containing the organic solvent to recover the cyclic ester containing a reduced amount of the depolymerization solvent. As a result, purified cyclic ester is recovered at high heat efficiency, purification efficiency and operation efficiency, from the co-distillate liquid containing the depolymerization solvent and the cyclic ester from the depolymerization system for thermal decomposition of the hydroxycarboxylic acid oligomer in the presence of the depolymerization solvent.
US08404865B2
The present invention relates to a process for preparing azabicyclic compounds that are useful intermediates for synthesizing pharmaceutical compounds or salts thereof.
US08404859B2
Provided herein are compounds of the formula (I): as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein the substituents are as those disclosed in the specification. These compounds, and the pharmaceutical compositions containing them, are useful for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and disorders such as, for example, asthma and COPD.
US08404847B2
The present invention provides a method for producing a compound represented by formula (A), the method comprising the steps of: (a) mixing a compound represented by formula (B) with p-toluenesulfonic acid or p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate at less than 1 molar equivalent with respect to the compound represented by formula (B) in a solvent under heating; (b) adding additional p-toluenesulfonic acid or p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate to the mixed solution under cooling, wherein the additional p-toluenesulfonic acid or p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate is added in such an amount that the total molar equivalent thereof with the p-toluenesulfonic acid or p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate of step (a) is 1 molar equivalent or more with respect to the compound represented by formula (B) of step (a); and (c) subsequently allowing the mixed solution to crystallize to obtain the compound represented by formula (A).
US08404843B2
The present invention relates to novel chiral phosphorus compounds which can be readily prepared from quinoline derivatives as inexpensive starting compounds and have the general formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 are chiral or achiral organic residues which are derived from substituted or unsubstituted straight or branched chain or cyclic aliphatic or aromatic groups and which, in the case of the pairs R1/R2 and R4/R5, may be interconnected. Further, the invention relates to methods for the synthesis of chiral phosphorus compounds of general formula (I) and their use as catalyst components in processes for the preparation of optically active products.
US08404837B2
Invented is a method of inhibiting the activity/function of PI3 kinases using quinoline derivatives. Also invented is a method of treating one or more disease states selected from: autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, allergy, asthma, pancreatitis, multiorgan failure, kidney diseases, platelet aggregation, cancer, sperm motility, transplantation rejection, graft rejection and lung injuries by the administration of quinoline derivatives.
US08404830B2
The present disclosure is directed to the field of nucleic acid chemistry, specifically to 5-position modified uridines, as well as, oligonucleotides comprising said 5-position modified uridines. The present disclosure describes methods for producing aptamers comprising said 5-position modified uridines that are capable of binding to target molecules.
US08404820B2
Isolated human monoclonal antibodies which bind to Anthrax protective antigen are disclosed. The human antibodies can be produced in a non-human transgenic animal, e.g., a transgenic mouse, capable of producing multiple isotypes of human monoclonal antibodies by undergoing V-D-J recombination and isotype switching. Also disclosed are derivatives of the human antibodies (e.g., bispecific antibodies and immunoconjugates), pharmaceutical compositions comprising the human antibodies, non-human transgenic animals and hybridomas which produce the human antibodies, and therapeutic and diagnostic methods for using the human antibodies.
US08404819B2
The invention relates to batch crystallization methods for crystallizing an anti-hIL-12 antibody that allows the production of the antibody on an industrial scale, antibody crystals obtained according to the methods, compositions containing the crystals, and methods of using the crystals and the compositions.
US08404817B2
Prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) is expressed in the majority of prostate cancer patients, making it an ideal target for cancer immunotherapy. Murine monoclonal antibody 1G8 binds to PSCA with nanomolar affinity, but its efficacy as a therapeutic agent is limited by the generation of a HAMA response. The present invention discloses humanized 1G8 antibodies in which the majority of the mouse-derived epitopes have been removed. These humanized antibodies bind PSCA with high affinity and specificity, and have been shown to reduce human bladder tumor take in a nude mouse model. These characteristics make the humanized antibodies of the present invention attractive agents for the treatment and detection of tumors expressing PSCA.
US08404806B2
The invention provides isolated peptides of a BRCA1 domain, which bind to p53 cognate DNA and stimulate transcription activities and cancer cell apoptosis. Nucleic acids encoding the peptides, and methods of expression thereof, are also provided. The invention provides pharmaceutical compositions, and methods of use thereof, for treating breast and ovarian cancer using the peptides.
US08404804B2
The present invention relates to methods and intermediates for chemical synthesis of polypeptides and proteins, and more particularly to methods and intermediates for chemically ligating a peptide fragment containing N-terminal N-methyl-cysteine (SEQ ID NO: 1) with another peptide fragment having C-terminal thioester to generate a β-(methylamino)-thioester intermediate that spontaneously rearranges to form an amide bond. Furthermore, the invention relates to methods of converting N-methyl-thiazolidine to N-methyl-cysteine (SEQ ID NO: 1) of polypeptides and proteins. The invention also relates to methods of synthesizing peptide-thioester from peptide-acid fluoride.
US08404798B2
Polyarylene ether is polymerized using a dissolving agent including anisole, wherein the polyarylene ether includes about 1 to about 3,000 ppm of anisole.
US08404796B1
The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to an image forming apparatus comprising a seamless intermediate transfer belt, and methods for making the same. The seamless intermediate transfer belt comprises a film forming A-B diblock copolymer. In other embodiment, the seamless intermediate transfer belt comprises the film forming A-B diblock copolymer and carbon black dispersion. The prepared seamless intermediate transfer belt of present disclosure provides increased mechanical strength to resist scratch/wear failure and early onset of fatigue-bend cracking development under normal dynamic intermediate transfer belt machine cycling conditions in the field, and thus extend the service life of the belt.
US08404780B2
The adhesion between a low surface energy (i.e., nonpolar) material, e.g., a polyolefin such as polyethylene, and a high surface energy (i.e., polar) material, e.g., a polyester, polyurethane, polycarbonate or polylactic acid, is promoted by blending with the nonpolar material typically from 15 to less than 50 wt % of a diol-based thermoplastic polyurethane (d-TPU), e.g., a polydiene diol-based TPU, based on the combined weight of the nonpolar material and the d-TPU. The promoted adhesion allows for the effective painting, printing, over-molding or HF-welding of a nonpolar substrate, e.g., a polyolefin film, with a polar coating, e.g., a paint, ink, etc. Aqueous dispersions can also be made from the blend of nonpolar material and d-TPU.
US08404768B2
A thermal interface material is constructed from a base matrix comprising a polymer and 5 to 90 wt. % of boron nitride filler having a platelet structure, wherein the platelet structure of the boron nitride particles are substantially aligned for the thermal interface material to have a bulk thermal conductivity of at least 1 W/mK.
US08404767B2
A nitrile group-containing highly saturated copolymer rubber having an iodine value of 80 or less and containing a caprate in 0.01 to 0.4 wt %. Preferably, the caprate is an alkaline earth metal caprate or Group XIII metal caprate. According to present invention, it is possible to provide a nitrile group-containing highly saturated copolymer rubber improved in mold fouling resistance while maintaining good normal state physical properties and heat resistance when being made into a cross-linked product.
US08404763B2
The present invention provides a polybutylene terephthalate resin composition having both low warpage and high durability in a cold cycle environment. Specifically, relative to 100 parts by weight of a polybutylene terephthalate resin (A) having 30 meq/kg or less of the amount of terminal carboxyl groups, there are added a carbodiimide compound (B) in an amount of 0.3 to 2 equivalents of the carbodiimide functional group when the amount of carboxyl terminal group in the polybutylene terephthalate resin (A) is set as 1, 20 to 100 parts by weight of a fibrous filler (C), and 15 to 65 parts by weight of a thermoplastic resin (D) of one or more selected from polycarbonate resin and polyethylene terephthalate resin.
US08404761B2
A white ink for an inkjet, comprising a silica, a resin emulsion, and water, wherein an amount of the resin emulsion, reported as a mass ratio relative to a value of 1 for the silica, is within a range from 0.10 to 0.45.
US08404759B2
The invention provide a new class of silicone-containing prepolymers containing ethylenically unsaturated groups and latent UV-activated free radical generating moieties. This class of silicone-containing prepolymer is capable of being actinically crosslinked in the presence of one or more hydrophilic vinylic monomers to form a silicone hydrogel material with a hydrophilic surface without post curing surface treatment. The present invention is also related to silicone hydrogel contact lenses made from this class of silicone-containing prepolymers and a vinylic monomer having a latent UV-activated free radical generating moiety.
US08404756B2
A foamable fluoropolymer composition containing foam cell nucleating agent is provided, wherein the fluoropolymer comprises melt-fabricable tetrafluoroethylene-/hexafluoropropylene copolymer and tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer, wherein the alkyl contains 1 to 4 carbon atoms, wherein the melting temperature of said tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer is no more than 35° C. greater than the melting temperature of said tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, and/or wherein said tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer and said tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) copolymer each have a melt flow rate (MFR) within the range of 1 to 40 g/10 min and the MFR of one of said copolymers is at least twice that of the other of said copolymers.
US08404754B2
A process for recycling a coloured thermoplastic material comprising an absorbed disperse dye comprises contacting the optionally comminuted coloured thermoplastic material with a caustic wash and recovering an at least partly colour-modified thermoplastic composition from the caustic wash.
US08404753B2
A method of degrading a water-soluble, synthetic polymeric film being at least partially covered with a paint material. The method includes placing the film in an extractor apparatus and separating the paint material from the film. The paint material is collected from a water-based solution with a filtration media. The film is degraded in the extractor apparatus.
US08404750B2
Provided herein are pharmaceutical formulations, methods, and systems for treating regional fat deposits and fat-related conditions and indications. Methods comprise administering a pharmaceutical formulation consisting essentially of a long-acting beta-2 adrenergic receptor agonist, for example, salmeterol, suitable for subcutaneous administration. Methods further comprise administering a pharmaceutical formulation that is suitable for subcutaneous injection comprising: (a) a lipophilic long-acting selective beta-2 adrenergic receptor agonist and/or glucocorticosteroid, or a salt, optical isomer, racemate, solvate, or polymorph thereof; and (b) at least one subcutaneously acceptable inactive ingredient.
US08404747B2
The present invention is based, in part, on assays we conducted that revealed compounds that may be used to treat or prevent diseases characterized by an abnormal or undesirable association of one protein with another.
US08404744B2
The invention relates a pharmaceutical composition comprising a combination of (i) the AT 1-antagonist valsartan or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and (ii) a NEP inhibitor or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and to a method for the treatment or prevention of selected conditions or diseases.
US08404743B2
Disclosed are compounds comprising a zinc oxide molecule chemically bound to one or more molecules having an acidic hydrogen, such as an organic acid. The invention also provides compositions comprising such compounds and methods of preparing such compounds. The compounds of the invention may be provided in, for example, topical skin formulations, pharmaceutical compositions, or delivery systems for active ingredients.
US08404733B2
The invention provides a blend of amino acid powders that have been exposed to pulsed laser radiation. The pulsed laser radiation is obtained by passing laser radiation through a device, which has a first diffraction grating, a second diffraction grating, and a refractive element positioned between the first and second diffraction gratings. Passing the laser radiation through the device cancels a portion of the laser radiation by destructive interference, and produces pulses of laser radiation by constructive interference. The blend of laser treated amino acids has been found useful in regenerating active myocardial tissue. The invention further provides a process for preparing the laser treated blend of amino acid powders and a method of regenerating active myocardial tissue with the blend.
US08404720B2
The present invention relates to novel aryl sulfonamide amine compounds of the formula (I), their tautomeric forms, their stereoisomers, their polymorphs, their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, their pharmaceutically acceptable solvates described herein and pharmaceutically acceptable compositions containing them.
US08404712B2
Quinuclidine carbonate derivatives act as muscarinic receptor antagonists and are effective for the prevention and/or treatment of a broncho-obstructive or inflammatory diseases.
US08404708B2
The present invention provides a method for the treatment of schizophrenia which comprises administering a compound of formula wherein the substituents are as described herein or a pharmaceutically active acid-addition salt thereof. In particular, the invention provides methods for treating both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia through dual inhibition of NK1 and NK3 receptors. The invention also provides novel compounds with formula I and methods for preparing compounds of the invention.
US08404702B2
Pharmaceutical formulations containing salts of (5S,8S)-8-[{(1R)-1-(3,5-Bis-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-ethoxy}-methyl]-8-phenyl-1,7-diazaspiro[4.5]decan-2-one, represented by Formula I, are disclosed. Disclosed also are methods of treatment utilizing such dosage forms.
US08404697B2
The present invention relates to the use of quinazolines of formula (I), wherein the groups Ra to Rd have the meanings given in the claims and specification, in cancer therapy.
US08404696B2
The present invention relates to a novel quinazoline-2,4-dione derivative of formula (I), a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) as an active ingredient for preventing or treating neurological brain disease.
US08404695B2
This application discloses novel pyrimidinyl pyridone derivatives according to Formula I, wherein R1, R2, and R3 are defined as described herein, which inhibit JNK. The compounds disclosed herein are useful to modulate the activity of JNK and treat diseases associated with excessive JNK activity. The compounds are useful to treat autoimmune, inflammatory, metabolic, and neurological diseases as well as cancer. Also disclosed are compositions comprising the compound of Formula I and methods of treatment comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of the compound of Formula I to a subject in need thereof.
US08404694B2
The present invention relates to chemical compounds having a general formula I wherein A1-5 and 7-8, D′, L1, L2, R1, R3, R6-8, n and o are defined herein, and synthetic intermediates, which are capable of modulating the activity of Aurora kinase proteins and, thereby, influencing various disease states and conditions related to the activities of Aurora kinases. For example, the compounds are capable of influencing the process of cell cycle and cell proliferation to treat cancer and cancer-related diseases. The invention also includes pharmaceutical compositions, including the compounds, and methods of treating disease states related to the activity of Aurora kinase.
US08404691B2
There is provided compounds that inhibit interaction between murine double minute 2 (Mdm2) protein and p53 protein and exhibits anti-tumor activity. Compounds include imidazothiazole derivatives that can inhibit interaction between Mdm2 protein and p53 protein and exhibits anti-tumor activity.
US08404689B2
A compound of Formula I and enantiomers, diastereomers and pharmaceutically-acceptable salts thereof. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions containing compounds of Formula I, and methods of treating conditions associated with the activity of p38 kinase.
US08404687B2
The present invention provides novel 1,4-disubstituted phthalazine hedgehog pathway antagonists useful in the treatment of cancer.
US08404682B2
This invention relates to compounds, pharmaceutical compositions and methods for use in the prevention and treatment of cerebral insufficiency, including enhancement of receptor functioning in synapses in brain networks responsible for basic and higher order behaviors. These brain networks, which are involved in regulation of breathing, and cognitive abilities related to memory impairment, such as is observed in a variety of dementias, in imbalances in neuronal activity between different brain regions, as is suggested in disorders such as Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, respiratory depression, sleep apneas, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and affective or mood disorders, and in disorders wherein a deficiency in neurotrophic factors is implicated, as well as in disorders of respiration such as overdose of an alcohol, an opiate, an opioid, a barbiturate, an anesthetic, or a nerve toxin, or where the respiratory depression results form a medical condition such as central sleep apnea, stroke-induced central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, congenital hypoventilation syndrome, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, sudden infant death syndrome, Rett syndrome, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, Cheney-Stokes respiration, Ondines curse, Prader-Willi's syndrome and drowning. In a particular aspect, the invention relates to compounds useful for treatment of such conditions, and methods of using these compounds for such treatment.
US08404674B2
The present invention encompasses compounds of general formula (1) wherein R1, R2 and R3 are defined as in claim 1, which are suitable for the treatment of diseases characterized by excessive or abnormal cell proliferation, and their use for preparing a pharmaceutical composition having the above-mentioned properties.
US08404668B2
Therapeutic compositions and methods for treatment of late-onset Gaucher disease are described herein. The compositions comprise compounds having activity as pharmacological chaperones for mutant forms of the beta-glucocerebrosidase. Methods of treatment involve providing therapeutically effective amounts of such compositions to subjects in need thereof.
US08404661B2
This invention relates to wound-healing pharmaceutical or cosmetic (anti-skin aging) compositions in the form of a cream based on amino acids and sodium hyaluronate.
US08404649B2
This invention recites naphthyl isoxazoline oxime derivatives of Formula (1) geometric isomers, stereoisomers thereof, pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable salts thereof, compositions thereof, and their use as a parasiticide in animals. The variables, R1a, R1b, R1c, R2, R3, and are as described herein.
US08404648B2
The invention concerns polypeptides of the general formula (I): A-(Xaa)n-Lys-X-Lys-B wherein: i) A is —NH2, NH3+, or NH-D (D is an acyl group being biotin or an alkyl chain (C2-C22)), H) B is H, O−OR1 or NR2R3 and R1, R2 and R3 independently either: H or an alkyl chain (C1-C24), iii) (Xaa)n is an amino acid chain including any amino acid natural or not, excluding arginine and lysine, iv) “n” is between 0-3, and v) X is either a chain of two any amino acids (Xaa1Xaa2) which may be the same or different, excluding arginine, lysine and excluding Xaa1Xaa2=Thr-Thr, Gly-His and Glu-His, or X is a spacer selected among beta-alanyl, 5-amino-valeroyl, 4-amino-cyclohexanoyl, 4-amino-butyroyl, 6-amino-caproyl and derivatives thereof. More particularly, the invention concerns polypeptides of formula (I) wherein “n” is 0 and with the formula: A-Lys-X-Lys-B; A, X and B being defined herein. Compositions containing at least one of said polypeptides and their use.
US08404642B2
The present invention relates to the use of Meteorin for the treatment of allodynia, hyperalgesia, spontaneous pain and phantom pain. In a preferred embodiment the disorder to be treated is allodynia, and hyperalgesia, more preferably allodynia including thermal and tactile allodynia.
US08404637B2
The present invention relates generally to novel GIP analogs and GIP hybrid polypeptides with selectable properties, useful as agents for the treatment and prevention of metabolic diseases and disorders, for example those which can be alleviated by control plasma glucose levels, insulin levels, and/or insulin secretion, positive inotropic effects, reduction of catabolic effects, slowing of gastric emptying. Such conditions and disorders include, but are not limited to, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, eating disorders, critical care, insulin-resistance, obesity, and diabetes mellitus of any kind, including type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.
US08404633B2
The present invention refers to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the soluble CD5 ectodomain and its use for the prevention and/or treatment of fungal infections and/or fungal sepsis, as well as inflammatory disorders of fungal origin.
US08404628B1
A method is provided for spray bleaching cellulosic fabrics. A bleaching composition comprises a wetter, hydrogen peroxide, a caustic, a stabilizer, an optical brightener, and water. The bleaching composition is sprayed on at least one surface of the cellulosic fabric, subjected to steam to fix the bleaching composition to the fabric, and rinsed to remove any residual bleaching composition.
US08404624B2
The invention relates to an additive composition, which comprises an additive mixture that essentially consists of a) At least one ammonium phosphate ester; b) At least one thiophosphoric acid ester, and c) At least one dithiophosphoric acid derivative; in combination with sulphur containing oil additives; and a process for the reduction of wear in combustion engines, such as spark ignition or Diesel motor engines.
US08404622B2
A composition for reducing lost circulation in a well, while drilling the well with a drilling mud, which is composed of a base fluid, a mixture of particles, and a blend of fibers. The composition is used by stopping drilling with the mud, injecting a spacer, injecting the water-based composition, injecting a spacer, and resuming drilling with the oil-based mud.
US08404621B2
An immobilization method for immobilizing a physiologically active substance on a solid phase carrier, the method including: bringing the solid phase carrier into contact with an acid anhydride functional group-containing silane coupling agent represented by the following Formula (I); and carrying out a process of binding of the physiologically active substance to the acid anhydride functional group while maintaining the solid phase carrier after the contact at a temperature within the range of 0° C. to 60° C.; a physiologically active substance-immobilized carrier, and a carrier for immobilization are provided. Further, a carrier including a porous material treated with an acid anhydride functional group-containing silane coupling agent represented by the following Formula (I), a blocking agent that is immobilized to the porous material; and a method for producing it is provided.
US08404604B2
A P2O5—BaO—ZnO—Nb2O5 type optical glass contains 25-50 wt. % P2O5, 15-35 wt. % BaO, 1-25 wt. ZnO, and 3-10 wt. % Nb2O5. The optical glass has a high refractive index (particularly preferably the refractive index nd of 1.6 or more), low dispersion (an Abbe number υd of 42 or more), a low deformation point, and improved resistance to devitrification upon molding, and is suitable for precision-mold press molding or other molding processes and also suitable for transfer of a fine structure.
US08404601B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention includes the steps of: (a) introducing hydrogen and oxygen on a SiC substrate; and (b) subjecting the hydrogen and the oxygen to a combustion reaction on the SiC substrate to form a gate oxide film being a silicon oxide film on a surface of the SiC substrate by the combustion reaction.
US08404600B2
A mold having an open interior volume is used to define patterns. The mold has a ceiling, floor and sidewalls that define the interior volume and inhibit deposition. One end of the mold is open and an opposite end has a sidewall that acts as a seed sidewall. A first material is deposited on the seed sidewall. A second material is deposited on the deposited first material. The deposition of the first and second materials is alternated, thereby forming alternating rows of the first and second materials in the interior volume. The mold and seed layer are subsequently selectively removed. In addition, one of the first or second materials is selectively removed, thereby forming a pattern including free-standing rows of the remaining material. The free-standing rows can be utilized as structures in a final product, e.g., an integrated circuit, or can be used as hard mask structures to pattern an underlying substrate. The mold and rows of material can be formed on multiple levels. The rows on different levels can crisscross one another. Selectively removing material from some of the rows can from openings to form, e.g., contact vias.
US08404598B2
Methods for processing a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of etching a dielectric layer includes generating a plasma by pulsing a first RF source signal having a first duty cycle; applying a second RF bias signal having a second duty cycle to the plasma; applying a third RF bias signal having a third duty cycle to the plasma, wherein the first, second, and third signals are synchronized; adjusting a phase variance between the first RF source signal and at least one of the second or third RF bias signals to control at least one of plasma ion density non-uniformity in the plasma or charge build-up on the dielectric layer; and etching the dielectric layer with the plasma.
US08404595B2
A plasma processing method for processing a target substrate uses a plasma processing apparatus which includes a vacuum evacuable processing vessel for accommodating the target substrate therein, a first electrode disposed in the processing vessel and connected to a first RF power supply for plasma generation and a second electrode disposed to face the first electrode. The method includes exciting a processing gas containing fluorocarbon in the processing vessel to generate a plasma while applying a negative DC voltage having an absolute value ranging from about 100 V to 1500 V or an RF power of a frequency lower than about 4 MHz to the second electrode. The target layer is etched by the plasma, thus forming recesses on the etching target layer based on the pattern of the resist layer.
US08404589B2
A method for forming a silicide contact includes depositing a metal layer on silicon such that the metal layer intermixes with the silicon to form an intermixed region on the silicon; removing an unintermixed portion of the metal layer from the intermixed region; and annealing the intermixed region to form a silicide contact on the silicon. A semiconductor device comprising a silicide contact located over a silicon layer of the semiconductor device, the silicide contact comprising nickel (Ni) and silicon (Si) and having Ni amount equivalent to a thickness of about 21 angstroms or less.
US08404586B2
A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device includes: the step of preparing a semiconductor chip which is provided with a functional element formed on a front surface side of a semiconductor substrate, a feedthrough electrode which is placed within a through hole that penetrates the semiconductor substrate, a front surface side connection member which protrudes from the front surface, and a rear surface side connection member which has a joining surface within a recess that is formed in a rear surface; the step of preparing a solid state device where a solid state device side connection member for connection to the front surface side connection member is formed on one surface; and the joining step of making the front surface of the semiconductor chip face the first surface of the solid state device by holding the rear surface of the semiconductor chip, and of joining the front surface side connection member to the solid state device side connection member.
US08404585B2
An apparatus includes a volume of insulator disposed over a top surface of a semiconductor substrate, a tube of soft dielectric, and a metal conductor. The insulator has a hardness of more than approximately three gigaPascals (gPa) and the soft dielectric has a hardness of less than three gPa. The tube of soft dielectric and the metal conductor are both embedded within the volume of insulator. The tube defines a central volume and the metal conductor extends in a direction through the central volume for a distance of at least one inch. The metal conductor is encircled by the soft dielectric when the apparatus is viewed in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the direction. The metal conductor may include a plurality of bend portions. The metal conductor does not break when the apparatus is temperature cycled over a range from zero to eighty five degrees Celsius.
US08404582B2
Interconnect structures having self-aligned dielectric caps are provided. At least one metallization level is formed on a substrate. A dielectric cap is selectively deposited on the metallization level.
US08404580B2
In a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, a semiconductor device is provided including an interlayer dielectric film and first and second hard mask patterns sequentially stacked thereon. A first trench is provided in the interlayer dielectric film through the second hard mask pattern and the first hard mask pattern. A filler material is provided on the interlayer dielectric film and the first and second hard mask patterns to fill the first trench. First and second hard mask trimming patterns are formed by trimming sidewalls of the first and second hard mask patterns and removing the filler material to expose the first trench. A damascene wire is formed by filling the first trench with a conductive material.
US08404579B2
A fuse base insulating region, for example, an insulating interlayer or a compensation region disposed in an insulating interlayer, is formed on a substrate. An etch stop layer is formed on the fuse base insulating region and forming an insulating interlayer having a lower dielectric constant than the first fuse base insulating region on the etch stop layer. A trench extending through the insulating interlayer and the etch stop layer and at least partially into the fuse base insulating region is formed. A fuse is formed in the trench. The fuse base insulating region may have a greater mechanical strength and/or density than the second insulating interlayer.
US08404577B2
A manufacturing process of a semiconductor device includes generating a less random grain orientation distribution in metal features of a semiconductor device by employing a grain orientation layer. The less random grain orientation, e.g., a grain orientation distribution which has a higher percentage of grains that have a predetermined grain orientation, may lead to improved reliability of the metal features. The grain orientation layer may be deposited on the metal features wherein the desired grain structure of the metal features may be obtained by a subsequent annealing process, during which the metal feature is in contact with the grain orientation layer.
US08404573B2
With the evacuation of an interior of a vacuum chamber halted and with gas supply into the vacuum chamber halted, in a state that a mixed gas of helium gas and diborane gas is sealed in the vacuum chamber, a plasma is generated in a vacuum vessel and simultaneously a high-frequency power is supplied to a sample electrode. By the high-frequency power supplied to the sample electrode, boron is introduced to a proximity to a substrate surface.
US08404560B2
Devices having gate-to-gate isolation structures and methods of manufacture are provided. The method includes forming a plurality of isolation structures in a pad film and an underlying substrate. The method further includes protecting at least one of the plurality of isolation structures in order to preserve its height. The method further includes removing portions of unprotected isolation structures such that the unprotected isolation structures are of a different height than the at least one of the plurality isolation structures. The method further includes removing the pad film and protection over the at least one of the plurality isolation structures, wherein the at least one of the plurality of isolation structures extends above the underlying substrate. The method further includes forming at least one gate electrode on the substrate, over the remaining isolation structures and abutting sides of the at least one of the plurality of isolation structures.
US08404551B2
A planar transistor with improved performance has a source and a drain on a semiconductor substrate that includes a substantially undoped channel extending between the source and the drain. A gate is positioned over the substantially undoped channel on the substrate. Implanted source/drain extensions contact the source and the drain, with the implanted source/drain extensions having a dopant concentration of less than about 1×1019 atoms/cm3, or alternatively, less than one-quarter the dopant concentration of the source and the drain.
US08404550B2
In a P-channel transistor comprising a high-k metal gate electrode structure, a superior dopant profile may be obtained, at least in the threshold adjusting semiconductor material, such as a silicon/germanium material, by incorporating a diffusion blocking species, such as fluorine, prior to forming the threshold adjusting semiconductor material. Consequently, the drain and source extension regions may be provided with a high dopant concentration as required for obtaining the target Miller capacitance without inducing undue dopant diffusion below the threshold adjusting semiconductor material, which may otherwise result in increased leakage currents and increased risk of punch through events.
US08404549B2
A device and method employing a polyoxide-based charge trapping component. A charge trapping component is patterned by etching a layered stack that includes a tunneling layer positioned on a substrate, a charge trapping layer positioned on the tunneling layer, and an amorphous silicon layer positioned on the charge trapping layer. An oxidation process grows a gate oxide layer from the substrate and converts the amorphous silicon layer into a polyoxide layer.
US08404547B2
Provided is a manufacturing method for an offset MOS transistor capable of operating safely even under a voltage of 50 V or higher. In the offset MOS transistor which includes a LOCOS oxide film, the LOCOS oxide film formed in a periphery of a drain diffusion layer, in which a high withstanding voltage is required, is etched, and the drain diffusion layer is formed so as to spread into a surface region of a semiconductor substrate located below a region in which the LOCOS oxide film is thinned. As a result, end portions of the drain diffusion layer are covered by an offset diffusion layer, whereby electric field concentration occurring in a region of a lower portion of the drain diffusion layer can be relaxed.
US08404544B1
A method for manufacturing the integrated circuit device comprises providing a substrate having a first region, a second region, and a third region. A first gate stack, a second gate stack, and a third gate stack are formed over the substrate in the first region, the second region, and the third region, respectively. The first gate stack, the second gate stack, and the third gate stack comprise a sacrificial layer over a first dielectric layer. The first gate stack and the second gate stack are removed and a second dielectric layer is formed in the first region and the second region. The portion of second dielectric layer in the first region is transformed into a third dielectric layer by a treatment.
US08404539B2
A method for forming a semiconductor device includes forming a carbon material on a substrate, forming a gate stack on the carbon material, removing a portion of the substrate to form at least one cavity defined by a portion of the carbon material and the substrate, and forming a conductive contact in the at least one cavity.
US08404537B2
In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a conductive film whose upper surface and side surface are exposed and an insulation film whose upper surface is exposed, on a semiconductor substrate. The method further includes supplying oxidizing ions or nitriding ions contained in plasma generated by a microwave, a radio-frequency wave, or electron cyclotron resonance to the exposed side surface of the conductive film and the exposed upper surface of the insulation film, by applying a predetermined voltage to the semiconductor substrate, thereby performing anisotropic oxidation or anisotropic nitridation of the exposed side surface of the conductive film and the exposed upper surface of the insulation film.
US08404535B2
A method for fabricating metal gate transistor is disclosed. First, a substrate having a first transistor region and a second transistor region is provided. Next, a stacked film is formed on the substrate, in which the stacked film includes at least one high-k dielectric layer and a first metal layer. The stacked film is patterned to form a plurality of gates in the first transistor region and the second transistor region, a dielectric layer is formed on the gates, and a portion of the dielectric layer is planarized until reaching the top of each gates. The first metal layer is removed from the gate of the second transistor region, and a second metal layer is formed over the surface of the dielectric layer and each gate for forming a plurality of metal gates in the first transistor region and the second transistor region.
US08404534B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of gate structures on a semiconductor substrate. The plurality of gate structures are arranged in a plurality of lines, wherein an end-to-end spacing between the lines is smaller than a line-to-line spacing between the lines. The method further includes forming an etch stop layer over the gate structures, forming an interlayer dielectric over the gate structures, and forming a dielectric film over the gate structures before the interlayer dielectric is formed. The dielectric film merges in end-to-end gaps formed in the end-to-end spacing between the gate structures.
US08404530B2
A disposable gate structure and a gate spacer are formed on a semiconductor substrate. A disposable gate material portion is removed and a high dielectric constant (high-k) gate dielectric layer and a metal nitride layer are formed in a gate cavity and over a planarization dielectric layer. The exposed surface portion of the metal nitride layer is converted into a metal oxynitride by a surface oxidation process that employs exposure to ozonated water or an oxidant-including solution. A conductive gate fill material is deposited in the gate cavity and planarized to provide a metal gate structure. Oxygen in the metal oxynitride diffuses, during a subsequent anneal process, into a high-k gate dielectric underneath to lower and stabilize the work function of the metal gate without significant change in the effective oxide thickness (EOT) of the high-k gate dielectric.
US08404524B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a package paddle having a hole, a recess, and a pad, the hole over the recess; mounting an integrated circuit to the package paddle; forming a lead having a bottom surface coplanar with a bottom surface of the pad, the lead isolated from the package paddle; attaching connectors directly on the integrated circuit, the lead, and the package paddle; and forming an encapsulation covering the integrated circuit and within the hole and the recess.
US08404523B2
A method for fabricating a stacked semiconductor system with encapsulated through wire interconnects includes providing a substrate having a first side, a second side and a substrate contact; forming a via in the substrate contact and the substrate to the second side; placing a wire in the via; forming a first contact on the wire proximate to the first side and a second contact on the wire proximate to the second side; and forming a polymer layer on the first side leaving the first contact exposed. The method also includes stacking two or more substrates and electrically connecting the through wire interconnects on the substrates.
US08404515B2
Disclosed herein is a facile process for the formation of conjugated polymers inside or outside assembled solid-state devices. One process generally involves applying a voltage to a device comprising at least two electrodes, a combination of an electrolyte composition and a electroactive monomer disposed between the electrodes, and a potential source in electrical connection with the at least two electrodes; wherein the applying voltage polymerizes the electroactive monomer into a conjugated polymer. Also disclosed are electrochromic articles prepared from the process and solid-state devices comprising a composite of an electrolyte composition and a conjugated polymer.
US08404513B2
A method for generating electric power including the steps of: (a) preparing a solar cell having a condensing lens and a solar cell element, wherein the solar cell element includes an n-type GaAs layer, a p-type GaAs layer, a quantum tunneling layer, an n-type InGaP layer, a p-type InGaP layer, a p-type window layer, an n-side electrode, and a p-side electrode, and satisfies the following equation (I): d2
US08404507B2
A TFT-LCD array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof. The array substrate comprises a gate line, a data line, and a pixel electrode, and the pixel electrode is disposed in a pixel region defined by the intersection between the gate line and the data line. In the pixel region, a partition groove for forming a pixel electrode pattern is provided at the periphery of the pixel electrode. This structure is helpful to form a pixel electrode pattern by a lift-off process, which significantly reduces the production cost and improves the production yield.
US08404505B2
A light-emitting device is provided with a substrate decomposition prevention layer using as a matrix at least one selected from the group consisting of boron nitride (B—N), silicon carbide (Si—C), and silicon carbon nitride (Si—C—N), and patterned into a predetermined shape; an n-type nitride clad layer formed on the substrate decomposition prevention layer; a nitride active layer formed on the n-type nitride clad layer; a p-type nitride clad layer formed on the nitride active layer; a p-type ohmic contact layer formed on the p-type nitride clad layer; a p-type electrode pad formed on the p-type ohmic contact layer; an n-type ohmic contact layer electrically connected to the n-type nitride clad layer by means of a patterned region of the substrate decomposition prevention layer; and an n-type electrode pad formed beneath the n-type ohmic contact layer.
US08404497B2
A surface mount type semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device has testing lands on a lower surface of a wiring substrate with a semiconductor chip mounted thereon. Lower surface-side lands with solder balls coupled thereto respectively and testing lands with solder balls not coupled thereto are formed on a lower surface of a wiring substrate. To suppress the occurrence of contact imperfection between the testing lands and land contacting contact pins provided in a probe socket, the diameter of each testing land is set larger than the diameter of each lower surface-side land. Even when the wiring substrate is reduced in size, electrical characteristic tests using the testing lands can be done with high accuracy.
US08404476B2
The invention relates to a new fungicide product for the biological control of phytopathogenic fungi, which contains a new isolate of Bacillus velezensis strain AH2, deposited in the Spanish Type Culture Collection (CECT) as CECT-7221, which has a high antagonist activity against this type of pathogen, as well as the property of stimulating plant growth by different mechanisms. The invention also relates to a liquid formulation which has good stability at ambient temperature and is effective in the treatment of diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi and for the stimulation of plant growth.
US08404468B2
The present invention pertains to a method for the efficient production of carotenoids. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method for producing carotenoid and carotenoid-containing cells, especially astaxanthin and astaxanthin-containing cells, by generating mutant microorganisms belonging to the photoautotrophic algae of the Class Chlorophyceae and culturing same. The present invention further relates to methods of generating microorganisms producing high yields of carotenoids, in particular astaxanthin, products containing said microorganisms or said carotenoids, and the use of said carotenoids produced by the microorganisms according to the present invention and deposited mutant strains generated from said microorganisms.
US08404464B2
The present invention provides compositions, methods, and kits for protecting thermostable DNA polymerase during amplification reactions conducted at a temperature ranging from about 40° C. to greater than 100° C. The composition comprises a thermostable DNA polymerase and an anionic detergent or zwitterionic detergent.
US08404459B2
The invention pertains to a method of measuring Aβ protofibrils in a sample. The method includes the steps of (a) providing a labeled monoclonal antibody or fragment thereof that binds wildtype Aβ 42/40 protofibril and Aβ42/40 Arc protofibril and has no or little cross-reactivity to Aβ 42/40 monomers with an agent that generates a measurable signal, (b) contacting said labeled antibody or fragment thereof with the fluid or tissue having or suspected of comprising Aβ protofibrils, and (c) measuring the amount of protofibrils bound to the antibody by measuring the signal generated by the agent.
US08404451B2
The invention involves assays, diagnostics, kits, and assay components for mass spectrometry and other methods to determine levels of glycated CD59 in subjects.
US08404449B2
A system and method for stochastic sensing in which the analyte covalently bonds to the sensor element or an adaptor element. If such bonding is irreversible, the bond may be broken by a chemical reagent. The sensor element may be a protein, such as the engineered PSH type or αHL protein pore. The analyte may be any reactive analyte, including chemical weapons, environmental toxins and pharmaceuticals. The analyte covalently bonds to the sensor element to produce a detectable signal. Possible signals include change in electrical current, change in force, and change in fluorescence. Detection of the signal allows identification of the analyte and determination of its concentration in a sample solution. Multiple analytes present in the same solution may be detected.
US08404447B2
A probe, a set of probes, and a probe carrier on which the probe or the set of probes is immobilized, are provided for classification of fungus species. The probe or the set of probes is capable of collectively detecting fungus of the same species and distinguishingly detecting those fungus from fungus of other species. The probe is an oligonucleotide probe for detecting a pathogenic fungus DNA and includes at least one of base sequences of SEQ ID NOS. 1 to 2 and mutated sequences thereof.
US08404443B2
Methods and compositions for performing nucleic acid duplication and amplification reactions are provided. A single-stranded nucleic acid binding protein is selected and provided in the reaction mixture which is assembled at a low, nonstringent temperature to include all of the necessary reagents for successful nucleic acid duplication or amplification reactions. By incorporating a single-stranded nucleic acid binding protein into the reaction mixture at low temperature, the generation of nonspecific products such as amplification products is improved despite the reaction mixture having been fully assembled at a nonstringent temperature.
US08404442B2
The present invention is related to methods for identifying bone anabolic agents and factors, identifying pathways that promote proliferation of osteoblasts for bone growth and/or repair, and for identifying new therapeutic targets for treatments for osteoporosis and other bone degenerative disorders characterized by osteopenia.
US08404438B2
A primer set for amplifying a region including sites to be detected of SULT1A1*2 and SULT1A1*3 in the SULT1A1 gene by a gene amplification method is provided, wherein the primer set can amplify the region specifically. A pair of primer set is used including a forward primer consisting of the base sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7 as well as a reverse primer consisting of the base sequence of SEQ ID NO: 18. The use of this primer set makes it possible to specifically and efficiently amplify, a region including both sites where two types of polymorphisms (SULT1A1*2 and SULT1A1*3) of the SULT1A1 gene are generated.
US08404420B2
A decolorable electrophotographic toner, containing a color former compound, a color developing agent, a binder resin, and a release agent, wherein the toner has a pH of from 6 to 9 when dispersed in water with a pH of from 5.5 to 7 at a mass ratio of toner/water of 1/10.
US08404419B2
Provided is an electrostatic image developing toner containing, (i) toner particles containing: a binder resin having a domain-matrix structure; and (ii) a colorant; wherein the toner particles have a volume-based median diameter of 4.3 to 7.0 μm; a domain phase in the binder resin contains a polymer containing a structure unit derived from a diene monomer, the domain phase has a Feret diameter of 50 to 300 nm; and a glass transition temperature of the polymer composing the domain phase is −85 to +35° C.
US08404417B2
In the present invention, disclosed is an organic photoreceptor comprising a conductive support and provided thereon, a photosensitive layer and a protective layer provided on the photosensitive layer, the protective layer formed with alumina particles each comprising a reactive organic group. Also provided is an organic photoreceptor with which electrophotographic images having high durability together with high image quality can be obtained by improving a wear property of the organic photoreceptor up to the same level as that of an amorphous silicon photoreceptor, as well as by improving image flow and image blur which are easy to be generated at high temperature and high humidity.
US08404413B2
Present embodiments are directed to the preparation of curl-free flexible imaging members used in electrostatography. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to a structurally simplified flexible electrophotographic imaging member, including the incorporation of a plasticizer or a blend of plasticizers in the imaging layer(s) to effect imaging layer(s) stress relieving outcome for curl control without the need of an anticurl back coating, and methods for making and using the imaging member.
US08404411B2
An electrophotographic photoreceptor having high sensitivity and hardly affected by the transfer in an electrophotographic process is provided. The electrophotographic photoreceptor includes an undercoat layer containing metal oxide particles and a binder resin and a photosensitive layer disposed on the undercoat layer, wherein the metal oxide particles have a volume average particle diameter of 0.1 μm or less and a 90% cumulative particle diameter of 0.3 μm or less which are measured by a dynamic light-scattering method in a liquid of the undercoat layer dispersed in a solvent mixture of methanol and 1-propanol at a weight ratio of 7:3, and the photosensitive layer contains a binder resin having an ester bond.
US08404410B2
An exposure system includes an exposure device and an image processing device. The exposure device includes a plurality of cameras. Each of the cameras is configured so as to be selectively set to a full scan mode and a partial scan mode. The camera transmits all of obtained image data in the full scan mode, and extracts part of the obtained image data and transmits the partial image data in the partial scan mode. The image processing device paratactically performs processing using the image data transmitted from the camera and processing using the image data transmitted from the camera.
US08404403B2
Described herein is mask design and modeling for a set of masks to be successively imaged to print a composite pattern on a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. Further described herein is a method of double patterning a substrate with the set of masks. Also described herein is a method of correcting a drawn pattern of one of the mask levels based on a predicted pattern contour of the other of the mask levels. Also described herein is a method of modeling a resist profile contour for a mask level in which photoresist is applied onto a inhomogeneous substrate, as well as method of predicting a resist profile of a Boolean operation of two masks.
US08404401B2
The invention provides a fuel cell comprising one or more cells (102) stacked therein, each of the cells (102) including: an MEA (4) having a polymer electrolyte membrane (7) and a pair of gas diffusion layers (5) sandwiching the polymer electrolyte membrane (7) except a peripheral region of the polymer electrolyte membrane (7); and a pair of self-sealing separators (1) disposed so as to sandwich the MEA (4), each of the self-sealing separators (1) being formed in a plate-like shape as a whole and composed of a separating part (41) having electrical conductivity and a sealing part (40) having more elasticity than the separating part (41), at least the separating part (41) being in contact with an associated one of the gas diffusion layers (5), the sealing part (40) being in contact with the peripheral region of the polymer electrolyte membrane (7) so as to enclose the associated one of the gas diffusion layers (5), wherein each self-sealing separator (1) has a lower area (11) for accommodating a raised portion (51) formed on the periphery of the outer surface of the associated gas diffusion layer (5) and the sealing part (40) is disposed within the lower area (11).
US08404400B2
Catalyst-polymer liquid dispersion (LD) comprising (i) catalyst particles, (ii) polymer particles consisting of at least one (per)fluoro sulfonyl fluoride polymer in the —SO2F form, and (iii) an aqueous suspending medium.Catalyst coated membrane precursor (CCMP), catalyst coated membrane (CCM) and catalytic ionomeric ink (CII) derived therefrom and methods for their manufacture. Catalyst coated membrane (CCM-CII) derived from said (CII).
US08404389B2
A battery capable of improving the storage characteristics and the cycle characteristics is provided. The battery includes a cathode, an anode, and an electrolytic solution. The electrolytic solution is impregnated in a separator provided between the cathode and the anode. A solvent of the electrolytic solution contains a given sulfone compound such as bis(trimethylsilyl)methanedisulfonate. Compared to a case that a solvent contains other sulfone compound such as bis(methyl)methanedisulfonate, the chemical stability of the electrolytic solution is improved, and the decomposition reaction of the electrolytic solution is prevented.
US08404388B2
Protected anode architectures have ionically conductive protective membrane architectures that, in conjunction with compliant seal structures and anode backplanes, effectively enclose an active metal anode inside the interior of an anode compartment. This enclosure prevents the active metal from deleterious reaction with the environment external to the anode compartment, which may include aqueous, ambient moisture, and/or other materials corrosive to the active metal. The compliant seal structures are substantially impervious to anolytes, catholyes, dissolved species in electrolytes, and moisture and compliant to changes in anode volume such that physical continuity between the anode protective architecture and backplane are maintained. The protected anode architectures can be used in arrays of protected anode architectures and battery cells of various configurations incorporating the protected anode architectures or arrays.
US08404383B2
A negative electrode material for a nonaqueous secondary battery capable of realizing a nonaqueous secondary battery having a small charging/discharging irreversible capacity at an initial cycle and exhibiting an excellent high-rate charging/discharging characteristics and an excellent cycle performances is provided. The main component of the material is graphite particles. The median diameter is 5 μm or more, and 40 μm or less in the volume-basis particle size distribution based on the laser diffraction/scattering particle size distribution measurement. The tapping density is 0.7 g/cm3 or more. The specific surface area measured by a BET method is 0.2 m2/g or more, and 8 m2/g or less. The average circularity is 0.83 or more, and 1.00 or less. When an electrode is produced by a predetermined method for manufacturing an electrode and, the resulting electrode is subjected to X-ray diffraction, the graphite crystal orientation ratio I110/I004 on the electrode is 0.08 or more, where I110 represents the wide angle X-ray diffraction peak area of the (110) peak peak in the region of 2θ=76.5 to 78.5 degrees of the graphite particles on the electrode and I004 represents the wide angle X-ray diffraction peak area of the (004) peak peak in the region of 2θ=53.5 to 56 degrees.
US08404364B2
Disclosed is an organic electroluminescent device having high external quantum efficiency and long life. Also disclosed are an illuminating device and a display device. The organic electroluminescent device is characterized by containing at least one compound having a partial structure represented by the following general formula (1). [chemical formula 1] (1) In the formula, R1 represents a group (preferably an aromatic hydrocarbon group, an aromatic heterocyclic group, an alkyl group or an alkoxy group) having 4-20 carbon atoms in total and a substituent having a formula weight of 70-350 (preferably an alkyl group or an alkoxy group); R2-R4 independently represent a substituent; n2 represents a number of 0-4; n3 represents a number of 0-2; n4 represents a number of 0-8; and Q represents an atomic group necessary for forming an aromatic hydrocarbon ring or an aromatic heterocyclic ring.
US08404348B2
A soft and resilient, cold-water dispersible polyurethane foam suitable for disposable personal care products is produced by the combination of corn syrup, glycerin, polyether diamine, PEG, a diisocyanate, water and a catalyst. The formulation and reaction conditions for forming the inventive foam are judiciously selected and carefully controlled to achieve water dispersibility and the desired mechanical properties. The characteristic resiliency, or percent rebound for the foams was generally over 75% and the foams are readily produced as soft foams, exhibiting a relative compression value of from 20% to 150% of that of a commercial polyurethane foam cosmetic pad which is not water dispersible. The foam may be incorporated into webs or stackable products or nestable three-dimensional products.
US08404344B2
A pressure-sensitive adhesive composition characterized by comprising a water-dispersible (meth)acryl-based polymer containing, as a monomer component, 50 to 99.9% by weight of a (meth)acrylate having an alkyl group with a carbon number of 1 to 14, and an ionic liquid. There is provided a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition that attains static charge prevention at peeling between pressure sensitive adhesive layer and adherend not rendered antistatic, thereby reducing contamination of the adherend. Also, there are provided, making use of the same, an antistatic pressure sensitive adhesive sheet and surface protective film.
US08404337B2
Disclosed is a diffuse reflector comprising a consolidated nonwoven sheet having a thickness standard deviation of about 15 μm or less and a photopic reflectance of at least about 94% over the wavelength range of 380 nm to 780 nm. Further disclosed is a diffuse reflective article and optical display utilizing such a diffuse reflector, a method for producing such a diffuse reflector, and a method of improving light reflectivity utilizing such a diffuse reflector.
US08404332B2
A thermal, non-silver halide-containing image receiver element includes a support and an aqueous-coated image receiving layer. This receiving layer comprises a water-dispersible polymer having a polyurea or polyurethane backbone and up to 25 weight % of the water-dispersible polymer comprising polysiloxane side chains that are covalently attached to the backbone, each of the side chains having a molecular weight of at least 500. Aqueous dispersions of polyester ionomers and crosslinking agents can also be present.
US08404331B2
The present invention provides a building material in which a coating is applied to a front surface and a side surface is sufficiently adhered to a sealing and method for manufacturing thereof. In a building material in which a coating is applied to a front surface, a coating film on a side surface is removed or reduced by laser irradiation. The part of the side surface in which the coating film has been removed or reduced by laser irradiation has a width of at least 5 mm from a front surface side toward a rear surface side of the building material, or extends over the entire side surface from the front surface side toward the rear surface side of the building material, or is formed more than a part in which coating film is formed.
US08404329B2
Support structure for light-weight construction elements which is consisting of elongate strips (10; 110; 210) of a strong material, wherein each strip (10; 110) is provided with slits (14) starting out from one of its longitudinal edges (12), the width of which is slightly larger than the thickness of the material and, wherein alternatingly in the longitudinal direction of the strip (10; 110; 210) the slits (14) are diagonally extending forwardly and diagonally backwardly and, wherein the individual strips (10; 110; 210) by means of the slits (14) are inserted into each other in such a way that the longitudinal directions of the strips (10; 110; 210) inserted into each other each are perpendicularly positioned with respect to each other, as well as a method for producing such a support structure.
US08404320B1
Per TITLE OF INVENTION, there is disclosed methods, apparatus and kits for attaching artificial flowers (particularly flowers formed with means such a passage to frictionally receive an artificial stem in assembly of an artificial flower plant) to a non-blooming live vegetation stem or branch that is not frictionally receivable in the flower passage, whereby a substitute stem that is frictionally receivable in the flower passage may be custom-formed from various commercially-available wire-like elements to provide (a) single or double free-end twist tie means for attachment of such single flowers to such live stems or branches or (b) means for attaching a plurality of such flowers to a non-blooming live bush in the manner of a string of Christmas tree lights.
US08404312B2
Engineered wood product edges are protected by applying a two part edge sealing composition to at least one edge surface. The two part edge sealing composition can improve holdout, hide, and water resistance. An edge sealing system and substrates coated with the sealing system are provided.
US08404300B2
The invention relates to a medical device for delivering a therapeutic agent to a tissue. The medical device has a layer overlying the exterior surface of the medical device. The layer contains a therapeutic agent and an additive. The additive has a hydrophilic part and a hydrophobic part and the therapeutic agent is not enclosed in micelles or encapsulated in particles or controlled release carriers.
US08404273B2
A variety of article and systems including wound care systems, methods for making the wound care systems, bactericidal, and methods for treating wounds using these systems are disclosed. The wound care systems may include a first material comprising one or more fibers or porous media. The one or more fibers or porous media may be coated with a second material that is capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria and killing the bacteria to render the wound care system sterile, increasing the absorbency of the first material, or both upon exposure to light. The first material may be cotton, or any suitable fibrous material, the second material may be TiO2, and the light may be UV or visible light. A variety of methods including ALD may be used to coat the first material.
US08404272B2
A fiber-reinforced composite ring for the controlled release of at least one bioactive agent includes a biocompatible matrix reinforced with absorbable/biodegradable fibers capable of providing the mechanical properties needed for inserting and maintaining the ring in a body cavity for a desired period of time. Such ring system as can be used for the intravaginal, intraperitoneal, and subcutaneous delivery of at least one bioactive agent, including those used as contraceptives, antimicrobial agents, and/or antiviral agents, as well as those for the treatment of cancer.
US08404271B2
A drug delivery system is disclosed. The drug delivery system includes a recognitive polymeric hydrogel through which a drug is delivered by contacting biological tissue. The recognitive polymeric hydrogel is formed by using a bio-template, which is a drug or is structurally similar to the drug, functionalized monomers, preferably having complexing sites, and cross-linking monomers, which are copolymerized using a suitable initiator. The complexing sites of the recognitive polymeric hydrogel that is formed preferably mimics receptor sites of a target biological tissue, biological recognition, or biological mechanism of action. The system in accordance with an embodiment of the intention is a contact lens for delivering a drug through contact with an eye.
US08404260B2
The present invention relates to compositions that include a combination of one or more pesticides and one or more adjuvants.
US08404259B2
An inert dispersible granular substrate is suitable for use as a carrier for chemical agents. The granular substrate is comprised of one or more mineral components, the one or more mineral components having a bulk density of greater than about 70 pounds per cubic foot, one or more dispersibility additives; and one or more water soluble binders. The granular substrate has a bulk density of from greater than 55 pounds pcf to about 70 pcf, a water dispersibility of less than 5 minutes, a pH of from 6 to 8, and sufficient strength to survive formulation processing after 3 days of continuous exposure to a temperature of approximately 75° F. and a relative humidity of approximately 95%. Preferably, an active pesticide is applied to the dispersible granular substrate. The water dispersible granular substrates may be produced by forming a granular substrate admixture, pelletizing the admixture to form granular substrates, and drying the granular substrates.
US08404253B2
The present invention is a culture of cells of Haemophilus parasuis exhibiting attenuated pathogenicity and capable of triggering a protective immune response when administered to pigs as a live vaccine. The present invention is also a method of preparing the cell culture, a method of preparing a vaccine from the cell culture, and a live vaccine based on the cell culture. The cell culture was modified from a pathogenic parent strain by MNNG mutagenesis and was selected by complete dependence on streptomycin for growth.
US08404247B2
Antitoxin and vaccine compositions based on nodavirus VLPs are provided. Anthrax antitoxin and vaccine compositions are provided. Methods of treating toxins with VLP-based antitoxins are provided. Methods of raising an immune response with immunogen decorated VLPs are provided.
US08404246B2
A nutritional supplement includes the primary ingredients: N-acetyl D-glucosamine, cracked cell wall Green Chlorella, Licorice Root Extract, and Potassium Citrate, as well as secondary ingredients: Zinc L-Carnosine, Gamma-Oryzanol and Capsaicin, that improves the bodies uptake, utilization and over-all bioavailability of exogenous target protein fractions (TPF) including but not limited to: glycoproteins, (such as glucosamine) protein isolates as amino acids, glycosaminoglycans (GAG) (including proteoglycans, and mucopolysaccharides), and polysaccharides such as hyaluronic acid (hyaluronan). The biochemical interactions of the composition improves zeta potential for TPF incorporation in the body through direct and indirect interaction with primary cellular and digestive sites of multiple species. This facilitates greater passage of target protein substrates fractions and isolates into the bloodstream, provides superior intracellular absorption and utilization thereby potentiating the therapeutic effects of TPF systemically.
US08404242B2
Isolated histidyl-tRNA synthetase splice variant polynucleotides and polypeptides having non-canonical biological activities are provided, as well as compositions and methods related thereto.
US08404215B1
The present disclosure provides methods for evaluating daily ammonia exposure based on a single fasting ammonia blood level measurement, as well as methods that utilize this technique to adjust the dosage of a nitrogen scavenging drug, determine whether to administer a nitrogen scavenging drug, and treat nitrogen retention disorders.
US08404212B2
Method and apparatus for storing hydrogen. One embodiment of such a method comprises providing a storage apparatus having a substrate and a nanostructure mat on at least a portion of a side of the substrate. The nanostructure mat comprises a plurality of nanostructures having a surface ionization state which causes more than one layer of hydrogen to adsorb onto the nanostructures. The method can also include exposing the nanostructure mat to hydrogen such that more than one layer of hydrogen adsorbs onto the nanostructures.
US08404209B2
The present invention relates to fullerene carbon nanotubes having a cylindrical wall comprising a double layer of carbon atoms and methods for the production and application of these double-wall carbon nanotubes; and, more particularly, to nanotubes with controlled number of carbon layers and methods for the production of macroscopic amounts of these nanotubes and there application as cathode materials in the cold field electron emission devices, notable such devices comprising light emitting CRT's.
US08404207B2
Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for separating metallic CNT and semiconducting CNT, comprising treating with a physical separation means of centrifugation, freezing-thawing-squeezing, diffusion, permeation or the like using a gel containing CNT as a dispersed and isolated state (CNT-containing gel), to thereby make semiconducting CNT exist in gel and make metallic CNT exist in solution.
US08404203B2
Zeolite catalysts and systems and methods for preparing and using zeolite catalysts having the CHA crystal structure are disclosed. The catalysts can be used to remove nitrogen oxides from a gaseous medium across a broad temperature range and exhibit hydrothermal stable at high reaction temperatures. The zeolite catalysts include a zeolite carrier having a silica to alumina ratio from about 15:1 to about 256:1 and a copper to aluminum ratio from about 0.25:1 to about 1:1.
US08404202B2
According to at least one aspect of the present invention, a urea-resistant catalytic unit is provided. In at least one embodiment, the catalytic unit includes a catalyst having a catalyst surface, and a urea-resistant coating in contact with at least a portion of the catalyst surface, wherein the urea-resistant coating effectively reduces urea-induced deactivation of the catalyst. In at least another embodiment, the urea-resistant coating includes at least one oxide from the group consisting of titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, zirconium oxide, molybdenum oxide, aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, sulfur oxide, niobium oxide, molybdenum oxide, yttrium oxide, nickel oxide, cobalt oxide, and combinations thereof.
US08404188B2
Plate heat exchange unit (12) for isothermal or pseudo-isothermal chemical reactors, for the heat exchange between a fluid circulating inside the plates and an outer flow of reactant gases, wherein the walls (14, 15), of the plates (13) have notches (14s, 15s) surrounded by suitable joining lines (105), obtaining openings (104) passing through the plates (13) themselves, the plates resulting substantially permeable in the transversal direction to the reactant gases.
US08404174B2
A main object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a carbon nanofiber supporting a metal fine particle in which the metal fine particles are supported in high dispersion and sintering of the metal fine particles is restrained. The present invention attains the object by providing a method for producing a carbon nanofiber supporting a metal fine particle comprising a step of: spinning a material composition which contains a nitrogen-containing polymer, including a nitrogen element and capable of forming a carbon nanofiber, and an organometallic compound by an electro spinning process, and the spinning is conducted under a condition which keeps the nitrogen element remained to the carbon nanofiber and allows the formation of the carbon nanofiber.
US08404173B2
High-volume mass-production and customization of complex three-dimensional polymer and polymer-derived-ceramic microstructures are manufactured in a single step directly from three dimensional computer models. A projection based non-degenerate two-photon induced photopolymerization method overcomes the drawbacks of conventional one and two-photon fabrication methods. The structure includes dual, synchronized, high-peak power, pulsed femtosecond and picosecond lasers combined with spatial light modulation. Applications include high-resolution rapid prototyping and rapid manufacturing with an emphasis on fabrication of various Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) devices, especially in the area of MEMS packaging.
US08404168B2
A process for producing a thermoplastic resin molded product, comprising: a placement step of placing a thermoplastic resin particle composition 6A into a cavity 22 of a rubber die 2 made of a rubber material; a particle heating step of irradiating the thermoplastic resin particle composition 6A in the cavity 22 with electromagnetic waves having wavelengths ranging from 0.78 to 2 μm through the rubber die 2, thereby heating to melt the thermoplastic resin particle composition 6A; a filling step of filling a thermoplastic resin 6 in a molten state into a space 220 left in the cavity 22; and a cooling step of cooling a thermoplastic resin 6 in the cavity 22 thereby obtaining a thermoplastic resin molded product.
US08404167B1
Protective edging for a cathode of an electroplating system. At least some of the illustrative embodiments a cathodes of an electroplating system, the cathodes including a sheet of metallic material that defines a front, a back and an edge, a plurality of apertures through the metallic material proximate to a portion of the edge and a plastic material that envelops the portion of the edge and the plurality of apertures. The plastic material extends through the apertures and is adhered to the metallic material.
US08404165B2
A catheter comprises a catheter shaft having a distal tip, the distal tip having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface having a rounded profile. The catheter may be made by rounding the inner surface of the distal tip.
US08404158B2
A system and related method for improved liquid delivery evaluation using a solution containing one or more dyes such that the solution exhibits multiple distinct detectable light absorbance spectral features for calibrating or testing over extended volume or dilution ranges are described. The system includes: a photometric instrument capable of measuring optical absorbance at multiple wavelengths; one or more sample solutions to be dispensed using the liquid delivery system whose performance is being tested or calibrated; and vessels optionally pre-filled, or filled by the user, with diluent solution. The sample solutions contain one or more dyes, chosen so that multiple distinct detectable light absorbance spectral features, such as peaks and/or valleys and/or plateaus of the solution can be distinguished for volume or dilution ranges of interest. The concentrations of the dyes may be chosen so that a large volume delivery device is calibrated using a spectral feature in the solution with a low absorbance per unit pathlength, while a small volume delivery device is calibrated with the same sample solution but using a different spectral feature with a high absorbance per unit pathlength.
US08404153B2
This disclosure features a blend, or use together in at least two layers of an article of manufacture, of a first persistent phosphor, a second persistent phosphor and a third phosphor. The first persistent phosphor has a formula I: Cax-y-z-aAaAl2-m-n-o-pOd:Euy,REz,Bm,Znn,Coo,Scp I where the variables are defined in the disclosure. The second persistent phosphor has a formula II: Srx-y-z-aAaAl14-m-n-o-pOd:Euy,REz,Bm,Znn,Coo,Scp II where the variables are defined in the disclosure. The third phosphor is a non-persistent phosphor that is excited at a wavelength in a range of 300-500 nm. Also featured is an article of manufacture including the blend or the phosphors present in at least two layers. Once the blend or layered structure comprising the three phosphors has been excited it can appear white in an absence of ambient light.
US08404150B2
The present invention relates to dielectrically positive liquid-crystalline media comprising one or more compounds of the formula I in which the parameters have the meaning indicated in the specification, and optionally one or more compounds selected from the group of the compounds of the formulae II and III in which the parameters have the meaning indicated in the specification, and optionally one or more compounds of the formula IV in which the parameters have the meaning indicated in the specification, and to liquid-crystal displays containing these media, especially to active-matrix displays and in particular to TN, IPS and FFS displays.
US08404142B2
A MnZn ferrite having excellent characteristics of an incremental permeability μΔ value of 250 or greater in a wide temperature range of 0 to 85° C. and an incremental permeability μΔ value of 400 or greater at 65° C. when an 80 A/m direct current magnetic field is applied is provided. The MnZn ferrite has basic components that comprise: ferric oxide (in terms of Fe2O3): 51.0 to 54.5 mol %, zinc oxide (in terms of ZnO): 8.0 to 12.0 mol %, and manganese oxide (in terms of MnO): the balance, sub components that comprise: silicon oxide (in terms of SiO2): 50 to 400 mass ppm, and calcium oxide (in terms of CaO): 50 to 400 mass ppm, and unavoidable impurities phosphorous, boron, sulfur and chlorine that are restricted to phosphorous: less than 3 mass ppm, boron: less than 3 mass ppm, sulfur: less than 5 mass ppm, and chlorine: less than 10 mass ppm.
US08404138B2
An electrode of a secondary battery is treated to remove an electrode material adhering to the current collector of the electrode. The electrode is treated by exposing to a stripping agent, which is constituted as an aqueous solution containing at least one of an organic sulfonic acid and derivative thereof, and the electrode exposure to each other to strip the electrode material from the current collector constituting the electrode.
US08404137B2
A plasma processing apparatus includes a plurality of radio-frequency power supplies for supplying radio-frequency powers having frequencies different from each other, a common feeding line for superposing radio-frequency powers supplied respectively from the plurality of radio-frequency power supplies and feeding the superposed radio-frequency power to a same radio-frequency electrode, a radio-frequency power extracting device for extracting radio-frequency powers having predetermined frequencies from radio-frequency powers fed via the feeding line, and a radio-frequency voltage detector for measuring voltages of the radio-frequency powers having the predetermined frequencies extracted by the radio-frequency power extracting device.
US08404134B2
A method of manufacturing a electrode foil composed of a valve metal layer of a first valve metal and a metal foil of a second valve metal supporting the valve metal layer, the method includes coating fine particles of the first valve metal with a resin to form composite fine particles, forming the composite fine particles into an aerosol, jetting the aerosol to the metal foil in an atmosphere under a reduced pressure, depositing the composite fine particles onto the metal foil to form a aerosol deposition layer, and removing selectively the resin from the aerosol deposition layer to form the valve metal layer.
US08404116B2
A transducer protector for use in an extra-corporeal circuit includes a first half-shell, a second half-shell, and a hydrophobic semi-permeable membrane enclosed between the half-shells. The first half-shell includes a first tubular connector with a seat having a substantially cylindrical shape and defining an axis X. The second half-shell includes a second tubular connection configured for connection to a transducer. The seat receives an end of a branch pipe from the circuit. The end defines a front surface substantially in the form of an annulus that is insertable inside the seat, which has one or more abutments that form a support for the front surface of the end to define a stop for the end. The abutment defines at least one radially outer cavity and provides a partial support for the front surface of the end. The cavity provides at least one radially outer zone of the annulus without support.
US08404114B2
A filter cartridge includes, from top to bottom, a main filter comprising grains including ceramic soil and a mixture including tourmaline powder, mica powder, mineral powder, germanite powder, calcite powder, amber powder, agate powder, actinolite powder, crystal powder, and jade powder; a germanite layer comprising grains including ceramic soil and a mixture including germanite powder and selenium powder; a pearl layer comprising grains including ceramic soil and a mixture including pearl powder; an ore layer comprising grains including ceramic soil and a mixture including ore powder capable of emitting far-infrared radiation; a mineral layer comprising grains including ceramic soil and a mixture including mineral powder and calcite; and a gold layer comprising grains including ceramic soil and a mixture including gold powder.
US08404107B2
A method of extracting hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from a hydrocarbon-containing material includes the steps of providing a first liquid comprising a turpentine liquid; contacting the hydrocarbon-containing material with the turpentine liquid to form an extraction mixture; extracting the hydrocarbon material into the turpentine liquid; and separating the extracted hydrocarbon material from a residual material not extracted.
US08404098B2
Devices, apparatus, methods and processes are adapted and arranged to efficiently produce both hydrogen and oxygen, while at the same time producing electricity.Advantageously, virtually no undesirable by-products are produced, thus yielding environmentally friendly sources of fuels and energy. Through the cyclic use and re-use of acidic compounds, and especially sulfuric acid, water is processed to produce hydrogen, oxygen and electricity. One or more of the hydrogen, oxygen and electrical output of the methods, devices and apparatus of the invention can be stored, or can be used in many ways, for example, in a fuel cell to produce additional electricity or other reaction products. Hydrogen and oxygen produced by the invention can be combined in an engine, such as an internal combustion engine, to power a vehicle, while electricity produced simultaneously can be used to power other features of the vehicle, such as radios and communications equipment as well as electrical motors commonly found in hybrid vehicles. The invention is also ideal as an ideal source of power for uses where efficiency and the cyclic use of resources are paramount, such as for providing electricity and fuel for use in homes and industry.
US08404097B2
Cobalt-phosphorous-boron coated objects and processes for production of the same. The coatings are wear resistant and may have several characteristics that render them suitable for applications in certain industries, such as the aerospace industry. The manufacturing process for the coated objects is free of hexavalent chromium fumes generation. The process of manufacture includes the steps of at least partially submerging a metal object as a cathodic element into a plating bath. The plating bath includes an aqueous solution of cobalt ions, chloride ions, phosphate ions, phosphite ions and boron-containing ions. The plating bath may have a pH in the range from about 1.0 to about 1.8. Current flows between an anode in the plating bath and the cathodic element in contact with an object to be coated for a time sufficient to deposit a cobalt-phosphorous-boron coating on the object. The current continues to flow until a coating of desired thickness is obtained.
US08404096B2
The invention relates to methods of preparation of highly sensitive potentiometric sensors with an electroconductive polymer film as a sensing element.
US08404092B1
The invention is a high-throughput multi-capillary system utilizing a 2-dimensional mask onto which the detection windows of the capillaries are lined up in alternating columns and rows. The image of the capillaries is projected onto a 2-dimensional detection system, such as a charge-coupled-detector (CCD) array. Each row and column of the capillary detection windows is imaged in a separate area of the CCD array, which results in reduced cross-talk between capillaries.
US08404084B2
A filler treatment process enhances the fixation of anionic latex on filler in a short time. Anionic polymer dispersions (latex) are added to papermaking filler slurries at ambient temperature and then mixed with water of temperature higher than the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the latex used. The anionic latexes applied by this process are totally and irreversibly fixed or bound onto the filler particles and the treated filler particle agglomerate to form an aggregated filler slurry which is stable over time. The latex-treated filler slurry can be added to papermaking furnishes at any point prior to the headbox of the paper machine or stored for later use. The latex-treated filler slurry improves filler retention, only slightly reduces sheet strength and improves sizing performance.
US08404083B2
Process for the production of paper, board and cardboard having high dry strength by addition of at least one water-soluble (a) polymer comprising vinylamine units and at least one (b) polymer comprising ethylenimine units and at least one water-soluble polymeric anionic compound to a paper stock, draining of the paper stock with sheet formation and drying of the paper products, the water-soluble cationic polymers (a) and (b) being metered in any sequence or as a mixture into a paper stock, and papers which are obtainable by this process.
US08404078B2
An adhesion method capable of strongly adhering two members without using an adhesive and without impairing a fine structure or optical properties of a joining surface, and a biochemical chip and optical component made by the same are provided.The adhesion method includes step A of forming a coating film 13 of a first film compound having a first functional group on a first joining surface 11 of a first member 21, step B of forming a coating film 14 of a second film compound having a second functional group on a second joining surface 12 of a second member 22, and step C of bringing the first joining surface 11 into contact by pressure with the second joining surface 12 while bringing a coupling agent having at least one coupling reactive group that forms a bond by a coupling reaction with the first functional group and the second functional group into contact with the first and second functional groups to form bonds by the coupling reaction.
US08404072B2
Disclosed herein is an improved, metallized polymer film and method for preparing the same. Such films comprise a) at least one treated polymeric skin layer comprising butylene, and b) a metal layer deposited onto at least one surface of this polymeric skin layer. The polymeric skin layer can comprise a propylene-butylene copolymer or an ethylene-propylene-butylene terpolymer, with this copolymer or terpolymer containing from about 4 wt % to about 12 wt % of butylene. The polymeric skin layer is preferably preconditioned by subjecting an outermost surface thereof to plasma treatment which facilitates the deposition thereon of a strongly adhering metal layer which is preferably aluminum. The resulting multi-layer films exhibit metal adhesion bond strength of at least about 100 grams/25 mm. These films will preferably also exhibit a Water Vapor Transmission Rate of from about 0.05 to about 0.2 g/m2/24 hour, and an Oxygen Transmission Rate of from about 5.0 to about 20 cm3/m2/24 hour.
US08404071B2
Various processes for the creation of a film to film bond using printed patterns of adhesive traces. In some implementations of the process, control of the process including control of the temperature of the adhesive and film to a temperature approaching the heat distortion temperature for the film will vary the strength of the bond from a frangible bond to a bond the tears the film, (a film-tearing bond). Some implementations of the process may be used to produce bonded films at web speed rates that are significantly higher than commercial rates for heat seal processes.
US08404066B2
A method for manufacturing a thin high-performance polarizing film includes coating a polyvinyl alcohol type resin on a resin substrate having a thickness of at least 20 μm and then drying the resin to thereby form a polyvinyl alcohol type resin layer, immersing thus produced polyvinyl alcohol type resin layer in a dyeing solution including a dichroic material to thereby have the dichroic material impregnated in the polyvinyl alcohol type resin layer, stretching the polyvinyl alcohol type resin layer having the dichroic material impregnated therein together with the resin substrate in a boric acid solution such that a total stretching ratio of 5.0 or more of the original length is achieved.
US08404065B2
A wall anchor insert, and an installation tool and method to allow for the installation of a wall anchor flush to wall surface. The materials are a polymeric insert, and a moisturing curing adhesive resin. The installation tool facilitates the installation of anchor, including the required resin coating, and insures that anchor is flush. At such time that redecorating is done, there will be no unsightly anchor to remove or wall damage to repair. The anchor is left in place with only one small screw hole to spackle.
US08404061B2
A component of an air-hardenable steel composed of (contents in mass %): C<0.20; Al<0.08; Si<1.00; Mn 1.20 to <2.50; P<0.020; S<0.015; N<0.0150; Cr 0.30 to <1.5; Mo 0.10 to <0.80; Ti 0.010 to <0.050; V 0.03 to <0.20; B 0.0015 to <0.0060, with the remainder being iron including the usual elements present in steel, is produced by heating a hot- or cold-rolled steel sheet or steel tube section to a temperature of θblank=800 to 1050° C. and then forming the sheet or tube into a component in a forming tool. After removal from the tool, the component is cooled down in air while the component still has a temperature above θremoval=200° C. and below 800° C. The component achieves the required mechanical properties during air-cooling.
US08404057B2
[Problems] Addition of an organic acid such as a dicarboxylic acid to a soldering flux in order to improve wettability causes a reaction with copper oxide to form a metallic soap of copper having a green color. Although this metallic soap of copper is not corrosive and does not decrease reliability, its external appearance is impossible to distinguish it from verdigris which is indicative of corrosion. There is need for a soldering flux which does not form a metallic soap of copper.[Means for Solving the Problems] Addition of a tetrazole or a tetrazole derivative to a soldering flux can prevent carboxyl groups from reacting exclusively with copper ions, thereby suppressing the formation of a metallic soap of copper having a green color. Among tetrazoles and tetrazole derivatives, 5-phenyl-1H-tetrazole and its derivatives which have hydrogen as a substituent in the 1-position and a phenyl, group which strongly attracts electron in the 5-position are effective at improving soldering since they result in an increased polarity in the solvent.
US08404052B2
A method for cleaning the surface of a silicon substrate, covered by a layer of silicon oxide includes: a) exposing the surface for 60 to 900 seconds to a radiofrequency plasma, generated from a fluorinated gas, to strip the silicon oxide layer and induce the adsorption of fluorinated elements on the substrate surface, the power density generated using the plasma being 10 mW/cm2 to 350 mW/cm2, the fluorinated gas pressure being 10 mTorrs to 200 mTorrs, and the substrate temperature being lower than or equal to 300° C.; and b) exposing the surface including the fluorinated elements for 5 to 120 seconds to a hydrogen radiofrequency plasma, to remove the fluorinated elements from the substrate surface, the power density generated using the plasma being 10 mW/cm2 to 350 mW/cm2, the hydrogen pressure being 10 mTorrs to 1 Torr, and the substrate temperature being lower than or equal to 300° C.
US08404045B2
An underlying film 2 of a group III nitride is formed on a substrate 1 by vapor phase deposition. The substrate 1 and the underlying film 2 are subjected to heat treatment in the present of hydrogen to remove the underlying film 2 so that the surface of the substrate 1 is roughened. A seed crystal film 4 of a group III nitride single crystal is formed on a surface of a substrate 1A by vapor phase deposition. A group III nitride single crystal 5 is grown on the seed crystal film 4 by flux method.
US08404040B2
Curing or sealing compositions for concrete and cement formulations and processes for using the same
Disclosed are wax emulsion compositions for curing or sealing concrete and cement formulations, methods for preparing and processes for using the same. The modifiers are applicable to curing or sealing membranes, used in roadways, highways, parking lots and other freshly placed or poured concrete surfaces to retain moisture and achieve high compressive strengths. This invention also relates to materials used to coat, spray, brush, roll etc. on conventional Portland cement concrete mix designs or other applied concrete mixes in formed structural shapes and transport road mix designs, providing an effective layer that controls and minimizes moisture loss from the mix to enable proper curing and achievement of desired compressive strengths. The compositions of the invention further provide for concrete and cement formulations having lower water soluble chloride content.
US08404039B2
A method for secondarily synthesizing calcium sulphoaluminate mineral in Portland cement clinker is provided. The method includes adding gypsum into raw Portland cement, calcination, then heating twice to re-form calcium sulphoaluminate mineral that has decomposed at high temperature in the clinker. This method can increase the content of calcium sulphoaluminate mineral in the clinker. As a result, the advantages of the calcium sulphoaluminate mineral in the clinker may be obtained, such as improvement of the early stage performance and long-term performance of the cement clinker and increase in the quantity of mixture in the cement.
US08404036B2
Coloring matters represented by general formula (1) or salts thereof are simply provided at a low cost as water-soluble coloring matters which exhibit absorption in the near-infrared region. Further, aqueous ink compositions which contain the coloring matters and have excellent storage stability are also provided. In general formula (1), Nc is optionally substituted naphthalocyanine; M is a metal oxide or the like; R1 and R2 are each independently hydrogen or the like; A is a crosslinking group; X and Y are each independently substituted arylamino or the like; k is more than 0 but up to 12 (on average); p is 0 to less than 12; the sum of k and p is more than 0 but up to 12; and any two or the three of R1, R2 and A may be united to form a ring.
US08404032B2
A humidity-conditioning sheet 10 excellent in reversibility and responsiveness of a moisture adsorbing/desorbing ability of rapidly adsorbing moisture at high ambient humidity and conversely rapidly desorbing adsorbed moisture at low ambient humidity includes a sheet-shaped humidity-conditioning layer 7 formed by bonding together, with a thermoplastic resin powder 4, humidity-conditioning particles 3 which reversibly adsorb and desorb water vapor. The void ratio of the humidity-conditioning layer 7 is 5% or more. Since a ratio of voids 8 formed between the humidity-conditioning particles 3 is high, the voids 8 between the humidity-conditioning particles 3 can be used as water retention spaces for moisture adsorption and desorption, thereby achieving the high reversible moisture adsorbing/desorbing ability and excellent moisture adsorption/desorption responsiveness with the aid of not only the moisture adsorbing/desorbing ability inherent in the humidity-conditioning particles but also the moisture adsorbing/desorbing ability of the voids between the humidity-conditioning particles.
US08404027B2
A method for removal of CO2 from a flue gas stream, comprising the steps of: a) contacting a flue gas stream comprising CO2 with a first absorption liquid comprising NH3 such that the flue gas stream is depleted in CO2; b) contacting the flue gas stream depleted in CO2 of step a) with a second absorption liquid such that NH3 from the flue gas stream is absorbed in said second absorption liquid to form a flue gas stream depleted in CO2 and NH3; c) separating NH3 from the second absorption liquid such that a gas stream comprising NH3 is obtained; d) contacting said gas stream comprising NH3 separated in step c) with a third absorption liquid such that NH3 is absorbed in said third absorption liquid. A system for removal of CO2 from a flue gas stream, the system comprising: a CO2 absorption stage; an NH3 absorption stage; and a reabsorption stage.
US08404025B2
Systems and methods are disclosed herein which produce renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, by transforming biomethane gas into a mobile and renewable energy source. Biomethane gas, in this process, is generated from the anaerobic degradation process that occurs in landfills or other biomethane sources. The biomethane gas, after it has gone through a specialized cleaning system at the biomethane source sites and subsequently transported to gas consumer's customer site or natural gas pipeline, can be used as a substitute for natural gas for use in power generation units, fuel cells, vehicle fuels, and/or other applications.
US08404024B2
During the conventional temperature swing adsorption (TSA) process, NF3 co-adsorbed with the impurities is vented during regeneration. This invention is a novel TSA cycle in which the co-adsorbed NF3 is recovered. In this novel TSA cycle, a control scheme is used to stop the adsorption prior to the saturation of the adsorber with impurities and use a recovery purge gas (either co-current or counter-current) to release the co-adsorbed NF3 off the saturated adsorber. The effluent of the inert purge gas can be combined with the effluent of the on-stream vessel or can be recycled to the feed of the on-stream vessel. 10%-100% of the co-adsorbed NF3 is recovered and made available as product in this novel TSA cycle. Thus the overall process yield of NF3 is increased. The removing of the co-adsorbed NF3 from the adsorber also prevents adsorber degradation thus prolonging the useful life of the adsorber.
US08404011B2
A method and to a device for the regeneration of a particle arranged in the exhaust gas train of an internal combustion engine. An exhaust gas stream to be cleaned is supplied to the at least one particle filter. At least in a regeneration mode, a predetermined amount of an exhaust gas stream to be heated is branched off from the exhaust gas stream upstream of an exhaust gas turbine of an exhaust gas turbocharger which branched-off stream, after it has been heated by a heater is mixed in the form of a heated exhaust gas stream at a point upstream of the at least one particle filter back into the residual gas stream which is coming from the exhaust gas turbine and which is at a lower temperature than that of the other stream.
US08404010B2
An abrasive compact may include an ultra-hard phase that may include ultra-hard particles having a Knoop hardness of 5000 KHN or greater, a sinter catalyst, and a reaction phase that may include a catalyst-ceramic compound having a Knoop hardness lower than that of the ultra-hard phase.
US08404008B2
A system for reforming diesel fuel into hydrogen including feeds for water and diesel fuel, a supercritical water (SCW) reactor in fluid communication with the water feed and the diesel fuel, at least one pre-heater in thermal communication with the water feed, the diesel fuel feed that is configured to heat water from the water feed and diesel fuel from the diesel fuel feed to a predetermined temperature equal to or greater than the critical temperature of water before the water and the diesel fuel are mixed, a water-gas shift (WGS) reactor, and a hydrogen capturing system, where the SCW reactor reforms the diesel fuel into a synthesis gas comprising a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide and outputs the synthesis gas, the synthesis gas output by the SCW reactor is fed into the WGS reactor which converts the carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and hydrogen and outputs an output gas including a higher percentage of hydrogen to carbon monoxide compared to the synthesis gas, and the hydrogen in the output gas is captured by the hydrogen capturing system.
US08404007B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a reforming apparatus and the like capable of uniformly mixing water (steam) and a raw material together, of preventing the precipitation of carbon without using a temperature controller, and of efficiently heating the water and the mixture by heating gas. Accordingly, the reforming apparatus has the following configuration. The reforming apparatus includes: a first vaporizer (05) that is cylindrically shaped and includes a first flow passage; a second vaporizer (06) that is cylindrically shaped and includes a second flow passage; a duct (027) that connects an outlet of the first flow passage to an inlet of the second flow passage; a raw-material mixing portion (028) formed at a certain point of the duct. The first vaporizer and the second vaporizer are concentrically disposed. An interstice between the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer serves as a heating-gas flow passage (024). In the first vaporizer, water (021) flowing through the first flow passage is heated by heating gas, and thereby is turned into steam. In the raw-material mixing portion, a mixture is obtained by mixing a raw material with the steam. In the second vaporizer, the mixture flowing through the second flow passage is heated by the heating gas and thereby is turned into superheated steam. The superheated steam flows through a reforming-catalyst layer (03).
US08403988B2
Multiple, small, staple-like supports are inserted through a small tube into the disc space then rotated into position on the edge of the vertebral bodies. The tooth-like geometry of the proximal and distal faces of these staples mates with the outer edge of the vertebral body, extending past the front of the endplate anteriorly. The staples have teeth that dig into the endplate on the inside of the rim as well.
US08403984B2
Disclosed are apparatus for delivering an accommodating intraocular lens to an eye. One apparatus includes an injector with a longitudinal injection passage that has a longitudinal injection axis. The apparatus also includes an accommodating intraocular lens having two interconnected viewing elements. The injector has a member for moving the lens into the injection passage of the apparatus. The accommodating intraocular lens has a longitudinal bisection axis and is initially disposed within the injector with the longitudinal bisection axis at an angle which is non-parallel and non-perpendicular to the injection axis. Additional apparatus and methods are disclosed as well.
US08403980B2
The present invention relates to a medical device or implant made at least in part of a high strength, low modulus metal alloy comprising Niobium, Tantalum, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Zirconium, Tungsten, and Molybdenum. The medical devices according to the present invention provide superior characteristics with regard to bio-compatibility, radio-opacity and MRI compatibility.
US08403979B2
The disclosure relates to an expandable valve prosthesis for regulating flow through a body vessel. The prosthesis comprises a frame configured to form a laterally asymmetric partial sinus and a valve member.
US08403976B2
A percutaneous transluminal angioplasty device includes an embolic filter mounted to the catheter shaft at a location distal to the angioplasty balloon. Thus the filter is downstream from the blockage and is properly positioned to capture embolic particles that may be set loose into the blood stream as the angioplasty procedure is performed. The embolic filter is normally collapsed against the catheter shaft to facilitate introduction and withdrawal of the device to and from the operative site. Once the angioplasty balloon is properly positioned, however, means operatively associated with the embolic filter are actuated to erect the filter to position a filter mesh across the lumen of the vessel.
US08403973B2
A pedicle screw assembly has a retractable screw tip that facilitates the securement of the pedicle screw assembly to a spinal vertebra in a minimally invasive fashion during an orthopedic surgical procedure. The pedicle screw assembly includes a body portion including a head and a shank. The shank includes an outer surface with a thread provided thereon, an end having a cutting tip provided thereon, and a bore extending inwardly from the end and having an internally threaded region provided therein. The pedicle screw assembly also includes a tip portion including a body having a cutting edge and a shank extending from the body. The shank has an externally threaded region provided thereon that cooperates with the internally threaded region of the bore to permit movement of the tip portion relative to the body portion between extended and retracted positions.
US08403970B1
A cervical plate system (1) and method for use in the fixation of a spine comprising a fixation plate (2) having a aperture (3) extending from a bone fixation plate (2) top surface (5) to a bottom surface (12), dimensioned for admitting a bone fixation element (4) shank (15) therethrough and smaller than a bone fixation element (4) head (16) for retaining the head (16) within the aperture (3); and a locking plate (11) positioned adjacent to a surface of the fixation plate (2) and dimensioned for slidable movement along a lateral axis (13) of the fixation plate surface, from a first position wherein the locking plate (11) disengages at least a portion of the bone fixation element (4) to a second position wherein the locking plate (11) engages at least a portion of the bone fixation element (4).
US08403967B2
A volar fixation system includes a plate intended to be positioned against the volar side of the radial bone. The plate includes holes for receiving fasteners along a fixed axis relative to the plate. The plate is positioned against the radius bone, and a portion of the plate is preliminarily fixed to the radius bone. The fracture is reduced, and a plurality of fasteners are each inserted through a respective plate hole so as to extend immediately below the subchondral bone of the radius bone and is fixed in axial relationship relative to the plate. Together the fasteners form a stabilizing construct that conforms to the concave curvature of the articular surface of the radius bone.
US08403959B2
Disclosed is an implant for treating lumbar spinal canal stenosis, comprising a spacer that is proved with an elongate interior space into which an insert part can be inserted. A first retaining element is fixed in the spacer in the inserted state. Said first retaining part can be folded apart by inserting the insert part while a second rear retaining element that is molded onto the insert part simultaneously comes to rest on the vertebral processes, thus making it possible to insert the implant unilaterally while reducing the risk of having to undergo possible postoperative interventions.
US08403958B2
An anchor for attaching an elongate flexible member to bone. The anchor includes a base adapted for attaching to bone and a connector mounted on the base. The connector includes a cam positioned for engaging the flexible member when the base is attached to bone. The cam is pivotable between an open position in which the flexible member may be moved relative to the connector and a closed position in which the cam engages the flexible member so the flexible member is fixed relative to the connector.
US08403956B1
A surgical apparatus may include an end effector comprising a staple holder including a housing therein, and an anvil connected to the staple holder, where the end effector is movable between an open configuration and a clamped configuration; a feeder belt having two lateral edges, at least part of which is held within the housing; a plurality of staples, where each staple has a first end frangibly connected to the feeder belt and a second, free end; where at least one staple is oriented relative to the corresponding feeder belt in a direction angled relative to the transverse direction; and wherein the staples form at least one row, each row including at least two staples; and an overtube movable relative to the staple holder and anvil.
US08403954B2
A nasal insert may include a wall in the shape of a tube, the wall including a first end defining a first orifice and a second end defining a second orifice. The first end may have a diameter, diagonal measurement, or cross-sectional area larger than that of the second end. The first end may define at least one break in the wall, so that the first end incompletely encircles the first orifice. The second end may completely encircle the second orifice.
US08403948B2
A disposable ultrasonic surgical handle includes a disposable handle body that has a first handle body portion defining a handgrip and a second handle body portion connected to the first handle body portion, where the second handle body portion has a waveguide attachment dock exposed to the environment and having a first couple operable to connect an ultrasonic waveguide thereto and an aseptically sealable powered-ultrasonic-motion-generator assembly dock shaped to connect the ultrasonic waveguide in the attachment dock to an assembly within the assembly dock through the second handle body portion. The disposable ultrasonic surgical handle also includes a disposable compartment door movably connected to the second handle body portion to selectively expose the assembly dock to the environment, where the handle has an open position exposing the assembly dock to the environment and permitting entry and removal of the powered-ultrasonic-motion-generator assembly respectively into and from the assembly dock and a closed position aseptically sealing the assembly dock from the environment.
US08403938B2
An anchorage in tissue is produced by holding a vibrating element and a counter element against each other such that their contact faces are in contact with each other, wherein at least one of the contact faces comprises a thermoplastic material which is liquefiable by mechanical vibration. While holding and then moving the two elements against each other, the vibrating element is vibrated and due to the vibration the thermoplastic material is liquefied between the contract faces, and due to the relative movement is made to flow from between the contact faces and to penetrate tissue located adjacent to outer edges of the contact faces. For liquefaction of the thermoplastic material and for displacing it from between the contact faces no force needs to act on the tissue surface which is to be penetrated by the liquefied material. For this reason anchorage in tissue which has little mechanical stability is possible.
US08403936B2
A stand for use with a syringe is disclosed. The stand includes a base and a clip affixed to the base. The clip engages a portion of the syringe so as to removably secure the syringe to the stand in a position such that the distal end of the syringe is spaced vertically away from the base. Preferably, the syringe includes a handle extending outwardly from a barrel of the syringe, and the feature which the clip engages includes the handle of the syringe.
US08403935B2
An axial height adjustable, revision cutting in the shape of a final distal femur implant component. The revision guide includes a rod adapted for intimate contact within an intramedullary canal of a femur, and includes a threaded passageway. The revision cutting guide is adapted for removable attachment to a distal portion of the femur. A vernier-bolt is rotatably positioned through the shaped body of the revision cutting guide so as to be adjustably received within the threaded passageway thereby providing for movement of the shaped body of the revision cutting guide relative to the distal portion of the femur.
US08403907B2
A method is provided for monitoring the status of a medical device implanted in a patient. The method includes the steps of implanting in a patient a medical device which comprises (i) a substrate in which two or more reservoirs are located, with each covered by a reservoir cap, (ii) a drug or sensor located in the reservoir, (iii) a power source and actuation electronics for disintegrating or permeabilizing the reservoir cap, and (iv) a telemetry system; and then using said telemetry system to wirelessly transmit to a remote controller data about the condition of the power source and/or data about which reservoirs have been or have yet to be activated to release the drug therefrom or to expose the sensor therein.
US08403889B2
A surgical access assembly includes a base defining a central axis and having an opening for receipt of a surgical instrument and an elongated member extending from the base. The elongated member defines a passage for passage of at least a portion of the surgical instrument and is adapted to assume a substantial rolled configuration in a normal unstressed condition thereof. When in the rolled configuration, the elongated member is rolled transverse to the central axis.
US08403885B2
A catheter having shaft segments which are joined together by a strong bond providing a low profile shaft section with a flexibility transition and/or a compositional transition. A balloon catheter embodying features of the invention has a distal tip member and a coupling band member surrounding a junction of an inner tubular member of the shaft, and has a gradual change in bending stiffness along a distal end section of the shaft which extends distally from a location within the balloon interior. Another catheter embodying features of the invention has shaft segments joined together by a diagonal seam.
US08403884B2
An ACS therapy system for continuously monitoring Intra-Abdominal Pressure (IAP) and preventing the onset of ACS. The automated ACS therapy system includes a urine withdrawal device, an IAP regulation circuit, an IAP monitor connected to the urine withdrawal device to supply an IAP value to the IAP regulation circuit, and an abdominal fluid removal device. The abdominal fluid removal device may be connected to an active suction device, which withdraws fluid from the abdominal cavity through the abdominal fluid removal device when activated by the IAP regulation circuit. Based on the IAP value, the IAP regulation circuit may send a control signal that controls the active suction device to turn on and drain fluid from the abdominal cavity. When the IAP value reaches certain levels, the IAP regulation circuit may cause the active suction device to be turned off.
US08403880B2
A dialysis machine includes: (i) a source of peritoneal dialysis solution; (ii) a patient line for passing the peritoneal dialysis solution to the peritoneal cavity of a patient; (iii) a pump for pumping the peritoneal dialysis solution to the peritoneal cavity via the patient line; (iv) a heater for heating the peritoneal dialysis solution prior to the dialysis solution reaching the patient line, the heater including first and second heating elements; (v) a voltage input from a remote power source; and (vi) a control scheme responsive to the voltage input and configured to (a) automatically maintain a proper dialysis solution temperature for the patient via the first and second heating elements regardless of the voltage input wherein the control (b) account for an inlet temperature of the dialysis solution to the heater and (c) account for heater efficiency.
US08403877B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for treating and controlling obesity and/or type II diabetes. In one aspect of the invention, an internal bypass device includes gastric and duodenal anchors coupled to each other and positioned on either side of the pylorus and a hollow sleeve designed to extend from the pylorus through at least a proximal portion of a patient's small intestine. The gastric and duodenal anchors are movable between collapsed configurations for advancement through the esophagus and an expanded configuration for inhibiting movement of the anchors through the pyloric sphincter. Thus, the bypass device can be placed and removed endoscopically through the patient's esophagus in a minimally invasive outpatient procedure and it is “self-anchoring” and does not require invasive tissue fixation within the patient's GI tract, thereby reducing collateral tissue damage and minimizing its impact on the digestive process.
US08403873B2
A compression bandaging system includes inner and outer bandages. The inner bandage is an inner skin facing, elongated, elastic bandage and includes an elongated, elastic substrate and an elongated foam layer affixed to a face of the substrate. The outer bandage is an outer, elongated, self-adhering elastic bandage having a compressive force when extended. In use, the outer bandage overlies the inner bandage.
US08403872B2
The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to a device and/or system (e.g., redistributing weight away from a subject's foot), which may comprise (a) a platform, (b) at least one vertical support fixed to the platform and extending upwardly from the platform, and (c) at least one cuff (i) configured to surround and releasably grip at least a portion of a subject's leg other than the foot and (ii) mounted (e.g., adjustably) to the at least one vertical support at a vertical position along the at least one vertical support sufficient to suspend a subject's foot in a non-weight-bearing position above the platform during ambulation, wherein the platform, the at least one vertical support, and the at least one cuff together are configured to bear at least the subject's full weight.
US08403871B2
A compression device for applying compression to a body part of a wearer has an inflatable bladder defined by first and second bladder layers and a bladder sealing line securing the first and second bladder layers to one another. A conduit is defined by spaced apart, generally opposing conduit sealing lines securing the first and second bladder layers to one another and portions of the first and second bladder layers between the conduit lines. The conduit is fluidly connected to the inflatable bladder for delivering pressurized air to the inflatable bladder. Tubing is not needed for connection to the compression device.
US08403870B2
A portable, self-contained compression device is wearable by a person for applying intermittent compression on a limb of the person. The compression device comprises a sleeve having a longitudinal axis and adapted for placement on the limb. The device includes an actuator assembly on the sleeve comprising a flexible shaft operably connected to the sleeve and extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. The shaft is flexible to allow for conformance of the shaft to the limb when the sleeve is on the limb. The actuator assembly also comprises an actuator for rotating the flexible shaft in a first direction to constrict the sleeve to apply compression on the limb and for rotating the flexible shaft or allowing the flexible shaft to rotate in a second direction to relax constriction of the sleeve to relieve compression on the limb. Springs or elastic sections may be used to impart sequential, gradient compression on the limb.
US08403864B2
A tissue penetrating system has a housing member. A plurality of penetrating members are positioned in the housing member. A tissue stabilizing member is coupled to the housing. A penetrating member sensor is coupled to the plurality of penetrating members. The penetrating member sensor is configured to provide information relative to a depth of penetration of a penetrating member through a skin surface.
US08403862B2
A method includes directing toward a portion of a subject's body a first pulse of electromagnetic energy. While the portion is in a functional state due to the first pulse, a second pulse is directed toward the portion. At a second-pulse time, reflected energy due to the second pulse is detected. While the portion is in a functional state due to the first and second pulses, a third pulse is directed toward the portion. At a third-pulse time, energy of the third pulse, reflected from the portion, is detected. In response to detecting the pulses at the second-pulse time and the third-pulse time, a characteristic of the portion is quantified resulting from (a) the functional state due to the first pulse and (b) the functional state due to the first and second pulses. A clinical state of the subject is identified. Other embodiments are described.
US08403858B2
An interventional medical device that incorporates an imaging system may be minimally invasive and equipped with an anchoring portion at a proximal end for securing the device to a human body. A luer lock may be utilized at the proximal end, for example, for introducing a syringe. The medical device can be in the form of sheaths, catheters, and interventional devices, particularly those suitable for minimally invasive procedures in the pericardium. The imaging system comprises one or more ultrasound transducers and can be used to guide the device to a target area and to perform a procedure and/or provide access to a target area for performing a procedure via a plurality of lumen. In one embodiment, a micro-electro-mechanical system may be utilized to monitor pressure within a human body.
US08403854B2
An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and a 3-D image data scan method that can continuously display 3-D image data in both a pre-scan mode and a triggered entire volume mode by collecting the volume data of a plurality of volume scan regions of an object from the start of the scan. In the pre-scan mode, a plurality of 3-D sub-regions are set by dividing an object scan region along a direction vertical to the reference scan plane. In a triggered volume mode for collecting volume data, a 3-D scan of a 3-D sub-region including the reference scan plane is performed in preference to other 3-D sub-regions in order to continuously display 2-D image data acquired on the reference scan plane in the pre-scan mode and MPR image data acquired in the entire triggered volume mode from an initial scan time.
US08403848B2
An assessment of sleep quality and sleep disordered breathing is determined from the cardiopulmonary coupling between two physiological data series. In an embodiment, an R-R interval series is derived from an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. The normal beats from the R-R interval series are extracted to produce a normal-to-normal (NN) interval series. The amplitude variations in the QRS complex are used to extract to a surrogate respiration signal (i.e., ECG-derived respiration (EDR)) that is associated with the NN interval series. The two series are corrected to remove outliers, and resampled. The cross-spectral power and coherence of the two resampled signals are calculated over a plurality of coherence windows. For each coherence window, the product of the coherence and cross-spectral power is used to calculate coherent cross power. Using the appropriate thresholds for the coherent cross power, the proportion of sleep spent in CAP, non-CAP, and wake and/or REM are determined.
US08403844B2
Methods and systems for monitoring interventions and/or a subject, such as a human patient. One exemplary embodiment of a method includes measuring at least one biological parameter of a subject, determining a biological state from the measuring, administering (after the measuring) an intervention which includes a caloric restriction (CR) mimetic to the subject and measuring, after the administering, the at least one biological parameter and determining a later biological state from the measuring after the administering.
US08403832B2
A surgical instrument includes a housing, an end effector and an elongated shaft extending therebetween. The shaft includes a distal portion movable between aligned and articulated configurations. First and second drive cables are coupled to the distal portion such that reciprocal longitudinal motion of the drive cables induces movement of the distal portion between the aligned and articulated configurations. An articulation drive mechanism is operable to induce reciprocal longitudinal motion of the drive cables. The drive mechanism includes an actuator and a pair pulleys operatively coupled to the actuator to rotate about an axle. The first and second drive cables are coupled to the pulleys such that the drive cables extend on opposite lateral sides of the axle. A biasing mechanism is configured to bias the first and second pulleys to at least one discrete orientation to maintain the distal portion of the elongated shaft in a discrete articulated position.
US08403828B2
A flexible endoscope for ophthalmic orbital surgery includes a flexible probe housing having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end. The endoscope also includes an image fiber disposed in the lumen that communicates image information from the distal end of the flexible probe, a purge fluid/gas port disposed at the proximal end of the flexible probe that accepts purge fluid/gas and a purge fluid/gas conduit disposed in the lumen and in fluid communication with the purge fluid/gas port. The fluid/gas conduit delivers purge fluid/gas to the distal end of the endoscope. The endoscope also includes an access conduit disposed in the lumen that receives one of an ablation instrument, a coagulating instrument and a medication delivery instrument.
US08403812B2
An exemplary engine control system and method for controlling a vehicle engine during certain shifting maneuvers that involve a manual transmission, such as a ‘no-lift upshift’ where the driver does not release the accelerator pedal during manual shifting. The engine control method may be used to temporarily control the vehicle engine during a no-lift upshift maneuver so that the engine performs well without reaching excessively high engine speeds that could result in vehicle instability or damage. The engine control method described herein may be used with other performance driving maneuvers and techniques as well, such as a power shift maneuvers, etc.
US08403799B2
A differential lock assembly includes a differential lock and a blocking assembly. The differential lock assembly is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The blocking assembly is associated with the differential lock and includes a blocking member and a shape memory member. The blocking member is movable between a blocking position and a non-blocking position. When the blocking member is in the blocking position, the differential lock is inhibited from moving to the locked position. The shape memory member is coupled with the blocking member and configured to receive an activation signal. The shape memory member is configured for actuation between a first length and a second length in response to the activation signal, wherein actuation of the shape memory member between the first length and the second length facilitates movement of the blocking member between the non-blocking and blocking positions.
US08403797B2
A gear train apparatus in a multistage transmission may include input and output shafts, a complex planetary gear device concentrically mounted with regard to the output shaft and having four rotary components including one rotary component coupled to the output shaft, first to third pairs of external gears, first to third clutches, a train of external gears, a fourth clutch and first and second brakes.
US08403791B2
A manual valve control for a multi-speed vehicle transmission is provided. Electronic and hydraulic components are provided, including trim valve systems that are multiplexed by a shift valve and a manual valve. The trim valves and shift valve are self-diagnosing via a plurality of multiplexed pressure switches. The control enables single and double range shifts among the multiple forward speed ratios, including shifts to and from sixth and higher forward ratios, reverse and neutral. The control also includes a reduced engine load at stop feature. In addition, a power off/limp home feature provides a plurality of failure modes, including a failure mode for sixth and higher forward speed ratios.
US08403789B2
Described is a transmission, having a hollow cylindrical base body, which has an internal toothing and a rotational axis, with end sides in which are rotatably mounted a driven input element and an output element, wherein the output element comprises two rotary bodies which can be or are connected to one another in a non-rotatable fashion and which have a circular cross section transversely with respect to the rotational axis and between which are arranged at least one gearwheel and means for converting planetary movements of the gearwheel into rotational movements of the output element. In the transmission, the forces which hold the output element together and the bearing forces which act between the output element and the base body are independent of one another.
US08403785B2
A tensioner is disclosed that achieves asymmetric damping in part by using a ramp-ramp assembly. The tensioner comprises a tensioner axle defining a pivot axis, an arm mounted on the tensioner axle so as to permit the arm to pivot about the pivot axis, a first tensioner component having first ramp features, a second tensioner component having second ramp features, and a ramp bushing having an upper ramp surface and a lower ramp surface. The first tensioner component is engaged to the arm for rotation therewith and the second tensioner component is coupled to the tensioner axle. The ramp bushing is disposed between the first tensioner component and the second tensioner component such that the upper ramp surface seats within the first ramp features and the lower ramp surface seats within the second ramp features.
US08403779B2
A belt type continuously variable transmission includes a primary shaft and a secondary shaft, wherein the primary shaft is supported on a case via a first rolling element bearing, and the secondary shaft is supported on the case via a second rolling element bearing, the case is formed with a bolt hole at each of an even number of locations in a region separate from a shaft center plane, which is a plane that passes through a shaft center of the primary shaft and a shaft center of the secondary shaft, and first and second stopper plates that each hold down outer races of the first and second rolling element bearings are fixed to the case by bolts mounted in the bolt holes.
US08403772B2
The present invention is directed at a quick release connection system to facilitate customization of golf clubs. It can be used to interchange soleplates quickly and easily. Teeth are disposed on the inside of a frame so that a soleplate may be inserted with minimal resistance, but cannot be removed without specific steps which may require the use of a simple tool. Strengthening and interlock devices are provided to ensure performance quality akin to traditional golf clubs.
US08403771B1
A golf club providing improved golf ball launch conditions is disclosed herein. The golf club includes a face component and a sole comprising an elongated recess disposed proximate the face component. The elongated recess preferably is tube shaped, and preferably has an opening with a smaller width than an innermost surface of the elongated recess.
US08403759B2
A gaming system includes a communication network, a portable data storage device having information associated with a player stored therein and a plurality of gaming units communicatively coupled to the communication network. Each of the gaming units includes an interface for reading and for storing information within the portable data storage device. The gaming system also includes a network computer communicatively coupled to the communication network and the plurality of gaming units. The network computer is programmed to enable the player to play a group of the plurality of gaming units in a particular sequence based on the information associated with the player stored within the portable data storage device.
US08403755B2
A wireless broadband gaming system and method is described. The wireless broadband gaming system includes a wireless network access device and a gaming system. The gaming system includes a registration database, a verification system, a video server and a gaming server. The video server stores images corresponding to at least one particular game outcome. The gaming server generates a random game output that associates the random game output with at least one particular game outcome. The gaming server communicates the images corresponding to the particular game outcome to the wireless network access device after verifying the wireless network device is a secure device and after verifying the user has registered.
US08403754B2
An interactive game apparatus includes a game host and a game controller. The game host includes a game control module capable of running a game program and receiving at least one response signal outputted from the game control. The game controller includes a first motion sensor, a second motion sensor and a processor. The first motion sensor detects motion signals of the play, and the second motion sensor also detects motion signals. Furthermore, the processor includes a determination circuit determining the timing for activating either the first motion sensor or the second motion sensor.
US08403750B2
A wireless networked computerized wagering game system comprises a gaming module operable to present a wagering game on which monetary value can be wagered, a wireless network module operable to connect the wagering game system to at least one other networked device via a wireless network connection, and an audio module operable to manage an audio function of the wagering game system. In another embodiment the audio module is operable to present environmental sounds to a wagering game player.
US08403732B2
To facilitate with high accuracy adjustment of a minute angle degree and also to sufficiently secure the rigidity of a whole device after the adjustment. Provided are a workpiece attaching body 24 having a workpiece attaching surface 4 and a rotating body 7 for rotatably supporting the workpiece attaching body 24, the rotating body 7 has an inclination angle adjusting surface 8 inclined relative to an axis of the rotating body, and opposite to the workpiece attaching surface 4, the workpiece attaching body 24 includes an inclination angle adjusting surface 9 which is inclined relative to the workpiece attaching surface 4 and which comes in surface contact with the inclination angle adjusting surface 8 of the rotating body 7, the rotating body 7 is arranged therein with an inclination angle adjusting shaft 36, protruding toward a side of the workpiece attaching body 24 substantially vertically to the inclination angle adjusting surfaces 8 and 9, for relatively rotatably supporting the workpiece attaching body 24, and coupling means 14 for coupling the rotating body 7 and the workpiece attaching body 24 in a manner to enable rotation adjustment about the inclination angle adjusting shaft 36 is provided, whereby the rotating body 7 and the workpiece attaching body 24 are relatively rotated about the inclination angle adjusting shaft 36 along the inclination angle adjusting surface 8 and 9 so as to adjust the inclination angle of the workpiece attaching surface 4.
US08403726B2
A system and method for restoring water supply pipes in buildings is provided. Compressed air is blown through one end of a cold water supply pipe, such as a cold water riser, and elsewhere on the pipe the cold water supply pipe is connected to the hot water supply pipe by an air hose. Compressed air may alternatively be blown through one end of the hot water supply pipe. To clean the pipe, abrasive particles are introduced into the stream of compressed air upstream of the section of pipe to be cleaned. To line the pipe, an epoxy coating is introduced into the stream of compressed gas upstream of the section of pipe to be lined.
US08403717B1
A marine propulsion system has an exhaust conduit conveying exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine. The exhaust conduit has a dry portion and a wet portion located downstream of the dry portion. Cooling fluid enters the exhaust conduit to cool exhaust gases flowing through the wet portion. A bypass conduit is connected to the exhaust conduit and conveys a portion of the cooling fluid away from the dry portion to thereby decrease reversion of cooling fluid into the dry portion.
US08403714B2
It is aimed not to increase contact resistance between a wire and a wire crimping portion even upon being subjected to a thermal cycle. A gold plating layer is formed on a base metal (20) via a nickel plating layer (21) in a terminal contact portion (11) to be held in contact with a mating terminal. A tin plating layer (23) is formed on the base metal (20) without via the nickel plating layer (21) in a wire crimping portion (12) to be crimped and connected to a core (15) of an insulated wire (14).
US08403701B2
An electrical connector (100) includes an insulative housing (3), a contact module (4) assembled to the insulative housing and a shielding shell (5) attached to an outer side of the insulative housing. The contact module includes a terminal group and a pair of paddle boards (42) disposed at opposite sides of the terminal group and electrically connected with the terminal group. Each paddle board has a grounding pad (4211). The shell includes a wall (510) parallel with a front face. The wall has a pair of forwardly extending grounding beams (52) respectively contacting the pair of grounding pads of the pair of paddle boards for grounding.
US08403698B2
A cable assembly, comprising a housing, a plurality of conductive terminals received in the housing; a metal shell enclosing the housing; a cable electrically connected to the conductive terminals and a foil. The cable has a number of wires, a braided layer enclosing the wires and an outer insulative pin enclosing the braided layer, each wire has a conductor and an inner insulative pin enclosing the conductor, the braided layer is turned back and encloses a surface of the outer insulative pin. The foil encloses the braided layer which is turned back, and is sandwiched in the metal shell.
US08403696B2
In a connector including a to-be-fitted portion for fitting to a mating connector in a first direction and a conductive shell covering the to-be-fitted portion, the shell is provided with a flange extending from a shell body in a second direction crossing the first direction and with a to-be-locked portion extending from the flange in the first direction. When attaching the connector to an attaching object, the flange is caused to face one surface of the attaching object in the first direction and the to-be-locked portion is caused to pass through the attaching object in the first direction so as to project from an opposite surface of the attaching object.
US08403695B2
A connector assembly (100) includes a receptacle (2) having an inwardly extending latching tab (21), and a plug connector (1) insertable into the receptacle. The plug connector includes a housing (12) defining opposite first and second sides and a pair of grooves (123), and a releasing mechanism (11) including an outwardly tilting releasing tab (110) located at the first side, a lever (114) located at the second side, and a body portion (116) formed with a pair of inverted U-shaped resilient portions (115) received in the grooves. The releasing tab is movable rearwardly, by a rearward movement of the lever through a deformation of the resilient portions, to outwardly push the latching tab for permitting an extraction of the housing.
US08403693B2
A connector housing (10) is formed with a seal tower (18) projecting backward from the rear surface of the connector housing and adapted to accommodate seals (20). A peripheral wall (21) surrounds the seal tower (18) and projects back from the rear surface of the connector housing (10). A rearwardly open groove-shaped annular recess (22) is formed between the seal tower (18) and the peripheral wall (21) and has a bottom surface (23) that defines the rear surface of the connector housing. The bottom surface (23) of the recess (22) is continuous over the entire circumference, and the peripheral wall (21) is formed with water drains (24) that cause the inside of the recess and an outer peripheral side of the peripheral wall to communicate.
US08403685B2
An electrical signal connector which is interposed between an electronic device and an electrical signal cable, which is used for an electrical signal which is output from the electronic device or an electrical signal which is input into the electronic device, and which has an electrical signal cut-in terminal, an electrically conductive plate and at least one metal cable clamp. At the time of installation of the electrical signal connector, electric wire connectors in the electrical signal cable which communicate with the exterior are taken forwards along one surface of the conductive plate and extended together with conductive plate projecting terminals into accommodating electrical signal cut-in terminal ports of the electronic device, and, at the same time, the electrical signal cable and conductive plate are closely connected via the metal cable clamp, so fixing the electrical signal cable and conductive plate together, and ensuring that the cable connectors do not suffer damage. The electrical signal connector of the invention has a simple structure, and is easy to replace, and, at the same time, the cost of its manufacture is comparatively low.
US08403672B2
A training target is described for electronically controlled devices or weapons such as a Taser® gun. The target includes a front sheet having an electrically conductive sheet positioned at the back side thereof with the target being in the shape of a substantially life-size human being. The image of the human being is printed on the front face of the front sheet. The sheets may be reversed so that the image is printed on the electronically conductive sheet.
US08403671B2
A detachment-prevented removable double-crown prosthetic appliance includes an internal crown member, which has an outside surface to which two resilient retention clamping strips are mounted, each of the resilient retention clamping strips including a root section that is fixed to the outside surface of the internal crown member and a spring section extending from the root section, the spring sections of the resilient retention clamping strips being spaced by a gap that has a reduced neck portion forming a pass; and an external crown member, which is removably mounted to the internal crown member and has a lower inner portion forming a fitting chamber for removably fitting over the internal crown member, the fitting chamber having an inside surface that forms a retention block that is engageable with the resilient retention clamping strips so as to securely but removably couple the external crown member to the internal crown member.
US08403664B2
A dental obturation system, which is configured such that a power terminal unit is installed between a rotary unit and a cartridge unit such that a heating unit can heat a filling material and a needle member, mounted to the front end of a main body having a battery therein, can be rotated while applying the heated filling material to a root canal, so that an operator can easily and conveniently administer dental treatment without changing his/her posture or the orientation of the main body according to the location of a decayed tooth of a patient.
US08403656B2
A rotary displacement pump includes a stator (42) fixed in a housing (20), a rotor including a shaft portion (8), a radially protruding web (12), a scraper (110) having an engagement slot (112) engaging the protruding web (12). A guide (92) retains the scraper (110) in a circumferential direction and allows the scraper (110) to move reciprocatingly in a substantially axial direction. The stator (42) includes first and second members that abut each other in abutment areas having a circular arc configuration.
US08403649B2
A digital control system for monitoring and controlling a concrete pumping system. A microcontroller provides control signals and receives feedback from associated comparator switch subsystems. Feedback from the comparator switch subsystems is used by a microcontroller to determine whether short circuit or open circuit malfunctions are occurring on solenoids valves attached to the output of the comparator switch subsystems. Said control system exhibits an electronic control means to control the admittance or interruption of current through said solenoids. Individual solenoid status is sent to a graphical display where an operator views said display to diagnose failure modes. The microcontroller further monitors the establishment of temporal initial conditions and limits operational pump activity until said temporal conditions are met.
US08403648B2
A compressor control device includes a driving circuit, for controllably supplying a coil of an electric motor of a compressor. A temperature sensor is thermally coupled to the driving circuit and provides a temperature sensing signal correlated to a temperature in the driving circuit. A control stage, coupled to the driving circuit and to the temperature sensor, selectively prevents the driving circuit from supplying the coil, in response to a minimum temperature increment being detected by the temperature sensor within a pre-determined control time window.
US08403646B2
An oil pump system for a vehicle includes: a vane pump having a plurality of vanes which respectively project retractably from a plurality of vane accommodating grooves provided in a rotor so as to be brought into sliding contact with a cam surface, the vane pump being adapted to supply a hydraulic fluid to an automatic transmission; an electric power-driven oil pump for assisting the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic fluid during an idling stop of the automobile; and an ECU for controlling its operation. During an idling stop, the hydraulic fluid is fed to the automatic transmission by the operation of the electric power-driven oil pump to assist the hydraulic pressure, while the hydraulic fluid is fed with pressure also to the vane accommodating grooves to press the vanes against the cam surface.
US08403643B2
A vibration suppressor system includes an annular electric motor system which independently controls rotation of at least two masses about the axis of rotation to reduce in-plane vibration of the rotating system. A method of reducing vibrations in a rotary-wing aircraft includes independently controlling a relative angular position of a multiple of independently rotatable masses to reduce vibrations of a main rotor system.
US08403638B2
Provided is a wind power generator that reduces the amount of heat input into a nacelle from the outside of the nacelle due to the solar radiation, and that improves the heat dissipation performance from the inside of the nacelle to the outside air. In a wind power generator in which a driving mechanism and power generation mechanism that are connected with a rotor head, to which wind-turbine blades are attached, are accommodated and installed in a nacelle, an outer wall surface of the nacelle is provided with, on at least a part of the wall surface where no direct sunlight is radiated, a heat-dissipation-resistance reducing portion that uses a member having a higher thermal conductivity than that of a peripheral wall member.
US08403635B2
A diffuser apparatus includes a diffuser communicating radially outwardly with an exit of an impellor. The apparatus includes a housing with a plate that is rotatable about a rotational axis and forms a hub side wall. A side surface of the plate has a vane having one circumferential end fixed to the plate; the other end is movable in the direction of the axis. The housing includes an inclination path with one end opened to the hub side wall to bendably guide the vane so that the other end of the vane moves in the circumferential direction upon rotation of the plate and moves in the direction of the axis to a projected position to project into the diffuser. An actuator rotates the plate to drive the vane between the projected position and a retracted position where the other end is retracted into the hub side wall.
US08403630B2
A fluid flow machine has a main flow path, in which at least one row of blades (1) is arranged, and a shroud (2), which is embedded in a recess (3) of a component, with the component and the blades (1) being in relative rotational movement to each other. The assembly forming the shroud includes at least one internal chamber (7) which is suppliable with fluid from a source. The at least one internal chamber (7) is connected to the main flow path surrounding the blades (1) or to a cavity (9) surrounding the shroud (2) via at least one outlet (8) which is arranged on one side of the shroud (2). The shape of the outlet (8) and the shape of the outlet opening are such that a fluid barrier jet is generated at the outlet (8), which stops recirculation of fluid through the shroud cavity (9).
US08403616B2
The present invention provides for a movable debris apparatus for receiving and collecting debris, including a collector for receiving and collecting debris in the collector mounted in the front of the debris apparatus. A waste bin is provided for receiving and holding debris collected by the collector mounted in the rear of the debris apparatus. Two sets of gears are provided for pivotally connecting the collector to the debris apparatus. An operating handle has a U-shape with two legs having teeth thereon for engaging the two sets of gears by moving the handle up and down to turn the gears and pivot the collector between a first position for receiving and collecting the debris and a second position for transferring the debris in the collector to the waste bin.
US08403610B2
A fastener includes a sleeve and a rod received in the sleeve. The sleeve includes a top end including at least one outer flange extending radially outward therefrom and at least one inner flange extending radially inward therefrom and a lower end including at least one spring tab. At least one spring tab comprises an outer flange at its end that extends radially outward. the sleeve is inserted into the receiving holes of the top article and the bottom article until the outer flange of the top end rests on the top plate, the rod is then pressed to move to drive at least one spring tab to deflect outwardly until the outer flange of at least one spring tab is held in contact with the bottom plate.
US08403593B2
A rig mat is formed by rectangular panels fastened end to end by cooperating connectors. In one arrangement the first connector is C-shaped shaped to form a slot and the second T-shaped shaped with a flange of the T wider than the mouth inserted through the mouth. In a second arrangement two L shaped connectors are interengaged with an additional flat plate which defines a slot with an end of one of the L-shaped connectors. The panels are composite and formed from a honeycomb core panel with a foam material filling the tubular cells and a fibrous reinforcing cover sheets extending over the top and bottom of the panel. The cover sheets are filled with a set resin material which extends into the porous fibrous material of the walls of the core panel so as to form an integral structure of the resin extending between the walls and the sheets.
US08403572B2
An optical component of an optical module has a junction surface facing an optical connector and a pair of side surfaces apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to a connection direction of the optical connector. A support member has a pair of sidewalls facing the side surfaces of the optical component respectively and concave/convex portions provided in the sidewalls and concave or convex toward the side surfaces of the optical component. The side surfaces of the optical component are fixed to the sidewalls of the support member via an adhesive, and the adhesive is also applied on surfaces of the concave/convex portions of the sidewalls.
US08403571B2
Active optical cable assemblies, and systems, methods, and adapter modules and integrated circuits for facilitating communication between a host and a client device over a fiber optic cable are disclosed. In one embodiment, an active optical cable assembly includes a fiber optic cable having at least one optical fiber, a host active circuit, a client active circuit, a host connector, and a client connector. Upon a connection between the host active circuit and a host device, the client termination switch closes to couple the client termination impedance to the ground reference potential. Upon a connection between the client active circuit and a client device, the host termination switch closes to the couple the host termination impedance to the ground reference potential. In another embodiment, a method includes enabling a host termination impedance upon a connection of an active optical cable to a client device.
US08403560B2
A computed tomography system has a gantry with a rotor side that can be rotated around a system axis during operation, at which at least one x-ray tube is mounted. To cool the at least one x-ray tube a liquid cooling system is equipped with a fluid volume filled with cooling liquid, the fluid volume extends over distances of different sizes from the system axis. The fluid volume is located on the rotor of the gantry and thus is exposed to centrifugal force during operation. To increase pressure in the cooling system, a flexible compensation volume and a movable mass element that rotate with the gantry are provided. The mass element is arranged such that the centrifugal force acting on the mass element during operation causes pressure to be exerted on the cooling liquid.
US08403556B2
A blender lid safety protection device includes a latch cover mechanism installed outside a mixing cup, such that after a lid is covered vertically onto the mixing cup, the lid is latched and fixed to the latch cover mechanism. A link rod has a compression spring coupled to the bottom of the link rod for propping the bottom of the link rod to a certain distance from one of the control switches of a power circuit control switch. After the blender lid is pressed down, the top end of the link rod drives the compression spring at the bottom of the link rod to move downward to trigger a control switch. Only after the blender lid is covered onto the mixing cup, the control switch of one of the power circuit switches will be electrically conducted, to provide a safety protection.
US08403548B2
One or more embodiments of a backlight assembly include a light guide plate (LGP), a light source module and an optical sheet. The LGP includes a side surface and an upper surface. The light source module includes a power-transmitting member and a plurality of point light sources disposed on the power-transmitting member. A side portion of the power-transmitting member is disposed on a peripheral portion of the upper surface adjacent to the side surface and a light-exiting surface of the point light sources facing the side surface to be adjacent to the side surface. The optical sheet is disposed on the upper surface. A portion of the optical sheet is disposed between a corner portion of the upper surface and the power-transmitting member adjacent to the light-exiting surface. The amount of the light absorbed by a reflective member may be decreased to improve the efficiency of the light.
US08403547B2
A light module (5, 6) for lighting equipment (1) of a motor vehicle comprises a plurality of semiconductor light sources (8, 9) for emitting light, a plurality of reflection areas (10, 11) for reflecting the light and assigned to separate reflector-element sections (10, 11), and a plate-shaped separation element (7) onto which the reflector-element sections (10, 11) are movably fixed separate from one another, arranged between the reflection areas (10, 11), and onto which the light sources (8, 9) are mounted such that an emitting direction of the light sources (8, 9) is substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the light module (5, 6). The reflector-element sections (10, 11) are adjusted by moving the reflector-element sections (10, 11) in relation to the light sources (8, 9).
US08403546B2
An illuminating device includes a light source body and a lens array. The light source body includes a plurality of light sources. The lens array includes an opposed surface, a reverse surface, a plurality of lenses, a recess, and a projection. The plurality of lenses corresponds respectively to the plurality of light sources. The plurality of lenses includes a first lens and a second lens, which is located adjacent to the first lens. The recess is formed at an end portion of the first lens adjacent to the second lens. The projection is formed at an end portion of the second lens adjacent to the first lens. The projection is coupled with the recess, so that at least a part of a boundary line between the first lens and the second lens is formed in a concave-convex shape as a result of a combination of the recess and the projection.
US08403542B2
An LED lamp includes a rectifier; an inverted cup shaped heat sink comprising spaced heat radiating members projecting upward, and spaced hollow cylindrical heat radiating elements arranged around the heat radiating members; a mounting plate fastened between the rectifier and the heat radiating members; L-shaped heat conduction members each having a longitudinal part inserted through the heat radiating element and a lateral part engaged with bottom of the heat sink; and a circuit board secured to the bottom of the heat sink to fasten the lateral parts of the heat conduction members, the circuit board comprising LEDs each electrically connected to the rectifier and being in contact with the lateral parts of the heat conduction members. The heat sink further includes first, second, and third heat radiating plates arranged around the heat radiating element.
US08403537B2
A lighting apparatus has a reflector of a specially designed shape and a plurality of light sources such as LEDs disposed inside the reflector whereby a portion of light emitted by the light sources is received by the reflector surface and directed so as to provide a uniform and wide illumination pattern over the illuminated surface in indoors or outdoors applications such as roadway illumination.
US08403533B1
A luminaire includes a stationary heat sink and an LED module adjustably coupled to the stationary heat sink. The LED module is inserted into a cavity formed within the stationary heat sink and includes a slot therein. The slot includes a first and second end. According to some exemplary embodiments, a fastening device is inserted through the slot and fixedly coupled to an interior sidewall of the stationary heat sink. The LED module is directionally adjustable by sliding the slot between the ends with respect to the fixedly coupled fastening device. The LED module includes a second heat sink which is rotatable with respect to the stationary heat sink and maintains continuous contact with the stationary heat sink along the LED module's full rotational range. According to some exemplary embodiments, the first end is positioned lower than the second end. According to some exemplary embodiments, the slot is arcuately-shaped.
US08403528B2
An LED area light fixture for street, roadway or large area illumination including upper and lower, elongated, substantially semi-cylindrical, metallic shells spaced from and attached to each other wherein the upper shell is configured from a plurality of elongated, rectangular, angled strips with a plurality of elongated, rectangular PCB strips attached thereto and a plurality of linearly spaced high intensity LEDs embedded in each of the PCB strips and wherein the lower shell has a plurality of openings therein. A plurality of light diffusing lenses and light focusing cones are positioned in alignment with and between the LEDs and openings in the lower shell for providing uniform illumination below the LED light fixture. A heat conductive means is made integral with the PCB strips and the metallic upper shell in order to dissipate the heat generated by the high intensity LEDs during operation of the LED area light fixture.
US08403527B2
The invention relates to a light emitting diode (LED) light source comprising an LED die, or a closely packed die array or matrix of die arrays, substantially and efficiently coupled to non-imaging collection optics. The non-imaging collection optics operate to provide a homogenized LED output having a near field whose intensity is highly uniform and a reduced far field extent substantially preserving the étendue (area, solid angle, index squared product) of the LED output. The near field, in turn, is imaged by a downstream relay lens to an illumination plane a specific distance away.
US08403526B2
An electronic lighting instrument features separate optical assemblies for flood lighting and spot lighting. The optical assemblies include primary, secondary, and tertiary optical elements. The housing of the instrument features a trilobal cross section and includes dust-and-moisture-sealed push buttons and lenses as part of the housing construction. Self-aligning assemblies to ensure correct electrical and mechanical assembly are provided. The housing also self-aligns with a mating docking station for recharging the instrument batteries in situ. The lighting instrument may be controlled by a microprocessor circuit to provide floodlight and spotlight beams and several operational states thereof depending on the need for illumination or signaling.
US08403520B2
A fire nozzle quick-assembly light is provided, which comprises a frame, a luminous device and an electricity generation device. The luminous device and the electricity generation device are sited to the frame. The luminous device is for illuminating in the fire scene, and the electricity generation device is for providing electricity to the luminous device. The fire nozzle quick-assembly light could depend on fireman's needed to be assembled or removed from the fire equipment quickly and provide high illumination to help extinguish fire, evacuate and lower the possibility that fireman suffers injury in dark environment. When the fire accident happens in the place with sufficient light, fireman does not need the additional illumination at this time. The fire nozzle quick-assembly light could be removed from the fire equipment easily to lower the weight.
US08403519B2
A low voltage cable for providing low voltage power to an electrically-powered assembly, such as a luminaire fixture, and for attaching the luminaire fixture to the cable and to structure using a cable gripping device in such a way that the assembly can be adjusted. is disclosed. The cable comprises a conductive strand composed of a first metallic material, and a plurality of strength strands wound around the conductive strand, where the plurality of strength strands is of a second metallic material. The first metallic material is substantially more conductive than the second metallic material, and the second metallic material has substantially greater tensile strength than the first metallic material. This allows the cable to conduct a low voltage feed across the conductive strand, and allows the strength strands cable to mostly support the tension load particularly of a hanging luminaire fixture as well as resisting lateral compressive forces from a cable gripping device.
US08403515B2
In an adjustable light, a mounting base is formed with a pair of arcuate slots for receiving hooks protruding from a light module. For attachment of the light module to the base, the hooks enter open ends of the respective slots, and the light module is rotated to engage the hooks with the slots. A sheet of spring metal with two series of protrusions is sandwiched between a rear part of the base and a front part in which the slots are formed. The protrusions are exposed through the slots, and a space is provided behind the protrusions, allowing them to move resiliently when engaged by the hooks as the light module is rotated so that the light module can be retained in any selected one of a plurality of angular positions.
US08403514B2
An exemplary lighting cup includes a cup body, a lighting module, and a power module. The cup body is for containing drink therein. The lighting module is mounted on the cup body and includes lighting elements. The power module supports the cup body and electrically connects with the lighting module to drive the lighting elements to emit light.
US08403507B2
The invention relates to a rear-view mirror for improving a driver's vision in a car or motor vehicle. As with standard rear-view mirrors, the inventive dual rear-view mirror, which is positioned inside the vehicle, displays an image of the area to the rear of the vehicle in terms of real distance. According to the invention, the rear-view mirror is articulated with the left mirror which displays the real distance of the external right-hand side area, thereby ensuring safety. It is important to note that the technical-industrial process used to develop the aforementioned dual mirror retains the same technical production principles used in the automotive field since the invention makes use of PVC injection and molding processes and the huge variety of features offered by plastic materials in this sector for use in structures and joints which are pressure mounted for the above purpose.
US08403502B2
A front-projection display system having a screen with improved brightness and/or resolution of an image displayed on outer portions thereof. The screen has a display surface that is generally a convex shape having a curvature of the display surface in the vertical direction of an image projected thereon that is less than a curvature of the display surface in the horizontal direction.
US08403501B2
The present disclosure relates to motion responsive devices and systems that may be configured for projection.
US08403499B2
A light source lamp cooling apparatus according to the present invention includes: diaphragm air compressor (31); an ejector which ejects cooling air directly onto a portion to be cooled of a light source lamp in lamp unit (10); pressure detector (43) which detects pressure of the cooling air by means of pressure sensor (42) inserted in piping; air piping which connects air compressor (31) and the ejector; and a lamp controller which controls turning off of the light source lamp according to the air pressure detected by pressure detector (43). Air compressor (31) is driven at a high control frequency and a hollow, flexible silicon tube is used as air piping to reduce pulsation of air.
US08403498B2
A housing (17) that accommodates a light source (1), a display device (3), etc. has an intake aperture (18) and an exhaust aperture (24). A blowing unit (16, 23) sucks air in through the intake aperture and expels air out through the exhaust aperture. A filter unit (19) is disposed so that a filter (20) faces the intake aperture in a predetermined area between a rolling shaft (31a) and a take-up shaft (31b). A part of the filter facing the intake aperture is renewed by taking-up the filter from the rolling shaft onto the take-up shaft. A control unit (36) performs control so as to renew the filter for a range that is smaller than an opening area of the intake aperture, when a predetermined renewal condition is determined to be satisfied, based on the output of a detection unit (38, 39a, 39b) that detects a specific factor value relating to contamination of the filter, such as a cumulative display time, a temperature, an air pressure, etc. This reduces a noise occurring during the driving of a fan or a change in the rotational speed of the fan, which are associated with automatic filter renewal.
US08403493B2
A light source controller is configured to control timings of driving the first and second light sources and the light-source light generator, so that the light-source light of two or more colors generated by the light-source light generator and the light-source light emitted from the second light source are cyclically generated, by setting a light-emitting period of at least one light-source light color having a higher luminous efficiency out of the two or more colors generated by the light-source light generator, shorter than those of the other light-source light colors, and setting a drive power of the first light source during generation of the light-source light color whose light-emitting period is set short, greater than a drive power of the first light source during generation of the other light-source light colors.
US08403486B2
A telescopically extendible camera crane arm includes a second section telescopically movable within a first section. A first actuator extends the second section and a second actuator retracts the second section. A control valve has first and second ports connected to provide pressurized fluid to the first and second actuators. An inlet port of the control valve is connected to a pressurized fluid source, such as a pump or accumulator of a hydraulic system. The control valve has extend, off, and retract positions. The control valve provides a threshold amount of fluid pressure to the first and second actuators when in the off position, and provides a greater than the threshold amount of fluid pressure to the first and second actuators, when in the extend or retract positions. A stop valve may be connected to an outlet port of the control valve, with the stop valve having an open position wherein fluid can flow freely out of the outlet port, and a closed position wherein the stop valve stops fluid flow out of the outlet port. The threshold amount of fluid pressure maintains the cables and/or other linkages of the arm under tension or compression. This places the stationery arm in a balanced equilibrium which provides for very sensitive and rapid control of arm movements.
US08403477B2
The present disclosure generally relates to eyewear, and more particularly, to a nosepiece for an eyeglass frame configured to avoid entanglement or interference with external objects while raising or lowering the eyewear to or from a viewing position.
US08403466B1
The present invention provides a semi-automated and automated system for refilling wide format printer ink cartridges. The system includes a computer with memory provided to store information relating to a plurality of ink cartridges, and a user interface in signal communication with the computer and a database comprising respective fill information for a plurality of ink cartridge model numbers. The system comprises a series of ink reservoirs, a fill pump in fluid communication with the ink reservoir and an extraction pump. The system utilizes workstation needles comprising a blunt tip and an ink discharge aperture located along a sidewall proximate a transition between the sidewall and the blunt tip. A control valve can be provided between the fill pump, the extraction pump, and the workstation needle. A second, vent needle can be inserted into a vent port for a dual port cartridge form factor.
US08403465B2
A fluid droplet ejection apparatus includes a substrate having a fluid inlet passage, a plurality of nozzles, and a plurality of flow paths each fluidically connecting the fluid inlet passage to an associated nozzle of the plurality of nozzles. Each flow path includes a pumping chamber connected to the associated nozzle and an ascender fluidically connected between the fluid inlet passage and the pumping chamber. The ascender is located proximate to an outside edge of the fluid inlet passage.
US08403464B2
A liquid ejecting head includes a first flow channel member that configures part of the wall surface of a liquid flow channel, a second flow channel member that configures a different part of the wall surface of the liquid flow channel than the part configured by the first flow channel member, and an integral molded member, formed around the liquid flow channel, that joins the first flow channel member with the second flow channel member through integral molding. An elastic member that is sandwiched between the first flow channel member and the second flow channel member and is more elastically deformable than the first flow channel member and the second flow channel member, is provided around the liquid flow channel, and the integral molded member is formed on the outside of the elastic member sandwiched between the first flow channel member and the second flow channel member.
US08403462B2
A flow path regulating member for regulating an ink flow path leading into the channels is formed on the rear side of the head chip by exposure and development through lamination of the photo masks having an opening of a predetermined pattern, after a photosensitive resin film has been bonded on the rear side of the head chip by heat and pressure without using an adhesive; this head chip being characterized in that the channels, and drive walls made up of piezoelectric elements are arranged alternately, the apertures of the channels are arranged on the front side and rear side, respectively, and drive electrodes are formed in channels.
US08403450B2
A liquid ejection head including: a flow channel unit including a nozzle plate, and a flow-channel-containing substrate (FCC), the nozzle plate and the FCC being laminated, a head case formed with a common liquid flow channel configured to supply the liquid to the reservoir and joined to the FCC on the side opposite from the nozzle plate; a heater configured to heat the nozzle plate; a head cover heated by the heater and formed with a bottom surface portion opposing the nozzle plate on the side opposite from the head case, wherein a distal end of the head cover comes into abutment with a portion between an area of the nozzle plate corresponding to the reservoir and an area formed with the nozzle row, and a void is formed between the area of the nozzle plate corresponding to the reservoir and the head cover.
US08403449B2
A table made of a planar member has a suction groove for sucking and holding a recording medium on a surface thereof. A part of the sucking groove is perforated to form a suction hole. The suction hole is connected to a vacuum pump. The table includes three position determining pins that are in contact with two mutually orthogonal sides of a recording medium. The position determining pins are configured to ascend and descend by driving of an air cylinder between a descending position in which an upper end of the position determining pins is lower than a surface of the table and a position determining position in which the upper end of the position determining pins is higher than the surface of the recording medium mounted on the table. It is therefore made possible to provide an image recording apparatus capable of executing highly accurate image recording by preventing deformation of the recording medium.
US08403448B2
A medium transport device includes a sensor unit, a timing data collection unit, and a sampling resolution changing unit. The sensor unit is provided in a transport path of a print recording medium to detect a transport timing of the print recording medium. A timing data collection unit receives an output from the sensor unit and samples the output at a sampling interval as timing data. A sampling resolution changing unit changes the sampling interval.
US08403441B2
A driving pulse for air bubble removal flushing which is a first maintenance pulse is a driving pulse which removes air bubbles in an ink flow path of a recording head, a driving pulse for thickened ink discharge flushing which is a second maintenance pulse is a driving pulse which removes thickened ink, thereby stabilizing a meniscus, and in a maintenance process which restores ejection capability of the recording head, after an air bubble removal flushing process is executed by using the driving pulse for air bubble removal flushing, a thickened ink discharge flushing process is executed by using the driving pulse for thickened ink discharge flushing.
US08403429B2
A balanced brake control system is provided for use in aircraft. An embodiment of the invention is presented for an aircraft having struts with both inboard and outboard braked wheels on the struts. In the detailed embodiment, an equalizer circuit is interposed between right and left brake pedals on an input side thereof and right and left inboard and outboard brakes on an output side thereof. This equalizer circuit ensures a first equal application of brake pressure to the right inboard and outboard brakes and a second equal application of brake pressure to the left inboard and outboard brakes, dependent upon pilot control of brake pedals. The first and second equal applications of brake pressure may differ to accommodate differential braking.
US08403427B2
The invention relates to a vehicle air supply system adaptable to occasionally supply large volumes of air at relatively low pressure for purposes such as tire inflation. The system has a compressor, an air dryer, a reservoir adapted to receive air from the compressor via the air dryer, and a controller operable to cause a standard regeneration of the air dryer when a predetermined system condition is met. The controller is also operable to cause an intermediate regeneration of the air dryer in advance of the predetermined system condition being met. The controller is further operable to inhibit the intermediate regeneration. The controller is operable so as to prevent saturation of an air dryer desiccant in circumstances where the compressor is on load for an extended period of time and likely to be pumping a large volume.
US08403421B2
A sling chair includes a back frame member having side rails held in substantially parallel relation by a pair of cross bar members. In one embodiment, the cross bar members are generally curved so as to extend away from the back faces of the side rails, forming a concave back structure which can receive a sling member and, eventually, a seated occupant. The cross bar members have a notch allowing for insertion of a flexible rod and sling loop and sling member after assembly of the cross bar members and side rails. Insertion of the flexible rod and sling loop does not require tools. The cross members are adapted to retain the sling member in secure fashion through upper and lower backrest assemblies, resulting in better support and more efficient assembly. This also facilitates separate provisioning of decorative features to improve the chair's aesthetic qualities.
US08403414B2
A power seat drive device (100) comprises a sense electrode (10) provided in the back portion (102) of a power seat (101), and a controller (20) operative to control movement of the power seat (101) based on a sense signal from the sense electrode (10). The controller (20) decelerates the speed of movement and provides a warning sound when the proximity distance between the sense electrode (10) and a human body (108) becomes short so as to exceed a decision voltage (Vth1). In addition, the controller stops the movement of the power seat (101) when the proximity distance becomes much shorter so as to exceed a decision voltage (Vth2).
US08403404B2
A vehicle body front structure is disclosed in which a cooling system component is provided to an upper beam and a lower beam of a front bulkhead. A vehicle body front structure comprises a left top support mechanism provided to the upper beam and a left bottom support mechanism provided to the upper beam. The left top support mechanism supports a left top part of the cooling system component, and supports the left top part of the cooling system component so as to allow the left top part to move toward the rear of the vehicle body. The left bottom support mechanism supports a left bottom part of the cooling system component, and supports the left bottom part of the cooling system component so as to allow the left bottom part to move toward the rear of the vehicle body.
US08403399B2
The present invention is a thermoplastic composite liftgate system with reinforcements in key areas to allow the system to meet performance requirements, while lowering the tooling investment, lowering the system mass, and improving the styling flexibility. The present invention includes an inner panel and at least one bracket or reinforcement member connected to the inner panel such that when a force is applied to the bracket, the force is distributed to the inner panel.
US08403391B2
An attachment bracket for mounting a fender of a vehicle to a side structural member includes a top portion that connects to the fender. A first vertical leg connects to the side structural member. The first vertical leg extends downwardly from an edge of the top portion. A second vertical leg connects to the side structural member. The second vertical leg extends downwardly from an opposite edge of the top portion. The first vertical leg includes a bend separating the first vertical leg into an upper portion and a lower portion. The first vertical leg has a central opening at the bend that is spaced vertically from the top portion and a bottom end of the first vertical leg.
US08403388B1
A hybrid nozzle that includes the use of both vacuum and mechanical gripping of components in a hybrid arrangement. It can easily be scaled down to the smallest foreseeable size of common components. The hybrid nozzle is made from commonly available material using a precision micro-machining process. There are no linkages or moving pistons to complicate the assembly and introduce tolerance buildup and wear concerns. The objective of this invention is to increase both throughput and yield in pick and place assembly operations at automated factories.
US08403386B2
A collection device for pet waste material and method for use of the same. In one embodiment, a pair of opposing shells extend from a base at which there is pivotally attachment of the opposing shells. The pair of opposing shells are pivotally movable between a closed shell state with the respective shell ends proximate each other and an open shell state wherein the shell ends are spaced from each other. A bag when folded upon itself may have its pouch inserted into the collection device and held therein between the pair of opposing shells. A pair of pockets are respectively coupled to each of the outer surfaces of the shells and configured to accept fingers for grasping and manipulating the collection device between the closed shell state and the open shell state.
US08403383B2
An apparatus and a method retain a print unit in a dock with a retainer that is at least partially below a top of a fluid supply of the print unit.
US08403379B2
A door lock apparatus, at both sides of a region interposing a second link lever therebetween, includes a sector lever shaft and an inside lever shaft that extend in parallel with a swinging shaft of the second link lever. The door lock apparatus also includes an inside handle lever swingably arranged about the inside lever shaft, and when an inside door handle arranged inside a vehicle is open-operated while the second link lever is disposed in a cancel position, moves the second link lever upwards by swinging about the center of the inside lever shaft, and when the inside door handle is open-operated while the second link lever is disposed in a non-cancel position, swings the sector lever in a locked position to an unlocked position about the center of the sector lever shaft, by swinging about the center of the inside lever shaft.
US08403375B2
A face panel for a computer housing includes a face panel body and a cover plate assembly. The face panel body includes a surrounding wall and a mounting hole. The surrounding wall has first and second engaging grooves. The cover plate assembly includes a cover plate, a locking member, and an unlocking member. The cover plate has a first engaging hook for engaging the first engaging groove, and a guide groove. The locking member is assembled to the guide groove, and has a second engaging hook, a post, and a restoring resilient plate to apply a pressure to the cover plate so as to enable the second engaging hook to engage the second engaging groove. The unlocking member has an operating portion, and a contact portion movable with the operating portion so as to push the post for disengaging the second engaging hook from the second engaging groove.
US08403373B2
Method and device for de-icing of trains is provided in which a glycol heated treatment medium is sprayed against the underside of units in the train such as locomotive and carriages in order to remove ice which has been built up in the base frames of the units.
US08403371B1
First and second ridge portions at the foremost end of a flexible pipe are pressed into first and second enlarged-diameter ridge portions, respectively, each having an external diameter larger than the internal diameter of a rotary nipple and smaller than the front-end root diameter of a taper external thread of the rotary nipple. The back surface of the second enlarged-diameter ridge portion is brought into contact with a front-end surface of the rotary nipple. A rubber seal ring is fitted into each of a first and second root portion of the flexible pipe, respectively, and an aligning ring is fitted into each of a third root portion of the flexible pipe located on the front-end side thereof from the first root portion and a fourth root portion of the flexible pipe located on the back side thereof from the second root portion, respectively.
US08403369B2
A connector for connecting a tank truck to an underground oil depot has a body, a handle, a transmission device and two locking arms. The body has a mounting tube and a connection tube respectively connected with an oil drain valve and an oil pipe. The handle is pivotally mounted on the body. The transmission device is pivotally connected to the handle and has a linking lever and two transmitting levers. The linking lever is pivotally connected to the handle, and the transmitting levers are pivotally and slidably connected to the linking lever. The locking arms are pivotally mounted on the mounting tube of the body, selectively extend into the mounting tube and are respectively connected securely to the transmitting levers. Each locking arm has a pushing protrusion mounted on the locking arm and is adapted to push against a joint on the oil drain valve.
US08403368B2
The invention concerns a security document comprising a translucent carrier substrate, in particular of paper and/or plastic material, and at least one security element which is applied to the carrier substrate or embedded in the carrier substrate and which presents at least one image when viewed in the transillumination mode from at least a first side of the security document and simulates a presence of at least a first watermark in the carrier substrate, wherein the security element has at least region-wise at least one layer which simulates the first watermark, wherein the at least one layer of the security element, that simulates the first watermark, imparts thereto unexpected optical effects in relation to security elements with conventional watermarks.
US08403363B2
The present invention relates to a roll bar for a cab-less construction machine, in particular a vibration roller, which is implemented so it is adjustable in height between an operating position and a transport position. The roll bar includes a pivotable tube bow, which comprises two vertical pivot tubes; two stand tubes, which are fixedly connected to the frame of the construction machine; two connection elements, via which the pivot tubes are connected to the stand tubes, the connection elements each comprising a stop surface, against which the pivot tube can be moved to, in particular pressed, in the operating position; a lock for clamping the pivot tube against the connection element in the operating position; a welding surface, to which the stand tube is materially bonded; and a pivot joint having a pivot axis, around which the pivot tubes are pivotable. The connection elements each comprise two sheet-metal parts, which are symmetrical to one another, the stop surfaces and the welding surfaces being implemented as edge profiles of the sheet-metal parts, and the welding surfaces being oriented essentially horizontally.
US08403358B2
An internal airbag device may include an inflator, an airbag housing mounted in a roof in a region between a front seat and a rear seat, and an airbag received in the airbag housing to deploy downwards by gas supplied from the inflator, wherein the airbag includes a horizontal airbag section supported by the roof during the gas may be supplied therein in a deployment thereof, and a vertical airbag section fluid-connected to the horizontal airbag section and extending downwards from an end of the horizontal airbag section opposite the rear seat in a deployment thereof.
US08403355B2
A golf bag cart foldable device includes a bottom cart stand having a link segment. The bottom cart stand is provided with a channel, for sliding by a slider. The bottom cart stand joins a front wheel. An upper cart stand is in pinned connection with the link segment. A rear wheel frame is in pinned connection with the link segment and to a rear wheel. A linkage is connected between the slider and the upper cart stand. A strut bar is connected between the slider and the rear wheel frame. An interlocking mechanism includes a pull handle and a clamping rod having two ends lodged in the long trough. A connection member has two ends connected to the two ends of the clamping rod. A spring is joined to the clamping rod and the upper cart stand.
US08403353B2
The present invention relates to the field of boat trailers, and in particular, to boat trailers with rotatable support structures. The boat trailer includes a front end configured for hitching to a towing vehicle, a rear end, a wheel assembly disposed between the front and rear ends for rolling engagement with the ground and a support frame assembly carried on the wheel assembly. The support frame assembly has a lower base frame portion and an upper carousel frame portion superimposed on, and pivotally connected to, the base frame portion. The carousel frame portion is configured to support a boat thereon. Also provided is a support frame lifting assembly connected to the support frame assembly and the wheel assembly. The support frame lifting assembly is operable to raise at least a portion of the support frame assembly above the wheel assembly so as to permit rotation of the carousel frame portion relative to the base frame portion. Advantageously, this boat trailer may be used to reorient a boat carried on the support frame assembly for bow-first launching into water.
US08403352B2
The stand-up unit (10) comprises a support (21), a stand-up frame (13), which is articulated on the support (21) and has a seat carrier (23) carrying a seat (17), and a backrest carrier (25) carrying a backrest (19). Furthermore, a first lever parallelogram (27) is provided in order to maintain the backrest (19) upright in any position. The backrest (19) can be displaced by the first lever parallelogram (27) by means of a rod (30), in order to ensure that no undesirable relative movement occurs between the backrest (19) and the back of the user when getting up or sitting down. A second lever parallelogram (29) controls the movement of the seat (17) when getting up and sitting down to ensure that no relative movement develops between the seat (17) and buttocks of the user. The stand-up unit may be provided with a base to serve as a chair, particularly a therapy chair. The stand-up unit, however, may also serve as a stand-up wheelchair, when connected to an undercarriage. Spring joint elements (59, 61) support the standing up.
US08403350B2
A bicycle that including front and rear wheels and a frameset supported by the wheels. The frameset including a main frame with a seat tube having a width, a fork that couples the main frame to the front wheel, and a seatstay assembly. The seatstay assembly including first and second seatstays positioned on opposing sides of the rear wheel and on opposing sides of the seat tube. A front end of the first seatstay is spaced from a front end of the second seatstay by a distance greater that the width of the seat tube. The frameset also including a suspension mount that is detachably secured to the front end of the first seatstay and a suspension member that is pivotally coupled to the suspension mount.
US08403348B1
A vehicle running board includes a treadle body having a bottom formed with an open slot. A guide plate is received in the open slot and positioned under positioning stop plates inside the open slot. Two sets of fixing members are respectively assembled at the lower side of the treadle body, and each fixing member is composed of a first clamping plate with two bolts, a second clamping plate bored with two insert holes, and two nuts, with the first and the second clamping plates clamping the guide plate. At least two connecting bases are respectively provided for assembling the treadle body at one side of a vehicle body, and each connecting base and each fixing member correspond with each other in setting position. Two protective covers are respectively mounted at two ends of the treadle body, and an anti-skid pad is stuck to the topside of the treadle body.
US08403338B2
A device for clamping a stem has a body forming a piston chamber and having an axially outwardly open hole adapted to receive the stem and a plurality of collet jaws in the hole shiftable axially by a piston between an outer releasing position with its axial outer ends radially spread and an inner holding position with the ends more closely radially juxtaposed. The stem is engageable axially in the hole between the jaws and lockable in the body in the inner holding position. A main spring urges the piston and jaws axially inward into the inner position. A cover element has an outer head and is axially shiftable relative to the piston between an extended position with the head engaged radially between the outer ends of the jaws and a retracted position with the head spaced axially inward from the outer ends of the jaws.
US08403334B2
A piston ring assembly includes a ring or rail defining a seal surface configured to seal against a piston bore surface of an engine. The seal surface defines a radially outer periphery. The oil control rail assembly further includes two positioning rings. A first one of the positioning rings is disposed axially above the oil control rail and a second one of the positioning rings is disposed axially below the oil control rail. Each of the positioning rings defines an outermost periphery of the positioning ring that is disposed radially inward with respect to the seal surface of the oil control rail. The outermost peripheries of the positioning rings thus generally do not contact a bore surface that is contacted by the seal surface of the oil control rail.
US08403333B2
A low friction seal for sealing between a shaft and a bore and includes an inner case adapted to be mounted on the shaft. An outer case is adapted to be mounted within the bore. A seal element is mounted to the inner case and includes a base portion attached to the inner case. A membrane extends from the base portion and an axially extending leg extends from the membrane. A seal lip extends from the axially extending leg and sealingly engages a radially extending portion of the outer case. As the shaft rotates, the centrifugal forces tend to cause the membrane to flex and the torque loads applied by the dynamic seal are reduced to the point that the seal lip can lift off and apply zero torque load.
US08403332B2
The seal member includes a tetrafluoroethylene-propylene copolymer (FEPM) and carbon nanofibers. The seal member has a number of cycles to fracture of 10 or more when subjected to a tension fatigue test at a temperature of 150° C., a maximum tensile stress of 2 N/mm, and a frequency of 1 Hz. The seal member exhibits excellent heat resistance and abrasion resistance.
US08403328B2
Game board having a wavy relief structure formed of a series of rises and dips extending at regular distances from one another in at least two different directions and whereby one or several game pieces are further formed as sliding pieces with one block or with several blocks which are connected to one another and whereby the lower contact surface of every block has a sloping shape which is predominantly complementary to the shape of the dips of the game board.
US08403326B1
A game table comprises a playing surface, two ramps, and two target boards arranged along a longitudinal axis of the game table. The two ramps are disposed between the two target boards, and the playing surface is disposed between the two ramps. The playing surface is substantially flat, and each of the two ramps rises upward away from the playing surface. Each of the two target boards, in turn, defines a respective set of openings therein. Two sidewalls are disposed on opposing sides of the playing surface and rise up therefrom.
US08403324B2
A sheet skew feeding correcting apparatus includes a shutter member which abuts against a leading end of the sheet conveyed by the conveying apparatus, the shutter member is movable between a first attitude where the shutter member abuts against the leading end of the sheet and a second attitude where the shutter member permits the sheet to pass therethrough, and a loop abutting portion against which a loop portion of the sheet formed while the sheet is conveyed by the first sheet conveying apparatus, wherein the loop portion of the sheet whose leading end is abut against the shutter member moves the shutter member from the first attitude to the second attitude by a force pressing the loop abutting portion.
US08403322B2
A sheet feed device includes: a sheet accommodation unit; a separation roller that applies conveyance force to sheets; and a separation resistance body including a friction portion facing the separation roller for separating the sheets one at a time. The sheet accommodation unit includes a guide portion provided at an upstream of the separation roller in a sheet feed direction for guiding the sheet. The separation resistance body includes an extension portion, which is pressed toward the separation roller while being supported to be contacted/separated to/from the separation roller, and which is extended upstream in the sheet feed direction from an upstream end portion of the separation resistance body. The guide portion and the extension portion are arranged in a line in a width direction. An upstream end portion of the extension portion is retreated with regard to a guide surface of the guide portion when feeding the sheets.
US08403318B2
A mechanism for detecting an amount of remaining sheets, includes: a sheet feeding tray to be accommodated in an apparatus main body such that the sheet feeding tray can be inserted into and withdrawn from the apparatus main body, in which sheets can be loaded in an inside of the sheet feeding tray; a tilting plate that is tiltably provided in the sheet feeding tray so as to tilt in accordance with an amount of remaining sheets in the sheet feeding tray; a rotating member that rotates between a starting end position and a final end position of rotation of the rotating member in association with the tilting of the tilting plate; and a locking mechanism that locks the rotation of the rotating member.
US08403317B2
A sheet conveyance device comprises first and second sheet parallel conveyance paths each having first and second conveyance roller units each to receive and convey a sheet and first and second skew correctors each to correct skew of a sheet therein. A third conveyance path is disposed downstream of the first sheet conveyance path and the second sheet conveyance path, in which those sheet conveyance paths flow into each other. The sheet conveyance device alternately conveys the sheet to first sheet conveyance path and the second sheet conveyance path. One of the first pair of sheet conveyance rollers is one of the second pair of sheet conveyance rollers as a common roller.
US08403313B2
A work bench having elevated support members. The work bench may comprise a generally rectangular frame defined by two elongated members and two side members; a support base for supporting the generally rectangular frame in a generally horizontal plane; a plurality of cross members disposed in between the two side members, each of the plurality of cross members being generally parallel to the two side members and being coupled to the two elongated members; and a plurality of raised blocks located on top of each of the two side members and each of the plurality of cross members, wherein the plurality of raised blocks located on each of the two side members are distributed substantially evenly along each of the two side members, and the plurality of raised blocks located on each of the plurality of cross members are distributed substantially evenly along each of the plurality of cross members.
US08403310B2
An apparatus is disclosed for holding a flat object. The apparatus includes a post, a supporting mechanism movably connected to the post, a clamping mechanism pivotally connected to the post, and a linking element for linking the supporting mechanism and the clamping mechanism together. Thus, the flat object is clamped by the clamping mechanism clamps when the flat object is supported on the supporting mechanism.
US08403305B2
The present invention provides an ozonated water generator which can generate highly soluble and highly concentrated ozonated water in an efficient and simple manner. In an ozonated water generator comprising a supply tube for transmitting a treated liquid, a gas/liquid mixing device provided in the path of the supply tube, and an ozone supply structure for supplying ozone to the gas/liquid mixing device. The gas/liquid mixing device is provided with a magnet for creating magnetic force in the interior. Creating magnetic force in both the treated liquid and the ozone makes it possible to generate highly soluble and highly concentrated ozonated water in an efficient and simple manner.
US08403301B2
A fastener includes a frame; a rotary shaft mounted to the frame and having a passage running through a center thereof; two ratchet wheels, a first lock member; a handle pivoted to the rotary shaft; a second lock member movably mounted to the handle and having an operation portion for a user's hand to operate to force the second lock member to disengage from the ratchet wheels; a rewinding member mounted to the handle and having a reel, a spring coil, and a shell; and a strap having two ends, one of which is mounted to the rewinding member and the other passes through the passage, and are wound around the rewinding member. Accordingly, the fastener allows the user to conveniently rewind the strap to enhance the user's operational hand feel.
US08403299B2
A device for lifting an article comprises a housing having a leading edge region in fluid communication with an inner chamber. The leading edge region is arranged to engage a region between an article and a support surface beneath the article. An elongate tubular member, closed at one end, and at the other end, in fluid communication with the leading edge region and the inner chamber. The housing is arranged to provide a retracted position in which the elongate tubular member is held relative to the leading edge region and responsive to an operative pressure within the inner chamber so as to unfurl beyond the leading edge region where the elongate tubular member migrates along the access region toward a deployed position in which the tubular member extends a distance such that opposed ends of the tubular member may be used in lifting the article from the support surface.
US08403298B2
A gate valve has support members that are attached to a main body structure of the gate valve adjacent to the valve gate opening. These support members are affixed on both sides of the valve gate opening radially around a gate sleeve.
US08403297B2
A switch for kitchen and bath appliances comprises a sliding shaft and a fixed base with a sliding through hole for the sliding shaft. The switch has a retaining hook for holding the sliding shaft. On the surface of the sliding shaft, there are a first and a second stop positions fitting with the hook part of the retaining hook. The first and second stop positions are at different height on the surface of the sliding shaft, with the first stop position close to the head of the sliding shaft. On the surface of the sliding shaft, there are the first and second unidirectional slide channels for the hook part of the retaining hook. The switch has a spring pushing the sliding shaft from head of the sliding shaft towards its tail. The switching on/off states are changed by a pressing operation.
US08403294B2
In an example, an apparatus, such as a microfluidic assembly, can include or can include using a channel including a valve seat, a valve film configured to adjust position with respect to the valve seat, and a first electrode configured to actuate the valve film electrostatically to adjust the position of the valve film to control a flow of a fluid in the channel laterally across the valve seat, the flow in a direction substantially parallel to the film.
US08403289B1
A universal bracket is provided for mounting electrical boxes. The bracket includes a generally rectangular first plate having at least one aperture defined within the first plate. The aperture is shaped to provide access to an electrical box mounted to the first plate, and further includes first and second pairs of diagonally opposite corners. A second plate extends rearward and substantially perpendicular to the first plate and located proximate a first side of the aperture. The first plate further includes one or more fastening portions and a plurality of mounting holes disposed about the fastening portions. One or more of the mounting holes are positioned for mounting the bracket to a vertical structural member adjacent either of two opposite sides of the bracket or a horizontal element adjacent a third side of the bracket, maintaining a particular bracket orientation.
US08403287B2
The present invention relates to an equipment engine mounting system and method for mounting an equipment engine to an equipment frame using dampers, elastomeric and nonelastomeric components to inhibit the a transmission of vibrations of the equipment engine to the equipment frame.
US08403276B2
The present invention relates generally to a vertical instrument support system for musical instruments.
US08403270B2
A method and apparatus for deploying a fixed and canted solar array of a satellite. The solar array is rotated in a first plane and about a first axis from a stowed position to a first position, rotated about a second axis orthogonal to the first axis from the first position to a deployed position determined by a deployment orbit of the satellite, and locked in the deployed position to prevent further motion of the solar array relative to a satellite body for the operational life of the satellite.
US08403269B2
An orbital debris removal assembly is provided. The orbital debris removal and asset protection assembly includes a plurality of spaced layers of netting. Each netting layer includes a plurality of sub-layers of meshed composite fibers that are configured and arranged to break up debris that comes in contact with the assembly.
US08403262B2
An overhead luggage compartment is provided with a mounting for a control unit, having a first, top guide, which is fastened in the overhead luggage compartment. A second, bottom guide extends below and at least substantially parallel to the first guide. The first guide comprises a horizontal, first portion adjoined in an inward direction of the luggage compartment by a second portion, which extends obliquely upwards from the level of the first portion. The first portion of the first guide and the second guide are telescopically extensible in horizontal direction. The second guide is open in the direction of the first guide. A first suspension point is coupled rotatably to the outer end of the extensible portion of the first guide. A second suspension point is disposed inwards of the first suspension point and configured for displaceable engagement with the first portion and the second portion of the first guide. A third suspension point is disposed below the first suspension point and the second suspension point and configured for displaceable engagement with the second guide.
US08403257B2
A hydraulic ground propulsion system for an aircraft. The system comprises a wheel, axel, an aircraft power interface device, an electric motor, a hydraulic system, a drive assembly and a controller. The wheel is rotatably coupled to the wheel axel. The aircraft power interface device interfaces an aircraft power source. The electric motor is coupled to the aircraft power interface device and receives power from the aircraft power source through the aircraft power interface device. The hydraulic system is driven by the electric motor. The drive assembly mechanically couples the wheel axel to the hydraulic system. The drive assembly is mechanically driven by the hydraulic system. The drive assembly transfers energy from the hydraulic system to the wheel axel. The controller controls the electric motor and the hydraulic system based upon a pilot torque command.
US08403254B2
An aero-assisted pre-stage (10) with a commensurably large wing area having a short-burn rocket propulsion system providing sufficient thrust is used to launch a variety of single-stage and multiple-stage space vehicles (20), such as conventional ballistic rockets and prospective spaceplanes, from conventional runways. This method of launch eliminates the need for dedicated ground launch structures and/or dedicated long runways. The vehicle to be launched (20) is mated to this aero-assisted pre-stage (AP) (10), with their flight directions aligned, using a lock-and-release mechanism (30). The resulting stack takes off like a conventional airplane using the propulsion and aerodynamic lift of the AP. After the desired trajectory of the vehicle is achieved and propulsion system of the AP is shut down, the vehicle is separated from the AP, the propulsion system of the vehicle is ignited, and the vehicle continues its ascent. The AP returns back to the surface for reuse or disposal. Thus, a wide variety of conventional airfields can be used for launch of ballistic and aero-assisted flight vehicles, without any payload mass penalties.
US08403247B2
The slider case provides housing for a portable appliance and integrates a cable retractor containing a coil spring, a rotary disc, a cable, and a winding disc. The rotary disc has a top circular indentation where the coil spring is accommodated in the indentation. A number of gear teeth are provided around the rotary disc and the winding disc. The winding disc has a central axle for the winding of the cable. The winding disc is positioned such that its teeth engage those of the rotary disc. A spiral track and a centrifugal track are provided on the rotary disc and the casing member, respectively. A positioning ball, together with the spiral track and the centrifugal track, provides a positioning function. The cable can be configured to be pulled in a single direction with a connector or multiple directors at a free end.
US08403241B2
The present invention relates to a filter case for a shower having a function of adjusting a quantity of outflow of a filling material, the filter case including: a cylindrical body having a predetermined length and one end portion opened, for containing a filling material into the interior thereof; and an outflow quantity-adjusting means having a fixing part having one or more communicating holes adapted to communicate with the interior and exterior of the body, the fixing part being fitted to one end portion opened of the body and a rotating part having a discharge hole formed at the inside thereof in such a manner as to be passed through the upper and lower surfaces thereof, the rotating part being screw-coupled to the inner periphery of the fixing part so as to block the communicating holes of the fixing part.
US08403233B2
In an IC card, even when undershoot or overshoot which occurs upon an amplitude change by communication data is large, the change is accurately detected. A semiconductor device has antenna terminals, a power supply circuit for generating power supply voltage from an AC signal supplied to the antenna terminals, and a receiver circuit for demodulating an information signal superimposed on the AC signal. The receiver circuit includes a rectifier circuit, a filter circuit, a capacitor, an amplifier, a feedback path, a switch circuit, a binarizing circuit, and a control circuit. An output of the amplifier is transmitted to an inverting input terminal thereof, and the switch circuit is controlled by an output of the control circuit. In a predetermined period since level changes of an output of the binarizing circuit, the switch circuit is controlled to an off state by the output of the control circuit.
US08403232B2
Provided is a food information providing system. The food information providing system includes a first RF tag, a second RF tag, a terminal, and a server. At least information of food is recorded in the first RF tag. At least spec information of a cooking appliance is recorded in the second RF tag. An RF reader is mounted in the terminal such that at least spec information of the cooking appliance and the food information are input from the first RF tag and the second RF tag. The server transmits operating information of the cooking appliance to the terminal with reference to the food information and the spec information of the cooking appliance transmitted from the terminal. Therefore, a user can obtain the latest information of food in real-time and can cook more conveniently by diversification of the range of food information provided to a user. Also, when sufficient information cannot be provided due to space limitation of books, the range of use for a book can be diversified to provide more information, thereby improving satisfaction of a purchaser of the book.
US08403230B2
The invention relates to a card (1), such as a credit card or ID card, which has several layers laminated with each other, wherein between a first card layer (21) and a second card layer (22) there is embedded a security element (2) which has a plastic or lacquer layer (4) with a relief structure (5). The relief structure has areas (5′, 5″) with different picture elements and produces a visible representation (6) and a hidden representation (7) which can be made visible with aids. The security element is adhesively bonded by adhesive layers (9, 10) to the two card layers (21, 22) between which it is embedded, the adhesives being chosen from the group which consists of physically drying adhesives and adhesives crosslinkable by heat, preferably water-based. Upon use of an adhesive crosslinkable by heat, the crosslinking temperature of the adhesive is lower than the softening temperature of the plastic or the lacquer layer (4) in which there is present the relief structure (5). The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a card.
US08403222B2
A method of enabling a mobile device to access content relating to a user-selected portion of a web page, the method comprising: receiving a request for the content; generating an information element representative of the requested content, the information element being arranged to enable the mobile device to access the content; and outputting the information element to the mobile device.
US08403219B2
An electronic transaction card communicates with an add-on slot of an intelligent electronic device. The add-on slot may be a memory card slot. The intelligent electronic device may be a mobile phone or other device with or without network connectivity. The electronic transaction card may have magnetic field producing circuitry compatible with magnetic card readers, smartcard circuitry, other point-of-sale interfaces, or any combination thereof.
US08403216B2
According to one embodiment, a code reading apparatus includes an image capturing unit, a first reading unit, a second reading unit and an information output unit. The image capturing unit captures an image picked up by an imaging unit. The first reading unit detects one of an image of a code symbol and an image of benefit indication from the image captured by the image capturing unit and reads commodity information corresponding to the code symbol or benefit information corresponding to the benefit indication from the detected image. The second reading unit causes, for a predetermined time after the first reading unit reads the information, until the first reading unit detects the other image not detected yet, the image capturing unit to capture the image and reads, if the first reading unit detects the other image, one of the commodity information and the benefit information from the detected other image. The information output unit outputs the information read by the second reading unit together with the information read by the first reading unit.
US08403215B2
To support a shopper to perform self-service shopping by using an electronic shelf label (ESL) while looking at actual items displayed in a store and to expand the functions of the electronic shelf label (ESL) to enable the linkage with other data processing systems expansively. A shopper uses a mobile processing device (typically, a cell phone owned by the shopper) in a store. The functions necessary to obtain contents from the electronic shelf label (ESL) are obtained by introducing an application program into the shopper's own cell phone, by which it is expected that the shopper is able to easily enjoy shopping. When photographing the electronic shelf label (ESL), the contents associated with items are encoded (the price display automatically changes to a barcode) and then decoded.
US08403210B2
In order to use a mobile smartcard reader that can address commercial smartcards conforming to the EMV standard in a simple manner, the invention provides a method for controlling a chip card reader (3) by a computer system (4) connectable to smartcard reader (3), comprising the connection of chip card reader (3) to computer system (4) via an interface (8) designed for data communication on the basis of a protocol provided on a standard basis in operating system (11) of computer system (4); the provision of a control program (7a, 7b) for controlling the functions of chip card reader (3), wherein control program (7a, 7b) is provided as a plug-in; and the controlling of chip card reader (3) by executing control program (7b) on computer system (4). The invention further provides a chip card reader (3) as well as a control program (7a, 7b) for performing the method.
US08403209B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatuses for determining, communicating, and/or executing hold decisions for deposit items. For example, a method is provided that includes: (a) receiving information associated with a deposit item; (b) determining an actual deposit amount identified by the deposit item; (c) determining a payee account to receive the deposit item and a drawer account on which the deposit item is drawn; (d) determining a hold limit for the payee account; (e) determining an adjusted deposit amount for the deposit item based at least partially on: (i) the actual deposit amount identified by the deposit item, and (ii) one or more characteristics associated with the drawer account, and (f) determining a hold decision for the deposit item based at least partially on a comparison of the adjusted deposit amount to the hold limit.
US08403204B2
The present invention provides a system and method for an improved player tracking in a gaming environment. Certain embodiments include a plurality of radio frequency identification (RFID) readers for detecting a response signal from an RFID tag, an RFID tag generating a response signal including identification data in response to an interrogation signal transmitted by one of the plurality of RFID readers, and a location manager controlling transmission by the plurality of RFID readers according to at least one collision-avoidance scheme. The collision-avoidance scheme may include one or more of the following schemes: localized RFID reader managers coordinating electrical operation of the plurality of RFID readers, an active RFID reader transmitting the interrogation signal and a plurality of passive RFID readers listening for the response signal, an RFID reader multiplexed through a plurality of antennas, TDMA, CDMA, and/or quasi-random synchronization for the RFID readers, for example.
US08403203B2
A method of attaching a component to a substrate, including providing a component guide attached to a substrate, the component guide having a cavity substantially conforming to contours of a portion of a component, attaching a first solder pad to the component, inserting the component into the guide cavity, providing a second solder pad, offset from the first solder pad and near the cavity, and inserting the component, the component guide and the substrate into an oven heating the solder pads, wherein the component is drawn further into the guide cavity by a capillary effect of the heated solder pads.
US08403194B2
A system and method for positioning a tool. The system includes a base member configured to contact a first decking member and a second decking member; at least one base guide including a first end and an opposing second end, the first end coupled to the base member, the at least one base guide configured to position the base member relative to the first decking member and the second decking member; and an adjustable section coupled to the base member, the adjustable section configured to allow adjustment of at least one of a position and an angle of the tool relative to the base member.
US08403191B2
A mounting rack for mounting a ladder to a pickup truck. The pickup truck has a pickup truck bed defining a passenger side wall, a driver side wall, a front end side, and a tailgate side. The mounting rack includes a first mounting structure configured to support a first end of the ladder and a second mounting structure moveable between a storage position and an operating position. The second mounting structure is configured to support a second end of the ladder when in the operating position and abut the first mounting structure when in the storage position. The mounting rack also includes a first docking assembly configured to affix the second mounting structure to the passenger side wall and the driver side wall on the tailgate side of the pick-up truck bed when the second mounting structure is in the operating position, and a second docking assembly.
US08403176B2
The present invention relates to packaging materials for ophthalmic solutions. Difficulties with water loss in standard ophthalmic bottles are overcome in the controlled drop dispensing container of the present invention. This controlled drop dispensing container comprises a dispensing tip, a laminate tube 15, and a shoulder connecting the laminate tube 15 to the dispensing tip 7. The dispensing tip 7 comprises an inner orifice having a diameter sufficiently small to restrict flow of liquid contents of the tube to the desired level, an outer orifice 9 having a diameter sufficiently large to form a drop of the desired size from the liquid contents of the tube, where fluid communication exists between the inner orifice and the outer orifice 9. The laminate tube 15 comprises an outer polymeric layer 10, an optional first tie layer 11, a middle barrier layer 12, an optional second tie layer 13, an inner polymeric layer 14. Preferably, the controlled drop dispensing container 1 also comprises a cap 4 and a reusable seal 3 between the cap 4 and the dispensing tip 7. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the cap 4 also comprises a tamper evident tear strip 5.
US08403174B2
A overcap is provided which covers the opening of a container. The overcap, in one form, engages an exterior of the container around the rim and along an inwardly directed flange which defines an opening of the container. The overcap snappingly engages with the container to produce an audible indication that the overcap is firmly attached to the container and that air is being expelled from inside the container. In another form, the overcap includes an invertible dome which is transformable between an upward convex position and an upward concave position.
US08403173B2
A beverage container closure or lid that is adapted for closing an open end of a beverage container. The lid is selectively couplable to the beverage container and includes a selectively openable stopper that when closed, creates a fluid-tight seal between the beverage container and the environment. The stopper may be selectively opened by a user when the user presses a button disposed on a side of the beverage container closure. The stopper is subsequently automatically closed when the user releases the button. Thus, a user may open and close the beverage container closure using a single hand without the need to remove the beverage container closure from the beverage container.
US08403164B2
A cap is described for closing a liquid beverage container for allowing the beverage to be sucked out of the container through a spout, while preventing spillage when no suction takes place. A demand valve is incorporated into the cap, which has an inlet port communicating with the interior of the container, a discharge port communicating with the spout and a control port communicating with the ambient atmosphere through a hole in the cap. The valve has a valve seat and a closure element controlling the flow from the inlet port to the discharge port urged to move into an opening position in dependence on the excess of the control pressures over that in the discharge ports, this movement being in the direction opposed to the flow and urged by the pressure in the container in a direction to seal against the valve seat. In the invention, the demand valve is formed by two members that are mounted on the inner surface of the cap. The first member is rigid and defines the valve inlet port and the valve seat. The second member incorporates the valve closure element and a resilient membrane which includes the valve closure element and serves as a pressure sensitive diaphragm. The second member also seals against the first member, around the hole in the cap and around the spout.
US08403162B2
An expandable and collapsible cooler includes: a base defining a bottom portion of the cooler; an upper rim defining an upper portion of the cooler; and a cooler wall extending between the base and the upper rim and surrounding an interior storage space of the cooler. The cooler wall includes inner and outer collapsible walls each extending between and being attached to the base and the upper rim. Each collapsible wall includes flexible elastomeric membranes joined together by rigid portions, each membrane including a plurality of hinge lines at which the membrane is configured to bend such that the collapsible wall is transitional between a respective collapsed configuration and a respective expanded configuration by bending along the hinge lines.
US08403157B2
A rack for storing elongate core sample boxes is formed from two separate frames each having three upright posts formed of tubular steel and a plurality of steel tubes extending across between the posts and welded to the posts. The frames can be transported in assembled form and then connected across the top and bottom of the uprights by metal bridging members with C-shaped inserts into the ends of the posts. The structure is held together and braced by diagonal braces which attach to tabs on the bridging members by a wedge drive into a slot in the tab.
US08403155B1
A hand tool frame has a baseboard, two clamping elements and multiple positioning elements. The baseboard has a body and a hanging panel. The hanging panel is connected to the top of the body and has a hanging hole. The clamping elements are mounted on the baseboard and each clamping element has a clamping panel. Each clamping panel has multiple clamping claws and multiple inserting holes. The positioning elements are mounted on the baseboard at intervals between the clamping elements with the same sizes and each positioning element has an elastic arm. The elastic arm is formed on and protrudes from the body and has a curved segment and a limiting segment. The limiting segment is formed on and protrudes from the curved segment to abut against a hand tool.
US08403154B2
A cable management assembly, and method related thereto, including a riser panel having an interface portion and a plurality of cable management devices. The interface portion having a plurality of shaped apertures. The cable management devices having attachments that correspond to the shaped apertures to secure the cable management devices to the panel at selected vertical and horizontal locations. The cable management assembly being configured to extend between two adjacent telecommunications racks or to couple to the end of a telecommunications rack.
US08403137B2
A container for a compressible article is disclosed, wherein the container includes first and second opposed sides having a first length, a first pair of flaps or edge attached to an end of the first and second opposed sides defining an end of the container, third and fourth opposed sides capable of having a second shorter length; and a second pair of flaps or edges attached to the third and fourth sides, the second pair of flaps having a fold line approximately aligned with the end of the container.
US08403132B2
A retractor coil lanyard device for mounting in a pouch of a tool pouch for hand tools includes a tubular housing having a first housing end and a second housing end and a resiliently extensible and retractable coil disposed within the tubular housing. The tubular housing has a predefined length where, when placed within a tool pocket of a tool belt pouch, the first housing end is adjacent a bottom of the tool pocket and the second housing end is adjacent a top of the tool pocket. The coil has a coil body, a first coil end and a second coil end. The coil body is formed from a cord having a predefined diameter where the cord is formed into a helix. The first coil end is retained at the first housing end and the second coil end extends a predefined distance beyond the second housing end and is configured for attaching to a hand tool.
US08403129B2
An assembly for transferring glass articles, wherein a powered articulated arm is hinged to a fixed support to rotate about a fixed hinge axis, and moves a pusher between an engage position engaging the articles on a supporting surface, and a release position to release the articles onto a linear conveyor; the pusher, in the release position, projects from the articulated arm, in the travelling direction of the articles on the conveyor, beyond a plane containing the fixed hinge axis and perpendicular to the travelling direction of the articles on the conveyor, so that the centre of gravity of the group of articles transferred is located downstream, in the travelling direction of the articles on the conveyor, from the plane containing the fixed hinge axis.
US08403117B2
When a vehicle stops in a driving range such as a D-range at low oil temperature such as the initial stage of starting the engine, air-mixed operating oil may be supplied from the second oil passage into the torque converter. In this case, at the release of the lockup clutch in which the second line oil pressure is supplied from the second oil passage to the lockup clutch, the third oil passage is shut off (blocked) to inhibit the discharge of the operating oil. Therefore, regardless of larger pipe passage resistance due to higher viscosity, the operating oil in the torque converter is certainly discharged from the first oil passage through the cooler oil passage to the oil cooler and bubbles in the torque converter is reduced in association of the discharge of the operating oil.
US08403113B2
Provided is a destination floor indication device of an elevator which is excellent in the viewability of destination floor indications and can rapidly indicate destination floors. For this purpose, the destination floor indication device of an elevator includes an indication device provided in at least either a hall or a car of an elevator; an indication information storage device which stores the maximum number of indications of destination floors which are caused to be indicated simultaneously on one screen of the indication device, the maximum number of indications being larger than 1; and an indication controller which causes destination floors to be indicated simultaneously on the indication device when the number of destination floors caused to be indicated on the indication device is smaller than the maximum number of indications, and which divides destination floors into a number smaller than the maximum number of indications and causes the destination floors to be indicated on the indication device in a switching manner when the number of destination floors caused to be indicated on the indication device is larger than the maximum number of indications.
US08403104B2
A recreational utility vehicle has a frame, four wheels, a pair of seats mounted laterally beside each other, a cage, a steering assembly, an engine, a front differential, a rear differential, an actuator selectively operatively connecting the engine to the front differential, and a vehicle drive mode switch for selecting between a first and second drive mode. When the first drive mode is selected, the actuator operatively connects the engine to the front differential, and when the second drive mode, the actuator operatively disconnects the engine from the front differential. An electric motor is operatively connected to the steering assembly. A steering control unit is electrically connected to the electric motor, determines an output torque to be applied by the electric motor based at least in part on a speed of the vehicle, and controls the electric motor to apply the output torque to the steering assembly.
US08403103B1
An apparatus (10) for use in turning steerable vehicle wheels (14, 16) includes a hydraulic power steering motor (12). A pump (26) having an outlet port (28) is connected in fluid communication with the power steering motor (12) and operable to supply hydraulic fluid to the power steering motor (12). A continuously variable transmission (50) is connected with the engine of the vehicle and the pump (26). The continuously variable transmission (50) is operable to drive the pump (26) at a first speed when the pressure at the outlet port (28) is at a first pressure. The continuously variable transmission (50) is operable to drive the pump (26) at a second speed when the pressure at the outlet port (28) is at a second pressure different than the first pressure. The first speed at which the pump (26) is driven is greater than the second speed.
US08403097B2
An anti-vibration assembly is disclosed including a rigid bracket fixed to a vehicle powertrain, a vehicle body and an anti-vibration mount including: a first tubular mounting member, in which the bracket is received; a second mounting member fixed to vehicle body; an elastomer body connecting the first mounting member to the second mounting member; and a rigid strap including two legs and a top. The second mounting member is fitted in the two legs of the strap in the first direction upwards and is pressed by said two legs directly on the vehicle body in said first direction. The strap further includes a bridge portion joining the two legs under the bracket.
US08403093B2
A speed change controller is provided on a saddle-ride type vehicle and is suited to manipulation by a foot. The speed change controller for saddle-ride type vehicles comprises a detection mechanism that detects operation by a driver for speed change, and a speed change mechanism that performs speed change on the basis of speed change operation detected by the detection mechanism. The detection mechanism provided by the invention comprises an operation part manipulated by a foot for speed change and including a moving part, which moves relative to the vehicle on the basis of manipulation by a foot, and a detection unit that detects that the moving part moves a predetermined amount or more.
US08403089B2
A method and apparatus to ventilate an engine compartment of a vehicle.
US08403083B2
In a vehicle (1) including a frame (2) incorporated with a drive unit (3) for enabling the frame to travel in a prescribed direction and a seat assembly (4) supported by the frame and including a pair of saddle members (63) defining a pair of seat surfaces (70A), respectively, configured to jointly support buttocks of a vehicle occupant, the saddle members are resiliently supported by the frame in such a manner that the seat surface of each saddle member is in an approximately horizontal orientation but is progressively tilted inward with a downward movement of the saddle member under a load of a vehicle occupant. Thus, one of the saddle members receiving a greater load than the other tilts downward toward the center of the vehicle, and this causes the vehicle occupant to be urged toward the saddle member receiving a smaller load so that the vehicle occupant is automatically urged toward the center of the vehicle, and hence the gravitational center of the vehicle occupant may be placed in the center of the vehicle at all times.
US08403079B2
A drill bit includes a bit head and a rotating bit cone. A sealing system for the drill bit includes a seal gland and a seal retained within the seal gland. The seal gland is defined by a radial cone surface, a head sealing surface and an opposed cone sealing surface. At least one of the head sealing surface and opposed cone sealing surface is not cylindrical (i.e., the surface is conical and not parallel to an axis of rotation for the cone). Additionally, the radial cone surface may be conical (i.e., the surface does not extend perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cone). The seal is radially compressed between the head sealing surface and the opposed cone sealing surface. The use of one or more conical surfaces in the gland is provided to bias the compressed seal into a preferred dynamic sealing zone.
US08403057B2
A wellhead connection including first and second housings with the first housing partly within the second housing to form an annulus. The housings form a seal to a cylindrical inner bore when connected together. The first housing has a circumferential groove formed in its outer periphery. A radially expandable and contractable latch ring formed from latch ring segments is located in the annulus adjacent the circumferential groove. Radial actuators extend through the second housing to the latch ring segments to move the latch ring segments between a contracted position with the latch ring in contact with the circumferential groove, and an expanded position, with the latch ring out of contact with the circumferential groove. The upper and lower housings are adapted to lock the latch ring in the contracted position by applying a downward force on the latch rings, or by tightening the bottom connector to a wellhead member.
US08403044B2
A process for recovering oil from an oil-bearing formation comprises introducing into said formation an aqueous composition comprising at least one sulfonated derivative of one or more internal olefins, said internal olefins being characterized by having low amounts of tri-substitution on the olefin bond, said sulfonated derivative being obtained by sulfonating a composition comprising internal olefins of the formula: R1R2C═CR3R4 wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are the same or different and are hydrogen or straight- or branched-chain, saturated hydrocarbyl groups and the total number of carbon atoms of R1, R2, R3 and R4 is 6 to 44 with the proviso that at least about 96 mole percent of R1 and R3 are straight- or branched-chain, saturated hydrocarbyl groups and at least about 96 mole percent of R2 and R4 are hydrogen. Further provided are compositions for use in recovering oil from an oil-bearing formation which comprise the sulfonated derivatives of one or more internal olefins having low amounts of tri-substitution on the olefin bond.
US08403041B2
A method to improve the effectiveness of MEOR or bioremediation processes. In this method toxic chemicals accumulated in subterranean sites adjacent to the water injection wells are either dispersed or removed prior to introduction of microbial inocula for enhanced microbial oil recovery or bioremediation of these sites.
