US09886097B2

The technology disclosed relates to automatically (e.g., programmatically) initializing predictive information for tracking a complex control object (e.g., hand, hand and tool combination, robot end effector) based upon information about characteristics of the object determined from sets of collected observed information. Automated initialization techniques obviate the need for special and often bizarre start-up rituals (place your hands on the screen at the places indicated during a full moon, and so forth) required by conventional techniques. In implementations, systems can refine initial predictive information to reflect an observed condition based on comparison of the observed with an analysis of sets of collected observed information.
US09886096B2

A method for processing a three-dimensional (3D) object may including acquiring, based on an interaction of a user with at least one 3D object displayed on a 3D display, location information and depth information of pixels corresponding to the interaction. The method may including processing the at least one 3D object based on whether the location information and the depth information satisfy a depth continuity condition.
US09886095B2

An electronic device includes at least one laser source configured to direct laser radiation toward a user's hand. Laser detectors are configured to receive reflected laser radiation from the user's hand. A controller is coupled to the at least one laser source and laser detectors and configured to determine a set of distance values to the user's hand for each respective laser detector and based upon a time-of-flight of the laser radiation. The controller also determines a hand gesture from among a plurality of possible hand gestures based upon the sets of distance values using Bayesian probabilities.
US09886087B1

One aspect of the present invention relates to a method for optimizing a user interface (UI) for an active application over a computing device. The method includes receiving the gaze information, including gaze location, of a user's gaze on the UI, determining a first section of a plurality of sections of the UI associated with the received gaze location, and muting other of the plurality of sections outside of the first section, such that the first section in the UI remains active.
US09886081B2

An apparatus includes a first circuit configured to receive one or more requests from a plurality of cores. Each of the one or more requests is to enter or to exit one of a plurality of power-down modes. The first circuit further selects one or more of the cores to enter or to exit the requested power-down mode or modes based on inrush current information associated with the power-down modes. A second circuit is configured to effect entering or exiting the requested power-down mode or modes in the selected one or more of the cores.
US09886076B2

An information handling system includes a processor, a battery management unit and a memory that stores an operating system. The operating system includes instructions that are executable by the processor to obtain a first user selection of necessary applications to be executed on a portable device and to obtain a second user selection of optional applications to be executed on a portable device.
US09886073B2

A control method and an electronic device include a first subsystem, a second subsystem, and shared devices used by the first subsystem and the second subsystem. The electronic device has a first state in which both the first subsystem and the second subsystem are in a working state, and a second state in which the first subsystem is in a non-working state and the second subsystem is in the working state. The method includes acquiring a first instruction generated by the first subsystem and transmitted to the shared devices during a switching process between the first state and the second state. The method includes acquiring a second instruction generated when the electronic device switches between the first state and the second state. The state of the shared devices is controlled based on the first instruction and the second instruction.
US09886071B2

A memory storage device having a rewritable non-volatile memory module, a first connection interface unit, a second connection interface unit, a power management circuit and a memory control circuit unit is provided. When an external power supply device is electrically connected to the second connection interface unit, the power management circuit receives a second power supply voltage from the external power supply device via the second connection interface unit, supplies an operation voltage to the rewritable non-volatile memory module and the memory control circuit unit and supplies the second power supply voltage to a host device. When the external power supply device is electrically disconnected with the second connection interface unit, the power management circuit receives a first power supply voltage from the host device via the first connection interface unit and supplies the operation voltage to the memory control circuit unit and the rewritable non-volatile memory module.
US09886062B2

A transparent article, such as a transparent cover, for use as a cover glass for an electronic device, as well as methods for producing transparent articles, are disclosed. The transparent article can form a part of a housing of the portable electronic device and can provide an outer surface for a portion of the housing. The transparent article can be provided over a display of portable electronic device to provide a protective outer cover over the display. In one embodiment, the transparent article can be formed with a laminate structure. In another embodiment, the transparent article can be formed with a ribbed structure. In still another embodiment, a sapphire coating can be deposited on the transparent article to improve it strength. Advantageously, the transparent article is able to be not only thin and lightweight but also provide sufficient stiffness for use as a cover glass.
US09886043B2

A hot-water supply system 1 comprises a temperature responsive valve 61 provided in a first bypass passage 60, an orifice 31 provided in a second bypass passage 30, a flow rate sensor 24 provided in a water supply passage 11 downstream from a connection point with the second bypass passage 30, a circulating pump 33 provided in the water supply passage 11 downstream from the connection point with the second bypass passage 30, and a controller 4. The controller 40 operates the circulating pump 33 and executes circulation heating operation for operating a burner to heat the hot water circulating through a circulation circuit 80, when a flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 24 is equal to or more than a specified flow rate.
US09886040B1

Systems and methods can be utilized to align or provide targeting for a platform. One alignment system and method can receive first electronic data indicative of attitude of the platform and can receive second electronic data related to a position on the platform. The alignment system and method can provide third electronic data indicative of an adjusted attitude of the platform in response to the first electronic data and a slope vector or terrain data. The targeting system and method can use position differencing between a platform and a remote observer to aim at a target.
US09886033B2

The system comprises a drone and a ground station. The ground station includes a console provided with a directional antenna adapted to be directed towards the drone maintain the quality of the wireless link with the latter, and virtual reality glasses rendering images taken by a camera of the drone. The system comprises means for determining the position of the drone with respect to a heading of the console, and means for including in the images (I) rendered in the virtual reality glasses a visual indication (C, Ce, G, Id) of misalignment of the drone with respect to the console heading. Although he is isolated from the external real environment, the pilot is able, based on this visual indication, to reorient the console, typically by turning on himself, so that the directional antenna thereof suitably points towards the drone.
US09886032B2

A self-propelled device includes a spherical housing and an internal drive system. The self-propelled device can further include an internal structure having a magnet holder that holds a first set of magnets and an external accessory comprising a second set of magnets to magnetically interact, through the spherical housing, with the first set magnets.
US09886026B2

In one aspect, a method of polishing includes polishing a substrate, and receiving an identification of a selected spectral feature and a characteristic of the selected spectral feature to monitor during polishing. The method includes measuring a sequence of spectra of light reflected from the substrate while the substrate is being polished, where at least some of the spectra of the sequence differ due to material being removed during the polishing. The method of polishing includes determining a value of a characteristic of the selected spectral feature for each of the spectra in the sequence of spectra to generate a sequence of values for the characteristic, fitting a function to the sequence of values, and determining either a polishing endpoint or an adjustment for a polishing rate based on the function.
US09886023B2

The present disclosure relates to a method for managing turret tools for a machine tool, and more particularly, by setting tool information and changing a mounting location of the tool, which is to be mounted or has been mounted, by using visual information about a turret mounted in the machine tool and the tool mounted in the turret, a user may intuitively check information about a tool mounted on the turret and to easily set tool installation information which needs to be set when mounting and detaching the tool, changing a location of the tool, or installing the tool in a machine tool.
US09886020B2

A numerical control device comprising an acceleration/deceleration characteristic acquisition part which acquires predetermined acceleration/deceleration characteristic information showing a correspondence between a command speed and a maximum acceleration of a spindle, a rotation amount acquisition part which acquires predetermined rotation amount information showing the rotation amount of the spindle for a period from when feed operation of the spindle is started to when a tapping tool reaches a bottom of the hole of a workpiece, a machining time calculation part which calculates a correspondence between the command speed and a machining time required to reach the rotation amount, based on the acceleration/deceleration characteristic information and the rotation amount information, and a speed determination part which determines an optimum value of the command speed for minimizing the machining time, based on the correspondence calculated by the machining time calculation part.
US09886018B2

A pumping unit and method controlling a variable speed pump to output constant flow rate against varying outlet pressure using a controller with stored data curves of flow rate versus discharge pressure for a plurality of pump speeds for the variable speed pump, including a processor determining appropriate pump speed for the sensed discharge outlet pressure by extrapolating between the stored data curves.
US09886005B2

A device for releasably sealing a port for a wearable electronic component includes a housing that seals an electronic component and includes a void for receiving the electronic component. The device may also include a cam disposed on a side surface of the housing having a proximal end pivotally engaged with the housing between a first position where a distal end of the cam is disposed adjacent to the housing and a second position where the distal end is disposed away from the housing. The cam may include a cam port that extends through a body of the cam. The device may further include a slider disposed on the side surface of the housing between the cam and the void, where the slider is slidably engaged with the housing between a sealed position and an open position.
US09885999B2

An image forming apparatus includes a cover member, an opening/closing detecting device and an elastic member. The cover member is supported so as to open and close an opening formed in an apparatus main body. The opening/closing detecting device is configured to be switched into OFF state to detect that the cover member is in opening state where the opening is opened and into ON state to detect that the cover member is in closing state where the opening is closed. The elastic member is interposed between the opening/closing detecting device and the cover member. The elastic member is configured to be deformed when the cover member closes the opening and then to switch the opening/closing detecting device from the OFF state into the ON state.
US09885993B2

Upon occurrence of a paper jam on a main conveying route, a controller performs control of stopping paper conveyance at a section of the main conveying route upstream of a position of the paper jam in a conveying direction and discharging sheets at a section of the main conveying route downstream of the position of the paper jam in the conveying direction, and performs control of stopping paper conveyance at a circulation conveying route. Upon occurrence of a paper jam on the circulation conveying route, a controller performs control of stopping paper conveyance at a section of the circulation conveying route upstream of a position of the paper jam, and performs control of discharging sheets at a section of the circulation conveying route downstream of the position of the paper jam and at the main conveying route.
US09885991B2

Provided is an image forming apparatus configured to appropriately determine that an abnormality has occurred in a component. The image forming apparatus includes: a charging device configured to charge a photosensitive drum; an exposure device configured to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum charged by the charging device; a developing device including a carrying member configured to carry a toner and being configured to develop the electrostatic latent image using the toner to form a toner image; and a transfer portion configured to transfer the toner image onto a sheet. The image forming apparatus is configured to form a measurement image on the sheet, and to determine a unit that needs to be replaced based on a result of measuring the measurement image formed on the sheet. The measurement image includes a first measurement image and a second measurement image.
US09885990B2

An image forming apparatus includes an irradiation unit for irradiating an image carrier having a detection image with light; a light-receiving unit for receiving reflected light of the light irradiated by the irradiation unit and outputting a detection signal corresponding to a light-receiving amount of the reflected light including a specular-reflected light component; and a detection unit for detecting one of position information and density information of the detection image based on a signal corresponding to a difference between a value of the detection signal corresponding to the light-receiving amount of the reflected light from a first position where the detection image is formed and a value of the detection signal corresponding to the light-receiving amount of the reflected light from a second position different from the first position.
US09885986B2

A fixing device includes a planar heating element and a thermal fuse. The planar heating element is configured to heat a fixing member that fixes a toner image to a recording medium. The thermal fuse includes a fuse element configured to be in contact with the heating element, and an elastic member configured to support the fuse element on a support body by a tension at which a fusing temperature of the fuse element is lower than a rated fusing temperature.
US09885984B2

An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeder, a sheet conveyor, an image former, a fixer, a colorimeter and a processor. The fixer fixes an image formed on a sheet by the image former. The colorimeter is provided on a down-stream side than the fixer in a sheet conveying direction and reads the image. The processor calibrates the colorimeter based on the image read by the colorimeter. When an image for calibration which is formed in advance on a color sample housed in the sheet feeder is made to be read by the colorimeter, the processor controls at least one of the sheet conveyor, the image former and the fixer according to a condition for controlling deterioration of the color sample which is different from a condition of when carrying out an image forming.
US09885982B2

A transfer device includes a second transfer roller that has an elastic layer and a surface layer disposed in tight contact with an outer side of the elastic layer and rotates to transfer a toner image on a surface of an intermediate transfer body onto a recording medium, a scraping member that is in contact with the second transfer roller to scrape an attached substance off the surface layer, and a pressed member that is pressed against the surface layer on a downstream side of a contact portion with the intermediate transfer body and on an upstream side of the scraping member in a rotating direction of the second transfer roller and rotates in a forward direction with respect to rotation of the second transfer roller.
US09885981B2

An image forming device includes a cover member, a conveying unit, a first rotor, a second rotor, a bearing unit, a biasing member, and a link member. The cover member includes a hook, and an opening/closing lever that moves the hook. The conveying unit is disposed on the inner side of the cover member, and is rotatably supported between an opened position and a closed position to the main body of the image forming device. The link member is swingably supported on the conveying unit, and is configured to engage with the bearing unit. By operating the opening/closing lever in a state where the conveying unit is in a closed position, the link member is pressed against the hook to swing so that the first rotor of the bearing unit should move in a direction away from the second rotor against biasing force from the biasing member.
US09885973B2

Disclosed is an optical deflector which includes: a polygonal mirror, a drive motor, a cover member, and a temperature detection unit. The cover member includes: a first cover portion defining a first space in which the polygonal mirror is installed, wherein the first cover portion is formed with a first opening opened in opposed relation to an outer peripheral surface of the polygonal mirror; a second cover portion defining a second space which is communicated with the first space and in which the drive motor is installed, wherein the second cover portion is formed with a second opening opened in opposed relation to a motor body of the drive motor; and a third cover portion defining a third space which is communicated with the second space. The temperature detection unit is mounted to the third cover portion so as to close the third space.
US09885967B2

Provided is a resin for a toner, which is a copolymer including a crystalline segment, and having a maximum elastic stress value at 100° C. (ES100) of 1,000 Pa or less, and a maximum elastic stress value at 70° C. (ES70) of 1,000 Pa or greater when the temperature is lowered from 100° C. to 70° C., where the maximum elastic stress values are measured according to a large amplitude oscillatory shear procedure.
US09885966B2

An electrostatic charge image developing toner containing: toner particles; and silica particles having a compaction aggregation degree of from 60% to 95% and a particle compaction ratio of from 0.20 to 0.40, an electrostatic charge image developer containing the electrostatic charge image developing toner, and a toner cartridge that accommodates the electrostatic charge image developing toner and is detachable from an image forming apparatus.
US09885965B2

A lithographic projection apparatus includes a support structure configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern; a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; a liquid supply system configured to provide liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate; and a shutter configured to isolate the space from the substrate or a space to be occupied by a substrate.
US09885963B2

An immersion-type exposure apparatus includes a measurement area for measuring a substrate, an exposure area, which differs from the measurement area, for exposing the substrate via a projection optical system, plural stages configured to hold the substrate and to be movable between the exposure area and the measurement area, and a controller configured to control the driving of the plural stages, wherein in a case that one stage of the plural stage is positioned in the exposure area, and immersion liquid that is supplied onto the one stage is retained in exposure area and delivered to another stage, the controller is configured to determine a delivery position of the immersion liquid for the other stage based on at least a first processing position of the other stage.
US09885960B2

In a pattern shape adjustment method according to one embodiment, a correspondence relation between a first shape feature amount of a first on-substrate pattern formed on a first substrate and a first laser band width of laser light as exposure light used when forming the first on-substrate pattern is acquired. Also, a second shape feature amount of a second on-substrate pattern actually formed on a second substrate is measured. Then, a second laser band width according to the shape of a third on-substrate pattern to be formed on a third substrate is calculated based on the correspondence relation and the second shape feature amount. Further, the third substrate is exposed to laser light having the second laser band width.
US09885952B2

A system includes a bracket that is configured to support a photomask and is located at a first side of the photomask; an acoustic energy generator configured to generate acoustic energy, wherein the acoustic energy includes mechanical vibrations of a megasonic frequency and wavelength; and a fluid dispenser coupled to the acoustic energy generator such that the acoustic energy generated by the acoustic energy generator is received by the fluid dispenser to generate an acoustically agitated fluid stream directed at a second side of the photomask, wherein the first side of the photomask is opposite a second side of the photomask, and wherein the first side includes a pattern.
US09885951B2

A method for structure design including detecting, by a processor, a tip-to-tip (T2T) structure design violation for a metal layer above (Ma) a via (Vx) at a tip of the Ma for a design file layout for the structure. Upon detection of the T2T structure design violation, retargeting, by the processor, of the Vx based on adjusting of both the Ma and a metal layer (Mb) below the Vx that connects the Ma through the Vx for the design file layout of the structure to improve performance of the structure based on fixing metal tip or metal ending across cell boundaries.
US09885946B2

A projection type display apparatus includes illumination unit that emits a plurality of color lights having a predetermined polarization direction, a plurality of optical path adjustment units that totally reflect the plurality of color lights, respectively, a plurality of optical modulation units that modulates the plurality of color lights totally reflected by the plurality of optical path adjustment units, respectively, to emit a plurality of modulated color lights, a synthesis unit that emits the plurality of modulated color lights emitted from the optical modulation units in a same direction, and a correction unit that is arranged on an optical path between the illumination unit and the synthesis unit and that changes a polarization state of light that entered the correction unit to covert light incident on the synthesis unit into linearly polarized light.
US09885933B1

The present invention provides a TFT array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof. The TFT array substrate has a source electrode (801) and a drain electrode (802), which each include, stacked from bottom to top, a first molybdenum layer (811), a first aluminum layer (812), a second aluminum layer (813), and a second molybdenum layer (814). The first aluminum layer (812) and the second aluminum layer (813) each have a surface including a plurality of spikes (8120) formed and distributed thereon. The spikes (8120) of the second aluminum layer (813) have a height greater than a height of the spikes (8120) of the first aluminum layer (812) such that the source electrode (801) and the drain electrode (802) each have an upper surface exhibiting a rough surface having irregularity comprising raised and recessed portion. Compared to a flat smooth surface that is involved in the prior art, the rough surface having irregularity comprising raised and recessed portions helps expand contact area between the drain electrode (802) and the pixel electrode (1200) so as to reduce contact impedance between a TFT and the pixel electrode and improve performance of a liquid crystal display panel.
US09885932B2

To provide a display device in which parasitic capacitance between wirings can be reduced while preventing increase in wiring resistance. To provide a display device with improved display quality. To provide a display device with low power consumption. A pixel of the liquid crystal display device includes a signal line, a scan line intersecting with the signal line, a first electrode projected from the signal line, a second electrode facing the first electrode, and a pixel electrode connected to the second electrode. Part of the scan line has a loop shape, and part of the first electrode is located in a region overlapped with an opening of the scan line. In other words, part of the first electrode is not overlapped with the scan line.
US09885931B2

A sub-pixel unit, an array substrate and a display device are provided. The sub-pixel unit (1) includes a first sub-pixel electrode (10), a second sub-pixel electrode (11) and a common electrode line (12). The common electrode line (12) includes a first common electrode sub-line (120) and a second common electrode sub-line (121); an overlapped area between the first common electrode sub-line (120) and the first sub-pixel electrode (10) is larger than an overlapped area between the second common electrode sub-line (121) and the second sub-pixel electrode (11).
US09885914B2

A liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a first insulation substrate and a pixel electrode disposed on the first insulation substrate. A first alignment layer is disposed on the pixel electrode. A second insulation substrate faces the first insulation substrate. A common electrode is disposed on a surface of the second insulation substrate facing the first insulation substrate. A second alignment layer is disposed on a surface of the common electrode facing the first insulation substrate. A liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer. The liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal molecules. One of the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer has an electron-rich group and the other has an electron-deficient group.
US09885913B2

This invention reduces or prevents a phenomenon where a screen close to a light source becomes yellowed. A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight. The backlight includes a light guide plate 10 and white LEDs 21 arrayed in a first direction on a plane of incidence 11 of the light guide plate 10. The white LEDs 21 each includes, in the first direction on a light-emitting surface, a central area occupied by a blue spectrum more densely than at adjacent sides of the central area. Incident plane protrusions 111, each extending in a thickness direction of the light guide plate 10, are formed on a section corresponding to the area having the dense blue spectrum of each LED 21, at the plane of incidence 11 of the light guide plate 10.
US09885912B2

A liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a substrate; a liquid crystal layer positioned on the substrate and formed with a plurality of microcavities including liquid crystal molecules; a roof layer positioned on the liquid crystal layer; a capping layer positioned on the roof layer; and a light source positioned on the capping layer and positioned between the plurality of microcavities.
US09885911B2

A display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus includes a liquid crystal display panel configured to display an image; a backlight unit located at the rear of the liquid crystal display panel, and including a plurality of light sources; a bottom chassis in which the backlight unit is positioned; and a reflector located in the bottom chassis, and configured to forwardly reflect light emitted from the plurality of light sources toward the liquid crystal display panel; and a reflection angle adjuster located in each corner of the reflector, and configured to reflect light emitted from the plurality of light sources in order to cause the reflected light to be incident toward corner areas of the liquid crystal display panel.
US09885905B2

An array substrate is provided, and comprises: a first metal layer, a first insulation layer, a second metal layer, a second insulation layer, a pixel electrode layer, and a color filter layer. The first metal layer comprises light-shading lines. The second metal layer comprises data lines. In interfaces of color resists, lights are shaded by crossing the light-shading lines and the data lines, and by stacking color resists. This can achieve an entire lightproof effect, but is unnecessary to be provided with black matrices.
US09885901B2

The present disclosure discloses a double-grid panel in-cell touch device, comprising a touch panel which includes a plurality of base units with two grid scanning lines being arranged between every two adjacent rows of base units. Each base unit includes three pixel electrodes respectively selected as red, green, and blue, with a data line arranged between every two adjacent columns of pixel electrodes, so that four data lines are provided at each column of base units with two of the four data lines respectively placed at both sides of the column thereof, wherein each pixel electrode has a pixel switch connected to one of the four data lines, and the pixel switches at each column of pixel units are distributed in such a manner that at least one of said four data lines is vacant. Each base unit is connected to a touch unit which is further connected to one of the grid scanning lines, and the grid scanning line connected to the touch unit serves as a touch scanning line, while one of the vacant data lines serves as a touch receiving line which is connected to the touch unit. The touch device achieves the touch function without addition of extra wires or processing difficulties based on the structure of the existing double-grid panels.
US09885897B2

A method of forming a front frame of an LCD includes: providing a rectangle frame; disposing bending lines on the side frames of the rectangle frame; adhering a layer of buffering material to the part of the side frame that is on the inner side of the bending line, where the part of the side frame that is on the inner side of the bending line refers to the part of the side frame that is between the bending line and the inner edge of the side frame; and stamping and bending the rectangle frame along the bending line. The present invention can align the layer of buffering material with the inner edge of the side frame so that the layer of buffering material does not extend to the open area of the front frame, therefore does not affect the display of the liquid crystal panel.
US09885893B2

A display device includes having a display panel, a light source disposed on a rear surface of the display panel, and an optical member disposed between the display panel and the light source. An optical member supporter is configured to support at least one side of the optical member and includes at least one pair of a first hook and a second hook formed on a rear surface. The display device also includes a bottom chassis having a first inserting hole and a second inserting hole into which the first hook and the second hook are respectively inserted, a driving circuit substrate disposed between the bottom chassis and the second hook, and at least one flexible printed circuit board configured to connect the display panel and the driving circuit substrate.
US09885890B2

A Faraday rotator excellent in productivity and also hardly causing an isolation function of an optical isolator to deteriorate even when the Faraday rotator is used in a high-power laser with a wavelength of 1.1 μm or less and an output of 1 W or more. The Faraday rotator comprises a non-magnetic garnet substrate; bismuth-substituted rare-earth iron garnet films grown respectively on both surfaces of the non-magnetic garnet substrate by a liquid phase epitaxial method; and sapphire crystal substrates bonded respectively to outer surfaces of the bismuth-substituted rare-earth iron garnet films, and configured to dissipate heat. The bismuth-substituted rare-earth iron garnet films has an absorption coefficient of 9 cm−1 or less for light at a wavelength of 1.06 μm, and that the bismuth-substituted rare-earth iron garnet films grown on the respective surfaces of the non-magnetic garnet substrate differ from each other in film thickness by 10 μm or less.
US09885888B2

Transducers and methods of making the same include a substrate having a cavity with a diameter that supports whispering gallery modes at a frequency of an input signal. A focusing structure in the cavity focuses the electric field of the input signal. A resonator directly under the focusing structure has a crystalline structure that generates an electro-optic effect when exposed to electrical fields. An electric field of the input signal modulates an output signal in the resonator via the electro-optic effect.
US09885879B2

A lens moving apparatus includes a base, a printed circuit board disposed over the base, and mounted on the base, a coil disposed over the printed circuit board, and a lens barrel, which contacts the base at a lower portion of an outer surface thereof, wherein the base, the printed circuit board and the coil include respective holes, wherein the lens moving apparatus includes a blocking member, which is provided along an internal surface of the hole in the base and which protrudes in a first direction so as to prevent the lower portion of the outer surface of the lens barrel from contacting internal surfaces of the holes in the printed circuit board and/or the coil.
US09885878B2

A system and method for obtaining super-resolution image of an object. An illumination beam is directed through an optical axis onto the object to be imaged. Paraxial rays of the illumination beam are deflected away from the optical axis and into a beam dump. The non-paraxial rays are collected after being reflected by the object so as to generate an image only from the non-paraxial rays.
US09885874B2

A microlens array and a method for fabricating thereof are provided. The microlens array of the present invention comprises a lens structure part formed by bistable dielectric polymer thin film; first and second electrode parts each formed on the upper surface and the bottom surface of the lens structure part to apply voltage for shape changes of the lens structure part; a circuit part applying heat to the dielectric polymer thin film to change the property of the dielectric polymer thin film to be soft; and a base part formed on the bottom surface of the second electrode in predetermined intervals. The method further comprises a hydraulic part to apply predetermined voltage to the bottom surface of the lens structure part. The microlens array is thus able to change optical properties by deform the shape of a transparent dielectric polymer thin film having bistablity to various sizes of lens shapes by the purposes.
US09885873B2

The present invention provides a color separation optical system which separates an entrance ray into at least three rays of a first color light, a second color light, and a third color light being different color lights and which guides the three rays respectively to solid-state image pickup elements disposed on different optical paths, the system including a first prism, a second prism, a third prism, and an absorption filter disposed between a second exit surface of the second prism and a third entrance surface of the third prism and configured to absorb the second color light. The third entrance surface of the third prism or a surface of the absorption filter facing the third entrance surface is provided with a second dichroic film which reflects the second color light and transmits the third color light.
US09885872B2

An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, and a polarization member made of optical material with optical rotatory power, which is arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, and which changes a polarization state of the illumination light. The illumination light from the polarization member is irradiated onto the pattern through a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus.
US09885871B2

A Heads-Up Display (HUD) system comprises a processor, a power source, and one or more sensors coupled to a frame connector. The processor is configured to receive signals from the one or more sensors and output image data. A display is mounted on a display arm extending from the frame connector. The display is configured to display images based on the image data. A goggles frame is configured to releasably receive the frame connector. The display is located within a field of view of a user wearing the goggles frame when the frame connector is received by the goggles frame.
US09885867B2

In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a first supporting unit and a second supporting unit, a first drive source, and a first and a second transmission unit. The first drive source is configured to provide a first drive force in a first direction and a second drive force in a second direction. When the first drive source provides the first drive force, the first transmission unit allows the first supporting unit to move by transmission of the first drive force and allows the second supporting unit to be in a stopped state by non-transmission of the first drive force. When the first drive source provides the second drive force, the second transmission unit allows the second supporting unit to move by transmission of the second drive force and allows the first supporting unit to be in a stopped state by non-transmission of the second drive force.
US09885865B2

The present invention provides a flip-chip package for MEMS device without time consuming wire-bonding. Bonding a silicon chip to a printed circuit board can be achieved by restricting the heat deformation of printed circuit board with adhered glass substrate which has similar heat expansion coefficient as silicon.
US09885863B2

An electrowetting element comprising a first fluid comprising a dye compound having the general formula:
US09885860B2

A method for high-resolution 3D fluorescence microscopy, wherein fluorescence emitters in a sample are repeatedly excited to emit fluorescence, and still images are produced of the sample by means of a microscope. The microscope has an imaging beam path with an optical resolution and a focal plane, wherein the fluorescence emitters are excited to emit fluorescence in such a manner that at least a subset of the fluorescence emitters is isolated in each still image so that the images of these fluorescence emitters can be separated in the still images within the optical resolution. The positions of the fluorescence emitters are localized in the generated still images, from the images of the isolated fluorescence emitters, with a location accuracy exceeding the optical resolution, and a high-resolution composite image is generated therefrom.
US09885859B2

A microscope or endoscope, comprising a light condenser (such as an objective lens), and an array of micro-lenses (such as supported on a transparent plate), wherein the micro-lenses are arranged spatially to correspond in enlarged form to respective sub-resolution objects or point observational fields on or within a specimen that are separated from one another by an optically resolvable distance and to receive light from the sub-resolution objects or point observational fields, and each of the micro-lenses is arranged to converge light from the respective corresponding sub-resolution object or point observational field to a diffraction limited spot at an image plane.
US09885853B2

An optical image capturing system includes, along the optical axis in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, and a fifth lens. At least one lens among the first to the fifth lenses has positive refractive force. The fifth lens can have negative refractive force, wherein both surfaces thereof are aspheric, and at least one surface thereof has an inflection point. The lenses in the optical image capturing system which have refractive power include the first to the fifth lenses. The optical image capturing system can increase aperture value and improve the imagining quality for use in compact cameras.
US09885851B2

In certain embodiments, a gimbal assembly includes an enclosure, a window, and a pivot assembly. The enclosure is centered on a first axis and the window is coupled to the enclosure. The pivot assembly is coupled to an interior portion of the enclosure and configured to pivot within the enclosure about a second axis, the second axis being perpendicular to the first axis. The pivot assembly includes a base portion, a mirror coupled at an angle to the base portion and configured to reflect light received through the window, and a sensor configured to receive the light reflected by the mirror. The pivot assembly is further configured to move within the enclosure in a direction that is perpendicular to the first axis and rotate about the first axis.
US09885846B2

A cable enclosure assembly includes an enclosure, a cable spool and a length of fiber optic cable. The enclosure defines an interior region, a first opening and a second opening aligned with the first opening. The first and second openings provide access to the interior region. The cable spool is disposed in the interior region of the enclosure and is rotatably engaged with the enclosure. The cable spool includes a drum and a flange engaged to the drum. The flange has an outer peripheral side, a cable management portion and an adapter bulkhead portion. The adapter bulkhead portion extends outwardly from the cable management portion and forms a portion of the outer peripheral side. The length of the fiber optic cable is dispose about the drum of the cable spool.
US09885842B2

A wavelength-multiplexing optical communication module includes: a substrate; a plurality of light sources on the substrate; a plurality of joint materials separately disposed on the substrate at positions respectively corresponding to the plurality of light sources; and a plurality of optical components fixed on the substrate by means of the plurality of joint materials respectively, wherein the substrate includes a plurality of forming portions which respectively form peripheries of the plurality of joint materials into shapes of circles or regular polygons having an even number of vertices.
US09885834B2

Low-coherence enhanced backscattering (LEBS) spectroscopy is an angular resolved backscattering technique that is sensitive to sub-diffusion light transport length scales in which information about the scattering phase function is preserved. Lens-based and lens-free fiber optic LEBS probes are described that are capable of measuring optical properties of a target tissue through depth-limited measurements of backscattering angles within the enhanced backscattered cone.
US09885825B2

The present disclosure provides a pitch reducing optical fiber array or a multicore fiber including at least one chiral fiber grating incorporated therein that is operable to couple the modes in different fiber cores within a spectral range determined in some instances by the helical pitch of the corresponding chiral fiber grating.
US09885824B2

An illumination apparatus includes: a light-guiding plate; a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed along a side-end surface of the light-guiding plate that serves as a light-entry portion, each of the plurality of light-emitting elements has a light-emitting surface which faces toward the light entry portion; a light source substrate, disposed and separated with a space from the light entry portion of the light-guiding plate when viewed from above, that includes a mounting surface for the plurality of light-emitting elements, the mounting surface being orthogonal to the side-end surface serving as the light entry portion; and a step portion with which an end portion of the light source substrate located toward the light-guiding plate makes contact.
US09885817B1

Assemblies and techniques are provided for a light guide having a plurality of edge surfaces, a plurality of light sources optically coupled to the light guide, a grating structure adapted to direct light from a light source of the plurality of light sources to exit the light guide, and a coating on an edge surface of the plurality of edge surfaces, where the coating is adapted to reflect light emitted by the light source.
US09885812B2

A covering for an architectural opening. The covering includes a cellular panel having at least two cellular units or rows. The covering also includes a light absorbing element positioned at an interface between the at least two cellular units. The light absorbing element may absorb substantial all visible light wavelengths.
US09885811B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a prism film and a method and an apparatus for manufacturing the prism film. The prism film comprises a substrate which is provided with prism protrusions formed of photoresist; wherein at least two prism protrusions have different heights. The embodiments of the present invention adopt the laser interference lithography apparatus for forming the prism film, such that the prism film has adjustable prism period and modulation depths. Moreover, the depth of modulation is distributed randomly on the surface of the manufactured prism film, and a prism direction and a prism period can be adjusted conveniently.
US09885805B2

System and methods of generating calibrated downhole images of a subterranean formation (110) surrounding a wellbore (105). The method involves measuring open hole and cased hole measurements with a downhole tool (132); determining (698) open hole parameters (e.g., Z90) from the cased hole parameters, known parameters and the open hole measurements; and generating (699) downhole outputs from the determined open hole parameters.
US09885794B2

Method and system for high-accurate position determination of control devices arranged in connection with instrumented cables towed behind a survey vessel by at least one autonomous surface vessel provided with acoustic communication means, where the control devices are provided with acoustic elements, and where the acoustic communication means and acoustic elements are used for accurate positioning of the surface vessel above the control device.
US09885787B2

A feed switcher for a satellite telecommunication system includes a microcontroller, a first relay, and a second relay. The first relay receives as inputs a first satellite feed and a second satellite feed. The second relay receives as inputs a third satellite feed and an output of the first relay. The output of the first relay includes the first satellite feed or the second satellite feed. The microcontroller has a first port and a second port, and the output of the second relay is based on whether at least one of the first port and the second port is open. Therefore, the output of the second relay may be either the output of the first relay or the third satellite feed.
US09885784B2

A system and method for locating a man-made object comprising a transmitter and receiver combination or transceiver configured to emit mixtures of polarizations comprising HH, VV, VH and or HV polarization images, at least one processor configured to form co-polarimetric and cross-polarimetric images, to select a pixel under test and analyze the surrounding pixels by performing spatial averaging using the cross polarimetric image, and to replace the pixel under test and the pixels adjacent thereto with an average pixel value calculated from the pixel under test and pixels adjacent thereto; the at least one processor configured to diminish background effects to produce clearer co-polarimetric and cross-polarimetric images and to locate the left-right point of symmetry indicative of a man-made object by comparing each pixel under test in the cross-polarimetric image to pixels in the vicinity to locate an intensity differential in excess of 3 dB.
US09885783B2

To reduce radar cells and to improve the detection of a radar system, particularly a high-frequency surface wave radar (HFSWR), the broadcast system (SEM) is capable of broadcasting basic orthogonal signals two by two and each orthogonal to itself, temporally shifted to form, respectively, broadcast radiation patterns, each including main radiation lobes (LP1, LPN) alternating with secondary lobes, the main lobes associated with the basic signals being substantially juxtaposed in space. The receiving system (SRE) is capable of forming as many reception patterns in a monitored receiving area (ZR) as cells (CESn'm) contained in the receiving area that are covered by main radiation lobes (LPn) from one of the broadcast radiation patterns and located at a bistatic distance from the broadcast and receiving systems.
US09885770B2

There is provided in a first form, an apparatus. The apparatus includes a detector array having a plurality of elements, the detector array comprising a photosensitive material and a photosensitive region disposed about and distinct from the plurality of elements. Electrical circuitry is coupled to each of the elements of the detector array. The electrical circuitry is configured to generate a set of first signals, each first signal of the set of first signals is based on optical energy impinging on a respective one of the plurality of elements of the detector array. The photosensitive region is coupled to the electrical circuitry and the electrical circuitry is configured to generate a second signal having a first value if no portion of optical energy impinging on the plurality of elements of the detector array impinges on the region disposed about the plurality of elements of the detector array. The second signal has a second value, distinct from the first value, if a portion of an optical energy impinging on the plurality of elements of the detector array impinges on the photosensitive region disposed about the plurality of elements of the detector array, the portion of the optical energy impinging on the photosensitive region disposed about the plurality of elements exceeds a threshold energy.
US09885768B2

A method for generating a desired temporal profile of the magnetization state in an object under examination (O) during an experiment involving magnetic resonance is characterized in that at least one spatially dependent change in the magnetization state inside the object under examination (O) is predefined and spatially selective radio-frequency pulses, which allow a simultaneous and independent change in the magnetization state at locations with different stipulations, are irradiated in order to implement the predefined spatially dependent change in the magnetization state. The method permits establishment of the same desired temporal profile of the magnetization state for different regions of the object under examination despite different given experimental parameters or deliberate generation of different desired profiles of the magnetization state at different locations.
US09885764B2

A high sensitivity push-pull bridge magnetic sensor, wherein the sensor comprises two substrates, magnetoresistive sense elements, push-arm flux concentrators, and pull-arm flux concentrators, wherein the magnetization directions of the pinning layers of the magnetoresistive sense elements on the same substrate are the same, but are opposite to the magnetization directions of the pinning layers of the magnetoresistive sense elements on the adjacent substrate, and the magnetoresistive sense elements on one substrate are electrically interconnected to form a push-arm of the bridge, and the magnetoresistive sense elements on the other substrate are electrically interconnected to form a pull-arm of the bridge. The magnetoresistive sense elements on the push-arm and pull-arm are aligned respectively in the gaps between two adjacent push-arm flux concentrators and two adjacent pull-arm flux concentrators. This sensor can be implemented as a quasi-bridge structure, a half-bridge structure, or a full-bridge structure. The sensor has the advantages of small offset, high sensitivity, excellent linearity, and low noise.
US09885759B2

For an efficient, economical and at the same time flexibly usable or configurable test arrangement for energy storage devices including a plurality of energy storage modules, each including a plurality of energy storage units, an AC/DC converter (2) is connected on the output side to at least one bidirectional isolated module DC/DC converter (51 . . . 5n), wherein the output of the bidirectional isolated module DC/DC converter (51 . . . 5n) is connected to a plurality of parallel-connected cell DC/DC converters (611 . . . 6nm) and the outputs of the cell DC/DC converters (611 . . . 6nm) are brought out as outputs (A1+, A1− . . . Ax+, Ax−) of the test arrangement (1).
US09885756B2

A load testing apparatus includes: a resistance unit including a plurality of resistors adapted to receive power supply from a test target power source and a wall adapted to hold both ends of each of the plurality of resistors; and a cover attached to a frame holding the resistance unit and adapted to protect the wall and a portion included in a terminal of the resistor and projecting and exposed from the wall. Each of the resistors includes a cap. The cap has an insulation property and is attached to the portion included in the terminal and projecting from the wall. The cover is made of a conductive material. The cap is arranged between the cover and the portion included in the terminal and projecting from the wall.
US09885743B2

Techniques for construction of an electric meter base level printed circuit board (PCB), such as for use in an electric consumption meter, are described herein. A plurality of heavy copper traces may be embedded in the PCB, thereby eliminating the need for heavy copper bar between connectors and components on the board. In one example, a PCB includes connectors for incoming and outgoing line and neutral conductors. The PCB may include a current measuring component, mounted on the PCB, to communicate with metrology circuitry. The PCB may include one or more switches, configured to regulate electrical service. Heavy electrical traces may be embedded in the PCB to connect the connectors and various components mounted on the PCB. The heavy electrical traces are sized to allow passage of currents that may be in excess of 100 amps.
US09885742B2

Aspects of detecting the unauthorized consumption of electrical energy are described. In some embodiments, a system includes a guided surface waveguide probe that launches a guided surface wave along a surface of a terrestrial medium. The system further includes metering systems that are distributed within a geographical region associated with the guided surface waveguide probe. The system also includes at least one computing device and memory storing computer instructions that cause the at least one computing device to generate an energy flow map using data obtained from the metering systems.
US09885739B2

An intelligent electronic device (IED), e.g., an electrical power meter, having at least one removable memory device for storing data sensed and generated by the intelligent electronic device is provided. The IED includes a housing; at least one sensor; at least one analog-to-digital converter; at least one processing unit coupled to the at least one analog-to-digital converter configured to receive the digital data and store the digital data in a removable memory; and at least one device controller coupled to the at least one processing unit, the at least one device controller including an interface disposed on the housing for interfacing with the removable memory, wherein the at least one device controller is operative as a USB master or USB slave device controller.
US09885732B2

An analysis device is provided with a first disk on which a sample container and disposable container can be disposed, a second disk on which a solid-phase extraction cartridge and disposable container can be disposed, a first probe capable of transferring a sample of the sample container disposed on the first disk or a solution of the disposable container disposed on the first disk to the solid-phase extraction cartridge or disposable container disposed on the second disk, and a second probe capable of transferring a reagent of a reagent container to the sample container or disposable container disposed on the first disk and the solid-phase extraction cartridge or disposable container disposed on the second disk. Sample preprocessing before solid-phase extraction processing takes place on the first disk.
US09885731B2

A medical tested object auto-ejection structure comprises a detection instrument and a tested object (1). An insertion port is formed in the detection instrument. When the tested object (1) is inserted in the instrument through the insertion port, the bottom end of the tested object (1) presses a bulge (21) used for rebounding, and a raised step (11) arranged on the surface of one side of the tested object (1) is locked on a clamping buckle (31) arranged at a position corresponding to the step on the instrument simultaneously, and after a test is finished, the instrument releases the locking of the clamping buckle (31) for the tested object (1) by a transmission device, and the tested object (1) is ejected from the instrument in time under the action of the bulge (21) used for rebounding, thus solving the problem of forgetting to pull the tested object out or inability to pull it out in time, and improving the reliability of the product.
US09885727B2

The present invention relates to methods of diagnosing, monitoring, and treating elastin fiber injuries. In additional preferred embodiments, the present invention relates to methods of validating candidate compounds for use in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema, refractory asthma, and other related diseases. Examples of such methods include determining if the candidate compound decreases the degradation of elastic fiber in a patient administered the candidate compound by measuring, using mass spectrometry employing an internal standard, a marker of elastic fiber degradation in a sample of a body fluid or a tissue of the patient. The invention provides that a decrease in the presence of the marker compared to a control validates that the candidate compound is effective to treat, prevent, or ameliorate the disease.
US09885724B2

Methods are described for measuring the amount of C peptide in a sample. More specifically, mass spectrometric methods are described for detecting and quantifying C peptide in a sample utilizing on-line extraction methods coupled with tandem mass spectrometric or high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometric techniques.
US09885697B2

A CMOS gas sensor that uses MTJ elements to capture/store gas concentration level data at high temperatures for later readout at low temperatures. Each MTJ element includes a storage layer whose magnetic orientation is switchable between parallel and anti-parallel directions relative to a fixed reference when heated above the storage layer's blocking temperature, whereby the MTJ element is switchable between low and high resistance states. During operation, reaction heat generated by a gas sensing element raises the MTJ element's temperature above the blocking temperature when ambient target gas exceeds a minimum concentration level, whereby an applied magnetic biasing force causes the storage layer's magnetic orientation to switch relative to the fixed reference, whereby the MTJ element captures measured concentration level data for later readout. In one embodiment, multiple MTJ elements connected in a NAND-type string switch at different concentration levels to provide highly accurate quantitative measurement data.
US09885696B2

An analyzer system (10) for measuring the mercury content of samples includes a mercury vapor analyzer (12) for generating and detecting analytical beams. A furnace (24) is mounted to a measurement cell (22). A sample boat (30) containing a sample is adapted to be disposed within the furnace to release heated sample effluent gas from the sample into the measurement cell. An optical bench (16) mounted to the mercury vapor analyzer (12) into which the measurement cell (22) is positioned in a path traveled by the analytical beams projected out of the vapor analyzer whereby the analytical beams traverse the measurement cell, interact with the sample effluent gas and return back to the vapor analyzer (12) where the amount of mercury in the heated sample effluent gas can be determined. A pump station (56) to draw the sample effluent gas from the measurement cell.
US09885693B2

A measuring system and device (12), a reaction carrier (14) and a measuring method for measuring a concentration of gaseous and/or aerosol components of a gas mixture are provided. The reaction carrier includes flow channels (42) and a coding that is detectable by a position sensor (36) to position the reaction carrier flow channels. At least one flow channel defines a reaction chamber (46) in which optically detectable reaction material (48) is provided. A position sensor detects a relative position of the reaction carrier. A conveying device (28) moves the reaction carrier relative to gas connections (22, 24) of a gas-inlet channel (16) and a gas-outlet channel (16, 18) between a measuring position with gas connections via a first flow channel for flushing the gas inlet channel and gas connections via a second flow channel defining a reaction chamber, for measuring the component of the gas mixture.
US09885692B2

The invention concerns a method for producing a chromatography-enrichment column, the method comprising the following steps: (a) depositing at least one layer of desired particles, which may be identical or different, and are intended to constitute the stationary phase, in a compact assembly, on the flat surface of a substrate; (b) crosslinking the layer in at least the regions corresponding to the desired shape of the enrichment column to be obtained; (c) impregnating the layer with a light radiation-sensitive material; (d) insolating the layer obtained in step (c) so as to form insolated regions of which the shape corresponds to the desired internal shape of the enrichment column, if the light radiation-sensitive material behaves like a positive resin or to form non-insolated regions of which the shape corresponds to the desired internal shape of the enrichment column if the light radiation-sensitive material behaves like negative resin; and (e) eliminating the light radiation-sensitive material in the zones corresponding to the internal shape of the enrichment column. The invention is used in particular in the field of chemical analysis.
US09885690B2

An ultrasonic inspection tool has a chassis with a two part body, an aperture for providing a clear line of sight between an array and a workpiece, and a series of feet for sliding along the workpiece.
US09885689B2

A sensor includes an inflow section into which an analyte liquid flows; a first cover member; a detection element including an element substrate located on an upper surface of the first cover member, and a detection section which is located on an upper surface of the element substrate and is configured to detect a target contained in an analyte liquid; an intermediate cover member including a first upstream portion; a second cover member including a second upstream portion; and a flow channel which is surrounded by the intermediate cover member and the second cover member, is continuous with the inflow section, and extends at least to the detection section. A contact angle θ2a of a lower surface of the second upstream portion of the second cover member with the analyte liquid is smaller than a contact angle θ3 of an upper surface of the detection element with the analyte liquid.
US09885685B2

Various methods are provided for compensating changes in the relation between impedance setpoint and operating temperature in an oxygen sensor. In one embodiment, a method of operating an oxygen sensor comprises adjusting an impedance setpoint based on a change in dry air pumping current of the oxygen sensor.
US09885679B2

A detecting device for detecting a usage state of a socket includes a carrier, a movable assembly and a conductivity detecting module. The carrier has a first plug hole and a second plug hole. The movable assembly is movably disposed in the carrier. The conductivity detecting module is disposed on the carrier. The movable assembly is moved for exposing the first plug hole and the second plug hole by an external pushing force, and a detecting signal of the socket in-use is generated by the conductivity detecting module according to movement of the movable assembly.
US09885670B2

An inspection apparatus which can be accurately calibrated regardless of a use environment or an amount of use time is implemented. A reference substrate 100 provided with a diffraction grating 107 is mounted on a transport system 110, an illumination region 106 is formed on the diffraction grating 107 by light 105 from an illumination optical system 104, reflected light is collected by a detection optical system 108, and an output value from a sensor 111 is measured. It is determined whether or not a difference between a simulation value preserved in a processing section 112 and the output value from the sensor 111 is within a predetermined allowable range, and the optical system is adjusted so that the difference enters the allowable range. Since standard data for performing calibration on the inspection apparatus is obtained by using the diffraction grating, it is possible to implement the inspection apparatus which can be accurately calibrated regardless of a use environment or an amount of use time.
US09885668B2

A surface inspection device includes an opening defining an aperture plane, one or more optical transceivers, and a processor. Each optical transceiver includes a light emitter and a light receiver that are arranged in different directions with respect to the aperture plane when viewed from above a virtual normal line of the aperture plane. The processor acquires detection values from the optical transceivers and calculates an evaluation value of a degree of variation in the detection values.
US09885667B2

A can body inspection apparatus which prevents a drop in resistance to noise while enabling high speed inspection is provided. It is comprised of a light source control means (21, 22) for turning on the light source unit a predetermined number of times of two times or more at predetermined timings at which light can be taken in by the light-detection unit through the open end face of the can body W which is moving along the path of conveyance W, a detection signal integrating means 23 for integrating signal values based on the detection signal which is output from the light-detection unit 15 due to on operations of the light source unit 10, and a condition judging means 24 for using an integrated value which is obtained by the detection signal integrating means 23 as the basis to judge the condition of the can body.
US09885664B2

A method of assessing the efficiency of a cleaning operation and assessing likely residual contamination on substrates after a cleaning operation.
US09885663B2

Cardiac disease is the world's leading cause of death. Cardiac Disease's pathogenesis is largely attributed to cholesterol, predominantly carried by low-density lipoproteins (LDL). However, recent research has found that oxidized-LDL is significantly more potent in the initiation and development of atherosclerosis. Tests for both cholesterol and ox-LDL tests are lab-based and expensive. With every third American at risk for Cardiac Disease, this invention discloses an on-site, ultra-low cost, rapid diagnostic test. The diagnostic test disclosed will enable a holistic assessment of Cardiac Disease risk. Furthermore, portability and ultra low-cost of the test put vital health data in the hands of patients and doctors. Additionally, the inkjet printing system disclosed can be used to mass produce the test strips on demand.
US09885662B2

Methods and systems are presented for analyzing semiconductor materials as they progress along a production line, using photoluminescence images acquired using line-scanning techniques. The photoluminescence images can be analyzed to obtain spatially resolved information on one or more properties of said material, such as lateral charge carrier transport, defects and the presence of cracks. In one preferred embodiment the methods and systems are used to obtain series resistance images of silicon photovoltaic cells without making electrical contact with the sample cell.
US09885661B2

Disclosed is an analyte detection method for detecting an analyte contained in a biological sample, constituted by irradiating a light of a first peak wavelength on a complex containing an analyte and fluorescent substance which gives off light of a second peak wavelength of 450 nm or higher but not exceeding 900 nm when irradiated with light of the first wavelength of 190 nm or higher but not exceeding 350 nm, detecting the light of the second peak wavelength given off by the fluorescent substance when irradiated by light of the first peak wavelength, by a photodetector, wherein the photodetector has a quantum efficiency in the second peak wavelength that is two or more times the quantum efficiency in the first peak wavelength.
US09885646B2

Systems and methods for calculating gas densities within a fluid enclosure are disclosed. In an example embodiment, a system includes a temperature probe for measuring an enclosure temperature in a fluid enclosure filled at least in part with a fill gas, an atmospheric pressure sensor for measuring the atmospheric pressure outside the fluid enclosure, a gas sensor for measuring an enclosure pressure within the fluid enclosure, and a controller for calculating a fill gas density within the fluid enclosure based at least in part on the enclosure temperature, the atmospheric pressure, the enclosure pressure, and a gas coefficient of the fill gas.
US09885643B2

A novel reagent for clarification of an emulsion containing a salt and first and second surfactants is used in a method of clarifying emulsions which may contain inorganic, organic or biological particles to be measured. The reagent may be proved as kit of parts for in situ preparation thereof.
US09885635B2

A control device for an internal combustion engine that includes: a first detection unit detecting, as a first parameter, a temperature of a nozzle tip of an injector; and a second detection unit detecting, as a second parameter, a heat quantity of a cylinder head, and executes a dew condensation determination by using at least one of the first parameter and the second parameter, the control device includes: a third detection unit detecting an evaluation value allowing to evaluate a state of the internal combustion engine, a threshold value for selecting which parameter of the first and second parameters is selected being set with respect to the evaluation value, wherein the control device switches a parameter to be used to the first parameter, to the second parameter, or to both the first and second parameters in accordance with the evaluation value when executing the dew condensation determination.
US09885633B2

An optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) measurement is produced from an OFDR apparatus that includes a tunable laser source coupled to a sensing interferometer and a monitor interferometer. The sensing interferometer is also coupled to a waveguide, e.g., an optical sensing fiber. Sensor interferometric data obtained by the OFDR measurement is processed in the spectral domain (e.g., frequency) with one or more parameters to compensate for the optical dispersion associated with the sensing interferometer data. A Fourier Transform of the dispersion-compensated sensing interferometric data in the spectral domain is performed to provide a dispersion-compensated OFDR measurement information in the temporal (e.g., time) domain.
US09885632B2

An instrument has a light-emitting and light-receiving assembly including an image capture unit and image processing unit; a backscatterer and an opening provided therein; a support for receiving an ophthalmic lens between the assembly and backscatterer, the assembly, support and backscatterer placed so that an incident light beam traverses the lens, strikes the backscatterer, returns and re-traverses the lens to arrive at the capture unit; the light-receiving assembly, the support, backscatterer and opening configured so that the assembly receives light from the beam; and the opening and a drive device for cyclically driving and making the backscatterer perform an identical movement in each cycle, configured so that a fixed zone opposite the backscatterer includes at least one part of which, over the course of a cycle, every point is at times perpendicular to the opening and at times perpendicular to a solid portion part of the backscatterer.
US09885625B2

An air pump includes a barrel and a pumping device moving with respect to the barrel when the air pump is operated. A joint assembly fluidly connecting to the air pump is disposed on the barrel and includes a first hole to receive air from the air pump, a connecting device including a rotatable adaptor, and a second hole extending through the rotatable adaptor and fluidly connecting to the first hole. A pressure gauge connects to the joint assembly on the rotatable adaptor, includes an air inlet hole fluidly connecting to the second hole, has a first side thereof including a first dial with a first measuring range and a second side thereof including a second dial with a second measuring range different from the first measuring range, and is rotatable between use positions thereof.
US09885617B2

Provided is a contact type internal thermometer including: a measurement surface that is brought into contact with a measurement object; a first temperature sensor stack including a first measurement surface side temperature sensor and a first back surface side temperature sensor arranged on opposite sides of a first thermal resistor; a second temperature sensor stack including a second measurement surface side temperature sensor and a second back surface side temperature sensor arranged on opposite sides of a second thermal resistor; and a controller configured to calculate an internal temperature of the measurement object based on measurement results of the respective temperature sensors, in which the controller has a first mode of calculating the internal temperature based on a heat conduction equation in a non-steady state, and a second mode of calculating the internal temperature based on a heat conduction equation in a steady state.
US09885610B2

A thermowell system for measuring a process temperature includes an elongate thermowell having a proximal end and a distal end configured to extend into a process fluid. An infrared sensor is configured to detect infrared radiation from the distal end of the thermowell and responsively provide a sensor output. Vibration detector circuitry is coupled to the infrared detector and configured to detect vibration of the thermowell as a function of oscillations in the sensor output.
US09885609B2

A turbine engine optical system includes a plurality of viewing ports in an engine case that are circumferentially spaced from one-another. At least one optical device is optically coupled to the ports for viewing an internal chamber defined by the engine case and for depicting at least spatial temperature distributions. The chamber may be an exhaust chamber and the controller may have the capability to correlate events in the exhaust chamber to events in an upstream combustor chamber and may thereby adjust operating parameters of a fuel system of the combustor.
US09885599B2

A nozzle adapter assembly is provided for adapting use of nozzles on liquid dispensing pumps with test and measurement equipment such as liquid provers, test measures and liquid proving systems. The adapter can be used with automatic shut-off nozzles through which the liquid may normally be dispensed.
US09885580B2

A navigation method for a navigating apparatus of a moving device, including obtaining weight information that includes a plurality of weight coefficients and storing the weight information, detecting one or a plurality of paths through which the moving device is capable of moving, acquiring information regarding a position of a destination with respect to the moving device as destination positional information, acquiring information regarding characteristics of topography in surroundings of the moving device as topographical characteristics information, calculating worth correlation information regarding the one or plurality of detected paths to the destination using the acquired destination positional information, the acquired topographical characteristics information and the stored weight information, and estimating a worth score of each of the one or plurality of paths to the destination based on the calculated worth correlation information.
US09885577B2

Reducing noise from drive tone and sense resonance peaks of a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope output using a notch filter is presented herein. The MEMS gyroscope can include a drive oscillation component configured to vibrate a sensor mass at a drive resonance frequency; a sense circuit configured to detect a deflection of the sensor mass, and generate, based on the deflection and the drive resonance frequency, a demodulated output; and a signal processing component configured to receive a set of frequencies comprising a first value representing the drive resonance frequency and a second value corresponding to a sense resonance frequency associated with the sense circuit, and apply, based on the first value and the second value, a notch filter to the demodulated output to obtain a filtered output.
US09885575B2

The invention relates to an inertial unit for being attached to a rotatable part of a vehicle, the rotatable part being coupled to a power equipment of the vehicle, the inertial unit including: at least one acceleration sensor and/or at least one magnetometer arranged to detect a tilting angle of the rotatable part, and/or at least one counter device arranged to detect rotations of the rotatable part, and at least one gyroscope arranged to detect directions at a rim level of the rotatable part for providing angular information for positioning.
US09885574B2

A method that performs a series of interactive operations to calibrate a compass in a mobile device. The method requires a user to move the device to a variety of different orientations. In order to ensure that the device moves to a sufficient number and variety of orientations, the method instructs the user to rotate the device in a series of interactive operations. The interactive operations provide feedback to inform the user how well the user is performing the interactive operations. In some embodiments, the feedback is tactile (e.g., a vibration). In some embodiments the feedback is audible (e.g., a beep or buzz). In some embodiments, the feedback is visual (e.g., an image or images on a video display of the device). The feedback in some embodiments is continuous (e.g., a changing visual display) and in some embodiments is discrete (e.g., the device beeps after taking a good reading).
US09885573B2

A computer program for the extraction of information about one or more spatial objects by a person, which program is designed for analyzing the sequence of images in real time, using image analysis techniques, and extracting information about said one or more objects, and communicating at least part of said information to the person in real time via the output means; wherein the information about said one or more objects comprises at least: the spatial position of said one or more objects; the spatial distance between two objects; the spatial relative angle between two essentially linear objects; and/or an indication regarding the realized accuracy of the extracted information.
US09885563B2

Dynamic digital fringe projection (DDFP) techniques for measuring warpage. The DDFP technique generates a dynamic fringe pattern, in which a proper fringe intensity distribution is dynamically determined based on the surface reflectance of an unpainted sample in order to obtain better fringe image contrasts. The DDFP technique includes the automatic segmentation method to segment the chip package and PWB regions in an unpainted PWB assembly PWBA image. It also includes calibration methods to compensate the mismatches in coordinates and intensities between the projected and captured images.
US09885560B2

A length artifact has a first side wall, a second side wall, and a base portion, the first side wall and the second side wall separated by an air gap at least four millimeters wide, the base portion being attached to a bottom of the first side wall and the second side wall, the base portion further having a first platform region that includes a first nest and a second platform region that includes a second nest, the first nest and the second nest configured to accept a spherical surface of a retroreflector target.
US09885558B2

A position detecting apparatus includes a light source, which supplies a detecting light; a light-collecting optical system which collects the detecting light onto a diffracted light generating portion provided on the object; a light guiding optical system which guides, to a predetermined position, a diffracted measuring light generated from the diffracted light generating portion by receiving the detecting light and a reference light generated from a reference surface by receiving the detecting light; and a photodetector which is arranged at the predetermined position and which detects interference fringes generated by the diffracted measuring light and the reference light. Three-dimensional positional information of, for example, a mask pattern surface or an exposure surface of a photosensitive substrate can be highly accurately detected by a relatively simple construction.
US09885550B1

Methods of preparing propellant compositions for power loads and firearms that include providing pre-shaped particle sized starting material, shaped consistent with a desired final propellant product shape, and thereafter nitrating and stabilizing the pre-shaped starting material using boiling stabilization processes. The resulting nitrated propellants of the methods reliably exhibit complete stabilization, high nitrogen substitution, high shelf life and acceptable ballistic performance.
US09885547B1

A target has a body with an internal indicia and external indicia and a top portion which is opposite from the target base and surrounds one or more apertures. The internal indicia provide the target with a visual indicator upon impact and adaptable uses. The external indicia aid in identifying the target for use in cognitive shooting drills. The aperture has an axis that is perpendicular to the centerline of the body, and the target base and apertures opposite from the target base allow the marksman to stand the target on its own, secure it to an object, or suspend the target from an object.
US09885545B2

A disruptor device simulation system is described. Embodiments of the of the simulation system include a disruptor device, one or more training cartridges, and a simulator system. The disruptor device can be loaded with training cartridges and implemented in a training scenario. The training cartridges can include a pair of infrared lasers and an infrared emitter. The simulator system can alter the training scenario based detecting pulses of light generated by the lasers and signals from the infrared emitter. In one embodiment, the simulator system can be adapted to determine when a trigger of the disruptor device is pulled and when an arc switch of the disruptor device is pressed. The simulator system can include a sensor adapted to detect the pulses of light generated by the pair of lasers. The simulator system can further include a receiver adapted to detect signals generated by the emitter.
US09885544B2

Applique armor has a mounting plate with a channel that receives flanged beam mounted on a structure to be protected. A box is attached to the mounting plate opposite the channel. The box contains an open cell layer. When applied to a structure, adjacent mounting plates interlock using mortise and tenon, and mounting plates arranged one behind another overlap with boxes on neighboring mounting plates to eliminate gaps in the armor.
US09885538B2

A handgrip for a firearm is provided for ergonomic angular adjustment. The ergonomic adjustable handgrip illustratively includes an attachment to a firearm, an upper grip portion, and a lower grip portion. The lower grip portion can be released by a push button, adjusted to a user preferred angle relative to the upper grip portion, and locked into the angle by releasing the push button.
US09885533B2

A muzzle brake for high power rifles, hand guns, machine guns, and artillery, exhibiting barrel stabilization and recoil reduction, by capturing gasses against a caliber specific orifice end plate and redirecting these gases both out of the muzzle brake, and into the muzzle brake to fill the partial vacuum left by the exiting high pressure gases, by way of Major truncated socket forms, and to a lesser extent, with the use of Minor truncated socket forms, and their associated vent ports in an asymmetrical pattern that balances barrel lift, and recoil against the expected and recovered gases.
US09885529B2

The present disclosure pertains generally to cam pins for rotating bolt firearms. In certain aspects, the present disclosure provides cam pins having a curved profile along a portion of the cam pin that contacts sides of a cam slot in a bolt carrier. Kits, bolt carrier group assemblies, and firearms are also disclosed.
US09885527B2

Disclosed are a header assembly and a heat exchanger. The header assembly includes: a header; a distribution member disposed in the header and having a distribution opening; a regulating member disposed movably at the distribution member and configured to regulate the distribution opening; and a driving member configured to magnetically drive the regulating member to move so as to regulate the distribution opening. By means of changing the position of the driving member, the header assembly and the heat exchanger are capable of changing the position of the regulating member via magnetic force, thereby regulating the distribution opening. Therefore, requirements under different operating conditions can be satisfied, and the applicability and distributing effect for refrigerant are improved.
US09885523B2

A heat exchanger including a shell forming a generally cylindrical housing, a plurality of dividers within the shell extending along the length of the shell, wherein the dividers separate the shell into sections and each section forms a shell pass. The heat exchanger can further include a plurality of tube passes, wherein at least one tube pass is contained within each of the shell passes, and each tube pass comprises a plurality of tubes extending along the length of the shell, a shell inlet passage configured to receive a first fluid into a first shell pass and a shell outlet passage configured to discharge the first fluid from a last shell pass, and a plurality of shell pass passages formed in the dividers near a first end or a second end of the shell configured to allow flow of the first fluid from one shell pass to the next shell pass. In addition, the heat exchanger can include a tube inlet passage configured to receive a second fluid into a first tube pass and a tube outlet passage configured to discharge the second fluid from a last tube pass and a pair of shell heads configured to couple to the first end and the second end of the shell, wherein the shell heads are divided into a plurality of sections and each section is configured to route flow of the second fluid from one tube pass to the next tube pass.
US09885522B2

Provided is a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a case including a plurality of chambers, each of the plurality of chambers having a chamber entry opening to the outside; and a plurality of heat exchange tubes accommodated in the each of the plurality of chambers, where each heat exchange tube includes an inlet portion; an outlet portion; and an intermediate portion connected between the inlet portion and the outlet portion, wherein each heat exchange tube of one of the plurality of chambers is arranged as a mirror image from corresponding heat exchange tube of an adjacent chamber of the one of the plurality of chambers with respect to a wall disposed between the one and the adjacent chambers.
US09885515B2

An appliance body of a refrigeration appliance can be closed off in its upper part by at least one door and receives a drawer in its lower part. The drawer can be locked in the closed position by a latch, which engages into a fitting part that supports the door.
US09885509B2

A method for monitoring gas pressure in a heat rejecting heat exchanger in a cooling circuit is disclosed. The present capacity of one or more compressors in the cooling circuit compared to a maximum capacity of the one or more compressors is established. If the present capacity of the one or more compressors is at least at a level corresponding to a pre-set percentage of the maximum capacity, a period of time elapsed from a point in time where the compressor capacity reached said level is established. If the established period of time has a duration which is longer than a pre-set period of time, then it is concluding that the cooling medium is in a gas loop operational mode, allowing an operator or a controller to adjust operation of the cooling plant such that the cooling medium is brought out of the gas loop operational mode.
US09885493B2

A processing chamber and a Faraday shield system for use in a plasma processing chambers are provided. One system includes a disk structure defining a Faraday shield, and the disk structure has a process side and a back side. The disk structure extends between a center region to a periphery region. The disk structure resides within the processing volume. The system also includes a hub having an internal plenum for passing a flow of air received from an input conduit and removing the flow of air from an output conduit. The hub has an interface surface that is coupled to the back side of the disk structure at the center region. A fluid delivery control is coupled to the input conduit of the hub. The fluid delivery control is configured with a flow rate regulator. The regulated air can be amplified or compressed dry air (CDA).
US09885492B2

A wiring configuration tool may be configured to determine a new wiring configuration for a replacement HVAC controller based, at least in part, on the existing wiring configuration for a current HVAC controller and, for example, the make and model of the replacement HVAC controller. The wiring configuration tool may be hosted by a server that provides a user interface for interacting with the user. The user may access the wiring configuration tool via a web services interface, a smart phone application or in any other suitable manner.
US09885491B2

A management apparatus for an air-conditioning apparatus configured to manage a plurality of air-conditioning apparatuses configured to condition air in an air-conditioning target space includes: a management-side communication unit to receive data of arrival locations and arrival times in the space transmitted from a plurality of terminal devices; and a management-side arithmetic unit configured to perform totaling based on the data of the arrival locations and the arrival times received by the management-side communication unit, and to perform a process of determining an order in which operation is started in the plurality of air-conditioning apparatuses. Operation is performed in order, and thus a steep increase in power consumption can be reduced.
US09885488B2

An indoor unit of an air conditioner is provided, comprising an air duct, an air outlet in communication with the air duct, and an air deflector for guiding the direction of air outflow of the air conditioner, with a volute tongue being provided at an end of the air duct proximately to the air outlet, wherein the indoor unit of the air conditioner further comprises an air deflector opening and closing mechanism in drive connection with the air deflector which is rotatably provided at the outer side of the air outlet. The indoor unit of the air conditioner can sealingly close the air outlet with respect to the air deflector and avoid any gap from being formed between the air deflector and the air outlet when the air deflector is closed.
US09885486B2

A heat pump system for conditioning air supplied to a space is provided. The system includes a pre-processing module that pre-conditions supply air. A supply air heat exchanger is in flow communication with the pre-processing module. The supply air heat exchanger receives air from the pre-processing module and at least one of heats or cools the air from the pre-processing module. A processing module is in flow communication with the supply air heat exchanger. The processing module receiving and conditioning air from the supply air heat exchanger. A regeneration air heat exchanger is provided to at least one of heat or cool regeneration air. The regeneration air heat exchanger and the supply air heat exchanger are fluidly coupled by a refrigerant system.
US09885481B2

The invention refers to a sequential combustor arrangement including a first burner, a first combustion chamber, a dilution burner for admixing a dilution gas and a second fuel via a dilution-gas-fuel-admixer to the first combustor combustion products. The dilution-gas-fuel-admixer has at least one streamlined body which is arranged in the dilution burner for introducing the at least one second fuel into the dilution burner through at least one fuel nozzle, and which has a streamlined cross-sectional profile and which extends with a longitudinal direction perpendicularly or at an inclination to a main flow direction prevailing in the dilution burner. The streamlined body includes a dilution gas opening for admixing dilution gas into the first combustor combustion products upstream of the at least one fuel nozzle. The disclosure further refers to a method for operating a gas turbine with such a sequential combustor arrangement.
US09885480B2

A combustion chamber of a combustor for a gas turbine is provided. A combustion chamber includes a plurality of segments arranged annularly about an axis of the combustion chamber, each segment comprising a radial inner wall portion and a radial outer wall portion, a first section comprising an opening for the installation of a burner, and a second section at which at least one airfoil extends between the radial inner wall portion and radial outer wall portion of the segment.
US09885476B2

The invention concerns a surface-combustion gas burner comprising a combustion grate consisting of a metal sheet pierced with a series of slots. This burner is remarkable in that said metal sheet comprises a series of deflectors made in one piece with said metal sheet and protruding on the outer face of same, each deflector extending longitudinally and laterally above the entire surface of a slot, and in that each deflector comprises a guide portion for guiding the gas flow and a junction portion joining to the metal sheet, said guide portion being spaced from the metal sheet in such a way as to provide therewith at least one lateral gas ejection port, said deflectors being disposed in pairs in such a way that the lateral gas ejection ports of same face each other.
US09885475B2

A wax burning system is disclosed. The system has a melted wax reservoir, a solid wax, a melting grate, a hollow core wick, and a wick sheath. The solid wax has a priming section. The melting grate is configured to receive the solid wax. The melting grate is located above at least a portion of the melted wax reservoir so that the solid wax melted on the melting grate is received into the melted wax reservoir. The melting grate has one or more apertures to allow a melted wax to flow through the melting grate and into the melted wax reservoir. The hollow-core wick extends above the melting grate and is configured to receive fuel from the melted wax reservoir. The priming section is located above a top of the hollow-core wick to prime the hollow-core wick for ignition. The wick sheath surrounds the hollow-core wick.
US09885472B2

An illuminating ventilator includes a case, a lamp and a power supply module. A first air opening and a second air opening are respectively formed on two sides of the case. The case includes an air channel having two ends respectively communicating with the first air opening and the second air opening. The fan is disposed in the case and is arranged in the air channel. The lamp is detachably attached to the case. The power supply module includes an AC input terminal, a first DC output terminal and a second DC output terminal. The first DC output terminal is electrically connected with the fan, and the second DC output terminal is electrically connected with the lamp. As such, the illuminating ventilator is provided with improved installation convenience, reduced production cost and reduced difficulty of maintaining and repairing.
US09885470B1

An illuminant handrail includes a rod and two fixing seats respectively fixed to two ends of the rod. A fastener is mounted to a bottom of and extends downward from each fixing seat. Two illuminating devices are respectively mounted to the bottoms of the fixing seats. Each illuminating device includes a lamp seat receiving an illuminating unit. The lamp seat of each illuminating device is transparent and includes a top wall and a peripheral wall connected to the top wall. The top wall includes a fixing hole through which one of the fasteners extends. Each illuminating unit includes a lighting unit and a circuit board. Each illuminating unit is mounted between the fixing hole and the peripheral wall of one of the two illuminating devices. The light rays emitted by the illuminating devices transmit through the lamp seats to indicate the position of the handrail.
US09885469B2

An oven light including an attachment sleeve which is attachable in a recess of a cooking cavity wall; a light permeable cover which closes the recess of the cooking cavity wall; an illuminant which is arranged behind the light permeable cover and whose emitted light is used for illuminating the cooking cavity, wherein the illuminant is formed by at least one LED which emits light in a light cone (K), wherein the LED is arranged on a cooling element which dissipates operating heat of the LED, wherein a heat barrier is arranged between the cover and the LED and protects the LED from a cooking temperature, wherein the light cone penetrates an arrangement plane of the heat barrier, characterized in that the heat barrier includes at least one in particular light permeable heat shield with an opening through which light of the LED propagates in a direction towards the cover.
US09885463B2

A refrigerating or freezing apparatus comprising an interior and a lighting device for illuminating the interior is presented. The lighting device includes in one embodiment a light-emitting element and a reflecting surface, in the direction of which the light-emitting element emits a light beam and by which the light beam is reflected in the direction of the interior. The lighting device further includes a drive device controlled by a control unit to adjust the light-emitting element with respect to the reflecting surface and thereby vary at least one of the radiating position and radiating direction of the light beam emitted by the light-emitting element relative to the reflecting surface.
US09885461B2

A remotely directable luminaire with an improved color LED homogenization system for LED luminaires employing a plurality of LED arrays where an array employs a plurality of discrete peak LED groups and dichroic mirrors maximized for transmission/reflection of around the groups of LED's discrete peaks to generate a directional homogenized color light beam with additive color mixing.
US09885460B2

A light assembly includes a case, a light member, an adjustment unit and a reflection unit. The light member is located on the support member at the center of the case, and the adjustment unit and the reflection unit are located within the case. The reflection unit includes multiple first reflection members, and multiple second reflection members. The light member is located at the position surrounded by the respective root portions of the first and second reflection members. The first and second reflection members are pivoted relative to the light member when the adjustment unit is operated.
US09885456B2

Disclosed is a ventilation device for discharging water vapor from the interior of a housing of a vehicular lamp to the outside of the housing, wherein: a ventilation path that is bent and is in communication with a ventilation opening in the housing is formed; and, up to the terminal end of the ventilation path including the bent part, the ventilation path maintains a minimum cross-sectional area with which it is possible to maintain a fogging reduction rate of 80% or higher in a lapse of 5 minutes. Thus, a defogging property inside the housing is improved while preventing the infiltration of liquid water and external substances by employing the ventilation path having a bent part.
US09885452B2

A 3D swing simulation electronic candle lamp includes a retaining device and a swing device. The swing device is installed on the retaining device. The swing device is able to swing in an upright direction. A fake flame is provided and retained on the swing device. The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the fake flame is provided and retained on the swing device and the swing device is installed on the retaining device, enabling the fake flame to swing freely in an upright direction along with the swing device so as to imitate the swing effect of a real flame.
US09885441B2

Pipe replacement devices, and systems are shown. Devices and systems may include jointed cutters and floating cutters to navigate difficult pipe replacement conditions. Devices and systems may also include replacement pipe with pre-installed supply hoses, such as lubricant supply and/or pneumatic supply hoses. Methods of pipe replacement are also described, including splitting old pipe and pulling in new pipe behind the equipment as splitting progresses.
US09885437B2

This invention relates to pipeline connection, and discloses specifically a fluid shunt device, comprising a container and one or more branch pipeline connection devices; wherein the branch pipeline connection device comprises a joint, a gland, a sealing piece and a lock piece; the front end of the joint is passed sequentially through the inner hole of the gland and the sealing piece, inserted into the container through the circular hole, and connected with the lock piece in the container, thus the sealing piece is clamped tightly by the joint between the container and the gland along the axial direction of the joint. The sealing for the connection between the branch pipeline connection devices and the container is reliable, and the technique for the processing of the product is simple.
US09885433B2

Devices and methods for reversibly securing first and second component subs of submersible well pump assembly. First and second component subs are provided with connection end portions which are placed into a sealed abutting relation. A connecting collar is threaded onto the first component sub. A locking groove on the first component sub receives a locking dog therein.
US09885429B2

The cable routing device serves for routing at least one cable of a moved machine part in the manner of a drag chain. The cable routing device is bendable in a reversible manner in at least one defined bending direction and to this end has a flexurally flexible carrier structure, which extends in a longitudinal direction. Embedded into said carrier structure is an insert part with a cross sectional geometry different from circular. The bending direction is determined by the cross sectional geometry of the insert part. The cable routing device, in this case, is realized in the longitudinal direction from a plastic compound by a continuous shaping operation, wherein the insert part is at the same time incorporated into the carrier structure. The cable routing device has cross sectional geometries that vary in the longitudinal direction and are formed by the continuous shaping operation.
US09885420B2

An embodiment includes a gate valve comprising: a valve body including a cavity coupled to a channel having proximal and distal portions; a gate to seal and unseal the channel; proximal and distal seats adjacent the gate; wherein (a) the proximal seat traverses towards the gate and stops at a first position when the gate is closing and the proximal channel portion is more highly pressurized than the cavity, and (b) the distal seat slides away from the gate and stops at a second position when the gate is closing and the cavity is more heavily pressurized than the distal channel portion. Other embodiments are described herein.
US09885419B2

A seal for a vacuum lifter and method of manufacture wherein the seal has a continuous unbroken outer fluid resistant skin of elastomer which forms a boundary around a homogeneous cellular structure with no interior seams or joints.
US09885415B2

An axle assembly for a vehicle including a differential carrier having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion including a first engagement surface coupled with a second engagement surface of the second portion. The differential carrier defines a differential area and a clutch area substantially separated by a partition. The differential carrier first engagement surface defines a lubricant channel fluidly connecting the differential area with the clutch area, and at least partially located above the clutch area and at least partially located in an outer wall of the differential carrier. The axle assembly further includes a bearing retainer disposed through the outer wall of the differential carrier. The bearing retainer includes an aperture therethrough, fluidly connecting the lubricant channel with a clutch assembly.
US09885414B2

A lubrication device for a belt-driven continuously variable transmission is provided. The lubrication device comprises a stabilizer 24 brought into contact to a straight portion of a belt 6 between the pulleys to suppress vibrations of the belt. The stabilizer 24 comprises openings 31, 32, 33 and 34 oriented to each contact point between a sheave 7, 8, 13 or 14 and the belt 6 to apply oil thereto, while being allowed to pivot and twist in response to a change in posture of the belt 6 resulting from a speed change operation to keep the opening oriented to the contact point.
US09885413B2

A differential transmission for a motor vehicle comprising a driving gear wherein the driver gear introduces torque to the transmission; a first output element and a second output element wherein the first and second output elements output torque from the transmission; a differential cage designed for transmitting torque from the driving gear to the first output element, wherein the differential cage is non-rotatably connected to the driving gear, and the first output element is rotationally arranged to the differential cage; a sliding sleeve wherein the sliding sleeve is arranged between the differential cage and the first output element, wherein the sliding sleeve has a lubricating recess which extends in a spiral shape in the circumferential direction and is operatively arranged to provide a lubricating film.
US09885410B2

A unit support for supporting a drive unit with respect to a motor vehicle includes a crossmember, at least one unit bearing between the crossmember and the drive unit to support the drive unit, and a shape-fitting connection fastening the at least one unit bearing to the crossmember.
US09885405B2

A stator assembly of a hydrokinetic torque converter includes a stator rotatable about an axis and having a hub bore coaxial to the axis, the stator having a crimped portion, a one-way clutch mounted to the stator in the hub bore coaxially to the axis, and a retainer plate fixedly secured to the stator in hub bore by the crimped portion. A method for making a stator assembly of a hydrokinetic torque converter involves providing a stator having an axis and a hub bore that is coaxial with the axis, the hub bore containing a one-way clutch and an annular retainer plate, and crimping a portion of the stator to fixedly secure the one-way clutch and the annular retainer plate in the hub bore.
US09885401B2

A chain guide includes a guide base pivotable about a fulcrum shaft. The fulcrum shaft is between a roller bearing located at an end portion of the guide base, which is closer to the fulcrum shaft, and the center of the guide base in the longitudinal direction of the guide base such that the roller bearing is outside of the fulcrum shaft.
US09885395B2

A selectable one-way clutch adapted to prevent an undesirable engagement is provided. The selectable one-way clutch comprises first spline teeth formed on a connecting portion of a notch plate connected to a rotary member; second spline teeth formed on the rotary member to be meshed with the first spline teeth; a first flank formed individually on the first spline teeth; and a second flank formed individually on the second spline teeth to be brought into contact to the first flank. The first flank and the second flank are individually set at a predetermined angle to establish a component of torque of the rotary member rotating the notch plate to isolate the notch plate away from the selector plate.
US09885378B2

The present screw anchor advantageously has two fins radially extending from the body of the screw anchor, where the fins additionally extend above the top end of the body. This unique fin design permits the user to drive the screw anchor into the worn screw hole within a wood substrate so that the screw anchor is substantially flush or recessed within the worn screw hole. When the fins are aligned with the grain of the wood, the fins split the wood at the grain and prevent rotation of the screw anchor. Because the screw anchor is flush or recessed, the anchor does not interfere with the installation of hardware overtop the anchor, such as a hinge. Furthermore, the original screw, such as in the case of a door hinge, can be reused to create an invisible repair.
US09885374B2

A hydraulic system of a vehicle is provided, said system including:a first hydraulic circuit (1) having a first pressure source (2) and at least a first hydraulic consumer (3, 4),a second hydraulic circuit (5) having a second pressure source (6) and at least a second hydraulic consumer (7),connecting means (10, 11) allowing a flow of hydraulic fluid at least from said first hydraulic circuit (1) to said second hydraulic circuit (5),and control means (16) for controlling operation of said hydraulic consumers (3, 4, 7). Such a hydraulic system should allow safe operation of a vehicle with low energy consumption of the hydraulic system. To this end said control means (16) are connected to summation demand means (12), said summation demand means (12) controlling flow of hydraulic fluid from at least said first hydraulic circuit (1) to said second hydraulic circuit (5), said summation demand means (12) being connected to operation mode signal means (17) outputting an operation mode signal indicative of an operation mode of said vehicle, wherein said summation demand means (12) allow or block flow of hydraulic fluid from one hydraulic circuit (1) to another hydraulic circuit (5) in dependency of said operation mode signal.
US09885372B2

A system includes an isobaric pressure exchanger (IPX) that includes a housing and a rotor disposed within the housing. The system also includes a rotor advancing tool configured to engage and to move the rotor while the rotor is within the housing. The housing includes an opening that enables the rotor advancing tool to extend through the opening to engage and move the rotor.
US09885368B2

A fan assembly includes a shrouded fan rotor having fan blades extending from a hub and rotatable about a central axis. A fan shroud extends circumferentially around the fan rotor and secured to the fan blades. The shroud includes a first axially extending annular portion secured to the fan blades, a second axially extending annular portion radially outwardly spaced from the first axially extending annular portion, and a third portion connecting the first and second axially extending annular portions. A casing is located circumferentially around the fan shroud defining a radial clearance between the casing and the fan shroud, and includes casing wedges extending from a radially inboard surface of the casing toward the shroud and defining a radial wedge gap between a first wedge surface and the shroud and an axial wedge gap between a second wedge surface and an upstream end of the fan shroud.
US09885367B2

A centrifugal fan includes an impeller and a motor which rotates the impeller. The impeller includes an upper shroud, a lower shroud, and blades arranged therebetween. A rotor of the motor is attached to an attachment part of the lower shroud. In a section passing a rotary shaft of the impeller, the rotor and the attachment part are provided at a more outer side than a circle having a center on a line passing an upper end portion of an inlet opening at an inner side and parallel to the rotary shaft of the impeller, having a radius of 80% of a distance from the upper end portion of the inlet opening to a surface of the lower shroud below the upper end portion, and being tangent to the surface of the lower shroud or passing an end edge portion of the lower shroud.
US09885364B2

A fan includes a plurality of blade portions arranged spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction, each blade portion having a blade surface including a pressure surface disposed on a rotational direction side of the fan and a suction surface disposed on a back side of the pressure surface. The plurality of blade portions include a first blade portion and a second blade portion different from each other in at least one of an outer peripheral blade tip angle and an inner peripheral blade tip angle, and are provided such that a discrepancy angle is equal among a plurality of the blade portion.
US09885362B2

An oscillating fan, by adding an oscillating motor, to drive the drive gear to move along the periphery of the fixed gear, the oscillating motion of the fan is achieved is disclosed. The fan motor is only used for driving the blades to blow air in a rotating mode, so that the load of the fan motor is reduced, and the oscillating motion stability of the blades driven by the drive gear is ensured. Meanwhile, the installation space of the oscillating and rotating pivot part is reduced, so that the whole oscillating fan is small in size, convenient to transport.
US09885355B2

A pump apparatus includes a shaft, a first pump, and a second pump. The first pump includes a first driving gear disposed on the shaft in a first phase and rotatable with the shaft to feed a first operating fluid. The second pump includes a second driving gear disposed on the shaft in a second phase shifted from the first phase. The second driving gear is coaxial with the first driving gear and rotatable with the shaft to feed a second operating fluid.
US09885349B2

A counterbalance system may include an outrigger support structure, a first elongated outrigger member, and a second elongated outrigger member. The outrigger support structure is adapted to be mounted in an operating position on a walking beam of a pumping unit. The first elongated outrigger member is connected to the outrigger support structure at a first lateral side of the counterbalance system. The second outrigger member is also connected to the outrigger support structure, but is connected at a second lateral side of the counterbalance system. A first suspension element may be connected to the first outrigger member and a second suspension element may be connected to the second outrigger member. Suitable counterbalance weights may be connected to the first suspension element while additional counterbalance weights may be connected to the second suspension element. These counterbalance weights connected to the first and second suspension elements may be used to counterbalance the weight on the downhole weight on the walking beam.
US09885345B2

A scalable multi-element shape memory alloy (SMA) rotary motor employs a plurality of SMA tubes. A ratcheting gear transmission couples the plurality of SMA tubes in parallel to a common output. A controller provides power to a plurality of heaters associated with each of the plurality of SMA tubes, sequentially heating selected heaters to provide continuous rotational motion of the common output.
US09885342B2

Provided are first and second mutually rotatable elements and a bearing arrangement associated therewith including at least one single film-like chamber formed between the first and second elements, a number of fluid injectors for injecting fluid into the hydraulic chamber and a control device for separately controlling the pressure of the fluid injected by the injectors depending at least on loads on the first element or the second element. A driving device is also provided for driving at least one of the elements in rotation, including hydraulic chambers which volume is defined by the relative position of the first and second elements and a pump device for filling the chamber with fluid to rotate the elements.
US09885337B2

By optimizing the degree to which water is accelerated through a venturi device, the amount of power that an energy device extracts from the ocean is maximized. Prior venturi-based wave energy devices have proven to be inefficient because of the relatively small amount of power that they generate relative to their size and cost. By optimizing the venturi effect created within the submerged venturi components of such devices, the speed of the water moving through the narrowest portions of such a devices is maximized with respect to the wave environments in which they operate, and a maximal amount of energy is extracted from the ocean. This optimization of a wave energy device's power is sufficient to render such devices cost effective. The method of extracting energy from the accelerated flow of water moving through such venturi devices is not limited, and many alternatives exist, each with its own potential benefits.
US09885332B2

A filter assembly for a fuel injector. In some embodiments, the filter assembly has a longitudinal axis and comprises a filter element, a filter housing, and a cap. The filter element may have a cylindrical section with a first axial end and a second axial end. The tubular filter housing may receive the filter element. The tubular filter housing may include a radial protrusion supporting the first axial end of the cylindrical section when the filter element is received therein. The cap may hold the filter element at the second axial end and encompass the filter housing along an outer circumference. The second axial end may rest directly against the cap.
US09885321B2

This multi-cylinder internal combustion engine (1) is provided with an EGR device (30) containing an EGR cooler (27), a valve overlap period in which valve opening periods of intake valves (20) and exhaust valves (21) overlap one another is set, and the multi-cylinder internal combustion engine (1) has four cylinders (2). The multi-cylinder internal combustion engine (1) comprises: four exhaust side branch conduits (15), one provided for each of the cylinders (2); a storage tank (31) configured to store condensed water (CW) generated by the EGR cooler (27); and four condensed water introduction conduits (33), one provided for each of the exhaust side branch conduits (15) and communicating the exhaust side branch conduit (15) with the storage tank (31).
US09885319B2

A vehicle fuel cooling device includes a return passage and a fuel cooling unit arranged on the return passage. A non-injected surplus fuel of a fuel supplied to a fuel injection valve is returned to a fuel tank through the return passage as a return fuel. When a part of the cooling medium of a vehicle air conditioning system is circulated to the fuel cooling unit, the cooling medium flowing through the fuel cooling unit cools the return fuel through heat exchange. In the vehicle fuel cooling device, when a part of the cooling medium is circulated to the fuel cooling unit to cool the return fuel, an amount of return fuel to be returned to the fuel tank is increased compared to when the return fuel is not cooled.
US09885309B1

Methods and a system are provided for controlling fuel injection in a vehicle engine. The system specifically relates to an engine fueled with both port and direct fuel injectors. In one example, a method may include delivering a first portion of fuel via port injection during a first injection window, and subsequently delivering a second portion of fuel directly during a second injection window before the engine exits cranking speeds.
US09885305B2

Methods and systems are described for monitoring air/fuel imbalance in cylinders of an engine. Engine speed signals are sampled and then run through a notch filter set to the sampling frequency. Based on a first frequency content of the resulting filtered engine speed, cylinder imbalance is detected and addressed.
US09885303B2

A control device for a diesel engine includes a variable geometry supercharger with a variable supercharge pressure mechanism and an EGR valve configured to adjust an EGR gas amount. In the control device, when the diesel engine is determined to be accelerating, a maximum exhaust pressure is set such that an increased amount of an engine torque by increasing a fuel injection amount in association with acceleration is greater than an increased amount of pumping loss increased with increasing exhaust pressure due to an actuation of the variable supercharge pressure mechanism in association with acceleration. A target control variable for the variable supercharge pressure mechanism and a target control variable for the EGR valve are controlled on the basis of the maximum exhaust pressure.
US09885297B2

An internal combustion engine includes an air charging system with a boost air system. A method to control the boost air in the air charging system, decoupled from the air and EGR system controls, includes monitoring a reference boost pressure and operating parameters of the air charging system; creating a turbocharger energy balance model of the air charging system; applying feedback linearization control to the turbocharger energy balance model to create an approximately linearized feedback system; and determining a boost control command for the air charging system using the approximately linearized feedback system based on the monitored reference boost pressure and the monitored operating parameters of the air charging system. The boost air in the air charging system is controlled based upon the boost control command.
US09885296B2

Various systems and methods are described for generating vacuum within an engine intake. A system may comprise an intake throttle including a slidable throttle valve, where the throttle valve may comprise a hollow interior passage, which in turn may be coupled to a vacuum consumption device. When vacuum is demanded by the vacuum consumption device, the throttle valve may be displaced downstream within the throttle to decrease airflow through the throttle and vacuum may be generated at tip of the throttle valve by flowing intake air between the throttle valve and a throttle fixture.
US09885290B2

In an embodiment, a method includes flowing an exhaust gas from a turbine of a gas turbine system to an exhaust gas compressor of the gas turbine system via an exhaust recirculation path; evaluating moist flow parameters of the exhaust gas within an inlet section of the exhaust gas compressor using a controller comprising non-transitory media programmed with instructions and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions; and modulating cooling of the exhaust gas within the exhaust recirculation path, heating of the exhaust gas within the inlet section of the exhaust gas compressor, or both, based on the evaluation.
US09885289B2

A drive system of at least one rotor of an aircraft via electrical energy in addition to or as a replacement of a mechanical system. The electrical energy is provided at least in part by at least one device for recovering thermal energy from hot gases of an internal combustion engine of the aircraft.
US09885282B2

A turbofan engine (20) has a fan shaft (120) coupling a fan drive gear system (60) to the fan (28). A low spool comprises a low pressure turbine (50) and a low shaft (56) coupling the low pressure turbine to the fan drive gear system. A core spool comprises a high pressure turbine (46), a compressor (44), and a core shaft (52) coupling the high pressure turbine to the core spool compressor. A first bearing (150) engages the fan shaft, the first bearing being a thrust bearing. A second bearing (160) engages the fan shaft on an opposite side of the fan drive gear system from the first bearing, the second bearing being a roller bearing. A third bearing (180) engages the low spool shaft and the fan shaft.
US09885281B2

An engine system is provided. The engine system includes a first piston movable within a cylinder, a second piston movable within a hollow body of the first piston, the movement defining a boundary of a reservoir within the hollow body, a spring device coupled to the first piston and the second piston, and a vent passage fluidically connecting the reservoir to the cylinder.
US09885275B2

Provided is a compact boiling cooling system for an internal combustion engine that can operate in a stable manner. A lower end (4c) of a water jacket (4) of an engine (1) is connected to a lower tank (7c) of a radiator (7), and an upper end (4d) of a water jacket is connected to an upper part (7a) of the radiator. A substantially entire part of the radiator is located above the upper end of the coolant jacket so that the boiling cooling water is forwarded from the upper end of the water jacket to the upper part of the radiator, and the cooling water condensed in the radiator is forwarded from the lower end of the radiator to the lower end of the water jacket under the gravitational force without requiring a pump.
US09885269B2

A gas flow regulating device for cleaning a particulate filter is configured to be arranged in connection to the filter at a side thereof in a through-flow of a gas to be used for cleaning the filter. The device is a standalone unit configured to be removably installed in connection with a cleaning process, wherein the device includes a frame defining a gas flow passage and a gas flow regulating element arranged inside the frame, wherein the gas flow regulating element is provided with at least one opening for gas through-flow and a blocking part capable of blocking a portion of a gas through-flow area of the filter such as to force the gas to flow through the at least one opening, wherein the gas flow regulating element is movably arranged between at least two different positions, and wherein the at least one opening covers different portions of the gas through-flow area in the different positions. An arrangement for cleaning a particulate filter including such a device, and a method for cleaning a particulate filter using such a device are also provided.
US09885254B2

A mid-turbine frame for a gas turbine engine includes an inner frame case defining a sealed torque box cavity. The mid-turbine frame also includes multiple spokes protruding radially outward from the inner frame case. The mid-turbine frame also includes at least one service line connected to the inner frame case.
US09885253B2

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a system for an aircraft comprising: a titanium bottle section that includes at least two sections configured to house an engine, and at least one bifurcation panel coupled to the bottle section, wherein the at least one bifurcation panel includes a material that is different from titanium.
US09885230B2

A well pad having a plurality of wells is described. The well pad has two parallel rows or linear arrays of well pairs, mirrored to each other in both a W-E direction and a S-N direction orthogonal to the W-E direction. Each row of well pairs comprises an inner row of injection wells and an outer row of production wells. A plurality of wellhead connection modules and a piping module are deployed between the two rows of well pairs. Each wellhead connection module is connected to one, two three or four well pairs. The piping module connects the wellhead connection modules to a central processing facility.
US09885227B2

A drill pipe mountable wellbore cleaning tool apparatus is of an improved configuration that enables attachment to a drill pipe joint having first and second connector end portions and a cylindrically shaped portion in between the connector end portions. The drill pipe joint with attached debris cleaning tool or tools is made part of a drill string. The apparatus includes a support sleeve that is mounted to the drill pipe joint in between the connector end portions. The support sleeve abuts but does not invade the integrity of the cylindrical portion. Centralizers are attached to the opposing ends of the support sleeve, with each centralizer overlapping a portion of the support sleeve. The support sleeve carries one or more debris cleaning tools in between the centralizers. These tools enable debris to be removed from a wellbore. At least one locking clamp is attached to the cylindrical portion next to a said centralizer.
US09885222B2

A stage tool apparatus and components for same are described. In several exemplary embodiments, the stage tool apparatus is part of tubular string or casing positioned within a preexisting structure such as, for example, a wellbore.
US09885221B2

In a subsea system where subsea devices are operated using a pressurized fluid from one or more accumulators, the method of providing flow of pressurized fluid to operate a device which is greater than the flow from an accumulator providing the flow, comprising discharging the accumulator to drive one or more motors, driving one or more pumps by the one or more motors, the one or more pumps having a larger displacement than the one or more motors such that the one or more pump outputs a greater volume of fluid than the motor consumes, and delivering the output of the one or more pumps to operated the subsea device.
US09885216B2

A method for determining formation pressure during exploratory drilling for oil includes generating a series of negative pressure shock waves at successively increasing well pressures to characterize gas kick forming at the bottom of a well. Once the lower end of the gas kick has been formed, the well pressure level as detected by a pressure sensor near the surface of the well is used to calculate the formation pressure along with the weight of the fluid column located in the well.
US09885212B2

An exemplary embodiment of the downhole oscillator includes an outer housing at least partially surrounding a motor and a removably coupled eccentric member. The motor at least partially drives the rotation of the eccentric member thereby producing oscillations or vibrations along the outer diameter of at least a portion of the downhole assembly. The motor's action is at least partly facilitated by expulsion of fluid from the drill string through the motor and onto the outer housing interior such that the force of the fluid produces rotation in the motor. Rotation may be enhanced through similar expulsion of fluid from the eccentric member. Alternatively, the fluid may be expelled from the motor and/or eccentric member against the wellbore thereby providing the desired rotation. A method of use may include providing an outer housing, motor capable of producing rotational movement, and eccentric member and coupling same.
US09885210B2

A door frame including an inside steel panel having a first inner surface and a first outer surface, and a C-shaped section with a first portion of the C-shaped section extending parallel to the inner surface of the inside steel panel; an outside steel panel having a second inner surface and a second outer surface, and a U-shaped section with a second portion of the C-shaped section extending perpendicular to the second inner surface of the outside steel panel; a first insulating material interposed between the first portion of the C-shaped section of the inside steel panel and the second inner surface of the outside steel panel to thermally isolate the inside steel panel and the outside steel panel from each other, and said inside steel panel and outside steel panel being secured together to form a thermal break system.
US09885206B2

Disclosed is a sliding door self-closing device configured to automatically close a door moving along a rail straightly aligned with an extension rail. The sliding door self-closing device includes a damper configured to move along the rail to automatically close the door and smoothen a closing speed, and a roller assembly pivotably connected to a front end of the damper to move along the rail and provided to be rotatable at the front end of the damper by a predetermined angle. Therefore, it is possible to ensure appropriate driving along the rail even when the rail is deformed. In addition, it is possible to easily remove the damper and the roller assembly through a short space of the extension rail.
US09885205B2

A damping device for the damping of the opening movement of a movable furniture part comprises: a fixed base unit with a furniture body of a piece of furniture; a movable base unit having the movable furniture part; and a damping unit comprising a first and a second damping component which are movable relative to one another when performing a damping function, of which the first damping component is arranged on the one base unit and as it approaches the movable base unit an impact takes place in the final position of said base unit between the second damping component and the other base unit, thereby triggering the damping function the first damping component is movably mounted on the allocated base unit such that on impact it can be displaced from a standby position into a working position supported by a stop in which the damping function can be performed.
US09885202B2

The invention relates to a refrigerating device having a cooled goods compartment and a door. The cooled goods compartment is provided with a front frame that is made of a low heat-conducting material such as plastic or similar and is backed by a first magnet. A door seal that is fitted with a second magnet seals against the front frame in the closed position of the door. Opposite first poles of the two poles of each magnet face the contact area between the seal and the front frame while second poles face away from the contact area.
US09885198B1

An apparatus for facilitating the rapid mounting of fence boards to fence posts includes a rail having a tongue projecting perpendicularly from one end thereof; and a board support assembly slidably disposed on the rail, the board support assembly including a carriage slidably mounted on the rail, a carriage lock for selectively fixing the carriage at a desired location along the rail, and a hook depending from the carriage below the tongue for temporarily supporting one end of a board to be mounted to a post. The subject apparatus may be hung from a first fence board by the tongue and then used to support an end of a second fence board within the cradle a desired distance below, and in substantially coplanar alignment with, the first board for mounting to a post.
US09885197B2

A lightning protection and safety rail system comprising a number of bases, vertical posts, horizontal rails, caps, mounting brackets, and lightning cables. The bases anchor the system to an elevated surface. The vertical posts extend upward from the bases. The horizontal rails extend between the vertical rails. The caps are positioned at tops of the vertical posts. The lightning cables are connected to the caps via the mounting brackets and are configured to be connected to an electrical ground. Lightning current travels from the caps, through the lightning cables, and to the electrical ground. Lightning current may also pass through the horizontal rails to a lightning cable attached to another cap.
US09885185B2

A siding product may include a panel having a substantially rectangular structure with a simulated pattern on a front face thereof. The panel may be formed from a polymer and may include color variegation. The panel may have a hollow back and be a single shake configuration that does not simulate more than one shake or more than one course of siding. The siding product may include a panel having a front face with a simulated pattern. The panel can include a hollow back, a longitudinal length extending in an x-direction, a lateral width extending in a y-direction, and a transverse depth extending in a z-direction. The panel can have a plurality of reinforcement ribs on the hollow back that extend longitudinally in the x-direction and transversely in the z-direction. In a version, none of the reinforcement ribs extend laterally in the y-direction.
US09885184B2

Stucco cracks at doors and windows are reduced or eliminated by use of a corner element fastened at a corner juncture before stucco coats are applied. The disclosed corner element spreads out or evenly dissipates differential movement or buckling often occurring at exterior corner junctures. The corner element may comprise various concentric circle attributes useful in stopping or reducing cracks in stucco and related building materials. The corner element embodiments may be secured at window and door corner areas and then integrated with traditional stucco applications.
US09885183B1

A dispenser attachment device configured to attach to a conventional snow roof rake tool having a handle, the dispenser attachment device including a reservoir compartment to store and release a de-icing material, an attachment member configured to detachably couple to the tool, and a stabilizer having an upper member and a lower member extending therefrom to stabilize the reservoir compartment when releasing the de-icing material, wherein the reservoir compartment stores the de-icing material when in a first position and dispenses the de-icing material when the reservoir compartment is rotated to a second position.
US09885175B1

A vibration damper device includes a pair of viscoelastic dampers, lower braces which support the viscoelastic dampers from below, upper braces which support the viscoelastic dampers from above, lower connection members which connect the viscoelastic dampers to the lower braces, upper connection members which connect the viscoelastic dampers to the upper braces, and first joining members and second joining members which join the pair of viscoelastic dampers. Each lower brace includes a lower recess which avoids interference with the central vertical frame, and a lower slit into which the lower connection member is inserted. Each upper brace includes an upper recess which avoids interference with the central vertical frame, and an upper slit into which the upper connection member is inserted.
US09885171B2

A chamber is disclosed. The chamber may include a base, a plurality of alternating crest corrugations and valley corrugations running transverse to a length of the chamber, wherein the crest corrugations decrease in width with elevation from the base, and the valley corrugations increase in width with elevation from the base, at least one crest sub-corrugation running along at least a portion of a crest corrugation, at least one valley sub-corrugation running along at least a portion of a valley corrugation an end crest corrugation positioned at a terminal end of the chamber, and an end crest sub-corrugation running along at least a portion of the end crest corrugation.
US09885161B2

A process for limiting the level of flooding of a watercourse, notably a wide river, a narrow river and/or one of its tributaries, consisting of injecting into the said watercourse at least one friction-reduction agent.
US09885147B2

A stain-barrier is described along with methods of its application to a fabric. The stain barrier can be applied to fabric samples and limits the amount of fabric with which deposited liquid is able to interact. This stain barrier reduces unwanted variability between samples of different dilution or fabric type so that limits of stain detection can be assigned more accurately and precisely and stain detection techniques can be transparently compared.
US09885144B2

A clothes dryer with a filter unit and a filter cover having a coupling structure corresponding to each other. The clothes dryer includes a body, a drum installed inside the body, a drying unit configured to dry air passed through the drum, a filter unit disposed on the drying unit and detachably installed on the body, a filter cover fixed by provided with one side thereof being installed on the body and the other side thereof being coupled to the filter unit. When the filter unit is not assembled, a user may notice the filter unit not being assembled due to the filter unit and the filter cover, both of which are provided with a coupling structure corresponding to each other.
US09885143B2

A laundry dryer includes a stationary filter for filtering-out fluff from a process air stream flowing through a process air channel of the laundry dryer, the filter in a compartment inclined at an angle relative to a through-flowing process air stream and including a cleaning opening in an upper region of the filter for directing cleaning liquid onto a filter surface of the filter, and a cleaning device for cleaning of the filter.
US09885141B2

An apparatus (10) includes an engagement element (11), fitted on a household appliance casing for being releasably held by a retaining element (16) fitted on the door (D). The engagement element (11) includes a support body (12); and a striker (14), releasably coupled to the retaining element (16) and is mobile between a retracted position and an extracted position. When the striker (14) is coupled to the retaining element (16) and assumes the retracted position and the extracted position, respectively, the door (D) is in a complete closing condition and in a pre-opening condition, respectively. A stop mechanism (18) moves from a release condition, to liberate said striker (14), to a locking condition, to hold said striker (14), in said retracted position; a driver controls movement of the stop mechanism (18). The stop mechanism (18) has a manually controlled safety element (18a) and is moveable to constrain the stop mechanism.
US09885134B2

An apparatus for recovering bulkiness of a nonwoven fabric by blowing hot air and heating the nonwoven fabric transferred in a transfer direction, includes a case member that has both end portions in the transfer direction opened; an entrance and an exit provided to openings on opposite end sides, in the transfer direction, of the case member to transfer the nonwoven fabric; a wall surface along the transfer direction and located between the entrance and the exit; a blast opening in the wall surface for blasting hot air inside the case member in a blasting direction being the transfer direction or opposite to the transfer direction; and a discharge opening provided to the case member and downstream in the blasting direction. Hot air flows from the blast opening toward the discharge opening while coming into contact with one of two faces of the nonwoven fabric inside the case member.
US09885132B2

A compressed air supplying device of a sewing machine includes an air pump unit including a piston; a piston driving spring applying biasing force to the piston in an exhaust air direction which is a direction in which the air pump unit exhausts air for driving the piston in the exhaust air direction by the biasing force; a lever making the air pump unit perform intake air movements; and an operating force transmitting mechanism transmitting operating force of the lever to the piston for actuating the piston only in an intake air direction which is a direction in which the air pump unit intakes air against the biasing force of the piston driving spring by the operating force.
US09885130B2

A fabric with wefts that include hard yarns and elastomeric yarns in a predetermined arrangement such that at least one hard yarn is alternately arranged with at least one elastomeric yarn, the elastomeric yarns having a greater shrinkage ratio than that of the hard yarns; the hard yarns form under portions and over portions with respect to warps, the under portions being formed when the hard yarns pass along the back side of the warps and defining loop portions, and the over portions being formed when the hard yarns pass along the front side of the warps and define connection portions, wherein for each hard yarn, the number of warps passed by the loop portion is at least 6, and the elastomeric yarns form under portions and over portions with respect to the warps in a weave that is tighter than the weave of the hard yarns.
US09885123B2

A system and methods are provided for low temperature, rapid baking to remove impurities from a semiconductor surface prior to in-situ deposition. The system is configured with an upper bank of heat elements perpendicular to the gas flow path, such that when the substrate is heated, the temperature across the substrate can be maintained relatively uniform via zoned heating. Advantageously, a short, low temperature process is suitable for advanced, high density circuits with shallow junctions. Furthermore, throughput is greatly improved by the low temperature bake.
US09885121B2

Provided is a high-pressure reactor suitable for a high-pressure process using supercritical ammonia grow bulk crystal of group III nitride having lateral dimension larger than 2 inches or to form various transition metal nitrides. The reactor has nutrient distributed along the reactor's longitudinal axis and seed material positioned at the reactor's inner wall and along the reactor's longitudinal axis. Nutrient diffuses through supercritical ammonia from the reactor's longitudinal axis and deposits on the seed material positioned by the reactor's inner wall. Both the nutrient and seed material are heated by the same heater. Material growth can primarily be due to material diffusion through supercritical ammonia. This configuration and methodology reduce convective movement of supercritical ammonia due to temperature differential, providing a more quiescent environment in which group III nitride or transition metal nitride is formed.
US09885117B2

A method for conditioning a semiconductor chamber component may include passivating the chamber component with an oxidizer. The method may also include performing a number of chamber process operation cycles in a semiconductor processing chamber housing the chamber component until the process is stabilized. The number of chamber operation cycles to stabilize the process may be less than 10% of the amount otherwise used with conventional techniques.
US09885112B2

A film forming apparatus includes a susceptor, and a shower head provided above the susceptor and having a first passage and a second passage independent of the first passage formed therein, wherein the first passage is formed through the shower head by being provided with a first cavity surrounded by a first upper wall and a first lower wall, a first thin hole formed in the first upper wall, and a plurality of second thin holes formed in the first lower wall, the height of the first upper wall in the vertical direction is reduced with increase in distance from the first thin hole, and the second passage is formed in the same manner as the first passage.
US09885111B2

There is described a process for depositing carbon on a surface, comprising, while contacting a mixture of CO2 and Br2 with a polar substrate presenting apposed surfaces, exposing a sufficient area of said mixture in the region of said apposed surfaces to light of sufficient intensity and frequency to result in deposition of carbon on at least some of said apposed surfaces. Other embodiments are also described.
US09885101B2

A method is described for manufacturing a solenoid valve, in particular a fuel injector, the solenoid valve having a valve needle which is movably guided in the axial direction, a magnet core and an armature which is situated axially diametrically opposed to the magnet core, the armature being situated on the valve needle, the armature having a first base material and a first reinforcing element and the magnet core having a second base material and a second reinforcing element. The method has one method step. The first reinforcing element is applied to the first base material and/or the second reinforcing element is applied to the second base material during the method step with the aid of molten bath spraying or with the aid of cold gas spraying.
US09885100B2

The invention describes a method for producing ternary and binary ceramic powders and their thermal spraying capable of manufacturing thermal sprayed coatings with superior properties. Powder contain at least 30% by weight ternary ceramic, at least 20% by weight binary molybdenum borides, at least one of the binary borides of Cr, Fe, Ni, W and Co and a maximum of 10% by weight of nano and submicro-sized boron nitride. The primary crystal phase of the manufactured thermal sprayed coatings from these powders is a ternary ceramic, while the secondary phases are binary ceramics. The coatings have extremely high resistance against corrosion of molten metal, extremely thermal shock resistance and superior tribological properties at low and at high temperatures.
US09885097B2

An aluminum alloy sheet having a heat dissipation characteristic that is applicable to a large-size lithium ion battery container, excellent in formability and shape freezability and excellent in laser weldability is provided. An aluminum alloy sheet comprising a cold rolled, annealed material containing Fe: 0.05 to less than 0.3 mass %, Mn: 0.6 to 1.5 mass %, and Si: 0.05 to 0.6 mass %, has a balance of Al and impurities Cu: less than 0.35 mass % and Mg: less than 0.05 mass %, has a conductivity exceeding 45% IACS, has a 0.2% proof strength of 40 to less than 60 MPa, and displays a 20% or more value of elongation is also provided. An aluminum alloy sheet comprising an as-cold-rolled material having a conductivity exceeding 45% IACS, a 0.2% proof strength of 60 to less than 150 MPa, and displaying 3% or more value of elongation is also provided.
US09885094B2

A single shot inductor is provided to induction heat treat closely spaced multiple eccentric cylindrical components arranged along the longitudinal axis of a workpiece. The single shot inductor has multiple planar arcuate single turn coil sections separated from each other by an axial coil section so that each of the multiple planar arcuate single turn coil sections sequentially heat treats the closely spaced multiple eccentric cylindrical components inserted within the single shot inductor.
US09885088B2

The specification relates generally to methods of detecting, diagnosing, and/or identifying pathogens, e.g., infectious disease pathogens and determining their drug sensitivity and appropriate methods of treatment. This invention also relates generally to methods of monitoring pathogen infection in individual subjects as well as larger populations of subjects.
US09885083B2

Accordingly, in some embodiments methods for detecting an analyte or analytes in one or more sample(s) are provided. The methods encompass providing a solid support with an addressable marker and an associated ligand, contacting the solid substrate to a sample, thereby forming a contacted solid support, associating the contacted solid support with a FET array and detecting the electrical properties of the FET array and thereby detecting an analyte or analytes in one or more samples. In other embodiments, the sample encompasses a second addressable marker.
US09885078B2

The invention relates to constructs comprising a transmembrane protein pore subunit and a nucleic acid handling enzyme. The pore subunit is covalently attached to the enzyme such that both the subunit and enzyme retain their activity. The constructs can be used to generate transmembrane protein pores having a nucleic acid handling enzyme attached thereto. Such pores are particularly useful for sequencing nucleic acids. The enzyme handles the nucleic acid in such a way that the pore can detect its component nucleotides by stochastic sensing.
US09885072B2

High molecular weight heparosan polymers are described, as are methods of producing and using the high molecular weight heparosan polymers.
US09885063B2

A process is provided for fermenting CO-containing gaseous substrates in a low phosphate medium. The process includes blending a liquid medium that includes at least one transition metal element with a liquid medium that includes at least at least one other transition metal element and one non-metal element to provide a fermentation medium. The process is effective for preventing precipitation of one or more transition metal elements with one or more non-metal elements. The fermentation medium used in the process is prepared in a way that requires significantly lower amounts of water and reduced levels of phosphate.
US09885062B2

Described herein is a method to increase ethanol yield during alcoholic fermentation by expression a truncated versions of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PHO8 gene coding for vacuolar or cytosolic form of alkaline phosphatase, which expression lowers biomass accumulation while diverting greater carbon to ethanol production. Also described are as nucleic acid sequences and vectors for expression of the PHO8 gene and strains carrying the same. Strains containing intact PHO8 gene encoding vacuolar form of alkaline phosphatase, had slightly lower intracellular ATP levels with insignificant changes in biomass accumulation and up to 13% increase in ethanol production.
US09885053B2

The present invention relates to excision of explant material comprising meristematic tissue from cotton seeds. Methods for tissue preparation, storage, transformation, and selection or identification of transformed plants are disclosed, as are transformable meristem tissues and plants produced by such methods, and apparati for tissue preparation.
US09885051B2

The invention relates to compositions and methods for making and using recombinant bacteria that are capable of regulated attenuation and/or regulated expression of one or more antigens of interest.
US09885046B2

The present invention provides a method of inducing insulin production in a cell by up-regulating a target gene involved in insulin production in said cell using an saRNA (short activating ribonucleic acid) which specifically down-regulates a target antisense RNA transcript present in said cell, wherein (i) said target RNA transcript is complementary to a sequence located on the coding strand of the target gene between 1000 nucleotides upstream and 1000 nucleotides downstream of the transcription start site of the target gene; and (ii) said sRNA is a single or double stranded RNA molecule up to 30 nucleotides in length comprising a sequence of at least 13 nucleotides which has at least 95% complementarity to a region of the target transcript. Also provided are certain saRNA molecules and uses thereof, particular medical uses, and induced cells and uses thereof.
US09885043B2

Methods for inducing cardiomyocyte proliferation, e.g., in vivo, by administering a composition comprising miRNA17-92 cluster oligonucleotides, e.g., miR-19a oligonucleotides, miR-19b oligonucleotides, or both miR-19a and miR-19b oligonucleotides.
US09885041B2

The invention relates to methods and uses of modulating fetal hemoglobin expression (HbF) in a hematopoietic progenitor cells via inhibitors of BCL11A expression or activity, such as RNAi and antibodies.
US09885040B2

The invention provides methods and compositions for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). In one aspect of the invention, a series of compositions comprising an antisense oligonucleotide targeting the Element 1 site on the SMN2 pre-mRNA and a Morpholino backbone is disclosed. In another aspect of the invention, a method of treating SMA patients by modulating the splicing of SMN2 pre-mRNA to increase the amount of full-length SMN is disclosed. Certain embodiments of the inventive method comprise administering an E1-targeting antisense oligonucleotide, such as Morpholino based antisense oligonucleotide, to a SMA subject.
US09885034B2

Provided herein are methods, compositions, and kits for assays, many of which involve amplification reactions such as digital PCR or droplet digital PCR. The assays may be used for such applications as sequencing, copy number variation analysis, and others. In some cases, the assays involve subdividing a sample into multiple partitions (e.g., droplets) and merging the partitions with other partitions that comprise adaptors with barcodes.
US09885028B2

Provided is a modified Family 1 carbohydrate binding module (CBM) comprising amino acid substitutions at one or more of positions 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 21, 24, 29, 31, 33, and 37, said position determined from alignment of a Family 1 CBM amino acid sequence with SEQ ID NO: 30, and exhibiting from about 50% to about 99.9% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 30. Also provided are modified glycosidase enzymes comprising the modified Family 1 CBM, genetic constructs and genetically modified microbes for expressing the modified Family 1 CBM or modified glycosidase enzyme. The modified Family 1 CBM confers reduced lignin binding and/or increased hydrolyzing activity in the presence of lignin to the modified glycosidase enzyme, which may be used in a process for hydrolyzing cellulose or hemicellulose in the presence of lignin.
US09885027B2

The present invention concerns a process for the production of an enzymatic cocktail by submerged culture with a cellulolytic microorganism, comprising two phases: a phase a) for growth of said microorganism in the presence of at least one carbonaceous growth substrate in a closed reactor, said growth phase being carried out with a concentration of carbonaceous growth substrate in the range 10 to 90 g/L; a phase b) for the production of the enzymatic cocktail, in which at least one carbonaceous inducer substrate is supplied, said carbonaceous inducer substrate being at least one solid residue obtained from the step for enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials which have undergone a pre-treatment step, said production phase being carried out with a concentration of carbonaceous production substrate in the range 150 to 400 g/L.
US09885020B2

Provided are an ORF7 deficient varicella virus, an vaccine comprising the virus and use thereof, as well as a method for the production the virus.
US09885016B2

The invention provides methods of modulating follicular regulatory T (TFR) cell-mediated immune responses, follicular helper T (TFH) cell-mediated immune responses or both, and the use of those methods in the treatment of diseases or conditions mediated by TFR or TFH cells. The invention also provides novel methods for identifying TFR and TFH cells in a population of cells. The invention also provides compositions comprising TFR cells that have enhanced suppressive activity as compared wild type TFR cells. The invention also provides compositions comprising T follicular regulatory (TFR) cells isolated from the peripheral blood of a subject wherein the composition is enriched for TFR cells. Methods of making and using the compositions of the invention to modulate an immune response are also provided.
US09885013B2

The present disclosure provides a device for separating cells in fluid, comprising a first driving pump, a separation column, a detection column, a second driving pump, and several three-way valves and secondary driving pumps; one end of the separation column is connected with the first driving pump through a first three-way valve; the other end is connected with the second driving pump through a second three-way valve; the separation column includes at least five sub filtration columns in parallel; the sub filtration column comprises a fixing bracket and a track-etched membrane of polycarbonate or polyester material attached to the bottom of and the side surfaces all around the fixing bracket, wherein the pore diameter of the track-etched membrane is 5-25 μm. The device of the present disclosure not only provides a new method for accurately determining whether there are circulating tumor cells in the blood of the living animal and provides a new method for sorting and counting the circulating tumor cells in the blood of the living animal, but also provides a pioneering new method and new device for therapy of the tumor transfer and removal of the tumor cells inside the body, and has extremely high economic and social values.
US09885011B2

A sun-tracking light distributor for a photosynthetic culture in an aqueous liquid, comprising: two light distribution walls made of a transparent material, creating an elongated V-shaped channel adapted to receive the sunlight and to be partly immersed in the aqueous liquid, the sun-tracking light distributor has a center of buoyancy, a vertical passing through the center of buoyancy defines an axis of flotation, and a pivot axis of the sun-tracking light distributor is offset relative to the axis of flotation. Owing to the offset pivot axis, the orientation of the light distributor is changed by varying the level of aqueous liquid, thus allowing a tracking of the sun's altitude.
US09885008B2

Fragrances having a fresh character are usually very volatile and therefore not very economical in typical applications such as washing or cleaning processes for example. For that reason they have to be used in relatively large amounts in order to bring about appropriate effects. The present invention describes photolabile pro-fragrances of formula (I) that allow for a greatly improved persistence of the fragrance impression, in particular one having a fresh character, in typical applications. Said pro-fragrances attach very readily to target substrates, such as textiles for example. A more economical use of the fragrances in question can be ensured in this way.
US09885007B2

A wax form, such as a candle, capable of being decorated or adorned with ornamentation using hardware embedded inside the wax form so as to be inconspicuous. The hardware comprises a connector that is flush with the perimeter surface of the candle so that ornamentation can be attached to the connector; thereby, allowing the ornamentation hang on the perimeter surface of the wax form. The connector can utilize a variety of fastening systems to connect to the ornamentation, such as a magnet system, a resistance fit system, a screw fit system, and the like.
US09885004B2

A method for improving fuel efficiency and reducing frictional properties while maintaining or improving deposit control, in an engine lubricated with a lubricating oil by using as the lubricating oil a formulated oil. The formulated oil has a composition including from 75 to 95 wt % of lubricating oil base stock including a Group I base stock or a combination of a Group III, Group IV and Group V base stock including from 30 to 35 wt % Group III, 45 to 55 wt % Group IV and 0 to 5 wt % Group V and a friction modifier mixture comprising a polymeric ethoxylated fatty acid ester at from 0.1 to 1.0 wt. % and a mixed glyceride ester at from 0.1 to 1.0 wt. % of the formulated oil. The lubricating engine oils are useful in internal combustion engines including direct injection, gasoline and diesel engines.
US09884995B2

The present disclosure provides a liquid crystal composition, a liquid crystal display device and its manufacturing method. The liquid crystal composition comprises a first composition and an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer at a ratio by mass of the first composition to the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer of 2:3 to 4:1, wherein the first composition comprises 15 to 40 parts by weight of a chiral cholesterol ester compound, 59 to 75 parts by weight of nematic phase liquid crystal, and 1 to 10 parts by weight of ferroferric oxide. The liquid crystal display device comprises a liquid crystal display panel, a first transparent electrode, a liquid crystal composition layer, and a second transparent electrode.
US09884991B2

A phosphor is disclosed, including a formula of A3-aCeaQ5-eEeO12. The A, the Q and the E independently comprise elements aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In), scandium (Sc), yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), lutetium (Lu), or a combination thereof. Ce is cerium. O is oxygen. 0
US09884987B2

Nanohybrid preparation methods and compositions, and their usage as oil/water emulsion stabilizers for Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (C-EOR). These methods have two main steps: (a) MWCNTs modification; and (b) encapsulation and insertion techniques to insert inorganic nanoparticles into the modified MWCNTs structure. The so-prepared nanohybrids used for the preparation of nanofluids were found to decrease the oil surface tension and reservoir wettability modification from oil-wet to water-wet, which is useful for Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (C-EOR).
US09884984B2

Binary compositions of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and difluoromethane, and especially to the uses thereof as a heat transfer fluid in compression systems with exchangers operating in counterflow mode or in split flow mode with counterflow tendency. Also, a method of heat transfer in which a binary composition of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and difluoromethane is used as refrigerant in compression systems with exchangers in countercurrent mode or in crossed-current mode with countercurrent tendency.
US09884981B2

Disclosed are polyether and polyesters polyol condensations. The polyols are uniquely suited for ease of manufacture and improved adhesive characteristics particularly for low surface energy materials. The materials can be used in urethane adhesives.
US09884975B2

An ultraviolet curing ink jet ink composition includes a trifunctional or tetrafunctional (meth)acrylate having a pentaerythritol skeleton; and inorganic metal-based fine particles as a color material, in which the viscosity is 8 to 22 mPa·s at 20° C.
US09884969B2

The present invention relates to a novel polyrotaxane compound having a specific chemical structure, a photocurable coating composition that may provide a coating material having excellent mechanical properties such as scratch resistance, chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, and the like, and excellent self-healing capability, and a coating film obtained from the photocurable coating composition.
US09884967B1

Methods and formulations for nonstick marine coatings and compounds are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention provide nonstick marine coatings and compounds that include an adhesion reduction component that is sufficiently homogenous and sufficiently non-viscous to be incorporated into one or more other components of the coating compound.
US09884966B2

Photovoltaic devices such as solar cells, hybrid solar cell-batteries, and other such devices may include an active layer disposed between two electrodes. The active layer may have perovskite material and other material such as mesoporous material, interfacial layers, thin-coat interfacial layers, and combinations thereof. The perovskite material may be photoactive. The perovskite material may be disposed between two or more other materials in the photovoltaic device. Inclusion of these materials in various arrangements within an active layer of a photovoltaic device may improve device performance. Other materials may be included to further improve device performance, such as, for example: additional perovskites, and additional interfacial layers.
US09884958B2

An object of the present invention is to prevent an occurrence of flow-mark molding defects to improve an appearance of molded articles, and as a means for achieving the object, a propylene-based block copolymer is used as an appearance improver, the copolymer comprising 80 to 60% by weight of crystalline propylene polymer portion which has an intrinsic viscosity [η]p of 0.90 dL/g or less and 20 to 40% by weight of propylene/ethylene random copolymer portion which has an ethylene content of 35 to 50% by weight and an intrinsic viscosity [η]c of 7.0 dL/g or higher ([η]c/[η]p being 7.5 to 30), in which the propylene-based block copolymer has a MFR of 10 to 50 g/10 min.
US09884947B2

Expandable thermoplastic polyurethane comprising blowing agent, wherein the Shore hardness of the thermoplastic polyurethane is from A 44 to A 84.
US09884942B2

A curable polymer composition comprising: (A) a thermoset maleimide resin precursor component; and further comprising one or both of: (B) an arylsulphone-containing maleimide component; and (C) a polyarylpolymer thermoplastic toughening agent component, wherein in the absence of component (B), said component (C) comprises one or more maleimide pendant and/or end groups, and thermoset resins and composites derived therefrom.
US09884940B2

Compounds include boronate ester polythioaminals with substituents that include hydrogen, fluorine or substituted or unsubstituted alkyls. The boronate ester polythioaminals have number average molecular weight or weight average molecular weight between about 2,000 to about 160,000.
US09884939B2

A polymeric material process includes increasing a mobility within a polymer to enables specific alignment of polymer chains.
US09884931B2

Provided is a film for blister packs having barrier capability that is excellent in terms of impact resistance and thermal stability. Also provided is a vinylidene chloride polymer-containing latex that is ideal for producing the film. The coating layer of the film for a blister pack, and the latex, comprise a vinylidene chloride copolymer having a weight-average molecular weight, Mw, between 120,000 and 300,000 that is obtainable by emulsion polymerizing 70 to 95 parts by mass of vinylidene chloride and 30 to 5 parts by mass of one or more other monomer(s) copolymerizable with the vinylidene chloride, with the proviso that the total amount of vinylidene chloride and the other monomer(s) is 100 parts by mass).
US09884928B2

A method for preparing a functionalized polymer, the method comprising the steps of (i) preparing a halosilane-activated nitrogen heterocycle containing a functional group, (ii) preparing a reactive polymer, and (iii) reacting the reactive polymer with the halosilane-activated nitrogen heterocycle containing a functional group.
US09884916B2

A human antibody or an antigen-binding fragment which binds human IL-6 receptor (hIL-6R) with a KD of about 500 pM or less and blocks IL-6 activity with an IC50 of 200 pM or less, is provided. In preferred embodiments, the antibody the antibody or antigen-binding fragment binds hIL-6R with an affinity at least 2-fold higher relative to its binding monkey IL-6R.
US09884911B2

This disclosure provides compositions and methods for controlling pain. In particular the disclosure provides a method for controlling pain comprising co-administration of an NGF antagonist and a TNFα antagonist. The NGF antagonist and the TNFα antagonist can be separate molecules or part of a multifunctional polypeptide, e.g., a multispecific binding molecule that comprises an NGF antagonist domain and a TNFα antagonist domain. This disclosure also provides multifunctional polypeptides, e.g., multispecific binding molecules, comprising an NGF antagonist domain, and a TNFα antagonist domain. The method provides improved pain control. Administration of an NGF antagonist and a TNFα antagonist as provided herein can control pain in the subject more effectively than an equivalent amount of the NGF antagonist or the TNFα antagonist administered alone.
US09884909B2

The present invention is directed to antibodies and fragments thereof having binding specificity for NGF. Another embodiment of this invention relates to the antibodies described herein, and binding fragments thereof, comprising the sequences of the VH, VL and CDR polypeptides described herein, and the polynucleotides encoding them. The invention also contemplates conjugates of anti-NGF antibodies and binding fragments thereof conjugated to one or more functional or detectable moieties. The invention also contemplates methods of making said anti-NGF antibodies and binding fragments thereof. Embodiments of the invention also pertain to the use of anti-NGF antibodies, and binding fragments thereof, for the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of diseases and disorders associated with NGF.
US09884902B2

Variants of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) with high affinity, potency and stability. Formulations of CTLA-4 variants at high concentration for subcutaneous or intravenous administration, e.g. at monthly or less frequent dosage intervals. Use of CTLA-4 variants for treating rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders. Fusion of CTLA-4 with IgG Fc having improved stability and longer in vivo half-life.
US09884893B2

The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for the generation of an antibody or immunogenic composition, such as a vaccine, through epitope focusing by variable effective antigen surface concentration. Generally, the composition and methods of the disclosure comprise three steps: a “design process” comprising one or more in silico bioinformatics steps to select and generate a library of potential antigens for use in the immunogenic composition; a “formulation process”, comprising in vitro testing of potential antigens, using various biochemical assays, and further combining two or more antigens to generate one or more immunogenic compositions; and an “administering” step, whereby the immunogenic composition is administered to a host animal, immune cell, subject or patient. Further steps may also be included, such as the isolation and production of antibodies raised by host immune response to the immunogenic composition.
US09884891B2

A KISS1R agonist peptide compound capable of inducing ovulation in a female mammal is provided. The compound is a pseudopeptide having the C-terminal sequence: -XaaΨ[Tz]Xaa2-Xaa3-Xaa4-NH2 (SEQ ID NO: 3), where Ψ[Tz] represents a 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole group replacing the peptide bond between the Xaa1 residue and the Xaa2 residue, Xaa1 is Gly or Ala, Xaa2 is Leu or an aliphatic α-aminoacyl analog residue, Xaa3 is Arg, Arg(Me) or a positively charged α-aminoacyl analog residue, and Xaa4 is Tyr, Phe, Trp or an α-aminoacyl analog residue such as aryl alanine; or an analog of the pseudopeptide in which the amide peptide bond between Xaa2 and Xaa3 and/or between Xaa3 and Xaa4 is replaced with an isosteric bond, or a salt thereof.
US09884872B2

Provided are PDE1 inhibitors of Formula I, processes for their production, their use as pharmaceuticals, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising them.
US09884868B2

Disclosed are imidazole and thiazole compounds, as well as pharmaceutical compositions and methods of use thereof. One embodiment is a compound having the structure and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, prodrugs and N-oxides thereof (and solvates and hydrates thereof), wherein X, A, Z, R1 and R′ are as described herein. In certain embodiments, a compound disclosed herein inhibits TGF-β, and can be used to treat disease by blocking TGF-β signaling.
US09884862B2

The invention relates to compound of the formula (I) or a salt thereof, wherein the substituents are as defined in the specification; to its preparation, to its use as medicament and to medicaments comprising it.
US09884860B2

The present invention relates in fused pyrroledicarboxamides of the formula (I), in which R1 to R9, X, m and n are as defined in claims. The compounds of the formula (I) are inhibitors of the acid-sensitive potassium channel TASK-1 and suitable for the treatment of TASK-1 channel-mediated diseases such as arrhythmias, in particular atrial arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, and respiratory disorders, in particular sleep-related respiratory disorders like sleep apnea, for example.
US09884859B2

A novel crystalline form or amorphous of formula (I) and preparation method thereof are disclosed in present invention, wherein the novel crystalline form is substantially pure crystalline form I, form II, form III or form IV. The novel crystalline forms disclosed herein have good solubility, low hydroscopicity and good stability at high temperature (60° C.), high humidity (RH is 90%±5%) and/or under light (4500+/−500 Lux), which benefit for storage, meet the requirements of drug stability and therefore, making formula (I) suitable for formulation preparation and with high bioavailability.
US09884836B2

A family of compounds which function as selective ligands for the serotonin receptor 2B (5-HT2B) is identified. Some of the compounds are synthetic non-natural ligands which have a relatively strong interaction with 5-HT2B compared to naturally occurring compounds (some of which are identified for the first time herein as ligands for 5-HT2B). Because the compounds, both naturally occurring and synthetically produced, function as ligands for 5-HT2B they will have application in, for example, the treatment and/or prevention of nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
US09884828B2

The present invention provides compounds having a structure according to Formula I: (I) or a salt or solvate thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are defined herein. The invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions including the compounds of the invention and methods of making and using the compounds and compositions of the invention, e.g., in the treatment and prevention of various disorders, such as Parkinson's disease.
US09884827B2

A method of forming a structure having selectively placed carbon nanotubes, a method of making charged carbon nanotubes, a bi-functional precursor, and a structure having a high density carbon nanotube layer with minimal bundling. Carbon nanotubes are selectively placed on a substrate having two regions. The first region has an isoelectric point exceeding the second region's isoelectric point. The substrate is immersed in a solution of a bi-functional precursor having anchoring and charged ends. The anchoring end bonds to the first region to form a self-assembled monolayer having a charged end. The substrate with charged monolayer is immersed in a solution of carbon nanotubes having an opposite charge to form a carbon nanotube layer on the self-assembled monolayer. The charged carbon nanotubes are made by functionalization or coating with an ionic surfactant.
US09884826B2

Described herein are compounds that modulate the activity of TNAP. In some embodiments, the compounds described herein inhibit TNAP. In certain embodiments, the compounds described herein are useful in the treatment of conditions associated with hyper-mineralization.
US09884823B2

The present invention discloses an oxime ether acetate compound containing a phenylpyridine moiety of formula (I), whose preparation method is as follows: (1) mixing a compound of formula (IV), a compound of formula (V), an alkaline substance A, a palladium catalyst and a solvent A; subjecting the mixture to a reaction at the temperature ranging from −10° C. to the reflux temperature for 0.5-20 hours to obtain a reaction solution A; post-treating the solution A to obtain a compound of formula (II); (2) mixing the compound of formula (II), an alkaline substance B, a phase transfer catalyst and a solvent B; subjecting the mixture to a reaction at the temperature ranging from −10° C. to the reflux temperature for 0.1-2 hours; then adding a compound of formula (III), continuing to react at the temperature ranging from −10° C. to the reflux temperature for 0.5-20 hours to obtain a reaction solution B; and post-treating the solution B to obtain the compound of formula (I). The oxime ether acetate compound containing a phenylpyridine moiety of formula (I) can be used for weeding in crops.
US09884811B2

A process for preparation of a granular urea product by granulating a urea solution in a fluidized bed, where the granulation process takes place along a substantially longitudinal growth path, from a granulation starting end (1S) to a product discharge end (1E) of said fluidized bed, and said urea solution enters the fluidized bed by means of several urea inputs (2A, 2B, 2C) taken from a main urea feed (2), where an additive (6) is mixed with said urea solution said additive has a non-uniform concentration in said urea inputs, so that at least two of said urea inputs have a different concentration of additive.
US09884806B2

Cyclic vinylogous amides of Formula I are disclosed The compounds are useful for treating diseases that arise from inappropriate activity of proteins containing an acetyl-lysine. The compositions comprise a genus of cyclic vinylogous amides that are inhibitors of bromodomain.
US09884803B2

A method of forming homoallylic compounds 2 from cyclopropylvinyl precursors 1 in the presence of a Bronsted acid HQ
US09884802B2

The present invention relates to substituted aromatic compounds for use in prevention or treatment of various fibrotic diseases and conditions in subjects, including pulmonary fibrosis, liver fibrosis, skin fibrosis and cardiac fibrosis, where the compound has the following formula: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein A is C5 alkyl, C6 alkyl, C5 alkenyl, C6 alkenyl, C(O)—(CH2)n—CH3 or CH(OH)—(CH2)n—CH3 wherein n is 3 or 4; R1 is H, OH or F; R2 is H, OH, F or CH2—OH; R3 is H, OH, F or CH2Ph; R4 is H, OH or F; Q is 1) (CH2)mC(O)OH wherein m is 1 or 2, 2) CH(CH3)C(O)OH, 3) C(CH3)2C(O)OH, 4) CH(F)—C(O)OH, 5) CF2—C(O)OH, or 6) C(O)—C(O)OH.
US09884785B2

A pervious concrete composition comprising a superabsorbent polymer, thereby enabling a water/cement ratio of 0.35-0.50. The superabsorbent polymer can be a cross-linked sodium polyacrylate-acrylamide/acrylic acid copolymer. The invention further comprises methods of installing the pervious concrete compositions.
US09884784B2

A chemically strengthened glass having a compressive stress layer formed in a surface layer thereof according to an ion exchange method, in which the glass has a surface roughness (Ra) of 0.20 nm or higher, a hydrogen concentration Y in a region to a depth X from an outermost surface of the glass satisfies the following relational equation (I) at X=from 0.1 to 0.4 (μm), a surface strength F (N) measured by a ball-on-ring test under the following conditions is (F≧1500×t2) relative to a sheet thickness t (mm) of the glass, and a surface of the glass has no polishing flaw: Y=aX+b  (I) in which meanings of respective symbols in the equation (I) are as follows: Y: hydrogen concentration (as H2O, mol/L); X: depth from the outermost surface of the glass (μm); a: −0.270 to −0.005; and b: 0.020 to 0.220.
US09884783B2

A coated glass ceramic cooking plate is provided, which has a multilayer coating on its lower surface. The multilayer coating includes a metallic layer of an alloy including components chromium, iron, nickel, and silicon. The silicon content of the alloy is at least 2 atomic percent. This metallic layer is covered by a barrier layer in form of an oxide of an alloy including components chromium, iron, nickel, and silicon, also with a silicon content of at least 2 atomic percent. The molar content of oxygen of the barrier layer is greater by at least a factor of 10 than that of the metallic layer.
US09884771B1

A groundwater treatment system for collecting a non-aqueous-phase liquid (NAPL) in a flow path of contaminated water in a body of water, the contaminated water moving toward a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) including a treatment agent for treating the contaminated groundwater. The groundwater treatment system including a collection layer positioned up-gradient of the PRB and permeable to the NAPL and the contaminated water. The collection layer including a NAPL collecting element to inhibit the NAPL from flowing to the PRB.
US09884770B2

According to the present invention there is provided an ammonia synthesis method using solar thermal energy, whereby it is possible to minimize the load of collecting solar thermal energy, and especially high-temperature solar thermal energy. The method of the present invention for synthesis of ammonia using solar thermal energy includes the following steps (a) to (c): (a) conducting ammonia synthesis reaction in which nitrogen and hydrogen are reacted to synthesize ammonia, (b) heating a heating medium by solar thermal energy and the reaction heat energy of the ammonia synthesis reaction, and (c) conducting at least part of the water splitting reaction in which water is split into hydrogen and oxygen, using the thermal energy of the heated heating medium, to obtain the hydrogen.
US09884760B2

The apparatus includes: a hydrogen generation container provided with a magnesium-based hydride accommodation part accommodating magnesium-based hydride; a reaction water tank storing water or an aqueous solution; the pipes connected to the reaction water tank and the hydrogen generation container; a pump operating to suction water or the aqueous solution from the reaction water tank and then exhaust it through the pipes to the hydrogen generation container; a pressure gauge measuring the pressure in the inside of the hydrogen generation container; and a control unit, on the basis of the pressure value of the pressure gauge, controlling the amount of water caused to flow through the pipes by the pump.
US09884755B2

The present disclosure relates to a MEMS package with a rough metal anti-stiction layer, to improve stiction characteristics, and an associated method of formation. In some embodiments, the MEMS package includes a MEMS IC bonded to a CMOS IC. The CMOS IC has a CMOS substrate and an interconnect structure disposed over the CMOS substrate. The interconnect structure includes a plurality of metal layers disposed within a plurality of dielectric layers. The MEMS IC is bonded to an upper surface of the interconnect structure and, in cooperation with the CMOS IC, enclosing a cavity between the MEMS IC and the CMOS IC. The MEMS IC has a moveable mass arranged in the cavity. The MEMS package further includes an anti-stiction layer disposed on the upper surface of the interconnect structure under the moveable mass. The anti-stiction layer is made of metal and has a rough top surface.
US09884753B1

The multi-compartment beverage cooler is a portable insulated beverage cooler that is divided into a plurality of beverage chambers each of which is capable of containing storing multiple beverages and keeping them cool. The multi-compartment beverage cooler is comprised of a body, a divider structure, a plurality of dispensing spouts, and a removable lid.
US09884751B2

A portable vehicle lift with a wireless charging system. The vehicle lift comprises a base, a carriage configured for receiving a wheel of a vehicle, a lift actuator configured to vertically raise and lower the carriage relative to the base, and a battery configured to provide electrical power to the vehicle lift. The vehicle lift additionally includes a receiver electrically coupled with the battery, and a transmitter for transmitting electrical energy to the receiver.
US09884745B2

A ropeless elevator system, a propulsion system, and a method for operating a ropeless propulsion system are disclosed. The ropeless elevator system may include an elevator car, a hoistway in which the elevator car travels, and a ropeless propulsion system. The ropeless propulsion system may include electrical windings energized by a power source, the electrical windings affixed to a stationary structure, the stationary structure associated with the hoistway, and a magnet, the magnet affixed to a moving structure, the moving structure associated with the elevator car, and interaction between the electrical windings and the magnet generates a thrust force on the elevator car traveling in the hoistway. The ropeless elevator system may further include an array of Hall effect sensors, the array of Hall effect sensors determining a sensed magnetic field, the sensed magnetic field being associated with electrical currents carried by the windings and used to determine a magnetic field orientation of the electrical currents carried by the windings with respect to the magnet.
US09884744B2

A method (160) for constructing a building (92) with an elevator system (20) is disclosed. The method (160) may include forming a first hoistway (22) for the elevator system (20) within two adjacent levels (82, 84) of the building (92), installing a first stationary part (54) of a first linear permanent magnet motor within the first hoistway (22), placing a first elevator car (24) within the first hoistway (22), mounting a first moving part (52) of the first linear permanent magnet motor on the first elevator car (24), and using the first stationary part (54) and the first moving part (52) of the first linear permanent magnet motor to generate a vertical thrust force to move the first elevator car (24) within the first hoistway (22), the first elevator car (24) carrying at least one of passengers, equipment and materials for construction of upper levels of the elevator system (20) and the building (92).
US09884741B2

A telephone wire withdrawing device, which is used for achieving the drawing and withdrawing functions of a telephone wire, enabling a smooth operation, thereby improving the usage experience of a user, and avoiding call distortion caused by using an electric brush because it is unnecessary to use the electric brush. The telephone wire withdrawing device in the application includes a slide block, a machine frame, a microphone, a telephone wire, a first roller, a rotating self-locking mechanism, a second roller and an extension spring, wherein the rotating self-locking mechanism is composed of a base, a gear shell, a paddle, a first resilient sheet and a second resilient sheet.
US09884738B1

A toolbox-size device contains wire spools that are supported by both a cradle and a removable axial spindle. This dual support contributes to solving several problems involved with manual wire deployment devices. Particular object spatial and size relationships can include those of the cradle, spindle, spool diameter, spool hub, arbor-opening diameter, enclosure size, and exit aperture location. This provides a solution to reliably and smoothly deploy electrical wire manually from a hand-carried device. The cradle holds spools generally in place when the axial spindle is removed to add or remove spools. The dual support system allows the use of spools with damaged flanges normally not possible with a cradle-based system.
US09884735B2

There is provided a sheet tray including: a first tray; a second tray supported by the first tray; and a third tray supported by the second tray. The second tray has a first engaging section engageable with the first tray at a second position; the third tray has a second engaging section contactable with the second tray, in a drawing direction from a first position toward the second position, at a fifth position between a third and a fourth position, and engageable with the second tray at the fourth position. The second engaging section is configured to be elastically deformable to be movable in a releasing direction in which the contact between the second engaging section and the second tray is released. The second and third trays are moved integrally in the drawing direction in a state that the second engaging section makes contact with the second tray.
US09884732B2

The device includes a closed path, along which overturning members move, which are configured to pick the products in the entrance position and to release the products in the exit position. The overturning members are configured and arranged to perform, along a segment of the closed path included between the entrance position and the exit position, a rotation by about 90°, in order to overturn the products while translating them from the entrance position to the exit position along the segment of the path.
US09884723B2

A spiral conveyor system with a positive drive system includes a rotating drum with at least one rib that is attached to drum. The rib includes a drive face for engaging a conveyor belt. The height of the rib above of the surface of the drum varies along a length of the drive element. The rib may be directly attached to the drum or may be a part of a drive element attached to the drum. The conveyor belt includes at least one belt surface configured to engage the at least one drive face, such as a protruding tab with a flat surface.
US09884712B2

An improved container blank of foldable material and resulting structure to hold a fluid filled carton is provided.
US09884704B2

A clip-clamp with top lock device for preferably closing and sealing bags and the like. The clip-clamp with top lock device includes a closure assembly including a pair of lever members spatially arranged and facing one another and also including an interconnector extending between the lever members, and further including at least one biased member connected to the lever members for memory retentiveness and to bias the lever members about and seal an opening of a container such as a bag.
US09884702B1

A ski equipment case suitable for carrying lengthy ski equipment such as snow skis, a snowboard and ski poles. The case comprises a pair of an inner box and an outer box, each having an upper half and lower half that are connected by a hinge so that the two halves can move relative to each other between an open and closed position of the case. The inner box slides within the outer box between a compact position wherein the inner box is completely within the outer box and various elongated positions to allow for various sized ski equipment. The case also includes locking means to fix the inner box and outer box at various positions.
US09884689B2

An aircraft-side aircraft data retrieval system and method, comprising: a data storage device (14) located in an aircraft (2) adapted to, during a flight, store data acquired during the flight; a transmission element (50), for example a dielectric filled hole or a coaxial transmission line assembly, in an external panel (9) of the aircraft (2); and wireless apparatus (18) adapted to wirelessly transmit, after the aircraft (2) has landed, the stored data to a ground-side data retrieval system (6) via the transmission element (50).
US09884687B2

An aircraft including a fuselage and an aft engine is provided. The fuselage extends from a forward end of the aircraft towards an aft end of the aircraft. The aft engine is mounted to the fuselage proximate the aft end of the aircraft. The aft engine includes a fan rotatable about a central axis of the aft engine, the fan including a plurality of fan blades. The aft engine also includes a nacelle surrounding the plurality of fan blades and defining an inlet. The inlet defines a non-axis symmetric shape with respect to the central axis of the aft engine to, e.g., allow for a maximum amount of airflow into the aft engine.
US09884681B2

Systems, devices, and methods for a transformable aerial vehicle are provided. In one aspect, a transformable aerial vehicle includes: a central body and at least two transformable frames assemblies respectively disposed on the central body, each of the at least two transformable frame assemblies having a proximal portion pivotally coupled to the central body and a distal portion; an actuation assembly mounted on the central body and configured to pivot the at least two frame assemblies to a plurality of different vertical angles relative to the central body; and a plurality of propulsion units mounted on the at least two transformable frame assemblies and operable to move the transformable aerial vehicle.
US09884677B2

A natural-laminar-flow swept transonic wing fitted with a wing tip pod for controlling the location of a wing shock in the wing tip region, such that the shock extends outboard substantially up to the wing tip without substantially sweeping forward toward the wing tip leading edge.
US09884673B2

A switch device includes an ENT switch for allowing a keyless controller to perform an authentication process, a S/S switch for manipulating start and stop of an engine, and a single common manipulating member for allowing a user to manipulate ON/OFF switching operations of the ENT switch and the S/S switch. The ENT switch and the S/S switch are switched between ON and OFF depending on a motion of the single common manipulating member.
US09884670B2

An air-based-deployment-compatible underwater vehicle that may be configured to perform vertical profiling is described. The vehicle may be configured, during information transmission, to perform motion stabilization at a water surface. A body of the vehicle may have a cylindrical shape. Buoyancy control components of the vehicle may be disposed within the body. The buoyancy control components may be configured to adjust a volume and/or buoyancy of the vehicle to facilitate vertical profiling. Fins may be hingedly disposed on the body at one or more locations on the vehicle. The fins may be movable between a first configuration and a second configuration. The fins, in the first configuration, may be positioned substantially flat against the body. The fins, in the second configuration, may extend radially outward to slow descent and to provide motion stabilization. The fins may be pitched to rotate the vehicle about a longitudinal axis during vertical profiling.
US09884666B2

A multi-speed hub gear, comprising: an axle adapted to be fixed against rotation; a hub shell; a plurality of planetary gear sets, each comprising: a central gear concentrically fixed on the axle, a rotating gear carrier mounting at least one rotating gear to revolve around the center of the central gear; and a ring gear rotated by the at least one rotating gear; wherein a respective the ring gear of one of the sets is mechanically connected to a respective the rotating gear carrier of another of the sets such that the sets rotate in conjunction; and a gear shifter adapted to engage at least one of the sets to the hub shell while disengaging another of the sets from the hub shell.
US09884664B2

A suspension assembly including a core member; and a skin member bonded on said core member. The skin member having a higher strength than the core member.
US09884660B2

A cargo body includes sidewalls constructed of pairs of panels secured together at respective joints. Each panel is an assembled panel having a core, an interior skin, and an exterior skin. In some cases, each joint is formed to include overlapping edge portions of first and second ones of the adjacent pair of panels. Each of the overlapping edge portions has a thickness less than 20 percent of a total panel thickness of the corresponding one of the adjacent pair of panels such that the joint formed thereby defines a recess between co-facing edge portions of the first and second ones of the adjacent pair of panels. A profile insert defining a longitudinal channel is positioned in the recess defined by the overlapping edge portions at each joint. Each joint is secured by fixedly attaching the profile insert to the overlapping edge portions.
US09884654B1

A roof structure includes a roof support longitudinally extending over a compartment area at a lateral centerline of a vehicle. A plurality of pillars support the roof support and include a transverse leg extending laterally outward from the roof support to a curved section, and a vertical leg extending downward from the curved section to a vehicle beltline. Windows are assembled to a openings that are defined by two pillars, the roof support and the vehicle beltline.
US09884647B2

A vehicle includes a frame assembly extending along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and including a rear frame portion. The rear frame portion includes at least one upstanding member, at least one longitudinal member, and at least one coupling member coupled to the at least one upstanding member and the at least one longitudinal member. The vehicle also includes at least one front ground-engaging member supporting the frame assembly, at least one rear ground-engaging member supporting the frame assembly, a drivetrain assembly operably coupled to the front and rear ground-engaging member, and a rear suspension assembly. The rear suspension assembly includes at least one radius rod operably coupled to the at least one rear ground-engaging member and angled less than 90° relative to the at least one longitudinal member.
US09884645B2

When an object detected by a lane marking/object detection section has been determined to be an object present in an adjacent lane change target lane or in the vicinity of the adjacent lane, lane change control is performed to reduce a predetermined maximum lateral acceleration Aymax′ or maximum lateral velocity Vymax′ according to the lane width Lob of the adjacent lane.
US09884644B2

When a vehicle passenger sitting on a vehicle seat or a body part of the vehicle passenger is moved away from a collision side of the vehicle by a passenger protection mechanism a reaction of a driver of the vehicle following the triggering of the passenger protection mechanism is monitored. If a steering movement implemented in an uncontrolled manner by the driver, resulting from an incorrect triggering of the passenger protection mechanism, is detected at least one intervention correcting the lane is implemented in such a way that the vehicle is guided back into its original lane.
US09884643B2

A friction compensation control apparatus of a motor driven power steering (MDPS) system may include: a damping control unit configured to detect a damping torque of the MDPS system; and a friction compensation control module configured to detect a friction compensation torque using a column torque, a motor speed, and a vehicle speed, and adjust the detected friction compensation torque according to the magnitude of the damping torque.
US09884639B2

Some embodiments include a utility cart. In some embodiments, the utility cart includes an insulated cold storage compartment; a dry storage compartment, the dry storage compartment configured to retract-ably extend horizontally; a base and front and rear wheels connected to the base.
US09884634B2

A lighting device includes a light source disposed inside of a vehicle, an external light sensor that detects illuminance of light outside of the vehicle, and a controller that controls the light source such that a lower light intensity ratio of the light source is set for higher illuminance detected by the external light sensor. The controller performs a light intensity ratio maintaining control that maintains the light intensity ratio of the light source even when the illuminance changes from a low state to a high state during a period from when a change amount of the illuminance exceeds a predetermined value until a predetermined period elapses.
US09884623B2

A method for image-based vehicle localization includes measuring, at a vehicle, a position and a heading of the vehicle; capturing, at an image capture system of the vehicle, road surface image data of a road surface; processing the road surface image data to correct for distortion in the road surface image data due to pitch and roll of the vehicle; performing feature detection on the processed road surface image data to detect lane markers on the road surface; generating a local map based on the detected lane markers; wherein generating the local map comprises identifying a lane demarcated by the detected lane markers; and controlling the vehicle according to the local map.
US09884614B2

A control system is for a vehicle (Ve), and the control system comprises an electronic control unit (18). The electronic control unit (18) is configured to (i) produce differential rotation by controlling a rotational speed of either a first clutch member (24) or a second clutch member (25) of a selectable one-way clutch (17) by a motor (2), and (ii) execute the following processes in an order of (1.) to (4.) in the case where the electronic control unit (18) switches the selectable one-way clutch (17) from a disengaged state to a engaged state: (1.) controlling the motor (2) such that the differential rotation becomes the negative differential rotation; (2.) switching the selectable one-way clutch (17) from a second state to a first state; (3.) controlling the motor (2) such that the differential rotation becomes the positive differential rotation; and (4.) engaging a part of a strut with a part of the second clutch member (25).
US09884609B2

A web tightening apparatus is disclosed for a multi-point restraint harness having a web extendable about an occupant of a motor vehicle seat. A base frame is mounted between the seat and a floor of a motor vehicle, a web turning guide is mounted to and within the base frame with the web extending into the base frame and through the web turning guide, a ratcheting device is mounted to the base frame and has a handle, and a ratcheting web is coupled at one end to the web extending from the web turning guide and coupled at an opposite end to the ratcheting device. The ratcheting device is responsive to ratcheting actuation of the handle to draw the ratcheting web therein, wherein movement of the ratcheting web into the ratcheting device draws the web further into the base frame and thereby tightens the web about the occupant.
US09884607B2

To provide a seatbelt retractor and a seatbelt device that can suppress the occurrence of abnormal noise. A seatbelt retractor 1 includes a spool 2 that retracts webbing configured to restrain an occupant, a base frame 3 that houses the spool 2 rotatably, and a lock mechanism 4 that restricts rotation of the spool 2. The lock mechanism 4 includes a locking base 41, a pawl 42, a pawl spring 43, and a lock gear 44. The pawl 42 includes a first restraint portion 42a that restrains movement of the pawl 42 in one rotating direction of the spool 2 while being located inside an outer periphery of the locking base 41, and a second restraint portion 42b that restrains the movement of the pawl 42 in an opposite rotating direction of the spool 2 while the movement is retrained by the first restraint portion 42a.
US09884601B1

Presented herein are bull bar mounting assemblies, methods for making and methods for using such mounting assemblies, and vehicles with mounting assemblies affixing bull bars to the vehicle chassis. A bull bar mounting assembly includes an elongated chassis rail with a first longitudinal end attached to the vehicle chassis, and a second longitudinal end with a mounting plate for attaching to the bull bar device. An L-shaped flexible mounting bracket has a coupling base attached to the chassis rail adjacent to and spaced from the mounting plate, and a coupling flange projecting from the coupling base for attaching to the bull bar device and mounting plate. The flexible mounting bracket may expand from an undeformed state, where at the coupling flange is spaced from and unattached to the mounting plate, to a deformed state, whereat the coupling flange abuts and attaches to the mounting plate and bull bar device.
US09884595B2

A cable connection on a motor unit of an electric auxiliary drive for a bicycle, the motor unit includes an external rotor having a rotational axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the wheels. The cable connection has a solid connecting piece which can be connected to the motor unit and conductors for connection to the cores of a cable to be fed at an angle.
US09884581B1

A lever load binder which provides fine adjustments for accommodation of the length of the tiedown chain without twisting of the tiedown chain or binder, increased efficiency of use, and improved safety.
US09884579B2

A sliding block for a loading rail includes a central part defining a coupling structure along an upper face thereof. The sliding block further includes at least one side part defining an undercut having an inner face directed toward the central part and angled away from the central part in a direction along a central axis of the central part away from the upper face.
US09884577B2

A crane system for loading and unloading stone slabs comprising: a front support structure including: a pair of vertical legs each secured at a bottom end to the bed or wall of a vehicle; a front horizontal cross beam secured to a top end of the vertical legs; a back support structure including: a pair of vertical legs each secured at a bottom end to the bed or wall of a vehicle; a back horizontal cross beam secured to a top end of the vertical legs; a pair of bracing members secured to the vertical legs and to each other to aid in the stabilization of the system; a horizontal lift beam slideably secured to the front and back horizontal cross beams; a trolley assembly slidably secured to the horizontal lift beam; and a hoist mechanism secured to the trolley assembly.
US09884574B2

A seating posture is stabilized for the shoulders of a passenger seated on a vehicle seat. A vehicle seat is provided with a seat back configured to support the seated person from the rear. A shoulder support portion of the seat back configured to support a corresponding one of the shoulders of the seated passenger includes an air cell configured to expand when air is supplied. When the air cell expands, one end portion of the shoulder support portion on the outside in the width direction of the vehicle seat moves more forward than the other end portion of the shoulder support portion on the inside in the width direction.
US09884568B2

A control apparatus for a vehicle including a three-phase AC motor and a power converter, the control apparatus includes an ECU. The ECU is configured to determine whether a rotation speed of the three-phase AC motor is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold and whether a stopping operation of the vehicle is performed, to determine that the vehicle stops when the rotation speed is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold and the stopping operation is performed, to determine whether the vehicle skids, and to switch a state of the power converter to a state where all on one side of the first and second switching elements are turned off and at least one on the other side of the first and second switching elements is turned on when the ECU determines that the vehicle stops and that the vehicle does not skid.
US09884552B2

A fluid system for a vehicle is provided. The fluid system is configured to couple to a chassis of the vehicle. A frame assembly of the fluid system is configured to couple with the chassis directly or with another component that is coupled, directly or indirectly, with the chassis. A cowling of the fluid system can enclose a fuel pressure vessel and an auxiliary fluid vessel. The auxiliary fluid vessel is configured to be placed in fluid communication with the component powered or operated by the fluid therein.
US09884549B2

The present disclosure relates to a wheel unit, which comprise: a motor; a pinion gear which is fixed to a rotating portion of the motor; a wheel which includes an annular ground surface and rotates about a final gear support shaft; a final gear made of a resin, which is fixed to the wheel directly or via another member and is disposed on one side in an axial direction with respect to the wheel; a speed reduction mechanism which decelerates rotation of the pinion gear and transmits the rotation to the final gear; and a gear case which accommodates the pinion gear, the speed reduction mechanism, and the final gear; wherein a rotation support portion which rotates along with the final gear and the wheel while being supported by the gear case directly or via another member is provided between the final gear and the wheel; and when viewed from one side in the axial direction, the final gear support shaft and a motor shaft are disposed in different positions, and the motor includes a rotor magnet on an outside of an armature in a radial direction.
US09884540B1

A support rail for a movable, flatbed trailer-mounted tarp enclosure system having a tarp cover, a plurality of substantially U-shaped bows connected to and supporting the tarp cover, and rolling carriages connected to lower ends of said bows and which roll along the support rail, the support rail including a first elongate rail section which is fixed to the trailer and extends substantially parallel to a cargo support surface of the trailer, a second elongate rail section which is movably connected to the trailer, and a support mechanism which connects the second elongate rail section to the trailer such that the second elongate rail section may be moved between a first position extending continuously to the first elongate rail section along a common axis and a second position parallel to but at a different level from the first elongate rail section.
US09884536B2

A refrigerant cycle (16) for cooling as a prototype is provided with: an internal condenser (8) connected to a discharge circuit of an electric compressor (9) and disposed on a downstream of an internal evaporator (7) of an HVAC unit (2); a first heating circuit (18) connected to a receiver (11) through a switching unit (17) arranged on an inlet side of the external condenser (8); and a second heating circuit (23) connected between an outlet side of the receiver (11) and a suction side of the electric compressor (9) and provided with a second expansion valve (20) and an external evaporator (21). A heat pump cycle (24) for heating is formed by a second heating circuit (23) including the electric compressor (9), the internal condenser (8), the switching unit (17), the first heating circuit (18), the receiver (11), the second expansion valve (20), and the external evaporator (21).
US09884532B2

A suspension control device includes an actuator configured to change an up/down stroke of a suspension, a front sensor, and a control device configured to estimate a displacement in a vertical direction of a road surface based on a detection result of the front sensor, thereby controlling the actuator. When the control device determines that a step portion in which a wheel comes into contact with two points of the road surface viewed in a direction along a rotational axis of the wheel exists ahead of a vehicle, the control device controls a force generated by the actuator so that, when the wheel comes into contact with the two points, the wheel rolls about the point without substantially pressing the point toward the travel direction of the vehicle.
US09884524B2

A method for transmitting n identification signals (P1-P4) formulated according to n different protocols, using an electronic casing (6) provided on a wheel (2) of a vehicle, as part of an angular correlation locating procedure. An electronic casing (6) is used, which is programmed to carry out, per wheel turn, x transmissions commanded for x angular positions offset from each other by predetermined angular values and, during each sending operation, a fixed angular position of the electronic casing (6) is determined, to which position is assigned the reference angular position function for determining the x transmission angular positions of the electronic casing, and a burst of n identification signals sent consecutively for transmission successive angular positions of the electronic casing (6) is transmitted, each of the signals being formulated according to one of the n protocols and including data for identifying the electronic casing and the transmission angular position thereof.
US09884523B2

The invention relates to a method of utilizing a system for monitoring the temperature and/or the pressure of the tires of a vehicle (C) comprising one or more rolling sub-assemblies (100, 200), noteworthy in that it consists in installing on each rolling sub-assembly (100, 200), an additional storage and communication module (300′) comprising: —a data storage means in which are recorded, during a learning phase, the set of unique identifiers and the locations of each measurement and communication pick-up module (300) of said rolling sub-assembly (100, 200), —a means of communication at least with the reception and transmission modules (400) and installed on the rolling sub-assembly, —a means of storing energy for the purposes of powering the communication means, so that said storage and communication module (300′) can retain in memory the set of identifiers and associated locations of the same sub-assembly (100, 200) and can communicate it instantaneously. The invention also relates to the device allowing the method to be implemented. Applications: utilization of a system for monitoring tires.
US09884505B2

A recording medium having a base and an ink receiving layer containing an inorganic particle and at least one compound selected from a compound represented by the following formula (I) and a compound represented by the following formula (II):
US09884501B2

The present teachings disclose various embodiments of a printing system for printing a substrate, in which the printing system can be housed in a gas enclosure, where the environment within the enclosure can be maintained as a controlled printing environment. A controlled environment of the present teachings can include control of the type of gas environment within the gas enclosure, the size and level particulate matter within the enclosure, control of the temperature within the enclosure and control of lighting. Various embodiments of a printing system of the present teachings can include a Y-axis motion system and a Z-axis moving plate that are configured to substantially decrease excess thermal load within the enclosure by, for example, eliminating or substantially minimizing the use of conventional electric motors.
US09884491B2

The present invention provides apparatus for assisting change-over of take-up rolls in a printing system, especially in a roll-to-roll printing system. The apparatus comprises a guide device for directing or guiding printed sheet output from the printing system along a transport path towards a take-up roll for winding or taking up a length of the printed sheet, and a first clamping device for holding a new leading edge region of the printed sheet formed after the printed sheet is cut to terminate the length of the sheet to be wound or taken up onto the take-up roll. The first clamping device is configured to hold or clamp the new leading edge region of the printed sheet against movement along the transport path towards the take-up roll. The guide device is movable to redirect the printed sheet output from the printing system to a buffer zone, and the guide device is configured to redirect the printed sheet to the buffer zone when the first clamping device holds or clamps the new leading edge region of the printed sheet. Furthermore, the invention provides a corresponding method of handling take-up rolls in a printing system.
US09884485B2

A liquid ejecting head and a liquid ejecting apparatus are designed so as to suppress the influence of noise on control signals. The liquid ejecting head has a plurality of terminals electrically connected with a contact point provided in the liquid ejecting apparatus, and a liquid ejecting element substrate having a liquid ejecting element formed for ejecting liquid in response to the control signals transmitted from the liquid ejecting apparatus. A power source terminal for drive and a ground terminal for drive, which are provided for driving the liquid ejecting element, are arranged adjacent to each other, and a power source wiring that connects the power source terminal for drive with the liquid ejecting element substrate and a ground wiring that connects the ground terminal for drive with the liquid ejecting element substrate are at least partially arranged in parallel.
US09884484B2

In a printing apparatus, ink mist resulting from ink discharge is suctioned by a fan and moves along a flow path (recovery path) formed by alternating ribs in a recovery unit, and the ribs have a width becoming increasingly smaller as a downstream side of the flow path (recovery path) is approached.
US09884483B2

A liquid jetting apparatus comprises a flow passage member which has a pressure chamber communicated with a nozzle and a liquid supply port communicated with the pressure chamber; a piezoelectric element with which the flow passage member is provided so that the piezoelectric element is overlapped with the pressure chamber; a protective member which is arranged on the flow passage member so that the piezoelectric element is covered therewith; and a supply member which is formed with a supply flow passage communicated with the liquid supply port of the flow passage member and which is adhered to extend over the flow passage member and the protective member; wherein a layer of a first adhesive to adhere the protective member and the supply member is thicker than a layer of a second adhesive to adhere the flow passage member and the supply member.
US09884478B2

An ink station assembly is for a can decorator machine structured to decorate a plurality of cans. The ink station assembly includes a first oscillator roll and a second oscillator roll each having a longitudinal axis and being structured to oscillate back and forth along the longitudinal axis, a printing plate cylinder including a printing plate, and only one single form roll cooperating with the printing plate cylinder to apply a supply of ink to the printing plate, the single form roll cooperating with the first oscillator roll and the second oscillator roll.
US09884477B2

a manufacturing of a printing plate from a thermoplastic porous material comprises a thermal head with a plurality of heater elements, acquire print data of a print pattern including pixel data, with each item of pixel data corresponding to each area of the surface of the porous material partitioned into a lattice shape; identify, print pixel data that is part of the print pattern, and non-print pixel data that is not comprising the print pattern; apply a first heat quantity to a first area corresponding to the non-print pixel data by at least one first heater element, that makes contact with the first area; apply a second heat quantity that is smaller than the first heat quantity to a second area by the second heater element that makes contact with the second area identified by the print pixel data, the second area being where ink readily runs.
US09884475B2

An adhesive application valve comprising an applicator, a Z-axis actuator operably connected to the applicator, wherein the Z-axis actuator and the rotation device are each capable of moving independently of each other to position the applicator in a position to apply an amount of adhesive to a top substrate prior to bonding with a bottom substrate is provided. Furthermore, a machine comprising an end effector, and an adhesive application valve configured to apply an amount of adhesive onto the top substrate, the end effector configured to place the top substrate into a position of engagement with the adhesive application valve, and place the top substrate onto the bottom substrate to facilitate initial contact between the adhesive applied to the top substrate and a fill material applied to the bottom substrate is also provided. A method of optical bonding is further provided.
US09884464B2

A press comprises a press frame, at least one upper punch plate with at least one upper press punch held on it and/or at least one lower punch plate with at least one lower press punch held on it. A die plate has at least one receiver for powdered material to be pressed by the press punches. At least two upper drives are mechanically coupled in the operation of the press, engaging at the upper punch plate for moving the upper press punch in the vertical direction and/or at least two lower drives mechanically coupled in the operation of the press, engaging on the lower punch plate and/or the die plate for moving the lower press punch and/or the die plate in the vertical direction. A method for setting up and operating the press for producing a pellet made of the powdered material, in particular metal powder, is described.
US09884459B2

A device for producing a mold part. The device includes a first tool component and a second tool component. The first tool component has a first pressing surface and a first cavity. The second tool component has second pressing surface, a second cavity, and a nozzle configured to supply a liquefied synthetic material. The first and second cavities are configured to overlap at least partially in a cross-section perpendicular to the first and second pressing surfaces when the first and second pressing surface face each other. At least one of the first and second tool components is configured to be movable relative to another.
US09884456B2

A method is disclosed for changing the spring rate of an implantable layer for use with a surgical instrument which includes the steps of obtaining an implantable layer having a first spring rate, wherein the implantable layer is at least partially comprised of a material having a glass transition temperature and a melting temperature, heating the implantable layer to a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature and lower than the melting temperature, deforming the implantable layer to change the first spring rate to a second spring rate, wherein the second spring rate is different than the first spring rate, allowing the implantable layer to cool below the glass transition temperature, and releasing the implantable layer.
US09884443B2

An injection molded product may include a corner shingle resembling a single course of tiles that differ in size. The corner shingle may be a semi-crystalline thermoplastic and having a wood grain direction. Streaks may be formed in the corner shingle that are substantially parallel to the wood grain direction. The streaks may extend through an interior of the corner shingle and appear as contrasting streaks on an exterior of the corner shingle to form a variegated wood grain appearance. In addition, an injection molded vestige may be formed in the corner shingle. The injection molded vestige may be located adjacent a perimeter of the corner shingle, and may comprise the location at which material entered an injection mold through a gate.
US09884437B2

A system and method is provided for creating a structure including a vasculature network. A film deposition device is configured to dispense droplets onto a surface of a substrate to form a curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film on the surface of the substrate. An electrohydrodynamic film patterning (EHD-FP) device has a patterned electrode structure formed to generate an electric field and to subject the film on the surface of the substrate to the electric field. The film thereby being formed by the EHD-FP into patterned features in response to being subjected to the electric field. Then a casting system is configured to cover the patterned features in an epoxy to form patterned structures, wherein the patterned structures comprise a fugitive vasculature structure.
US09884424B2

A display control apparatus operable to display an operation of a robot comprising: an obtaining unit configured to obtain measurement information of a processing target that includes at least one of the robot and a target that the robot operates; an emphasizing unit configured to generate emphasized display information that emphasizes a feature of a portion of the processing target, based on the measurement information; a composition unit configured to generate composite display information in which the emphasized display information and non-emphasized display information other than the emphasized display information are composed; and an output unit configured to output the composite display information to a display unit.
US09884421B2

An exoskeleton device provides for selectively adjusting an exoskeleton hip pivot/pivot position in the sagittal plane relative to the position of the hip pivot of a wearer of the exoskeleton. The exoskeleton hip pivots/pivot positions can be shifted forward or rearward relative to the hip pivots of the wearer and can either be automatically actuated by an exoskeleton control system or manually adjusted by the exoskeleton wearer. The invention particularly allows for differential hip placement in order to compensate for changing load or actuation conditions.
US09884417B2

The present disclosure relates to a portable mop and a mop bucket used with the portably mop. The portable mop includes a mop rod (1). The mop rod (1) is provided with a steering mechanism (5). The steering mechanism (5) includes a sleeve nut (6), a locking thread sleeve (7) and a hinged ladder rotating shaft (8). A hinge plane (10) is arranged at the upper end of the hinged ladder rotating shaft (8). The mop bucket includes an integrated squeezing and brushing device is formed by the connection of the squeezing roller pair and the brush body by virtue of a combined support; the combined support comprises a left and a right side baffles; and the brush body is fixedly connected with the squeezing roller pair through connecting screw rods to form a whole.
US09884408B1

A pool pump-trap wrench system including a pool pump-trap wrench assembly. The pool pump-trap wrench assembly including, a handle-frame, a top-unit, and two offset-lower-levers. The handle-frame, the a top-unit, and the two offset-lower-levers are structured and arranged in combination to provide a user with a device useful for affixing to a wide variety of pool pump-trap covers for cleaning and maintaining a the pool pump-trap. The handle-frame includes a handle and a frame. The frame includes a frame-opening, at least one frontward-notch, and at least one rearward-notch. Included is the top unit including a front-member, a rear-member, and a center-section; with the center-section including a body and a body-opening. The handle-frame includes the handle; the frame includes the frame-opening, the at least one frontward-notch, and the at least one rearward-notch; where the top-unit includes the front-member, the rear-member.
US09884407B2

Provided is a shot peening device with which recovered projection material and foreign bodies can be more precisely separated while inhibiting an increase in the size of the device. The shot peening device is provided with: a projector which projects projection material onto a workpiece (W); recovery mechanisms which recover the projection material projected by the projector; and a wind power sorting mechanism in which recovered projection material is allowed to fall freely while an upward air current is applied to the recovered projection material, and foreign bodies included in the recovered projection material are separated from the recovered projection material.
US09884400B2

The present invention relates to a polishing pad and a method for making the same. The polishing pad includes a polymeric elastomer and a plurality of hollow structures. The hollow structures are distributed in the polymeric elastomer uniformly, and the sizes of the hollow structures are substantially equal to each other.
US09884398B2

An apparatus for processing material to a desired shape by controlling a cutting tool by wireless communication, capable of performing cutting/beveling and processing using one cutting tip and performing cutting and improvement operations of a tube material. The processing apparatus includes a drive wheel rotatably coupled to one side of a main body part while a workpiece penetrates the drive wheel, a main motor unit for rotating the drive wheel (in a C-axis direction), at least one stage coupled to the front of the drive wheel to precisely reciprocate in a center direction of the workpiece (in an X-axis direction), a cutting tool mounted to the stage so as to cut an outside surface or an end surface portion of the workpiece, and a control unit for controlling the stage and the main motor unit, wherein the control unit and the stage are controlled by wireless communication.
US09884394B2

Provided are a method and apparatus for reducing a refrigerant pressure difference within an HVAC system having a controller, one or more compressors, and at least two paths of refrigerant piping comprising alternative paths for refrigerant flow through the HVAC system. A valve is coupled to each refrigerant piping path for permitting, or preventing, refrigerant flow through each of the alternate paths of refrigerant piping. The controller may open at least one valve for a defined period of time in response to a triggering input to allow a refrigerant pressure difference within the HVAC system to dissipate across the opened valve.
US09884378B2

A cutting insert according to an embodiment has a polygonal shaped upper surface, a lower surface, a side surface, and a cutting edge. The cutting edge has an arc-shaped first corner edge, an arc-shaped second corner edge, and a wiper edge located between the first corner edge and the second corner edge. The wiper edge has an arc-shaped first wiper edge and an arc-shaped second wiper edge located closer to the second corner edge than the first wiper edge. R0
US09884375B2

In a method for producing a cavity (14) in a stator of an eccentric screw pump, material is removed in the interior of a stator blank (10) by means of a tool (11). In order that very long stators can be produced in one production operation, the tool (11) performs a rotational motion through a first shaft (12) and an eccentric motion around a second shaft (13), during which the stator blank (10) and the tool (11) are moved toward each other. A device for performing the method comprises (a) a bearing shaft (3) that can be coupled with its drive end to a first drive and that is rotatable around its longitudinal axis by means of the first drive; (b) a drive shaft (4) that can be coupled with its drive end to a second drive and is arranged in a borehole of the bearing shaft (3) and is rotatable around its longitudinal axis by means of the second drive form-fitting and relative to the bearing shaft (3), and (c) a machining tool (5), which is rotationally fixed connected to the machining end of the drive shaft (4) that can be inserted into the cavity and can be driven rotatably via the drive shaft (4) around the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft (4). The longitudinal axis of the drive shaft (4) intersects the longitudinal axis of the bearing shaft (3) at a point or is arranged askew to the longitudinal axis of the bearing shaft (3).
US09884374B2

A hole cutter can include a cylindrical blade body with a cutting edge and one or more axially-elongated apertures. Each axially-elongated aperture can include a first fulcrum axially spaced from the cutting edge, and a second fulcrum axially spaced further away from the cutting edge than the first fulcrum. The blade body can also include a third fulcrum defined by a second aperture different from the one or more axially-elongated apertures. The third fulcrum may be spaced closer to the cutting than the first and second fulcrums. A lever, such as a screw driver, can be inserted into the apertures and placed against each of the fulcrums to lever slugs out of the interior of the blade body. The third fulcrum may alternatively be defined by another axially-elongated aperture that is located a different distance from the cutting edge than the axially-elongated aperture containing the first and second fulcrums.
US09884373B2

A hole saw having a blade portion separable into two parts which when separated form a base portion and a tip portion. The base and the tip have correspondingly shaped apertures and lugs that co-operate together to hold the blade tip in place. A locking means further assists in ensuring that the blade tip remains locked to the base and includes a sliding latch that engages an aperture in the blade and the base and is itself locked in place to thereby lock the blade to the base. An intermediate portion also allows for the hole saw to drill through different depths.
US09884370B2

A drilling system may include a plurality of robotic drilling units. Each one of the robotic drilling units may include a drill end effector positioned inside a barrel section. The barrel section may be configured as a composite sandwich structure having an inner face sheet. The robotic drilling units maybe operable in synchronized movement with one another to drill a plurality of perforations into the inner face sheet using the drill end effectors in a manner providing a predetermined percent-open-area of the inner face sheet.
US09884363B2

A method to manufacture reticulated metal foam via a dual investment solid mold, includes pre-investing a precursor with a diluted pre-investment ceramic plaster to encapsulate the precursor; and investing the encapsulated precursor with a ceramic plaster within an mold of a varied cross-section. A varied cross-section mold includes a mold thickness adjacent to an outer periphery of a pattern at a top of the varied cross-section mold is between 200-500% a thickness between the outer periphery of the pattern at a base of the varied cross-section mold. A varied cross-section mold includes a trapezoidal prism shape with a pour cone in a top, the top larger than the base.
US09884359B2

A die 20 used to form a metal tube into a tubular twist beam part 22 having a U-shaped torsion section 66 is provided. The die 20 includes a punch 44 and side form blocks 34 which simultaneously engage a metal tube and form the metal tube into the tubular twist beam part 22. The form blocks 34 have a curved profile which depends on the desired profile of the tubular twist beam part 22 to be formed. The die 20 includes horizontal spacer blocks 38 and vertical spacer blocks 32 restricting movement of the punch 44 and form blocks 34. The spacer blocks 32, 38 can have various different dimensions and can be easily removed and replaced to adjust the closing position of the die 20 and thus form multiple tubular twist beam parts 22 each having a different dimension and different roll rate.
US09884355B2

A manufacturing method of a seamless metal pipe includes: preparing a plurality of mandrel bars in which lengths of work portions which come into contact with a hollow shell during elongating are different from one another; selecting a mandrel bar including a work portion having a length corresponding to the number of stands used in thickness reduction, among the plurality of mandrel bars; inserting the mandrel bar selected in the selecting into the hollow shell; and performing the elongating on the hollow shell into which the mandrel bar is inserted. Moreover, in the elongating, outer diameter reduction is performed by one of a preceding-stage stand group and a succeeding-stage stand group and the thickness reduction is performed by the other of the preceding-stage stand group and the succeeding-stage stand group, or the thickness reduction is performed by both of the preceding-stage stand group and the succeeding-stage stand group.
US09884352B2

A debris removal method includes at least any one step of varying i) flow, ii) turbulence, and iii) pressure, within a pipe gas stream. Another embodiment is a cleaning system including a viewer to view inside pipe, and a turbulator associated with the viewer, to vary in a gas stream any of flow, pressure, and turbulence.
US09884349B2

Proposed is a product range for cleaning breathing apparatuses, including at least two holders, wherein the holders include: a first holder for cleaning breathing masks and breathing valves, including at least one mask holding device for positioning at least one breathing mask, additionally comprising at least one breathing valve holding device for positioning at least one breathing valve and least one pressurizing device with at least one pressure connection, wherein the pressure connection is connectable to the breathing valve and wherein the pressurizing device is set up to apply compressed air to the breathing valve during cleaning; and at least one second holder for cleaning carrying frameworks for pressurized gas cylinders for breather apparatuses, including at least one carrying framework holding device for positioning at least one carrying framework. The holders are dimensioned in such a manner that they can be moved into a cleaning apparatus for cleaning the breathing apparatuses so as to be exchangeable.
US09884329B2

An apparatus (100) for applying a substance (200) as a bead (202) to a geometric feature (204) extending along a path (220) is disclosed. The apparatus (100) comprises an outlet end (101) comprising a first edge (104), a second edge (106), and an outlet opening (102) at least partially defined by the first edge (104) and the second edge (106). The first edge (104) and the second edge (106) are reversibly extensible.
US09884328B2

A cyclone main body includes a cylinder-shaped upper barrel and an inverse cone-shaped lower barrel; a top plate which covers a top edge of the upper barrel and includes an opening at a center portion; a first introduction pipe which introduces a first fluid containing powder along an inner wall surface of the cyclone main body; a second introduction pipe which is disposed near the top plate in a portion upper than the first introduction pipe and introduces a second fluid; an exhaust pipe which is inserted in the opening of the top plate along a vertical center axis of the cyclone main body, makes an exhaust flow rise from the cyclone main body, and discharges the exhaust flow from the cyclone main body; and a collecting section which collects powder separated by turning movement of each of the first fluid and the second fluid in the cyclone main body.
US09884326B2

To provide matrix for magnetic separator capable of sorting magnetic and non-magnetic particles highly accurately and efficiently and enabling previous simulative recognition of correct magnetic force distribution in matrix space, and magnetic separator.Matrix for magnetic separator of present invention includes: entirely approximately wavelike plate-shaped magnetic walls each having orderly structure of wave-shaped bent sections continuously repeatedly formed in wave advancing direction and each having wave height h of ≦1 mm and approximately inverted V- or U-shape; and entirely approximately box-shaped housing part housing magnetic walls and having in opposite surfaces, introducing and discharging parts through which sorting target fluid containing magnetically-attractable substance magnetically-attractable to magnetic walls is passed thereinto/therefrom, magnetic walls arranged in juxtaposition such that convex shapes of wave-shaped bent sections in one magnetic wall face concave shapes thereof in another magnetic wall adjacent to one magnetic wall with constant interval therebetween.
US09884314B2

A catalyst comprising a Group IIIA metal, a Group VIII noble metal, and an optional promoter metal, on a support selected from silica, alumina, silica-alumina compositions, rare earth modified alumina, and combinations thereof, doped with iron, a Group VIB metal, a Group VB metal, or a combination thereof, offers decreased reactivation time under air soak in comparison with otherwise identical catalysts. Reducing reactivation time may, in turn, reduce costs, both in inventory and capital.
US09884312B2

The present invention relates generally to an advanced oxidation process for providing advanced oxidation products to an environment. More particularly, the present invention provides a wick structure and hydrophilic granules for use in an advanced oxidation process, and methods of making the same. The wick structure and hydrophilic granules may be configured to collect and concentrate water vapor, so that the water vapor may subsequently be used to generate advanced oxidation products that react with and neutralize compounds in an environment, including microbes, odor causing chemicals, and other organic and inorganic chemicals.
US09884295B2

The present invention relates to membrane bioreactor (“MBR”) system that includes a mechanical membrane reciprocation system to reduce or eliminate membrane fouling. The disclosed MBR system can be operated with higher flux and lower fouling than MBR systems using air scouring. Furthermore the system can remove nitrogen and phosphorous with one RAS and one or no internal recirculation line. The membrane can be reciprocated by a low RPM motor connected to a pulley via belt to rotate rotor to convert rotational motion into reciprocating motion of membrane. Various mechanical means can also be employed to create the reciprocating motion.
US09884294B2

The present disclosure is directed to a high temperature method to adsorb carbon dioxide onto an ion-exchange resin and/or regenerate the carbon dioxide-loaded ion-exchange resins.
US09884293B2

An object is to provide technology that enables an NOx catalyst to exercise its NOx reduction capability satisfactorily at any flow speed of the exhaust gas flowing into the NOx catalyst. An exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a selective catalytic reduction NOx catalyst including at least a first catalyst layer having capability of reducing NOx and a second catalyst layer having oxidation capability and arranged closer to a catalyst substrate than the first catalyst layer. The apparatus has a supply valve for adding a specific addition quantity of reducing agent for reducing NOx to inflowing exhaust gas flowing into the selective catalytic reduction NOx catalyst. The apparatus further has a controller that is configured to control addition of the reducing agent by the supply valve based on the flow speed of the inflowing exhaust gas in such a way that the concentration of the reducing agent in a reducing agent atmosphere formed in the inflowing exhaust gas in a reducing agent addition period becomes equal to a specific concentration that is determined based on the flow speed of the inflowing exhaust gas and at which the reducing agent is assumed not to reach the second catalyst layer, when the temperature of the selective catalytic reduction NOx catalyst exceeds a specific temperature at which reduction of NOx by the first catalyst layer is carried out.
US09884289B2

A contaminant gas is removed from a feed gas in two absorption and stripping circuits operated in tandem. The gas is first passed through a rich gas absorber producing a rich absorption liquor from which contaminant gas is stripped in a rich liquor stripper. A lean gas exiting the rich gas absorber is passed through a lean gas absorber, producing a lean absorption liquor from which contaminant gas is stripper in a lean liquor stripper. Regenerated absorption media exiting the respective strippers are recirculated to the respective absorbers.
US09884276B2

A filter outer cylinder container is a hollow container, and a filter medium is mounted in the container. Fluid passage holes, opened in a side surface member of the filter outer cylinder container, are located at or above a fixed height from a bottom portion of the filter outer cylinder container, whereby a machining liquid is stored in the filter outer cylinder container, so that the filter medium can be always submerged in the machining liquid.
US09884272B1

A device and method for increasing the area available for passing contaminated stormwater through a granular media. The device comprises of one or more hollow elements that are made of degradable material and are of predetermined size and shape. The increased area available for flow is obtained by introducing a first media into predetermined areas of the device, introducing a second media into predetermined areas that are adjacent to areas containing the first media, and allowing the elements to degrade to bring about contact between the first and second media.
US09884267B2

An eluate-collecting mechanism is constructed, including: a collection passage and having an inlet to be inserted into and removed from the upper end of a trap column and an outlet to be inserted into and removed from a collection container; a support member for supporting the collection passage in such a manner that the inlet is fixed while the outlet is vertically movable; a contact part provided at the outlet to come in contact with the collection container when the outlet is inserted into this container; and an elastic member for pressing the outlet downward so that a tip of the outlet is lower than the tip of the inlet, the elastic member being compressed when the support member and the collection container are brought closer to each other while keeping the contact part in contact with the container.
US09884265B2

The present invention relates to an multi-effect solar distiller with multiple heat sources. More particularly, the present invention relates to an multi-effect solar distiller with multiple heat sources capable of evaporating and distilling sea water using the solar thermal energy, evaporating the sea water using waste heat generated from a power generation facility in addition to the solar thermal energy, evaporating and distilling the sea water even by condensation heat generated at the time of condensing steam, and using a plurality of absorption reflectors to allow non-used sunlight to maximally evaporate the sea water by being reflected from the sea water surface.
US09884261B2

Disclosed are methods of making polymeric swords and sparring instruments having improved mechanical properties. In one embodiment, a method of making a polymeric sword includes centering a flexible support member on either a first half of a sword mold or on a second half of the sword mold; pouring a polymer mixture into the first half the sword mold and into the second half of the sword mold and closing the sword mold by clasping the first half of the sword mold to the second half of the sword mold; heating the sword mold comprising the polymer mixture in a heating apparatus; and removing the polymeric sword from the sword mold.
US09884258B2

In a communication device comprising an operating system platform, which is operable to provide wired and/or wireless communication, and gaming, automatically detecting by the operating system platform, occurrence of one or more engaging gameplay moments for a corresponding game. For one or more users, the operating system platform may be operable to monitor one or more variables for the game to detect the occurrence of the one or more engaging gameplay moments. The operating system platform may be operable to detect whether to share information related to the one or more engaging gameplay moments with one or more social networking destinations.
US09884254B2

An augmented reality (AR) game system is disclosed wherein real-world objects are transformed into AR terrain elements and AR events generate real-world impact. The game environment is set up using real-world objects that include everyday objects and game pieces on a field of play. When viewed on the screen of a computing device executing the modules of the game system, the everyday objects are transformed into elements of an AR terrain while the game pieces can be augmented with various controls. Multiple viewing modes, for example, a third person view, a first person view or “POV” view from a selected game piece or a split screen view are contemplated for viewing the field of play. A subset of the augmented controls can be activated by the user to execute AR events some of which can have real-world impact. The AR events are executed based on game rules. Detection mechanisms such as colored detection can be used for detecting positions of game pieces within the field of play.
US09884252B2

There is provided a computer that can implement an operation object display output function, a target object display output function, and a form determination function. The operation object display output function can be a function of outputting operation object display information with which an operation object having a certain form is displayed so as to be visible from a certain direction in a graphical scene of a game having three-dimensional information. The target object display output function can be a function of outputting target object display information with which a target object having a form relating to the certain form is displayed. The form determination function may be a function of determining whether the operation object and the target object correspond to each other by comparing the form of the operation object with the form of the target object.
US09884251B2

Disclosed herein are embodiments of an interactive social game. In one aspect, a method involves a computing system initiating a game application that provides a game of one or more rounds of gameplay. During each round of gameplay, the method involves the computing system receiving first and second body-movement data corresponding to body movement associated with a first and second HMD, respectively. Based on the first and second body-movement data, the computing system generates: (a) a first competitor data indicating a graphical representation of the body movement associated with the second HMD and (b) a second competitor data indicating a graphical representation of the body movement associated with the first HMD. The computing system then transmits to the first HMD the first competitor data to facilitate display of the graphical representation of the body movement associated with the second HMD by the first HMD.
US09884250B2

The invention has for object a game controller having an actuator (2, 102) mobile in rotation in relation to a fixed part (3, 103), in such a way as to simulate a control of the rotation of a steering column of a simulated vehicle.According to the invention, the game controller implements means for detecting the displacement in rotation of the actuator (2, 102) comprising at least one Hall effect or magnetoresistive effect detecting unit, constituted of at least two elements, of which a permanent magnet and a magnetic sensor (24, 124). At least during the rotation of the actuator (2, 102), a first element is integral in rotation with the actuator (2, 102) and a second element is integral in rotation with said fixed part (3, 103).
US09884247B2

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a gaming device configured to record gaming activity, a method of processing the recorded gaming activity to analyze player behavior, and a system including the gaming device. The gaming device may include a gaming display to display gaming events played on the gaming device by a player during a gaming session, a player interface panel including a plurality of gaming buttons and a game initiating button configured to initiate the gaming events, and a game processor configured to record each activity between the player and the gaming device, wherein each recorded activity is associated with a time stamp.
US09884246B2

A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. An image display device is caused to display operating section images in an operating section image display area on a display screen in an arrangement pattern corresponding to arrangement positions of respective operating sections. The operating section images are operating section images respectively corresponding to the operating sections arranged in the operational input section. Identification display allowing a player to identify the operational function associated with the corresponding operating section is made for each of the group of operating section images. When to receive an operational input in response to an operation of any of the plurality of operating sections by the player, the video game processing apparatus carries out operation correspondence processing that indicates processing to exert an operational function associated with the operating section operated by the player.
US09884245B2

The present invention relates to a ski binding (1) for the different forms of cross-country skiing, comprising a forward housing part (2) that contains a fixed engagement part (3), a movable engagement part (4), an actuating element (5) for moving the movable engagement part (4) between a locking position and a released position, and at least one flexible element (6) for abutment and cushioning against the front part of a ski shoe. The invention is characterized in that the flexible element (6) is injection molded together with the housing part (2). The present invention also relates to a method.
US09884244B1

A component of a sports board may be controlled to configure the sports board. The component may be coupled with at least one layer of the sports board.
US09884236B2

A removable paddle attachment assembly is provided. The attachment assembly may include a attachment bracket terminating at opposing saddles, a handle saddle for engaging a first portion of a watercraft paddle and an activity saddle for engaging an activity device, whereby the activity device is removably yet rigidly secured to the watercraft paddle so that the activity device may be employed for game-playing and/or exercise-training purposes, while not impairing the performance and functionality of the watercraft paddle. The attachment bracket provides at least one attachment strap cleat so that a attachment strap may be stretched from one lateral surface of the attachment bracket to an opposing lateral surface thereof, thereby securely sandwiching the first and a second portion of the watercraft paddle against the handle saddle.
US09884233B2

Golf club heads having sensors configured to measure one or more swing parameters are provided. The golf club head may include several gyroscopes and accelerometers. In one embodiment, the club head contains three gyroscopes that measure angular rate data along different orthogonal axes. At least one gyroscope may an analog gyroscope. Accelerometers may provide data regarding the three orthogonal axes associated with the gyroscopes. The club head may further include software and/or hardware that perform computer-executed methods for determining one or more swing parameters. Exemplary club heads may include a display device for displaying an output of the swing parameter(s). Further aspects of the invention relate to novel methods and algorithms for calculating measurements relating to the swing parameters.
US09884227B2

A sport ball may include a casing that forms an exterior surface of the sport ball. The casing may incorporate a plurality of joined panels, including a closure panel. In addition, the ball may include a backing layer located radially inward of the closure panel, the backing layer extending beyond a peripheral boundary of the closure panel and at least partially overlapping with one or more panels adjacent to the closure panel. The backing layer may also include an opening located radially inward of the closure panel, the opening being smaller than the surface area of the closure panel. Also, the ball may include a bladder located radially inward of the backing layer, the bladder including a valve for introducing fluid into the ball, the valve extending through the opening and through the closure panel.
US09884216B2

A fire protection sprinkler system includes a water source, a sprinkler, a piping network interconnecting the water source and the sprinkler, and an automatic gas vent coupled to the piping network and configured to discharge gas from the system. The automatic gas vent includes a sensor configured to sense a presence or absence of a liquid and an electrically operated valve. The automatic gas vent is configured to open the electrically operated valve in response to the sensor sensing the absence of a liquid and close the electrically operated valve in response to the sensor sensing the presence of a liquid. Automatic gas vent assemblies and methods of venting and discharging gas from fire protection sprinkler systems are also disclosed.
US09884213B2

A storage system includes a storage tank adapted to store a fluid therein, a flame arrestor being positioned downstream from the storage tank, a thermal valve being positioned downstream from the flame arrestor, and a flare stack being positioned downstream from and in fluid communication with the thermal valve. An outlet port of the storage tank is in fluid communication with an inlet port of the flame arrestor, and an outlet port of the flame arrestor is in fluid communication with an inlet port of the thermal valve. A flow path is formed between the storage tank and the flare stack via the flame arrestor and the thermal valve. The thermal valve has a cross-sectional area along a direction of the flow path which is substantially vacant of physical detonation-inducing obstructions.
US09884212B2

A fire suppression system for anechoic chambers with multiple non-retractable tubes fixed on the ceiling of the chamber, with each tube connected to a pneumatic valve. Each valve is controlled by a compressed air supply that reacts to the presence of fire in the chamber. Once fire is detected in the chamber, the valves vent the compressed air to permit fire retardant fluid to pass through the fixed tubes into the chamber. The tubes and the valves do not interfere with the functions of the chamber and provide immediate fire suppression.
US09884198B2

Systems and methods for extending the life of an implanted pulse generator battery are disclosed. A representative method for establishing charge parameters for a battery-powered implantable medical device includes receiving a patient-specific therapy signal parameter and, based at least in part on the patient-specific therapy signal parameter, determining a discharge rate for a battery of the implanted medical device. The method can further include determining a therapy run time, based at least in part on the discharge rate. The method can still further include determining at least one battery charging parameter, based at least in part on the run time.
US09884187B2

A method to treat a patient having a pelvic floor dysfunction or disorder by establishing a neurostimulator having a processor and an electrical signal generator to generate a stimulation signal. The processor is set to one or more parameters effective in the treating of the patient's pelvic disorder or dysfunction when the stimulation signal is applied to a saphenous nerve of the patient. The neurostimulator is configured to provide the stimulation signal to a stimulator in accordance with a stimulation protocol. The stimulator is positioned below or at the level of the patient's knee and next to a portion of the saphenous nerve. The processor is operationally activated to provide the stimulation signal to the stimulator for treatment of the patient.
US09884186B2

The present invention is related to an apparatus for activating electrophysiological mechanism and the method for configuring the same, which are based on diagnostic codes comprising at least more than two codes selected from a group of code classified by hue contrast to temperature differences according to heat distribution of a body. As a prescription for the above diagnostic codes, the activation prescription codes comprising code streams are generated, and then signals corresponding to each code are sequentially extracted and outputted as stimuli, and then finally become to provide activation stimuli to a body. The apparatus according to the present invention measures the distribution of body temperature, sets potential difference within an isolated system according to the distribution, and thus forces vibrations or waves with accelerated motion to be delivered to a whole body. Therefore, the present invention provides effects for being observed for electrophysiological mechanism, in which stimuli for physical treatment are delivered to a whole body as well as a special part of a body.
US09884181B2

A vestibular electronic orthodontic appliance expediter constituted of a lingual sub-member and a buccal sub-member, the lingual sub-member arranged to fit a lingual contour of a gum of a patient, the buccal sub-member arranged to fit a buccal contour of a gum of the patient; a control circuitry; a power supply; a plurality of lingual electrodes, each associated with a particular tooth socket; and a plurality of buccal electrodes, each associated with a particular tooth socket. Either a first or a second type current is generated between lingual and buccal electrodes responsive to the control circuitry. Biochemical molecules involved in bone remodeling, augmented by the electric currents, may be applied to the expediter as a layer of gel containing those molecules on the expediter surface facing the gum tissue. Temperature control enhances the gel effects. pH measurement, as indicators of the cellular response to the combined treatment is further provided.
US09884180B1

Apparatus, systems and methods employing contact lens as power source for powering a retinal implant are provided. In an aspect, a contact lens includes a substrate that forms at least part of a body of the contact lens and a circuit disposed on or within the substrate comprising. The circuit includes a power harvesting component configured to receive energy in a first form from an external power source and convert the energy from the first form to a second form and an energy transfer component configured to transmit the energy in the second form to device remote from the contact lens when the contact lens is worn over an eye.
US09884174B2

A medical device for detecting a leakage of fluid on a subject includes a support, configured for being secured on the subject, and an optical sensor on the support. The support defines, in a region between the optical sensor and a lower face thereof, a detection surface that can be reached by leakage fluid. The optical sensor is arranged for detecting a leakage of fluid. The optical sensor has a sensor body with an emitter and a receiver of electromagnetic radiation. The support and the sensor body have mutual-coupling means, for retaining the sensor body on the support in such a way that a presence of leakage fluid can be detected via the optical sensor.
US09884169B2

A splittable sheath includes a splittable sheath body, a splittable sheath hub, and a valve element. The sheath body comprises a generally flexible tubular structure, a proximal end, and a distal end. The sheath body defines a longitudinal axis and is splittable into two halves along a pre-determined line generally parallel to the longitudinal axis. The sheath hub extends from the proximal end of the sheath body and defines a longitudinal axis generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the sheath body. The sheath body and sheath hub form an inner cavity along their respective longitudinal axes. The valve element includes a resilient plate and a sealing element. The resilient plate includes a distal portion extending radially inwardly from a side of the inner cavity.
US09884166B2

A jetless intravenous catheter for the delivery of a fluid into a peripheral vein of a subject includes an elongated body having proximal and distal ends. The body includes a wall defining an internal fluid passageway configured to receive fluid flowing in a longitudinal direction from the proximal end at a first axial velocity and a tip aperture at the distal end configured to allow fluid to exit therethrough. The body comprises at least one flow reducing feature configured to create a laminar-turbulent transitional flow associated with a fluid flowing in the longitudinal direction at the first axial velocity and configured to reduce the flow velocity of fluid exiting the tip to a second axial velocity that is less than the first axial velocity.
US09884158B2

A molded part that is made of synthetic material and that has a rigid frame and at least one movable portion that is movable and/or deformable relative to the rigid frame. The at least one movable portion is connected, during molding, to the rigid frame via at least one breakable bridge of material. The at least one breakable bridge of material is broken while the molded part is being assembled, or while the molded part is being used for the first time.
US09884157B2

The invention provides an inhalation device using an electrically driven vibratory element for releasing a drug dose into a flow channel, and a controller for activating/deactivating the vibratory element. A sensor arrangement is able to differentiate between inhalation flow and exhalation flow through the flow channel, to assist in forming a model of the breathing pattern of the user. The device can detect reliably inhalation flow patterns from patients of all ages.
US09884152B2

Provided is a cassette unit suitable for use with an auto-injector having an electrically powered drive unit. The cassette unit has a housing defining a cassette unit housing cavity and a needle projection aperture. The cassette unit housing cavity is arranged for receipt of a syringe suitable for use in the injected delivery of drug to a patient. The cassette unit includes a needle cover defining a needle sheath. The removable cap is provided with a connector defining one or more needle cover gripping elements for gripping the needle cover. The connector defines a central hub and the one or more needle gripper elements attach to the central hub and in spaced arrangement relative to each other. The connector locates within the removable cap such that the central hub of the connector is in spaced relationship with a far end wall or surface of the cap interior.
US09884151B2

A system and method for a patch-like, self-contained multi-component substance infusion device which provides one or more substantially hidden patient needles which can be placed in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir assembly that includes a rigid bladder portion used in conjunction with a non-distensible bladder film, such as a metallized film. The device can be attached to a skin surface via an adhesive contact and a pressurization system provides a pressure to the contents of a fluid reservoir assembly. Improvements to dry powdered formulations for reconstitution for preferred use in the device are also disclosed.
US09884150B2

A system for identifying an attribute of an implanted medical device, such as an access port is disclosed. In one embodiment, the identification system comprises a marker included with the implanted medical device, wherein the marker relates to an attribute of the implanted medical device. An external detection device is also included, comprising a signal source that emits an incident electromagnetic signal for impingement on the marker of the implanted medical device, a detector that detects a return signal from the marker resulting from impingement of the incident electromagnetic signal, and a user interface for conveying information relating to the attribute based on detection of the return signal. In the case of an implantable access port, for instance, the described system enables information, such as the ability of the port to withstand power injection of fluids therethrough, to be ascertained even after the port has been subcutaneously implanted within the patient.
US09884146B2

The invention relates to extracorporeal blood circuits, and components thereof (e.g., hollow fiber membranes, potted bundles, and blood tubing), including 0.005% to 10% (w/w) surface modifying macromolecule. The extracorporeal blood circuits have an antithrombogenic surface and can be used in hemofiltration, hemodialysis, hemodiafiltration, hemoconcentration, blood oxygenation, and related uses.
US09884137B2

Provided is an absorbent material and a method of making an absorbent material. The absorbent material comprises a blend of a super-absorbent first type of gel-forming fiber with a second type of gel-forming fiber, wherein the super-absorbent first type of gel-forming fiber is formed from a super-absorbent polymer. Such absorbent materials are useful in the manufacture of absorbent articles such as wound dressings.
US09884136B2

Compositions containing a surface active agent and a sub-lethal amount of an antimicrobial agent and methods for using such compositions are provided herein.
US09884132B2

The present invention provides bivalent and multivalent ligands with a view to improving the affinity and pharmacokinetic properties of a urea class of PSMA inhibitors. The compounds and their synthesis can be generalized to multivalent compounds of other target antigens. Because they present multiple copies of the pharmacophore, multivalent ligands can bind to receptors with high avidity and affinity, thereby serving as powerful inhibitors. The modular multivalent scaffolds of the present invention, in one or more embodiments, contains a lysine-based (∝, ε-) dialkyne residue for incorporating two or more antigen binding moieties, such as PSMA binding Lys-Glu urea moieties, exploiting click chemistry and one or more additional lysine residues for subsequent modification with an imaging and/or therapeutic nuclides or a cytotoxic ligands for tumor cell killing.
US09884128B2

The invention provides a nanoscale particle comprising a lipid binding polypeptide, lipids and a hydrophobic agent, wherein the hydrophobic agent is different from the lipids, and wherein the lipid binding polypeptide is a saposin-like protein or a derivative or truncated form thereof. The invention further provides a process for preparing a particle comprising a saposin-like protein or a derivative or truncated form thereof and lipids comprising the step of (a) contacting the saposin-like protein or a derivative or truncated form thereof with solubilized lipids in a liquid environment and (b) allowing for the self-assembly of the particle at a pH of from 5.0 to 10.0. In addition, the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising the particle of the invention for delivering a hydrophobic agent to an individual in need thereof and includes the use of the particle of the invention in preventing, treating or lessening the severity of a disease or its use in a diagnostic method, a cosmetic treatment, as hydrophobic agent delivery particle, as a tool for drug development, drug screening, membrane protein research or as vaccination formulation.
US09884121B2

Biomaterials are disclosed having unique properties that make it a useful material in adhesives, local drug delivery applications and as filler or bulking material. The biomaterials are strong, safe and easily used as a surgical adhesive. Treated chitosan, modified chitosan or modified and treated chitosan compositions are disclosed displaying strengths suitable for general surgical applications. The materials can be used as a drug delivery vehicle which allows for the localization of the delivered drug as well as a programmable tether which allows for the release of the drug on a timed basis or in response to a physiological state such as the release of proteolytic enzymes. The materials of this invention can also be modified and treated to optimize the retention of water, thereby serving as a useful filler or bulking material.
US09884118B2

Degradable polymers were synthesized that self-assemble with DNA to form particles that are effective for gene delivery. Small changes to polymer synthesis conditions, particle formulation conditions, and polymer structure provides significant changes to efficacy in a cell-type dependent manner. Polymers presented here are more effective than commercially available materials, such as LIPOFECTAMINE 2000™, FUGENE®, or polyethylenimine (PEI), for gene delivery to cancerous fibroblasts or human primary fibroblasts. The presently disclosed materials may be useful for cancer therapeutics and regenerative medicine.
US09884117B2

Stable formulations are provided that contain immunoglobulin single variable domains at a high concentration. The formulations are useful as pharmaceutical formulation and suitable for subcutaneous administration. The formulations can be transported and stored under various stress conditions. The invention further relates to containers and pharmaceutical units comprising such formulations and to methods for preparing and prophylactic and therapeutic uses of the formulations and pharmaceutical units of the invention.
US09884107B2

The invention provides immunotherapeutic and prophylactic bacteriophage viral-like particle (VLPs) which are useful in the treatment and prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infections and related disorders, including bronchiolitis and viral pneumonia. Related compositions (e.g. vaccines), nucleic acid constructs, and therapeutic methods are also provided. VLPs and related compositions of the invention induce high titer antibody responses against RSV. VLPs, VLP-containing compositions, and therapeutic methods of the invention induce an immunogenic response against RSV infection, confer immunity against RSV infection, protect against RSV infection, and reduce the likelihood of infection by RSV infection.
US09884101B2

The present invention relates to recombinant fragments of Plasmodium polypeptides and polynucleotides encoding same. The invention further relates to compositions comprising the recombinant fragments of Plasmodium polypeptides and their use in the treatment and prevention of malaria.
US09884100B2

Substantially purified salivary Lu. longipalpis polypeptides, and polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides are disclosed. Vectors and host cells including the Lu. longipalpis polynucleotides are also disclosed. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed for inducing an immune response to sand fly saliva. In other embodiments, methods for treating, diagnosing, or preventing Leishishmaniasis are disclosed.
US09884099B2

Vaccine, vectors and methods of using the vaccine vectors to enhance the immune response to an Apicomplexan parasite and reduce the morbidity or mortality associated with subsequent infection are provided herein. The vaccine vectors include a polynucleotide encoding a Rhomboid polypeptide and optionally include an immune-stimulatory polypeptide suitably expressed on the surface of the vaccine vector.
US09884091B2

Methods treat neurological disorders, for example neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and stroke. Particularly although not exclusively, GIP/GLP-1 co-agonist peptide is used in the treatment of such neurological disorders. Pharmaceutical compositions include a GIP/GLP-1 co-agonist peptide for use in treatment of such disorders.
US09884090B2

This document provides methods and materials for reducing the risk of major adverse cardiac events. For example, methods and materials for identifying patients at risk of experiencing a major adverse cardiac event as well as methods and material for treating patients at risk of experiencing a major adverse cardiac event (e.g., patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)) are provided.
US09884079B2

A Lactobacillus mali strain that can be used for treating a metabolic syndrome is provided. A method for treating obesity, diabetes or a complication of diabetes by using the Lactobacillus mali strain is also provided.
US09884068B2

The present invention provides a novel therapeutic combination comprising one or more anti-androgen agents and one or more antibiotic/anti-inflammatory agents or pharmaceutically acceptable salts or hydrates thereof, useful for the treatment of a dermatological disorder.
US09884065B2

Methods are provided herein for enhancing the effectiveness of medical therapies by administering agents that suppress a biological damage response that is inducible by the medical therapy administered to a subject. In certain embodiments, a method is provided for administering an anti-senescent cell agent that suppresses a biological response comprising cellular senescence that is induced by the medical therapy.
US09884064B2

The present invention provides an orally disintegrating solid pharmaceutical dosage unit having a weight of 50-1,000 mg and containing at least 0.1 mg of an estetrol component selected from estetrol, estetrol esters and combinations thereof. This solid dosage unit consists of: 4-95 wt. % of granules consisting of: 3-80 wt. % of an estetrol component selected from estetrol, estetrol esters and combinations thereof; 20-97 wt. % C4-C12 sugar alcohol; 0-45 wt. % of one or more other pharmaceutically acceptable ingredients; and 5-96 wt. % of one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. The solid dosage units of the present invention are particularly suited for sublingual, buccal or sublabial administration of the estetrol component.
US09884059B2

Disclosed in certain embodiments is a method of treating or preventing an opioid-induced adverse pharmacodynamic response comprising administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of buprenorphine.
US09884055B2

A pharmaceutical composition containing isomyosmine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered to an individual in need thereof for treating a substance addiction, inclusive of affecting smoking substitution, eliminating cravings for tobacco and nicotine, or transitioning individuals away from smoking or the use of other tobacco products. In some examples, the therapeutic agent(s) are administered in a capsule, tablet, or lozenge. In other examples, the therapeutic agent(s) are administered via a chewing gum, inhalation spray, e-cigarette, nasal spray, or transdermal patch.
US09884042B2

Pharmaceutical compositions and single unit dosage forms of {2-[(IS)-1-(3-ethoxy-4-methoxy-phenyl)-2-methanesulfonyl-ethyl]-3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-isoindol-4-yl}-amide, or a pharmaceutically acceptable stereoisomer, prodrug, salt, solvate, hydrate, or clathrate thereof, are provided herein. Also provided are methods of treating, managing, or preventing various disorders, such as cancer or an inflammatory disease.
US09884041B2

Provided is a composition for the prevention or treatment of obesity, dyslipidaemia, fatty liver or insulin resistance syndrome, comprising piperonal as an active ingredient. The composition of the present invention can be used to advantage as a drug or functional food composition which not only exhibits activity in the prevention or treatment of obesity, hyperlipidaemia or fatty liver but which also causes a significant reduction in fasted blood sugar and blood insulin concentration and hence has an effect in improving Type-2 diabetes or insulin resistance and also improves metabolic disorder which is closely associated therewith.
US09884040B2

The invention relates to a compound selected from the group consisting of desethylamiodarone and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, hydrates and solvates thereof, as well as pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound together with a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, vehicle or carrier, for use in the treatment of cancer.
US09884037B2

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition containing 8 compounds: trilinolein, 1-olein-2,3-dilinolein, 1-palmitin-2,3-dilinolein, 1,3-diolein-2-linolein, 1-palmitin-2-linolein-3-olein, 1,3-dipalmitin-2-linolein, triolein and 1-palmitin-2,3-diolein. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical preparations of this composition and the use thereof in the treatment of tumors and in the immuno-enhancement.
US09884036B2

The present invention provides uses of chlorogenic acid in the preparation of medicaments for treatment of psoriasis. Chlorogenic acid, a small molecular compound, is a biological response modifier focusing on the overall regulation, and has a good effect on rebuilding the homeostasis of immune function. Harmful action of chlorogenic acid on liver and kidney is not found, and it can be long-term used, without toxic and side effects on body. Chlorogenic acid is safe and effective, with low recurrence rate, and it can improve life quality of patients. It has an obvious effect on psoriasis, especially on psoriasisvulgaris and psoriasis pustulosa, thus for treatment of psoriasis, chlorogenic acid has a wide application prospects.
US09884034B2

The present invention relates to methods of preventing a psychotic disorder in a subject in need of intervention including administering to the subject a composition including EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Methods of treating pre-psychotic symptoms in a subject, including administering to the subject a composition including EPA and DHA are also included.
US09884031B2

The present invention provides methods of ameliorating or reducing the extent of cardiac arrhythmia disorders, by administering an inhibitor of histone deacetylase enzyme (HDAC).
US09884030B2

The present invention relates to a backing for a water-based patch consisting of the following constituents, wherein the backing is excellent in pasty preparation retention and moisture retention, improves the persistence of drug efficacy by inhibiting the sublimation of the drug, gives neither restrained feeling nor rough feeling due to a thin thickness and an excellent elasticity, controls the moisture permeability, gives almost no sticky feeling and thereby gives an excellent feeling in application. A patch backing for a water-based pasty preparation consisting of a laminate, wherein the laminate consists of three layers, a film layer having through-holes is laminated between a nonwoven fabric layer A and a nonwoven fabric layer B, said film layer consists of a resin containing an olefin elastomer, the through-hole area per a hole is 0.02-0.18 mm2, and the opening ratio of the through-hole is 1-10%.
US09884027B2

A system for manufacturing an artificial construct suitable for transplantation into a biological organism that includes a two or three three-dimensional preform that is based on the actual two or three-dimensional structure of a native mammalian tissue; and an electrospinning apparatus, wherein the electrospinning apparatus is operative to deposit at least one layer of polymer fibers on the preform to form a polymer scaffold, and wherein the orientation of the fibers in the scaffold relative to one another is substantially parallel.
US09883997B2

The invention is directed to a cosmetic composition and the precursor thereof. The composition has solid agent and liquid agent, both of which are cosmetic benefit ingredients. The solubility of solid agents in liquid agents in the inventive compositions is enhanced in the presence of a tricyclodecane amide.
US09883996B2

Described herein are methods and compositions useful for enhancing pigmentation, such as skin, eye and/or hair pigmentation comprising administering e.g., an NNT inhibitor or an agent that modifies redox status in a melanocyte.
US09883993B2

Notch filter coatings for use in sunscreen applications are provided herein. An exemplary composition includes multiple zinc oxide particles suspended within a medium forming sunscreen composition; and a combination of multiple notch filter coating materials individually applied as a distinct layer to each of the multiple zinc oxide particles to create a multi-layered structure surrounding each of the multiple zinc oxide particles within the sunscreen composition, wherein the multi-layered structure: reflects light at a user-determined wavelength range based on the wavelength range at which each of the multiple notch filter coating materials reflects light; and allows wavelengths of light (i) within at least a portion of the ultraviolet spectrum and (ii) outside of the user-determined wavelength range to be absorbed by the multiple zinc oxide particles.
US09883992B2

A water-based composition containing oil soluble components may include an anhydrous concentrate including hydroxypropylcocoate PEG-8 dimethicone and a hydration component, which may be stored in separate vessels prior to mixing. The anhydrous concentrate may be combined with the hydration component to create a consumer product such as a topical cream. The anhydrous concentrate may include a preparation that includes a liquid dispersion polymer, an inverting surfactant and a binding agent, and also may include lipid-soluble vitamins, antioxidants and the like. The hydration component may include water and a preservative system, and also may include water-soluble vitamins, antioxidants and the like. Two forms (i.e. lipid-soluble and water-soluble) of a given ingredient (such as vitamin C) may be provided in the concentrate and the hydration component, respectively. A third vessel may be used for mixing the concentrate with the hydrator and/or dispensing the concentrate, the hydrator and/or the consumer product.
US09883975B2

A tampon has two pledgets or one pledget with an absorbent layer and a leak shield located therebetween. The pledgets or pledget with the absorbent layer and the leak shield are folded such that the leak shield covers a portion of the surface of at least one of the pledgets. Both pledgets or the one pledget with the absorbent layer have absorbencies that are each greater than an absorbency of the leak shield. In another embodiment of the tampon, the leak shield comprises a fluid impervious or fluid repellent material(s). In another embodiment of the tampon, the leak shield comprises of an absorbent or hydrophilic material. Yet in another embodiment, the leak shield comprises of multiple layers of materials that are hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or a combination thereof. A method of fabricating a tampon includes forming a pledget, combining a fluid-impervious polymer material with an absorbent material to define a polymer laminate, ramming the pledget and the laminate into an oven tube, and stitching the laminate to the pledget.
US09883971B2

The object of the invention is a laser device for eye surgery used by ophthalmologists in the treatment with capsulotomy and iriditomy, and a device for selective laser trabeculoplasty. The essence of the ophthalmic laser combined device of the invention lies in that it has one single laser with one optical axis for both wavelengths; the basic wavelength of 1064 nm and the frequency doubled wavelength of 532 nm. Switching between both wavelengths is carried out by a polarization orientation switch. Frequency doubling is inactive at the wavelength of 1064 nm and it is active for the wavelength of 532 nm. At the wavelength of 532 nm additional optical elements for attenuating and collimating the laser pulse are switched on.
US09883969B2

Glaucoma can be treated by implanting an intraocular shunt into an eye. The eye has an anterior chamber and sclera. A shunt can be placed into the eye to establish fluid communication from the anterior chamber of the eye through the sclera.
US09883967B2

A pressurized garment has cuffs for encircling a human subject, each cuff having ports for cooling and grounding unit controlling the pressure and temperature of the coolant, where the pressurization and cooling may use common or separate cuff ports. The cuff has a coolant circulating having a temperature and pressure selected to provide therapy to a subject in need thereof. The cuffs may be applied to the upper arms and upper thighs of a subject in need of improved vitality.
US09883961B2

A medical device includes an expandable element for location in a blood vessel. The expandable element is movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. In the expanded configuration, at least a part of a longitudinal axis of the expandable element is curved in three-dimensional space. The medical device can be stent deployment device which includes an elongate catheter shaft and an inflatable balloon.
US09883960B2

A vascular intervention device delivery system includes a handle comprised of a first shell connected to a second shell. A thumbwheel, which includes a radially outward thumb surface and a spool, is rotatably mounted in the handle. A catheter has a proximal end attached to the handle and a distal carrier segment for mounting a vascular intervention device thereon. A retractable sheath is movable from a first position covering the distal carrier segment to a second position retracted proximally uncovering the distal carrier segment. A pull extends between the thumbwheel and the retractable sheath. A rim of the pull and an internal surface of the first shell define a pull avoidance volume. The first shell includes a plurality of ribs positioned in the pull avoidance volume and oriented transverse to a pull pathway around an idler wheel, and the ribs block entry of the pull into the pull avoidance volume. The retractable sheath moves toward the second position responsive to rotation of the thumbwheel in a first direction.
US09883959B2

A device (10) for treating a blood circulation conduit is provided. The device (10) includes an implant (20) intended to be placed in the conduit (3). The implant includes a tubular endoprosthesis (22) and an insertion member (24). The device (10) includes a tool (26) for deploying the implant (20), able to occupy a configuration for introducing the implant (20) into the conduit. It includes an actuation member (28) of the insertion member (24), able to be actuated from a proximal end (85A) of the deploying tool (26) in order to have the insertion member (24) pass from an inactive position to an active position. The insertion member (24) is freely movable with respect to the endoprosthesis (22) between its inactive position and its active position.
US09883958B2

A stent delivery device has a handle and a sliding body, the sliding body is slidable with respect to the handle. The handle has a grip and a guide. The sliding body has at least two flange portions extending from the sliding body. The flange portions are offset from one another along the length of the sliding body. The operator can thereby deploy a relatively long stent by first gripping the nearest flange portion and pulling the sliding body toward the handle; subsequently, the operator can reposition his/or finger on the next-nearest flange portion and continue deployment of the stent by pulling the sliding body further toward the handle.
US09883956B2

Devices and methods for the controlled over-expansion of a body conduit and controlled constriction or expansion of a vessel in a patient are disclosed. The devices and methods can employ a bio-corrodible expandable support structure and an implant coaxially adjacent the support structure. The support structure can have a delivery diameter and an expanded supporting diameter. The implant can have a collapsed deformed diameter, an undeformed neutral diameter and an over-expanded deformed diameter. Contraction of the implant can occur when the support structure is bioabsorbed.
US09883952B2

A spinal construct includes a first endplate that is configured to engage a first vertebral surface. An expandable member is connected with the first endplate and includes a mating element. A second endplate is configured to engage a second vertebral surface and includes an in-situ guide surface engageable with the mating element to connect the member with the second endplate. Systems and methods are disclosed.
US09883946B2

A composite article (e.g., prosthesis) and method of preparing the article is provided. An article may include a body having a matrix of a first hardness having a plurality of particles of a second hardness embedded in the matrix in fixed locations, the second hardness being harder than the first hardness, and the matrix having an external wear surface with a portion of the particles being proximal to or exposed at the external wear surface. The matrix with the particles may improve the life and durability of the article.
US09883945B2

An intervertebral disc is provided having an upper plate, a lower plate, and a core. The upper and lower plates include outer vertebral body contacting surfaces which are provided with attachment enhancing features to ensure bone integration. The attachment enhancing features shown include one or more fins, serrations and teeth. An opposite surface of the plates from the vertebral body contacting surfaces is formed with a recess which serves as a bearing surface for the core. In order to form an intervertebral disc with a lower disc height, at least one of the recesses is provided opposite a corresponding dome shaped portion on the vertebral body contacting surfaces. This allows the plates to be formed with a thinner profile for a smaller overall disc height. In addition to providing a lower overall height to the artificial disc, the dome shaped portion of the plates also provides a more anatomically shaped outer vertebral body contacting surface.
US09883944B2

A surgical implant, which in use, provides a barrier between layers of tissue such that tissue on one side of the implant does not adhere to tissue on the other side, the implant being made of suitably anatomically shaped surgically acceptable sheet material.
US09883943B2

Apparatus is provided, including a plurality of helical tissue anchors and an intracardiac annuloplasty structure defining a plane for placement on a heart valve annulus. The annuloplasty structure includes a plurality of compressible subunits, and a plurality of anchor mounts alternately disposed with respect to the plurality of compressible subunits. Each anchor mount (a) defines at least one opening for passage therethrough of a respective helical tissue anchor, (b) defines a path for passage therethrough of the helical tissue anchor, the path being aligned along an axis that is at a non-zero angle with respect to the plane of the annuloplasty structure, and (c) provides a structural element in the path for corkscrewing a distal portion of the helical tissue anchor therearound. Other embodiments are also described.
US09883942B2

A transapical introducer (100) includes a housing (140) near a proximal end of the introducer, a first valve (160) in the housing, a proximal tube (130) coupled to the housing, and a distal tube (110) coupled to a distal end of the proximal tube.
US09883937B2

A method of delivering a therapeutic device to a treatment area of a body lumen, the therapeutic device including a) a delivery member possessing at least one attachment part and b) a treatment membrane, includes wrapping the treatment membrane on the delivery member, attaching the treatment membrane to the attachment part of the delivery member, and moving the delivery member toward the treatment area, detaching the treatment membrane from the delivery member, and withdrawing the delivery member from the body lumen.
US09883932B2

An applicator for dispensing a therapeutic agent to an animal including a housing including first and second sections coupled together, the first and second sections defining a channel therebetween that includes at least one outlet; a hub integral with the first section and extending therefrom, the hub defining a conduit; and a bent path connecting the conduit to the channel. In accordance with this embodiment, the conduit, the bent path and the channel are fluidly connected.
US09883931B2

The present invention relates to a device and a method for the application of composites in tooth cavities. The device consists of a spray gun with integrated lighting for light-polymerizable composites, a measuring unit and a control unit. The composites are applied under controlled, precisely dosed exposure to polymerization light. According to the invention, the composite initially runs onto the walls of the cavity or onto previously introduced filling material and then, as a result of the light exposure, is transformed into the gel state. Thus, a large part of the polymerization shrinkage of the composite occurs while the composite is still plastically deformable so that any formation of gaps is compensated by the composite continuing to flow. It is only at this point in time that a sufficiently high dosage of light is applied for complete curing to occur.
US09883923B2

Disclosed are endodontic filling materials and methods. A method for filling a dental root canal may include providing a hydrosetting filling material and inserting the hydrosetting filling material into the dental root canal, the material setting in the root canal to form a biocompatible filling. The hydrosetting filling material comprises a hydrogel former and a filler. The hydrogel former is at least one of a reactive organic hydrogel formers, an inorganic hydrogel formers, and a non-reactive organic hydrogel formers, and the filler is at least one of a self-hardening and a non-hardening filler. Plural filling material precursor compositions that collectively contain hydrogel formers and fillers may be provided.
US09883906B2

Regions of tissue having reduced electrical propagation are created in a bladder to affect its electrical or mechanical properties. To create these tissue regions, a tubular device is advanced through the urethra leading to the interior of the bladder, a distal expandable structure of the device is expanded to contact the inner wall of the bladder, and electrodes or other active energy delivery elements of the device are activated to deliver ablation energy. The electrodes or other active energy delivery elements are disposed over the expandable structure which is shaped to conform to the interior of the bladder. The inner wall of the organ is ablated in a predetermined pattern. The same or other electrodes disposed over the expandable structure can used to electrically map the bladder. This map of electrical activity can be used to create the predetermined pattern.
US09883897B2

An orthopedic bone plate constructed from shape memory material provides the ability to move from an open shape to a compressed shape and create compression on two bones or bone fragments to encourage healing. The plate may be any umber of shapes, with two or more screws anchoring the plate to bone. The plate is affixed to bone in a sequence of steps that involve first placing the plate on an insertion tool, attaching drill guide tubes, placing the plate over bone, drilling holes in bone, and then attaching the plate to the bone via screws. The insertion tool can then be removed at the surgeon's convenience allowing compression on the two bones.
US09883893B2

Anterior cervical instrumentation systems, methods, and devices are disclosed. Systems may facilitate immobilizing or providing support for the cervical portion of the vertebral column of a patient. A device may comprise a plate having two channels located in a proximal to distal direction, and may further comprise at least one aperture. The device may further comprise attachment elements such as attachment cross-links and spacer cross-links, and fasteners. The plate and the attachment elements may be secured to the vertebrae by passing fasteners through apertures and channels. The length of the plate, position and number of the attachment cross-links, position and number of spacer cross-links and degree of movement may be intraoperatively selected by the surgeon to provide an optimal application and procedural outcome. Uniform components of the devices and systems allow for a more streamlined and simplified method of treating spinal conditions.
US09883888B2

A sensor cartridge comprising a sterile capsule. The sensor cartridge further comprises a sensor within the sterile capsule. The sensor cartridge further comprises a sensor connector connected to the sensor in an initial position. The sensor cartridge further comprises an insertion needle for inserting the sensor into a subject. The insertion needle is within the sterile capsule. The sensor cartridge further comprises a sensor mounting unit for receiving the sensor connector at a mounted position. The sensor mounting unit comprises an adhesive surface for attaching to an exterior surface of the subject. The sensor cartridge further comprises an insertion mechanism operable for actuating the insertion needle and moving the sensor connector from the initial position to the mounted position.
US09883887B2

An atherectomy device with an exchangeable drive shaft is disclosed, having a drive shaft gear at a distal end of the exchangeable drive shaft for meshing engagement with a prime mover gear on the output shaft of the prime mover. The exchangeable drive shaft is inserted into an opening at the distal end of the handle housing and moved axially in a proximal direction. Surface features on at least the prime mover housing and the engageable drive shaft help to align the drive shaft gear with the prime mover gear for meshing engagement.
US09883872B2

An adjustable reaming device can include a proximal reamer and a positionable element. The positionable element removably attaches to the proximal reamer at one of a plurality of discrete longitudinal locations along the proximal reamer. A distal end of the positionable element forms a stop, which can contact a proximal end of a distal reamer and thereby limit distal motion of the proximal reamer with respect to the distal reamer. When the distal reamer is in contact with the positionable element, the distal reamer and proximal reamer are longitudinally offset by a one of a plurality of specified offsets. In some examples, the specified offsets correspond to a plurality of specified, discrete lengths for which implantable femoral stems are available.
US09883871B2

A tibia cutting jig mechanism (TCJM) is provided having a number N1 of spaced apart TCJM contact points that correspond to a number N1 of spaced apart knee contact points on at least one of a tibia plateau surface and a tibia shaft surface. The TCJM contact points are positioned in contact with the tibia contact points, and a cut bar guide is positioned in contact with the TCJM to provide a location and an angular orientation of a cut bar plane that is to be used to resection and remove a selected portion of the patient's tibia. The TCJM is removed from the patient's knee, and a selected portion of the patent's tibia is resectioned and removed. The number N1 is at most about seven in some embodiments.
US09883869B2

A tool head assembly for a hand held tool The assembly includes a body for attaching to the hand held tool; a continuous cutting band having a cutting edge for cutting into a subject; at least one tension member coupled to the body for holding the cutting band under tension; and at least one drive member coupled to the body for rotating the cutting band with respect to the body.
US09883865B2

Systems, methods and kits relating to in-situ forming polymer foams for the treatment of aneurysms or fluid filled spaces are disclosed. The systems include an insertable medical device and an in-situ forming foam of lava like materials with a fast forming outer skin and a slower hardening interior that is formed from a one-, two- or multi-part formulation. When used to treat an aneurysm, the foam is placed into contact with at least a portion of an exterior surface of the medical device and/or the tissue surface of the aneurysm.
US09883863B2

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for occluding an anatomical structure including an occlusion apparatus having first and second beams and at least one connector for connecting the respective ends of the beams together. The occlusion apparatus may be adapted for use in a deployment device having a pair of jaws and optionally having a respective pair of shuttle bodies for releasably connecting an occlusion apparatus to the jaws while in an open position and for releasing the occlusion device from the jaws while in a closed position. A system for occluding an anatomical structure is also disclosed that includes an occlusion apparatus and a deployment device for holding the occlusion apparatus in an open position for locating the occlusion device adjacent the anatomical structure to be occluded and then moving the occlusion apparatus to a closed position and locking the occlusion apparatus in the closed position.
US09883862B2

The head of a stapler for mucosectomy comprises an external goblet-shaped body (1) wherein an internal goblet-shaped body (2) is concentrically and slidingly located, at the edge of which a circular blade (3) is fixed. The internal goblet-shaped body (2) is provided with a central hole (5) wherein a rod (6) is slidingly inserted, at the end (7) of which an anvil (8; 8′) is fixed. One or more annular grooves (11), which are parallel and suitably spaced one from the other, are formed on the lateral surface of the rod (6) perpendicularly to the axis thereof. Said grooves (11) are intended to receive a portion of mucosa (9a) which is included in a purse string suture as the mucosa is tied around the rod (6). By retracting the rod (6) in the central hole (5) of the stem (2a) of the Internal goblet-shaped body (2) the mucosa to be removed is carried into the internal goblet-shaped body (2). The anvil (8; 8′) and the circular blade (3) are moved closer one to the other, by suitable means, in order to cut the tissues when the stapler is in a closed position.
US09883856B2

Systems and methods for the treatment of perforator veins for venous insufficiency are described. The systems can include a catheter assembly comprising a proximal hub, a spin lock on the proximal hub, a elongate body overmolded to the proximal hub, and a distal end, the catheter, the elongate body configured to be placed within a perforator vein; an extension tubing having a proximal female hub, a distal male hub, and an elongate body therebetween, the distal male hub having a spin lock thereon, the distal male hub configured to be attached to the proximal hub of the catheter assembly; a syringe filled with a volume of media including cyanoacrylate; and an injector configured to automatically dispense a bolus of the media sufficient to coapt the perforator vein from the syringe upon actuation of a control on the injector. Methods are also disclosed.
US09883842B2

A portable X-ray system includes an X-ray scanner coupled to a module for processing and visualization of digital signals; and foldable intake and output trays configured to pass an object in and out of the scanner module. The foldable intake and output trays are articulated approximately in their middle. A first drum extends substantially across an entire opening of the scanner tunnel and configured to press down on the object and pull the object inside a scanner tunnel. A second drum extends substantially across an entire opening of the scanner tunnel and configured to press down on the object and pull the object from the scanner tunnel. A radiation shield covers an opening of the scanner tunnel. Sensors detects a type of object to be scanned and to control the first drum according to the type of object to be pulled inside the scanner tunnel.
US09883839B2

A radiation imaging apparatus includes a hydrophilized portion provided on at least a portion of an outer surface of the radiation imaging apparatus. The hydrophilized portion contains a hydrophilic polymer and an antibacterial agent. A water contact angle of a surface of the hydrophilized portion is equal to or less than 30°.
US09883837B2

Methods, devices and systems for obtaining heart rate by obtaining apical and non-apical heart rate datum using first and second heart rate monitoring devices. The apical and non-apical heart rate data are input into a heart rate verification module (HRVM) that includes a number of programming instructions for effecting the invention. An apical heart rate measure and non-apical heart rate measure are calculated in the HRVM, and an acceptable heart rate range is generated using the apical heart rate measure. Whether the non-apical heart rate measure is a reliable measure of a true heart rate is identified by determining whether the non-apical heart rate measure falls within or outside the acceptable heart rate range. A split display screen of the HRVM displays the apical heart rate measure, non-apical heart rate measure, and information identifying whether the non-apical heart rate measure falls within or outside the acceptable heart rate range.
US09883835B2

A method of directing positioning of ECG electrodes on a patient includes receiving at a processor an image of the patient with one or more electrodes and determining with the processor an actual location of each of the electrodes on the patient based on the image. The method further includes determining with the processor whether the actual location of each of the electrodes is correct and providing information via a user interface regarding the actual location of the electrodes.
US09883831B1

Cognitive tests are loaded onto myriad touch screen client computing devices. Patients are administered the tests using the touch screen devices, and their performance is captured and transmitted to cloud servers that store the patient information of all the touch screen devices in a database. In addition to cognitive test results, touch screen devices may also transmit patient medical information for storage in the database. Consequently, the database includes a large population of performance and medical data that can be evaluated to gain insights into cognitive disorders and create more effective digital tests for their diagnosis and treatment.
US09883830B2

A fluid handling system for use in bodily fluid analysis. The system comprises a first fluid handling module configured to interface with a main instrument. The first fluid handling module has a first fluid handling network and the first fluid handling network includes an infusate passage and an infusion fluid pressure member suitable for moving fluid within the infusate passage. The fluid handling system also has a second fluid handling module separate from the first module which is configured to interface with the main instrument. The second fluid handling module has a second fluid handling network and at least one sample analysis cell which is accessible via the second fluid handling network. The first and second modules are configured to interconnect and provide fluid communication between the first and second fluid handling network and the sample cells.
US09883828B2

The invention relates to a test element as a single-use article for examining a body fluid, comprising a lancing member that can be inserted into a body part, a collecting area configured thereon for body fluid obtained by the lancing and at least one light guide for an optical measurement in the collecting area. The collecting area is formed by a collection recess of the lancing member which extends in the lancing direction and the light guide is integrated into the lancing member such that it is secure against displacement and the distal end thereof is arranged in a proximal measurement zone of the collection recess.
US09883824B2

A detecting device includes at least one detecting module. In the detecting module, a light source unit is configured to emit a first beam and a second beam. The wavelength of the first beam is different from that of the second beam. A packaging unit is disposed on the light source unit and a light detecting unit and on transmission paths of the first beam and the second beam from the light source unit. An optical microstructure unit is disposed on the transmission paths of the first beam and the second beam. The first beam and the second beam emitted from the light source unit pass through the packaging unit to pass the optical microstructure unit to be transmitted to a biological tissue, and then pass through the optical microstructure unit to pass the packaging unit to be transmitted to the light detecting unit in sequence.
US09883823B2

Systems and methods for determining an in vivo concentration of a small molecule substance of interest is provided that takes advantage of the semi-permeable nature of skin, which allows small molecules to passively diffuse through the skin and onto the skin surface. The systems and methods of the present invention allow for the collection of these small molecules that have passively diffused through the skin without skin disruption or breaking of the skin. The systems and methods of the present invention are noninvasive, painless and safe even for delicate newborns, and are particularly suited for the determination of blood glucose in newborns and infants in a noninvasive manner.
US09883806B2

A light irradiating apparatus is used, which is characterized by having: a probe including an irradiating unit which guides light to an object, a housing containing the irradiating unit, and a touch sensor acquiring a contact condition amount between the object and the housing; and a controller controlling irradiation with light from the irradiating unit based on a level of the contact condition amount and a change in the contact condition amount, wherein in a case where the contact condition amount is equal to or more than a first reference value while the change in the contact condition amount which occurs when the housing is pressed against the object is a positive value, the controller performs a control which enables irradiation with light from the irradiating unit when the change in the contact condition amount is equal to or more than a second reference value.
US09883804B2

Method, and the associated device, for examining a biological tissue, in particular dental tissue or tooth enamel of one or several teeth, the method including the steps of taking into account at least the fluorescence of the tissue detected in a first wavelength range and the fluorescence of the tissue detected in a second wavelength range. The device can be a surgery microscope with one or several filters. The filters can be swiveled into or out the Illumination beam path or the optical path of the light source of the device.
US09883802B2

A measurement probe is configured to be detachably connected to an optical measurement apparatus for optically measuring a living tissue and includes: an illuminating fiber configured to apply illumination light to the living tissue; a plurality of light receiving fibers configured to receive, at different positions, the backscattering light which is applied by the illuminating fiber and backreflected and/or backscattered from the living tissue; and a support section that is substantially cylindrical and configured to make a distance from each distal end of the illuminating fiber and the plurality of light receiving fibers to the living tissue constant, and permit the illumination light to pass through at least a part of a side surface thereof. An illumination area of the illumination light applied by the illuminating fiber on the living tissue is larger than the area of a distal end of the support section.
US09883801B2

Systems and computer-implemented methods of automated triage prioritization including a mobile communication and display device with a communications interface configured to receive, from a plurality of monitoring devices, electronic signals corresponding to a plurality of real-time physiological parameters, location, and orientation, of a plurality of subjects, and one or more respective environmental parameters. The device also includes program code executable by a processor for generating respective machine and human readable values indicative of the plurality of physiological parameters, location, and orientation, for each subject, generating respective severity scores for each of the plurality of physiological parameters, orientation, and location, generating a prognosis score for each subject, generating a triage prioritization order for the subjects, and displaying the generated respective human readable values for at least two subjects on respective portions of the user interface based on the generated triage prioritization order.
US09883799B2

The invention is directed to a method of identifying a patient undergoing periodic hemodialysis treatments at increased risk for death that includes determining at least one of the patient's clinical or biochemical parameters, including systolic blood pressure, serum albumin concentration level, body weight, body temperature, serum bicarbonate concentration level, serum potassium concentration level, serum calcium concentration level, hemoglobin concentration level, serum phosphorus concentration level, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, equilibrated normalized protein catabolic rate (enPCR), equilibrated fractional clearance of total body water by dialysis and residual kidney function (eKdrt/V), EPO resistance index, transferrin saturation index, serum ferritin concentration level, serum creatinine concentration level, platelet count, Aspartat-Aminotransferase level, and Alanin-Aminotransferase level at periodic hemodialysis treatments, and identifying a patient as having an increased risk for death if the patient has a significant change in the rate of change of at least one of the patient's clinical or biochemical parameters. The invention is also directed to a method of identifying an increased mortality risk factor for a patient undergoing periodic hemodialysis treatment. The method includes analyzing data of deceased patients that were previously undergoing periodic hemodialysis treatments by performing a longitudinal analysis backwards in time of changes in a clinical or biochemical parameter the patients, and identifying a significant change in the rate of decline or the rate of increase in a clinical or biochemical parameter before death of the patients.
US09883796B2

An ophthalmologic system comprising and eye tracker and an OCT system. A method of operating the ophthalmologic system comprises: providing data representing a placement of a first B-scan performed on an eye relative to the eye; performing a measurement on the eye using the eye tracker; determining a placement of the eye relative to the ophthalmologic system based on the measurement using the eye tracker; placing the eye relative to a reference placement of the OCT system based on the provided data and the determined placement; performing A-scans on the eye at at least three A-scan positions; determining a placement of a second B-scan relative to the OCT system based on at least one of the at least three A-scans and the provided data such that the second B-scan and the first B-scan have a substantially same placement relative to the eye; and generating a representation of the second B-scan.
US09883795B2

An optical coherence tomography apparatus includes a generation unit configured, based on interfering light produced by interfering a return beam and a reference beam of light emitted toward the object to be measured, to generate tomographic images of an object to be measured, an image processing unit configured to perform image processing for increasing image quality to at least one of the tomographic images generated by the generation unit, and a display control unit configured to display one of the tomographic images generated by the generation unit and then display the image on which the image processing is performed by the image processing unit on a display unit.
US09883793B2

In some example implementations, there is provided a method. The method may include determining a probabilistic model representing threshold sensitivities across the visual field, the probabilistic model determined based on the data, the connection strengths, and the noise values. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed. In some implementations, the probabilistic model may include a continuous probability distribution.
US09883792B2

A vaginal speculum apparatus includes a portable illumination assembly that is releasably attached to one of the upper blade and lower blade of a disposable vaginal speculum. The portable illumination assembly is defined by a housing that retains at least one LED and a portable power supply. The portable illumination assembly can be energized by an externally accessible member after the illuminator has been attached to the speculum.
US09883785B2

A dispensing pad cleaner having a novel integrated dispensing system for delivering cleaning solutions and similar liquids to a surface to be cleaned. A removable cleaning pad coupled to a flexible pad substrate is also provided. The dispensing system has a reservoir for liquid retention that is coupled to the dispensing pad cleaner. An integral pump dispenses the liquid from the reservoir and through a nozzle to a surface to be cleaned. The pump is actuated from a lever that is depressed by a user, at times repeatedly, to facilitate pumping of the liquid onto a surface to be cleaned by scrubbing action of the dispensing pad cleaner.
US09883784B2

An apparatus for cleaning domestic and industrial surfaces includes a box-like machine body having a suction system and a steam generation system housed therein, and defining a front portion and an opposite rear portion; a joint for the end of a first suction and steam carrying flexible duct; the machine body having an additional multifunctional suction and steam delivery unit which is overhangingly supported by the machine body between two bilateral support arms hinged to the machine body, and extending beyond the front portion of the machine body.
US09883782B2

According to one embodiment, an upright liquid filtration vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum nozzle head and a housing moveably coupled to the vacuum nozzle head. The vacuum cleaner further includes a liquid tank that includes a wall defining an interior volume and a tank intake channel positioned in the interior volume. The interior volume is configured to hold a liquid. The tank intake channel is positioned to direct debris received from an intake passageway into the liquid tank so that the liquid in the interior volume of the liquid tank filters the debris into the liquid so that clean air is exhausted. The vacuum cleaner further includes a separator configured to generate an airflow. The vacuum cleaner is configured to seal the intake passageway when the vacuum cleaner is deactivated and further configured to unseal the intake passageway when the vacuum cleaner is activated.
US09883780B2

A cleaner including a cleaner body provided with a driving part configured to generate a suction force, a head unit connected to the cleaner body and configured to come into close contact with a surface to be cleaned by allowing external air to be introduced thereinto by the suction force of the driving part, and a cleaning member detachably provided on the head unit, wherein the cleaning member includes a member body detachably coupled to the head unit and having a floor cleaning part making contact with the surface to be cleaned, and a dust collecting container extending from the member body and configured to filter out foreign substances from air that is suctioned into the head unit.
US09883777B2

Exemplary embodiments provide a prefabricated modular shower enclosure, including a base with a plurality of engagement feature along a peripheral surface of the base, a plurality of alignment supports, and a surround panel. In some embodiments, at least one alignment support is positionable in a preselected relationship relative to the engagement features of the base, and the alignment supports are configured to be independently made square relative to the base. Additional exemplary embodiments provide a prefabricated shower enclosure, including a base with a plurality of engagement feature along a peripheral surface of the base, and a plurality of surround panels that engage the base. The modular shower enclosure reduces installation time and complexity by using components that are fabricated and cut to size offsite prior to installation at a job site.
US09883770B2

A vertical grill comprises a back chimney within the housing having an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is in the form of one or more first openings in the back frame member, and the outlet being a second opening which is higher than the inlet. A first air intake located in at least one of the grill's panels. A removable tray module comprises a slide positioned at an incline between the front and back sides, configured to direct fats and break away solids to the front side of the tray. At least one channel is covered by the slide and configured for air flow. An external receptacle is positioned at the front side of the tray, wherein the slide leads into the receptacle so that fats and break away solids may be channeled into the external receptacle after traveling downwards along the incline of the slide.
US09883766B2

A cartridge adaptor system may include a puncturing device; a nozzle adaptor including: a puncture port configured to receive the puncturing device; a nozzle coupling portion configured to releasably couple to a beverage dispenser nozzle; and a cartridge coupling portion configured to releasably couple to a cartridge containing a beverage ingredient; and a cartridge holster having a receiving portion for receiving a portion of the cartridge. The puncturing device may be configured to puncture the cartridge thereby releasing the beverage ingredient.
US09883761B2

A rotary food server assembly for rotatably serving a selected food item includes a bottom disk that may be positioned on a support surface. An upper disk is movably coupled to the bottom disk so the upper disk may support a food item. A processor is coupled to the bottom disk. An actuator is coupled to the bottom disk. The actuator is operationally coupled to the processor so the processor may selectively actuate the actuator. The actuator is operationally coupled to the upper disk so the actuator may selectively move the upper disk. A keypad is coupled to the bottom disk so a user may touch the keypad. The keypad is operationally coupled to the processor so the actuator may move the upper disk to a selected position.
US09883756B2

A shelving system includes at least one vertically oriented shelf rail having a row of vertical slots leading to the shelf rail interior. In the interior, a bus bar includes conductors. A carrier element, such as a shelf element, is mounted on a bracket configured to hook into the shelf rail slots. A lighting device is attached to the carrier element or the bracket. A current collection device is fastened to the bracket and includes tap contacts that protrude from a housing and are disposed on the engagement section of the bracket. The tap contacts are resilient and disposed to be elastically pressed into the housing against a spring force when the bracket is being hooked into the shelf rail, pressed out of the housing when located in the shelf rail interior, and pressed against associated current conductors to establish an electrically conducting connection for the lighting device.
US09883751B1

A bed configured to contain a subject, such as a human infant is disclosed. The bed includes a womb-shaped bumper capable of constricting or squeezing the subject. The bumper includes two opposed side portions, at least one void in at least one of the opposed side portions, and at least one mesh portion enclosing the void. The bumper is adjustable between a constricting configuration and a non-constricting configuration. An adjustment mechanism, and optionally, a fastener may be used to maintain the bumper in the constricting configuration.
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