1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas compressor for use in a vehicle air conditioning system or the like and, more particularly, aims to prevent fretting wear due to vibration of an oil separation filter contained in an apparatus to thereby achieve an improvement in durability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a gas compressor of this type has, as shown, for example, in FIG. 7, a compression mechanism C in a compressor case 1, and this compression mechanism C sucks in low pressure refrigerant gas in a suction chamber 6 and compresses it before discharging it into a discharge chamber 5 as high pressure refrigerant gas. At this time, the high pressure refrigerant immediately after being discharged from the compression mechanism C contains oil in the mist state filled for the purpose, for example, of lubricating the sliding portion of the compression mechanism portion C, and the oil ingredient in such high pressure refrigerant gas is separated by an oil separator 20 contained in the gas compressor.
The oil separator 20 has an oil separation filter 21 formed by rolling a wire net into a cylinder, and the oil ingredient in the high pressure refrigerant gas is separated when a high speed gas flow of high pressure refrigerant gas strikes upon the wire net constituting the oil separation filter 21 or by the centrifugal force generated when high pressure refrigerant gas whirls inside the oil separation filter 21.
However, in the oil separator 20 of the conventional construction described above, in which a pulsating high speed gas flow incessantly strikes upon the wire net constituting the oil separation filter 21, if the wire net is not supported and fixed in a satisfactory manner, a vibration such as twist is generated in the entire wire net, with the result that the constituent wire materials of the wire net (wires) rub each other, and the wire net and the support member in contact therewith rub each other, resulting in the generation of so-called fretting wear of the wire net to damage the wire net.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problem. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas compressor in which fretting wear due to vibration of the oil separation filter is prevented to thereby achieve an improvement in durability.
To achieve the above object, there is provided, in accordance with the present invention, a gas compressor comprising a compression mechanism portion which sucks in, compresses, and discharges refrigerant gas, a discharge chamber for temporarily storing the refrigerant gas discharged from the compression mechanism portion, a discharge passage which communicates the compression mechanism portion with the discharge chamber and which guides the refrigerant gas discharged from the compression mechanism portion to the discharge chamber, an oil separation filter which is arranged in the discharge chamber at the downstream end of the discharge passage and which is formed by shaping a lattice-like member into a cylindrical configuration, pressing means for pressing the end portions of the oil separation filter to elastically deform the oil separation filter sufficiently to suppress vibration thereof during use of the gas compressor, and an oil sump formed at the bottom of the discharge chamber and adapted to store the oil separated by the oil separation filter.
In the present invention, the oil separation filter as a whole is firmly fixed in a pressed state by the pressing force when the pressing means presses the end portions of the oil separation filter.
Here, as the pressing means, it is possible to adopt a construction comprising an abutment block portion against which the bottom end portion of the oil separation filter abuts, an outer peripheral block portion having a filter accommodating hole into which the oil separation filter is inserted, and a pressurizing plate put over the forward end portion of the oil separation filter and mounted and fixed to the outer peripheral block portion, wherein the forward end portion of the oil separation filter is provided so as to protrude from the filter accommodating hole on the surface of the outer peripheral block portion, and wherein the protruding forward end portion of the oil separation filter is pressurized and bent by the pressurizing plate to undergo elastic deformation.
In this construction, the forward end portion of the oil separation filter is pressurized and bent toward the abutment block portion by the pressurizing plate to undergo elastic deformation, and due to this elastic deformation of the oil separation filter, the oil separation filter is strongly pressed against the pressurizing plate, the abutment block, and the outer peripheral block portion and fixed thereto.
It is possible to adopt a construction in which the forward end portion of the oil separation filter is previously bent in a fixed direction by a bending amount smaller than a press-bending amount before being press-bent by the pressurizing plate.
In this construction, the forward end portion of the oil separation filter is press-bent by the pressurizing plate such that all the portions thereof are directed in the same direction, so that the construction proves superior in operability in fixing the bending direction.
Further, it is desirable that the direction in which the forward end portion of the oil separation filter is previously bent be toward the inner side of the filter.
In this construction, the forward end portion of the oil separation filter is press-bent by the pressurizing plate such that it is always directed to the inner side of the filter, so that there is no danger of the bent forward end portion of the oil separation filter being caught between the pressurizing plate and the outer peripheral block, making it possible to correctly mount and fix the pressurizing plate to the outer peripheral block portion.
It is possible to provide in the inner surface of the filter accommodating hole a clearance groove which allows entrance of the forward end portion of the oil separation filter when it is press-bent to the filter outer side.
In this construction, for example, there is no directivity in the bending of the forward end portion of the oil separation filter press-bent by the pressurizing plate, and even when the forward end portion of the oil separation filter is bent so as to be directed to the filter outer side, this press-bent portion enters the clearance groove, so that there is no danger of the bent forward end portion of the oil separation filter being caught between the pressurizing plate and the outer peripheral block, making it possible to correctly mount and fix the pressurizing plate to the outer peripheral block portion.
The oil separation filter may, for example, be formed of a lattice-like member, such as wire net or expanded metal; in particular, in the case of a wire net type oil separation filter, it is desirable to fuse by spot welding the regions where the constituent wire materials of the wire net (wires) intersect each other in order to prevent fretting wear as a result of the constituent wires of the wire net being rubbed against each other.
Further, the spot welding is performed in order to prevent fretting wear mainly due to vibration between the constituent wire materials of the wire net, and, from the viewpoint of the object of this spot welding, it is desirable to increase the number of spot welding points for the region where, for example, the high speed gas flow of high pressure refrigerant gas first strikes directly.


Speaker recognition generally includes the tasks of speaker identification and speaker verification: speaker identification involves labeling an unknown voice as one from a set of known voices, while speaker verification involves determining whether an unknown voice matches the known voice of a speaker whose identity is being claimed. In particular, speaker identity verification based on a person's voice is of considerable interest for providing telephone access to such services as banking transactions, credit card verification, remote access to dial-up computer databases.
The specific problem for which the invention has application is providing verified access to medical records databases for health care providers. For example, a voice log-in system would be used by doctors to obtain verified access to a number of medical databases at different health care institutions.
Two approaches to voice verification technology have been used: voice/mechanical and total voice. In a voice/mechanical system, a user manually enters a digit code and then speaks a voice password--the voice password is compared with a reference acoustic recognition model retrieved based on the secret code. In a total voice system, a user speaks a digit code--speaker-independent digit recognition is used to recognize the digits, and then a reference acoustic recognition model is loaded based on the recognized digit string, and voice verification is performed.
The total voice system can be described as a template-based, fixed-text speaker verification task. It includes the subtasks: (a) enrollment--creating a reference template composed of a set of speech features, as a function of time, associated with the fixed-text digit code for each valid user; (b) verification--selecting an appropriate reference template based on speaker-independent recognition of the digit code, and comparing input speech with reference templates at equivalent points in time, with a decision being based on similarity between input and reference, integrated over time; and (c) reference update--adapting the reference templates to accommodate changes in a valid user's speech after successful verification.
The enrollment procedure builds an initial reference template for a speaker by capturing the digit code, typically by examining the speech energy profile and determining the end points in time. For each successful verification, the dynamic reference updating procedure averages the feature sets associated with the reference template and the input speech, and the reference template is updated accordingly, thereby accommodating changes in a persons speech input as familiarity with the system is achieved.
Both the voice/mechanical and the total voice speaker verification systems are disadvantageous in that each requires the use of a specific digit code (either entered or spoken). In the medical records database application, such a requirement is problematic to the point of impracticality. Doctors and other health care providers typically see patients at a number of hospitals, each of which has its own medical records database system. These systems typically assign each user a unique identification code, requiring each health care provider to remember a different identification code for each institution and database system.
Accordingly, a need exists for a speaker verification system that is not based on the spoken input of an identification code.


(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filing system including a data processing apparatus which captures image data, stores it on a storage device, transmits it to another data processing device, and copies it onto a copy sheet. The present invention also relates to a data processing method and a computer readable medium which are incorporated into the data processing apparatus in the filing system.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Recently, a number of centralized mainframe computers are shared by all users in an organization, and supplemented by workstations and personal computers located in departmental user rooms and private offices. With the increased number of machines has come the need to move data and files from one machine to another. A filing system is one approach to solving the file transfer problem. In the filing system, shared data is placed on a file server, and, when needed, individual machines are made to access data files located on the remote file server. This approach works well when the number of files that needs to be exchanged is not small.
In a conventional filing system, a data processing device (for example, a personal computer) is provided with a scanner, and the scanner captures image data by optically scanning the document to be copied or transmitted. However, when the number of documents that need to be exchanged between authorized users is large, the data capturing using the scanner becomes a considerably time-consuming task, and the access to the image data on the remote file server from the data processing device becomes a burdensome operation. This causes the delay of implementation of the conventional filing system. In addition, the contents of documents having confidential data, such as a password for the file access, may be revealed to the operator of the data processing device during the data capturing. The conventional filing system has such a problem of data security.
By taking account of the above-described problems, the inventors of the present invention have noted that image data of documents, which need to be stored in a filing system, are always first captured using scanners of copiers or facsimiles for corporate meeting uses or business purposes, and subsequently translated into usable signals using analog-to-digital converters. Hence, in order to eliminate the above-described problems, the inventors have designed a data processing apparatus and method, for use in the filing system, which creates identifications of the authorized users for such documents when the image data are first captured, and has the image data and the identifications stored on a storage medium of the filing system in a such a manner that the stored image data are subsequently accessible by the authorized users using the identifications. Further, the filing system must be designed to ensure security of the image data stored therein.


A type of material handling units useful for transferring workpieces from a chucking position to a loading position for a machine has a swinging arm or manipulator provided at its outer end with means for gripping the workpiece. In a material handling unit of this kind relatively high positioning accuracy is required at the chucking position where the swing motion starts and at the loading position where it ends.
Such positioning is commonly carried out by engagement of a striking face of the swinger arm against a fixed abutment mounted on the frame of the material handling unit. In this manner high positioning accuracy is attained in comparison with a mechanical cam or electric positioning device and moreover repeatable accuracy and reliability are extremely high.
However when positioning the swinger arm by engagement with an abutment especially when the speed of the swinging motion of the swing arm is increased and the cycle time is reduced the swing arm may bounce or vibrate by reason of the impact shock in accordance with the weight of the payload. When such bouncing or vibration occurs the desired high positional accuracy and reliable motion cannot be attained.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to transmission of radio frequency (RF) signal waves and specifically to the combination of different RF signals into a common transmission line, such as a waveguide, for application to a common propagating device such as an antenna for further transmission of the electromagnetic wave.
2. Background and Related Art
In electronic apparatus concerned with amplification and transmission of electromagnetic energy, the energy is usually transferred from one component of the system to another in the form of current through electrical conductors such as wire or cable. At very high frequencies and high power, the transfer of electrical energy through current carrying conductors becomes inefficient and impractical. Instead of transferring electrical energy as current through conductors, the high frequency high power energy can be transmitted by electromagnetic waves constrained within a guiding structure or waveguide. The transmission of energy by waveguide is carried out by radiating the energy, in the form of electromagnetic waves, into the inside of the waveguide structure through various coupling mechanisms such as probes, loops, crossbars and the like. This same energy may be extracted from the waveguide by a similar coupling mechanism at another location on the waveguide. Where the energy is in the form of current, conveyed in multiple conductors, devices such as coaxial cross-coupled hybrids may be used.
Many applications exist where it is desired to combine signals of various frequencies into a common transmission line structure. One example of such an application is in the field of microwave communications. One requirement of such combination is that the different signals must not improperly interfere with each other.
In this regard, various tuned filtering devices have been used in the prior art. However, due to the non-ideal nature of some of such devices, unwanted distortions and losses are inevitably introduced into the frequency bands of the different signals, causing the signals to be degraded in quality.
One particular application for combining electromagnetic signal waves has arisen with the advent of digital television (DTV). Broadcasters who wish to provide DTV service still must provide broadcast signals in the conventional NTSC (National Television Systems Committee) format to accommodate viewers with conventional NTSC television receivers. Absent a feasible and efficient way to combine the DTV signal and the NTSC signal for transmission by a common broadcast antenna (possibly on adjacent frequency channels) without causing unacceptable interference, interaction and distortion of the signals, this will require some broadcasters to build additional antennae and towers to carry their DTV signals. This represents a very expensive and undesirable proposition.
Under present NTSC broadcast allocations, each active channel of 6 MHz bandwidth is separated from other channels by one or more 6 MHz wide inactive channels, in order to prevent interchannel interference between signals. Because of the limited nature of the electromagnetic spectrum and the requirement for broadcasters to continue to provide conventional NTSC signals to serve viewers who do not own DTV receivers, DTV signals will, in some cases, be broadcast on currently inactive 6 MHz wide channels adjacent to the upper side of current NTSC broadcasting channels.
Various techniques have been proposed to provide an acceptable combination of analog (i.e., NTSC) and digital DTV signals on adjacent broadcast channel allocations to meet this requirement. Proposed combiners utilizing wideband and other LC filters unavoidably introduce large signal phase delay and amplitude artifacts which are at best difficult to correct in order to reestablish the original signal purity specifications of the transmitter. The difficulty arises from the fact that a broadband filter is required for each signal having a "cliff" response directly at the common band edge between the combined signals, because there is virtually no guard band between the two signals. Such LC filters have much difficulty achieving good performance characteristics under such constraints, and the need for stability over varying environmental conditions (mainly temperature) adds further to the difficulty in designing acceptable combiners using these LC filters.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to enable the combination of signals of different frequencies on adjacent broadcast channels without mutual interference and distortion.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shock absorbing type steering shaft which is capable of contracting in the axial direction upon collision of the car owing to the impact of the collision, and a method of manufacturing such steering shaft. Particularly, the present invention relates to a shock absorbing type steering shaft capable of stabilizing a collapse load which acts at the time of collision of the car even when the inner shaft of the car is a solid shaft so as to reduce the manufacturing cost, as well as a method of manufacturing such steering shaft.
2. Related Background Art
In a steering apparatus for a car, there is provided a shock absorbing type steering shaft which can be contracted in the axial direction upon collision, by the impact of the collision.
An example of a method for manufacturing such shock absorbing type steering shaft is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 52-25330, in which a solid inner shaft having a non-circular cross section in a substantially oval form is inserted into a tubular outer shaft having a non-circular cross section in a substantially oval form, the outer shaft is pressed by a pressing member inwardly from the outer side thereof in the radial direction to plastically deform the both shafts locally, and then both the shafts are pressure-fixed to each other elastically by the portions thus plastically deformed. In this manner, while a relative movement between the both shafts in the axial direction is prevented normally, the plastically deformed portions are caused to collapse at the time of collision of the car, whereby the inner shaft is moved into the outer shaft to contract the entire length of the steering shaft, thereby absorbing the shock.
However, according to the manufacturing method disclosed above, since the plastic deforming is conducted in the state that the solid inner shaft is inserted in the outer shaft, an amount of plastic deformation of the outer shaft is not sufficient, so that there is a possibility of backlash in the pressure contact and fixation of both the shafts.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-58373, in the state that a jig is inserted in a tubular outer shaft having a circular cross section, the outer shaft is pressed inwardly in the radial direction by the pressing member from the outer side thereof, so that the outer shaft is plastically deformed locally to have a non-circular cross section. Subsequently, the jig is removed, and the solid inner shaft having a circular cross section is inserted into the outer shaft, whereby the inner shaft is pressure-fixed to the portion of the outer shaft which has been plastically deformed to the noncircular cross section.
However, according to the manufacturing method disclosed above, it is required to once insert the jig into the outer shaft and, after the plastic processing, to remove the jig. Thus, the manufacturing process becomes complicated for such steps of inserting and removing the jig and, as a result, the manufacturing cost is increased.
Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-272447, an inward protrusion is formed in the radial direction on a tubular outer shaft having a circular cross section with a female serration, an annular recess from which a serration has been removed is formed on the outer peripheral surface of a solid inner shaft having a circular cross section with a male serration, and the annular recess of the inner shaft is caused to engage with the inward protrusion in the radial direction of this outer shaft in such a manner that the both shafts are pressure-contacted and fixed with pressure to each other.
However, according to the manufacturing method disclosed above, it is required to remove a part of the serration from the male serration formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner shaft and to form the annular recess, which may result in an increase in the manufacturing cost.
Further, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-181615 (which has been converted from an application for a Japanese Utility Model Registration filed in 1992), the tip end of a tubular outer shaft having a circular cross section and the tip end of a solid inner shaft having a circular cross section are plastically deformed to have non-circular (flat or elliptic) cross sections, respectively. On the other hand, inner portions other than the tip ends of the both shafts are maintained to have circular cross sections. Then, the inner shaft is inserted into the outer shaft, and the portion having the non-circular cross section of the outer shaft is strongly pressure-contacted and fixed to the portion having the circular cross section of the inner shaft and the portion having the circular cross section of the outer shaft is strongly pressure-contacted and fixed to the portion having the non-circular cross section of the inner shaft, respectively, whereby the both shafts are pressure-contacted and fixed to each other.
However, according to the manufacturing method disclosed above, the plastic deforming of the tip end of the outer shaft and the plastic deforming of the tip end of the inner shaft are conducted separately, so that the manufacturing process becomes complicated, which may bring about an increase in the manufacturing cost.
Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-91230, like in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-181615, the tip end of the outer shaft and the tip end of the inner shaft are plastically deformed to have non-circular cross sections. However, as a step of this plastic deforming, the tip end of the inner shaft is inserted in the tip end of the outer shaft to be maintained in an overlapping state, and these both overlapping tip ends are pressed inwardly in the radial direction by the pressing members to be plastically deformed to have non-circular cross sections. Thus, the both tip ends are plastically deformed at a time to simplify the manufacturing process.
However, according to the manufacturing method disclosed above, the inner shaft is required to be hollow and, when the inner shaft is solid, even if the tip end of the solid inner shaft is inserted into the tip end of the tubular outer shaft and the both overlapping tip ends are pressed inwardly in the radial direction by the pressing members, the plastic deforming can not be conducted satisfactorily with respect to the solid inner shaft.
Further, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-147245, like in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-91230 mentioned above, the both tip ends are plastically deformed by the pressing members at a time in the state that the both tip ends of the outer shaft and the inner shaft overlap each other. It is further arranged to adjust the collapse load by adjusting the press load of the pressing members.
However, according to the manufacturing method disclosed above, like in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-91230, when the inner shaft is solid, the plastic deforming can not be conducted satisfactorily.
Incidentally, when the inner shaft is a solid shaft, it is comparatively difficult to plastically deform the both tip ends at a time in the state that the tip ends of the both shafts overlap each other, like Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-91230. However, a part of the above Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-91230 discloses a method for pressure-contacting and fixing the solid inner shaft and the tubular outer shaft to each other, as shown in FIG. 19.
A bottomed hole 103 is formed at the tip end 101a of the solid inner shaft 101 having a circular cross section with a male serration 102, and the tip end 101a of this inner shaft 101 is fitted in the tip end 104a of the tubular outer shaft 104 having a circular cross section with a female serration 105. These both overlapping tip ends 101a and 104a are pressed by the pressing members 106 and 106 from the upper and lower directions thereof so that the both tip ends 101a and 104a are plastically deformed to respectively have noncircular (flat or elliptic) cross sections, meanwhile the inner portions other than the tip ends of the both shafts 101 and 104 are maintained to have the circular cross sections.
After that, the pressing members 106 and 106 are removed and the inner shaft 101 is further inserted into the outer shaft 104, the tip end 101a of the non-circular cross section of the inner shaft 101 is strongly pressure-contacted and fixed to the inner portion of the circular cross section of the outer shaft 104, and the tip end 104a of the non-circular cross section of the outer shaft 104 is strongly pressure-contacted and fixed to the inner portion of the circular cross section of the inner shaft 101.
However, the drilling and processing works are required to form the bottomed hole 103 on the tip end 101a of the solid inner shaft 101, which may bring about an increase in the manufacturing cost.
While the outer shaft 104 is obtained by plastically deforming a tubular shaft, the inner shaft 101 is obtained by plastically deforming a solid shaft on which the bottomed hole 103 is drilled. Thus, the level of the plastic deforming is not always the same for the both shafts, and one of the shafts may be deformed excessively. As a result, the force of pressure-contact and fixation is different between the both shafts, so that it becomes difficult to stabilize the collapse load to act upon collision of the car.
The present invention has been conceived taking the circumstances mentioned above into consideration, and an object of the invention is to provide a shock absorbing type steering shaft which can stabilize a collapse load acting upon collision of the car and can reduce the manufacturing cost, as well as a method for manufacturing such steering shaft.
In order to achieve the above object, there is provided according to the present invention, a shock absorbing type steering shaft comprising a tubular outer shaft having a female serration and a solid inner shaft having a male serration, characterized in that:
after the outer diameter surface of the outer shaft is pressed inwardly in the radial direction to plastically deform an axially inner portion thereof, the inner shaft is inserted into the outer shaft so that the inner shaft is pressure-contacted and fixed to the plastically deformed portion of the outer shaft.
In order to achieve the above object, there is also provided according to the present invention a method for manufacturing a shock absorbing type steering shaft for fitting and fixing a solid inner shaft having a male serration in a tubular outer shaft having a female serration, comprising the steps of:
inserting the tip end of the inner shaft into the tip end of the outer shaft to hold the same in a state that these tip ends are overlapping each other;
pressing the outer shaft at which the both tip ends are not overlapping each other inwardly in the radial direction by means of a pressing member to plastically deform an axially inner portion thereof; and
removing this pressing member to further insert the inner shaft into the outer shaft, thereby pressure-contacting and fixing the inner shaft to the plastically deformed portion of the outer shaft.
As describe above, according to the present invention, the tip end of the inner shaft is inserted into the tip end of the outer shaft to be maintained in an overlapping manner, the inner portion of the outer shaft is pressed inwardly in the radial direction by the pressing members and is plastically deformed, and the inner shaft is pressure-contacted to be fixed to this plastically deformed portion of the outer shaft. That is, the outer shaft is plastically deformed while preventing the outer tube from being excessively deformed, by plastically deforming the inner portion of the outer shaft in the state that the tip ends of the both shafts overlap each other slightly. Consequently, it is possible to stably maintain the force of pressure contact and fixation of the steering shaft in its accomplished state. It is also possible to stabilize a collapse load which acts at the time of collision of the car. In addition, since a drilling step is unnecessary, unlike in the conventional method, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a shock absorbing type steering shaft in which a solid inner shaft having a male serration is pressure-fitted in and fixed to a tubular outer shaft having the female serration, comprising the steps of:
pressing and deforming a predetermined portion of the tip end of the outer shaft from the outside thereof in the radial direction to form the female serration portion; and
pressing and fitting the male serration portion of the inner shaft in this pressed and deformed portion to pressure-contact and fix the inner shaft thereto. There is also provided a shock absorbing type steering shaft which is manufactured by such method.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a poker styled card game, and more specifically to a poker styled card game wherein a player attempts to achieve a high ranking 5-card poker hand by utilizing four cards dealt to that player and four community cards.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, one of the most popular poker games played is a variation of poker called Texas Hold Em. In Texas Hold Em, each player is dealt two cards, with the face of the cards being disposed toward the playing surface, referred to as “hole cards.” In a standard Texas Hold Em game, once each player has received their two hole cards, a round of betting occurs. In some games there are two compulsory bets at the commencement of the first round of play: the person immediately to the left of the dealer must place a bet equal to one half of the minimum predetermined bet, referred to as the “blind” and the player immediately to the left of the blind must place a bet equal to the minimum predetermined bet for that round, referred to as the “big blind.” Play proceeds around the table in a clockwise manner, with each player given the opportunity to either fold, call the bet of the big blind, or raise the big blind. Any player that has not folded is referred to as an “active player.” Once all bets have been called, three cards are dealt with the face of these cards being disposed opposite the playing surface (referred to as “the flop”) to establish the “community” cards (cards that each player can use to complete their poker hand). Another round of betting occurs, with each active player having the opportunity to fold, bet, raise a previous bet made in that round, or check. Once all bets have been called, a fourth community card (referred to as “the turn”) is added to the community with the face of this card being disposed opposite the playing surface. Another round of betting commences. Again, once all bets are called, a fifth and final card (referred to as “the river”) is dealt with its face being disposed opposite the playing surface. A final round of betting occurs. Once all bets have been called, the showdown occurs, wherein all active players reveal their hole cards to determine the winner of the game based upon the highest ranking 5 card poker hand created from the 5 community cards and that player's two hole cards. The winner typically receives the proceeds of the wagering, commonly referred to as “the pot.”
There have been countless variations of poker, and more specifically, Texas Hold Em, which itself appears to be derived from 7 card stud poker. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,448 (Moody) describes a variation of Texas Hold Em wherein players attempt to make the highest 5-card poker hand out of a set of hole cards and a set of community cards. In this variation, however, three hole cards are dealt to each player, and eight cards are dealt, some with their faces disposed opposite the playing surface, and some with their faces disposed toward the playing surface. These eight community cards are arranged in four groups of two cards with the community card layout being in the form of a directional compass with a pair of community cards at each point of the compass. The positioning of the pair of community cards on these respective points of the compass determine which, if any, of the cards in the respective pairs are disposed with their face toward or opposite the playing surface. Each player then can choose which pair of community cards he or she wished to utilize in completing their 5-card poker hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,101 (Moody) again describes a variation of Texas Hold Em, again with each player attempting to make the highest 5-card poker hand out of a set of hole cards and a set of community cards. In this variation each player is dealt 5 hole cards, with six cards being dealt with their face disposed toward the playing surface as the community. The community cards are arranged in a three row triangle pattern. A player may discard up to 5 of his or her hole cards. The dealer then positions the community cards with their faces disposed opposite the playing surface. Depending on how many hole cards a player discarded, predetermined cards in the community are used by that player to complete his or her 5-card poker hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,430 (Aramapakul, et al.) discloses a variation of Texas Hold Em wherein each player is dealt 3 hole cards. The player must discard one hole card. Five cards are then dealt with their faces disposed opposite the playing surface to serve as the community. These two hole cards and five community cards are then used to create a 5-card poker hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,188 (Poitra) discloses a variation wherein each player makes an initial wager prior to being dealt any hole cards. After this initial round of betting, each player is dealt two hole cards. Three cards are dealt, two with their faces disposed opposite the playing surface, and the remaining community card being disposed with its face disposed toward the playing surface, as the community cards. At this point, each player is given the opportunity to “double down.” Following this opportunity, the showdown occurs and all bets are resolved in favor of the player having the highest 5-card poker hand.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,983 (Chobanian) discloses a variation wherein each player initially is dealt 2 hole cards. A round of betting then occurs. Four community cards are then dealt with their faces disposed opposite the playing surface. Another round of betting occurs. Finally, each player is dealt one final hole card. A final round of betting takes place. Once all bets have been called, the showdown occurs, with the winner being that active player with the highest 5-card poker hand.
Among the deficiencies in the prior art is that the variations of Texas Hold Em involve complex instructions, which can intimidate the novice player. Additionally, a deficiency in the prior art is the limited number of hole cards utilized. When the number of hole cards is limited to two or three as seen in Texas Hold Em and its variations, the strategy of the game is limited, as a player has only to guess two cards of his or her opponent.
Thus, there is a need in the relevant art for a modified game of poker that provides a new variation of Texas Hold Em allowing for the inclusion of plurality of players that is easy to learn, is fast paced, and increases the skill necessary in determining the relative strength of a player's hand versus that of his or her opponent's.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hanger including a body member and slide member slideably mounted on the body member and hanging articles such as bicycles or kayaks for display.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional hanger device as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 includes a hanger 100, two slots 101 formed on two ends of the hanger 100 and two hooks 102 slideably disposed in the slots 101 respectively via two fasteners 103. Each hook 102 has a through-hole, and each fastener 103 is adapted to insert through the through-hole of the related hook 102 and to be engaged with the related slot 101. The fasteners 103 are adapted to tighten/loosen the hooks 102 with respect to the hanger 100 and allow fixing/sliding of the hooks 102 with respect to the slots 101. A clamping device 104 is disposed on the hanger 100 between the two ends of the hanger 100 and attaches the hanger 100 to a hanger stand (not shown).
However, the structure strength of the hanger 100 could be weakened via the slots 101 which are formed on the hanger 100, and the hooks 102 are limited to slide along the related slot 101 only. The large size of each slot 101, the more weakened structure of the hanger 100. Moreover, each hook 102 is attached to the hanger 100 via the fastener 103 so that the hooks 102 can not slide along the related slot 101 in a smooth manner.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vibratory barrel finishing apparatus and, more particularly, to a long-travel annular vibratory barrel type finishing apparatus for line-processing.
Vibratory barrel finishing apparatuses are broadly divisible into two types: a box-type and a circular-type. The vibratory barrel finishing apparatus of the present invention possesses the advantages inherent in both these two types of apparatus, i.e. an oval path having adaptability for long line-finishing which is an advantage peculiar to the box-type apparatus and a spiral flow of mass which is an advantage of the circular-type apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German Patents DBP1047993, DBP1036092 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,071,900, disclose vibratory finishing apparatuses in which the line of the conventional box-type vibratory barrel is extended. In this known type of apparatus, however, a huge driving means is required for effecting the driving, separation and circulation of mass, resulting in an impractically high cost of production. A circular type apparatus having an extended line is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 16558/1975, as well as in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 141995/1978. The length of the extended line, however, is only twice as large as that of the conventional barrel.
The vibratory barrel finishing apparatus disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 16558/1975 has a vibrator disposed at the center of the vibratory machine body. The finishing barrel has a corner angle which is a right angle or an acute angle and has a separating device projecting from the barrel body. Thus, this apparatus has an assymmetrical construction and, therefore, cannot be incorporated in a processing line. It is presumed that this apparatus cannot provide a satisfactory processing effect.
The Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 141995/1978 states that "It makes possible to incorporate not single vibrator but a plurality of vibrator in the space extending along the length of the barrel." Judging from the above-statement, as well as from the attached FIGS. 1-9 and associated description which lacks a consideration of synchronized rotation of unbalanced weights, it is considered that the inventor of this invention has made a serious mistake. Namely, it is known that non-synchronized vibrations of a plurality of vibrators applied to the mass in the barrel causes a random movement of the mass or overflowing of the mass from the barrel. The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 141995/1978 teaches how to overcome the above-mentioned problem by inclining the barrel wall outwardly. This, however, complicates the construction extraordinarily and causes a rise of the cost, as well as suppression of the finishing effect due to an obstruction of the flow of the mass.


Many medical procedures involve the extraction and replacement of flowing blood from, and back into, a donor or patient. The reasons for doing this vary, but generally, they involve subjecting the blood to some process that cannot be carried out inside the body. When the blood is outside the patient it is conducted through machinery that processes the blood. The various processes include, but are not limited to, hemodialysis, hemofiltration, hemodiafiltration, blood and blood component collection, plasmaphresis, aphresis, and blood oxygenation.
One technique for extracorporeal blood processing employs a single “access,” for example a single needle in the vein of the patient or a fistula. A volume of blood is cyclically drawn through the access at one time, processed, and then returned through the same access at another time. Single access systems are uncommon because they limit the rate of processing to half the capacity permitted by the access. As a result, two-access systems, in which blood is drawn from a first access, called an arterial access, and returned through a second access, called a venous access, are much faster and more common. These accesses include catheters, catheters with subcutaneous ports, fistulas, and grafts.
The processes listed above, and others, often involve the movement of large amounts of blood at a very high rate. For example, 500 ml. of blood may be drawn out and replaced every minute, which is about 5% of the patient's entire supply. If a leak occurs in such a system, the patient could be drained of enough blood in a few minutes to cause loss of consciousness with death following soon thereafter. As a result, such extracorporeal blood circuits are normally used in very safe environments, such as hospitals and treatment centers, and attended by highly trained technicians and doctors nearby. Even with close supervision, a number of deaths occur in the United States every year due to undue blood loss from leaks.
Leaks present a very real risk. Leaks can occur for various reasons, among them: extraction of a needle, disconnection of a luer, poor manufacture of components, cuts in tubing, and leaks in a catheter. However, in terms of current technology, the most reliable solution to this risk, that of direct and constant trained supervision in a safe environment, has an enormous negative impact on the lifestyles of patients who require frequent treatment and on labor requirements of the institutions performing such therapies. Thus, there is a perennial need in the art for ultra-safe systems that can be used in a non-clinical setting and/or without the need for highly trained and expensive staff. Currently, there is great interest in ways of providing systems for patients to use at home. One of the risks for such systems is the danger of leaks. As a result, a number of companies have dedicated resources to the solution of the problem of leak detection.
In single-access systems, loss of blood through the patient access and blood circuit can be indirectly detected by detecting the infiltration of air during the draw cycle. Air is typically detected using an ultrasonic air detector on the tubing line, which detects air bubbles in the blood. The detection of air bubbles triggers the system to halt the pump and clamp the line to prevent air bubbles from being injected into the patient. Examples of such systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,985,134, 4,614,590, and 5,120,303.
While detection of air infiltration is a reliable technique for detecting leaks in single access systems, the more attractive two-access systems, in which blood is drawn continuously from one access and returned continuously through another, present problems. While a disconnection or leak in the draw line can be sensed by detecting air infiltration, just as with the single needle system, a leak in the return line cannot be so detected. This problem has been addressed in a number of different ways, some of which are generally accepted in the industry.
The first level of protection against return line blood loss is the use of locking luers on all connections, as described in International Standard ISO 594-2 which help to minimize the possibility of spontaneous disconnection during treatment. Care in the connection and taping of lines to the patient's bodies is also a known strategy for minimizing this risk.
A higher level of protection is the provision of venous pressure monitoring, which detects a precipitous decrease in the venous line pressure. This technique is outlined in International Standard IEC 60601-2-16. This approach, although providing some additional protection, is not very robust, because most of the pressure loss in the venous line is in the needle used to access the patient. There is very little pressure change in the venous return line that can be detected in the event of a disconnection, so long as the needle remains attached to the return line. Thus, the pressure signal is very weak. The signal is no stronger for small leaks in the return line, where the pressure changes are too small to be detected with any reliability. One way to compensate for the low pressure signal is to make the system more sensitive, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,040, but this strategy can cause many false positives. It is inevitable that the sensitivity of the system will have to be traded against the burden of monitoring false alarms. Inevitably this leads to compromises in safety. In addition, pressure sensing methods cannot be used at all for detecting small leaks.
Yet another approach, described for example in PCT application US98/19266, is to place fluid detectors near the patient's access and/or on the floor under the patient. The system responds only after blood has leaked and collected in the vicinity of a fluid detector. A misplaced detector can defeat such a system and the path of a leak cannot be reliably predicted. For instance, a rivulet of blood may adhere to the patient's body and transfer blood to points remote from the detector. Even efforts to avoid this situation can be defeated by movement of the patient, deliberate or inadvertent (e.g., the unconscious movement of a sleeping patient).
Still another device for detecting leaks is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,691. According to the description, the circuit is checked for leaks prior to the treatment operation. For example, a heated fluid may be run through the circuit and its leakage detected by means of a thermistor. The weakness of this approach is immediately apparent: there is no assurance that the system's integrity will persist, throughout the treatment cycle, as confirmed by the pre-treatment test. Thus, this method also fails to address the entire risk.
Yet another device for checking for leaks in return lines is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,048. In the disclosed system, a pressure signal is sensed at the access and used to infer its integrity. The pressure wave may be the patient's pulse or it may be artificially generated by the pump. This approach cannot detect small leaks and is not very sensitive unless powerful pressure waves are used; in which case the effect can produce considerable discomfort in the patient.
Clearly detection of leaks by prior art methods fails to reduce the risk of dangerous blood loss to an acceptable level. In general, the risk of leakage-related deaths increases with the decrease in medical staff per patient driven by the high cost of trained staff. Currently, with lower staffing levels comes the increased risk of unattended leaks. Thus, there has been, and continues to be, a need in the prior art for a foolproof approach to detection of a return line leak or disconnection.
In an area unrelated to leak detection, U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,049 B1 suggests the idea of reversing the direction of blood flow for purposes of patency testing and access-clearing. The patency tests alluded to by the '049 patent refer simply to the conventional idea of forcing blood through each access to clear occlusions and to ascertain the flow inside a fistula.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of dispensing pressure sensitive labels.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Various U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,642,387, 2,259,358, 2,275,064, 2,516,487, 2,620,205, 3,051,353, 3,265,553, 3,501,365, 3,551,251, and 3,611,929 and British Pat. No. 1,057,126, Feb. 1, 1967 are made of record. U.S. Pat. No. 3,501,365 British Pat. No. 1,057,126 disclose U-shaped cuts in the supporting web or strip. In connection with one embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 3,501,365 for example, the patent discloses "that the feed holes are die cut in such a manner that the leading edge of the feed hole has been cut whereas the trailing edge has not" been cut. The loose flap or flap portions formed by the U-shaped cut extends in a leading direction as the flap portion moves toward the peel edge or separator point. Due to the fact that the flap portion is adhered to the adhesive on the overlying label and due to the fact that the flap portions extend in the leading direction, the flap portions fold out of the plane of the supporting web at the peel edge. Also, the flap portions adhere to the overlying label so well because when the flap-forming cuts are made, the supporting web and the label are driven together by the cutting knives into intimate contact with the intervening adhesive. This increases the holding force of the flap portions to the overlying labels and consequently diminishes the tendency of the flap portions to separate from the overlying labels at the peel edge. This sometimes results in tearing at the ends of the U-shaped cut. As the supporting material at the ends of a U-shaped cut tears, the flap portion grows in area. As the flap portion grows, the enlarged flap portion is held to the overlying label or labels by an increased area of adhesive. Accordingly, the force holding the enlarged flap portion to the overlying label or labels increases as the tearing progresses until eventual rupture or breakage of the supporting web. In another embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 3,501,365, loose internal portions formed by annular cuts move out of the plane of the supporting web at the peel edge along with the leading label as the supporting web is drawn about the peel edge. These loose internal portions cannot tear the supporting web because they are severed therefrom by the annular cut. However, in both embodiments, the flap portions move out of the plane of the supporting web at the peel edge for the same reasons.


Seat belts, also known as safety belts, are safety devices designed to secure and restrain the occupant of a vehicle, preventing harmful movement during a collision or a sudden stop. The seat belt reduces the likelihood of death or serious injury in traffic collisions by (a) reducing the force of secondary impacts between the occupant and interior surfaces of the vehicle, (b) preventing the occupant being ejected from the vehicle in a crash, and (c) keeping the occupant positioned correctly for maximum effectiveness of airbags where provided.
Seat belts come in various types, including lap restraints or lap belts, sash belts or three point seatbelts combining the lap belt and the sash belt into a unitary device.
Lap belts fasten across the lap of the occupant. These were the earliest type of seat belt, and are still standard in passenger seats of airplanes. The full force of an impact is absorbed along a relatively small area across the waist of the occupant and may cause damage to internal organs. A “sash” or shoulder harness is a strap that goes diagonally over the vehicle occupant's outboard shoulder and is buckled inboard of his or her lap. The sash belt restrains the occupant over a larger area than the lap belt. The sash belt may attach to the lap belt tongue, or it may have a tongue and buckle completely separate from those of the lap belt.
The 3-point belt is similar to the combination of separate lap and sash belts, but is provided as a single unit. Like the separate lap-and-sash belt, in a collision the 3-point belt spreads out the energy of the moving body over the chest, pelvis, and shoulders.
In most road vehicles, the three point seat belt is now standard. It comprises a tough strip of material, typically woven nylon, which is fastened to the car below the height of the seat on one side of the passenger, and is wound onto a spring loaded reel or drum that is above shoulder height or at least is threaded over a pulley that is above shoulder height and then drawn down to a drum or real that takes up spare seatbelt. Typically, a buckle that is coupled to the seatbelt is pulled down, across the passenger, from the shoulder to the other side of the passenger near the passenger's waist, where it engages a clasp provided for that purpose. Typically, pressure on a release lever on the clasp, releases the buckle, and the drum winds the belt up. In some models, the seatbelt itself is pulled down and across the occupant and is shackled by a releasable rod or loop.
Such seatbelts restrain the seated passenger with a strap that crosses the thighs from where a fixed end of the seatbelt is fastened to the chassis on one side, through an eye of a slider that is provided with a buckle that is slid into and held by the clasp, and then up across the body and over the shoulder to the reel or pulley wheel.
On impact or sudden stopping, the reel jams and prevents the seatbelt from being pulled out further, and typically is configured to retract the seatbelt. Such seat belts are reliable, convenient, and easily implemented to restrain the passenger, and easily released to allow the passenger to exit the vehicle.
Seatbelts are mandated by law in many countries, for both front-seat and back-seat passengers of many vehicles. In some jurisdictions passengers in taxicabs and the like, are not required to wear seatbelts, but the safety advantages of so doing are nevertheless clear.
Until the 1980s, three-point belts were commonly available only in the front outboard seats of cars; the back seats were only often fitted with lap belts. Evidence of the potential of lap belts to cause separation of the lumbar vertebrae and the sometimes associated paralysis, or “seat belt syndrome”, led to progressive revision of passenger safety regulations in nearly all developed countries to require 3-point belts first in all outboard seating positions and eventually in all seating positions in passenger vehicles.
Most modern seat belts are stowed on spring-loaded reels called “retractors” equipped with inertial locking mechanisms that stop the belt from extending off the reel during severe deceleration. Seatbelts in many newer vehicles are also equipped with “pretensioners” and/or “Webclamps”. Pretensioners preemptively tighten the belt to prevent the occupant from jerking forward in a crash. Some systems also pre-emptively tighten the belt in fast accelerations and strong decelerations even if no crash has happened. Webclamps clamp the webbing in the event of an accident and limit the distance the webbing can spool out (caused by the unused webbing tightening on the central drum of the mechanism). These belts also often incorporate an energy management loop (“rip stitching”) in which the lower part of the webbing is looped and stitched with a special stitching designed to “rip” at a predetermined load, which reduces the load transmitted through the belt to the occupant, reducing injuries to the occupant.
As with adult drivers and passengers, the advent of seat belts was accompanied by calls for their use by child occupants, including legislation requiring such use. Generally children using adult seat belts suffer significantly lower injury risk when compared to non-buckled children. Nevertheless, it will be appreciated that three point seatbelts are standard fixtures that are appropriate for restraining adults of various shapes and sizes. They are, however, engineered for adults, and are thus typically too big for small children. Adult 3 point seatbelts are generally inappropriate for children since the lower strap crosses the stomach and is consequently uncomfortable and potentially dangerous, and the diagonal shoulder strap invariably misses the shoulder of a child, and interferes with his or her neck or head. However, if the seatbelt is positioned under the arm, the seatbelt rubs against the underarm and/or neck, and is uncomfortable. Positioning the seatbelt under the arm is also dangerous, in that both sections of the belt cross the lower abdomen, and an impact may cause the seatbelt to retract across the stomach, risking rupturing internal organs.
Many jurisdictions now advocate or require child passengers to use specially designed child restraints. Such systems include separate child-sized seats equipped with their own restraints and booster cushions or seats for use by children together with the adult restraints. In some jurisdictions children below a certain size are forbidden to travel in front car seats.
Child safety seats (sometimes referred to as an infant safety seat, a child restraint system, a restraint car seat, or ambiguously as car seats) are seats designed specifically to protect children from injury or death during collisions. Automobile manufacturers may integrate child safety seats directly into their vehicle's design. Most commonly, these seats are purchased and installed by consumers. Many regions require children of certain ages, weights, and/or heights to use a government-approved child safety seat when riding in a vehicle. Child safety seats provide passive restraints and must be properly used to be effective. However, many child safety restraints in countries such as Canada and the United States are not used properly. To tackle this negative trend, health officials and child safety experts produce child safety videos to teach proper car seat installation to parents and caregivers. Baby car seats are legally required in many countries, including the United States, to safely transport children up to the age of 2 or more years in cars and other vehicles.
Booster seats are recommended for children that are too big for baby seats, until they are big enough to properly use a seat belt without them. Some jurisdictions require booster seats to be used by law. Booster seats raise the child and allow the seat belt to sit firmly across the collar bone and chest, with the lap portion fitted to the hips. If the seat belt is not correctly positioned across the collar bone and the hips, it will generally ride across the neck and the stomach and cause internal injuries in the event of a collision. Booster seats also facilitate the child looking out of the window and since the child is more comfortable and has better vision, are generally accepted by children. Booster seats are required by law in the US, up to the age of 9 or a weight of 90 pounds (41 Kg).
However, booster seats are large and bulky devices. Where a back seat of a vehicle is sometimes used to transport adult passengers and sometimes for transporting children, the booster has to be removed and replaced. Booster seats are space consuming and their storage in the trunk of a vehicle, minimizes the amount of groceries and other goods being transported. They are an additional expense for grandparents and other occasional drivers of children. When renting cars, booster seats may need to be rented separately, which is an additional expense, tempting parents to economize. For these and similar reasons, booster seats are often not available when required.
Vertically challenged adults may feel uncomfortable sitting on a booster, as may shorter children being transported to social events attended by taller peers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,136,579 to Hunter, is an early example of a booster seat that raise the child to allow him or her to look out of the windows, but is bulky and cumbersome.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,775 to Offenbacher describes another bulky booster seat solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,438 to Regan et al. describes a pneumatically inflatable seat that can be deflated for storage. Pneumatic solutions are complicated and unreliable, and this never really caught on.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,547,489 to Grieser and U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,613 to Jonasson describe booster seats that have side loops for engaging a seat belt. The devices are fairly bulky. They are designed for the more or less obsolete lap straps, but not for a three point seatbelts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,915 to Cox describes a booster that doubles up as a suitcase and can be used for storing objects therein, going someway to overcome the inherent space requiring disadvantage of booster seats. The device described is somewhat complicated and therefore expensive to manufacture, and it is not really a practical storage solution for more than its straps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,510 to Cunningham, titled “Childs safety device for vehicle” describes a booster with a strap that goes behind the child and engages the shoulder strap of a three point seat belt. The strap may be adjusted in effective length for different sized children, but the width of the seat is fixed, and the leg straps may not be comfortable for children that are significantly narrower than the booster seat. Additionally, the booster seat is fairly cumbersome.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,116 to Zawisa, describes a device that engages the shoulder strap of a three point seatbelt at an adjustable height suitable for smaller passengers. However, the system described therein is only suitable for outside seated passengers, whereas the middle seat is actually the safest for backseat passengers. Furthermore, although offering a solution for larger children, the lap engaging section of the strap will generally be too high for smaller passengers that are, nevertheless, too large for an infant seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,020 to Scime describes an auxiliary harness that engages the seatbelt and adapts it to the child. Scime's system is different from the typical booster that raises the child, but is nevertheless, fairly bulky and thus inconvenient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,367 to Eusebi et al. describes an adjustable three point restraint system that is suitable for both children and adults. It is part of the vehicle and significantly increases manufacturing costs of the vehicle. It is not retrofittable to standard vehicles provided with conventional three point seatbelts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,004 to Celestina Krevh describes a fairly simple compact device for adjusting the shoulder strap of a three-point seatbelt and making it appropriate for use by a child. The device is designed for use with a booster seat. The device described is fairly compact, but when used with a booster seat, the space required for the booster seat makes the solution bulky and cumbersome and inappropriate for occasional use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,654 to Stroud describes a belt buckle/tether strap for use with a booster seat that combines the advantages and disadvantages of U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,510 to Cunningham and U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,004 to Celestina Krevh.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,967 to Kane and U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,536 to Williams describe other bulky booster and children's seats.
WO9700184 to Smith describes a safety belt restraint device that holds the lap belt down and has a flatter profile than the conventional booster seat. Two embodiments are described. The first one holds the belt down between the legs and over each leg separately. The second is a sort of tray that engages the seatbelt. It is appropriate for a child whose width is not much narrower than the tray. The pelvis of a smaller child will not be adequately protected.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,703,806 to Bell et al. entitled “Seat Belt System for a Motor Vehicle” describes a system for adjusting the shoulder strap to the height of the passenger. However, the lap strap remains configured to the width of an adult and is thus inappropriate for use by smaller children as it risks damage to a narrow pelvis in impact.
USSN 2012/0019033 to Kelly describes an inflatable booster. By deflating the device, it may be stowed without significantly filling storage resources needed for luggage, groceries and the like. However, as described hereinabove with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,438 to Regan et al., the inflatable system is not really practical for occasional use, by grandparents and the like. Some adults are fastidious about using the mouth nozzle to inflate a booster seat, not knowing who previous users were. Inflatable seats may take two or three minutes to inflate, and require good lungs, and are thus problematic for many people such as asthmatics, the elderly and heavy smokers, for example. Additionally, the deflated seat itself takes up space.
CZ 2007,466 describes yet another booster seat.
Despite the plethora of developments in safety harnesses and boosters, there remains a need for a compact alternative to traditional booster seats for adapting a three point adult seat belt for use by smaller passengers. Embodiments of the present invention address this need.


Solid wood doors have been manufactured for many years with the same assembly principle.
In the last few years, the insulation of panels has become a standard step in the manufacturing of doors. The insulation of panels helps eliminate the problems of condensation on the interior of the panels, a location where the panels are the thinnest.
In construction, the R-value is the measurement of a material's capacity to resist heat flow from one side to the other. In simple terms, R-values measure the effectiveness of insulation and a higher number represents more effective insulation. Despite the insulation of panels, the global R value of a solid wood slab door remains relatively low.
In order to create a solid wood slab door with a higher R value, a system for insulating solid wood is herein provided.


Prostacyclin derivatives and analogs are useful pharmaceutical compounds possessing activities such as platelet aggregation inhibition, gastric secretion reduction, lesion inhibition, vasodilation, and bronchodilation.
Treprostinil is a synthetic prostacyclin derivative currently marketed as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for its ability to inhibit pulmonary arterial hypertension under the trade name Remodulin®. Treprostinil was first described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,075.
Prostacyclin derivatives are traditionally synthesized using a variety of methods that are described in J. Org. Chem. 2004, 69, 1890-1902, Drug of the Future, 2001, 26(4), 364-374, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,306,075; 6,441,245; 6,528,688; 6,700,025; 6,765,117; 6,809,223 and U.S. patent application publication nos. 2009/0163738, 2011/0319641 A1, as well as Canadian patent application publication no. 2710726 A1. The entire teachings of these documents are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Also disclosed in these publications are processes and intermediates useful for the preparation of Treprostinil. However, the methods of these teachings suffer from one or more problems including toxic oxidation reagents, reduced yields, elevated levels of impurities, poor scalability, and numerous chromatography steps to purify intermediates and final products. Thus, there remains a need for safe, scalable, efficient, and economical processes for the preparation of Treprostinil.


1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improved flow conditioner used in tubular conduits carrying single phase fluids. In particular, the invention minimizes metering errors by producing fully developed velocity profile, fully developed turbulence structure, and substantially eliminating swirl of fluids flowing in a conduit.
2. Description of the Related Art
The North American natural gas industry produces, transports and distributes approximately 700 billion cubic meters of gas each year (25 trillion standard cubic feet). The Western European market transports and distributes 250 billion cubic meters of gas each year (9 trillion standard cubic feet). Because of the importance of gas measurement for industry operations and fiscal accountability, it is essential that metering be accurate, reliable, and cost efficient over a range of conditions.
All of this gas is measured at least once, and most of it several times, in meter sizes ranging from 25-900 mm (1-36 inches), at pressures from below atmospheric to 14 MPa (2,000 psi) , at temperatures from 0.degree.-100.degree. C. (32.degree.-212.degree. F.) , with several types of meters. Large volume metering stations utilize either concentric, square-edged, flange-tapped orifice meters or gas turbine meters.
For over sixty years, the concentric orifice meter has remained the predominant meter of choice for natural gas production, large volume gas flow and chemical metering applications. In fact, it is currently estimated that over 600,000 orifice meters are being used for fiscal measurement applications associated with the petroleum, chemical and gas industries in North America.
All flowmeters are subject to the effects of velocity profile, swirl and turbulence structure of the flowing fluid being measured. Meter calibration factors or empirical discharge coefficients are valid only if geometric and dynamic similarity exists between the metering and calibration conditions or between the metering and empirical data base conditions (i.e., fully developed flow conditions exist). In fluid mechanics, this is commonly referred to as the Law of Similarity.
The classical definition for fully developed turbulent flow is stated by Hinze as follows:
For the fully developed turbulent flow in the pipe the mean-flow conditions are independent of the axial coordinate, x and axisymmetric, assuming a uniform wall condition. PA1 a swirl-free, axisymmetric flow with time average velocity profile and turbulence structure having values approximating those found in fully developed flow and independent of the axial coordinate.
From a practical standpoint, fully developed flow implies the existence of a swirl-free, axisymmetric time average velocity profile in accordance with the Power Law or Law of the Wall prediction. However, fully developed turbulent flow requires equilibrium of forces to maintain the random "cyclic" motions of turbulent flow. This in turn requires that the velocity profile, turbulence intensity, turbulent shear stress, Reynolds stresses, etc., are constant with respect to the axial position.
Unfortunately, fully developed pipe flow is only achievable after considerable effort in a research laboratory. To bridge the gap between research and industrial applications, reference is made to the term pseudo-fully developed flow defined as:
Stated another way, Pseudo-fully developed flow exists when the slope of the orifice meter's discharge coefficient deviation asymptotically approaches zero as the axial distance from the orifice meter to the upstream flow conditioner increases. Of course, this assumes that the empirical discharge coefficient baseline was conducted under fully developed flow conditions.
In the industrial environment, multiple piping configurations are often assembled in series generating complex problems for organizations that write standards and flow metering engineers. The challenge is to minimize the difference between actual or "real" flow conditions in a pipeline and the vertical or research-achievable "fully developed" flow conditions, on a selected metering device's performance to minimize error. One of the standard error minimization methods is to install a flow conditioner in combination with upstream straight lengths of pipe to "isolate" the meter from upstream piping disturbances. Present domestic and international measurement standards provide specifications for upstream straight pipe lengths and flow conditioners upstream of orifice meters. See, e.g., American National Standard Institute (ANSI) (ANSI 2530) and International Standards Organization (ISO) (ISO 5167). Unfortunately, there is considerable disagreement over straight length requirements between ANSI and ISO.
With respect to installation effects and the near term flow field, the correlating parameters which affect similarity vary with meter type and design. However, it is generally accepted that a concentric, square-edged, flange-tapped orifice meter exhibits a high sensitivity to time average velocity profile, turbulence structure, bulk swirl and tap location.
In North America, current design practices utilize short upstream piping lengths with a specific flow conditioner, American Gas Association (A.G.A.) tube bundles, to provide "pseudo-fully developed" flow in accordance with the applicable measurement standard (ANSI 2530/A.G.A. Report No. 3/API (American Petroleum Institute) MPMS Chapter 14.3). Most North American installations consist of 90 degree elbows or complex header configurations upstream of the orifice meter. Tube bundles in combination with piping lengths of seventeen pipe diameters (17,D) have been installed in an effort to eliminate both swirl and distorted velocity profiles. Ten diameters (10*D) of straight pipe is required between the upstream piping fitting and the exit of the tube bundle, and seven diameters (7,D) of straight pipe is required between the exit of the tube bundle and the orifice meter.
In Western Europe, two design practices are currently employed to provide "pseudo-fully developed" flow in accordance with the applicable measurement standard (ISO 5167)--long upstream piping lengths with or without flow conditioners. Most Western European installations consist of complex header configurations upstream of the orifice meter. Piping lengths of one hundred pipe diameters (100*D) without flow conditioners or piping lengths of forty-two pipe diameters (42*D) in combination with flow conditioners have been installed in an effort to eliminate both swirl and distorted velocity profiles.
Three types of flow conditioners have been generally utilized in Western Europe--tube bundles, Zanker and Sprenkle designs. Twenty diameters (20*D) of straight pipe is required between the upstream piping fitting and the flow conditioner, and twenty-two diameters (22*D) of straight pipe is required between the flow conditioner and the orifice meter.
The optimal flow conditioner should achieve a range of design objectives including: a minimal deviation of empirical discharge coefficient (or meter calibration factor) for both long and short pipe lengths; low permanent pressure loss across the flow conditioner (i.e., low "head ratio"); a low fouling rate or a low sensitivity to accumulation of foulants; elimination of swirl; and flexibility for use in both short and long straight lengths of pipe. The latter objective can be achieved by a flow conditioner that produces an axisymmetric, pseudo-fully developed time average velocity profile and turbulence structure. Additionally, it is also desirable that the flow conditioner should be subject to rigorous mechanical design and have a moderate cost of construction.
In the specification and claims, when the swirl angle is less than 2.degree. as conventionally measured by using pitot tube devices, swirl is regarded as substantially eliminated. Further, when the empirical discharge coefficient or meter calibration deviation for both short and long piping lengths is about 1/10 of 1% it is assumed to be at a "minimum".
The ISO and A.G.A. designs, shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B respectively, are intended to eliminate swirl. Both designs include a bundle of tubes having the same length and diameter. For the A.G.A. design (Figure 1B), the length of the bundle must be at least ten times the tube diameter. For meter runs larger than 75 mm (3 inches) the bundle typically consists of nineteen tubes arranged in a circular pattern with a bundle length of two to about three pipe diameters. For smaller meter runs, the bundle consists of seven tubes arranged in a circular pattern with a bundle length of three pipe diameters. For both the ISO and A.G.A. designs, permanent pressure loss is low, mechanical design is rigorous, cost of construction is low, fouling rate is low, and swirl is eliminated. However, the performance of these devices for minimal deviation from the empirical discharge coefficient for both short and long piping lengths is unacceptable. Also, velocity profile and turbulence structure measurements have shown that both A.G.A. and ISO designs cannot produce pseudo-fully developed flow conditions within reasonable distances due to their high porosity and constant radial resistance. This is shown by the instability in the coefficient performance graphs, FIGS. 19 and 21.
The Sens & Teule flow condition as shown in FIG. 2 is designed to isolate piping disturbances from flow meters. The design consists of a bundle of tubes of different lengths and diameters arranged in a circular array. Permanent pressure loss is high, cost of construction is high, and prototype designs are rigorous and complex. While swirl is eliminated, the fouling rate of this design is unknown. It has been reported that the device exhibits pseudo-fully developed time average velocity profile and turbulence structure for short piping lengths. Geometric scaling of the device is a problem, when considering a range of pipe sizes.
FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively, show the Etoile and Air Moving and Conditioning Association (AMCA) vane-type of swirl eliminator. The Etoile design consists of three flat plates of equal length and width assembled in a star-shaped pattern around a central hub. While these designs eliminate swirl, it is known that the Etoile design does not produce pseudo-fully developed flow conditions in reasonable distances. Similarly, the AMCA design (FIG. 4) was not intended to produce a pseudo-fully developed flow.
FIG. 5 shows an example of screens or wire gauze assembled in an egg-crate fashion within a pipeline. Fine mesh screens are impractical in an industrial environment due to high permanent pressure loss, non-rigorous mechanical construction, and high fouling rates.
Perforated plates, such as the Sprenkle design, shown in FIG. 6, were designed to isolate piping disturbances from flow meters for measuring steam flow. The design consists of three perforated plates spaced one diameter apart and connected by rods. Each plate has a porosity of about fifty percent with regularly distributed perforations in a specified hexagonal pattern. The size of the perforations is about five percent of the pipe diameter. While the designs eliminate swirl, cost of construction is high, design is rigorous and complex, permanent pressure loss is very high, and fouling rate is moderate. Further, performance for minimal coefficient deviation for short piping lengths is unacceptable. Finally, the design is thought to not produce pseudo-fully developed flow conditions for short piping lengths due to its almost constant radial resistance.
The Bellinga design, shown in FIG. 7, is a modified Sprenkle design that suffers much the same shortcomings as Sprenkle.
The Zanker design, shown in FIG. 8A, was designed to isolate piping disturbances for the purpose of pump efficiency testing. The device consists of a perforated plate connected to a downstream grid or egg crate construction. The plate includes 32 holes of five different diameters, each hole having a specified location. Permanent pressure loss for this device is high as is cost of construction. While the design eliminates swirl, the design does not provide minimum deviation from empirical discharge coefficient for both short and long piping lengths. Therefore, the design is thought to not produce pseudo-fully developed flow conditions for all piping configurations.
The Akashi design, sometimes referred to as the Mitsubishi design, as shown in FIG. 9, consists of a single perforated plate with 35 holes. The hole size is 13 percent of the pipe diameter and the perforated plate thickness is equal to the hole diameter. The plate has a porosity of approximately 59 percent. Hole distribution is dense toward the (center of the pipe) and sparse around the periphery (pipe wall). The upstream inlets of the holes are beveled. While the device produces a low permanent pressure loss and mechanical design is rigorous and simple, performance for minimal deviation from empirical discharge coefficient for both and short and long piping lengths are unacceptable since the design calls for almost constant radial resistance. The design is further thought to not produce pseudo-fully developed flow conditions for all piping configurations because it does not provide minimal deviation from the empirical discharge coefficient for both short and long pipe lengths.
The Laws device, shown in FIG. 10, is also a single perforated plate, but with 21 holes. The plate thickness is approximately 12 percent of the pipe diameter (D) and the plate has a porosity of about 51 percent. The holes are arranged in circular spaced arrays around a central hole. The first and second arrays have 7 and 13 holes respectively. Hole size is largest in the middle of the pipe, 0.1924*D, and decreases in size to the first circular array, 0.1693*D, and further in size to the second array, 0.1462*D. The pitch circle diameter for the first and second array are about 46 and 84 percent of the pipe diameter respectively. Upstream inlets of the holes may be beveled. Once again, the performance for minimal deviation from the empirical discharge coefficient for short piping lengths is unacceptable, but acceptable for long piping lengths. The design can produce axisymmetric, pseudo-fully developed conditions only for long piping lengths.
A further development of a device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,716 to Wilcox is the K-Labs Mark V. The patent shows a flow conditioner comprising tubular passages with the area between specific tubes blocked. While permanent pressure loss is low and mechanical design is rigorous and simple, and swirl is eliminated from most piping configurations, the performance for minimal deviation from the empirical discharge coefficient for short piping lengths is unacceptable. Therefore, the design is thought to not produce pseudo-fully developed flow conditions for all piping configurations.
What is yet required is a flow conditioner for use with flow meters to provide measurements that are sufficiently accurate for industrial and fiscal applications. The flow conditioner should achieve all the design criteria stated above including elimination of swirl, and achievement of a minimal deviation from the empirical discharge coefficient or meter calibration factor for both short and long straight lengths of pipes by the production of a pseudo-fully developed time average velocity profile and turbulence structure. Further, the device should have a low permanent pressure loss (head ratio) across the flow conditioner, low fouling rate or insensitivity to foulant accumulation. Finally, the device should be subject to a rigorous mechanical design and should have a relatively moderate cost of construction.


This invention relates to a display hanger and, more particularly, to a hanger used to suspend merchandise from a horizontal shelf for viewing by store customers. Still more particularly, the hanger is adapted to hold plastic strip merchandisers of the general type disclosed in Fast U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,943.
Most conventional methods of supporting plastic strip merchandisers orient the strip, merchandise attached thereto, and a corresponding label such that they face into the customer aisle provided between columns of shelves. As a result, the visibility of the merchandise is diminished because the flow of customer traffic is perpendicular to the direction in which the strip merchandisers are facing.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tilt detection apparatus, a hologram apparatus, a tilt correction method for a medium, and a tilt correction method for a hologram medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among hologram media adapted to record digital data as holograms is a photosensitive resin (e.g., photopolymer) sealed between glass substrates.
To record digital data on a hologram medium as a hologram, a laser beam from a laser device is first split into two beams by a PBS (Polarization Beam Splitter). Then, one of the two beams (hereinafter referred to as reference beam) and a laser beam (hereinafter referred to as data beam) produced by the other beam irradiating an SLM (Spatial Light Modulator) having digital data in the form of a two-dimensional contrast image pattern, which beam reflects information of the two-dimensional contrast image pattern, are irradiated onto a hologram medium at a given angle, and thereby the digital data is recorded onto the hologram medium.
More specifically, the photosensitive resin making up the hologram medium has a finite number of monomers. When the laser beam (hereinafter referred to as laser beam) made up of the reference and data beams is irradiated thereonto, the monomers change into polymers correspondingly with the energy determined by the light intensity of the laser beam and the irradiation time. As a result of the transformation of the monomers into polymers, interference fringes, made up of polymers, are formed correspondingly with the laser beam energy. Therefore, as a result of the formation of such interference fringes in the hologram medium, digital data is recorded as a hologram. Later, remaining monomers migrate (diffuse) to those locations that have had monomers consumed. Further, by irradiating the laser beams again, changes of such monomers into polymers are iterated. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates how monomers transform into polymers in response to the laser beam energy in the hologram medium.
When there is a large amount of digital data to be recorded in the hologram medium, so-called angle-multiplexed recording may be performed which forms a number of holograms by varying the incidence angle of the reference beam onto the hologram medium. For example, a hologram formed on the hologram medium is called a page, whereas a multiplexed hologram made up of a number of pages is called a book. FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a book and pages in the angle-multiplexed recording. As shown in FIG. 3, for a single book in the angle-multiplexed recording, e.g., ten pages of holograms are formed by varying the incidence angle of the reference beam. Thus, the recording of digital data onto a hologram medium by the angle-multiplexed recording allows for the recording of a large amount of digital data.
Meanwhile, to reproduce digital data from the hologram medium, the reference beam is irradiated onto the interference fringes representing the digital data at the same incidence angle as when the interference fringes were formed, and the reference beam diffracted by the interference fringe (hereinafter referred to as reproduction beam) is received by an image sensor or other means. The reproduction beam received by the image sensor or other means produces a two-dimensional contrast image pattern representing the above-mentioned digital data. Then, the digital data can be reproduced by demodulating this two-dimensional contrast image pattern by a decoder or other means.
As such, when digital data is reproduced from a hologram medium, a two-dimensional contrast image pattern is reproduced from the reproduction beam. Hence, the reproduction beam at an image sensor or other means must have a light intensity equal to or above a given level to allow the reproduction of the two-dimensional contrast image pattern. To have the reproduction beam have at least the given level of light intensity, therefore, the interference fringes diffracting the reference beam must have a specified or higher value of diffraction efficiency, which indicates the ratio of the reproduction beam light intensity to that of the incident reference beam. It is to be noted that the specified value of diffraction efficiency is such a value that the reproduction beam has the given level of light intensity.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an incidence angle θ between the reference beam (hereinafter called a recording reference beam) and the data beam when forming the interference fringes in a hologram medium. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an angle θ between a reference beam (hereinafter called a reproducing reference beam) and the reproduction beam (hereinafter called a reproducing angle θ) when reproducing digital data from the interference fringes of FIG. 4.
When reproducing digital data from the hologram medium, letting Δθ, n, t, and λ be the angle difference between the incidence angle θ and the reproducing angle θ, the refraction index of the hologram medium, the thickness of the hologram medium, and the wavelength of the laser beam emitted from a laser device respectively, Δθ is expressed as (λ×√(n2−sin2θ))/t×sin θ×cos θ. If n=1 and sin θ=1, then Δθ=λ/t, which is found to be no greater than the wavelength of the laser beam. If the laser beam is, e.g., a helium neon laser, its wavelength λ is 633 nm, and Δθ is very small. As a result, it is understood that the reproducing angle θ for reproducing digital data from the hologram medium needs to be within such an angle difference Δθ of the incidence angle θ for when the interference fringes representing the digital data are formed. That is, the reproducing reference beam needs to be incident on the hologram medium at a very accurate reproducing angle θ. And the hologram medium needs to be placed in such a position (hereinafter called a reference position) that the reproducing reference beam is made incident thereon at the very accurate reproducing angle θ.
Meanwhile, it is required for the sake of convenience, flexibility, and the like that the hologram medium is configured to be attachable to and detachable from a hologram apparatus able to record or reproduce holograms. For example, when a hologram medium on which a hologram apparatus recorded digital data as a hologram is required to be played back by another hologram apparatus, if the hologram medium is attachable, the requirement can be easily fulfilled (refer to, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2004-177958 and 2004-272268).
However, in the case of an attachable hologram medium, the hologram medium may be tilted with respect to the above reference position depending on the mechanical configuration and the like of a body on which the hologram medium is mounted. The tilt of the hologram medium may cause the angle difference between the incidence angle θ and the reproducing angle θ to be greater than the angle difference Δθ thereby making the reproducing reference beam not be accurately incident and disabling the reproduction of digital data. Or, the reproducing reference beam is not accurately incident on a desired hologram but on another hologram, and false digital data may be reproduced. Also, when recording digital data onto the hologram medium, the digital data may not be recorded as a hologram at a desired position in the hologram medium.
In particular, where the hologram medium is shaped like a disk, since being thin, it is difficult to hold the hologram medium horizontal with respect to the reference position, and the hologram medium may be tilted. Moreover, the disk-shaped hologram medium, in order to make it attachable to a hologram apparatus, may be mechanically processed to have, e.g., a central opening therein. And the hologram apparatus is provided with a support that fits detachably the central opening and with a table to rotate hologram media to form a number of holograms. As a result, due to distortion that occurs in mounting hologram media on the hologram apparatus or centrifugal force exerted on the hologram media when rotating, the hologram media may be tilted with respect to the reference position.