In the field of broadcasting system, a satellite broadcasting system which can provide with local service covering a wide range has been developed and diversification of broadcasting service is being planned. In such a satellite broadcasting system, compared with an existing broadcasting system, without requiring any large-scale broadcasting equipment on the ground, it is realizable that broadcasting signals containing images and sounds are provided to a wide range of service area.
However, conventional satellite broadcasting system has a problem that it cannot implement reception unless it comprises comparatively large-scale reception system. That is, radio wave for satellite broadcasting is very weak, and therefore was considered to require a comparatively large receiving antenna, etc.
Radio wave from a satellite is also being received by a base station, etc. so that this is redistribution via a CATV network, but a reception terminal (set top box) of CATV, etc. is necessary. In addition, under a mobile environment it does not work.
This invention was made in view of the above described actual situation, and a first objective hereof is to make digital contents transmittable to a mobile body with a small scale deployment.
As a conventional contents distribution apparatus for such a mobile body terminal, for example, “Information Supply system for Vehicles” (Japanese Laid Open Gazette No. 10-73440) which is configured to receive music or map data by connecting a plug for information transmission provided in the vicinity of an oil supply nozzle at a gas station with a connector for reception provided in the vicinity of an oil supply orifice of an automobile, “Digital Information Distribution System” (Japanese Laid Open Gazette No. 11-168464) which receives distribution of music information and the like by connecting an information recording-reproducing device in a customer's possession with a vending machine exclusive for digital information, “Digital Information Distribution System” (Japanese Laid Open Gazette No. 11-191266) which is configured so that a plurality of music distribution terminals are brought into connection with a service center which digitalize a large amount of music data to store by way of communication lines, and “Digital Information Distribution System” (Japanese Laid Open Gazette No. 2000-48479) which is configured to perform reproduction by bringing a user's information reproducing terminal into connection with a music information vending terminal via a predetermined interface, sending and receiving encoded music information and the user's ID, and decoding the encoded information, and the like, are known.
Next, vehicle electronic equipment as a receiving terminal installed in a mobile body in the above described contents distribution system is provided with various antitheft device.
For example, panel detachable type vehicle electronic equipment (panel detachable type equipment), in which an operation panel disposed in the front surface is detachable, is given as an example. This panel detachable equipment has a operation panel which is removed by a user at the time when he/she leaves the car for a long time so as to make the equipment unusable as well as to place the equipment under incomplete state for antitheft. An example of technology of such a panel detachable equipment is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Gazette No. 6-252565.
In such conventional panel detachable equipment, antitheft can be planned by physically removing a operation panel, but the operation panel under the removed state could not be used effectively. That is, the operation panel under the removed state could not be used at all, and in spite of its smallness, it turned out to be burdensome.
A similar problem is broadly applicable to electric equipment comprising a detachable operation panel.
The present invention, which was made in view of the above described actual conditions, has a second objective to provide electric equipment which can utilize effectively a operation panel under removed state, and a panel which can be utilized effectively under removed state, and to provide vehicle electronic equipment for planning antitheft as well as effective use.
Moreover, as the above described electric equipment, there is one which uses a semiconductor element, especially a flash memory which is a nonvolatile memory having a large capacity and being rewritable, as storage medium. This kind of electric equipment does not need any rotary driving portion, and can make an apparatus smaller and control consumed energy.
However, a flash memory has a problem that it has a narrow working temperature range. Normally, around 65° C. is the limit. In addition, when the temperature to not less than the temperature, recorded data could even disappear.
In normal electric equipment, the temperature inside the apparatus does not frequently up to 65° C., and even so, can be coped with an appropriate ventilating mechanism being provided.
However, in case of an apparatus to be mounted on a vehicle, due to its peculiarity on installation site such as that the main body portion is stored in a dashboard of the vehicle, it is not exceptional that the temperature increases to not less than 65° C. Moreover, inside a vehicle in summer, even at time of stopping, the temperature happens to reach around 100° C.
Due to this, simple use of a flash memory in electric equipment to be mounded on a vehicle as memory media gives rise to a problem that it lacks stability and reliability.
Similar problem commonly exists in electric equipment to be mounded on vehicles which stores not only music data but also image data such as map data, text data, etc. in a flash memory for use.
The present invention, which was made in view of the above described actual conditions, has a third objective to improve reliability of electric equipment to be mounded on a vehicle in which semiconductor recording element is used as storage medium, and to use the semiconductor recording element within an appropriate temperature range.


The task of such linking, looping or hemming machines is in particular to cleanly and durably link or loop the edges of carpets or the like in the form of a roll product and which are cut to the use size. The aim of the invention is that despite the relatively high capacity of the machine, it can be easily handled and can also be used in a mobile manner, because in particular when looping very large surfaces the space required for moving the complete material portion passed the machine would be excessive.
The machine according to the invention has a drive, a sewing mechanism with means for conveying the material relative to the sewing mechanism, a needle mechanism and a loop forming mechanism, as well as a thread feed to the needle and loop forming mechanisms.
According to one feature of the invention the sewing mechanism preferably constructed for forming a two-thread overlock or overcast seam has a retaining gripper, which holds back a thread loop during the formation of an overlock or overcast loop. It preferably engages close to the needle movement path from below into the thread coming out of a yarn gripper.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,307 discloses a sewing machine producing a single-thread overcast seam. It uses a yarn gripper gripping in a loop the thread passed through the material with the needle and is passed around the edge for the next needle perforation in said loop. This machine operates in a completely satisfactory manner and can also loop thick carpets with a limited constructional size and high capacity. However, relatively large thread lengths must be drawn at high speed through the needle hole, because the entire thread supply or feed takes place from above via the needle. As the thread for looping normally consists of a relatively slightly turned thick and bulky yarn, in the case of floor coverings with a very rigid and firm back working with great care is necessary, so that the yarn does not unravel and tear during the drawing through the hole.


With the recent digitization of communications, performance improvement such as enhancement in bit resolution and increase in conversion speed has been increasingly demanded of A/D converters (ADCs) used in the field of digital communications. With improvement in the performance of ADCs, however, the power consumption thereof often increases. For example, when it is attempted to increase the conversion speed of a sampling ADC, a large current must be fed to permit high-speed charge/discharge of capacitance elements for sampling of an input signal. Considering application of ADCs to mobile equipment such as cellular phones, power reduction will also be necessary in ADCs as well as the performance improvement.
As a high-performance, low-power ADC, a column parallel ADC (column ADC) composed of super-many sampling ADCs is known (see Non-Patent Document 1, for example). In a column ADC, in which hundreds to thousands of sampling ADCs operate in parallel, very high-speed A/D conversion capability can be attained as a whole even though a single sampling ADC is slow in operation.    Non-Patent Document 1: Yoshikazu Nitta et al., “High-Speed Digital Double Sampling with Analog CDS on Column Parallel ADC Architecture for Low-Noise Active Pixel Sensor”, ISSCC 2006/SESSION 27/IMAGE SENSORS/27.5


Printed circuit boards (PCBs) denote boards just before electric components are mounted. In such a PCB, a circuit line pattern is printed on an insulation board using a conductive material such as copper. That is, the PCB denotes a circuit board in which an installation position of each of the components is decided and a circuit pattern connecting the components to each other is printed and fixed on a surface of the flat plate to densely mount various electric devices on the flat panel.
Specifically, a multi-layer PCB may be used to be built in a cellular phone, a video camera, a notebook, etc., in which high-integration and compact size are required in recent years. The multi-layer PCB (MLB) is manufactured by building up the PCB one by one. In the build-up process, the board may be manufactured and evaluated one by one to improve yield of the multi-layer PCB. Also, the layers may be precisely connected to each other using a wire to realize a small-sized PCB. Hereinafter, a PCB buried within the multi-layer PCB will be referred to as an inner PCB.
For example, in case of a PCB including ten layers, eight inner PCBs may be provided.
Also, an insulation layer may be disposed between the multi-layer PCBs. A circuit pattern metal part, a via hole metal part electrically connected to the inner PCB, and a pad metal part disposed on the via hole metal part may be disposed on a surface of the insulation layer. A trench process using a laser may be performed as a process of forming engraved patterns (i.e., circuit pattern, via hole, and pad part) in which the metal part, the via hole metal part, and the pad metal part are disposed in the insulation layer.


This invention relates to a method and apparatus for recording audio information in an authenticatable, tamper-proof manner.
Traditionally, written documents have been used to provide permanent records of transactions and agreements. One example of this type of document is a contract for the sale of an item, which typically identifies the name of the parties, the date, the subject matter of the contract, and a price. The contract provides a permanent record that can be used at a later date to establish the terms of the agreement between the parties.
Oral contracts, on the other hand, do not provide a permanent record of the terms of the agreement. As a result, if a dispute arises over the terms of the agreement at a later date, it becomes difficult to prove exactly what the parties agreed to, or whether they made a binding contract at all. Because there is no permanent record, an unscrupulous party could be untruthful about the agreed-upon terms to escape his obligations. Even absent dishonesty, parties to an oral contract may have different recollections of exactly what they agreed to. Moreover, one of the persons who entered into the agreement may be permanently or temporarily unavailable. These problems tend to worsen as time passes.
Because of these problems, all states have statutes declaring that certain oral agreements are unenforceable, typically including the sale of land, and the sale of goods exceeding a certain value. If a trustworthy record of an oral agreement or transaction could be obtained, however, the problems of oral agreements could be overcome.
Existing methods of recording conversations, however, do not address these problems. For example, telephone answering machines, tape recorders, and handheld digital audio recording devices can be used to record a voice or a conversation. It is, however, relatively easy to delete or to alter the recorded audio information. In particular, readily available electronic devices can splice sections out of an audio conversation, and can even rearrange words to make it appear that a party said something that was never actually said. Moreover, there is no effective way for parties to sign an audio recording. As a result, it may be difficult to identify the parties that actually agreed to the terms contained in an audio conversation and intended to abide by such terms. Further, there is no way known to applicants to verify that an oral negotiation matured into an agreement.
In addition, existing telephone answering machines and tape recorders do not provide a reliable indication of when the conversation occurred. While some answering machines do record the time a call was received, this “time stamp” is extremely unreliable because a party could rerecord a new time over the time recorded by the answering machine. Alternatively, a party might either intentionally or accidentally set the date on an answering machine incorrectly. This would allow two corroborating parties to pretend that they made an agreement on a certain date, even though the agreement was not made until a later date. As a result, telephone answering machines and ordinary cassette recorders do not alleviate the problems of oral agreements described above.
STEN-TEL is an example of a system designed specifically for recording telephonic audio information. STEN-TEL is available from Sten-tel Inc. (having a place of business at 66 Long Wharf, Boston, Mass. 02110). To use STEN-TEL, a person places a telephone call to the STEN-TEL server, and the server digitally records the telephone call. After the digital recording is made, a transcriptionist accesses the recording and generates a typed record of the telephone call. The typed transcription is then uploaded to the server, where it is stored. Permanent storage of the digitally recorded audio conversation is optional. After the transcription is stored in the server, it can be downloaded to the users. Every transcription is assigned a unique identification number, and all status information is maintained in a centralized database.
The STEN-TEL system does not, however, overcome the drawbacks of existing telephone answering machines and audiocassette recorders. First, the ability to restrict access to files is limited or non-existent. Apparently any person who has the file identifier can access the stored information. Second, the information is vulnerable to tampering. Third, although STEN-TEL apparently stores the time of the call, time stamps are not embedded into the stored information. This makes STEN-TEL vulnerable to modifications of the stored date for a given conversation. Finally, digital signatures are not used to provide security and/or authenticate the parties.
One system that does incorporate certain security features is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,798 (Cox et al.), which describes a voice messaging system. In Cox's system, however, an encryption key is stored along with the encrypted message. Because a hacker could obtain access to the encrypted message by retrieving the encryption key, Cox's system is vulnerable to attack. In addition, Cox's system is intended for use with secure telephone devices (STD). Ordinary telephones cannot call into Cox's system to have an audio message recorded.
No existing audio recording system is known to applicants that facilitates the permanent recording of an audio conversation in an authenticatable form so that a user can simply place a telephone call to a central server and have the server encrypt the conversation and record the time of the conversation, all in a tamper-proof manner.


The present invention relates to ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene and polypropylene fibers having high tenacity, modulus and toughness values and a process for their production which includes a gel intermediate.
The preparation of high strength, high modulus polyethylene fibers by growth from dilute solution has been described by U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,394 to Meihuizen et al. (1979) and pending application Ser. No. 225,288 filed Jan. 15, 1981.
Alternative methods to the preparation of high strength fibers have been described in various recent publications of P. Smith, A. J. Pennings and their coworkers. German Off. No. 3004699 to Smith et al. (Aug. 21, 1980) describes a process in which polyethylene is first dissolved in a volatile solvent, the solution is spun and cooled to form a gel filament, and finally the gel filament is simultaneously stretched and dried to form the desired fiber.
UK patent application GB No. 2,051,667 to P. Smith and P. J. Lemstra (Jan. 21, 1981) discloses a process in which a solution of the polymer is spun and the filaments are drawn at a stretch ratio which is related to the polymer molecular weight, at a drawing temperature such that at the draw ratio used the modulus of the filaments is at least 20 GPa. The application notes that to obtain the high modulus values required, drawing must be performed below the melting point of the polyethylene. The drawing temperature is in general at most 135.degree. C.
Kalb and Pennings in Polymer Bulletin, vol. 1, pp. 879-80 (1979) J. Mat. Sci., vol. 15, 2584-90 (1980) and Smook et al. in Polymer Bull., vol. 2, pp. 775-83 (1980) describe a process in which the polyethylene is dissolved in a nonvolatile solvent (paraffin oil) and the solution is cooled to room temperature to form a gel. The gel is cut into pieces, fed to an extruder and spun into a gel filament. The gel filament is extracted with hexane to remove the paraffin oil, vacuum dried and then stretched to form the desired fiber.
In the process described by Smook et al. and Kalb and Pennings, the filaments were non-uniform, were of high porosity and could not be stretched continuously to prepare fibers of indefinite length.


A data cube, such as a Microsoft® SQL Server Analysis Services cube, is a three-dimensional (or higher) database structure for storing and presenting data. Users of such a cube want their data to be highly available, with minimum interruptions in the event of hardware or software faults. However, there was heretofore not any consistent way to ensure highly available cubes, including highly available cubes in which data access remains efficient, even in heavy traffic.


Technical literature has disclosed mortars for either interior or exterior plaster possessed of either anticondensate or animoisture diffusive, heat-insulating, or biocidal properties.
The main disadvantages of these mortars is that they do not concentrate all the above-mentioned properties in one single product, that they consist of expensive materials (silicones, palmitates, etc.), and that they necessitate laborious preparation and application techniques in use.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connecting structure of a fender apron, and more particularly, to a connecting structure for a fender apron that can disperse an impact load when a vehicle collides.
2. Description of Related Art
When a vehicle collides head-on, a front side member of the vehicle serves to absorb an impact.
However, according to an investigation, accidents in which the vehicle collides off the front side member occupy 25% of actual accidents in a collision accident.
In the accidents in which the vehicle collides off the front side member, a fender apron serves to transfer an impact load.
A general collision load transferring component is constituted by three units of an under body unit, for example, a front apron member, a side body unit, for example, an A-pillar upper reinforcement unit and a door hinge reinforcement unit, and a cowl unit, for example, a cowl side member.
However, in the case of coupling of the respective units, respective connection sections are not continuous, and thus coupling force is weak, and the respective units are connected to each other by a flange, and as a result, a process for connection needs to be added and a deformation possibility by impact load transferring is high.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.


A snowboard is a long continuous surface platform made from a variety of materials designed to capture certain aspects of surfing on snow. When using a snowboard, there is a sensation of gliding over a surface and shifting one's body weight from one side of the board to another in order to execute a turn in either direction. In surfing, the execution and completion of a turn relies on the surface hull design (single concave, double concave), fins (single, double, triple), and overall body design (teardrop, asymmetrical). The execution of a turn with a snowboard is based on the flex and shape of the bow of the board and the ratio of the width of the bow to the width of the waist. The completion of the turn is based on a mixture of the flex and shape of the tail and the ratio of the width of the tail to the width of the waist. Ideally, a turn with a snowboard is initiated by applying pressure to the downhill foot and leaning down and into the side of the board one wishes to turn.
Skateboarding utilizes an articulating platform with wheels attached to trucks mounted to the underside of a platform that invariably is designed to appear as a surfboard. The execution and completion of a turn with a skateboard is accomplished by shifting weight from one side of the platform to the other and maintaining pressure slightly to the bow. The articulating wheels (front set turns one direction while the back set turns another) allow for completion of the turn. With a skateboard, the turns can be of varying radius and frequency.
Snowboarding and skateboarding attempt to capture aspects of surfing. Because of the snowboard's inherent design limitations it does not attain certain performance parameters in the hands of the average user. Specifically, short radius turns and high-frequency edge-to-edge turns are difficult and not attainable for the recreational user. In addition, the time to learn how to use a snowboard can be long and frustrating, causing some users to avoid attempts to learn. Control of the board is essential and time consuming to master. As noted above, control relies on shifting weight and movement of the uphill foot, from side to side, to assist in the turn cycle. It would be desirable to provide a system for guiding an apparatus on a surface, such as snow, that provides the sensation of surfing, i.e., leaning from side to side to carry out a turn, as well as edge-to-edge control that allows a user to achieve a sensation of cutting up and down the face of a wave while minimizing the loss of vertical feet. Such a device would desirably allow the first-time user to readily master the necessary skills which would further promote usage of the device.


This invention relates to microwave power combiners using solid state amplifier devices and to planar transitions from waveguide to microstrip or vice versa.
Combining the power from several FET amplifiers is a current approach for obtaining higher power microwave solid state power sources. The combining efficiency must be increased and the fabrication costs must be reduced to make this approach competitive with conventional vacuum tube power sources such as traveling-wave tubes. The successful solution will simultaneously satisfy all the important requirements of low cost, high combining efficiency and broad bandwidth, and does not use coaxial connectors.
A fin-line transition from waveguide to microstrip is inherently low loss. A single transition in a single waveguide is described in J. H. C. van Heuven, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. MTT-24, No. 3, March 1976, pp. 144-147.


With the advanced computing technologies available today, more and more people demand instant access to data and other information. Further, since such a vast amount of data is readily available, people tend to become more inquisitive and search for information on a large variety of topics and/or locations. At times, the desire and/or need for information can be overwhelming and, due to time constraints, commitments, and other limitations (e.g., putting a task off and forgetting about it), people might not have time to perform all the research or obtain all the desired information.
Many people utilize avatars as a way to express a computer generated representation of themselves or as their alter ego. The avatar can be represented as a two-dimensional icon (e.g., picture) or a three-dimensional model. Generally, avatars are constructed to represent a friend or assistant who can interact with the user or an environment of the user as a distinct entity in relation to the perspective of that user. However, today's avatars are arbitrarily discussed or implemented as distinct third-person entities. Once implemented these avatars generally do nothing more than visually represent an entity.


Non-volatile data storage devices, such as embedded memory devices (e.g., embedded MultiMedia Card (eMMC) devices) and removable memory devices (e.g., removable universal serial bus (USB) flash memory devices and other removable storage cards), have allowed for increased portability of data and software applications. Users of non-volatile data storage devices increasingly rely on the non-volatile storage devices to store and provide rapid access to a large amount of data.
Some data storage devices may include volatile memory, and data stored in the volatile memory may be lost in the case of power loss. In some data storage devices, a single-bit per cell (also known as single-level cell (SLC)) memory may be used to store data that can persist in the case of power loss. However, SLC memory may have high cost and limited endurance (e.g., data retention).


1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an apparatus for recording digital information on a recording medium such as a magnetic disk or tape and reproducing the recorded information and more particularly to a code-error correcting device for correcting code-errors in digital signals used in the apparatus for recording digital information on the recording medium and reproducing the recorded information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring first to FIG. 8, there is shown the structure of a code of digital signals used in a typical apparatus for recording audio signals on a magnetic tape by means of a rotary head and reproducing the recorded information (that is, what is called an R-DAT (Digital Audio Tape recorder)) therefrom. As shown in this figure, the code includes data (DATA) composed of 28.times.26 symbols, a transverse or horizontal parity code (C.sub.2 PARITY) composed of 28.times.6 symbols and a longitudinal or vertical parity code (C.sub.1 PARITY) composed of 4.times.32 symbols. In the case of Reed Solomon Code (R.S.C), sets of data concerning the parity codes C.sub.1 and C.sub.2 are (32, 28, 5) and (32, 26, 7), respectively. In each of the parentheses, a first, second and third numeral indicates values of the total length of a code, the length of data and a minimum distance between code words, respectively.
Further, referring now to FIG. 9, there is shown the format of signals employed when recording the signals having such structure of codes. In this figure, reference characters SYNC indicates a synchronizing signal; ID an identification signal; ADR an address signal; P a block parity signal; DATA data of 28 symbols; and C.sub.1 a C.sub.1 parity code of 4 symbols. That is, signals SYNC, ID, ADR and P are added to data signals. Incidentally, in this case, the block parity signal is given by EQU P=ID.sym.ADR.
Namely, the signals, of which the format is as shown in FIG. 9, are recorded on the magnetic tape and reproduced therefrom.
The above described conventional apparatus can detect address errors to some extent by transmitting the block parity signal indicating ID.sym.ADR together with the signal indicating data DATA. However, the conventional apparatus has a drawback that the capability of detecting the address errors is not sufficient to precisely detect the address error and as a consequence the address errors increase. In this case, data are stored in an erroneous area within a memory in accordance with the erroneous address information because the address information generally determines an area in the memory in which data are to be stored. Conventionally, even when the error cannot be detected by using the longitudinal parity code (C.sub.1), the error can still be corrected if the error is present within the range which can be corrected by using the transverse parity code (C.sub.2). Further, if the error exceeds the capability of detecting the error by using the transverse parity code (C.sub.2), it is necessary to locate the error on the basis of the error information which is generated after the check by using the parity codes C.sub.1 and C.sub.2.
In such case, if only the area in the memory is erroneous and the parity code C.sub.1 is correct, there is the inconvenience that in spite of the fact that a sequence of data is erroneous, the error cannot be detected. Thus, to eliminate such inconvenience, it has been proposed that when the parity code C.sub.1 is generated, the address is included as a generating element for the parity code C.sub.1. Such approach has a defect that the capability of correcting error is degraded because the code is not a product code.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a code correcting device of which the capability of correcting error is significantly improved, thereby decreasing the possibility of passing over the error.


In a computerized content delivery network, content providers typically design and provide content items for delivery to a user device via one or more content slots of an electronic resource. Content items typically include display content items and textual content items. Display content items often include images, video, graphics, text, or other visual imagery. Textual content items often include a headline and a short “creative” text. It can be challenging for content providers to create effective and attractive display content items. It can also be challenging for content providers to write the creative text portion of textual content items.
Various templates and stock elements have been used to partially automate the process of creating content items. However, content items created from rigid templates and stock elements are often stale, unattractive, and not well-suited to the particular business, product, or service featured in the content item.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to disk drive suspensions, and, more particularly, to a disk drive suspension comprising a distal portion, a base portion and a spring portion between the distal portion and the base portion, and a stiffener attached to the suspension to lend a desired stiffness to the suspension. The suspension spring portion typically exerts a predetermined gram load on the distal portion to maintain a slider carried by the distal portion into a desired operating proximity to a rotating disk. The invention specifically relates to the addition of a second spring complementary in function to the suspension spring. The second spring traverses the suspension spring portion and may connect separated sections of the stiffener. The second spring adds a highly controllable spring force to the suspension to better control of the suspension spring rate, e.g. when the suspension material thinness limits spring rate obtainable from just the suspension, to reduce gram losses with use, and for other purposes to be described.
2. Description of the Related Art
Suspensions typically comprise a metal member that can be a load beam having a base portion, a spring portion and a rigid distal portion over which a conductor is passed to connect a slider carried by a separate flexure on the load beam distal portion to the device electronics, or the metal member can be the metal layer in a laminate of the metal layer, an insulative layer, and trace conductors as seen in so-called wireless suspensions. Wireless suspension metal layers are very thin and are frequently provided with supplemental stiffening. Stiffeners are added to the base portion and/or to the distal portion of the metal layer.


Cotton is an important fiber crop in many areas of the world. The methods of biotechnology have been applied to cotton for improvement of the agronomic traits and the quality of the product. The method of introducing transgenes into cotton plants has been demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,863. One such agronomic trait important in cotton production is herbicide tolerance, in particular, tolerance to glyphosate herbicide. This trait has been introduced into cotton plants and is a successful product now used in cotton production. The current commercial Roundup Ready® cotton event (1445) provides excellent tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup®, through the four-leaf stage (Nida et al., J. Agric. Food Chem. 44:1960-1966, 1996; Nida et al., J. Agric. Food Chem. 44:1967-1974, 1996). However, foliar application beyond the four-leaf stage must be limited due to insufficient tolerance in male reproductive tissues in certain environmental conditions. This lack of male reproductive tolerance appears to be a result of insufficient CP4 EPSPS expression in critical tissues, higher sensitivity of these tissues to glyphosate, and accumulation of high amounts of glyphosate in these strong sink tissues (Pline et al., Weed Sci. 50:438-447, 2002). There is a need for a cotton plant more highly glyphosate tolerant than Roundup Ready® cotton 1445.
It would be advantageous to be able to detect the presence of a particular event in order to determine whether the progeny of a sexual cross contain a transgene of interest. In addition, a method for detecting a particular event would be helpful for complying with regulations requiring pre-market approval or labeling of foods derived from recombinant crop plants, for example. It is possible to detect the presence of a transgene by any well known nucleic acid detection method such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or DNA hybridization using nucleic acid probes. These detection methods generally focus on frequently used genetic elements, such as promoters, 3′ transcription terminators, marker genes, etc. As a result, such methods may not be useful for discriminating between different events, particularly those produced using the same DNA construct unless the sequence of genomic chromosomal DNA adjacent to the inserted DNA (“flanking genomic DNA”) is known. Event-specific DNA detection methods for a glyphosate tolerant cotton event 1445 have been described (US 20020120964, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety).
The present invention relates to a glyphosate tolerant cotton event MON 88913, compositions contained therein, and to the method for the detection of the transgene/genomic insertion region in cotton event MON 88913 and progeny thereof.


(1) Field of the Invention
The disclosure herein relates to a solar cell and a method of fabricating the solar cell.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Solar cells use a photovoltaic effect to convert optical energy into electrical energy. Solar cells may be classified into silicon solar cells, thin film solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, and organic polymer solar cells, according to their materials. Solar cells are used as main or sub power sources for various electronic products, artificial satellites, and rockets.
Such a solar cell includes: a first semiconductor having a first conductive type, a substrate; and a second semiconductor disposed on the front surface of the first semiconductor and having a second conductive type opposite to the first conductive type. The first and second semiconductors form a p-n junction. Light is shed on the p-n junction to form pairs of electrons and holes in the first and second semiconductors. The holes and the electrons are moved by an electrical potential difference in the p-n junction, thereby generating electric current.


I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector plate for securing abutting wooden truss members together.
II. Description of the Prior Art
The use of nail connector plates for securing together abutting truss members is well known in the art. These previously known connector plates typically comprise a sheet of metal having a plurality of outwardly extending prongs formed on one side of the sheet which are hammered into the abutting truss members.
It has been the conventional practice with many of these previously known connector plates to nail the connector plate to the wooden truss elements after the insertion of the prongs into the truss elements. The nailed attachment of the connector plate to the truss elements prevents unintended detachment of the connector plate from the truss members. The nail attachment is disadvantageous, however, in that it requires additional materials, i.e. the nails, and is more time consuming to construct, and therefore, more expensive in labor costs.
Due to the disadvantages of nailing the connector plate to the truss element, there have been other previously known connector plates which are secured to the truss element only by hammering the prongs into the truss elements. These previously known connector plates, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,603,197, issued Sept. 7, 1971, typically include a barb on each point prong which bites into the truss elements after insertion of the prongs. Connector plates of this type, however, are disadvantageous for a number of reasons.
First, due primarily to the sharp tip on each prong, after long usage the prongs tend to slide outwardly from their hole and away from the truss elements. This partial disengagement of the prongs from their respective holes greatly weakens the truss element joint.
The previously known connector plates of this type are also disadvantageous in that the connector plates are difficult to handle due to the sharply pointed end on the prongs. Injuries to workmen handling the connector plates is common in the trade, even when the workmen are wearing gloves.
Lastly, these previously known connector plates are disadvantageous in that a complex punch and die arrangement is required to produce the barbs on the prongs during the punching operation. Due to their resultant high cost, the required punch and die arrangements for these previously known connector plates unduly increases the overall cost for the individual connector plates.


In the field of electromagnetic sensing, certain sensing structures place strict requirements on the polarization of the electromagnetic radiation for absorption by the structure. To meet these requirements, a diffraction grating is used to convert the electromagnetic radiation into a polarization or mode which is absorbed by the sensing structure. The inclusion of a reflector in the sensor creates an electromagnetic cavity. When the incident radiation is at a frequency which resonates within the cavity, a standing wave results, creating regions of high and low electric field intensities. The magnitude of the detection signal is proportional to the number and magnitude of the high intensity field regions. The boundary conditions within the electromagnetic cavity have a significant impact on the magnitude of the detection signal. Improper boundary conditions cause the electromagnetic field to interfere destructively with itself, diminishing the number and magnitude of high field regions, especially near the periphery of the sensing structure.
One such electromagnetic sensor is the quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP). With current objectives to develop large area focal plane array (FPA) technology for mid wave-length infrared radiation (MWIR), long wavelength infrared radiation (LWIR), and multi-spectral applications at low cost with high performance, QWIP technology is being extensively explored. QWIP technology suffers some performance disadvantage relative to other infrared (IR) technologies. In view of the more mature material and processing technology utilized with QWIP FPAs relative to other IR technologies, there exists a need for design improvements to enhance quantum efficiency (QE) and therefore performance.


This invention relates generally to refrigeration and operation and more particularly to a method and apparatus for boosting the cooling capacity and efficiency of air-conditioning systems under a wide range of ambient atmospheric conditions.
In air conditioning, the basic circuit is essentially the same as in refrigeration. It comprises an evaporator, a condenser, an expansion valve, and a compressor. This, however, is where the similarity ends. The evaporator and condenser of an air conditioner will generally have less surface area. The temperature difference .DELTA.T between condensing temperature and ambient temperature is usually 27.degree. F. with a 105.degree. F. minimum condensing temperature, while in refrigeration the difference .DELTA.T can be from 8.degree. F. to 15.degree. F. with an 86.degree. F. minimum condensing temperature.
I have previously improved the cooling capacity and efficiency of refrigeration systems. As disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,873, this is accomplished by addition of a liquid pump at the outlet of the receiver or condenser. Operation of the pump adds 5-12 p.s.i. of pressure to the condensed refrigerant flowing into the expansion valve, a process I call liquid pressure amplification. This suppresses flash gas and assures a uniform flow of liquid refrigerant to the expansion valve, substantially increasing cooling capacity and efficiency. The best results are obtained when such a system is operated with the condenser at moderate ambient temperatures, usually under 80.degree. F. As ambient temperatures rise above the minimum condensing temperature, the advantages gradually decrease. The same thing happens when the principles of my prior invention are applied to air conditioning, except that the minimum condensing temperature is higher.
While conventional air-conditioning systems can benefit from my prior invention, the greatest need for air conditioning is when ambient temperatures are high, over 80.degree. F. Conventional air conditioning becomes less effective and efficient as ambient temperatures rise to 100.degree. F. or more, as does use of my prior liquid refrigerant pressure amplification technique.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to improve the efficiency of refrigeration and air-conditioning systems.
Another object of the invention is to increase the cooling capacity of such systems when operated at high ambient temperatures.
A further object of the invention is to enable the aforementioned objects to be attained economically and by retrofitting existing systems as well as in new systems.
The present invention is an improvement in the structure and method of operation of an air-conditioning or refrigeration system which includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, and conduit means interconnecting the compressor, condenser, expansion valve and evaporator in series in a closed loop for circulating refrigerant therethrough, and optionally may include a receiver between the condenser and expansion valve. The conduit means includes first conduit means coupling an outlet of the compressor to an inlet to the condenser to convey superheated vapor refrigerant from the compressor into the condenser at a first pressure and temperature. A centrifugal pump means has an inlet coupled to an outlet of the condenser (or to the receiver outlet) for receiving condensed liquid refrigerant at a second pressure less than said first pressure and boosting the second pressure of the condensed liquid refrigerant by a substantially constant increment of pressure within a predetermined range to discharge the condensed liquid refrigerant from an outlet of the pump means at a third pressure greater than said second pressure. A second conduit means couples the outlet of the pump means to an inlet to the expansion valve to transmit a first portion of the condensed liquid refrigerant from outlet of the pump means at said third pressure through the expansion valve into the evaporator to vaporize and effect cooling for air conditioning or refrigeration. A third conduit means couples the outlet of the pump means to an inlet to the condenser to transmit a second portion of the condensed liquid refrigerant from outlet of the pump means into the inlet of the condenser to vaporize therein. The portion of the condensed liquid refrigerant injected into the condensor inlet cools the superheated vapor refrigerant entering the condenser to a reduced temperature, thereby reducing said first pressure.
The first and second conduit means are preferably proportioned so that the second portion of refrigerant is sufficient to reduce the first temperature to a reduced temperature close to a saturation temperature of the refrigerant, preferably within 10.degree. F. to 15.degree. F. above saturation temperature, and so that the second portion of refrigerant is substantially less than the first portion, preferably less than about 5% of the first portion and typically in the range of 2%-3% of the first portion. Suitably, the first and second conduit means are proportioned with a cross-sectional area ratio of about 16:1. The system preferably further includes means responsive to a temperature of the evaporator for modulating the expansion valve.
In the improved method of operation, superheated vapor refrigerant is transmitted from the compressor to an inlet to the condenser at a first temperature and pressure. The vapor refrigerant is condensed and discharged as liquid refrigerant at a second temperature and pressure less than said first temperature and pressure. The pressure of the liquid refrigerant discharged from the condenser (or receiver) is boosted to a third pressure greater than the second pressure by a substantially constant increment of pressure. Then, in accordance with the invention, a first portion of the liquid refrigerant is transmitted at said third pressure via the expansion valve into the evaporator and a second portion thereof is transmitted into the condenser inlet so that the first temperature of the superheated vapor refrigerant is reduced toward said second temperature, thereby reducing said first pressure.
The first and second portions of liquid refrigerant at said third pressure are proportioned so that the first portion is substantially greater than the second portion. Preferably, the added increment of pressure is 8 to 10 p.s.i. and the second portion has a flow rate less than 5% of the flow rate of the first portion. The flow of the first portion through the expansion valve can be modulated in response to a temperature in the evaporator.
Prior art ammonia-refrigeration systems are known in which a portion of liquid refrigerant is injected from the receiver to the condenser inlet to suppress superheat. This has not been done, however, in combination with adding an incremental pressure, for example by means of a centrifugal pump, to the pressure of the liquid refrigerant flowing into the expansion valve.
Operation with an added incremental liquid refrigerant pressure preferably includes allowing the first pressure to float with an ambient temperature. This reduces overall system pressures, thereby increasing system efficiency at moderate ambient temperatures. The present invention desuperheats the compressed refrigerant vapor as it enters the condenser, lowering its temperature and further reducing the first pressure, even when ambient temperatures are high. The invention thus raises the temperature range over which benefits can be obtained from adding an increment of pressure to the liquid refrigerant. This further improves efficiency and enables effective operation in very high ambient temperature environments.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of information storage devices, and, more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved system and method for allocating memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
In processor-controlled devices, a memory, whether dynamic or static RAMs (Random Access Memory) is provided for the storage of programming instructions and data. In order to write data to memory areas of the memory or read data from the individual memory areas, the processor generates a memory area address and passes it to a memory controller known as an SRAM or DRAM controller to those of ordinary skill in the art. The memory controller forwards this memory area address via address lines to address inputs of the memory. The memory area addresses generally represent a binary number, the smallest addressable memory area usually comprising one or more bytes.
The memory is formed by a plurality of insertion regions, into which in each case at least one memory module, usually an integrated memory chip, can be inserted. The insertion regions, which are typically plug-in devices, are frequently configured such that memory modules or memory chips having different storage capacities can be inserted. For example, memory modules with one or four Kbytes or Mbytes are typically used. Consequently, because of the various insertion regions, optimum matching of the storage capacity of the memory to the respective application is possible. This means that the memory modules must be inserted into the address-conforming insertion regions as a function of their storage capacity in order to ensure error-free memory addressing. Incorrect information regarding the storage capacity and the insertion regions leads to significant disturbances in the processor system and possibly to its failure.


Not applicable to this application.
Not applicable to this application.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to baseball bat training devices and more specifically it relates to a training bat system for increasing the batting skills of a baseball player.
2. Description of the Related Art
Batter training devices have been in use for years. A commonly utilized batter training device is comprised of a weight having a ring structure that surrounds the barrel of a baseball bat often times referred to as a xe2x80x9cdoughnut.xe2x80x9d The weight placed upon a conventional baseball bat increases the overall weight of the baseball bat and the player then swings the baseball bat repeatedly with the weight placed upon thereof.
While weights for baseball bats assist the player in developing increased strength, they do not assist the player in developing increased ball engagement accuracy. Conventional baseball bat devices do not significantly increase the mental and physical focus required to engage a baseball with the bat.
Examples of patented devices which may be related to the present invention include U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,926 to Owen et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,908 to Muhlhausen; U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,773 to Pomilia; U.S. Pat. No. 339,621 to Briden; U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,353 to Brundage; U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,193 to Nolan; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,461 to Sulllivan.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for increasing the batting skills of a baseball player. Conventional baseball bat training devices do not significantly assist with developing mental and physical focus for engaging a baseball.
In these respects, the training bat system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of increasing the batting skills of a baseball player.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of baseball bat training devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new training bat system construction wherein the same can be utilized for increasing the batting skills of a baseball player.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new training bat system that has many of the advantages of the baseball training devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new training bat system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art baseball training devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a tubular member having a center bore, a plurality of weight members removably positioned within the center bore, an inner cap secured to an inner end of the tubular member, and an outer cap secured to the outer end of the tubular member. A compression spring is preferably positioned between the weight members and the inner cap for maintaining the weight members non-movably adjacent one another. The tubular member is comprised of a first section having an outer diameter similar to a handle gripping of a baseball bat, a second section having a tapered structure, and a third section having an outer diameter smaller than said first section.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a training bat system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
A second object is to provide a training bat system for increasing the batting skills of a baseball player.
Another object is to provide a training bat system that increases a baseball player""s mental and physical focus for making contact with a baseball.
An additional object is to provide a training bat system that may be utilized within various sports that utilize a bat to engage a ball such as but not limited to baseball, softball and similar sports.
A further object is to provide a training bat system that improves the hand and eye coordination of a player.
Another object is to provide a training bat system that may be utilized by individuals of various ages, sizes and skill levels.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.


Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) is a crucial step in the manufacturing of a wide range of products. Such processes are used for the extraction of one compound and as well as for separation between two or more compounds (fractional extraction).
The LLE process is simple in concept and usually requires the contacting of a feed containing the solute to be extracted with a solvent. This solvent/feed mixture is usually immiscible, but may be partially miscible.
The extraction and the stripping involve liquid-liquid contacting in which the droplets of one phase are initially dispersed in a second phase to facilitate mass transfer across the liquid-liquid boundary. Basically, there are two types of LLE units, those in which each individual stage is a separate unit termed "mixer settlers" and those in which several stages are integrated into one column. Multi-stage columns can be simple spray or packed columns, or can have stages equipped with various types of mixing devices separated by coalescence sections. The stage efficiency and the throughput of such devices are, obviously, directly related to the mass transfer and the coalescence rates.
To form small drops and ensure good contact between the phases, in slow mass-transfer systems, high intensity mixing is required. However, the shear stress induced by such a mixing can, in many cases, damage high molecular weight molecules. In addition, the intense mixing forms fine dispersions which reduce the coalescence rate or, in the presence of surface active impurities, may even cause a "stable emulsion", one of the operating hazards of solvent extraction equipment.
From the point of view of LLE processes, the stability of the dispersion is its most important property, since the phases must separate at each extraction stage. For all practical purposes, the breakup time or the coalescence rate will determine the workable throughput of the extraction equipment. In countercurrent column-type contactors, steady operation is possible only when the rate of droplets arrival does not exceed the coalescence rate at the main interface; otherwise the dispersed band will extend over the entire column, leading to flooding. In mixer-settler contactors, the dimensions of the settler are designed according to the coalescence rate, and increasing the throughput above the coalescence rate will result in flooding of the settler. It is clear, therefore, that systems with emulsification tendencies cannot be operated by conventional extractors. Commonly such systems are handled in centrifugal extractors or by filtration. In some cases, adding compounds that break the emulsion can minimize the problem. This, however, makes complex the final purification of the product.
Emulsion formation is a common problem in the pharmaceutical industry, where the desired products are frequently extracted from the fermentation broth by organic solvents and in extraction processes where mechanical agitation is used to increase the mass transfer rates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,260 of Z. Ludmer, R. Shinnar, and V. Yakhot ("the U.S. Pat. No. '260 patent") describes a process that overcomes some of these difficulties. In that case, special solvents are used that at one temperature form a homogeneous, one-phase mixture and, at a higher or lower temperature, form two phases, one solvent-rich and the other water-rich. See, also, Ullmann, Ludmer and Shinnar, "Novel Separation Process Using Solvents with a Critical Point of Miscibility," Proc. A.I.Ch.E. Conference, Miami, Fla. (1993).
The process is composed of two stages, the heating Stage and the cooling stage where the mixture is cooled across the coexistence curve. Only very mild agitation is required. Compared to the mixing stage of the conventional isothermal extraction process, the heating stage provides a greatly improved contacting area, since in such stage there is but a single phase. Even more importantly, in the process of the U.S. Pat. No. '260 patent, the cooling stage has great advantage over the settling stage of the conventional extraction process: namely, when the cooling is fast enough, rapid phase-separation occurs even in the presence of impurities and cell debris. Accordingly, the need to use centrifuges is eliminated.
Unfortunately, as a practical matter the process has the disadvantage of requiring continual and rapid heating and cooling.


The technical field of this invention is powertrain torque control for a motor vehicle.
When a driven wheel of a vehicle slips with respect to the road surface, either by slowing down or speeding up, lateral adhesion of the tire to the road can decrease quickly and significantly. Loss of lateral adhesion can allow the tire to slip sideways and thus cause understeer (if a front wheel) or oversteer (if a rear wheel). Wheel slip is controlled in many vehicles by traction control systems during powertrain produced acceleration and by anti-lock braking controls during application of the vehicle brakes. But such slip may sometimes be produced by engine braking during vehicle deceleration when the throttle is closed with no vehicle brakes applied, when the engine slows down faster than the vehicle body and causes a braking torque to be applied to the driven wheels. Anti-lock braking controls are of no use when the vehicle brakes are not applied; and most acceleration traction controls are generally not designed to deal with wheel slip due to engine braking.
One system for sensing a difference in wheel speeds between driven and undriven wheels due to engine braking and increasing fuel to provide increased engine torque and spin up the slipping wheel has been suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,528; but modern computerized powertrain controls permit a far more finely tuned and accurate closed loop control to more advantageously balance the opposing goals of controlling wheel slip and providing engine braking.
The powertrain torque control of this invention provides an engine drag control mode of operation during periods of undesired engine drag induced wheel slip by modifying the torque of the vehicle engine in closed loop control to maintain a driven wheel speed at a predetermined target velocity lower than the vehicle speed by a target velocity difference providing as much engine braking as is consistent with a desired degree of lateral traction. The control derives a velocity error as the difference between the driven wheel speed and the target velocity and derives and delivers to the powertrain a torque command for reducing the velocity error.
The torque control determines the engine drag control mode in response to the wheel speed sensors, preferably causing entry of the engine drag control mode when the driven wheel speed that is closest to the vehicle speed falls below the target velocity while powertrain delivered torque and throttle position are below predetermined values indicative of deceleration. The driven wheel speed closest to the vehicle speed is preferably chosen because only one driven wheel is necessary for lateral traction and this wheel requires the smallest reduction in engine braking. The target velocity difference is preferably determined as a weighted difference between vehicle speed and vehicle turn curvature, the difference being reduced by the latter for quicker response in vehicle turns.


The invention relates to a circuit forming an active RC filter to be used as a band-stop filter in the high and very-high frequency domains, having a second order transfer function, comprising a circuit that includes a building block for performing a filtering and an amplifying function, and a building block for performing the summation V.sub.S of the circuit output signal and the signal V.sub.E applied to the input of the circuit.
The invention is applied to the realisation of integrated circuits forming filters, in the high and very-high frequency domains, that can be used, for example in one embodiment, as band-stop filters in frequency doublers for rejecting the unwanted signal at the fundamental frequency or, in another embodiment, as a band-stop filter having differential inputs and outputs; or, in yet another embodiment, be particularly suitable for a fine adjustment of the rejection.
An active all-pass filter is already known from the prior art from the publication by J. TOW, in "IEEE Spectrum, December 1969, pp. 103-107", entitled "A Step-by-Step Active-filter Design".
This publication describes, among other things, an all-pass filter realisation having a second order transfer function, which filter is shown in FIG. 8 of the said document. This circuit comprises three operational amplifiers arranged in series and is looped back. A fourth operational amplifier performs the summation of the output signal of the first operational amplifier and the input signal of the filter circuit
The operational amplifiers that are used for constituting this circuit have a gain which is most certainly infinite at low frequencies, but which becomes very low at high and very-high frequencies. Therefore, the circuit known from the said document has the disadvantage of not being suitable for use in these frequency domains.
Furthermore, the looped back circuit has the disadvantage to cause the circuit to oscillate in certain conditions.
FIG. 6 of the said document also shows an active band-pass filter that has similar characteristic features and thus exactly the same disadvantages.
The circuits known from the said document further have the following disadvantages: on the one hand, they are formed by a large number of transistors, which:
causes manufacturing to be costly in many cases
requires a large surface and is disadvantageous for use in integrated circuits,
entails high consumption and is also disadvantageous for the use as mentioned above.
On the other hand, their characteristic frequency is not adjustable.
Finally, the capacitors used in this circuit have considerable dimensions and render this circuit not integrable
Therefore, the present invention has for its object to provide an active filter circuit that allows to get rid of these disadvantages and that specifically:
can operate at high or very-high frequencies;
and in the case of the use at very-high frequencies is easy to integrate, requires a small surface and has little consumption;
exhibits characteristic features so that the rejection frequency and the rejection are adjustable and easy to control;
can admit a differential input signal and a differential output signal.


In an electronic system, for example, a solar photovoltaic assembly, communication assembly, etc., for transmitting a micro electric signal, it is necessary to transmit the micro electric signal to an electrical device disposed inside a connection box through a conductive sheet (bus bar) so as to collect or retransmit the micro electric signal. Inside the connection box, a conductive terminal for electrically connecting the conductive sheet and a connection piece connected between the conductive terminal and the electrical device are disposed.
With respect to FIG. 1, a conventional connection box 200 is shown and includes a housing 201, a conductive terminal 203 and a conductive sheet 204 (i.e. bus bar). A cable receiving passageway is formed in the housing 201 to introduce an external cable 202 therein. The conductive terminal 203 is electrically connected to the introduced cable 202 by, for example, soldering. The conductive sheet 204 is connected between the conductive terminal 203 and an electrical device (not shown), for example, a solar photovoltaic assembly. The conductive sheet 204 is made of a thin metal material, for example, a copper foil, and is soldered to the conductive terminal 203. Since the conductive sheet 204 is very thin, there is a possibility that a rosin joint occurs between the conductive sheet 204 and the conductive terminal 203 during soldering them, which may cause a poor electrical contact and an unstable electrical connection between them.
Furthermore, it may produce an over high contact impendence and even an electric arc between them, which creates a serious potential safety risk. Also, soldering the conductive sheet 204 to the conductive terminal 203 is very complicated and difficult, and it is difficult for them to be separated after the soldering, which is unfavorable for maintenance of the solar panel of the solar photovoltaic assembly.


In communications systems, in particular in wireless radio systems, co-channel interference (CCI) and carrier frequency offset (CFO) are well-known effects which degrade the quality of the received signal. CCI is caused by an interferer signal having substantially the same carrier frequency as a user signal to be detected. Typically, CCI suppression is accomplished by filtering the received signal with an appropriate filter structure.
CFO can be present in the user signal or the interferer signal or in both signals. CFO causes CCI suppression to deteriorate quickly with increasing distance from a training-sequence in the transmitted signal, leading to a decrease in signal quality. Typically, CFO compensation is done by measuring CFO and correcting the received signal by the measured frequency offset. CFO compensation is used for carrier frequency tracking.
The efficiency of CFO compensation depends on the CFO measurement equipment and on the algorithm and mathematical procedure for calculating the CFO correction quantity to be applied for signal frequency correction.


Wireless communication can be used as a means of accessing a communication network. Wireless communication has certain advantages over wired communications for accessing a network. For example, implementing a wireless interface can eliminate a need for a wired infrastructure thereby reducing the cost of building and maintaining network infrastructure. In addition, a wireless network can support added mobility by allowing a wireless device to access the network from various locations or addresses. A wireless interface can comprise at least one transceiver in active communication with another transceiver that is connected to the network.
Various types of network configurations can be used to communicate data over the wireless network. For example, a heterogeneous network can be configured to include various types of access nodes such as a macro access node, a micro access node, a pico access node, a femto access node, etc. In a heterogeneous network, a wireless device can be served by an access node having the lowest signal path loss rather than by an access node having the strongest signal strength as in traditional network configurations.
In a heterogeneous network, interference can occur at the cell edge of the short range, low power access nodes due to the macro access node. This interference can result in undesirable reduction in coverage and throughput to the wireless devices in communication with the short range access node. A scheduling scheme comprising almost blank subframes (ABS) can be used to create an opportunity for the wireless devices within the cell edge region of a short range access node to receive downlink information without interference from the macro access node. However, ABS subframes can undesirably limit an amount of resources allocated to wireless devices during each frame.


Game animals, particularly those hunted for food and/or sport, such as but not limited to deer, are attracted by scents varying from those of other animals and odorous attractant scents such as those of food. It is these scents which hunters use to pull animals closer for harvest opportunities.
During mating seasons, male animals, as part of the mating ritual, attempt to attract females by “scraping” the ground, using their hoofs, at desirable locations and urinating in the scrape in an attempt to attract females. The females in turn, when attracted, deposit a female hormone in the “scrape” which is highly attractant to males. Hunters, in an attempt to mimic these attractants, have developed commercially available “attractant scents” which substantially duplicate the male and female mating scents.
Those who wish to examine animals at close range, such as hunters, routinely manually disperse such scents on the ground in an attempt to attract their quarry.
In some cases, hunters prepare the ground, by making a mock scrape using various implements, to simulate a deer “scrape” before dispensing attractant scent liquid into the scrape. However, humans entering these sensitive areas can disturb the animals, in ways known only to animals. In many cases, these trespasses into an animal's area provide persistent unseen warnings which tend to keep the desired animal from approaching.
Various devices have been developed over the years which attempt to continuously or periodically deliver portions of scented liquids to the desired spot without human interaction. The present invention provides significant improvements over the prior system as described below.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,279,062; 5,361,527 and 5,220,741 all to Burgeson describe devices for dispensing a scented liquid (scent) onto the ground. The device employs a rigid camouflaged scent container having a cap with an exterior nozzle tube which may be straight or bent through 180 degrees into a J shape or through 360 degrees into a circular shape. The container is suspended over the ground and is partially filled with the scented liquid. As the air in the space over the liquid expands during the day it pushes out a volume of scented liquid. However, these devices have several problems.
The Burgeson patents suffer from the defects that the scent container can be only partly filled. Also it must be clear that the amount of liquid scent delivered depends on the unfilled volume within the container. When the container is more filled, the air volume remaining is less. Thus, less liquid scent can be delivered for a given temperature change. Principle operations of these devices are dependent on temperature changes.
Additionally, the Burgeson devices require a rigid container must be used, when the container is filled, it has a large mass and must respond more slowly to any temperature change. By contrast, when the container is nearly empty, there is a large gas volume within the container which will cause a larger amount of liquid scent to be delivered for a given temperature change. Further, when the container is nearly empty, the small mass of liquid heats easily, thereby causing a widely varying rate and quantity of liquid scent to be delivered, depending on the fraction of the bottle which is filled.
Furthermore, the containers in the Burgeson patents must be made of some rigid material such as glass. Such a container is easily susceptible to being broken, should the container fall from the tree or support where it is suspended. Additionally, if the container is made of rigid plastic, the container can crack over time with constant exposure to sunlight or other environment factors, such as, heat, cold, or changes in temperature over time.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,510,984 to Burgeson describes a temperature regulated, pressure activated liquid scent dispenser. The pressure in the interior of the container increases as ambient temperature increases. A release structure of the container will release a portion of the liquid scent once a threshold pressure or threshold amount of pressure build-up is reached in the interior of the container.
This device requires filling the interior volume with a liquid scent so that the interior volume also includes a volume of air, suspending the dispenser over a ground surface, and dispensing the liquid scent from the interior volume through the release structure. Due to an increase of pressure of the volume of air, and upon reaching a threshold air pressure, the release structure releases a portion of the liquid scent from the interior volume.
Similar to the other Burgeson Patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,279,062; 5,361,527 and 5,220,741 these devices provide for liquid delivery dependent on temperatures changes to shift atmospheric pressure inside the rigid vessels in order to drive the liquid dispersal.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,739,455 to Burgeson describes a temperature regulated, pressure activated liquid scent dispenser. The pressure in the interior of the container can increase as ambient temperature increases. A release structure of the container releases a portion of the liquid scent once a threshold pressure or threshold amount of pressure build-up is reached in the interior of the container.
The Burgeson '455 patent device provides for filling the interior volume with a liquid scent so that the interior volume also includes a volume of air, suspending the dispenser over a ground surface, and dispensing the liquid scent from the interior volume through the release structure. Due to an increase of pressure of the volume of air, and upon reaching a threshold air pressure, the release structure releases a portion of the liquid scent from the interior volume.
Similar to the previously referenced Burgeson, this device includes a, pressure interior to the vessel that is dependent on ambient temperature variations to create internal vessel pressure to drive the liquid delivery system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,208 to Kennedy describes a device for delivering an animal attractant scented liquid employing a flexible walled container with an external gas filled balloon strapped to the container so positioned that expansion and contraction of the gas within the balloon, in response to temperature changes, causes the wall of the container to flex so as to discharge liquid from the container when the temperature rises, and cease discharging on a temperature drop.
Similar to the other prior art is in its use of atmospheric pressure and temperature changes to expand the gas inside the dispersal drive mechanism. Here, the Kennedy '208 patent uses externally mounted balloons.
U.S. Published Patent Application. 20080054021A1 to Brown et al. describes a product directed at the deer hunting market for scent application and dispersal that uses a molded, rigid container capable of being filled with liquid scent and then dispensed in a multiple ways, including a flip top cap for direct placement of its contents to a variety of specific areas, using scent wicks, cotton balls, etc. to establish scent stations (dipping these into open liquid reservoir). Similar to the other prior art, Brown '402 relies on temperature changes to drive fluid dispersal.
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art that does not require head space nor temperature changes to drive animal attractant liquid therefrom.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dental implements, and more particularly, to a toothpick holder for holding a toothpick in any one of several different adjusted positions for easier access to difficult to reach areas of the mouth.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a toothpick holder which includes a handle with a toothpick retainer projecting perpendicularly therefrom and rotatable about its axis to several different latched positions. The retainer has a pair of aligned openings therein for snugly receiving a toothpick of yieldable material, whereby the toothpick is held in a firmly latched position with its axis extending in a desired direction relative to the axis of the handle. By manipulating a latch member, the retainer may be released for removal from the handle or adjustment to different latched positions.
It is well known by the dental profession that brushing does not always adequately clean the teeth, particularly in the areas between the teeth. Thus, flossing and other cleaning methods are recommended in conjunction with brushing. Moreover, the proper use of toothpicks is very beneficial in any oral hygiene program, and can be particularly effective in cleaning the spaces between the teeth.
However, except for a few attempts at developing a toothpick holder, people are generally limited to the use of wood or plastic toothpicks held in the users hand. Accordingly, the use of a toothpick is only partially effective in cleaning the teeth, and those areas which are difficult to reach are usually not cleaned.
Prior Art
Examples of prior art toothpick holders are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 710,498, 1,291,282 and 3,892,040. In U.S. Pat. No. 710,498 a quill-like member is inserted through a shaped holder whereupon the quill-like member is curved to form a pick. U.S. Pat. No. 1,291,282 discloses a threaded holder having a pair of openings therein for receiving a toothpick in either of two different positions. U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,040 discloses a holder having a threaded sleeve which is movable against a round toothpick to clamp the toothpick in position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,929 discloses a dental implement in which a shaft 26 is held to a handle by a pin 8. A blade 30 is carried by the shaft for performing gum cutting operations.
None of the above patents teaches a toothpick holder capable of holding a toothpick with a wedge shaped cross section in any one of several different adjusted latched positions, and with the particular cooperation between the elements and pick as set forth more fully hereinafter, wherein the holder properly orients such a wedge shaped toothpick for optimum effectiveness in all areas of the mouth.


Swimming pools, both in ground and above ground, are becoming more prevalent in sections of the country where freezing occurs during winter months. Conduits and equipment connected to the pools, for examples drain lines, recirculating lines and the like, must be drained of all water prior to the freezing season to insure that the conduits and equipment will not freeze and burst.
The most popular prior method of winterizing a swimming pool was to lower the level of the water within the pool to an elevation below the drain line. Often, the water in the drain line was then drained back into the pool or in the alternative removed at, for example, the filtering equipment.
Several thousand gallons of water were lost every year by the lowering of the water levels in the swimming pools to the required elevation to drain the conduits. Besides being time consuming, the cost of water has increased and the overall loss of water was very expensive. In addition, because this water was treated water, its loss was not only expensive but detrimental from a conservation point of view.


When a connecting tube of a blood pump or a humor circulating circuit and a tube such as a cannula mounted on a circulatory system organ are connected in order to pour blood or humor substitution fluid in the circulatory system organ, it is necessary to carefully connect the tubes so as not to allow bubbles to remain within the tubes. If the bubbles are contained in blood, a blockade of blood capillaries or the like occurs, resulting in an extremely dangerous condition for a living body.
As one means for connecting two tubes filled with blood or the like to eliminate bubbles therein, there is a method for connecting the tubes while pouring the humor substitution fluid or physiological saline solution to connected ends of two tubes. In accordance with this method, a tube such as a cannula mounted on a blood vessel is supported with a connected end directed upwardly, blood is moved up to the interior of the tube by blood pressure, and thereafter, the tube is clamped below a liquid level of blood. Then, the humor substitution fluid is filled from the clamped portion to the upper connected end, and the tube is sufficiently commoved to completely discharge bubbles adhered to tube walls from the interior of the tube. Similarly, the connecting tube of the blood pump is also filled with the humor substituion fluid to completely discharge bubbles, two tubes are made to come closer to each other with connected ends thereof directed upwardly, and the connected end of one tube is inserted into the connected end of the other tube within the flowing-down humor substitution fluid while a large quantity of the humor substitution fluid to said portions which are formed to come closer to each other to connect two tubes.
In the above-described connecting method, even if bubbles are carefully discharged by commotion, air tends to be entrained into liquids since connecting of tubes is carried out within the flowing-down liquid and a part of the air is drawn into the tubes and formed into bubbles. Thus, there was a disadvantage in that the bubbles remain within the tubes despite the fact that connecting of tubes was carried out with effort.
In view of the foregoing, a connecting method has been used in which a connecting tube provided with branch tubes is used to connect two tubes, and bubbles within the tubes after connection are guided into the branch tubes for discharge. In this method, a cannula from which bubbles within the liquid have been discharged and a connecting tube are connected by insertion with the branch tubes directed upwardly, the connecting tube is curved in the form of a mountain to bring the branch tubes to the highest position, the two connected tubes are commoved to upwardly move the bubbles up to the branch tubes to completely remove the bubbles within the connected tubes, and thereafter, root portions of the branch tubes are clamped.
This method making use of the branch tubes carries out the discharge of bubbles after the tubes have been connected and therefore can positively prevent the bubbles from being retained as compared with the method of connecting tubes after removal of bubbles. However, vestiges remain on side walls of portions where the branch tubes were present and thrombus tends to occur on said vestiges. Therefore, there involves a disadvantage that in case of transfusion of blood, heparin has to be contained in blood.
As the result of a series of studies on means and apparatus for connecting two tubes which can positively remove bubbles within the tubes and which can prevent re-generation of bubbles when the tubes are connected and remain on vestiges on side walls of the tubes connected, the present inventors have found that a method can be used in which two tubes are connected within the liquid in order to facilitate connection of the tubes with bubbles being eliminated completely and positively.


Chlorine dioxide, ClO2, is one of the most effective bleaching agents for use in industrial and domestic process and services, and for commercial and consumer products. The strong oxidative potential of the molecule makes it ideal for a wide variety of uses that include disinfecting, sterilizing, and bleaching. Concentrations of chlorine dioxide in an aqueous solution as low as 1 part per million (ppm) or less, are known to kill a wide variety of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, molds, fungi, and spores. Higher concentrations of chlorine dioxide, up to several hundred ppms, provide even higher disinfection, bleaching and oxidation of numerous compounds for a variety of applications, including the paper and pulp industry, waste water treatment, industrial water treatment (e.g. cooling water), fruit-vegetable disinfection, oil industry treatment of sulfites, textile industry, and medical waste treatment.
Chlorine dioxide offers advantages over other commonly used bleaching materials, such as hypochlorite and chlorine. Chlorine dioxide can react with and break down phenolic compounds, and thereby removing phenolic-based tastes and odors from water. Chlorine dioxide is also used in treating drinking water and wastewater to eliminate cyanides, sulfides, aldehydes and mercaptans. The oxidation capacity of ClO2, in terms of available chlorine, is 2.5 times that of chlorine. Also, unlike chlorine/hypochlorite, the bactericidal efficiency of chlorine dioxide remains generally effective at pH levels of 6 to 10. Additionally, chlorine dioxide can inactivate C. parvum oocysts in water while chlorine/hypochlorite cannot. Hypochlorite and chlorine both react with the bleached target by inserting the chlorine molecule into the structure of the target. Though this mode of reaction can be effective, it can result in the formation of one or more chlorinated products, or by-products, which can be undesirable both from a economic sense (to eliminate hydrocarbons from the reaction media) and a safety and environmental standpoint. In addition, the step of bleaching by hypochlorite and chlorine results in the destruction of the bleach species itself, such that subsequent bleaching requires a fresh supply of the chlorine bleach. Another disadvantage is that certain microorganisms that are intended to be killed by these two commonly-used bleach materials can develop a resistance over time, specifically at lower concentrations of the chlorine or hypochlorite.
Chloride dioxide is generally used in an aqueous solution at levels up to about 35%. It is a troublesome material to transport and handle at high aqueous concentrations, due to its low stability and high corrosivity. This has required end users to generate chlorine dioxide on demand, usually employing a precursor such as sodium chlorite (NaClO2) or sodium chlorate (NaClO3).
A typical process for generating chlorine dioxide from sodium chlorate salt is the acid-catalyzed reaction:NaClO3+2HCl→NaCl+½Cl2+ClO2+H2O
Sodium chlorite is easier to convert to chlorine dioxide. A typical process for generating chlorine dioxide from sodium chlorite salt is the acid-catalyzed reaction:5NaClO2+4HCl→4ClO2+5NaCl+2H2O
Further details on the acid-catalyzed reactions of chlorites and chlorates to produce chlorine dioxide can be found in “Chlorine Dioxide Generation Chemistry” (A. R. Pitochelli, Rio Linda Chemical Company), Third International Symposium: Chlorine Dioxide Drinking Water, Process Water and Wastewater Issues, Sep. 14, 15, 1995, La Meridian Hotel, New Orleans, La., incorporated herein by reference.
A common method of making chlorine dioxide uses a multi-chamber electrolysis cell that converts the chlorite salt into chlorine dioxide. This method uses separately an anode compartment and a cathode compartment that are separated by an ion permeable membrane. The separate compartments operate with significantly different reactants, and contain solutions with different pH values. One example of a multi-compartment electrolysis cell is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,510, issued to Murakami et al. on Jun. 26, 1984, which teaches a process for forming chlorine dioxide by electrolyzing a solution of sodium chlorite in an electrolysis cell that contains an anode compartment and a cathode compartment separated by a diaphragm, preferably a cation exchange membrane. Another example of a two-chamber electrolysis cell is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,658, issued to Cawlfield, et al. on Oct. 27, 1992 which describes a continuous electrochemical process and an electrolytic cell having an anode chamber having a porous flow-through anode, a cathode chamber, and a membrane there between.
While separate-compartment, membrane-containing electrolysis cells have been used to make chlorine dioxide on a commercial scale, they have not been completely satisfactory. Even though they may have convenience advantages over the conventional acid catalysis production of chlorine dioxide, the electrochemical approach has proven to be more expensive to produce large volumes of chlorine dioxide. The electrolysis cells in commercial use, and disclosed in the prior art that utilize ion permeable membranes or diaphragms, require that the anolyte solution be substantially free of divalent cations, such as magnesium and calcium, to avoid the formation of precipitated calcium or magnesium salts that would quickly block and cover the membrane, and significantly reduce or stop the electrolysis reaction.
Consequently, there remains a need for a simple, safe method and apparatus for manufacturing chlorine dioxide to meet a wide variety of commercial and domestic uses, under a wide variety of situations. The present invention describes a method and an apparatus for making chlorine dioxide inexpensively, easily and effectively.