| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US07699994B2 |
Enhanced water treatment for reclamation of waste fluids and increased efficiency treatment of potable waters
Disclosed is a process for reclamation of waste fluids. A conditioning container is employed for receipt of waste material on a continuous flow for treatment within the container by immersible transducers producing ultrasonic acoustic waves in combination with a high level of injected ozone. The treated material exhibits superior separation properties for delivery into a centrifuge for enhanced solid waste removal. The invention discloses a cost efficient and environmentally friendly process and apparatus for cleaning and recycling of flowback, or frac water, which has been used to stimulate gas production from shale formations. The apparatus is mobile and containerized and suitable for installation at the well site. |
| US07699990B2 |
Separation analyzer
A separation analyzer for transferring solutions, while changing mixing ratios of the solutions, wherein a flow passage from a first pump, a flow passage from a second pump, and a passage for sample introduction section, the flow passages being connected, which further comprises a flow switching means for temporarily storing the solutions, whereby the flow switching means alternatively makes a first state for pushing out the solutions in a second sampling loop to the sample introduction section by the second pump, while transferring the solutions to the first sampling loop; and a second state for pushing out the solutions in the first sampling loop by the second pump, while transferring the solutions from the first pump to the second sampling loop. |
| US07699989B2 |
Powered cartridges and other devices within housings
The present invention describes a system and method for supplying electrical power to a device, such as a filter element, located within a housing. In one embodiment, a conductive coil is embedded into the housing base, and a second coil is embedded into the filter element. Current is then passed through the coil in the housing base. Through induction, a current is created in the second coil in the filter element, in much the same way as a transformer functions. This inductive field may interfere with the operation of the various electronic functions, such as communications, sensing or other activities. To overcome this issue, an energy storage component, such as a capacitor, is included in the filter electronics. In this way, the power generated by the inductive field can be stored, and used when the inductive field is no longer present. |
| US07699984B2 |
Hydrodynamic treatment device
A hydrodynamic treatment device comprises a vessel (2) within which is disposed an inner partition (24). The inner partition (24) divides the interior of the vessel (2) into outer and inner regions (22, 28). Flow enters the vessel (2) through a tangentially oriented inlet (14) and establishes a complex circulating flow within the vessel (2). Settleable solids migrate to the bottom of the vessel (2) and are deposited in a sump (20) through a solids outlet opening (18). Flow enters the inner region (28) through apertures (34) in the inner partition (24), and is discharged through an outlet duct (8). The inner region (28) is closed at its lower end by a frusto-conical, downwardly diverging lower wall (30) which projects outwardly from a central cylindrical wall (26). |
| US07699982B2 |
Apparatus, system and method for remediation of contamination
An apparatus, system and method for removing and treating contaminated materials on a bottom of a body of water and introducing growth packets to revitalize the treated bottom of the body of water. The structure may comprise a vessel with an open face. The vessel may be lowered down to the bottom of the body of water with the face facing down. As a result, the vessel and the bottom form an isolated space. The structure may comprise at least one agitating device(s) for stirring up the materials inside the vessel so as to form a mixture containing the sediment materials which in turn contain the contaminants. Multiple at least one pipe(s) may be coupled to the vessel for transporting the mixture out of the vessel for processing (filtering, treating with chemicals, etc.) so as to neutralize or eliminate the contaminants in the mixture. Then, the treated mixture can be returned to the inside of the vessel via the at least one pipe(s). |
| US07699981B2 |
Drain installation system and method
An apparatus and method for installing an adjustable height drain onto a conduit in a layer of hardenable material. The drain includes a grate member adjustably connected to and in fluid communication with a base member. A connection member connects the grate member and base member and is adjustable to allow the elevation of the grate member to be adjusted in relation to the base member. A spacer is disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of the connection member to limit hardenable material from setting around the connection member when a layer of hardenable material is poured. |
| US07699979B2 |
Separation system and efficient capture of contaminants using magnetic nanoparticles
Methods are disclosed for the capture, detection, separation, isolation and quantification of contaminants in a starting material. Also disclosed are competitive assay methods for the detection and quantification of contaminants in a starting material. Kits for use with the method are disclosed as well. A system for capturing, separating and/or concentrating contaminants from a material is also presented. The system captures, separates and/or concentrates contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, other microorganisms, and/or larger items, such as insects, from a variety of materials, such as food, and environmental and clinical materials. In general, the system uses a rotating magnetic field to mix the material with magnetic particles to capture the target contaminants, and a fixed magnetic field to separate and concentrate the captured target contaminants. |
| US07699978B2 |
Trash screen for side entry pit
A protection device for a side entry pit, device having a frame to clamp to the exposed edge of the cover of the pit, and a screen of chains attached to the frame and extending beneath the opening of the pit to prevent trash from entering the pit. The protection device also includes a screen to prevent debris such as dirt and gravel entering the pit, the device including a wire mesh supporting a material such as filter foam to prevent the debris entering the pit, while permitting the passage of water therethrough. |
| US07699976B2 |
Upflow bioreactor with septum and pressure release mechanism
An upflow bioreactor includes a vessel having an inlet and an outlet configured for upflow operation. A septum is positioned within the vessel and defines a lower chamber and an upper chamber. The septum includes an aperture that provides fluid communication between the upper chamber and lower chamber. The bioreactor also includes means for releasing pressure buildup in the lower chamber. In one configuration, the septum includes a releasable portion having an open position and a closed position. The releasable portion is configured to move to the open position in response to pressure buildup in the lower chamber. In the open position fluid communication between the lower chamber and the upper chamber is increased. Alternatively the lower chamber can include a pressure release line that is selectively actuated by pressure buildup. The pressure release mechanism can prevent the bioreactor from plugging and/or prevent catastrophic damage to the bioreactor caused by high pressures. |
| US07699972B2 |
Method and apparatus for evaluating polishing pad conditioning
A method and apparatus for evaluating a conditioned electrochemical mechanical polishing pad are provided. A polishing pad is conditioned using a first set of process conditions. A sheet wafer and a residue wafer are polished on the polishing pad. The removal rates of one or more materials from the sheet wafer and the residue wafer are measured. A normalized removal rate is calculated. The polishing pad is further conditioned if the normalized removal rate is not within a minimum value and a maximum value. In one embodiment, the normalized removal rate comprises a ratio of the removal rate of the residue wafer to the removal rate of the sheet wafer. |
| US07699969B2 |
Method and apparatus for high-throughput biological-activity screening of cells and/or compounds
First entities consisting in cells or microorganisms (BIO) and second entities consisting in compounds or compound units, carried typically by microbeads (BEAD), are trapped selectively within closed movable potential cages (S1) by means of dielectrophoretic force generated by mutually opposed electrodes (M1, M2). The cages are set in relative motion so as to bring about the interaction of selected first and second entities, causing the cages containing them to fuse, whereupon results are obtained preferably by reinstating the original cages and/or observing previously empty adjacent cages. The procedure takes place in a device (DE) with two separate chambers (F, FL) connected one to the other by way of a narrow passage (D) and finished with respective selectively controllable inlets and outlets (I1, I2; O1, O2) through which a liquid or semi-liquid buffer (L) can be pumped in or out. |
| US07699960B2 |
Processes and apparatus for producing cast coated papers
Methods for producing cast-coated papers showing a reduced level of curling and reduced curling or wavy deformation caused by moisture absorption or other reasons as well as showing a high surface quality in the cast-coated surface. The steps for producing cast-coated papers include applying a coating color based on a pigment and an adhesive on one side of a base paper, and pressing/drying the coated layer in the wet state against a casting drum mirror surface, where moisture is added to the coated paper by passing it through conditioned air at a high temperature and a high humidity (for 20 seconds or more) after pressing/drying the coated layer against a casting drum. |
| US07699955B2 |
Air-laid absorbent sheet with sinuate emboss
A method of making an embossed air-laid absorbent sheet material includes depositing a dry web of fibers on a foraminous support; compacting the fiber web; embossing the compacted fiber web with an embossing roll provided with a plurality of sinuate bosses radially projecting circumferentially around the embossing roll to provide the fiber web with a functional emboss pattern including a plurality of continuous sinuate compressed regions extending in a machine direction of the fiber web, and bonding the fiber web to produce the embossed air-laid absorbent sheet material. The emboss pattern is operative to preferentially convey sorbed liquid along the plurality of continuous sinuate compressed regions of the fiber web. |
| US07699954B2 |
Nonwoven fabric and method and apparatus for manufacturing same
An apparatus for fabricating a unique nonwoven fabric which has the appearance of a woven fabric includes a supply station for parallel warp yarns, a support structure for orienting the parallel warp yarns into a cylindrical orientation, a weft yarn applicator for wrapping weft yarns around the cylindrically oriented warp yarns after an adhesive scrim has been overlaid onto the warp yarns, a heating station for activating the adhesive and a cooling station for setting the adhesive, and a cutter for severing the cylindrically formed fabric laminate so that it can be flattened and wrapped onto a take-up roller. The weft yarn applicator including a rotating drum wherein a plurality of spools of weft yarn material are mounted in circumferentially spaced relationship and a tensioner is provided for applying the weft yarn material around the warp yarns in a predetermined tension which may be the same as, greater than, or less than the tension in the warp yarns. |
| US07699953B2 |
Method for enveloping silicone gel with plastic films and product thereof
A method and a product of one-time enveloping silicone gel with plastic films. The surfaces of two films to be in contact with the silicone gel are treated by a plasma casing process (crosslinking by activated species of inert gases) or an electron beam process in advance so as to improve the wetting capability thereof. Thereby the films and the silicone gel are able to tightly combine together without the fear of separation. The operation is carried out under a vacuum environment so that no bubble will be generated therein and the leakage of the silicone gel on welding portions will be prevented. |
| US07699952B2 |
Method and device for positioning bead wires
Method and apparatus for positioning bead cores during a building of a radial tire carcass in a tire-building machine. The method includes positioning first and second bead cores on respective first and second core-centering devices, on a first side of a carcass drum and centering the first and second bead cores. Further, the method includes grasping, with a second core-setting device, the second bead core and transporting the second core-setting device and the second bead core to a second side of the carcass drum. Additionally, the method includes grasping, with a first core-setting device, the first bead core; and setting the first and second bead cores onto the tire carcass by the first and second core-setting devices. |
| US07699949B2 |
Enhanced thickness fabric and method of making same
The present invention provides thickened fabrics and reinforcements for use as a spacer or reinforcement for a matrix system. The fabric includes in a first embodiment a woven fabric comprising weft and warp yarns containing glass fibers. A portion of the weft yarns are undulated into a sinusoidal path forming a generally “C” shaped bridge between adjacent warp yarns which results in an increased thickness for the fabric. The fabric is coated with a polymeric resin or bonding agent, for substantially binding the weft yarns in the undulated condition. This invention also includes methods for making such fabric by increasing the thickness of a woven or non-woven material by such methods as applying tension to warp yarns having opposite twists during weaving operations, or using unbalanced yarns, for example. |
| US07699947B2 |
Ultrahigh strength hot-rolled steel and method of producing bands
The invention relates to ultrahigh strength hot-rolled steel having a chemical composition consisting of, by weight: 0.05%≦C≦0.1% 0.7%≦Mn≦1.1% 0.5%≦Cr≦1.0% 0.05%≦Si≦0.3% 0.05%≦Ti≦0.1% Al≦0.07% S≦0.03% P≦0.05% the remainder comprising iron and impurities resulting from the production thereof. Moreover, the inventive steel has a bainitic-martensitic structure which can contain up to 5% ferrite. The invention also relates to a method of producing bands of said steel. |
| US07699946B2 |
Preparation of nanostructured materials having improved ductility
A method for preparing a nanostructured aluminum alloy involves heating an aluminum alloy workpiece at temperature sufficient to produce a single phase coarse grained aluminum alloy, then refining the grain size of the workpiece at a temperature at or below room temperature, and then aging the workpiece to precipitate second phase particles in the nanosized grains of the workpiece that increase the ductility without decreasing the strength of the workpiece. |
| US07699936B2 |
Composition and method for surface treatment of oxidized metal
The present invention provides an electrically conductive element for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell having low electrical contact resistance and high corrosion resistance. The conductive element comprises a corrosion susceptible metal substrate with a surface, which is preferably treated to activate the surface (i.e. to remove a passivation layer of oxides from the surface) with an acidic treatment solution. The treated surface is then overlaid with an electrically conductive, corrosion-resistant, protective coating to protect the substrate re-forming a passivation layer while exposed to the corrosive environment of the fuel cell. The present invention also provides methods of preparing an electrically conductive element to have low electrical contact resistance and high corrosion resistance. |
| US07699934B2 |
Epitaxial wafer production apparatus and susceptor structure
A susceptor structure capable of discharging the atmosphere containing dopant species and filling a wafer pocket, without causing a large quantity of a raw material gas to flow from the front surface side of a susceptor to under the susceptor. The susceptor having an approximately round disk shape and having a concave wafer pocket on the front surface thereof for accommodating a wafer, comprises a gas inlet notch passing through from a side surface or a rear surface of the susceptor to the wafer pocket, and a gas discharge notch passing through from the wafer pocket to the side surface or the rear surface of the susceptor. A carrier gas is introduced from the gas inlet notch of the susceptor into the wafer pocket, as shown by arrow b and the gas present inside the wafer pocket is discharged from the gas discharge notch, as shown by arrow c, by using the rotation of the susceptor during epitaxial film growth. |
| US07699932B2 |
Reactors, systems and methods for depositing thin films onto microfeature workpieces
A reactor, system including reactors, and methods for depositing thin films on microfeature workpieces comprising a reaction vessel having a chamber, a gas distributor attached to the reaction vessel, a workpiece holder in the chamber, and a side unit in the reaction vessel at a location relative to the gas distributor and/or the workpiece holder. The gas distributor has a plurality of primary outlets open to the chamber, and the workpiece holder has a process site aligned with the primary outlets. The side unit has a secondary outlet open to the chamber that operates independently of the primary outlets. One of the inner compartment, the side unit and/or the workpiece holder can be movable between a first position to form a small-volume cell for introducing the reactant gases to the microfeature workpiece and a second position to form a large volume space for purging the reactant gases. |
| US07699926B2 |
Chrome-free passivating solution
The present invention related to a chrome-free passivating solution, which comprises following components: effective amount of oxysalt containing transition metal, inorganic acids and water. Said oxysalt containing transition metal is selected from a group of oxysalt containing titanium, oxysalt containing zirconium, oxysalt containing hafnium, oxysalt containing vanadium, oxysalt containing niobium, oxysalt containing tantalum, oxysalt containing molybdenum, oxysalt containing tungsten, oxysalt containing manganese, oxysalt containing technetium, and oxysalt containing rhenium, and the weight ratio between said oxysalt containing transition metal and inorganic acids is in the range of 200˜400:1. Said chrome-free passivating solution may further comprise one or more complexant. The problem that noxious hexad and trivalent chrome existing in the galvanizing coat and passivating solution of the prior art is solved substantially by the chrome-free passivating solution of the present invention, and said chrome-free passivating solution of the present invention can replace really the passivating solution containing hexad and trivalent chrome of prior art, to complete the passivation of electro-galvanizing coat and hot-galvanizing coat. |
| US07699925B2 |
System for a dental filling material or implant material, and powdered material, hydration liquid, implant material and method of achieving bonding
A system for a dental filling material or an implant material, alternatively a system for bonding between a tooth or a bone and a dental filling material and a implant material, respectively, which system comprises a water based hydration liquid and a powdered material, the binder phase of which powdered material essentially consisting of a calcium based cement system, which powdered material has the capacity following saturation with the liquid reacting with the binder phase to hydrate to a chemically bonded ceramic material. According to the invention, said powdered material and/or said hydration liquid comprises water soluble phosphate or a phase that has the capacity to form water soluble phosphate, whereby the system exhibits the capacity during hydration to form apatite. The invention also relates to the powdered material and the hydration liquid as such, an implant material and a method of achieving bonding. |
| US07699921B2 |
Ink composition for ink jet printer
An aqueous ink composition comprising at least water, a pigment dispersed by polymer, a sulfonyl group-containing (co)polymer, and an ultra-penetrating agent. Also disclosed are a recording process using the ink composition, an ink cartridge containing the ink composition, and a recorded article having an image recorded by the recorded method. |
| US07699906B2 |
Iodinated anion exchange resin and process for preparing same
The present invention relates to iodinated resins. It relates in particular to a process for preparing a polyiodide-resin wherein an anion exchange resin is contacted with a material capable of donating a member absorbable by the resin so as to convert the resin to the polyiodide-resin. The absorbable member is selected from the group consisting of I.sub.2 and polyiodide ion having a valence of −1. In the process, conversion of the anion exchange resin to the polyiodide-resin is effected at elevated temperate and/or elevated pressure, the elevated temperature being about 100.degree. C. or higher, the elevated pressure being greater than atmospheric pressure. The present invention also relates to a substance comprising an iodine (impregnated) resin as produced by the above process. |
| US07699902B2 |
Refuse-trapping cover for use in portable working machine
There is provided a refuse-trapping cover for a portable working machine, which is capable of reducing the deterioration of the engine-cooling performance of the cooling fan that may be caused by the fibrous sawdust of a palm tree. The refuse-trapping cover includes a frame (40) having a plurality of open windows (40a-40j) and attached to the outer casing (20) of a chain saw (1) to thereby cover the air inlet slits (22), and a mesh member (50) integrally fixed to the frame (40) to thereby cover open windows (40a-40j). The frame (40) is constructed to have predetermined dimension and configuration, and the mesh member (50) is fixed to a predetermined location of the frame (40) to thereby provide a sufficient space (S) between the mesh member (50) and the outer casing (20) to avoid the mesh member (50) from being adsorbed onto the outer casing (20). |
| US07699901B2 |
Alumina-film-polishing composition and chemical mechanical polishing method using the same
An alumina-film-polishing composition is for use in chemical mechanical polishing of an object to be polished that includes an alumina film with an irregular surface, so as to planarize the irregular surface. The polishing composition contains an alumina abrasive grain, and a protection-film-forming agent for forming a protection film on the surface of each of the alumina film and the alumina abrasive grain. The protection-film-forming agent is a water-soluble polymer that has a weight average molecular weight within a range of 100 to 1,000,000 and that is obtained by polymerizing a monomer having at least one OH group or COOH group in its molecule. |
| US07699900B2 |
Fuel additive
A fuel additive that provides increased fuel efficiency, while at the same time reduces harmful emissions from combustion engines. The fuel additive is a combination of a synthetic oil blend, ethyl acetate and acetone. In one particular implementation, the amount of acetone is equal to at least 10% of an overall volume of the additive. |
| US07699899B2 |
Method for insulative film for capacitor components
The present subject matter includes an apparatus including a capacitor stack, including at least one substantially planar anode layer arranged in stacked alignment adjacent at least one substantially planar cathode layer, with at least one separator layer disposed therebetween. In this embodiment, the present subject matter includes at least one conformed film at least partially enveloping the capacitor stack in a bound state and adapted to electrically isolate the capacitor stack. |
| US07699898B2 |
Metal complex dye mixtures
Dye mixtures comprising one or more, such as two or three, preferably 1 or 2, dyes of the formula (1) and at least 2 dyes of the formula (2) in which Me, M, n, and V1 to V11 are as defined in claim 1, their preparation, and their use for dyeing and printing hydroxyl- and carboxamido-containing material. |
| US07699897B2 |
Method of coloring hair
The disclosure relates to compositions and methods of using the compositions to color hair. The composition contains at least one polyamine, at least one acid, at least one water-insoluble ingredient, at least one hair colorant, solvent and optionally at least one auxiliary ingredient. The methods for coloring involve contacting hair with the composition of the disclosure. |
| US07699892B2 |
Minimally invasive procedure for implanting an annuloplasty device
A method for modifying a heart valve annulus includes placing a purse string suture at a puncture site adjacent a heart valve, inserting at least one delivery member through the puncture site, positioning a distal end of the at least one delivery member adjacent a portion of a valve annulus, deploying an annuloplasty device carried within the at least one delivery member and implanting the annuloplasty device into the valve annulus. The method also includes reshaping the heart valve annulus after implantation of the at least one annuloplasty device. |
| US07699890B2 |
Medicated porous metal prosthesis and a method of making the same
A porous prosthesis for delivering a medication to the site of implantation, and a method of making the same, is disclosed. |
| US07699883B2 |
Vascular graft and deployment system
A vascular graft includes a main portion and a branch portion that is coupled to the main portion by an articulating joint. The vascular graft may be inserted into the thoracic aorta with the branch portion positioned within a branch vessel and the main portion positioned within the thoracic aorta. The graft may be deployed within a deployment apparatus comprising an outer member and an inner member and a pusher. The main graft portion may be housed within the inner member while the branch graft portion is housed within the space between the inner and outer members. The inner member may have a longitudinal groove for allowing the articulating joint to pass by when the branch graft portion is deployed. |
| US07699882B2 |
Apparatus and method for surgical bypass of aqueous humor
The invention provides minimally invasive microsurgical tools and methods to form an aqueous humor shunt or bypass for the treatment of glaucoma. The invention enables surgical creation of a tissue tract (7) within the tissues of the eye to directly connect a source of aqueous humor such as the anterior chamber (1), to an ocular vein (4). The tissue tract (7) from the vein (4) may be connected to any source of aqueous humor, including the anterior chamber (1), an aqueous collector channel, Schlemm's canal (2), or a drainage bleb. Since the aqueous humor passes directly into the venous system, the normal drainage process for aqueous humor is restored. Furthermore, the invention discloses devices and materials that can be implanted in the tissue tract to maintain the tissue space and fluid flow. |
| US07699880B2 |
Bone fixation system and bone screws having anti-back out feature
The system includes a plate with a screw hole and a bone screw wherein the screw and plate cooperate such that the screw is inhibited from back out from the plate after inserted into bone. Described embodiments include a pawl, with and without ratchet, an interfering clip about the screw head, and a snap-fit engagement between the screw and screw hole. The screw hole is preferably provided with openings at at least one of two diametric sides which provide dynamic compression functionality and access under the screw for an instrument to facilitate screw release. |
| US07699874B2 |
Low profile spinal rod connector system
A spinal rod system includes a first rod and a second rod engaged to a connector with the first and second rods extending axially therefrom in opposite direction and in laterally offset relation. The connector includes first and second side-by-side receptacles for receiving respective ones of the rods. The connector includes a clamping arrangement to releasably secure the rods in the respective receptacles. The receptacles allow the relative axial position between the rods to be adjusted to accommodate anatomical conditions. |
| US07699872B2 |
Posterior fixation system
A posterior fixation system includes a saddle member, an anchoring member, an occipital plate, an occipital rod, and a cross-link connector. The anchoring member anchors the saddle member to bone. The saddle member includes a pair of upright portions that define a channel. The channel is adapted to receive an orthopedic rod, and the saddle member can include a hole to receive the anchoring member. The saddle member and the anchoring member can be coupled so as to allow multi-axial movement of the members. The anchoring member in one embodiment is a screw coupled to the hole of the saddle, and in another embodiment, the anchoring member is a hook. The offset member may be coupled to the saddle member to allow for offset connection of rods. Connection of individual rods can be accomplished by connecting the rods with the cross-link connector. The cross-link connector has an integrally formed cylindrical member that couples a pair of coupling portions together. The cylindrical member can be bent along multiple axes. The occipital plate secures the rods to the occipital bone of the skull. The occipital plate has a cross-shaped plate with a plurality of apertures defined in the plate and at least one saddle member coupled to the plate. Alternatively, the occipital rod can be secured to the occipital bone. |
| US07699871B2 |
Surgical instrument
A surgical instrument for applying a fastener to tissue. The fastener includes a male component including a base having a hole, a needle receivable in the hole, and a female component including a base and a recess for receiving the needle. The instrument includes a shaft, a first jaw pivotally mounted on the shaft including a receiver for holding the base one component, and a second jaw statically mounted on the shaft including a receiver for releasably holding the base the other component. The first jaw is moveable between an open position and a closed position. The first and/or second jaw includes a channel for slideably receiving a needle. The instrument includes a mechanism for moving the first jaw between the open and closed positions and an ejector for driving the needle through the hole in the male component, through tissue and into the recess of the female component. |
| US07699870B2 |
Surgical fastening system and method for using the same
A surgical fastening system for attaching one piece of tissue to another piece of tissue. The system comprises a surgical fastener, an installation tool for deploying the surgical fastener in tissue, and a method for using the same. |
| US07699869B2 |
Device for the removal of ticks
The invention relates to a device, in particular, for the removal of parasites or ticks from the skin of animals or humans, comprises a housing, a spreading gripping tool, a spreading device, for spreading the gripping tool and a rotation device, for rotating the gripping tool about the axis of the device, whereby the gripping tool encloses a sealed cavity in the unspread state thereof for enclosing the parasite or the tick. The gripper tool is particularly made from an elastic or flexible material. |
| US07699867B2 |
Removable vena cava filter for reduced trauma in collapsed configuration
The present invention provides a removable vena cava filter for capturing thrombi in a blood vessel. The filter comprises a plurality of primary struts having first ends attached together along a longitudinal axis. Each primary strut has an arcuate segment extending from the first end to an anchoring hook. The primary struts are configured to move between an expanded state for engaging the anchoring hooks with the blood vessel and a collapsed state for filter retrieval or delivery. Each primary strut are configured to cross another primary strut along the longitudinal axis in the collapsed state such that the arcuate segments occupy a first diameter greater than a second diameter occupied by the anchoring hooks in the collapsed state for filter retrieval or delivery. |
| US07699865B2 |
Actuating constraining mechanism
Disclosed is a constraining mechanism that enhances the strength of a medical device, while also preventing over expansion of the device, during a procedure. The medical device includes a plurality of biased struts to which a constraining mechanism is coupled. The constraining mechanism includes a spine, which couples to one of the plurality of struts, and one or more branches extending from the spine. The branches have a curvature enabling the branches to substantially surround the plurality of struts while at the same time avoiding contact with the wall of the blood vessel of the patient when the medical device is deployed. |
| US07699863B2 |
Bioerodible self-deployable intragastric implants
Described herein are bioerodible, biodegradable, or digestible self-deploying intragastric implants that may be swallowed. Once swallowed, the implants undergo self-expansion in the stomach and apply a suitable pressure against the stomach wall to provide a feeling of satiety to the individual. The implants then dissolve or are disassembled perhaps using gastric liquids and pass out of the stomach. Methods of using the devices, perhaps for an individual participating in a dietary control regimen, are described. |
| US07699857B2 |
Hydrodynamic suture passer
A hydrodynamic suturing instrument, comprises a elongated cannulated suturing needle having a distal end configured to carry a suture through tissue and a proximal end adapted to connect to a syringe barrel and a lumen extending from said proximal end to an opening at the distal end for having a size for the passage of a suture, and the opening at the distal end configured to receive a suture extending from the lumen along an outer surface of the needle wherein a sharp point extends forward of the suture. A companion instrument includes forceps having a distal end with jaws and a proximal end with a lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end for passage of the needle, and the jaws having an opening enabling passage of the needle through tissue grasped in the jaws. |
| US07699855B2 |
Sterile surgical adaptor
A sterile adaptor, a sterile drape with the integrated sterile adaptor, and a telerobotic surgical system including the sterile drape with a drape interface are provided. The adaptor, drape, and system allow for draping portions of a telerobotic surgical system to maintain a sterile barrier between the sterile surgical field and the non-sterile robotic system while also providing an interface for transferring mechanical and electrical energy and signals between a robotic arm and a surgical instrument in the sterile field. |
| US07699850B2 |
Apparatus and method to access bone marrow
An apparatus and method for penetrating bone marrow is provided. The apparatus may include a housing such as a handheld body, a penetrator assembly, a connector that releasably attaches the penetrator assembly to a drill shaft, a gear mechanism, a motor and a power supply and associated circuitry operable to power the motor. The penetrator assembly may include a removable inner trocar and an outer penetrator or needle. It may also include a grooved trocar that allows bone chips to be expelled as the apparatus is inserted into bone marrow. Various connectors are provided to attach the penetrator assembly to the drill shaft. |
| US07699849B2 |
Diskectomy instrument with disposable blade head
A diskectomy instrument includes a blade housing assembly having a first housing portion and a second housing portion. The second portion is fixedly attached to a probe body, and the first portion is releasably connectable to the second portion. At least one blade opening is provided, and at least one blade is movably mounted at least partially within the blade housing for movement through the at least one blade opening between an extended position and a retracted position. A drive stem is movably mounted for linear movement within the probe body and is operatively connected to an actuator. The drive stem engages the at least one blade to move the blade between the extended position and the retracted position. A removal tool is provided to permit the first housing portion to be removed from the second housing portion. |
| US07699848B2 |
Multipin clamp and rod attachment
The present invention provides a clamp assembly which allows the surgeon to snap a bone fixation assembly onto a bone fixation rod at an intermediate location along the length of the rod. It is not necessary to “thread” the clamp onto the rod starting at the end and sliding it down the length of the rod to the desired location. In particular, this invention provides a novel clamp assembly for use with standard bone fixation rods, and bone pins. The clamp allows the interconnection of a bone fixation rod with a bone pin locking assembly including a bone pin vise. The clamp is a single-piece construction, having a jaw capable of loosely capturing the bone fixation rod when the surgeon presses the jaw onto the rod. The assembly may be rigidly fixed to the rod using a bolt which tightens the jaw onto the rod. |
| US07699846B2 |
Surgical instrument and method
A surgical instrument comprises a hollow tube (18) having a cutting window (16) at the distal end portion. An inner tube (15) is disposed within the tube (18) and is mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis. A cutting tool (17) is located at the distal end of the tube (15), and is positioned adjacent to the cutting window (16). An outer tube (14) is provided over the tube (18). A motor (5) is provided for rotating the inner tube (15), and saline is fed to the cutting window (16) via a passageway (25) between the tubes (15) and (18). The inner tube (15) has a central lumen (24) through which tissue cut by the cutting tool (17) is removed under the action of a source of suction (12). The outer surface of the tube (18) is covered with an electrically insulating layer (22) and coagulating RF signals are supplied between the tube (18) and the outer tube (14) so as to coagulate tissue at the cutting window (16). A weakened portion (43) of the outer tube (14) ensures that when the outer tube (14) and hollow tube (18) are bent to form a curved portion (42), the relative positioning of the respective distal ends of the tubes (14) and (18) is maintained. |
| US07699841B2 |
Microwave apparatus for controlled tissue ablation
Apparatus for controlled tissue ablation includes an elongated relatively flexible antenna with a first, strip-like, conductor having opposite faces and proximal and distal ends, a dielectric spacer covering one face of the first conductor, and a second, serpentine, conductor composed of a series of similar segments positioned flush against the spacer and being coextensive lengthwise with the first conductor. The second conductor has a distal end connected to the distal end of the first conductor and a proximal end. An electrically insulating enclosure surrounds the conductors. The proximal ends of the first and second conductors may be connected via a coaxial cable to a remote microwave transmitter/receiver unit. |
| US07699840B2 |
Neutral electrode for HF surgery
The invention relates to a neutral electrode for HF surgery and to an electrically conductive gel. The neutral electrode comprises at least one electrically conductive section that can be brought into contact with a section of a patient's body. In order to enable the contact resistance to be reduced in a simple and economical manner, in particular in cases of problematic skin and/or tissue conditions, the neutral electrode comprises circulation-promoting means that enhance blood flow through the section of the body that is in contact with this electrode section. The invention also relates to a conductive gel for application of a neutral electrode to a section of a patient's body that contains capsaicin or similar means for promoting circulation. |
| US07699839B2 |
Thermally conductive surgical probe
A surgical process for freezing or cauterizing infected tissue, by inserting a transparent sleeve through a small slit in the flesh of a patient and wherein the inserted end of the sleeve is provided with a cone-shaped tip. Monitoring of the sleeve and probe insertion and location of the infected area is achieved by video camera. After removing the solid and rigid probe, a fiber optic tube is inserted into the sleeve whereby ambient light is conducted through the tube. A carbon rod is inserted through the fiber optic tube having its pointed end in contact with the infected area. The carbon rod is connected to a source of cold or heat. In a cold application, the infected area is frozen so when the carbon rod is removed and replaced by a suction device, the frozen area can be fragmented and the particles removed. |
| US07699835B2 |
Robotically controlled surgical instruments
A robotically controlled surgical instrument includes a first jaw and a second jaw used to grasp an item, and a drive mechanism that increases the force applied to the item grasped. The drive mechanism and the jaws can be provided with an accommodating mechanism that allows continued movement of the drive mechanism towards a locked position even after the jaws contact a larger item so that the drive mechanism can move to the locked position when grasping items of different sizes. |
| US07699834B2 |
Method and system for control of osmotic pump device
Embodiments of a system including a remotely controlled osmotic pump device and associated controller are described. Methods of use and control of the device are also disclosed. According to some embodiments, an osmotic pump device is placed in an environment in order to pump a material into the environment or into an additional fluid handling structure within the osmotic pump device. Exemplary environments include a body of an organism, a body of water, or an enclosed volume of a fluid. In selected embodiments, a magnetic field, an electric field, or electromagnetic control signal may be used. |
| US07699830B2 |
Wound cleansing apparatus with scaffold
An apparatus for cleansing and applying therapy or prophylaxis to wounds, in which irrigant fluid containing a physiologically active material from a reservoir connected to a conformable wound dressing and wound exudate from the dressing are recirculated by a device for moving fluid through a flow path which passes through the dressing and a means for fluid cleansing and back to the dressing. A biodegradable scaffold underlies the dressing on the wound bed to promote tissue growth. The cleansing means (which may be a single-phase, e.g. micro-filtration, system or a two-phase, e.g. dialytic system) removes materials deleterious to wound healing, and the cleansed fluid, still containing materials that are beneficial in promoting wound healing, is returned to the wound bed. The dressing, an assembly comprising the dressing and scaffold, and a method of treatment using the apparatus. |
| US07699825B2 |
Flexible absorbent article with improved body fit
An absorbent article that has a thin, conformable absorbent core where the core has at least two layers, both of which are substantially free of cellulosic fibers. The absorbent article has a Circular Bend Flexibility of less than about 15 N and an acquisition rate on the third gush of less than about 170 seconds and/or on the fourth gush of less than about 190 seconds. |
| US07699822B2 |
Chemically tanning human skin
The invention teaches devices and methods for chemically tanning human skin. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b). |
| US07699821B2 |
Multi-functional port
A subcutaneous port includes an elongated port corpus having a proximal end defining a septum receiving opening angled in relation to a longitudinal axis of said port corpus, a substantially cylindrical body, and a substantially frustoconical conus having an outlet opening provided at a distal end thereof. The cylindrical body defines a chamber along at least a portion of a length thereof and the cylindrical body and frustoconical conus collectively define a passage to permit passage of fluid between the chamber and the outlet opening. A septum is retained in the septum receiving opening by a septum retainer. A catheter is connected to the port corpus passage. |
| US07699820B1 |
Device for irrigating the ear canal
A device for irrigating cerumen from one's ear canal, which includes a universal adaptor affixed to the spout of a lavatory faucet (one which allows the cold and hot to be mixed); a flow line extending from the adaptor; a valve on the adaptor, which when opened allows for adjusting the temperature and force of flow by feeling the flow at a nozzle on the second end of the flow line; a cup for placement over the ear to contain the water flow; a double loop within the cup to mount a first loop to a tragus portion of the outer ears for directing fluid flow from the nozzle into the ear canals, a second loop engaged around a probe to limit the depth the nozzle is able to enter the ear canal; and a return line for returning water and debris collected from the ear canal into the lavatory. |
| US07699819B2 |
Molecular sieve and zeolite microneedles and preparation thereof
A method of making zeolite microneedles includes providing a polymer microneedles template, depositing zeolite seeds on the polymer microneedles template, and growing the zeolite seeds into an array of zeolite microneedles. |
| US07699818B2 |
Insertion system and methods for nasogastric tubes
A nasogastric tube insertion system comprises a nasogastric tube, a guide element, and an inserter element. The inserter element has a slim, elongate main body, a handle attached to the body, and an anatomically curved insertion section. The guide element comprises a swallowable weight attached to a cord, string, monofilament line, tube, or other similar line. The swallowable weight may be ablative in the presence of stomach fluids or may be deflated to allow the guide element to be removed while the nasogastric tube remains in place. The inserter element is inserted through the patient's nasal passages and optionally into the oropharynx. The weight is released and the patient swallows it into the stomach. The guide element is threaded through the guide element retaining structure, and the nasogastric tube is safely inserted along the guide element into the patient's stomach. Chemical property indicators sensitive to fluids found in the stomach may be provided in the nasogastric tube or the guide element to verify correct placement of the nasogastric tube in the stomach. |
| US07699817B2 |
Device for monitoring the administration of enteral nutritional fluids into a feeding tube
A monitoring device is coupled to the open proximal end of an implanted gastrostomy feeding tube in order to monitor the administration of enteral nutritional fluids into the body of the patient. The monitoring device includes a clamshell-like casing and an electronic control circuit mounted within the casing. The casing includes upper and lower housings which are coupled together about a hinge. The casing additionally includes a connector shaped to fittingly project into the open proximal end of the feeding tube, the connector defining a lumen in fluid communication with the longitudinally-extending bore of the tube. A metering device is disposed within the lumen in the casing and is electrically connected to the control circuit. In use, the monitoring device is capable of, among other things, measuring the duration of a particular feeding period, measuring the duration between subsequent feeding periods, and measuring the delivery rate and amount of fluid that passes through the lumen during a feeding period, the results of the measurements being provided on an externally-viewable display. |
| US07699815B2 |
Drive mechanism for an injection device
A drive mechanism for an injection device is disclosed in which piston means are selectively driven to expel medicament from within a medicament cartridge. The drive mechanism comprises a drive means associated with a first ratchet member, a second ratchet member associated with the piston means, a housing, the first ratchet member and the second ratchet member being disposed within the housing. The second ratchet member being biased by biasing means toward the first ratchet member. The drive means is actuable reciprocally to drive the first ratchet member in a first angular direction such that the first ratchet member drives the second ratchet member along its longitudinal axis against the biasing means along at least a part of its movement and subsequently drives the first ratchet member and the second ratchet member together in a second angular direction thereby to drive the piston means. |
| US07699814B2 |
Syringe sheath
A syringe assembly has a safety sheath to prevent accidental pricking of the user after injecting fluid from the syringe into an injection site of a patient. The syringe assembly includes a body, a needle, and a slidable plunger. A tube is slidably mounted on the rear end of the plunger and has a thumb tab for pushing the plunger forwardly in the syringe body. The syringe body extends through a protective sheath. After the fluid is injected from the syringe body into the patient, the user pulls rearwardly on the finger flange so as to force the plunger into the tube and thereby pull the needle into the sheath, as the needle is being withdrawn from the patient. The needle is automatically enclosed by the sheath using only one hand and without gripping the sheath. |
| US07699812B2 |
Safety syringe with cap holding device
A safety syringe and cap holding device for holding a syringe which also allows the syringe to be capped and uncapped while minimizing exposure of the user's hands to the hazard of needle sticks. The cap holding device can be powered electrically or mechanically, and can be selectively operated by a user. |
| US07699805B2 |
Helical coil apparatus for ablation of tissue
A surgical apparatus for delivering a conductive fluid to a target site for subsequent formation of a virtual electrode to ablate bodily tissue at the target site by applying a current to the delivered conductive fluid. The surgical apparatus includes an elongated device forming a helical needle. The helical needle is configured to engage bodily tissue and is hollow for delivering conductive fluid from a fluid source. Finally, the helical needle terminates in a needle tip. In one preferred embodiment, an electrode is associated with the helical needle for applying a current to conductive fluid delivered from the helical needle. During use, following delivery of conductive fluid, the electrode applies a current to the delivered conductive fluid for creating a virtual electrode. The virtual electrode ablates bodily tissue contacted by the conductive fluid. |
| US07699801B2 |
Advanced genetic vaccines
Reagents useful in nucleic acid immunization techniques are described. More particularly, adjuvanted genetic vaccine compositions are described, as are methods of using those compositions for inducing an enhanced immune response against a selected antigen. |
| US07699797B2 |
Flexible support with rotary device for tensioning thereof
A potentiating support for an area of a body includes a framework having a surface for abutment with an area of a body. The framework defines a plurality of permanent openings in the surface regardless of whether the surface is in abutment with the area of the body, the openings extending completely through and being bounded by the framework. Furthermore, the framework, along its entire boundary with at least one of the openings, is elastically stretchable between a first initial state and extended states and, when expanded to an extended state, the framework stores potential energy that is released as kinetic energy upon its return to the initial state. The support also includes a fastening mechanism connected at multiple points proximate each of opposite sides of the framework for applying tension at each of the multiple points for tensioning the framework's surface in abutment with the area of the body. |
| US07699788B2 |
Noninvasive effective lung volume estimation
Methods for noninvasively measuring, or estimating, functional residual capacity or effective lung volume include obtaining carbon dioxide and flow measurements at or near the mouth of a subject. Such measurements are obtained during baseline breathing and during and shortly after inducement of a change in the subject's effective ventilation. The obtained measurements are evaluated to determine the amount of time required for exhaled carbon dioxide levels to return to normal—effectively an evaluation of carbon dioxide “washout” from the subject's lungs. Conversely, carbon dioxide and flow measurements may be evaluated to determine the amount of time it takes carbon dioxide to “wash in,” or reach peak levels within, the lungs of the subject following the change in the subject's effective ventilation. Apparatus for effective such methods are also disclosed. |
| US07699787B2 |
Modular blood pressure measurement apparatus
A blood pressure measurement apparatus for use in association with a blood pressure measuring cuff includes a housing having an upper shell and a lower shell defining an interior chamber and a replaceable module disposed within the interior chamber. The replaceable module houses a pump for inflating the blood pressure measuring cuff and a vent valve for venting the blood pressure measuring cuff. A cuff pressure sensor is provided within the interior chamber, either within or externally of the replaceable module. A control circuit for controlling the pump and the vent valve is provided on a circuit board disposed externally of the replaceable module. A power pack may be provided within the replaceable module for supplying electric power to the pump, the valve, the control circuit and other components within the interior chamber. |
| US07699785B2 |
Method for determining sleep stages
The present invention provides a method for determining sleep stages of an examinee, including detecting signals of the examinee with a biosignal detector, calculating a signal strength deviation value that indicates deviation of a signal strength of the detected signals, and determining a sleep stage by using the signal strength deviation value or a value of a plurality of values based on the signal strength deviation value as an indicator value. |
| US07699784B2 |
System for detecting and monitoring vital signs
A system and method for determining and monitoring various characteristics of a patient positioned on a patient support apparatus, such as a bed, stretcher, or cot, is disclosed. The system and method involve monitoring the forces exerted by the patient on one or more force sensors, which may be load cells on the support apparatus. These force sensors will detect vibrations that correspond to various conditions of the patient, including the patient's heart rate, breathing rate, and/or the seizure status of a patient. These vibrations may be analyzed, such as by Fast Fourier Transforms, in order to determine the various conditions of the patient. |
| US07699778B2 |
Ultrasound cardiac stimulator
An ultrasound cardiac stimulation system comprising: a spatially selective ultrasound source comprising at least one ultrasound transducer located outside the circulatory system; and a controller; where the controller generates an electrical response in the heart by directing the ultrasound source to transmit a high enough power level of ultrasound to one or more locations in the heart. |
| US07699771B2 |
Catheter introducer system for exploration of body cavities
A catheter introducer system for endoscopy is disclosed which includes a steering section and a propulsion section located near the end of the catheter that is introduced in a body cavity, and a non-collapsible sheath defining a working channel. The propulsion section is designed to pull the rest of the catheter inside the body cavity, so there is no need to push the catheter along. The propulsion section further includes gripping members, such as inflatable balloons, that are axially movable relative to the catheter. The catheter can thus be made very flexible in bending, and a larger diameter catheter can be used without discomfort to the patient. |
| US07699770B2 |
Device for non-invasive measurement of fluid pressure in an adjustable restriction device
A restriction system, such as an adjustable gastric band, for forming a restriction in a patient and non-invasively communicating pressure data regarding the restriction to an external monitor. The system includes a restriction device for implantation in a patient to form a restriction. The system further includes an implanted port connected to the restriction device. The port contains a working fluid for affecting the size of the restriction. The system further includes a pressure sensing system in communication with the working fluid for measuring the pressure of the working fluid and transmitting pressure measurement data to an external monitor. |
| US07699769B2 |
Adjustable surgical sling
The invention, in one embodiment, is directed to systems and methods for adjusting support to an anatomical location using an expandable chamber. |
| US07699768B2 |
Device and method for non-invasive, localized neural stimulation utilizing hall effect phenomenon
One aspect of the invention provides a method of stimulating a nerve in tissue of a patient. The method includes the following steps: applying a focused ultrasound beam to the tissue; applying a first magnetic field to the tissue; and applying a second magnetic field to the tissue, the ultrasound beam and the first and second magnetic fields combining to stimulate the nerve. Another aspect of the invention provides a nerve stimulation device having two magnetic coils of opposite polarity each adapted to generate a magnetic field in a patient's tissue, the coils being positioned to generate a substantially toroidal magnetic field within the patient's tissue; and an ultrasound source adapted to transmit a focused ultrasound beam into the patient's tissue. |
| US07699766B2 |
Decanting centrifuge with vibration isolation
A centrifuge has a rotor for receiving a disposable processing unit. The centrifuge is configured such that the motor is attached to an enclosure and the enclosure is supported on a base. The connection between the base and the enclosure is a vibration isolator, and the isolator is positioned such that its effective line of action aligns with the effective plane of rotation of the rotor. In accordance with another feature of the invention, the processing units are held in a decanting position by a decant ring that moves vertically but does not rotate. The ring engages the top of the processing unit during decant and the abrasion is minimal. |
| US07699755B2 |
Isometric exercise system and method of facilitating user exercise during video game play
An isometric exercise system according to the present invention facilitates user interaction with a host computer system and includes at least one effector, at least one sensor coupled to the effector, a platform to accommodate the user and control circuitry including a processor. The platform accommodates a user and includes the effector attached thereto. The sensor measures at least one force applied by a user to the effector, where the applied force effects a strain on or deflects the effector. The processor receives and processes data corresponding to applied force information measured by the sensor for transference to the host computer system in a compatible format and facilitates user interaction with the host computer system via effector manipulation by the user. The host computer system processes the information to update or respond to events within an executing software application (e.g., a game). |
| US07699753B2 |
Method and apparatus for creating a virtual workout community
A method for creating a virtual online gym for providing members with a shared workout experience and decreasing the feeling of isolation when members are not all working out at the same physical location. The method including the steps of receiving a request for access to the virtual online gym and receiving a selection for a first exercise program from a plurality of available exercise programs from the first member. The method also includes the steps of determining a program length based on the selection of the first exercise program; presenting updated status information during a length of the program length; and, providing a notification when the program length has been reached. An apparatus and system for implementing the method are also disclosed. |
| US07699744B2 |
Multi-speed automatic transmission for private cars or commercial vehicles
A multi-speed automatic transmission for private cars or commercial vehicles includes input and output shafts, two power paths, a double planetary gear train, first and second brakes. The first power path has a first speed ratio and includes first and second clutches. The second power path has a second speed ratio, which is greater than the first speed ratio and in the same direction, with third and fourth clutches. The transmission has eight forward and two reverse speeds and is highly flexible. In one embodiment, the transmission is reduced to six forward and one reverse speed without the second clutch. In another embodiment, the input and output shafts are aligned and the ratios are supplied respectively by a planetary gear train and a direct drive. In another embodiment, the input and output shafts are parallel and the ratios are supplied respectively by two parallel gear trains including constant mesh gears. |
| US07699740B2 |
Friction coupling with actuator and plate spring
A friction coupling assembly includes: a ball ramp assembly (2) with two coaxial discs (6, 7), wherein the faces (8, 9) of the two discs (6, 7) each have ball grooves (12, 13) of increasing depth, wherein pairs of opposed ball grooves hold balls to axially support the two discs (6, 7); a plate package (3) arranged coaxially relative to the discs (6, 7) and having outer plates (24) for fixing to a coupling carrier (40) and inner plates (25) for fixing to a coupling hub (56); and a plate spring (5) for introducing force into the plate package (3), the plate spring (5) is arranged coaxially relative to the discs (6, 7), is axially pretensioned and, functionally, is arranged in series with the plate package (3). |
| US07699737B2 |
Electric axle drive unit
A drive unit for transmitting power to wheels of a motor vehicle includes an input driveably connectable to a first power source, a final drive gear set driveably connectable to the wheels, a motor/generator including a stator and a rotor arranged about an axis, the rotor being able to rotate about the axis and to move along the axis relative to the stator, a gear unit arranged about the axis and driveably connected to the gear set for driving the gear set at a speed that is less than a speed of the rotor, and a coupler secured to the rotor for alternately coupling the rotor and the gear unit mutually and transmitting power therebetween and decoupling the rotor and the gear unit mutually. |
| US07699732B2 |
Instrumented take-up unit and related control method
The invention concerns a device for tensioning belts or chains that may include a fixed support; a moving element that may move relative to the fixed support and designed to be in contact with the belt or the chain; and an actuator designed to exert a permanent tensioning force between the mobile equipment and the fixed support. The device may also include a sensor unit to monitor parameters of angular displacement of the moving element relative to the fixed support. |
| US07699731B2 |
Mechanism of motor reduction with variable regidity and rapidly controllable
A transmission mechanism between two or more shafts of devices that interact or could possibly interact with people. The transmission mechanism has a particular application to the sector of machines for muscular training and/or rehabilitation, devices for entertainment such as carousels and amusement-park rides, service machines and robots that physically interact with human beings, and industrial robots that operate in close proximity to the operator. |
| US07699730B2 |
Hydraulic tensioner lifter
To provide an adequate biasing load to an endless transmission belt by biasing forces of a plurality of springs with different biasing forces and oil pressure biasing force to permit an easy adjustment. In a structure which includes an almost cylindrical plunger, a tensioner body into which the plunger is fitted, high pressure oil chambers are formed by the tensioner body and the plunger and supplied with oil pressure. Two tensioner springs, a rigid spring and a soft spring are supported by the tensioner body and are arranged in series for biasing the plunger. The plunger in its fully stretched state is supported by the serially arranged rigid and soft tensioner springs. In a condition when the plunger is pushed back from this fully stretched state by a prescribed amount or further, the plunger is supported by the rigid tensioner spring. |
| US07699729B2 |
Speed ratio change control device and method for belt type continuously variable transmission
This invention is a speed ratio change control device for a belt type continuously variable transmission that a minimum generated pressure of the primary pressure is estimated on the basis of a displacement speed of the movable sheave of the primary pulley and an opening area of a drain side passage of the speed ratio change control valve (S4), an upper limit value of a shift speed is calculated on the basis of the minimum generated pressure (S6), and the target speed ratio is set on the basis of the upper limit value of the shift speed (S10). |
| US07699728B2 |
Variable speed transmission
A variable speed transmission of the continuously variable type. The transmission includes an input pulley having primary and secondary sheaves and an output pulley having primary and secondary sheaves. The primary and secondary sheaves of the input pulley are mounted on a first axle shaft carried by an actuator plate and the primary and secondary sheaves of the output pulley are carried on a second axle shaft carried by the actuator plate. The input shaft of the transmission carries pin mounted roller bearings which are received in skewed slots in an actuator sleeve so that the actuator sleeve is moved axially along the input shaft in response to variations in torque loading. The actuator plate is annular and includes a central circumferential groove receiving pin mounted roller bearings carried by the actuator sleeve so that the actuator plate, and the axle shafts carried thereby, undergoes the same axial movement as the actuator sleeve in response to variations in torque loading. One sheave of each pulley is fixedly mounted on the respective axle shaft and the other sheave is slidably and rotatably mounted on the shaft. The mounting of the pulleys on the respective axle shafts is such that axial movement of the actuator plate has the effect of moving the sheaves of one pulley apart and simultaneously moving the sheaves of the other pulley together whereby to cause the entrained drive belt to move radially outwardly relative to the sheaves of one pulley while moving radially inwardly with respect to the sheaves of the other pulley whereby to change the drive ratio of the transmission. |
| US07699726B2 |
Game ball incorporating a polymer foam
A game ball is disclosed that includes a polymer foam layer processed with an inert fluid blowing agent, such as nitrogen. The polymer foam may be a polyolefin material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and ethylvinylacetate, and the inert fluid blowing agent may have a relatively high-purity. The polymer foam may be manufactured with a process that includes impregnating a polymer with the inert fluid blowing agent and expanding the polymer by heating the polymer above a softening temperature of the polymer, reducing a fluid pressure surrounding the polymer, and cooling the polymer. The game ball may be a soccerball, football, or volleyball, for example, that includes the polymer foam. |
| US07699722B1 |
Adjustable height golf tee
A tee portion and a height regulating portion cooperate to form a height adjustable golf tee where the user may readily and easily adjust placement of the height regulating portion relative to a placement zone along the tee portion and lock the height regulating portion at a desired location defined by the user. The height regulating portion is locked onto the tee portion during assembly where it may not inadvertently become separated during use, transport or storage. The height regulating portion is easily transferred between an adjustment position and a locking position utilizing a simple toggle like action. The height adjustable golf tee provides for a golf ball to be retained consistently at a user defined elevation above the ground during play of the game of golf. |
| US07699717B2 |
Interchangeable shaft system
A golf club incorporating an interchangeable shaft system includes a shaft, a shaft sleeve, a club head and a fastener. The shaft sleeve is coupled to an end of the shaft and is received in a hosel included in the club head. The fastener retains the shaft sleeve in the hosel. Hosel and shaft sleeve alignment features are provided that provide discreet orientations between the shaft and club head. |
| US07699716B2 |
Set of iron clubs with constant ground roll
A set of iron clubs where each club in the set has the same or substantially the same ground roll. The set is produced by adjusting at least two club design characteristics of the clubs based upon measured or assumed player swing data. The design characteristics of the clubs include club length, static clubhead loft, location of the center of gravity, shaft flexibility, and groove volume. Preferably, club length and static clubhead loft are adjusted for coarse adjustments, while the other characteristics are used to fine-tune the design. |
| US07699712B1 |
Construction element for a bowling lane and a bowling lane
A construction element (4) for a bowling lane is intended as a surface board of the bowling lane and it comprises at least one laminate layer (1), a board layer (2) and a supporting structure layer (3). The supporting structure layer (3) is a cellular structure of a honeycomb shape. |
| US07699711B2 |
Swing assembly
A swing assembly includes a swing frame and at least two single-seater seat units. The swing frame includes a horizontal support bar and a plurality of spaced apart hook members disposed swingably on the support bar. Each single-seater seat unit includes a chair member, and a hanging unit connected to an adjacent pair of the hook members and further connected to the chair member. The single-seater seat units are swingable independently of each other on the swing frame. |
| US07699699B2 |
Gaming device having multiple selectable display interfaces based on player's wagers
An apparatus and method for displaying multiple gaming device interfaces for the same wagering game is provided. The game can be slot although other wagering games are also within the scope of the present invention. In one embodiment, the exact same game is played using one of a plurality of different display interfaces, wherein the gaming device enables the player to select which interface to play. The player can play the game for a while using one interface and then switch interfaces to provide a fresh display or to change the player's luck. The player can then switch back to the original interface or select a brand new interface depending upon how many interfaces overall are provided. |
| US07699698B2 |
Gaming machine and method involving a selectable bonus evaluation system
A coin-operated player operable entertainment machine has a main display device, such as rotatable symbol-bearing reels, which selects a combination of symbols at a win zone after a game-play stake has been credited. Some symbols are bonus symbols which can initiate a bonus feature if at predetermined win zone positions. The game-play stake can be changed by the player to change options for attaining the bonus feature. The arrangement may be such that an increase in stake value results in an increase in the number of predetermined positions which correspond to initiation of the bonus feature. |
| US07699696B2 |
Gaming device with wild activation symbols and wild termination symbols
A gaming device having a wild activation symbol is displayed on a set of reels or set of cards within a display device. The processor causes other symbols or cards to become wild within the display device when the wild termination symbol is displayed. When the wild activation symbol is displayed, the present invention may also provide a wild termination symbol on the set of reels or the set of cards within a display device. The processor may then stop symbols or cards from becoming wild based on the position of the wild termination symbol. |
| US07699694B2 |
System including card game dispensing shoe and method
A system and method including card game dispensing shoe includes a scanner that discerns the value and suit of each card dispensed, and includes a CPU and a memory storing data such as rules for dealing cards, data representing player strategy criteria and card inventory data. The CPU, with the scanner data and wagering data can determine player proficiency in regards to player strategies, can determine whether the card inventory is in favor of the player, determine player first card advantage and can, on a floating basis, determine permitted deck penetration. The system and method can be incorporated into games to be broadcast over a communications network such as the Internet. |
| US07699688B2 |
Carrier ring for carrier head
A carrier head that has a base assembly, a retaining ring assembly, a carrier ring, and a flexible membrane is described. A carrier ring has an annular upper portion and an annular lower portion having a lower surface with a smaller inner diameter than the upper surface of the annular upper portion, wherein the carrier ring circumferentially surrounds a retaining ring and has a lower surface to contact a polishing pad. |
| US07699687B2 |
Compact electric sanding machine
The present invention particularly relates to a hand-held sanding machine with an outer housing (1), a tool shaft (2) and a brushless electric drive motor. In the present invention, the rotor of the drive motor is fastened to the tool shaft (2) of the sanding machine, and the stator (6) is positioned in the outer housing (1). The present invention also relates to a control method for an electric sanding machine. |
| US07699686B2 |
Method for polishing and aluminum-zinc hot-dip coating
The present invention is directed to a method of polishing a minimum spangle aluminum-zinc alloy hot-dip coating applied to sheet steel to provide a polished hot-dip coating having a continuous, consistent surface appearance suitable for use in an unpainted condition. |
| US07699677B2 |
Profiling float and usage of the profiling float
Provided is a profiling float that can minutely and surely control effective buoyancy acting on the float in itself, and usage of the profiling float.The profiling float according to the present invention is equipped with a float chamber forming an airtight internal space, a fluid storage part provided in the float chamber and storing a fluid for control of buoyancy, a bladder provided at the exterior of the float chamber, in the interior of which the fluid for control of buoyancy is filled to change a volume thereof, thereby controlling buoyancy acting on the profiling float, a pump mechanism for transferring the fluid for control of buoyancy between the bladder and the fluid storage part, and a driving source for driving the pump mechanism, wherein the pump mechanism is composed of a gear pump. |
| US07699676B2 |
Buoy system
A buoy system having a buoyant flotation reel 10 for retaining a length of anchor line 95 and for supporting a display pole is disclosed. The anchor line 95 includes an anchor weight 98 thereon and a reel insert 15 for placement within the interior of the buoyant flotation reel 10. The display pole 5 includes a pivot ball 20 thereon for mounting within a socket component 27 mounted on the reel insert 15 to enable the display pole 5 to move within the socket component 27 relative to the reel insert 15. A kit for the buoy system also is disclosed. |
| US07699674B1 |
Actuator for a marine steering system
A steering mechanism connects the shaft of an actuator with a piston rod of a hydraulic cylinder and provides a spool valve in which the spool valve housing is attached to the hydraulic cylinder and the shaft of the actuator extends through a cylindrical opening in a spool of the spool valve. The connector is connectable to a steering arm of a marine propulsion device and the spool valve housing is connectable to a transom of a marine vessel. |
| US07699670B1 |
Ignition wire spark plug terminal assembly
An ignition wire spark plug terminal comprising a connector and a wire attachment. The wire attachment is adapted to attach to a wire. The connector is comprised of a ferrule and a spring clip. The ferrule is generally at least semi-cylindrical and the spring clip is a partially cylindrical band that is permanently attached coaxially to the ferrule. Dimples in the spring clip extend through holes in the ferrule into the space within the ferrule that receives a spark plug or distributor cap terminal. The permanent attachment is by weld, solder, or adhesive. |
| US07699668B2 |
Plug-in module
A plug-in module for mounting on a mounting device is provided, the plug-in module including a housing with a rear mounting face and plug regions on the front face. At least one additional plug region is formed between the front face and the rear mounting face on the housing. |
| US07699665B1 |
Audio plug connector
An audio plug connector includes a substantially pillared insulating body defining a fixing portion at one end thereof, a plurality of terminals formed in the insulating body, and a housing having a lower housing and an upper housing mated with each other to define a cylindrical receiving space therebetween for receiving the one end of the insulating body therein. The fixing portion defines at least one fixing hole passing therethrough. A portion of an inner surface of the lower housing protrudes corresponding to the fixing hole to form at least one locating portion inserted in the corresponding fixing hole. A portion of an inner surface of the upper housing protrudes corresponding to the locating portion to form at least one propping projection which defines a locating hole. A free end of the locating portion is further inserted in the corresponding locating hole. |
| US07699658B2 |
Connection adapter for sensors or actuators
A connection adapter is configured and shaped to be connected between the connection side of a sensor or of an actuator and the input side of a plug connector in order to adapt different plug faces of the sensor or actuator and of the plug connector to each other. The connection adapter has a plug base facing toward the plug connector and with contact chambers and comprises a fastening area facing toward the sensor or actuator. |
| US07699655B2 |
Electrical connector having a shielding shell
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing (2), a plurality of terminals (3) received in the insulative housing (2) and a shielding shell (4) covering the insulative housing. The insulative housing (2) includes a mating opening (24) extending along a longitudinal direction and a pair of grooves (231) extending with an angle to the mating opening and opening to an exterior. The shielding shell is provided with two shielding shell (41), (42) attached to an outer periphery of the insulative housing (2), which their ends are received and retained in the grooves (231). |
| US07699654B2 |
Electric wire and water-stopping method therefor
An electric wire including a conductor; and a coating material outside of the conductor, wherein a water-stopping agent having a flowability is located between the conductor and the coating material on a connection terminal side of the electric wire. |
| US07699650B1 |
Electronic device with voltage-resistant connectors
An electrical device includes a conductive member and a voltage-resistant connector to be mounted to the metal enclosure. The conductive member such as a metal enclosure, includes a pair of clasping portions separated from each other. Each of the pair of clasping portions includes a pair of fixing arms. The voltage-resistant connector includes a main body to electrically connect a high-voltage output and a load of the electrical device, and an insulated member between the main body and the conductive member to increase a beeline distance between the voltage-resistant connector and the insulated member to avoid arcing therebetween. The insulated member defines a pair of holes corresponding to the clasping portions. The pair of fixing arms of each of the pair of clasping portion extends through a corresponding hole and clasps the insulated member to fix the voltage-resistant connector on the conductive member. |
| US07699643B1 |
Electrical cord management device
An electrical cord management device includes an elongate housing having open first and second ends, an open side, and an open interior area extending between the open ends and open side. A first friction fit clip is positioned in the open interior area and coupled to the housing for attachment to a first electrical cord. A second friction fit clip is positioned in the open interior area and coupled to the housing for attachment to a second electrical cord. The first and second clips are sufficiently spaced apart to allow an end of the first electrical cord to be coupled to an end of the second electrical cord while the first electrical cord is coupled to the first friction fit clip and the second electrical cord is coupled to the second friction fit clip. A lanyard is positioned adjacent the housing first end. |
| US07699640B2 |
Miniature circular connector system
A generally circular plug and receptacle connector system for use with electronic systems and devices is provided. This system includes: a plug component and a receptacle component. The plug component further includes: a housing having an internal channel formed therein for receiving a length of stripped wire; a shielded conduit attached to the housing, wherein the shielded conduit further includes a chamber formed therein; a plug body disposed within the shielded chamber; and a plurality of conductive pins disposed within the plug body, wherein the conductive pins are adapted on one end to be coupled with the length of stripped wire. The receptacle component further includes: a housing having a shielded chamber formed therein; a flanged member disposed within the housing for connecting to the plug component; a receptacle body disposed with within the shielded chamber; and a plurality of conductive sockets disposed within the receptacle body, wherein the conductive sockets of the receptacle component are adapted to mate with the conductive pins of the plug component. |
| US07699639B2 |
Plug locking mechanism
A locking mechanism is provided for securing a plug with a cable to an electronic device. The locking mechanism includes a base portion configured to abut against a side of the plug, a pressing portion slantingly extending from an end of the base portion, at least one tab protruding from the pressing portion near the base portion, and a clamping portion extending from the other end of the base portion and configured to engage with the cable. |
| US07699636B2 |
Electrical connector
An electrical connector (1) comprises an insulative housing (2), a plurality terminals received in the housing (2), a stiffener (3) engaged with the housing (2), a clip (5) and a lever (4) pivotably mounted on two opposite sides of the stiffener (3). The lever (4) comprises a pair of locating portions (424) pivotably received in the stiffener (3), an offset actuating portion (422) between the locating portions (424), and an operating portion (43) extending upward and frontward from an end of the locating portions (424) and bent far away from the housing (2). |
| US07699634B2 |
High power electrical connector for a laminated heater
An electrical connector has a non-conductive outer housing and a spring-loaded conductive assembly mounted within. The non-conductive outer housing has a longitudinal axis along which the spring-loaded conductive assembly is allowed to move over a limited range, in either direction. The conductive assembly includes a conductive contact pad and an conductive elongated shaft which are mated together within the non-conductive outer housing. A spring mounted along the contact shaft and in abutment therewith biases the contact shaft in a direction away from the contact base. When the electrical connector is employed in a chamber lid of a chamber lid assembly having an integrated laminated heater, such as for use in conjunction with a wafer processing chamber, the spring biases a lower surface of the contact shaft against the heater. |
| US07699629B2 |
Grounding via a pivot lever in a transceiver module
A transceiver module that utilizes a pivot lever to ground a shielded cable that is plugged into the transceiver module. In one example embodiment, a transceiver module includes a housing, a jack, and a movable pivot lever. The housing is operative to be electrically connected to chassis ground when the transceiver module is received within a host port. The jack is defined in the housing and operative to receive a shielded plug. The pivot lever is configured to allow removal of the transceiver module from within the host port. Further, the pivot lever is configured to be in electrical contact with both the housing and a conductive element of the shielded plug received by the jack such that a chassis ground is established between the housing and the shielded plug. |
| US07699627B2 |
Electrical connector with improved contacts retaining mechanism
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing having a front mating face, a base portion, a mating portion protruding forwardly from the base portion and a number of passageways recessed rearward from the front mating face, the housing defining a number of blocks on a rear side thereof, the blocks each having an abutting face on a lower end thereof; a number of first contacts received in the passageways respectively and each including a contacting portion exposed in the passageway to mate with a corresponding mating connector, a level retaining arm fixed in the passageway and defining a front end connecting with the contacting portion and a rear end opposite to the front end, and a vertical mounting portion extending downwardly from a rear end of the retaining arm, the vertical mounting portion including a soldering portion to be soldered onto a printed circuit board and a protrusion tab extending laterally to have a larger width than that of the soldering portion, the protrusion tab abutting against the abutting face to prevent the vertical mounting portion from moving upwardly. |
| US07699624B2 |
Dial module and process for manufacturing the same, LED display element, display module, movement module, connector module and meter employing the same
The dial module includes: a sheet-shaped dial having a design part on a surface of the dial; a sheet-shaped light source fixed to a back surface of the dial for illuminating the design part; and a flexible printed circuit fixed to a back surface of the light source. The dial module thus constructed enables to reduce the number of components, to facilitate assembly of a meter which employs the dial module therein, to improve the productivity, and to reduce the cost. |
| US07699618B2 |
Optical transceiver with an FPC board connecting an optical subassembly with a circuit board
The specification discloses an optical transceiver that provides a FPC board to electrically connect the OSA with the circuit board. The FPC board provides pads to be connected with corresponding pads formed on the circuit board and at least one opening in adjacent to the pads. In the present invention, the shape and the position of the opening fit with the outer shape and the position of a corresponding electrical component mounted on the circuit board. By mating the opening in the FPC board with the component on the circuit board, the pads on the FPC board may be aligned with pads on the circuit board. |
| US07699617B2 |
Modular interconnect apparatus
The present application provides a modular interconnect apparatus. In one embodiment, the interconnect apparatus includes a frame; and a plurality of coaxial modules connected to the frame, wherein each of the plurality of coaxial modules comprises: a signal contact having a middle portion, a first end and a second end; a first ring shaped ground contact surrounding the first end of the signal contact, wherein the first end of the signal contact is coaxial with the first ring shaped ground contact; a second ring shaped ground contact surrounding the second end of the signal contact, wherein the second end of the signal contact is coaxial with the second ring shaped ground contact; and a housing that houses at least a portion of signal contact and ground contacts. |
| US07699613B2 |
One-piece, screw-receiving, externally-threaded endosseous dental implants and related transfer components, comfort caps and abutments
A one-piece, screw-receiving, externally-threaded endosseous dental implant includes a body portion with external threading and, at its proximal end, an unthreaded, cylindrical portion including a retentive groove for engaging a complementary transfer component or comfort cap; a one- or two-piece screw-receiving implant abutment for attachment to a one or two-piece implant, including a retentive groove for engaging a complementary transfer component or comfort cap; and a fixture mount for insertion in a one-piece implant, that can be sectioned with the distal end used to extend the implant height. |
| US07699609B2 |
Dispensing apparatus and cartridge with deformable tip
A device for the treatment of periodontal disease. The device includes a handle that has a configuration familiar to dental professionals and a cartridge that is locked into the handle when use, typically delivery of a composition to a periodontal pocket, is desired. The cartridge provides for effective delivery of compositions, such as agents, as its tip is deformable, typically from a circular to an oval shape so as to flatten. The deformation may be made either manually, by the dental professional, or upon contact with teeth or other tissues, whereby this flattened tip can penetrate deeply into periodontal pockets for quick and direct application of the composition, for example, therapeutic agents. |
| US07699604B2 |
Manufacturing apparatus for semiconductor device and manufacturing method for semiconductor device
A manufacturing apparatus for a semiconductor includes a reaction chamber into which a wafer is introduced, gas supply unit for supplying a gas to the reaction chamber, gas exhaust unit for exhausting the gas from the reaction chamber, a holder for holding the wafer at an outer circumferential part of the wafer, a first heater for heating the wafer from below, a reflector provided above the holder, and a drive mechanism for driving the reflector. |
| US07699601B2 |
Torch having a continuous-flame mode
A hand-held torch includes a housing. A fuel flow path is defined within the housing. A plunger is movable within the housing to control fuel flow through the fuel flow path. An engagement portion is coupled to the plunger. A latching mechanism having at least one claw is movable to engage the engagement portion when the plunger is positioned to allow fuel flow through the fuel flow path. An actuator is coupled to the latching mechanism and exposed for manipulation by a user to move the latching mechanism into engagement with the engagement portion. |
| US07699595B2 |
Method and apparatus for molding a laminated trim component without use of slip frame
An apparatus for producing a molded product from a sheet-form raw material blank has first and second mold tools that each respectively include a respective inner core mold and a respective outer edge mold laterally adjacent thereto. Drive elements drive the outer edge molds relative to a machine frame, and drive the inner core molds relative to the outer edge molds. A molding process involves closing the outer edge molds to hold an edge rim of the material blank while allowing slippage thereof, and then closing the inner core molds to three-dimensionally deform and mold a central portion of the material blank while pulling required additional material by slippage through the outer edge molds. A separate slip frame is not used. The edge rim held by the outer edge molds remains as a permanent mounting rim or flange of the finished molded product. Edge waste is minimized. |
| US07699593B2 |
Hydraulic press for synthetic and metal processing
A hydraulic press can include a press frame with a press table arranged thereto and a traveling press platen arranged therein, in which at least one rapid motion cylinder with a platen connection can be arranged for the rapid no-load stroke of the press platen, in which at least one working cylinder with a piston directed toward the press table can be rigidly arranged on the upper crosshead of the press frame, in which a coupling device and opposed thereto a crosshead with at least one positioning and synchronizing cylinder for the piston can be arranged on the piston toward the press table, in which the piston can include a centrically arranged cylindrical extension for the sliding guide of a connecting device, such as a toothed rack, in which this connecting device can be connected to the press platen. |
| US07699592B2 |
Rotary piston machine
A rotary piston machine includes a driving part driven by an electric motor, and a driven part that have mutually engaging end-face denticulation for delivering a medium, the driving part and the driven part being housed in a machine housing and connected to the machine housing via respective bottom bearings of the driving/driven parts, creating a unit. |
| US07699587B2 |
Cooling channel for automotive HVAC blower assembly
A centrifugal blower comprising a cooling air path having an inlet communicating with a blower space and an outlet communicating with the inlet of the motor airflow path, the cooling air path having an upstream portion that extends axially in the direction from the opposite end of the motor toward the drive end of the motor, and the cooling air path having a downstream portion that extends axially in the direction from the drive end of the motor toward the opposite end of the motor. |
| US07699580B2 |
Portable air moving device
A stable portable air moving device capable of generating an air stream elevated above a support surface allowing the air stream to be directed as desired by the user is provided. The device includes an air blower assembly located within an elongate housing generating an exhaust air stream that exits the elongate housing at an elevation above the air blower assembly. |
| US07699577B2 |
Interface plate for mounting a light duty attachment to a lift arm assembly
An attachment arm assembly includes an attachment arm that is pivotal about an arm pivot axis using a hydraulic lift cylinder. The attachment arm assembly also includes an interface plate pivotal about an interface plate pivot axis and configured to mount a tool. The interface plate has a main body and includes a first side edge having a first end and a second end. The interface plate includes a second side edge having a first end and a second end. The interface plate also includes a top edge that couples the second end of the first side edge to the second end of the second side edge. The first ends of the first and second side edge are spaced apart from each other a distance greater than a distance between the second ends of the first and second side edges. |
| US07699576B2 |
Tire lifting and mounting tool
The present invention, a tire mounting device, is a lifting and transporting device for the facilitating the removing and replacing of a tire. The tire mounting device comprises a cross assembly, handle assembly, left fork assembly, and right fork assembly. The handle assembly is perpendicularly rigidly attached to the cross assembly. The left fork assembly and right fork assembly are rigidly attached to opposing ends of cross assembly which extends horizontally. An obtuse angle is disposed in an intermediate position with each fork assembly. Tire supports the underside of each fork assembly to allow for the transporting the tire upon the tire mounting device. |
| US07699575B2 |
Loading assembly for transport containers and related method of use
A loading assembly is provided that is configured to load transport containers with bulk material quickly and efficiently. A container support assembly is also provided that facilitate alignment and stable support of the container throughout loading. In use, a load bin of the loading assembly is inserted and retracted relative to the container by a drive mechanism. The barrier assembly confines the contents of the load bin in the container while the bin is retracted, allowing the contents of the bin to remain within the container upon removal of the bin. The container support assembly includes left and right ramps disposed along side the container. The ramps each include a support surface having an increasing height differential with reference to the ground from the distal end to the proximal end. The support assembly further includes an interface assembly configured to attach to the container and to engage the support surfaces of the left and the right ramps to distribute load onto the ramps. Thus, with the container properly positioned, a substantial portion of the container's load is borne by the ramps. |
| US07699574B2 |
Work-piece processing system
A transfer system for use with a tool for processing a work-piece at low or vacuum pressure such as an ion implanter for implanting silicon wafers. An enclosure defines a low pressure region for processing of work-pieces placed at a work-piece processing station within the low pressure region. A two tier multiple work-piece isolation load lock transfers work-pieces from a higher pressure region to the lower pressure for processing and back to said higher pressure subsequent to said processing. A first robot transfers work-pieces within the low pressure region from the load locks to a processing station within the low pressure region. Multiple other robots positioned outside the low pressure region transfers work-pieces to and from the two tier work-piece isolation load locks from a source of said work-pieces prior to processing and to a destination of said work-pieces after said processing. |
| US07699566B2 |
Tool chuck with sleeve and clutch mechanism
A tool chuck may include a chuck body defining a longitudinal axis. A sleeve may be mounted on the chuck body and axially fixed relative to the chuck body. A clutch part may be provided on the sleeve. The clutch part may interact with a cooperating clutch part mounted on the power driver housing. The cooperating clutch part may be mounted on the power driver housing for movement between a first axial position in which the chuck body is rotatable together with the sleeve, and a second axial position in which the chuck body is rotatable relative to the sleeve to actuate the tool chuck. The chuck body may be rotatable in a first direction to actuate the tool chuck up to a first torque threshold, and rotatable in a second direction to actuate the tool chuck up to a second, different torque threshold. |
| US07699564B2 |
Self-contained keyhold weld fitting and method of use
A method of attaching a branch outlet fitting to a metal pipe buried beneath the earth's surface while causing reduced disturbance to the earth above the pipe, comprising digging a vertical excavation from the earth's surface to expose a short length of the pipe; positioning a first fitting portion on a lower surface of the pipe; positioning a second fitting portion on an upper surface of the pipe in alignment with the first fitting portion, the first and second fitting portions having welding material thereon adjacent the pipe surfaces and each other; and from the earth's surface, activating the welding material to physically and sealably secure the fitting portions to the pipe and to each other. |
| US07699561B2 |
Method and system for storing liquid in a geological formation
A method for improving the recovery efficiency of storing fresh water into an aquifer, the storing includes injecting the fresh water and extracting the injected fresh water by a single water storage system that includes at least one well penetrating into the aquifer, the method includes: providing a plurality of screens, each screen being located alongside a wall of at least one well, and each screen respectively allowing a flow of fresh water between an associated storage zone in contact with the screen and the well on which the screen is located; controlling the flow of fresh water through each one of the plurality of screens according to parameters provided from a storage model of the aquifer, the storage model describing a behavior of each storage zone. |
| US07699548B2 |
Ink sheet cartridge
An ink sheet cartridge, requiring no adhesive, capable of inhibiting the number of components from increase is obtained. This ink sheet cartridge comprises first and second case portions storing an ink sheet as well as a first hook portion and a first hook engaging portion integrally provided on the first and second case portions respectively. Either the first case portion or the second case portion is so slid as to engage the first hook portion with the first hook engaging portion, thereby fixing the first and second case portions to each other. |
| US07699546B2 |
Light amount adjusting device and image capture apparatus
A light amount adjusting device includes: a cover plate having a light-passing hole; a first separator being sheet-shaped and having a hole; a second separator being elastically deformable and sheet-shaped, positioned on a side opposite to the cover plate with the first separator therebetween, and having a hole; a first light amount adjusting blade movable between the cover plate and the first separator; a second light amount adjusting blade being movable between the first separator and the second separator; a base body to which the cover plate, the first separator, and the second separator are mounted, having a throughhole and mounting grooves, the throughhole being formed to have a diameter larger than a diameter of the hole of the second separator, the mounting grooves allowing the second separator to be mounted therein and being opened toward the throughhole. |
| US07699544B2 |
Focal plane shutter for cameras
A shutter base plate is made of synthetic resin and is configured with one overhang section on the blade-chamber-side surface at one end of an arcuate slot and the other overhang section on the blade-chamber-outside surface. A shock absorbing member made from elastic material is configured with concave portions on the blade-chamber-side surface and three concave portions on the blade-chamber-outside surface. The shock absorbing member is mounted to the shutter base plate in such a way that these concave portions come in contact with the overhang sections, and as is well known, when an exposure operation is completed, the driving pin of a driving member abuts on the shock absorbing member. |
| US07699542B2 |
Portable information terminal with camera
A transparent plate is fixed to the body of a mobile phone with a camera in order to cover an aperture for photography. A solid-state image sensor (4) is placed on the image plane of a photographing optical system. Between a base plate having an aperture for regulating the optical path of photographing light and a cover plate having an aperture, a blade chamber for housing a shutter blade is provided, and an actuator for driving the shutter blade is fixed to the outer surface of the blade chamber. The base plate and the cover plate are arranged in the body so that the aperture is located between the transparent plate and the photographing optical system. |
| US07699541B2 |
Optical fiber fusion splicer and method for estimating a shape of beam discharged by the optical fiber fusion splicer
The present invention is provided for fusion splicing optical fibers with low splice loss even when a shape of a discharge beam for the splicing is distorted. In the present invention, a preliminary discharge is performed with the optical fibers outside a discharge area and an image of the discharge beam thereof is picked up. Based on this image, brightness distributions of the discharge beam are estimated on a plurality of lines in a Z direction that are set in different positions in an X direction, and a discharge center of the beam is found from the plurality of brightness distributions. Then, the abutment portion of the optical fibers is positioned at the discharge center, and a main discharge is performed so as to fusion splice the distal ends of the optical fibers. |
| US07699540B2 |
Optical fiber reinforcement processing apparatus and optical fiber reinforcement processing method
An optical fiber reinforcement processing apparatus and reinforcement processing method are provided where it is not necessary to dispose a temperature detecting device such as a thermistor, and a heating control in which the detected temperature is not varied, the power consumption is low, and which is accurate is enabled.An optical fiber reinforcement processing apparatus in which a fusion-spliced portion of an optical fiber is covered by a heat-shrinkable reinforcing sleeve to perform reinforcement has: heating controlling means for performing a heating control on a heater which heats the reinforcing sleeve; and temperature detecting means for detecting a heating temperature of the heater on the basis of a change of the resistance of the heater. The heating control and the temperature detection are performed by controlling time periods of turning on/off a power supply to the heater. The temperature detection is performed by detecting a voltage change Eo of the midpoint of a bridge circuit in which a series circuit of a first fixed resistor R1 and a heater resistor RX, and a series circuit of a second fixed resistor R2 and a third fixed resistor R3 are connected in parallel. |
| US07699539B2 |
Connector for plastic optical fiber
A plastic optical fiber connector includes an optical fiber connector having a plate body formed therein. On the plate body, a focusing hole is formed, the focusing hole having a holding portion extending outwardly from a side thereof. With provision of the plate body, two reception spaces are formed in the optical fiber connector, with one of which having a seat body on which an optical transceiver is provided therein, wherein a transceiver terminal of the optical transceiver is bonded to the focusing hole on the plate body. Further, a wire seat is sleeved within the optical fiber connector so that the holding portion is allowed to be placed into an optical fiber guiding hole of the wire seat. |
| US07699536B2 |
Pluggable optical transceiver
The present invention provides a new releasing mechanism form a cage on the host system for a pluggable optical transceiver. The transceiver includes an optical receptacle, an actuator with a hook that latches with the key hole of the cage, a bail attached so as to rotate in front of the receptacle and a release button. Rotating the bail or pushing the button will bring the seesaw motion of the actuator that disengages the hook with the keyhole and the transceiver is enabled to be extracted from the cage by picking the bail positioned in front of the receptacle. |
| US07699531B2 |
Wheel end assembly
A wheel end assembly includes a carrier and a wheel bearing assembly, and an outside inner race is integrally formed with a spindle of the wheel bearing assembly. The wheel end assembly includes: a carrier having a cylindrical member on its one side and a second through pipe on its other side; and a wheel bearing assembly comprising a spindle integrally formed with an outside inner race on its one side and having an insert groove on its other side, a hub having an outer race having ball receiving members receiving balls, an inside inner race provided on the inner side of the outer race by pressurization, and a seal member sealing a gap between the inside inner race and the outer race. |
| US07699530B2 |
Oil scavenge system for gas turbine engine bearing cavity
An oil scavenging system and method suitable for use in a gas turbine engine having a bearing housing. The bearing housing provides for arcuate slots within the housing and a plurality of peripherally arranged apertures disposed for cooperation with the arcuate slots. During rotation of the bearing and shaft, the rotational momentum induces rotation of the oil which distributes the oil to the peripheral circumference of the housing for eventual passage through the slots and apertures. The arrangement maximizes the use of the circumferential space of the bearing for efficient oil distribution. |
| US07699529B2 |
Fluid dynamic bearing having pressure-generating surface patterns
A fluid dynamic bearing system having pressure-generating asymmetric surface patterns, having at least two bearing parts that are rotatable with respect to each other and form a bearing gap filled with a bearing fluid between associated bearing surfaces. The surface patterns are disposed on at least one bearing surface so that hydrodynamic pressure is generated within the bearing gap when the bearing parts rotate with respect to each other. Each surface pattern comprises at least three sections, each section generating a pumping action in a defined direction, and the pumping actions of adjacent sections being substantially aligned in opposite directions. Due to the special geometry of the surface patterns, tolerances in the geometry of the bearing gap have a less significant effect on the pre-defined pumping direction. |
| US07699527B2 |
Fluid bearing device
Disclosed is a fluid dynamic bearing device in which it is possible to prevent detachment of the shaft member reliably and at low cost without involving any increase in the device size. In a thrust bearing portion T, the lower end surface of the shaft member is held in contact with a thrust plate, and the shaft member is rotatably supported in the thrust direction. Protrusions extending radially inwards are provided on a sealing portion attached to an opening of the housing, and these protrusions are engaged with a small diameter portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft member, thereby preventing the shaft member from coming off. |
| US07699523B2 |
Radiation image photographing apparatus
Radiation image photographing apparatus equipped with radiation source irradiating subject with radiation, detector holding part holding radiation image detector that detects radiation that is emitted from radiation source and is transmitted through subject, subject table that is arranged between the radiation source and detector holding part and holds subject, and with holding device that holds the radiation source, the subject table and the detector holding part so that phase contrast image may be generated, wherein an edge portion of the subject table is protruded toward the opposite side of the holding device beyond the edge portion of the detector holding part. |
| US07699522B2 |
Four-dimensional computed tomography quality assurance device
Quality assurance device for calibrating and testing the accuracy of movement-correlated computed tomography (“4D CT”) target-locating systems has a test unit sub-assembly adapted to be combined with a dynamic phantom system. The test unit sub-assembly has an axially and rotationally moveable test rod slideably disposed inside of a substantially hollow fixed housing. A matrix of markers, or “fiducials”, are located in the wall of the housing. A single fiducial is located near the distal end of the moveable test rod. The distal end portion of the moveable test rod is adapted to be connected to a motion actuator, which is programmed to oscillate the test rod in a predetermined pattern. When the test unit sub-assembly is inserted into a tissue equivalent phantom member, the combined sub-assembly and phantom member can then be subjected to four-dimensional imaging to generate a visual image. A visual comparison actual relative positions of the fiducials to the know positions of the fiducials in time indicates the accuracy of the 4D CT system. |
| US07699521B2 |
Automated binary processing of thermographic sequence data
A method for processing thermographic data is disclosed including thermally disturbing a sample collecting, as a function of time, thermal data from said sample, converting the collected data using a 2nd derivative function, and transforming the converted data using at least one Boolean operation. |
| US07699519B2 |
Alcohol-solvent extraction system
The invention relates to a method and apparatus to carry out the method for extracting petroleum distillate products from alcohol. The inventive method capitalizes on the discovered property that petroleum distillates, such as xylene and limonene, can be dissociated from their tight molecular interaction with alcohol by their higher affinity for water. The method also capitalizes on the discovered property that limonene, in the presence of water, forms terpin hydrate, forming particles that can be removed by filtration. Other, non-limonene petroleum distillates, once dissociated from alcohol, can be removed by distillation. |
| US07699517B2 |
Light emitting diode based surface lighting device
An LED surface lighting device (100) comprises a plurality of LED light source modules (120) assembled together side-by-side. Each of the LED light source modules comprises a light guiding plate (122) and at least one LED (124). The light guiding plate comprises a light emitting surface (1222) and a plurality of lateral sides (1225, 1227) adjacent to the light emitting surface. At least one of the lateral sides defines a groove (123) for receiving the at least one LED. The groove keeps a predetermined distance (D) from the light emitting surface. |
| US07699516B1 |
Back light module with micro Fresnel lens
A back light module where one of the top and bottom surfaces of the light guide contain a micro Fresnel lens array which is off-axis so that a portion of the light won't initially escape from the back light module. The light is reflected down the length of the light guide, spreading the light across the back light module. In one embodiment, the Fresnel lens array is designed to have its efficiency vary across the back light. A smaller percentage of the light is directed out of the module near the light source, with most of the light being directed down the light guide. In an LED embodiment, the LED is mounted on the top or bottom edge of the light guide with a diffraction structure on the opposite side to diffract the light down the light guide. |
| US07699515B2 |
LED lighting system
A lighting system is provided having a light source with a housing, an LED engine, a controller, a heat sink, a connection device, and a power cable opening. The LED engine, controller and heat sink can be enclosed by the housing and sealed from atmosphere. The heat sink can be in thermal communication with the LED engine. The controller can be connected to a power cable inserted through the power cable opening. The controller can control at least one of power to the LED engine and a light output generated by the LED engine. A fiber optic cable can be connected to the LED engine by the connection device. The LED engine can communicate the light output through the fiber optic cable. |
| US07699514B2 |
LED vehicular lamp with flat reflector
An LED vehicular lamp with reflector can include a plurality of LED modules each having respective appropriate light distributions. The modules can be attached to a housing to form a light distribution characteristic though combination of the light emitted from the LED modules. At least part of the LED modules can include an illumination axis that is substantially at a right angle to the optical axis of the lamp such that light reflected at a reflector provided in the housing travels in the illumination direction of the LED light source vehicular lamp. The LED modules can also include a rear end that protrudes from an outer surface of the housing to improve the heat radiation efficiency, which enables the use of LED chips that can use higher permissible current values. |
| US07699511B2 |
Door mirror with turn lamp
A turn lamp includes a base housing; a light source unit incorporated with a light source and housed in the base housing; an inner housing provided with a long and solid light guide; a lens cover that covers the base housing; and a diffused reflection generator that is structured such that light from the light source leaks out long from the light guide. |
| US07699508B2 |
Pole-suspended flag illumination
A pole-suspended flag illumination system positions a lighting fixture located in close proximity to a flag on a flagpole to provide illumination to the flag. The lighting fixture can slide up and down the flagpole in unison the flag using the same halyard that is used for the flag, or by other means. Further, flags often rotate about the flagpole as the wind shifts. As such, the lighting fixture can rotate about the flagpole in alignment with the flag so as to maintain illumination on the flag at it rotates. The flag and the lighting fixture may be attached to a reinforced electrical cable that acts as a halyard and raises and lowers them both along the flagpole. Further, the electrical cable can be connected to a power source to power directional lights in the lighting fixture and any other electrical devices on the flagpole. |
| US07699507B2 |
Device and method of optically signalling road or traffic lanes, specifically in low visibility conditions
An optical signaling apparatus for use in highways or roadways (2), particularly in low visibility conditions, wherein a roadway (2) comprises at least one traffic bearing surface (S) with at least one edgeline (3). The apparatus comprises light-emitting means (4) for emitting at least one laser beam (5) and support means (6) designed to be arranged along the roadway (2) for supporting the light-emitting means (4). The apparatus also includes optical means (7) arranged along the roadway (2) for interacting with the beam (5) in such a manner as to selectively conform and project it either in a first direction (D1) which is incident on at least one edgeline (3) to interact therewith, or in a second direction (D2) substantially parallel to the traffic bearing surface (S) to define a substantially continuous optical path that can be viewed by the users, or even in both such directions (D1, D2). |
| US07699506B2 |
Silent moving head projector
Moving head projector comprising a base, to which base a yoke is rotationally connected, to which yoke a head is rotationally connected, the head having a light source partly inside a reflector that forms a light beam which passes through a light forming arrangement located on at least one rotating disc formed member that is rotated by at least a first motor, and at least one lens through which the light beam passes before leaving the projector. The light forming arrangement is exchangeable via an opening in the head of the projector located radially outward of the at least one rotating disc formed member for providing direct access thereto during operation of the projector, the projector having a cover for closing and exposing said opening, opening of the cover switching the projector from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation. |
| US07699501B2 |
LED illuminating device and light engine thereof
An LED illuminating device includes an optical section (10), an electrical section (30), and a heat dissipation section (20) arranged between the optical section (10) and the electrical section (30). The heat dissipation section is provided with a heat dissipation device (200) which includes a heat sink (23), a mounting seat (24), and a heat pipe (22) connecting the mounting seat with the heat sink. The heat sink includes a solid base (231) and a plurality of fins (232) extending radially and outwardly from the base. The base is provided with a through hole (233). Alight source (11) is provided in the optical section and attached to the mounting seat. The heat pipe includes an evaporating portion (222) attached to the mounting seat, and a condensing portion (221) fittingly received in the through hole of the base. |
| US07699499B2 |
Automated light-emitting apparatus and wearable object including the same
The invention provides an automated light-emitting apparatus, which can be disposed in an object, includes a light-emitting unit, a force-sensing module, and a power-generating module. The force-sensing module includes a first component and a second component engaged to the first component. When the object receives an external force, the force-sensing module changes the distance between a first portion of the first component and a second portion of the second component. Moreover, the power-generating module includes a coil coupled to a magnetic member, the magnetic member engaged to the first component, and a magnetic conductor engaged to the second component. Particularly, when the distance between the first portion and the second portion is changed, the coil generates an induced electromotive force for supporting the light-emitting unit with needed power. |
| US07699498B2 |
LED lamp
An LED lamp includes a bracket and a heat sink secured to the bracket. The heat sink has a base and a plurality of mounting members and platforms extending upwardly from the base. A plurality of LED modules are mounted on the mounting members and the platforms. A pair of LED modules located beside and adjacent to a central line of the base is disposed slantwise and face inwardly to each other. Another pair of LED modules at two opposite lateral portions of the base of the heat sink is disposed slantwise and face outwards. The LED modules mounted on the platforms face upwardly. |
| US07699494B2 |
Replacement illumination device for a miniature flashlight bulb
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for providing a solid state light emitter and driving circuitry integrated into a component module that will retrofit common incandescent light bulb applications. |
| US07699492B2 |
Lighting device with clip
A lighting device is disclosed. The lighting device can be battery-powered and can include one or more LEDs within a light source housing. The device can also include a base connected to the light source housing, and a clip removably connected to the base. The base can act as a stable support for the lighting device when the lighting device is positioned upright over a flat support surface with the clip disconnected from the base. Similarly, the clip (or the clip in conjunction with a portion of the base) can act as a stable support for the lighting device when the lighting device is positioned upright over a flat support surface with the clip connected to the base. The clip can be configured to releasably connect to the base in a first orientation and a second orientation substantially opposite to the first orientation. |
| US07699491B2 |
Flashlight mounting arrangement
A flashlight mounting arrangement may comprise a flashlight body having a source of light therein, and a mounting saddle for detachably affixing the flashlight body on an object, the mounting saddle detachably engaging the flashlight body. Optionally, the flashlight may have a rotatable lamp head, and the lamp head may also include a reflector having one or more sources of light, e.g., an incandescent lamp and a light emitting diode, therein. Also optionally, a battery charger may be provided to recharge a battery for the flashlight. |
| US07699484B2 |
Direct-type backlight module having fixing member and elastic members cooperatively fixing light sources
An exemplary direct-type backlight module includes light sources, a frame, and a fixing member. Each light source includes a supporting strip and at least one light-emitting member provided with the supporting strip. The frame includes a bottom plate. The bottom plate includes elastic members. The fixing member is engaged with the elastic members thereby fixing the supporting strips of the light sources to the bottom plate of the frame. A liquid crystal display using the backlight module is also provided. |
| US07699479B2 |
Teardrop shaped vehicular mirror
A vehicle mirror assembly having a housing and dome-type mirror lens. The lens has a first base footprint portion with a constant radius of curvature and a diameter, and a second base footprint portion comprised of an elliptical portion with a base major axis and a base minor axis. The mirror lens includes a first surface portion having a first surface radius and conforming to the first base footprint portion. The lens additionally includes a second surface portion conforming to the second base footprint portion. The second surface portion is comprised of a second surface major radius of curvature corresponding to a major surface axis and a second surface minor radius of curvature corresponding to a minor surface axis. |
| US07699477B2 |
Alignment method, alignment apparatus, and alignment screen for objective-lens guiding device
An end face of a narrow-diameter end portion is easily disposed at a correct position on an examination object without setting an examination site, thus enabling rapid and straightforward acquisition of an image of the examination site. The invention provides an alignment method for a guiding device which is attached to an end of an objective lens in such a manner as to be capable of positional adjustment in an optical axis direction and which is brought into contact with an examination target to make a focal position of the objective lens coincident with an examination site. The alignment method comprises securing, to an end face of the guiding device, an alignment screen, having a predetermined pattern; relatively moving the objective lens and the guiding device, to which the alignment screen is secured, in the optical axis direction; fixing relative positions of the objective lens and the guiding device at a position where an in-focus image of the pattern of the alignment screen is obtained, or at a position further relatively shifted by a predetermined distance from that position; and removing the alignment screen from the guiding device. |
| US07699472B2 |
Multi-view autostereoscopic projection system using single projection lens unit
A multi-view autostereoscopic projection system using a single projection lens unit. The projection type autostereoscopic system includes: a source of graphic signals representing at least three perspective views of a 3-D object on at least three parts of a frame, the at least three perspective views being directly or reflectively projected vertically or horizontally in a predetermined order, an image projector connected to the source of graphic signals, an image screen disposed across from the image projector, and first and second parallel plane mirrors installed between a projection lens of the image projector and the image screen to be substantially parallel to a projection axis at the same distance from the projection axis such that the first and second parallel plane mirrors are separated from each other by a predetermined distance. |
| US07699471B2 |
Subjective refraction method and device for correcting low and higher order aberrations
A subjective refraction technique uses a plane wave light source including substantially a point as a viewing target. The refraction method provide for a number of distinct identifiable end points. By finding such end points the process leads to an aberration-corrected vision. A defocus corrector assembly (DCA) includes a lens that is moveable along an optical axis between a patient's eye and the point light source for adjusting defocus power until the patient indicates that the blurry image has become a relatively focused line image. An astigmatism corrector assembly (ACA) which is capable of continuously variable in its amplitude is provided including a pair of astigmatism plates for adjusting astigmatism power and axis angle. The ACA is adjusted until the patient indicates that the line image has become a substantially round image. A reference marker provides displayed items including a sweep line overlapping at the point source and having an orientation which is adjustable. The patient may subjectively control the sweep angle of the sweep line and indicate that the sweep line is aligned with the sharp line image of the point source, thereby providing axis angle data of astigmatism errors of the patient's eye. |
| US07699466B2 |
Visual training device and visual training method
A visual training device 1 including: a screen arranged facing a subject H having visual impairment; a line of vision detection unit that detects a line of vision of the subject H and outputs line of vision signals indicating the line of vision; a visual field data storage unit that stores visual field data indicating the visible area AR2 and the area of visual impairment AR1 of the subject H; and a screen control unit 53 that, on the aforementioned screen, moves the visible area AR2 specified based on the aforementioned visual field data in correspondence to the movement of the line of vision of the subject H specified by the aforementioned line of vision signals. The display format of the visible area AR2 or a region including the vicinity thereof, is displayed different from the display format of the other region. By doing this, an attitudinal barrier of the person with visual impairment, the subject, can be removed, and the visual training device can allow easy training to be provided. |
| US07699462B2 |
Scuba diving mask with corrective lenses
A scuba diving mask with corrective lenses comprising a frame with a plurality of rings joined to one another by a bridge, each of the rings having an internal flange on which the lip of a flexible skirt, a corresponding lens and a lens-retaining collar rest. The collar is attached by snap action to the corresponding ring. A seat is formed in a bridge substantially in the lying plane of, or coplanar with, the lenses and extending laterally to an upper internal portion of the rings. The seat includes a locking plate slidable between opposing end stroke positions - a locking end position and a release end positions respectively. When the locking plate is in the locking position, the lateral sides of the plate extend inside the rings and are engaged with corresponding notches in an upper internal rim of the lens-retaining collars. |
| US07699461B2 |
Permanent fixation of dyes to surface-modified inorganic particulate-coated media
Systems and methods for producing permanent ink-jet images are provided. In one embodiment, a system includes a media substrate coated with a porous media coating, wherein the porous media coating having inorganic porous particulates, and wherein at least a portion of the inorganic porous particulates have a first reactive group covalently attached thereto. The system further includes an ink-jet ink containing a dye, wherein the dye includes a second reactive group, and wherein the first reactive group and the second reactive group are configured to react with one another upon contact to form a covalent bond. In an alternative embodiment, a method of producing permanent ink-jet images can includes the steps of covalently bonding a first reactive group to an inorganic porous particulate; coating the inorganic porous particulate onto a media substrate to form a coated media substrate; ink-jetting a dye-containing ink-jet ink composition onto the coated media substrate, wherein the dye includes a second reactive group. The first reactive group and the second reactive group, upon contact, can interact to form a covalent bond. |
| US07699460B2 |
Printing apparatus and printing method
It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus and a printing method which can perform an appropriate printing operation on a print medium while keeping an ink ejection range to a minimum required even when the print medium transported is deviated from a theoretical position, and which can also reduce a running cost and ink mist. Thus, the present invention is characterized by determining the actual position of the print medium transported to the printing position; based on the determined print medium position, setting an area slightly larger than the print medium lying area as a print area; and performing the printing operation on that area. |
| US07699455B2 |
Inkjet recording apparatus
An inkjet recording apparatus comprises a main body, a print head, and a cable. The main body includes an ink container for storing ink, an ink supply pump for supplying the ink, and an operation control section. The print head includes a nozzle for expelling the ink supplied from the main body as ink particles, charging electrodes for charging the ink particles, deflecting electrodes for deflecting the charged ink particles, and a gutter for collecting ink particles that have not been used for printing. The cable includes an ink supply path through which the ink is supplied from the main body to the print head, an ink collecting path through which the ink particles collected in the gutter are returned to the ink container, signal lines interconnecting the operation control section and the print head. An ink collecting pump for transferring the ink particles collected in the gutter to the ink container is disposed in the print head. |
| US07699453B2 |
Liquid storage container
To provide a liquid storage container that can prevent false detection of a liquid remaining-amount sensor by preventing air bubbles from reaching a detection position of the liquid remaining-amount sensor as long as a usable amount of liquid remains in liquid storage chambers even when the air bubbles enter liquid guide paths from the liquid storage chambers. The liquid storage container has a cartridge main body 10 that includes an upper ink storage chamber 370, a lower ink storage chamber 390, and a buffer chamber 430. The upper ink storage chamber 370 and the lower ink storage chamber 390 are connected to each other with an ink guide path 380 which provides a descending connection so that ink I descends downward therethrough. The lower ink storage chamber 390 and the buffer chamber 430 are connected to each other with an ink guide path 420 which provides an ascending connection so that the ink I ascends upward therethrough. Thus, the descending connection and the ascending connection are alternately provided so as to connect the ink storage chambers in series. |
| US07699451B2 |
Pressure retaining device, pressure retaining system, and ink jet printer
A pressure retaining device for retaining a pressure in a communication passage which are communicated between a supply tank for supplying a first fluid and a nozzle for ejecting the first fluid, comprises a compressing unit provided across an intermediate of the communication passage for compressing the first fluid transferred from the supply tank to the nozzle, and a pump for supplying to the compressing unit a second fluid on which a pressure is loaded thereby. In the construction above, the second fluid is supplied by the pump to the compressing unit to compress the first fluid in the compressing unit, and the first fluid in the nozzle is then compressed by a pressure loaded on the first fluid in the compressing unit. |
| US07699447B2 |
Ink refill unit with controlled incremental ink ejection for print cartridge
An ink refill unit for a print cartridge is provided. The unit includes a housing which defines a fluid path in fluid communication with an outlet. The unit also includes an ink reservoir having an ejection port arranged in fluid communication with the fluid path inside the housing, and an ejector assembly configured to incrementally eject ink from the reservoir when the assembly is actuated by the print cartridge. The ejector assembly includes a piston and cylinder ink reservoir. The piston has a thread which engages a screw thread in an internal wall of the cylinder and is piston rotationally biased by a wound spring and the ejector having a pawl-and-ratchet detent preventing the biased piston threading into the reservoir until the pawl is actuated by the print cartridge. |
| US07699443B2 |
Piezoelectric actuator unit, manufacturing method thereof, piezoelectric structural body, and liquid ejecting apparatus using the same
The present invention is a piezoelectric actuator unit 29 having piezoelectric vibrators 33 vibrating in the lamination direction of electrode layers and piezoelectric material layers which are alternately laminated. The piezoelectric vibrators are arranged in one row in the direction of vibrator arrangement perpendicular to the lamination direction. Each of the piezoelectric vibrators includes the area on one side and the area on the other side in the direction of the vibrator width perpendicular to the lamination and vibrator arrangement directions, and either of the area on one side and the area on the other side forms active parts capable of performing piezoelectric deformation, and the other area forms inactive parts incapable of performing piezoelectric deformation, and in the adjacent piezoelectric vibrators, the arrangement of the active part and inactive part is opposite. According to the present invention, the number of nozzles of the liquid ejecting apparatus can be increased without any inconveniences. |
| US07699440B2 |
Inkjet printhead with heater element close to drive circuits
A printhead with drive circuitry for a heating element. At least part of the drive circuitry is positioned proximate to and within 60 microns of the heating element. Moving the drive circuitry within 60 microns of the heating element enhances the nozzle packing on the printhead substrate and improves its energy efficiency. |
| US07699439B2 |
Droplet ejection head and droplet ejection apparatus
A droplet ejection head includes: a first laminate having plural nozzles; a second laminate bonded to the first laminate and internally having plural pressure generating chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles; plural piezoelectric devices having individual electrodes and common electrodes, the plural piezoelectric devices being provided in the second laminate correspondingly to the plural pressure generating chambers, the plural piezoelectric devices changing volumes of the plural pressure generating chambers in accordance with driving signal supplied to the individual electrodes so that fluid reserved in the pressure generating chambers is ejected as droplet from the nozzles; a first wiring board connected to the individual electrodes and supplying the driving signal to the individual electrodes; and a second wiring board connected to the common electrodes in common. |
| US07699436B2 |
Ink jet printing method and ink jet printing apparatus
The present invention allows a high-speed printing by a print head in which nozzles are arranged with a high density to reduce eddy flow caused between the print head and a print medium, providing an image with a high quality. Thus, the present invention allows the same printing region of the print medium to be sequentially printed by the respective nozzle arrays provided in the print head in accordance with image data thinned-out by the mask pattern M, thereby completing the image by multi-pass. Then, a plurality of pieces of image printed to be printed to the same printing region at which the nozzle arrays pass in one pass are alternately thinned-out by different high and low thinning-out ratios in the direction in which the nozzles are arranged. |
| US07699433B2 |
Method of maintaining a printhead using a maintenance roller and ink removal system mounted on a chassis
A method of maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (i) providing a chassis having mounted thereon: a maintenance roller having an elastically deformable contact surface and an ink removal system for removing ink from the maintenance roller; (ii) moving the chassis towards the printhead such that the contact surface is sealingly engaged with an ink ejection face thereof; (iii) moving the chassis away from said printhead such that the contact surface is disengaged from the face; and (iv) rotating the maintenance roller such that ink is removed from the contact surface by the ink removal system. |
| US07699419B2 |
Spacing-sensing apparatus for use in a printing module of printer
A spacing-sensing apparatus for use in a printing module of printer is disclosed. The spacing-sensing apparatus includes an oscillating device pivotally disposed on the frame of printing module, wherein the oscillating device has a swing body designed to be rotatably disposed on the lateral plate of the frame, and one end of the swing body is capable of making contact with the surface of a print media when the printing module descends to a predetermined distance from the printing module to the print media, allowing rotation of the other end thereof to trigger switch means for stopping the descending of printing module. |
| US07699418B2 |
Liquid jetting apparatus and liquid jetting method
A liquid jetting apparatus and a liquid jetting method are achieved that can prevent unexpected landing position displacement relating to satellite droplets. For example, the liquid jetting apparatus includes a head in which a nozzle row constituted by a plurality of nozzles lined up in a row is arranged at a medium-opposing surface which is in opposition to a medium, a head movement section that moves the head in a predetermined direction along a surface of the medium, a spacing adjustment section that adjusts a spacing between the head and the medium, and an ejection control section that carries out ejection control of a liquid by determining at least one non-ejection nozzle among a plurality of nozzles sandwiched between a nozzle at one end of the nozzle row and a nozzle at another end thereof, the non-ejection nozzle being a nozzle which is caused not to eject liquid, the number of the non-ejection nozzle being determined according to a spacing from the medium-opposing surface to the surface of the medium. |
| US07699416B2 |
Printing device
A printing device includes: a conveying unit; a printing unit; a detecting unit; a partial printing unit; a reverse conveying unit; a printing state detecting unit; and a restoration process executing unit. The conveying unit conveys a recording medium in a conveying direction to a prescribed printing position. The printing unit is capable of printing an image based on inputted print data on the recording medium conveyed to the printing position. The detecting unit is capable of detecting the recording medium on an upstream side of the printing position of the printing unit with respect to the conveying direction. The partial printing unit controls the printing unit to execute a printing operation based on at least part of the inputted print data when print data is inputted. The reverse conveying unit conveys the recording medium in an opposite direction to the conveying direction so that a printing region printed by the partial printing unit is in a detection position at which the detecting unit can detect at least part of the printing region. The printing state detecting unit controls the detecting unit to detect a printing state in the printing region conveyed to the detection position of the detecting unit by the reverse conveying unit. The restoration process executing unit executes a process to restore the printing state when the printing state detecting unit detects that the printing state in the printing region is unsatisfactory. |
| US07699411B2 |
Antiskid control apparatus for vehicle
An ABS control apparatus employs a normally-open linear solenoid valve as a pressure-increasing valve, and repeatedly performs ABS control composed of pressure-reducing control and linear pressure-increasing control. This apparatus determines an initial value Pw0 of an estimated wheel cylinder pressure value Pw in consideration of brake operation time before start of ABS control Tstp and vehicle body deceleration at the start of a first-time ABS control, and then determines the estimated wheel cylinder pressure value Pw during the ABS control on the basis of the value Pw0 and the pressure-reducing characteristic of a pressure-reducing valve. This apparatus determines instruction current supplied to the pressure-increasing valve during the linear pressure-increasing control, while using an estimated differential pressure Pdiff (=(Pw0−Pw)+Pup1+Pup2), wherein Pup1 and Pup2 are set in accordance with the time Tstp and additional brake operation during the ABS control, respectively. |
| US07699407B2 |
Industrial truck
A working machine, such as an industrial truck, having a spring-loaded brake having a braking position and a release position and controlled by a brake valve producing a brake-release pressure. The brake valve is operatively connected to a service brake input device, such as a brake pedal, and can be acted upon in the direction of a reduction in the brake-release pressure arising at the spring-loaded brake when the service brake input device is actuated. It being possible, on actuation, for the service brake input device to be operatively connected to a pre-stressed spring device, which is operatively connected to the brake valve and can be acted upon in the direction of an increase in the spring force on increasing actuation of the service brake input device. |
| US07699405B2 |
Vehicle wheel end assemblies and methods of assembly thereof
A wheel end assembly for a vehicle includes an axle tube and a housing secured to the end of the axle tube. A hub includes a drive flange located axially outward from the housing and a spindle projecting from the drive flange into the housing. The hub spindle has a substantially solid body with drive splines about an external surface of the spindle. Rolling elements are located between the hub spindle and the housing for enabling the hub to rotate about an axis. The hub includes an inner race defining an inner raceway located around and carried by the hub spindle for engagement with the rolling elements. An axle shaft is positioned within the axle tube and includes splines that are coupled to the external drive splines of the hub. The axle shaft includes a substantially hollow end positioned within the housing having the shaft splines positioned within an inner surface of the hollow end of the axle shaft. The hollow end is configured for receiving a portion of the hub for coupling the shaft splines with the drive splines of the hub for transferring torque from the axle shaft to the hub. |
| US07699399B2 |
Seat apparatus
A seat apparatus includes a seat back capable of being used as a table at a surface thereof, a seat back driving device moving the seat back between a seating position and a table position, a controlling portion controlling the seat back driving device, and the controlling portion including an operating portion at which the user executes a certain operation, wherein, when the user executes the certain operation, the controlling portion controls the seat back to move in a first direction that is opposite to a second direction to which the seat back is moved most recently. |
| US07699398B2 |
Backrest unit for a motor vehicle seat
The invention relates to a backrest unit for a motor vehicle seat, in particular a rear seat comprising a backrest and support connected thereto. A guide rail is arranges on the rear surface of the backrest on an x-z plane. A slide is movably mounted on the guide rail and is lockable therein in different positions. When a control device associated with the slide is actuated, it brings the slide from a normally locking position into a released position. A support comprises a near end which is hinged on the slide and a distant end which is fixable to a bodywork part. |
| US07699396B2 |
Seat assembly having an internal mounting bracket and a seat cover including a closure structure
This invention relates to an improved cover for a seat assembly that includes a closure structure for selectively providing access to an internal mounting bracket and that has an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The seat assembly includes a seat portion and a back portion that cooperate to provide a seat. At least one of the seat portion and the back portion includes a frame having a mounting bracket provided thereon and a cover having an opening. A closure structure is provided on the cover for selectively providing access though the opening formed through the cover to the mounting bracket. The closure structure may be embodied as any releasable closure structure, including a zipper, hook and loop material, snap fasteners, buttons, and the like. |
| US07699394B2 |
Connections for active head restraint systems for vehicle seats
A vehicle seat with an active head restraint system is provided with a seatback frame having a pair of side members. An armature extends transversely between the side members with a pair of lateral ends each pivotally connected to one of the side members. A head restraint rod extends from the armature for supporting a head restraint. An actuator is mounted to the seatback frame for actuating the armature. A bushing is mounted to the frame, the armature or the actuator. A rivet is mounted to the bushing and another of the frame, armature and actuator. The rivet preloads the bushing to minimize inadvertent movement at the connection. A method for assembling a vehicle seat is provided wherein the bushing is preassembled to the rivet. Another method for assembling a vehicle seat is provided wherein the rivet preloads the bushing to minimize inadvertent movement at the connection. |
| US07699393B2 |
Load limiting (energy management) child restraint seat
A child restraint seat which changes the position of the occupant and dissipates kinetic energy during a collision. An exemplary embodiment rearward-facing child restraint seat shifts the occupant to translate forward and/or move from a relatively reclined position to a relatively upright position during a vehicular collision. Additionally, some of the kinetic energy of the occupant is dissipated through the use of an energy absorbing element, which limits loading on the occupant. |
| US07699391B2 |
Bicycle saddle
This relates to a bicycle saddle of the type that presents two identical portions (1, 1′) longitudinally symmetrical. Thanks to its special conformation, said saddle permits the cyclist to avoid the occurrence of pathologies normally caused by the use of a racing saddle of commonly known types, eliminating the crushing of the vascular structure of the perineum, as well as the testicles of male cyclists and the clitoris of female cyclists. The special geometry permits a pedaling action without causing friction of the thigh muscles, in particular the delicate and adducent muscles. |
| US07699387B2 |
Shading device for vehicle roofs with transparent element
The present invention consists of a concealment device for vehicle roofs with a transparent element comprising a group of technical solutions in the blocking means which enable unblocking and smooth opening and closing movements without losing efficiency in respect of retention. It is characterized by the use in the rail of an elastomeric body with a distortion capacity such that when the braking brake shoe attempts to advance a front of elastomeric material forms in front and a traction zone forms behind, checking the advance. The device also incorporates blocking means which make use of an appropriately configured lever which multiplies the release force of the retention brake shoes applied by means of a wire or similar, by power obtained from the handle device. |
| US07699378B2 |
Motion assist mechanism for a vehicle tailgate
A motion assist hinge mechanism includes a first and second hinge part mounted to the tailgate and vehicle body, respectively. The first hinge part includes a first cam having a sloped engagement surface engaged with a sloped engagement surface of a second cam of the second hinge part, under the bias of a resilient member, for moving axially along a pivot axis. The second cam is fixed to the vehicle body against pivotal movement relative to the pivot axis. When the tailgate is moved from a lowered, open position towards a raised, closed position, the resilient member translates a torque assisting force to the tailgate. The surface of the second cam may also include a detent that mates with the surface of the first cam to lock the tailgate at an angle. |
| US07699373B2 |
Bed extension assembly
A bed extension assembly for a vehicle includes a bed assembly having a bed floor, sidewalls disposed along sides of the bed floor and a split tailgate assembly disposed adjacent a rearward edge of the bed floor between the sidewalls. The split tailgate assembly includes a first door pivotally secured to one of the sidewalls and a second door pivotally secured to another of the sidewalls. A bed extender member is movably secured to the bed assembly for movement between a stowed position beneath the bed floor and in an extended position protruding rearwardly from the bed assembly. |
| US07699372B2 |
Integrated car top carrier
A cargo carrier integrated a vehicle roof such that the cargo carrier is deployable from a stowed position within the vehicle roof to a deployed position that extends from the vehicle roof. The cargo carrier includes a bottom panel disposed within a recess formed in the vehicle roof, and a pair of side panels disposed within and hingedly connected to the bottom panel. The side panels are actuatable between the stowed position and the developed position. A front panel and a top panel are hingedly connected to each other and attached to the bottom panel. To deploy the cargo carrier, a deployment system is connected to the side panels for actuating the side panels between the stowed position and the deployed position. Actuation of the side panels raises the top panel and the front panel to the deployed position. |
| US07699370B2 |
Rear console box
A rear console box in accordance with the present invention is for a vehicle. The vehicle includes a floor, seat rows on the floor, and an aisle between the seat rows. The rear console box is disposed in the aisle. The rear console box includes a console box body, a hinge configured to connect the console box body with respect to the floor and thereby allow the console box body to pivot between a horizontal position and a raised position. The horizontal position is in the aisle and is substantially horizontal relative to the floor. The raised position is outside the aisle and in front of the aisle. The rear console box also includes a support member configured to extend between the console box body and the floor. The support member supports the console box body and thereby holds the raised position of the console box body. |
| US07699368B2 |
Hose manipulator
A hose manipulator according to the present invention includes an elongate shaft having upper and lower ends and extending between about 3 feet and about 5 feet in length. The hose manipulator also includes a handle at the shaft upper end, the handle having a portion extending generally perpendicular to the shaft. A hook is positioned at the shaft lower end and extends between about 150 degrees and about 180 degrees and includes a diameter between about 3 inches and about 6 inches. The hook and the perpendicular handle portion are generally coplanar. |
| US07699366B2 |
Vehicle door lock
A door latching mechanism of a vehicle door lock engages with a striker fixed to a vehicle body to close a door. An outside handle on the door is operated. Operating force is transmitted via a rod to an intermediate lever below a windowpane in the door and transmitted via a Bowden cable to an operating mechanism. The force is transmitted from the operating mechanism to the door latching mechanism to release the engagement from the latching mechanism to allow the door to open. |
| US07699360B2 |
Water well casing
A novel design for the connection of lengths of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) casing. Each length of casing has a male end and a female end. The female end has a narrowing interior diameter with its wider interior diameter at its outermost end sufficient to receive the male end of similar length of casing for connection. The diameter of the female end narrows to a diameter which is less than the outer diameter of the male end. The male end has a lip at its leading edge and is slotted and compressible when forced through the narrowed diameter of the female end. A groove in the interior surface of the female end is sufficient to receive the lip at the leading edge of the male end. When the lip at the leading edge of the male end reaches the groove, it allows the compressed male end to expand with the groove receiving the lip therein. The connected lengths of casing are locked together in this manner. |
| US07699356B2 |
Quick connector for fluid conduit
A quick connector coupling has either a linear or an angled female coupling member, a male coupling member which is attached to a radiator, a bushing, a sealing means, and a locking ring, which maintains the connection of the male coupling member and the female coupling member. The male member has at least one chamfered surface, which is complementary to a chamfered surface on the bushing element. The locking ring is disposed around the female coupling member and has a plurality of indentations which pass through apertures positioned around the collar end of the female member. These indentations interconnect with an annular groove around the male member when coupled to the female member, securing the connection. |
| US07699355B2 |
Variable-angle tubular connection
This variable-angle tubular connection includes a first tubular section (4) which has a flange ring (10), a second tubular section (6) which has an end flange (12) and a clamping device (8) for clamping the flange ring (10) against the end flange (12). The clamping device (8) has at least one linking segment (22), suitable for being applied against the flange ring (10), and components (24) for clamping the linking segment (22) against the flange ring. The end flange (12) has traversing recesses (20) through which the clamping components extend. The end flange is fixed to the second tubular section (6). Application to the sealed junction of tubing elements. |
| US07699354B2 |
Marine riser assembly
A marine riser assembly having a first tubular member having an external surface with a plurality of first axially spaced formations, a second tubular member having an external surface with a plurality of second axially spaced formations thereon, a segmented ring in surrounding relationship to the first and second tubular members, the segmented ring having an inner surface with a plurality of formations engageable with the formations on the first and second tubular members, the engageable formations serving to urge the first and second tubular members toward each other when the segmented ring is subjected to radially inwardly directed compressive forces, a sleeve in surrounding relationship to force the engageable formations together and a seal assembly for sealing against external and internal pressure. |
| US07699346B2 |
Force redistributing system for a vehicle in the event of a rear impact
A force redistributing system operably attached to a vehicle. The system includes a first cross-car member, a first side load distributor and a second side load distributor. The first and second side load distributors are parallel to and spaced apart from each other and are attached at respective first ends to opposing ends of the first cross-car member. The system includes a second cross-car member having opposing ends, which are attached to second ends of the first and second side load distributors. The system establishes cross vehicle loading of force from a rear impact wherein the force from the rear impact on the vehicle is transferred along an upper path and a lower path. |
| US07699345B2 |
Cover for a steering column
The invention concerns a cover for a motor vehicle steering column (10), said motor vehicle comprising an instrument panel (12), said steering column (10) comprising a fixed portion (16) and a mobile portion (18), said fixed portion (16) being mounted in fixed position through said instrument panel (12), while said mobile part (18) is mounted sliding on the fixed part (16), said cover including a shell (14) for covering the steering column (10), said shell being adapted to be mounted secured in translation to the mobile portion (18), said cover further comprising means for guiding in translation (22, 24). The invention is characterized in that said guiding means (22, 24) are adapted to be installed between said fixed portion (16) and said shell (14) to guide said shell (14) in translation relative to said fixed portion (16). |
| US07699343B2 |
Side curtain air bag unit
A side curtain air bag unit includes a cover; an air bag housed in the cover; at least one mounting flap extending from the air bag and fastened to a vehicle body; a ramp holding the air bag and cover therein, mounted adjacent to an upper end of a B-pillar trim to guide deployment of the air bag such that the B-pillar trim does not interfere with the deployment; and a fastening member having a first end secured to the cover, and a second end which passes through the ramp and is secured to the body of the vehicle. |
| US07699340B2 |
Air bag apparatus
According to the air bag apparatus, for example, a side air bag apparatus 20, in a mode in which a portion on a side of a connector portion 33 of an inflator 30 is exposed from a cylindrical portion 51 of a retainer 50, the inflator 30 is contained in the retainer 50. Further, an exposed portion of the inflator 30, that is, a portion thereof exposed from the cylindrical portion 51 of the retainer 50 is fastened together with an extended portion 52 substantially in a shape of a half cylinder extended from the cylindrical portion 51 of the retainer 50 by a clamp mechanism 60 in a state of being covered by an extraneous portion of a base cloth extended from an opening portion 41 of the air bag 40. |
| US07699339B2 |
Bracket for securing side airbag for automotive vehicle
There is provided a bracket for securing a side airbag for an automotive vehicle. The bracket includes a support plate, an installation plate positioned at upper part of the support plate and including an installation aperture, and fixing plates formed by being forwardly bent from the right and left edges, with respect to the installation plate, of the support plate. |
| US07699336B2 |
Protective housing for a trailer coupler
An anti-theft device for a towed trailer vehicle wherein a pivotable cover housing is mounted to the tongue of the trailer in spaced relation to the socket lock mechanism of a conventional ball socket attachment of a trailer hitch bar. The protective housing adapts to all standard ball and socket arrangements, does not require extensive rework of the tongue of the trailer, has adequate securing means, is low cost, and provides anti-theft protection while the trailer is in tow, as well as when the trailer is parked and/or unhitched from the towing vehicle. |
| US07699335B2 |
Trailer coupling
In order for a trailer coupling comprising a ball neck which can be moved between an operating position and a rest position and has a coupling ball, also comprising a vehicle-mounted pivot-bearing unit, in which the pivot-bearing body is accommodated such that it can be pivoted about a pivot axis, and further comprising a rotation-blocking device which can be driven by a drive, to be improved such that it can absorb, in constructional terms, the highest possible load moments, it is proposed that the rotation-blocking device has at least one rotation-blocking body, that the rotation-blocking body can be engaged with, and disengaged from, a holder by movement in a guide direction, that there is provided an actuating body which has a pressure-exerting surface and the movement of which allows the at least one rotation-blocking body to be moved and acted on, and that the drive is an actuating drive by means of which the actuating body can be moved between at least one rotation-blocking position and a freewheeling position. |
| US07699334B1 |
Fifth wheel slide rail
A slide rail assembly for a fifth wheel hitch assembly is disclosed that includes an angle member for directly mounting the assembly to a truck frame member, and a t-shaped slide rail attached to a horizontal portion of the angle member, the t-shaped slide rail including a row of spaced gaps. |
| US07699333B2 |
Saddle tube for a bicycle frame
In a saddle tube for a bicycle frame, especially a racing bicycle frame, the bottom bracket end (22) of the saddle tube is wider in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction (24) of the frame than in the longitudinal direction (24) of the frame. According to the invention, the saddle tube (18) has a flat portion (32) at the chain ring side. |
| US07699331B2 |
Motorcycle-stance alteration kit
A motorcycle-stance alteration kit is described. The kit includes a handlebar clamp, a fork clamp, and a footpeg extension. The handlebar clamp is formed to connect with a motorcycle's fork clamp and reposition the motorcycle's handlebar to alter a user's riding stance. The fork clamp is configured to be attached with motorcycle forks to the motorcycle's frame. The fork clamp includes a horizontal mounting surface that is formed to offset the fork's rake angle to cause the horizontal mounting surface to rest in a substantially horizontal alignment with respect to a ground surface. Finally, the footpeg extension is formed to connect with and between a motorcycle frame and footpeg. Thus, the footpeg extension effectively repositions the footpeg to alter the user's riding stance. |
| US07699330B2 |
Four-bar linkage suspension device for a wheeled vehicle
A shock-absorbing suspension device includes a mounting rod mounted on a wheeled vehicle frame, a wheel rod mounted on a vehicle wheel axle and forward of the mounting rod, a counteracting member pivotally mounted on the mounting rod and having upper and lower linked ends disposed forward of the wheel rod, upper and lower linking bars coupling the upper and lower linked end to the wheel rod to thereby form a four-bar linkage mechanism, a cantilever arm extending forward from an upper end of the mounting rod to terminate at a bearing end, and a force transmitting member coupled with the four-bar linkage mechanism to thereby minimize the impact of shock to the mounting rod. |
| US07699327B2 |
Wheel suspension
The invention relates to a wheel suspension, which has at least one transverse link and one wheel carrier. The wheel carrier has a connecting element, through which a bolt extends, for connecting to the transverse link. The connecting element has a stop on a limb which is assigned to a bolt head, with the bolt head having a counterstop which corresponds to the stop. |
| US07699326B2 |
In-wheel suspension
An in-wheel suspension including a vehicle body-side member (90). The vehicle body-side member (90) is coupled with a vehicle body at least two coupling portions (92a, 92b, 92c), one of which is positioned above a wheel center and the other of which is positioned below the wheel center, via respective elastic members (96a, 96b, 96c). The elastic member (96b) arranged at the upper coupling portion (92b) has portions with high rigidity, and portions with low rigidity formed in an oblique direction that extends upward and toward an inside of a vehicle from a position outside of the vehicle. The elastic member (96a, 96c) arranged at the lower coupling portion (92a, 92c) has portions with high rigidity, and portions with low rigidity formed in an oblique direction that extends downward and toward the inside of the vehicle from a position outside of the vehicle. |
| US07699321B2 |
Clamping device and method for the production of a clamping device
A chuck for accommodating a collet chuck, comprising a housing and a chucking tool seat that is assigned to the housing. The chucking tool seat is embedded in the housing as a separate part via an intermediate filling that is made of polymer concrete for connecting the chucking tool seat and the housing. This design has improved properties regarding damping and the total weight while flat sub-areas that are composed of individual guiding plates can additionally be used as clamping areas of the chucking tool seat. Thus a pyramid-type joint is obtained, which could previously be created with the required precision only by using a lot of effort when producing the same from solid material. |
| US07699320B2 |
Seal device
A seal device includes a first seal portion, a second seal portion, and a joint base, wherein the first seal portion has a first elastic portion with a flat side surface at one side of a first bight portion and a second elastic portion at the other side of the first bight portion. The second seal portion has a first symmetrical elastic portion with a flat side surface at one side of a second bight portion and a second symmetrical elastic portion at the other side of the second bight portion. A first seal face is disposed on a first outmost circumferential surface of the first elastic portion, and a second seal face is disposed on a second outmost circumferential surface of the first symmetrical elastic portion. |
| US07699314B2 |
Lottery game utilizing nostalgic game themes
A method for hosting and playing a lottery game using nostalgic game themes. The lottery game, in one embodiment emulating Pac-Man®, comprises a player selecting a path on a grid, and a lottery populating the path with numbers either generated randomly or selected by the player. The lottery also randomly places few ghosts on the same grid. A set of player indicia is determined by the numbers on the path before the path intercept with one or more ghosts. The set of player indicia is then compared with a set of winning indicia and the player receives a prize depending on the number of matches between the player indicia and winning indicia. |
| US07699307B2 |
Medium delivery apparatus and medium processing apparatus with dual rotating pressing members
A medium delivery apparatus, includes: a medium insertion portion; a medium delivery port; first and second medium guide surfaces; a feed roller; a first pressing member; a second pressing member; a rotating member; an urging member, configured to give an urging force acting in a first rotation direction to the rotating member to rotate the second pressing member toward the protruding position; an elastic member, configured to cause the second pressing member and the rotating member to abut against each other; and a stationary abutting portion, against which the rotating member abuts when the first pressing member is placed in the vicinity of the waiting position. |
| US07699305B2 |
Smart pick control algorithm for an image forming device
A method and device disclosed herein controls the movement of media sheets within an image forming device using a pick mechanism that contacts and moves a media sheet from an input area into a media path. One embodiment controls the rotational speed of the pick mechanism based on a filtered combination of a pick mechanism signal and an encoder signal. An encoder roller positioned to contact the media sheets in the input area senses the movement of the media sheet to generate the encoder signal. |
| US07699302B2 |
Sheet handling apparatus capable of effectively performing sheet processing, and an image forming apparatus using the same
A sheet handling apparatus comprises: a stacking mechanism to stack sheets of one or more printable media as a sheaf; a sheet conveyance mechanism to transport the sheaf to a respective position; a stapling mechanism to perform a stapling operation with respect to the sheaf; and a plurality of sheet regulating mechanisms disposed at positions spaced from each other along a sheet conveyance path, each sheet regulating mechanism being operable to align ends of the sheets in the sheaf according to a sheet conveyance direction. An image forming apparatus comprises such a sheet handling apparatus and an image forming device to form respective images upon the sheets and to provide the sheets to the sheet handling apparatus. |
| US07699292B2 |
Flange mounted load transition apparatus and method
An apparatus which enables the user to transition the location of a load contained within vessels or cavities which are accessed by means of a manhole, manway, or other similar openings which provides for limiting peripheral interference, the establishment of a high center point in both horizontal and vertical applications, and limiting the weight and bulk of such an apparatus. |
| US07699290B2 |
Connection device for quickly connecting pneumatic hose
A connecting device includes an inner tube having a plurality of elongate holes and a plurality of oval-shaped beads are movably engaged with the elongate holes. A plurality of openings are defined in an inner surface of the inner tube and communicate with the elongate holes respectively. A valve unit is movably located in the inner tube and includes a collar which removably closes the openings. An outer tube is movably mounted to an outer surface of the inner tube. An inlet member is connected to a first end of the inner tube. A part in short axis of each of the beads protrudes beyond the opening of the inner tube so as to provide a larger contact area with the head of hose when the head of hose is inserted into the inner tube to push the collar away from the openings. |
| US07699281B2 |
Mounting apparatus for power supply
A mounting apparatus includes a chassis (10), a bracket (20) for securing a power supply (50) therein, and a pair of first and second members (32, 34). The chassis has a plate (12). Two parallel securing pieces (126) are formed on the plate. The bracket includes two parallel side walls (24). One end portion of each of the first and second members being respectively rotatably secured on the securing pieces, the other end portion thereof being respectively rotatably secured on the side walls of the bracket. |
| US07699279B2 |
Slide bracket
A slide bracket includes a main body having an end plate and at least one hanging block. The end plate is provided with a locating holder and a corresponding opening. The locating holder contains a chamber containing a spring. The hanging block has a first post and a second post, and is disposed into the chamber to hold against the spring to expand in relation to the opening and the chamber so to allow the first and second posts penetrating through the opening of the end plate for securing the bracket to a support without relying upon tools. |
| US07699274B2 |
Temporary attachment for use with pipe hangers
A temporary attachment for use with pipe hangers is disclosed which includes an elongated angle member which is supported upon the lower end of a pipe hanger and which has a plurality of ball transfer units positioned thereon which support the pipe being hung. The ball transfer units not only permit the longitudinal movement of the associated pipe with respect to the pipe hanger but also permits the pipe to be rotated about its longitudinal axis with respect to the pipe hanger. |
| US07699271B2 |
Adjustable support for a railroad crossing gate arm
A railroad crossing gate drive mechanism has an adjustable gate arm support in the form of a split hub mounted on the external portion of a drive shaft. A fixed section of the split hub is keyed to the drive shaft and has threaded bolt holes therein. A moveable section of the split hub mounts a gate arm connector and has arcuate slots cut on the same bolt circle as the fixed section's bolt holes. Cap screws extend through the arcuate slots and into the bolt holes. The horizontal position of the gate arm connector can be adjusted due to the loose fit afforded by the arcuate slots on the cap screws. When the gate arm connector is located in the desired horizontal position, the cap screws are tightened to lock the split hub sections together. |
| US07699267B2 |
Cargo aircraft
An aircraft for carrying at least one rigid cargo container includes a beam structure with a forward fuselage attached to the forward end of the beam structure and an empennage attached to the rearward end of the beam structure. Wings and engines are mounted relative to the beam structure and a fairing creates a cargo bay able to receive standard sized intermodal cargo containers. Intermodal cargo containers of light construction and rigid structure are positioned within the cargo bay and securely mounted therein. The beam structure is designed to support flight, takeoffs and landings when the aircraft is empty but requires the added strength of the containers securely mounted to the beam structure when the aircraft is loaded. The aircraft is contemplated to be a drone. |
| US07699263B2 |
Installable reclining device for emergency medical aid of patients
In order to be able to provide in-flight emergency medical aid to patients on board more efficiently with minimum space, an aircraft, in one example, includes a seat device providing a first section of a reclining position region and a reclining position device which includes a second section of the reclining position region. In addition to use in aircraft, a reclining device, in one example, includes a seat device providing a first section of a reclining position region and a reclining position device, which provides a second section of the reclining position region, may also be used in other transportation vehicles. |
| US07699258B2 |
Method and device for the constant-tension feed and take-up of a yarn fed to a textile machine
A device for controlling the feed of a yarn to a textile machine operating intermittently on the yarn, there being provided elements to sense the tension of the yarn and elements for measuring and modifying its feed speed, all connected to control and regulator elements for the tension and speed parameters, which continuously measure the values of both parameters during the feed of the yarn to the textile machine so as to act on a rotary member in order to modify the tension of the yarn when necessary. The rotary member is movable in a controlled manner in the two opposing directions of rotation to feed the yarn to the textile machine or to rewind it in order to prevent its accumulation in correspondence with the machine, the tension of the yarn fed or rewound being maintained at constant values. |
| US07699254B2 |
Twin-roll machine, in particular for material, bed milling
In the design of a twin-roller machine, such as a roll press for comminuting a bed of granular material, with two rotatably mounted, counter rotationally driven rollers which are separated from each other by a roller nip, and which use hydraulic cylinders to provide a roller pressing force the hydraulic cylinders are arranged in such a manner that they act in each case both on the bearing housings of one roller and on the respectively opposite bearing housings of the other roller with a self-contained system of milling pressing forces being formed without a closed machine frame loaded by the roller pressing forces. |
| US07699253B2 |
Conical crusher
A conical crusher, comprising: an upper housing; a tubular axle lodging a supporting rod. Inside the upper housing is mounted a cone head being axially journalled onto a spherical bearing carried by an upper end of the supporting rod and said cone head being radially and eccentrically journalled around the tubular axle. The supporting rod has a lower end thereof fixed to a piston of a hydraulic cylinder in order to operate as a support means for the cone head and also as an actuator to vertically displace the cone head and adjust the opening of the crushing cavity and also as a protecting means, reducing the hydraulic pressure to prevent overloads. The proposed solution further provides a locking hub mechanism in the cone head. |
| US07699250B1 |
Media grinding mill
A media grinding mill having a grinding chamber in the shape of a donut or torus within which at least one plow travels along a circular path typically creating one or more pressure regions between the plow and the grinding chamber walls that facilitates the grinding operation. Optional guide vanes positioned on the plows can further control the grinding process. |
| US07699249B2 |
Method for defining the degree of fullness in a mill
The invention relates to a method for defining the degree of fullness in a mill and the load toe angle (φk), where there are used oscillations directed to the mill electric motor, in order to define the toe of the mill load composed of the mass to be ground. According to the invention, from the obtained measurements (P(n)) related to the mill draw or torque, there is defined the phase (θ) of the mill oscillation by using a frequency domain analysis, and that by means of the mill oscillation phase (θ), there is defined the load toe angle (φk). |
| US07699246B2 |
Supply system
In a supply system fluids are supplied separated from each other to a delivery head through chambers (1, 3, 5) formed in a single supply line. In the delivery head a fluid mixture is produced and delivered to the outside in the form of mist. It is possible to deliver different fluids or fluid mixtures within individual cycles by a control. |
| US07699245B1 |
Nozzle spray assembly III
A nozzle spray assembly for insecticide made in two halves that are connected together and define an internal reservoir. The lower half has an arcuate shaped exterior surface and includes an inlet tube in communication with the reservoir. The lower half also has nozzle openings adjacent the arcuate surface so that when air is directed over the arcuate surface past the nozzle openings fluid is sucked into the inlet tube and reservoir and out the nozzle openings to spray insecticide onto the surrounding area. |
| US07699244B2 |
Cleaning device for a vehicular lamp
A cleaning device for cleaning the front cover lens of a vehicular lamp, including a bracket 8 that is attached to the cylinder of a spray nozzle 5 and positions the cylinder in the opening formed in a vehicle body, a fixing member 9 that covers the bracket, and an elastic member (a clip spring) 101 disposed between the bracket and the fixing member. Engagement pieces 83b and 84a of a pair of arm elements 83 and 84 of the bracket engage the front (outer) side of the opening, a plurality of contact portions 92a, 93a, 94a and 95a of the fixing member are in contact with the rear (inner) side of the opening, and the elastic member interposed between the bracket and the fixing member urges the fixing member toward the opening, thus securing the bracket to the opening. |
| US07699242B2 |
Injector
An injector has a lift limiting member provided by a single plate member. The plate member has a stopper face, multiple hole sections, a flow passage hole, and a spring seat face. An axial end face of a needle head section of a needle contacts the stopper face when the needle lifts by a predetermined amount. Transmitting sections of a pressurizing piston are loosely inserted in the hole sections. High pressure fuel can pass through the flow passage hole. The spring seat face receives an end portion of a spring that biases the needle in a valve closing direction. The lift limiting member limits a valve opening lift position of the needle, so a stable injection quantity is obtained. Thus, a surface area of the single plate member can be used in multiple functions. |
| US07699240B1 |
Multiple liquid and solids dispenser apparatus and method
A multiple liquid and solids dispenser apparatus and method includes a solids dispenser for holding and dispensing solids. A liquid dispenser is connected to the solids dispenser and the liquid dispenser contains more than one liquid and is positioned so as to dispense the more than one liquid on the solid or not on the solid as desired. |
| US07699236B2 |
Method and apparatus for making and detecting a document verification indicator using optical pattern encryption
A method and apparatus for creating and detecting an optically encoded document having a uniquely designed document verification indicator is disclosed. One embodiment includes applying a spatially varying Brewster angle pattern on a substrate. Another embodiment includes an apparatus for detecting the spatially varying Brewster angle pattern including a light source, a slit aperture, a polarizer, at least one parabolic mirror, and an image capturing device. |
| US07699234B2 |
Transmission range adjustment according to network conditions
A method for selecting between a multi-hop transmission route and a single-hop transmission route for transmitting data from a smart item in a network of smart items to a base station includes receiving signals at the smart item from neighboring smart items in a vicinity of the smart item, measuring a density of neighboring smart items around the smart item based on information in the received signals, and parameterizing a loss of energy in a signal transmitted between a neighboring smart item and the smart item as a function of distance between the neighboring smart item and the smart item. The parameterization is based on information in the received signals. Based on the measured density and on the parameterization of the loss of energy, a multi-hop transmission route or a single-hop transmission route is selected for transmitting data from the smart item to the base station. |
| US07699232B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device which may be used as an ID chip and data may be rewritten only one time. In addition, a semiconductor device may be used as an ID chip and data may be written except when manufacturing the chip. The invention has a modulating circuit, a demodulating circuit, a logic circuit, a memory circuit, and an antenna circuit over an insulating substrate. The modulating circuit and the demodulating circuit are electrically connected to an antenna circuit, the demodulating circuit is connected to the logic circuit, the memory circuit stores an output signal of the logic circuit, and the memory circuit is a fuse memory circuit using a fuse element. |
| US07699226B2 |
Automatic plan-o-gram system
An electronic plan-o-gram system and method for determining plan-o-gram data are provided. In accordance with the method, identifiers associated with each of more than one product located in at least one storage area in a storage facility are sensed and a product type and product location of each product is determined based upon the sensed identifiers. A configuration of the at least one storage area in the storage facility and a location of each product in the storage facility is determined based upon the configuration and the determined product locations. A plan-o-gram data is stored indicating the location of products in the storage facility. |
| US07699225B2 |
Magnetic head for reading data
A magnetic head of a credit card identification terminal for reading card data which can prevent card data from being illegally acquired. The magnetic head includes a generally box-shaped sealed case having an open side; a bobbin with an electric wire wound thereon provided in the sealed case; a core member extending from the bobbin and having an end protruding to the outside of the sealed case through a through-hole formed through a side of the sealed case opposite the opening; a terminal pin connected to the wire wound on the bobbin; and resin filled in the hollow space in the sealed case, the terminal pin is embedded in the resin filled in the sealed case, one end of a flexible wiring substrate is connected to the terminal pin, and the other end of the flexible wiring substrate extends to the outside of the sealed case from the opening. |
| US07699218B2 |
Method of converting virtual cash to cash and deducting from a mobile phone cash account
The method of converting cash into virtual cash and loaded into a mobile phone cash account using telco's cash product services comprising the steps of: —customer going to outlet to convert cash into virtual cash using telco's product services; —customer filling up forms, showing identification; —frontliner of outlet verifying customer's identification; —frontliner accessing the device and keying command containing—customer's information, reference number of registration form, —customer's or 3rd party-recipient's mobile phone number and amount of cash to be converted to virtual cash and sends this to telco; —frontliner collecting cash to be converted to virtual cash and the service fee and issues receipt to the customer; —customer receiving SMs acknowledgment from telco that the cash has been converted to virtual cash and loaded in the recipient's mobile phone cash account; —frontliner's device receiving a message from telco (with format matching the device) of acknowledgement with confirmation number. |
| US07699217B1 |
Authentication with no physical identification document
Physical products can be delivered to a recipient who does not have physical identification documents. The recipient (a) provides a password, a contact number and readily recallable information and (b) receives a first code and a telephone number. When the recipient wants to retrieve the physical product, the recipient calls an agent using the telephone number. The agent asks for the first code and authenticates the caller by asking questions related to the readily recallable information. If the agent is satisfied that the caller is the intended recipient, the agent sends a second code to the recipient using the contact number. The recipient can use the password and the second code to retrieve the physical product. |
| US07699212B2 |
Collapsible storage device and method of making the same
A collapsible storage device includes a collapsible container and a lid for the container. The container includes a plurality of resilient wall panels and a flexible hinge connecting each adjacent pair of wall panels. The container may be foldably converted between a substantially flat collapsed position and a substantially rectangular prismatic expanded position by articulating the wall panels about the flexible hinges. One side of the lid is adapted to cover an opening into the container when the container is in an expanded position. The opposite side of the lid is adapted to receive the substantially flat collapsed container within a recess in the lid. |
| US07699204B2 |
Structure containing wound treatment material
The present disclosure describes an anvil assembly for a circular stapling apparatus. The anvil assembly includes an anvil head configured to support an anvil plate thereon; a shaft extending from the anvil head and configured to selectively engage a connection member of the circular stapling apparatus; an anvil plate operatively connected to the anvil head, the anvil plate defining a plurality of staple forming pockets therein; and a wound treatment material disposed in each staple forming pocket of the anvil plate. The wound treatment material is at least one of an adhesive, a sealant, a hemostat and a medicament. |
| US07699201B2 |
Fastening tool with automatic feeding of wire-collated fasteners
A fastening tool with a magazine assembly for holding and dispensing collated fasteners. The magazine assembly includes a canister and a door that is hingedly coupled to a nosepiece. The canister includes a stationary portion and a movable portion that may be moved relative to the stationary portion to permit access to an interior of the canister, e.g., for loading the fasteners into the canister. The door cannot be moved from a closed position to an open position and vice versa without first opening the canister. A method for loading a magazine is also provided. |
| US07699197B2 |
Utility belt system
A belt utility system for carrying up to a large number of objects includes an elongated flexible strap for removably supporting a large number of plurality of receptacles or holders for objects, at least one holder or receptacle for an object, as well as a way of removably attaching the receptacle(s) or holder(s) to the strap. This means of attachment includes a finger-gripping portion for facilitating both the simultaneous gripping of holder(s) or receptacle(s) for objects and the detachment, by the user, by generally lifting with the fingers, of these holder(s) or receptacle(s), in a generally upward direction. The utility system can also include a snap-lock connector connected to the strap and to the receptacle or holder, and a releasing tab or button near or on the gripping portion for releasing the connector portions from each other when pressed by the user's finger substantially at the same time as the user lifts the finger-gripping portion. |
| US07699195B2 |
Apparatus for donning and/or doffing a compression garment and related methods
An assist device for donning and/or doffing a compression garment includes a sleeve having an interior surface bounding a passage extending between a top end and an opposing bottom end, the top end including a top opening communicating with the passage, the bottom end including a bottom opening communicating with the passage, the sleeve being comprised of a sheet of flexible material. A resiliently stretchable material is secured to the bottom end of the sleeve so as to resiliently, radially constrict the sleeve thereat. A band is secured to the top end of the sleeve, the band outwardly expanding the top end of the sleeve. |
| US07699188B2 |
Hybrid pressure vessel with separable jacket
A pressure vessel is provided including an inner tank formed from a tank liner surrounded by a wound layer of composite filaments. A protective jacket is disposed on the inner tank that facilitates stacking and portability of the pressure vessel and helps to define an air passage for convective heat transfer between the hybrid tank and the environment. |
| US07699187B2 |
End fitting for pressure vessel
An end fitting for a cylindrical high pressure vessel made from components all having thin walls, thereby tripling the practical diameter of such pressure vessels. The end fitting includes a toroidal shell defining a hole; centrally disposed piece for closing the hole comprising a pipe and a center end fitting and structural members. In a first embodiment, the structural members comprise slices of an end of the pipe welded to the outer cylindrical wall of the vessel. In a second embodiment, the structural members are plates connecting the pipe to the outer cylindrical walls. In the third embodiment, the plates connect an extension of the outer cylindrical wall beyond the toroidal shell to an extension of the outer cylindrical wall of the pressure vessel. The center end fitting may be hemispheric or ellipsoidal. |
| US07699185B2 |
Multi-compartment trash or recycling bag
A multi-compartment liner bag is disposed within a receptacle and includes a first compartment having a height that is greater than that of the receptacle and a volume that is at least about equal to that of the receptacle. A second bag compartment is attached to and folds to the side of the first compartment when placed in the receptacle and has an entry folded over the receptacle top to form at least a visual seal to the compartment contents. Indicia means, which may be either visual or tactile, are provided along the second compartment entry to allow easy location of the compartment entry. |
| US07699184B2 |
Bottle carrier
A bottle carrier includes a plurality of walls. At least one of the walls includes a recess on an exterior surface for retaining a bottle thereon, when the carrier is in a horizontal orientation and the bottle is in a horizontal orientation partially disposed in the recess. The carrier may be stackable and connectable to similar carriers to form display or storage racks. At least one of the walls includes a plurality of feet extending therefrom. The feet are interlockable with feet on a similar carrier. When similar carriers are stacked, the feet interlock to improve the stability of the stacked carriers. Adjacent carriers may be connected via corks or other connectors inserted into adjacent walls of the carriers. |
| US07699181B2 |
Storage apparatus and method of use
A storage apparatus and method involves a wheel storage assembly having adjustable pockets for storage therein of an article. The wheel storage assembly generally includes a pocket assembly and opposite wheel assemblies. The pocket assembly may include a core, at least two dividers installed in an offset relationship on the core, the dividers being configured to project substantially radially outwardly from the core to form a free end of each divider, and a clip mounted at the free end of each divider. A base assembly may be employed to rotatably support the wheel storage assembly. A hub of each wheel assembly may be formed with an outer, substantially rounded surface and with a tension belt installed on a base connector of the base assembly and looped around the rounded surface to control the rotational speed of the wheel storage assembly as mounted on the base assembly. |
| US07699175B2 |
Puzzle storage and transportation system
A puzzle storage and transport system including a puzzle including one or more puzzle pieces and a puzzle board and a container to store and transport one or more puzzle pieces. The container includes a pouch defining a cavity to contain the one or more puzzle pieces and including a closure to provide access to the cavity and one or more straps coupled to the pouch to bind the container to the puzzle board. |
| US07699168B2 |
Heart valve storage and shipping retainer
This invention relates to a system and apparatus for retaining a prosthetic valve in a valve pocket suspended in a sealed container to protect from damage and contamination during shipment, handling and storage. The apparatus is an easy to open container having remote fill ports for adding a sterile liquid after enclosing the valve inside. A tamper evident seal is provided having a novel configuration to detect prior opening of the container. The apparatus includes an assembly having a shelf that is provided in a variety of configurations. The shelf has a mitral valve configuration and an aortic valve configuration. The shelf is selected based on the valve configurations and size. The system is easily assembled having a single variable component to adapt to a particular prosthetic valve to be stored. The present invention provides an apparatus for eliminating the need for direct attachment of the valve serial tag to the valve. |
| US07699167B2 |
Rolled goods handler
A container for goods having an axial dimension is provided, comprising a first end support having four corners and being oriented in a first plane, a second end support having four corners and being oriented in a second plane spaced axially from the first plane, at least two connecting rails having first and second ends, the first ends being removably connected to the first end support and the second ends being removably connected to the second end support, each rail being connected to a different corner of the first end support and a corresponding corner of the second end support, wherein at least one good may be suspended between and supported by the first end support and second end support. |
| US07699163B2 |
Carton with support
A carton for containing a plurality of articles. The carton has panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carton. The panels include a top panel, a bottom panel and a first side panel and a second side panel. The carton has a support adjacent to the top panel and projecting into the interior of the carton for at least partially supporting the plurality of articles within the carton. |
| US07699158B2 |
Conveying device
A conveying device is provided in systems for safety checking items of luggage or cargo, comprising at least one baggage switch with at least two horizontal conveyors, which are parallelly arranged one above the other at a fixed distance and which can be vertically displaced with the aid of an elevator. |
| US07699154B2 |
Bill handling device
A bill handling machine according to one embodiment of the invention is provided with a casing having a bill insertion slot provided on a front face of the casing to enable a bill to be inserted therein; a bill feeding device having a feeding belt wound at opposite ends around at least tension rollers provided on the upstream and downstream sides respectively along the bill insertion direction, and pinch rollers in contact with the tension rollers on the upstream and downstream sides, to feed the bill inserted from the bill insertion slot along the bill insertion direction. The distance between the pinch rollers in contact with the respective tension rollers on the upstream and downstream sides is set to be shorter than the distance between the tension rollers on the upstream and downstream sides. |
| US07699150B2 |
Hydrodynamic clutch device
A hydrodynamic clutch includes a housing which can be brought into working connection with a drive; a hydrodynamic circuit formed by a pump wheel and a turbine wheel; a torsional vibration damper having a drive side transmission element, a takeoff side transmission element, and at least one energy storage group between the transmission elements; and a bridging clutch including first friction elements connected to the housing and second friction elements connected to the drive side transmission element. A first flow route extends from a first flow passage to the friction elements, and a second flow route extends from the hydrodynamic circuit to a second flow passage. A sealing arrangement cooperates with the drive side transmission element to separate the first flow route from the second flow route. |
| US07699149B2 |
Zipperless expansion system
The present invention provides an expansion system for luggage comprising an upper frame, a lower frame, an expandable section attached between the upper and lower frames, and expansion mechanisms. Each expansion mechanism comprises an upper member attached to the upper frame, a lower member attached to the lower frame and two arms, wherein each arm is pivotally connected to the upper member at one end and is pivotally and slideably connected to the lower member at the other end. |
| US07699148B2 |
Damping valve assembly with a progressive damping force characteristic
Damping valve assembly includes a first damping valve, which, in a first operating range, opens as the flow velocity of the damping medium increases, where a second operating range with a progressive damping force characteristic is influenced by a throttle in conjunction with a control slide, which can be moved into a closed position. The control slide has a pressure-actuated surface, which, as a function of the flow velocity of the damping medium, acts in the closing direction on the control slide. |
| US07699143B2 |
Method of setting the floor associations of a plurality of operating units of an elevator installation
In a method for setting the floor associations of a plurality of operating units of an elevator installation, a plurality of operating units is distributed over a plurality of floors. These floors can be traveled to by an elevator car having a transmitter unit. In the method, the elevator car is moved to a predetermined one of the floors. The operating unit allocated to the moved-to floor is activated. The position data describing the floor at which the operating unit is located are communicated from the transmitter unit to the operating unit and/or to a central control unit. The position data are stored in a memory unit of the operating unit and/or in the central control unit. |
| US07699141B2 |
Pallet distance ranging device for forklift
The invention is a device mounted on a forklift to provide the operator with information of the distance from the pallet load to the upright part of the fork/tines. The invention has a source of a range determining signal such as sonic waves but other signals such as infra red or radar waves may be used. The emitted signals hit the palletized goods and are reflected to a detector or sensor and processed. The range information is transferred to a distance display device. The range/distance between the upright part of forklift tines and the palletized load combined with knowledge of the length of floor parallel tines of the forks will provide information to prevent any excessive penetration of the pallet hollow which excessive penetration can cause damage to either truck trailer walls, warehouse structures, or other palletized loads. |
| US07699140B2 |
Method and system for transporting a person between a plurality of fixed platforms
A method and device to facilitate the transporting of a person between a plurality of fixed platforms provides a revenue generating activity for owners of nature directed resorts. In one embodiment, a first platform is proportionately higher than a second platform and is connected by a dynamic cable system that allows for cable height adjustments to address environmental and mechanical variables. The method and device provides for an individual to traverse a distance between a plurality of fixed, elevated platforms, while moving along a suspended cable at desired velocities and body positions. |
| US07699138B2 |
Devices and methods for flangeless installations
A flangeless mounting system, suitable for in-wall speakers and other objects, includes a panel that replaces a substantial section of wallboard instead of being installed behind the wallboard. In preferred embodiments a rim extends outwardly from a first surface of the panel by a distance of less than ½ inch, and preferably by only ⅛ inch or even 1/16 inch. The face of the object can be quite large, up to 40 in2 or more, and still be relatively small with respect to the panel. Panels are contemplated that have a width at least two, three or more times that of the face of the object, and along with optional wings are wider than the stud separation in the wall. |
| US07699136B2 |
Steering device for vehicle
A steering device for a vehicle includes a first sun gear connected to a steering member, a second sun gear which is operated according to operation of the steering member and connected to a steering mechanism for turning vehicle wheels, a first planet gear which is meshed with the first sun gear, and a second planet gear which is rotated integrally with the first planet gear and meshed with the second sun gear. The steering device is constructed in such a manner that at least one of the first and second sun gears is a profile shifted gear, and the first and second planet gears are formed as a cylindrical body which has internal teeth of the same number at both end parts thereof. |
| US07699133B2 |
Throttle disable method and system
The present invention provides a system and method for degrading and disabling a vehicle's engine throttle. The vehicle disable system includes a throttle position sensor that generates a throttle position signal, an electronic control module (“ECM”) input connected to the ECM on which the throttle position sensor provides the throttle position signal to the ECM, and an override input that enables an idling signal to be transmitted to the ECM instead of the throttle position signal. The method of the present invention includes the steps of receiving an input signal related to the state of the driver input mechanism, interpreting the input signal, and at least one of degrading and disabling the throttle based on the interpretation of the input signal. |
| US07699129B2 |
Method and system for alerting a driver that a motive power system is about to be activated
An accelerator pedal provides feedback to a driver of a vehicle indicating that an engine is about to be started. This feedback is associated with a threshold position of the accelerator pedal. The threshold position may be fixed and a pedal mapping curve fit to pass through the threshold position. The threshold position may vary and depend on a minimum of the motive power capacity of a battery and an activation power threshold of the engine. |
| US07699128B1 |
Electric vehicle
Electric vehicles provide shoppers with a motorized shopping cart that can be moved and steered via a hand controller. A base has four castor type wheels, a rechargeable battery, a control box housing a CPU, a right angle motor, and a large turning gear attached to its underside. A small turning gear connects the right angle motor to the large turning gear. A drive motor, drive belt, drive shaft, and drive wheels are mounted on the large turning gear. Front rails and clips are attached to the front of the base. A rear support with an oxygen tank holder is attached to the rear of the top of the base. Telescoping side rails connect the front rails to rear rails with latches attached to the rear support. A joystick-type controller is suspended between the front rails. A pressure sensor is attached to the base's top. |
| US07699123B2 |
Bore hole sleeve reaming apparatus and method
A bore hole sleeve reaming apparatus which is characterized by one or more subterranean bore clearing devices or sleeves for use with one or more clearing or bursting heads attached to a pull rod or cable and a pulling apparatus. One or more tapered sleeves are attached in spaced-apart relationship to a string of tandem-mounted plastic pipe when the clearing or bursting head or heads are attached to the pipe string to be pulled through the bore hole. The tapered sleeves are designed to straighten bore irregularities and clean, smooth and free the bore hole from collapsing earth, roots and/or rock and broken pipe and facilitate pulling the pipe string through the bore hole with minimum friction on the pipe string. The clearing sleeve elements are sequentially pulled through the bore hole with the clearing or bursting head(s) and pipe string from an entry pit using a pull rod or cable and a pulling apparatus is seated in a corresponding exit pit spaced from the entry pit and receives the opposite end of the pull rod or cable. A method for clearing and cleaning a subterranean pilot bore or tunnel is also disclosed. |
| US07699121B2 |
Pipe running tool having a primary load path
A system for coupling a pipe segment to a pipe string is provided that includes a top drive assembly having a threaded output shaft; and a pipe running tool threadingly coupled to the threaded output shaft of the top drive assembly such that the primary load of the pipe running tool is supported by the threads of the output shaft of the top drive assembly, and wherein the pipe running tool is rotatable by the output shaft and further includes a pipe engaging portion for grippingly engaging the pipe segment sufficient to transmit a torque from the top drive output shaft to the pipe segment. |
| US07699120B2 |
On demand actuation system
A downhole tool includes a tubular body having an upper connection and a lower connection and an axial borehole therethrough, wherein the upper and lower connections are configured to connect to a drilling assembly. The downhole tool further includes at least one expandable component coupled to the tubular body and configured to selectively extend radially therefrom and an actuation mechanism configured to selectively extend the at least one component in response to a change in a circulating fluid pressure in the axial borehole. |
| US07699118B2 |
System and method for controlling an impact tool
A system and method for determining the actual torque being applied by an impact tool to a shaft of a fastener is disclosed, wherein an equation having a set of parameters that represent the time-amplitude curve of the individual pulses produced by the impact tool are used to correlate the impact tool pulses and the residual torque in the fastener without requiring knowledge of the torque of the fastener joint. |
| US07699116B2 |
Anti-skipping sprinkler
An anti-skipping sprinkler includes a frame defining a central longitudinal axis, the frame including a base portion defining an orifice, and first and second arms extending away from the base portion and joining at a lower end of the frame; a deflector located at the lower end of the frame; an orifice plug held over the orifice by a trigger element including a heat sensitive element; and an anti-skipping shield extending circumferentially around the heat sensitive element. The anti-skipping shield has an upper end and a lower end. The anti-skipping shield is open at the upper end and at the lower end to permit airflow to the heat sensitive element around the upper end and the lower end of the anti-skipping shield. |
| US07699112B2 |
Sidetrack option for monobore casing string
Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and methods of forming a lateral wellbore wherein the monobore characteristic is maintained. In one embodiment, a method of completing a lateral wellbore comprises inserting a first tubular into a main wellbore; forming one or more oversized portions on the first tubular; and intersecting the lateral wellbore with the main wellbore. The method further includes inserting a second tubular into the lateral wellbore, wherein a portion of the second tubular is positioned adjacent the one or more oversized portions and expanding the portion of the second tubular adjacent the one or more oversized portions. |
| US07699110B2 |
Flow diverter tool assembly and methods of using same
A flow diverter tool assembly is employed for flushing debris from a portion of the bore of a subsea production tree. The flow diverter tool assembly has a housing having a passageway there-through and a seal disposed on an exterior surface of the housing. The seal contacts the inner wall surface of the bore of the production tree, dividing a lower portion of the bore below the seal from an upper portion of the bore above the seal. One or more outlets from the passageway through the exterior surface are disposed along the housing below the seal. A bypass device such as a slip-joint is disposed above the seal to facilitate removal of the flow diverter tool assembly from the bore of the production tree after its use. |
| US07699109B2 |
Rotating control device apparatus and method
A riser assembly includes a rotating control housing connected between an upper portion and a lower portion of a riser assembly, and a packing element rotatable with respect to the rotating control housing, wherein the packing element is configured to isolate an annulus of the lower portion from the upper portion when a drillstring is engaged through the packing element, and wherein the packing element is configured to be retrieved and replaced through the upper portion. |
| US07699108B2 |
Distortion compensation for rod piston bore in subsurface safety valves
Piston bore distortions in a sub-surface safety valve are reduced or eliminated when valve body is subjected to high working pressures. In one embodiment, a piston is disposed in a sleeve that is disposed in a piston bore. The bore can distort but the sleeve within will not distort to the point of losing sealing pressure around the piston. In another approach additional bore or bores are provided adjacent the piston bore to make the pin end of the connection for the valve housing more uniform in the region of the piston bore so that pressure loading does not result in sufficient distortion of the piston bore to lose the piston sealing relation in its bore. |
| US07699106B2 |
Method for reducing fluid loss during hydraulic fracturing or sand control treatment
A low viscosity fluid for reducing fluid loss in a relatively low permeability formation has a viscosity of less that 10 CP and contains a low molecular weight viscosifying agent The aqueous medium may be fresh water, salt water, brine or slickwater. The invention has particular applicability when an ultra lightweight (ULW) proppant or sand control particulate is employed. The fluid may be used in reservoirs having a relative permeability less than 10 mD. |
| US07699103B2 |
Method and system for inserting a fiber optical sensing cable into an underwater well
A fiber optical sensing cable is inserted into an underwater well by: connecting a housing (12A) comprising a coiled or spooled U-shaped fiber optical sensing cable (21) to the wellhead (2) of the well (1) such that an opening (14) in the wall of the housing (12A) is connected to a guide tube (15) extending into the underwater well (1); —inserting the U-shaped nose section (21A) of the fiber optical sensing cable (21) via the opening (14) into the guide tube (15), thereby uncoiling at least part of a pair of substantially parallel sections of the fiber optical sensing cable of which the lower ends are interconnected by the U-shaped nose section; and connecting the upper ends (21B) of the substantially parallel sections of the fiber optical sensing cable to an optical signal transmission and/or receiving unit via e.g. a pair of wet mateable connectors that are connected to a pair of underwater fiber optical transmission cables (14). |
| US07699097B2 |
Mover stabilizing and stator cooling arrangement of a 3-phase linear motor of a submersible oil pump
A mover stabilizing and stator cooling arrangement includes an upper sleeve surrounding the mover of the linear motor, a lower sleeve, a thermoconducting sleeve surrounding the stator and axially connected between the upper sleeve and the lower sleeve. The arrangement further includes a thermal grease filled in the space defined between the upper sleeve and the mover, the space defined between the thermoconducting sleeve and the stator, and the space defined between the lower sleeve and the outer tube for quick dissipation of waste heat. A stabilizer ring is set between the upper sleeve and the mover to stabilize axial movement of the mover. A piston and multiple one-way valve sets are mounted in the space between the lower sleeve and the outer tube for allowing adjustment of the volume in the thermoconducting sleeve responsive to expansion/contraction of the thermal grease due to temperature changes. |
| US07699096B2 |
Air conditioner for vehicle use
The first cold air flow door 26 and the first hot air flow door 24 for adjusting the blowout air temperature are arranged in the first air passage, and the second cold air flow door 27 and the second hot air flow door 25 for adjusting the blowout air temperature are arranged in the second air passage. When a larger target air flow volume between the target air flow volume on the first air passage side and the target air flow volume on the second air passage side is selected so as to determine an air flow volume of the blower, in an air passage to which the smaller target air flow volume is applied, while the ratio of the cold air flow volume to the hot air flow volume is being maintained constant, the passage opening area is throttled by the cold air flow door and the hot air flow door. |
| US07699095B2 |
Bendable core unit
A core unit for a heat exchanger comprises a pair of headers spaced from one another each defining a fluid space for receiving a fluid therein and each defining a plurality of apertures. A first region comprising a plurality of first tubes extends between the headers and a first fin is disposed between adjacent pairs of the first tubes. A second region comprising a plurality of second tubes extends between the headers and a second fin is disposed between adjacent pairs of the second tubes. A crushable center different than the first and second regions is disposed parallelly between the first and second regions for controllably crushing when the headers are bent. |
| US07699084B2 |
System for fabricating corrugated board
A system for fabricating a corrugated board sheet fabricated includes warp status information obtaining means (6, 6A-6H, 7, 7A, 7B, 8, 8A-8H, 240a, 240b, 241a, 241b) for obtaining warp status information concerning status of the warp of the corrugated board sheet fabricated by a corrugated-board fabrication machine (1); running-state information obtaining means (5, 5A-5H) for obtaining running state information concerning a running state of the corrugated-board fabrication machine (1); control variable calculating means (4, 4A-4H) for calculating a control variable of a particular control factor that affects the warp of the corrugated board sheet and that is one among control factors used to control the corrugated-board fabrication machine (1) based on the warp status information of the corrugated board sheet and the running state information of the corrugated-board fabrication machine (1); and control means (5, 5A-5H) for controlling the particular control factor using the control variable calculated by the control variable calculating means (4, 4A-4H). |
| US07699081B2 |
Felling head accumulator arm
An accumulator arm for a felling head has inner and outer arms which are hydraulically driven open and closed. The inner and outer sides of the outer arm are curved away from an accumulation pocket and toward a harvesting arm, wherein the accumulator arm can be pulled around a newly cut tree to add the tree to the accumulation pocket with a lesser amount of hydraulic force and with lesser damage to the trees. |
| US07699079B2 |
Bulk transport system
A flexible bulk container capable of transporting a first material and introducing a second material for mixing therewithin is disclosed wherein 1) said container can comprise a component of a bulk transport system further comprising a container assembly, and 2) said container includes a body defining a cavity, at least one opening, at least one vent, and a material delivery system assembly wherein a) the body is flexible and capable of positioning within the container assembly, b) the opening provides communication with the cavity, and c) the material delivery system assembly comprises at least one manifold, a portion of which is positioned within the cavity of the flexible bulk container, and said manifold includes a shell, an interior region, an inlet accessible from outside of the cavity of the flexible bulk container and at least one passageway extending from the internal region, through the shell, to, in turn, place the interior of the manifold in communication with the cavity. |
| US07699078B1 |
Thermally insulated ductwork and method of manufacture
A method for manufacturing an insulated duct segment includes the step of forming an inner duct that has an inner duct cross-sectional area and an inner duct length. An outer duct with an outer duct cross-sectional area and an outer duct length is also formed. The method further includes the step of placing the inner duct inside the outer duct such that an annular space is formed between the inner duct and the outer duct. Finally, fluidized insulating material is injected into the annular space. |
| US07699072B2 |
Device for regulating the delivery pressure of combustible gases
A device for regulating the delivery pressure of gases includes a valve unit having at least one valve seat and a respective closure element displaceable along an axis with respect to the valve seat which is controlled by a diaphragm. The device further includes a first spring which acts on the diaphragm in order to subject it to a preselected resilient load. A second spring is selectively activated to exert an additional resilient load on the diaphragm. The device includes a handle associated with the first and second springs in order to impose selectively the desired delivery pressure value, between a minimum value and a maximum value of pre-calibration, the pressure value being proportionally correlated with a predetermined resilient load exerted on the diaphragm. |
| US07699071B2 |
Linear motor to pre-bias shuttle force
A method of controlling one or more operating pressures within a subterranean borehole that includes a choke assembly is disclosed. The choke assembly may include a housing having an inlet passage, an axial bore, and a chamber, wherein a portion of the axial bore forms an outlet passage, and a choke member adapted for movement in the housing to control the flow of a fluid from the inlet passage to the outlet passage. The method may include applying a closing force to move the choke member toward a closed position, and applying a bias force to the choke member when in the closed position to reduce an overpressure required to initiate movement of the choke member from the closed position. |
| US07699064B2 |
Dishwasher machine
The invention relates to a dishwasher having a rinsing container (1) which is sealable on its front side by an appliance door that is pivotable on its bottom section about a horizontal axis, whereby a base area (3) that extends beneath the rinsing container (1) is bordered at the bottom by collecting dish (32), at the rear by a cover (2) and at the front by a connecting strip (10), having appliance feet (13, 14) that are adjustable in height and having an adjustment device for varying the closing behavior of the appliance door. To design the entire base area (3) so that it is easy to assembly and nevertheless is readily accessible, it is proposed that the lateral borders of the base area (3) shall be formed by two base parts (11, 12), each of which is attached as a narrow receptacle housing for the appliance feet (13, 14), their height adjustment and the adjustment device and each of which is attached to the cover (2) and to the connecting strip (10). |
| US07699063B2 |
Dispenser for a drawer-type dishwasher
A drawer-type dishwasher includes a dispenser mounted to one of front and opposing side walls of a basin. The basin is slidably supported in an outer body of the dishwasher. The dispenser includes a main body portion, first and second reservoirs and an actuator. Each of the first and second reservoirs includes upper and lower openings. The first reservoir includes a cover that selectively closes the upper opening, while the lower opening is opened by the actuator. The second reservoir is provided with first and second lids pivotally mounted to the main body portion. The first lid is opened to allow loading of wash aid, while the second lid is opened during a wash operation to release the wash aid. After the wash operation concludes, the second lid is closed, causing the first lid to open allowing detergent to again be loaded into the second reservoir. |
| US07699062B2 |
Solid cosmetic material container
To prevent damage of a solid cosmetic material in a container, a solid cosmetic material holding body (1) provided with a tubular installed portion (1a) installed in a container main body (2), a tubular elastic body (1c) connected to a lower side of the installed portion (1a) and is constituted by a resin spring expanding and contracting vertically by slits if and a holding portion (1b) arranged inside the installed portion (1a), provided with plural legs (1j) extending vertically and arranged apart from each other in a peripheral direction, is installed within the container main body (2) , wherein upper portions (1k, 1m) of the legs (1j) hold a solid cosmetic material (G) having a dome-shaped convex portion (G2) in such a manner that the convex portion (G2) protrudes upward and lower portions of the legs (1j) are coupled to a lower portion of the resin spring (1c). |
| US07699053B1 |
Powered air-purifying respirator system
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for operating powered air-purifying respirators safely in explosive atmospheres. The apparatus and method utilize a current control means for sensing a current flow from a battery to a motor, and stopping the current flow when the current flow exceeds a threshold value for a predetermined amount of time. Upon sensing that the current flow has exceeded the threshold value for the predetermined amount of time, the current control means immediately stops the current flow. The apparatus and method provides sufficient power to properly start and operate the motor by providing a soft start to the motor by limiting the duration of higher than threshold operating current to intervals shorter than the predetermined amount of time. Pulse width modulation is used to ramp-up the motor to speed by supplying pulses of energy to the motor that will not cause the current control means to stop the current flow. |
| US07699052B2 |
Apparatus for the dispensing of liquids, container cartridge suitable for this, and system comprising the apparatus for the dispensing of liquids, and the container cartridge
The present invention relates to a propellant-gas-free apparatus for the dispensing of liquids, a container cartridge suitable for this for storing the liquid and the ensemble comprising both. The invention comprises a device for the exertion of pressure and for accommodating a container cartridge and a container cartridge in which the dispensing facility is integrated. |
| US07699043B2 |
Nitrous-oxide system for an engine
A nitrous-oxide system for an engine includes a nozzle coupled to a nitrous-oxide bottle by a nitrous-oxide line. A nitrous-oxide valve is coupled to the nitrous-oxide line between the nitrous-oxide bottle and the nozzle. A control switch, operatively coupled to the nitrous-oxide valve. A pressure regulator, coupled to the nitrous-oxide line between the nitrous-oxide bottle and the nozzle, and is capable of regulating pressure of the nitrous-oxide to lower than 500 psi. The nozzle can be positioned adjacent a carburetor inlet to force nitrous-oxide into a carburetor throat. |
| US07699042B2 |
Filtration device for use with a fuel vapor recovery system
A filtration device for filtering air for use with a fuel vapor recovery system. According to one aspect, the device includes a housing defining a chamber having a rotational axis an upper end and a lower end, a cap closes the housing and includes at least one generally helical passageway helically extending generally toward the lower end of the chamber and includes at least one air inlet. According to another aspect, the device includes a non-circular filter element disposed between an air inlet and an air outlet. |
| US07699041B2 |
Fuel distribution tube for direct injection fuel rail assemblies
A fuel distribution tube for a direct injection fuel rail assembly includes an elongate cylindrical conduit, a plurality of first scalloped features that receive fuel injector sockets formed in the conduit, and plurality of second scalloped features that receive mounting bosses formed in the conduit. The scalloped features are designed to closely match the outer radii of the injector sockets and the mounting bosses. The scalloped features provide necessary dimensional control to injector sockets and mounting bosses and fuel passage from the fuel distribution tube to the fuel injector sockets. The scalloped features enable a leak test of the braze joints of the fuel rail assembly. By providing a direct injection fuel rail assembly that includes the fuel distribution tube having scalloped features formed in the conduit, optimization of true position location of fuel injector sockets and improved braze joints are enabled. |
| US07699037B2 |
Diesel engine lubricated with fuel such as light oil
A diesel engine includes a fuel supply passage via which fuel is supplied from a fuel tank to an oil pan through a supply pump, a lubrication-system fuel supply passage via which fuel is supplied from the oil pan to engine parts to be lubricated through a lubricating oil pump, and an injection-system fuel supply passage via which fuel is supplied from the oil pan to an injection system through an injection pump. |
| US07699035B1 |
Compression release mechanism
A compression release assembly is disclosed, the assembly including a camshaft rotatable about a camshaft axis, a trigger rotatable about a trigger axis substantially perpendicular to the camshaft axis, and a spring position between the trigger and the camshaft. Preferably, the trigger is rotated from an engagement position toward a disengagement position when a rotational velocity of the camshaft achieves a known value, and is rotated from the disengagement position toward the engagement position when the rotational velocity of the camshaft is below the known value. |
| US07699034B2 |
Method for controlling an automatic shut-off process of an internal combustion engine
A method is provided for controlling an automatic shut-off process of an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle. An automatic shut-off process of the internal combustion engine is inhibited as a function of predetermined operating conditions. The automatic shut-off process of the internal combustion engine is inhibited, if the internal combustion engine was started by a tow start process within a current operating cycle or within a predetermined number of previous operating cycles. |
| US07699033B2 |
Method and system to distribute high-energy pulses to multiple channels
A method and system to distribute high-power laser pulses to create sparks in individual cylinders of a multi-cylinder engine are provided. A laser provides laser output pulses. A distributor includes a linear array of mirrors with a respective mirror associated with one of the laser plugs. Each mirror is operatively controlled to move into a laser beam path to direct individual laser output pulses the associated laser plug for providing spark generation. The system enables correct cylinder firing order for predefined multi-cylinder firing sequences and allows for individual cylinder timing variation. |
| US07699031B2 |
Timing phaser with offset spool valve
A variable cam timing phaser for an internal combustion engine with at least one camshaft includes a housing (144), a rotor (138), and a phaser control valve (168). The phase control valve is offset from a center axis of rotation through the camshaft of the phaser and may also be parallel to the center axis of rotation. The phaser control valve directs fluid flow to shift the relative angular position of the rotor relative to the housing. The phaser may be cam torque actuated, oil pressure actuated, or torsion assist. |
| US07699027B2 |
Portable generator
A portable generator, comprising a housing, a handle provided on the housing, and a generator set fixed in the housing; the handle is fixed at the lower part to a link span in the housing; a cylinder head cover of the generator set is provided with an installation slice extending toward both ends; the installation slice is sheathed with a shock-absorbing sleeve and fixed and connected to the link span; and the generator set is connected at the bottom with the housing through a shock-absorbing mat. The generator improves shock-absorption effect, and prolongs service life of the product; it is simple in structure and convenient for maintenance; and it cancels the cover body, which reduces weight and is advantageous to dissipate heat. |
| US07699026B2 |
Insulation kit for use with a water heater
An insulation kit for use with a water heater is provided. The kit includes an insulating cover configured to be wrapped about an exterior surface of the water heater. The insulating cover includes a substantially rectangular body with opposed edges configured to overlap or abut one another when the insulating cover is wrapped about the exterior surface of the water heater and at least one downwardly facing flap configured to provide selective access to the water heater. The kit further includes a fastener packaged with the insulating cover and configured for fixing the opposed edges together, thereby securing the insulating cover adjacent the exterior surface of the water heater. |
| US07699025B2 |
Structure of feeder for supplying water and pet food
An improved structure of a feeder for supplying water and pet food is disclosed. Therein, a base has a shifting space adjacent to a side of a bowl settled in the base so as to receive a dispensing controller. A container unit equipped with a hopper and a water supplier is provided on top of the dispending controller. The dispensing controller can be shifted in the shifting space so that an opening limit is formed when projections formed on two rear ends of the dispensing controller abut against blocks provided bilaterally in the shifting space, and a closing limit is formed when a groove of the dispensing controller abuts against a stop plate formed at a rear section of the shifting space. Thus, the container unit can be easily opened to dispense pet food or closed to not dispense pet food. |
| US07699024B2 |
Milk temperature monitor with ambient temperature compensation
A milk temperature monitor helps determine the health or physiological condition of a lactating animal (e.g., cow, goat, sheep, camel, etc.). It does this by comparing the temperature of the animal's milk to an acceptable temperature range that is automatically adjusted to compensate for a varying ambient air temperature. In some embodiments, the acceptable temperature range is adjusted based on the average milk temperature reading of the most recent series of animals that were milked. The average reading is preferably a rolling average of a limited sample size. In calculating the rolling average, the monitor disregards temperature readings that are beyond a reasonable range. The monitor can record and display historical peak temperatures rather than real-time temperatures. In some cases, the monitor's microprocessor and power supply are hermetically encapsulated within a clear permanent cast housing. Proximity switches within the housing provide a means for inputting user-selectable parameters into the microprocessor. |
| US07699019B2 |
Ramp safety guide
An apparatus for safely locating an elevated-end of a ramp includes a center strip that hangs down from an overhead location proximate the elevated-end. The center strip aligns with a center of the ramp and is used as a visual or tactile aide to guide a person toward the elevated end. A variation includes a pair of lateral strips that are each disposed proximate the elevated-end and also proximate opposite outer edges of the ramp. Another variation includes the use of two parallel strips to more accurately indicate either the center of the ramp or one of its edges. Fixed, detachable, and retractable versions are described that are attached to either a ceiling of a truck or to an inside surface of an overhead door of the truck. |
| US07699011B2 |
Personal watercraft suspension arrangement
A personal watercraft has a hull and sub-deck (HSD) assembly. The sub-deck defines at least one first opening therein. A deck is disposed above the sub-deck. A suspension member passes through the at least one first opening and is disposed at least in part inside the HSD assembly. The suspension member has a first end pivotally connected to the deck. The suspension member has a second end pivotally connected to the HSD assembly. The suspension member has a fixed length. A suspension element has a first end connected to one of the deck, the HSD assembly, and the suspension member. The suspension element has a second end connected to another one of the deck, the HSD assembly, and the suspension member. |
| US07699004B2 |
Direct load, detonator-less connector for shock tubes
The connector block allows the transmission of the shock wave that travels along the donor tube (1) to several receiver tubes (4), setting between them a delay device (6) with its corresponding pyrotechnic delay formula (8), and an explosive charge (9), all these components being integrated within the body (4) of the connector block in such a way that the explosive charge (9) is parallel and adjacent to the receiver tubes (10), which are on a parallel plane to said explosive charge and are positioned at right angles to it, inside which a detonator is housed. The explosive charge (9) is positioned so that all the tubes (10) held in the slot (11) are initiated in similar conditions, without suffering the effects of structural differences, thus achieving a homogeneous and safe initiation that does not produce metal shrapnel that could damage the receiver tubes (10). |
| US07699002B2 |
Method of forming a printed business card
A card sheet including a top material having punched lines, the front side of the top material being printable. A carrier material of at least one polymer layer is directly applied as by extruding to the back side of the top material. The polymer has a stress-at-break in the range of 10 to 30 MPa and an elongation at break in the range of 10 to 120%. From the card sheet individual cards may be broken out to form high quality calling (business) cards, photograph cards, post cards or the like. |
| US07698997B2 |
System and method for producing concentrated food products with fractionation concentration
An improved processing method and system for producing tomato paste and other food products affected by viscosity. Tomatoes are processed into tomato juice. The juice is provided to a decanter that separates or fractionates the juice into two portions—a thicker, more viscous cake portion and a thinner, less viscous serum portion. The serum portion is concentrated by removing a portion of water using an evaporator such as a thin film or juice evaporator. The cake portion can be concentrated if necessary with a drier. The serum and cake portions are re-combined to produce a tomato paste having improved color, texture, flavor and nutrition. |
| US07698996B1 |
Smoking apparatus
A smoking apparatus is disclosed. An illustrative embodiment of the smoking apparatus includes a base having a base interior, at least one heating element provided in the base interior, a trough carried by the at least one heating element and a lid provided on the base. |
| US07698993B2 |
Apparatus and method for preparing a beverage fit for consumption with a fine-bubble froth layer
An apparatus for preparing a beverage fit for consumption with a fine-bubble froth layer, such as coffee or milk with a fine-bubble froth layer, provided with a beverage unit for dispensing under pressure a beverage to be processed, at least one nozzle, which is in fluid communication with the beverage unit for feeding the beverage to the nozzle to generate a jet of the beverage by means of the nozzle, and a collecting unit, into which the jet squirts to obtain the beverage with the fine-bubble froth layer. The collecting unit is then provided with a tubular chamber with at least one open end for dispensing the beverage with the fine-bubble froth layer, the nozzle and the collecting unit being in fluid communication with each other such that the jet squirts against an inner wall of the tubular chamber for beating, in the tubular chamber, air into the beverage to obtain the beverage with the fine-bubble froth layer, which, in use, leaves the tubular chamber via the at least one open end. |
| US07698990B2 |
Hydraulic linear actuating drive
A hydraulic linear actuating drive includes a cylinder, a movable servo piston that can be pressure-loaded and that runs inside the cylinder, at least one piston rod attached to the servo piston, and at least one piston gasket having at least two sealing elements at a distance from each other. An intermediate sealing space is defined between the at least two sealing elements, an inner wall of the cylinder and an outer edge of the servo piston. The hydraulic linear actuating drive has at least one leakage channel that can move together with the servo piston. A first end of the channel opens into the intermediate sealing space and into a leakage fluid inlet opening located there, while the other, second end of the channel opens into a leakage fluid outlet opening arranged outside of the cylinder. |
| US07698983B1 |
Reconfigurable fire control apparatus and method
A portable, self-contained fire control system includes one or more of: 1) the means to provide geodetic positioning and navigational data for the host weapon platform in relation to established coordinate reference systems; 2) the means to digitally communicate with an off-platform command and control network; 3) the means to compute host platform ballistics data; 4) the means to indicate the current weapon orientation and additionally to indicate the horizontal and vertical weapon movements required to aim the weapon; 5) the means to inductively set fuzes for firing; 6) the means for digitally receiving and processing pre-computed mission data through to the fuze/projectile; 7) the means for locally computing mission data; and 8) the means for manually entering pre-computed data into the system. |
| US07698979B2 |
Biasing assembly for a punching device
A biasing assembly for a punching device that includes a punch support member adapted to support a punch and including a head portion and a main portion extending from the head portion. The main portion has a recessed surface. A retaining member is coupled to the punch support member with the punch support member being slidable with respect to the retaining member. A coupling member is disposed between the main portion of the punch support member and the retaining member. A portion of the coupling member engages the recessed surface. A biasing member is supported between the head portion of the punch support member and the retaining member. The punch support member is movable between at least first and second positions with respect to the coupling member. |
| US07698978B2 |
Cutting devices
A cutting including a saw blade protruding from an upper surface of the table can include a splitter positioned on the front side with respect to a cutting direction of the saw blade and in alignment with the saw blade. A guard device is provided for covering the saw blade. A kickback preventing claw member prevents the workpiece from being forced upward by the saw blade after the workpiece has been cut by the saw blade. A mount frame is detachably mounted to an upper portion of the splitter. The guard device and the kickback preventing claw member are supported on the mount frame, so that the guard device and the kickback preventing claw can be removed separately or together from the splitter. |
| US07698977B2 |
Combined articulated jump conveyor and slicing machine
An apparatus for providing groups of shingled slices comprises a jump conveyor and a slicing machine. The slicing machine includes a slicing blade. The jump conveyor includes a first slice receiving section and a second slice receiving section, the first slice receiving section having a first slice receiving surface, and the second slice receiving section having a second slice receiving surface. The jump conveyor is located adjacent the slicing blade so that the first slice receiving surface receives slices cut by the slicing blade directly. The first slice receiving section is articulated with respect to the second slice receiving section to be articulatingly movable relative to the second slice receiving section to vary the angular orientation of the first slice receiving surface. |
| US07698970B1 |
Carabiner multi-tool
A carabiner multi-tool includes a first generally C-shaped portion, a central extended portion, and a second generally C-shaped portion with the central extended portion joining the first and second C-shaped portions into a continuous body. Second ends of the first and the second C-shaped portions form first and second body ends positioned in spaced apart substantially opposed relationship. A shaft has one end pivotally attached to the first body end and a free end pivotally movable into a closed orientation with the second body end and an open orientation with the second body end. An engagement member is mounted on either the free end of the shaft or the second body end for engaging the free end of the shaft and the second body end in a closed orientation. Multiple tools are formed in the first and the second generally C-shaped portions. |
| US07698962B2 |
Flexible sensor interface for a railcar truck
A sensor interface is disclosed including a flexible substrate in which are embedded sensors for measuring physical parameters such as temperature, displacement, velocity, acceleration, stress, strain, pressure and force present between objects such as a railcar bearing and a truck side frame. The substrate is positioned between the objects of interest Electronic components such as a data processing unit, a data storage device, a communication device and a power source may also be embedded within the substrate. The electronic devices communicate with one another and the sensors to process signals generated by the sensors indicative of the parameters being measured. |
| US07698958B2 |
Differential pressure means for a gas meter arrangement, comprising an improved flow geometry
A differential pressure system and a gas meter arrangement for precisely measuring a gas consumption by a gas meter is provided. A previously known gas meter is disposed in a bypass comprising a differential pressure system in the gas pipe for measuring a volumetric flow rate inside the gas pipe. The differential pressure system includes flow ducts having decreasing diameters as the radial position increases starting from a central axis of the differential pressure system. Examples of execution include inlet ports and/or outlet ports of the flow ducts which are provided with a specific countersink angle (α), and an equidistant, concentric arrangement of flow ducts on the cross-sectional area of the differential pressure system. This has the advantage of increasing the differential pressure at a low volume flow rate, reducing the differential pressure at a high volume flow rate, and generally creating an improved linearity across the entire measurement range between the volume flow rate in the bypass and the volume flow rate in the gas pipe, among other advantages. |
| US07698954B2 |
Multi-phase Coriolis flowmeter
A flowmeter is disclosed. The flowmeter includes a vibratable flowtube, and a driver connected to the flowtube that is operable to impart motion to the flowtube. A sensor is connected to the flowtube and is operable to sense the motion of the flowtube and generate a sensor signal. A controller is connected to receive the sensor signal. The controller is operable to determine an individual flow rate of each phase within a multi-phase flow through the flowtube. |
| US07698952B2 |
Pressure sensing device
At least one pair of capacitively coupled electrodes contained in a structure is used to sense the deflection of a diaphragm in a pressure or force sensor for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the diaphragm. Preferably the structure has properties (such as one or more of the following: dimensions, hardness, area and flexibility) that are substantially the same as those of a real substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer or flat panel display panel. |
| US07698946B2 |
System and method for ultrasonic detection and imaging
Systems and Methods are disclosed for the detection and imaging of ultrasonic energy. Embodiments of the invention utilize an array of ultrasonic sensors where data from each of the sensors are processed by RMS-to-DC conversion. In addition, embodiments of the invention output a contour map based on detected ultrasonic energy and blend at least one feature of the contour map with a feature of a visible image so that a blended image can be displayed to an operator. Furthermore, embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for repositioning an array of ultrasonic sensors with respect to target area or Unit Under Test (UUT) to facilitate a thorough and repeatable test. |
| US07698944B2 |
Ultrasonic method and apparatus for evaluating spot weld zone
Even in measurement in which the measurement time is limited to a short time, soundness of a spot weld zone can be evaluated with high reliability without being influenced by a positional deviation between an ultrasonic probe and the spot weld zone and the coupling condition between an ultrasonic probe and a metal sheet. Specifically, ultrasonic waves propagating along the surface of a test object are transmitted in a plurality of directions from a plurality of wave sending positions outside the spot weld zone in metal sheets (1a, 1b), and ultrasonic waves propagating along the surface of the test object with propagation paths not including the spot weld zone and ultrasonic waves propagating along the surface of the test object with propagation paths including the spot weld zone are received at a plurality of wave receiving positions outside the spot weld zone to evaluate the soundness of the spot weld zone. |
| US07698940B2 |
Apparatus for determining and/or monitoring the fill level of a medium in a container
A device for determining and/or monitoring the fill level of a medium in a container, including: a first conductive element; a second conductive element; and a sealing ceramic. The sealing ceramic being arranged in a region between the two conductive elements, for the purpose of process separation. A first seal, which is provided between the first conductive element and the sealing ceramic, a second seal, which is provided between the sealing ceramic and the second conductive element, and a control/evaluation unit, which determines the fill level of the medium in the container on the basis of a capacitance measurement or on the basis of a measuring of travel time of measurement signals are also included. |
| US07698939B2 |
Thermistor-based fuel sensor
A system for sensing a fuel level includes sensors that sense the fuel level and a voltage source that applies a constant voltage to the sensors for a predetermined time. The system includes a control module that measures outputs of the sensors at a beginning and at an end of the predetermined time. The control module determines a number of the sensors that are submersed in fuel or air based on the outputs and calculates the fuel level based on the number of the sensors that are submersed in fuel or air. |
| US07698938B2 |
Flowmeter having a bent inlet passage for constant flow-velocity distribution
To provide a flowmeter producing stable measurement results and coincidentally achieving miniaturization, a bent portion is provided in a flow path located between an inlet port of fluids to the flowmeter and a second flow path at which a sensor detecting a flow rate is positioned, thus forming at a sensor an almost uniform flow-velocity distribution in cross-section of the fluids and a reproducible and constant flow-velocity distribution. |
| US07698937B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting defects in oilfield tubulars
A sensor system for detecting defects in a tubular string while positioned in the well includes a sensor tool (10) comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced sensors (40) arranged in two or more axially spaced rows. A plurality of sensors are positioned in each row, with each sensor positioned on one of a plurality of sensor support pads. Sensors within a row may include sensors with axes inclined at different angles, and each of the plurality of sensor pads may move from a radially retracted run-in position to a radially extended sensing position. A flexible line (50) may be used for lowering a sensor tool in the well and retrieving the sensor tool from the well. |
| US07698935B2 |
Diagnostic system for valve actuation mechanism
A diagnostic system for an engine includes a pressure monitoring module that determines a plurality of first average pressure values and a plurality of second average pressure values of a fluid supply provided to a camshaft phaser. A diagnostic module identifies one of a plurality of cylinders associated with a failed variable valve lift mechanism based on the first and the second average pressure values. Each of the first and the second average pressure values respectively correspond to each of the plurality of cylinders. |
| US07698933B2 |
Method and device for estimating the temperature of exhaust gases entering into a post-treatment system arranged downstream from a system for the treatment of said gases
A method and device for estimating temperature of gases arising from internal combustion of an engine at the entrance to a system for post-treatment of the gases. The post-treatment system is downstream from a system for treatment of the gases, which may include a nitrogen oxide NOx trap, an oxidation catalyst, or a 4-way catalyst. The systems connect to each other by a line, wherein the treatment system is considered as the whole of a whole finite number n of fictive elementary reactors Ri that are perfectly agitated and serially connected, wherein the total number n of fictive elementary reactors Ri is determined, in particular as a function of volume of the treatment system, and the fictive elementary reactors Ri are numbered from 1 to n in the gas flow direction along the treatment system. Fictive elementary reactor Rn is the last to be cross-flown by the gases before leaving the treatment system, and the temperature at the post-treatment system entrance downstream from the system for the treatment of the gases is calculated from the temperature inside the last fictive elementary reactor Rn. |
| US07698932B2 |
Device for measuring uneven wear of starter brushes for vehicle
The present invention provides a device for measuring uneven wear of starter brushes for a vehicle which can accurately measure and compare the lengths of the starter brushes and easily determine whether or not eccentricity of an armature occurs, the device comprising: a hollow support; a receiving plate formed integrally with the outer circumferential surface of an upper portion of the hollow support to accommodate a plurality of brushes; a lifting body liftably inserted into the inside of the hollow support; a plurality of detection rods slidably connected to the outer circumferential surface of an upper portion of the lifting body and moving forward or backward toward the brushes; a lift driving means for driving the lifting body; a plurality of measuring sensors for measuring the lengths of the brushes by means of the detection rods; and an LCD panel for displaying the measured lengths; and a control unit for controlling the lift driving means, the measuring sensors and the LCD panel. |
| US07698928B2 |
Method for testing separation modules
New methods and apparatus are described for assessing the integrity of a separation module or filtration system. A principle embodiment concerns use of a transient pulse of challenge species to probe a spiral wound module. The resulting time-dependent concentration of challenge species in the permeate is detected, recorded, and compared to a reference. An apparatus is further claimed for detecting permeate conductivity at multiple points within the permeate collection tube of a spiral wound module. Also disclosed is a process whereby the permeate stream from a filtration system is concentration by a high recovery membrane apparatus prior to measurement of challenge species concentration. |
| US07698926B2 |
Electrical connection of energy harvesting devices
An energy harvesting system and method. An array of cantilevers with PZT films is electrically connected to an energy harvesting device that converts vibration energy to electrical energy. An AC output signal provided by the cantilevers can be rectified to a DC output, thereby avoiding impairment in total electrical output. The DC output terminals can be connected in parallel and/or in series in order to achieve a higher voltage and/or a higher current that prevents the output from different cantilevers from counteracting one another. The connection circuitry includes one or more rectifying components integrated with one or more micro-cantilevers into a single integrated circuit chip. An oscillograph can be utilized to monitor the DC output voltage signal from an associated testing circuit. |
| US07698923B2 |
Method of and device for exchanging sets of rolls
A method of and an installation for exchange of roll sets (5, 6) contemplate provision of a number of separate transversely displaceable carriages (9, 10, 11), whereby individual worn-out working roll sets (6) are displaced along a single connection track (14) by a single locomotive (21) in a roll workshop (20), and a new working roll set (6a) is displaced back to an installation position, and wherein during formation of a gap (12) in front of a rolling mill stand (2, 3, 4), a withdrawn backup roll set (5) is transported by a crane in the roll workshop and back. |
| US07698917B2 |
Electronic deadbolt lock with a leverage handle
An electronically controlled lock with a single throw acting as a passage lock and also as a deadbolt lock is provided by the invention. The lock is equipped with an electronic activation device on its exterior housing and a door lever on its internal housing. A user unlocks the door from outside by touching an electronic key against the electronic activation device. After the door is unlocked, the throw acts as a passage lock. The door can be locked internally by moving the door lever from a horizontal position upwardly to a vertical position. |
| US07698914B2 |
Padlock
A padlock includes a base, a combination controlled lock unit having a shaft passing through a top hole of the base into an accommodation chamber of the base, three combination wheels rotatably sleeved onto the shaft, and three retaining wheels sleeved onto the shaft and respectively engaged with the combination wheels, a driving member connected with the shaft, two shackles having bottom ends respectively connected to the base and top ends detachably engaged with each other, and a latch connected with the shaft so as to be driven to move between a locking position where a block portion of the latch stops at least pivotable one of the shackles from movement for ensuring engagement of the top ends of the shackles and a unlocking position where the block portion moves away from the pivotable shackle for allowing disengagement of the top ends of the shackles. |
| US07698913B2 |
Complex lock assembly
The complex lock has a housing, a number core, a key cylinder and a number detector. The number core, the key cylinder and the number detector are located inside of the housing. The complex lock can be unlock by a key and unlock number. When the unlock numbers are missed or forgotten, the number detector is able to find the unlock number again so that the complex lock can be unlock by the unlock number again. |
| US07698910B2 |
Door and a drum type washing machine and a clothes dryer using the same
A door for a washing appliance is provided. The door includes an inner frame and an outer frame joined with the inner frame where one of the frames couples with a cabinet of the washing appliance. The door also has a glass door between the inner frame and the outer frame and a recess portion disposed in an inner circumferential surface of the outer frame. |
| US07698907B1 |
Mold assembly for glass articles
A mold assembly (10; 40) for molding a hollow glass article comprising a mold (12) that is made up of a separable pair of mold elements (12a, 12b; 42) and a mold holder (14; 44) that surrounds a portion of the mold of substantial axial length. The mold is separable from the mold holder, and the exterior of each mold segment is provided with a plurality of cooling fins (12e; 42e). The mold holder is made up of a separable pair of mold holder sections (16, 18; 46), and each mold holder section has a fluid flow passage (20; 50) extending therethrough. The fluid flow passage is radially open to permit fluid flowing therethrough to flow inwardly against the fins of an adjacent mold element. Each mold holder section has a perforated screen (26; 56) affixed thereto to vary the distribution of the flow of fluid from the mold holder section against the fins of the adjacent mold element. |
| US07698906B2 |
Sub-wet bulb evaporative chiller with pre-cooling of incoming air flow
An evaporative chiller cooling water to below ambient wet bulb temperature. Sub-wet bulb chilling is achieved by pre-cooling incoming air upstream of the saturator. The incoming air is ambient air at ambient air temperature that is cooled using the coolness of the lower temperature outgoing air exiting the saturator. The pre-cooling lowers the temperature of the incoming air and lowers its wet bulb temperature below that of ambient air. The saturator water is chilled to below the ambient wet bulb temperature. The air in the saturator flows across the water as it gravity drips or flows from the top to the bottom of the saturator. The pre-cooled air flows across the saturator with the coolest air directed across the bottom of the saturator where the coldest water is flowing and with the hottest air directed across the top where the hottest water is flowing to provide gradient chilling. |
| US07698904B2 |
Control device for refrigeration or air conditioning systems
The invention relates to a control unit for controlling the expansion valve of a refrigeration or air conditioning system, comprising a temperature sensor that is connected upstream of the expansion valve in the coolant circuit. If the control unit detects a decrease in temperature of the aforementioned temperature sensor, which is generally caused by the start of a defrosting process, it displaces the expansion valve into a static state, to protect said valve during the defrosting process. |
| US07698903B1 |
Energy efficient ventilation system
The energy efficient ventilation system provides tempered air to an air to air heat exchanger, such as a heat pump. The system includes independent air intake sources from a tunnel, a structure, and the exterior of the structure that direct air to a control module. Regulators control the amount of air that enters the control module from the air intake sources. The control module mixes the intake air and distributes the tempered air to the structure and to the air to air heat exchanger. |
| US07698899B2 |
Apparatus, system and method for beverage forming
A beverage forming apparatus, system and cooling method is disclosed. The beverage forming apparatus includes a container to contain a beverage, a detaching device to scrape frozen particles of the beverage from an inner surface of the container, a cooling medium to cool the beverage to a predetermined temperature, and a motor to provide a relative motion between the container and detaching device. The beverage forming and dispensing system includes an inlet hose to dispense a beverage into the system, a beverage forming apparatus to form the beverage with frozen microscopic particles of the beverage, a tap to dispense the beverage with the frozen microscopic particles of the beverage to a container, and a defrost apparatus to defrost the frozen microscopic particles of the beverage. The cooling method includes providing a beverage into a container, cooling the beverage to substantially a freezing temperature, detaching microscopic particles of frozen beverage from an inner surface of the container, mixing the microscopic particles of frozen beverage with the beverage, and dispensing the beverage with the microscopic particles. |
| US07698898B2 |
Mixer for cooling and sealing air system for turbomachinery
A system for mixing flows from a compressor is provided. The system comprises an ejector that combines a first flow and a second flow, from the compressor, into a third flow. A bypass flow is connected between the first flow and the third flow. A mixer combines the bypass flow and the third flow into a fourth flow. The fourth flow has a pressure and temperature intermediate the respective pressures and temperatures of the bypass flow and the third flow. |
| US07698897B2 |
Engine control
It is known that overshoot in fuel flow rate as a result of compensating for engine heat soak effects can create transient over values in desired thrust parameters. These over values may be displayed and/or utilised in other engine control systems, and although transient may create problems within the engine and apprehension with a user. By adjusting the normally calculated fuel flow rate to a fuel regulator by the introduction of a fuel flow adjustment dependent upon a variable which is related to heat soak effects it is possible to reduce the extent of overshoot as well as the transient time period of that overshoot to ongoing operational state. The variable used may be direct or indirect and will generally utilise a temperature sensor within the engine and/or other engine control procedures which may be extrapolated from such sensor values to provide a variable for heat soak compensation. |
| US07698895B2 |
Pyrotechnic actuator
The invention relates to an actuator comprising an actuator element movably supported at an actuator housing, a pyrotechnic pressure element to move the actuator element and a control means to control a force exerted onto the actuator element by the pressure element to move the actuator element. |
| US07698894B2 |
Engine intake air compressor and method
A compressor assembly (304) includes a compressor housing (312) having a main air inlet (324) and an annular wall (328) defining an inducer bore (325). A secondary inlet passage (322) is disposed around the inducer bore (325). The secondary inlet passage (322) has an inlet slot (320) operatively intersecting the inducer bore (325) to permit the entry of a fluid thereinto through an inlet port (327). The inlet slot (320) advantageously defines an augmented inducer diameter region (331). Preferably the secondary inlet passage (322) may be selectively partially or completely isolated from the main air inlet (324). A compressor wheel (318) is located in the compressor housing (312) and has a stepped portion (330) formed by at least one plurality of vanes (238) operatively associated with the augmented inducer diameter region (331) adjacent to the inlet slot (320) of the housing (312) to receive fluid therefrom. |
| US07698891B2 |
Travel motion control apparatus for hydraulically driven vehicle, hydraulically driven vehicle and wheel hydraulic excavator
The present invention includes: a hydraulic pump 10 that is driven by a driving motor; a travel motion motor 12 that is driven with pressure oil supplied from the hydraulic pump 10; a travel motion control valve 11 that controls a flow rate of the pressure oil supplied from the hydraulic pump 10 to the travel motion motor 12; a means for operation 22a with which the travel motion control valve 11 is operated; a means for rotation rate detection 95 that detects a rotation rate N of the travel motion motor 12; and a means for motor over rotation prevention 14, 17, 32 that reduces the rotation rate of the travel motion motor 12 if the means for rotation rate detection 95 detects a rotation rate equal to or higher than a predetermined rotation rate upper limit Nmax. |
| US07698885B2 |
Closure and locking detection system for turbojet thrust reverser
The invention relates to thrust reversers comprising at least one mobile element (3), at least one locking device (7) comprising a hook (8) cooperating with a hookable part (6) in order to keep the mobile element (3) in the closed position, and a double detection system (10) detecting closure and locking comprising a sensor (15) for indicating, in particular by a signal, if the mobile element (3) is in the closed position and if the device (7) is in a locked position.According to the invention, the double detection system detecting closure and locking of a mobile element of a turbojet thrust reverser comprises a means (16) of detection of the hookable part (6) and of activation of a second means (17) of detection of the crooked end (13) of the hook (8). |
| US07698884B2 |
Power transmission arrangement
A power transmission arrangement comprises a first power transmission member connectable to a first main shaft of an engine. The arrangement also includes a second power transmission member connectable to a second main shaft of the engine and to a third power transmission member. A coupling assembly is provided which has a selectable coupling condition to couple the first power transmission member to the second power transmission member to allow power to be transmitted from the third power transmission member to the first main shaft of the engine via the first power transmission member. The coupling assembly has a decoupling condition to decouple the first power transmission member from the second power transmission member to allow power to be transmitted from the main shaft of the engine to the third power transmission member via the second power transmission member. |
| US07698882B1 |
Collection device
A harvesting device for nuts and similar small objects having a handle which receives a manually reciprocable push rod having a spreader on its lower end. Tubular collection chambers are secured to the handle. A continuous coil spring extends between the lower, open ends of the collection chambers. The spreader engages the coil spring within the interior area at the end of the handle. In use, downward pressure applied to the handle at the grip will cause the openings between the coils of the coil spring to separate sufficiently to allow objects on the ground to pass into the interior of the spring and into one of the collection chambers. The collection chambers are emptied by holding the device over a receptacle such as a bin with one hand and operating the push rod in a reciprocating or pumping motion causing the openings between the coils to open and close, facilitating rapid emptying of the collection chambers. |
| US07698876B2 |
Method and apparatus for packaging reels
The invention relates to a method and arrangement for packaging paper, pulp, or board reels (1). In the method the reel (1) is brought to a wrapping station, which comprises supporting elements (2, 2′) for supporting the reel (1) during wrapping end shields (7) are brought to the ends of the reel (1), wrapping material is wrapped around the reel (1), and the reel (1) is moved away from the wrapping station. According to the invention, the end shields (7) are brought to the ends of the reel (1) from the same side of the supporting elements (2, 2′) as the wrapping material. |
| US07698873B2 |
Construction module arrangement
A construction module having a multi-layered top panel, a multi-layered intermediate panel and a multi-layered bottom panel which are bonded together and desired cavities are provided through one or more of the top panel, intermediate panel and bottom panel. |
| US07698862B2 |
Multi-layer decoupling and sealing system
The invention relates to a multi-layer decoupling and sealing system (1), in particular for the laying of ceramic paving (10) according to a thin-bed method (12). Said system comprises a layered construction containing, from the base upwards, a liquid-impermeable sealing layer (4), an anchorage layer (2, 3) that is configured from a lattice-type structural element and that is used to hold a filler material (12), which is to be incorporated into the upper face of the decoupling and sealing system (1) and which is plastic during processing and subsequently cures, in addition to a reinforcement layer (5), which is fixed, at least in some sections, to the anchorage layer (2, 3). This improves the load-bearing capacity of the decoupling and sealing system (1) and the bonding properties of ceramic paving (10) that is laid in a conventional manner on the decoupling and sealing system (1). |
| US07698861B2 |
Masonry block wall bracing wall anchor
A masonry block wall bracing wall anchor having a threaded portion connected to an intermediate portion of the wall anchor with the intermediate portion having a vertical cross-section generally sized to fit between and substantially bridge the vertical thickness of a bed joint between two successive courses of masonry blocks and the threaded portion available for connecting by means of a washer and a nut to a side support that braces a masonry block wall during construction. The preferred embodiment has an upper transverse fracture groove and a lower transverse fracture groove through which after completion of the wall selectively can propagate a fracture line when the masonry block wall is completed. The fracture grooves can facilitate selective fracturing of the wall bracing wall anchor thereby allowing removal of a protruding threaded portion of the anchor that extends beyond the outer face of the masonry wall. |
| US07698857B2 |
Roof assembly method and apparatus
A frame is constructed to support a roof. A plurality of panels can be slid into position on the frame from the ground. A mating channel joint is formed between adjacent panels that allows one panel to be slid over the adjacent panel into the proper position. The panels engage frame members to properly position the panels on the roof. The roof panels are formed with mounting structures located on the interior or underside thereof. The mounting structures include holes or other receptacles for receiving a rigid connector member. The frame members are also provided with receptacles for receiving the connector member. The connector member is inserted through the first mounting structure, through the receptacle in the frame member and through the mounting structure of the adjacent panel. |
| US07698856B2 |
Glass run for automobile
A glass run mounted along an inner part of a door frame of a vehicle door to guide a window glass which moves up and down within the door frame. A main body portion of the glass run is provided with an exterior side wall, an interior side wall and a bottom wall, thereby formed into a shape having a substantially U-shaped cross section. An exterior seal lip and an interior seal lip are provided so as to extend into an inside of the substantially U-shaped cross section from distal portions of the exterior side wall and the interior side wall, respectively. The bottom wall has a bottom wall damping lip which is formed so as to be inclined inwardly from one of side end portions of an inner surface of the bottom wall. A space which is provided between an outer surface of the bottom wall portion and a door frame. A cushion material is provided in the space. |
| US07698852B1 |
Fishing lure
A fishing lure has retractable hooks. A spring has a coiled portion mounted around a pin in the lure body, two energizing leg extending from the coiled portion, and a foot extending laterally from each energizing leg. The feet engage a rearward side of the shank of each hook. A trigger has a rod on a forward end that extends from the body for attachment to a line. The trigger has a trigger body that engages a forward side of each of the shanks. The trigger and the lure body have mating detent surfaces to releasably retain the hooks in a cocked position. A forward pull on the rod releases the trigger to move forward, freeing the coiled portion of the spring to unwind, causing the energizing legs to rotate the hooks to the extended position. |
| US07698850B2 |
Ice fishing device for protecting a fishing line
An ice fishing line protection device, for protecting micro fishing line as light as one or two pound test, comprising an elongated tube with an internal passageway through which a fishing line may pass. The protection device floats in an ice fishing hole protecting the line from abrasions. The protection device opens to release the line or it can be extracted from the ice hole entirely when a fish is caught. |
| US07698840B2 |
Full moon canvas
Artists prefer to paint on canvas. Paintings previous to this invention, canvas paintings hung on flat walls because the have a flat back. This invention, a tubular canvas can not be place flat on a wall; it must either hang from the ceiling, set on flat pedestal so the viewer can walk around to see the painting in its entirety. With the Full Moon Canvas, the artist paints not on a flat canvas surface but a 360 degree round-tube-shaped, always curving, canvas of any height or circumference. Oil, acrylic or any art media can be applied. (To clarify only, visualize a drum where the sides are painted). It is constructed out of light weight wood. The flat top and bottom are exposed folded canvas from stretching the canvas. When the piece is finished, the flat ends are covered with smooth wood thus creating the frame. |
| US07698839B1 |
Material conveyor system container
Molded polymer elevator buckets are reinforced by tapering the thickness of front and sidewalls and integral arcuate corner parts to improve bucket life without significant weight increase or reduced bucket capacity. Front lip wear indicators may be molded into the front wall section delimited by the lip and/or on the arcuate corner parts. |
| US07698834B1 |
Shoe with interchangeable vamp and base
Disclosed is a shoe system comprising an interchangeable shoe base and vamp. The shoe base has a rim piece on the outer edge of the shoe base that interlocks with a protruding lip on the outer edge of the vamp except in the toe area, where the rim piece and vamp abut one another rather than interlocking, allowing the interchangeable vamp to have a closed toe. |
| US07698833B2 |
Apparatus for hardening a sealant located between a pair bonded substrates of liquid crystal display device
An apparatus for hardening a sealant on a substrate is disclosed in the present invention. The apparatus includes a chamber receiving at least a pair of bonded substrates, and at least one supporting unit supporting the bonded substrates, attached to inner side surfaces of the chamber, and having a substantially flat contact surface contacting the bonded substrates. |
| US07698830B2 |
Posture and body movement measuring system
A system for measuring a living subject having a spine comprises a flexible strip, a first sensor, a processor, and a data storage device. The flexible strip, the first sensor, the processor, and the data storage device are located along the spine of the living subject. The first sensor, the processor and the data storage device are connected for collecting data related to bending of the flexible strip for determining a curvature of the spine of the living subject. The data from the first sensor is processed in the processor and stored in the storage device. One embodiment includes a transmitter for transmitting the data. Other embodiments include feedback and provide information about time duration in a posture. |
| US07698825B2 |
Automatic solar compass
The most accurate method of finding the true north is through astronomical observations, for example, by observing the position of the sun. However, the procedure is complicated. The instantaneous position of the sun must be calculated from astronomical data for each instance of observation, and the operator must wait for the predetermined time to come. Elaborate manual adjustments are required. The present invention discloses an automatic solar compass comprising a cylindrical omni-directional lens, a detection means, and a servomechanism. It is as easy to use as the magnetic compass, but much more accurate and reliable than the magnetic compass. |
| US07698819B2 |
Shaving apparatus
A shaving apparatus includes at least one cutting unit having an inner cutter rotationally drivable with respect to an outer cutter by driving shaft of a driving device. The driving shaft exerts a prestress force on the inner cutter in the direction of the outer cutter. During cutting of a hair, the hair exerts a cutting force on the inner cutter directed opposite the driving force. The driving shaft bears axially on the outer cutter via at least one driving surface of a coupling element which is rotationally drivable. The inner cutter includes at least one driven surface for cooperating with the driving surface for exerting the driving force. The direction of the driving force is substantially perpendicular to the driving surface and the driven surface. |
| US07698818B2 |
Method for assembling precision miniature bearings for minisystems and microsystems
The aim of the invention is to obtain a cost-effective solution for providing a microsystem with bearings, which have sufficiently high precision and long-term stress resistance. The invention proposes a method for manufacturing, adapting or adjusting a bearing portion in a fluidal microcomponent (M) comprising a stator (30) and a rotor (40,2). Said rotor is rotatably supported on the at least one bearing portion (L10,L11) relative to said stator. Said rotor (40,2) is rotatably supported by a sleeve (10, 11) inserted into said stator (30), for forming said bearing portion, the at least one sleeve being inserted in said stator as a bearing sleeve and comprising an inner surface and an outer surface (10i, 10a; 11i, 11a). Before being inserted in said stator, said bearing sleeve (10, 11) is a separate bearing component comprising an inner surface (10i, 11i) as an inner bearing surface, which is mechanically micro-finished before being inserted into said stator (30). The outer surface (10a, 11a) of said bearing component (10, 11) is mechanically permanently connected with said stator (30). |
| US07698816B2 |
Method of making a pinion meshing with a given face gear in accordance with altered design parameters
A method of defining a new pinion for use with a given face gear set. Tooth geometry of the new pinion is generated by a plane taking the given face gear set as reference and maintaining true conjugate actions among the original pinion, the face gear, the new pinion and the generating plane. This method makes it possible to eliminate adapter gears for applications requiring different shaft settings and/or ratios than those of the given gear set. |
| US07698813B2 |
Method for fabricating conductive blind via of circuit substrate
A method for fabricating a conductive blind via of a circuit substrate including the following steps is provided. First, the circuit substrate including a first dielectric layer, a patterned circuit layer and a second dielectric layer are provided. The patterned circuit layer including at least a capture pad is disposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer. Next, a blind via exposing the capture pad is formed in the second dielectric layer. Then, an electroless plating process is performed to form an electroless copper layer on the capture pad and an inner wall of the blind via. Next, the electroless copper layer on the capture pad is removed. Finally, the blind via is filled with a conductive material to form the conductive blind via. |
| US07698812B2 |
Method for forming a ceramic laminate
A method for forming a ceramic laminate ceramic laminate from first and second sheets of ceramic material, the sheets having a first and a second surface, wherein the first ceramic material has a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the second ceramic material and the outer layers comprises ceramic materials having substantially the same thermal properties, comprising (a) heating the first and the second sheets of ceramic material; (b) stacking the first and the second sheets of ceramic material wherein the second surfaces are opposed to one another to provide stacked sheets; and (c) pressing the stacked sheets and forming the ceramic laminate. |
| US07698811B2 |
Method for manufacturing multilayer printed circuit boards using inner substrate
An exemplary inner substrate for manufacturing multilayer printed circuit boards is provided. The inner substrate has a number of substrate units and a number of transverse folding portions alternately arranged along a longitudinal direction of the inner substrate. Each of the substrate units is configured for forming a unitary printed circuit board. Each of the folding portions is interconnected between neighboring substrate units. Each of the folding portions defines at least one line weakness perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the inner substrate for facilitating folding and unfolding the neighboring substrate units to each other. An exemplary method for manufacturing multilayer printed circuit boards using the inner substrate is also provided. The method can improve efficiency of manufacturing multilayer printed circuit boards. |
| US07698809B2 |
Apparatus and method for detecting a location of conductive pins with respect to a circuit board
An apparatus for detecting a location of conductive pins with respect to a circuit board during an assembly process using a press tool to mate the circuit board and the conductive pins includes a detector housing holding a plurality of switches aligned with corresponding conductive pins, wherein the detector housing is configured to be mounted to the press tool used during the assembly process. The switches change state based on the location of the conductive pins with respect to the circuit board. The apparatus further includes a sensor electrically coupled with the plurality of switches, wherein the sensor monitors the change of state of each switch to indicate that the respective conductive pins are properly mated with the circuit board. |
| US07698805B2 |
Method for manufacturing integrated circuit device having antenna conductors
A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit device having antenna conductors is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a wafer with a plurality of integrated circuit components; forming a first antenna conductor on the surface of each integrated circuit component; forming a plurality of metal bumps above the first antenna conductor; coating an insulating layer to encapsulate the plurality of integrated circuit components and to cover the plurality of metal bumps; removing a portion of the insulating layer to expose a top portion of each metal bump; and forming a second antenna conductor on the insulating layer by screen printing. |
| US07698804B2 |
Method for producing a fully transposed high Tc composite superconductor and a superconductor produced by said method
A fully transposed composite superconductor of the Roebel bar type is produced. The superconductor is formed from combines superconductors. The process step for forming the subconductors, which are being configured with a lateral projection into a region of a neighbouring subconductor, is separated from the stranding step. Carrier strips, which are coated with the superconductive material, are used as the conductors. |
| US07698801B2 |
Wire-processing device and method of operating such a wire-processing device
In a wire-processing machine, by a linear movement away from a first holding unit, a gripper applies to a gripping unit a pull-out force in the longitudinal axis of the wire. The pull-out force that is exerted on the wire is measured by, for example, a force sensor that is arranged on the holding unit or by the motor current of the motor that causes the linear movement. The gripper and the gripping unit together make measurement of the pull-out force possible also for medium-sized and large wires without the gripper needing to be constructed stronger, or its dimensions, or the gripper-arm drive, needing to be changed. |
| US07698793B2 |
Electret condenser microphone and method of producing the same
A method of producing an electret condenser microphone capable of reflow mounting includes a first step of providing a backplate substrate having a backplate; a second step of providing an adhesive-backed fluorine-containing resin film formed by stacking an adhesive on a film-shaped fluorine-containing resin material having a surface treated by wet or dry chemical etching; a third step of stacking the adhesive-backed fluorine-containing resin sheet on the backplate of the backplate substrate with the adhesive interposed therebetween; a fourth step of setting the adhesive to firmly secure the fluorine-containing resin material to the backplate of the backplate substrate; and a fifth step of implanting electric charges into the fluorine-containing resin film firmly secured onto the backplate. |
| US07698789B2 |
Apparatus for holding towel
Disclosed is a towel holding apparatus for providing a ready access to a towel by a user. The towel holding apparatus includes an attachment assembly. The attachment assembly includes a clasping member capable of being detachably attached to an item of the user. Further, the attachment assembly includes a first connector detachably attached to the clasping member, and a first set of magnets removably engaged with the first connector. The towel holding apparatus further includes a holding assembly. The holding assembly includes a second set of magnets removably coupled to the first set of magnets of the attachment assembly. Further, the holding assembly includes a second connector removably engaged with the second set of magnets, and a holding member detachably attached to the second connector. The holding member is capable of removably holding the towel. |
| US07698786B2 |
Door hinge pin for portable electronic device
A door hinge pin (20) for a portable electronic device (900) is provided. The door hinge pin includes a lead pin portion (201), a first pin body portion (202), a second pin body portion (204), a third pin body portion (203), and a tail pin portion (205), which connect with each other in such described order. The lead pin portion and the tail pin portion are respectively positioned substantially vertical to the first pin body portion and the third pin body portion. The first pin body portion is located in parallel with the third pin body portion. The first connecting pin portion is unsymmetrical with the second connecting pin portion about a first reference line X1. The first reference line X1 is defined parallel to the first pin body portion and the third pin body portion and located therebetween. Distance spaced between the first reference line X1 and the first pin body portion is substantially the same as that spaced between the first reference line X1 and the third pin body portion. |
| US07698780B2 |
Wheel structure
A wheel includes a central holding member, a wheel member, a shell secured around the central holding member, a shaft partly received in the central holding member, a bearing around the shaft inside the central holding member, an upper cover tightly pressed against the bearing, a braking plate mechanism, and a pressing plate mechanism; the upper cover has a connecting extension section having first and second pivotal holes; the braking plate mechanism and the pressing plate mechanism are pivoted on the first and the second pivotal holes of the upper cover respectively; the pressing plate mechanism includes a big pressing plate, and a second pressing plate; when the big pressing plate is depressed, it will press the braking plate mechanism against the wheel member to stop the wheel member; the little pressing plate is used to move the big pressing plate away from the braking plate mechanism. |
| US07698779B2 |
Hand-guided portable vacuum/blower device
A hand-guided portable vacuum/blower device has a blower unit with a blower and a motor unit with a drive motor. The blower unit is rigidly connected to the motor unit. The drive motor is drivingly connected to the blower. A grip part is connected with antivibration elements to the motor unit and the blower unit. The grip part is at least approximately ring-shaped and has a first handle. The grip part is arranged in a plane that is positioned perpendicularly to an axis of rotation of the blower and, when viewed in the direction of the axis of rotation, is located between the motor unit and the blower unit. |
| US07698778B2 |
Vacuum cleaner having a motor-fan unit and a fine filter disposed in an exhaust air stream thereof
A vacuum cleaner includes a motor-fan unit and a housing part including a filter receptacle. A filter frame is slidably insertable in an insertion direction into the filter receptacle so as to be disposed in an exhaust air stream of the motor-fan unit. The filter frame has a substantially parallelepiped configuration and is configured to receive a fine filter. The vacuum cleaner includes an air-permeable cover element pivotably disposed on the housing and configured to cover the filter receptacle. The cover element is operable to redirect force resulting from a pivoting movement thereof from the insertion direction to a pressing direction substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction so as to press an edge contour of the filter frame toward a mating contour of the filter receptacle in an inserted position of the filter frame. |
| US07698772B1 |
Orthodontic toothbrush
A toothbrush with a head having at least one pair of twisted wire brushes secured to the head's top surface in a position that creates a narrow and substantially uniform trench between the bristles of opposing brushes. Head construction may be solid, curved, blunt, tapering, or have a forked distal end. When a user's brace hardware and/or orthodontic wires are placed within the trench, bristles adjacent to it reach tooth surfaces behind the orthodontic wires to gently remove plaque without wire or hardware breakage. The twisted wires of opposing conical brushes are not parallel so as to create a uniform trench. The twisted wires in narrow end of conical brushes are also angled toward the distal end of the toothbrush head to facilitate reaching crowded back teeth without orthodontic wire breakage. The toothbrush handle can be laterally angled relative to its head and brushes are optionally replaceable by the user. |
| US07698771B2 |
Electric toothbrush
An electric toothbrush is disclosed. The electric toothbrush includes a body having an interior hollow region for retaining one or more motors, batteries, and drive mechanisms. The toothbrush includes one or more bristle carriers. Each of the bristle carriers undergoes some type of movement and is driven by the one or more motors and drive mechanisms. Various combinations of movement of the bristle carriers are described. And, numerous drive train mechanisms are disclosed for achieving the noted motions. |
| US07698769B2 |
Device to catch and retrieve foam pellets
An apparatus for the rapid loading, launching and retrieval of foam pellets for tube cleaning. The apparatus uses a block configuration to allow gravity feed and rapid firing of pellets into tubes. The apparatus includes a hopper feeder attachment, which is self-adjusting during pellet jams. |
| US07698767B2 |
Combination bar tool
One embodiment of the present patent application is a device, comprising a first piece and a second piece. The first piece includes a stirring spoon, a bottle opener, and a corkscrew. The corkscrew has a corkscrew base. The second piece includes a removable cover that attaches to the corkscrew base to cover the corkscrew. |
| US07698763B2 |
Method for correcting deformational plagiocephaly and other cranial deformations
A pillow is provided for the treatment of deformational plagiocephaly. The pillow preferably has arms which define a void with varying diameters to facilitate holding an infant's head to cause reshaping of the posterior of the skull. An anchoring mechanism may also be included to hold the pillow in place. |
| US07698762B2 |
Space saver pillow system and method for making the same
A space saver pillow system comprises a space saver pillow and a bag. The space saver pillow includes a fill and a covering surrounding and enclosing the fill. The fill of the space saver pillow is adapted to generally rebound back to its natural state after being compressed. The bag encloses the space saver pillow and an amount of air. The space saver pillow enclosed in the bag is compressed no more than about 80% of its original size. |
| US07698760B2 |
Hospital bed caster control system
A patient support apparatus includes a base having a first side, a second side, a head end, and a foot end, a head end caster and a foot end caster coupled to the base on the first side near the respective head and foot ends, and a head end link and a foot end link located on the first side and operably associated with the respective head and foot end casters on the first side. The head and foot end links on the first side move longitudinally in opposite directions to brake the respective head and foot end casters on the first side. |
| US07698755B2 |
Overhead cam faucet mounting system
A faucet assembly including a mounting base, an upper faucet assembly, and a cam fastener. The mounting base is configured to be coupled to a mounting deck and includes first and second inlet water conduits. The cam fastener is rotatably coupled to the mounting base and the upper faucet assembly to releasably couple the upper faucet assembly to the mounting base. |
| US07698753B2 |
Sink setting systems for offset and other sinks
A sink setting cross-member supports a non-linear sink support surface relative to a support structure. In an exemplary embodiment, the cross-member includes a first bracket portion at a first bracket end, and a second bracket portion at a second bracket end. A support portion is disposed between the first bracket portion and the second bracket portion. |
| US07698750B2 |
Bicycle helmet with reinforcement structure
A bicycle helmet has a body with a concave inner surface configured to permit the helmet to fit a user's head. The helmet also includes a reinforcement structure having a plurality of separate frames interconnected with each other, at least one of the plurality of frames comprising a unidirectional filament, wherein the reinforcement structure engages the body. |
| US07703145B2 |
Data update authorization
A method is described for controlling customer installations of software or data by providing to the customer an encrypted list of authorized installation targets, whereby the installation program reads and decrypts the list, and only allows installation to proceed if the customer's installation target has a serial number that matches one of the vendor-provided serial numbers in the authorization list. Provision is also made for allowing customers to add serial numbers to the list, within constraints predetermined by the software vendor. Also provided is a method for a customer to perform a predetermined number of installations, whereby the software maintains and decrements a counter in an encrypted file on a storage medium, keeping track of how many remaining installations a customer may perform. |
| US07703134B2 |
De-authentication of network component
A wireless home entertainment system consistent with certain embodiments has at least one server having at least one manipulable authentication element thereon, wherein the manipulable authentication element is not a general purpose data entry element. At least one component is in wireless communication with the server. A User Interface is used for selecting an authenticated component to be de-authenticated. A person can cause the server to regard an authenticated component as being de-authenticated by manipulating the authentication element while a component to be de-authenticated is selected using the user interface. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US07703133B1 |
Secure authentication curtain system and method
A system for preventing a user from interrupting a script launching one or more applications on a computer is provided. The system comprises a script operable to promote launching one or more applications. The system also comprises a security curtain application operable to prevent the user's input from interfering with operation of the script. The system further comprises enabling and disabling the security curtain application based upon one or more triggering events. |
| US07703129B2 |
Authentication system and method thereof for dial-up networking connection via terminal
Disclosed are an authentication system and method thereof for a dial-up networking connection via a terminal. The authentication system includes a terminal for snooping an authentication request packet that includes an authentication ID and password of a computer requesting authentication, and for generating an acknowledge packet of the authentication request packet. The authentication method includes receiving an authentication request packet including an authentication ID and password by a terminal, generating an acknowledge packet by the terminal, and transmitting generated acknowledge packet from the terminal to the computer. |
| US07703127B2 |
System for verifying a client request
A system and method are presented for authorizing execution of requested actions transmitted between clients and servers of a data processing system. The method includes receiving a message including a set of actions and simulating execution of the set of actions. A list representing allowable actions and user-definable inputs to the simulated actions is defined. The list of allowable actions and user-definable inputs to the allowable action is then compared to user-requested actions and inputs. When elements within the user-requested actions and inputs are included in the allowable actions and input list, the user-requested actions and inputs are authorized for execution. |
| US07703125B2 |
Approach for deleting electronic documents on network devices using document retention policies
An approach is provided for deleting electronic documents using a document retention policy that specifies one or more deletion criteria for documents belonging to each of a plurality of document classifications. The document retention policy is defined by document retention policy data that is managed by a document retention policy manager. The document retention policy manager disseminates the document retention policy data to network elements over a communications network. The document retention policy manager determines whether a retention policy audit should be performed and if so, signals the network elements to conduct a retention policy audit. The network elements are configured to conduct the retention policy audit by deleting electronic documents in accordance with the document retention policy. Automatic or manual loading or auto-destruction code may be used to handle deleting electronic documents from removable media. |
| US07703123B2 |
Method and system for security control in an organization
According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for managing security for an organization is provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of requests from a plurality of parties. Each request is a request for permission to implement a deviation from a security rule. Each request includes a statement describing a benefit associated with the deviation. The method also includes determining a risk associated with the deviation. The method also includes deciding whether to approve each request based on the determined risk and the statement. The method also includes storing the requests and a status of each request. The status indicates whether the request is approved. The stored requests includes at least one approved request. The method also includes deciding, after a predetermined time period, whether to continue an approval of the approved request. |
| US07703121B2 |
Method of distributing multimedia data to equipment provided with an image sensor
A method of distributing multimedia data from a central distribution station to local equipment including: linking one image characteristic (32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48) with at least one set of multimedia data stored by the central distribution station respectively; making available to at least one user of a support (10) having at least one selection image (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) in response to the capture of at least one image of the support by the local equipment, and calculating a characteristic of the captured image; searching for a multimedia data set of the central station linked to the image characteristic closest to the characteristic calculated; transferring of the corresponding multimedia data to the local equipment. |
| US07703118B2 |
Delivery of feedback information to scheduling service to determine optimum broadcast times based upon client platform tuner contention
Delivery of feedback information to a scheduling service to determine optimum broadcast times based upon client platform tuner contention is described. A usage pattern of an electronic media device is recorded. The usage pattern is communicated to a scheduling server. Media content is received during a time period selected by the scheduling server based upon the usage pattern. |
| US07703113B2 |
Copy protection arrangement
In certain embodiments, a method for generating fees using a receiving device, involves distributing censored video from a distributor video to a receiving device; and uncensoring the censored video using the receiving device upon payment of a fee. The receiving device uses overlay data received from the distributor to uncensor the censored video by overlaying the overlay data over the censored video using a video overlay frame to overlay a video frame containing the censored video data in accordance with boundaries determined by an alpha plane within the receiving device. This abstract should not be considered limiting since embodiments consistent with the present invention may involve more, different or fewer elements. |
| US07703108B2 |
Native code isolation in a multi-tasking Java virtual machine
An application program is run in a process supported by an operating system in a computer system. The application program is executed in a virtual machine, and the virtual machine is within the process. Loading a library for the application program includes determining whether this is the first library load instruction in the application program. If it is the first library load instruction, then the library is loaded in a first memory area, and a handle and link map to the first memory area is defined for the library. If the library load instruction is a second or subsequent library load instruction, the further library is loaded in a further memory area, also associated with the link map identifier, and a second handle to the further library is defined and stored. |
| US07703104B1 |
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for enrolling conferees for expeditied access to conferencing services
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media of enrolling conferees to receive conferencing services. Methods to achieve the foregoing can comprise: receiving a request from the conference call host to enroll in conferencing services; receiving data representing a unique identifier relating to the conference call host; providing data representing access information to the enrolled conference call host, wherein the given conference call host can request access to a given conference call using the access information; and configuring a component of a system related to supporting the conference call to connect the conference call host directly to the conference call in response to recognition of the access information of and the unique identifier in a communication from the conference call host. |
| US07703102B1 |
Approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on preemptable resource requirements
An approach for allocating resources to an apparatus based on preemptable resource requirements generally involves a resource allocator determining that a resource that satisfies a resource requirement for one apparatus is not available but that another resource that currently satisfies another resource requirement for another apparatus does satisfy the resource requirement. The resource allocator determines that the other resource requirement for the other apparatus is characterized in that resources that currently satisfy the other resource requirement may be de-allocated from the other apparatus, such as a preemptable resource requirement. The resource allocator de-allocates the resource from the other apparatus and allocates the resource to the one apparatus. A preemptable resource requirement can be based on a suspendable resource requirement or a set of alternative resource requirements. |
| US07703097B2 |
Auto-commit processing in an IMS batch application
A DLI call from the batch application is intercepted, wherein the DLI call is made for the purpose of accessing a hierarchical database. It is then determined if the access to the hierarchical database is a checkpoint trigger event. A segment counter for a trigger segment in a checkpoint trigger for the checkpoint trigger event is incremented if the trigger segment is identified by the DLI call. The segment counter is compared to a segment commit threshold in the checkpoint trigger and commit point processing is performed on behalf of the batch application if the segment counter is in a predetermined relation to the segment commit threshold. |
| US07703095B2 |
Information processing and control
Information processing apparatus, including occurrence number counter counting events that occurred in each of a plurality of CPUs. Apparatus performs functions of; storing accumulated occurrence number of events, which occurred while the thread is being executed by each of the CPUs, in a thread storage area of the thread associating accumulated occurrence number with CPU; storing, in the thread storage area, a value of occurrence number counter of the CPU, the value having been counted before the thread is resumed by the CPU; and adding, to accumulated occurrence number which has been stored in accumulated number storing unit while corresponding to the CPU, a difference value obtained by subtracting a counter value, which has been stored in the start-time number storing unit of the thread, from a counter value of the occurrence number counter of the CPU, in a case where the CPU terminates an execution of the thread. |
| US07703091B1 |
Methods and apparatus for installing agents in a managed network
An agent installer operates to install an agent on a plurality of host computer systems using a bulk automated installation process that identifies at least one agent to be installed on a plurality of host computer systems and performs prerequisite checking of each of the plurality of host computer systems to determine which host computer systems of the plurality of host computer system are capable of supporting operation of the at least one agent. For each host computer system of the plurality of host computer systems that is capable of supporting operation of the at least one agent, the agent installer performs an automated bulk agent installation operation to install the at least one agent on that host computer system. |
| US07703089B2 |
Compatibility framework using versioning class loaders
A method and system for performing version-based class loading. In one embodiment, a first version is sought to continue running an application, where a first class is associated with the first version being sought. A first class loader capable of loading the first class is created. The first class is then loaded using the first class loader. |
| US07703088B2 |
Compressing “warm” code in a dynamic binary translation environment
Selected regions of native instructions translated in a DBT environment from non-native instructions are compressed based on the independent compression of different fields of selected instructions using compression tables to reduce a length of selected fields. The regions of compressed instructions are stored and de-compressed into the native instructions during subsequent execution using de-compression tables. Specifically, for native instructions of a selected region, selected types of opcodes and/or operands may be compressed independently. The types may be selected by profiling the opcodes using benchmark programs and creating an opcode conversion table prior to compression, and scanning of the operands and creating an operand conversion table during compression of the opcodes. |
| US07703087B1 |
Reducing layout conflicts among code units with caller-callee relationships
A code placement technique that organizes code units to at least reduce layout conflicts among caller/callee code units. A code preparation environment determines those code units of a code representation that have overlapping memory mappings with their counterpart caller/callee code units. To at least reduce the layout conflicts, or overlapping memory mappings, the code preparation environment arranges the caller/callee code units to eliminate the layout conflicts among the caller/callee code units. |
| US07703085B2 |
Process for converting programs in high-level programming languages to a unified executable for hybrid computing platforms
A system and method for compiling computer code written to conform to a high-level language standard to generate a unified executable containing the hardware logic for a reconfigurable processor, the instructions for a traditional processor (instruction processor), and the associated support code for managing execution on a hybrid hardware platform. Explicit knowledge of writing hardware-level design code is not required since the problem can be represented in a high-level language syntax. A top-level driver invokes a standard-conforming compiler that provides syntactic and semantic analysis. The driver invokes a compilation phase that translates the CFG representation being generated into a hybrid controlflow-dataflow graph representation representing optimized pipelined logic which may be processed into a hardware description representation. The driver invokes a hardware description language (HDL) compiler to produce a netlist file that can be used to start the place-and-route compilation needed to produce a bitstream for the reconfigurable computer. The programming environment then provides support for taking the output from the compilation driver and combining all the necessary components together to produce a unified executable capable of running on both the instruction processor and reconfigurable processor. |
| US07703082B2 |
Controlling user intervention in a multi-processing computer system
A computer program implemented method controls interruption of execution of tasks running in a multi-processing computer system to permit user intervention. The system includes a repository of data identifying preselected tasks for interruption and identifying the user defined circumstances for such interruption. It also has a plurality of task caches for storing subsets of the repository data for respective tasks. According to the method, the repository is scanned during an initiation phase of any task for data relevant to the task. Any such relevant data is stored in the respective task cache. The task is then executed and if a defined circumstance for the task arises by reference to the task cache, the task is interrupted to enable user intervention. This can include updating the repository to redefine the circumstances for interruption. Execution is then resumed and the respective task cache refreshed with any relevant repository updates. |
| US07703080B2 |
Interpreter for executing computer programs and method for collecting statistics
The invention relates to a computer program interpreter and a method for the same, using statistics to group (SR89, SR17 . . . SR6; SR4, SR34 . . . SR16) frequently used service routines (SR) in the same program function and to control encoding of instructions. Frequently used service routines are assigned shorter codes thus enhancing the performance of a simulator or emulator. |
| US07703074B2 |
Method and apparatus for tracking changes in a system
A method for analyzing a target system that includes obtaining a plurality of characteristics from the target system using a characteristics extractor, wherein the plurality of characteristics is associated with a characteristics model, storing each of the plurality of characteristics in a characteristics store using a tracking mechanism, and analyzing the target system by issuing a query to the characteristics store to obtain an analysis result, wherein the query uses tracking information associated with the tracking mechanism. |
| US07703068B2 |
Technique for determining a mask pattern corresponding to a photo-mask
Photomask patterns are represented using contours defined by level-set functions. Given target pattern, contours are optimized such that defined photomask, when used in photolithographic process, prints wafer pattern faithful to target pattern. Optimization utilizes “merit function” for encoding aspects of photolithographic process, preferences relating to resulting pattern (e.g. restriction to rectilinear patterns), robustness against process variations, as well as restrictions imposed relating to practical and economic manufacturability of photomasks. |
| US07703060B2 |
Stitched IC layout methods, systems and program product
Stitched integrated circuit (IC) chip layout methods, systems and program products are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining from a first entity a circuit design for an IC chip layout that exceeds a size of a photolithography tool field at a second entity, wherein the IC chip layout includes for at least one stitched region of a plurality of stitched regions: a boundary identification identifying a boundary of the at least one stitched region at which stitching occurs and a type indicator indicating whether the at least one stitched region is one of: redundant and unique; dissecting the IC chip layout into stitched regions indicated as unique or redundant at the second entity; and generating a photolithographic reticle at the second entity based on the plurality of stitched regions, the photolithographic reticle having a size that fits within the size of the photolithographic tool field at the second entity. |
| US07703058B2 |
Method and system for changing a description for a state transition function of a state machine engine
The invention relates to a method and system for the design and implementation of state machine engines. A first constraints checking step checks a state transition function created by a designer against constraints imposed by the implementation technology in order to detect all portions of the state transition function that are in conflict with the constraints. A subsequent conflict resolution step tries to determine one or more suggested ways to meet the conflicting constraints, by investigating how the original state transition function can be modified such that all constraints are met. A final presentation and selection step provides the designer textual and/or graphically results of the constraints check and suggested modifications. The modifications can be accepted interactively, or the state transition function can be changed manually. In the latter case, the modified state transition function will be processed starting again with the constraints checking step. |
| US07703053B2 |
Regional pattern density determination method and system
A method and system of determining a localized measure of regional pattern density in a fabrication process of a chip are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes determining pattern density values for each cell of a plurality of cells of interest; averaging the pattern density values for each cell within a first selected region about a target cell to determine the localized measure of regional pattern density for the target cell; storing the localized measure of regional pattern density for the target cell; and repeating the averaging and the storing for each of the plurality of cells. The simplification of data allows for a localized measure of regional pattern density determination in much less time than conventional techniques. |
| US07703051B2 |
Trimming temperature coefficients of electronic components and circuits
There is described methods and circuits for trimming a temperature coefficient of change of a parameter of at least one electrical component while maintaining a substantially constant parameter value, the method comprising applying a heating cycle to trim said parameter value away from a target parameter value and back to said target parameter value, whereby the temperature coefficient of change is modified after applying said heating cycle. |
| US07703048B2 |
Managing flexible events within an electronic calendar
A method, system, and program are provided for managing flexible events within an electronic calendar. A calendaring controller schedules fixed events requiring a fixed time slots and flexible events that are flexible for scheduling over a particular time period for a particular duration, wherein the particular time period is greater than the particular duration. The calendaring controller sets each flexible event at a particular time slot within the particular time period for the particular duration. Responsive to the calendaring controller detecting a request for a new event for an additional time slot overlapping the particular time slot, the calendaring controller repositions the flexible event to at least one other time slot of the particular duration during the particular time period to allow for scheduling the new event during the additional time slot. |
| US07703047B2 |
Pen-based interface for a notepad computer
A notepad computer with a page display region displaying a page of a document on which a user can write using a pen or stylus type writing tool is provided. Associated with the page is an interface that can be used with the pen. The interface includes a core task tool region adjacent to the page where tool icons are partially visible until the pen is brought near one of the icons. The tool icon becomes fully visible when the pen is within the region of the icon. The tool when activated can pop-up a radial pop-up menu located at an edge of the document where all the menu choices are located in a semi-circle away from the edge so that the users hand while holding the pen and making a selection does not block the choices. A page flipping tool is located in a corner of the page and is an explicit two-stroke menu allowing selection of a next or previous page. A page scrolling tool is located along an edge of the page, the scrolling tool when activated is an implicit button allowing scrolling in one implied direction. The interface also includes a stack region adjacent to said page display region having one or more stack icons each representing a stack of documents. The icon is also an explicit two-stroke radial pop-up menu having forward and backward choices for selecting documents in the stack and a stack document list display displaying a list of documents in the stack when the stack icon is touched by an input pen. The interface also includes a typing tool overlaying a portion of the page and including a writing zone where a user handwrites strokes and, a page zone comprising part of the page where typed text corresponding to the handwritten strokes is displayed as the handwriting occurs. |
| US07703043B2 |
Electronic apparatus, display controlling method for electronic apparatus and graphical user interface
A graphical user interface is disclosed which achieves an easy search for a desired item upon scrolling. Plural first icons representing first items of a high hierarchy are arrayed along a direction of a display screen, and plural second icons representing second items of a low hierarchy which belong to a selected one of the first items are arrayed along an intersecting direction with the selected first item positioned at the intersecting position. The selected noticed icon from among the plural second icons is displayed emphatically at a fixed position on the display screen, and explanation information of the noticed item icon is displayed in the proximity of the display position of the noticed icon. In response to a scrolling instruction, scrolling is executed while explanation information of the second icons other than the noticed item icon is displayed. |
| US07703042B2 |
System and method for a seamless user interface for an integrated electronic health care information system
An interface for a medical record database allows multiple different applications to be opened accessing the records of a common and/or different patients. For those applications accessing the records of a common patient, a visual indication is provided indicating whether or not records of the same patient are being accessed to prevent the user from mistakenly comparing the records of different patients. |
| US07703038B1 |
Methods and apparatus for creating a quick canvas
A system renders a graphical user interface to allow editing of graphics within a work area. The system receives a start input to define a start of the work area at a start location of a pointing device on the graphical user interface. The system receives a motion input that alters a location of the pointing device on the graphical user interface from the start location to an end location. The system receives an end input to define an end of the work area at the end location of the pointing device defined upon receipt of the end input, and creates the work area in which graphics may be edited between the start location and the end location of the pointing device on the graphical user interface. The work area defines a graphics editing region confined between the start input and the end input. |
| US07703037B2 |
Searchable task-based interface to control panel functionality
A computer-implemented method is disclosed. The method is for enabling a user to efficiently navigate to a portion of a user interface configured to support performance of a particular task. The method includes receiving from the user an input that includes a description of the particular task. A result set is returned to the user and includes a plurality of candidate tasks that correspond to the description. The candidate tasks are displayed relative to an indication of at least one corresponding applet. |
| US07703035B1 |
Method, system, and apparatus for keystroke entry without a keyboard input device
A method, system, and apparatus for entering alpha-numeric and non-alpha numeric data without the use of a keyboard input device are provided. According to one method, a grid is displayed on a display screen that includes one or more alpha-numeric characters. Distinguishing characters are displayed adjacent to each alpha-numeric character. In response to receiving a selection within the grid, a determination is made as to whether the selected location contains an alpha-numeric character and, if so, a further determination is made as to whether a distinguishing character is present on two sides of the selected location. If a distinguishing character is present on two sides of the selected location, then the character located at the selected location is entered into a keyboard buffer as if a keyboard input device had been utilized to type the character. The grid may also include character strings corresponding to non-alphanumeric keystrokes that may be selected and entered into the keyboard buffer in a similar manner. |
| US07703031B2 |
Apparatus, method, and computer program for controlling display
A display control apparatus includes a first display control unit for controlling displaying a first representative image in a first folder on a first area of a display screen with first content recorded on a recording medium thereof belonging to the first folder, a second display control unit for controlling displaying a second representative image in a second folder on a second area of the display screen with second content supplied from a partner apparatus connected thereto via a network and belonging to the second folder, and a third display control unit for controlling displaying, on a third area of the display screen, a thumbnail image of one of the first content and the second content corresponding to one of the first folder and the second folder selected using one of the first representative image and the second representative image. |
| US07703030B2 |
Method and system for providing customized recommendations to users
In one embodiment, a method includes displaying a plurality of ratings provided for an item by a plurality of users, and, for each of the plurality of ratings, graphically illustrating relevance of a corresponding rating to an information recipient. |
| US07703013B1 |
Methods and apparatus to reformat and distribute content
To create a thumbnail version of an image associated with respective content (e.g., a web page), a computer process herein receives an identification of content formatted according to a first format. Based on the identification of the content to be converted into a thumbnail, the computer invokes a first service to utilize the content formatted according to the first format (e.g., HTML) and produce a rendition of the content according to a second format (e.g., a PDF format). The computer then invokes a second service to produce a rendition of the content according to a third format based on the rendition of the content according to the second format. The format of the thumbnail has a lower resolution compared to a respective imaging resolution associated with the PDF format to reduce network resources required to transfer the thumbnail rendition of the content to other users in a collaborative whiteboard session. |
| US07703010B2 |
Systems and methods for dynamic document generation
Dynamic web page generation is optimized by reducing the processing overhead required to parse the web page HTML code for tokens and insert dynamic content. Using the invention, an HTML file for a dynamic web page need be read and parsed only once throughout the life of the server. A software object parses the HTML, decomposes the page into constituent pieces and saves them to data structures as byte streams, which are cached, along with the software object, rendering multiple disk accesses unnecessary when the page is reconstituted. For subsequent requests, the dynamic page is created from the cached version, which is shareable across users and across requests. The optimization reduces server resource usage for dynamic page generation to near zero. The invention is also applicable to other documents combining static and dynamic content that require composition tools for editing. |
| US07703006B2 |
System and method of accelerating document processing
Embodiments include methods and systems for processing XML documents. One embodiment is a system that includes a tokenizer configured to identify tokens in an XML document. A plurality of speculative processing modules are configured to receive the tokens and to at least partially process the XML document and to provide data indicative of the XML document. A first module is configured to perform further processing of the XML document using the data indicative of the XML document and configured to output the processed XML document. Each of the plurality of speculative processing modules is configured to asynchronously provide the data indicative of the XML document to the first module. Other embodiments include method and systems for performing the speculative processing. |
| US07703001B2 |
Media storing a program to extract and classify annotation data, and apparatus and method for processing annotation data
A storage medium readable by a computer stores a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a function. The function comprises comparing input image data with reference image data, extracting an annotation contained in the input image data based on a result of comparing, discriminating a geometry of the annotation, and classifying the annotation according to the geometry of the annotation. |
| US07702993B2 |
Data recording method for optical disk drive
A data recording method for an optical disk drive is implemented by the following steps. First, one or more data blocks are encoded and recorded sequentially, and it detects if a buffer under run occurs. If a buffer under run occurs, the recording does not stop immediately until at least the main data of the data block being currently recorded have been recorded completely. Afterwards, it restarts to encode and record from the data block next to the data block where the recording stops. Moreover, the recording also can stops if a servo error is detected, and the data restart to encode and record from the data block where the recording stops or at least one data block preceding the data block where the recording stops. |
| US07702988B2 |
Systems and methods for message encoding and decoding
Presented herein are systems and methods for checking the integrity of data transmissions between or within one or more digital processing systems by identifying a data characteristic that is likely to change if there is an error in transmission. According to one embodiment, data messages are modified to achieve a selected characteristic according to a predetermined protocol, and changes to the data are recorded in a longitudinal check code (LCC) word, which is used by the receiver to decode the data message and restore the original data. |
| US07702987B2 |
Apparatus and method for processing data of an optical disk
A method for decoding data stored in a disk is achieved by demodulating a physical cluster read out from the disk and outputting LDC (long distance code) data and BIS (burst indicator subcode) data included in the physical cluster, temporarily storing part of the LDC data and BIS data of the data included in the physical cluster in a first memory portion, reading out the LDC data and BIS data stored in the first memory portion and storing the read out data in a second memory portion, reading out LDC data and BIS data requiring error correction from the second memory portion and temporarily storing the read out data in the first memory portion, and storing LDC data and BIS data for which data processing operation including the error correction operation is completed in the second memory portion. |
| US07702979B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit incorporating test configuration and test method for the same
An object of the invention is to drastically reduce the area overhead in a semiconductor integrated circuit incorporating a test configuration that uses a partially rotational scan circuit. To achieve this, in the semiconductor integrated circuit incorporating the test configuration that comprises a combinational circuit (3) and a scan chain (2) constructed by connecting a plurality of scan flip-flops (5) in a chain, the scan chain (2) is divided into a plurality of sub scan-chains (20a to 20n) each of which has a partially rotational scan (PRS) function and a test response compaction (MISR) function. By performing a scan test in a plurality of steps while changing the combination of the sub scan-chains to be set as PRS and the sub scan-chains to be set as MISR, the test can be performed without having to provide a test response compactor separately from the scan chain, and thus the area overhead can be reduced. |
| US07702976B2 |
Integration of LBIST into array BISR flow
A method, an integrated circuit structure, and an associated design structure for the integrated circuit structure have a plurality of logic blocks, at least one of which is a redundant logic block. In addition, the structure includes a logic built-in self test device (LBIST) operatively connected to the logic blocks that determines the functionality of each of the logic blocks. An array of memory elements is included within the structure and is operatively connected to the logic blocks. At least one of the memory elements comprises a redundant memory element. The structure also includes an array built-in self test device (ABIST) operatively connected to the array of memory elements that determines the functionality of each of the memory elements. One feature is the use of a single controller operatively connected to the register, the logic blocks, and the memory elements. The single controller repairs both the logic blocks elements that have failing functionality and the memory elements that have failing functionality. |
| US07702972B2 |
Method and apparatus for SRAM macro sparing in computer chips
SRAM macro sparing allows for full chip function despite the loss of one or more SRAM macros. The controls and data flow for any single macro within a protected group are made available to the spare or spares for that group. This allows a defective or failed SRAM macro to be shut off and replaced by a spare macro, dramatically increasing manufacturing yield and decreasing field replacement rates. The larger the protected group, the fewer the number of spares required for similar improvements in yield, but also the more difficult the task of making all the controls and dataflow available to the spare(s). In the case of the Level 2 Cache chip for the planned IBM Z6 computer, there are 4 protected groups with 192 SRAM macros per group. Each protected group is supplanted with an additional 2 spare SRAM macros, along with sparing controls and dataflow that allow either spare to replace any of the 192 protected SRAM macros. |
| US07702971B2 |
System and method for predictive failure detection
A method of predicting failure of an information handling device, such as a server, by monitoring an error rate, i.e., n errors per error period. Errors are reported only if the error rate is exceeded. An error count is kept, and errors are leaked from the count if the time difference between errors is more than the error period. |
| US07702970B2 |
Method and apparatus for deinterleaving interleaved data stream in a communication system
An apparatus and method for reading written symbols by deinterleaving to decode a written encoder packet in a receiver for a mobile communication system supporting turbo coding and interleaving, such that a turbo-coded/interleaved encoder packet has a bit shift value m, an up-limit value J and a remainder R, and a stream of symbols of the encoder packet is written in order of column to row. The apparatus and method perform the operations of generating an interim address by bit reversal order (BRO) assuming that the remainder R is 0 for the received symbols; calculating an address compensation factor for compensating the interim address in consideration of a column formed with the remainder; and generating a read address by adding the interim address and the address compensation factor for a decoding-required symbol, and reading a symbol written in the generated read address. |
| US07702966B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing software errors in a computer system
A method for managing a system includes monitoring a plurality of applications running in the system for errors. A prediction is made as to whether errors detected would result in a failure. Fault recovery is initiated in response to a failure prediction. According to one aspect of the present invention, monitoring the plurality of applications includes reading error recorders associated with error occurrence. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US07702961B2 |
Recording medium for storing start position information for each zone and method of managing data using the information
A recording medium for storing start position information for each zone and a method of managing data using the information. In a disc having a plurality of zones which form a group, and a spare area which is allocated at the start portion or the end portion of the group for replacing defects, when start logical sector numbers of each zone are changed by slipping replacement during initialization or reinitialization, the information is stored in the defect management area to thereby increase the compatibility of the medium. In particular, by the method of managing data using information stored in a defect management area, generation of errors is prevented in reading or writing due to the change of a physical position of a real-recorded file which are caused by wrong calculation of the start logical sector numbers for each zone. |
| US07702960B2 |
Controlling software failure data reporting and responses
User input defines transmission filter rules to be met when sending an error report to a support provider. User input also defines collection filter rules to be met when including failure data within an error report. Error reports corresponding to crash failures at clients are filtered with the transmission filter rules to determine which of the error reports to send to the support provider, and each error report to be sent to the support provider is further filtered to remove any failure data that fails to satisfy the collection filter rules. Each error report that satisfies the transmission filter rules, along with the failure data satisfying the collection filter rules, is sent to the support provider for analysis. Standard and or custom failure responses corresponding to the failures at the clients may be retrieved and sent to the clients in accordance with the collection filter rules. |
| US07702952B2 |
Firmware update for consumer electronic device
To update firmware on a consumer device intelligently, two or more application images are stored as firmware on the consumer device. If the primary application image is corrupt, the back-up application image is executed on the consumer device. The back-up application image can be updated based on the primary application image. User configuration files can be preserved during the update of an application image, or they can be overwritten. This firmware updating scheme can be advantageously implemented in a personal media broadcasting system. |
| US07702948B1 |
Auto-configuration of RAID systems
A computer-implemented method of automatically configuring a platform of storage devices includes querying components of the platform to gather information about the capability of the platform, locating one or more storage devices within the platform, automatically determining one or more RAID levels that are supported by the platform, and automatically configuring one or more storage devices within the platform as a RAID system having a particular RAID level, where the particular RAID level is selected based on the capability of the platform. |
| US07702947B2 |
System and method for enabling site failover in an application server environment
A system and method for enabling site failover in an application server or clustered environment. In addition to providing HTTP session state replication across servers within a cluster, the invention provides the ability to replicate HTTP session state across multiple clusters. This improves high-availability and fault tolerance by allowing clusters to be spread across multiple geographic regions, power grids, and Internet service providers. |
| US07702946B2 |
Digital clock filter circuit for a gapped clock of a non-isochronous data signal having a selected one of at least two nominal data rates
A clock filter circuit (20), which serves for filtering the clock of non-isochronous data signals having a selected one of at least two nominal data rates, has an auxiliary clock source (21) that generates an auxiliary clock signal (27) with a pulse repetition rate which is in the range between the at least two predetermined data rates, a delay line (22) connected to the auxiliary clock source (21) for creating a set of mutually delayed copies of the auxiliary clock signal and a multiplexer (23) that switches in a cyclic order between the delayed copies according to predetermined rules, which depend on the selected data rate to generate a filtered clock signal (28). A control circuit determines whether the rate of the filtered clock (28) signal must be increased or decreased as compared to said data signal and controls the multiplexer (23) to delay or advance the cyclical switching accordingly. |
| US07702945B2 |
Semiconductor device and communication control method
The present invention relates to a technique capable of establishing communications between cores, which can provide a large degree of freedom of clock frequencies settable in each core, and thus providing deterministic operation, small communication latency, and high reliability. An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device with high reliability, by analyzing factors affecting the performance of the semiconductor device, based on the communication histories within the semiconductor device, and reflecting the analysis back to the next generation semiconductor devices. The improved semiconductor device includes a core A for transmitting data in sync with the clock signal clkA, a core B for receiving data in sync with the clock signal clkB coincided with the rising or falling of the clock signal clkA in a constant period, and a controller for controlling communications between the core A and the core B. The controller controls in such way that the core B can receive only the data arriving prior to the setup of the clock signal clkB. The controller stores the history on a communication status between cores. |
| US07702942B2 |
Method for generating adjustable MRAM timing signals
A variable timing system for a magnetoresistive random access memory circuit (MRAM IC) is embedded in an MRAM IC and includes a number of timing control circuits, where each timing control circuit generates a timing control signal. A number of variable timing circuits are each coupled to receive at least two of the timing control signals, and each of the number of timing circuits outputs a variable timing in response to the timing control signals. At least one MRAM timing driver is connected to receive the variable timing. |
| US07702940B2 |
Power saving method and system
The present invention relates to reduction of power consumption of electronic mass storage devices, and more particularly to such a reduction of power consumption in mobile infotainment products. These devices are equipped with a subsystem comprising a mass storage device (48) and a buffer memory (43, 44). The size of the buffer memory (43, 44) is adapted in such a way that optimally low power consumption is achieved. This accomplishment by activating or deactivating memory banks (45) comprised in the buffer memory chips. The amount of memory banks (45) activated is determined by operating characteristics of the subsystem, e.g. a desired bit-rate to be achieved for transmissions to/from the mass storage device (48). |
| US07702938B2 |
Method and apparatus for implementing a hybrid power management mode for a computer with a multi-core processor
A method of implementing a hybrid mode of a multi-core processor includes setting a hybrid mode as a power management mode of the multi-core processor. The hybrid mode includes operating more than one core of the processor and alternately operating only a single core of the processor. The hybrid mode includes operating a first core of the processor and alternately operating a second core of the processor. The hybrid mode of a method, apparatus or computer readable medium includes alternate operation between two or more processor cores of a multi-core processor according to a preset or adjustable operating ratio. |
| US07702937B2 |
Method and apparatus for operating a computer system by adjusting a performance state of a processor resource
A method, apparatus or stored program for adjusting the clock throttle rate of a central processing unit (CPU) included in a computer, in which the usage of the CPU is measured, so that the clock throttle rate of the CPU can be automatically adjusted on the measured usage of the CPU, thereby reducing the consumption of electric power without any influence on the performance of the computer. |
| US07702933B2 |
Multiprocessor power-on switch circuit
A multiprocessor power-on switch circuit applied to a mainboard having multiple power-on circuits is provided, in which each power-on circuit includes a peripheral circuit corresponding to a processor. A selection circuit in the power-on switch circuit is responsible for selecting a power-on circuit as a first power-on circuit or a second power-on circuit. When the mainboard is powered on, a detection circuit in the power-on switch circuit receives a status signal from the first power-on circuit performing the power-on action. When the status signal is determined as a fault signal by the detection circuit, a control signal is output to the selection circuit, so as to make the selection circuit set the second power-on circuit as the power-on circuit to actuate the mainboard. |
| US07702931B2 |
Adjusting power budgets of multiple servers
A method of adjusting power budgets of multiple servers within a data center comprises various actions. Such actions include, for example, organizing the multiple servers into hierarchical groups, dividing a total power budget among the hierarchical groups, and assigning power consumption levels to individual members of a particular hierarchical group such that the sum total of the assigned power consumption levels does not exceed the total power budget for the particular hierarchical group. The act of dividing is dynamic with respect to time. |
| US07702930B2 |
Power-supply control device, power-supply control method, and computer product
A control device controls a device to be on and off in response to boot data that instructs boot of the device. The control device includes a receiving unit that receives the boot data through a network; a counting unit configured to count the number of the boot data received within a predetermined time; and a control unit that controls to turn on and to turn off the device. The control device controls to turn on the device when the number of the boot data counted is “1”. The control device controls to turn off the device when the number of the boot data counted is “N”. |
| US07702929B2 |
Low voltage logic operation using higher voltage supply levels
A processing system comprises a first processing module and a second processing module that communicates with the first processing module. The first and second processing modules are connected in series between first and second reference potentials. An operating system communicates with the first and second processing modules and performs at least one of load balancing and/or throttling of the first and second processing modules to reduce a difference in current consumption between the first and second processing modules. |
| US07702927B2 |
Securely field configurable device
A field configurable device, such as an FPGA, supports secure field configuration without using non-volatile storage for cryptographic keys on the device and without requiring a continuous or ongoing power source to maintain a volatile storage on the device. The approach can be used to secure the configuration data such that it can in general be used on a single or a selected set of devices and/or encryption of the configuration data so that the encrypted configuration data can be exposed without compromising information encoded in the configuration data. |
| US07702923B2 |
Storage service
The invention concerns a method of providing a client (21, 22, 23, 24) transparent access to storage space administrated by a storage service, as well as a client (21, 22, 23, 24) and a storage system for performing this method. Data are exchanged between the client (21, 22, 23, 24) and the storage system (5) providing the storage service via a communication network (1). A client (24) invokes the storage service for providing the storage space. The storage space associated with the client (24) is located within the storage system (5). A secure connection is established between the client (24) and a storage device (51) of the storage system (5) dedicated to store data assigned to said storage space. Data assigned to the storage space is stored in encrypted form in said storage device (51). |
| US07702915B2 |
Access authentication system
To gain visiting access to a wireless local area network (W-LAN), the operator of which administers a visitor authentication, authorization and accounting (VAAA) server, a user requesting such access must have a valid cellular mobile account, a portable computing device with a browser and a valid W-LAN card from another operation that administers a home authentication, authorization and accounting (HAAA) server. The user, inputs, via the VAAA server, identity information that enables the HAAA to issue a personal identification number (PIN) which is encoded and forwarded to the user's mobile telephone. This encoded PIN is transferred to the browser to authenticate the requested visiting access, and the costs of such access are billed to the user's cellular mobile account. The requested access is achieved via the user's browser. The user may employ the browser to convey the identity information, to the VAAA via the W-LAN, or via the mobile telephone. |
| US07702913B2 |
Interactive security control system with real time activity reports
An interactive system for managing access via a communications network by one or more Device-Users and Database-Users with regard to at least one secured Location and an entry control Device assignable for use in gaining access to the Location by the one or more Device-Users. The system may include a searchable database configured to store information on at least one of the secured Location, the one or more Device-Users, the one or more Database-Users or the entry control Device. Software is configured to produce a real time activity report on a selected portion of the stored information during a time period selected by the one or more Database-Users. |
| US07702912B2 |
Secure systems management
To effect a change to the system, a user process makes a request. An interface receives the request, and attempts to authenticate the user. Assuming the user is authenticated, the interface determines the user's UID. The interface determines a provider process that can make the requested change, and forwards the request to the provider process. The interface also assigns the user's UID to the provider process's eUID. The provider process then attempts to make the change, provided the change can be made given the eUID assignment. The provider process then attempts to run under the new eUID, enabling the system to prohibit it from doing something that is not authorized for that user. This protects the system from inadvertently executing management operations by one provider process that is not expected or intended by the user of another provider process. |
| US07702909B2 |
Method and system for validating timestamps
Improved techniques for validating timestamps used in a client-server environment are disclosed. A client can associate client-provided timestamps with events that occur at the client. The client can then send event information as well as the timestamps to a server. Preferably, the event information and timestamps are sent in a batch pertaining to a plurality of events that have occurred at the client. The server, which has greater time accuracy, can then validate the client-provided timestamps. The server can also modify the client-provided timestamps so as to improve accuracy of the timestamps. Once modified, the timestamps can pertain to a range (e.g., window) of time during which the associated events can be known to have reliably occurred. In one embodiment, the client-server environment is a distributed file security system in which the events and event information pertain to audit files. The distributed file security system provides efficient and reliable techniques to ensure accuracy of client-provided timestamps. |
| US07702907B2 |
System and method for safe booting electronic devices
An improved system and method for safe booting an electronic device. In situations such as where a virus is infecting various devices within a network, the present invention provides an authentication centre with the ability to instruct a device on the network to safe boot. During the safe boot, it can be arranged such that no third party applications are run, only backup, restoration, or uninstallation of programs are possible, and/or only programs in the device's read-only memory are loaded. The present invention also provides a user with the ability to go through the boot process in a step-by-step manner. |
| US07702904B2 |
Key management system and multicast delivery system using the same
In a multicast delivery system, A delivery server enciphers delivery data by using a current use cipher key to generate enciphered data and transmits a multicast packet containing the enciphered data and a current use key identifier indicative of a pair of the current use cipher key and a current use decipher key as current use keys. A key management server holds as a current use key data, a set of the current use decipher key and the current use key identifier, and transmits a set of the current use decipher key and the current use key identifier as a current use decipherment key data in response to a current use key data request. |
| US07702900B1 |
Web services security test framework and method
A computer-implemented system for managing security using a SOAP message is provided. The system includes a SOAP message that has a security portion. The security portion of the SOAP message has at least one security component. The system includes a custom class and a handler. The custom class identifies the web services security version or draft of the security component within the SOAP message. The handler is operable based on the web services security version or draft related to the at least one security component promote processing of a security aspect of the SOAP message. |
| US07702894B2 |
System and method for loading programs from HDD independent of operating system
A method for booting into computer memory a non-operating system (O.S.) program from a hard disk drive (HDD) prior to booting into memory an O.S. from the HDD. The method includes establishing a table of contents (TOC) on the HDD that contains entries for special O.S. programs. A pointer to the TOC is placed in non-volatile memory of the computer that is associated with the HDD, and when BIOS of the computer is prompted to load into memory one of the special O.S. programs, the pointer is accessed and used to locate the TOC, which in turn is accessed to load the special O.S. program. |
| US07702889B2 |
Shared interrupt control method and system for a digital signal processor
Techniques for the design and use of a digital signal processor, including (but not limited to) processing transmissions in a communications (e.g., CDMA) system. The disclosed method and system process interrupts arising in a multithreaded processor by receiving in an interrupt register a plurality of interrupts of a statistically indeterminate interrupt type and then associating a plurality of processing threads with the interrupt register for receiving the interrupt from the interrupt register. The method and system mask at least a subset of the plurality of processing threads so as to receive within each of the threads within the subset only ones of the plurality of interrupts of one or more predetermined types, thereby controlling on a per thread basis the processing of the plurality of interrupts according to the mask associated with a particular thread. |
| US07702887B1 |
Performance instrumentation in a fine grain multithreaded multicore processor
A method and mechanism for monitoring events in a processing system. A performance monitoring mechanism includes is configured to store a count of events in an event counter. Periodically, the count stored in the event counter is updated to a new count. If the new count equals a predetermined value, an indication that the count equals the predetermined value is conveyed. If the new count does not equal the predetermined value, but is within a given epsilon of the predetermined value and the occurrence of a corresponding event is detected, an indication that the count equals the predetermined value is conveyed. The mechanism is further configured to suppress event counts which correspond to mis-speculations. |
| US07702883B2 |
Variable-width memory
A variable-width memory may comprise multiple memory banks from which data may be selectively read in such a way that overall memory access requirements may be reduced, which may result in associated reduction in power consumption. |
| US07702882B2 |
Apparatus and method for performing high-speed lookups in a routing table
A lookup circuit for translating received addresses into destination addresses. The lookup circuit comprises M pipelined memory circuits for storing a trie table for translating a first received address into a first destination address. The M memory circuits are pipelined such that a first portion of the first received address accesses an address table in a first memory circuit. An output of the first memory circuit comprises a first address pointer that indexes a start of an address table in a second memory circuit. The first address pointer and a second portion of the first received address access a particular entry in the address table in the second memory circuit. An output of the second memory circuit comprises a second address pointer that indexes a start of an address table in the third memory circuit, and so forth. |
| US07702880B2 |
Hybrid mapping implementation within a non-volatile memory system
Methods and apparatus for allowing different mapping implementations, including a many-to-one logical to physical block mapping, to be used within a memory system are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for mapping a plurality of logical blocks to a physical block includes identifying a first logical block meets at least one criterion. The method also includes identifying a second logical block which is substantially complementary to the first logical block, and providing contents associated with the first logical block and contents associated with the second logical block to the physical block. |
| US07702878B2 |
Method and system for scalable video data width
Processing data samples may comprise partitioning the data samples in a first set of data bits and a second set of data bits and utilizing at least some of the first and second set of data bits while operating under a first condition. Only at least some of the first set of data bits may be utilized while operating under a second condition. The first condition may be a normal operating condition, while the second condition may be a performance restricted condition. The first set of data bits may be more significant bits and the second set of bits may be less significant bits. At least some of the first and second set of data bits may be utilized while bandwidth is available. Under the second condition, other values may be substituted for the data values from the second set that were not read in a read operation. |
| US07702876B2 |
System and method for configuring memory devices for use in a network
A system for and method of providing a flexible means of using and storing file configuration metadata in a RAID network, so that the memory system does not restrict the metadata to exact format or location in memory. A RAID controller is operable to power-up a memory device, to determine whether the memory device is new and, if so, to build and configure a file system on the memory device. Configuration data is communicated to the RAID controller. If a configuration update is needed, the RAID controller updates the configuration file of the memory device. |
| US07702873B2 |
Managing common storage by allowing delayed allocation of storage after reclaiming reclaimable space in a logical volume
An apparatus and method for managing of common storage in a storage system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a storage system receives a request to set a space reservation for a volume associated with a logical aggregation of physical storage. In response, the storage system sets the space reservation to indicate that the logical aggregation of physical storage is to provide a specified amount of space to the volume. In one embodiment, space within the logical aggregation of physical storage is automatically reclaimed to set a delayed space reservation if the amount of unused space within the logical aggregation of physical storage is insufficient to set the space reservation. In one embodiment, the volume is either a space-reclaimable volume or a non-space-reclaimable volume. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US07702864B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for writing stripes in parallel to unique persistent storage devices
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for copying data from a volatile memory device to a plurality of persistent storage devices in response to a loss of primary power. The apparatus includes a section module, a stripe module, and a write module. The section module sections a data image of a write cache into a plurality of data blocks. The stripe module establishes a plurality of data stripes from the plurality of data blocks. The write module writes in parallel each of the plurality of data stripes to a corresponding plurality of unique, persistent data storage devices in response to a loss of line power to the write cache. Advantageously, the apparatus quickly copies the write data from the write cache to a persistent memory device in a relatively short period of time, decreasing the dependence on significant batteries to back up the volatile memory device. |
| US07702863B1 |
Method of data caching in mirrored storage
Data from a first mirror of a data volume is returned to the computer system in response to receiving the first read request. Additionally, data from second mirror of the data volume is read in response to receiving the first read request. The data read from the second mirror may be stored in a cache memory. The computer system may check the returned data to determine whether it is corrupted. If corrupted, the computer system sends a second read request for the same data. Rather than returning the same corrupted data stored in the first mirror, a copy of the requested data is returned from the cache memory. |
| US07702861B2 |
Format mapping scheme for universal drive device
A drive device and method of reading from or writing to a record carrier are provided, where data is input or output via an interface using a first format according to a first file system. In the drive device, the first format is mapped to a second format according to a second file system used on the record carrier. This allows using different storage technology with the same interface, such as using a hard-disc based Microdrive with a Compact Flash interface. |
| US07702859B2 |
Detachable direct memory access arrangement
A new and useful DMA-like arrangement provides fast inter-system transfers of large data volumes. A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a data-transfer-out system and further includes a data-transfer-in system. At least one of the systems has a dual ported memory structure configured in a way so that data can move out of a memory module of the structure from one port while other data can independently move into the memory module through the other port. The systems are detachable with respect to each other, and the memory modules of both systems are correspondingly paired with compatible specifications such as module sizes. Furthermore, these memory modules are physically configured in a way so that inter-system data transfer occurs in a parallel (i.e., module to module) manner without the aid of the CPU of the system that has the dual ported memory structure. |
| US07702856B2 |
Dynamic prefetch distance calculation
The prefetch distance to be used by a prefetch instruction may not always be correctly calculated using compile-time information. In one embodiment, the present invention generates prefetch distance calculation code to dynamically calculate a prefetch distance used by a prefetch instruction at run-time. |
| US07702855B2 |
Optimizing cached access to stack storage
A processing device employs a stack memory in a region of an external memory. The processing device has a stack pointer register to store a current top address for the stack memory. One of several techniques is used to determine which portion or portions of the external memory correspond to the stack region. A more efficient memory policy is implemented, whereby pushes to the stack do not have to read data from the external memory in to a cache, and whereby pops from the stack do not cause stale stack data to be written back from the cache to the external memory. |
| US07702850B2 |
Topology independent storage arrays and methods
A topology independent storage array. In a preferred embodiment the topology of the array is reconfigurable due to information control packets passed among storage nodes comprising the array. The topology of the array, as determine by the relationship between data sets stored within the array's storage nodes and storage maps of the storage node, can be reconfigured without requiring a complete duplication of the entire array. In especially preferred embodiments, the topology of the storage array follows a Z-10 or a Z-110 configuration where storage devices store one or more mirrored parts of a data set per storage device. |
| US07702849B2 |
Method and apparatus for dividing and storing data into plural files
The invention relates to a method for storing data (DATA) on a memory medium (MEM). The data (DATA) forms a file totality (FILE) and the memory medium (MEM) includes several unit-storage areas (U1-U10). At least one first bookkeeping (FDE, FAT) is maintained of the storage state of the memory medium, which consists of information of the location in the unit-storage areas of the data belonging to each file totality. In the storing process—the data is stored in the unit storage areas and—the said first bookkeeping, for example, concerning the location of the data in the unit storage areas, is updated. The data forming the said file totality is stored as file parts (file1, file2, fileN), on the data (data1, data2, . . . , dataN) of which the said storing process is performed. |
| US07702847B2 |
Digital device configuration and method
A digital Storage Element is described. A device is configured including a Storage Element for access by a user responsive to a native control code. A processing arrangement executes a control program for controlling the overall device and executing at least a portion of the native control code as part of the control program for interfacing with the Storage Element. A programming arrangement is provided separate from the device for customizing a read channel within the Storage Element. Command, user interaction and data transfer execution are discussed for mitigation of potential mechanical shock effects. Status indications relating to the Storage Element are provided including head position and mechanical shock. Calibration, test and operational monitoring procedures, for using head position status, are described. Failure configuration monitoring is provided in tracking overall performance and design considerations. |
| US07702843B1 |
Determining memory conditions in a virtual machine
Memory assigned to a virtual machine is reclaimed. A resource reservation application running as a guest application on the virtual machine reserves a location in guest virtual memory. The corresponding physical memory can be reclaimed and allocated to another virtual machine. The resource reservation application allows detection of guest virtual memory page-out by the guest operating system. Measuring guest virtual memory page-out is useful for determining memory conditions inside the guest operating system. Given determined memory conditions, memory allocation and reclaiming can be used control memory conditions. Memory conditions in the virtual machine can be controlled with the objective of achieving some target memory conditions. |
| US07702840B1 |
Interface device lane configuration
Lane configuration of an interface device of an integrated circuit is described. A core is used to tile a portion of an integrated circuit with a first version of the core and a second version of the core. The core is an application specific circuit version of an interface device. The first version and the second version in combination have a sharable interface. Each of the first version and the second version has N lanes. The first version is a primary version and the second version is a secondary version responsive to a shared interface mode. The N lanes of the second version are combined with the N lanes of the first version via the sharable interface for providing 2-by-N lanes of input/output to the first version. |
| US07702839B2 |
Memory interface for volatile and non-volatile memory devices
Accessing data stored in a memory device through an interface, with addressing data on the memory device through at least one address bus, controlling at least data flow to and from the memory device through at least one command bus, and transferring data to and from the memory through at least one data bus wherein commands on the command bus are adjusted depending on the type of memory connected to the interface. |
| US07702834B2 |
Data transmission method serial bus system and switch-on unit for a passive station
In a serial bus system data in the form of telegrams, representing process images of control tasks of the active station, are transmitted to the connected passive stations, and the process data are allocated to the process images in the passive station. |