最新美国发明专利第2012-10-02期 - 专利汇|PatentHub专利检索|专利查询网|发明专利查询分析

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US08278327B2	PDE10 inhibitors and related compositions and methods Compounds that inhibit PDE10 are disclosed that have utility in the treatment of a variety of conditions, including (but not limited to) psychotic, anxiety, movement disorders and/or neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, encephalitis, phobias, epilepsy, aphasia, Bell's palsy, cerebral palsy, sleep disorders, pain, Tourette syndrome, schizophrenia, delusional disorders, drug-induced psychosis and panic and obsessive-compulsive disorders. The compounds have the general structure: wherein m, n, p, x, R, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, A and B, are defined herein, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts, stereoisomers, solvates or prodrugs thereof. Also disclosed are compositions containing a compound of this invention in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, as well as methods relating to the use thereof for inhibiting PDE10 in a warm-blooded animal in need of the same.
US08278326B2	Inhibitors of protein phosphatase-1 and uses thereof Inhibitors of Protein Phosphatase-1 have been shown to slow replication of HIV-1. Inhibitors of PP 1 and their use for treatment or prevention of HIV-1 infections are disclosed.
US08278324B2	Oxadiazole derivatives active on sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) The present invention relates to novel oxadiazole derivatives having pharmacological activity, processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use in the treatment of various disorders.
US08278312B2	Imidazo 1,2-a pyrimidine derivatives for the treatment of diseases such as diabetes Novel compounds of the formula (I), in which W, T, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and X7 have the meanings indicated in Patent Claim 1, are suitable as antidiabetics.
US08278309B2	Synthetic mimetics of host defense and uses thereof The present invention provides arylamide compounds and methods of making and using them as antibiotics.
US08278303B2	Phosphine transition metal complex, process for producing same, and anticancer agent An anticancer agent having a novel chemical structure and high anticancer activity is provided. A phosphine transition metal complex of general formula (1) and an anticancer agent containing the complex are disclosed. R1 and R2, which may be the same or different, each represent a group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms selected from a straight-chain or branched alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a substituted cycloalkyl group, an adamantyl group, a phenyl group, and a substituted phenyl group; R3 and R4, which may be the same or different, each represent a hydrogen atom, a straight-chain alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or branched alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; or R3 and R4 are taken together to form a saturated or unsaturated ring which may have a substituted group; M represents a transition metal atom selected from the group consisting of gold, copper, and silver; and X− represents an anion.
US08278292B2	Therapeutic compositions Ingenol angelate is a potent anticancer agent, and can be stabilized by dissolving it in an aprotic solvent in the presence of an acidic buffer.
US08278287B2	siRNA compounds for inhibiting NRF2 The present invention provides chemically modified siRNA compounds that target the Nrf2 gene and pharmaceutical compositions comprising same useful for treating or preventing the incidence or severity of a cancerous disease, particularly various lung cancers.
US08278285B2	Gastric carcinoma gene ZNF312b, a protein translated from the gene, and a diagnostic kit and a screening method for anticancer agents using the same The present invention relates to a diagnostic marker containing ZNF312b gene and the fragment thereof, a diagnostic method for stomach cancer and a screening method for stomach cancer inducers or inhibitors using the same. ZNF312b gene expression is specifically increased in stomach cancer. And the over-expression or the under-expression of the gene affects activation or inhibition of cell proliferation and tumor formation of a stomach cancer cell line and cell proliferation signal transduction system as well to induce stomach cancer at last. Therefore, ZNF312b marker gene can be effectively used for diagnosis of stomach cancer, construction of a stomach cancer animal model, prevention and treatment of stomach cancer and development of a stomach cancer specific anticancer agent.
US08278276B2	Methods of treating autism Subjects having autism are treated with a composition that includes gamma-aminobutyric acid agonists. The gamma-aminobutyric acid agonist (GABA) can be a GABA(B) agonist, such as baclofen.
US08278275B2	Method to enhance hemodynamic stability using oxygen carrying compositions The present invention relates to methods for enhancing the hemodynamic stability of an individual undergoing surgery by administering a composition comprising a hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to the use of polyalkylene oxide modified hemoglobins with reduced cooperativity and a high oxygen affinity to enhance oxygen offloading as a preventative measure to avoid hemodynamic stability-related complications during surgery.
US08278274B2	Fibrin-binding peptides and conjugates thereof Fibrin-binding peptides having high binding affinity and excellent physical characteristics compared to previously known fibrin-binding peptides are provided. These fibrin-binding peptides may be conjugated to a detectable label or a therapeutic agent and used to detect and facilitate treatment of pathological conditions associated with the presence of fibrin such as thrombic, angiogenic and neoplastic conditions. These peptides may be used in imaging processes such as MRI, ultrasound and nuclear medicine imaging (e.g. PET, scintigraphic imaging, etc.). The peptides may also be used therapeutically. The present invention also provides processes and methods for making and using such peptides and conjugates thereof.
US08278270B2	HGF precursor protein variant and active protein thereof An HGF precursor protein variant, in which a peptide structure comprises a sequence including a peptide chain X inserted between an α chain of HGF or a polypeptide where 1 to 20 amino-acid residues from the C-terminus of the α chain are deleted, and a β chain of HGF or a polypeptide where 1 to 20 amino-acid residues from the N-terminus of the β chain are deleted; wherein (i) the peptide chain X has an amino-acid sequence of at least two residues, (ii) the peptide chain X can be cleaved by a protease reaction or a chemical reaction, and (iii) a protein obtained by cleaving at least one site of the peptide chain X has HGF action.
US08278266B2	Inhibition of migration and induction of cell death by the type II collagen amino propeptides The present invention provides combinations and methods for inducing cell death, inhibiting angiogenesis, and inhibiting cell migration. In particular, the present invention provides methods for inducing cell death in a cell expressing an αvβ3 and/or an αvβ5 integrin.
US08278265B2	Methods, kits and compositions comprising crotamine The present invention refers to uses of crotamine and compositions containing it, based on its characteristic of interaction with genetic material. Under submicromolar quantities, the polypeptide is no longer toxic, presenting the characteristics properties of cell penetration, transport of molecules to the surface, cytoplasm or cell nucleus and particularly, selective cell penetration.The invention also refers to compositions comprising a pharmaceutically effective concentration of crotamine and its use for the treatment of diseases and dysfunctions, based on its characteristics of interaction with genetic material, such as DNA and RNA, and cell selectivity.Further, the invention refers to a kit comprising crotamine as a reagent to: (i) transfect or carry molecules to the surface, cytoplasm or nucleus of the cell or (ii) identify and select actively proliferating cells in a homogeneous and/or mixed cell population, particularly the ones originated from the umbilical cord and/or bone marrow and others undifferentiated cells such as progenitors and stem cells from different sources of organism and cancer cells.
US08278262B2	Use of microproteins as tryptase inhibitors Disclosed are uses of microproteins preferably microproteins forming a cystine knot (i.e. belonging to the family of inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) polypeptides) or polynucleotides encoding said microproteins for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing a disease that can be treated or prevented by inhibiting the activity of tryptase as well as corresponding methods of treatment. Also disclosed are uses of the microproteins for inhibiting tryptase activity, for purifying tryptase, as a carrier molecule for tryptase and for deleting or quantifying tryptase in a sample, including corresponding diagnostic applications. Furthermore disclosed are fusion proteins comprising an inactive barnase as well as fusion proteins comprising barnase and a microprotein. Also encompassed are nucleic acid molecules encoding such a fusion protein, as well as corresponding vectors, host cells, preparation methods and uses of the fusion protein. Moreover, the present application discloses a crystal of a microprotein fused with barnase, preferably inactive barnase. The disclosure also refers to corresponding preparation methods for the crystal, structure analysis methods using the crystal data storage media comprising the structure data obtained, as well as to in silico methods using the structure data for characterizing the binding of microproteins to target molecules. Furthermore, disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the crystal and corresponding medical uses.
US08278261B2	Method of making soaps from oil-bearing microbial biomass and oils Soap and cosmetic products can be made from oil-bearing microbial biomass via the alkaline hydrolysis of glycerolipids and fatty acid esters to fatty acid salts. The saponified microbial oils/lipids can be combined with a variety of additives to produce compositions for use as soaps and other cosmetic products, which may also contain other constituents of the biomass, including unsaponified oils, glycerol and carotenoids, among others.
US08278258B2	Acid inhibitor compositions for metal cleaning and/or pickling An acid inhibitor concentrate is provided which contains water, at least one polyamino-aldehyde resin such as a quaternized polyethylenepolyamine-glyoxal resin, and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of acetylenic alcohols, ethoxylated fatty amines, ethoxylated fatty amine salts, and aldehyde-releasing compounds (such as hexamethylenetetramine). Such concentrates form useful metal cleaning and pickling solutions when combined with aqueous acid, wherein such solutions, when contacted with a metal surface, are effective in removing scale, smut and other deposits from the metal surface but exhibit a reduced tendency for the aqueous acid to attack or etch the metal itself.
US08278254B2	Additives and lubricant formulations having improved antiwear properties Lubricated surfaces, lubricant compositions for lubricating a surface, and methods for increasing antiwear properties in lubricants. The lubricated surface is provided by a lubricant composition including a base oil of lubricating viscosity, at least one metal salt of phosphorothioic acid, and an amount of at least one hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound effective to provide an increase in antiwear properties of the lubricant composition. A ratio of titanium metal to phosphorus in the antiwear agent ranges from about 0.3:1 to about 1.5:1.
US08278253B2	Method for the control of hydroperoxide-induced oxidation in formulated lubricating oils by use of ionic liquids as additives The resistance to oxidation of a lubricating oil is enhanced by the addition to the lubricating oil of an additive amount of an ionic liquid.
US08278248B1	Mycoherbicide for controlling cogongrass A newly discovered fungus Bipolaris imperatae which possesses herbicidal effects on grassy weed species such as cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), methods of applying Bipolaris imperatae fungus as a mycoherbicide to control growth of cogongrass and similar wild grassy weeds, and compositions containing an effective amount of Bipolaris imperatae fungus and an agriculturally acceptable carrier to control growth of cogongrass and similar weeds.
US08278247B2	Methods and compositions for increasing the amounts of phosphorus available for plant uptake from soils The present invention relates to a method of enhancing growth conditions for plants by growing the plants in soil containing, in proximity to the plant roots, both a phosphorus source and at least two strains of the fungus Penicillium, particularly P. bilaiae, more particularly strains NRRL 50162 and NRRL 50169.
US08278246B2	Biocontrol of storage maladies of potatoes by bacterial antagonists produced in co-culture Bacterial compositions effective for inhibiting fungal diseases of potatoes and/or potato sprouting are produced by co-culture of two or more of Pseudomonas fluorescens (NRRL B-21133), Pseudomonas fluorescens biovar (NRRL B-21053), Pseudomonas fluorescens (NRRL B-21102) and Enterobacter cloacae (NRRL B-21050). Compositions produced by co-culture of these bacteria together in the same culture medium are significantly more effective for inhibiting fungi-induced diseases of potatoes and/or inhibiting sprouting of potatoes, than blends or mixtures of the same bacteria cultured separately.
US08278244B2	Laser marking of substrates A method for marking an substrate, comprising coating the substrate with a white or colorless solution of a soluble alkali or alkaline earth metal salt of a weak acid and irradiating areas of the substrate to be marked such that those areas change color, wherein the substrate comprises a polysaccharide material.
US08278242B2	Hydrothermally stable alumina The hydrothermal stability of transition aluminas used as adsorbents and catalyst carriers is improved through their treatment with a soluble silicon inorganic compound such as sodium silicate wherein the silicon compound is mixed with the alumina powder at the production stage of forming particulates by liquid addition. The silicon containing particulates are activated by heating at a temperature lower than 500° C. and treated, before or after the thermal activation, by a colloidal silica solution to produce a hydrothermally stable, low dust alumina. The total silica content of the final product is typically less than 5 mass-%.
US08278239B2	Polycarbonates made using highly selective catalysts Poly(propylene carbonates) are prepared from propylene oxide and CO2 with less than 10% cyclic propylene carbonate by product using cobalt based catalysts of structure preferably in combination with salt cocatalyst, very preferably cocatalyst where the cation is PPN+ and the anion is Cl− or OBzF5−. Novel products include poly(propylene carbonates) having a stereoregularity greater than 90% and/or a regioregularity of greater than 90%.
US08278235B2	Structurally enhanced cracking catalysts A cracking catalyst contains a substantially inert core and an active shell, the active shell containing a zeolite catalyst and a matrix. The catalyst is formed by spray-drying a slurry containing water, substantially inert microspheres and a zeolite precursor and crystallizing zeolite in the active shell to create the cracking catalyst. Methods of using the cracking catalyst are also described.
US08278231B2	Heat stable formed ceramic, apparatus and method of using the same In one aspect, the invention includes a heat stable, formed ceramic component that includes a multimodal grain distribution including (i) at least 50 wt % of coarse grains including stabilized zirconia, the coarse grains comprising a D50 grain size in the range of from 5 to 800 μm, based upon the total weight of the component; and (ii) at least 1 wt % of fine grains comprising a D50 average grain size not greater than one-fourth the D50 grain size of the coarse grain, dispersed within the coarse grains, based upon the total weight of the component; wherein after sintering, the component has porosity at ambient temperature in the range of from 5 to 45 vol. %, based on the formed volume of the component. In other embodiments, the invention includes a process for the manufacture of a hydrocarbon pyrolysis product from a hydrocarbon feed using a regenerative pyrolysis reactor system, comprising the steps of: (a) heating a pyrolysis reactor comprising a bi-modal stabilized zirconia ceramic component to a temperature of at least 1500° C. to create a heated reactive region, wherein after exposing the component to a temperature of at least 1500° C. for two hours the component has a bulk porosity measured at ambient temperature in the range of from 5 to 45 vol. %, based on the bulk volume of the component; (b) feeding a hydrocarbon feed to the heated pyrolysis reactor to pyrolyze the hydrocarbon feed and create a pyrolyzed hydrocarbon feed; and (c) quenching the pyrolyzed hydrocarbon feed to produce the hydrocarbon pyrolysis product.
US08278227B2	Polyester woven fabric A polyester fabric having a total cover factor of not lower than 1500 and a mass per unit area of not higher than 45 g/m2, wherein said polyester fabric is composed of polyester multifilament A yarns having a total fineness of not higher than 25 dtex (decitex) and a single yarn fineness of not higher than 2.0 dtex and multifilament B yarns having a total fineness of not lower than 35 dtex, wherein the arrangements of the respective yarns in the warp and weft directions are such that the yarn constitution ratio “B yarn/A yarn” is ¼ to 1/20 (number of yarns-to-number of yarns ratio) and wherein the A yarn-to-B yarn pitches are not longer than 7 mm. The polyester fabric is light in weight, high in density and flexible by using extra-fine polyester multifilaments finer as compared with the conventional polyester multifilaments and, at the same time, has a sufficient level of tear strength.
US08278225B2	Hafnium tantalum oxide dielectrics A dielectric layer containing a hafnium tantalum oxide film and a method of fabricating such a dielectric layer produce a dielectric layer for use in a variety of electronic devices. Embodiments include structures for capacitors, transistors, memory devices, and electronic systems with dielectric layers containing a hafnium tantalum oxide film structured as one or more monolayers.
US08278216B1	Selective capping of copper The present invention provides methods of selectively depositing refractory metal and metal nitride cap layers onto copper lines inlaid in a dielectric layer. The methods result in formation of a cap layer on the copper lines without significant formation on the surrounding dielectric material. The methods typically involve exposing the copper lines to a nitrogen-containing organo-metallic precursor and a reducing agent under conditions that the metal or metal nitride layer is selectively deposited. In a particular embodiment, an amino-containing tungsten precursor is used to deposit a tungsten nitride layer. Deposition methods such as CVD or ALD may be used.
US08278213B2	Semiconductor device and manufacturing method of the same This invention improves reliability of a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof. A glass substrate is bonded on a surface of a silicon wafer formed with pad electrodes. Next, via holes are formed from a back surface of the silicon wafer to pad electrodes, and a groove is formed extending along a center line of a dicing line and penetrating the silicon wafer from its back surface. After then, in processes including heating treatment, cushioning pads, wirings, a solder mask, and solder balls are formed on the back surface of the silicon wafer. Finally, the silicon wafer bolstered by the glass substrate is separated into individual silicon dice by dicing.
US08278211B2	Thin film forming method According to the present invention, a thin film having a desired thickness is formed on an inner sidewall of a step with excellent step coverage in a film forming step and an etching step at least once, respectively. In an embodiment of the present invention, a target material is deposited on a substrate (17) having a concave step (31, 32) having an opening width or opening diameter of 3 μm or less and an aspect ratio of 1 or more. At this time, a film forming method according to the present invention has a first step of depositing a thin film onto a bottom (33) of the step (31, 32) and a second step of forming a film on an inner sidewall (34) of the step (31, 32) by re-sputtering the thin film deposited on the bottom (33) and the pressure in a process chamber in the second step is set lower than that in the process chamber in the first step and the ratio of anode power to cathode power in the second step is set greater than the power ratio in the first step.
US08278209B2	Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using a hardmask layer A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the device include connecting a second wafer to a first wafer, forming a hard mask layer on and/or over a backside of the second wafer, forming a hard mask pattern over the second layer and then forming a via hole by etching the first and the second wafers to a predetermined depth using the hard mask pattern as an etching mask.
US08278207B2	Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices A semiconductor device can include an insulation layer on that is on a substrate on which a plurality of lower conductive structures are formed, where the insulation layer has an opening. A barrier layer is on a sidewall and a bottom of the opening of the insulation layer, where the barrier layer includes a first barrier layer in which a constituent of a first deoxidizing material is richer than a metal material in the first barrier layer and a second barrier layer in which a metal material in the second barrier layer is richer than a constituent of a second deoxidizing material. An interconnection is in the opening of which the sidewall and the bottom are covered with the barrier layer, the interconnection is electrically connected to the lower conductive structure.
US08278202B2	Conductive spacers extended floating gates A method for manufacturing on a substrate a semiconductor device with a floating-gate and a control-gate. The method includes the steps of first forming an isolation zone in the substrate, and thereafter forming the floating gate on the substrate. The method further includes extending the floating gate using spacers, and then forming the control gate over the floating gate and the spacers.
US08278200B2	Metal-semiconductor intermixed regions In one exemplary embodiment, a program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing operations, said operations including: depositing a first layer having a first metal on a surface of a semiconductor structure, where depositing the first layer creates a first intermix region at an interface of the first layer and the semiconductor structure; removing a portion of the deposited first layer to expose the first intermix region; depositing a second layer having a second metal on the first intermix region, where depositing the second layer creates a second intermix region at an interface of the second layer and the first intermix region; removing a portion of the deposited second layer to expose the second intermix region; and performing at least one anneal on the semiconductor structure.
US08278198B2	Semiconductor device and method of producing the same A method of producing a Schottky diode includes the steps of: forming a resist layer on the semiconductor substrate; performing a first exposure process on the resist layer; performing a first developing process for developing the resist layer to form a first Schottky diode having an excess region; performing a first cleaning process; performing a second exposure process on the first Schottky diode; performing a second developing process on the first Schottky diode to remove the excess region from the first Schottky diode so that a second Schottky diode corresponding to the specific Schottky diode is formed; and performing a second cleaning process.
US08278196B2	High surface dopant concentration semiconductor device and method of fabricating The present disclosure provides a high surface dopant concentration semiconductor device and method of fabricating. In an embodiment, a method of forming the semiconductor device includes providing a substrate, forming a doped region in the substrate, forming a stressing layer over the doped region, performing a boron (B) doping implant to the stressing layer, annealing the B doping implant, and after annealing the B doping implant, forming a silicide layer over the stressing layer.
US08278193B2	Methods of forming layers of semiconductor material having reduced lattice strain, semiconductor structures, devices and engineered substrates including same Methods of fabricating semiconductor devices or structures include forming structures of a semiconductor material overlying a layer of a compliant material, subsequently changing the viscosity of the compliant material to relax the semiconductor material structures, and utilizing the relaxed semiconductor material structures as a seed layer in forming a continuous layer of relaxed semiconductor material. In some embodiments, the layer of semiconductor material may comprise a III-V type semiconductor material, such as, for example, indium gallium nitride. Novel intermediate structures are formed during such methods. Engineered substrates include a continuous layer of semiconductor material having a relaxed lattice structure.
US08278192B2	Trench formation method for releasing a thin-film substrate from a reusable semiconductor template A method is provided for fabricating a thin-film semiconductor substrate by forming a porous semiconductor layer conformally on a reusable semiconductor template and then forming a thin-film semiconductor substrate conformally on the porous semiconductor layer. An inner trench having a depth less than the thickness of the thin-film semiconductor substrate is formed on the thin-film semiconductor substrate. An outer trench providing access to the porous semiconductor layer is formed on the thin-film semiconductor substrate and is positioned between the inner trench and the edge of the thin-film semiconductor substrate. The thin-film semiconductor substrate is then released from the reusable semiconductor template.
US08278188B2	Manipulation, detection, and assay of small scale biological particles Systems, devices, and methods are presented that facilitate electronic manipulation and detection of submicron particles. A particle manipulation device contains a plurality of electrodes formed on an active semiconductor layer of an integrated circuit chip, where the electrodes and gap spacing between adjacent electrodes is submicron in size. The chip is oriented with its substrate face up, and at least a portion of the substrate is removed from the chip so the electrodes are in close proximity to a fluid chamber(s) placed over the chip, to facilitate manipulation of particles, contained in a buffer solution in the fluid chamber(s), to form a defined pattern. Innovative macro-scale optical detection is employed to detect the submicron particles, where a light beam is applied to the defined pattern, and interaction of the defined pattern with the light beam is detected and evaluated to facilitate detecting the particles.
US08278182B2	Isolation structure for a memory cell using Al1O3 dielectric The invention provides, in one exemplary embodiment, an isolation gate formed over a substrate for biasing the substrate and providing isolation between adjacent active areas of an integrated circuit structure, for example a DRAM memory cell. An aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is used as a gate dielectric, rather than a conventional gate oxide layer, to create a hole-rich accumulation region under and near the trench isolation region. Another exemplary embodiment of the invention provides an aluminum oxide layer utilized as a liner in a shallow trench isolation (STI) region to increase the effectiveness of the isolation region. The embodiments may also be used together at an isolation region.
US08278180B2	Methods of forming a semiconductor device having a contact structure A method of forming a semiconductor device having a contact structure includes forming an insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate, and selectively implanting impurity ions into a predetermined region of the insulating layer to generate lattice defects in the predetermined region of the insulating layer. A thermal treatment, such as quenching the insulating layer at a temperature change rate of at least −20° C./minute, is performed on the insulating layer having the lattice defects to accelerate generation of the lattice defects in the predetermined region such that a conductive region results from the generated lattice defects to provide current paths in the predetermined region.
US08278179B2	LDD epitaxy for FinFETs A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes providing a substrate including a fin at a surface of the substrate, and forming a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET), which further includes forming a gate stack on the fin; forming a thin spacer on a sidewall of the gate stack; and epitaxially growing a epitaxy region starting from the fin. After the step of epitaxially growing the epitaxy region, a main spacer is formed on an outer edge of the thin spacer. After the step of forming the main spacer, a deep source/drain implantation is performed to form a deep source/drain region for the FinFET.
US08278176B2	Selective epitaxial formation of semiconductor films Epitaxial layers are selectively formed in semiconductor windows by a cyclical process of repeated blanket deposition and selective etching. The blanket deposition phases leave non-epitaxial material over insulating regions, such as field oxide, and the selective etch phases preferentially remove non-epitaxial material while deposited epitaxial material builds up cycle-by-cycle. Quality of the epitaxial material improves relative to selective processes where no deposition occurs on insulators. Use of a germanium catalyst during the etch phases of the process aid etch rates and facilitate economical maintenance of isothermal and/or isobaric conditions throughout the cycles. Throughput and quality are improved by use of trisilane, formation of amorphous material over the insulating regions and minimizing the thickness ratio of amorphous:epitaxial material in each deposition phase.
US08278170B2	Methods of forming nonvolatile memory devices having vertically integrated nonvolatile memory cell sub-strings therein Methods of forming nonvolatile memory devices according to embodiments of the invention include techniques to form highly integrated vertical stacks of nonvolatile memory cells. These vertical stacks of memory cells can utilize dummy memory cells to compensate for process artifacts that would otherwise yield relatively poor functioning memory cell strings when relatively large numbers of memory cells are stacked vertically on a semiconductor substrate using a plurality of vertical sub-strings electrically connected in series.
US08278169B2	Semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same The present invention provides a technology capable of reducing an area occupied by a nonvolatile memory while improving the reliability of the nonvolatile memory. In a semiconductor device, the structure of a code flash memory cell is differentiated from that of a data flash memory cell. More specifically, in the code flash memory cell, a memory gate electrode is formed only over the side surface on one side of a control gate electrode to improve a reading speed. In the data flash memory cell, on the other hand, a memory gate electrode is formed over the side surfaces on both sides of a control gate electrode. By using a multivalued memory cell instead of a binary memory cell, the resulting data flash memory cell can have improved reliability while preventing deterioration of retention properties and reduce its area.
US08278167B2	Method and structure for integrating capacitor-less memory cell with logic Methods for fabricating integrated circuits include fabricating a logic device on a substrate, forming an intermediate semiconductor substrate on a surface of the logic device, and fabricating a capacitor-less memory cell on the intermediate semiconductor substrate. Integrated circuits with capacitor-less memory cells formed on a surface of a logic device are also disclosed, as are multi-core microprocessors including such integrated circuits.
US08278166B2	Method of manufacturing complementary metal oxide semiconductor device A method of manufacturing a CMOS device includes providing a substrate having a first region and a second region; forming a first gate structure and a second gate structure, each of the gate structures comprising a sacrificial layer and a hard mask layer; forming a patterned first protecting layer covering the first region and a first spacer on sidewalls of the second gate structure; performing an etching process to form first recesses in the substrate; performing a SEG process to form epitaxial silicon layers in each first recess; forming a patterned second protecting layer covering the second region; and performing a dry etching process with the patterned second protecting layer serving as an etching mask to etch back the patterned first protecting layer to form a second spacer on sidewalls of the first gate structure and to thin down the hard mask layer on the first gate structure.
US08278159B2	Thin film transistor, method of fabricating the same, and a display device including the thin film transistor A thin film transistor (TFT), a method of fabricating the same, and a display device including the TFT, are provided. The method includes forming an edge region that is doped with impurities of a conductivity type opposite to a conductivity type of impurities doped into source and drain regions. The edge region is in contact with a channel region and an edge portion of the source region. The method also includes forming contact holes for source and drain electrodes to expose a portion of the drain region and expose respective portions of the source region and the edge region contacting the edge portion of the source region; and forming source and drain electrodes. Thus, a source-body contact is automatically formed so that an edge effect can be reduced and a kink effect can be reduced or removed.
US08278158B2	Thin film transistor substrate, method of manufacturing the same, and display apparatus having the same In a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate, a semiconductor pattern is formed on a substrate, a first etch stop layer and a second etch stop layer are sequentially formed on the semiconductor pattern, and the second etch stop layer and the first etch stop layer are sequentially patterned to form a second etch stop pattern and a first etch stop pattern. Thus, when the second etch stop layer is patterned using an etchant, the first etch stop layer covers the semiconductor pattern, thereby preventing the semiconductor pattern from being etched by the etchant.
US08278157B2	Methods for fabricating array substrates Methods for fabricating array substrates are provided. A method for fabricating an array substrate includes forming a first metal layer over a substrate and then patterned by a first photolithography to forming a gate line, a gate electrode connecting the gate line, and a pad over the substrate. An insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, and an ohmic contact layer are formed over the substrate to cover the gate line, the gate electrode and the pad. The ohmic contact layer, the semiconductor layer, and portions of the insulating layer are patterned by a second photolithography to forming a semiconductor structure over the substrate and a via hole in the insulating layer over the pad to exposing a part of the pad.
US08278155B2	Reprogrammable fuse structure and method A reversible fuse structure in an integrated circuit is obtained through the implementation of a fuse cell having a short thin line of phase change materials in contact with via and line structures capable of passing current through the line of phase change material (fuse cell). The current is passed through the fuse cell in order to change the material from a less resistive material to a more resistive material through heating the phase change material in the crystalline state to the melting point then quickly quenching the material into the amorphous state. The reversible programming is achieved by passing a lower current through the fuse cell to convert the high resistivity amorphous material to a lower resistivity crystalline material. Appropriate sense-circuitry is integrated to read the information stored in the fuses, wherein said sense circuitry is used to enable or disable circuitry.
US08278153B2	Manufacturing method of semiconductor device, adhesive sheet used therein, and semiconductor device obtained thereby The present invention includes a temporary fixing step of temporarily fixing a semiconductor element on an adherend interposing an adhesive sheet therebetween, a wire-bonding step of bonding wires to the semiconductor element, and a step of sealing the semiconductor element with a sealing resin, and in which the loss elastic modulus of the adhesive sheet at 175° C. is 2000 Pa or more.
US08278151B2	Tape for holding chip, method of holding chip-shaped workpiece, method of manufacturing semiconductor device using tape for holding chip, and method of manufacturing tape for holding chip The present invention aims to provide a tape for holding a chip that makes pasting and peeling of a chip-shaped workpiece easy. It is a tape for holding a chip having a configuration in which a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed on a base material, wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer has a chip-shaped workpiece pasting region onto which a chip-shaped workpiece is pasted and a frame pasting region onto which a mount frame is pasted, and that is used by pasting the mount frame to the frame pasting region, wherein the 180-degree peeling adhesive power of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to a silicon mirror wafer at the frame pasting region is 5 times or more the 180-degree peeling adhesive power of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to a silicon mirror wafer at the chip-shaped workpiece pasting region.
US08278148B2	Integrated circuit package system with leads separated from a die paddle An integrated circuit package system is provided including forming a leadframe having a frame and a die paddle having leads thereon. The leads are held with respect to the die paddle. The leads are separated from the die paddle, and a die is attached to the die paddle. Bond wires are bonded between the leads and the die. The die and bond wires are encapsulated. The leadframe is singulated to separate the frame and the die paddle.
US08278145B2	Method for packaging semiconductor device The present invention provides a method for packaging semiconductor device which is using more than once reflow processes to heat the solder ball to prevent the deformation of solder ball, so that the yield of the manufacturing process can be increased and the reliability of the semiconductor device can be increased.
US08278144B2	Flip chip interconnect solder mask A solder mask for flip chip interconnection has a common opening that spans a plurality of circuit elements. The solder mask allows confinement of the solder during the remelt stage of interconnection, yet it is within common design rules for solder mask patterning. Also, a substrate for flip chip interconnection includes a substrate having the common opening that spans a plurality of circuit elements. Also, a flip chip package includes a substrate having a common opening that spans a plurality of circuit elements.
US08278143B2	Manufacturing method for electronic devices A manufacturing method for an electronic device joining a first metallic bond part formed on a first electronic component and a second metallic bond part formed on a second electronic component includes a first process for placing the first metallic bond part directly against the second metallic bond part, applying pressure to the first electronic component and the second electronic component, joining the first metallic bond part to the second metallic bond part with solid-phase diffusion, and releasing the applied pressure, and a second process for heating the first electronic component and the second electronic component at a predetermined temperature such that the first metallic bond part and the second metallic bond part are joined together by melting at least one of the first metallic bond part and the second metallic bond part.
US08278140B2	Method for preparing IGZO particles and method for preparing IGZO film by using the IGZO particles A method for preparing IGZO particles and a method for preparing an IGZO thin film by using the IGZO particles are disclosed. The method for preparing the IGZO particles comprises the following steps: (A) providing a solution of metal acid salts, which contains a zinc salt, an indium salt, and a gallium salt; (B) mixing the solution of the metal acid salts with a basic solution to obtain an oxide precursor; and (C) heating the oxide precursor to obtain IGZO particles.
US08278136B2	Semiconductor device, method for producing the same, sensor and electro-optical device A gate electrode, a gate insulation film and an inorganic oxide film are formed in this order on a substrate, and a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed to partially cover the inorganic oxide film. Then, oxidation treatment is applied to reduce the carrier density at a region of the inorganic oxide film which is not covered by the electrodes and is used as a channel region of a semiconductor device.
US08278134B2	Production method of photoelectric conversion device and solution for forming semiconductor The production method of a photoelectric conversion device comprises adding a chalcogenide powder of a group-IIIB element to an organic solvent including a single source precursor containing a group-IB element, a group-IIIB element, and a chalcogen element to prepare a solution for forming a semiconductor, and forming a semiconductor containing a group-I-III-VI compound by use of the solution for forming a semiconductor.
US08278133B2	Method for joining a film onto a substrate A method for joining a film onto a substrate comprises: a step (A) of floating the film on an interface between an aqueous liquid and a water-insoluble liquid; a step (B) of immersing the substrate into the aqueous liquid; a step (C) of stacking the substrate onto said one surface of the film in the aqueous liquid; a step (D) of immersing the stacked substrate and film into the water-insoluble liquid with maintaining the substrate being stacked on the film to adhere the film to the substrate; and a step (E) of drawing up the stacked substrate and film from the water-insoluble liquid with maintaining the substrate being stacked on the film to join the film onto the substrate.
US08278131B2	Method and apparatus for dark current and blooming supression in 4T CMOS imager pixel A method and apparatus for operating an imager pixel that includes the act of applying a relatively small first polarity voltage and a plurality of pulses of a second polarity voltage on the gate of a transfer transistor during a charge integration period.
US08278130B2	Back side illumination image sensor and method for manufacturing the same A back side illumination image sensor according to an embodiment includes: a device isolation region and a pixel region that are on a front side of a first substrate; a light sensor and a readout circuit that are on the pixel region; an interlayer dielectric layer and a metal line that are on the front side of the first substrate; a second substrate that is bonded to the front side of the first substrate on which the metal line is formed; a pixel isolating dielectric layer that is on the device isolation region at a back side of the first substrate; and a microlens that is on the light sensor at the back side of the first substrate.
US08278128B2	Enhancement of optical polarization of nitride light-emitting diodes by wafer off-axis cut An off-axis cut of a nonpolar III-nitride wafer towards a polar (−c) orientation results in higher polarization ratios for light emission than wafers without such off-axis cuts. A 5° angle for an off-axis cut has been confirmed to provide the highest polarization ratio (0.9) than any other examined angles for off-axis cuts between 0° and 27°.
US08278121B2	Method and apparatus to fabricate polymer arrays on patterned wafers using electrochemical synthesis A wafer having a plurality of dies (also called array chips) on the wafer, the die having an electrode to generate a deprotecting reagent, a working electrode to electrochemically synthesize a material, a confinement electrode adjacent to the working electrode to confine reactive reagents, and a die pad, wherein die pads of the plurality of dies are interconnected on the wafer to electrochemically synthesize the material in parallel on a plurality of working electrodes is disclosed. Also, a method for wafer-scale manufacturing of a plurality of dies and a method for electrochemically synthesizing a material in parallel on a plurality of dies on a wafer are disclosed.
US08278118B2	Method for the fractionation and separation of particles by step-wise gradient density extraction A method for the separation of particles of different densities using a step-wise gradient density extraction method as described herein where a sample is suspended in a liquid volume of an extracting medium of specific density and the particles that have a density less than or equal to that of the extracting medium of specific density can be recovered from a horizonatally rotatable hollow disk or a removable receptacle within a horizontally rotatable hollow disk designed for such purposes while the particles that have a density greater than the extracting medium of specific density form a deposit which can be cycled through the extraction process in an iterative fashion by varying the density of the extracting medium allowing the recovery of discrete particles of differing densities from a test sample. Also disclosed herein is the use of the above method as part of a separate method or system to identify a ratio of biomarkers from different fractions of a sample homogenate or lysate which is useful in the evaluation of potential biomarkers, and for the intraoperative pathological diagnosis of positive margins of cancer and other diseases.
US08278115B2	Methods for processing tandem mass spectral data for protein sequence analysis Various mass spectroscopy-based methods are provided to improve protein sequencing by detecting z-type product ions generated from the protein. A polypeptide is introduced to a mass spectrometer, and in particular c- and z-type product ions that are generated by selectively fragmenting the polypeptide. The z-type product ions are distinguished from the c-type product ions and the mass-to-charge ratio of at least a portion of the z-type product ions are determined. From the mass of the z-type product ions, a putative chemical composition is identified for at least a portion of the z-type product ions, c-type product ions, or both, which is used to determine polypeptide compositions. Further provided are various methods for reducing spectral noise, instrument calibration and database searching and verification.
US08278113B2	Assay devices and methods for the detection of analytes The present invention relates to devices and methods for performing assays, especially for determining the presence and/or amount of one or more analytes. In particular, the invention relates to a device for the detection of analytes, comprising a reversibly compressible matrix located between a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface is located opposite to the first surface, and wherein the distance between the first surface and the second surface is variable. The invention also relates to a corresponding method using such a device for the detection of one or more species of analytes.
US08278104B2	Induced pluripotent stem cells produced with Oct3/4, Klf4 and Sox2 The present invention relates to a nuclear reprogramming factor having an action of reprogramming a differentiated somatic cell to derive an induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell. The present invention also relates to the aforementioned iPS cells, methods of generating and maintaining iPS cells, and methods of using iPS cells, including screening and testing methods as well as methods of stem cell therapy. The present invention also relates to somatic cells derived by inducing differentiation of the aforementioned iPS cells.
US08278095B2	Amnion-derived cell compositions, methods of making and uses thereof The invention is directed to substantially purified amnion-derived cell populations, compositions comprising the substantially purified amnion-derived cell populations, and to methods of creating such substantially purified amnion-derived cell populations, as well as methods of use. The invention is further directed to antibodies, in particular, monoclonal antibodies, that bind to amnion-derived cells or, alternatively, to one or more amnion-derived cell surface protein markers. The invention is further directed to methods for producing the antibodies, methods for using the antibodies, and kits comprising the antibodies.
US08278094B2	Bone semi-permeable device Bone cages are disclosed including devices for biocompatible implantation. The structures of bone are useful for providing living cells and tissues as well as biologically active molecules to subjects.
US08278092B2	Isolated reductive dehalogenase genes The invention is directed to novel reductive dehalogenase genes encoding for reductive dehalogenases which are capable of dehalogenating halogenated organic compounds and may be useful in the bioremediation of pollutants. In particular, the invention provides an isolated polynucleotide of a novel vinyl chloride dehalogenase gene (bvcA). The novel vinyl chloride dehalogenase gene encodes a reductive dehalogenase that is capable of the complete reduction of vinyl chloride to ethene.
US08278088B2	Polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having glycosylation activity on a flavonoid The present invention provides novel glycosyltransferase proteins produced by ascomycetous filamentous fungi (preferably species belonging to the genus Trichoderma, more preferably Trichoderma viride), as well as genes encoding the same. Among novel enzyme proteins provided by the present invention, particularly preferred is an enzyme protein obtained from the culture supernatant of Trichoderma viride strain IAM5141. The novel enzymes of the present invention allow glycosylation of flavonoid compounds to thereby improve their water solubility.
US08278081B2	Method for producing non-infectious products from infectious organic waste material A method for producing a hydrolyzed, sterile, denatured product from infectious organic waste material includes (a) introducing, into a reactor capable of being heated and pressurized, infectious organic waste material to form a reaction mixture; (b) subjecting the reaction mixture to saturated steam at a temperature and pressure within the reactor for a duration of time sufficient to thermally hydrolyze and denature the reaction mixture into a denatured slurry; and (c) alternatively (1) anaerobically digesting the denatured slurry, or (2) fractionating the denatured slurry based on molecular weight, density and size into at least two hydrolyzed, sterile, denatured products. The resulting hydrolyzed, sterile products have safe and valuable nutritional properties and may be used in a wide range of commercial, agricultural, and industrial products or processes.
US08278079B2	BGL6 β-glucosidase and nucleic acids encoding the same The present invention provides a novel β-glucosidase nucleic acid sequence, designated bgl6, and the corresponding BGL6 amino acid sequence. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding BGL6, recombinant BGL6 proteins and methods for producing the same.
US08278076B2	Microbial production of pyruvate and pyruvate derivatives Microbial production of pyruvate and metabolites derived from pyruvate in cells exhibiting reduced pyruvate dehydrogenase activity compared to wild-type cells. Acetate and glucose are supplied as a carbon sources.
US08278074B2	L-glutamic acid-producing microorganism and a method for producing L-glutamic acid A coryneform bacterium that is modified by using a yggB gene so that L-glutamic acid-producing ability is enhanced as compared to a non-modified strains is cultured in a medium to cause accumulation of L-glutamic acid in the medium or bacterial cells, and L-glutamic acid is collected from the medium or cells.
US08278072B1	Method for synthesis of sialylated products using reversible sialylation A method for producing sialylated molecules based on reverse sialylation that catalytically transfers the sialic acid moiety of sialylated donors to nucleotide monophosphates or transfer sialic acid moieties from sialylated donors to acceptor glycoproteins or glycolipids.
US08278067B2	Method for inhibiting hyperpigmentation This invention provides a method of preventing or treating in a subject contact dermatitis which comprises administering to the subject an amount of a compound capable of inhibiting the stem cell factor signaling pathway effective to prevent or treating contact dermatitis so as to thereby prevent or treat contact dermatitis in the subject. This invention also provides a method of preventing or treating in a subject hyperpigmentation, asthma, cutaneous inflammation, anaphylaxis and bronchospasm, mastocytosis, tumors which express activated kit, and conception.
US08278060B2	Use of VEGF-D in the diagnosis of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) disease Described herein are methods of diagnosing lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) that permits differentiating LAM from another lung disorder. Methods of treatment are also provided.
US08278055B2	Methods and device for analyte characterization The methods and apparatus, disclosed herein are of use for sequencing and/or identifying proteins, polypeptides and/or peptides. Proteins containing labeled amino acid residues may be synthesized and passed through nanopores. A detector operably coupled to a nanopore may detect labeled amino acid residues as they pass through the nanopore. Distance maps for each type of labeled amino acid residue may be compiled. The distance maps may be used to sequence and/or identify the protein. Apparatus of use for protein sequencing and/or identification is also disclosed herein. In alternative methods, other types of analytes may be analyzed by the same techniques.
US08278049B2	Selective enrichment of CpG islands The present invention provides compositions and methods for selectively enriching genomic CpG island (CGI)- and other epigenetically informative CG-rich polynucleotide targets. The method involves co-incubation of denatured or partially denatured polynucleotide fragments containing the CGI- or CG-targeted region(s) of interest with an oligonucleotide capture pool collectively designed to selectively target CGIs. The oligonucleotide capture pool includes a plurality of different oligonucleotides, each oligonucleotide coupled to a capture tag, whereby the oligonucleotide includes a CpG target sequence restricted to 4 to 10 bases. Upon binding, capture oligonucleotides bound to the target fragments are enriched by separating the bound fragments from the unbound fragments. The enriched fragments may be subjected to further analyses, including bisulfite sequencing to generate a methylation profile at the single nucleotide level.
US08278048B2	Detecting nucleic acid This document provides methods and materials for detecting target nucleic acid. For example, methods and materials for detecting the presence or absence of target nucleic acid, methods and materials for detecting the amount of target nucleic acid present within a sample, kits for detecting the presence or absence of target nucleic acid, kits for detecting the amount of target nucleic acid present within a sample, and methods for making such kits are provided.
US08278047B2	Biopolymer sequencing by hybridization of probes to form ternary complexes and variable range alignment Methods for sequencing a biopolymer by forming local ternary complexes along the length of the double-stranded biopolymer target molecule using one or more probes and obtaining information about the location of the probe(s) using a detector. These methods offer particular advantage when implemented with nanopore (including micropore) detection systems.
US08278046B2	Methods for testing milk The disclosure is related generally to methods for testing mammary fluid (including milk) to establish or confirm the identity of the donor of the mammary fluid. Such methods are useful in the milk-bank business to improve safety.
US08278045B2	Methods for the detection, analysis and isolation of nascent proteins This invention relates to non-radioactive markers that facilitate the detection and analysis of nascent proteins translated within cellular or cell-free translation systems. Nascent proteins containing these markers can be rapidly and efficiently detected, isolated and analyzed without the handling and disposal problems associated with radioactive reagents. Preferred markers are dipyrrometheneboron difluoride (4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene)dyes.
US08278041B2	Compositions and methods for detecting food-borne pathogens The present invention provides formulations and methods for isolating food-borne pathogens from a great variety of food matrices. Methods for isolating microorganisms from clinical and environmental specimens are also disclosed. The invention also concerns methods for rapid and efficient isolation of sufficiently pure DNA from small amounts of various pathogenic microorganisms, which then can be used, according to the methods of the instant invention, for selective identification of a live pathogenic microorganism present in a sample from which the microorganism was isolated. The methods of the instant invention are also useful for identification of new pathogenic microorganisms, diagnostics of food-borne illnesses, treatment of food-borne diseases and quality control of food items offered for sale to consumers.
US08278039B2	Random array DNA analysis by hybridization The invention relates to methods and devices for analyzing single molecules, i.e. nucleic acids. Such single molecules may be derived from natural samples, such as cells, tissues, soil, air and water without separating or enriching individual components. In certain aspects of the invention, the methods and devices are useful in performing nucleic acid sequence analysis by probe hybridization.
US08278038B2	Methods for the identification, assessment, and treatment of patients with cancer therapy The present invention is directed to the identification of predictive markers that can be used to determine whether patients with cancer are clinically responsive or non-responsive to a therapeutic regimen prior to treatment. In particular, the present invention is directed to the use of certain individual and/or combinations of predictive markers, wherein the expression of the predictive markers correlates with responsiveness or non-responsiveness to a therapeutic regimen. Thus, by examining the expression levels of individual predictive markers and/or predictive markers comprising a marker set, it is possible to determine whether a therapeutic agent, or combination of agents, will be most likely to reduce the growth rate of tumors in a clinical setting.
US08278034B2	Methods of making frozen tissue microarrays The invention provides microarrays comprising a plurality of frozen tissues and/or cell samples and methods of preparing and using the same. By using frozen samples, the microarrays provide optimal samples from which to detect the expression of both nucleic acids (e.g., mRNAs) and proteins in high throughput parallel analyses. The microarrays enable gene identification, molecular profiling, selection of promising drug targets, sorting and prioritizing of expressed sequence array data, and the identification of abnormal physiological processes associated with disease.
US08278030B2	Sulfonium salt, photoacid generator, and photocurable composition and cured body thereof An object of the present invention is to provide a sulfonium salt that has sufficient photosensitivity by active energy rays, such as visible light, ultraviolet rays, electron beams, and X-rays. The present invention is a sulfonium salt represented by formula (1). It is noted that R1 is a group represented by formula (2); R2 and R3 each represent an aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, a heterocyclic hydrocarbon group having 4 to 30 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 30 carbon atoms, or an alkynyl group having 2 to 30 carbon atoms; X− represents a monovalent polyatomic anion; R4 to R6 each represent an alkyl group, or the like; k represents an integer of 0 to 4; m represents an integer of 0 to 3; n represents an integer of 0 to 4; and A represents a group represented by —S—, —O—, —SO—, —SO2—, or —CO—.
US08278028B2	Material pattern, and mold, metal thin-film pattern, metal pattern using thereof, and methods of forming the same The present invention relates to a material pattern, and mold using thereof, metal thin-film pattern, metal pattern, and method of forming the sames. A method of forming the material pattern according to the present invention comprises the steps of; (a) forming a photo-sensitive material film by coating a photo-sensitive material on a substrate; (b) deciding an exposure section on the photo-sensitive material film; (c) disposing a light refraction film and a light diffusion film at a route of light exposed on the photo-sensitive material film; and (d) forming a pattern on the photo-sensitive material film, by projecting a light on the exposure section of the photo-sensitive material film, wherein the light transmits the light refraction film and the light diffusion film.A method of forming the material pattern according to the present invention can form the material pattern of three-dimensional asymmetric structure having various inclinations and shapes and can form simply mold, metal thin-film and metal pattern using thereof.
US08278026B2	Method for improving electron-beam A method for improving the efficiency of the electron-beam exposure is provided, comprising: step 1) coating a positive photoresist on a wafer to be processed, and performing a pre-baking; step 2) separating pattern data, optically exposing a group of relatively large patterns, and then performing a post-baking; step 3) developing the positive photoresist; step 4) performing a plasma fluorination; step 5) performing a baking to solidify the photoresist; step 6) coating a negative electron-beam resist and performing a pre-baking; step 7) electron-beam exposing a group of fine patterns; step 8) performing a post-baking; and step 9) developing the negative electron-beam resist, so that the fabrication of the patterns is finished. According to the invention, it is possible to save 30-60% of the exposure time. Thus, the exposure efficiency is significantly improved, and the cost is greatly reduced. Further, the method is totally compatible with the CMOS processes, without the need of any special equipments.
US08278025B2	Material for forming resist protection films and method for resist pattern formation with the same The formation of high-resolution resist patterns by liquid immersion lithography with various fluids is enabled by protecting a resist film from deterioration (such as bridging) during the immersion exposure in a fluid (such as water) and the fluid from deterioration and improving the stability of a resist film in the storage after exposure without increase in the number of treatment steps. A material for forming resist protection films which comprises an alkali-soluble polymer for forming a protective overcoat for a resist film, characterized in that the contact angle of the polymer to water is 90° or above. The polymer is preferably an acrylic polymer which comprises as the essential components constituent units derived from (meth) acrylic acid and constituent units derived from a specific acrylic ester.
US08278024B2	Photosensitive adhesive composition, and obtained using the same, adhesive film, adhesive sheet, semiconductor wafer with adhesive layer, semiconductor device and electronic part A photosensitive adhesive composition comprising: (A) a polyimide having a carboxyl group as a side chain, whereof the acid value is 80 to 180 mg/KOH; (B) a photo-polymerizable compound; and (C) a photopolymerization initiator.
US08278023B2	Salt and photoresist composition containing the same A salt represented by the formula (I-BB): wherein Q1 and Q2 each independently represent a fluorine atom etc., X1 represents a single bond etc., Y1 represents a C1-C36 aliphatic hydrocarbon group etc., A1 and A2 independently each represents a C1-C20 aliphatic hydrocarbon group etc., Ar1 represents a (m4+1)-valent C6-C20 aromatic hydrocarbon group which can have one or more substituents, B1 represents a single bond etc., B2 represents a C4-C36 alicyclic hydrocarbon group which has one or more —OXa groups and which is not capable of being eliminated by the action of an acid etc., and Xa represents a hydrogen atom or a group capable of being eliminated by the action of an acid, m1 and m2 independently each represents an integer of 0 to 2, m3 represents an integer of 1 to 3, with the proviso that m1 plus m2 plus m3 equals 3, and m4 represents an integer of 1 to 3.
US08278017B2	Crack resistant imaging member preparation and processing method The presently disclosed embodiments relate in general to electrophotographic imaging members, such as layered photoreceptor structures, and processes for making and using the same. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to the development of a structurally simplified flexible electrophotographic imaging member without the need of an anticurl back coating layer and a post treatment process for effecting the imaging member service life extension in the field.
US08278016B2	Electrophotographic photoconductor An electrophotographic photoconductor including an electroconductive support and a photoconductive layer provided thereon, wherein the photoconductive layer includes a charge generating material, an electron transporting material and a hole transporting material, the electron transporting material being a diphenoquinone compound represented by formula (1) described herein, the hole transporting material being a compound represented by formula (2) described herein.
US08278012B2	Membrane electrode assembly for fuel cell, and fuel cell system including the same A membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell, which includes an anode and a cathode facing each other; and a polymer electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and cathode. The cathode includes a first catalyst layer that includes catalyst particles, and a second catalyst layer that includes the catalyst particles and a pore-forming agent. The membrane-electrode assembly efficiently performs mass transfer and release, due to pores in the second catalyst layer.
US08278007B2	Fuel cell and fuel cell stack comprising the same Even when a reaction gas flows into a gap formed between a gasket and a membrane electrode assembly, the flowing of the reaction gas to the outside without flowing through an electrode is prevented and thus a decrease in power generation efficiency is prevented. In order to allow the water vapor contained in the reaction gas that flows into an anode-side gap 10a formed between an anode-side gasket 9a and a membrane electrode assembly 5 to condense in at least a part of the gap 10a, and to allow the condensed water to fill the gap 10a, the upstream portion of a cooling fluid channel 8a of an anode-side separator 6a is formed such that it includes a region corresponding to the gap 10a, and the upstream portion is formed such that it includes a region corresponding to a middle stream portion and subsequent portion of a fuel gas channel 7a.
US08278004B2	Membrane electrode assembly and method of producing the same and fuel cell It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of producing a membrane electrode assembly using an interface resistance reducing composition which can simply reduce the resistance of the interface between an electrode and an electrolyte membrane in a short time at low temperatures at low pressure without polymerization while maintaining an effect of suppressing a fuel crossover even with an electrolyte membrane having high heat resistance, high strength, a high tensile elastic modulus and a low water content. This is achieved by a method of producing a membrane electrode assembly formed by sandwiching an electrolyte membrane between a pair of electrodes, comprising the steps of bonding at least one electrode to the electrolyte membrane sandwiching an interface resistance reducing composition containing a plasticizer between the electrode and the electrolyte membrane, and a membrane electrode assembly formed by sandwiching an electrolyte membrane between a pair of electrodes, wherein the membrane electrode assembly has a layer (A) at least between one electrode and the electrolyte membrane, and the value of the storage modulus C is 1 GPa or more when the storage moduli of the electrolyte membrane and the layer (A), which are measured with an ultramicro penetrometer, are regarded as C and D, respectively.
US08278000B2	High performance proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), at least one separator plate disposed on a first side of the MEA, and at least one separator plate disposed on a second side of the MEA. The separator plate on the first side of the MEA may form a first group of channels for conducting a first reactant. The separator plate disposed on the second side of the MEA may form a second group of channels for conducting a second reactant. The first group of channels include a first set and a second set of channels alternatively positioned. Each of the first set of channels is positioned adjacent to a channel of the second set. Each of the two sets of channels includes an input controlled by an input valve and an output controlled by an output valve. The first group of channels forms an interdigitated flow field by closing the input valve of one of the two sets of channels and closing the output valve of the other of the two sets of channels, and forms a conventional flow field by opening both the input valve and the output valve.
US08277997B2	Shared variable-based fuel cell system control Fuel cell systems and methods for controlling the operation of fuel cell assemblies included therein. In some embodiments, the fuel cell assemblies include a fuel processor and a fuel cell stack, and the fuel cell system includes a control system that controls the operation thereof based upon at least one variable associated therewith. In some embodiments, the variable is associated with the hydrogen (or other product) stream from the fuel processor. In some embodiments, the variable is the pressure of this stream. In some embodiments, the control system controls the operation of the fuel cell system to maintain the pressure of the hydrogen stream within one or more threshold values. In some embodiments, the control system controls the operation of the fuel cell system to maintain the pressure of the hydrogen stream within selected threshold values and to maintain the fuel cell stack's output voltage above a selected threshold.
US08277991B2	Hydrogen passivation shut down system for a fuel cell power plant The invention is a hydrogen passivation shut down system for a fuel cell power plant (10, 200). During shut down of the plant (10, 200), hydrogen fuel is permitted to transfer between an anode flow path (24, 24′) and a cathode flow path (38, 38′). A passive hydrogen bleed line (202) permits passage of a smallest amount of hydrogen into the fuel cell (12′) necessary to maintain the fuel cell (12′) in a passive state. A diffusion media (204) may be secured in fluid communication with the bleed line (202) to maintain a constant, slow rate of diffusion of the hydrogen into the fuel cell (12′) despite varying pressure differentials between the shutdown fuel cell (12′) and ambient atmosphere adjacent the cell (12′).
US08277989B2	Cathode filter replacement algorithm in a fuel cell system A fuel cell system that includes a compressor for providing cathode air to the cathode side of a fuel cell stack and an air filter for filtering the air sent to the compressor to prevent particulates and other contaminants from entering the compressor and the fuel cell stack. The fuel cell system also includes a mass flow meter that measures the flow of air to the compressor and a pressure sensor that measures the pressure of the airflow at the output of the compressor. An electronic compressor map is provided that defines the operating characteristics of the compressor. By knowing the flow through the compressor and the pressure at the outlet of the compressor, an algorithm can determine where on the compressor map the compressor is operating, and from that determine the inlet pressure to the compressor, which in turn shows whether the air filter is clogged or otherwise damaged.
US08277984B2	Substrate-enhanced microbial fuel cells A microbial fuel cell configuration of the invention includes a substrate particularly formulated for a microbial fuel cell configured to produce electricity and/or a modified microbial fuel cell configured to produce hydrogen. A substrate formulation according to one embodiment includes a solid biodegradable organic material in a package porous to bacteria. A microbial fuel cell provided according to embodiments of the present invention includes an anode, a cathode, an electrically conductive connector connecting the anode and the cathode, a housing for an aqueous medium, the aqueous medium in contact with the anode, and a solid form of a biodegradable organic substrate disposed in the aqueous medium, the solid form of a biodegradable organic substrate formulated to support electron generation and transfer to the anode by anodophilic bacteria over a selected minimum period of time.
US08277982B2	Method for improvement of the consumption controlling performance of water-soluble electrolyte chemical cells and fuel cells The invention provides a hydrogen activating material, which includes as a major constituent an iron-semiconductor alloy containing iron and semiconductor components. It also provides a consumption controlling material for water-soluble electrolyte chemical cells and fuel cells. In addition a hydrogen activating method is also provided.
US08277980B2	Cathode active material for lithium secondary battery Provided is a cathode active material which is lithium transition metal oxide having an α-NaFeO2 layered crystal structure, wherein the transition metal is a blend of Ni and Mn, an average oxidation number of the transition metals except lithium is +3 or higher, and lithium transition metal oxide satisfies the Equation m(Ni)≧m(Mn) (in which m (Ni) and m (Mn) represent an molar number of manganese and nickel, respectively). The lithium transition metal oxide has a uniform and stable layered structure through control of oxidation number of transition metals to a level higher than +3, thus advantageously exerting improved overall electrochemical properties including electric capacity, in particular, superior high-rate charge/discharge characteristics.
US08277978B2	Cylinder type zinc-air cell and method for producing the same Disclosed herein is a cylindrical zinc-air cell and fabricating method thereof. The zinc-air cell comprises a film including an air anode membrane and a separator, the film being formed in a substantially cylindrical bent shape; and a junction element adapted to receive both ends of the film therein. The junction element is at least partly deformed to pressurize the both ends of the film so as to be joined to the film. By doing so, leakage of the zinc gel can be easily prevented in the fabrication of the cylindrical zinc-air cell, thereby extending the application area of the zinc-air cell.
US08277975B2	Reticulated and controlled porosity battery structures The effective ionic conductivity in a composite structure is believed to decrease rapidly with volume fraction. A system, such as a bipolar device or energy storage device, has structures or components in which the diffusion length or path that electrodes or ions must traverse is minimized and the interfacial area exposed to the ions or electrons is maximized. The device includes components that can be reticulated or has a reticulated interface so that an interface area can be increased. The increased interfacial perimeter increases the available sites for reaction of ionic species. Many different reticulation patterns can be used. The aspect ratio of the reticulated features can be varied. Such bipolar devices can be fabricated by a variety of methods or procedures. A bipolar device having structures of reticulated interface can be tailored for the purposes of controlling and optimizing charge and discharge kinetics. A bipolar device having graded porosity structures can have improved transport properties because the diffusion controlling reaction kinetics can be modified. Graded porosity electrodes can be linearly or nonlinearly graded. A bipolar device having perforated structures also provides improved transport properties by removing tortuosity and reducing diffusion distance.
US08277973B2	Nonaqueous electrolyte composition and nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery A nonaqueous electrolyte composition containing an electrolyte salt, a nonaqueous solvent and a compound having a phosphorus-hydrogen bond or a phosphorus-carbon bond is provided. Also provided is a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including: a cathode and an anode having a material capable of occluding and releasing lithium ions as a cathode active material and an anode active material, respectively; a nonaqueous electrolyte composition; a separator; and an outer package member for housing the anode, the cathode, the nonaqueous electrolyte composition and the separator. The nonaqueous electrolyte composition includes an electrolyte salt, a nonaqueous solvent and a compound having a phosphorus-hydrogen bond or a phosphorus-carbon bond.
US08277972B2	Non-aqueous electrolyte solution for lithium secondary battery and lithium secondary battery comprising the same A non-aqueous electrolyte solution for a lithium secondary battery includes a lithium salt and a carbonate organic solvent. The non-aqueous electrolyte solution further includes a fluoro group-containing sulphonate compound expressed by Chemical Formula 1. When the non-aqueous electrolyte solution is employed for a lithium secondary battery, low-temperature discharging characteristics and life cycle characteristics are greatly improved. Also, even though a battery is stored at a high temperature in a fully-charged state or a charging/discharging process is under progress, the decomposition reaction of a carbonate-based organic solvent is restrained, thereby solving the swelling problem and improving high-temperature life cycle characteristics.
US08277968B2	Reactive polymer-supporting porous film for battery separator and use thereof Provided is a reactive polymer-supporting porous film for use as a battery separator which comprises a porous substrate film and a partially crosslinked reactive polymer supported on the porous substrate film, the partially crosslinked reactive polymer being obtained by the reaction of a crosslinkable polymer having at least one reactive group selected from the group consisting of 3-oxetanyl group and epoxy group in the molecule with a monocarboxylic acid. Further, provided is a method of manufacturing a battery which comprises layering electrodes on the reactive polymer-supporting porous film.
US08277963B2	Battery pack A battery pack, including a cell including a cathode, an anode, and an electrode terminal having a bolt coupling region on a surface thereof, a circuit board electrically coupled to the cell and having a bolt through-hole at a position corresponding to the bolt coupling region, and a bolt passing through the bolt through-hole and coupled to the bolt coupling region.
US08277959B2	Cemented carbide body and method The present invention relates to a method of producing a cemented carbide body comprising providing: (1) a grain refiner compound comprising a grain refiner and carbon and/or nitrogen, and, (2) a grain growth promoter, on at least one portion of the surface of a compact of a WC-based starting material comprising one or more hard-phase components and a binder, and then sintering the compact. The invention also relates to a cemented carbide body comprising a WC-based hard phase and a binder phase, wherein at least one part of an intermediate surface zone has a lower average binder content than a part further into the body, and at least one part of an upper surface zone has in average a larger average WC grain size than the intermediate surface zone. The cemented carbide body can be used as a cutting tool insert for metal machining, an insert for a mining tool, or a coldforming tool.
US08277955B2	Compound for organic EL device and organic EL device A compound for an organic EL device as a light-emitting material for use in an organic EL device is provided. The compound includes a polymer molecule containing a light-emitting molecule for determining a luminescent color region of the light-emitting material, and molecules represented by Formulas (1) to (4) as constituent units. (wherein R represents an alkyl group, an aryl group, or an alkylaryl group) (wherein R′ represents hydrogen, an alkyl group, or an alkylaryl group).
US08277952B2	Sliding member for compressor A sliding member for a compressor includes a base metal, a first layer and a second layer. The base metal is made of an aluminum-based metal. The first layer is formed on or over the base metal and made of a nickel-based plating layer containing at least one material of nitrogen (N), silicon (Si), titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr) and aluminum (Al) as an additive. The second layer is formed on the surface of the first layer and made of a diamond-like carbon layer containing the same additive as the additive contained in the first layer.
US08277948B2	Thermosetting resin composition of semi-IPN composite, and varnish, prepreg and metal clad laminated board using the same Provided is a thermosetting resin composition which can be used for the production of printed circuit boards, having good dielectric properties in high frequency bands so that transmission loss can be significantly lowered, having excellent heat resistance after moisture absorption and thermal expansion properties, and satisfying peeling strength between the resin composition and metal foil.The present invention relates to a thermosetting resin composition of a semi-IPN composite, comprising (A) a polyphenylene ether, and a prepolymer formed from (B) a chemically unmodified butadiene polymer containing 40% or more of a 1,2-butadiene unit having a 1 2,-vinyl group in a side chain of a molecule and (C) a crosslinking agent, in a compatibilized and uncured state; and a resin varnish, a prepreg and a metal clad laminated board using the same.
US08277944B2	Primer composition, waterproof floor slab structure using the same, and method for waterproofing floor slab A primer composition used for applying a radical-curable resin-based waterproof material onto a concrete floor slab of an existing or newly established road bridge, is a troublesome application. For example, it is a problem in that a large machine is required for application thereof. The primer composition is a resin composition containing a urethane (meth)acrylate resin, (B) a polymerizable unsaturated monomer containing a hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate (B-1) and another polymerizable unsaturated monomer (B-2), (C) a curing accelerator, (D) a paraffin wax, and (E) a drying aid, in which the above components satisfy a specific molar ratio and specific mass ratios. The primer composition has a good crack-load-following capability, blistering resistance, adhesiveness, and bending resistance. Also provided is a waterproof floor slab structure using the primer composition and a method for waterproofing a floor slab.
US08277941B2	Elastic polyurethane yarn and method of manufacturing the same The present invention provides elastic polyurethane yarns which possess excellent elongation, recoverability, heat resistance and chemical resistance, as well as a method of manufacturing the same. The elastic polyurethane yarns comprise a polyurethane being composed mainly of a polymeric diol and a diisocyanate, and contains through incorporation a compound having within the molecule a phosphorus-nitrogen interatomic bond(s). The process can produce the elastic polyurethane yarns by adding to a solution of the polyurethane a compound having within the molecule a phosphorus-nitrogen interatomic bond(s), followed by spinning.
US08277940B2	Scent emitting patch and/or bandage A scent emitting patch remains securely attached to the skin of a wearer and is appointed for controlled release of scents. The patch is constructed having an external top layer and backing layer with a skin-contacting portion. The skin-contacting segment contains an adhesive. At least one reservoir comprising pockets or microcapsules containing a scent is disposed in at least one portion of the backing layer. These pockets or microcapsules are operative to rupture upon application of pressure or scratching by the patch wearer. Upon rupture, scent is delivered to the skin to emit aroma. Pockets containing the scent are formed in the backing layer. Microcapsules, if present, are preferably incorporated in the adhesive. A plethora of aromas are provided in the form of a perfume or cologne and correlating shapes can be used to form the patch. Scent is released at the skin-contact interface when pressure is applied ruptures the pockets or microcapsules, permitting controlled release at the wearer's election.
US08277938B2	Part of composite material having a wedge between two zones A part of composite material having a wedge between two zones, the second zone being shorter than the first zone, whose structure includes from its outer surface to its inner surface: a first section formed from at least two continuous sheets extending parallel to its outer surface, the gradient of the wedge being between 20% and 50%; a wedge in the shape of a triangular prism with its larger surface dimensioned in such a way that it forms a wedge having a gradient of less than 20%; a second section formed by a plurality of continuous sheets extending parallel to the surface bounded by the first section with the wedge placed upon it. The invention also relates to a process for manufacture of the part.
US08277937B2	Effect paint Emulsion paint composition for obtaining special textile or suede effect comprising a filler at least partly consisting of pre-pigmented spherical aliphatic polyurethane particles particles. About 3-10% of the spherical particles has a particle size between 63-90 micrometers and 25-40% of the spherical particles has a particle size between 40-63 micrometers. Before applying the paint as a semi-opaque top coat the substrate is first coated with an opaque acrylic primer of a corresponding color and subsequently dried. The top coat is applied by brush in cross way fashion to obtain a suede effect, or it can be applied by roller, while subsequently a tool is used comprising a flat side provided with stiff parallel projecting fibers such as synthetic grass fibers, which are dragged over the fresh paint layer to obtain a linen effect.
US08277933B1	Long fiber thermoplastic thin-walled baseplates for missile applications and methods of manufacture Baseplates and methods of manufacture are provided. In this regard, a representative baseplate is operative to mount a missile aeroshell, the baseplate being formed of a long fiber thermoplastic composite and exhibiting a wall thickness of no greater than approximately 0.070″.
US08277929B2	Method for modifying surface of substrate, substrate having modified surface, and method for producing same A method for modifying the surface of a substrate includes the following steps: (1) a step for forming a polysilazane coating by applying a polysilazane onto the surface of a substrate; (2) a step for applying an organic compound of which main backbone comprises an organic group represented by the following formula [1]: —[(R)mO]n— (wherein R represents an alkylene group, and m and n respectively represent a positive number of not less than 1) onto the surface of the polysilazane coating; and (3) a step for heating the substrate having undergone the steps (1) and (2), thereby converting the polysilazane to silica and bonding the organic compound to the silica of the silica layer.
US08277928B2	Ultra-thin photo-polymer coatings and uses thereof The invention provides methods for forming ultra-thin hydrophilic polymeric coatings on articles, as well as articles formed therefrom. The coatings are formed by irradiating a composition including a polymer having pendent photoreactive groups while the composition is in contact with a surface of the article.
US08277917B2	Rolls of material providing one-handed dispensing of sheets of pre-determined length A roll of a sheet material is provided with elongated sheets within the roll that are either completely detached from each other, or substantially completely detached from each other, such that the user can dispense the elongated sheets with one hand. In the case of toilet paper, the elongated sheets have a pre-determined length deemed to be suitable for most users and serve to assist young children in dispensing a proper amount of tissue from the roll.
US08277908B2	Substrate fluorescence mask for embedding information in printed documents The teachings as provided herein relate to a watermark embedded in an image that has the property of being relatively indecipherable under normal light, and yet decipherable under UV light. This fluorescent mark comprises a substrate containing optical brightening agents, and a first colorant mixture printed as an image upon the substrate. The colorant mixture layer has as characteristics a property of strongly suppressing substrate fluorescence, as well as a property of low contrast under normal illumination against the substrate or a second colorant mixture printed in close spatial proximity to the first colorant mixture, such that the resultant image rendered substrate suitably exposed to an ultra-violet light source, will yield a discernable image evident as a fluorescent mark.
US08277907B2	Liquid-crystalline medium The present invention relates to a liquid-crystalline medium based on a mixture of polar compounds having negative dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈), which is distinguished by the fact that it has a value for the ratio γ1/Δn2 in the range 6-45 with a clearing point of >60° C. and a Δ∈ of ≦−2.3. Media of this type are particularly suitable for electro-optical displays having active-matrix addressing based on the ECB, PA LCD, FFS or IPS effect.
US08277906B2	Method of processing a substrate A method of processing a substrate using plasma includes loading a substrate into a chamber, processing the substrate with a first plasma mode and then processing the substrate with a second plasma mode, wherein at least one of the first plasma mode and the second plasma mode is a time-modulation mode in which a plasma induced in the chamber is periodically turned on and off to reduce plasma-induced damage in the substrate.
US08277898B2	Camouflage tire The present invention is directed to a camouflage tire suitable for use in various vehicle use environments wherein it is desirable to reduce or eliminate a viewer's visual perception of the tire against the given environmental background.
US08277892B2	Process for creating an oxygen scavenging particle A method is disclosed for manufacturing one or more oxygen scavenging particles, wherein the particle(s) comprises an oxidizable metal particle, such as elemental iron; an acidifying electrolyte such as sodium or potassium bisulfate and optionally a water hydrolysable Lewis acid, such as aluminum chloride. The method comprises the step of coating the oxidizable particle with a first compound and then reacting the first compound with a second compound to form a third compound, wherein the third compound promotes the reaction of the oxidizable particle with oxygen.
US08277891B2	Method for suppressing particle generation during semiconductor manufacturing A technique for effectively suppressing the generation of particles resulting from peeling-off of unnecessary films that have unavoidably adhered to the inner surface of the reaction tube of an ALD film-forming apparatus during a film formation process for forming a film on a semiconductor substrate. A precoating process utilizing ALD is performed to deposit a metal oxide film, e.g., an aluminum oxide film, onto the unnecessary films, in order to prevent peeling-off of the unnecessary films. Ozone is supplied, as a precoat gas, into the reaction tube during the precoating process by a nozzle of a different type and/or position from that of the nozzle for supplying ozone, as a film-forming gas, into the reaction tube during the film formation process.
US08277890B2	Transport device, in particular for transporting sheet-like substrates through a coating installation The transporting device according to the invention, in particular for transporting sheet-like substrates through a coating installation, comprises transporting rollers which are rotatably mounted on both sides and horizontally arranged transversely in relation to the transporting direction, the uppermost surface lines of the transporting rollers defining the transporting plane, and is characterized in that the end parts of the transporting rollers have a smaller diameter than the middle part of the transporting rollers and in that baffles which are mounted displaceably in the axial direction of the transporting rollers between a first position and a second position are arranged between the end parts of the transporting rollers and the transporting plane. The fact that the baffles are mounted in an axially displaceable manner has the effect of considerably extending the cleaning intervals of the transporting device. At first the baffles are arranged in a first position, in which the end of the baffle lies underneath the substrate and, in the horizontal direction, as close as possible to the middle of the transporting roller Vapor-depositing material that gets beyond the edge of the substrate hits the baffle. During operation of the transporting device, the baffles are continuously displaced from the middle part to the ends of the transporting rollers. As a result, the increase in thickness of the layer produced on the baffles is limited, since the vapor keeps hitting new portions of the baffle.
US08277889B2	Film formation method and film formation apparatus A film formation method is disclosed for depositing a metal film on a target substrate by supplying a metal carbonyl source in gas phase to a surface of the target substrate and decomposing the source near the surface of the target substrate. The method includes a step of preferentially decomposing the metal carbonyl source in an area near the outer peripheral portion of the target substrate when the metal film is being deposited on the surface of the target substrate. As a result, a CO concentration in the atmosphere is increased locally near the outer peripheral portion of the target substrate and the depositing of the metal film on the outer peripheral portion is better controlled.
US08277884B2	Coating and processing apparatus and method There is provided a coating and processing apparatus including a spin chuck horizontally holding a quadrangular substrate and rotating the substrate in a horizontal plane, a coating solution nozzle for supplying a coating solution to a front surface of the substrate horizontally held by the spin chuck, and a solvent supply mechanism provided in the spin chuck for supplying a solvent to a back surface of the substrate, in which the solvent supplied to the back surface of the substrate is allowed to reach the back surface and side surface of each of corners of the substrate by centrifugal force, thereby removing the coating solution attached.
US08277880B2	Method for manufacturing plugged honeycomb structure A method for manufacturing a plugged honeycomb structure including a step of mixing ceramic particles with a gas on one end face side of the plugged honeycomb structure, and a step of sucking the gas containing the ceramic particles from the other end face side of the plugged honeycomb structure to send the ceramic particles mixed in the gas into cells of the plugged honeycomb structure to allow the ceramic particles to adhere to surfaces in the cells of the plugged honeycomb structure.
US08277875B2	Polyesters for thermal transfer image-receiving sheets The present invention relates to a polyester for thermal transfer image-receiving sheets which includes a polyester A produced from an alcohol component containing 50 mol % or more of an alkyleneoxide adduct of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane and an acid component containing 80 mol % or more of an aliphatic carboxylic acid and/or an alicyclic carboxylic acid as a total amount thereof, and a polyester B produced from an alcohol component containing 80 mol % or more of the alkyleneoxide adduct of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane and an acid component containing 10 to 35 mol % of a trivalent or higher valent aromatic polycarboxylic acid; a resin dispersion containing the polyester; a process for producing the resin dispersion; a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet using the polyester; and a process for producing the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet. The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is capable of satisfying all of a dyeability, a light resistance and a releasability at the same time.
US08277871B2	Evaporation donor substrate and method for manufacturing light-emitting device To provide an evaporation donor substrate which is used for deposition by an evaporation method and which allows reduction in manufacturing cost and high uniformity of a film which is deposited. In addition, to provide a method for manufacturing a light-emitting device using the evaporation donor substrate. The evaporation donor substrate includes a reflective layer having an opening which is formed over a substrate, a heat insulating layer having a light-transmitting property which is formed over the substrate and the reflective layer, a light absorption layer which is formed over the heat insulating layer; and a material layer which is formed over the light absorption layer.
US08277870B2	Method of controlling corrosion at an interface formed between metal components A method of controlling corrosion at an interface formed between at least two metal components includes applying a blend of magnesium particles and one of an adhesive or a sealant to the interface. The magnesium particles have a diameter sufficient to span a distance between the metal components. The method further includes exposing the metal components to a substantially corrosive environment, where the corrosive environment at least partially dissolves the magnesium particles. At least partial dissolution of the magnesium particles i) cathodically protects the metal components at the interface, ii) alkalizes the corrosive environment, and iii) generates hydrogen bubbles that substantially block a crevice formed at the interface.
US08277868B2	Balloon catheter for delivering therapeutic agents A drug delivery device for delivering therapeutic agents and a method of making such a device is disclosed. The device includes an inflatable balloon. A microporous coating covers a portion of the outer surface of the wall of the balloon. The thickness of the coating and the size of the micropores can permit desirable delivery of a substance from the micropores of the coating and into the tissue of a patient's lumen.
US08277859B2	Isothiocyanate preservatives and methods of their use A composition for preserving solid food products comprising a moisture-sensitive isothiocyanate compound and a hygroscopic carrier, wherein the composition is substantially free of sorbic acid, benzoic acid, and salts thereof. Also disclosed is a solid food product containing the aforementioned preservative composition and a method for preserving solid food products including the steps of adding a moisture-sensitive isothiocyanate to the solid food product and storing the resulting product at a reduced temperature.
US08277858B2	Process for making a healthy snack food The present invention is directed towards a method for making a healthy snack food having an appearance and taste similar to conventional fried snack products without the use of an oil-flying process. The method of the present invention includes the steps of providing food slices from a starch-based food or dough. The food slices can be blanched and a controlled amount of oil can be added to enhance final organoleptical properties. The food slices are then rapidly dehydrated to a much lower moisture content in a primary drying step that simulates conventional frying dehydration rates. A food snack, such as a corn or potato-based snack, produced by this method is a low-fat, ready-to-eat snack having the conventional texture and taste associated with fried snack products.
US08277856B2	Method of producing acidic lactic acid bacteria beverage An acidic lactic acid bacteria beverage having a favorable flavor and an improved survival rate for bifidobacteria. The acidic lactic acid bacteria beverage of the present invention includes bifidobacteria and inulin, wherein the inulin is not fermented by the bifidobacteria. The inulin content is preferably within a range from 1 to 10% by mass, and the pH of the acidic lactic acid bacteria beverage is preferably within a range from 4.1 to 4.8.
US08277855B2	Method of continuously producing edible lipid-based composition The present invention provides a method of continuously producing edible lipid-based composition, including the steps: preparing alcohol and organic acid in a predetermined ratio and a reaction tank received with immobilized candida cylindracea; continuously providing a supercritical state solvent into the reaction tank and draining the supercritical state solvent out, and mixing and pressurizing the alcohol and the organic acid and sending the alcohol and the organic acid to the reaction tank for a esterfication of the alcohol and the organic acid by the candida cylindracea; getting an edible lipid-based composition and water in the reaction tank; and quickly separating the edible lipid-based composition from the water and the supercritical state solvent.
US08277854B2	Nutritional compositions containing punicalagins The present invention relates generally to a nutritional composition comprising punicalagins.
US08277847B2	Lipidated glycosaminoglycan particles and their use in drug and gene delivery for diagnosis and therapy Lipidated glycosaminoglycan particles, prepared by reacting a glycosaminoglycan with at least one lipid to cross-link the carboxylic acid groups in the glycosaminoglycan with a primary amine in the lipid, are used to encapsulate drugs for use in the treatment of pathological conditions in an animal.
US08277846B2	Complexing agents for compositions containing inclusion complexes The invention provides a composition containing particulate composite of a polymer and a therapeutic agent. The composition also contains a complexing agent. The polymer interacts with the complexing agent in a host-guest or a guest-host interaction to form an inclusion complex. A therapeutic composition of the invention may be used to deliver the therapeutic agent and to treat various disorders. Both the polymer of the particulate composite and the complexing agent may be used to introduce functionality into the therapeutic composition. The invention also relates to a method of preparing a composition. The method combines a therapeutic agent, a polymer having host or guest functionality, and a complexing agent having guest or host functionality to form the therapeutic composition. The complexing agent forms an inclusion complex with the polymer. The invention also relates to a method of delivering a therapeutic agent. According to the method, a therapeutically effective amount of a therapeutic composition of the invention is administered to a mammal (e.g. person or animal) in recognized need of the therapeutic. Also disclosed are compounds having the formula:
US08277845B2	Formulations and methods for lyophilization and lyophilates provided thereby The present invention provides compositions, methods for lyophilizing compounds and making pharmaceutical compositions, and kits providing solutions and lyophilized formulations of compounds. The compositions, methods, and kits are particularly useful in pharmaceutical applications involving therapeutic agents that have low solubility at low pH and medium pH values. Certain embodiments provide methods for lyophilizing compounds in liquid solutions, which include the steps of: a) preparing aqueous solutions of a compound of interest in the absence of buffer; b) adjusting the pH to high values of pH in order to increase the solubility of the compound of interest; and c) freeze-drying the solution to provide a lyophilized solid composition. Aqueous solutions including buffer are also disclosed. Lyophilized formulations, including micronized and non-micronized powders, are provided.
US08277844B2	Coating composition The present invention relates to a novel resin composition useful as a coating agent or a binder for medicines, drugs for animals, agricultural chemicals, fertilizers, foods or the like, which contains a polyvinyl alcohol copolymer as a main component. More particularly, the present invention relates to a resin composition, characterized in that the composition is obtained by copolymerizing a polyvinyl alcohol having an average polymerization degree of 1300 or less, and at least one polymerizable vinyl monomer in a weight ratio of 6:4 to 9:1.
US08277843B2	Programmable buoyant delivery technology The present invention is concerned with a system for spatially and temporally programmable delivery of an active agent. When administered orally, the System can be retained in the gastric region for a prolonged period of time. It comprises of a core (I), one or more layers (II, IV, V) coated over the core and a preformed hollow space (III). The invention also concerns with a process for preparation of the System and a method for treating/preventing diseases, by administering to a subject in need thereof, the System of the invention.
US08277842B1	Enteric-coated HT-2157 compositions and methods of their use Drug compositions comprising the compound HT-2157 and their therapeutic uses, including the treatment of CNS disorders and cognitive impairments and the modulation of cognitive function, are disclosed. More particularly, the present invention relates to enteric-coated formulations comprising HT-2157 that reduce the appearance of clinically relevant methemoglobinemia relative to administration of non-enteric-coated formulations comprising HT-2157.
US08277839B2	Oral pharmaceutical composition of anilinopyrimidine, preparation and use thereof An oral pharmaceutical composition comprising a capsule dosage form containing a liquid fill composition including an anilinopyrimidine derivative of Formula (I) and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, a glyceryl ester of capric acid or a mixture thereof. The liquid fill composition is formulated in a hard gelatin capsules and can be used for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of cancer in particular AML.
US08277830B2	Posterior segment drug delivery A therapeutic device to release a therapeutic agent comprises a porous structure coupled to a container comprising a reservoir. The reservoir comprises a volume sized to release therapeutic amounts of the therapeutic agent for an extended time when coupled to the porous structure and implanted in the patient. The porous structure may comprise a first side coupled to the reservoir and a second side to couple to the patient to release the therapeutic agent. A plurality of interconnecting channels can extend from the first side to the second side so as to connect a first a plurality of openings on the first side with a second plurality of openings on the second side.
US08277821B2	Immunizing compositions and methods of use The present invention provides compositions including siderophore receptor polypeptides and porins from gram negative microbes, and preferably, lipopolysaccarhide at a concentration of no greater than about 10.0 endotoxin units per milliliter. The present invention also provides methods of making and methods of using such compositions.
US08277818B2	Herpes virus strains for gene therapy The present invention provides a herpes virus with improved oncolytic properties which comprises a gene encoding an immunomodulatory cytokine and which lacks a functional ICP34.5 gene and a functional ICP47 encoding gene.
US08277817B2	PEGylation by the dock and lock (DNL) technique The present invention concerns methods and compositions for forming PEGylated complexes of defined stoichiometry and structure. In preferred embodiments, the PEGylated complex is formed using dock-and-lock technology, by attaching a target agent to a DDD sequence and attaching a PEG moiety to an AD sequence and allowing the DDD sequence to bind to the AD sequence in a 2:1 stoichiometry, to form PEGylated complexes with two target agents and one PEG moiety. In alternative embodiments, the target agent may be attached to the AD sequence and the PEG to the DDD sequence to form PEGylated complexes with two PEG moieties and one target agent. In more preferred embodiments, the target agent may comprise any peptide or protein of physiologic or therapeutic activity. The PEGylated complexes exhibit a significantly slower rate of clearance when injected into a subject and are of use for treatment of a wide variety of diseases.
US08277816B2	Bacillus anthracis antigens, vaccine compositions, and related methods The present invention relates to the intersection of the fields of immunology and protein engineering, and particularly to antigens and vaccines useful in prevention of infection by Bacillus anthracis. Provided are recombinant protein antigens, compositions, and methods for the production and use of such antigens and vaccine compositions.
US08277815B2	Pharmaceutical composition comprising an antigen The invention relates to immunogenic compositions. In certain embodiments, the invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising an antigen, an immunostimulating substance selected form neuroactive compounds, hormones, compounds having a growth hormone activity, and mixtures thereof, and a polycationic polymer.
US08277812B2	Immunonanotherapeutics that provide IgG humoral response without T-cell antigen The present invention provides compositions and systems for delivery of nanocarriers to cells of the immune system. The invention provides synthetic nanocarriers capable of eliciting an immune system response in the form of antibody production, wherein the nanocarriers lack any T cell antigens. In some embodiments, the invention provides nanocarriers that comprise an immunofeature surface, which provides high avidity binding of the nanocarriers to antigen presenting cells. The invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising inventive nanocarriers. The present invention provides methods of designing, manufacturing, and using inventive nanocarriers and pharmaceutical compositions thereof.
US08277811B2	Compositions and methods for inducing chimerism in a subject Prevention of autoimmune disease and induction of transplantation tolerance in a recipient can be achieved by induction of mixed chimerism via bone marrow transplantation (BMT), but this procedure requires total body irradiation (TBI)-conditioning of the recipient. The toxicity of radiation and potential for graft versus host disease (GVHD) prevents its clinical application. Donor CD8+ T cells play a critical role in facilitation of engraftment, but also contribute to induction of GVHD in TBI-conditioned recipients. It is disclosed herein that high doses of donor CD8+ T cells in combination with donor bone marrow (BM) cells induces mixed chimerism without GVHD in recipients conditioned with anti-CD3 mAb. These chimeric recipients display donor specific tolerance and reversal of insulitis. These results establish that donor CD8+ T cell-mediated facilitation of engraftment can be separated from GVHD in non-irradiated recipients. This regimen has application in the treatment of autoimmune disorders and the induction of transplantation tolerance.
US08277810B2	Antagonist anti-CD40 antibodies Compositions and methods of therapy for treating diseases mediated by stimulation of CD40 signaling on CD40-expressing cells are provided. The methods comprise administering a therapeutically effective amount of an antagonist anti-CD40 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof to a patient in need thereof. The antagonist anti-CD40 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof is free of significant agonist activity, but exhibits antagonist activity when the antibody binds a CD40 antigen on a human CD40-expressing cell. Antagonist activity of the anti-CD40 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof beneficially inhibits proliferation and/or differentiation of human CD40-expressing cells, such as B cells.
US08277808B2	Mucosal vascular addressins and uses thereof The present invention relates to isolated antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof that bind naturally occurring human MAdCAM, wherein said naturally occurring human MAdCAM comprises a polypeptide with at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:4, said naturally occurring human MAdCAM binds α4β7, and wherein said isolated antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof inhibit binding of said naturally occurring human MAdCAM to human α4β7, and wherein said antibody inhibits adhesion of RPMI 8866 cells to cells that express said human MAdCAM.
US08277805B2	Methods for treating or inhibiting thromboembolic disorders or for inhibiting coagulation The present invention discloses inhibitory antibodies against Factor VIII with modified glycosylation, either by enzymatic deglycosylation or by site directed mutagenesis. Said antibodies with modified glycosylation have equal affinity for FVIII but show different inhibiting properties. The use of one or a mixture of said antibodies allow modulation of the inhibition of factor VIII to levels between 40 and 95%. The present invention further discloses pharmaceutical compositions comprising inhibitory antibodies against Factor VIII with modified glycosylation, combinations of these antibodies and methods for treating haemostasis disorders using said antibodies and antibody mixtures.
US08277803B2	Cancerous disease modifying antibodies The present invention relates to a method for producing cancerous disease modifying antibodies using a novel paradigm of screening. By segregating the anti-cancer antibodies using cancer cell cytotoxicity as an end point, the process makes possible the production of anti-cancer antibodies for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. The antibodies can be used in aid of staging and diagnosis of a cancer, and can be used to treat primary tumors and tumor metastases. The anti-cancer antibodies can be conjugated to toxins, enzymes, radioactive compounds, cytokines, interferons, target or reporter moieties and hematogenous cells.
US08277800B2	Methods of treating a deficiency of functional tripeptidyl peptidase I (CLN2) protein The present invention relates to a method for treating a patient having disorder characterized by a deficient amount of functional CLN2 protein in the affected cells, which comprises administering to the patient an amount of CLN2 protein effective to reduce or eliminate the symptoms caused by the deficiency in CLN2 protein.
US08277797B2	Interferon-β production modulating Listeria strains and methods for using same Mutant Listeria bacteria that modulate interferon-β production are provided. The subject bacteria are characterized by having a mutation in a gene chosen from a TetR gene, a LadR gene, a VirR gene, a MarR gene a MdrL gene, a MdrT gene and a MdrM gene. The subject bacteria find use in a variety of applications, where representative applications of interest include, but are not limited to: (a) use of the subject bacteria as adjuvants; (b) use of the subject bacteria as delivery vectors for introducing macromolecules into a cell; (c) use of the subject bacteria as vaccines for eliciting or boosting a cellular immune response; etc.
US08277796B2	Regeneration and repair of neural tissue using postpartum-derived cells Cells derived from postpartum umbilicus and placenta are disclosed. Pharmaceutical compositions, devices and methods for the regeneration or repair of neural tissue using the postpartum-derived cells are also disclosed.
US08277795B2	Methods and compositions for treating motor neuron diseases comprising mesenchymal stem cells Disclosed herein are a composition for treating motor neuron diseases, particularly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), using mesenchymal stem cells, and a method for treating motor neuron diseases using the composition. The composition and treatment method can provide effective therapy for motor neuron diseases, particularly for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
US08277793B2	Prophylactic or therapeutic agent for viral disease A prophylactic or therapeutic agent for a viral disease, characterized by combining 22β-methoxyolean-12-ene-3β,24(4β)-diol with an interferon as active ingredients is disclosed. The prophylactic or therapeutic agent of the present invention exhibits a high therapeutic effect by administering 22β-methoxyolean-12-ene-3β,24(4β)-diol and interferon as a combination thereof.
US08277784B2	Hair cosmetic product A hair treatment method entailing sequentially (i) preparing a hair cosmetic by mixing a first agent containing an alkali agent and a second agent containing hydrogen peroxide to form a mixed liquid, (ii) discharging the mixed liquid in the form of a foam from a foamer vessel without a propellant, (iii) applying the mixed liquid to hair, (iv) allowing the mixed liquid to stand for 3 to 60 minutes; and (v) rinsing the mixed liquid away.
US08277779B2	Compositions useful for reducing nephrotoxicity and methods of use thereof The present invention provides compositions and methods to reduce renal damage caused by nephrotoxic drugs. The invention provides compositions comprising an anionically substituted cyclodextrin, a nephrotoxic drug and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, where the cyclodextrin is present in an amount effective for substantially inhibiting the nephrotoxic effect of the drug.
US08277778B2	Vaccine adjuvants The invention relates to a novel adjuvant Mycobacterium w and or its constituents and adjuvant containing composition, which contains antigen(s) with pharmaceutical acceptable carrier and its uses. Mycobacterium w and or its constituents when administered with antigen(s) to mammal results in enhanced immunogenicity of antigen. The enhanced immunogenicity manifests as humoral responses as well as cell mediated immunity. The adjuvant effect is seen with variety of antigens in various mammals irrespective of their immune status at the time of administration of Mycobacterium w and antigen containing composition. e.g. immune naïve or preimmunized status.
US08277777B2	Compound having affinity for amyloid A compound that has affinity with amyloid, exhibits sufficiently rapid clearance from normal tissues, and is suppressed in toxicity such as mutagenicity is provided, which is represented by the following formula (1): or a salt thereof, wherein R1 is a group selected from hydrogen, hydroxyl group, carboxyl group, sulfate group, amino group, nitro group, cyano group, an alkyl substituent with one to 4 carbon atoms or an alkoxy substituent with one to 4 carbon atoms; R2 is a radioactive halogen substituent; and m is an integer of 0 to 2, and a low-toxic diagnostic agent for Alzheimer's disease comprising a compound represented by the above formula or a salt thereof is also provided.
US08277776B2	Compositions for delivery of therapeutics and other materials This disclosure relates to compositions for delivering agents to a subject, and in particular, to compositions for delivery of therapeutic agents or diagnostic agents in the presence or absence of targeting moieties. In part, this disclosure relates to compositions comprising a hydrophobic group with a first end and a second end, a first metal binding domain linked to the hydrophobic group, a metal ion capable of being chelated to the first metal binding domain, and an agent linked to a second metal binding domain capable of chelating to the metal ion.
US08277775B2	Boron dipyrromethene difluoro (BODIPY) conjugates The present invention relates to FTY720 analogs bearing a boron dipyrromethene difluoro (BODIPY) fluorophore in the alkyl side chain and methods of preparation. The compounds of the present invention can be used in fluorescence spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy and in chromatography using fluorescence detection.
US08277773B2	Steam reforming method The present invention provides catalysts, reactors, and methods of steam reforming over a catalyst. Surprisingly superior results and properties obtained in methods and catalysts of the present invention are also described. For example, a coated catalyst was demonstrated to be highly stable under steam reforming conditions (high temperature and high pressure of steam). Methods of making steam reforming catalysts are also described.
US08277770B2	Method of manufacturing carbon nanotube Carbon atoms are fed to a catalytic metal particle 10 having a atomic arrangement of triangular lattices in a round (or partly round) of a side wall, and a graphen sheet 18 having a six-membered structure reflecting the atomic arrangement of the triangular lattices is consecutively formed by the metal catalyst, whereby a tubular structure of the carbon atoms is formed. Thus, the chirality of the tubular structure can be controlled by the growth direction of the graphen sheet with respect to the direction of the triangular lattices, and the diameter of the tubular structure can be controlled by the size of the catalytic metal particle.
US08277766B2	Methods for the concentration of vanadium from carbonaceous feedstock materials This invention relates to a process that utilizes high-temperature oxidation with controlled stoichiometry in the concentration of vanadium from carbonaceous feedstock materials containing vanadium, such as residues, ashes and soots resulting from the combustion or gasification of petroleum vacuum residuum, petroleum coke, kerogen from oil shale, and bituminous sand, e.g., tar sand or oil sand, or extra heavy oil or other carbonaceous feedstocks that contain vanadium. A preferred embodiment uses a counter-rotating vortex reactor and a cyclonic, entrained-flow reactor to rapidly heat and oxidize feedstock at temperatures in the range of about 2100° F. to 2900° F., resulting in a vapor stream with entrained, solid materials comprising the concentrated vanadium species. The entrained, vanadium-rich product solids may be removed from the high-temperature vapor stream by a high-temperature filter assembly, with or without the aid of a high-temperature cyclone separator which removes a portion of the vanadium-rich solids upstream of the filter. The filtered vapor stream may be stored or then ducted to suitable unit operations for possible oxidation and heat recovery, followed by entailed pollution control prior to its final discharge to the atmosphere.
US08277760B2	High density plate filler A filling apparatus for filling a microplate. The microplate having a plurality of wells each sized to receive an assay. The filling apparatus can comprise an assay input layer having a first surface and an opposing second surface. The assay input layer can comprise an assay input port extending from the first surface to the second surface and at least one pressure nodule extending from the second surface. An output layer can comprise a plurality of staging capillaries each having an inlet and an outlet. The output layer can further comprise a capillary plane disposed above the plurality of staging capillaries in fluid communication with the assay input port. The capillary plane can be sized to draw the assay from the assay input port to generally flood fill the plurality of staging capillaries.
US08277757B2	Pipette tip mounting shaft A pipette tip mounting shaft includes outwardly circumferentially extending locking lobes over which the pipette tip collar is mounted. The locking lobes preferably include an inclining ramp portion that gently flexes and distorts the pipette tip collar out-of-round as the mounting shaft is inserted into the pipette tip, rather than the stretching tip collar. Each locking lobe also includes a declining ramp portion which extends upward along the mounting shaft. The peak of the lobes is preferably curved. When the pipette tip is fully mounted on the mounting shaft, a locking ring on the inside surface of the tip collar engages the declining ramp of the lobes to provide an over-center engagement, however, the required ejection force is small.
US08277756B2	Method of identifying a blockage at the receiving opening of a pipetting needle A method of identifying a blockage at the receiving opening of a pipetting needle which at or in the proximity of the receiving opening has an electrode (E1) or is itself in the form of an electrode (E1), in an analysis apparatus when taking liquid from a liquid-containing vessel and/or when delivering liquid into a liquid-containing vessel, in which the pipetting needle is displaced in such a way that the receiving opening is immersed in the liquid in the liquid-containing vessel, an amount of liquid is sucked up into the pipetting needle or delivered from the pipetting needle, the pipetting needle is further displaced in such a way that the receiving opening comes out of the liquid in the liquid-containing vessel, during the displacement of the pipetting needle the capacitances (Kmeasurement) between the electrode (E1) and a counter-electrode (E2) are detected in dependence on the position of the pipetting needle, the detected capacitances (Kmeasurement) are compared to predetermined reference values (Kreference) for the respective position of the pipetting needle, and information about the presence of a blockage at the receiving opening of the pipetting needle is delivered if the deviation between the detected capacitances (Kmeasurement) and the predetermined reference values (Kreference) at one position or a plurality of positions of the pipetting needle exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
US08277754B2	System for pressure treatment of articles The purpose of the present invention is to propose a reliable, economically viable autoclave that also allows rapid heat treatment of food or pharmaceutical products in industrial quantities.To this end, the subject of the invention is a system for shaking items, inside a device under pressure, comprising a chamber (100) equipped with a heating means (110) and with a pressurizing means (115), and a storage basket (200) for the items (P) coupled to a translational shaking means (300, 310-320-330-340), wherein the basket (200) is slidably mounted on a chassis (400) exhibiting a platform (410) supported by support columns (420) passing through the chamber (100) in a fluidtight and decoupled manner and intended to be secured to an immovable support (600).
US08277751B2	Tissue paper with pH-indicator function The present invention relates to a tissue paper with pH-indicator function, specifically a toilet paper that can be used to diagnose abnormal pH changes of the human urine as accompanying for instance acetonemic vomiting or diabetes.
US08277748B2	Container for washer or autoclave A container for enabling fluid flow therethrough for cleaning or sterilizing of the contents, comprises a tray (10) and lid (20) and having respective bases (11, 21) and side walls (17, 27). The bases (11, 21) have perforations (12, 22) defined by elliptically shaped perforation walls (13, 23) with their major axes vertical to allow easy flow of the cleaning fluid through the container and minimum contact points with the contents or other containers. The internal corners (30) of the perforations (12, 22) in horizontal sections are smoothly curved to minimize debris or deposits collecting and resisting removal. A method of cleaning or sterilizing using the container is also described.
US08277747B2	Continuous hot fill process An apparatus comprising a chamber where a base concentrate common to at least a first flavored food product and a second flavored food product is formed, the first flavored food product having different flavoring than the second flavored food product, the base concentrate having a first temperature. The apparatus also comprises a process line that receives the base concentrate from the chamber, heated liquid from a heated liquid source, and flavoring from either a first flavor source or a second flavor source to form a mixture of base concentrate, heated liquid and flavoring. The mixture has a has second temperature sufficient to achieve a change in the mixture selected from the group consisting of microbial change, chemical change, biochemical change, and enzymatic change, and combinations thereof. A method is also disclosed for change over from forming a first flavored food product to forming a second flavored food product.
US08277746B2	Apparatus, system and method for facilitating transfer of high level radioactive waste to and/or from a pool A method, apparatus and system for the transferring a container for receiving high level radioactive waste into and/or out of a pool. The instant invention utilizes a specially designed container in order to make effective use of a stand placed within the pool. In one embodiment, the invention is a system for transferring high level radioactive waste comprising: a container for receiving high level radioactive waste, the container having a support structure; a stand comprising a cavity for receiving the container and an opening forming a passageway into the cavity; wherein the support structure is sized, shaped and/or arranged so that: (i) when the container is substantially vertically oriented in a first rotational position, the support structure can not pass through the opening due to contact between the support structure and the stand; and (ii) when the substantially vertically oriented container is rotated an angle about a vertical axis to a second rotational position, the support structure can pass through the opening in an unobstructed manner.
US08277739B2	Method and reactor for producing carbon nanotubes The present invention concerns a process for producing carbon nanotubes or other carbon nanostructures, e.g. cones. The process comprising evaporating/decomposing a carbon containing material in a voluminous thermal plasma generated by rotating an electric arc using an externally applied magnetic field, and condensing said evaporated/decomposed carbon containing material on surfaces or on particles in a gas flow. A reactor for performing the process is also described.
US08277732B1	Air quality detection pack A air gas detection pack is provided. The air gas detection pack has a card receiving pocket which slidably receives a gas detection card, the gas detection card having a plurality of chemically reactive materials retained therein and exposed to outside air through a plurality of aligned air permeable apertures formed in the front and rear wall of the substance detection pack. The combined gas detection card and gas detection pack indicates the concentrations of gases in the air. The air permeable apertures in conjunction with the reactive materials of the substance detection card are covered with a filtering media to protect the reactive material from dirt and dust contamination.
US08277731B2	Sensing device To shorten the time required for an oscillation frequency to stabilize in a sensing device sensing a substance to be sensed by using the fact that a natural frequency of a piezoelectric resonator changes when the substance to be sensed is adsorbed by an adsorption layer formed on the piezoelectric resonator. A sensing device includes: an oscillator circuit 4 oscillating a quartz-crystal resonator 12; and an intense excitation circuit that is formed by the oscillator circuit 4 including a series circuit of a resistor 52 and a third transistor 53 of PNP type and that intensely excites the quartz-crystal resonator 12 connected to the oscillator circuit 4 for a period of time preset by a one-shot circuit 22 by supplying the quartz-crystal resonator 12 with high power equal to or more than twice regular power supplied at the time of the measurement of the substance to be sensed, to stabilize the oscillation of the quartz-crystal resonator 12. When the connection of the quartz-crystal resonator 12 is detected, the one-shot circuit 22 brings the oscillator circuit 4 into an aging state and the high power is supplied to the quartz-crystal resonator 12 to intensely excite the quartz-crystal resonator 12, thereby eliminating the distortion and stress of a quartz-crystal plate 20.
US08277728B2	Method of sterilizing an orthopaedic implant A pre-assembled orthopaedic implant adapted for improved gas sterilization. The implant includes a first component adapted for assembly with a second component such that a mating surface of the first component is in close proximity with a mating surface of the second component. At least one gas conduit associated with the mating surface of the first component facilitates a sterilizing gas to penetrate into and dissipate from the interface defined by the mating surfaces.
US08277722B2	Production of reduced catalyst PDC via gradient driven reactivity A method of forming a PDC cutter having solvent metal catalyst located adjacent the diamond and/or in the diamond and a layer of reactive material on the layer of diamond, the layer of reactive material for promoting the flow of the solvent metal catalyst material from the layer of diamond under high pressure and high temperature.
US08277721B2	Systems and methods for accessing a furnace melt A method and apparatus for accessing a furnace melt are provided. Preferably, the method and apparatus provide for the safe and efficient access to the melt. According to one aspect of the invention used in a steel-making process in an electric arc furnace, a furnace aperture burner/lance provides a flame for heating the melt, a lance device for injecting oxygen into the furnace, or both. To access the melt, the furnace aperture burner/lance is disengaged, access is provided to the melt through the furnace aperture, and the furnace aperture burner/lance is reengaged when the access is concluded.
US08277717B2	Nano imprinting method and apparatus The present invention relates to a nano imprint method and to a nano imprint apparatus comprising: a first imprint module, a second imprint module, a storage and a feeder module, wherein; the first imprint module is adapted to imprint a pattern into an intermediate polymer stamp from a template; a second imprint module is adapted to imprint a pattern into a substrate from the intermediate polymer stamp; robot feeder modules are adapted to move the template, intermediate polymer stamp and the substrate from and to storages.
US08277716B2	Apparatus, system, and method of manufacturing a composite tubular using a stiffened mandrel A stiffened mandrel used in the manufacture of a composite tubular. The mandrel is placed on a filament winding machine and is comprised of an outer and inner shell. A pressure source is connected to the mandrel to exert a tensile force on the outer shell to stiffen the mandrel and thereby prevent sagging and bending of the mandrel. The stiffened mandrel allows for the manufacture of a composite tubular without undesirable flexing, wrinkling, or contamination of the uncured composite.
US08277714B1	Braid capture overmolding The invention described herein relates to capturing a covering such as a braid on a exterior profile of a plastic tube by overmolding onto a plumbing tube, wherein a circumferentially surrounding covering or braid is modified prior to the overmolding process.
US08277709B2	Production of fine stufferbox-crimped tows from synthetic filaments and further processing thereof into textile hygiene articles A process is described for producing thin crimped tows from LOY, POY, or FOY filaments in a total linear density from 2 ktex to 9 ktex by filament yarns being withdrawn from creeled bobbins, folded and provided with a processing finish, then drawn or tension-uniformized and thereafter heated and stufferbox crimped. The process can be carried out in-line with numerous further processing operations. The tows are particularly useful for producing textile hygiene articles such as diapers, sanitary napkins, inserts and incontinence guards and the like.
US08277705B2	Restoring damaged rail seats located on concrete rail ties A method for restoring a damaged rail seat located on a concrete rail tie. The method comprises applying a polymeric material comprising a poly(urethane-urea) material to the damaged rail seat located on the concrete rail tie; and restoring the damaged rail seat by curing the polymeric material under ambient temperature and pressure conditions. The polymeric material is substantially sag resistant and maintains its shape without substantial runoff from the concrete rail tie during the restoring of the damage rail seat.
US08277702B2	Near infrared absorbing agent and near infrared absorbing film Disclosed herein is a method for preparing a near infrared absorbing agent. The method includes admixing tungsten trioxide and a reducing agent in water and allowing for a partial reduction of the tungsten trioxides to yield the near infrared absorbing agent.
US08277699B2	Photochromic materials that include 6-amino substituted indeno-fused naphthopyrans The present invention relates to photochromic materials that include certain indeno-fused naphthopyrans. The indeno-fused naphthopyrans have an amino group (e.g., a piperidino or morpholino group) bonded to the 6-position and an optional halo group (e.g., fluoro) bonded to the 11-position thereof. The photochromic materials of the present invention may have a closed-form electromagnetic radiation absorption spectrum that is shifted to longer wavelengths (e.g., wavelengths of greater than 390 nm), relative to comparable photochromic materials. The present invention also relates to optical elements, such as eyeglasses, that include the photochromic materials of the present invention.
US08277696B2	Thermochromic color-memory composition, and thermochromic color-memory microcapsule pigment having the composition encapsulated therein The present invention relates to a thermochromic color-memory composition comprising a solubilized mixture of (I) an electron donating coloring organic compound, (II) an electron accepting compound and (III) an ester compound represented by the following formula (1) as a reaction medium which controls color reactions of the components (I) and (II): wherein R represents an alkyl group having 1 to 21 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 1 to 21 carbon atoms, and n represents an integer of from 1 to 3.
US08277695B2	Reversibly thermochromic compositions A reversible thermochromic system comprising a) a compound of the formula (IA) or a tautomer thereof or a compound of the formula (IB) or a tautomer thereof (IA) (IB) wherein R1 is C1-C18alkyl, C2-C18alkenyl, C3-C12cycloalkyl, C3-C12cycloalkyl substituted by 1, 2 or 3 C1-C4alkyl; phenyl, phenyl substituted by 1, 2 or 3 C1-C4alkyl; or C7-C12phenylalkyl; R2 is hydrogen or a group —SO2—R; R3 and R4 independently of one another are hydrogen, C1-C18alkyl, C2-C18alkenyl, C3-C12cycloalkyl, C3-C12cycloalkyl substituted by 1, 2 or 3 C1-C4alkyl; phenyl, phenyl substituted by 1, 2 or 3 C1-C4alkyl; or C7-C12phenylalkyl; and R is C1-C18alkyl, C2-C18alkenyl, C3-C12cycloalkyl, C3-C12cycloalkyl substituted by 1, 2 or 3 C1-C4alkyl; phenyl, phenyl substituted by 1, 2 or 3 C1-C4alkyl; or C7-C12phenylalkyl; and b) a compound containing a group of the formula (III).
US08277691B2	High performance carbon nanocomposites for ultracapacitors The present invention relates to composite electrodes for electrochemical devices, particularly to carbon nanotube composite electrodes for high performance electrochemical devices, such as ultracapacitors.
US08277688B2	Aluminum alloy coated pigments and corrosion-resistant coatings This invention relates to galvanic aluminum alloy powder-pigments coated with a semi-conducting corrosion inhibiting oxide and the process for preparing said coated powder-pigments in combination with film-forming binders for coating metal substrates to inhibit corrosion. The coated aluminum alloy powder-pigments are electrically active and prevent corrosion of metals which are more cathodic (electropositive) than the aluminum alloy pigments.
US08277687B2	Phosphor and light-emitting device using same The present invention relates to a phosphor that satisfies requirements (1) to (3): (1) the phosphor satisfies Formula [2] and/or Formula [3]: 85≦{R455(125)/R455(25)}×100≦110 [2] 92≦{R405(100)/R405(25)}×100≦110 [3] wherein R455(125) represents an emission peak intensity when the phosphor is excited by light having a peak wavelength of 455 nm at 125° C., (2) the emission peak wavelength is in the range of 570 nm to 680 nm, and (3) the full width at half maximum of an emission peak is 90 nm or less. The phosphor of the present invention has a high luminous efficiency and emits light of orange to red with high luminance. The use of the phosphor makes it possible to produce a light-emitting device, an illumination apparatus, and an image display, having a high efficiency and excellent color rendering properties.
US08277682B2	Inorganic, static electric binder composition, use thereof and method for the preparation of said binder composition An inorganic, static electric binder composition for use as a texture stabilizing element in masses of organic and/or inorganic particles and also as a filtering mass is presented. One major use of the binder composition is to reclaim arid and hyper-arid deserts and to prevent desertification and the movement and advancement of sand dunes, in other words stopping wind erosion efficiently. Also presented is a method for the preparation of the binder composition and the use thereof.
US08277678B2	Polymer-bonded magnetic materials A magnetic composition for power conversion includes a thermoplastic polymer and magnetic powders. The composition has a tensile strength of greater than 20 N/mm2.
US08277676B2	Methods and compositions for preparing silica aerogels Cross-linked sol-gel like materials and cross-linked aerogels, as well as methods for making such cross-linked sol-gel like materials and cross-linked aerogels are described.
US08277674B2	Method of removing post-etch residues A method of removing post-etch residues is provided. First, a substrate is provided. An isolation layer covers the substrate and a conductive layer is embedded in the isolation layer. A dielectric layer and a hard mask cover the isolation layer. Then, an etching process is performed, and a patterned hard mask is formed by etching the hard mask by ions or atoms. After that, a charge-removing process is performed by using a conductive solution to cleaning the patterned hard mask and the dielectric layer so as to remove the charges accumulated on the patterned hard mask and the dielectric layer during the etch process. Finally, the post-etch residues on the patterned hard mask and the dielectric layer is removed.
US08277673B2	Plasma processing method and apparatus In a plasma processing method, a conductor of an electrostatic chuck (ESC) and an electrode are electrically grounded prior to starting the plasma processing. A DC voltage with a polarity is applied to the conductor at a first time point after loading a substrate on the electrode. Then, the electrode is switched from an electrically grounded state to an electrically floating state at a second time point. A RF power is then applied to the electrode at a third time point. The application of the RF power is stopped at a fourth time point after a specified time has lapsed from the third time point. Then, the electrode is switched from the electrically floating state to the electrically grounded state at a fifth time point. Thereafter, the application of the DC voltage is stopped and the conductor is restored to a ground potential at a sixth time point.
US08277671B2	Polishing process for producing damage free surfaces on semi-insulating silicon carbide wafers A polishing mixture and related method of polishing a material wafer surface, such as silicon carbide, are disclosed. The polishing mixture comprises; an abrasive and an oxidizer mixed in an acidic solution. Alumina may be used as the abrasive and the polishing mixture may have a pH less than or equal to seven (7).
US08277669B1	Method and system for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording pole having a leading edge bevel A method and system for providing a pole of magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) are described. Leading shield and planarization stop layers are provided. Portions of the planarization stop and shield layers distal from the ABS location are removed, providing a depression forming a bevel. The bevel has an angle greater than zero and less than ninety degrees. An intermediate layer having a top surface substantially perpendicular to the ABS location is provided. Part of the intermediate layer is removed, forming a trench having a bottom corresponding to the leading shield and a location and profile corresponding to the pole. A nonmagnetic layer is provided at least partially in the trench. The pole with a leading edge bevel corresponding to the bevel is provided in the trench. A capping layer covering the pole is provided, at least part of the intermediate layer removed, and a wrap-around shield provided.
US08277658B2	Wastewater treatment A system and method for treating wastewater by continuously flowing wastewater into a chemostat and continuously discharging clean water out of the chemostat. The system can include sensors and an electronic controller for on-line measuring ambient parameters in the chemostat and adjusting the chemostat's operating conditions accordingly.
US08277653B2	Power recovery chamber A power recovery chamber is used for a positive-displacement power recovery apparatus in the seawater desalination plant or system. The power recovery chamber includes a cylinder, a piston disposed in the cylinder and capable of being reciprocated in a longitudinal direction of the cylinder, and a piston guide disposed in the cylinder and extending in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder for guiding the piston when the piston is reciprocated in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder. At least a part of an outer circumferential surface of the piston is out of contact with an inner surface of the cylinder, and the piston is brought into contact with the piston guide at a part where the piston guide passes through the piston.
US08277647B2	Effluent collection unit for engine washing An effluent collection unit for engine washing is formed by a portable trailer having a plurality of sides forming an internal compartment and an effluent collection system positioned within the internal compartment, which effluent collection device captures engine wash water effluent when the trailer is placed in an operational configuration.
US08277640B2	Thermal cracking process and facility for heavy petroleum oil The present invention relates to a process for thermal cracking of heavy petroleum oil, in which when a thermal cracking facility having a cracking furnace, two or more of trains each comprising two reaction vessels and one distillation tower is operated, each train is operated by repeating a cycle comprising drawing the heavy petroleum oil from the cracking furnace, feeding the drawn heavy petroleum oil into the first reaction vessel and then feeding the drawn heavy petroleum oil into the second reaction vessel, steam is directly brought in contact with the heavy petroleum oil to be thermally cracked, and gaseous cracked substances produced and steam are introduced into the distillation tower to be distilled and separated, wherein phase delay is provided for the cycle repeated in each train so that the thermal cracking facility is operated with the different initiation time of feeding to the first reaction vessel in each train. According to the present invention, the instability of the flow-in quantity of the gaseous substances to the distillation tower is improved, and the improvement of separation performance, the increase of processing capacity of the facility and the like can be achieved.
US08277634B2	Electrolytic water treatment device having sintered nanoparticle coated electrode and method for making acid or basic water therewith A highly stable aqueous solution having a molecular cluster with dimensions which are small enough to ensure substantial chemical-physical stability thereof for a relatively long time. To prepare the solution a fluid treatment device is used, which comprises at least one chamber (7) and at least one anode (4) and one cathode (3) arranged in the chamber (7). The anode (4) and cathode (3) are at least partly made of a first metallic material. At least one of the at least one cathode (3) and anode (4) comprises a coating of nanoparticles (5) of a second metallic material.
US08277632B2	Onsite integrated production factory An onsite integrated production factory having an electrolytic plant, an ethanol plant, a vegetable plant, a culturing plant, and a power generation unit. The onsite integrated production facility is arranged so that fresh water, sulfuric acid or caustic soda produced by and received from the electrolytic plant is used in the ethanol plant to produce and output oxalic acid, sodium oxalate, fuel bioethanol. The oxalic acid or sodium oxalate produced in and received from the ethanol plant is used for removing calcium contained in the sea water in the electrolytic plant. The vegetable plant produces vegetables for generation and outputting of oxygen by receiving the carbon dioxide generated during the fermentation process in the ethanol plant and fresh water from the electrolytic plant. The culturing plant has a fishery farm or reef for using the oxygen generated in the vegetable plant.
US08277631B2	Methods and devices for the production of hydrocarbons from carbon and hydrogen sources Devices and methods are described for converting a carbon source and a hydrogen source into hydrocarbons, such as alcohols, for alternative energy sources. The influents may comprise carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas or water, obtainable from the atmosphere for through methods described herein, such as plasma generation or electrolysis. One method to produce hydrocarbons comprises the use of an electrolytic device, comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte. Another method comprises the use of ultrasonic energy to drive the reaction. The devices and methods and related devices and methods are useful, for example, to provide a fossil fuel alternative energy source, store renewable energy, sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, counteract global warming, and store carbon dioxide in a liquid fuel.
US08277628B2	Method and apparatus using electric field for improved biological assays Disclosed are a method and apparatus that use an electric field for improved biological assays. The electric field is applied across a device having wells, which receive reactants, which carry a charge. The device thus uses a controllable voltage source between the first and second electrodes, which is controllable to provide a positive charge and a negative charge to a given electrode. By controlled use of the electric field charged species in a fluid in a fluid channel are directed into or out of the well by an electric field between the electrodes. The present method involves the transport of fluids, as in a microfluidic device, and the electric field-induced movement of reactive species according to various assay procedures, such as DNA sequencing, synthesis or the like.
US08277625B2	Gas sensing device and gas sensor This invention provides a gas sensing device and gas sensor including a porous portion in which a first porous portion absorbs phosphorus and silicone sufficiently so as to suppress generation of clogging in a second porous portion meeting demands for intensifying the performance and accuracy of a gas sensor, so that the accuracy of detection of air-fuel ratio is further improved.
US08277621B2	Halogen generator for above ground pools Disclosed herein is an improved electrolytic cell. The cell includes at least one pair of electrodes, an anode and a cathode. In general the anode includes at least one dimension, which is substantially greater than the cathode. In an exemplary embodiment, the length and the width of the anode are greater than the length and width of the cathode. In a first embodiment of a multi-cell chlorine generator, unequal dimension electrodes are stacked together. In a second embodiment of such a generator, the electrodes are of equal dimensions. In another exemplary embodiment of the improved electrolytic cell in accordance with this invention, the cathode forms a U-shaped member and the anode of at least one dimension being greater is located there between. Another embodiment of the chlorine generator includes at least two cells having the U-shaped cathode. In a first exemplary of embodiment of such a chlorine generator, the electrode are parallel to one another. In a second such exemplary embodiment, the electrodes are parallel and are coincident in plane with one another, respectively.
US08277619B2	Apparatus for electrochemical plating semiconductor wafers An electroplating apparatus for depositing a conductive material on a semiconductor wafer includes a vessel for holding an electroplating bath, a support for holding a semiconductor wafer within the vessel and beneath a surface of the bath; first and second electrodes within the vessel, between which an electrical current may flow causing conductive material to be electrolytically deposited onto the wafer, a third electrode disposed outside of the bath for applying a static electric charge to the wafer, and an electrical power supply coupled with the third electrode.
US08277618B2	Electrochemical cell The present invention relates to an electrochemical cell comprising a vibratile electrode (eg a vibratile microelectrode).
US08277616B2	Surface treating device and surface treating method A surface treating method for treating a tooth surface and a surface treating device thereof are provided. First, a working gas is filled into a tube. Next, a voltage is provided to the working gas for exciting the working gas into plasma. After that, the plasma is discharged through an opening of the tube for contacting the tooth surface.
US08277614B2	Multi-stage flash desalination plant with feed cooler The once-through multi-stage flash (MSF) desalination plant with feed cooler is a desalination system utilizing a feed water cooler. Particularly, the plant includes a conventional MSF system, with a separate water cooler for cooling the seawater or brine that is input into the system, prior to the passage of the brine into the condensation conduits and brine heater. In use, the cooled brine is pumped, under pressure, through at least one conduit that passes through a plurality of flash chambers. The brine is then heated and injected into the plurality of flash chambers, where it is flashed into steam. The steam condenses on an external surface of the at least one conduit, and the condensed water is then extracted from the plant.
US08277613B2	Patterning on surface with high thermal conductivity materials The present invention provides for high thermal conductivity paper that comprises a host matrix (10), and high thermal conductivity materials (12) added to a surface of the host matrix in a specific pattern (12). The high thermal conductivity materials are comprised of one or more of nanofillers, diamond like coatings directly on the host matrix, and diamond like coatings on the nanofillers. In particular embodiments the specific pattern comprises one or more of a grid, edging, banding centering and combinations thereof and the high thermal conductivity materials cover 15-55% of the surface of the host matrix. Multiple surfaces, including sub layers my have patterning.
US08277612B2	Controlling the detectability of an article and method for authenticating the article Cascading phosphors are described herein that produce emissions when they are excited by incident radiation. The cascading phosphors can be applied to articles, and can be useful in authenticating the article. The cascading phosphors include a host and at least three active ions.
US08277608B2	Method for treating pulp in connection with the bleaching of chemical pulp A method of treating pulp in connection with the bleaching of chemical pulp, said method including treating of the pulp in at least an ozone, chlorine dioxide or alkali phase and thereafter washing of the pulp in a washing device having an E10 value of at least 3, whereby washing liquid is introduced into the washing device countercurrently in relation to the pulp and filtrate is discharged from the washing device. At first the pulp is washed in the washing device so that the washing liquid is filtrate obtained from the washing device itself and the amount of thus circulated washing liquid is 1.5 - 3.5 t/adt pulp, whereafter the pulp is washed with liquid introduced from outside the washing device, the amount of said liquid being such that the dilution factor in the latter wash is less than 1 t/adt and that the total amount of washing liquid used in the washing device is such that the dilution factor is more than 0 t/adt.
US08277599B2	Compounds for placing objects by self assembling and the use thereof The inventive method for placing and fixing (bonding) a first object, whose surface is functionalized by compounds of formula I Y (X), A′ (I), on the surface of a second object whose surface is functionalized by compounds of formula II Y (X)n A (II), wherein A and A′ are functional groups enabling to be bonded at least by a link in a covalent manner to an object surface X and X′ are aliphatic, linear, branched or cyclic spacers which can comprise one or several hetero or aromatic, or heteroaromatic atoms or consist of several aromatic or heteroaromatic cycles and optionally of alternating aliphatic chains having aromatic or heteroaromatic groups, n and n′=0 or 1 and Y and Y are functions for generating one or several non-covalent bonds wherein said Y or Y′ are selected such that they are complementary or can complex a metal atom or an identical metal compound.
US08277598B2	Display manufacturing method In a method for manufacturing a display including a light-transmissive substrate bonded onto a display surface of a display body, a bonding surface of the display body and a bonding surface of the light-transmissive substrate are set in a mutually opposed manner across compression-deformable clearance regulation members. The compression-deformable clearance regulation members are provided between the display body and the light-transmissive substrate. An adhesive, previously applied to one terminal edge of a bonding surface, is spread between the bonding surfaces of both the display body and the light-transmissive substrate. This is done by pressing the light-transmissive substrate against the display body starting from one terminal edge towards an other terminal edge thereof and by gradually decreasing a clearance between the bonding surfaces by serially compression-deforming the clearance regulation member from the one terminal edge towards the other terminal edge.
US08277595B2	Method and apparatus for duplication of surface coating composition A method is provided to duplicate a custom coating composition. A laminate strip is die cut to form a bi-layer transparent labels on a backing strip. Each label includes a backing of release adhesive. The transparent labels are applied to cover indicia on a container of a custom composition coating.
US08277585B1	Electric primer Improved electric primer compositions, structures, and methods that are compatible with existing munitions and in particular an exemplary electric primer composition including carbon nanotubes along with energetic primer mixture(s) and an exemplary primer structure including layers of energetic materials wherein a layer exhibiting the most energetic character is positioned proximate to a primer button. Alternative embodiments include both conductive and non-conductive layers.
US08277579B2	Amorphous alloy composition An amorphous alloy has a specific composition of FeaBbSicPxCuy. Here, the values a-c, x, and y meet such conditions that 73 at %≦a≦85 at %, 9.65 at %≦b≦22 at %, 9.65 at %≦b+c≦24.75 at %, 0.25 at %≦x≦5 at %, 0 at %≦y≦0.35 at %, and 0≦y/x≦0.5.
US08277577B2	Method for obtaining a surface of titanium-based metal implant to be inserted into bone tissue The invention relates to a method for obtaining a surface of a titanium-based metal implant intended to be inserted into bone tissue, comprising: (a) projecting particles of aluminum oxide under pressure on the external area of the implant; (b) chemically treating the sandblasted external area of the implant with an acid composition comprising sulfuric acid and hydrofluoric acid; and (c) thermally treating the sandblasted external area of the implant by heating at a temperature of 200-450° C. for 15-120 min. The invention likewise defines a metal implant having said surface. The surface thus obtained has good micrometer-scale roughness with a suitable morphology, as well as a composition which is virtually free of impurities and a thickness which is approximately three times the thickness of conventional surfaces, which characteristics provide it with very good osseointegration properties.
US08277574B2	Method for manufacturing grain-oriented electromagnetic steel sheet whose magnetic domains are controlled by laser beam irradiation There is provided a method for manufacturing a grain-oriented electromagnetic steel sheet whose iron losses are reduced by laser beam irradiation, capable of improving the iron losses in both the L-direction and the C-direction while easily ensuring high productivity. The method for manufacturing a grain-oriented electromagnetic steel sheet reduces iron losses by scanning and irradiating a grain-oriented electromagnetic steel sheet with a continuous-wave laser beam condensed into a circular or elliptical shape at constant intervals in a direction substantially perpendicular to a rolling direction of the grain-oriented electromagnetic steel sheet, wherein when an average irradiation energy density Ua is defined as Ua=P/(Vc×PL) (mJ/mm2), where P (W) is average power of the laser beam, Vc (m/s) is a beam scanning velocity, and PL (mm) is an irradiation interval in a rolling direction, PL and Ua are in the following ranges: 1.0 mm≦PL≦3.0 mm, 0.8 mJ/mm2≦Ua≦2.0 mJ/mm2.
US08277570B2	Method of preventing premature drying A method for processing a substrate includes receiving a substrate and processing the substrate using a first fluid meniscus and a second fluid meniscus. The first fluid meniscus and the second fluid meniscus are applied to a surface of the substrate such that the first fluid meniscus is spaced apart from the second fluid meniscus by a transition region. A saturated gas chemistry is applied to the surface of the substrate at the transition region. The saturated gas chemistry is configured to maintain moisture in the transition region so as to prevent drying of the surface of the substrate in the transition region, before the second fluid meniscus is applied to the surface of the substrate.
US08277567B2	Method of cleaning turbo pump and chamber/turbo pump clean process A method of cleaning a turbo pump is described. The turbo pump is coupled with a CVD chamber of depositing a material and thus accumulates the material therein. The method includes switching off the turbo pump and using another pump to pump a reactive gas, which can react with the material to form gaseous products, through the turbo pump. Thereby, the turbo pump is cleaned up and is prevented from being a particle source in subsequent CVD operations.
US08277566B2	Mat washing machine and method Mat washing device, method of using the mat washing device, and method of washing mats. The mat washing device includes a system that may be transported on a flat bed trailer from one location to another. The mat washing device includes conveying systems, brush systems, rails systems and control mechanisms. The mat washing device may be used by placing mat, on edge, on a conveying system and conveying the mat to a first brushing system and a second brushing system. In one aspect the first brushing system includes a cable brush having a bolt secured at the end of a cable in order to beat or brush material from the mat when the cable brush is spun.
US08277565B2	Method for cleaning tanks Method and apparatus for removing residues of hazardous materials from vapor in a tank (1), wherein such a vapor is heated, passed outside the tank and subsequently cooled and the remaining dry vapor is recirculated, characterized in that a) said vapor is heated to a temperature of at least 5° C. above the melting point and below the self ignition point of the hazardous material, b) the vapor mixture thus formed is passed by means of a pump (3) from the tank through a discharge unit to a recovery unit, c) is cooled to a temperature of at least 5° C. lower and above the melting point of the hazardous material in a recovery unit, d) the liquid components of the vapor are recovered and the dry gas mixture is recirculated to the tank after reheating to the desired temperature, e) said recirculation being repeated as required.
US08277564B2	Method for removing a hardened photoresist A method for removing a hardened photoresist from a semiconductor substrate. An example method for removing a hardened photoresist layer from a substrate comprising a low-κ dielectric material preserving the characteristics of the low-κdielectric material includes: a)—providing a substrate comprising a hardened photoresist layer and a low-κ dielectric material at least partially exposed; b)—forming C═C double bonds in the hardened photoresist by exposing the hardened photoresist to UV radiation having a wavelength between 200 nm and 300 nm in vacuum or in an inert atmosphere; c)—breaking the C═C double bonds formed in step b) by reacting the hardened photoresist with ozone (O3) or a mixture of ozone (O3) and oxygen (O2) thereby fragmenting the hardened photoresist; and d)—removing the fragmented photoresist obtained in step c) by wet processing with cleaning chemistries.
US08277563B2	Plasma processing method The invention provides a plasma processing method which includes (i) feeding a transferring gas which decreases a pressure difference between a processing chamber and a transfer chamber in order to prevent particles from adhering a processing sample, to be processed, passed to the processing chamber, before transferring the sample into the processing chamber; (ii) transferring the sample into the processing chamber while continuing to feed the transferring gas to the processing chamber; (iii) generating a plasma from the transferring gas in the processing chamber while continuing to feed the transferring gas to the processing chamber after the step of transferring the sample; and (iv) changing a gas supplied to the processing chamber from the transferring gas used in the step of generating the plasma to a processing gas for subjecting the processing sample, different from a cleaning sample, to plasma processing.
US08277561B2	Chemical vapor deposition apparatus There is provided a chemical vapor deposition apparatus improved in structure such that a reaction gas introduced into a reactor where deposition is performed flows at a substantially uniform rate to ensure a thin film is grown substantially uniformly on the deposition object. The chemical vapor deposition apparatus includes: a chamber; a reactor provided in the chamber to have a deposition object deposited therein; and a reservoir storing a reaction gas fed from the outside to introduce the reaction gas to the reactor, the reservoir having a cross-sectional area changing according to a flow path of the introduced reaction gas.
US08277559B2	Quartz glass crucible for pulling up silicon single crystal and method for manufacture thereof A quartz glass crucible which has a non-transparent outer layer formed through melting a natural silica powder and a transparent layer formed in the inside of the outer layer, wherein the transparent layer comprises a natural quartz layer having a thickness of 0.4 to 5.0 mm transparent layer comprising a synthetic quarts glass is formed thereon in the inside of the crucible in the range of 0.15 to 0.55 L relative to L, which is the distance from the center of the bottom of the inner surface of the quartz glass crucible to the upper end thereof along the inner surface thereof. The quartz glass crucible can be suitably used for suppressing the occurrence of vibration and reducing the generation of roughened face in the surface of a crucible, and thus for pulling up a silicon single crystal with enhanced stability.
US08277554B2	Hot-melt adhesive and method for the manufacture thereof The invention relates to a hot melt adhesive, comprising at least one polysaccharide ester gained by a reaction of a polysaccharide with an imidazolide in melted imidazole. The invention relates, further, to a process for producing the hot melt adhesive, in which imidazole is melted, and an acid chloride and/or an acid anhydride and/or a lactone is reacted in and with the melted imidazole to form an imidazolide, whereby at least one polysaccharide is added to the melted imidazole, whereby the polysaccharide is reacted with the imidazolide to form a polysaccharide ester.
US08277546B2	Hydrocarbon adsorption trap with snap closure features A hydrocarbon adsorption trap for adsorption of hydrocarbon vapors includes a sheet-like hydrocarbon vapor adsorbent member having a hydrocarbon adsorptive media disposed between two or more media retention layers. The sheet-like member is inserted into an air permeable media support body including a first support member having a first set of locking members and a second support member having a second set of cooperatively configured locking members. The locking members are cooperatively aligned and configured to releaseably lock the first and second support members into a facing relationship with the hydrocarbon vapor adsorbent media arranged and retained therebetween. Mounting features are provided for mounting the hydrocarbon adsorption trap within the intake tract.
US08277543B2	Fossil fuel fired, closed cycle MHD generator in parallel with steam turbine cycle with zero emissions and CO2 sequestration Disclosed is a gaseous fossil fuel fired, indirectly heated, Brayton closed cycle comprising an alkali metal seeded noble gases that is rendered non-equilibrium, electrically conducting in a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) electric power generator with zero emissions from the combustion products, including physical separation and sequestration of the carbon dioxide (CO2) what is emitted from the fossil fuel, with said cycle combined with a Rankine steam turbine bottoming cycle to compress the noble gas, while another optional new or existing Rankine steam cycle is placed in parallel and separate from the MHD cycle, and it is fired by the solid char remaining if the MHD cycle is fired with the devolatilized coal, and/or with solid coal culm, and/or unburned carbon in coal power plant waste ash, in order to achieve high efficiency at low capital, low operating, and low fuel costs.
US08277541B2	Apparatus and method for smoke removal A smoke removal apparatus, capable of operating in a confined space without ventilation of the apparatus to the atmosphere to provide removal of smoke from air to be treated. The apparatus includes one or more of the following filters: a mechanical filter; an electrostatic filter; and/or a chemical filter. The apparatus is arranged to collect smoke from a relatively higher position, pass smoke through the one or more filters/and expel treated air to a relatively lower position.
US08277538B2	Method of leaching copper sulfide ore Disclosed is a method of copper leaching without reducing the growth of iron-oxidizing bacterium and the iron-oxidizing capacity when leaching copper from a copper sulfide ore with the use of a sulfuric acid solution to which iron-oxidizing bacteria and silver have been added. Also disclosed is a method of leaching copper from a copper sulfide ore, including adding a naturally occurring nitrogen-containing organic component to a leaching solution upon copper leaching from a copper sulfide ore with the use of, as the leaching solution, a sulfuric acid solution to which iron-oxidizing bacteria and silver have been added is provided.
US08277533B2	Powder metallurgy composition A most preferred composition for the mixture, prior to sintering into an article (ideally a valve seat insert), is as follows: 35% hard phase, 65% matrix (excepting incidental impurities), the hard phase component being 2.2% C, 29.1% Cr, 4.9% Co, 5.3% Ni, 20.2% W with the balance being Fe and allowing less than 2% for one or more machinability aids and solid lubricants, and the matrix component being one of a high chrome steel powder (e.g. 18% Cr, 1% Ni, 2.5% Mo, balance Fe), a low alloy steel powder (3% Cu, 1% C, balance Fe; 3% Cr, 0.5% Mo, 1% C, balance Fe; 4% Ni, 1.5% Cu, 0.5% Mo, 1% C, balance Fe; 4% Ni, 2% Cu, 1.4% Mo, 1% C, balance Fe), or a tool steel powder (5% Mo, 6% W, 4% Cr, 2% V, 1% C, balance Fe), or a low-alloy steel powder as above but which issued in conjunction with a copper infiltration process during sintering.
US08277530B2	Grease removal apparatus, systems and methods A filter assembly includes a filter pad comprising fibers including natural, synthetic and/or hybrid fibers. A stabilizer frame formed of a non-metallic material may be imbedded in the filter pad. The stabilizer frame may be configured to provide support to the filter pad to maintain the filter pad in a generally flat configuration. In accordance with a particular embodiment, the filter pad may be comprised of at least first and second fibrous mats that are coupled together. In this embodiment, the stabilizer frame may be disposed between and coupled with the first and second fibrous mats.
US08277527B2	Air filter unit An air filter unit (1) for a carburetor (2) of a portable handheld work apparatus includes a filter element (3) and at least one clean air channel (10, 11) arranged between the filter element (3) and the carburetor (2). At least one condensation rib (29, 30, 31, 32) is arranged in the clean air channel (10, 11) running in flow direction.
US08277524B2	Reformer start-up strategy for use in a solid oxide fuel cell control system A method for determining an optimal combustion interval during start-up of a hydrocarbon catalytic reformer under various conditions of temperature, fuel type, and combustion fuel flow rate. An initial catalyst temperature is measured and an algorithm is used to calculate a rate of heating of the catalyst by combustion based upon heat content of the fuel, selected fuel flow rate, and heat capacity and mass of the catalyst and reformer passages. From the initial temperature and the heating gradient, an optimal combustion interval is inferred through the algorithm and used to terminate combustion, initiate a combustion quench interval, and change over the fuel flow rate and mixture from combustion to reforming.
US08277518B1	Ecological fabric having ultraviolet radiation protection An ecological fabric having protection from ultraviolet radiation incorporated therein is disclosed in which the fabric is treated by a method comprising the steps of dissolving zinc acetate or other zinc salt in a liquid to form a solution containing Zn(II) ions, adding a fabric to the solution, mixing the solution and the fabric, and adding a base to the solution when the solution and the fabric are being mixed to form a suspension of zinc oxide nanoparticles in contact with the fabric. Other methods are disclosed such as modifying a fabric by carboxylation or phosphorylation of the fabric followed by binding of the UV-blocking nanoparticles to the modified fabric and modifying UV-blocking nanoparticles with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) or polymer layer containing an active chemical group capable of binding to the fabric and depositing the UV-blocking nanoparticles on the fabric.
US08277516B2	Lightening agent having cationic acylpyridinium derivatives and certain ammonium compounds Agent for lightening keratinous fibers comprising in a cosmetic carrier (i) at least one oxidation agent, (ii) at least one acylpyridinium derivative of Formula (I) and (iii) at least one ammonium compound comprising hydroxyl groups of Formula (II).
US08277512B2	Extended articular surface resurfacing head A modular humeral head resurfacing implant including a head, an anchoring stem, and a modular extended articulation flange. The head includes an exterior hemispherical articulating surface defining a terminating rim, an interior concave surface opposite to the exterior articulating surface, and a first coupling mechanism proximate to the terminating rim. The anchoring stem is coupled to the interior concave surface and extends along a stem axis that extends through an axial center of the head. The articulation flange includes a second coupling mechanism configured to cooperate with the first coupling mechanism to fasten the articulation flange to the head and an outer articulating surface that is curved along substantially its entire length and is substantially flush with the exterior hemispherical articulating surface when the articulation flange is fastened to the head.
US08277507B2	Spacerless artificial disc replacements Spacerless artificial disc replacements (ADR) are disclosed. One preferred embodiment includes two saddle-shaped components to facilitate more normal spinal flexion, extension, and lateral bending while limit axial rotation, thereby protecting the facet joints and the annulus fibrosus (AF). Either or both of the superior and inferior components are made of a hard material such as chrome cobalt, titanium, or a ceramic including alumina, zirconia, or calcium phosphate. The articulating surfaces of the ADR are also preferably highly polished to reduce friction between the components. Metals, alloys or other materials with shape-memory characteristics may also prove beneficial.
US08277506B2	Method and structure for stabilizing a vertebral body An apparatus for stabilizing a vertebral body using a structural support to stabilize the vertebral body. The apparatus includes a first curable material deposit proximal to a first endplate of a vertebral body for providing support to the first endplate of the vertebral body and a second curable material deposit proximal to a second endplate of a vertebral body for providing support to a second endplate of the vertebral body. The apparatus also utilizes a stabilizing structure between the first curable material deposit and the second curable material deposit and connecting the first curable material deposit and the second curable material deposit for providing support to the vertebral body.
US08277504B2	Stent for irrigation and delivery of medication A stent comprises a flexible tube having a proximal end, a distal end, and a passageway extending from said proximal end toward said distal end. A first generally straight tube segment extends from the proximal end while a first generally curved segment extends from an end region of the first generally straight tube segment disposed away from the proximal end of the stent. A second generally straight tube segment extends from an end region of the first curved segment away from the first generally straight tube segment and is arranged at an acute angle relative to the first generally straight tube segment. A second generally curved tube segment extends from one end of the second generally straight tube segment and includes a channel on an exterior surface of the second generally curved tube segment. The first generally curved tube segment and the second generally straight tube segment further include at least one cavity irrigation hole extending from the tube passageway, for providing irrigation fluids into the cavity into which the stent is inserted. At least one segments includes a channel on an exterior surface. The channel is sized to serve as a reservoir to contain a predetermined amount of at least one form of medication for delivery, over a period of time, of the medication to a cavity region proximate which the stent has been inserted.
US08277500B2	Slide-and-lock stent The invention relates to an expandable stent comprising circumferentially adjacent modules. The modules comprise longitudinally adjacent slide-and-lock radial elements which permit one-way sliding of the radial elements from a collapsed diameter to an expanded/deployed diameter, but inhibit radial recoil from the expanded diameter.
US08277489B2	Transconnector The present invention is directed to a transconnector for joining adjacent longitudinal spinal rods. The transconnector preferably includes a bridge member and a pair of bone fixation coupling elements, the bridge member is preferably sized and configured to span a distance between the pair of bone fixation coupling elements. The bone fixation coupling elements are preferably sized and configured to engage the bridge member and sized and configured to receive one of the bone fixation elements. The bone fixation coupling elements are preferably sized and configured to engage the body portion of the bone fixation element. The bone fixation coupling elements may include a locking cap having a first set of threads for threadably engaging the bone fixation element.
US08277486B2	System for performing a procedure at a spinal location A method of fixing vertebrae of a patient together at a surgical site includes the following steps: inserting a first cannula (10) into the body (130) of the patient; moving a first fastener (624) through the cannula (10) and securing the first fastener (624) to a first vertebrae (601); moving a second fastener (624) through the cannula (10) and securing the second fastener (624) to a second vertebrae (602); moving a first fixation element (650) through the cannula (10); and fixing the first fixation element (650) to the first and second fasteners (624).
US08277485B2	Pedicle screw system The present invention provides a pedicle screw system, which may include a bone fixation element having an elongate body. The elongate body may include a threaded segment having one or more spiral-oriented grooves, a neck segment adjacent to the threaded segment, and a head segment which is able to receive and/or couple to an orthopedic instrument or implant. The pedicle screw system may further include an anchoring element movably positionable about the bone fixation element. The anchoring element may include one or more elongate teeth which may be slidably positionable into a desired tissue region.
US08277474B2	Surgical cutting instrument A surgical cutting instrument including a first elongated member, a second tubular member, a handpiece, a first hub, a second hub, and an actuator assembly. The first tubular member has cutting tip and is co-axially disposed within the second tubular member such that the cutting tip is exposed at a cutting window. The first hub is mounted to the first tubular member and is moveably coupled to the handpiece. The second hub is mounted to the second tubular member and defines a hub axis. The actuator assembly rotatably couples the second hub to the handpiece and includes an actuator. Movement of the actuator is translated to rotational movement of the second hub so as to effectuate spatial rotation of the cutting window. In this regard, the actuator movement is not co-axial with the hub axis.
US08277473B2	Manipulator system and control apparatus A manipulator has an operation command unit and an exchangeable working unit. The working unit comprises an end effector operable under actions of a control apparatus, and an ID retaining section holding an ID for individualized discrimination of the working unit. The control apparatus includes an ID identification section for identifying the ID and for determining whether the working unit is connected to the operation command unit, an origin point recognition section for recognizing whether the end effector is in a prescribed origin point position or in a non-origin point position, and a warning section which generates a detachment warning when it is determined that the end effector has been detached from the operation command unit, in the event it is determined that the end effector is in a non-origin point position.
US08277471B2	Medical ultrasound system and handpiece and methods for making and tuning Several embodiments of medical ultrasound handpieces are described each including a medical ultrasound transducer assembly. An embodiment of a medical ultrasound system is described, wherein the medical ultrasound system includes a medical ultrasound handpiece having a medical ultrasound transducer assembly and includes an ultrasonically-vibratable medical-treatment instrument which is attachable to a distal end of the transducer assembly. An embodiment of a medical ultrasound system is described, wherein the medical ultrasound system has a handpiece including a medical ultrasound transducer assembly and including a housing or housing component surrounding the transducer assembly. A method for tuning a medical ultrasound handpiece includes machining at least a distal non-threaded portion of an instrument-attachment stud of the transducer assembly to match a measured fundamental frequency to a desired fundamental frequency to within a predetermined limit. A method for making a medical ultrasound transducer assembly determines acceptable gains for gain stages of the transducer assembly.
US08277469B2	Multi-stiffness guidewire The invention relates to an active oscillating guidewire (26) with varying stiffness to enable a safe crossing through an occluded vessel. The distal working zone (28) is made up of several distal segments (32, 34, 36, 38). A miniature engine is embedded in a segment (34).
US08277461B2	Methods for determining pedicle base circumference, pedicle isthmus and center of the pedicle isthmus for pedicle screw or instrument placement in spinal surgery A method of determining the pedicle base circumference and the pedicle isthmus to facilitate screw placement in a pedicle of a vertebral body during spinal surgery, comprising providing a series of first lines tangential to the outer cortical surface of the vertebral body in and near the pedicle on a transverse section from a three-dimensional image of the vertebral body, providing a series of second lines extending through the vertebral body in and near the pedicle thereof in perpendicular relation to the series of first lines, identifying the pedicle base circumference as the areas of the outer cortical surface where adjacent second lines are at the greatest angle with respect to one another, and identifying the pedicle isthmus as the areas of the outer cortical surface where the second lines that are opposed to each other are closest to being parallel to one another.
US08277460B2	Impactor An impactor for positioning and holding a surgical or veterinary prosthetic implant while it is being driven into position, said impactor including: (a) an impaction means; (b) an impaction shoe which is configured to receive and support a prosthetic implant in a predetermined position; (c) connection means which connect the impaction means to the impaction shoe and are configured to transmit an impact from the impaction means to the impaction shoe; (d) arms configured to engage an implant supported upon the impaction shoe; (e) said arms being biased into engagement with said implant, but movable against the bias out of engagement with the implant; (f) said connection means being adjustable between a first setting at which the impaction shoe is spring-loaded so as to bias an implant supported upon the impaction shoe into engagement with said arms but at which the impaction shoe can slide relative to said arms, against said spring bias; and a second setting at which both the impaction shoe and the arms are rigidly engaged with an implant supported upon the impaction shoe, to hold the implant in a predetermined position and orientation relative to the impaction means.
US08277458B2	Apparatus and method for arthroscopic transhumeral rotator cuff repair Apparatuses and methods are provided for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair incorporating a transhumeral bone tunnel. The apparatus comprises a number of components that can also be considered a repair system to include a drill guide, a marking hook, and a drill with a removable tip that serves as a bone anchor. In another aspect, the invention provides a suture especially adapted for securing both soft tissue and bone anchors that reduces forces transmitted to the anchors by secondary anchoring of the suture within the bone tunnel based on the geometry of the anchor. In additional aspects of the invention, the components of the drill guide assembly comprise a cannulated marking hook and a drill guide with multiple bores. In additional aspects of the invention, an implantable bone anchor is provided that is especially adapted for placement through a bone tunnel, and wherein the implantable anchor is collapsible to increase the effective size of the anchor for securing the anchor to the far side opening of the bone tunnel through which the anchor was placed. Methods of the invention include a method of arthroscopic repair of a rotator cuff, and methods of activating an implantable anchor.
US08277457B1	Orthopaedic inserter using a collet mechanism An orthopedic prosthetic inserter used for the implantation of an acetabular prosthetic cup implant. The inserter consists of a drive train, a C-shaped housing, and a collet mechanism used to attach a prosthetic cup implant. When activated by the drive train, the collet mechanism expands to draw the prosthesis towards the collet mechanism and create a substantially friction tight engagement therebetween.
US08277453B2	Instruments and systems for vertebral column manipulation Vertebral column manipulation systems include spinal derotation instrumentation to affect one or more derotation maneuvers on a scoliotic spine or on a spine having one or more displaced, misaligned or curved vertebral levels. Derotation instrumentation is attached to at least one vertebral body, with the instrumentation including at least two elongated extensions mounted to and extending proximally from the at least one vertebral body. A linking assembly extends between and links proximal ends of the extensions to one another. The linking assembly includes first and second mounting assemblies movably engaged to an elongate link member extending transversely to the extensions. Each of the mounting assemblies includes a movable joint for receiving the proximal end of a respective one of the extensions and a cam assembly for securing the mounting assembly in position relative to the link member and to fix the joint around the extension.
US08277450B2	Locking instrument assembly A locking instrument assembly for use in conjunction with an intramedullary device is disclosed. The locking instrument assembly includes an inner collet, an outer body, and a knob. The inner collet has a collar and a fastener member. The knob engages the fastener member to press the outer body against the collar. As the knob mates with the fastener member, the collar applies a clamping force to the intramedullary device.
US08277442B2	Disposable tip apparatus for laser surgical device A multi-component sterile, disposable tip apparatus for laser surgical devices is provided and features assembly for alignment of a self-contained optical fiber to the surgical device and releasably locking assembly between the tip and device.
US08277439B2	Coronary sinus lead delivery catheter A method of cannulating the coronary sinus or accessing a side branch of the coronary sinus of a patient's heart using a guide catheter. The guide catheter has a proximal portion and a distal portion formed into a preformed shape configured such that the distal portion of the shaft is supported on a wall of the superior vena cava during insertion of the distal portion into the coronary sinus. The preformed shape includes a first arc, a second arc, a third arc, a fourth arc, and a generally straight terminal portion. The preformed shape is generally a J-shape, having a terminal portion generally parallel to the proximal portion, a generally closed arc or a generally open arc.
US08277437B2	Method of accessing two lateral recesses Device and method are provided for diagnosing and treating diseases and injuries to the spine by injecting drugs into the diseased or injured area. The device and method of the subject invention provide improvements to patient and operator safety, along with ease-of-use and convenience improvements over conventional techniques.
US08277435B2	Infusion pump system Some embodiments of a portable infusion pump system can be configured to can be configured to adjust the sensitivity of particular detectors or alert systems based (at least in part) on information received from a monitoring device. For example, a glucose monitoring device can communication with an infusion pump assembly used to supply insulin or another medication to a user. In such circumstances, the data received from the monitoring device can be used to adjust the sensitivity of an occlusion detection system.
US08277434B2	Dosing device for an infusion system and method thereof A dosing device for an infusion system comprises a dosing unit having a variable volume and at least one opening in fluid connection with the variable volume, through which opening the variable volume can be filled with a substance or the substance can be dispensed from the variable volume. The dosing device is operable in a first state for filling the substance from a supply conduit, in a second state for preventing filling and dispensing, or in a third state for dispensing through a dispensing conduit. No direct fluid connection exists between the supply conduit and the dispensing conduit at any time. Methods for dosing a substance with the dosing device.
US08277427B2	Faecal management device A fecal management device suitable for attachment directly to the perianal skin between the buttocks of the wearer. The device utilizes an optimised adhesive wafer in order to securely attach the device to the skin of the wearer so that the device is maintained in position for the entire period of wear, including circumstances or periods of wear during which the wearer is active, i.e. not bedridden. In addition the fecal management device of the present invention has the ability for easy application of the device.
US08277422B2	Multi-chambered retractable safety syringe A retractable safety syringe may have a needle, needle holder, syringe body, and a plunger assembly. A proximal portion of the body and a piston of the plunger may define a vacuum chamber. The plunger assembly may comprise a distal piston and a proximal piston, with an intermediate chamber disposed between the two plungers. A vent through the syringe body pneumatically connects ambient air and the intermediate chamber allowing air to escape out of the intermediate chamber when a plunger assembly traversed toward the engaged position and allow air to be introduced into the intermediate chamber. A retraction force may be created by the vacuum chamber by traversing the plunger assembly to the engaged position. At the engaged position, the distal piston may engage the needle holder and the retraction force may retract the needle holder and needle into the syringe body to prevent accidental needle pricking and needle reuse.
US08277403B2	Support assembly for an orthopedic brace having a length-adjusting mechanism An adjustable support assembly for an orthopedic brace has a support arm, a housing and a locking mechanism. The housing includes a travel track which slidably receives the support arm. The locking mechanism includes a lock lever which selectively applies a sufficient force to the support arm to prevent slidable displacement of the support arm in the travel track.
US08277401B2	Closure system for braces, protective wear and similar articles A closure system for braces, protective wear and similar articles is disclosed. The closure system includes a plurality of opposing lace guide members and a tightening mechanism. The closure system further includes a lace extending through the guide members and coupled to the tightening mechanism. In some embodiments, a quick release apparatus is included to facilitate opening of the closure system. The tightening mechanism in some embodiments includes a control for winding the lace into a housing to place tension on the lace thereby tightening the closure system.
US08277400B2	Self administered chest physiotherapy system A chest physiotherapy device which allows self administered chest physiotherapy to assist in transfer of airway passage secretions.
US08277392B2	Biopsy collection device A method and device for removing tissue from a patient during a biopsy procedure utilizing a biopsy collection device are provided. The biopsy collection device includes a body portion configured for attachment to an endoscope and a receptacle portion configured to retain a portion of tissue removed from a target site during the biopsy procedure. The biopsy collection device further includes a passageway configured to receive a biopsy sampling device, such as a pair of forceps, passing through the endoscope to the target site.
US08277386B2	Combination sensor guidewire and methods of use The present invention provides for an improved combination sensor tip that includes an ultrasound transducer and a pressure sensor both disposed at or in close proximity to the distal end of the combination sensor tip. The present invention also provides for an improved connector to couple a guide wire to a physiology monitor that reduces torsional resistance when maneuvering the guide wire.
US08277385B2	Method and apparatus for non-invasive assessment of hemodynamic and functional state of the brain A method and apparatus for assessment of hemodynamic and functional state of the brain is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method and apparatus includes non-invasive measurement of intracranial pressure, assessment of the brain's electrical activity, and measurement of cerebral blood flow. In some embodiments, the method and apparatus include measuring the volume change in the intracranial vessels with a near-infrared spectroscopy or other optical method, measuring the volume change in the intracranial vessels with rheoencephalography or other electrical method, and measuring the brain's electrical activity using electroencephalography.
US08277383B2	Method and apparatus to produce ultrasonic images using multiple apertures A combination of an ultrasonic scanner and an omnidirectional receive transducer for producing a two-dimensional image from the echoes received by the single omnidirectional transducer is described. Two-dimensional images with different noise components can be constructed from the echoes received by additional transducers. These can be combined to produce images with better signal to noise ratios and lateral resolution. Also disclosed is a method based on information content to compensate for the different delays for different paths through intervening tissue is described. Specular reflections are attenuated by using even a single omnidirectional receiver displaced from the insonifying probe. The disclosed techniques have broad application in medical imaging but are ideally suited to multi-aperture cardiac imaging using two or more intercostal spaces. Since lateral resolution is determined primarily by the aperture defined by the end elements, it is not necessary to fill the entire aperture with equally spaced elements. In fact, gaps can be left to accommodate spanning a patient's ribs, or simply to reduce the cost of the large aperture array. Multiple slices using these methods can be combined to form three-dimensional images.
US08277382B2	Automated pressing device and ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus using the device An automated pressing device (3) for an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus according to the present invention is constituted by being provided with a probe holding member (21) including an attaching portion (31) to which a probe (2) is detachably attached and a griping portion (32) to which the attaching portion is slidably attached together with the probe attached thereto so as to permit advancing and retreating of an ultrasonic transmission and reception plane (27) of the probe, a motive power transmission wire (23) including a flexible cylindrical body (41) of which one end is secured to the griping portion in the probe holding member and an inner wire (42) that is inserted in the cylindrical body and of which one end is coupled to the attaching portion and a pressing motive power means (24) to which the other end of the cylindrical body in the motive power transmission wire is secured and that couples with the other end of the inner wire to advance and retreat the same. Thereby, a user friendly automated pressing device is realized that permits to eliminate influences of electromagnetic noises as well as permits to apply a stable pressing to a body surface of a subject via such as a motor and a spring.
US08277380B2	Piezoelectric and CMUT layered ultrasound transducer array A CMUT or other semiconductor-based transducer is stacked with a piezoelectric transducer (PZT). The CMUT is sufficiently thin to avoid or limit interference with sound propagation through the CMUT from or to the PZT or crosstalk between transmitter elements. The PZT/CMUT layered structure is used as a matrix array, such as an array with a multi-dimensional arrangement of elements. The CMUT array is formed and thinned using semiconductor processing. The PZT transmits acoustic energy through the thin CMUT. The CMUT receives responsive echoes. Using integrated electronics in the thin wafer of the CMUT limits interconnection problems for the matrix receive array.
US08277377B2	Method and apparatus for monitoring exercise with wireless internet connectivity A method and apparatus are provided for wireless monitoring of exercise, fitness, or nutrition by connecting a web-enabled wireless phone to a device which provides exercise-related information, including physiological data and data indicating an amount of exercise performed. The connection may be by way of a wireless connection using protocols such as Bluetooth® or 802.11, or by way of a wired connection. An optional adaptor may be included if necessary. An application for receiving the exercise-related information and providing a user interface may be downloaded to the web-enabled wireless phone from an internet server. The exercise-related information may be transmitted to an internet server, and the server may calculate and return a response.
US08277373B2	Methods and apparaus for off-axis visualization Methods and apparatus for off-axis visualization are described herein. An endoluminal tissue manipulation assembly is disclosed which provides for a stable endoluminal platform and which also provides for effective triangulation of tools. Such an apparatus may comprise an optionally shape-lockable elongate body defining a longitudinal axis and adapted for endoluminal advancement in a patient body, at least one articulatable visualization lumen disposed near or at a distal region of the elongate body, the at least one articulating visualization lumen being adapted to articulate off-axis relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongate body, and at least one articulatable tool arm member disposed near or at the distal region of the elongate body, the at least one articulatable tool arm member being adapted to articulate off-axis and manipulate a tissue region of interest.
US08277372B2	Cardiac support device with differential compliance A cardiac support device comprising a jacket of flexible and biocompatible material having a first axis for alignment generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of a patient's heart and a second axis that is transverse to the first axis. The material exhibits an amount of expansion in response to a force applied to the material along the first axis that is different than an amount of expansion in response to the force applied to the material along the second axis.
US08277370B2	Radiation catheter with multilayered balloon The disclosure is directed to catheter devices and methods for controlled application of irradiation to tissue adjacent a body site, such as cavity after removal of tissue, e.g. cancer. The catheter device includes an inflatable balloon having at least two layers. The inflatable balloon has an expansion of more than 25% and less than 200% when inflated from the un-inflated condition to a turgid condition, preferably more than 50% and less than 150%. In the turgid condition the polymeric material(s) of the balloon layers are at or near the elastic limit of the balloon layer material. The balloon may contain or be formed of or be coated with radiopaque material to facilitate positional or symmetry verification.
US08277368B2	Folding machine and knife holder for a knife shaft of a folding machine A folding machine for folding sheets of paper, board and the like, includes at least one knife-shaft unit for cutting, perforating, scoring or crimping the sheets. The knife-shaft unit has at least one pair of driven knife shafts. Knife-retaining units for retaining knives are fitted in a rotationally fixed manner on the knife shafts. The knife-retaining units have a split construction and are formed by a plurality of partial shells. A knife holder for a knife shaft of a folding machine, is also provided.
US08277366B2	Collapsible step exercising machine A portable stair-stepping exercise machine having independent movable stepping pedals for each foot along with an independent pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder is herein disclosed. A support arm and bracket either collapses or comes apart for storage and transportation. The machine is generally of a smaller size and profile than its conventional counterparts and as such, its size and weight make it ideal to be transported while traveling, or for use in an area with restricted space in which the machine must be stored away after use.
US08277365B2	Vehicular braking apparatus A vehicular braking apparatus includes an electric motor that generates a wheel driving force or a regenerative wheel braking force and also includes a mechanical wheel braking force generating device, an external braking force generating device, and a braking control device. The mechanical wheel braking force generating device includes a working fluid pressure adjusting unit that generates a mechanical wheel braking force by transmitting the pressure of a working fluid. The external braking force generating device applies an external braking force other than a regenerative vehicle braking force generated by the electric motor and a mechanical vehicle braking force generated by the mechanical wheel braking force generating device, to a vehicle. The braking control device compensates a braking force by an external braking force in order to satisfy a requested vehicle braking force by a driver when the conversion efficiency of the electric motor to electrical energy is decreased.
US08277360B2	Control apparatus for vehicular power transmitting system A control apparatus for a vehicular power transmitting system including (a) an electrically controlled differential portion which has a differential mechanism and an electric motor operatively connected to a rotary element of the differential mechanism and which is operable to control a differential state between a rotating speed of its input shaft connected to an engine and a rotating speed of its output shaft by controlling an operating state of the electric motor, and (b) a transmission portion which constitutes a part of a power transmitting path and which functions as an automatic transmission portion, the control apparatus including a shifting control portion configured to set a shifting point of the transmission portion, on the basis of a delay of a response of a change of an operating speed of the engine to a change of a required vehicle drive force to be transmitted through the vehicular power transmitting system.
US08277359B2	Automatic transmission and adjusting method of gap in axial direction of automatic transmission An automatic transmission comprises a transmission mechanism including plural planetary gear sets, a transmission case storing the transmission mechanism, and an end cover closing an opening at one end of the transmission case. A planetary gear set disposed the closest to the end cover is assembled in such a manner that before the end cover is attached to the transmission case, a sun gear is assembled to the transmission case and a pinion carrier is assembled to the end cover. A thrust washer is disposed between an end face of the sun gear and an end face of an inner peripheral portion of the pinion carrier. The thrust washer is a member for adjusting a gap which is formed in an axial direction in the transmission case, and the member is selected from plural ones which have different axial thicknesses from each other.
US08277356B2	Multi-speed transmission A transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices may include clutches and brakes.
US08277355B2	Multi-speed transmission having stacked planetary gear sets A transmission is has an input member, an output member, two stacked planetary gear sets, a third planetary gear set, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. The stacked planetary gear sets have a first, second, third, fourth and fifth member and the third planetary gear set has a first, second and third member. The torque transmitting devices include clutches and brakes.
US08277352B2	Power split transmission with energy recovery Power split drive (PSD) transmissions capable of energy recovery and suitable for use in automotive applications. Each PSD transmission includes a mechanical transmission system for mechanically transmitting mechanical power between a rotatable input shaft and a rotatable output shaft, and a hydraulic transmission system containing a fluid for hydraulically transmitting hydraulic power between the input shaft and the output shaft, and at least a third shaft operatively interconnected to one of the mechanical and hydraulic transmission systems. The hydraulic transmission system is operatively coupled by at least a first planetary gear train to the mechanical transmission system. According to the invention, the PSD further comprises means operatively associated with at least one of the mechanical and hydraulic transmission systems for storing and releasing energy within the PSD transmission, the energy storing and releasing means comprising a flywheel or an accumulator or a combination thereof.
US08277345B2	Stepless transmitting and speed varying structure A stepless transmitting and speed-varying structure contains a power mechanism to drive a first transmission shaft by using power. The first transmission shaft is connected with a set of disk members including fixed and movable discs. A transmitting mechanism includes a belt disposed on the disk members, with one end of the belt connected with an intermediate speed-varying stem coaxial with a transmitting member to actuate a second transmission shaft. The second transmission shaft includes a resilient member, with one end of the resilient member coupled with the intermediate speed-varying stem and with another end thereof connected with a fixed member. A speed varying mechanism includes the second transmission shaft connected with a variable speed member, an actuated member, and plural eccentric blocks. The variable speed member couples with a connecting rod, with one end of the connecting rod joined with the movable disc.
US08277344B2	Lighted gaming bag A gaming bag including at least one outer wall defining a cavity, at least one light emitting source positioned adjacent the at least one outer wall, a filling material disposed within the cavity, and wherein the at least one light emitting source provides illumination. A method of lighting a gaming bag comprising the steps of providing a gaming bag comprising at least one outer wall defining a cavity, at least one light emitting source positioned adjacent the at least one wall, a shock sensor within the cavity, a filling material within the cavity, and wherein the at least one light emitting source provides illumination, tossing the gaming bag, measuring a force with the shock sensor upon impact with a surface, activating the light emitting source when the force is greater than the predetermined threshold, and deactivating the light emitting source after a predetermined amount of time.
US08277340B1	Basketball training device A basketball training device that mimics an opposing player during practice. The training device has a weighted base set on caster wheels. A vertical support extends upwardly from the base. A slide structure moves up and down on the vertical support between a high position and a low position. A blocking form is coupled to the slide structure. The blocking form moves with the slide structure. Consequently, the blocking form can move up and down. An elongated control rod attaches to the wheeled base. The control rod is used by a coach to push and pull the training device along the basketball court during play. In this manner, a coach can adjust the position of the blocking form to better mimic the movements of a real opposing player.
US08277339B2	Ball rolling device Described herein is a rolling ball device comprising a pair of ball support structures secured together and spaced apart so as to support a golf ball there between, each of the ball support structures having a first portion having a first end and a second end and having a first surface with a clothoid shape and having a second portion having a first end coupled to a second end of the first portion and a second end, the second portion having a first surface having an arc shape and having a third portion having a first end coupled to the second end of said second portion and having a second end, the third portion having a first surface having an inverted clothoid shape.
US08277332B2	Golf ball pick-up device A golf ball pick-up device includes a body, which has a shape that allows the body to form a frame with a head of the golf club. The body has an end forming a clamping section that defines an internal receiving space. The clamping section also forms a sideway opening in communication with the receiving space. The clamping section uses the opening to lead a shaft of the golf club into the receiving space, so as to allow the clamping section to fit over and thus retain on the shaft of the golf club. A user may then use the frame formed by the body and the head of the golf club to pick up a golf ball, especially a ball that falls in a sand trap or a water hazard where hands may not reach to pick up the ball.
US08277329B2	Homokinetic plunging ball joint with low plunging forces A homokinetic rotary ball joint in the form of a plunging joint is described. The joint comprises a joint outer part 3 with outer first ball tracks 4 and with outer second ball tracks 5, the outer second ball tracks 5 intersecting a joint mid-axis A when the joint is aligned; a joint inner part 6 with inner first ball tracks 7 and with inner second ball tracks 8, the inner second ball tracks 8 intersecting the joint mid-axis A when the joint is aligned; first balls 9 which are held in first pairs of tracks including, in each case, an outer first ball track 4 and of an inner first ball track 7; second balls 10 which are held in second pairs of tracks including, in each case, an outer second ball track 5 and of an inner second ball track 8, in each case the outer and the inner ball track 5, 8 of the second pairs of tracks intersecting one another; a ball cage 12 which has, distributed circumferentially, cage windows 13, 14 in which the first and the second balls 9, 10 are held in a common plane; a second radial play formed between the second balls 10 and the second ball tracks 5, 8 is greater than a first radial play formed between the first balls 9 and the first ball tracks 4, 7.
US08277323B2	Remote tracking and reporting of software state A system and method for tracking data in a gaming environment using a beacon is provided and includes identifying an occurrence of a triggering event in a gaming environment, generating at least one key-value pair in response to the triggering event in the gaming environment, generating beacon data responsive to the at least one key-value pair and processing the beacon data to generate a key-value table data.
US08277320B1	Facilitating a game that operates within a social-networking application One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for facilitating a game that operates within a social-networking application. During operation, the system receives a request from a user to participate in a game that is running within the social-networking application, wherein the request is received at the game. Next, in response to the request, the system adds the user to the game. The system then receives a notification at the game that the user has performed an action within the social network. Next, in response to the notification, the system determines a point value assigned to the action. Finally, the system increments a score associated with the user by the point value.
US08277316B2	Method and apparatus for using a common pointing input to control 3D viewpoint and object targeting A computer graphics display system such as a video game system provides virtual camera 3-D viewpoint panning control based on a pointer. When the pointer is displayed within a virtual camera panning control region, the system automatically pans the virtual camera toward the pointer. When the pointer is displayed within a different region, panning is deactivated and the user can freely move the cursor (e.g., to control the direction a weapon is pointed) without panning the virtual camera viewpoint. Flexible viewpoint control and other animated features are provided based on a pointing device such as a handheld video game optical pointing control. Useful applications include but are not limited to first person shooter type video games.
US08277312B2	Role-playing slot game A game that includes both a slot-type game portion and a role-playing-type game portion. The game may include a plurality of characters with various abilities that may have modifiable values. The slot game may allow the player to play multiple lines and may include a multiplier that augments the value of any prize on any winning line. In addition, the slot game may include ability-related symbols on its reels, whereby an ability value for a selected character may be increased if the ability-related symbol appears on the reels after a spin. The role-playing type game may include features or subgames related to the abilities, where the features allow the character to compete to increase the ability values and to win additional prizes or compensation. Successfully completing a feature may be a random event, like the spin's of the slot game, or, alternatively, success may depend on the player's skill or ability.
US08277309B2	Method and apparatus for employing flat rate play Systems and methods are provided allowing a player to play a gaming device and receive a predetermined number of outcomes in exchange for a payment. The gaming device generates at least the predetermined number of outcomes, and adjusts a balance of the player device based on the outcomes. The player can continue playing regardless of whether the balance is less than zero.
US08277307B2	Gaming device having expanding and rolling wild symbols The gaming device and method disclosed herein have a plurality of reels and at least one expanding and roaming wild symbol. The wild symbol moves relative to the reels to provide additional award opportunities. When both the wild symbol and a designated trigger symbol appear on one of the reels, the wild symbol expands to form an expanded wild symbol set that includes a plurality of individual wild symbols. The designated trigger symbol determines the number of moves. For each move, the expanded wild symbol set moves to one of the reels. That is, the expanded wild symbol set enables a plurality of individual wild symbols to randomly move from reel to reel for a number of moves, wherein the number is determined based on the designated trigger symbol. After each move, the gaming device performs an award evaluation to determine whether a winning combination is displayed on the reels.
US08277306B2	Gaming machine A gaming machine of the present invention allows an insurance function to be set in a game, based upon an operation of a player. Among games in which plural types of symbols are rearranged on a display device every game execution in which the insurance function is effective, an accumulative value stored in a memory is updated so as to increase. As a result of repeating the game in which the insurance function is effective, where the accumulative value has reached a predetermined value for activating the insurance function, it is judged whether a payout of a preset value for insurance and an execution of a special game has been selected, according to an operation of a selection input section by a player. Either of the payout of the preset value for the insurance and the execution of the special game is performed, based upon a result of the judgment.
US08277299B2	Casino slot wagering system A new concept for designing casino slot games The game links together more than one game through their bets and their outcomes. All the bets and outcomes form a multidimensional matrix. A computer calculates the probabilities of all bets and outcomes during the betting rounds in real time. As a result of the so chained slot games the player makes decisions in multiple betting rounds in insufficient information about the game outcomes. At any time during the game play the player can evaluate the game outcomes as presented to him by the computer and raise his bet, proceed to the next betting round without changing the bet, or simply finish the game with no penalty.
US08277297B2	Gaming system A gaming system for use with a media player and one or more output devices, where the media player is configured to receive user signals, to read and execute information from a game medium, and to present portions of the information on the one or more output devices. The gaming system includes a remote unit operable by one or more users, including a controller, and a transmitter coupled to the controller. The remote unit also includes a plurality of buttons coupled to the controller, including a first button, and a second button. The controller is configured to cause the transmitter to transmit a first user signal upon actuation of the first button, and a second user signal upon actuation of the second button. The gaming system also includes a game medium having information readable by the media player that, when executed, causes the media player to produce a game having a plurality of scenes. Each scene causes the media player to present information on at least one of the one or more output devices, and to selectively respond to the reception of user signals transmitted by the remote unit's transmitter. A first scene causes the media player to respond to the reception of the first user signal by producing a second scene that causes the media player to disregard the reception of the second user signal.
US08277288B2	Particle blast cleaning apparatus with pressurized container A particle blast cleaning apparatus incorporates a pressurized container which is pressurized by the transport gas upon start up through a feeder which does not comprise an airlock. The feeder introduces the blast media into the transport stream. At start up, the transport gas pressurizes the container, flowing upwardly through the feeder until the container is substantially pressurized and the flow substantially ceases. The feeder rotor may be configured to crush or grind the particles.
US08277286B2	Slurry dispenser for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus and method A chemical mechanical polishing method and apparatus provides a deformable, telescoping slurry dispenser arm coupled to a dispenser head that may be arcuate in shape and may also be a bendable telescoping member that can be adjusted to vary the number of slurry dispenser ports and the degree of curvature of the dispenser head. The dispenser arm may additionally include slurry dispenser ports therein. The dispenser arm may advantageously be formed of a plurality of nested tubes that are slidable with respect to one another. The adjustable dispenser arm may pivot about a pivot point and can be variously positioned to accommodate different sized polishing pads used to polish substrates of different dimensions and the bendable, telescoping slurry dispenser arm and dispenser head provide uniform slurry distribution to any of various wafer polishing locations, effective slurry usage and uniform polishing profiles in each case.
US08277284B2	Ice skate blade sharpening machines and associated method of dressing a grinding wheel A sharpening machine generally includes a grinding wheel having a perimeter that is rotatable about a first axis. The sharpening machine includes an adjustment device adapted to be coupled to a structure of the sharpening machine. A shaft is mounted to the adjustment device. The shaft defines a second axis that is generally parallel to the first axis when the adjustment device is coupled to the structure. The shaft is movable along a predetermined feed axis toward the grinding wheel. A carousel is rotatably connected to the shaft of the adjustment device. A contouring tool is rotatably connected to the carousel. The contouring tool has a contour surface. Movement of the shaft of the adjustment device along the feed axis is configured to translate the carousel and move the contouring tool into and out of engagement with the grinding wheel to facilitate dressing of the perimeter of the grinding wheel to a grinding wheel contour.
US08277278B2	Acoustic imaging while cutting A method and apparatus for radially cutting tubulars in a downhole environment by emitting acoustic energy into the jet, the acoustic energy having a wavelength selected such that the jet acts as a waveguide, detecting reflected acoustic energy in the jet, and determining the depth of cut from a travel time of the acoustic energy.
US08277276B2	Brassiere cup with a breast enhancement insert and brassiere formed therewith A brassiere cup, and brassiere formed therewith, is provided for enhancing the shape of a wearer's breast. The brassiere cup comprises an outer fabric layer having a lower peripheral portion, and an inner liner fabric layer having a lower peripheral portion. A breast enhancement insert having upper and lower peripheral portions and inner and outer surfaces is attached along the lower peripheral portions of the outer fabric layer and the inner liner layer, the upper peripheral portion and the inner and outer surfaces of the insert being substantially unattached. The breast enhancement insert comprises a padding material encapsulated within a fabric cover.
US08277275B2	Game call apparatus A game call apparatus comprises a mouthpiece including an air inlet opening, an air outlet opening, and a mouthpiece air passageway connecting the air inlet opening and the air outlet opening. The game call apparatus further comprises an outer sound chamber including an air inlet opening, an air exit opening, and an internal surface connecting the air inlet opening of the outer sound chamber and the air exit opening. The game call further comprises an inner sound chamber including an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening disposed within the outer sound chamber. The inner sound chamber air passageway connects the air inlet opening of the inner sound chamber and the air outlet opening of the inner sound chamber, and the inner sound chamber air passageway is in communication with the mouthpiece air passageway to permit air passage between the air inlet opening of the mouthpiece and the air exit opening of the outer sound chamber.
US08277271B2	Fuel supply system for boat and outboard motor A fuel supply system for a boat includes a vapor separator tank arranged to be connected to a fuel tank mounted on a hull of the boat and arranged to contain fuel therein, an injector arranged to supply fuel to an engine, a high-pressure fuel pump arranged to supply the fuel contained in the vapor separator tank to the injector, and a throttle body including a throttle valve arranged to adjust a flow rate of air supplied to the engine. The vapor separator tank is disposed adjacent to the throttle body. The fuel supply system minimizes deterioration in engine startability.
US08277270B2	Boat propulsion unit A boat propulsion unit includes a power source, a propeller, a shift position switching mechanism, a control device, and a retention switch. The propeller is driven by the power source to generate propulsive force. The shift position switching mechanism has an input shaft connected to a side of the power source, an output shaft connected to a side of the propeller, and clutches that change a connection state between the input shaft and the output shaft. A shift position of the shift position switching mechanism is switched among forward, neutral, and reverse by engaging and disengaging the clutches. The control device adjusts an engagement force of the clutches. The retention switch is connected to the control device. When the retention switch is turned on by an operator, the control device controls the engagement force of the clutches to retain a hull in a predefined position. The boat propulsion unit provides a boat propulsion unit that can accurately retain a boat at a fixed point.
US08277269B1	Torque transmitting device and system for marine propulsion A torque transmitting device and related a marine propulsion system include an adapter that comprises a first portion shaped to engage in torque-transmitting relation with a propulsor shaft of the marine propulsion system so that rotation of the propulsor shaft about the axis of rotation causes synchronous rotation of the first portion about the axis of rotation. A second portion is shaped to engage in torque-transmitting relation with a propulsor hub of the marine propulsion system. The second portion is connected to the first portion by a plurality of elongated torsional members that are integrally attached to at least one of the first and second portions. The elongated torsional members are resilient so as to allow the first portion and second portion to rotate relative to each other about the axis of rotation.
US08277268B2	Outdrive unit for boats An object of the present invention is to provide an outdrive unit that allows space to be saved in the positioning of a hydraulic circuit for trolling, and enables easy maintenance of the hydraulic circuit for trolling. The invention provides an outdrive unit mounted outside of a boat, including: a propeller for propulsion; a hydraulic clutch that controls driving of the propeller; a transmission mechanism that transmits drive power from the hydraulic clutch to the propeller; a hydraulic circuit that operates the hydraulic clutch, the hydraulic circuit comprising a switching valve that switches a rotational direction of the propeller, a pressure-reducing valve for trolling that reduces a pressure of a pressurized oil supplied to the hydraulic clutch, a filter for the pressurized oil introduced to the pressure-reducing valve, and a hydraulic pump that supplies the pressurized oil to the hydraulic clutch; a housing that houses at least one of the hydraulic clutch, transmission mechanism, and hydraulic circuit; a base on which the switching valve, pressure-reducing valve, and filter are mounted, the base being detachably mounted in the housing.
US08277267B1	Amphibious paddle track propulsion system An amphibious paddle track propulsion system mountable on any water or land vehicle for enabling the ability to selectively travel over land or water, the paddle track propulsion system having a paddle track, spring-loaded paddles, paddle supporting terrain treads, terrain treads, lead and rear sprockets, chain sprocket, engaging assembly for extending and retracting the paddles and lever for controlling the engaging assembly wherein each paddle has an engager extension that is engaged and disengaged by the engaging assembly to extend and retract paddles.
US08277265B1	Electrical connector for mating in two directions An electrical connector is provided for mating with a mating connector having a mating contact. The electrical connector includes a housing having a receptacle that is configured to receive the mating contact therein from an insertion direction. An electrical contact is held within the receptacle of the housing. The electrical contact includes opposing arms and a contact finger that extends from one of the arms to the other arm. The contact finger includes a mating interface configured to engage the mating contact when the mating contact is received within the receptacle to electrically connect the electrical contact to the mating contact. The contact finger includes a segment having a length that extends at an angle relative to the insertion direction. The segment includes at least a portion of the mating interface. The electrical contact is configured to electrically connect to the mating contact when the mating contact is inserted into the receptacle of the housing in the insertion direction.
US08277260B2	Modular cable termination plug The invention is a modular cable termination plug having a conductor divider having an entrant barb and a plurality of divider channels, a load bar having a plurality of through holes and a plurality of slots, and a plurality of contact terminals. Additionally, the invention may include a housing, a strain relief collar and a strain relief boot.
US08277259B2	Connector A connector includes a first terminal housing with a plurality of first joining terminals aligned and accommodated therein, a second terminal housing with a plurality of second joining terminals aligned and accommodated therein, a connecting member for pressing and thereby collectively fixing the plural first joining terminals and the plural second joining terminals at the contacts therebetween respectively, and a covering member slidably provided to cover the connecting member, to maintain the pressing force of the pressed connecting member at a specified or greater pressing force that assures the stable connections between the first joining terminals and the second joining terminals, respectively, the covering member being provided in such a manner that it is not slidable to cover the connecting member until the pressing force of the connecting member reaches the pressing force that assures the stable connections between the first joining terminals and the second joining terminals, respectively.
US08277258B1	Electrical connector An electrical connector includes an insulating housing, and a plurality of electrical contacts assembled in the insulating housing respectively. At least two of the electrical contacts having the same transmitting action are short connected together in the process of manufacturing the electrical contacts. So the process of utilizing a wire to achieve a short connection between the corresponding electrical contacts, as described in the prior art, is omitted, and it saves a lot of manpower and material resources, and further simplifies the process for achieving the short connection effect.
US08277257B2	Connector A connector connectable to a plurality of receptacles of different specifications is provided while a connector of the prior-art configuration is not adapted for the connection with such receptacles. The connector includes: a connector body; and a connector portion partially inserted in the connector body and partially projected from the connector body. The connector portion includes: a first connector block that is singularly capable of mating with a receptacle conforming to a first specification but is singularly incapable of mating with a receptacle conforming to a second specification; and a second connector block that is disposed on the first connector block and combined with the first connector block to be capable of mating with the receptacle conforming to the second specification. The second connector block is free to slide on the first connector block 21 and to be inserted in the connector body.
US08277256B2	Electrical connector An electrical connector includes: an insulating body, having a plurality of terminal receiving holes, in which each terminal receiving hole includes a retaining slot recessed from an upper surface of the insulating body and a receiving slot formed through the insulating body and connected with the retaining slot, and the retaining slot has a bottom surface that forms a step with a sidewall of the receiving slot; a metal layer, plated on the sidewall of the receiving slot, being not higher than the bottom surface; and a plurality of terminals, respectively y accommodated in each terminal receiving hole, in which each terminal includes a retaining portion fixed in the retaining slot, a base and a soldering portion extend downwards from the retaining portion and are suspended in the receiving slot, and a clearance is formed between the retaining portion and the metal layer for preventing a conduction therebetween.
US08277254B2	Dual wiring system A dual wiring system with easy exchangeability of a function unit. A gate device is mounted in a wall surface of a structure, and connected to both of an electric power line and an information line previously installed in the structure. The function unit has at least one of functions for supplying electric power from the electric power line, outputting information from the information line and inputting information into the information line when connected with the gate device. The function unit has a module connector including an electric power connector and an information signal connector, which is detachably connected to a module port of the gate device comprised of an electric power port and an information signal port. To further improve function expandability, an additional function unit can be detachably connected to the function unit.
US08277249B2	Contact for coaxiable cable having a tearable band between a conductor barrel and a crimp barrel A contact for coaxial cable attached to an end of a coaxial cable includes a contact part and a connection part. The connection part includes a conductor barrel, an open crimp barrel, and a junction band narrow in width. The conductor barrel is disposed on a side to a base end portion of the contact part and can crimp the inner conductor. The open crimp barrel is adjacent to the conductor barrel and can crimp an exposed portion of the dielectric body so as to surround the exposed portion of the dielectric body in a cylindrical shape. The junction band joins the conductor barrel with the open crimp barrel so as to bridge the two. The both end portions of the junction band are torn during or after crimping of the conductor barrel and the open crimp barrel.
US08277248B2	High frequency plug connector An HF plug connector having an outside conductor part, and inside conductor part arranged within the outside conductor part and an end on the mating side that is designed for a plug-in connection to a complementary HF plug connector, wherein a housing made of an electrically insulating material, is arranged on the mating side end of the HF plug connector, at least partially surrounding the outside conductor part, wherein the housing exhibits a through-hole into which the outside conductor part engages. The outside conductor part has a first axial retaining element designed to a first predetermined section of the housing upon assembly on the outside conductor part and a second axial retaining element designed so that said second axial retaining element presses a second predetermined section of the housing together upon assembly on the outside conductor part.
US08277246B2	Battery terminal adapter An apparatus including a battery having first and second battery terminals; and an electrical connector adapter. The electrical connector adapter includes a first and second adapter terminals. The first adapter terminal has a first contact area on the first battery terminal at the first side of the battery and a second contact area on a second side of the battery. The second adapter terminal has a first contact area on the second battery terminal at the first side of the battery and a second contact area on the second side of the battery. The adapter is configured to allow first contacts to electrically connect to the first and second battery terminals through the first contact areas. The adapter is configured to allow second contacts to electrically connect to the second contact areas and be connected by the electrical connector adapter to the first and second battery terminals.
US08277241B2	Hermaphroditic electrical connector The disclosure describes an electrical connector assembly having first and second electrical connectors configured for mating. Each connector includes a housing that supports a plurality of electrical contacts. The contacts are arranged in first and second rows, and define a first terminal end extending from the housing and configured to connect with an electrical component, and a second hermaphroditic terminal end extending from the housing.
US08277240B2	Connector for backlight and having a member restricting movement of another member A connector has a first member connectable to a first object and a second member connectable to a second object. The second member is arranged so as to restrict movement of the first member in a first horizontal direction. The connector also has a connection member configured to connect the first member and the second member to each other so that the first member is movable relative to the second member in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction.
US08277237B1	Electrical plug having retractable prongs The improved electrical plug includes electrical prongs that extend and retract into the housing via actuating means comprising a twisting action or a sliding tab. A twisting embodiment extends and retracts into the housing via a twisting action about a portion of the housing. A sliding tab embodiment includes a sliding tab located on a side of the housing that when moved up or down will extend or retract the prongs out of or into the housing, respectively. Either embodiment can be integrated into the design of an electrical cord or as an after-market product that is installed upon an electrical cord.
US08277234B2	Interface between connectable electrical devices A system for engaging devices having connectable electrical connectors includes a first device and a second device. The first device has a first electrical connector exposed at a first surface that is contoured to define one or more recesses, each of which has a lip. The second device has a second electrical connector exposed at a second surface that is contoured to define one or more gripping elements, each of which fits into one of the recesses to grip one of the lips when the first and second electrical connectors are connected together. The first device also has a movable element that can be positioned such that when the one or more gripping elements are in the one or more recesses and gripping the one or more lips, the movable element blocks the gripping elements from being moved out of the recesses or away from the lips.
US08277231B2	Electrical device with contact assembly The invention relates to an electrical device with a contact assembly 1 comprising at least one electrical contact 2 having a contacting end 10 for contacting a counterpart contact of another electrical device 14, and a holding device 3 for holding the electrical contact 2, wherein the holding device 3 comprises an elastomeric material 4 in which the electrical contact 2 is elastically held. In this way, an electrical device with such a contact assembly 2 is achieved that provides for a reliable electrical contact while being robust, easy to clean and preferably also watertight.
US08277230B2	Electrical connector and conductive member thereof An electrical connector and a conductive member thereof are provided. In one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive member is installed in an insulating body, and a solder ball is retained between two retaining ends of the conductive member to form the electrical connector. In the conductive member, a base extends downwards to form two soldering arms, each of the soldering arms has an extending arm and a retaining end extending from the extending arm, the retaining ends are exposed outside the insulating body, and at least one of the retaining ends is provided with a recessed portion, so as to enable the solder ball, when entering between the two retaining ends, to prop the two retaining ends and partially enter the recessed portion, so that the solder ball is securely retained by the two retaining ends, thereby preventing the solder ball from falling off from the two retaining ends when the electrical connector is under an external force.
US08277228B2	Connector set and jointer for use therein A connector set includes at least one of a header and a socket and a jointer. The jointer extends in a direction and is configured to couple the header and the socket so as to be in parallel with each other. The jointer includes first jointer connecting portions provided at both end portions thereof and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and which are configured to engage first connecting portions provided at both end portions of the header, and second jointer connecting portions provided at both end portions of the jointer body and extending in a third direction opposite to the second direction, and which are configured to engage the second connecting portions provided at both end portions of the socket.
US08277224B2	Dental articulator with endodontic module A dental articulator for use in dental education simulates the human mouth and has an adjustable hinge that interconnects upper and lower carrier trays for movement to and from a closed position. Modules of imitation gums and teeth are secured in the carrier trays by neodymium magnets. The hinge structure in the articulator is selectively movable to shift the jaw axis to a position to provide the desired alignment of the upper and lower teeth when the jaw is closed or demonstrate a misaligned condition. A dental training module may be installed which, upon removal from the articulator, has a pair of separable sections encasing a tooth to permit release of the tooth and removal from the module so that a completed treatment may be evaluated.
US08277223B2	External defibrillator training apparatus and method A training apparatus (500) for use with an external defibrillator is provided, the external defibrillator being responsive to a first electrode and a second electrode, including: a transparent layer having a first electrode attachment region defining an opening sized to receive the first electrode; a signal conductor disposed proximate the first electrode attachment region, the signal conductor having a transfer path, the transfer path operable to provide communication between the first electrode and the second electrode, when the first electrode and the second electrode are disposed on the training apparatus; and a two-dimensional representation of an anterior portion of a defibribation subject, identificable through the transparent layer, having the first electrode attachment region arranged thereon in a manner that defines a preferred plancement area of the first electrode on the defibrillation subject.
US08277219B2	Implant having circumferentially oriented roughness Implant (10) having a shaft which is adapted in use to be embedded in bone tissue and which has an outer surface provided with a circumferentially-oriented roughness. The circumferentially-oriented roughness has first and second axial sections (19, 21) with each section comprising a series of circumferentially-oriented peaks which have a crest and which are axially spaced apart by troughs. The axial spacing (d) between the crests of adjacent peaks in the first axial section (19) is less than the axial spacing (3d) between the crests of adjacent peaks in the second axial section (21). Although the axial spacing between the crests of adjacent peaks in the first and second axial sections of circumferentially-oriented roughness differs, the first and second axial sections of circumferentially-oriented roughness are adapted in use to provide the same or substantially the same pitch.
US08277215B2	Universal non-custom dental tray having anatomical features to enhance fit A non-custom, tray-shaped dental treatment device includes a moisture-resistant barrier layer having a front side wall and a bottom wall, and a dental treatment composition. In addition, the tray-shaped dental treatment device includes at least one of the following anatomical features to enhance the fit of the device: (1) the bottom wall includes a plurality of cuts positioned to help the bottom wall better conform to abrupt changes in the diameters of a person's teeth where the bicuspids and canines meet, and/or (2) the bottom wall includes at least one V-shaped or U-shaped indentation configured to be inserted into the depression typically found along the top surfaces of a person's molars, and/or (3) the front side wall and bottom wall include radii of curvature that account for typical flaring of a patient's incisors.
US08277210B2	Apparatus and method for manufacturing three-dimensional netted structure An apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional netted structure, the three-dimensional netted structure including a plurality of filaments of resin, the filaments being helically and randomly entangled and thermally bonded together, the apparatus including: an extrusion molding machine including a plurality of dies each having a mouthpiece with a plurality of holes; a pair of endless conveyors provided with endless members; a motor adapted to drive the endless members; and a tank adapted to partly submerge the endless conveyors therein. A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional netted structure using the apparatus by extruding molten filaments of a thermoplastic resin downward from the dies via the mouthpiece, helically entangling the molten filaments by entangling actions of the endless members, and cooling the entangled filaments in a liquid in the tank.
US08277207B2	Oil supply method of two-stage screw compressor, two-stage screw compressor applying the method, and method of operating refrigerating machine having the compressor A two-stage screw compressor has a low-pressure stage screw compressor and a high-pressure stage screw compressor integrally constructed. Compression space is formed by a male rotor and a female rotor, and operation gas is fed for compression to the compression space. A method of supplying lubrication oil prevents degradation of volumetric efficiency caused by return of lubrication oil, coming from a bearing and a shaft sealing device, to the low-pressure stage screw compressor. As a result, refrigeration capacity is improved and the amount of the lubrication oil is reduced.
US08277200B2	Variable displacement compressor with a discharge pressure compensated suction shutoff valve A variable displacement compressor with a discharge pressure compensated suction shutoff valve (SSV). The SSV prevents noise generated at low refrigerant flow rates by a suction valve from propagating out of the compressor and to an air conditioner evaporator by variably restricting a fluid communication with the suction valve. The SSV is configured so the variable restriction is increased correspondingly with the discharge pressure if the discharge pressure is less than a threshold that is an indicator of low refrigerant flow rates, and the restriction is decreased if the discharge pressure is greater than the threshold.
US08277199B2	Apparatus and method for controlling operation of linear compressor An apparatus and method for controlling an operation of a reciprocating compressor are disclosed in which a frequency is variably controlled to uniformly maintain a phase difference between current and stroke, a load is determined with a size of frequency at a point of time when the phase difference between the current and the stroke is uniformly maintained, and capacity is varied according to the determined load, to thus improve an operation efficiency. The apparatus for controlling an operation of a reciprocating compressor includes: a control unit for detecting a phase difference between current and stroke and outputting a frequency variable signal or a frequency detect signal based on the detected phase difference; a load detecting unit for detecting a current operation load according to the frequency detect signal; and a stroke reference value determining unit for determining a stroke reference value corresponding to the detected load.
US08277196B2	Adaptive accuracy for enteral feeding pump A pumping apparatus for use with a pump set to deliver fluid through the pump set includes a housing capable of receiving at least a portion of the pump set. A pumping device is moveably mounted in the housing and includes a motor that turns independently from movement of the pumping device when activated. The pumping device contacting the pump set when the pump set is received by the housing so the pumping device acts on the pump set to produce fluid flow in the pump set upon activation of the motor.
US08277192B2	Turbine blade An airfoil profile is formed such that a passage width ratio, represented in a dimensionless manner, of an inter-blade passage width of vane root cross-section to an outlet throat width substantially monotonously decreases from a blade inlet toward a blade outlet. The blade has a blade airfoil profile shape in an envelope within a range of .+−.2.0 mm in a direction normal to any surface location of an airfoil profile portion. The airfoil profile portion has a reference airfoil contour represented in Cartesian coordinates wherein Z is a distance representing a sectional height from a root of the airfoil profile portion. The contours represented by X and Y at each section Z are joined smoothly with one another in a blade height direction to form a complete shape of the airfoil profile portion.
US08277191B2	Apparatus for bucket cover plate retention In one embodiment, a system includes a turbine engine that includes a turbine stage including a turbine rotor having multiple blades disposed in a first annular arrangement. The turbine engine also includes multiple cover plates disposed in a second annular arrangement along interfaces between the turbine rotor and the blades. The turbine engine further includes multiple lugs coupled to the turbine stage and a first ring coupled to the lugs to hold the cover plates to the turbine stage.
US08277189B2	Turbine blade and rotor Embodiments of the invention relate generally to turbine blades and rotors and, more particularly, to turbine blades having, among other features, complimentarily shaped integral covers and bases capable of increasing stiffness and damping characteristics while decreasing vibratory stress. In one embodiment, the invention provides a turbine blade comprising: an elongate vane having a twisted configuration about a longitudinal axis thereof, the elongate vane having a leading face and a trailing face; a base at a proximal end of the elongate vane, the base having: a substantially planar member substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the elongate vane; and a dovetail member on a surface of the planar member opposite the elongate vane; and a cover member at a distal end of the elongate vane, the cover member having a leading face and a trailing face.
US08277182B2	Remote pitch controller for a variable pitch propeller A system for adjusting the pitch of a variable pitch propeller has a hub assembly, a valve assembly, and a fluid supply assembly. The hub assembly comprises a hub rotatably driven by a propeller shaft, an actuator connected to the hub, and a plurality of propeller blades connected to the actuator with at least one mechanical connection. The valve assembly is in fluid communication with the valve assembly and the actuator. The fluid supply assembly comprises a valve control mechanism that is isolated from the valve assembly and the hub assembly. The valve control mechanism provides a variable hydraulic pressure control signal to the valve assembly, which transfers fluid to the actuator as a function of the variable hydraulic pressure control signal. Based on the fluid pressure in the actuator, the pitch of the propeller blades is adjusted.
US08277181B2	Fluid pump and method for producing a fluid pump The invention relates to a fluid pump, in particular a liquid pump for a cooling and/or heating circuit of a motor vehicle, having a pump housing and having a rotationally fixed shaft, which is arranged in the pump housing, for an inner rotor which has an impeller wheel. According to the invention, it is proposed that the shaft is mounted at one side and, at its end remote from the bearing point, supports a bearing cap which engages at least partially around the shaft. The invention also relates to a method for producing a fluid pump of said type, in which method the shaft is fixed with its first end in a housing, in particular in a plastic housing, of the pump, the inner rotor of the pump is pushed onto the shaft and is secured axially by means of a bearing cap which is placed onto the shaft and is supported by the shaft.
US08277176B2	Turbomachine exhaust case drain A turbomachine exhaust case having an annular groove perforated with an orifice in which there is mounted a drain, which is formed by a tubular cylindrical body, for discharging liquids retained in this groove is disclosed. The drain includes a skirt, formed at one end of the cylindrical body, for fastening the drain by crimping in the orifice in the groove of the case.
US08277175B2	Combustion air supply blower with access cover and motor and fan assembly A combustion air supply blower includes a blower housing having a housing body and housing cover. The cover is removably attached to the housing body and generally provides access to a motor and fan assembly including a fan and a motor. The motor and fan assembly is removably mounted within the housing body and is captured between the housing body and the housing cover such that, upon removal of the housing cover, the motor and fan assembly is exposed and may then be lifted out of the housing body for easy maintenance, repair, and/or replacement of any portion of the motor and fan assembly. Alternatively, upon removal of the housing cover, the motor and fan assembly may be accessed while remaining within the housing body to complete any maintenance and/or repair of the motor and fan assembly.
US08277173B2	Turbine rotor and steam turbine A turbine rotor 300 includes: a high-temperature turbine rotor constituent part 301 where high-temperature steam passes; low-temperature turbine rotor constituent parts 302 sandwiching and weld-connected to the high-temperature turbine rotor constituent part 301 and made of a material different from a material of the high-temperature turbine rotor constituent part 301; and a cooling part cooling the high-temperature turbine rotor constituent part 301 by ejecting cooling steam 240 to a position, of the high-temperature turbine rotor constituent part 301, near a welded portion 120 between the high-temperature turbine rotor constituent part 301 and the low-temperature turbine rotor constituent part 302. A value equal to a distance divided by a diameter is equal to or more than 0.3, where the distance is a distance from the position, of the high-temperature turbine rotor constituent part 301, ejected the cooling steam 240 up to the welded portion 120, and the diameter is a turbine rotor diameter of the high-temperature turbine rotor constituent part 301.
US08277167B2	Wind turbine operating apparatus and operating method An apparatus and a method for operating a wind turbine capable of preventing the occurrence of damage of the blades by evading excessive irregular loads from acting on the blades in the slanting direction in the event of power failure when strong wind blows, are provided.The operating method of a wind turbine having a support 106 standing erect on the ground or on a ship; a wind turbine 100A with a nacelle 102 supported for swivel movement in a horizontal plane, a rotor 105 having a plurality of blades 101 and being rotated by wind force acting on the blades 101, and a generator being contained in the nacelle and connected to the rotor 105; a rotation driving mechanism 4 for swiveling the wind turbine 100A; and a brake device for controlling the rotation of the wind turbine comprises the step of: rotating the wind turbine to naturally follow the direction of wind in a state that the rotor is positioned in a downwind position when one of signals of abnormality in the generator or abnormality of undue load of wind to the blades is detected.
US08277166B2	Use of non-uniform nozzle vane spacing to reduce acoustic signature A stator for a turbomachine. The stator includes a plurality of nozzle vanes, with the distance between each of the plurality of nozzle vanes varying circumferentially around the stator in a repeating pattern configured to distribute a vibration energy over a plurality of side band vibration frequencies around a nominal passing frequency in a rotor.
US08277161B2	Substrate processing apparatus and manufacturing method of a semiconductor device A substrate processing apparatus is equipped with a processing furnace for processing wafers, a loading port which is used for carrying a pod containing substrates into and out of a case, a pod transport mechanism for transporting the container at least from the entrance and exit place, and a top storage which is disposed above the processing furnace in such a manner that at least part of the top storage overlaps with the processing furnace in the direction of gravity.
US08277158B2	Floating nut plate Methods relating to and apparatus such as floating nut plates may include complementary surfaces limiting movement of a retainer toward or away from side walls of a receiver, such as wherein a nut element is positioned between the retainer and the receiver. One of the complementary surfaces may be a groove formed in the retainer. In one configuration, the receiver and/or retainer are non-metal.
US08277154B2	Adaptive thrust sensor drilling A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for performing a drilling operation. The drilling apparatus comprises a housing, a spindle, a spindle motor, a thrust motor, a load sensor, and a controller. The spindle may be capable of receiving a drill bit. The spindle motor may be capable of turning the spindle at a set of different speeds during the drilling operation. The thrust motor may be capable of moving the spindle in an axial direction. The load sensor may be capable of detecting a reaction thrust force during the drilling operation to form a detected reaction thrust force. The controller may be capable of controlling the spindle motor and the thrust motor to change a drilling speed in response to changes in the detected reaction thrust force.
US08277153B2	Cutting insert and shim for heavy machining operations A combination of a cutting insert and a shim. The cutting insert and shim have two opposing end surfaces with two identical opposing major side surfaces and two identical opposing minor side surfaces extending between the minor side surfaces. Each end surface of the insert has two lowered abutment members, each having a shim abutment surface for contacting the shim. One end surface of the shim has two raised abutment members, each having an insert abutment surface for contacting the insert. The abutment surfaces contact each other in an area where high cutting forces occur so as to help distribute the loads encountered in the cutting operation, as well as provide protection of the insert pocket in case of insert failure.
US08277149B2	Tensionable cable bolt with crimped shaft A tensionable cable bolt including a length of multi-strand cable and an anchoring portion comprised of a shaft received on the cable and attached to the cable at a crimp portion comprising at least one primary crimp with at least one secondary crimp disposed within the primary crimp. The cable may include a mixing portion and the anchor portion may include an expansion anchor threaded onto the shaft. A method of manufacturing the tensionable cable bolt includes providing a length of multi-strand cable; providing an anchoring portion including a shaft; extending the cable through the shaft; and crimping the shaft to the cable to form at least one primary crimp with at least one secondary crimp disposed within the primary crimp. The method may further include threading an expansion anchor onto the shaft and/or providing a resin mixing portion along the cable.
US08277141B1	Ball and socket joint for indirect fire weapon An indirect fire weapon may include a base cap with a ball end. The ball end may be inserted in or removed from a socket cap in a base plate at only a single combination of a traverse angle and an elevation angle of the weapon. The indirect fire weapon may rotate 360 degrees in the socket cap and may be elevated from the vertical down to a set declivity.
US08277139B1	Hand-held cosmetic powder applicator brush apparatus A hand-held cosmetic powder applicator brush apparatus for applying cosmetic powders such as facial powders and other powders to a user. The brush apparatus comprises a housing having a chamber for holding a powder to be dispensed and a valve mechanism for selectively opening and closing the chamber to a brush mounted on the housing so that powder in the housing may be dispensed to the bristles of the brush. The valve is operable by rotating an upper housing section such as a sleeve on the housing in a first direction to cause such opening. When the brush is not used, the upper housing section is rotated in the opposite direction to cause the valve mechanism to close. There is also a shield which extends around a portion of the brush to engage and protect the bristles when an outer cap is placed over the brush.
US08277137B2	Coating material extruding container To generate a sense of click according to the movement of a moving member, reset screwing sections to screw in when a screwing action of the screwing sections is released, and reduce the number of components. In a container 100, when a main body cylinder 2 and an operation cylinder 3 are relatively rotated in an extending direction and relatively rotated in a retracting direction, a female screw member 5 and a moving member 4 relatively rotate, the moving member 4 moves forward and moves backward according to a screwing action of screwing sections 8, and click teeth 54 and 64 also relatively rotate in synchronization with each other. Since an elastic body 61 urges the click teeth 64 toward the click teeth 54, a sense of click is given when the moving member 4 moves forward and moves backward. In addition, when the moving member 4 moves backward according to the relative rotation and a screwing action of screwing sections 8 is released, the elastic body 61 urges the screwing sections 8 to be reset to screw in according to the relative rotation in the opposite direction. In other words, the elastic body 61 is shared to realize the giving of a sense of click according to the movement of the moving member 4 and the reset for screw-in of the screwing sections 8.
US08277136B2	Stick-shaped material extruding container A stick-shaped material extruding container for performing forward and backward movements of a stick-shaped material without trouble and prevent detachment of the stick-shaped material by an impact. A movable body having a piston-like extruding portion, closely attached within a filling member, is arranged within a container. The stick-shaped material is loaded in the filling member so as to be closely attached to the filling member and the piston-like extruding portion. When the stick-shaped material is pushed by a forward movement of the piston-like extruding portion to appear from an opening of the container, a sucking action is generated due to decompression between the piston-like extruding portion and the stick-shaped material by a backward movement of the piston-like extruding portion to retract the stick-shaped material, and the decompression prevents falling off of the stick-shaped material from the container.
US08277135B1	Maintenance device for fasteners There is provided in a preferred embodiment of the present invention a maintenance device for snaps or fasteners having a housing and a dynamic body that is slidably engaged within said housing. Attached to the dynamic body is a pair of cleaning arms. A spring positioned between the body and the housing biases the body and arms to a relaxed and extended position. When the body is pressed against and engages a fastener, the body moves to a retracted position within the housing causing the cleaning arms pivot and engage the fastener. With the cleaning arms engaged, a twisting movement of the housing removes corrosion, dirt and debris from the fastener. The device further includes a refillable lubrication reservoir and channel which serves to lubricate the fastener while it is cleaned.
US08277132B2	Bidirectional optical transceiver module A bidirectional optical transceiver module with a temperature control function is provided. The bidirectional optical transceiver module includes a package configured to have a flat bottom surface and include two windows used for optical transmission and reception; a ferrule configured to be coupled to one side of the package and allow an optical fiber to be inserted therein; an optical receiver module configured to be coupled to another side of the package in a direction perpendicular to that of the ferrule coupled to the package; a sub-optical transmitter module configured to be built in the package and include a light-emitting element and a collimating lens used to collimate light from the light-emitting element; an optical filter configured to be built in the package, transmit light from the light-emitting element to the optical fiber and reflect light received through the optical fiber to the optical receiver module; and a temperature regulator configured to be built in the package and control the sub-optical transmitter module to a preset temperature. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the package, effectively discharge heat, and be more endurable to external impact or vibration.
US08277131B2	Semiconductor optical communication module and manufacturing method thereof A semiconductor optical communication module includes a semiconductor chip mounted on a chip carrier and a lens assembly having an end parallel to and facing the front edge of the chip carrier. The semiconductor chip has a front facet oriented at an acute angle to the front edge of the chip carrier. An optical waveguide in the semiconductor chip transmits an optical signal that propagates on an optical axis extending from the front facet of the semiconductor chip to the end of the lens assembly. The optical axis is orthogonal to the end of the lens assembly and the front edge of the chip carrier. The angled mounting of the semiconductor chip on the chip carrier allows the lens assembly to be placed close to the edge of the chip carrier, and to be moved for optical axis adjustment without striking the chip carrier.
US08277127B2	Bearing cage A bearing cage for large radial or axial roller bearings, which has two axially opposed, circular ring-shaped side washers held at a distance to each other by connecting elements, and roll-shaped rolling elements disposed between the side washers which have bolt-like elements on the faces thereof. A side washer on at least one side of the rolling element has radial recesses into which the bolt-like elements protrude. At least one securing element suitable for holding the bolt-like elements in the area of the radial recesses in the assembled state is provided. Shaped elements that can each be introduced at least partially into the radial recesses of the side washer are provided as the securing element. This construction achieves easy assembly and disassembly of the housing, allowing high flexibility in repairing a roller bearing so equipped.
US08277122B2	Guide rail of a linear guide A guide rail of a linear guide, on guide surfaces on which a guide carriage is longitudinally displaceable. A material measure is arranged at a distance, preferably in parallel, to the guide rail and is fastened to the guide rail by means of a mount. The guide rail has a groove or a hole arranged outside the guide surface. The mount can be detachably fastened by means of expanding elements that engage with the groove or into the hole.
US08277117B2	Radial clamping system for a timepiece component The invention relates to a timepiece component (1) that has an aperture (7) for receiving a support element (3) and includes a clamping system (13) for exerting radial force, allowing said timepiece component to be secured to said support element. According to the invention, the clamping system (13) includes a radial clamping device (15) that has a crown (6) for exerting said radial force and a concentric, blind recess (8) spaced apart from said aperture, for allowing said crown to travel.The invention concerns the field of timepieces.
US08277111B1	Microingredient dispensing system Several improvements are provided for a microingredient additive dispensing system. One improvement is the use of a fluid eductor to entrain and mix the additives. Another improvement is to weigh and dispense ingredients using one or more non-compartmentalized vibratory trays that are mounted on a single weigh frame. Another improvement is a summing and filtering circuit that sums and filters the signals from four different load cells to accurately determine the weight of the dispensed additives. Yet another improvement is the placement of a pump upstream of the eductor, isolating the pump from additives that are pumped to the feed mixing station. Another improvement is a line-flushing mode in which a turbulent mixture of air and water are used to clean the delivery conduit of residue.
US08277109B2	LED lighting device with thermally conductive resin lampstand A LED lighting device includes a cooling lampstand, a circuit, at least one light emitting diode (LED), a sealant and a power converter. The cooling lampstand is made by a resin composition in which the thermal conductivity of the resin composition is about 1-50 W/mk. The circuit directly is disposed on the cooling lampstand. The light emitting diode (LED) is disposed on the cooling lampstand and electrically connected to the circuit. The sealant covers the LED. The power converter is electrically connected to the circuit for supplying an electrical power to the circuit.
US08277108B2	Structure of lamp combined with picture frame and essence A structure of lamp is combined with a picture frame and a mass of essence. The structure includes a picture frame body that receives and holds therein a picture or photo and forms a lighting chamber that receives and holds the lamp. The lighting chamber has a wall portion in which ventilation holes are defined. The picture frame body also forms an essence compartment that receives and holds the mass of essence that gives off a scent smell. The lamp, when lit, generates heat that causes the mass of essence to give off the scent that spreads through the ventilation holes of the lighting chamber. Thus, besides receiving and holding a picture, the picture frame also provides the functions of nighttime lighting and scent spreading for improving air quality of the surroundings.
US08277105B2	Backlight assembly and method of manufacturing light guide plate therefor A backlight assembly and a manufacturing method of light guide plate of the backlight assembly is provided. The light guide plate includes an incident surface to which light is incident, an exiting surface from which the light exits, and a reflection surface facing the exiting surface. The light guide plate includes recesses provided on the reflection surface recessed toward the exiting surface to scatter the light. Each of the recesses has a depth-to-width ratio of about 0.2 to about 0.33. Two prism sheets are disposed on the light guide plate. Light exits from the light guide plate at an angle of about 25 degrees to about 30 degrees.
US08277104B2	LED back-light unit and display device A back-light unit including a plurality of substrates, a plurality of light sources respectively disposed on the plurality of substrates and configured to emit light, and N (N≧2) light guide plates respectively disposed adjacent to the plurality of light sources, each light guide plate including a light incidence part having a light incidence surface for receiving light emitted in a first direction from a corresponding light source, and a light emission part for emitting the received incident light in a second direction different than the first direction. Further, at least one of the light guide plates includes light-extracting surface patterns disposed on the light emission part, and the light-extracting surface patterns comprise a first region of light-extracting surface patterns having a higher pattern-density than a second region of light-extracting surface patterns next to the first region.
US08277100B2	Vehicle lighting device A vehicle lighting device includes: a heat sink member; a semiconductor-type light source directly placed on a top face of the heat sink member; a power-feeding holder which is set on the semiconductor-type light source and the heat sink member, for holding the semiconductor-type light source at the side of the heat sink member and feeding a power current to the semiconductor-type light source; and a fixing member which is covered on the power-feeding holder and fixed to the heat sink member, for fixing the power-feeding holder to the heat sink member and sandwiching and fixing the semiconductor-type light source between the power-feeding holder and the heat sink member. As a result, this vehicle light device improves workability of assembling components.
US08277098B2	Boat lighting components and system An LED lighting system for watercraft, including LED lighting assemblies inserted into tubular members and inserted within rub rails mounted along the gunwale or wall of the hull, along the starboard and port sides, bow and stern. The LED lighting assembly can include ultraviolet LEDS for night fishing, white-light LEDs, a red LED port-running light, and a green LED starboard-running light. The string of LED lights can be pre-assembled into conventional insert tubing, and inserted into the cavities of the rub rail to emit the desired LED light from within the rub rail.
US08277090B2	Translating aperture adjustment for a recessed luminaire A mounting assembly includes a stationary plate for supporting and linearly adjusting a recessed fixture in a parallel direction relative to structural framing members. Telescoping mounting bars are fixed to a building structure and allow adjustability of the stationary plate in a direction generally perpendicular to structural framing members. An adjustable plate has a plurality of linear guides received in a linear movable manner within a corresponding one of linear guide slots of the stationary plate. A linear locking member is adjustably secured in one of the linear guide slots such that linear movement of the adjustable plate is prevented relative to the stationary plate when the linear locking member is in a locked position, linear movement of the adjustable plate being allowed relative to the stationary plate in a direction parallel to the structural framing members when the linear locking member is in an adjustable position.
US08277089B2	Back light unit A back light unit including a light emitting device assembly is disclosed. The light emitting device assembly includes a light emitting device module having a light emitting device, a light guide plate having a light incidence part disposed adjacent to the light emitting device module so that light generated from the light emitting device is incident upon the light incidence part and a light emission part from which the incident light is emitted, a reflective sheet provided at one side of the light guide plate, and a light adjustment part extending from the reflective sheet for adjusting a reflection amount of the light emitted from the light guide plate.
US08277088B2	Optical element In various embodiments, an optical element may include at least one elastically deformable support, on which at least one reflective layer is applied; and in addition at least one deformation apparatus for elastically deforming the at least one support.
US08277086B2	Round reflector for electromagnetic radiation A reflector has a one-piece sheet-metal body having an anodized front face and unitarily formed with a central annular part lying generally in a plane and having an inner periphery generally centered on an axis and adapted to accommodate a light source and an outer periphery. A plurality of flat fingers project from the outer periphery, extend at an acute angle to the plane, have outer ends, and each have a pair of generally parallel side edges. Each edge of each finger is closely juxtaposed with the edge of the adjacent finger and the fingers form with the annular part a concave shape.
US08277085B2	Compact LED downlight with cuspated flux-redistribution lens A lighting device has a light source, a reflector dish with a central opening facing the light source, and a lens between the light source and the reflector dish. The lens is so arranged that light emitted from the source towards the central opening of the reflector dish is diffracted away from the central opening. The reflector dish is arranged to reflect light received from the source through the lens back past the lens and source.
US08277084B2	Multiple focus point light A lamp unit with a relay lens that allows two different focus points. Two different optical altering elements are hence simultaneously in focus. The elements can be taken in and out of focus to allow different effects.
US08277082B2	Solid state light assembly having light redirection elements A light assembly that includes an enclosure, a circuit board having a plurality of light sources disposed within the enclosure, and a plurality of light redirection elements associated with a respective one of the plurality of light sources. Each of the light redirection elements directs light toward a common point within the enclosure.
US08277081B2	Lamp using LED Provided is a lamp using LED which has a heat sink and an air-flowing part formed in a body and is equipped with a heat pipe to make higher a heat-conductive efficiency and thereby to make higher a heat-generation performance considerably so that the light emitting diode can be applied to a high-output illumination device to increase a life-time.
US08277078B2	Light emitting device A light emitting device includes: a light source unit which has a first and a second LED which are connected in parallel and emit lights of different colors, respectively. The lights of the first and the second LED are mixed to provide an emission light of the light source unit when an operating voltage is applied. The light source unit further has a resistor which is connected in series to the first LED to make forward current changing characteristics of the first and the second LED depending on change in the operating voltage to be different from each other, so that a required luminous flux-color temperature property, in which change in a color temperature of the emission light is made to depend on change in a luminous flux of the emission light, is obtained while the first and the second LED are turned on by applying the operating voltage.
US08277077B2	Auxiliary lighting systems Vehicle-mounted auxiliary lighting systems adapted to provide primary or auxiliary vehicle lighting using light emitting diodes (LEDS) are disclosed.
US08277070B1	Counter with border lighting A counter includes a base and a countertop spaced from the base that has an edge that defines a border of the countertop. An edge or support collar is disposed between the base and the countertop, the edge collar including a light-transmissive band that extends along the border of the countertop. The light-transmissive band has an inner side and an outer side opposite the inner side that forms a stratified outer edge with the edge of the countertop. A light source is positioned adjacent the inner side of the edge collar and configured to emit light outward through the light-transmissive band.
US08277068B2	Backlight device and display device It is an object to manufacture a highly reliable backlight device with less color unevenness and less luminance unevenness, and a high-performance and highly reliable display device including the backlight device, which can display a high quality image. A light emitting diode (LED) is used as a light source of a backlight device and thermoelectric elements are provided in a chassis for holding the light emitting diode so as to surround the light emitting diode (the thermoelectric elements are provided under the light emitting diode and on the four sides thereof). A temperature in the backlight device is adjusted by cooling and heating by the thermoelectric elements.
US08277067B2	Light source module, method of manufacturing the same and backlight assembly having the same In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, a light source module includes a light source, a frame plate, and an insulation structure. The frame plate includes a plurality of light source pad portions, a power wiring portion, and a peripheral portion. The power wiring portion is electrically connected to the light source to be formed in the vicinity of the light source pad portion. A boundary area of the power wiring portion corresponding to the peripheral portion and the light source pad portion is formed to be open, so that the power wiring portion is spaced apart from the peripheral portion and the light source pad portion. The insulation structure is formed in the boundary area to electrically insulate the power wiring portion from the frame plate. In one aspect, the volume, weight, and manufacturing costs of the light source module may be reduced, and a process of individually packaging light sources may be considered unnecessary.
US08277063B2	Light amplification unit A general purpose energy saving light amplification unit suitable as a lantern, guide light, background light, safety light, ornament or decorative object, said unit adapted to harness external surrounding ambient light, or other remote energy sources from at least two directions, employing a plurality of reflector members to receive and concentrate energy in in order to luminesce or fluoresce an optimally placed mutually shared luminescent or fluorescent body member, lodged in a tapered or convergent section of a hyperbola or between at least two juxstaposed reflectors, stimulating photon and electron activity resulting in maximum amount of transmitted visible light from at least two directions, irrespective of receptive direction or angle of origin of light source.
US08277062B2	Lamp assembly and housing therefor A lamp assembly 10 has a housing 12 that preferably is non-rotationally symmetrical. In a particular embodiment the housing 12 can be rectangular; however, other non-rotationally symmetrical housings can also be employed. The housing 12 includes a base 14 and an upstanding wall 16 surrounding the base 14. The space between the cover 24 and the base 14 defines a light-conducting channel 34. A light-receiving aperture 36 is defined in the housing 12 and in one instance is formed to receive light from a light source 22. A first light-receiving conduit 38 is defined in the light-conducting channel 34 and is formed to receive light from the light source 22 that is fitted into the light-receiving aperture 36 and conduct light to a second light-receiving conduit 40 defined in the light-conducting channel 34. The second light-receiving conduit 40 is positioned at an angle relative to the first light-receiving conduit 38 and has a proximal region 42 to receive light from the first light-receiving conduit 34 and a distal region 44 to emit light. The second conduit 40 is not directly in the line of sight of the first conduit 38 and thus relies upon reflected light from the light source 22. The upper cover 24 comprises a light transmissive peripheral region 26 that is in communication with the light-emitting distal region 44 of the second light-receiving conduit 40.
US08277061B2	Light guiding mechanism for portable electronic device A light guiding mechanism for portable electronic device includes a cover, a light guiding module and four light sources. The cover includes a light transmitting region. The light guiding module includes a light guide plate having a first diagonal line and a second diagonal line. The light guide plate defines a first through hole. The light guide plate includes a light reflecting region around the first through hole. The light reflecting region includes a plurality of protrusions symmetrically positioned relative to the first diagonal line and the second diagonal line. Adjacent protrusions have a space therebetween. The size of the space uniformly increases with increasing distance from the first through hole. Light emitted from the light sources is repeatedly reflected by the protrusions and then passes the light transmitting region of the cover.
US08277060B2	Apparatus and method of shaping a laser beam profile Various embodiments provide an apparatus and method for shaping a laser beam profile in which the apparatus includes a reformatting optical system configured to reformat a laser beam having a Gaussian intensity profile into a radiation beam having a top hat intensity profile; and a Fourier transforming optical system configured to transform the radiation beam having the top hat intensity profile into a radiation beam having a Bessel or sinc function intensity profile.
US08277059B2	Vehicular electrochromic interior rearview mirror assembly A vehicular electrochromic interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror casing and an electrochromic mirror reflective element. At least a portion of a front substrate of the reflective element extends beyond a corresponding portion of a rear substrate of the reflective element to establish a ledge at least partially along the periphery of the reflective element, with no part of the rear substrate extending beyond any part of the front substrate. Electrical connections are made to conductive coatings or layers at the front and rear substrates. The electrochromic interior rearview mirror reflective element includes a concealing layer disposed along a perimeter border region to conceal the presence of the perimeter seal and the electrical connections from view by a driver of the equipped vehicle. The mirror casing provides a bezel-less mirror casing where no portion of the mirror casing overlaps the first surface of the front substrate.
US08277053B2	Indoor projection of an aircraft A projection method and projection device for projecting an overall image to interior walls of an aircraft, in which method or device the boundary regions of several partial images of an overall image to be presented are matched correspondingly, and partial images are pre-distorted in order to, in this way, obtain a large-area non-distorted image presentation even in the case of complex geometric shapes of projection areas, in which image presentation the transition regions of partial images are at least perceptible only to a limited extent.
US08277049B2	Projector using LEDs as light sources A projector is provided, which includes a red substrate, a green substrate, a blue substrate, an X-cube, an electronic control element, a light guide element, a light valve element, and a projection lens. The red substrate, the green substrate, and the blue substrate respectively illuminate three surfaces of the X-cube, and the light is mixed in the X-cube and then exits from a light emitting surface. The electronic control element controls the red substrate, the green substrate, and the blue substrate. The light guide element is used for reflecting the light from the light emitting surface of the X-cube. The light valve element is used for reflecting the light from the light guide element back to the light guide element, and the light passes through the light guide element and then projected by the projection lens onto a projection plane area. Thereby, the ON/OFF switch time of the present invention is shortened, the temperature may not get over high, the optical efficiency is enhanced, and the whole volume is significantly reduced.
US08277046B2	Eyeglass retention apparatus An eyeglass retainer that features an elongated flexible segment of linear cylindrical material having a first end and a second end. Each end of the material can be tied into a knot so that each knot forms a loop of the material. Each of the two knots can be slidably adjustable over the length of the material so that each loop can be decreased in diameter to tighten the loop around a temple of a pair of eyeglasses. The small diameter and transparency of the material reduce the visibility of the eyeglass retainer to diminish its contrast with a wearer's clothing.
US08277042B2	Ink-jet recording apparatus and recording method therefor A recording apparatus has a recording head, a platen, and a first hole. The recording head includes a dot formation element array, and the platen holds a recording medium opposite the recording head. The first hole is disposed in an area of the platen opposite a downstream portion of the dot formation element array and guides ink discarded outside an end of the recording medium when the end is printed without a margin. Alternatively or additionally, a second hole is formed in an area of the platen opposite an upstream portion of the dot formation element array, and the platen guides ink, which is discarded outside an end of the recording medium when the end is printed without a margin, to the second hole.
US08277040B2	Printer A printer has an exhaust path that rectifies the exhaust flow of a centrifugal fan for producing air flow through a vacuum platen. Exhaust from a centrifugal fan 30 tends to flow in the direction of rotation A of the blades due to inertia even after being discharged from the exhaust opening 39. The exhaust thus produces a curving exhaust current C. An exhaust duct 32 connected to the exhaust opening 39 of the centrifugal fan 30 therefore curves in the direction of rotation A of the blades so as to not impede the flow of the exhaust current C. As a result, turbulence inside the exhaust duct 32 is suppressed, and the exhaust current C is rectified. The exhaust from the centrifugal fan 30 can therefore flow smoothly, and a loss of exhaust flow can be suppressed. In addition, noise caused by the exhaust current C hitting the inside wall of the exhaust duct 32 can be suppressed.
US08277037B2	Printing apparatus A printing apparatus for printing a heat shrinkable flattened plastics tubing or other elongate printable medium, the apparatus comprising: means for feeding at least one printable medium over a printer head; and a control means to control the sequence of printing operations on the medium, wherein the apparatus further comprises a return feed assembly to return the printable medium printed on a first face thereof inverted into the printing apparatus and off-set, e.g. spaced toward one side of the printing apparatus, relative to where it was first fed passed the print head for printing onto the obverse face of the medium, the apparatus being programmed to be set up initially with the medium installed for feeding/printing the first side whereby printing of the first side of the label/printable medium may be initiated and the printable medium stopped at a required set point along the medium for reverse feeding, allowing the medium to then be fed back through the printer for the printing of the second side before the printing resumes.
US08277036B2	Liquid discharging apparatus The image forming apparatus includes a liquid discharging head that discharges a liquid; and a damper chamber that is provided in a liquid supply flow channel, the damper chamber being an internal space that is formed by bonding a flexible member to a base member, wherein the flexible member has a bonding surface that is bonded to the base member, an opening that is formed in the bonding surface, and a swollen portion that is three-dimensionally swollen from the edge of the opening to form the damper chamber, the base member has a communicating port, through which the damper chamber and the liquid supply flow channel communicate with each other, in a state where the base member is bonded to the bonding surface of the flexible member and closes the opening, and the flexible member is disposed such that the swollen portion is swollen in a gravity direction.
US08277032B2	Acidic group-containing solid inks A microfluidic device includes a first substrate, and a phase change ink deposited on a surface of the first substrate. The phase change ink includes an ink vehicle including a polymeric material having one or more acidic groups, and an optional colorant, wherein the phase change ink is solid at room temperature but is liquid at a jetting temperature of from about 60 to about 150° C., and an acidic group mass percentage, measured as a total mass of acid groups to an entire weight of the ink, is from about 1% to about 35%.
US08277027B2	Printer with fluidically coupled printhead cartridge An inkjet printer that has at least three ink tanks for storing inks of different color, a printhead cartridge having a printhead with a nozzle face defining an array of nozzles, and a fluid coupling for supplying the printhead with ink from each of the ink tanks. The printer also having a cradle defining a reference surface for engaging a datum point on the printhead cartridge to support the nozzle face at a precise spacing from a media feed path and a latch for securing the printhead cartridge in the cradle, the latch being movable between an open position where access to the cradle is unobstructed, and a closed position where access to the cradle is obstructed. The latch is configured to apply a compressive force urging the datum point on the printhead cartridge into engagement with the reference surface. The printer further including a fluid interface in fluid communication with the ink tanks and a mechanical linkage between the latch and the fluid interface such that the fluid interface is displaced into sealed engagement with the fluid coupling upon moving the latch to the closed position, the fluid interface being displaced in a direction that does affect the compressive force between the datum point and the reference surface.
US08277026B2	Printhead cartridge insertion protocol A printhead cartridge is inserted in a printer in accordance with a particular protocol. The printer has a cradle with a reference surface for engaging a datum point on the printhead cartridge to support the nozzle face at a precise spacing from a media feed path. The printer also has a latch for securing the printhead cartridge in the cradle. The protocol involves the steps of placing the printhead cartridge in the cradle such that the datum point rests on the reference surface, moving the latch to the closed position to secure the printhead cartridge in cradle, providing a mechanical linkage between the latch and a fluid interface to ink tanks in the printer. The fluid interface sealingly engages the fluid coupling upon moving the latch to the closed position without urging the reference surface to disengage from the datum point.
US08277025B2	Printhead cartridge with no paper path obstructions A printhead cartridge for an inkjet printer that has a paper path for sheets of media substrate. The printhead cartridge has a cartridge body configured for user insertion in, and removal from an inkjet printer such that during printing, the cartridge remains stationary relative to the paper path and a printhead having a plurality of printhead ICs, each defining an array of nozzles for ejecting ink on to the sheets of media substrate. The printhead is mounted to the cartridge body such that when the printhead cartridge is installed in the printer, the array of nozzles are adjacent a planar section of the paper path, and no part of the printhead cartridge extends into the plane encompassing the planar section of the paper path.
US08277024B2	Printhead integrated circuit having exposed active beam coated with polymer layer A printhead integrated circuit includes: a substrate comprising drive circuitry; a ceramic nozzle plate spaced apart from the substrate, the nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzle openings and a plurality of moveable portions defined therein; an active beam disposed on each moveable portion of the nozzle plate, such that each moveable portion is moveable towards the substrate when a current from the drive circuitry is passed through a respective active beam; and a polymer layer coating the nozzle plate and the active beams, wherein the polymer layer is comprised of a polymerized siloxane.
US08277022B2	Fluid ejection apparatus There is provided a fluid ejection apparatus for ejecting a fluid including a head for ejecting the fluid and a moisture retention head cap device for retaining moisture of the head. The moisture retention head cap device is disposed so as to surround a periphery of the head to cover the whole of the head when retaining moisture of the head.
US08277021B2	Ink-jet recording apparatus An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a first driving source, a second driving source, and a control section. The first driving source drives a cap unit. The second driving source moves a cap and a recording head in directions different from a direction along which the cap is separated from the recording head by the first driving source. The control section drives the second driving source at the same time as the cap unit is driven by the first driving source.
US08277019B2	Introducing material into a printhead enclosure A printing apparatus comprises a jetting assembly including a plurality of nozzles for ejecting droplets on a substrate; an enclosure defining a print zone within which the jetting assembly prints on the substrate, the enclosure including an inlet for introducing a material associated with controlling an environment of the enclosure.
US08277015B2	Image forming device Blocking members are respectively provided at a conveyance direction upstream side and downstream side of a head unit of an inkjet recording device. The two blocking members are provided radially extending from an area near an outer peripheral surface of an image formation drum, and extend across a width direction of a paper, and respectively cover both conveyance direction sides of the head unit. An end of each blocking member near to the image formation drum is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the drum by a predetermined distance. Between an inkjet line head and a blocking member is provided a fan that blows air along a droplet ejection direction towards a vicinity of the outer peripheral surface of the image formation drum, thereby preventing heat from the image formation drum from being transmitted to an ejection direction distal end of the inkjet line head.
US08277014B2	Ink-jet recording apparatus An ink-jet recording apparatus, including: an ink-jet head; a conveyor mechanism; a relative movement mechanism; a detecting device; an output device; a sensor for detecting a recording medium existing between the head and the conveyor mechanism; and a relative-movement control device including: (a) a first control portion configured to control the relative movement mechanism to conduct a first operation in which the conveyor mechanism and the head are located at a medium removal position from a recording position when the detecting device detects a jam and to conduct, after the first operation, a second operation in which the conveyor mechanism and the head are located at the recording position from the medium removal position; and (b) a second control portion configured to control the relative movement mechanism to prevent the conveyor mechanism and the head from moving relatively toward each other where the sensor detects the medium in the second operation.
US08277012B2	Recording apparatus A conveyance unit continually conveys sheets of the number of continual prints. A head control section controls ejection of ink droplets from inkjet heads in such a way that there are produced image dots which make up an image to be printed on each of the sheet every time the sheet is conveyed and flushing dots corresponding to flushing dot candidates, among flushing dot candidates for flushing patterns included in a flushing pattern group determined from the continual print count, which are placed at locations where the image dots are not to be produced.
US08277009B2	Image recording device An image recording device including a feeder and a recorder with dot forming elements aligned in a predetermined direction at intervals of a predetermined pitch. When determining that a first whole length of an image group to be printed in the predetermined direction is more than a second whole length of the dot forming elements in the predetermined direction, the image recording device records the image group with the recorder while feeding a recording medium with the feeder by a first feed distance more than the predetermined pitch each printing operation to be repeated. When determining that the first whole length is equal to or less than the second whole length, the image recording device records the image group with the recorder while feeding the recording medium with the feeder by a second feed distance equal to or less than the predetermined pitch each printing operation to be repeated.
US08277008B2	Method and apparatus for driving inkjet head A method for driving an inkjet head includes applying drive signals including an ejection signal used for ejecting ink and a non-ejection signal used for not ejecting the ink, to an actuator provided with a pressure chamber at a constant cycle so as to increase or reduce pressure in the pressure chamber in such a manner that the ink is ejected or not ejected from a nozzle connected with the pressure chamber, wherein: a waveform of the ejection signal includes a combination of an ejection pulse for causing a droplet of the ink to be ejected from the nozzle and a non-ejection pulse for not causing a droplet of the ink to be ejected from the nozzle, the ejection pulse of the waveform of the ejection signal includes a part for reducing the pressure in the pressure chamber and a part for increasing the reduced pressure in the pressure chamber.
US08277005B2	Refrigerator door opening device and refrigerator having the same A refrigerator including a body, a door movably coupled to the body, a gasket installed at a rear surface of the door to establish a gasket seal between the door and the body when the door is in a closed position, a first mount provided at a first location of the door located adjacent to a left edge portion of the door, a second mount provided at a second location of the door located adjacent to a right edge portion of the door, and a door opening device to cause the gasket seal to break between the door and the body, the door opening device including a pivoting member mounted to the door, first and second operating portions and a first push unit mounted to a first mount to press against the body when being pressed by the first operating portion of the pivoting member.
US08277004B2	Refrigerator and opening/closing apparatus of the same A refrigerator includes an opening/closing apparatus. In the refrigerator and opening/closing apparatus, an extendible cabinet with shelves is accommodated in a storing compartment. Therefore, food or other items can be loaded in the cabinet and taken out from the cabinet more easily.
US08277001B2	Storage unit for electronic devices A storage unit (10) for electronic devices that comprises an openable housing and a mounting system (40) for receiving and retaining one or more electronic devices within the housing. The mounting system (40) has a hinging assembly (44) that supports two or more brackets (42), each bracket being arranged to receive and retain one or more electronic devices and being hingedly moveable relative to any other bracket by virtue of the hinging assembly to thereby enable access to the bracket for the installation, maintenance or removal of an electronic device or devices.
US08276999B2	Collapsible portable bar A compact collapsible bar includes a rigid top frame and a rigid bottom frame. A collapsible fabric enclosure is permanently connected to the top frame and to the bottom frame. A set of rigid collapsible legs is removably connected to the top frame and to the bottom frame. When collapsed, the entire bar assembly can be stored in a compact carrying bag.
US08276994B2	Sealing member for master cylinder and master cylinder having the same Disclosed herein are a sealing member for a master cylinder and a master cylinder having the same. The master cylinder is configured such that a communication hole of a piston is rapidly brought into communication with an oil path toward an oil tank upon release of braking. This may minimize meaningless retracting movement of the piston and delay in a braking release operation. The sealing member for the master cylinder includes an outer wing part to come into contact with the cylinder body, and an inner wing part to come into contact with the outer surface of the piston. The inner wing part includes a seal formed at a tip end thereof and at least one oil passage formed in a surface thereof opposite the outer surface of the piston.
US08276990B2	Drive station for an underground plough system and method for repairing recovery ploughs The invention relates to a drive station for an underground plough system, in particular a coal plough system, with a machine frame to which a plough box can be fastened, and with a wedge trough which is connected to the machine frame and is provided with a plough guide device, which has chain channels for a plough chain, and also a plough end stop on a runout section for a winning plough. In order to facilitate the repair of a winning plough, the plough end stop is formed on an attachment which can be dismantled, when the plough guide device is mounted, to produce a repair section in the longwall-gallery transition of the wedge trough. The invention also relates to a repair method in which the plough end stop is dismantled and the winning plough is moved into the repair section.
US08276989B2	Pivot pin and saddle assembly for a side-dump trailer or truck A pivot pin and saddle assembly is provided for a side-dump trailer or truck with the pivot pin and saddle assembly including structure which limits the relative movement between the side-dump body of the trailer or truck with respect to the frame of the trailer or truck. The saddle assembly of this invention includes a bearing block comprised of Nylon® or other composite material which supports the pivot pin to prevent metal-to-metal contact between the pivot pin and the associated saddle assembly.
US08276987B1	Children's tricycle with adaptable seat A children's tricycle comprises a frame, a set of handlebars, a fork, three wheels and a seat adaptable for users of different sizes without modification. The frame comprises a top tube, a head tube and a rear triangle that is substantially perpendicular to the top tube. In some embodiments, the seat extends from the head tube to a point on the frame. In some embodiments, the seat extends from a pivot point of the tricycle along the top tube to the rear triangle. Accordingly, to utilize the tricycle, different sized users are able to move forward or backward on the seat to comfortably engage the pedals and handlebars of the tricycle. In some embodiments, the frame of the children's tricycle comprises one or more of steel, aluminum and metal composite.
US08276985B2	Infant seat The present invention refers to an infant seat (10), in particular to be mounted to a baby carriage in a detachable manner, designed in such a way that it exhibits a seat configuration and coming from said seat configuration is transformable into a carry configuration, in which the infant seat may be used as a carrycot. According to the invention it is provided that the infant seat (10) comprises a separate unit serving as a carrycot (20), which is arranged in the seat configuration beneath an upper shell (12) of the infant seat (10). It is a particular advantage of the invention that the infant seat (10) can be transformed into the carrycot (20) with a small number of hand movements only. Furthermore in the mounted condition of the infant seat which is the seat configuration the carrycot is stored within the infant seat in a space saving manner.
US08276983B2	Manual retracting head restraint A seat assembly includes a seat back pivotally coupled to a seat cushion for movement between a generally upright seating position and a folded position overlying the seat cushion. A head restraint is slidably coupled to an upper end of the seat back for vertical movement between a use position spaced apart from the upper end and a stowed position adjacent the upper end. A mechanism is operative for automatically moving the head restraint between the use and stowed positions in response to pivoting the seat back between the seating and folded positions.
US08276981B2	Frame arrangement for a vehicle A frame arrangement for a vehicle comprises a first frame element extending a substantially lengthwise direction of a vehicle, a fastening element having sidewalls and operably coupled to the first frame element and configured to hold an axle guide, a second frame element extending substantially at right angles to the first frame element fastened to the fastening element such that the second frame element surrounds at least some region of the fastening element, and wherein the second frame element is substantially U-shaped and includes at least a pair of fastening segments forming legs of the U-shaped fastening segment.
US08276980B2	Vehicle frame side sill joints A vehicle frame assembly, system and method includes a vehicle frame assembly having a variable length longitudinal frame component. The longitudinal frame component is formed at a first length when used on a first vehicle type and formed at a second length when used on a second vehicle type.
US08276977B2	Automobile body structure It is an object of the present invention to prevent a vehicle door from protruding into a vehicle cabin when a collision load is applied to the door from a lateral side thereof, and to reduce costs that are required for measures to prevent the door from protruding into the vehicle cabin.
US08276976B2	Vehicle body front structure A vehicle body front structure provided with left and right side frames (16, 17). The left front side frame (16) has a rectangular closed cross-sectional shape. The front side frame (16) is provided with a rectilinear section (front half frame section) (44) extending rectilinearly from the front end (58) to the center section (43), and also with a moment receiving section (rear half frame section) (45) continuing from the rectilinear section (44) and extending in a curved form toward the inner side in the widthwise direction of the vehicle. A first ridge line section (78) is a portion which forms a corner (78) among the corners (78) of the rectilinear section (45), said corner (78) being located on the inner side in the widthwise direction of the vehicle. A second ridge line section (84) is connected to the first ridge line section (78) at a position inside the moment receiving section (45). A stiffener (65) is connected to the rear end (66) of the front side frame (16).
US08276971B2	Aerodynamic structure for vehicle An aerodynamic structure for a vehicle that can effectively adjust airflow within a wheel house is provided.An aerodynamic structure (10) for a vehicle has an airflow collision wall (24) provided rearward, in a vehicle body longitudinal direction, with respect to a front wheel (15) in a wheel house (14), and extending in a vehicle width direction and facing a lower side in a vehicle body vertical direction, and an airflow guiding wall (22) hanging downward in the vehicle body vertical direction from a rear end portion (24A) in the vehicle body longitudinal direction of the airflow collision wall (24). The airflow guiding wall (22) extends in the vehicle body vertical direction, or extends in a tilting direction directed both toward the front wheel (15) side and toward the lower side in the vehicle body vertical direction.
US08276970B2	Linkage lid configuration, and vehicle having a linkage lid configuration of this type A linkage lid configuration for a motor vehicle having a displaceable roof configuration, has a movable lid which opens or closes a linkage passage opening and is guided during its movement at least in sections by a displaceable guide track. In order to optimize the linkage lid configuration, there is provision for the displaceable guide track to be configured such that it can be displaced independently of the lid and, in a displacement position, to be moved out of a movement path of a movable component of the motor vehicle.
US08276964B2	Console of a motor vehicle having a container for receiving an object A console of a motor vehicle, in particular a central console of a motor vehicle, is provided that has a container, which has a receptacle space, which is open on top, for at least one object, and having an apparatus for lateral positioning of the at least one object, the container having a floor and side walls. The console is provided with an apparatus for lateral positioning that has a frame part, which is detachably connectable to the side walls in the area of the opening of the receptacle space and positioning elements mounted in the frame part.
US08276962B2	Apparatus and methods for litter support system for vehicles A litter support system for a vehicle including a support framework connectable to a wall of the vehicle, an upper litter support arm for holding a litter, the upper litter support arm connected to the support framework, a lower litter support arm for holding a litter, the lower litter support arm connected to the support framework, wherein the upper and lower litter support arms are connected to the support framework such that the upper and lower litter support arms are rotatable between a store position and a first support position and movable substantially horizontally between the first support position substantially adjacent to and near the support framework and a second support position substantially extended outwardly from the support framework.
US08276960B2	Device and method for seizing and setting down impact-sensitive sheets A device, method and computer readable-storage for mechanically handling impact-sensitive sheets of various formats ready for dispatch is described. The device has the following features: a) a control device in the form of a multi-axis robotic arm connected to a gripper device and means for mechanically gripping the sheets; b) the gripper device is hinged onto and suspended from the control device at a gentle incline by means of an adjustable damping device; c) the gripper device has sliding sections for the relative displacement of the means for mechanically gripping the sheets; d) the gripper device has means for determining the geometric dimensions of the sheets to be seized and for determining their set-down position; e) the gripper device has means for determining the exact positional co-ordinates of the set-down position; and f) the gripper device has means for gently feeding and depositing the sheets in the set-down position.
US08276955B2	Zero stack-up telescopically collapsible energy absorbing rail and bracket assembly An energy absorbing assembly for a vehicle that has a bumper and a frame. A receptacle is defined within the frame. A collapsible member is provided between the bumper and a recessed location spaced away from the bumper in the receptacle. The collapsible member may collapse at least partially into the receptacle in the event of a collision.
US08276953B2	Bumper system for a motor vehicle A bumper system for a motor vehicle includes, but is not limited to, a bumper cross member, which is fixed to a stiff frame of the motor vehicle, a pliable bumper shell, a compressible structure which is formed between an upper area of the shell and the cross member and one support section which supports the lower area of the shell, which, together with a crash box holding the cross member is anchored to the flange plates of the frame.
US08276952B2	Double-door stop apparatus Double-door stop apparatus comprises a rigid elongate bar element which has a length which spans a distance between open oppositely-hinged double doors, and attachment elements on the bar element for releasably fastening the bar element to each of the doors. In use, the double doors are thus securely held stationary in an open condition. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises an awning sheet of flexible material which is extendable from the bar element.
US08276951B2	Door-closing device for a domestic electrical appliance A door-closing device for a domestic electrical appliance comprises a frame with an aperture for the introduction of a keeper. A closing unit is arranged on the frame such that when in a closing position, the closing unit holds the keeper for the purposed of keeping the door closed and, in an open position, releases said keeper for the purposed of opening the door, said closing unit, in the course of its transfer from the open position into the closing position, draws the keeper along with it. A closing spring arrangement acts upon the closing unit to draw the keeper along with said unit. A blocking element that is movable relative to the frame to block and unblock the movement of the closing unit.
US08276950B2	Vehicle door lock Rotary latch lock for the locking closing of a vehicle door, having a lock case 2 exhibiting a cut-out recess for a lock pin, in which two rotatably mounted rotary latches, two rotary latch springs for imposing a load on the rotary latches and one pivotable, engaging lock element are arranged, which are capable of interacting in such a way as to actuate the lock, in conjunction with which an actuating element engaging in the lock case is provided, which element is capable of interacting operatively with the lock element, and by means of which locking is capable of being released, in conjunction with which an engaging locking element capable of pivoting and actuating this latch is provided for each rotary latch, in conjunction with which the locking elements are capable of interacting operatively with at least one actuating element, and in conjunction with which the rotary latch lock preferably exhibits an arrangement for locating, centering and guiding the vehicle door in relation to the body during opening and closing of the vehicle door.
US08276949B2	Vehicle door lock device A vehicle door lock device includes a latch mechanism having a lift lever and further includes an inside open lever, an outside open lever, an open link and an active lever. A spring is interposed between the outside open lever and the open link. In the housing, provided is an unlocked state holding guide for holding the open link in an unlocked state when the active lever is in an unlock position and when the outside open lever rotates. In the active lever, provided is a locked state holding guide for holding the open link in a locked state when the active lever is in a lock position and when the outside open lever rotates. This construction enables reduction of the number of components and construction of the device in a simple and inexpensive manner.
US08276940B2	Airbag arrangement for a vehicle occupant restraint system and a method for the production of an airbag module An airbag arrangement includes an airbag with at least one inflatable chamber and a first opening; and a cover that at least partially covers the first opening of the airbag and that comprises a second opening. The first and second openings are designed such that the chamber of the airbag is accessible through the first and second openings. The first opening is designed in a first layer of an airbag material and the second opening is designed in a second layer of an airbag material. At least one part projects into the airbag through the first and the second opening, whereby the first and the second layer are restrained by the part projecting into the airbag in the area of the openings such that a section of the rim of the first and a section of the rim of the second opening rest closely against the part.
US08276938B2	Curtain bag Provided is a curtain bag which can be brought into an inflated state as required in a short time without locally applying an excessive load to its outer peripheral joint part (1) and inner joint parts (2). The dot-like inner joint parts (2) on the inside of the outer peripheral joint part (1) are isolated from the outer peripheral joint part (1) and also made to be independent of each other.
US08276937B2	Side airbag for a motor vehicle A side airbag is provided for a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger automobile, having an airbag and tensioner for stretching out the unfolded airbag. The tensioner has a peripheral, fillable tensioning frame.
US08276936B2	Automotive airbag apparatus An automotive airbag apparatus is able to reduce the shock caused by early deployment of airbag against a passenger not in a position for safe airbag restraint, and further able to deploy quickly and effectively when a passenger is in a position for safe restraint. The airbag apparatus includes an airbag housing in which a folded airbag resides until deployed by the gas from an inflator, an airbag door that opens on a hinge from the pressure applied by the deploying airbag, and a restrictor member extending over the folded airbag beneath the airbag door with a direction from front to rear of the vehicle. The restrictor member has a fixed end at forward part thereof attached to the airbag housing, and a releasable fixed or free end at rearward part thereof, the free end coming into frictional contact with the airbag door in the vicinity of the hinge as the airbag door is pushed out by the early phase of the airbag deployment.
US08276930B1	Tow bar having multiple interchangeable towing assemblies A tow bar having a towing portion with multiple interchangeable towing assemblies each structured to be releasably connectable to towing vehicles having different types and/or sizes of towing hitch apparatus; a towed portion with a body member connected to a pair of rearwardly-extending legs each with a rear connector releasably connectable to a baseplate connector of a towed hitch apparatus of a towed vehicle, at least one of the legs being pivotally connected to the body member; an attaching portion structured to releasably connect each interchangeable towing assembly to the body member; and a storage mechanism structured to releasable secure the tow bar to a baseplate connector of the towed hitch apparatus of the towed vehicle.
US08276929B1	Trailer for a livestock chute A trailer for a livestock chute with the trailer having a horizontally disposed frame with a forward end, a rearward end, a first side and a second side. The livestock chute is supported upon and secured to the frame means of the trailer. A first selectively retractable wheel assembly is mounted at the first side of the trailer and a second selectively retractable wheel assembly is mounted at the second side of the trailer. A pair of hydraulically operated jacks are secured to the forward end of the trailer and a pair of hydraulically operated jacks are secured to the rearward end of the trailer. The trailer and livestock chute may be raised and lowered by way of the retractable wheel assemblies and jacks.
US08276928B2	Console for attachment to a vehicle chassis and vehicle comprising a suspension carrying console A console is provided for attachment to a vehicle chassis. The console includes a bracket body for a truck. The bracket body is formed by a casting which at least partly encloses a cavity for storing a fluid.
US08276926B2	Rear suspension spring support structure A rear suspension spring support structure enables a rear side member to have an improved rigidity, and thus driving stability is improved. The rear suspension spring support structure has a rear cross member connected to a rear side member with a rear cross member extension being interposed therebetween. An extending portion, on a vehicle lateral side, of the rear cross member extension passes under the rear side member and extends to the vehicle lateral side of the rear side member. The extending portion is welded to a lower surface of the rear side member and a side surface of the vehicle lateral side. A coil spring bracket for receiving an upper end portion of the coil spring is joined to a lower surface of the rear cross member extension.
US08276921B2	Snowboard binding A snowboard binding comprises two assemblies that are capable of being mated or docked with each other and locked together while the snowboard is in use. One of the assemblies may be affixed to the deck of the snowboard. In an embodiment of the invention, the other assembly may be secured, e.g., to the user's boot, and in an embodiment of the invention, the features of the other assembly that support docking and locking of the assemblies may be incorporated into a boot.Either or both assemblies may comprise one or more permanent magnets configured to assist docking by attracting the assemblies to one another in a manner that encourages them to dock in a proper configuration. In embodiments of the invention, locking the docked assemblies together may be achieved without use of the hands.
US08276917B2	Sealing device A sealing device in which oil (O) is supplied by ejection to a sealing device body (3). In the sealing device, an increase in friction of a seal lip (33) caused by the pressure of the oil (O) is prevented, and effective lubrication by the oil (O) is promoted. The sealing device has the sealing device body (3) having the seal lip (33) slidably in intimate contact with the outer peripheral surface of a rotating shaft (2), an oil ejection opening (12) for ejecting the oil (O) toward a position on the outer peripheral side of the seal lip (33) of the sealing device body (3), and oil splashing means (4) for splashing the oil (O), ejected from the ejection opening (12), back to a portion near a sliding portion (S) of the seal lip (33).
US08276915B2	Game apparatus and method A dice game and method of playing a dice game is disclosed wherein provided are ten dice, a dice box having a score pad and bonus card holding area, playing chips and chip holders, a score payout card, and instructions for playing the game. Players take turns rolling the ten dice in the dice box, and if three like kind or more dice of the same suit are rolled, such dice are placed on the score pad and removed from play, after which the player must decide whether to reroll the remaining dice or bank the point from the initial roll. If on a subsequent roll in a turn a dice of the same suit is not rolled, the players turn is over and all points accumulated in such turn are lost. If three like kind or more dice are not rolled on an initial roll, the player selects a “bonus” card and is awarded the designated number of points on the card, and the dice are rolled again. After a play becomes the “winner” by being the first to achieve 122,000 points, each other play will have a final turn in which to attempt to achieve an even higher score, with the player achieving the highest score becoming the “high roll winner”.
US08276910B2	Document feeder, method for controlling the same, and recording medium A document feeder to reverse a document by conveying the document to a reverse path. The document feeder includes a conveyance roller to convey the document, a reverse roller provided along a conveyance path of the document conveyed by the conveyance roller to convey the document to the reverse path by changing a direction of conveyance of the document, and a reverse roller control unit to control the reverse roller to correct skew of the document. The reverse roller control unit controls the reverse roller to correct the skew of the document by striking the document conveyed by the conveyance roller against a nip formed between the reverse roller and a roller provided opposite the reverse roller to temporarily bend the document.
US08276909B2	Media path crossover clearance for printing system A media path crossover for a printing system includes a first crossover pathway on which sheets of print media are conveyed across a crossover junction without interruption and a second crossover pathway on which sheets of print media are conveyed across the crossover junction without interruption. The second crossover pathway intersects the first crossover pathway at a crossover junction. The first crossover pathway comprises a first input path and a first output path and the second crossover pathway comprises a second input path and a second output path. At least the first input path includes a first access panel, whereby a sheet can be cleared therefrom while continuing conveyance of media along the second crossover pathway.
US08276907B2	Recording apparatus A recording apparatus includes: a recording unit that performs a recording operation on a sent recording medium; a main body that has the recording unit; a discharge stacker that places the recording medium discharged from the main body therein; and a flexible member that forms a lateral closed region by connecting a downstream end in a discharge direction of the discharge stacker and the main body on the upper side of the downstream end in the discharge direction of the discharge stacker in a placing direction.
US08276905B2	Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming system A sheet feeding apparatus including: a sheet loading table; and an adsorption conveyance section having: multiple belts with through-holes; and an air suction section in an inside of the belts and absorbs air through the through-holes; wherein the conveyance section sucks air, allows the sheet to be adsorbed to the belt, and conveys it; the adsorption conveyance section further includes: a first roller provides driving force to the belts; a second roller rotated by the belts, and a third roller between the first roller and the second roller and rotated by the belts, and the belts are supported by those rollers; and an outer surface of the belts mostly protrudes towards the sheets on the table at a central part of the third roller in a cross section perpendicular to the conveyance direction containing a shaft of the third roller.
US08276901B2	Paper sheet handling apparatus and paper sheet handling method A paper sheet handling apparatus includes a transport unit having a main transport path and a return transport path, a detection unit arranged at a predetermined detection position in the main transport path, and a controller controlling the transport unit based on the detection result of the detection unit. The controller leads, at the diversion position in the main transport path, a paper sheet transported along the main transport path into the return transport path, transports a subsequent paper sheet along the main transport path, and controls the transportation of the paper sheet and the transportation of the subsequent paper sheet respectively in response to the arrival of the subsequent paper sheet at the detection position such that the paper sheets are stacked into a batch at the joining position of the two transport paths with certain parts of the paper sheets being aligned.
US08276899B2	Media-sheet conveying unit A media-sheet post-processing apparatus performs post-processing on a media sheet delivered thereto. The sheet media post-processing apparatus includes a media-sheet conveying unit configured to convey a media sheet while moving in a media-sheet conveying direction; and a move drive unit configured to move the media-sheet conveying unit in the media-sheet conveying direction in such a manner that a difference between an amount that the media sheet is conveyed by the media-sheet conveying unit and an amount that the media-sheet conveying unit is moved is kept constant.
US08276898B2	Electrode transporter and fixture sets incorporating the same An electrode transporter is provided comprising a transporter frame, a plurality of transitional support elements, and a plurality of flipside support elements. The flipside support elements are configured to immobilize an electrode along a gravitational force vector normal to a major face of an electrode positioned in an electrode accommodating space defined by the transitional support elements and the flipside support elements. The transitional support elements are configured to transition back and forth from a secured state, where the electrode is further immobilized along an opposing force vector opposite the gravitational force vector, to an unsecured state where the electrode is relatively mobile along the opposing force vector. Additional embodiments relate to the use of a transporter tripod and an electrode removal puck and lifting fork to remove an electrode from the transporter frame.
US08276891B2	Gas mixture supplying method and apparatus A gas mixture supplying method includes supplying plural kinds of gases through gas supply lines connected to a common pipeline and supplying a gas mixture of the plural kinds of gases from a gas outlet of the common pipeline into a region where the gas mixture is used through a gas mixture supply line. When a typical gas supplied in a gaseous state from a gas supply unit and a liquid source gas vaporized by heating a liquid source material supplied from a liquid source material supply unit by a vaporizing unit are supplied simultaneously, the liquid source gas is supplied from one of the gas supply lines provided at a position closer to the gas outlet than that for the typical gas, and the liquid source gas is supplied to a downstream side of a filter for removing particles in the typical gas.
US08276890B1	Pressure monitoring panel for aeration basins The present invention is a pressure monitoring panel apparatus with a panel housing that contains a programmable logic controller. Pressure transducers transmit the pressures from an aeration basin diffuser head and an aeration basin airline to a programmable logic controller. The programmable logic controller uses the pressures from the aeration basin diffuser head and aeration basin airline to determine the airflow rate through the aeration basin diffuser and the pressure drop across the aeration basin diffuser. Those values are then displayed on a viewable interface.
US08276887B2	Building element with varying surface characteristics A building element (10) is formed from sheet material having opposite major surfaces (11, 12) that extend between longitudinal edges (13, 14). Margins of the sheet adjacent the longitudinal edges are turned out of a mid-plane of the sheet to form opposite profiled sections (15 and 16). The major surfaces (11, 12) of the building element have different surface characteristics, and one profiled section has one of the major surfaces as its outer surface, and the other profiled section has the other major surface as its outer surface.
US08276880B2	Butterfly valve plate sealing assembly Butterfly valve plate sealing assemblies are provided that include a sealing ring and a retention spacer disposed at least partially within a sealing ring groove formed about a periphery of a butterfly valve plate. The sealing ring includes a first portion, a second portion configured substantially perpendicular to the first portion, and a substantially L-shaped cross-section. The sealing ring is positioned at least partially within a groove opening and a groove body defining the sealing ring groove. The retention spacer is positioned at least partially within the groove opening and adjacent the first portion of the sealing ring. The retention spacer is configured to limit expansion of the sealing ring when under the influence of a pressurized fluid flow. The second portion of the sealing ring may be configured to optimize stiffness for a desired sealing ring tension.
US08276877B2	Solenoid valve controlled by wireless communication A solenoid valve controlled by wireless communication, in which the operation of the valve is controlled by wireless communication, thereby reducing costs and labors necessary for installation and maintenance. The solenoid valve includes a valve body having an inlet port, through which fluid is introduced, and an outlet port, through which fluid is discharged; a plunger movably mounted inside the valve body to open or close one or both of the inlet and outlet ports; a solenoid, which drives the plunger to a position, in which the plunger opens or closes one or both of the inlet and outlet ports, when electric power is supplied; and a communication module provided on the valve body. The communication module receives a wireless control signal transmitted from outside and controls the electric power supplied to the solenoid valve depending on the wireless control signal.
US08276874B2	Ceiling formwork system The invention relates to a ceiling formwork system comprising several grid elements, each of which is composed of a plurality of parallel longitudinal beams and at least one transversal beam that can be mounted or placed on vertical supports and extends perpendicular to the longitudinal beams. The longitudinal and transversal beams of the grid elements are rigidly interconnected. Standard grid elements are provided with two transversal beams in the opposite terminal areas of the longitudinal beams while transversal compensating grid elements are fitted with two transversal beams which are offset towards the inside in relation to the standard grid elements.
US08276870B2	Hanging structure A hanging structure includes a back bezel recessed with a bezel recess, a first hanging member, and a second hanging member. The first hanging member movably arranged in the bezel recess includes an ear-shaped hanging part which is axially recessed with an accommodating hole with a first guiding path at side face. The first guiding path includes an axial segment and two positioning notches obliquely extending from the axial segment. The second hanging member movably arranged in the accommodating hole includes a main body and a mushroom-shaped hanging part. The main body, at its surface, includes a guiding protrusion which is movably arranged in the first guiding path of the first hanging member. The mushroom-shaped hanging part selectively extends out of the accommodating hole depending on which positioning notch the guiding protrusion moves into. Therefore, the hanging structure has various hanging modes to be selected.
US08276867B2	Adjustable projector bracket assembly An adjustable projector bracket assembly has a pivoting device, a moving device and an adjusting device. The moving device is slidably connected with the pivoting device and has a bottom. The adjusting device is mounted on the bottom of the moving device and has a projector bracket and at least three supporting arms. The projector bracket has at least three arm grooves formed through the projector bracket. The at least three supporting arms are respectively pivotally and slidably connected with the at least three arm grooves. With the supporting arms pivotally and slidably connected with the arm grooves, projectors P of different sizes or having different assembling holes can be mounted securely on the projector bracket.
US08276863B2	Device support stand A device support stand has a base fixed to a device on which the support stand is installed, a first support shaft upstanding from the base, a second support shaft extended on a line perpendicular to the first support shaft and joined to the first support shaft via a first movable section, a third support shaft placed at a portion a predetermined distance away from the first support shaft, a fourth support shaft extended on a line perpendicular to the third support shaft and joined to the third support shaft via a second movable section, a pair of first and second connection frames joined to the fourth support shaft via third and fourth movable sections, respectively, and a device fixation member for device installation, installed on one end of the third support shaft. The first and second connection frames are joined together by adjustment/joint means for adjusting the spacing between the first and second connection frames so as to limit rotation of the first to fourth movable sections. The device on which the support stand is installed can be moved up, down, left, and right and can be fixed to a rear low position after changing its angle.
US08276862B2	Stand for image display device There is provided a stand for an image display device supporting a flat-plate-like image display device. The stand for an image display device is provided with: a plane plate member in which the outside dimension is larger than that of the outside frame of the image display device, and the back face may be arranged in such away that the back face contacts the wall surface; a leg portion installed on the opposite side to the wall surface at the lower end of the plane plate member; and an arm member connecting the back face of the image display device and the front face of the plane plate member in such a way that the image display device may be moved.
US08276860B2	Mounting apparatus for blower A mounting apparatus for a blower includes a parallel pair of racks, a pair of sliding rails attached to the racks and capable of sliding along the racks, a pair of seats attached to the rails and capable of sliding along the rails, two pairs of positioning members extending through the racks and engaging with the rails to position the rails on the racks, and a pair of fasteners extending through the blower to engage with the seats to attach the blower to the seats.
US08276859B1	Leveling mechanism An equipment mounting and aligning device including a base having an upwardly facing convex portion and a swivel pad having a downwardly facing concave portion, the swivel pad being pivotally supported on the base by means of the complimentary concave and convex portions which, when joined, interact to allow the swivel pad to pivot to compensate for a piece of equipment's bent or irregular mounting feet and for uneven mounting surfaces.
US08276858B1	Combination stand and jack for wire spools A stand used for supporting spools of wire and the like includes a cam which is operable to increase the length of a leg to thereby raise the spool of wire off of the ground. The stand is adjustable to allow its use with different sizes of spools of wire. The stand allows a single person to raise a spool of wire weighing thousands of pounds off of the ground and support the same to allow the spool to rotate freely upon an axle.
US08276856B2	Support mechanism having two detachable covers and hinge A support mechanism includes a base assembly and a hinge assembly. The base assembly includes a first cover and a second cover attached to the first cover. The first cover forms two first locking members and the second cover forms two restriction members. The hinge assembly includes a bracket and two pivot units rotatably connected to the bracket. The bracket includes a fixing portion and two connecting portions extending from opposite sides of the fixing portion. The first locking members are latched with the fixing portion of the bracket, and the restriction members engage the first locking members to prevent the first locking members from moving.
US08276852B2	Low noise wing slat system with deployable wing leading edge elements Concepts and technologies described herein provide for a low noise aircraft wing slat system. According to one aspect of the disclosure provided herein, a cove-filled wing slat is used in conjunction with a moveable leading edge element of an aircraft wing to provide a high lift system. The moveable leading edge element may include a one-piece or two-piece panel that retracts within the aircraft wing to accommodate the cove-filled slat in the stowed position. Upon deployment of the cove-filled slat, the moveable leading edge element deploys outward to create a continuous outer mold line shape with the wing.
US08276844B2	Unmanned aerial vehicle launching and landing system The invention relates to a system for landing UAV's. The system comprises a slingshot structure that includes arm based structure and an axis installed along the arm of the structure and enabling the arm to move around it. The system comprises a base connecting the axis to a platform at which the system is installable. The system also includes a controlled pulling and braking means that connects the arm of the structure and the platform upon which the system is installable and stretchable elastic installed in a stretched manner at a gap formed between two arms and set to connect with a landing UAV. At the landing phase, the controlled pulling and braking of the system essentially breaks the motion of the arm based structure that is propelled to revolve around the system's axis, and propels the structure to move around the axis.
US08276840B2	Fail-operational multiple lifting-rotor aircraft A rotorcraft having multiple rotors, and wings that provide lift in forward flight, has a mechanical coupling between rotors that can be disengaged and optionally reengaged, during flight. The coupling, which can prevent a failure of one rotor from interfering with rotation of the other rotor(s), can be accomplished using many different types of devices, including for example, dog clutches, friction clutches, and collapsible clutches. Disengagement can range from being completely under control of an operator, to partially under operator control, to completely automatic. Among many other benefits, designing, manufacturing, fitting, retrofitting or in some other manner providing an aircraft with a device that can disengage rotation of one of the rotors from that of another one of the rotors during flight can be used to improve survivability in an emergency situation.
US08276836B2	Fuel nozzle assemblies and methods A fuel nozzle assembly includes a nozzle body and an orifice plate. The orifice plate may be removably positioned on an interior of the nozzle body.
US08276832B2	Multiple spray actuator overcap An actuator overcap for producing multiple spray patterns includes a cap having a hub with a lower surface defining a socket and an upper surface defining a chamber fluidly communicating with the socket. First and second barrels extend between the hub and a side wall of the cap to define first and second flow paths. A trigger is pivotably coupled to the cap and includes a seal support. A selector is coupled to the trigger, and includes a user-engageable pad and a seal. The seal is configured to closely fit within the hub chamber and defines a central aperture fluidly communicating with the hub chamber and a first notch extending radially outwardly from and fluidly communicating with the central aperture. The trigger and selector are pivotable with respect to the cap to place the first notch in fluid communication with one of the first and second flow paths.
US08276828B2	Method of decoding coding pattern comprising control symbols A method of decoding a coding pattern disposed on or in a substrate. The method comprises the steps of: (a) operatively positioning an optical reader relative to a surface of the substrate; (b) capturing an image of a portion of the coding pattern; (c) sampling and decoding control symbols contained in the imaged portion to provide r1 registration symbols and r2 second symbols; (d) constructing an imaged registration codeword of length r1 using the registration symbols ordered in a defined sequence; (e) identifying a distinct registration codeword corresponding to the imaged registration codeword; (f) determining a registration corresponding to the identified registration codeword; (g) constructing an imaged format codeword of length m using the determined registration and some of the r2 second symbols; (h) identifying a distinct format codeword corresponding to the imaged format codeword; (i) determining a distinct format corresponding to the identified format codeword; and (j) using the determined registration and the determined format to decode data symbols sampled from the imaged portion.
US08276826B2	Security element for documents of value Value documents including a security element having magnetic material for securing the value documents. Along the security element, for example along a longitudinal direction of the security element, there are disposed one or more magnetic areas and one or more gap areas. The extension of the magnetic areas or the gap areas along the security element is preferably chosen so that the magnetic signals of adjacent magnetization steps interfere constructively with each other when transported past the magnetic sensor.
US08276823B2	Flexible card with display function A flexible card with display function includes a first card body, a second card body and a flexible thin electronic system disposed between the first card body and the second card body. The flexible thin electronic system includes a flexible display, a display circuit, a communication interface and a smart card IC. The display circuit is connected to the flexible display, and the communication interface is connected to the display circuit via the smart card IC. The smart card IC performs a security authentication, and communicates with the smart card IC and the display circuit after the security authentication succeeds.
US08276821B2	Portable data collector A portable data collector having scan buttons pressed by forefinger to input merchandise information and scan merchandise barcode includes a shell body having a top face and a bottom face corresponding to the top face; a circuit board installed in the shell body; a plurality of input buttons arranged on the top face for actuating the scan component to generate scan light to read barcode and electrically connected to the circuit board; a display screen also arranged on the top face of the shell body and electrically connected to the circuit board; a scan component additionally arranged in the shell body and electrically connected to the circuit board; and a scan button shown as a trigger shape and arranged on the bottom face of the shell body to be electrically connected to the circuit board; thereby, when the scan button is pushed by forefinger, the scan component is actuated.
US08276818B2	Magnetic ink character reading apparatus A magnetic ink character reading method includes conveying paper by a stepping motor, detecting magnetic ink characters on the paper and generating magnetic detection signals by a magnetic detection unit, generating magnetic noise data by accumulating magnetic detection signals before the paper passes the magnetic detection unit, and removing the magnetic noise by subtracting the magnetic noise data from the magnetic detection signals. The generated magnetic noise can be a function of a control period of the transportation mechanism and a control period of a photodetector.
US08276816B2	Smart card system with ergonomic fingerprint sensor and method of using A unitized smart card device with a partial fingerprint sensor, ergonomic guides and a processor is disclosed. The smart card contains secure memory, battery, and a processor to run the fingerprint sensor. The ergonomic guides help insure that the users finger properly swipes the fingerprint sensor. The smart card be used on a backwards compatible “dumb credit card” basis, or it may dock with an external smart card docking station. This docking station may act to facilitate communication between the smart card's fingerprint sensor and its onboard secure memory; and external computerized devices. The docking station itself may be configured with slots or other openings to allow users to access the smart card's fingerprint sensor while the smart card is docked with the docking station. The docking station itself may contain ergonomic guides to help ensure that the smart card's fingerprint sensor is used (swiped) in a correct manner.
US08276809B2	Smart phones with web based interfaces In general, the invention relates to a system that includes a smart phone and a smart card. The smart phone includes a web browser and a display for displaying a web page, where the web page includes at least one selectable entry. The smart card includes at least one proactive logic entity, where the at least one proactive logic entity is configured to respond to selection of the at least one selectable on the web page.
US08276804B2	Manufacturing method of fuel tank, and fuel tank This manufacturing method of a fuel tank is for manufacturing a metallic fuel tank having a concavo-convex portion in a course of seam welding using a seam welder, wherein the seam welding is performed using the seam welder provided with a non-interfering space where interference with the fuel tank is avoided, while changing the position of the fuel tank relative to the seam welder.
US08276803B1	Fixing frame and assembled fixing device for printing solder paste on printed circuit board A fixing frame and an assembled fixing device printing solder paste on a printed circuit board improve an assembly process, cut production costs, and save storage space. The fixing frame has a plurality of fixing portions and a motor unit. The fixing portions are connected to each other to define a hollowed-out planar region. The motor unit generates a plurality of pulling forces by means of mechanical transmission. The assembled fixing device includes a fixing frame and a stencil. The stencil has a solder paste printing region and a plurality of fixing regions. The edge of the solder paste printing region extends outward to define the fixing regions. The fixing regions are movably fixed to the fixing portions and bear the pulling forces. The solder paste printing region lies within the hollowed-out planar region. The directions of the pulling forces are coplanar with the solder paste printing region.
US08276802B2	Surgical instrument with double cartridge and anvil assemblies An end effector for use with a surgical instrument having a first cartridge assembly configured to deploy a first set of fasteners and a second cartridge assembly disposed distally of the first cartridge assembly. The second cartridge assembly is configured to move between an open position and an approximated position relative to clamp tissue. A central rod extends between the first cartridge assembly and the second cartridge assembly.
US08276797B2	Premium separator with contoured spaced-apart belt Apparatus for separating a fragile, packaged premium from a bandolier of packaged premiums includes a number of gripping pairs disposed along an axis of travel. The gripping pairs are designed to grip the premium packaging at pre-defined grip zones along the peripheral edges of the wrapper without clamping onto the premium-containing portion of the package. Preferably, the gripping pairs are sets of endless tracks that are beveled away from the contact surface of each tread such that the beveled surfaces are superimposed on a marginal portion of the premium-containing zone so as to assist in centering the bandolier on the axis of travel.
US08276792B2	Dispenser having a conical valve assembly A dispenser includes a dispenser body which defines a flow passage, a valve assembly, and an actuator. The valve assembly is disposed in the flow passage and includes a first valve member and a second valve member. An actuator is coupled to the valve assembly. When the actuator is manipulated through a first range of motion, only the first of the two valve members is displaced, and when the actuator is manipulated through a second range of motion, both the first and second valve members are displaced in unison.

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