最新美国发明专利第2012-10-23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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US08293729B2	Compounds, pharmaceutical composition and methods relating thereto New compounds are disclosed which have utility in the treatment of a variety of metabolic related conditions in a patient. The compounds of this invention have the structure (I): wherein R1, R2, R3, n, p, q, and Ar are as defined herein, including stereoisomers, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound of this invention, as well as methods relating to the use thereof in a patient in need thereof.
US08293726B2	Treatment of cancer and other diseases The present invention relates to a novel compound (e.g., 24-ethyl-cholestane-3β,5α,6α-triol), its production, its use, and to methods of treating neoplasms and other tumors as well as other diseases including hypercholesterolemia, autoimmune diseases, viral diseases (e.g., hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV), and diabetes.
US08293724B2	Therapeutic applications of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitors Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is an enzyme responsible for the degradation of oleamide (an endogenous sleep-inducing lipid) and anandamide (an endogenous ligand for cannabinoid receptors). Disclosed herein are potent inhibitors of FAAH and methods for their use for treating a variety of disorder, including hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy.
US08293723B2	Preparation of formulations of angiotensin II AT1 receptors antagonists for the treatment of arterial hypertension, other cardiovascular illnesses and its complications Inclusion compounds consisting of certain Angiotensin II AT1 receptors antagonist and cyclodextrins are described. These inclusion compounds are useful in the treatment of hypertension.
US08293722B2	Inhibition of cathepsin K activity and the treatment and prevention of disease The present invention provides a candidate compound that is suitable for use in methods of treating animals (preferably mammals) and in the preparation of a medicament, wherein the candidate compound down regulates Cathepsin K activity.
US08293720B2	Substituted 4-{3-[6-amino-9-(3, 4-dihydroxy-tetrahydro-furan-2-yl)-9H-purin-2-yl]-prop-2-ynyl}-piperidine-1-carboxylic acid esters as A2AR agonists The present invention provides substituted 4-{3-[6-amino-9-(3,4-dihydroxy-tetrahydro-furan-2-yl)-9H-purin-2-yl]-prop-2-ynyl}-piperidine-1-carboxylic acid esters and pharmaceutical compositions containing the same that are selective agonists of A2A adenosine receptors (ARs). These compounds and compositions are useful as pharmaceutical agents.
US08293718B2	Organic compositions to treat HSF1-related diseases The present disclosure relates to methods of treating heat shock factor 1 (HSF1)-related diseases such as cancer and viral diseases, using a therapeutically effective amount of a RNAi agent to HSF.
US08293717B2	Materials and methods for prevention and treatment of RNA viral diseases The subject invention concerns a method of inhibiting an RNA virus infection within a patient by increasing the amount of 2-5 oligoadenylate synthetase (2-5 AS) activity within the patient. Preferably, the preventative and therapeutic methods of the present invention involve administering a nucleotide encoding 2-5 AS, or at least one catalytically active fragment thereof, such as the p40, p69, p100 subunits, to a patient in need thereof. The present inventors have determined that overexpression of 2-5AS causes a reduction in epithelial cell damage, reduction in infiltration of mononuclear cells in the peribronchiolar and perivascular regions, and reduction in thickening of the septa in the lungs. Levels of chemokines, such as MIP1-α, are also reduced upon overexpression of 2-5AS. The subject invention also pertains to pharmaceutical compositions containing a nucleotide sequence encoding 2-5 AS and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, as well as vectors for delivery of the 2-5 AS nucleotide sequence.
US08293713B2	Beta-turn peptidomimetic cyclic compounds for treating dry eye The present invention relates to methods of treating dry eye using β-turn peptidomimetic cyclic compounds or derivatives thereof. The β-turn peptidomimetic cyclic compounds can be used alone, in combination and/or in conjunction with one or more other compounds, molecules or drugs that treat dry eye.
US08293712B2	Cosmetic composition for stimulating the synthesis of proteins of the basement membrane Cosmetic composition which can be applied topically, comprising at least one compound of the general formula (I) in which R1 is H, C1-C20-alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl-C1-C4-alkyl, n is 1-4, X is —O—, —NH— or —NR2— and R2H or C1-C20-alkyl; and at least one compound corresponding to the above formula (I) but in which XR1 with X having the possible meaning of —NH— is the residue of an alpha-amino acid; use of these compounds and of the composition for stimulating the synthesis of the proteins of the basement membrane; and also both those compounds of the formula (I) in which X is —NR2— and both R1 and R2 are different from H, and the compounds corresponding to formula (I) but in which XR1 with X having the possible meaning of —NH— is the residue of an alpha-amino acid, as such.
US08293707B2	Heterodimeric follicle stimulating hormone-Fc (FSH-Fc) fusion proteins for increasing FSH activity The invention provides novel heterodimeric fusion proteins comprising a first polypeptide including an alpha subunit of FSH (αFSH) linked directly or indirectly to a binding partner of neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) and a second polypeptide including a beta subunit of FSH (βFSH) linked directly or indirectly to an FcRn binding partner. In one embodiment the FcRn binding partner includes an Fc fragment of an immunoglobulin, e.g., an Fc fragment of IgG. Also provided are methods making and using the fusion proteins of the invention. The invention provides a method for increasing fertility in a subject and a method for treating a subject having a disease state responsive to treatment by FSH.
US08293706B2	Method for inhibiting release of hepatitis B virus from liver cells The invention relates to the use of the souluble LDL receptor (sLDLR) in viral hepatitis.
US08293703B2	Peptides effective in the treatment of tumors and other conditions requiring the removal or destruction of cells The invention is directed to methods of treating conditions requiring removal or destruction of harmful or unwanted cells in a patient, such as benign and malignant tumors, using compounds containing or based on peptides comprising a part of the amino acid sequence of a neural thread protein.
US08293701B2	Methods and compositions relating to a vaccine against prostate cancer An object of the invention is to provide methods and compositions relating to a vaccine against prostate cancer which includes a non-human-primate PSA for administration to humans to provide an immune response against human PSA. More generally, an object of the invention is to provide methods and compositions relating to using a non-human primate xenogeneic antigen (e.g. protein) in a human, wherein, with respect to the non-human primate xenogeneic antigen that is used, there are relatively few interspecies differences between the non-human primate xenogeneic antigen and the human self antigen in order to induce an optimal immune response in the human to its native self antigen.
US08293700B2	Anti-bacterial composition especially for controlling gram-negative bacteria, comprising a peptide and an advantageously hydrophobic anti-bacterial agent The invention relates to an anti-bacterial composition, especially for controlling gram-negative bacteria, containing a combination of: a) at least one peptide of between 10 and 25 amino acid residues comprising: i) two positively charged domains with a neutral pH consisting of between 3 and 9 amino acid residues, at least two thirds thereof being cationic amino acids, ii) a group of two to three non-cationic amino acid residues located between said positively charged domains, iii) a group of between 0 and 10, preferably between 0 and 5, amino acid residues selected from the group comprising non-hydrophobic amino acids and positively charged amino acids, located at one of the terminal ends N or C of the peptide, a positively charged amino acid residue, however, not being directly adjacent to the positively charged domains; and b) at least one anti-bacterial compound.
US08293697B2	Structured fluid detergent compositions comprising dibenzylidene sorbitol acetal derivatives Fluid detergent compositions comprising from about 0.01% to about 1% by weight of an external structurant comprising dibenzylidene sorbitol acetal derivatives for providing desired rheological benefits such as product thickening, shear thinning behavior, as well as particle suspension capabilities.
US08293695B2	Shading composition The present invention relates to a composition comprising at one photocatalyst and at least one azo dyestuff and/or at least one triphenylmethane dyestuff, which produces in the CIElab color coordinate system a relative hue angle of 220-320°, to a detergent composition, a fabric softener composition as well as to a shading.
US08293690B2	Dispersions of polymer oil additives The invention relates to dispersions comprising I) at least one polymer that is effective for mineral oils as a cold extrusion improver and is soluble in oil, II) at least one organic solvent that cannot be mixed with water, III) water, IV) at least one alkanolamine salt of a polycyclic carboxylic acid as a dispersing agent, and V) possibly at least one organic solvent that can be mixed with water.
US08293687B2	Compositions and processes for fracturing subterranean formations The present invention is directed to novel additives packages, to fluid compositions including the additives, to methods of using the fluid compositions and the additives package, to methods of recovering hydrocarbons, and to petroleum products made from hydrocarbons derived from these methods. The novel additives packages may be used in a fluid composition for fracturing a subterranean. The additives package of the present invention include one or more gelling agents; one or more cross-linking agent; and one or more high temperature stabilizers; wherein the additives package further comprises one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of a clay stabilizer, a metallic base, a cross-link retarder, and a gel breaker, and any combination thereof; and wherein the additives package optionally includes a diluent.
US08293685B2	Methods for enhancing bacterial cell display of proteins and peptides Methods of making and using bacterial display polypeptide libraries using circularly permuted OmpX (CPX) variants are disclosed. The invention further relates to methods for enhancing the display of proteins and peptides at the surface of bacteria by optimizing linkers and incorporating mutations at positions 165 and 166 of CPX.
US08293684B2	Locked nucleic acid reagents for labelling nucleic acids The present invention relates to labeling kits containing novel non-natural nucleotide monomers and to methods of making and using such compounds. The invention further relates to a method of detecting the presence of a nucleic acid, e.g., RNA, of interest in a sample, the method having the following steps: providing the sample; ligating a nucleic acid of interest with a labeling reagent according to the instant invention; providing a nucleic acid array having probes directed to the nucleic acid of interest; hybridizing the labeled nucleic acid fragments to said nucleic acid array; and determining the extent of hybridization to said probes to determine the presence of the nucleic acid of interest.
US08293683B2	Alkylamidopropyl dialkylamine surfactants as adjuvants The present invention generally relates to an aqueous herbicidal formulation that comprises at least one phenoxy acid herbicide or an agriculturally acceptable salt or derivative thereof, and an alkylamidopropyl dialkylamine surfactant adjuvant, wherein said surfactant adjuvant comprises at least one surfactant having the formula (I) wherein R is a straight or branched chain, saturated or unsaturated acyl group having 6-22 carbon atoms, n is 3, and Y and Y′ are, independently, an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms or (AO)sH, wherein AO is an alkyleneoxy group having 2-4 carbon atoms, and s is on average 1-10; provided that at least one of the groups Y and Y′ is an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms; or a salt thereof; or a quaternized derivative of (I) having the formula (II) wherein R is a straight or branched chain, saturated or unsaturated acyl group having from 6 to 22 carbon atoms; n is 3; Y and Y′ are, independently, an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms or (AO)sH, wherein AO is an alkyleneoxy group having 2-4 carbon atoms, and s is on average 1-10; provided that at least one of the groups Y and Y′ is an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms; R2 is a C1-C4 alkyl group; and X− is an anion. The invention also relates to a method for combating unwanted vegetation which comprises applying to said unwanted vegetation an effective amount of the aforementioned herbicidal formulation.
US08293681B2	Seed treatment agent and method for protecting plant PROBLEM Provided is a seed treatment agent having excellent control effect on plant diseases and a method for protecting a plant from plant diseases. SOLUTION A seed treatment agent comprising, as an active ingredient, an α-methoxyphenylacetic acid compound represented by formula (1).
US08293677B2	Core-shell structure, process for its production, and exhaust gas purification catalyst comprising core-shell structure There is provided a core-shell structure characterized by comprising a core section composed mainly of a first metal oxide and a shell section composed mainly of a second metal oxide different from the first metal oxide, wherein the thickness of the shell section is no greater than 20 nm.
US08293674B2	Catalyst system for preparing cyclic olefin addition polymer, cyclic olefin addition polymer prepared by using the catalyst system and method for preparing the same The present invention relates to a catalyst system for preparing a cyclic olefin addition polymer, a method for preparing the catalyst system and a cyclic olefin addition polymer prepared by the method, and more particularly to the method comprising the steps of contacting some content of norbornene-based monomer having a specific polar functional group with a catalyst system comprising a) a Group X transition metal compound; b) a compound comprising a neutral Group XV electron donor ligand having a cone angle of at least 160°; and c) a salt capable of offering an anion that can be weakly coordinated to the transition metal of the a) the Group X transition metal compound.
US08293672B2	Solid catalyst component for olefin polymerization, catalyst for olefin polymerization and process for producing olefin polymer A solid catalyst component for olefin polymerization in which the molar ratio of residual alkoxy groups to supported titanium is 0.60 or less is obtained by reacting the following compound (a1) with the following compound (b1) at a hydroxyl group/magnesium molar ratio of 1.0 or more, reacting the reaction mixture with the following compound (c1) at a halogen/magnesium molar ratio of 0.20 or more, reacting the resultant reaction mixture with the following compounds (d1) and (e) at a temperature of 120° C. or higher but 150° C. or lower, washing the reaction mixture with an inert solvent, reacting the reaction mixture with the following compound (e) again at the above temperature and washing the reaction mixture with an inert solvent, whereby there can be provided the solid catalyst component for olefin polymerization and a catalyst for olefin polymerization which have high polymerization activity and give an olefin polymer having a less residual Cl content and being excellent in stereoregularity and powder form and a process for producing an olefin polymer, (a1) an oxide of at least one element that is selected from Group II to Group IV elements and which supports an alcohol-free halogen-containing magnesium compound, (b1) an alcohol, (c1) a halogen-containing silicon compound, (d1) an electron-donating compound, and (e) a halogen-containing titanium compound.
US08293671B2	Electrode catalyst and method for producing same Provided is a method for suppressing corrosion of a carbon material, which acts as a carrier in a catalyst layer of PEFC. The present invention relates to an electrode catalyst produced by subjecting a carbon material having a noble metal catalyst supported thereon to heat treatment under inert gas atmosphere.
US08293663B2	CCD sensors with multiple contact patterns A pixel array in an image sensor includes multiple pixels. The pixel array includes vertical shift registers for shifting charge out of the pixel array. The vertical shift registers can be interspersed between the pixels, such as in an interline image sensor, or the photosensitive areas in the pixels can operate as vertical shift registers. The pixels are divided into blocks of pixels. One or more electrodes are disposed over each pixel. Conductive strips are disposed over the electrodes. Contacts are used to connect selected electrodes to respective conductive strips. The contacts in at least one block of pixels are positioned according to one contact pattern while the contacts in one or more other blocks are positioned according to a different contact pattern. The different contact patterns reduce or eliminate visible patterns in the contact locations.
US08293657B2	Sacrificial layers made from aerogel for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device fabrication processes Systems and methods for processing sacrificial layers in MEMS device fabrication are provided. In one embodiment, a method comprises: applying a patterned layer of Aerogel material onto a substrate to form an Aerogel sacrificial layer; applying at least one non-sacrificial silicon layer over the Aerogel sacrificial layer, wherein the non-sacrificial silicon layer is coupled to the substrate through one or more gaps provided in the patterned layer of Aerogel material; and removing the Aerogel sacrificial layer by exposing the Aerogel sacrificial layer to a removal liquid.
US08293652B2	Substrate processing method, semiconductor chip manufacturing method, and resin-adhesive-layer-backed semiconductor chip manufacturing method To provide a substrate processing method and a semiconductor chip manufacturing method that enable low-cost formation of a mask for etching using plasma etching. During formation of a mask used in plasma dicing for separating a semiconductor wafer 1 into discrete semiconductor chips 1e by means of etching using plasma processing, there is adopted a method including printing a lyophobic liquid in an area on a rear surface 1b that is to be an objective of etching, thereby forming a lyophobic pattern made up of lyophobic films 3; supplying a low viscosity resin 4a and a high viscosity resin 4b, in this sequence, to the rear surface 1b on which the lyophobic pattern is formed, thereby forming a resin film 4 that is thicker than the lyophobic films 3 in an area where the lyophobic films 3 are not present; and curing the resin film 4, to thus form a mask 4* that covers an area except for the area to be etched. Thus, a mask for etching purpose can be formed at low cost without use of a high-cost method, like photolithography.
US08293647B2	Bottom up plating by organic surface passivation and differential plating retardation Embodiments of the present invention generally relates to an apparatus and a method for processing semiconductor substrates. One embodiment provides a method provides a method for processing a substrate comprising forming a seed layer over a substrate having trench or via structures formed therein, coating a portion of the seed layer with an organic passivation film, and immersing the trench or via structures in a plating solution to deposit a conductive material over the seed layer not covered by the organic passivation film.
US08293642B2	Method of manufacturing semiconductor devices A method of manufacturing semiconductor devices includes forming a dielectric interlayer over a semiconductor substrate, wherein a wet etch rate (WER) is faster in an upper part of the dielectric interlayer than in a lower part of the dielectric interlayer, forming trenches in the dielectric interlayer, performing a cleaning process to make a width of an opening portion in an upper part of each of the trenches wider than a width of an opening portion in lower part of the trench, and filling the trenches with a metal layer.
US08293639B2	Method for controlling ADI-AEI CD difference ratio of openings having different sizes A method for controlling an ADI-AEI CD difference ratio of openings having different sizes is described. The openings are formed through a silicon-containing material layer, an etching resistive layer and a target material layer in turn. Before the opening etching steps, at least one of the opening patterns in the photoresist mask is altered in size through photoresist trimming or deposition of a substantially conformal polymer layer. A first etching step forming thicker polymer on the sidewall of the wider opening pattern is performed to form a patterned Si-containing material layer. A second etching step is performed to remove exposed portions of the etching resistive layer and the target material layer. At least one parameter among the parameters of the photoresist trimming or polymer layer deposition step and the etching parameters of the first etching step is controlled to obtain a predetermined ADI-AEI CD difference ratio.
US08293632B2	Manufacturing method of semiconductor device To improve productivity and performance of a CMISFET including a high-dielectric-constant gate insulating film and a metal gate electrode. An Hf-containing insulating film for a gate insulating film is formed over the main surface of a semiconductor substrate. A metal nitride film is formed on the insulating film. The metal nitride film in an nMIS formation region where an n-channel MISFET is to be formed is selectively removed by wet etching using a photoresist pattern on the metal nitride films a mask. Then, a threshold adjustment film containing a rare-earth element is formed. The Hf-containing insulating film in the nMIS formation region reacts with the threshold adjustment film by heat treatment. The Hf-containing insulating film in a pMIS formation region where a p-channel MISFET is to be formed does not react with the threshold adjustment film because of the existence of the metal nitride film. Then, after removing the unreacted threshold adjustment film and the metal nitride film, metal gate electrodes are formed in the nMIS formation region and the pMIS formation region.
US08293631B2	Semiconductor devices having tensile and/or compressive stress and methods of manufacturing Semiconductor devices are provided which have a tensile and/or compressive strain applied thereto and methods of manufacturing. The structure includes a gate stack comprising an oxide layer, a polysilicon layer and sidewalls with adjacent spacers. The structure further includes an epitaxially grown straining material directly on the polysilicon layer and between portions of the sidewalls. The epitaxially grown straining material, in a relaxed state, strains the polysilicon layer.
US08293626B2	Method for manufacturing semiconductor device It is an object to provide a homogeneous semiconductor film in which variation in the size of crystal grains is reduced. Alternatively, it is an object to provide a homogeneous semiconductor film and to achieve cost reduction. By introducing a glass substrate over which an amorphous semiconductor film is formed into a treatment atmosphere set at more than or equal to a temperature that is needed for crystallization, rapid heating due to heat conduction from the treatment atmosphere is performed so that the amorphous semiconductor film is crystallized. More specifically, for example, after the temperature of the treatment atmosphere is increased in advance to a temperature that is needed for crystallization, the substrate over which the semiconductor film is formed is put into the treatment atmosphere.
US08293623B2	Epitaxial SiC single crystal substrate and method of manufacture of epitaxial SiC single crystal substrate An epitaxial SiC single crystal substrate including a SiC single crystal wafer whose main surface is a c-plane or a surface that inclines a c-plane with an angle of inclination that is more than 0 degree but less than 10 degrees, and SiC epitaxial film that is formed on the main surface of the SiC single crystal wafer, wherein the dislocation array density of threading edge dislocation arrays that are formed in the SiC epitaxial film is 10 arrays/cm2 or less.
US08293621B2	Semiconductor substrate, semiconductor device, and manufacturing methods for them The present invention provides a semiconductor substrate, which comprises a singlecrystalline Si substrate which includes an active layer having a channel region, a source region, and a drain region, the singlecrystalline Si substrate including at least a part of a device structure not containing a well-structure or a channel stop region; a gate insulating film formed on the singlecrystalline Si substrate; a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film; a LOCOS oxide film whose thickness is more than a thickness of the gate insulating film, the LOCOS oxide film being formed on the singlecrystalline Si substrate by surrounding the active layer; and an insulating film formed over the gate electrode and the LOCOS oxide film. On this account, on fabricating the semiconductor device having a high-performance integration system by forming the non-singlecrystalline Si semiconductor element and the singlecrystalline Si semiconductor element on the large insulating substrate, the process for making the singlecrystalline Si is simplified. Further, the foregoing arrangement provides a semiconductor substrate and a fabrication method thereof, which ensures device isolation of the minute singlecrystalline Si semiconductor element without highly-accurate photolithography, when the singlecrystalline Si semiconductor element is transferred onto the large insulating substrate.
US08293620B2	Method of making multiple implantations in a substrate A method of implanting atoms and/or ions into a substrate, including: a) a first implantation of ions or atoms at a first depth in the substrate, to form a first implantation plane, b) at least one second implantation of ions or atoms at a second depth in the substrate, which is different from the first depth, to form at least one second implantation plane.
US08293616B2	Methods of fabrication of semiconductor devices with low capacitance Semiconductor devices with low junction capacitances and methods of fabrication thereof are described. In one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming isolation regions in a substrate to form active areas. The sidewalls of the active areas are enclosed by the isolation regions. The isolation regions are recessed to expose first parts of the sidewalls of the active areas. The first parts of the sidewalls of the active areas are covered with spacers. The isolation regions are etched to expose second parts of the sidewalls of the active area, the second parts being disposed below the first parts. The active areas are etched through the exposed second parts of the sidewalls to form lateral openings. The lateral openings are filled with a spin on dielectric.
US08293614B2	High performance LDMOS device having enhanced dielectric strain layer An LDMOS device includes a substrate having a surface and a gate electrode overlying the surface and defining a channel region in the substrate below the gate electrode. A drain region is spaced apart from the channel region by an isolation region. The isolation region includes a region of high tensile stress and is configured to induce localized stress in the substrate in close proximity to the drain region. The region of high tensile stress in the isolation region can be formed by high-stress silicon oxide or high-stress silicon nitride. In a preferred embodiment, the isolation region is a shallow trench isolation region formed in the substrate intermediate to the gate electrode and the drain region.
US08293611B2	Implantation processes for straining transistor channels of semiconductor device structures and semiconductor devices with strained transistor channels The present invention includes methods for stressing transistor channels of semiconductor device structures. Such methods include the formation of so-called near-surface “nanocavities” adjacent to the source/drain regions, forming extensions of the source/drain regions adjacent to and including the nanocavities, and implanting matter of a type that will expand or contract the volume of the nanocavities, depending respectively upon whether compressive strain is desirable in transistor channels between the nanocavities, as in PMOS field effect transistors, or tensile strain is wanted in transistor channels, as in NMOS field effect transistors, to enhance carrier mobility and transistor speed. Semiconductor device structures and semiconductor devices including these features are also disclosed.
US08293610B2	Semiconductor device comprising a metal gate stack of reduced height and method of forming the same By providing a CMP stop layer in a metal gate stack, the initial height thereof may be efficiently reduced after the definition of the deep drain and source areas, thereby providing enhanced process conditions for forming highly stressed dielectric materials. Consequently, the dielectric material may be positioned more closely to the channel region substantially without deteriorating gate conductivity.
US08293606B2	Body tie test structure for accurate body effect measurement A body tie test structure and methods for its manufacture are provided. The transistor comprises a body-tied semiconductor on insulator (SOI) transistor formed in a layer of semiconductor material, the transistor comprising a cross-shaped gate structure with a substantially constant gate length L. An insulating blocking layer enables formation of a spacer region in the layer of semiconductor material separating the source and drain regions from the body tie region. A conductive channel with substantially the same inversion characteristics as the intrinsic transistor body connects the body tie to the intrinsic transistor body through the spacer region.
US08293603B2	Methods of fabricating semiconductor devices A method of fabricating a semiconductor device using a recess channel array is disclosed. A substrate is provided having a first region and a second region, including a first transistor in the first region including a first gate electrode partially filling a trench, and source and drain regions that are formed at both sides of the trench, and covered by a first insulating layer. A first conductive layer is formed on the substrate. A contact hole through which the drain region is exposed is formed by patterning the first conductive layer and the first insulating layer. A contact plug is formed that fills the contact hole. A bit line is formed that is electrically connected to the drain region through the contact plug, and simultaneously a second gate electrode is formed in the second region by patterning the first conductive layer.
US08293602B2	Method of fabricating a finFET having cross-hair cells Systems and methods are disclosed for manufacturing grounded gate cross-hair cells and standard cross-hair cells of fin field-effect transistors (finFETs). In one embodiment, a process may include forming gate trenches and gates on and parallel to row trenches in a substrate, wherein the gate trenches and gates are pitch-doubled such that four gate trenches are formed for every two row trenches. In another embodiment, a process may include forming gate trenches, gates, and grounded gates in a substrate, wherein the gate trenches and gates are formed such that three gate trenches are formed for every two row trenches.
US08293598B2	Process for manufacturing a memory device including a vertical bipolar junction transistor and a CMOS transistor with spacers A bipolar selection transistor and a circuitry MOS transistor for a memory device are formed in a semiconductor body. The bipolar selection transistor is formed by implanting a buried collector, implanting a base region on the buried collector, forming a silicide protection mask on the semiconductor body, and implanting an emitter region and a control contact region. The circuitry MOS transistor is formed by defining a gate on the semiconductor body, forming lateral spacers on the sides of the gate and implanting source and drain regions on the sides of the lateral spacers. Then, a silicide region is formed on the emitter, base contact, source and drain regions and the gate, in a self-aligned way. The lateral spacers are multilayer structures including at least two different layers, one of which is used to form the silicide protection mask on the bipolar selection transistor. Thereby, the dimensions of the lateral spacers are decoupled from the thickness of the silicide protection mask.
US08293597B2	Selective silicide process A method of self-aligned silicidation on structures having high aspect ratios involves depositing a metal oxide film using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and converting the metal oxide film to metal film in order to obtain uniform step coverage. The substrate is then annealed such that the metal in regions directly overlying the patterned and exposed silicon reacts with the silicon to form uniform metal silicide at the desired locations.
US08293596B2	Formation of a channel semiconductor alloy by depositing a hard mask for the selective epitaxial growth A growth mask provided for the deposition of a threshold adjusting semiconductor alloy may be formed on the basis of a deposition process, thereby obtaining superior thickness uniformity. Consequently, P-channel transistors and N-channel transistors with an advanced high-k metal gate stack may be formed with superior uniformity.
US08293593B2	Method for manufacturing semiconductor device and method for manufacturing display device An object is to provide a method for manufacturing a highly-reliable semiconductor device with an improved material use efficiency and with a simplified manufacturing process. The method includes the steps of forming a conductive layer over a substrate, forming a light-transmitting layer over the conductive layer, and selectively removing the conductive layer and the light-transmitting layer by irradiation with a femtosecond laser beam from above the light-transmitting layer. Note that the conductive layer and the light-transmitting layer may be removed so that an end portion of the light-transmitting layer is located on an inner side than an end portion of the conductive layer. Before the irradiation with a femtosecond laser beam, a surface of the light-transmitting layer may be subjected to liquid-repellent treatment.
US08293588B2	Method of providing an electronic device including dies, a dielectric layer, and an encapsulating layer A method of packaging an electronic device includes providing a patterned dielectric layer with an area sized to receive a first die, and another area sized to receive a second die, placing the first and second dies within the first and second areas, encapsulating the dies with an encapsulating material that has a different composition from the dielectric layer, forming a first signal line between the dies, forming a second signal line to the first die, and forming an additional signal line to the first die. The dielectric layer is disposed between the first signal line and the encapsulating material, the electronic device transmits a signal in an approximate range of 1 GHz to 100 GHz along the second signal line, and a signal that does not exceed approximately 900 MHz along the additional signal line.
US08293587B2	Multilayer pillar for reduced stress interconnect and method of making same A multi-layer pillar and method of fabricating the same is provided. The multi-layer pillar is used as an interconnect between a chip and substrate. The pillar has at least one low strength, high ductility deformation region configured to absorb force imposed during chip assembly and thermal excursions.
US08293583B2	Method for manufacturing semiconductor device In one embodiment, a separation layer and a wiring layer are formed in order on a supporting substrate. A plurality of semiconductor chips are mounted on the wiring layer. The plural semiconductor chips are collectively sealed by a sealing resin layer. A resin-sealed body is evenly held by a holder. The resin-sealed body is separated from the supporting substrate by shearing the separation layer while being heated. The separated resin-sealed body is cooled while a state of the resin-sealed body being held evenly by the holder is maintained, and then a holding state of the resin-sealed body by the holder is released. The resin-sealed body is cut to singulate a circuit structure body.
US08293576B2	Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes temporarily fixing a semiconductor chip to a supporting member to direct a connection electrode toward the supporting member side, forming an insulating layer for preventing resin-permeation covering the semiconductor chip, on the supporting member and the semiconductor chip, forming a resin substrate sealing a periphery and a back surface side of the semiconductor chip, on the insulating layer, and removing the supporting member to expose the connection electrode of the semiconductor chip. A build-up wiring is connected directly to the connection electrode of the semiconductor chip.
US08293575B2	Manufacturing method of semiconductor device The reliability of a semiconductor device is improved. A sealing resin (sealed body) is formed between a sub-substrate (first base member) and a base substrate (second base member) that are provided individually and distinctly to be integrated therewith, and then, the sub-substrate is electrically coupled to the second base member. As a means for electrically coupling the sub-substrate to the base substrate, lands (first lands) formed on the sub-substrate and lands (second lands) formed on the base substrate are disposed such that the respective positions thereof are aligned. After through holes are formed from the lands of the sub-substrate toward the lands of the base substrate, a solder member (conductive member) is formed in each of the through holes.
US08293571B2	Programmable metallization cells and methods of forming the same A programmable metallization cell (PMC) that includes an active electrode; a nanoporous layer disposed on the active electrode, the nanoporous layer comprising a plurality of nanopores and a dielectric material; and an inert electrode disposed on the nanoporous layer. Other embodiments include forming the active electrode from silver iodide, copper iodide, silver sulfide, copper sulfide, silver selenide, or copper selenide and applying a positive bias to the active electrode that causes silver or copper to migrate into the nanopores. Methods of formation are also disclosed.
US08293570B2	Method for manufacturing light emitting device A light emitting device includes a substrate and a plurality of pixel rows. The pixel rows are arranged on the substrate. Each of the pixel rows includes a first sub-pixel row having a plurality of first sub-pixels, a second sub-pixel row having a plurality of second sub-pixels, and a third sub-pixel row having a plurality of third sub-pixels. In the mth pixel row, each first sub-pixel includes a first structure layer, the first structure layers are separated from each other and each corresponds to one first sub-pixel. In the (m+n)th pixel row, the first sub-pixels include a first common structure layer, the first common structure layer corresponds to a plurality of first sub-pixels in a same row. The first structure layer and the first common structure layer commonly act as an organic functional layer or an electrode layer, and m, n are each a positive integer.
US08293565B2	Manufacturing method for solid-state imaging device A manufacturing method for a solid-state imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a step of forming a transparent resin layer above a principal surface of a semiconductor substrate, a step of exposing the transparent resin layer to light by using a grating mask having a first transmission region and a second transmission region having a higher transmittance of the light than the first transmission region in mutually separate positions, a step of forming first resin patterns and second resin patterns lower than the first resin patterns in mutually separate positions, and a step of forming first microlenses and second microlenses lower than the first microlenses.
US08293562B2	Dye-sensitized solar cell manufacturing method A dye-sensitized solar cell manufacturing method of the invention comprises the steps of: preparing a first electrode having an oxide semiconductor layer and a second electrode; forming a first sealing portion by melting and bonding a thermoplastic resin at a first annular section of the first electrode; forming a second sealing portion by melting and bonding a thermoplastic resin at a second annular section of the second electrode; loading a photosensitive dye on the oxide semiconductor layer; forming an electrolyte layer by arranging an electrolyte on the first electrode within the first sealing portion; and forming a sealing portion through bonding the first and second sealing portions, wherein the electrolyte layer is formed after forming the first sealing portion; the sealing portion is formed after loading the dye and forming the electrolyte layer; and the sealing portion is formed through melting the first and second sealing portions, applying pressure.
US08293559B2	Method of manufacturing photoelectric conversion device In a method of manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device having a pixel region and a peripheral circuit region, a semiconductor compound layer is formed by causing a surface of a diffusion layer or gate electrode of a MOS transistor in the peripheral circuit region to react with a high melting point metal, then an insulating layer is formed in the pixel region and the peripheral circuit region after the step of forming a semiconductor compound layer. A contact hole is formed in the insulating layer to expose a diffusion layer in the pixel region, and a contact hole is formed in the insulating layer to expose the semiconductor compound layer formed in the peripheral circuit region. These holes are formed at different timings. Prior to forming the hole which is formed later, a contact plug is formed in the contact hole which is formed earlier.
US08293558B2	Method for releasing a thin-film substrate The present disclosure relates to methods for selectively etching a porous semiconductor layer to separate a thin-film semiconductor substrate (TFSS) having planar or three-dimensional features from a corresponding semiconductor template. The method involves forming a conformal sacrificial porous semiconductor layer on a template. Next, a conformal thin film silicon substrate is formed on top of the porous silicon layer. The middle porous silicon layer is then selectively etched to separate the TFSS and semiconductor template. The disclosed advanced etching chemistries and etching methods achieve selective etching with minimal damage to the TFSS and template.
US08293554B2	Luminous device and method of manufacturing the same A luminous device and a method of manufacturing the luminous device are provided. The luminous device includes a light emitting layer and first and second electrodes connected to the light emitting layer. The light emitting layer is a strained nanowire.
US08293553B2	Method for producing an area having reduced electrical conductivity within a semiconductor layer and optoelectronic semiconductor element In a method for producing at least at least one area (8) with reduced electrical conductivity within an electrically conductive III-V semiconductor layer (3), a ZnO layer (1) is applied to the area (8) of the semiconductor layer (3) and subsequently annealed at a temperature preferably between 300° C. and 500° C. The ZnO layer (1) is preferably deposited on the III-V semiconductor layer (3) at a temperature of less than 150° C., preferably at a temperature greater than or equal to 25° C. and less than or equal to 120° C. The area (8) with reduced electrical conductivity is preferably located in a radiation emitting optoelectronic device between the active zone (4) and a connecting contact (7) in order to reduce current injection into the areas of the active zone (4) located opposite to the connecting contact (7).
US08293551B2	Gallium and nitrogen containing triangular or diamond-shaped configuration for optical devices A gallium and nitrogen containing optical device has a base region and no more than three major planar side regions configured in a triangular arrangement provided from the base region.
US08293550B2	Light emitting device, light emitting system having the same, and fabricating method of the light emitting device and the light emitting system A semiconductor device includes a first light emitting chip, the first light emitting chip having a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, and a first active layer disposed therebetween, a second light emitting chip disposed on the first light emitting chip, the second light emitting chip having a third semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer, and a second active layer disposed therebetween, and a conductive layer disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the fourth semiconductor layer, the first semiconductor layer and the fourth semiconductor layer having different conductivity types.
US08293540B2	Methods for detecting dihydroxyvitamin D metabolites by mass spectrometry Provided are methods of detecting the presence or amount of a dihydroxyvitamin D metabolite in a sample using mass spectrometry. The methods generally comprise ionizing a dihydrorxyvitamin D metabolite in a sample and detecting the amount of the ion to determine the presence or amount of the vitamin D metabolite in the sample. In certain preferred embodiments the methods include immunopurifying the dihydroxyvitamin D metabolites prior to mass spectrometry. Also provided are methods to detect the presence or amount of two or more dihydroxyvitamin D metabolites in a single assay.
US08293539B2	Analysis system with coding recognition An analysis system for detecting at least one analyte in a sample is proposed, in particular for detecting glucose in a bodily fluid. The analysis system is designed to detect the analyte using at least one test element. The test element has at least one analysis zone for detecting the analyte. The test element includes at least one coding with at least one test element specific item of information and/or at least one position specific item of information. The analysis system includes a detector and furthermore at least one transfer device which is designed to afford the detector the possibility of acquiring the analysis zone in at least a first position and to afford the detector the possibility of acquiring the coding in at least a second position which differs from the first position.
US08293525B2	Animal cell colony picking apparatus and method Animal cell colonies are picked up automatically by an apparatus having a picking head with a plurality of hollow pins and an integrated imager for capturing an image of adherent or non-adherent animal cell colonies held in liquid or semi-solid medium. Image processing identifies the locations of the animal cell colonies to be picked. Picking an animal cell colony is performed by aligning each of the hollow pins in turn with a target animal cell colony location, introducing the hollow pin into the medium, and aspirating the animal cell colony into the hollow pin. In the case of an adherent colony, the distal end of the pin is forced into oscillation to detach the animal cell colony prior to aspiration. The animal cell colony is dispensed into a well plate by increasing pressure in the fluid conduit.
US08293520B2	Animal cell colony picking apparatus and method Animal cell colonies are picked up automatically by an apparatus having a picking head with a plurality of hollow pins and an integrated imager for capturing an image of adherent or non-adherent animal cell colonies held in liquid or semi-solid medium. Image processing identifies the locations of the animal cell colonies to be picked. Picking an animal cell colony is performed by aligning each of the hollow pins in turn with a target animal cell colony location, introducing the hollow pin into the medium, and aspirating the animal cell colony into the hollow pin. In the case of an adherent colony, the distal end of the pin is forced into oscillation to detach the animal cell colony prior to aspiration. The animal cell colony is dispensed into a well plate by increasing pressure in the fluid conduit.
US08293518B2	Microorganism and method for producing dodecahydro-3a,6,6,9a-tetramethylnaphtho[2,1-b]furan intermediate using the novel microorganism This invention relates to a novel microorganism that efficiently produces a dodecahydro-3a,6,6,9a-tetramethylnaphtho[2,1-b]furan intermediate using sclareol as a substrate. As a result of concentrated studies, a plurality of novel microorganisms having properties of interest that are not classified as conventional microorganisms were isolated and identified. The novel microorganism of the present invention belongs to Ascomycetes and has the ability of producing a dodecahydro-3a,6,6,9a-tetramethylnaphtho[2,1-b]furan intermediate using sclareol as a substrate. Such microorganism of Ascomycetes represents a new finding and it can be effective for producing dodecahydro-3a,6,6,9a-tetramethylnaphtho[2,1-b]furan and an intermediate thereof.
US08293517B2	Methods and compositions for the identification of antibiotics that are not susceptible to antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa The “instant evolution” system was initially developed in E. coli, primarily because of the ease with which this organism can be genetically manipulated. Because many of the functionally important regions of rRNA are conserved among bacteria, drug leads developed against conserved targets in the E. coli system may produce broad-spectrum anti-infectives. However, in order the develop a system to product narrow-spectrum anti-infectives, herein we disclose method and compositions for screening Pseudomonas aeruginosa 16S rRNA in E. coli cells. In certain embodiments, a plasmid comprising the 16S rRNA gene from Pseudomonas aeruginosa t mutated to replace the natural helix 9 region with the corresponding region of the E. coli rRNA, is shown to form functional ribosomes in E. coli host cells. Li other embodiments, a plasmid, comprising the unmutated 16S rRNA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, along with a plasmid containing the Pseudomonas aeruginosa S20 protein, can yield functional ribosomes in E. coli cells.
US08293516B2	Recombinant microorganism A recombinant microorganism is provided that has increased productivity of a protein or polypeptide of interest. A method for producing a protein of interest using the microorganism is also provided. The microorganism is prepared by inserting, in its genome, a transcription initiation regulatory region or both a transcription initiation regulatory region and a ribosome-binding site, upstream of a Bacillus subtilis prsA gene and by deleting or inactivating one or more of the abrB gene, dltA gene, dltB gene, dltC gene, dltD gene, dltE gene, or a gene (genes) corresponding thereto.
US08293503B2	Vectors for directional cloning The invention provides vectors and methods for directional cloning.
US08293502B2	Emulsion PCR and amplicon capture Compositions and methods of use are disclosed for clonally amplifying target polynucleotide sequences in solution and attaching the amplicons to a surface by activation of a masked binding moiety. In an embodiment, the amplicons comprise the masked binding moiety and the surface comprises a binding partner of the binding moiety. Upon activation of the binding moiety, the amplicons bind to the binding partner on the surface. In a non-limiting example, the masked binding moiety is caged biotin or caged fluorescein, while the corresponding binding partner is avidin or an anti-fluorescein antibody.
US08293501B2	Methods and compositions for performing low background multiplex nucleic acid amplification reactions Methods and compositions for performing low background multiplex nucleic acid amplification reactions are provided. Aspects of the invention include contacting a nucleic acid sample with two or more primer pairs for two or more target nucleic acids under template dependent primer extension reaction conditions, e.g., polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conditions. The resultant amplified composition is then contacted with target nucleic acid circularizing reagents, and product circularized target nucleic acids are then selected, e.g., for further amplification. Also provided are systems and kits that find use in practicing embodiments of the inventions.
US08293495B2	Blood-brain barrier model A method of creating a multicellular blood-brain barrier model is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises culturing primary brain microvascular endothelial cells or embryonic stem cell-derived endothelial cells upon a permeable support in the presence of neural progenitor cells.
US08293494B2	Tri-demethylation-capable protein complex, method of its preparation and its use The invention relates to a multiple-specificity demethylase complex comprising a Jumonji C (JMJC) domain-containing enzyme, a process of its preparation and its use.
US08293493B2	Thrombin generation determination method A method for measuring a generation of thrombin in a sample of whole blood as a function of time includes adding to a sample of whole blood a fluorogenic substrate and a thrombin activator to form an activated sample. A conversion product is permitted to form in the activated sample. Fluorescence is measured as a function of time from a fluorescent group that is released during the formation of the conversion product with the use of a fluorescence detector. The fluorescence detector operates in an extended range mode and has an increased sensitivity. Thrombin generation as a function of time can then be calculated from the measured fluorescence as a function of time.
US08293491B2	Purinergic (P2X) receptors in extra-cellular body fluid The invention relates to purinergic (P2X) receptors, to detection of protein in extra-cellular body fluids and to antibodies for the diagnosis of a disease or condition, especially cancer.
US08293490B2	Method for high spatial resolution stochastic examination of a sample structure labeled with a substance A method for high spatial resolution stochastic examination of a biological sample structure labeled with a labeling substance is described. The method comprises providing a biological sample structure; choosing such a labeling substance that has molecules present in a first state and in a second state, and the first and second states differ from one another in at least one photophysical property such that there is sufficient probability that one portion of the molecules of the substance will be in the first state and another portion of the molecules will be in the second state and within which labeling substance a change of the state of the molecules can occur spontaneously between the two states in both directions; and labeling the biological sample structure with the substance.
US08293487B1	Zestern, a simple, fast, specific and quantifiable improvement of immunodetection process The present invention provides an improved, simple and quantifiable process of immunodetection with improved specificity, allowing for its large-scale applications in clinical, pharmaceutical and biomedical studies and diagnostics applications. Compared with traditional immunodetection methods, this invention eliminates gel separation and transfer steps, and the results can be directly quantified with improved specificity. This invention adds one elution step in a typical immunodetection process, where bound immunocomplex is exposed to elution solution containing excessive amount of antigen or part of antigen in single or multiple copies within one molecule, to liberate bound antibody labeled with reporter enzyme into solution for direct quantification. This invention can be particularly useful to improve both the efficiency and accuracy of Western blot, Dot blot, ELISA and protein microarray analysis in multiwell plate format. It also allows for the automation of protein analysis for clinical, pharmaceutical, and biomedical applications and their diagnostics applications.
US08293482B2	Fibronectin type III domain based scaffold compositions, methods and uses A protein scaffold based on a consensus sequence of the tenth fibronectin type III (FN3) repeat from human fibronectin, including isolated nucleic acids that encode a protein scaffold, vectors, host cells, and methods of making and using thereof have applications in diagnostic and/or therapeutic compositions, methods and devices. In particular, protein scaffold molecules binding to IgG based on the consensus sequence have been identified as useful for diagnostic and/or therapeutic applications.
US08293478B2	Method of using autoinducer-2 as a periodontal disease marker A marker for determining the onset of periodontal disease and a marker for determining the progression stage of periodontal disease, each containing autoinducer-2.
US08293475B2	Apparatus and method for examining nucleic acid using capsule A biopolymer examining apparatus includes a capsule-forming unit configured to form a capsule by sealing a target biopolymer and a reagent with a capsule film, a transferring unit configured to transfer the capsule, an amplification reaction unit configured to amplify the target biopolymer while having the target biopolymer enclosed in the capsule, and a detecting unit configured to detect the amplified target biopolymer while having the target biopolymer enclosed in the capsule.
US08293473B2	Assessment of reaction kinetics compatibility between polymerase chain reactions A method compares amplification reaction kinetics between two or more quantitative polymerase chain reactions (PCR). These methods enable quality control and/or quality assessment for quantification of nucleic acids by PCR. The method estimates plurality of parameters from each reaction and compares them simultaneously between reactions.
US08293472B2	Methods for detection and typing of nucleic acids Disclosed are methods for identifying and characterizing polynucleotide sequences in a sample which may include a heterogeneous sample. Some of the methods are directed to the identification and characterization of a virus in a sample, which may include HIV capable of cause AIDS or AIDS-like symptoms. The virus may be HIV-1, and may also include drug resistant mutations. The methods may include reacting a mixture that includes, in addition to nucleic acid isolated from the sample, at least one oligonucleotide capable of specifically hybridizing to HIV nucleic acid where the oligonucleotide includes at least one non-natural base. In addition, the methods may include detection of one or more mutations in HIV nucleic acid that are associated with drug resistance.
US08293471B2	Apparatus and method for a continuous rapid thermal cycle system A thermal cycle system and method suitable for mass production of DNA comprising a temperature control body having at least two sectors. Each sector has at least one heater, cooler, or other means for changing temperature. A path traverses the sectors in a cyclical fashion. In use, a piece of tubing or other means for conveying is placed along the path and a reaction mixture is pumped or otherwise moved along the path such that the reaction mixture is repetitively heated or cooled to varying temperatures as the reaction mixture cyclically traverses the sectors. The reaction mixture thereby reacts to form a product. In particular, polymerase chain reaction reactants may continuously be pumped through the tubing to amplify DNA. The temperature control body is preferably a single aluminum cylinder with a grooved channel circling around its exterior surface, and preferably has wedge-shaped or pie-shaped sectors separated by a thermal barrier.
US08293470B2	Non-invasive fetal genetic screening by digital analysis The present methods are exemplified by a process in which maternal blood containing fetal DNA is diluted to a nominal value of approximately 0.5 genome equivalent of DNA per reaction sample. Digital PCR is then be used to detect aneuploidy, such as the trisomy that causes Down Syndrome. Since aneuploidies do not present a mutational change in sequence, and are merely a change in the number of chromosomes, it has not been possible to detect them in a fetus without resorting to invasive techniques such as amniocentesis or chorionic villi sampling. Digital amplification allows the detection of aneuploidy using massively parallel amplification and detection methods, examining, e.g., 10,000 genome equivalents.
US08293467B2	Biological specimen collection and transport system and methods of use Disclosed are compositions for isolating populations of nucleic acids from biological, forensic, and environmental samples. Also disclosed are methods for using these compositions as one-step formulations for killing pathogens, inactivating nucleases, and releasing polynucleotides from other cellular components within the sample, and stabilizing the nucleic acids prior to further processing or assay. The disclosed compositions safely facilitate rapid sample collection, and provide extended storage and transport of the samples at ambient or elevated temperature without contamination of the sample or degradation of the nucleic acids contained therein. This process particularly facilitates the collection of specimens from remote locations, and under conditions previously considered hostile for preserving the integrity of nucleic acids released from lysed biological samples without the need of refrigeration or freezing prior to molecular analysis.
US08293464B2	Methods for reducing the internalization of viruses and identification of compounds effective thereof The invention relates generally to the field of virology, and relates to the identification and characterization of the targets involved in the evasion strategy of viruses and to the use thereof in methods to identify anti-viral compounds. More in particular to identify compounds which are modulators of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), a target within said entry and immune-evasion strategy. Other aspects of the invention are directed to anti-viral compounds identified using the models and methods of the present invention, as well as to the use thereof in treating viral infections, such as for example caused by the feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), a coronavirus which belongs to an antigenic group which comprises in particular feline enteric coronavirus (FECV), canine coronavirus (CCV), swine transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (TGEV), porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV) and human coronavirus (HCV), and which induces, in a host-dependent manner, a range of symptoms which range from mild enteritis to the severe debilitating disease, and, in some cases, up to death. In a particular aspect the present invention provides the use of MLCK inhibitors for the treatment of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).
US08293462B2	Method of preserving early mammalian embryos by vitrification This invention provides a solution for preserving mammalian early embryos or ES cells by vitrification, which comprises, as a base material, a phosphate buffer that exclusively contains 10% to 15% (v/v) propylene glycol as polyhydric alcohol or a phosphate buffer that exclusively contains 10% to 15% (v/v) propylene glycol and 25% to 35% (v/v) ethylene glycol as polyhydric alcohols and further contains 15% to 25% (v/v) Percoll® and 0.2 M to 0.5 M sucrose. This invention also provides a method for preserving mammalian early embryos or ES cells by vitrification using such solution.
US08293461B2	Direct emulsion process for making printed circuits A direct emulsion process for making printed circuits and printed circuit boards which includes coating a non-metallized substrate with a solution which creates a light sensitive surface on the substrate, imaging the coated substrate with a circuit design, developing the imaged substrate, and directly plating the developed image onto the coated substrate. Coating solutions which work particularly well in this process include a ferric oxalate and palladium emulsion or a silver based emulsion.
US08293460B2	Double exposure patterning with carbonaceous hardmask Methods to pattern features in a substrate layer by exposing a photoresist layer more than once. In one embodiment, a single reticle may be exposed more than once with an overlay offset implemented between successive exposures to reduce the half pitch of the reticle. In particular embodiments, these methods may be employed to reduce the half pitch of the features printed with 65 nm generation lithography equipment to achieve 45 nm lithography generation CD and pitch performance.
US08293458B2	Method for forming fine pattern in semiconductor device Disclosed is a method for manufacturing fine patterns of semiconductor devices using a double exposure patterning process for manufacturing the second photoresist patterns by simply exposing without an exposure mask. The method comprises the steps of: forming a first photoresist pattern on a semiconductor substrate on which a layer to be etched is formed; coating a composition for a mirror interlayer on the first photoresist pattern to form a mirror interlayer; forming a photoresist layer on the resultant; and forming a second photoresist pattern which is made by a scattered reflection of the mirror-interlayer and positioned between the first photoresist patterns, by exposing the photoresist layer to a light having energy which is lower than a threshold energy (Eth) of the photoresist layer without an exposure mask, and then developing the same.
US08293456B2	Semiconductor device manufacturing method A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes applying illumination light to a photomask, and projecting diffracted light components from the photomask via a projection optical system to form a photoresist pattern on a substrate. The photomask includes a plurality of opening patterns which are arranged on each of a plurality of parallel lines at regular second intervals in a second direction and which have regular first intervals in a first direction perpendicular to the second direction. The plurality of opening patterns arranged on the adjacent ones of the plurality of parallel lines are displaced from each other half the second interval in the second direction. Moreover, the dimensions of the plurality of opening patterns and the complex amplitude transmittance of nontransparent region in the photomask are set so that three of the diffracted light components passing through the pupil of the projection optical system have equal amplitude.
US08293454B2	Process of making a lithographic structure using antireflective materials A lithographic structure comprising: an organic antireflective material disposed on a substrate; and a silicon antireflective material disposed on the organic antireflective material. The silicon antireflective material comprises a crosslinked polymer with a SiOx backbone, a chromophore, and a transparent organic group that is substantially transparent to 193 nm or 157 nm radiation. In combination, the organic antireflective material and the silicon antireflective material provide an antireflective material suitable for deep ultraviolet lithography. The invention is also directed to a process of making the lithographic structure.
US08293453B2	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.
US08293450B2	Laser imaging coating and methods for imaging Briefly described, embodiments of this disclosure include, coating layers image recording media, and methods for forming an image.
US08293449B2	Positive resist composition and method of forming resist pattern There is provided a positive type resist composition comprising (A) a resin component with only units derived from an acrylate ester in the principal chain, for which the solubility in alkali increases under the action of acid, (B) an acid generator component which generates acid on exposure, and (C) an organic solvent component, wherein the resin component (A) is a copolymer comprising (a1) a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester comprising, as an acid dissociable dissolution inhibiting group on a side chain, a polycyclic dissolution inhibiting group which is eliminated more easily than a 2-methyl-2-adamantyl group, (a2) a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester comprising a lactone containing polycyclic group on a side chain, and (a3) a structural unit derived from an acrylate ester comprising a hydroxyl group containing polycyclic group on a side chain; as well as a resist pattern formation method using such a composition.
US08293447B2	Toner An object of the present invention is to provide a toner which allows fixation at low temperatures, which is excellent in anti-offset ability, and which provides a high quality image at high and low humidities in a stable manner without causing any image defect over time. Provided is a toner, containing at least a binder resin and a colorant in which: the binder resin in the toner contains 60% by mass or more of a styrene/acryl resin and a THF-insoluble fraction A which is an extraction residue obtained by carrying out Soxhlet extraction with tetrahydrofuran (THF) for 16 hours; the THF-insoluble fraction A contains a TOL-insoluble fraction B which is an extraction residue obtained by carrying out Soxhlet extraction with toluene (TOL) for 16 hours; and a mass ratio (B/A) between the THF-insoluble fraction A and the TOL-insoluble fraction B is in the range of 0.1≦B/A≦0.5.
US08293446B2	Resin-coated carrier method of manufacturing the same, two-component developer including resin-coated carrier, developing device and image forming apparatus A resin-coated carrier is provided. A resin-coated carrier includes a carrier core and a resin coating layer formed on a surface of the carrier core. The carrier core is composed of a porous material having surface fine pores formed on a surface thereof, and has an apparent density of 1.6 to 2.0 g/cm3. The resin coating layer contains cross-linked fine resin particles. Additionally, the resin-coated carrier is configured such that a volume average particle size of the cross-linked fine resin particles contained in the resin coating layer and an area average diameter of the surface fine pores satisfy a predetermined relational expression.
US08293445B2	Electrostatic image developing carrier, electrostatic image developer, process cartridge, image forming method, and image forming apparatus An electrostatic image developing carrier includes a ferrite particle that contains magnesium element in an amount of about 3.0 wt % or more and about 10.0 wt % or less and manganese element in an amount of about 0.2 wt % or more and less than about 1.0 wt %; and a resin layer that covers the ferrite particle.
US08293438B2	Erasable media with binder Exemplary embodiments provide compositions and methods for an erasable medium that can include a photochromic composite containing a photochromic polymer dispersed in a polymer binder, a similar type polymer of a backbone portion of the photochromic polymer.
US08293436B2	Oxime derivative, photopolymerizable composition, color filter, and process for producing the same There are provided a compound represented by the following formula (I), a photopolymerizable composition containing (A) a photopolymerization initiator represented by the formula (I) and (B) a radical polymerizable monomer, a color filter produced by using the photopolymerizable composition, and a process for producing the color filter.
US08293432B2	Pellicle There is provided a pellicle which has a ventilation hole made through at least one frame bar for adjusting the pressure inside the frame to the atmospheric pressure, and a filter to cover up the external opening of the ventilation hole for preventing entrance of a foreign substance, and at least one of two openings of the ventilation hole is chamfered to a degree selected from a group consisting of “C0.5 to C1.0” and “R0.5 to R1.0”.
US08293431B2	Lithographic mask and method of forming a lithographic mask A lithographic mask comprises a first layer including grooves, a second layer including regions, sections and a groove-like structure that encloses the sections. The first and second layers are formed so as to reduce electrical potential differences within the second layer. A method of forming a lithographic mask includes forming first and second layers to dispose the second layer over the first layer, patterning the second layer to comprise sections, a region, and a groove-like structure enclosing the sections, and forming grooves in the first layer at portions not covered by the second layer. The first and second layers are formed to reduce potential differences within the second layers during the step of forming the grooves in the first layer.
US08293429B2	Method of making a fuel cell device The present invention relates to a method of making fuel cell devices. A stack structure is formed having plural ceramic layers, anode layers, cathode layers, and sacrificial layers, where the sacrificial layers are sized to provide internal gas passages. Removable structures are placed in contact with the sacrificial layers and extend to an edge. After laminating the stacked structure, the removable structures are pulled out to form bake-out paths that facilitate removal of the sacrificial material during a heating step, which paths are later sealed.
US08293425B2	Fuel cell and gasket The polymer electrolyte fuel cell of the invention includes: an electrolyte membrane that is made of a solid polymer; catalyst electrode layers that are arranged and formed on two opposed faces of the electrolyte membrane; gas separators that form reactive gas supply flow paths to allow passage of reactive gases subjected to an electrochemical reaction to the catalyst electrode layers; a holder element that is located on periphery of the electrolyte membrane and the catalyst electrode layers to support at least the electrolyte membrane; an expansion element that is linked with the holder element to be expandable in an electrolyte membrane surface direction; and a fixation element that is linked with the expansion element to be fixed to the gas separators. This arrangement effectively prevents deterioration of the electrolyte membrane, due to expansion or contraction of the electrolyte membrane in the polymer electrolyte fuel cell.
US08293421B2	Fuel cell system The aim of the invention is to improve the accuracy of estimating residual water content in a fuel cell system adopting an intermittent operation mode and to accurately suppress cell voltage reduction due to water accumulation caused by the intermittent operation. The fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell having a cell laminate; an estimating unit for estimating a residual water content distribution in a reactant gas flow channel and a moisture content distribution in an electrolyte membrane in a cell plane of each single cell while taking into consideration water transfer that occurs between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode via the electrolyte membrane; and an operation control unit which changes the content of an intermittent operation when a residual water content in the reactant gas flow channel estimated by the estimating unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.
US08293419B2	Method for preparing hydrogen absorbing electrode and nickel metal-hydride battery In a method for preparing a hydrogen absorbing electrode, a hydrogen absorbing alloy which contains a rare earth element as an alloy constituent and a transition metal element is immersed in an aqueous alkaline solution so that the saturation mass susceptibility is 1.0 to 6.5 emu/g of the hydrogen absorbing alloy. The hydrogen absorbing alloy is mixed through the immersing step with an oxide or hydroxide of a rare earth element wherein the oxide or hydroxide has as a main component at least one element selected from the group consisting of Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu. Then, a mixture of the hydrogen absorbing alloy and the oxide or hydroxide of the rare earth element is applied to form a desired shape.
US08293418B2	Fuel supply control method and system for fuel cells An embodiment of the invention provides a fuel supply control system to control a fuel cell system to work in a predetermined temperature range by controlling a fuel supply rate. The fuel supply control system includes a fuel supply controller and a fuel supply device. The fuel supply controller calculates a temperature variation slope to generate a first fuel supply rate by increasing or decreasing the predetermined fuel supply rate according to the relationship of system temperature and predetermined working temperature, and controls a fuel delivering rate of the fuel supply device according to the first fuel supply rate.
US08293410B2	Secondary battery An electrode assembly for a secondary battery comprising an adiabatic plate attached to the negative electrode plate is disclosed. The electrode assembly comprises a positive electrode plate having a positive electrode collector, a positive electrode coating, and a non-coated area on the positive electrode collector. The negative electrode plate has a negative electrode collector, a negative electrode coating, and a non-coated area on the negative electrode collector. A separator insulates the positive and negative electrode plates. Positive and negative electrode tabs are attached to the non-coated areas of the positive and negative electrode collectors. The negative electrode plate has an adiabatic plate attached to the surface of a non-coated area of the negative electrode collector that is opposite the surface to which the negative electrode tab is attached. This construction improves battery stability and prevents short circuits caused either by heat generated during overcharging or by an internal short circuit.
US08293409B2	Method for making active material and electrode, active material, electrode, and lithium ion secondary battery The method for making an active material according to the invention comprises a step of contacting an aqueous solution containing a metal-fluoro complex with a carbon material. The active material comprises a carbon material and a metal oxide particle group supported directly on the surface of the carbon material.
US08293405B2	Rechargeable lithium ion battery and method for producing the same The present invention relates to a rechargeable lithium ion battery having an electrode plate with a high active material density and high electrolyte permeability. Upon producing the rechargeable lithium ion battery, hollow resin particles that can be collapsed by rolling are incorporated in a positive electrode mixture layer or a negative electrode mixture layer before the electrode mixture layer is rolled. The hollow resin particles are collapsed in the course of rolling the positive electrode mixture layer or the negative electrode mixture layer, so that the active material density can be easily increased. Further, the collapsed resin particles form unevenness on the surface of the electrode plate and also form open pores in the electrode plate, so that electrolyte permeability can be enhanced. As a result, the discharge capacity and rate characteristics of rechargeable lithium ion batteries can be increased.
US08293404B2	Catalyst structure body for fuel cell, manufacture method therefor, membrane-electrode assembly, and fuel cell A catalyst structure body for a fuel cell includes an agglomerate structure in which agglomerates each formed by aggregation of a catalyst-supporting carbon in which a catalyst is supported on a surface of a carbon have gathered, and a polymer having proton conductivity. The agglomerate structure and the polymer coexist. The polymer has entered pores between the agglomerates in the agglomerate structure. The average thickness of the polymer is set at 3 to 50 nanometers.
US08293403B2	Crosslinkable composition for a battery electrolyte The field of the present invention relates to the field of batteries and of polymer electrolytes for batteries and more particularly to the field of lithium batteries.The invention relates to a composition which can be polymerized and/or crosslinked by polyaddition for a battery electrolyte comprising: a) at least one polyorganosiloxane (POS) (A) exhibiting, per molecule, at least two C2-C6 alkenyl groups bonded to silicon and at least one group directly bonded to a silicon atom comprising a polyoxyalkylene (Poa) ether functional group; b) at least one polyorganosiloxane (POS) (B) exhibiting, per molecule, at least two hydrogen atoms bonded to silicon; c) a catalytically effective amount of at least one hydrosilylation catalyst (C); and a) at least one electrolyte salt (D).
US08293401B2	Battery cover assembly for portable electronic device A battery cover assembly for a portable electronic device, the battery cover assembly includes a housing, a removable battery cover and a locking mechanism. The housing has a latching portion. The locking mechanism latches the battery cover to the housing, and includes an operating member, a slidable member and an elastic member. The operating member engages in the latching portion of the housing, and the operating member includes a resisting block. The slidable member releasably engages with the battery cover, and the slidable member has a support block engaging with the resisting block. The elastic member is between the slidable member and the latching portion and provides an elastic force to the slidable member and the operating member.
US08293399B2	Cell connector A cell connector adapted for electrically connecting at least one cell includes a plate-shaped connecting member made of metal material with high conductivity, and at least one welding member mounted on the connecting member for being welded with the cell. The welding member is made of weldable metal solder. The connecting member has a lower resistivity than the welding member. Therefore, the cell connector of the present invention not only is easily welded, but also can reduce the energy loss thereon, and moreover, the cost is also advantageously reduced.
US08293396B2	Non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cell The non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cell comprises a positive electrode having a positive electrode active material composed of a lithium transition metal composite oxide, a negative electrode having a negative electrode active material composed of carbon material, a non-aqueous electrolyte solution, and an outer body in which the positive electrode, the negative electrode and the non-aqueous electrolyte solution are housed; the mass of the non-aqueous electrolyte solution per cell capacity of the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cell is 10.0 to 12.0 g/Ah; and the volume of the non-aqueous electrolyte solution per void volume in the outer body is 70 to 85%.
US08293395B2	Method for preventing erroneous loading of component-to-be-loaded on main body side apparatus, component-to-be-loaded and battery pack A battery device having a casing configured to house at least one battery cell and having an end surface that defines an outermost surface of the casing. A terminal case disposed in the casing has terminal grooves, terminal members in the terminal grooves and guide grooves. The terminal case projects outwardly from the end surface of the casing so as to extend beyond the outermost surface of that case.
US08293394B2	Battery cover latching mechanism A battery cover latching mechanism is provided. The battery cover latching mechanism includes a body member, a battery cover, and a button mounted on the body member. The body member defines a battery receiving space and includes a latching block. The battery cover is placed on the body member to cover the battery receiving space, the battery cover includes a clamp. The button resists the clamp and slides between a first position and a second position. When the button is at a first position, the clamp is released from the latching block. When the button slides from the first position to the second position, the button resists the clamp to move towards the latching block and then latch with the latching block.
US08293390B2	Cell stack for a flowing electrolyte battery A cell stack (700) as provided enables a flowing electrolyte battery to have a reduced size and weight. The cell stack (700) includes a casing having a positive polarity end and a negative polarity end. A plurality of half cells (805) are inside the casing, and each half cell (805) includes an electrode plate (705), an adjacent separator plate (715), and at least one capillary tube (727) positioned between the electrode plate (705) and the adjacent separator plate (715). The capillary tube (727) has a first end extending outside of the half cell (805) and a second end located inside the half cell (805). At least one manifold (530) is in hydraulic communication with a plurality of capillary tube ends including the first end of the capillary tube (727) in each half cell (805). The capillary tube (727) in each half cell (805) enables electrolyte to circulate through the plurality of half cells (805) via the at least one manifold (530).
US08293389B2	All-solid state lithium secondary battery A main object of the present invention is to provide a safe and highly-reliable all-solid-state lithium secondary battery using a sulfide-based solid electrolyte material which can restrain generation of hydrogen sulfide gas, in case a large amount of water is entered into a battery case by an accident such as submersion associated with a breakage of the container.To attain the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an all-solid-state lithium secondary battery using a sulfide-based solid electrolyte material, characterized in that the battery has a metal salt M-X comprising a metal element “M” and an anionic part “X” in a battery case thereof, and further characterized in that a metal cation of the metal salt M-X generated by disassociation caused with water can react with a sulfide ion generated by a reaction between the sulfide-based solid electrolyte material and the water.
US08293388B2	Thermal energy battery and method for cooling temperature sensitive components A thermal energy battery for cooling temperature sensitive components comprises a composite of a sorbent with ammonia, water, alcohol, amine or a fluorocarbon refrigerant absorbed thereon and incorporated on a substrate material. The composite is encased in a containment material configured to rupture or otherwise release refrigerant desorbed by the sorbent composition when internal battery pressure reaches a threshold ΔP from the outside pressure, and thermal conduction means in thermal contact with the thermal energy battery and one or more temperature sensitive components for directing thermal energy therebetween to heat the composite and cool the temperature sensitive components.
US08293378B2	Anti-corrosive coating for metal surfaces A protective coating for a metal substrate is provided that is light, durable, galvanically protective, and easily applied at the site of manufacture. The coating has at least two layers, one of which is a galvanizing layer and one of which is a micro-composite of a galvanic metal and a non-conducting material, such as polymer. Such coatings are useful for example to protect pipes or other metal surfaces in corrosive environments. Methods of producing the coating are provided, including methods that use advanced spraying techniques to provide very thin but consistent layers. Using the advanced spraying methods the composite layer can be created by co-spraying the galvanic metal and the nonconductive material onto the surface of the galvanic coating. Optionally, an outer coat of insulating material can be applied to provide further protection to the surface.
US08293377B2	Case for rolling powder alloy An object of this invention is to provide a case for rolling powder alloy without failures at the time of rolling. The case for rolling powder alloy (1) is formed like a shape of box and comprises a side constituent member (10) forming like a rectangular frame in a combination of two members (10a, 10a) and surrounding a side surface of metal powder, an upper lid constituent member (11) mounting on one opening of the side constituent member (10) and covering an upper surface of the metal powder, and a lower lid constituent member (12) mounting on the other opening of the side constituent member (10) and covering a lower surface of the metal powder. The peripheral edges of the upper lid constituent member (11) and the lower lid constituent member (12) are, respectively, provided with a peripheral wall (11b, 12b) standing upright along an outer peripheral surface of the side constituent member, and the side constituent member (10) is inserted into a space surrounded by the peripheral wall (11b, 12b). According to such case for rolling powder alloy, the aluminum powder alloy can be easily manufactured without failures at the time of rolling.
US08293364B2	Highly shrinkable fiber A highly shrinkable fiber composed of nylon-MXD6 polymer and nylon-6 polymer, characterized in that a weight ratio therebetween is in the range of 35:65 to 70:30, and that each thereof exhibits a breaking strength of 4.00 cN/dtex or greater. Preferably, the weight ratio between nylon-MXD6 polymer and nylon-6 polymer of the highly shrinkable fiber is in the range of 45.55 to 55:45. The highly shrinkable fiber exhibits a high shrinkage ratio in boiling water, so that when the highly shrinkable fiber is used in a woven fabric, there can be realized a high density.
US08293361B2	Coating system for cement composite articles A coated article which includes a cement fiberboard substrate and a radiation-curable coating system applied to the substrate. The coating system includes a latex polymer, one or more olefinic compounds and water, and may be provided in the form of one or more coating compositions that may be applied in one or more layers, wherein each of the coating compositions is preferably an aqueous composition, or can be mixed with another composition (e.g., on the substrate) to form an aqueous composition.
US08293358B2	Method for manufacturing ceramic substrate and ceramic substrate When a ceramic substrate is manufactured through a constraint firing step that uses a constraining layer, the constraining layer is removed without causing significant damage to a sintered base layer or an electrode formed on the surface of the sintered base layer, and the electrode can be reliably exposed. A green stacked body having a base layer and a constraining layer disposed so as to be in contact with at least one principal surface of the base layer is formed. A fired stacked body having a sintered base layer and a green constraining layer is then obtained by firing the green stacked body to sinter the base layer. Subsequently, the constraining layer is removed from the sintered base layer by vibrating media that are disposed so as to be in contact with the constraining layer.
US08293353B2	Energy absorbing panel An energy absorbing panel containing a pair of generally parallel spaced apart rigid end plates having a stiffness of at least about 200 N-m and a plurality of fabric layers extending between the rigid end plates oriented in a z-axis direction defined as being perpendicular to the rigid end plates. Each fabric layer contains a plurality of monoaxially drawn, thermoplastic fibers. The plurality of fabric layers are fused together forming a bonded structure. Methods of making the energy absorbing panel are also disclosed.
US08293352B2	Optical recording medium and method for manufacturing the same An optical recording medium includes: a substrate; an information signal layer provided on the substrate; and a protective layer provided on the information signal layer. The information signal layer is provided with a reflecting layer, a recording layer provided on the reflecting layer and first, second and third dielectric layers laminated successively on the recording layer. Refractive indexes of the first, second and third dielectric layers are different from each other between the adjacent dielectric layers to each other. Among the first, second and third dielectric layers, the dielectric layer having the highest refractive index contains, as a main component, at least one member selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, niobium oxide and a mixture of zinc sulfide and silicon oxide. The dielectric layer having the highest refractive index has a refractive index of 2.3 or more at a wavelength of 405 nm.
US08293345B1	Device housing and method for making the same A device housing is described. The device housing includes an aluminum alloy substrate and a compound corrosion resistant layer formed on the substrate. The compound corrosion resistant layer includes two crystalline films and a non-crystalline film formed between the crystalline films. One of the crystalline films is formed on the substrate. The crystalline film is a chromium-oxygen-nitrogen film or an aluminum-oxygen-nitrogen film. The non-crystalline film is an aluminum oxide film or a silicon dioxide film. A method for making the device housing is also described.
US08293343B2	Inkjet recording medium An inkjet recording medium having a substrate and, on or above the substrate, an ink-receiving layer is disclosed. The ink-receiving layer contains at least one type of inorganic fine particles, at least one water-soluble resin, and at least one ethylene oxide adduct of an acetylene glycol compound having an HLB value of 6 or less.
US08293342B2	Decorative golf figurine The decorative figurine is formed from at least two golf balls and at least one golf tee. A blind bore is formed in a first golf ball, and a diametrically extending countersunk bore is formed through a second golf ball. A golf tee is then inserted into the golf balls with the shaft extending through the countersunk bore and into the blind bore, the head of the tee being seated in the countersunk portion of the throughbore. Adhesive secures the tee in the bores, forming the body of the figurine. The body is preferably mounted on a base, and the body is decorated with any desired ornamentation and/or props.
US08293341B2	Cellulose ester film, retardation film, polarizing plate and liquid crystal display device Provided is a cellulose ester film including a polycondensed ester which is obtained from a mixture containing an aromatic dicarboxylic acid, an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, an aliphatic diol having an average carbon atom number of from 2.0 to 3.0 and a monocarboxylic acid, and both terminals of which are a monocarboxylic acid ester derivative.
US08293336B2	Method of producing a textile article having a functional finish A method of producing a textile article having a localized finish is described. The method comprises providing a continuous supply of a textile substrate, providing an array of digital nozzles, supplying a finishing composition to the nozzles and selectively depositing the finishing composition from the nozzles in a series of droplets to deposit a first predetermined pattern of droplets on a selected area of the substrate to endow a functional characteristic on the selected areas. In this way, it is possible to ensure that only those areas receive the finishing composition that ultimately require it. Usage of valuable chemicals and process time can hereby be reduced.
US08293332B2	Rust-proof paint composition and method of manufacturing a member having a rust-proof coating using the rust-proof paint composition A rust-proof coating, which does not contain a hazardous metal such as chromium and is able to form a thin coating in which crack generation is inhibited even after a baking treatment at a high temperature, including based on the whole composition, 5 to 40% by weight of an organic silicon compound, 0.05 to 5.0% by weight of an organic titanium compound, 20 to 60% by weight of one or more metal powders selected from the group of zinc powder, zinc alloy powder, and aluminum powder, and 10 to 60% by weight of an organic solvent. A coating having excellent anticorrosive properties can be formed by coating the above-mentioned paint composition followed by heating at a temperature of from 200 to 400 degrees C.
US08293330B2	Lens coating apparatus and lens coating method While one side of a lens L is held by a suction-holding member 17 and the suction-holding member 17 is moved by the moving mechanism, a coating process, a drying process, and a curing process are sequentially performed in respective receptacles disposed independently of each other. A suction force applied to the lens L by the suction-holding member 17 is controlled by a control section 22 in accordance with each of the receptacles in which the suction-holding member 17 is positioned.
US08293328B2	Enhanced copper growth with ultrathin barrier layer for high performance interconnects A method for depositing a refractory metal nitride barrier layer having a thickness of about 20 angstroms or less is provided. In one aspect, the refractory metal nitride layer is formed by introducing a pulse of a metal-containing compound followed by a pulse of a nitrogen-containing compound. The refractory metal nitride barrier layer provides adequate barrier properties and allows the grain growth of the first metal layer to continue across the barrier layer into the second metal layer thereby enhancing the electrical performance of the interconnect.
US08293327B2	Process for forming the strontium-containing thin film The present invention provides a process for forming a strontium-containing thin film of a cyclopentadienyl-based strontium compound, which is in the liquid state at room temperature to 50° C., can be purified by distillation, present as a monomer, has high vapor pressure, and suitable for mass production. bis(propyltetramethylcyclopentadienyl)strontium is used as an Sr source to form a strontium-containing thin film such as a SrTiO3 film, a (Ba, Sr)TiO3 film by chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition.
US08293326B2	Spin-coating method, determination method for spin-coating condition and mask blank A spin-coating method according to the present invention includes a uniforming step of rotating a substrate at a predetermined main rotation speed for a predetermined main rotation time so as to primarily make a resist film thickness uniform, and a subsequent drying step of rotating the substrate at a predetermined drying rotation speed for a predetermined drying rotation time so as to primarily dry the uniform resist film. In the present invention, a contour map, for example, of film thickness uniformity within an effective region (critical area) shown in FIG. 3A is determined (generated), and resist-coating is performed by selecting a condition within the optimum region in this contour map in which the film thickness uniformity (within an effective region) can be the maximum, or within the region in which the film thickness uniformity (within an effective region) can be high enough for a desirably specified.
US08293323B2	Thin metal film conductors and their manufacture Metal solutions such as copper and nickel suitable for chemical solution deposition (CSD) are disclosed, and their manufacture into low resistivity thin metal films is disclosed. The films may be thermal processed at relatively low temperatures and may be co-fired with ultra low fire high K ceramic dielectrics.
US08293319B2	Method for manufacturing light-emitting device By irradiating a first substrate which is an evaporation donor substrate including a function layer in which films having different refractive indexes (high-refractive index films and low refractive index films) are stacked with first light (wavelength=λ1), a material layer over the first substrate is patterned, and by irradiating the first substrate with second light (wavelength=λ2) which is different from λ1, the material layer which is patterned is evaporated onto a second substrate which is a deposition target substrate.
US08293318B1	Methods for modulating the release rate of a drug-coated stent Methods for modulating the release rate of a drug coated stent are disclosed.
US08293314B2	Chocolate composition A chocolate composition having a fat phase, characterized in that said fat phase: has a slip melting point of at least 27.5° C., preferably of between 30 and 37° C.; and comprises both modified and unmodified fats, wherein said modified fats comprise an interesterified fat consisting of interesterified cocoa butter.
US08293308B2	Production of edible wafers by extrusion A method for producing wafers by extrusion comprising the steps of a. Preparing an ingredient mix b. Feeding the mix in an extruder and cooking the mix c. Extruding the cooked mix such that an extruded and expanded non-planar structure is formed d. Unfolding the structure to give a large extruded sheet e. Subjecting the extruded sheet to stretching/pulling f. Adjusting the sheet in order to obtain a desired thickness g. Drying the sheet h. Separating the sheet into wafers of desired dimensions The invention also relates to the wafers thus produced and to a wafer production line.
US08293306B2	Process for manufacturing a sweetener and use thereof Highly purified Stevioside and Rebaudioside A were prepared from sweet glycoside extracts obtained from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves. The resulting sweeteners are suitable as non-calorie, non-cariogenic, non-bitter, non-lingering sweeteners, which may be advantageously applied in foods, beverages, and milk products.
US08293300B2	Anhydrous flavor delivery composition and method An anhydrous flavor delivery composition comprising a water-insoluble component, a surfactant and an alcohol is provided. In addition, a method of making the anhydrous flavor delivery composition and a method of flavoring a beverage are provided.
US08293297B2	Colored structured protein products The present invention provides a process for producing a colored structured protein product with protein fibers that are substantially aligned and the resultant product. Specifically, the plant protein is combined with a colorant and extruded, forming a colored structured protein product with protein fibers that are substantially aligned and the resultant product.
US08293296B2	Method of producing popcorn confectionery and machine for use with the method By the method of producing popcorn confectionery a first sugar/glucose substance is produced. This substance is boiled at 170 -2100C for approx. 3-10 hours until the substance is dark brown/black and viscous, whereafter it is cooled down. Hereafter a second sugar/glucose substance is produced, which is boiled at 100-1300C for approx. 1-10 hours. The first substance and the second substance are mixed at a weight ratio of 1:2-1:6, whereafter the resulting mixture is boiled and popcorn is added. This mixture can be formed in formed pieces in a machine 1 including a cylindrical, horizontal buffer tank 3, which is surrounded by a chamber 11 filled with oil, and a cylindrical, horizontal main tank 2 surrounded by a chamber 23 filled with oil.
US08293295B2	Chewing gum comprising at least two different biodegradable polymers The invention relates to chewing gum comprising at least two different biodegradable polymers. According to the invention, a chewing gum comprising at least two different biodegradable polymers exhibits an improved texture prior to any adding of for example softeners. It has been realized that the desired chewing gum texture properties, contrary to every expectation and any prior art disclosures, may be actually be obtained when combining biodegradable chewing gum polymers, for example in the gum base or in the final gum.
US08293293B2	Compositions comprising Lilium martagon extracts and uses thereof Provided are compositions comprising an extract of Lilium martagon and a carrier. Also provided are methods of lightening the skin comprising the step of applying to skin in need of skin lightening treatment an extract of Lilium martagon.
US08293289B2	Pharmaceutical composition for treatment of lumbar disc herniation and preparation method thereof Disclosed are a pharmaceutical composition useful for treating lumbar disc herniation and a method for the preparation thereof. Composed of herbal ingredients, the pharmaceutical composition neither incurs resistance nor side effects, even when it is administered for a long term. The composition comprises Acanthopanax senticosus in an amount of 20˜40 wt %, Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba in an amount of 30˜50 wt %, Carthamus tinctorius seed powder in an amount of 3˜10 wt %, Sophora flavescens Aiton in an amount of 5˜15 wt %, Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix in an amount of 1˜5 wt %, Dipsaci Radix in an amount of 1˜5 wt %, pine knars in an amount of 1˜5 wt %, Epimedium Koreanum in an amount of 1˜5 wt %, and Allium tuberosum in an amount of 1˜5 wt %.
US08293288B2	Pain relieving composition A pain relieving composition that includes an anesthetic in the range of 0.5%-7.0% by weight (“w/w”), an anti-inflammatory agent in the range of 1.0%-11.0% w/w, a moisturizing agent in the range of 0.5%-12.0% w/w, a humescent in the range of 0.5%-13.0% w/w, a penetration enhancing agent in the range of 0.5%-7.0%, and a carrier solvent in the range of 40.0%-97.0% w/w to be used before and/or after procedures which cause damage to human skin.
US08293285B2	Carrageenan modified by ion-exchange process A composition comprises an ion-exchanged carrageenan. The carrageenan may be a traditionally extracted or neutrally extracted iota or kappa carrageenan. The ion-exchanged carrageenan has reduced gelling cation contents, reduced gelling temperature, and reduced melting temperature, as compared to its non-ion-exchanged counterpart. The ion-exchanged carrageenan may be mixed with another carrageenan to form a carrageenan product having a unique gelling temperature and melting temperature. Also disclosed is a process for making an ion-exchanged carrageenan composition.
US08293284B2	Methods of reducing the risk of occurrence of pulmonary edema in term or near-term neonates in need of treatment with inhaled nitric oxide The invention relates methods of reducing the risk or preventing the occurrence of an adverse event (AE) or a serious adverse event (SAE) associated with a medical treatment comprising inhalation of nitric oxide.
US08293282B2	Micronized copper-containing compositions useful to mitigate residues on wood surfaces Disclosed is a wood preservative composition comprising micronized copper and copper-amine complex, wherein the copper component of the copper amine complex is from about 5% to about 50% by weight, based upon the total weight of copper in the composition. The copper amine complex serves to avoid wood surface “chalking” that is otherwise attributable to the presence of micronized copper in copper-based slurries used to treat wood products. In addition, the copper-amine complex enhances the antimicrobial efficacy of the composition when used in wood treatment applications by facilitating cell wall penetration of the treated wood.
US08293281B2	Analgesic and anti-inflammatory composition The present invention discloses a composition that contains (1) an effective amount of an analgesically and/or anti-inflammatory active fraction separated from a mixture of plasma and/or serum, and (2) at least one metal, metal ion or metal salt, in which the mixture has been denatured. Also disclosed are methods of producing the composition for treating a subject afflicted with inflammation and/or pain.
US08293279B2	pH-regulated polyamide powder for cosmetic applications The present invention relates to polyamide powders suitable for cosmetic applications are described which have a pH of 4.0 to 7.0, cosmetic compositions containing the polyamide powders and processes of making the same.
US08293271B2	Encapsulated materials and methods for encapsulating materials A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an apparatus having an outer nozzle operable to discharge an outer stream of a shell solution, and an inner nozzle operable to discharge an inner stream of a core solution intermixed with a plurality of materials. The outer stream can substantially surrounds the inner stream, thereby forming a combined stream. A plurality of capsules can be formed responsive to a force applied to the combined stream. At least a portion of the plurality of capsules are desirable capsules, each having a core encapsulated by a portion of the shell solution. The core can have at least one of the plurality of materials encapsulated by a portion of the core solution without protruding an outer surface of the portion of the shell solution. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08293262B2	Medical devices having multiple layers Described herein are medical devices which are configured for implantation or insertion into a subject, preferably a mammalian subject. The medical devices contain one or more multilayer regions, which contain: (a) one or more (typically a plurality of) charged nanoparticle layers and (b) one or more (typically a plurality of) charged polyelectroyte layers. Such multilayers have a number of desirable attributes, including high strength, non-compliance, and flexibility. Also described herein are methods of making such devices.
US08293251B2	Neisserial antigens The invention provides proteins from Neisseria meningitidis (strains A & B) and from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, including amino acid sequences, the corresponding nucleotide sequences, expression data, and serological data. The proteins are useful antigens for vaccines, immunogenic compositions, and/or diagnostics.
US08293250B2	Tuberculosis vaccines comprising antigens expressed during the latent infection phase The invention is related to an immunogenic composition, vaccine or pharmaceutical composition for preventing, boosting or treating infection caused by a species of the tuberculosis complex (M. tuberculosis, M. Bovis, M. africanum, M. microti). The immunogenic composition, vaccine or pharmaceutical composition comprise a fusion polypeptide, which comprises one or more starvation antigens from M. tuberculosis, the units of the fusion polypeptide being M. tuberculosis antigens. Further, the invention is related to the use of a vaccine comprising a fusion polypeptide sequence or nucleic acid sequence of the invention given at the same time as BCG, either mixed with BCG or administered separately at different sites or routes for preparing said immunogenic composition, vaccine, or pharmaceutical composition.
US08293243B2	Treatment of hyperproliferative disease with superantigens in combination with another anticancer agent The present invention relates to methods of treating mammals affected by, for example, a hyperproliferative disease such as cancer, by administering a tumor-targeted superantigen and a chemotherapeutic agent, whereby the administration of the tumor-targeted superantigen and chemotherapeutic agent reduce the antibody response and enhance the T cell response. The superantigen, wild-type or modified, is fused to a target-seeking moiety, such as an antibody or an antibody active fragment. The combined administration of a superantigen and a chemotherapeutic agent provides enhanced therapeutic effects in a treated animal.
US08293241B2	Anti-FGF19 antibodies and methods using same The invention provides anti-FGF19 antibodies, and compositions comprising and methods of using these antibodies, methods using anti-FGF19 antibodies, and methods comprising detection of FGF19 and/or FGFR4.
US08293238B2	GDF3 antibodies and related methods The application describes compositions and methods for regulating body weight, in particular, for treating obesity and obesity-associate disorders. The application also provides methods of screening compounds that modulate activity of GDF3. These compositions and methods are also useful in treating diseases associated with abnormal activity of GDF3.
US08293237B2	Binding proteins, including antibodies, antibody derivatives and antibody fragments, that specifically bind CD154 and uses thereof This invention provides binding proteins, including antibodies, antibody derivatives and antibody fragments, that specifically bind a CD154 (CD40L) protein. This invention also provides a chimeric, humanized or fully human antibody, antibody derivative or antibody fragment that specifically binds to an epitope to which a humanized Fab fragment comprising a variable heavy chain sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1 and comprising a variable light chain sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 2 specifically binds. CD154 binding proteins of this invention may elicit reduced effector function relative to a second anti-CD154 antibody. CD154 binding proteins of this invention are useful in diagnostic and therapeutic methods, such as in the treatment and prevention of diseases including those that involve undesirable immune responses that are mediated by CD154-CD40 interactions.
US08293234B2	Antibodies which bind and inhibit blood factor VIII 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.
US08293232B2	Flowable carrier matrix and methods for delivering to a patient A carrier matrix may be delivered to a target position within a patient in a minimally invasive manner by first cutting a collagen sponge sheet into a plurality of relatively small pieces. These pieces are sized so that, when wet, they are capable of flowing through a cannula and/or reduced-diameter syringe tip. The pieces are placed into a syringe and wetted, say with a morphogenic solution, and optionally mixed with a bulking material, which is similarly sized to fit through the cannula. The thoroughly mixed and wetted product forms a viscous aggregate which may then be injected into the patient at the target site.
US08293230B2	Transport protein which is used to introduce chemical compounds into nerve cells The invention relates to a transport protein which can be obtained by modifying the heavy chain of the neurotoxin formed by Clostridium botulinum. The protein binds specifically to nerve cells with a higher affinity as the native neurotoxin. The invention also relates to a method for the production of transport protein, the nucleic acids coding for the transport protein, the transport protein containing pharmaceutical and cosmetic compositions and use thereof.
US08293229B2	Methods of producing stable pancreatic enzyme compositions Compositions of the present invention, comprising at least one digestive enzyme (e.g., pancrelipase) are useful for treating or preventing disorders associated with digestive enzyme deficiencies. The compositions of the present invention can comprise a plurality of coated particles, each of which is comprised of a core coated with an enteric coating comprising at least one enteric polymer and 4-10% of at least one alkalinizing agent, or have moisture contents of about 3% or less, water activities of about 0.6 or less, or exhibit a loss of activity of no more than about 15% after six months of accelerated stability testing.
US08293218B2	Skin care compositions comprising substituted monoamines Skin care compositions comprising certain substituted monoamines, which are particularly beneficial for skin lightening and achieving evenness of color, especially for face and underarm skin.
US08293217B2	Hydrogenation of caryophellene A process for the hydrogenation of a mixture of caryophyllenes by contact with hydrogen in the presence of a supported catalyst. The resulting products are useful for the application to skin.
US08293207B2	Radiometal-labeled amino acid analogs, imaging and therapeutic agents incorporating the same, and methods using the same An amino acid analog is provided, in syn-stereoisomeric form, anti-stereoisomeric form, or a combination thereof. The amino acid analog includes a cyclobutane ring with at least one of an amine group and a carboxyl group attached to one carbon node of the cyclobutane ring. A chain of moieties X, Y, and Z attached to one of remaining three carbon nodes of the cyclobutane ring. X is a chelating agent selected from a group comprising DCTA, DOTA, DTPA, EDTA, NOTA, PCTA, and TETA. Y is a linking moiety selected from a group comprising —NH—CO— and —NH-p-CHSN-Bn- where the linking moiety facilitates incorporation of the chelating agent into the amino acid analog. Z is a metal radioisotope selected from a group comprising Cu-60, Cu-61, Cu-62, Cu-64, Cu-67, Ga-67, Ga-68, Y-86, Y-88, Y-90, Sr-85, Sr-89, Gd-153, Gd-157, Sm-153, Lu-177, W-185, Re-186, Re-188, and Ir-192.
US08293203B2	Preparation of nanosized copper (I) compounds A method of making nanosized copper (I) compounds, in particular, copper (I) halides, pseudohalides, and cyanocuprate complexes, in reverse micelles or microemulsions is disclosed herein. The method of the invention comprises (a) dissolving a copper (II) compound in the polar phase of a first reverse micelle or microemulsion, (b) dissolving a copper (II) to copper (I) reducing agent or a pseudohalide salt in the polar phase of a second sample of the same reverse micelle or microemulsion, (c) mixing the two reverse micelle/microemulsions samples to form nanometer sized copper (I) compounds and (d) recovering said nanometer sized copper (I) compounds. The present invention is also directed to the resultant nanosized copper (I) compounds, such as copper (I) chloride, copper (I) cyanide, and potassium cyanocuprate complexes having an average particle size of about 0.1 to 600 nanometers.
US08293202B2	Compositions and methods for coagulating silica from mineral processing streams This idea relates to the use of polyalkylene glycols and non-salt polyether amines to improve the effectiveness of silica removal by coagulation and agglomeration of colloidal silica particles in aqueous mineral process streams.
US08293201B2	Method for the recovery of ammonia from a gaseous stream in a synthesis process of urea A process for the recovery of ammonia contained in a gaseous purging stream produced in a synthesis process of urea.
US08293198B2	Process of direct copper exchange into Na+-form of chabazite molecular sieve, and catalysts, systems and methods Disclosed are processes for the preparation of copper containing molecular sieves with the CHA structure wherein the copper is exchanged into the Na+-form of the Chabazite, using a liquid copper solution wherein the concentration of copper is in the range of about 0.001 to about 0.4 molar. Also described are copper containing molecular sieves with the CHA structure, catalysts incorporating molecular sieves, systems and methods for their use.
US08293193B2	Microfluidic component with a channel filled with nanotubes and method for its production A microfluidic component comprises at least one channel (2) delineated by a top wall (6) and a bottom wall (3) and two opposite side walls (4, 5). The distance (P) between the top wall (6) and the bottom wall (3) of the channel (2) is greater than or equal to 25 micrometers and first and second sets of nanotubes (9a, 9b) are respectively borne by the two opposite side walls (4, 5) for the component to present a particularly high ratio between the contact surface and the available volume and a limited overall surface size. In addition, the distance between the two opposite side walls (4, 5) is about a few micrometers and preferably comprised between 3 and 5 micrometers.
US08293186B2	Method and apparatus for producing methanol An apparatus and method of producing methanol includes reacting a heated hydrocarbon-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas in a reactor; to provide a product stream comprising methanol; and transferring heat from the product stream to the hydrocarbon-containing gas to heat the hydrocarbon containing gas. After removing methanol and CO2 from the product stream, unprocessed hydrocarbons are mixed with the hydrocarbon containing gas fro reprocessing through the reactor.
US08293185B2	UV irradiation apparatus and method A method and an apparatus are described for use in the irradiation of fluids. The apparatus has an elongate conduit (312) having a central axis (334) and two or more elongate ultraviolet radiation sources (114) extending along the interior of the conduit for irradiation of the fluid within the conduit. An array of static mixer elements (300) is located within the conduit, and the two or more elongate ultraviolet radiation sources (114) are arranged to extend through apertures in deflection surfaces of the static mixer elements making up the array (300). The apparatus and method allows for reliable and uniform ultraviolet irradiation of fluids of low UV transmissivity, such as turbid fluids, particularly for ultraviolet disinfection of such fluids. Wipers may be fitted to the static mixer elements to enable relative movement between the static mixer elements and the surfaces of the elongate ultraviolet radiation sources to clean the surfaces of the sources without need to dismantle the apparatus.
US08293172B2	Method of dispensing a volatile material A method of dispensing a volatile material includes the steps of providing power to a volatile material diffuser having a diffusion element and operating the diffusion element for a first period of time, wherein the diffusion element is continuously activated and deactivated during the period of time at a first duty cycle having a first on time and a first off time. Still further, the method includes the step of operating the diffusion element for a final period of time, wherein the diffusion element is continuously activated and deactivated during the final period of time at a final duty cycle having a final on time and a final off time. The first duty cycle is less than about 100% such that the first off time is greater than about 0 seconds and the final duty cycle is about 100% such that the final off time is about 0 seconds and wherein the final period of time begins after the first period of time has finished.
US08293170B1	Scent distribution cartridge The present scent distributor is a cartridge for attaching to a permeable substrate such as an air filter or humidifier pad. The cartridge housing is configured to hold the scenting media, said housing including a body and a cover; a plurality of openings in said housing to allow air to flow through at least a portion of said housing for interaction with the scenting media; a restrictor that slidingly engages with said housing to selectively restrict the flow of air through said housing; and an attachment device on said housing to attach said housing to a porous substrate.
US08293168B2	Nanocomposites with high thermoelectric figures of merit The present invention is generally directed to nanocomposite thermoelectric materials that exhibit enhanced thermoelectric properties. The nanocomposite materials include two or more components, with at least one of the components forming nano-sized structures within the composite material. The components are chosen such that thermal conductivity of the composite is decreased without substantially diminishing the composite's electrical conductivity. Suitable component materials exhibit similar electronic band structures. For example, a band-edge gap between at least one of a conduction band or a valence band of one component material and a corresponding band of the other component material at interfaces between the components can be less than about 5kBT, wherein kB is the Boltzman constant and T is an average temperature of said nanocomposite composition.
US08293158B2	Blend of plastics with wood particles According to the invention blends of wood particles and plant particles and plastic are generated in an extruder thereby that the plastic is converted separately into a liquid melt before the joining takes place.
US08293157B2	Method of manufacturing cellulose/gelatin composite viscose rayon filament A method of manufacturing a cellulose/gelatin composite viscose rayon filament that is characterized by including a process in which a spinning process is carried out while a viscose spinning solution is mixed with a gelatin crosslinking solution, which makes it possible to produce a cellulose/gelatin composite viscose rayon having uniform strength and elongation without yarn disconnection.
US08293154B2	Moulding process A highly effective and cost-effective method and apparatus for manufacturing soft contact lenses by physically forming the lenses form sheet (or other solid) material in a batch or continuous process.
US08293152B2	Packaging machine and method for manufacturing a package Proposed is a method for manufacturing a package out of foil, with a heating process for heating a foil section, as well as a packaging machine (1) for manufacturing a package out of foil, with a heating device (14) for heating a foil section (3′) and with a device (17) for generating negative pressures on each of the two sides of the foil section. In order to allow improved coordination of individual manufacturing steps, it is proposed that in a same time interval during the heating process, a negative pressure relative to the ambient pressure is generated on both sides of the foil section (3′) during the heating process.
US08293150B2	Near-infrared absorbing material The invention provides a near-infrared absorbing material, including: at least one of at least one singlet oxygen scavengers, at least one radical scavenger, and at least one antioxidant; and at least one near-infrared absorbing compound obtained by oxidation of a compound represented by the following Formula (II). In the formula, R211, R212, R221, R222, R231, R232, R241 and R242 independently represent a hydrogen atom or an aliphatic or aromatic group; R203, R213, R223, R233 and R243 independently represent a substituent; and n203, n213, n223, n233 and n243 independently represent an integer of 0 to 4.
US08293147B2	Laser-writable polymer material A laser-writable molding material containing A) at least one polymer material or at least one precursor compound which can be polymerised to give a polymer material, and B) a particulate salt-like compound or a mixture of particulate salt-like compounds, which under the influence of laser light changes its color or leads to a color change in the component A). In order to enlarge the range of matrix materials hitherto available for laser writing and to overcome the disadvantages of the previously used writing procedures for such matrix materials, the laser-writable molding material according to the invention is characterised in that the at least one polymer material of the component A) is selected from polymer compounds having siloxane crosslinking units.
US08293145B2	Optical film Disclosed is an optical film characterized by containing 0.001-10 parts by mass of an ultraviolet absorbent represented by general formula (1) per 100 parts by mass of a cellulose ester. (In the formula, n represents an integer of 1-4; when n is 1, R represents an alkyl group having 3-30 carbon atoms, and when n is 2-4, R represents a residue obtained by removing a carboxylic acid group from an aliphatic or aromatic polybasic acid having 1-34 carbon atoms; and R1, R2, R3 and R4 independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms.)
US08293141B2	Electronic device comprising electrically stable copper filled electrically conductive adhesive An electronic device including electronic circuit structures formed with an electrically conductive adhesive (ECA) with low and stable contact resistance including at least one melt-processable reactive resin, at least one reactive diluent, at least one rheological additive, at least one curing agent, at least one organic acid catalyst, and copper particles. The ECA is useful for filling vias, and bonding together components of electronic circuit structures.
US08293140B2	Aligned nanostructured polymers Novel, simple methods are presented directed to the synthesis of aligned nanofibers of polyaniline and substituted derivatives on a substrate. The production of these fibers is achieved via various methods by controlling the concentration of aniline monomer or substituted aniline derivatives or an oxidant in the reaction medium and maintaining said concentration at a level much lower than conventional polyaniline synthesis methods. Methods are disclosed relating to the use of a permeable membrane to control the release of a monomer and/or oxidant as well as a bulk polymerization method.
US08293139B2	Charge transport compositions and electronic devices made with such compositions The present invention relates to charge transport compositions. The invention further relates to electronic devices in which there is at least one active layer comprising such charge transport compositions.
US08293135B2	PCLC flake-based apparatus and method A PCLC flake/fluid host suspension that enables dual-frequency, reverse drive reorientation and relaxation of the PCLC flakes is composed of a fluid host that is a mixture of: 94 to 99.5 wt % of a non-aqueous fluid medium having a dielectric constant value ∈, where 1<∈<7, a conductivity value σ, where 10−9>σ>10−7 Siemens per meter (S/m), and a resistivity r, where 107>r>1010 ohm-meters (Ω-m), and which is optically transparent in a selected wavelength range Δλ; 0.0025 to 0.25 wt % of an inorganic chloride salt; 0.0475 to 4.75 wt % water; and 0.25 to 2 wt % of an anionic surfactant; and 1 to 5 wt % of PCLC flakes suspended in the fluid host mixture. Various encapsulation forms and methods are disclosed including a Basic test cell, a Microwell, a Microcube, Direct encapsulation (I), Direct encapsulation (II), and Coacervation encapsulation. Applications to display devices are disclosed.
US08293130B2	Refrigerator oil composition Disclosed is a refrigerator oil composition containing a base oil (A) composed of a polyvinyl ether, an organic sulfur compound (B) having a sulfur content of not more than 35% by mass and a refrigerant (C), in which a total sulfur content is 0.01 to 0.1% by mass with respect to a total amount of the components (A) and (B). Such the novel refrigerator oil composition does not cause environmental problems such as ozone layer destruction and global warming, and can retain the lubrication properties for a long period of time, while preventing a capillary in a refrigeration cycle from clogging.
US08293128B2	Apparatus for processing substrate and method of doing the same A method of processing a substrate through the use of an apparatus, including a substrate carrier for carrying a substrate; a liquid-applying unit for applying chemical to said substrate; and a gas-applying unit for applying gas atmosphere to said substrate, wherein the method includes processing an organic film pattern formed on a substrate, by, in sequence, removing one of an altered layer and a deposited layer formed on the organic film pattern, and fusing said organic film pattern for deformation by applying gas atmosphere to the organic film pattern in the gas-applying unit, wherein at least a part of the removal step is carried out by applying a liquid to the organic film pattern in the liquid-applying unit. The process may include an ashing unit for ashing the substrate and/or a development unit for developing the organic film pattern.
US08293127B1	Plasma etching method A plasma etching method includes placing a printed circuit board into a processing chamber of a plasma etching machine; operating the plasma etching machine with a low concentration of tetrafluoromethane in the processing chamber if the plasma etching machine is operated at a high power level; and operating the plasma etching machine with a high concentration of tetrafluoromethane in the processing chamber if the plasma etching machine is operated at a low power level.
US08293126B2	Method and system for multi-pass correction of substrate defects A method and system of location specific processing on a substrate is described. The method comprises acquiring metrology data for a substrate, and computing correction data for adjusting a first region of the metrology data on the substrate. Thereafter, a first gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) for treating the high gradient regions is established, and the first GCIB is applied to the substrate according to the correction data. The method further comprises optionally acquiring second metrology data following the applying of the first GCIB, and computing second correction data for adjusting a second region of the metrology data, or the second metrology data, or both on the substrate. Thereafter, a second gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) for treating the second region is established, and the second GCIB is applied to the substrate according to the second correction data.
US08293121B2	Method for forming fine wiring The present invention relates to a method for forming fine wiring comprising: preparing a substrate for a printed circuit board; forming a metal thin sacrificial layer on the substrate using a first metal ink; forming a wiring on the metal thin sacrificial layer by inkjet printing using a second metal ink; and removing a portion of the metal thin sacrificial layer to form a wiring pattern. The method for forming fine wiring according to the invention can improve adhesiveness by using metal thin sacrificial layer and prevent spreading of ink in forming fine wiring.
US08293119B2	Filter cap additive delivery system A additive delivery system and method which includes a additive gel, a filter and a fluid/gel chemistry exchange region, wherein the exchange region subjects the additive gel to different types or combinations of contact with the fluid in order to control the additive release rate, maintain a uniform release rate, maintain the physical integrity of the gel or combinations thereof.
US08293112B2	Removal of water and methanol from fluids A method of removing water and/or methanol from fluid mixtures of the water or methanol with other compounds uses vapor permeation or pervaporation of the water or methanol, as the case may be, from the mixture through a membrane having an amorphous perfluoropolymer selectively permeable layer. The novel process can be applied in such exemplary embodiments as (a) removing water or methanol from mixtures of compounds that have relative volatility of about 1-1.1 or that form azeotropic mixtures with water or methanol, (b) the dehydration of hydrocarbon oil such as hydraulic fluid to concentrations of water less than about 50 ppm, (c) removing water and methanol byproducts of reversible chemical reactions thereby shifting equilibrium to favor high conversion of reactants to desirable products, (d) drying ethanol to less than 0.5 wt. % water as can be used in fuel for internal combustion engines, and (e) controlling the water content to optimum concentration in enzyme-catalyzed chemical reactions carried out in organic media.
US08293110B2	Method of treating wastewater using sequencing batch aerated lagoon A sequencing batch lagoon process is carried out in a minimum of two earthen lagoons and provides the treatment of municipal or industrial wastewater. Each lagoon is operated on fill-draw basis in a sequencing manner. Raw wastewater continues entering into one of the lagoons while the other lagoon is at full liquid level. The lagoon at the full liquid level will begin to discharge when the other lagoon at filling mode is reaching the full liquid level. The lagoon at the drawdown mode continues until the liquid level is down to the lowest liquid level. The wastewater feeding is then alternated to the lagoon which is at the lowest liquid level. The lagoon at the full liquid level shall have no contamination from raw wastewater or the lagoon at the filling mode. The biological reactions occur under aerobic and anoxic conditions. The aerobic conditions occur in the liquid or above the bottom sludge while the anoxic conditions occur near or within the bottom sludge. Air is provided by surface mechanical aerators or diffused aeration system. The aeration system is shut down during the discharge mode and is turned back on during the filling mode. Sludge in the lagoon is not wasted during the operation of sequencing batch lagoon process. The capacity of each lagoon depends on the number of lagoons.
US08293109B2	Wastewater treatment method A wastewater treatment method for treating wastewater containing ammonium nitrogen, includes the steps of: charging an unacclimated denitrification carrier containing anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria into a treatment tank; charging an unacclimated nitrification carrier containing nitrifying bacteria into the treatment tank; acclimating the unacclimated denitrification carrier in the treatment tank under an anaerobic condition; acclimating the unacclimated nitrification carrier in the treatment tank under an aerobic condition, after having acclimated the denitrification carrier; nitriting the ammonium nitrogen in the wastewater to generate nitrite with the acclimated nitrification carrier; and denitrifying the nitrite generated by nitriting the ammonium nitrogen with the acclimated denitrification carrier, while using the ammonium nitrogen in the wastewater as a hydrogen donor.
US08293108B1	Methods of and systems for producing diesel blend stocks A method for producing biofuels is provided. A method of making biofuels includes dewatering substantially intact algal cells to make an algal biomass, extracting neutral lipids from the algal biomass, and esterifying the neutral lipids with a catalyst in the presence of an alcohol. The method also includes separating a water soluble fraction comprising glycerin from a water insoluble fraction comprising fuel esters and distilling the fuel esters under vacuum to obtain a C16 or shorter fuel esters fraction, a C16 or longer fuel ester fraction, and a residue comprising carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids. The method further includes hydrogenating and deoxygenating at least one of (i) the C16 or shorter fuel esters to obtain a jet fuel blend stock and (ii) the C16 or longer fuel esters to obtain a diesel blend stock.
US08293103B2	Spin-on filter assembly and methods A spin-on filter cartridge includes a housing, a filter element operably oriented in the housing, a baffle plate, and a seal arrangement. The baffle plate is operably oriented over the housing open end and defines a central flow aperture. The baffle plate also defines a continuous groove immediately adjacent to and circumscribing the central flow aperture. The seal arrangement is secured to the baffle plate and spaced from and circumscribing the continuous groove. A filter assembly including the spin-on filter cartridge and a filter head is also disclosed wherein the filter cartridge is removably mountable on the filter head. When the spin-on filter cartridge is oriented on the filter head, a seal member is received within the continuous groove and the seal arrangement forms a seal between and against the baffle plate and the filter head. The seal can be radial or axial or have both axial and radial components.
US08293102B2	Treatment of stimulating fluid An apparatus and method for the treatment of stimulation fluid that involves passing a mixture of the stimulation fluid and reagents through a sectioned tank, each section having the means to agitate the mixture contained therein. Treated fluid is removed from a final settling section for reuse in oil and gas production operations.
US08293096B2	Systems and methods for determining a substantially hematocrit independent analyte concentration A method and system is provided to allow for determination of substantially Hematocrit independent analyte concentration. In one example, an analyte measurement system is provided that includes a test strip and a test meter. The test strip includes a reference electrode and a working electrode, in which the working electrode is coated with a reagent layer. The test meter includes an electronic circuit and a signal processor. The electronic circuit applies a plurality of voltages to the reference electrode and the working electrode over respective durations. The signal processor is configured to determine a substantially hematocrit-independent concentration of the analyte from a plurality of current values as measured by the processor upon application of a plurality of test voltages to the reference and working electrodes over a plurality of durations interspersed with rest voltages lower than the test voltages being applied to the electrodes.
US08293095B2	Microfluidic device for electrically regulating the pH of a fluid therein and method of regulating the pH of a fluid in a microfluidic device using the same Provided is a microfluidic device for electrically regulating the pH of a fluid comprising: a first chamber comprising a first electrode; a second chamber comprising a second electrode; a third chamber comprising a third electrode, a metal ion exchange membrane between the first and second chambers; and a hydrogen ion exchange membrane between the first or second chamber and the third chamber.
US08293094B2	Method and apparatus for assay of electrochemical properties A method for monitoring a select analyte in a sample in an electrochemical system. The method includes applying to the electrochemical system a time-varying potential superimposed on a DC potential to generate a signal; and discerning from the signal a contribution from the select analyte by resolving an estimation equation based on a Faradaic signal component and a nonfaradaic signal component.
US08293091B2	Electrically enhanced cellulose filtration system Electrostatic filters, systems and methods having separate positively and negatively charged filter elements within electrically isolated filter tanks for electrostatically filtering particles from a fluid flow. Both positive charged connections biased to earth ground and negative charged connections biased to earth ground are made to the respective positive and negative charged filter elements, along with triboelectric induced charge accumulations from the fluid flow, for separating charged particles within the fluid flowing parallel through these oppositely charged filter elements. Variable resistors of a power supply connected to such filters, systems and methods provide for controlling and adjusting for any undesired voltage excesses and/or shortfalls within these filter tanks so that the fluid flowing exiting these filter tanks is unbiased to generate a filtered fluid having balanced electrostatic charges.
US08293087B2	System and method for controlling nanoparticles using dielectrophoretic forces The present invention is directed to the use of dielectrophoretic forces for the arbitrary manipulation of micrometer- and nanometer-sized particles and to devices capable of arbitrarily manipulating micrometer- and nanometer-sized particles by means of dielectrophoretic forces within a two- or three-dimensional region. The devices and methods of the invention are capable of arbitrarily controlling the velocities, locations, and forces applied to a particle, arbitrarily specifying a force or set of forces at a location in space, and determining friction and/or drag coefficients of a particle, and are thus well-suited for a range of applications including cell sorting, drug delivery, as a diagnostic tool for determining membrane stiffness, and in the heterogeneous integration of micro- and nano-components through directed assembly.
US08293085B2	Cartridge having textured membrane A cartridge for an ion exchanging electrochemical cell, the cartridge comprising at least one spiral wound, textured, bipolar ion exchange membrane having (i) an anion exchange layer abutting a cation exchange layer with continuous contact between the anion exchange layer and the cation exchange layer; and (ii) an exposed textured surface having a pattern of texture features. A method of manufacturing a cartridge for an ion exchange electrochemical cell comprises winding the textured, bipolar ion exchange membrane into a spiral wound membrane.
US08293083B2	Nanopore electrode, nanopore membrane, methods of preparation and surface modification, and use thereof Provided are fabrication, characterization and application of a nanodisk electrode, a nanopore electrode and a nanopore membrane. These three nanostructures share common fabrication steps. In one embodiment, the fabrication of a disk electrode involves sealing a sharpened internal signal transduction element (“ISTE”) into a substrate, followed by polishing of the substrate until a nanometer-sized disk of the ISTE is exposed. The fabrication of a nanopore electrode is accomplished by etching the nanodisk electrode to create a pore in the substrate, with the remaining ISTE comprising the pore base. Complete removal of the ISTE yields a nanopore membrane, in which a conical shaped pore is embedded in a thin membrane of the substrate.
US08293082B2	Methods and apparatus for measuring analytes using large scale FET arrays Methods and apparatus relating to very large scale FET arrays for analyte measurements. ChemFET (e.g., ISFET) arrays may be fabricated using conventional CMOS processing techniques based on improved FET pixel and array designs that increase measurement sensitivity and accuracy, and at the same time facilitate significantly small pixel sizes and dense arrays. Improved array control techniques provide for rapid data acquisition from large and dense arrays. Such arrays may be employed to detect a presence and/or concentration changes of various analyte types in a wide variety of chemical and/or biological processes. In one example, chemFET arrays facilitate DNA sequencing techniques based on monitoring changes in hydrogen ion concentration (pH), changes in other analyte concentration, and/or binding events associated with chemical processes relating to DNA synthesis.
US08293080B2	Contact ring having electrically conductive brush A conductive contact ring for an electroplating or electrodeposition process on a cylindrical surface includes a frame defining an opening through which the object can be passed and an array of electrically conductive fibers spanning the opening. The frame is electrically conductive and is connected to a DC power source in the process. Two or more contact rings can be used in a process to provide consistent electrical contact with the surface sliding therethrough. A single contact ring can have first and second groups of filaments spaced from each other along the axial length of the surface.
US08293079B2	Electrolysis via vertical multi-junction photovoltaic cell Systems and methods that employ a vertical multi junction (VMJ) photovoltaic cell, to provide electrolysis for water and generate hydrogen and oxygen. Electrical current generated by the VMJ flows through the electrolyte (e.g., salt water) for a decomposition thereof (e.g., hydrogen and oxygen)—whenever threshold voltage of electrolysis operation is reached (e.g., 1.6 volts for water electrolysis).
US08293071B2	Spin head Provided is a spin head for supporting and rotating a substrate. The spin head includes a body, chuck pins disposed at the body and movable between supporting positions and rest positions, and a chuck pin moving unit configured to move the chuck pins straight. The chuck pins supports a substrate at the supporting positions and provides a substrate loading/unloading space at the rest position. The chuck pin moving unit includes movable rods fixed to the chuck pins, a rotatable cam including protrusions on an outer surface thereof so as to move the chuck pins from the supporting positions to the rest positions, and chuck pin return units respectively applying forces to the movable rods so as to move the chuck pins individually from the rest positions to the supporting positions. The chuck pin moving unit further includes contact maintaining members.
US08293065B2	Apparatus for etching substrate and fabrication line for fabricating liquid crystal display using the same A substrate etching apparatus includes: a cassette to receive a substrate that has finished a previous process, and transfer the substrate; a first robot to take the substrate out of the cassette; a second robot to receive the substrate from the first robot and move the substrate mounted thereon vertically up and down; an etching cassette comprising a support to support the substrate and a holder to fix the substrate loaded from the second robot; a cassette fixing unit to fix at least one or more etching cassettes and being rotated at a pre-set angle to allow the substrate to be disposed perpendicular to the ground; and an etching unit to etch the substrate disposed perpendicular to the ground by the cassette fixing unit.
US08293063B2	Combination of a substrate and a wafer The invention pertains to a combination of a substrate and a wafer, wherein the substrate and the wafer are arranged parallel to one another and bonded together with the aid of an adhesive layer situated between the substrate and the wafer, and wherein the adhesive is chosen such that its adhesive properties are neutralized or at least diminished when a predetermined temperature is exceeded. According to the invention, the adhesive layer is only applied annularly between the substrate and the wafer in the edge region of the wafer.
US08293061B2	Low temperature polymer bonding using UV/ozone surface treatment The present invention relates to a method for bonding two surfaces to one another. The invention particularly pertains to the use of such method in which one of the surfaces is a polymeric plastic (and more preferably a polymeric thermoplastic (especially poly-(methyl methacrylate) (“PMMA”) or cyclic olefin copolymer (“COC”)). More particularly, the invention relates to treating at least one of the contacting surfaces with UV in the presence of oxygen to thereby generate ozone (O3) and atomic oxygen under conditions of temperature below that of the glass transition temperature of the polymeric plastic. The UV/O3-mediated bonding results in high bond strength and zero-deformation method. This bonding method can be applied to micro/nano-scale polymer devices, and particularly to microfluidic devices, for a low cost, high throughput, high yield advantage.
US08293053B2	Fabrication methods for microfluidic pump and valve structures Plastic microfluidic structures having a substantially rigid diaphragm that actuates between a relaxed state wherein the diaphragm sits against the surface of a substrate and an actuated state wherein the diaphragm is moved away from the substrate. As will be seen from the following description, the microfluidic structures formed with this diaphragm provide easy to manufacture and robust systems, as well readily made components such as valves and pumps.
US08293049B2	Tire sealant and tire with sealant containing silica and balanced organoperoxide depolymerized butyl rubber The present invention relates to a tire puncture sealant and a pneumatic tire containing such puncture sealant as a built-in puncture sealant. The sealant composition contains silica reinforcement and butyl rubber depolymerized in the presence of a balanced and cooperative combination of organoperoxides comprised of a minor amount of 4,4-di(tertiary butylperoxy) valerate depolymerization initiator and a major amount of dicumyl peroxide depolymerization propagator, the combination of which has been observed to have a synergistic effect.
US08293048B2	Methods for synthesizing bulk, composite and hybrid structures from polymeric ceramic precursors as well as other polymeric substances and compounds This invention relates to polymer derived ceramics (PDC's) and more particularly, to methods and product made by using polymeric derived ceramic precursors to synthesize dense, crack-free bulk ceramics in a technique using sacrificial molds, coating processes, replication processes, assembly processes and finishing processes; where gas release paths are created and maintained during these processes to release gases generated during pyrolysis of the ceramic precursor. It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a well defined method to create PDC voxels which are interconnected as a bulk (high density) material. Such a material is effectively a lattice with face centered cubic or hexagonal close pack geometry. A second objective of the present invention is to provide a method for bulk, high density material to be combined with fully dense material in a hybrid material. A third objective of the present invention is to provide a method for different types of bulk and fully dense materials, and other items (optionally), to be combined in to a composite material.
US08293046B2	Process for production of porous body and uses thereof A process for producing a porous body with different physical properties in desired regions is provided by pore forming treatment, not by bonding two or more materials made porous beforehand, with, for example, an adhesive. Raw materials are prepared, each of which contains a polymer and a raw material preparation solvent. At least two types of the raw materials having different compositions are prepared. Thereafter, the respective raw materials are frozen into desired shapes to form frozen bodies thereof. The frozen bodies thus formed are brought into contact with each other to form an assembly thereof, the assembly is exposed to a condition under which the frozen bodies begin to melt, and the assembly is then freeze-dried. Thus, a porous body having regions different in physical properties can be obtained. Such a porous body can be used as, for example, an adhesion inhibitory material or a scaffold for a cell culture.
US08293045B2	Method to integrate an RFID component in a prosthesis or implant substitute or in a surgical instrument in polymer or plastic One or more embodiments of the invention comprise of a method of integrating an RFID component in an implant or prosthesis substitute or in a surgical instrument. The method comprises at least a step to machine or bore the body of the substitute or of the surgical instrument to form a housing then a cavity intended to receive a cover for the housing. The method further comprises an ultrasonic welding step using a sonotrode to weld the cover to the body of the substitute or of the surgical instrument in polymer or plastic, so that the outer surface of the substitute or of the surgical instrument is bump-free and the weld obtained is sealed and durable. One or more embodiments of the invention also concerns the substitute or surgical instrument.
US08293044B1	Animal deterrent device with insulated fasteners An animal deterrent device and methods for installing and producing an animal deterrent device for delivering an electric shock to an animal, pest, or bird to be deterred, having the typical components of a non-conductive base to which the electrically conductive elements are attached. The bottom layer unfolds outward to allow sewing of the conductive elements to the top layer of the elongated base, while preventing the stitching from penetrating the bottom layer of the elongated base. The bottom layer is then folded back into place after sewing is completed, thereby insulating any hole, fastener, or conductive element that pushed through the top layer of the elongated base from water or other material that may congregate at the bottom exterior, preventing unwanted arcing to the exterior surface below.
US08293043B2	Automatic level adjustment for die bonder A die bonding apparatus and method is provided to automatically adjust a level of a die bonder to compensate for any physical changes occurring in the die bonder during bonding. A bond arm support is drivable to a bonding level to position a die onto a bonding surface, and a bond arm is slidably mounted to the bond arm support for holding and bonding the die. The bond arm is configured to be urged by the bonding surface to move relative to the bond arm support upon contact of the die onto the bonding surface. A measuring device is provided for determining a distance moved by the bond arm relative to the bond arm support during bonding, and a controller is responsive to the distance determined by the measuring device to change the bonding level to which the bond arm support is driven.
US08293037B2	Method for producing duplex stainless steel pipe A method for producing a duplex stainless steel pipe having a minimum yield strength of 758.3 to 965.2 MPa, comprises first hot working and optionally solution heat treating a duplex stainless steel material pipe having a chemical composition consisting, by mass %, of C: 0.03% or less, Si: 1% or less, Mn: 0.1 to 4%, Cr: 20 to 35%, Ni: 3 to 10%, Mo: 0 to 6%, W: 0 to 6%, Cu: 0 to 3% and N: 0.15 to 0.60%, the balance being Fe and impurities. The pipe is then cold rolled under conditions that the working ratio Rd, in terms of the reduction of area, in the final cold rolling step falls within a range from 10 to 80%, and formula (1) is satisfied: Rd=exp[{In(MYS)−In(14.5×Cr+48.3×Mo+20.7×W+6.9×N)}/0.195] (1) wherein Rd is a reduction in area %, MYS is the targeted yield strength (MPa), and Cr, Mo, W and N are in mass %.
US08293036B2	Exploitation of deformation mechanisms for industrial usage in thin product forms The present disclosure relates to a glass forming alloy. The glass forming alloy may include 43.0 atomic percent to 68.0 atomic percent iron, 10.0 atomic percent to 19.0 atomic percent boron, 13.0 atomic percent to 17.0 atomic percent nickel, 2.5 atomic percent to 21.0 atomic percent cobalt, optionally 0.1 atomic percent to 6.0 atomic percent carbon, and optionally 0.3 atomic percent to 3.5 atomic percent silicon. Furthermore, the glass forming alloy includes between 5% to 95% by volume one or more spinodal glass matrix microconstituents which include one or more semi-crystalline or crystalline phases at a length scale less than 50 nm in a glass matrix. In addition, the glass forming alloy is capable of blunting shear bands through localized deformation induced changes under tension.
US08293030B2	Intermetallic compounds, their use and a process for preparing the same The present invention relates to new intermetallic compounds having a crystalline structure of Ni3Sn2 type for the magnetic refrigeration, their use and a process for preparing the same. The present invention further relates to new magnetocaloric compositions for the magnetic refrigeration and their use.
US08293029B2	Colored conversion layers on metal surfaces Chromium-free conversion coating treatment solutions and processes for depositing a colored layer on zinc or galvanized steel, aluminum, magnesium or their alloys, are provided comprising: hexafluorotitanate and/or hexafluorozirconate ions; molybdate and/or tungstate ions; one or more chelating complex formers; and a copolymer of alkylene phosphonic or alkylene phosphinic acid and one or more unsaturated carboxylic acids.
US08293027B2	Protective arrangement for a control device associated with a dishwashing appliance, and associated apparatus and method A protective arrangement for protecting a control device of a dishwashing appliance, and associated dishwashing appliance, are provided. A door assembly, comprising a tub-facing portion of a polymeric material and an opposing outwardly-facing portion, is pivotably engaged with and configured to cover a forward access opening defined by a tub portion of the dishwashing appliance. A control device mounted between the tub-facing and outwardly facing portions selectively directs operation of an operational component of the dishwashing appliance. The protective arrangement includes a protective member extending about the control device and at least partially between the control device and the tub-facing portion. The protective member is comprised of a fire-resistant layer for preventing a flame originating from the control device from interacting with the tub-facing portion, and a non-conductive layer disposed between the fire-resistant layer and the control device for preventing electrical contact between the fire-resistant layer and the control device.
US08293025B2	Method and apparatus for washing fruits and vegetables One embodiment of the present invention includes an apparatus for washing a product with a fluid. The tank may receive a plurality of product, such as fruits and vegetables, into the fluid and be configured to receive a moving conveyor, having a first end, a second end, a first section, and a second section. The conveyor may have a plurality of protruding panels being structured and arranged on the conveyor to push the product through the fluid in the tank and to lift the product from the fluid in the tank to the second end of the conveyor. At least one first nozzle may be positioned substantially above the conveyor and configured to deliver the fluid onto the product as the product is pushed by the plurality of panels. The fluid delivered from the at least one first nozzle may rotate the product in the fluid in the tank.
US08293024B2	Dishwasher A dishwasher is provided that permits the efficient and economical cleaning and drying of the items to be washed in the washing container, whilst reducing the associated energy consumption. To achieve this, in addition to the washing container, the inventive dishwasher also comprises a sorption column, which is connected to the washing container to form an air-conductive link and contains a material that can be reversibly dehydrated, said sorption column being used at least partially to dry the washed items. The thermal energy that is applied in the desorption of the sorption column is used at least partially to heat the rinsing water and/or the washed items in the washing container.
US08293023B2	System and method for monitoring wafer stress A method of using a processing system that is operable to deposit liquid and to remove liquid by way of negative pressure. The method includes arranging a device to have at least one of the liquid deposited thereon by the processing system and the liquid removed therefrom by the processing system. The device has a sensor portion disposed thereon. The sensor portion can provide a sensor signal based on pressure related to the at least one of the liquid being deposited thereon by the processing system and the liquid being removed therefrom by the processing system. The method further includes performing at least one of depositing, by the processing system, the liquid onto the device and removing the liquid, by the processing system, from the device. The method still further includes providing the sensor signal, by the sensor portion, based on the pressure related to the at least one of the liquid being deposited onto the device and the liquid being removed from the device.
US08293021B2	Instrument for cleaning an aluminum workpiece A method of conditioning the surface of a work piece, in particular of a litho-strip or litho-sheet, consisting of an aluminum alloy enables an increase in manufacturing speed in surface roughening while maintaining a high quality of the electro-chemical grained surface of the work piece with relative low effort related to facility equipment. The method of conditioning comprises at least the step of degreasing the surface of the work piece with a degreasing medium, wherein the degreasing medium contains at least 1.5 to 3% by weight of a composite of 5-40% sodium tripolyphosphate, 3-10% sodium gluconate, 3-8% of a composite of non-ionic and anionic surfactants and optionally 0.5 to 70% soda, wherein sodium hydroxide is added to the degreasing medium such that the concentration of sodium hydroxide in the aqueous degreasing medium is 0.01 to 5% by weight.
US08293019B2	Apparatus and method for indirect surface cleaning Methods for cleaning a surface of a substrate and for increasing the useable lifetime of a photomask substrate are provided. In one method, a substrate has at least one radiation-produced particle disposed thereon, and a laser that has a wavelength that substantially coincides with a high absorption coefficient of the substrate is directed towards the substrate. A thermal increase is generated in the substrate, and the radiation-produced particle is removed from the substrate by transferring thermal energy from the substrate to the radiation-produced particle until the radiation-produced particle decomposes.
US08293015B2	Apparatuses and methods for atomic layer deposition Embodiments of the invention provide apparatuses and methods for atomic layer deposition (ALD), such as plasma-enhanced ALD (PE-ALD). In some embodiments, a PE-ALD chamber is provided which includes a chamber lid assembly coupled with a chamber body having a substrate support therein. In one embodiment, the chamber lid assembly has an inlet manifold assembly containing an annular channel encompassing a centralized channel, wherein the centralized channel extends through the inlet manifold assembly, and the inlet manifold assembly further contains injection holes extending from the annular channel, through a sidewall of the centralized channel, and to the centralized channel. The chamber lid assembly further contains a showerhead assembly disposed below the inlet manifold assembly, a water box disposed between the inlet manifold assembly and the showerhead assembly, and a remote plasma system (RPS) disposed above and coupled with the inlet manifold assembly, and in fluid communication with the centralized channel.
US08293012B2	Method for growing AlxGa1-xN crystal, and AlxGa1-xN crystal substrate Affords AlxGa1-xN crystal growth methods, as well as AlxGa1-xN crystal substrates, wherein bulk, low-dislocation-density crystals are obtained.The AlxGa1-xN crystal (0
US08293011B2	Method for growing group III nitride semiconductor crystal and growing device for group III nitride semiconductor crystal A method for growing a Group III nitride semiconductor crystal is provided with the following steps: First, a chamber including a heat-shielding portion for shielding heat radiation from a material 13 therein is prepared. Then, material 13 is arranged on one side of heat-shielding portion in chamber. Then, by heating material to be sublimated, a material gas is deposited on the other side of heat-shielding portion in chamber so that a Group III nitride semiconductor crystal is grown.
US08293006B2	Cement/aggregate composition, concrete product and method for making a concrete product A concrete product is produced by providing red dune sand having a particle size of 45 microns or less and mixing the red dune sand with hydraulic cement in a ratio of about 30% of the cement being replaced by the red dune sand. The cement and red dune sand are then mixed with fine and course aggregate, water and a superplasticizer and cast after pouring into a mold cavity. Then within 24 hours of casting, the cast article is steam cured for 12 hours under atmospheric pressure, demolded and placed in an auto clave at 100% humidity. The temperature in the auto clave is raised to 180° C. within one to two hours and maintained at that temperature for 4 to 5 hours. The temperature also increases the pressure to about 10 bars. The pressure is released to reach atmospheric pressure within 20-30 minutes and the temperature reduced gradually, so that the article can be removed.
US08293004B2	Fluorapatite-forming calcium phosphate cements This study reports in vitro and in vivo properties of fluorapatite (FA)-forming calcium phosphate cements (CPCs). Experimental cements contained from (0 to 3.1) mass % of F, corresponding to presence of FA at levels of approximately (0 to 87) mass %. The crystallinity of the apatitic cement product increased greatly with the FA content. When implanted subcutaneously in rats, the in vivo resorption rate decreased significantly with increasing FA content. The cement with the highest FA content was not resorbed in soft tissue, making it biocompatible and bioinert CPC. These bioinert CPCs are candidates for use in useful applications where slow or no resorption of the implant is required to achieve the desired clinical outcome.
US08293000B2	Antireflective coating composition with stain resistance, antireflective coating film using the same, and its manufacturing method An antireflective coating composition includes a hydrolytic condensate (C1) of alkoxy silane (C11) and fluoric alkoxy silane (C12); a particle-type metal fluoride (C2) with a refractive index of 1.40 or less; and a liquid dispersion-enhancing chelating agent (C3). A coating film to which the above composition is applied controls refractive index, surface energy, film strength and so on, so it ensures excellent antireflective characteristic, excellent scratch resistance, good erasure of liquid stains such as fingerprints, and particularly excellent dust removal, so it may be usefully applied to an outermost layer of a front surface of a display regardless of kind of a display substrate or presence of an additional coating layer.
US08292999B2	Exhaust pipe paint, method for producing exhaust pipe, and exhaust pipe An exhaust pipe paint for application to an exhaust pipe base includes an inorganic glass particle, an inorganic particle, and at least one of an inorganic binder and a precursor of the inorganic binder. The inorganic binder partially softens at a softening temperature of the inorganic glass particle.
US08292994B2	Method for producing water-repellent treated aluminum pigment dispersion, water-repellent treated aluminum pigment, and aqeous ink composition containing the same A method for producing water-repellent treated aluminum pigment dispersion includes (a) adding a polysilazane solution in which a polysilazane is dissolved in a second organic solvent to an aluminum pigment dispersion in which an aluminum pigment is dispersed in a first organic solvent for reacting a hydroxyl group present on the surface of the aluminum pigment with the polysilazane to form a covering film on the surface of the aluminum pigment. The amount of the polysilazane in the reaction system for forming the covering film is 0.4 parts by mass or less based on 1 part by mass of the aluminum pigment, and the total addition amount of the polysilazane is from 0.2 to 0.6 parts by mass based on 1 part by mass of the aluminum pigment.
US08292992B2	Flue gas desulfurization apparatus A flue gas desulfurization apparatus includes an absorption tower that absorbs sulfur oxide in a flue gas, and drift suppression members that are arranged near a bend portion of a purified gas exhaust passage arranged at an outlet portion of the absorption tower, the drift suppression members serving to collect mist particles.
US08292990B2	Nebulizer waste pressure reducer for HPLC systems A High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system including a pressure reducer assembly for reducing pressurized streams to ambient pressure. The pressure reducer assembly includes first and second flow restrictors, each coupled to a common chamber that acts as a surge suppressor that mitigates pressure spikes in the discharge lines. The flow restrictors may comprise tubes having a high length-to-diameter ratio. The pressure losses through the flow restrictors, in combination with transition losses as the flow stream enters and exits the chamber, are sufficient to reduce a discharge stream from a specified inlet pressure to substantially ambient pressure, thus eliminating the need for pressurized waste containers.
US08292986B2	Preparation of silver spheres by the reduction of silver polyamine complexes Dispersed uniform spherical silver particles were prepared in the absence of a protective colloid by rapidly mixing concentrated iso-ascorbic acid and silver-polyamine complex solutions.
US08292982B2	Process for producing a filter, in particular for a rotary separator A filter, in particular for a rotary separator, is produced using an energy beam melting process, for example an electron beam, starting from powder made from the same material as a porous filtering portion to be formed, for example from a titanium alloy; on the basis of a three-dimensional model comprising a cell structure defining the porous filtering portion, subsequent layers of powder are applied and locally melted, so as to form successive sections of the porous filtering portion; at the end of the forming process, the residual powder is evacuated from the pores.
US08292980B2	Dust capture device and projection type image display apparatus The present invention includes: a rolled filter stretched between first and second winding shafts and, unused part of the filter being wound around the second winding shaft; a brush provided between the first and the second winding shafts so as to come into contact with a surface of the filter; a feeding mechanism for driving the first and the second winding shafts to take up or rewind the filter; and a feeding control unit for controlling the feeding mechanism. When activating a renewing operation for feeding unused part of the filter from the second winding shaft, the feeding control unit controls the feeding mechanism such that once the filter is taken up by the first winding shaft by an take-up amount La, the filter is rewound by the second winding shaft by a rewind amount Lb, and La and Lb satisfy a relationship La≧Lb. Without increasing the amount of the filter or the size of the device itself, the present invention can deliver adequate performance even in a dusty environment by a small number of filter renewing operations.
US08292979B2	Vacuum cleaner with a removable screen A surface cleaning apparatus can include a dirt inlet, a handle, and a cyclone bin having a longitudinal axis and a sidewall extending between an openable top and an openable bottom. The surface cleaning apparatus can also include a cyclone chamber located in the cyclone bin. The cyclone chamber can have an upper wall, a fluid inlet downstream from the dirt air inlet and a fluid outlet, and the fluid outlet can be removably mounted in the upper wall. The surface cleaning apparatus can also include a dirt collection located in the cyclone bin and a fluid flow motor.
US08292977B2	System for controlling circulatory amount of particles in circulating fluidized bed furnace The invention has its object to arbitrarily adjust an amount of particles to be circulated without changing a flow rate of a gasification agent to thereby enhance gasification efficiency in a fluidized bed gasification furnace.The fluidized bed gasification furnace 107 comprises first and second chambers 113 and 114 in communication with each other in a fluidized bed 105. The hot particles 102 separated in the separator 104 and raw material M are introduced into the first chamber 113. The particles 102 introduced from the first chamber 113 through interior in the fluidized bed 105 to the second chamber 114 are supplied in an overflow manner to the fluidized bed combustion furnace 100. A first pressure controller 121 is provided to control the resultant gas induction means 116 such that the pressure in the first chamber 113 is kept to preset pressure 120; and a second pressure controller 124 is provided to control the exhaust gas induction means 118 such that difference between pressure in the first and second chambers 113 and 114 is equal to the preset differential pressure 123, so that the fluidized bed 105 in the first chamber 113 is controlled in height to control an amount of particles 102 to be circulated.
US08292975B2	Methods of refining hydrocarbon feedstocks Processes of converting to feedstocks comprising hydrocarbons to compositions comprising light hydrocarbon products are described herein. Also described are processes and methods of producing and refining compositions comprising terpenes from biomass that can be suitable as a fuel product.
US08292971B2	Method of treating fabric conditioner for washable silk products The present invention relates to a method of treating fabric conditioner for washable silk products, which can provide smoothness to silk products since fabric conditioners of different kinds are mixed and treated together and decrease whiteness or prevent yellowing.
US08292967B2	Method and apparatus for use of porous implants A prosthesis includes an implant defining an attachment surface thereon. A porous insert is selectively coupled to the implant. The porous insert is adapted to be received at the attachment surface of the implant in a retained position. The porous insert is adapted to facilitate tissue ingrowth. In one embodiment the implant comprises a femoral component. The femoral component comprises an inner condylar portion having a first and second lateral sidewalls, an anterior wall and a posterior wall defining a box. The box defines the attachment surface. In other embodiments, the implant comprises a hip stem and an acetabular shell.
US08292965B2	Knee joint with a ramp An artificial knee joint is described that includes a femoral component with a specially shaped bearing surface and a tibial component, whose surface interacts with the femoral surfaces. The interaction provides for the required motion and stability characteristics. The interaction between the femoral and tibial surfaces is such that as the knee is flexed to maximum, the femoral component moves posteriorly on the tibial surface, by an amount similar to that in the anatomic knee. The opposite motion, roll forward of the femur from a fully flexed to a more extended position, is accomplished by varying the outward radii of the lateral and medial femoral bearing surfaces, together with a ramp on the postero-lateral and postero-medial regions of the tibial surfaces.
US08292962B2	Spinal nucleus replacement implants An intervertebral prosthesis implantable within a disc space and disposed between upper and lower vertebral endplates is provided. The prosthesis comprises a plurality of prosthesis components insertable into the disc space, wherein the components have at least one set of complementarily-shaped and sized surfaces, and wherein the at least one set of complementarily-shaped surfaces comprises a slot, and a rod that fits in the slot. A method of implanting an intervertebral prosthesis according to the present invention also is provided.
US08292961B2	Biologic vertebral reconstruction A device and method for biologic vertebral reconstruction utilizes a biologically active jacket inserted into a cavity formed in a vertebra to be reconstructed. An artificial bone material is inserted into the biologically active jacket and allowed to set. The structure and method described herein provide for effective biologic vertebral reconstruction. The use of a biological material and artificial bone enables the host bone to replace the artificial bone over a period of time. Additionally, the structure of the biologically active jacket minimizes any impact into the spinal canal and the paravertebral spaces. Moreover, because of its biomechanical characteristics, which approximate the host bone, there is relative protection of the neighboring vertebral against fracture. Still further, the materials of the biologically active jacket may be impregnated with various substances to achieve various advantageous tasks.
US08292958B1	Spinal cage having deployable member Embodiments are disclosed which provide a spinal cage with a wall extending in a longitudinal direction defining an interior space. There is also provided a spin-plate that may be assembled into the spinal cage. The spin-plate may comprise a blade and a disc on a common shaft, and may be rotatable from an undeployed position to a deployed position. In some embodiments, the spin-plate may be assembled into the spinal cage by a translational motion perpendicular to a rotational axis of the spin-plate. The spin-plate may be captured in the spinal cage for certain angular positions. In some embodiments, there may be a snap-in feature when the spin-plate is assembled into the spinal cage, and there may be a rotational feature such that increased torque is required to advance beyond certain points.
US08292956B2	Silicone elastomer composition for artificial integument The present invention relates to a silicone elastomer composition for an artificial integument which satisfies the following formula: tan δ≧0.23−0.006X wherein tan δ represents the loss tangent of a cured product of the aforementioned composition; and X represents the Asker C hardness of a cured product of the aforementioned composition. With the composition of the present invention, an artificial integument which has not only a similar outer appearance, but also a similar flexible feeling on touch to the skin, can be obtained by a simple process.
US08292950B2	Stent with radiopaque marker The invention concerns a method of providing a stent with a radiopaque marker comprising the steps of: i) providing in the stent a radiopaque marker carrier portion; ii) sleeving the carrier portion with radiopaque material, with an insulating surface between the carrier and the marker material, and iii) plastically deforming material within the sleeve of radiopaque material, to secure the sleeve on the carrier portion. The invention further concerns a stent with a radiopaque marker, the stent exhibiting a generally annular form with luminal and abluminal major surfaces, the marker also exhibiting opposed major luminal and abluminal surfaces characterized in that i) the marker envelops a carrier portion of the stent and is electrically insulated from it; ii) portions of the material of the marker which exhibit evidence of plastic deformation secure the marker on the carrier portion.
US08292941B2	Delivery system for deployment of a one-piece iliac-branch device A delivery device for a bifurcated stent-graft includes a first catheter portion with a first tip and a second catheter portion with a second tip. The first and second tips each include a generally curved and tapered outer surface and complementary surfaces that face each other. The first and second tips together form a generally continuous substantially smooth shaped outer surface, for example a bullet-shaped combined tip. An outer sleeve is disposed around the first catheter portion and the second catheter portion such that at least a portion of the first tip and a portion of the second tip extend distally beyond a distal end of the outer sleeve. An inner sleeve maintains the stent-graft in a compressed configuration during delivery to the target site. The delivery device is tracked over two guidewires to the target location with the tips acting as a unit. The outer sleeve is retracted to release the first catheter portion from the second catheter portion, and the tips are tracked over a respective one of the guidewires into its respective branch vessel. The inner sleeve is retracted to deploy the stent-graft from its compressed configuration to its expanded configuration.
US08292939B2	System and method for delivering a medical device to a body location A system for delivering a medical device to a body location. The system includes a sheath (6) having a distal end (10) configured to receive the medical device (18). An actuating mechanism (16) causes the sheath to slide proximally upon which it becomes slit at its proximal (8) end longitudinally by blades (41) to expose the medical device.
US08292935B2	Photonic device and method for treating cervical dysplasia A method and device used for treating body cells affected by abnormal cell growth or by oncogenic viruses. In particular the invention relates to photonic device for treating gynecological problems comprising at least one light source incorporated into the irradiation head or into the hand piece or as a external unit connected by light guide. The light source used in the photonic device has a LED, Laser or lamps. This photonic device is used for treating a subject having unwanted cell proliferation, example dysplasia of the portio and/or cervix with Photodynamic therapy (PDT). The advantage of using LED device is, for its radiation safety, cost effectiveness and is easy to handle compared to laser system. A drug applicator is also described which is employed for homogenously application of photoactive drug in the affected area.
US08292932B2	Bone anchoring element A bone anchoring element includes a shaft for anchoring in a bone, the shaft having a tubular body. The shaft comprises a plurality of barb elements, wherein each barb element is formed as continuous one-piece part with the tubular body. Each barb element is moveable between a first position adjacent to the tubular body and a second position further from the tubular body than the first position. The barb elements are arranged along at least one helical line around an axis of the shaft.
US08292926B2	Dynamic stabilization connecting member with elastic core and outer sleeve A dynamic fixation medical implant having at least two bone anchors includes a longitudinal connecting member assembly having an elongate core and an outer sleeve. The core is of one-piece construction, elastic, and includes end portions for attachment to the bone anchors. The outer sleeve may include compression grooves. The sleeve surrounds the core and extends between the pair of bone anchors, the sleeve being compressible between the bone anchors.
US08292920B2	Sickle needle and method A surgical needle which is particularly suited for use in limited space applications and a method for its use are disclosed. The surgical needle generally includes an arcuate portion having a first end and a second end. A pointed tip is disposed near the first end. There is a relatively short, straight shank near the second end of the arcuate portion which extends from the arcuate portion at a predetermined angle. The predetermined angle is defined by the intersection of the arcuate portion and the shank. This predetermined angle is within a range of about 23° to about 29°. In a particularly useful embodiment, the predetermined angle is approximately 26°. Further, an extrapolation of a longitudinal axis of the shank intersects the arcuate portion of the surgical needle.
US08292919B2	Skin seal with inflatable membrane A skin seal or trocar stabilizer with an inflatable balloon in the shape of a dumbbell, where the balloon may be stored within a cannula for easy placement in an incision and inflated to deploy the balloon inside the body, and a portion of the balloon expands inside the cannula, whereby medical instruments may be passed through the skin seal into a laparoscopic workspace while the balloon is inflated, thereby allowing the use of normal short surgical instruments during laparoscopic procedures and during insufflation.
US08292912B2	Balloon catheter that resists curving A balloon catheter is provided to minimize curving of the balloon when the balloon is expanded with an inflation media. The balloon catheter has an elastic inner shaft that stretches longitudinally as inflation pressure in the balloon is increased. The balloon catheter may also have an inner shaft with a portion that is corrugated to allow longitudinal stretching of the inner shaft.
US08292911B2	Intragastric device Devices and methods for treating obesity are provided. More particularly, intragastric devices and methods of fabricating, deploying, inflating, monitoring, and retrieving the same are provided.
US08292909B1	Devices and methods for cutting tissue Various medical devices and methods for cutting and/or evacuating tissue are provided. The devices and methods may utilize a reciprocating mechanism or motor powered by suction from a vacuum source. The medical devices and methods may be used on tissue in various regions of a patient's body and for treating various conditions, e.g., for performing a polypectomy or discectomy.
US08292907B2	Balloon assisted occlusion device A vascular occlusion device for occluding a body cavity. The device includes an elongate member having an inflation lumen, an occlusion lumen, and a first portion extending distally from a proximal end and a second portion extending distally from the first portion to the distal end. An inflatable proximal balloon is disposed about the first portion and an inflatable distal balloon is disposed about the second portion. The inflation lumen is configured to inflate at least one of the balloons. The occlusion lumen is configured to introduce an occlusive material into the body cavity by way of an occlusion port located between the two balloons to occlude the body cavity. In some examples, the body cavity includes a patent foramen ovale.
US08292906B2	Flexible endoscopic stitching devices An endoscopic stitching device is provided including a handle assembly supporting a manually operated suture needle loading assembly; a tool assembly operatively supported on and connected to the handle assembly; a suture needle operatively associated with the tool assembly, wherein the tool assembly includes a pair of juxtaposed jaws pivotally associated with one another; and an actuation cable extending between the handle assembly and the tool assembly, wherein axial displacement of the actuation shaft results in opening and closing of the jaws and rotation of the actuation cable results in selective retention of the suture needle in the jaws. A proximal end of the actuation cable is connected to the suture needle loading assembly such that actuation of the suture needle loading assembly imparts rotation to the actuation cable to selectively engage the suture needle in one of the jaws.
US08292905B2	Flexible endoscopic stitching devices An endoscopic stitching device is provided including an end effector configured and adapted to perform at least a pair of functions; and a single actuation cable operatively connected to the end effector, wherein the actuation cable is capable of effecting operation of at least the pair of functions. The actuation cable is capable of effecting a first operation of the pair of functions upon an axial translation thereof, and a second operation of the pair of functions upon a rotation thereof.
US08292900B2	Side branch wiring assist sheath and methods A vessel bifurcation wire assist device and related methods of advancing guidewires into main and branch vessels of a vessel bifurcation. The wire assist device includes a first guidewire housing member defining a first guidewire lumen sized to advance over a first guidewire, and a second guidewire housing member defining a second guidewire lumen sized to advance over a second guidewire. The second guidewire housing member has a first directional arrangement and a second directional arrangement. The first directional arrangement provides a parallel arrangement of the second guidewire relative to the first guidewire housing member, and the second directional arrangement provides an angled arrangement of the second guidewire relative to the first guidewire housing member.
US08292897B2	Apparatus and method for reconstructing a ligament A system for installation of a graft ligament support block is provided. The system includes an installation tool having a holder including a shaft having a handle at a proximal end and a distal end configured for selectively engaging the graft ligament support block. The installation tool further includes a drill guide including an outrigger having a bore formed on its distal end for selectively receiving a drill sleeve and a proximal end configured to selectively engage the holder. Also provided is a kit for use in reconstructing a ligament. The kit includes an installation tool including a holder and a drill guide, a drill sleeve, a guidewire, one or more drills, one or more graft ligament support blocks and one or more transverse fixation pins.
US08292895B2	Orthopedic and dental implant system and method A system for removing osteal cement and prosthetic joint components in connection with a prosthetic joint revision includes a controller connected to and controlling operation of a transducer, such as a surgical saw or drill. A tool mounted on the transducer is adapted for engaging the prosthetic joint cement mantel and melting an engagement portion of same. The cement in the engagement portion is resolidified with the tool tip embedded therein. The tool thus bonds to the cement mantel, and is used for vibrating softening and breaking up same when operation of the transducer resumes. An osteal cement and prosthetic device removal method includes the steps of melting an engagement portion of the osteal cement mantel, bonding a transducer-mounted tool to the cement mantel by resolidifying the cement engagement portion and reactivating the transducer for vibrating, softening and breaking up the cement mantel whereby it can be removed from the patient.
US08292893B2	Surgical instrument for tensioning plate-shaped engaging elements with respect to each other In a surgical instrument for tensioning two plate-shaped engaging elements with respect to each other at opposite sides of bone portions, a first engaging element carrying next to each other at a spacing from each other two pin-shaped or rod-shaped connecting members which pass through openings in the second engaging element, with a supporting surface for engagement on the side of the second engaging element that faces away from the first engaging element, and with a tensioning device engaging the connecting members for displacement of the connecting members and consequently of the first engaging element in the direction towards the second engaging element, to enable an individual adjustment of the engaging elements to the shape of the bone portions, it is proposed that the surgical instrument comprise next to each other two grip elements, each releasably connectable to a connecting member, and that the tensioning device engage the grip elements through a compensating element which, upon tensioning of the tensioning device, allows a differently sized displacement of the two grip elements and consequently of the two connecting members.
US08292890B2	Bone dilator The present invention relates to a bone dilator designed for treating compression fracture of vertebral body, and fractures of cancellous bones at other sites. The bone dilator comprises a head portion, a neck portion, a connecting tube, a handle and a rotary hilt. The head portion embodies different shapes for use at different locations. When the rotary hilt is rotated clockwise and the pull rod is pulled backwards, the upper and the lower parts of the head portion keep parallel or at a predetermined angle during expanding. When the rotary hilt is rotated counterclockwise and the pull rod is pushed forwards, the head portion and the neck portion completely join together, the distal end of the pull rod and the bar stays are completely or partially retracted in grooves inside the head portion and the neck portion.
US08292884B2	Cardiac devices and methods for minimally invasive repair of ischemic mitral regurgitation Novel apparatus and minimally invasive methods to treat atrioventricular valve regurgitation that is a result of tethering of chordae attaching atrioventricular valve leaflets to muscles of the heart, such as papillary muscles and muscles in the heart wall, thereby restricting the closure of the leaflets. Catheter embodiments for delivering and positioning chordal severing and elongating instruments are described.
US08292880B2	Targeted cooling of deployable microwave antenna The present disclosure relates to devices and methods for the treatment of tissue with microwave energy. The devices and methods disclosed herein utilize an antenna assembly which includes an elongate member, an outer conductor, an inner conductor, at least a portion of which is deployable, and a cooling system. The cooling system disclosed herein may significantly curtail any theoretical, or potential negative effects upon the target tissue experienced during the transmission of microwave energy to the antenna assembly due to ohmic heating.
US08292878B2	Operator-controlled scanning laser procedure designed for large-area epithelium removal Systems and methods for removing an epithelial layer disposed over a stromal layer in a cornea irradiate a region of the epithelial layer with a pulsed beam of ablative radiation. The ablative radiation is scanned to vary the location of the beam within the region in accordance with a pulse sequence. The pulse sequence is arranged to enhance optical feedback based on a tissue fluorescence of the epithelial layer. The penetration of the epithelial layer is detected in response to the optical feedback. The use of scanning with the pulse sequence arranged to enhance optical feedback allows large areas of the epithelium to be ablated such that an operator can detect penetration of the epithelial layer.
US08292877B2	System and method for incising material Systems and methods of incising a portion of a material include creating a sub-surface separation in a region of the material, and incising a periphery of the region with a pulsed laser beam to produce an edge of the portion. The edge includes a periodically varying shape to secure the portion to the material when the portion is reintegrated. The system includes a laser producing the pulsed laser beam, a scanner operable in response to a control signal, and a controller coupled to the scanner. The controller produces the control signal. In response to the control signal, the scanner creates a sub-surface separation in the region with the pulsed laser beam and incises the periphery of the region with the pulsed laser beam to produce the edge with the periodically varying shape.
US08292874B2	Catheter having improved bonding region A catheter having a flexible outer tube and a lubricious inner tube bonded within the flexible outer tube. One catheter has a distal outer tube formed of a substantial portion of a first, flexible material, an inner tube having a lubricious inside wall surface formed of a second, lubricious material, and an outer tube wall surface compatible with heat bonding the inner tube outside wall surface to the outer tube wall surface. A preferred flexible material is polyether block amide (PEBA) and a preferred lubricious material is polyethylene. One catheter utilizing the invention includes a flexible distal outer tube having an orifice through the tube wall and an inner tube inserted through the orifice having a lubricious inner layer surrounded by a tie-layer, surrounded in turn by the same flexible material forming the outer tube. One catheter has a PEBA outer tube heat bonded to a tri-layer inner guide wire tube formed of a polyethylene inner layer, a PEBA outer layer, and a PLEXAR™ tie-layer disposed between the inner and outer layers.
US08292872B2	Distal wire stop having adjustable handle A method and apparatus for releasably securing a wire guide to an elongate medical device for introduction into a work site with the bodily lumen of a patient. An elongate engagement member is configured to engage the wire guide while it is coupled to the elongate medical device and is configured so as to prevent relative movement between the wire guide and the elongate medical device. The elongate engagement member includes an adjustable handle assembly for adjusting the relative position of the distal end of the elongate engagement member relative to the elongate medical device.
US08292871B2	Regional cardiac tissue treatment A method for treating an occlusion in a coronary artery of a patient includes percutaneously advancing an occlusion treatment tool (such as an angioplasty balloon or stent delivery device) through the vasculature of the patient and into a coronary artery to a site of the occlusion. Following the treatment of the occlusion, a therapeutic agent is admitted into the first coronary artery. The therapeutic agent is selected to treat microvasculature obstructions at a target cardiac tissue site distal to the site of the occlusion.
US08292870B2	Port fixation with filament actuating member A method for performing a surgical procedure includes the steps of: accessing a surgical site with an access member, the access member having proximal and distal ends, and defining a longitudinal axis, the access member having an elongated element operatively connected thereto; transitioning the access member from a first condition having a first dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal axis to a second condition having a second dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal axis greater than the first dimension by drawing the elongated element in a proximal direction; anchoring the access member within a tissue passage leading to the surgical site when in the second condition thereof; and introducing a surgical object through a longitudinal opening of the access member to perform a surgical task.
US08292869B2	Container for vial of radiopharmaceutical and set for its infusion in a patient or for its transfer elsewhere A container for a vial of radiopharmaceutical, made of polymethyl methacrylate consists of a receptacle, with a cavity capable of containing the vial of radiopharmaceutical, and of a lid screwed onto the receptacle for closing the container, said lid presenting a central through-hole. A set, in combination with this container with the vial of radiopharmaceutical, consisting of a bottle of saline solution and two infusion catheters, enhances the radioprotection during the infusion of a radiopharmaceutical in an infusion operation.
US08292868B2	Process to make boxer shorts having a contracted crotch region A pant has a garment shell. The garment shell includes a front region, a back region, a contracted crotch region, side seams connecting the front region to the back region, two leg openings, and hanging legs. At least a portion of each of the front region, the back region, the contracted crotch region and the hanging legs include portions of a single flat web. The hanging legs include no elasticization around a full periphery of the leg openings and are adapted to hang loosely about a wearer's thigh.
US08292867B2	Belted absorbent article An absorbent article has a belt and an absorbent structure. The absorbent structure is fastened to the belt via an article fastener having a form such that the article fastening means does not fold or bend upwards under the forces present when the diaper is assembled.
US08292861B2	Overlabel wrapper for absorbent articles An individually packaged absorbent article including an absorbent article and a package. The package can enclose the absorbent article and can have an outer surface and an inner surface. In certain embodiments, the package can include a package material that is a polymeric film. The package can have two opposing faces, and an opening area. The opening area can be provided substantially on a face of the package, and the package having an overlabel substantially covering the opening area.
US08292860B1	Medical drainage pouch A medical, post surgery fluid drainage system, such as for use by a mastectomy patient, that allows the wearer/patient to discretely and safely secure and wear the system under clothing. The system includes a mesh fabric pouch having front and rear walls secured together along a bottom edge and along the sides with an open top edge. Inside the pouch are plural fluid receiving bulbs or receptacles. Connected to the bulbs are a like plurality of drain lines or tubes to allow drainage of fluid from plural chest incisions to the bulbs. Further, attachment mechanisms are included to removably secure the pouch to the body of the wearer/patient.
US08292859B2	Drainage device A urine collection system includes a collection element configured for operable connection to a catheter for accumulating urine expelled from a subject and defining an opening for passage of the urine from the collection element and a drainage device extending from the collection element and positioned about the opening in the collection element. The drainage device includes a drain spout defining an outlet port disposed above the opening in the collection element. Urine collected in the collection element exits the opening within the collection element to be drained through the outlet port of the drain spout until the volume of urine reaches a predetermined level below the outlet port. Upon reaching the predetermined level, the urine remaining within the drainage device establishes a fluid trap substantially preventing contaminants from entering the collection element through the opening.
US08292858B2	Drain bag valve and shield A drain bag outlet device includes inlet, valve and outlet portions. The inlet portion includes a connector and a cylindrical portion. The connector is adapted to connect to a fluid drain bag. A second end of the connector is adapted to connect to the cylindrical portion forming a generally longitudinal opening therethrough. The valve portion is attached to a second end of the cylindrical portion and includes a valve member for moving between positions to permit and obstruct fluid flow through the longitudinal opening. The outlet portion includes an outlet member having an angled portion and a shield connected to the valve portion. The shield completely surrounds and extends below the outlet member. The shield includes upper and lower portions. The diameter of the upper is less than the diameter of the lower portion. The outlet device eliminates the fluid that is spilled, splashed or sprayed on a healthcare worker.
US08292857B2	Medical waste fluid collection and disposal system A medical waste fluid collection and disposal system includes a medical waste fluid collection cart including first and second fluid collection canisters. A valve assembly selectively communicates with the canisters and a valve drive system controls the valve assembly. A liquid level sensor is positioned within each of the canisters. A cart processor communicates with the liquid level sensors and the valve drive system. A cart drain line communicates with the valve assembly and a receptacle, a cart flushing line communicates with the valve assembly and the receptacle and a cart data line and a cart power line communicate with the cart processor and the cart receptacle. A station includes a drain pump that communicates with a drainage system and a station drain line, a flushing pump that communicates with a source of washing liquid and a station flushing line and a station processor in communication with the drain and flushing pumps. A station data line communicates with the station processor. A coupler communicates with the station drain line, flushing line and the station data line and a station power line. The station coupler removably engages the cart receptacle so operation of the cart and station components can be coordinated by the processors for drainage and flushing of the cart canisters.
US08292856B2	Implantable cerebral spinal fluid drainage system Drainage system including a ventricular catheter, a drainage catheter, and a positive displacement pump that can function to actively drain CSF from the ventricles of the brain of a patient. Methods of using a drainage system in accordance with the invention are also disclosed, as well as kits.
US08292855B2	Access assembly with adjustable seal member A surgical access assembly for receiving instruments of various diameters is disclosed. The access assembly includes a housing defining a longitudinal axis and having a longitudinal opening for passage of a surgical instrument. The access assembly may also include a mechanism disposed within the housing and having a passageway for reception and passage of the surgical instrument in substantial sealed relation therewith. The mechanism may be adapted for reciprocal longitudinal movement within the housing between a first position corresponding to a first dimension of the passageway and a second position corresponding to a second dimension of the passageway.The mechanism may include a single seal element or first and second seal elements. The seal elements may be adapted for lateral movement during longitudinal movement of the seal. The first and second seal elements may be in at least partial overlapping relation when in the first position of the seal. The access assembly may include a lock or latch for preventing movement of the seal elements.
US08292854B2	Access assembly with ribbed seal A ribbed seal for use in endoscopic surgery is intended to be incorporated into a cannula assembly to limit the escape of insufflation gasses from a body cavity by forming a fluid-tight seal around an instrument inserted through the cannula assembly. The ribbed seal includes a relatively flat, disk shaped elastomeric overmold portion having a central aperture sized slightly smaller than the instrument such that the aperture must expand to accommodate the instrument. Molded together with the elastomeric overmold is an array of slender ribs disposed about the aperture. The ribs are designed to be relatively flexible under lateral loads. This allows the seal to bend easily as the surgical instrument is inserted through the aperture thereby maintaining a low insertion and glide force. On the other hand, the ribs are designed to be relatively rigid when loaded axially. This rigidity provides robust radial support for the instrument inserted through the center of the array of ribs. The seal performs a centering function for the instrument due to its combined elasticity and stiffness. Finally, the seal also allows for an instrument to be removed easily while maintaining the required atmospheric integrity.
US08292853B2	Self-sealing cannula having integrated seals The present invention relates to a surgical access device comprising an elongate tubular member having a working channel and a proximal end and a distal end, a septum seal integrally formed at the distal end of the tubular member, and a zero seal disposed at the distal end of the tubular member and distal to the septum seal, the zero seal being sized and configured to seal when no instrument is in place within the working channel of the tubular member, and the zero seal being coupled to the septum seal The zero seal may be a duckbill seal having opposing lip portions separated by a slit portion. The opposing lip portions are coated with or attached to a soft or occlusive material.
US08292847B2	Systems and methods for vacuum-assisted regeneration of damaged tissue A system and method for regenerating damaged or necrosed tissue. Negative or vacuum pressure is applied to a surface of the damaged tissue to stimulate the revascularization of the area and/or increased blood flow to the area, which encourages the regeneration of the damaged tissue. A negative pressure device is provided that is capable of providing a sequenced vacuum treatment regimen to damaged tissue.
US08292840B2	Medical gas humidification system An apparatus and method for on-the-go humidifying an insufflation gas through water vapor transfer from a liquid to the insufflation gas through a barrier separating the gas from the liquid to enable the gas in a normally trauma inducing state to be brought to a conditioned state. If the gas is at an improper insufflation temperature the temperature of the gas can be brought to the proper insufflation temperature at the same time the gas is humidified through heat transfer through the barrier.
US08292839B2	Recirculation switch for blood cardioplegia A switch comprises a rotating switch member which provides fluid communication in three modes; infusion, recirculation and priming The switch is located between the oxygenator and drug bag and the cardioplegia pump raceway. The switch has three channels molded into the rotating manifold which either direct blood and cardioplegia into the coronary arteries of the patient or into a recirculation line. When the switch is rotated into the recirculation line, a hose is in fluid connection through the switch and connects the recirculation line with the pump blood and drug inlet lines thereby allowing cooling of the cardioplegic mixture during the time between infusions.
US08292837B2	Combination exercise-massage device The present application describes a combination exercise-massage unit consisting of a base platform with enclosed weight enclosure at one end and a pivoting bed assembly at the other. The bed assembly can easily be tipped having the effect of increasing the weight lifted, reducing the pressure of the rollers on the back or relieving tension by elevating the head. A continuous belt covers a plurality of massage rollers that have replaceable outer sleeves with a variety of different configurations and softness. There is a translating framework that has elevated head rest and two shoulder supports on either side. The person can hold the upright handles or the side support bars with the padded side members of the translating framework. The translating framework can be adjusted in length to accommodate the height of the person using the unit.
US08292831B2	Method of measuring fetal head orientation, position, and velocity and providing feedback to mother and doctor A method is described to provide real-time fetal position, movement velocity, and head orientation feedback to professional medical staff and delivering mothers. Using this feedback, the mother can be apprised of how effective her pushing is moving the baby through the birth canal. Medical staff can use this feedback to assess fetal head orientation and determine location of the baby in the birth canal. The feedback device consists of metrology devices mounted on a fetal scalp electrode, a data acquisition method, software to interpret the metrology signals, and feedback hardware for doctors and the mother.
US08292828B2	Guide wire for a medical instrument The invention relates to a guide wire for a medical instrument, which has a guide wire core (2) and a sheathing (3) that surrounds the guide wire core at least in sections. According to the invention, the sheathing (3), at least in a shaft section (5) joined to an end section (4), is provided with a rigidity greater than that of the guide wire core. The invention is for use, e.g. in medical instruments for magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) suitable applications.
US08292822B2	Biopsy localization method and device A biopsy localization device made according to the invention includes a bioresorbable element, such as a cellulose. The bioresorbable element preferably carries a radiopaque marker. The bioresorbable element preferably swells to fill the biopsied open region. The bioresorbable element and radiopaque marker permit the biopsy site to be relocated by various techniques, including mammography and ultrasound. In addition, the bioresorbable element can be used as a therapeutic tool for treatment of the diseased lesion and for hemostasis.
US08292821B2	Wrist sphygmomanometer and cuff spring for the same To improve measurement accuracy of blood pressure. A wrist sphygmomanometer comprises a cuff spring formed in a curved shape to fit the semicircle on the side of the pulsation part of the wrist, having a mount portion formed outside; a cuff band including the cuff spring as a core material, having an air bag inside, and wound around a wrist; and a sphygmomanometer main body mounted on the mount portion of the cuff spring, having a pressure pump for supplying air to the air bag, wherein the cuff spring has a protrusion protruding inward formed in a nearly central position in a peripheral direction.
US08292819B2	Sleep analysis system and method for analyzing sleep thereof The invention provides a sleep analysis system and a method for analysis thereof. The sleep analysis system includes an analysis device and a sleep sensing apparatus. The sleep sensing apparatus includes an ECG signal collector, a multi-axial accelerometer, a wireless transmitting unit, and a control unit. The ECG signal collector is used for collecting an ECG signal associated with a subject. The multi-axial accelerometer is used for detecting a multi-axial accelerometer signal associated with the subject. The control unit controls the wireless transmitting unit to transmit the ECG signal and the multi-axial accelerometer signal to the analysis device for analyzing sleep of the subject.
US08292817B2	Ultrasonograph An ultrasonograph contains a probe provided with a transmitting/receiving ultrasonic transducer at the center thereof, and the probe has a transmitting ultrasonic transducer and a receiving ultrasonic transducer which are symmetrically movable with respect to the transmitting/receiving ultrasonic transducer. Contacting the probe with the skin of a diagnosis area, a direction of the probe is adjusted to be perpendicular to the diagnosis object using echo signals of the transducer. Then the echo signals of the transmitting ultrasonic transducer and the transmitting/receiving ultrasonic transducer, and a distance between the ultrasonic transducers are processed to obtain a signal intensity. Results are displayed on a display to indicate the thickness, hardness of an articular cartilage, and a surface condition thereof visually so that it is possible to diagnose the articular cartilage without inserting a probe into the cavitas articulare.
US08292814B2	Techniques to evaluate mechanical properties of a biologic material A system includes an acoustic radiation force source that is structured to generate an acoustic radiation force at one or more frequencies. A shear wave transmission device is embedded in a mass including a biologic material. The shear wave transmission device is responsive to the acoustic radiation force source to transmit shear waves through the biologic material. A Doppler ultrasonic device detects the shear waves and generates data representative of the shear waves. A processing device determines one or more mechanical properties of the biologic material from the data.
US08292807B2	Mobile medical workstation A medical workstation is defined by a supporting structure having at least one medical diagnostic instrument disposed thereupon. A first display is further disposed on a first side of the supporting structure and a second display is disposed on a second side of the supporting structure in a manner substantially opposite from the first display. Each of the first and second displays are interconnected to the at least one medical diagnostic instrument to permit at least one of the displays in order to display diagnostic results and are tandemly or independently controllable.
US08292802B2	Method for transmitting torque and variably flexing a corrugated insertion device A method for transmitting torque and variably flexing an insertion device for receiving an instrument includes the steps of providing a hollow body having a proximal end with an entrance for receiving an instrument, a distal end with a tip for protrusion of the instrument, an outer jacket and an inner sleeve, maintaining the hollow body in relatively flexible and relatively stiff conditions with wires disposed at least partly between the outer jacket and the inner sleeve and being free of at least one of the outer jacket and the inner sleeve, transmitting torque along the hollow body with a corrugated tube disposed between the outer jacket and the inner sleeve, and applying suction to create a vacuum between the outer jacket and the inner sleeve for placing the hollow body in the relatively stiff condition and relieving the vacuum for placing the hollow body in the relatively stiff condition, with a transitioning device for frictionally locking the wires and the corrugated tube in place.
US08292799B2	Biological artificial blood vessel and method of making A prosthetic device for implantation into a human body is made by a method that includes the steps of providing a natural animal tissue that has a substrate, crosslinking and fixing the substrate, minimizing the antigens from the substrate, tanning the substrate to improve its mechanical properties, and coupling an anticoagulant to an inner surface of the substrate to form an anticoagulant surface layer.
US08292798B2	Incubator for babies before implantation The invention relates to an incubator for babies. It is of special value for the treatment of premature infants as an intensive care unit at any time during life from creation to implantation. A cradle is sided with ports to enable fluidic ventilation. Advantageously the incubator includes an optical path for imaging the patient via a clear bottom and open top. The incubator is provided with easy access and various accessories required for an intensive care unit.
US08292797B2	Diversionary therapy apparatus and methods and interactive devices A diversionary therapy apparatus (100) provides a tangible intuitive and immersive interaction device for a patient so as to distract the patient from a treatment. It includes a handheld tablet device (110) having motion sensors and a screen (112) for showing digital content relating to a three-dimensional environment. A controller determines movement of the tablet device (110) and displays content on the screen (112) based on this movement so that the patient can interact with the three-dimensional environment displayed on the screen through physical manipulation of the device (110). Various other interactive features are also disclosed, including interchangeable selector elements, e.g. figurines (114), that may be mounted on the device (110) to allow selection of content and action, a camera, biometric sensors, a touchscreen, a domed rear surface to allow the device to rock on a surface and a profiled screen wall (124). Handgrips (122) may be provided skew to the horizontal to encourage immediate rotation of the device (110). Various other applications of the device are discussed, as is motion sensing based on a camera imaging a pattern on a marker element, e.g. on a figurine (114).
US08292785B2	Control of torque direction transition in a powershift transmission A method for controlling a torque direction transition in a dual clutch transmission includes decreasing a torque capacity of a transmission input clutch when clutch slip reaches a target slip during a power-off condition, producing a subsequent power-on condition, and increasing torque capacity of said clutch when clutch slip reaches a second target slip.
US08292780B2	Powertrain with input shaft and engine speed synchronization and method for shifting gears in a powertrain A powertrain includes a prime mover, a transmission, an input shaft adapted to transmit torque between the prime mover and the transmission, an output shaft adapted to transmit torque between the transmission and a driveline, and a master clutch between the prime mover and the input shaft, the clutch being movable between a disengaged position and an engaged position in which the clutch is not and is adapted to transmit torque between the prime mover and the input shaft, respectively. An electric motor is arranged for torque transmission with at least one of the input shaft and the output shaft, and a controller is provided for controlling the electric motor to rotate the input shaft at a rotational speed within an operating range of the prime mover when the clutch is moved from the disengaged to the engaged position.
US08292777B2	Method of controlling a hybrid vehicle during regenerative deceleration A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle during regenerative deceleration, the method including: determining deceleration of the vehicle; upon determining deceleration of the vehicle, operating a reversible electric machine as a generator to regenerate part of the kinetic energy of the vehicle; establishing a respective minimum speed of an internal combustion engine for each gear of a servocontrolled mechanical power train; determining and engaging the highest gear which, combined with the current state of motion of the vehicle, runs the internal combustion engine at higher than the respective minimum speed; keeping the gear engaged as long as the internal combustion engine runs at higher than the respective minimum speed; and downshifting by one gear when the internal combustion engine runs at lower than the respective minimum speed.
US08292775B2	Vehicle differential apparatus A vehicle differential apparatus includes: a differential case; two side gears; and two pinions. An axial center of each pinion is provided with a first pinion shaft insertion hole. A pinion shaft is inserted in the first pinion shaft insertion holes. An inner peripheral surface of the first pinion shaft insertion hole of each pinion is provided with two sliding surfaces that are slidable on one of two pinion inner peripheral surface-supporting portions of the pinion shaft, and a non-contacting surface that is not able to contact the pinion inner peripheral surface-supporting portion. The sliding surfaces and the non-contacting surface of each first pinion shaft insertion hole are disposed at positions adjacent to each other in the axis direction of the first pinion shaft insertion hole.
US08292772B2	Continuously variable toroidal transmission A transmission comprises a toroidal variator having first and second spaced-apart drive discs (12, 14) defining a toroidal cavity about a rotational axis (x-x), a transmission input (22) arranged to drive the first and second drive discs (12, 14) in opposite directions and supported on pivotal mountings between the drive discs (12, 14), one or more rollers (18, 20) arranged to contact the said drive discs (12, 14) and be driven thereby, wherein the transmission output (44) is driven by orbiting of the pivotal mountings around the rotational axis of the variator.
US08292770B2	Multi-core electric machines An electric machine including a housing, a first rotor and stator carried within the housing and a rotatable shaft carried by the housing and extending from the housing. A first continuously variable transmission can be provided and includes a first rotatable element, a second rotatable element and a mechanism for controlling the ratio of the rotation of the second element to the rotation of the first element. The first element can be connected to the first rotor and the second element can be connected to the rotatable shaft. A second rotor and stator can be carried within the housing and a second continuously variable transmission provided. A hybrid engine having an internal combustion engine and utilizing the electric machine can be provided.
US08292764B2	Valve for a ball and method for manufacturing same A valve for a ball includes a casing and a core. The core is arranged at least partially inside the casing. The core comprises a first sealing area with a plurality of sections which have alternating concave and convex curvatures.
US08292760B2	Systems and methods for controlling baseball bat swing Systems and methods for controlling a baseball bat swing are disclosed. A system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes an upper arm portion, a lower arm portion pivotably connected to the upper arm portion, and at least one releaseable attachment device carried by the upper arm portion and positioned to releasably attach to the user's arm. The system can further include an adjustment element operatively coupled to the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion, with the adjustment being manipulatable to control an angle between the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion. The system can be employed to train the user to achieve a consistent baseball bat swing.
US08292759B2	Golf ball A golf ball 2 includes a core 4, an envelope layer 6, a mid layer 8 and a cover 10. A thickness Tm of the mid layer 8 is equal to or less than 1.0 mm. A thickness Tc of the cover 10 is less than 0.6 mm. The sum of the thicknesses Tm and Tc is equal to or less than 1.5 mm. A hardness Hc of the cover 10 is less than 40. The hardness Hs, the hardness Hm, and the hardness Hc satisfy the following formula (1). Hs>Hc>Hm (1) The base material of the envelope layer 6 is ionomer resin. The base material of the mid layer 8 is polyurethane. The base material of the cover 10 is polyurethane.
US08292757B2	Golf club having removable sole weight A golf club head is presented comprising a sole including a removable weight member secured to the sole via a non-threaded attachment assembly. Further, the removable weight member has a large surface area relative to its thickness, resulting in a chip-like or wafer-like weight member. This design allows the mass of the weight member to be spread substantially along the surface of the sole as opposed to in the interior of the club head. The golf club head may comprise more than one removable weight member. A weight member of the present invention may comprise one or more discrete areas of higher basis weight or higher density.
US08292754B2	Putter heads and putters including polymeric material as part of the ball striking face Golf clubs and golf club heads, such as putter heads, may include a putter body and an insert forming a ball striking face and engaged with the putter body. Portions of the insert may be formed of a metal material, while portions of the insert may be formed of a polymer material. The insert may include a base portion having grooves formed therein. This base may be joined with another material to form the insert. In some arrangements, the insert may be a two-sided, reversible construction and may have different performance characteristics associated with each side of the insert. Methods for making such putter devices are also described.
US08292751B2	Gravity bowling game apparatus A new style of a bowling game where the ball can be maneuvered as it is rolling by force of gravity across the lane and toward the targets. The lane is divided into two parts that are connected to each other in a way that allows one part to be rotated and/or lifted while the other part that contains the targets can remain stationary.
US08292750B2	Motion apparatus for use with infant carrier A motion apparatus for use in combination with a standard infant carrier, such as a car seat. The motion apparatus comprises a support structure and a frame for receiving the transportable base of an infant car seat, and a drive assembly, which, when activated causes motion of the infant carrier. Methods and devices of the invention are useful to soothe an infant.
US08292748B2	Damper with induced imbalance A torsion damper including: a plurality of springs; a first plate with a central axis; and a second plate with a central axis. The plurality of springs displaces the first and second plates so that the central axis for the first plate is radially offset from the central axis for the second plate. In one embodiment, the radial offset between the central axis for the first plate and the central axis for the second plate is fixed. In another embodiment, the first plate comprises a central bore and the second plate comprises an extruded cylinder; and the fixed alignment is maintained by contact between the central bore and the extruded cylinder.
US08292745B2	Convertible rail for selecting player-tracking modes in an electronic game table Convertible rails for selecting player-tracking modes in an electronic game table are described. In one implementation, a rail or trim surrounds the periphery of the tabletop of an electronic game table. The rail has recessed bay openings for mounting user-interface hardware, such as for player-tracking. Player-tracking hardware may include, for example, touch-screen displays for manual input of user information, and player-identification card readers. A proprietor may install interchangeable rail section covers to expose some, all, or none of the bays. Thus, in a non-tracking mode, the bays may be covered, while in a tracking mode, some degree of player-tracking hardware mounted in the bays may be exposed to the user. In other implementations, interchangeable covers hide bays or expose hardware mounted on the tabletop itself. When the bays are covered, the cover blends in with the appearance and the surface of the tabletop, but the cover may be removed or swapped out in order to add selected hardware for the game table user.
US08292744B2	Online building toy The present invention pertains to a method and apparatus for building online games. In one embodiment, the method may include providing a user interface that facilitates user selection of parts, and placing a set of parts selected by a user in a three-dimensional (3D) world. The method may also include joining parts within the set based on their proximity to each other in the 3D world to form one or more models for a game, and sending a model file for each of these models to a server via a network for use by various users.
US08292741B2	Apparatus, processes and articles for facilitating mobile gaming In accordance with the teachings of the present embodiment, a system and method for wireless gaming with location-dependent gaming functions are provided. In a particular embodiment, the apparatus includes a gaming server; a wireless network at least partially covering a property, the wireless network comprising a plurality of signal detection devices; and a gaming communication device operable to transmit and receive gaming information to and from the gaming server via the wireless network. A location of the gaming communication device on the property is used to alter a game play function, such as a bet option, wager, graphic overlay, permission, or to provide location-dependent advertising or embedded advertising. Based upon the location of the gaming communication device on the property, a predetermined functionality of the gaming communication device may be enabled and/or controlled.
US08292727B2	Game apparatus and storage medium having stored thereon game program Whether or not an angular velocity detected by an angular velocity sensor is used for a game process is determined, and a difficulty level of a game to be subjected to a game process is set so as to vary depending on whether the angular velocity is determined to be used or the angular velocity is determined not to be used. When the angular velocity is determined not to be used, a process of specifying a motion direction of an input device is performed by using acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor, whereas when the angular velocity is determined to be used, at least a part of the process of specifying the motion of the input device is performed by using the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity sensor. Accordingly, based on the specified motion direction, the game process is performed while the set difficulty level is applied.
US08292724B2	Methods of expanding symbols based upon relative location or said symbols to each other in a symbol matrix The present invention expands a wildcard symbol into one or more symbol positions of the symbol matrix if two or more wildcard symbols appear in the symbol matrix in a predetermined configuration relative to one another. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, two or more wildcard symbols appearing in adjacent positions of the same row of a symbol matrix expand into all symbol positions of the columns in which the adjacent wildcard symbols appear.
US08292723B2	Gaming system and method for providing team play A gaming system where in one embodiment, as players play the primary games of the gaming devices, players are enabled to join one of a plurality of teams associated with a secondary team game. Each of the teams includes a plurality of players. The gaming system periodically monitors at least one factor or parameter of each player's gaming activity to determine a score for that player. In one embodiment, the scores for each of the players on each team are accumulated to determine that team's cumulative score. If a team's cumulative score reaches a winning value, the gaming system provides a prize to one or more of the players on that team. The gaming system enables players to switch from one team to another in attempt to be on a particular team when that team's cumulative score reaches a winning value.
US08292717B1	System and method for providing a game of chance over messaging services A system and method are described for providing a game of chance over messaging services. In one embodiment a method is disclosed for receiving a message from a first user which includes an identifier of a second user. The second user is registered for the game of chance based on the identifier of the first user. A message may be sent to the second user to invite the second user to enter the identifier of another user into the game of chance. A winning identifier is identified from a set of identifiers, such as the identifiers entered into the game of chance. A message is sent the second user if the amount by which the identifier of the first user matches the winning identifier satisfies a winning threshold. The message may include an indication that the second user won a prize.
US08292713B2	Asynchronous interactive game play This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for executing asynchronous game play by a plurality of players in one or more game instances.
US08292712B2	Jukebox entertainment system having multiple choice games relating to music Entertainment system based on multiple choice competition games, characterized in that it comprises at least one terminal including connection means to a dedicated remote server (1), the system also comprising means of playing an extract of a recording with a configurable duration on at least one terminal (2, 3) comprising means of reproducing the recording, means of interaction with a user and means (21, 31) of connection with a dedicated remote server (1), means of asking a terminal user a question and suggesting multiple choice answers, the question being related to information characteristic of the extract of the recording, and the recording being selected by means independent of the terminal user.
US08292707B2	Off-peak air intake vent An off-peak intake vent includes spaced top and bottom walls defining a cavity therebetween and a pair of lateral side walls. The bottom wall has a generally planar bottom surface having at least one vent opening formed therethrough for communicating with an opening in a roof deck. The top wall has a curved portion that converges with the bottom wall at an uphill edge of the intake vent. The intake vent also includes air intake louvers defined between the top and bottom walls.
US08292706B2	Roof light system having a ventilation device with improved flexibility The roof light system is composed by a roof unit (10), a light conduit (70) and a diffuser unit (80). A ventilation device has a ventilation tube (60) is separate and detached from the light conduit (70). The first end (60a) of the ventilation tube is connected with the roof unit (10) and the second end (60b) is positioned at a distance from the diffuser unit (80). The ventilation device may additionally have a branch tube (160).
US08292705B2	Electronic apparatus, fan unit, and subrack The fan unit according to the present invention includes a plurality of radial fans; and a unit casing which accommodates the radial fans and includes a first member and a second member, each of which has exhaust ports allowing transmission of at least a part of output air from the radial fans.
US08292702B2	Automated fat trimming system An automated system and method for trimming fat from an outer surface of a primal of meat includes a conveyor for advancing the meat, an imaging system for creating at least one image of the meat in order to create a fat profile, and a trimming assembly that removes fat from the outer surface of the meat based on the created fat profile. An orientation device is used to secure and guide the meat on the conveyor. In some embodiments, the orientation device is configured to align with a spinal groove in the meat. In some embodiments, the primal of meat is a short loin; in some embodiments, it is a sirloin.
US08292700B2	Angle grinder An angle grinder is provided including a trigger assembly for selectively actuating the angle grinder. A particle separation assembly is provided for the removal of any dust, particle, or artifacts that may have entered into the housing of the angle grinder. A brush biasing system is also provided to ensure proper and efficient operation of the motor of the angle grinder. An overload monitoring system is included to monitor the loading on the motor. A clutch mechanism is also included to prevent overloading on the motor of the angle grinder. A gear wheel lock mechanism is also provided to prevent the wheel spindle from rotating during installation or removal of a grinding wheel on the wheel spindle. An anti-locking flange system is also included to prevent the over-tightening of the flanges and the grinder wheel during the operation of the angle grinder. A gear case labyrinth feature is also provided.
US08292699B2	Optical fiber polishing apparatus and method A polishing apparatus is provided for polishing an optical fiber connector. The optical fiber connector includes a connector housing and a ferrule. The polishing apparatus includes a mount to receive and hold the optical connector and a base to support the mount. The base further includes a dispenser portion. The polishing apparatus further includes a polishing strip dispensable by the dispensing portion of the base. The polishing strip has a portion thereof extending through a passageway formed in the mount, where a first surface of the polishing strip is disposed proximate to an end face of the ferrule of the optical connector disposed in the mount. In an exemplary aspect, the polishing strip comprises one or more polishing media disposed on a backing material.
US08292696B2	Method of manufacturing microneedle A method of manufacturing a microneedle including the steps of forming a plurality of first linear grooves on a substrate in parallel to one another along a first direction using grinding, and forming a plurality of second linear grooves on the substrate in parallel to one another in a second direction intersecting the first direction using grinding.
US08292693B2	Using optical metrology for wafer to wafer feed back process control A method of controlling the polishing of a substrate includes polishing a substrate on a first platen using a first set of parameters, obtaining first and second sequences of measured spectra from first and second regions of the substrate with an in-situ optical monitoring system, generating first and second sequences of values from the first and second sequences of measured spectra, fitting first and second linear functions to the first and second sequences of values, determining a difference between the first linear function and the second linear function, adjusting at least one parameter of the first set of parameters based on the difference, and polishing the second substrate on the first platen using the adjusted parameter.
US08292689B2	Electronic playset The present disclosure provides for electronic playsets and components thereof. An electronic playset of the present disclosure may include a see-through monitor having a transparent screen configured to display an animated image superimposed over one or more regions. The see-through monitor may be moveable by rotation or translation between one or more positions, the one or more positions being adjacent to the one or more regions. Some embodiments including a see-through monitor with a light source configured to illuminate the one or more regions. Another aspect of the present disclosure provides for a removable toy having an identifiable accessory that may be provided to an electronic playset. The playset may be configured to identify the toy and display an animated character based on the identity.
US08292688B2	System and method for toy adoption and marketing A computer system provides a virtual world. The computer system includes a server subsystem serving virtual world data, via a communication network, and receives data and/or commands. A registration subsystem, coupled to the server subsystem, verifies information from a toy, and registers the toy. The verifying includes determining the validity of the information. A virtual world providing subsystem, coupled to the server subsystem, provides the virtual world data, which produces data that presents the virtual world. The virtual world data includes a virtual toy representing the toy and a reward provided to the user for registering the toy.
US08292685B2	Method for producing plasma display panel A method for producing a plasma display panel having a base layer including metallic oxides and agglomerated particles dispersed on the base layer includes the following steps of: forming the base layer on the dielectric layer; spreading an organic solvent in which the agglomerated particles are dispersed on the base layer to form a coating layer thereon; drying the coating layer under a reduced pressure to form an organic solvent coating film on at least the base layer; disposing the rear plate and the front plate on which the coating film is formed so as to face each other; heating the front plate and the rear plate facing each other to evaporate the coating film, dispersing the agglomerated particles on the base layer, and removing components of the evaporated coating film from the discharge space; and sealing the rear plate and the front plate from which the coating film is evaporated to each other.
US08292684B2	Method of manufacturing flat panel display device To minimize stress variations applied to mother glasses when a glass sealing material is melted via a laser to combine the mother glasses, a method of manufacturing a flat panel display device includes providing a plurality of emission units between a first substrate and a second substrate, wherein the first substrates faces the second substrate and each emission unit forms a unit display device; providing a plurality of walls between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein each wall respectively surrounds one of the emission units; irradiating a laser beam onto the walls, wherein the laser beam is simultaneously irradiated to wall portions aligned in a row in a first direction; scanning the laser beam in a second direction, wherein the second direction is different from the first direction to irradiate other wall portions of the plurality of walls; and cutting the first and second substrates to obtain individual display devices.
US08292683B2	Wader floatation device A buoyant wading aid has a generally U-shaped body. The body includes a front portion and rearwardly extending legs. A pair of handles are provided on the legs. A storage container may be tethered to the body of wading aid to be towed behind the body when in use. The storage container may be adjusted into a transport configuration between and supported by the legs. The handles may be rigidly attached to a frame that provides structural support for the body of the wading aid.
US08292678B2	Personal propulsion device with hands free control An improved personal propulsion device that generally imparts thrust directly to the user. The device allows hands free control of thrust magnitude and direction so both hands can grasp and control bicycle handlebars and brakes, watercraft paddles, ski poles or other apparatuses. The device is adjustable vertically, on the users' back, higher to allow sitting in a canoe or wheelchair and lower for standing on skates, skis, kick scooters etc. In one embodiment, the device includes an air compressor that is operatively connected to a cam mechanism engaged with the propulsion mechanism to provide compressed air. In another embodiment, the device includes a gap control mechanism to reduce or increase the size of the air inlet gap between the lip of the propeller shroud and an air horn to decrease noise levels or increase propulsion. The air horn can be gradiently flexible and warpable to allow controlled movement thereof.
US08292677B2	Plug-in connector In a plug-in connector (1), at least one part of the busbar element (10) is in each case arranged in the boundary area between an associated conductor entry opening (3) and an associated contact pin receiving opening (8) in such a manner that the part of the busbar element (10) is located between a contact pin (14) and an electric conductor (5) and electrically conductively rests against the contact pin (14) and the electric conductor (5). The busbar element (10) has a resilient contact area in the contact pin receiving opening (8) for electrically contacting the busbar element (10) by a spring force with a contact pin (14) which can be inserted into an associated contact pin receiving opening (8).
US08292676B2	System connector with adapter module A system connector includes a first housing half, and a second housing half matching the first housing half. The two housing halves are snappable and lockable to each other via a locking device, and there is at least one contact module arranged in each of the housing halves. The contact module includes socket-like and/or pin-like electrical contact elements. An adapter module that is mountable on the contact module has a first connection side and a second connection side, each of which includes cylindrical adapter elements arranged in a row, in which socket contacts or pin contacts are arranged. The adapter module on its first connection side is connectable to one of the contact modules arranged within one of the housing halves. The socket contacts or pin contacts of the adapter element of the second connection side are suitable for electrical contacting of the contact modules of the matching housing halves.
US08292675B2	Electrical connector having improved blocking member An electrical connector (100) for insertion of a first plug (800) along a mating direction. The electrical connector includes an insulative housing (1) and a contact module (3) assembled to the insulative housing. The insulative housing includes an opening (10), a receiving cavity (11) and a pair of blocking member (14) provided in the receiving cavity. The blocking member includes a guiding portion adjacent to the opening, and a resilient portion (141) projecting more inwardly to the receiving cavity along a transverse direction perpendicular to the mating direction than the guiding portion, to thereby form a shoulder portion (144) facing to the opening between the guiding portion and the resilient portion. The resilient portion is deformable sidewardly along the transverse direction.
US08292673B2	Electrical connector with terminals depressed from mating surfaces An electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals retained in the housing. The insulative housing includes a mating cavity and a tongue portion in the mating cavity. The tongue portion defines a mating surface confronting with the mating cavity and a plurality of grooves arranged along a first direction of the tongue portion and extending in a mating direction of the connector. The grooves are recessed from the mating face. The terminals are retained in the housing and comprise contacting portions extending in corresponding groove. The contacting portions define contacting faces parallel to the mating face and communicating with the mating cavity in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and the mating direction. The grooves are disposed so deeply that the contacting faces of the terminals are recessed from the mating face.
US08292672B2	Flash memory device and assembly thereof with improved planar contact portions A flash memory device includes a Chip-On-Board (COB) type circuit board and a number of first and second contacts electrically connected to the circuit board. Each first contact includes a stiff first contact portion formed on an upper surface of the circuit board. Each second contact includes a cantilevered planar second contact portion extending along the front-to-rear direction. When the flash memory device is inserted into a USB 3.0 receptacle connector, the first and the second contact portions jointly electrically connect with the USB 3.0 receptacle connector. The planar second contact portions provide larger contacting area for mating with the corresponding contacts of the USB 3.0 receptacle connector.
US08292671B2	Connector The present invention relates to a connector, which includes a printed circuit tongue, and one surface of the printed circuit tongue is defined with a plurality of first printed areas and second printed areas which are joined to terminals. Elastic terminal pieces extend from the first printed areas and assembled on the printed circuit tongue, and third printed areas similarly extend from the second printed areas and defined on the printed circuit tongue. Moreover, fourth printed areas are defined on another surface of the printed circuit tongue, and fifth printed areas extend from the fourth printed areas and defined on the printed circuit tongue. Accordingly, the present invention enables achieving a connector that is tough and strong, the manufacturing process of which is simple and fast, and the wire layout is simple.
US08292669B2	Electrical connector having contact modules An electrical connector (100) adapted for being mounted on a mother board (900) includes a housing and a number of contact modules (21, 22) each having a wafer (210, 220) and a number of terminals insert molded with the wafer. The terminals include an upper terminal (211, 221) having an upper contact portion (2111, 2211), and a lower contact terminal (212, 222) having a lower contact portion (2121, 2221). The upper contact portion and the lower contact portion are separated from each other along a vertical direction to define a slot (214, 224) therebetween. The upper terminal and the lower contact terminal are secured in the wafer at two positions remote from each other along a mating direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, with the upper contact portion and the lower contact portion approaching close to each other along the mating direction.
US08292668B2	Electrical connector In an electrical connector, a housing includes opposite front and rear end walls, and an insertion slot that is formed between opposite upper and lower inner wall surfaces extending in a front-rear direction and that opens at the front end wall. A terminal has a movable arm and a stationary arm that are disposed respectively on two sides of the insertion slot. The movable arm has a front barb-like contact portion proximate to the front end wall. The stationary arm is tapered forwardly, and has a front end distal from the front end wall, and an inclined contact face that is inclined rearwardly and gradually toward the insertion slot from its front end. The electrical connector has a miniaturized construction and reduces an insertion force for inserting a printed circuit board.
US08292666B2	Socket connector with contact terminals arranged radially creating different pitches in different area An electrical connector includes an insulative housing defining a plurality of passageways and a plurality of contacts disposed in the passageways by two arrangement manners. Each contact includes a mating portion located at an upper end and a soldering portion located at a bottom end. Wherein a first arrangement manner is that neighboring mating portions defined a distance in a same row is smaller than a distance defined by corresponding neighboring soldering portions, and neighboring mating portions defined a distance in a same column is equal to a distance defined by corresponding neighboring soldering portions. A second arrangement manner is that neighboring mating portions defined a distance in both a same row and a same column is smaller than a distance defined by corresponding neighboring soldering portions.
US08292663B2	Audio plug with cosmetic hard shell Apparatus, systems and methods for assembling an audio plug with a cosmetic hard shell are provided. A plug may be coupled to a cable. An inner member may be molded about an end portion of the plug and an end portion of the cable. A strain relief member may be molded about a portion of the cable such that the strain relief member is adjacent to and substantially flush with the inner member. The seam between the inner member and the strain relief member may be covered by coupling a hard, smooth outer shell over a portion of the inner member and a portion of the strain relief member. Each of the inner member, the strain relief member, and the outer shell may be formed by injection molding, be of a cylindrical shape, and be formed from the same or different materials.
US08292661B2	Phone plug connector device A phone plug connector device having a preassembled phone plug and connector, wherein the phone plug includes a conductive tip and a stem, wherein the connector connects the phone plug to a coaxial cable, wherein the coaxial cable comprises a center conductor surrounded by a first dielectric, the first dielectric being surrounded by a first conductive sheath, and the first conductive sheath surrounded by a protective outer jacket, wherein the connector connects the coaxial cable to the phone plug mechanically and electrically by compression.
US08292660B2	Consolidation point enclosure A consolidation point enclosure for a telecommunications network, including a base member for supporting the consolidation point on a mounting surface; and first and second bracket parts coupled to opposite end sections of a generally planar connection section of the base member, wherein the bracket parts are adapted to couple opposite ends sections of a patch panel to the base member so that a common insertion direction of modular jacks of the patch panel is substantially parallel to the generally planar connection section of the base member.
US08292657B2	Portable electrical power box The portable electrical power box includes a power extension cord connected to a 240-volt input plug. Via the input plug, the device plugs into a 240-volt outlet in a home or other location where split phase power is available. Two branch circuits comprise 120-volt receptacles disposed on the power box. The power extension cord has a neutral wire, a first split voltage wire, and a second split voltage wire. The neutral and first split voltage wire feed voltage to the first branch circuit of receptacles. The neutral and second split voltage wire feed voltage to the second branch circuit of receptacles. This arrangement minimizes overloading electrical panels in homes with extension cords in the home's 120-VAC outlets. The device has circuit breakers to prevent overloads.
US08292653B2	Plug, socket, and connector using the same A connector includes a plug, a socket corresponding to the plug, and a protection assembly rotatably connected to one of the plug and the socket. The protection assembly is configured for encompassing the other one of the plug and the socket to firmly fixed the plug and the socket together when the plug is inserted into the socket.
US08292650B2	Lever-type connector If connection postures of a first and a second housings (10, 40) are inclined from proper ones at a final stage of a connecting process of the first and second housings (10, 40,) pressing portions (73) of a lever (60) press pressable portions (29) of the first housing (10) to correct the connection postures of the first and second housings (10, 40). A mutual connection force of the first and second housings (10, 40) reaches a maximum value when an operable portion (61) of the lever (60) is located at a position near the rear surface of a cover (12) or overlapping the rear surface of the cover (12) before the pressing portions (73) press the pressable portions (29) in the connecting process of the first and second housings (10, 40).
US08292647B1	Socket connector A socket connector includes a dielectric housing extending longitudinally between a first end and a second end. The dielectric housing has a slot that extends longitudinally. The slot is configured to receive a circuit card therein. Contacts are held by the dielectric housing and exposed at the slot. The contacts are configured to be electrically connected to the circuit card. The contacts are configured to be terminated to a circuit board. A latch is provided at the first end and is configured to secure the circuit card in the dielectric housing. The latch includes a power conductor. The power conductor is configured to be electrically connected to the circuit card. The power conductor is configured to be terminated to the circuit board to supply power between the circuit board and the circuit card.
US08292643B1	Card connector with a housing with a guiding slot engaging a protruding block of a sliding device A card connector includes an insulating housing defining a receiving chamber, a sliding recess and a guiding slot opened in a bottom of the sliding recess and having a front spread towards the receiving chamber to define a guiding slope. An ejecting device includes a slider slidably disposed in the sliding recess, an elastic element clipped between the slider and the sliding recess and a connecting bar having one end fastened in the insulating housing and the other end slidably located in the slider. A front of the slider protrudes sideward to form a holding projection. A block is protruded on a bottom of the slider and received in the guiding slot for cooperating with the guiding slope to guide the movement of the slider so as to make the holding projection tightly buckled in a gap of a card for securing the card in the receiving chamber.
US08292640B1	USB connector A USB connector includes a connector body and a shielding sheet rotatably connected to the connecting body. The connector body includes a connector holder and a plug connected to the connector holder. The plug defines an opening in an end away from the connector holder. The plug is configured for coupling the USB connector to a mating connector. The shielding sheet is rotated to expose the opening of the plug when the USB connector couples to the mating connector, and covers the opening of the plug when the USB connector is detached from the mating connector.
US08292639B2	Compliant pin control module and method for making the same Control modules having connectors with compliant pin terminals for connection to a printed circuit board (PCB) are provided. The module housing can be made of a die cast metal to withstand harsh environments and have at least one open bay area for receiving a connector having compliant pin contacts for connecting the module to a PCB. A plurality of compliant pin terminal can have a push shoulders for providing an engagement surface for insertion of the terminals through passages in a connector housing, for positioning the connector relative to the die cast housing during the mounting the connector to the die cast housing, and to transfer the force away from the connector housing applied in connecting the PCB to the compliant pin tips. The connectors can be linear and exposed terminal surfaces can be sealed against the elements by a sealant. The passages of the connector housing can have at one end of the passages cross shaped portions to allow for a strengthened die tool which forms the small passages and chamfered sides at the opposite end of the passages for tight engagement with the terminals to prevent leak of sealant. The connectors can include a three-pronged compliant pin grounding terminal to increase the current flow.
US08292638B1	Two-in-one connector A two-in-one connector includes an insulating housing, a plurality of first and second terminals, and a shielding shell. The insulating housing has a first base body and a second base body. Each first terminal has a first soldering portion projecting under the first base body to be mounted on a printed circuit board, and a first contact portion projecting beyond a top of the first base body. Each second terminal has a second soldering portion projecting under the second base body to be mounted on the printed circuit board, and a second contact portion projecting beyond a front of the second base body. The shielding shell is mounted on the first base body to define an insertion space therebetween for receiving a SIM card therein to contact with the first contact portions. A battery can be mounted on the shielding shell to contact with the second contact portions.
US08292637B2	Electrical connector assembly WTH high-density configuration An electrical connector assembly (100), comprises: a housing (1) having therein a receiving room (11) communicating with an exterior along a longitudinal direction, and the housing comprising a first shield part (15) and second shield part (16) assembled with each other; two paralleled printed circuit boards (2) received into the receiving room and positioned in the housing; a strain relief (5) disposed between the first shield part and the second shield part along a vertical direction; a metallic holder (8) enclosing and engaged with the first shield part, the second shield part and the strain relief; and a latch mechanism assembled to an exterior surface of the housing and having a portion shielded by the metallic holder.
US08292636B2	Pin header connector A pin header connector includes a number of electrically conductive pins, two insulating plates, and a supporting body. The pins are arranged in two parallel rows. Each of the rows comprises at least three pins. Each of the insulating plates defines a number of through holes corresponding to the pins. Each of the pins extends through the corresponding through hole. The supporting body defines slots accommodating the respective pins. The supporting body is sandwiched between the insulating plates.
US08292634B2	Socket connector having a recess provided with a spring member on a side thereof A socket connector includes a socket body having a recess adapted to receive therein a connection object such as a semiconductor module, contact members disposed at a bottom surface portion of the recess, and a spring member disposed on one side of the recess. The spring member has an engaging portion adapted to engage the connection object in a detaching direction for provisionally holding it in a first stage of an attaching operation of the connection object and a pressing portion adapted to press the connection object parallel to the bottom surface portion and inward of the recess for positioning the connection object at a predetermined position of the recess.
US08292630B1	Board mounted connector with protective shell A board mounted connector (100) includes an insulative housing (1) defines a top side and a bottom side; a plurality of terminals (2) combined with the insulative housing, each terminal having a contacting portion disposed above the top side of the insulative housing; and a protective cover (3) floatably associated with the insulative housing and enclosing the contacting portions of the terminals.
US08292628B2	Audio/video electronic appliance, in particular a car radio, having a removable front plate The appliance comprises a casing, a removable front plate, an electrical connector, and mechanical means for assembling the front plate on the casing and for fastening it thereto. The mechanical means comprise, at a first end, means that form a separable hinge comprising at least one pair of respective magnetic elements such as permanent magnets disposed in the region of the connector and facing one another on the casing and the front plate, and the opposite end, means for locking the front plate to the casing. Mechanical coupling of the front plate on the casing at the location of the separable magnetic hinge results solely from the mutual attraction of the facing magnetic elements.
US08292623B2	Systems and methods for setting prosthetic posterior teeth in denture production Systems and methods for setting posterior prosthetic teeth in production of upper and lower dentures feature tooth blocks each having inner and outer bodies having upper and lower rows of recesses therein corresponding maxillary and mandibular prosthetic teeth. The recesses of the inner and outer bodies conform to lingual and buccul surfaces of the prosthetic teeth respectively and are shaped and positioned to establish proper positioning of the prosthetic teeth relative to one another when clamped between the bodies. The two tooth blocks accommodate respective ones of left and right prosthetic poster teeth sets. Connection elements between the tooth blocks allow adjustment and subsequent locking of the relative positioning between the left and right teeth sets before setting on mandibular and maxillary casts in an articulator. The two tooth blocks eliminate the need to individually position posterior teeth on each side of the jaw.
US08292621B2	Dental healing abutment A dental healing abutment assembly having a tubular holder and a plurality of removable nestable shells. Each nestable shell has a proximal end and a distal end open to permit the nesting of the shell with the holder or other nestable shells. The proximal end of each nestable shell is defined by a base plate. The tubular holder and the nestable shells each have a pass through hole for accommodating a mounting member. The healing abutment assembly is attached to a dental implant impacted in a patient's jawbone by way of the mounting member.
US08292616B2	Burner A gas burner including a burner body having a lower housing, an inlet conduit and a combustion surface element attached to the lower housing. A diffuser/reflector positioned within the body encourages even distribution and mixing of a combustible gas/air mixture. The diffuser/reflector is preferably of a sheet metal construction and includes a plurality of stamped openings with each of these openings having an overhanging guide plate. The combustion surface element includes a plurality of integrally formed rigidizing ribs and is made from a high temperature steel alloy wire cloth. The inlet conduit is secured directly or indirectly to an access door/bulkhead that is used to close off an access opening formed in a water heater wall through which the burner is installed. In one construction, an air scoop shrouds the inlet conduit and at least partially defines a flow path of primary air, substantially isolated from the combustion chamber.
US08292613B2	Runner system for supplying molding compound A runner system for a molding apparatus comprises a plurality of runner networks, each runner network further comprising a mold supply pot having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. A plurality of molding cavities are located on the first and second sides of the mold supply pot, and a plurality of runners are operative to channel molding compound from each mold supply pot to the plurality of molding cavities. At least one of the mold supply pots comprises a different number of runners located on the first side which are connected to the mold supply pot as compared to a number of runners located on the second side which are connected to the mold supply pot.
US08292607B2	Powder compression molding machine The powder compression molding machine includes: a case having a frame; a fresh air intake provided to the case; a suction port for drawing in an atmosphere in the case; an internal pressure measure that measures internal pressure in the case; a suction force measure that measures a suction force for drawing in the atmosphere in the case from the suction port; and a suction force control device that controls the suction force for drawing in the atmosphere in the case from the suction port. The internal pressure in the case is controlled by controlling the suction force by the suction force controller based on the internal pressure in the case measured by the internal pressure measure and/or the suction force measured by the suction force measure.
US08292600B2	Control system for an air operated diaphragm pump The present invention includes methods and apparatuses for operating and controlling AOD pumps (10, 10′, 10″, 100, 460, 580, 740) and other pumps.
US08292593B2	System for minimizing mechanical and acoustical fan noise coupling A system and method of spread-spectrum fan control for an air-cooled system is provided for reducing the vibrational and acoustical noise associated with the air-cooled system. The method includes generating a first control signal that controls a blade-passing frequency of a first cooling fan and a second control signal that controls a blade-passing frequency of a second cooling fan, wherein the first and second control signals may be pulse width modulated (“PWM”) signals. One or more noise generators independently vary duty cycles for the first and second PWM signals within a range around respective first and second blade-passing frequency set points. As a result, the blade-passing frequencies for the first and second cooling fans are independently and randomly modulated within a range around the respective first and second blade-passing frequency set points.
US08292588B2	Impeller and centrifugal fan An impeller in a centrifugal fan includes a support portion having a cylindrical outer circumferential surface coaxial or substantially coaxial with a center axis and a plurality of moving blades arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the support portion independently of one another and configured to draw an air along the center axis and expel the air radially outwards when rotated about the center axis together with the support portion. At least one of the moving blades includes a first blade portion connected to, and extending radially outwards from, the outer circumferential surface of the support portion, at least one second blade portion having a radial inner end portion radially spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the support portion and a connecting member arranged to interconnect the first blade portion and the second blade portion.
US08292585B2	Fan device having simultaneously foldable blades A fan device having simultaneously foldable blades includes a rotatable driving unit. A plurality of supporting frames extend outwardly from the driving unit, each supporting frame has a pivot mounted on one end thereof. A plurality of shells are respectively mounted on the supporting frames, each shell has a center hole defined therein. A plurality of blades are respectively disposed on the shells. Each blade has an assembling portion disposed thereon. Each assembling portion has a through hole defined therein. A plurality of coupling rods respectively positioned between every two adjacent shells. When the driving unit rotates, the shells synchronously rotate and driving the coupling rods to be moved for simultaneously driving the blades to retractably fold/unfold.
US08292580B2	CMC vane assembly apparatus and method A metal vane core or strut (64) is formed integrally with an outer backing plate (40). An inner backing plate (38) is formed separately. A spring (74) with holes (75) is installed in a peripheral spring chamber (76) on the strut. Inner and outer CMC shroud covers (46, 48) are formed, cured, then attached to facing surfaces of the inner and outer backing plates (38, 40). A CMC vane airfoil (22) is formed, cured, and slid over the strut (64). The spring (74) urges continuous contact between the strut (64) and airfoil (66), eliminating vibrations while allowing differential expansion. The inner end (88) of the strut is fastened to the inner backing plate (38). A cooling channel (68) in the strut is connected by holes (69) along the leading edge of the strut to peripheral cooling paths (70, 71) around the strut. Coolant flows through and around the strut, including through the spring holes.
US08292579B2	Method and system for deicing wind turbine rotor blades with induced torque A method and associated system are provided for deicing turbine blades of a wind turbine, wherein rotational torque from a rotor hub on which the turbine blades are mounted is transmitted to a generator. The method and system include detecting conditions that are indicative of ice formation on a wind turbine blade. In response to detected icing conditions, generator torque is modulated so as to induce upstream vibrations in the turbine blades to shake loose ice that may have formed on the turbine blades.
US08292576B2	Compressor scrolls for auxiliary power units A compressor scroll is provided for redirecting an airflow from a compressor. The compressor scroll includes a spiral-shaped body; a radial inlet formed in the body for receiving the airflow from the compressor as inlet airflow; and an outlet formed in the body such that inlet airflow flows through the body and exits the outlet as outlet airflow, with at least a portion of the outlet airflow crossing at least a portion of the inlet airflow.
US08292573B2	Flange cooled turbine nozzle A turbine nozzle includes outer and inner bands bounding nozzle vanes. The outer band includes an aft flange. An impingement baffle bridges the outer band and aft flange at the root thereof to provide impingement cooling.
US08292571B2	Apparatus and method for clearance control of turbine blade tip An inner shell for a rotating machine including at least one segment; and at least one complementary segment in operable communication with the at least one segment, the segments forming a support structure for a shroud ring; wherein the at least one segment and the at least one complementary segment are individually moved to change a set of dimensions defined by the at least one segment and the at least one complementary segment. A method for controlling a dimension of the shroud ring in a rotating machine is also disclosed.
US08292570B2	Low pressure turbine with counter-rotating drives for single spool A low pressure turbine for a gas turbine engine includes inner and outer counter-rotating rotor sets, with both said rotor sets driving a common shaft.
US08292566B2	Car dumper dust control system An apparatus for rotary dumping of rail cars, including a backside airflow diverter, a backside hood for removing contaminated air from the back side of the pit and at least two baffles on a rotational frame, the baffles each presenting a leading edge that contacts the backside airflow diverter during at least a portion of rotational motion. At least one air intake is positioned to pass through the upper surface of the backside diverter into the backside hood at a location where pressure in the backside hood is maintained at a substantially neutral or negative level even when pressure in the material receiving pit is increased by a down rush of air caused by the exit of the load from the railcar.
US08292565B1	A and R safety ramps A lightweight ramp locking assembly for use with a vehicle having a hitch receiver, a bed with sides and a tailgate. The assembly is connectable with the hitch receiver and positionable in a vertical locking position and a diagonal loading position. The assembly is firmly secured with the vehicle to be incapable of rotating movement.
US08292560B2	Anchor device with double-sectioned head and method of using the same A modified anchor device for attaching a structure to a thin-walled work piece allows a structure, such as a luggage or utility rack, to be attached to a work piece, such as an automobile roof, without threaded fasteners connecting the structure to the work piece. The anchor device has an double-sectioned head having an upper head member and a lower head member The upper head member extends above the surface of the work piece a sufficient distance such that the upper head member engages the top surface of the structure, thus retaining the bottom side of the structure in face-to-face contact with the top side of the work piece.
US08292557B2	Vehicle transporter A vehicle transporter includes a frame with a load deck, a slidable undercarriage mounted on the frame and a subframe movably mounted on the frame between raised and lowered positions. Wheel wells are formed in the deck when the subframe is lowered relative to the frame. A pair of outrigger assemblies each includes a hydraulic piston-and-cylinder lift unit for raising and lowering the transporter whereby the undercarriage can be slid between fore and aft positions.
US08292553B2	Deburring tool and cutting insert An insert for a deburring tool is used to machine openings of bores that are formed in metal work pieces. In an exemplary embodiment, the insert has an inward portion, a central portion connected to the inward portion, and an outward portion connected to the central portion. The central portion has a dovetail-shaped retaining feature that attaches the insert to the deburring tool.
US08292552B2	Pushing structure of a metal work drilling tool A pushing structure of a metal work drilling tool includes a drill housing, a drill assembly, a push part and a feed trigger. The drill assembly is constituted by a drill bit, an extension rod and a power device. When drilling needs to be conducted, the feed trigger is pressed to drive the drill assembly forward that the drill bit gently contacts with the object for drilling; next, the drilling tool is activated and the feed trigger is pushed, then drilling force can be controlled effectively to improve a drilling efficiency and reduce a chance that the drill bit is broken due to percussion.
US08292551B2	System, method and apparatus for removing failed fasteners A system for removing failed fasteners from structures removes the head of the fastener in a controlled manner with precise support and alignment for the cutting tool. A drill guide, drill bushings and the cutting tool mount virtually anywhere on an underlying structure using existing fasteners and receptacles formed in the structure. This design permits the drill guide to be rigidly attached to the structure so that the cutting tool can be positioned and supported directly over the failed fastener. After the drill guide is mounted, a drill bit is extended through the drill bushing to drill a pilot hole in the failed fastener. The cutting tool is used through the drill bushing to cut off the head of the failed fastener without contacting the surrounding structure. All operations required to remove the failed fastener are accomplished through the drill bushings contained in the mounted drill guide.
US08292550B2	Boring device The invention concerns a perforating device comprising a cutting tool (10), means for rotating (11) the cutting tool (10) and means for translating (12, 14) the cutting tool (10), the ratio between the rotational speed and the translational speed being variable during rotation of the cutting tool (10). It comprises a gear train (16, 17; 18, 19) for synchronizing the rotating means (11) with the translating means (12, 14). The speed ratio between a driving pinion (16; 18) of the gear train, rotationally linked to the means (11) for rotating the cutting tool (10) and a transmission pinion (17; 19) of the translating means is reversed at least once during one rotation of the cutting tool (10). The invention is useful for fragmenting the resulting shavings.
US08292546B2	Liquid storage, loading and offloading system A liquid storage, loading and offloading system includes a storage tank having a water ballast compartment for storing water and a liquid storage compartment for storing liquid. The water ballast compartment and the liquid storage compartment are coupled to each other to form a closed interconnected system with pressurized inert gas above water and liquid. The storage tank is configured symmetrically and the center of gravity and buoyancy of it move along a vertical Z axis. Besides, a pump module may also be included and have a pair of loading pumps and a pair of offloading pumps. The pair of loading pumps operates substantially at equal mass flow rate to displace water with liquid. The pair of offloading pumps also operates substantially at equal mass flow rate to displace liquid with water. Therefore an equal mass flow rate displacement system is formed to keep a constant draft.
US08292544B2	Device and method for lowering or raising the end of an underwater pipe from a laying vessel A device and a method for lowering or raising the end of an undersea pipe between a vessel and the sea bottom by a carriage moving along an inclined J-lay tower and co-operating with chain-locking devices connecting the top end of the pipe to a storage area by passing over a deflector sheave secured to said carriage. A first chain-locking device is secured to the carriage and serves to lock the abandonment chain while lowering the carriage and the top end of the pipe at the end of the chain, a second locking device then being in an open position at the base of the tower. Thereafter, the abandonment chain is locked at the low portion of the tower with the help of the second chain-locking device, with the first chain-locking device being in the open position while the carriage is being raised.
US08292540B2	Manhole assembly and related method A manhole assembly including a frame and at least a pair of cover plates that are receivable in and disengageable from the frame to permit selective closing and opening of an aperture, the periphery of which is defined by the frame. The cover plates substantially occupy the aperture when received in the frame. A first cover plate of a pair thereof is smaller than a second cover plate of the pair. The first cover plate is hingeable relative to the second cover plate, while the latter is received in the frame, from a closed position received in the frame to an open position in which a first part of the aperture is open. The second cover plate is removable from the frame, when the first cover plate is disengaged from the frame, to open a second part of the aperture.
US08292539B2	Agglomerated retroreflective beads for highway marking and methods for fabrication and use thereof A retroreflective device securable to a highway by bonding thereto preferably with a viscous strip applied to the highway prior to solidifying cure of the strip includes a generally globular glass central member, a desirably pigmented adhesive layer over the central member and a plurality of peripheral globular glass members connected to the central member by the pigmented adhesive layer. A method for fabricating the retroreflective device is also disclosed.
US08292538B2	Vehicle barrier control device A vehicle barrier control device for limiting vehicular access to an area. The vehicle barrier control device includes a barrier system having an active position and a passive position and a control system adapted to move the barrier system between the active position and the passive position. In the active position, the barrier system prevents vehicles from passing through. In the passive position, vehicles are permitted to pass through. The barrier system includes a buttress, movable barrier plate, traffic control arm and a traffic indicating light. The control system comprises a traffic arm motor, programmable logic controller, variable frequency drive, and actuator. The barrier system is temporarily bolted to a sub-frame set in concrete. An actuator motor mounted to an actuator reduces the need for typical hydraulic components. Using a variable speed and reversible actuator motor the present invention provides high-speed movements of the barrier plate for emergency conditions.
US08292531B2	Cosmetics unit with adjustable wiper The cosmetics unit comprises a storage container for receiving a cosmetic substance therein, an applicator that can be immersed into the cosmetic substance, and an adjustable wiper part unit disposed on a container opening of the storage container, for wiping off cosmetic substance from the applicator. The wiper part unit comprises a deformable wiper, a neck part, and an adjustment sleeve accessible from the outside. The wiper is disposed between the container opening and the neck part. The adjustment sleeve encloses the container opening, the wiper and, partially, the neck part. The adjustment sleeve is rotatably mounted on the neck part as well as on the storage container, so that an axial distance between the container opening and the neck part, an axial dimension of the wiper, and a surface area of a wiper opening of the wiper can be altered by a rotational movement of the adjustment sleeve.
US08292528B2	Applicator for applying material such as mastic to a surface An applicator for applying drywall mastic or other material to a flat drywall surface or to an outside drywall joint or other surface comprises a body member having an upper surface and a lower surface and a pair of opposed ends, a recess in the lower surface for connection to a source of the material to be applied to the surface and at least one pair of opposed arms pivotally mounted on one of the sides of the body member for movement between deployed and retracted positions depending on whether the material is being applied to an outside corner joint or a flat surface, respectively. In another embodiment, the applicator has a pair of relatively moveable blades located in operational relationship with respect to each other for controlling flow of the material from the recess to the surface to which it is being applied.
US08292526B2	Thermal printer A thermal printer has a thermal head for performing printing on a continuously fed recording sheet. A platen roller is mounted to undergo rotation for feeding the recording sheet between the platen roller and the thermal head. A cutting member cuts the recording sheet after printing is performed thereon by the thermal head. A sheet presenter mechanism discharges the recording sheet cut by the cutting member to the exterior. The sheet presenter mechanism is mounted to undergo movement to vary a discharge direction of the recording sheet.
US08292522B2	Surveillance camera position calibration device A method of placing a surveillance camera in a known reference orientation as a result of panning and tilting movements includes coupling the camera to a fixed structure such that the camera may perform the panning movements about a first axis and may perform the tilting movements about a plurality of second axes. Each of the second axes is substantially perpendicular to the first axis. An optical emitter is fixedly attached either to the fixed structure or to the camera. An optical receiver is fixedly attached to the other one of the fixed structure and the camera. The tilting and panning movements are performed with the camera until the emitter and receiver are in a predetermined position relative to each other as determined from a signal that is output by the receiver in response to receiving optical energy from the emitter.
US08292521B2	Camera carrying device with locking mechanism A device for rotatably mounting a camera on a person comprises first and second connecting means. The first connecting means has a U-shaped slot which is defined by a pocket and a pair of opposed channels which extend from the pocket. The second connecting means has a plate and a truncated cylindrical body mounted on the plate. The plate is slidably received by the U-shaped slot and is rotatable within the U-shaped slot. The truncated cylindrical body is provided with a flat edge. A threaded member extends from one of said first connecting means or said second connecting means. The threaded member is for engaging a threaded female tripod receiver of the camera. The plate of the second connecting means can only be received or released from the U-shaped slot of first connecting means when the flat edge to the truncated cylindrical body of the second connecting means is aligned with one of said opposed channels of the first connecting means.
US08292515B2	Opticla fiber connector assembly with guiding means An optical fiber connector assembly includes a first connector and a second connector. The first connector includes two pairs of first convex lenses projecting from a front mating face thereof and a pair of cone-shaped positioning posts at sides of the pairs of convex lenses respectively. The second connector includes two pairs of second convex lenses projecting from a second front mating face thereof to couple with the first convex lenses and a pair of positioning holes to be inserted with the positioning posts of the first connector. Each of the positioning holes includes a retention section and a guiding section in front of the retention section, and the retention sections is same to the positioning posts while the guiding sections is larger than the position posts in dimension.
US08292514B2	Optical connecting member and method of fitting the same To provide an optical connecting member capable of positioning and connecting a coated fiber by a simple connecting work with high precision, and a method of fitting the same.An optical connector 1 fitted onto an optical fiber 20 that has a coating 24 on an outer periphery of a glass fiber 21 has a ferrule 40 with a glass fiber insertion hole 42, a fixing portion 30 for fixing the optical fiber 20 that is inserted into the glass fiber insertion hole 42 and is abutted to the short optical fiber 41, an insertion port 42a which is a coating removing portion 10 for removing the coating 24 from an end portion of the optical fiber 20 by an insertion force applied the optical fiber 20 to an inner side of the optical connector 1, a deflection space 16 provided between the fixing portion 30 and the coating removing portion 10 to contain the optical fiber 20 in a deflected state therein, wherein a deflection preventing member 70 for preventing partially a deflection of the optical fiber 20 by shielding a part of an insertion direction of the optical fiber 20 in the deflection space 16 is detachably attached.
US08292512B2	Ball bearing and supporting construction A ball bearing has an inner ring fitted on a rotational shaft and including an inner ring raceway on an outer circumferential surface thereof, an outer ring including an outer ring raceway on an inner circumferential surface thereof, a plurality of balls rotatably provided between the inner ring raceway and the outer ring raceway and a crown resin cage for retaining the balls at equal intervals in a circumferential direction. A bore diameter of the inner ring is 100 mm or more, and a radial clearance resulting in a state that the inner ring is assembled to the rotational shaft is 20 μn or more.
US08292511B2	Rolling-element bearing A rolling-element bearing 1 comprising an inner race 3, an outer race 2 and an array of rolling elements 4 arranged within a bearing cage 5 situated between the two races 2, 3, the inner surface of the bearing cage 5 being piloted on the inner race 3 for limiting eccentric movement of the cage 5 within the bearing 1 and further having a reservoir 9 formed between a pair of circumferential weirs 6a, 7b on the cage 5, the outer surface of the inner race 3 comprising a raised land portion 3d for contacting oil 9a in the reservoir 9 thereby to control the relative speed of the cage 5 and the inner race 3, wherein the radial depth of each weir 6b, 7b is greater than the maximum radial clearance between the land portion 3d and the cage 5 for maintaining said controlling contact between the land portion 3d and the oil 9a during said eccentric movement of the cage 5.
US08292509B2	Bearing arrangement A bearing arrangement for supporting a rotatable shaft relative to a support structure. The bearing arrangement has a first bearing having radially inner and outer races, the inner race being rotatable relative to the outer race in use, and a second bearing arranged such that the first bearing is mounted to the support structure via the second bearing. The second bearing may allow for deflection of the shaft supported by the bearing arrangement.
US08292507B2	Bearing device and rotary machine The bearing device has a bearing housing which is supported by a bearing base mounted on a body of a rotary machine equipped with a rotating shaft and through which the rotating shaft penetrates at the center and a plurality of pads which are arranged inside the bearing housing so as to circumferentially surround the rotating shaft and rotatably support the rotating shaft. A contact surface between an outer circumference of the bearing housing and an inner circumference of the bearing base extends along the axial direction of the rotating shaft and forms a convex curved surface protruding outward, and the bearing housing is slidably supported by the bearing base via the contact surface of the convex curved surface. At least either the inner circumference of the bearing housing or the outer circumference of the pad forms a curved surface extending along the axial direction, and a distance between the inner circumference of the bearing housing and the outer circumference of the pad gradually increases from the center towards the ends along the axial direction.
US08292499B2	Engine coolant amount determining apparatus An engine coolant amount determining apparatus includes an electric water pump that can be operated intermittently while an engine is running, and a coolant temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of coolant at a location higher than the water pump. The engine coolant amount determining apparatus also includes determining means for determining that the amount of coolant is equal to or less than a predetermined amount when the degree of change in the coolant temperature detected by the coolant temperature detecting means when the water pump is operated intermittently is large.
US08292497B2	Cloud point monitoring systems for determining a cloud point temperature of diesel fuel Cloud point monitoring systems for determining a cloud point temperature value for diesel fuel are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a cloud point monitoring system receives diesel fuel in the tubular conduit and propagates light through the diesel fuel. The cloud point monitoring system further determines a cloud point temperature value indicative of a cloud point of the diesel fuel based on a light intensity level of the light that has propagated through cooled diesel fuel.
US08292496B1	Energetic material detector In one general aspect, a sample area is energized. A thermal energy status of the sample area is monitored. The thermal energy status including at least one of a radiant energy and a temperature. A thermal signature of a region included in the sample area is determined based on the thermal energy status of the region. The thermal signature is analyzed to determine whether explosive particles are included in the region.
US08292488B2	Backlight unit A backlight unit is provided that, for a case where on a mounting board on which a plurality of point light sources are mounted, an electronic component other than those point light sources is mounted, can reduce the occurrence of uneven luminance, with no increase in the size of the backlight unit. This backlight unit (10) is provided with a PWB (6) having at least an LED mounting region (6a) extending along a side surface (3a) of a light guide plate (3). The LED mounting region (6a) of the PWB (6) is, at an end portion thereof on one side, provided with an FPC mounting region (6b) and is, at an end portion thereof on the other side opposite to the one side, provided with a capacitor mounting region (6c) extending along a side surface (3b) perpendicular to the side surface (3a) of the light guide plate (3).
US08292486B2	Illumination apparatus An illumination apparatus includes a light guide plate, a first light source module, and a second light source module. The light guide plate has a first incident surface and a second incident surface opposite to the first incident surface. The first and the second light source modules provide light beams into the first and the second incident surfaces, respectively. The first light source module includes at least one first white light emitting diode (LED) and at least one second white LED neighboring with each other. The first and the second white LEDs have different color temperatures. The second light source module includes at least one third white LED and at least one forth white LED neighboring with each other. The third and the forth white LEDs have different color temperatures. The third and the forth white LEDs are located corresponding to the second and the first white LEDs, respectively.
US08292476B2	Lampshade A lampshade includes a top lampshade frame, a bottom lampshade frame, a lampshade covering covering the top lampshade frame and the bottom lampshade frame, hook materials (or loop materials) provided at the top lampshade frame and the bottom lampshade frame, and loop materials (or hook materials) provided at the lampshade covering and detachably fastened to the hook materials (or loop materials) to secure the lampshade covering to the top lampshade frame and the bottom lampshade frame.
US08292475B2	Method for enhancing the frictional grip of a clip-on lampshade A method is disclosed for enhancing secureness of grip of a light-bulb-clip of a clip-on lampshade, by enhancing the frictional properties of the light-bulb-clip. Also disclosed are a clip-on lampshade, and a finial clip-on lampshade adapter, which both include a light-bulb-clip that is formed using the disclosed method. Frictional gripping capability is increased by optionally abrading, and applying and curing a liquid coating of polymer dipping compound to, portions of wire that are to function as gripping portions of a light-bulb-clip, thereby forming a cured, friction-enhancing layer that enables the light bulb clip to be more securely attached to either a traditional light bulb or to a compact fluorescent “CFL” bulb. The liquid coating can be applied by dipping, brushing, and/or spraying. Curing can be by heating and/or allowing to dry. The dipping compound is ideally made from heat-resistant elastomer and/or silicone.
US08292470B2	Focusing mechanism for LED spot lamp A focusing mechanism for LED spot lamp includes a lamp seat and a lens barrel being extendably assembled to the lamp seat. The lamp seat has an LED chip mounted thereon. The lens barrel includes a barrel body having a bottom portion and an opposing top portion, and a lens mounted to the top portion. The bottom portion of the lens barrel is assembled to the lamp seat via an extension coupling structure, such that the lens is located above the LED chip to cover the same. With the extension coupling structure, the lens barrel can be adjusted in position to project from the top of the lamp seat by different distances, so that the focal length between the lens and the LED chip can be regulated to accordingly regulate the focusing and diffusing effects of light emitted from the LED chip.
US08292460B2	Hybrid light source system A hybrid light source system is disclosed. The hybrid light source system adapted to be used in a projection apparatus comprises a dichroic component, a first light source, a second light source and a light processing component. The dichroic component defines a light path, with the first light source capable of generating a first light which is projected towards to the dichroic component along the light path and the second light source capable of generating a second light which is projected towards the dichroic component along the light path and opposite to the first light. The first light comprises a first sort of light beams and a second sort of light beams, in which the first sort of light beams and the second light are guided by the dichroic component to form a hybrid light and travel into the light processing component along the light path.
US08292458B2	Light emitting diode lamp comprising one LED consuming a first electrical power and one radiation-emitting semiconductor component consuming an electrical dissipation power An LED lamp is specified, comprising at least one LED and at least one radiation-emitting semiconductor component, it being the case that when the LED lamp is operating, the at least one LED emits visible light and the at least one radiation-emitting semiconductor component emits electromagnetic radiation having a peak intensity outside the visible region of the spectrum.
US08292457B2	Lamp The invention is a lamp consisting of a housing frame formed of four interconnected profile strips; a translucent pane made of glass or synthetic set into one housing side; a bottom plate set into the opposite side; as well as an illuminant, arranged in the housing, with the profile strips having on the exterior side of the housing border strips for attachment purposes and, on the interior side, backing strips to support and attach the pane or, respectively, the bottom plate, that are designed identically and arranged in mirror-symmetric fashion; with, moreover, the pane being connected to the profile strips of the housing frame by means of contact-pressure strips screwed together with the backing strips, and the attachment screws for the contact-pressure strips being screwed into threaded bore holes running vertically to the strip surface.
US08292456B2	Lighting fixture with adjustable light pattern and foldable house structure A lighting fixture includes a reflector reflecting light from a fluorescent lamp to a desired direction, and one or more lamp connectors connecting the reflector to rotatably and detachably coupling with the fluorescent lamp, wherein the reflector is adapted to selectively rotate with respect to an axis of the fluorescent lamp for reflecting light from the fluorescent lamp so as to change a light pattern of the fluorescent lamp towards an opening of the foldable housing. The foldable housing includes two side frames and a retention frame extended between the two side frames to retain a distance therebetween, wherein the side frames are pivotally coupled with the retention frame to fold between an unfolded position to retain the fluorescent lamp in longitudinal position and a folded position to form a compact size for storage and transportation.
US08292452B2	Solar power alarm lamp A solar power alarm lamp includes a support post, an alarm device connected to the support post and a lamp set connected to the alarm device. The support post includes an insertion leg insertable into the ground. The alarm device and the lamp set have respectively a first solar panel and a second solar panel. The alarm device includes a circuit board which contains a PIR sensor, a microwave sensor and a buzzer to send out an alarm. The solar power alarm lamp thus formed can be inserted anywhere outdoors through the insertion leg. The first and second solar panels can convert solar power into electric power required by the alarm device and lamp set. The invention is simple to install and also does not need external electric power.
US08292446B2	Illumination device for multineedle sewing machine and the multineedle sewing machine An illumination device for a multineedle sewing machine includes an illuminating member which has a light source and located at a lateral side of a needle bar case and is disposed so as to open portions of needle bars and portions of needles, a light amount adjusting unit which adjusts an amount of light of the light source, and a control unit which controls the light amount adjusting unit with movement of the needle bar case by the needle bar case moving mechanism together with the illuminating member so that a predetermined illuminance is maintained at least in part of an illuminated area which is illuminated by the light source. The part of the illuminated area is located near the needle drop position.
US08292443B2	Mirror structure To provide a mirror structure capable of reflecting incident light with good efficiency and is excellent in reliability. In a mirror structure which is used under an environment that the maximum irradiance of incident light is 5 kW/m2 or more and has an area of 0.2 m2 or more, the mirror structure is characterized in that the mirror comprises a mirror, a supporting member and a resin-made adhesive sheet to glue the mirror to the supporting member, and is structured such that a dielectric multilayer is formed at least on an incident light side surface of a plate-shaped substrate and the mirror has an average reflectance ratio 95% or more for incident light having a wavelength in a range of 400 to 1000 nm.
US08292438B2	Projection image display device and projection optical system for performing extended projection A projection image display device includes a light source; an illumination optical system that uniformly irradiates a surface of an image modulating element (primary image surface) with a light beam emitted from the light source; and a projection optical system that performs with respect to a screen (a secondary image surface) extended projection on image information provided at the primary image surface and modulated by the image modulating element. The projection optical system includes a first optical system having a positive refractive power, and a second optical system having a concave reflecting surface. The first optical system has a common optical axis at which all optical components of the first optical system have rotationally symmetric surfaces, and a screen shift function that causes the secondary image surface to be moved by moving at least one of the optical components of the first optical system substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis.
US08292433B2	Method and apparatus for communication between humans and devices This invention relates to methods and apparatus for improving communications between humans and devices. The invention provides a method of modulating operation of a device, comprising providing an attentive user interface for obtaining information about an attentive state of a user; and modulating operation of a device on the basis of the obtained information, wherein the operation that is modulated is initiated by the device. Preferably, the information about the user's attentive state is eye contact of the user with the device that is sensed by the attentive user interface.
US08292430B2	Tinted semi-finished lens having impact resistance and method for manufacturing the same Provided is a method for manufacturing a tinted semi-finished lens that uses polycarbonate, has high light shielding effect, has impact resistance even after polishing, and can have a uniform tint. In particular, in order to provide a tinted semi-finished lens that has the same light shielding at the lens center and the lens edge when a wearer looks through the tinted lens, and furthermore, that seems to have the same light shielding when a third party looks at the wearer, a tinted layer having a uniform thickness and a transparent layer on the back side are integrally formed. Furthermore, in order to provide the impact resistance to either of the resins included in the layers, a low flow resin having a large molecular weight and a short flow length is used. In order to minimize lens distortion and to provide the impact resistance to the lens, the transparent layer employs a resin having the impact resistance, and the transparent layer is formed first and then the tinted layer is formed as an additional layer. Moreover, provided is a method for simultaneously manufacturing two sets of tinted lenses. In the method, two sets of molds are used, a first molded product is obtained in one of the two sets of the molds, and then is transferred to the other mold to form a second molded product, and simultaneously, another first molded product is molded in the first mold.
US08292425B2	Eyeglasses A pair of eyeglasses includes a lens, a couple of right and left elastically deformable frames attached to respective side end portions of the lens, and a couple of right and left temples attached to the respective frames. A frame fitting portion is provided at each of the side end portions of the lens and a lens fitting hole is provided in a front portion of each of the frames. The frame fitting portion fits into the lens fitting hole so that the lens is detachably attached to each of the frames. The volume of the frames is reduced to lighten the weight of the eyeglasses as a whole. With the eyeglasses, a forward vision of a wearer is guaranteed when he leans forward, and easy lens exchange is achieved.
US08292422B2	Image recording apparatus An image recording apparatus including: (a) a conveying device for conveying a recording medium on a supporting surface; (b) a nip roller movable to be brought into contact with the conveyed recording medium when the conveyed recording medium has a portion positioned in a contactable position; (c) a moving device for moving the nip roller, so as to place the nip roller selectively in a gripping state and a releasing state, such that the nip roller, while being placed in the gripping state, is held in contact with the conveyed recording medium so as to cooperate with the supporting surface to grip the conveyed recording medium therebetween when the conveyed recording medium has a portion positioned in the contactable position, and such that the nip roller, while being placed in the releasing state, is not in contact with the conveyed recording medium; and (d) a controlling device for controlling the moving device such that the nip roller is placed in one of the gripping state and the releasing state which is selected depending on a position of the conveyed recording medium.
US08292420B2	Locating device for an inkjet printer The invention describes an inkjet printer (1) for printing different media (2), with a print head arrangement (3) comprising at least one print head (4) for printing the medium (2) and with a printing table (11) forming a support plane (12) for supporting the printing medium (2), and orifices (13) of a suction system (14) are provided in at least certain regions in the support plane (12) for retaining the printing medium (2) during the printing operation, as well as a forward feed mechanism (6) for the printing medium (2). In the region of the printing table (11), the printing medium (2) is provided with at least one pressing mechanism (16), at least in the region of a side edge oriented in the forward feed direction (7), with a pressing force which acts in the direction perpendicular to the support plane (12).
US08292413B2	Bidirectional ink pump An ink delivery and recovery system includes a first reservoir for containing ink for delivery to a plurality of ink jets of an imaging device, a second reservoir spaced apart from the first reservoir for containing ink for delivery to the first reservoir, and a third reservoir for capturing ink emitted from the plurality of ink jets. A first conduit is connected to the first reservoir and configured to permit flow of ink in a single direction toward the first reservoir. A second conduit is connected to the third reservoir and configured to permit flow of ink in a single direction away from the third reservoir. A third conduit is connected between the second reservoir and the first conduit and second conduit, the third conduit being configured to permit bidirectional flow of ink from the second reservoir toward the first and second conduits and from the first and second conduits toward the second reservoir. A bidirectional pump is associated with the third conduit.
US08292410B2	Liquid ejecting head, liquid ejecting apparatus, and actuator device A liquid ejecting head includes a flow passage substrate having a pressure generation chamber in communication with a nozzle opening. A piezoelectric element includes first and second electrode and a piezoelectric substance layer and is positioned over one surface of the flow passage substrate. The piezoelectric element is deformed to form a convex toward the pressure generation chamber when the piezoelectric element is driven. A protection film formed from an inorganic material covers the piezoelectric element and has an opening through which an upper surface of the second electrode is exposed. An end of the opening in the protection film viewed in a direction of the length of the pressure generation chamber is located closer to the center than is an area at which the center of curvature of a curve of the piezoelectric element that forms near a wall around the pressure generation chamber during deformation operation.
US08292406B2	Inkjet printer with releasable print cartridge An inkjet printer includes a cradle; a print cartridge removably received in the cradle, the print cartridge housing a plurality of ink storage reservoirs and a pagewidth printhead; a rotor element provided on the print cartridge, the rotor element having a platen face, a capping face, and a blotter face; and a rotor element drive assembly provided on the cradle for rotating the rotor element to position one of the platen face, the capping face, and the blotter face adjacent to the pagewidth printhead. The print cartridge is provided with a pair of end plates attached to opposite ends of the print cartridge, each end plate defining a slot within which a spring is provided. The rotor element is mounted within the slots and biased towards the printhead by the springs.
US08292403B2	Droplet discharge device A droplet discharge device includes an inkjet head including a nozzle plate having a nozzle, the inkjet head aligned so that a droplet of a function liquid discharged from the nozzle is placed on a surface of a target, a heater applying heat to the function liquid at the inkjet head, and an insulating member having an opening corresponding to the nozzle, the insulating member positioned between the target and the nozzle plate so as to prevent heat transmission from the inkjet head to the target.
US08292398B2	Method and system for printhead alignment to compensate for dimensional changes in a media web in an inkjet printer A method enables a controller to align printheads in a printer. The method includes identifying a first cross-process position for each printhead in a plurality of printheads in a printer with reference to image data of a test pattern printed by the plurality of printheads on a media substrate, identifying a second cross-process position for each printhead in the plurality of printheads, calculating a printhead cross-process position error between the identified first cross-process position and the identified second cross-process position for each printhead, comparing a maximum printhead cross-process position error to a predetermined threshold, and operating a plurality of actuators with reference to the calculated printhead cross-process position errors to reposition the printheads in the plurality of printheads in response to the maximum printhead cross-process position error being equal to or less than the predetermined threshold.
US08292391B2	Liquid ejecting apparatus and liquid ejecting method A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a first nozzle row in which first nozzles ejecting a first liquid are arranged in a predetermined direction; a second nozzle row in which second nozzles ejecting a second liquid are arranged in the predetermined direction; a movement mechanism moving the first and second nozzle rows in a movement direction intersecting the predetermined direction relative to a medium; a transport mechanism transporting the medium in the predetermined direction relative to the first and second nozzle rows; and a control unit repeating an image forming operation of ejecting the liquids from the first and second nozzles while moving the first and second nozzle rows in the movement direction by the movement mechanism and a transport operation of transporting the medium in the predetermined direction relative to the first and second nozzle rows by the transport mechanism.
US08292389B2	Recording control system In a recording control system, representative pixels are set as a part of the pixels in the detection region. The determining unit determines whether a pixel value of the selected at least one representative pixel falls within a first pixel value range. The recording head ejects ink based on pixel data in the first region while scanning in the first direction. The recording head ejects ink based on pixel data in the second region adjacent to the first region while scanning in the first direction when the pixel value of the selected at least one representative pixel falls within the first pixel value range. The recording head ejects ink based on pixel data in the second region while scanning in the second direction when the pixel value of at least one of the selected at least one representative pixel does not falls within the first pixel value range.
US08292383B2	Refrigerating device comprising two doors A refrigerator includes a body, a first door and a second door, where one of their edges is fixed to the opposite side of the opening of the body, and a beam which is joined to one edge of the first door which is opposite the fixed edge of the door. The beam can be pivoted by a guiding projection which can be displaced in a guiding groove on the edge of the opening, between a position when the first door is closed, in which one edge of the second door, which is opposite the fixed edge of said door, is applied to the beam, and a position when the first door is open, wherein the beam can pass to the closed second door. The guiding projection can be displaced in relation to the first door in the direction of the pivotable axis thereof.
US08292381B2	Consumer appliance such as dishwasher with soft open door mechanism A consumer appliance with a soft open door mechanism includes a cabinet having top and a bottom and defining an opening along a front side. A door has a top and a bottom and is attached by a hinge to the front side of the cabinet. The hinge is at a bottom of the door so that the door is movable between an upright position closing the opening and a substantially horizontal position opening the opening. A spring is mounted in the cabinet so as to oppose movement of the door toward the horizontal position. A damping device is mounted within the cabinet activatable by an opening movement of the door toward the horizontal position to slow the door motion. The damping device is not active until the door has moved a distance from the upright position toward the horizontal position. Again, various options and modifications are possible.
US08292380B2	Rack for cabinet A rack includes a upper frame, a frame post, and a confluence member. The upper frame includes a first pillar and a second pillar connected to the first pillar. A first guiding groove is defined in the first pillar. A second guiding groove is defined in the second pillar. The first guiding groove and the second guiding groove extend substantially along the horizontal plane. The frame post is coupled with a connection portion of the first pillar and the second pillar. A third guiding groove is defined in the frame post. The third guiding groove extends uprightly. The confluence member is mounted between the frame post and the connection portion of the first pillar and the second pillar. A plurality of confluence grooves is defined in the confluence member. The plurality of confluence grooves links the first guiding groove and the second guiding groove to the third guiding groove.
US08292377B2	Computer A computer includes a chassis and a stowage structure. The stowage structure includes a connecting member mounted to a side plate of the chassis, a cover plate rotatably mounted to the connecting member, and a first supporting plate rotatably mounted to the cover plate to accommodate a first peripheral device between the cover plate and the first supporting plate.
US08292375B2	Linking pin for the chain links of vehicle tracks The invention relates to a linking pin between the chain links of a vehicle track and the connectors of these links, such pin incorporating at least one ring of a synthetic material coating, positioned between the pin and at least one link, the pin incorporating at least two supports on either side of the ring, characterized in that it comprises at least one axial bore enclosing a material incorporating a liquid phase and enabling the calories that may build up in the ring to be evacuated towards the connectors.
US08292371B2	Adaptive advance drive control for milling machine An adaptive advance control system for a construction machine senses the reaction forces applied by the ground surface to a milling drum, and in response to the sensed changes in those reaction forces controls the rate of lowering the milling drum into the ground surface. Early and rapid detection of such changes in reaction forces allow the control system to aid in preventing lurch forward events of the construction machine.
US08292368B1	Battery-powered adjustable boat seat An electrically-operated seating apparatus for use on a boat which assists a user in standing up or sitting down is intended for use by elderly and/or disabled users, particularly in low-riding boats such as bass-boats, ski-boats and the like. The apparatus comprises a chair assembly mounted to the boat deck and a drive assembly which raises the seat up and down and tilts seat portion forward with the aid of electrical drive motors. In such a manner, the user can be assisted when getting into or out of the chair. Each side of the seat portion is provided with a small armrest to help secure the individual as well as aid in the lifting and lowering process. The electric motors would be powered from the boat battery and controlled through a set of arm-mounted switches.
US08292366B2	Fold-and-dive seat A fold-and-dive seat may include a first link bracket, one end of which is pivotally connected to a back frame and the other end of which is pivotally connected to a cushion frame, wherein the one end of the first link bracket is spaced from a folding pivot shaft of the back frame, a second link bracket, one end of which is pivotally connected to a leading end of the cushion frame, and the other end of which is selectively engaged to an upper guide, wherein the upper guide pivotally coupled to the back frame by the folding pivot shaft is slidably coupled to a lower guide fixed to a vehicle body and configured to move along the lower guide, and a locking device selectively holding the second link bracket by engaging the second link bracket to the upper guide so as not to rotate the second link bracket such that the leading end of the cushion frame is not moved downwards.
US08292357B2	Reinforced closed section assembly A reinforced closed section assembly is provided wherein the assembly includes a closed section member defining a first hole on a first side and a second hole on a second side opposite the first side. The reinforced closed section assembly further includes a reinforcement member disposed within the first and second holes of the closed section member.
US08292356B2	Lower vehicle-body structure of vehicle A reinforcing member is provided at a lower-outside corner of a side-sill reinforcement so as to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction including a connection portion of the side sill to a center pillar for straining deformation of the corner. A deformation promoting portion which is provided at an upper portion of the side-sill reinforcement at a specified position which corresponds to the connection portion for prompting deformation of the upper portion of the side-sill reinforcement. Accordingly, a lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle which can properly restrain the side sill and the center pillar from coming toward the vehicle inside at the vehicle side crash can be provided.
US08292355B2	Vehicle roof with retractable windshield The vehicle roof with a retractable windshield provides a retractable windshield for vehicles, such as UTVs, golf carts and the like, which typically do not include a windshield. The vehicle roof with a retractable windshield includes a roof base adapted for mounting on the vehicle in place of the conventional single panel roof. A cover is also provided, with the cover being adapted for mounting on the roof base so that a storage compartment is defined therebetween. A rear edge of the cover is pivotally secured to a rear edge of the roof base by hinges or the like. A windshield having a support frame with opposed upper and lower edges is removably and slidably disposed within the storage compartment defined between the cover and the roof base.
US08292354B2	B-pillar for a vehicle A B-pillar (12) for a vehicle is fastened between a roof member (13) and a sill member (15) of the vehicle. The pillar has a martensitic structure and the steel has an tensile strength of at least 1300 MPa. Close to the lower fastening portion (14) there is a soft portion (20) with a tensile strength of less than 800 MPa. This soft portion has a height of at least 30 mm, extend over less than ⅓ of the pillar height, and is so positioned that the lower fastening portion is martensitic.
US08292353B2	Construction for an automotive vehicle A construction for an automotive vehicle having a generally vertically extending pillar positioned adjacent a door opening as well as a laterally extending cross member having one end aligned with the pillar adjacent its bottom. A gusset has one end secured to one end of the cross member and a second end secured to the pillar. A crush box is attached to the pillar and includes at least a portion aligned with the second end of the gusset to provide a controlled pillar deformation resulting in a constant force-deformation loading of the gusset during a side impact.
US08292349B1	Longitudinal-slide door controlling mechanism A longitudinal-slide door controlling mechanism is provided to improve door controlling for large vehicles, such as buses. The door controlling mechanism is designed to longitudinal-slide to save space-occupied by the door and enhance safety. The mechanism includes a track, a slider group, a flexible transmission group, and a drive element. The flexible transmission group is used to drive the slider group to move along the track. And the track is attached to the bus body. Therefore the bus door is driven to longitudinal-slide along the bus body. The space-occupied caused by the conventional rotary door is saved. Also, the passerby struck by the door during opening would be eliminated.
US08292344B2	Mounting structure of grip with integrated handle A mounting structure of a grip with integrated handle to a door panel includes the grip, a door trim to which the grip is mounted, a bracket, an overlapping portion and a handle fastening portion. The grip includes a grip portion and a handle portion that are integrally formed. The bracket is arranged so as to extend from an end of the grip portion to the handle portion. The overlapping portion includes a part of the grip, a part of the door trim and a part of the bracket held together so as to overlap with one another. The handle fastening portion is provided for fastening the handle portion to the door panel and with which the bracket is to be fixed to the door panel.
US08292342B2	Plate holder A plate carrier is carried on a server's forearm. The carrier comprises a wireform having a horizontal support portion for carrying the plate carrier on the forearm, a vertical loop portion looping around a server's forearm, and a plate holder portion below the server's forearm. The horizontal support is carried between the elbow and the palm. The vertical loop portion centers the plate holder portion under the server's forearm and the plate holder portion positions the plate holders centered under the forearm longitudinally closer to the elbow than the palm. The plate holders comprise a stationary lower jaw and a pivoting upper jaw allowing adjustment to hold a variety of plates.
US08292341B1	Method and rig for dragging a fallen game animal A fallen game animal can be dragged with a rig having a right and a left tether, both secured to the animal. The right and the left tether run alongside each other away from the fallen game animal in a direction of travel. Two or more persons, flanked by the right and the left tether, are positioned in a single file facing away from the fallen game animal. The persons use their right hands and their left hands to grip the handholds on the right tether and the left tether, respectively. Walking in single file in the direction of travel, the two persons pull the pair of tethers to drag the fallen animal. The rig can be extended to accommodate additional persons.
US08292335B1	Balloon-tying device A balloon-tying device for assisting in tying a balloon is provided, the balloon having a filling end. The balloon-tying device comprises a base having a top surface and a bottom surface substantially opposite the top surface. A pair of spaced tying prongs is provided with each having a base end and a top end and the base ends of the tying prongs secured to the top surface of the base. A ridge extends from the top end of each of the tying prongs wherein the filling end of the balloon is wrappable around the tying prongs and fed between the tying prongs and wherein the ridges maintain the filling end of the balloon from inadvertently slipping from the tying prongs during the tying process.
US08292334B2	Flared cone fitting An improved flared cone fitting of the type having a male portion and a female portion having a tube, an inverted conical annulus, a nut, and a joinder portion, may be disclosed. It is improved by the joinder portion including a back-side annular face, which may define a void. The joinder portion may also include an abutment intended to contact a shoulder of a fitting nut and properly direct forces exerted on the nut.
US08292333B2	Pipe joints An inlet hole capable of inserting a pipe thereinto is formed in a pipe joint body along an axis. Retainer attaching holes for attaching with a retainer that prevents detachment of the pipe are formed in a side surface of the pipe joint body to extend therethrough. These retainer attaching holes are configured symmetrically with respect to an X axis passing through a center of the inlet hole as a symmetrical axis. Thus, a circumference of the inlet hole opens symmetrically, so that the heat shrinkage condition after molding is equalized in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, it is not necessary to process a molding pin for the inlet hole with imbalance of heat shrinkage amount in mind, so that the molding pin becomes easy to process. In addition, the retainer can selectively utilize the retainer attaching holes at two positions, so that selective use depending on installation environment can be achieved.
US08292330B2	Insertable tube system for a vacuum cleaner An insertable tube system for a vacuum cleaner, with at least one first tube, a second tube and a coupling for detachable connection of the first tube to the second tube, the coupling having a guide element and a lever button, the guide element being located on the outside of the wall of the first tube, the lever button in the guide element being supported to be able to move around a pivot axis, the lever button being movable by the force of at least a first spring element into a catch position, and the lever button having a catch projection on the bottom, the wall of the first tube having an opening for the catch projection of the lever button, and a mechanical connection between the first tube and the second tube being producible by engagement of the catch projection with a catch recess of the second tube.
US08292328B2	Agricultural header transport assembly An agricultural header assembly broadly includes a header and a header transport assembly. The header is disposed in a transport orientation when a rigid beam thereof is out of vertical alignment with the header center of gravity. The transport assembly includes first and second pairs of spaced apart wheels shiftably connected to the rigid beam for movement between a transport position and a field position. The first and second pairs of wheels define respective first and second midpoints therebetween when in the transport position. The first and second midpoints are each disposed in general vertical alignment with the header center of gravity when the header is in the transport orientation to substantially balance the header on the transport assembly.
US08292327B2	Device for the optional guiding of at least one self-steering wheel of a trolley The invention relates to a device for the optional guiding of at least one self-steering wheel of a trolley. According to the invention, the wheel is of the type that is mounted on a support that pivots around a vertical axis. The device comprises: a push bar which forms a dual-articulated steering member that can be accessed by the user; means for rotating a first clutch part about the vertical axis in response to steering member movements; and means which can be used at will to couple and uncouple the first clutch part in relation to a second clutch part which is solidly connected to the aforementioned support of the wheel, in response to other steering member movements. In addition, a coin-operated locking device for preventing the movement of the trolley is built into a casing which houses a transmission element of the guiding device and which is fixed to the push bar of the trolley.
US08292326B2	Stabilizer for three wheel vehicle A stabilizer is disclosed for a three-wheel vehicle having a frame extending between a front portion and a rear portion. The front portion of the frame supports a front steering wheel and with the rear portion of the frame supports plural driving wheels. The stabilizer comprises a right and a left stabilizing wheel mounted on a right and a left side of the frame. The right and left stabilizing wheels are positioned above the supporting surface when the three-wheel vehicle moves in a straight direction on a supporting surface. The right and left stabilizing wheels engage the supporting surface when the vehicle is turned in a right and a left direction respectively for stabilizing the three-wheel vehicle while maintaining steering ability. Preferably, the stabilizer includes a right and a left director for directing the right and left stabilizing wheels in a forward direction when the right and left stabilizing wheels are positioned above the supporting surface. The invention is also incorporated into an accessory stabilizer unit adapted for mounting onto existing three-wheel vehicles.
US08292325B2	Vehicle occupant restraint system comprising an inflatable gas bag A vehicle occupant restraint system is provided. The vehicle occupant restraint system comprising a gas bag inflatable with gas, which includes at least one first fabric layer and one second fabric layer, which are connected with each other along their edge by means of a peripheral seam, and at least one outflow opening via which gas can flow out of the gas bag, wherein the outflow opening is formed by an interruption of the peripheral seam, wherein the peripheral seam is interrupted such that it comprises on both sides of the outflow opening a portion extending substantially vertical to the adjoining edge of the gas bag and ending at the edge of the gas bag, and at least one additional seam formed in the region of the outflow opening is provided, which at least partly closes the outflow opening, wherein the additional seam is designed such that it opens during the inflation process.
US08292322B2	Supplemental inflatable restraint system with hush panel housing A supplemental inflatable restraint system is provided for use with a vehicle having an instrument panel at a forward end therein. A hush panel, which defines a cavity configured to nest the SIR therein, is attached to a lower portion of the instrument panel. The cavity has an opening facing in a generally downward direction. A cushion is operable to transition through the opening from a non-expanded state, in which the cushion is inside the cavity, to an expanded state, in which the cushion is outside the cavity. A fluid dispensing apparatus regulates transition of the cushion from the non-expanded to the expanded state. A closeout door is attached to the hush panel to cover the cushion, and transition from a closed to an open position. The hush panel acts as a structural reaction surface for the cushion, and is generally not visible to a vehicle occupant seated upright and adjacent thereto.
US08292318B2	Adaptable drawbar support assembly The invention relates to a drawbar support assembly. There is a need for a drawbar support assembly which can adapt to different types of drawbars. An adaptable drawbar support assembly includes a generally U-shaped front support member for coupling to and supporting the front end of the drawbar. A front spacer member mounts in the front support member above or below the front end of the drawbar. A generally U-shaped rear support member couples to and supports the drawbar. A rear spacer member mounts in the rear support member below the drawbar. The rear spacer member is removable from the rear support member when the front spacer member is mounted above the front end of the drawbar. A ball coupler is attached to the rear end of the drawbar when the front spacer member is mounted above the front end of the drawbar. A clevis coupler is attached to the rear end of the drawbar when the front spacer member is mounted below the front end of the drawbar.
US08292317B1	Tow bar for tricycle or bicycle A tow bar for tricycle or bicycle. The tow bar includes a handle attached at one end of a spine, an arm attached at an opposite end of the spine, and fingers attached to the arm. Each finger has a finger hook sized to engage a vehicle handlebar. In operation, the fingers are engaged with a vehicle, and the handle used to pull the vehicle by its handlebar. The position of the fingers along the arm and the angle of the fingers relative to the arm is adjustable, which allows the tow bar to be quickly and easily adapted to different handlebar designs. Padding may be centrally installed on the handlebar, and the fingers spaced so as to engage the handlebar on either side of the padding, thus keeping the tow bar centrally disposed on the handlebar.
US08292307B2	In-line roller skate, in particular racing skate In-line roller skate (1), in particular racing skate, comprising a pair of side frame elements (5a, 5b), joined to each other by at least a transversal frame element (5c), between which a front wheel (7a), a rear wheel (7d) and at least two intermediate wheels (7b, 7c) are pivotally mounted, and a skate boot (3) provided with a sole (3a), said boot being fastened to said frame through a fastening portion (9), wherein said fastening portion (9) is located between said sole and said frame in a substantially central region (F) in the longitudinal direction between said front and rear wheels.
US08292306B1	Mount and bearing for shock absorber Improved mount and bearing height adjustable air suspension shock absorber devices, apparatus, systems and methods, for use with sport utility vehicles(SUVs) such as Range Rovers®, and the like. Air lines run through an upper mount into an upper opening of an inflatable and deflatable airbag. The airlines have not external lines such as the nylon type tubing used in the prior art, and are not prone to failure which occurs more frequently with the external tubing air lines. Inflating and deflating the air springs/airbags (bladders) allows for the shock absorbers in the devices to be adjusted to different riding conditions over different types of terrains giving the rider a customized ride over different types of on road and off-road terrains. An internal air line machined into the head of the air suspension device provides a direct passageway for compressed air to pass into and out of the airbag without using external tubes. Sealing members such as O-rings provide airtight seals between the moving members of the head components of the air suspension devices.
US08292303B2	Manifold gasket having pushrod guide A manifold gasket assembly includes a steel carrier fabricated with a plurality of air intake openings. Rubber material is molded to the carrier body to provide a seal about the openings when the gasket assembly is clamped between a cylinder head and intake manifold. Pushrod guides are provided on the carrier body and are fabricated of a material different than that of the carrier body, namely the same material as that used to form the elastomeric sealing beads.
US08292301B1	Multifunction ring A multifunction ring comprises an elastomeric body which totally encloses at least one circumferential tubular cavity filled with at least one liquid medium. In various ring embodiments the liquid medium conducts heat, damps vibration, blocks extrusion and/or transmits hydraulic pressure. When one or more rings are used in a plunger packing, longitudinal compression of the ring(s) secondary to increased pumped fluid pressure occurs during a pressure stroke. Such compression, acting through the compliance of each ring, increases tubular cavity hydraulic pressure and causes radial ring expansion. Ring expansion is both inward toward a plunger and, simultaneously, outward toward its packing box. Inward expansion tends to seal the extrusion gap, while outward expansion increases coupling from plunger to packing box to increase vibration damping and/or heat scavenging. Periodic reduction of pumped fluid pressure tends to reverse radial ring expansion, thus reducing both frictional ring wear and heat generation.
US08292300B2	Portable folding sports goal An upper bar and a lower bar are parallel with respect to each other and are separated by a distance. A slanted bar, vertical bar, and side bar form a triangular frame with one end of the slanted bar and one end of the vertical bar connected to one end of the upper bar. The opposing end of the vertical bar is releasably connected to one end of the side bar while the opposing end of the side bar is connected to the lower bar. Another slanted bar, vertical bar, and side bar are similarly connected at the other end of the upper and lower bars. The upper bar, lower bar, and two slanted bars include releasably connected tubular members. And both ends of the slanted bars are connected with rotatable joints. Netting may be woven onto the upper bar, the lower bar, the vertical bars, and the side bars.
US08292297B2	Sheet separation mechanism and image forming apparatus with first and second biasing members A sheet separation mechanism includes a separation claw holder, a separation claw, a first coil spring and a second coil spring. The separation claw holder can be provided at a predetermined place in the image forming apparatus. The separation claw includes a separation claw base pivotally supported by the separation claw holder and a separation claw front-end pivotally supported by the separation claw base. The first coil spring is configured to apply a force to rotate the separation claw base toward an intermediate transfer belt. The second coil spring is configured to apply a force to rotate the separation claw front-end toward the intermediate transfer belt.
US08292296B2	Apparatus for varying the speed of printed products having an external eccentric assembly and method An apparatus for varying the speed of printed products is provided. The apparatus includes a nip roll rotatable about a nip roll axis and an eccentric assembly external of the nip roll coupled to the nip roll coincident with the nip roll axis. The eccentric assembly is adapted to eccentrically move the nip roll. A method of varying the speed of a printed product in a printing press is also provided.
US08292288B2	Drive switching mechanism and feeding device A drive switching mechanism includes a transmission gear and a planetary gear configured to transmit a drive from an input gear to an output gear. The drive switching mechanism further includes a swinging member configured to hold the planetary gear such that the planetary gear can swing around the input gear, a retaining unit configured to retain the swinging member in a swing enabled or disabled state, and a releasing unit configured to disengage the planetary gear from the output gear and cause them to be spaced apart. The output gear includes a toothless part that does not engage with a gear section engaging with the transmission gear.
US08292283B2	Post-processing apparatus and image formation system provided with the apparatus To provide a post-processing apparatus for enabling a bunch of sheets and a single sheet to be folded in simplified structure, and further enabling the folded sheet and sheets that are not folded to be mixed and bound, the post-processing apparatus has a processing tray to collate and collect sheets to perform binding processing, and a folding processing path having a folding processing section, and a folded sheet carrying-out path for carrying out a folded sheet is provided on the downstream side of the folding processing path. Then, the folded sheet carrying-out path is comprised of a circulating path for guiding the folded sheet again to the folding processing section, a post-processing path for guiding the folded sheet to the processing tray to perform post-processing, and a sheet discharge path for guiding the folded sheet to a storage stacker.
US08292273B2	Fluid filled type vibration damping device A fluid filled type vibration damping device having a pressure-receiving chamber and an equilibrium chamber disposed on either side of a partition member. A movable cover member juxtaposed against the partition member from the pressure receiving chamber side to cover a communicating hole of the partition member. An outside peripheral edge of the movable cover member is held in intimate contact against the partition member through urging force of an elastic retainer portion. Pressure of both chambers will acts on both faces of a movable rubber film, thereby constituting a pressure fluctuation absorbing mechanism. The outside peripheral edge of the movable cover member is separated from the partition member in opposition to the urging force by negative pressure in the pressure receiving chamber for providing a shunting mechanism for preventing excessive negative pressure in the pressure receiving chamber.
US08292266B2	Hammer with leverage No. II A hand tool includes an elongated plunger assembly and a locking assembly. The locking assembly has a catch assembly with a release actuator. The release actuator is movable in a direction generally not aligned with the tool head plane of motion. The locking assembly catch member is structured to engage the plunger assembly body and maintain the plunger assembly body in a selected position. Further, the plunger assembly is disposed in a socket within the tool head and biased toward an extended position by a spring. The release actuator is, preferably, disposed on the neck of the hand tool just above the user's thumb. When the plunger assembly body is disposed within the tool head and a user desires to extend the plunger assembly, the user actuates the release actuator thereby removing the engagement of the catch member and allowing the socket spring to move the plunger assembly body to the extended position.
US08292261B2	Secured water and/or air dispenser for snowmaking system, equipped with an electric-actuator-driven valve A water and/or air dispenser for snowmaking system includes water and/or air supplying ducts and is equipped with at least one valve (9) associated with an electric actuator (10), the actuator (10) being connected to an electric power source (12, 19) and associated with its own management unit (11) to ensure the operation of the valve (9) between the open and closed configurations thereof. The dispenser is associated with security elements able to cause the valve (9) to be positioned in a known security configuration, for example tightly closed, in case of voltage cut-off at the electric source (12, 19), the security elements being integrated and including a capacitor-type electric unit (16), connected to the electric power source and to the actuator (10), the capacitor unit being able to store, and then return, a quantity of energy necessary for complete actuation of the valve, to implement the security elements.
US08292255B2	Hybrid tooling for the curing of composite pieces The invention relates to a hybrid tooling (1) for the curing of composite pieces, comprising a support structure (3) made of a metallic material with high thermal diffusivity, a base plate (31) with an identical surface geometry as that of the piece to be cured, made of INVAR 36 or NILO 36, an intermediate structure (21) between the support structure (3) and the base plate (31), with a cell configuration, with the sides of each cell sufficiently lightened so as to facilitate the flow of air under the base plate (31) during the curing cycle, made of INVAR 36 or NILO 36, and means of fixing the intermediate structure (21) to the support structure (3) which allow their free expansion.
US08292253B2	Device for supporting bathroom accessories and the like A device for supporting bathroom accessories and the like, comprising a suction cup element including a suction part and a holding part adapted to hold a bathroom accessory and the like, and a mounting element including an engaging formation formed to engage and retain the suction part of the suction element and member adapted to attach to a wall.
US08292252B2	Support for a turbine In a support for a turbine, which turbine has an outer casing which is split into an upper section (11) and a lower section (12) in a horizontal parting plane, in which upper section (11) and lower section (12) are screwed to each other on a horizontal flange (13; 13a, 13b) which lies in the parting plane, the support includes a multiplicity of essentially vertical supports (31) which by an upper end act on the outer casing (18) and by the lower end are supported on a foundation. With such a support, optimum points of application on the outer casing are achieved with the threaded flange connection without limitations by one or more of the supports (31) acting by the upper end on the horizontal flange (13; 13a, 13b) and being part of the horizontal threaded flange connection.
US08292245B2	Roof mounted air hose and electrical cord holder A roof mounted air hose holder is provided which is adapted to be mounted on roofs having different pitches. The air hose holder may also be mounted on a flat roof. In a modified form of the invention, one of the air hose reels of the air hose holder may be replaced by an electrical cord reel. In another embodiment, both of the air hose reels may be replaced by electrical cord reels.
US08292238B2	Thrust bearing support assembly for a gas turbine engine A thrust bearing support assembly includes a first substantially trapezoidally-shaped side, and a second substantially rectangularly-shaped side coupled to the first side. The thrust bearing support assembly also includes a third substantially trapezoidally-shaped side coupled to the second side, and a fourth substantially rectangularly-shaped side coupled to the first and third sides.
US08292237B1	Control expansion for conventionally powered model railroads A method and an apparatus are provided to allow expanded control capability of digital locomotives on model railroad layouts, and to permit compatible speed and direction operation simultaneously for non-digital or conventional locomotives alongside. The improvements employ mixed-mode control encoding and decoding algorithms and methods that are expanded beyond other known structures for control mode changes used on model railroad layouts. The method and the apparatus also provide a capability for occupancy detection, transponding or data feedback detection and intelligent power management in the same apparatus.
US08292236B2	Flight surface seal A seal for sealing a gap between a first (252) and a second (207) component of an aircraft flight surface which has a first seal body (222) having a first sealing portion (246) arranged to seal against the first component, wherein the first seal body is movably mounted to the second component so as to seal at least part of the gap during relative movement of the first and second components. A seal is also provided with components movable relative to each other.
US08292233B2	Solar protection device for space instrument The present invention relates to a solar protection device for space instrument. This invention is particularly suited to electromagnetic measuring instruments pointing in a direction close to that of the sun. To ensure the continuous availability, the performance and the non-degradation of collecting instruments directed towards the sun, the invention proposes the use of solar baffling thermally and mechanically decoupled from the platform supporting the collecting instruments of the equipment.
US08292230B2	Device for detecting and eliminating the presence of a layer of ice or liquid A device for detecting and eliminating a layer of ice formed on the surface of an aircraft structure or a liquid that has infiltrated inside of a structure and/or into the material of the structure. The device includes at least one pair of subnetworks of conductive elements, each subnetwork including at least one series of conductive elements, the aforementioned subnetworks being arranged in such a way that the interfitting between the conductive elements of the first subnetwork and the conductive elements of the second subnetwork forms a network of capacitive sensors, said the aforementioned conductive elements being embedded in an insulating material, each subnetwork of conductive elements being incorporated into a flexible substrate so that the entire assembly forms a flexible covering.
US08292229B2	Aircraft and method of retrieving a rescue cradle into the aircraft fuselage An aircraft capable of hovering, and having a fuselage defining an access opening; driving means for operating a rescue cradle; and a first wall movable between a closed position engaging a first portion of the opening, and a first open position allowing access to the first portion of the opening. The aircraft has a member connected functionally to the first wall and in turn having at least one flat surface; and the member is movable with respect to the wall into a first position, in which the flat surface defines a supporting surface for the cradle when the first wall is in the first open position.
US08292228B2	Control system for dimmable windows Electrically dimmable windows for aircraft are powered by energy harvesting devices on-board the aircraft. The harvested energy is stored and used to control the opacity of the windows based on individual window opacity settings selected either by passengers or a cabin attendant. Each window has an associated control circuit that controls the electrical power applied to the window based on the selected opacity setting. The control circuit includes a low energy usage processor that remains in a sleep mode until a change in the opacity setting is detected. Each control circuit may include a radio transceiver that receives control signals from a transmitter operated by the cabin attendant in order to simultaneously remotely control the opacity settings of multiple windows.
US08292227B2	Aircraft wings having continuously tailored structural strength The structural strength of an aircraft wing is continuously tailored along its length to closely match continuously varying imposed wing loads. The wing includes upper and lower skins each formed from panels joined together. Each of the skin panels includes a stiffening web sandwiched between and joined to the inner and outer facesheets. The web has a repeating pattern and at least one dimension that continuously varies along the length of the panel.
US08292226B2	Weight-optimizing internally pressurized composite-body aircraft fuselages having near-elliptical cross sections A method for minimizing the weight of an internally pressurized aircraft fuselage of a type that includes an elongated tubular shell having a near-elliptical cross-section with a radius R(φ)- and a curvature Curv(φ), where φ is a roll elevation angle of the shell, includes tailoring at least one structural attribute of the shell as a function of at least one of the elevation angle φ, R(φ) and Curv(φ) so as to reduce the weight of the fuselage relative to an identical fuselage shell in which the same at least one structural attribute has not been so tailored.
US08292225B2	Airplane with flat rear fuselage said queue-de-morue empennage An airplane includes a fuselage having a shape elongated along a longitudinal axis X of the airplane and at least one wing fixed to the fuselage between the front end and the rear end of the fuselage. The fuselage includes a substantially cylindrical central part and a rear tapered part on which a vertical empennage is fixed. Between a section connecting the rear part with the central part of the fuselage and the rear end the maximum width of each section of the fuselage is constant or increasing rearwards up to a maximum width L of the fuselage, the height of each section of the fuselage is decreasing rearwards in the direction of the negative X, so that the rear end of the fuselage forms a trailing edge having a small thickness which is substantially horizontal in an airplane reference system and substantially rectilinear.
US08292224B1	Quick install aircraft track fitting device An improved seating apparatus for an aircraft includes a seat assembly and a quick install track fitting assembly for securing the seat assembly to the aircraft. In a preferred embodiment, the quick install track fitting assembly is made up of a track fitting body for insertion into an aircraft seat track and a manual lever that is pivotably attached to the track fitting body. The manual lever has a lever release position and a lever lock position. A force bearing plunger is movably attached to the manual lever for transferring force to the aircraft seat track. The force bearing plunger has a track release position and a track lock position, wherein both positions correspond to the lever release and lever lock positions of the manual lever. A lock may also be provided for maintaining the plunger in the track lock position when the manual lever is in the lever lock position. The quick install aircraft track fitting may further include a spring loaded secondary plunger to help locate and provide a secondary lock for securing the seat assembly into a proper position within the aircraft seat track. Moreover, the quick install track fitting may further include an anti-rattle feature that urges the force bearing plunger against the top of the seat track.

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