Abstract: A device for generating an artificial constriction in the gastrointestinal tract comprises a band, which can be placed annularly about a particular portion of the gastrointestinal tract, and, by means of a piston-cylinder unit, the size of the passageway opening of the portion of the gastrointestinal tract encompassed by the band is variable, and the band, in the proximity of its first end, is connected with the cylinder of the piston-cylinder unit. The band is connected in the proximity of its second end with the piston of this piston-cylinder unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a flame-retardant mixture for lignocellulose composites having from 60 to 90% by mass of particulate or fibrous lignocellulose materials and from 40 to 10% by mass of a flame retardant concentrate immobilized on or in the particulate or fibrous lignocellulose materials as carriers. The flame retardants are boric acids or the salts thereof. Also, melamine resins and optionally synergistic agents and further additives may be present. The preparation of the flame-retardant mixture can be effected by a liquid impregnation process, a melt impregnation process and a liquid impregnation/solids mixing process. In the form of flame-retardant semifinished products and molding materials, the lignocellulose composites have high resistance to insect infestation, fungal infestation and mold infestation and high resistance to washing out of the flame-retardant mixture and are preferably suitable for applications in outdoor use in the building and leisure sector.

Abstract: The invention relates to composite materials, comprising plastics and wood, with 55 to 90 mass % of wood in the form of sawdust, wood fibres, and/or wood chippings and 45 to 10 mass % of partly crosslinked melamine resin ethers or mixtures of partly crosslinked thermoplastics and crosslinked melamine resin ethers, whereby the plastics in the composite materials can be in the form of a foam. Said materials can be produced by homogenization of the components in the extruder, pre-impregnation of wood with melamine resins in the screw mixer and subsequent homogenization of the components in the extruder, or by a sinter method, each followed by a subsequent moulding to give the composite material. The composite materials are suitable for application in building and in sport and leisure applications.

Abstract: A method for detecting rotation of a rotor of a multiple phase motor with bipolar drive is described, excluding a three-phase motor with bipolar drive with star connected coils or motor stator windings. The motor has at least a first and a second energizable motor stator winding. A voltage is sequentially and alternately sensed on the first and the second motor stator winding at or near the end of a period of a non-energised state thereof. An apparatus for detecting rotor speed is also provided.

Abstract: A double-sided extended drain field effect transistor that includes a gate terminal overlying a channel region in a substrate. The substrate includes a drain region of a first carrier type that is laterally separated from the channel region by a first RESURF region of the first carrier type, and a source region of the first carrier type that is laterally separated from the channel region by a second RESURF region of the first carrier type. Regions of the first carrier type may also be disposed laterally adjacent to the source and drain regions on the opposite lateral side as compared to the RESURF regions. This configuration improves the reverse bias breakdown voltage of the transistor.

Abstract: A method or apparatus is provided for detecting an error condition associated with a load (RL) or a connection (P) to the load (RL). The load (RL) may comprise an energy storing element (Cext). During a first diagnosis phase, it is determined whether the load (RL) or the connection (P) to the load (RL) is in a normal operation condition or in an error condition. If the load (RL) or the connection (P) to the load (RL) is in an error condition, during a second diagnosis phase it is determined whether the error condition is an open load condition, short circuit condition to ground or a short circuit condition to a power supply. When the load is in a starting state before the first diagnosis phase, the method or apparatus may further comprise carrying out, after the second diagnosis phase, a resetting phase for resetting the load to the starting state.

Abstract: An H-bridge circuit capable of performing switching using one or more intermediate voltage phases each held for a period of time in the midst of the switching operation. This reduces power dissipation associated with the switching operation, while only using one set of high/low voltage supplies. The H-bridge may be used to provide current via an inductor to a load. A class AB amplifier may be placed in parallel with the H-bridge to provide supplemental correcting current to the load to allow the combination to act as an efficient and accurate signal driver. Furthermore, the use of intermediate voltages in the H bridge allows for increased slew rates for any given operation frequency, and allows for the driving of a given signal on the load using a lower operational frequency.

Abstract: The invention relates to a high pressure method for producing pure melamine by pyrolyzing urea in a vertical synthesis reactor. The synthesis reactor has three stages above one another: a) in the first stage, the smaller portion of the total amount of urea is introduced into the central tube of a first tank reactor forming a first melamine-containing reaction medium; b) in the second stage, the first melamine-containing reaction medium and the larger portion of the total amount of urea is introduced into the central tube of a second tank reactor forming a second melamine-containing reaction medium; c) in the third stage, the second melamine-containing reaction medium is introduced into a vertical tubular flow reactor forming a raw melamine melt that is processed to obtain pure melamine.

Abstract: A PWM controller for a bridge driver circuit for controlling current in an inductive load such as a motor, can set the driver into a forward mode, a slow decay mode or a fast decay mode, and can switch from slow decay mode into forward mode or into fast decay mode for the duration of pulses at controlled time intervals to provide pulse width modulated control of the current. This is a simpler control scheme avoiding complex switching schemes related to mixed mode decay. By using a controlled PWM frequency, it is easier to avoid the problems of variable frequency such as increased heat dissipation or acoustic noise generation. It can have a selector for selecting top or bottom sense switching, enabling a wider range of stable PWM duty-cycles to be used (e.g. 0% to 100%), which is useful to compensate for Back emf influence on coil-drive.

Abstract: A track and hold (or sample and hold) offset compensated amplifier circuit that performs offset compensation in response to a comparison of sign (or sign and value) of the current forced to the output terminal of operational amplifier in order to keep it at the potential of holding capacitor during the holding phase. Based on this comparison, the comparison circuit increases or decreases the voltage differential applied between the positive and negative input terminals of the operational amplifier depending on whether the comparison circuit detects that the current forced to the output terminal of the operational amplifier is positive or negative. During the holding phase, negative feedback is disconnected, and the positive and negative input terminals of the operational amplifier are connected.

Abstract: A differential voltage signal (LVDS) driver circuit and/or a Current Mode Logic (CML) driver circuit. The circuit includes two current switches, each coupled to a corresponding input node. In a complementary manner, when a differential signal is applied across the input nodes, one current switch is open, while the other current switch is closed, and vice versa. A current allocation component allocates current between the two input current switches such that, when the first current switch is closed and the second current switch is open, increasing current is allocated through the first current switch and the intervening current path between the current allocation component and the first current switch, and vice versa. The circuit includes complementary pre-emphasis and/or current-aided pre-emphasis mechanisms that boost differential output transmission edges.

Abstract: A direct conversion circuit that includes an in-phase and quadrature-phase feedback path that reduces Direct Current (DC) offset. Each feedback path includes a compensating mixer that generates an error correction voltage that is passed through a loop gain circuit and an integrator. The integrated signal is applied to the output of a low pass filter that operates on the down-converted baseband signal. The direction conversion circuit may not only down convert the received modulated signal using a down-converting mixer into a baseband signal, but also, after performing a passive low pass filtering to remove higher-order components, performs up-conversion of the baseband signal using an up-converting mixer. This allows active elements operating on the up-converted signal to introduce less 1/f noise.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for producing melamine by means of the thermal conversion of urea. The invention is characterized in that: a) urea is reacted to form melamine at least partially under reaction conditions wherein an educt, an intermediate and/or an end product are present in a supercritical state; and b) the mixture consisting of at least one educt, an intermediate and/or an end product essentially forms a homogeneous phase and all educts, intermediates, and/or end products are in a complete solution. The single-phase reaction results in an especially efficient reaction.

Abstract: Methods and systems using Pade' Approximant expansion ratios provide mappings between nonlinear sensors and a more linearized output domain. In one embodiment (a) a variable gain amplifier receives a supplied input signal, the amplifier has at least a first input terminal, an output terminal, and a gain control terminal; (b) a first summer coupled to the output terminal of the variable gain amplifier adds in a first offset signal; (c) a first multiplier coupled to an output of the first summer receives a proportional feedback factor signal and correspondingly generates a multiplied feedback; (d) a second summer coupled to an output terminal of the first multiplier adds in a corresponding second offset signal; and (e) a second multiplier coupled to an output of the second summer receives a gain factor signal and generates a multiplied gain signal; where the gain control terminal of the variable gain amplifier is operatively coupled to an output terminal of the second multiplier.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing melem-free melamine by means of aqueous processing of a melted mass of melamine which is obtained using a high-pressure method. According to the inventive method, the melted mass of melamine is quenched by means of an aqueous solution containing alkalis, following the isolation of the off-gases, and is directly transferred into an aqueous alkaline melamine solution, out of which the melamine is then crystallized. The invention thus enables melamine to be obtained, with a melam content of less than 1000 ppm and a melem content of less than 50 ppm. The invention also relates to a quenching agent.

Abstract: The invention relates to products, especially moulding materials of polymers containing triazine segments and consisting of mixtures of meltable 4–18 ring oligotriazine ethers which are soluble in highly polar solvents, and in which the triazine rings are predominantly linked by alkylene diamino groups. Said moulding materials can contain up to 50 mass % of other reactive polymers such as ethylene copolymers, maleic acid anhydride copolymers, modified maleic acid anhydride copolymers, poly(meth)acrylates, polyamides, polyester and/or polyurethanes, up to 75 mass % of filling materials and/or reinforcing fibres, and up to 2 mass % of stabilisers, UV absorbers and/or auxiliary agents. The moulding materials of polymers containing triazine segments can be processed by means of conventional fusion methods and can be used as hot-melt adhesives and for producing plates, tubes, profiles, injection moulded parts, fibres, coatings and foamed material.

Abstract: A device for generating an artificial constriction in a gastrointestinal tract includes a band, which can be placed annularly about a particular portion of the gastrointestinal tract, having a fillable hollow volume, and a closure device for connecting end regions of the band placed annularly about the portion of the gastrointestinal tract. The closure device is a safety closure, which, at a tear-off tension exceeding a limit value, opens free of destruction, and which can be closed again. This limit value of the tear-off tension is in the range between 20 and 60 N, and preferably between 30 and 50 N.

Abstract: Liquid dispenser for dispensing a carbonated liquid from a container, the liquid dispenser including a compartment, a container sealing region, a compartment sealing region, and a valve, the compartment extending upwardly from a neck portion of the container, the neck portion and the compartment defining an opening to the atmosphere between the compartment and the neck portion, the container sealing region being located between the neck portion and the opening, the compartment sealing region being located between the compartment and the opening, the valve being movable within the compartment, from a closed position pressed toward the neck portion, to an open position away from the neck portion, the valve including a first surface facing the compartment, a second surface facing the opening, a first valve sealing region, a second valve sealing region, and a channel extending from the neck portion to the compartment, the first valve sealing region matching the container sealing region, for preventing passage of

Abstract: The invention relates to plastic products with high strength and flexibility, having 10 to 50 mass % of at least one crosslinked thermoplast and 90 to 50 mass % of at least one crosslinked melamine resin ether. The invention further relates to a method for production of such a plastic product. The aim of the invention is the production of plastic objects in thermoplastics and duroplastics which can be produced by thermoplastic methodology and which have improved material properties.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aminotriazine condensation product, especially a melamine condensation product, produced by reacting aminotriazine, particularly melamine, with an oxocarboxylic acid derivative. The invention also relates to the use of the aminotriazine condensation product and to a method for the production thereof. The aminotriazine condensation product obtained offers a wide range of possible applications by virtue of the simple accessibility thereof for derivatizations and, by virtue of the absence of formaldehyde, the aminotriazine condensation product is more health-friendly than known condensation products.