Abstract: Fluid flow conduits (14a, 14b) and apparatus (40) and methods for joining the conduits (14a, 14b), preferably in a sterile manner, are disclosed. Each conduit (14, 14b) has a polymeric open end that is sealed by a sealing member (26a, 26b) that may include a heating element (28). The polymeric end material is melted, the sealing members (26a, 26b) are moved to expose the melted open ends of the conduits (14a, 14b) and the ends are brought together to form a fused or welded connection (12) between the conduits (14a, 14b).

Abstract: A soft absorption stem for an electronic cigarette is provided, comprising a sleeve, a cigar liquid tank disposed inside the sleeve, an atomization device and a liquid guiding component. The sleeve is made of soft material; a plurality of venting slots is extended axially from one end of the sleeve to the other end thereof and disposed on an inner wall of the sleeve; the sleeve includes a mouthpiece end and a connection end; a suction hole communicating with the venting slots is provided on the mouthpiece end; smoke produced by atomization of the atomization device flows out of the sleeve from the venting slots across the suction hole. The electronic cigarette makes the user more comfortable when holding the sleeve in hand and containing in mouth, having more compact internal construction, having unique smoke path, and having increased cigar liquid storage capacity.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for guiding flexible glass ribbons (13) without mechanically contacting the central portion (4) of the ribbon are provided in which two curved sections are formed in the ribbon which stiffen the ribbon so that lateral forces can be applied to the ribbon without causing it to buckle. The curvatures of the curved sections are along the direction of motion (15) of the ribbon and can be produced using curved air-bars (12,14) and/or pairs of cylindrical rollers (5a,5b,16a,16b). The lateral forces can be applied by pairs of guide rollers (7a,7b,9a,9b) which can be mounted on spring-loaded pivot arms (6,19,29) and can have a complaint outer coating or sleeve (35). The guiding system can be used in the winding of the glass ribbon onto a cylindrical core (11).

Abstract: A holder for a smoking article may be inserted into the ground or golf tee holder on a golf cart, or secured over and about the upper opening leading into a garment pocket or golf bag. The holder is used to protect the smoking article from exposure to poisons and injurious chemicals used in fertilizers, and weed and fungus killers, in addition to water, dirt and debris that also cause damage to a golfer's cigars or cigarettes. A golfer can place a cigar or cigarette between the jaws of the holder, and insert the shaft into the ground or golf tee holder, thereby allowing the golfer to easily insert a tee into the ground, remove a club from the golf bag, take a shot, or drive a cart without holding a cigar or cigarette in his/her hand or mouth, and without having to be concerned about the position or location of a lit cigar or cigarette, and preventing any water, grass, dirt, chemicals or debris from adhering to the smoking article.

Abstract: A method for producing a porous fireproof material suitable for glass production, comprising introducing one or more reducing substances for adjusting an oxygen sink in the pore volume of the fireproof material.

Abstract: An oral product includes a body that is wholly receivable in an oral cavity. The body includes a mouth-stable polymer matrix, cellulosic fibers embedded in the mouth-stable polymer matrix, and a mouth-soluble binder dispersed in the mouth-stable polymer matrix.

Abstract: The invention is related to an electronic cigarette, including a hollow and tubular cigarette pipe, the cigarette pipe being divided into a cigarette rod and a mouthpiece, and the cigarette rod and/or the mouthpiece have paper film attached on its surface. With paper film attached to outer surface of the cigarette rod and/or the mouthpiece, the electronic cigarette presents a real feeling as gripping cigarette between fingers or in mouth, a high simulation, and a realer experience to the user.

Abstract: A smoking accessory includes a first member extending between a first end and a second end having an inner surface defining a first passageway extending through the first end and the second end of the first member. A second member extends between a first end and a second end having an inner surface defining a second passageway extending through the first end and the second end of the second member. At least one cooling agent disposed within the first passageway and/or the second passageway.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a tire possessing improved wear resistance by optimizing configurations of block land portions. The tire is configured such that, in at least two adjacent block land portion arrays 5 sandwiching a circumferential groove 2, adjacent block land portions 4 constituting the block land portion arrays 5 are arranged so as to be positionally displaced from each other in the tire circumferential direction; and a distance d2 between the block land portions adjacent in the tire width direction is shorter than a distance d1 between the block land portions adjacent in the tire circumferential direction. A groove portion 8 between the block land portions adjacent in the tire width direction extends obliquely with respect to the tire width direction and the tire circumferential direction.

Abstract: A knockdownable, odorless, and smokeless vaporizer kit that vaporizes materials to inhale without igniting the materials so as to reduce harmful effects of burning the materials by eliminating inhalation of combustion by-products of the materials by preventing ignition and combustion of the materials. The kit includes an enclosure and a heat source. The enclosure contains the materials. The heat source heats the enclosure to vaporize the materials contained within the enclosure without igniting the materials so as to reduce the harmful effects of burning the materials by eliminating inhalation of combustion by-products of the materials by preventing ignition and combustion of the materials.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of combustion in a furnace provided with a burner comprising an inlet for oxidizer comprising between 10% and 30% of oxygen and an inlet for fuel terminating in the furnace outside the oxidizer inlet and at a distance therefrom of between 0.3 and 4 times the equivalent diameter of the oxidizer inlet, said oxidizer entering the furnace at a speed of between 10 and 60 m/s. This method permits a significant reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions and is suitable for glass furnaces in particular.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a Hookah otherwise known as a water pipe or Nargile. The hookah is used to smoke tobacco or other herbs that are heated using a hot charcoal. With multiple tobacco bowls, this hookah allows the user to consume a mixture of smoke from different flavored tobaccos. The various bowls are independent from each other and spaced apart so that the heat from one does not affect the others. The spacing of the bowls also protects the user from burn injuries while replacing the tobacco or charcoal in each bowl. The smoke from each bowl is directed into a stem tube where it is mixed before being filtered and cooled by water in preparation for consumption. Each tobacco bowl can be connected to a flow control device that allows the user to fine tune the amount of smoke from each bowl and achieve the preferred flavor.

Abstract: Tire having a tread comprising at least two grooves of generally circumferential orientation, a plurality of transverse grooves (6), each transverse groove culminating in openings into two circumferential grooves, the circumferential and transverse grooves having appropriate cross sections for allowing, when running, a flow of liquid present on the road surface, a plurality of closing devices located in these grooves, each closing device closing at least partly the cross section of a groove, each closing device delimiting, with one end of a transverse groove, a length of groove LR of between half and three-quarters of the length of circumferential groove in contact, the length measured under nominal conditions of load and pressure, this tire being characterized in that each closing device is designed to flex and open the section of groove in which it is placed, under the action of a flow of liquid so as to allow the said liquid to flow when running on a water-covered road surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally a manufacturing process which results in a completely hydrogel polymer device that maintains lumen patency which allows for numerous applications. Catheters and stents are particular examples, and their composition, mechanical characteristics, and the significantly unique ability to conduct and allow fluids to pass from one end to the other without physiological rejection, inflammation, or manifestation of complications due to implant or otherwise undesirable outcomes when used for ambulatory and or therapeutic interventions is the purpose of the invention.

Abstract: A biodegradable and biocompatible nontoxic polymeric composition is provided which includes a base material such as a crystallizable polymer, copolymer, or terpolymer, and a copolymer or terpolymer additive. Medical devices manufactured from the composition are also provided.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire is provided with an asymmetric tread pattern which comprises an inboard shoulder longitudinal groove (3A) at an axial distance Xi from the tire equator (C) and an outboard shoulder longitudinal groove (3B) at an axial distance Xo from the tire equator (C). The distances Xi and Xo are 27 to 33% of the tread width (TW), and the axial distance Xi is less than the axial distance Xo. A tread crown region between the inboard edge (3Ao) of the inboard shoulder longitudinal groove (3A) and the outboard edge (3Bo) of the outboard shoulder longitudinal groove (3B) has a sea ratio of 30 to 50%.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire 1 in which turbulent-flow generating projections 10 each extending from an inner circumference side to an outer circumference side are provided on a outer circumferential face 3a which is tire surface of tire side portion 3 at intervals in a tire circumferential direction. Each of the turbulent-flow generating projections 10 includes an edge portion 10g when being viewed in a cross-sectional shape taken along a direction perpendicular to an extending direction thereof, and a front wall angle ? formed between a front wall face 10a of each turbulent-flow generating projection 10 and the tire surface (outer circumferential face 3a) is set in the range of 70° to 110°, the front wall face being hit by an airflow.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tobacco shredding device with a heatable pressure chamber (3), which has a tobacco material inlet (5) at the low-pressure end, an expansion gap outlet at the pressure end and a shaft-mounted conveyor screw (1) for conveying the tobacco material from the inlet to the outlet, and the conveyor screw shaft (19) is supported at the inlet end, and the shaft (19) extends on behind the outlet, where it is supported again by a counter bearing (17). It further relates to a method of shredding tobacco, whereby the tobacco material is introduced at the low-pressure end of a pressure chamber and is expanded and discharged at the pressure end of the chamber at a gap outlet, and the tobacco material is conveyed from the inlet to the outlet by means of a conveyor screw shaft-mounted at both end portions, and the conveyor screw is operated in a speed range of up to 600 min?1.

Abstract: Tire tread having at least two wearing layers, provided with at least one continuous groove having in the as new condition a plurality of external cavities opening onto the tread surface and a plurality of internal cavities placed radially and completely inside the tread surface, such that: the difference between the mean lengths of the internal cavities and of the external cavities is at most equal to 20% of the longest mean length, the difference in the mean cross-sectional areas of the internal and external cavities is at most equal to 20% of the largest mean area, each external cavity of a continuous groove being connected to at least two internal cavities of the same groove and having a plurality of incisions opening onto the tread surface, each connecting two consecutive external cavities of the same groove and at least two connecting channels and at least one internal cavity.

Abstract: It is found that the amount of wear of a tread rubber of a tire, which is abandoned as wear life of the tread rubber expires, is not uniform over the entire width, and there is a high correlation between distribution in the tread width direction of the remaining thickness of the tread rubber of the abandoned tire and distribution in the tread width direction of wear effective rubber volume. On the basis of this finding, it is possible to improve wear life of a pneumatic tire 1, by making volume distribution of a base rubber layer 8 of a tread rubber 4, which has a layered structure, equal to distribution of the wear effective rubber layer, so that the tread rubber 4 wears equally in the tread width direction.