Patents Issued in February 4, 2010
  • Publication number: 20100024487
    Abstract: Embodiments of a surgical instrument disclosed herein can include mechanisms for reduction and distraction as well as compression. Some embodiments of the surgical instrument may comprise a reducer knob having a first passage through which a first shaft of a driver is acceptable, a connecting element coupled to the reducer knob and having a second passage through which the first shaft of the driver is acceptable, a compressor handle coupled to the connecting element at a first end and having a through hole, and a common handle coupled to the compressor handle via the through hole and pivots between the reducer knob and the compressor handle. With embodiments of a surgical instrument disclosed herein, surgical personnel can distract and hold vertebrae in a distracted state and perform a reduction without having to switch or add instruments. Some embodiments disclosed herein can be particularly useful for reducing spondylolisthesis during posterior fixation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Abbott Spine Inc.
    Inventors: Larry T. Khoo, Peter Thomas Miller, Ryan Carter Harvey, Craig Lee Ford
  • Publication number: 20100024488
    Abstract: The finishing needle is a hand sewing tool used for weaving loose ends of yarn back into a hand-knitted item when finishing a knitting work. The finishing needle is a long needle with two ends that taper to a semi-point at each end. The needle has a single eye that extends through the length of the needle. The eye has a beveled edge that provides for easier threading and to hold the yarn securely. The finishing needle can weave loose ends of yarn into a knitted item when finishing without stopping to turn the needle around, and with no need to re-thread, when weaving in the opposite direction. The finishing needle can more easily make use of shorter lengths of yarn than a conventional needle or hook, and can finish a large knitted item or one with multiple colors much faster than with a conventional needle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Ann D. Zeleny
  • Publication number: 20100024489
    Abstract: The present invention provides a weaving method using nonwoven as yarn, which discloses that nonwoven is slit first and then the slit nonwoven is used for weaving. In the weaving, process, yarn with different materials can be added for producing textiles with various functionalities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Jing-Jyr Lin, Jen-Sheng Tsai
  • Publication number: 20100024490
    Abstract: A method for determining the laundry load size according to one embodiment of the invention in an automatic clothes washer comprising supplying water to a reference water level to define a first amount of water, supplying water from the reference water level to a second water level above the reference water level and sufficient to submerge the laundry load to define a second amount of water, and determining a load size for the laundry load based on the second amount of water such that errors associated with the first amount of water are not considered in the load size determination based on the second amount of water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: JENN-YEU NIEH, BENNETT JAMES COOK, JAMES ANDREW OSKINS
  • Publication number: 20100024491
    Abstract: Laundry washing machine (1) provided with a casing (2) and with a vibration damper (7) which is fixed to the casing (2) so as to reduce vibrations transmitted to the latter; the vibration damper (7) comprising a supporting frame (8) rigidly fixed to the casing (2), an oscillating mass (9) housed inside the supporting frame (8), and at least one block (10) of viscoelastic polymeric gel interposed between the oscillating mass (9) and the supporting frame (8) to floating support the oscillating mass (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: ELECTROLUX HOME PRODUCTS CORPORATION N.V.
    Inventors: Stefano Galassi, Fabio Spizzo, Marco Giovagnoni, Fabio Altinier
  • Publication number: 20100024492
    Abstract: A portable steamer (1) comprises a housing (14) that includes a water reservoir (8) and boiler or heater (9), as well as internal structures (10, 11) designed to inhibit steam emission and to prevent inadvertent leaking and emission of water and steam, and a folding handle (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Anthony Kit Lun Leung
  • Publication number: 20100024493
    Abstract: The present invention relates to complex laundry treating machines. More specifically, the present invention relates to a complex laundry treating machine having a washing machine of a new concept which serves as a pedestal for supporting a washing machine or dryer as well as a washing machine. The complex laundry treating machine includes a main laundry treating machine for washing or drying laundry, a supplementary laundry treating machine having a washing tub mounted therein, and a volume and a height smaller than the volume and the height of the main laundry treating machine for supporting the main laundry treating machine, and ultrasonic washing means for making washing water in the washing tub to vibrate to wash the laundry, thereby permitting to treat a small amount of laundry with the supplementary laundry treating machine without putting a relatively large sized washing machine into operation, to save energy and for convenience of use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Seong Hae Jeong, Seong Jin Jo
  • Publication number: 20100024494
    Abstract: A preassembled cam lock assembly comprising is disclosed which includes a housing defining a throughbore configured to receive an interchangeable lock core. A tail piece is fixedly secured on a rear face of the housing. The tail piece defines a stepped bore including an arc-shaped cutout. Each end of the arc-shaped cutout defines a stop surface. A cam driver is configured to be rotatably retained in the stepped bore of the tail piece. The cam driver includes a first end defining an arc shaped lost motion slot and a second end adapted to engage a cam. The cam driver has a plurality of spaced bores which are dimensioned to receive a driver pin which is movably positioned within the cutout of the tail piece between the stop surfaces. A cam is secured to the second end of the cam driver adjacent the tail piece.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Alan E. Lurie
  • Publication number: 20100024495
    Abstract: There is provided a key apparatus, including: a key cylinder that is rotatable when a vehicle key is inserted; and an accommodating portion in which an assembling member is assembled in a body member, the body member and the assembling member form an inner surface, and the key cylinder is accommodated in the inner surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI-RIKA-DENKI-SEISAKUSHO
    Inventors: Yuji NAKAMOTO, Hirofumi GOSHIMA, Tomonori KAWACHI
  • Publication number: 20100024496
    Abstract: Electric lock with hammer for doors, locker doors, safe doors, telephone chassis, vending machines and the like which also have an anti jamming mechanism. To close the electric lock, the bar moves forward and the door latch closes upon a corresponding bolt. When moving forward, the bar stretches the spring into a tense state. The latch drops into a corresponding groove and mechanically locks the bar. To unlock the electric lock the solenoid activates the hammer while applying most of the energy over a relatively short period of time. The hammer in turn hits the latch out of its groove to unlock the electric lock. The spring pulls the bar backwards and the door latch opens up. According to the present invention, when mechanical pressure is applied upon any of lock mechanical components, the hammer strikes at the latch repeatedly until it comes out of its groove and the unlocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2006
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Aron Wolfish, Noam Naaman
  • Publication number: 20100024497
    Abstract: A lock assembly with a picking resistant shield has a main lock and a key. The main lock has a shield attached to a front end of the main lock. The shield has an inner recess and an outer recess smaller than the inner recess. The key has a neck corresponding to the outer recess of the shield and a driving tube corresponding to the inner recess of the shield and is selectively mounted into the shield to unlock the main lock. Thus, the shield prevents the main lock from being picked from the front end of the main lock by a picking tool. Personal goods or private matters being protected by the lock assembly with the picking resistant shield are safe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Kun-Yu Wu
  • Publication number: 20100024498
    Abstract: A device for re-keying a lock that frees the locksmith from having to handle individual tumblers. A magazine is provided for each tumbler in the lock. Each magazine is numbered or coded to indicate the size of the tumblers within. The magazines fit into the top of a housing that temporarily holds the plug portion of the lock to be re-keyed. Upon alignment of the magazines with their corresponding holes in the plug, the tumblers fall into place and the lock has effectively been re-keyed. The plug is then removed from the housing and ready to be placed back in its original lock assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Ronald F. Burkart
  • Publication number: 20100024499
    Abstract: A high security cylinder lock includes a housing comprising a plurality of driver pin bores for disposing spring loaded driver pins; a plug rotatable within the housing comprising a plurality of balancing pin bores for disposing spring loaded balancing pins and a plurality of combination pin bores for disposing combination pins. Each combination pin is sandwiched between a driver pin and a balancing pin. The extension force of the balancing spring at its pre-load length is greater than the extension force of the driver spring at its fully-load length. The compound force causes at least one combination pin partially extended into a corresponding driver pin bore in the housing when the plug is at its first rotational orientation in case of no key engaged. The key profile pushes the balancing pins to move to such position that all mating surfaces of the combination pins and the driver pins to lies onto the shear line of the lock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Forrest Xu, Daniel Xu
  • Publication number: 20100024500
    Abstract: The present invention relates to agriculture and waste management. In particular, compositions and methods relating to soil amendments and organic waste management are provided. In certain aspects, soil amendments, and methods of making soil amendments, and methods for improving crop yields are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: HEART OF NATURE, LLC
    Inventor: W.L. Skip Tyler
  • Publication number: 20100024501
    Abstract: The present invention relates to novel precision customized control release fertilizers such as seed encapsulation nutrients, liquid formulation treatment for roots of seedlings before transplantation or for soil application or for foliar application and fertilizer granules or tablets for effective enhancement of crop yield. The fertilizer comprises a crop specific enstomized fertilizer and/or a normal fertilizer, an agropolymer made by—reacting an alkaline or hydrogen peroxide with plant material and a transition metal silicate or an amorphous silica.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: BIJAM BIOSCIENCES PRIVATE LIMITED
    Inventor: Durga Yandapalli Prasad
  • Publication number: 20100024502
    Abstract: A quick plastic forming (QPF) tool is provided in which a thermal gap is created that reduces or eliminates some of the conductive heat loss paths when the QPF tool is in an open position during part removal or sheet loading. By reducing conductive heat loss, a more precise temperature control for the QPF tool from manufacturing cycle to manufacturing cycle may be realized. The QPF tool may also have a thermal gap when the tool is placed in a semi-open position during idle times. The QPF tool may also include components for creating the thermal gap when the QPF tool is moved to the open position and control the lateral movement of the part forming section of the QPF tool as the part is moved between the open position and the closed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Richard H. Hammar, Richard M. Kleber, Gary A. Kruger
  • Publication number: 20100024503
    Abstract: Articles are often formed from a tubular workpiece in a process which does not usefully shape the ends of the tube. In an embodiment of the invention, tube ends may be mechanically reduced in cross section and then expanded against a secondary forming surface(s) using an electromagnetic force to obtain desired shapes for the tube ends and minimize scrapping of workpiece material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: John R. Bradley, Michael H. Lovell, Kevin R. Marks, Terry A. Kent, Donald W. Cotton
  • Publication number: 20100024504
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for cooling a metal strip (2) between two rolling stands (3), wherein the strip (2) is led over a leading-over element (4) of a flat form and arranged under the leading-over element (4) is a spraying element (5), which directs cooling medium (7) onto the underside (8) of the strip (2) through at least one opening (6) in the leading-over clement (4). To achieve an improved spray pattern, the invention provides that at least two openings (6) are introduced into the leading-over element (4), said openings being arranged next to each other in a direction transverse (Q) to the conveying direction (F) of the strip (2) and having an elongated form, wherein the longitudinal axis (9) of the opening (6) is aligned at an angle (?) with respect to the conveying direction (F) of the strip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Jürgen Armenat, Stephan Fischer
  • Publication number: 20100024505
    Abstract: A cooling device and a cooling method for a hot strip allow uniform and stable cooling of the strip at a high cooling rate when supplying the coolant to the upper surface of the hot strip. The cooling device includes an upper header unit 21 for supplying a rod-like flow to the upper surface of the strip 10. The upper header unit 21 is formed of the first upper header group including plural first upper headers 21a arranged in a conveying direction and a second upper header group including plural second upper headers 21b arranged in the conveying direction. The cooling device is provided with an ON-OFF mechanism 30 to allow each of the upper headers 21a and 21b of the first and the second upper header groups to independently execute the ON-OFF control (start/end injection control) of an injection (feeding) of the rod-like flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Ueoka, Naoki Nakata, Takashi Kuroki, Nobuo Nishiura
  • Publication number: 20100024506
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a rolling device (1) with at least two rolls that are respectively supported in a roll stand (3) by means of chocks (2), wherein the rolls are provided with axial displacement means (4) that serve for the axial displacement in a displacing direction (x) and make it possible to move the rolls into a desired position relative to the roll stand (3), as well as to hold the rolls in this position, and wherein the rolls are functionally connected to bending means (5) that make it possible to subject the rolls to a bending moment. In order to maintain the bending force losses caused by the weight of the axial displacement means at a minimum, the invention proposes that a first functional end (6) of the axial displacement means (4) is arranged on the roll stand (3) directly or indirectly by means of an articulated connection (7) and a second functional end (8) of the axial displacement means is arranged on the chock (2) by means of an articulated connection (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Andreas Berendes
  • Publication number: 20100024507
    Abstract: A roll coupled to a separately manufactured axle rotates together with the axle in order to perform a rolling process. The roll includes an inner cylindrical surface, an outer cylindrical surface and both side faces, and at least one key way provided on at least one of the side faces is arranged adjacent to the inner cylindrical surface rather than said outer cylindrical surface, The key way is in a concave curved shape and is a portion of a spherical surface or of an ellipsoidal surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: TaeguTec, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang Hee Choi, Kil Sung Kim
  • Publication number: 20100024508
    Abstract: A system and method for producing flat tubes is described and illustrated. The flat tubes can be produced from at least one strip of endless band material having at least one wall part and an inner part formed with corrugations on a roller train provided with roller pairs, with the strip running in a longitudinal direction through the rollers and being shaped. The inner part of the flat tube can be formed with corrugations placed between the shaped wall parts, after which the closure of the flat tube is carried out. Production of the flat tubes can include forming spaced apart band thinning lines running in the longitudinal direction of the strip, and forming corrugation peaks and corrugation troughs at the band thinning lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Frank Opferkuch, Daniel Borst, Martin Ploppa, Werner Zobel, Jens Nies, Andreas Stolz, Dieter Merz, Siegfried Eisele
  • Publication number: 20100024509
    Abstract: A stem slide apparatus comprises a stem slide base (73) with a stem (6) horizontally mounted thereon to press a billet (B) mounted on a container (5), a slide guide member (72, 72a, 72b) mounted on a vertical stem move support member (71) and formed with guide grooves in which the side end portions of the stem slide base are fitted and vertically slid, and a lock means (77a, 77b) arranged on the slide guide member to press the side end portions of the stem slide base. The stem slide apparatus further comprises a drive mechanism (10) having an electric motor (11) to move the slide base in the sliding direction. Therefore the indirect cause of a fire is removed and the maintenance work simplified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Ube Machinery Corporation Ltd., a corporation of Japan
    Inventors: Takeharu Yamamoto, Yasuo Katoh
  • Publication number: 20100024510
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a press die set for forming a flange that bends an edge of a part, such as a door panel and a hood panel, at a right angle in a press-forming direction and bends an edge adjacent to the edge at a negative angle, and a flange forming method. The press die set for forming a flange according to the present invention can accomplish the flange formation described above in one step, has a simple structure, and is easy to maintain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: HIROTEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koichi SASAKI, Nobuyuki SHIOZAKI
  • Publication number: 20100024511
    Abstract: There is described a method for applying foil material (200) onto successive sheets (S), especially sheets of securities. In a first step, individual sheets (S) are transported in succession along a sheet transport path. In a second step, at least one continuous band of foil material (200) is applied onto the individual sheets (S) along a direction substantially parallel to a direction of displacement of the individual sheets, thereby forming a continuous flow of sheets linked to one another by the said at least one continuous band of foil material (200). In a third step, the said at least one continuous band of foil material (200) is cut such that the continuous flow of sheets is again separated into individual sheets (S) with portions of foil material (200*) remaining on the sheet. The cutting is performed at positions located on the sheets (S) such that said portions of foil material (200*) remaining on the sheets do not extend beyond leading and trailing edges of the sheets (S).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: KBA GIORI S.A.
    Inventors: Johann Emil Eitel, Matthias Gygi, Kurt Georg Nagler
  • Publication number: 20100024512
    Abstract: A method for producing a high strength workpiece material includes the steps of: placing an alloy material 10 into a central space of a cylindrical mold 2; vertically compressing both end faces of the material in the central space with a press member 5 and a first support member 3, thereby causing one lengthwise end of the material to flow radially outward along an end face of the cylindrical mold 2 to form an expanded part; bringing the press member 5 into contact with a lengthwise end face of the expanded part so as to press the expanded part against the end face of the cylindrical mold 2; and increasing the distance between the press member 5 and the end face of the cylindrical mold 2 while decreasing the distance between the press member 5 and the first support member 3, thereby continuously causing the radially outward flow from one end to another end of the material to gradually increase the thickness of the expanded part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Shigeru Nishigori, Toru Akita, Yoshinori Goho, Katsuyoshi Kondoh
  • Publication number: 20100024513
    Abstract: Temper rolling at a total elongation percentage of 0.1% or more is performed on a steel strip using a temper rolling mill in which at least one roll stand having high roughness work rolls, the center-line averaged roughness Ra of which being in the range of 3.0 to 10.0 ?m, is provided, or at least one roll stand having bright rolls is further provided downstream of the above roll stand, and as a result, a predetermined elongation percentage, flatness, and center- line averaged roughness can be imparted even to a steel strip having a yield strength of 340 MPa or more at a rolling load approximately equivalent to that for a mild steel without using a large facility and complicated control. In particular, a high tensile-strength cold rolled steel sheet having an Ra of 0.5 to 3.0 ?m and superior die galling resistance is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Takamasa Kawai, Yukio Kimura
  • Publication number: 20100024514
    Abstract: It is difficult to bend materials for forming beyond 180° in terms of bend angle due to the entrant nature of prior press forming arrangements including a press tool with a press recess of a static nature. By providing a press recess which is formed from actuators allowed to dynamically shift about a deflection member it is possible as a press tool engages and forces a material to be formed into the press recess to envelope the press tool and therefore achieve greater than 180° bending angles. The actuators are formed in a stack with alternate left right presentation of shaped receiving apertures which include an actuator surface 34 engaged by the material to be formed in order to cause the necessary deflections during the pressing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey C. Bishop
  • Publication number: 20100024515
    Abstract: The invention is a rebar bender that is installed in the trailer hitch of a vehicle and used to bend rebar (up to #5) at any angle and length. The rebar is bent using this tool and the strength of the person bending the rebar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Curtis Robert Hough
  • Publication number: 20100024516
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining an LPG fuel output characteristic of an LPG injector. The output characteristic of the LPG can be determined by calculating a total mass of LPG injected into a canister of known volume by the injector during a plurality of open/closed cycles of the injector. The pressure differential and temperature in the canister can be used in the calculation of total LPG mass along with a gas constant of the LPG and the volume of the canister. The total LPG mass can then be used to determine the mass of LPG injected by the injector during each open/closed cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: SCHWAN'S GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN, INC.
    Inventors: Victor Vandyke, Kevin Michael Wolter, Thomas Arnold Kulenkamp
  • Publication number: 20100024517
    Abstract: This invention is a pressure gauge designed to measure pressure over a very wide range of pressures, while maintaining a very high accuracy throughout the range. This invention reduces the number of gauges someone would need to accurately measure pressure over a wide range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Cary Ratner
  • Publication number: 20100024518
    Abstract: An instrumented ball for collecting data in an industrial mill comprising a durable sphere defining an enclosed cavity and having a substantial thickness, the sphere manufactured from a resilient material able to withstand pressures exerted by a working industrial mill, electronics disposed in the cavity comprising: a plurality of devices for sensing physical conditions inside the mill, wherein each of the sensing devices outputs a series of sensed values, the devices comprising at least an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a thermocouple, a microphone and a wear sensor, a memory for storing the sensed values, and a communication port for transmitting the sensed values to an external device located outside of the mill, and a power source disposed in the cavity for powering the electronics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Peter Radziszewski, Wei Li, Coleman Benson, Sudarshan Martins, Tapiwanashe Chenje
  • Publication number: 20100024519
    Abstract: A impact testing apparatus for includes a workbench, a bracket defining a vertical passage, a hammer slidably received in the passage of the bracket, a fastening mechanism slidably mounted to the bracket and an anvil for supporting a workpiece to be tested. The workbench includes a horizontal platform. The bracket is arranged over the platform. The fastening mechanism is configured to be selectively fixed to different heights of the bracket relative to the platform, and includes a retaining member cable of being bias between a first position to holding the hammer and a second position to release the hammer. The anvil is disposed on the platform and align with the hammer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicants: HONG FU JIN PRECISION INDUSTRY (ShenZhen) CO., LTD., HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: BING-JUN ZHANG
  • Publication number: 20100024520
    Abstract: An NOx catalyst of storage reduction type and an after-catalyst NOx sensor are provided in an exhaust passage in an internal combustion engine. The after-catalyst NOx sensor detects the NOx concentration on the downstream side of the NOx catalyst. The NOx concentration on the upstream side of the NOx catalyst is detected or estimated. The possible abnormality of the after-catalyst NOx sensor is determined by comparing the NOx concentration on the upstream side of the NOx catalyst detected or estimated and the NOx concentration detected by the after-catalyst NOx sensor, under the condition that the NOx catalyst does not substantially absorb NOx in exhaust gas. Abnormality diagnosis is performed with the possible impact of the NOx catalyst inhibited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sawada, Shinichiro Imamura
  • Publication number: 20100024521
    Abstract: The invention concerns the automatic determination of an emission value for a motor vehicle. For this purpose, a system for the automatic determination of an emission value for a motor vehicle 4 is described that comprises the following: a fuel quantity sensor 1, an identification device 3 for registering an account identification, an account database 7 containing at least one account information item for each of a multitude of accounts 8, and a determination device 6, where: the fuel quantity sensor 1 determines a fuel quantity added to the tank and transmits it to the determination device 6; an account identification registered by the identification device 3 is transmitted to the determination device 6 and is associated with the fuel quantity added to the tank; and where the determination device 6 determines the emission value on the basis of the fuel quantity added to the tank and at least one account information item of the account 8 associated with the account identification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: ARKTIK GmbH
    Inventor: Dominic De Vries
  • Publication number: 20100024522
    Abstract: A device for removing liquid or solid contaminants such as oil or dust dispersed in air in which an air flow is directed through a space formed by a spiral wall in a cyclonic chamber condenses the particles or droplet which drops down into a collection chamber below the cyclonic chamber while the cleaned air passes out through an outlet extending back up through the cyclonic chamber. A baffle plate array is located at the bottom of the collection chamber composed of spaced apart shallowly inclined partially overlapping plates which captures any cyclonic air flow at the bottom of the collection chamber. This removes contaminants which would otherwise accumulate at the center of the bottom of the collection chamber and be entrained in the air exiting the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Bryn Hartshorne
  • Publication number: 20100024523
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a method of testing humidity, comprising: i) determining a property of a device which encloses a plurality of interferometric modulators and ii) determining a relative humidity value or a degree of the relative humidity inside the device based at least in part upon the determined property, wherein the determined property comprises at least one of i) the thickness and width of a seal of the device and ii) adhesive permeability of a component of the device. In one embodiment, the determined property further comprises at least one of the following: i) temperature-humidity combination inside the device, ii) a desiccant capacity inside the device and iii) a device size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: IDC, LLC
    Inventors: Brian J. Gally, Lauren Palmateer, Manish Kothari, William J. Cummings
  • Publication number: 20100024524
    Abstract: A protective cap is provided for a sensor having a sensor element, which is disposed in a housing and includes a connection side and a measuring side, for determining gases in gas mixtures. The protective cap delimits a sensor element chamber having at least one flow outlet and an antechamber that has at least one flow inlet and is in fluid connection with the sensor element chamber in order to protect the sensor element on the measuring side. A condensate separator is provided in the antechamber. A device for deviating the flow is provided between the sensor element chamber and the antechamber and a device for accelerating the flow is provided on a flow outlet side of the sensor element chamber. A gas sensor is equipped with the protective cap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Joachim EBNER, Oliver Hausner, Bodo Durst
  • Publication number: 20100024525
    Abstract: In order to check the hermeticity of a closed cavity of at least one micrometric components, said component includes a structure made over or in one portion of a substrates, a cap fixed to one zone of the substrate to protect the structure, and an indicator element whose optical or electrical properties change in the presence of a reactive fluid. The indicator element may be a copper layer for an optical check or a palladium resistor for an electrical check. The micrometric component is placed in a container which is then hermetically closed. This container is filled with a reactive fluid under pressure, which is oxygen for the optical check and hydrogen for the electrical check. The component in the container is subjected to a reactive fluid pressure higher than 10 bars for a determined time period, and to thermal (T>100° C.) or optical (?<500 nm) activation. After this time period, an optical or electrical check of the indicator element determines the hermeticity of said cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: ASULAB S.A.
    Inventors: François Gueissaz, Jean-Paul Randin
  • Publication number: 20100024526
    Abstract: A method and sensor for measuring the concentration of an analyte about radiantly excitable indicator molecules. A stimulus waveform is used to drive a radiant source. The indicator molecules are exposed to the radiant source. A response waveform is generated to represent photoluminescent radiation emitted by the indicator molecules. A phase difference between the stimulus waveform and the response waveform is a function of the concentration of the analyte that enables determining the analyte concentration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Sensors for Medicine & Science, Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur E. Colvin, JR., Andrew DeHennis
  • Publication number: 20100024527
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide systems and methods for high-throughput screening of fluidic samples. In some embodiments, two chromatography columns are utilized in series. The first chromatography column can have a high affinity for phosphorylated compounds while the second chromatography column has a high affinity for one or more analytes of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: BIOTROVE, INC.
    Inventors: William A. LaMarr, Can C. Ozbal, Arrin Katz, Donald Green
  • Publication number: 20100024528
    Abstract: A procedure for determining the vapor pressure of a fuel in a tank is provided, whereby the sound velocity and/or a variable representing the sound velocity are determined the in the gas-filled compartment of the tank and the vapor pressure is assumed from the sound velocity and/or from the variable representing the sound velocity at a familiar total pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Martin Streib
  • Publication number: 20100024529
    Abstract: Described herein are a device and method for measuring the wetting characteristics of a liquid on a surface of a material by depositing a volume of liquid on the surface of the material, imparting kinetic energy to the liquid, and obtaining information about the geometry of the volume of the liquid on the surface. The device includes a liquid dispensing component, a kinetic energy imparting component, a position determining component, and a data generating component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Raymond Giles Dillingham, Eric Shepherd Oseas, Andrew Davison Gilpin, Francis Charles Ganance
  • Publication number: 20100024530
    Abstract: The embodiments disclosed herein relate to diagnostic products, and more particularly to lateral flow devices for detecting, for example, infectious diseases, molecules derived from infectious agents, and toxic substances. In an embodiment, a lateral flow device includes a top portion including a self-sealing test sample port and a self-sealing test reagent port; a bottom portion including a channel sufficiently designed to hold a lateral flow test strip; a test sample well sufficiently designed to accept and filter components of a test sample; a test reagent well sufficiently designed to accept components of a test reagent; and a tilting frame sufficiently designed to press the test reagent well against the lateral flow test strip while simultaneously lifting the test sample well from the lateral flow test strip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Robert E. Hopkins, II
  • Publication number: 20100024531
    Abstract: In order to count the number of steps without involving an increase in circuit size or in computational load, a mobile phone includes a three-axis acceleration sensor to detect accelerations in three directions of X axis, Y axis, and Z axis, which are different from each other, a gravity direction detecting portion to detect a gravity direction on the basis of the detected accelerations in the three directions, a gravity direction acceleration calculating portion to calculate an acceleration in the detected gravity direction on the basis of the detected accelerations in the three directions, and a step counting portion to count the number of steps on the basis of the calculated gravity direction acceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshinori Senoo
  • Publication number: 20100024532
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a sensing instrument using a piezoelectric resonator such as a quartz resonator which changes in natural frequency when coming into contact with a liquid to adsorb a substance to be sensed in the liquid, the sensing instrument having a reduced adverse effect accompanying improvement in detection sensitivity precision of a frequency change. The sensing instrument of the present invention includes: an oscillator circuit supplying a piezoelectric resonator with oscillation driving power for oscillating the piezoelectric resonator so as to set a driving current to 0.3 mA or less; and a measuring unit measuring a concentration of the substance to be sensed based on an oscillation output of the oscillator circuit. This structure can suppress self-heating of the piezoelectric resonator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventor: Mitsuaki Koyama
  • Publication number: 20100024533
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a sensor that can detect various types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as acetone, propylene, and alcohols, an environmental contaminant, odor, and the like. The present invention is a sensor comprising a sensor element having at least two types or more of polymer films adsorbing a target substance, measurement means that measures the adsorption properties of the target substance adsorbed on the polymer films, and recognition means that performs multivariate analysis on the measured adsorption properties to recognize the target substance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicants: SHINSHU UNIVERSITY, OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mutsumi Kimura, Ye Liu, Toshihiro Hirai, Midori Takasaki, Takashi Mihara
  • Publication number: 20100024534
    Abstract: A method of measuring the elastic modulus and hardness of a thin film on substrate using nanoindentation technique is provided. The method includes calculating a series of experimental corrected stiffness and contact radius pairs associated with one or more presumed parameters and information obtained from a loading curve associated with the thin film and substrate. Also, the method includes calculating a series of theoretical corrected stiffness and contact radius pairs associated with the same one or more presumed parameters and information obtained from the loading curve associated with the thin film and substrate. Furthermore, the method includes using results obtained from the experimental and theoretical corrected stiffness and contact radius pairs to compute the elastic modulus and hardness of the film material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Han Li, Joost Vlassak
  • Publication number: 20100024535
    Abstract: Provided is a searching method for acquiring ground information by mounting a resistor on the leading end of a rod and by piercing the ground with the same. The searching method acquires the ground information on the strength and deformation of the ground, by piercing the ground with the resistor including a frustum of circular cone or an arcuate member containing a deficient sectional shape, in which the angle made between the side face of the resistor having blades in the same direction as the piercing direction and the piercing direction is 5 degrees or less upward and outward from the leading end of the resistor thereby to measure a plurality of transverse ground reactions, and by rotating the resistor having the blades at that depth thereby to measure a plurality of ground shearing forces. The main information such as CøE can be determined in the ground search by inserting an apparatus of one kind into the search depth without moving it up and down.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Yoshito Maeda, Yoshinori Toyooka, Michiaki Sakate, Katsuo Sakai
  • Publication number: 20100024536
    Abstract: A method for estimating an operating parameter of a turbine engine is provided. The method includes receiving at least one sensor input, calculating the operating parameter using at least the one sensor input, and determining whether an anomaly is present in the calculated operating parameter using a redundancy system. An estimated operating parameter is output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Sridhar Adibhatla, Matthew William Wiseman, Brian Francis Nestico, Daniel Edgardo Viassolo, Brent Jerome Brunell