94results about How to "Minimizing abrasion" patented technology

A bioabsorbable interference screw having a tapered profile which extends along substantially the entire length of the screw. The tapered profile makes the screw easy to insert while providing superior fixation resulting from a progressively increasing diameter. Upon insertion, the screw engages cortical bone at the back end of the bone tunnel and fills all but 5-10 mm. of the tunnel, thereby providing increased fixation strength while also promoting fast healing. The screw includes a head provided with a specially designed drive socket with radially extending slots at its outer end for receiving corresponding protrusions on the shaft of screwdriver. The drive socket optimizes the torque capacity of the screw. To maintain wall thickness, the socket has a taper corresponding to the tapered outer profile of the screw. The taper of the socket also permits easy insertion of the tip and shaft of the driver into the screw.

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a positionable, direct-injection catheters that can access a specific region of the heart or other organ. The catheter is provided with one or two needle shafts, which may be located within respective sheaths that extend axially along the interior of the lumen of a main catheter shaft. Each needle shaft carries, at a distal end thereof a penetrable element or “needle” that is normally retracted within the distal tip of the main shaft during travel to the target organ, but is subsequently deployed by action of a handle-mounted trigger mechanism to extend the needles into the organ's wall. Each extended needle is curved to relative to the shaft's axis to enter the organ wall in a flattened trajectory that both reduces the chance of puncture through the wall and anchors the needles into the wall during injection (for reduced chance of pullout under pressure). A plurality of apertures which provide for more complete agent delivery rapidly, while maintaining a low delivery velocity to effect treatment delivery in as short a period of time as possible without the problems caused by high velocity delivery. The needles are typically arranged to exit the tip at contralateral orientations relative to each other

A connector for establishing electrical connection between a testing device and a test strip with a biological fluid thereon includes a contact pad on the test strip, and one or more contact wires in the testing device. When the strip is inserted into the testing device, part of the strip's end engages a contact portion of a contact wire and deflects it in a direction normal to the direction of insertion. In certain embodiments the radius of curvature (in the direction of insertion) of the contact portion is controlled to reduce abrasion of the strip by the wire. In other embodiments the radius of curvature (perpendicular to the direction of insertion) is controlled to reduce the abrasion of the strip by the wire. Sometimes the contact portion and / or contact pad is plated with a sacrificial material to reduce the coefficient of friction. In other embodiments various numbers of contacts receive the end of the strip substantially simultaneously, or are staggered in rows to distribute the resistance presented.

A swab analyzer with advantageous handling and detection sensitivity for the immunochemical detection of substances. The analyzer has a housing, an eluent application zone (a swabbing pen 2) and a reaction zone (6). The housing (1) has a local elevation with a central opening, from which a sampling and eluent application zone, designed as a porous swabbing pen (2), projects. The local elevation is provided with an at least partially circular collection groove (3) for receiving excess eluent. A window (10) is present in the housing (1) at a spaced location from the local elevation for evaluating the reaction zone (6) placed under it. The sampling and eluent application zone as well as the reaction zone (6) with the signal zones (7) are in capillary fluid connection with one another.

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a positionable, direct-injection catheters that can access a specific region of the heart or other organ. The catheter is provided with one or two needle shafts, which may be located within respective sheaths that extend axially along the interior of the lumen of a main catheter shaft. Each needle shaft carries, at a distal end thereof a penetrable element or “needle” that is normally retracted within the distal tip of the main shaft during travel to the target organ, but is subsequently deployed by action of a handle-mounted trigger mechanism to extend the needles into the organ's wall. Each extended needle is curved to relative to the shaft's axis to enter the organ wall in a flattened trajectory that both reduces the chance of puncture through the wall and anchors the needles into the wall during injection (for reduced chance of pullout under pressure). A plurality of apertures which provide for more complete agent delivery rapidly, while maintaining a low delivery velocity to effect treatment delivery in as short a period of time as possible without the problems caused by high velocity delivery. The needles are typically arranged to exit the tip at contralateral orientations relative to each other.

Disclosed herein is a linear vibration motor. The motor includes a casing surrounding the top and widthwise side of the motor, and a bracket surrounding the bottom and lengthwise side of the motor. A plate is provided on an inner surface of a side of the bracket and integrally has a cylindrical part to accommodate a coil. A mass body is provided in a central portion of the bracket and vibrates horizontally, a yoke is provided on a side surface of the mass body, and a magnet is mounted to a central portion of the yoke to be inserted into an internal space of the coil. A spring couples the plate with the yoke, thus transmitting vibratory force to the motor. An extension part extends from an end of the spring, and a bearing is provided on an end of the extension part, thus minimizing friction with the casing.

Disclosed herein is a tubular endovascular stent comprising a plurality of annular segments connected by one or more bridging elements. Each annular segment takes forms of periodic wavelets with a plurality of alternating symmetric peaks and valleys, preferably consisting of circular arc segments of large radii connected tangentially with straight segments to minimize stress concentration when the stent undergoes radial deformation, transverse to the longitudinal axis of the stent. The points of connection between the bridging elements and adjacent annular segments are so designed that deformations of the bridging elements remain negligible as the stent deforms radially, namely, the longitudinal dimension of the stent does not vary during the radial expansion or contraction of the stent. Hence, the radial strength and the longitudinal flexibility of the stent made according to the principles disclosed by the present invention can be independently controlled by the design parameters for the annular segments and bridging elements, without compromising the longitudinal dimensional stability of the stent. Since stress concentration and deformation in the stent can lead to restenosis, stent made from the invention disclosed here can reduce the probability of restenosis.

Laminated fabric panels and a method of assembling such panels. A garment, for example, is made of first and second parts assembled to one another by superimposing the first part and the second part so that their inner surfaces face one another; welding the two parts along a weld line; flattening the two parts, the weld line being arranged on the outer side; applying a reinforcement strip to the welding line on the outer side of the garment.

A coating includes a first layer of a ceramic alloy and a second layer disposed on the first layer and including carbon. The coating has a hardness of from 10 to 20 GPa and a coefficient of friction of less than or equal to 0.12. A method of coating a substrate includes cleaning the substrate, forming the first layer on the substrate, and depositing the second layer onto the first layer to thereby coat the substrate.

A hinge assembly (10) for joining a body and a cover of a mobile phone includes an inner housing (100), a key (110), a pressure spring (120), a can (130), a slider (140), a damper (150), an outer housing (160), a fastener (170), and a torsion-bar spring (190). The can includes an acceptor (132) defining an axial slot (132b) in a peripheral wall thereof, and a protrusion (131) having a stepped hole. The slider has an adjoining block (141) received in the stepped hole. One end of the torsion-bar spring is secured onto the fastener, and the other end of the torsion-bar spring is received in the slot. A user presses the key to slidably remove the slider from the stepped hole of the can, whereupon the torsion-bar spring can rotationally drive the slider and the fastener, with the outer housing turning in unison therewith. Thus the cover is opened.

An archery bow is provided including a cable guard and / or cable guide that can flex to selectively move a cable relative to a plane in which a bowstring of the bow travels to minimize cam lean, limb twist, and / or cable wear. The cable guard and / or guide can move toward the bowstring plane as the bowstring is drawn, and away from the bowstring plane, out of the way of the bowstring and any attached arrow, after the bowstring is released. The cable guard can define a bore, for example, an elongated bore, extending through it along an axis that is generally parallel to the bowstring when the bowstring is undrawn. The cable guard bore can operate as a cable guide, and can include a rounded opening to minimize abrasion to a cable moving through it. A ceramic element can be included in the bore to minimize abrasion to the cable.

An exhaust heat recovery device may include a radiator disposed at a main line and through which hot coolant circulates, an exhaust heat exchanger transferring exhaust heat of an engine to coolant, a first valve selectively circulating the coolant to the main line or a bypass line, a water pump connected to the first valve and circulating the coolant, a coolant temperature sensor detecting temperature of the coolant, a second valve connected to the water pump and disposed at a distributing line to distribute the coolant supplied by the water pump to the engine and the exhaust heat exchanger, and a control portion that controls the first and second valves depending on the temperature of the coolant so as to adjust coolant amount circulating in the engine and the exhaust heat exchanger and coolant amount circulating in the radiator and the bypass line.

An assembly for collecting material entrained in a gas stream comprising a housing having a head part and a body part, and inlet and outlet ports. A chamber port is provided in the head part having internal walls defining a primary chamber with a first end communicating with the chamber port and an opening at a second end. The axis of the first and second ends of the primary chamber are non-aligned. A flow conduit device has a first end which can fit into the primary chamber in the housing head part so that it is directed generally towards the chamber port in the housing and a second end which is directed towards the body part of the housing to provide a conduit for gas to flow between the body part of the housing and the outlet port. The flow conduit reduces turbulence in the flow of gas within the chamber.

An assembly for collecting material entrained in a gas stream comprising a housing having a head part and a body part, and inlet and outlet ports. A chamber port is provided in the head part having internal walls defining a primary chamber with a first end communicating with the chamber port and an opening at a second end. The axis of the first and second ends of the primary chamber are non-aligned. A flow conduit device has a first end which can fit into the primary chamber in the housing head part so that it is directed generally towards the chamber port in the housing and a second end which is directed towards the body part of the housing to provide a conduit for gas to flow between the body part of the housing and the outlet port. The flow conduit reduces turbulence in the flow of gas within the chamber.

An electric water pump control apparatus actively controls an electric water pump in a high speed range or a high load condition as a vehicle accelerates or overtakes. An electric water pump control method may include determining whether an engine is in a high speed / high load condition or in a normal condition by detecting an engine speed, fuel consumption amount, and coolant temperature, determining whether the coolant temperature is less than a predetermined second temperature, if the engine is in a high speed / high load condition, calculating a speed of the electric water pump by applying fuel consumption amount and engine speed, if the coolant temperature is less than a second temperature and determining a final speed of the electric water pump by applying a compensation coefficient according to the coolant temperature, and operating the electric water pump with the final speed to circulate the coolant.

A cat litter box with a pivotable container housed on a frame, the tray floor of which forms a collection tray for cat litter and the like. A cleaning mechanism is arranged standing in the container and reaching to the floor of the tray, with which cleaning mechanism, when the container is pivoted in one direction to clean it, waste matter, particularly feces, can be separated from the cat litter. The container possesses a storage chamber for the separated waste matter which can be moved with the container, which chamber is formed by a bag, the entrance of which chamber is arranged above the cleaning mechanism in the position of use. The tray floor consists in accordance with the invention of a half shell which extends over a span area of less than 250° which with a first part shell section forms the floor of an essentially open collection tray and with the other part shell section forms the rear wall of an interim storage tray for litter, whereby the cleaning mechanism is arranged at the transition segment between the part shell sections, and the storage chamber is arranged in the position of use on the side of the cleaning mechanism facing the interim storage tray and whereby the pivoting of the container from the position of use is restricted to a pivot movement of 120–180° in the one direction.

Hydraulic tension stop for vibration dampers, shock absorbers, or similar piston-cylinder assemblies, where each assembly has a fluid-filled working space, the boundaries of which are formed axially by a piston rod guide and the piston and radially by the cylinder and the piston rod which carries the piston, part of this working space also belonging to the tension stop. A stop ring is mounted on the piston rod, which ring cooperates with a slotted, outwardly tensioned damping ring, so that the tension damping can be varied as a function of the stroke. When the stop ring reaches a predetermined position, the damping ring seats in a rest-position channel in a slide face permanently attached to the cylinder, the channel having a conical surface.

A hinge assembly (10) for joining a body and a cover of a mobile phone includes an inner housing (100), a key (110), a pressure spring (120), a can (130), a slider (140), a damper (150), an outer housing (160), a fastener (170), and a torsion-bar spring (190). The can includes an acceptor (132) defining an axial slot (132b) in a peripheral wall thereof, and a protrusion (131) having a stepped hole. The slider has an adjoining block (141) received in the stepped hole. One end of the torsion-bar spring is secured onto the fastener, and the other end of the torsion-bar spring is received in the slot. A user presses the key to slidably remove the slider from the stepped hole of the can, whereupon the torsion-bar spring can rotationally drive the slider and the fastener, with the outer housing turning in unison therewith. Thus the cover is opened.

The present invention relates to a ceramic tube type ultrasonic motor having a stator including a tube-type elastic body that is formed of a ceramic material; and a plurality of piezoelectric diaphragms that are attached on the outer peripheral surface of the elastic body in a longitudinal direction thereof and to which voltages having a phase difference are respectively applied and a rotor that is rotated by the friction with the elastic body flexurally vibrating due to the voltages applied to the plurality of piezoelectric diaphragms.

A separator assembly for removing material that is entrained in a gas stream. The separator assembly comprises a housing having inlet and outlet ports for the gas from which material is to be removed. The inlet and outlet ports are located toward the upper end of the housing. A flow director is positioned so that gas flowing into the housing flows over the flow director so that the incoming gas is made to follow a generally helical path within the housing. The separator assembly also comprises a shield which extends across the housing towards the lower end thereof so as to leave a collection space between it and the lower end in which material that is separated from the gas stream can collect. There is at least one opening in or around the shield through which the material can flow past the shield into the collection space. The face of the shield which is directed towards the upper end of the housing is bowl-shaped.

A method of securing a graft in a bone tunnel, in which graft is secured within the tunnel at both the entrance and the exit ends of the tunnel to provide bicortical fixation of the graft in the bone. Interference screws or other fixation devices are used to secure the graft within the tunnel. For tibial tunnel fixation using an interference screw, the back end of the distal screw is angled so that it closely approximates the angle of the outer tibial tunnel rim. The distal screw is non-cannulated to prevent hematomas from being formed by blood flowing from the tibial tunnel into the surrounding soft tissue. The proximal screw has a restricted cannula to minimize the flow of synovial fluid entering the tibial tunnel. Advantageously, the space between the two screws fills with blood to promote faster healing and incorporation of the graft in the tibial tunnel.

The present invention relates to a cable connecting apparatus of a controller for an air conditioner in a vehicle, which can connect a cable to actuating means of the controller and actuating means of an air-conditioning case to actuate a door, wherein the cable connecting apparatus includes bending preventing means mounted thereon for connecting an end portion of the cable with the actuating means, thereby enhancing durability and a manipulation feeling, minimizing abrasion of components, using the cable as a flexible cable without any restriction in route of the cable and without bending of the cable, and reducing a manufacturing cost since the connecting apparatuses respectively mounted on the air-conditioning case and on the controller have the same structure.

The invention relates to a method and to a device for homogenizing a glass melt in a melt receptacle, wherein at least one stirring device (10, 11) is disposed in the melt receptacle, which comprises a stirrer shaft (10) and a plurality of stirrer blades (11), and wherein a gap (16) is formed between a wall region of the melt receptacle (2) and the stirrer blades (11).According to the invention, the respective stirring device causes an axial feed action in an inner stirring region (12) between the stirrer shaft (10) and the stirrer blades (11) in order to feed the melt in the stirring region along the stirrer shaft (10). A melt flow brought about by the axial feed action seals the gap (16) against direct passage of the melt.According to the invention, a very high gap width can be achieved, thus preventing the abrasion of materials in the region of the marginal gap. This also reduces the complexity required for adjusting the device. According to the invention, a high level of homogenization can be achieved regardless of the entry point of the inhomogeneities.

An archery bow includes a cable guard and an optional cable guide that holds a cable of the bow away from a plane in which a bowstring of the bow moves. The cable guard can define a bore, through which the cable is positioned, extending generally parallel to the bowstring when the bowstring is in an undrawn state. The cable guard bore can include a rounded opening to minimize abrasion to the cable. The cable guide can include a ceramic element having a rounded surface to minimize abrasion to the cable. The ceramic element can be included in an immovable or stationary cable guide, as well as an alternative cable guide including moving components, to engage and hold the cable away from the bowstring, while minimizing abrasion and / or friction on the cable.

A bioabsorbable interference screw having a tapered profile which extends along substantially the entire length of the screw. The tapered profile makes the screw easy to insert while providing superior fixation resulting from a progressively increasing diameter. Upon insertion, the screw engages cortical bone at the back end of the bone tunnel and fills all but 5-10 mm. of the tunnel, thereby providing increased fixation strength while also promoting fast healing. The screw includes a head provided with a specially designed drive socket with radially extending slots at its outer end for receiving corresponding protrusions on the shaft of screwdriver. The drive socket optimizes the torque capacity of the screw. To maintain wall thickness, the socket has a taper corresponding to the tapered outer profile of the screw. The taper of the socket also permits easy insertion of the tip and shaft of the driver into the screw.

Disclosed herein is a linear vibration motor. The motor includes a casing surrounding the top and widthwise side of the motor, and a bracket surrounding the bottom and lengthwise side of the motor. A plate is provided on an inner surface of a side of the bracket and integrally has a cylindrical part to accommodate a coil. A mass body is provided in a central portion of the bracket and vibrates horizontally, a yoke is provided on a side surface of the mass body, and a magnet is mounted to a central portion of the yoke to be inserted into an internal space of the coil. A spring couples the plate with the yoke, thus transmitting vibratory force to the motor. An extension part extends from an end of the spring, and a bearing is provided on an end of the extension part, thus minimizing friction with the casing.