The invention relates to compounds that specifically bind a T1R1/T1R3 or T1R2/T1R3 receptor or fragments or sub-units thereof. The present invention also relates to the use of hetero-oligomeric and chimeric taste receptors comprising T1R1/T1R3 and T1R2/T1R3 in assays to identify compounds that respectively respond to umami taste stimuli and sweet taste stimuli. Further, the invention relates to the constitutive of cell lines that stably or transiently co-express a combination of T1R1 and T1R3; or T1R2 and T1R3; under constitutive or inducible conditions. The use of these cells lines in cell-based assays to identify umami and sweet taste modulatory compounds is also provided, particularly high throughput screening assays that detect receptor activity by use of fluorometric imaging.

The present patent application concerns an enzyme capable of catalysing the conversion of a α-hydroxyglycine to an α-amide and the use of such enzymes for producing a C-terminal α-amidated peptide.

The present invention relates to a novel method for analyzing nucleic acid sequences based on real-time detection of DNA polymerase-catalyzed incorporation of each of the four nucleotide bases, supplied individually and serially in a microfluidic system, to a reaction cell containing a template system comprising a DNA fragment of unknown sequence and an oligonucleotide primer. Incorporation of a nucleotide base into the template system can be detected by any of a variety of methods including but not limited to fluorescence and chemiluminescence detection. Alternatively, microcalorimetic detection of the heat generated by the incorporation of a nucleotide into the extending template system using thermopile, thermistor and refractive index measurements can be used to detect extension reactions.

An automated method for detecting the presence of a nucleic acid in a sample, where the method is performed within a housing of a self-contained, stand-alone analyzer. The method includes purifying the nucleic acid after it has been immobilized on a magnetically-responsive solid support. A pipette of the analyzer is used to form a reaction mixture comprising the purified nucleic acid and all reagents required to perform a nucleic acid amplification. Amplification products are synthesized that include a nucleotide sequence contained in the nucleic acid or the complement of the nucleic acid. The amplification products are exposed to a probe in a mixture, where the probe forms a hybrid with one of the amplification products. The formation of the hybrid in the mixture provides an indication of the presence of the nucleic acid in the sample.

In one aspect, there is provided a cell culturing substrate including: a cell culture surface having a film attached thereto, wherein the film includes one or more plasma polymerized monomers; and a coating on the film-coated surface, the coating deposited from a coating solution comprising one or more extracellular matrix proteins and an aqueous solvent, where the total extracellular matrix protein concentration in the coating solution is about 1 ng/mL to about 1 mg/mL.

This invention relates to the field of biotechnology or genetic engineering. Specifically, this invention relates to the field of gene expression. More specifically, this invention relates to novel substitution mutant receptors and their use in a nuclear receptor-based inducible gene expression system and methods of modulating the expression of a gene in a host cell for applications such as gene therapy, large scale production of proteins and antibodies, cell-based high throughput screening assays, functional genomics and regulation of traits in transgenic organisms.

The invention relates to malodor controlling bacteria and related methods and compositions for the control and prevention of malodor.

A chair assembly includes a four-bar linkage assembly including a first linkage member, a second linkage member, a third linkage member and a fourth linkage member each pivotably coupled to one another such that the four-bar linkage assembly includes an upper end that is adjustable between raised and lowered positions, and an arm rest assembly adapted to support the arm of a seated user thereon and supported the upper end of the four-bar linkage assembly, wherein a lower end of the four-bar linkage assembly is pivotably supported from an arm support structure for pivotable movement, such that the upper end of the four-bar linkage assembly is moveable between a first position and second position located laterally outward from the first position.

A stylish ready-to-assemble chaise lounge and sofa which may be easily and quickly assembled by a consumer, is provided. The invention is a kit from which either a stylish chaise lounge or a sofa may be easily assembled by a consumer using a single Allen wrench. The kits, both chaise and sofa, comprise a seat base, a long side seatback and a short side seatback, feet, fasteners and cushions. With regard to the chaise, the long and short side chaise seatbacks have rectangular lower portions with upper portions featuring a flowing curved “waterfall” seating surface which improves the comfort of a user leaning back against the seatback.

The present invention provides a vehicle seat which includes a seat frame, a seat cushion receiving member stretched across the seat frame, and a seat cushion placed on the seat cushion receiving member. In the vehicle seat, the seat cushion has such dimensions as to cover the seat frame as viewed in plan, and a lower surface of the seat cushion has a raised portion in a region covering the seat frame, and the raised portion is raised so as not to contact the seat frame.

A method for enhancing sales of stadium seat memorabilia by utilizing a stabilizing base, with a large surface area in the shape of sports memorabilia, such as baseball bats and/or sports figures, with or without brackets, to mount and stabilize a stadium seat for use outside of the stadium, such as at home or in a commercial setting.

A safety bow assembly for a child seat comprises: a bow body that has opposite first and second ends; first and second connecting parts that are connected to the child seat, the first connecting part defining an accommodating space and having a side wall; and an engaging lever that is connected movably to the side wall, that is formed with an engaging element facing the accommodating space, and that is movable relative to the side wall between a first position, in which the engaging element is adapted to engage releasably a coupling part of the child seat, and a second position, in which the engaging element is adapted to be disengaged from the coupling part.

A vehicle seat has a longitudinal adjuster, a pair of seat rails, a releasable latching device having at least one actuating pin that projects over the second seat rail, a pivotably arranged actuating lever, and a Bowden cable. A holder is fixed on a rail and supports the actuating lever such as to be pivotable about a pivot axis at one end, and a contact surface is formed on the actuating lever, on which surface the core of the Bowden cable rests in a subarea between the end of the sheath and the end of the core. The holder secures the end of the core of the Bowden cable, and the actuating lever has a Bowden cable support on which the sheath of the Bowden cable is supported directly or indirectly.

A chair including a dynamically-flexible back and seat having a shape that adjusts to the movements of a user seated in the chair to enhance user comfort. Each of the back and seat has an air gap formed therewithin and a resilient frame or liner with a spring memory. The resilient liner is adapted to flex in response to compressive forces that are generated as the user slides his body back or from side-to-side in the chair. Accordingly, some of the chair back and some of the chair seat move into respective air gaps so that the shapes of the back and seat change to conform to the movements of the user. The air gaps also establish air flow ventilation channels which run laterally through the back and seat of the chair.

A premium class passenger suite that includes a main seat positioned in the suite together with separate bed. The bed has a flexible mattress of predetermined dimensions and is movable between a stowed position to one side of the main seat and a deployed position above and separate from the main seat. A drive apparatus is provided for driving the bed between the stowed and deployed positions. The main seat is configured to be movable between a seating position when the bed is stowed, and a stowed position with a lowered seat back when the bed is deployed for use.

An infant rocking seat includes a base; a track provided on the base having a first arc-shaped portion and a second arc-shaped portion meeting at a crest; a carriage having a body portion, a first pair of wheels positioned at a first end of the body portion, and a second pair of wheels positioned at a second end of the body portion; and a drive mechanism configured to move the carriage along the track. The carriage is positioned within a central portion of the base and is configured to ride along the track. A distance between the first pair of wheels and the second pair of wheels is less than a distance between centers of curvature of the first arc-shaped portion and the second arc-shaped portion.

A fitting for a vehicle seat is disclosed, in particular for a motor vehicle seat. First and second fitting parts are geared with one another via a meshing gearwheel and gear rim. A peripheral eccentric is driven by a drive element for driving a relative rolling movement of the gearwheel and the gear rim, and the first fitting part receives the eccentric which is supported on the second fitting part. A blocking element blocks the eccentric in the non-driven state of the fitting via toothing on the first fitting part, and releases the eccentric when driven. The gear rim is formed on the first fitting part and the gearwheel is formed on the second fitting part.

In a fitting for a vehicle seat, a catch assembly has a pivot axis, and the catch assembly has a catch and a lever which can be pivoted relative to one another about an axis spaced from the pivot axis. The catch has a hook-like contour and in the pivoted-out position of the backrest engages with a catch locking element for locking in a punctiform or linear contact region. The catch cooperates with a spring. The lever is mounted pivotably about the pivot axis and the lever rotatably mounts the catch. In the unloaded pivoted-out position, the perpendicular in the contact region runs on one side of the pivot axis or through the pivot axis. When a return pivoting force is imposed on the backrest in the pivoted-out position, the perpendicular in the contact region runs on the opposing side of or outside of the pivot axis.

A seat cushion, in particular for an aircraft seat, the seat cushion comprising a seat part having a receiving surface adapted to receive a person and a reinforcing part supporting the seat part, wherein at least the reinforcing part contains expanded polypropylene (EPP), preferably comprising fire retardant properties. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing such a seat cushion, a seat comprising such a seat cushion and a vehicle comprising such a seat.

One lower end portion of a belt anchor bracket is supported on a lock unit rotatably in a front-rear direction, the other lower end portion of the belt anchor bracket is fixed to a leg, and a seatbelt anchor is supported on an upper end portion of the belt anchor bracket rotatably in the front-rear direction.

A method of making a vehicle seat assembly comprising providing a cushion having an “A” surface, a “B” surface, a central portion, and two bolster areas, with each bolster area being adjacent the central portion, the cushion having a plurality of intrusions extending from the “A” surface towards the “B” surface to form a hardness gradient between at least one of the bolster areas and the central portion of between 8% to 25%, securing the cushion to a frame, and covering cushion with a trim member.

A wire harness for a vehicle seating assembly includes a body portion having a plurality of engagement hooks adapted for engagement with a vehicle seat cushion pan. A latticework of interconnected lateral support members are bound by a peripheral frame.

More specifically, the crash indication system for a child safety seat includes a seat bottom. A base is provided for supporting the seat bottom, which is slidably connected to the bases so that the seat body is movable relative to the base, between a resting position and a ride down position, a position due to a change in environmental forces. The seat body is adjustably affixed to a carriage to set a recline position. An indicator member is attached to the carriage and moves therewith to visually track and monitor the movement of the seat. When ride down of the seat occurs due to a change in forces to the seat, the indicator member moves with the sliding carriage to reflect a ride down position of the seat bottom. A ratchet connection is provided to prevent the carriage from going back to its resting position.

There is provided a moveable power seat slide device assembly comprising a movable seat cushion and seat rail including upper rails secured to the seat cushion and lower rails secured to the body of the golf cart, a motor for driving each movable seat and a current control circuit. The prostate golf cart seat protects the prostate area from continuous bouncing. The seat has two 8 inch stationary end cushions. The center would consist of two 8 inch cushions moving along a rail which allows riders to automatically close the 7 inch seat gap to 3 inches from the stationary end cushion. The center air space between each rider and seat would have a depth 1½ inches.

A vehicle seating assembly includes a seatpan coupled with a track assembly that has a rail and a slide. The vehicle seating assembly also includes a cushion assembly that has a movable cushion and a base cushion with a slot. The movable cushion is slidable between a forward position and a rearward position on the seatpan. In addition, the vehicle seating assembly includes a coverstock with a first portion that is disposed over a movable cushion. The coverstock also has a second portion that is disposed between the seatpan and the cushion assembly. The second portion of the coverstock is withdrawn through the slot when the movable cushion moves to the forward position. A gap is defined by the area between the base cushion and the movable cushion in the forward position. The gap is concealed by the coverstock when the movable cushion is in the forward position.

A vehicle seat includes a seat back, a seat cushion, a connecting arm that connects the seat back with the seat cushion, a seat arranging mechanism for changing the posture of the vehicle seat, and a fixing device. The seat arranging mechanism includes a base member at which the seat arranging mechanism is mounted to the connecting arm. The fixing device fixes the connecting arm to the seat cushion and also fixes the base member of the seat arranging mechanism to the seat cushion.

With a fitting for a vehicle seat, in particular for a motor vehicle seat, having a first fitting part and a second fitting part, which are rotatable relative to one another and are in geared connection with each other, an enclosing ring, which axially holds together the first fitting part and the second fitting part, forming a disc-shaped unit, and which is fixed to the first fitting part and engages over the second fitting part radially outside, and a third fitting part which is pivotably mounted relative to the first fitting part and which can be locked by means of a toothed pawl with a latching element which is provided on the first fitting part, the toothed latching element is formed on the first fitting part.

A latch plate for a lock device is proposed which comprises a latch plate proper and a film that covers the latch plate proper. The latch plate proper includes upper and lower finger portions between which a striker catching recess is defined. An upper surface of the lower finger portion includes a depressed main portion located near the bottom of the striker catching recess, a raised leading end portion and a stepped portion provided between the depressed main portion and the raised leading end portion. The film covers the latch plate proper except the raised leading end portion. The film covers the depressed main portion of the upper surface in such a manner that an outer surface of the film is flush with the stepped portion. When the film is depressed by the striker, the stepped portion enhances a function is to stop a movement of the striker toward a mouth of the striker catching recess.

The present disclosure describes a method of manufacture and a structure for an automobile seat cover that includes a seat cover body with an outer perimeter, a seat cover skirt with a first edge sewn with an overlock stitch to the seat cover body for a majority of the outer perimeter, and a second edge, distal from the first edge, comprising a tie element extending for a majority of the second edge around a seat opening in the seat cover. A portion of the seat cover skirt and the seat cover body corresponding to a location of at least one airbag installed in an automobile seat cover over which the seat cover is to be placed are sewn together with one of a straight stitch and a lock stitch instead of the overlock stitch. In some implementations, the thread used is a brightly colored string.

Embodiments of the present invention include a vehicle seat having a frame member and a reinforcing member for reinforcing the frame member. The frame member has an elongated portion. The elongated portion is formed of resin and preferably has a flat-plate-like or bar-like configuration. The elongated portion includes a first portion, a front second portion and a rear second portion. The first portion may be arranged in a longitudinal manner with respect to the vehicle seat and extends vertically. The front second portion extends in the lateral direction of the vehicle seat from a front end of the first portion. The rear second portion extends in the lateral direction of the vehicle seat from a rear end of the first portion. The elongated portion is configured so that a neutral axis is positioned between the front and rear second portions.

A seat back frame includes: a first side member and a second side member each formed into an elongated shape along an up-and-down direction of a seat back so as to support each side portion of the seat back; and a belt guide portion on which tension of a seat belt is applied when the seat belt is pulled, the belt guide portion being formed in an upper portion of the first side member and guiding the seat belt having the one end retained by a seat belt retaining member. The first side member is formed of a sheet of steel plate and includes: a side member side wall portion formed in parallel to a direction of application of the tension of the seat belt on the belt guide portion and formed continuously along a longitudinal direction of the first side member; a side member front wall portion formed on a front side of the vehicle with respect to the side member side wall portion; and a side member rear wall portion formed on a rear side of the vehicle with respect to the side member side wall portion, the first side member having an open cross-sectional shape.

A vehicle seat includes a seat cushion, a seat back connected to the seat cushion and including a storage portion, a belt member configured to restrain an occupant while the belt member is routed from a side of the seat back to a side of the seat cushion, and a rerouter member configured to be taken out from the storage portion of the seat back and connected to the belt member to change a routing position of the belt member at a middle portion thereof. In a state where a portion of the rerouter member is stored in the storage portion, another portion of the rerouter member is exposed from the storage portion.

A vehicle seat comprises: left and right side frames (4) which constitute left and right portions of a seat back frame (2); a reinforcing frame (pipe frame 5) disposed adjacent to one side frame (4) in a lateral direction, and configured to reinforce the side frame (4); and a force-receiving member (bracket 7) disposed adjacent to the one side frame (4), provided discretely from the reinforcing frame, and configured to receive a load from another member. The force-receiving member is disposed opposite to the reinforcing frame with the side frame 4 disposed therebetween, and directly fixed to the reinforcing frame.

A plurality of varactors are coupled via a first electrode to a shared terminal that in turn can operably couple to a source of control voltage. A second electrode for each varactor couples to a corresponding switch, where each switch couples to at least two different voltage levels. So configured, the second electrode of each varactor can be individually connected to either of two voltage levels. This can be leveraged to control, in coarse steps, the overall aggregate effective capacitance presented by these components. At least some of these varactors can have differing corresponding capacitances, the specific values of which can be selected in order to facilitate relatively equal spacing and substantially equal rates of reactance change versus the control voltage value between aggregate-capacitive reactance ranges as correspond to differing settings for the switches at various levels for the control voltage source.

Provided is an oscillator including: a MEMS resonator for mechanically vibrating; an output oscillator circuit for oscillating at a resonance frequency of the MEMS resonator to output an oscillation signal; and a MEMS capacitor for changing a capacitance thereof caused by a change in a distance between an anode electrode and a cathode beam according to an environmental temperature.

A communication module is provided in which its characteristic of separation between its first and second tuner units is improved. The module is equipped with a circuit board having a first main surface, and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface; a first amplifier arranged on the first main surface, for amplifying a first signal; a first mixer arranged on the first main surface, for converting a signal supplied from the first amplifier to an intermediate-frequency signal; a second amplifier for amplifying a second signal; and a mixer for converting a signal supplied from the second amplifier to an intermediate-frequency signal, both arranged on the second main surface of the circuit board.

Aspects and embodiments of the present invention provide a system for obtaining, processing and managing data from an implanted sensor. In some embodiments, a patient or other persons can use a flexible antenna to obtain data from the implanted sensor. The flexible antenna includes at least one transmit loop and at least one receive loop. The transmit loop is adapted to propagate energizing signals to the implanted sensor. The receive loop is adapted to detect a response signal from the implanted sensor. The transmit loop includes a capacitor formed by a discontinuous area. The capacitor is adapted to allow the loop to be tuned. The flexible antenna can communicate with a patient device that collects the data from the implanted sensor, creates a data file and transmits the data file to a remote server over a network. A physician or other authorized person may access the remote server using an access device.

A method applied in a tuning circuit comprising a plurality of turning cells is disclosed. the method comprises: laying out a array of tuning cells in a matrix configuration, the matrix comprising a first dimension and a second dimension; assigning a first index associated with the first dimension and a second index associated with the second dimension to each tuning cell; controlling each tuning cell using a word line and a bit line; and summing up outputs from all tuning cells to form a combined output. The tuning cell provides a first circuit value or a second circuit value according to the logical value of the bit line, and the difference between the first circuit value and the second circuit value is determined such that a turning resolution of the tuning circuit is determined.

Methods and apparatus for computing the carrier frequency of a transmitter using frequency modulated digital data to compensate for frequency shifting of the transmitter and the receiver local oscillators and for bandwidth adjustment of the receiver's filter. In particular, methods and apparatus are disclosed for binary systems transmitting “1” and “0” data using decoded or undecoded received signals.

The present invention is directed to a piezo-electrically actuated membrane (ex.—a tuner) configured for use with a tunable cavity filter. The piezo-electrically actuated tuner may be formed of printed circuit board materials and may be placed over the cavities of the tunable cavity filter. Further, the piezo-electrically actuated tuner may promote high level performance of the tunable cavity filter, while allowing the tunable cavity filter to be tunable across wide bands.

A RFID transponder includes a resonant circuit for providing a clock signal at a predetermined clock frequency, a self-calibration stage for calibrating the resonant circuit's current clock frequency towards the predetermined clock frequency. The self-calibration stage is adapted to compare a first clock frequency of the resonant circuit determined during an interrogation period, during which the resonant circuit is excited by an external RF signal, with a second clock frequency determined during a frequency maintenance period, during which the resonant circuit is excited internally through an oscillation maintenance circuit of the RFID transponder and to calibrate the resonant circuit towards the predetermined clock frequency based on the comparison result.

A circuit (C1-C4) is employed in a TWACS transponder (T) installed in an electric meter (M). The transponder generates inbound signals (IB) transmitted from the location of the electric meter to a central location (R). Firmware (F) within the transponder controls the flow of current for each pulse through the circuit by triggering a semi-conductor device such as a SCR (X1) or TRIAC (X2). The resulting current flow through the inductor for a subsequent pulse, regardless of the pulse's polarity, will be in the opposite direction to that of the previous pulse. The result is to maintain a constant level of magnetization of the inductor core which does not have to be overcome by energy in the subsequent pulse resulting in amplitude of all the pulses imposed on an AC waveform being substantially the same.

A method and apparatus for use in a digitally tuning a capacitor in an integrated circuit device is described. A Digitally Tuned Capacitor DTC is described which facilitates digitally controlling capacitance applied between a first and second terminal. In some embodiments, the first terminal comprises an RF+ terminal and the second terminal comprises an RF− terminal. In accordance with some embodiments, the DTCs comprise a plurality of sub-circuits ordered in significance from least significant bit (LSB) to most significant bit (MSB) sub-circuits, wherein the plurality of significant bit sub-circuits are coupled together in parallel, and wherein each sub-circuit has a first node coupled to the first RF terminal, and a second node coupled to the second RF terminal. The DTCs further include an input means for receiving a digital control word, wherein the digital control word comprises bits that are similarly ordered in significance from an LSB to an MSB.

A print shop consolidation system including a print shop consolidation management system with an application is provided. The application is used to (1) evaluate, with a set of information, an operational capacity of a first print shop to process both a first group of print jobs and a second group of print jobs, (2) evaluate, with the set of information, an operational capacity of the second print shop to process both the first and second groups of print jobs, and (3) use the evaluations of (1) and (2) to consolidate processing of the first and second groups of print jobs at one of first and second print shops.

An exemplary system for managing the deployment of a seismic data acquisition system uses a module configured to execute a plurality of task in the field by receiving one or more seismic devices. The module may include a power source that provides electrical power to the seismic devices. The module may also include a processor programmed to retrieve data stored in the seismic devices, perform diagnostics, facilitate inventory and logistics control, configure seismic devices and update data or pre-programmed instructions in the seismic device.

An RF test and measurement device, including a front end for receiving a time-varying signal and a real-time engine for generating digital frequency domain spectrums based on the time-varying signal. The device also includes a memory subsystem containing a frequency domain bitmap which is updated through sequential receipt and storage of the digital frequency domain spectrums. The real time engine is further configured to monitor the frequency domain bitmap for occurrence of a signal characteristic, and in response to detection of the signal characteristic, cause a capture of the time-varying signal into a storage location of the RF test and measurement device.

An apparatus and method that operates a flattener in an ink-based printing apparatus. The printing apparatus can include a media path configured to transport media sheets. The printing apparatus can include a marking module configured to jet ink drops to generate images on the media sheets. The printing apparatus can include a flattener configured to flatten the ink jet drops of the images on the media sheets in a flattener nip. The printing apparatus can include a release agent distributer configured to distribute release agent on a first rotational flattener member. The printing apparatus can include a controller configured to control the printing apparatus to reduce an inter-copy gap distance between a first media sheet and a second media sheet to prevent a first rotational flattener member from contacting a second rotational flattener member between the first media sheet and the second media sheet.

Systems and methods are provided for installing workflow servers for a print shop. One embodiment is a system that installs a workflow server for a print shop. The system accesses installation templates, configured for different categories of print shop, that describe a set of print shop resources expected to exist at the category of print shop. The system also installs workflow server software on a computer system of a print shop. During the installation, the system determines a category for the print shop, selects an installation template that matches the category of the print shop, and performs a dialogue of queries with a user to determine which resources of the set of print shop resources identified by the installation template are available to the print shop, wherein the dialogue excludes queries for print shop resources that are not in the set of print shop resources described by the installation template.

A printing system that has a printhead assembly for printing media fed along a media path and a plurality of service modules for the printhead assembly. Each of the service modules is configured to operate in a plurality of different modes and each of the service modules are independently operable.

Next generation pervasive wireless ecosystems and mobile information apparatus are herein disclosed and enabling millions of users to migrate to pervasive digital living and enterprise. Wireless communications may include the mobile information apparatus accessing wireless local area network or by direct wireless communication. The mobile information apparatus may include a wireless unit compatible with Bluetooth and/or IEEE802.11. Mobile information apparatus may conduct a local area wireless search within short distances for discovering wireless devices in its vicinity, receive an attribute related to the discovered wireless device, establish secure wireless communication with the discovered wireless device, and transfer or synchronize digital content or applications to/from the discovered wireless device. The discovered wireless device may be other mobile apparatus, wireless televisions, wireless audio devices, wireless speakers, wireless printers, among others, in a digital living room or office. Mobile apparatus may be smart phones, information pads, or laptops with touch sensitive screen interface.