Author: claimsbot

1. A back contact substrate for a photovoltaic cell comprising a glass carrier substrate and an electrode, the electrode comprising an alloy thin film based on at least two elements, at least one first element MA chosen among copper (Cu), silver (Ag) and gold (Au), and at least one second element MB chosen among zinc (Zn), titanium (Ti), tin (Sn), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), carbon (C) and lead (Pb), wherein the alloy thin film is based
on silver (Ag) and zinc (Zn), said alloy thin film having a relative atomic content of Zn(Ag+Zn) of at most 75%, or
on copper (Cu) and tin (Sn), said alloy thin film having a relative atomic content of Sn(Cu+Sn) of at most 30%, or
on silver (Ag) and tin (Sn), said alloy thin film having a relative atomic content of Sn(Ag+Sn) of at most 20%, or
on copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and tin (Sn), or
on copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and titanium (Ti), said alloy thin film having a relative atomic content of Zn(Cu+Zn) of at least 20% and at most 60%, and said alloy thin film having a relative atomic content of titanium (Ti)(Cu+Zn+Ti) of at most 30% and at least 1%.
2.-11. (canceled)
12. A back contact substrate for a photovoltaic cell comprising a glass carrier substrate and an electrode, the electrode comprising an electrically conductive coating comprising adjacent metallic thin films, at least one of the adjacent metallic thin films being based on at least a first element chosen among copper (Cu), silver (Ag) and gold (Au), and at least one of the adjacent metallic thin films being based on a at least a second element chosen among zinc (Zn), titanium (Ti), tin (Sn), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), carbon (C) and lead (Pb), wherein after a thermal annealing treatment, the back contact substrate is according to claim 1.
13. (canceled)
14. A photovoltaic cell comprising a back contact substrate according to any preceding claim 1 and at least a thin film of a photoactive material.
15. A process for the manufacture of a back contact substrate for a photovoltaic cell comprising a glass carrier substrate, comprising at least one step of making an alloy thin film based on at least two elements, at least one first element MA chosen among copper (Cu), silver (Ag) and gold (Au), and at least one second element MB chosen among zinc (Zn), titanium (Ti), tin (Sn), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), carbon (C) and lead (Pb), wherein the alloy thin film is based
on silver (Ag) and zinc (Zn), said alloy thin film having a relative atomic content of Zn(Ag+Zn) of at most 75%, or
on copper Cu and tin Sn said alloy thin film having a relative atomic content of Sn(Cu+Sn) of at most 30%, or
on silver (Ag) and tin (Sn), said alloy thin film having a relative atomic content of Sn(Ag+Sn) of at most 20%, or
on copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and tin (Sn), or
on copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and titanium (Ti), said alloy thin film having a relative atomic content of Zn(Cu+Zn) of at least 20% and at most 60%, and said alloy thin film having a relative atomic content of titanium (Ti)(Cu+Zn+Ti) of at most 30% and at least 1%.
16. The back contact substrate according to claim 1, wherein said alloy thin film has a relative atomic content of Zn(Ag+Zn) of at most 50%.
17. The back contact substrate according to claim 16, wherein said alloy thin film has a relative atomic content of Zn(Ag+Zn) of at most 30%.
18. The back contact substrate according to claim 1, wherein said alloy thin film has a relative atomic content of Sn(Ag+Sn) of at most 10%.
19. The back contact substrate according to claim 1, wherein said alloy thin film has a relative atomic content of titanium (Ti)(Cu+Zn+Ti) of at most 20% and at least 5%.
20. The back contact substrate according to claim 1, wherein said alloy thin film has a total atomic content of the first(s) element(s) MA and of the second(s) element(s) MB of at least 90%.
21. The back contact substrate according to claim 20, wherein said alloy thin film has a total atomic content of the first(s) element(s) MA and of the second(s) element(s) MB of at least 95%.
22. The back contact substrate according to claim 1, wherein the first(s) element(s) MA isare chosen among copper (Cu) and silver (Ag).
23. The back contact substrate according to claim 1, wherein the second(s) elements(s) MB isare chosen among zinc (Zn), titanium (Ti) and tin (Sn).
24. The process according to claim 15, wherein said alloy thin film has a relative atomic content of Zn(Ag+Zn) of at most 50%.
25. The process according to claim 24, wherein said alloy thin film has a relative atomic content of Zn(Ag+Zn) of at most 30%.
26. The process according to claim 15, wherein said alloy thin film has a relative atomic content of Sn(Ag+Sn) of at most 10%.
27. The process according to claim 15, wherein said alloy thin film has a relative atomic content of titanium (Ti)(Cu+Zn+Ti) of at most 20% and at least 5%.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An external end device for permanent catheters, comprising a container that can be connected at one hand to at least a catheter (2; 52, 53), and at the other hand to a closure lid (20) containing a disposable absorbent material (73) impregnated by an antiseptic substance, characterised in that said container (5; 51) houses two taps (26, 27; 66, 67) being provided with knobs (8, 9) operable from outside of the container (5; 51) and having, at one hand, first connectors (23; 65) for the connection to the catheters (2; 52, 53) and, at the other hand, second connectors (12, 13) projecting from the container for the connection to an external equipment, the first connectors (23; 65) being connected to the catheters (2; 52, 53) by at least a coupling (4) exiting the container (5; 51) and externally holding a subcutaneous cuff (3) designed to be positioned in the subcutaneous tissue of the patient’s body, the second connectors (12, 13) being provided with caps (14, 15) surrounded by the disposable absorbent material (73) that is received in the closure lid (20) and has spaces (16, 17) for housing the caps (14, 15) so that the absorbent material (73) adheres to the caps for protecting them externally from a bacterial attack by means of the antiseptic substance by which it is impregnated.
2. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that said first connectors (23; 65) are connected to at least one coupling (4) inside the container, the connection being assured by a hose clamp (49) surrounding mutual engagement ends of the first connectors (23; 65) and of at least one coupling (4).
3. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that said subcutaneous cuff (3) presents silver wires (72) emerging from inside of the material to its surface for a katadyn effect.
4. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that said container comprises a base housing (5; 51) and a covering element (6), being provided with openings (30; 30) to reach the knobs (8, 9) operating the taps (26, 27; 66, 67).
5. The device according to claim 4, characterised in that said covering element (6) is removable.
6. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that each of said operating knobs (8, 9) has an elongated notch (10, 11) indicating the opening and closure condition of the respective tap (26, 27; 66, 67), and said closure lid (20) has a screwdriver head shape projection (19) engageable with the elongated notch (10, 11) of the knobs (8, 9).
7. The device according to claim 6, characterised in that said housing body (5; 51) is of a prismatic shape having side walls (43, 45), a rear wall (44; 54), being provided with at least a passage hole for a coupling (4) and a front wall (46), and an at least partial central septum (36; 64).
8. The device according to claim 7, characterised in that the side walls (43, 45) and the central septum (36; 64) have opposite grooves (41, 42) for fixed joint with correspondent projections (28) being formed in the body of the taps (26, 27; 66, 67).
9. The device according to claim 7, characterised in that the covering element (6) and the front wall (46) of the housing body (5; 51) are provided with semicircular openings (37, 38, 40, 41) for forming circular passage openings of the second connectors (12, 13) for the connection with the external equipment.
10. The device according to claim 7, characterised in that the covering element (6) and the front wall (46) of the housing body (5; 51) are provided with transversal grooves (7, 47) for snap engagement with correspondent projections (22, 21) being formed in the closure lid (20).
11. An implantation method of an external end device for at least a catheter (2) being inserted through a first skin breach (70) created in the patient’s body to reach a central vein (69), characterised by comprising steps of:
inserting in the free end of the catheter (2) a tunnelling mandrel, that is driven in correspondence of the first skin breach (70), fed in the thickness of the sub cute and then brought out through a second skin breach (68), thereby forming a subcutaneous tunnel;
positioning the catheter (2) in the subcutaneous tunnel;
feeding the catheter (2), being yet hooked to the tunnelling mandrel, along a coupling (4), being provided with a subcutaneous cuff (3), the coupling (4) being connected to an external end device for permanent catheters;
sub cute positioning the cuff (3) of the coupling (4) and closing by stitches the second skin breach (68) causing the cuff (3) to be fixed in that subcutaneous position for the period necessary for the body to develop around the subcutaneous cuff (3) a fibrous tissue that imprisons and anchors the cuff (3) to the subcutaneous tissue;
disconnecting the tunnelling mandrel and adjusting the length of the catheter (2); and
connecting the taps to the catheter (2) and positioning them in the device.
12. The method according to claim 11, characterised in that a replacement of the catheter (2) is performed by bringing through said coupling (4) both the catheter (2) to be removed and the new catheter (2) to be inserted.

1. An intermediate coupling unit that is installed in an attachable and detachable manner between two image forming apparatuses, which are arranged in a vertical direction, comprising:
a first conveying path that conveys a recording medium discharged from a lower one of the image forming apparatuses to an upper one of the image forming apparatuses without changing a direction in which the recording medium is discharged;
a second conveying path that conveys a recording medium discharged from the lower image forming apparatus to the upper image forming apparatus by changing the direction in which the recording medium is discharged; and
a third conveying path that leads a recording medium discharged from the lower image forming apparatus to an internal paper discharge tray to be contained therein without conveying the recording medium to the upper image forming apparatus.
2. The intermediate coupling unit according to claim 1, further comprising a paper feed cassette that is attachable to and detachable from a lower portion of a body of the intermediate coupling unit, wherein the first or the second conveying path is adapted to convey a recording medium which is fed from the paper feed cassette to the upper image forming apparatus.
3. The intermediate coupling unit according to claim 1, further comprising a paper feed cassette that is attachable to and detachable from a lower portion of a body of the intermediate coupling unit;
wherein when the paper feed cassette is detached from the body of the intermediate coupling unit, an internal space of the intermediate coupling unit that is formed due to the detachment constitutes a space above a paper discharge tray of the lower image forming apparatus.
4. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image recording unit for recording a toner image;
a transfer medium onto which the toner image is primarily transferred by the image recording unit;
a pair of standby conveying rollers that conveys a recording medium, which is fed from a paper feed cassette, correspondingly to a recording timing;
a secondary transfer unit that secondarily transfers the toner image onto the recording medium from the transfer medium onto which the toner image has been primarily transferred;
a recording medium conveying path that is formed by a substantially-vertical sequential bottom-up alignment of a recording medium carry-in port of a fixing unit and a recording medium discharge port of the fixing unit, the fixing unit fixing the toner image on the recording medium onto which the toner image has been secondarily transferred;
an external paper feed path that, in a portion of the recording medium conveying path that is below the pair of standby conveying rollers, joins a paper feed path through which a recording medium is fed from the paper feed cassette, a paper-feeding-side end of the external paper feed path, which is below a region where the joining occurs, opening downward to outside; and
an external paper discharge path that branches from a recording medium discharge path leading to a paper discharge tray in a portion of the recording medium conveying path that is above the recording medium discharge port of the fixing unit and that opens upward to outside at a paper-discharging-side end of the external paper discharge path, which is above a region where the branching occurs,
wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of singly performing printing on the recording medium, and
wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of being coupled to the intermediate coupling unit according to claim 1, 2, or 3 in an attachable and detachable manner at an upper surface or at a lower surface of the image forming apparatus.
5. The intermediate coupling unit according to claim 1, wherein each of the image forming apparatuses is capable of singly forming an image.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A retainer assembly comprising:
a retainer structure comprising a flexible mesh bag conforming to the shape of remediation materials contained with the mesh bag, the mesh bag comprising a plurality of openings to permit adequate fluid flow through the mesh bag and to the remediation materials; and
an anchor assembly comprising a plurality of rigid shaft members passing through the openings in the mesh bag, each rigid shaft member having a distal end larger than the opening in the mesh bag through which the rigid shaft member is passed, each rigid shaft member securing the mesh bag at the location of the opening through which that rigid shaft is passed to an anchor point, the flexible mash bag comprising sufficient flexibility to permit motion of remediation materials contained within the mesh bag in three dimensions with respect to each anchor point.
2. The retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein the mesh bag comprises a non-oleophilic material.
3. The retainer assembly of claim 1, wherein the mesh bag is rectangular and the anchor assembly comprises four rigid shaft members, each one of the four rigid shaft members passing through an opening disposed adjacent a corner of the mesh bag.
4. The retainer assembly of claim 4, wherein the anchor assembly further comprises a fifth rigid shaft member passing through an opening located generally in the center of the mesh bag.
5. The retainer assembly of claim 5, wherein the remediation materials comprise tubular fabric structures arranged in a ring shape and the mesh bag opening through which the fifth rigid shaft member passes is disposed within the ring shape.