Author: claimsbot

1. An apparatus for perforating and collapsing a plastic container comprises:
a housing;
a first rotating drum member configured to rotate in a first direction;
a plurality of evenly-spaced spike strips provided around a circumference of the first rotating drum member, each spike strip extending along a length of the first rotating drum member;
a second rotating drum member configured to rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction;
a plurality of evenly-spaced crimp bars provided around a circumference of the second rotating drum member, each crimp bar extending along a length of the second rotating drum member;
a structural frame mounted to the second rotating drum member and configured to vary a size of a clearance between the first rotating drum member and the second rotating drum member, the clearance configured to receive the plastic container; and
a stationary comb mounted perpendicular to a bottom of the first rotating drum member.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first rotating drum member is oriented parallel to the second rotating drum member with respect to a width of the apparatus.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each spike strip comprises a plurality of ribbed spikes configured to puncture and tear a surface of the plastic container in order to expel trapped gases.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each crimp bar comprises a plurality of protrusions and groove, the protrusions configured to collapse and deform the plastic container and the grooves configured to allow the ribbed spikes to pass the crimp bar without contacting the second rotating drum member.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a stabilizer plate including a plurality of evenly-spaced coil springs mounted a length of the stabilizer plate, the stabilizer plate configured to exert a positive, inward pressure on the structural frame to maintain a forward position of the second rotating member for maximum compaction and perforation of the plastic container passing through the clearance between the first rotating drum member and the second rotating drum member.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the structural frame comprises an upper rail, a lower rail, and a c-frame slidably engaged with the upper rail and the lower rail, wherein the second rotating drum is configured to axially translate within a slot of the structural frame such that a clearance between the first rotating drum member and the second rotating drum member is variable.
7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the stationary comb is configured to abut and remove a plastic container impaled on the ribbed spikes as the first rotating drum member rotates.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a manual drive wheel configured to actuate the first rotating drum member and the second rotating drum member.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein an exterior of the housing includes a handle configured to rotate the manual drive wheel.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a container deposit door configured to receive the plastic container, the container deposit door including a wall having a downwardly sloped surface such that the plastic bottle can roll down the wall by gravity and enter the clearance between the first rotating drum member and the second rotating drum member.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the downwardly sloped surface of the container deposit door includes a protrusion configured to contact and rotate the plastic container 180 degrees such that the plastic container falls into the clearance between the first rotating drum member and the second rotating drum member in an orientation substantially parallel to the first rotating drum member and the second rotating drum member.
12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the container deposit door includes an interlock that prevents access to the first rotating drum member and the second rotating drum member when the container deposit door is open.
13. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of sprockets configured to rotate the first rotating drum member and the second rotating drum member at a same speed when the manual drive wheel is operated.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a collection container configured to receive perforated and collapsed plastic containers.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a container access door configured to facilitate removal of the collection container to empty the perforated and collapsed plastic containers.
16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to perforate and collapse the plastic container without a source of electricity.
17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one flexible grabber configured to facilitate feeding plastic beverage containers into the clearance between the first rotating drum member and the second rotating drum member.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a height of the at least one flexible grabber is greater than a height of the spike strips and a height of the crimp bars.
19. A method for perforating and collapsing a plastic container, the method comprising:
depositing the plastic container in a container deposit door in the housing of the apparatus of claim 1; and
manually rotating a drive wheel to actuate the first rotating drum member and the second rotating drum member such that the plastic bottle is perforated and collapsed between the plurality of spike strips and the plurality of crimp bars.

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 tag label producing apparatus comprising:
at least one feeding roller that feeds a tag medium including an RFID circuit element comprising an IC circuit part that stores information and a tag antenna that transmits and receives information;
a printing device that performs desired printing on said tag medium or on a print-receiving medium bonded thereto; and
an apparatus antenna located downstream from said printing device in a transport direction along a feeding path of said feeding roller, that transmits and receives information to and from said RFID circuit element by wireless communication; wherein:
said feeding roller includes a nearest roller located at a substantially same position in said transport direction as said printing device along said feeding path, or located downstream from said printing device in said transport direction, said nearest roller being closest to said apparatus antenna,
said tag label producing apparatus further comprises a coordination control portion that controls in coordination said feeding roller, said printing device, and said apparatus antenna, such that information transmissionreception is performed between said RFID circuit element and said apparatus antenna when said IC circuit part of said RFID circuit element provided to said tag medium is fed downstream in said transport direction from a segment from said nearest roller to said apparatus antenna along said feeding path.
2. The tag label producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
said coordination control portion performs control such that said information transmissionreception is performed when said IC circuit part is transported downstream in said transport direction from a segment from said nearest roller to a center position of said apparatus antenna along said transport direction.
3. The tag label producing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
said tag medium includes a tag tape where a plural of RFID tag insertion bodies are arranged at regular intervals, said RFID tag insertion body comprising said RFID circuit element disposed on an antenna base in a manner that the position of said IC circuit part is farther downstream in said transport direction than a center line of said antenna base in said transport direction,
said feeding roller feeds said tag tape, and
said coordination control portion performs control such that said information transmissionreception is performed when said tag tape is fed such that said IC circuit part is transported downstream in said transport direction from the segment from said nearest roller to the center position of said apparatus antenna along said transport direction.
4. The tag label producing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:
said print-receiving medium is a print-receiving tape to be bonded to said tag tape,
said printing device performs desired printing said print-receiving tape,
said feeding roller includes:
a pressure roller that presses said print-receiving tape against said printing device; and
a bonding roller located downstream from said pressure roller in said transport direction with respect to said feeding path, that bonds said tag tape and said print-receiving tape,
said nearest roller is said bonding roller, and
said coordination control portion performs control such that said information transmissionreception is performed when said tag tape and said print-receiving tape are fed such that said IC circuit part is transported downstream in said transport direction from the segment from said bonding roller to the center position of said apparatus antenna along said transport direction.
5. The tag label producing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:
said printing device performs desired printing on said tag tape,
said feeding roller includes:
a pressure roller that presses said tag tape against said printing device; and
an intermediate feeding roller located downstream from said pressure roller in said transport direction with respect to said feeding path,
said nearest roller is said intermediate feeding roller,
said coordination control portion performs control such that said information transmissionreception is performed when said tag tape is fed such that said IC circuit part is transported downstream in said transport direction from a segment from said intermediate feeding roller to the center position of said apparatus antenna along said transport direction.
6. The tag label producing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a driving shaft that drives a driving roller disposed opposing said bonding roller or said intermediate feeding roller across the tape feeding path.
7. The tag label producing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:
said printing device performs desired printing on said tag tape,
said feeding roller includes a pressure roller that presses said tag tape against said printing device,
said nearest roller is said pressure roller, and
said coordination control portion performs control such that said information transmissionreception is performed when said tag tape is fed such that said IC circuit part is transported downstream in said transport direction from a segment from said pressure roller to the center position of said apparatus antenna along said transport direction.
8. The tag label producing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:
said coordination control portion controls in coordination said feeding roller, said printing device, and said apparatus antenna, such that information transmissionreception is performed after decelerating a feeding speed of said tag tape when said tag tape is fed such that said IC circuit part is transported downstream in said transport direction from said segment from said nearest roller to said center position of said apparatus antenna along said transport direction.
9. The tag label producing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:
said coordination control portion controls in coordination said feeding roller, said printing device, and said apparatus antenna, such that information transmissionreception is performed after stopping the feeding of said tag tape when said tag tape is fed such that said IC circuit part is transported downstream in said transport direction from said segment from said nearest roller to said center position of said apparatus antenna along said transport direction.
10. The tag label producing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a cutting device that cuts an entire thickness of said tag tape in which information transmissionreception by using said apparatus antenna and a printing by said printing device are completed so as to produce a RFID label with print, said cutting device being disposed at a portion between said nearest roller and said apparatus antenna along said feeding path.
11. The tag label producing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a half-cutting device that partially cuts in a thickness direction of said tag tape in which information transmissionreception by using said apparatus antenna and a printing by said printing device are completed so as to produce a RFID label with print, said half-cutting device being disposed at a portion between said nearest roller and said apparatus antenna along said feeding path.
12. The tag label producing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:
at least one of said feeding roller is a roller with a step, said roller with a step including a contacting part that comes in contact with said RFID circuit element of said tag tape, said contacting part having a shape with greater recess than other parts.

1. A seat slide for a vehicle, comprising:
a lower rail fixed to a floor of the vehicle, the lower rail having a channel structure;
an upper rail fixed to a seat of the vehicle, the upper rail being slidably engaged with the lower rail and having a channel structure cooperating with the channel structure of the lower rail to define an inner space therebetween;
a lock plate disposed within the inner space between the lower and upper rails and secured to the lower rail, the lock plate extending in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle;
a latch lever with a pawl, the latch lever being disposed within the inner space between the lower and upper rails and pivotally supported by the upper rail so as to be movable between a lock position where the pawl is engaged with the lock plate and an unlock position where the pawl is disengaged from the lock plate;
a position sensor for detecting a position of the upper rail relative to the lower rail by sensing the lock plate, the position sensor being mounted to the upper rail such that a sensing portion thereof is disposed within the inner space between the lower and upper rails and opposed to the lock plate; and
a controller connected with the position sensor,
wherein an output from the position sensor is determined by sensing the presence or absence of the lock plate,
wherein the controller reads the output from the position sensor and detects the position of the upper rail relative to the lower rail on the basis of the output from the position sensor to determine a position of the seat.
2. The seat slide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing portion of the position sensor and the lock plate are opposed in a width direction of the lower and upper rails which extends perpendicular to a longitudinal direction thereof.
3. The seat slide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lock plate comprises a base wall that is fixed to the lower rail and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a side wall that substantially perpendicularly extends from the base wall along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and has a lock hole engageable with the pawl of the latch lever, wherein a boundary point is positioned at a front end of the side wall of the lock plate, wherein when the side wall is opposed to the sensing portion of the position sensor, the controller detects that the upper rail is placed in a position rearward retreated in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle relative to the lower rail on the basis of the output from the position sensor, and when the side wall is not opposed to the sensing portion of the position sensor, the controller detects that the upper rail is placed in a position forward advanced in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle relative to the lower rail on the basis of the output from the position sensor.
4. The seat slide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper rail comprises an upper wall formed with a through hole into which the position sensor is fitted.
5. The seat slide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position sensor is arranged forward of the latch lever in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.
6. The seat slide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position sensor is a proximity sensor.
7. The seat slide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lock plate comprises a base wall that is fixed to the lower rail and extends in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, a side wall that substantially perpendicularly extends from the base wall along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and has a lock hole engageable with the pawl of the latch lever, and an extension extending upward from a front end portion of the side wall, the extension being opposed to the sensing portion of the position sensor.
8. The seat slide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lock plate comprises a base wall that is fixed to the lower rail and extends in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, a side wall that substantially perpendicularly extends from the base wall along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and has a lock hole engageable with the pawl of the latch lever, and an objective portion arranged to be opposed to a front end portion of the side wall, the objective portion being opposed to the sensing portion of the position sensor.
9. The seat slide as claimed in claim 8, wherein the objective portion of the lock plate comprises a wall that extends upward from a front end portion of a side edge of the base wall.
10. The seat slide as claimed in claim 6, wherein the position sensor is a magnetic field-sensitive proximity sensor.
11. A seat position sensing apparatus for a vehicle, the seat position sensing apparatus comprising:
a fixed rail fixed to a floor of the vehicle, the fixed rail having a channel structure;
a movable rail fixed to a seat of the vehicle and having a channel structure cooperating with the channel structure of the fixed rail to define an inner space therebetween, the movable rail being slidably engaged with the fixed rail;
a lock mechanism for locking the movable rail on the fixed rail, the lock mechanism including a first engaging member which is disposed within the inner space between the fixed and movable rails and secured to the fixed rail, the first engaging member extending in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a second engaging member that is disposed within the inner space between the fixed and movable rails and pivotally supported by the movable rail so as to be movable between a lock position where the second engaging member is engaged with the first engaging member and an unlock position where the second engaging member is disengaged from the first engaging member;
a position sensing means for detecting a position of the movable rail relative to the fixed rail, the position sensing means being mounted to the movable rail so as to sense the first engaging member within the inner space between the fixed and movable rails; and
a controller connected with the position sensing means,
wherein an output from the position sensing means is determined by sensing the presence or absence of the first engaging member
wherein the controller reads the output from the position sensing means and detects the position of the movable rail relative to the fixed rail on the basis of the output from the position sensing means.
12. The seat position sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the position sensing means conducts sensing the first engaging member in a width direction of the fixed and movable rails which extends perpendicular to a longitudinal direction thereof.
13. The seat position sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first engaging member comprises a base wall that is secured to the fixed rail and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a side wall that substantially perpendicularly extends from the base wall along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, wherein boundary point is positioned at a front end of the side wall of the first engaging member, wherein when the side wall is opposed to the position sensing means, the controller detects that the movable rail is placed in a position rearward retreated in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle relative to the fixed rail on the basis of the output from the position sensing means, and when the side wall is not opposed to the position sensing means, the controller detects that the movable rail is placed in a position forward advanced in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle relative to the fixed rail on the basis of the output from the position sensing means.
14. The seat position sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the movable rail is formed with a through hole through which the position sensing means is mounted to the movable rail.
15. The seat position sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the position sensing means is arranged forward of the second engaging member in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.
16. The seat position sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the position sensing means is a proximity sensor.
17. The seat position sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first engaging member comprises a base wall that is fixed to the lower rail and extends in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, a side wall that substantially perpendicularly extends from the base wall along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and an extension extending upward from a front end portion of the side wall, the extension being opposed to the position sensing means.
18. The seat position sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first engaging member comprises a base wall that is fixed to the lower rail and extends in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, a side wall that substantially perpendicularly extends from the base wall along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and an objective portion arranged to be opposed to a front end portion of the side wall, the objective portion being opposed to the sensing portion of the position sensing means.
19. The seat position sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the objective portion of the first engaging member comprises a wall that extends upward from a front end portion of a side edge of the base wall.
20. The seat position sensing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the position sensing means is a magnetic field-sensitive proximity sensor.
21. The seat slide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper rail comprises a pair of side walls that constitutes the channel structure, and the lock plate is disposed between one of the pair of side walls of the upper rail and the position sensor.

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 network device comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive a packet having a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) header that includes one or more of a hostname field, a uniform resource locator (URL) field, or a cookie field; and
select, using a load balancing algorithm, a target server from among a plurality of servers for servicing the packet,

wherein the load balancing algorithm distributes load among the plurality of servers,
wherein, when selecting the target server, the load balancing algorithm takes into account one or more HTTP fields in the HTTP header that are different from the hostname field, the URL field, and the cookie field, and
wherein the one or more HTTP fields include an undefined HTTP field that has no specific requirement as to its content or format and is generally available for insertion of any type of user-defined information deemed useful by users, thereby enabling the load balancing algorithm to be based on said user-defined information.
2. The network device of claim 1 wherein, when selecting the target server, the load balancing algorithm further takes into account the hostname field, the URL field, or the cookie field.
3. The network device of claim 2 wherein the hostname field, the URL field, and the cookie field include content that is defined by one or more standards or protocols.
4. The network device of claim 1 wherein the network device is a switch.
5. The network device of claim 1 wherein the one or more HTTP fields further include a HTTP method type field.
6. The network device of claim 5 wherein the HTTP method type field includes a method string that specifies one or more of: OPTIONS, GET, HEAD, POST, PUT, DELETE, TRACE, or CONNECT.
7. A method comprising:
receiving, by a network device, a packet having a HTTP header that includes one or more of a hostname field, a uniform resource locator (URL) field, or a cookie field; and
selecting, by the network device using a load balancing algorithm, a target server from among a plurality of servers for servicing the packet, wherein the load balancing algorithm distributes load among the plurality of servers,
wherein, when selecting the target server, the load balancing algorithm takes into account one or more HTTP fields in the HTTP header that are different from the hostname field, the URL field, and the cookie field, and
wherein the one or more HTTP fields include an undefined HTTP field that has no specific requirement as to its content or format and is generally available for insertion of any type of user-defined information deemed useful by users, thereby enabling the load balancing algorithm to be based on said user-defined information.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein, when selecting the target server, the load balancing algorithm further takes into account the hostname field, the URL field, or the cookie field.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the hostname field, the URL field, and the cookie field include content that is defined by one or more standards or protocols.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the network device is a switch.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more HTTP fields further include a HTTP method type field.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the HTTP method type field includes a method string that specifies one or more of: OPTIONS, GET, HEAD, POST, PUT, DELETE, TRACE, or CONNECT.
13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor of a network device, cause the processor to:
receive a packet having a HTTP header that includes one or more of a hostname field, a uniform resource locator (URL) field, or a cookie field; and
select, using a load balancing algorithm, a target server from among a plurality of servers for servicing the packet, wherein the load balancing algorithm distributes load among the plurality of servers,
wherein, when selecting the target server, the load balancing algorithm takes into account one or more HTTP fields in the HTTP header that are different from the hostname field, the URL field, and the cookie field, and
wherein the one or more HTTP fields include an undefined HTTP field that has no specific requirement as to its content or format and is generally available for insertion of any type of user-defined information deemed useful by users, thereby enabling the load balancing algorithm to be based on said user-defined information.
14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein, when selecting the target server, the load balancing algorithm further takes into account the hostname field, the URL field, or the cookie field.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the network device is a switch.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the one or more HTTP fields further include a HTTP method type field.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the HTTP method type field includes a method string that specifies one or more of: OPTIONS, GET, HEAD, POST, PUT, DELETE, TRACE, or CONNECT.