Author: claimsbot

1. An apparatus comprising:
a fluid delivery system;
a first print head coupled to the fluid delivery system having nozzle openings and fluid passages leading to the nozzle openings;
a flexible circuit electrically connected to the first print head;
and a solidified adhesive paste layer sandwiched between the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system, the nozzle openings of the first printhead extending on a first side of the solidified adhesive paste layer, and the flexible circuit extending on a second side of the solidified adhesive paste layer opposite the first side, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer forms a hermetic seal between the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system completely about and completely surrounding a perimeter of the first print head.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second print head, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer forms a hermetic seal between the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system at least partially about a perimeter of the second print head.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a first trench extending into the fluid delivery system adjacent the solidified adhesive paste layer, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer extends in at least portions of the trench.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first trench extends between the first print head and the second print head.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:
a second trench parallel to the first trench and between the first print head and the second print head; and
a landing between the first trench and the second trench, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer extends on the landing.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first trench extends below and along an edge of the solidified adhesive paste layer.
7. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:
a second trench parallel to the first trench and between the first print head and the second print head; and
a landing between the first trench and the second trench, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer extends on the landing.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first trench and the second trench extend about both the first print head and the second print head.
9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer continuously extends entirely about the first print head and the second print head.
10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer continuously extends between the first print head and the second print head.
11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer includes:
a first loop continuously extending about the first print head; and
a second independent loop continuously extending about the second print head.
12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer includes:
a loop continuously extending about both the first print head and the second print head; and
a segment continuously extending from a first side of the loop to a second opposite side of the loop between the first print head and the second print head.
13. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the fluid delivery system includes a first pocket receiving the first print head and a second pocket receiving the second print head and wherein the apparatus further comprises a trench extending into the fluid delivery system adjacent the solidified adhesive paste layer and spaced from the first pocket and the second pocket.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid delivery system includes a pocket receiving the first print head, wherein the apparatus further comprises a trench extending into the fluid delivery system adjacent the solidified adhesive paste layer and spaced from the pocket.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adhesive paste layer is spaced from the first print head.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the fluid delivery system includes a pocket receiving the first print head and wherein the adhesive paste layer is spaced from the pocket.
17. A method comprising:
providing a print head having nozzle openings and fluid passages leading to the nozzle openings;
coupling the print head to a fluid delivery system;
providing a flexible circuit electrically connected to the to the first print head;
forming a layer of adhesive paste on one of the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system; and
positioning the layer of adhesive paste against the other of the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system to sandwich said layer of adhesive paste, such that the nozzle openings of the printhead extending on a first side of the solidified adhesive paste layer, and the flexible circuit extending on a second side of the solidified adhesive paste layer opposite the first side, the layer of adhesive paste extending completely about and completely surrounding a perimeter of the print head and spaced from the print head.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the layer of adhesive paste is formed by treating a pre-form from a non-paste state to a paste state.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the layer of adhesive paste is formed by ejecting a bead of viscous adhesive paste on one of the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the layer of adhesive paste has a viscosity of less than or equal to about 200,000 centipoise during the forming of the layer on one of the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system.
21. The method of claim 17, wherein the fluid delivery system includes a trench spaced from the print head and wherein positioning the layer of adhesive paste against the other of the flexible circuit in the fluid delivery system squeezes some of the adhesive paste into the trench.
22. The method of claim 17, wherein coupling the print head to the fluid delivery system comprises positioning the print head within a pocket and wherein the formed layer of adhesive paste is spaced from the pocket.
23. An apparatus comprising:
a fluid delivery system;
a first print head coupled to the fluid delivery system having fluid passages leading to nozzle openings;
a flexible circuit electrically connected to the first print head; and
a solidified adhesive paste layer sandwiched between the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system, wherein the layer forms a hermetic seal between the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system at least partially about a perimeter of the first print head;
a second print head, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer forms a hermetic seal between the flexible circuit and the fluid delivery system at least partially about a perimeter of the second print head; and
a first trench extending into the fluid delivery system adjacent the solidified adhesive paste layer, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer extends in at least portions of the trench.
24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first trench extends between the first print head and the second print head.
25. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising:
a second trench parallel to the first trench and between the first print head and the second print head; and
a landing between a first trench and the second trench, wherein the solidified adhesive paste layer extends on the landing.

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 method of operating a tournament in an amusement device network, the method comprising:
initiating a tournament including a plurality of electronic games playable by tournament participants using amusement devices in the amusement device network and participating in the tournament;
receiving score information from amusement devices in the amusement device network participating in the tournament, the score information associated with tournament participants playing any of the plurality of electronic games;
normalizing the received score information across the plurality of electronic games;
determining a normalized tournament score for each of the tournament participants; and
outputting to at least one amusement device in the amusement device network the normalized tournament score.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic games is a subset of all games available on the amusement device.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein normalizing the received score information further comprises increasing a score received by a tournament participant by a predetermined amount.
4. A method of initiating a tournament in an amusement device network, the method comprising:
receiving a request to initiate the tournament from an administrator, the request defining a tournament period between a start time and an end time;
receiving selections of a plurality of electronic games included in the tournament;
conducting the tournament with the selected plurality of electronic games being playable during the tournament period on amusement devices in the amusement device network;
normalizing results of tournament participants for the plurality of electronic games included in the tournament; and
populating a leader board of the tournament participants based on the normalized scores, wherein positions of the tournament participants on the leader board are determined independently of the individual games played by the tournament participants.
5. A method of operating a tournament in an amusement device network, the method comprising:
defining a plurality of challenges in a plurality of electronic games, the electronic games being playable on currency operated amusement devices in the amusement device network;
assigning a point value for completing each of the challenges in each of the plurality of electronic games;
conducting a tournament, the tournament including a plurality of tournament participants playing at least one of the plurality of electronic games on an amusement device in the amusement device network; and
populating a tournament leader board based on a total point score of each of the tournament participants, wherein the total point score is based on the challenges completed by each of the tournament participants.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the point values for each of the challenges are assigned based on the relative difficulty of completing the respective challenges.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein a tournament participant is awarded a point value assigned to a challenge each time the tournament participant completes that challenge during the tournament.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the total point score is independent of player scores awarded to tournament participants for completing game play of the electronic Games.
9. A method of operating a multiplayer tournament in an amusement device network, the method comprising:
initiating the multiplayer tournament, the multiplayer tournament including at least one electronic game playable by multiple users simultaneously on one or more currency operated amusement devices in the amusement device network;
receiving combined scores for each of a plurality of game play instances of the at least one electronic game, each of the combined scores corresponding to a game play score of a team of tournament participants for the respective game play instance;
calculating team scores for each of the teams of tournament participants based on the received combined scores; and
populating a tournament leader board based on the calculated team scores.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one electronic game is played collaboratively by the multiple tournament participants.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one electronic game is played in a versus mode by the multiple tournament participants.
12. A method of conducting a bracket elimination tournament in an amusement device network, the method comprising:
initiating a tournament, the tournament including at least one electronic game playable by a plurality of tournament participants on one or more currency operated amusement devices;
registering a plurality of tournament participants, the tournament participants playing the at least one electronic game on the one or more currency operated amusement devices;
assigning each of the registered tournament participants to a slot in an elimination bracket, wherein each slot is assigned a predefined opponent slot in the bracket, and wherein a winning player of the opposing slots advances to a further round of the bracket elimination tournament; and
managing game play of the at least one electronic game such that tournament participants are eliminated until a single tournament participant remains.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the registered tournament participants are assigned to one of the slots in the elimination bracket based on a skill level of the respective tournament participants.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the registered tournament participants are provided a seed, and wherein in a first round of the tournament, tournament participants with the highest seeds are assigned to play against tournament participants with the lowest seeds.

1. A metal bellows tube wherein sectional shapes of a ridge and a valley in a bellows-shaped tube wall are V-shaped.
2. The metal bellows tube of claim 1, wherein the pitch of the bellows is 1.5 mm or less, and the height of the ridge is 0.5-4.0 mm.
3. The metal bellows tube of claim 2, wherein the thickness of the wall of the bellows-shaped tube is 0.1-0.3 mm.
4. The metal bellows tube of claim 1, wherein the tube has an outside diameter of 4.5-20 mm.
5. A method of producing a metal bellows tube, which comprises preparing a metal bellows fundamental tube wherein sectional shapes of a ridge and a valley in a bellows-shaped tube wall are U-shaped, compressing said fundamental tube in the longitudinal direction to bring adjacent ridges and valleys of the bellows-shaped tube wall into close contact with each other, further pressure-forming the tube until the inside space of each ridge and the gap between adjacent ridges substantially disappear by pressing, and then stretching, in the longitudinal direction of the tube, the fundamental tube after the pressure forming until a peak-to-peak gap of the adjacent ridges reaches a predetermined distance.
6. The production method of claim 5, wherein the peak-to-peak gap between adjacent ridges is 1.5 mm or less, and the height of the ridge is 0.5-4.0 mm, after stretching, in the longitudinal direction of the tube, of the above fundamental tube after the pressure forming.
7. A flexible tube for a high-pressure fluid, which is capable of transferring a high-pressure fluid of 70 MPa, and which comprises a metal bellows tube and a tubular metal braid covering the outside of said tube, wherein
the metal bellows tube has been formed such that a ridge and a valley in the bellows-shaped tube wall have a V-shaped sectional shape,
the tubular metal braid has both ends joined with the respectively corresponding both ends of the metal bellows tube, and
the total sectional area S of the metal braid member and the material of the metal strand are determined so as to satisfy
(\u03c3\xd7cos(\u03b82))n\u2267FS

wherein F N is a force of a high-pressure fluid which acts to stretch a metal bellows tube, S mm2 is the total sectional area of a metal strand appearing on the cross-section of the metal braid, a crossing angle \u03b8 of the metal braid=50-120 degrees, \u03c3 MPa is a tensile strength of the material of said metal strand, and n is a safety factor.
8. The flexible tube of claim 7, wherein the force F is 1374-17813 N and the safety factor n is 4.
9. The flexible tube of claim 7, wherein the high-pressure fluid is a hydrogen gas or a mixture of a hydrogen gas and liquid hydrogen.
10. The flexible tube of claim 7, wherein the both ends of the metal bellows tube have a metal pipe as a mouth piece, and the mouth piece is joined with the end of the metal braid by welding or brazing.
11. The flexible tube of claim 7, wherein the end of the metal braid is joined with a mouth piece by brazing, the end of the metal braid is furnished with a braid presser ring covering the braid, the metal braid and the braid presser ring are brazed to the mouth piece, with the end faces approximately at an even position, the braid presser ring has a through hole that exposes the metal braid at a predetermined position from the end face, and the through hole allows confirmation of penetration of a solder in the braid at least to the predetermined position.
12. The flexible tube of claim 7, wherein the end of the metal braid is joined with a mouth piece by brazing, the end of the metal braid is furnished with a braid presser ring covering the braid, the metal braid and the braid presser ring are brazed to the mouth piece, with the end faces approximately at an even position, and the inside of the braid presser ring andor the outside of the mouth piece comprises a circular recess or single recess that allows a solder to flow therein and serves as a stopper.
13. The flexible tube of claim 7, wherein the metal bellows tube has a pitch of the bellows of 2 mm or less, and a height of the ridge of 1-4 mm.
14. The flexible tube of claim 7, wherein the thickness of the wall of the bellows-shaped tube is 0.1-0.5 mm.
15. The flexible tube of claim 7, wherein the metal bellows tube has an inside diameter of 4-17 mm.
16. The flexible tube of claim 7, wherein the metal bellows tube is formed by the production method of claim 5.
17. The flexible tube of claim 7, wherein the above-described force F is 1374-17813 N and n=4,
the metal bellows tube is made of stainless steel, and has an inside diameter of 4-17 mm and a thickness of the wall of the bellows-shaped tube of 0.1-0.5 mm, and
the metal braid has a structure wherein a densely braided layer comprising strands made of stainless steel and having a diameter of 0.3 mm in strand number of 6-10 is superposed in 2 to 6 layers on the outside of the metal bellows tube.
18. The metal bellows tube of claim 2, wherein the tube has an outside diameter of 4.5-20 mm.
19. The metal bellows tube of claim 3, wherein the tube has an outside diameter of 4.5-20 mm.

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 water-soluble lubricant comprising:
84% to 89% water;
3% to 8% vegetable oil;
6% to 11% propylene glycol;
0.5% to 2% polyethylene oxide;
0.1% to 1% homopolymer acrylic acid;
less than 0.01% copolymer acrylic acid;
less than 0.01% biocide;
less than 0.01% sodium hydroxide;
less than 0.01% petroleum derivatives; and,
less than 0.01% nonylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol.
2. A lubricant comprising:
water;
vegetable oil;
polymeric thickener; and,
a water-soluble, polymeric dispersant.
3. The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the lubricant further comprises a colligative agent.
4. The lubricant of claim 3, wherein the lubricant further comprises a surfactant.
5. The lubricant of claim 4, wherein the lubricant further comprises a base.
6. The lubricant of claim 5, wherein the lubricant further comprises a biocide.
7. The lubricant of claim 6, wherein the lubricant further comprises a defoamer.
8. The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 30% to approximately 99% water.
9. The lubricant of claim 8, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 0.01% to approximately 15% vegetable oil.
10. The lubricant of claim 9, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 0.1% to approximately 1% polymeric thickener.
11. The lubricant of claim 10, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 0.5% to approximately 5% water-soluble, polymeric dispersant.
12. The lubricant of claim 3, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 0% to approximately 60% colligative agent.
13. The lubricant of claim 12, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 0.01% to approximately 1% biocide.
14. The lubricant of claim 13, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 0.01% to approximately 1% base.
15. The lubricant of claim 14, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 0.01% to approximately 1% surfactant.
16. The lubricant of claim 15, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 0.01% to approximately 1% defoamer.
17. The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the lubricant comprises:
less than approximately 60% colligative agent.
18. The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the lubricant comprises:
less than approximately 1% biocide.
19. The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the lubricant comprises:
less than approximately 1% base.
20. The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the lubricant comprises:
less than approximately 1% surfactant.
21. The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the lubricant comprises:
less than approximately 1% defoamer.
22. The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the lubricant comprises:
greater than approximately 0% colligative agent.
23. The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the lubricant comprises:
greater than approximately 0.01% biocide.
24. The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the lubricant comprises:
greater than approximately 0.01% base.
25. The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the lubricant comprises:
greater than approximately 0.01% surfactant.
26. The lubricant of claim 2, wherein the lubricant comprises:
greater than approximately 0.01% defoamer.
27. The lubricant of claim 8, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 84% to approximately 89% water.
28. The lubricant of claim 27, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 3% to approximately 8% vegetable oil.
29. The lubricant of claim 28, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 0.1% to approximately 1% polymeric thickener.
30. The lubricant of claim 29, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 0.5% to approximately 2% water-soluble, polymeric dispersant.
31. The lubricant of claim 11, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 84% to approximately 89% water.
32. The lubricant of claim 31, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 3% to approximately 8% vegetable oil.
33. The lubricant of claim 32, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 0.1% to approximately 1% polymeric thickener.
34. The lubricant of claim 33, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 0.5% to approximately 2% water-soluble, polymeric dispersant.
35. The lubricant of claim 34, wherein the lubricant comprises:
approximately 6% to approximately 11% colligative agent.
36. The lubricant of claim 35, wherein the lubricant comprises:
less than approximately 0.01% biocide.
37. The lubricant of claim 36, wherein the lubricant comprises:
less than approximately 0.01% base.
38. The lubricant of claim 37, wherein the lubricant comprises:
less than approximately 0.01% surfactant.
39. The lubricant of claim 38, wherein the lubricant comprises:
less than approximately 0.01% defoamer.
40. The lubricant of claim 9, wherein the polymeric thickener is a homopolymer acrylic acid.
41. The lubricant of claim 40, wherein the dispersant is polyethylene oxide.
42. The lubricant of claim 3, wherein the colligative agent is an antifreeze.
43. The lubricant of claim 42, wherein the antifreeze is propylene glycol.
44. The lubricant of claim 4, wherein the surfactant is nonylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol.
45. The lubricant of claim 5, wherein the base is sodium hydroxide.
46. The lubricant of claim 7, wherein the defoamer is petroleum derivatives.
47. A method for preparing a lubricant, the method comprising:
combining polyethylene oxide and propylene glycol;
combining an emulsifying agent and castor oil;
filling a container with water;
adding a surfactant to the water;
adding a biocide to the water;
adding combination of the polyethylene oxide and the propylene glycol;
adding combination of the emulsifying agent and the castor oil; and,
adding sodium hydroxide.
48. A method for preparing a lubricant, the method comprising:
combining a vegetable oil and a polymeric thickener;
filling a container with water;
adding combination of the vegetable oil and the polymeric thickener; and,
adding a water-soluble, polymeric dispersant.
49. The method of claim 48, wherein the method further comprises:
mixing an anti-freeze with the dispersant prior to addition to the water.
50. The method of claim 49, wherein the method further comprises:
adding a surfactant.
51. The method of claim 50, wherein the method further comprises:
adding a biocide.
52. The method of claim 51, wherein the method further comprises:
adding a base.
53. The method of claim 48, wherein the water is approximately 30% to approximately 99% by weight, the vegetable oil is approximately 0.01% to approximately 15% by weight, the polymeric thickener is approximately 0.1% by to approximately 1% by weight, and the dispersant is approximately 0.5% to approximately 5% by weight.
54. The method of claim 53, wherein the water is approximately 84% to approximately 89% by weight, the vegetable oil is approximately 3% to approximately 8% by weight and the dispersant is approximately 0.5% to approximately 2% by weight.
55. The method of claim 52, wherein the anti-freeze is approximately 0% to approximately 60% by weight, the biocide is approximately 0.01% to approximately 1% by weight, the surfactant is approximately 0.01% to approximately 1% by weight, the defoamer is approximately 0.01% to approximately 1% by weight, and the base is approximately 0.01% to approximately 1% by weight.
56. The method of claim 55, wherein the anti-freeze is propylene glycol, the surfactant is nonylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol, the defoamer is petroleum derivatives, the base is sodium hydroxide, the vegetable oil is castor oil, the dispersant is polyethylene oxide, and the thickener is homopolymer acrylic acid, wherein the propylene glycol is approximately 6% to approximately 11%, the nonylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol is less than approximately 0.01%, the petroleum derivates are less than approximately 0.01%, the sodium hydroxide is less than approximately 0.01%, the castor oil is approximately 3% to approximately 8%, the polyethylene oxide is approximately 0.5% to approximately 2%, the water is approximately 84% to approximately 89%, and the biocide is less than approximately 0.01%.