All The Claims

1. A sealing case, comprising:
a main body having a first surface opened to a housing space therein;
a cover disposed over the first surface; and
a sealing member interposed between the main body and the cover,
the main body having a first fastening portion protruding toward the sealing member,
the cover having a second fastening portion protruding toward the sealing member,
the first and the second fastening portions spaced apart from each other,
the main body and the cover are coupled together to be water-tight by the sealing member, the first fastening portion, and the second fastening portion,
the first fastening portion including a main rib extended toward the cover,
the second fastening portion including a cover rib extended toward the main body,
the cover rib positioned substantially parallel to the main rib,
the main rib formed protruding at an end of the main body,
the end of the main body being stepped while having the main rib interposed between stepped portions,
the end of the main body including an outer stepped portion at the outside of the main rib and an inner stepped portion at the inside of the main rib, and
the step difference between the outer stepped portion and the main rib being less than that between the inner stepped portion and the main rib.
2. The sealing case of claim 1, wherein the sealing member includes an opening formed in a shape configured to mate with the first and the second fastening portions.
3. The sealing case of claim 1, wherein the ends of the first and the second fastening portions extend past each other, and wherein the first and the second fastening portions are configured for forcible insertion into the sealing member.
4. The sealing case of claim 1, wherein an outermost surface of the sealing member is substantially parallel with an outermost surface of the main body and an outermost surface of the cover, and wherein the main rib is positioned with respect to the outermost surface of the main body so that the main rib is surrounded by the outermost surface of the sealing member.
5. The sealing case of claim 1, wherein the first fastening portion includes a first protruding portion at the end of the main rib, and wherein the second fastening portion includes a second protruding portion at an end of the cover rib.
6. The sealing case of claim 5, wherein the first protruding portion is formed protruding toward the cover rib with respect to the main rib, and wherein the second protruding portion is formed protruding in a direction facing the first protruding portion with respect to the cover rib.
7. The sealing case of claim 5, wherein an end of the first or the second protruding portion is rounded.
8. The sealing case of claim 5, wherein the first protruding portion includes a first facing portion adjacent to the main rib, wherein the second protruding portion includes a second facing portion adjacent to the cover rib, and wherein the first and the second facing portions are positioned to face each other.
9. The sealing case of claim 5, wherein the first protruding portion is protruded toward the cover rib so as to be substantially perpendicular with respect to the main rib, and wherein the second protruding portion is protruded to be substantially perpendicular with respect to the cover rib in a direction opposite to the first protruding portion.
10. The sealing case of claim 1, wherein the cover further includes a guide portion inside of and spaced apart from the cover rib.
11. The sealing case of claim 10, wherein the guide portion is provided at the innermost side of the sealing case.
12. The sealing case of claim 11, wherein the sealing member includes a first and a second opening, wherein the first opening mates with the main rib, wherein the second opening mates with the cover rib, and wherein the guide portion is configured to support an inner surface of the sealing member.

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 taggant composition, comprising:
a first and a second taggant material that are each invisible in light of the visible spectrum and fluoresce under a non-visible excitation energy;
as binder; and
a solvent, wherein the first and second taggant materials and the binder are dissolved in the solvent.
2. The taggant composition of claim 1 wherein the first and second taggant materials each comprise at least one of a dye, nanoparticle, or phosphor.
3. The taggant composition of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second taggant materials comprises a cyanine compound.
4. The taggant composition of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second taggant materials fluoresces in infrared or near-infrared light.
5. The taggant composition of claim 1 wherein the binder comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, poly(styrene-co-allyl alcohol), poly(vinyl butyral), poly(ethyleneimine), poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly(vinylpyrrolidone), and combinations thereof.
6. The taggant composition of claim 1 wherein the solvent comprises methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, chloroform, dimethyl sulfoxide, acetone, methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate, or combinations thereof.
7. A method of tagging a material using the taggant composition of claim 1, the method comprising applying the taggant composition to a material to be tagged to form an indicium.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising applying the taggant composition via at least one of an ink-jet printer or a stamp pad.
9. A taggant article comprising a material substrate including the taggant composition of claim 1 to form a taggant on the material substrate.
10. The tagged article of claim 9 wherein the taggant provides an indicium comprising at least one of:
a detectable presence of at least one wavelength of fluoresced non-visible light;
a quantifiable concentration of at least one specific wavelength of fluoresced non-visible light; or
a readable pattern on the material substrate.
11. The tagged article of claim 9 wherein the taggant provides an indicium comprising a readable pattern comprising a barcode.
12. The tagged article of claim 9 wherein the taggant provides an indicium comprising a readable pattern comprising an array pattern.
13. The tagged article of claim 9 wherein the taggant composition comprises a least three different taggant materials that in combination provide an indicium comprising a characteristic fluorescence wavelength spectrum.
14. An apparatus for reading the tagged article of claim 9 the apparatus comprising:
an emitter capable of emitting the excitation energy to induce the taggant material to fluoresce; and
a detector in combination with the emitter, wherein the detector detects the fluorescing taggant material.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the detector comprises a pattern recognition module and a display module in combination with a user interface.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the detector comprises a spectrometer.
17. A method of tagging a material, the method comprising:
applying first and second taggant compositions to a material to be tagged to form an indicium, said first and second taggant compositions each comprising:
taggant material that is invisible in light of the visible spectrum and fluoresces under a non-visible excitation energy;
a binder; and
solvent, wherein the taggant material and the binder are dissolved in the solvent.
18. A taggant composition, comprising:
a taggant material that is invisible in light of the visible spectrum and fluoresces under a non-visible excitation energy, the taggant material comprising a cyanine compound;
a binder; and
a solvent, wherein the taggant material and the binder are dissolved in the solvent.

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) composition comprising crosslinked polyvinylbutyral (PVBX) and a thermoplastic polymer, wherein the thermoplastic polymer is a continuous phase of the TPE having dispersed therein the elastomeric PVBX.
2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the PVBX is present in an amount of from about 25 wt % to about 95 wt %.
3. The composition of claim 2 wherein the PVBX is present in an amount of from about 50 wt % to about 90 wt %.
4. The composition of claim 3 wherein the PVBX is present in an amount of from about 75 wt % to about 90 wt %.
5. The composition of claim 1 wherein PVBX is the product of the crosslinking reaction between modified PVB and crosslinking agents selected from the group consisting of: polycarboxylic acids or functional equivalents thereof; diisocyanates; and diisocyanate oligomers.
6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the continuous phase is at least one thermoplastic polymer selected from polymers in the group consisting of: polypropylenes; polyethylenes; polyvinylchlorides; polystyrenes; polyamides; polycarbonates; poly(acrylic acid); polyacrylates; poly(methy methacrylates); styrenic copolymers; polyvinylidene chlorides; polyesters; polyacetals; copolyesters; and polysulfones.
7. The composition of claim 6 wherein the continuous phase is polypropylene or polyvinylchloride.
8. The composition claim 7 wherein the continuous phase is polypropylene.
9. The composition of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is present in an amount of from about 75 wt % to about 5 wt %.
10. The composition of claim 9 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is present in an amount of from about 50 wt % to about 10 wt %.
11. The composition of claim 10 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is present in an amount of from about 25 wt % to about 10 wt %.
12. A process for preparing a composition comprising a PVBX elastomer dispersed in a thermoplastic polymer continuous phase comprising the step of using a crosslinking agent in a crosslinking reaction to crosslink a modified non-blocking PVB composition in the presence of a thermoplastic polymer to form PVBX as a dispersed elastomer in the thermoplastic polymer phase.
13. The process of claim 12 wherein the crosslinking agent is an agent selected from the group consisting of: polycarboxylic acids or functional equivalents thereof; diisocyanates; and diisocyanate oligomers.
14. The process of claim 13 wherein a catalyst is used to catalyze the crosslinking reaction.
15. A process for preparing a composition comprising a PVBX elastomer dispersed in a thermoplastic polymer continuous phase comprising the steps of: (1) combining PVB, a thermoplastic polymer, and a PVB modifying agent; (2) modifying PVB in the presence of the thermoplastic polymer to form a modified non-blocking PVBthermoplastic polymer mixture and (3) using a crosslinking agent to crosslink the modified non-blocking PVBthermoplastic polymer composition to form PVBX as a dispersed elastomer in the thermoplastic polymer phase.
16. An elastomeric crosslinked polyvinylbutyral composition (PVBX) obtained by a process comprising the steps: (1) heating PVB in the presence of a modifying agent to obtain a non-blocking PVB composition (2) heating the modified PVB composition in the presence of a PVB crosslinking agent and a catalyst, wherein the conditions are sufficient for a crosslinking reaction to take place between PVB and the crosslinking agent, to obtain the elastomeric PVBX.
17. An article prepared from the TPE composition of claim 1.
18. The article of claim 17 wherein the article is a hose, tube liner, seal, sheet, belt, wire and cable jacket, wheel, shoe sole, film, or grip.

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 process for producing a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising the steps of previously mixing, at a temperature of not more than 120\xb0 C., an elastomer component of bromide of isobutylene-p-ethylstyrene and a cross-linking agent, and then dispersing the thus-prepared elastomer component in a nylon resin in a twin-screw mixing extruder, whereby the elastomer component is then cross-linked.
2. A pneumatic tire having a thermoplastic elastomer composition according to claim 1 as an air permeation preventive layer.