All The Claims

I claim:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper portion forming a shell, said shell having a heel portion and a toe region;
a sole, said sole having a heel portion and a toe portion; and
an energy storage system, said energy storage system extending between said upper portion and said sole and converting an impact force generated by the user at or near said heel portion of said shell into a propulsion force angled with respect to the impact force to thereby enhance a user’s performance.
2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said energy storage system comprises at least one energy storage member, said energy storage member compressing in response to the impact force generated by the user and then rebounding to generate a propulsion force in a direction angled with respect to the direction of the impact force.
3. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein, said energy storage member rebounds to generate a forward propulsion force.
4. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein said energy storage member rebounds to generate a generally vertical propulsion force.
5. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein said energy storage member comprises a wire-shaped member.
6. The article of footwear according to claim 5, wherein said wire-shaped member comprises a metal wire-shaped member.
7. The article of footwear according to claim 5, wherein said wire-shaped member includes a longitudinal extent and a generally uniform cross-section along said longitudinal extent.
8. The article of footwear according to claim 5, wherein said wire-shaped member includes a longitudinal extent and a varying cross-section along said longitudinal extent.
9. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein said energy storage member comprises a pair of spring portions, a first spring portion of said pair of spring portions provided at a medial side of the footwear and a second spring portion of said pair of said spring portions provided at a lateral side of said footwear.
10. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein said first spring and second spring portions comprise C-shaped members.
11. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein said first spring portions and second spring portion are co-joined by a C-shaped base, said C-shaped base extending around said heel portion of said sole.
12. The article of footwear according to claim 2, further comprising a second energy storage member positioned between said heel portion of said shell and said heel portion of said sole.
13. The article of footwear according to claim 12, wherein said second energy storage member comprises a compressible body.
14. The article of footwear according to claim 13, wherein said compressible body comprises a compressible bladder.
15. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein said energy storage system suspends said heel portion of said shell above said heel portion of said sole.
16. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper portion, said upper portion forming a shell, said shell including a heel portion and a toe region;
a sole, said sole having a curved lower surface extending generally from a heel area of said sole to at least a middle portion of said sole;
an energy storage system, said energy storage system initially absorbing at least some of the impact forces generate by a user of the footwear at said heel portion and releasing the absorbed energy when the user’s foot has pivoted about said curved lower surface.
17. The article of footwear according to claim 16, wherein said energy storage system includes a spring, said spring having spring portions at a medial side of said footwear and a lateral side of said footwear.
18. The article of footwear according to claim 17, wherein said spring portions comprise generally C-shaped members.
19. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein said spring portions initially compress to an initial orientation upon application of the impact force and further shift with respect to said initial orientation to an intermediate orientation.
20. The article of footwear according to claim 17, wherein said spring comprises a wire-shaped member.
21. The article of footwear according to claim 17, wherein said energy storage system further includes a cushioning member below said heel portion of said shell.
22. The article of footwear according to claim 20, wherein said cushioning member comprises a compressible bladder.
23. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper portion, said upper portion forming a shell, said shell including a heel portion and a toe region and having a longitudinal axis;
a sole, said sole having a heel portion and a toe portion;
an energy storage member, said energy storage member extending along said longitudinal axis between said shell and said sole, said energy storage member having a longitudinal extent and a variable spring constant across said longitudinal extent wherein said energy storage member generates a varying resistance along said longitudinal axis of said shell.
24. The article of footwear according to claim 23, wherein said energy storage member comprises a sinusoidal-shaped member.
25. The article of footwear according to claim 24, wherein said sinusoidal-shaped member includes a forward portion anchored between said toe portion of said shell and said toe portion of said sole.
26. The article of footwear according to claim 25, wherein said sinusoidal-shaped member includes a rearward portion, said rearward portion guided between said shell and said sole.
27. The article of footwear according to claim 26, further comprising a cushioning member positioned between said heel portion of said shell and said heel portion of said sole.
28. The article of footwear according to claim 27, wherein said cushioning member comprises a compressible bladder.
29. The article of footwear according to claim 27, wherein said cushioning member is positioned adjacent said rearward portion of said sinusoidal-shaped member.
30. The article of footwear according to claim 29, wherein said sinusoidal-shaped member has a spring contact, said spring constant of said sinusoidal-shaped increases toward said toe region of said sole.
31. The article of footwear according to claim 23, further comprising a second energy-absorbing member, said second energy absorbing member comprising a spring, said spring converting an impact force into a propulsion force for the wearer of said footwear.
32. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper portion, said upper portion forming a shell, said shell including a heel portion and a toe portion and having a longitudinal axis;
a sole, said sole including a heel portion and a toe portion;
a pair of spring portions, said spring portions transferring a reaction force from said sole to said upper portion, each of said spring portions including an upper spring portion connecting to said upper portion, a lower spring portion connecting to said sole, and a middle portion extending between said upper and lower spring portions, said middle portion being forward relative to said upper and lower spring portions wherein said upper spring portion deflects about said medial portion to define a first moment arm when said sole makes initial contact with a ground surface with said heel portion of said sole, said upper spring portion translating forward with respect to said lower spring portion when the user’s body weight shifts forward, and said upper spring portion rolling about said middle portion as the user’s body weight continues to shift forward and, thereafter, generating a propulsion force for the user of the footwear.
33. The article of footwear according to claim 32, wherein said upper and lower spring portions are anchored to said upper portions.
34. The article of footwear according to claim 32, wherein said pair of spring portions comprise C-shaped spring portions.
35. The article of footwear according to claim 34, further comprising a C-shaped base member interconnecting said C-shaped spring portions.
36. The article of footwear according to claim 35, further comprising a wire-shaped member, said wire-shaped member forming said C-shaped spring portion and said C-shaped base member.
37. The article of footwear according to claim 36, wherein said wire-shaped member has a generally uniform cross-section.
38. The article of footwear according to claim 35, wherein said wire-shaped member has a varying property, said property comprising at least one property selected from a cross-section and a section modulus.
39. The article of footwear according to claim 37, wherein said wire-shaped member has a tapered cross-section extending from a middle portion of each of said C-shaped spring portions to a distal end of each of said C-shaped spring portions and from said middle portion of each of said C-shaped spring portions to said C-shaped base member.
40. The article of footwear according to claim 36, wherein said wire member comprises a metal wire member.
41. The article of footwear according to claim 32, wherein said sole includes a curved sole portion to form a rocker member.
42. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole having a heel portion and a toe portion;
an upper portion comprising a shell for enclosing a user’s foot therein, said shell having a portion for extending at least partially around a user’s ankle, and said upper portion having a heel portion and a toe portion; and
an energy storage system extending between said upper portion and said sole, said energy storage system including an energy storage member, said energy storage member connected to said upper portion above said heel portion and connected to said sole, said energy storage member suspending said heel portion of said upper portion above said heel portion of said sole wherein said heel portion of said upper portion is spaced from said heel portion of said sole, and said energy storage member transferring reaction forces from said sole to said upper portion above said heel portion of said upper portion whereby said energy storage member at least reduces overturning moment forces on the user’s ankle when lateral forces are applied in said article of footwear.
43. The article of footwear according to claim 42, wherein said energy storage member comprises a first energy storage member, said energy storage system comprising a second energy storage member, said first energy storage member comprising a spring.
44. The article of footwear according to claim 43, wherein said second energy storage member comprises a compressible body.
45. The article of footwear according to claim 43, wherein said first energy storage member comprises a pair of spring portions, one of said spring portions located at a medial side of said article, and an other of said spring portions being located at a lateral side of said article.
46. The article of footwear according to claim 45, wherein said spring portions comprise C-shaped members.
47. The article of footwear according to claim 42, wherein said upper portion transferring vertical forces of said reaction forces to said heel portion wherein said vertical forces and lateral forces of said reaction forces are decoupled prior to transferring said forces to the user’s foot.

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 portable manually operated batch operation device comprising:
a liquid reservoir containing a batch of liquid to be ozonated;
a generator producing an ozone containing gas;
an apparatus for preventing liquid from entering the ozone generator;
a gas pumping system arranged for causing the ozone-containing gas to flow from the ozone generator to a contact region;
a controller, responsive to an onoff switch, to operate the ozone generator and the gas pumping system continuously while the device is on;
a liquid passageway arranged to receive liquid from said reservoir solely under the force of gravity, said liquid passageway conducting liquid from the liquid reservoir to the contact region, where ozone from the ozone-containing gas dissolves in the liquid;
a system for separating undissolved gas from the liquid containing dissolved ozone;
a system for preventing ozone in the separated gas from escaping into the atmosphere by passing the separated gas through an ozone reducing material before venting;
a controllable delivery system, connected to and receiving liquid containing dissolved ozone from the liquid passageway, to direct the liquid containing dissolved ozone to the point of use, where a rate of flow through the controllable delivery system is adjusted by the user; and
a liquid pumping system arranged for receiving liquid containing dissolved ozone from the contact region and causing the liquid containing dissolved ozone to move through the liquid passageway from the liquid reservoir to the controllable delivery system.
2. The device of claim 1 where a control system is arranged for operating the generator, the liquid passageway, the gas pumping system, and the liquid pumping system.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the generator is a corona discharge generator.
4. The device of claim 1 where the pumping system uses pump means to mix the ozone-containing gas with the liquid and recirculate the liquid being ozonated until it is dispensed from the device.
5. The device of claim 4 where the pump means includes a static mixer.
6. The device of claim 4 where the pump means is a positive pressure liquid pump.
7. The device of claim 4 where a second pump is used to dispense the ozonated liquid.
8. The device of claim 1 where the ozone containing gas is pumped by a gas pump through a diffuser into the liquid.
9. The device of claim 1 where the generator produces more ozone than can be dissolved in the liquid flow.
10. The device of claim 1 where the dissolved ozone concentration is determined by the solubility of ozone in the liquid.
11. The device of claim 1 where a valve controls the rate of output flow of the ozonated liquid through a dispensing tip.
12. The device of claim 11 where the excess portion of the ozonated liquid flow is recirculated to the contact region or reservoir.
13. The device of claim 12 where the output pressure is regulated by a relief valve in the recirculation line.
14. The device of claim 1 wherein the controllable delivery system further includes a pulsation device to pulsate the liquid as it leaves the controllable delivery system.
15. The device of claim 14 where the pulsation device includes an outputting pump.
16. The device of claim 14 where the pulsation device includes a resonating structure in the liquid output line.
17. The device of claim 1 where porous hydrophobic material is used to prevent liquid from entering the ozone generator.
18. The device of claim 1 where the excess gas is separated from the liquid at minimal pressure.
19. The device of claim 1 where the excess gas is separated from the liquid by use of porous hydrophobic material.
20. The device of claim 1, further including a system which prevents liquid from entering the ozone reducing material.
21. The device of claim 20 where liquid is prevented from entering the ozone reducing material by use of a porous hydrophobic barrier.
22. The device of claim 1 where an ozone sensor causes an indicator to show that the device is operating properly.
23. The device of claim 1 where the liquid reservoir is a reservoir that can be temporarily removed for filling with liquid.
24. The device of claim 1 where bubbles of the ozone containing gas are displayed.
25. The device of claim 1 where the air supplied to the ozone generator is dried by passage through a desiccant material.
26. The device of claim 25 where the desiccant material is protected from entry of moist air when the device is not operating by use of spring loaded check valves.
27. The device of claim 1 where the gasliquid separating apparatus includes a float valve.
28. The device of claim 1 where the ozone producing and dissolving system and the liquid dispensing system are detachable from one another.
29. The device of claim 28 where the liquid dispensing system is responsive to the controller by means of an electrical connection.
30. The device of claim 1 where the liquid passageway extends to a dispensing tip and where the liquid pumping system is arranged to cause the liquid to move from the contact region to the dispensing tip.
31. A method of dispensing a liquid containing dissolved ozone, comprising;
providing a batch of liquid to be dispensed in a liquid reservoir;
using an ozone generator, producing an ozone-containing gas;
preventing the liquid from entering the ozone generator;
pumping the ozone-containing gas from the ozone generator to a contact region;
conducting liquid from the liquid reservoir to the contact region, where ozone from the ozone-containing gas is dissolved in the liquid to be dispensed;
separating undissolved gas from the liquid to be dispensed;
preventing ozone gas from escaping into the atmosphere by passing the undissolved gas through an ozone reducing material before venting;
pumping a liquid containing dissolved ozone from the contact region and thereby causing the liquid containing dissolved ozone to move through the liquid passageway from the liquid reservoir to a controllable delivery system; and
directing the liquid containing dissolved ozone to the point of use, where the rate of flow through the controllable delivery system is adjustable.
32. The device of claim 1, wherein said liquid reservoir comprises a detachable reservoir.

1. A communication system comprising:
a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal; and
a server apparatus,
wherein the server apparatus includes circuitry configured to
receive position data of the first communication terminal and position data of the second communication terminal,
determine at least one of a speed of movement and a direction of movement of at least one of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal,
determine whether the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal are within a predetermined distance of each other and pass each other based on the position data of the first communication terminal, the position data of the second communication terminal, and said at least one of the speed of the movement and the direction of the movement, and
transmit, if it is determined that the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal are within the predetermined distance of each other and pass each other, preinstalled content data to at least one of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal.
2. The communication system according to claim 1,
wherein the circuitry of the server apparatus is configured to receive the position data transmitted from the first communication terminal as well as the position data transmitted from the second communication terminal.
3. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising
a content providing apparatus including circuitry configured to provide the content data to the server apparatus.
4. The communication system according to claim 1,
wherein the content data is provided by at least one of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal.
5. The communication system according to claim 1,
wherein the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal are mobile objects.
6. The communication system according to claim 5,
wherein, if it is determined that the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal pass each other at a predetermined timing, the circuitry of the server apparatus is configured to transmit the content data in a manner asynchronous with the predetermined timing.
7. The communication system according to claim 1,
wherein the content data is associated with data about the timing at which the content data is transmitted.
8. A server apparatus comprising:
circuitry configured to
receive position data of a first communication terminal and position data of a second communication terminal;
determine at least one of a speed of movement and a direction of movement of at least one of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal,
determine whether the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal are within a predetermined distance of each other and pass each other based on the position data of the first communication terminal, the position data of the second communication terminal, and said at least one of the speed of the movement and the direction of the movement; and
transmit, if it is determined that the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal are within the predetermined distance of each other and pass each other, preinstalled content data to at least one of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal.
9. A communication method, in a communication system, comprising:
receiving position data of a first communication terminal and position data of a second communication terminal;
determining at least one of a speed of movement and a direction of movement of at least one of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal,
determining whether the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal are within a predetermined distance of each other and pass each other based on the position data of the first communication terminal, the position data of the second apparatus, and said at least one of the speed of the movement and the direction of the movement; and
if it is determined that the first and the second apparatuses are within the predetermined distance of each other and pass each other, then transmitting content data preinstalled in a server apparatus to at least one of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal.

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 crosslinked porous membrane comprising a cellulosic material and
(a) a block copolymer of the formula: A-B-A (I) or A-B (II),
wherein block A is (iii) a copolymer of glycidol and allyl glycidyl ether, wherein one or more of the allyl groups of the copolymer have been replaced with a group of the formula: \u2014(CH2)a\u2014S\u2014(CH2)b\u2014X, wherein a is 3 and b is 1 to 3, and X is selected from an acidic group, a basic group, a cation, an anion, a zwitterion, halo, hydroxyl, acyl, acyloxy, alkylthio, alkoxy, aldehydo, amido, carbamoyl, ureido, cyano, nitro, epoxy, a group of the formula \u2014C(H)(COOH)(NH2), and a group of the formula \u2014C(H)(COOH)(NHAc), or a salt thereof; and
block B is an aromatic hydrophobic polymeric segment;
wherein the block copolymer is linked to the cellulosic material to form a crosslinked porous membrane.
2. The crosslinked porous membrane of claim 1, wherein the cellulosic material is a cellulosic polymer, cellulosic oligomer, or cellulosic monomer.
3. The crosslinked porous membrane of claim 1, wherein the cellulosic material is a cellulosic polymer selected from cellulose, cellulose ethers, cellulose esters, cellulose amides, cellulose amines, and cellulose carbamates.
4. The crosslinked porous membrane of claim 3, wherein the cellulosic polymer is selected from cellulose, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, propyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, and cyanoethyl cellulose.
5. The crosslinked porous membrane of claim 1, wherein block A is a hydrophilic polymeric segment comprising polyglycerol.
6. The crosslinked porous membrane of claim 5, wherein block A is a hydrophilic polymeric segment comprising polyglycerol having a repeat unit of the formula:
7. The crosslinked porous membrane of claim 1, wherein block A is a copolymer of glycidol and allyl glycidyl ether, the copolymer having one or more allyl groups.
8. The crosslinked porous membrane of claim 1, wherein the aromatic hydrophobic polymeric segment is selected from polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylene ether, polyphenylene oxide, polycarbonate, poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone), polyether ketone, polyether ether ketone, polyether ketone ketone, polyimide, polyetherimide, and polyamide-imide.
9. The crosslinked porous membrane of claim 8, wherein the aromatic hydrophobic polymeric segment is polyethersulfone.
10. The crosslinked porous membrane of claim 5, wherein block A is present in an amount of about 20% to about 50 mol % and block B is present in an amount of about 50% to about 80 mol %.
11. A method of preparing a crosslinked porous membrane according to claim 1, comprising:
(i) providing a casting solution comprising a solvent, a cellulosic material, and (a) a block copolymer of formula (I) or (II);
(ii) casting the casting solution as a thin film;
(iii) subjecting the thin film to phase inversion to obtain an uncrosslinked porous membrane;
(iv) increasing the number of hydroxyl groups on the cellulosic material present in the uncrosslinked porous membrane if the cellulosic material is a cellulose derivative; and
(iv) crosslinking the uncrosslinked porous membrane.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the polymer solution comprises a solvent, said cellulosic material, and (a) a block copolymer of formula (I) or (II), wherein the cellulosic material is cellulose acetate.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the number of hydroxyl groups on the cellulose acetate is increased by reaction with an alkali.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the crosslinking is effected by reaction with a crosslinking agent selected from epichlorohydrin, a polycarboxylic acid, and a cyclic brominium intermediate or by exposure to a radiation, e-beam, or a polyfunctional vinyl or acrylic crosslinking agent.