A binder includes a back part disposed between ring parts, each of the ring parts being openable and closable. to constitute a binder. A penetration hole is formed at a portion of the ring parts intersecting with the back part, thereby allowing the binder to expand and contract to a certain degree in a longitudinal direction thereof.

A ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages securely holds closed ring members together to prevent inadvertent loss of pages retained by the mechanism. The mechanism comprises a housing supporting two hinge plates for pivoting motion to open and close paired ring members mounted on the plates. Free ends of the paired ring members have interlocking configurations that securely join together when the ring members close. The configurations prevent misalignment of the closed ring members in all directions transverse to longitudinal centerlines of the ring members. The mechanism also includes locking elements that interact with the hinge plates to block their pivoting motion when the ring members are closed. This holds the free ends of the closed paired ring members together so that the interlocking configurations of the ring members remain interengaged.

A scrapbooking page alignment device for temporarily aligning at least two adjacent scrapbook pages having retention receivers extending from their respective spine edges, the device comprising (i) a base; and (ii) two or more spaced retention posts extending from said base; where said retention posts are dimensioned to temporarily receive the retention receivers of the two adjacent scrapbook pages.

A binder clip having flexible sidewalls biased to close around a rigid retainer for securing pages wrapped around the retainer or pinched by the binder clip and retainer for manually forming a book.

A recyclable ring binder apparatus comprises a ring metal incorporating a set of binder rings that are formed of a pair of ring halves. The ring metal can be firmly fastened to a spine section of a binder hardcover by utilizing a post and a small arched snap clamp with a tap. The tap of the snap clamp can be pressed around a neck of the post utilizing a quick release clipping mechanism. The snap clamp can be accessed with an index finger and slid away from the post to remove the ring metal from the hardcover. The ring metal, the hardcover, the snap clamp and the post can be quickly separated into their perspective categories due to the clipping mechanism. Hence, it retains conformance of all components of the ring binder apparatus for recycling without increasing development and production cost.

Disclosed herein is an organizer comprising a unique structural configuration to house and store both non-perforated documents and perforated documents. The organizer comprises a ring binder that is associated with an expandable compartment that is arranged peripheral to the ring binder.

A binding device is provided which allows reduction in profile. A binding device 10 includes: a holding member 16 having a length which allows a plurality of openable-closable binding rings 12 and 14 to be disposed with a spacing therebetween; an operating member 18 secured inside the holding member 16; and an opening/closing member 40. The operating member 18 includes a pair of operating pieces 30 and 32 on which the binding rings 12 and 14 are secured. For housing the opening/closing member 40, an opening/closing member housing portion 36 is provided in a manner such as to be recessed from a reverse side, opposite to a surface on which the binding rings 12 and 14 are secured, towards the surface side. The opening/closing member 40 is secured to the opening/closing member housing portion 36 of the operating member 18 on the reverse side opposite to the surface on which the binding rings 12 and 14 are secured, and is formed to, when the binding rings 12 and 14 are opened, cause the binding rings 12 and 14 to be changed in an opening direction so that the operating pieces are moved in a longitudinal direction of the holding member 16 and are held in a direction approaching an inner surface of the holding member 16, within the holding member 16.

The present invention is directed to an item holding assembly that may include a binder and portfolio with one releasably attached to the other enabling quick and easy separation for use of one independent of the other. In a preferred embodiment, binder and portfolio panels can overlie one another, particularly when releasably engaged in a manner that releasably attaches them. A flap, such as part of the panel or the panel of one is received in a pocket formed in the panel of the other to facilitate and preferably provide releasable attachment.

A ring binder has a standard ring assembly having a ring base and upstanding rings, a ring assembly support having a plurality of indents positioned along its sides, a binder connector having a plurality of upstanding tabs, and a plurality of binder covers each having a center spine with a plurality of slots configured to accept each of the plurality of binder connector tabs. The ring binder is assembled by the insertion of the binder connector tabs into slots of the binder cover and then into the indents of the ring assembly support. The ring binder can be sold assembled or as a kit, which would include a plurality of interchangeable binder covers.

A ring binder mechanism includes a housing, a ring support, and rings for holding loose-leaf pages. Each ring includes a first ring member and a second ring member that are moveable between a closed position and an opened position. An actuator is mounted on the housing for moving the ring members from the closed position to the opened position. A travel bar has at least one locking element and is moveable between a locked position wherein the ring members are locked in the closed position and an unlocked position wherein the ring members are capable of being moved to the opened position. An intermediate connector operably connects the travel bar to the actuator. A portion of the intermediate connector is captured by and moveable with a wide section of a mounting groove in the travel bar so the intermediate connector can move relative to the travel bar.

A ring mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages includes a housing and ring members for holding loose-leaf pages that are moveable relative to the housing between an open and closed position. An actuation system moves the ring members and includes hinge plates pivotally mounted on the housing and an actuator actuating pivoting movement of the hinge plates. A travel bar of the actuation system is moveable by the actuator between a locked position blocking pivoting movement of the hinge plates and an unlocked position allowing pivoting movement of the hinge plates. The actuation system is adapted to deform while moving the travel bar from the locked position toward the unlocked position to delay the pivoting motion of the hinge plates from the movement of the actuator.

A desk leaf base has a base formed of a trapezoidal tubular body in a trapezoidal shape in a side view, closed from a bottom surface to a certain height in both sides, and opened in an upper portion therefrom. An inclined front wall of the tubular body is removed from one side to the other side, in a range from the height to a higher height lower than a top surface. A binder mounted along an elongated top surface of the base has an elongated body and rings. The elongated body is mounted along the top surface of the base with an approximately same width as the top surface. The rings are mounted on the body and capable of opening and closing. Each ring includes linear portions that protrude from the body inclining upward on front and back sides when closing.

A ring mechanism has an elongate body made of a moldable polymeric material and rings for holding loose-leaf pages. Each ring includes a first ring member and a second ring member. The first ring members are movable relative to the housing and the second ring members between a closed position and an open position. At least one ring member for each ring is a separately formed ring member and comprises a ring portion and an anchor connected to the ring portion. The at least one separately formed ring member is formed separately from the body. The anchor of the separately formed ring member is secured to the body for pivoting movement relative to the body. The anchor can be received in a receptacle in the body adapted to receive the anchor.

A ring binder has an elongate body and rings. Each ring includes ring members moveable between open and closed positions. The ring members and body can suitably formed together as one piece from a moldable polymeric material. The binder suitably includes a retaining system operable to selectively and releasably hold the ring members in the closed position. When the ring members are in their open position, loose-leaf pages can be added or removed from the rings. Loose-leaf pages can also be moved from one ring member to another when the ring members are in their open position.

A ring binder has an elongate body and rings. Each ring includes ring members moveable between open and closed positions. The body and rings are made of one or more moldable polymeric materials. The binder suitably includes a retaining system operable to hold the ring members in the closed position. The retaining system has interlocking formations adjacent ends of the ring members that are moveable between a retaining position in which the retaining system holds the first and second ring members in the closed position and a non-retaining position. The ring members and body can suitably be formed together as one piece from a moldable polymeric material.

A ring binder mechanism for holding loose-leaf pages has a housing having a cavity formed in the underside of a central portion of the housing. A pair of hinge plates are disposed between the sides for pivoting movement relative to the housing to open and close rings of the mechanism. The mechanism has an actuator moveable relative to the housing for opening and closing the rings. The actuator has a body, an opening arm extending from the body, a closing arm extending from the body, and a locking finger extending from the body. The closing arm extending into a space between the hinge plates and the central portion of the housing. The hinge plates extend between the opening and closing arms. The locking finger extends into the cavity in the central portion of the housing when the actuator is in the closed position.

An actuating lever for a binding mechanism includes a body formed of a first molded material. The body defines oppositely-facing surfaces, with at least one of the surfaces having a recess formed therein. The actuating lever further includes a grip member formed of a second molded material that is different from the first molded material. The grip member is molded at least partially into the recess.

A ring mechanism has an elongate housing and rings for holding loose-leaf pages. Each ring has ring members mounted on pivoting hinge plates for movement between open and closed positions. An actuator has opening and closing arms extending from an actuator body for opening and closing the rings. The mechanism has a travel bar moveable between a locked position in which a locking element blocks pivoting movement of the hinge plates and an unlocked position. The actuator has a flexible arm positioned to push the travel bar toward the locked position when the actuator closes the rings. At least a portion of the flexible arm is adapted to deform during closing in a manner that includes rotation in a first direction relative to the body of the actuator. Movement of the actuator to close the rings includes rotation of the actuator in the first direction relative to the housing.

A switching circuit (400) comprising an inductive component (406) including at least one winding; and a switch (404) is configured to transfer power from a voltage source (402) to the inductive component (406) in accordance with a switch control signal (412). The switching circuit (400) also comprises a controller (408) configured to integrate the voltage across the inductive component (406) in order to generate a signal representative of magnetic flux in the inductive component (406); and use the signal representative of the magnetic flux in the inductive component to account for a peak magnetization current value in order to control the switch (404).

In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a compound power converter in which the majority of power passes from input to output through only a single stage of power conversion. At least one embodiment includes a main converter with an auxiliary output. The auxiliary output energizes a reservoir that provides input power for a supplemental converter capable supplying the main output. The supplemental converter improves regulation and can provide holdover power for Power Factor Correction (PFC) or Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) operation.

An additional electric power receiving method replacing conventional grounding with a negative voltage source includes the step of transmitting electromagnetic wave or current from a power supply source to a rectifier, wherein a grounding end of the rectifier is in electrical communication with the negative voltage source, and the negative voltage source is selected from a negative potential intrinsic of an organism. A device applicable to the electric power receiving method includes a rectifier having an input end and two output ends, wherein the input end is in electrical communication with a power supply source, and rectified direct current is transmitted from the output ends. With the method and device, not only an increase in additional electric power obtained is achieved, but conversion efficiency and stability of current and electromagnetic wave is enhanced.

Methods and apparatus are presented for detecting phase loss and/or excessive ripple in a power converter, in which bandpass filters are used to obtain harmonic voltage amplitudes associated with the power converter DC bus, and phase loss is detected if a ratio of the second harmonic to the sixth harmonic and/or a ratio of the fourth harmonic to the sixth harmonic exceed predetermined threshold values.

A power supply can provide brown-out protection and overheat protection. The power supply includes a rectifier, a transformer, and a power management device. The rectifier is used for receiving an alternating current voltage. The alternating current voltage has a voltage cycle. The transformer coupled to the rectifier has an inductor coupled to a switch for supplying an output voltage. The power management device is used for controlling the switch to make the inductor save power or release power. The power management device has a multi-functional pin coupled to the rectifier for receiving a detection voltage corresponding to a positive half cycle of the alternating current voltage. The multi-functional pin is also coupled to a thermistor for receiving an overheat protection signal.

A semiconductor device of a three-level inverter circuit with a reduced number of power supplies for driving IGBTs. The semiconductor device includes a series-connected circuit of IGBTs between P and N of a DC power supply and an AC switch element that is connected between a series connection point of the series-connected circuit and a neutral point of the DC power supply. The series-connected circuit and the AC switch element are integrated into one module. The AC switch element is formed by connecting a collector of a first IGBT to which a diode is connected in reverse parallel and a collector of a second IGBT to which a diode is connected in reverse parallel, and an intermediate terminal is provided at a connection point between the collectors.

Embodiments include circuits and methods to determine peak current for current regulation. A control signal circuit monitors a current on the primary side of a transformer based a turn on time of a switch coupled to the primary side. The control signal circuit determines whether the monitored current exceeds an over-current protection threshold, and determines a duration that the monitored current exceeds the over-current protection threshold. The control signal circuit determines a peak primary current in the primary side based on the over-current protection threshold, the duration that the monitored current exceeds the over-current protection threshold, and the turn on time of the switch. The control signal circuit controls the turn on time for the switch based on the determined peak primary current.

Embodiments provide a magnetic flux conversion device (MFCD) that may produce a regulated output signal with a target value (e.g., target voltage and/or target current) from a source signal on a power line. The MFCD may include a secondary stage configured to be inductively coupled with the power line. The source signal may cause a secondary electrical signal to flow in the secondary stage. A regulator module may be coupled to the secondary stage and configured to produce the output signal with the target value across output nodes by sensing the output signal and shunting the secondary stage if a value of the output signal is above the target value.

An apparatus for energy assisted magnetic recording of a storage disk include a plurality of dielectric waveguide cores configured to direct received incident light energy to a target, and a near field transducer (NFT) configured to focus light energy received from the plurality of waveguide cores and to transmit the focused light energy onto the storage disk surface to generate a heating spot on the storage disk. The NFT includes a plurality of propagating surface plasmon polariton (PSPP) elements that are energized by the light energy from the waveguide cores. Each of the PSPP elements has a plasmonic metal bar disposed above a single waveguide core in a longitudinal alignment. Each metal bar has a width at least twice the width of the heating spot generated on the storage disk.

An optical head device (11) provided with: an optical element (36) for transmissively diffracting a light beam emitted from a semiconductor laser (34), generating a zero-order diffracted light beam and ±1-order diffracted light beams; and a photodetector (40) for receiving the zero-order diffracted light beam and the +1-order diffracted light beam after reflection from an optical disc (2). The photodetector (40) includes a primary light receiving section (400) for receiving the zero-order diffracted light beam, and a first secondary light receiving section (401) disposed outward from the primary light receiving section (400). The first secondary light receiving section (401) is positioned to detect an outer portion of the received light spot of the +1-order diffracted light beam, performs photoelectric conversion of this portion, and outputs a secondary detected signal.

Technologies are described herein for utilizing a head heater to test temperature stability of a head of a storage device and to prevent the head from operating in an unstable temperature condition. A first power level may be applied to a head heater of a head in a storage device, the first power level configured to simulate a temperature condition in the head. An instability of the head is determined and the temperature condition and the instability of the head are recorded in a memory. The process may be repeated to develop a range of temperature conditions in which the head exhibits instability. The range of temperature conditions and the head heater may then be utilized to prevent the head from operating in an unstable temperature condition during normal operation.

A flex circuit including a dual sided interconnect structure to connect electrical components on a head or suspension assembly to head circuitry is described. The dual sided interconnect structure described has application for providing an electrical connection to one or more transducer elements on a slider and one or more elements of a heat assisted magnetic recording HAMR unit. In an illustrated embodiment, a flexible structure or insulating base layer includes one or more slider and heat assisted magnetic recording traces coupled to one or more slider or HAMR bond pads on an interconnect portion. As disclosed, the slider bond pads are on the obverse side of the flexible structure and the HAMR bond pads include a reverse side bonding surface to form reverse side bond pads to connect to one or more electrical or heating elements on the HAMR unit.

Provided are an optical pickup device and an optical disk drive including the same. The optical pickup device includes a quarter-wave plate (QWP) that is disposed parallel to an objective lens and a reflection mirror that reflects a beam back onto the QWP after the beam passed through the QWP. The optical pickup device also includes a polarization mirror that is disposed between the objective lens and the QWP, and which reflects the beam which is generated from a light source onto the QWP, and allows the beam reflected by the reflection mirror to pass through to the objective lens.

A recording head for recording information on a rotating recording medium of a storage device includes a main magnetic pole which generates a recording magnetic field in a direction perpendicular to a recording medium facing surface of the magnetic recording head, and a light generating element which is provided on a leading side of the main magnetic pole, and generates light for heating the recording layer of the recording medium. The main magnetic pole includes an end surface facing the light generating element that is inclined with respect to the direction perpendicular to the recording medium facing surface toward the light generating element.

In a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) hard disk drive, a heat-dissipating head slider assembly is described in which the slider is stepped on the disk-opposing side and a HAMR laser module is mounted on the lower surface to assist with dissipation of heat from the laser. The lower surface is a surface of the main body of the slider and is composed primarily of a first material, and the slider may include a heat-dissipating plate that forms the higher stepped surface, where the plate is composed of a second material that has a higher thermal conductivity than the first material, such as silicon.

A digital jukebox (14) allows for playback of a first offering and a second offering. The contents of each offering are individually licensed for public performance at a particular location where the jukebox is found. The jukebox (14) displays advertisements that are selected in response to user interaction with the jukebox or a number of other factors. The jukebox (14) features a screen (18 and 20) that allows user to interact with the jukebox to select offerings, but also to respond to advertising. Jukebox can function in cooperation with a server (12), but in the alternate, can function as an independent and stand-alone device when connection (16) to server (12) is not available.

An optical disk device includes an optical pickup that directs light beams onto a recording surface of an optical disk and receives reflected light, a signal generating unit that generates playback signals based on reflected light received by the optical pickup, an equalizer adjustment unit that performs equalizer adjustment of the playback signals, and an adjustment control unit. The adjustment control unit controls the equalizer adjustment unit so as to perform equalizer adjustment of the playback signals according to the playback signals based on reflected light from a management information area on a recording surface of the optical disk, the management information area including predetermined management information recorded thereon.

Disclosed is an optical information recording and reproducing device capable of recording an interference fringe pattern as a hologram in an optical information recording medium, the interference fringe pattern being formed by a signal beam superimposed with signal information and a reference beam, and also capable of reproducing the signal information from the optical information recording medium, the device having a light source unit to emit light, a light splitting unit to split the light into the reference beam and the signal beam, a spatial light modulation unit to superimpose the signal information on the signal light, and a light detection unit to detect an image reproduced by the reference beam, wherein information about defects on the spatial light modulation unit is recorded in the optical information recording medium.

A wireless media player and a related system and methodology are disclosed. One aspect of the wireless media player system pertains to a virtual connector system, apparatus, and method for the automatic establishment of wireless connectivity with other electronic devices. In one embodiment, the media player device employs the use of integrated Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to exchange communication settings, media capability, and other parameters with an external device that also has integrated RFID technology. The automatic exchange of settings and other information via a proximity-based RFID data exchange allows a media player to quickly establish a secure communication link with another device via a commonly supported wireless protocol such as Ultra Wideband (UWB) or Bluetooth. Another aspect of the media player system pertains to a method of using the captured media capability of the connecting device to customize certain menu options and software parameters in the media player.

An apparatus includes a write element configured to apply a magnetic field to write data on a portion of a heat-assisted magnetic recording media in response to an energizing current. An energy source is configured to heat the portion of the media being magnetized by the write element. A preheat energizing current is applied to the write element during an interval before writing the data to the portion of the media. The preheat energizing current does not cause data to be written to the media and brings at least one of the write element and driver circuitry into thermal equilibrium prior to writing the data on the portion.

According to one embodiment, a multilayer optical recording medium including a substrate, a guide layer group that is provided on the substrate and has guide layers in which positional information in a radial direction is recorded, and a recording layer group that is provided on the substrate and has recording layers in which information can be recorded. In the recording layer group, positional information of the recording layers associated with the positional information recorded in the guide layers and control information of the optical device where reflected light volumes of the laser beams on the guide layers and the recording layers become maximum at the positions in the radial direction are recorded at the positions in the radial direction of the recording layers.

An optical disc having a region with pre-recorded data and a recordable region, a method of fabricating the disc, a stamper for forming a disc master, and a recording device for use with the disc are disclosed. Data recorded in the recordable region may be used for activation of the disc, providing unique identification or enhancing program content on the disc.

A wireless media player and a related system and methodology are disclosed. One aspect of the wireless media player system pertains to a virtual connector system, apparatus, and method for the automatic establishment of wireless connectivity with other electronic devices. In one embodiment, the media player device employs the use of integrated Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to exchange communication settings, media capability, and other parameters with an external device that also has integrated RFID technology. The automatic exchange of settings and other information via a proximity-based RFID data exchange allows a media player to quickly establish a secure communication link with another device via a commonly supported wireless protocol such as Ultra Wideband (UWB) or Bluetooth. Another aspect of the media player system pertains to a method of using the captured media capability of the connecting device to customize certain menu options and software parameters in the media player.

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, wherein the head comprises a laser configured to heat the disk while writing data to the disk. A temperature is measured, and a first input power is generated based on a first function of the measured temperature, wherein the first function compensates for a temperature dependent output power of the laser. A second input power is generated based on a second function of the measured temperature, wherein the second function compensates for a temperature dependent coercivity of the disk. The first input power is combined with the second input power to generate a write power applied to the laser while writing data to the disk.

In an optical information recording device and optical information recording method for angularly multiplexing and recording data on pages on the same recording region on a hologram disk, data on each page is sequentially generated by sequentially dividing input data in predetermined units, the pages to be recorded on the same recording region are divided into page groups so that pages to be recorded adjacently by the angular multiplexing may not belong to the same group, each page group is individually subjected to inter-page coding processing for computing an error-correcting code and adding the computed error-correcting code, and data on the pages subjected to the inter-page coding processing is angularly multiplexed and recorded on the hologram disk.

An optical disc having a region with pre-recorded data and a recordable region, a method of fabricating the disc, a stamper for forming a disc master, and a recording device for use with the disc are disclosed. Data recorded in the recordable region may be used for activation of the disc, providing unique identification or enhancing program content on the disc.

An apparatus includes a near-field transducer at or near an air bearing surface of the apparatus. A write pole is disposed at or near the air bearing surface and proximate the near-field transducer, respectively. A thermal sensor is disposed at the air bearing surface and within a protrusion region of the air bearing surface defined relative to at least one of the near-field transducer and the write pole. The thermal sensor is configured to produce a signal indicative of a temperature at the protrusion region.

Techniques are provided for increasing spectral efficiency over data channels in a storage or communication system. In some embodiments, data may be encoded and transmitted over multiple channels. The transmitted data from the multiple channels may be considered together as a channel bundle, thereby increasing the edge transitions of the group of signals to improve clock recovery and reduce coding constraints. In some embodiments, the channel bit size is reduced to maximize data rates based on the reduced coding constraints. Furthermore, the channel bundle has only one channel with timing markers, so that a receiver may receive information from the channel bundle and recover clocking based on the timing markers in the one channel.

An near-field light device (100) is provided with: a first electrode layer (123) having a protruding portion (123a); a second electrode layer (121); and a light emitting layer (122), the protruding portion protrudes along a predetermined direction (Y axis direction) to be capable of extracting energy which is caused by emission of light at the light emitting layer, the predetermined direction intersects with a laminated direction (X axis direction) of the near-field light device, an edge surface of at least one portion of the projection portion is located at more outward side in the optical device than an edge surface of the second electrode layer is.

The relative health of data storage drives may be determined based, at least in some aspects, on data access information and/or other drive operation information. In some examples, upon receiving the operation information from a computing device, a health level of a drive may be determined. The health level determination may be based at least in part on operating information received from a client entity. Additionally, a storage space allocation instruction or operation may be determined for execution. The allocation instruction or operation determined to be performed may be based at least in part on the determined health level.

A servo processor for an optical disk drive is provided that includes: an analog-to-digital converter for converting versions of photodetector output signals into digital signals; and a digital signal processor configured to receive the digital signals, the digital signal processor being further configured to determine a focus error signal (FES) and a tracking error signal (TES) from the digital signals, the digital signal processor being further configured to process TES and FES through servo algorithms to produce tracking and focus control signals.

Orthopedic devices, systems, and methods of using the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, an orthopedic device intended for use with at least one moveable body part of a user may comprise a tubular body forming an interior surface and an exterior surface. The tubular body may include at least one opening and one or more shrinkable materials. The tubular body may be moveable between a first position, wherein the tubular body is configured to at least partially receive and at least partially surround the at least one moveable body part of the user, and a second position, wherein one or more portions of the tubular body are configured to generally conform to and at least partially restrict movement of the at least one moveable body part in one or more directions. The tubular body may be configured to move from the first position to the second position in response to a treatment.