A printing apparatus includes a plasma treatment unit that performs plasma treatment on a surface of a treatment object to acidify at least the surface of the treatment object; and a recording unit that performs inkjet recording on the surface of the plasma treatment subjected to the plasma treatment by the plasma treatment unit.

Apparatuses and embodiments related to compensated laser cutting of labels. A computer system receives an image of a label, and rasterizes the image. The computer system determines how much of each type of printer ink of a label printer to deposit at each pixel location of the image. The computer system determines which pixels intersect a cut line, and determines the characteristics of the ink of the pixels, such as the quantity or thickness of the ink at the pixel locations. The computer system determines laser data including power, cut speed, and/or frequency of a laser that is tuned to accurately cut through the ink that forms the image, the material(s) of the label, and the adhesive that removably adheres the label to base material(s), but to not excessively damage the base material(s). A laser cutting system uses the laser data to control a laser.

A method for marking references on a flat article includes providing a model having at least a through-opening and exhibiting the same peripheral profile as a flat article to be marked; detecting the peripheral profile of the model and storing that profile in a memory; detecting a profile of the through-opening and the relative positioning with respect to a reference system; detecting a peripheral profile of the flat article; replicating the peripheral profile of the model so as to superpose it on the peripheral profile of the flat article; replicating also the profile of the through-opening of the detected model, taking account of the relative positioning with respect to the reference system and of the positioning of the peripheral profile of the model with respect to the peripheral profile of the flat article. Contactless marking of at least a reference on the flat article is made at the profile of the through-opening which has been replicated.

A piece of luggage has a body with a surface. A weight scale has a top surface and is disposed in the body of the luggage. The top surface of the weight scale is coplanar with the surface of the body of the luggage. The weight scale determines a weight of the piece of luggage when in an operating state. When the weight scale is in a non-operating state it is stored safely within the body of the luggage. Most importantly the weight scale does not stick out from the body of the luggage so as to be susceptible to damage during transport of the luggage.

An apparatus that includes a suitcase and integrated support arrangements that are transformable from an extended state to provide support for a person to lie down and a stored state for ease of transport.

The present invention relates to an item of luggage (101) incorporating a collapsed resting support (125) which when erected may be used to support portions of a resting person (55) in a forwards leaning seated position. The item of luggage comprises an external casing (102) that extends across a plurality of sides of the item of luggage, and a personal resting support (125) for supporting a resting seated person's upper torso, the personal resting support being removeably affixable to a side (103) of the casing when not in use for resting support of a seated person. The resting support includes a main supporting section (126) for supporting a seated user's upper torso in a forwards leaning seated position, and at least two supporting legs (117, 118; 146) for supporting the main supporting section and which in use extend downwardly from the main supporting section. The item of luggage (101) comprises at least one ground engaging rolling means (109, 110) by which the item of luggage may be wheeled along the ground when being moved about and a handle (114) by which the item of luggage may be pulled to wheel the item of luggage along the ground. The handle (114) is joined to the casing (102) through one or more of the legs (117, 118) when the personal resting support (125) is affixed to the side (103) of the casing.

An integrated circuit includes a pulse generator to provide an excitation pulse to an output terminal and a comparator to receive a signal in response to the excitation pulse and for comparing the signal to a threshold to produce a comparator output signal corresponding to oscillations in the signal. The integrated circuit further includes a counter to count pulses in the comparator output signal and a discriminator circuit to compare a count value of the counter to a damping threshold and for providing an output signal having a first value when the count value is equal to or exceeds the damping threshold and otherwise having a second value.

A manufacturing method for a cap, for a hybrid vertically integrated component having a MEMS component a relatively large cavern volume having a low cavern internal pressure, and a reliable overload protection for the micromechanical structure of the MEMS component. A cap structure is produced in a flat cap substrate in a multistep anisotropic etching, and includes at least one mounting frame having at least one mounting surface and a stop structure, on the cap inner side, having at least one stop surface, the surface of the cap substrate being masked for the multistep anisotropic etching with at least two masking layers made of different materials, and the layouts of the masking layers and the number and duration of the etching steps being selected so that the mounting surface, the stop surface, and the cap inner side are situated at different surface levels of the cap structure.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an integrated circuit system including a first active layer fabricated on a front side of a semiconductor die and a second pre-fabricated layer on a back side of the semiconductor die and having electrical components embodied therein, wherein the electrical components include at least one discrete passive component. The integrated circuit system also includes at least one electrical path coupling the first active layer and the second pre-fabricated layer.

A method and device to permit a water vessel to releasably capture a line in a towing station, remote from a parent ship. The towing station may be attached to the parent ship via a tow line. The line capturing device is an actuated catch that includes a hook assembly that is moveable between a release mode and a retrieval and holding mode. The actuated catch also includes a spring biased retaining catch that prevents a captured line from being inadvertently released.

Marine or underwater vehicle designed to be secured to a recovery cable includes contactless elements (6) for detecting the recovery cable (2), the element being capable of guiding the vehicle (1) towards the cable (2) and elements (7) situated at one end (3b) of the vehicle (1) for coupling the cable (2).

The present invention provides an improved height adjustable tower with integrated cargo rack apparatus for wakeboard boats. The inventive apparatus enables the adjustability of the height of the cargo rack/bimini which is accomplished by lowering or raising the lower tower legs with an actuator after releasing a locking mechanism. The apparatus also includes a displacement mechanism which allows the cargo rack to be simultaneously translated and rotated. The benefit to the user is the ability to control the amount of shade/sun for the people in the general cockpit area. It also allows a user to achieve a higher walk-through height for ease of maneuvering in the boat and provides easy access to items stored on top of the cargo rack.

The current invention discloses a food-drying device that includes a container, a drying assembly having a plurality of bores, and a drive mechanism. The drying assembly is disposed in the container and is capable of being rotated relative to the container. The drive mechanism rotates the drying assembly relative to the container. The drive mechanism includes a reciprocating handle movable between a first position and a second position along a linear direction, and a conversion mechanism for converting reciprocating movement of the reciprocating handle to rotary motion of the drying assembly from force supplied by a user to actuate the reciprocating handle moving from the first position to the second position, and from force supplied by the user to actuate the reciprocating handle moving from the second position to the first position.

A woodturning tool according to embodiments of the present invention includes a shaft with a shaft tip, wherein the shaft tip is made of a first metal, and a cutting edge insert, at least a portion of an outer surface of the cutting edge insert rigidly joined to an inner surface of the shaft tip, the cutting edge insert formed of a second metal, the cutting edge insert being fluted and sharpened to form a cutting edge for woodturning, wherein the second metal is different from the first metal, and wherein the second metal is more wear-resistant than the first metal.

In some examples, a laminated tooling die may include multiple sheets or plates used in conjunction in any of a number of forming operations such as, for example, hydroforming, compression molding, and stamping. The sheets or plates can include an open interior that, when used in conjunction with neighboring sheets, produce a cavity into which a deformable workpiece can be placed and subjected to the forming operation. In some examples, one or more sheets can be coupled with a heat exchanger to impart a heat transfer with the workpiece.

A steel rule die making system produces a steel rule dies having an operative surface that form creases and cut patterns in a sheet material to form a box blank. The system includes a die manufacturing station having an indexing bench that securely holds a substrate. At least one slug driver device is disposed adjacent the die manufacturing station to drive the penetrating point of a slug into the substrate. The upper surface of the slug head defines a segment of the operative surface of the steel rule die.

An exercise device includes a first tubular frame having a flexible fabric attached thereon, a second tubular frame having a rigid board mounted thereon, and at least three elongate support members disposed between and separate the first tubular frame and the second tubular frame. Each of the elongate members includes a first end fixedly mounted on the first tubular frame and a second end fixedly mounted on the second tubular frame, such that a first cross plane of the first tubular frame is substantially parallel to a second cross plane of the second tubular frame. When the second tubular frame is placed on a substantially flat surface, the exercise device can be used as a jumping exercise device. When the first tubular frame is placed on the substantially flat surface, the exercise device can be used as a stepping exercise device.

An assisted chin/dip exercise apparatus has a main frame and an assist or foot bar pivotally mounted on the frame and linked to a weight stack or resistance for assisting a user standing on the foot bar during performance of chin and dip exercises. The main frame has a first, overhead handle assembly and a second, dip handle assembly below the first handle assembly. The first handle assembly includes a pair of adjustably mounted handles freely pivotable between a first, chin-up position in which the handles extend towards one another at a rearward angle with a small spacing between the handles and a second, pull-up position in which the handles extend in a forward direction and are spaced apart by a larger spacing sufficient to provide head clearance for a user stepping onto the foot bar or while performing a dip exercise.

A wall-mounted exercise apparatus, including a plurality of elongate anchor members fixed to a first wall and a second wall; a plurality of hooks fixed to each elongate anchor member; a first strap configured to be attached to a first hook of the plurality of hooks, the first hook being located on a first elongate anchor member fixed to the first wall; and a second strap configured to be attached to a second hook of the plurality of hooks, the second hook being located on a second elongate anchor member fixed to the second wall; wherein the first and second hooks are selected based on a desired difficulty of a selected exercise to be performed.

Gas-generating devices with grain-retention structures and related methods and systems are described. In particular, gas-generating devices having at least one retention structure fixed to a frame and positioned between adjacent gas-generant grains arranged in a longitudinal stack. Fire suppression systems comprising such gas-generating devices are also described. Additionally, methods of manufacturing gas-generating devices, as well as methods of generating a gas and methods of suppressing a fire utilizing such gas-generating devices are described.

A gas generator for a safety device for a motor vehicle, comprises at least two distinct chambers which communicate with each other through at least one opening or nozzle. A first chamber is isolated from the outside. A second chamber or “diffusion” chamber is able to receive gases generated by the combustion of a solid pyrotechnical charge placed in the first chamber, and to discharge them towards the outside. The solid charge is a mixture consisting of at least one oxidizing charge and a reducing charge, the oxygen balance of which is equilibrated. A heat generator is provided which generates sufficient heat for triggering and sustaining the combustion of the charge without any other interaction, notably of the chemical type, between the heat generator and the charge.

The invention relates to the field of explosives, and more particularly relates to particles of an explosive, wherein they are in crystalline form, have a rounded shape and a majority of them contain no internal defect. Particles of an explosive in crystalline form include a volume fraction of closed pores of less than or equal to 0.05%. A method for preparing explosive particles includes preparing crystalline particles, a majority of which are without an internal defect; and rounding the crystalline particles.

A substantially nitrocellulose-free insensitive gun propellant for barrel-type weapons is provided. The gun propellant includes at least one nitramine, such as HMX and/or RDX, a second energetic, and an inert binder system. The gun propellant is capable of producing a maximum projectile velocity exceeding 2680 ft/sec when fired from a 5 inch 54 caliber gun and gives a response to slow cook-off insensitive munitions testing of Type 4 or higher, and a response to fragment impact insensitive munitions testing of Type 3 or higher as measured by STANAG 4382 and STANAG 4496, respectively. Also provided is an ammunition round assembly, and an armament system.

This invention relates to an apparatus for explosively dispersing particles of reactive metals into the atmosphere to form a fuel-air explosive. Also, this invention relates to a composition, which enhances the performance of metal augmented charge (MAC) devices. The metal augmented charge (MAC) includes flaked aluminum powder and polytetrafluorethylene. The MAC is pressed into solid billets. A preferred embodiment of the present invention involves a system with heavy-walled warhead, which comprises a canister and a cylinder of MAC disposed in the canister, so that said cylinder is in contact with the interior wall of the canister. Further, a high explosive is disposed in the cylinder with a fuze in direct contact with the high explosive, in such a way that the fuze detonates the high explosive.

Moldable explosives containing chlorinated and/or fluorinated oils and waxes are described which exhibit significant energetic characteristics while at the same time possessing desirable IM character. Such moldable explosives are potential replacements for the C4 compositions known and used in the art.

The invention is a composition for a high burning-rate solid rocket propellant, where the composition includes a binder compounded with a soluble energetic additive; a metallic fuel; and an oxidative fuel. The resulting composition has a tactical Class 1.3 hazard rating, and a linear regression rate that is substantially equivalent to a tactical Class 1.1 hazard rating obtainable using solid rocket propellants. The composition may include a heat-conducting element, a plasticizer, a curing component, a combustion catalyst, and curing catalyst.

An energetic composition with controlled detonation having at least a first organic material and a second material, where the second material is a porous material (micro-, meso-, or macroporous), having a pore ratio of at least 10% and preferably greater than 50%, and the first material is, at least partially, infiltrated into the pores of the second material. A mixture containing such a composition, and a method for manufacturing such a composition and such a mixture. Additionally, a method for fragmenting or expanding a microporous material at nanoscale.

A wall mounted ironing board cabinet has a door on two-way sliders enabling cabinet “opened-to-the-right,” “closed” and “opened-to-the-left” conditions. The sliding door and ironing board hardware afford a cabinet which maximizes the number of possible locations of the cabinet in a room, minimizes the depth of the protrusion of the closed cabinet into the room and renders the door outer surface adaptable to uses unrelated to the storage and support of an ironing board. The ironing board hardware also allows user selection of the ironing board surface level from multiple available intervals.

Ironing board consisting of a top supported by at least one leg with two sections connected to one another by hinge; said hinge allows lower segment of leg to pivot between an unfolded position, in which said lower segment forms an extension of upper segment of leg, and a folded position, in which lower segment is folded in the direction of upper segment, wherein said hinge contains a mechanism to lock the lower segment in an unfolded position and at least one unlocking button to deactivate the locking mechanism to allow lower segment to rotate into the folded position.

A conveyor roller (10) has a cover (20), an axle (40), and a magnetic brake (50) having a magnetic component (51) and a braking component (54). The cover (20) is supported rotatably about an axis of rotation relative to the axle (40). The magnetic brake (50) is provided kinematically between the axle (40) and the cover (20) and is connected to the axle (40) and the cover (20) so that rotation of the cover (20) about the axis of rotation can be retarded by the magnetic brake (50). The magnetic component (51) and the braking component (54) are arranged displaceably relative to each other between a rest position and a braking position. A centrifugal device (60) for a rotational speed-dependent displacement of at least one of the magnetic brake components (51, 54) is provided between the rest position and the braking position.

One aspect of the disclosure relates to a die comprising a primary plate and secondary plates. The secondary plates comprise through weld holes formed along a direction. The through weld holes of adjacent secondary plates do not overlap when viewed in the direction along which the though weld holes are formed. The primary plate is coupled to at least one secondary plate abutting the primary plate by first welds located in the through weld holes. The secondary plates abutting each other are coupled by second welds located in the through weld holes.

The invention provides a method for producing grain-oriented silicon steel with single cold rolling, comprising: 1) smelting, refining and continuous casting to obtain a casting blank; 2) hot rolling; 3) normalization, i.e. normalizing annealing and cooling; 4) cold-rolling, i.e. single cold rolling at a cold rolling reduction rate of 75-92%; 5) decarburizing annealing at 780-880° C. for 80-350 s in a protective atmosphere having a due point of 40-80° C., wherein the total oxygen [O] in the surface of the decarburized sheet: 171/t≦[O]≦313/t (t represents the actual thickness of the steel sheet in mm), the amount of absorbed nitrogen: 2-10 ppm; 6) high temperature annealing, wherein the dew point of the protective atmosphere: 0-50° C., the temperature holding time at the first stage: 6-30 h, the amount of absorbed nitrogen during high-temperature annealing: 10-40 ppm; 7) hot-leveling annealing. The invention may control the primary recrystallization microstructure of steel sheet effectively by controlling the normalization process of hot rolled sheet to form sufficient favorable (Al, Si)N inclusions from nitrogen absorbed by slab during decarburizing annealing and low-temperature holding of high-temperature annealing, facilitating the generation of stable, perfect secondary recrystallization microstructure of the final products. In addition, the invention avoids the impact of nitridation using ammonia on the underlying layer in prior art, and thus the formation of a good glass film underlying layer is favored.

The invention relates to a high strength fibers comprising a coating of cross-linked silicone polymer, and ropes made thereof. The fibers are preferably high performance polyethylene (HPPE) fibers. The coating comprising a cross-linked silicone polymer is made from a coating composition comprising a cross-linkable silicone polymer. The rope shows markedly improved service life performance in bending applications such as cyclic bend-over-sheave applications. The invention also relates to the use of a cross-linked silicone polymer in a rope for an improvement of bend fatigue resistance.

An automated variable speed control system for a cutter head of a dredging cutter has a cutter head and a pump. The pump pumps cuttings from the cutter head through a cuttings discharge line. A sensor monitors amperage draw of the pump. A controller controls speed of movement of the cutter head based upon data received from the sensor. The controller increases a speed of movement of the cutter head through the materials when the amperage draw of the pump falls below the determined amperage range and the controller decreases the speed of movement of the cutter head through the materials when the amperage draw of the pump exceeds the determined amperage range.

There is here disclosed an excavation machine having an automatic controlled excavation implement that adjusts the excavation implement to maximize the earth moved in accordance with vehicle operating parameters, and finished terrain parameters.

A power generating electronic cigarette includes a partially hollowed body having an enclosed distal end, and a filter cartridge attached at a proximal end of the body. The cigarette operates using power stored within a portable power storage media integrated within the body. A power generating subassembly is located within the hollowed body, wherein the power generating subassembly generates an electrical current to charge the power storage media. The power generating subassembly utilizes motion of a magnet in proximity of a coil to generate an electrical current within the coil. The current can be converted into stored electrical power. Motion of the magnet can result from shaking or rolling the electronic cigarette. Alternately, the magnet can be rotated by an airflow driven device operated by airflow applied to the cigarette.

Delivery of additives in a smoking article is provided through thermally degradable, robust immobilized additive inserts. Additives can be immobilized in an elongated device or an insert, wherein the elongated device or the insert is sufficiently robust to allow the elongated device or the insert to be manually or machine inserted into a smoking article while maintaining the structure of the elongated device or the insert. By providing additives in the form of thermally degradable immobilized additive inserts, migration and/or loss of the additives in a smoking article prior to smoking can be reduced.

A flue-curing apparatus and a related method are provided. The flue-curing apparatus includes a circulation chamber and a curing chamber that are separated by a divider wall. An air circulation system includes a blower positioned in the circulation chamber that directs air to a heater device and a lower passage into the curing chamber. The air may be received from one or both of an inlet and an upper passage extending from the curing chamber to the circulation chamber. A humidity control system humidifies the air directed into the curing chamber. A controller may receive signals from wet and dry bulb thermometers to determine the conditions in the curing chamber and the condition of tobacco leaves being cured therein. The controller may adjust various operational parameters to cause the tobacco leaves in the curing chamber to cure at a desired rate.

A simulated smoking device (1) comprising a simulated cigarette having a substantially cylindrical cigarette-like shape and a refill device (2, 50) having a substantially cuboid housing with a cigarette pack-like shape containing refill gas (32, 59) for the simulated cigarette and having means for selectively retaining the simulated cigarette. The simulated cigarette may be retained wholly within the housing. It may be retained at a location different from the refill location. A dose counter may be provided to give a visual indication of the doses in the refill device.

A system for producing porous masses may include a mold cavity disposed along the material path, at least one hopper before at least a portion of the mold cavity for feeding a matrix material to the material path, a heat source in thermal communication with at least a first portion of the material path, and a cutter disposed along the material path after the first portion of the material path.

A smoking composition for inclusion in a combustible smoking article includes a combustible organic material, such as tobacco and/or tobacco substitutes and at least one alkanoylated glycoside for enhancing the flavor of mainstream smoke. Optionally, dry hops extract can also be included in the smoking composition.

A method for providing an encapsulated flavorant or chemesthetic agent in a smoking article includes forming an emulsion including: (i) a first aqueous solution, comprising one or more cross-linkable polysaccharides; and (ii) a hydrophobic additive comprising one or more flavorants or chemesthetic agents. The method also includes extruding the emulsion into a second aqueous solution in the form of an elongated structure, cross-linking at least a portion of the one or more cross-linkable polysaccharides, removing the cross-linked elongated structure from the second aqueous solution, introducing the cross-linked elongated structure into a filter, or into a rod including a smoking composition, or both; and forming the filter or the rod of the smoking composition into a smoking article. The method can include a drying step.

A pixel may include a light emitting element, a first power supply terminal set, an initialization terminal, a capacitor, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a fifth transistor, and a sixth transistor. The first power supply terminal set is electrically connected through no intervening transistor to each of the fourth transistor and the sixth transistor. The capacitor is electrically connected through no intervening transistor to each of the initialization terminal and the third transistor. Each of the first transistor and the fourth transistor is electrically connected through no intervening transistor to the second transistor. Each of the second transistor and the third transistor is electrically connected through no intervening transistor to the fifth transistor. Each of the fifth transistor and the sixth transistor is electrically through no intervening transistor to the light emitting element.

Power levels of a backlight are adjusted in a number of ways and based on a number of criteria. The adjustments result in a lower power consumption and, in some cases, may enhance audience attention to important objects in a scene. The adjustments comprise, for example, a combination of ramping down power (lowering final display brightness) in concert with corresponding compensatory LCD adjustments (increasing final display brightness). The adjustments may also include, for example, system dimming after ramp down/LCD adjustments are exhausted, or the shifting of an LDR2HDR curve.

A driver IC for driving a display panel, a display device and a method for driving the driver IC are provided. The driver IC is provided with N pins corresponding to N signal transmission lines of the display panel respectively. Each pin is connected to one corresponding signal transmission line through one transmission wire. The N pins include a first pin and a second pin. The transmission wires include a first transmission wire connected to the first pin and a second transmission wire connected to the second pin and having a length less than the first transmission wire. The driver IC includes a signal generation module configured to generate N driving signals. The N driving signals include a first driving signal corresponding to the first pin and a second driving signal corresponding to the second pin and having a current intensity less than the first driving signal.

Coin processing apparatuses, such as consumer or commercial coin processing apparatuses for counting and/or sorting coins, are described herein. The apparatuses can include coin conveyors having a plurality of individual coin carriers linked together to form a chain. In some embodiments, each of the coin carriers includes a corresponding pocket that is configured to receive a coin from a coin hopper as the carrier chain passes through the coin hopper during its cycle. The coin carriers can carry the coins past one or more sensors for identification or “discrimination” of the coin denomination. After discrimination, the coins can be knocked from the carrier pockets and into, e.g., a selected coin chute for transfer to a collection bin.

Systems, computer program products, and methods useful for handling or managing microplates are provided.

A conveyor belt having opposing ends to be connected for endlessing the conveyor belt. The belt includes a belt member, and two planar connector parts provided one at each said end of the belt. Each connector part has, at an edge of the connector part, an edge coil extending over the width of the belt. The belt is configured to be endlessed by bringing the edge coils of the first and second end into a sideways engagement to obtain an overlapping coil area and by inserting a closing wire through the overlapping coil area. Each connector part has a set of splice fingers engaging in correspondingly shaped finger recesses formed in the belt member.

Various embodiments of ladders, ladder components, accessories for ladders, ladder systems and related methods are provided. In one embodiment a ladder and platform system is provided having at least two ladders and a platform or plank. The platform or plank has coupling mechanisms that provide adjustable but secure coupling of the platform to the ladders, either with the top cap or with the rungs. Other embodiments include storage devices and paint trays for use with ladders and ladder systems incorporating such devices.

Ladders, ladder components and related methods are provided including various embodiments of a combination ladder. In some embodiments, a platform is provided that is fixedly coupled with a rail assembly of a combination ladder. The platform may pivot between a useable position or state and a stowed or stored position or state. The platform may maintain a position relative to certain rungs of the rail assembly while being displaceable relative to other rungs of the rail assembly. A hand rail may be coupled to the rail assembly and a tray may be coupled with the hand rail. The tray and the platform may be configured to maintain a constant distance between one another while the rail assembly is adjusted for height.