The present invention employs a photoacoustic measuring apparatus including: a laser light source; a forming unit for forming a second light beam by dividing or deforming a laser light beam; an optical member for guiding the second light beam to the surface of a subject; a probe for obtaining a photoacoustic wave generated when the subject is irradiated with the second light beam; and a buffering member that contacts the surface of the subject and transmits light, wherein the optical member overlaps areas of the second light beam having a small light intensity on the surface of the subject, the probe and the optical member are positioned on an identical side of the buffering member relative to the subject, and the optical member refracts the second light beam such that the second light beam enters the subject through the buffering member while avoiding the probe.

A method, apparatus and system for testing the self-sealing properties of a concrete sample. The method may include providing an apparatus for creating a consistent and reproducible crack in a concrete sample and creating a consistent and reproducible crack in the concrete sample with the apparatus. The method may further include providing a fluidic delivery system that provides a consistent flow of fluid for testing the self-sealing properties of the concrete sample and testing the self-sealing properties of the concrete sample with the system.

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.

Apparatus configured detect a physical quantity, for example a density, of a flowing fluid, the apparatus including: a sensor body (2) configured to extend into the flowing fluid, the sensor body comprising a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) of a fiber Bragg grating sensor (3, 7, FBG), for generating a detector signal relating to vibration of at least part (2B) of the sensor body (2); anda processing unit, configured to process the detector signal, and to determine the physical quantity based on detected vibration at a mechanical eigenfrequency of the flexible part (2B) of the sensor body (2).

A support structure for a load measurement sensor has sufficient durability without adding a large load to a portion transmitting a load to the load measurement sensor. In a support structure for a load measurement sensor, including a sensor body detecting a load generated from a seat having a seat frame and an extension shaft portion extending from the sensor body, by way of attachment brackets in the state where the extension shaft portion follows the horizontal direction, the support structure includes a load input portion which comes into contact with the sensor body and inputs a load to the sensor body, the sensor body includes a load receiving surface which contacts the load input portion and receives the load, and the load input portion is formed to be movable in the axial direction of the extension shaft portion with respect to the load receiving surface.

An ultrasonic sensor includes: a substrate; an ultrasonic transducer disposed on the substrate, and configured and arranged to transmit ultrasonic waves that propagate as plane waves in a direction orthogonal to a surface of the substrate; an acoustic refracting part contacting the ultrasonic transducer, and configured and arranged to refract the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer; an elastically deformable elastic portion contacting the acoustic refracting part; and an ultrasonic reflecting member disposed within the elastic portion, and configured and arranged to reflect the ultrasonic waves. The acoustic refracting part is configured and arranged to refract, toward the ultrasonic reflecting member, the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer.

The monitoring apparatus includes vibration sensors that detect vibration accompanying machining, a rotation detector and a rotation detection section that detect rotation of a main spindle, and a stability limit and vibration distribution calculation section that creates, on the basis of vibration information obtained from the vibration sensors and a rotation speed of the main spindle detected by the rotation detector and rotation detection section, both a stability limit diagram illustrating a relationship between the rotation speed and a stability limit of the machining and a vibration distribution diagram illustrating a relationship between the rotation speed and the vibration, and displays the created diagrams on a monitor in a vertical arrangement.

Disclosed is a drillship having a vortex suppression block with a recessed flow stabilizing part in a moon pool. The flow stabilizing section is formed so that a bottom of the vortex suppression block that protrudes from a bottom of a hull toward a stern in the moon pool is recessed in an upward direction of the hull to stabilize a flow in the moon pool and reduce a variation in resistance of the drillship. The flow stabilizing section (30) is formed by partly recessing the bottom of the vortex suppression block toward an upper portion of the hull. The drillship having this configuration provides resistance performance improvement and flow stabilization of the drillship.

A kit for supporting a flexible material boat cover has a cover of flexible sheet material having a plurality of substantially parallel lateral channels formed on a bottom surface. A plurality of adjustable cross-straps are provided equal in number to the plurality of lateral channels. Each cross-strap has a pocket that is formed at each end thereof. A plurality of resilient cross-poles are provided equal in number to the plurality of lateral channels and each having a length greater than the cross-strap.

The present disclosure relates to a grouting and welding combined connection joint and an offshore installation method thereof, characterized in that: it comprises a set of grouting systems disposed inside of the annular space formed by an inner shell of the central pore canal of a column with large cross section and an outer wall of a column with small cross section, as well as a group of brackets welded on a top deck of a column with small cross section and an inner shell of the central pore canal of the column with large cross section. The grouting and welding combined connection joint provided by the present disclosure has advantages of being able to adapt to the connection of different dimensions of columns, and having simple offshore installation, highly reliable structural safety and low cost.

A paddle for stand-up paddle boards includes a paddle blade at a lower end of the paddle shaft and a sail assembly slidingly stowed within the shaft, with the sail deployed by sliding the sail assembly distally out of the shaft upper end. The sail assembly may include a sail and support frame. A method and system for transporting a user across water or other surfaces has a board for the user to stand upon and a paddle with sail slidingly deployed from inside a paddle shaft via an opening in the upper end. To propel via paddling, the user leaves the sail stowed within the shaft. The propel via wind, the user deploys the sail out of the shaft, places the blade onto the board upper surface, and angles the paddle and sail to catch the wind and propel the user across the water.

A method and an apparatus for drying a piece of textile which is impinged upon by an air flow having a varied partial steam pressure to evacuate moisture. The method and apparatus are particularly suitable for drying a piece of textile with a layered structure having a semi-permeable membrane.

A laundry transport apparatus and method includes a container defining an interior area configured to accommodate a plurality of laundry carts, the container having a door movable between closed and open configurations to selectively allow access to said interior area. The apparatus includes a ventilation network to pass air to and from the interior area, the ventilation network including a pathogen identification and containment apparatus to detect, isolate and treat potentially harmful material within the soiled laundry. At least a portion of intake and outlet ducts are immediately adjacent one another to influence temperature of air passing through each duct, warmer air passing through one of the intake duct or the outlet duct becoming cooler and cooler air passing through another of the intake duct or the outlet duct becoming warmer.

Methods and apparatuses for drying electronic devices are disclosed. Embodiments include methods and apparatuses that heat and decrease pressure within the electronic device. Some embodiments increase and decrease pressure while adding heat. Other embodiments include a desiccator for removing moisture from the air being evacuated from the electronic device prior to the air reaching an evacuation pump. Further embodiments detect humidity within the low-pressure chamber and determine when to increase and/or decrease pressure based on the humidity. Still further embodiments determine that the device is sufficiently dry to restore proper function based on the detected humidity, and in some embodiments based on the changes in humidity while pressure is being increased and/or decreased. Still further alternate embodiments automatically control some or all aspects of the drying of the electronic device. Additional embodiment disinfect the electronic device.

Nail gel curing devices emitting ultraviolet light, as well as methods of their making and use are disclosed. The devices are useful for curing, inter alia, acrylic compositions, more particularly, acrylic nail gel compositions, and typically employ ultraviolet and/or visible light emitting diodes (“LED”) to cure such ultraviolet and/or visible light curable nail gel resins.

An operating method for a laundry drier which has a rotatable drum mounted inside a main body, a heater for heating the air flowing into the drum; and a scent supply module for spraying scent into the drum, comprising: a drying step of drying the laundry by supplying hot air heated by the heater; a pre-treating step of tumbling the drum while supplying air with the heater off; and a scent treating step of spraying scent onto the laundry which has passed through the pre-treating step. Since the scent is sprayed on after the pre-treating step, the scent can be effectively deposited on the laundry.

A clothes treatment apparatus and a method for controlling a clothes treatment apparatus are provided. The clothes treatment apparatus may include a drying duct, a first blower fan located in the drying duct that circulates interior air within the drying duct, and a filter located in the drying duct. The method may include sensing clogging of the filter, and switching a flow of air passing through the filter from a first direction to an opposite second direction if clogging of the filter is sensed. The method may further include a washing cycle for washing clothes, and a drying cycle for drying the clothes. An implementation time of the washing cycle may be less than an implementation time of the drying cycle.

Disclosed are an evaporator, an evaporation method, and a substrate processing apparatus, which can increase the concentration of generated vapor of an organic solvent and efficiently heat the organic solvent. The evaporator includes a fluid tube, a liquid organic solvent supply device for supplying the organic solvent liquid to one end of the fluid tube, and heating units for heating the fluid tube. The fluid tube has a cross section that increases from the one end to the other end. When the organic solvent liquid supplied to one end of the fluid tube is heated, the organic solvent vapor is discharged from the other end of the fluid tube. The substrate processing apparatus includes the above-described evaporator.

Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus capable of drying a substrate to be processed while suppressing the pattern collapse or the occurrence of contamination. A substrate is held in a liquid bath while being immersed in a liquid, and the liquid bath is disposed in a processing space of a processing vessel. A processing of drying the substrate is performed by replacing the liquid in the liquid bath with a supercritical-state fluid. A predetermined mechanism moves liquid bath between a processing location in the processing case and a stand-by location outside the processing case. A heater installed in the processing case changes the fluid to a supercritical state or maintains the supercritical state while cooling mechanisms cool down the liquid bath moved to the stand-by location outside the processing vessel.

Vaporizable material is supported within a vessel to promote contact of an introduced gas with the vaporizable material, and produce a product gas including vaporized material. A heating element supplies heat to a wall of the vessel to heat vaporizable material disposed therein. The vessel may comprise an ampoule having a removable top. Multiple containers defining multiple material support surfaces may be stacked disposed within a vessel in thermal communication with the vessel. A tube may be disposed within the vessel and coupled to a gas inlet. Filters, flow meters, and level sensors may be further provided. Product gas resulting from contact of introduced gas with vaporized material may be delivered to atomic layer deposition (ALD) or similar process equipment. At least a portion of source material including a solid may be dissolved in a solvent, followed by removal of solvent to yield source material (e.g., a metal complex) disposed within the vaporizer.

A fabric treatment apparatus is provided. The fabric treatment apparatus includes a treatment room which can receive and hold clothes; a motor which generates a rotational force; an eccentric unit which is rotated eccentrically by the rotational force generated by the motor; a contact unit which converts the rotating motion of the eccentric unit into a reciprocating motion; a clothes rack which is disposed in the treatment room and is coupled to the contact unit so as to move reciprocally in a linear path, and on which a number of hangers can be hung; and a heating unit which supplies at least one of hot air and steam into the treatment room.

A method for producing resin particles, including ejecting a liquid containing at least a resin in the form of droplets from a droplet ejecting unit having a plurality of holes provided in a part of a flow channel for feeding the liquid containing at least a resin, and drying and solidifying the ejected droplets so as to obtain the resin particles, while the ejected droplets are transported by a primary transport air flow flowing in the direction in which the droplets are ejected, wherein the ejected droplets are further transported by a secondary transport air flow which transports the ejected droplets in a different direction from a direction in which the primary transport air flow flows, and wherein a smaller angle of angles formed between a velocity vector of the primary transport air flow and a velocity vector of the secondary transport air flow is less than 120 degrees.

A method of operating a clothes dryer having a treating chamber for receiving a laundry load, an air system for supplying and exhausting air from the treating chamber, a heating element for heating the air supplied to the treating chamber, and a controller implementing a cycle of operation, wherein the controller estimates a cycle time of a drying cycle of operation.

Hydrating an object bearing a latent fingerprint and then selectively drying the object leaving the fingerprint hydrated. The hydrated fingerprint is then coated with cyanoacrylate ester, preferably in a heat accelerated cyanoacrylate ester vacuum chamber. Hydrating is preferably accomplished by chilling the object below a dew point and then exposing the object to humidified air to condense a thin uniform layer of water over the object and latent fingerprint. Drying is preferably done with a vacuum. After drying reaches the preferred state, the CE is heated and coats the condensation-hydrated latent fingerprint. Preferably, the method is implemented in an automated system using one computer-controlled chamber for chilling, condensing, vacuum drying, and CE coating the latent fingerprint. The operator simply puts the object in the chamber, initiates the process by computer, and is prompted by the computer to remove the recovered latent print. Prints unrecoverable by prior art means are recovered.

A method and apparatus for underwater pelletizing and subsequent drying of crystallizing polymers to crystallize the polymer pellets with out subsequent heating is shown in FIG. 5. High velocity air or other inert gas is injected into the water and pellet slurry line (120) toward the dryer near the pelletizer exit (102) at a flow rate from about 100 to about 175 m3/hour, or more. Such high-speed air movement forms a vapor mist with the water and significantly increases th speed of the pellets into and out of the dryer such that the polymer pellets leave the dryer with sufficient latent heat to cause self-crystallization within the pellets. A valve mechanism in the slurry line (150) after the gas injection further regulates the pellet residence time and a vibrating conveyor after the dryer helps the pellets to achieve the desired level of crystallinity and to avoid agglomeration.

Embodiments provide various components of a chain saw, including saw chain elements, sprockets, and other fixtures, that may facilitate sharpening of cutter links during operation. In various embodiments, the components may increase stability during sharpening, provide nose mounted sharpening fixtures, and/or facilitate the resizing and/or reshaping of a sharpening element.

An elliptical climbing exercise apparatus includes a base frame, a swing unit including a pair of swing arms, a pedal unit including a pair of pedal shafts respectively pivotally connected to the swing arms, a damping unit including a rotating wheel with a spindle, a guiding unit including a pair of cranks respectively affixed to the two opposite ends of the spindle, a pair of rockers respectively pivotally connected to the cranks and a pair of links respectively pivotally connected to the rocker. Cooperation between the base frame, the swing unit, the pedal unit, the resistance unit and the guiding unit is used to achieve a training of the leg muscles.

In one example, a muscle exercise device includes a first arm, and a second arm rotatably connected to the first arm, and the second arm and first arm are movable to cooperatively define a recess. The muscle exercise device also includes a resistance element configured to reside in the recess and be compressed between the arms.

An apparatus (100) for gait training has a movable base (200) comprising at least one drive unit (210) for moving the movable base, an arm arrangement (300) extending from the movable base, a weight support system (400) to enable a person to be at least partially suspended from above via said arm arrangement, a movement detector to detect a movement of the person and a control unit adapted to control said drive unit(s) in response to a movement of the person detected by the movement detector such that the movable base follows the person in a predetermined distance range and in a predetermined angular range with respect to a movement direction of the person.

Apparatus (2) for exercising a person's calves (4) in two different ways, which apparatus (2) comprises a footrest (8), a kneerest (10), and a length of stretchable material (12) for extending between the footrest (8) and the kneerest (10), and the apparatus (2) being such that: (i) the length of stretchable material (12) is flat sided;(ii) the footrest (8) has roller means (14);(iii) the roller means (14) allows the length of stretchable material (12) to connect to the footrest (8) such that the flat sides of the length of stretchable material (12) slide over the roller means (16);(iv) the kneerest (10) has anchor means (16) for the length of stretchable material (12);(v) the anchor means (16) allows the length of stretchable material (12) to connect to the kneerest (10) such that the flat sides of the length of stretchable material (12) pass over the anchor means (16); and(vi) the footrest (8), the kneerest (10), and the length of flexible material (12) are separable from each other.

A portable paddleboard exercise apparatus having a balance platform, an elongated member, a paddle handle, and a number of resistance bands. The apparatus may further include a frame with one or more support members configured to support the balance platform. The balance platform includes an upper surface for a user to balance thereon. The elongated member extends from the balance platform. The resistance bands extend from a distal end of the elongated member to the paddle handle. A user may balance on the balance platform in one of a number of positions while pulling the paddle handle against a resistive force generated by the resistance bands.

Exercise equipment, particularly a linear movable structure and associated selectable elastic resistance bands with or without guide track members are designed to allow low-impact exercises for one or two persons at the same time while permitting either or both participants to remain stationary when utilizing the equipment.

An exercise apparatus comprising a foot support movable by the user on the frame back and forth through any one of a plurality of complete, reproducible and different arc segments of a master arcuate path, the foot support being interconnected to an arc segment selection device that is manually actuatable to enable the user to manually select any one of the plurality of different arc segments, the foot support being interconnected to an arm having a handle manually graspable by the user to reduce or increase power or energy required by the user to move the foot support.

A training apparatus with adjustable travel distance includes a base frame including a pair of guide rails extending along a transverse axis, a pair of sliding units each including a pedal coupled to and slidable along one respective guide rail and a stopper located on one lateral side of the pedal, and a pair of travel distance adjusting units each including a guiding member mounted in the base frame and extending along the transverse axis and a rear position-limiting member mounted on the guiding member for stopping against the stopper of one respective pedal and position adjustable relative to the guiding member along the transverse axis to adjust the travel distance of the respective pedal.

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.

An exercise apparatus comprises an elongate support member extending along a length between first and second ends. The rigid member has a passage extending therethrough between the first and second ends. The apparatus further comprises a handle extending between first and second handle ends, the handle having connectors proximate to each of the first and second ends and a grip section therebetween and at least one elongate flexible member extending through the passage of the support member and having end connectors on each end thereof, the at least end connectors being connectable to one of the connectors of the handle.

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.

An exercise apparatus comprises an elongate support member extending along a length between first and second ends. The rigid member has a passage extending therethrough between the first and second ends. The apparatus further comprises a handle extending between first and second handle ends, the handle having connectors proximate to each of the first and second ends and a grip section therebetween and at least one elongate flexible member extending through the passage of the support member and having end connectors on each end thereof, the at least end connectors being connectable to one of the connectors of the handle.

An exercise machine with a two directional pivoting user support assembly has a user support or platform which supports the user and pivots about a first pivot axis during an exercise movement, and is also pivotable about at least one second pivot axis to involve the user's core muscles in balancing and maintaining the user support in a stable position. A manually operable locking device with a simple flip switch lever is provided for selectively locking the user support against rotation about the second pivot axis, so that the user can easily chose whether to perform the exercise with a stable support or to add a level of difficulty by using the unstable seat mode and exercising core muscles during the exercise.

In certain implementations, a method of manufacturing electrically conductive nanodiamond particles involves providing at least one type of carbon-containing explosive material and at least one type of non-explosive material; wherein the non-explosive material contains at least one or more than one element or species other than nitrogen that serve as a nanodiamond dopant; mixing the carbon containing explosive material with the non-explosive material; detonating the mixture under conditions of negative oxygen balance in the presence of a cooling medium; purifying the product of detonation from incombustible impurities; and carrying out additional processing for activation or enhancement of electrical conductance. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

The invention concerns copper azide containing carbon nanotubes. The invention also concerns methods of producing such nanotubes by placing CuO nanoparticles within carbon nanotubes to produce CuO-containing carbon nanotubes, contacting CuO-containing carbon nanotubes with hydrogen to produce reduced nanotubes; and contacting the reduced nanotubes with hydrazoic acid to produce copper azide containing carbon nanotubes.

A spiral wrapping for an ironer roller for a chest ironer. Chest ironers have at least one rotatably drivable ironer roller, the lower half of which is surrounded by a stationary ironer bed. The ironer roller is surrounded by an outer spiral wrapping which comes into contact with the item of laundry to be treated. The spiral wrapping is provided with an outer layer produced from a coarse woven fabric which has a higher coefficient of friction. The coefficient of friction of the coarse woven fabric does not alter as the age of the spiral wrapping increases. This means that even in the case of older spiral wrappings, there is sufficient frictional engagement between the spiral wrapping, namely the outer layer, and the item of laundry to be smoothed out.

Clothing iron including a sole (1) having a bottom side with a sliding surface (11) coming into contact with cloth and comprising at least one steam-supplied recess (10), the recess (10) being bounded on its entire periphery by the sliding surface (11) in such a manner that the recess (10) forms a steam diffusion cavity that is surrounded by the sliding surface (11) when the sole (1) is applied to the cloth being ironed, characterized in that the depth of the recess (10) is greater than or equal to 1 mm.

Laundry articles are spread out by input machines in front of a feed conveyor which feeds the spread-out laundry article to a mangle. The respective laundry article is previously fed by a transfer device to a draw-on device onto which the laundry article is drawn. In known input machines, relatively complicated transfer devices are provided. According to the invention, the transfer device is provided with a rectilinear conveying section ascending to the draw-on device. The laundry article is thereby transported to the draw-on device by the transfer device in the plane in which it is transferred to the transfer device. Such a transfer device needs to have only a simple set-up. Since the laundry article remains in the plane in which it is fed to the transfer device, it can be brought by the transfer device into a favorable initial position for being drawn reliably onto the draw-on device.

A household appliance (100) comprises a cabinet (105) accommodating a drum for loading items to be dried and a drying air circuit for circulating drying air through the drum for drying the items therein. The drying air circuit comprises air heating elements (415) for heating the drying air fed to the drum, and the cabinet is provided with a worktop (110) defining a surface (130) having a plurality of apertures (135) in fluid communication with an air conveying system (205,225,230) adapted to deliver a flow of air through said apertures. The air conveying system comprises an air duct (230) thermally coupled to the air heating elements in such a way as to cause heat generated by the air heating elements to heat the air to be delivered through the apertures in the drying surface.

A heating appliance including a metal substrate, at least a part of which is covered with a self-cleaning coating including at least one oxidation catalyst selected from the platinoid oxides, and at least one dopant of said oxidation catalyst selected from the rare-earth oxides. The self-cleaning coating is a bilayer coating including: an inner layer at least partially covering the metal substrate and including the dopant; and an outer layer in contact with the ambient air and including the oxidation catalyst. Also provided is a method for producing such a heating appliance.

A piezoelectric element is manufactured in a method including forming an adhesion layer of zirconium above a zirconium oxide insulating film, forming a first electrode above the adhesion layer, forming a piezoelectric layer of a complex oxide containing bismuth above the first electrode, and forming a second electrode above the piezoelectric layer.

A system and method for using color to indicate a state of a home appliance, such as an iron. The iron has a sole plate and a water tank in fluid communication with the sole plate, a heater for heating the sole plate, a sensor for sensing a temperature of the sole plate, a user interface for setting a desired temperature for the sole plate, and a controller in communication with user interface and the sensor for controlling the heater. An illumination device under the control of the controller is provided to illuminate the water tank, particularly the interior thereof, in a color that is representative of a state of the iron, such as a power condition of the iron and/or a temperature of the sole plate.

A wrinkle removing apparatus for fabric articles is provided. The apparatus includes a casing defining a volume therein and a reservoir received in the casing and containing a liquid for providing treatment to the fabric article. A platen is carried by the casing and defines a plurality of openings for allowing flow-through of liquid. A heater may be proximal the platen for heating the platen to a treatment temperature. A transducer extends into the reservoir and is configured for atomizing the liquid into a vapor.

A conveying apparatus includes a first roller that is rotational to convey a nonwoven fabric and a second roller that is rotational to convey the nonwoven fabric and is located on the trailing side of the first roller with respect to the conveying direction of the nonwoven fabric. The conveying apparatus includes a noncontact sensor and a controller. The noncontact sensor detects the distance from the nonwoven fabric at a position between the first roller and the second roller. The controller uses the distance detected by the sensor to compute the slack amount of the nonwoven fabric and controls the rotation speed of the second roller, thereby reducing the difference between the computed slack amount and a predetermined target value.