It is known by the inventor that a universal synthetic lubricant additive that can greatly enhance the performance standards of existing lubricants, petroleum based or synthetic, imparts a new and desirable property not originally present in the existing oil or it reinforces a desirable property already possessed in some degree can greatly benefit the consumer. Although additives of many diverse types have been developed to meet special lubrication needs, their principal functions are relatively few in number. This universal synthetic lubricant additive (invention) with micro lubrication technology, when used as directed will reduce the oxidative or thermal degradation of the host oil, substantially reduce the deposition of harmful deposits in lubricated parts, minimize rust and corrosion, control frictional properties, reduce wear, temperature, sludge, varnishes and prevent destructive metal-to-metal contact, reduce fuel consumption and harmful emissions while improving performance through increased horsepower and torque.

A method of placing a bottom block includes: placing bottom blocks on a block storage area in which a spindle can hold the bottom blocks; attaching a block-transferring tool to the spindle, the block-transferring tool having a main shaft attachment attached to the spindle and a block holder for holding the bottom block; and holding the bottom blocks by the block holder of the block-transferring tool and placing the held bottom blocks on a predetermined workpiece placing position on an upper surface of a table by relative movement.

A method of voting with your feet is disclosed. A performance of a location-based action by a player of a computer-implemented game is associated with a vote on a matter. The performance of the location-based action by the player is detected. A count of votes corresponding to the vote on the matter is incremented based on the detecting of the performance of the location-based action by the player.

A combination trimming/flame treatment end effector adapted for mounting to the end of a robotic arm. A trimming blade extends from a main body portion of the end effector for performing a trimming operation. The trimming blade may be mounted in an exchangeable cartridge to facilitate blade changing. Also extending from the main body portion is a flame treatment element for performing a flame treatment operation. The flame treatment element generally comprises a torch or burner. Because both the trimming blade and the flame treatment element are part of the same end effector, the robot simply manipulates the end effector such that the desired one of the trimming blade or the flame treatment element is properly positioned for use. As such, a tooling change can be avoided. While not restricted thereto, it is contemplated that an end effector of the present invention may be used to process vehicle bumper fascias.

A head tool changer for use with a deposition-based digital manufacturing system, the head tool changer comprising a tooling unit configured to retain a deposition head, a grip unit configured to engage with tooling unit and to relay electrical power to the tooling unit, and a master unit operably mounted to a gantry and configured to engage with the tooling unit and to relay electrical power to the tooling unit.

A transmitter and a receiver for an optical telecommunication system of the WDM type are disclosed. In one aspect, the transmitter uses a chromato-temporal encoder which, with each block of symbols to be transmitted, associates a code matrix, where each element of the matrix corresponds to a wavelength and a use of the channel. The transmitter includes multiple modulators, where each modulator modulates a laser beam at a wavelength during a use of the channel by an element corresponding to the code matrix. The beams modulated in this manner are multiplexed in an optical fiber. Another embodiment using both a wavelength and a polarization encoding is also proposed.

A toolholder assembly includes a toolholder body having a coolant passage and a cutting insert seated within a recess of the body. The cutting insert includes an insert orifice extending between a top face and a bottom face that aligns with the coolant passage. A lock pin includes a lock pin orifice that aligns with and is in fluid communication with the coolant passage of the body. The lock pin orifice has an outlet port to allow the fluid to flow through the lock pin orifice and exit through the outlet port. A lock pin ring includes a coolant port in fluid communication with the outlet port of the lock pin to effectively discharge cooling fluid in the direction of a cutting area of the cutting insert.

Cartridge for supporting at least one cutting insert and for being received on a tool body is disclosed. At least a first portion of the cartridge may be stationary mounted and the cartridge includes at least one pocket for receiving a cutting element. A coarse and a fine adjustment means are provided by means of which at least a second portion of the cartridge including the pocket may be moved with respect to the tool body and wherein the coarse and the fine adjustment means are merely provided at the cartridge.

Electrode milling cutter for machining spot welding electrodes, said electrode milling cutter having one or more milling edges, wherein at least one of the milling edges is interrupted by one or more cut-outs at one or more points. The invention also relates to a milling device and to an apparatus for subsequently machining spot welding electrodes.

In a cutting tool for chip removing machining a holder for a cutter has a body received therein and movable with surfaces to bear against the cutter for defining the position of the cutter in the direction of an intended axis of rotation of the holder as well as a screw which may be screwed in a threaded bore in the holder. Spring members are arranged to act between the holder and the body for biasing the body against said screw portions.

A rotary cutting tool, such as a milling cutter (10) includes a central hub (12), a cutting rim (14) and a plurality of spokes (22) connecting the central hub (12) to the cutting rim (14). Each spoke (22) is separated by an opening (32) and polygonal in cross-sectional shape formed by two side walls (22a, 22b), two front walls (22c, 22d) and a rear wall (22e). One of the side walls (22a) of each spoke (22) is formed at a pitch angle (42) with respect to a central axis (11) of the cutting tool (10) that is sufficient to cause lift of chips through the opening (32), thereby providing effective chip evacuation during a material removal operation.

A double-sided cutting insert may generally comprise a top surface, a bottom surface, at least one side surface interconnecting the top surface and the bottom surface and forming at least one cutting edge, a through hole extending between the top surface and bottom surface, wherein each of the top surface and bottom surface comprise at least one anti-rotation element. The cutting insert may comprise a single anti-rotation element on the top surface and a single anti-rotation element on the bottom surface. The anti-rotation element may be proximate to the through hole. A cutting tool using the cutting inserts, as well as methods of making and using the same are also described.

A MEMS sensor includes at least one closed nodal anchor along a predetermined closed nodal path on at least one surface of a resonant mass. The resonant mass may be configured to resonate substantially in an in-plane contour mode. Drive and/or sense electrodes may be disposed within a cavity formed at least in part by the resonant mass, the closed nodal anchor, and a substrate.

A steam cooled chemical reactor (1) comprising a vertical vessel (2), a plate heat exchanger embedded in a catalytic bed, to cool the catalytic bed by evaporation of a cooling water flow, wherein a water inlet and a steam outlet are located underneath the heat exchanger, and the plates and related piping are arranged so that the path of the cooling flow comprises a first ascending path from bottom to top of the catalytic bed, and a second descending path from top to the bottom of catalytic bed, and wherein internal evaporation channels of the plates provide the second descending or the first ascending path, and water upcomers or respectively steam downcomers provide the other of said first and second path.

The present invention includes microfluidic systems having a microfabricated cavity that may be covered with a removable cover, where the removable cover allows at least part of the opening of the microfabricated cavity to be exposed or directly accessed by an operator. The microfluidic systems comprise chambers, flow and control channels formed in elastomeric layers that may comprise PDMS. The removable cover comprises a thermoplastic base film bonded to an elastomer layer by an adhesive layer. When the removable cover is peeled off, the chamber is at least partially open to allow sample extraction from the chamber. The chamber may have macromolecular crystals formed inside or resulting contents from a PCR reaction. The invention also includes a method for making vias in elastomeric layers by using the removable cover. The invention further includes methods and devices for peeling the peelable cover or a removable component such as Integrated Heater Spreader.

Devices and methods are described herein that are configured for use in laboratory testing, such as, for example, during a procedure including the monitoring and detection of chemical reactions. For example, the systems and devices described herein can be used during a procedure to monitor and detect polymerase chain reactions (PCR). In some embodiments, a sample container includes a container body that defines an interior volume and has an open end in fluid communication with the interior volume. A cap is sealingly engageable with the open end of the container body. The cap defines a receptacle that is configured to extend within a portion of the interior volume of the container body when the cap is sealingly engaged thereto. The receptacle can receive therein a sensor, such as, a temperature sensor that can monitor the temperature of a sample material disposed within the container body.

Provided are emissions treatment systems for an exhaust stream having an ammonia-generating component, such as a NOx storage reduction (NSR) catalyst or a lean NOx trap (LNT) catalyst, and an SCR catalyst disposed downstream of the ammonia-generating catalyst. The SCR catalyst can be a molecular sieve having the CHA crystal structure, for example SSZ-13 or SAPO-34, which can be ion-exchanged with copper. The LNT can be layered, having an undercoat washcoat layer comprising a support material, at least one precious metal, and at least one NOx sorbent selected from the group consisting of alkaline earth elements, rare earth elements, and combinations thereof and a top washcoat layer comprising a support material, at least one precious metal, and ceria in particulate form, the top washcoat layer being substantially free of alkaline earth components. The emissions treatment system is advantageously used for the treatment of exhaust streams from diesel engines and lean burn gasoline engines.

The present disclosure relates to an improved device and methods for adapting to a laser diffraction apparatus used for measuring particle size distribution and density of the plume of a powder composition emitted from a dry powder inhaler.

An integrated swept wavelength tunable optical source uses a narrowband filtered broadband signal with an optical amplifier and self-tracking filter. This source comprises a micro optical bench, a source for generating broadband light, a tunable Fabry Perot filter, installed on the bench, for spectrally filtering the broadband light from the broadband source to generate a narrowband tunable signal, an amplifier, installed on the bench, for amplifying the tunable signal. The self-tracking arrangement is used where a single tunable filter both generates the narrowband signal and spectrally filters the amplified signal. In some examples, two-stage amplification is provided. The use of a single bench implementation yields a low cost high performance system. For example, polarization control between components is no longer necessary.

An optical electrical field enhancing device includes: a transparent substrate having a structure of fine protrusions and recesses on the surface thereof; and a metal structure layer of fine protrusions and recesses formed on the surface of the structure of fine protrusions and recesses. The metal structure layer of fine protrusions and recesses has a structure of fine protrusions and recesses, in which the distances among adjacent protrusions are less than the distances among corresponding adjacent protrusions of the structure of fine protrusions and recesses of the transparent substrate.

A system and method of high-speed microscopy using a two-photon microscope with spectral resolution. The microscope is operable to provide two- to five-dimensional fluorescence images of samples, including two or three spatial dimensions, a spectral dimension (for fluorescence emission), and a temporal dimension (on a scale of less than approximately one second). Two-dimensional (spatial) images with a complete wavelength spectrum are generated from a single scan of a sample. The microscope may include one of a multi-beam point scanning microscope, a single beam line scanning microscope, and a multi-beam line scanning microscope. The line scans may be formed using one or more of curved mirrors and lenses. The multiple beams may be formed using one of a grating, an array of lenses, and a beam splitter.

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 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.

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 binding mechanism assembly for binding a sheet item, the binding mechanism assembly including a backing member having an upper surface, and a binding member directly or indirectly coupled to the backing member. The binding member includes a protrusion shaped and located to protrude through a hole of a sheet item to be bound thereto. The binding member further includes a generally flexible flange that is manually movable into engagement with the protrusion to form a generally closed loop and thereby bind the sheet item thereto. The loop is rotatable relative to the backing member from a first position in which the loop is generally located above the upper surface to a second position wherein at least part of the loop is located below the upper surface. A release mechanism is provided for opening the loop.

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.

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.

A power conversion system with adjustable frequency includes an electric transformer, a pulse width modulation driving controller, a switching transistor, a first and second voltage division resistors connected in series, an output diode and an output capacitor. The electric transformer receives the input power and generates the sensing current and induced current. The sensing current flows through the first and second voltage division resistors to generate the feedback signal. The induced current flows through the output diode and output capacitor to generate the output voltage to supply the load. The pulse width modulation driving controller determine whether the loading state of the load based on the feedback signal, and change the switching frequency according to the loading state and the input power, thereby increasing the whole efficiency of the power conversion system and achieving the aim of dynamically adjusting the optimal frequency.

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.

Among many embodiments, a power conversion apparatus and a method for converting power are disclosed. The power conversion apparatus may include switching components configured to create an alternating current; a preemptive detector arranged and configured to provide, in advance of the alternating current reaching a zero-crossing, a control signal responsive to the alternating electrical current approaching the zero-crossing; and a controller configured, at least in part, to change a state of the switching components before the zero crossing, in response to the control signal.

A series resonant power converter includes a power stage comprising a switching circuit operating at least a resonant frequency. To achieve soft switching and provide current at a voltage through an inductive element. The power converter can also include a control circuit for controlling a phase angle of the current, for controlling a duty cycle of the switching circuit.

Methods and systems for managing link voltages in a power converter, where single phase, three phase or universal systems can be used. Common mode management refers to shifting of voltages in a particular direction to perform transition between input and output ports, in addition to maintaining soft switching property. Voltages in power converters can be freely increasing and decreasing, and thus damage to the circuit can be caused if these voltages change are not controlled.

Methods and apparatuses for a soft-start function with auto-disable are described. Such methods and apparatuses can gradually increase a voltage towards a reference voltage using a ramp generator and a control loop and can disable the ramp generator and the control loop once the voltage has reached the reference voltage.

A voltage regulator coupled to an unregulated DC input voltage source by an input terminal, and to a load by an output terminal is disclosed. The voltage regulator converts an input voltage at the input terminal to an output voltage at the output terminal. The voltage regulator includes one or more slaves, and each slave includes a switching circuit which serves as a power switch for alternately coupling and decoupling the input terminal to an intermediate node. The voltage regulator also includes a filter coupled to the slaves, the filter including one or more inductor banks each of which having a predetermined number of inductors.

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.

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.

A plasmon generator (PG) is disclosed with a laminated structure of non-planar X and Y layers formed between a waveguide and write pole. Each X layer is made of a noble metal such as Au while each Y layer is a non-noble metal or dielectric material to improve durability. As a result, the PG has a peg portion at an air bearing surface with improved reliability compared with pegs made entirely of a noble metal. Non-planarity of X and Y layers improves diffusion of Y material between X grains thereby minimizing X grain growth to enhance thermal stability. The laminated PG is formed by a process sequence that involves forming and filling a cavity, and concludes with a chemical mechanical polish process to form a planar top PG surface that faces a write pole leading side.

Aspects of the disclosure provide a sync mark detector. The sync mark detector includes a first unit configured to decay over time a value indicating a length of a bit format, a second unit configured to compare the decayed value with a detected length of the bit format to determine a new length, and a third unit configured to detect a sync mark based on the detected length and the new length.

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 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.

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.

In a heat-assisted magnetic recording head for use in a hard disk drive, a thermal shunt is positioned between an E-antenna near field transducer (NFT) and a return pole, to draw excess heat away from the NFT region. The thermal shunt comprises two portions separated by a gap that has a trapezoidal cross-section, where the NFT-side of the gap is wider than the return pole-side of the gap.

A cervical collar having a vertically adjustable chin support, the collar including chin support adjustably connected to a collar body having a stop guide, an adjustment member for adjusting the length of a cable trained around a pulley located on the collar body adjacent to the cable guide and connected to a cable stop connecting between the collar body and the chin support and movably positionable along the stop guide on the collar body, wherein the length of the cable adjusts the position of the cable stop along the stop guide and adjusts the vertical position of the chin support relative to the collar body.

A surgical tourniquet cuff that includes a stabilizer component that facilitates application of an overlapping cuff around the limb of a patient. The stabilizer is fixed to the cuff, and requires no tying or similar user manipulation to secure the overlapping cuff in alignment with the underlying cuff. The stabilizer improves the stability of the inflated cuff to prevent sideways shifting motion of overlapping cuff portions as the cuff is applied to the limb. The stabilizer also provides a handle mechanism to enable the user to snugly apply the overlapping cuff around the patient's limb while the overlapping portions remain properly aligned along their long axes. The stabilizer is designed to also facilitate attaching together two tourniquet cuffs end-to-end, with respective bladders overlapping and in proper alignment so that those attached cuffs can be used as a single, extended surgical cuff applied around a patient's limb.

An improved skin substitute is presented comprised of a silicone layer backed up with a woven nylon fabric layer, the silicone layer possessing a regular pattern of slits that permit the porosity of the skin substitute to be adjusted by clinicians by means of applying tension to the skin substitute that differentially opens the slits. A variety of therapeutic substances can be applied to the skin substitute to promote healing, including aloe and other medicinal preparations.

A film structure having a polymer film and an application system enabling the film structure to be handled in a simple manner. The application system is arranged on a first side of the polymer film and has at least one supporting film to which at least one gripping strip is applied. The polymer film also has at least one first region without a supporting film.

Polyisocyanate-based polymers are formed by curing a reaction mixture containing at least one polyisocyanate and at least one isocyanate-reactive compound having at least two isocyanate-reactive groups in the presence of a copper catalyst that contains at least one copper atom associated with a polydentate ligand that contains at least one nitrogen-containing complexing site.

Oil compositions having a high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids are described for use in various applications including use as drying oils, in ink compositions and coating compositions. Oil compositions wherein the double bonds of the fatty acids are substantially epoxidized are described and used as plasticizers and thermal stabilizers for various halogenated polymer compositions.

A molecule possessing a primary or secondary amino group and an additional functionality capable of providing a novel or improved property to a cellulose material has been permanently attached to the cellulose material in aqueous media using a water-soluble carbodiimide as the coupling agent/activator. One such molecule is 5-aminofluorescein (abbreviated as “A-fluo”) and one such cellulose material is a papermaking pulp. Papers made from a pulp furnish containing, for example, 0.01 wt. % of the “A-fluo”-attached pulp show an embedded marker feature authenticable upon UV or visible light excitation. The “A-fluo”-attached pulp can also be used for the marking and identification of a pulp furnish.