The present invention is that of a solar energy system that uses a light-guide solar panel (LGSP) to trap light inside a dielectric or other transparent panel and propagates the light to one of the panel edges for harvesting by a solar energy collector such as a photovoltaic cell. This allows for very thin modules whose thickness is comparable to the height of the solar energy collector. This eliminates eliminating the depth requirements inherent in traditional concentrated photovoltaic solar energy systems. A light guide solar panel has a deflecting layer, a light guide layer and a solar cell in optical communication with the light guide layer. The deflecting layer receives light at a first surface and inputs the light into the light guide layer. The light guide layer propagates the light to the solar cell, which is aligned generally parallel to the input surface.

A thin-film solar cell includes a cell having a transparent electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a back electrode layer stacked on a transparent insulation substrate. A plurality of cells are connected in series to constitute a cell string. A bus bar is arranged on the back electrode layer of an end cell constituting the cell string. The thin-film solar cell has a photoelectric conversion layer on a series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer. In plan view, a series-connection direction end of the back electrode layer at an end of the cell string and the series-connection direction end of the transparent electrode layer at the end of the cell string do not overlap, while the bus bar and the transparent electrode layer at the end cell constituting the cell string overlap at least partially. A method of fabricating the thin-film solar cell is provided.

A method for producing a continuous web of printed material for use in creating mailpieces. The continuous web has a width and a length, the length comprised of a series of attached sheets. The series of attached sheets are comprising envelope sheets and rectangular content pages. The content pages are rectangular in shape and may be oriented relative to the envelope sheets in a number of different configurations. In some configurations, two sets of content pages and/or envelope sheets can be printed across the width of the web. Sheets for forming business return envelopes may be printed in series with the content pages and envelope sheets. BREs may include individualized return addresses. A control code may be printed on one or more of the sheets for a given mailpiece, providing information for controlling assembly of the mailpiece. Two sets of sheets may be printed across the width of the web by printing content pages onto the continuous web such that two end-to-end content pages are printed across the width of the web. Positioning of mail content pages and envelope sheets for a given mailpiece may be optimized based on respective processing times determined for the system.

A medical balloon with a variable diameter that is reinforced with continuous fibers woven to form a fabric with a varying number of layers and fiber densities. Portions of the balloon having a relatively smaller diameter are reinforced with a fabric having a reduced fiber density and an increased number of layers to facilitate the placement of the layers. The fabric also includes a braiding pattern that facilitates the transition from a single layer fabric to a multiple layer fabric. Also described is a manufacturing method for the braiding and layering.

Branched braided stent or graft devices and processes for fabrication of the devices are disclosed in which a trunk portion and two hinge leg portions are fabricated in one piece braided from a single plurality of filaments, whereby the legs contain the full plurality of filaments and the trunk portion contains a subset of the same plurality of filaments. The fabrication process involves braiding the hinged legs on a mandrel while retaining loops of filament between the hinged leg portions for subsequent braiding of the trunk portion of the stent or graft.

A mold structure, a patterning method thereof and a method of fabricating an LCD device using the same are disclosed, which can realize a conformal contact by applying a voltage between a mold structure and a material layer being opposite to each other in an In-Plane Printing process, so as to prevent defective patterns, wherein the mold structure comprises a mold whose surface is provided with patterns; a backplane for supporting the mold; and a conductive film formed between the backplane and the mold.

Interfaces for electrical (e.g., lighting) devices involve use of electrically conductive edge contacts arranged on or protruding from edges of printed circuit boards (PCBs) that provide or facilitate electrical connections to first and second externally accessible electrical contacts, such as may include threaded and foot contacts of a lighting device including a screw-shaped male base. First and/or second edge contacts of a PCB may protrude through first and second openings in a housing to form first and second externally accessible contact, or directly engage first and second externally accessible contact elements associated with (e.g., retained by) the housing. A contact element retained by a housing may define a slot in the interior of the housing to directly engage an edge contact of the PCB. Electric power is supplied to the PCB via edge contacts without need for intervening wires or soldered connections.

In an EL element having an anode, an insulating film (bump) formed on the anode, and an EL film and a cathode formed on the insulating film, each of a bottom end portion and a top end portion of the insulating film is formed so as to have a curved surface. The taper angle of a central portion of the insulating film is set within the range from 35° to 70°, thereby preventing the gradient of the film forming surface on which the EL film and the cathode are to be formed from being abruptly changed. On the thus-formed film forming surface, the EL film and the cathode can be formed so as to be uniform in thickness, so that occurrence of discontinuity in each of EL film and the cathode is prevented.

A folding system for a fabric product is provided. The folding system includes an information obtaining device, a folding device and a width controlling device. The information obtaining device obtains first information held by a fabric product. The folding device includes a platen member, a width adjusting mechanism and a folding mechanism. The platen member is for holding the fabric product. The width adjusting mechanism adjusts the width directional length of the platen member. The folding mechanism folds the fabric product on the platen member. The width controlling device controls the width adjusting mechanism by using the first information obtained by the information obtaining device.

A rotating rod in combination with a retractable concave/convex tape creates pairs of folds on a fabric article on a horizontal platform. A machine and method are described. The tape extends outward and downward to hold the article at a first fold location, while the rotating rod moves from below, then over and across the tape, pulling the fabric with it to create a second fold at the farthest motion of the rod. These motions are typically repeated on the other side of the article, then at right angles, created a finished, folded article of a generally rectangular shape.

A fabric cutting system and/or method can include a mandrel having a body and first and second legs, a centered chuck, and an offset chuck, each chuck configured to receive either one of the legs or body to rotatingly support the mandrel between the chucks. When one of the legs is inserted into the centered chuck and the mandrel body is inserted into the offset chuck, the mandrel can be rotated and the fabric mounted on the mandrel can be cut about the leg at a location beyond the end of the other leg. One of the legs can include a leg extension removable from a leg base that when removed allows the other leg to be cut beyond the end of the leg base. The fabric can be cut with a cutting laser, which may be a multi-axis laser, and/or have low power.

A press felt includes: a base fabric comprising a plurality of repeat units, each of the repeat units comprising a plurality of exterior machine direction (MD) yarns, each of which includes an upper run and a lower run merging with seam loops at each end, a plurality of middle MD yarns positioned between the upper and lower runs of the exterior MD yarns, a plurality of cross machine direction (CMD) yarns interwoven with the exterior MD yarns and the middle MD yarns in a predetermined regular weave pattern, the seam loops defining the longitudinal ends of the press felt; and a batt layer overlying the base fabric.

A process for preparing a seam area for a paper machine clothing (PMC) base fabric includes the steps of: forming the PMC base fabric by flat-weaving, the PMC base fabric including warp yarns extending in machine direction and weft yarns extending in cross machine direction and interwoven with the warp yarns, the weft yarns including first weft yarns and a second weft yarn, the second weft yarn being a multifilament yarn, the warp yarns, the first weft yarns, and the multifilament yarn being woven together on a loom in an original weaving process, the multifilament yarn being positioned in an anticipated seam area; and folding over the PMC base fabric, after weaving the multifilament yarn with the warp yarns, to form a seam loop of the PMC base fabric such that the multifilament yarn is a first one of the weft yarns on a sheet side of the seam loop.

A tire containing a pair of beads, at least one carcass ply extending from one bead to the other bead forming a pair of sidewall areas of the tire and a tread area of the tire, and at least one layer of a knit fabric in the sidewall area of the tire, where the knit fabric has a warp and weft direction and is a double cord stitch knit fabric. A method of making the fabric and tire are also disclosed.

Methods and apparatus for implementing time synchronization across exascale fabrics. A master clock node is coupled to a plurality of slave nodes via a fabric comprising a plurality of fabric switches and a plurality of fabric links, wherein each slave node is connected to the master clock node via a respective clock tree path that traverses at least one fabric switch. The fabric switches are configured to selectively forward master clock time data internally along paths with fixed latencies that bypass the switches' buffers and switch circuitry, which enables the entire clock tree paths to also have fixed latencies. The fixed latency of the clock tree path is determined for each slave node. The local clocks of the slave nodes are then synchronized with the master clock by using master clock time data received by each slave node and the fixed latency of the clock tree path from the master clock node to the slave node that is determined. Techniques for determining a clock rate mismatch between the master clock and a local clock is also provided.

A storage system including a hardware module slot, configured to mechanically accommodate a first hardware module. The hardware module slot includes a hardware module data connector configured to electrically interface with the first hardware module inserted into the hardware module slot. The storage system further includes a fabric that includes a first switch. The first switch includes a first protocol interface to the hardware module data connector and is configured to enable first protocol communications between the first hardware module and a second hardware module. The fabric also includes a second switch that includes a second protocol interface to the hardware module data connector and is configured to enable second protocol communications between the first hardware module and the second hardware module.

New net shape strength retaining high temperature alloy parts are formed from fine metallurgical powders by mechanically blending the powders and placing them in die, placing a piston in the die, extending the piston into a driving chamber, filling the chamber with CH4 and air and compressing the powders with the filling pressure. Igniting gas in the chamber drives the piston into the cavity, producing pressures of about 85 to 150 tsi, compacting the powders into a near net shape alloy part, ready for sintering at 2300° C. without shrinking. The alloy parts are Re, Mo—Re, W—Re, Re—Hf—HfC, Re—Ta—Hf—HfC, Re—Mo—Hf—HfC, Mo—Re—Ta, Mo—Re-f-HfC, W—Re—Hf—HfC, W—Re—Ta—Hf—HfC or W—Re—Mo—Hf alloys.

The method for forming a 3-D metal object by 3-D printing or injection molding comprising providing as a feed material metal particles formed by establishing multiple metal components in a primary billet of a ductile material, working the primary billet through a series of reduction steps to form the components into elongated elements, leaching the ductile material from the elongated elements and reducing the length to short uniform lengths.

A smart card with an RFID tag is held in a wallet comprising a back layer and at least one front layer stitched to the back layer around part of a perimeter thereof to define at least one pocket in the wallet dimensioned to hold and completely surround the smart card. Both of the layers are composed of a stainless steel fabric capable of blocking RF radiation.

A method of dressing a wheel using a polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser, the method comprising: rotating the wheel; and contacting a working surface of the wheel with a working surface of the polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser, wherein the polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser is oriented such that a leading edge of the working surface of the polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser is formed of larger grains than a trailing edge of the working surface of the polycrystalline CVD synthetic diamond dresser.

A method for manufacturing micrometer scale components comprises depositing a first metal on a substrate, depositing a second metal in a mold, and alloying the first and second metals together to form the component.

The invention relates to a method producing a portioned column by forming a first segment and a third segment into arcuate segments, and attaching these arcuate segments to a second z-shaped segment to from two contiguous volumes with approximately semi-circular cross-sections that combine to form a partitioned, approximately cylindrical segment.

Auxetic fabric structures, of the sort which can be useful in conjunction with composite materials, and related methods of fabrication.

A knitted fabric is designed and adapted to fit box springs of varying size. The knitted fabric includes four panels that each includes three layers—a middle layer, a top layer and bottom layer. The knitted fabric is elastic and stretches to fit over the box spring. The four panel construction provides a large opening on the top of the box spring, which allows the knitted fabric to be removed from the box spring without removal of the mattress.

A knitted fabric is disclosed, comprising a first fabric layer, a second fabric layer and a plurality of pliable threads having a predetermined length, the respective ends of the pliable threads being stitched to the first and second layers thereby connecting the first and second layers. Preferably the fabric also contains sacrificial yarn to tie in the pliable threads. Also disclosed is a method for knitting a fabric according to the invention. The fabric has uses in inflatable devices, including airbags, or lifting devices.

The invention addresses the problem of providing a warp knitted fabric manufacturing method capable of stably producing a warp knitted fabric wherein the longitudinal stretchability is 200%. To solve the problem, the invention is a warp knitted fabric manufacturing method that forms bands of a warp knitted structure with increased longitudinal stretchability by forming stitches with an elastic warp (2) while knitting in an elastic inserted yarn (3) in the warp direction and knitting in the weft (4) in the course direction, wherein: active feed means (30), which are obtained by placing a single follower roller (323) above two drive rollers (321, 322), are disposed on the respective paths of the warp (2) and the inserted yarn (3) to feed the warp (2) and the inserted yarn (3) to the warp knitting machine while increasing the respective elongation percentage. The active feed means (30) keep the respective feed rates of the warp (2) and the inserted yarn (3) constant while feeding same to the crochet warp knitting machine (40).

A method for fabrication of a relatively low cost display or communicative novelty button in which a consumable restrictor sheet is placed over a vacuum draw type female mold cavity. The restrictor sheet may be of cardboard and be apertured with a diameter smaller than the mold cavity diameter. A thermoplastic sheet material is then placed over the restrictor sheet, heated to reach a formable state and vacuum drawn through the restricted aperture and down so that the sheet comes into contact with and generally conforms to the desired shape defined by the mold cavity. The plastic sheet material may then be trimmed near the edge of the restrictor sheet to leave a button shell mounted on a restrictor sheet which may then be used for purposes of display. The restrictor sheet also enables fabrication with an inwardly facing peripheral groove that may be used to secure a pin fastener. An alternate form of fastener in which a portion of the remaining plastic sheet is used is also disclosed.

A fabric covered button comprising a button head having a peripheral groove for receiving a locking ring. The fabric is secured to the button head and the marginal edge thereof is retained within the groove by the locking ring.

Provided are improved methods for joining two pieces of fabric along a seam (e.g., curved seam) to form a fabric pattern piece (e.g., quilting block unit) using an embroidery machine. A digitized file instructs an embroidery machine to stitch a perforated guide-line in a stabilizer material secured inside an embroidery hoop for forming an opening having a desired shape in the stabilizing material. A first fabric is temporarily affixed to one side of the stabilizer material, and an opening with a seam allowance margin is cut in the fabric along the desired seam defined by the opening/shape in the stabilizing material. The seam allowance margin is folded through the opening/shape to the reverse side, and a second piece of fabric is affixed to the folded margin. The digitized file instructs the machine to stitch a hidden seam along the desired seam providing esthetic, geometrically precise fabric pattern pieces.

A method for manufacturing a strap ring (1), made from a material woven with warp threads (3) and at least one weft thread (4) extending between the warp threads (3). The woven material is a tubular fabric (11) whose warp threads (3) extend parallel to the axis of extension of the tubular fabric (11), the strap ring (1) being made from an axial section (16) of the tubular fabric (11) which is axially cut up by cutting the warp threads (3).

A conveyance system that transports fabric comprises a work space having a surface that the fabric can be transports across, and at least one budger that moves and/or provide force to the fabric in a servo controlled motion.

A embroidery clamp for thick fabric includes a movable clamping window support that is pivotally connected to a frame and extends around a pivotal axis. An actuating system applies a force to the end of the clamping window support and rotates the support around to pivotal axis to move clamping windows together. The clamping window supports have resilient properties and are configured for flexure.

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 of fabricating a micro drill, which includes a drill part for machining a hole and a shank part fixed to a motor, the drill part and the shank part being made of different materials. The method includes the steps of forming a drill part-forming powder compact having a recess in one end thereof, and forming a shank part-forming powder compact having a protrusion, the protrusion intended to be fitted into the recess of the drill part-forming powder compact, forming an assembly of the drill part-forming powder compact and the shank part-forming powder compact, with the protrusion fitted into the recess, and simultaneously sintering the assembly of the drill part-forming powder compact and the shank part-forming powder compact.

A cutting table includes a cutting surface, an opposing surface, a cutting table outer wall, and one or more fins. The cutting table outer wall extends from the circumference of the opposing surface to the circumference of the cutting surface. The fins extend from a portion of the cutting surface to a portion of the cutting table outer wall. The cutting table is optionally leached prior to forming the fins. One or more fins are positioned in parallel with at least another fin in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the fins are positioned circumferentially around the cutting surface. In some embodiments, the cutting table is coupled to a substrate to form a cutter. The fins are formed either after or during the formation of the cutting table.

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 device for treating fabrics comprising a cabinet, said cabinet comprising: a shell having an interior surface, said shell forming an opening; the device further comprising: at least a first and a second spray head positioned upon said interior surface of said shell, the first spray head comprising a multitude of spray nozzles and the second spray head comprising at least one spray nozzle, wherein in at least one first direction the first spray head produces a spray pattern comprising a sequence of a first spray-on area, a first spray free area, and a second spray-on area and in said first direction the second spray head produces a spray pattern comprising at least a third spray-on area and wherein the third spray-on area covers at least a portion of the first spray free area.

This invention relates to the ironing of fabrics, such as clothes in particular, and provides a compact, light-weight apparatus suitable also for use in various ironing applications. The ironing apparatus comprises first and second fabric-pressing surfaces, supporting arms to which the surfaces are mounted opposite each other, to define a fabric-receiving gap between the surfaces. The supporting arms operate to urge the first surface toward the second, so to narrow the gap from a first, fabric receiving width, to a second, fabric-compressing width effective for exerting crease-reducing pressure on said fabric in the gap, while permitting relative traversing movement between said surfaces and the fabric. The supporting arms may be in the form of a flexible U-shaped member having opposed ends to which the respective pressing surfaces are mounted to be inwardly opposed, and a generally central portion defining a body.

Appliances, methods and systems in which steam can be applied to a fabric and a heated surface can be used to press and/or dry the fabric.

A green ball grinding method includes the step of supplying a green ball between a first surface of a first member and a second surface of a second member constituting a grinding apparatus, and the step of grinding the green ball between the first surface and the second surface while the green ball rotates around its own axis and in orbital motion. In the step of grinding the green ball, the step of causing the green ball grinding to proceed while applying load between the green ball and each of the first surface and the second surface, and the step of modifying the rotation axis of the green ball by reducing the load lower than in the step of causing the green ball grinding to proceed are executed alternately.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a composite yarn of paper, e.g., traditional Korean paper, and a composite yarn manufactured thereby, a method for manufacturing a fabric using the same and an automotive interior material manufactured thereby. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a composite yarn of traditional Korean paper by using a traditional Korean paper yarn and a synthetic yarn, in which the composite yarn can be used in weaving and knitting, and a method for manufacturing a fabric as an automotive interior material using the same. Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a composite yarn of paper, comprising twisting a tape-type paper yarn, and covering the twisted paper yarn as a ground yarn at least two strands of synthetic yarn as an effect yarn to manufacture a composite yarn of paper of 160˜700 denier.

A pixel array structure including a bottom carrier plate, a wire layer, a planarization layer, a pixel unit layer and a conductor structure is provided. The wire layer is disposed on the bottom carrier plate. The planarization layer covers the wire layer and has a flat surface at a side away from the wire layer. The pixel unit layer is disposed on the flat surface of the planarization layer. The pixel unit layer includes a pixel unit including a driving circuit structure and a pixel electrode electrically connected to the driving circuit structure. The conductor structure passes through the planarization layer and is connected between the driving circuit structure and the wire layer. A display panel having the pixel array structure and a method of fabricating the pixel array structure are also provided.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device and a method for operating the semiconductor device are provided. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a first electrode layer; forming a material layer, including conductive path components, over the first electrode layer; forming a second electrode layer over the material layer; performing a forming operation, which includes initially creating, in the material layer, a conductive path that electrically connects the first electrode layer to the second electrode layer by applying one of a predetermined voltage and a predetermined current between the first and second electrode layers, the conductive path including the conductive path components; and performing a first heat-treatment process at a predetermined temperature that removes some of the conductive path components from the conductive path, wherein a resistance state of the material layer changes based on the creation or dissolution of the conductive paths.

In one embodiment, a biased fabric is supplied. The biased fabric supply has a first specified width and a first bias angle of warp yarns relative to weft yarns. At least one overfeed roller configured to overfeed fabric from the biased fabric supply at an overfeed rate is provided. At least one spreading arm configured to stretch the fabric to a second specified width and a fabric oven configured to heat the biased fabric supply to a specified temperature and output a balanced crimp and/or elongation biased fabric are also provided.

A fabric separable fastener member is provided which comprises a fiber for a base fabric and a fiber for a fastening element firmly anchored by the fused fiber for the base fabric and which is excellent in flexibility and durability without a back-coated layer. The separable fastener member comprises (α1) a ground warp, (α2) a ground weft containing a binder fiber, and (α3) a pile yarn, and the pile yarn (α3) is anchored by the fused binder fiber. In the separable fastener member, each of the ground warp (α1), the ground weft (α2) and the pile yarn (α3) comprises a polyester fiber, the mass ratio of the ground warp (a1) relative to the ground weft (a2) is 40/60 to 80/20, and the mass ratio of the total amount of the ground warp (a1) and the ground weft (a2) relative to the pile yarn (a3) is 90/10 to 50/50.

A spring steel slip sheet for a compactor and for extending into a compression zone defined by a feed roll and a retard roll for shrinking a fabric. The slip sheet is for the compactor, extends into the compression zone defined by the feed roll and the retard roll for shrinking the fabric, and is made of spring steel. The slip sheet is sheet-like and includes a mounting portion and a compressing portion. The compressing portion extends from the mounting portion at an interface line. The mounting portion usually is flat and the compressing portion usually is arcuate. The compressing portion curves similarly as the feed roll of the compactor does, and presses the fabric against the feed roll of the compactor as the fabric enters the compression zone of the compactor.