Abstract: In a hot water supply system, a heat exchanger transfers heat from a heating device to inflow water to supply the inflow water at a user-set temperature. A flow sensor measures a flow rate of inflow water. A water tank stores outflow water discharged from the heat exchanger. A first temperature sensor, installed on an inlet pipe through which the inflow water flows, measures a temperature of the inflow water. A second temperature sensor, installed on an outlet pipe through which the outflow water flows, measures a temperature of the outflow water discharged from the heat exchanger. A controller includes an input unit to receive input from a user, wherein the controller controls an operation of the heating device based on at least one of: (1) comparison between the user-set temperature and the temperature of the outflow water; (2) variation in the flow rate; or (3) any combination thereof.

Abstract: Protein skimmers having an upright housing including an open topped body with a manually removable foam collection cup for sealing mounting on the body. The foam collection cups encircle a foam collection duct except for a recessed inspection window for exposing an area of the foam collection duct's exterior surface for enabling an aquarist a generally horizontal line of sight to continuously inspect the foam collection duct's interior. The protein skimmers have a canister-like configuration with a front control panel including a main inlet, a main outlet and at least one aspirating pump for circulating an air/water mixture. The protein skimmers include a disperser for dispersing an incoming flow of organic loaded water peripherally downward into a reaction chamber in a substantially uniform manner. The protein skimmers include a washing mechanism for periodically washing their foam collection ducts without having to remove their foam collection cups.

Abstract: An LED road light has a heat sink embedded with an LED module, a base and a light pole holder assembly. The base, the heat sink and the light pole holder assembly are assembled by slidably and respectively mounting ribs into slots. Accordingly, the contact area of such engagement is relatively larger than that using screws, thereby enhancing combined strength and extending the life duration of the LED road light. Besides, the engagement mechanism using ribs and slots also provide workers a convenient and time-saving assembling process.

Abstract: An air sterilizer that operates by electro-kinetic conversion of energy is provided. The sterilizer can have an electro-kinetic converter, rows of needles fastened along support plates, and neutralizing electrodes. The converter can have a rectangular frame with two armatures joined by electrically insulating transverse plates. The armatures can be provided on one of the margins with a row of rectangular notches, equally-spaced with a constant pitch. In the notches, the ion-generating electrodes can be introduced. On their opposed margin, the plates can be interleaved at the same pitch and with V-shaped openings where the neutralizing electrodes can be introduced. The electrodes can be affixed by insulating covers, in the shape of the letter U. Each cover can be elastically deformable. The power supply can derive from an impulse generator with sufficient voltage to form an intense electric field which can ionize surrounding air and create a plasma zone.

Abstract: A functional element (10), for fixing to a piece of sheet metal (40), such as for example, a nut element or a bolt element with a body section or head section, comprising an annular flange (14) which transforms into a cylindrical rivet section, is characterized in that the transformation from annular flange into the rivet section is formed by an at least essentially conical surface, forming a contact surface for a corresponding conical region of a piece of sheet metal, which, on fixing the functional element to a piece of sheet metal, is clamped between the side of the annular flange facing the rivet section and an annular bead (50) formed from the rivet section. An assembled component and a method for the fixing of a functional element are also disclosed.

Abstract: Laryngoscope apparatus including a curved laryngoscope blade and an optical system for affording a field of view along a deflected line of sight for reducing patient manipulation and/or the degree of force required to achieve a good glottic view.

Abstract: A preassembled drainage line element is fabricated with one or more flaps. In one embodiment, the drainage line unit is made from a webs of net material and a web of water permeable material and has two flaps at diametric points. The webs are formed about a barrel and the longitudinal edges are secured together, as by sewing a seam, to form a flap. The seam can be sewn at one of a plurality of spacings from the barrel to form a drainage line element of a different diameter from a standard diameter without need to adjust or replace other components of the fabricating machine.

Abstract: The water tap has a tap stand and a storage frame. The tap stand is has a flowing channel formed through the tap stand. The storage frame is mounted on the tap stand and has a flowing groove and a storage hole. The flowing groove is annular and formed in a top surface of the storage frame and communicates with the flowing channel of the tap stand. The storage hole is formed through the storage frame to provide a storage function.

Abstract: Disclosed are pressure vessels, especially an aerosol container, which comprise an interior that is subdivided into a storage chamber (3) and a propellant chamber (4) and are operated by means of a two-phase propellant. The gas phase (5) of the propellant encompasses carbon dioxide while the liquid phase (6) encompasses polyethylene glycol and/or a (C1-C4) monoether and/or a (C1-C4) diether of a polyethylene glycol, and carbon dioxide that is dissolved therein.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a control method of preventing backflow of exhaust gas into combustion chambers of boilers or water heaters that are not in operation for a multiboiler comprising a plurality of boilers or water heaters connected in line, each of which including a wind pressure sensor measuring wind pressure of air flowing into a combustion chamber and a controller controlling a fan supplying air into the combustion chamber on the basis of the wind pressure measured by the wind pressure sensor. The control method includes measuring wind pressures using the wind pressure sensors in the operating boilers and calculating an average wind pressure, using any controller as a master controller to determine a control amount of wind of the fans of non-operational boilers based on the average wind pressure, and operating the fans of the non-operational boilers on the basis of the control amount of wind.

Abstract: A continuous cable processing apparatus for producing cable sections with processed ends comprises a cable transport apparatus having at least one transporter for moving and holding the cable in the axial direction and, transversely thereto, a processing station. According to a special variant, two transporters are arranged in the longitudinal cable direction on both sides of the processing station and, after the cable has been cut through, each hold one of the cable end regions produced on cutting, so that the end regions are movable in the longitudinal cable direction. At least one of these end processing stations is arranged transversely with respect to the longitudinal cable direction, adjacent to the processing station and at least one transporter is movable transversely with respect to the longitudinal cable direction so that a cable end region can be fed to the end processing station.

Abstract: A pet food dispenser has a container, a bottom lid and a receiving plate. The bottom lid is covered on a bottom opening of the container and has multiple through holes. The receiving plate is connected to the bottom lid. A gap is formed between the receiving plate and the bottom lid. The pet foods in the container drop out from the through holes of the bottom lid. Because the receiving plate collects dropped pet food, only some pet food is released for the pets to eat. The pets need to push the pet food dispenser to topple and roll so that more and more pet food is released. Therefore, the pet food dispenser efficiently leads the pets to move more by using food to attract the pets.

Abstract: A flow control valve controls the flow rate of heated water supplied from a boiler. The valve can normally/reversely turn and control the flow rate in a pipeline using first and second one-way motors, and stops power for one motor when the other motor is rotated. The valve includes a motor assembly including the first and second motors that have power transmission shafts which rotate in opposite directions, a gear assembly including first and second planetary gears that receive power from the motors and a sun gear disposed between and engaged with the planetary gears, a clutch structure between the first planetary gear and motor, and the second planetary gear and motor, that transmits or stops power, and a valve actuator including a shaft that reciprocates up/down by rotation of the sun gear and a valve unit fitted on the lower portion of the shaft that opens/closes the valve.

Abstract: A yoga glove has a palm section, a back section and a finger section. The palm section has a thumb hole formed through the palm section. An edge of the palm section has a front segment and a rear segment. An extending length of the back section is longer than that of the palm section. An edge of the back section has a front segment and a rear segment. The rear segment of the edge of the back section is connected securely with that of the edge of the palm section. The finger section is crescent shaped. An edge of the finger section is connected securely with the front segments of the palm section and the back section. Therefore, the ergonomically curved yoga glove can match the curved shape of the hand and stay close to the hand.

Abstract: A component assembly comprising a sheet metal part and a fastener element which has a flange part of larger diameter and a shaft part of smaller diameter which extends away from the flange part and merges at its end remote from the flange part into a cylindrical rivet section is characterized in that the fastener element is designed for use with sheet metal parts with thicknesses in the range of 3 mm and larger. With relatively thin sheet metal parts the sheet metal part has a smooth pierced cylindrical opening which has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the shaft part, with the cylindrical rivet section being reshaped to a rivet bead which contacts the underside of the sheet metal part. With sheet metal parts of medium thickness the sheet metal part has a stepped hole with the hole region of larger diameter receiving the rivet bead.

Abstract: In an interactive message editing system (10) and method a database (16) contains data representative of a plurality of media objects (19a, 19b, 19c, 19d) and of a plurality of data strings each associated with one or more of the media objects according to a predetermined rank. A memory (14) stores multimedia message data entered by a user and a parser (15) coupled to the memory parses the message data on the fly for identifying successive character strings, each of which is compared with data strings in the database. One or more media objects associated with a data string in the database that at least partially matches a character string are presented on a display device (11) according to the predetermined rank for manual selection by the user. A selected media object is embedded in spatial association with the associated data string.

Abstract: A self-enclosable inflatable mattress has a mattress body, a valve and a bag. The mattress body has a sidewall and a chamber being defined in the mattress body. The valve is mounted through the mattress body. The bag is attached to the mattress body and has a surrounding sheet, at least one holding sheet and at least one fastener. The at least one holding sheet is mounted on a corresponding margin of the surrounding sheet and detachably connected to a corresponding surrounding sheet. The fastener is mounted between the surrounding sheet and the holding sheet. The self-enclosable inflatable mattress is easily stored compactly and prevents dust from contacting the mattress body during storage.

Abstract: A method for analyzing tear film thermograph of contactless tear film thermal imager has steps of sequentially loading multiple thermographs of a tear film, recording a maximum and a minimum of temperatures for a region of interest of each one of the thermographs, dividing the thermograph into at least one temperature zone in accordance with the maximum and minimum temperatures recorded in the last step, and recording a size, a location and a bordering temperature of each one of the at least one temperature zone, analyzing a pattern and temperature variation of each one of the at least one temperature zone, and classifying stability of the tear film. The patterns of the temperature zones can be identified through circularity computation, mosaic and temperature gradient analysis. Accordingly, tear film break up patterns can be classified with the method to facilitate doctors to diagnose a dry eye patient.