Abstract: Disclosed is a MEMS sensor including a sense element and a single anchor that supports the sense element arranged in a central hub-like fashion that reduces the effects of thermal stress. Usually, two or more anchors are required to suitably constrain the sense element's motion. The anchor disclosed herein, however, supports the sense element with connection elements having a connection geometry that substantially limits the motion of the sense element to a single-degree-of-freedom. The connection elements may include, for example, converging flexures, an extender bar, or both.

Abstract: An improved load bearing pallet includes an upper deck formed from a sheet of thermoplastic material with a load engaging surface and an opposing, substantially parallel lift engaging surface. Ridges, channels, depressions, and legs, are formed in the sheet with corresponding features being necessarily defined by the sheet on the opposite side. The pallet preferably includes a peripheral channel formed around a periphery of the upper deck and nine legs positioned in three rows of three creating two gaps on each side of the pallet for the tines of a fork lift to enter to lift the pallet. A plurality of strengthening ridges and channels are formed in the load bearing surface of the upper deck, with corresponding channels and ridges necessarily formed in the lifting surface of the upper deck, to resist bending and folding of the pallet.

Abstract: An oven includes single or multiple decks of longitudinal burners extending from an infeed end to an outfeed end of a body. The burners are slanted relative to a direction of a movable carrier such that a product traveling on the carrier will be heated continuously from one side to the other by a burner whose orientation is diagonal to the product's path of travel. The proportion of air and gas may be separately controlled for each deck. Furthermore, each burner may be individually controlled and monitored to maintain a desired temperature within the body. Latitudinal pilot runners extend across the width of the oven to ignite and maintain the longitudinal burners. Infrared burners above the top deck initially heat a product to either seal in or eliminate moisture. The invention further comprises a method for heating a product.

Abstract: A foot retention device includes a rigid vertical strut and a springy band disposed adjacent to an exterior side of the strut and configured to flex over the strut to form a non-drooping asymmetric arc that conforms to the profile of a human foot. A releasable securing mechanism allows the band to be easily secured and released. The foot retention device provides a fixed right angle between a base plate and the vertical strut allowing the user's foot to be inserted straight in. The foot retention device includes a non-sloping design for athletic applications, and a sloping design for footwear. Methods of assembling and manufacturing the foot retention device are also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for laminating a decorative lamination film to an extruded substrate is disclosed. The decorative lamination film may be clear, translucent, pearlescent, or opaque and it is compressed against the extruded substrate between a pair of rollers. In the context of vertical blind louvers, the rollers and the decorative lamination film are wider than the extruded substrate, the side edges of the extruded substrate being temporarily pressed upward in contact with the lamination film. The roller in contact with the lamination film is heated to a temperature sufficient to melt a central length of the lamination film that is contact with the extruded substrate, and thereby under increased pressure, but not so hot as to melt the unused side lengths of the lamination film. The unused side lengths, therefore, do not melt and naturally separate from the central length.