Abstract: A battery pack is disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a battery pack includes: a plurality of battery cells connected in series to each other; a fuse connected between two of the plurality of battery cells; and a primary protective circuit configured to measure voltages of the plurality of battery cells and control a protective operation of the fuse according to a highest voltage of the measured voltages.

Abstract: An electrical energy system includes a fuel cell, a high-voltage battery, a direct-current converter with electrical isolation arranged between the fuel cell and the high-voltage battery, and a mains charging device connected between the fuel cell and the direct-current converter, wherein the mains charging device contains a rectifier but no DC-to-DC converter with electrical isolation. A method for operating such an electrical energy system for a motor vehicle includes charging the high-voltage battery by using the rectifier to rectify a mains voltage and passing the rectified mains voltage on to the high-voltage battery via the direct-current converter arranged between the fuel cell and the high-voltage battery.

Abstract: Devices used to provide access the vasculature are disclosed. The devices may be configured to provide access to a blood vessel, such as an artery. The devices may include a catheter assembly disposed over a needle assembly. The devices may also include a barrel assembly coupled to the needle assembly. A guidewire may be displaceable by barrel assembly within a needle. The needle may include a proximal and distal port.

Abstract: Articles, such as catheters, comprising markings and associated methods are generally provided. The articles described herein may be configured to be exhibit one or more desirable properties. For instance, in some embodiments, an article comprises markings that are spaced from each other at known distances. Such markings may be employed to aid users of the article in measuring distances. As another example, an article may be configured to swell upon exposure to the fluid such that markings positioned thereon do not crack or delaminate. It is also possible for the article to be configured to swell upon exposure to the fluid in a known, predictable, and/or uniform manner. This swelling may cause the spacings between the markings to increase, and such increase may also be in a known, predictable, and/or uniform manner.

Abstract: A locking assembly for a casement window including a frame having an elongated surface, comprising a tie bar guide adapted to be mounted on the window frame surface, the tie bar guide having first and second receiving grooves for slideably receiving segments of a tie bar in a tongue and groove manner, and a tie bar adapted to slide axially in a direction parallel to the window frame surface and having a partially curved profile and a cross-section comprising a flat central portion with a first segment comprising a first tongue and a second segment comprising a second tongue, the first and second segments on opposite sides relative to the central portion.

Abstract: A route updating method and a user cluster is disclosed. A master node of the user cluster operates in a worker node of a cluster provided by a service provider. The user cluster includes at least one worker node in which a BGP routing client operates, a BGP routing server operates in the master node, a BGP connection exists between the BGP routing client and the BGP routing server. When the BGP routing client detects that a new component is created by a worker node, the BGP routing client sends a route adding request corresponding to the component to the BGP routing server. When received, the BGP routing server adds a route table entry including the IP address of the component and the IP address of the worker node where the BGP routing client is located to a local route table of the master node.

Abstract: A prosthetic capsular device configured to be inserted in an eye after removal of a lens, in some embodiments, can comprise a housing structure comprising capable of containing one or more intraocular devices. The housing structure can comprise an anterior portion comprising an anterior opening, a posterior portion comprising a posterior opening, and a continuous lateral portion between the anterior portion and the posterior portion.

Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball; an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole, wherein the sole has an elongated channel recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole that has a plurality of troughs within the channel to help improve the efficiency of the impact with a golf ball.

Abstract: An articulated robot including a base, an arm supported so as to be rotatable about a predetermined axis with respect to the base and rotatable within a rotational angle range smaller than ±180°, and a hollow shaft that is disposed outside the rotational angle range and stands upward from the base to be parallel to the axis. A cable body is wired from the base to the arm through an inside of the shaft. The articulated robot includes a stopper embedded in a side surface of the shaft, the stopper against which a side surface of the arm rotated beyond the rotational angle range abuts.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a portable bowling system and method of use thereof. The portable bowling system may have a frame from which bowling pins are suspended above a playing surface. The playing surface may be an uneven playing surface. A ball catcher may also be configured on the playing surface whereby the frame is configured between the ball catcher and a player. A player may insert their thumb into a thumb hole of a bowling ball and two of their fingers into finger holes of the bowling ball. The player may roll the bowling ball towards the frame whereby the bowling ball contacts one or more of the bowling pins. The bowling pins may fall to the playing surface. The bowling ball may pass beyond the frame and be stopped within the ball catcher.

Abstract: A motorcycle tyre has a tread band (8) comprising a plurality of grooves that form a tread pattern including a module (T) replicated along a circumferential direction of the tyre (1) and having a predetermined circumferential length (C1). The module (T) comprises a pair of circumferential grooves (20) arranged on opposite sides with respect to the equatorial plane (X-X) of the tyre (1). Such circumferential grooves (20) extend along the circumferential direction of the tyre (1) for only part of said predetermined circumferential length (C1) and define between them a central portion (A) of tread band (8) having a void to solid ratio substantially equal to zero and a predetermined axial width (A1).

Abstract: An IV-line identification system to enable ready identification of an IV line and its associated fluid source and output from other IV lines with their fluid sources and outputs. The IV-line identification system includes an optical member affixed along a longitudinal length of an elongated member that transmits light when a light source provides a light to the optical member.

Abstract: A heavy truck tire tread (12) is provided that has a partially hidden longitudinal groove (22) with an undersurface channel (24) engaged by a longitudinal sipe (26). The partially hidden longitudinal groove (22) has a surface opening (28) that extends from a surface of the tread to the undersurface channel (24). The tread (12) has at least one of two features. The first feature is that the surface opening (28) extends from the surface to the undersurface channel (24) at an angle to the thickness direction such that the surface opening (28) at the surface is forward of the surface opening (28) at the undersurface channel (24) in the rolling direction (20). The second feature is that a lateral sipe (32) engages the surface opening (28) so that the first end is at the surface opening (28), and the second end is forward of the first end in the rolling direction (20).

Abstract: A device for orienting a load about a main axis X and a secondary axis Y is disclosed having a first shaft, called transmission shaft, intended to support the load and configured to be rotated about the main axis and the secondary axis, a second shaft configured to be rotated about the main axis X, a third shaft configured to be rotated about a third axis of rotation, in the same direction as the main axis, a first connection component between the transmission shaft and the second shaft, configured to prevent relative movements between the transmission shaft and the second shaft in, on the one hand, a degree of rotational freedom about the main axis X and, on the other hand, three degrees of translational freedom.

Abstract: A tire has a tread including: a first circumferential groove which is closest to a center in a tire width direction among a plurality of circumferential grooves; center land portions placed adjacent to the first circumferential groove at a side near the center in the tire width direction, and a lug groove which extends between a plurality of the center land portions, and which opens to a side near the first circumferential groove. A bridge having a bottom surface which is bulged is formed at a portion of the lug groove near the first circumferential groove. The bridge has a cross-sectional shape of a trapezoid with tapered surfaces in which side surfaces of the lug groove at an end near a center in a longitudinal direction and an end near the first circumferential groove are inclined with heights thereof reduced toward corresponding ends of the bridge.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for protecting a temperature sensitive object. A system includes a temperature sensitive object and a thermal control material in thermal communication with the temperature sensitive object. The thermal control material has an emissivity that varies as a function of temperature, and includes a substrate comprising a first surface comprising one of a photonic crystal, a metamaterial, a metasurface, and a multilayer film, a solid state phase change material in contact with the surface, and a reflective thin film material at one of a second surface of the substrate, at a surface of the solid state phase change material, and on an opposite side of an optical cavity from the substrate.

Abstract: An ion propulsion device including emission modules in an emission plane, each module having an insulating support, an emission electrode on the support, and a conductive liquid with a microfluidic channel depositing conductive liquid on the electrode; an extraction electrode common to the emission modules and facing the modules; and a control unit, in which each module is configured to emit an ion beam when an electric field is applied to the liquid; each control unit controls an ion emission current emitted by applying a potential difference between each emission electrode and the extraction electrode; the emission electrodes are spaced apart by a linear distance that is greater than a distance between two adjacent emission electrodes separated by an empty space; and a length of the insulating support between the electrodes is greater than a propagation distance of an electric leakage current by charge jumping along the support between the electrodes.

Abstract: An automotive crashworthiness energy absorptive part to be provided at a front portion or a rear portion of an automotive body, the automotive crashworthiness energy absorptive part including: a tubular member configured to be axially crushed to absorb crashworthiness energy, the tubular member having a top portion and side wall portions continuous to the top portion; and a resin configured to coat or patch at least inner surfaces of the top portion and the side wall portions of the tubular member, wherein the coated or patched resin has a thickness of 8 mm or less after being heated and forms at least a part of a peripheral wall portion in a closed cross-sectional space, and adheres to the inner surfaces with an adhesive strength of 10 MPa or more.

Abstract: A drive unit includes an electric motor, first and second torque transmission paths, a torque converter, first and second gear trains, and a first switch mechanism. The first and second torque transmission paths are provided parallel to each other. The torque converter is disposed in the first torque transmission path. The torque converter amplifies a torque outputted from the motor when the torque is directed in a first rotational direction. The first gear train is disposed in the first torque transmission path. The first gear train is disposed downstream with respect to the torque converter. The second gear train is disposed in the second torque transmission path. The first switch mechanism switches between the first torque transmission path and the second torque transmission path as a path for transmitting the torque outputted from the motor.