Abstract: Toward the acquisition of many English words through appreciation of the historical formation of some English words from Latin prefixes and Latin verb stems, a game board or boards is printed in grid format with each square containing a unique Latin verb stem and Japanese meaning, played in concert with Latin prefix cards dealt to each player. A set of colored tiles is provided to each player by which they may claim a successfully player Latin verb stem square on the game board. The player with most tiles placed wins.

Abstract: A flat shower is a drainage fitting for the evacuation of surface and weeping water arising from showering on a tiled surface, where the tiling installation method is thinset, that is, where the tiles are adhered directly to membrane placed on top of a sloping medium such as mortar or foam installed directly to the subfloor. The height of such tile installations being minimal, a novel, minimal height flat drain assembly comprised of angle bar at the shower wall or flat bar in the midst of the flat tile floor, and said bar(s) then made contiguous with a floor drain membrane, is described.

Abstract: A trap is formed from two instances of a standard part, the ninety degree elbow, and a two-part ninety degree elbow that has a cross-section that runs from circular at the upstream spigot to ovoid at the juncture of the two parts back to circular at the downstream hub. All of the rules that bind trap design in building codes can still be accommodated in this trap architecture. Moreover, the ability of the critical flattened elbow part to be formed from two plastic parts with standard line-of-draw cores reduces entry cost of fabrication. Access to the interior of the parts also allows for novel internal coating strategies. Most importantly for installation, the height of whole trap is reduced by squishing the trap diameter to a degree that a significant drop in trap height is achieved. This decrease in trap height can be sufficient to allow the trap to be accommodated in the reduced height of a vertical space between an underlying ceiling and the underside of the lowered subfloor.

Abstract: Toward the enabling of cleaning schedules involving one or more chemical treatments for the disinfection of healthcare room sink drainsets to avoid nosocomial infections arising from the vectoring of drain pathogenic bacteria, a blockable novel connector is presented to connect a sink drainset to an existing wall stub leading to a drainage stack behind the wall. Multiple chemical soaks for the drainset can be enabled through elaboration of the blocking plug temporarily inserted into the adapter. Two configurations, sideways and upward, are possible to connect the wallbend straight to the connector, the upward allowing for orthogonal connection between the straight and the receiving hub of the connector whatever the angle an existing wall stub has to the wall upon which the sink is hung. Additional blocking plug technology can be enabled.

Abstract: A flat shower is a drainage fitting for the evacuation of surface and weeping water arising from showering on a tiled surface, where the tiling installation method is thinset, that is, where the tiles are adhered directly to membrane placed on top of a sloping medium such as mortar or foam installed directly to the subfloor. The height of such tile installations being minimal, a novel, minimal height flat drain assembly comprised of angle bar at the shower wall or flat bar in the midst of the flat tile floor, and said bar(s) then made contiguous with a floor drain membrane, is described.

Abstract: Toward the memorization of diverse metadata associated with a given kanji ideogram, a package is conceived wherein printed cards branded with QR codes on the card or directly on the kanji ideogram are read with the camera of a mobile device and the user is then furnished with metadata about the kanji ideogram germane to learning about the ideogram, as enabled by a software tool installed or available to the mobile device user, this software processing the QR code to reproduce the reading and other metadata. In place of a printed card, an electronic facsimile on the mobile device could also be used, wherein the QR code is sensed by the software tool.

Abstract: A trap is formed from two instances of a standard part, the ninety degree elbow, and a two-part ninety degree elbow that has a cross-section that runs from circular at the upstream spigot to ovoid at the juncture of the two parts back to circular at the downstream hub. All of the rules that bind trap design in building codes can still be accommodated in this trap architecture. Moreover, the ability of the critical flattened elbow part to be formed from two plastic parts with standard line-of-draw cores reduces entry cost of fabrication. Access to the interior of the parts also allows for novel internal coating strategies. Most importantly for installation, the height of whole trap is reduced by squishing the trap diameter to a degree that a significant drop in trap height is achieved. This decrease in trap height can be sufficient to allow the trap to be accommodated in the reduced height of a vertical space between an underlying ceiling and the underside of the lowered subfloor.

Abstract: A removable trap for lavatory sinks is provided to enable new technologies to be incorporated into just the water trap portion of the sink trap to maximize the performance of the trap in infection control, while at the same time preserving the trap performance features demanded by major building codes. While a traditional P-trap requires the removal of the entire trap for cleaning or replacement, the removable trap presented in this application allows for easy removal of just the U-bend portion of the trap by releasing latch clamps. The U-bend containing the water is the most vulnerable to attack to cleaning chemicals as well as the most effective locus of innovation in materials and methods employed to reduce infectious bacteria forming biofilms within the lavatory trap.

Abstract: A thinset floor drain comprises a saucer shaped mounting flange with a central lowermost circular perforated receptacle, and a perforated cup of smaller diameter that sits in the receptacle. The cup bears upward features including a grate support that threads into the inner thread of the cup, a grate that sits atop the upmost flange of the grate support, and grate tilting mechanisms. This structure serves not only as a flanged floor drain to drain surface water through the cylindrical core of the drain, it binds to a membrane beneath tiling and collects weeping water. The horizontal, vertical, and tilt adjustability of the upmost grate provide a safe grate surface that aligns with and is coplanar with the tile surface surrounding it. Because the receptacle sits below the subfloor, the grate will present a low profile above the surface of the subfloor.

Abstract: A seal for a connector is provided for connecting a bathtub tailpipe to a drain pipe. The connector has an inlet end to receive the tailpipe and an outlet end that is mountable to the drain pipe, and has a passage extending therebetween. A seal extends about the passage for slidably engaging the tailpipe in a fluid sealing manner.

Abstract: A thinset floor drain comprises a saucer shaped mounting flange with a central lowermost circular perforated receptacle, and a perforated cup of smaller diameter that sits in the receptacle. The cup bears upward features including a grate support that threads into the inner thread of the cup, a grate that sits atop the upmost flange of the grate support, and grate tilting mechanisms. This structure serves not only as a flanged floor drain to drain surface water through the cylindrical core of the drain, it binds to a membrane beneath tiling and collects weeping water. The horizontal, vertical, and tilt adjustability of the upmost grate provide a safe grate surface that aligns with and is coplanar with the tile surface surrounding it. Because the receptacle sits below the subfloor, the grate will present a low profile above the surface of the subfloor.

Abstract: A thinset floor drain comprises a floor-mounted flanged pipe piece presenting a hidden thread inside a deep ring-shaped groove formed into the upper surface of the flange, and a second flanged pipe piece with an internal thread. The first piece is mounted pipe down in a perforation in the subfloor of a wet room with screws. The second piece is threaded from above into the hidden thread to form a clamp for a perforated sheet of membrane placed interstitially to the two flanges drawn together by the engagement of the thread mate, to achieve a watertight connection between the drain and the membrane. Because the thread mate sits largely below the subfloor tow which the floor drain is mounted, the upper surface of a grate assembly threaded into the mounted and clamped drain will present a low profile above the surface of the subfloor.

Abstract: A clip on cover for sink traps is provided to allow prevention of burns to the legs of wheelchair users of the sink through isolating the trap at a distance from the cover and thus at a distance from the legs of the wheel chair user. The cover enables a range of form factors to be covered without the collection of leak water, allows leaks in the trap to be detected, and provides aesthetic flexibility and access for trap hygiene maintenance. The clip on cover enables easy cleaning and access for trap maintenance. By linking the weight of the trap indirectly to the sink mount through placement of clips such that the upper clip engages the fixed drain plug and the lower drain plug engages the trap upstream arm, strain on the downstream, horizontal, wall bend is relieved.

Abstract: A removable trap for lavatory sinks is provided to enable new technologies to be incorporated into just the water trap portion of the sink trap to maximize the performance of the trap in infection control, while at the same time preserving the trap performance features demanded by major building codes. While a traditional P-trap requires the removal of the entire trap for cleaning or replacement, the removable trap presented in this application allows for easy removal of just the U-bend portion of the trap by releasing latch clamps. The U-bend containing the water is the most vulnerable to attack to cleaning chemicals as well as the most effective locus of innovation in materials and methods employed to reduce infectious bacteria forming biofilms within the lavatory trap.

Abstract: A clicker ratchet limiter is a mechanical device that allows one part to move a defined distance relative to another by means of a linkage moving around a closed circuit track with a minimum and maximum position, and by means of a captured spring to allow for propulsion of the linkage around the track. One part, the anchor, is fastened to an anchoring object, leaving the top part to move between a minimum and maximum displacement position. Switching between positions is effected by compressing an internal coil spring by pressing down on the top part. The linkage device is a ratchet but not robust to pulling of the top off of the anchored anchor part. A hook and step displacement limiter is provided within each raceway pair of rib and inverted rib on the anchor and top part, respectively, to prevent pulling off of the top.

Abstract: A splash-proof lavatory drain consists of a top, a tailpiece tube, and a flanged threaded pipe penetrating a drain hole in a vessel interior, wherein the flange engages the rim of the drain hole and is tightened by a nut and seals against the underside of the vessel. The top is a laterally perforated tube surmounted with a dome. The tube portion of the top inserts into the upper interior of a central perforation of the flange such that the dome prevents splash back from the drain interior and the rectangular perforations allow for drainage. This top is attached to the flanged threaded pipe by a range of means including a thread mate or a press fit. Drainage flow is increased by notching the lower edge of each perforation. Drainage flow is increased by notching the bottom of the perforations either partly or fully to the bottom of the top tube.

Abstract: A nut and bolt fastens two perforated flat plates by threading fully into a nut on the opposing side of the plates. A threaded post, emanating from a flat, threaded into a complementarily threaded post hole cannot be equipped with strengthening features such as chamfers, fillets, or ribs because these devices block the strengthened threaded post from being fully threaded through perforated plates into a threaded posthole. The negative rib is a concavity spanning the orthogonal join between the post and the flat from which it emanates, and provides the same benefits that a regular rib provides, including discontinuity of join between post and flat, a variable distribution of forces amongst a more complex boundary area between post and flat, and the ability to increase the number, width, and depth of negative rib to achieve design objectives. The negative rib can also be decorated with fillets further strengthening the post against dehiscion from the flat to which it is attached.

Abstract: A flanged pipe is mounted to a perforated fixed plate by limiting movement of the pipe in three mutually perpendicular axes, and rotationally around the plate axis. The mount consists of a plate and a flanged pipe. The pipe exterior is decorated with ribs parallel to the pipe axis. Each rib bears a microclip positioned to allow the plate to rest between the pipe rib microclips and the underside of the pipe flange. The perimeter of the plate perforation bears cutaways. Inserting the pipe through the perforation of the fixed plate engages the ribs with the cutaways to limit rotational movement. Movement in the plane perpendicular to the plate axis is limited by complementary diameters of the plate perforation and the pipe. Engagement of the flange on the plate limits movement of the flanged pipe through the plate perforation. Pipe retraction is limited by microclips.

Abstract: A remotely actuated drain is provided by a bihemispherically sealed rod actuator restricted by a cat's eye restrictor to move in a vertical direction. This rod in turn actuates a plunger to move vertically to open the drain, the vertical motion of the plunger ensured by a central tubular guide up which the plunger stalk rod travels. The central guide is supported in the center of the drain by a threaded basket threaded into an internal thread provided in the top portion of the drain body to provide a removable anchor for the central guide. This cat's eye restricted actuator with a bihemispherical seal actuating a plunger guided by a removable threaded basket guide can be sized and fitted to a variety of vessels, including lavatory sinks, baths, and utility sinks.

Abstract: A seal for a connector is provided for connecting a bathtub tailpipe to a drain pipe. The connector has an inlet end to receive the tailpipe and an outlet end that is mountable to the drain pipe, and has a passage extending therebetween. A seal extends about the passage for slidably engaging the tailpipe in a fluid sealing manner.