Abstract: A water filter cartridge is provided for gravity-feed water filtration applications, and includes a granular filter media made from a mixture of titanium dioxide particles interspersed with granular activated charcoal. The granular filter media is placed in a filter housing having an upper inlet opening and a lower outlet opening. A seal may be disposed around an outer periphery of the housing at its upper region, and may include a flange region that flexes upwardly upon insertion of the sidewall into a filter cartridge opening.

Abstract: A water filter cartridge is provided for gravity-feed water filtration applications, and includes a granular filter media made from a mixture of titanium dioxide particles interspersed with granular activated charcoal. The granular filter media is placed in a filter housing having an upper inlet opening and a lower outlet opening. A seal may be disposed around an outer periphery of the housing at its upper region, and may include a flange region that flexes upwardly upon insertion of the sidewall into a filter cartridge opening.

Abstract: A water filter cartridge is provided for gravity-feed water filtration applications, and includes a granular filter media made from a mixture of titanium dioxide particles interspersed with granular activated charcoal. The granular filter media is placed in a filter housing having an upper inlet opening and a lower outlet opening. A seal may be disposed around an outer periphery of the housing at its upper region, and may include a flange region that flexes upwardly upon insertion of the sidewall into a filter cartridge opening. Optionally, the filter media is arranged in several distinct layers, such as a top media layer that is a mixture of agglomerated nanoparticles of titanium dioxide interspersed with granular activated charcoal, an intermediate media layer in the form of agglomerated nanoparticles of titanium dioxide, and a lower media layer that is another mixture of agglomerated nanoparticles of titanium dioxide interspersed with granular activated charcoal.

Abstract: A midplane may include a printed circuit board (PCB) with a top surface and a bottom surface. A first plurality of midplane connectors may be disposed on one or more edges of the top surface. The first midplane connectors may have one or more pins that are longitudinally oriented parallel to the top surface of the PCB. The midplane may further include a second plurality of midplane connectors disposed on the top surface. The second midplane connectors may have one or more pins that are longitudinally oriented perpendicular to the top surface of the PCB.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention includes a plurality of connectors configured to connect a plurality of data storage host bus adaptors to a plurality of data storage device subassemblies such that at least one lane of low voltage differential signal pairs from each of the plurality of host bus adaptors is connected to each of the data storage device subassemblies. The invention improves the electrical interconnections in a data storage array such as a JBOD enclosure or data storage server. The invention minimizes the number of connectors by reducing the number of printed circuit boards, and eliminates the need to add signal repeaters to maintain signal quality. The invention also increases the cooling efficiency of the enclosure by increasing air flow by reducing the number of printed circuit boards in the data storage array.

Abstract: The SAS expander PCBA is partitioned to allow SAS lanes to be externalized, allowing for a x4 wide port external access into each of the two primary SAS expander modules and each of the two secondary SAS expander modules. This configuration allows for a single host x8 external HBA connection to tunnel into the storage array by connecting into either the primary or secondary x4 wide ports. A second host may connect to the alternate connection if desired. This configuration may also lend itself to allow up to four hosts to access the internal SAS topology of the Enclosure. This configuration may also lend itself to connecting the primary and secondary SAS expander modules together in applications that require an SAS expander to see more storage device arrays than would normally be confined to a typical SAS expander module.

Abstract: A system which semi-automates the assignment of data storage device controllers to data storage devices in a system that contains a plurality of data storage device controllers and a plurality of data storage devices. The object of the invention is to programmatically control which data storage device controllers control which specific data storage devices. The invention eliminates the need for an engineer to travel to a data center to manually reconfigure cables or interconnections between data storage device controllers and data storage devices.

Abstract: Increased power savings is provided by powering down idle storage devices and emulating storage device responses to host requests which do not require data access. A virtual target emulates the hard disk drive, has information associated with the hard disk drive, and provides information in response to host requests to satisfy the host. For host requests that do require data access, the storage device is powered on and storage device control is provided to the host. If the storage device is not ready to communicate with a host, a virtual target communicates with the host to emulate the storage device and prevent the host from timing out while the storage device is powering up to get ready.

Abstract: The front panel includes intelligence for controlling power, reset and power down functions for a storage enclosure having multiple servers, service processors, and enclosure management devices. The front panel may display information pertaining to system power state, disk activity, Ethernet activity, and other information. The front panel may implement sequencing rules for changes in power state. The front panel provides information for multiple servers and other devices through a single panel.

Abstract: A method for fabricating structural building blocks having a cured binding material dispersed within block forming media thereof comprises a plurality of operations. An operation is performed for depositing a volume of block-forming media within a media receiving cavity of block forming equipment. The block-forming media includes a curable binding material dispersed therein and curing of the curable binding material is caused by contact with a prescribed activation material. After or in conjunction with depositing the volume of block-forming media, an operation is performed for depositing the prescribed activation material into the media receiving cavity. Such depositing of the prescribed activation material causing at least a portion of the prescribed activation material to be dispersed within the volume of the block-forming media.

Abstract: A building structure includes means to utilize solar radiation to heat the building structure during relatively cold ambient environmental conditions and to cool the building structure during relatively hot ambient environmental conditions. The building structure includes chambered wall and floor constructions having integral heat sink masses. These integral heat sink masses provide for radiation of heat when air temperature in an interior space of the building structure is below a temperature of the heat sink masses and for absorption of heat when the air temperature in the interior space of the building structure is above a temperature of the heat sink masses. A flow of thermally treated air to the heat sink masses serves to regulate the temperature of the heat sink masses.

Abstract: A building block arrangement configured for constructing residential, industrial and commercial structures comprises a first layer of building blocks and a second layer of building blocks. The first layer of building blocks includes two spaced apart rows of building blocks whereby a space is provided between adjacent side faces of the building blocks of the first layer. The second layer of building blocks includes two spaced apart rows of building blocks whereby a space is provided between adjacent side faces of the building blocks of the second layer. The second layer of building blocks is positioned on top of the first layer of building blocks. The second layer of building blocks spans across at least a portion of the space in the first layer of building blocks.

Abstract: An apparatus for preparing input material for use in a block press includes a homogenizing device, a de-densification device, a liquid additive passage and a plurality of spray heads. The homogenizing device is configured for outputting input material of a prescribed maximum size. The de-densification device is configured for enabling the input material to be reduced from a first bulk density to a second bulk density less than the first bulk density. The de-densification device receives the input material from the homogenizing device. Input material from the de-densification device falls through the liquid additive passage under the gravitational force. The spray heads are exposed within the liquid additive passage for providing a spray of liquid additive within the liquid additive passage whereby the input material is exposed to the spray of liquid additive after being reduced from the first bulk density to the second bulk density.

Abstract: A building block arrangement configured for constructing residential, industrial and commercial structures comprises a first layer of building blocks and a second layer of building blocks. The first layer of building blocks includes two spaced apart rows of building blocks whereby a space is provided between adjacent side faces of the building blocks of the first layer. The second layer of building blocks includes two spaced apart rows of building blocks whereby a space is provided between adjacent side faces of the building blocks of the second layer. The space includes communicative horizontal and vertical portions such that that the space at least partially isolates an interior wall portion from an exterior wall portion. The second layer of building blocks is positioned on top of the first layer of building blocks. The second layer of building blocks spans across at least a portion of the space in the first layer of building blocks.

Abstract: A block forming apparatus comprises a frame, a compression case and compression bodies. The compression case is movably engaged with the frame in a manner enabling movement of the compression case along a longitudinal reference axis of the compression case. The compression case has a compression body receiving passage extending between opposed end faces thereof along the longitudinal reference axis. The compression case includes a media fill opening within an upper wall thereof and a block discharge opening within a lower wall thereof. The media fill opening and the block discharge opening are each communicative with the compression body receiving passage. The compression bodies are movably mounted within the compression body receiving passage of the compression case in a manner enabling movement of said compression bodies along the longitudinal reference axis of the compression case.