Abstract: A quick stop circuit for a spring applied quick stop mechanism coupled to an electrically operated actuator includes a dual quick stop switch which includes a simultaneously operated normally open switch and a normally closed switch. The closing of the normally open switch causes control units to turn off a relay which controls energizing of the actuator through an actuator relay. The opening of the normally closed switch de-energizes a quick stop relay which disconnects the driver from its power source, which also de-energizes the actuator relay, which de-energizes the actuator so that the spring applied quick stop mechanism will move to its stop position.

Abstract: An analog to digital conversion circuit for converting an analog input signal into a plurality of binary output bits includes an operational amplifier and an integrating capacitor for storing a charge proportional to the integral of the input signal. A charge subtracting circuit removes a first predetermined charge from the integrating capacitor when an output charge of the operational amplifier is substantially equal to a second predetermined charge. The first predetermined charge level is removed from the integrating capacitor a number of times. The removal of the first predetermined charge from the integrating capacitor allows the integral of the analog input signal to be larger than a maximum charge capable of being stored by the integrating capacitor.

Abstract: An ice tray includes mold cells each having an open top and closed bottom. The bottom is air permeable for venting released air during formation of ice cubes therein. And, external sides of the ice tray may be thermally insulated for enhancing directional solidification of the ice cubes.

Abstract: An ice tray is filled with water and exposed to freezing temperature in a freezer. The freezing temperature is measured and integrated over time to obtain a monitoring parameter. The parameter is compared with a predetermined freezing standard for detecting transformation of the water into ice.

Abstract: A chopper drum includes a plurality of knives distributed along its width and about its circumference. A grinding device is provided for automatically sharpening the knives, with a grinding stone of the grinding device having its movement automatically controlled by a microprocessor, which receives signals from an actual shape sensor and compares it with a stored desired shape and generates control signals, such that it shapes the profile of the chopper drum to at least approximate the desired shape.

Abstract: A method for removing “grid line artifacts” from x-ray images without changing the diagnostic quality of the x-ray image is presented. The method utilizes the Fourier spectrum of the image to detect the grid line frequencies and employs spectral domain filtering to remove the grid line spectral components. The diagnostic information is preserved by modifying the grid line spectral components to be indistinguishable from local variations in image intensity values, and edge density of the x-ray image.

Abstract: An icemaker dose dispenser includes a housing with a septum therein defining opposite chambers having corresponding water ports. Water is routed alternately through the ports for dispensing water from the chambers in sequence for accurately filling an ice tray.

Abstract: Accurate sensing of ice readiness in an ice maker is accomplished using, as an ice readiness sensor, a capacitance bridge circuit having a first capacitor connected as a first bridge arm a second capacitor connected as a second bridge arm, a tunable capacitor connected as a third bridge arm and a probe connected as a fourth bridge arm. The probe includes a pair of electrode strips placed in close proximity to the belt of a belt ice maker. First and second bridge arms are connected at a first bridge node first and third bridge arms are connected at a second bridge node, second and fourth bridge arms are connected at a third bridge node, and third and fourth bridge arms are connected at a grounded fourth bridge node. The first and fourth bridge nodes are input terminals for receiving an AC drive signal from an AC source, and the second and third bridge nodes are output terminals.

Abstract: An icemaker assembly is disposed within a refrigerator having a freezer compartment, a fresh food compartment and respective freezer and fresh food door assemblies. The icemaker assembly comprises a conveyor assembly positioned within the freezer compartment having a flexible conveyor belt with a multiplicity of individual ice cube molds for creation of individual ice cubes. An ice cube storage bin is positioned below the conveyor assembly for storing the ice cubes and a fullness sensor is positioned for determining the fill level of ice cubes within the ice cube storage bin.

Abstract: A manually powered apparatus includes a mechanical energy input device that releases mechanical energy. The mechanical energy input device has first and second mechanical energy delivery cycles. A generator is mechanically coupled to the mechanical energy input device. The generator converts released mechanical energy to electrical energy. The electrical energy includes first current levels and second current levels that decrease over time. The generator supplies the first current levels in response to the first mechanical energy delivery cycle. The second current levels are supplied in response to the second mechanical energy delivery cycle. A load is connected to the generator. The load requires a predetermined current for operation. The first current level is greater than the predetermined current, and the second current level is less than the predetermined current. An electrical energy storage device is connected between the generator and the load.

Abstract: The field of view of an optical sensor used in a burner assembly of a glass-ceramic cooktop appliance is improved by providing the burner assembly with a wide angle optical element. The burner assembly includes a burner casing having a bore formed therein. The optical sensor is located in the lower end of the bore, and the wide angle optical element is located in the upper end of the bore. The wide angle optical element directs radiation from over the entire heated portion of the glass-ceramic plate onto the optical sensor. The a wide angle optical element also prevents dust from falling onto the sensor. In one preferred embodiment, the wide angle optical element is a Fresnel lens.

Abstract: Magnetic shields for plastic molded electricity meter frames are positioned to substantially block external magnetic fields from adversely affecting operation of meter components. The shield can be utilized with either electromechanical or electronic energy meters. In an electromechanical watthour meter which employs an aluminum disk driven to rotate through a magnetic field produced by a retarding magnet, the meter frame includes an integrally formed retarding magnet shield and an integrally formed bearing shield. The shields are coextensive with the frame, and extend from an inner periphery of the frame toward the retarding magnet and the bearing, respectively. The shields are formed of a magnetically permeable powder, such as a ferrite powder mixed with the plastic material from which the meter frame is molded. The shields divert externally applied fields away from the magnetically sensitive components of the meter without adversely affecting meter accuracy.

Abstract: A spring motor for driving an electric power generator with constant power includes a crank-up spool, a take-up spool, and a relatively wide, flat tape spring which winds in a relaxed condition on the take-up spool. In one form, the spring has a width which varies approximately linearly from one end to another end so as to generate a constant torque at a fixed radius from an axis of the crank-up spool as the spring unwinds. In another form, the spring width is constant and a separate drum is driven by contact with the unwinding spring, with the separate drum driving an output shaft. In still another form, an idler wheel is driven by contact with the spring and the output shaft is driven from the idler wheel through gear contact with the periphery of an output drum mounted on the output shaft.

Abstract: A reflective modulator (10) includes a light splitter (12) which divides light into two portions, one of which is applied to a directional coupler (14) by a first path (20), and the other of which is applied to the directional coupler (14) by way of cascaded electrooptic (e-o) modulators (18a, 18b). One port of the directional coupler (14) is terminated in a reflector (22), and the other in an absorptive termination (24). Electrical signals A and B are applied to the modulators (18a, 18b), with the result of generation of sum and difference frequencies modulating the light. The light leaves the reflective modulator (10) and is coupled to a utilization apparatus (64) by a second directional coupler (28). A further e-o modulator (26) may be coupled in the first path, for controlling the long-term average phase shift. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the signal sources (30a, 30b) are elemental antennas of an array (30).

Abstract: A direct sequence spread spectrum receiver samples an incoming signal and stores the sample in memory. Prior to sampling and storage, the incoming signal is translated to an IF signal. Also prior to storage, the IF signal is corrected for a frequency offset signal. The frequency offset may be caused by many sources, Doppler shift or local oscillator error, for example. Once the signal is corrected for the frequency offset, the signal sample is stored in memory. The signal sample is read from memory as necessary to process the signal. Such a receiver is useful in global positioning satellite (GPS) signal processing where the incoming signal contains several satellite transmissions encoded with CDMA encoding.

Abstract: A generator for producing electricity at high efficiency from mechanical energy includes a housing, a shaft mounted in the housing, an electrical coil positioned about the shaft and an annular, anisotropic magnet positioned about the shaft adjacent the coil. The magnet has a plurality of circumferentially distributed, alternating magnetic poles. Ferromagnetic flux plates are operatively associated with the magnet and the coil for establishing an alternating magnetic field through the coil as a function of rotation of at least one of the magnets, the coil and the flux plates.

Abstract: A direct sequence spread spectrum receiver samples an incoming signal and translates the signal to an IF signal. The IF signal is sampled and stored in memory. In one embodiment, the memory consists of two memory banks which alternately receive sample segments. During a write period to one of the memory banks, the other memory bank supplies its output to a processor. This continues in a ping-pong manner. In another embodiment, a single memory bank is filled and read as necessary, the receiver ignoring incoming signal until the processor has completed processing the sample available at the output of the memory. Such a receiver is useful in global positioning satellite (GPS) signal processing where the incoming signal contains several satellite transmissions encoded with CDMA encoding.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sensing properties of glass-ceramic cooktop appliance having at least one burner assembly disposed under a glass-ceramic plate. The sensor assembly includes a waveguide having a first end disposed in the burner assembly and a second end disposed outside of the burner assembly, and at least one detector located adjacent to the waveguide's second end. A radiation collector is located adjacent to the first end of the waveguide so as to direct incident radiation substantially paraxially into the waveguide. The method includes collecting radiation from the glass-ceramic plate, and directing the collected radiation onto a detector located outside of the burner assembly via a waveguide.

Abstract: A breaker, wherein the circuits for the power lines and the neutral line extend through one current transformer. The breaker has a reduced width as compared to known two pole breakers so that additional breakers can be included on one panel. More specifically, the component configuration of the breaker provides a simplified arrangement of the power line circuits so that such circuits readily extend through one current transformer. In addition, the architecture provides that the width of the breaker can be reduced to about 0.5 inches per pole, which enables securing additional breakers to one panel.

Abstract: A reflective modulator (10) includes a light splitter (12) which divides light into two portions, one of which is applied to a directional coupler (14) by a first path (20), and the other of which is applied to the directional coupler (14) by way of cascaded electrooptic (e-o) modulators (18a, 18b). One port of the directional coupler (14) is terminated in a reflector (22), and the other in an absorptive termination (24). Electrical signals A and B are applied to the modulators (18a, 18b), with the result of generation of sum and difference frequencies modulating the light. The light leaves the reflective modulator (10) and is coupled to a utilization apparatus (64) by a second directional coupler (28). A further e-o modulator (26) may be coupled in the first path, for controlling the long-term average phase shift. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the signal sources (30a, 30b) are elemental antennas of an array (30).