Abstract: A heat diffuser for use with a cooking implement is disclosed. The heat diffuser may be positioned using its handle between a heat source and a cooking container to counteract high temperature zones within the cooking container. The diffuser thus aids in even heat distribution throughout a cookware container for more even cooking and provides the user with more control over the heat applied to the cookware container.

Abstract: A cooling jacket for a motor includes an extruded jacket body having an outer peripheral surface, an inner peripheral surface, and a plurality of discrete cooling passages located between the inner and outer peripheral surfaces that provide multi-directional fluid flow. A fluid inlet is provided to direct cooling fluid into the jacket body and a fluid outlet to direct heated fluid away from the jacket body.

Abstract: A cooling jacket for an electric motor includes a plurality of jacket portions that are attached to each other to surround a motor stator. Each jacket portion is an extruded component that includes an outer peripheral wall and an inner peripheral wall spaced inwardly from the outer peripheral wall to form a cooling space between the inner and the outer peripheral walls. A plurality of connecting walls extends between the inner and the outer peripheral walls. The connecting walls cooperate with each other to define a plurality of discrete cooling passages within the cooling space of each jacket portion. First and second end caps are mounted to the plurality of jacket portions to enclose the plurality of discrete cooling passages such that a continuous cooling loop is provided through the plurality of jacket portions and the first and second end caps.

Abstract: An electric drive unit for a vehicle wheel includes an electric motor that powers a planetary drive having a first stage gear set and a second stage gear set. Each of the first and second stage gear sets includes a sun gear that is driven by a motor output shaft. Each of the first and second stage gear sets also includes a plurality of planet gears that are in meshing engagement with a respective one of the sun gears. The first and second stage gear sets share a common ring gear. A planet carrier of the second stage gear set provides driving output to a wheel shaft that drives the vehicle wheel.

Abstract: A vehicle suspension includes a plurality of pneumatic suspension elements with each pneumatic suspension element being associated with one pneumatic control valve. A common manifold is fluidly connected to each of the pneumatic control valves. The manifold includes a supply valve that is connected to an air supply, an exhaust valve, and a single pressure sensor. The single pressure sensor is used to measure a pressure level at each of the pneumatic suspension elements. A controller cooperates with the manifold to individually adjust pressure levels of each of the pneumatic suspension elements based on the individually sensed pressure levels. The controller can use the sensed pressure levels to adjust suspension ride height, identify system leaks and isolate defective suspension elements, identify uneven pressure distribution, and to determine a load supported on the pneumatic suspension elements.

Abstract: An electric motor for driving a vehicle wheel includes a parking brake that is selectively applied to provide a park brake condition. The parking brake is a clutch style brake and includes a sliding brake disk that is mounted for rotation with a motor shaft. A brake piston is used to move the sliding brake disk into engagement with a motor housing to achieve a park applied position. The parking brake is held in a release position by a hydraulic system that exerts a fluid pressure force against the brake piston. A resilient mechanism cooperates with the brake piston to apply the parking brake once the fluid pressure force is diminished.

Abstract: A system and method for providing filtered and pressurized air into a vehicle cab, enclosure or other interior enclosed environment is described, in which a filtered positive pressure air unit comprises a sealed box, a HEPA filter, a blower, a magnahelic, power source and ductwork. Dirty air is drawn by the blower through the hose and ductwork to the HEPA filter where a certain percentage of impurities of a certain size or larger are removed. Clean air is discharged at a sufficiently high rate to create a positive pressure inside the interior enclosed environment, keeping clean air in, and dirty air out.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating a mixed particulate material into particles of at least two different specific gravities or ranges of specific gravity, wherein the apparatus comprises an air compressor for providing compressed air into the discharge tube, which, through the venturi effect, creates a vacuum in a connecting hose. The connecting hose is connected to the top of a separation chamber wherein the mixed particulate material, which is vacuumed in by a vacuum hose, is separated and the particles fall into a hopper, while the lighter material is discharged from the discharge tube by virtue of the vacuum created by the flow of compressed air. A conveyor can be used to collect either or both of the lower and higher specific gravity materials, and bring them to other locations. A number of different sensors can be added to the automatic unloader valve to determine when a pre-determined amount of material has been collected.

Abstract: A wheel end assembly includes an output shaft that is directly mountable to a wheel adapter to drive a vehicle wheel. A gear assembly is coupled to the output shaft to transfer driving force from an input to the output shaft. The gear assembly includes an output gear that is directly coupled to the output shaft. Thus, the wheel adapter and output gear are both supported directly on the output shaft. The gear assembly and output shaft are substantially enclosed within a housing that is mounted to a non-rotating vehicle component. The output shaft is solely supported by a pair of bearings for rotation relative to the housing. The bearings are installed for direct engagement with the output shaft and housing.

Abstract: Role is a comprehensive grouping mechanism. In a client-server directory system, roles transfer some of the complexity to the directory server. A role is defined by its role definition entry. Assigning entries to roles enables applications to locate the roles of an entry, rather than select a group and browse the members list. Additionally, roles allow for support of generated attribute values, and directory server-performed membership verification for clients. By changing a role definition, a user can change an entire organization with ease. Any client with appropriate access privileges can discover, identify and examine any role definition.

Abstract: A directory server including a supplier server, a consumer server in communication with the supplier server, a plurality of pluggable services that manage replication of data contained within the directory server from the supplier server to the consumer server, and a change sequence number used to determine ordering of operations performed on the consumer server. Replication of data is managed using the change sequence number.

Abstract: Role is a comprehensive grouping mechanism used in a directory server. In a client-server directory system, roles transfer some of the complexity to the directory server. A role is defined by its role definition entry. Assigning entries to roles enables applications to locate the roles of a target entry, rather than select a group and browse the members list. By changing a role definition, a user can change an entire organization with ease. Any client with appropriate access privileges can discover, identify and examine any role definition. An enumerated role is one that contains a list of target entries as members. By simply searching for the membership of the enumerated role, a client application will obtain a list of all members that possess that enumerated role.

Abstract: A method of entry distribution includes receiving requests by a chaining backend from an original client, forwarding requests from the chaining backend to a one of a plurality of remote servers, and returning results from the one of the plurality of remote servers to the original client. The chaining backend is a type of database plug-in that acts as a multiplexer including a directory information tree that provides the hierarchy of the plurality of remote servers.

Abstract: A method of addressing an entry in a directory server including generating a unique identifier for the entry, creating an encoded address by encoding the unique identifier into a distinguished name, and specifying the entry using the encoded address for a plurality of operations. A method of addressing an entry in a directory server, including generating a unique identifier for the entry, creating an encoded address by encoding the unique identifier into a control, and specifying the entry using the encoded address for a plurality of operations. A unique identifier-based addressing system for a directory server, including a unique identifier generated for an entry and an encoded address created by encoding the unique identifier into a distinguished name. The entry is specified using the encoded address for a plurality of operations.

Abstract: A directory server includes a supplier server, a consumer server in communication with the supplier server, a plurality of pluggable services that manage replication of data contained within the directory server from the supplier server to the consumer server, and a change log maintained on the consumer server of data replicated to the consumer server. The replication of data is managed by the plurality of pluggable services using the change log.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for strengthening tubular members and attaching components to the tubular member using a hydroforming process. In one embodiment, the outer tube has a non-circular inner surface and the inner tube has an outer surface with a shape different than the non-circular inner surface. In another embodiment, the outer tube has an outer edge with a portion that is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the inner tube. The outer edge prevents relative rotation between the tubes. The inner tube has a higher Young's modulus so that once the high pressure is removed the hydroforming process the inner tube will not contract as much as the outer tube.

Abstract: A laminated bushing is formed from a metal sheet having resilient material disposed on one side by spirally winding the metal sheet about a longitudinal axis to form a spirally shaped cavity. The resilient material is disposed within the spirally shaped cavity and the metal sheet forming the spiral shaped cavity either mechanically compresses the resilient material disposed within the cavities, or the resilient material is vulcanized once the laminated bushing is formed. The spirally wound laminated bushing includes inner and outer sleeves concentric about the longitudinal axis that are movable relative to one another in direct proportion to the material deformation properties of the resilient material.