Abstract: A recyclable and dispensable hygienic cutlery utensil comprises a handle portion and head portion. The handle portion provides suitable area for gripping and includes a chamfer on its proximal end that creates handle gaps between adjacent proximal handle ends in a vertical stack, thereby facilitating a predictable release from a utensil dispenser. The handle further includes nesting features that nest with adjacent cutlery articles in a stack, and planar surfaces that are in mutual contact with the adjacent cutlery articles in the stack. The head portion is formed into the shape of a common cutlery utensil such as: knife with large radius, tapered knife with large radius, spoon, set of tines (fork), and spoon-fork combination, to name a few. Typically, in use, a set of identical utensils is stacked and then inserted into an automated dispensing system.

Abstract: Recyclable and dispensable hygienic cutlery utensil. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a handle portion and head portion. The handle portion provides suitable area for gripping and includes a chamfer on its outer edge for facilitating a predictable release from a utensil dispenser. The head portion is formed into the shape of a common cutlery utensil such as: knife with large radius, tapered knife with large radius, spoon, set of tines (fork), and spoon-fork combination, to name a few. The head portion also includes an escapement feature in its outer edge for facilitating controlled release from the bottom of a stack of utensils. The escapement feature can include a notch or predetermined release radius. Typically in use, a set of utensils is stacked, forming a cartridge which is then inserted into an automated dispensing system.

Abstract: A device for dispensing cutlery utensils individually, having a housing containing a quantity of utensils with the housing having sides and product guides within. The front wall contains an opposing leaf escapement mechanism connected to it, to hold and singulate the utensils such that they dispense seriatim, without a user being required to physically touch or interface with any part of dispenser other than the actual desired utensil.

Abstract: A device for dispensing cutlery utensils individually, having a housing containing a quantity of utensils with the housing having sides and product guides within. The front wall contains an opposing leaf escapement mechanism connected to it, to hold and singulate the utensils such that they dispense seriatim, without a user being required to physically touch or interface with any part of dispenser other than the actual desired utensil.

Abstract: A toothpaste dispenser having an upper chamber and an inlet port connected for receiving toothpaste and a lower chamber and an outlet port connected for dispensing toothpaste. Suction is created to draw toothpaste into the inlet port, and then forced through the outlet port during actuation. Initiating operation of the suction pulls toothpaste into an upper chamber, and a plunger for expelling the toothpaste from the chamber is operatively connected to the outflow ball check valve for intermittently blocking the flow of toothpaste into and from the toothpaste dispenser. The toothpaste dispenser utilizes ball check valves and two return springs operatively connected to the ball check valves. The toothpaste dispenser actuation has a plunger and also has a portion size adjustment device connected to the plunger for modifying the amount of toothpaste dispensed from the toothpaste dispenser.

Abstract: A device for dispensing cutlery utensils individually, having a housing containing a quantity of utensils with the housing having sides and product guides within. The front wall contains an opposing leaf escapement mechanism connected to it, to hold and singulate the utensils such that they dispense seriatim, without a user being required to physically touch or interface with any part of dispenser other than the actual desired utensil.

Abstract: Optical cubes and optical cube assemblies for directing optical beams are provided. The optical cubes are optically transparent modules that can be adapted to reflect, transmit, and/or partially reflect and transmit optical beams. The optical cubes may include bi-direction or multi-direction beam directing elements for directing optical beams. The optical cube assemblies may include flexible chip assemblies attached to optical cubes. The chip assemblies may include vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers for emitting optical beams or receivers for receiving optical beams mounted on a flexible and electrical interconnect mounting assembly.

Abstract: The current invention provides a method of attaching a plurality of cores wherein a core has a via with a conductive surface to be electrically connected to a conductive surface on another core. The method provides for applying a metallurgical paste to a conductive surface, removing a portion of the flux from the paste and joining the two cores. The current invention also provides a structure including a plurality of cores wherein a metallurgical paste electrically connects a via with a conductive surface on a core to a conductive surface on another core.

Abstract: Under the present invention, a contaminant capturing material is positioned within a disk drive. Specifically, the contaminant capturing material is positioned on a suspension, adjacent a slider that hovers proximate a disk within the disk drive when the disk is in rotation. The contaminant capturing material will prevent contaminants from contacting the disk and thereby causing damage. In addition, a set of porous, open celled filters that are coated with the contaminant capturing material can also be provided. If used, the open celled filters are positioned adjacent the disk within an air stream created by a rotation of the disk.

Abstract: An electrical structure, and associated method of fabrication, for reducing thermally induced strain in a structure that couples a first conductive body of a first substrate to a second conductive body of a second substrate (e.g., a chip to a chip carrier; a chip carrier to a circuit card). The melting point of the first conductive body exceeds the melting point of the second conductive body. The second conductive body may include eutectic lead-tin alloy, while the first conductive body may include non-eutectic lead-tin alloy. A portion of the first conductive body is coated with, or volumetrically surrounded by, a material that is nonsolderable and nonconductive. The first and second conductive bodies are coupled mechanically and electrically by surface adhesion at an uncoated portion of the first conductive body, by application of a temperature that lies between the melting points of the first and second conductive bodies.

Abstract: An optical assembly comprising an optical cube. A first optical transmitter chip and a first optical receiver chip are mounted on one surface of the optical cube. A first continuous printed circuit board is soldered to electrical surfaces of the first optical transmitter chip and the first optical receiver chip opposite the optical cube. A second optical transmitter chip and a second optical receiver chip are mounted on an opposite surface of the optical cube. A second continuous printed circuit board is soldered to electrical surfaces of the second optical transmitter chip and the second optical receiver chip opposite the optical cube. The first optical transmitter chip is optically aligned with the second optical receiver chip through the optical cube. The second optical transmitter chip is optically aligned with the first optical receiver chip through the optical cube.

Abstract: An attachment structure, and an associated method and system for forming the attachment structure. An end of an optical fiber is melted while the end is above, but not touching, an exposed surface of a substrate such that said end becomes molten. The optical fiber is substantially optically transparent to laser radiation of a given wavelength. The molten end is moved toward the exposed surface of the substrate until the end makes physical contact with the exposed surface of the substrate. The moving is performed sufficiently fast so that the end is still molten when the end initially makes the physical contact with the exposed surface of the substrate. The physical contact is maintained for a sufficient length of time to enable the end to bond to the exposed surface of the substrate with no intervening matter between the end and the exposed surface of the substrate.

Abstract: An attachment structure, and an associated method and system for forming the attachment structure. An end of an optical fiber is melted while the end is above, but not touching, an exposed surface of a substrate such that said end becomes molten. The optical fiber is substantially optically transparent to laser radiation of a given wavelength. The molten end is moved toward the exposed surface of the substrate until the end makes physical contact with the exposed surface of the substrate. The moving is performed sufficiently fast so that the end is still molten when the end initially makes the physical contact with the exposed surface of the substrate. The physical contact is maintained for a sufficient length of time to enable the end to bond to the exposed surface of the substrate with no intervening matter between the end and the exposed surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Optical cubes and optical cube assemblies for directing optical beams are provided. The optical cubes are optically transparent modules that can be adapted to reflect, transmit, and/or partially reflect and transmit optical beams. The optical cubes may include bi-direction or multi-direction beam directing elements for directing optical beams. The optical cube assemblies may include flexible chip assemblies attached to optical cubes. The chip assemblies may include vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers for emitting optical beams or receivers for receiving optical beams mounted on a flexible and electrical interconnect mounting assembly.

Abstract: Optical cubes and optical cube assemblies for directing optical beams are provided. The optical cubes are optically transparent modules that can be adapted to reflect, transmit, and/or partially reflect and transmit optical beams. The optical cubes may include bi-direction or multi-direction beam directing elements for directing optical beams. The optical cube assemblies may include flexible chip assemblies attached to optical cubes. The chip assemblies may include vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers for emitting optical beams or receivers for receiving optical beams mounted on a flexible and electrical interconnect mounting assembly.

Abstract: An optical assembly comprising an optical cube. A first optical transmitter chip and a first optical receiver chip are mounted on one surface of the optical cube. A first continuous printed circuit board is soldered to electrical surfaces of the first optical transmitter chip and the first optical receiver chip opposite the optical cube. A second optical transmitter chip and a second optical receiver chip are mounted on an opposite surface of the optical cube. A second continuous printed circuit board is soldered to electrical surfaces of the second optical transmitter chip and the second optical receiver chip opposite the optical cube. The first optical transmitter chip is optically aligned with the second optical receiver chip through the optical cube. The second optical transmitter chip is optically aligned with the first optical receiver chip through the optical cube.

Abstract: The current invention provides a method of attaching a plurality of cores wherein a core has a via with a conductive surface to be electrically connected to a conductive surface on another core. The method provides for applying a metallurgical paste to a conductive surface, removing a portion of the flux from the paste and joining the two cores. The current invention also provides a structure including a plurality of cores wherein a metallurgical paste electrically connects a via with a conductive surface on a core to a conductive surface on another core.

Abstract: Under the present invention, a contaminant capturing material is positioned within a disk drive. Specifically, the contaminant capturing material is positioned on a suspension, adjacent a slider that hovers proximate a disk within the disk drive when the disk is in rotation. The contaminant capturing material will prevent contaminants from contacting the disk and thereby causing damage. In addition, a set of porous, open celled filters that are coated with the contaminant capturing material can also be provided. If used, the open celled filters are positioned adjacent the disk within an air stream created by a rotation of the disk.

Abstract: A method of forming a plurality of individual semiconductor chip modules wherein a plurality of chips are placed in a plurality of chip compartments formed by adhering a support panel to the first surface and a cover panel to the second surface of a stiffener panel having openings defining sidewalls of the chip compartments. The resulting laminated panel structure is then cut into a plurality of modules each having at least one compartment containing at least one chip. Each chip is electrically connected to interior conductive pads on the inner surface of the support panel, and these interior pads in turn are connected by conductive paths to exterior conductive terminals deposited on the outer surface of the support panel. The electrical connections between the chip and the interior conductive pads of the support panel may be encapsulated in a polymeric material before the cover panel is adhered to the stiffener panel.

Abstract: A method for bonding heat sinks to packaged electronic components comprises the steps of: (a) exposing to a plasma a surface of a molded polymer formed on a substrate; (b) allowing the plasma to at least partially convert silicon-containing residue on the surface to silica; and (c) bonding an article to the surface by applying an adherent between the article and the surface. Often, the silicon-containing residue is silicone oil, a mold release compound, which may prevent the formation of a bond when using conventional bonding methods and materials. The silica layer formed on the surface of the molded polymer assists in formation of a proper bond. The plasma may be an oxygen plasma and the adherent may be selected from either a heat cured silicone-based paste adhesive with a metal oxide filler or a heat cured porous polymer film impregnated with adhesive.