Abstract: An infant seat (10) is disclosed for use with a vehicle seat (12) and seat belt (14) to restrain and protect an infant in the event the vehicle undergoes a sudden change in velocity. The seat (10) includes a foldable frame (16), preferably formed from a single sheet of material, and including a plurality of living hinges that flexibly join the various sections of the frame. A pair of arms (18 and 20) are included to lock the frame in an open position and include slots designed to engage the seat belt.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a phased array ultrasound transducer, and the transducer manufactured by the inventive method are described. In the method, a piezoelectric crystal is soldered to the edges of a pair of double sided printed circuit boards, each of which has traces on either side. Then, a backing material is poured to secure the crystal and boards, and a saw is used to define the elements of the transducer.

Abstract: Elongated, flexible printed circuit board coaxial cable which is made using a pattern on a flexible PCB substrate on which coaxial cables are formed is described. A series of slits and folds allows one or more elongated cables to be formed in each pattern. Such cables are particularly useful for connecting multi-connector apparatus of the type which requires coaxial cables interconnected in very close spaces, such as the type used in ultrasound transducers.The method for manufacturing such elongated, flexible printed circuit board coaxial cable is also described. The method includes forming a pattern on a flexible PCB substrate on which coaxial cables are formed. Thereafter, a series of slits and folds allows one or more elongated cables to be formed in each pattern.Such cables are particularly useful for connecting multi-connector apparatus of the type which requires coaxial cables interconnected in very close spaces, such as the type used in ultrasound transducers.

Abstract: The scanhead includes an impeller which is designed to swirl the liquid adjacent the ultrasound transducers as the transducers are rotated. The fluid dynamics established by the swirling liquid cause any bubbles within the liquid to be forced to the center of the swirling liquid where they are out of the zone of transmitted or received ultrasound energy. When an impeller having multiple vanes with an opening formed therebetween is used, the bubbles are forced to the center of the impeller.

Abstract: The sheet binding apparatus is comprised of a movable binder assembly including an endless belt and an elongated heat application platen underlying one belt run. The belt is coated with a hot-melt adhesive, which, when heated by the platen, is applied by the belt to the co-planar sheet edges of one or more stacks of sheets assembled within individual bins of a collator. A belt lifting assembly controls heat transfer between the platen and belt by appropriate positioning of the belt with respect to the platen. The binder assembly is movable reciprocatively toward a sheet contacting binding position along a path perpendicular to the coplanar sheet edges. That assembly is further movable reciprocatively toward one or more additional binding positions along a path parallel to the coplanar sheet edges. In a second preferred embodiment, the binder assembly is swung along the first path by lost motion hinges.