Abstract: An absorbent article can have a topsheet layer, a liquid impermeable layer, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet layer and the liquid impermeable layer. The absorbent article can further include an exudate management layer in fluid communication with the topsheet layer. In various embodiments, the exudate management layer can be positioned on a body facing surface of the topsheet layer. In various embodiments, the exudate management layer can be positioned between the topsheet layer and the absorbent core. The exudate management layer has a first component which defines an opening for direct passage of body exudates into the absorbent core. The exudate management layer has a second component which at least partially overlaps the first component of the exudate management layer and further extends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article in a direction towards the posterior region of the absorbent article.

Abstract: The invention integrates an amplifier directly into an electromechanical transducer assembly. In one embodiment of this invention, power from a power supply is supplied to what can be described as an electromechanical amplifier that includes bridge circuits that directly drive the transducer elements. Each transducer element can include its own co-located switching network, such as, for example, a bridge circuit, that can be used with other system components to control when and for how long a voltage of equal magnitude and of either a positive or negative polarity is selectively directed to the element to expand or contract it in relation to a signal desired to be acoustically transmitted. Besides permitting an output of two voltages of equal magnitude and opposite polarity, the bridge circuit also permits an output that is “open” and one that allows a dissipation of transducer element charge.

Abstract: A voltage controlled variable inductor provides a rapidly variable inducte for high power frequency dependent circuit applications. Continuously variable inductance values having a high Q factor are obtainable with the application of only a minimal amount of control power.

Abstract: The present invention provides a transformer which uses bi-directional syronous rectification to transform the voltage of an input signal from one voltage level to another. The invention provides a transformer which requires less core volume, and hence mass, than conventional transformers, and includes a rectifier for transforming a first time varying input signal, such as a sinusoid or saw tooth signal, into a full-wave rectified voltage signal. A synchronous switch control generates first and second control signals in response to sampling the first time varying voltage signal. A floating drive buffer generates third control signals in response to receiving the second control signals. An AC switching stage transforms the full-wave rectified voltage signal into a first and second series of voltage pulses in response to receiving the first control signals. Each of the first and second series of voltage pulses has a pulse period, T, and a pulse width, .omega..

Abstract: A dielectric power transformer comprises a tuning inductor having a nonmatic core connected in parallel with a capacitive voltage divider. The dielectric power transformer transforms the voltage of an alternating current power source connected across the inductor into a voltage across a load connected to the capacitive voltage divider. The dielectric power transformer has a resonant frequency substantially equal to the frequency of the power source.

Abstract: The invention provides a high power, low distortion, high efficiency ampler design incorporating a high efficiency switching amplifier used in conjunction with a linear difference amplifier. The high efficiency switching amplifier, typically of full or half bridge design, is designed to generate a high efficiency, arbitrarily formed, wave portion such as a square wave. The high efficiency waveform is scaled down and is compared to a desired reference, such as a sinusoid. The output of the comparison is the analog difference (mathematical subtraction) between the reference waveform and the scaled-down switch amplifier output wave. This "difference" signal is then used to drive the linear difference amplifier which simply scales the signal linearly. The two power signals, one from the switching amplifier and the other from the linear difference amplifier, are then summed magnetically.

Abstract: A polyphase transformer design is presented in which transformer output pors are accurately constructed in both voltage magnitude and relative phase angle. The design incorporates both main and auxiliary transformers that are used in unison to produce the accurately constructed phasors. The main transformer permits rough phasor adjustment to be made with the auxiliary transform permitting phasor fine tuning. Such a design is particularly suitable in transformer approaches that require output phases that are of a number not evenly divisible by three.

Abstract: An uniterruptible power supply is provided that incorporates switching ciitry permitting a path for instantaneous DC backup power to be supplied to a voltage-declining primary power supply bus. Once the instantaneous transition is made, battery power is switched to a low impedance path to provide long-term battery power delivery to the bus. At a point where the backup batteries no longer supply useful power to a load, disabling circuitry disconnects the batteries from the load so that excessive draining of the batteries does not result in irreversible battey damage. The uninterruptible power supply of the invention further includes an automatic battery charging circuitry that seeks to maintain the power supply batteries at optimal charge level. To enable an operator to adequately assess battery charge condition, the invention provides battery test circuitry that causes a simulated load to appear at the power supply batteries. Visual representations are then made as to battery status.

Abstract: A direct current power supply for instantaneously providing tens of kilows of electrical energy for brief periods, such as 100 ms, during momentary power interruptions between a load and an electrical power source having a supply voltage includes a capacitor having an initial voltage charge preferably greater than the supply voltage. The cathode of a zener diode is operably coupled to the capacitor. The anode of a second diode is operably coupled to the anode of the zener diode. A solid state switch has a power input operably coupled between the capacitor and the cathode of the zener diode, a power output operably coupled between the anodes of the zener diode and second diode, and an enabling input, so that the switch may be triggered to conduct electrical power whereby voltage from the capacitor is conducted through the switch to the anode of the second diode when an enabling signal is provided to the enabling input.

Abstract: The invention converts the voltage output of a DC source to a higher voltage. A germanium transistor start-up circuit receives a DC supply voltage input and includes an astable multivibrator which produces a square wave voltage output that is transformed to a substantially DC steady-state voltage output by a transformer and a capacitor. This elevated voltage is provided to an oscillator circuit which provides two square wave outputs. Each output is provided to an array of invertors operably coupled to an array of field effect transistors. The transistors are operably coupled to a power transformer. The square wave outputs of the power transformer are full wave rectified to provide a DC output having a higher voltage than the system input voltage. The power transformer also provides another full wave rectified voltage which disables the start-up circuit to eliminate parasitic energy losses attributable to its continued oscillation.

Abstract: A conformal oven which has flexible sidewalls for enabling it to conform to and seal against a contoured surface. A vacuum sealing bag is sealed over a patch on a contoured surface such as an airplane wing made of an epoxy composite material. A vacuum is created within a vacuum sealing bag over the patch and the oven is placed over the patch and is sealed against the contoured surface being patched. A partial vacuum is created within the oven to maintain the seal against the contoured surface. The atmosphere within the oven is heated by force convection of air, electric heating or other alternative heating means to cure the patch within the evacuated vacuum sealing bag.The conformal oven is formed with flexible sidewalls, preferably accordian-like in shape, to enable the open end of the oven to conform to the contoured surface being patched and to enable sealing of the open end of the oven to the contoured surface in order to perform the curing process.

Abstract: A time sequence of square waves is summed to provide minimum distortion h power voltage sinusoids. The phase difference of two identical sinusoids is varied to control the resultant summed amplitude. Amplitude modulation of the sum sinusoid is achieved through varying the phase relationship between the two identical sinusoids. Frequency and phase modulation is achieved through digital control of the individual square waves.