Abstract: A spill resistant cup comprising: a substantially hollow body; a lid, where the lid is removably attached to the body such that the lid spans the top of the body and where the top of the lid has an opening; and an insert located between and spaced from the top of the lid and the bottom of the body, where the insert has an elevated opening and where the opening in the insert aligns with the opening in the lid. The insert, along with the alignment of the openings, allows a user to drink from the cup unimpeded while preventing liquid from within the cup from spilling out in significant quantities when the cup is tipped over.

Abstract: A friction damping cast component and method of production are disclosed. The components may be rotary, such as a cast brake rotor, or may be non-rotary, such as a cast suspension part or a cast engine block. Regardless of the type of component, a two-part vibration-damping insert having a thin metal core and a thin metal sheath is provided. The sheath fully encompasses the core in such a way that a dry sliding friction contact develops at their interfaces. The outer surface of the sheath with the metal core inside is rigidly bonded to the cast material that surrounds it during the casting process. The sheath surfaces may have a number of openings that allow a limited infiltration of molten cast iron material just inside the immediate vicinity of the sheath openings for spot rigid bonding between the surrounding cast material and the insert surfaces during casting.

Abstract: A brake component may include a body and at least one sheathed cable positioned within the body. The at least one sheathed cable may include a plurality of wires, each of the plurality of wires having a surface in sliding contact with a surface of at least one adjacent wire of the plurality of wires. During braking of the motor vehicle, relative sliding movement between the surfaces of the plurality of wires may dampen a resonant vibration of the component.

Abstract: A friction damping cast component and method of production are disclosed. The components may be rotary, such as a cast brake rotor, or may be non-rotary, such as a cast suspension part or a cast engine block. Regardless of the type of component, a two-part vibration-damping insert having a thin metal core and a thin metal sheath is provided. The sheath fully encompasses the core in such a way that a dry sliding friction contact develops at their interfaces. The outer surface of the sheath with the metal core inside is rigidly bonded to the cast material that surrounds it during the casting process. The sheath surfaces may have a number of openings that allow a limited infiltration of molten cast iron material just inside the immediate vicinity of the sheath openings for spot rigid bonding between the surrounding cast material and the insert surfaces during casting.

Abstract: A method and system for increasing damping capacity in cast metal parts by utilizing dry friction between individual wires of a sheathed rope is disclosed. The rope is embedded into the part during casting. Sheathing the ropes in a thin layer of the same metal as the casting prevents molten metal from infiltrating individual wires during casting, thus allowing inter-wire friction during the part vibration. There are two ways to distribute the ropes within a part during casting. The first way is to distribute the ropes uniformly across an entire part whereby damping capacity of the metal part increases uniformly as well. The second way of distributing the ropes is to spatially distribute them according to a pattern to increase the damping capacity only in the part regions that have the highest vibration amplitudes or stress during system vibration. Both methods of distribution may be combined in a single part.

Abstract: A method and system for increasing damping capacity in cast metal parts by utilizing dry friction between individual wires of a sheathed rope is disclosed. The rope is embedded into the part during casting. Sheathing the ropes in a thin layer of the same metal as the casting prevents molten metal from infiltrating individual wires during casting, thus allowing inter-wire friction during the part vibration. There are two ways to distribute the ropes within a part during casting. The first way is to distribute the ropes uniformly across an entire part whereby damping capacity of the metal part increases uniformly as well. The second way of distributing the ropes is to spatially distribute them according to a pattern to increase the damping capacity only in the part regions that have the highest vibration amplitudes or stress during system vibration. Both methods of distribution may be combined in a single part.

Abstract: A spill resistant cup comprising: a substantially hollow body; a lid, where the lid is removably attached to the body such that the lid spans the top of the body and where the top of the lid has an opening; and an insert located between and spaced from the top of the lid and the bottom of the body, where the insert has an opening and where the opening in the insert aligns with the opening in the lid. The insert, along with the alignment of the openings, allows a user to drink from the cup unimpeded while preventing liquid from within the cup from spilling out in significant quantities when the cup is tipped over.

Abstract: A brake component may include a body and at least one sheathed cable positioned within the body. The at least one sheathed cable may include a plurality of wires, each of the plurality of wires having a surface in sliding contact with a surface of at least one adjacent wire of the plurality of wires. During braking of the motor vehicle, relative sliding movement between the surfaces of the plurality of wires may dampen a resonant vibration of the component.

Abstract: A spill resistant cup comprising: a substantially hollow lower body with at top and a bottom, where the bottom of the lower body is closed and the top of the lower body is open; a substantially hollow upper body with a top and a bottom, where the top of the upper body is closed and the bottom of the upper body is open, the open bottom of the upper body corresponds to the open top of the lower body such that the upper body and the lower body together form a single vessel, and the top of the upper body has an opening, where the opening has a smaller diameter than the upper body; and an opening between the lower body and the upper body, where the opening has a smaller diameter than the lower body and the upper body.

Abstract: A spill resistant cup comprising: a substantially hollow body; a lid, where the lid is removably attached to the body such that the lid spans the top of the body and where the top of the lid has an opening; and an insert located between and spaced from the top of the lid and the bottom of the body, where the insert has an opening and where the opening in the insert aligns with the opening in the lid. The insert, along with the alignment of the openings, allows a user to drink from the cup unimpeded while preventing liquid from within the cup from spilling out in significant quantities when the cup is tipped over.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improved support and lock for use in conjunction with a mobile sonar unit or other device. The improved support is rotatably coupled to the sonar unit base by a coupling assembly. A stabilizing member is slideably coupled to the distal end of the support via a locking assembly. Advantageously, the support maintains an object, such as a transducer, in a selected position and is able to resist deflection despite adverse environment conditions. Further, the disclosed locking assembly can be used for a wide variety of other applications.