Abstract: A backlight that includes a front reflector and a back reflector that form a hollow light recycling cavity including an output surface is disclosed. The backlight further includes one or more light sources disposed to emit light into the light recycling cavity. The front reflector includes an on-axis average reflectivity of at least 90% for visible light polarized in a first plane, and an on-axis average reflectivity of at least 25% but less than 90% for visible light polarized in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane.

Abstract: A backlight may include a light guide and a light input. The light guide may have a light reflection surface and a light emission surface. The light input may include a diverging wedge having a narrow end and opposing side surfaces extending to the narrow end. A light source may be disposed adjacent to one of the opposing side surfaces and may emit light into the light input portion. A multilayer polymeric mirror film may be disposed adjacent to the opposing side surfaces but not in intimate contact therewith and may reflect more than 95% of visible light incident on the multilayer polymeric mirror film.

Abstract: A backlight is disclosed and includes a visible light transmissive body primarily propagating light by TIR with a light input surface and a light output surface and a light guide portion and a light input portion. The light guide portion has a light reflection surface and a light emission surface. The light input portion has opposing side surfaces that are not parallel. One of the opposing surfaces is co-planar with either the light emission surface or the light reflection surface. A light source is disposed adjacent to the light input surface. The light source emits light into the light input portion. A reflective layer is disposed adjacent to or on the opposing side surfaces.

Abstract: A backlight is disclosed and includes a visible light transmissive body primarily propagating light by TIR with a light input surface and a light output surface and a light guide portion and a light input portion. The light guide portion has a light reflection surface and a light emission surface. The light input portion has opposing side surfaces that are not parallel. One of the opposing surfaces is co-planar with either the light emission surface or the light reflection surface. A light source is disposed adjacent to the light input surface. The light source emits light into the light input portion. A reflective layer is disposed adjacent to or on the opposing side surfaces.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a cutting tool assembly used for creating grooves in a microreplication tool is described. The cutting tool assembly includes a mounting structure and multiple diamonds mounted in the mounting structure. For example, first and second tool shanks having first and second diamond tips can be positioned in the mounting structure such that a cutting location of a diamond cutting tip of the first tool shank is a defined distance from a cutting location of a diamond cutting tip of the second tool shank. The defined distance may correspond to an integer number of pitch spacings, and may be accurate to within a tolerance of less than approximately 10 microns.

Abstract: Films having a structured surface with an engineered feature, such as prism grooves, to be used in displays having a backlight. The films can be arranged in a stack having one or more of the following: birefringent brightness enhancement films, non-birefringent brightness enhancement films, polarizers, diffusers, birefringent turning films, and non-birefringent turning films. Those films can be arranged in any order from the backlight to a viewer.

Abstract: A display apparatus includes an autosteroscopic liquid crystal display panel having a frame response time of less than 10 milliseconds, and a backlight positioned to provide light to the autosteroscopic liquid crystal display. The backlight includes a right eye solid state light source and a left eye solid state light source capable of being modulated between the right eye solid state light source and a left eye solid state light source at a rate of at least 90 Hertz.

Abstract: Methods for changing the shape of a surface of an article are disclosed. The methods may include providing a liquid polymer precursor, casting the precursor against a first tool assembly, curing the precursor to form a shape memory polymer substrate, deforming one or more surfaces of the substrate, and mobilizing the shape memory polymer to shift the deformed surface of the substrate from a deformed shape to a pre-set shape.

Abstract: A backlight may include a light guide and a light input. The light guide may have a light reflection surface and a light emission surface. The light input may include a diverging wedge having a narrow end and opposing side surfaces extending to the narrow end. A light source may be disposed adjacent to one of the opposing side surfaces and may emit light into the light input portion. A multilayer polymeric mirror film may be disposed adjacent to the opposing side surfaces but not in intimate contact therewith and may reflect more than 95% of visible light incident on the multilayer polymeric mirror film.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a tool used for creating grooves in a microreplication tool is described. The tool includes a mounting structure and a multi-tipped diamond mounted in the mounting structure. The different tips of the diamond may correspond to different grooves to be created in the microreplication tool. In this manner, the creation of a microreplication tool using a diamond can be simplified and/or improved.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a cutting tool assembly used for creating grooves in a microreplication tool is described. The cutting tool assembly includes a mounting structure and multiple diamonds mounted in the mounting structure. For example, first and second tool shanks having first and second diamond tips can be positioned in the mounting structure such that a cutting location of a diamond cutting tip of the first tool shank is a defined distance from a cutting location of a diamond cutting tip of the second tool shank. The defined distance may correspond to an integer number of pitch spacings, and may be accurate to within a tolerance of less than approximately 10 microns.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a tool used for creating grooves in a microreplication tool is described. The tool includes a mounting structure and a multi-tipped diamond mounted in the mounting structure. The different tips of the diamond may correspond to different grooves to be created in the microreplication tool. In this manner, the creation of a microreplication tool using a diamond can be simplified and/or improved.

Abstract: A mounting system for attaching head suspension assemblies to actuator mounting arms of a disc drive actuator. The mounting system of the invention comprises mounting plates for the head suspension assemblies that include bosses inserted in cooperative holes in the actuator head mounting arms. Mounting discs of shape memory allow, in martensitic phase, having outer diameters selected for cooperation with the inner diameter of the bosses, are press-fitted into the bosses. The mounting discs are then heated to transform the material of the mounting discs to the austenitic phase. This transformation causes the outer diameter of the mounting discs to increase with sufficient force to deform the bosses of the mounting plates into interference fit with the holes in the actuator head mounting arms.

Abstract: An actuator assembly includes a first actuator arm and a second actuator arm, each having a first end and a second end, a support member, and a bearing assembly coupled to the arms and the support member, and supporting the arms and support member for rotation about an axis. The bearing assembly has a first portion abutting the first actuator arm and second portion abutting the second actuator arm, with the first and second arms being secured against movement away from each other by the bearing cartridge. Also provided is a retainer for preventing rotation of the first actuator arm about said axis relative to the second arm. The retainer may comprise first and second fasteners provided at opposite sides of the axis. In an alternative embodiment, the retainer comprises a leaf spring having a notch provided therein on the first and second actuator arms, and a fastener member provided on the support member.

Abstract: A member securing electrical conductors coupled to a read/write head in a storage device over termination pads of an electrical flex circuit. Generally, the storage device includes an actuator having at least one actuator arm securing the read/write head, and the apparatus is coupled to the actuator arm. The apparatus may comprise a member having a first end and a second end, the first end being coupled to the arm and the second end positioning the conductors over conductive pads of the flex circuit, with the second end including a window securing the conductors in fixed positions over the conductive pads of the flex circuit. In another arrangement, the second end comprises a solderless coupling assembly electrically connected to the conductors, wherein the conductive pads of the flex circuit are arranged to electrically couple to the solderless coupling assembly.

Abstract: Apparatus for clamping a plurality of axially spaced, rotatable elements such as a stack of actuator arms or magnetic storage discs in a disc drive. The rotatable elements are coupled to respective housings for rotation at a respective radius about associated, stationary shafts by bearing assemblies. As used in an actuator assembly, an actuator shaft bearing housing is inserted into an opening in each of the actuator arms and a clamp fastener exerts a clamping force on the actuator arms so as to secure the actuator arms relative to the actuator shaft bearing housing. The clamp fastener comprises a clamp fastener cylinder with an exterior surface which is fixably attached to a corresponding interior surface of the actuator shaft bearing housing. The clamping force is exerted by a clamp disc protruding in a radial direction from the clamp fastener cylinder, beyond the radius of the actuator shaft bearing housing.

Abstract: A wear resistant coating (50) for a component of a nuclear reactor fuel assembly or control assembly comprising a ceramic material (52) which is premixed with a glass (54). The coating is applied to components of the nuclear reactor vessel, or portions thereof, which are subject to the greatest wear due to friction or fretting. Also disclosed herein is a method for enhancing the wear resistance of a portion of a metal component of a nuclear reactor by coating a surface of the component with a wear-resistant coating formed from diamond, metal nitride, or a composite of a ceramic material and a glass.

Abstract: The method for assembling the drive includes: providing an assembly member; stacking a first actuator arm and a second actuator arm in an orientation where the axes of the arms are non-parallel; inserting a comb assembly between the first and second arms; rotating the arms about the assembly member to a position where the radials are in parallel; and securing the arms against rotation relative to each other. In another aspect, wherein each arm includes a read/write head having wires coupled thereto, the method further including the step of attaching a wire carrier to the arm prior to the stacking step.

Abstract: A composite holddown spring for applying an axial force to a fuel pellet stack in a nuclear reactor fuel rod. The composite holddown spring comprises a shape-memory alloy spring portion and a conventional metal spring portion. The shape-memory alloy spring portion has a two-way memory characteristic such that it contracts to a low temperature configuration at ambient temperatures wherein the axial force exerted by the shape-memory alloy spring portion is minimized and expands to a high temperature configuration at operating conditions wherein the axial force exerted by the shape-memory alloy spring portion is maximized. Somewhat conversely, the conventional metal spring portion weakens and contracts at operating temperature and strengthens and expands at atmospheric temperature.

Abstract: The grids (14) of a nuclear fuel assembly (10) include an outer strip, or perimeter plate (100), having outwardly projecting formations (104,106) spaced from the side edges (110) of the internal grid strips (108), for resiliently absorbing lateral forces before such forces are transferred directly to the internal strips. The load dissipating feature of the present invention can be enhanced by providing orifices (552) in the substantially flat, central region (502) of each perimeter plate. This produces an hydraulic damping effect that can be pre-established by selecting the orifice sizes for a given set of impact load conditions.