Abstract: A fully implantable hearing aid system comprised of an implantable sound generator module and an implantable sound receiver module connected by an implantable electric cable. The system includes: a) a sound generator module configured for implantation in subcutaneous tissue to place an output electric/acoustic (E/A) transducer, e.g., a speaker, immediately adjacent to, or preferably, extending percutaneously into, a patient's outer ear canal; b) a sound receiver module configured for implantation proximate to a patient's pinna to place an input acoustic/electric (AJE) transducer, e.g., a microphone, so that it is acoustically isolated from the E/A transducer; and c) an electric cable configured for implantation in subcutaneous tissue for directly electrically connecting said sound receiver module and said sound generator module.

Abstract: A connector assembly includes a first connector (2) with a forwardly-projecting pin (18) having a groove (32), and a second connector with a sleeve (20) having a passage (21) for receiving the pin. The second connector also has a spring clip (24) that deflects into the pin groove when the connectors are mated, to resist pullout of the pin and therefore unmating of the connectors. The groove in the pin has a radially-outward forward wall portion (36) which is angled to face at least 20.degree. from the pin axis, so that when the connectors are pulled apart, a portion of the clip lying in the pin groove can ride radially outwardly along the inclined wall to allow the connectors to be unmated. The clip is largely U-shaped with a base (72) and with bent arm free end portions (73) each lying in opposite recess portions (27, 26) of a circumferential slot (23) in the sleeve.

Abstract: A system is described for completing the construction of an IC (integrated circuit) card, of the type that includes an inner unit (18) formed by a pair of connectors (14, 16) at opposite ends of a circuit board (12), and a sheet metal cover (20) with upper and lower halves (22, 24) that must be fixed together around the inner unit. The system includes front, left, and right weld units (50, 52, 54) arranged about an imaginary rectangular weld region (60), a guide rail (72) extending rearwardly from below the weld region, and a slide assembly (70) with a card-holding fixture, that can slide forwardly into the weld region and rearwardly out of the weld region. A pair of rollers (82, 84) is separately movable forwardly so flanges (86, 88) on the rollers progressively close the upper cover half on the lower one, and then movable rearwardly out of the way, so the slide assembly with a closed card can be moved into the weld region where welds are formed to fix the cover halves together.

Abstract: An illuminated sign assembly is provided, of the type that includes illuminated alphanumeric characters lying on a dark background, wherein the characters and/or color can be readily changed at low cost. The sign includes a thick rigid structural plate (26, FIG. 3) of colorless translucent material which can be readily placed in a lightbox that shines light through the plate. A thin color sheet (30) which passes light of a selected color, lies on the front face of the translucent plate, and an opaque character sheet (34) which has apertures (20) defining alphanumeric characters, lies on the front face of the color sheet. The color and character sheets are each thin, so new color and character sheets can be provided at low cost for mounting on the plate. The color and character sheets each have a layer of water-soluble adhesive so a water spray (62, FIG. 11) can be applied to greatly reduce the adhesive viscosity to enable squeegeeing (at Z) of each sheet to remove air bubbles.

Abstract: An apparatus is described for tying together ski poles and skis into a compact package that can be stably carried not only with the poles and skis horizontal, but also when they extend vertically. The tie has a middle (44, FIG. 4), a pair of pole strip end portions (40, 42) extending from one part of the middle for wrapping about a pair of ski poles, and a pair of ski strip end portions (46, 48) extending from an opposite part of the middle for wrapping about a pair of skis. Velcro-type fasteners lie on the outer side of a first end portion and on the inner side of a second end portion of each pair to hold the pair of strips together when wrapped about poles or skis. Each strip end portion is long enough to wrap by an angle (82, 84) of substantially 180.degree. about the poles or skis, and the inner surface of one of the strip end portions is formed of a soft rubbery material (56).

Abstract: A vector excitation coder compresses vectors by using an optimum codebook designed off line, using an initial arbitrary codebook and a set of speech training vectors exploiting codevector sparsity (i.e., by making zero all but a selected number of samples of lowest amplitude in each of N codebook vectors). A fast-search method selects a number N.sub.c of good excitation vectors from the codebook, where N.sub.c is much smaller thaORIGIN OF INVENTIONThe invention described herein was made in the performance of work under a NASA contract, and is subject to the provisions of Public Law 96-517 (35 USC 202) under which the inventors were granted a request to retain title.

Abstract: A surface-reinforced lightweight article is described, which includes a honeycomb structure whose sidewalls are reinforced by an expanded foam. The article can be manufactured by laying a fibrous third layer, such as several layers of dry tissue paper backed by a layer of dry fiberglass cloth, on the walls of a mold, laying a second layer of multi-cell honeycomb-like material against the third layer, and laying a finely porous first layer such as tissue paper over the second layer. Foamable plastic is poured in the mold over the three layers and the mold is closed. As the plastic foams and expands, it forces the three layers into a tight sandwich and permeates the layers to reinforce them. Specifically, expanded foam in the cells of multi-cell honeycomb-type material braces the honeycomb sidewalls against collapse, to greatly increase the strength and rigidness of the article.

Abstract: A mill for comminution and separation of lump ore and subsequent recovery of relatively dense components of the ore, said mill including a stationary housing defining an ore reduction chamber therewithin, an impactor rotor drum rotatably mounted within said housing, said rotor drum supporting a plurality of circumferentially spaced ore breaker hammers and fixedly supporting a plurality of vanes for directing a high velocity air stream around said ore reduction chamber and defining a central feed region therewithin for receiving said lump ore, a plurality of transverse ore breaker plates fixedly supported within said housing and radially spaced from said rotor drum, an autogenous region in downstream communication with said ore reduction chamber, said autogenous region including a high velocity venturi region, a low velocity expansion region downstream of said venturi region and at least one collector plate arranged such that in use a particle laden air stream is directed through said venturi region and out in

Abstract: Systems are described for using multiple closely-packed spheres. In one system for passing fluid, a multiplicity of spheres lie within a container, with all of the spheres having the same outside diameter and with the spheres being closely nested in one another to create multiple interstitial passages of a known size and configuration and smooth walls. The container has an inlet and outlet for passing fluid through the interstitial passages formed between the nested spheres. The small interstitial passages can be used to filter out material, especially biological material such as cells in a fluid, where the cells can be easily destroyed if passed across sharp edges. The outer surface of the spheres can contain a material that absorbs a constitutent in the flowing fluid, such as a particular contamination gas, or can contain a catalyst to chemically react the fluid passing therethrough, the use of multiple small spheres assuring a large area of contact of these surfaces of the spheres with the fluid.

Abstract: Fluidics flow control of a multiphase supply using a cylindrical chamber is achieved by introducing the supply flow radially into the chamber. The supply flow exits through a port in the center at the chamber. A control fluid is then introduced tangentially about 90.degree. upstream from the supply port. A second control fluid port may be added about 90.degree. upstream from the first control fluid port, but preferably two sets of supply and control ports are added with like ports diametrically opposite each other. The control fluid flows against the circular wall of the control chamber, which introduces a vortex in the flow of the supply flow that decays into a spiral path to the exit port in the center of the chamber. The control flow rate may thus be used to control the spiral path, and therefore the supply flow rate through the exit port.

Abstract: An implantable AM receiver having a variable threshold which can detect signals above a changing noise level. An AM receiver is provided which provides a modulation envelope corresponding to the amplitude of a pulse-modulated RF signal radiated by an external device. A voltage signal is developed which is at least equal to the amplitude of the modulation envelope, but which decays at a predetermined rate if the modulation envelope drops to a value below the voltage signal. The voltage signal is then scaled to a predetermined percentage of a value corresponding to the value of the modulation envelope, and biased so that it cannot drop below a predetermined minimum level. The scaled voltage signal comprises the variable threshold and is compared by a comparator to the modulation envelope. If it is below the modulation envelope, the comparator outputs a voltage having a first state; if it is above the modulation envelope, the comparator outputs a voltage having a second state.

Abstract: A system for automatically deploying a moored sensor array utilizing an elongated cylindrical container with a semispherical weighted nose which will assume a glide angle with respect to the horizontal and descend in a glide path. Cable to a surface buoy is dispensed from the container during the descent with sufficient scope (ratio of cable length to depth) to permit the surface buoy to move about in response to ocean currents without overstressing the cable. A sea anchor suspended from the buoy by an elastic member with extra length of cable between the suspended sea anchor and the buoy isolates wave motion of the buoy from the anchor on the ocean floor. Upon impact with the ocean floor, a switch in the nose of the container is closed to lock up the cable and eject an array package from the container. The array package contains buoyant material to cause it to float upwardly while paying out sensors attached along a length of cable packed in the array package.