Abstract: An interior air temperature sensing system is provided for use with a vehicle interior compartment air temperature regulating system including an ambient air inlet duct, a blower housing connected to an air inlet duct and an air temperature modifier and a blower situated within the blower housing. The blower draws air from the air inlet duct under negative pressure and conveys the air at positive pressure past the air temperature modifier to the interior compartment. The air temperature sensing system includes an air temperature sensor and a venturi valve coupled to the negative pressure area of the blower. The valve includes an inlet port, and outlet port and a venturi section extending therebetween defining a point of minimum flow area, or valve seat.

Abstract: A reactive precursor, for depositing a magnesium fluoride film on glass by a spray pyrolysis or chemical vapor deposition process, comprises magnesium acetylacetonate, trifluoroacetic acid, and optionally a solvent.

Abstract: A lamp switch and connector means assembly comprising an integral housing which is mountable to the interior of a compartment for illuminating the compartment. The switch is operable by means of a biased plunger, for example, in response to the opening and closing of a compartment lid. Fixed to the plunger is an electrical bridging means which simultaneously and immediately engages stationary, nonbiased electrical contacts when the plunger is biased toward an extended position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus comprising a cable, a sheath disposed around a portion of the cable, an inner member attached to the sheath, an outer member disposed around at least a portion of the inner member. The inner member and the outer member are formed to allow stepwise longitudinal adjustment of the inner and the outer members and to allow rotational movement between the inner and the outer members.

Abstract: A substrate, bearing a coating having a thickness which varies in more than one direction across the surface of the substance, is prepared by a process wherein the substrate is immersed into a coating medium bath, then withdrawn in a predetermined direction and at a predetermined rate, and simultaneously pivoted at a predetermined angular velocity about an axis which is orthogonal to the direction of withdrawal.

Abstract: A vehicle lamp assembly comprises a housing adapted to be affixed to a vehicle, a lamp component adapted to be mounted in the housing, and means for rigidly retaining the lamp component in the housing without the use of conventional threaded fasteners. The securing means comprises a resilient tab extending away from the lamp component which engages a retainer affixed to the housing, to rigidly maintain the lamp component in the housing.

Abstract: A method of gradationally infusing a graded thickness permeable medium with a uniform concentration of a material is disclosed. A method of gradationally infusing a uniform thickness permeable medium with a gradational concentration of material is also disclosed. The method includes placing the material in a container, and inserting and removing the permeable medium in the container so that the permeable medium includes either a gradational or uniform concentration of the material therein dependent upon the thickness of the medium. The method disclosed also allows uniform thickness or graded thickness electrochromic materials to be gradationally infused with an ion source to provide a color gradient within an electrochromic device. An electrochromic device made according to this method is also disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus for supporting a formed glass sheet during a tempering operation comprises a support rail, a plurality of glass sheet engaging elements, and means for affixing the elements to the support rail. The support rail generally conforms in outline and elevation to the peripheral marginal portion of the underside major surface of the formed glass sheet. The glass sheet engaging elements have bores therethrough and are aligned generally parallel to the support rail. A wire is disposed through the bores of the glass sheet engaging elements, and is affixed to the support rail at locations intermediate adjacent glass sheet engaging elements.

Abstract: A gas compressor includes a housing defining a compression chamber, a crankshaft having an eccentric surface radially offset from the axis of rotation of the crankshaft, an orbiting ring rotatably mounted on the eccentric for rotation about an axis offset from the shaft axis, a cylindrical post coaxial with the axis of the housing passages for carrying gas to and from the compression chamber, vanes movable radially with respect to the orbiting ring, and pressure sensitive valves that open exhaust passages from the compression chamber. The orbiting ring rotates in continual contact with the inner surface of the housing and the outer surface of the cylindrical post. Compression occurs within a first stage space and a second stage space, each space divided into compression chambers by the sliding vanes and contact between the ring and post or between the ring and housing.

Abstract: A method of making a laminated glazing unit having an interfacial coating on a laminated ply includes depositing the coating on the laminted ply and then removing a peripheral portion of the coating. Specifically, the peripheral portion of the coating is exposed to a laser beam of sufficient power to remove the coating. The exposure time and power level are controlled to avoid damage to the underlying substrate. Subsequently, the coated substrate ply is laminated to a ply of PVB or other flexible polymeric laminating material. A substantially direct laminating bond is formed between the laminating ply and the surface of the substrate ply in the peripheral area from which the coating has been removed. The peripheral seal thus formed is environmentally durable and protects the interior of the interface from degradation due to progressive edge corrosion and the like.

Abstract: This specification discloses vanadium oxide reduced by a codeposited reducing agent as an electrochromic material. The reducing agent may be a metal or a nonstoichiometric metal oxide. Preferred metals disclosed are vanadium and gold. Preferred metal oxides disclosed are nonstoichiometric lead oxide and nonstoichiometric bismuth oxide. The specification also discloses a method of making a nonelectrochromic, fully oxidized vanadium oxide [V.sub.2 O.sub.5 ] into an electrochromic material. The method includes the step of codepositing the fully oxidized vanadium oxide on a support for an electrochromic device along with a material which reduces the fully oxidized vanadium oxide to a less than fully oxidized state in which the reduced vanadium oxide is electrochromic.

Abstract: An electrically heated vision unit, such as a windshield, has bus bars extending substantially parallel to, and spaced from, each other in contact with an electrically conductive film provided on a surface of a transparent substrate. One bus bar extends laterally beyond the corresponding end of the opposite bus bar, an end portion at such corresponding end of the opposite bus bar being recessed away to avoid excessive current density at such recessed end portion.

Abstract: A uniform, topographically planar layer of an electroactive polymer is electrodeposited onto a conductive substrate by first electrodepositing onto the conductive substrate a thin initiating layer of a different electroactive polymer prepared from monomer having a lower oxidation potential.

Abstract: Layers of ceramic paint are applied to a surface of a glass sheet in a process wherein each layer of paint is dried by microwave energy before a successive layer of ceramic paint is applied thereover.

Abstract: A process and apparatus are disclosed for providing antistatic protection to a plastic lens, the apparatus being adapted to carry out the process and comprising:(A) deionizing means for providing a flow of ionized air to at least a major surface of the lens;(B) an airless spray system for applying a thin, substantially uniform coating of liquid antistatic material onto the lens surface following its deionization.A decay chamber may be provided for at least partially isolating the lens from airborne contaminants as the antistatic material dries.

Abstract: A electromagnetic radiation modulating laminate comprises consecutively a conductive substrate, a persistent first metal layer, a fast ion conductor layer containing cations of a second metal, a transition metal compound ion storage layer, and an electrode. The transmission and reflection of electromagnetic radiation is modulated by the reversible dissolution and re-deposition of at least a part of the persistent first metal layer into and out from the fast ion conductor layer, upon the application of a reversible electrical potential across the conductive substrate and the electrode.

Abstract: An air distribution apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising a chamber for receiving air conditioned by at least one heat exchanger, the chamber includes an inlet opening and a plurality of discharge openings and mechanism downstream of the inlet opening for selecting at least one of the discharge openings. The mechanism for selecting comprises a pair of rollers, a flexible material disposed between the rollers and having at least one cutout area; and a mechanism for bidirectional driving of the rollers for positioning the flexible material such that the cutout area is either positioned for allowing air flow through at least one of the discharge openings or for preventing air flow through any of the discharge openings.

Abstract: An anti-reflective coating employing silicon as a high refractive index material in a film pair together with silicon dioxide as a low refractive index material is found to be substantially transparent to visible light and to provide good anti-reflectance where the silicon film is ultra-thin, preferably less than about 50 Angstroms and the thickness of the silicon dioxide film is matched to that of the silicon film. Laminated glazing units having such anti-reflective film can be used, for example, even in applications requiring high transmittance of visible light, such as motor vehicle windshields, in view of the substantial transparency of the coating.

Abstract: Chromium acetyl acetonate is added to a zinc acetate-containing reactant mixture, to improve the chemical durability of a zinc oxide layer deposited on a glass substrate by the spray pyrolysis process.