Abstract: A needle retraction device for removing a needle from a patient. The needle retraction device comprising a housing having an exterior wall which defines an interior compartment. A moveable member, having a pair of spaced apart movable legs or shoulders, separated from one another by an elongate slot, is located within the interior compartment. The pair of spaced apart movable legs or shoulders are also spaced from a remainder of the moveable member by a cavity or area which is sized to receive a coupling hub of a needle therein. The moveable member is movable from a first position, in which the pair of spaced apart movable legs or shoulders are located outside of the interior compartment of the needle retraction device for receiving a needle, and a second retracted position, in which the pair of spaced apart movable legs or shoulders, along with a supported needle or needle assembly, are completely retracted inside the interior compartment of the housing to prevent an inadvertent needle stick.

Abstract: An exhaust manifold flange for an internal combustion engine, for sealably connecting at least one stub pipe of an exhaust manifold to a wall of the engine, the flange has a basic part made of sheet steel provided with a bead which extends substantially around the entire outer contour of the basic part, at least one receiving hole with another bead therearound for securely receiving the at least one stub pipe in the manifold which has holes which are arranged for attaching the exhaust manifold flange to the wall of the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: The invention concerns a system for evaluating vehicle, drive and operation parameters of a vehicle to select and adjust by means of a microprocessor a speed ratio of a gear according to predetermined calculation rules, characteristic values and characteristic fields wherein an acceleration of the vehicle is mathematically calculated from a number of revolutions of a drive train comprising engine and gear, the number of revolutions corresponding to the driving speed. The problem is to provide for different gear types a uniform system which requires only a few parameters adapted to the vehicle for selecting speed ratio and gear shift. This is attained by the fact that a minimum dwelling time (&Dgr;tf) is associated to each speed ratio range. To each change of speed ratio (ig) is further associated an adjustment time (&Dgr;tz) which in the average is required for the gear to complete a speed ratio change (&Dgr;ig).

Abstract: There is disclosed a bending device, in which working data of feeding pitch between bending points, bending direction angle and bending angel is prepared from design data of a work, and a dividing point is determined to share the bending process by first and second joint type robots at one place of a straight line of the work able to be held by a chuck mechanism. After trial working, the working data is corrected. During the working, the first and second joint type robots having joints rotatable around axes parallel with the axial direction of the work are moved to the bending position. The work is held by a bending die and a clamping die rotatable around the bending die of a bending mechanism attached to the tip end of each joint type robot, and bent/worked by rotating the clamping die.

Abstract: A climate control system for a vehicle is disclosed, in which an air flow direction flap 34 is arranged in use to operate in accordance with a control quotient so as to present an air flow in a range of orientations. The orientations are arranged in groups which comprise base orientation levels 1, 2, 3, 4 and at least one group of intermediate orientation levels 110, 111; 220, 222; 330, 333 between two neighbouring said base orientation levels 1, 2, 3, 4. In moving between said neighbouring base orientation levels 1, 2, 3, 4, said air flow directing flap 34 passes, at least transiently, through substantially each said intermediate orientation level 110, 111; 220, 222; 330, 333, whereby a variation in said presentation of said air flow A/F between said neighbouring base orientations appears to a user to be more gradual than would be a substantially stepped change if made directly therebetween.

Abstract: The invention relates to an air guide through steering and rigid axles, particularly in planetary design, in rotary hubs for tire pressure regulation. A sealing ring (1) seals and air guide in the wheel head of a planetary steering axle with sealing lips against a U-shaped annular ring (2) comprising a metal wearing plate. The sealing lips of the sealing ring (1) acting in a radial direction. The sealing ring (1) is connected with a joint housing (4) and secured with pivots against distortion relative to said housing. The U-shaped ring (2) is firmly connected with the wheel hub (3) and is centered on the outer diameter by a close fit and secured against distortion relative to the wheel hub (3) and is sealed by means of O-rings (6). Between the annular, U-shaped ring (2) and the housing remains a narrow gap, the so-called labyrinth, which protects the seal against fouling.

Abstract: A seal arrangement to retain a motor vehicle roof liner about a sunroof aperture of that vehicle's body. The arrangement comprises a hook and fleece coupling (15) secured with respective components of said coupling (15) attached to a roof liner and about the aperture (12) of the body (10). The coupling (15) allows a wider range of acceptable retention geometries for the liner (13) within the aperture (12) whilst avoiding a bespoke component to secure the liner (13) to the body (10). The liner (13) includes a flange edge (16) which preferably extends substantially beyond the aperture (12) in order to provide lateral location of the liner (13) within the aperture (12) and so facilitate motor vehicle assembly.

Abstract: A method of powder coating at least one surface of a non-conductive object having a plurality of sequential steps. The first step is pretreating the surface of the non-conductive object to ensure that the surface is suitably cleaned. The second step to apply a sufficient quantity of moisture on the surface of the non-conductive object to facilitate adhesion of a powder coating to the surface. The next step is to spray a polymer coating powder on the moistened surface of the non-conductive object. This spraying step is done immediately following the application of moisture but prior to a complete evaporation of the applied moisture. The fifth step is to evaporate any remaining applied moisture from the non-conductive object prior to curing. The last step is to cure the coating on the surface of the non-conductive object without decomposing the powder and then either cool or allow the non-conductive object to cool naturally.

Abstract: A motor component covered with a novel electrocoating that fails to detrimentally affects magnetic memory medium provided in a hard disc or other is provided. With enhanced edge covering ratio, an improved insulation coating is easily formed on the motor component. An insulation coating is electrodeposited on an Nd—Fe—B system plastic magnet, a stacked core of silicon steel, a die-cast motor base of aluminum or other motor component through cationic electrodeposition. The electrodeposition paint for use includes 12 ppm or less of tin content in the aqueous solution, 0.5% or less by weight of carbon black content in the aqueous solution, and, instead, has titanium dioxide and/or silicon dioxide added to pigment. The electrodeposited insulation coating, which has a specified thickness, is heated to temperatures ranging between 40° C. and 90° C. After such preliminary curing, temperatures are again heated to between 150° C. and 190° C.

Abstract: A hydraulic actuator for a vehicle roll control system includes a fluid pressure transducer 28, housed in a valve block 16, the output characteristic of which is temperature dependent. In order to correct for this the temperature of the fluid is monitored. This is done by monitoring the duty ratio of the pulse width modulated driving signal to a control valve 22 in the block, which varies with temperature to produce a constant total current.

Abstract: A Stirling cycle machine has a piston (11) which reciprocates in a cylinder (12) and defines a hot chamber (23) between the piston (11) and end of cylinder (12). Heat exchange for the working fluid in the hot chamber (23) is effected while the working fluid is outside the hot chamber (23) in a flow path (24) communicating with that chamber (23). The piston (11) has a concave crown forming a surface (31) of the hot chamber (23). A seal is provided by a land (33) of larger diameter than the general diameter of the piston (11) formed around the upper periphery of the piston (11) and at least one annular groove (36) formed in the land (33) to disrupt free flow of working fluid along the gap between the land (33) and the cylinder wall.

Abstract: A child safety seat for use in a vehicle, comprises a seat body having a seat portion, a backrest and side wings projecting from each side of the backrest at the level of the head of a child occupant of the seat. The side wings are moveable relative to the backrest so as to be displaceable between a normal position and a fully deployed position in which they project from the backrest to a greater extent than when in their normal position.

Abstract: A motor vehicle having a sump guard and an undertray assembly attached to the undercarriage of the motor vehicle for protection of the undercarriage and engine. The undertray is made from a resilient plastics material and is moveably connected to part of the body structure of the motor vehicle and is allowed to deflect upwardly when impacted from below by an obstacle. Because of resilient nature of the undertray assembly, the undertray assembly disperses an impact load when applied thereto.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process to evaluate start-up for an automatic vehicle gearbox, said process having the following steps: 1) a signal associated with an engine torque (M_M) or an engine speed (n_M) is emitted from an engine control device (27), and a signal associated with a torque (M_T) or a speed (n_T) of the turbine shaft (18) is emitted at the electronic gear control unit (11) by a measuring device (24) on a turbine shaft (18) of a converter (2) of the automatic gearbox (1); 2) the electronic gearbox control unit (11) determines a maximum value (Max) from time-related differences (DIFF(t)) between the engine torque (M_M) and the torque (M_T) of the turbine shaft (18) or the difference (DIFF(t)) between the engine speed (n_M) and the speed (n_T) of the turbine shaft (18); 3) a gear-change characteristic (SL) characterising a particular start-up style by comparing a theoretical driver-type value (FT_Soll_n) associated with the maximum (Max) with an actual driver-type value (FT_Ist) and the setting

Abstract: A pet carrier with a container base (4) having a bottom surface (20), a plurality of side walls (22) that extend from the bottom surface to define a hollow interior compartment (24). A semi-cylindrical stationary convex top (6) is secured to the container base (4) so that the stationary convex top (6) partially covers the hollow interior compartment (24) to define an access opening (12) which is sized to allow a pet to pass readily therethrough. A semi-cylindrical convex lid (10) is rotatably connected to the container base (4), and the rotatable convex lid (10) is sized to completely cover the access opening (12), when rotatable convex lid (10) is in a closed position, and, when the rotatable convex lid (10) is moved to a second, open position, to allow access to the interior compartment (24).

Abstract: There is disclosed a musical sound signal generation apparatus for creating vacant channels by monaural sounding, in which a left/right balance is maintained and the total sound volume can be increased. When there is a key-on, and there is no vacant channel, a pair of channels for stereo sounding are selected, one channel of the pair of channels is released at a high rate, the panning coefficient of the other channel is changed, and a monaural sound is outputted from left and right output systems. Similarly, another pair of channels are selected, one channel of the pair of channels is released at the high rate, the panning coefficient of the other channel is changed, and the monaural sound is outputted from the left and right output systems. The L and R channels of the new key-on are assigned to two vacant channels.

Abstract: A vehicle bumper assembly comprises a bumper armature and a front portion of a subframe both attached by brackets to the front of crumple zones in longitudinal parts of the body structure and to the side sections of the subframe. The subframe front portion is longitudinally level with the armature but vertically below it, and an outer bumper panel covers both the armature and the subframe front portion.