Abstract: A three-dimensional puzzle assembly comprising a structural portion and a decorative portion is described herein. The structural portion includes a plurality of structural elements that may be assembled to form a predetermined three-dimensional shape. The structural elements include first connectors. The decorative portion includes a plurality of decorative elements made of resilient material and provided with a front decorative surface and a reverse surface. The reverse surfaces are provided with at least one second connector configured, positioned and sized to connect with the first connector to therefore removably interconnect the decorative elements and the structural elements. A wall mounting assembly to support a three-dimensional puzzle assembly is also described herein.

Abstract: The oscillation-based test method and device is applied to at least partially analog circuits. The at least partially analog circuit is first divided into building blocks each having a given structure. Each building block is then inserted into an oscillator circuit to produce an output signal having an oscillation frequency related to the structure of the building block under test. The oscillation frequency is then measured and a fault in the building block under test is detected when the measured oscillation frequency deviates from a given, nominal frequency. Experiments have demonstrated that the frequency deviation enables the detection of catastrophic and/or parametric faults, and ensures a high fault coverage. In this new time-domain test method, a single output frequency is evaluated for each building block whereby the test duration is very short. These characteristics make the test strategy very attractive for wafer-probe testing as well as final production testing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a light stick comprising an electric light source and a light-refracting tubular body. The light-refracting tubular body has a longitudinal axis and is made of a translucent or transparent plastic material. The tubular body tapers from a first open end of larger diameter to a second closed end of smaller diameter. The light source is mounted in the open end of the tubular body with the power source housed in an adjoining cap which may be fitted onto the open end. The light source includes a LED aligned with the longitudinal axis of the tubular body, and a light-refracting network is formed on the internal surface of the body to project light emitted by the LED towards the side and the closed end of the tubular body. This network consists of a generally helicoidal thread. In operation, the light rays are refracted and radiated by the thread and the translucent or transparent plastic material forming the tubular body appears to glow evenly along its entire length.

Abstract: A partitioned collection container including a central compartment and two lateral compartments is described herein. A first lid is pivotally mounted to close the central compartment and third and second lids are pivotally mounted to respectively close the two lateral compartments. A lid locking mechanism is provided. The lid locking mechanism has two positions. In a first position, the lid locking mechanism allows the first lid to open while preventing the second and third lids from opening. Conversely, in a second position, the lid locking mechanism allows the second and third lid to open while preventing the first lids from opening.

Abstract: A remote smart battery for supplying a cellular telephone comprises a series of electric energy storage cells, a set of supply contacts connected to the storage cells for supplying electric energy from the storage cells to the cellular telephone, a connector having a plurality of female contacts arranged to be respectively connected to the male contacts of an IC card connector already provided on the cellular telephone. The smart battery further comprises a magnetic stripe reading device, an IC card reading device, and a PCMCIA card reading device. Finally, a microcontroller interfaces the cellular telephone with the reading devices. The microcontroller provides the cellular telephone with a supplement of programming to enable use of the cellular telephone for at least one additional function. Use of the cellular telephone for at least one additional function will be authorized in response to information read on a card by the microcontroller through one of the reading devices.

Abstract: A tool box carrier to carry a tool box on level surfaces and allowing the tool box to be carried in stairs is described herein. The tool box carrier includes a wheeled base provided with a longitudinal frame and a tool box support assembly so mounted to the frame as to be longitudinally movable thereon. A hand operated winch is mounted between the frame and the tool box support assembly to assist the longitudinal movements of the tool box support assembly. The tool box is mounted in a pivotable portion of the tool box support assembly to maintain the tool box in a horizontal position when the tool box carrier is tilted during transport.

Abstract: A system for removably installing a truck equipment onto a truck frame comprises a mechanical support assembly for supporting the equipment on the ground in a tilted position. A tilt ramp pivotally mounted to the rear free end of the truck frame, is provided with a pair of elongate parallel frame rails. The truck equipment comprises a pair of elongate guide members to slide on the frame rails and guide longitudinal movement of the equipment on the ramp. An hydraulic cylinder is mounted between the truck frame and the front end of the ramp to tilt that ramp and thereby enable the guide members to engage the tilted frame rails upon rearward movement of the truck frame toward the truck equipment supported on the ground in the tilted position. A winch then hauls the truck equipment on the tilted ramp until the equipment reaches a predetermined position in which it is locked by means of hydraulically operated pins. The truck equipment is then operable.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a sub-micron structure of etch-resistant metal/semiconductor compound on a substrate of semiconductor material comprises the step of depositing onto the substrate a layer of metal capable of reacting with the semiconductor material to form etch-resistant metal/semiconductor compound, and the step of producing a focused electron beam. The focused electron beam is applied to the layer of metal to locally heat the metal and semiconductor material and cause diffusion of the metal and semiconductor material in each other to form etch-resistant metal/semiconductor compound. The focused electron beam is displaced onto the layer of metal to form the structure of etch-resistant metal/semiconductor compound. Finally, the layer of metal is wet etched to leave on the substrate only the structure of metal/semiconductor compound.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are novel trisulfonated phathalocyanines, processes for making them and their derivatives. Also disclosed are key intermediates consisting of Boron(III) subphathalocyanines. Further disclosed are novel uses for various water soluble trisulfophathalocyanines, trisulfobenzonapthoporphyrazines and trisulfonated phathalocyanines. The new uses are directed to photsensitizers for the photodynamic therapy of cancer, the inactivation of viruses in stored blood, organic semiconductors, disk memory material or as materials for gas sensors. In the compounds of the present invention, the central metal atom may be Zn, Co(II), Ni or Cu(II).

Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical and biological air purifier. The air purifier has a housing having an inlet and an outlet both aligned on a longitudinal axis, a turbulence generator, one or more vacuum ultraviolet (UV) sources achieving a chemical purification and one or more germicidal ultraviolet (UV) sources achieving the biological purification. The turbulence generator is mounted within the housing downstream of the inlet and promotes a dispersion and mixing of air received through the inlet. The vacuum UV source is mounted within the housing downstream of the turbulence generator and breaks oxygen molecules into mono-atomic oxygen which then reacts with chemical contaminants present in the air and degrades them by successive oxidation to odorless and inoffensive byproducts. The turbulence generator reduces the production of ozone by increasing the contact between the mono-atomic oxygen and the chemical contaminants.

Abstract: The neutralizing system comprises a low impedance current transformer for detecting an alternating stray current flowing through a ground return circuit in the proximity of an animal susceptible to be subjected to this stray current and the corresponding alternating stray voltage. The current transformer has a 1:1 primary-to-secondary transformation ratio. The neutralizing device further comprises a chain of amplification responsive to the alternating stray current detected by the current transformer to produce an alternating compensating current having an amplitude and phase respectively related to the amplitude and phase of the detected alternating stray current. Finally, a magnetic coupling circuit magnetically couples the alternating compensating current to the ground return circuit in view of inducing in that ground return circuit an alternating compensating voltage adding to the alternating stray voltage to substantially cancel this stray voltage and, a consequence the stray current.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for removing unwanted movements in digitized image caused by unsuitable camera mountings or recordings made under difficult conditions. The image data is processed by tracking a selected image portion over a plurality of frames. The position of the image within its frame is adjusted so that the position of the selected image portion remains substantially constant frame after frame, and modifications to the image are made. Portions of the images that extend beyond frame edges are repositioned within the frame edge. The position of the image within its frame is then reset to its original position, so that the modified image moves as if it were part of an original shot.

Abstract: A cable tray assembly including a pulling mechanism is described herein. The cable tray assembly includes a tray member defining a predetermined path and mounted in the ceiling of a building to support a plurality of cables extending from a dedicated room to a plurality of workstations. The pulling mechanism includes a pulling rope defining a closed circuit and mounted to the tray member through pulleys for longitudinal movements along the predetermined path. The pulling rope is provided with a cable securing element to which cables to be installed from the dedicated room to the workstations may be attached. Longitudinal movements of the pulling rope along the predetermined path will therefore displace the cable securing element and the cables attached to it from the dedicated room towards the workstation.

Abstract: A vibration transducer device for stringed musical instrument comprising a magnetic field generating bar, metal strings of the musical instrument and an electronic circuit is described herein. The electronic circuit amplifies a minute electric voltage induced in the metallic strings by the magnetic field when the metallic strings are vibrating.

Abstract: A stepladder is provided with a bracing shelf that acts both as a conventional pivoting shelf and a bracing mechanism preventing accidental closing of the stepladder when the shelf is in a bracing position. The shelf includes abutting members adapted to contact a step of the stepladder, and, optionally, a mechanism to lock the shelf in the bracing position.

Abstract: A method of welding at least two layers of a thermoplastic film which comprises a copolymer or copolymer-polymer mixture selected from the group consisting of ethylenevinylacetate (EVA) copolymer, an EVA copolymer and polyethylene, an EVA copolymer and polypropylene, and an EVA copolymer and polyethylene and polypropylene, with the proviso that the concentration of vinylacetate in said film is from about 12 to about 28% by weight, said method comprising the steps of:pressing said at least two layers of said thermoplastic film;applying a high frequency current to said pressed layers in order to weld said layers together; andrecovering said welded layers.