Abstract: A process is disclosed for preparing a fabric softener composition containing a quaternary ammonium salt, and a silicone or organic oil. The process involves forming a thick phase aqueous dispersion of the quaternary ammonium salt with the silicone or organic oil, and further admixing additional water to form a fabric softener composition.

Abstract: A door assembly for disposition in a building includes a vertical member, a weather strip adjacent the vertical member, and a door selectively moveable to be adjacent the weather strip opposite the vertical member. A threshold extends below the door and the vertical member extends upwardly from a lower end. A corner pad is mounted to the lower end of the vertical member. The corner pad includes a base surface abutting the threshold, a first edge surface extending upwardly from the base surface between the vertical member and the weather strip, and a lower reservoir surface extending upwardly from the first edge surface. The lower reservoir surface extends inwardly into the corner pad defining a reservoir between the vertical member and the weather strip. The corner pad includes a second reservoir surface extending angularly from said lower reservoir surface for preventing the water from splashing out of said reservoir and into an interior of the building.

Abstract: An electronic pedal assembly including a treadle, a pedal arm connected to the treadle, and a rotor assembly about which the pedal arm rotates. The assembly also includes one or more Hall sensors positioned within a cavity in the rotor assembly and one or more magnets that fixedly attached to the rotor assembly. The Hall sensors detect the position of the treadle by monitoring the positions of the magnets. Also, a method of monitoring an electronic pedal assembly using one or more magnets and one or more Hall sensors.

Abstract: A method of playing a bingo-type game includes the steps of generating a result of the game and displaying a representation of the result. More specifically, the representation of the result of the game is displayed through a mechanical technological aid at an electronic play station. An apparatus for playing the game includes a server and the electronic play station in operative communication with the server. The server generates the called numbers, which correlate to the result of the game, and the electronic play station includes the mechanical technological aid for displaying the representation of the result of the game. A program product for playing the game is stored on computer readable media and includes a result program code for generating the result of the game and a display program code for displaying the representation of the result through the mechanical technological aid.

Abstract: A clutch assembly for a vehicle transmission includes a housing defined by a wall having an annular configuration circumscribing a clutch axis. The wall extends between an open end and a floor. The floor extends inwardly from the wall toward the clutch axis. A plurality of splines formed in the wall and each is spaced from the open end of the housing. A snap ring retains clutch plates in the housing. The open end of the wall is deformed inwardly toward the clutch axis defining a retainer for retaining the snap ring within the housing.

Abstract: A tuneable electro-optic modulator (1) comprising first and second spaced apart output optical waveguides (2, 3), each output optical waveguide comprising a coupled portion (12) optically coupled to a corresponding coupled portion (13) of the other output optical waveguide, the coupled portions defining a coupling region (14) therebetween; an optical source adapted to symmetrically provide an optical signal to the first and second output optical waveguides; a portion of each of the output optical waveguides having a signal electrode (6, 7) thereon; the modulator further comprising a central optical waveguide (15), at least a portion of which is arranged in the coupling region, the central optical waveguide having a tuning electrode (16) thereon.

Abstract: A personal protection system is provided for creating a sterile barrier between a user and an external environment. The personal protection system includes a head unit having a ventilation unit with a fan for distributing air to the user. The personal protection system also provides a protective covering draped over the head unit. The protective covering includes a flaccid shroud and a transparent face shield mounted to the flaccid shroud. The face shield is mounted to the head unit using a plurality of mounting elements. The face shield is mounted such that a top portion of the face shield has a larger radius of curvature when mounted that a bottom portion of the face shield. This reduces the glare directed toward the user. A control panel for the ventilation unit is also provided on a chin bar of the head unit for easy access by the user.

Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus for producing products results in solid waste and organic waste disposed in an air stream. The organic waste is subject to oxidation by a thermal oxidizer receiving the air stream from the manufacturing apparatus for oxidizing the organic waste. The thermal oxidizer includes a clean air outlet for venting the oxidized air stream to the atmosphere. A gasifier receives solid waste from the manufacturing apparatus for gasifying the solid waste and producing synthetic gas. The synthetic gas is introduced to the thermal oxidizer for providing additional thermal energy to the thermal oxidizer reducing the amount of fossil fuel required to provide thermal energy to the thermal oxidizer that is necessary for oxidizing the organic waste disposed in said air stream.

Abstract: Multimodal optical spectroscopy systems and methods produce a spectroscopic event to obtain spectroscopic response data from biological tissue and compare the response data with preset criteria configured to correlate the measured response data and the most probable attributes of the tissue, thus facilitating classification of the tissue based on those attributes for subsequent biopsy or remedial measures as necessary.

Abstract: This invention disclosed a power tool comprising housing, motor in the housing, switch fixed on the housing used to connect motor and power, output shaft connecting with operator and rotating in single direction in company with the motor driving, and locking device contained in the housing. Power tool has self-locking mechanism which can lock the output shaft no need additional tools or holding force. The locking act can be easier and safer.

Abstract: In a trajectory information processing apparatus (201) for equalizing the sensitivity of input near a starting point of a trajectory input to the extent possible, regardless of direction of movement, the trajectory information processing apparatus (201) including an input receiving unit (202) receives input of coordinate information of a trajectory at a first definition, a correcting unit (203) corrects the coordinate information of the trajectory based on a pair of coordinates of a starting point of the trajectory at the first definition and a pair of coordinates of the starting point of the trajectory at a second definition lower than the first definition, a converting unit (204) converts the corrected trajectory coordinate information to the second definition and outputs the converted coordinate information, the correcting unit (203), if the starting point locates on an edge of an area which includes the starting point at the first definition, and includes pairs of coordinates which are to be converted to

Abstract: Multimodal optical spectroscopy systems and methods produce a spectroscopic event to obtain spectroscopic response data from biological tissue and compare the response data with an empirical equation configured to correlate the measured response data and the most probable attributes of the tissue, thus facilitating classification of the tissue based on those attributes for subsequent biopsy or remedial measures as necessary.

Abstract: A curable epoxy resin composition comprising: (I) a curable epoxy resin; (II) an epoxy-resin curing agent; and (III) a silicone rubber powder obtained by curing a condensation-curable silicone rubber composition in a dispersed state in water, the powder having an epoxy equivalent measured by titration equal to or lower than 3,000 and an average particle size in the range of 0.1 to 100 ?m, possesses excellent flowability and which, when cured, forms a cured product that in spite of low modulus of elasticity possesses high strength.

Abstract: A device and method for producing metal panels. First a metal melt is produced, then a substrate, having a lower temperature than the metal melt, is contacted with it so that some of the metal melt crystallizes on the substrate. The substrate is then moved relative to the metal melt so that a metal foil is formed on the substrate. The metal foil is divided into metal panels. The substrate has grooves which are used to fit partitions between the panels, and grooves which are filled with liquid metal. The latter grooves provide a reinforcement for the metal panels. A pattern of recesses and/or elevations can be provided in the substrate so that the same pattern is formed in the metal foil. The pattern may include parallel grooves which ensure that the surface of the foil is enlarged. In the case of solar cells this results in greater efficiency.

Abstract: A silicone rubber sponge emulsion composition comprising (A) (a) a liquid diorganopolysiloxane having at least two alkenyl groups per molecule, or a paste-like mixture of (a) a liquid diorganopolysiloxane having at least two alkenyl groups per molecule and (d) a reinforcing filler, (b) an organopolysiloxane having at least two silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule, and (c) a platinum catalyst, (B) an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer, and (C) an emulsifying agent; its production; and production of silicone rubber sponge, wherein silicone rubber sponge is obtained by curing the composition into a molding and heating the molding.

Abstract: A method of preparing a patterned film on a substrate includes applying a silicone composition onto a substrate to form a film of the silicone composition. A portion of the film is exposed to radiation to produce a partially exposed film having an exposed region and a non-exposed region. The partially exposed film is heated for a sufficient amount of time and at a sufficient temperature to substantially insolubilize the exposed region in a developing solvent that includes a siloxane component. The non-exposed region of the partially exposed film is removed with the developing solvent to reveal a film-free region on the substrate and to form the patterned film including the exposed region that remains on the substrate. The film-free regions is substantially free of residual silicone due to the presence of the siloxane component in the developing solvent.

Abstract: A band combining filter for passing signals in a communications band includes a plurality of cascaded directional filters. Each directional filter has at least two inputs and at least two outputs. The nth directional filter is arranged such that output signals O1 and O2 from the first and second outputs are related to input signals I1, I2 to the first and second inputs by the relation ( O 1 O 2 ) = ( R n ? ? 1 T n ? ? 2 T n ? ? 1 R n ? ? 2 ) ? ( I 1 I 2 ) with R and T being reflection and transmission functions respectively. The directional filters are connected in a cascade with the first and second inputs of the nth directional filter being connected to the first and second outputs of the (n?1)th directional filter respectively in the cascade. At least one of the reflection functions Rn overlaps with the corresponding reflection function Rn?1 within the communication band but is different thereto.

Abstract: A drive shaft assembly for a vehicle includes a first tubular member and a second tubular member. The second tubular member is mated to the first tubular member. The first tubular member defines a plurality of protuberances and the second tubular member includes a plurality of apertures. Each of the plurality of apertures receives one of the plurality of protuberances substantially affixing the first tubular member to the second tubular member in a circumferential orientation.

Abstract: A first sound volume calculation unit (251) obtains a length of a straight line connecting a sound emitting object and a sound detection object, and calculates a first sound volume attenuated from a predetermined reference sound volume in accordance with the length. A second volume calculation unit (252), in a case where on the straight line there is an other object that is an obstacle, calculates a second sound volume attenuated from the first sound volume by a predetermined ratio.