Abstract: An inanimate figure having soft, resiliently deformable skin defining a body and limbs, at least one of the limbs housing an articulating limb structure comprising at least two substantially rigid limb frame members joined by at least one articulating joint disposed therebetween.

Abstract: A circuitized electrical cable having a flat cable having a stripped portion exposing conductors of the cable and having a circuit board mounted to the stripped portion wherein the conductive fingers at a first edge of the circuit board are soldered directly to the correspondingly oriented conductors of the cable. The circuit board may include componentry in order to provide for altered signal transmission of the signal lines of the cable such as for signal line termination. The circuit board may include a second edge having a beam having conductive fingers adhered thereto and the circuit board may be inserted within a housing having a shroud protruding therefrom surrounding the beam in order to provide for a male I/O connector electrically connected to conductors of the electrical cable.

Abstract: A combination torque and position sensor is provided for measuring the torque applied to a rotatable shaft, and measuring the position of the shaft as it is rotated. The combination sensor includes a fixed disc formed of a non-conducting insulating material with a circular resistive position track and a circular resistive torque track disposed around a surface of the disc. A first input voltage supply contact and a first ground contact in fixed relation to one another and are held in rotatable contact with said torque track. A torque signal output contact also held in rotatable contact with the torque track is positioned between the first voltage supply contact and the first ground contact such that torque applied to the shaft alters the relative position between the torque output contact and the first voltage supply and first ground contacts. The torque output contact provides an output voltage signal proportional to the amount of torque applied to said shaft.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided having an easily attachable, front loading coupling ring having fingers and a receiving aperture having a chamfered edge for slidingly receiving a connector flange of a host connector and providing for a snap-fit of the coupling ring onto the host connector.

Abstract: A torque sensing transducer sleeve of the magnetostrictive type is attached to a rotatable shaft where torque is to be measured. A shaft is provided on which torque is to be applied and measured. A transducer sleeve of the magnetostrictive type for measuring the torque is attached to the shaft with a nonmagnetic collar interposed between the shaft and the transducer sleeve. The nonmagnetic collar is formed having a shape such that when the transducer sleeve, and the collar are properly positioned on the shaft, the nonmagnetic sleeve exerts circumferential tension on the transducer sleeve producing circular magnetic anisotropy within the transducer sleeve.

Abstract: An optical package is provided having a diode mounted to a substrate enclosed by a housing which includes a bore for receiving an optical waveguide and a focusing element adjacent the bore. The bore and focusing element are aligned along a common optical axis. An alignment means is associated with the housing for aligning the substrate along the optical axis.

Abstract: A system and a method are provided for conversion of a display of a computer monitor from VGA signals to NTSC signals for display on a television screen. The system implements a circuit which reduces flicker in the output of the NTSC screen. The system includes an input device for inputting a signal in an identifiable mode to stored non-interlaced data relating to the VGA image signals in field memory areas. The VGA image signals are converted in the field memory areas stored to interlaced NTSC image signals. A controller controls the storage and conversion of the VGA signals to NTSC image signals in field memory areas to produce an output.

Abstract: An vertical cavity surface emitting laser feedback system is provided which has a vertical cavity surface emitting laser for emitting a specific amount of optical radiation. A portion of the optical radiation is received by a detection means which is used to generate a feedback signal that corresponds to the amount of optical radiation being emitted by the vertical cavity surface emitting laser.

Abstract: A miniature shunt connector for commoning a pair of adjacent terminal posts and a method for commoning a pair of adjacent terminal posts are provided. The shunt connector includes a housing formed of an insulating material which forms an internal contact cavity configured to receive an electrical shunt contact. A pair of terminal post receiving apertures communicate with the contact cavity to allow terminal post to be inserted therein. A surface feature is also formed in a wall of the contact for locking said contact element into said housing. An electrical shunt contact element is provided and configured to fit within the internal shunt cavity. The contact element is formed with two rear contact beams and two resilient front contact beams. The resilient front contact beams being provided with and anti-overstress feature in the form of flared ends configured to physically engage the contact housing. A shunt portion of the contact element provides an electrical short circuit between the contact beams.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrical switch with a return spring comprising a housing having a cylindrical shaped rotor having a brace member extending therefrom and in a centered position, the brace member is positioned adjacent to a stop abutment member protruding within the aperture of the switch housing and a spring member mounted on the rotor having arms which abut against the edges of the brace member and the stop abutment in the centered position and upon rotation of the rotor, the arms of the spring will cause the rotor to return to its centered position. The brace member abuts the arms of the return spring and upon rotation of the rotor, the braces cause the arms of the return spring to deform. The return spring in a preferred embodiment has an Omega shape.

Abstract: A torque sensor is provided for measuring the amount of torque being applied to a rotatable shaft fitted with a torsion bar between two separate shaft segments. The sensor includes first rotor attached to a first shaft segment such that angular rotation of the first segment is translated to the rotor. A second rotor is attached to the second shaft segment such that angular rotation the second shaft segment is translated to the second rotor. The first rotor supplies two pairs of signal voltage references circumferentially spaced around a surface of the first rotor. At least one resistive track having a uniform linear resistance extends between the voltage signal references of each pair. A pair of contact carriers are positioned between the first and second rotors. Surface features formed in the contact carriers and the first rotor couple the contact carriers to the first rotor such that the contact carriers are constrained to move anullarly around the central axis of rotation of the first rotor.

Abstract: An adapter for performing bi-directional data transfers between a SCSI bus, which transfers data using a parallel format, and a serial transfer medium, which transfers data using a serial format and being connected to a serial device. The adapter bi-directionally transfers SCSI data between itself and the SCSI bus. In addition, the adapter bi-directionally converts between SCSI formatted data and serially formatted data. Furthermore, the adapter bi-directionally transfers serially formatted data between itself and the serial transfer medium.

Abstract: A power stabilizer for maintaining a constant level of output power from a laser transmitter. The laser transmitter has a laser diode which produces a optical output which corresponds to the level of bias current received. In addition, the laser transmitter has a photodiode which produces a feedback signal which corresponds to the optical output power being produced by the laser diode. Furthermore, the power stabilizer consists of a digitally controlled potentiometer for producing a reference input signal and an op-amp for comparing the feedback signal and the reference input signal to produce a control signal to supply bias current.