Abstract: A confinement system and method for confining a pet to a passenger seat inside a vehicle. A first net is suspended in front of the seating surface of the passenger seat. A second net is suspended along the side of the passenger seat between the backrest of the seat and the first net. The first net and second net confine the front and inside edges of the passenger seat. The backrest of the seat and the door of the automobile confine the rear and outside edge of the passenger seat. The result is a confined space centered on the passenger seat. A pet is placed inside the confined space. The pet is prevented from falling off the passenger seat while the automobile is moving by the confinement features.

Abstract: A method for providing a colored mask for a cable, wire or rope that can be quickly changed between two colors. A sheath covering is provided for a flexible element, such as a cable. The sheath covering has a length, a first side, an opposite second side, and two side edges. The first side of the sheath covering is pigmented in a first key color. Conversely, the second side of each sheath covering is pigmented in a second key color. The sheath covering is formed into a tubular structure around the flexible element. Depending upon which way the sheath covering is curved, either the first side or the second side can become the visible exterior of the tubular structure. Accordingly, to mask a flexible element in a first color, the sheathing covering is positioned around the flexible element. To change the color, the sheathing covering is merely inverted.

Abstract: A counterbalance system for counterbalancing the weight of a window sash in a window frame and the structure of the springs that provide the counterbalance force. Guide tracks are provided on a window frame to guide the movement of the window sash. Mounting slots are formed through the guide tracks at various points. Coil springs are provided to create the counterbalance force. Each coil spring is a coil of wound steel ribbon that has one end bent into an anchor configuration. The anchor configuration passes into, and is retained by, one of the mounting slots. This anchors one end of the coil spring to the guide track.

Abstract: A system and method of configuring the prongs on a hairbrush. A brush head is provided having a face surface and a plurality of prongs. The prongs are arranged in parallel rows that include at least a first row, a second row, and a third row. The prongs are positioned in the first row of prongs so that the first row of prongs engages a first volume of hair from a lock of hair being brushed. The prongs are positioned in the second row of prongs so that the second row of prongs engages a second volume of hair that is greater than the first volume of hair. Likewise, the prongs in the third row of prongs are positioned so that the third row of prongs engages a third volume of hair that is greater than the second volume of hair.

Abstract: A system and associated methods for mutual-aiding and mutual-calibrating positioning and navigation that fuse self-contained and referenced displacement measurements to provide position, velocity, and attitude estimates. In one embodiment the system includes a dead-reckoning device, a radio signal receiver, and a computational device that performs integration with mutual aiding and mutual calibration, leading to a position, velocity, and attitude solution. In another embodiment the system further includes auxiliary sensors. In one embodiment the method that performs fusion of dead-reckoning and radio signal measurements includes dead-reckoning mechanization, estimation of radio signal parameters including signal strength, code phase, and carrier phase, coarse initialization of navigation states with code phase and signal strength measurements, refinement of navigation estimation using temporal carrier phase differences, and estimation of dead-reckoning and radio measurement error terms.

Abstract: A window covering system used to adjust the position of window covers. Each cover hangs from a support that includes a roller. The covers are adjusted in position by the rotation of the roller. A slave gear is attached to each roller to facilitate rotation. A drive gear is provided that is sized to intermesh with each of the slave gears on the rollers. An adjustment mechanism is provided for rotating the drive gear. A second adjustment mechanism is provided for selectively moving the drive gear between various positions. At different points in its movement, the drive gear engages different slave gears from different rollers. Accordingly, a selected roller can be rotated. Thus, a single drive gear and a single manually operated mechanism can be used to individually rotate any number of rollers, thereby adjusting any number of window coverings.

Abstract: A method of cutting grooves having a trapezoidal profile into an airport runway. Each of the grooves has a base of a first width, an open top of a second width and sloped sidewalls. The grooves are cut by the single pass of a rotating blade. The blade used to cut the trapezoidal shaped grooves has a plurality of cutting teeth. Each of the cutting teeth has a wide body section, a face surface, a bottom surface and side surfaces that extend from the face surface to the wide body section. The wide body section has a width equal to the maximum width of the groove being cut. However, the face surface has a width equal to the minimum width of the groove being cut. The result is a cutting tooth that cuts smoothly and maintains its trapezoidal shape as it wears.

Abstract: A toy helicopter assembly having a guard that prevents the vertical lift rotors of the toy helicopter from inadvertently contacting any object while spinning. The toy helicopter has a body that includes a fuselage and landing gear. A drive shaft extends upwardly from the fuselage. A least one rotor is connected to the driveshaft. Each rotor is rotated by the driveshaft in a circular path through a predetermined plane of rotation. A plurality of loop structures are attached to the toy helicopter. The loop structures extend along curved paths, therein creating a guarded area within the curved paths. The loop structures are oriented so that at least part of the circular path that is traversed by the rotors extends through the guarded area.

Abstract: A device and method of cutting soft food material. The cutting is performed by an arrangement of cutting wire or ribbon that is pulled taut across a supporting frame. The cuts are made while the food material is lightly compressed and confined in a press. The press consists of a compression chamber having a bottom surface. The cutter is placed at the bottom of the compression chamber. Food material is then placed into the compression chamber atop the cutter. A compression plate is placed over the food material. The compression plate is pressed down to compress the food material. The compression squeezes the food material and liberates any excess fluids that may be present within the food material. This conditions the food material. The cutter is then pulled through the conditioned food.

Abstract: An electronic assembly that produces audile signals, such as prerecorded phrases, when activated. The electronics assembly is part of a secondary device, such as a pen, utensil, jewelry, or similar small object. The electronics assembly includes a housing having a first end and an opposite second end. A battery casing is disposed within the housing. The battery casing is sized to retain a plurality of concentrically stacked button cell batteries. An electronics module is provided within the housing for producing audible signals. A spring extends from the electronics module into the battery casing and biases the button cell batteries into a stacked configuration. The electronics module is powered, in part, by electricity flow through said spring from the button cell batteries.

Abstract: An assembly that includes a bottle, a bottle cap and a tool for removing the bottle cap. A pry tool is provided having a lever tab, a thumb tab and a prying catch. A flexible restraint is used to attach the pry tool to the neck of the bottler. The flexible restraint passes into a groove formed in part by the presence of the bottle cap. The pry tool is free to rotate about the connection point between an engaged position, wherein the pry tool engages the cap, and a disengaged position wherein the pry tool is disengaged from the cap. When the pry tool is in its engaged position, the pry tool will pry open the cap when an upward force is applied to the thumb tab of the pry tool. This configuration enables a container to be held in one hand and opened.

Abstract: A flying toy assembly having a secondary body suspended from a boomerang rotor configuration. The rotor configuration includes a plurality of rotor blades that radially extend from a common hub area. The central hub area has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a predetermined thickness between the top surface and the bottom surface. An annular grommet extends through the central hub area. The grommet defines a hole having a length generally equal to the thickness of the central hub area. A secondary body is attached to the grommet. A shaft extends from the secondary body. The shaft extends through the hole in the grommet, thereby joining the secondary body to the rotor configuration. Stops are provided on the shaft. The stops are disposed a predetermined distance apart along the shaft. The predetermined distance is at least twice as long as the length of the hole in the grommet.

Abstract: A noisemaker assembly that includes an annular horn body having an inner wall, an outer wall and a groove disposed there between. The groove is open at the top surface of the horn body. A tubular mouthpiece is provided that extends into the horn body. The mouthpiece communicates with the groove inside the horn body. When air is blown into the mouthpiece, that air passes into the groove within the horn body. A membrane is placed over the horn body so that the membrane covers the top of the groove. When air is blown into the groove, the air slips past the membrane from inside the groove. This causes the membrane to vibrate and generate a loud low frequency noise. The horn assembly can be held within a housing. The housing has perforations to enable sound energy from the horn assembly to escape from the housing.

Abstract: A folding shopping cart assembly having a basket with a bottom surface and side walls. A plurality of rollers are coupled to the basket. A framework is provided for supporting the basket at an elevated height. The basket is capable of moving on rollers relative the framework between a retracted position, where most of the rollers are in contact with the framework, and a cantilevered position, where most of the rollers are not in contact with the framework. Wheels are coupled to the framework so that the framework and the basket can be rolled together as a cart. The framework can be rotated about the basket to a stowed position that enables the cart assembly to be placed in a vehicle.

Abstract: A container assembly with a closure and the structure of the closure. The container has multiple compartments for holding different materials. The container has a closure with a fitment that attaches to the container. The fitment has separate bottom receptacle areas on one side and a top receptacle on the other. The separate receptacle areas are each exposed to different compartments within the container. The top receptacle area is connected to each of the separate receptacle areas by conduits. A selection head is provided having a pour spout and a plurality of baffle chambers. The pour spout has an open central conduit, wherein only some of the baffle chambers are open to that central conduit. The baffle chambers are received within the top receptacle area of the fitment. Different combinations of the baffle chambers selectively align with different conduits as the selection head rotates within the fitment.

Abstract: A system and method of customizing a flush toilet to help train an animal to utilize the toilet when making waste. A primary tray is provided. The primary tray is placed over the toilet. An opening is formed in the primary tray. If a pet in training becomes tentative, the opening is reduced in size or eliminated by the use of a supplemental tray. The supplemental tray is sized to cover only the part of the primary tray that holds litter. With the litter removed, the supplemental tray is placed atop or under the primary tray. If no opening is desired, no opening is formed. If a smaller opening is desired, an opening of the appropriate size is made in the supplemental tray. The supplemental tray is then filled with litter and is used to train an animal as if it were part of the primary tray.

Abstract: An emergency pressurization system for an aircraft having an air pump that is powered by bleed air from an engine of the aircraft. Although the air pump is powered by engine bleed air, the air pump draws ambient fresh air from outside the aircraft, compresses the fresh air to a predetermined pressure and pumps compressed fresh air into the pressurized cabin of the aircraft without ever exposing the compressed fresh air to the engine air. The speed of the air pump is selectively controlled as a function of cabin pressure and/or bleed air pressure. In this manner, the cabin is maintained at a constant safe pressure.