Abstract: The invention relates to a light-pipe system for conducting/distributing light and air, which can also purify indoor air, particularly in a building, or the like. The light-pipe system includes a light-pipe for conducting light and having a clear top dome mounted at the top of the light-pipe to let in sunlight but keep out dust, rain and UV. An emitter fitted to the bottom of light-pipe improves the light distribution into the room, and a ventilation stack laid around the light-pipe coaxially/or non-coaxially, and a photocatalyst film (e.g. Nanometer TiO2) coated on the outer surface of the emitter for purifying indoor air under the illumination of light from light-pipe. The air and light are conducted separately along two different transport paths. The light-pipe system can provide illumination, ventilation and air purification simultaneously. The light source may be daylight, artificial light, light storage material or a mixture of them. Air can be moved naturally and/or is transported mechanically.

Abstract: A readily modifiable modular sign apparatus is especially useful for fast food restaurants as backlighted menu boards in both indoor and outdoor applications. The apparatus comprises a preferably translucent substrate or mounting board which is preferably planar and has a front surface and a back surface. Precisely positioned holes are prepared at selected locations. These holes are formed to be aligned with thin metal shims which are affixed on the back surface of the mounting board and receive cylindrical magnets on the front surface. The magnets are attached directly to the rear of printed sheets, each of which may have wording or pictorial information or both. The magnets contact the metal shims through the mounting board holes, and are held firmly in position by virtue of both the magnetic attractive force and the shape of the walls of the mounting board holes.

Abstract: The adjustable louvered armor window system invention comprises angled louvers made of the lightweight opaque armor. For the front window a viewing window of ballistic glass can be installed, the rear or sides could be solid armor. The louvers have overlaps to provide for gap protection. When no threat is present, the louvers are in the full open position. Once a threat is detected, then the louvers are closed. The movement of the louvers can be accomplished by a push/pull cable, hydraulic pressure, air pressure or other means. The system in the fully open position allows for a complete unobstructed viewing area. In the semi-deployed or partial down position, the system provides partial ballistic coverage for the occupant, and still allows for some occupant vision capability. In the fully deployed, or fully closed position, the system provides full ballistic coverage for the occupant, with a small viewing area or port, which is made of ballistic grade transparent armor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for actively controlling the impact between a club head and a golf ball. A golf club head has a face with an actuator material or device mechanically coupled to influence face motion. The face actuation controls impact parameters, impact properties, or resulting ball parameters such as speed, direction and spin rates resulting from the impact event between the face of the club and the golf ball. Further, the apparatus has a control device for determining the actuation of the face. Several embodiments are presented for controlling parameters such as ball speed and direction. The invention can use energy derived from the ball impact, converted into electrical energy, and then reapplied in a controlled fashion to influence an aspect of the face, such as position, velocity, deformation, stiffness, vibration, motion, temperature, or other physical parameter.

Abstract: A music-playing toothbrush having a hollow handle housing containing suitable solid state electronic components for selectively playing a musical tune with improved sound quality. The sound quality is expressly addressed in the handle design with an interior sealed speaker enclosure configured to direct the sound toward the listener with little internal leakage and with an undulating violin-like cavity shape that suppresses internal standing waves. Moreover, the handle provides a relatively large, relatively flat, substantially uninterrupted surface for receiving attractive and motivational graphics such as licensed cartoon characters, which may be compatible with the musical selection.

Abstract: A ball and socket-type swivel connector for use with second stage scuba regulators used by scuba divers. The ball is made from a metal with good corrosion resistance. The ball is held in position by a low friction bushing. The bushing, compresses the metal swivel ball with light assembly pressure. This is accomplished by machining or molding the same radius of the swivel ball into one side of the low friction bushing. No seawater can enter the swivel. The ball has a unique O-ring slot or channel that completely encircles the ball along a path that permits an O-ring to wipe the bushing upon swiveling of the connector and prevents seawater from entering the swivel. No area exists for seawater to collect around the O-ring. The preferred embodiment uses a high-grade stainless steel swivel ball, low friction polymer bushing material and an internally lubricated low friction O-ring.

Abstract: The improved snorkel dry top has a fulcrum to which a float member and a diaphragm yoke are attached. The fulcrum has a blocking tab that rests in an aperture in the float member attaching hook when the snorkel is above the surface of the surrounding water. The diaphragm yoke cannot rotate the diaphragm when the blocking tab is in the hook aperture. Therefore, even when tilted, the snorkel remains open allowing free flow of air into the snorkel tube. Another significant improvement is the connection of the float member, diaphragm and yoke to the snorkel top's splashguard mask. This improvement assures that the delicate structures of these components are not exposed to potentially destructive impact forces in the event that the splashguard mask is removed from the snorkel tube.

Abstract: In an air cell of a buoyancy compensator an outer protective bag has a section of double layer construction. In the double layer area, two panels of elastic material are each juxtaposed adjacent a panel of non-elastomeric material. The elastic panels are spaced at a distance of each other such that during expansion when the elastic panels are at their limit, there is still an adjacent layer of non-elastomeric protective material. If a sharp object penetrates the elastic panel, it will not puncture the inner air cell unless it can also pierce the protective bag non-elastic layer.

Abstract: In a scuba diving first stage pressure regulator soft silicone rubber is bonded to the first stage spring to prevent water from freezing between the coils of the spring thereby assuring unrestricted movement of the spring coils even during freezing conditions. By placing a soft molded material bonded directly to the spring surface through the method of chemical and/or mechanical bonding, a soft pliable silicone rubber encapsulates or cocoons the entire area between spring coils and works as a barrier to prevent water from filling the regions between the spring coils and freezing in cold diving conditions. The thickness and volume of the pliable material silicone is not critical as long as the area between the coils is occupied with enough material to prevent ice from forming and otherwise preventing the spring from deflecting. Further, a radial clearance hole is needed to allow the piston to fit inside the silicone bonded spring hollowed center.

Abstract: Hole punch apparatus which automatically places a reinforcement ring precisely around each punched hole concurrently with the creation of each hole and using the same motion that punches the holes. In a preferred embodiment, the punch shaft has a ring compression disk affixed around it at a location above the punch face. The compression disk has a ring cushion and a stack of reinforcement rings extending along the punch shaft toward the punch face, but spaced therefrom to permit the punch face to puncture a sheet before the lowermost reinforcement ring is then compressed against the sheet in precise axial alignment with the punched hole. The rings each have sufficient adhesive to adhere to the sheet, one and only one ring at each hole, while disengaging from the remaining rings in the stack.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for beneficially controlling the impact between a club head and a golf ball are described. A golf club head (such as on a driver, iron, or putter) has a body and a face mechanically supported thereon, wherein the face and body are elastically tailored to create beneficial face motion and deformation at impact. The tailored clubhead compliance is shown to influence impact properties and resulting ball parameters such as speed, direction and spin rates resulting from the impact event between the face of the club and the golf ball. Several embodiments are presented for controlling ball spin through design of the elastic and dynamic response of the face and body under impact loading.

Abstract: The Exclusion of Regions Method (TERM) and Concurrent Gradients Method (CGM) for multi-objective optimization of objective functions considered in a multi-dimensional domain are provided. TERM decomposes the domain into a set of non-intersecting sub-regions, and applies a special criterion to each sub-region to determine if it does not contain Pareto-points. Non-prospective sub-regions are filtered out, while prospective ones are used for generating points-candidates, and their improvement by a recursive procedure until pre-assigned accuracy is achieved. CGM works as any gradient-based algorithm. But on each step CGM determines the area of simultaneous objective functions improvement and a direction for the next step in this area. The area is determined in a simple way based on gradients for each objective function calculated on current point.

Abstract: A system for the measurement of high aspect ratio trenches. The preferred embodiment consists of three elements: a) an integrated microscope and optical height sensor, b) an axially dispersive, afocal lens system, which is included in the optical height sensor, and c) an algorithm for processing the optical height sensor data to produce the depth of the high aspect ratio trench. The present invention combines a traditional imaging microscope with a chromatic confocal, single point, height sensor. This combination instantaneously provides an image of the object and the height value at one point in the image. No mechanical movement is necessary anywhere in the system to achieve that result. The chromatic confocal height sensor is integrated with a traditional microscope through the use of separate wavelength bands such as a wavelength band in the visible part of the spectrum, and a wavelength band in the infrared or ultraviolet part of the spectrum.

Abstract: A verbal classification system and method for the efficient sending and receiving of desired information is described. Web-site proprietors (314) and Internet marketers provide a host server (320) with descriptive data about their web-sites and messages (336) according to a predefined verbal hierarchy of nouns, verbs and modifiers. An Internet user creates a role or roles (340) that describes desired information according to the same predefined verbal hierarchy of nouns, verbs, and modifiers and transmits that role (340) to the host server (320), provides the Internet user with desired web-site addresses (336) and message by matching the role (338) to web-site and message descriptive data (336). The Internet user may access a web-site using one or more roles (340) and the web-site may provide the user with custom content by matching content (338) to the Internet user's role and roles (340).

Abstract: A lock-type disposal safe scalpel comprising a blade (6), a handle (7) and a sheath (8). The sheath (8) is coupled to the handle (7) via a sliding mechanism and a positioning mechanism. The sheath (8) is provided with a button (1) and a locking block (2). A protective locking recess (3) and an operative locking recess (4) are provided on the front end of a sliding groove (5) of the handle (7) respectively. The button (1) is operated to press the locking block (2) so that the sheath (8) is slidably transferable between a position at the protective locking recess (3) and a position at the operative locking recess (4). A deadlock recess (12) is provided on the front end of protective locking recess (3) of the sliding groove (5), and the deadlock recess (12) is provided with a hindering mechanism so as to prevent the locking block (2) from disengaging, whereby the scalpel is brought into a deadlocked state. The sheath can be deadlocked to the handle when the sheath is operated to retreat back after use.

Abstract: A sealed multi-chambered bag, that is a flexible container, is made of dielectric material and contains two electrode plates (preferably screen plates) that are separated by an internal wall of the bag. Materials to be sterilized are placed between one or the other or both of the electrode plates and the interior wall. The interior wall allows the plates to be contained within the bag without the risk of damaging high voltage discharges occurring between plates optimal ozone production occurs in the bag immediately adjacent to where the materials to be sterilized are located. The bag is placed within a chamber containing an aperture which is connected to the intake of a pump. A conductor connects each electrode plate to an opposed terminal of a high tension transformer.

Abstract: A sphygmomanometer cuff assembly, air pump, pressure sensor and release valve are contained in an otherwise conventional computer mouse controller. Various alternative embodiments are illustrated and discussed herein. In one such embodiment the sphygmomanometer cuff is nominally positioned within the mouse structure and is extended outside the mouse housing during the measurement. In another embodiment, the cuff is always external of the mouse structure and is easily connected to the mouse at special ports during the measurement. In yet another embodiment, the cuff is always internal of the mouse structure and is readily accessible through an aperture in the housing surface of the mouse to permit the measurement to take place. Preferably, in each of these alternative embodiments a hinged or slidable door or panel protects the cuff or cuff ports between measurements.

Abstract: A manicuring appliance comprising a hand held center section with proximal and distal end sections each of which may be detachable from the center section. Each end section may have a lip shaped to bear against the base of the cuticle. The distal end section comprises a pusher for shaping the cuticle and prepare it for cutting by the proximal end section. The proximal end section includes a cutting blade positioned to properly cut or trim the cuticle along an arc which follows the arc of the cuticle base as the user moves the appliance along the cuticle. Various alternative embodiments of the proximal cutting section are disclosed.