Abstract: Improvements in retention of the oily liquid sealant (20) in a oil-sealed odor trap (10B-10M), for drain applications such as a waterless urinal or anti-evaporation floor drain, are accomplished by minimizing turbulence in the oil sealant, such as by making the liquid flow path (22A, 22B) substantially horizontal as a departure from conventional practice of substantially vertical flow and by positioning a barrier (40) above the oil sealant to prevent direct impingement of urine or other waste products onto the sealant. The trap is thus structured to realize the substantially horizontal liquid flow path and to locate the flow path immediately beneath the sealant layer or beneath a baffle portion (16B). The baffle portion may be sloped such that stray sealant droplets are encouraged to migrate upwardly to the upper surface of the flow path due to their buoyancy and, therefore, the stray droplets will be recaptured and returned to the main sealant layer.

Abstract: A bi-directional flyback converter (30), as regulated by control circuitry (34), is used to maintain power from a capacitor (36) to aircraft electronics (20) when power from a ground source through bus (12) is switched by a switching relay (16) to the aircraft source through bus (14). When the aircraft is on the ground and prior to engine start up, power is fed through bus (12). Such maintenance of power is necessary during switch-over from the ground to the aircraft power source, to avoid any transitory interruption of power. In operation, once the proper voltage is reached, the circuit turns off, minimizing power consumption. When the input power drops, the bi-directional converter acts as a voltage source, keeping the supply input voltage at a minimum set point by using the energy stored in the capacitor. An anticipation circuit turns on the circuit before power is actually needed so that the response time is instantaneous.

Abstract: A quickly separable and disconnectable electrical connector device (10) comprises a pin section (14) having a socket receptacle (40) and a socket section (16). A mounting flange (18) is mounted about the socket receptacle and is coupled to a supporting structure (26) on the socket section. A force member configured as a ring (32) surrounds the pin engageable end of socket receptacle (40) and is adapted to abut the pin section. An adjustable spring (28) on the socket receptacle urges force member (32) against pin section (14), and is located adjacent to one side of flange (18) for reducing the force required to separate the pin and socket sections from one another and thereby for aiding separation therebetween.

Abstract: A device for retaining an object and then releasing that object upon actuation, the device utilizing an actuator that resists less force than that exerted by said object, and is adapted for use with a V-band clamp.

Abstract: A temporary latchable or clasping interengageable interconnection mechanism is provided for an optical gyroscope assembly (10) to enable it to be rapidly and non-harmfully assembled and disassembled prior to a more durable interconnection, to facilitate repair and rework. The assembly includes a fiber optic spool (12), an inner shield (16) and an outer shield (18), which are formed of a stress-annealed magnetically permeable, and generally malleable material. Should the assembly be dropped, bent or dented, their magnetic shielding properties will be compromised, which is the harm to be avoided by the temporary interconnection. Accordingly, the fiber optic spool (12) and the inner shield (16) are temporarily interconnectable with the outer shield (18) and its spacer ring (38) by interengageable elements having the ability to latch or clasp the shield and the spacer ring together to prevent or, at a minimum, resist disassembly therebetween.

Abstract: A frangible actuator and switch isolates a defective cell in a battery by switching an electrical circuit when the current through a fusible link exceeds a predetermined value. The high impedance of the defective cell causes most of the battery's current to flow through the fusible link. The actuator releases a spring-loaded plunger when the high current causes tensile failure of a fusible link. Electrical contacts coupled to the pre-loaded plunger are displaced by a predetermined distance, causing the contacts to move into or out of contact with electrical terminals. The actuator includes two mating parts held together by a restrainig wire, which is in turn held in place by the fusible link. When the fuse melts, fails in tension or otherwise triggers due to excessive current, the restraining wire loosens and allows the two actuator parts to separate. This separation in turn permits the spring loaded plunger to advance, triggering the switching action.

Abstract: A shoe insert that can be customized by the user to control pronation of the foot and to relieve or reduce stress at painful areas of the foot comprising a sheet of a natural material such as leather or a synthetic resin such as high density polyethylene capable of being deformed to the shape of the foot by the weight of the user. The sheet includes fastening hook or loop material on at least one surface whereby detachable cushioning elements can be attached to the film. The fastening material attached to the sheet is preferably a layer of loop cloth that continuously covers one or both surfaces of the sheet. The cushioning pads also contain a sheet of loop or hook material on one or both surfaces. When the insert with attached, spaced pads is placed in a shoe, the sheet deforms around and between the compressible pads due to the weight of the user and retains the shape when the weight is removed.

Abstract: The fiber jacket application system is used to provide a protective jacket over spliced optical fibers (10, 12), such as to coat a length of bare fiber, previously coated fiber, and particularly to rejacket a length of fiber in which the jacket was removed for splicing. Curable jacketing material is twice fed from a reservoir (28) through a small orifice or syringe (32) onto the respective sides of bared portions (10d, 12d) of the fiber. A first material (14) is deposited from and between the existing jackets (10a, 12a) and onto essentially half of the bared portions. A second material (16) is deposited in bonded contact with the first applied material from and between the surrounding protective jackets and onto essentially the remaining half of the bared portions.

Abstract: To minimize the uncompensated part of the Shupe error, a one or more continuous coils (28, 44, 46) thermally stable material is added to a composite coil assembly (20) to dominate the composite in terms of thermal expansion and elastic modulus. The thermally stable material includes a plurality of continuously coiled fibers (28, 44, 46) selected from a material group which possesses a high modulus and a low coefficient of thermal expansion. The preferred fiber is formed from a carbon-graphite material which is selectively wound within the optical fibers (22) in the coil assembly and/or is wound about the interior and exterior circumferences of the coil assembly.

Abstract: A plurality of heat-conducting compressible button contacts (10) between a heatsink (28) and an electronic part, e.g., a printed wiring board (22) or integrated circuit (24), to be cooled. A thin plate (16) and/or indentations (44, 44') in the heatsink are preferably used to support the heat-conducting buttons. Each heat-conducting button contact is placed in compression, generally, for example, by the heatsink. A thermal path is thus provided between the part and the heatsink. Differently sized compressible button contacts are used to accommodate disparate heights between the heat sink and surfaces on components of the electronic part.

Abstract: Light emitting devices are combined with non-imaging optical elements to create a backlighting system for liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). A pair of optically isolated sub-systems, or sections a night vision imaging system (NVIS) (14) and a daylight system (12) are combined to provide optimum display legibility in ambient illuminations ranging from bright sunlight to total darkness. The sub-systems utilize non-imaging optics based upon total internal reflection (TIR) and light reflection, both coupled to a light emitting source, such as fluorescent tubes (34) and other linearly shaped light sources. Light reflectors (32) are shaped to concentrate light onto non-imaging optics lens (30) so as to compensate for non-linear characteristics of the TIR lenses.

Abstract: A heating and cooling tray (10) for service of food comprises housing (12) which supports a Peltier temperature controlling unit (22, 24) having an air flow passageway therein. The housing includes upper and base portions (14, 16) having respective openings (60, 62) for receiving and supporting different parts of the temperature controlling unit. The upper and base portions are secured together to provide an air flow path having an entry at the front of the tray where the upper and base portions are joined at an intersection (28a) and an outlet (58) at the rear of the tray between the upper and base portions, for flow of air through the entry at the intersection, the passageway in the temperature controlling unit, and out through the outlet. A pan (85) and a thermally insulating liner (92) are spaced from one another to form a gap (99) filled with a thermally insulating foam (101) and, thus, to provide enhanced thermal insulation.

Abstract: An input optical fiber (22), an output optical fiber (24, 26) and a waveguide (14) in an integrated optic chip (IOC) (12) intermediate the fibers are coupled together using service and alignment robots (42; 48, 50, 52). The service robot (42) establishes the three dimensional position of the waveguide. The alignment robots (48, 50, 52) three dimensionally and angularly align the input and output fibers respectively to the input and output legs (16; 18, 20) of the waveguide. An adhesive applying tool (46) coupled with the service robot adheres the input and output fibers respectively to their waveguide input and output legs.

Abstract: A package (10, 110, 210, 310) comprises a planar heat exchanger (14, 114, 314) with an air inlet (16, 116, 316) and an air outlet (18, 118, 318) thermally coupled to an electronic module (12). A flexible diaphragm operated pump (20, 120, 220, 320) with one-way valves (132, 134; 232, 234; 332, 334) are disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet. The diaphragm is oscillable to pump air through the heat exchanger from the inlet and out through the outlet. One or more piezo-electric transducers (138, 138; 232, 238; 338) are mounted on a diaphragm (136, 236, 336) and a power source and oscillator (140) are coupled to the transducer(s) to cause the diaphragm to rapidly flex and pump the air. The heat exchanger includes an internal structure (142, 342) defining a multitude of continuous air conducting passages.

Abstract: A gyroscope assembly (10) includes a ring-shaped fiber optic coil (14) and a coil conforming enclosure (12, 16) of high magnetic permeability ferromagnetic material. The enclosure is ring-shaped to conform with the shape of the coil, and includes a portion (22) extending within the internal hole of the coil ring. Therefore, the coil is intimately and fully encased within high magnetic permeability material. In particular, the enclosure comprises a coil supporting spool (12) and a cover (16) secured to the spool. The spool includes a base (18) which is provided with a central hole (20) and a tubular wall (22) extending perpendicularly from the base. Coil (14) is bonded to base (18). Both the spool and the cover are formed of high magnetic permeability material, and the cover is placed about the fiber optic coil and attached to the spool. The coefficient of thermal expansion material used for the spool is matched to that of the coil pack to minimize stress imposed upon the fiber.

Abstract: The environmentally protected module (16, 116, 216), which is qualifiable under military and space specifications, uses commercial and/or industrial grade electronic components (18, 20; 118, 120; 218, 220). The components are secured to and are electrically coupled together on a printed wiring board (24, 124, 224), through which thermally conductive vias (38, 138, 238) extend. The components are encapsulated in a thermally conductive and electrically insulative packaging material (25a, 25b; 125; 225, 229). Cooling or heating is provided by Peltier thermoelectric heat pump devices (32, 132, 232) coupled between an external heat sink/exchanger (35, 80; 135; 235) and the components.

Abstract: A gyroscope component (10) and its variations (10a, 10b and 10c) includes a spool (12, 12a) which supports a ring-shaped fiber optic gyroscope coil (14). The spool has a base (26, 26a) which is provided with a central hole (38, 38a). A perpendicularly extending tubular wall (28, 28a) extends from the base or a cover (16, 16a), and may directly contact the coil or be separated therefrom by a non-adhesive material (29) or a space (30). The cover covers the spools and, with the spool and the tubular wall, forms a ring-shaped enclosure. Each coil has a generally trapezoidal shape and comprises an optical fiber winding wound about an axis and having a cross-sectional configuration that approximates a 45.degree. right triangle whose hypotenuse is formed by the sloped sides to provide a side which is sloped with respect to its axis. Three components (10, 10", 10"') are positioned respectively about three orthogonally disposed axes to form an assembly (50) and are supported within and enclosed by a housing (52).

Abstract: Based upon the equation, BIAS.sub.G .alpha. (I.sub.DE -I.sub.COIL).multidot.(V.sub.DE -V.sub.OFF), where BIAS.sub.G is the bias of a multi-oscillator ring-laser gyroscope (14) as induced by gain medium dispersion effects, I.sub.DE is the proper operating coil current, I.sub.COIL is the actual coil current, V.sub.DE is the proper path length control operating voltage and V.sub.OFF is the actual offset voltage, V.sub.DE is matched by path length control offset voltage and/or I.sub.DE is matched by proper coil current, to produce a zero induced BIAS.sub.G. Matching, through dispersion equalization (DE), is effected by use of clockwise (C) and anticlockwise (A) (or counterclockwise) beams traversing paths with a frame (12). The beams are directed to photodetectors (52, 54) and power meters (56, 58).

Abstract: An open recirculating evaporative cooling system includes a cooling tower or evaporative condenser (12) having a heated water inlet (20) and a water collection basin (22), a water supply (34) for supplying a volume of water to the cooling tower, a water supply meter (36) coupled between the cooling tower and the water supply, for registering the volume of water supplied to the cooling tower from the water supply and for providing pulse information corresponding to the volume of water supplied, a heat exchanger (16) coupled to the cooling tower basin for receiving water therefrom, for removing waste heat (18) from heat producing equipment, and for supplying the heated basin water to the cooling tower heated water inlet, a solenoid valve (30) coupled between the heat exchanger and a drain for draining water from the cooling tower basin through the heat exchanger, sources of water treatment (24, 26, 28) coupled to the cooling tower for supplying corrosion and scale and biological fouling controlling additives th

Abstract: The invention is directed to measuring the length of a piece of wood to be cut in a miter box, a frame and trim saw, a radial saw and the like. The miter box includes a back (24) having a surface (24a) against which the piece of wood is placed and slid into position for cutting by the saw blade of the miter box. A roller (30) is positioned at and extends slightly beyond surface (24b), and is mechanically and thence electrically connected to a LCD display (54). The roller is mechanically connected to a rotary disc (42) by any suitable means, such as by a secondary roller (34) and gears or by a cord (40) and pulley mechanism. Wiper contacts 60 are slidable on and against a surface of disc (42), and are electrically connected to LCD display (54). A reset switch (68) and/or a spring switch on surface (24a) enables the reading on display (54) to be reset, for example, to 1/2" which is the distance from a starting point and the path of saw blade travel.